A/N: Ah! It's been over a couple months… I apologize profusely… Really. I've just had exams and my cousin's getting married, so my grandparents are here and… I'm just making excuses for myself… Okay- here we are.
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The First Goodbye: Part Five
By Heather Michelle
Hermione and Harry, who were now avoiding each other (partially due to something they couldn't describe), both went to see Dumbledore at separate time to talk about what they had overheard Snape say the night before. Dumbledore had different things to say Hermione, after double Potions with Slytherins, once she got to his office.
"Headmaster Dumbledore? You wanted to see me?" she inquired.
"Yes, Hermione. Have a seat, if you will. I want to talk about the message in your dreams, I-"
"Have you figured out what they mean, yet? I mean…." Hermione let her voice trail off, all of a sudden realizing how rude she was being. She was overanxious because she hated being uncertain about anything, especially cryptic dreams that involved her future.
"Well to answer your question, yes, Hermione. But let me ask you a question first. Hermione, I know you are in love with Ron, but could there possibly be anyone else you are interested in?"
Dumbledore asked the question carefully, trying not to tread into hot water. He knew that this was going to get personal, and Harry would have to be brought up sooner or later.
"Why do you ask, Sir?" Hermione didn't really want to answer. It was embarrassing and made her seem untruthful if she explained that she was in love with someone other than Ron.
"Well your dream says nothing about Ron, like you previously thought. It has to do with a future love, and the Grensalmia usually appears in close proximity to events, so my guess is that you might know whom I'm talking about. And you, not Voldemort, will be the one to kill him." Dumbledore said slowly and clearly, seeing how his words met Hermione's callow eyes, which seemed to darken and flood in simultaneous instants.
"Harry?" Hermione croaked. A trillion things ran through her head when Dumbledore had told her about what would happen… "I would never kill him, I lov-. He's my best friend! I could never-" Hermione stuttered
"Hermione, the reason I'm telling you is because we can change the future. We can stop this from ever happening. No one has to die, so cheer up." Dumbledore explained.
"How? The Grensalmia has never been wrong, you've said so yourself."
"Stay away from Harry. That way, you won't feel the need anymore. If you choose Ron, none of this will happen. As for the Grensalmia always being right, it's true, but nothing is impossible. Look at Harry, for example. He is uniquely the only one who's survived the Avada Kedavra."
"I can't look at him anymore, remember? This will be a whole lot easier if I can be left alone for a while, but thank you, Headmaster. I've got lots of Arithmancy homework to do, anyway. Good bye." Hermione muttered and slowly walked out of his office.
Stay away from Harry? I can't do that! I would never kill him. Never. Throwing herself on her four-poster and drowning in her own tears, Hermione had words and phrases floated aimlessly through her brain, making her wonder how the Grensalmia could predict such an awful thing. Her muffled sobs drenched her pillow with great lamentation.
What if he died tomorrow and never knew how I felt? What if I do kill him? I love Ron too much to hurt him… He's the best for me. He doesn't have to worry about evil wizards coming to get him. But he's not Harry… But he may be all I have left.
More strained cries escaped Hermione's throat as her head racked the possibilities. Something ached and gave way inside her, and she suddenly wondered if Harry knew that she couldn't be near him anymore. Why hadn't she asked that question? They should be able to say goodbye, at least.
Her questions were answered when she stood up to go find Harry. Little had she known that he had been standing in the doorway the whole time, watching her through the now reciprocated eyes of his own.
Hermione turned around and was abruptly stopped by someone's arms. She didn't even have to think about hugging Harry, it felt too different from anyone else's arms. No one else held her so tight, so close or so willingly. Ron tried, but having Hermione as his first girlfriend, but he couldn't make her shiver the way Harry did, no one could for that matter.
"I guess you know." Hermione whispered as Harry pulled his mind out of reverie and sniffled quietly.
"I wish I didn't. God, Hermione…" He sighed, brushing her hair back and letting his voice linger on her name, loving the way it gently rolled off his tongue and resonated through the dorm.
They both knew something was going to happen. One of them was going to disappear. There was no need for any other words, or at least until the air became magnetic around them. Harry and Hermione were oblivious to it until they felt themselves levitating, causing them to hover above the floor.
"Harry! What's going on?!" Hermione spoke, trying to clutch him closer, which she found rather impossible, and slowly slipped away from him against her will. Harry had no time to answer because an unknown curse quickly debilitated her, causing her to sink out of Harry's sight and onto the floor.
Hermione was now bleeding copiously from her stomach, and there was no time to get Madame Pomfrey. Everyone was at the Hufflepuff-Slytherin championship quidditch match, so there was no one around. Harry tried and re-tried healing charms, each of which made her weaker.
"Harry… I…" She started feebly.
"You're not gonna die. Not now. Tell me later." Harry hushed her.
Harry got an idea. It would have to work in the meantime. Using his own wand, Harry made an incision in his arm and pressed it as hard as he could against her wound.
Neither of them expected it to work, and they much less have a coruscating crimson light engulf them when their blood touched. They were carried to a place both of them knew well: the Grensalmia's lair.
Hermione was very surprised to able to walk and feel a great deal better than she had less than two minutes ago. Harry, however, was not feeling well as Hermione tried to support him with an arm and a weak smile, but his condition was more serious than she let herself believe, and he suck to the floor. Harry's arm had turned a bluish color when the Grensalmia spoke:
Harry, you will feel no pain here. Stand up.
And Harry did just that, as if nothing had been bothering him at all, and the blue bruise temporarily stopped spreading.
Hermione, you have chosen. Harry, I told you to stay away from her. You know what will happen. You have not prevented anything. There is no time to mend it. But time has no conscience here, however. You will only have what you need- say goodbye.
With a swoosh of imaginary air, the Grensalmia was no longer intrusive, and Hermione reluctantly looked at Harry. Harry's tears now flowed more freely down his cheeks and suddenly into Hermione's hair. Words in the Grensalmia's lair never needed to be spoken because everything was communicated by thought- Harry and Hermione had never heard the Grensalmia speak, his words had entered their heads like thoughts.
Harry and Hermione soon figured this out as their heads were pressed together in common sadness- Hermione saw the pain and desperation inside Harry, and see delved deeper and deeper into his head, as if searching for something. See saw everything- the Dursleys, meeting her, when he found out about his own prophecy, loving her… WHAT?! At this point her eyes flicked open, partly because she was beginning to feel intrusive. She almost backed away in surprise when she saw Harry's brilliant green eyes locked on hers. Hermione was about to apologize, but something told her that she didn't have to.
Her mind was screaming… This is wrong! Remember the Grensalmia! She knew Harry had seen the inner depths of her mind- things people weren't supposed to know. Her heart accelerated; and she couldn't think a coherent "this isn't right," continuing to stare into his eyes, lost and completely afraid of the future- she was told to stay away. But why? This seemed so… Right, but wrong at the same time.
Harry felt it the second he touched her in the lair they were standing in- foreboding pain and suffering, and yet he couldn't think of anything but her- her face, her smile, her touch, and everything else about her. Every movement became slow motion to Harry as he gripped her undauntingly around the waist and, inwardly not sure of himself, pressed his lips to hers despite that he was using all of the might and fervor he had in his entire being.
His last act felt of strange cupidity as she pressed herself to him in a heated embrace. They knew what would happen. They knew that the curse Harry now had coursing in his veins was meant for him, not Hermione. They both knew that Voldemort had planned it- and knew that Harry would do anything to save her, which he was doing. Harry and Hermione knew all of this and didn't seem to care, even though each of them could taste the sorrow, sadness, pain and twitch of anger hidden inside each other.
The world swirled around them and they were getting further and further from where they wanted to be… Together in a dream world where they were protected from all passage of time and space except for the minutes with each other. They would only have the time they needed, the Grensalmia had mused, and to Harry and Hermione, an eternity was too short.
Everything in the universe has to grow older with the passage of time, but things could defy it. Hermione didn't let her tears cloud her eyes from seeing the truth. They were going back to reality- away from the Grensalmia's lair. Gasping for air, although not feeling that they needed it, Harry and Hermione tore their lips from one another against their wills. Harry needed to say something, but pain was overtaking him again- it was evident that he didn't have too much longer left.
"Hermione, I- I only have a few minutes, maybe half an hour, before this curse completely overtakes me… I want you to promise me something." Harry said softly, cringing in agony.
"Anything. Name it." Hermione replied, grasping his hand.
"The Grensalmia warned me about this, and I'm so sorry I didn't tell you- about this curse, I don't die when it is completely finished. I- I… I turn over to Voldemort's side. I want you to promise to kill me right before I do so. I'd rather die than become his servant and I don't want to fulfill the rest of the prophecy. Hermione, understand that this is the only way for the future to be safe."
Hermione couldn't believe what she had just heard. "Harry, I could never kill you, EVER! Are you crazy?!" she shouted through tears and heartache.
"Maybe I am, but imagine my power on the wrong side of this war! You want that to happen? Do you want me to be a second Voldemort? Do you want me to kill you and your famil-" Knowing he had said too much, he quickly stopped screaming, partially because of pain- emotional and physical.
All Hermione could do is cry- kill the one she loved or succumb the world to a new and powerful dark lord? A simple choice for an observer, but her internal torture made Hermione want to die for all of them. Harry was slowly slipping out of consciousness…
"I… lov-" was all he could say before his green eyes turned an odd shade of gray.
Hermione had no time- wait a minute… She had the time-turner. Without thinking about the consequences, she hurriedly turned it over three times, unknowing of the impact she was attempting to make on the future of all humanity. It was all up to Hermione- death and life were intertwined as one girl defied the laws of nature to save those that she loved.
Thanks to: Groovy Chick, MyC, Minzzer, clio, Minnie, Nice, Harpo, Kayara, Charlie Angel, Renee, Weasley Girl, She, starling, clara2000, Reader, Chloe McLeary, Sev, T'Anna Phoenix, Portia, rc, Heather-Bether, Lynzi, Phydilla, Morgaine, Bertie Bott, Valkyrie, and JEN for reviewing my humble (and VERY LATE) story!
See you guys soon- I swear this time! FEEDBACK IS LOVED!
TOODLES!
-Heather Michelle