Unofficial Portkey Archive

Here, There, and Everywhere

Disclaimer: I don't Harry Potter.

Thank you all for all the kind reviews, especially Harry_mione_love. Thank you, dear. Ah, and that one who said my writing is brainless: I don't give damn for your opinion. ^.~

Ah, another thing, I will delay the next chapter of LLS. I'm having some RL issues, but do not worry, I'll post as soon as I can

I hope you like this chapter.

Chapter 09: Hurting

Hermione was pacing back and forth. Her eyes were closed, her hands clasped together so tight that her knuckles were white.

"For Merlin's sake, Hermione!" Tonks cried. "Keep pacing like that and you'll make a hole in the floor."

The young brown haired witch stopped, staring at Tonks. "I need to know what's going on!" she cried.

"Bones is an excellent Healer, Granger," Kingsley said, "we just have to wait."

"Wait?!" Hermione huffed, but didn't say anything.

Soon after Harry had lost consciousness, Hermione called Susan Bones. First she had tried St. Mungo's, but a nurse had said it was Susan's day off. Not wanting to waste time, Hermione flooed Susan at her house.

Luckily, the former Hufflepuff was home.

Not even five minutes later, Susan Apparated in front of Hermione's door.

Kingsley and Tonks arrived soon after that.

"You said it was Blueberry, the man you and Potter were chasing after in the Alley?" Kingsley verified.

Hermione stopped pacing. "Yes," she replied, "it was him. I know it doesn't make sense because he's supposed to be in Azkaban, but-" She paused for a moment and looked meaningfully at her boss. "We know it's not impossible."

"I'm aware of your assignment, Hermione," Tonks said, "Smith and I are also working on it."

Hermione nodded holding back her sigh. "I see." She took two steps before stopping again, facing the two Aurors. "This attack was just a distraction. Blueberry knew Harry would be there. It was a trap."

Kingsley took a deep breath. "Damnit! A bunch of Aurors were fooled like Hogwarts´ first years!" he cried angrily. "I should have anticipated this!"

Tonks put a hand on Kingsley's shoulder, signaling to calm down. "Yes, you should have," she said.

"However, this isn't only your fault, Kingsley. Times of peace are wonderful, but also permit us to be a little too accommodated. It has been years since the last attack- we haven't had to deal with a real crisis in a long time." She sighed. "After such a long time, it seems we're forgetting Alastor's lesson."

"Constance Vigilance."

Hermione was silent, her eyes focused on the corridor to her bedroom. She wanted to go there, to see if Harry was alright, ask Susan if she needed help, but the Healer had said it wasn't necessary, that she worked better alone.

Hermione couldn't help but feel it was her fault. It was her first assignment (at least in Britain) and she'd already failed. She had managed not only to let her partner get hurt but also allowed the attacker to escape.

Her partner.

Harry.

She shook her head slightly as if she was trying to clear her thoughts. She needed to focus. Hermione whirled around and faced Tonks and Kingsley once more. Kingsley was about to ay something when they heard noise coming from the kitchen.

*

"Finally!" Alastor Moody grunted through the green flames of Hermione's fireplace. "Took you long enough."

"Prof-" Hermione stopped in the middle of the sentence. "Mad-Eye. How are you?"

"Fine," Alastor groaned in reply, "but there's no time for chit-chat, Granger." He turned his head to look at Kingsley. "We have a situation."

"What happened?"

"Smith and I went to Azkaban to check this false Blueberry. However, we found Blueberry dead in his cell. Smith is still there."

"Dead? How?" Tonks asked.

"We don't know yet," Moody replied, "at first it seems he killed himself. Hanged."

"Bu-" Kingsley was about to say something when Hermione interrupted him.

"What about his appearance?" she asked. "Did it change?"

Mad-Eye's mouth cracked, what someone could say was an attempt to smile.

"Very good, Granger. I was wondering when someone would ask about it," he said, "but yeah, it changed."

"And who was it?"

"Gregory Goyle. Junior."

Hermione couldn't help but let go a small gasp. "Goyle?" She shook her head, an incontrollable urge to snort. "Goyle!? I mean, he really fooled us-and-" Her eyes darkened, just a perceptible shadow crossed her face. She looked at Moody's head, who nodded grimly.

"Yes, Granger."

"Former Death Eaters." Kingsley caught their thoughts. "Maybe Potter's suggestion about Snape's involvement isn't only a conjecture."

"If Snape is behind all this we need to be cautious. Severus is anything but stupid." Moody paused for a second. "I didn't ask about Potter. How is he?"

"He collapsed after I healed his wound," Hermione said quietly, trying to keep her emotions under control, "but Susan Bones is with him right now."

"Bones is a good Healer," Moody replied absently. "He was stabbed, wasn't he? Strange," he said, almost to himself. Then, he shook his head. "Well, that's it. I'll see if Smith has some news. And remember-"

"Constant Vigilance!"

Moody nodded. "Yes, that's it," he said before in the green flames.

Hermione was opening her mouth to say something when Susan appeared in the kitchen, looking concerned.

"How is-" Hermione was saying, but Susan raised a hand, causing her to stop.

"I gave him some Potions I've brought with me," Susan said, "and he seems fine for now. He's sleeping."

"Thank Merlin," Hermione whispered. "What happened, Susan? D-Did I do something wrong? It has been much time since the last time I had to use Healing Spells. I knew we should have gone to St. Mungo's. I-" Hermione was getting closer to hysterics.

"Calm down, Hermione!" Susan cried, holding up her hands. "You did nothing wrong! Actually, you did what any Healer in St. Mungo's would do- and without the press. Because we know that the minute Harry arrived in the Hospital, all those reporters would be there a second later."

Hermione forced a smile onto her face. "I know. That's why Harry was so adamant about not going."

"Potter is fine, then?" Kingsley asked.

Susan gazed at the older Auror as if as if she was trying to find the words. "This faint, this reaction, had nothing to do with the cut itself." She took a deep breath. "The problem was the weapon that was used against him. The blade was poisoned-" Hermione controlled a gasp biting her lips hard. "I found traces of Lethifold's blood in his system."

Hermione felt the floor disappearing under her feet. She couldn't speak, she couldn't breath. Hermione closed her eyes painfully, willing herself to not cry.

"But Lethifold's blood causes paralyses," Tonks said quietly. Hermione opened her eyes and looked at Susan.

"Yes, it causes paralyses," Susan confirmed, "but only if the person affected doesn't receive the antidote in 72 hours."

There was an audible sigh of relief in the room.

"Of course, I'll have to prepare the antidote, but don't worry. Everything is going be fine," she reassured everyone, and then turned to Hermione. "I heard you're engaged to Charlie Weasley."

Hermione was slightly surprised at the statement. Not at the fact that Susan Bones knew about her and Charlie, but because it seemed a little out of place.

"Yeah..."

"Congratulations," Susan said in what Hermione thought was a strained smile. "He's still working with dragons?"

"Yes," Hermione confirmed, "He's working with Gringott's´ dragons and twice a week he goes to Romania to continue his researches there. Why?" Hermione couldn't help but ask.

"Oh, it's just that one of the antidote's ingredients is the Common Welsh Greens´ nails. I'm almost sure I have it in stock, but- Oh well, I'll ask if necessary."

"Right."

"Well, I'm going," Susan said after a few seconds of an awkward silence. "Harry will probably sleep all night. When he wakes up, he won't be able to move his legs, at least not completely. With some effort he'll be able to go to the look, and do small things like that, but he needs to stay in bed. I also recommend that he doesn't get removed from his spot." Susan's eyes bored into Hermione's. "I know he's in your bedroom-"

"It isn't a problem.."

"Right." Susan nodded. "I conjured a cane. It's beside the bed. It's for him to use when he needs to go to the look. Unfortunately, bathing is out of the question, but I guess he can survive a couple of days using only a Cleaning spell." She sighed, feeling tired. "I guess that's it. Tomorrow I'll come to take a look at him," she said, and walked towards the door. "Mr. Shacklebolt, Tonks." She bowed her head. "´Night."

"Night, Susan."

"Good Night, Miss Bones," Kingsley said, "You did good work."

"Thank you, sir." She turned at Hermione, who had come to the door with her. "I'm glad you're back, Hermione."

"Thank you," Hermione spoke truthfully, "and thanks for coming. The nurse in St. Mungo's said it was your day off. I'm sorry-"

"It's alright. I'm glad to help." She didn't wait for Hermione to open the door for her, opening it by herself. "Bye," she said, stepping into the hall and then disapparating.

***

Some time later...

Hermione entered her bedroom quietly and closed the door behind her, leaning over her bed. Kingsley and Tonks had left just a few minutes after Susan. Hermione knew they only had stayed that long for her own sake. And Harry's.

She wasn't able to deny that Harry, and she- at some point- weren't two ordinary Aurors. Even if Kingsley, or any other `superior´, had always treated them fairly, she knew they always would be Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, war heroes, the savior of the Wizard World and his Muggleborn best friend.

Hermione sat down on the edge of the bed and took Harry's hand into hers. She looked at his sleeping figure. He looked pale, his dark hair tamed with sweat.

"I'll always see you as just Harry. My Harry," she whispered, gazing down at his bare torso and then at the bandage on his rib.

She closed her eyes, heaving a sigh. "I'm sorry, Harry," she spoke quietly, the tears running down her cheeks freely, "I'm so sorry." Hermione opened her eyes slowly. "I'm sorry for everything."

The young witch lowered her stare at his hand on hers once again, a tiny and sad smile on the corner of her lips. She couldn't help but feel a little mesmerized at how her own hands looked so small in comparison to his. Hermione had never considered herself a fragile woman, neither physically nor emotionally. She had, of course, suffered some issues with herself when it had come to her appearance and principally with her Muggleborn status. No, she wasn't ashamed of her origins- on the contrary; she felt a rising pride in her chest when she thought about her parents, but she wasn't naïve enough to believe that with Voldemort gone the prejudice would simply disappear.

She knew she would have to work harder than anyone else, but she wasn't afraid of that.

After all those years, Hermione had gained some sort of self esteem; pride of herself. All those years away- and Charlie...

Oh Charlie...

All those years away- and Charlie had transformed her into a stronger, more independent woman. Even about her physical appearance she felt different, more confident. While she was far from dowdy, Hermione knew she wasn't a classic beauty like Ginny, or Cho, or even Lavender, but she knew she was pretty, even beautiful in her own way.

However, all that confidence about herself seemed to come to earth when it came to Harry.

Harry.

Even if she would never admit it to herself, she knew- she knew deep inside her heart, that he was the reason for her departure.

It always had been him.

Always because of him.

Hermione knew she had made a mistake for not getting in contact for all those years; she was painfully aware of how Harry despised her for that.

And she wanted- she wished- to be able to tell him; tell him how much he had hurt her, how many nights she had cried herself to sleep; how her relationship with Ron was a silly mistake, the baby...

But she wouldn't say a thing, never. It was in the past, buried- or so she believed. And now she had Charlie.

Her sweet and lovely Charlie...

Hermione let go of Harry's hand, lowering her body onto the bed. She laid down at his side, her head resting against one of his shoulders. She was tired. Exhausted.

"I guess I wasn't´ the best of the partners today, Harry," she whispered quietly, her eyes closed. "I'm sorry, Harry. I'm sorry for everything." She took a deep breath; letting his scent invaded her system.

Oh god, it had been so long...

"I've missed you so much," she whispered, and the tears began to fall once again. "If I could...If I..."

Not capable to control herself, Hermione let escape a small sob from her lips.

Unconsciously, Hermione snuggled her body against his. Her sobs started to become louder and louder, nearly hysteric.

She continued to cry, in what it seemed to be not only a desperate plea for forgiveness, but also for understanding.

"Why do you keep hurting me like this, Harry? Please, set me free..."

************

Ah, I started a new community on LJ. It's a centric-Harry newsletter. potter_news.

Oh my, I was almost forgetting- Thank you Oliver for the beta! :)

Have a great week everyone! :)