A/N- Here's chapter three my lovely readers! Lyrics provided by Trapt, characters by the brilliant J.K. and some of my own.
Reunion
Chapter Three
Same Old Story
Look at me
Still in your mind
Our memories so intertwined
Well you broke through and found your way
And so did I
No need to stay
The same old picture, tried and true
I remember the way you made me feel when I was with you
I remember the smile that always brought me back to you
That look in your eyes
I never thought that this could be untrue
"Slow down there. There's not going to any alcohol left for the rest of us." Ginny grinned, watching as Hermione downed yet another shot.
"Oh, shove off." Hermione said, her speech slightly slurred.
"Yeah, how many is that?" Draco looked over at Hermione, Ginny giggling slightly.
Hermione looked away, trying to count but finding it rather difficult.
"Too many." Harry suddenly approached the table, taking away the tray of drinks.
"Hey!" Hermione went to stand up, but her head was spinning slightly.
Ron watched her in silence from the end of the booth, also thoroughly knackered but in a strange state of indifference towards everything around him. Feeling rather sleepy, he decided to go get some fresh air.
"Harry, I'm going for a walk."
Harry looked down at his obviously intoxicated friend, regretting his "drinks on me" decision more and more every second.
"Ron, I hardly think you're in any condition-"
"Rubbish! I'm fine!" Ron said, smiling stupidly and stumbling out towards the door.
"Where's he going?" Hermione looked over, the bright lights of the room making her head pound harder.
"For a walk." Harry rolled his eyes.
She sighed, regaining her senses slightly.
"I should make sure he's alright." She said reluctantly.
"You don't have to, I'll take him home. We should be going anyway." Harry grabbed her arm.
"No, it's okay. You stay. Celebrate." Hermione brushed him off, walking out of the door with slightly wobbling steps into the cold night air.
--
Draco sat at the table, not really listening to the assorted conversations around him. He suddenly saw Ginny get up from across from him, smiling slightly and walking towards the door in the back.
Draco waited for what seemed like a decent interval, then excused himself, following her. He opened the backdoor to rather seedy alley, where Ginny stood with her arms crossed, leaning against the damp stonewall.
"Took you long enough." She grinned, stepping towards him slightly.
"I'll make it worth the wait." Draco whispered, his breath hot against her ear.
"You better." She looked up at him.
Somehow, pretending that nothing was going on between them all night made him feel all hot and bothered. She apparently shared the sentiment, leaning towards him slowly.
Draco couldn't take it anymore. He grabbed her arms, practically slamming her into the alley wall, and kissed her.
They practically attacked each other, and as the long, intense kiss got more and more passionate, they both felt as if their nerves were crackling with the heat.
Draco couldn't help it-he began to fumble with the zipper on the back of her dress as her hands slid under his shirt, feeling the taut muscles of his stomach that she had always found amazingly attractive.
His lips slid to her neck, as she finally got his shirt off and threw it to the ground. Draco found it very hard to care that his insanely expensive shirt had landed right in a growing puddle as rain began to fall around them.
He slipped the straps off her shoulders, his touch hot against her slightly prickling skin. She kissed him again, lost in a moment that seemed to be consuming her.
Suddenly, the back door opened, revealing a waiter taking out a bag of trash.
They both looked at him, flushed and in various states of undress.
"Get a room." He sighed under his breath, pushing past them, depositing the trash bag and closing the door behind him.
Draco and Ginny looked at each other.
"I should be going." She said, straightening her dress and running a hand through her soaked, wild tangle of red hair.
"Don't go." Draco found himself saying, and then grimaced. What a cheesy, romance movie thing to say.
"They're probably looking for us."
"Who cares?"
"I care. Sorry." She didn't look at him, walking through the back door and out of the rain.
Draco was left alone, and still shirtless. He picked his shirt off the ground, looking at it with a wrinkled nose.
"She ruined my bloody shirt." He sighed under his breath, begrudgingly getting dressed in the soaking, cold fabric.
--
Ron had not made it very far. Hermione found him collapsed on a bench ten feet away from the entrance to Nox, his long arms splayed over the top of the bench.
It had started to rain, and Hermione's feet splashed slightly as she approached.
"Can't you just leave me alone?" Ron sighed, not turning around.
"Ron, you're clearly drunk. I didn't want you to go wandering into traffic."
"How kind. Based on previous conversations today, I'd say me wandering into traffic wouldn't upset you all that much."
"You know that's not true," She paused, "Old habits die hard, I guess."
"Meaning?"
"I always had to take care of you." Hermione said harshly.
Ron looked back at her.
"If you're trying to provoke me into another fight, it's not happening."
"I mean, honestly, Ron, I'm shocked you could get a job without me there to fill out the application. Or did Daddy do that for you?"
"Shut up." His eyes narrowed slightly.
"You know you were nothing without me and Harry. What did you ever do?" Hermione had no idea why she kept saying these things, but the alcohol coursing through her blood was making her very, very angry and very, very mean.
"Shut up!" Ron stood up, his red hair wet from the rain.
"What, the truth's too hard to swallow? You wonder why I left? Because you were holding me back. I was better off without you. That's what everyone thought…and look what I've accomplished now. You tried everything to make me stay, because you couldn't stand another person overshadowing you. First, your brothers, then, Harry, and then your own girlfriend. You wanted me to be less than I could be so that you could feel good about yourself for once in your life."
"That's not true!" Ron shouted, breaking her off.
"It is true." Hermione looked at him, the rain coming down harder now.
"Have you always thought you were better than me?"
"
Everyone else did."
"Did you?"
Hermione paused, her heart twisting with her lies.
"Yes."
"You arrogant bitch." Ron practically snarled, looking at her, his eyes dark with pain.
"What, are you going to cry about it?" She shot back, her head starting to throb again.
He looked at her for a long moment, wondering how he could ever have loved her more than anyone else in the world.
"So you're saying you never felt anything for me?" He finally broke the silence.
"I felt sorry for you." Hermione said, her voice ringing false even in her own ears.
"You're lying." Ron looked at her, reading her face from years of practice.
"You can believe that if you want."
Ron suddenly closed the distance between them, his mouth inches from hers and his hands roughly gripping her arms.
"I'll make you remember what you felt." He said, their lips almost touching.
Hermione tried as hard as she could to be reviled, but was suddenly overwhelmed with a craving for him she had convinced herself was lost long ago. She closed her eyes, longing for the feeling of his mouth against hers. But it never came.
She opened her eyes, and Ron stepped away from her, smiling cruelly.
"I knew you were lying."
And with that, he walked off down the street into the ever-growing storm, leaving Hermione with her heart pounding from a reaction of intense attraction she hadn't felt in years. Her blood coursing with alcohol and heat, she walked back into the bar.
--
Harry was asleep much later that night, after safely seeing all his friends and teammates to their respective rooms. Hermione didn't know where Ron had gone, but when Harry arrived at his room, there was a message waiting for him left on the table.
Sorry for disappearing on you, mate. I'm fine-just needed some time to be by myself. And away from her. I'll catch up with you tomorrow.
-Ron
Harry sighed. What was their problem? Honestly, they were both adults now. It was time they started acting like it.
Oh well.
And with that thought, he had fallen asleep.
"Harry." A strange, unfamiliar voice cut into his dreams.
Harry jerked awake, instantly grabbing his wand and squinting into the darkness. A blurry, dark figure stood at the edge of his bed. He fumbled for his glasses, and put them on quickly.
He blinked at his sudden restored sight.
A girl with long, black hair and blue eyes met his gaze.
"So you're the great Harry Potter." She said simply.
"Er…I suppose. Who are you?" He looked at her, confused.
"Lara. I'm here to help you. Before it's too late."
"How'd you get in here?"
"Apparation."
"Don't these rooms have safeguards against that?"
"None I couln't get through." She smiled slightly.
"What are you here to help me with?" Harry looked at her curiously.
"Do you know the name Bellatrix Lestrange?"
"I haven't heard it since I graduated from Hogwarts and defeated Voldemort."
She didn't even flinch when Harry said the name, a strange occurrence.
"Well, she's back."
"Look…Lara, right? I'm done with all of that. I've got my own life, and I'm not about to go down that road again."
"Harry, she has powers you can't even imagine."
"I've heard this song and dance, all right? I can't help you."
"She can bring people back from the dead, Harry. Anyone she wants. And she's starting with Lucius Malfoy. The two worst Death Eaters, reunited again. This can't happen."
"What do you want me to do about it?"
"Please, just say you'll help me."
"What does this have to do with you?"
"When she brings him back…I can't explain all the details right now, but basically, they'll create a weapon that will kill every single Muggle and Muggle born witch or wizard alive. She sees it, and so will he, as some sort of purging process. Your friend…she's Muggle born, right?" Lara said desperately.
"How do you know about Hermione?"
"I've been watching you for weeks. Trying to find the right time to talk to you."
"How do you know me?"
"Who doesn't know you?
"Why does this matter so much to you?" Harry demanded impatiently.
"When my father died and my mother left, a man took pity on me and raised me. He's Muggle born. I won't…I can't let this happen. Not just for him, for the millions of innocent lives that would be lost."
"How do I know you're not lying?"
"Do a truth spell. I don't care, do whatever you have to." She handed him her wand, her blue eyes pleading.
Harry looked at her for a long moment, trying to read her.
"It's all right. I believe you." He handed her the wand back.
"You'll help me?"
"Of course." Harry sighed, flopping back down on the bed.
"Thank you. I'll contact you tomorrow." Lara smiled at him, her eyes wet with tears of relief.
"See you then." Harry nodded.
He put his hands over his eyes after she left, sighing heavily. Why? Why could he never truly escape? He had thought it was over, but now that idea seemed laughable. It was never over. And it never would be.
--
A/N- Please review!
Reunion
Chapter Three
Same Old Story
Look at me
Still in your mind
Our memories so intertwined
Well you broke through and found your way
And so did I
No need to stay
The same old picture, tried and true
I remember the way you made me feel when I was with you
I remember the smile that always brought me back to you
That look in your eyes
I never thought that this could be untrue
"Slow down there. There's not going to any alcohol left for the rest of us." Ginny grinned, watching as Hermione downed yet another shot.
"Oh, shove off." Hermione said, her speech slightly slurred.
"Yeah, how many is that?" Draco looked over at Hermione, Ginny giggling slightly.
Hermione looked away, trying to count but finding it rather difficult.
"Too many." Harry suddenly approached the table, taking away the tray of drinks.
"Hey!" Hermione went to stand up, but her head was spinning slightly.
Ron watched her in silence from the end of the booth, also thoroughly knackered but in a strange state of indifference towards everything around him. Feeling rather sleepy, he decided to go get some fresh air.
"Harry, I'm going for a walk."
Harry looked down at his obviously intoxicated friend, regretting his "drinks on me" decision more and more every second.
"Ron, I hardly think you're in any condition-"
"Rubbish! I'm fine!" Ron said, smiling stupidly and stumbling out towards the door.
"Where's he going?" Hermione looked over, the bright lights of the room making her head pound harder.
"For a walk." Harry rolled his eyes.
She sighed, regaining her senses slightly.
"I should make sure he's alright." She said reluctantly.
"You don't have to, I'll take him home. We should be going anyway." Harry grabbed her arm.
"No, it's okay. You stay. Celebrate." Hermione brushed him off, walking out of the door with slightly wobbling steps into the cold night air.
--
Draco sat at the table, not really listening to the assorted conversations around him. He suddenly saw Ginny get up from across from him, smiling slightly and walking towards the door in the back.
Draco waited for what seemed like a decent interval, then excused himself, following her. He opened the backdoor to rather seedy alley, where Ginny stood with her arms crossed, leaning against the damp stonewall.
"Took you long enough." She grinned, stepping towards him slightly.
"I'll make it worth the wait." Draco whispered, his breath hot against her ear.
"You better." She looked up at him.
Somehow, pretending that nothing was going on between them all night made him feel all hot and bothered. She apparently shared the sentiment, leaning towards him slowly.
Draco couldn't take it anymore. He grabbed her arms, practically slamming her into the alley wall, and kissed her.
They practically attacked each other, and as the long, intense kiss got more and more passionate, they both felt as if their nerves were crackling with the heat.
Draco couldn't help it-he began to fumble with the zipper on the back of her dress as her hands slid under his shirt, feeling the taut muscles of his stomach that she had always found amazingly attractive.
His lips slid to her neck, as she finally got his shirt off and threw it to the ground. Draco found it very hard to care that his insanely expensive shirt had landed right in a growing puddle as rain began to fall around them.
He slipped the straps off her shoulders, his touch hot against her slightly prickling skin. She kissed him again, lost in a moment that seemed to be consuming her.
Suddenly, the back door opened, revealing a waiter taking out a bag of trash.
They both looked at him, flushed and in various states of undress.
"Get a room." He sighed under his breath, pushing past them, depositing the trash bag and closing the door behind him.
Draco and Ginny looked at each other.
"I should be going." She said, straightening her dress and running a hand through her soaked, wild tangle of red hair.
"Don't go." Draco found himself saying, and then grimaced. What a cheesy, romance movie thing to say.
"They're probably looking for us."
"Who cares?"
"I care. Sorry." She didn't look at him, walking through the back door and out of the rain.
Draco was left alone, and still shirtless. He picked his shirt off the ground, looking at it with a wrinkled nose.
"She ruined my bloody shirt." He sighed under his breath, begrudgingly getting dressed in the soaking, cold fabric.
--
Ron had not made it very far. Hermione found him collapsed on a bench ten feet away from the entrance to Nox, his long arms splayed over the top of the bench.
It had started to rain, and Hermione's feet splashed slightly as she approached.
"Can't you just leave me alone?" Ron sighed, not turning around.
"Ron, you're clearly drunk. I didn't want you to go wandering into traffic."
"How kind. Based on previous conversations today, I'd say me wandering into traffic wouldn't upset you all that much."
"You know that's not true," She paused, "Old habits die hard, I guess."
"Meaning?"
"I always had to take care of you." Hermione said harshly.
Ron looked back at her.
"If you're trying to provoke me into another fight, it's not happening."
"I mean, honestly, Ron, I'm shocked you could get a job without me there to fill out the application. Or did Daddy do that for you?"
"Shut up." His eyes narrowed slightly.
"You know you were nothing without me and Harry. What did you ever do?" Hermione had no idea why she kept saying these things, but the alcohol coursing through her blood was making her very, very angry and very, very mean.
"Shut up!" Ron stood up, his red hair wet from the rain.
"What, the truth's too hard to swallow? You wonder why I left? Because you were holding me back. I was better off without you. That's what everyone thought…and look what I've accomplished now. You tried everything to make me stay, because you couldn't stand another person overshadowing you. First, your brothers, then, Harry, and then your own girlfriend. You wanted me to be less than I could be so that you could feel good about yourself for once in your life."
"That's not true!" Ron shouted, breaking her off.
"It is true." Hermione looked at him, the rain coming down harder now.
"Have you always thought you were better than me?"
"
Everyone else did."
"Did you?"
Hermione paused, her heart twisting with her lies.
"Yes."
"You arrogant bitch." Ron practically snarled, looking at her, his eyes dark with pain.
"What, are you going to cry about it?" She shot back, her head starting to throb again.
He looked at her for a long moment, wondering how he could ever have loved her more than anyone else in the world.
"So you're saying you never felt anything for me?" He finally broke the silence.
"I felt sorry for you." Hermione said, her voice ringing false even in her own ears.
"You're lying." Ron looked at her, reading her face from years of practice.
"You can believe that if you want."
Ron suddenly closed the distance between them, his mouth inches from hers and his hands roughly gripping her arms.
"I'll make you remember what you felt." He said, their lips almost touching.
Hermione tried as hard as she could to be reviled, but was suddenly overwhelmed with a craving for him she had convinced herself was lost long ago. She closed her eyes, longing for the feeling of his mouth against hers. But it never came.
She opened her eyes, and Ron stepped away from her, smiling cruelly.
"I knew you were lying."
And with that, he walked off down the street into the ever-growing storm, leaving Hermione with her heart pounding from a reaction of intense attraction she hadn't felt in years. Her blood coursing with alcohol and heat, she walked back into the bar.
--
Harry was asleep much later that night, after safely seeing all his friends and teammates to their respective rooms. Hermione didn't know where Ron had gone, but when Harry arrived at his room, there was a message waiting for him left on the table.
Sorry for disappearing on you, mate. I'm fine-just needed some time to be by myself. And away from her. I'll catch up with you tomorrow.
-Ron
Harry sighed. What was their problem? Honestly, they were both adults now. It was time they started acting like it.
Oh well.
And with that thought, he had fallen asleep.
"Harry." A strange, unfamiliar voice cut into his dreams.
Harry jerked awake, instantly grabbing his wand and squinting into the darkness. A blurry, dark figure stood at the edge of his bed. He fumbled for his glasses, and put them on quickly.
He blinked at his sudden restored sight.
A girl with long, black hair and blue eyes met his gaze.
"So you're the great Harry Potter." She said simply.
"Er…I suppose. Who are you?" He looked at her, confused.
"Lara. I'm here to help you. Before it's too late."
"How'd you get in here?"
"Apparation."
"Don't these rooms have safeguards against that?"
"None I couln't get through." She smiled slightly.
"What are you here to help me with?" Harry looked at her curiously.
"Do you know the name Bellatrix Lestrange?"
"I haven't heard it since I graduated from Hogwarts and defeated Voldemort."
She didn't even flinch when Harry said the name, a strange occurrence.
"Well, she's back."
"Look…Lara, right? I'm done with all of that. I've got my own life, and I'm not about to go down that road again."
"Harry, she has powers you can't even imagine."
"I've heard this song and dance, all right? I can't help you."
"She can bring people back from the dead, Harry. Anyone she wants. And she's starting with Lucius Malfoy. The two worst Death Eaters, reunited again. This can't happen."
"What do you want me to do about it?"
"Please, just say you'll help me."
"What does this have to do with you?"
"When she brings him back…I can't explain all the details right now, but basically, they'll create a weapon that will kill every single Muggle and Muggle born witch or wizard alive. She sees it, and so will he, as some sort of purging process. Your friend…she's Muggle born, right?" Lara said desperately.
"How do you know about Hermione?"
"I've been watching you for weeks. Trying to find the right time to talk to you."
"How do you know me?"
"Who doesn't know you?
"Why does this matter so much to you?" Harry demanded impatiently.
"When my father died and my mother left, a man took pity on me and raised me. He's Muggle born. I won't…I can't let this happen. Not just for him, for the millions of innocent lives that would be lost."
"How do I know you're not lying?"
"Do a truth spell. I don't care, do whatever you have to." She handed him her wand, her blue eyes pleading.
Harry looked at her for a long moment, trying to read her.
"It's all right. I believe you." He handed her the wand back.
"You'll help me?"
"Of course." Harry sighed, flopping back down on the bed.
"Thank you. I'll contact you tomorrow." Lara smiled at him, her eyes wet with tears of relief.
"See you then." Harry nodded.
He put his hands over his eyes after she left, sighing heavily. Why? Why could he never truly escape? He had thought it was over, but now that idea seemed laughable. It was never over. And it never would be.
--
A/N- Please review!