Harry got up from the chair when they called his row, his knees and hips creaking. He grabbed his duffle bag and slung it over his shoulder. Harry loved being in the airport and flying. They always used muggle transportation to go on vacations, because they loved the experience of flying on a plane, seeing all the people, and taking time to actually relax before their vacation started. Everyone called them crazy but they loved it.
He walked over to the gate agent and pulled the ticket out of his pocket. His heart skipped a beat and fell as he fingers only felt one ticket in the envelope. The second ticket wasn't there… that's because she wasn't there with him.
He sighed as he handed the agent his ticket, "Thank you very much, Cindy." He always liked to make people's day by using the name on their name tag.
"Thank you," she looked at his information on the ticket, "Mr. Potter. Your seat is 2A in first class. Have a good flight." Cindy smiled at the kind man as she handed him his ticket stub.
Harry grabbed his stub and walked towards the jet way. His platinum wedding band flashed in the sunlight making him smile. As he walked down the jet way he held it to his heart, feeling her love flow through him. The inscription magicked on the ring read, 'true love stories never have endings'.
Those words rang true through this particular day, as he felt that love course through his body every time he thought about her. He shoved his duffle in the over head compartment and sat in his seat as the other passengers filed past. He rested his head back and closed his eyes, it was going to be a long trip and he wanted to sleep.
Instinct took over and Harry felt for the picture in his shirt pocket. He held it against his heart as he fell asleep, the woman he loved smiling back at him.
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Jenna Louise got on the plane with excitement. She was heading to Sydney for her summer break from college. Australia was her second home, having been raised there for half her life before moving to London. And even more exciting was she got to travel in style this time with her first class ticket, courtesy of her father. She published her first paper this past year and this was his celebration gift. She stepped on the plane and sat down next to an already sleeping man.
'I just hope he doesn't start snoring.' She thought to herself as she pulled out her book and became lost in the fantasy world of Richard and Kahlan.
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Hours passed and Jenna continued to read her book while the man continued to sleep. She would look over at him occasionally and smile. She wondered what or who was on that picture he clutched to his heart. After a while she finally saw the wedding band on his finger. She assumed that it must be a picture of his wife.
She sighed, wishing she could find someone who would hold a picture of her to their heart while sleeping. 'Oh how romantic' she thought to herself.
"Lunch will be served in first class." rang over the intercom.
Harry opened his eyes to find a blond haired woman smiling at him "Hi." He placed his picture back in his pocket, so she would always be close to his heart.
"Good evening. They are about to start serving dinner so you woke up just in time. I am Jenna." She held out her hand to shake his.
With much flourish he kissed her hand, "Evening Mademoiselle, I am Harry." bringing a blush to her cheeks and a smile to her face.
"Haha I got it." When she looked at him with a puzzled expression he continued, "a smile." Harry laughed as the stewardess came around with their lunch. "I am glad that the food has improved."
"Me too." She said as they started in on their food, "So Harry where are you heading?"
"Oh I am going to Australia of course. Going to go to a bunch of different places, it's a tradition my wife and I used to do every year."
Jenna stopped before her fork reached her mouth, "And now you are continuing it."
Harry smiled at the thoughtful girl sitting next to him, "I was married sixty years." He smiled, "I swear it feels like she's still here." Jenna saw a twinkle in his eyes as he thought about his wife.
He pulled out a black and white picture and handed it to Jenna. He loved this picture. It was her favorite picture from their wedding. Years later when she was redecorating their house she had some copies printed as a black and white. Harry fell even more in love with the picture in black and white, because she shined in it.
Jenna's heart skipped a beat at the black and white picture of his wife. She was sitting by a lake in a stunning wedding dress. Jenna thought the dress paled in comparison to the brilliant smile on her face. It was a smile that could light up the world. She could feel the love that this woman had for Harry through the picture.
Staring at that black and white, the tears filled up in his eyes, Jenna said, "You were a lucky man."
"I feel like I still am." He smiled wiping the tears from his eyes, "Oh my Hermione."
Jenna handed back the photograph and watched as memories flew through Harry's eye. Jenna thought to herself, 'I want to be somebody's Hermione, somebody's world, somebody's day and night, one and only girl. A part of a love story that never has an end. That's what every woman wants to be, somebody's Hermione.'
"Sorry, don't mind this old man I am sure you have better things to do than listen to an old man ramble." Harry smiled.
Jenna turned and smiled at him, "Harry it seems like you had an amazing life and I would love to listen to you ramble."
Harry smiled, "Well then you may be sorry about that. I have a lot of stories I could tell you."
Jenna laughed, "I am up for that challenge." When the stewardess came by she ordered two chocolate pies, "So how did you and the beautiful Hermione meet."
"Oh that starts about 70 years ago…"
"Funny Harry you don't look that old."
Harry laughed, this girl reminded him of his Hermione. For the first time in a long time he felt like smiling.
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"I thought our first date was the greatest day of my life. From that point every day got better and better. Lets see it was a beautiful summer day, we went to an Italian place near campus. We would have sat there and talked for hours and hours but I wanted to make sure we enjoyed the beautiful weather. So we went for a walk in Hyde Park and there we talked and talked, like two old friends would. Many people asked me if it was awkward going from best friends to dating but it was never like that. We flowed so well together, it was a natural progression. Hyde Park became the scene of many of our dates. I could close my eyes right now and walk that park, with my Hermione by my side." He stopped and finished his dessert.
Jenna handed the trash to the flight attendant as Harry continued, "Oh you should have seen the look on her father's face when we came for dinner later that week. My Hermione stood up at the dinner table and said, "Harry and I are dating now, we are going on our second date this Friday. We are very happy together. Throughout dinner her mother asked so many questions about our date and John just glared at me. He knew that Hermione always had a crush on me but he thought that I was just playing with her heart. He had his doubts, so he took me into the other room. I got a dressing up and down from that man. God bless his soul… I thought he was crazy at the time. But slowly I came to understand it and I did the same to all my girl's men. I guess I should have felt guilty about doing it but I don't. I think the tradition will continue when my granddaughters bring home their boyfriends."
Jenna laughed, "Oh my dad would do the same thing. He always sighs at me when I talk about men around him. He just stalks off grumbling to himself about men. My prom date was hounded for a half an hour by my dad."
"Let me tell you Jenna I was scared of John for a while. But I became good friends with him. Hermione loved it, because I could keep dad busy with sports talk while she and her mother talked about… well whatever they would talk about. It's such a dad thing to do…"
"Oh Harry you are silly I bet you weren't that bad."
"Oh Jenna let me tell you the story when my youngest, Rania brought home Alexander."
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They talked for hours and hours like kindred souls. Jenna felt such a connection to Harry. She never got to meet her grandfather since he died when she was two years old. She hoped that her grandfather was like Harry, a fun loving, sweet, and kind of crazy man who loved his family. A man that would do anything for the people he loved. Oh how she wished desperately that his wife could be sitting here next to him, instead of herself. She could tell that telling these stories was a double edged sword for Harry. He loved to tell the stories and reminisced over the memories but it was killing him slowly that his soul mate wasn't beside him. She could tell that he was happiest when he was thinking about her.
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"Every day that passed I grew more and more in love with that crazy woman. Even as her hair turned gray, she still took my breath away." Jenna put her hand over Harry's to try to comfort him as she didn't know what else to do, Harry continued, "God every day without her is a challenge. It's like part of me is missing… and I can't get it back."
"Oh Harry, you told me about your loving family and grandchildren. You have them to live for." Jenna said, not knowing what else she could say.
Harry smiled at Jenna, "I know Miss Jenna. My Alexis reminded of that just days after her funeral when I was setting into my depression. She told me that Mom is in all of our hearts forever, that we carry her with us every day. It was what Hermione told them when her mother and father passed away. Jenna, that crazy girl," he shook his head in mirth at the audacity of his daughter, " she told me, 'mom would be so mad at you if you forgot that and that t I would be a moron if I didn't follow Mom's advice now'. She made me get my head out of the ground and realize I had so much to keep living for. I need to be here for my children and my grandbabies. I miss her but as inscribed on our wedding bands, true love stories never have endings. That's why I always keep a picture of her in my pocket and I ever have a moment of despair I can look at it and see her smiling face. I have someone amazing to look forward to in the end… my Hermione."
Jenna turned to Harry, "You have had such a crazy life. I hope in seventy years I can look back and say all that."
Harry held her hand in between his, "Jenna I promise you one thing. You will have the most amazing life. You will make so many memories and one day when you meet a kindred soul on a plane you will tell her or him about your wonderful life. And they will make your day because they truly appreciated listening to an old woman ramble."
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As with all good things the plane ride had to come to an end. Jenna and Harry put their seat backs upright and their tray tables in the locked position. Jenna sighed leaning back as the plane started its descent into the Sydney Airport. They looked out the window at the beautiful city in the shining harbor both thinking of the adventures they would depart on. She was glad to be coming home.
As the plane landed Harry stared at the blonde hair girl that he shared his life story with. She had so much promise and so much potential. He could see that she was a great romantic the way she responded to his stories about Hermione. And some guy would sweep off her feet and never put her down. She had a kind heart and would always do what was right, not just what was easy. She would raise a large family and enjoy her life so much. He smiled to himself thinking of the future that stood in front of Jenna, who was ready to embrace it with everything she had.
Harry grabbed their carry-on luggage and waved Jenna in front of him to deboard the plane first. He was always a gentleman. Once they made it into the terminal she stopped and turned around, tears in her eyes.
She dropped her bag and hugged Harry, "I'll never forget how you showed me what it means to be somebody's world, somebody's day and night, one and only girl. A part of a love story that never has an end. That's what every woman wants to be and I wanna be somebody's Hermione."
Harry embraced Jenna tears threatening to come out, "Someday Jenny you will find that person. Don't ever settle because you know what it will be once you found him."
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Jenna smiled at the bright eyed teenager sitting next to her on the plane, "Let's see it started sixty years ago when I met this man named Harry on a westbound plane."
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Hope you enjoyed it!
Song the story was inspired by 'Somebody's Chelsea' by Reba Mcentire! Go listen to it on youtube .com/watch?v=PQZqT_LXoM.
The song is beautiful and got my muse going again. She is very interested in writing stories later in h/hr's lives, so I am going to be doing some one-shots while I try to get her writing on Mending her Broken Heart again!
If you enjoyed it please review and let me know what you think!
Marla1