A/N: As promised, Chapter 9 up almost straight away - Enjoy :)

xBx

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing...

~ Chapter 9 – The Past is Catching Up ~

Hermione was torn between anxiety over the turn in the conversation, and annoyance at that damn cat destroying her mirror – which happened to be an antique. Annoyance won out in the end. Hermione turned and, breathing deeply, almost pounded up the stairs – Harry following close behind.

Hermione's Bedroom floor was now covered in shards of glass, "Crookshanks!" Hermione wailed, "That was an antique!"

"I can fix it if you want" Harry asked, his wand in his hand, "Or better yet, you could"

Hermione turned on him, "This is not the time, Harry"

"Au contraire" He said, walking toward the mirror, as Hermione mumbled, "oh, now we're talking French? I can speak French too, merde tete"

Harry turned and frowned, "Seriously? Swearing at me in French? how sophisticated. Anyway" he added, turning back to the mirror he lifted the frame slightly, and began to slide the mammoth antique along the wall, revealing an old wooden door.

"Interesting" he said, examining it, "This looks original," he turned to Hermione, who was now stood in the doorway, arms folded, glaring at Harry, and clearly chewing her tongue to stop herself muttering the obscenities he knew were running through her head right now. He smiled at her, causing her to scowl even more, "Was this wall here when you moved in?"

Hermione took a deep breath, "yes," she answered shortly through clenched teeth, she then sighed and unfolded her arms, continuing in a more normal tone, "I guess it was some sort of dressing room/ wash room and walk in wardrobe, type thing."

Harry nodded, "And the key?"

Hermione shook her head, "Harry, I don't think I can -"

Harry smiled and walked back over to her, "All I'm asking is if you still have the key,"

"Yes I do, it's locked in my bedside drawer"

Harry raised his eyebrow, "I don't know why I'm surprised, you never do things by halves. And the key to that?" he asked, Hermione looked at him, then pulled out the chain she always wore around her neck, "here" she said, revealing a small silver key dangling from the chain.

Harry nodded, "okay," he said, "lets start taking baby steps."

Hermione looked at him, slightly confused, "What do you mean?"

"Open the drawer," he said simply, "just open the drawer, and take out the other key – you don't have to use the other key," he added, sensing her slight alarm, "just take it out of the drawer."

"Harry, no" she said shaking her head, "it's too much too soon, just leave it alright,"

Harry ran his hand through his hair, Hermione didn't understand why he was getting so frustrated, "Fine" he said admitting defeat, "Fine" he repeated, side-stepping around here to leave.

Hermione turned, "Harry, wait -"

"What?" He said, turning at the top of the stairs, "Don't tell me not to push you, you said that when I first got here, three months ago. Three months Hermione and I haven't said anything to you about coming back to us or about taking out your wand, or anything of the like. But you can't hide forever, and I know you know that. Hiding all your things away is just a way for you to not have to deal with what happened, but you have to deal with it. You can't move on with your life if you don't -"

"It's been ten years Harry, I have a life, I have a business, I think I've moved on-"

"Bullshit!" Harry shouted, finally losing his patience "If you had truly moved on, and accepted the past, you would be back in the wizarding world where you belong, you would be back with me, and with everyone else you left behind: the people who worry about you constantly. You have to deal with the past, Hermione you have to! Otherwise you're not going to be happy. You need to accept, and move on, so you can let yourself love again."

"Love again?" Hermione answered back, her temper starting to rise, "That's rich coming from you, living as a bachelor for the past eight years, when was the last time you loved somebody?"

"I'm not alone because I don't allow myself to fall in love. I'm alone because the woman I'm in love with refuses to see reason and come out of hiding!" he yelled. Harry closed his eyes and took a deep breath, slightly regretting his last comment, then continued in a voice of forced calmness, "I'm going to go home, it's late, and I need to be in the office early tomorrow."

"Ok" Hermione answered quietly, "Will I see you tomorrow?" she asked, looking down at her feet, not wanting to meet his eye, slightly confused by his last statement.

Harry sighed, stepped over to her and hugged her briefly, "probably, god knows I can't seem to stay away. I've been away from you for too long" he then lightly kissed her on her head, before stepping back, and disapparating before she could lift up her eyes.

####

Harry appeared in his kitchen at Grimmauld Place and immediately aimed a frustrated kick at the nearest chair, letting out a grunt of frustration at the same time,

"Bad day?" came a voice from the other end of the table; Harry tuned toward the voice, and saw George Weasley leaning back, his chair on two legs, with his hands clasped behind his head, looking thoroughly at ease with the world. "Christ, George, you scared the crap out of me,"

"You made it back from Russia alive then?" George said, then upon seeing Harry's face, he let the chair back onto four legs and leaned forward, "Jesus, Harry, what happened to you face?"

"Rough arrest," Harry said bluntly, as he sat down and summoned a bottle of firewhiskey and a couple of glasses from the pantry, "Drink?" he offered, ass the items landed in front of him,

"I won't say no to that," Grinned George, "When did you get back?" he asked as Harry poured, and passed him a drink.

"This morning, went straight into the ministry to fill in all the paperwork, and write out a report, then went up to Whitby."

"You've been going up there a lot," George commented, then asked "come on, spill the beans, what's going on? Clearly something happened to piss you off. woman trouble?" he joked,

Harry laughed humourlessly, "too right. Eugh, I probably should have mentioned it sooner, but I didn't want to push anything. I found Hermione." He stated, causing George to spray his firewhiskey across the table,

"What?" he gasped, "How long have you know where she was?"

"I found her about three months ago,"

"And you didn't think to mention it? Mum and Ginny are still beside themselves with worry about her. We all are, actually, and it would have been nice to be told she was alive and safe, for God's sake"

"I know, but it's complicated. She thinks she's a bloody muggle for God's sake, I had to be careful what I said and did"

"What do you mean, she thinks she's a muggle?"

"she's locked all her stuff away, her wand and everything. She's been acting as if she never went to Hogwarts, as if none of it ever happened"

"Sounds healthy," said George,

"She's all right, I guess. She's got her own business, and seems happy enough with it. She's just been in denial for the better part of ten years."

"Have you told her you're in love with her yet" He asked, bluntly. Harry looked up, and glared across the table, George held up his hands in surrender, "too soon? Ok I'll back off"

Harry sighed, "It's not that, I can't tell her that, she'd freak out. She clearly hasn't got over what happened ten years ago, and until she does, she can't move on." Harry was quiet for a minute, then continued with what was really pressing on his mind, "And she was sort of dating Ron when he died. He was my best mate. Just having feelings for his girl is like betraying his memory, but telling his girl I'm in love with her? I might as well piss on his gravestone"

George snorted, "Eloquent, but at least you're admitting your feelings now. That's a start. Look, Harry, Ron was my brother, I miss him, but I know he would have wanted you to be happy, Hermione as well."

"He wanted me to make his sister happy – He expected us to be together, I knew that" Harry countered "and failed him on that one,"

"What are you talking about, Ginny is happy; a lot happier now than she was with you. No offence, mate" he added quickly,

"None taken" Harry smiled, "I know you're right, she's a lot happier now. But what if Ron was still here, if Hermione had stuck around?"

"That's a moot point so there's no point even thinking of it. And if I'm honest with you Harry, I don't think it would have made much difference. I don't think Ron and Hermione would have been happy together for long, they spent far too much time arguing. And I know Ginny's temper – as much as she loves Hermione, I think she would have got pretty jealous pretty quick at how close you and Hermione really were. I've known you and Hermione since your first year at Hogwarts, I've seen you grow up together. You were always minutes ahead of Ron, you two could share a thought by just looking at each other. Ron and Ginny could never compete with that, and I think deep down they both knew that. The trouble was you two. For two people so in-tune with each other, you and Hermione were incredibly dense about your feelings"

Harry sat in silence, contemplating what George had just told him. After five minutes, George spoke; "I ought to head off; I'm going to call in at my mother's and then at Ginny's. They ought to know you found Hermione,"

Harry nodded, "You're right, they should know. But maybe don't let on I've known for months – I've experienced an howler from your Mother once before, admittedly it wasn't actually directed at me, but I have no desire to repeat the experience"

"I'll have a go, I've kept enough secrets from my Mother to be good at it. But Ginny, She sees right through me, so prepare for her wrath. Oh, and a heads up, mum will be pestering you from now on to get her down here for Christmas?"

Harry laughed, as George turned on the spot and disapparated. Wondering whom he had gone to first, Harry took his drink upstairs and settled into the first floor drawing room, and sat lost in thought gazing into the fire. He was startled from his thoughts by a persistent tapping at the window; getting up, he saw Errol on the window ledge, a letter in His beak – Apparently George had gone to his mother's first. Harry opened the window with slight trepidation, but was relieved to see a normal roll of parchment in the bird's beak – thanking god it wasn't red. Unrolling it he read Mrs Weasley's hurried note:

Harry,

George just told me the wonderful news, I'm so glad you finally found Hermione, and that she is well. When is she coming back? You have told her to come back haven't you? And you must make her come here for Christmas. I don't like the idea of her up there in Yorkshire all alone - I want the whole family together again. But I expect you to bring her around before then Harry, tell her we want to see her, and that we miss her terribly,

Love Molly,

Xxx

Harry smiled, at least he had this in writing, it might help him illustrate to Hermione just how much she had been missed – he was willing to try anything to get her back. Thinking is was about time he got some rest, he got up to leave the room, but was blocked by Ginny, who suddenly apparated into the doorway with a 'crack' – the look on her face told him in one second that George had told her everything, and he was in trouble –

"3 Months?" She seethed, her voice was barely louder than a whisper,

Harry looked sheepish, "George told you that bit then?"

"This isn't funny, Harry! We've been worried for sick for ten years! And you've known she is fine for three months!" it was at this point Ginny started hitting Harry – and being an active Quidditch player she was strong, despite her recent time off, "and I'm seven months pregnant, in case you hadn't noticed, and I should not be subjected to this kind of emotional stress." she finished, taking a deep calming breath.

"Are you finished? Can I explain myself? Hermione wasn't ready to come back when I first found her. Truth be told, I still don't think she's fully ready, but she's getting there. And I didn't want to tell you all, until I knew I would be able to bring her back."

"How is she?" Ginny asked, her voice at normal range again,

"She's ok, I guess. She's happy, she has her own business, a coffee shop and bookstore in one."

Ginny laughed, "That is so Hermione. When will we see her?"

"Soon, I promise. Or I promise to try at any rate. But I'm determined to have her back fro Christmas, if only to appease your mother"

"Sorry for bursting in on you, by the way. But I had to yell at you, get it out my system. It's the hormones. I should go"

"Incidentally, should you be apperating in your condition?" Harry asked, eying Ginny's large stomach,

"Probably not" she scowled, "see you later," she then disappeared with another loud crack, leaving Harry alone again. He shook his head, Ginny had a temper at the best of times, but pregnant Ginny? Nothing was equal to it.

####

Hermione lifted her head but Harry had already gone. That was not quite the reunion she had been expecting; what had started of as a fun and relaxed evening, had turned sour, quickly. Hermione turned back to her room, she had no energy to clear up the glass but knew that if she didn't she would no doubt walk on it in the morning. After vacuuming up the multitude of debris, she flopped down on her bed, not bothering to get undressed, willing sleep to overtake her, and allow her mind to shut off for a few hours.

No such luck: instead, Hermione spent a good couple of hours tossing and turning, replaying Harry's last comments before he left, particularly fixating on her not accepting and moving on. Finally she admitted he was right. She hadn't really moved on, and until she faced her past, she never would. Sighing, she rose from bed, and pulled the chain from around her neck. She unlocked her bedside drawer for the first time in ten years, and took out an old brass key, then walked over to the door, still exposed. After staring at the door for five minutes she turned and decided another glass of wine was needed, even if it was just an excuse to try and put off the inevitable. Two minutes later she was back in front of the door, wine glass in hand. She took a deep breath, followed by a large gulp of wine to calm the nerves, then went to the door: she put the key in the lock, turned it, and opened the door for the first time in ten years.

A/N: So there you have it. Sorry again for the delay, but I hope you guys enjoyed the double update. I'm working on Chapter 10 right now, and you'll be happy to know that Harry and Hermione are finally going to start acting in their feelings :) And we shall be seeing more of the Weasleys from now on :) I'll hopefully update by the beginning of next week, but until then, please review :)

Thank you for reading,

xBx