Death of A Hero
Harry stood out on the balcony and looked up at the pink and purple hues of the evening sky. It was over…it was done. None of them remained, Voldemort was dead, had been for five years and tonight the last of the death eaters had finally been captured, the task that had been thrust upon him as an infant was finally completed.
"Enjoying the view, Harry?"
Dumbledore's voice pulled Harry from his thoughts and he turned to face the twinkling eyes of his former headmaster.
"Just thinking, Professor, just thinking."
"A most noble pursuit."
"Professor, is it over?"
Dumbledore looked at Harry and placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled.
"As I am no longer your headmaster Harry such formalness is unnecessary, please call me Albus or simply Dumbledore as all my friends do."
Dumbledore smiled as Harry nodded his head then continued.
"Now then, in answer to your question, yes Harry it is over. The Dark Lord has been defeated and his minions captured. A great debt is owed to you Harry."
Harry smiled half-heartedly and turned back to the darkening sky, it was over. It had only taken twenty-one years of his life and the lives of countless others, including his parents, his godfather and even some of his friends. A great debt maybe owed to him but the price had been too high, Harry banged his fist on the banister and spoke.
"What's owed can't be repaid."
"You are correct in that assertion. The debt that is owed to you by the wizarding community cannot be repaid. However the debt you owe is another matter altogether."
Harry looked at Dumbledore and frowned.
"The debt I owe?!"
"Yes the debt you owe to those who gave their lives for you."
Harry hung his head.
"What can I possibly give them?"
Dumbledore chuckled and Harry raised his head to see what was funny about his question.
"What can you possibly give to them, I had hoped it would be obvious. Considering that they gave their lives for your own you can only repay them by honoring the gift they gave you and live."
Harry stared blankly at Dumbledore before he responded.
"Live and what do you think I've been doing for the past twenty-one years?"
Again Dumbledore chuckled.
"Harry you have been called the boy who lived for most of your life but you have not been living, not really, not the way Lily and James wanted you to. You have survived, you have fought valiantly, you have triumphed over unimaginable obstacles but you have yet to enjoy the simple things that life has to offer; the beauty of a flower in bloom, the song of a bird, the sound of a child's laughter, a hug from a friend, what it is to be loved and to love in return, those are the things that make life worth living, those are the things that matter Harry those are the things that James and Lily wanted for you. You have always been the boy who lived, past tense, now it is time for you to be the man who lives."
Harry stared mutely off into the distance as Dumbledore continued his speech.
"And I believe there is a certain witch in particular who could be of great assistance to you in that matter."
Dumbledore turned and walked back inside leaving Harry to his thoughts. As Dumbeldore's footfalls echoed in the distance Harry was transported back to the day he'd gone off to that final battle.
He had said all of his goodbyes except for his goodbye to Hermione. She wasn't in the Gryffindor common room with the others, nor was she in the library or the Room of Requirement; Harry finally found her outside on the grounds standing by the lake. He opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. For some reason saying the words to her that he'd said to everyone else was harder. Softly he called her name.
"Hermione"
She turned around and he saw tears glistening in her eyes. For an instant he thought of staying, but he knew that wasn't possible. He wanted to say something to erase the pain and anguish he saw etched on her face. As he racked his brain for the right words to say Hermione closed the gap between them; she framed his face with her delicate hands and pulled his lips down to her own. Harry lost himself in the softness and warmth of her mouth, he ran his fingers through her thick wavy hair angling her head back Harry deepened the kiss, exploring the sweet depths of her mouth intertwining his tongue with hers. Hermione passionately returned his kisses, she wrapped her arms around his neck and slipped her fingers into the hair at the nape of his neck softly moaning his name over and over again. After what seemed to be an eternity their mouths slowly broke apart. Breathless and flushed Hermione stared into Harry's eyes and said.
"Harry I love you and I want you to remember that…no matter what happens know that I love you and I'm here waiting for you…remember that Harry…remember that you've got something…someone to live for"
Kissing her lips gently Harry replied.
"I love you too Hermione…and I'll be back, I promise…nothing will keep me from coming back to you"
He kissed her once more before she turned and ran back to the castle tears coursing down her cheeks.
Shaking himself from his memories Harry quickly disapparated.
Hermione Granger was roused from her study by the incessant ringing of her doorbell. Unsure who would be calling on her so unexpectedly she walked to the front door and peered out through the glass; standing on the doorstep was a tall man, his back was to her and his shoulders where hunched so she couldn't make out his profile. Deciding that it was probably someone looking for directions she opened the door and inquired.
"May I help you?"
The man on the doorstep turned around and slowly raised his head and Hermione found herself staring into sparkling emerald green eyes. Her breath caught in her throat as she stared at those eyes not wanting to avert her gaze for fear that she was imagining the sight before her. Hermione closed her eyes and slowly opened them again, the eyes were still there; she let her eyes move up and began searching the stranger's forehead until her gazed locked in on a thin lightening bolt shaped scar, tears pooled in her eyes and slid down her cheeks as Hermione covered her face with her hands and croaked out.
"Harry?"
Harry merely nodded his head in reply. Hermione promptly closed the distance between them she rushed across the room, tears streaming down her cheeks as she flung herself into Harry's arms. Their lips met in a tender kiss as they clung to each other in the doorway.
As he held Hermione in his arms Harry was reminded of what Dumbledore had said to him. It was indeed true that he had spent his entire life as the Boy-Who-Lived, the defeater of Voldemort. His whole life had been spent in service to the wizarding world as its savior. It had been his destiny, it was what he was meant to do after all…but now as he held Hermione in his arms he finally understood his purpose…his destiny had not been solely that of a savior…in that moment Harry Potter the Boy-Who-Lived, the defeater of Voldemort died and in his place stood Harry Potter the man, the man who was meant to love and to be loved by Hermione Granger.
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