Duty To Him

"How dare he ask me to do that Tonks!" Hermione's chocolate eyes flashed with indignation, her long wild hair was disheveled and her face was set into hard lines.

"Hermione, he is only worrying about your safety." Hermione glared at Tonks, was she actually trying to defend Harry's absurd demand on her?

"It's so very sweet that he's concerned about me, but he doesn't have the right to order me to stay here." Surprisingly Tonks seemed very unsympathetic to Hermione's position.

"You're a special case Hermione; you know that he's in love with you." Hermione said nothing, she knew Harry's feelings for her but getting him to admit it was impossible.

"I love him to Tonks, but that's ever the more reason why I should be out there fighting with him." Tonk's savage glare stopped Hermione in her tracks.

"Sit down right now Granger; apparently even you geniuses need someone to explain some facts to you." Hermione almost considered defying Tonk's order, but the Auror's savage gaze was a powerful motivator.

"Harry James Potter is the only hope to win against Voldemort, not Dumbledore, no me, not you, and that means that he is given special treatment." Hermione began to open her mouth, only to be silenced by Tonk's glare.

"This isn't some damn romance novel where he will simply beat Voldemort in one quick raid, this a bloody war little girl and that means he's going to be fighting it for a very long time." Hermione could only glare in return; did Tonk's think she did know that?

"Oh I know you think you know what is at stake, but your childish notions still exist, it's obvious by the fact you can't see why you need to stay away from the fighting." Hermione was resigned to silence by this point, knowing that Tonks must be allowed to finish.

"Harry is suffering, and will continue to suffer while Voldemort walks this land and that means we must do everything we can to support him." Hermione felt vindication flow through her veins that was exactly the point she had been trying to make.

"You don't seem to be hearing me little girl, Harry is so smitten with you that he can't bear the thought of you in danger and you know what that means?" Hermione simply shrugged, knowing that no answer would stop Tonk's from explaining it to her as she was a simpleton.

"It means he can't focus, if your out there fighting he will be spending all his time thinking about you and eventually that will get him killed." Hermione froze, she had considered this but she knew it was her choice to make.

"It's my choice Tonks; I can't simply stand by and let all my friends go out to fight while I do nothing." Tonk's reaction sent a shiver of fear down Hermione's spine.

"THAT IS WHAT YOU WILL DO; YOU DON'T GET A DAMN CHOICE IN THE MATTER!" Tonk's roaring voice completely stopped Hermione.

"This is a war were in little girl, and Harry Potter is the key to winning it, if he wants me to shag him, guess what he gets?" Hermione felt herself growing cold at that declaration.

"The entire bloody world is at stake, and my happiness, my pride, none of that matters when it compares to Harry's own well being." Hermione took this information in; on some level she thought Tonks was right but still some how she felt it was wrong.

"Harry is so unique, his love for you is source of strength, I've watched him train and I know that he's fighting this bloody war for you." Hermione felt scared, she knew Harry loved her... but this revelation was something completely new for her.

"He would walk through hell or Voldemort if you asked him to, and he would fight that way to protect you to." Hermione felt helpless, how could she let Harry put himself in such danger for her, Tonks seemed to be reading her mind.

"You will deal with it Hermione, because the stakes are far too high for anything different." Hermione gazed helpless at Tonks, her righteous passion had all been vanished from her.

"You are going to love Harry, you're going to stay out of danger and do whatever he asks of you, if that means he wants to shag every woman in England and still have you, and then you will do it." Tonks gaze was merciless, and she sounded as if she were giving final orders to a fellow team member before heading into battle.

"When Harry beats Voldemort, you marry him and spend your life with him doing anything to make him happy." Hermione simply nodded, as if she was accepting a jail sentence at Azkaban.

"Hermione this is your burden to bear, the price of victory is never easy and yet you mustn't feel so down hearted." Hermione looked up, her gaze as if questioning Tonk's sanity.

"I know you love Harry, he is the best guy I've ever known and will do anything to make you happy, but you must also realize that his love is a great gift but also a grave burden." Hermione nodded, she doubted she truly understood the scope of what Tonks was saying, but she understood enough.

"There are many ways you can help fight the war Hermione, but the best way I can see is for you to do your duty to him." Hermione nodded.

"I will try Tonks, it's just so hard." Tonks for the first time look at Hermione with sympathy.

"Now you realize what it's like for Harry, love him Hermione and give him the strength to make sure he can do what is needed." Hermione nodded numbly, and soon Tonks left her to her thoughts.