Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. What, you think if I did we would have such pairings at the end? *rolls eyes*
A/N: This is a collection of one-shots about moments in DH that I thought could turn into Harry and Hermione being together, if only JK had wanted it to happen. So…hope you'll enjoy! They'll always start with a small part quoted from the book, just to let you know where we are at the moment. Thanks to all of you who have reviewed till now, and here I am, back after holidays, with another instalment of this series!
Where Deathly Hallows Could Have Turned Harmonian
The Flaw In The Plan
"He was killed while trying to sneak out of the castle grounds" said Voldemort, and there was relish in his voice for the lie, "killed while trying to save himself…"
But Voldemort broke off: Harry heard a scuffle and a shout, then another bang, a flash of light and a grunt of pain; he opened his eyes an infinitesimal amount. Someone had broken free of the crowd and charged at Voldemort: Harry saw the figure hit the ground, Disarmed, Voldemort throwing the challenger's wand aside and laughing.
"And who's this?" he said, in his soft snake's hiss. "Who has volunteered to demonstrate what happens to those who continue to fight when the battle is lost?"
Bellatrix gave a delighted laugh.
"It is Hermione Granger, my Lord! The Mudblood who has always been on Potter's side, remember?"
"Yes, I remember" said Voldemort, looking down at Hermione.
Harry felt his blood boil hearing them call Hermione a Mudblood. He wanted so much to stand up and act, but steeled his resolve to wait the right moment. It was not time for silly rushing of things.
He felt the Dark Lord walk away from him, and toward Hermione. She was still trying to stand up again, but a quick spell from Voldemort stopped her from doing so, as chains sprouted from the ground, enveloping her wrists and ankles, and keeping her anchored there.
"I shall take particular pleasure in killing those who the most have opposed me. I surely did with Potter, I will with you now, girl" he spat, his snakelike face contorted in disgust. "But first, bow!"
As he had done with Harry in fourth year, he moved his wand, and an invisible force pushed Hermione down, bowing in front of the Dark Lord's feet.
A cold laugh sounded in the room, where no one else dared move or talk. Those on the light side knew the war was lost, and as much as they didn't want to stop fighting, there was nothing they could do now to stop Voldemort.
As Voldemort's laughter died down, Hermione started shouting in pain, and Harry knew she was put under the Cruciatus Curse again. He shut his eyes as strong as he could, wanting to act but knowing it was not time yet. He guessed how bad Ron should feel at the moment. He had, after all, witnessed how much his friend had lost it when she was tortured in Malfoy Manor.
He again opened his eyes the tiniest bit to check the situation.
Everyone was focused on Voldemort and Hermione. His chance was coming.
"And now die, filthy piece of scum!" Voldemort said, laughing cruelly, while the last echoes of Hermione's screams were still sounding in the air. "Avada…"
"Expelliarmus!" a voice cried.
The Dark Lord turned, seeing his wand fly away, and his red slits showed all his surprise.
"You are dead!" he said to the standing form of Harry Potter. Shock reverberated in everyone's faces.
"You thought so, Tom. But you were arrogant enough to not check yourself" Harry spat. "And now I have your wand. I could easily dispose of you, Tom, if I wanted" Harry said, idly playing with it. "But I like to play fair, so I'm going to give you the chance to duel" he said throwing back the wand to Voldemort. His plan was accomplished, and soon he could test if it was right.
"You're a fool, Potter" Voldemort snarled. "You had me there, in your grip, and you let me out again. Now you'll die for real! Avada Kedavra!"
The green light approached Harry, who was calm. Everyone around him was worried, those for the light because they feared it was really over now, the Death Eaters because they wondered if their master had made another mistake.
Harry closed his eyes, and felt his wand hand move of its own will. His mind was filled with happy memories, and strangely enough they were all involving Hermione. Her flinging herself at him when he went to Grimmauld in fifth year, then how she was there for him when he went to his parents' graves, the comfort her touch on his head gave him after they read all those things about Dumbledore in Skeeter's book, and many other memories of the two of them, through the seven years of their friendship…and he knew then that it had always been her, the one on his side, to let him go on, to let him reach this moment, when he would vanquish Voldemort and avenge his parents. He knew then that she was the other half of him, the one he could not go on without.
His hand drew in the air the symbol of the Deathly Hallows, the triangular eye, and it expanded as a shield in front of him.
As the green light touched it, the spell vanished.
Voldemort was confused.
Harry smirked. "See, Tom, you chased just one of the Deathly Hallows, the Elder Wand. I, instead, am in posses of the other two. And when I Disarmed you, I actually became the Master of the Elder Wand too. So, being the Master of all the three Hallows, I'm actually the Master of Death itself. You can't kill me till I'm in this condition, but I can kill you because all your Horcruxes are destroyed" Harry said.
"Do it, and you'll end in Azkaban for using the Killing Curse, Potter. Whatever you do, I win" Voldemort sneered.
"The Killing Curse is not the only way to kill a person, Tom" Harry reminded him. Then, with a flick of his wand, he freed Hermione from the chains, that vanished, and focused on his nemesis again.
"Goodbye" he said, before letting that same feeling of happiness, and images of Hermione, fill his very core. Then, he channelled it all through his wand, and a blinding white light erupted from its tip, shooting Voldemort right through his heart like a sword.
As the Dark Lord fell to the ground, dead, everyone in the room stood still. It was the end of an era, and no one knew how to act. There were still foes to fight, in that same room, and everyone was wary about letting their guard down.
It was Bellatrix who broke the silence.
"You'll pay, Potter! Avada…" but she never ended the spell.
"Stupefy!" Ron cried, stopping her. That was the cue. The battle restarted, now with the Death Eaters fighting for their lives and freedom, as the roles were now reversed. Dolohov managed to reach Ginny, and shot her with that same purple spell he had used on Hermione in the Department of Mysteries, but Neville blasted a table in the path of the spell, while Luna stunned the Death Eater.
After a nod between the three they spread to tackle more enemies.
Harry took over two enemies, and quickly disposed of them, while Ron and Hermione were doing quite well too. The Professors and the remains of the Order of the Phoenix helped the DA members lots, and while another few people fell on the light side, in few hours time the battle was won.
The Death Eaters still alive were captured, and then they proceeded to see who had fallen, to alert the families, and organize the funerals.
As Harry came across Lupin's body, he couldn't help tears fall from his eyes. He had lost the last link to his parents, but what was worse was that now little Teddy was never going to really know his father, just like Harry hadn't been able to. He kneeled near his former professor, holding the body tight.
Someone touched him on his shoulder. He looked up and found himself staring into a familiar pair of cinnamon eyes.
"He fell as an hero" Hermione said him, kneeling there too. "He moved into the path of a curse meant for Tonks, protecting her"
Harry smiled weakly. "Seems just the kind of thing he would have done" he ruefully said. Hermione nodded, and took his hand.
"Harry…"
"I know, I know. It's not my fault. It's just…you know, he was the last link to them…and now it seems like they are dead all over again"
There was no need to say who he was talking about. She knew he was referring to his parents, and she silently hugged him.
He hugged her back, holding tight, and cried on her shoulder, letting the sadness for all the deaths he had witnessed that day wash away.
After some minutes, he stood up, offering her an hand to do the same.
"Thanks" he said, smiling weakly. Then, without another word, he walked away, outside.
She looked at his back, and knew it was the moment for him to stay alone with his thoughts, so she let him go.
Once outside, Harry walked to the lake, and there he sat, throwing stones into the water, feeling kind of empty. He had done what everyone wanted from him, he had killed Voldemort, saved the Wizarding World, now what else remained for him to do?
As he was deep in these thoughts, someone called him.
"Harry! I knew I'd find you here" Ginny said. Harry smiled politely at her. She never noticed his smile didn't reach his eyes.
The redhead sat there, near him, and for some time no one spoke. Then, she started.
"I was thinking…now that's all over…maybe we could…"
Harry sighed. He had guessed this what why she had been searching him.
"Ginny, I want to be honest with you. What you and me had…it was good. I loved it, last year, and I still loved it at the beginning of my journey. What I felt for you when we were at the Burrow this summer, though, has changed. I am changed. You can say I'm more mature, I don't know if it is that" he explained, and stopped her when she was opening her mouth to protest.
"Listen to me, Ginny. I could easily lead you on, and go back with you, but the truth is, I don't see us having a family. And you know this is my deepest desire, have a family of my own"
The redhead looked away, at the water of the lake. "It's Hermione, isn't it?" she said then.
Harry looked at her surprised. "How…"
"I've always known it would be her, Harry. You…it's hard to explain, but anyone could see how your eyes lit up when she's in the same room, or when she praises you. I hoped I was wrong, when we got together last year, and still hoped when you left this summer. But I knew you'd realize it soon or later"
"Ginny…" Harry said. Then he sighed. "Please, don't tell Ron. They just got together, and I don't want to create trouble"
"I won't tell a thing" she said, then she gave him a slight smile, stood up, and walked away.
Harry covered himself with his cloak, to avoid others to find him. He wanted to remain alone and think.
What he had said was true, he didn't want to be a trouble for his friends. But didn't he deserve some happiness too? And if his happiness was in being with Hermione, what was he to do?
As he mulled over this matter, time passed, and finally he decided it was time to go back inside. He took the cloak off of him, and slowly walked back to the castle. He could hear the cheering from a distance, and just hoped he could slip unseen and go to sleep.
The only way to do that was to use his cloak, and he did exactly that. As he managed to reach a lonely corridor, he thought he had succeeded, but an hand took it off of him.
He turned, and found himself in front of Hermione. He should have known she would have found him.
"Where were you thinking you would go?" she playfully asked. Even if the light side had suffered lots of deaths, an incredible sense of joy engulfed all those who were still alive, knowing that time of fear was ended, and they could live free now. thye would always remember those who fell, but it was coming the time to go on.
"To sleep" he retorted, mirroring her tone.
"I think I'll join you then" she said, falling into step with him.
"What about your boyfriend?" Harry teased her, even if he didn't really feel like joking on the matter.
"He's enjoying the food the elves have prepared" she said with a smile. Harry guessed she was thinking back to the kiss she and Ron had shared, and his heart fell a bit.
As their chat continued, they reached the Gryffindor common room, and entered. The Fat Lady was more than happy to let them in even without a password. Harry then went to the boys' dormitories, and was surprised to see Hermione following him.
"Why are you coming with me? These are the boys' dormitories!"
She laughed softly. "I said I'd join you, right?"
"Yes, but…" he said, then it dawned on him. "You little cheat!" he said, laughing, and her eyes sparkled with amusement.
"Ron will have my head for this" he thought. "But at least I'll die happy"
So, they lay on his bed, and since it was designed for one person, they were a bit crammed. Harry was intoxicated by her smell, and had to muster all his willpower to not kiss her.
"You seem worried" she noticed.
"It's nothing" he lied, hoping she would believe it.
"Liar" she called him on it. "Tell me the truth, you know you can't lie to me"
He sighed. "I'd prefer not"
"Oh" she said, a bit hurt. He noticed, and wanted to hit himself for that.
"OK, I'll tell you" he conceded. "But don't get angry"
"Agreed" she nodded, giving him a bright smile.
"The fact is, I love you, Hermione" he blurted out. There, he did it, now it was up to her. She looked at him in shock.
"You mean like…in love with me?" she asked, dubious.
"Yeah" he confirmed, fearing her reaction. He, however, expected everything but being surrounded by her not so bushy anymore hair, and her lips meeting his own.
Automatically, his arms closed around her, and he kissed her back with all he had. Their tongues battled fiercely in each other's mouths, sending thrills of pleasure through Harry's body, something he never experienced before. He swore he could die in that moment, and he would be the happiest man on earth.
He started caressing her back, while she buried her hands into his hair, caressing it, never breaking the contact.
Only when air became an issue they parted, panting, their lips swollen, their eyes shining with happiness.
"What about Ron?" Harry asked moments later, guilt for betraying his friend's trust overwhelming him.
"Harry, me and Ron…well, I think I could be happy enough with him, but it's been always you I've loved. I convinced myself to date Ron because I thought you'd never love me back, but now that you do…this changes everything"
"Still, he'll be devastated" Harry reasoned.
"I know. But Harry, I think you deserve happiness, and Ron knows it. I think he'll come around"
Harry nodded, and with the arm still around her waist he pulled her close. She rested her head on his chest, and this is how sleep took them, their dreams filled with each other.
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