A Hero's Untitled:
Summary: [Final entry in the Untitled series.] He struggled to come to grips with this newfound information. What it meant for his brother-in-law and wife- whom he had tried to convince that the situation was only temporary, and would remedy itself soon enough. Three years later, it had- but not the way he had planned. [Implied Dramione and Harry x Ginny]
A/N: The main character of the story is referred to by pronouns in the narrative, with little to no exceptions. Sorry if this bothers anyone. There might be things in this story that are confusing if you haven't read the first two entries in the Untitled series.
"I don't understand."
When Hermione had asked Ginny and himself to dinner, he had been quite glad for the occassion. He had been so busy lately that he hadn't had any time to so much as write a letter to her. Seeing a chance to reconnect with his old friend, he jumped at the invitation. His wife, as well, had been quite excited about it. For some time after the splitting she had thought it best to keep her distance from Hermione- but now, it had been three years. Surely, now, it would be alright- wouldn't it? He often heard her wonder this aloud to herself, and came to wonder about it himself. Ron- would he really be alright with this? He had been told not to take sides, but... He didn't want to accept the invitation if it would upset his friend.
"What is there to not understand?"
He was told, after accepting the invitation, that a fourth person would be joining them. Hermione's tone of voice had suggested nervousness, and he had his guess. After these two long years, had she finally- but when he asked Ron whether he had plans that evening, suspecting that he was that fourth person Hermione had mentioned, the answer was in the negative. It worried him. He had thought that- during those years apart- Hermione might see other people, but... She informed him that she had been seeing this person for some time, and it was quite serious. Now he was truly worried.
"I- the guy you told us about- it's him?"
"I have a name, Potter."
He had thought- and hoped- that the splitting had been a temporary thing. That Hermione would eventually get over whatever had made her leave Ron, and the two would get back together. The two had been so in love- it was impossible that the separation would last. He assured Ron of this over and over, trying to get his good friend out of the deep funk he had fallen into when his one love had left him. He had promised this to his wife, who had been as upset and confused by the sudden splitting as he had been. A year later, he swore this to them. Hermione just needed time to herself to work some things out. All she needed was space. Everything would return to normal in time. Two years passed.
"Draco, don't be rude. I-... Yes, Harry. Draco is the man I've been seeing."
"How... How did this happen?"
Two years passed, and more excuses poured from his lips for Hermione's continued separation from her first love. She was focusing on her work- she's always been very serious about her work, so it wouldn't be surprising. Perhaps she thought Ron didn't feel the same anymore- after all, they didn't write to or see each other much. These and more reasons were thrown around with great frequency, but the people he told them to seemed less and less inclined to believe them. Ron would try to be enthusiastic about these theories, but it soon became clear that he had lost any hope he'd had of ever getting Hermione back. He had become resigned to the situation. Ginny gently told him that he ought to let it go. She, too, didn't believe the relationship would ever be reconciled. She just wanted to forget it- be able to talk to her friend again without feeling guilty. Three years, now, since the couple had split.
"Well, as you know, Draco and I both work in the same department. We- over the past two years, we've worked a few cases together. One day he asked me to get a drink with him and, well, it went from there."
"That's the bare bones of it, at least. You left out the part about you getting drunk off your arse and-"
"Draco..."
Halfway to four years, he and his wife had gotten the invitation to go to dinner with Hermione and her "significant other". Her significant other that she had been seeing for a year and a half. For a year and a half, Hermione had been seeing this person in secret, and now thought it appropriate that her friends should meet him. If he had any idea- any guess at all as to who this mystery man could be, he could never have known who this man actually was. Not in his wildest imaginings had he ever pictured the two together. He couldn't fathom how such a thing had ever happened, much less how it had lasted so long.
"And... And it's serious?"
"Yes, it is."
"But... I don't understand. You- I thought you hated muggle borns?"
He tried- he tried to put his personal feelings behind him. He told himself that, if he truly made Hermione happy, then Malfoy had his approval, but... Why Malfoy? Why him,of all people? Why him over Ron? He had been a constant bully to all three of them, especially her. He had attacked her blood, her appearance- everything about her! He was a foul, ignorant, selfish person! How could Hermione love such a man? It made no sense to him that his school rival- the bigoted junior-death eater himself- had somehow won the heart of one of his best friends. Was it some sort of trick? Some sick joke of his? Hermione was smarter than to fall for something like that, but...
"Wha-"
"Harry, dear, I- I don't think they'd be together if that was still the case-"
"It isn't. Believe it or not, Potter, I have changed since Hogwarts. Are you going to bring Gryffindor and Slytherin into this, too?"
"Draco, please. Harry's not trying to-"
Perhaps it was for his image? The Malfoy name had fallen since the final battle- what better way to get into society's good graces than for the Malfoy heir to court a muggle born witch? Even if the relationship ended, the simple fact that it had existed would better Draco's reputation. It was seeming more and more likely to him that Malfoy was just using Hermione. What other reason could there be for such a relationship between the two of them?
"Not trying to what? Seems to me he's trying to find reasons that this isn't real. Is that it Potter? You think there's no way I'd really love her, don't you?"
"... Harry... Is that... Is that true?"
He just couldn't believe it... If it was unbelievable that Malfoy could ever love Hermione, it was even more unbelievable that Hermione would return that love. The Hermione he knew would laugh at the idea of dating Draco Malfoy. The Hermione he knew would see Malfoy for what he was, and wouldn't respond to his advances. She would be strong and indifferent. The Hermione he knew-... The Hermione he knew wouldn't have any opportunity to date Malfoy in the first place. The Hermione he knew would have stayed with Ron.
"I-... No, that- E-excuse me a moment."
"Harry-"
"I'll be back in a bit, Ginny. I just need some air."
How had she changed so much? Just looking at her, he could tell that the woman she was now was incredibly different from the girl he had known before. From her head to her toes, though she looked much as she always had, she was a very different person. The look in her eyes when she looked at- at that man- he had never seen it before. Not once had Hermione looked at Ron that way, even back when it had seemed the two would last forever. How- when had this happened? When had this change in her occured, and who was responsible for it? Could it really have been Malfoy that had caused this transformation?
"We need to talk Potter. You ought to know, it was my idea for us to have dinner with you and your wife- but if you keep making an ass of yourself and upsetting Hermione-"
"Since when do you call her by her first name?"
"I'm sorry, is that not proper couple's etiquette? I assumed I could drop the formalities once I started spending the nights at flat-"
His mind was in a jumble when he left the table for that fresh air he had mentioned. Things he had always thought to be impossible had happened without his knowledge. Absolute truths were being flushed down the toilet. Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy were "in love". The world had turned on its head.
"I don't need to hear that! Why are you doing this to her? If you're trying to get back at me, then-"
"Good Lord, you just think the entire world revolves around you, don't you, Potter? Of course, no one in their right mind would date Hermione if they weren't trying to get at you!"
"No, I- That's not what I-"
"You really think I still give a damn about a petty school rivalry? You think I give a damn about you? Sorry to be the one to tell you this, but I could really care less about you. The only reason I'm here is because I wanted Hermione to let her friends know that we're together. I was tired of being a secret just because Hermione thought you wouldn't like it if you knew- but just to clear it up- yes, I love her, and she loves me. Sorry if that upsets the perfect little world you've kept her out of for the past three years."
He hadn't meant to keep her at a distance... he hadn't. He'd just felt it would be inconsiderate to Ron if- he didn't want to take sides- but... Looking back, he had taken Ron's side almost immediately. He'd thought Hermione was just going through a phase. He had never considered any other reason for the split. That Hermione had been truly unhappy with Ron was never a possibility with him. He'd thought it best that they all just give her time to work things out. The letters they wrote to her- he purposefully never inquired about her personal life, always assuming she just wouldn't want to talk about it. She made no invitations to them, so they assumed she wanted to be left alone. That she was depressed and lonely- that she felt abandoned by her dearest friends- he never would have guessed that.
"Do you have any idea what life has been like for her? You do realize nobody even knows who she is anymore, right? It's always you, you, you. Everybody forgot about Hermione about the same time you started ignoring her."
"I- I didn't mean to... I never wanted to hurt her."
"Tough shit. You did. And now you're hurting her again. This may be your last chance to make things right with her, Potter. I suggest you take it."
He waited outside for a few moments, gathering his thoughts. It was true. If he didn't patch things up with his friend that night, it was possible that their friendship would be severed forever. He needed to remedy this situation, get to know this stranger with his friend's name. The question was, could he do it? Could he finally let go of that memory of their old friendship? The days when they were a happy trio, the days when their futures were all looking bright, all looking in the same direction... Could he let go of that and place all of his hopes on the chance of reforging the broken bond between Hermione, Ron, and himself? Reforging it... and changing it... To do this, he would have to let go of any hope he had for the two to get back together. He would have to accept this new man in Hermione's life.
There was no way around it. They were a package deal. To get his friend back, he would have to include his old rival. He didn't think he could ever befriend that man. It just wasn't possible for him, but... If accepting him would help to repair that shattered friendship... was he willing to do it?
All these things he thought about as he made his way back to the table.
"Harry... You still haven't opened the letter?"
"I know what it is."
"Alright... Ron's going, you know. Everyone's going. Mum, Dad, George- everyone."
Even as his wife spoke, his gaze remained on that letter. Every time he looked at it, it seemed to glare back at him. He did know- he knew full well what that envelope contained. He was surprised he had recieved it in the first place. He couldn't believe Hermione wanted him there. She was still willing to fix things, but...
"I know."
"... Did you know, his parents aren't going? Hermione told me that his parents don't approve of her. She's really upset about it. She says he is too, but he won't admit it."
He wasn't surprised that Ginny was invited. After that dinner she had started writing frequently to Hermione. She would tell him about the things that Hermione wrote to her. She told him almost daily that he should write her, ask how she was doing, see what was going on in her life.
"I'm going too, Harry. She gave me a pretty important position in the whole thing, you know."
"Oh, really? Congratulations."
"Okay, that's enough. There's no way you can have a better reason to not be there than Ron does- and he's going. What's wrong?"
It just wasn't something he could help. He didn't like it. He didn't like the way things had changed. He wanted to go back to a time when they were the inseparable trio, a time when Draco Malfoy was a snobby annoyance, not his close friend's lover. Things were too different, and it bothered him. Things were better back when he had assumed everything would go back to normal. Now, it seemed everyone had moved on but him, and it wasn't fair. Couldn't they see how wrong everything was? This wasn't the way things were supposed to be. It was like somebody had taken the future he had always thought would happen, and rewritten it into something that was sure to cause him pain.
"This is Hermione's day, Harry, and she wants you there."
"I'd just ruin it, Ginny. Remember George and Angelina's wedding? If it's her day, then it'll be better if I'm not there."
"Cast an illusion! Drink some polyjuice potion! It doesn't matter what you look like, as long as you're there."
It was selfish of him, he knew, not going. He was supposed to be happy for her. It was her day, as Ginny said, and it was supposed to be about her. For that one day, he should have been able to set aside his ill feelings about the situation, for her sake.
"We'll be leaving tomorrow. I'm taking the children along with us. Just let me know tonight if you make a decision."
That decision weighed heavilly on his mind as his wife ascended the stairs to their bedroom. Would he do it? Could he put those feelings he knew to be selfish aside- as he was unable to do the last time he saw Hermione?
He reached for the envelope.
One decision would cause him to either open the letter, or toss it in the garbage. One decision that would affect the rest of his life, where it regarded one of his first, oldest, and dearest friends. He stared hard at the simple white envelope, read the handwritten address one more time...
...and decided.
A/N: Huh... I don't like it. There were people waiting for this, so I thought I'd put it up and get your opinions, because I'm thinking about rewriting it. So go ahead and tear it apart, guys! I'm waiting to hear what you think, so I can fix the stupid thing. I don't know why I don't like it, but I don't. It's not because of the lack of Dramione- I knew when I decided to do it from Harry's point of view that it would be more about his feelings about the couple and the situation than anything else.
I guess it's probably that I'm not satisfied with his characterization. I feel like I put Harry in a really bad light, but I also feel that his reaction, if the two really did get together, would be similar to this. I tried to make his feelings about it understandable (I mean... I can understand where he's coming from, but it was difficult to make his reasons clear) and show the couple from the other side of the story. I know that, after two stories in which the couple is seen in a very positive light, it's a little difficult to see them in the negative light they're placed in here (especially for Dramione fans), but... What do you guys think? Did you notice anything like that, or am I just being neurotic?
I think it may have gotten repetitive... and I think some of Draco's lines were out of character (or out of the character that has been portrayed so far)... It's just weird for them to be interacting with Harry like that. I mean... He wasn't terribly important to them in the first two... Ugh... I am so unsatisfied with this. One of the few parts I like is the ending. Can you tell I liked The Lady or the Tiger?
Y'know... Now that I think of it, the first two both had pretty happy resolutions, and this one doesn't... Probably a factor. I'm very negative about my own work, aren't I?
ANYWAY! Thank you for reading Untitled! I'm very happy that people have stuck it out to the end! Really, you have no idea how happy your reviews have made me. I'm just terrified that you'll be disappointed with the ending. I'll keep my fingers crossed that you'll like it and- who knows, since I know I can write it okay now, you may see more Harry Potter from me!
Again, thank you very much.