Belong to Nowhere
Disclaimer: I don’t own Harry Potter
Thank you so much to Brooke (Archie) and Idailey22!
Words: 2,311
Chapter 07: A talk with Harry
“Oh! How
silly of me to think that you were feeling alone…that you were suffering! I can
see that you are just dandy, Hermione Granger!”
It was Harry.
He, a
smirking Bill, and a pale Ron had just arrived.
Hermione let
go of Dean and stared at Harry.
“Harry?” she
managed to say.
“No,
Prince Charles!” Harry replied sarcastically.
“I see you
are very well, Hermione.”
“What are
talking about, Harry?” asked Hermione, totally forgetting the presence of Bill
and Ron.
“I am
talking about you, Hermione! You simply disappear from The Burrow! Then I-we-
found out that your parents were killed and... You haven’t said anything to me…or
Ron!”
Hermione was
about to say something but Harry ignored her and continued.
“I was so
preoccupied about you! Bill said you didn’t want to return to the Burrow and
you would be staying at his place. I didn’t agree but I understood that you
wanted to be alone. And then I came here and- and you are with- with him,”
he finished pointing a finger at Dean who cried, “Hey!”
“Shut up,
Thomas!” Harry cried back.
At that point
Hermione was red with anger. She loved Harry very much but sometimes…argh! How
dare he?
“How dare
you, Harry? How dare you come here and say these things?! You want to know why
I left The Burrow? Let me tell you! I left the Burrow
because I was feeling alone! Yes, alone! I know that might sound
strange, but I was feeling more alone in there than in here! There, it was like
I didn’t even exist! You were only talking about Quidditch! When was the last
time we talked, Harry? I mean I really talked? Can you remember?”
“But-but we talk…”
“No, Harry! I
am not talking about homework or Hor-, er, the war! I
am talking about life! The small things, you know! Little talk! Those things that friends usually do!”
“Hermione-”
Harry tried to say but Hermione ignored him.
“I thought
that sixth year had been a nightmare, but I was wrong! I began to realize
that I wasn’t so important to you- and Ron- as I thought. In sixth year, I was
very happy when you began to date Ginny, you know. Yes, I always thought you
deserved a little of happiness…I just didn’t think you would become so distant.
And then, this year. Dumbledore’s
death. Our hunting…We finally succeeded in that, right? We finally
destroyed the- you know- and then you could be almost normal
again.”
Hermione took
a breath and continued.
“Ron began to
date Luna. I have to confess that I was a little surprised but not unhappy.
They make a sweet couple. And you- you didn’t come back to Ginny but- what is
that, Harry? A date without kisses? Who are you
trying to fool?”
“Hermione,
Ginny and I aren’t-“
“And me,
I was left behind. It was as if I wasn’t that important anymore. I was useful
until the last…was destroyed and now I am only the plain, know-it-all, Muggleborn
Hermione Granger. A boring girl that didn’t deserve to even goes with
her friends to Hogsmeade! Oh, yes! I didn’t forget that day, Harry! The
day you forgot to wait for me to go with you to Hogsmeade. After all, why wait
for the bookworm? You had Ginny and Ron was with Luna-“
“I already
said that I am sorry for that day, Hermione," Harry said. “And you said
you spent that afternoon studying.”
“I lied, Harry! I spent the afternoon crying! I am not
only about books, Harry! And you should know that!”
“Sorry,” he
whispered, feeling guilt settle unpleasantly in his stomach as he remembered
that day. Why didn't he wait for her, dammit?
Why was he so blind to not even notice when his best friend was hurting
and needed him there?
“And then my
parents died.” Hermione had at that moment tears in her eyes. “All I wanted was
a friend's shoulder and- and- what did I receive? Laughs! You, Ron and Ginny laughed
at me! You laughed at me and made jokes about my book! So you know why I
was with that book, Harry?”
The young wizard
shook his head, feeling numb and almost dreading her reason, knowing nothing he
could ever say could justify his actions.
“It was the
last thing my parents bought.”
“Oh,
Hermione! I am so sorry! So sorry!”
Harry said coming closer to her and taking her in his arms, tears threatening
to fall from his shame-filled eyes. Tears of regret and
hope for forgiveness.
Hermione
didn’t refused his embrace and let him hug her, loving the comforting feeling
he brought out in her. She was finally receiving what she had been
longing for ever since that terrible day, comfort from Harry. Harry, who
was her best friend, whom she loved and cared for more than anyone in the
world.
Harry hugged
her with all the feelings he had deep in his heart. It felt so good, so right…
His hands
softly stroking her hair…
Her fingers
rubbing his back in slow circles…
They were so
absorbed into their embrace that they didn’t notice that Dean, Bill and
Ron had left the room.
When he
finally let go of her, Harry looked into her beautiful eyes. He never had
realized how beautiful she was. Of course, he always thought she was pretty but
at that moment…at that moment he felt something so incredible, so strange…
“You are
beautiful, Mione,” Harry whispered looking between her teary eyes and her
trembling (and almost irresistible) lips that he found his eyes
involuntarily drawn to.
“You don’t
need to lie, Harry,” she softly said, hiding the blush
in her cheeks by shyly looking away.
“I am not
lying, Mione,” he said gently touching her cheeks with his fingers.
“I don’t need
to lie. You are beautiful. Both inside and outside. You
are beautiful, Hermione Granger.”
At that
moment their eyes met and everything seemed to stop. Harry didn’t know what he
was doing. He simply put his hand behind her neck and brought her head close to
his and…
“Oy! Harry! Hermione! Oh, you finally
made up!”
Ron had just
re-entered the room.
With a deep
breath, Harry let go of a very blushing Hermione. The young, dark haired wizard
didn’t know if he wanted to kill or kiss Ronald Weasley.
“Yes, Ron,
Harry and I made up. We are fine now.”
“I am glad,
Hermione,” Ron said walking towards her.
“Me too,” she
replied and hugged him.
“I am sorry,
Hermione. You know I am not very good with these things but, er, I just want
you to know that, er-” he was saying as he awkwardly hugged her back.
“I know,
Ronald. I know.”
They talked a
little more until Bill came with Dean, saying that they should go. Of course,
Harry had asked Hermione to come with them but Hermione said she needed to be alone.
When they
finally left, Dean followed suit and also left.
Harry and Ron
never asked Hermione what Dean was doing there with her.
And she was
glad for that.
*~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~
Next day
The ministry of magic
Aurors’ department
Hermione was
at the Aurors’ Department talking with Tonks.
“But tell me,
Hermione, what do you want to talk with me about that Remus- or Harry- can’t
know?”
Hermione
nervously looked around. She knew that Tonks had cast a Silencing spell in the
room but…Oh, for Merlin’s sake she was there! She knew she needed to go on!
With a deep
breath, the young brown-haired witch spoke.
“I will bring
Sírius back.”
She didn’t
say must, perhaps, want. No, she said will.
Tonks almost
fell from her chair.
“W-What did
you say,” the young auror managed to ask.
“I said that
I will bring Sírius back.”
“Er,
Hermione- Sírius is, er-“
“Dead?
No, he isn’t. And you know that. He only passed the veil. He is in another, I
don’t know, dimension, but not dead.”
Tonks knew
that Hermione had a point.
“Okay, lets suppose
that you are right. He is not dead. How can you bring him back? I
mean, if this was easy every wizard or witch that had passed the veil would
return.”
“No, only
those wizards and witches that pass the veil by accident or the innocent ones can
return. That’s the first thing. Then, there is a ritual. That’s why I needed to
talk with you. I need you to fulfill the ritual.”
Without
waiting for Tonk’s reply, Hermione took from her coat a book and gave it to the
Metamorphmagus.
“Here,” she
said. “It’s here.”
In silence,
Tonks took the book from Hermione’s hand and began to scan it.
After a few
minutes, the auror finally spoke.
“Where did
you find this? It’s- It’s amazing!”
“Bill’s
apartment,” she said, but didn’t elaborate.
“Okay, from what
I can see, you need a familial blood to do the potion and to be with you on the
day of the resurrection. I believe you have the drawing.”
“Dean Thomas
made it.”
“Right, and
of course the other requirement is you…”
Hermione just
nodded.
“Hermione, I will
do this for you- for Sírius. I know I am the only one that can help you. No,
okay, there are aunt Bel,
er, Bellatrix and Narcissa…”
“And
Draco Malfoy.”
“Yep, I can’t
believe that git is my cousin! Merlin, what a family!” she chuckled. “But,
Hermione, why are doing this?”
Hermione
didn’t answer. She looked down while biting
her bottom lip nervously.
“It’s Harry,
isn’t it? You are doing this for him.”
With a very
weak voice, Hermione answered, “Yes, it’s for Harry. Oh, Tonks! He's lost so
much! He deserves to have a little happiness!”
“Hermione, do
you like Harry?”
“Of
course! He is my best friend!”
“No, that’s
not what I mean. Do you love Harry?”
Hermione
closed her eyes, thinking about that almost-kiss at Bill’s apartment.
“No, Tonks. I
don’t love Harry. What I feel for Harry is bigger than love. I could die for
him, Tonks. Before him- and Ron- I never had friends. I was nobody. He makes me
want to live. But this isn’t anything romantic. I don’t want to marry him or
whatever. After all, he deserves someone better than me.”
Tonks looked
at the young witch in surprise but didn’t say anything.
“Oh, and do
you know why the last pages of the book are blank?” the auror asked, changing
the subject.
“Oh,
no. I don’t. But I think that’s nothing important.”
Tonks nodded.
Hermione and
Tonks continued to talk for a while. They decided that it was best not to tell
Harry and Remus about the ritual. After all, if something went wrong they
wouldn’t be disappointed. Well, the truth is, they wouldn’t tell anyone. They
would perform the ritual on February 1, the Imbolc.
It was the day when the ancient Celtics celebrated the victory of life against
the death. The ritual must be performed in the veil room. It was good that
Tonks worked at the Ministry.
About an hour
later, Hermione said she needed to go. Tonks said she would walk with her to
the exit.
They were in
the Aurors’ hall when Kingsley Shacklebolt called Tonks from his room.
“Tonks,
please come here! Quick!”
“What’s up,
Kingsley?”
“Hello, Miss
Granger,” saluted the auror.
“Hello,
Mister Shacklebolt.”
“Now,
Kingsley what do you want?” asked Tonks again.
“I need to
give you some papers. Please come here,” he said, letting Hermione and Tonks
entered his cubicle.
Kingsley’s
room was different from Tonks’. If Tonks room was clean with almost nothing on
the walls, or her desk, Kingsley’s room had papers and parchment everywhere.
Wanted posters covered the walls and his desk had some pictures. Maybe from his
family, Hermione thought.
Hermione was
absently looking at pictures on Kingsley’s desk while he and Tonks talked when
she saw …she saw something. A picture. A picture of a young black man. She noted that he looked
like Kingsley, just younger. She couldn’t believe it. It was Dean’s dad.
“Who is
this?” she blurted, interrupting Tonks and Kingsley’s conversation.
“What? Oh!
This is my brother, Kevin,” he answered with a sad smiled. “He died in the
First War.”
Hermione’s
eyes opened wide.
“
Kevin? Er, sorry to ask, but, er, how-“
“He was an Auror
and the years before Voldemort’s first fall were very dark. Very
dark. Avery killed him.”
“Oh, I am
sorry. Er, Mister Shacklebolt- do you know if he had, er, someone?”
“You mean, a girlfriend?” asked the Auror, curious by Hermione’s
questions.
“Er, yes.”
“Well, I knew
he was seeing someone in
Hermione
smiled.
“Well, Mister
Shacklebolt, I think you have a nephew.”
*~*~* ~
Meanwhile, in the Burrow…
“Ron told me
that Dean was at Bill’s with Hermione,” Ginny was saying.
“What? Oh!
Yes,” said Harry. His thoughts were away. He couldn’t take his mind off that-
that moment with Hermione. He never had thought about her with feelings
that were not of a friend. However…If Ron hadn’t showed up…oh Merlin! What a
mess!
“Well, it’s
seems that they decided not to hide anymore,” she muttered.
Those words
startled Harry.
“W-What did
you say?”
“Oh,
nothing…nothing,” Ginny answered trying to hide a smirk.
“No,
Ginny! You were saying that they didn’t need to hide…hide
what?”
Ginny came
closed to him and put a hand on his cheek.
“Harry, dear,
Hermione and Dean are dating.”
TBC
I hope you liked it. :)