Chapter 6: Back at Home
Once again, this original chapter was the chapter before it....so somehow I'm going to have to throw another chapter in here that was never in the original story so that there is an even number of chapters at the end! Anyways, I'm going to be leaving the last chapters cliffhanger alone for this chapter because it'll be about what's going on back at Hogwarts. But don't worry, the cliffhanger will be tied into the story in the end of this chapter!! Although it is predictable what happened because you're all smart!!! Right? Yeah, that's what I thought! And Sarah, the reference thing is for those who USED to read it like Heather and are reading it AGAIN! Also, you just have a poor memory with characters and I don't know where you got the 'cloud nine' thing from. And also, BabyRuth, thank you for your reviews!!!!! They were really sweet! Actually, almost all of my reviews are totally sweet! Thank you all!! Enjoy!
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"Come on, mate. Cheer up just a little bit, will ya? We have a Quidditch match today against Hufflepuff." Ron said at breakfast, looking at his very glum best friend. Ron, Ginny, Dean, Thomas, Neville, and Sean were all seated around their fellow Gryffindor, looking at him with worried expression over their breakfasts. Rose and Serenati hadn't returned from the wedding yet but were due home soon.
Hermione's absence had a large effect on the mood of the Gryffindor house, especially those in sixth year. Yet, everyone was very sure that Harry had been hurt the most from the events. It took the boys three days to drag Harry out of their dorm and make him go back to classes. But going back to class hardly helped him one bit, for he only stared off into space the whole time and he even broke down in tears three times (thankfully, those encounters happened without Slytherin present). Many times his professors sent him to the Hospital Wing so he could cry, but Madame Pomfrey would only let him stay for two hours a day at top for his grieving. All of his friends kept constant watch on him, worrying that he would do something drastic in the loss of his lover. But they prayed that those thoughts weren't entering his head too often to tempt him. That would create even more of a disaster.
"It doesn't matter." Harry replied. Thomas gasped.
"Did you just say that a Quidditch match didn't matter to you, Harry? I think it's time he goes to see Madame Pomfrey!" Thomas said.
"She told me yesterday that she won't let him up today until after the match." Dawn said. She had been the one ordered to take him up to the Hospital Wing the day before during Care of Magical Creatures and whoever it was that took Harry up had to stay with him for a while until he asked them to return to class. Ron had been the longest to stay so far with his time of thirty-
three minutes on the first day.
"I'm not going to the match today." Harry said quietly. "You're going to have to find a substitute before the match starts. I suggest you start now."
"What? You have to play, Harry! Hufflepuff may not be the best team ever but without you, they'll win! And besides, you're our captain! If Wood ever found out you tried to miss a match, he'd come back from wherever he is and give you a speech for sure!" Ron cried. Ron was once more the Keeper for Gryffindor, but now his skills had improved thanks to some help from his siblings.
"I don't care." Harry said.
"At least eat, Harry! You haven't had anything to eat in three days! You'll shrivel up and die soon!" Ginny cried.
"Good." Harry replied at her harshly.
"Harry, that isn't funny!" Dawn snapped at him. Harry just glared at her. She was taken aback by his glare.
"Come on, Harry. You know that McGonagall will make you play. It'll be a good way to let off some steam." Neville said. Harry looked at him. That idea had never occurred to him.
"Although pounding Malfoy seems like a better way of letting off some steam, I guess a good came of Quidditch might do me will. Thanks Neville." Harry said.
Throughout the whole match Harry felt a sort of ease, as if being in the air allowed him to forget about his worries. Although at one point he thought that he would have been having more fun as a beater so that he could knock the wind out of someone. Regardless, he caught the snitch after ten minutes, winning to game for this team. They all were excited as ever and as soon as he landed, they all began congratulating him. The Hufflepuff team were never sore losers and came over to congratulate Harry as well. Everything was alright until Harry turned to Ron and asked why Hermione hadn't come down from the stands to see them.
"You okay mate?" Ron asked, giving Harry a worried look. Harry suddenly became silent and made his way out of the large crowd of students and into the locker rooms. Right away Dawn approached him.
"What's going on with him?" She asked, looking after her fellow Quidditch mate. Dawn was a beater and was very proud of her position.
"He just realized that Hermoine isn't here anymore." Ron said. He suddenly felt a hit of pain in his heart at his own words. Sure, he had been feeling sad but just now he was beginning to understand Harry's depression more. Ron never knew how much he loved it when Hermione came out to see them after a match and how much he'd be sad at the absence of that simple thing.
"Well, we'll find out about her soon enough. Rose and Serenati are due back tomorrow morning." Dawn said. "But for now, we should go get cleaned up."
"Alright." Ron replied, walking off to the lockers with the rest of his team mates.
That next day, Serenati and Rose came into the Great Hall together during breakfast and sat down with their friends. Everyone looked at them with an excited look for the report about the wedding, closing in tightly when the sisters sat down so that they could hear everything.
"You're back! How was the wedding?" Dawn exclaimed, looking at the American girls, her brown eyes shimmering with excitement and wonder.
"Interesting to say the least." Serenati replied, glancing at Rose then at the others.
"Why do you say that?" Neville asked.
"Well, we wore black dresses for one." Rose said.
"That doesn't sound like Hermione at all." Ginny said.
"Or a wedding for that matter." Sean added.
"Are you sure that you weren't at a funeral?" Ron asked.
"The atmosphere made it seem like one. But Hermione did look nice her in dress, although I'm sure that a white one would have looked a lot better on her. I don't think I've ever seen her look more ironically beautiful before with the sad look on her face mixing with her natural beauty. She hardly wore any make-up." Serenati said.
"What are the Krum siblings like? And the parents?" Seamus asked. When the Krum's had come to get Hermione, Seamus had only gotten to see them and not talk to him. He was just as eager as Neville and Ron to find out what the whole Krum family was like.
"The girls are alright. Lala, who is 18, is a very good person to have conversations with. Nikolina and Petia are really good at doing hair but can be as sharp as marbles when conversations come around. We didn't get to see the brothers too often, though. I think the only time we ever even caught sight of them was during the wedding." Serenati said.
"I don't think we ever saw his parents." Rose added in a thoughtful tone, as if she were only speaking to herself. Serenati glanced at her thoughtfully and began to searched her mind for sight of the Krum parents. She could only recall seeing her own and her aunt and uncle.
"What about at the reception?" Ron asked.
"There wasn't one." Rose replied.
"What do you mean? Every wedding has a reception. It's where everyone eats and gives their presents to the couple and all. They're my favorite part of weddings. Especially the eating!" Dean said.
"Not this one. We left right after it was over, actually. We gave Hermione a hug and left." Rose said.
"We thought we should get back here as soon as possible." Serenati lied, knowing that it would have been weird trying to explain to her friends that Hermoine had forced them to leave.
"Did she say anything?" Neville asked.
"She told us to tell Harry to wait when something happens. We didn't understand but we had a carriage waiting for us outside so we left without question." Serenati said with a slight shrug.
"I'm going up to my dorm." Harry said quietly, getting up and exiting the Great Hall. Sean and Ron looked at each other before getting up to follow him. When they got into their dorm, they found Harry lying on his bed.
"What's wrong, mate?" Ron asked, the two going to him.
"Just take a guess." Harry said coldly at his best friend.
"You need to have a little faith in her, Harry. I know I don't know her that well since Dawn and I just recently began hanging out with you guys but I know enough about her to know that she won't take any of this sitting down. I'm sure that she'll make her way back here soon enough." Sean said.
"Easy for you to preach about. She isn't the love of your fiancee." Harry said.
"Interestingly enough, if you think about she isn't yours anymore either since she's married. Except if you want to be considered the one that the married person sleeps around with behind their spouses back. If you were a girl, you'd be a mistress." Ron said. The other two looked at him, both of their eyebrows raised.
"Thanks a lot, arse." Harry said, rolling over so that his back was to them.
"What? I was only thinking logically!" Ron said in defense of himself. Ron sighed. "Well, it's not like you're doing anything about it." Ron said.
"Hermione's message told me to wait. But what to wait for I'm not sure." Harry said quietly, turning onto his back and looking up once more. "It's so frustrating!" He shouted loudly, completely contrasting his tone just before. Sean and Ron looked at each other nervously and watched as a hot tear ran down Harry's face. Without warning, Harry bolted up and ran over to the window.
"Harry!" Ron yelled, grabbing Harry's shoulder just as Harry opened the window. "Harry snap out of it! If you die then you won't ever see Hermione again!" Ron said, hoping his words would halt the drastic actions of his best mate.
"Dying is better then knowing she's with that bastard! And I can't even go after her! I can't wait like this, Ron! You don't understand what it is like!" Harry shouted. Sean closed the window and Ron pulled Harry away. Harry began to sob like a child, Ron allowing him to use his shoulder to cry on.
"We'll get her back, mate. Just take heed to her words." Ron said wisely. He smiled slightly to himself at the thought of how proud Hermione would be to hear him talking like how he was. He felt like this whole situation had matured him and silently hoped he'd stay this mature once it was all over.
That night, Harry tossed and turned in his bed as a nightmare played in his head:
Harry was standing in front of a large manor, staring at the door. He opened it up and saw what looked like a wedding was going on. He watched as five girls accompanied by five guys walked down a wide stair case, each of them dressed in black. They walked between a few rows of black chairs and parted at the alter, the girls on the left and the guys on the right. Then, the music changed and a young woman dressed in a fitting black dress began walking down the stairs, her arm laced with that of an older man and her face covered by a black veil.
Harry walked around the chairs so that he was in the front of the room, watching as the young woman neared the alter. When she did, she kissed the older man's cheek and handed her bouquet of blood red roses off to a bridesmaid who Harry realized was Serenati.
"Am I at the wedding?" Harry whispered to himself.
"We are gathered here today to join in marriage Viktor Krum and Hermoine Granger." The minister said. "Marriage is a holy union between two who are in love such as those who stand before you, however young or old they are. Love is something that blesses our hearts and brings us to do things we could never have thought possible without it's strong aid." He turned to Viktor. "Do you, Viktor Krum, take thee Hermione Granger as your lawful wedded wife, to have and to hold, 'til death do you part?"
"I do." Viktor said effortlessly, as if the wedding was a big strain on his life.
"And do you, Hermione Granger, take thee Viktor Krum as your lawful wedded husband, to have and to hold, 'til death do you part?" The minister now asked Hermione.
"I do." Hermione said with much sadness in her voice.
"The rings please." The minister said, beckoning forth Serenati and Viktor's brother. They handed Hermione and Viktor the rings and they slipped them on to the others finger wordlessly. "You may kiss the bride." The minister said. Harry watched as Viktor lifted the black veil and kissed Hermione's lips, her whole body going stiff upon the contact. "I present to all those present, Mr. Viktor and Hermione Krum." He announced. Harry noticed that Hermione's family had slipped out of the house once Viktor laid his lips on Hermione's.
Harry next watched as Hermoine argued with Serenati and Rose about leaving. He saw the tears forming in each of their eyes and the annoyed looks that Viktor was giving the girls. Finally, Serenati and Rose left sadly, leaving Hermione alone at the alter without anyone to protect her. Viktor approached Hermione and heal his arm out.
"Come Hermione." He commanded. Hermione took his arm and he led her down the isle, Harry following from behind. He sneered at the people who were glaring at Hermione with much hatred. Of course he knew that his sneers were in vain, for he figured out long ago that he was invisible.
"I thought she would have fun away." A cloaked man sneered when Viktor and Hermione arrived at a door just down the hall, only mer feet where the wedding had just been held.
"She is facing what she agreed to." Viktor replied strongly, a hint of pride in his voice. Harry watched as Hermoine continued to look at the ground when the man stepped aside and let the newlyweds enter a dark room. Harry followed after them glued his eyes to Hermione. He could see that tears threatened in her chocolate eyes but she was fighting them as strongly as one ever could. Harry wanted so badly to wrap his arms around her and kiss her tears away.
"So she's arrived." A voice said. When Harry heard this voice, his head snapped up to see the outline of the owner of the voice. Yet his eyes returned to Hermione's stiff body when Viktor left her and closed the door behind them.
"As promised, the mudblood." Viktor said, kneeling down low before the outline of what Harry knew was Voldemort. Harry wanted to strangle Viktor first for calling his beloved a mudblood, then kill him for bringing her before Lord Voldemort.
"Let me see her face." Voldemort commanded. Viktor stood and walked to Hermione, roughly forcing her head up. Harry watched as fear quickly replaced the courage she had managed to build up onto her face at the sight of Voldemort. Her hand fled to her mouth and her chest rose and fell quickly at the sight before her.
"Bring her to me." Voldemort ordered next. Viktor pulled at Hermoine's arm, but she seemed to have glued her black heels to the spot she was standing in and strongly fought back.
"Go on, bitch!" Viktor shouted at her, pulling at Hermione's arm so hard that she stumbled forward and landed just before the trim of Voldemort's robes. Harry rushed over to her, but as soon as his hand passed through her fallen body, he knew that he wasn't truly there.
"Stand, mudblood, and hold out your arm. It's time for you to hold up your end of the deal." Voldemort ordered. Hermoine did so very slowly and held out her arm, turning her head away as Voldemort raised his wand to it.
"Hermoine! No!" Harry shouted.
"Harry! Harry wake up!" Ron said, shaking the screaming Harry from his nightmare. Harry shot up, a light film of sweat covering him from the stress of his dream. "Harry, what happened?" Ron asked.
"I saw it! I was there at the wedding! Hermione was forced in front of Voldemort after the girls left! Ron, he was going to give her the Dark Mark! We have to save her!" Harry exclaimed.
"Chill out, Harry. It was just a dream." Neville said, the other boys having gathered around Harry's bed along with Ron.
"It wasn't a dream! It was real! It was all just as Serenati and Rose had described it! They were wearing black and Hermione forced them to leave!" Harry said. He threw his covers off of him. "I'm going to get her." He declared. Sean pushed him back onto the bed.
"Harry, maybe this was what that warning Hermione sent to you was referring to. Maybe you should do as she said and wait." Sean said.
"But, it seemed so real. Her pain was so real. I could almost touch her." Harry said, his eyes becoming glassy as he remembered the pained looks on Hermione's face.
"Maybe you should go take a cold shower or something, mate. I'll see if I can sneak you some pumpkin pie or something from the kitchen." Ron offered. Harry looked at him and finally nodded. The guys all left with Ron while Harry went into their bathroom and took a nice cold shower to allow him to calm down. When he got out of his shower, the guys were all sitting around with three pumpkin pies and a random assortment of goodies from the kitchen.
"When we told Dobby we were getting them for you, he just piled food on top of food." Dean explained. Harry smiled lightly and sat on his bed, eating his pie and a few cookies. After a while, he drifted off to sleep. A nice dreamless one.
-end of chapter!!!
Well, I'm improving on updating this!! I think it's been around two or three weeks since my last update, which isn't TOO bad considering how long it COULD have taken me!!! Anyways, please review!! Thank you very much!
-Serenity