A/N: So here's another one. Let me know what you think!
Disclaimer: Everything belongs to J. K. Rowling and the Song "I won't give up" belongs to Jason Mraz
I Won't Give Up
Hermione woke up to a strong food-flavored aroma in her apartment. With a smile and no question as to who was creating the delectable smell, she got dressed and walked into the kitchen. There she found a slender, jet, black haired man putting the finishing touches on what looked like pancakes.
"Good Morning Harry," she said feeling a light blush creeping onto her cheeks. "What are you doing here?"
"I thought it was obvious… I'm making pancakes!" he joked and held out the plate, which she accepted with a grateful smile. As they sat down to eat she watched as Harry looked over the files he had brought over from the Auror office. He had been visiting her and making her breakfast for a little over a month now, ever since she had woken up in St. Mungo's Hospital with no memory after getting onto the Hogwarts Express. Overtime, little-by-little she slowly regained memories of her adventures at Hogwarts, but she could never see, let alone remember, who the two boys were that never left her side. A couple of days ago, she did remember Ron when the memory of them kissing in the Chamber of Secrets during the final battle at Hogwarts was occurring. She hoped that the other boy wasn't far behind. She sighed. Harry wouldn't laugh… right?
"I remember something else," she told him and smiled when he put down and closed the file that he had been working on. He had been one of the first people that she just knew that she could trust and had told him every new memory that she had acquired "I was in the tent crying because Ron had left and the boy came up to me, turned up the radio, and held out his hand to me. I took it and we were dancing and laughing until the song ended and he let me go…" she trailed offlost in the memory again. "I think the boy might have been in love with me… but why didn't he say anything? I mean a few months later, Ron and I got together. That whole thing could have been avoided if he had just said that he liked her."
"Maybe it's because he saw her happier with Ron than himself. He was trying to prove to himself that he was strong enough to let her go and be happy, even if it wasn't with him" Harry said quietly. Hermione looked up at Harry confused.
"But Ron was gone. He left me and the boy again. Clearly I was not happy with him at that point. I'm sure he must have seen that. I mean when Ron asked me to choose between them, I chose the other guy. That should have meant something… right?"
"Maybe he didn't want to betray Ron's trust by taking the girl that he's had a crush on since fourth year," he replied nonchalantly. Her confused face turned into irritation.
"Why are you defending him?" she scoffed "What would you know about this love triangle that had been going on since well… I think first year."
"Because I know more than you think I do"
"Well then tell me! Tell me Mr. Secretive Famous Harry Potter, what do you know? You won't tell me about your break up with Ginny although I have yet to see that pop up in my memories. In fact you don't appear in my memories at all. So go on, enlighten me." The look on his face made her realize that she had gone too far.
But before she could apologize, he said coldly "I can't come with you to work today. I need to be at home, finishing up the paperwork for the office." He crossed the room in two strides and with one fleeting glance back at her, she was still sitting in the same spot, he murmured, "Enjoy your breakfast" and was gone.
T—H—I—S—I—S—A—B—R—E—A—K—I—N—G—P—O—I—N—T
For the first half of her morning at work, she was on auto pilot, which due to her coworkers knowing her situation, no one questioned. By the time Hermione made it to her lunch break, she missed Harry so badly that she had picked up the phone to call him several times, but she always chickened out at the last minute.
Entering the lunch room, she sat down at the table she usually occupied with Harry, alone.
"Hey Hermione!" someone called and she saw Ron and Ginny Weasley walk over and sit down at her table.
"Hello Ron, Ginny" she said evenly, picking at her food wishing that Harry had come in with her today.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw the brother and sister glance at each other before Ginny asked "Are you and Harry fighting?"
Startled by the bluntness of the question she dropped her sandwich back onto her plate "You can tell?"
"Hermione, I've known you for years. I can tell," Ginny answered smiling.
"Plus Harry normally comes in with you no matter what he has to do at the Auror Office because he always brings it in with him," Ron added.
"So what's going on?" Ginny urged. Hermione sighed and quickly recounted the morning's argument. When she finished, Ron and Ginny were looking at her with a sad expression.
"What?" she asked confused "You don't have to tell me that I went too far because I figured that out."
"Hermione, Harry and I broke up because I knew that he would never love me the way that he loved someone else. Plus there was too much danger for us to be together at the time. Voldemort's supporters were still roaming Britain searching for Harry and anyone else who helped lead the down fall against him," Ginny said with a pointed look at Ron. Hermione looked between her friends confused until Ginny continued, "Harry… well… everyone that he had ever cared about or loved has either died or something drastic happened to them. Dumbledore, Sirus, his Mum and Dad, Hedwig, George… the list goes on and on. So he feels the need to shut himself off from the world because… he believes the more you care, the more you have to lose."
A memory was running through Hermione's head. The boy was sitting by himself staring out the window, looking lonely but saying the exact same words that Ginny had said.
She stood up "I have to go and apologize!" she exclaimed before Ron pulled her back down.
"Slow down Hermione. Give Harry some time to himself. I'm sure he has been with you constantly these past few weeks." Hermione nodded, guilt rising up, "Give him a chance to pull himself together and for you to work out what exactly you need to say to him." Knowing that he was right, Hermione sat back down and finished her lunch occasionally joining in Ron and Ginny's conversation.
Another memory was running through her head. She was in a wedding dress giggling with Ginny over something, probably the wedding ring on her finger. The door opened revealing the boy that had danced with her in the tent.
"Oh Mione," he whispered before she snapped back to reality glancing at the ring less finger.
"I'm married," she whispered to Ron and Ginny, her eyes wide. "But to whom and where's the ring?" Disappointment flooded through her. Bye-bye feelings for Harry, hello feelings for no face husband. She saw Ron and Ginny glance at each other their eyes wide before excusing themselves, claiming that they had work to do leaving behind a dumfounded Hermione.
T—H—I—S—I—S—A—B—R—E—A—K—I—N—G—P—O—I—N—T
How she managed to make it through the rest of her day, would always remain a mystery to her. She did actually try to find who she was married to through the data bases that the Ministry had and for some reason when she typed into the database, her name came up empty. Frustrated, she decided to ask Harry when she apologized to him.
Before she knew it, it was four o'clock and she was apparating onto Harry's doorstep in Godric Hollow. Moment's from knocking onto his door, it opened, revealing a younger version of Harry dragging a younger version of her with glasses in tow. They just stared at each other for a little bit before Harry's voice rang out.
"James I thought that I told you to close the door behind you," Harry's voice echoed from somewhere in the house.
"Um… Dad?" James called, reminding Hermione of Harry's own voice.
"Hermione!" Harry said surprised coming up from behind James. They stared at each other for a couple of seconds before Harry lightly smacked James up top his head.
"You dork, invite her in," he said lightly and she watched James swallow with some difficulty.
"Sorry, Ma'am," he said stepping aside to let her in. Taking care to wipe her feet and hang her coat on the prongs next to the door, she stepped inside. The house felt very homey and familiar but she couldn't put her finger on why. As she walked in farther, Hermione could vaguely hear Harry talking to Lilly and James about something before the door shut quietly. It was a few moments before she heard the floorboard creek, signaling her that Harry was behind her.
"So what happen to her?" she asked turning to face him. Seeing the shock on his face she added, "Harry, no offence but, you're a guy and this is clearly a touch of a woman." He laughed before growing thoughtful.
"She had an accident and was in the hospital for a while," he said somberly and as if anticipating he next question he said, "We've been married for fifteen years and I've known her since our first year at Hogwarts." She watched him smile, like he was in grossed in a memory. She quickly racked her brain of any memories of Harry with another girl… but once again, he didn't appear in her memories except for after she woke up.
"Where did she go? I mean she's got to be out of the hospital by now…" Hermione trailed off as the somberly look came back onto his face.
"She's a little lost at the moment… Hermione, What are you doing here?" he asked bluntly.
Caught off guard, she said, "I-I wanted to apologize about the things that I said. I didn't mean them. And- and I was going to tell you that I liked you and I was going to invite you to dinner. But clearly you still love your wife…Oh my god" she clamped he hand over her mouth mortified. "I'm so sorry- that- that wasn't supposed to come out… it's almost like someone used Veritaserum on me…"
"Oh Mione…" she heard Harry whisper the phrase echoing in her head like a chant until the door banged open. The voice… where had she heard his voice before?
"Dad, Lilly- she- she fell through the ice!" James's voice rang out snapping her out of her trance. Hermione didn't think, she just ran out the door, not bothering to put on her coat.
After running a little ways, she heard Lilly splashing in the water before she saw her. She could easily see where the girl had fallen through the ice. The girl was barely keeping her head above water causing Hermione to sprint. Moments before she reached Lilly, the girls head went under water and didn't come back up. Without pausing to think, she dove in after the little girl into the freezing water. Thankfully the lake wasn't that deep, so Hermione reached the frightened girl who was sinking to the bottom easily. Catching Lilly around the waist, she dragged them up to the surface of the water and towards the bank.
"Hermione! Lilly!" Harry was yelling, knee deep into the water holding out his hand to her. She gripped it, and together they pulled Lilly out of the water. She saw James was standing at the edge, wide eyed, mouth open, red cheeked holding the blankets. Instinctively, Hermione wrapped her arms around the child, trying to provide as much warmth as she could. She felt Harry wrap his arms around her and Lilly from behind her while James attacked them from the front with the blankets.
"Mommy?" the small child asked digging her head into Hermione's chest. Hermione froze and she felt Harry and James gasp."Mommy, I was so scared," the child continued "My glasses broke and when I reached down and the ice broke. Can you please fix my glasses?" Not really comprehending what she was doing, she took the broken glasses from the girl.
"Occulous Reparo," she said and the words echoed in her head like a chant much like Harry's voice did earlier. Suddenly she was back on the Hogwarts Express talking to the boy and Ron. The glasses on the boys head were instantly fixed and he took them off to inspect them. For the first time since forgetting her memories she could see his face. She knew who he was but what was his name…
"Holy Cricket, Your Harry Potter!" she heard herself say and the face echoed in her head much like Harry's voice had earlier. Suddenly the memories filled themselves in. She was married to Harry Potter, she had danced with Harry Potter in the tent, she was being held by Harry Potter and her kids… oh her kids… Lilly and James Potter were her kids…
She found Harry's eyes, her own too full of tears and whispered, "You're mine… You're all mine" and she leaned in and kissed him.
The memories began anew, but each memory had him in it. She noticed that he rarely, if ever, left her side. When they broke apart she said, "I remember. I remember everything! I remember that this is our son…" she hugged James tighter "and this is our daughter" she hugged Lilly. "And you- you are my beloved husband," she kissed him again.
Harry was beaming and he whispered into her ear, "I never gave up... I always believed that you would come back." They sat like that for a couple of minutes until Lilly sneezed and together opted to get out of the snow.
Together they trudged back to the house, Harry filling her in on everything that she had missed in the months that she was away. James had run ahead with his sister, taking her by the hand, practically dragging her back to the house. Hermione laughed looping her arm around Harry's waist as he did the same. Home, she was finally home, where she belonged.
I won't give up on us (no I'm not giving up)
God knows I'm tough enough (I am tough, I am loved)
We've got a lot to learn (we're alive, we are loved)
God knows we're worth it (and we're worth it)
I won't give up on us
Even if the skies get rough
I'm giving you all my love
I'm still looking up
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