Chapter 11


Harry moved to the counter and picked up the jar - Hermione's jar.
It was still throbbing steadily.
The spell didn't work.

It didn't work?!? How could this be? They'd done everything right, hadn't they?!
What went wrong?

He heard Ron and Lhara groan as they too realized ...

Hermione, never slow-witted, quickly deduced what they'd been up to.
"You were attempting to get me to return my heart?"

Harry nodded sadly. He ran a hand over his face in weary resolution.

"Why did you attempt to trick me? What did you hope to gain?"

"YOU! I wanted YOU back, Hermione!"
Harry voice nearly broke, his eyes pleading with her.

"May I have that back now, please?" Hermione asked politely, holding her hand out for the jar.

Harry shook his head.
Why didn't it work? Why couldn't she - I-

Suddenly, like a fog lifting, he knew. He knew! He knew the answer.

Hermione was gathering up her books, headed for the door.

"Do you know why it didn't work, Hermione? Why you couldn't put your heart back?"

She turned around to face him.
"I would presume because the spell was faulty or incomplete."

Harry shook his head.
"No. That's not why. It's because this" - he motioned to the jar - "doesn't belong to you."

Hermione raised an eyebrow in puzzlement.
"What are you talking about?"

"It's not yours, Hermione. Your heart ... belongs to me."

He stepped closer to her.

"Don't you see? Your heart is mine. Just as my heart is yours."

He cupped her face with his hand.
"I love you, Hermione."

"Amore Cordis" he said.

Hermione and Harry both gasped as the jar thudded loudly and seemed to glow for a second.

"AMORE CORDIS" Harry said again, more forcefully.

The jar glowed brightly and grew warmer in Harry's hand. When the glow subsided, the jar no longer moved. Harry put it aside and had to catch Hermione as she started to collapse.

"Hermione? Can you hear me? Are you alright? Let's get her to Madam Pomfrey's." Harry said, picking her up in his arms.

Her eyes fluttered but she didn't open them. "N-n-o-o." Hermione shook her head. "I'm fine." She mumbled.

"Take her back to her room, Harry." Lhara said.

So the small group made their way back to Hermione's room, Harry carrying her every step of the way.

"She's going to be alright, right Lhara?" Ron asked quietly.

"Physically, yes. She'll be fine. It's just an exhausting process."

They placed on her on her bed, Harry and Ron hovering around as Lhara examined Hermione.

"Ok, she's resting comfortably. Can you boys give her some peace and quiet? Just let her rest?"

"Yeah, sure." Harry said, never taking his eyes from Hermione, and pulled up a chair next to her bed.

"Let me know if anything changes, ok?" Ron asked.
Harry nodded and smiled.

"Thanks, guys. Thanks for everything." He squeezed Hermione's hand and smoothed some hair from her forehead.

Everyone left the room, leaving Harry and Hermione alone.

Hours passed as he sat by her side, waiting for her to wake up.
Eventually, he stood to regain the circulation in his legs and walked around her room. He touched her hair brush, her open Potions book, her Gryffindor scarf - each item bringing a small smile. He was going to sit down again when he hand stopped on a book entitled, 'Journal'.

He opened it and found himself reading Hermione's diary. The entry was dated last year sometime after her visit with Viktor.

"I never thought a Muggle movie would hold any insights into how I was feeling - especially a teen T&A movie - but I was wrong. I was watching this movie last night and one character could have been me. What she said almost broke my heart because it was the Truth and you always know when you hear the Truth.

Here's what the character said:
'I was born with the greatest curse of all.
I'm ugly and I'm also very smart.
I know what's in store for me.
No one will ever have passion for me.
People all around me will be falling in love, and making love, and getting married and having kids. The closest thing I'll ever have to that is someone inviting me to their Christmas dinner because they feel guilty I might be spending the holiday alone. Or if I'm lucky, my male counterpart - an obese man or guy with a hair lip - will invite me to coffee. And we'll pretend to love each other and tie the knot because we're so desperately afraid of growing old alone.'

As she said those words I knew that would be my fate too.
No one will ever love me with real passion.

Sometimes you can be too smart for your own good."

"You know, you should never read a young woman's diary. They really don't like it. Trust me, I know."
Harry turned around and saw Sirius standing in the doorway pulling off what looked like Harry's Invisibility Cloak. "How is she?"

"She hasn't woken up yet."

Sirius touched Hermione's forehead gently.
"She's resting. She'll sleep until morning, Harry. You should get some rest yourself."

"I can't." Harry sat at Hermione's side. He looked at her sleeping face, his eyes haunted and circled by dark rings. Did she really think no one would ever truly love her? I have to tell her ...

"Harry, you look like you're drowning in guilt."

Harry hunched his shoulders and nodded, unable to look at Sirius.
"No matter what I do ... " His voice was thick with emotion.

Sirius put a hand on Harry's shoulder and squeezed it reassuringly.
"I'm afraid you're destined for more than your fair share of troubles."

"But why? Why must my life be so HARD? Why can't I just be happy? I was happy with Hermione. For the first time. And then I ...."

"You'll be happy again, Harry, I promise." Sirius said to himself.

"Harry, drink this. It will help." Sirius held out a small cup of hot chocolate, seemingly out of nowhere. "Please." Reluctantly, Harry agreed.

Within a minute, Harry had fallen fast asleep, his head resting on the edge of Hermione's bed.

Sirius touched the head of Hermione and then Harry, like a father tucking in his children.
"Sleep well and dream well." He was about to turn away but looked back to the two sleeping figures. "Life's too short for misunderstandings. Forgive one another. Alright?"

Seemingly of their own accord, their heads nodded slightly.
Sirius smiled and closed the door behind him.


A couple of people successfully guessed that the reason the spell didn't work was that Harry needed to be involved somehow. I loved the idea of your heart actually belonging to someone else - that it beat just for them. That was the basis of this story, finding the person your heart beats for.
Just a couple of more chapters to go as I wind this down. Thanks again to all of my reviewers - I get the biggest kick reading what you guys think! Thank you! New chapters soon!