Note: Hello people! So, I know (and my friends keep telling me) I'm a bit melodramatic, and I'm sorry if it gets boring sometimes.
On that note I have a question for you: do you want me to end this fic as soon as possible or to extend it? Because I can go both ways.
Either way, I hope you still enjoy reading it.
And buckle up, I mean, really.
Animus Mansion
She wants to send him home, but she knows Draco is going to stick to his words. Harry is uncomfortable from the moment they set foot at her foyer. He's been with her all day and she feels dizzy by how hard she's trying to keep their connection at bay. They didn't exchange a word. He sat in her office quietly while she dealt with her obligations. She doesn't know if it was lucky or not, but it was a smooth day, nothing major happened, nothing that required her presence. He only left her side while doing personal things, like going to the bathroom. She shakes her head. Just you wait, Malfoy.
She sighs and starts walking inside the house, unclasping her cloak and heading to the kitchen. She hears him following behind as silently as possible. This is ridiculous. It's been three weeks since they last spoke and it didn't end very well, there are times she still questions her decision. For them, personally, it was the worst possible… however, for their situation, the best. Each way, it gave them three weeks of something close to peace, not to mention time to think and investigate things further.
She opens the fridge looking for something to snack on. Harry stops near the door and raises his wand, checking the wards of the house and walking around. She doesn't know what to do. He's clearly doing his job. Does he want to talk to her? Can they have a conversation without hurting each other's feelings? She's not sure. She bites her lower lip, her back to him while grabbing some food.
"Do you want something to eat?" She asks. She pretends to look for something specific in a drawer to avoid turning to him. Coward. It takes him so long to answer that she thinks he'd left the kitchen.
"Yes." He answers and she finally turns. He's closer than she thought. She clears her throat, a little startled.
"Help yourself." She gestures and he sits at the isle, wandlessly summoning a plate and a glass. She leans against the sink, watching him. He doesn't even raise his eyes from the food, doing his best to ignore her.
"Aren't you going to eat?" He finally asks, still focused on the food in front of him. She doesn't move. "It's your house after all." His voice has a hint of irony. She purses her lips.
"You know there's nothing I could've done, Harry. It was Draco's decision." He snorts at her words and mumbles a little 'right'. "Believe me, I didn't want this situation any more than you did!" He shakes his head, not answering. "What? You think I arranged this with Draco?"
He finally looks at her. Dead on. Her heart skips a beat, it's harder to contain their connection and feelings this way. And they've been holding on for so long… it's weird, but almost as if their magic has a will of its own. And it wants to break free from their oppressing hold. She fists her hands on her sides, trying to control everything she's feeling. She can see his jaw tensing as well.
"Did you?" He asks and she has some difficulty remembering what they were talking about.
"Of course not!" Her indignation shows with her gritted words. But Harry just shrugs. "Why would I do that?"
"Oh, I don't know. Maybe because Draco has an annoying Auror watching me nonstop, reporting to him my every step, aware that I'm out almost every night. Maybe this way, with me practically attached to you by the hip he doesn't have to worry where I've been every night!" She crosses her arms in front of her.
"If Draco did this, I have nothing to do with it. I hid threats from him exactly because I didn't want my privacy invaded by an Auror." She tilts her head. "So it seems we're both in a situation we didn't want to."
He raises an eyebrow. "Just one situation?" He mocks her, but there's no levity in his words. They're meant to hurt and she remembers the way he said he would rip out his heart if it made him get over her. It's a stab to her own heart. I don't want him to give up on us. But isn't that what I've done? You're such an hypocrite, Hermione. She shakes her head, seeing no way out of this.
"We'll just have to get through this." He snorts and resumes eating.
An owl taps her window and she turns to retrieve the letter. The owl doesn't wait, the moment she has the letter on her hand, it flies away. Weird. The letter seems wet. She frowns, opening it. Harry is already by her side and she almost faints at their proximity. Her fingers trembling, she pulls out a single paper, written in blood: 'Tick-Tock'
She's shaking. Not this again. She closes her eyes and feels Harry's hand covering hers, trying to soothe her. His hand is warm against hers and she doesn't have the courage to open her eyes, but she's very aware of him. "It's okay." He says. I don't deserve him. She opens her eyes and is invaded by the emerald green of his. So close. So dangerously close. She can smell him, the faint perfume and the fresh shampoo, besides the unmistakable scent of his skin. She watches closely as his lips move while he says, "Let it go." He's talking about the letter that she's clutching in her hand. How can he be so calm? Isn't he feeling what I'm feeling? Maybe he already got over me… he's sure been meeting with Cho. She remembers the way he kissed Chang's hand that day and takes a step away from him, releasing the letter. He frowns a little and she puts some distance between them, calming herself. If Cho really helps us, if she really loves him and Lily and… She glances at him. He's focused on the letter. If he wants to be with her, I won't stand in the way. It's a sudden and painful realization.
"I can't track it." He says. "It's like that time with the ring… there's a wall. A massive wall." He bites his lower lip and shakes his head.
"What?" She asks, surprised with how firm she sounds, she definitely doesn't feel that way.
"This is… very powerful magic." She nods, agreeing. "I don't think Jack has this kind of magic, Hermione."
"I don't think either. He's not alone."
"No, he's not." But Cho isn't this powerful either. She can tell he has more to say, but she doesn't push it.
"I-" She knows her next words might hurt… "I only receive these kind of threats when we're together, Harry. It means something." He nods, not reacting.
"Maybe it's a good thing. We can tell Draco it's impossible for me to be your Auror." She presses her lips.
"Yes. We'll talk to him tomorrow."
None of them talk about the real implication of the letter, the real reason they can't be near each other. She feels strange. Broken. Like half of something. They share a look and she can see that damn wall between them. She wants to tear it down. We need to cooperate, regardless how we feel.
She doesn't say anything, but she heads to her living area where a big table is covered with all her research. He obviously follows her. She stops by the table and says. "We need to work together, Harry. I can't have this prophecy, this threat, looming over our heads for the rest of our lives." She turns to him, he's looking at the table. "The prophecy won't happen if we're not together-" She swallows, "but I don't want it to dictate our lives anymore. I don't want us to be afraid of it, afraid of this wicked one."
He sighs and sits down on one of the chairs, loosening his uniform, getting rid of his vest. "So, where do we begin?"
"I can't read anymore." He yawns. "I think I've read the same sentence ten times." Inadvertently she yawns, mimicking him.
It's almost midnight and she feels like a wreck. It's been a long day. But she doesn't want to stop. After Harry moved a book on the table, she saw those same parchments that caught her attention a few weeks ago, she had completely forgotten about them. It talks about their connection, Luna gave them to her at the hospital. She was so crazy that day, so much happened. They're extremely difficult to read and her mind accepted the challenge as soon as she began. She can feel there's something important on them. She raises her eyes to Harry. He's watching her.
"So," He begins, "I haven't learned a lot. Just the same old stuff, prophecies are inevitable, magic is ancient and so on…"
She has a few things to tell him, like the fact that she's Athena, or that she has a scar exactly like his on her chest… but she hesitates. They finally got into some kind of friendly relationship and she's not eager to ruin that. And he didn't tell her about the house in the forest, about Cho, about the stone. They're still wary about each other. She sighs.
"Yes… I mean, I learned a new spell, does it count for something?"
Harry laughs a little.
"You should go to bed, Harry. There's a guest room upstairs. I'll stay here for a while."
He nods, getting up. He's only in his white shirt and black trousers, the sleeves to his elbow. She's watching him as something catches his attention behind her. She turns her head to look. He's observing the family pictures on the fireplace's mantle. She realizes they never got a moment alone to talk about their daughters in peace, about their lives apart, about our family. Since they've met again everything has been painful, hasty, emotional, dangerous. He stops in front of the pictures and she stops by his side. Now, pictures of Lily are part of the composition.
"You raised her amazingly, Hermione."
"You too, Harry. You're the best father our daughters could have."
It's a tense moment. Hermione feels again on the verge of something, looking at that hateful pit she's so tired of. Harry turns to her, facing her fully and closely. "We'll find a way out of this, Hermione. For them." She nods. He's too close. With all her will power she takes a step away, and then another, returning to the table.
"The room is the second on the right." He doesn't answer and she can't tell what he's feeling. Their connection strained. "And we'll talk to Draco tomorrow first thing in the morning, you don't need to worry about that."
Harry lowers his head. "I'm sorry you're being threatened." She feels certain relief washing over her. At first she thought he didn't even care. "These people have no idea how unfair and wrong they are. You are by far the best choice." He walks closer to the table, closer to her. She whispers a faint 'thank you'. "And I don't think we really need to talk to Draco." She tilts her head, questioning him. I thought he wanted to be far away from me. "I mean, as long as it's fine by you." She blinks and nods. "This way we can keep working together, and honestly, I am the best Auror, there's no one better to protect you." He shrugs, a small smile on the corner of his mouth. She rolls her eyes, smiling. So vain. Now he's very close again, his voice lower, "And I wouldn't forgive myself if something happened to you." Her heart flutters. Oh, Harry. Don't make this more difficult. He takes her hand in his. So warm, so right.
"What about the threats, Harry?" She whispers.
"Let's keep them coming. Maybe we can find their origin that way…" She nods, kind of agreeing. "I'll crash here at the couch while you work."
She shakes her head, "No, Harry, it's uncomfortable, you don't-"
"I want to." Merlin. The way he looks at her is so intense, so maddening. She swallows dry. "And besides, I can't leave your side, remember?" Her heart is pounding, almost out of her chest.
"Okay…" She's not even sure she can form words right now. How am I going to focus again? Harry nods and settles himself on the couch. She can see him from her chair and she notices that after a few moments he's already sleeping soundly.
And finally, after holding it all day long, she lets her tears fall down her face. She cries silently. The parchments forgotten once again. She's not sure why she's crying. I'm not sure about a lot of things these days. She's still in her working clothes and the feel of them is unpleasant. She wipes her tears and heads to the kitchen grabbing some water and going to her room upstairs. Her mind not really thinking, she's just going through the motions. In her panties, she changes into a large t-shirt and decides it's enough. I am at my own house after all… and he's sleeping already. She shakes her head. Don't even go there. She ties her hair into a bun and goes back to the living area.
Settling herself, she looks at the parchments written in Runic. "Okay, let's do this."
She groans, frustrated. I can't understand! It doesn't make any sense. She looks at the watch, it's past 2am. After hours of reading and studying she was able to decipher only the first few lines. It says: A union so strong magically, physically and emotionally has been subject of study for more than two thousand years. Apparently something unites this two souls giving them mental powers and dexterity at wandless magic. For a long time, no one was able to give it a name or explanation, but now-
And that's it. She rests her head against her hand, exhausted. This Runic is way more advanced than she imagined. Luna said she couldn't translate it and she thought I might be able to, but…
Her train of thought is cut sharply by Harry's grunts. He's fretting on the couch. Hermione goes to him immediately, familiar to what's happening. A nightmare. He's already sweating. She puts her hand against his forehead, his scar burning up.
"Harry, Harry!" She holds his face with both hands, inching closer to him, "Wake up, love. It's fine, everything is fine." He's not making sense, only mumbling things. She keeps calling him, but he doesn't wake up. Desperate and without a second thought, she lets loose her end of the connection, the intensity of it almost knocking her down. She's not sure he'll listen to her, but she has to try.
"Harry! Wake up! It's fine, everything is fine!"
He opens his eyes, coming to senses in a jolt, sitting in one motion and taking her with him. He's grasping for air. She's holding him in her arms and he embraces her, tightly. "You're here." He says.
"I'm here, everything is fine."
"The girls-"
"They're fine." She reassures him even if she's not sure herself. She massages his scalp with her nails, feeling his heart rate slowing down.
It takes her a few seconds to realize her own scar starts burning. She purses her lips, hiding her pain. "What's wrong?" He asks. Shit. The connection. She immediately closes off to him. In a second her pain goes away. She frowns. But she doesn't have the time to think about it, Harry is rearranging himself, his hands going to her exposed thighs, his face in front of hers. She wants to kiss him senseless. Her brain screams at her to take off his clothes and make love to him on her couch, then at her bed. No. I have to stick to my decisions. She tries getting up but he holds her in place, squeezing her thighs a little.
She opens her mouth but says nothing. She can see in his eyes how much he wants her. And this time it's not their magic going wild. It's them. We can't. She closes her eyes and lowers her head. She hears him sighing, finally releasing her. She's on her feet in a blink, her legs like jelly.
"Have you found something?" He asks.
"In fact, yes." He gets up and she hands him her little translation. Harry reads it and raises his eyebrow.
"Are these 'mental powers' the way we talk inside each other's heads?"
"I'm not sure. Doesn't feel like it."
"Do you think there's more to this connection than we know?"
"It might."
A silence falls between them.
"We need to explore it, Hermione."
She knew he would say that… "We do." He seems surprised she agrees. She sighs. "But right now, I really need to sleep."
"Yeah, sure, sure. It seems we'll have a lot of time together from now on, right?"
"It does." She smiles a little.
Harry helps her organize a few things before going upstairs. It's unsettling to realize that with Harry there she doesn't feel the house is an empty shell. On the contrary, is at its fullest.
She enters her room and is ready to close the door, but Harry is there. "I don't think you should sleep alone." He raises a hand to stop her from arguing. "I mean sleep. I swear." He smiles.
She ponders. "You want to… sleep… in the same bed?" He nods. And she really laughs now, surprised by his wish. She ponders a little and then..."Well, you're the Auror. I guess you know what's best." Don't play with fire like that, Hermione. She goes to her bathroom, leaving him the choice.
When she emerges he's already in his boxers. He enters the bathroom and she lies down, turning off all the lights. I can do this. We've slept at the same bed countless times. Even when we were just friends. It means nothing. She tries fooling herself. But she shouldn't worry. Her eyelids are heavy and before he comes out of the bathroom she's already drifting to sleep.
He's hypnotized. Lying on his side, his hand supporting his head, he watches her sleep. The bed is large, but he's as close as possible to her without invading her personal space. He sighs. You're a fool, Harry. After their fall out he was so angry with her, so lost. He felt so unloved… so alone. But as each day went by without a new threat or a new problem, his heart started healing a little, his parents' words echoing inside him, giving him strength.
Because of Draco's sudden death wish, he spent the entire day at her office, watching her, thinking about them, about her, about who they are, about their daughters. And I had a lot of time to do that thinking. He can't explain… everything changes when he's close to her. His anxiety goes away, his fears subside, his loneliness doesn't exist. Can I really blame her? For wanting to be apart? He asked himself this question countless times as he observed her reading, signing documents or solving problems around the wizarding world.
Years ago he took off with one of their daughters to try to protect them. He closes his eyes. She's just dealing with this her own way. And she had her reasons. He almost died. Their connection changed. They received direct threats. And then… seeing how hard she's working to find a way out of this mess. I'm doing it too… my own way. He opens his eyes. She lied to me. He finds very difficult to come to terms with the fact that she knew where he was and didn't tell their daughters, didn't shared with anyone… worse… she knew and made me tell her, waiting to see if I was going to lie to her.
So many scars. So many loose threads. So many lies. So many secrets. And they're both to blame. In a way she's right, we can't be together like this… not trusting each other, not sharing everything, not functioning together. Lily and Laura don't deserve half of us… they deserve everything, the best we can give them.
Hermione moves by his side and he freezes. He doesn't want her to wake up and see him like this, vulnerable, staring at her. She keeps moving, her legs coming closer to her chest, he can see her t-shirt riding up. He yearns to touch her. He wanted to kiss her at least five times earlier. But he won't. Not anymore. They have to keep their distance, on this he has to agree with her. We have to focus on the prophecy now. She's mumbling something, a little smile on her face, but he can't understand, so he inches closer.
"Harry…"
He smiles a little. How we lost our way to each other, Hermione? Can we find it back? At the moment he doesn't find himself very forgiving. She made it clear they couldn't be a family, made it clear they weren't one. And that's everything I ever wanted. At the back of his mind, a voice whispers to him that he should hate her. He tried and found himself coming up with logical answers to her actions. He was certain to let her go, to never think of her like his soul mate, like the love of his life, but his mother's words… 'protect the ones you love'.
And it's undeniable. After everything, after every tear, every frustration, every hurtful word, every lie… I love her. How could I leaver her? Again? He won't do that. He's not young and impulsive anymore, he's a father, a man certain of his place in the world, a man that stays. No matter what.
He can't tell if eventually they're going to work things out or if he'll be able to forgive her. However, right now, he does know that he'll protect her, he does know that he'll do anything to end this nightmare that begun so many years ago.
He closes his eyes, his heart a little lighter and his mind calmer. Soon he's asleep.
He's aware of the softness and warmth as well as the bright sun that's hitting his face directly, however, he doesn't want to wake. It's so comfortable. He can't remember the last time he slept so well. He snuggles closer to the alluring softness. It smells so good. It takes him seconds to understand it's not a pillow. It's Hermione. He snaps his eyes open, but doesn't move. He's embracing her from behind, his head buried into her hair, their legs intertwined. One of his arms supporting her head and the other at her belly, under her t-shirt, her own hand on top of his. She's sleeping, totally unaware. Then he realizes what their proximity is doing to his body. Think of something else! Anything! Umbridge! Snape! He would have been successful had she not moved. But she did, and then paused abruptly. He feels her hand squeezing his a little and then loosening the grip.
Her voice is heavy, usual for someone waking up. "Harry?"
He starts to extricate himself from her, first his legs and then his arms, she lifts her head to help him and turns on the bed. He immediately feels an emptiness from their lack of touch. "I'm sorry, I-" She smiles. He frowns.
"We should know better, right?" She asks. He agrees. "Even on our hardest days we used to find our way back to each other's arms at night." They did. He can feel her eyes measuring him up, her mind thinking. "Can you… do you feel how tense our connection is?"
He wasn't expecting such a question so early. But we agreed on exploring it. How she barely wakes up and is already thinking so rationally is a mystery to him. And he does understands what she's saying. "Yes. It feels like a caged animal." She sighs. "We've been suppressing it far too much." He sees her glancing at the watch, they have some time till they need to be at the Ministry. The Minister herself doesn't need to arrive at the first hour, and now that he's with her, he doesn't either.
"Should we try controlling it?" She asks.
"How?"
They're facing each other, each lying on a side but keeping their distance.
"Like… do you think we can talk inside each other's head without actually releasing all our feelings in the open?" He narrows his eyes, they already tried this, many years ago. "I know we've tried it before but now… it's not the same anymore, Harry."
"Okay, let's try. Say something." He sees her hesitating, uncomfortable. "Unless you're afraid you accidentally show me something you don't want me to know." The way she presses her lips together tell him he's absolutely right. Well, I don't want to show you a few things either, especially that he's been searching the Hallows, he knows how she disapproves of that. A thought begin forming at the back of his mind, a sudden realization he can't quite grasp… then her words interrupts him.
"I slept very well."
He waits to see if he can recognize her emotions, her intentions. Nothing. She actually did it.
"Your turn." She says.
It feels good to hear her this way again. "How you did it?"
"I thought only about sending you a message… it was like I could see a phantom thread connecting us."
He gazes into her eyes, feeling the magic around them, inside him, inside her. The thread. "You're welcome for the well slept night."
She openly laughs. "I guess having your personal Auror has its benefits."
"You've seen nothing."
He can't tell through their connection what she's feeling, but for years he was able to read her without it. She wants me. But it's soon gone. She gets up.
"We need to get moving. I'll find an excuse to come home earlier today so we can try other things with the connection." She doesn't wait for an answer and closes the bathroom door.
Harry sighs and covers his face with his hands. You can do this, Harry.
Ministry of Magic
Draco can't lie. He's a little restless. Maybe he acted on an impulse yesterday choosing Harry to be Hermione's personal Auror… but someone had to do it. Someone had to put them together and make them talk, make them find a way around their differences, at least for now, at least until this crazy situation is dealt with. Jack is missing, Cho disappeared and now he's sure his mother has something to do with all of this.
He walks around the atrium, his eyes searching for them. He knows Hermione can apparate directly to her office, but he's sure they will arrive through the floo. Whoever is threatening her needs to see that Harry is by her side, that he'll protect her at all costs… and people are afraid of him. It's a fact, Harry like it or not, most people see him as the most powerful wizard alive.
Draco recently found out that the Ministry is practically a gossip den. He's been here for half a year, but only after becoming Head of a department he got access to places he never imagined and heard things he wouldn't even consider. All wizards and witches talk about Harry and Hermione's relationship as if it were their own, some want them to get back together, others find an absurd that someone like Harry would even consider get involved with someone like Hermione. And the same way, some find it outrageous that a witch so powerful like her would settle for a man like Harry… a man that left England, left them, so many years ago. At least, as far as it concern the girls, Draco hadn't heard bad comments… they're Harry Potter's daughters after all. That's the phrase he hears now and then.
Another thing he discovered is that Jack had quite a reputation around the Ministry. Many find unjust how Hermione treated him, how she banned him from the Ministry, and that's one of the reasons she got some threats, Draco is sure. Just because him, Harry and Ginny hated Jack from the beginning, Draco had an illusion that most people didn't like the man too, but that's far from the truth. He was loved and people looked up to him. Even some Aurors are having a hard time accepting Draco as their superior. He didn't care at first, he thought it was normal some kind of rejection at new authority at first… but now… it's been almost a month.
This worries him. They need to find Jack, but people, Ministry's workers may be assisting him. As far as Draco knows, Jack could have spies on the inside, Aurors that tell him everything, that help him escape each time they get closer, Aurors that may tamper with clues and documents.
Where are they? Have they killed each other off? Well, at least Ginny thought my idea brilliant. And as if hearing his complaints, Harry and Hermione emerge from a fireplace. Harry walks a little behind, his uniform impeccable, his posture straight and a little intimidating. Hermione herself is stepping further and further into her role of Minister. People greet her with respect, a respect that the way she walks and shows herself demands. They soon spot him and Draco waits for the conversation he's sure is coming: they found a way for me to assign her other Auror. But Hermione opens a little smile at him and that's even more frightening.
She finally stops in front of him.
"Satisfied with yourself, Draco?"
He can't help laughing a little. "I'm not sure. Have you two stopped ignoring each other?" She doesn't answer but Harry's smile is sufficient. Draco exhales, relieved. I knew it would work. "Come to my office, I need to talk to you."
Hermione blinks and nods and they head to the Auror department.
Draco's office
Hermione settles herself on the couch, a habit she developed and can't stop doing. Harry sits by her side and they share a mental laugh at Draco's face. However, he soon looks serious again. A sudden dread takes over her.
"I found something." Draco says and they wait for him to continue. She watches as he frets a little.
"Draco, what is it?" Harry asks.
"My mum."
Harry frowns.
"His mum?" She asks into Harry's mind.
"It must be important. He never talks about her."
Indeed. Those six months Harry was away, she got closer to Draco, they had endless conversations, but he never mentioned Narcissa. A few times he even talked about Lucius… well, wished his death to be exact.
"She's the Seer that uttered your prophecy."
Hermione's mouth hangs open, Harry's too. She blinks a few times. "What? How?" Harry turns his head to look at her. He has a hopeful look in his eyes.
"This might help us, Hermione."
She doesn't answer him, she wished she were so optimistic. She hears Draco explaining them how he found his mother's deposition and what she said. And she sees as Harry's hopes fail him when Draco states clearly that Narcissa doesn't remember uttering it or what it said. It's a dead end.
She closes her eyes and leans back against the couch.
"I'm sorry it wasn't much help, however," Draco keeps talking, "I think there might be something. She said to me that I shouldn't get involved in this, that it doesn't concern me…" He shakes his head. "The way she said… she knows something more. Why would she tell me to stay away from this?"
"Maybe because there's nothing to do with you?" Harry says. He has his arms folded, irritation clear on his face.
"I'm trying to help, Harry. Maybe we could take the prophecy to her and-"
"No." Harry is firm. "I don't want more people knowing about it, hearing it. It's-"
"In a way," Hermione finally says, "she already knows about it, she was the one that gave life to this prophecy, Harry." He stares at her, not believing her words. "I think it wouldn't hurt to talk to her." "Hermione!" She sighs. "Hear me out. We go to her and listen what she has to say, try to sense her intentions in a way and then we decide to let her hear the prophecy or not." She shrugs. "I mean, we have to try everything we can." She puts one hand on his thigh, reassuring him.
"Maybe it could work." Draco says. Harry keeps looking at her. "I wouldn't trust my mother in normal circumstances, but this is far from normal."
"Are you angry?" She asks.
"No. I'm just not sure."
She sighs and gets up. "Thank you for this Draco, I have a few things to take care of and I'll be leaving sooner today. Send for me if anything happens, okay?"
He nods. "Yes, sure. Maybe tomorrow we can go to Malfoy Manor."
Hermione nods. I hate that place. Harry is on the couch, contemplative. Draco and Hermione wait and he finally looks up. "Yes, okay. Let's do this."
Animus Mansion
"Well, we actually did it, it's 3pm and we're already out of the Ministry, I mean, being Minister is piece of cake." He teases her and she laughs.
"It has its perks."
They friendly walk inside the house, both getting rid of a few pieces of working clothes and heading to the kitchen, then the living area. Hermione stops next to the table. "I think we should hear the prophecy again." She eyes him.
He wants to hear it again too, it's been a while and maybe having it fresh on his mind might help him achieve some kind of new clarity. So, he nods at her and she walks to the fireplace, uncovering something at the back of it. The orb.
"I can't believe it was here all this time."
She shrugs. "When it's in plain sight people tend to miss it." Harry watches while she moves the orb between her hands, a look of distaste in her face. "I hate it." She closes her eyes. "It ruined our lives." Harry gets closer to her, not sure of what to say.
"It did." He grabs her hands, the orb in the middle. "But we're going to change things now." He nods, trying to reassure her. She nods back at him with a tired smile.
And then Narcissa's voice fills the place.
Ron's apartment
Ron rocks Aria in his arms, Ginny is trying to write a paper on the archaic prejudice that is part of the wizarding society. She wants to expose big traditional houses that refuse to accept Hermione as Minister. Ron was more than glad to be with Aria for the day, Dominic is at a nice school that introduces young wizards to magic, something they didn't have when they were kids. He needs to look over a few things of the shop, but Ginny should be there soon, it's already 3pm.
And sooner than later she's there. "Hey there, brother." She barely looks at him and is already taking Aria in her arms. "Did she behave, uncle Ron?"
"She did. She's an angel, very different from her mother." Ginny laughs and makes herself at home.
"You won't believe what Draco did." She says. "He assigned Harry to be Hermione's personal Auror."
Ron shakes his head, laughing a little. "And he still lives?"
"I sure hope so!" She answers smiling. "They'll find a way to work things out. I can tell."
Ron moves around in the kitchen, grabbing a few things to fix them a sandwich. He's about to answer his sister when a loud apparating crack sounds at the living room. They share a look. "Were you expecting someone?" She asks and he dumbly denies with his head, both of them exiting the kitchen.
Ron gasps when he sees Luna standing there, her eyes frightened, lost. She's clutching her chest with one hand, having a hard time breathing. Ginny reacts first. "Luna, are you okay? What are you doing here?"
But Ron already knows this look, knows why she came all the way from Hogwarts. "She had a vision." He says and comes to her side, embracing her. She starts crying. "What is it?" He asks softly, his hands going up and down her back, soothing her. "It's okay, everything is fine." She's shaking violently. "Gin, grab her some water, please." Ginny immediately goes to the kitchen, Aria still in her arms.
Ron sits with Luna at the couch. She drinks some water and finally calms herself. "It wasn't Harry." Ron and Ginny frown. "That vision. That first vision I had, do you remember? Harry dead, Hermione crying." She shakes her head and closes her eyes. "It isn't him. It's her. It's Hermione. Something is going to happen to her."
"I-" Ginny begins. "Luna, Hermione is fine. By the way, Harry is now her personal Auror, he won't let anything happen to her."
Ron nods, but he feels uncertain. However, Ginny's words are true and bring a little relief. Harry would die before letting anything happen to Hermione… and she would do the same. A chill runs down his spine. "You're right, Ginny, but I think we should at least try to contact them to put our hearts at ease." Luna nods, squeezing his hand, happy he's not disregarding her warning. "But they're probably at the Ministry right now. We would know if something had happened."
Luna seems relieved by his words. "Yes, you're right." She exhales heavily. "It was so real. So real and urgent. I've never felt something like this."
"It's fine, Luna, you-" A loud owl interrupts Ginny's words.
They freeze. It's a Ministry's owl. Luna weeps and Ron starts shaking as he walks towards the owl. No, please, no.
Luna and Ginny watch him as he opens the letter, their eyes wide. His heart stops, he's sure. "Ron! What does it say?" Ginny asks.
He's crying. "It's from Draco." His voice is cracking. "Hermione-" Merlin. "Hermione is dead."