Something that could break up even the Golden Trio
A/N: this chapter is also not edited. sorry again. This is the last chapter in the Twoshot, but I might carry on if I get an idea. rated K+ because of a bit in here. you'll find it. hope you like.UPDATED! once again, edited by the lovley LinnyLoo, THANKYOU! oh, and this story will eventually grow. but at the moment it will remain a two shot untill 'The Missing Boy' and 'Led by the Spirits' are complete.
Please R&R
'Part Two'
"But? She didn't tell me…how could she not tell me…something this big, this…Life changing!" Harry began to whisper, his mind filling to bursting point with questions.
"Well…I only found out on my birthday" Ella said quietly
"So you're not the only one who she didn't tell, I mean…I suspected it, with this-" she held up a lock of her black hair "- and all, but…" she trailed off. What more could she say?
Harry looked up at Ella –my daughter- she looked just as confused as he did. He pulled himself back to his feet using the bench, before sitting back down opposite her
"When was your birthday?" he asked quietly, hating himself for not knowing. But how could I know! She didn't tell me! How couldn't She have told me? How didn't I know?
Ella smiled again
"18th of May" she said, looking at her lap
"When…when did it happen?" Ella asked, his smile slipping, finally meeting his eye
"Mum told me that she was having a fight, or something with someone. She wouldn't tell me who. And…she said that I was the result…she hasn't told me much. Just that you are my …Dad" Harry felt his stomach tighten at the new name. He was so used to 'The-Boy-Who-Lived' and even his new title 'The-Man-Who-Won' however corny it was…but 'Dad'… 'Dad' put the most responsibility on his shoulders yet.
"Well…I can only think of…one time it could have happened," he said quietly. A blush rose on his cheeks, I'm too bloody old to blush he thought, running his hand though his hair again. Still trying to come to terms with it all he glanced another look at the girl sitting before him. He didn't know why, but he knew it wasn't a trick. No one could fake the look in her eyes…
As he started telling the tale he got lost in the bittersweet memory…
It was raining out, thunder was booming; the sound lingering long after the original noise had died away. Lightning lit up the room in sheets as the white light poured through the curtain less windows. The one-story flat was in the middle of London, it wasn't much, only a single bedroom, bathroom and one big room that served as everything else. But Harry hadn't wanted anything grand, even if he could easily afford it. No, he'd wanted something small and cosy…looking around the room he couldn't help but smirk. Still working on the cosy bit he thought, scratching his head with the tip of the eagle quill in his hand. He'd only moved in a few weeks ago, and unpacked boxes still littered the room, taking up any space they could. But he didn't have time to unpack them. He was too busy with his tests to become an Auror, and the Order of the Phoenix wasn't exactly a part time job; this was the first time he'd been home in a week…
"And what do I have to do in the little free time I have? Homework" he sighed and leaned back into the royal red couch he sat in. He rubbed at his eyes, unknowingly wiping a long smudge of blue ink across his cheek.
"Bloody hell. Thought I'd done enough of this in Hogwarts," he muttered as he sat back up and scanned the twentieth scroll in the pile. Twirling his quill between his fingers as he read, the ink that splattered all over him once again went unnoticed. He rubbed at his eyes again as another roar of thunder tore at the sky. In the candlelight the stack of scrolls piled beside him sent out thin wavering shadows…he'd forgotten to pay the power bill. Harry jumped as someone knocked on the door sharply, the sound almost drowned out by another bellowing clap of thunder. Wand out and ready he approached the door.
"Who is it?" he called
"Harry! Let me in!" Harry frowned as he heard her voice, opening the door slightly he saw her, already soaked to the bone in the downpour that was cascading from the stormy sky.
"Wha-" before he could even finish his question she had pushed past him, letting her sopping cloak fall to the polished wooden floor in a sodden heap. Harry closed the door quickly, tapping his wand against the wood as he replaced the charm that allowed only him to open it.
Harry turned to face her and bit his lip, her brown eyes were swimming with tears, the water on her face a mixture of rain and salt, her skin was red and blotchy…
"Hermione, what happened?" he asked as he drew her into a reassuring hug, she melted into his embrace; heavy sobs wracking her lean frame. After a moment he felt the fabric of his shirt grow wet and warm as it absorbed her tears.
But she didn't say a word.
Harry closed his eyes and bit his lip harder as he rubbed soothing circles on her back. She's Ron's. He had to remind himself as a damn of emotion threatened to break in his chest, she doesn't like me, she's engaged to Ron. Ron, not me.
"Harry" she moaned and he felt the damn wall crack slightly, her sobs had stopped, but she hadn't tried to move out of his arms. He slowly looked down at the top of her head, her brown hair slicked down to her scalp from rainwater and still dripping down her back.
"What happened Hermione?" he asked again, hugging her tighter, he felt her hand close into a desperate fist in the material of his shirt.
"I wet your shirt Harry" she whispered, Harry adjusted his grip on her so he could see her face which was turned away from him,
"That doesn't matter, you're avoiding the question, what happened?" he said softly, she buried her face deeper into his chest but didn't say a word.
"Hermione?" he prompted. She finally met his eye and what he saw in hers broke the damn even further.
"What happened?" he asked again, her lip began to tremble as more tears escaped her red eyes.
"R-R-R-R-Ron" she fought to say through her tears. Harry tried to keep the scowl off his face, Ron you basted. What did you do to her? He thought, hugging her tighter still.
"What did he do?" Harry asked, glad his voice didn't betray his anger. Hermione shook her head and Harry slowly steered her over to the couch and sat her down. He moved the pile of scrolls away as he sat beside her. Holding her cold hands in his he asked again.
"He-he-he" she stopped and closed her eyes, breathing deeper.
"He said he didn't want to marry me anymore" she whispered, her voice thick with suppressed emotion. More tears began to trickle down her cheeks. Harry folded her into another hug as she began to sob again. The damn in his chest starting to crumble at the edges under the pressure of the torrent behind it
"Shh Hermione. You know Ron; tomorrow he'll be grovelling at your feet saying his sorry. You know how he is" he whispered in her ear, she shook her head as she looked up at him
"He-He-he meant it this time!" she wailed. The damn shattered. She was inches from him, he could see every tiny detail of her face, see every one of her eyelashes drenched in her tears, he could see every single shade of brown swimming in her eyes, all the minuscule freckles that covered her nose…
He kissed her.
He couldn't help it, he'd loved her, wanted her for so long! But she'd been Ron's; she'd been out of bounds… he pulled away quickly, feeling the colour in his face drain away.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that! I don't want this to be harder for you! Forget-" Hermione placed one delicately soft finger on his lips as she shook her head.
"Stop Harry" she said, the smallest of smiles growing on her face.
"Just stop," she whispered and before he could say anything she was kissing him back. Hermione pushed him down against the couch and all of his scrolls fell to the floor as the kiss deepened.
And one thing lead to another.
Harry slowly felt himself return to the present. Ella was sitting beside him, when she'd moved from her seat opposite him he wasn't sure, Harry cleared his throat and finished the story.
"And the next day Ron begged for forgiveness like I knew he would. And Hermione went back to him. I thought that…I thought that night had changed everything when I woke up the next day. But it hadn't" he looked over at his daughter who brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
"…Or so I thought" Harry concluded. Ella looked up at him and he couldn't help but notice how much of her mother was in her. The shape of her face was exactly the same, her nose, her mouth, even the shape of her eyes were similar. Harry ran his hand threw his unruly hair once again, smiling weakly.
"You're lucky you only got my hair colour. I wouldn't wish this mess on anyone" he said, realising that he had only made his hair stick up more with his nervous habit.
Ella smiled again as she bit her lip.
"Mum asked me if you'd like to come to dinner sometime" she said softly, Harry stopped his hand from running through his hair again and settled on resting it in his lap.
"I'd like that" he admitted.
Ella smiled fully; it was obvious that she had thought he would decline the invitation. Looking at the little girl beside him he made a silent promise to her. He was going to do his best at giving her what he'd never had. A Father.
The End! (for now...) I hope you liked it. I really enjoyed writing Harry's memory. PLEASE REVIEW! once again, again, thanks to LinnyLoo for editing this!
-Mali
