Part Two: Good-bye Love
"You never pay attention to me anymore!"
"You're never home! You are always on the road, or with your teammates. It's hard to pay attention to something that isn't there!"
"That's another thing! The other guy's wives and girlfriends travel with us! I get the feeling that you just don't want to support me!"
"I have a life other than yours! I am going to be teaching at Hogwarts next year. I have to train my replacement at the Ministry before then."
"You don't have to work! I make more than enough to support us, plus there is your inheritance and prize money!"
"Do not start on that again!"
"Why not! Why don't you use it!"
"Have you ever listened to anything I've said?"
"Sure I have!"
"Then you know why I have to work! I need to keep busy!"
"Not for money!"
"No, for me! Can you understand that? For Me."
"What about me?"
"For Merlin's sake! Your about as self centered as Lockhart! Do you even remember what tomorrow is?"
"The thirty-first of July."
"My Birthday! And all you can harp about is how I don't pay enough attention to You?
"Tomorrow is your birthday? When did that happen?"
"Twenty-five years ago! By Merlin! You always do this!"
"Always do what?"
"Always wreck my day! Or any day that isn't your own!"
"Then maybe I should just leave so that your day will be better!"
"Please do!"
"Fine!"
Harry shut his eyes against the tears threatening to spill out. 'Why did he leave? What went wrong? What could I have done?'
"Harry?" Hermione's voice broke through his thoughts.
"Sorry," Harry muttered, though he knew that he was to far away for her to hear him. He stood up and turned toward the fireplace.
"Are you coming over tonight? Or should we tell Neville to get one with it?" Hermione's face conveyed her irritation. "Mrs. Longbottom has been making noises about just starting with out you."
It was obvious that the witch in the fireplace had no clue what he was going through. 'And maybe that is what I need tonight.'
"Of course I'm coming over." Harry rubbed his eyes to banish the tears. "This is the last time I'll be able to see you until Christmas after all."
"Then get over here!" Hermione glared.
Harry quickly glanced at his clock. His hand was pointing solidly at 'Late for Dinner Party.'
"Clear the fireplace," He said. "I'll be over in a minute."
"We'll be waiting," She said pointedly.
Harry cast a few charms to clean up his appearance and stepped into the fireplace. "Longbottom House."
Years of traveling through the floo system allowed Harry to arrive standing up in the living room of Neville Longbottom.
"Hey Mate!" Ron called from the next room where the group was already beginning to eat. "You've gotten better at flooing, I remember the first time you traveled that way."
"He ended up in Knockturn Alley," Dean Thomas finished for him. "You've only told us that story a thousand or so times."
"Harry," Neville smiled in greeting as Harry sat down. "Haven't seen you in a while."
"We were all at his place the other day," Ron gave Neville a confused look. "For his birthday."
"Ron you idiot!" Hermione took the corn out of his hand. "Neville was at the International Herbology Conference."
"Oh," Ron nodded to the other man. "Sorry, I forgot about that."
Neville waved his hand. "Forgiven."
"Did you get the job?" Harry asked as he poked at the potatoes.
"Yes," Neville beamed.
"But he isn't going to be taking it." Dean informed the table.
"I thought it was your dream job," Ron blinked.
Neville blushed and looked across the table at Dean.
"Go on," the darker boy encouraged.
"Our application to adopt went through," Neville began. "And the amazon isn't no place to raise a child."
"So they'll be doing the smart thing and settling down here," Mrs. Longbottom put in.
"You off the sports circuit then?" Harry looked at Dean.
"Yep," Dean grinned. "I'll probably end up writing the obituaries, but at least I'll be home for my child's childhood."
The rest of the dinner passed with speculation about how Neville and Dean would be as parents. After desert the group retired to the living room where their hosts offered them drinks. Mrs. Longbottom politely bid them all goodnight before retiring to the upstairs.
Once she was gone Ron turned to Harry "Speaking of the Sports Circuit, will you be following Quidditch more closely now that you've quit your job at the Ministry?"
The group all turned to look at Harry, who glared at Ron. "I can't think of any reason I would."
"How is your French coming along Hermione?" Dean quickly changed the subject.
"Very Good," Hermione blinked. "I shouldn't be needing the Translation charm anymore by December."
"I for one an glad I am not going to be needing it," Neville grimaced. "Those few trips with Pomona gave me such a headache."
"That is because the charm imposes the caster's knowledge upon your mind." Hermione explained. "The charm doesn't work at all on Harry because his resistance to that type of spell are so good."
"Beauxbatons is lucky to be receiving such a good Charms teacher." Ron winked at his fiancé.
"That depends on whether she can learn French," Harry teased.
"I'll have you know I used to be quite proficient in Grade School." Hermione huffed.
"If you weren't a witch you might actually still be proficient," Harry said mildly. "Instead all you know is Latin and Greek."
"Not to mention Gnomish," Dean smiled.
"Bulgarian," Neville put in.
"Romanian," Ron supplied.
"Gee 'mione," Harry said mournfully. "You just about know nothing in the language department."
Hermione glared at him for a few moments. "So why aren't you going to be following the Quidditch trail if you've quit your job," She asked spitefully. "I would have thought you'd jump at the chance to spend more time with Oliver."
"Even if Oliver and I were still together I wouldn't be doing that." Harry grimaced. "I finally took the D.A.D.A. Job at Hogwarts."
Ron blinked. "Wow, I thought you had been avoiding that job like the plague."
"I had been," Harry agreed, before he could continue Hermione cleared her throat.
"If you and Oliver were still together?" She demanded. "What happened?"
"He came home right before my birthday," Harry sighed. "We fought, he left."
"What, exactly, did you two fight about?" Hermione ignored the embarrassed looks Neville and Dean were giving her.
"Me, I apparently wasn't always around when he 'needed' me. Him, and how he always forgets things like my birthday. Me again, this time about how I want to work. Him, he things I should follow him around like a puppy." Harry shrugged. "Let's face it 'moine, it just wasn't working."
Hermione's brow creased and Harry braced himself for her comments. Ron, however, took pity on his best friend and jumped into the conversation first. "So Hogwarts," he grinned. "What's the situation there?"
"I should think that you'd have a better idea than I," Harry said mildly. "What with your nieces and nephews now attending."
"Ah, but I don't talk to my family all that often." Ron grimaced. "All they want to talk about is how wonderful children and babies are."
"Just think," Dean grinned. "As soon as you get 'moine pregnant you can join them in that discussion."
Ron groaned and tossed back his drink before getting up to refill his glass.
"You don't want children?" Hermione asked him, her eyes following him across the room.
Ron swallowed and sat down a little father from her than he had been before. "It isn't that."
"Stop it 'moine," Neville rolled his eyes as the witch geared for an another outburst. "We really don't need to see him as a quivering mass of blood and bones so soon after we've all eaten."
Hermione gave him a wicked grin.
"When are you all going home?" Dean asked abruptly before she could open her mouth.
"Dean!" Neville sounded shocked at his partner's rudeness.
"What?" Dean opened his eyes wide, "We're adopting a child. I don't want to spend one of our last free nights just talking with friends."
"That's no excuse...." Neville trailed off as the golden trio stood up.
"I'm really tired." Ron sent a glance to Dean. "I didn't know how tired I was until you mentioned home Dean."
"What are friends for," Dean said encouragingly.
"I'm not sure I'm awake enough to floo home," Ron yawned. "Will you apparate with me 'moine?"
Hermione rolled her eyes. "No, I don't think I am up to that right now. However I am sure that Neville and Dean will be thankful that I brought a portkey with me."
"Please don't tell me that the portkey is for the Burrow," Ron pleaded.
"Okay," Hermione grinned as she tossed something to him.
Harry shook his head as he moved toward the fireplace. "I'll see you all."
The trip back through the floo system left Harry breathless, he was beginning to really enjoy that form of travel. Apparation was fine, but it took up a lot of energy. Brooms were great for short distance, but the long distance trips were really grating. And portkeys still made him nervous.
'Twelve years and I still can't travel that way,' Harry moved toward his bedroom. 'I though therapy was to help you get over stuff. Not to just except it and finds ways around it.'
"Harry?"
Harry groaned. Only a few people could access his fireplace, but he almost always blocked it anyway.
"Harry?"
He wondered why he hadn't blocked it this time before heading back into the living room. "Yes?"
"You really broke up with Oliver?" Hermione asked him the moment he stepped into the room.'
"Did you see him here last week?" Harry asked. "Did you even wonder about the fact that he wasn't here on my Birthday?"
"I figured he was busy," Hermione shrugged. "He is an International Quidditch star."
"And Quidditch is more important to him than I am." Harry said simply. "He didn't want to make any sacrifices for me, but I of course should sacrifice everything."
"He only has a few more good years in him." Hermione looked down at her hands.
"So I should stop doing the things I want to do and go to places unknown, play the 'pretty boy', give recipes to charity cookbooks, just because it will only be a few more years?" Harry wished that there was something nearby that he could throw. "Hermione, you used to rant about the treatment of Athlete's wives and girlfriends. Why are you suddenly so eager for me to become one of them."
"You used to be so damn against teaching at Hogwarts!" She yelled.
"People can change their minds," Harry rubbed his forehead as he sat down. "We do have freewill after all."
"Harry," Hermione sat down next to him and took one of his hands in hers. "I love you, and I support all your decisions."
"But?" Harry raised an eyebrow.
"But, I can't help but wonder at the reason for teaching now." Hermione admitted.
"I told you that I didn't want to teach under Albus." Harry rolled his eyes. "He's retired now, and McGongall is Headmistress."
"So this has nothing to do with a certain Care of Magical Creatures' teacher?" Hermione asked.
"I haven't met any of the new staff yet," Harry muttered. "I know that McGonagall asked Susan Bones to teach Charms, and that Sirius is going to be teaching Transfigurations. Beyond that I know nothing."
"Is Sirius also to be the new Head of Gryffindor?" Hermione, as Harry had hoped, had been derailed by the knowledge that Sirius was to teach.
"No," Harry shook his head. "I'm going to do that job."
"So you're in this for the long haul." Hermione raised an eyebrow.
"Well, yes." Harry admitted. "I've always thought of Hogwarts as home, so now I am going to actually going to be living there."
"I am still not convinced this isn't about a certain Magical Creatures' Professor." Hermione glared at him.
"And I still don't know who the Magical Creatures' teacher is." Harry protested. "Though you seem to."
"I don't know this for sure," Hermione temporized. "But Fluer seemed sure, and Neville thought that it was true...."
"Just spit it out!" Harry looked her darkly. "If I am supposed to be so in love with this person, just tell me who it is!"
"Malfoy," Hermione rushed out.
"Malfoy?" Harry repeated. "You think that I am so caught up in the Malfoy charm that I've bound myself to Hogwarts to be near him?"
"You've always had a thing for him." Hermione blushed.
"I have?" Harry blinked.
"We saw you staring at him all through out Seventh Year." Hermione said kindly.
"Wow," Harry blinked again. "You learn something new everyday."
"You learned that we knew." Hermione agreed.
"No," Harry gave her a sideways look. "I learned that I used to look at Malfoy a lot. Apparently I had a crush on him, despite having been in a relationship at the time."
"You were in a relationship in our Seventh Year?" Hermione stared at him with an open mouth.
"Uh, Yeah." Harry creased his brow. "Where else would I have been sneaking off too."
"Special Lessons?" Hermione sounded exasperated. "You were always going off for something. And you rarely, if ever, told us what you were doing until late enough in the game that we immediately had to run off and save the world."
Harry smiled. "Again."
"So no," Hermione shook herself. "We didn't think you were in a relationship."
"Well I was," Harry sighed. "Over the summer I met a Wizard. He and his Muggle sister had moved in down the street from the Dursleys."
"Why didn't you mention him to us?" Hermione asked, as only a best friend denied information could have.
"How would you have felt if I told you I was dating Jeremy Andrews?"
Hermione took her turn to blink. "Jeremy Andrews? The one who took over for Professor Sprout when she went off to do more in depth research?"
"The one and only," Harry sat back to watch her work things through.
"Harry," Hermione's voice was tight. "He could have been fired. He could still be fired."
"Which is why I didn't mention it earlier." Harry nodded.
Hermione's eyes narrowed. "Are you going back to Hogwarts for him?"
"Oliver and I broke up because I couldn't give him the worship he needed." Harry sighed. "I had decided to go back to Hogwarts when I heard that Albus was resigning. Oliver and I had talked about the Logistics of such a relationship, and yet he was still surprised by it."
Hermione took a breath and let it out slowly. "So."
"So?" Harry looked at her.
"Yeah," Hermione focused on him. "So."
"Okay," Harry said pragmatically. "So."
"Ron should be home by now." Hermione said softly.
"Probably." Harry agreed as they stood up.
"We love you," Hermione hugged him. "Don't be a stranger to Ron during the year."
"I'll miss you." Harry held her closely.
"Harry?" Ron's sleepy voice called out from the fireplace. "Is Hermione with you?"
"I'm on my way Ron." Hermione called out.
"'Kay," Ron's voice drifted off.
"See you at Christmas," Hermione looked away. "And get some sleep." She moved to the fireplace. "You need it."
End Notes:
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