PP: I rewrote the ending because it was too crappy to bear. Hopefully this
version is a little bit better. It'll be on as alternate ending.
Losing Hermione
By Phire Phoenix
Chapter Four
Renewing of Oaths
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Hermione remained as weak as ever through the week that passed. If anything, she seemed even feebler, despite regaining speech. The friends' worst fears were coming through. She wasn't surviving. They stayed by her bed, day and night, and even Draco took a shift here and there. They had started to mend old animosities, although it was still with a stiffness that they talked to each other. Habits are hard to break.
Madam Pomfrey couldn't do anything for her. This is unlike any symptoms she had ever seen. Apparently, this mixture has never been attempted before. And perhaps it's no surprise, as the blocking spell had been developed a bit after the Dark Lord was vanquished, and no other wizard used Avada Kedavra for hate of him.
Hermione was fighting a battle within herself. She despaired dying, but she felt sort of a sense of peace at finally being able to tell her friends her feelings. She knew she was hopeless. She knew she didn't have much time. When you've been a wizard for seven years, these things become obvious. The secrets she'd been holding back had almost made her sick, but she stuck to her promise.
So it's no surprise to Dumbledore that he found Harry and Ron sitting with Hermione on her bed, grave expressions on their faces. Ginny had come in the meantime, and was just about to enter when Dumbledore quietly led her away; this was a time for privacy. He had an idea of what Hermione's going to say.
"Now that the Dark Lord's been defeated, and I, well, am not too far from death either, I can tell you this." Hermione began uncertainly. She wasn't looking at her friends, but if she had been, she would've seen resignation written on their faces. They, too, knew that there wasn't much chance of her recovering, and just wanted to make her days happy. But Ron tried to comfort her anyways.
"Hermi, don't. Don't say that. You're going to get better, and you'll become a reporter for the Daily Prophet, like you wanted. Harry is going to be an auror, I'm joining Chudley Cannons, and you can report about us! And you can write columns about how great we are, and it's all going to get better, and there's a bright..." Hermione held up her hand to stop his flow of exclamation. With sad eyes, she looked at her friend, and noticed that there were tears flowing down his cheek. Harry's, too.
"Don't make this harder for me than it already is, Ron." Hermione said quietly, looking at her hands. "I never thought I would tell you this so early." She stifled a small sob. "I was planning on telling you guys when I was seventy, and with any luck, I would have forgotten all about it by then, sparing the painful ordeal, but, well." Harry and Ron looked at each other, knowing that Hermione was most likely to churn out her deepest feelings.
"I never had any friends. Never. Everybody resented me, partly because of my uncanny interest in learning" and here, she snorted, "and partly because I keep making strange things happen. I was shunned. Nobody ever" She choked on her words, but continued, as though determined to tell them everything "...asked whether I was ok, whether I needed a hug...You guys were the first. Ever." She looked them in the eye now, grateful. "I want to thank both of you for this deep friendship that you have given me, for these lovely seven years, and for loving me as I am. You really don't know how much it means to me. And you, Harry. In our first year, even though I was being a real pain in the ass, you accepted me and tried to help me on Hallowe'en."
They laughed then. It was the beginning of their friendship, and somehow Harry was glad that Ron had made Hermione cry that day. Because without that, they never would have become friends, they would still hate Hermione now. "Hey, hey, who says you're the only person tormented beyond belief?" Harry protested, trying to joke. He leaned across and brushed his lips across Hermione's cheek. It felt like the kiss of a brother, and although Hermione never had one, it seemed like the most natural thing in the world. "Thank you." Hermione said quietly. It appeared to be directed at Harry, but Ron was included. The taller boy pulled the other two into a hug.
"And Ron..." Hermione stopped, looking doubtful. "I've known this since fifth year...and since I'm...well...it doesn't really matter whether I hold back or not, I guess." She tucked some hair behind her ear and lay back on her bed, seemingly gathering courage. "I...I...I love you." Ron gaped at her. Happiness was all over his face, mingling with sadness. Oh god, why didn't she say so earlier? Couldn't that have spared so much misery on his behalf? He, who had been trying to figure out whether she liked him, who had stayed awake at nights, wondering about her exclamation/invitation in their fourth year to ask her out, who had sat in front of the fire, hour after hour with Harry opposite of him, pouring his heart out, who dreamed of her every single night...and who finally received the response he had hoped for.
"I love you too, Hermione." He whispered quietly. "I love you with all my heart, and I will protect you any way I can." Hermione had closed her eyes, but she was smiling. Harry and Ron looked at each other, and then simultaneously leaned forward to look at her closely.
"Madam Pomfrey!" Harry called in panic while Ron continued to stroke Hermione's hair. The matron came over, took one look at Hermione, and shook her head. She performed a couple of spells, but half-heartedly, as though she already knew the outcome. She finished the last spell with a sigh and looked at Harry sadly.
"I'm sorry, lad. Her life force is dripping out of her like water from a tap. She's got two more minutes, tops." The two boys closed their eyes in despair. Ron reached across and held Harry's hand, squeezing it hard to let his friend know that they were both feeling the same thing. Neither of them could stand it. Losing Hermione. Losing Hermione. We're losing Hermione. That was all they could think of.
Harry leaned closer, as did Ron. The action on the battlefield seemed to replay as Madam Pomfrey felt a powerful presence within the boys. Dumbledore had arrived with Ginny, Snape and Draco, and the four of them were watching in silence. Harry caressed her hair, twirling a strand of it in his fingers. How many times had they made fun of her bushy hair? But as she grew, her hair, though bushy as ever, had changed, somehow. It looked attractive with the slim, tall figure that she had grown into. Harry remembered with a bitter smile the jealousy Ron suffered when other boys began noticing her. Then Ron kissed her, his lips gently brushing against hers. When he pulled back, his face was carefully expressionless. Both boys took one last look at her and turned their backs, silently sobbing.
Dumbledore gasped. Something you didn't hear very often. He had seen too many things, heard about too many facts to be easily surprised, but this is...stunning. Hermione's bushy hair was ruffling in all directions, as though strong gales were blowing at it. She levitated at about a feet above the bed. Harry and Ron's auras were visible now: They were dark blue, and some of it seemed to be diverting to Hermione's body. The boys themselves turned back to Hermione, and found with surprise that they were helping, in some strange way.
Hermione fell back onto the bed and her eyes fluttered. Madam Pomfrey gave an exclamation. This girl wasn't supposed to live, not past this minute. But now she's as fit as she had been before the whole ordeal. Perhaps even stronger.
Ron and Harry pulled Hermione into a bear hug as soon as she opened her eyes and sat up, looking around her with shock. She felt normal. Stronger. She felt like the witch she had been before Voldemort struck. Ron kissed her again, more passionately this time, and she returned it. Harry slipped away from them, joining the spectators.
"Oh Hermi, you nut, why didn't you tell me before! You could've saved me a heck of a lot of misery these past three years!" Hermione's eyes opened in surprise and happiness, but she simply laughed and pulled Harry towards them. "A dept repaid" She said with a twinkle in her eyes.
"What happened? Why does Hermione seem to think that it's a debt repaid?" Draco Ginny turned to Dumbledore when Ginny uttered the questions. It had been on his mind, too, but he didn't want to look like as though he cared too much. The aforementioned three turned to Dumbledore a well, Hermione and Ron's arms and Harry leaning against her.
"Isn't it obvious?" Snape snorted impatiently. "She saved Harry and Ron's lives on the battlefield and now they saved her life." Dumbledore nodded.
"And as for the spell that Harry and Ron cast without knowing, well it's been only attempted once before, by Godric Gryffindor himself. His little sister, quite young at that time, had been struck by a fatal disease and nothing the wizarding world knew about at that time could save her. While holding her hand in her final hour, Godric Gryffindor sobbed into her chest. His tears soaked her hospital gown, and magically, her life force returned." He grinned at Hermione rather childishly. "Now everyone thinks that is a legend because many great wizards and witches have attempted it with no avail, but I suppose it took a truly strong bond between the giver and the recipient for it to work."
Hermione giggled. She snuggled closer to Ron, which made Harry fall into her lap rather abruptly. "Hey!" He protested, looking at Hermione in mock anger. "No fair! Is this how you treat lifesavers?" Hermione laughed, soon joined by everyone else. There was no need to celebrate. Kindred Spirits understood other. Now Fred and George, whether they'd pass up a chance of a great party, the fall of Voldemort, Ronnikins getting his wish AND Hermione surviving, was another matter.
It was quite obvious what was going to happen. Fred and George are going to invite everyone who's been even a little bit involved to the grandest party Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry has ever known, in honour of recent events. It's going t be a blast but the resulting chaos from their jokes, their pranks and the party itself will be great enough to send several teachers after their blood, despite the fact that they are no longer students. Yep, it would be just like Ron said, everything would be ok.
~*~
Epilogue
~*~
Everything did turn out to be ok. They graduated from Hogwarts with flying colours, Hermione on top of everyone else. Surprise, surprise. Snape even gave Harry and Ron a good mark, but they did work hard that year. Harry successfully became an auror, although it feels foolish fighting alongside Sirius, his godfather, and Remus. Hermione replaced Rita Skeeter in the Daily Prophet, and is their best reporter. She's been reporter of the month five times in a row six months after she arrived. Harry travels a lot, but whenever he returns, he always made sure to visit Mr. Ronald Weasley and Mrs. Hermione Weasley.
Ron didn't join Chudley Cannons...because he got asked to play in the National League. He was so happy that he jumped up and down for an hour, until Hermione used a freezing charm. They are madly in love, and there don't seem to be any problems. In fact, five years later, they decided to marry. Ginny was the bridesmaid, and Harry was best man.
Ginny and Harry married shortly after that. Harry takes Ginny often on his travels, but when he doesn't, and when he's working locally, she and him live with Ron and Hermione. He did pay for part of the house, after all. Sirius lives close to them, in a little house he transported from near of Godric's Hollow. He got himself a girlfriend and spends most of his conversations with Harry crowing over her.
Three years after that, Hermione had a little girl, and named her Lily. Ginny had a boy two years later, and named him James. Get your mind out of the gutter, they are not going to marry, not when James' mother is Lily's fathers sister. Incense, whatever are you thinking about?
Did I mention all four of them became Animagi? Ron has regular duels with Harry, although Harry is at a disadvantage, being a stag, and Ron being a wolf and all. Hermione is a cat, and Ginny is an owl. They're unregistered, of course, because registering would take all the fun out of things, though I daresay the original James is a bit disappointed that his son became Animagi after he graduated.
But Hermione, who does quite a bit of research in her off-time, is working on the possibility of transforming into different animals.
And so, they lived happily ever after.
Not peacefully, just happily.
Because you couldn't exactly call freezing charms, inter-house howlers, daily transfigurations into large and hideous animals and insults thrown every five minutes peaceful, could you?
PP: Don't bother reading chapter five, it's just the alternate ending that used to be posted until I decided to get off my lazy butt and write this one.
Losing Hermione
By Phire Phoenix
Chapter Four
Renewing of Oaths
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Hermione remained as weak as ever through the week that passed. If anything, she seemed even feebler, despite regaining speech. The friends' worst fears were coming through. She wasn't surviving. They stayed by her bed, day and night, and even Draco took a shift here and there. They had started to mend old animosities, although it was still with a stiffness that they talked to each other. Habits are hard to break.
Madam Pomfrey couldn't do anything for her. This is unlike any symptoms she had ever seen. Apparently, this mixture has never been attempted before. And perhaps it's no surprise, as the blocking spell had been developed a bit after the Dark Lord was vanquished, and no other wizard used Avada Kedavra for hate of him.
Hermione was fighting a battle within herself. She despaired dying, but she felt sort of a sense of peace at finally being able to tell her friends her feelings. She knew she was hopeless. She knew she didn't have much time. When you've been a wizard for seven years, these things become obvious. The secrets she'd been holding back had almost made her sick, but she stuck to her promise.
So it's no surprise to Dumbledore that he found Harry and Ron sitting with Hermione on her bed, grave expressions on their faces. Ginny had come in the meantime, and was just about to enter when Dumbledore quietly led her away; this was a time for privacy. He had an idea of what Hermione's going to say.
"Now that the Dark Lord's been defeated, and I, well, am not too far from death either, I can tell you this." Hermione began uncertainly. She wasn't looking at her friends, but if she had been, she would've seen resignation written on their faces. They, too, knew that there wasn't much chance of her recovering, and just wanted to make her days happy. But Ron tried to comfort her anyways.
"Hermi, don't. Don't say that. You're going to get better, and you'll become a reporter for the Daily Prophet, like you wanted. Harry is going to be an auror, I'm joining Chudley Cannons, and you can report about us! And you can write columns about how great we are, and it's all going to get better, and there's a bright..." Hermione held up her hand to stop his flow of exclamation. With sad eyes, she looked at her friend, and noticed that there were tears flowing down his cheek. Harry's, too.
"Don't make this harder for me than it already is, Ron." Hermione said quietly, looking at her hands. "I never thought I would tell you this so early." She stifled a small sob. "I was planning on telling you guys when I was seventy, and with any luck, I would have forgotten all about it by then, sparing the painful ordeal, but, well." Harry and Ron looked at each other, knowing that Hermione was most likely to churn out her deepest feelings.
"I never had any friends. Never. Everybody resented me, partly because of my uncanny interest in learning" and here, she snorted, "and partly because I keep making strange things happen. I was shunned. Nobody ever" She choked on her words, but continued, as though determined to tell them everything "...asked whether I was ok, whether I needed a hug...You guys were the first. Ever." She looked them in the eye now, grateful. "I want to thank both of you for this deep friendship that you have given me, for these lovely seven years, and for loving me as I am. You really don't know how much it means to me. And you, Harry. In our first year, even though I was being a real pain in the ass, you accepted me and tried to help me on Hallowe'en."
They laughed then. It was the beginning of their friendship, and somehow Harry was glad that Ron had made Hermione cry that day. Because without that, they never would have become friends, they would still hate Hermione now. "Hey, hey, who says you're the only person tormented beyond belief?" Harry protested, trying to joke. He leaned across and brushed his lips across Hermione's cheek. It felt like the kiss of a brother, and although Hermione never had one, it seemed like the most natural thing in the world. "Thank you." Hermione said quietly. It appeared to be directed at Harry, but Ron was included. The taller boy pulled the other two into a hug.
"And Ron..." Hermione stopped, looking doubtful. "I've known this since fifth year...and since I'm...well...it doesn't really matter whether I hold back or not, I guess." She tucked some hair behind her ear and lay back on her bed, seemingly gathering courage. "I...I...I love you." Ron gaped at her. Happiness was all over his face, mingling with sadness. Oh god, why didn't she say so earlier? Couldn't that have spared so much misery on his behalf? He, who had been trying to figure out whether she liked him, who had stayed awake at nights, wondering about her exclamation/invitation in their fourth year to ask her out, who had sat in front of the fire, hour after hour with Harry opposite of him, pouring his heart out, who dreamed of her every single night...and who finally received the response he had hoped for.
"I love you too, Hermione." He whispered quietly. "I love you with all my heart, and I will protect you any way I can." Hermione had closed her eyes, but she was smiling. Harry and Ron looked at each other, and then simultaneously leaned forward to look at her closely.
"Madam Pomfrey!" Harry called in panic while Ron continued to stroke Hermione's hair. The matron came over, took one look at Hermione, and shook her head. She performed a couple of spells, but half-heartedly, as though she already knew the outcome. She finished the last spell with a sigh and looked at Harry sadly.
"I'm sorry, lad. Her life force is dripping out of her like water from a tap. She's got two more minutes, tops." The two boys closed their eyes in despair. Ron reached across and held Harry's hand, squeezing it hard to let his friend know that they were both feeling the same thing. Neither of them could stand it. Losing Hermione. Losing Hermione. We're losing Hermione. That was all they could think of.
Harry leaned closer, as did Ron. The action on the battlefield seemed to replay as Madam Pomfrey felt a powerful presence within the boys. Dumbledore had arrived with Ginny, Snape and Draco, and the four of them were watching in silence. Harry caressed her hair, twirling a strand of it in his fingers. How many times had they made fun of her bushy hair? But as she grew, her hair, though bushy as ever, had changed, somehow. It looked attractive with the slim, tall figure that she had grown into. Harry remembered with a bitter smile the jealousy Ron suffered when other boys began noticing her. Then Ron kissed her, his lips gently brushing against hers. When he pulled back, his face was carefully expressionless. Both boys took one last look at her and turned their backs, silently sobbing.
Dumbledore gasped. Something you didn't hear very often. He had seen too many things, heard about too many facts to be easily surprised, but this is...stunning. Hermione's bushy hair was ruffling in all directions, as though strong gales were blowing at it. She levitated at about a feet above the bed. Harry and Ron's auras were visible now: They were dark blue, and some of it seemed to be diverting to Hermione's body. The boys themselves turned back to Hermione, and found with surprise that they were helping, in some strange way.
Hermione fell back onto the bed and her eyes fluttered. Madam Pomfrey gave an exclamation. This girl wasn't supposed to live, not past this minute. But now she's as fit as she had been before the whole ordeal. Perhaps even stronger.
Ron and Harry pulled Hermione into a bear hug as soon as she opened her eyes and sat up, looking around her with shock. She felt normal. Stronger. She felt like the witch she had been before Voldemort struck. Ron kissed her again, more passionately this time, and she returned it. Harry slipped away from them, joining the spectators.
"Oh Hermi, you nut, why didn't you tell me before! You could've saved me a heck of a lot of misery these past three years!" Hermione's eyes opened in surprise and happiness, but she simply laughed and pulled Harry towards them. "A dept repaid" She said with a twinkle in her eyes.
"What happened? Why does Hermione seem to think that it's a debt repaid?" Draco Ginny turned to Dumbledore when Ginny uttered the questions. It had been on his mind, too, but he didn't want to look like as though he cared too much. The aforementioned three turned to Dumbledore a well, Hermione and Ron's arms and Harry leaning against her.
"Isn't it obvious?" Snape snorted impatiently. "She saved Harry and Ron's lives on the battlefield and now they saved her life." Dumbledore nodded.
"And as for the spell that Harry and Ron cast without knowing, well it's been only attempted once before, by Godric Gryffindor himself. His little sister, quite young at that time, had been struck by a fatal disease and nothing the wizarding world knew about at that time could save her. While holding her hand in her final hour, Godric Gryffindor sobbed into her chest. His tears soaked her hospital gown, and magically, her life force returned." He grinned at Hermione rather childishly. "Now everyone thinks that is a legend because many great wizards and witches have attempted it with no avail, but I suppose it took a truly strong bond between the giver and the recipient for it to work."
Hermione giggled. She snuggled closer to Ron, which made Harry fall into her lap rather abruptly. "Hey!" He protested, looking at Hermione in mock anger. "No fair! Is this how you treat lifesavers?" Hermione laughed, soon joined by everyone else. There was no need to celebrate. Kindred Spirits understood other. Now Fred and George, whether they'd pass up a chance of a great party, the fall of Voldemort, Ronnikins getting his wish AND Hermione surviving, was another matter.
It was quite obvious what was going to happen. Fred and George are going to invite everyone who's been even a little bit involved to the grandest party Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry has ever known, in honour of recent events. It's going t be a blast but the resulting chaos from their jokes, their pranks and the party itself will be great enough to send several teachers after their blood, despite the fact that they are no longer students. Yep, it would be just like Ron said, everything would be ok.
~*~
Epilogue
~*~
Everything did turn out to be ok. They graduated from Hogwarts with flying colours, Hermione on top of everyone else. Surprise, surprise. Snape even gave Harry and Ron a good mark, but they did work hard that year. Harry successfully became an auror, although it feels foolish fighting alongside Sirius, his godfather, and Remus. Hermione replaced Rita Skeeter in the Daily Prophet, and is their best reporter. She's been reporter of the month five times in a row six months after she arrived. Harry travels a lot, but whenever he returns, he always made sure to visit Mr. Ronald Weasley and Mrs. Hermione Weasley.
Ron didn't join Chudley Cannons...because he got asked to play in the National League. He was so happy that he jumped up and down for an hour, until Hermione used a freezing charm. They are madly in love, and there don't seem to be any problems. In fact, five years later, they decided to marry. Ginny was the bridesmaid, and Harry was best man.
Ginny and Harry married shortly after that. Harry takes Ginny often on his travels, but when he doesn't, and when he's working locally, she and him live with Ron and Hermione. He did pay for part of the house, after all. Sirius lives close to them, in a little house he transported from near of Godric's Hollow. He got himself a girlfriend and spends most of his conversations with Harry crowing over her.
Three years after that, Hermione had a little girl, and named her Lily. Ginny had a boy two years later, and named him James. Get your mind out of the gutter, they are not going to marry, not when James' mother is Lily's fathers sister. Incense, whatever are you thinking about?
Did I mention all four of them became Animagi? Ron has regular duels with Harry, although Harry is at a disadvantage, being a stag, and Ron being a wolf and all. Hermione is a cat, and Ginny is an owl. They're unregistered, of course, because registering would take all the fun out of things, though I daresay the original James is a bit disappointed that his son became Animagi after he graduated.
But Hermione, who does quite a bit of research in her off-time, is working on the possibility of transforming into different animals.
And so, they lived happily ever after.
Not peacefully, just happily.
Because you couldn't exactly call freezing charms, inter-house howlers, daily transfigurations into large and hideous animals and insults thrown every five minutes peaceful, could you?
PP: Don't bother reading chapter five, it's just the alternate ending that used to be posted until I decided to get off my lazy butt and write this one.