Ok folks, chapter 2 is up! Sorry it takes me forever to get them done. I'm getting ready to move back to school and I'm going to be SUPER busy this year. Well I hope you enjoy it! :)
Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER
Harry
Harry wandered his house aimlessly. He was ashamed that he stunned his wife. He'd done it before and felt immense guilt then as well. He raked his hands roughly through his hair as if pulling out his hair would make his life better.
A soft knock startled him from his thoughts. Forgetting he was dressed in only his sleep pants and that it was basically a blizzard outside, he opened the door to a wide-eyed Hermione.
"H-Harry! You really should put on something decent!" She pushed past him into the foyer.
He looked down and then turned a brilliant shade of scarlet. "Oops! Sorry 'Mione. Let me get dressed." He bolted up stairs feeling even more ashamed then before.
Hermione made herself comfortable on the large white sofa while waiting for Harry. A few minutes later a sleepy eyed James and Albus made their way down the stairs, followed closely by Harry who was holding a squirming Lily.
"Sorry, the kids woke up and they should be fed. Ginny left a while ago but thankfully left food waiting for them." It wasn't that Harry was a terrible cook. Quite the opposite, he was an exquisite chef but hated cooking because it reminded him of the Dursleys. He only cooked when he had to and on special occasions. Ginny never understood, but didn't mind. Hermione knew and understood why he never cooked and so always made sure to cook for him when possible.
"Of course Harry. I'm fairly certain Ron fed the kids after I left. They're so particular at this stage. I can barely keep up." Hermione said pulling out the food Ginny had set aside for the children's breakfast and using a heating charm. "Do any of your children have any particular likes or dislikes? I've read, in a muggle book of course, that if a child doesn't like a certain food you should 'take it off the menu' for a week and then re-introduce it later." She put the plates in front of Albus and James. "I don't know about that. What do you think Harry?" She had summoned four glasses and magicked them to fill with apple juice for Albus, milk for James and orange juice for her and Harry.
Harry sat on his stool by the kitchen island holding baby Lily and staring at the counter. He slumped forward making Lily uncomfortable. She started squirming so violently she started to slip from Harry's grasp.
"Albus! Grab your sister please!" Hermione said reaching an arm across the island. Albus did as he was told, almost failing to catch his sister.
"HARRY JAMES POTTER! You almost dropped your daughter. What is the matter with you?" She screeched, coming around the island to look him in the face.
Not realizing Lily had been taken from him, he looked at his empty arms and asked, "Hey, where's Lily?"
"Your daughter almost fell from your arms." She pointed at Albus who was trying to calm a wriggling crying Lily.
"Oh," he whispered. "I hadn't realized. I'm sorry guys, today didn't start well and your mother and I…" he trailed off, not knowing what he and Ginny were at the moment.
"Albus and James could you please take Lily upstairs. If she needs to be changed could you please do it? I'll make you a special lunch if you will." Hermione whispered while pulling Harry to her, holding him tightly.
Harry was glad Hermione was holding him so he could cry without his children seeing his weakness. When he was done he looked up at Hermione and told her he was sorry for crying.
"No! Don't be sorry Harry. What happened to make you fall apart like this?" They had moved to and were sitting on the sofa in the sitting room.
"The war happened. I was born and that's what ruined my life. Voldemort just HAD to pick me, didn't he?" He was looking at his hands in his lap. "I don't regret anything in my life and I'm glad it was me who stepped up to defeat him. And I'm glad I could do something in my life. But it's so overwhelming sometimes." He didn't dare meet Hermione's eyes in case she was ashamed of him.
"I know. I was there by your side; Ron and I both were, for many years. No, this is not the life you should have led, no one should lead that life. But you did. You did so with grace and courage." She took her hand in his and looked into his eyes with so much affection Harry started crying again.
"But so many died for me. They shouldn't have died Hermione! Remus and Tonks are dead and their son, my godson, is all alone in this world. It's not right or fair!" He yanked his hand out of hers and paced in front of the sofa.
"Harry, they would have died for the cause with or without you. The war, ending Voldemort, was something they believed in. They knew the risks and they choose to act anyway. As for Reums and Tonks, they wanted a better life for their child." Hermione pulled him back onto the sofa. "YOU have no personal responsibility for them. They were consenting adults and they made their own choices. You cannot blame yourself for their deaths." She had placed a hand on the side of his head. "You do, however, have responsibility for your children and your godson. You need to start taking better care of yourself."
"I know Hermione." He covered her hand with his. "It's so hard when there's no one to talk to and I bottle everything up. I know Ginny would be happy to talk and listen but she wasn't THERE with us. She can sympathize but she cannot understand. I need someone who understands me." He looked up from his lap and into her amazing chocolate eyes.
"Well, you asked me to talk. Maybe I could be some sort of therapist for you Harry. I've read loads on psychology. And it might help me as well, to get some things off my chest. We could do a sort of weekly meet up and just talk. Will that work for you?" Hermione had withdrawn her hand and pulled her calendar out from her purse. "It appears I'm free most Sundays, late morning or afternoon. How about you Harry?"
Harry, suddenly shocked he missed Hermione's hand on his face, nodded dumbly. "Yeah, I s'ppose that would work. Ginny's gone for Merlin knows how long, but I'd rather we not tell her just yet." He looked back down at his lap, "thank you, Hermione, for understanding and for not judging me."
"No need to thank me, Harry. You're my best friend and I want to help you." She stood up from the sofa. "Oh it's getting well past lunch, I really should get home. I wonder if my house is still standing!" She laughed lightly.
Harry joined her and escorted her to the foyer. "I'm really glad I decided to ask YOU for help Hermione." He said helping her into her coat. "But are you going to be alright in that? It's quite cold out there."
"Honestly Harry! You sound exactly like Ronald! He said the same thing before I left." She playfully glared at him and stomped her foot. "But yes, I will be quite alright. I'm only apparating anyway. I won't be in the cold long."
"Alright," he said almost sad, "I guess I'll see you next Sunday then?" he asked looking at her standing in the door frame.
"Yes, Sunday at 11:00 am sharp! I will be here whether you want me or not!" She pointed a finger at him.
"You are always welcome here Hermione. See you." He waved her good bye. With a smile and a wave she disappeared into nothing.
Hermione
"Ron, I'm home!" Hermione yelled, peeling off her jacket and throwing it in the hall closet. It occurred to her after she had taken off her boots she had not yet been greeted by her children or her husband.
"Ron… Ron Weasley… Ronald? Merlin's pants, RONALD BILIUS WEASLEY! WHERE ARE YOU?" She walked into their living room and was greeted with the sight of a giant pillow fort her husband and children were sleeping in. Well, her children fit fully into the fort while Ron's legs were sticking out.
"Oops." She moved to cover Ron's feet when all of a sudden her children and Ron tackled her to the ground.
"Mummy! Do you like our fort? Weren't we so quiet when you came home?" Hugo was bouncing on her stomach.
"Daddy told us to be very quiet and pretend to sleep! He wanted to surprise you!" Rose was pointing her finger at Ron.
"Hey you rascals, you wanted to surprise her too!" He fake-frowned at Rose. "Welcome home, Love. How was Harry's?" He kissed her forehead.
"You went to see Unca Harry and didn't tell us?" Rose cried indignantly. "I haven't seen him for two whole weeks Mummy!" She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. Rose and "Unca Harry" were very close. Before Harry and Ginny had a daughter, Harry always doted on Rose. It wasn't that there was a lack of baby girls in the Weasley family, but it was because she was so much like her mother.
"Yes baby girl. I went to see Unca Harry. He wasn't feeling so well and asked me to come over. I think he's doing a bit better today, but maybe we should visit him more often, hmm? What do you think about that?"
"YES MUMMY! OH PLEASE MUMMY! Maybe Unca Harry can teach me more about flying a… oops." Rose clamped her hands over her mouth.
"Rose! That was a secret! Now you mother will never let us hang out with Unca Harry alone!" Ron was lying on his side and fake chastising Rose.
"I'm sowwy daddy. It was an accident!" Rose's words were muffled by her hands.
Hermione just laughed it off and plucked herself up from the floor. "All right my little garbage disposals, who's hungry?"
"Me!" Ron exclaimed first and loudly.
"You're always hungry Ron! Come help me with lunch please." Hermione said from the kitchen window which looked into the dining room and family room. It was amazing how her life and fallen into place. She would never trade her family for a moment. But it was this feeling that made Hermione stop and feel guilty. Harry's life was falling apart while hers was falling together.
Hermione was staring into nothing, the spatula poised to flip the grilled cheese she was making.
"Oy! You're gonna burn the sandwiches!" Ron cried out and slid himself between Hermione and the stove, taking over in order to rescue his sandwich.
"Oh, dear. I must have been spacing out. I'm sorry. Are your precious sandwiches ok?" She had been knocked back into the cupboards behind her. They stared at each other for a few moments.
"He's that bad, is he?" Ron reached out and took her hand.
"I'm afraid so. Ginny left for her world tour this morning and Harry was so out of it he almost dropped baby Lily!" Tears were filling her eyes as she recalled the look on Harry's face.
"It's alright love," Ron pulled her into a hug, wrapping his arms around her shoulders with her arms on his chest. "Harry will pull through this, he always does. I'm sure he will be ok."
"You're right," Hermione said, pulling away slightly but still remaining in his arms. "Harry and I are going to have a weekly chat, therapy, if you will."
"Ther-a-what?" Ron asked, looking puzzled.
"In the muggle world, it's when people who are depressed, anxious or just need someone to talk to, go to see a special type of a doctor, a mind doctor, who they talk to on a regular basis. It's been proven that talk therapy, in combination with medication, is the best way to treat depression. So Harry and I are going to do that. I'm going to be his 'mind doctor', so to speak."
"Oh. Why didn't you just say you're going to talk to him every week?"
"I did! That's what therapy is my dear!" Hermione giggled and fully hugged Ron. "C'mon now. I s'ppose we better feed the garbage disposals before they eat everything else."
Alright, what did you think? Read and review! No flames please but constructive criticism is always welcome!
