Author's Comments: Unfortunately, I don't own anything having to deal with the Harry Potter franchise. It all belongs to the wonderful J.K. Rowling who is finally going to get the sixth book out on July 16, 2005. I can't wait to read it.

Chapter Eight: Bring on the Night

The sirens wailed as the police car that carried Harry and Hermione sped down the street. Harry could tell where they were going: the hospital. When the police car pulled up to the hospital, the officer that was driving turned around. "There will be an officer at the front desk. His name is Officer Lupin. Find him and he will fill you in on what you need to know."

"Thank you," Hermione said as Harry got out of the car silently. She too quickly got out before the police car slowly drove away, sirens turned off. Harry walked forward and through the sliding entrance doors ahead of Hermione. She had to almost run to catch up with him. When they reached the front desk, the secretary cordially greeted them.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"Yes. We're looking for an Officer Lupin. He's a member of the New York Police Department," Hermione said.

"Wait one moment and I will try to page him," the secretary replied.

"There is no need to page me, Minerva. I am right here," Lupin said as he slowly got up from a chair on the other side of the room, near the public telephone booths in the lobby. "Tell me, Minerva, what floor are the Potters on?"

Minerva turned to her computer and quickly typed the name in. "James Potter?" she asked.

"Yes," Harry quickly replied.

"He's on the fifth floor. Take a left once you leave this bank of elevators to go into the Intensive Care Unit," Minerva explained.

"Thanks, doll," Lupin said to Minerva, causing the secretary to blush. "This way," he said as he guided Harry and Hermione towards the bank of elevators that was to the right of the secretary's desk.

"Officer Lupin, could you please tell us what's going on?" Hermione asked once they caught an elevator to the fifth floor.

"I really can only be telling family members," Lupin replied.

"It's okay, Officer. You can tell me in front of her," Harry sternly said.

Lupin sighed softly before speaking again. "Alright, Mr. Potter. Your parents were involved in a car accident," Lupin began to explain as he opened up a small manilla folder that he had in his hands. "Your father was driving when a taxi, driven by a Mr. Severus Snape, crashed into the passenger's side of your parents' car. Mr. Snape had run though a red light. Your parents would be able to press charges on him, but unfortunately, this Snape was killed upon impact with your parents' car."

The elevator door slowly opened, and Lupin followed Harry and Hermione out. They turned to the left and headed toward the Intensive Care Unit, just as Minerva the secretary had instructed them to.

"Ah, Officer Lupin. What a grand surprise. Who do you have with you today?" a nurse asked as they approached the round desk in the lobby of the Intensive Care Unit. Harry read the name tag that was pinned to her left shoulder. The nurse's name was Lois.

"Could you please direct us to the room where Potter, James is at, Lois?" Lupin asked softly.

The happy and carefree attitude that Lois had suddenly faded as she stood up. "Are you Harry?" she asked quietly.

"Yes, ma'am," he replied.

"Please follow me dear. I'm afraid your friend will have to wait here for the time being. Maybe Officer Lupin can keep her company?"

"I sure can," Lupin replied as he guided Hermione over to some seats in the hallway. Harry looked back at Hermione nervously, but it made him feel a little better that she smiled, though looking extremely concerned and worried.

"Is my father going to be okay?" Harry asked Lois as they walked down the hallway.

"The doctors are monitoring him very closely. At this moment, your father is in stable condition, but only just. He was in bad shape when the ambulance brought him in," Lois explained. "Room B149. This is the room."

After turning the handle on the door, Lois opened it and slowly followed Harry inside. James was resting on the bed in the hospital room. His face had a few scratches and bruises, while his arms and legs looked worse. James' left arm was in a sling because it was broken, and an IV stuck out of his right hand. Harry was horrified at the site and had to fight to keep from crying. "Where is my mother?" Harry warily asked.

Lois gently put her hand on Harry's shoulder before speaking. "I'm sorry, dearie, but your mother was killed in that car accident."

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"I hate this, Ron."

Ron, who was sitting at the computer in his bedroom, looked up to see Padma standing in his doorway. He had been in the middle of playing a computer game to pass the time when she came in.

"How did you get in here?" he asked somberly.

"Well, I knocked, and your mother let me in."

Ron's cheeks tinged red for a second. "Oh, right. I forgot that she was home."

"She looked surprised to see me," Padma murmured,

"Well, she hasn't seen you in awhile."

"I know," Padma replied as she looked down at the floor. Her long, brown hair covered her face.

"What do you hate?" Ron asked after several moments of silence.

"Excuse me?"

"You said that you hated this, Padma. What is it that you hate?" Ron asked again.

"I hate what has happened to us. I've been a prize idiot this entire time. I was foolish to get so angry with you, and staying away from you was even worse," Padma explained.

"You haven't been foolish. I completely understand why you wanted space. The possibility of being pregnant freaked you out. To be honest...it scared me too. Though I hated the space away from you, it was a little bit of relief."

"That's exactly how I feel," Padma said.

Padma slowly made her way into his room, sitting next to him on a chair.

"So I'm guessing that we should start over? You know, take things slowly?" Ron suggested.

"But it's so much work, and it's so hard," Padma replied softly. Sensing a break-up, Ron braced himself.

Padma took in a breath. "Can't we just skip all of the work? Can't you just be kissing me again?"

"Gladly," Ron replied before pulling her into his arms, kissing her deeply.

Just as their kisses became heated, someone knocked on Ron's bedroom door. Ron and Padma barely had time to pull apart before Ron's mother, Molly Weasley, came in, the house phone in her hand. "Ron, the phone is for you."

"Who is it?" he asked.

"It's Hermione."

Ron sighed as he grabbed the phone from his mother. "What's up, Hermione, cause this better be good."

Hermione, who was across town in a hospital phone booth, spoke back to Ron. "Something horrible has happened, Ron."

"Like what?"

"Harry's parents were in a car accident. His Dad is in critical condition, in a coma, and his Mum...well, she didn't make it," Hermione explained slowly as she wiped a tear from her cheek.

Ron almost dropped the phone from being in shock. "Holy shit," he replied. "Is Harry alright?"

"I don't know. He won't talk to me. He won't talk to anyone for that matter, not even his grandparents."

"They are there?" Ron asked.

"Yes," Hermione replied. "They arrived about an hour ago, shortly after Harry and I did. Do you think you could come down to the hospital? I could really use the company. And it might help Harry."

"Sure. I'll bring Padma too."

Hermione stuttered lightly. "You two worked things out? Is she there?" she asked.

"Yeah, we'll be there soon," Ron said before hanging up.

"What's wrong?" Padma asked when Ron dropped the phone on to his bed. Sighing, Ron told her everything.

"We should tell your mother," Padma suggested.

Ron nodded his head in agreement.

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In the room, nothing moved. The only sound came from the heart monitor which was keeping track of James' life. Harry just sat there in a chair next to the bed, not moving a muscle. It almost felt like he wasn't breathing. However, at this point, he wasn't even sure if he could really feel anything at all. Harry was completely oblivious to any activity that was taking place around him. He was oblivious to his grandparents, who remained outside of the room while they began to make the funeral arrangements. He was oblivious to Hermione, who was sitting in the lobby, somberly talking with Officer Lupin. He was even oblivious to the Weasleys when all nine of them arrived about an hour after Hermione had called Ron.

It had taken Harry some time before he could except his mother's death. He had quickly gone through the denial stage and moved on to acceptance.

The door behind Harry opened and for once her turned around and looked to see who came in. Hermione stood in the doorway, and Harry could see Ron and Padma outside the window. The door shut behind Hermione before she pulled up a chair next to Harry. "Hi," she whispered gently.

"Hey," Harry replied. His hand inched its way towards hers before he grasped it firmly in his own.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

Harry sighed softly. "I'm think I'm getting there." Hermione gently caressed his face with her free hand, brushing away a few wet trails where tears had been.

"Your grandparents scheduled the funeral for...you mother. It's going to be tomorrow afternoon at 4:00 p.m."

Harry looked at her, turning his head towards her slowly. Small, dark circles were underneath his eyes.

"Harry, I think you should get home and get some rest," Hermione whispered.

Though he wanted to stay bu his father's side, Harry knew that Hermione was right. He was greatly fatigued, and he really did need to sleep before the next day.

"Your grandparents agreed to stay here if I could convince you to go home and get some rest. Come on. Let's go see them before we leave."

Harry reluctantly left the room with Hermione and said his goodbyes to all of the Weasleys, his grandparents, and Padma.

Time seemed to go by fast for Harry. It seemed like only a few minutes had passed, but they had traveled from the hospital back to his apartment by taxi, which was a fifteen minute ride.

Hermione went in with Harry once he unlocked the door to the apartment. She hesitantly followed him up to his bedroom, not sure if she should go or if she should stay.

"I should probably get home," Hermione mumbled softly. "I'm not saying that they will be home, but it is a possibility that my parents could be worried about me."

Hermione turned and stepped towards the door when Harry grabbed her hand. She turned slowly, looking up into Harry's emerald green eyes.

"Don't go. Please...stay with me," Harry breathed out.

Hermione's heart raced as it beat louder in her chest. "Alright, I'll stay with you."

"Thank you. It's just...I don't want to be alone."

"It's okay, Harry. I understand," Hermione replied before kissing him softly.

Hermione rested in Harry's arms, her head upon his chest. She could hear his heart beating gently, as well as his intake of breath. With her in his arms, Harry had fallen asleep with ease, and Hermione soon joined him in slumber.

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The clouds were depressingly gray as the gentle rain slowly fell upon New York City. Cars drove by throughout the streets like normal, commuters walked with umbrellas above their heads, and everyone went on with their normal lives.

The rain was just a gentle drizzle over the cemetery. Lily Potter's casket remained dry as it was slowly lowered down into the earth. A priest stood at the head of the grave, saying prayers as Harry, Hermione, Harry's grandparents, and the Weasleys watched on. Mrs. Weasley occasionally dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief, while Harry's grandparents looked on with great mourning. Throughout the whole funeral service, Hermione's hand was firmly held in Harry's, and he didn't let go of it, not even once.

After the service was over, Harry and Hermione remained at the burial site with his grandparents. They had laid the beautiful red roses upon the freshly dug mound of earth.

"Will you two be alright?" Harry's grandfather asked as he placed his hand on his grandson's shoulder.

"We'll be fine, Grandpa. Hermione and I are going to get something to eat back at the apartment," Harry replied.

"Just checking. I hate to leave you both right now, but your grandmother and I have to get back to the house. We have an important meeting with the landscaper that's coming in the morning. Goodbye Harry, Hermione."

"Bye, Grandpa, Grandma."

"Goodbye Mr. And Mrs. Evans."

Hermione didn't speak for awhile, allowing Harry to stand in silence as the rain fell around them. However, it was starting to get cold, and Hermione herself was shivering. "When do you want to go, Harry?" she asked.

"Just give me a few more minutes," he replied softly.

Hermione looked up and studied Harry's face, trying to sense any emotions from him while she waited, until at last he looked backed at her. Harry's emerald eyes stared back into Hermione's eyes, and the passion and love in them were unmistakable. The knowing feeling went unspoken between them as they returned to Harry's home. The trip to Harry's bedroom was a long one, as they made frequent stops to kiss each other with immense passion. By the time they reached his room, the sexual tension was almost unbearable between them.

Hermione slowly removed Harry's wet suit jacket as he teased the corners of her mouth with his tongue as they continued to kiss each other passionately. The shirt underneath was also wet, causing it to stick to his muscular body. Harry began to unbutton the shirt, but the large amount of buttons frustrated Hermione, and she vented the frustration by suddenly ripping Harry's shirt off of him. It didn't seem to bother him though, for Harry continued to kiss Hermione. Hermione's hand felt Harry's chest, abs, and arms, moaning softly when Harry began to french kiss her, caressing her tongue with his.

Air was unfortunately need, and the two briefly parted. Harry's eyes locked with Hermione's as he inhaled deeply. "Are you sure you're okay with this?" Harry asked her.

Hermione nodded her head. "I've never been more sure of anything in my entire life."

Harry smiled before kissing Hermione softly. With a small push from Hermione, Harry sat down on the edge of his bed with a small laugh. Harry swallowed nervously as Hermione slowly pulled off her shirt and dress skirt. Before she could do anything else, Harry pulled her down into his arms and kissed her passionately. Soon, Harry was laying on his back, with Hermione on top of him. Hermione broke away from kissing Harry on the lips to begin a trail of kisses down Harry's chest, working her way down. Harry helped her undo his belt, and his pants came off with a few quick tugs.

Hermione could feel the hardening member inside of Harry's boxers and blushed furiously. To make her even more nervous, Hermione undid her bra and tossed it aside. Harry pulled her back to him, wrapping his arms around her bare back, his chest pressed against hers. The kisses they shared went beyond passion, beyond desire.

Harry carefully rolled them over so that now he was on top, kissing Hermione deeply. Small moans of pleasure escaped her mouth as Harry started a trail of kisses down her body, kissing over her neck, her breasts, and stopping at her stomach. He slowly removed Hermione's panties and his boxers, even more nervous than he had ever been before in his entire life. His eyes once again locked with Hermione's as he supported himself with his arms.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes," Hermione replied, kissing him gently.

"I love you, Hermione."

"You better."

Harry laughed, kissing her.

"I love you too, Harry."

After carefully positioning himself, Harry slowly and gently entered Hermione, trying not to cause her a lot of pain. For her first time, it didn't hurt that bad, and Hermione urged Harry to continue as she fought off the pain. Harry continued at a slow but rhythmic pace, trying to get her used to it before picking up the pace. Small moans emanated from Hermione's throat and mouth as Harry continued to slowly thrust into her. Kissing Harry, Hermione put her arms around his neck as he began to thrust faster and harder inside of her. Moans now escaped through Harry's lips, and cries of pleasure came out of Hermione.

Then suddenly, she could feel it. Hermione's insides began to churn and it felt like she was on fire with passion. Both were reaching the edge of climax as Harry thrust into Hermione faster and faster until suddenly they both came to the edge, the brink of passion, before falling over into the endless pleasure.

Harry and Hermione lay tangled together afterwards, sweaty and rapidly breathing. Harry pulled Hermione into his arms, kissing her tenderly.

Suddenly, Hermione giggled.

"What is it?" Harry asked.

"This is what you and I have been missing out on?" she asked, smiling.

"Yeah, I guess so."

Hermione's smile turned in to a sultry, wide grin. "Let's do it again."

Harry laughed before taking her lips with his own. "My pleasure."

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Extra Author's Notes: Thank you to all of the patient readers who have been diligently waiting for a chapter. Just so you know, I have finished the complete story, and I am in the process of typing out the last few chapters. I hope this one will calm some of you down until I can finish typing the other chapters. Reviews welcome.