A/N: Ohh wow. I love you guys. Reviews make me oh so happy!! Anyways, to answer a few questions…Firstly, I like having `Mione as a nickname. Nicknames are things I like because they're names that I give my characters to use with the ones they love. It's special, see? I think `Mione is an entirely appropriate nickname for Hermione, rather than oh I don't know, Herms? I don't mind when people shorten Katheryn to Kat…I like it. People that are comfortable with me use it. It's just something I like. And, since it's my story, haha I can do it. Ohhh yes, you will find out what happened at graduation and beyond. It's a very big part of the story. Hermione doesn't want to hurt anyone at all, and she feels incredibly guilty about having an affair with one of her best friends, therefore hurting the man that truly loves her. There will be more on that later as well. Anyways, I loved the reviews, keep them coming pretty please and here's the next chapter…
OH! And um, needless to say, I think, this story doesn't go at all with the books by JKR. .
Betraying Them
Chapter 3
The Deal
Being a death target for nearly his entire life had made Harry a very light sleeper. He woke with a start in an unfamiliar room and nearly had a heart attack when he realized that someone was sleeping almost on top of him. It took him a split second to take stock of his surroundings and by the time he had, someone had flicked the room's light on.
Blinking in the sudden brightness, he squinted to see Ginny standing in front of him, looking livid.
He was now able to see who was on top of him and his stomach seemed to disappear when he realized that he and Hermione had fallen asleep on her couch.
"Ginny…this is not, at all, what you're thinking." He stammered as he gently shook Hermione's shoulder to wake her up.
She sat up quickly and her eyes grew wide and fearful as she realized what had happened.
"I took Andy home just a moment ago, because she stayed over with us since you decided to make such a prompt exit, and she freaked out when you weren't home. So, I decided to come over to Hermione's to see if she'd possibly seen you, but it's very obvious that she has." Ginny said scathingly.
"Ginny, I swear, I-we fell asleep talking…this isn't…" Hermione said.
"You don't have to lie to me, Hermione. I know it's you. I figured it out a little while after you both left. Harry said you didn't care for him and the only reason I could think that someone wouldn't care for Harry would be if they were with someone else. Also, I've noticed the way you both act around each other. It's stiff and unnatural like. I figured maybe I was imagining things, but last night was obvious. You kept staring at our hands, Hermione. And, you, Harry, you kept watching her. All night. What I want to know is two things. Firstly, how long?"
Harry felt winded. Everything was falling to pieces.
"Ever since our last year at Hogwarts." He said quietly.
"How'd you manage it?" Ginny asked.
"We…were lucky I suppose. We had to be careful, but, but we managed it somehow." Hermione whispered.
Ginny seemed to slump at that thought.
"Um…ok, well, I suppose that the-the next thing is: why did you stay with me and you with Ron, Hermione? Why not break it off and be together instead of doing that. You could have saved us all so much."
Harry smiled sadly and looked at Hermione.
"Yes, `Mione, why don't you tell her?"
Hermione looked pained.
"It…it wasn't only me…I know I was a big part of it, Harry, but you've got to know, it wasn't just me. Ginny…neither of us wanted to do this to you or Ron. Harry---it's not that he doesn't love you, Ginny, but he…I told him I didn't want to hurt either of you-"
"Ginny, I love Hermione. I would do anything to be with her and even if that meant hurting you, as horrible as it sounds, I would do it." Harry said.
Ginny closed her eyes and sat down, but nodded.
"Go, on, Hermione." She said.
"Well…I can't do that to Ron. I just can't. I'm so afraid of hurting his relationship with Harry. He says he doesn't care, but I do. I…I'd be able to understand if Ron never wanted to see me, but it would drive me crazy if he never spoke to Harry again, if none of you ever spoke to him again. You're the closest thing he's got to a family now, and I won't let that happen."
Ginny sighed.
"Okay, Hermione, I get that, but I'm sorry. I can't let you keep doing this. Either you tell him today, or I will."
Hermione looked at Ginny pleadingly.
"No, please, Ginny, please…" She said plaintively.
"No, Hermione. Either you do it today, or I'm going to tell him. This has gone on long enough."
Hermione nodded sadly.
"I knew it had to happen. I just wish there was a way around hurting everyone." She said.
Ginny nodded.
"Okay, well I think I've had enough for one day. I'm going to go home now. I won't forget, Hermione. You'd better tell him."
"Gin, wait." Harry said, as Ginny prepared to Apparate.
She paused hesitantly.
"I just…I really never did mean to hurt you…you know that, don't you?" He asked.
"No one ever does, Harry, but in cases like this, someone has to get hurt. I'll be okay. I'm really pretty glad that you decided to tell me instead of making me chase you around even more. Maybe one day I'll be able to forgive you. But for just now, I'd really kind of appreciate it if you stayed away."
Harry nodded.
"Yeah, yeah of course."
Ginny smiled a bit as she Apparated out of Hermione's living room.
"Oh, my god, that was horrible." Hermione moaned, sitting down with her head in her hands.
"You know what this means, though, right?" Harry asked quietly sitting down beside her.
"What?"
"We can be together now." He said softly.
Hermione smiled.
"I have to tell Ron first."
Harry nodded glumly.
"I guess I'll go back to see Andy. She probably is worried sick."
Hermione got up and walked with him out into the hallway.
"I'm really glad we're clearing this all up." She said.
Harry looked down at her for a minute, then bent down and kissed her.
She was taken aback at this, but relaxed and kissed him back.
"WHAT in the bloody hell---"
They broke apart quickly, Harry nearly falling down from Hermione's pushing.
"R-Ron." Hermione stammered, looking fearfully at her boyfriend who was standing in the middle of the hallway.
"Yes? Remember me? Ron Weasley? Your boyfriend? You know, the only guy you're supposed to be kissing? What in the bloody hell was that?"
Harry swore.
"She can kiss whoever she likes, actually. There's not a law saying `oh, no, you know, once you find a boyfriend you can't kiss anyone else. Please abide by this'."
"Harry…" Hermione whispered as Ron's ears grew red and he took a threatening step forward.
But Harry wasn't to be swayed.
"Are you going to hit me, Ron?" He asked simply, without taunting him. "Go ahead. I would do the same to you. I've expected you to do it."
"Damn right I'm going to hit you, you prat. You're a filthy traitor you know that?"
"No!"
Hermione stepped in front of Harry as Ron drew back his fist.
"Move, Hermione." Ron said. "Don't think I won't make you, either."
"No, Ron, listen. Look, Harry wanted to come clean. It's all on me, okay? I've been the one that's been a coward. Harry broke it off with Ginny last night, see? It's all on me. I-we-I was going to tell you today."
"Yeah, sure. I'm sure you were. How long have you-the two of you been-been-doing this?" He asked angrily.
"Ron, please, just calm down." Hermione said pleadingly.
"Hogwarts." Harry said, moving Hermione out of the way. "It started our last year at Hogwarts."
"Perfect." Ron snarled, "Make fun of me, huh? Oh, yeah, that's Ron, he never notices anything. We had an affair right under his nose and he never saw a bloody thing."
"Ron, stop it. We can't help how we feel." Hermione begged, trying to get in front of Harry again, but Harry waved his hand at her and she was immobilized.
"Let him, go, Hermione. I deserve it."
Hermione sobbed, and waited for Ron to start swinging, but it never came.
Ron got this strangled look on his face and finally put down his hand.
"No, Harry. You don't get to be the heroic gentleman in this. I'm not giving you that."
"Just hit me, Ron!" Harry yelled, spreading his arms in surrender.
Harry's apartment door swung open and Andy came out. She stopped in the doorway when she saw what was going on.
Ron barely even glanced at her.
"I'm not going to do anything to you right now, Harry. I'm not giving you that." He repeated, and then swore as his wand tip started glowing, a signal given out by the head Auror, summoning him.
He spared them all one last glance before turning and Apparating out of sight.
o--------------------------------------o
Harry stood there a moment in disbelief.
"He didn't hit you." Hermione said, from her immobile position by her door.
Harry waved his hand at her again and released her from his spell.
"No," He said quietly, running a hand through his hair, "He didn't. He won't hit me because then he knows I'll be able to get over what I did to him. It'd be like him paying me back, and he won't do it."
Andy shook her head.
"I've never had a dull moment since you moved in with me, Harry Potter. Quite frankly, I'll be sad to leave."
An odd look came over Hermione's face.
"You lived with Harry?" She asked.
Andy nodded.
"He came to my apartment in America looking for a roommate, and I happened to be looking for one as well, so yeah, we lived in the same apartment."
"America? That's where you went?" Hermione said, looking at Harry.
"Oh, shit." Andrea said, covering her mouth, "Sorry."
"It's fine." Harry waved it off, "I hadn't gotten round to telling her yet, but this way we're getting everything in the open so…yes, Hermione, after you so politely refused to be with me, I went to America to complete my Auror training."
"I-I didn't know." Hermione said.
"Obviously. That Ronald guy seemed to think you did." Andrea said, waving them inside the apartment.
"Why would Ron think I knew?" Hermione asked.
"I dunno. He said something about you being worried about me and then asked if you knew where I'd gone."
"I told him I didn't. He asked me over, and over, and I didn't know. I knew why you left…but I didn't know where." Hermione said, sitting down on Harry's couch.
Harry shrugged, then walked over to the window and looked outside.
Hermione opened her mouth to say something, but Harry jumped and pulled out his wand, the tip of which was glowing.
"Well, there goes my afternoon." He said ruefully, and kissed Hermione quickly before Apparating.
"He's always doing that." Andrea said, sitting down next to Hermione. "I find it quite annoying."
"Are you…you're not a---?" Hermione began.
"Witch? No," Andrea laughed, "Bit of a…what's it Harry says, Squash Muffin or something."
"Muggle." Hermione said.
"Yes, that's it. Yes. Harry tried to hide it from me for a while, but I could tell he was magic, because like I said, Mum told me I was a Squash when I was a little girl, so…"
"You mean Squib?" Hermione asked, looking confused.
"Yes. Sorry, I never really got to know about anything like that. Mum died when I was little, so I grew up in an orphanage."
"What about your Dad?"
"Oh, well, I think he was murdered, actually, by some Volkermite guy."
"Voldemort."
"Yes. Harry told me his name, but I never remember it. He said something about knowing him, but he's dead now, or something of that sort."
Hermione laughed a little.
"Harry knew him, alright. Voldemort tried to kill him so many times…it was Harry who killed him, actually."
Andrea looked surprised.
"No joke? Huh…that's a little fact Mr. Potter left out of the information about himself."
"He would. Harry doesn't like to talk about his past that much, especially not that particular part."
Andrea smiled.
"We know two different Harry's, then. He told me about nothing but his past. You, of course, I didn't learn about for a while. He tried to forget about you, I think, but was having a bit of a hard time with it. He kept getting owls and every time he did it would send him into a relapse of his feelings. Things started exploding, actually. It was rather scary."
"Harry finds it hard controlling his magic. He's a very powerful wizard, and his emotions get the better of him." Hermione explained.
"Yeah, he told me that when he made the stove explode. He quit opening the letters he was getting, and it stopped right away, though."
Hermione seemed to be soaking in all the information Andrea was telling her.
"Andrea…I'd really love it if you told me everything you could about Harry when he was in America. I wondered
all the time what he was doing, how he was, and I'm afraid to ask him about it, since it always brings up what
happened at graduation."
Andrea smiled.
"Excellent. Girl talk, I love that. Harry's fun and all, but he got a little upset when I started talking about things like TV shows and stuff."
Hermione laughed.
"Talk away."
o---------------------------------------------o
"Weasley, you're to cover Potter. The two of you will be going straight into the area to rescue the hostages. Don't complain. Go. NOW."
Harry and Ron had no choice but to work together. They were in some sort of clearing surrounded by woods, so they skulked along the edge of the wooded area.
"I can't believe I have to work with you." Ron said angrily.
"Let's just do our jobs, Ron, and put our personal feelings aside so we can rescue that family."
Ron snorted.
"Okay, I think I see something…..blimey…..is that Malfoy? Stay behind me, okay?" Harry started to creep out into the clearing, his Invisibility Cloak covering him.
"Cover you, yeah right. I'll do this on my own, without you." Ron said, and he took off recklessly toward to commotion.
"Dammit Ron." Harry yelled, but it was too late. Malfoy had seen Ron, and before anyone could react, Malfoy had encased the area in smoke.
Harry stood there for a moment wondering if he needed to wait until the smoke cleared, or run around blindly. The smoke cleared quickly, however, so he was able to get to the spot where Ron had been rapidly.
The Muggle family they had been sent to rescue was still there, but when Harry looked around, there were no signs of either Malfoy or Ron. It was too late.
o--------------------------------------o
"Well, Potter, from what I've been able to gather, Weasley seemed to have not wanted to cover you. I'm a bit confused by this, you see, because Weasley has never had a problem with it before. What was the problem, Potter?"
Harry sighed.
"Ron's a bit miffed at me right now, sir, so he let his emotions get the best of him, and decided that he could go out there by himself and before I could stop him, it was too late."
Harry's captain sighed.
"Well, he's made a right mess for himself. We haven't been able to get a trace on Malfoy for ages, and now that he's being held captive, that's going to be even harder. Malfoy and Weasley have a somewhat tense history, am I right, Potter?"
"Yes, sir."
The captain swore.
"Alright, Potter, well, if Weasley's had an altercation with you, I'm taking you off this case. Go home. Take the week off, you deserve one."
"No, sir, really, I can do this." Harry said.
"No, Potter, that's my final word. I've had enough experience with letting emotions get involved and it never ends well. Go home. That's an order."
Harry nodded curtly and Apparated back to his living room.
Hermione knew instantly that something horrible had happened.
"What is it?" She asked.
"Ron's been kidnapped." Harry said, sitting down and putting his face in his hands, "He got emotionally involved and just ran out there like an idiot. Malfoy's got him now, and the captain's taken me off the case, so I'm useless at helping him now."
Andrea slipped out of the room quietly, feeling like she was intruding.
Hermione crossed the room and lifted Harry's head out of his hands.
"It's not your fault." She said softly.
Harry shook his head.
"It is. If I hadn't been partnered with him, he never would have reacted that way."
Hermione shook her head.
"Yes he would have. He was steaming when he left, you saw him. He was bound to do something reckless. I hate this." She said suddenly, "I hate how everything has gone. It was all supposed to go differently. If I hadn't been such a coward, and if I'd broken things off with Ron when I'd planned to, no one would be hurt right now."
"Yes, they would." Harry said. "This may not be my fault, but it's not yours either. We're both equal in this screw-up. Someone was going to get hurt. It's like Ginny said, it was inevitable, but it had to happen."
Hermione nodded.
"I just wish there was a way around it. I know I say that all the time, but I would give anything to be able to find a way around hurting everyone."
Harry sighed.
"I know. I've got to go tell the Weasleys what happened." He said suddenly, standing up.
Hermione looked startled.
"Oh, Harry, what if they know about us?" She asked.
"Then they know." Harry said simply, "This is their son, and it's a good deal my fault that this happened to him. I've got to tell them."
"Let me come with you then." Hermione said.
Harry shook his head.
"No, that would make it worse. If they do know, and if they don't, I'm planning on telling them, but if they do know about us, you coming would make it worse. I'll be back, okay?"
Hermione nodded reluctantly, and Harry gave her a brief kiss on the forehead before leaving.
Hermione sat down once he had gone, and thought about the blaming that was soon to be done.
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