Jinxed

A/N: The word jinx potted into my mind the other afternoon … and poof this story. The things I do to avoid studying and write Harmony ofc.

Disclaimer: The image on the cover belongs to the talented arishatistic. I found the picture on their instagram profile and I couldn't help thinking that it fits this story perfectly. Check them out for more amazing Harmony drawings. The characters belong to JK Rowling, I own nothing but the plot.

Okay, but seriously Harry Potter is jinxed!

No one can argue with that. No one who truly knows him, at least.

The world thought of him as blessed. He had money, he had fame but most of all he had that bloody scar on his forehead. He had proof that he survived the killing curse by non-other than Voldemort.

He was the first one to survive the killing curse. The first one EVER!

And he was just a small baby. He remembered nothing but green light and agonizing screams. He didn't remember his mum running in front of him, sacrificing her own life for him to live. He didn't remember his dad giving him a tender kiss when he headed out, knowing that he would face a death eater or Voldemort himself. And he certainly didn't remember his two parents together, loving each other and loving him.

Yet, he was admired by many because of who he was, The Boy Who Lived, and he was envied for his fame and money. They wanted to be him, to be recognized from the entire Wizarding World.

Harry, on the other hand, would gladly give all that up so that he could be normal, so he could no longer be jinxed. Because they didn't understand what it meant. No one understood what being Harry Potter really meant.

The world saw what they wanted to see. A young boy prepared to go into battle with the greatest wizard, ready to fight and save everyone from Voldemort. They saw him as their savior, the one who was supposed to end this all.

They didn't see the pain behind his big emerald eyes. They didn't hear how his voice broke when he talked about, yet another loved one of his, who is dead. They didn't feel how he shivered when he was waking up from the terrifying nightmares who were usually too real.

Harry was a baby when his parents died. He hadn't met them, he hadn't talked with them, he hadn't known them. And he was still hurting, he will always be hurting because he hadn't met his parents, because he hadn't felt their touch and he hadn't heard their sweet laughs.

Then he went to the Dursleys'. An orphan, a one-year-old little boy. A boy who was forced to grow up on his own. Mistreated by the closest thing he had to a family, hidden from the real world, locked in his little room under the stairs. These were certainly the hardest years for him. Maybe he didn't have to fight an evil wizard and maybe his life wasn't constantly in danger but he was all alone.

He was forgotten from the world, let in the mercy of his cruel cousin and unfair aunt and uncle. And he was growing older, wondering what was wrong with him. What did he do wrong? What did he do to end up alone, with no one to care for him? And would his parents care for him if they were alive? Too little to understand that his parents wanted nothing more than to be there and take him in their arms. But they weren't and he had no arms to comfort him, no hands to stroke his hair, no lips to kiss his forehead and wish him goodnight.

The day that Hagrid told him that he was a wizard was probably one of the best in his life. His eleventh birthday. That's when everything changed. He finally learned what was wrong with him but most importantly he learned the truth about his parents. He learned how they loved him and how they had died to protect him.

And then he attended Hogwarts and he was no longer little Harry under the stairs. Here he was a legend. And Harry couldn't decide which one of his titles he hated the most. The expectations and the rivalries were something he had to face from day one. The way everyone whispered in the hallways and how most teachers looked at him a little differently, even if it was only for a second.

He had Ron, though. He had Ron with him, who didn't seem to hang out with him just for his fame. He seemed genuinely happy to have made a friend. So Harry allowed himself to be happy as well. That's why he didn't question his rude behavior towards the brown-eyed girl. Sure she was a know-it-all but Harry wasn't bothered by her. Ron, on the other hand, was.

Harry kept quiet, he said nothing as Ron insulted Hermione. He said nothing until he remembered that she was locked in the girls' bathroom and couldn't possibly be informed about the troll. He didn't even have to ask Ron to join him, he was going to help that girl. And that's exactly how Hermione's life was saved and how the unbreakable bond of the Golden Trio was created.

He didn't think he was jinxed, back then. Even later, when he faced Voldemort in his first and second year, he thought little of it. Sure he was unlucky but none other than his parents had died yet.

One year later, when the only chance of a normal life was stolen from him, the feeling of unfairness waited on his shoulders. Why couldn't he stay with his godfather? He had the chance to live with his father's best friend and then it was lost in a moment. The dream remained a dream. Yet Harry had met his godfather and he couldn't possibly feel ungrateful for finally having him in his life. Even if it was under those circumstances.

But then, it was the Triwizard Tournament. He was chosen by the Goblet of Fire and abandoned by his best mate. Ron's jealousy overcame the feelings of friendship he had for his best friend and he chose not to believe him. On the contrary, Hermione stayed on his side, helping him with every task. Studying and practicing, practically sleeping on their desks. Later Ron may have taken back his mean words but Harry had to face a much more difficult task. He had to witness with his own eyes the rebirth of Voldemort. He had to see the painful death of his contestant and friend, Cedric Diggory.

And that memory hunts him until today. It will never leave him.

The fifth-year was all about the ministry not believing him. The Boy Who Lived had become the boy who lied. Harry wasn't bothered by the nickname but he truly hated how people refuse to see the truth that laid in front of their eyes. He constantly caught himself wishing that he was lying, that all of this was a plan to earn money and fame but he knew the truth. And the world learned the truth, they oh so deeply desired, when he and his friends encountered Voldemort in the Ministry, the night Bellatrix Lestrange killed Sirius Black. The night Harry lost his guardian once again.

All he could think that summer was Sirius. And that was the first time he ever felt so bloody unlucky. He hated the world for putting him in the position to determine his godfather's life. He knew that he had chosen wrong, he knew that if he had listened to Hermione, Sirius might be alive now. The guilt was too much for him. He had the whole summer to grieve but his heart would never fully recover.

He couldn't help feeling unlucky. He couldn't help wondering why he had to be the one without any parental figure. And most importantly, he loathed how many lives depended on his decisions. He hated that he was the reason Sirius died, that he was the reason Hermione almost died that night. And Harry couldn't shake that feeling away.

The next year was the toughest of his in Hogwarts. And that's because he was always Harry Potter, never Harry. Through the year his mind was filled with information about his enemy, death eaters, and the mysterious book he had found. There was no moment of joy for him. He knew what was coming. Of course, there were always some days, when he was with his best friends that he felt a little more like himself, he felt like a sixteen-year-old boy should feel. But these didn't last for long.

And when his mentor died in front of his eyes, the person that had taught him most of what he knew and the person, who was supposed to help him defeat Voldemort, at that moment, his whole world fell apart once again. He was lost. He had nowhere to go. All he had was the start of his journey and no plan for the course.

Luckily for him, he also had his two best friends. They were by his side, insisting on accompanying him in his mission. He didn't want to put them in danger but he quickly realized that he had no say in their decision. Deep down he was happy to have them with him. He was happy they loved him so much and they were willing to help him. Maybe he was selfish but like most people, Harry hated being alone. He didn't want to feel again like he had all those years ago in 4 Privet Drive.

He still tried to change their minds though. He wanted them safe as much as he wanted them with him but sooner rather than later, he understood that they had made their minds. He was so grateful to have them, yet he feared that this trip may not end up well for the three of them. Why did they have to do it? Why did he?

He had stopped asking these questions accepting his future as it was long predetermined. However, sometimes he couldn't help feeling jinxed. He was not a grumpy person and he was not a pessimist, on the contrary, he tried to believe that they would make it, he was fighting for the win. But sometimes the weight of the world on his shoulders became impossible to carry.

Dead ends. All they faced were dead ends. Harry could feel Ron getting impatient, he couldn't handle sitting around and doing no progress. Hermione was also frustrated and tired but she seemed to keep her feelings to herself. Harry was worried about her, she didn't talk much and when she did, it all had to do with Voldemort's past or the Horcruxes. She hadn't talked about her feelings, she kept her pain to herself. Harry wanted to help her but he didn't know-how.

Instead, he was studying, trying to figure out the mess Dumbledore left behind. He didn't think of anything else, he didn't have the time to think of his bad luck. He didn't need to think negatively now, all he had to do was work.

That was Harry's plan or the lack of it until Ron left, until his best friend abandoned Hermione and him in the middle of the war. When he left them, Harry's last wall of defense fell apart. His efforts to remain optimistic were no longer enough. The darkness around him had started to consume him. He couldn't stop it. He was trying so hard to focus on his task, to prioritize the world, and ignore his feelings.

But this time, it was too much. It wasn't just Ron leaving, which pained Harry deeply, it was everything that had happened. The departure of his best friend triggered all the emotions he kept inside. Harry could no longer be okay. He felt so damn jinxed. And considering what has happened in the seventeen years he has lived, he had every reason to think so.

Why was he the one dealing with this bullshit? He was a teenage boy preparing to kill the darkest wizard of all time. He couldn't help cursing under his breath. A feeling of hopelessness had made its way to his heart. How could he do it? How could he defeat Voldemort when he knew nothing about the rest of the Horcruxes? And even if he found them, he had no idea how to destroy them.

Harry's thoughts were screaming in his head. They were too vivid in his mind, taking control over him. He wanted them to shut up, he couldn't deal with this right now. He didn't want to face them. They were so loud, he couldn't focus on anything but them... until a vague sound was heard from the tent.

As soon as he heard her, every other sound died. He was no longer interested in his problems, in his thoughts. She was the priority. He heard her crying inside, trying to be quiet but the small sound was audible in Harry's ears ripping his heart out. He knew that she didn't want to bother him, she never wanted to be his burden to carry. He had enough already. What she didn't understand was that she was never a burden, on the contrary, she was the only constant light in his life. And now he wanted to be the one to comfort her and help her like she has been doing since he met her.

Harry stood up from the cold rock he was sitting on and headed inside. Hermione laid in her bed, her head facing the wall. As soon as he walked in she tried to calm her breathing and compose herself. Harry didn't say anything. He simply walked to his bed and took his blanket. Then he went to her and wrapped her with it. He could feel her shivering with cold and the least he could do was provide her with some warmth. He carelessly touched her shoulder, making small circles on her arm.

After a while, Hermione turned around to face him.

"Hey," he said, clearly having trouble starting a conversation.

"Hey" she replied quietly, almost whispering. Her eyes were puffy from crying but she still managed to give him a small smile.

"How are you?" she asked him before he could utter another word.

Oh, this woman Harry thought.

The kindness of hers would never cease to impress him. Harry could tell that she was emotionally and physically exhausted. She had just lost one of her best friends while staying with the other, having no idea for the future. She was laying in her bed trying to hold back the tears and she still asked him if he was okay. Harry couldn't help smiling at her.

"How are you?" he asked back.

"I asked first," she said, her voice trembling a little but she still gave him a small smile.

"I have been better," he answered, which was not technically a lie.

"So have I." she answered right back.

Harry stopped making circles on her arm. Instead, he squeezed it lightly.

"If you wanna talk about it, I am here. You can tell me anything," he told her reassuring her.

Hermione looked at him with her big brown eyes. She smiled at him and moved a little to the wall. She patted the spot next to her in bed and gestured him to lay down. Harry hesitated at first, not wanting to make her feel uncomfortable or take advantage of the situation, but he quickly did as he was told.

They were now next to each other. They were both looking at the ceiling but it was not uncomfortable, it was okay, more than okay actually. It felt normal.

"What are we gonna do, Harry?" she asked after a while.

"I don't know," he answered truthfully.

"I am afraid," she confessed.

Harry didn't know what to say so he let her continue.

"What if we don't make it?" she asked quietly.

Harry turned around looking at her. He could see tears starting forming in her eyes. All he wanted was to reassure her that everything would be okay but he couldn't, because he didn't know. And he couldn't juts lie to her, he would never.

"I am afraid too," he said back, letting his feelings free for once.

"I have no idea what I am doing, Hermione. And I have dragged you in this mess. And now we are here, we have no idea what to do and it is all... it is all my fault. I don't blame Ron for leaving, it seems like we ... like we are failing."

Now it was Hermione's turn to turn around and face her best friend.

"Harry, you didn't drag me here. I decided to come. You are my best friend. I would never abandon you. There was no question Harry. I came here and I am not leaving until..." she paused.

"As for Ron," she continued, "you may not blame him but I do. He didn't just abandon the mission, he abandoned us. We were supposed to do this together and we knew that it would be difficult."

"It didn't have to be we, Hermione. I could do it on my own, I was supposed to do it that way," he said stroking her hair. How much pain had he caused her since he met her? When did he bring her joy?

"Oh no, Harry. Now you are wrong. You met me the first day of your first year and we became friends. We have been through so much and we have become the best of friends. There is no doubt. I was meant to be here." she tried to reason with him.

"Well, I guess you were every bit as unlucky as I am," Harry said, regretting the words as soon as he heard them coming out of his mouth. Here she was trying to help him even though she was not okay and all he did was complain.

Hermione said nothing. Instead, she came even closer to him. Harry moved his left arm so she could lay her head on his shoulders and sighed.

"I am sorry I am complaining again. I wanted to come here to make you feel better and..." Harry said sighing once again. Was it that difficult to comfort her?

"Harry, you can't be serious. You never complain. You bottle up your feelings and all the rest of us are trying to reach you."

Harry tried to argue but he knew that she wasn't entirely wrong.

"All of you, who?" he asked giving her a playful smile.

Hermione's cheeks slightly reddened at the question.

"Okay, me. I am trying to reach you," she said.

"Well, Mrs. Granger I have never heard you talk about your feelings," he said realizing that it is true and feeling guilty that he hadn't asked before.

"Oh no Harry, I-" she started but quickly stopped talking once she saw the look he was giving her.

"Well, what do you want then?" she questioned giving him one of her sweet smiles.

"I wanna know how you feel," he told her squeezing her. He liked having her in his arms, he liked having her close to him.

"I am angry at Ron for leaving and at Dumbledore for giving you no clues for this Scavenger Hunt. And I am worried, constantly worried about my parents, I wish I knew that they were safe. I know that after I obliviated them, it would be almost impossible for the Death Eaters to find them but I am still worried sick. And I am afraid that we may fail on this mission. And what if Voldemort rules again? The whole Wizarding World will be at his mercy. I am also afraid that I might die. Of course, I am afraid, I don't know what will happen then. And I am terrified that you will die. I know that you will have to face him and I know that sometimes you are too kind and he is a monster and... I don't want you to die." she said the last part so softly and so quietly that if he wasn't so close he wouldn't have heard her.

Harry embraced her even harder. He wanted to feel her presence. He knew that there was a possibility that she would die but he never allowed himself to think about it. He just blocked the thought out of his head, never admitting that it may happen. In his world, this was the only thing that would never happen.

"I promise you, I will do whatever it takes so both of us survive this war. I know it's not much but it all I can give you now," he said kissing her forehead softly.

Hermione smiled at the simple gesture.

"And then you and I are gonna find your parents in Australia. We are gonna take a plane, the Muggle way, and we are gonna restore their memories of you. This will be the first thing we will do."

"Thank you," she said softly.

"Just take care of you, Harry. I need you," she told him.

"I need you too, Hermione. More than anyone in this world. That's why I am gonna keep you safe."

Hermione's eyes were shot open, showing surprise.

"Didn't you know?" he asked, slightly confused that she would be so shocked.

Hermione shrugged, not answering his question.

"Oh, Hermione come on. Of course, I need you. And I don't need you to help me, okay I don't need you only to help me." he corrected, "I need you because you are you." Hermione looked at him once again having a big smile on her face now, "There is no Harry without Hermione, you know."

"Well, there is no Hermione without Harry either," she answered back.

"Thank you, Harry" he shot her a questioning look, "Thank you for coming to comfort me. I am much better now"

"I am glad," he answered truthfully giving her one of his special smiles.

"And now, Harry James Potter, your turn. You don't think I will let you get away so easily."

"What do you mean?" he asked her trying to sound innocent.

"Oh come on, don't play innocent with me. Tell me how you feel," she said somewhat bossily, reminding him of the Hermione he knew when he was younger. But now he knew better, he could hear the care and the worry behind her sweet voice.

"To be honest, I am not sure how I feel. I just...I feel like the whole world is against us, against me. Whatever I do, no matter how hard I try, something always goes wrong. Cedric died, Sirius died" he paused trying to calm himself, "Dumbledore died and I just stood there, completely still. I am trying to be positive, Hermione, I am but sometimes it's too hard." he stopped taking a deep breath.

Hermione came even closer to him wrapping her hands around his torso. The small gesture warmed his heart and encouraged him to move on.

"I don't want to complain, you know that. I am trying to work with whatever I have got but damn, Hermione, it is becoming too much."

"I know, Harry. You have been through so much at such a young age. I know how you feel, I get it, but I also know that if anyone could survive, it would be you." she said softly.

"Why it had to be me though? I... I know I am being kinda irrational but why?"

"I honestly don't know Harry. What I know is that you have done everything you could to help the people you care about and the rest of the world. And for that, Harry James Potter you deserve the world. And I mean it, Harry." she admitted.

"I don't know," he said.

"Well, I do and I am telling you," she stated matter-of-factly.

"I know it is not very comforting. You were chosen for this and you bear all the responsibility. It is okay to feel suffocated, it is okay to want to yell to the world."

"I really would like to stop, just for a moment. I feel so jinxed. All I need is a break from the sadness and the death, I need a break to catch my breath."

Hermione's lips were attached to his before he could continue. She was kissing him, HERMIONE was kissing him. At first, she seemed timid, not sure if he wanted to kiss her but Harry wasted no time in kissing her back. And as he was kissing her, he felt free. He could feel her hands touching his hair softly, he could feel her curls in his hand and her beautiful lips on his.

He felt better than free, he felt alive.

After a minute or so, they pulled back because of the need for oxygen and he looked at her eyes. He saw her right in front of him and as cliche, as it may sound, only then did he realize that he was in fact lucky.

He didn't know what to say, where to start.

Hermione was starting to panic, her breathing had become much faster and she was trying to stand up.

Harry, on the other hand, had no intention of letting her go.

"You clearly know how to make a guy speechless, Miss Granger," he said playfully. Hermione looked at him with a frown on her face. Harry knew that frown, it was indicating that she was confused.

"I do?" she decided to say, biting her bottom lip.

Harry couldn't help lining and kissing her once again. Okay, no joke, he was getting addicted to it. He wanted to feel like this all his life.

Hermione stopped him this time, "You probably will have figured this by now" she paused taking a breath, "but I like you, Harry. I like you a lot, I could even say that I love you. Actually no, I know that I love you. I love you." she blurted out.

Harry was speechless once again.

SHE LOVED HIM?

"I love you too, Hermione. I love everything about you. I love how you care about me and how you always ask me if I am okay. I have loved you for, God knows when. You came into my life Hermione and you brought life in it. Before I said I needed a break, Hermione but I was wrong, all I needed was you to take my breath away."

Hermione smiled at him, happy tears running down on her cheeks.

"I really love you, Harry," she said once again.

"I really love you too," he told her.

"You brought light into my life too. You gave meaning to it."

Harry couldn't believe what he was hearing. She was there, Hermione was there wrapped in his arms with happy tears in her eyes. She was telling him that she loved him.

What else could he ever ask for?

And at that exact moment, he realized that he was so grateful for her. He was so thankful to the universe for putting this woman in his life.

If he wasn't who he was, they wouldn't be here wrapped in each other arms. He wouldn't have created that bond with her. He would be another Harry and she would be another Hermione.

And he knew that he didn't want a different Hermione. He wanted the one he was hugging right now. Despite all the painful memories, at that time he couldn't help feeling blessed to be right here.

Even though he was in the middle of the war, even though he would fight the darkest wizard of all time, he was blessed because he had the most important thing of all.

"I said I was jinxed before," he said Hermione seemed to want to protest but Harry didn't let her.

"I am not. I thought I was, and in a way I kind of am but I am also blessed. I am lucky to have you in my life."

"Harry, I am the lucky one."

"Oh dear Hermione, you are wrong in this one."

"Let's call it even," she said smiling once again, giving him a tender kiss.

And another.

And another.

And Harry felt no longer cursed, no longer jinxed. He knew that he had his fair share of bad luck but he also got Hermione and that's what mattered.

THE END

I hope this story brought a smile on your face. PLS let me know if you like it.

Btw in less than 2 hours it's March where I live and I wanted to upload this story before the next month. Just wanted to keep my promise to myself and upload every month of this year. It's too early to give up in February. Tomorrow is also my birthday so I wanted to celebrate in a way by showing you this story. (I know it has nothing to do with birthdays but meh)

Thank you so much for reading

A review would be appreciated

Stay safe,