Title: Adrift
Summary: It was supposed to be the perfect holiday, but a tragic accident plunges Harry and Hermione adrift in to a new, uncertain life.
Rating: PG-13 for language and adult themes
Authors Notes: Hello loyal readers! And happy festive season! It's Christmas Eve here in Australia, and I said I'd have an update before Christmas!
As always, hope you enjoy the update. And remember to review and be nice!
TWENTY
Hermione and all the kids were back the next morning and they all waited anxiously whilst the tubes were removed from James. Once the doctor gave them the all clear, Harry sent Lily and Albus in first.
'Hey,' James whispered hoarsely after they'd given him the best hug they could give him whilst he was strapped into the bed.
'Don't you ever do this to us again,' Lily said, crossing her arms and looking at him. 'We've been so scared.'
'Sorry.'
'At least you're not dead,' Albus said and Lily hit him on the arm.
'Real nice, Al, real nice.'
'Well, what else am I supposed to say? Hope you feel well rested after being in a coma for eight days? Is it true what they say and a coma is 'just like a holiday, just a little less painful'?'
James looked at Albus in surprise. He'd never heard his brother so sarcastic before.
'I swear you're turning into Uncle Ron,' Lily said, rolling her eyes.
'How's dad?' James managed to ask, snapping the attention back to him.
'He looks a little less stressed now you're awake,' Lily told him. 'You know he hasn't left the hospital since you came in?'
'Yeah, he's lived in the waiting room,' Albus added. 'He was pretty scared.'
'So what was the accident like?' Lily asked. James closed his eyes.
'Scary.'
'Do you remember it all?'
'I blacked out,' James said as quickly as he could. Lily opened her mouth to say something else, but Harry cleared his throat from the doorway.
'Want to leave those questions for the police?' he said, indicating to the two officers behind him.
'Come on, Al and Lily. Let's go home and let your grandmother know that James is awake,' Hermione said from behind the police. Harry turned to face the officers as Hermione and the kids went past.
'I hope the doctor explained my sons condition to you,' Harry said and the officers nodded. 'At any time that James wishes, the interview will terminate.'
James heard Harry from the bed and was grateful. He didn't really know what to say and he didn't know how much he could say. He knew that Rex and Josh had died and that Joel and Keith were pretty knocked around. But if Rex was dead, did it really matter what happened in the crash?
He didn't really hear the two police as they introduced themselves, but refocused when he realised the questions were starting.
'Who was in the car at the time of the accident?'
What a stupid question James thought. It wasn't like they didn't already know anything.
'And who was driving.'
'Rex was driving,' James said, his voice cracking. 'Keith was next to him. Joel, Josh and I were in the back seat.'
'What was the approximant speed at the time of the crash?'
'I don't know,' James said, looking away. 'But I was screaming for them to slow down. I knew that we were going to fast.'
'How did the accident happen?'
'Something ran out on to the road,' he closed his eyes and he was back on that road. He could hear himself yelling out, could see the look on Rex's face as he realised they were going over. He could smell the fuel leaking and the blood.
'How much had you all had to drink?'
'We'd been drinking beer at Keith's house. I don't remember exactly how much I drank. It was a lot though.'
'Was this the first time you participated in drinking alcohol?'
'Yes.'
'Did any one take any drugs?'
'I think Keith and Joel had some pot,' James said, avoiding his fathers eyes. 'But that shit fucks you up.'
Both police chuckled slightly.
'Why were you out on the back roads?'
'Rex wanted to see how fast the car could go,' James's voice cut out towards the end of the sentence. Harry helped him have a small sip of water.
'Walk us through what happened immediately prior to the crash.'
'Rex was winding the engine up,' he spoke slowly and with his eyes closed, as though he was watching it all happen again on the inside of his eyes. 'We hit a straight and he floored it. I was feeling sick from the beer, but didn't want to say anything. I just started yelling at him to stop being so stupid. But Joel and Josh kept telling me to be quiet. And then I saw the, well I don't know what it was. But it was something on the road. I yelled at Rex to swerve or brake, but he sped up even more. We hit it. We flipped over it and then rolled down the embankment. I didn't have my seatbelt on. I bounced around and when we stopped rolling, I was in the front seat. And the only conscious one. I found someone's mobile and rung for help. And then I passed out and don't remember anything else.'
There was silence as the officers wrote down what he had said.
'Thank you, James. That's all we need.'
Harry stood up with the officers and followed them into the hallway.
'What will happen to my son?'
'He's admitted to underage drinking,' one of them said. 'It is a chargeable offence. But by the time his BAC had been taken, paramedics had pumped him full of morphine and other drugs for pain. So we're inclined to rule the results invalid. Poor kid lost two of his friends and is pretty badly hurt. We don't think drinking will be a problem from now on. And from all accounts, he's a good boy. We spoke with Mrs Weasley yesterday and she produced some of his school records which prove that he is not normally this sort of boy.'
Harry was incredibly relieved.
'Thank you,' he said, shaking both their hands and heading back into James' room.
'I'm sorry Dad,' James said.
'Don't be,' Harry said, placing a hand on his arm. 'I know I haven't been the best father.'
'I haven't been the best son,' James cut in.
'It's not too late to change it all. I can be around more, take an interest. I can give away a lot of my work and stay home with you more when you're home.'
James nodded as best he could.
'Dad,' he said with curiosity. 'What's your favourite colour?'
~*~
Harry got out of the hospital that afternoon. Molly was sitting with James and Hermione was entertaining the kids. He found a deserted alley and disapparated from behind some bins.
The cemetery was bathed in sunlight and the grass seemed to be even greener than the grass in the paddocks around it. He made his way slowly through the headstones, before finally stopping in front of Ginny's.
'I really could've used you over the last week, Gin,' he said softly. 'I would've loved to see James pull this sort of a thing with you around.'
He bent down and pulled a few weeds away that were starting to grow around the base of the headstone.
'I think things are going to be good now,' he continued. 'I think James will settle down. And I'm going to be home more. I actually don't want to work anymore. It's a good distraction, but it's not the same. It's not the same without Ron around. And it's not the same coming home and talking to you about the office.
'To be honest, Gin, nothing is the same without you. But I've realised that's OK. I know now that things have to change, and sometimes it's for the best. And whilst it's hard and I have the most changing to do, it can be done.
'I'm going to make you proud, Ginny. I promise.'
~*~
When Harry got back to the hospital, Molly had left and Hermione had come back with Lily and Albus.
'Rose and Hugo went with Molly,' she told Harry as he sat down next to her in the waiting room. 'So I thought Lily and Al could have some alone time with James.'
'Thanks,' he said with a small smile.
'Why don't you sleep at home tonight?' she suggested. 'I can stay here. I think it will do you good. And if anything happens, you can be back in a heartbeat.'
'I'm going to stay here,' Harry said firmly. 'I'm not leaving him. Not now.'
'The offers there,' she said, patting him on the knee as she got up.
He watched her walk away and sighed. That was the longest conversation they'd had through all of this. She had been there the whole time, supporting him and looking after Albus and Lily. But they had hardly spoken.
Harry knew one of the many things he had to do was make things right with Hermione. But for now, he was at a complete loss on how to make this happen.