Disclaimer: I DO NOT own anything related to Harry Potter that you might recognise in this story. Don't sue me, I don't have any money anyway!
Hermione sat on a lone swing-set in the middle of a grassy hill. There was no wind yet the swing beside her own was pumping quietly up and down. She stared at it; then too began to swing. She and the swing went on for what seemed like an hour until, finally Hermione stopped and turned to her invisible partner.
"Who are you?"
A light chuckle came as a response and a tall, thin man with greying hair and light, translucent brown eyes appeared on the swing.
"Hello Hermione."
She stared. No, it couldn't be. He was dead, shot in the head with a muggle pistol. Suicide.
"Remus?" she whispered.
He smiled and again began to swing. She watched him, amazed.
"Why are you here?" Hermione asked, waving her arms at the swing -set and hill. "You've been gone along time." This was true. Remus had killed himself three weeks after Sirius' death. Now, two years later here he was, looking just as he had the last time she saw him.
Remus stopped swinging. He wasn't smiling now. Now he looked concerned.
"Hermione, I'm here because there is something you have to know." he whispered. He paused and looked around. He, to Hermione, looked as though he was waiting for something. His pale eyes showed no emotion, they looked so...dead.
"Hermione, where I've been I've noticed some very drastic changes in Harry." Hermione nodded. He was right, Harry was different. He barely ate. He never talked to anyone other than Buckbeak and before his death, to Remus. Now that Remus was gone, Harry went into absolute silence. He had thinned out in the face and even though he was almost six feet tall, he looked short. Truthfully, he looked a lot like Remus had looked before...
Remus jumped up. His eyes went wild. He turned to face Hermione and shouted "Go! Find Harry and stop him before he goes! Go now Hermione!" Remus began to run down the hill and into the nearby field. Hermione went to follow him but felt as though an unseen force field held her on top of the hill. She screamed at Remus to wait for her, but he kept going. He was gone.
"Wake up Hermione!"
Hermione sat strait up in her bed at the Burrow.
"Where is Harry?" she shouted at Ginny, who moments ago had been trying to wake up her sleeping friend.
"I-in his room. Why?" Ginny's eyes were wide. Hermione was always so calm.
"He's going to do it," Hermione whispered to herself as she ran out of the tiny room, leaving a very confused Ginny in her wake. She crashed up the hundred stair to Ron's room, throwing open the door. Ron was lying in his bed, bound and gagged. Harry was no where to be seen. Hermione ran. Down all the stairs, through the kitchen and out the back door.
She burst outside and was struck by the freezing night air. She kept going.
Where is Harry?
she thought as she ran out . Hermione stopped and spun around in a circle, trying to spot Harry amongst the blackness. Suddenly, she saw him. He was standing by the Weasley's Quidditch "pitch" beside a terribly tall tree. On a stool. Something was around his neck.No!
She took off running. Faster and faster until she was right behind him. Hermione stopped. Harry was crying! Deep and mournful sobs echoed from the boy's throat. Harry, who had never cried, even when Sirius died, and when Remus killed himself, now stood sobbing like a child in the middle of the night."I love you all," he whispered between sobs "I'm sorry I have to do this. I've let you all down. Forgive me. Ron, you were my best friend. Thanks for always being there, but I have to go. Hermione, I should have told you. I love you. You were my only friend for most of fourth year. I owe my getting this far to you. But I can't have you in danger. You say you don't care. I tried to be distant, but you still want to be my friend. I love you. Good-bye." he said to the air, before he gave one last cry and stepped off his stool.
"NOOO!" Hermione yelled, running up behind Harry. "Wingardium leviosa!" she screamed. There was a large sputtering response from Harry, who, though he couldn't see her, had heard her yell.
"Put me down Hermione. Let me die. It's what I want!"
"No Harry, you don't this," she said, "Diffindo!" The rope around Harry's neck cut and he fell to the earth with a soft thud. Hermione stayed where she was. Harry had his back to her and was again crying.
"Go away Hermione. Please, just leave me alone." he sobbed.
"No Harry. I'm not leaving." she said as she walked over to sit beside him.
" Why can't you let me die in peace?" he demanded, tears streaming down his pale face. It was cold outside, but not nearly as cold as his voice. She shivered.
"Harry..." she trailed off, not knowing where to begin. Harry had sat up and turned to face her. His usually emotionless face was rigged with tears. His eyes were wide.
"You don't have to say it, I know. I let you all down, but you still love me," he yelled. Hermione coward, resisting the urge to wide Harry's spittle from her face. She stood up.
"Harry, I'll leave you here and I won't tell anyone, at least until morning. But first you have to listen to me. Do we have a deal?" Hermione stared into his eyes, searching for the Harry she once knew.
Harry looked as though he was thinking very hard about what she said. He sat in silence, his brow furrowed in deep thought.
"Alright. Say what you came to say." he mumbled, staring at his shoes.
Hermione drew herself to her tallest height. She took a deep breath and began.
"Harry. You are so stupid." her voice rang out. Harry made to say something but she held her hand up.
"You think that by dieing you are doing the world a favour? No Harry, you'll be setting us all up to die. Harry, once you're gone, there is nothing-no one to stop Voldemort. No one to avenge Sirius, your father, your mother and every other bloody person Voldemort killed.
I know that you're worried about Ron and me. I understand that. Ron and I discussed it and we decided we don't care. You're our best friend and we would die for you.
Harry, you're not alone. There are hundreds of people who will stand behind you. You are the boy who lived for Gods sake! Do you think people won't care if you die? There'll be a panic. Attacks on muggle-borns and muggles will only get worse. Ron and I will probably be the first to die.
Didn't think about that did you? You think that if you die Voldemort will just stop killing? No, he'll more than likely pick it up a notch. He'll hunt down the Order and Ron and me. Voldemort wants to rid the world of they that aligned themselves with you. And Ron and I are some of the people he's after.
So stop trying to be the "big hero" Harry! All that you'll be doing is enabling hundreds of innocent people to die. Is that what you want?"
The silence was horrible. Harry stared at her. Hermione looked at him. She had always wanted to say that. To tell him how much he meant to her. He was her best friend and maybe even more. She loved him.
"I love you Harry," she whispered, almost to herself, but he had heard her. He looked up startled.
"As a friend," he croaked, "nothing more."
"No Harry," she mumbled, "Your more than my friend..."
Hermione stared at her feet. She couldn't hear or see Harry. Her tangled hair had fallen in front of her eyes.
"I love you too,"
Hermione looked up. Harry was standing up, right in front of her. He was staring straight into her eyes, unblinking.
"Really?"
"Yes." Harry wiped tears from her face, tears she couldn't remember crying. She hugged him.
The stood there, embracing for what could have been hours. Neither wanted to break the hug.
Hermione turned to look at his face.
"Well, I guess I should go. I believe we made a deal. Remember though Harry, I love you," she sighed. Hermione kissed him on the cheek before running back to the Burrow. She never turned around once. She couldn't help Harry now. It was up to him.
Harry arrived in the kitchen very early the next morning. No one other than he and Hermione knew what had gone on the night before. Harry sat down on one of the wooden chairs.
I can't believe I almost went through with it,
he thought, shaking his head before placing it in his hands."Morning Harry."
Harry sat up. There she was. Hermione was standing in the doorframe with a big smile on her face. She ran up to him and engulfed him in a monstrous hug, sending both of them to the floor.
"I love you," she said, kissing him softly on the mouth.
"I love you too," he whispered into her hair.
Grabbing her hand, Harry stood up. He and Hermione sat down and waited for the Weasleys to arrive or breakfast.
If Harry had been listening as he and Hermione sat in silence, he would have heard Hermione whisper something.
"Thank-you Remus."
A/N: Well, that's the end. I am in the need of a beta-reader who would promptly read this and get it back to me so that I could post on Fiction Alley. Review if you're interested!