Fata Viam Invenient
AN: Hello! Here it is, the first chapter of the promised sequel to "Only The Beginning". Here, the plot grows, oh, so ever thicker, the characters more colorful, and the ideas wilder and wilder… hehe.
I hope you guys enjoy, I had a hell of a time thinking this thing up. Don't forget to drop a review on your way out, okay? Mwah!
Dedicated to: CharmedHpfanatic, who helped me through this, and Catherine, her adorable little sister. Also to all who reviewed Only The Beginning… see, all who review will be thanked soon enough. *HINT*
Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me, I'm not even sure if I own Berna! (She belongs to the real Berna, who is CharmedHpfanatic.) And anything you recognize from the four books of Harry Potter, (not from my last story) belongs to the wonderful woman named J.K. Rowling. Everything else, though, including bad writing, extremely long sentences and any OOC behavior, plus the angst coming up and the plot etc… all MINE! Mwahaha!
Chapter One: Daily Daze
We were strangers
Starting out on a journey
Never dreaming what we'd have to go through
Now here we are, and I'm suddenly standing
At the beginning with you
- At The Beginning, OST Anastasia (Disney)
***July 31, 2007***
Another day in the life of Hermione Anne Granger. Another day crossed off on the talking calendar. Another smile on the lips of her sleeping boyfriend. Another cup of coffee made. Another bout of fussing over breakfast. Another day in the life of Hermione Anne Granger.
"Good morning!" She threw back the curtains, letting the bright sunlight stream into the room. The man on the bed stretched languidly and sat up, blinking. "Put on some clothes, and get down for breakfast." Hermione laughingly threw a fuzzy blue jumper in his face. He caught it, and grabbed Hermione's wrist at the same time, pulling her down into bed with him.
"Good morning to you, too… 'Mione." He whispered, her face cupped in his hands, and he captured her lips in a kiss. She wrapped her arms around him, and was beginning to lean farther into the kiss that was making her knees weak, but then, he teasingly pulled away.
Hermione pouted, lips bruised from the kiss. "Draco Thomas Magnum Malfoy! How dare you kiss me like that and then pull away as if nothing happened?!" Draco, who had jumped out of bed and was pulling on a pair of pants, winked at her. "Trust me, darling, it was hard."
A few minutes later, it was just another breakfast for the pretty couple. Hermione was browsing the paper while Draco drank coffee and ate the scrambled eggs.
"Draco?"
"Mm-hm?"
"It's Harry's birthday today."
"Oh."
"It's Harry's birthday today."
"Oh."
Hermione looked over the top of the paper and raised an eyebrow at Draco, who was eating his breakfast so neatly it seemed impossible. He glanced up at her and smiled. "Yes, I know. What's his plans?" Hermione put the paper down and shrugged, looking through the morning mail. "He didn't say anything." Draco tapped his mug of coffee with his wand, and the mug drained and refilled again with another, darker kind of coffee. "Well, Hermione, ask him later, during your classes."
Hermione frowned at her mug… "Yes, later, during classes."
"Classes" was what Draco called the Auror training Hermione was undergoing. It was rigorous work, and sometimes, Hermione came home with an injury or two. "Don't worry…" she once told Draco through a throat choked with pained tears. "It's nothing I can't handle."
Harry and Ginny were taking the Auror training alongside Hermione, and, as they reported to a worried Draco, Hermione was sending the rest of the trainees home in pieces, while she gets away with a bruise or two.
Ron was in Australia with Parvati. According to their letters, they were living with Parvati's mother, and they were madly in love. (Meaning Ron and Parvati, of course.)
The Weasley twins were currently on a trip around the world, expanding their wildly successful line of joke shops. This was what had partly funded Ron and Parvati's trip to Australia, and Ron's admirable position as a Defender in the Ministry of Magic helped as well.
Harry and Berna were living together in an apartment not far from Hermione's own, and they were doing very well, from what Hermione had last heard.
As for Draco's side of the world, his father had already been declared officially deceased by the Ministry of Magic, but he seemed to take it quite well, though having the occasional bout of depression. Narcissa Malfoy, however, was an entirely different story.
Draco still had a soft spot for his mother, who kept herself locked up in the stately Malfoy Manor, never venturing out for any event. Even Draco's own birthday was ignored, marked only by a cold, formal letter from Anton, the Malfoy Secretary, wishing him a "pleasant yearly occurance."
"She's still mourning, you know." Draco pointed out to Hermione.
For now, we can leave the rest of the world behind, and sit down at the breakfast table with Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy.
"Look, Fleur Delacour got married!" Hermione dropped her knife in surprise. Draco, looking rather affected, reached for the paper. "Hmm, lucky fellow, this Pierre…" Hermione laughed at the bland expression on Draco's face. "Isn't that just like her, to have her wedding announcement splashed all over the news, even in foreign countries!"
Draco watched the Fleur in the picture smile and cuddle up to the arm of the tall, handsome Frenchman. He held a strangely somber expression. Then he looked up at Hermione, who was happily spreading jam on her toast.
"Do you want to get married?"
Hermione dropped her knife again. "What?" Even Draco looked surprised with himself. "No, no… what I meant was… no, I…" He shrugged it off.
Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Was that a proposal?" Draco looked aghast. "No… NO! I just… meant…" he looked down at the coffee he had ordered from Spain, swirling around in his cup.
"I meant… are you happy like this?"
"Like what?"
"You know, just… living together."
"I guess."
"Could you please elaborate?"
"Well, I don't think I'm ready for the commitment of marriage, and as we are too immature…"
"Excuse me, sweetie. I believe I'm mature enough."
"Is that another proposal?"
"No!"
"Okay."
"Okay."
"I've got to go get ready for class."
"Okay."
"Yes…"
~*~
Hermione watched Ginny's face wrinkle up in concentration. Beside her, she could hear Harry's breathing grow uneven, and the unmistakable sound of his glasses cracking once more. "Shit." She heard him swear. She could feel her own sweat trickling slowly down her cheek. The buzz of the electrical Facing-Off Charms echoed around the large gym, along with the shouting of their trainer. "Hold! Hold that! Concentrate!"
Finally. "Withdraw!"
All around the room, the sound of bodies collapsing onto the padded floor could be heard. Heavy breathing, sighs and groans as muscles were stretched. Angry curses from the ones who had failed to sustain the difficult charm.
The misshapen figure strode into the middle of the room, clapping his rough, thick hands together for attention.
Even at his age, Mad-Eye Moody still imposed authority, and this moment was one of no exception. The people lying on the ground immediately snapped to attention, standing up gingerly. He pointed to the wall silently, and the trainees immediately dashed over to it and lined up according to number. Hermione found herself squeezed between Harry and a tall red-head that painfully reminded her of Ron.
Mad-Eye walked up the line, pausing to talk to a trainee every now and then. Some he passed without a word, others he nodded at, some he spoke to gruffly.
"Muld, pay attention!"
"Paige, concentrate, CONCENTRATE!"
"You, Anderson, check the way you grip your wand."
"Next time, Potter, you might want to consider reinforcing your glasses with a Rigidus charm.
Keep it up, though."
Beside her, Hermione could actually feel Harry smiling. "Keep it up." was extremely extravagant praise from Alastor. Suddenly, he stopped right in front of her.
His real eye was fixed on his list of trainees, but Hermione was positive that the magical one was looking at her through the side of his head.
"Very good work, Granger. Very. Good. Work."
She beamed.
~*~
"I can't stand these Facing-Off Charms!" Ginny burst out, throwing her towel to the ground. Hermione patted her on the back. "It's okay, it's really hard to get used to." She held out her hand to Harry. "Give me your glasses, I'll fix the crack." Harry grinned and held up the repaired glasses. "Nah, it's okay. Berna fixed them for me." "Oh."
Hermione dropped her hand and took a sip out of the bottle of Power-up Potion. ("Madame Pomfrey's Delicious Popberry Flavor!" it said on the side on the brightly-colored bottle.) Hermione felt a bit morose… was it because she was the one who always fixed Harry's glasses for him?
She shook the feeling of shallow jealousy off and stood up, and found herself face to face with Berna herself.
She looked impeccable in a light green sundress and a pretty clip holding her long hair back, and the blue eyes that surveyed Hermione from head to toe were as bright and as innocent as ever. Hermione suddenly felt very aware that she was dressed in old sweatpants and a baggy shirt, and that she was drenched in sweat.
"Hello, Hermione."
"Oh, hello Berna! What brings you here?"
"Harry, of course."
"I see."
Ginny was smiling at Berna, but Berna made no move to take notice of her, until Ginny said, in a very loud voice. "Hi Berna!"
"Hello, Ginny."
"How's May Lopez?"
"I lost contact with her a few months ago."
"Oh."
An uncomfortable silence, which Harry waved away by coming up to Berna and taking her hand in his. Berna smiled up at him, and he smiled back down through his unmarred glasses. Hermione turned away, taking another sip from the bottle, when she saw someone that made her sinking heart jump back up, and her smile return to her face.
Draco Malfoy sauntered through the door of the gym like he owned the place. (And if he wanted to, he probably would.) Hermione rushed over to him, and he caught her in his arms, a faint grin on his face. "You look even more impeccable that Berna." Hermione whispered into the expensive fabric of his shirt. "Oh, she's here?" Draco put his arm protectively around her and walked her back to the bench, where Harry was talking to Berna, and Ginny was discreetly rolling her eyes at both of them.
Ginny looked up. "Draco!"
"Hey, pretty woman." came the cool reply.
Harry looked up. "Hello, Draco." Draco grinned casually and sat down on the bench beside him, and only Draco Malfoy could make a gym bench look like a throne fit for a king. "Hey, Potter. Happy birthday." Draco turned to Berna and made a mock bow. "Good afternoon, lady love." Berna drew away slightly, and ignored him. Harry poked Draco with his wand. "She's my lady love, so keep your paws away from her." Draco held up his elegant hands. "Paws? My man, I am quite insulted." Harry nodded, pushing his glasses up his sweaty nose. "Good."
The training resumed, with Berna and Draco as audience. Moody gave them no attention, but Draco flinched vaguely everytime he passed. ("The ferret thing left him in a trauma. He wouldn't go near Pansy's pet hamster for weeks, and he finally lost it and Transfigured it into a beanbag." Hermione whispered to Ginny.)
They began on Confundus Charms and blocking, and around thirty minutes later, everyone was staggering around in a bewildered daze. Ginny stumbled into Hermione, and Harry took them both and dragged them to the bench where Draco and Berna were sitting, very far apart from each other. Moody came over, looking irate that his trainees were so easily Confunded.
"You!" He barked roughly at Draco, and Draco jumped slightly. "Y-yes?" "Help them get their senses back. You help." He nodded towards Berna, who, looking appalled, pulled Harry to sit on the bench, and began talking to him in a low voice.
Draco brushed Hermione's hair back gently from her face and looked deep into her eyes. She smiled at him. "No… I'm not that Confunded. Thanks, though."
"Harry, it's me, Berna… Berna!" Berna shook Harry ever so slightly, knocking his glasses askew. Harry grinned benignly up at her. "Who? I don't believe I know anyone named Ber-"
Berna threw her hands up in exasperation and simply took Harry's face in her hands and kissed him like the world was ending.
Draco, Hermione and Ginny watched, slack-jawed. Hermione heard Ginny mumble something that sounded like "Are they still breathing?".
Harry, seemingly coming to his senses, pushed Berna away and straightened up, clucthing his glasses. "Okay… okay… I'm fine." Berna took off her hat and pulled her hair up into a ponytail, smiling at Harry. "You kiss well even if you're Confunded."
Harry blushed.
~*~
Lunch began as a breezy affair, with the five of them going out to Horizont Alley's best eating joint, the one Ron fondly called "My Territory."
"I personally think we should go eat somewhere else." Draco stood outside the restaurant, hands in pockets, and looking distrustfully up at the battered sign that proclaimed in loud, flashing letters "Best Trash Around!" Draco looked at Harry. "I said, I think we should eat somewhere else." He smiled at Hermione. "If you want, I could bring you all over to Malfoy Manor and - "
"Yes!" Hermione glanced around expectantly.
"Why not?" Ginny shrugged.
"No…" Harry looked longingly at the flashing sign.
"No, absolutely not." Berna sounded rather huffy.
Draco looked hurt.
~*~
"I still don't see why they advertise their garbage cans and what can be found inside them, but this is rather good apple pie a la mode..." Draco looked down at the still warm slice of pie, and speared a thin, cinnamon-covered piece of fresh apple which was resting on a scoop on vanilla icecream which was charmed to melt to a certain degree, not more, not less. Harry, who was sitting beside Berna, was watching Draco with a funny expression in his glittering eyes. Berna was watching Harry watch Draco. Hermione was watching the way her milkshake kept changing colors.
And Ginny, who was watching everybody, noticed that the glitter in Harry's eyes seemed to flicker whenever Draco touched Hermione's hand, or even when Draco spoke to Hermione in a whisper.
Right after they finished the last slices of pie, and after their forks had sung a little ditty to them, Harry took Hermione aside.
"'Mione, I just want to know… I hope you don't take it too personally." Harry began to speak in a very low whisper, and Hermione bent closer to hear whatever he had to say. "Fire away, Harry. After all, we are best friends."
Harry glanced over his shoulder, and began to speak again, very fast and very low.
"I know that you're a bit sensitive, and this is a pretty personal question, and you don't like being asked personal questions…"
Hermione sighed. "Just get to the point, Harry."
"Do you really love him?"
Hermione was surprised. She had expected something a bit shallower, a bit less personal, but this was Harry James Potter, and you never know…
"Wh- what?!"
Harry waved his hand in Draco's general direction. "Do you? I mean, you live together, and probably sleep together…" That was a wrong move.
Hermione stood up, fuming. "Oh, that's it, right?" Harry looked up at her, aware that he shouldn't have said sleep. "Er… well, Hermione… don't make a fuss, come on…" Hermione glared at him. "Harold James Potter, is this going to escalate into another 'Do you love me?' conversation? I sorely hope not, because I'm tired of those, and those kinds of conversations leave me with my heart in pieces and my brain in a terrible feeling of self-doubt and guilt."
Harry was taken aback. Hermione continued her spiel, unaware of the people staring at them. "Harry, if you wanted to know, we're friends, nothing more, and nothing less. You're very important to me, and I love you… but not the same way I love him." She pointed at Draco, her eyes still on Harry's bewildered face. Draco looked up with an expression that calmly said "Here she goes again." Ginny was staring, and Berna looked ticked off.
"So, Harry, in case you were wondering, well, I love him, and we sleep together every now and then, but I love you, too, in an entirely different way, but if I could, and if I wanted to, I would probably sleep with you! Are your severely contagious feelings of platonic jealousy and self-guilt assuaged, or do I have to make more public confession in crowded restaurants?" Hermione's voice cracked, and before the surprised diners could swallow their mouthfuls of baked potato, she had run out of the restaurant with her hands over her face.
Draco threw down his napkin and stood up, walking to the door with calm, measured strides. Harry did the same, but instead of walking coolly, he rushed like hell. Ginny, who got over the incident in an instance in the face of a financial problem, stared down at her plate. "Oh no… they didn't pay for the meal, yet… and I didn't bring any money." Berna raised an eyebrow and pushed aside Draco's napkin, revealing a small pile of gold and silver. "Well, well, well… looks like the aristocratic snoot threw down a fair number of Galleons along with his napkin."
Ginny's eyes widened.
~*~
"Hermione… please, listen to me…" Harry caught up with her in front of Madam Malkin's Robe Shop. "Hermione, I'm sorry, I didn't mean that." Harry touched her hand gently, but Hermione jerked away, tears in her eyes. "Yes, you did! What is this? Another confrontation, where you declare your love for me? Harry, please! I have had enough of this! Can't we just be friends, because I can't live with your confessions of love… I love you, Harry, but not the same way I love Draco, nor the same way he loves me. Can't… we just- be friends?" Hermione began to sob, her shoulders shaking.
Harry watched her cry with strangely bright eyes. "Are you so sure about that? That he loves you the way you love him?" Hermione looked up at him, tears streaming down her face. "Stop it! Stop it, already! You've been doing this since seventh year, damnit! Stop questioning me! Stop asking me to evaluate my whole life, and stop making me doubt myself and everyone I love!" Her face contorted in anger, and she began to scream. "What are you doing to me, and everytime you get emotional, I end up in pieces, doubting myself and the whole world! Please, Harry…" she broke down. "If you really love me the way you tell me you do, please stop doing this to me, and go love someone who can and will love you back… like Berna, for instance."
She stared up at him through teary eyes. "I can't love you back, Harry… and you know that. But if you keep doing this, if you continue this emotional game, I will love you, and that will end in a breaking of hearts, yours, mine, Berna's, Draco's… just learn to accept him for what he is, and what he does… and what that is, he loves me. And… oh god, Harry… I'm so sorry this had to happen on your birthday."
Harry stood there for what seemed a lifetime, watching the woman he loved cry out to him. Finally, silently, sadly, he put his arms around her one last time. "It's okay. I'll stop… if that's what makes you happy." He whispered into her ear, as her whole body shook with sobs. "But, Hermione…" he said, straightening up. "Feelings left unspoken still exist, though they are left undeclared." He looked away, and his eye fell upon Draco, who was advancing towards him menacingly.
"Hello, Draco. Apologies granted." And with that, Harry Potter strode away.
~*~
That night, Hermione lay in bed beside Draco, who seemed asleep. Hermione, however was wide awake. She rolled over in bed, facing Draco. His eyes were closed, and his breathing deep and even. Hermione lost herself in thought… What if it was Harry lying here instead of Draco…
Hermione's eyes flew open, and she suddenly got out of bed. Clutching her robe around her, she walked through the neat apartment to her desk. She lit a candle, and pulled her quill and parchment out of her drawer. Dipping the quill in ink, she began to write.
Dear Ron, (July 31, 2007)
Hello, and regards to Parvati and her mother. Have you seen the Sydney Opera House yet… and did you know that that wonderful structure holds a great number of Sounding Charms to keep the audience happy, Muggle or not?
Anyway, the Sydney Opera House wasn't what I wrote this letter for.
It's about Harry.
Ron, what's wrong with him lately? Don't tell me you don't know, because you've complained about his lack of letters to you. He's been awfully off-base lately, and he didn't' even do anything about his birthday today.
And he keeps… telling me things. How he's always loved me, and how he'll always love me. It's not platonic love anymore, Ron. It's the kind of love that goes between you and Parvati, the kind of love between Draco and I.
That's another problem… Draco. He hasn't been acting strange like Harry, but I'm worried about him. His mother's been mourning for the past few years, and he hasn't shed a tear over his father's empty grave at all. And, there's the Harry-Draco problem. I'm pretty sure Draco knows about Harry's loving me, and he's simply letting it all go on. He trusts me so much…
Ron, sorry for burdening you, but I need help, and you know Harry best.
Thanks so much! Take care!
Love,
Hermione.
Hermione dried the ink with a quick Drying Spell, and rolled it up into a neat package. She laid it on her desk to send off in he morning, when her owl, Crookshanks, would return from night hunting. (AN: That's an owl. She just named it after her late, beloved Kneazle, the original Crookshanks.)
That's done… she thought, and she crawled back into bed. To her surprise, Draco was awake.
He looked at her with those sleepy, blue-silver eyes. "It was cold without you." She smiled at him. "It's going to get warmer now." Draco smiled back, and putting his arms around her waist, drew her down to him. "Good."
~*~