A/N Here's the final part of Once in a Lifetime… I've decided to make a two-shot series AND a songfic series so watch out for them.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the plot.
Once in a lifetime…
By tangledshadows
h/hr
2/2
Harry's POV
Please let her wake up. Please, please, please! She has to wake! I didn't get to tell her how I feel!
My gaze strayed to the figure on the bed for which must have been the 50th time in two minutes. The only difference between then and now was that she stirred. Wait a minute! She moved. "Hermione!" I was at her bedside in an instant, covering her hand with my own.
"Harry?"
"Yes, yes it's Harry. Don't worry, I'm here."
Hermione's hand squeezed my hand lightly. "I want to go back to sleep…" Her eyes fluttered, and she was drifting off.
"No wait, Hermione, not yet. If you go to bed now, you may never get up again."
"Don't be silly Harry, I'm perfectly fine." But her voice was weak and there was absolutely no colour in her cheeks. "Just give me another hour." Her eyes fully closed and I knew I had to do something before I lost her forever.
"MADAME POMFREY!" I yelled, not tearing my eyes from Hermione's face.
The mediwitch bustled over. "Mr Potter," she scolded, "I assure you, there is no need to yell – oh!"
I had been gesturing wildly to Hermione and Madame Pomfrey finally got the idea.
"I just need to check her vitals to see which potion I should give her," she said crisply.
"Then by all means…"
I watched anxiously as Madame Pomfrey check Hermione's pulse, blood pressure, heart rate, heart, lungs, brain, bones and pupils. "That settles it," she said, rather pleased. "All she needs is a bone mending potion and a blood replenishing potion." She power walked past me. "By the way, Mr Potter, congratulations on defeating the Dark Lord."
Yeah, yeah whatever, just help Hermione! I nodded in acknowledgement.
Moments later, the nurse returned with a fizzing teal potion and a ghastly smelling orangey-red one. "Mr Potter, I'm going to need your help. Lift her head up and after I pour the potion in her mouth, massage her neck muscles so she can swallow."
I nodded and sat behind her, placing her head on my chest.
"I must warn you, Mr Potter that the bone mending potion will put her to sleep. And--" she said as I began to protest, "And, I shall simply cast Evenerate to wake her up. Ready?"
I took a deep breath and nodded. She began to pouring the orangey-red potion in Hermione's mouth, pulling her chin down with her thumb and forefinger. Immediately, I began to rub the glands in Hermione's throat and the potion disappeared down her oesophagus. Then came the teal potion and as I repeated the process, I felt her slump against me.
My palms became sweaty as I feared for Hermione's life. "Not to worry Mr Potter, I shall cast the Revival spell now."
Ha, easier said than done. Madame Pomfrey muttered the spell and a mauve glow encircled Hermione. Abruptly, I disappeared and she woke up. Rubbing her eyes, she slowly sat up with my help.
"Harry?"
"Yes Hermione, I'm here." Out of the corner of my eye I saw Madame Pomfrey slip out to give us privacy.
"Harry, is he gone?"
Instantly, I knew who she was talking about. "Yes, Hermione, he's gone."
I looked away, remembering the battle when I heard a chocking sound, and turned my head towards the girl in my lap and see that she's crying. I wrapped my arms around her. "Hermione, why are you crying?"
"It was just so scary," she muttered into my sleeve. I held her until she lifted her head and stared into my eyes. "Where's Ron?"
Now tears sprang to my eyes. "Hermione… Hermione, Ron's… Ron died after the dome collapsed. A shard of glass went through his skull." I chocked up when my voice cracked.
"Wh-what?"
"Ron's gone."
"Where?" she asked, not taking in any information.
"He's gone where people go after they die." I felt as if she had the innocence of a five year old.
"Are you sure?"
I nodded and hugged her tighter as she began to cry again. "Don't worry, he hasn't left us! He's still in our hearts."
She wrapped her arms around my waist, drawing warmth and comfort. When her grip began to loosen, I knew she had fallen asleep.
It had been 12 months since the Final Battle.
Hermione came rushing up to me and threw her arms around my waist. "I think- I think I've stopped grieving."
I didn't know how to respond to that so I just returned the hug. The past year had been hard for her. She had never considered, smart as she is, that when someone dies, they never come back. For weeks after she was out of the Hospital Wing, she would be talking to me then turned to her other side, expecting Ron to be there. But he never was. Then for days she'd mope, only to have the cycle repeat.
I'd had enough trouble dealing with Ron's death. It's hard just to lose a best friend like that, knowing that he's gone and he won't come back. It's hard, knowing that he wouldn't 'debate' with me about the Canons and the Tornados; that he wouldn't own me at Wizard's Chess or that I wouldn't beat him at Exploding Snap.
But it was because Ron wasn't here that I realized my feeling toward Hermione. When he was alive, I had always been scurrying between them, making sure their friendship was never blown to pieces. I had noticed Ron's feelings in Year Two when Hermione was Petrified. He couldn't even touch her, he was so afraid of breaking her.
With all of that going on, I didn't even notice my own feelings. I couldn't tell that my heart would jump every time I saw Hermione. Or that my pulse raced when she touched me. In fact, I was so used to it, I didn't even register it and it took Ginny to help me realize that I wouldn't be able to live with my best friend.
But my plan of telling her how I felt was delayed because of the Final Battle and its consequences. But she was okay now. I could tell her today.
"Hermione?"
"Yes?"
"I need to tell you something very important. I'll need you to think very carefully about it. Okay?"
She looked a bit confused but consented anyway.
"Hermione- look, I'm just going to come right out and say it. Hermione, IthinkIloveyou."
"Come again?"
"I said," I repeated, drawing out each syllable, "I think I love you."
Hermione looked stunned. "What?" she said, taking a step closer.
"I think I love you."
"You think you love me," she echoed, coming closer still. "Well guess what Harry James Potter?"
I cringed, expecting rejection. "What?"
"I think I love you too."
I know, I know, it is a bit rushed at the end – major understatement-. But I wanted to get it up in time for my birthday. Which is today. So as a birthday present, drop me a review. Thanks for reading!
Mandy
Mandy 3