Okay, here it is, as promised, the second chapter. I hope you enjoy it. My thanks to all of you who have enjoyed this story and left such great reviews. A special thanks goes out to Dementor149 for being my friend and silent partner in the writing of this story. Now if all of you readers are really nice and leave a review on the way out, I may post the next chapter really soon…(hint hint!) Warning: There is a cliffhanger! See previous comment to make the cliffhanger go away by having another chapter added soon…
The usual disclaimers apply. I am beginning to run out of excuses as to why I didn't think up these characters before someone else did!
Chapter 43
Seeing the Truth
Harry couldn't get enough of her. She was driving him to distraction as she nuzzled his neck and left a trail of kisses along his jaw. He sat up and rolled her on to her back, intent on doing some exploring of his own. He heard her sigh as he nuzzled her neck, and he moved down to the hollow at the base of her throat, making her shiver. He slowly ran his hand up her thigh until he came to the hem of her shirt. As he slid his hand under the fabric he smiled to himself, the flash of an earlier memory of soft skin and curly brown hair coming from the recess of his mind. Before he could ponder about it though, it was gone. He let his fingers explore the soft skin of her back as he nipped and nuzzled his way back up her neck to the hollow behind her ear. He leaned back to look at her, and she smiled at him, wrapping her hands around the back of his neck.
"Tell me you love me," she said as she pulled him back down.
Harry smiled at her. "I…"
`No, you don't!' a voice cried from inside of his head.
Harry stopped and the smile fell from his face.
"What's wrong Harry? Don't you love me?"
Harry sat back and looked at her. He saw the hurt in her hazel eyes and reached out to smooth the red hair away from her face.
Red hair…
That wasn't right…
It should be brown…
As soon as that last thought entered his mind, Harry was slammed with thousands of images, coming at him seemingly from nowhere. He scrambled back and stood up, shaking his head as he did so. He suddenly knew where he was.
"Ginny-" he said, and she disappeared, along with everything else around him.
He could hear a cold laugh and turned to see his father walking towards him.
"You're not my dad," Harry said, and the figure melted away to reveal the image of Voldemort.
He threw his arms wide and then clapped them together. Before Harry could react, he was bound from head to toe by some kind of vine. He toppled over, landing on his side, his glasses flying off. He looked up to see Voldemort walk to his side and crouch down.
"Hello, Harry," he smiled. "You are certainly a tough nut to crack."
Harry struggled against the vines, but the more he struggled, the tighter they became.
"Do you remember these?" Voldemort asked. "You came across them once before. I found it in one of your earlier memories."
Harry stopped struggling and looked up, his eyes blazing with anger.
"Now, Harry," Voldemort said. "We both know the end is inevitable. We can do this the easy way," and he waved his hand and the green fields came back, "or the hard way."
"Go to hell," Harry said through gritted teeth.
Voldemort stood up.
"I was kind of hoping you'd feel that way," he said. "You see, I've been able to tap into some of your powers, and I have been very eager to use them."
He gave Harry a sinister smile.
"Crucio," he said.
Harry arched his back and screamed as it felt like every nerve in his body was on fire. As his body spasmed, the Devil's Snare tightened to the point that Harry couldn't get a full breath of air. He could feel the blackness closing in on him and the last thing he heard before losing consciousness was Voldemort's maniacal laughter.
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Hermione was trying very hard to understand. She knew Harry would protect any memories of her, he had told her as much time and time again. She also knew that there would be memories of Ginny and their time together. There was still a part of her that was hurt though, and her logical side was having a tough battle with that emotional side.
Lupin laid a hand on her shoulder.
"It doesn't mean anything, Hermione," he said. "I know how he feels about you," and he told her about what had happened when he was first teaching Harry about Occlumency. Hermione smiled as she blinked back the tears.
"Thanks Professor," she said.
Suddenly Harry gasped and his body began to spasm. They turned back to him, and Hermione grabbed his hand and held it between hers.
"He's losing the battle," Ron said as he nodded towards the figure materializing in the shadow.
"What are we going to do?" Hermione said.
"I don't know," Lupin said. "I could try again, but forcing my way in may weaken him even more, now that Voldemort is aware of me."
Harry's spasms stopped, and his breathing became very shallow.
"There is no time," Luna said. "You have to help him, Hermione."
"How am I supposed to do that?" she cried. "I'm not as skilled at Occlumency as the professor is."
Luna took both of her hands in her own, forcing Hermione to look at her.
"Do you love him?" she asked quietly.
"What?" Hermione asked. That was the last thing on her mind right now.
"I need you to tell me. Do you love Harry with all your heart?"
Hermione looked into her startling blue eyes, and felt the tears beginning to flow down her cheeks. She nodded in response.
"I need you to say it," Luna said.
Hermione hesitated for a moment, glancing quickly at the other two occupants in the room. She had never been very good at stating her feelings out loud. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"I…I love Harry," she said, and suddenly her heart felt like it was so full it would burst. "I do. I love him."
She felt the strength of her love for Harry surge though her, and it made her feel powerful. Luna could see the flash in Hermione's eyes as the realization hit her, and she squeezed her hands in understanding. Hermione become conscious of the impact her statement would have on a certain person, and she glance over at Ron, who gave her a small wistful smile.
"Good," Luna said with a smile. "Now we can help him."
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As Harry swam back towards consciousness, he was battered by memories of his friends and family being tortured and in pain. He had cried out in anguish the first few times it had happened, only to have the Cruciatus curse put on him again until he lapsed into unconsciousness. Now, as he slowly opened his eyes, he didn't even react. The Devil's Snare was keeping him from taking a full breath of air, and he was becoming too tired to fight. He had lost count as to how many times Voldemort had cursed him; he just felt the despair of knowing he wasn't strong enough or prepared enough to fight him. That thought alone seemed to sap him of his strength even more.
"You know, Harry," he heard Voldemort say, "this isn't even fun anymore. You're not reacting to the memories I'm giving you. Obviously I haven't dug deep enough. I'm sure there's something I've missed."
Harry had an idea as to where he was going, but he had no energy to stop him. He watched helplessly until he became a blur, and then closed his eyes, trying to will his aching body to relax enough to give him more air.
He wasn't surprised then, to hear her voice.
"Harry!" she cried.
"Go away," Harry begged, keeping his eyes firmly shut. "Please, go away."
He couldn't bear to have his last vision of Hermione to be one filled with pain. He tried to push the vision away, but lacked the strength to create any more than a brief wind.
"Isn't it interesting that a product of our own mind can be so dangerous?" a second voice said.
Harry cracked one eye open to look up at the blurry figures before him.
"Luna?" he croaked.
"Lumos Maxima," Hermione said.
As quickly as it had appeared, the Devil's Snare was gone, and Harry collapsed in a heap. He let out an involuntary cry of pain as the feeling began to return to his arms and legs. It felt like the curse was traveling up and down his body again. He couldn't stop the spasms from coursing through his body. He felt someone lift his head up and cradle it against a soft body.
As his twitching subsided into a dull ache, Harry opened his eyes to look up into the worried face of Hermione, and briefly wondered what Voldemort was up to now.
"We don't have much time," Luna said as she looked around.
"Harry, you have to stop this." Hermione said.
"Why?" Harry said. "So you can see the rest of my memories? Find new ways to torture me?"
Hermione glanced up at Luna and then back down at Harry.
"Harry, do you know who I am?" she asked.
Harry winced and closed his eyes as another spasm of pain went through him.
"I thought I had protected you better than that. I'm sorry," he said more to himself than anyone else.
Hermione looked back up at Luna helplessly.
Luna came over and sat down cross-legged on the other side of Harry and handed him his glasses.
"Do you remember when I helped you with Ron?" she asked.
Harry put his glasses on and looked at her.
"Accessible memories," he said after a moment and then closed his eyes. "Nice try."
"I have a connection with Ron," she said smiling, as though he hadn't even interrupted her. "We belong together, and I love him."
Hermione smiled at her innocent honesty, and Luna leaned in.
"Don't tell him, though, he's afraid of the comphobes. They might tie him up."
Hermione gave a little snort of laughter, despite the seriousness of the situation they were in.
Harry slowly sat up, wincing as he did so.
"That's great Luna, or whoever you are. Now go away."
"Harry! She's just trying to make you understand! We're not a product of your memory. We're here to help."
Harry staggered to his feet, and leaned on his knees, trying to gain his balance.
"Oh? And how do you plan on doing that?" he asked.
"We're…we're…" Hermione trained off. What were they doing here?
She turned to look at Luna, who was hugging her knees.
"Tell him," she said simply.
Hermione looked down at her hands in her lap. Now the moment was here, she felt embarrassed.
"What is she supposed to tell me?" Harry said after a moment of silence.
Luna just smiled demurely at him.
"There are more important things in life than books and cleverness," Hermione said after a moment.
She looked up into those green eyes that have been so much a part of her world and took a deep breath. "It's the reason why we were able to come. I have a connection with you too."
She closed her eyes briefly, and when she opened them, Harry could see right through to her soul.
"I love you, Harry"
Harry stood straight up, the surprise evident on his face, his eyes never leaving hers. Wordlessly, he held out a hand, and Hermione took it and stood up. He reached out and gently cupped the side of her face.
"In my mind, I have been waiting for a long time for you to say that," he said quietly.
He gently stroked her cheek with his thumb.
"How do I know this is real?"
Hermione looked up and saw the sadness in his eyes.
"Kiss me," she whispered.
Harry let his gaze caress her face, taking in every feature of the woman that he loved.
"We're stronger together, Harry," she said. "Trust me."
And because she asked, Harry leaned in to kiss her. He memorized that kiss, taking in every detail of how her lips felt next to his. Hermione wrapped her arms around Harry's waist, bringing him closer to her, and deepening the kiss, wanting him to know how she truly felt.
Harry could feel the tingling sensation radiating out from Hermione, filling him and making him feel complete. He had a brief flash of a memory of kissing Hermione at his birthday party, and he felt the warmth of that memory surround him.
He kissed her back, hungrily, wanting more, and Hermione complied, giving everything of herself to Harry, holding nothing back. Harry could feel himself growing stronger, healing, and as he did, he sent his love back to her, giving as much as he was receiving. At that point, Harry knew that this wasn't some fantasy world that Voldemort had created; it was his dreams come true.
He pulled apart from her, breathless. There was so much he wanted to say.
"Hermione, I-"
"You shall not interfere!"
Harry turned to see Voldemort storming towards them, enraged. Harry stepped in front of the two girls, and pulled himself up to his full height.
Voldemort came to stand in front of him.
"Conjuring your own fantasies and playing the hero are we?" Voldemort sneered. "It looks like you need to be taught a lesson. Crucio!"
Harry waved his hand without thinking, and a wall appeared in front of them. The curse hit it, and the wall shattered, throwing dust everywhere. As it cleared, Harry heard a strangled cry and he spun around to see Voldemort standing behind Hermione, his arm around her throat.
"You are such a slow learner," Voldemort laughed.
Harry could feel the anger building in him, and his fingers were crackling with magic.
"Let her go," Harry said through gritted teeth.
Voldemort gave a sinister smile.
"What a lovely reaction," he said. I wonder what you would do if I did this?" and he slowly began to squeeze her neck.
Hermione let out an involuntary squeak, her eyes bulging, and her hands clawing helplessly at the arm across her throat. Her eyes darted to Harry as she tried to shake her head, telling him not to give in.
"I said, let her go," Harry replied calmly, though he didn't feel it.
Voldemort relaxed the grip on her throat slightly, and picked up one of her curls between his fingers.
"Interesting," he said as he let the hair fall from his fingers. "She is lovely, Harry, and full of fire, too."
He trailed one finger down the side of her face. Hermione struggled to get away, but he only held her tighter.
"Get your hands off of her," Harry said shakily, the vestiges of his control beginning to slip.
Harry's eyes darted to Luna, who was standing quietly behind Voldemort, all but forgotten. He watched as she slowly pulled the wand out from behind her ear.
"I think what we shall do, Harry, is you surrender to me, and perhaps I will let this lovely young lady go," Voldemort said.
"Not on your life," Harry said.
"Hm. I figured you would say that. What about hers?" Voldemort asked, and he produced a knife and plunged it into Hermione's side.
Hermione's eyes went wide in surprise and she made an involuntary gasp. Slowly, she slid to the floor as Voldemort loosened his grip on her. The last thing Harry saw before her eyes fluttered closed was the sorrow at the knowledge of having found, and then lost.
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