Summery: Ron dies and Harry is giving Hermione the cold shoulder, Why? They don't speak again for 3yrs until Harry accidentally bumps into Hermione at work and some old feelings resurface. H/Hr
Disclaimer: See chapter 1
Reasons for reposting: See chapter 1
23rdOctober 2005
Time Heals Everything
A Picture For You, A Letter For Me
The next morningHarry knocked gently on Hermione's bedroom door.
"Hermione?"
There was no answer. Harry peered around the door. It was still dark as little light penetrated through the curtains but he could see Hermione's figure in the bed, her chest rising and falling slowly as she slept on. Harry slipped into the room and over to her bed. Hermione Granger was the most beautiful person he had ever seen and looked so angelic lying in the bed however the bruise on her face conveyed a certainfragility to the observer.
Harry sat down cautiously on the edge of the bed as not to wake the sleeping beauty. He sat for several minutes just watching her before he realised why he'd entered her room. Her chestnut hair fell over her bare shoulders and Harry reached out a hand to push a lock behind her ear. She moved slightly and Harry smiled. He really needed to wake her so reluctantly he placed a hand on her shoulder and carefully shook her.
"Hermione."
She stirred.
"Hermione," he shook her again, "wake up I need to talk to you."
Reluctantly she opened her eyes and looked straight into the face of Harry Potter.
"What, how…oh," comprehension dawned as she remembered what she was doing there.
"You ok?" Harry asked concerned.
"Yeah," she smiled, "fine. What do you want to talk to me about?"
"I've got a match today and I was wondering…you know whether you wanted to come along…you don't have to I was just asking that's all because I'll be back late and I didn't want you to not know where I was."
"I'd love to. Have you improved since 7th year? I'm sure in a certain match there was some shoddy Seeker work against Mr Malfoy, it's a good job there were some excellent beaters on the team and you can do amazing rolli poli's in mid-air otherwise he'd have caught the snitch Harry."
"Hey, you can't improve perfection."
"Perfection?" Hermione asked sceptically.
"Oh alright then near perfection."
"Thank you…What time is it? And when are we going?"
"It's twenty to ten and we're leaving at about ten-thirty of that's ok?"
Hermione nodded.
Harry stood to leave the room, "you might want to do something about that." He pointed to the purple blue bruise round Hermione's eye. "There is still some cream left to help heal it."
"Is it really bad?" Hermione asked slowly bringing her handto the tender area.
"Just a bit."
"Are you going to be able to play alright?"
"I feel fine but you should get that seen to." Hermione nodded and Harry left the room.
At half past ten Harry and Hermione apparated to the entrance of the stadium. Harry showed his pass and took Hermione to her seat in the top box.
"The advantages of knowing me, top quality seats."
Hermione laughed, "the advantages of being respected in the Ministry, top quality seats."
"So this isn't a treat for you, if I'd have known…"
"No Harry its lovely, thank you very much and I really appreciate it. I confess I haven't seen you play much since we left school. Under different circumstances I would never have missed a game."
Harry managed a small smile, "I know... well this is where I leave you then," Harry said breaking the tension, " I'll come back up here after the match."
"Okay," she placed her arms around Harry and wished him good luck.
"Do I still get my good luck kiss?" Harry asked offering his cheek.
Hermione smiled at the ritual they had had at Hogwarts. Ron and Harry had said she was their lucky charm and demanded a kiss on the right cheek before each match from her.
"Of course," she kissed him, "I don't know how you've won all these matches without me. I should think I'm redundent now."
"Nope. Well must dash, see you later."
Hermione sat in the top box and looked around at the other occupants. She seemed quite comfortable with her jeans and Harry's Phoenix top on compared with last time when she had been wearing her working robes. A few seats along on her left a witch had just entered and sat down who seemed oddly familiar. Her long blonde hair hung – today in ringlets- past her shoulders and when Hermione's eye met hers briefly for a second she recognised the icy blue chips that were thrown in her direction. Her brand new clothes stood out like a wizard in an electrical appliance store amid the sea of Phoenix and Tornadoe shirts everyone bar her seemed to be wearing. Hermione couldn't place where or when she had seen the woman…
The match commenced and with the top two teams of league playing against each other it was a fast paced, nail biting and close game. The Tornadoes Chasers were excellent. Harry shook off the opposing Seeker to perform one of his spectacular dives to catch the snitch in time for the score to end 550- 450. Half the stadium erupted in deafening cheers! Hermione and the man sitting next to her screaming in delight and jumped about hugging each other, she then repeated the same routine with the women on her other side. Complete strangers were dancing and hi-fiving each other and Hermione joyfully joined in the celebrating.
After the general hubbub died down, witches and wizards slowly began to filter out of the doorway cheering. Hermione however stayed put. She wasn't the only one either. Most of the Phoenix fans were still celebrating and the blonde woman was looking frequently down at her watch muttering something incoherent and glaring at anyone that passed her. She hadn't cheered, she hadn't celebrated to be honest Hermione wondered why she had bothered coming at all.
Harry arrived not long after from a door on the right. His hair was slightly damp from his shower and he was dressed in jeans and a shirt a gold chain hanging round his neck with a pendent on it Hermione couldn't make out but as soon as he entered she ran over to him and enveloped him in a hug.
"Well done," she squealed, "you were brilliant!"
"Better than 7th year?"
"Totally!" She squealed again and kissed him on the cheek. Harry's eyes travelled to hers and they locked once again, they stood gazing at each other. But this time it was Harry who broke the connection.
"Harry, who isthis?" Came a voice that pulled Harry from the chocolate he was drowning in.
"Oh erm…Jess this is Hermione Granger my best friend from school, Hermione this is Jess..." He paused slightly, "my girlfriend."
Hermione turned to see those icy blue eyes glaring at her. It hit her harder than she had hit Malfoy in 3rd year. So that's where she recognised the woman from- it was Harry's girlfriend and she had seen her in the paper in pictures with Harry.
"She's staying with me for a while."
"Oh really baby?" Jess simpered like Umbridge used to and took this opportunity to kiss Harry, very passionately as if a reminder of whom she was. She turned back round to face Hermione smirking evilly. Hermione just ignored her.
"Har-" Hermione began.
"Shall we go then baby?" smiled Jess seductively cutting in, attempting to use her low cut top and mini skirt as an advantage, as though she suddenly felt the need to compete with Hermione.
"Yeah one minute," Harry said ignore Jess's public display of…affection?
"Hermione I forgot to tell you I'm so sorry. I promised to take Jess out today as she couldn't be with me on Valentine"s Day."
Wonder why that was Hermione thought sarcastically by the look of her sleeping with some guy, the slapper- wait this is Harry's girlfriend- I shouldn't be thinking of things like that, what am I jealous? She joked, then froze at the thought.
"That's fine Harry I totally understand you go," concern flashed across Harry's eyes. Noticing this Hermione said, "I'll be fine."
"If your sur-"
"She's sure aren't you… now come on Harry you made me sit though that stupid match the least you can do is hurry up," complained Jess.
Harry looked away from Hermione to Jess and forced a smile, "of course Hun, I'm sorry."
"Good now come on."
With that she took Harry's hand not before he managed to throw Hermione the key to his flat so she'd be able to get in. The two disappeared out of the door.
You know its people like her that give blondes a bad name Hermione thought who never judged people and especially not by their hair colour.
By now everyone had left the top box and Hermione ambled out and down the stairs. Once out of the gates she could apparate back to the flat.
Hermione looked at her watch, 2:00pm so decided to make herself some lunch. Tomorrow she would go back to work and so today she would enjoy the fact that she could do anything she wanted. But what could she do? She could go back to the shop she saw the dress of her dreams in and look at it but she did that on her days off anyway and wanted to do something different. She glanced around the living room for inspiration.
The flat was furnished with a chic modern Muggle look to it. Laminated wooden flooring was throughout except the bathroom floor, with an open planned living room and dining room. The kitchen closed off respectively with all the mod cons of the 21st century, as was the living room. A huge plasma screen T.V hung on the wall accompanied with a DVD/ video player and stacks of DVDs and videos. In the corner of the living room section stood a desk with several drawers curious Hermione walked over to it.
Hermione decided to be nosy…no not nosy, interested…oh all right then nosy. She pulled on drawers but they didn't open sighing Hermione grabbed her wand and muttered, "Alohomora." Several draws sprung open but two still didn't budge. Ignoring them Hermione rifled through the first drawer. There was just generally sheaves of parchment in it: bills and what looked like important bits of parchment, most referring to his trip to Africa, two plane tickets and his passport.
One is probably for Jess she thought. Hermione moved onto the next drawer.
This one was completely full of bits and bobs. From what Hermione could tell Harry just threw random stuff in, whatever was lying around and needed to be tidied. Hermione moved on…what exactly am I looking for she wondered.
Shrugging she looked in the third drawer. It was full of CDs and cassettes. Hermione was just about to close it when she spotted a glint of light reflecting off one of the cases. Confused Hermione looked around in the drawer but couldn't find the source. That was until she bent down and looked properly into the drawer and saw the light once again reflect off a case. Following the trail she found a key. It was stuck to the underside of the drawer above.
Thoughtfully Hermione unstuck the key and slipped it into one of the locked drawers. She paused before she twisted the key. It must be really private if he locked it so that Alohomora couldn't open it Hermione thought. She half decided not to proceed but did anyway.
Lying on top of a leather bound book were several cracked frames containing moving pictures. There was one of whom Hermione knew were Harry's parents and Harry's parents again with Sirius. Then there was one of Ron. From the look of him it was in 6th year wearing his Quidditch robes. Hermione's stomach gave a lurch at the thought of Ron. One of Harry, Ron and the Quidditch team, Harry's Captain badge shining in the sun. The final two were of just Hermione and one of Harry and Hermione.
The glass in the one of both Harry and herself was smashed very badly, more so than the others. All probably came into contact with Harry's depressional rage Hermione thought sadly. She glanced once more at the photograph's occupants.
Ron was staring back pulling funny faces at her. The one of her was smiling sweetly back compared with the one of Harry and Hermione who were both hugging each other. Hermione stood at Harry's side facing the camera, her arms round his waist, her head resting on his shoulder. Harry had one arm round Hermione's shoulders and one rested on her own arm that crossed Harry's chest. She smiled at the two, a lump forming in her throat. No one knew then the darkness that was to come. At the beginning of the year, when this photo was taken, the threat of Voldemort still loomed but the repeatedly reported deaths still shocked everyone when the news arrived.
Standing the photos on the desk Hermione pulled out the leather bound book. She'd seen this before but never looked in it. It was Harry's photo album that Hagrid had given him in their first year. Harry had asked for Ron and Hermione to add photos of them to it but Hermione had never seen the finished album.
She set it down on her lap and flicked through it. The figures of Lily and James from Hogwarts occupied most of the first pages most with many of the Marauders. Lily's stomach grew steadily larger as Hermione flipped through the book until she reached photographs of a baby Harry along with his parents. Hermione giggled as baby Harry attempted to swing his legs up to suck his toes.
The scenes and figures changed sometimes Harry and James or Sirius and Remus or just the small family. Hermione smiled down at them.
Near the centre of the book the figures changed and filled the pages with Harry, Ron and Hermione. There were ones of the various members of the Gryffindor Quidditch teams that were in it over the years. The Weasleys, most of Gryffindor with the exception of some people, of other houses and one of Cho.
As the book progressed Harry, Ron and Hermione became older, taller (mainly in Ron's case) and closer. From about the 5th year on most of the photos with Harry and Hermione in seemed to be hugging and laughing, as were those of Ron and Hermione. In pictures of the three of them Hermione was always in the middle with her arm round each boy. They were the photo's she liked to look at best with all 3 of them happily smiling back. Hermione glanced down at the picture again and let several tears slip from her eyes.
The last pages of pictures surprised Hermione. A double spread ranging from 1st- 7th year of just Ron and over the page the same of just her.
The final picture was of her and Harry, they were dancing in the courtyard, Gryffindor had just won the cup under Harry's Captaincy and Ron was taking the picture. Hermione was laughing and giggling looking down at their feet Harry however just seemed to gazing at Hermione and when she looked up her would smiled and spin her around after he'd go back to looking at her. To make sure she wouldn't catch him gazing at her whenever she looked up he would spin her round again.
Hermione remembered what Harry had told her in her office and smiled at the figures swaying together. Hermione would sometimes place her head on Harry's chest for a while before looking down at the floor again.
When the two had finished Harry would kiss Hermione on the cheek before the scene replayed it's self.
Hermione closed to book and placed the cracked photos back in the drawer a slight tingle ran through her skin giving her goose pimples.
She opened the final drawer to find one book. it contained what seem to be letters. The first being Harry'sfirst everHogwarts letter. As was the second, including his official Ministry warning for using a hover charm in his second year. After this though it contained all the letters and Birthday cards he'd ever been sent in his time at Hogwarts divided into years by the Hogwarts book list letters. I didn't realise Harry was this sentimental Hermione thought.
The last two letters interested Hermione.
The first was from her to Harry, which she had written after Ron's death, when she sent his birthday present.
Dear Harry,
I know I'm the last person you want to hear from right now but I guess I just wanted to wish you HAPPY BIRTHDAY! And I hope you like your birthday present.
That wasn't the only reason for writing to you. I just, well I was wondering if you still felt the same way you did at Hogwarts, that you hate me and never want to see me again. If you reply and I see it in writing, I'll never bother you again and I'll know for definite you didn't say it in the heat of the moment. Just remember this though Harry after 7 years how can you push me away? What have I done to make you despise me so much? And lastly, the most important thing I want you to see…you are not responsible for Ron's death.
Love you always Hermione x
Thinking back now, Hermione realised she never actually received a letter back from Harry.
The last was to her from Harry who obviously never sent it.
Hermione,
I don't really know what to say. I'm truly sorry seems a good place to begin don't you think. I can't explain to you why I reacted like that. It's just I…well I can explain, I just don't know how too. Contrary to what you think Hermione, I don't hate you, how could I? My best friend for 7 years!
The thing is Hermione I want to tell you something, I want to tell you that I love you, and my love for you killed him. I can't really explain this in writing I want to see you, to talk to you to explain everything but I darent...
Under the unfinished letter in Harry's handwriting read one short sentences, 'the day I lost her.'
All the emotions she had been feeling from looking at the photographs burst out of the barricades when reading Harry's letter. She read it through once more before placing it back in the bottom drawer. Silent tears streamed down her face. She entered her room and opened her bag pulling out her purse. In it were 2 small pictures one of Ron and one of Harry and Hermione together. She took out the photo of Harry and herself and went back to the desk. Taking one of the quills she wrote on the back of the photo...
"A picture for you,
Hermione xx"
and placed it in the back of Harry's photo album.
A knock on the door made Hermione jump violently.
"Hermione? Could you let me in? "Coz I gave you my key."
"Yeah…coming."
Hastily Hermione placed the album back in the drawer and closed them all silently. Drying her eyes she opened the door.
"Hope you found something to amuse your self with while I was with Jess."
"Oh erm…yeah," she smiled you have know idea.
Sorry i've been so long in posting, it's just i've been preoccupied with looking for a University and fillling in my application form etc Not fun i can assure you :S
