ENOUGH
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
Summary: Harry struggles to readjust to his life after defeating Voldemort. As he starts to question who he is now that he is no longer defined by the Dark Lord, can he come to terms with the fact that all of his friends have moved on and is being the Boy-who-Lived enough to be part of their lives now.
CHAPTER ONE
Harry POV
"I take back what was mine Voldemort. AVADA KEVADRA!"
What exactly was I thinking then, I'm not really sure anymore but the irony was not lost on me. Those two words uttered by someone else essentially meant that my life was written out for me and I had no choice in it. Those two words were my prison for 17 years. And as I stand in Godric's Hollow over the now lifeless form of Voldemort, it would be those two words which would be my freedom. I scanned the charred remains of our battle field and as I saw my fallen friends and comrades, I knew that it was finished.
Ron and Fred having realized that George was lost in battle walked around without seeing. Molly, exhausted and grieving was being consoled by Ginny. As I watch her from afar, the wind picks up her hair away from her tear-stained face. My breath catches in my throat as I try to stop myself from shouting out how I feel about her. I was glad that we ended things when we did. The pain was a small price to pay as I can bear that more than the thought of losing her forever or seeing her hurt. Sensing my gaze, Ginny looks over to me and she smiles sadly before turning her attention back to her mother. I take silent stock of where everybody was. So few stood with me and fewer still after. I don't think I could bear it, if I lost anybody else. Tonks was helping a limping Lupin. Bill, Fleur, Mad-eye, Professor McGonagall, Neville, Dean...finding all of them in various states of injury and fatigue. I search frantically around and start breaking into a run. There was someone missing.
Seeing Ron across the ground, panic creeping into my voice, I run over to where he is to shake him out of his daze, "Ron! RON! Have you seen Hermione?"
"No. Last I saw her, she was standing right beside you. After that everything was a blur."
I curse under my breath. An icy chill went through me. Where could she be? The sun peeked out of the cloud and I run back to the hill where Voldemort and I were locked in battle. As I reach the spot where moments ago he has fallen, I find snow where his body should've been. I hear Ron calling out Hermione's name and soon my voice joined his. My head whipped around in frustration, my search coming up empty and I clench my hand in anger. Hermione is our anchor. Ron's and mine. I don't think Ron would be able stand another loss. Neither would I. We started turning over bodies. Closing our eyes before we do so, each time pleading, "Please let it not be her." like a mantra over and over again. It was getting dark and most of the critically wounded have been transported to St. Mungo's. The last trip, I have managed to make Ron go. If I find her, it would be best that I find her on my own.
My hope has about given out when I saw her, looking lost sitting by herself at my parent's grave.
"HERMIONE! Where the hell have you been?" My relief taking the form of anger, "You could've at least bloody told us where you've gone off to or that you were alive. Ron had to practically be dragged off to St. Mungo's because he wants to find you..." My tirade tapers off, as she continues to sit there with her back to me by which time, I have reached her and turned her gently around, "Hermione?"
Her voice is small like a child's. At first it didn't seem to sound like it was her at all. "Harry, I couldn't save them. I got there too late. I..." burying her face into her hands. I try to plead ignorance but knowing just the same what she means.
"Who can't you save?"
"Mum and Dad. I gave them a galleon like we used in the DA meetings. The galleon would burn and so I'd know when they'd need me to be there. And it did, while we were up on the hill. When I was sure that you have gotten Voldemort, I apparated back to their house and found McNair, Dolohov, Crabbe and Goyle there. But they were too many, I couldn't fight all of them. I was spared and I wanted it so much to end... please make the screaming stop... please."
Unable to finish, I take her by the hand and noticed that she was still clutching the galleon. I force her hand to open and saw the words "Help us" burned into her skin. I curse under my breath as I glance at her tear-streaked face.
"Hermione..." I kneel down beside her and gingerly trace the words across her palm not knowing what to say. "We'll find them and get the justice your parents deserve. I...this is all my ...I wish I could say something to take away the pain. I..."
Deaf to my fumbled starts and attempts at comfort, Hermione starts shaking her head, "With everything I could do and know, I couldn't even do anything as simple as that. There must be something..." As she starts fumbling for a familiar chain around her neck, I knew what she was getting at. She stands abruptly with a manic look in her eyes.
I look up at my best friend and touch her arm, "Hermione you can't! You said it yourself. We can't meddle with time."
As if seeing me for the first time, her feverish eyes focus on me with incredulity, then anger. She casts the galleon aside and swipe her tears, "It's easy for you to say! If you knew about the Time Turner then as you know about it now, would you just stand idly by and let Voldemort kill your parents?! Don't lie to me Harry. You would go back and save them won't you? You have no idea what it's like. They believed I could protect them but I couldn't..." Eyes blinded by tears, her hands stretched out before her groping at some unnamed salvation. I stand up and pull her to me until her sobs die down.
"Hermione, I think more than anybody else, I would know how you feel. Dumbledore told me quite often something which I have time and time again scoffed at. He said that I was never alone and now I tell you the same thing. I wish I have enough words more than those post traumatic speeches said in after school specials but I don't. The only thing I can say is that I promise that you Hermione Granger may have stood alone then. Know this that you will never be that again. " I softly say. I take her hand and place it over my heart.