I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

Chapter 6: Walk to the Water
A/N: As you probably all can tell from looking at the comment page, I have a strong policy of responding to everyone's thoughts. You all take the time to read and review my story, so I want to in turn thank you for doing that. I really do read and take into consideration every piece of critique I get, so keep sending them in, so the story can get better!

I also give this chapter in memory of Luciano Pavarotti. No, he doesn't have anything to do with this chapter, but a great man as he deserves to be remembered some how.


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After the dream, Harry didn't sleep for the rest of the night. Hermione didn't want to fully leave him, but he finally got her to leave around 3:00 am. Rather, he carried her to her room and put her into bed, despite the fact that he was still a bit sore from the after effects of the cruciatus curse. He didn't fancy the idea of her father catching both of them in the same bed.

Partly, he was worried about what the stay would mean. He hadn't really said much to her mother, but the words that came from her father seemed to be a hot poker in his side. He would never do anything to actively hurt Hermione. That wasn't who he was, but then again, he hadn't exactly been himself lately. Not since the ministry.

"Harry..." He instantly recognized Hermione's weak, groggy voice from the otherside of the room. "Are you awake?"

"Yeah..." Harry uttered, not fully aware of anything around him. Hermione took his response as an invitation and walked further into the room and sat down on the end of his bed. "You were sound asleep when I took you back into your room." He grabbed his glasses off of the bedside table so he could see her better. She was just in a very light tank top, a pair of grey running shorts and her wild, bushy hair was even wilder and bushier than ever. Harry wasn't used to seeing her like that and he began to feel something going on below the belt that he quickly tried to repress.

"Yeah, well, I rolled over and when I noticed you weren't there, I began to worry," Hermione stated quickly so it wouldn't sound weird, but she felt no matter how she said it, it would still sound a bit weird. Rather than dwelling on that, she quickly changed the subject. "So, my parents are working all day tomorrow, so I thought that we might be able to take the boat and go across the lake. I can show you where I used to run away as a kid. It's where I finally made my decision whether I was going to go to Hogwarts or not."

Harry's ears peaked up at that. Hermione was the brightest witch in their year at Hogwarts. Harry always thought that her choice to join Hogwarts was even more natural than his. "You had trouble deciding?" Harry didn't bother disgusing his shock.

"Yeah. Professor Flitwick came and discussed everything with my parents and when it was up to me to make a choice, I ran away, took the boat and went to my special spot. Then something amazing happened. Dumbledore was their waiting for me and he explained everything. Somehow he calmed me down and got me to agree to go. Before he left, he gave me a copy of Hogwarts: A History, so I could read up on the school before I went." This is the first Harry ever heard of Hermione's connection with Dumbledore. He always knew that she was rather fond of him, but he thought that it was just because of the fact that he was a great wizard, the greatest who ever lived.

"Wow. I never knew..." Harry was truly astonished. In reflex, Hermione looked down at her lap and let out a quick giggle.

"You're the first person I ever told about that. Trying to run away from who I was, isn't exactly a shining moment in my life." Those words hit Harry hard. He knew that she didn't mean anything by it, but they hurt none the less. In fact the worst part was that he knew she was right.

"Nothing to be ashamed of. You have a loving family and a life. If I had this, I wouldn't want to give it up." Hermione realized quickly what he meant. The Dursley's weren't exactly a loving family. He probably would have gone the Neo-Nazi party if that was who was knocking on the door. Harry scooched over to one side of the bed, closest to the wall and he lifted up the end of the covers in invitation. "Come here, Mione."

She was a bit taken aback at his invite. Though they never spoke of it, she did feel that they were closer since the kiss, but she never expected Harry would ever offer his bed to her. Then again, she wasn't all that suprised. Harry did care about her a lot and if she ever was in need, he'd do anything in his power to help. Without saying a word, she shook her head and moved into the open spot that Harry had left her. It took a bit of adjusting, but once her got his left arm around her shoulders and a couple pillows moved to fit both of them, they were completely comofortable.

Out of reflex, Hermione affectionately nuzzled up next to him. Again, his hormones began to react to her female form. Thank the lord, she didn't notice... or didn't care.

"Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. My mum wants to have lunch with you alone this weekend. To get to know you. She figures that if we're going to be sharing our house with you, she should at least have speant a few minutes with you without me." Harry wasn't sure what he thought about that. Of course he was going to do it for Hermione, but he was scared to death of Hermione's parents. He just took their daughter on a very dangerous journey. If he were in their place, he certainly would be angry too.

Hermione became worried at his lack of response. "Harry...?"

"Oh, sorry. I'm sure your parents are great people, but I can't help but be scared of how they are going to act around me. I haven't exactly done anything to gain their approval." Harry reflected on the past week and a half and he realized that he did nothing he was proud of... outside of saving Hermione, but then again it was he who got them in that mess in the first place.

"Harry... don't be mad, but I told her about the forest and how you saved my life." Harry's heart completely stopped. Not only did he endanger Hermione, but now they knew he was a muderer. "Of course, I didn't tell them about... you know." Hermione could sense his his tension and how it relieved when she fully explained herself. "You're not mad, are you?"

Harry took a few seconds to gather his thoughts. Even if he was mad, it was Hermione. He couldn't stay anywhere close to mad. "No." The conversation was over with that. They really didn't talk a lot after that. They just layed there until they fell asleep, completely unafraid of the consequences and what would happen in the morning.

***

The next morning Hermione was the first to stir. The sun had come over the trees and hit her right in the eyes. Looking over to her right, she saw Harry still fast asleep and that greatly pleased her. She didn't expect him to get much sleep after the incident and the dream. She probably could have stayed there for the rest of the day, but she realized that when her parents got home and they walked in on them, it wouldn't be good.

"Harry... Harry..." She gently nudged him. Harry began to stir and then opened his eyes to see Hermione. "Hi." She smiled at him and he finally remembered why he was in bed with his best friend.

"Hi." He smiled back and stretched his arms and back. He wouldn't tell Hermione, but that was the best sleep he had gotten since before school started, even if it was just for a few hours. Wordlessly, they both got out of bed and walked down stairs to the kitchen to fix themselves some breakfast. Much to their dismay, Hermione's little brother Michael was sitting there playing a Game Boy.

"You two slept together last night..." He sneered. He reminded Harry of Dudley, but he didn't seem to be anything more than a pest, rather than a bully. He found Michael's whimsical attitude kind of humorous, but he wouldn't tell Hermione that. Not if he valued his life. "Mum and Dad wouldn't like it if they found out."

To Harry's suprise, she whipped out her wand and pointed it at her little brother. "That's why they won't find out. Unless you want to be hexed cross eyed for the rest of your life. It's not like we did anything. We were just talking and we fell asleep." Harry always knew better than to cross Hermione, but her brother seemed to be enjoying it. "Now... we're going up to the lake. We'll be back around dinner time."

"So you can snog." He winked at Harry with his mischiefus eye.

"Talk."

"Snog." That was the last straw. She flicked her wand at Michael and suddenly all the mucus came out of his nose, grew wings and attacked him. After being friends with Ginny for all these years, he could recognize the Bat Bogey Hex anywhere. Afterwards, she grabbed Harry by the hand and dragged him out of the house.

"Thank God, he doesn't have an ounce of magic in him. He turned eleven this past April, so if he was magical he'd be going to Hogwarts this year." Hermione jumped into the large party boat. and Hermione followed suit. She cranked it up and they began moving away from the shore.

"How do you know?" Hermione shot him a look that quickly made him shut up. Before he found out that he was a wizard, he didn't really notice anything out of the ordinary. Sure, lots of rather weird things happened to him, but they could have happened to anyone. They say people can exibit special abilities in hightened times of stress. Every time he did something, he was stressed, but then again Hermione was probably looking for exibitions of power.

"Isn't this great, Harry?" Hermione asked as she turned the boat a bit to the right to avoid some rocks. Despite the fact, that he had seen it before when flying over it to get to Hermione's house, it was beautiful to him. He really didn't get a complete chance to take it all it when he was trying to get both of them to her house.

The morning light reflected off of the crystal blue water and went right into Harry's eyes so he had to squint. He didn't mind though. All he had to do was focus on the trees and the rolling hills that surrounded Lake Windermere. When they arrived at the otherside of the lake, they jumped out of the boat and Harry took in the most beautiful image he had ever seen in his life. It was as if the romanticized magical world had come to life. From the looks of it, Hermione built her self a tree house shaped like a castle and the light came through the trees to make it look like it was glowing.

"Welcome to my hideaway." a voice spoke from inside the castle. Unsure of what exactly to do, they pulled out their wands and pointed them at the castle. "Relax... it's just me... Remus..." A very weathered looking Remus Lupin stepped from the shadows of the castle and collapsed under his own weight. Everyone always felt that he had always looked like he was on the brink of death, but now it was really true.

"Professor Lupin! Are you okay?" Harry ran over to the side of the last living friend of his father. The last of The Marauders. Hermione quickly followed suit, throwing her wand to the ground.

"Ambushed... three of us... Death Eaters." Lupin was struggling to speak. He didn't look all that injured. He had a large gash across his face and his clothes were noticibly torn. Watching out for you... they didn't know... ambushed... found you through us..." Lupin was drifting in and out of consciousness.

"Hermione, we have to get him to Hogwarts. Madam Pomphry will know what to do." Harry stood up and began to pace around trying to figure out how to get back to Hogwarts to save his mentor. "Dumbledore turned off our magic. We can try to apperate to school."

"That would work if you want to risk the chance of landing somewhere we don't want to be." Hermione bit her lower lip in worry. "Dammit, what do we do? Why didn't we ever learn how to heal with our magic."

"There is always help for those who have remained loyal to me." A old, calming voice spoke from behind them. They spun around and saw Albus Dumbledore standing in front of their boat. "Hello, it's wonderful to see you two again."

***

A/N: This is the chapter that wouldn't end. Sorry if the ending seemed rushed and abrupt. There was more to it, but it began to get way too long. Some stuff was cut. Some was put into next chapter, but here is chapter 6 as it is now. Please read and review.

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