Malfoy Mansion
He's a little proud of himself for doing a great job at ignoring Hermione. He shouldn't, but he feels enormous satisfaction by the way she keeps glancing at him when she thinks he isn't paying attention. When she arrived she had the nerve to scold him about Lily flying too high, how dangerous those brooms were and how he should be more responsible. He just said 'sure' knowing it would enrage her further… as it did.
When he looked at her the first thing he noticed was her bare finger. Was the engagement off? He didn't ask. None of my business.
Dinner was fine, the kids were the center of the conversation, Lily couldn't stop smiling and talking about finally going to Hogwarts, going to Diagon Alley, finally meeting the Weasleys and Hermione's parents as Lily not Laura. Laura laughed and kept making insane plans for their departure for Hogwarts. Harry couldn't help but smile, his daughters' happiness was something worth sacrificing some things for.
Now, as they talk after dinner, his mind wanders, Ron is talking about the joke shop and what Ginny should expect from lunch at the Burrow. A lunch to celebrate his birthday, one that after ten years Hermione is going to be part of.
She's quiet. He looks briefly at her. Sitting on a big couch, Lily rests her head on her lap on one side as Laura does the same on the other side. The three seem lost in a world of their own. Hermione strokes their heads as she stares at the floor, her eyes moist. Harry knows she's thinking hard about something.
He takes a sip from his wine. He's sure soon the wizarding world will know he is back, so he's trying to enjoy these last few moments of peace with his family and friends… and Hermione. He isn't sure if she is neither or both.
He feels different. He always thought the moment he set foot in London again his life would be miserable. He was sure he was going to feel watched and threatened… but nothing like that happened. He is… fine. Things are fine and everyone is well and safe. He thought the distance he kept from London was the reason why he felt protected but-
Throughout his years in New York he learned how to control his growing fears and how to deal with real threats separating them from fabricated ones. He realized Lily was safe, the same way Hermione and Laura were, away from him. It took him years but he finally learned that even if someone or something came to destroy his family or his happiness, he was ready for it. He was ready to die for them, to kill for them. Ten years ago he didn't have the maturity and strength to look at things this way… he was traumatized and sure that if someone tried to kill Hermione and their daughters, they would succeed.
If he was totally honest with himself, he can't tell why he acted the way he did that night of his first mission. When he apparated inside Grimmauld his mind was already set to one action: leave all behind and disappear. He never questioned it. But now… after so many years, after all they went through he can't be sure of his actions anymore. Maybe if he'd told Hermione everything things might have been different…
And that angers him a little.
But he's back and determined to live from this point on. No more thinking about the past or what could have been.
Suddenly he feels something. An estranged emotion… fear. Fear of committing a mistake. Takes a beat for him to understand it comes from Hermione. She raises her eyes and looks directly at him. He looks back. The moment feels intimate and familiar. His mind takes him back in time in a flash. Their younger selfs, not much older than their daughters meeting at an unknown express; Hermione fixing his glasses with certainty and excellence; how brilliant she was all the time; how he saved her from that troll; the way she lied for him; the way she supported him and made incredibly difficult choices she had no obligation to. We were only eleven then… can I really grasp the enormity of what she means to me?
She keeps looking at him. He discovers he's not angry anymore. Her voice ripples inside his mind.
"Can we talk? Alone?"
Lily and Laura are asleep and he realizes a long time must have passed since he stopped listening to Ron, Ginny and Draco's conversation. He nods at her, getting up. Hermione gently lifts her daughters' heads from her lap and follows him.
Harry opens the first door he comes across and to his surprise the room is an immense library. He walks further into it and Hermione comes behind closing the door. He hears her mumbling a silencing charm. He stands there, watching her. She forgot about him the moment she realized they were amongst books. He always loved that about her, the way she got lost inside a book and came out of it smarter and a better person. He used to watch her sometimes… the way she read raising her eyebrows, or biting her lip, or messing with her curls, or frowning, or smiling shyly, sometimes crying a little. It filled him with happiness.
He sighs. She finally looks at him. "Harry, I'm sorry about earlier, really. I had no idea you were coming to London, and I was impolite at the Ministry-"
"Hermione," He raises his hand and interrupts her, the long day he just had getting to him. "You have nothing to apologize for, okay? It's fine." He shrugs.
"I- okay." She squints at him. "I don't want things to be awkward between us, Harry. We have two daughters and I was thinking we could at least try to be friendly around them."
"You're right." He feels tired.
"Right…" She seems unsure. "Ron said you are going to look for a house tomorrow." He nods. "What about Grimmauld?"
He purses his lips. "I don't want to go back there… too many memories."
She shifts her weight from one foot to another. She must be tired too, she's still wearing the same clothes from their meeting in the morning, a thousand years ago. He doesn't ignore how beautiful she looks. Him, however, is a mess wearing only half of his Auror uniform, the vest long forgotten somewhere in the house.
"Yes, I understand…" He can feel how hesitant she is. "After you left I couldn't bear the thought of staying there-" She cuts herself.
He wants to end the conversation, but he knows there's something more, something she's not telling him. Should I ask her if she called the wedding off? He wishes he wasn't such a helpless fool. Of course she didn't.
"Why, Harry?" She walks closer to him.
"Why, what?"
"Why are you back?" She's anxious. Her eyes roam his face, searching for something, maybe an answer.
I came back for you. But you don't want me anymore. "The girls." It's true. "Lily was miserable, missing her mother and sister. I couldn't do that to her and Laura." He notices her face falling a little, but she nods.
"What about the whole 'being in danger' thing?"
He takes a step in her direction, a few feet between them. Once again. He's a head taller than her so he looks a little from above directly into her eyes. "I realized that if someone dared to threaten my daughters I would kill them without second thought, I realized I couldn't let an elaborated assumption get in the way of my happiness… of our happiness."
"So, you realized what I always told you?" Her tone is a little ironic.
"I wasn't ready to listen then, Hermione. And for that I'm sorry…" He takes her hand in his. She doesn't pull back. Moments like this between them always end the same way. He knows. She knows. She wants this. "I guess I ruined everything. I came back too late."
There. I said it.
She blinks at him a little surprised. "Harry… what about Daisy?" Daisy? She reads his expression. "Your girlfriend?"
"Ah. She didn't take very well the fact that I was coming back to London." His other hand goes to Hermione's cheek.
He acts on an impulse, his lips taking hers, gently. Her hands immediately go to his hair. She loves my hair. She kisses him back, slowly. Their lips reacquainting each other's, their tongues dancing. Harry grabs her waist and squeezes a little. Perfection. He wants to get lost inside her, with her, forever. We are forever.
She stops the kiss, but doesn't open her eyes, their foreheads touching. Harry observes her swollen lips, the way they are parted and how she breathes heavily trying to center herself. He pecks her lips once, twice… she smiles a little. They fit. We complete each other. She shakes her head.
"What's wrong?" He asks.
She distances herself turning her back to him. "We can't, Harry."
"Hermione, I know you want to. I can feel it, it's inevitable."
"I'm getting married, Harry. I love him."
It hurts. I should argue with her, make her see the truth, insist that we are meant to be together. But he promised. "Does he make you happy?"
She turns back to him, tears running down her face. "Yes." He sighs heavily. But nothing stops me from hating him, right?
Putting his hands inside his pockets he walks to her. "I want you to be happy." He leans forward and kisses her forehead. "Can we try to be friends, then?"
He feels himself being torn apart inside. A huge part of him wants to grab her, lift her from the floor, kiss her senseless, make love to her all night, plan their future. The other part wants to just be her friend again, be able to talk to her whenever he feels like it, be able to laugh with her, be able to hug her. What both want is to be part of her life again, regardless.
"Yes." She smiles brightly. "Yes." She hugs him. "I would love that."
Ron, Ginny and Draco are whispering when they return to the living room. Hermione feels lighter, happier. Harry smiles at her. I love his smile. He seemed sincere when he said he wanted her to be happy and the fact that he wants to be friends with her again makes her heart flutter. I want him in my life. She's not shocked by the realization but she understands there are a lot of obstacles in front of them. The first one her questions about his first mission, about what happened that night, about his whereabouts for four hours. He won't take it very well, she already knows.
Lily and Laura are still sleeping on the sofa. Hermione observes them as Harry sits by Ron's side. They look exactly the same, the perfect mixture of Harry and her. She can't help smiling, they're both there, with her, so big and healthy and beautiful. She loves them with all her heart. I would kill for them. I would die for them. She glances at Harry again, her eyes unable to stay away from him. He's looking at her. Danger. We're playing with fire. She considers the kiss they just shared the perfect mistake. If you're doing something you shouldn't, at least make it worth it. But that was the last time. She reassures herself that won't happen again.
"I guess Laura can stay for the night. I was thinking about taking them to my parents' tomorrow to tell them everything-"
"Sure, you want me to come with?" Harry asks. Yes, but- "Jack is coming, we're telling the girls and my parents about the wedding."
An awkward silence falls between them. Harry lowers his eyes as Ginny concentrates on drinking some water, Draco seems intrigued by the ceiling and Ron shakes his head in denial.
"Yeah, sure. That's fine." Harry smiles at her. He's really trying his best.
"Okay, I'm going to go. It's been a long day."
"Hermione." Ron calls to her before she apparates away. "Are you still coming on Sunday?"
"Yes, of course."
Then, she's gone.
Potter Manor, Friday, July 27th
"I mean, it doesn't make any sense, does it, sis? That guy isn't right for mum!" Lily says.
"I know!" Laura answers.
After a few days they are finally installed at the Potter Manor, the place so big and beautiful they are both very excited about it, however, the fact that their mother is marrying that guy…
It's been two days since Hermione told them about the wedding and they can't stop talking about it.
"I mean, it's obvious she loves dad…" Lily continues.
"He loves her too." Laura sighs.
Both are laying on the floor of Lily's room observing the enchanted images Harry conjured up on the ceiling. The images tell a story each night and by day the characters just walk around, resting from their adventures. Lily's eyes follow the golden snitch that zooms from one side to the other.
"Laura, what if-"
"What?
"I mean." Lily sits up and looks at her twin with a serious expression. "They are just confused… from what uncle Ron and aunt Ginny told us they've just been apart for so long... they need more time together, don't you agree?"
"Yes, yes! I remember a story mum used to tell me. About the tragedy of a love so strong and magical that was tested by higher wizards-"
"I know this one too! They got separated and their memories were taken-"
"And they had to find each other and fall in love again to finally be allowed to be together!"
"Yes! And they fell in love again when they got stuck for days inside that house!"
They look at one another with mischief in their eyes. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Lily asks.
"If you're thinking about trapping our parents inside a house for days, I sure am."
They giggle, excitement taking over them. "It's the perfect plan."
"Agreed, but how are we pulling this off?"
"I can think of a few adults that might be willing to help us…"
They get up and start working on their perfect plan.
Ministry of Magic, Friday, July 27th
It's the end of the day and everyone is almost gone, however the light coming out of her office tells him she's still there. He takes a deep breath and knocks on her door. A voice comes from the other side, the clear 'come in' giving him courage to turn the doorknob and step inside. She's behind her desk, writing furiously on a piece of parchment. She doesn't lift her eyes right away, her free hand in the air with one finger up, asking for a minute.
Harry takes her in. He hadn't seen her since that night at Ginny and Draco's. She has her hair pulled up into a bun which leaves her neck exposed, he shivers a little, I love her neck. The ring in back on. He tightens his jaw, his eyes searching her office now. It's big and cozy, her desk is in the middle of it, behind it there's a large set of windows that give her a privileged view of the Ministry atrium, a big couch rests on one corner, a fireplace on the other and above it there's a breathtaking image of a forest and a few mountains. It seems familiar to him but he can't pinpoint the place.
"Harry!"
She's surprised. He turns to her again. She gets up and comes from behind the desk. What exactly is her job here? Does Jack know? A pang of jealousy runs through him. He should be the one that knows everything about her.
"Hey," He says, greeting her. "I just saw this and," He extends the Daily Prophet in her direction, "wanted to know if you had also."
She takes the paper from his hands. He knows what she's reading:
THE BOY WHO LIVED IS BACK AND HE HAS NOT ONLY ONE DAUGHTER BUT TWO!
Harry Potter, 30, known as the savior of the wizarding world is finally back to London! It's a fact that he's already working as an Auror and that he got himself a property just outside London that became the new Potter Manor. Sources told the Prophet that Mr Potter is trying to stay off the radar, but he was seen yesterday walking around muggle London with a young girl that many would say looks exactly the same as the Ministry's relations Hermione Granger's, 31, daughter, Laura Granger, 11. However, dear readers, the young Laura was seen with her mother at the same time in another part of muggle London. Curious, right? We dug into it and found out that the young girl with Mr Potter goes by the name of Lily Potter. THEY'RE TWINS! So it's true what was rumored by many, Harry Potter and his best friend and also savior of the wizarding world, Hermione Granger were together for some time many years ago and hid it from the world. But what we really want to know is: what drove them apart all those years ago? Why is their romance over? Mr Potter seems to be single, but it is known that Miss Granger is to marry Head Auror Jack Winter next year, so what happened? If you want to read about their friendship and secret love life, go to page 34-
Hermione tosses the paper on the couch. "What a load of rubbish! Who wrote this?"
Harry shakes his head. "I don't know. And honestly it doesn't matter. It's out there now. What you want to do about it?"
She crosses her arms and stares at the floor, thinking. "I'll do whatever you want to."
Her answer takes him a little by surprise. "Okay. I think we should release some kind of statement, it's impossible to deny that they're twins and that they're our daughters." She nods. "And I hope that with our confirmation they'll leave us alone rather sooner than later."
"I agree. If we give them the truth there's no room for speculation, but they will ask why you left, Harry."
"I know-"
"Harry, can I ask you something?"
He doesn't like her tone. He knows she's going to ask something he doesn't want to answer. "Sure."
"On that night." He nods, he knows what night. "Your mission was over and you got home right after?"
Harry stiffens. What does she know? She's giving him yet another chance to tell the truth, to come clean, to explain why he was desperate to leave, to be away. "Hermione… please. We have to leave the past in the past."
"No. I can't, I'm sorry. I need to know, Harry, it's who I am." And I love you for that.
He sighs and sits on the couch, elbows on his knees, his hands holding his head. "I don't want to put you in unnecessary danger. Or worry you or-"
She kneels in front of him, taking his hands and staring into his eyes. "Tell me. I don't mind the danger, you know I can take care of myself." He feels faintly through their connection her anxiety, her urgency. She's suffering. He lifts her from the floor and makes her sit by his side. Her eyes are big, waiting.
"What do you know?"
"Not much, I just read the file." I could say that the file already has all the informations. I could hide it, convince her. "Don't lie to me, Harry."
"Are you reading my mind?"
"If I could do that I would've done it years ago, trust me. I just know you." She shrugs and smiles a little. "Harry, if this is a real threat, I need to know. If it comes to me having to protect our daughters I need to know what I'm up against."
He laughs a little. Her logic is perfect, like always. "Fine, I'll tell you."
The mission, May, 2001
"Something is wrong here." James Pickerson says. "I don't want any of you getting close to he house until we have a clear notion of what we're dealing with."
Harry is behind the man, all his fellow Aurors are by his side, they are a group of six, including James. He understands what James means, he can feel something strange in the air too, as if the magic on the site is muffled. They walk slowly in three groups of two towards the house. There's nothing exceptional about the house and the yard, they seem free of any kind of dark magic.
"Everything is clean here, boss." An Auror says from the other far end of the yard. Harry is paired with James and they are a little further from the house, but another pair of Aurors is getting closer and closer to the house, James warns them:
"Aurors, stay behind, don't go inside!"
But Harry watches as both of them ignore direct orders from James and head straight to the entrance of the house, they are fast and as the rest of them head towards the house, a terrifying scream fills their ears. Harry's heart starts beating fast, he can feel his emotions on the edge, his senses enhanced. He immediately knows something bad is gonna happen, he starts for the house and a huge explosion brightens the night. They are all thrown away except for Harry that keeps running.
He tries putting out the fire but his wand is useless, nothing works. He tries wandless magic but it's only a waste of time. He doesn't care. He enters the house and is shocked by what he finds. A path, free of fire, opens to him guiding him to a center table in front of a fireplace. On the table, an orb. One that he recognizes immediately. A prophecy. It's tagged: Granger-Potter. He feels cold, the world crumbling around him. No, no, no!
He's paralyzed and hypnotized by it. Moving without realizing, he grabs the orb thrusting it inside his inner pocket, his mind running wild. After the orb is tucked away, the world goes back to functioning normally. Speed of things seems faster and the fire begins to take over everything. Harry sees his fellow Aurors cold dead in a corner. He tries levitating them and succeeds.
Outside the house everyone else is in clear distress. James yells at him while the other two Aurors try not to cry. Harry is aware he's a little hurt but he can't bring himself to care about it. "What were you thinking, Potter?"
Before Harry can answer the house behind them explodes and vanishes completely, leaving nothing on the place. "We have to get out of here. Was there anything inside the house, Auror Potter?"
He swallows hard. "No, sir, nothing."
"Fine, let's apparate away, on my count."
A flash of blue light blinds them for a minute and when Harry's sight comes back to him, he sees they're surrounded by ten hooded figures. They give their backs to each other in a defensive action, wands ready. James is the first to attack but nothing happens, no spell, nothing. The other Aurors try attacking also, but again, nothing. Harry sees a hooded wizard lifting his wand, a spell almost ready. He runs his hand over the orb inside his jacket and grabs his wand attacking the wizard. It works. Apparently he's the only Auror that can use magic at the moment.
It's madness. The hooded wizards throw spells everywhere as Harry tries to protect himself and the Aurors, he yells spell after spell while he runs around the place, apparating in and out, shielding and attacking at the same time. There's no time to think, just react. After roughly five minutes the hooded figures are all defenseless on the floor. James looks at him with admiration and fear. "Potter-"
"We have to find out who they are." Harry walks fast to the nearest wizard in front of him, his intent of taking the hood away very clear.
But they all raise their hands and snap their fingers and when Harry understands what happened, him, James, and the others are on the back alley of the Ministry. Without thinking too hard about it, Harry obliviates his fellow Aurors, James included. They couldn't remember what he just did.
Ministry of Magic, Friday, July 27th
"A prophecy." Hermione is shocked and a little angry. Fucking Divination. Harry is discreetly crying by her side and she extends her arms towards him to hold him the same way she did so many times. "You fought all of them alone, Harry. How?" He rests his forehead on her shoulder.
"I don't know, I don't know. It happened so fast, Hermione. I kept thinking about you and the girls and I knew I couldn't die."
She turns her head and kisses his cheek. "No one can find out about what you did… hiding things from your superior and then wiping their memories out, Harry. It's-"
"I know."
She holds him tighter. "What happened next?"
Hogwarts, May, 2001
Minerva meets him at the Quidditch field. "Potter, what's wrong?" She is one of the few that knows about him and Hermione. She was there the day Laura and Lily were born. He trusts her with his life.
"Headmistress, please, I can't tell you why but I need to use the room of requirement." She hesitates. "Please."
She sighs. "Fine. Do I want to know what this is about?"
"No, you don't."
She guides him inside. They walk fast and reach the room of requirement in a few minutes. No one saw them on the way there. "I will allow you to apparate away from here the moment you're done."
"Can you do that?"
"Of course I can." She squeezes his hands. "Does Hermione know about this?" He denies. "I don't know what it is and I promise I won't tell, but you should tell her, Harry." She then leaves him.
He enters the room and finally hears the prophecy.
Ministry of Magic, Friday, July 27th
"You hid it inside Hogwarts."
He nods. "I didn't know what else to do. If I went to Gringotts or handed it over to the Ministry they would know I had it, they would know I've heard it."
"Who are they, Harry?"
"I'm not sure." He raises from the couch and walks around. "I heard a few rumors about the 'Believers', an extremist group that consider themselves the agents of destiny. Their mission is to find prophecies and make sure they are fulfilled."
She huffs. "Merlin, most of the times these prophecies aren't even true."
"Haven't you heard about them?"
"No, I-" She stops.
"What is it?"
"I've heard, but I didn't know it was the same group. They used a different name." She raises from the couch too. "Two years ago the Ministry was target of an invasion. A group of five entered our wards and took something. We took a while to realize a few prophecies were missing from the Department of Mysteries. I was in charge of the investigation and no one else's spells were strong enough to reveal their steps, but I did it."
"Of course you did." He smiles shyly.
"They left a message on the wall of the Department. It said 'We're the Agents and we'll come for you'. I thought nothing of it. You know I don't strongly believe in prophecies and nothing else happened related to those taken orbs…"
"Don't you wanna know what the prophecy with your name on it says?"
"I'm not sure. What if us hearing it is what makes it happen? What if our actions from the moment we know are towards making it a reality? You left me because you believed, Harry. Look what that got us."
"I was part of a prophecy once, Hermione. One that came true. You wanted me to ignore this? Ignore something that involved you? The girls?"
She widens her eyes. "Are the girls in it too?"
"Yes, we all are."
"Then I wanna hear." Her tone is final. "Take me to it."
Hogwarts, Friday, July 27th
Minerva wasn't there to greet them and Hermione is grateful, she is angry with her old teacher. Minerva knew about this all along and never said anything to Hermione. She visited a few days after Harry had left and she saw how miserable Hermione was and even so she didn't say a thing.
They stop in front of the wall and Harry concentrates, waiting for the room to appear. Memories take over Hermione as she watches the corridor. The countless times they did this on their fifth year; the way Harry helped everyone; the way she believe in him more than himself; how she worried about him; annoying Cho Chang, I was jealous of her and didn't even know; how she saved his life; how he pleaded with his eyes for her to believe him when he was sure they needed to save Sirius; how she fought by his side. The way I would always. How she felt when she finally heard about the prophecy. The memory gives her chills. She looks at his face, his eyes closed. I was always there for you, Harry, why didn't you trust me?
The door begins to appear in front of them. She's nervous and she can feel he's too. She takes his hand and they walk inside. The room is a study. There's a table in the middle of it and on top of the table, an orb.
"I was here for hours trying to find a way to prevent this." He looks at her. "My only answer was to run away. But I knew, I knew it would hurt if you didn't agree." He swallows hard. "You didn't but I had to do something, I'm sorry."
"Why didn't you tell me?" She's crying. The orb is shining bright, the 'Granger-Potter' of the tag catching her attention.
"I don't know. I really don't. After years of thinking about it I can't give you an answer. I trust you, Hermione. You know I do. But my brain was wired to one thought only: get away and don't tell you about the prophecy, keep you safe."
"It doesn't matter now." She releases his hand. "If I hold the orb, it will talk?"
"Yes."
The orb is heavy and cold. For a few seconds nothing happens and then, a voice:
"Born, from the union of the one who lived and the brightest witch,
The two identical are to be.
Born, is the wicked one,
from the thirst of revenge.
From four to none,
If together they end on the hand of the wicked one.
Through sacrifice is the only way to stay alive,
Apart to grow and fulfill, to mature and thrive.
If in the place of birth they chose to stay,
The wicked one's anger they must face,
Because together none of them can survive,
If there is a wicked one to consume their lives."