Disclaimer: You know already.
To flamers: I don't take kindly to flames, so back off, if you know what's good for you. If you don't, you ask for it. You flame me, I insult you, fair?
Thank you for your reviews!
Note: To avoid confusion, I will write down Jamie, Charles, Hermione and Harry's age here:
Jamie: 18
Charles: 12
Harry and Hermione: 25
Note 2: THIS IS STILL NOT THE ENDING YET
Chapter 10: Whatever Happened to Hermione?
Harry brought Hermione down the stairs, with her suitcase in his left hand and his right arm around her shoulders. Charles and Jamie were at the bottom of the stairs, looking at them anxiously. Harry and Hermione didn't say anything to them. But when Harry past by Jamie, he smiled at him while Hermione ignored him completely.
"See me tomorrow." he said before they left.
"Harry! Are you ok? I heard from Antonio that you have been......." started Ron when Harry and Hermione came in. Hermione had a hat on.
"It's okay!" said Harry quickly.
Ron shut up.
"Guess who I have brought?" said Harry excitedly and he took off Hermione's hat. "Tada!"
Ron's mouth dropped open. "Hermy?"
"It's Hermione, not Hermy!" said Harry.
Hermione smiled at Ron.
"So you are......" began Ron.
"I'll explain tomorrow." said Hermione.
Harry left Sophie to take care of Hermione for the rest of the night. Hermione felt uncomfortable for having a maid to take care of her, since she herself had been one for the past 8 years.
As Sophie brushed Hermione's hair, she said in her strong French accent, "You are very lucky to have Monsieur Potter, Mademoiselle Granger."
"Why do you say that?" asked Hermione.
"He is a very good man, Mademoiselle, he treats everyone like his equal and never looks down on us servants. He is hardworking, kind and gentle, although he is a bit hot-tempered sometimes. He is also very devoted to you."
"How do you know that?" asked Hermione in amazement.
"Before he found you, he used to sit near the fireplace at night for long hours, flipping through a photo album of you and him together. He sighed quite a few times as well while doing it. The rest of the maids and I pity him for being in that state. But now that you are back, I'm sure that he won't do that anymore."
Hermione blushed slightly and smiled.
"There. You look as pretty as yourself in the photos." said Sophie sincerely.
"Thanks."
"I have made your bed for you as well."
"Oh you shouldn't have."
"It's my job, I'm happy to work for you, Monsieur Potter and Monsieur Weasley." said Sophie as Hermione climbed onto the giant bed. "Is it okay for you?"
"Excellent, I haven't slept on a decent bed since 17." said Hermione truthfully.
Sophie turned off the bedside lamps and closed the curtains. "Good night Mademoiselle."
"Night Sophie."
But as soon as Sophie closed the door, Hermione felt lonely. She wished that Sophie could stay with her. She had been alone for too long.....
Knock knock.
"Who is it?" she asked as she turned on the lamps.
"Harry."
Hermione smiled in delight and called, "Come in."
Harry came in his stripe pyjamas.
"Hey Hermione...... did I wake you up?" he asked, looking at Hermione in her bed.
Before Hermione could answer, he said, "Oh well, I guess I have to come back tomorrow morning, you need to rest......"
He was about to go when......
"Harry!"
Harry turned and was asking, "Yeah?" when he saw Hermione's face. She looked terribly upset and lonely.
"Hermione, are you okay?" asked Harry and took a step towards her.
Hermione threw back her covers, got out of bed and ran to him. Before Harry could react, she flung her arms around his neck and hugged him lovingly.
"Hermione, what....."
"Please don't leave me alone, I beg you, please don't......" whispered Hermione, burying her face in Harry's chest. "I have enough of loneliness for the past 8 years....."
Harry looked at her in surprise. Something terrible must had happened to her during the past 8 years.
Harry patted her head and put his arms around her. "It's okay, Hermione, I'm here."
Hermione lifted her face at him. Her eyes were filling with tears. "Sleep with me tonight, Harry, please."
Harry nodded without hesitation. Hermione smiled and leaned her head on his chest. Carefully, he lifted her up with his arms and put her back onto her bed. He switched off the lamps and climbed in himself.
Hermione snuggled comfortably beside him and smiled at him in satisfaction.
Harry smiled back. "Sleep now, I'll be here with you."
Hermione closed her eyes and Harry's smile faded. Whatever Hermione had been through after their separation until now must be really horrible, so terrifying that it scared even her, Hermione Granger, the one who beat up Malfoy in their third year and the one who braved all sort of danger with him.
But what had scared her? Harry could think of nothing else except that she was afraid of failing her exams.
He looked at Hermione's innocent face as she slept peacefully. "Oh Hermione, I wish you could tell me what happened, then I could help you." he whispered and kissed her forehead softly.
The weather was cold in the next morning. Hermione was lying beside Harry, who was sitting up on the bed with a box on his lap. Photos of them in their school days and their personal stuff were all over the bed and in the box.
"I remember this one!" said Hermione as she looked at a picture. "We took this when we were 16 during the summer holidays, at the lake in Hogwarts."
Harry grinned. "And do you remember what happened after that?"
Hermione thought for a while and laughed. "Ron slipped and fell into the lake."
"And the giant squid simply tossed him back to land." said Harry.
"I remember him telling you to remind him never go near the lake again." said Hermione, smiling. "Oh I missed those days."
"Well, since you are back, maybe the three of us will go somewhere and have fun again." said Harry and looked through the box. "Hey Hermione, look here!"
Hermione watched as he took out something. "The drawing you gave me, remember?"
Hermione stared in awe and Harry handed her the drawing. She drew it during Christmas holidays in their 6th year. It was actually a sketch of Harry himself in his Quidditch robes and he had his broomstick with him.
"Yes, Ron made me so mad, he said I made you looked like a scarecrow in Quidditch robes!"
"I think the drawing looks like me." said Harry sincerely and thought of something. "Oh yeah, your mother left something with me. She said I need to pass it to you when I found you here in France."
"What is it?" asked Hermione.
Harry grinned and got out of bed. "I left it in my study, come on, I will show you."
In the study, Harry opened a glass cupboard and took out a velvet box. He placed it on the table and opened it with a wave of his hand.
Hermione gasped at what she saw. In the box lay a tiara, its diamonds glittered brightly and the pearls shone softly.
"This is your mother's tiara when she got married. She said that it should be passed to you so that you could wear it when you yourself got married." said Harry and took it out. "Now let's see if it fits......."
Gently, he placed the tiara on Hermione's head. "Perfect." he said, smiling.
Hermione turned around and looked herself in Harry's mirror. She looked odd with the tiara on her head while she was still wearing her sleeping robes. "I looked weird."
Harry came behind her and put his arms around her. "You will look beautiful when you wear it again together with your wedding gown in the future." he whispered.
Hermione smiled as Harry kissed her cheek. But then she thought of something. Would he still want her if he found out that she had been a maid, no, a slave in a Muggle household for the past 8 years?
That afternoon, while Hermione was fitting into a new dress (ordered from a fashion shop by Harry) in her room, Jamie and Charles were in Harry's study. Charles was sitting near the door while Jamie was in front of Harry's desk. Harry was sitting down behind it, wearing a simple light blue shirt and trousers.
"Is there anything you want from me, Mr Potter?" asked Jamie politely.
Harry bent down under the table, then got up with a suitcase in his hand. He put it on the table. "Ten million Galleons, as promise with my gratitude."
Jamie swallowed and said quietly, "My friend and I accept your gratitude but, we don't want the money."
Harry blinked. "What do you want then?"
Jamie glanced at Charles and said flatly, "Forgiveness. From Miss Granger."
Harry was silent.
"We must go." said Jamie and turned around.
"Young man, wait a minute!" said Harry suddenly. "Where did you exactly find Hermione?"
"Back in the old Hogwarts castle." said Jamie.
Harry winced at the painful memory of seeing the ruined castle. He went there years ago and the place looked horrible. "And what was she like at that time?"
"Let's see......." Jamie tried to remember. "She was wearing old clothes at that time, an old hat and coat. She looked tired and skinny under those clothes. And her arms and legs......" he shivered.
"What?" asked Harry urgently.
"They are covered with bruises. Some of them are clearly made by a whip or something. Even I and Charles won't get bruises like that. Good thing that we healed her."
Harry felt cold. What exactly happened to Hermione during the past 8 years?
Jamie and Charles just got out of Harry's study when they bumped into Hermione. Her hair was pinned up and she was wearing a yellow dress, with a white sash and a pair of white boots. She looked like a late 19th century English woman.
"Hello Jamie, Charles." said Hermione as if she had only met them once.
Charles smiled slightly while Jamie said quietly, "Hello."
"Did you two collect your reward?"
Charles's cheeks went pink and Jamie said, "Our business is completed. Charles and I are going back to England today."
Hermione's face was expressionless.
"Well, we're glad that you have found what you looking for." said Jamie.
"Yes, I'm glad that you two did too." said Hermione coolly.
Jamie cleared his throat. "Hm, we must go. Come on, Charles. Goodbye, Miss Granger." he said quickly and left with Charles behind him.
Hermione watched as they walked down the stairs until they were out of her sight.
To flamers: I don't take kindly to flames, so back off, if you know what's good for you. If you don't, you ask for it. You flame me, I insult you, fair?
Thank you for your reviews!
Note: To avoid confusion, I will write down Jamie, Charles, Hermione and Harry's age here:
Jamie: 18
Charles: 12
Harry and Hermione: 25
Note 2: THIS IS STILL NOT THE ENDING YET
Chapter 10: Whatever Happened to Hermione?
Harry brought Hermione down the stairs, with her suitcase in his left hand and his right arm around her shoulders. Charles and Jamie were at the bottom of the stairs, looking at them anxiously. Harry and Hermione didn't say anything to them. But when Harry past by Jamie, he smiled at him while Hermione ignored him completely.
"See me tomorrow." he said before they left.
"Harry! Are you ok? I heard from Antonio that you have been......." started Ron when Harry and Hermione came in. Hermione had a hat on.
"It's okay!" said Harry quickly.
Ron shut up.
"Guess who I have brought?" said Harry excitedly and he took off Hermione's hat. "Tada!"
Ron's mouth dropped open. "Hermy?"
"It's Hermione, not Hermy!" said Harry.
Hermione smiled at Ron.
"So you are......" began Ron.
"I'll explain tomorrow." said Hermione.
Harry left Sophie to take care of Hermione for the rest of the night. Hermione felt uncomfortable for having a maid to take care of her, since she herself had been one for the past 8 years.
As Sophie brushed Hermione's hair, she said in her strong French accent, "You are very lucky to have Monsieur Potter, Mademoiselle Granger."
"Why do you say that?" asked Hermione.
"He is a very good man, Mademoiselle, he treats everyone like his equal and never looks down on us servants. He is hardworking, kind and gentle, although he is a bit hot-tempered sometimes. He is also very devoted to you."
"How do you know that?" asked Hermione in amazement.
"Before he found you, he used to sit near the fireplace at night for long hours, flipping through a photo album of you and him together. He sighed quite a few times as well while doing it. The rest of the maids and I pity him for being in that state. But now that you are back, I'm sure that he won't do that anymore."
Hermione blushed slightly and smiled.
"There. You look as pretty as yourself in the photos." said Sophie sincerely.
"Thanks."
"I have made your bed for you as well."
"Oh you shouldn't have."
"It's my job, I'm happy to work for you, Monsieur Potter and Monsieur Weasley." said Sophie as Hermione climbed onto the giant bed. "Is it okay for you?"
"Excellent, I haven't slept on a decent bed since 17." said Hermione truthfully.
Sophie turned off the bedside lamps and closed the curtains. "Good night Mademoiselle."
"Night Sophie."
But as soon as Sophie closed the door, Hermione felt lonely. She wished that Sophie could stay with her. She had been alone for too long.....
Knock knock.
"Who is it?" she asked as she turned on the lamps.
"Harry."
Hermione smiled in delight and called, "Come in."
Harry came in his stripe pyjamas.
"Hey Hermione...... did I wake you up?" he asked, looking at Hermione in her bed.
Before Hermione could answer, he said, "Oh well, I guess I have to come back tomorrow morning, you need to rest......"
He was about to go when......
"Harry!"
Harry turned and was asking, "Yeah?" when he saw Hermione's face. She looked terribly upset and lonely.
"Hermione, are you okay?" asked Harry and took a step towards her.
Hermione threw back her covers, got out of bed and ran to him. Before Harry could react, she flung her arms around his neck and hugged him lovingly.
"Hermione, what....."
"Please don't leave me alone, I beg you, please don't......" whispered Hermione, burying her face in Harry's chest. "I have enough of loneliness for the past 8 years....."
Harry looked at her in surprise. Something terrible must had happened to her during the past 8 years.
Harry patted her head and put his arms around her. "It's okay, Hermione, I'm here."
Hermione lifted her face at him. Her eyes were filling with tears. "Sleep with me tonight, Harry, please."
Harry nodded without hesitation. Hermione smiled and leaned her head on his chest. Carefully, he lifted her up with his arms and put her back onto her bed. He switched off the lamps and climbed in himself.
Hermione snuggled comfortably beside him and smiled at him in satisfaction.
Harry smiled back. "Sleep now, I'll be here with you."
Hermione closed her eyes and Harry's smile faded. Whatever Hermione had been through after their separation until now must be really horrible, so terrifying that it scared even her, Hermione Granger, the one who beat up Malfoy in their third year and the one who braved all sort of danger with him.
But what had scared her? Harry could think of nothing else except that she was afraid of failing her exams.
He looked at Hermione's innocent face as she slept peacefully. "Oh Hermione, I wish you could tell me what happened, then I could help you." he whispered and kissed her forehead softly.
The weather was cold in the next morning. Hermione was lying beside Harry, who was sitting up on the bed with a box on his lap. Photos of them in their school days and their personal stuff were all over the bed and in the box.
"I remember this one!" said Hermione as she looked at a picture. "We took this when we were 16 during the summer holidays, at the lake in Hogwarts."
Harry grinned. "And do you remember what happened after that?"
Hermione thought for a while and laughed. "Ron slipped and fell into the lake."
"And the giant squid simply tossed him back to land." said Harry.
"I remember him telling you to remind him never go near the lake again." said Hermione, smiling. "Oh I missed those days."
"Well, since you are back, maybe the three of us will go somewhere and have fun again." said Harry and looked through the box. "Hey Hermione, look here!"
Hermione watched as he took out something. "The drawing you gave me, remember?"
Hermione stared in awe and Harry handed her the drawing. She drew it during Christmas holidays in their 6th year. It was actually a sketch of Harry himself in his Quidditch robes and he had his broomstick with him.
"Yes, Ron made me so mad, he said I made you looked like a scarecrow in Quidditch robes!"
"I think the drawing looks like me." said Harry sincerely and thought of something. "Oh yeah, your mother left something with me. She said I need to pass it to you when I found you here in France."
"What is it?" asked Hermione.
Harry grinned and got out of bed. "I left it in my study, come on, I will show you."
In the study, Harry opened a glass cupboard and took out a velvet box. He placed it on the table and opened it with a wave of his hand.
Hermione gasped at what she saw. In the box lay a tiara, its diamonds glittered brightly and the pearls shone softly.
"This is your mother's tiara when she got married. She said that it should be passed to you so that you could wear it when you yourself got married." said Harry and took it out. "Now let's see if it fits......."
Gently, he placed the tiara on Hermione's head. "Perfect." he said, smiling.
Hermione turned around and looked herself in Harry's mirror. She looked odd with the tiara on her head while she was still wearing her sleeping robes. "I looked weird."
Harry came behind her and put his arms around her. "You will look beautiful when you wear it again together with your wedding gown in the future." he whispered.
Hermione smiled as Harry kissed her cheek. But then she thought of something. Would he still want her if he found out that she had been a maid, no, a slave in a Muggle household for the past 8 years?
That afternoon, while Hermione was fitting into a new dress (ordered from a fashion shop by Harry) in her room, Jamie and Charles were in Harry's study. Charles was sitting near the door while Jamie was in front of Harry's desk. Harry was sitting down behind it, wearing a simple light blue shirt and trousers.
"Is there anything you want from me, Mr Potter?" asked Jamie politely.
Harry bent down under the table, then got up with a suitcase in his hand. He put it on the table. "Ten million Galleons, as promise with my gratitude."
Jamie swallowed and said quietly, "My friend and I accept your gratitude but, we don't want the money."
Harry blinked. "What do you want then?"
Jamie glanced at Charles and said flatly, "Forgiveness. From Miss Granger."
Harry was silent.
"We must go." said Jamie and turned around.
"Young man, wait a minute!" said Harry suddenly. "Where did you exactly find Hermione?"
"Back in the old Hogwarts castle." said Jamie.
Harry winced at the painful memory of seeing the ruined castle. He went there years ago and the place looked horrible. "And what was she like at that time?"
"Let's see......." Jamie tried to remember. "She was wearing old clothes at that time, an old hat and coat. She looked tired and skinny under those clothes. And her arms and legs......" he shivered.
"What?" asked Harry urgently.
"They are covered with bruises. Some of them are clearly made by a whip or something. Even I and Charles won't get bruises like that. Good thing that we healed her."
Harry felt cold. What exactly happened to Hermione during the past 8 years?
Jamie and Charles just got out of Harry's study when they bumped into Hermione. Her hair was pinned up and she was wearing a yellow dress, with a white sash and a pair of white boots. She looked like a late 19th century English woman.
"Hello Jamie, Charles." said Hermione as if she had only met them once.
Charles smiled slightly while Jamie said quietly, "Hello."
"Did you two collect your reward?"
Charles's cheeks went pink and Jamie said, "Our business is completed. Charles and I are going back to England today."
Hermione's face was expressionless.
"Well, we're glad that you have found what you looking for." said Jamie.
"Yes, I'm glad that you two did too." said Hermione coolly.
Jamie cleared his throat. "Hm, we must go. Come on, Charles. Goodbye, Miss Granger." he said quickly and left with Charles behind him.
Hermione watched as they walked down the stairs until they were out of her sight.