Meet You There
Chapter Seven
Harry walked into his room, glad to be away from all the photos, as he undressed and pulled on a pair of pajama pants, climbing into bed. He lay down staring at the top of the canopy bed, he'd never been less tired and he was feeling guilty about just leaving Hermione alone downstairs to deal with her mother.
Suddenly it came to him, Hermione had basically found out that her dad had died today. Of course Sirius had died at the end of last year, but she hadn't known he was her father then.
Harry felt terrible, he hadn't been the least bit comforting. All he'd been thinking about was him self and his own loss, but what about Hermione's? She was experiencing the same grief that he was, if not worse. Worst of all the thought of Hermione crying herself to sleep kept playing over in his mind. "Damn…I've missed my chance to comfort her and now she's all alone" he thought to himself miserably. Suddenly he realized he could just go talk to her now…she was probably still awake anyway.
But right when he was about to get up, the door to his room opened slowly. He swore he could hear someone crying quietly as they shut it behind them, and he figured it was Hermione but it was hard to tell as it was so dark.
Harry sat up in bed, "Hermione?" he asked quietly, as she reached his bed.
"I just realized…" she whispered, bur couldn't finish her sentence, as she stood there crying helplessly.
Harry looked at her, his heart breaking to see her like this. She didn't need to finish what she was saying, he understood her perfectly, it had just really hit her that her dad was gone, like it had himself.
He got out of bed and gently wrapped his arms around her, as she held on to him, clearly needing it. "You can stay with me tonight if you want, Mione" he said softly, guiding her back on to the bed as she nodded.
Harry pulled the covers over them, rubbing her back soothingly and whispering comforting words in her ear, trying to calm her down. Gradually, Hermione's tears stopped coming, and she relaxed into Harry's body as she fell asleep. Harry continued to watch her, smiling, until he finally drifted off into a peaceful slumber.
Hermione was positively glowing as the walked gracefully towards him, arm in arm with Sirius. She'd taken Harry's breath away the moment she'd entered the room. Sirius smiling down proudly at his only daughter and placed her hand in Harry's as they reached the altar. He smiled at his godson, walking towards the back of the altar to stand with Ron and James, Lily and Ginny on the opposite side.
As they walked up to the Dumbledore hand in hand, Harry looked down at his soon-to-be wife, who was looking back up at him, eyes shining with joyous tears. "I love you" he whispered softly. She smiled at him, moving a whisp of dark hair out of his eyes, looking alight with happiness as she replied, "I love you too"
Harry's eyes shot open…what the hell was that?! Why would he of dreamt about something like that? He didn't love her! Not that way anyway….she was his friend, that was it.
Well there was that time when they were dancing…holding her in his arms had felt so perfect and…no he didn't, he couldn't. But what about when he had to help her undress yesterday…he'd wanted to kiss her and maybe even… NO. I do not love her like that.
Hermione suddenly moved in his arms; she was waking up. Harry readied himself, deciding to try to forget about the dream, that's all it was, a silly dream.
But as Hermione opened her eyes slowly, he felt a strange sensation in his stomach. She looked up at him slightly surprised. "What are you doing in my bed?" she asked looking at him strangley.
Harry returned the look, "This is the guest bed, you slept in here with me last night, remember?" he told her, amazed she'd forgotten.
"Ohh…right." She said quietly, "I can't believe I just came in here and made you share your bed, sorry" she said feeling a bit guilty.
Harry shook his head, "It's not a problem Mione, I didn't mind at all" he said truthfully.
"Good because I think that was the best sleep I've ever had" she said laughing.
Harry simply laughed nervously, he felt exactly the same.
"I had a dream about you, you know" she said, and he raised his eyebrows. "Really? I had one about you too" he said without thinking, "Erm…I can't really remember it though" he added hastily… he couldn't tell her what he'd dreamt about…he wasn't even sure what it had meant yet, and he didn't want her getting any ideas.
"Oh that's a shame! I love hearing other people's dreams" she replied, with a fake pout, making Harry laugh. She was so perfect. She was so…what?! She wasn't perfect, what was he…okay well yeah maybe a bit…but that did NOT mean he loved her…
"I remember my dream though, do you want to hear it?" she asked, though he knew no matter what he said she'd tell him anyway.
"Sure" he said, and she smiled.
"Well it started out kind of bad, I was crying about something in the girls dorm at Hogwarts…" she started, "It seemed like everyone in the school was standing around me in the dorm though that's not even possible. All the professors were there, and even Malfoy and the rest of the Slytherins…" A disgusted look flashed across Harry's face when she said his name, but as she rolled her eyes at him, it was gone.
"Except one person was missing…you"
Where the hell was he, Harry thought. "But then the door opened, and you walked in…it was strange, the whole crowd suddenly seemed all blurry, and all I saw was you walking towards me."
Hermione closed her eyes as if trying to remember something… "For some reason I stopped crying when I saw you…and then you picked me up off the floor, and kissed me. Everyone started clapping…" She laughed, obviously remembering the hilarity of it, but Harry felt himself going red. "Then I told you, you were my superman or something" Harry snorted; now that was funny.
Hermione giggled along with him, "And then, we flew out the window…and…" she was finding it hard to talk in between her laughs, "…I realized you had one of those muggle superman costumes on!" she finished and Harry roared with laughter.
Harry was about to speak through his laughter, but he was interrupted as someone knocked on the door, not waiting to hear a reply as they walked in. Harry felt slightly terrified as he saw Mr. Granger looked at him in complete disgust. "What on earth is going on in here!"
"Nothing, honestly" Hermione said, to the man she would now know as her stepfather, "I was upset, so…" she started but he rudely interrupted her.
"So Potter here thought he could take advantage and feel you up did he??" he yelled angrily and Harry winced at what he must be thinking.
He realized it must've looked even worse from where he was standing, he probably though Harry was wearing nothing at all. Clearly that was the case as he looked at him as if he was the most horrible thing he'd even laid eyes on.
"WHAT!!? Of course not, Harry was just being a good friend…he was comforting me all right??!" Hermione said, looking outraged that he would say such a thing. "And don't look at him like that! Who do you think you are!?" she added fuming, seeing the look he'd shot at Harry.
"I'm your father Hermione, don't speak to me like that! It's obvious what's been happening here!" he shouted, obviously very taken aback.
She got out of bed and walked slowly over to him. "Sirius is my father, you can't tell me what to do" she said her voice quaking.
Mr. Granger's eyes flashed angrily, "How can you call that moron your father!? He's spent half his life in prison for committing the murder of 13 people, and you haven't even seen him since you were a year old!" he shouted, "I raised you!!"
Harry felt anger rising inside him as Mr. Granger continued to yell at Hermione, and insult his godfather.
"He doesn't love you Hermione! He wanted your mother for one thing only all right? He didn't want a child; you were just an accident in his plan to get in bed with her!"
Harry jumped out of bed, unable to control him self, "Sirius wasn't like that you miserable old…" he started, ready to punch him right in the face, but Hermione caught his arm. She stared at the man in front of her a tear falling down her face, his last comment hitting her hard.
"Look Hermione, I shouldn't have said that, I'm sorry I…" Mr. Granger started, reaching towards her but Hermione slapped him across the face much like she had Malfoy in third year. He staggered, and she seemed to have got her voice back, "Don't touch me" she said, in almost a whisper.
Hermione walked over to the door pointing out into the hall, "Get out" Mr. Granger looked at her obviously regretting what he had said. "Hermione, I'm…" more tears fell down her pained face, "GET OUT!" she half screamed half sobbed. He sighed and reluctantly walked out the door.
Hermione stood with her back to Harry, not wanting him to see her crying yet again. But no sooner had she slammed the door, had she felt Harry's arms wrap around her, "I've told you it's okay to cry Hermione" he said, for some reason unable to keep himself from being so affectionate towards her.
"Let's just go, I have to leave" she said quietly, removing herself from Harry's arms. "I don't know where we can stay but…" she trailed off and Harry nodded.
"Do you want me to help you pack?" he asked.
"No, that's all right, you just get all your stuff ready" she said, opening the door for him.
A little while later, Harry was lugging the two trunks down the stairs, while Hermione held his invisibility cloak just in case, with Hedwig's cage and Crookshanks tucked under her arm.
Unfortunately, as they were unlocking the front door, they heard footsteps coming down the stairs, and had to throw themselves into a nearby closet, as Harry chucked the cloak over their luggage. "Hermione?" Mr. Granger sighed sadly, as he saw no one, and walked into the kitchen.
Climbing out of the closet from beneath a pile of coats that had landed on them, they quietly walked back over to the door opening it silently. They crept out side, holding their belongings, and let out a deep sigh of relief as they shut the door behind them.
"That was lucky" Hermione said, walking down the path, taking out her wand.
"So where do you want to stay? The Leaky Cauldron?" Harry asked, as she stuck her wand high up in the air.
"I don't think so Harry" came a new, but familiar voice from behind them. They both jumped as they saw the person standing there, and Hermione put her wand down.
"Mr. Lupin? What're you doing here?" Harry asked completely nonplussed.
"Well…you're still being watched Harry" he said matter of factly.
"I should've expected that" he responded only slightly annoyed.
"We've been watching you here, making sure everything all right but I'm afraid you can't stay here anymore Harry, or the Leaky Cauldron" he said regretfully, "It's just not safe, and we all have other things to look after"
Harry sighed, "I thought something like this might happen…well where can we stay then? I'm not going back to the Dursleys" he said, and Lupin nodded.
"I understand Harry, you can come stay with me" he said, sticking his wand up in the air, like Hermione had earlier.
"Where's that?" Harry asked. But Lupin didn't answer as the Knight Bus had come screeching to a halt in front of them. Stan Shunpike looked at them excitedly, "Where are we off to now Mr. Potter?" he said, and Lupin rolled his eyes.
"Stop it will you" he said annoyed, paying him and getting onto the bus. "Grimmauld Place, please" he said quickly and quietly but Harry and Hermione had heard.
"We're going there?" Harry said glancing at Hermione, then back at Lupin.
"I'm afraid so Harry, you see…" he cleared his throat awkwardly, "Sirius…he made up his will along time ago when Voldemort was searching for your parents…he wanted to have one incase anything happened while he was being your parents secret keeper" He looked at the ground, clearly not comfortable about the subject.
"Well, the point is, he left everything he owned to James and myself"
Sorry its short, please review! Any thing is great!