Hello! I'm back for my second Harry Potter story! This is not canon and I'll be changing some facts to fit the needs of my story. If
that's not your cup of tea I understand, but for those willing to stick around, please enjoy!
Title and story inspired by Fallout Boy's "The Kids Aren't Alright" I'm not saying the lyrics fully reflect the story, but the emotion of the song (for me anyway) and this was just sort of born. I could just picture this sad and emotionally tortured Harry, and Hermione having to make the tough choice of making it all better. Everyone should listen to that song, it's amazing!
How could this have happened? Everything was going so well, the fight was in their favor; they lured the Death Eaters inside of the castle just as planned. Hoping that getting them in a confined space, while being outnumbered would tip the scale their way.
But how foolish they were to think the Death Eaters didn't have plans of their own.
Hermione had been dueling her masked opponent, she rebounded the curse he sent her, dropping him dead where he once stood. She'd heard a small cry coming from outside the Great Hall, flinging binding curses to Death Eaters in her way, she found a small First Year cowering by the stairs, a tall figure looming over.
Hermione sent his wand flying and then bound him, stopping in front of the girl, who's robes told her she belonged to Hufflepuff. The girl looked to Hermione, her piercing blue eyes clouded with tears. "I- I just wanted to help! My friend Martha ran out of the dungeon to take part and was killed by that Death Eater patrolling the halls. I followed him, but he must have heard me. I'm so, so sorry! I tried to get her to stay like we were told! But she wouldn't listen!" The girl said flinging herself into Hermione's arms.
Hermione gently patted her back with one had and smoothed her hair with the other. "What's your name, dear?"
"Athena Masen," she answered, her bottom lip trembling.
"Let's get you back to the others, Athena." Hermione said, taking the girls small hand and leading her down to the dungeons.
"Please stay put until someone you trust gets you. Can you do that? I need you to make sure everyone stays in here." Hermione said, looking into the girls eyes, speaking gently, but firmly.
Athena nodded her head vigorously before running down the stairs.
Hermione placed a locking charm on the door before running back to the Great Hall.
She snuck in the door and stopped in her tracks; all of the Weasley's, Remus and Tonks had all been frozen by unseen bonds; standing apart from the rest of the witches and wizards who fought with them. Harry was kneeling, broken, before the feet of Voldemort.
"Who shall save you now!" His gravely voice echoed through the room. "Your savior sits, defeated at my feet!"
The unbound people standing to the side had started shouting, trying to advance on Voldemort, but were stopped by the Death Eaters standing in front of them.
"Stand up boy!" Voldemort hissed, pulling Harry to his feet by his hair. Harry, it seemed, didn't even have enough fight in him to cry out from the pain of being yanked up by his scalp. "I want you to see what you've done, if you had just died like you were supposed to, all of these people could have been spared."
With a slight nod of his head, signaling the Death Eaters around them, they all turned and as one, and pointed their wands at their family and friends. Hermione for the first time, was frozen by fear; they were all going to die. How did they not see this coming?
Ron had seen her now, his face wet with tears, blood and sweat; he smiled at her sadly, 'It's ok,' he mouthed to her, before he and everyone else was overcome with a flash of green, falling to the floor.
"No!" Harry shouted, running to Ron, touching his neck, finding no pulse he looked to Mrs. Weasley. He fell to his knees clutching her hand, the woman had been a mother to him, and now she was gone.
They were all gone.
Filled with a rage Hermione had never seen him possess before, Harry drew his wand and aimed for Voldemort. But the older man was quicker. "Avada Kadavera!"
"Potter!"
Hermione watched in horror as Draco Malfoy flung himself from his mothers arms and pushed Harry out of the way, absorbing the killing curse for himself.
Watching Draco's lifeless body slump to the ground broke Hermione from her trance, she raced to Harry's side, checking with a hope she didn't dare encourage, Draco's throat for any sign of life. Finding nothing, her heart clenched painfully at the gut wrenching sobs coming from Narcissa Malfoy.
"Oh, the mudblood is alive." Voldemort hissed, distastefully.
"Don't touch her," Harry growled.
Voldemort laughed, the sound so haunting, so full of malice, Hermione would never forget it. "Oh, I won't sully my hands with the likes of her. I will however, enjoy making her watch as I drain the life from your body. Shall we end this once an for all?" He asked, his voice devoid of emotion.
Not giving Harry time to respond Voldemort sent a hex his way. Harry dodged it, and sent a binding curse, it wouldn't hold for long; but it was long enough for Narcissa Malfoy to grab her, and bring her to Minevra. Hermione looked into the woman's eyes, so many things she wanted to say, she had just lost her son.
"If my boy felt dying for your friend was the right thing to do, then I can make sure you're safe. Draco's death shall not be in vain," Narcissa kissed her forehead and turned away, running, wand raised to Voldemort, yelling at the same time as Harry.
"Avada Kadavera!"
"Avada Kadavera!"
The green light from their wands was so bright the whole room was engulfed, nothing could be seen.
When things came back into focus, Voldemort lay dead on the floor; Lucius Malfoy was sitting on the ground, his son's and his wife's bodies clutched in his arms. Harry was still standing, rubbing his eyes to clear them.
Everything seemed to happen at once after that, the remaining Death Eaters, having witnessed the downfall of their Dark Lord, and the sacrifice of a broken-hearted mother, stood stunned, not knowing what to do. It gave the prisoners the opportunity to get the jump on them, wrangling them up to wait for the Aurors to come.
Hermione ran to Harry and wrapped him in her arms. "It's over, Harry." She whispered, finally allowing herself a small cry. "It's over," she repeated.
Harry hugged her back, but his eyes were glued to a mass of red hair, all laying together on the floor twenty feet away.
"Almost, 'Mione,"
The funerals seemed to have gone on for weeks, each as tearfully received as the last.
Hermione found Tonks and Remus' almost unbearable, little Teddy Lupin clung to his grandmother, not knowing what was happening, kept crying for his mummy.
The Weasley's had been hard too, this had been her family for so long, her brothers and sister were now gone. The mother and father she found in Mr and Mrs. Weasley had been taken from her. Her own parents were halfway around the world, it was unclear if she could bring them back.
She was truly alone.
A hand slipped into hers as things were coming to a close, Harry stood there stoically, watching his family being lowered into the ground. Hermione gave his hand a faint squeeze.
She still had her best friend.
The rebuilding started a few weeks after the final funeral, Harry refused to go back, and Hermione couldn't leave him.
The one night Hermione had of dreamless sleep had been shattered early in the morning, the loud wailing and piercing screams filled Grimmauld Place. Hermione grasped her wand and flew into Harry's room, looking for the reason behind his screams.
The room was empty, save for the thrashing figure of her best friend still sleeping in his bed. His body twisted in painful ways, he screamed as he clawed at the mattress.
Hermione leapt on to the bed and wrapped Harry tightly in her arms. "Shh, Harry. It's ok, you're dreaming."
His screaming had lessened, his body relaxed slightly. "That's it, wake up, Harry." She said in his ear, gently pushing the hair from his face, swiping away the sheen of sweat from his brow. "Harry, you have to wake up." She said shaking him a little when he continued to whimper.
He tried to sit up, but was being held in Hermione's arms. "It's me," she shushed.
He slumped in her arms and began to tremble. "Oh, Merlin, 'Mione, It was awful. He said with a shuddered breath.
"It's ok now, I'm here." She said hugging him, he buried his face in the crook of her neck. Taking deep breaths to calm himself down.
"We were all in the Great Hall, just like it was; but he had you this time. He had Death Eaters hold me and he killed you all one by one, and I couldn't do anything!"
"Shh, I'm here, you don't have to worry about that anymore." She soothed, petting his hair.
"It hurts, when does it stop?" He asked, fresh sobs breaking through.
"I don't know," Hermione admitted, following him in his tears.
And so time passed, six months of night time battles with their minds; Hermione was fairing better, but only just.
Harry began to numb himself with fire whisky, and turning all of the paintings of Remus, Sirius, and Tonks around, he couldn't take their looks of disproval anymore. If he wanted to piss his life away so be it, a few dead people weren't going to stop him.
And that's how Hermione had found him most nights, holed up in the library, an empty bottle in his hands sleeping in a chair. She was there for him through the nightmares, as he was for her; but he wouldn't hear a word she said when it came to his drinking.
After making sure he got to bed she was determined to talk to him and make him see reason tomorrow.
Harry slowly made his way down the stairs and was greeted to the sight of Hermione putting the last piece of bacon on a plate of pancakes and setting it in front of his usual seat.
"You're an angel, 'Mione." He said gratefully digging in.
"We need to talk," she said seriously, sitting in front of him.
"Did I leave the toilet seat up again?" He said with a cheeky grin.
Hermione kept her face serious.
"Well, I don't like that." He mumbled, taking another bite of his pancake.
"You've got to stop this Harry, I think it's time you've got some help."
Harry choked on his food. "Help?"
"I've been seeing a muggle therapist, obviously not giving her all of the details, but it's been helping. I think you should consider it." She said softly, taking his hand in hers.
He stared at her for a long moment before extracting his hand and going up the stairs, slamming the door to his room.
Hermione let a few tears slip as she stood from the table to clean up.
Harry didn't come down for dinner.
He didn't bid her goodnight.
He didn't leave his room.
Hermione jolted awake when she felt weight dip her bed, she rolled over, wand ready.
"It's me!" Harry said quickly.
Hermione exhaled loudly and put her wand under her pillow.
"Everything alright, Harry?" She asked rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
"I've been thinking, I know I haven't been trying very hard, but I just can't. I can't just pretend everyone we know isn't dead. I can't move on like you." He said, not accusingly.
"You think I've moved on?" She asked incredulously. "I still have the same nightmares you do, I sleep with my wand under my pillow for Merlin's sake! I'll never be able to forget Harry! But what you're doing isn't healthy Harry, I just want to help you."
"I know," he sighed. "I know, I'm sorry I said that. I just- I don't want to remember any more." He said defeatedly.
She sat up fully in her bed. "What are you saying Harry?" She said thickly, already having an idea of where this was going.
He looked at her, his brilliant green eyes so conflicted, so sad. "I want you to do what you did to your parents for me." He said quietly, tears filling his eyes. "I can't do this anymore Hermione, I'm not as strong as you."
"Oh, Harry!" She cried throwing her arms around him.
"Please? I know this is unfair of me, but I just don't see any other way. I just can't anymore." He said through tears. "I see them every time I close my eyes; the Weasley's, Tonks and Remus. Poor little Teddy, I can still hear him crying for his mum. I'm just so tired, 'Mione." He finished, untangling himself from her arms.
Hermione sat there for a moment thinking. She would do anything to spare him pain. Even if it meant her being alone. Harry meant everything to her.
"Give me a few days to get things together, ok?" She finally said.
Harry pulled her into a bone crushing hug in response, his body shuddering with tears. "Thank you,"
Two weeks later Hermione had everything set, new identity, and a new family.
He would be Harry James Fisher, his new parents were Albert and Irene, they had no family to speak of; and had been trying to have children for almost twenty years.
She had altered their memories, and forged pictures to include Harry at all ages, they believed him to be at Cambridge; he would be coming home for a weekend visit. She would be taking away all memories of magic from Harry. Taking his wand and leaving it in his room at Grimmauld Place.
"You're sure you want this? I can't take it back." She asked, her voice wavering at the end.
"I am, I'm so sorry, 'Mione."
"I know you are," she said hoarsely. "But- but before you go, I want you to know something. I know you won't remember, but I'll never forgive myself if I don't tell you."
Harry took a step closer, and took her hands in his. "You can tell me anything."
Hermione nodded her head, tears finally spilling down her cheeks. "I want you to know how much I love you, Harry Potter. I've always loved you," she whispered, her voice becoming heard to hear, the emotion in her voice making it quiver.
Harry pulled her into his arms and kissed her hair. "I've loved you for as long as I can remember, but I can't give you what you want, not anymore."
She nodded her head into his chest. They had both been broken, him more so; he's had the weight of the world on his shoulders since he was a young boy. "I know, but I just had to tell you."
Harry slowly pulled away from her, cupped her chin and gently brought his lips to hers. "Promise me you'll find me then,"
"Ok," she answered through a new wave of tears.
Harry stepped away from her, ready to be free from his pain. "Goodbye, 'Mione, I'll see you soon, yeah?"
She gave him a small smile. "Yeah, I'll be seeing you."
She raised her wand
AN: So for some reason I could t upload the whole thing, this was meant to be a one shot, I'll post the last half soon!
