Chapter 18 * Soaring *
Hermione groaned, squeezing her eyes shut. She opened her eyes slightly and looked around the room; she was in the hospital wing. Great, I go to save Harry and I end up in the hospital wing, she told herself bitterly. She felt something heavy on her hand and looked down to see where the extra weight was coming from.
Harry and Ron were sitting close to her, speaking in hushed voices. Harry was holding her hand tightly, his thumb rubbing against her knuckles gently.
"Harry?" she whispered, groaning as she tried to sit up.
"'Mione!" Harry cried.
"Herm!" Ron cried at the same time.
Harry stood up to hug her tightly, pushing her back down gently. "Don't try to sit up, it'll make your head hurt," he advised, kissing her warmly on the forehead.
Ron smiled at her. "I think she figured that one out already," he said with a laugh. "We're glad you're up, Herm."
Hermione smiled at them. "What happened?"
Harry and Ron looked at each other, passing a look that Hermione didn't miss.
"I'm going to go find Lavender and Ginny, they'll want to know that you're up," Ron said suddenly, giving her another quick hug before leaving the room.
Harry sat down on the edge of her bed, running a finger down her cheek. "I've missed you, baby gir," he said softly. He bent down on the bed and kissed her long and soft.
Hermione sighed contentedly against his mouth and stretched out her arms to wrap them around his neck.
Harry pulled away slowly, loving the feel of her in his arms. He leaned his forehead against hers gently, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. "I missed doing that," Harry whispered.
"How long was I out?" Hermione asked, worried.
"One night."
"One night? That's it? How did you miss kissing me when only one night passed?" Hermione wanted to know, smiling at him.
"It seemed like eternity without you!" Harry replied in mock drama. A hand flew to his forehead as he pretended to faint like a girl.
"Okay, okay, I get it," Hermione said between laughter. "So what happened?" she repeated, trying to sit up. "Help me up. No, I'm not going to lay down, Harry Potter! There's something you're not telling me and I could tell by the way you and Ron looked at each other. Now help me up before I get up on my own."
Harry let out a defeated sigh and got off the bed. Hermione was about to ask him what he was doing when he came around to the other side and sat behind her, supporting her weight. "You know us too well," he muttered as she got herself comfortable against him.
"Well, after seven years, I should hope so," Hermione answered, smiling to herself. "Now tell me, is Voldemort dead?"
Harry slid his arms around her waist and rested his chin on the top of her head before answering. "No," he said simply.
Though Hermione couldn't see his face, she could tell by the sound of his voice that he was ashamed of the fact that he had failed to destroy Voldemort - again. For seven years the Dark Lord had come back and for seven years Harry had fought him but never killed him.
Hermione turned around in his arms, placing her hands on either side of his face. "Listen to me, Harry. None of this is your fault. You're only seventeen! There's nothing you can do and you've already done so much. The world might see you as a hero and you are, but you're also a person who wants to feel normal once in a while. I know for a fact that you tried your hardest. You're only human, love. And an incredible one at that."
Harry stared into her warm brown eyes and tears gathered in his own. He knew Hermione was right but it didn't stop the guilt from flooding his conscious. He leaned his forehead against hers and closed his eyes. "You're right," he breathed, opening his eyes to look at her again. "You're always right," he added with a smile.
Hermione hugged him tightly, made sure he was all right, and turned back around to lean against his chest. "Look at it this way. At least Anthony is dead."
Instead of the response she was waiting for, dead silence followed. "Harry?" she called out his name, thinking he had fallen asleep because he didn't answer her for a long moment.
"He's not dead, 'Mione," Harry almost whispered the words.
Her insides seemed to freeze over. Anthony not dead? But Voldemort had killed him right in front of her eyes! He had to be dead! Hermione's mouth opened and closed several times, but nothing came out.
"Baby?" Harry said softly. When she didn't answer he turned to face her, wanting to see the expression he knew was there. Hermione seemed to be in a state of shock, her hand was covering her mouth, her eyes wide and full of fear. If Anthony wasn't dead then he would continue to plague her.
Harry took her hands in his. "I'm sorry. I know we saw Voldemort kill him but after he vanished, Anthony's body wasn't there. It was a trick. I don't exactly understand the purpose of it, though. I'm so sorry, love," he pulled her into a hug and squeezed her tightly.
"I know the purpose," Hermione murmured into his ear. "He's always going to be around to threaten me. He's always going to be around to hurt me and make me think I'm trash," she began to sob and buried her face into Harry's neck.
"No, he's not. I've had enough of him. If I see him I'm going to blow him into a million pieces. He's not going to hurt you, and this time, I'll make sure of it," Harry told her, firmly.
"Hermione, dear! I'm so glad you're up!" Madame Pomfrey said, bustling into the room. Hermione wiped her tears away quickly and turned her head so the nurse wouldn't see her, but Madame Pomfrey ignored the fact that Hermione had been crying. "How are you feeling? Better? That's good!" she said while walking between beds. "Well, I have good news. You may leave whenever you feel like it, dear. Just take it slow for a couple of days until your headaches die down," with that, she smiled warmly at the couple and left.
"How does she do it?" Harry asked amazed, an amused smiled on his face. "Are you all right?" he asked Hermione, tucking a stray hair behind her ear.
Hermione sniffled but nodded with a smile. "Yes, I'll be all right."
Though Hermione said she would be all right, Harry knew it would continue to bother her. "Hey, I have an idea that will take you're mind off of Anthony," he told her with a mischievous gleam in his eyes. "I was going to go practice Quidditch for a while outside. Why don't you come with me? I've always wanted to teach you how to fly."
Hermione shook her head violently. "No, it's all right. I think I'm just going to go study," she said, the prospect of being off the ground making her queasy.
"'Mione, it's Saturday. Besides, flying is something that makes me happy, besides you. I've always wanted to share the feeling of joy with you."
"You share it enough when you talk about it. Really, I rather not," she said, inching off the bed.
"Please?" Harry begged, sticking out his bottom lip and widening his eyes.
Hermione stared at him for a moment, torn between facing her fear and being with Harry. "Oh all right. But if I fall off I swear I'll kill you," Hermione warned, letting Harry pull her off the bed and waited while she got dressed, then preceded to drag her down the hallway with her mumbling, "I positively hate those eyes of his!"
* = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = *
"Okay, just climb on," Harry urged Hermione, as they stood in the middle of the Quidditch field in the white snow.
Hermione shivered and pulled her coat closer to her body. It was beautiful outside and the weather was cold and crisp, just the way she liked it, but the flying was terrifying her. "I don't know ..."
"You are not backing down now! Now get on. In front of me, that's it. On the count of three we're going to push off the ground, okay? I won't go too high or too fast unless you want to. Whatever you do, don't look down," Harry informed her. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, made sure she was securely on his broom and counted to three.
"Ahhh! Harry!" Hermione cried, gripping his hand and squeezing her eyes shut.
"Open your eyes, love, the scenery is breathtaking. I'm not going to let you fall, okay? Just relax, you'll love this," Harry smiled at the back of her head.
Hermione took a deep breath and opened her eyes slowly. Her heart caught in her throat but Harry was right; the scenery was beautiful. As she began to relax, a feeling of adrenaline surged through her. She felt light and completely free, like she had left all her problems on the ground.
"I told you, you would love this," Harry said laughing, as he read her mind. He leaned forward so his face was next to hers. "This is what I feel like whenever I'm up here. Pretty amazing, huh?"
Hermione leaned against him and smiled. "No wonder you love to fly so much. This is amazing. Thanks for sharing it with me," she added softly.
"You're welcome," Harry replied, kissed her neck softly, and nuzzled his face into her hair, loving the smell of vanilla.
For a few minutes they just sat there, flowing lazily through the air, watching as they passed fluffy white clouds and confused looking birds.
Hermione wished she could stay up there forever; just her, Harry, and the sky. But as she looked down (very quickly), she saw a figure in the middle of the field and it didn't look like any of their friends.
"We should head back," Harry spoke her thoughts, steering his broom in the other direction. Hermione nodded in agreement but didn't say anything.
As they neared the ground, they could see that the figure was Professor McGonagall, tapping her foot against the ground, impatiently.
As they hit the ground, the perturbed looking professor uncrossed her arms and looked at the duo sternly. "Were you two going to stay up there forever? I have papers to grade!" she cried before turning on her heel and walking away from them.
But as she turned around to make sure Harry and Hermione were following her, the old woman's face softened greatly. "Reminds me of James and Lily. Always sneaking off together ..." she murmured to herself, a smile spreading across her face.
A.N: Hey everyone! Well, another chapter finally finished! Hope you like it - I had fun writing it 8 ) I want to say a HUGE thanks to ALL my reviewers! You guys make me blush! Thank you a trillion times.
MaRiAn the LiBrArIaN: I wanted to thank you because you gave me the idea for not actually killing Anthony. I was going to just keep him dead but I read your review and it gave me another idea. Thanks!
MagicalWritingRedHead: I have to tell you that your reviews always crack me up. I love reading them! And I will read your stories (I've read one before and I'm starting another one) whenever I get the chace. Thanks so much for ALL your reviews!
starburst25589: You said that it makes you wonder why there aren't any guys like Harry in the muggle world and I just had to comment. I know, I wish there were more guys like Harry, too! Why do you think I made him the way he is? Thanks for your review!!
BabyJ5: I've started reading one of your stories and I'll review when I'm done. Thanks so much for your review!!!
Until the next chapter,
Sweetie
Hermione groaned, squeezing her eyes shut. She opened her eyes slightly and looked around the room; she was in the hospital wing. Great, I go to save Harry and I end up in the hospital wing, she told herself bitterly. She felt something heavy on her hand and looked down to see where the extra weight was coming from.
Harry and Ron were sitting close to her, speaking in hushed voices. Harry was holding her hand tightly, his thumb rubbing against her knuckles gently.
"Harry?" she whispered, groaning as she tried to sit up.
"'Mione!" Harry cried.
"Herm!" Ron cried at the same time.
Harry stood up to hug her tightly, pushing her back down gently. "Don't try to sit up, it'll make your head hurt," he advised, kissing her warmly on the forehead.
Ron smiled at her. "I think she figured that one out already," he said with a laugh. "We're glad you're up, Herm."
Hermione smiled at them. "What happened?"
Harry and Ron looked at each other, passing a look that Hermione didn't miss.
"I'm going to go find Lavender and Ginny, they'll want to know that you're up," Ron said suddenly, giving her another quick hug before leaving the room.
Harry sat down on the edge of her bed, running a finger down her cheek. "I've missed you, baby gir," he said softly. He bent down on the bed and kissed her long and soft.
Hermione sighed contentedly against his mouth and stretched out her arms to wrap them around his neck.
Harry pulled away slowly, loving the feel of her in his arms. He leaned his forehead against hers gently, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. "I missed doing that," Harry whispered.
"How long was I out?" Hermione asked, worried.
"One night."
"One night? That's it? How did you miss kissing me when only one night passed?" Hermione wanted to know, smiling at him.
"It seemed like eternity without you!" Harry replied in mock drama. A hand flew to his forehead as he pretended to faint like a girl.
"Okay, okay, I get it," Hermione said between laughter. "So what happened?" she repeated, trying to sit up. "Help me up. No, I'm not going to lay down, Harry Potter! There's something you're not telling me and I could tell by the way you and Ron looked at each other. Now help me up before I get up on my own."
Harry let out a defeated sigh and got off the bed. Hermione was about to ask him what he was doing when he came around to the other side and sat behind her, supporting her weight. "You know us too well," he muttered as she got herself comfortable against him.
"Well, after seven years, I should hope so," Hermione answered, smiling to herself. "Now tell me, is Voldemort dead?"
Harry slid his arms around her waist and rested his chin on the top of her head before answering. "No," he said simply.
Though Hermione couldn't see his face, she could tell by the sound of his voice that he was ashamed of the fact that he had failed to destroy Voldemort - again. For seven years the Dark Lord had come back and for seven years Harry had fought him but never killed him.
Hermione turned around in his arms, placing her hands on either side of his face. "Listen to me, Harry. None of this is your fault. You're only seventeen! There's nothing you can do and you've already done so much. The world might see you as a hero and you are, but you're also a person who wants to feel normal once in a while. I know for a fact that you tried your hardest. You're only human, love. And an incredible one at that."
Harry stared into her warm brown eyes and tears gathered in his own. He knew Hermione was right but it didn't stop the guilt from flooding his conscious. He leaned his forehead against hers and closed his eyes. "You're right," he breathed, opening his eyes to look at her again. "You're always right," he added with a smile.
Hermione hugged him tightly, made sure he was all right, and turned back around to lean against his chest. "Look at it this way. At least Anthony is dead."
Instead of the response she was waiting for, dead silence followed. "Harry?" she called out his name, thinking he had fallen asleep because he didn't answer her for a long moment.
"He's not dead, 'Mione," Harry almost whispered the words.
Her insides seemed to freeze over. Anthony not dead? But Voldemort had killed him right in front of her eyes! He had to be dead! Hermione's mouth opened and closed several times, but nothing came out.
"Baby?" Harry said softly. When she didn't answer he turned to face her, wanting to see the expression he knew was there. Hermione seemed to be in a state of shock, her hand was covering her mouth, her eyes wide and full of fear. If Anthony wasn't dead then he would continue to plague her.
Harry took her hands in his. "I'm sorry. I know we saw Voldemort kill him but after he vanished, Anthony's body wasn't there. It was a trick. I don't exactly understand the purpose of it, though. I'm so sorry, love," he pulled her into a hug and squeezed her tightly.
"I know the purpose," Hermione murmured into his ear. "He's always going to be around to threaten me. He's always going to be around to hurt me and make me think I'm trash," she began to sob and buried her face into Harry's neck.
"No, he's not. I've had enough of him. If I see him I'm going to blow him into a million pieces. He's not going to hurt you, and this time, I'll make sure of it," Harry told her, firmly.
"Hermione, dear! I'm so glad you're up!" Madame Pomfrey said, bustling into the room. Hermione wiped her tears away quickly and turned her head so the nurse wouldn't see her, but Madame Pomfrey ignored the fact that Hermione had been crying. "How are you feeling? Better? That's good!" she said while walking between beds. "Well, I have good news. You may leave whenever you feel like it, dear. Just take it slow for a couple of days until your headaches die down," with that, she smiled warmly at the couple and left.
"How does she do it?" Harry asked amazed, an amused smiled on his face. "Are you all right?" he asked Hermione, tucking a stray hair behind her ear.
Hermione sniffled but nodded with a smile. "Yes, I'll be all right."
Though Hermione said she would be all right, Harry knew it would continue to bother her. "Hey, I have an idea that will take you're mind off of Anthony," he told her with a mischievous gleam in his eyes. "I was going to go practice Quidditch for a while outside. Why don't you come with me? I've always wanted to teach you how to fly."
Hermione shook her head violently. "No, it's all right. I think I'm just going to go study," she said, the prospect of being off the ground making her queasy.
"'Mione, it's Saturday. Besides, flying is something that makes me happy, besides you. I've always wanted to share the feeling of joy with you."
"You share it enough when you talk about it. Really, I rather not," she said, inching off the bed.
"Please?" Harry begged, sticking out his bottom lip and widening his eyes.
Hermione stared at him for a moment, torn between facing her fear and being with Harry. "Oh all right. But if I fall off I swear I'll kill you," Hermione warned, letting Harry pull her off the bed and waited while she got dressed, then preceded to drag her down the hallway with her mumbling, "I positively hate those eyes of his!"
* = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = *
"Okay, just climb on," Harry urged Hermione, as they stood in the middle of the Quidditch field in the white snow.
Hermione shivered and pulled her coat closer to her body. It was beautiful outside and the weather was cold and crisp, just the way she liked it, but the flying was terrifying her. "I don't know ..."
"You are not backing down now! Now get on. In front of me, that's it. On the count of three we're going to push off the ground, okay? I won't go too high or too fast unless you want to. Whatever you do, don't look down," Harry informed her. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, made sure she was securely on his broom and counted to three.
"Ahhh! Harry!" Hermione cried, gripping his hand and squeezing her eyes shut.
"Open your eyes, love, the scenery is breathtaking. I'm not going to let you fall, okay? Just relax, you'll love this," Harry smiled at the back of her head.
Hermione took a deep breath and opened her eyes slowly. Her heart caught in her throat but Harry was right; the scenery was beautiful. As she began to relax, a feeling of adrenaline surged through her. She felt light and completely free, like she had left all her problems on the ground.
"I told you, you would love this," Harry said laughing, as he read her mind. He leaned forward so his face was next to hers. "This is what I feel like whenever I'm up here. Pretty amazing, huh?"
Hermione leaned against him and smiled. "No wonder you love to fly so much. This is amazing. Thanks for sharing it with me," she added softly.
"You're welcome," Harry replied, kissed her neck softly, and nuzzled his face into her hair, loving the smell of vanilla.
For a few minutes they just sat there, flowing lazily through the air, watching as they passed fluffy white clouds and confused looking birds.
Hermione wished she could stay up there forever; just her, Harry, and the sky. But as she looked down (very quickly), she saw a figure in the middle of the field and it didn't look like any of their friends.
"We should head back," Harry spoke her thoughts, steering his broom in the other direction. Hermione nodded in agreement but didn't say anything.
As they neared the ground, they could see that the figure was Professor McGonagall, tapping her foot against the ground, impatiently.
As they hit the ground, the perturbed looking professor uncrossed her arms and looked at the duo sternly. "Were you two going to stay up there forever? I have papers to grade!" she cried before turning on her heel and walking away from them.
But as she turned around to make sure Harry and Hermione were following her, the old woman's face softened greatly. "Reminds me of James and Lily. Always sneaking off together ..." she murmured to herself, a smile spreading across her face.
A.N: Hey everyone! Well, another chapter finally finished! Hope you like it - I had fun writing it 8 ) I want to say a HUGE thanks to ALL my reviewers! You guys make me blush! Thank you a trillion times.
MaRiAn the LiBrArIaN: I wanted to thank you because you gave me the idea for not actually killing Anthony. I was going to just keep him dead but I read your review and it gave me another idea. Thanks!
MagicalWritingRedHead: I have to tell you that your reviews always crack me up. I love reading them! And I will read your stories (I've read one before and I'm starting another one) whenever I get the chace. Thanks so much for ALL your reviews!
starburst25589: You said that it makes you wonder why there aren't any guys like Harry in the muggle world and I just had to comment. I know, I wish there were more guys like Harry, too! Why do you think I made him the way he is? Thanks for your review!!
BabyJ5: I've started reading one of your stories and I'll review when I'm done. Thanks so much for your review!!!
Until the next chapter,
Sweetie