Author's Note: Hey everyone, here's chapter three. I'm trying to keep the updates as often as possible. I've found a beta, though not on portkey, things should get better from here mistakes wise. I hope you all enjoy, please review. Oh and thanks for the wonderful reviews everyone!
Harry strolled down the streets of London in the light flurries of snow that began as he left the Burrow earlier that night. The snow now covered the ground in thick clumps, it'll be a winter wonderland by tomorrow, Harry thought as he made his way to the Leaky Cauldron. Then his thoughts found their way back to his best friend, the woman he'd missed more than words could say. They had just finished their dance when Hermione had been whisked away by Jason, the boyfriend Hermione had forgotten to mention in her letters. Of course I'm the one who thought she was marrying Ron, Harry thought as he entered the pub to find Ron sitting at the bar waiting for him.
"Ron, Sorry I'm late mate, it's turning into a blizzard out there," Harry explained grinning at his love-crazy friend.
"It's alright, Harry. I just arrived myself, already ordered you a butterbeer. Wouldn't want to get drunk before we have a chance to catch up," Ron responded as Harry lowered himself onto the barstool and threw back the bottle. The warm liquid warmed Harry from head to toe just like it had the first time he'd tried it back in third year.
Ron waved over Tom and ordered two shots of Ogden's best firewhiskey, "So what's new, mate?" Ron asked turning to face Harry. Harry held up a hand, and counted down from three with his fingers and both young men threw back the burning liquid, laughing as soon as the burn ceased.
Harry smiled, "Just working mostly, the U.S. has one Auror department so I traveled quite a bit. Didn't really do much else," he replied, leaving out that all he'd thought about was a certain brown-haired witch.
Ron nodded in understanding, "So you're back, will you be leaving once the wedding's over?" he asked seriously.
Harry shook his head and replied "I'm home; I guess I just needed a reason to pick up and come back."
"Good to hear, mate. It's just not the same through letters, Hermione feels the same way," Ron replied ordering another round of firewhiskey for the pair.
Harry stilled at her name and moved the subject of the conversation from him, "So what happened with you and Hermione, Ron? When I left the two of you were so happy," he asked curiously.
Ron sighed, "Well, after you left Hermione and I ended up fighting a lot. We were both out of sorts over you leaving and we were young and I was stupid. We soon figured out that we weren't meant to be and we just chose to be friends." Ron paused and added, "Hermione even set me up with Luna, wanted me to be happy. Now look at us, I'm engaged and Hermione has a good bloke."
Harry was shocked; Ron had never accepted Hermione's boyfriends in the past, which was most likely why there were so few of them that either of the men had ever met. "So you like him then? That's a first, Ron," Harry asked, his heart wrenching in his chest. If Ron likes him, then he's good for her. If she's happy then there's nothing I can do, Harry thought disheartened.
Ron threw back his firewhiskey and laughed, "I know I was a prat in school, Harry. I have grown up though, it's about time, I know. Jason treats her right and that's all I can ask for," he answered. The young wizard played along with Harry's questions, he'd seen Harry and Hermione at the engagement party earlier and had always suspected Harry's feelings for their friend.
Harry smiled, even though he felt his heart begin to break, she's happy, well it's time for another drink, he thought grimly. "I'm glad she's happy," Harry turned his attention to Tom and asked, "Mind leaving us the bottle, Tom?"
The smaller wizard brought over a large bottle of Ogden's and headed out to serve a platter of fish and chips to a couple over on the other side of the pub. Ron searched Harry's face, finding few traces of the broken hero who had left years ago. Sitting in front of him, was the man Harry was meant to become, though the grim look in his eyes made Ron vaguely nervous.
"You sure we need a whole bottle, mate?" Ron asked as Harry drank two glasses himself and poured Ron another.
Harry's vision began to fade around the edges as he turned to Ron and slurred, "Don't worry, Ron. We still haven't celebrated your engagement."
An hour later, Harry was completely pissed and Ron reluctantly left to head home to Luna. As Ron left he looked back to see Harry still seated on the same barstool nursing the almost empty bottle of firewhiskey, most of which he had consumed himself. Harry turned to Ron and waved goofily as his red-haired best friend disappeared into the snowy night.
It was just after midnight when Tom ushered Harry out the door, with orders to go home and sleep off the massive amounts of alcohol in his bloodstream. Harry stood out in the cold, barely registering his whereabouts as he began a slow stumble through the streets. Harry took a left, then a right, then another left and found himself in front of a large apartment building. Just across the street was a rather large park covered in a fresh blanket of snow. Somewhere in his muddled brain, Harry understood that he'd blindly walked to Hermione's flat, whether she still lived here or not he didn't know.
Harry staggered up the steps and leaned against the door of the elevator as it ascended to the fourth floor. When the doors opened, he lost his footing and fell to the floor in the nicely decorated hallway. Slowly, he got to his feet and made his way to the right, only two flats were located on each floor due to the expansive size of each apartment. Harry knew Hermione had only purchased the flat because of the large windows that overlooked London, neither the price nor the space mattered.
Harry came to a stop in front of her door, or what he hoped was her door. Vaguely, he began to turn over in his mind the idea of coming clean about how he felt. I could tell her right now, but then there's Jason and hadn't Ron said she was happy? Bugger, his mind stuttered under the urge to fall to the floor. Harry raised a heavy arm and knocked on the door, but no sound could be heard on the other side. Harry knocked again and this time he heard shuffling and a deep laugh.
The door swung open to reveal Hermione clad only in a white dress shirt, hair mussed and lips swollen. Harry's emerald eyes took in her appearance through the cloudy haze and his heart caught in his chest. She was beautiful and he'd wasted years that could have been spent in the company of this intelligent woman. "Harry?!" Hermione exclaimed looking him up and down as the blood flooded her cheeks.
"'Mione, I…I gotta go. I shouldn't have come, I, I," Harry stammered awkwardly, his eyes wandering over her shoulder to rest on the approaching shirtless form of Jason.
"Harry, good to see you, mate," Jason called jovially, his hair in complete disarray.
Harry felt jealousy course through his veins, momentarily sobering him, as he forced out, "Yeah, you too. Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt, I'll just go."
Harry turned to walk away, but a small hand on his arm stopped him. He turned and met Hermione's pleading eyes as she said, "Harry, why are you drunk?"
Harry glowered, "I'm a grown man; don't speak to me as if I'm a child." Hermione's eyes widened and she took a step out into the drafty hallway.
"Harry, is everything okay?" Hermione asked, ignoring his angry retort. "Why did you come here?" she continued.
Harry shook his head and turned away from the door and shuffled into the elevator. "I love her, and she's in the arms of another man," Harry spoke aloud as the elevator began to move . Disregarding the fear of splinching himself, Harry apparated back to his empty flat and collapsed on his bed fully clothed.
Jason pulled Hermione inside her flat and closed the door, the worried look never leaving her face. "Hermione, you alright?" he asked calmly, leading her through the kitchen and back into Hermione's bedroom. Hermione remained silent as she settled under the covers of her queen-sized bed; Jason lowered his wiry frame down beside her.
"Yes, I'm fine. I think you should head home, Jason," Hermione replied stiffly, she knew it wasn't right but she just needed to spend some time alone with her thoughts or maybe talking things over with Luna. The pain in Harry's eyes when she'd opened the door had shocked Hermione, let alone Harry turning up drunk in the middle of the night.
She heard a murmuring over the volume of her thoughts but disregarded it, he just got back home and already something's happened. This is my home and I have every right to dress the way I'd like. Then why do I feel so bad all of a sudden? Hermione thought to herself.
The murmuring persisted so Hermione silenced her thoughts and looked back up at her current boyfriend. "Have you heard anything I've said to you?" Jason asked his brown eyes almost black in the dimly lit room. Hermione shook her head and waited, focusing her attention on the half-naked wizard in front of her.
"I said why do you want me to leave? If it's because Harry showed up and killed the mood, I understand, but we can always get the mood back," he explained, a small smile forming on his lips.
Hermione was tired of this conversation with Jason; so far it was the only flaw in their relationship. She wanted to wait longer to finally take that step for the first time; she wanted to be sure of the man she chose. Jason, however, was willing to wait but had tried countless times to help Hermione decide. Jason sat expectantly at her hip, his large hands playing with the hem of his shirt that and slid up to reveal more of Hermione's tan thighs.
"Jason, it's not because of Harry. We've had this discussion; I'm not ready to take that step. Please understand that," Hermione replied quietly. The hand on Hermione's leg ceased its movements and Jason rose to his feet and began to get dressed.
"I do understand, love. I just wouldn't want tonight to be the night we could finally be together and Harry to have ruined it," Jason replied, just a hint of bitterness in his tone.
Hermione's eyes flashed with sudden anger, from where she didn't know. "Harry hasn't ruined anything," she stated quietly, "I'll talk to you tomorrow, goodnight Jason," she added turning over in bed.
Hermione heard a muttered, "goodnight," then a soft pop that signaled Jason's departure.
Hermione got out of bed and slipped into the snitch pajama bottoms Ron had bought her for Christmas and a black sports bra before making her way to the kitchen for a cup of tea. The young witch put her hair up in a loose ponytail as she made her favorite tea and moved into the dark living room. With a snap of her fingers, the lamps came to life and a fire roared to life in the fireplace.
Hermione settled down on the floor with a handful of floo powder and spoke Ron and Luna's address before sticking her face in the warm green flames. "Luna?" she called loudly as the expensive leather couch of Ron's living room swam into view. Soon, Luna's face appeared in Hermione's limited view, her blonde hair piled on top of her head.
"Hermione, Is something wrong?" Luna asked alarmed, settling down on the floor mirroring Hermione from miles away.
Hermione didn't speak for a moment and then began, "Harry just showed up here, pissed off his arse."
Luna's small mouth formed an "O" of surprise and asked, "Really? Wasn't Jason there with you?"
Hermione sighed, "Yes, and I answered the door in only Jason's shirt, but we had only snogged for a bit. Harry looked as though someone had died; it's thrown me for a loop, Luna."
Little did Hermione know Ron stood just out of her line of vision, listening to all that had transpired. Luna had confirmed Ron's thoughts about Harry's feelings for Hermione but advised him to simply let nature take its course.
"Hermione, it'd be best to just forget this. If Harry was as drunk as you say then he couldn't have known what he said or done, when Ron left him earlier he was just as drunk. He's most likely home now, sleeping off all that firewhiskey," Luna responded, trying to comfort her friend.
Hermione took in her words and nodded replying, "You think I should forget about this? I mean, something must have been very wrong for him to show up here, to me."
Luna sighed and looked briefly at Ron who stood leaning against the wall, his arms folded across his bare chest. Ron nodded and Luna returned her gaze to her friend, "Hermione, I'm sure Harry wants to forget, better yet, I'm almost positive Harry won't remember tonight. So there's really nothing to worry about, but were you and Jason going for it?"
Hermione laughed, finally at ease and replied, "No, Luna. Trust me, when I'm ready you'll be the first to know, though I don't think Jason is too keen on me right this second."
A confused look passed over Luna's face, then her mouth formed a tight line and she asked, "Has he been pushing you again?" her dreamy voice full of well contained anger. Beside her, Ron gave her a questioning look.
Lowering her eyes from her best friend's, Hermione murmured, "No, he just asked if Harry had ruined the mood."
"I sure hope so, Herms," Luna replied, looking unconvinced.
Hermione smiled and said, "Thanks Luna, I'm sorry to get you out of bed at this hour."
Luna laughed loudly, "What makes you think I was asleep, Herms?" she responded, winking at Hermione, before adding, "I'm here any time you need me, Ron as well. Good night Hermione. Don't forget we're going shopping for dresses tomorrow afternoon, see ya."
"Good night," Hermione responded smiling.
Hermione got to her feet, finished her tea and headed to bed. Thoughts of Harry's pained expression followed Hermione into her dreams as she slept.