I wanted to enter the Elderwand Competition, obviously, so this was born. I'm going to leave it open just in case I want to write more chapters...but for the time being this is going to be the only one. Although the site encourages the disregardance of The Epilogue, I cannot bring myself to counter it. I will forever hate J.K. Rowling for writing it, leaving very few openings, but such is life. However, that doesn't mean I can't....oh, how do you say it.... twist and contort it to make it more bearable. ::grin:: Enjoy.
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Original Sin
Six Years After the Fall of Voldemort...
The stars twinkled down at Harry from the heavens, the sky as clear and flawless as he'd ever seen it. He walked silently across the vacant street from the patch of trees where he'd apparated, his destination only a few feet in front of him. He walked down the cobblestone path and proceeded up the small flight of stairs, stopping at the top step. He stared at the door carefully, as if steeling himself for an unpredictable situation. The door had no keyhole - instead he removed his wand and tapped it once on the knob, the door opening of its own accord as he did so.
He hadn't taken a step inside the house when he heard footsteps from the upper level.
"Where have you been?" asked Ginny angrily, walking down the stairs. "It's gone nearly ten!"
"You know where I've been," sighed Harry, hanging his coat up on the peg next to the door. "And don't yell, you'll wake James."
"He's been down for a few hours," she said, quieter. "And if I knew where you'd been, I wouldn't have asked."
"I was out with your brother and Hermione," he replied, walking past her into the kitchen.
"Oh..." she said, slightly deflated. "That was tonight?"
"It's every other Wednesday, Gin," he said, pulling a glass bottle filled with a familiar amber liquid out of the cabinet.
"Drinking already?" she asked in a criticizing tone of voice.
"It's nighttime!" exclaimed Harry, his patience wearing thin. "What's this about, Ginny? Are you angry that I keep going to spend time with my best friends? They're our best friends, you know. I've asked you a hundred times if you want to come along, but you always say no."
"Who'll watch James?" she countered, as if him daring him to answer.
"Luna?" he suggested as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "She loves him, you know that."
"I have my reservations about her," said Ginny looking away slightly.
"Why? Because she's a little insane?" asked Harry, his anger mounting. "You know, I'm pretty sure I was insane when I was walking to my death all those years ago, but I don't see anyone, much less you criticizing me about that."
"Her father tried to sell you to the Ministry," she argued.
"Oh, and you're telling me that you wouldn't do the same for James?" asked Harry, crossing his arms.
"Of course I would," she said softly.
"What's wrong?" asked Harry firmly. "What's this all about?"
"I want you home more," she said flatly. "You, Ron, and Hermione have had each other for almost fourteen years now...I don't like it when you're gone."
"It's twice a month," said Harry, almost unable to believe his ears.
"You don't know what it's like to be home alone, not certain of when or if you're getting home -"
"I didn't realize our son was unsuitable company," said Harry, getting up and walking past Ginny into the hall.
"Where are you gong?" she asked as he grabbed his coat.
"Out," he said. "I need to clear my head before something stupid happens."
"Are you ser -"
But Ginny's sentence was cut off by the sound of the door slamming. Harry walked furiously to the trees across the lane, not surprised that his wife made no effort to follow him. Barely thinking about where he was going, he turned on the spot and disappeared.
When he came back to reality, he found himself outside an old brick building on the outskirts of London, flickering street lamps casting an eery glow over the concrete of the sidewalk he was standing on. Quickly looking around, he thankfully realized that there were no muggles present to witness his sudden appearance. Walking up the cracked steps, he pressed the button labeled '3A' and waited for a response.
"Hello?" asked Hermione's voice over the speaker.
"It's Harry," he said glumly. There was no response. The buzzer rang out signaling the door was unlocked, and Harry entered, trudging up the steps to his friends' flat.
He found Hermione leaning against the open door frame waiting for him as he climbed the last few stairs to their floor.
"What's up?" she asked. "You usually don't come around like this."
"Ginny and I had a row," he said as she ushered him inside and took his coat. "Long story short, she either doesn't trust me or wants to put a pair of cuffs on me and chain me to the house."
Hermione said nothing, and it was clear to Harry that she was holding her tongue. He sat down on the sofa as she bolted the door and joined him.
"Where's Ron?" he asked conversationally.
"We hadn't been home five minutes when he got called in on emergency," she replied.
"The assignment he's working on?" asked Harry. Hermione nodded.
"Apparently they got a solid lead and needed him to help run the operation," she said. "He left so fast he forgot to say goodbye." She said this with a weak laugh.
"Sounds like we've both had a great night so far," smiled Harry.
"It was good until we all got home," she said, returning his smile.
"Do you ever get the feeling that you have to try too hard to make it work?" he asked honestly.
"With Ron?" she replied. Harry nodded. "He drives me crazy sometimes," she sighed. "I just...there are some things he and I will never see eye to eye on, and he just loves to push my buttons with them."
"I'm afraid I don't really know what that's like," said Harry apologetically. "Ginny and I rarely talk about important things, actually."
"That's not a good sign, Harry," said Hermione.
"Tell me about it," he sighed. "She's just not on the same level as you." He failed to see Hermione blush slightly at this. "I can't talk to her about politics, or about psychology of muggles, or anything important at all."
"A lot of quidditch in your house, then," she said, trying to lighten the mood.
"Pretty much," replied Harry flatly. "She just has no interest in such things...and it drives me crazy that I can't talk to her about anything at all that relates to my job."
"She never wanted you to be an auror, remember," reminded Hermione.
"She wanted me to play quidditch," nodded Harry. "'Much safer,' if I remember her words correctly."
"Depends on your point of view," smiled Hermione. "Do you want anything to drink?"
"What have you got?" he asked as she got up.
"A lot of muggle stuff," she replied. "Gin...vodka...bourbon...scotch..."
"I'll have some scotch," said Harry. "Do you have any ice?"
"How many cubes?" she asked, already poking her head in the freezer.
"Two is fine," he answered, as she carefully dropped two ice cubes into the two glasses she had poured.
"It's strong stuff," warned Hermione, walking back over and handing Harry his glass. He took a sip and coughed.
"You don't say," he laughed.
"To us," smiled Hermione, raising her scotch.
"To us," he nodded, clinking the glasses together. "We haven't had any real time just the two of us since back then, have we?"
"No, we haven't," she said sadly. "And nothing against you, of course, but our minds weren't on bonding back then."
"I know," he nodded. "I can't believe it's been almost seven years."
"It doesn't feel like it, does it?" asked Hermione.
"I can't believe my son is almost three," laughed Harry. "So much has changed since back then."
"It has," nodded Hermione almost imperceptibly, looking away. The action didn't go unnoticed by Harry.
"Is something on your mind?" he asked. Hermione looked momentarily stunned that he had noticed her movement, but recomposed herself quickly.
"Nothing," she smiled. "You though, you need to work things out with Ginny."
"I don't know what I'm going to do about her," he sighed, failing to realise she had successfully changed the subject. "How can we raise James effectively if all we're doing is arguing?"
"I don't have a child, so I can't tell you," she smiled sadly.
"Sometimes I wonder what I saw in her," said Harry angrily, throwing his drink back.
"Easy there, tiger," said Hermione, taking his empty glass.
"Sorry," he said sheepishly, running a hand through his hair as Hermione rose.
"Promise not to drain this one," she laughed, taking the bottle of golden liquid from the cabinet and refilling both their drinks.
"You have my word," he smiled as she sat back down, handing him his glass.
"Can I ask you something?" asked Hermione, after a few moments.
"Sure," nodded Harry, the affects of alcohol starting to make him feel quite content.
"I know it's strange to ask this after all these years...but do you remember after you killed Voldemort, how we went into the headmaster's office and you asked Dumbledore those questions?"
"Of course," nodded Harry.
"What was the thing in the snitch that you dropped and didn't go find?"
Harry took leaned back on the couch and stared at the ceiling for a moment before answering.
"The last Hallow," he replied. "The Resurrection Stone."
"...had you used it?" asked Hermione softly.
"My parents, Sirius, and Lupin came," he said. "I was walking to my death, after all...I didn't think there was any harm in talking to them slightly early."
"That's wonderful," she smiled, not pressing the subject further. "That's what I thought it was going to be, but I wasn't sure and I've actually been curious all these years whether or not you had been right in your theory -"
"Take a breath, dear," grinned Harry.
"Sorry," muttered Hermione, blushing.
"What made you think of that, anyway?"
"I...I was just thinking about the old days and I remembered it," she said shrugging.
"Forgive me if I don't want to remember the old days at all," muttered Harry.
"You really don't love Ginny anymore, do you?"
Her bluntness caught Harry off guard. He set his drink down carefully on the table next to him and looked at her intently, not wanting to phrase his response incorrectly.
"She's the mother of my son," he said finally. "And I know she loves me. But...sometimes I get the feeling that she's in love with Harry Potter, the Boy who Won, not me....and it's those times when I want nothing to do with her."
"You need to remember that you were never anyone else to her back when you got together," reminded Hermione. "Just like..."
She trailed off and Harry arched an eyebrow.
"Just like what?" he asked.
"Just like how I've always been the comfortable, safe option for Ron," she said softly.
"I don't know what you mean," said Harry.
"That's because neither of us have talked to you about it...at least I think not," said Hermione. "Ron and I have had so many rows over the years...he thinks that because I'm more of a quiet person and care about intelligence instead of sports that it makes him the 'man' of the family."
"Oh."
"I love him, I really do," she started, "but sometimes when he acts like that, I wonder what I was thinking in falling for him." She looked out the window silently, slowly swirling the contents of her glass.
Harry wasn't sure that the alcohol wasn't affecting his thoughts, but with the dim light casting a soft glow around Hermione, he couldn't help but realise how beautiful she was.
"You're gorgeous," he said softly.
"Thank you," blushed Hermione, looking down at the couch. Realising he'd said his last thought out loud, he continued on.
"And Ron's a wanker for not noticing it."
"And Ginny's a bint for not understand you," said Hermione, looking at him intensely.
And then something happened that neither of them were quite prepared for. Hermione put down her glass, closed the distance between herself and Harry, and planted her lips on his.
Harry's eyes widened in shock momentarily before he gave in and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her with a passion that he hadn't had with Ginny in years.
"What are we doing?" whispered Harry as they pulled away for a moment.
"I don't know," said Hermione, looking fearful. "But...I want this so much."
"Me too," nodded Harry, still looking at her. "But what if Ron comes home?"
"He said he wouldn't be home until morning," she replied. "But...we'd better move just in case he floo's in early."
"Where to?" asked Harry as they got up.
"Follow me," said Hermione so softly that it sounded deadly. She took his hand and led him down the hall to the room that she and Ron usually shared.
"Hermione -"
She silenced him by placing a finger to his lips.
"No more words," she said, leading him into the room and closing the door behind her.
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Alright, so yeah. There's obviously going to be another chapter. Either one or two more...I have to see how much material is going to be in the next one. Let me know if you liked it, and don't forget to give it a rating in the Elderwand Competition!