Harry Always Gets What He Wants
Hermione
Disclaimer: Harry Potter does not belong to me, though I wish it did. That would be awesome.
Summary: Harry always gets what he wants…right? This time, he wants Hermione. DH Spoilers.
The ruins of Hogwarts lay smoldering in the distance, casting a magical haze into the sky. As the sun descended, it shone ominously through the smoke, appearing a weird array of reds and oranges behind the dark gray screen.
Harry exhaled slowly, running his hand through his jet black, always messy hair. His scar didn't throb painfully, and for that, he was grateful. He was already too exhausted, both emotionally and physically, to have to deal with that additional pain.
Slowly he walked up towards the castle, reviewing the day's events in his mind. His heart ached for those who had died. He felt guilty. They had fought for him, and Harry had been unable to save them. He had let them down, let everyone down. It was his fault that families had been separated, friendships quelled, and romances ripped tragically apart. Fred, Colin, Lupin, and Tonks were just a few that had given their lives. Teddy was an orphaned baby now, and it was all Harry's fault.
The guilt weighed down on Harry, making him walk even slower towards the half-ruined castle. The castle of which Harry had called home for the last seven years. It was the fortress where he had felt safe, learnt about magic, and met his good friends.
Friends. His friends. That's what Harry needed. His ambling gait became a quick sprint. He needed to find them – were they even alright? He wanted, no needed to hear Ron's jokes, or complaints, and Hermione's lectures, or her laughter. He needed to see them, first of all to reassure himself that the two most important people in the world to him were safe, and secondly…Secondly he himself needed to be reassured that he hadn't messed up. That these deaths were for the greater good, that Harry himself hadn't brought this devastation upon them all.
But what he really wanted was to be held by Hermione. He wanted to be able to finally let it all out, to cry, to scream, to escape this tragedy around him. He had done his life's task; he had literally come back from the dead. He wanted Hermione to tell him it was alright, that he had done a good job. That she was his.
Finally, Harry saw Hermione and Ron. They stood together, silhouettes in the distance. The smoke stood between them and Harry, whose breathing was ragged. Ever so slowly, Harry closed the distance between himself and his two friends. He kept his eyes on Hermione, knowing as soon as he got there, she would make it all okay.
As Harry got even closer, he saw that Ron was standing quite close to Hermione, his eyes on hers. But Hermione's eyes were on Harry, and a look of relief passed them as she saw his approach.
"Harry!" Was all she said before she launched herself at him. She started crying, sobbing into his shoulder. He simply held her, and closed his eyes, reveling in the rightness of the embrace. He wanted to hold her for forever.
"Erm...Harry?" Hermione's slightly embarrassed tone cut through Harry's waking dream. He opened his eyes to Ron's reproachful glare. Smiling, slightly, Harry let his female best friend go, and they stepped away from each other.
The trio stood there awkwardly.
"Is it my fault?" Harry asked in a hoarse voice, as he stared determinedly at the earth beneath his feet. "Did I kill all these people, needlessly?"
"Oh, Harry! No! They did not die needlessly, we have won! And you did not kill them, they died heroically, valiantly, and they were killed by the death-eaters, not you. You never asked them to fight – you gave them a chance to leave. It is in no way your fault! You killed Voldemort! You have saved the wizarding world, and have finally forever gotten rid of the Dark Lord! You are a hero, not a murder." Hermione's indignant tone lessened Harry's guilt enough to look up from the ground. His emerald eyes sought her chocolate ones, and she blushed.
"You did what was right, and everyone here knows that. You saved the world from a much greater fate." Hermione's voice faded as she spoke, as she was lost in the verdure of Harry's eyes.
Ron cleared his throat, but no one moved.
Harry wanted so badly to hug Hermione to touch her, to kiss her, to thank her for all she had done for him. He took a step forward, but Hermione took a step back.
"Harry, what are you doing?" Ron cut in, swiftly stepping between Hermione and Harry. His voice was questioning and slightly angry.
"I'm getting what I want." Harry said softly, his eyes never leaving Hermione's, until she looked at the ground, blushing.
"What?" Ron looked confused. "You have Ginny! Why do you want Hermione?"
"Ron." Hermione's voice was apologetic. Ron turned back towards her, looking crestfallen.
"You - You don't like him do you? Please tell me you don't." Ron pleaded.
"Ron, I'll talk to you about this later, Harry and I need to talk." Hermione's voice left no room for argument. Ron left, staring suspiciously and sadly over his shoulder as he picked through the ruins, giving Hermione and Harry their privacy.
"Harry." Hermione spoke again as Harry took a step nearer. "Harry, you don't know what you're doing."
"Yes, I do. I told you, I'm getting what I want."
"Harry, no. You're delusional. You've gone through so much today. I can't be what you want me to be. I'm with someone else already." Hermione's eyes and voice were soft, sad. "You only think you want me, but you'll find that will change."
"No it won't."
"Harry."
"I always get what I want, Hermione."
"This time you don't." She glanced sadly at him, gently pulled her hand away from his, and turned around. She didn't pause as she left, though tears fell from her cheeks onto the piles of rubble that was once Hogwarts.
A/N: There you go…And no the delusional word was not a …snide remark put in against anything; I just thought that was an appropriate word. Hermione isn't necessarily with Ron; she's just…Not with Harry. And yes, I am an H/Hr shipper (don't ask me why it's complicated and YES I know it will never happen). This is a new series I'm writing, based on my personal observation of Ron's (and other's) jealousy of Harry. This is not to show Harry in a bad light, or anyone else. It's just proving that the hero doesn't always get what he, or she, wants.