As always, I'm only playing with JK Rowling's toys.
All credit goes to JK Rowling, her publisher and all the other people involved in bringing her work to life. This is more of a filler chapter, I hope that you stay with it and I plan to get a little more exciting in the coming chapters.
#
As Harry lay in the hospital wing, the rest of the school gossiped about everything that had happened. The most popular rumours said that Harry and Draco fought a duel over a supposed slight, and while Harry soundly beat Draco, the Slytherin hit Harry with an unknown dark curse that was slowly killing Harry, or that Snape took exception to Harry talking back to him had somehow managed to potion him with some unknown and untested concoction that was slowly killing him.
Something happened to Harry, and he was slowly dying, and because Hermione wasn't there to dismiss the gossip, Ron took it upon himself to embellish and downright lie.
'It's like I said, Harry owes me a life debt now because let's face it, if it weren't for me then Malfoy and Snape would have murdered him.' he told the assembled group of gossip mongers surrounding him.
Ron was lapping up the adoration, at last, he was the centre of the universe, and he was beginning to feel at home "this is even better than that stupid mirror, who needs head boy when I can convince Potter he owes me a life debt" thought the egotistical red-head.
'Then what happened, Mr Weasley?' asked one of the younger pupils,
'I decked Malfoy and held Snape at wand point before telling Longbottom and Granger to take Harry to the infirmary. Granger thought I was really brave facing off against a teacher and a junior death eater that she asked me to Hogsmead, I said I'd think about it.' Ron kept laying it on thick, and the younger students hung on every word he said.
#
Harry lay deathly still on his hospital bed as the hours slowly ticked away. Hermione never moved from her vigil; she sat like a sentinel watching over her love. Under her watchful gaze, no further harm would be fall him, her hand clasping his.
Madam Pomfrey noticed how Hermione watched her friend, almost identical to the way that Harry had watched over her when she was petrified. She knew that this was no mere friendship, this was significantly more, and hell mend anyone that tried to come between them.
At the side of Hermione sat a plate of food that Dobby had brought her hours ago, this sat untouched and ignored. She barely registered any recognition of the excitable elf leaving it; her focus was on Harry. She was willing him to wake up, to recover so that they could be together again, she knew it was illogical, but she did it anyway.
After a few more hours, footsteps could be heard echoing through the corridor towards the infirmary, getting ever closer to her and her Harry.
'Ms Granger, you are out long after curfew. I am going to have to insist that you return to Gryffindor Tower.' Minerva said in her unique head-of-house tone.
Hermione didn't move.
'Ms Granger, I will not be ignored' demanded the professor.
Hermione sat resolute, unflinching at the tone the professor used.
'MISS GRANGER!' Minerva raised her voice to get a reaction.
Hermione turned her and stared down the formidable professor.
'no.' She replied softly, causing her teacher to flinch.
'Excuse me? I wasn't asking, Ms Granger. Get back to the tower, or you will find yourself in detention.'
'Where he; goes I go, professor. Right now he's here so this is where I will stay. When he wakes and goes to the tower, so will I. If he doesn't wake...' Hermione left the sentence opened so her favourite teacher would understand that she meant every word she said.
Minerva was about to respond when Madam Pomfrey came over and beckoned her old friend to one side.
'Min, you leave that girl alone. Can't you see that her heart is breaking? If Mr Potter doesn't recover, I can promise you there will be two fewer students in Gryffindor.'
'Is it that serious?' asked Minerva
'I don't know; he's not responding to anything; all the tests have come back clear. I am at a total loss.' admitted the healer.
'Have you considered moving him to St. Mungo's? Perhaps they might enjoy better results there.'
Minerva asked as she watched Hermione from across the ward.
'The protocols for stated that we can only transfer an unresponsive patient if there is no improvement within twenty hours or the patient's condition declines. He is currently stable; he has neither improved nor declined since he came into my care.' Madam Pomfrey looked at her friend.
'Leave Ms Granger here; I'll see to it that she gets some rest and I'll update you in the morning.'
Minerva considered the advice of her learned friend and left the ward. It was a day that had started so promisingly; her two favourite pupils had finally stopped dancing around each other and taken the plunge. Everything pointed to it being a good day.
Minerva made her way back to her chambers; she had coursework to mark and projects to theorise over before finally calling it a night.
#
'Harry, why do you fear to wake?' A voice echoed in the darkness.
'I'm not afraid to wake up. I'm afraid that she won't be there when I do.' Harry replied.
'You know that she's there, she's always been there Harry.' said the voice.
'Who are you?'
'Don't you recognise me?' asked the voice
'You sound like me, are you me?' asked Harry.
'I am, I'm the older version of you, well an echo of the older version of you. You changed everything, Harry. The Weasley won't get his hooks into her; the fangirl won't get her claws into you and Neville is stronger and more confident now than he was before. Now all you have to do is open your eyes and see your future.' The older Echo gently admonished him.
He knew that old Him was right. It's a strange feeling knowing that you're right and that you've given yourself a bollocking because of it.
He gave himself a once over, and all his old memories were there, all the spells that he had learned over the years, the knowledge that he had accumulated and the abilities he had worked so tirelessly to achieve in years since Hermione died in his previous life were there ready to be used.
'Everything will change when you wake; you realise that don't you?' Old Harry asked.
'Hermione will still be mine and still alive. In what way will everything change?' he asked himself.
'You'll remember everything, not only will you know the law inside and out, but you will also be trained as a top-ranking hit wizard. Not even Mad-Eye got to that level.' He explained to his younger self.
'I can teach Hermione everything I know about Animagus transformation and advanced runes. Oh, she'll love to know about the advancement in charms and Arithmancy.' He mused more to his younger self than to make conversation.
'You must seek out the one as wise as Athena. Only she can be your guide and confidant, and while I know, I cannot tell you whom you should speak with.' Old Harry said with an echo.
Young Harry sat in the darkness. He had forgotten that Athena had already told him all of this.
Harry sighed and asked 'how do I wake up?'
'The opposite of falling asleep' sniggered Old Harry
'Huh?'
'Open your eyes, genius! Honestly, it's no bloody wonder that she gave up waiting for you to figure things out. If brains where chocolate, you would struggle to fill a Smartie.' His older echo mocked.
'Shut up, Smeghead!' Harry barked at his older self.
'Very mature Harry. Now open your fucking eyes and see your girl.'
#
Hermione closed her eyes and sent out a silent prayer to every and any deity out there that was listening, willing Harry to wake up and come back to her. She clenched his hand and knitted her brow, as she pleaded for him to wake a silent tear began to roll down her cheek.
'Don't frown like that Mia; you'll get wrinkles' Harry croaked softly.
On hearing his voice, her eye sprung open wider then they had ever been before, as she stood up she knocked her chair over, and the resounding clatter alerted Madam Pomfrey that something had happened.
'Harry...' was al that she could say before launching herself at him in the most unladylike way imaginable. Madam Pomfrey saw her being held and tenderly as a newborn by the love of her life, the very patient that mere hours ago seemed to be not only unresponsive but potentially on the road to checking out completely.
Poppy cast a couple of diagnostic scans, the results gave him a clean bill of health, so she left them alone, it had been a trying day, and Ms Granger needed all the comfort she could get.
After a few minutes, Hermione broke their embrace and dried her eyes; they didn't speak Harry just scooted over and lifted the covers for her to climb in beside him. Talking could wait, tonight they simply needed to hold each other.
Hermione kicked off her shoes and climbed into bed beside him, his arms engulfed her and the warm feeling of being loved and protected radiated through her. As sleep finally claimed her, she heard Harry simply say 'I love you Mia'