--Beyond the Grave--

Disclaimer: Anything you recognise isn't mine – god bless JK!!!

Beta Reader: Sir Darlon – big thanks I couldn't do this without you!

Chapter 22 – Beyond the Grave

Reminder: He was showing grief I was certain of it, and maybe it was because of my need for something in the physical world to hold on to, a last remnant of my humanity or perhaps just a willingness to forget… but I found myself forgiving him.

-- What the Heart Knows --

So what was it with me? Did I just not care any more, this guy had taken away my most precious possession, my life, and here I was still in love with him. Was I one of those girls the sort who go back to bad men time and time again, become oblivious to all the faults? Was that it?

I mean it's not like you can get a much bigger fault than murder is it?

But at the end of the day that was just it, it didn't matter that I knew he was responsible for my murder, it didn't matter that he was evil, and that he was taking all my friends and family on a rollercoaster ride that could quite possibly kill them. Because I was still in love with him, and no matter how I tried to fight the feelings, to hold them back they still surged forward.

Truth be told, in life I knew that Harry had only to ask me and I would have followed him to the ends of the earth, and now? Now I was in a permanent state of conflict, not knowing where to turn, what to believe, because if he really was evil – why wasn't he doing any of the things you would expect an evil wizard to do?

Every day I saw him fighting to control his power and my heart reached out to him, every day I wanted to hold him, to tell him that despite everything it would all be alright, but I knew even now that I could do nothing. Indeed he didn't even know I existed.

But wait? He did know I still existed, he had seen me, and was his reaction that of a murderer? Was his reaction one of horror? Of fear that I was going to haunt him? It was more one of wonder and sadness but certainly no guilt or fear. I had known Harry Potter for all of my teenage life, was he capable of murder?

And I still didn't know how it was that he could see me and no-one else, and why I vanished whenever we attempted contact.

I say in the back of the classroom giggling as Tonks tripped over a flagstone that was as smooth as they come and sent papers flying everywhere. Harry and Ron both sniggered behind their hands as Hermione's face fell in dismay.

Ron noticing her expression turned to her, "what's up Herm?"

She turned red and pointed to a piece of paper that had fallen onto the cold floor of the Defence against the Dark Arts classroom.

The scroll contained a small neat scrawl that I recognised as Hermione's handwriting, but hearing Ron gasp I followed their gaze, there etched near the top of the scroll in Tonks customary indigo ink was a huge letter B.

I gasped, but of course no one else could hear me. Had it ever happened in her entire time at Hogwarts, Surely this was a first? Ron's urgent whisperings in her ear seemed to reflect my own thoughts, But as invisible as I was to Hermione Ron might have well been just the same.

She sat there her face whiter than a sheet, and her eyes fixed on Tonks with something that almost seemed to be pure loathing.

It was in the common room later that night after most of the Gryffindor's had gone to bed that her response finally took its toll.

"Hermione it's just a bloody B, I spend most of my time at Hogwarts struggling to maintain a C average, and you don't see me going almost catatonic when I get a bad grade!"

She turned to look at him as if in shock, and opened her mouth briefly to speak but the closed it and spun on her heel, heading for the girls dormitories.

I stood unable to decide between following Hermione and staying where Harry would be under my ever watchful gaze.

Making a last minute decision I sent myself to the girls dormitory, top floor where I knew Hermione slept alone in the seventh year rooms. Lavender and Parvati both chose to leave after the owls, believing instead that they're talents were better suited to opening a wizard's cosmetics shop together.

Rather than feeling lonely though Hermione had loved it. A tower room all to herself! A place where she could study and escape the incessant giggling that Parvati and Lavender had provided for her first five years.

Having a single room suited Hermione just fine, and on occasions like this it seemed almost perfect. It provided a refuge, a place where she didn't have to listen to Ron ranting.

A place where she could cry in peace!

I stood watching her as her lower lip trembled and her eyes flooded with tears, Hermione had had a B before, Snape never gave decent marks, but I had never seen this sort of reaction from her.

A quiet knocking caused both of us to turn our heads towards the closed door,

Hermione took a step towards it breathing deeply to compose herself. I meanwhile hopped right through the door to see who had disturbed her.

I was not surprised to see a flustered Harry stood there his broom discarded at his feet and his hand leaning on the heavily grained doorframe. And judging by the resigned sigh from beyond the oak door when he spoke his name a moment later Hermione wasn't surprised either.

"Harry? What are you doing? How did you get here? You know you're not allowed into the girls dormitories!"

Once again she had bounced back to the defiant first year that contended Harry and Ron's blatant disregard for school rules. And bouncing back through the door I saw she was wearing her business face, as she stood facing the door her fists clenched, an expression I had only seen twice, once in the department of Mysteries and once in diagon alley as we fought the dementors. The only question here however was why did she steel herself against Harry, does she know? I wondered does she trust him?

"Does it matter how I got here?" Harry avoided the question "Surely it just matters that I'm here now"

Hermione glared at the wood and if looks could kill then the door would have been in pieces.

"Harry, leave me alone, you'll just take Ron's side anyway! You always do!"

I stick my head through the door to see his reaction and saw what appeared to be a glimmer of triumph quickly flash into his eyes, as he removed his glasses and washed the lenses with the hem of his robe.

"Hermione, Open the door" he demanded changing tact

"Why should i?" she shouted back stubbornly, "What do you care? Go back to your darling Ron and leave me ALONE!"

Harry glared at the door, and to my surprise he wrenched on the door handle and it came open.

Hermione sat up on her bed and wiped her cheek to try and hide the tears that had been there only a moment ago, a moment made evident by the red skin around them.

"I told you to go away" she said getting to her feet. "Don't you ever listen?"

Harry moved menacingly towards her and grabbed her by the shoulder. I hid my eyes realising what would happen next, realising that he would kill her like he had killed me.

But what he did instead hurt me far more that murder ever could, he pressed his lips forcefully against hers, and for a moment I thought she would subdue, but instead she beat against his chest.

"Harry what the hell are you doing!"

her voice was echoed by another, deeper and more menacing.

"That's what I would like to know"

A voice I recognised. A voice I had known my entire life, I turned knowing what I would see.

In front of me in the doorway, just stepping down from a borrowed broom with extremely red ears and an even redder face was my brother.

Please don't hate me for this, just the way the story needs to go, Sorry Sorry Sorry that I took so long to update, Darlon, I know you disagree with this chapter, but as your not online at the moment I can't show you my next chappie and I think this has already been withheld for long enough., Please review!!! Silvermoonluna