A/N-This a seguel to The Stranger Within, I think it would make it easier to follow. If you read the other one first, plus the first one, it's a good story. Originally it was going to be a stand alone piece, but you all know how it is, we want the characters, to do more things together. I had no choice, this one wrote itself.
In case someone thinks I'm brilliant, I did not create any of the characters,well I created Al. Rawlings is responsible for the rest.
Please R/R- be kind, or be cruel but first of all be honest (I'm partial to kind and honest not cruel).Thank you for the reviews.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Return of the Stranger
Hermione had a long week, it was finally over. All she wanted to do was go home take a hot shower, get some hot chocolate and lay on the sofa, with a magazine and watch something mindless on Television.
Watching television, and buying a magazine once in while, was just about the only contact she had with the muggle world.
Her mother had convinced her to get a telephone so they could talk. But with the exception of her mother and a wrong number no one ever call. On a couple occasions Mr.Weasley (Ron's Dad) had called her, he was trying to figure out still how they worked, he had gotten so excited the first time he did it right that he apparated at her house to see how he sounded on the other end, of course he could not hear himself, still gave him so much satisfaction that he had learn how to use the phonie as he called it. That he told her he wanted to get one for The Burrow, as soon as Mrs.Weasley would let him. He admitted he didn't know anyone that he could call, so he wanted her to keep the phone no matter what else she had to give up. Hermione told him, not to worry, that she was not going to give up her phone, and if he ever got one he could call her at any time.
After Harry, came back from His Quest For Enlightenment, as he called it. He had bought a large house, not too far from the Ministry, He had asked Hermione, and Ron to move in with him, she accepted first, so Ron decided it was not a good idea. For him to move in. It had become obvious, that at least for the moment, Hermione and him would not be getting back together. So he decided to stay with Fred and George, who he had been staying with, the last two years . Ron only had a few more months left at The Academy. Plus he had gotten used to living with his brothers. They where never home, either at the Bar or out, and he was spending so much time studying, where he lived was not high on his lists of priorities, and Fred and George's place was closer to The Academy. That was the excuse he gave Harry.
It was a large house, with four bedrooms, and three bathrooms, that had been Hermiones only requirement, she wanted her own bathroom, she did not want to share it with anyone, not even guests. And she would let them know, if someone new came to the house she would show them, the guests bathroom, so no one used hers. It was her pet peeve, after the communal bathrooms of Hogwarts, she told herself never again. So they had agreed, for her to take master bedroom which had it's own, and Harry took one of the upstairs bedrooms. They also had a large livingroom and a huge kitchen, with an equally huge dinning room. The house was situated, about three hundred feet from the street, with a very pretty and long driveway. It also made it easy to keep muggles out, with the trees and along driveway all they saw was an empty wooded field.
Harry had given her carte blanche, to decorate the house as she saw fit. He had made her a deal, she could not pass up, she would pick all the pieces, and decorations and appliances, and he would pay for them, and even though she was still working on it, she felt very much at home.
She had just walked in, gone to her bedroom to take her shoes off, and get ready to take a shower, when the front door bell rang.
She did not even peek thru the peep hole, she just opened the door.
And standing in front of her was Al. She could not believe it . Aldo Mora, here, how can he know where I was living. She had moved there right after Harry had done the cleansing on Al, plus he given him a memory charm, to let him forget all about his past. Harry knew what he was doing, if a second rate wizard had done it maybe, but not Harry Potter. Harry had become the most powerfull, if not the most knowlable wizard in the world, plus she had been with him when he did it, and he had done it right.
Al said "this are for you"
He handed her the most beautiful bouguet of roses, she had ever seen. She grabbed them, and went to kiss him , but then pulled back.
"Some habits are hard to break , aren't they"
"What habits do you mean"
"Kissing, someone you know"
"We did meet once, that one time , when you fainted , of course I know you , but that was it"
In his other hand he had a bottle of single malt , and a box of dutch powder cocoa "The chocolate is for you, the scotch for me. May I come in"
She was not sure, what to do. Of course she wanted him to come in. She just didn't know how he had found her. Why would he be here. She had thought about him just about every single day , since that afternoon when Harry not only wiped away two thousand years of memories, but also all the times they had been together.
Al had driffted in, and out of their lives for the last nine years, she always found him exciting , hansome and funny, but she had also felt some apprehension, and after that last day she had understood everything, all those times it was not Harry he had tried to help. She was the one, he had tried to protect. There had always been the attraction, even tension between then, but for so many years Ron had been a part of her life. In the beginning because Al, was almost four years older than her. When they met she was only fifteen. After that Ron had been in her life. She did not regret having been with Ron, for one minute.
But Al had always been, sort of the unobtainable wish. The kind, some times you stop thinking about because deep down, you know it will not happen. Three days before the cleansing when she had met with him, over at Fred and George's Muggle's Bar and Grill, over on Diagon Alley, before he left, he had kissed her and told her "I love you."
But three days later, all the memories where gone, no more memories of Hogwarts, the first time they danced, he had actually come to their Halloween Feast and Dance, just to have one dance with her, probably not, he was always doing some kind of deal and bussinees transaction no matter where he was, plus he was very good friends with Professor Dumbledore , not to mention the special bond he had with Hagrid, but yet he had come, when he said he would, or maybe he did come, just to see her. That night, nine and half years before, she had spend most of the night with Ron, but knowing that Al had been there, had made her feel, like she was the queen of the ball.
But all those memories are gone, or should be gone the good, and bad times. What brought him here, and how did he find me. Her house had charms to keep muggles from comming in, or even looking at it, most would not even see the house, if they looked at it. Yet he was here, with that great big smile, and those bright brown eyes, his light brown hair contrasted against his well tanned skin. He looked better than ever.
"Well are you going to invite me in or not"
"Yes, of course, come in"
"I, must look a mess, I just came in from work, look I'm barefooted, you just cought me, I was getting ready to take a shower " Hermione was trying to fix her hair, she had her hair up in a bun, and was trying to undoit.
"You look fine, let me make you a deal, why don't you go, take a shower, and I'll make myself a drink, and if you want I'll fix you some cocoa. Where you planning on going out tonight, cause if you are, I can come back some other time, that's if you want me to come back. "He gave one of those smiles that he gave, when it was a foregone conclusion what the answer was going to be, but he was, always polite no matter what the circumstances. One thing had not change about him, he was sure of himself, he always had an air of confidence, no matter who he was with, no matter what was taking place, not flashy, but confident. A man that was sure of himself, and did not have to impress anyone.
Hermione wanted a minute to think, what to do, should she just tell him, thank you, but I do have things to do. Maybe we can get together some other time, and that could be the end of. She was not going to do that, and she knew it. All she said was. "Well I do have some things to do, but they can wait. Let me take a shower . It will just be a minute. The kitchen is thru there " She pointed towards the back of the house.
"Just go , do whatever, I'll make myself a drink. I'm not going anywhere"
Hermione, just wanted some time to get her thoughts strait, she figure taking a shower would give a few minutes to think. She also wanted to look more presentable, fix her hair just a bit, get some lipstick, something she never wore to work. So she left Al alone in her house, and went in to take a shower.
She took about fifteen minutes to take her shower, and choose a dress, something she didn't have many off. She sliped into a confortable but tight fitting mauve dress. She put on a pair of sandals with a two inch heel , and finally got her hair, to do what she wanted, it took forever she thought. The last thing she did was to put some perfume on, it was the same one she had been using for years, it was a present from her mother, when she turned eighteen, and as she was ready to go out , she remembered no lipstick, went back into the bathroom, and put some on. She took a deep breath, an walked out into the living room.
Al was just sitting, nursing a drink, leaning back on the sofa, with one leg crossed over the other one, shaking his glass, like hoping the ice would melt so he could have a drink. She had seen him do that many times. One time she had asked him, what are you thinking about, when he was doing, about thesame, as he was doing now, he had told her."Just thinking, how lucky I am, I'm having a great drink in the company of a beatiful woman". In all the years, she had known Ron, he had never said anything to her that came even close to that, of course it was line, but Al made those corny and silly lines, sound believable. He was one of those individuals, who enjoyed and relished every moment of the day.
But that person was gone, Harry had erased his past, all his experiences, yet he looked , and was acting thesame. He told her that last day, that his previous lives where just, long forgotten memories, they had nothing to do with who he was. Yet his relationship with Hagrid had not been a forgotten memory. That had been real and he had payed for it.
"Well I'm ready, how are you doing"
He turned around to look at her, and said "Well are we going dancing, or are we going to talk, and if you smelled any better, wooo...Maybe, I should have brought eggs, and bacon for breakfast."
She gave him a smile, and a dirty look.
"I made some chocolate, I finally found some milk, "Udder Fresh Always Sweet Cows Nectar" I think , I'm quoting it right. It's a hell of a name for a bottle of milk, plus it comes in a metal tin, where did you get such a thing"
Not at any store that you would remember, she thought "It's a specialty store, not too far from here. So tell me how did you find me"
"Are you glad I found you"
How do you answer that. "Well I'm glad....I guess, is just that, I moved to this place, after I saw you last"
"An your phone number is unlisted, and you do not seem to have a place of employment , and you do not visit your parents very often, But you know , what you do have."
"No, tell me"
"A drivers license. If you do not want to be found, do not give the driver license office your correct address ."
"You did, you just got it renwed two months ago, I have a friend who looked up your name, and found a match, and gave me your number, I'm sure, you are not going to find this ficinating, but I did. Would you believe me, if I tell you I have been trying to find this house for a whole week, and I could swear, I have stood in front of it, maybe ten times, and could not see it, or at least, it would not register, that it was the right address. Is that a kick in the ass, or what"
"Well, we do have a long driveway, and trees, and the number is not on the street"
Al, took out something out of his pocket, and throw it on the table, that was in front of them, it was a handful of galleons and sickles "Do you know, what this things are"
Hermione was getting scare, Al had not remembered who he was, but he had some things, from the wizarding world, that he could not explain, she said "I'm sure they are novelty items, or an antigue, you have always liked antigues. Well I do not meen you have always liked them, a lot of people like them."
"I got thousands of those coins, I do not have a clue what they are, or where they came from.
"Would you believe I have a house in Marbella, Spain. Which I didn't know I had. I do not remember ever beign there, or buying it. I went three months ago, great place on the water, bought it about two years ago. Do you know How I found out, they sent me a Tax notice. Othrwise, I never would have known.
" You are going to love this, I have a vault the size of a small room in a swiss bank. Full of works of art, gold, old coins. I have two Velasguez,and three Goyas that once excisted, but haven't been seen for two hundred years, the reason why, they have been in this vault. I also have Dali's and Picassos, and many others, wouldn't you think, that's the kind of thing one would remember. Yet I have no idea, how I got those things. You know how I found out about it. For over two hundred years you have needed two keys to get in, two months ago they got in touch with me, they wanted to make it safer, so they wanted to add a combination to the safe. They wanted me to come by, and move them to temporary facility, I had two very old keys in my key chain, and for some reason decided to leave them, even though I had no idea what they could possibly be for , guess what, they where for the safe, and what's worst the people knew me, as soon as I came in, it was Mr.Mora this, and that, a few call me Al. It gets better, ownership of the vault gets transfer to a new person, as long as they have a password, to retrieve the keys, if they have been returned to the bank, for the future owner, and in my Will, I had made a reference to that very thing. Yet I did not remember having the vault, or that part of the will"
"How does that hit you"
Hermione did not know what to say, should she tell him the truth. It would be better, muggles knew about witches usually the parents of them, or close relatives. Maybe he is just blowing off steam. He was not mad. He was making it sound like a fantastic story, like many he had told her, over the years. "I have heard of temporary amnesia."'
He smile and laughted "If this temporary, I do not want to see partial or long term, I could have been president of Ecuador and not know it."
She had feared, the man she had known, for all those years, was a collage of all his personalities, and souls, as he had refered to them, but not so, he acted, had the same sense of humor, and did not care, or got angry if something went wrong, just like the Al, she had always known.
He took a sip out of his drink, and pulled a piece of paper out of his breast pocket "Here, is where you get to answer some question"
He handed her, the piece of paper. It turned out to be a photograph. It had been taken the day Fred and George open up their Bar. She was in the middle, Harry was on her left, Al was on her right, Fred, Ron and George where in back, with Fred holding a bottle of sigle malt, and George a Bottle of Butter Beer. She remember at the time, Al handing the two bottles to the twins before the picture was snaped, and saying, "It's the best of both worlds."
Hermione didn't say anything, she just looked at it.
"Can you explain to me, how I knew you liked hot chocolate, better than anything else, or how I knew the perfume you always wore, the sameone you are wearing now, or the fact that if you open the inside of that bracelet, inside of the clasp you will find an inscription. Have you ever looked at it, go ahead, take a look at it"
She never had looked inside of the clasp. Al had given her that Bracelet, that time she had seen him in Spain. It was the only piece of jewelry she always wore. It was braided gold with rubies. She had told him at the time that it was to extravagant, he had told her "It came with a house I bought". At the time she thought it was one of the silliest answers, she had ever heard. But she thought it was beautiful, and she had kept it. She open the clasp an on the inside it read "Con Amor-Al" (With Love-Al). A tear trickle down her cheek, she tried to wipe it off with her hand. But Al stoped her. Took her face in his hands and kissed her. She kissed him back.
They kissed for a few minutes, and she said "You have to get out of here, Harry might be back, and I don't want him to see you here, not until I get a chance to talk to him."
"'Are you and Harry....?"
"No, we are just house mates. Thats not the reason.
"Are you going to explain, how we know each other, and why I can only remember you, and why I feel for you, the way I do."
Hermione sounded frantic "I will, I promise, you just have to...."
Some one cough from the upstairs bedroom. And a voice said "Hermione, Al doesn't have to leave, I have been here the whole time." and he started coming downstairs. "Who do you think, let him see the house in the first place."
"Al, it is really good to see you again"
"You too. Still haven't done anythig about the....."and he pointed toward his own forehead.
"No ,I'm sort of attached to it"
"I had a pitbull once, but I wouldn't want to be attached to him"
Harry and Hermione laughed, and Harry said 'I have missed you Al"
Hermione put her arms around his neck, and kissed him and said "I also, have missed you "
The End- At least for now I have a third part, more adventure and action in the next one, let me know if I should go on.