CHAPTER 22: Hermione hears the truth.

The afore mentioned Hermione was indeed going 'mental', but not about that certain young Gryffindor wizard being missing. He was wishing he was though, missing from the angry lecture currently being ranted at him from her.

"Harry! You are in the deepest trouble you have ever been in and that is saying something! You have used magic to kill two Muggles! And you are treating it all as if nothing had happened! … You have killed two people, Harry, and never said a thing to me and I have been here for hours! ... Two people and they are your relatives! …. OK, they have treated you abominably for years, but killing them? … You know how this will be seen by everyone, don't you? … You taking your revenge on poor, defenceless Muggles who didn't know better, who had no defence against powerful magic, who had taken you in and cared for you that 10 or 12 or however many years it is! …. You know how Rita Skeeter words things; she will have the whole wizarding world saying you are worse than the Voldemort they all fear, that you are in cahoots with him, that you are a dangerous, psycho nutter of a wizard, that you should be in Azkhaban, or have your magic bound and you thr …!"

"For fuck's sake Hermione, SHUT UP! SHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUP! YOU ARE DRIVING ME NUTS! YOU THINK I DON'T KNOW I AM IN THE SHIT! I FUCKING WELL KNOW WHAT I HAVE DONE, HERMIONE. I USED MY MAGIC TO BLOW TWO PEOPLE AND THEIR HOUSE TO BITS! TWO PEOPLE WHO SHOULDN'T EVEN BE CALLED PEOPLE, IT'S TOO GOOD FOR THEM! THEY WERE FUCKING, NASTY, EVIL PIECES OF FILTH! AND I DON'T GIVE A FUCK THAT THEY ARE GONE! YOU HERE ME HERMIONE ….I .. DO .. NOT .. GIVE .. A .. FLYING .. MERLIN'S … FUCK .. THAT .. THEY .. HAVE ..GONE! …. I HOPE THEY ROAST IN HELL FOR WHAT THEY DID TO ME! … THEY DESERVE EVERY BIT OF IT …."

Sirius Black and Meghan McGonnagle couldn't help but here the argument, if that is what it could be called, between the two close friends. They were only in the adjacent room. Sirius made to get up to go to his Godson, to comfort him, but Meghan stopped him.

"Sirius, no, don't, not just now. Harry needs to do this, he needs to get all that has happened to him out of his system and it has to be with Hermione. They are close, Sirius, very close, but he has kept all that has happened to him hidden away from her, all bottled up. He has to tell her these things and she has to know. We are talking about a future for them Sirius, possibly together, but it cannot happen with secrets between them. So, leave any comfort for later. We, together, may well be comforting both of them. You see, all be it that Harry is blurting out all his hidden private stuff, he will feel awful that he has burdened Hermione with it all and she in turn will feel very guilty for going off at him the way she did. There will be all sorts of guilt trips flying around between them, but it will work, Sirius. We just need to be here for them."

Sirius looked at the young but wise Healer sitting across from him. 'Hmm! She has hidden depths, this one.', he thought to himself.

"You are wise beyond your years, young Meghan. What has got you so knowledgeable about the machinations of the brain and feelings?"

The smile and gentle laughter that came from her was like the spill of water in a highland burn (Scottish for stream), soft and somehow soothing.

"Oh, nothing like you may be thinking, my Lord Black! No broken heart or memories of a lost love! It comes with the territory, I'm afraid. Part of my training both as a Doctor and a Healer is to consider the psychological impact of medicine or healing on a person's mind, that's all. Part of that healing is eventually admitting to yourself what has happened in your life and then telling someone. That someone could be anyone, it doesn't have to be a Psychiatrist or a Mind Healer, although it can be better if it is because they can read the signs quicker. But anyone is a start. In Harry's case, choosing me yesterday was his start, a stranger, it can be easier. Now Hermione, his closest friend and I suspect soon to be partner. It is all a loosening up for Harry. It will help him no end."

Suddenly, the rant from the next room stopped. Suddenly, the raging torrent of anger that was Harry Potter collapsed into tears and admissions and sorrow, sorrow for himself, sorrow for his lost childhood, sorrow for his lost innocence, sorrow for his screaming at Hermione.

"Hermione, they whipped me, they beat me, they locked me up with no food for days, they treated me like a worthless slave. My cousin brought up by them to treat me like a punchbag for him and his thug mates. I wasn't allowed friends, Hermione, not where we lived and not at school. I had to act like I was a thick shit and not worth teaching so as I didn't show their precious 'Dudders' up for being the stupid, thick idiot that he is. Those bastards beat me up so badly for doing better than Dudders at school they left me in a bloody heap and broke my arm, Hermione, they broke it and didn't get me to the hospital to fix it. And you know what else Vernon did then? You know what they did, Hermione? They just shoved me in that cupboard under the stairs and left me to die! I was eight years old Hermione! I heard them talking, Vernon and Petunia. They were going to let me die, wrap my body up and dump me somewhere down the coast, throw me in the sea. Report me missing. Say that I had run away days before. But I didn't die, Hermione, did I! I lived. I know now that my magic made me live! So, when Vernon saw me alive in my cupboard, you know what he did then, Hermione? … he dragged me out by my hair, twisted my broken arm around my back, grabbed a belt and whipped seven bells of shit out of me, Hermione. He cut my back and arms to ribbons. 'Now you'll die, you little freak.' He screamed at me. Then he threw me back in the cupboard. But I didn't die, Hermione. My magic wasn't going to give them the satisfaction. I lived Hermione. I lived!"

Hermione Granger was in tears, as well, now. Tears on hearing just how bad his life had been, how bad he had been treated by the people who should have cared for him, tears of regret that she had not managed to get any of this history from Harry before, regret that she had gone off at him the way she did. And then Harry's final pleas came.

"How could I have been forgotten about, Hermione? How could Dumbledore, who says he cares for me so much and that I have a higher role to play, have left me with those people all those years and not even checked up on me? Why? And McGonnagle, she might be trying to make up for it now, but why didn't she do something? Why have I still been there, at that house with those bastards still treating me like shit these last four years that I have been at Hogwarts? I just don't understand Hermione. But no more. The Dursleys are dead. Huh! Even Dudley might even have a chance to grow up better with his brainwashing, bigoted, evil parents gone."

Then there was silence, apart from Hermione's gulps of air as her tears flowed for her friend, the friend she was already realising she loved beyond measure.

"Harry, I'm so sorry. So sorry. … I, .. I didn't know it was so bad. I kind of knew that you had had no kind of a childhood, little or no love shown to you, but … but nothing as evil as what you just said. I'm sorry I ranted at you. I was so wrong, so wrong. ….. Harry, I …. I want to help, to help you come to terms with all of your life. Please Harry, let me help. Don't turn me away. Please, let me help you?"

A small smile came to Harry's lips, a smile through his tears. He raised his good arm and held his hand out.

"Hermione, I could never turn you away. Certainly not now, you know all my secrets. You are the best thing in my life. You and then Sirius. Come here!"

Hermione moved the couple of steps to take Harry's hand, then dropped down onto the bed, her head in his chest, where her tears continued to flow.

"Hermione, I am sorry I put all my shitty life on you. None of this is your fault, none of it. But I am glad you know it all now, there is nothing else to tell. Maybe this is the start of something good from now on, for you and me."

Hermione lifted her head and placed her forehead against Harry's.

"You will never lose me, Harry Potter, never. I am here for keeps, friend or otherwise. You hear me? You can tell me anything, Harry, anything."

Then she lent just that little bit closer and kissed him. A gentle, soft kiss, lingering on his lips only about six or seven seconds. When she moved back, still only a matter of a foot or so from him, she looked him directly in the eyes. Harry, she saw him return her gaze then his eyes dropped to her lips. Both of them had a slightly pinked complexion.

"Harry, I … I hope you didn't mind. I have so wanted to do that for a while. I haven't plucked up the coura ….mmmm!"

She had to stop talking as her lips were now covered by Harry's. He lingered a good, few seconds longer than she had, her free hand went to his neck and rested against him. She just brushed the ends of his hair with her fingertips. This kiss was something different from the first, not asking a question as the first had, more an acknowledgement from Harry that something in their relationship had suddenly changed, and that he both accepted and wanted that change. When they moved apart for the second time, Hermione moved away a bit further, still holding his good hand but now at arm's length. She was a bit wide eyed and a smile came to her face.

"OH! … I … I wasn't expecting that answer so quickly. That kiss was way better than the first!"

Harry gave that quirky, lopsided smile that melted many a witch's heart without him ever realising it, including his best friend's.

"I'm been a bit mixed up about you for ages. Since the Yule Ball, I think. You looked so lovely that night. I was a bit jealous of Krum and wished I had asked you. I was going to, but I thought that maybe Ron was going to. I know he kind of likes you more than a just a friend and I thought that maybe you fancied him, so I didn't want to get in the way. But he upset you and ruined your night and …. Well, I just wasn't sure about stuff! About whether you liked me enough to maybe give us two a chance, you know, as more than just best friends."

Hermione was surprised and a bit shocked as well. Fancy Ron?

"Harry, where did that come from, me fancying Ron? He's the most annoying, pain-in-the-arse, rude, glutinous, lazy, insulting, spoilt mummy's boy of a ….other best friend! But, yeah, I still like him. He is so funny at times. And, believe it or not, can be quite cute on occasions when he puts on his little-boy-lost look! But, no Harry, you got that wrong. I have never fancied Ron, ever! … You thought I was lovely at the ball? Why didn't you say something, stupid?"

"Hermione, I have never had a girlfriend; no girl has ever been interested. I haven't got a clue about lovey stuff and girls!"

"You must be joking, Harry! Virtually every witch at Hogwarts, even some of the Slytherins, think you're a catch! You could have had your pick of any of them probably since we were in 2nd year. You must have noticed all the gooey eyes and giggling every time groups of witches passed you. And when you were flying at Quidditch! Merlin Harry, there was witches wetting their knickers just watching you. You are so good out there and you are wearing that dragon skin Quidditch strip that is so tight that a witch can just imagine what is under …."

Hermione stopped and blushed furiously, realising that she just may have let a few secrets out!

"Oh yeah! You have been watching me flying then! Here was me thinking you were only there because you were my friend and were backing me up. Your head wasn't always in those books you always seemed to be reading!"

Hermione had a very guilty, sheepish smile on her face when she replied,

"Well, I may have looked now and again. Just occasionally, to make sure my best friend wasn't going to get injured again! But, surely Harry, you couldn't have been completely blind to all the silly goings on from the witches when you were around?"

"I'm hopeless at that Hermione. Never noticed a thing. I …. I just don't read the signals at all, do I?"

"Oh, I don't know! Maybe you are getting better. You read my signals well enough just a few minutes ago. You answered quick enough and very well, I might add!"

"Oh yeah, I did, didn't I. Maybe it's time I sent a second reply then. Can't have you thinking I'm the type of wizard that has a quick kiss and doesn't follow it up."

He pulled her close to him, put his good arm around her waist and said,

"I have fancied you for ages, Hermione Granger, even although I have only just realised it. You are gorgeous, my best friend ….. and I don't want to be without you or give another Krum the chance to snatch you away from me. Will you be my girlfriend?"

Hermione smiled, then just kissed him …. for a rather long time.

_ HJP & HJG _