Disclaimer: You think I own this? runs away laughing hysterically No, seriously, I own the plot and nothing else! If I did own Harry Potter, would I be writing this? No, way! (Well, maybe, but that's not the point...)
And we go back in time...
Don't Leave Me All Alone
Chapter One
"No! It can't be true, it just can't! I know you're lying, you bastard! Where is he? TELL ME THE TRUTH!!" Hermione Granger screamed at the Headmaster of Hogwarts, pounding and pummeling everything in her sight--and out--with her clenched fists. Professor Minerva McGonagal was holding the distressed girl back from the Headmaster, and was much bruised for it.
"Hermione! Get a hold of yourself! I know this is hard; we all do! But you have got to come to your senses! Harry is not coming back; you must understand and accept that! Professor Dumbledore would never lie to you, of which you are well aware!" Professor McGonagal spoke up sharply.
Hermione froze, then slowly turned around as much as she could in the vice-like grip her teacher had on her. She glared viciously, a look that would turn any into ice. "Harry. Is. Not. Dead." She spoke quietly, dangerously. "And that ... that ... that LYING BASTARD KNOWS WHERE HE IS! TELL ME WHERE HE IS, OR I'LL HEX YOU INTO NEXT CENTURY, YOU BASTARD!!" She began to scream again, turning back to Dumbledore to yell into his pain-torn face.
"Hermione, we have established that I am a bastard. Now, please, calm down so that I may explain things to you," Dumbledore began.
"Explain? Explain?!" Hermione asked incredulously. "What the HELL is there to 'explain'?! YOU LIAR, TELL ME WHERE HARRY IS!!" She screamed at the top of her voice, and everyone in Dumbledore's office flinched at the sound. It came from deep within her, a pain so deep that none there could begin to comprehend--though her sore throat was trying.
Ron Weasley strode up to Hermione, gripped her shoulders, and forced her to look at him. "Hermione," he said, voice quavering. "Hermione, it's all right."
At the sight of Ron, Hermione seemed to shrink and wither, her eyes searching his, looking for truth and comfort. Seeing both in the sad blue, she reached her arms out and around his waist, pulling herself as close to him as physically possible. "Ron?" she asked, anguished.
He smiled sadly at her, and pulled her even closer. She buried her head in his chest and sobbed, hands clutching his shirt as though she were trying to hold onto reality. Ron lowered his face into her hair, bending over quite a bit to do so, and squeezed his eyes shut against the grief. Tears slowly leaked out of the corners of his eyes, and he swallowed hard. Hermione continued to shed despairing tears.
Unnoticed by the two, Professors Dumbledore and McGonagal, followed by Remus Lupin, quietly exited the room.
Much later, after standing in an embrace for far too long, and after weeping until tears came no more, Ron and Hermione broke apart. They sank to the floor as one, backs to the wall, and held each other. Hermione sighed, drained, as usually happens following a great emotional episode.
They sat like this for some time, the only noise in the room that of Fawkes preening his feathers and occasionally letting out a comforting musical note.
"Ron?" Hermione finally broke the silence with a half-whisper.
"Yeah?" he answered. Neither moved an inch while speaking, staring desolately ahead.
"Is he ... was he ... is it true?" She choked out.
Ron took a long time to answer, trying to come up with the right words. Not finding any, he merely put his arm around her and drew her close. "Yeah," he said, feeling lost.
Neither seemed able to cry any more, so both sat, curled up together, on the floor of Professor Dumbledore's office.
This is how they were found, an hour later, when both had fallen into a sleep so deep not even the sound of Fawkes greeting his master woke them.
"Yes, Fawkes, I know. I know," Dumbledore said heavily, sitting down in his chair. "I know," he repeated.
Sitting back, he crossed his hands over his stomach, and closed his eyes, waiting for the two teenagers to wake.
Author's Note: Well, that was considerably longer than the prologue, don't you think? I'm very pleased with this story, even though I'm not very far along yet. I have some good ideas for it, as opposed to some other fics of mine, that have no plot and just ... exist. Please read and review! I like knowing people are reading this. Otherwise, it just might be forgotten... gasp I'd hate to have another story to add to my list of "Abandoned". I have issues finnishing stories, I'll admit it, so you guys will have to nag at me, ok? Thanks!
Extra Author's Note: Okay, I'm gonna level with you guys... I wrote this ages ago, lost it, forgot about it, and only just found it again last night. Thing is, I'm not sure where I was going with this anymore, so unless you really want me to continue, I'll probably just do exactly what I was afraid of before, and add it to my Abandoned list. :( So, if you truly love it and want me to continue the story, please, please, please review and tell me so!! I really need that right now... And also, did I make you cry? (It even made ME cry; am I the only baby here?)
And we go back in time...
Don't Leave Me All Alone
Chapter One
"No! It can't be true, it just can't! I know you're lying, you bastard! Where is he? TELL ME THE TRUTH!!" Hermione Granger screamed at the Headmaster of Hogwarts, pounding and pummeling everything in her sight--and out--with her clenched fists. Professor Minerva McGonagal was holding the distressed girl back from the Headmaster, and was much bruised for it.
"Hermione! Get a hold of yourself! I know this is hard; we all do! But you have got to come to your senses! Harry is not coming back; you must understand and accept that! Professor Dumbledore would never lie to you, of which you are well aware!" Professor McGonagal spoke up sharply.
Hermione froze, then slowly turned around as much as she could in the vice-like grip her teacher had on her. She glared viciously, a look that would turn any into ice. "Harry. Is. Not. Dead." She spoke quietly, dangerously. "And that ... that ... that LYING BASTARD KNOWS WHERE HE IS! TELL ME WHERE HE IS, OR I'LL HEX YOU INTO NEXT CENTURY, YOU BASTARD!!" She began to scream again, turning back to Dumbledore to yell into his pain-torn face.
"Hermione, we have established that I am a bastard. Now, please, calm down so that I may explain things to you," Dumbledore began.
"Explain? Explain?!" Hermione asked incredulously. "What the HELL is there to 'explain'?! YOU LIAR, TELL ME WHERE HARRY IS!!" She screamed at the top of her voice, and everyone in Dumbledore's office flinched at the sound. It came from deep within her, a pain so deep that none there could begin to comprehend--though her sore throat was trying.
Ron Weasley strode up to Hermione, gripped her shoulders, and forced her to look at him. "Hermione," he said, voice quavering. "Hermione, it's all right."
At the sight of Ron, Hermione seemed to shrink and wither, her eyes searching his, looking for truth and comfort. Seeing both in the sad blue, she reached her arms out and around his waist, pulling herself as close to him as physically possible. "Ron?" she asked, anguished.
He smiled sadly at her, and pulled her even closer. She buried her head in his chest and sobbed, hands clutching his shirt as though she were trying to hold onto reality. Ron lowered his face into her hair, bending over quite a bit to do so, and squeezed his eyes shut against the grief. Tears slowly leaked out of the corners of his eyes, and he swallowed hard. Hermione continued to shed despairing tears.
Unnoticed by the two, Professors Dumbledore and McGonagal, followed by Remus Lupin, quietly exited the room.
Much later, after standing in an embrace for far too long, and after weeping until tears came no more, Ron and Hermione broke apart. They sank to the floor as one, backs to the wall, and held each other. Hermione sighed, drained, as usually happens following a great emotional episode.
They sat like this for some time, the only noise in the room that of Fawkes preening his feathers and occasionally letting out a comforting musical note.
"Ron?" Hermione finally broke the silence with a half-whisper.
"Yeah?" he answered. Neither moved an inch while speaking, staring desolately ahead.
"Is he ... was he ... is it true?" She choked out.
Ron took a long time to answer, trying to come up with the right words. Not finding any, he merely put his arm around her and drew her close. "Yeah," he said, feeling lost.
Neither seemed able to cry any more, so both sat, curled up together, on the floor of Professor Dumbledore's office.
This is how they were found, an hour later, when both had fallen into a sleep so deep not even the sound of Fawkes greeting his master woke them.
"Yes, Fawkes, I know. I know," Dumbledore said heavily, sitting down in his chair. "I know," he repeated.
Sitting back, he crossed his hands over his stomach, and closed his eyes, waiting for the two teenagers to wake.
Author's Note: Well, that was considerably longer than the prologue, don't you think? I'm very pleased with this story, even though I'm not very far along yet. I have some good ideas for it, as opposed to some other fics of mine, that have no plot and just ... exist. Please read and review! I like knowing people are reading this. Otherwise, it just might be forgotten... gasp I'd hate to have another story to add to my list of "Abandoned". I have issues finnishing stories, I'll admit it, so you guys will have to nag at me, ok? Thanks!
Extra Author's Note: Okay, I'm gonna level with you guys... I wrote this ages ago, lost it, forgot about it, and only just found it again last night. Thing is, I'm not sure where I was going with this anymore, so unless you really want me to continue, I'll probably just do exactly what I was afraid of before, and add it to my Abandoned list. :( So, if you truly love it and want me to continue the story, please, please, please review and tell me so!! I really need that right now... And also, did I make you cry? (It even made ME cry; am I the only baby here?)