A/N: I know I know I know I know! I am ridiculously late in updating. Senior year has been unexpectedly busy these last couple of weeks with projects, extra homework, and other stuff that has been occupying my time. If I would have known that this was going to happen I wouldn't have started the story until I went on summer vacation. But this extra time has allowed me to write a very long and detailed chapter that I am rather proud of. Maybe it'll make up for me not updating in a while? Hopefully after I graduate I will be more efficient with updating but I make no promises. Please bear with me! I will never abandon this story no matter how long it takes me to write the chapters.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, JKR does. I'm not that awesome.
Enjoy!
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Magique
Chapter 6: Do Not Go, My Love
/4 years ago\
…
"Hermione, dear, your tea is ready!"
"Coming, mum!"
She made her way downstairs to see her mother pouring the steaming tea into Hermione's favorite cup. She practically skipped over to the table and plopped down next to her father. He was already sipping his tea gingerly with a content smile on his face.
"How long until your lesson, dear?" Her mother asked, handing her the steaming mug.
She took the mug slowly, careful not to tip it the wrong way. "Just a few minutes."
"You have everything you need?"
"I always do, mum."
The older woman bristled. "Of course, of course. I'm just… well, it's your father's birthday-"
"Jane." Edward tried to interrupt.
She continued as if she hadn't heard him. "And I just thought that you could take a day off just this once."
"You know I would love to, mum," Hermione said honestly. "But dad said he didn't want me to miss another day of lessons for him even though I'm well ahead of schedule in my studies." She shot a poignant look at her father.
"I don't want you missing your schooling on my account. Your education with Remus was a blessing and we will treat it as such like we have been doing for the past six years." Edward said, leaning forward in his seat once he spotted his wives' sour expression. "Jane, dear, we're all going out to eat later tonight. That's all I really want for my birthday. A nice, quaint dinner with the two women I love - nothing more, nothing less."
"Are you absolutely sure?" She asked.
"Of course." He said with a nod. "If there was any inkling otherwise you would be the first to know, I promise."
Jane smiled softly. "You just can't stand being doted on, can you?"
He returned her smile. "You know it's not my forte."
"Mm." She agreed with a slight furrow on her brow.
Hermione looked at her parents with an amused expression. She knew that it was pointless to reason with her father since she inherited his disdain towards doting affections. Though it may be bothersome to witness, she knew that within his head was a thick brick wall that wouldn't allow anyone to change his perspective on the situation. There were certain things they could do to sway him, yes, but he wouldn't truly be happy with them. Everyone should be truly happy on their birthday.
Just as her parent's bickering was beginning to cool down, a loud BANG sounded in the distance, followed by a small tremor that shook the house to its core. The vibrations were brief but intense enough to cause Hermione to drop her cup of tea. The container shattered on the floor, spilling the liquid and fragments of broken porcelain, forming a thin, sharp puddle on the floor. Hermione turned to Jane and Edward to see them looking at her with wide eyes. Heart pounding viciously in her chest, she got up from her seat and reached into her back pocket where she kept her wand.
"Get down." She whispered. They knew better than to refuse when she had her wand in her hand. If it was the first weapon she reached for, it was something out of their control.
They found refuge behind one of the kitchen counters and kneeled down. Hermione turned around once she knew they were out of sight and went to the door, inching it open to get a peak to the scene outside. The small sliver of scenery was covered in a thin cloud of dust, making it hard for her to see. She braved opening the door further and prayed that the dust worked two ways, covering her from enemy eyes. Through the opaque dust she could see the remnants of what used to be a neighboring home just down the street. The entire west wing of the small cottage-like home was gone, leaving only a few pieces of wood foundation hanging. The sight was horrendous to behold so much that Hermione had to cover her mouth to stop a sob from etching its way out. She knew the family that lived there - a young single mother and her twelve-year-old magical daughter who had only lived there a year. She hoped that they survived the attack but knew that the chances were slim.
Suddenly through the smoke, Hermione saw a dark figure no more than ten feet away. She closed the door enough so that she could see the initial sliver. The figure was moving slowly up the street, scanning the perimeter for something or, she thought fearfully, someone. It stopped walking abruptly and she became increasingly self-aware of her miniscule hiding place. A new black shadow approached and a small sigh of relief passed through her lips.
"Did you find her?" The second shape asked in a low bass.
"No sir." The first replied in a similar pitch.
"Damnit." The second cursed. "He gave us one job-"
"Someone must have botched up the address."
The second figure turned and gave what Hermione assumed to be an annoyed look. But she was too terrified to find any humor in the situation. Those were Death Eaters, she was sure of it. Although she could barely see through the fog, she could clearly picture their dark robes and shady expressions. And they were looking for someone. Someone that could very well be… she wouldn't dwell on it. Because if she did then she wouldn't have enough courage to throw open the door and snap her wand in the direction of one of the shadows. Which is exactly what she did seconds later
"Stupefy!"
The spell hit the Death Eater square in the shoulder. His partner's reaction was instant and Hermione only just dodged the deadly green light that whizzed above her head. She wasted no time sprinting down the street, leading the Death Eater as far away from her house as she could get. He followed hastily, shooting curses of all shades at various places on her body. One purple spell grazed her shoulder and made her stumble, throwing her slightly off balance. She pressed forward through the slip and turned her head to aim another stunner at the figure. It missed by a mere inch and Hermione swore inwardly to herself. She was running out of breath and could only dodge his spells so many times.
Only seconds after thinking just that, she felt a crippling pain in her calf and collapsed onto the pavement. She turned over, her wand held in a tight grip. She aimed another curse at the shadow but her wand was blasted right out of her hand before she could even breathe out a spell. Panic bubbled in her stomach as the shadow became increasingly more visible. With every step he took the pain in her calf grew, spreading rapidly up her leg. All too soon the Death Eater came into full view. He leaned down on the balls of his feet and removed his hood. Hermione screamed. His face was covered in hair with eyes as black as coal, looking too animal like to be considered human. With prodigious reflexes, he lunged foreword and pressed a hand over her mouth, muffling her screams. Hermione struggled underneath him but he was too strong for her. He leaned in even further after a moment and sniffed her like she was a lean piece of meat. This, more than anything else, shifted her mind into a state of terror. She didn't know what was going to happen, but she sure as hell was going to fight as hard as she could to prevent it.
She bit his hand, tasting his salty flesh. He growled and pulled it back. She immediately lifted up her curseless leg and knocked him hard between his legs. The animal-man howled with pain but did not budge like she so hoped. Instead he turned to her, fangs bared, and raised his hand. She braced herself for a strong blow but a ruby red curse hit the Death Eater before he could so much as scratch her. He collapsed atop her and she felt the breath leave her lungs in a rush. She tried helplessly to push his weight off of her but it was useless - he was too heavy. Just when she thought she would pass out from the pressure, two sets of legs approached and took hold of the man, throwing him unceremoniously off of her. She felt like a fish out of water, gasping for air as she tried to regain her breath.
"Hermione! Hermione!"
She heard his voice moments before he kneeled down beside her, sliding his hand underneath her back and lifting her off of the street. He cradled her to his chest while she slowly felt air pass through to her lungs again.
"Ha… Harry…"
"I'm here, `Mione. I'm here." He said breathily.
She nodded against him burrowing her head into his neck. "I tried to fight… I really tried…"
"I know you did." He said softly, running a hand through her hair. "You were so brave, love."
"No, not brave." She countered weakly.
"Yes brave." He said back.
He sounded so sure of his claim but still Hermione couldn't believe him. What she did wasn't brave, it was survival instinct. She led the Death Eaters away from her parents, ran as far as she could, and fought when she was pinned. No, she wasn't brave. Only stubborn - persistent to live not only for herself but for moments like these. Moments with her friends and her parents; those were the only things fueling her. If that was considered brave in Harry's eyes, so be it. But to her own mind she was merely doing whatever was in her ability to stay alive. Plus, she was too damn weak to find the will to argue with him. She could feel unconsciousness looming over her like a warm wool blanket. Just before she snuggled deep with its warmth, she heard another pair of approaching feet as Harry hugged her even closer to his chest.
~*~
When Hermione awoke, she was very much aware of the warmth surrounding her. Opening her eyes she saw that she was no longer in Harry's arms but lying on her couch just in front of the fire, which was burning brightly beside her. She shifted so that she was leaning on her forearm, giving her a better view of the room. She let her eyes fly to the quiet murmurings in the kitchen. Gathered around the table was a crowd of familiar faces including both of her parents, unscathed, Harry, Ron, Remus, Albus Dumbledore, and Arthur Weasley. She began to swing her legs around to join them but cried out when she felt the shooting pains from the curse she had received slash through her joints. Her outcry caught the attention of the group in the kitchen and various exclamations of "Hermione!" and "Darling!" were spoken as they rushed to her side.
Her mother was the first to arrive, kneeling quickly next to her and cupping her face with her warm hands. Hermione smiled. "You're alright."
"Of course I'm alright." Jane said, bemused. "It's you we've been worrying about. You've been out cold for a good two hours."
"Really?" Hermione asked, surprised. It certainly hadn't felt like that.
Jane nodded. "But we knew you'd pull through... just knew it."
"Our Hermione, the fighter." Edward said, putting a hand on his wife's shoulder.
Hermione blushed.
"You gave us a right scare for a minute, though." Ron said. "The entire time they were patching up your injuries you didn't even flinch."
Furrowing her brow, she looked down to her legs and saw that they were unmarked. Confused, she looked next to her arm where she had felt the sting of the purple curse and saw a white wrap surrounding the injury.
"Your leg is beyond most of our first-aid training." Remus explained meekly. "Madame Pomfrey has been owled and should be arriving soon to fix it right up."
"Thank you." Hermione said.
There was a short silence and Dumbledore stepped into view. She looked at the elder wizard as he began to speak in a wistful tone. "I'm afraid I have the burden of asking you questions about the attack, Miss Granger. That is, if you're up for it."
Hermione nodded. "Of course."
Jane and Edward moved away from their daughter and took seats on the chairs closest to the couch. The remaining members of the party took random poses throughout the area - Remus leaning on the fireplace mantle and Ron and Harry sitting cross-legged on the carpet. Dumbledore remained where he was for a moment but with a simple wave of his hand, a stool appeared directly behind him and he sat upon it gracefully. All ears and eyes were trained on the two of them.
"Your parents have already been kind enough to describe the beginning of the attack. An explosion wracked your house and you told them to take cover, eventually running out of the door, leading the Death Eaters outside away from the scene. The rest, I'm afraid, is a blank page."
Hermione took a deep breath and retold the tale of her chase with the animal-like Death Eater. The room listened with bated breath. Dumbledore, ever the master of passive expressions, kept the same face throughout the story. When she arrived at the moment when the Death Eater pinned her to the ground, Ron's face turned red and Harry clenched the hem of the carpet so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
"He was… he looked like an animal. A scary, furry, feral animal." Hermione recalled, shivering as the horrible image popped into her head.
"Greyback." Remus said, nodding to himself. Hermione inched her head to look at him questioningly. He met her eyes and straightened his composure, pulling nervously at his collar before explaining himself. "Fenrir Greyback. He's the werewolf that turned me when I was a child. He takes sick pleasure in luring young children into his grasp and cursing them into the lycanthrope way of living. You're lucky not to have been scratched. Even a cut may have had dire consequences."
Hermione gulped. "Lucky you came when you did. Whoever knocked him out… if they had waited another second I could've…"
"Become infected, yes." Remus finished. "Or had some serious craving for raw meat, like Bill."
"Bill?" Hermione asked. She turned to Ron. "Your brother?"
Ron nodded. "Greyback was the one who attacked him."
Hermione let out a long breath. She had been so close to becoming infected with lycanthropy and yet here she was, lying on the couch with only a cursed leg and sore shoulder. She was lucky. Oh yes, she was incredibly lucky.
"But the questions still remains," Remus said sternly. "What was he doing lurking about Gryffindor's lower towns, blowing up a home?"
"A raid?" Harry supplied.
"It's possible." Remus said forlornly.
"But Gryffindor has been without a major raid in over a decade." Ron said. "What makes today any different?"
"The fact that two Death Eaters blew up a house." Harry said, looking at the redhead with a raised eyebrow.
"Right," Ron said, bowing his head.
"Hermione," Dumbledore said softly, drawing her attention to him. "Do you have any hunch as to why the Death Eaters came here?"
"I have an idea." She said honestly, biting her lip. "But it's probably all wrong."
"No idea is wrong when it comes from an educated mind." Dumbledore assured her.
Hermione smiled softly. Although her idea was somewhat bizarre to her own ears, with Dumbledore's encouragement she knew she had to at least voice it to the others before writing it off as nothing. "I think they were after me."
There was a long silence. Hermione looked around the room to see everyone sharing a look of consensual disdain. "What?" she asked. "Oh. It's stupid. I know. But I heard them talking before I stunned Greyback's partner. They were after a girl and complaining about attacking the wrong address and - oh I've botched everything up, haven't I? It was just-"
"No, Hermione, that's not it." Remus interrupted.
She became instantly puzzled. "Then what…?"
"That was our initial theory." Edward said sadly, his hand held tightly within Jane's.
"I was only looking for conformation, Miss Granger." Dumbledore said. "I knew that if I gave the illusion of total befuddlement at their motives, you would speak what was on your mind, which I knew to be something. With such a bright mind as your own, it would be hard not to analyze the situation when first presented."
Hermione blanched. "But… but they couldn't possibly be after me. What do I have to do with anything?"
"You're my friend." Harry said darkly. Hermione looked down and met Harry's emerald eyes with her own. They were filled with an emotion she couldn't quite place. But whatever it was, she didn't like it. "They want to use you for leverage… k-kill you, even, to prove that they are superior and down my spirits."
Hermione was stunned into silence.
"It's all my fault." Harry said in a near whisper. "I'm so sorry, Hermione."
"Don't you dare apologize." Hermione said sternly. "I knew what I was getting into when I stayed in Remus's tutelage. I knew the risks that came with being your friend - especially with my blood-"
"Hermione-"
"Don't interrupt me, Damnit, I'm not finished. You need to hear this." He closed his mouth. "It has never been and will never be your fault if I am targeted. Hell, just because I'm Muggleborn means I already have a giant red target painted on my forehead. But if you think for one minute to put any blame on your shoulders for my decisions, you are sadly mistaken. I'm here for you, Harry. Whatever it takes."
Harry nodded slowly. "I know there's no sense in changing your mind."
"Not at all." Hermione said hardly.
He shook his head and breathed out a laugh. "I'll never stop trying."
"I know." Hermione looked back up at Dumbledore. "Where is Greyback now?"
"In custody." Dumbledore said. "Where he will remain until his upcoming trial. But I'm afraid there are more pressing matters than the whereabouts of your attacker."
"Sir?" She asked wearily.
"It has become abundantly clear that you are no longer safe in the lower towns. After much deliberation I think it is of the upmost importance that you relocate for your safety."
"You mean leave?"
Dumbledore nodded. But before he could continued, Remus spoke up. "We have plenty of free rooms in the castle for both you and your parents to stay until we can find you a more suitable residence. I've already cleared it with Sirius."
"But what about our home?" Hermione asked, looking at her parents. "You gave up everything to live here six years ago and now we have to abandon it?"
"Not abandon, darling," Jane said. "Just upgrade. Oh, you know how much I hate these creaky old floors anyway."
Hermione looked around the room forlornly. Sure, it may not be the most elegant of residency in the kingdom, but it was still their home. But of course she knew that it had to be done. She couldn't put her parents in danger any more than could be avoided. She turned back to Remus.
"Thank you, Remus." Hermione said. "Your hospitality is greatly appreciated."
"Oh don't thank me." Remus said with a slight smile. "It was Harry's idea."
She turned to Harry, who was sporting a bashful look. When he felt her eyes upon him, he lifted his head and shrugged. "If I can't get rid of you I may as well keep you close."
Hermione smiled softly.
"We'll leave as soon as Madame Pomfrey fixes up your leg." Remus said.
"But what about packing? It'll take hours to organize my essentials and-"
"No time." Remus interrupted. "We don't know what became of that other Death Eater but there is a very high chance that he went to find You-Know-Who and inform him of your location. The faster we get you into palace walls, the better."
"We'll take care of the packing, darling." Edward said. "When you're getting healed and acquainted with the castle, we'll be here getting all the essentials."
"But you need to be protected, too." Hermione argued. "I can't stay cooped up in the castle, knowing you're out here in the open. It's too dangerous."
"We'll be fine." Jane said. "It'll only be for a few hours. We'll even have a guard with here with us."
"Who?"
"A member of the royal guard." Remus answered. "He'll keep them safe."
"Why can he pack our stuff, then?" Hermione asked hotly.
"Hermione." Edward said warningly.
Hermione sighed. She still didn't feel happy about this situation. But she knew that it was all for the best. With a highly trained royal guard protecting them, she knew that her parents would be safe. The only thing standing between her and acceptance was her pressing paranoia. Still, she knew that if she didn't agree it would just waste time and right now time was their only advantage.
"Okay." She agreed quietly.
~*~
Two hours and one healed leg later, Hermione was standing in front of her home's fireplace, floo powder clutched tightly in her fist. Ron walked into the brick dome, turning on his heel and saluting to her before he said "Gryffindor Castle!" and dropped his helping of powder to his feet. He and Harry had stayed with her while Madame Pomfrey had worked on her leg - a painful and tedious process in itself. Remus and Dumbledore had left earlier to the castle to prepare for her and her parent's arrival.
Harry was next to leave and he shot her a lopsided grin before disappearing in a cloak of green smoke. She managed a smile back before his outline was gone completely. Now it was only her, her parents, and the palace guard left in the room. She turned around and saw her parents looking at her with soft smiles upon their pleasant faces.
"Go on, Hermione." Jane said, sweeping her hand in the direction of the fireplace.
Hermione sighed and turned around, taking the few steps into the fireplace. She rotated on her heel to get one last glance at her parents. They waved in unison and she managed one back to them.
"Love you." She said.
"We love you, too, sweetie." Jane said cheerily. "See you soon!"
Hermione nodded. Before she could hesitate for one more moment, she unclenched her fist and let the floo powder fall, calling her destination as it hit the floor. She instantly felt the familiar tug of the network and mere seconds later she was walking out of the fireplace in Gryffindor Castle's infamous library. Just a few steps to the left was a door leading the classroom her lessons usually took place with Ron, Harry, and other members of nobility who were tutored by Remus on a weekly basis.
"Hermione." Harry said, catching her off-guard. She saw him sitting on a nearby table, beckoning her with his finger. She obliged, albeit slothfully. When she reached him, he slid off the table and pulled her into a warm embrace.
"I'm so glad you're alright." He said softly, running a hand through her hair.
"Me too." She said, squeezing him tightly.
"Hermione." Remus walked over to the pair, hands in his robes. She hadn't been aware he was in the room. She and Harry let go of each other and turned to him. "You should go off and find your chambers. Harry can show you to them."
"Of course." Harry said, holding out his arm.
Hermione smiled, feeling all of her remaining worries melt away. She took Harry's arm and let him lead her out of the library.
~*~
BOOM!
The crack of thunder sounded throughout the dark castle. The storm had only just begun ten minutes ago. What started out as a simple shower quickly changed into raging winds and bright bolts with their resounding thunderclaps. Hermione, who had been lounging in her new room, quickly became alert. Harry was somewhere off with Ron, working on dueling. Or that's what they told her. In reality, she had no doubt that they were playing wizard's chess in Harry's chambers.
She looked at the clock. It had been two and a half hours since she had arrived. Her parents should have been back by now. Puzzled, she decided to investigate. She put down the book she had been reading and slid off her bed, walking at a brisk pace in the direction of the library.
She came to the entrance hall within minutes, the heels of her shoes clicking against the marble. Another bolt of lightning shone through the windows and its thunder soon followed. She stopped and looked out at the storm outside. The rain showed no sign of letting up anytime soon, coming down in sheets.
The sound of footsteps entering the hall stirred her. She looked to her right and saw a dark figure approaching her, hands stuffed in their pockets. She knew that stance.
"Remus?"
The figure stopped and angled his body toward her. "Hermione?"
She nodded and took a few steps to him. "I was just on my way to the library. Do you know if my parents have arrived yet?"
"That's actually why I was out here, Hermione…"
"Oh, so they're here?" Hermione asked excitedly.
Remus avoided her gaze.
"Remus?" She asked, her tone significantly softer.
He lifted his eyes back up to hers and removed his hands from his pockets. He then took a few more steps toward her until they were only a foot apart. From this distance she could see that there was a deep sadness in his eyes. She frowned. "What is it? What's wrong?"
"It… it's your parents."
"What about them? Are they running behind schedule?"
"No, Hermione, they… they're dead."
Her stomach felt like it dropped from the highest tower of the castle. She stared at Remus, her eyes wide. She felt tears begin to prickle beneath her eyelids as she shook her head. "No… no they can't be. I just saw them."
"The Death Eater that disappeared came back like Dumbledore predicted." Remus started. Hermione put a hand over her mouth to mask a gasp as he continued. "He brought an entire raid of people with him. The guard didn't stand a chance. Your parents were both murdered before we could get more men on the scene. I'm so sorry, Hermione. We just weren't quick enough."
She began to hyperventilate into her hand. The tears were fully welled in her eyes and she felt them begin to cascade down her face. Remus took another step towards her but she inched back.
"Hermione-"
She lowered her hand. "I just… need to be alone." She said, trying to hold back the sobs that were etching to get out of her throat.
"You don't have to be." He said.
She nodded her head. "Please just leave me alone."
"Hermione…" Remus said pleadingly.
Before he could convince her otherwise, she sprinted back towards her room. The sobs began to come out of her throat as she ran, echoing against the walls. Tears were streaming down her face and by the time she reached her chambers, her cheeks were damp. She shut the door behind her and placed her back against it. She was heaving as she tried to calm herself. She only managed a few more shaky steps forward before collapsing onto her bed. She grabbed a pillow and clung to it desperately, continuing her cries.
Dead. Her parents were dead - murdered by Death Eaters - all because of her.
She should have insisted on better protection. She should have refused to leave her house without them. She should have told her father "Happy Birthday." She should have, she should have, she should have… But what good was it now? It was all in the past. She couldn't go back and change it no matter how much she dreadfully wanted to. And the fact that she couldn't made her plunge deeper into the terrifyingly morbid depths of her thoughts. There was nothing she could do now - absolutely nothing. All that she could do was cry. Cry for the pressing loneness that she felt, cry for the looming depression hanging over her head, but most of all cry for the lives that were snatched from both of her parent's bodies when they never stood a chance.
How could someone do such a thing? How could they live with themselves, knowing that they stripped the life out of someone? What were the benefits of it? What could they possibly gain? Why them? Why her parents? What did Jane and Edward Granger do to deserve this?
They had a magical daughter, that's what.
She let out another painful sob and flung the pillow off of her bed. She pushed herself up into a sitting position and hugged her knees to her chest. As she looked up she saw that she was facing the window just beside her bed. The rain was still pouring from the dark night sky. She observed it for a while until her quick study soon turned into a lasting stare. She enamored herself in the raindrops almost to the point where she felt every one of them touch her skin. They quickly became her temporary escape. The rain. Imagine that. Of all the things to calm her down.
She couldn't tell the time - didn't know if it had been minutes or hours since she lost herself. But after some time a knock came at the door and pulled her from her blissfully blank mind.
One… two… three.
Harry.
He barely made a sound as he walked through the doorway. She could only tell he was in the room when she heard the door click shut softly, almost like a whisper. His presence filled the room with a layer of something distinctly him. She craned her head over her shoulder and saw his figure standing a few steps from the door, looking at her with intense, sad eyes. He didn't say a word.
"They're gone." She said huskily, her voice tired from her earlier sobs.
He nodded.
She pressed her lips together, feeling tears begin to appear once more. She had been pulled from her reverie and now she had to face the consequences. Before she could stop herself, she inched off of her bed and walked over to Harry. He took a few long strides toward her and they met in the middle of the room in a loving embrace. He held her as if she was a porcelain doll and she clutched to him like he was her lifeline threatening to straighten.
She began to cry once more, her tears soaking the fabric of Harry's shirt. He didn't pull away nor did he recoil. He simply held her tighter as she let the sobs wrack her body once more, the sadness returning to her body. They stayed like that for what seemed to be hours. Every once in a while Harry would draw circles on her back with his fingertips or Hermione would burrow her head in his chest, neither of them speaking a word. It was a rare moment to share with someone - to simply hold them and not say anything, not one word, but be in each other's arms as time becomes a blur.
Hermione's conscious thoughts slowly began floating back to her as she pulled herself from the haze. A low rumble of thunder sounded from outside and she shivered. His arms wrapped tightly around her. The sobs had long since disappeared and now only dry heaves remained to wrack her tired body. He had never once let her go - never once loosened his protective hold. It must have been at least ten minutes since she had first flung herself into his arms. There were no words, no comforting looks, just the two of them, alone in her quarters. This was just what she needed. She couldn't have handled questions or sympathy. All she needed was this, to just be held, nothing more nothing less.
Another rumble of thunder caused her to shiver. He ran a comforting hand in a circle on her back, letting her know that it was alright. There was no reason to be afraid of the rain or the darkness that surrounded the night sky. Not while he was there to protect her. She allowed the first shadow of a smile to grace her lips against his clothed shoulder. With him here, the newly wounded hole in her heart didn't seem so empty.
Tentatively, she began to raise her head from his tear-soaked shirt to look at him in the eyes. They were a dark shade of emerald, highlighted by the flicker of candlelight. She needed to thank him for being here. It meant more to her than he would ever realize. But their unspoken embrace seemed too perfect to break. She felt that if she were to speak, it would mean the end of this feeling of safety. She would go straight back to her fetal position on her bed, consumed by tears once more. No. She had to let him know, even if it meant compromising her sanity or even her better judgment. If an embrace was enough to portray reassurance, what could she do to let him know her gratitude? Her body acted before she could think it through.
She began to raise her lips to his, her wounded conscience doing nothing to stop her. They pressed against his softly and she felt him stiffen. Before he could pull away, she leaned into him and moved her hands to cup his shoulder blades. She needed to thank him properly for being here. If he pulled away now it would all be for nothing. After a few moments of her lips upon his, she felt him respond to her kiss, opening his mouth under hers. Delicately, she traced his lips, feeling them move and pucker. She gripped him tighter and felt his hands move to the small of her waist, keeping her close.
The friction between their bodies soon began to heat up and with that, the kiss intensified. Harry's tongue outlined the hem of her lips and she readily opened them, letting him inside her sacred barrier. Their tongues met and entangled in one another, causing them both to let out noises of muffled appreciation. The want for air was far from their minds as they were too wrapped up in each other to care. Yet all too soon the want turned into a need and they pulled apart so that their noses were barely touching.
Hermione leaned in, tenderly recapturing his lips and Harry responded instantly. One of her hands began to trace down his back and to the front of his trousers but before she could reach it, his hand slid down and blocked its path. He pulled away from the kiss and looked at her with intense eyes.
"No." His voice was hoarse.
She tilted her head to the side in question.
"I can't do this to you, Hermione. You know it's wrong."
Deep down, past her conscienceless haze, she knew that he was speaking some sense. But there was still a part of her that wanted to forget what he just said and continue. And that tiny fragment scared her more than anything else. Slowly, she unwound herself from his embrace and wrapped her arms around herself. She must have looked a sight with swollen eyes and swollen lips to match.
Tentatively, she met his eyes and spoke in a soft whisper. "Stay with me, Harry."
"Hermione…"
"Please." She said pleadingly. "I can't be alone tonight."
After a moment of silence, Harry nodded. He walked forward and grabbed her hand gently in his, leading her to the bed. He let go to draw back the covers and allow her to slide in first. She rolled over to her side and felt Harry get in beside her. He pulled the covers back over them and she turned around to bury herself in his chest. He slid an arm around her waist to hold her close. Together, they drifted into unconsciousness in each other's embrace.
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