Unofficial Portkey Archive

Come Undone

Chapter 11

To everyone who's still reading and especially to those who reviewed, you are made of so much awesome it's not funny. Seriously, I'm stoked that you followed. Thanks x

Warnings: Flangst (fluffy angst.)

*

Here in the dark in these final hours.

*

When I said goodbye to him yesterday, he wouldn't look me in the eye. Something is troubling him.

I don't think I was imagining it.

He had to go for the full debrief and it would take a few days. I breathed in the smell of the leather as I pressed my face into his shoulder. He kissed me then, and I didn't miss the desperate edge to it.

I don't know where my courage has gone, but I can't bear to think, let alone ask, if it was because it might be our last kiss.

When he'd come back from The Burrow the night before, he was quiet, and I hadn't questioned him, feigning tiredness. We'd lain wrapped in each other in my bed saying nothing, and when I woke in the middle of the night to see him on the window sill again, I started to fear the worse. I just watched him as the smoke curled into the night air from his lips, his brow creased in thought. When he came back to bed eventually I knew he still lay there awake for a long time and I was weak, I turned into him and ran my hands over his warm skin, kissing his jaw and throat and he instantly responded. I needed him one more time. That desperate edge was there, in every movement and sound but I blocked it out, trying to ignore the urgency underlying our every breath. I slept in his arms afterwards and I could pretend for just that moment that I didn't feel like time was running out.

Now I can't bear it. I want to run; I want to be anywhere but here.

I want to be gone before it happens. Before he works it out, and I have to see it.

I can't watch him go back to Ginny.

Part of me fights it - says I'm being silly. Reminds me of the nights I've spent with him, the looks exchanged and the passion, the time he said he loved me and meant it, I know he did. My logical brain tells me he at least wants me, I can feel that, it's obvious in his touch. But my self preservation is kicking in, trying to protect me like it did at school, though I know I'm in deeper now than I ever was. There's more at stake than ever before and it's making me shut down - to protect myself from a hurt I truly don't think I can take. I know I can handle a lot. But I don't know if I can stand this.

I try and busy myself again so I don't think too much, even going back to work that day -to everyone's horror.

But I need to - it's part of the walls I feel going up. I want to believe that what we've had is strong, is real - but I can't help analysing it, seeing now every time we had sidestepped defining what we were doing. The unspoken presence has always been Ginny, and my knowledge that she is the one he is in love with. With him gone, just these few days, I can look at it with more perspective and it sobers me. I've been living a fairytale - and I didn't read ahead to the last page. I didn't check for my happy ending.

I take off to my parents for the night.

They didn't know I was hurt; there was no need to tell them. A clean gun shot wound like mine can be fairly trivial for a magical Healer, but my Mum and Dad would have been absolutely horrified and worried to death. Still, I feel like seeing them, and even having Mum fuss over me. She knows something is up but she doesn't press it, just cooks me dinner and sits close while I eat it. When I go to bed in my old room she comes in and hugs me, stroking my hair while I try not to cry over her shoulder. I need the Dreamless Sleep Charm to get any rest that night.

But the next morning I'm stronger. I can't pretend I'll be able to live with Harry going back to Ginny but I'm going to be proud enough not to show it. I'm not going to feel sorry for myself. And I'm not going to cry.

No matter what, when he tells me, I'm not going to cry.

*

"Hermione?"

"Wha? Oh.. sorry Ron."

"You sure you're okay?"

"If you ask me that one more time Ronald, I swear..."

"Okay okay. You just seem...weird."

"Great, thanks."

"You know what I mean."

I glare at him and fidget with my stupid dress. This was the worst idea ever. "Harry's going to hate this."

He frowns. "I know. What d'ya do though?"

Molly bustles around us then, moving the nibbles on the table we're standing next to by a mere fraction and then moving on. She raises her wand to drape more yellow ribbons on the tree overhead, ignoring us completely in favour of squinting critically at her decorations.

"Ron, did you get those extra chairs?"

"God Mum, how many people did you invite to this thing? Harry's going to hate this."

Molly turns and scowls at her youngest son, bristling. "Now what kind of attitude is that? It's just a welcome home party. It's been a long time and..." She cuts off as her eyes start to fill with water and I really realise then, if I hadn't before, her investment in Harry. It goes beyond her kids relationships with him, and it makes me think in that moment of Lily and James. I feel a bit teary myself then and look away as she snaps a final reply at Ron. "Just make yourself useful."

Ron shrugs and picks up a chicken wing from a plate. A sharp crack splits the air before he drops it, yelping. Molly glares at him and hurries off.

I sigh. "Well why did you tell her when he'd be back?" I know it's unfair to be mad at Ron, but I can't help it.

"I didn't!! It was bloody Percy - he overheard me the other night! It's him who left the message with Kreacher for Harry; I'm keeping well out of it!"

"Oh." I fold my arms moodily.

He gives me one of the new smiles that he's been using on me lately, a knowing, almost smug grin with a hint of worry in it. We haven't spoken about me and Harry, but I know he knows something is going on between us. I avoid his look and speak again.

"Well he's going to hate it."

"I think we've established that."

Molly comes running towards the gathering then and groups us in a loose circle around the garden of The Burrow - newly landscaped thanks to one of George's contacts I'd heard. It looks lovely, with pavers and plants, low benches and a small pond - and even nicer tonight with a magical marquee floating overhead and hundreds of fairy lights hovering in mid air.

Everyone looks nice too, in dress robes or fairly formal wear as per Molly's instruction. And though I thought that ridiculous, I have to admit the whole effect is very sophisticated. I look over at Ginny, her hair swept up elegantly from her face, the length of it left to trail down her back. She's wearing a long green dress in a muggle style that hugs her figure.

I smooth my palms on my own plain black dress that just nips in at the waist and look hastily around for a full glass of champagne.

I breathe deeply, inviting calm. So he's back tonight - that's fine. Maybe I'll get a chance to talk to him, maybe I won't. But I've decided to make it easy. Just tell him he can take some time out to himself and sort things through and then pretend I'm happy for him when he rediscovers Ginny. Put our last few weeks down to circumstances. It won't be so hard.

But then he walks into the garden, stunned as he is mortified - Molly all smiles by his side as she quickly slings a set of dress robes on him over his t shirt and faded jeans and buttons it up. She's beaming and crying as she reaches up and cups his face, kissing him on his cheeks and smoothing the folds of the robe.

His eyes dart around the party and I can almost hear his internal groan but he smiles gamely at Molly, nodding at whatever she's saying and taking the fuss good naturedly.

"Well he hasn't bolted, that's a start." Ron chuckles slightly.

I nod into my glass and take another large swallow.

I watch as Molly steers Harry near Ginny, who eyes him coolly but nods in his direction. I look away before I can see his reaction.

I stay on the fringes of the party and manage to avoid him, which isn't hard with Molly steering him around to everyone. I catch eyes with him once and he smiles; I wave cheerily back which is weird and then I bury my nose in my glass again.

I have to get out of here.

*

I wanted to touch you

But we stop when we start

I wanted to hold you, hold you

But here we are.

*

I'm tired and my feet hurt.

My head even hurts, with one of those hangovers you get before you stop drinking - where the alcohol isn't even affecting you, it's just making you feel tired and crappy.

And Harry is off somewhere with Ginny.

She came up to him about ten minutes ago and wrapped her hand around his wrist. He looked at her as she inclined her head and then let her lead him into the house.

This, I decide, is my cue to leave.

I give up all pretence and take off my shoes, walking barefoot across the grass to the apparition point around the back of the house. Molly likes to be organised and a responsible host - and a safe apparition point for drinkers is a good precaution. I feel like apparating where I stand, but I don't plan on saying any goodbyes, so I figure I can at least follow the rules.

Luckily Ron is caught in the middle of an animated story as I sneak past, his eyes follow me as I duck behind his audience and he gives me a vague wave- but I see the flicker of concern in his eyes.

I hurry off; glad I don't have to give any lame excuses.

This is really your own fault you know. I squeeze my eyes shut against my inner voice, willing it to shut up. There'll be plenty of time to torture myself when I get home.

I'm so distracted with controlling my thoughts that it takes me a while to recognise the shadowy outline sitting on the low stone wall facing the sunset.

My heart jumps when I do and I spin around, looking for Ginny, or anyone else. But there's just me, and him, behind the house that's bathed in the cool amber from the setting sun.

Back here, we're hidden from the view of the guests in the garden though I can still hear the low buzz of all their voices.

He hasn't turned around yet and I debate just leaving.

But I know before I start moving towards him that I won't - I can't. I can't stop being drawn to him, I never can.

He turns his head to me in slight surprise as I step over the low wall and sit next to him. I don't look at him, just out at the horizon.

"Hey."

I smile. "How you doing?"

He shrugs and smiles weakly and my breath catches in my throat. I can't bear this if he's going to break it to me gently. I want to say something so that he won't start talking but I can't make myself think. He's taken the robe off now, sitting there in his t shirt and jeans, looking too good to me. He rubs his arm absently.

"Eleven."

"What?"

"Eleven. That's how many times Molly reminded me that with magic she could remove all of my tattoos 'relatively painlessly' in about eight to twelve hours."

I laugh at that, despite the cold dread in my stomach. He grins at me and I relax a little. Even enough to think maybe I can handle this. It's Harry, after all.

I reach out and touch the tattoo on his forearm gently, the latest one of the stag, but pull my fingers away quite quickly. "I don't know. I kinda like them. They suit you." I murmur. When I glance up at him he's watching me carefully. I clear my throat and keep talking.

"And so how many 'where have you been's did you get then?"

"Lost count. And I gave a lot of the same answer. 'Work, Unspeakables.' Saved a lot more questions."

I wince. "You hated it."

He nods, but his eyes are soft. "It was fine. It was good to see everyone really, especially little Teddy."

I swallow hard, and look away from his eyes, trying hard to prepare myself. He speaks again.

"I was just about to come and find you."

Here it comes. I paste on a smile. "Me?"

"You."

I blow out a long slow breath then squeeze my eyes shut and open them again.

"It's okay Harry."

"What's okay?"

I turn to him, staring at his hands.

"I know...you and me. I know it was all a bit..." I trail off, trying to order my thoughts as they rapidly unravel. "It's okay if you want to..."

I swallow and close my eyes again. Say it. I open my eyes and look at him which makes my voice even weaker.

"...go back to normal."

He inclines his head slightly, frowning. He studies me like that for a while and I try and fail to smile. I bite my lip and wish desperately that he'd get this over with.

He looks away then, down at the grass, and then out to the scarlet tinged view.

Finally he speaks.

"Is that what you want?"

I grit my teeth. "Please, Harry just..."

He whips his head around to look at me and interrupts. "Is that what you want?

I don't answer because I can't bear to lie.

He breathes out a heavy breath and leans forward on his knees, staring at the ground.

Then he starts talking.

"When the war ended, I thought everything would be...perfect. Like some fairytale with a happy ending - even if I tried to tell myself I wouldn't think of a future, I had - my whole happily ever after mapped out in front of me."

"But I wasn't prepared for the...emptiness. There was no purpose, no reason behind anything. I thought there would be relief but I felt...worse. All this strange guilt for surviving and for everyone who was lost, like I hadn't actually done anything the right way, I'd stuffed up."

I fight my every urge to reach out to him. "I'm sorry. I didn't realise."

He shakes his head. "How could you? I never let you in. I think I even avoided you, especially. I thought I could handle it - I thought we could handle it, me and Ginny."

I can't help it - my body tenses at the sound of her name. I focus on sitting as still as possible.

"But that was it. She couldn't help me - she didn't know. She didn't want to know - all she wanted was to focus on this fairytale ending she had, she even described it to me."

"You and Ron, me and her, dropping our kids off at the Hogwarts Express for their first day of school - this happy family portrait. I didn't want to burst her bubble, but the thought just left me...cold."

"First - I think it was the thought of all that happiness when so much tragedy had just happened; it rubbed my guilt up the wrong way. And then it was..."

He stops for a moment and I'm tempted to tell him to go on but I wait - my breathing shallow.

"Then it was you. The thought of you with... having Ron's kids."

He keeps his eyes on the grass in front of him. "It didn't make sense that I felt bad about that. But I couldn't get the image out of my head and how it made me feel ...wrong and sad and...something else I couldn't work out."

"So I ignored it. Pretended I'd never had those thoughts, but when I'd see you or when I was around you, I started seeing you ...differently. It started to hurt. And then everything just started to fall apart even more."

His fingers have gone to his forehead, absently rubbing his scar as he talks. I chew my lip, trying to follow what he's saying.

"Then one day in an argument, she asked me about you. She just came out and said 'You're in love with her, aren't you.' And I didn't mean to - I didn't even know I was going to say it until I said...yes."

My breathing stops altogether and my lips actually fall open. He keeps his head down and carries on.

"And that was it. It all fell apart from there, no matter how much I tried to tell myself what I should be feeling - and how much it messed everything up, all I could think about was how stupid I'd been." He picks a blade of grass from the ground between his feet. "I was so blind and stupid."

"I should have known there was something wrong in the way that I never let myself think too deeply about you -at school, on the Horcrux hunt. Whenever I started to, I just blocked you out."

He drops the grass, still not looking at me; it's almost as if he's talking to himself now.

"But the worst was what that meant for Ron. Even if you had no feelings for me at all - I was the worst kind of friend. First I put him through getting used to the idea of me liking his sister and now, worse, I would have had to tell him I was in love with his girlfriend. Despite all the stupid reassurances I'd given him."

"And I couldn't do it."

He breathes out slowly. "I couldn't bring myself to do it.

I stay still - letting the feeling wash over me. That it was me - I was the one he'd had to stay away from. The girl Angie was talking about.

He shifts, turning to me again as if he just remembers I'm there.

"And so when The Unit approached me, it seemed perfect. Like the best way to take myself out of the equation." He rubs the back of his neck, in something like embarrassment. "At the time, I thought that was best. And then I thought everyone could be happy."

This stirs me from my daze. "I would never have been happy."

He looks down at me and smiles, sadly. I shake my head, suddenly finding my voice now.

"I couldn't be happy without you. You never really got that did you?"

His eyes study me in the fading light, frowning. He lifts a hand and tucks my hair behind my ear. I move closer.

"I choose you. I always have. I suppose I was always going to wait for you to choose me back. I just never thought you would."

He stares at me, his gaze travelling over my face. Then he brings me to him and kisses me, pulls me on top of him so I'm in his lap.

There's no time anymore, I'm not even aware of my body. It's just him, the warmth of him, and the feel of his heart beating against my chest. When I wrap my arms around him, he rakes my hair back from my face and neck and pulls back just slightly to look at me. And I feel like I'm finally here - where I was supposed to be all along. Strange, like I was made for him, and he was made for me.

"If I'd never come back, this...I would still be somewhere far away, still without you."

I shake my head and press my face into his neck. "No. You would've found your way back to me. Or I would have found you. But it doesn't matter now you're here. Nothing matters anymore."

He turns his face to mine, so he's whispering into my cheek.

"If ever...if I ever made you feel like I didn't want you..."

He pulls back gently, so he can see my eyes. "I didn't mean to. It was just...I wanted you too much. And I wanted the best for you. And with everything - he makes a gesture back to the Burrow - I didn't think I was what was best for you." He wipes tears from my face that I didn't realise were there. Then he presses his cheek against mine and says the next into my ear- I hear a hint of a smile in his voice. "But I couldn't stay away."

I just shake my head and hug him again, burying my face in his neck.

He kisses my bare shoulder, then murmurs against my skin. "I'll look after you."

I smile and close my eyes.

"I'll look after you back."

*

In the dark, he tells me everything.

Everything he felt and could never say.

And I say it back now. I couldn't stop if I tried. I've learnt, through it all, the most important thing.

How it feels to live without him.

And so, I know I'll make sure I never have to.

*

For you

There'll be no more crying

For you, the sun will be shining

Cause I feel that when I'm with you

It's alright.

Everything's right.

*

"So...you ready to go in yet?"

"Nope. Sorry."

"It's okay." He taps his fingers on the steering wheel and shifts his hips deeper into the seat. I can tell he's not annoyed or impatient at me and I'm grateful, and feel a warm rush of affection for it. Though it's more than that. It's always more than that.

"So what do you wanna talk about now."

"Tell me how you managed to stay hidden for a whole year. The charms you used I mean, because you said you didn't use a Secret Keeper." Of all the questions I'd asked him over the last few days, that was one that was still bugging me.

He raises his eyebrows smiling slightly. "A charm our Hermione doesn't know?" He makes an 'O' with his mouth. "I'm shocked."

I punch him lightly on the arm. "Just hurry up and tell me."

He smiles and rubs his neck. "It's a speciality of The Unit. Kinda like a Fidelius Charm but stronger and more personal. I'll show you sometime."

I nod slowly, trying to think of more questions, anything to delay the inevitable.

"And what about in your training, how did..."

He interrupts. "I've told you everything about the training. Weapons, fight training, learning to drive. You'll find out yourself anyway." He taps the steering wheel again. "Are we really going to sit here all night?"

I glance at him sheepishly. "Maybe?"

He smiles at me, then reaches across and rests his hand on the back of my neck, rubbing slightly. "You've got nothing to worry about you know."

I grimace but I don't say anything.

He studies me, frowning, but I know he's in no real hurry either. He rubs his thumb along the spot where my shoulder meets my neck.

"I've got a question for you now, then."

I look up in surprise. "What is it?"

He watches me for a moment, sucks on his top lip contemplating, before speaking.

"Would you have really been okay to 'go back to normal'? As you put it?"

I flush, even though we have no secrets now. I answer him looking out the front windscreen.

"No. I would've tried to hide it though. I've kinda got good at that. Over the years. But no, I couldn't. I would have taken off somewhere."

He nods, and picks up my hand, resting it in his.

"That's good. Because I couldn't have either. I'm completely crap at hiding it."

I laugh and shake my head. "No - you're good! I never suspected... Never, anything." I feel shy again for some reason and look at my hands. He bends to catch my eye again.

"Really? Never?" I shake my head and he continues. "Not even with the whole - 'What did you fail at' thing?"

I screw my face up, confused. "What...?"

"When you asked me what I failed at in my test and I said it was when they asked me if there was anyone I couldn't leave behind..."

I breathe in sharply, my hand over my mouth. "That was... me?"

It's his turn to laugh and then he leans in and pulls on my neck to bring me closer. He kisses me slowly on the lips before answering.

"Yeah. Duh."

I grin against his mouth and duck my head. I don't know if I'll ever get used to this. Us, that's he's mine.

"Oh." It's the most eloquent response I can manage.

"So, you see you've got nothing to worry about. It's always been you. Even when I didn't realise it."

I grab his hand from my neck and kiss his palm, then trace the time turner etched on his wrist. He nods at it, then makes me look him in the eyes.

"See. Always you."

I shake my head. "Well, I can't believe you ever doubted me. That you thought I was going to regret being with you, that I didn't really 'know what I was doing'..."

He kisses me hard to stop me talking and rehashing what he'd admitted to the night before. I laugh.

He looks out the front windscreen, squinting a little, then back at my lips.

"So, as much as I'd be happy to sit here in the car making out with you all night - he leans in and kisses my neck to illustrate the point - I think we're gonna have to face the music sometime."

I sigh - I know he's right. And I know I'm being silly. It's only the one person that I'm worried about; Ron's already told me that everyone but her is fine about us. Arthur, George, even Molly is just happy to have Harry back and not that shocked about me and him. Ron said that Molly even told Ginny off for not 'letting it go', that 'if her and Harry were meant to be, it would've turned out that way'. Ginny didn't take that little speech too well apparently.

I hug him, pressing my face into his shoulder. He's right; it's time to face the music. Maybe one day Ginny will come around. Everyone seems to think so. And when I think about it, she barely spoke to me much in the last year or so anyway, so there won't really be that much difference.

Besides, the person I should really be worrying about the most is the one who's been the happiest for us. Ron is even claiming it was his idea, what with that talk we had at the pub a while back. I think I'll keep letting him think that too.

Even still, it will take a while to be comfortable being around everyone, knowing that they know how I feel about Harry. I don't know why. Old habits die hard I suppose.

We pull apart and Harry searches my eyes.

"I know what you're thinking. But I've told her, she knows ...how it is. There's no room for doubt. And you know, it's not like she's been that fair to you 'Mione. She lied to you too."

I shrug. "I know. It's just...I think it's just because I know what it feels like. I know what it feels like to want someone you can't have, that's right in front of you and you can't do anything about it."

"Mmm." He runs his hand through his slightly longer hair. "I'm kinda familiar with that too."

He glances over at me and we both break into maybe slightly inappropriate smiles.

I look away and rub the dashboard.

"You know, I quite like travelling by car. I can see why you insist on still doing it." I look up at the ceiling, then back at the upholstery of the back seat. "It's a nice car. The Unit must have some finances. What did you say it was...a Shelby... Mustang?"

"Stop stalling."

"Right." I swallow, trying to still the butterflies. He squeezes my hand.

"Hey you know; if you want we could apparate to Vegas, make it official first..."

I whip around with a yelp and slap his leg; he's laughing at me. But his teasing helps me relax and I laugh too, and then take a deep breath.

"Okay then. Let's get this over with."

*

We're a team, Harry and I. We always have been, always will be. It's the thing that's always tied us together, but sometimes I think that both of us were scared of the potential of a partnership like ours. I'm not now. It's everything I could have imagined it might be.

We have a party at Grimmauld, a few nights before we go away.

Everyone comes, apart from Ginny.

She is coming around to things though. On her good days at least. But when the whole Weasley family has accepted us with open arms, she doesn't really have much choice I suppose.

Especially because Ron's been so good about it all.

He brings me a drink, still grumbling about the walk to get refills, because we can't use magic tonight. The room is dimly lit, the music loud to fill the tall ceilings of the dark house at number twelve.

Ron clinks his drink clumsily with mine.

"To honesty."

I frown. Ron always gets deep and meaningful when he drinks. "To honesty?"

He nods, and wraps an arm around me. "Honestly Mione? I always knew. I always knew it should be you and him. I knew he deserved you. I just let my ego stand in the way of that for a while."

I roll my eyes and cup his jaw with my palm, not caring that some of the many girls in the room who feel some claim on him can see.

"You 'deserved me' too Ron."

He grins and kisses my cheek. "I still have you. The way I was always supposed to - my best friend." We both smile and catch Harry walking towards us at the same time. "My other best friend" he amends.

"Hey what's going on here...."

I smile, mostly at the fact that his voice still brews butterflies in my stomach.

"Moving in on your girl."

"Figures."

We all laugh at that, and I have a moment of the surreal as I look up at these two men and feel a warm satisfaction sweep through me.

Then Ron frowns. "I still think you're mad."

I roll my eyes again and Harry shakes his head. I loop my arm through Ron's and look up at him.

"You know, the offer is still open. We still need more on the team."

Ron makes a face. "Well, when you get a job somewhere exotic and hot, then let me know. I might be up for it then."

We laugh and then he turns serious.

"But you will keep in touch, right?"

Harry nods. "Yup - but only through Capella okay? And we'll pop back whenever we can."

Then the reason that we can't use magic walks up; Angie sways over to us. She looks gorgeous - so much better than the last I'd seen her, the weight she's finally put on really suits her. She's dressed fairly demurely - her top is low cut, but it covers her midriff for once. She smiles and clinks glasses with us, and I catch her look over my shoulder. I know who she's looking at. She and Charlie have been exchanging appreciative glances all night.

The group seems to like Angie, though no one understands why she calls Harry 'Jamie' but she says she can't see him as a Harry, even though she knows now. I wonder what she makes of all of us. She knows now that we were school friends, but she doesn't question much. She's even spent the last hour talking to Luna, they get on really well. And I think she's just happy to still have 'her Jamie' in her life.

I liked having her around too. She'd brought us a CD from Seth; he's been writing songs for a new band up north that's tipped to be the next big thing. Harry had helped make sure that neither Seth nor Angie was under surveillance and had helped them get their lives back on track. Watching her at the party - she seems so much lighter and free and I'm truly happy for her.

Harry bends to my ear.

"So, you think you're ready?"

I nod, staring sternly up at him, because we've been through this a thousand times. "You know I am. You don't need to worry about me Harry."

He frowns at my expression and then grins. "Oh, not the job. Don't worry - I know your whole 'independence speech' by heart." He sighs and pulls me into him. "Though I sometimes wish I'd never told you that they wanted to know all about you in the debrief. I seriously debated just not telling you." I prod him in his side and he feigns injury. Then he straightens and laughs. "But I actually mean, being away ...from each other. For the time it takes to settle in. Because I don't think I'm going to handle it."

I wind my arms around his waist, feeling anxious for the first time that night.

"Don't say that yet Harry. We don't have to be so careful with magic this time. I'll be able to sneak away and...we've got two nights yet."

He squeezes me tightly, and moves his mouth close to my ear again.

"Exactly. Only two. So let's get the hell out of here."

I laugh and rest my head on his chest.

*

H

We're in. They're happy to deal with us - we've passed the test.

So tomorrow, next to The Hilton - The White Bar, 11pm.

I love you. Always.

H x

~*~

I lean my head against the wall and the bass pulses relentlessly through my brain.

I don't mind. I close my eyes and enjoy it.

Drita taps my arm. "Come with me to the bathroom?"

I nod, because she won't hear my response.

She grasps my hand and I follow her through the heaving crowd.

He'll be here by now.

I suppress the thrill that flips my stomach and concentrate on making it through the last few steps to the queue for the bathroom. I ignore a few guys who walk past, pressing too close and ribbing each other.

Drita jigs up and down in front of me. "Oh god, I can't wait this long."

I smile and lean against the wall to wait.

I've really started to like Drita. She's a sweet girl - caught up in a bad situation, and I feel sorry for her. The usual story.

She reminds me a bit of Angie.

And it's not her fault that her brothers are what they are. I look over at them; I can just see Flamur and then Agron, opening two new bottles of hugely expensive champagne in their VIP area. They're handsome, both of them, with their dark eyes and flawless smooth skin, I can see how their charm works on most people.

Not me.

I grit my teeth watching them laughing and spilling their champagne over the many rings on their fingers. Luxuries afforded to them by money made from trafficking innocent women from Albania to the UK. I turn away, trying not to think on it too much.

That's not the only reason why we're here though. Flamur has begun to notice, and enjoy, how he can move things with just his mind. He's told Agron, but Agron is still sceptical, waiting for more evidence. This is lucky, because of the two; it's Agron who has the most potential.

By the time we head back to join them, I'm back in control of my emotions, and I flash Flamur a sweet smile as he offers me a champagne flute. But it's Agron who takes mine and Drita's wrists, walks us over to a new arrival on the couches.

"Drita, Lily, meet an associate of ours. We'll be doing business with him in the future."

The new arrival stands, smiling first at Drita and then unleashing startling green eyes on me. I smile, just a small one, and clink my glass with his. He is well dressed, in a white collared shirt, an unmistakeable air of money around him. He is handsome, his hair medium length, jet black and tousled, in an unintentionally messy way. The other thing remarkable about his appearance is the small glimpse of a tattoo at his neck, and another just visible at his wrist.

That, and a faint scar that looks a little like a lightning bolt on his forehead.

Drita speaks for both of us. "Pleased to meet you. What did you say your name was?"

He grins, green eyes sparking.

"Sirius."

We're a team Harry and I. We always have been, always will be.

It's the thing that's always tied us together, but maybe both of us were scared of the potential of a partnership like ours.

The Unit sees it though. And makes the most of it.

And me, I don't care, so long as we're together. I still have my reservations at times, but you don't change anything from the sidelines. As Harry says, we'll save anyone we can. And I know we will. But it feels right. Everything feels right where it should be.

I look again into those green eyes and I feel it. I feel right where I should be.

*

The End

*

Lyrics credit: I can't make you love me by Bonnie Raitt, No Ordinary Thing by Opshop and Songbird performed by Eva Cassidy.

All the songs I've quoted in this story are the songs I wrote the fic to, so I've made a fanmix of them on my Live Journal, where you can hear and/or download the songs.

Here's the link; http://golden-scarlett.livejournal.com/8372.html

Also, the story wouldn't leave me alone so I ended up writing a couple of Harry POV pieces, nothing that exciting but if you want to have a look go

Here: http://golden-scarlett.livejournal.com/8533.html

Thanks again for reading and reviewing xxx