A/N: This was written for Lord Harry James Potter, for Cheeky Slytherin's fic exchange. I truly hope that it's enjoyed!
"The last thing that I want to do is hurt you, Lily."
Hermione is eyeing him, carefully looking everything over, trying to make sure that everything's done up correctly. She knows that if she makes a single mistake here, then everything will change. She will lose her friend, her future, maybe even her life.
Still, there's a determined look on her face. Brown eyes are crinkled in concentration and her mouth is drawn tight, so tight, there's no going back now.
"Hermione?" asks Harry, and there's a slight tremble to his voice. He's terrified, but he doesn't want to admit it. Not now, when she's counting on him. When Ron's counting on him. When everyone is counting on him.
"Everything's fine, Harry." she answers, and it's very terse sounding. "Just stand still and remember what I said. Time's a dangerous thing to be messing with but, if we do this right, if it works, then Ron -"
Hermione cuts herself off and Harry can feel his eyes start to water. In his minds eye, he sees red hair and blue eyes and freckles. In reality, he hears Hermione wish him luck and sees light, so much light, too much light, then nothing at all.
"If I do this though, then it's going to be added to the list."
It's a different adventure from Harry's previous ones. There's more at stake now, more that he can stand too lose. At least, that's how he sees it. In reality, he stands to lose nothing more than he could have before.
It's just that part of it's been taken already.
So when the light clears and he finds himself standing in the same place, Moaning Myrtles bathroom on the second floor of Hogwarts, he's petrified. His heart stops. He cannot breath. He cannot hear - but Hermione is gone and that thought brings him back to reality.
"I can do this." he tells himself, and then he turns on his heel and leaves the room.
"There's no way that I can't hurt you. Hurt me. Hurt James."
Harry meets her in the library, while he's trying to find the book that can fix it all. The one that has already been destroyed in his own time but holds the secrets to bringing back Ron, to stopping Voldemort, to rebuilding the Burrow. His head is burried in dusty books and his hands are smattered with ink and then she's just there sitting in front of him.
"This seat isn't taken, right?" she asks, and he cannot speak because he knows her even if they haven't met yet. Her red hair gives it all away, and so does her stunning green eyes.
"N-no, uh, it's not. Taken, I mean." Harry stammers, and his tongue feels thick in his mouth.
She offers him a slight smile, says that she doesn't recognize him, and then introduces herself as Lily.
Harry cannot find the words to tell her his name.
"We'll never recover."
They grow close, over time.
Harry cannot find it in himself to brush her away, even though he knows that he should. Lily doesn't even try, because she likes this new boy that is always in the library.
So they spend time together and soon Harry doesn't think of her as his mother.
"We'll never be able to undo this."
Then, Harry doesn't think of her as a friend.
"It's just not something that we can go back on."
Then, she knows who he is and where he's from but nothing changes, because she doesn't care and doesn't really like James anyway.
"I just want you to be sure."
Then, they are standing in the Gryffindor common room and Harry is rambling and Lily is smiling and she laughs at him.
"I am sure, Harry." says Lily, and her voice chimes loud and sweet. "Now stop being such a worry-wort."
Harry smiles, but it's a sad one, because he never could find that book and he never could get back to his own time, and then Lily is in his arms and they are hugging. They are kissing. They are togther, ever more.