Disclaimer: I do not own or make money off of Harry Potter.
Author's Note: I am sorry about the wait, but I have a wonderful beta now, LadySunflower, so maybe I can cut down on all my mistakes. Also the first seven chapters had already been written, but hopefully I will be able to update once a week. To answer Padfoot2304's question…I do intend to include other people, but the story will stay "trio-centric". Also my story will contain no slash.
Chapter 8:
Harry Potter stirred the contents of the pan absent-mindedly. He still tended to do most things the Muggle way. Instead of heating up the can of stew with a simple warming spell, he was using a small stove that Remus managed to transfigure a couple of days ago. Sighing he glanced at the door again; it had begun to rain in the last few moments, as it usually does in England, and Ron had yet to return with Hermione. The-Boy-Who-Lived was growing concerned at the absence of his friends, and decided that now would be the best time to go out after them.
Shutting the stove off, he threw on his cloak and stepped out into the rain when he heard a low popping noise behind him. Instinctively he withdrew his wand and turned on the intruder and instead found himself shocked to be staring into the amused blue eyes of the Headmaster. "Professor Dumbledore?" Harry lowered his wand and stared at the old man.
"You are quite quick with it I see; very good." His mischievous eyes twinkled. "Let's get in out of the rain."
Harry nodded and started to follow when he remembered why he was out there. "Wait, Professor, I was just going after Ron and Hermione. They should be back by now and have been out in this weather for a bit. I am a little worried."
Albus Dumbledore frowned a bit at his missing students. He withdrew his wand and said an incantation to ward them from the rain. "I will help you search for them; I need to talk to all of you."
The two wizards lit their wands and began to search the surrounding forest for signs of Ron and Hermione. After a few moments they heard the sound of weeping coming just beyond a small hill. Both set off at a dead run toward the noise, the aged wizard moving unusually fast. Discovering the cave, they both saw Ron clutching the still body of Hermione in the floor.
"Ron!" Harry slid to a stop beside the two figures his own eyes tearing up. "What's wrong with Hermione? What happened?" Harry looked from the pale witch to the mumbling wizard.
"Wake up…don't die…wake up…don't die…" Ron continued to mumble the mantra as he held the young girl.
Dumbledore took note of the potion items around the cave floor and looked at the child's still form. Gently he kneeled down and touched Harry's shoulder. The two exchanged knowing looks and the young boy moved over to his best friend. He gripped the boy in a hug from behind, pulling him away from his other friend's limp form. Despite Ron's struggle he held him tight giving Dumbledore a moment to look over Hermione.
Hermione Granger was still, her lips had a bluish tent to them, and to most observers she would appear to be dead. Dumbledore however recognized that her chest seemed to rise a bit and fall slightly; not enough to give her the proper amount of oxygen, but still there was a bit of hope. Gently he picked the frail girl up, cradling her in his arms. "She is not dead." Swiftly he rushed out with the bundle, yelling back over his shoulder. "Bottle up the remainder of that potion and bring it with you. Do not touch it with you skin." With a swish of his robes he was gone.
The first thing she remembered feeling was a pressure on her chest, as if she was gradually being pressed down upon by a seemingly heavy object. Than her body began to tingle and it hurt to move; pins and needles seemed to be poking into all her nerves, similar to how a waking limb would feel except multiplied by ten. Resisting the urge to curl into herself she instead tried to pry her eyes open but found she was incapable. Then as suddenly as it began she felt warm arms cradling her protectively and an overwhelming need to stretch out as if waking from a mid-afternoon nap. Overcome with that urge, it's just what she did.
Dumbledore stopped mid-stride, his arms felt the increasing weight in them. Placing the wrapped girl on the ground he removed his cloak to find a young woman stretching in clothes much too small for her, before curling in to a ball and falling into a deep restful sleep. He had been mere feet from the Apparation point, but found it was unnecessary now. With a slight chuckle and a grin, he had to smile at the child's brilliance if nothing else, although he would never admit it. With a swish and a flick the body floated behind him towards Lupin's shack. He had many questions for the wayward travelers.
Harry and Ron returned to the shack to find the Headmaster enjoying a simple feast on an obviously conjured table and chairs. Stunned they opened their mouths to protest, but the Professor just nodded toward the sleeping teenager in the ragged bed. A smile was on her face and her color was back. With a simple motion the two boys joined the small feast all eating in silence and relief.
"I assume that whatever effect that potion was meant to achieve was successful?" It wasn't really a question.
Ron stole a glance at the beautiful girl on the bed, her brown hair splayed out in waves over the pillow. A smile plastered on his face. "Spectacularly!"
Chuckling a bit and a twinkle in his eye, he turned to seriousness of the situation. "I don't encourage testing new potions on one self. There could have been some nasty side effects and still may be."
"No it works perfectly, I know it," Harry said in seriousness. "Hermione would never risk it if it didn't; you don't know her in this time but she is the smartest witch in this age, if not longer."
Dumbledore regarded the boys over his half-moon glasses. "I don't recommend you risking it, but I suppose you are both of age and I have no way of stopping it."
Both boys nodded a fierce determination on their faces.
"Will you at least allow my Potions Master to review it before attempting to take the potion?" He was careful to avoid Severus's name but everyone knew to whom he was referring.
"No." Somehow Harry managed to sound stern despite his young voice. "I know your feelings on the future, but I will not budge on the Snape issue. I would hope you would heed my wishes in this; I don't want him involved with anything pertaining to me, and he is not to know of anything I tell you."
"He is an Order member, Harry. You do realize that the Order shall remain involved in your life."
The boy-who-lived resisted the urge to toss his goblet of pumpkin juice at the wall. "I expect nothing less, but I…we…" he amended at Ron's scathing look, "…have a job to do. We did not risk Azkaban and our families to hide in a shack. Things may have not gone as planned, but we still will strive to accomplish our goal."
Dumbledore sat back in his chair, an eerie calm filled the room. "I would have never allowed you to use such a spell and from talking to Lupin earlier you continue to use surprisingly Dark Magic."
"It is the intent of the spell that counts!" Ron yelped in their defense. "We have nothing but good intentions!"
"We shall see." The older wizard stood up and with a wave of his hand the table, chairs, and feast folded into nothingness.
Harry Potter stood up to his full height, which is not much for a mal-nourished eleven year old. "I am not Tom Riddle…and I am not Albus Dumbledore. I am Harry Potter, the bloody Boy-Who-Lived, not an attention seeker, not a Dark wizard…not even a Slytherin!" His voiced continued to rise in pitch. "The prophecy will come to pass no matter how much I fear it, but I will not tuck my head in the sand and allow myself to be lead on a leash. I am doing this on my own terms; nothing you can say can change what is done. The great Albus Dumbledore could not turn back time and save my parents or squash Tom Riddle as a student, but the Golden Trio…we did turn back time and nothing will stop us from staying the course." He set his jaw, his raven hair unnaturally messy and dancing about his head.
"And what you risk, Harry Potter? Is it acceptable?"
Emerald eyes blazing with magic he nodded in the affirmative. "It is."
"I shall heed your wishes for now, Harry, but the Order will be here for all of you. We are a very useful tool and Molly would want to make sure all three of you are eating properly." The group chuckled lightly, although Ron gulped at bit. "I expect you to stay in contact through secure channels; I assume you know what channels I refer to?"
"Yes, we will keep you updated on our search." Harry glanced at Hermione resting on the bed. "How long?"
"She'll be awake by tomorrow I suspect; I found no physical damage in a scan. Wait until then to take the potion, at the very least, as a personal request from me." Dumbledore placed his tall, wizard's hat on top of his head.
"We will leave before Lupin returns."
The old wizard eyes twinkled a bit. "Brilliant really, not a single Auror is looking for three seventeen year-olds."
"Of course it hurt a bit in the beginning, but really it was worth it…I mean look at me…I'm…me again!" Hermione twirled in her newly transfigured robes. "I honestly didn't think it would work. I don't know what came over me…"
"We know, Hermione." Harry grinned at his elated friend. "Well then, I guess it's our turn, if you think you can watch over both of us at the same time."
Ron made himself comfortable on the only bed. "Well I guess you'll have to take the couch mate." He tore his shirt off of his eleven year old body and retreated under the ragged quilt, before undressing completely. "Don't want to ruin some perfectly good clothes."
Hermione's eyes bulged unnaturally. "Ronald! What if I have to take care of you? Put some clothes on!"
"Don't really see the point. I'll just burst out of them."
Harry hid his grin as he climbed onto the couch and transfigured his robes into a baggy sweat suit, big enough to fit Dudley in the future. "Bottoms up!" In one swift motion the young boy downed the potion, his thoughts only on being that much closer to destroying Voldemort.
"It's not that simple." Hermione looked over the parchment again. "He obviously knows we came back because of him. He isn't stupid." She sighed. "He may have even begun moving the Horcruxes."
The seventeen year-old ran his hands through his messy hair. "No, he hasn't. He is too arrogant to believe that we even know of the Horcruxes. He'll think it's because he was successful in getting the Philosopher's Stone. Besides, we're just first years on the run."
"Maybe, but he may take some precautions just the same," she pointed out.
"I don't understand. I thought You-Know-Who…" Ron blanched at the scornful expressions on his best friends' faces. "…I mean V-Voldemort didn't have any real power until fourth year. He can't accomplish much right now, he doesn't even have and Death Eaters to boss around, yet."
Hermione growled in frustration. "That's true, Ronald, but he could approach one at any point and rectify that. Even if he possesses another, doesn't mean they won't follow him."
"He hasn't, Hermione, not yet. He is a bit busy trying to get the stone." Harry stuffed the rest of his transfigured robes into his trunk, which was heavy despite the charms he had on it. "Right now we need to get some new robes and some Muggle clothes, as well as a place to stay. We have to get out of here before Lupin returns and start planning our next step." Harry rolled up a parchment he had written for Remus to thank him, and left a few hundred Galleons on the table.
"Fine, but I think we should wear a glamour for now and look into getting some Muggle hair dye," Hermione stated.
"Why? Know one knows we are seventeen, except Dumbledore?" Ron pointed out.
"I agree with Hermione. Three new faces in a small area such as Diagon Alley could draw suspicion to us. Plus there is the matter of my scar and your obviously Weasley hair."
"Weasley hair? What is wrong with Weasley hair?" Ron snarled angrily.
Hermione shook her head in frustration. "Nothing, Ron, he's just saying that it is obvious that you are a Weasley."
"Oh." Ron fell into the chair. "So, where are we going? Are we flying there?"
Harry pursed his lips for a moment. "Well until Hermione finds a way around it we can't Apparate, so we will have to fly." Harry paused as he saw his best friend tense up at the thought of flying. "For now, Hermione, you can ride with me, until we can work with you on a broom a bit more." She visibly relaxed and he continued, "I thought about going to Godric's Hollow, but felt it was too obvious. Number twelve Grimmauld Place is of course Sirius's, so I think it is best to find a house near London with a few acres, if possible, and use a Secret-Keeper, so we can have a bit more freedom."
"I think that is a brilliant idea, Harry, our own headquarters for Dumbledore's Army!" Hermione said excitedly.
"Not Dumbledore's Army. It can't be without Luna, Neville, or…Ginny. Just doesn't feel right."
"I know what you mean, mate. I mean I worry about my sister when she is here, but it feels weird not having her with us you know?" Ron agreed.
Harry shook the memories and feelings of Ginny Weasley off as best he could for now, knowing he had lost her forever. She of course was barely ten in this time and he was seventeen, and the very thought would cause a painful feeling in his chest that had threatened to overwhelm him since Hermione successfully used the potion. "Well for now let's just find a Muggle hotel in London, and we will look for houses in the morning." Waving his wand and muttering a bit he placed a strong glamour on himself, although his hair remained jet black, having a will of its own, but his scar looked a bit more like a straight line.
Ron and Hermione repeated the process on themselves, Hermione turning her hair as dark as Harry's deciding to try and pass as siblings. Ron, who had realized what Hermione was doing, and wanting to avoid looking like her brother altogether, chose to change his hair to the other end of the spectrum making it look white-blonde. Harry teased him unmercifully about the Malfoy look causing him to blush as red as is natural hair. Still, he refused to change it.
Eventually the trio kicked off the ground and into the night. Ron wore the Invisibilty Cloak and followed Harry and Hermione who were Disillusioned. The full moon lit up the sky, so he was able to follow the outline easy enough as long as Harry didn't make and sudden moves or tried any tricks, which wasn't likely with Hermione's vice like grip on his shoulders. The trip took longer than expected and the group where weary and cold when they finally landed in an alley way off of a small seedy Muggle motel. A few Shrinking Charms later, they prepared to settle in for the night.
"I'm not so sure about this, Harry," Hermione Granger stammered as she tried to keep her balance on the Nimbus 2000 broom below her. "Why can't I just ride with you?"
Harry Potter suppressed his laughter. "I'm sorry, Hermione, but it just isn't practical. What if we are in a fire fight? Your weight would hinder any maneuverability and speed." He wrapped his hands along the back of the broom and held it steady as he climbed up behind her on the broom. He had a fleeting thought of how it should be Ron saddled up behind her, but ignored it. It just felt right for him to cradle her like this. Positioning his hands over hers he pushed off the ground. "The problem with you, besides your obvious fear of heights, is you don't allow the broom to be an extension of yourself. It wants to move with you, and you act as if it is fighting you." Harry caught the smell of Hermione's shampoo and turned his head toward the ground. Stop being a prat, Harry, you're just enjoying this because you miss Ginny; it has nothing to do with Hermione. Stop thinking lustful thoughts…concentrate on…Quidditch or something.
Hermione leaned forward and readjusted her position on the broom. She felt safe with Harry behind her and she was a Gryffindor, after all. I can do this. I can do this. I can do this. She pushed the handle down and the Nimbus lurched forward, causing her grip to tighten unnaturally. I can't do this. I can't do this. I can't do this.
Harry pulled the broom up and repositioned her hands. "Loosen your grip and relax your fingers. The broom is going to lurch if you manhandle it."
"I did have my grip loose, Harry, but the bloody broom moved and I had to hold on!" the bushy-haired witch snapped.
Grinning behind her, Harry wrapped his arms around her and shot the broom high into the air. "Hermione, I know you can fly. You're letting fear rule you, but I know you and when it comes down to it you do what needs to be done." He hugged her tightly as he pulled the handle up and stopped. "Maybe you need some incentive to fly, since between Ron and me the last week, you haven't progressed…seriously, you're as lousy with a broom as a first year."
"I know that, put me on the ground!" Hermione said through clenched teeth and tightly shut eyes as she made a promise to herself to hex him as soon as she could.
"Ron has given up trying, and I'm almost there myself." Harry sighed. It had been a week since he had purchased the three bedrooms, one story house on a small plot of land near Surrey. Immediately they had set up all the wards necessary to keep Muggles away, as well as unwanted wizards. They had transfigured a few pieces of papers into all the necessary Muggle documents and Harry had purchased the house under an assumed name. Hermione had put up the Fidelius Charm and the trio had decided that she would also be the Secret-Keeper. "We need to start going after the Horcrux and flying is our best mode of transportation, unless you figured a way around the Apparition laws."
Hermione worked her jaw and hissed, "You know I haven't. Now put me down!"
"Well, I have been rather patient, Hermione, and I hate to do this to you, but…" He suddenly slid off the back of the broom into a freefall, his arms flailing.
Hermione, who immediately recognized the change in weight and whipped her head around to see Harry plummeting toward the ground. Without conscious thought she turned the broom down and shot out after him, pushing the speed of the broom. Before she could blink she had positioned the broom near enough for him to latch on to and flip his body behind her again. Her heart pounded in her chest as she easily lowered both of them to the ground and hopped off. "I'm going to hex you, Harry Potter!" She drew her wand and started to flick it at her best friend.
"Wait…Hermione...wait…" He stumbled backwards.
"You could have died what if I hadn't rescued you? How could you do that to me?" She lunged toward him.
Easily dodging her and placing his hands up defensively. "But…it worked, Hermione…you did safe me, and you flew...you flew brilliantly!"
The witch stopped and cocked her head to the side. "I did fly. I flew by myself and high too! Did you see how fast I was going?" she asked excitedly.
"As fast as any Seeker." Harry grinned cheekily. "Ron said it wouldn't work and I would plummet to my death but it did work. I knew you wouldn't let me fall."
"Wait…what?" Hermione's eyes narrowed. "You and Ron planned this?"
Harry stared at her in fear. "No, not really, he just said something along the lines that when he was flying with you the broom bucked so bad that he could have been thrown off, and no one could catch him. It gave me an idea. I really believed you can fly, you just let fear rule you when flying, so I thought the adrenaline would override the fear."
"He thought I'd let him die!"
"He was kidd…" Harry didn't get a chance to finish the sentence because she had hexed him, and he was currently fighting off bat bogeys.
Ron Weasley was putting together the evening meal. He wasn't exactly a cook like his mum, but he could throw a fairly nice stew together. Not that he would make a habit of cooking for the house, it just happened to be his night. Hermione had been quick to set out all the rules and regulations and had a piece of parchment with chores up on the ice box before they had a night's rest in their new headquarters. He really didn't mind the structure and bossiness of the young woman in fact it brought a sense of comfort something reliable from his old life. Hermione would never change.
There was one issue Ron would like to address with the witch, and that was her admission that she wanted to touch him. A conversation that had not been addressed despite all the hints Ron had thrown at her. She seemed to be oblivious to his conflict and acted the same with him as with Harry. It was confusing for him, but he intended on cornering her tonight. After all, he admitted his thoughts of marrying her; she must know he loves her…doesn't she?
"Weasley, just the prat I was looking for!" Hermione aimed her wand at the red head's chest. "Think I'd let you die do you?" she swore.
Ron backed away with his hands up protectively. Merlin what did I do now? "What are you going on about?"
Hermione closed the distance between him until they stood inches apart, the tall teen against the wall with a fearful expression on his face and wand sticking into the bottom of his jaw. "I should just hex you…acting liked I'd let you die, like I'd hurt you…" Her voice quivered.
"Hermione…I don't know what you're on about, but are you going to hurt me now?" he asked pleadingly.
She blinked a few time before dropping her arms clumsily to the side and falling into a chair. "I'm so sorry, Ron, I don't know what came over me..." Her lips trembled. "I can't seem to control my anger…I just…I don't know why I am so quick to hex…I'm acting like Ginny…"
Ron gathered her into his arms as she began to weep. He didn't know what to say really; maybe it has had a bigger effect on her than he knew.
"I just miss them," Hermione sobbed.
"Who?"
She sat back and rubbed at her eyes. "Mum and Dad. I probably will never see them again, this Wizarding world is still so new for them here…they send their eleven year-old daughter off to some school they can't physically see and she never comes back."
"You'll see them again, Hermione, when this is all over…"
"Don't be daft, Ronald! My family isn't like yours; they won't understand why I'm already an adult, they may not even believe I am who I say." Her eyes pooled again. "I might as well be dead to them, Ron, I have no one."
Ron pulled her into him again. "That's not true Hermione you have me. I love you, and you'll never be alone not as long as I have breath in my body." Ron never believed he could have uttered those words so easily a month ago, but he knew it was true. He'd give her the world if he could.
Hermione looked up into his fiery blue eyes. "I love you too."
Their lips met in a passionate and searing kiss, unlike any snogging Ron had with Lavender. All of their emotion and fears went into their kissing neither trying to dominate the other.
"I see you survived her hexing." Harry interrupted, causing the two to break apart and blush. "Nice to see I'm the third wheel, now," he stated bitterly.
Harry had watched the entire scene, and had almost made his presence known when Hermione stated she had no one, but something stilled him. After Ron's confession, a heavy piece of lead settled in his throat and plummeted at Hermione's response. It now resided painfully near his heart. He should be elated that his two best friends were finally getting together. After all, it was what he and Ginny had talked about. The four of them together like this, but now there was no Ginny. Had he loved her? It had been he, Harry, who had cast her aside at Dumbledore's funeral. He had left her out of all their plans and willingly left her behind. All hopes of ever being together again was ruined when he took Hermione's potion and was seventeen again.
Still what bugged him was how easily his affections for Hermione had become something more than friendly. Was he an opportunist? Did he just fancy her because she was the only girl around? What right did he have to take her from his best mate, would she even want him? It was just a few of the questions that plagued him the last week.
"Harry, it's not like that." Hermione looked at him with concern. "You're not a third wheel, nothing's changed."
Ron looked aghast at this.
"Well, I don't recall seeing you two snog before," he sneered. Harry knew he was being unreasonable and a bit of a prat but the words kept coming out. His world seemed to be crashing around him. "Unless you have been snogging behind my back?"
"No, it's the first time, and we weren't sneaking. It just happened." She had not been prepared for this conversation. She expected it may happen one day, but had always assumed that with Ginny it wouldn't matter.
Ron finally got his voice back. "What's your problem, mate? I didn't go this mental on you with Ginny?" Harry had known how much he had liked Hermione. Why was he acting so mental?
Harry sobered a bit at this. "Nothing, just forget it…surprised me is all." He wished he had not showed himself, he should have just sulked off.
