The Truth Revealed

As Persephone fell asleep that night she had a ridiculous grin on her face and for some unknown reason she could not stop smiling. Of course that reason was Harry. She had it bad, really bad, head over feet? Completely. Definitely.

       A cloaked figure opened the door to her room. Silently he crept towards her, crossing the floor without a noise. He placed the cloth over her mouth. The smell hit her, she tried to lash out, fear taking over her body, but her vision blurred and she fell into complete darkness.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

As the light filtered through his dorm Harry opened his eyes slowly trying to protect them from the light. Over him stood Hermione.

       "'Mione, it's a…" his face changed immediately and he leapt out of bed.

        "Exactly," Hermione smiled smugly. "It's a Monday and you Mr Potter would have been very late!"

       He hugged her "Thanks"

       She looked at him "must have been a great flying lesson!"

       Harry looked at her his mouth gaping open. How did she know? She was smirking at him, "Or maybe a great dream about a certain Slytherin?"

       "Since when did you get so nosy Miss Granger?" He asked raising an eyebrow. He gestured to his robes, "Would you mind?" He smirked, "You haven't become that nosy have you?"

       Hermione blushed furiously. She headed for the door. "Oh by the way Harry when did kissing become essential to flying lessons?" Now it was Harry's turn to blush.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

In Dumbledore's office Paris was prowling frantically.

       "She's got her!"

       The headmaster clasped his fingers together and peered over them. He stood up and placed a calming hand on his shoulder. "Calm down my dear boy, it will all be quite alright I assure you."
       Paris looked at him in disbelief "How will it? The last time I remembered our Mother didn't kidnap people to have a chat over tea and cookies!"

       At that moment Mc Gonagall follows by Harry strode through the door. Harry walked straight over to Paris "We'll get her back I promise" Harry said, trying to reassure him.

       "That was never in doubt Harry" Dumbledore said calmly. "But you two will not be the people rescuing our young lady, do you understand Harry? It is too dangerous, for you, and Mr Weasley and Miss Granger."

       Harry looked away he could not lie to Dumbledore. He could not stand by and watch, he was not the person. Don't you think you have a habit of being a hero Harry? Hermione's words echoed into his brain. He swallowed and looking at Dumbledore nodded once. "I'm afraid Harry it is time for you to learn another secret, I only hope…"

       "Getting to be quite a habit this." Harry interrupted. He sat down calmly "Go on…"

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Hermione felt Ron's arm on her shoulder. They hadn't seen Harry since early this morning since Mc Gonagall had requested to speak to him during their potions lesson. She had a knot in her stomach and no matter what she could not stop the growing dread within her. What's going on this time Harry? Will you actually survive this? "He's going to do something stupid."

       Ron chuckled "doesn't he always?"

       Hermione pulled away from Ron with disgust. Anger replaced worry and she lashed out at the nearest person, unfortunately that was Ron. "I'm being serious, he's going to play the hero again! One of these days he'll get killed!" She looked at him her eyes blazing but they were clouding with tears and her throat was tightening. She turned away.

       Ron reached for her; pulling her towards him he muttered the only words he could give as comfort "he'll be okay."

       "How do you know?" She looked at him, desperation warring with fear etched onto her face. "I don't want him to die!" She allowed herself to say.

       "He won't die, because he's Harry" Ron replied, "and Harry has us."

       Hermione buried her head into his shoulder.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Persephone gagged as she awoke. She looked around her. The air was stale and dank. She was freezing and her hands were bound to the wall behind her. The room was her prison. She struggled against her chains and then she heard it, that voice.

       She looked at her as she approached, hatred and anger searing through her.

       "Welcome home my dear," two cold hands placed either side of her face and icy lips grazed her cheek. She struggled but she could not avoid the touch.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"She's…" he looked at Paris, "…Your?" He looked around in disbelief. He felt sick, anger swoop through his stomach. He backed away as Paris stepped towards gun "Stay away from me!" He spat. Harry bolted out of the room and running through the corridors out into the air he retched, wanting desperately to be sick.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Paris what's wrong?" Ginny raced towards him. He turned away from her but when her hand touched his arm he stopped. He looked at her. "Trust me."

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

She's part of the person I have hated for so long. He felt spilt, torn. Sirius had only died two years ago and he had fallen in love with the daughter of his murderer. He was a traitor to his memory, a traitor to his love and a traitor to his father. Even if he could forgive her could he ever forgive himself?

       She was in trouble and she needed him. He wanted so much to go to her and so much to hate her so he didn't want to save her. Harry slumped to his knees, a few tears made their way to his eyes. He felt his chest tighten with uncontrollable pain. He gripped his knees and looked out over the lake and soon his vision blurred with his tears. Their stung at his cheeks as he wept for Sirius's memory, he wept for the betrayal and he wept for her, but beyond everything he wept for himself.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Ginny played with Paris's hand as she tried to understand how could the person who had killed her friend could have produced a son like the boy in front of her. He was so caring, so loving, and so good.

       He looked at her "Do you hate me?" He asked. His eyes filled with an uncertainty. She reached out towards him and stroked his cheek.

       She shook her head "No." He let out a breath that seemed to have come from so very far within him.

       "Will Harry help me?" Ginny looked at him. She nodded.

       "He loves her, that's why he's so bitter about it. But he'll go to her, because he would never be able to live with the knowledge she had failed someone he loved."    

       Paris stroked her hair. "Ginny I don't want you to come with us."

       Ginny looked at him "you can't ask me that."

       He pulled her shoulders so she looked at him "It's too dangerous, promise me!" She looked away. He clutched her chin and forced her to look at him "promise me!" He pleaded. She shook her head.

       Pulling away from him she walked over to the window of the common room. It was empty as everyone else would be sitting in their classrooms. She turned to look at him "I can't walk away Paris, this is my fight, too many people I care about are involved."

       He walked over to her and pulled her to him. Ginny laid her head against his chest. They had all grown up too soon. Dumbledore could not protect them from reality. She knew that Harry had been told to walk away too, but she also knew that none of them could ever walk away until it was truly over.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Hermione walked over to him. He had been there for hours. She sat beside him. "Hey" she said softly.

       "You know don't you?" He looked at her. His eyes were blurred with tears. She nodded. He leaned into her. She wrapped her arms around him. "I'm so lost" he choked out desperately.

       "I know" she replied. "It's not her fault."

       The statement lay between them. It was the thought that defined his relationship with Persephone now, fault, blame, and guilt.

       "Isn't it?" He asked bitterly. "She lied to me. She betrayed me. She really hurt me!" He stopped for a second gathering his thoughts. "I betrayed Sirius!"

       "Did you?" Harry nodded "She's the daughter of his murderer and I…" He couldn't say it. He could not say he loved her.  

       "You fell in love with her." He looked at this girl beside him. The girl who always knew everything about him, who could just look at him once and know what was wrong. This wonderful person who was his best friend and who he now felt an overwhelming amount of love for, she was just there. He owed her honesty.

       "Yes" he whispered hoarsely "Yes I did." There you go Hermione, honesty.

       "She's not her mother Harry. You can't punish her for mistakes that aren't her own." Thank you Hermione Granger for giving me truth.

       He swallowed, he knew the truth, but he also knew that within him it would take a much longer time to forgive Persephone and to be able to finally let his guilt over Sirius's death go. "I know." He looked out to the horizon. "For so long after Sirius's death I've felt cold, lost, empty. You and Ron put me back together. But I could never be put back together completely, I had to regain what I had lost and that was impossible. Persephone gave me something else, the something I lost after he died. She gave me hope. Hope for a better future, hope for faith, hope for love," he looked at her "love without pity…" He shook his head.

       Hermione looked at him, they were side by side, and he was leaning slightly into her. Love without pity. I never meant to pity you Harry. Hermione kissed his forehead "Hope dies last Harry."

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"What do you want?" Persephone spat. Bellatrix Lestrange looked at her daughter. She smiled cruelly "You mean you haven't figured it out yet?"

       Persephone shook her head.

       "Let's play a game, we used to play games when you were a baby. Do you remember?"

       "I remember as little about you as possible, believe me remembering you're my mother is hard enough!"

       Bellatrix struck her sharply across her face. "No Potter to kiss it better is there?" She sneered.

       Persephone's body turned cold, her heart started to race and her whole body convulsed with fear. "You want Harry?"

       Bellatrix laughed, "Of course I want Harry! You my daughter were quite the star!"

       Persephone turned away from Bellatrix unable to look at her. She felt her grasp her chin sharply and pulled her to look into her eyes "You have betrayed me Persephone, you betrayed my master and now for your punishment you will watch Harry Potter die. You will live with the knowledge that you killed him because without you I could not of done it." She released her and began to walk away.

       "He won't come!" Persephone called after her, frantically pulling at the chains that bound her. Bellatrix turned around and looked straight into her daughter's eyes. "He will." She replied calmly "He'll come because he loves you."

       Persephone felt her throat burn and her eyes cloud with tears. She turned away refusing to break in front of Bellatrix. Please Harry, don't come. Hate me, hate me enough to let me die.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Harry saw the four of them sitting in front of the fire as he entered. "Do you know where she is?" He asked Paris. Paris looked at him. He nodded. "Let's go then."