Harry was staring out the Gryffindor Common Room window, his hands clasped behind his back. His stance was oddly relaxed as he gazed out onto the horizon, as if he was seeing something that did not quite exist. He closed his eyes as he inhaled deeply, the air ballooning inside his lungs and filling his chest. Just as deliberately, he exhaled and let his chest fall, opening his brilliant green eyes again.
Just outside the Common Room was a hustle and bustle of moving bodies. Spurred by Ginny's memories, the Trio had contacted Shacklebolt and informed him of the situation. Convinced of Harry's innocence, Shacklebolt immediately granted Harry a full pardon for his supposed actions. With the new evidence presented to him, Shacklebolt immediately called for action against the at large Dolores Umbridge and Draco Malfoy. It was the largest summoning of Aurors since the War had ended nearly seven years ago.
Although Hermione and Ron continually told Harry that he was exonerated in the eyes of the public, much to the dismay of Rita Skeeter, Harry had only responded with a curt "thank you" before attending to the specifications of his plan to defeat Riddle. Puzzled by Harry's rather nonchalant reaction, Hermione had thoroughly interrogated him, but it was to no avail. Harry simply avoided answering her questions and assured her that he knew what he was doing.
Indeed, Harry had been hard at work with some of the top level Aurors, Ron included, in a drawn up plan to bait Riddle into coming out early. Ron correctly deduced that Riddle had too big of an ego not to an answer a challenge. Harry thoroughly agreed but it was not Riddle that held his main concern.
With Harry's plan successfully drawn up, it was only a matter of mobilizing the Aurors and gathering the forces needed to fight a Riddle who was still drawing up his plans of an exaggerated return. Ron had hammered out some of the strategic elements of the attack that Harry had drawn up while Hermione continued to research the potion on the tip they had found.
As Harry gazed out onto the sunset, he idly rolled his newly discovered wand in his hands. The rush of magic that came tingled through his arms when he first held his wand had happened again. Devoid of magic for much of his disappearance, it took Harry a couple of days to finally regain his touch. While he was not yet as adept as Hermione or Ron in terms of their magical ability, the avalanche of information he had read while in the Other world allowed him to open up abilities that had not even been developed during his first fight with Voldemort.
Harry heard the opening of the portrait behind him and already knew who it was. The soft heels to toe footsteps were coming towards him, but Harry did not turn around to address his visitors. There was a pause in the footsteps and Harry could tell that Hermione was right behind him. He was surprised, however, when Hermione suddenly wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her cheek on the back of his neck.
Harry inhaled sharply at the close contact. Hermione had hugged him plenty of times before but her soft touch indicated that there was a different set of circumstances surrounding this rather intimate position. He could feel the soft puffs of her breathe beating against his shoulder blades, and he was even more acutely aware of her chest pushing against his back.
"Did you know Ginny was jealous of you?" Harry asked softly, still not turning around.
Harry felt Hermione slowly nod her head on his back.
"I think she just accepted it after a while. She knew what was always…between us."
Hermione did not speak and instead tightened her grip around his waist, pushing further into his back.
"I was so guilty, Hermione. I thought, well, after I came back and she wasn't here…" Harry did not finish his sentence and instead grasped Hermione's wrapped hands.
"Harry, I don't think even we knew what was between us," came Hermione's muffled voice.
Harry finally turned around and looked down to meet Hermione's eyes. She was looking up at him without any judgment or pity. She simply gave him a calming look, easing his nerves and allowing him to speak.
"Why would she stay with me if she knew? I mean I loved her but…" Harry's statement hung in the air, letting Hermione answer his question.
"I don't think you quite understood how much she loved you Harry. How much she absolutely worshipped you," Hermione stared straight into his emerald eyes, unflinching in her conviction. Harry could not stand meeting her eyes and looked away at his feet. Hermione grabbed his chin softly and turned his head so he was looking straight at her.
"You don't choose who you love Harry."
"And if I choose to love you? Would that be wrong?"
"Do you?" Hermione implored with her eyes. Harry paused, his Adam's apple bobbing as he took a gulp.
"I can't help it."
Harry pulled away from her and leaned against the window, staring resolutely at the ground. He looked absolutely mutinous as he steadfastly refused to meet Hermione's eyes.
"She said it was okay," Hermione reasoned as she took a step to him.
"But is it really? It just doesn't feel right," Harry finished.
Hermione stopped moving towards him and turned pale. She, too, stared at the ground in front of her. There was a moment in which Harry grinded his jaw, his body and mind absolutely battling to retract his statement.
You must tell her!
You must keep her safe!
No, tell her!
She does not deserve this!
TELL HER!
"I understand Harry," Hermione said softly, her chin tucked against her chest and her hair blocking out her eyes.
"Sorry, we should go," Harry pushed himself away from the windowsill and walked towards the portrait. Try as he might, he could not keep out the dull roar in his ears. He felt as if his mind was fractioning from the sheer effort to block out the furious battle inside his head.
This is unfair to her and to you!
Just say it Potter!
Just as Harry was about to leave the common room, Hermione spoke up from behind him.
"If things were different?" Hermione left the rest of the question in the air.
"I don't know," Harry replied tersely. He paused, his hand against the portrait. Battling out the turmoil in his skull, Harry wrenched open the portrait door and exited. Hermione did not follow him.
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"They're ready for you Harry," Ron placed a hand on his best friend's shoulder.
Harry peeked out and nodded grimly. There were at least three companies of Aurors waiting for Harry to present the full scale plan. The three companies inside the Great Hall formed at least one battalion of Aurors under Harry's command. The other battalion of Aurors was stationed outside of Hogwarts. Ron had already given them their briefing as they were under his command.
"Where's Hermione?" Ron asked, carefully observing Harry.
"She already knows the plan. Doubt she'll be here for this," Harry replied shortly.
"Did you two have a fight?"
"No, just a disagreement Ron," Harry straightened his robes, carefully organizing his presentation papers.
"Why Harry?"
Ron looked at Harry, his hand still placed on his shoulder. Ron was fully aware that today was not the first time the pair had argued about the status of their relationship. Shortly after they discovered the true nature of Ginny's death, Harry had become increasingly severe to anyone who tried to talk to me. Since Hermione was the one who spoke to him the most, she bore the brunt of his wrath.
"Now's not the time for this Ron," Harry muttered as he adjusted his robes in preparation of his speech.
"Harry…I know she likes you," Ron said softly.
Harry whipped his head around; his glasses flying askew as he bewilderedly stared at his best friend. His best friend did not look upset nor did he look jealous in any manner. He simply had the face of someone who knew the straight facts. As Harry's mouth snapped up and down, mimicking speech, Ron simply nodded his head.
"If you're worried about me, you know you have my go."
"It's not that Ron, just…no."
"But you do like her then?"
Harry grimaced, slightly upset that he had so easily fallen into Ron's trap. Ron had become eerily good at these sorts of interrogations.
"Just not the time and place for it."
"Ironic don't you think?"
Ron gulped, repulsed yet astonished by his own bravery. Harry narrowed his eyes at him and turned his body so he was fully facing him. Ron instantly recognized this position as a fight or flight mechanism and prepared himself for the worst. Instead of hitting him as Ron expected, Harry gave a small chuckle and slapped Ron's shoulder.
"What would I do without you?" Harry said still chuckling.
"Gone mad, but I think you already have that part down," Ron said bewildered. Harry just smiled again as he readjusted his robes one more time.
"Come on Ron, we have a speech to give."
Ron was not so eager to stray from the conversation about the status of the relationship between his two best friends, but he was given no other choice and just swallowed the bitter pill of defeat. Casting a quick Sonorus on the pair of them, Ron led the way out to the podium where he and Harry would address the Aurors.
Harry gulped nervously as he approached the center of the stage. As he entered the room, the entire battalion of Aurors snapped to attention and followed him as he crossed the stage. He was never comfortable in the presence of large crowds.
"At ease, gentleman!" Ron barked, walking briskly to the podium. Harry still marveled at the change of persona when Ron had to address his co-workers. The Aurors simultaneously placed their hands behind their back and widened their stance, following Ron's orders the second he said them.
"You may sit."
As Ron started his section of the speech, Harry tuned out and scanned the crowd. Rows and rows of young faces paid close attention to Ron's instructions. Harry noted that the number of Aurors had exponentially grown since he had been gone. Ron had told him that the death of Voldemort had led to an influx of young folks who had fought during the war and wanted to use their skills to continue combating dark forces. Indeed, Harry noted that there were even more Aurors than during the war against the dark wizard Grindewald.
"…we know that Voldemort has risen again from piecing together various intel related to Malfoy and Umbridge. How he has come to rise again is still in question from the Research directors. Any questions or suggestions you may have can go straight to them…"
Harry tried to scan for familiar faces in the crowd. Once or twice he thought he spotted a couple of people who were in years below his during Hogwarts, but he was mistaken on all counts. He came to a sad realization that he had been gone for nearly half a decade and the world had moved on without him. While the first emotion he felt when realized what had occurred, the second emotion he felt was one of abject relief.
"…using information that we have received in the past week, Harry Potter and myself have formed a plan that could possibly bait Voldemort into coming out before he has accumulated full forces. As we all know, Plan A always goes to shit so…"
Harry scanned the crowd for one the face he simultaneously hoped and dreaded to see. There was a constricting in his chest as he thought of his female best friend. There was a gnawing feeling that the more he avoided her, the more she would pester him until he would reveal the true nature of his isolation. He dreaded that moment.
"…so I'm going to hand the reigns over to Harry. Pay close attention to what he has to say. It is imperative you follow his exact directions…"
Ron turned to Harry and nodded, signaling for him to step forward. Taking a deep breath, Harry stepped onto the podium and gazed out onto the Aurors who were paying extra attention to what the Boy-Who-Disappeared had to say. Just as he was about to speak, his throat locked up, no doubt parched from nervousness. There was a pregnant pause in the room as the Aurors confusedly looked at each other. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw Ron mouth "Go" which caused Harry to finally speak.
"Um, hello everyone. I'm Harry Potter," Harry heard the soft murmur from the crowd but pressed on, "I know all of this seems quite sudden, but I assure you, Riddle is out there again."
As though Ron's confirmation was not enough, the crowd finally sagged as he they heard the boy who killed Riddle the first time announce his return.
"But, I have a plan," Harry paused to summon a drink of water, his throat becoming increasingly parched even from the small amount of talking he had done so far.
"For as long as I've known him, Riddle has had an insurmountable ego. No doubt dying must have changed some aspects of his 'life' but Riddle can't shy away from a challenge. He's like a giant shark you see. If he smells blood in the water, at the very least he is going to investigate it. He might poke and probe and try to trap you but eventually, if you stare him right in the eyes, he will not back down. He's too stubborn to step away," Harry finally gained his steam as he clutched the sides of the podium.
"That's why I'm going to use myself as bait. With any luck, Riddle, at the very least, will send feelers out there and with the amount of Aurors we have at our disposal, we can capture his feelers. Once we capture the right person, we can quickly mount an attack with our two divisions. I don't know if Riddle has made Horcuxes again," Harry took a deep breath, "But with the amount of force we have on display, we can at least take him down."
There was a murmur as Harry paused within his presentation. Harry watched as the Aurors looked at each other in surprise at Harry's announcement. Harry glanced at Ron who nodded at him encouragingly. There was still no sight of Hermione.
"What if no one comes?" a voice called out from the crowd.
"They'll come," Harry held a grim face and his voice was very short as he spoke his next sentence.
"I'll make sure of it."
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"Harry?"
Harry turned around as he released an owl into the air. Hermione was standing in the entrance of his dormitory, fiddling with the edge of her robe.
"Yes Hermione?" he answered softly.
"I'm sorry I didn't make it to your presentation. I got a little caught up," Hermione said, her head ducked down.
"It's alright, you knew what the plan was anyways, however much you disapprove of it," Harry allowed himself a small grin.
"It's dangerous Harry. You know that," Hermione took a step towards him and brushed a strand out of her eye, finally meeting his.
"Nothing that hasn't ever happened to me before," Harry responded candidly.
There was another awkward pause. Harry thought that he had enough awkward silent moments throughout this day to last a life time but it was not over. Hermione was shuffling her feet like she usually did when she wanted to say something important. Harry knew he was going to have to instigate the conversation.
"What is it?" he asked without any malice. After a moment, Hermione spoke.
"I've broken down the different reasons why you wouldn't want to enter a relationship," Hermione spoke in a very matter of fact tone, looking just slightly embarrassed, "Logic points to the fact that you loved Ginny and that you wouldn't love anyone else. But what you said to me this morning changed that. I know you care about me like I care about you Harry."
Hermione lifted her head to look Harry straight in the eyes. Harry, on his part, stayed unnervingly calm and responded with a nondescript stare of his own. Hermione, though slightly bothered by his lack of reaction, continued on her course.
"I know that you'd feel guilty if anything happened to me. I know that you'd want to push me away to keep me safe. I was with you when you pushed Ginny away remember?" Hermione waited for Harry respond, but he simply kept staring at her.
"So why can't we be together?" Hermione's voice cracked despite her efforts to stay calm. She would not cry.
Harry eyed her in the dark, his emotions simmering. Hermione was staring at him with unshed tears in her eyes, a desperately pleading expression on her face. He knew that it took a lot of her to say these words to him. He knew that Hermione would never leave herself this vulnerable unless she had no other option. Hermione hated setting herself up for disappointment yet she could not avoid it.
While Harry desperately wanted to say something that would divert her attention from the current matter at hand, he knew that he had at least owed her a valid explanation for keeping her at an arm's length. The pair of them had grown unknowingly closer ever since they had come back and Harry was not immune to the realization that he had long-held feelings for his best friend; feelings that had been buried and trapped inside a coffin.
Now, though, there was no way to avoid the oncoming train that was the topic of their relationship. With the Weasleys seemingly clearing the way for them, Harry could no longer deny the feelings that arose within him when he saw Hermione. While he indeed loved Ginny, he could not help the sheer force that attracted him to Hermione. To put it simply, he inexplicably felt safe around Hermione. Her calming presence kept him sane and while he had not received the unconditional love that most children would have from their parents, he knew he had that sort of love from Hermione.
He could not deny her an explanation no longer.
"I'm going to die."
"No."
"The plan tomorrow is just one big hoax."
"No, Harry, shut up."
"I needed the Aurors so it looked as if at least I had tried to escape."
"Harry SHUT UP!"
"I'm so sorry -"
"SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!"
Hermione was stomping on the ground, wailing at the top of her lungs. Discretely, Harry whispered a Silencing charm on the door before anyone else could hear Hermione's tirade.
"HOW DARE YOU. HOW DARE YOU MAKE DECISIONS THAT AFFECT ALL OF US!"
Harry took a step towards her, but she did not seem to notice. She was in her own little world, ranting and raving like an absolute lunatic at Harry.
"DO YOU EVEN REALIZE WHAT YOUR DISAPPEARANCE DID TO US?"
Harry grabbed her shoulders and tried to get her to look up at him but it was to no avail.
"DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT DID TO ME?!"
Harry was saying her name to catch her attention, but Hermione kept stomping her foot and waving her arms, reverting quite quickly to how a small child would react.
"DAMMIT HARRY POTTER YOU ARE NOT LEAVING ME NOW!"
At this point, Harry simply gathered to her. He could hear Ron's head in his voice saying that he was hugging her simply because she would not be able to yell into his chest. Burying his head in Hermione's bushy hair, Harry kept murmuring, "I'm sorry."
"Let go of me!" Hermione's muffled voice said as she jabbed at his ribs. Harry winced but kept his hold tight on the girl in front of him.
"It's not my decision," Harry's voice was the one that cracked this time. Hermione finally tore herself away from him and glared at the dark-haired boy.
"Well then whose is it?" her voice tore at his emotions. While Harry could see that she was still absolutely furious, she seemed to have reigned in the petulant side of her personality in lieu of Harry's information.
Harry walked over to the tomb that had been sitting on the desk beside his bed. It was the same tomb that the Traveler had given him when the Trio visited him. He lifted the book and carried it over to Hermione, flipping to a certain page at the same time.
"The book told you?"
"Sort of," Harry muttered, carefully cradling the book in one arm while he flipped the pages with his other arm.
"The book tells you the future. It tells you what is going to happen to you. Tells you what can happen to everyone," Harry finally settled on a page. He took a deep breath as he held the book out so Hermione could see the page he had turned to.
"This is what happens to me."
Hermione watched as Harry's name was cursively inscribed on the top of the page. There was a solitary picture on the page, its edges held in place with a white binding. Hermione watched as a young Tom Riddle stepped forward into the picture. Raising his wand, Riddle brought it down quickly and a jet of green light flew towards Harry. Harry did not try to defend himself from the Killing Curse and collapsed when the jet of light hit him square in the sternum. The picture then ceased to stop playing, its final image of a young Riddle standing over Harry in triumph. At the bottom it read, "Harry Potter: 1981 - 2007."
"What good is that?!" Hermione yelled at him, wiping the tears from the corner of his mouth, "You die, he lives! That can't be how it happens!"
"You're always right, Hermione," Harry grinned solemnly at her as he turned to another page.
Again, Hermione watched as Tom Marvolo Riddle was cursively inscribed at the top of the page. The photo then showed young Riddle just after he had defeated Harry. He was laughing, smiling at the corpse below him when his body suddenly seized. At first, Riddle looked around as if he had been shocked. Then, flames started licking at his feet, but Riddle did not move. Horrified, Hermione watched as the flames engulfed the former Dark Lord. Riddle could not seem to escape the blue flames, his skin burning and melting as he was engulfed in the conflagration. His body twisted grotesquely, his mouth open in an eternal scream as he finally collapsed. The bottom read, "Tom Riddle: ? - 2007."
"I don't know how it happens, or what happens to him, but all I know is that's how it has to happen. If it doesn't happen that way, then Riddle could live. Riddle won't know what hit him," Harry said to her, the burden finally off his chest.
Hermione had her hand to her mouth as she stared from the picture of Voldemort's corpse to Harry's tired face. It seemed beyond incredulous that Harry would have to make yet another sacrifice so that those who he loved could live.
"No…No….No," Hermione whispered.
"That's how it has to be," Harry said, the weight of the world seemingly on his shoulders yet again. Hermione stopped chanting and looked at Harry. Every part of her being wanted to fight him. She wanted to tell him that it was not supposed to be him. She wanted to tell him that they could find another way. She wanted to tell him that they could be together forever. But she knew that it was not to be. The smartest witch of her age already knew the answer as soon as Harry had told her, "I'm going to die."
So instead of pleading for Harry not to do what he was about to do tomorrow, Hermione looked up at Harry through watery eyes, leaned forward, and kissed him softly on the lips. Harry could taste the salt on her lips. He could taste the strawberry chap stick she used. He could taste the pumpkin juice that she had drunk for dinner. Throwing caution to the wind, Harry wrapped his arms around her midsection pressing himself fully against her.
Hermione groaned at the contact and wrapped her arms around his neck. She felt as if she were being devoured alive. She could hear her heart thrumming so closely to Harry's chest. Her legs were quivering and her arms shaking from the nervousness of the situation.
Harry could finally feel the voices leaving his head. The constant warring of his personalities had been pushed to the brink of his mind and all he could feel was Hermione. All he could feel was her lips against his, her arms around his neck, and her body pushed against his. Hermione pulled away from him and looked straight into his bright green eyes.
"Let me have this then Harry."
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Harry was standing over the book in just pajama bottoms. His eyes were glued to the moving picture within the book, his hands planted on either side of it. Rubbing his eyes, he sat down and buried his head in his hands. Sighing deeply, Harry managed to tear his eyes away from Riddle's body and looked at the necklace beside the book.
Harry had found the necklace before he had married Ginny. He had come to find out that the necklace was his mother's when she was still alive. It had a simple gold chain and a small H hanging off the edge. He intended to give it to Ginny after they married, but he had held back for a reason unknown to him until now.
"Harry?" Hermione's voice called out to him from his bed.
Picking up the necklace, Harry made his way to his bed. Sitting down beside Hermione, he smiled at her and caressed her cheek with his knuckles.
"Hey there," Harry said softly. Hermione smiled at him as she wrapped the blankets around her naked body.
"What were you doing up?" Hermione already knew the answer to her question as she laid her eyes on the forsaken tomb. Harry just shrugged at her and propped himself up so she was lying comfortably against his chest.
"I wanted to give you this," Harry dangled the chain in front of her. Without a word, Hermione grabbed the chain, sitting up in the process. She inspected it as if she would inspect any new item presented to her. Twisting and turning it in her hands, Hermione finally lifted the chain above her head and let the gold wrap around her neck.
"Looks beautiful," Harry winked. Laughing, Hermione slapped his arm as she lay comfortably back into him.
"It was my mother's," Harry kissed the top of her head as he wrapped his arms possessively around her. He felt Hermione stiffen and grasp the H between her fingers. She rolled it around her fingers for a moment before letting it go and turning to Harry. She gave him a soft kiss on the chin and cupped his cheek in her hand.
"I love you Harry."
Harry smiled at her, already knowing what she was going to say when she looked at him. He had an uncanny way of knowing what she had to say as soon as he saw her eyes.
"I love you too Hermione."
More than satisfied with his answer, Hermione put her head back on Harry's chest.
"Sleep up now, big day tomorrow," Harry murmured.
"I know," Hermione said. What Harry could not see that Hermione was wide awake, her eyes peering into the dark shadows of the room.
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A/N: Only two more chapters and an epilogue to go! Harry's not the only one with an ace in the hole. Hermione isn't going to let this go down without a fight. Riddle has a couple tricks up his sleeve too and we have not seen the last of the Traveler.
As always, review review please!