Before the truth goes back into hiding
I want to decide `cause it's worth deciding
To work on finding something more than this fear
It takes so much out of me to pretend
Tell me now; tell me how to make amends
Maybe, I need to see the daylight
Leave behind the half-life
Don't you see I'm breaking down?
Lately, something here don't feel right
This is just a half-life
Is there really no escape?
No escape from time
Of any kind…
Half-life by Duncan Sheik
&---&---&---&---&
Three days.
It had been three incredibly long and hard days for Hermione. Harry wasn't showing any signs of improvement, but he wasn't getting worse either. Every extra ounce of time she had was spent by his bedside.
She knew she wasn't doing herself any good. In three days time she had barely been able to eat anything. She did enough to get by the day before she returned to Harry, worrying over his unconscious body.
The morning of the fourth day, Hermione looked in the mirror. She was paler than normal and her eyes were slightly sunk in with dark circles underneath. Nightmares plagued her when she shut her eyes. And she only found one solution: not to close her eyes. Harry's screams overwhelmed her dreams. The look of pain and fear on his face was imbedded into her memory and she doubted it would go away any time soon.
She sighed and picked up her bookbag. Trying not to look at the signs that Harry shared the dorm with her, she left for the Great Hall.
"Hermione," Ron said later into breakfast. Hermione looked up from her almost full plate of food. She had taken a few bites of her toast, but that was it.
"Please, eat something," he said softly. Hermione sighed and pushed her plate away.
"I want to Ron," she said. "Believe me, I want to. But I can't. It's like my appetite disappeared." Ron sighed.
"Can you at least finish your pumpkin juice?" he asked. "It's good for you." He tried to give her a smile, but he couldn't muster one. Harry's absence was taking a toll on him also. The last four days had been hell on earth. Seeing Hermione like this didn't do him any good either. He had thrown himself into his school work and prefect duties. When he could, he visited Harry and even went to the lengths of skipping meals to be by his best mate's side.
Hermione tried to smile back at him, but it just wasn't happening. She picked up her cup of juice and took a drink. The normally sweet juice tasted bland as it slid down her throat. She did as Ron asked though, and finished it off.
"Come on," she said to him. "We have class." Hermione grabbed her bag and got up from the table. Ron followed suit and left the Great Hall.
Ginny Weasley's eyes followed her brother's figure out of the Hall. She knew that Harry's condition was affecting him greatly. It was affecting her too. The man she loved was fighting for his life. Would he be the same when he woke up? Would he wake up?
O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O
The day passed agonizingly slow for both Ron and Hermione. As soon as their afternoon classes were over, they went straight to the Hospital Wing. They would do their homework by Harry's bedside.
"You two really ought to get some dinner," Poppy said as she came to Harry's bed to administer his potions.
"I'm fine," came the simultaneous, monotone answer from both Hermione and Ron. Madame Pomfrey sighed.
"You've been here for almost five hours. You need food," she said. If looks could kill, she'd be dead. Sighing, she went back to her work and left them alone.
"How is he Poppy?" Minerva asked as she came into the Hospital Wing.
"He's not any better, but he isn't getting worse," she said. "Who I'm worried about right now is Granger and Weasley." Minerva looked toward two of her favorite students.
"The poor dears have been here since classes let out and they refuse to leave his side," Poppy said. "It's nearly eight and I know they have to be hungry."
"I'll send a house elf with food and drinks," Minerva said. She swiftly swept out of the Wing.
It was a few hours later when more people came in to visit Harry. Remus and Tonks were already there and had been there for some time. Hermione knew it was just as hard for Remus as it was for her. Harry was what he had left in this world besides Tonks. He was his best friend's son and the only thing he had left of both James and Lily.
Hermione looked up and could hardly believe her sight. Ginny had the gull to come and visit Harry. Taking her self control into check, she turned her sight back to Harry.
"How is he?" Ginny asked softly. Ron shrugged and didn't answer his sister. What the hell did she care how he was? She didn't' deserve to be in the same room with him, let alone ask how he was. Hermione ignored Ginny, just as she had for the whole year. Lord knows her opinion was stated on the matter of Harry and Ginny.
Seeing that neither Ron nor Hermione were going to answer her, Ginny turned to Remus and Tonks. Remus wasn't paying any attention to her though; his sight was set on Harry's pale face.
"Tonks?" she asked. Tonks looked up from the floor and shook her head. She didn't trust herself to speak. Harry had become somewhat of a little brother to her and this was tearing her apart. And knowing what it was doing to Remus was what killed her the most.
"That helps," Ginny remarked. Ron stiffened and glared at his sister. Remus didn't pay any attention and Tonks looked up at Ginny, disbelieving. Hermione turned from Harry to Hermione.
"You don't deserve to know how he is," she said. Ginny scowled.
"What is that supposed to mean?" she asked.
"It means get the hell out of here before I make you," Hermione said, barely controlling the anger in her voice. She turned back to Harry. Ginny was seething. How dare she! It was obvious that their last conversation hadn't stuck in her mind. Harry was hers!
Hermione felt a sting on the side of her cheek. She blinked for a moment before she stood from her seat. This turned Remus' attention to the two ladies in front of him. He sighed tiredly.
"Ginny, if you ever lay another hand on me you'll be eating through a tube for the rest of your life," Hermione said. Ron snorted from the other side of the bed. He knew this was coming. If only Harry was awake to see it…
"You don't have the right to threaten me," Ginny said. Hermione laughed.
"I don't have the right? Get a grip Weasley," Hermione hissed.
"You trying to take Harry from me," Ginny said. Hermione rolled her eyes.
"We had this conversation before Ginny. I'm not trying to take him from you. He wasn't yours to begin with. If anything, he's mine," Hermione said. Ginny glared.
"Oh? And how is that?" Ginny asked.
"I've been by his side since before you could muster up the courage to say hi to the boy," Hermione growled. "And I wasn't the one to give him a sodding love potion to get him to return the feelings." Remus snapped his attention to Ginny and Tonks gasped.
"You bitch!" Ginny said. She raised her hand up to smack Hermione again, but she was caught by the wrist. Hermione's eyes flashed dangerously.
"I want you to listen to me Ginny," Hermione said. "I'm only going to tell you this once."
"Harry is my best friend. I have his best interests at heart and I care about him. You hurt him beyond belief. You made him lie to himself by giving him that damned potion. Did you ever think that if you had to give him the potion in the first place, that if he ever went off of it he would continue with the same feelings? Did you ever stop and think what would happen if he ever found out what you did to him? No, you didn't. That much is obvious.
Harry isn't a knight in shining armor Ginny and he certainly isn't the great hero everyone wants to believe he is. Yes, he has saved many lives but that cost him so much. The only family he ever had was taken from him. He grew up with no parents and God knows the Dursleys didn't do a damned thing for him when he as growing up. Sirius was what he had left. Sirius was his ticket to a real family. Well, Sirius was taken from him too.
He has been put through hell on earth and I know he doesn't deserve it. He gives and gives and gives but not once has he been able to take. He's been screwed over so many times in his life that he doesn't know who to trust. He didn't have the chance to learn from a mother or a father.
The little eleven year old girl who was saved from the Basilisk needs to get this through her head. Harry saved you, yes. He did it because he cared about you. But he also did it because he knew how much you meant to Ron and to the rest of your family. He didn't want your family to go through the pain of having to lose a family member. The Weasley's had been nothing but kind to him since day one and maybe he could find a home within their walls. Well, those walls were torn down by you when you went ahead a practically drugged him," Hermione said. Ginny was quiet.
"Let me make something clear to you Ginny. Whatever relationship you thought you could have with Harry is gone. It might have been able to come through had you been honest with him. And your friendship with me might have been able to come through too had you been honest with me," Hermione said. Ginny's eyes widened.
"This isn't just about what you did to Harry. It's about what you did to me too. You made me lie to myself. You caused me to act like an idiot last year. Not only did you make me lead myself on, you made me lead your brother on," said Hermione.
"What?" Ron asked from Hermione's side. Hermione turned to him and sighed.
"I'm sorry Ron. But last year…I did a lot of things to get your attention. But it wasn't me, in a sense, that was doing it," she said. Hermione turned back to Ginny.
"You used Ron's essence in a love potion for me and gave it to me. In potion's class, I smelled freshly mown grass, new parchment and Ron's cologne. You shouldn't smell anything unless you've come in contact with the potion before," Hermione said softly. Ron stiffened even more and looked at Ginny, his eyes wide.
"You…you gave Hermione a love potion…to get her to like me?" Ron said. Ginny tearfully swallowed and nodded.
"Why?" Ron all but whispered.
"Because I wanted her out of the way," Ginny said, her voice small. Hermione frowned.
"Out of the way? I was never in your way of Harry," Hermione said. Ginny nodded.
"You were. You still are. Harry will always hold you first and foremost in his life and I wanted to be that person. I thought because Ron liked you, that if I got you to like him back you would end up together and I could be with Harry," Ginny said. Hermione sighed and closed her eyes.
"Ginny," she said softly. "If I ever forgive you, it'll be a long time from now." With that, Hermione sat back down in her chair and no longer acknowledged Ginny's presence. Ginny looked fearfully at her brother.
"You made me believe a lie Ginny," Ron said. "I just…I can't even talk to you right now." Ginny went to speak but thought better of it.
"I'm sorry," she said. She turned and walked out from the Hospital Wing. There was an awkward silence in the air.
"Well, we should be going," Tonks said. She and Remus gave their last regards for the day and left the Wing slowly. Hermione glanced up at Ron, who had his focus on the floor. After a while, Ron's gaze met Hermione's.
"Ron, I'm sorry," she said.
"You shouldn't be sorry for anything. I wasn't like you wanted it to happen," Ron said. "At least thinking you liked me saved me from acting like an even worse arse that I did last year." He cracked a weak smile, which Hermione met.
"I just…I didn't think it could get any more worse than knowing your sister used a love potion on your best mate. But then finding out she used it on your other best friend, who you coincidentally liked is just…I don't even know," Ron said. Hermione sighed.
"I know," Hermione said. "I didn't think it could get any worse after what she did to Harry either." It was quiet between the two of them as they sat by Harry's side.
"You know…she was…right," Ron said. He looked at Hermione, who turned her attention back to Ron. Her head cocked to the side slightly in question.
"Harry does put you first," Ron said. Hermione met his eyes and sighed. "So if you…you know, want to be with him then I'd be okay with that." Hermione's expression softened.
"Ron…" she said. He shook his head.
"No…really, it's okay. I've been preparing myself for it anyway. It was really obvious, but I guess I was too caught up in my feelings for you to notice it," Ron said.
"Ron? What's obvious?" Hermione asked. Ron looked at her, almost incredulous that she could ask that.
"It's always been the two of you. In first year you went on to the next challenge after the chess set. Harry was so lost when you got petrified in second year. The two of you went back in time together to save Sirius and Buckbeak. Fourth year you believed him and I didn't. I think that's when everything changed really, between the two of you. Fifth year even though Harry was really moody, he was still protective of you and it was easy to see he cared a lot. Last year was a disaster really. I know you two were at each other's throats more often but you still had each other's best interests in mind," Ron said. "This year it was just…well, obvious. If the love potions hadn't been in the equation, I bet you two would've been together last year."
"Ron, I don't…I don't like Harry like that," Hermione said. Ron shot her an amused look.
"You may think you don't, but you do," he said. Hermione opened her mouth to argue but Ron shook his head and smiled.
"If he makes you happy, then I'm happy," Ron said. "Besides…I sort of think I like Luna." Hermione's face had to be one for the books because Ron laughed. It was something he hadn't done in nearly a week.
"Just…take care of him, will you?" Ron asked softly. Hermione nodded. Ron stood and walked around the bed to Hermione and bent down to place a kiss on her forehead.
"I'll see you later," he said.
"Bye," Hermione said.
"Bye," he replied, meaning so much more then what he gave off. Letting her go would be tough. But Harry would protect her and he would love her. It would be okay.
O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O
"Hello?" Harry called out. He was in a large garden which he had to admit was beautiful. The air around the mysterious place was calming. He continued to walk along the brick path, observing as he moved.
"Harry…." Harry turned around, only to see nothing. Only the trees and flowers surrounded him. He shook his head and continued.
He didn't know how long he had been walking, but the sound of running water reached his ears. He followed it until he came to a large waterfall that emptied into an even bigger river. The water was crystal clear and he could see lush, green vegetation along the edges of the bank.
"Wow," Harry muttered out loud. Wherever he was, he really liked it. It was quiet, peaceful and gave him a sense of security.
"Harry…." He heard again. He swung around but there was still nothing. He frowned and walked farther along the bank. He had to be hearing things. There wasn't anything there.
Maybe the water will help me clear my head he thought. He bent down to take his shoes and socks off. Stripping down to only his boxers, he entered the river. Surprisingly, the water wasn't cold at all. It was perfect. He ducked under the surface of the water and swam around for a bit.
That should do it he thought. He took one last trip underwater before he came back up. What he saw made him yelp and flail around in the water for a second.
Familiar green eyes were looking at him. A man that looked exactly like him stood next to the woman with his eyes and a taller man next to his almost clone had a very familiar mischievous grin. An older man, one older than any of the other three people there, stood next to the woman on her other side. He had a long, white beard and work half-moon spectacles.
"Mum, Dad?" Harry said. "Sirius, Dumbledore?" Where in the bloody hell was he?
&---&---&---&---&
Wow. Chapter 14 came to me like 2 + 2. Hopefully it was okay.
Deathly Hallows comes out in exactly four hours from now. I'll be standing in Kroger at exactly midnight getting my copy of the seventh and FINAL book. Bloody hell…
Thanks for reading. WarriorPride23, 8 pages.
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