Author's Note: This isn't really my best chapter…but I got a year finished! Yay for progress! This starts out in Harry's point of view, but then goes into Hermione's point of view.
Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter, blah blah blah.
Warning: Deathly Hallows spoilers. Seriously – you should read the book, since you like Harry Potter so much.
Nineteen Years – Chapter Seven
I love them both – in two extremely different ways.
Harry was extremely nervous. And he had a good reason to be nervous. He was expected to make a speech in front of the entire Ministry of Magic about the anniversary of the battle at Hogwarts; more importantly, the fall of Voldemort.
He didn't even write anything down, and today was the day he was to make the speech.
"You'll come up with something, Harry!" Hermione kept trying to calm his nerves. "Hey, how about you don't write anything at all and just say what comes to mind?"
Harry took in Hermione's suggestion. He had done the same thing exactly a year ago in the Great Hall. "I guess I can try that…"
The Ministry was extremely crowded. As Harry and Hermione pushed themselves through people, they received glances and snickers. Hermione sat in the front row, and Harry ran off to find the new Minister, Francis Eyesenberg.
"Ah! Harry Potter! Pleasure to finally meet you in person," Eyesenberg said as he patted Harry on the back.
"Pleasure to meet you too, Minister."
"Are you ready for the speech?"
"Er…Yes," Harry hesitated. The Minister gave him a smile and gestured him to a podium in the front of the Ministry of Magic's lobby.
"Welcome! I am pleased to announce that a year ago, Harry James Potter defeated Lord Voldemort," the Minister began. A few people gasped that he said Voldemort's name and Harry rolled his eyes. "And now we present to you, the man who saved us from such evil, Harry Potter!"
The crowd roared, which lifted Harry's spirits. He didn't feel nervous anymore as he stood up to the podium.
"Hi, everybody." The majority of the crowd chuckled that he would begin such an important speech with saying 'Hi'.
"Well, as the Minister explained, Lord Voldemort was defeated a year ago today. But I can not say that I was the one to defeat him, because I never would have done so if it weren't for the brave souls who helped me along the way," Harry found Ron and Hermione, ignoring each other, in the front row and smiled at them. "I could not express my thanks enough to you guys.
Three years ago, if you would have said that in just three years that I would have defeated Voldemort for good, I would probably call you mad. Why? Because at first, I didn't make much progress. I kept defeating him, but he would always return. Albus Dumbledore, may he rest in peace, taught me a…method…of how to finally kill him off," Harry was careful to not slip anything about the horcruxes, even if it was over. "During what should have been my seventh year at Hogwarts, my two best friends and I went on a 'trip', you might call it, to complete what Dumbledore would have wanted us to do. Those two best friends and Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley. Will you two come up here please?"
Hermione and Ron shot each other glances and went their separate routes to the front of the podium. The crowd roared with applause, and Harry's two friends looked in complete shock that so many people would be clapping for them.
"There are also several other people who helped me, but it would take me forever just to announce them all. If you fought at the battle of Hogwarts, please make yourself recognizable," Harry said, as he saw many people from the Order and young men and women from Harry's year and the year below them stand up. Most of them were Gryffindors. The crowd roared with cheers and applause once again, and everyone went back to their seats.
"Well, since there isn't much more to say, I'll take this back to the Minister," Harry announced as he moved back, making room for Eyesenberg.
"Thank you, Harry, for making that speech. I agree with Mr. Potter that there isn't much more to be said or done, so I recommend that we all –" several sighs were heard, and everyone knew that they had to go back to work. "You know what, just go back to your homes and celebrate!" the minister exclaimed, causing the crowd to explode with excitement. Harry started making his way back to Hermione when Francis Eyesenberg stopped him. "Thanks again, Harry. I wouldn't have been able to make such a speech, considering that I'm not the Boy-Who-Lived. You really saved me."
Harry nodded. "It was nothing, Minister."
"Oh, and Harry?" he said as Harry was finally able to leave the podium.
"Yes?"
"I owe you."
Harry smiled and walked away.
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(Now in Hermione's point of view)
"I knew that you could do it, Harry!" Hermione said, hugging her best friend tightly. He simply smiled at her.
"Good job, mate. I knew you weren't gonna take all the credit," Ron said, playfully punching Harry's arm. Hermione walked away, afraid to be confronted by Ron. She walked so fast that she ran into Ginny.
"Oh! Sorry, Ginny!" she said, rubbing her forehead from the minor injury she just got.
"It's no problem. I was looking for you, actually. Can you follow me?" Ginny said in a serious kind of tone.
Hermione walked up with Ginny into her bedroom. It was pink and completely girly. Her dressers were decorated with stars, and there were Holyhead Harpies posters on the wall. Hermione looked back at Ginny, who had been looking at her with much thought the entire time. They weren't exactly on the best of terms, but seemed to share small talk here and there whenever Hermione was dragged to the Burrow by Harry.
"So…" Hermione began. "What did you want to talk about?"
"Why won't you go back to Ron?"
"Excuse me?"
"You know what I said."
"I think that's a bit of a sudden question to ask me. Why do you want me to go back to Ron?"
"Ron's miserable without you! Can't you see it?"
"Actually, I've been too busy ignoring him. He's broken my heart too many times."
"Or is there someone else?" Ginny accused with rage.
"I'm guess you're talking about Harry?" Hermione said in a calm tone, knowing what was coming for her.
"You've got that right! He's MINE!"
"Well, I'm pretty sure that Harry seems to think otherwise."
"It was all Draco's fault! He put me under the Imperious Curse!"
"That's fantastic and all, but Harry just couldn't seem to fall back in love with you again. What can I say; bad things happen all the time, and sometimes you can't do anything about it," Hermione said, mocking Ginny with her calmness.
"Well, I can definitely do something about it, Granger! He fell for me once, and he'll fall for me again!" Ginny screamed.
"So, you were saying that Ron's miserable without me?"
"You better stop with that innocent tone!"
"Make me," Hermione turned her head to the side, making Ginny even angrier.
"Okay, okay, I want to settle this in a civil way," Ginny surrendered.
"A civil way? I think with you and your temper, that's quite impossible. Oh, and I don't think I'm going back to Ron any time soon. As I said before, he left me with a broken heart too many times," Hermione replied. Ginny grabbed her wand.
"You'll never get Harry. Never! I'll make sure of it!" Ginny said.
"What makes you think I fancy him?"
"Anyone with a brain knows it, Hermione! Are you really that…dull?"
Hermione then grabbed her own wand and heard two pairs of footsteps running to the door. Harry and Ron bursted through it, almost knocking the door down. "We heard screaming. Is there a problem?" Harry asked.
Ron looked at the girls with their wands. "You think?"
"Oh, no, we were just sharing a…pleasant…conversation. Weren't we, Ginny?" Hermione said, hoping that she would go along with it.
"Don't start with me, Granger!" Ginny exclaimed. Hermione saw Harry take out his wand. "Trying to protect her, are you, Harry? What about me? Don't you want to protect me?"
"I don't want to hear it, Ginny," Harry said, not even looking her way. "What was all the commotion about?"
Hermione dropped the innocent act and spoke up. "Ginny was wondering why I didn't go back to Ron after he broke my heart several times," she began. She saw Ron look down at his feet, but continued. "It was mainly because she wanted –"
"Nothing! I wanted nothing! I just want the best for my dear brother. Is that such a crime?" Ginny interupted, obviously not wanting Hermione to say anything more.
"I highly doubt that you were in a pleasant conversation when you had your wands out," Harry said, ignoring the two.
"Whatever! I'm leaving!" Hermione exclaimed as she stormed out of the room. She ran downstairs into the sitting room, where Mrs. Weasley was resting on a couch drinking tea.
"Oh, hello, Hermione, dear! I heard some commotion upstairs. Is everyone alright?" Mrs. Weasley said in a concerned tone.
"Yes, everyone's okay." Hermione realized that there were tear marks on Mrs. Weasley's cheeks. It was the anniversary of Fred's death.
"Do you mind if I ask you something, dear?"
"Not at all, Mrs. Weasley," Hermione said and she sat down next to her.
"Are you and Ron, er, together?"
"It's pretty complicated, actually. We were…kind of…I hate to say it, but he broke my heart a few times. I heard that he wasn't doing well ever since we…separated."
Mrs. Weasley slightly nodded, taking the words in and sipping some more of her tea.
"Ron is in a horrible condition. He won't even eat," Mrs. Weasley said, looking down. "Nope, nothing at all. He's been keeping to himself a lot lately."
"You know that I don't like him being in such a condition, but…I can't, Mrs. Weasley…I just can't be with him. A heart can only break so many times…"
"Oh, no dear, I wasn't asking you to get back together with Ron. I would never force you to love anyone. I just…wanted to know why you two didn't start again with your relationship. Apparently, my youngest son is a heartbreaker. But is there…more to it?"
"I don't see what you mean," Hermione lied. She felt something get caught in her throat.
"Hermione, dear, I have been married to Arthur for many, many years. I know what love is, and I know the signs of it. It's Harry, isn't it?"
Mrs. Weasley had caught her off guard. Hermione clutched onto a pillow on the couch and placed it on her lap. "I really don't know, Mrs. Weasley."
"You may go now, Hermione. Thank you for your time," Mrs. Weasley took one last sip of her tea.
Puzzled, Hermione walked out of the sitting room. Why had so many people questioned her feelings for Harry? More importantly, why did they care? But she knew the answer: since she had her two best friends as guys, she almost had to fall for one of them.
Ron was there to love her, but what about Harry? Harry was there, but was it to love her? Not really, she thought. He was there to protect her and care for her. Then she remembered what she had said to Harry nearly a year ago.
"If I truly care for someone and I would do anything to protect them mean that I love them?" Harry asked Hermione.
"To me, yes, it means that you love them," she said.
Hermione smacked her head. Harry had asked her that question not about Ginny, but about her. She needed to get back to her room at Twelve Grimmauld Place and think, or at least be alone with Harry. She just needed to get away from where she was standing. Without even really thinking about it, Hermione apparated herself back into her room.
She took out her journal and sat down on her bed.
"Hermione?" Harry stood in front of her doorway.
"Hi, Harry," she said, not looking up from her journal.
"Why did you leave?"
"Er…I'd rather not say."
"Okay," Harry said in an understanding tone. "I'll be in the sitting room if you need me."
Hermione nodded and looked up only to see him sulk out of the room. She felt guilty about not confiding in him – but then again, he didn't share too much with her, either. Maybe I should go and check on him, she thought. Hermione walked down the stairs to see Harry sitting down, looking into the fireplace. She sat down next to him.
"Hey," she said.
"Hey."
"Sorry about before, I –"
"It's alright, Hermione. You don't have to share everything with me. I understand," he said, still looking into the fireplace. Hermione looked down. Even though he was serious, she felt bad.
"Are you okay? You seem kind of upset."
"I'm fine," he answered quickly.
"Is it me? Did I make you angry?"
"No, it's not you."
"Who is it, then?" Hermione asked curiously.
"It's nothing, really."
"But –"
"It's nothing, Hermione!" he snapped at her.
Before she could control herself, tears started to emerge from her eyes.
"Hermione, I –" Harry said with a look of guilt covering his face.
"Are you trying to push me away from you? Is that it?!"
"No, not at all!"
Hermione ran up the stairs and into her bedroom. Why did Harry have to keep to himself like that? Suddenly, she heard a knock on her bedroom door.
"Hermione?"
"What do you want?!" she snapped.
"Can I come in?"
"NO!"
Harry didn't answer, and she heard footsteps trudge past her door.
"I should have let him in…Hermione Granger, what have you done?" she said to herself.
Hermione walked out of her room and tiptoed to the doorway of Harry's. He was sitting on his bed and looking down at his feet, sulking.
"H-Harry?" Hermione said, inching her way into his room.
"Yes?"
"I'm really, really sorry. I'm such a horrible person!"
"You're not a horrible person, Hermione," Harry said, still not making eye contact with her.
"But I am! You respected the fact that I didn't want to share something with you, so I should have done the same! I just…you never really…you always keep to yourself…I want you to trust me…" Hermione began sobbing. Finally, Harry looked up at her.
"I trust you with my life."
"I know, but…you don't tell me much…I tell you a lot…why can't you…I don't…understand…"
"What don't you understand?" Harry's tone was calm.
"You keep to yourself a lot, even to me. I just don't get it. You have to tell people how you feel sometimes, Harry."
Harry didn't reply.
"Are you afraid that you'll push people away?" Hermione asked.
He shyly nodded and Hermione felt a huge pang of guilt as she remembered what she had said to him: "Are you trying to push me away from you? Is that it?!"
"Oh my gosh, Harry. I'm so sorry!" Hermione said. She hugged him tightly. "I didn't mean it! I swear, I didn't! I was just mad and I screamed without thinking! I'm really sorry!"
Harry pulled away and cupped her face in his hands, wiping away her tears with his thumbs. Hermione closed her eyes at his touch. "I forgive you, Hermione."
Looking into Harry's eyes, she knew that she still loved Ron. Despite their bickering throughout their years at Hogwarts and the heartbreaks that he had caused her, she still loved him. It hurt to think that it just wouldn't work out between them. She couldn't go pull Ron through the "oh, she'll come back to me" phase. Hermione needed to tell him that even though she loved him, it just couldn't be.
"I need to go," she told Harry. He gave her a puzzled look and stepped back.
"Where?"
"The Burrow. I need to tell Ron something. Something important."
"Do you want me to come with you?" Harry offered.
"Er…I'd rather you stay here…"
"Oh, okay. I'll…erm…be here then, if you need me."
Hermione nodded back to him and apparated into the Burrow. "Ron?" she called him.
"H-Hermione?" Ron muttered. He was at the top of the staircase, and Hermione was at the bottom. Ron did look dreadful. His eyes looked tired and he had a thinner figure from when she remembered him as.
"Ron, I need to talk to you. Can we go in your room?" Hermione asked urgently. Ron nodded and she followed him into his room. It was extremely messy, she realized.
"What?" Ron questioned her, almost with an attitude. Hermione was taken aback, but continued.
"This 'thing' that we have…it can't work out. I'm sorry, but I just…I can't, Ron."
"But –"
"I'm sorry. I really am. I hate to see you like this, but you're only being depressed because you think that I might come back to you. Well, I…I won't. I can't go on with the bickering and heartbreaking," Hermione said.
Ron didn't answer.
"It just won't work out between us romantically. I love you, Ron. I truly do; but we don't necessarily get along too well, and you don't understand me sometimes. It is over, and it will stay like that for good," Hermione finished.
"Okay," he replied.
"So…you're alright with it?"
"Yes, I am, actually. And I feel a lot better actually," Ron said. Hermione thought that he was being sarcastic, but she realized that he didn't show any signs of it. "I think I'll be okay. Thanks, Hermione. I was being such a prat about dragging this whole depression thing," Ron was saying it more to himself, trying to calm himself down.
"I know that you were," she said.
Ron playfully punched her in the arm. "So we're…okay?" she asked.
Ron shrugged. Hermione's eyes started becoming teary from his reaction. He was heartbroken, and she knew it. Without being able to handle anymore of it, she apparated into Twelve Grimmauld Place.
"Harry? I'm back!" she called him.
"I'm in the sitting room," he replied. He tended to like that room the most, and Hermione couldn't exactly understand why.
She walked into the room and saw that Harry was sitting on the floor rather than one of the couches.
"Er…why are you sitting on the floor?"
"Why not?" Harry smiled.
"You have a point there," Hermione said as she sat next to him.
"How'd it go?" he asked.
"It could have gone better…"
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"I…I hurt him, Harry. I broke his heart into a million pieces. I feel horrible," Hermione cried.
"You still love him, don't you?"
Hermione looked into Harry's eyes and nodded. Harry placed an arm around her and she snuggled into his shoulder. Suddenly, tears were pouring out of her eyes uncontrollably. Harry wiped her tears just as he had done before.
"It…it just can't work out. I couldn't stand anymore bickering and heartbreaking. I love him, and he loves me, but it simply wouldn't work out between us."
"I'm sorry, Hermione."
Hermione simply nodded without looking at him. She knew that he was at a loss for words.
"I think I'm going to be alright."
"Are you sure?"
Hermione moved over to be in front of Harry and leaned back onto his chest. He gently placed his arms around her.
"Maybe," Hermione finally answered, tears emerging from her eyes again. Harry kissed her cheek softly, which sent chills up Hermione's spine, and she moved her head back further so that it touched his neck.
Hermione closed her eyes and before she knew it, she fell asleep in Harry's arms.
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"Good morning," Harry whispered in Hermione's ear, which woke her up the next morning.
"Good morning," she replied, still resting in his strong arms. "What time is it?"
"Noon."
Hermione jumped up onto her feet. "Noon?!"
"Did you sleep well?"
"Apparently!" Hermione said, pacing around the room.
"Calm down, Hermione, it's a Saturday."
"R-Right…" she said, embarrassed that she got so worked up over something so little.
"I'm going to take a shower," Harry said, and she nodded.
Hermione went up to her room and took out her journal again, but instead of writing in it, she flipped through some pages and found one about her with her parents on a trip. Tears were falling from her eyes; she missed her parents, but she needed to keep them safe. From what? She thought. Voldemort is defeated, and most of the Death Eaters are put away in Azkaban. She needed her parents. It was about two years since she had seen them, and now they had false identities in Australia, not even knowing or caring that they had a daughter. More tears emerged from her eyes at the truth.
"Harry!" she screamed, wanting to tell him that she needed his help to lift the charm from her parents. He was in the shower. No, she couldn't wait. She ran up to the bathroom door and called his name again. "Harry! I need you to come out now!"
"Hermione, I'm kind of busy!" was his response.
"But…it's about my parents! Please come out!" she cried. He didn't answer. "HARRY!"
He still didn't respond; Harry was ignoring her – he was too busy taking a shower. Hermione did the unthinkable and bursted through the bathroom door. "HARRY!"
The shower curtain was open, and there was Harry, fully exposed before his friend. "What the bloody hell is wrong with you?!" he screamed at her.
"I need my parents!"
"Hermione, you could honestly wait for a few more minutes!"
Hermione began to cry again. "N-No…" Without even thinking about it, she ran up and hugged him.
"Er…Hermione…" Harry said uncomfortably.
"Shut up!" she screamed, still crying and hugging him.
"Don't you think this is…erm…uncomfortable?"
"S-Sorry," Hermione said, walking away and blushing furiously. She averted her eyes, and this gave Harry the opportunity to put a towel over him. "I got a little carried away…I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."
"You're soaked."
"I don't care. I…I need my parents!"
"I kind of realized that," Harry said. "Do you need my help?"
"Yes, please."
Harry nodded. "Could you give me some time to get dressed?"
Hermione walked out of the bathroom, ashamed of what she had done. Have you gone completely mental, Hermione?! You just hugged Harry when he was in the shower! A voice inside her head told her.
A few minutes later, Harry walked out of his room in a plain t-shirt and pants. "How strong is the charm that you put on them?"
"It's good enough to last for about ten years."
Harry nodded his head, still avoiding Hermione's gaze. He was still shocked about what she did just before.
"So we'll both have to use the counter charm at the same time. They should return to my house, thinking that they simply went on a long vacation and that I was alright with it," Hermione stated.
They both murmured the counter charm with their wands out, using almost all of their strength.
"D-Did it work?" Harry asked.
"Let's check," Hermione said, linking arms with Harry and apparating them onto her front lawn.
The Granger's residence wasn't much of what Hermione had remembered. Since Dan and Emma Granger had "disappeared", the maintenance of the house was not kept; they had hired landscapers and such, and they obviously stopped coming because they weren't being paid. The neighbors seemed to avoid this house, probably thinking that it was haunted or that the Grangers were criminals on the run.
Hermione and Harry walked into the living room of her home in silence. Before them were Dan and Emma Granger sitting in the room, drinking tea. "Mum! Dad!" Hermione squealed, rushing up to her parents and hugging them dearly.
"Hermione!" they replied, hugging her back.
Harry stood back and let them exchange greetings and tears. Dan Granger looked over Hermione's shoulder and saw Harry.
"Hermione, who is this young man?"
"This is Harry Potter, dad," Hermione introduced him.
"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Granger," Harry said, shaking his hand firmly, yet nervously.
"Same here, Harry."
"Oh, Harry Potter…I remember Hermione telling me loads about you. All good things, dear," Mrs. Granger interupted, shaking Harry's hand, and he nodded softly.
"Harry defeated Lord Voldemort last year," Hermione said.
"Yes, I remember him. Very evil man, from what Hermione has told me," Mrs. Granger said, not the least bit affected about speaking of him. "Well, are you two hungry?"
Hermione looked at Harry and saw him shrug. "Yes, mum. A little bit."
"Let's eat, then!" Mrs. Granger exclaimed, gesturing everyone into the kitchen. "So, Hermione, where have you been while we were gone?" she asked while she was cooking lunch.
"Actually, I've been living at Harry's house."
"Oh, I see," Mrs. Granger. "Thank you for letting her stay with you, Harry. She enjoys your company, from what I have heard from her."
Harry simply nodded and Hermione blushed.
"And do Harry's parents approve of this?" Hermione's father asked.
"Actually, sir, my parents were killed by that man Voldemort when I was one year old," Harry said with almost no emotion. Hermione remembered telling her parents this at one point, but they must have forgotten.
"I'm sorry, dear," Mrs. Granger said with a sympathetic look. Mr. Granger understandingly nodded. "So…you purchased your own home?"
"No, not really. My godfather was killed three years ago, and he had left his home in his will."
Hermione's parents were now feeling extremely sorry for Harry. Harry shifted in his seat; Hermione knew that he hated when people felt sorry for him.
"Was it by the same man…Voldemort?" Mr. Granger asked in curiosity.
"Dad!" Hermione exclaimed.
"No, it's alright, Hermione. In a way, he was. Sirius, my godfather, was killed by one of Voldemort's followers," Harry explained.
Everyone fell silent.
"Hermione, can I talk to you…er…in private?" Harry said, breaking the silence.
"Okay," she said, and they both walked out of the kitchen and into the living room.
"Where are you going to live now?" Harry asked bluntly. Hermione thought about this; now that her parents were back, was she going to live back with them? "I can understand if you want to live with your mum and dad."
"I know, but…I really enjoyed living with you…I don't know how my parents would…they probably want me to…but honestly, I just want to…" Hermione said, not really completing any thoughts.
"What do you want to do?"
Hermione thought even more about this, and found the answer. "I want to live with you," she said with a smile.
"What about your parents?" he asked.
Hermione stopped smiling.
Author's Note: Like I said in the beginning Author's Note, which you probably didn't read, this isn't my best chapter. I got a year done, though – Yay! Please review! Do you like in in Hermione's point of view? Harry's? Ron's? I love suggestions :)
