The next morning, Hermione woke up to Crookshanks clawing at the door wanting to be let out. Groaning she sat up rubbing her eyes before taking in the familiar surroundings. The sun streamed in through the windows casting a white light through the curtains. Her thoughts were interrupted by a loud yowl from the cat that continued to claw at the door.
"Okay okay I hear you." Standing from the bed she walked to the door and opened it watching the cat run out of the room. Walking out of the room, she took in the silence of the home. Her feet carried her to the kitchen, finding a note from Ginny and Harry on the fridge.
Hermione,
I have work today until later in the evening and Ginny is going to Molly's. I am not sure who will be home first, but I left you some parchment and ink out. If you are hungry ask Kreacher to make you something to eat. He has been instructed to listen to you while I am gone. Please make yourself at home, we will talk later.
-Harry
Sitting the note on the counter she began looking for things to make coffee. When she came up short, she decided she would go out and get some. She got up to her room, slipped on a tank top and some joggers. There was a coffee shop down the road so she figured she would take a run.
"Crookshanks, I will be right back. Look over the house." Mumbling slightly as she pocketed her wand and grabbing some Muggle currency that she had Harry exchange out for her. As she stepped out of Grimwauld Place, locking the door and watching the building disappear between the two apartment buildings. Once her bushy mane was tied back, she took off on a mild jog, enjoying the feel of the cool air hitting her face. She picked up her pace, feeling her lungs gasp for air as her face flushed and sweat began to form on her brow. The bits of hair she was unable to hold back stuck to her face and the heat from her head caused the ends of her hair to frizz, but she didn't care. She loved running. Gave her a chance to escape from the world and have control over something in her life. Heart beating against her ribs, her side pinched and her legs sore as she kept up the almost sprint like pace. Not even realizing she had passed up the coffee shop until her legs demand she stopped.
Slowing to a walk as she held her side, panting heavily, sweat dripping down her face and some of her shirt soaked with it. She knew she must look awful, but she could not care less what anyone around her though. Turning around, she headed back to the coffee shop.
The coffee shop was the same as she remembered. The smell of books and coffee wafted in the air making her smile. Walking to the counter she was greeted by an older woman working the counter. Her eyes a light hazel looking over Hermione taking in her flushed appearance. The woman smiled at her revealing a slightly crooked grin.
"Welcome to Costa Coffee! How can I help you today?" Hermione offered the woman a side smile and placed her order with the woman. As she waited for her coffee, she browsed the books lining the shelves. Running her fingers over the spines of each as she felt at home as her fingers caressed the book. Pulling out a book that seemed older than the rest, she flipped it open revealing in the slightly worn pages. The scent of older paper and dried leather wafted through the air, and the scent was reminisce of her times in the library at Hogwarts, books piled around her as she studied, whether it be for school, or to keep Harry and Ron from dying.
She was pulled from her thoughts, hearing her false name being called for her coffee. Sliding the book back into place, she walked up, took her coffee, and promptly left. Enjoying the walk back to Grimwauld Place as she sipped on the caffeinated beverage. The heat from the drink encouraged her body heat as she finished it off, disposing of it in a rubbish bin.
Once she was back, she set about for a shower. Crookshanks greeted her with a familiar yowl indicating he was hungry. She stopped to feed him some food before ascending the stairs to the bathroom.
Stripping her clothes down, she slipped into the shower and felt the hot spray hit her skin. Her hair was pulled down from her ponytail and she relished in the feel. Her mind began to drift as she stood under the water, letting it run down her face, to her chest and splatter on the floor.
"Granger?" A voice called to her as she looked up from the book she was reading. Infront of her stood a porcelain man, storm eyes raking up and down her form.
"What now?" She asked tiredly as he smirked at her. He had been leaning on the door frame and with a kick from his right foot he walked over to her and sat in front of her. He slowly plucked the book from her hands and she swatted at his hands in an attempt to grab it back.
"Hey! I was reading that you damn prat!" She yelled hiding the smile that threatened to spill from her lips.
"I saw that. Though I have been standing there for almost ten minutes now and you didn't even notice. So now that I have your full attention, do you want to go to lunch? I'm free for the next two hours and I missed your bushy hair and beaver teeth." He teased her making her cover her mouth in fake horror.
"I will have you know my teeth are perfectly normal! What makes you think I want to spend lunch with the Amazing Bouncing Ferret?" She teased back and his hand went over his chest in a mock shock.
"Honestly woman, you wound me. Come on. Go get dressed and make it quick." He commanded and she gave him a look.
"What's wrong with what I have on now?" Her hand on her hip as she stared at him incredulously.
"Nothing, just want an excuse to piss you of." He gave her a wide smile as the storm in his eyes ceased for a moment, and she could see the specks of blue.
"Honestly Dr- "
Hermione was pulled from her thoughts by an unruly meowing from the other side of the bathroom door, the water by now had turned ice cold causing her to wrap up the shower quickly. Shivering, she pulled a robe around her body. Using an extra towel, she dried off her hair and opened the door.
"I hear you Crookshanks. No need to be so whiny." Sighing as she made her way to her room. Grabbing her charmed bag, she rifled through until she found his food bowl and his food. Once he was fed and sated, she went to the kitchen. After an hour, she had settled upon a bowl of cereal and an apple. After she ate, she went back upstairs to get dressed. Slipping on a pair of joggers, a black tee shirt and threw her hair back into a ponytail and sat to write a letter to Harry asking if she could visit his office for lunch as she was extremely bored. Though very quickly, she realized she had no owl to deliver this letter. Groaning, she hated to ask him for help, but she also didn't feel like tracking down an owl either.
"Uhm, Kreacher?" She called out and from behind she heard a loud crack, and the grumpy house-elf was behind her. Turning around she saw him angrily eyeing her.\
"What does Miss want to call on Kreacher?" He asked her. She handed him the letter ignoring his tone of voice.
"Please give this to Harry. I can't find an owl. Do not mention my name please. Thank you." He mumbles something under his breath but took the note and with a crack he was gone.
It wasn't long before she heard back from him. He had sent an owl within the hour and said she was more than welcome, and he would have food brought to his office around 11:30. He also left the location of his Floo powder.
She glanced at the watch around her wrist. "9:00. What to do for two-and-a-half hours?" She asked herself. Deciding on practicing her magic, she went back upstairs to her room and pulled her books out of her bag. Laying them out she read through them, finding different spells to practice on, nothing heavy, a couple Transfiguration spells, some charms and she copied some potion recipes down for future uses.
After two hours of practicing and some light meditation, she slipped on her shoes and made her way to the fireplace. It had been a long time since she used any kind of Floo Network, but thankfully it is simple enough. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror as she was preparing to go to Harry's office. Taking her wand back out, she cast a quick glamour, changing the shape of her face, the color of her eyes, and her hair from a golden brown to a lighter blonde. Satisfied with the results, she looked at her watch seeing she only hade 5 minutes left before Harry would be expecting her. With a heavy sigh, she grabbed a handful of the green powder and stepped into the fireplace, yelling her destination and tossing the powder at her feet as she was sucked into the Floo and felt her body twisting and turning, until her feet landed in another fireplace.
Coughing soot and wiping her face, she looked around to find she was back in Harry's office. He was not here yet, she assumed getting food for the pair of them. Sitting down across from his desk, she saw the picture of the three of them laughing at her. Her hands reacted before she knew, and she hand the frame in her hands, her fingers tracing over their smiling faces. She didn't remember what they were laughing about still, but they were happy. She preferred to see Ron's face this way. Laughing, happy, not a care in the world. His face was very different the last time they had spoken.
She remembered it like it happened yesterday, and not five years ago.
The smell of the room made her stomach churn, the smell of medicine, of the sick, of death. Hermione had always hated hospitals, even one as magical as St. Mungos. The room she was in was a waiting room for friends and family. The remaining Weasley twin sat across from her, offering a comforting smile. Ginny sat next to her and Harry on the other side of her. Molly was pacing the room with a worried look on her face. Arthur was at work and she didn't want to worry him, Bill and Charlie had yet to be notified, though probably for the better.
Suddenly, the door swept open, and an older man in robes walked in the room shutting the door behind him. Molly stopped her pacing and looked at the Healer expectantly.
"It wasn't easy. Mr. Weasley suffered several broken ribs, broke both of his legs at the knee, internal bleeding, it was very messy. Though, despite the odds, I believe he is going to be just fine."
Molly's eyes, wet with tears, had finally began to let them falls. George stood and hugged his mother to his side as she thanked the Healer repeatedly. Hermione couldn't be happier that Ron was okay, but he was in this mess because of her.
"Can we see him?" Ginny finally asked.
"For now, it is best that only two people at a time see him. Mrs. Weasley, if you and one other want to go in with someone else you can." George offered to go with her, and the pair walked out of the room. She could finally release the breath she didn't know she was holding.
"I don't think I can go see him." Mumbling softly as her hands cradled her face, resting her elbows on her knees.
Harry knelt in front of her making her look at him.
"Hermione you have to. He is still our friend despite the shitty things he has done." Before she could get a word out, Molly came back in sobbing and George has the glimmer of tears in his own eyes.
"He isn't talking much, mom needed to leave. Someone else should go." She looked at Harry and Ginny expecting them to go, but with a fierce look from the youngest Weasley, she got up and left to his room.
Walking in, she hadn't expected the state he was in. A bottle of SkelliGrow sat on the table next to his bed, bandages wrapped around his chest and his legs both held in place by a charm so they would heal.
"Ron..."
"Get out." He hissed at her. "Get out. Tell them I am fine. No thanks to you."
Her heart lurched at the words that he spoke with such venom.
"Look Ron I had no idea that would happen. I just thought that- "
"What! You though your Death Eater wouldn't attack me! Of course, you did!" He yelled at her, his face becoming redder and redder.
"You instigated a fight! You were the one who got up in his face! What did you expect?!" She yelled back at him feeling her own fire within burning.
"I certainly didn't expect a fucking miniature battle!" He went to yell again before clenching his jaw tightly.
"Just leave. Don't come back. I never want to see you again! "
"Hey, you made it here. Sorry it took so long, the guy at the counter was awful chatty." Harry's voice pulled her from her thoughts as she wiped a stray tear quickly. Setting the frame down as he sat in his desk chair.
"Thank you, for letting me come. I was bored to death honestly." She gave him a small smile as he pushed a sandwich and some crisps her direction.
"I didn't know if you would want pasta, so I brought you this." It would do. Her appetite was lacking these days, but she kept eating for the sake of survival. The pair ate in silence before Harry cleared his throat breaking the silence.
"So, I have found a therapist. I figured a Muggle one was out of the question, but I found one not too far from my house, and I asked around for an opening somewhere. I found a few places, but I figured you can take some time before we dive right into finding you a job." Nodding at his words, he studied her face before he pulled his wand out and she felt her glamour fade from her face.
"Sorry, I would rather see you then- well not you." He smiled at her. The pair of them finished their lunch, Harry catching her up on the latest in the Wizarding World.
Soon, Hermione needed to head back as Harry had to get to work. She smiled as he cleaned up, and her arms went around his torso hugging him close.
"Thank you for never giving up on me." She felt him laugh as his arms hugged her back.
"Yeah right. How could I ever? Ginny would have my head." The comment made her laugh as she pulled back from his arms.
"Alright, I should go. I guess I will see you in a few hours?" His nod was her only response as she went to his fireplace. Before she could even grab the Floo powder, Harry's office door bursts open, and the last person she wanted to see rushed through, dark bags were present under his eyes, his whit blonde hair a complete mess, a white shirt thrown on that looked like something directly out of the wash basket, and trousers that looked just as bad.
"Potter! There you are! Listen I found a lead the she maybe back in the UK- "His sentence was cut short, as he finally noticed Hermione trying to sneak her way to the fireplace. His frazzled demeanor dropped as his eyes met hers, and he felt his heart stop. His eyes, they were no long a stormy grey, but a darker shade, no blue specks found. Lifeless and cold, that is what his eyes looked like. His mouth set in a hard line as he looked between the two.
"Are you fucking kidding me?" He growled out, shutting the door, startling Hermione from her thoughts.
"Malfoy before you freak out just know she has requested not to tell anyone that she is here." Harry jumped in front of Malfoy as he started walking over to Hermione. His eyes glared into Harry's.
"Yet you didn't even think to tell me?! The person who found your lead in America?! The one who hasn't slept a single goddamn night since she left?!" His voiced raised as he grew more distressed, and each time it did, it made her jump and move closer to the fireplace.
His eyes finally landed on her, and he noticed she was shaking almost. She looked different, her hair was duller than it use to be, yet she still looked as beautiful as ever.
"Granger, we need to talk."
Hello all. I wanted to get a few chapters in before I introduced myself. I am very excited to bed writing this! I have tried to write this a few different times but was unsuccessful. Not this story but other Dramione stories.
I really hope you all enjoy reading it! If you have any comments or constructive criticism, please feel free to let me know.
The whole idea based around this story is as some have probably guessed, learning to forgive. Whether it is yourself or someone else, I believe it is important to forgive but don't forget.
As far as uploading goes, whenever I have the itch to write, I write. So, I can put up anywhere from one to four chapters a day, all depending on how I feel.
Regardless, I hope you all enjoy the story, please leave feedback for me on things I can improve. Thank you all!
Falan
