A/N: As I'll say again, I'm amazed at the overwhelming response! You guys must really like this plot line. I
dunno why it's become such a big deal to some readers! I just started it as a simple one shot. A one shot that was
born on July 21, 2007...just an hour or so after I read the book!! Well, thank you for all the encouragement! And I
will apologise for the confusion about the two stories. I updated and it didnt show up so I created a new story. Then I
tried again and finally updated the original by adding a third chapter that was an author's note so ppl thought
that was the new chapter and then I FINALLY deleted that one and now...it is back to normal! SO SORRY!
Read on!
Yeah, yeah, ya I'm sorry about the typos. But I don't do betas. Sorry if you're against it.
~*~
If I don't say this now I will surely break
As I'm leaving the one I want to take
Forgive the urgency but hurry up and wait
My heart has started to separate
Oh, oh
Be my baby
Ohhhhh
Oh, oh
Be my Baby
I'll look after you
And I'll look after you
There now, steady love, so few come and don't go
will you won't you, be the one I'll always know
When I'm losing my control, the city spins around
You're the only one who knows, you slow it down\
...
If ever there was a doubt
My love she leans into me
This most assuredly counts
She says most assuredly
...
It's always have and never hold
You've begun to feel like home
What's mine is yours to leave or take
What's mine is yours to make your own
--The Fray "Look after You"
~*~
Earlier that Morning-Great Hall
~*~
"You two seem awfully quiet," Mr. Weasley commented solemnly, seated beside his wife at the Gryffindor table.
Ron and Ginny nodded slightly.
"I mean-more quiet than the rest of us...because, I mean, it's completely understandable that you'd be..." Mr. Weasley cut off his sentence there. There was no point in continuing. He fixed his napkin at the table and continued to mindlessly pick at the toast on his plate.
"You know," Ron suddenly spoke up. "I don't think I'm too hungry right now. I think I'll...go for a walk." He stood up.
Ginny smiled politely and placed her napkin on the table as she stood. "I think I'll join you."
Mr. and Mrs. Weasley watched their children retreat. Bill, Percy, and Charlie paid them no mind, caught up in their own thoughts. George was no where to be seen.
~*~
Ron and Ginny's walk
They had walked the corridors in silence, each mulling over the thoughts in their own heads when suddenly Ginny threw her back against the wall and exclaimed. "I don't get it!!!"
"What?"
"THEM! It makes me so mad, Ron!" Ginny breathed in a large pocket of air.
"Ginny--" Ron looked at her, confused. "It was just last night when I said almost the same thing! What
happened to, `It's just Harry and Hermione, Ron, just Harry and Hermione,'" He flailed his arms about in
and did an overly girly tone of voice.
"Oh Ron, stop it! We both know you nor I can grasp the concept of them. I just don't get it. I know that we are meant to be with who we're with. I just know. I mean, Harry and Hermione have always been close, right? But it's never been too far over the edge. The farthest it's ever gotten were little protective gestures and that rumour in your fourth year! I mean-how does that add up to a relationship! Maybe I'm just being ridiculous...but this morning-I just...I lost control and I...I guess I lost common sense. I was just angry...that I couldn't have him all to myself I guess. I mean, he pushed me away last night, and practically let Hermione jump into his arms! Why is it okay for her to bother him and not me! I guess I've seen Harry get frustrated by Hermione and just...want her to leave him alone but a lot of times he does whatever he CAN to make sure she's happy...or...safe. I mean, come on--"
Ron took a break from banging his head repeatedly on the stone wall to stare at his sister. "GINNY! Snap out of it, yes, everything you're saying makes sense...well, kind of..." His sentence drifted off quietly before he lifted his voice again. "Anyways, I guess what we both can gather from this conversation is that Harry and Hermione are the strangest pair of friends we know who happen to be perfectly happy with us but yet they seem to love each other's comfort. Basically, we should go and face them, forget about what we saw and let it all go."
Ginny thought this over and sighed. "You've gotten semi-intelligent, Ron."
Ron shrugged. "Fighting in a war where you constantly are losing people can do that for you."
There was silence. They walked to the Gryffindor Tower and were met with a surprise. They heard the yelling from outside and the Fat Lady informed them of what she called "quite a squabble" in the common room. They went in and heard the tail end of the argument.
"...that `sacrificing' yourself for me will help but it won't! I'm just glad the fucking war is over so I don't have to worry about watching you all the bloody time to make sure you don't get killed!" Harry had yelled, pointing a finger at Hermione.
Ginny and Ron exchanged curious and worried looks. Not a half hour ago had Harry and Hermione been sleeping peacefully with each other...and now? What was this about?
"No one ever said you had to watch me!" Hermione then had screamed at him, swatting his finger away.
Hermione was playing her brave card again, Ron gathered. Once in a while she would confess to them that she would do anything for them and tell them how unafraid she was of risking her life for others...and Harry never liked it. Harry didnt want anyone whom he loved to risk their life for him. He didnt feel he was worth it. Ron had told Harry the same, and Harry had been angry. But he really seemed on fire this time.
"Are you kidding? Of course I had to watch you, you were on top of the Death Eater's fucking To Kill list-maybe you still are- and letting you out of me sight would've just invited them to come on over and do it all ready!" Ginny started at the bluntness of his concern. He was apparently very passionate on this issue. "Do you think I wanted to lose you, Hermione? Do you think I was thinking of ways to get you out of my hair! You know that I was terrified that you would be taken away or hurt or killed and you're telling me I didn't have to watch you!" He watched out for her. "Taking my eyes off you for ten seconds would've been the end!" Harry roared back, and Ron and Ginny could see he was growing a bit too angry...a bit too over the edge. Actually, he went over the edge two minutes ago. He was screaming, using every emotion he felt and in some strange way Ron could tell it was because he cared about their female friend a little too much. It was time to interrupt.
~*~
Present
~*~
He ended up somewhere near the lake, the far side of it. He didn't sit; he paced. Back and forth, back and forth. He couldn't take it.
Something inside Harry had snapped and once it had, there was no stopping the downpour of emotions. If Ron and Ginny hadn't interrupted and the conversation had continued-Harry was almost certain they would have ended up talking about why he was so worked up and he would have told her that she was not only his best friend...but the love of his bloody life.
It sounded so cheesy, but he couldn't help it. Sometimes, she aggravated him so much. She always knew everything; and her emotions usually didnt play into her choices. She always thought reasonably and that drove him crazy.
Like when he wanted to go to Godric's Hollow, she didnt seem as much concerned with him getting to see the graves of his parents as she did with finding the sword. Granted, the sword and the horcruxes were very important, but he still felt more of wanting to go there for his past. When she got there, though, he felt her emotion and her comfort, and that was what was important. No matter how reasonably she thought, if it came down to it, she was always there to comfort you. To give you support even when you pushed it away.
And now, she had verbalized her commitment to their friendship. "I'd die for you, Harry..." The quote kept running through his mind. `She can't,' He thought desperately. `She can't die for me.'
What would happen if she died for him? What would happen if she died? What would he do?
He shook his head and leaned against a nearby tree. Harry let his eyes stare into the lake, not wandering anywhere else.
~*~
Ron watched as Hermione pick at her food. "I guess Harry's right...I'm not really in the mood for eating either."
"Yeah," Ron replied, watching Hermione push away her plate.
"For the first time in my life, I'm not starving," Ron spoke. They gave a weak laugh.
Hermione broke the silence by saying quietly, "I'm sorry about you're brother, Ron. Fred was...an amazing person. Hilarious, and ridiculous to say the least, but he was a good guy. I...just, I want you to know...that I'm thinking about you."
"Thanks," Ron said softly. "I'm thinking about you too. We both witnessed war. We all lost someone. Remus, Tonks, Colin..." His voice seemed to stop working.
"When did you get so smart?" Hermione sighed, resting her chin in her hand.
Ron just shrugged, thinking back to he and Ginny's conversation that morning. "What...what happened with you and Harry? This morning, I mean?"
Hermione turned away from him. "We just got into a bit of an argument. Harry's a little off today; you
should know that, Ronald."
Ron shrugged. "You just seemed to be really going at it this time."
"I guess," Hermione sighed, watching as Andromeda Tonks heavily approached them, looking as if she hadn't slept. She held Teddy in her arms.
"Morning," She nodded her head. She seemed to have left the "Good" part out on purpose.
"Hello," Ron and Hermione responded.
Hermione couldn't help but smile as she looked down at the baby with orange hair. "He's adorable."
"Yes," Andromeda sighed. "He is. But he never sleeps! Reminds me of when `Nora used to be..." She stopped. No one felt the need to add anything in there.
"I love him to death but I just wish I could get some sleep for a bit today," Mrs. Tonks finished.
Hermione thought this over for a moment. "I could take him." Both Ron and Andromeda looked up at her.
"I mean...Harry...he's Teddy's godfather and he hasn't gotten to see much of him... I was just
thinking. After all, it'd only be for a little bit..."
Andromeda seemed to think this over and scanned her memories of the three teenagers. Harry must be good enough for her daughter's husband to have left him as the godfather. Nymphadora seemed quite fond of him as well. "I suppose that would be fine."
After a few seconds of last goodbyes, Tonks' mother handed over the baby to Hermione, who was now standing. "Hi, there," She greeted the giggling baby boy and immediately fell in love with him.
She wasn't even facing Ron when she airily excused herself. "I'm going to find Harry, Ron..."
~*~
She wasn't stupid. Hermione'd known him for seven years. She knew he would want to be out of the castle but she also knew he wouldn't go too far. The lake, she thought. That's where he always seems to end up in times of trouble.
"Come on there, Teddy, let's go see Harry," Hermione smiled down at the baby boy.
Once she got within site of him, she stopped; watching him as he stared blankly out into nothing. What was he thinking about?
Hermione started toward him slowly, stopping when she knew she was in his peripheral vision.
Harry saw her as she stopped and let her stand there for a minute, not knowing what to say. He didnt see the baby in her arms. "Hi."
"Hi," She spoke quietly.
They remained in silence until Harry finally spoke. "It kills me to hear you say that. That you'd die for me. I can't let you do that. I can't let anyone do that; or say that. It just kills me. I don't even deserve friends like you who would say things like that. And Hermione, please, please, just never tell met that again. If at all possible I'd like to steer every conversation away from talk of your death, please. Because you're not going to die." He stopped. "I'm not going to let you die."
"I'm sorry. I just wanted you to know how much I would do for you," Hermione said. "I know it's hard to hear that... I don't know about you but I feel like ever being separated from you or Ron would be the end of the world."
"The thing is, Hermione..." Harry sighed. "I'd die for you any day. I'd kill for you if I had to, I'd die for you in any instance. And I can tell you that in all honesty. But hearing you tell me that, hearing you say those words...to think of you dying because of me...to think of you dying at all..."
"It hurts me, too," Hermione said, affected by his words. "To hear in all the papers and from everyone that you were going to die. I didnt think so. I knew you'd win. But you know, Harry, I heard about your possible death more than your life. I was scared. And now...the war is over and it's lost us so much. In fact, sometimes I wonder if there is ever a reason to get up in the morning, but look, Harry, look what I'm holding," She faintly smiled, walking closer to him. He turned his head and noticed Teddy for the first time. "I'm holding a little baby, whose parents, yes, were taken by the war but he is the future of this world. He will be safer because of what we did; because of what you did."
Harry let his eyes study the baby. "He looks just like him."
"Minus the color changing hair, yes," Hermione noted. "He does."
Harry turned his head away. "How can he be so happy? He has no one left. He's just like I was when I lost my parents. He's just like I am now. We're both alone."
"How can you say that," She stood right next to him. "when you have so many people that care for you? If nothing else, Harry...you have me. Don't give up on us, Harry. We care for you. We'll always care for you.
"Promise?" He asked, surprising her.
"Promise," She answered, leaning her head against his shoulder without a second's hesitation.
He sighed, seeming content now. Hermione asked, "Would you like to hold your godson?"
"No...No, I'll break him," Harry shook his head, looking at her.
She almost laughed. "Harry, you're not going to break Teddy. You'll be fine. Here, come, take him."
Harry compiled reluctantly and nervously. Slowly, he removed the baby from Hermione's arms and held him gently. "God."
"I know," Hermione answered, her face partly hidden when she buried it in his shoulder.
He smiled down at the little boy and found it very hard to believe that he could be smiling and feeling so much happiness by holding Teddy. Other than Andromeda, Harry was basically the only one Teddy had in the world. Just a poor baby who was orphaned by the greatest war of their time.
Harry had thought at first that looking at the baby would be too painful. But the baby was what he needed right now. And Hermione. God, he needed her right now. She was all he could depend on. Harry hoped she could understand that he needed her more than anyone else. It wasn't just because he loved her...but she was the only one who understood. She was the only one he didnt mind being around right now. The only one that he could stand for longer than five minutes.
!*!
A/N: You're impressed I know. LOL! Thought I'd make up for the long time between first and second posts. I'm sorry if this isn't again, up to your expectations. Some of you really liked the last one, but a lot of you didnt respond so i dont know what you thought of it! Hope you liked it though!
Oh, and ps. iF you pray or whatever you do-i'd ask for your thoughts on a teacher at our high school. She died yesterday after being in a diabetic coma. She wasn't my teacher but i talked to her every morning and she taught most of my friends. It's so weird that she was there fine on Friday and practically dead on Monday. Thanks for your listening :)
Love you!
~ FiN
-->