One More Night With You
Disclaimer: Characters not mine. Plot belongs to me.
Chapter Four: "Fitting together every little piece..."
Harry felt dazed. He was moving, blinde as he walked, clutching at every piece of wall as he walked.
"Hermione?" he called, through the darkness, the musky scent upwards his nostrils. He felt something clutch him, and he turned to face Ron.
"She could be down the hole..."
"Ron, how many times," Harry replied through gritted teeth, "Do I have to tell you it's too dangerous to go down there? Voldemort could be there."
"If Voldemort's there, so is Sirius...and ...and Ginny," Ron said, as he clutched his stomach in agony.
"What's wrong?" Harry asked, widening his eyes.
"Nothing," Ron responded quickly. "Go ahead. Down the hole. I follow you."
Harry gave him a strange look, but shook himself as he began to take off his shoes and placed them next to the narrow hole. He knew he couldn't fit down there unless he took off everything, and the sound of boiling water cautioned him. He unbuttoned his shirt quickly, and pressed his face against the narrow hole. All he could hear was dripping of liquid.
"Hermione?" he called. No answer. Harry unzipped his pants, placing them beside his shoes, and tucking his wand under his arm tightly, he slushed his feet into the hole, and felt water. He looked down and saw it was black, swirling water beneath him.
"Urgh," he murmured. He turned behind him, and saw Ron, who was drinking something from a small flask.
"What're you doing?" asked Harry, raising an eyebrow.
Ron looked up quickly, and hid the flask. "I...was thirsty."
"Oh, Ron," Harry said, exasperated, rolling his eyes. "We're supposed to be concentrating on the lives of three people!"
"I am sorry...Harry...you will do the best you can, right? Ginny...she's down there...this is the best time for you to be the hero...you..." Ron seemed rather uncomfortable.
"Ron...I want you to promise me something," Harry said, motioning him closer. Ron walked toward him, keeping a safe distance, biting his lip.
"No matter what happens...get Ginny and Hermione...and Sirius. Do whatever you have to do...please..."
"I will...I promise," he answered, as he looked down. Harry caught the apprehensive look on his face.
"You can do it, Ron," Harry murmured, patting his hand. With this final notice, he plunged himself down the whole, and felt water rise up into his face. He was going to drown, he knew it. But at least he would die trying to save...
The water seemed to be bubbling against him, and he closed his eyes, struggling to breathe...he blew bubbles, but the water suffocated him - it rushed up to his mouth...the taste was of sour acid...he was going to die. He knew it. It had been seventeen years, not that bad...for Harry, anyway. He was going to die. He closed his eyes, the horrible taste in his mouth growing fader...and he fell into deep sleep.
Something was moving on his mouth...something. Harry gasped, the water releasing it from his mouth. He was on solid ground...somehow he had gone through the hole...and....he looked up, and saw Hermione, her hair tangled with wetness, her robes lathered with water that it would've taken years to dry.
"I..." he coughed slightly, and more water began to choke inside his throat. Hermione moved forward, and placed her lips against his, giving air to him...
The last burst of water came out...and Harry got up, weakly.
"Where is..." Before he could say anymore, something swished out from the ceiling. A figure fell through it (Harry supposed it was the hole) and water banished around it.
"Ron! What're you doing?"
"Well, well, Nagani, it looks like we have company..." a voice drawled sideways from the trio.
"You!" Harry seethed, glaring at him.
"Me," he said, waving his hand dismissively.
It was a descriptive, dark shadow standing over them, silhoutteing the frames of it's features. The man's face was horrid looking, he was half- dead, half-evil. His shining green eyes shone like serpent's. His body was barely frail and skinny. But he was very much in power.
"Hermione, go that way," Ron instructed. "Harry and I'll stop him. Get and free Ginny and Sirius. Run. Now."
He demanded this clearly, but Hermione acted as if she didn't hear him. She stood frozen to the spot, her mouth open in a small gape.
"Please, please let me help," she pleaded.
"Go! Now!"
"Ron!"
"Go!"
She ran away from them, rather reluctantly, trying hard not to look back.
"Crucio!" a shrill voice prompted, yelling. Hermione's body went rigid, and she began shaking, her shrieks filling the air.
"No! Please!" Harry leaped forward, but it was far too late, the shadowy spirit was growing near, and he could feel fresh blood sprouting in between his fingertips....
Hermione stopped moving. She opened her eyes, groaning in pain, and Harry had never felt so much anger...he ran toward Voldemort...he wanted to shed every single piece of that son of a bitch...
"Harry, don't," Hermione muttered, but he didn't listen.
"AVADA KEDRAVA!" Voldemort roared, and Harry closed his eyes, thinking the flash of green was coming to him...
But it hadn't. Something fell beside his standing, and he opened his clenched eyes, and saw Ron...hopelessly unmoving on the floor.
"No! Please, no," Harry prayed, but something was different. Ron's red hair was swarming with something...something peach...
Harry was going to faint, and he knew it. The copper smell of blood washed through him as he heaved his last breath, and fell against the solid ground...
"Harry! Harry! Wake up!"
Something was shaking him...something...arms.
"Harry!"
He opened his eyes, gasping and leaping up in the process. He instinctively clutched his face, and knew he was sweating.
"Are you okay?" a frantic whisper caught in his ear. He turned to the person beside him, and saw that it was Hermione.
"I was ...re-living it..." he hissed, his fists clenching under her view.
She pulled him closer to her, and his head fell on her soft lap. She clutched him, one of her hands tugging at his tangled hair.
"Harry," she cooed, leaning over so that her lips were brushing against his ear. "Tell me what happened."
"I...the hole, we went down...and then it happened again...Ron died and this peach thing came over his hair...and...Voldemort...I went..."
"Did you see when he died? Did you?" Hermione urged.
"Why - why are you asking?" he asked, feeling as if he was about to throw up.
"Tell me," she said firmly.
"Y-yes."
"Tell me how he looked. Tell me everything he said before you went down to the hollow..."
"He - he said to save Ginny, and...to take care of you...and..."
"Shh..never mind, we'll talk tomorrow...go to sleep," Hermione whispered, cradling him in her arms.
_________
This time there was no dream. Harry woke up what felt like moments later, but was actually hours, and found that it had already passed by into night. Hermione was clutching him from behind, and her soft breathing fanned his neck. She had her eyes painfully closed. He ran his fingers over her cheek, and felt the tingling rising in his fingertips...
"Harry?" she whispered.
Harry, startled that she was awake, didn't reply.
"We're going to fit every single piece," she promised sleepily. "Every little one."
Harry smiled slightly, feeling his eyes droop. "You know, he was still classic."
"Mmm?"
"Ron. He was...drinking water, as if everything was alright. As if you guys weren't in danger. I bet he'd eat if he had the chance...imagine him, offering some to Voldemort..." a cold chuckle passed through Harry's lips.
"Water?" Hermione frowned, her eyes fluttering open, staring up at him.
"Yeah...or maybe that was in just the dream...I don't know where he got the flask though.."
"Harry, stop..." Hermione suddenly said, pulling herself over so that her face tucked against his chest.
"The flask," she whispered, her mouth moving against his flesh.
Harry didn't answer. It was as if something was pulling him into sleep...
"It wasn't water, Harry," Hermioen croaked. Harry felt his eyebrow raise in his sleep, but didn't bother to retort.
"It...was...polyjuice potion," someone said. He didn't know who was speaking anymore, but he drifted onto sleep.
_________
Disclaimer: Characters not mine. Plot belongs to me.
Chapter Four: "Fitting together every little piece..."
Harry felt dazed. He was moving, blinde as he walked, clutching at every piece of wall as he walked.
"Hermione?" he called, through the darkness, the musky scent upwards his nostrils. He felt something clutch him, and he turned to face Ron.
"She could be down the hole..."
"Ron, how many times," Harry replied through gritted teeth, "Do I have to tell you it's too dangerous to go down there? Voldemort could be there."
"If Voldemort's there, so is Sirius...and ...and Ginny," Ron said, as he clutched his stomach in agony.
"What's wrong?" Harry asked, widening his eyes.
"Nothing," Ron responded quickly. "Go ahead. Down the hole. I follow you."
Harry gave him a strange look, but shook himself as he began to take off his shoes and placed them next to the narrow hole. He knew he couldn't fit down there unless he took off everything, and the sound of boiling water cautioned him. He unbuttoned his shirt quickly, and pressed his face against the narrow hole. All he could hear was dripping of liquid.
"Hermione?" he called. No answer. Harry unzipped his pants, placing them beside his shoes, and tucking his wand under his arm tightly, he slushed his feet into the hole, and felt water. He looked down and saw it was black, swirling water beneath him.
"Urgh," he murmured. He turned behind him, and saw Ron, who was drinking something from a small flask.
"What're you doing?" asked Harry, raising an eyebrow.
Ron looked up quickly, and hid the flask. "I...was thirsty."
"Oh, Ron," Harry said, exasperated, rolling his eyes. "We're supposed to be concentrating on the lives of three people!"
"I am sorry...Harry...you will do the best you can, right? Ginny...she's down there...this is the best time for you to be the hero...you..." Ron seemed rather uncomfortable.
"Ron...I want you to promise me something," Harry said, motioning him closer. Ron walked toward him, keeping a safe distance, biting his lip.
"No matter what happens...get Ginny and Hermione...and Sirius. Do whatever you have to do...please..."
"I will...I promise," he answered, as he looked down. Harry caught the apprehensive look on his face.
"You can do it, Ron," Harry murmured, patting his hand. With this final notice, he plunged himself down the whole, and felt water rise up into his face. He was going to drown, he knew it. But at least he would die trying to save...
The water seemed to be bubbling against him, and he closed his eyes, struggling to breathe...he blew bubbles, but the water suffocated him - it rushed up to his mouth...the taste was of sour acid...he was going to die. He knew it. It had been seventeen years, not that bad...for Harry, anyway. He was going to die. He closed his eyes, the horrible taste in his mouth growing fader...and he fell into deep sleep.
Something was moving on his mouth...something. Harry gasped, the water releasing it from his mouth. He was on solid ground...somehow he had gone through the hole...and....he looked up, and saw Hermione, her hair tangled with wetness, her robes lathered with water that it would've taken years to dry.
"I..." he coughed slightly, and more water began to choke inside his throat. Hermione moved forward, and placed her lips against his, giving air to him...
The last burst of water came out...and Harry got up, weakly.
"Where is..." Before he could say anymore, something swished out from the ceiling. A figure fell through it (Harry supposed it was the hole) and water banished around it.
"Ron! What're you doing?"
"Well, well, Nagani, it looks like we have company..." a voice drawled sideways from the trio.
"You!" Harry seethed, glaring at him.
"Me," he said, waving his hand dismissively.
It was a descriptive, dark shadow standing over them, silhoutteing the frames of it's features. The man's face was horrid looking, he was half- dead, half-evil. His shining green eyes shone like serpent's. His body was barely frail and skinny. But he was very much in power.
"Hermione, go that way," Ron instructed. "Harry and I'll stop him. Get and free Ginny and Sirius. Run. Now."
He demanded this clearly, but Hermione acted as if she didn't hear him. She stood frozen to the spot, her mouth open in a small gape.
"Please, please let me help," she pleaded.
"Go! Now!"
"Ron!"
"Go!"
She ran away from them, rather reluctantly, trying hard not to look back.
"Crucio!" a shrill voice prompted, yelling. Hermione's body went rigid, and she began shaking, her shrieks filling the air.
"No! Please!" Harry leaped forward, but it was far too late, the shadowy spirit was growing near, and he could feel fresh blood sprouting in between his fingertips....
Hermione stopped moving. She opened her eyes, groaning in pain, and Harry had never felt so much anger...he ran toward Voldemort...he wanted to shed every single piece of that son of a bitch...
"Harry, don't," Hermione muttered, but he didn't listen.
"AVADA KEDRAVA!" Voldemort roared, and Harry closed his eyes, thinking the flash of green was coming to him...
But it hadn't. Something fell beside his standing, and he opened his clenched eyes, and saw Ron...hopelessly unmoving on the floor.
"No! Please, no," Harry prayed, but something was different. Ron's red hair was swarming with something...something peach...
Harry was going to faint, and he knew it. The copper smell of blood washed through him as he heaved his last breath, and fell against the solid ground...
"Harry! Harry! Wake up!"
Something was shaking him...something...arms.
"Harry!"
He opened his eyes, gasping and leaping up in the process. He instinctively clutched his face, and knew he was sweating.
"Are you okay?" a frantic whisper caught in his ear. He turned to the person beside him, and saw that it was Hermione.
"I was ...re-living it..." he hissed, his fists clenching under her view.
She pulled him closer to her, and his head fell on her soft lap. She clutched him, one of her hands tugging at his tangled hair.
"Harry," she cooed, leaning over so that her lips were brushing against his ear. "Tell me what happened."
"I...the hole, we went down...and then it happened again...Ron died and this peach thing came over his hair...and...Voldemort...I went..."
"Did you see when he died? Did you?" Hermione urged.
"Why - why are you asking?" he asked, feeling as if he was about to throw up.
"Tell me," she said firmly.
"Y-yes."
"Tell me how he looked. Tell me everything he said before you went down to the hollow..."
"He - he said to save Ginny, and...to take care of you...and..."
"Shh..never mind, we'll talk tomorrow...go to sleep," Hermione whispered, cradling him in her arms.
_________
This time there was no dream. Harry woke up what felt like moments later, but was actually hours, and found that it had already passed by into night. Hermione was clutching him from behind, and her soft breathing fanned his neck. She had her eyes painfully closed. He ran his fingers over her cheek, and felt the tingling rising in his fingertips...
"Harry?" she whispered.
Harry, startled that she was awake, didn't reply.
"We're going to fit every single piece," she promised sleepily. "Every little one."
Harry smiled slightly, feeling his eyes droop. "You know, he was still classic."
"Mmm?"
"Ron. He was...drinking water, as if everything was alright. As if you guys weren't in danger. I bet he'd eat if he had the chance...imagine him, offering some to Voldemort..." a cold chuckle passed through Harry's lips.
"Water?" Hermione frowned, her eyes fluttering open, staring up at him.
"Yeah...or maybe that was in just the dream...I don't know where he got the flask though.."
"Harry, stop..." Hermione suddenly said, pulling herself over so that her face tucked against his chest.
"The flask," she whispered, her mouth moving against his flesh.
Harry didn't answer. It was as if something was pulling him into sleep...
"It wasn't water, Harry," Hermioen croaked. Harry felt his eyebrow raise in his sleep, but didn't bother to retort.
"It...was...polyjuice potion," someone said. He didn't know who was speaking anymore, but he drifted onto sleep.
_________
