Disclaimer: Okay, I don't know where this is going, but it seems to be going well from my point of view. If it starts to deteriorate, just tell me- or smack me. I also know that its stupid to put the disclaimer in the third chapter- if this bothers me, tell me, I truly will care. Also, if you really don't like me using Harry Potter characters then go get Rowling and have her kick the crap out of me personally, I hate people that hide behind lawyers. You have a problem with this story? Take the same complaints to the other seven hundred million kids writing fan-fics...What was my point again? Oh yeah, read and review. Or R&R, as you people like to put it.
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How many times have you been pushed around?
Was anybody there?
Does anybody care?
And how many times have your friends let you down?
Was anybody there?
Did anybody stare?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Aye, seems ya' go' yerself some woman problems there, 'Arry," Gerold chuckled as Harry walked over to the rest of the crates. Hermione, he was sure, disapparated.
"I don't have women problems, she just," Harry searched his mind for an excuse,"It's none of your business."
"Yea', I got'cha 'Arry," Gerold gave Harry a rather paternal noogie and they went back to work.
"So are you gonna talk to her?" Gerold asked after several minutes, showing his own hand that he had, in fact, heard their conversation. Harry didn't respond. He just looked at him through his glasses with depression and anger swirling in his endless emerald eyes. Gerold didn't back down, he was twice Harry's age- not to be put down by a child's tantrum,"Why not 'Arry?" Gerold was winning this staring contest,"What's the worst that could 'appen from just talkin' to someone?" he grunted and lit another ciggarette, they put themselves on a self-proclaimed break.
"A lot can happen, Gerry, a lot can happen," Harry played into his mind all of the different scenarios that Hermione was probable to pull. She always had her ways to break through to Harry. "Gerry, you wouldn't get it, its too complicated to explain," Not counting Harry being a wizard and attending Hogwarts for five years before leaving it because of- Harry stopped himself in thought before he actually recalled what happened. Some memories are hard to let go of once they've been remembered.
"Lem'me tell ya, 'Arry, you got a problem, Do'en't matter what it is. With women, 'tis ten times more confusing. Take it from me," Gerold gave Harry a wink and turned to go back to work leaving Harry to wonder if he was speaking words of wisdom or senility was creeping over him early.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
And how many times have your friends let you down?
Just open up your heart
Just open up your mind
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Harry caught up to Gerold,"What do you mean, more complicated?" Those words were starting to bother Harry.
"I mean it simple, 'Arry, women complicate things- no matter the problem- if you like them," Gerold's eyes gave a slight twinkle that took Harry back to the days when he knew Dumbledore, he felt a pang of lonly nostalgia, but ignored it- he was used to that, too.
"I don't like her, I hardly know her," Harry retorted, lying. Gerold saw through it.
"I don' think so, somethin' tells me you' known 'er for longer than you' known me," Gerold smiled.
"How would you know," Harry raised an eyebrow, still attempting to look angry.
"Because I would 'ave seen 'er if you met 'er recently," at that Harry decided to drop it, letting out too much information as he had. Gerold thought Harry liked her! What nerve! He doesn't even know who Hermione is.
The rest of the day went by uneventfully. The rain continued all afternoon, and the various boats and ships came into harbor, waiting to be loaded and unloaded. Harry and Gerold and the other workers were heaving boxes and crates until the lamps lit up and the end-of-pay bell rang. They all went back to the locker room and punched out. Harry sat on a bench outside the storage building. The lamplight over him and the rain pouring down made him feel like he was out of some 50's black and white movie. He laughed bitterly as he sat there.
Harry, the once great defeater of Voldemort, the pride of the wizarding community in whole, now missing- gone, no one could find him. Voldemort was gaining more power, but Harry didn't care. The life he had once known he had left for eight years, literally overnight. And now, now eight years later, on a cold drizzly morning, he meets the one person that he was mainly running from. And she wanted to talk to him. She wanted to bring up all of his forgotten memories. Damn her. Damn her, he thought. He wasn't to burden himself, surely sins were wiped clean after eight years. Surely bad things would be forgiven after almost a decade. Apparently not.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oh, Life is waiting for you,
its all messed up but we're alive
Oh, Life is waiting for you,
its all messed up but we'll survive
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"You need to come back, Harry," Hermione stepped from behind the lamp post, a subtle show off of abilities.
"And that is because," Harry looked over to her non-chalantly.
"Because You-Know-Who returned, he's gaining power." Hermione sounded as if she was pleading.
"He's no more my concern as any other Muggle," Harry shrugged,"What? You expect me to rise from the ashes and save the world again from ultimate evil? Come on Herm, you know it wasn't me that did it the first time. It was my mother's spell and Voldemort's together that killed him."
"But you *are* a great wizard Harry," Hermione sat down next to him. She held out his wand offering it to him, not as a possession, but as his past.
"Correction, I *was* *possibly* *maybe* going to *become* a great wizard," Harry said simply,"There are others that are 'Great Wizards'." He didn't go for the wand, but she held it there anyway.
"Like Dumbledore?"
"Exactly."
"Dumbledore's dead, Harry," Hermione turned grave. Harry suddenly needed to make eye contact with her. Dumbledore was the only one that Voldemort was afraid of.
"Then we're SOL, good-bye," Harry got up from the bench.
"Harry," Hermione got up and stamped her foot," You said we'd talk, You better talk. I started with mine- now its your turn."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How many days have you just slept away?
Is everybody high?
Is everyone afraid?
How many times have you wished you were strong?
Have they ever seen your heart?
Have they ever seen your pain?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"You know what happened, Herm," Harry said.
"Yes, everyone knows- not everyone knows it was you, but why? Why did you leave?" Hermione and Harry started to walk through the rain instead of sitting on a cold and wet bench. They looked around as Harry tried to think of the right ways to put his words.
"Because I couldn't forgive myself. I couldn't stand to be around wizards or witches without going insane and wanting to jump out a window," Harry said,"I needed to run away, wizarding has taken too much away from me, too much from my life."
"Oh, Harry" Hermione whispered, but Harry continued.
"I don't want it, I can't take it anymore, and if you were to leave right now my life would be so much easier," Harry spoke and Hermione stopped in her tracks. Anyone else would have left at that, but she had searched too far for him, she expected this much from him. She knew he didn't hate her, just himself.
"It's going to take a lot more from a lot of other people if you don't come back," Hermione persisted.
"DON'T YOU CARE, HERM? DON'T YOU SEE? I LEFT WIZARDY BECAUSE OF THIS, I'M NOT GOING BACK TO IT!" Harry turned around and shouted at her.
"You are so goddamn selfish, you know that, Harry." Hermione scowled at him.
"Well, then maybe you should go," Harry turned and walked away.
"They told me not to come back," Hermione called after him. He didn't turn around but walked unnoticably slower,"They told me not to come back without you. They want you back because, despite what you may think, you still are a powerful wizard. I want you back because I miss you, Harry."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oh, Life is waiting for you,
its all messed up but we're alive
Oh, Life is waiting for you,
its all messed up but we'll survive
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How many times have you been pushed around?
Was anybody there?
Does anybody care?
And how many times have your friends let you down?
Was anybody there?
Did anybody stare?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Aye, seems ya' go' yerself some woman problems there, 'Arry," Gerold chuckled as Harry walked over to the rest of the crates. Hermione, he was sure, disapparated.
"I don't have women problems, she just," Harry searched his mind for an excuse,"It's none of your business."
"Yea', I got'cha 'Arry," Gerold gave Harry a rather paternal noogie and they went back to work.
"So are you gonna talk to her?" Gerold asked after several minutes, showing his own hand that he had, in fact, heard their conversation. Harry didn't respond. He just looked at him through his glasses with depression and anger swirling in his endless emerald eyes. Gerold didn't back down, he was twice Harry's age- not to be put down by a child's tantrum,"Why not 'Arry?" Gerold was winning this staring contest,"What's the worst that could 'appen from just talkin' to someone?" he grunted and lit another ciggarette, they put themselves on a self-proclaimed break.
"A lot can happen, Gerry, a lot can happen," Harry played into his mind all of the different scenarios that Hermione was probable to pull. She always had her ways to break through to Harry. "Gerry, you wouldn't get it, its too complicated to explain," Not counting Harry being a wizard and attending Hogwarts for five years before leaving it because of- Harry stopped himself in thought before he actually recalled what happened. Some memories are hard to let go of once they've been remembered.
"Lem'me tell ya, 'Arry, you got a problem, Do'en't matter what it is. With women, 'tis ten times more confusing. Take it from me," Gerold gave Harry a wink and turned to go back to work leaving Harry to wonder if he was speaking words of wisdom or senility was creeping over him early.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
And how many times have your friends let you down?
Just open up your heart
Just open up your mind
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Harry caught up to Gerold,"What do you mean, more complicated?" Those words were starting to bother Harry.
"I mean it simple, 'Arry, women complicate things- no matter the problem- if you like them," Gerold's eyes gave a slight twinkle that took Harry back to the days when he knew Dumbledore, he felt a pang of lonly nostalgia, but ignored it- he was used to that, too.
"I don't like her, I hardly know her," Harry retorted, lying. Gerold saw through it.
"I don' think so, somethin' tells me you' known 'er for longer than you' known me," Gerold smiled.
"How would you know," Harry raised an eyebrow, still attempting to look angry.
"Because I would 'ave seen 'er if you met 'er recently," at that Harry decided to drop it, letting out too much information as he had. Gerold thought Harry liked her! What nerve! He doesn't even know who Hermione is.
The rest of the day went by uneventfully. The rain continued all afternoon, and the various boats and ships came into harbor, waiting to be loaded and unloaded. Harry and Gerold and the other workers were heaving boxes and crates until the lamps lit up and the end-of-pay bell rang. They all went back to the locker room and punched out. Harry sat on a bench outside the storage building. The lamplight over him and the rain pouring down made him feel like he was out of some 50's black and white movie. He laughed bitterly as he sat there.
Harry, the once great defeater of Voldemort, the pride of the wizarding community in whole, now missing- gone, no one could find him. Voldemort was gaining more power, but Harry didn't care. The life he had once known he had left for eight years, literally overnight. And now, now eight years later, on a cold drizzly morning, he meets the one person that he was mainly running from. And she wanted to talk to him. She wanted to bring up all of his forgotten memories. Damn her. Damn her, he thought. He wasn't to burden himself, surely sins were wiped clean after eight years. Surely bad things would be forgiven after almost a decade. Apparently not.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oh, Life is waiting for you,
its all messed up but we're alive
Oh, Life is waiting for you,
its all messed up but we'll survive
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"You need to come back, Harry," Hermione stepped from behind the lamp post, a subtle show off of abilities.
"And that is because," Harry looked over to her non-chalantly.
"Because You-Know-Who returned, he's gaining power." Hermione sounded as if she was pleading.
"He's no more my concern as any other Muggle," Harry shrugged,"What? You expect me to rise from the ashes and save the world again from ultimate evil? Come on Herm, you know it wasn't me that did it the first time. It was my mother's spell and Voldemort's together that killed him."
"But you *are* a great wizard Harry," Hermione sat down next to him. She held out his wand offering it to him, not as a possession, but as his past.
"Correction, I *was* *possibly* *maybe* going to *become* a great wizard," Harry said simply,"There are others that are 'Great Wizards'." He didn't go for the wand, but she held it there anyway.
"Like Dumbledore?"
"Exactly."
"Dumbledore's dead, Harry," Hermione turned grave. Harry suddenly needed to make eye contact with her. Dumbledore was the only one that Voldemort was afraid of.
"Then we're SOL, good-bye," Harry got up from the bench.
"Harry," Hermione got up and stamped her foot," You said we'd talk, You better talk. I started with mine- now its your turn."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How many days have you just slept away?
Is everybody high?
Is everyone afraid?
How many times have you wished you were strong?
Have they ever seen your heart?
Have they ever seen your pain?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"You know what happened, Herm," Harry said.
"Yes, everyone knows- not everyone knows it was you, but why? Why did you leave?" Hermione and Harry started to walk through the rain instead of sitting on a cold and wet bench. They looked around as Harry tried to think of the right ways to put his words.
"Because I couldn't forgive myself. I couldn't stand to be around wizards or witches without going insane and wanting to jump out a window," Harry said,"I needed to run away, wizarding has taken too much away from me, too much from my life."
"Oh, Harry" Hermione whispered, but Harry continued.
"I don't want it, I can't take it anymore, and if you were to leave right now my life would be so much easier," Harry spoke and Hermione stopped in her tracks. Anyone else would have left at that, but she had searched too far for him, she expected this much from him. She knew he didn't hate her, just himself.
"It's going to take a lot more from a lot of other people if you don't come back," Hermione persisted.
"DON'T YOU CARE, HERM? DON'T YOU SEE? I LEFT WIZARDY BECAUSE OF THIS, I'M NOT GOING BACK TO IT!" Harry turned around and shouted at her.
"You are so goddamn selfish, you know that, Harry." Hermione scowled at him.
"Well, then maybe you should go," Harry turned and walked away.
"They told me not to come back," Hermione called after him. He didn't turn around but walked unnoticably slower,"They told me not to come back without you. They want you back because, despite what you may think, you still are a powerful wizard. I want you back because I miss you, Harry."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oh, Life is waiting for you,
its all messed up but we're alive
Oh, Life is waiting for you,
its all messed up but we'll survive
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
