A/N: Hello, here is chapter two. Um...I hope you like it. Don't forget to click the little button at the end of the story and REVIEW!! Please? *pouts* BTW this isn't my favorite chapter but just hang in there with me ok? There will be some 'fun' twists and turns coming up...especially in chapters four and five...that's as far as I have with my planning besides how I want the story to end. So, have fun!
It's been a while Where should we begin
Feels like foreverWithin my heart are memories
A perfect love that you gave to me
Oh I remember
~Creed, My Sacrifice
~*Chapter Two: Memories*~
"H-Harry?" Hermione said in a shaky voice, grabbing Draco's arm. Hermione's eyes raked over the man crouching in front of them. Bright green eyes, jet black hair, and...the scar, she could see it now, his hair covering it...But there was no mistaking it. She watched as the man that was Harry stood up and stared at them, for a moment she thought she would cry she was so overjoyed to see him. But then a new urge took over her, she wanted to throttle him, and hex him upside his head, for leaving her and the entire magical and non-magical community without a clue to where he would be, or even if he was alive.
"Hermione..." Harry muttered looking at her with a sort of sorrowful guilt. For a moment Draco looked back and forth between Hermione and Harry waiting for a major reaction. But decided to break the silence.
"Potter, what in bloody hell are you doing here?" Draco asked, glaring at his old enemy.
"Uh...well, this is where I've been hiding for a couple months."
"Months? You've been gone years." Hermione said looking as if she were about to cry.
"Hermione, I explained this all to you before I left...I just needed to get away, it doesn't matter where I was before...I just needed to...relax without always playing 'Mr. Famous-Hero-Guy.'"
"Relax?" Draco said. "Potter, I don't know how clouded your judgment is, but this is a cave and you're filthy didn't you ever think of conjuring up a shower? Look at you, you're a bloody mess...except your hair, your hair looks the same, that was always a mess." Harry glared at Draco.
Moving her wand toward the other direction, Hermione sent red sparks down the other end of the tunnel, in order to notify Crowell and Lawrence that they needed to come.
"Hermione, no...don't give me away." Harry pleaded.
"Too late now, Potter." Draco said.
"Harry, I'm sorry. But you must come back! We miss you, people are worried about you...Me, Ron, the Weasleys, Dumbledore..." Harry shook his head.
"No I'm leaving." he said, about to apparate.
"Harry Potter. You will stay right there." Hermione commanded. "Petrificus Totalus!" Thump!Harry hit the floor gracelessly.
"Hermione." Harry gurgled, through his frozen state on the floor.
"Ooh, nice one Hermione." Draco said nodding, approvingly.
"Shut up, Draco." said Hermione. She became aware of the sound of feet hitting the ground at a rapid pace.
"Alright, Granger, Malfoy? What'd you--"Crowell stopped short, upon seeing Harry. Lawrence looked shocked. "Is that...Harry Potter?"
"The one only." Hermione answered.
"What's he doing here?" Crowell directed the question at Hermione, but Draco answered.
"This is where our old boy, Potter, has been 'hiding out' so to speak."
Hermione, take the body bind off of him." Harry's eyes moved to Hermione and she could swear he was glaring at her.
"Oh! Oops.." Hermione muttered a counter spell so that Harry could stand up but she made sure his feet were frozen in place.
"Thank you, Hermione." Harry said in an ungrateful tone.
"So, Mr. Potter, can you tell me why we've been picking up some dark magic on our meters, from this area?" Crowell asked.
"Well, I would love to, whoever you are, but I really don't know." Harry said, slowly.
"Let's take him in for questioning." Crowell said.
"Why?" said Harry staring at him. Crowell ignored his question. Hermione turned to Harry, as Crowell disapparated with a pop, as did Lawrence.
"Please, Harry?" she said beseechingly. "You can stay at my place for a while if you need to....just...please after they question you, don't disappear again." she stared at him fixedly, her eyes boring into his. Harry sighed and Hermione knew she had won.
"Fine..." he said, deflated.
"Good. Back to the ministry then." Hermione grabbed Harry's arm and apparated away with him.
Tapping her foot idly on the shiny, hospital-like floor of the huge lobby, in the Ministry headquarters, Hermione sighed and looked at her watch. Two hours she'd been there without a word from anyone.
"Will you stop that?" Draco's voice rang into her mind suddenly.
"Stop what?"
"That infernal tapping. You've been doing it for an hour and I can't take it any more." he snapped. Hermione opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again, as she noticed Professor Patrick Hornboogle, walking down the main corridor, looking very stern, followed closely by Liam Wilson, one of the most respected Aurors in Britain, then by Percy Weasley, the new Minister of Magic, and then Harry, who looked as though he had been cleaned up and given new clothes. Hermione straightened and stood up, as Draco turned around to face them. Professor Hornboogle nodded, goodbye to Hermione and Draco, as did Liam Wilson. Turning her gaze to Percy, she raised her eyebrows in question.
"Well?"
"You may take him home." Percy directed at her. She nodded. "We may contact you again sometime during the next few days." Hermione began to walk away, followed closely by Draco and Harry, when Percy grabbed her forearm and pulled her back. "Hermione, may I have a word?" he asked.
"Uh, yes, of course." she glanced back at Draco and Harry. "Go back to my place, I'll be there soon, alright?" Draco nodded, and they walked outside so they could apparate to Hermione's flat. She turned back to Percy. "What is it?"
"Hermione, I need you to watch Harry very closely for me alright?"
"Alright..." she said slowly. "What's this all about?"
"We don't know where Harry's been for six years...he says he knows nothing of the dark magic that was happening around that cave that he was in...but, we can't be sure."
"Why don't you just use a truth potion?" Hermione inquired.
"We did." Percy began, "But you know Harry. He is very strong willed, we heard of how he can fight the Imperius curse, and if he can fight that, he can certainly fight a truth potion."
"You think he's lying to you?" Hermione asked, a bit incredulously. "Harry would never do dark magic. Never."
"Hermione, that's what you may think, but you haven't seen him in six years. He could very well have changed." Percy said finally. Hermione shook her head, and started to walk away again, but still Percy held her back.
"I notified, Ron...so don't be surprised if he shows up tonight or tomorrow." Nodding, she walked down the sterile-looking hall, pushed open the heavy front doors, and apparated once she was outside.
Upon arriving home Hermione found Harry and Draco, sitting in her small kitchen. Draco was at the table staring at his hands, and Harry, leaning against the sink gazing at the floor. She could feel the awkwardness and anger in the stillness of the air as she entered, and felt both green and gray eyes on her. She knew harsh words had been exchanged.
"Having fun, are we?" she asked smirking, trying to lighten the mood.
"I've had more fun under the Cruciatus curse, while writhing on the floor in pain." Draco said bitterly, glaring at Harry. Hermione blinked, not expecting such an answer. Draco stood up abruptly glanced at Hermione, then set a harsh gaze on Harry. "See you tomorrow, Hermione." And with a small 'pop', he was gone. Hermione sighed, fixing her eyes on Harry.
"Come on," she said beginning to walk out of the kitchen. "You can stay in the guest room." Harry nodded silently, and followed her to the only other bedroom in the house. Hermione opened the door, and stood aside as Harry entered the room. The room was a bit small, and painted in an off-white color, the queen-sized bed was up against the wall, clad in royal red sheets, that reminded Harry strongly of his old four-poster that was in the boys' dormitory back at Hogwarts. "I hope it's alright." Hermione's voice cut through his thoughts and he turned around to face her.
"Yeah, it's great...thanks." Hermione nodded a 'your welcome' and watched him as he sat on the bed, as if he were testing it.
"He's not a Death Eater, you know." Harry looked up, tensing slightly. He looked a little surprised that she stated this so bluntly.
"He was when I left."
"Harry, maybe you haven't yet realized, but that was six years ago." she said, her voice had a sharp edge to it, her anger towards him starting to come out. "Things change. People change."
"I know that, Hermione. But he was the last person I thought would change." Harry said with a slight edge to his voice also.
"Well you were wrong. Everyone changes," she said directly. He mumbled something incoherent which she ignored and went on. "And he doesn't deserve any of the names you call him now....well, some of them...but that's a different story."
"So, what, are you and Malfoy, like an item now?" Harry asked, in a tone which said he obviously thought that was the reason behind Hermione's defending him. Hermione sputtered, and coughed as if she had swallowed burned popcorn.
"W-what? No!" she said, a bit stunned. "Malfoy and I are just...friends. That kind of thing will never happen between us, we can't agree on anything and we're always arguing." Harry watched her in amusement, a small smirk on his face at her repulsion to his comment. Hermione and Harry were silent for a moment, both of them looking around the room, or at the floor. "Harry...why did you leave?" Harry sighed at her question.
"Hermione I told you that when I left."
"I know....but, I never really understood." she said.
"I had a feeling you wouldn't...I didn't want you and Ron to get hurt again, so I left. I thought that if I just disappeared you two would be okay." he said slowly, thinking of the right way to explain.
"Harry, that doesn't make any sense." Hermione said, sitting down on the bed next to him and watching his face.
"I know...I can't really explain. I think you have to be me to understand."
"The bizarre mind of Harry Potter." Hermione said smiling slightly, trying to lighten the mood. A small smirk played on Harry's lips as he looked over at her.
"Yeah, I guess so." Hermione stood up, as did Harry.
"Feel free to use the shower, there should be towels on the rack in the bathroom, and some of Ron's old clothes are in the closet," Harry nodded. "I better get to bed, Good night Harry."
"'Night, Herm. Thanks for all of this." he said gratefully.
"No problem." Hermione said, walking out of the doorway. Harry watched her go, listening to her footsteps soften and suddenly he heard her stop and the her footfalls got louder and quicker as she came back down the hall through the door and flung her arms around him, barely able to keep his balance. Tentatively, he put her arms around her waist and held her closer. Hermione had always missed Harry terribly, but as she clasped her arms around him, having not felt his touch or heard his voice in six years, she broke down on the spot. She buried her head into his chest, tears trickling down her face. "I missed you so much," her voice sounded muffled against his chest.
"I missed you too." Harry replied, gazing down at the top of her head, embracing her tightly. Although Hermione's ribs groaned in protest, she didn't move. They stayed like that, just embracing each other, for what seemed like hours, but was only a few minutes. Sniffing, Hermione stepped back, swiping the back of her hand across her now tearstained face and looked up at Harry.
"Sorry for getting all mushy and sentimental there..." she said trailing off. "Well, anyway...I guess I better go to bed, for real this time. I have to go in to work early tomorrow morning." Hermione gave him a half smile and walked away to her room. With a swish of her wand the lamp in her bedroom flicked on, spreading a warm glow across the room. Hermione sank down onto her bed covering her face with her hands. Harry was back. Her Harry, her best friend. It was like a dream. The day he left was still freshly implanted in her memory.
Hermione sniffed a little as she placed her hand over Ron's clammy one. Her eyes raked over his unconscious face and the bruises there that Madame Pomfrey had yet to fix. Sagging a bit in her chair Hermione sighed and closed her eyes for a moment, until she heard the infirmary door open. Looking up, she found herself staring into bright green eyes, Harry's. There was an odd sadness there that Hermione was unaccustomed to seeing, and she had to admit it unnerved her. "Hey," she said softly.
"Hey...how's he doing?" Harry asked quietly, looking down at Ron's form.
"About the same," Hermione began. "Madame Pomfrey said he should be up in a day or two," she explained. Harry nodded, acknowledging what she said, the same sadness glazing over his emerald eyes. "He'll be ok, Harry." she soothed. Hermione heard a sigh escaped Harry's lips, as his eyes moved from Ron to his other best friend.
"I know."
"Then...what's wrong?" asked Hermione, worried.
"Hermione, I have to tell you something..." Harry trailed off sounding unsure of how he was going to explain whatever he had to tell her.
"What is it?" Hermione looked puzzled.
"I...I have to leave," He said quickly. She furrowed her brow, with a question in her eyes.
"But, you were just going to tell me something," she said. Harry sighed again and took a step closer to her chair.
"No, Herm, that's what I was trying to tell you," Hermione blinked and shook her head once, not believing her ears.
"Sorry, I just hallucinated...what?"
"I have to leave," Harry said, looking sadly into her eyes. Hermione could feel the blood leave her face.
"W-what?" Hermione said. "Where, why, how long?"
"I don't know where I'm going, well...maybe I do, but I can't tell you. I don't know how long...a while... a long time," Harry carefully avoided her eyes. Hermione could feel tears tickling the backs of her eyes painfully, like thousands of little pin pricks.
"Why?" Her voice was small and hoarse, as she stifled a sob. Hermione was hoping that he was just playing some cruel, sick joke, as long as he wasn't really leaving. Harry closed his sad green eyes and looked away."If I leave...if they think I'm gone or dead...they won't try to hurt you." he said slowly.
"T-that makes no sense!"
"But it does!" Harry argued. "It does," he sighed. "If they think I'm dead they won't hurt you to get to me."
"That's ridiculous, everyone knows you're not dead," Hermione said. "We need you Harry."
"That's going to change...and you don't need me. You'll be better off without me. They--" Hermione cut him off, anger seeping into her voice slightly.
"Of course I need you! I'd still be a friendless little girl if it hadn't been for you." Hermione stood up and walked in front of him. "And...who the hell are 'they'? You killed You-Know-Who."
"Not all of the Death Eaters are dead, you know that. Another one could rise to fill Voldemorts place."
"Then we need you here!" she shouted, forgetting they were in the infirmary. "This is ludicrous!" Harry turned around, his back now facing her.
"Hermione don't make this harder." Harry walked out of the infirmary door, but Hermione quickly followed.
"Harry look at me," she said grabbing his wrist and turning him toward her. "How can you leave?" Tears were glazing over her eyes now.
"As long as I'm gone you, Ron, and everyone else are safe," he said looking confident.
"How can you know that for sure?" tears were falling down her cheeks freely now.
"I just am," Harry replied firmly.
"Please don't go," Hermione sobbed. Harry reached out brushing her tears away gently.
"I love you Hermione, you're my best friend," Harry kissed her cheek softly. Hermione let out another choked sob, as her chest hitched. "Tell Ron I'm sorry," Hermione looked up at him suddenly. "Tell them you didn't see me leave...I was just gone." What Harry said next looked like it took all of the will in the world. "Goodbye, Hermione," and Harry was gone.
Hermione blinked, pushing the memory from her mind. Her chocolate brown eyes paused on the shelf that held pictures of all of the people she cared about. A picture that she had taken over the summer going into her seventh year, with a muggle camera, caught her eye. She, Ron, and Harry stood in the sunlight in front of her old house, smiling, arms draped over each others shoulders. Hermione sighed and turned away, getting ready for bed.
Down the short hall way, Harry had brushed away the memory of the day he left. He stared out the open window, he knew couldn't tell Hermione why he really left.
A/N: Ok, I don't know how much I liked that chapter but it was necessary. *Sigh*. Anyway the next chapter will me full of Draco and his clever, sarcasm (isn't he a hottie??) and a couple flashbacks. Also you WILL get to see Ron in the next chapter! *grins at the Ron fans* The next chapter might not be out for a while though, because I'm not entirely sure what I'm going to do about a few parts in it. Anyway, I really hope you enjoyed this chapter, and don't forget YOU MUST REVIEW! I love you guys' comments good or bad, as long as your not throwing insults at me. lol.