Title: Minimal Assurance

Author: Kane

Rating: American G

Spoilers: HP and the... PS, PoA, OotP

Summary: Harry reaches out to Ron and Hermione for some assurance. They provide the perfect example.

His fingers traced the outlines carefully. The woman giggled and waved, and the man just continued to look proudly out of the picture. The man kept his arm around the woman's waist. She didn't seem to mind.

"Harry, what's wrong?"

He lifted his eyes from the picture of the couple. Harry had been wondering if they really were happy when the picture was taken.

"Hmm? Oh. Nothing."

Hermione Granger leaned over the back of the couch, and peered over Harry Potter's shoulder. "That's a nice picture," she smiled. "Where'd you get it?"

"Remus. Sent it with his letter."

Nodding, Hermione held out her hand. "Can I see?"

Harry handed over the picture and stared into the fireplace. He heard Ron come in and stand by Hermione. He was probably looking at the picture too.

For a while, the explanation Sirius and Remus gave him that random night last year had been enough. But now it seemed they provided minimal assurance. His dad was a git then. But what about his mum?

He and Cho, for instance. They didn't fight at all. Not until their first date. And the moment she started complaining and yelling, it was over between them. How could his mum have gone from hating James with what seemed to be such passion to loving him enough to marry him? He couldn't imagine marrying Cho after that awful Valentine's Day.

Hermione and Ron's sudden giggles broke Harry out of his thoughts. He cocked his head up at them, as Hermione was still leaning over the couch. "What is it?" he asked accusingly.

"Your mum," Hermione grinned. "She just goosed your dad." Hermione handed him the picture, and moved around to sit in the lounge chair, while Ron joined Harry on the sofa. "They must have loved each other so much," Hermione said softly.

Harry furrowed his brow. "How?"

Hermione raised her eyebrows. "What do you mean 'how'?"

"Well," Harry struggled to find the words. "How do you know, just by looking at a picture, that two people love each other?"

Ron stared at Harry. "What's with you?"

"Nothing! I just don't...see it."

"You don't see it?" Hermione gasped. "Have you looked at the picture?"

Harry rubbed the edges of the picture uncomfortably, his hands holding it in his lap. "I can't see it."

"Harry," Hermione urged, "what is it? What's wrong?"

Harry sighed and gave in. "Every Occlumency lesson, Snape would empty his mind of some memories. Things he wouldn't want me to see. He'd put them all in his own pensive. Last year, during a lesson, he had to go unclog Montague from the toilet--Ron calm down, it wasn't that funny--and I...I wanted to know what Snape felt he had to hide. So I looked at the Pensive."

Hermione began to open her mouth to lecture. Ron gave her a stern look and she closed it, and nodded for Harry to continue.

"I fell in. And you'd never guess. It was a memory from his fifth year--my dad's fifth year. It was on their exam day. I saw my dad. And Remus, Sirius...Peter too, but...you know."

He felt like he was really on a roll now. The words just shot out of his mouth--he barely knew what he was saying. He didn't notice that Hermione was leaning closer to him, and Ron's mouth had a trace of a small smile.

"They went outside after the exam was over, and so I followed. I thought I'd lose them, but Snape stayed near, so I could hear what they were saying and what was going on. And they were just talking--just like we do--and my dad was playing with a Snitch, and Remus was studying, and Sirius...and then Snape got closer."

Harry's voice suddenly felt small. He realized what he was about to tell his friends. Heroic James Potter, the man who Harry seemed to embody in every shape and form, was the classic bully. But he had already told them so much he couldn't stop now. Hesitantly, and with a hint of shame, he continued.

"Sirius and my dad, they really...insulted him. You know? Called him 'Snivellus'."

As Ron let out a laugh and Hermione slapped his shoulder, Harry realized he couldn't say it. He couldn't get them to understand what he saw and heard. He feared his faith in his parents was shattered forever.

"Go on, Harry!" Ron urged, as he rubbed the area where Hermione had hit him. "What happened? Did Snape try to curse them? And did your dad--?"

"My dad and Sirius cursed him! They were the bullies! They taunted him! I mean, he tried to retaliate, but they disarmed him. Filled his mouth with soap so he couldn't talk." He looked down at his picture, ashamed of everything his father had done. "My dadwas our Draco Malfoy."

"Harry!" Hermione gasped. "Don't say that!"

Ron nodded. "It can't have been that bad, mate. I bet ol' Snivellus--ow, fine, sorry!--did something to them earlier that they were just...you know--"

"No. No, that's not what was happening!" Harry said, his voice rising and face growing hotter. "They enjoyed it. They liked torturing him."

Hermione stood and sat between Ron and Harry. She placed her hand on his shoulder. "Harry, listen to me, I'm sure that's not true."

"It is."

"And how does your mum figure in all this?"

Harry felt tired, suddenly. He wished he hadn't opened his mouth.

"Harry?"

"She tried to stop them," Harry sighed. "She told them to leave Snape alone. My dad said he would, if she went out with him. She said she'd never...rather date the giant squid...and she called him an arrogant, bullying toerag. And she hated him."

There was a pause, and then Hermione spoke. "Things change."

Harry snorted. "I doubt it."

"No, they do. Look at the three of us."

Harry stared at her. "We never hated each other!"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Oh please. First year? Ron said some pretty awful things about me, remember? That's why I was in the bathroom, crying. You know that."

Ron winced. "You had to bring that up, didn't you?"

"Harry, listen to me," Hermione smiled. "Sometimes a girl can be horribly attracted to someone, and not want to show it. So she'll yell, and argue with that person in order to convince herself and others that there's no feelings there."

"They do that?" Ron asked.

"Of course some of them do," Hermione sighed. "I just said they did, didn't I? Anyway, Harry, your mum and dad were only fifteen. They had loads of time to change. I think it's safe to say that James did not trap Lily and put her under the Imperius Curse, and force her to marry him, and then have you."

"You know, Harry, she really is right. I mean, Hermione and I didn't get along at all before. And now look at us! I mean...not that we're...um"
Harry raised an amused eyebrow.

"That is...er..." Ron looked at his feet quickly as his ears and Hermione's cheeks rose in color. "...You know. Best friends and all."

Harry looked at the picture and couldn't help but let a small smile grace his face. "You're sure?"

"Positive," Hermione beamed. "I mean, honestly, just look at them." She pointed to the picture that was still in Harry's lap. "They truly love each other. They died for each other. And you. Remember James saved Snape later, from Remus. That's a bit of maturation there, don't you agree? And as they got closer to the whole war, I bet he grew up. She noticed. She saw how brave he was, what a true Gryffindor he was, and how could she say no to someone like that? She loved him."

Harry let the smile take over. "I guess you're right."

"Besides," Hermione smiled, "how could any woman say no to a face like that?" She eyed the picture and chuckled to herself.

"You know, Hermione, they say I look just like my dad," Harry teased.

"Well, I think it's time for bed now, don't you think?" Ron intervened, standing and stretching. "Potions test and all that--oh, how can I possibly pass that class now? I'll be laughing at Snivellus too hard. Okay, Hermione, alright, I get it, no more! Suck out all the bloody fun...you coming, Harry?"

"Yeah, I'll be up in a minute."

Ron and Hermione's voices grew faint. They bickered their way to their separate dorms ("Honestly, Ron, don't call him that! He's our Professor!"), but Harry was too lost in thought to hear. He traced the outlines of his mother and father again. James was holding Lily close now, gazing at her. She was looking back, with her fingers teasing his messy hair gently. Harry decided he'd better leave them alone, and put the picture back in the envelope with Remus's letter. He figured a couple in love deserve a bit of privacy.

He waited until he was sure that Ron and Hermione had separated to their proper stairwells, headed up to bed, and realized all the assurance he ever needed had been there all along.