Never Too Late
Chapter 5: Frozen
--Inside this fantasy, it seems so real to me. Synthetic ecstasy when her legs are open. True life behind the walls, when men and angels fall. A faded memory, when my mind is frozen. (Celldweller: Frozen)--
Hermione didn't know what to think or feel when she entered into the house. It came in waves of sadness mixed with joy followed by depression and finally anger. She kept her emotions in check and hidden from the two children of the man she once loved, still loved.
Lily ran up the stairs to her room with her school bag. Alex sat his things along with his skateboard next to the door and went into the kitchen. By the time he got to the refrigerator, Lily was already heading back downstairs.
"Would you like a tour of the house, Ms.?" Lily smiled at Hermione.
Hermione totally forgot that she never gave them her name. It's odd to see someone so trusting to take you in their home and not ask your name beforehand. "Hermione Granger. Just call me Hermione, no need for formalities." Hermione broke a smile off.
Lily grabbed her hand and pulled her up the stairs. "This is Chris's room. He's the oldest. He's at practice right now so he won't be home until a little later."
"Three children." Hermione said in her mind. "He always said wanted three children or more back then."
"This is Alex's room. I would open the door, but I'm afraid something my grab you." Lily laughed, teasing about her brother's messy room. Hermione couldn't help but snicker as well.
"This is my room," Lily points to her door that was half-opened. Her room was brightly painted. The sunlight peering from the window brightened the room even more. Her bedspread donned the cartoon characters of The PowerPuff Girls. It was very well kept, even for an eleven-year-old.
"The room at the end is Daddy's room. I don't think you would like to go in there. Alex got the messy genes from him."
Hermione was briefly tempted to peering into Harry's room, but didn't. She new it was improper and turned to follow Lily. She stopped before they were to go down stairs. "Were is your restroom?"
"It's the door between Alex's and my room." Lily said while continuing downstairs.
"Thank you," Hermione said and turned to the door described to her.
"I like her," Lily said to her brother who was eating a sandwich and watching TV.
"So I've noticed," Alex said, looking at his baby sister. "You hungry?" Lily nodded and Alex immediately got up from the couch and went into the kitchen to fix a meal for her.
"Thank you," Lily said as Alex was making her favorite food, peanut butter and apricot jam sandwich. "For the sandwich and for earlier."
"Bah," Alex scoffed. "You thank me now, but when you start dating, you are going to hate me." Alex winked at Lily as he slid the sandwich across the table to her.
Hermione stood at the top of the stairs, listening to their conversation. "You sure did raise them properly, Harry." She thought to herself. Something caught her eye from the side. On the wall next to the stairs, facing away where muggle-style pictures of the entire family, individuals of all three children, then a group with them and Harry together. Obviously they were taken recently since their appearance hasn't changed much. She stopped dead cold on one picture. It was Harry, in a wedding tux next to the apparent mother of his children. She was about a head shorter than Harry with blonde wavy hair and deep blue eyes. She was radiant with beauty. The next pictures were of him and her when each child was born, and at random family get togethers. Seeing Harry happy married to another hit Hermione like a ton of bricks. "What am I do here? I need to go." Hermione ran downstairs and head for the door.
"What's wrong? Where ya going?" Lily asked, stopping Hermione before opening the front door.
"I have to go. Something has come up and I need to leave right away. Thank you for your hospitality." Hermione forced a smile as she opened the door, only to be stopped again.
Her heart raced a million beats per second. Her breathing stopped. She didn't expect to open the door and face the one person she was trying to escape.
Harry looked up with his keys in hand. He was about to come in when the door opened in front of him. His first thought was Lily hearing his keys. Nothing prepared him for what he saw. His eyes widened, and his heart seemed to have stopped.
Emerald met chocolate as their eyes were locked. Neither of them had seen each other for almost two decades and now she was opening the door for him.
"Dad?" Alex spoke, trying to break the eerie silence between them. Harry's father sense kicked in and he immediately turned to his son. "You're early."
"Yeah," It was the only word Harry could speak. His attention returned to Hermione. She was pale, obviously nervous. "Alex, watch Lily a little longer." He said to his song without looking at him. "I think we need to go somewhere, to talk."
Harry escorted Hermione outside as the two children looked at each other. "That went over a little odd, don't you think?" Lily said.
Harry walked Hermione down the street. Not a word was said between the two until they got down to the corner of the street where sat a small diner. "Hungry?" Harry asked.
Hermione could only nod. The two entered into the not crowded diner. Harry got the seat in the corner, away from what people were there. They sat and all that Hermione could do is look at the table. Harry couldn't keep his eyes off her. The waitress came up for orders but Harry said to give them a few minutes.
"What are you doing here, Hermione?"
"What?" Hermione thought to herself angrily. "No how you been? You look good? I'm sorry for leaving?" She held back what comments she did want to make and settled for, "Looking for you."
"Well, you've found me." Harry said with a stern look, raising his hands above his shoulders. "Now what?"
Hermione turned away, looking out the window, holding back the tears. "What did I do that caused him to hate me?" She wondered.
Harry stopped. He saw what he was doing and bit his tongue. He was lashing out with several years of anger that didn't need to be let out. He sighed. "So. How have you been?"
Hermione sniffed back her tears and looked at him. "I've been good. And yourself?"
"Fine."
"Well, on that note. I best leave you alone then. Good-bye Harry." Hermione got up to leave only to be stopped by Harry grabbing her hand.
"Sit down and ask me."
"Ask you what?"
"What you wanted to ask since you came here, obviously."
Hermione sat back down and pushed her hair back. She cleared her throat, "Why did you leave?"
"If you think hard enough, I bet you will know the main reason I left." Harry said a little coldly.
"What do you mean?"
"Think Hermione. Graduation night, After the ceremony, where were you?"
"I was in my room waiting for you to pick me up to meet Ron at the Three Broomsticks for our last night. Why?"
"And is that all?"
Hermione froze. She remembered that night like it was yesterday. She told no one of Victor's visit and him proclaiming his love for her. "No. Victor showed up."
Harry nodded in agreement. "But how did you know that?" She asked.
"I saw you two kissing. I heard him saying how much he loved you and I walked in on seeing you with him, kissing. You seemed you were enjoying it."
But she wasn't. "Harry," She choked. "He kissed me. I didn't want him too. I told him that I wasn't in love with him, that I am in.I was in love with you." Tears fell from her face. She caught herself in mid sentence almost saying that she was still in love with him after all these years.
A silence again fell between them for a few minutes. The waitress came by again only to be sent away. Hermione finally got the courage to finish her questioning.
"That can't be the only reason why you left."
"It's not," Harry said looking out into the street. "It was one of the main ones though."
"Then why Harry? Why did you leave England? Why did you fake your own death?"
"I wanted to start over." Harry said calmly. "I knew that when I went back when I finished off Voldermort, I would be the biggest hero since Godric Gryffindor. Half of my life I was treated like a piece of shit, the other half treated like I was made of gold. I just wanted to have a normal life where I could raise a family, quietly and peacefully. I left you with Victor, think that is who you wanted. I left knowing that Hogwarts and the rest of the Wizarding World would be safe." He turned back to Hermione. Their eyes once again locked onto each other. "I see that not everyone went for my bluff."
"I didn't want to believe it." Hermione clearly stated. "I refused to."
"Still as stubborn as ever."
"So," Hermione interjected. "Where's your wife?"
Chapter 5: Frozen
--Inside this fantasy, it seems so real to me. Synthetic ecstasy when her legs are open. True life behind the walls, when men and angels fall. A faded memory, when my mind is frozen. (Celldweller: Frozen)--
Hermione didn't know what to think or feel when she entered into the house. It came in waves of sadness mixed with joy followed by depression and finally anger. She kept her emotions in check and hidden from the two children of the man she once loved, still loved.
Lily ran up the stairs to her room with her school bag. Alex sat his things along with his skateboard next to the door and went into the kitchen. By the time he got to the refrigerator, Lily was already heading back downstairs.
"Would you like a tour of the house, Ms.?" Lily smiled at Hermione.
Hermione totally forgot that she never gave them her name. It's odd to see someone so trusting to take you in their home and not ask your name beforehand. "Hermione Granger. Just call me Hermione, no need for formalities." Hermione broke a smile off.
Lily grabbed her hand and pulled her up the stairs. "This is Chris's room. He's the oldest. He's at practice right now so he won't be home until a little later."
"Three children." Hermione said in her mind. "He always said wanted three children or more back then."
"This is Alex's room. I would open the door, but I'm afraid something my grab you." Lily laughed, teasing about her brother's messy room. Hermione couldn't help but snicker as well.
"This is my room," Lily points to her door that was half-opened. Her room was brightly painted. The sunlight peering from the window brightened the room even more. Her bedspread donned the cartoon characters of The PowerPuff Girls. It was very well kept, even for an eleven-year-old.
"The room at the end is Daddy's room. I don't think you would like to go in there. Alex got the messy genes from him."
Hermione was briefly tempted to peering into Harry's room, but didn't. She new it was improper and turned to follow Lily. She stopped before they were to go down stairs. "Were is your restroom?"
"It's the door between Alex's and my room." Lily said while continuing downstairs.
"Thank you," Hermione said and turned to the door described to her.
"I like her," Lily said to her brother who was eating a sandwich and watching TV.
"So I've noticed," Alex said, looking at his baby sister. "You hungry?" Lily nodded and Alex immediately got up from the couch and went into the kitchen to fix a meal for her.
"Thank you," Lily said as Alex was making her favorite food, peanut butter and apricot jam sandwich. "For the sandwich and for earlier."
"Bah," Alex scoffed. "You thank me now, but when you start dating, you are going to hate me." Alex winked at Lily as he slid the sandwich across the table to her.
Hermione stood at the top of the stairs, listening to their conversation. "You sure did raise them properly, Harry." She thought to herself. Something caught her eye from the side. On the wall next to the stairs, facing away where muggle-style pictures of the entire family, individuals of all three children, then a group with them and Harry together. Obviously they were taken recently since their appearance hasn't changed much. She stopped dead cold on one picture. It was Harry, in a wedding tux next to the apparent mother of his children. She was about a head shorter than Harry with blonde wavy hair and deep blue eyes. She was radiant with beauty. The next pictures were of him and her when each child was born, and at random family get togethers. Seeing Harry happy married to another hit Hermione like a ton of bricks. "What am I do here? I need to go." Hermione ran downstairs and head for the door.
"What's wrong? Where ya going?" Lily asked, stopping Hermione before opening the front door.
"I have to go. Something has come up and I need to leave right away. Thank you for your hospitality." Hermione forced a smile as she opened the door, only to be stopped again.
Her heart raced a million beats per second. Her breathing stopped. She didn't expect to open the door and face the one person she was trying to escape.
Harry looked up with his keys in hand. He was about to come in when the door opened in front of him. His first thought was Lily hearing his keys. Nothing prepared him for what he saw. His eyes widened, and his heart seemed to have stopped.
Emerald met chocolate as their eyes were locked. Neither of them had seen each other for almost two decades and now she was opening the door for him.
"Dad?" Alex spoke, trying to break the eerie silence between them. Harry's father sense kicked in and he immediately turned to his son. "You're early."
"Yeah," It was the only word Harry could speak. His attention returned to Hermione. She was pale, obviously nervous. "Alex, watch Lily a little longer." He said to his song without looking at him. "I think we need to go somewhere, to talk."
Harry escorted Hermione outside as the two children looked at each other. "That went over a little odd, don't you think?" Lily said.
Harry walked Hermione down the street. Not a word was said between the two until they got down to the corner of the street where sat a small diner. "Hungry?" Harry asked.
Hermione could only nod. The two entered into the not crowded diner. Harry got the seat in the corner, away from what people were there. They sat and all that Hermione could do is look at the table. Harry couldn't keep his eyes off her. The waitress came up for orders but Harry said to give them a few minutes.
"What are you doing here, Hermione?"
"What?" Hermione thought to herself angrily. "No how you been? You look good? I'm sorry for leaving?" She held back what comments she did want to make and settled for, "Looking for you."
"Well, you've found me." Harry said with a stern look, raising his hands above his shoulders. "Now what?"
Hermione turned away, looking out the window, holding back the tears. "What did I do that caused him to hate me?" She wondered.
Harry stopped. He saw what he was doing and bit his tongue. He was lashing out with several years of anger that didn't need to be let out. He sighed. "So. How have you been?"
Hermione sniffed back her tears and looked at him. "I've been good. And yourself?"
"Fine."
"Well, on that note. I best leave you alone then. Good-bye Harry." Hermione got up to leave only to be stopped by Harry grabbing her hand.
"Sit down and ask me."
"Ask you what?"
"What you wanted to ask since you came here, obviously."
Hermione sat back down and pushed her hair back. She cleared her throat, "Why did you leave?"
"If you think hard enough, I bet you will know the main reason I left." Harry said a little coldly.
"What do you mean?"
"Think Hermione. Graduation night, After the ceremony, where were you?"
"I was in my room waiting for you to pick me up to meet Ron at the Three Broomsticks for our last night. Why?"
"And is that all?"
Hermione froze. She remembered that night like it was yesterday. She told no one of Victor's visit and him proclaiming his love for her. "No. Victor showed up."
Harry nodded in agreement. "But how did you know that?" She asked.
"I saw you two kissing. I heard him saying how much he loved you and I walked in on seeing you with him, kissing. You seemed you were enjoying it."
But she wasn't. "Harry," She choked. "He kissed me. I didn't want him too. I told him that I wasn't in love with him, that I am in.I was in love with you." Tears fell from her face. She caught herself in mid sentence almost saying that she was still in love with him after all these years.
A silence again fell between them for a few minutes. The waitress came by again only to be sent away. Hermione finally got the courage to finish her questioning.
"That can't be the only reason why you left."
"It's not," Harry said looking out into the street. "It was one of the main ones though."
"Then why Harry? Why did you leave England? Why did you fake your own death?"
"I wanted to start over." Harry said calmly. "I knew that when I went back when I finished off Voldermort, I would be the biggest hero since Godric Gryffindor. Half of my life I was treated like a piece of shit, the other half treated like I was made of gold. I just wanted to have a normal life where I could raise a family, quietly and peacefully. I left you with Victor, think that is who you wanted. I left knowing that Hogwarts and the rest of the Wizarding World would be safe." He turned back to Hermione. Their eyes once again locked onto each other. "I see that not everyone went for my bluff."
"I didn't want to believe it." Hermione clearly stated. "I refused to."
"Still as stubborn as ever."
"So," Hermione interjected. "Where's your wife?"
