Heaven On Earth

Chapter 3: Hermione's Secret

Harry saw Hermione talking and laughing with Krum. She looked kept coughing and she looked like she was coming down with the flu. Ron was still contemplating about Hermione. She was hiding something from the two of them, he knew it.

Ron was staring into space, with all of these things on his mind, he didn't even hear Harry talking to him.

            "RON!" Harry yelled.

Ron blinked. "Huh?"

            "Something's bothering me," Ron said, making sure Hermione was still in the class room talking to Krum.

            "Like what?"

Ron frowned. "Hermione."

            "What about her?"

            "I don't think she's… right." Ron said.

Harry laughed. "We've always known that! She's too smart for her own good."

            "No, no, it's something else. Hasn't she seemed a bit off to you?"

Harry closed his eyes, trying to remember. But all he seemed able to remember was Cho. Cho… and what she wanted him to do.

Hermione bounded out of the classroom. "Well," she said, taking the two of them in. "Aren't you two an odd bunch?"

Harry had his eyes closed in concentration and Ron had a frown on.

            "Dinner, shall we?" she asked.

They started down the hallway. They reached the Great Hall, and Cho was waiting outside for Harry. Hermione scowled and walked into the hall.

            "See ya later, Harry," Ron said to him and followed Hermione.

            "I found out something interesting about HER," Hermione said to Ron as he sat down next to her.

            "About who? Cho?

Hermione nodded. "She's part Veela, like that prissy Fleur was. Viktor told me."

            "AHA!" Ron cried, slamming his fist on the table. "No wonder Harry's…"

            "Yeah," Hermione said quickly.

            "Don't worry, Harry will come to his senses soon." Ron said. "I know he still loves you."

Hermione froze beside him.

            "Hermione?"

Her eyes rolled up in her head, and she slumped backwards. This turned the whole Great Hall into an uproar.

            "HERMIONE!!!" Ron cried, diving to the floor beside her. He checked her pulse. She was still breathing. Madam Pomfrey rushed over, followed by Professor Dumbledore. This confirmed Ron's suspiscion. There was definitely something she wasn't telling them.

            "How are you feeling?" Ron  asked her. He had badgered Madam Pomfrey for fifteen minutes to let him see her. Harry was no where in sight.

            "… a little embarrassed," Hermione said weakly. She was sitting up in bed, two big fluffy pillows behind her. "Of all places to faint…"

            "What is going on, Hermione?" Ron asked. "You just didn't faint."

            "I did," Hermione said softly.

            "Hermione, I love you, you can tell me anything. There's supposed to be no secrets between the three of us, remember?"

            "Where's Harry?" she asked.

            "… still with Cho, I guess." Ron answered. "Now tell me…"

            "I can't," Hermione said, tears welling in her eyes.

Ron took her hand. "Come on, I'm worried about you. I know that blood on my robes was from you."

            "Ron, I have Cancer!" she shouted.

Ron gasped. He stared at her. Cancer was a disease… a deadly disease. Could Hermione be dying? "Oh, Herm…"

            "About… three months ago, I went to the doctor," she started. "They found a lump on my Ovaries… they ran some tests, and found out it was cancerous. Before they could operate, it spread… to my liver."

Ron gulped. If he didn't, he would have pounded the wall or something. This couldn't be happening. It just couldn't. This was Hermione! She couldn't be sick! "Could… could… you…"

            "I'm going to die from this," she whispered.

            "No," Ron said. "I can't lose you, Hermione. I can't."

            "I don't want you to feel sorry for me," Hermione said. "I just want to… to live."

            "I'm going to kill Harry," Ron hissed. "How could he… when you're…"

            "I want to tell him," Hermione said.

            "Aren't there any treatments they could do for you?" Ron asked.

Hermione shook her head. "None that are right for me."

            "There has to be SOMETHING," Ron said.

            "Ron," she said softly, squeezing his hand. "I know… I know it's hard…"

Ron just took her in his arms.

            "Where's Hermione?" Harry asked Ron the next day.

Ron arched a brow at him. "Why?" he snapped. He sat on his bed, staring at the doorway, waiting for Harry to show up so he could knock some sense into him.

Harry sighed. "Cho wants me to stop seeing her."

That did it. "GOD DAMMIT!" Ron cried. "Open your bloody eyes, Harry! She doesn't LOVE YOU!"

            "Ron---"

            "She's part Veela!!!" Ron snapped.

Harry scratched his head. "What?"

            "Hermione told me! Look it up!"

            "But…"

            "Hermione is dying, Harry! Not that you'd fucking care! She has Cancer! All you seem to care about is CHO! She doesn't love you, and never will! But Hermione has loved you, she always will!"

Harry slumped down against the wall to the floor. Hermione dying… this wasn't right. "What?"

            "She has Cancer," Ron said, breathing heavily.

            "Where is she?" Harry asked.

            "Why?" Ron asked.

            "WHERE IS SHE?" Harry demanded. He got to his feet.

            "Hospital wing," Ron said. "It's late. If you're going, take the Cloak."

Harry ran through the deserted castle, trying to be quiet as possible. His heart was hammering so loudly he thought for sure that Filch would hear it. He reached the hospital wing, checked to make sure no one was coming and whispered, "Alohomora," he pushed the door open quietly and stepped in, closing it lightly behind him and replacing the lock. Madam Pomfrey was no where in sight. He saw Hermione sleeping soundly on one of the beds and sprinted over to her. He had to apologize for everything- he had been such an idiot. He sat down on the edge of her bed. "Hermione," he whispered, gently shaking her arm.

Hermione gave a small moan and opened her eyes. Harry's handsome face filled her vision. "Harry,"

            "I've been such a fool," he whispered.

            "Harry, what are you doing here?"

            "I…" he started.

            "Ron told you," Hermione stated.

Harry nodded. "I can't believe you didn't tell me. That you've been going through this all alone. That you've been in pain all of this time."

            "I wanted to tell you, but you haven't known your head from your ass the last few weeks! And I haven't been alone! Ron has been great," Hermione scoffed.

            "I am so sorry…" Harry said. "I can't begin to tell you how sorry I am."

            "Everyone makes mistakes," she said, her voice breaking.

Harry took her hand and gave it a squeeze. "I'm here now. I'm never leaving you again."

            "Oh, Harry!" tears began to roll down her cheeks.

Harry dried them with his thumb. "Forget Cho," he said. "I want to be with you again."

Hermione sighed and shook her head.

            "You don't want to be with me? I…I understand, the way I've been acting…"

            "Of course I want to be with you!" she cut in. "Harry, I love you! It's just… if I weren't dying, would you even be here right now?"

Harry was silent for a moment. "… but I am. And that's all that matters, is that I'm here, and I love you so much."

            "… really?"

            "I've always loved you."

            "Oh, Harry!" she cried, throwing her arms around his neck. "I… you and Ron have made me so happy… that I don't fear death. I've found my heaven… and it's with you."

            "I love this spot," Hermione said to Harry and Ron as they sat down by the lake. The Giant Squid waved at them, they waved back.    

            "Really?" Harry asked, throwing his arm around her.

Hermione smiled at him and nodded. "Yeah. It's so happy here. No matter what weather, the sun always hits the lake… and it shimmers… like thousands and thousands of diamonds. The grass smells like spring, and you can hear the owls. The fluttering of their wings mixes in with the wind… and it creates such a melody I can't put into words. The Squid is sun bathing, you can rest your back against a tree and just drink the whole site in… and everything is just perfect."

Harry and Ron stared at her.

She grinned at them. "What?"

            "That was beautiful," Ron cried. "I never heard you speak like that unless it was text from a book!"

Hermione laughed.

            "I know someone else that's beautiful," Harry said and kissed her.

She smiled at him, and then got into a huge coughing fit.

            "Hermione!" Harry yelled.

Ron had dashed off to the hospital wing.

            "Harry…" she choked out. Her eyes rolled into her head and she collapsed.

Harry knew this day would come, he just wished with all of his might that it didn't. But here they were. Harry, Ron, the Weasleys, and the Grangers crowded around Hermione's bed in the hospital wing. Harry knew this was going to be the last time he saw her alive. He was holding her hand very tightly, and kissing it every second. He wanted to be there when she… passed. Fred and George kept coughing and rubbing their eyes. The Weasley and Grangers cried freely, along with Lavender. Professor McGonagall, Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey stood in back of the large crowd. Professor McGonagall's eyes were extremely bloodshot.

            "Harry…" Hermione whispered.

            "It's okay," he whispered back, kissing her hand. "Just shh, it's okay."

            "Mum? Dad?" she asked.

            "We're here, sweetie," Mrs. Granger sobbed.

            "Ron?"

            "Right here, Herm." He said, rubbing her arm.

            "I love you all so much," she whispered.

            "We love you too," Harry said. "Always."

And in the end, Hermione smiled sweetly and closed her eyes. Hermione's hand went limp as she slipped away from him. And he knew it was over… she was gone forever.

Harry and Ron stood outside the hospital wing, grieving.

            "I can't believe it, man." Ron said. "Hermione…"

Harry was silent.

            "I miss her already," Ron said.

            "Me too."

Cho, like she had a homing beacon inside of her came up to Harry. "Hi, Harry," she smiled.

            "You." Harry sneered. "Get the fuck away from me."

            "Harry?" Cho looked hurt.

            "I know what you are, Cho!" Harry cried. "You're like a vulture! You don't give a damn who is hurt, do you? Hermione just died!"

            "What does that have to do with us?" Cho asked. "I thought I told you to stay away from her."

            "Why? Because she knew what you were?" Ron spat.

            "Harry, we can still be together!" Cho sang.

            "You know what?" Harry said. "You had some good advice. From now on, I'm staying as far away from you as possible. C'mon, Ron."

And they turned and left, leaving Cho standing there dumbfounded.

"I miss you every day," In the years to come, Harry visited Hermione's grave every day. After graduation, Ron married Lavender, and started a family. Harry persued his job as an Auror, and was now the ripe old age of eighty. He saw Ron all the time, and was glad about that. Now, Harry stood before Hermione's grave, a single rose in his hand.

            "Hey!" someone called to him.

He turned around and his heart nearly stopped. It was Hermione, looking not a day over sixteen.

            "But… how?" Harry asked.

            "It's time to go, Harry!" Hermione said, a grin playing over her face.

            "Go? Go where?"

            "Time to go home," she said, outstretching her hand to him.

Harry took it. "Does this mean?"

            "Look," Hermione said, pointing.

Harry's old body lay on the ground in front of her grave. He was now just as he was when he was sixteen. "Hermione," he said, cupping her transparent face. "I've missed you for so long,"

            "I know," she said. "And I've watched over you. You and Ron."

            "Ron," Harry moaned.

            "Up there, a year vanishes in a blink of an eye," she said. "We'll see Ron soon enough."

            "My parents?"

            "They're waiting, in fact, you're pretty famous in Heaven as well," she said. "Let's go."

            "Eternally yours," Harry replied.

Hermione kissed him. She led him away, and they vanished together, hand n hand.

The end! Oh my God, I've cried so much through out this story! Thanks to everyone who reviewed!