A/N. HEY EVERYONE! So here's chapter ten! I'm so happy I have a happy handful of readers that get excited for my posts! I write rapidly, so I'll probably never leave you guys hanging for long.
Okay, so AT THE END OF THIS CHAPTER, I HAVE A CHALLENGE FOR ALL OF YOU. Whoever gets the WHOLE challenge correct gets a special prize! :O
I am going to start holding a quota. I will be waiting until TEN reviews after each chapter to add another one.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling built this doll house and I am just playing with the dolls inside. (I especially like making them kiss and get married in an order that Miss Rowling did not intend, but I'm not making money off of it, so it's perfectly okay).
…~oOo~…
About a week later, Bill came home from work to find Luna and Hermione standing on the porch with a basket and some towels. Hermione was smiling at Bill's arrival and Luna was playing with the window box of flowers.
"Bill!" Hermione exclaimed. "How was work?"
"It was…boring," he said with a shrug, walking up the steps and taking off his hat. "Desk work has never been my forte. What are you and Luna up to?"
"Hermione came up with a lovely idea," Luna said with that gentle smile of hers. "We made dinner and we were waiting for you to come home to see if you'd like to eat it on the beach. It's fine weather and the tides are calm enough."
"That sounds great!" Bill said with a grin. Sounded relaxing, he thought. He needed some relaxation. Gringotts was bugging him to no end to get him back to Egypt, but he continued to decline. He needed to be home for now, he told them, using the excuse of his divorce. But in reality, he could not imagine leaving Hermione now. It just wasn't possible.
Down on the sand after having their fill of the chicken and vegetables that Luna and Hermione cooked, the two girls were down playing in the water. Luna stood with her pants rolled up to her knees, just enjoying the tide roll in and out. Hermione, who was wearing a pretty light blue cotton dress, didn't mind getting her clothes wet and sat right down in the water and was digging her toes into the wet sand. She would splash herself in the face with the salt water and bent forward to dip her head in, bringing her head back up, and shaking out her short, springy curls.
Bill watched the girl in the blue dress closely. His Wolf had always hungered for her, but now his heart was beginning to as well - and that was dangerous. Sexual attraction was one thing, emotional attraction was another. She was the first person who has made him smile in ages. And she was always around. She was definitely getting harder and harder to ignore.
Even if he wanted to begin something with her, it was impossible. He heard the way Hermione screamed and cried and begged for mercy in her sleep from down the hall. Her scars were more than skin-deep. He wasn't sure if she'd ever be ready for anything more than friendship with anyone again.
"Bill! Bill, look what I've found!"
Bill looked up from his reverie to find a short-haired witch in a soaked cotton dress running up the sand, barefoot, towards him with a big smile and her hands cupped in front of her.
Hermione dropped to her knees beside where he sat on the blanket. "Look," she said, holding out her hand. In her palm was a little sand crab with spindly legs and a shell on its back. It was wiggling and trying to burrow into her hand with no success. "Isn't it cute?"
With a chuckle, Bill answered, "I don't know if 'cute' is the word I'd use."
"It tickles when he moves." Hermione reached out for his wrist, uncurled his hand and gently dropped the tiny creature onto his large, calloused palm. "See?"
"You're right, it does."
"Luna and I also were finding these." She reached into the pocket of her dress and pulled out a handful of pretty, multi-colored shells. "We're going to make necklaces on Monday. And I was thinking, this one here would be a good earring for you." She held up a small white and orange speckled one. "So that way you can change out the dragon tooth one every once in a while." She reached out to touch the ear lobe with the tooth in it with her fingertips. She smiled at him.
"That sounds great," he readily agreed. "Maybe we can make one for Charlie, too."
Hermione nodded and adjusted how she sat, tucking her feet under her. "Can I bury your feet in the sand?"
A strange request, Bill thought. No harm could be done, though. "Sure. Can I let our crabby friend go, though?"
Hermione nodded and took his ankles, stretching them forward so that his heels were in the sand. She even took her time to roll up his pant legs and that began digging a hole to put his feet in.
Then they both turned at the sound of Luna calling out, "Oh! Hello, boys!"
Bill and Hermione looked behind them to find two redheads coming from the dunes.
"Hello, George! Hello, Ron!" Hermione called out, waving them over. "Are you hungry! We've got plenty of food leftover from dinner! Come, come!"
The two boys came over and Ron sat down on the blanket, but George said, "I'm not all that hungry, but I think I'll go say hello to Luna if you all don't mind." He rolled up his pants to his knees like Luna and jogged down the beach to join the blonde who was still plucking up shells as they rolled in with the waves.
"It's all in the basket if you're hungry, Ron," Bill said, gesturing to the wicker carrier as Hermione continued burying Bill's feet. She was coated to the elbow in sand and her hair was still dripping, but she was one of the most beautiful sights Bill had seen in a while.
And he could tell, by the look in his brother's eyes, that Ron agreed with him.
Ron took out some of the chicken, putting a quick heating charm on it, and said, "I actually came because I wanted to talk with Hermione. If you wouldn't mind giving us a minute, Bill?"
Leaving Hermione with Ron was the last thing he wanted to do, not after all that he said about her being a stranger at the last Order meeting. But he looked…repenting. Maybe he figured out what a git he was being? Unlikely, Bill thought, but he owed his youngest brother a chance. He looked to Hermione for her opinion and she gave a smile and nod.
On more than one account, Hermione had talked about Ron - or Rumplestiltskin - with affection, someone she remembered having a great deal amount of trust and love for. So Bill understood why she'd want to give him the chance to speak as well.
"Alright," Bill said, tugging his sandy feet from the hole. "You'll just have to re-dig my feet when you're done, yeah?" He ducked down to give Hermione a kiss on her head and then decided a stroll down the strip of beach would do him some good. That way he could force himself not to eavesdrop on what Ron had to say.
…
"Hermione," Ron said slowly, putting down his plate of chicken and veggies while he talked, "I wanted to say sorry."
Hermione cocked her head to the side in confusion. "What for?" She bent her legs into a criss-cross position and propped her elbows on her knees.
"I know you probably haven't heard any of it, but…I've said some rotten and insensitive things about you." Ron bowed his head in shame. "And you deserve an apology whether you heard any of it or not."
A little frown creased Hermione's face. "Oh."
"And I've been thinking over the week about the things I've said and I've come to realize that…and I hate to say this…my sister was right. I should be getting to know you again," Ron admitted with a small grin.
Hermione liked the ginger's grin, it was lopsided and sincere and made her smile. She also found she had a great fondness for his freckles.
"And I don't know if you remember this, but…uh…you and I had a sort of…romantic-type relationship going on," he said tentatively. "And obviously I would never ask you to jump into anything, but I wanted to know if, maybe, you wanted to go to dinner with me. Not as a date or anything, but just to make it up to you for all the time that I was sort of being a pretentious prat and ignoring you."
"I would love to go to dinner with you, Ron," Hermione said with a smile. "It sounds like fun."
She could see the shock on his face. "Oh, great. Right. Um…how about tomorrow night? Anywhere you'd like."
"Hmm…" Hermione mused, biting her lip. "Are you familiar with the Muggle invention of pizza?"
…
Late that night when Ron, Luna, and George all went home, Bill and Hermione did their usual before-bedtime activities. George took his shower while Hermione climbed into her pajamas in her room, and then they both brushed their teeth side-by-side in the mirror, and Hermione read aloud to Bill from whichever book she was reading that day while Bill prepared a kettle of water before they took turns reading chapters to one another while they drank their tea.
After about three chapters, they began to talk about their day.
"So, what did Ron want to talk to you about?" Bill asked in what he hoped to be a casual tone.
"He wanted to apologize."
What? "What was he apologizing for?" Bill asked, completely befuddled.
"Apparently he said some rude things about me that he felt he needed to say sorry for," Hermione said, sipping her tea. "And then he asked me to dinner."
Bill's Wolf was growling. "What did you say?"
"I said yes," she said with a shrug like this was normal. "He was being very sweet about it all. He wanted to make it up to me for avoiding me. He mentioned that before my…incident…that he and I had a romantic relationship. Is that true?" Her head tilted to the side curiously.
Hesitantly, Bill nodded. "You and my brother did have feelings for each other. I'm not sure how strong the feelings were or even if any of it was official. But, yes."
"Oh," she said plainly, drinking more of her tea. She was wearing a knee-length grey t-shirt and a pair of lollipop shorts and, of course, no socks.
"Do you still have feelings for him?" Bill asked. "I mean, your memories have changed, but your feelings haven't. So is their any recognition of your old feelings for him?"
Hermione thought about this for a long time. "Not particularly. I mean, I like him plenty and I know, deep in my heart that he's one of my best friends, but I don't think I have…romantic feelings towards him. I wouldn't know how to go about them, if I did." She sighed. "Perhaps it's safer if I just remained alone for the rest of my life. But you needn't worry about that, Bill, because I'll be sure you move out soon so I won't be a burden on you forever."
Bill sighed and said, "You aren't a burden, 'Mione. I like having you here."
"But you certainly wouldn't want me here forever," she said firmly. "You'll surely start dating soon and I don't want to be in the way. Bringing a girl home only for her to find out that you've been charged with a mentally unstable patient isn't exactly a turn on, I'd imagine."
"Hermione, please, stop -"
"Why, Bill?" she asked, frowning deeply. "Why should I stop when it's the truth?"
"Any girl that couldn't handle one of my closest friends living with me isn't worth my time -"
"But what if she is worth your time? What if I'm the reason you don't end up with the girl of your dreams? I'm not stable, I'm not normal, I'm broken -"
Bill could see Hermione getting worked up, and he reached out to steady one of her shaking hands. "Hermione, love, stop. Take some deep breaths. You're perfect the way you are. Please."
Hermione was breathing fast and shaking all over. "Bill, I don't want to be a burden on you." Her eyes were filled with tears now. "I already am."
"What gives you that idea?" Bill demanded.
"An owl came today," she sniffled. "From a friend at work. I didn't mean to open it. I didn't see who it was addressed to, so I read it. He was saying about how you keep turning down the offer to go back to Egypt and I know it's because of me. But you have to go back, Bill, you said so yourself today, desk work isn't your thing and I'm wrecking your chance at doing the thing you love most." She covered her face with her hands and the tears came down faster.
Bill stood up from his seat and walked around the table to crouch down beside her. He gently took her hands away from her face, but she kept her eyes shut tight, water still leaking through and dripping down her dark eyelashes.
"'Mione," Bill whispered, "please stop, love."
"And you always call me that, you're always so kind, even though I know I'm just a hassle." Her lower lip quivered and he ached to bend forward to still it with his own, but refrained.
"Hermione. You listen to me," he said firmly. "You are not a hassle. You are not a burden. I want you here because I care about you. I could never go to Egypt while you're around because you would always be on my mind. I wouldn't be able to focus."
Her shoulder shaking, she whimpered, "See? I'm a distraction…"
"I didn't mean it like that." Bill reached up slowly to put his fingers on her cheeks and cradle her face the way he's wanted to for a long time. "Hermione, I want you to look at me."
It took her a moment, but she opened her glistening, chocolate-colored eyes.
"I like having you around," he said firmly. "I love it, actually. I need you here, just as much as you need me. We'd be terribly lonely without the other, don't you think? Now, take a deep breath and think about how Snape would act if he saw you all teary-eyed and upset."
Hermione gave a little laugh through her tears. "He'd say I was being a ridiculous child and that I was being silly."
"Damn right he would," Bill grinned. "Now, give me a smile."
Hermione forced her face into a funny half-smile half-grimace as she let out a soft sob. Bill snorted and said, "That'll work for now, I suppose." He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to he forehead. "I need you, 'Mione."
"I need you too, Bill," she answered quietly and wrapped her arms around his neck to give him a tight hug. He stroked her back and let her cry into his shoulder. As his hands moved over her spine, he felt deep ridges and bumps in her skin through the thing fabric.
"Um, Hermione?"
"Yes?"
"How's your back healing?" He always remembered her trying to show him her back, but Snape would never let her, telling her it wasn't right to keep taking off clothes in front of people.
"It's all healed now," Hermione confirmed, her cheek rest on his shoulder. "Just scars, now. The Healers said it was done with a cursed knife, so they couldn't stop it from leaving lasting marks."
"What exactly was done with a cursed knife?" he asked hesitantly.
"You can pull up my shirt and see for yourself, if you'd like."
Very carefully and slowly, Bill took the hem of her shirt and pulled it up her back and choked when he saw what was there.
The ridges covering almost her entire back were words. Terrible, foul words all intertwined and scattered like a sickening, horrifying collage. He swore under his breath and quickly dropped the shirt back down.
Bill wished he had never seen them. He carefully untangled himself from her and stood up from the floor to pace nervously. There was a thickness in his throat he didn't know how to identify and his hands curled into tight, quaking fists.
"Which of them did that to you?" he demanded lowly.
Hermione, nonplussed at his sudden coldness, said, "The woman. Bellatrix."
Bill was immediately very jealous of Neville for getting the chance to kill the bitch. He swore again.
"Bill, are you alright?" she asked, her brow furrowing a little.
He stopped in his tracks and looked at her. Hair still damp, corkscrew curls framing her face, watery eyes, flushed cheeks, her bottom lip caught between her teeth, sitting in his kitchen in nothing but a t-shirt and little shorts. So…beautiful. He wanted to kiss away her tears and make her forget all the pain.
But he couldn't. Nothing could make her forget. Those evil, evil bastards made sure that her life would never be the same. They did their best to ensure that she would never live a normal life with normal adult things and a normal husband and, someday, kids. They'd ruined that for her.
"No, Hermione," he said quietly. "I'm afraid I'm not alright. I'm quite angry."
"I'm sorry -"
"Not at you," he quickly cut her off, sharper than he intended. "Never at you. I'm angry at the woman, Bellatrix, and the werewolf. Greyback. I'm angry at them for destroying your future."
Hermione sighed. "I'm angry at them, too. But…what happened has happened and there's nothing you or I can do to change it. I can try to build a future, but…I don't know how."
"I'll help you," Bill promised. "We'll help each other." Because I need you in my life.
…~oOo~…
A/N. PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW! REVIEWS MAKE ME HAPPY AND WRITE FASTER!
I have a little challenge for all of you. Here's the questions to answer - 1. What do you think Hermione's first move to put herself back into society will be? 2. What do you think it was that Hermione whispered into Draco's ear those few chapters ago? 3. How do you think Ginny will be getting her revenge on Harry? 4. Who do you think the witch is that Harry fancies?
I look forward to your answers!
~ So Long And Thanks For All The Fish ~