Title: Without You, There is Nothing
Author: gphoenix51
Category: Action/Romance/Humor
Rated: NC-17 for Violence, Sexual Themes, Sex Scenes, and Naughty Language…lots of Naughty Language
Pairings: Main: Harry/Hermione, Neville/Luna
Slight: Harry/Luna, Hermione/Ron
Spoilers: Books 1-5, because the series mysteriously ended after book 5.
Disclaimer: All products, movies, music, TV shows, comic books, novels, and any other Brand Names are the properties of their specific companies. All Harry Potter characters and places belong to JKR. All original work and characters in this story are copyrighted by me, gphoenix51© 2008-2009. Severe Ginger Bashing ahead!
Summary: Harry Potter has won the war, but hasn't won the girl. He may be the most powerful Wizard in the world, but his power is helpless to save the woman he loves from a loveless relationship. Will Hermione ever escape Ron and be with the man she's destined to be with?
A/N: Sorry, this chapter has no dialogue, and that it's so short. This is Hermione trying to work her way through what happened and what will happen. I promise, tons of dialogue in the next chapter. Also, I know it says NC-17 up there, but I still feel compelled to give another warning here. There will be a description of a rough sexual act, not rape. I don't write about rape and don't appreciate people who do. This is rough sex that turns slightly bad. It gets resolved, so I hope everyone will read it anyway. If not, then I'm sorry.
A/N 2: I am so blown away by all the great reviews I've gotten so far. I honestly didn't think this story would be that great, and I had debated with myself for awhile before posting it, I didn't think people would like it. I guess they do, and I just hope everyone enjoys Chapter 2, Chapter 3 will be up tomorrow.
Chapter 2 - Hermione's Perspective
Hermione didn't see him the next day, or the day after, the week after, or the month after that. Because that next day, rumor had it that Harry had stomped directly into Moody's office and demanded an offshore assignment, the longer the better. He didn't care what it was, so long as it got him out of the country. So, Chief Auror Alastor Moody had sent Auror Captain Harry Potter…somewhere. Rumors said it was anywhere from America to Australia, for anything from a simple training mission to hunting down and killing the next Dark Lord. Everyone had an opinion and Hermione couldn't get any reliable info as Moody refused to give her any details, saying it was confidential and none of her damn business.
Even Luna had no idea exactly where he was, and she was the only person, other than Hermione, that Harry trusted enough to tell his secrets to. She'd tried several times to get into Black Manor, but it was on lockdown. She'd even tried calling for Dobby or Winky, Harry's paid butler and housekeeper respectively, but they didn't come to her. They always had before; Harry must have ordered them not to go to her summons. So, for a month and a half, Hermione stewed. She went through several mood swings. She'd been terrified that she'd somehow ruined their friendship and he had packed up and ran away. She'd been unbelievably sad that he'd simply disappeared and didn't want to see her again. She'd been extremely pissed that he just took off with no letter, no warning, nothing, and left her to worry herself sick at the idea that she had destroyed their relationship.
All of which didn't make her too popular at work, and even less popular at home. Ron had finally gotten tired of her depression, spontaneous crying or snapping at him, for no good reason (he thought). He had told her repeatedly that Harry was just off being Harry and he'd come back when he wished to grace them with his presence again, which led to Hermione eventually punching him and then hexing him into unconsciousness. Which, in turn, led to Ron finally granting her fondest and most dreaded wish, he dumped her. Her relationship with him was horrible; it had been rocky from the start and had never gotten better. In fact, it had gotten worse. She had thought about ending it several times, but her self respect was always her greatest weakness, Hermione thought that if she ever lost Ron, she'd never find anyone who would want to be with her.
Her long standing dream was to be with Harry. She'd had feelings for him since their fourth year, when they'd bonded so well during the time Harry had been abandoned by the rest of the school. They'd spent so much time together, Hermione had almost wished that it would have stayed that way, that everyone would keep avoiding him (especially Ron) so she could keep him all to herself. She had always felt sick and extremely guilty at those thoughts, because she knew very well how much it hurt Harry for everyone to think he was a cheater…or worse. She'd been disappointed at how fast he'd accepted Ron back, but glad that her bond with him didn't seem to be broken. When she'd found out about the Yule Ball, she'd hoped against hope that their bond would be strong enough for him to ask her. But he was pinning for that bitch, Cho Chang. It hurt even more when Harry didn't even think to ask her to the Yule Ball, so wrapped up as he was in Cho.
He still pined for her in fifth year, and it had killed her to have to try to talk to him about her feelings, when hers had been crushed. After the Ministry, she had unconsciously pulled away from him and concentrated on Ron, who finally got the nerve to ask her out during their seventh year. Harry, meanwhile, had found Luna Lovegood, and it had been extremely hard for Hermione to hate her, since she had come to regard the younger Ravenclaw as the sister she never had. But every time she saw them together, especially when she caught them kissing passionately on the Gryffindor Common Room couch, the jealousy she'd felt almost made her face turn green. She'd been very cool to the both of them for the next week after that.
It got worse in Seventh year, Hermione had been made Head Girl, and, astoundingly, Ron had been made Head Boy. Their private rooms together had helped Ron get the courage to ask her out, and she jumped at the chance. But, being so far away, it had also led to Harry and Luna getting closer together, which she hated. The War had been in full swing by then. Harry, Luna, Herself and Ron were all in training. Dumbledore had finally gotten off his ass and got them private combat tutors. But Moody, Remus and McGonagall had felt that Harry needed a sharper edge than the others, and needed it faster because of Dumbledore's flat refusal to train Harry in combat till he was seventeen. So, they had taken it upon themselves to reclaim the Legendary Lost Diadem of Rowena Ravenclaw. They'd found it after forcing the location from the Grey Lady, who was the ghost of Rowena's daughter. The Diadem could absorb knowledge and pass it on to whoever wore it. After Harry had worn the Diadem, he'd apparently absorbed the entire combined Knowledge's of Rowena Ravenclaw, Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Salazar Slytherin and everyone else that had handled the Diadem for the last thousand years, Dumbledore and most of the Order was included in that.
He'd spent three weeks in a coma, the Diadem locked on his head, trying to cope with the sudden influx of entire vaults of knowledge, spells, techniques and unlocked abilities. Luna had never once left his side. Dobby and Winky had brought her food and gave her a magical privy they'd found in the Potter Legacy Vault, so she'd never have to leave him. Hermione had wanted to stay by his side as well; she was a complete wreck while Harry was in his coma. But Ron, Head Girl Duties and N.E.W.T.s had prevented her from doing so. Luna hadn't cared, hadn't cared about any of that, and as a result didn't pass half her classes, but she didn't care. All she wanted was the man she loved back and to Hell with the consequences. It was that last part that had told Hermione that Harry and herself could never be, if she couldn't toss away everything else for him, then she obviously didn't love him enough. What she would never admit to herself, was that if Harry had been unconscious for one more day, she would have thrown everything out the window and held his hand till he woke up. She was terrified at the idea of it, she wanted to, but years of rejection and heartbreak had kept her from doing so.
When Harry had come out of his coma, he was a different Wizard, but still, somehow, the same old Harry. Luna had been so happy, she cried for hours and he'd held her in his arms, comforting her. Then, the first thing they did was dance, right there in the Hospital Wing, to music Harry had summoned without his wand. Luna had been astounded, to say nothing of Hermione. Until that point, Harry had hated dancing, but now, he loved it. Not only loved it, but could do it damn well. Luna had confessed to Hermione a few times that she wished Harry would dance with her, and she had tried to teach him, but he never got the hang of it. But now, he danced like he was born to, either because of the knowledge he gained or the confidence, and he wanted to grant that wish of Luna's.
That was when her fantasy of being held close and dancing with him had started. Not to be outdone, Hermione had tried to get Ron to dance with her, which took a lot of persuasion, several bribes of sweets and finally a couple threats. She'd regretted it almost before it started, he couldn't dance worth a lick. Worse, he stepped all over her feet and almost broke both of them. After that, Harry had promised Luna that he'd help her fulfill her fondest wish. What that was, none of them had found out till they'd come back from their week long secret mission/vacation that Harry had whisked her off on. They'd told no one and had actually escaped from Hogwarts to do it. When they came back, not only did neither of them get expelled, but they had several small crates full of creatures that Hermione had been adamantly positive didn't exist, Crumple Horned Snorkacks. She had to admit, they were very cute, and was happy for the both of them, especially Luna. She'd finally been vindicated, and had promised to find her other creatures as well. So far, she hadn't found any, but it never stopped her from trying.
Hermione had heard that Harry had a shouting match with Dumbledore, telling him point blank that if he even tried expelling him or Luna, that Harry would take his vaults, pack up Black Manor, the Snorkacks, Hermione, Luna and disappear, and let the old goat fight his own fucking war. After that, no one questioned Harry or his motives. He was becoming the warrior the Magical World needed, not just the sacrificial weapon Dumbledore wanted. But it still wasn't enough, Harry's magical knowledge was immense, but to win a war, he knew he'd need more.
Using the information that the Diadem gave him, Harry had found Merlin's Time Turner. He knew that the most powerful Wizard of the Light in history had made a very special one, the one he'd used to train the young Arthur Pendragon into the King of Legends. Merlin's Time Turner could go back years, instead of just hours or days. Harry had found it, used it and trained all over the world for three years, and using the Diadem, he collapsed the decades of knowledge he needed into those three years.
Luna had surprisingly not gone with him. She said she'd be too much of a distraction, at which point she winked and Harry actually blushed. She knew that with the Time Turner, he would only be gone from her life for a few moments, but she gave him several things to remember her by, some of which Hermione never knew about, and probably didn't want to know about.
She could perfectly recall the day that Harry had used the Time Turner in Black Manor, that moment would be burned into her memory forever. Harry set the device for 3 years in the past, gave herself a gentle kiss on the cheek and Luna one long, deep, searing kiss that had curled her own toes. He activated it and immediately faded away. He wasn't gone for more than ten seconds before the front door of Black Manor smashed open and the new Harry James Potter had walked in. Hermione could feel the waves of pure power flowing over her, and she was so attracted to him at that moment she would have jumped his bones if Luna hadn't gotten there first.
The changes in Harry were extraordinary; he was a master of seven different martial arts, having been trained under several Grand Masters. He was an expert in Muggle Weaponry, battle tactics, espionage, guerrilla warfare and who knew what else. Harry also was sporting two long curved swords, a Japanese Katana and matching Wakizashi, with a smaller TantÅ at the small of his back. Harry said he forged them himself out of a mixture of Goblin Silver and Titanium. They weren't the only new things either. In his right ear was a silver stud earring, sporting a small emerald. Harry explained that it was a Translation Stone. With all the cultures and people he'd come into contact with, he knew language would be a problem. So, he bought a rare Translation Stone that would translate every language on Earth into English. He then had it set into an earring so as to be as inconspicuous as possible.
On his right arm, Harry had a tattoo, but not just a small picture; this was a complete sleeve. Starting with a fingerless glove on his right hand, which seamlessly blended into a picture of armour plating. Overlapping plates that were so lifelike, it looked like he really wore an armoured sleeve. This continued all the way up his arm and became a red and gold flying Phoenix, covered in flames. The flames wrapped around his upper back and licked up the left side of his neck. She'd never seen the entire thing of course, Harry had never taken his shirt off around her, but she managed to get the full description out of Luna. He had apparently enchanted the tattoo with better colors and made it more lifelike than the Muggles could do. He had also healed it overnight, so it was completely perfect. When Hermione asked why he did it, he simply held out his right fist and asked if she could see any scars. After looking for several seconds, she realized the scars that toady bitch had made him carve into his hand were completely gone, she couldn't see them anymore. He said he'd started with the glove, but it just kinda grew from there. He said it somehow made him feel better, to always be wearing that armour, even if it was just a picture. What it represented was the most important thing.
After Harry had come back, he became a force of nature. He tracked down and hunted the Death Eaters and their allies into extinction. But, no matter how experienced Harry was, no matter how much knowledge he had and all the memories he now retained, he always asked her was her opinion was. He always wanted to know what she thought about their operations and missions they went on.
Harry had finally discovered Riddle's hidden fortress and crushed it. The Army of the Light met the Army of the Dark and waged the final battle of Riddle's War. Dumbledore had tried to duel Riddle first, but Harry wouldn't have it. He cut a bloody swath through Death Eaters, Trolls and Lycans, his blazing green eyes never leaving his most hated enemy. The duel between Harry and Riddle himself lasted for a solid five hours. Five furious hours, in which every spell Hermione had ever read about was used, and several she'd never heard of. Back and forth it went, neither of the combatants giving ground. Spell and counter spell, blade upon blade, each was matched and deflected. Finally exhausting Riddle, Harry had used his last reserves to use his sword to cut through Riddle's wand, his arms and then to sever his head from his unnatural body. Fighting back his exhaustion, Harry took up Riddle's wand, and broke it in one hand, keeping it for his trophy room. Snapping his fingers, he incinerated the unholy creation of Riddle's body in an instant, then waved his hand over his sword and cleaned it before slamming it home in its sheath. Harry then turned toward his allies, took three steps, and collapsed on the bloody battlefield. He'd needed a month to recover from his ordeal, this time Luna and Hermione had stayed at his side. Or she tried to, she was forced to leave several times, and it was always Ron who had pulled her away from him.
When Harry recovered, he passed his N.E.W.T.s with flying colors and went immediately into the Auror Corps, where, instead of the years of training at the Academy he'd expected, Bones, Shacklebolt and Moody had overruled everyone and gave him his badge. Not only making him a full Auror, but also a Captain in the ranks, a special class that Harry was the only member of, reporting only to Chief Moody , the head of the Ministry Law Enforcement Department - Kingsley Shacklebolt and the new Minister - Madam Amelia Bones, for missions. Hermione herself had gone into the Healer Academy; her experience on the battlefield allowed her to skip several superfluous months of training and she became a full fledged Healer, attached to the Auror Medical Corps. Seeing Harry almost every day, when he wasn't off somewhere, saving people again, was pleasurable torture for Hermione. She loved being with her best friend, but wanted so badly for him to become more than that.
Especially when she found out what Ron was like out of school, which was worse than being in school. Ron had gotten a job with his Twin brothers at their joke shop, which made him happy since it wasn't too difficult. He'd tried out for several Quidditch teams, but never made it in, his debilitating nervousness always fouled up the tryouts. It got worse when Ginny got a spot with the Holyhead Harpies, (Hermione thought the name was appropriate, she'd heard about the Love Tonic Spike and was not amused). So, Ron gave up trying to play the sport professionally and just listened to it on the Wizarding Wireless, occasionally getting tickets and forcing Hermione to go. Harry never went anymore, he'd lost his taste for the game after Sirius died and he had focused all his time on training and studies. Harry still flew, but not on his Firebolt anymore; He retired it and kept it in a sealed case in his trophy room. He'd said he didn't want to risk losing the first present Sirius had ever given him. Instead, Harry had bought himself a state-of-the-art, Firebolt Mk. II. This one made the Mk. I look like an ancient Silver Arrow.
Luna had left Hogwarts when Harry graduated and become a part-time explorer while taking a position as Co-Editor in Chief of The Quibbler. When she wasn't working there, she was out looking for more animals, and she bred her Snorkacks on the side, establishing a new colony on protected land that Harry had given her. After her breakup with him, Luna had thrown herself into her work, much like Harry did. Neville had come by soon after that and they had eventually started going out. Hermione had never known what had caused the breakup; she had assumed they were going to get married. Neither of them would talk about it either, always getting a sad, wistful look on their face before changing the subject.
Her own relationship with Ron had worsened, it had always been tumultuous, had always been full of fights and arguments, so much so they'd had multiple warnings from their landlord about them, when Hermione got so angry with him she'd forget the Silencing Charm. Ron, of course, never could be bothered to cast one himself, he never cared enough. She was only glad that no one had called the police before. That would have been lovely to explain, to the Muggle Cops and the Ministry Law Enforcement Officers who always show up when a Magic gets the Muggle cops set on them.
One of their biggest arguments was about sex, Ron always pushing her to finally go all the way. Hermione never could explain it to him properly, but she just never felt right about it. They'd messed around with each other of course, she'd given him handjobs, before Ron had finally convinced her to suck him off, and she had hated it. He was too forceful; he had kept pushing her head down and not letting her breathe. It's like he was trying to fuck her skull. And of course, Ron couldn't be bothered with going down on her, he thought it was gross. He barely even fingered her, and those tingles she got from it were all she knew as orgasms. But he had always been after her for a blowjob, since she wouldn't have sex with him. She finally gave in, and it was a horrible experience.
When she tried to complain about her treatment, Ron had brought up sex again, saying it would be better if she just unlocked her knees let him fuck her. Hermione had first hexed him and then kicked him out of the bedroom that night, and they hadn't had any kind of sexual relations for the last few months because of it. Not that she really cared; she hated how Ron had made her feel so dirty, so degraded when he had finally convinced her. Hermione had even transfigured their queen sized bed into two singles, so she wouldn't have to sleep next to him anymore. Hermione decided to leave him to rot, and good riddance. So, Ron's eyes wandered, not that they hadn't always wandered before. It was hard not to notice how he stared at the other, prettier girls when they'd go out. Hermione's opinion of herself had never been a strong one; being called names for most of your life will do that to you.
And watching him stare and drool at the huge fake tits on the air headed bimbos had only hurt her more. Hermione suddenly realized that Harry had never had such a problem, and she would have noticed if he had. After his break up with Luna, anytime he was out with her, Harry would always be focused on her. Anytime Harry spoke to her, or Hermione spoke period, whether to him or to anyone else, Harry's attention was always on her. At the time, she had thought it was merely being friendly and polite.
But after what had happened that night after the club, Hermione wondered if it meant something else. She had a burning hope inside her that Harry actually had feelings for her. She'd seen something in his eyes that night that she had only seen before when he looked at Luna. And the way he kissed her, like he was dying of starvation and Hermione was his only sustenance. He kissed her like she was his food, water and oxygen, all wrapped up in one.
Then, he'd been so romantic with her; he used her favorite romantic movie line, had walked up to her like she was a treasured Lady of Court, bowed deeply to her and swept her off her feet to dance with her. And the dance…it was like magic. A word terribly overused in their world, but it was the only way Hermione knew to describe it. It was everything she'd dreamed of, and so much more. They moved together as if they had always been meant to. They fit together as if they'd been made for each other. And she'd never felt so loved, so needed in that moment, his strong arms wrapped around her while she was snuggled into his broad chest. The kiss they shared soon after was perfect, so romantic, so full of feeling; she'd almost melted with the power of it.
The song changed, and so did the mood. It went from soft and romantic to hard and passionate. The look he gave her when she challenged him to dance this new song with her had sent a bolt of pure lust and arousal through her, something that had never happened before. Ron had never been able to set her on fire with just a look. And that look of Harry's, a dark, dangerous look, it had sent shivers of desire down her spine to pool between her legs. She could see in his eyes how much he wanted her, and she was sure he could see the same in hers.
When he'd started grinding into her, she felt like she'd catch fire with the friction and sensations. When he'd pushed her over the bar of her kitchen and pulled up her short skirt, she instantly drenched her emerald green thong. A thong she had bought thinking of Harry's eyes. Unbeknownst to Harry and unnoticed by Ron, she always wore that particular thong when she'd go out with Harry. It always made her feel attractive and slightly naughty; having a piece of cloth the exact shade of Harry's eyes, pressed against her most intimate of areas. She always managed to go home wet after being out with Harry, wearing "his" thong, as she liked to think of it.
But, then it had all gone to Hell. She just had to remember her drunk, knocked out, worthless boyfriend, and everything blew up in their faces. She felt guilty for doing something so intimate with Harry while still being Ron's girlfriend. Harry apparently thought he'd forced himself on her or some other such insanity. It was his overdeveloped sense of guilt that she could thank Dumbledore and the goddamn Dursleys for.
She was glad that Luna and herself had gone and dealt with those monsters. Luna was quite terrifying when she was angry, and boy were they both pissed when they saw the locks on the outside of Harry's tiny bedroom. Which didn't compare to the rage they had both felt when they saw the padlocks on the cupboard under the stairs. Hermione had decided then and there to never piss Luna off. (What she didn't know was that Luna had made the same decision, seeing the fire of Hermione's anger in her chocolate brown eyes.)
Hermione regretted now that she had asked Harry to leave. They should have gotten everything straight right then. Or she should have followed him back to Black Manor and shagged him blind, to hell with Ron. But, she hadn't, and now she was paying for it.
So, here she sat. In the living room of her new apartment, scratching Crookshanks behind the ears while she reminisced. Wondering desperately where the fuck Harry James Potter was.
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