Never Too Late

Chapter 6: Rain

Harry closed his eyes after hearing Hermione's question.

He ran. He ran with every bit of will in him. The rain poured like a lake dropped upon the city, drenching him. It did not phase him. Every fiber of his making was solely determined to get to them, his wife and child. He pushed further.

"Please God," He begged as he gasped for air and entered the building. "Let them be alright."

He continued running. The people that were there did not matter to him. The workers begging him to slow down, went unheard. He had to get to them. He slowed down enough to get the room number from the clerk, only to be told he wasn't supposed to enter and to go wait in the waiting room, another plea that was ignored. He darted down the hall, almost apparating it seemed like. He got to the door just to be stopped by the doctor.

"Excuse me," the man said.

"My wife." Harry gasp. "My daughter."

"Your daughter is fine. She only had a few bumps and bruises." The doctor said trying to calm Harry down.

"Cynthia.what about my wife?" Harry asked. A pain in his stomach began to swell.

"I'm sorry Mr. Potter." The doctor said with his most soothing voice he could muster. "She did not make it."

Harry fell to his knees. His heart felt like it was shattering into millions of pieces. Visions of all the memories he had with his wife flashed in front of him and slowly faded. Tears flowed naturally from his eyes as each memory passed.

"Where is she?" said a sobbing Harry.

"In this room." The doctor responded. Opening the door for the man. "We moved your daughter to a nearby room. She is still asleep."

Harry only nodded as he walked into the room. The doctor already knew that he would want to be alone and did not follow. Harry crept up to the curtain, each step took every bit of willpower not to breakdown fully. He opened the curtain to see her. His wife laid onto the table, face covered by the cloth. He slowly removed the cloth to take a look at her face. Her battered body was obvious, she had suffered a lot of trauma. He temples were bloodied and her hair wet as well with blood. He complexion was pale and lifeless and her lips were blue. He grabbed her hand only to feel the icy cold of death. He couldn't take it. He embraced his departed wife, sobbing with tears of pain and sorrow.

"Why..Why you...Why did it have to be you." Harry cried. Lights flickered as his emotions got to him. "I am nothing without you.please don't leave me, Cindy.."

A knock on the door grabbed Harry's attention. The door opened a crack. He couldn't see due to the curtain but the voice belonged to the doctor. "Mr. Potter, your two songs are here and waiting in the waiting room. I made sure you'd be along with them."

Harry got to his feet and gently placed her body back on to the bed properly and covered her face back up. Each step killed him over and over. He cleared away his tears and walked towards the door. He made it to the door of the waiting room before being overcome by another wave. Holding what tears he could at bay, he entered where his two teenage sons paced, worrying about their baby sister and mother.

"Dad!" Chris said as Harry entered. Alex stopped and looked at his father. He already knew. Just by his father's face, either one or both didn't make it. "What happened? Where is Mom and Lily?"

"Lily is fine, Christopher. She's unconscious but she's going to be just fine." Harry said, trying to hide his pain but failed. Alex started to shake his head. "You're mother."

Harry tears became evident. He looked upon his oldest son and immediately grabbed him tightly like he was about to go too. Chris knew then that his mother was no longer with them and began to weep along side his father.

"No..I don't.I can't," Alex yelled. "I WON'T BELIEVE IT."

Harry let go of his eldest and reached out for Alex. Alex slapped away his hands, refusing to believe it. "No!" He repeated, eventually having his head on his father's chest, sobbing like the others.

"My wife is dead." Harry said, looking back at Hermione. Shock is the only word that could described the expression on her face. Harry turned his head away from Hermione and peered back out the window onto the streets outside. It had only been two years since that night. Wounds were healing and leaving scars in its wake, deeper than the one on his brow.

"I'm," Hermione said. More tears formed tears of sorrow and sympathy as well as regret to bring up the subject. "I'm so sorry, Harry."

Harry closed his eyes once more. "It's not your fault." He sighed and added, "It was mine," under his breath.

Hermione began to think that this whole idea was a bad idea. She was causing more pain then what was intended. She couldn't make herself leave. "It was a storming night. The rain was treacherous. I got home from work and it was my turn to pick up Lily from dance practice. She wanted to leave to get out of the house due to her and Alexander getting into an argument. On the way home, she was hit head on by a drunk driver hydroplaning on to the wrong side of the road. They lived, she didn't.

Every inch of Hermione wanted to go over to Harry and just hold him, to comfort him. She was afraid though. Afraid that he would reject her. He clearly was still in love with the woman, the mother of his three beautiful children. "Only if things were different that they are now," Hermione said to herself.

Silence paid a visit to their table again. It was well on its way to sundown when Harry finally broke it. "Did you marry Victor?"

"No," Hermione said firmly. "He offered, many times, but I did not love him." Hermione looked at the time and remembered that she was supposed to go back to Ginny's tonight after talking to Harry. "I have to go."

Harry looked at her with a puzzled look. "Where you going?"

"I have to meet Ginny and then go find a motel."

"You can stay at my house." Harry offered. "Lily has an extra bed in her room. It isn't much but its better tan any motel around here."

Hermione was surprised at Harry's offer, but she couldn't take it. It was too soon to have a "sleepover" even though they would be in two separate rooms. "I can't Harry."

"Well," Harry said, clearing his throat. "How long are you staying in America?"

"Probably until the end of the week. Ginny and I leave for England on Saturday morning."

"How about tomorrow night, you bring Ginny over so she can see that I am alive and well. I'll cook even."

"That sounds nice, Harry. We may just do that." Hermione smiled.

"Tomorrow, six-thirty. Sound good?"

"We'll be there," Hermione said. The two walked outside the diner after Harry paid the bill. She flagged down a cab. "You want a life back home, Harry?"

"Nah, its nice out. I'll walk." Harry said. Their good-byes were awkward for them both. They wanted to hold each other but couldn't, both were afraid of the other. She got in her cab and watched Harry slowly vanish the further she got away from him.

Immediately as Harry opened the door, he was bombarded by questions from his daughter. "Where's Hermione? Who is she? How do you know here? Ect.."

"Ask her yourself, she's coming for diner tomorrow." Harry smiled at his daughter. She jumped up and down. She obviously liked Hermione. "Where's your brothers?"

"Xander went out with his friends and Chris is upstairs on the phone with his girlfriend." Lily said as she went back to her homework.

"Lily," Harry said in that you-aren't-doing-something-you-not-supposed-too voice. "You aren't eavesdropping on Christopher, are you?"

"No daddy," She said, "Chris warned me if I did, he'd give me ten noogies." Harry laughed.

It was the same over at Ginny's when Hermione knocked on the door, except that she was dealing with a thirty-three year old.

"Well," said an impatient Ginny as Hermione sat down to take her shoes off.

"You were right." Hermione stated. "That young girl is Harry's daughter."

"I knew it." Ginny praised herself. "So he is married and has a child."

"Correction," Hermione stated, confusing Ginny. "He is widowed and has three children."

"THREE!?"

"Yes, three." Hermione relaxed on the couch. She was physically and emotionally tired from the whole ordeal. "I only met two, but he has three, two boys and one girl. You'll get to meet them tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Ginny said surprisingly.

"Harry has invited both you and me to dinner. He's cooking so it should prove quite interesting. Until then, I need some sleep. What is the closest motel that is cheap but not disgusting?"

"Hmmm." Ginny said with her finger to her chin. "The only place I can think of is Casa-De-Ginny's."

"Funny," Hermione said, smiling her tired smile. "You don't mind, really?"

"I wouldn't have offered if it did. I'll go get you a pillow and some blankets."