Harry Potter had been lost in a world of his own since his defeat of Voldemort. People expected he would get back with Ginny but, oddly enough, he couldn't bring himself to ask her back out. He felt older, much older, now and he thought of her as a child still.
Of course he knew she wasn't – she had seen and experienced just as much as he had, just in a very different way. He defeated the Dark Lord; she was tortured in school.
But as the months passed, he still couldn't see her as anything but Ron's Younger Sister – and it killed him to tell her so. She had been angry, of course, and she certainly didn't understand. As he joined the Weasleys on Platform 9 ¾ to send her back to Hogwarts, something he wouldn't do – especially without Dumbledore – this year, he found himself thinking about the senseless losses he had experienced over his life.
His parents. They certainly didn't have to die. Though their deaths made him the man he was today, he would gladly give up whatever he had to have them back.
Cedric, Snape, Dumbledore, Remus, Tonks, Colin, all of the casualties of war. They could have lived. They needn't have perished at the hands of Death Eaters.
Fred. He still had too many pranks to play.
But the wound that cut him deepest was Sirius. He had seen the man die. Sirius had slipped though the veil right in front of him.
All the way back to the Burrow, Harry pondered to himself. He knew Hermione would have a certainty of whether or not the last remaining Black could be brought back. He doubted it but he had to try.
"Hermione," he said quietly. "Do you have a moment?"
The brunette looked up from the book she was reading, once again ignoring Ron after their third break-up in as many months. "Of course, Harry. What did you need?"
"Could you and I speak in private?"
"You don't want to do that, mate," Ron called from his perch on the couch where he was writing an owl. "She's not the best company right now."
"Of course, Harry," Hermione repeated, completely ignoring her once-again ex-boyfriend. "Where would you like to go?"
Harry thought for a moment before whispering, "Let me lead the way. I don't want people overhearing this."
Hermione nodded solemnly and followed him up the stairs to the twins' old room. Harry shut the door behind her and warded it with Silencing and Locking charms.
"Harry, what is it?"
"It's …" he exhaled, running a hand through his unruly dark hair, "it's sort of an odd question."
Hermione sat on Fred's old bed, her hand unconsciously running over the pillow, and looked up at him. "After seven years I don't think there's much you could ask me that would be a shock."
"Is there any way to bring Sirius back from … there?" Harry asked, his eyes wide and slightly wet.
Hermione inhaled a sharp breath. She knew he would ask soon enough but she still wasn't prepared. True, she had not been there when Sirius went through the veil, but Neville and Harry had both filled her in. She knew he was Avada'd … but she also knew he was close enough that the effects wouldn't have set in. She knew his voice was among the many that could be heard in the quiet of the Department of Mysteries.
"It … can be done, Harry. But at a great price. Only a really powerful witch or wizard can do it. And it's a huge sacrifice. I mean, the person would have to be willing …"
"It has to be you, Hermione. You're the one who knows how to do it. You're the only one I trust. And I know you know exactly how much it would mean to me to have him back. He's my family."
Hermione tried to ignore the sting and sharp pain she felt in her chest. She did know that she was the only one who could do it. She knew she should tell Harry exactly what she would have to do – what she would have to sacrifice – but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She would never give him that choice – she would never have him make it.
Taking a deep breath, she looked up at the nervous Harry Potter and offered a gentle smile. "I will, Harry. We just need something of his and to go to the Ministry. I can do it as soon as you want me to."
"Today," Harry said thickly. "We can get him back today."
Hermione nodded slowly. "Find something of his. I just need to go have a word with Ronald." When Harry opened his mouth to speak, Hermione smiled softly. "I won't tell him what we're doing, Harry. I promise."
"Meet you outside in ten?" Harry asked with a huge smile on his face.
"Absolutely."
Harry rushed off to find his trunk while Hermione went down the stairs. She chewed on her bottom lip for a moment before walking over to Ron.
"It was never really meant to be me, was it?"
"I think it was," Ron said. "But things changed, yeah? The War changed us both. All three, really."
"More than just the three of us," she said with a soft smile. She leaned in a pressed a kiss to his forehead. "Remember the good times, yeah? And we'll all get past it. Things will be as they should be soon, right?"
"Yeah," Ron smiled. His eyes traveled down to the parchment open in front of him. "I was going to ask Luna to meet me in Hogsmeade on their first trip. George wants to open a WWW there and I thought I might manage it."
"Congratulations, Ron," Hermione said in a low voice. "I just …"
She was cut off when Harry came down the stairs. "Ready, Hermione?"
"Where are you two going?"
"Ministry," Harry responded. "I need to see Kingsley about the Auror position. Want to come?"
Hermione's eyes widened but Ron looked back down at his parchment. "Nah," the redhead responded. "You two go. I'll finish up here."
"Right. We'll see you later," Harry said as he took Hermione by the hand and started pulling her towards the door.
"Goodbye, Ronald," she said softly as she allowed Harry to do so. She kept her eyes on the redhead for as long as she could before the door swung shut and Harry Apparated them to the Ministry of Magic.
When they made it to the Department of Mysteries, Hermione made her way to the correct door and opened it, leading Harry to the veil.
"Have you got it, Harry?"
"Yeah," the bespectacled boy replied. He pulled a ring from his pocket and handed it to Hermione. "Go on, then," he smiled encouragingly.
Hermione nodded and slipped the ring on her finger. She closed her eyes for a moment before stepping to Harry. She placed a hand on each shoulder and looked up into his green eyes. "You're the greatest thing that's ever happened to me, Harry James Potter. You've made me proud to be your friend."
"Hermione? What's this all about?"
Hermione didn't answer him with words. She leaned up and pressed a kiss against his lips.
It was short, sweet, and just the other side of chaste.
Harry opened his eyes when Hermione backed up and grasped the hand with Sirius' ring on it with her other. Her eyes shone brightly as she said quietly, "I'm going to love you forever."
Harry, confused, just stared at her. He watched as she recited some unknown incantation. He watched as her eyes locked on his.
He watched, in horror, as the life drained out of her.
He watched as she was sucked beyond the veil.
And then he watched as Sirius Black walked out.
"Sirius!" Harry shouted as he launched himself at his godfather, momentarily forgetting that Hermione was no longer there.
"Harry?" Sirius asked in confusion. "How … how am I here?"
"Hermione's brilliant, that's how!" Harry yelled cheerfully.
And then it hit him. Hermione wasn't there anymore. His eyes scanned frantically for any trace of her. "Where could she have gone?"
"Harry," Sirius said quietly. "Did she perform the spell?"
"Of course she did! Who else would I trust to bring you back? She knows everything. Oh, and she kissed me," he told the older man with a smile. "Don't know why, but it was brilliant! I can't wait to be able to try it again."
"Harry," Sirius said again. "You … can't."
"Sure I can. Ron and Hermione split – yeah, they got together during the Final Battle … and I got with Ginny but we broke it off too. I mean, think about it. Hermione and me … we make sense. And, you know, she's just right for me."
"No, Harry, I mean you can't be with her again. Ever."
"Why the bloody hell not?"
"Because she traded with me, Harry. She's … gone. For good. Because I don't know the spell. I can't get her back."
Harry's legs gave out from under him. His eyes fixed on the veil and started to water. Had he really just allowed Hermione to kill herself? Why would she do that? Why didn't she tell him that she would have to die for Sirius to live?
And then her words came back to him: "It … can be done, Harry. But at a great price. Only a really powerful witch or wizard can do it. And it's a huge sacrifice. I mean, the person would have to be willing …"
… Willing to die, he finished in his head.
"Why would she …?" Harry asked in sadness.
"Because she wanted the same thing you did. She wanted you to have the family you wanted. It could have been her but something you said must have triggered something in her. She thought you would rather have me than her."
"I wanted you both," Harry admitted.
"I would go back if I could, Harry, but I can't," Sirius told him. "She's gone."
"I didn't get to tell her we could have been happy," Harry said. "Because we could have. We would have been right."
"I'm sorry, mate."
Harry stared at the veil for a long moment. He thought of walking through it as well but he didn't. He made his bed now he would lie in it.
He looked up at Sirius and nodded slightly. His eyes turned back to the veil. "I love you forever too, Hermione. I promise. I'll make you proud."
He pressed a kiss to his hand and held it as close to the veil as he could before turning and walking away with Sirius.
On the other side of the veil, Hermione wanted to reach out to him but couldn't. So she watched him go, wondering if he would ever come back and visit her. She hoped he didn't – she gave her life so he could have a real one with Sirius. So that he could have the person who had become – so she thought – the most important person in his life.
But from that day forward, Harry Potter was half a man, half a soul – his other half had walked beyond the veil to give him what he wanted.
He still didn't understand it.
Her heart.
Her mind.
Her love.
Her sacrifice.