Chapter 3, The Nightmare
All three Grangers were waiting him in the diningroom. Harry took a seat opposite Hermione. „Harry, how do you like your room?" asked Mrs. Granger. Harry smiled and looked up at her. „It's brilliant, Thank you"
„Hermione brought the books, she thought you may be interested of them. Have you looked at them yet?" asked Mr. Granger as he put some sausage of on his plate.
Harry looked at Hermione, who was once again, blushing and grinned. Hermione was also playing with her fork on the plate. „No. I haven't yet. I'll look at them later" he said. It was so like hermione, always thinking about books.
The dinner was nice, Harry got along with Grangers very well. It was better than he had excpected. After dinner Harry was sitting in the livingroom with the Granger's family. Unlike Hermione, who was blushing and felt very embaressed, Harry was smiling and felt himself very good.
„Mon, i am sure Harry has something better to do then sit here and listen you talking about my childhood" she said and for weird way, she was very interested of her fingernails. Harry could only quess how embaressed Hermione was feeling, since Mrs. Granger had just told him about Hermione, making her first steps. But he liked to hear more about Hermione and her life before school, he ignored his best friend's attempts to stop this conversation. He also liked to see Hermione blushing, even thought he didn't know why. „No, actually, i have nothing better to do" said Harry and grinned at Hermione, who sent him deadly look, which made Harry grin even more.
Mrs. Granger had better plans, atleast Harry thought so, since she rose up from her seat and walked towards a cupboard. Harry felt a bit dissapointed, but then he saw Mrs. Granger walking back and sat down next to him. She was holding few old photoalbums. „No, mom. Not that.." Hemrione cried out, Mrs. Granger just smiled softly at her daughter and opened the album.
Harry enjoyed himself when he was looking Hermione's childhood pictures. Even thought he felt himself a bit bad, since he realized that he will never have moment like that in his life. He didn't have mother, who would start talking about his most embaressing childhood moments to his friends. He had no one who would put him into embaressing moment by showing his childhood pictures to some of his freinds or even girlfriend, if he ever find one. The thought striked his heart and then again, he felt so silly about it all. He was also a bit jalous at Hermione, since she had perfect muggle family. No one would have quessed that Hermione is witch or in any way different than her parents. He was jalous at Ron too, he, unlike Hermione, had perfect wizard family. But most of all, they, his two best friend had families, something what Harry will never get, not like he wants anyway. He don't get himself a mother and father. The only father figure he had, was now dead beacause of him. He closed his eyes and shook his head slightly.
„Are you alright Harry?" asked Mrs. Granger gently. Harry smiled and nodded, before turning his attention to the pictures. Later that day, harry went upstairs with still blushing hermione. „I warn you, one word to Ron or anyone else and you'll reqret this for the rest of your life" she said as she stopped in the middle of the stairs and turned around to look at Harry, who was behind her.
„But 'Mione, how can i not to? I am sure they would love to hear all about it" said Harry with cheeky grin, not adding how much he enjoyed seeing Hermione like that, how much he enjoyed listening and seeing her childhood pictures.
„Don't call me like that ever again, or i will never talk to you again" Hermione said firmly and put her hands on her hips as usual when she was slightly upset. She hated her nickname, the way her parents had been calling her for years. She haven't told anyone about it and now, there he was. There was Harry, with cheeky grin on his face, calling her, just like her parents from the day she was borned. She wasn't mad at Harry, nor upset. She was more upset at her parents, who had put her into so humiliating moments previously at the day. Mad at her parents who told Harry her nickname, she hated so much. Never mad at Harry, but she wasn't going to admit it to him, let him know that.
Oh come on 'Mione, you know you like it." Harry said as he stepped closer and gave her quick kiss to cheek before running up from stairs into his room. He knew thet if he would have stayed longer, Hermione would have hex him.
A week later Harry was in better mood than ever. He didn't reqret of coming to Granger's house. Yes, he was still worried, but was glad to be with people he cared for. He really liked Hermione's parents, they were sweet and generous with him. He was feeling very good and he even didn't see nightmares anymore, which made him a bit happier. Hermione had ofcourse, used with the fact that Harry called her by her nickname, she even liked it, but she wasn't going to admit it to him. Harry instead was decided that he will not tell anyone about what he had heard from her parents and the pictures he's seen. It was like his and Hermione's secret. A secret what made his friendship with Hermione more special than it had been. They haven't talked about it thought, but both knew that it was like some kind of unspoken agreement to keep it secret, to keep secret all what Harry had found out the first day.
Harry and Hermione were closer than ever and it all happened with one week. They both enjoyed to be each other company, loved the midnight talks in Harry's room, the walks what they had after dinner. They coudn't imagine that everything would be different, couldn't imagine they're lives without each other. They kept reminding the years at Hogwarts, the way they met and became friends. They talked about everything, even about Sirius. The only person Harry didn't want to talk to, but when he was with Hermione, he was like lost. They had like they're own little world, where are no secrets, nothing to hide, and he talked.. he talked how much he missed him, talked about the nightmares he saw when he was with Dursleys, talked about what had happened in Professor Dumbledore's office after they came back from Department.. he talked about everything, except the prophecy, what was deeply hidden inside of him. He couldn't put his mind to it. He couldn't talk about it, he didn't want to talk about it, didn't want Hermione to worry about him. He knew that Hermione will understand him, Hermione will not reject him just beacause he is the only one who can kill Voldemort and he may become a murderer. He knew that Hermione would rather think of him as a hero, or as a victim who has to deal with such thing. He didn't want either of it. Didn't want her to think of him as Hero or feel symphaty for him. He wanted Hermione to take him as he was, just Harry. Not as The-Boy-Who-Lived..
At Saturday night, excactly one week after coming nto Granger's house, something changed. Harry couldn't describe the feeling he felt, but he was in a way afraid to g to sleep. He tried his best to stay up and not go to bed. He even sat up on the sofa and read some book from the bookshelf. Until he couldn't stay up any longer, he fall asleep..
There he was again, in the department of Mysteries. He saw the fight what was going on there like in slow motion, except the fact that he wasn't able to do anything. He was just staring the action before him. He saw Sirius and Bellatrix.. oh how much he tried to move himself, how much he tried to open his eyes, wake up, but he failed.. he still saw it, he saw Sirius' death again, the desperate look in his eyes, the smile on his face and the laugh.. the laugh of Bellatrix.. he tried to scream, yell, run away but couldn't. And then he felt it, felt his heart pounding faster, felt his scar hurting and he heard voice.. heard laugh. Within seconds everything went black infrot of his eyes, his scar hurting more and more.
He closed his eyes and this time, he didn't fail. When he opened his eyes again, he saw Voldemort infront of him, laughing. His scar was hurting and he fell on his knees. He looked up and noticed something what he didn't before. He saw that Voldemort's right arm was around Hermione's waist and her head was leant on Voldemort's shoulder. Voldemort's left arm was on Ron's shoulder, Ron's who was laughing along with Voldemort himself. „Hermione, Ron, what are you doing?" he heard himself asking.
„Well you see Potter, unlike you, they joined with me. They know what's best for them" Harry heard Voldemort saying, while Hermione and Ron were nodding. „No, you're wrong. They'll never join with you. What have you done to them?" Harry had yelled at Voldemort, while he put his hand on his scar what started bleeding. The pain in his scar was worse than ever, Harry tried to take his wand with his free hand but heard female voice saying „Accio Wand" he looked at his wand what flew into Hermione. He saw Voldemort smiling at her. Voldemort puller her closer and as he kissed her to the top of her head, while she, Hermione, was smiling brightly. This scene was too much for Harry, „TAKE YOUR FILTHY HANDS OFF OF HER" he yelled again and saw evil smirk on Hermione's face, what scared him a bit. He looked at Ron, who was now dissapeared and turned his gaze back to Hermione who pointed her wand on Harry.
Harry shook his head, he felt himself doing it. „No.. No Hermione.. NO HERMIONE" he yelled and then Harry was like deaf. He couldn't hear anything, just saw Hermione saying „Crucio" and sent the spell on Harry. „HERMIONE NO" he yelled as he jumped up from his bed, his eyes were wide open, his eyes were watery, he had been crying. He was shivering madly and his scar was hurting. He placed his hand on his scar and got scares, when he noticed that it was bleeding, just like in his nightmare. He laid back down, staring the ceiling he tried to forget Hermione's evil laugh, her smirk and Voldemort.. holding her, kissing her.
He heard the door burst open, but didn't turned to look who it was. „Harry, Harry what happened? Are you alright?" he heard Hermione's voice what was full of concern. Her voice what was so different from what he heard from his nightmare. He then felt how she wrapped her arms around him, as much as she could, since Harry was still laying on his bed.
Harry sighed in relief and rushed his hand through her hair, while he held her with free hand. He was glad to feel her in his arms. He felt good to feel her in his arms. He slowly sat up on the bed, while he still embraced Hermione. „I am fine 'Mione. I am fine.." he repeated just to convince himself and to convince Hermione. „you don't have to worry about it." he added as softly as he could.
Hermione pulled apart and looked at Harry, who saw tears falling from her eyes. She was crying beacause of Harry and Harry felt a bit bad for it. It hurted him to see Hermione like that. It hurted him to hurt Hermione like that, she didn't deserve this. He touched her cheek and softly he wiped Hermione's tears with thumb, gently rubbing her cheek. He couldn't help but wonder how soft her skin was and how good he fetl to touch her like that. „He was just a nightmare 'Mione" he added as his palm was still on her cheek, his eyes gazed into hers. The time seemed to stop between them, all the nightmare was forgotten while they looked each other's eyes, drowned in them.
Hermione broke the eye contact. She looked up at Harry and saw that his scar was bleeding. She gasped and more tears filled her eyes. „You're bleeding" she said in whisper and touched his scar. He jumped by the touch a little and let his hand fall from her face. „does it hurt?" she asked with concern and Harry shook his head, even thought it did hurt him. The scar was hurting madly, but he didn't want Hermione to worry more than she already did. „what did you saw?" she asked as she took her hand off of his scar. Her eyes were once again in his.
„Oh.. it.. it was nothing. Just about sirius' death again" Harry mumbled and looked away. He had been telling her only half-truth and he just couldn't look at Hermione, he felt bad for not telling the whole truth. How could he tell her that he saw Hermione with Voldemort. Saw him kissing Hermione in the top of her head, saw Voldemort holding Hermione by waist. He was a little bit afraid of her reaction if he would tell her. He did quessed that much like Hermione, she would tell Harry that this was nonsence and that she will never join with him. And would have repeated that it was just nightmare and nothing else.
But Harry, he had a strange feeling that it was more than nightmare. And not only beacause his scar was bleeding. But beacause of everything, the emotions what he had been feeling seeing his friends like that.. the fear he felt, the betrayal.. everything.
„Harry James Potter, don't lie to me! I heard you screaming, you were -" but she couln't finish her sentence, since the door burts open again and Hermione's parents walked in.
„Harry, are you alright? We heard you- Oh my, you're bleeding" said Mrs. Granger with gasp. She looked at her husband who hurried out of the room and after five minutes came back with wet towel and plaser, for his scar. He saw both of his girls, Hermione and Mrs. Granger, sitting opposite each other on Harry's bed, taking care of him, talking in whisper, trying to calm Harry and trying to find out what Harry had been seeing in his nightmare.
„I am fine" Harry said with squeaky voice as he felt uncomfortable, since he was being threated like he is some five years old boy. But Hermione along with Mrs.Granger didn't seem to listen him. As soon as Mr. Granger walked into the room again, Hermione almost run into him to take the towel and the plaster.
She walked back to Harry and gently cleaned the scar from blood and put the plaster on it to stop it bleeding. When she was done her parents had left the room, so she was alone once again with Harry. „Has this happened before?" she asked as she still sat on Harry's bed and looked at him. „Don't lie to me me" she added and took Harry's hand in hers as if she was trying to courage him to talk.
Harry let out a sigh, there was no way he could hide it from her. He knew that by that question she meant the scar. He closed his eyes, trying to forget the nightmare, the pain he still felt on forehead and he didn't want to see Hermione's reaction, the worried look in her eyes."No.. my scar have never been bleeding after nightmare" he said, his eyes still closed.
Hermione gasped and stroked his hand with her thumb. She was silent for few moments, afraid to ask the question what was haunting her mind ever since she heard Harry yelling. „what did you really saw Harry?" she asked in whisper. Her voice was trembling and when Harry opened his eyes, he saw few tears silently falling down from her cheeks. He knew the tears were beacause of him and he felt like the tears, like every single tear what fall down from her cheeks, burned his heart.
Harry then sat up, they were very close to each other, they're noses were barely touching one another. He catched Hermiones brown eyes with his emerald ones. Even thought it was night, and there were no lights on in the room, they saw each other perfectly. The moon and the street lights were lighting the room enough for them. Harry raised his hand like in slow motion and touched Hermione's cheek. Hermione only sighed and closed her eyes. Harry wiped her silent tears again with his thumb. „You called my name, Harry. What did you see?" she asked again in soft whisper as she finally opened her eyes. Harry moved his hand down her cheek and touched her lips with his thumb.
„Let's not talk about it right now" he answered as softly as Hermione. Hermione only nodded and took his hand in her and turned herself and rested her head on Harry's chest, while putting Harry's hand across her stomach. Harry put his otehr hand around her aswell and slowly leant back down, never letting Hermione go from his arms, holding ehr in his embrace.
Soon Hermione's swallowed breaths turned into soft breathing what convinced Harry that she was sleeping. Harry smiled at himself and stroked her head and played with her hair, while holding her with one arm. He loved the soft touch of her hair, loves the soft smell of them. Hermione's head was still resting on his chest, his arm still around her, the other hand playing with her hair, he just couldn't held himself back. He leant his head closer to her and kissed the top of her head. „Night 'Mione" he whispered and leant his head back to the pillow, where he soon fall asleep, seeing the girl in his arms on his dream.