Hiccups
May 28, 2005
Wicked Dreamz


The bleak clouds of the outside world loomed above the enormous castle, so beautiful and yet so terrifying all at once. The droplets of rain spattered wearily against the windows of the same castle. Fires lit and thoughts dreary, the children sought comfort in a feeble Muggle game of Truth or Dare.

"Dare."

"Oooooh," came from all directions within the room.

"We all know you have a thing for Seamus. Make a proclamation of your love in front of everyone."

Two sought comfort elsewhere.

Harry Potter and Hermione Granger sat together in a window seat staring thoughtfully out at the stormy weather that seemed to so accurately visualize their thoughts.

"I don't know what he told you, or why you feel as though you can't confide in me, but whatever it was I know you'll get through it."

He turned two flashing jade eyes upon her, and she flinched away in fear. How could she forget that this wasn't the boy who was her best friend? That this man sitting before her was overcome with anger and hatred, lost to the world around him.

"You say that now... You wouldn't say it if you knew the whole truth," Harry answered harshly.

Hermione held in a scoff and said icily, "I would know the whole truth if you told me!"

"It's not that simple!" he spat.

"Let me help you!" she pleaded in vain.

"You can't, you don't understand... You can't..."

That glimpse — that peak — into the thoughts of the real Harry was enough to send Hermione reeling. She launched herself forward and buried her face into the folds of his robes.

He pushed her away roughly and stood. In a few swift steps, he was out of the portrait hole and into the corridor, leaving a sobbing Hermione behind him.

The icy corridor made Harry realize how truly cold it must be outside. His thoughts flitted to Hagrid for a split second before he shook his head and continued on his way to where he didn't know.

It wasn't long until he heard another set of footfalls approaching. Harry stopped, his curiosity getting the better of him and waited until the person turned the corner.

He sighed. It was only Loony Lovegood.

"Oh! Hello, Harry!" she said in the same dazed tone that she seemed to reserve for he and Ron.

"Hello, Luna," Harry said curtly to the blonde.

"What brings you out here while the festivities are all in the Common Room?"

"Luna, this isn't the best time..."

"You look as though you need some cheering up. You know," she continued sagely, putting a finger to her chin, "Daddy once told me that everyone in the world has a purpose on this Earth."

Harry sighed. He really wasn't in the mood for this rubbish. He decided to listen anyway for the sake of Luna.

"I haven't figured mine out yet," she continued, her warm blue eyes beaming at Harry, "but I will someday. You... your purpose in life is to bring happiness back to the faces of your friends. You can only do that when you accept their love and their need for you."

Harry opened his mouth to retort sharply but the effect of her words made him shut it once more. The mix of gray that had clouded his eyes disappeared, returning them to the original forest green color.

"She loves you so terribly, Harry. Why won't you accept that? I can see it in your eyes — you love her just as much. She needs you, she needs her old Harry back."

"How do you —"

"I'm not as loony as everyone makes me out to be."

With such cryptic words now behind her, she took one of Harry's calloused hands within her own soft one and pulled him along beside her toward the Gryffindor Common Room. The wind howled in pain as they walked through the eery corridor and Luna edged closer to Harry.

"It's only rain," he said awkwardly.

Luna shook her head causing her bottlecaps to jingle in time with her trembling figure.

"I-I don't... I have a mighty big fear... I don't like storms," she whimpered in a voice very uncharacteristic of her.

"Is that why you're going to the Gryffindor Common Room?" Harry asked. He had to raise his voice over the pounding of the rain and wind against Gryffindor Tower.

"Yes. Most of Ravenclaw house is in the dorms or in the library. It gets very lonely in the Common Room," she explained, hiccuping between her words.

"Ron will take care of you," Harry said uneasily, sidling stealthily away from her inch by inch.

To his relief, they had finally reached the Common Room. Luna grinned up at him, her own relief visible on her face. Harry said the password and the two walked in through the portrait hole.

The scene before them was just as Harry had left it only twenty minutes before. Hermione was noticeable in the same window hiccuping and trying to calm her tears, while the rest of the seventh years and below were strewn about the Common Room playing a lazy game of Truth or Dare.

Luna disappeared amidst the crowd, but not before she gave a reassuring grin to Harry. He vaguely remembered her flopping herself down beside Ron who wrapped a content arm around her waist.

Hermione quickly wiped away the remnants of her tears upon noticing the approaching figure of her boyfriend but it was futile to try to stop the hiccuping and she did her best to keep her mouth clamped tightly shut.

"You're —" she hiccuped, "— back."

He sat down before her. Harry nodded and hung his head in shame. "It was wrong of me to leave in the first place."

"No! Don't say —" another hiccup, "that!"

"You sure do cry a lot don't you, sweets?" he laughed.

Her face contorted in indignance.

"It's your —" hiccup, "fault, you prat! I worry so much..."

Harry sighed, his jovial mood quickly replaced by sadness. "I know. I dearly wish it wasn't though — wish it wasn't my fault, that is. You don't have any idea how much it pains me to see you cry."

She bit back her harsh words. You didn't seem to care when you left me twenty minutes ago. This was her Harry, unclouded by anger and hatred. The kind and caring person who would give anything to repay the debt of his parents lives.

Hermione reached up tentatively to stroke his face but a clap of thunder made her jump and she buried herself in his arms instead.

"Oh dear, not you too. How many witches in this castle are afraid of storms, I wonder?"

"You silly git. Just hold me," she whispered.

He tenderly wrapped two shaking arms around her waist and held her close to him.

"I can't tell you what he said because he didn't say anything," he replied, his own voice now a whisper.

"What?"

She made to pull away, but he told her to let him finish and held her close.

"The death of Remus Lupin brings sadness to us all. He was a fine professor, an even better mentor, and the greatest friend a man could have. He will be remembered, not as a werewolf or a monstrosity, but as the great man that he was," Harry recited and tears formed salty rivers across his cheeks. "That was what Professor Dumbledore said the day he found the mangled body of Remus. It brought such anger, such hatred — it clouded my judgement. How could anyone be inhumane enough to perform such a horrendous act, I wondered. I was so intent on revenge against the creature that had brought me such pain that I forgot what truly mattered — my love for you, my love for the Weasleys, Hagrid, Dumbledore himself, and the rest of the Order. You need me here, now. Voldemort can wait until I'm ready."

Harry pulled her away from him so that he could properly look into her eyes.

"The truth, Hermione, is that I need you too. I love you so terribly that if anything were to happen to you, I wouldn't have the courage to destroy Voldemort. I would give up on life itself and wither away until there was nothing left," he continued shakily.

Hermione bit her lip as she gazed into the tumultuous depths of his jade eyes where she found pain, love, and even still a bit of anger. She brought him forth so close to her that she could feel his breath on her lips and whispered, "I'll always be here to protect you, as long as you're here for me."

His lips brushed over hers and he spoke so softly that she might not have heard him had he not been so close, "I'll do anything in my power to keep you safe. That is my promise to you."

Harry pulled her into a deeper kiss. They pulled away only when oxygen was becoming scarce.

Hermione allowed a radiant smile to light up her face and said, "My hiccups seem to have disappeared."

"That they have, as has the storm."

Hermione crawled into his lap and they both stared — not happily, but content for the moment — out at the clearing skies.


AUTHOR'S NOTE: Wow, that was unexpected. Huh. This random quote, "Everyone in the world has a purpose on this Earth," Luna began, her warm blue eyes beaming at Harry. "I haven't figured mine out yet, but I will someday. You --- your purpose is to bring happiness back to the faces of your friends." was just sitting in my notebook waiting to be put into a story, so here's the result. I've never donea one-shot quite like this before, so pardon me if it's a little odd. Hope you liked it enough to leave a review!

Wicked Dreamz -:-