My Eyes, Her Eyes

Hey guys! Thanks for hanging on. This chapter is shorter than the previous ones but, I dunno, it reveals a lot more about what Harry has been up tothese past seven years. It's kinda fast, which I don't like but it's the best I can come up with without ending the story right here right now. :)) I'm not sure whether or not it'll take me more time to write a new chapter but hopefully, less time. I know I've been really bad about reviewing but I did just finish my first year at Uni so I've been really, really busy. I haven't given up on any of my stories so please, please, please keep reading! :)


After seven long and agonizing years, Harry was once again at a loss as to what he should do. Because after those terrible years of loneliness, not only had he acquired a son, he had also had to deal with the return of his errant fiancé. For despite what the general public seemed to think, Harry James Potter was still very much engaged emotionally, legally and magically to Hermione Jane Granger.

Cursing the day he refused to release Hermione from their engagement unless she herself filed the request, Harry steeled himself for the confrontation he half-desired and half-dreaded. Last night he had lain awake on the couch in his study, willing himself not to feel the resentment and the bitterness that had been breeding in his heart for seven years.

Because for seven years, he had been living like a god-damned monk believing that the only reason Hermione hadn't come back was because she believed his lifestyle was exactly that of what the Daily Prophet reported, a lifestyle of drunkenness and debauchery. No—that wasn't true, that wasn't the only reason he considered. He went as far as giving up his job to prove to her that she mattered more than it did. But no, she hadn't come back when after being re-offered a position as Department Chair for Aurors – the highest position one could get as an auror – he still refused to become the workaholic he once was.

He only took cases if he was the only one who could possibly do anything about the situation—not that there had been many of those.

Eventually, after three years of waiting for her to come back, he gave up being an auror and took up teaching. Ironic that after tortuous months of inactivity he received a letter, and not just any letter, it was a Howler. And surprise of all surprises, it was from Professor Minerva McGonagall.

Despite their closeness while Harry was at school, Professor McGonagall was never one to meddle in her students' lives after graduation and so everyone who was present at that moment: Ron, Ginny, Draco and Luna, was more than a little shell-shocked by the informality and not just content of the howler.

Harry smiled a little at the outburst that had spurred him back into living for the months after quitting his job had been another dark period in his life.

He had turned into a shadow those months, allowing himself more time to wallow in the misery of being left. Looking to alcohol and memories as a way of comforting himself and reminding himself that at one point, he and Hermione were happy. And that they were in love – were being the operative word.

He went over the last few months with Hermione in his head. He was busy, and she was too! But, what had she been busy with? Harry furrowed his brow; he never really thought of the things that she had done to occupy her time in those months before she had left him. He had always assumed that she had been planning; planning for the day that she would leave him.

Shaking his head a little to clear those depressing thoughts from his head, he glanced at the clock on his mantle. It was half-past six in the morning, he stood up and made his way to James' bedroom, his son was apparently an early riser. Something he would have, and should have known, years and years ago.

"Mum, where's dad?" he heard James ask Hermione just as he was about to knock on his door.

"I don't know, James. He's probably off to the office already." Hermione said in a tired and somewhat bitter voice.

"But—he don't work in an office!" James protested.

"I suppose you say does not instead of do not, it's better grammar." Hermione corrected gently before addressing the issue of Harry again. "What do you mean he doesn't work in an office?"

"He said he stopped working as a wizard police ages ago! He's a teacher now." James declared, obviously a little put-out at his father's career choice.

"Hm." Was Hermione's only reply.

Harry waited to see if she would add anything before knocking three times then entering James' room.

"Good morning." He said barely looking at Hermione. He didn't notice her flinch at his obvious lack of enthusiasm to see her there.

"Dad!"

James flung himself into Harry's arms and started talking a mile a minute.

"Whoa, slow down son." Harry said affectionately, interrupting James' pleading about going to his play date with Scorpius. "How about we eat breakfast first before we head over to the Malfoy's?"

James nodded and wiggled down from Harry's embrace. "Come on mom! Let's eat! Kreacher promised me an Irish breakfast! I don't know what it is but it sounds tasty!"

Managing a weak smile at Hermione's look of horror mixed with hilarity that her son would be faced with such a daunting meal, Harry led the way to the kitchen.

Breakfast was not the awkward affair that Harry and Hermione had predicted it would be. James kept the conversation flowing with a never ending stream of questions directed to both his parents. Harry and Hermione exchanged little more than a "Pass the butter" Or "More coffee?"

The only downer throughout the meal was when James excitedly asked Hermione to come with him to the Malfoy residence.

"No." Harry said quickly and implacably, a little too quickly judging from the daggers shooting out of Hermione's eyes and the way James' face fell at his tone.

"You see," Harry explained in a gentler voice, "your Uncle Draco and Aunt Ginny have no idea that your mum is back, you wouldn't want to ruin the surprise would you?"

As Hermione excused herself to talk with Kreacher Harry sent James to get ready for his play date and waited ten minutes before going up to her.

"Hermione." He said, wishing his voice would be more business-like.

Hermione pivoted to face him, shocked at the tenderness in his voice. For a while as their gazes met, she thought his jade eyes had turned into warm velvet, but in a matter of two seconds they once again became shards of dark jade. "Yes?"

"Later, after I take James to the Malfoy's you and I are going to talk."

"About what?" Hermione said defiantly, raising her chin.

"About you leaving me and taking my son away from me among other things." He raised a hand to silence her mutinous protest and continued. "We will also talk about living arrangements for James. I refuse to let him be shuttled about between the two of us and I cannot and will not allow you to take him away from me again."

"Is that all?" she asked sardonically, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"No, that is not all!" He snapped "There is a great deal more to settle between us including the fact that you use conveniently 'forgetting' how to use magic as an excuse to keep my son away from me!"

As soon as the words flew out of Harry's mouth he immediately regretted them. No longer was Hermione's face rebellious, she looked positively stricken.

He instantly reached out to her, "Hermione, I –

"Just don't, Harry." She whispered. "Maybe I deserved that, your mistrust, I mean. But know this, I did leave you and I wronged both you and James by keeping you away from each other but I have never, ever, lied to you."

Harry watched her turn and walk away from him, the ache in his chest was excruciating. He couldn't let her walk away from him again; he had made that mistake one too many times.

He grabbed her from behind and said, in that tender tone that never failed to soften her in the past: "Hermione, love, I've missed you and I'm so, so, so unbelievably sorry."

Brokenly, she bowed her head and leaned into his arms and replied, "I know, me too, Harry. Me too."


Haha, sorry for ending it there but I think it's a good prelude to the next chapter, which is already mapped up in my head. :) So... review, review,

review!