5. Intemporaliter Obligatus Per Dilectio
Hermione's eyes fluttered open and she immediately realized the fortunate predicament she was in regarding the young boy beside her. She was holding Harry as if for dear life, and that thought made her grin happily as she moved her head so that the strands of hair that had found themselves situated on her face moved to the side. Finally, she smiled down at the peaceful-looking and sleeping Harry Potter. The only person she'll ever love.
I must be dreaming. This feels great.
She pushed herself even closer, until their bodies were merely millimeters apart, and rested her face in his shoulder, feeling happier than she had ever felt before. It was at that moment she suddenly realized that this couldn't be a dream. It felt too real. It was also at this time that she felt all of the heat in her body make its way to her face as she blushed harder than she had ever blushed before.
I'm holding on to Harry and this is real! Oh, God. I should let go.
But, however much she tried, she just couldn't. Even if he woke up and found her doing this to him, she wouldn't care. This felt simply too good. She let her passion overrule her reasoning, and made herself a home in Harry's shoulder. No matter what anyone would say, she was now truly at home. Harry, I love you.
Let the heavens strike me down now. I won't move an inch.
* * *
Harry couldn't believe it. Hermione was still holding on to him, and she was getting even closer. Most alarming of all, he realized that she must obviously be awake now. He can hear her breathing into his shoulder. What could this mean? Is she just doing this as a way of being close to a friend? Or… does she feel the same as I do?
Suddenly, he felt a strange feeling envelop his body. This was much different than the feeling he constantly had lately whenever he was close to or whenever he was looking or thinking of Hermione. No, this felt much different. A strange curling feeling traveled down his spine, and it seemed like someone was trying to talk to him. He didn't know how he knew that, just that he did, just like he knew night from day.
He tried to ignore it and closed his eyes as thoughts managed to slip deceptively into his mind. I can't wake up right now. Maybe I could just lie here and hope she never lets go.
His mind returned to the dreams he had last night, and with that thought he forced himself to feel content in her arms, to not question this gift. The several moments he spent just lying there on the bed were ones he cherished, ones which consisted mainly of him feeling the heat of Hermione's body and breathing on his body. Eventually, he felt himself slowly drift into another somewhat peaceful sleep, catalyzed by the hypnotizing presence of Hermione Granger that for the life of him he could not expel, nor did he ever want to.
However, an abrupt feeling began to envelop his body almost immediately after he began to snooze off. He felt as if his entire body and soul had taken off at the speed of light in several different directions, a feeling not unlike the one he had when he had first used magic in his First Year at Hogwarts. A strange enveloping feeling made its way down to his waist as he felt an inflating movement begin to push itself in hundreds of different directions, adding to the bizarre feeling of being split into several different directions. And, then, just like that the feeling was gone, replaced by a vacuum of nothingness… a void with no end.
A void that was eventually filled in, just like any other vacuum would have the natural tendency to. Science had willed it so, so many years ago, and now science will will it so once more.
He opened his eyes and found that he seemed to be in some sort of strange and twisted dream world. A heavy mist surrounded him, and far off a ways from him was a huge golden altar, an altar that seemed extraordinarily familiar. Not knowing what else to do, he approached it.
The dream world around him began to mold and shape into one that was far more serene and cheerful than the dream world he had first entered in. A feeling of utter rapture began to leech into his very being, and he realized that even though the altar he had seen moments ago only seemed a couple of meters away, he was still no closer to it than when he first tried to step towards it.
Looking above, he saw the clouds split apart to show the subtle hints of the tendrils of the sun beginning to drag their ways across the dark land around him, and then suddenly he realized he was there. He finally reached it, and he could see three distinct forms standing behind it, as well as several other cloudy forms off to the side. The first of these was himself, wearing a long and intricate black cloak, and a white crystal crown. As flowers were floating down around him, he was enveloping someone… he was enveloping a girl… a girl who wore a gorgeous white dress that beheld patterns of various kinds and that traveled down to the ground where it went outwards as a train.
A girl he suddenly realized he knew once he took in the relaxing sight of her hair. He'd know her anywhere, just like he knew it was his body he occupied. The girl was Hermione Granger and she was wearing a crystalline tiara that matched his crown, further completed by the addition of a crown of white jasmine flowers. But she seemed slightly older now. Or was it more of an additional presence of wisdom? It might only be a few months or a year, but that time only seemed to improve her natural beauty. They were looking euphorically at each other's faces, only a few millimeters keeping them apart.
His breath caught in his throat at the sight, and he had to force himself to look around to try and determine the nature of this strange and amazing dream. To their left was their very own headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. He was wearing a long green-blue cloak and seemed to be happier than he had ever seen him, the twinkle in his eye no longer just a twinkle, but a full-fledged star. He was looking at him and Hermione and was smiling, truly smiling as if he beheld in his eyes his very own newly-born son. Putting a hand on one of both of their shoulders he said, "As everyone now recognizes that these two are Anima Materia, each one-half of the same soul, I have no reason otherwise to state that they are now legally bound in marriage." Behind him now was a huge crowd of people, one that seemed to extend outwards for several meters of distance. Some of them he knew immediately from their red hair, others he had seen from the Order of the Phoenix, but most of the people, he realized, were people he hardly knew.
Cheers broke out from behind him, and he suddenly felt himself being dragged down by his navel, in a method of transportation that was not unlike that of traveling by a portkey. While being dragged down he could clearly hear a deep voice repeat over and over: "Grasp your destiny."
His eyes instantly opened and his breathing was very strained. He felt Hermione take her head off of his shoulder and shake him fearfully, "Harry? What's wrong?" The inflating feeling, remnant from his strange vision, seemed to grow and grow, threatening to force him to explode. Tears of joy of seeing both Hermione and him marrying each other began leaking out from his eyes. I have to know! I can't take it anymore! I have to know if she loves me too!
* * *
Hermione didn't know what was going on. One second she was resting peacefully in the nook between Harry's head and shoulder, seemingly as if her body fit his as if it was a jigsaw puzzle, and the next second Harry was shaking uncontrollably and was breathing raggedly. He must have just had a nightmare, she quickly concluded as she took her head off of his shoulder and shook him gently, scared for her best friend's life, "Harry? What's wrong?"
She then saw that tears were running off of his face and were falling on to the bed. She drew her eyebrows together in
confusion and got off of the bed so she could face him on his side of the bed while kneeling down on the ground.
"Harry? What are you crying about?" She looked at him with concern, fear beginning to envelop every fiber of her being, and suddenly Harry's hand made their ways around her, not forcefully but definitely desperately. A fact that only seemed to make her flooding of emotions worsen. "Mione." She put her own arms around him carefully, and tried to comfort him. They stayed like this, in that same position, for several minutes until Harry gently took her arms off from around him, and sat up on his bed, looking at her intensely with an unknown emotion.
This was one of the first times that Hermione couldn't discern what her best friend was feeling just by looking into his eyes. His eyes seemed to be completely covered over by strange and foreign emotions to her. What could he possibly be feeling?
"Did you have a nightmare?" Hermione asked, now definitely scared. She stared at his eyes, trying to identify why he was staring at her like this. She could literally feel his gaze go right through her, and she had never felt so vulnerable before. But I don't care. This is Harry, and I'd give myself to him if he wanted it right now. She knew that in her heart, without a doubt, and could feel her love for him more deeply than ever before.
He slowly shook his head, "No."
"Then what happened?" Her voice was shaking, but she tried to keep herself under control. Harry needed her to be there for him. Why is he being so secretive? Tell me what's wrong already!
"Hermione. There's something I have to tell you."
Hermione nodded at him for him to continue. He obviously was trying to tell her something very important, so she climbed up onto the bed beside him, then turned to stare at his face, and waited.
She was going to raise her hand to envelop his, but was shocked to see that Harry had slowly raised his hand to gently feel her face. That simple touch sent her body down an emotional rollercoaster of intense feelings of passion and need. She desperately tried to shrug the feelings away as she continued to listen. "When I met you, so long ago, on that train Hermione, I knew you were special. It turned out that I couldn't be any more right, because later on, after I saved you from that mountain troll, we had become hand-fast friends; we forged something unbreakable between ourselves. That friendship only managed to grow, and grow, and grow. It didn't seem to have an end. You care for me, understand me, and I feel the same way towards you."
It was a few moments before he could speak again. They motionlessly continued to breathe and stare at each other, trying to absorb in the other with as much concentration as they could muster. "But, Hermione, something's happened. I have always felt this way, ever since I first met you, but lately I can't control it anymore. It's becoming too strong for me, wanting to release itself out from under the surface, and I have to tell you. It can't be delayed any longer. Even though it might ruin our friendship, I don't care. I want you to know how much you really mean to me, just how I picture you." He was now stroking her face in a shaking matter, as if very scared of saying something that'll she not like. Hermione was desperately trying to stifle the moans wanting to escape her, and the possibility of what Harry's words meant only served to make her become more dizzy and light-headed.
"Hermione Jane Granger; I say this to you now, without a feeling of doubt or uncertainty. Flawlessly and completely, I love you. With all my heart, I love you. I always have and I always will. You make me feel so complete, so absolute, when I'm in your presence. You drive away all of my fears and make me feel important. You're so perfect, Hermione, and there's nothing about you I'd change. I need you Hermione, like I need the oxygen in the air to breathe." Tears were now silently falling down his face and he was shuddering with nervousness.
Saying Hermione was shocked when she heard those words would be a major understatement. As soon as her mind began to work again, and the words began to register, she realized that Harry just told her that he loved her. He loves me! HE LOVES ME!
The feelings that Hermione felt shimmer to the surface were just about to make her explode. Hermione had never felt this intensely in love and happy before. Oh, Merlin, if this is a dream please never let me wake from it. She was silently whimpering as tears of extreme happiness threatened to fall down her face.
The euphoria she felt had no end, had no beginning, had no midpoint. It was a circle, an eternal feeling of perfect happiness, happiness without a taint, without a flaw. She was now Harry's, and Harry's was hers. She mustered as much courage as she could muster and said very slowly, "Harry. You don't understand how happy I feel right now. I feel the same way.
"Ever since I met you, I fell in love with you. Your personality, your courage, the way you care, and the way you can make me feel happy just by looking into my eyes." She made a point to just stare into his eyes with as much intensity as she could congregate, "Whenever I'm in your presence, I feel as if I'm walking in the clouds, as if my happiness were absolute. I had those feelings since first year when I was around you, and they only continued to grow, Harry, just like our friendship.
"Harry, you're the only person I could ever imagine spending my life with. You mean the world to me Harry, and I'd give everything away just to be with you for the rest of my life. I love you, Harry James Potter, and I always will!"
The tears were now seeking to escape, but she desperately tried to hold them at bay. Any sort of instrument known to man could not measure the happiness Hermione felt. She felt absolutely complete, and now had all she ever really wanted: the man sitting beside her.
Harry looked at her, his mouth agape. "You… love me too?"
She smiled as widely as she could and nodded wildly, "Yes, Harry, oh yes! Nobody can ever make me feel differently! You're the man of my dreams!" At these words, they immediately embraced each other at the same time, pushing their bodies into each other as if they needed the other just to survive. Harry's arms made their way around her body and rested on her back, grasping her as if his very life depended on it, and her arms did the same with his back. She rested her head in the nook between his head and shoulder, and let the tears she were holding fly out freely, letting the world around her know just how happy she was. One of Harry's hands made their way to her hair and nuzzled her gently, making her stomach do even more summersaults.
"I don't know what to say, Mione. I've never felt this happy before. Am I dreaming? Oh, Merlin, please tell me I'm not."
She giggled, hearing almost the same words she had thought come out of his mouth, "Oh, Harry, I don't even care if it is anymore. Nothing can spoil my happiness right now."
They held each other that way for over a quarter of an hour, both of them simply happy they were in each other's arms. Finally, Harry broke both of their trances by lightly taking Hermione's head off of his shoulder by guiding her by the chin. He moved her head so that they were staring into each other's eyes.
Without even speaking a word, Harry and Hermione closed the distance between themselves. She felt her breath slam its way out of her when their lips touched, ever so gently. They both stayed that way, drowning in each other's presence, until both of them suddenly, as if seeing a signal, pushed harder into the other and drove themselves into a mind-blowing passionate and emotional kiss. One that would forever be engraved in the hearts and minds of the two individuals on that bed.
And without even thinking, Hermione's tongue drove its way out of her mouth and prodded Harry's lip, as if asking for permission to enter. Without a word, their lips opened and welcomed each other's tongues. Lip-locked, tongue-locked, and locked in each other's arms, they stayed for a very long while. Hermione had never felt so happy… so complete… so powerful ever before in her life. Fireworks were going off in her body, and she felt herself beginning to moan with the happiness seeking a method to escape her body.
Then, the situation changed almost instantly. Harry's arms took themselves off of Hermione's back, and his hands came up to envelop the back of Hermione's head, drowning in her hair. Hermione did the same by zealously grabbing onto the back of Harry's head, pushing her hands into his unruly yet striking hair. What am I talking about? Any part of Harry is striking.
And finally, they let each of their lips come apart so both of them could breath and try to drink in the air around them. But when both of them were satisfied, only seconds after, they were back at it again. Their lips and tongues met and they continued to drown in each other's presence. Time had no reign over the two of them.
And fated as it may be, time did pass. Hours must have came and gone, and when both of them seemed to have exhausted themselves to the point where they could no longer continue on with their embrace, they came apart. The sun was now almost directly overhead, making the passing of time seem obvious to both of their eyes.
But, the sun was not either of their worries.
They continued to stare sincerely and euphorically at each other's eyes, simply content with looking at the object of each other's absolute affection. The smiles on their faces had no comparison, and for the first time ever Harry Potter did not worry about the world around him, and neither did Hermione Granger worry about her friend.
* * *
The last few hours were like a dream. He had managed to actually muster up all of the Gryffindor courage he could so he could reveal all of his feelings to Hermione, and in return he found that she shared the same sort of affection. Not only did she love him, but she also loved him to the same degree that he loved her. He honestly couldn't feel any happier, and was quite confident that if he were to try and make a patronus appear right now, he could do so without much effort at all. This was simply put the best moment of his life.
Looking into Hermione's eyes he could see in them rapture that clearly mirrored his own. Not knowing at all what he was doing, he felt for his wand, which was in his pajama pocket, and raised it to Hermione's heart. He also saw, quite surprisingly, that she had done the same, and seemed to be as equally confused as he was to why they did so.
"I need you, Hermione Jane Granger." The words slipped out of his mouth, desperately wanting to be known, to be heard by the world around him.
"And I need you, Harry James Potter."
And then, it happened. Harry had never felt the same thing ever happen to him again. It was as if he had become an outside observer of the two of them staring at each other, a floating spirit in space. He saw himself and Hermione begin to speak in sync, both beginning to proclaim a seemingly practiced speech to each other, still staring into the other's eyes.
"Forever in and forever out, I willingly choose to bind myself."
The world around them began to melt towards their very souls, making them feel as if the very air around them were beginning to constrict upon them further and further as the seconds went by.
"Forever in and forever out, my body to you, I devote myself."
The air around them began to twirl around and form a cyclone, hurling its way around the two figures in an intricate pattern that neither touched them nor interrupted them. The items in Harry's room, quite oddly, did not seem to be affected by this strange tunnel of wind and as it continued to grow fiercer and fiercer, the two began to feel that the air around them was beginning to loosen its hold on them.
"Forever in and forever out, I eternally bind myself."
Their eyes locked, never tearing themselves away from their gazes as the last portion of the spell was spoken into the air:
Nusquam mos effrego nos seorsum,
Pro ego sum intemporliter obligatus per dilectio.
The ends of their wands began to emit a bright light that seemed to gradually concentrate into an intense beam that began to visibly shoot its way through both of their hearts. Coming out the other ends, the beam of light turned into a rope-like strand of light that wrapped itself, repeatedly, around both of their bodies, and then, quite abruptly, the bright white light turned a deep red as the winds around the two of them suddenly exploded outwards in a fierce show of power.
At the same time the white rope-like strands of light turned red, Harry found himself being pulled back into his body where he was now staring, unable to move, at Hermione's face who seemed to be doing the same. Then, quite suddenly he felt unsure who he was, or what he was doing there… it was as if his mind became a blur and he seemed to be looking at himself from another person's perspective. He then realized, almost immediately, that he was looking through Hermione's eyes and that made him feel all the more confused about what was happening. A deep feeling of absolute love and devotion enveloped his mind and he began to hear thoughts reel through his mind. 'Harry?'
'Hermione?' He heard himself echo his thoughts in the nothingness they now existed in.
'You can hear me?' Hermione replied.
'This is so strange; it feels like I'm… you.'
'I feel that too. It feels like our minds are fusing together. I'm beginning to feel what you're feeling and seeing what you're seeing.'
'Me too.'
'Oh, Harry, I never knew you cared that deeply for me. You love doesn't seem to have an end.'
'Neither does yours, Hermione, and that's how I want our loves to stay.'
And then, just like that, the strands of light disappeared and they were back in full control of their bodies. But it wasn't yet finished. A torrent of memories and thoughts streamed through his mind.
Hermione was on a swing set, looking up at a woman with brown bushy hair like hers. "Mommy! Come on the swings with me!" The woman laughed and said, "Of course, Hermione."
She was reading a letter written with emerald green ink, sent to her from a place known as Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The thought continued to roll around in her mind, repeatedly, over and over: I'm a witch?
As she was entering the next carriage in order to question its occupants on whether or not they had seen a particular frog, her eyes locked with another pair, emerald green in color. She felt her entire body freeze, and almost as if time stopped, the world around her slowed to a stand-still. The boy she was looking at had immediately caught her eye, and her attention. Her entire body was devoted to him for that long moment. Those gorgeous eyes, the confused look on his face… he obviously needs help, and I promise you, God, here and now, I will help him.
She was staring up at Harry, deeply pleased by how much he understood her. They were looking at each other as she put the Time Turner's chain around their heads, ready for the next phase of their journey as friends. Harry, thank you for becoming my friend so long ago. I don't know where I'd be without you.
Memory after memory clouded his mind until he seemed to be one with Hermione's mind, knowing all she knew, inside and out. Brief flashes of scenes came to him as they swirled into his mind, seemingly without a point of reference. He felt like he was literally drowning in the memories of the woman he loved. Eventually, when there seemed to no longer be any memories left, the torrent of memories came to an end.
'Harry, can you still hear me?' Hermione replied.
'Yes. Wait, are you thinking this to me?'
'Of course. I think that whatever spell we just cast on each other seemed to have fused our minds together.'
'So… you had seen all my memories too?'
'Yes, Harry, I did. I'm still surprised why you haven't told me about the prophecy yet.'
'I didn't want you to worry about me.'
'Harry, you know that I'll share in any pain of yours if you'll let me. It's what I'm here for. To be with you. Oh, Harry, I wish you could be like any other normal teenager and just enjoy life. That prophecy seems to explain a lot about why Voldemort wants you so much.'
'Thank you Hermione, you don't know how much you mean to me.'
'Yes, I do, and I'm fairly certain you know just how much you mean to me.'
'Hermione, I'll never ever stop loving you. I'll love you for the rest of time. I promise you.'
'And I'll love you for the rest of time too, Harry. You'll never have to worry about that.'
After Hermione completed her sentence, the queasiness both of them had seemed to come to an end, and then he realized that both he and Hermione were in each other's hands, lying down on the bed. However, he felt completely changed. Completely different. He felt like he was no longer just himself. He felt another presence… a presence that was like his own, except distinctly different. Then it hit him: he had bonded with Hermione, just like she said, and he could not be any happier.
* * *
Albus Dumbledore was looking down at a particular tome he had in his hands when the Deputy Headmistress entered his office in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Minerva McGonagall was looking around, a curious gleam in her eyes, and came down to sit in the chair in front of his desk.
"Why did you call me down here, Albus?"
He looked up at her through his half-moon spectacles, closing the book in his hands with a resounding snap, and spoke
very softly, "Another prophecy has been uncovered, Minerva."
As soon as the words made their way out of his mouth, Albus could now see that Minerva was even more interested, yet at the same time slightly fearful. She motioned for him to continue, and concentrated even more when Albus Dumbledore uncovered his Pensieve, which was previously under a black cloth. Putting his wand into the basin, he extracted a thin silver thread and watched as it became engorged and formed the image of Sybill Trelawney who spoke out in a menacing tone:
In the first time in over a hundred years,
The one who has been chosen and his one true love will unite.
Forever in, and forever out, eternally bonded he shall be in love.
A love that no one could bring the end of;
When their love is requited hand-in-hand,
The bind that will be created cannot be undone.
Eternally bound he shall be in love,
And the one he loves will instate in him the power the Dark Lord knows not.
Together, they bring hope.
Apart, they cannot.
"Are you telling me, Albus, that this is an authentic prophecy?" Professor McGonagall whispered to Albus. A worried demeanor covered her face, and she felt her entire body tense in anxiety and worry over the child she thought of as the son she never had.
"I am adamantly confident of the authenticity of this prophecy, Minerva. It was, remember, Sybill who had originally given me the prophecy in which I spoke about during our last meeting referring to Harry."
"If the 'one who has been chosen' is whom I think it refers to-"
"It is also who I think it refers to as well, Minerva, and I can almost certainly stake my life on it."
"Well, then, we should act to try and make this prophecy true! If finding his 'love' will help us in the battle against He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named, then there is no other action we can take."
"I understand that Minerva. Action has already been taken."
"It has?" She was shocked to hear this, and waited for his response. Her heart was racing, awaiting the headmaster's reply. With a twinkle in his eyes, Albus Dumbledore replied, "I've already took it upon myself to invite Ms. Granger to Mr. Potter's abode."
Silence followed this statement. Not a word was spoken. Not a thought was made. It seemed like time itself had come
to a stop in that office in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft of Wizardry. And, just like that, it was over. Minerva
McGonagall replied very slowly and carefully, "And how do you know that she is whom the prophecy refers
to?"
"Let's just say I'm basing this off observations I've made over the last few years, and that you
should trust my judgment, Minerva. It is I, if you remember, who had made the prediction that James and Lily would come
together."
Minerva McGonagall could only shake her head in wonder, and for the first time in a long time, felt a smile creep upon her face. Harry might finally get the happiness he always deserved.
Little did the two professors know that Harry had already found everything he ever wanted in Hermione Granger: undying, unconditional, and true love with the girl of his dreams.