I'm glad to see such a stirring interest in this story! I hope those of you who are reading stay interested as the story develops :) As always I own nothing.
"I don't understand why you want to go to a Muggle club, Harry!" Luna whined, stuffing her wand into a small blue clutch that had been expanded on the inside. "You know they'll spot me a mile away!"
"I promise you'll have fun." Harry smiled his most charming smile, a trick he had picked up in his years as an Auror, and wrapped his arm around her waist. "Besides it will give us a break from the press."
"They already insist I'm pregnant with your bastard lovechild," Luna muttered, unconvinced but less resistant as she let Harry lead her through the streets of Muggle London. "A night of dancing can't possibly send them too much farther off track."
"You'd be surprised." They turned down a side street and into a small pub. Luna was unimpressed with the exterior, she was used to more flashy wizarding clubs, but once inside she noticed the change in atmosphere. There wasn't the buzz of magical energy she was used to, but everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, whether on the dance floor, at the bar, or seated at one of the dimly lit tables in the corner. It was energetic and relaxed at the same time, and people seemed to be alternating between which extreme they felt like experiencing at that particular moment. Begrudgingly, she realized she could easily enjoy herself here.
Luna took a seat at the bar and Harry ordered drinks for them both, hoping that his date would loosen up a little when she had a healthy buzz. It was always a struggle to get Luna to accept being out in public, as her idea of fun lately was holding up in her study and seeing what combination of potions she could make explode. Harry suspected that the fumes from her experiments might have been addling her brain, but honestly with Luna who could tell?
"Oh it's karaoke night!" Luna exclaimed with a smile. "Harry you should sing!"
"Erm…yeah. Maybe later," Harry murmured in response. Luna sipped her drink and swayed happily to the Muggle music. She had always loved live singing.
A couple drinks later Luna was as comfortable among the Muggles as she would have been on Diagon Alley. She grabbed Harry's hand and flashed him a toothy smile.
"Let's dance."
Harry let himself be led onto the dance floor. The way Luna danced always fascinated him. She seemed to float around in time with the music, like some sort of fairy. Her blonde hair and pale skin always completed the illusion, and tonight her sparkly blue top added an even more illuminated effect. Some of the men around them seemed to notice too, and Harry fought the urge to possessively grab Luna by the waist and hex them all off the dance floor.
His self-control was rewarded when the next song started. Luna stepped into Harry's arms as the slower melody began to play, and he was happy to hold her close to him as the men who had been leering earlier now looked on jealously. The voice of the new singer was sweeter than the last as she sang a song he didn't recognize.
Sometimes tears say all there is to say
And sometimes your first scars won't ever fade
Away
Try to break my heart, well it's broke
Try to hang me high, well I'm choked
Wanted rain on me, well I'm soaked
Soaked to the skin
It's the end where I begin
As they turned, Luna froze against Harry, and he could hear the air catch in her throat as she forgot to take her next breath. He pulled away and looked down at her with concern.
"What is it?" Luna's eyes were wide and fixed on a point behind him.
"Harry," she whispered. "Look."
Harry turned to the small stage where Luna was staring. Last time he had looked, there had been a stout young woman with bright red curls in a slightly abrasive lime green dress. Now a more somber woman had taken her place, wearing simply a short black skirt and a white blouse. Her bushy brown curls were pulled back from her face, and her eyes were closed as she sang softly into the microphone in front of her.
Sometimes we don't learn from our mistakes
And sometimes we've no choice but to walk away
Away
Try to break my heart, well it's broke
Try to hang me high, well I'm choked
Wanted rain on me, well I'm soaked
Soaked to the skin
It's the end where I begin
It's the end where I begin
Harry gave Luna's hand a light squeeze as he stepped away from her.
"I'll be right back," he said softly.
Luna nodded her understanding. "I'll be at the bar. What did you call those drinks you were ordering before?"
"Martini." Harry kissed her cheek. "I'll join you in a minute."
Luna disappeared from beside him and Harry started moving through the small crowd of coupled bodies that were swaying to the melodic voice. When he finally reached the steps that led to the raised platform, he didn't know what to do. All he could manage was to stand there stupidly and stare.
Now I'm alive and my ghosts are gone
I've shed all the pain I've been holding on
The cure for the heart is to move along
So move along
Now I'm alive and my ghosts are gone
I've shed all the pain I've been holding on
What don't kill the heart
Only makes it strong
Harry stood at the side of the stage, in the shadows, watching her like she was a ghost. He saw the years on her face, subtle but noticeable, and he wondered if her life was wearing on her, or if they had all grown that much older without him realizing. She seemed farther away than ever, though she was standing mere feet away, and the ghost of the last kiss she had given him burned his cheek.
"Hermione?" he croaked finally.
Her head whipped around and her eyes grew wide. For a moment she hesitated, then she turned back to the crowd to finish her song
Sometimes tears say all there is to say
And sometimes your first scars won't ever fade
Away
Try to break my heart, well it's broke
Try to hang me high, well I'm choked
Wanted rain on me well I'm soaked to the skin
It's the end
End where I
End where I
End where I begin
She turned back to Harry and he saw the tears threatening to spill over her eyelashes as she sang her last lines.
Sometimes we don't learn from our mistakes
And sometimes we've no choice but to walk away
Away…
Applause broke out as Hermione abandoned the stage. Harry heard a wolf-whistle he distinctly recognized as coming from Luna. As the thunder died down, a scrawny young man took Hermione's place and a faster beat started playing through the speakers. Hermione walked down the steps and stopped in front of Harry, at a complete loss for what she should be saying to him.
"Hi," he finally managed to spit out, awkwardly. Hermione smiled softly at him.
"Hi."
Before he knew what was happening Hermione had thrown herself into his arms and was squeezing him so tightly he thought his lungs would give out. He folded his arms around her and held her close
"I thought I'd never see you again," he murmured into her hair. Hermione shook her head and nuzzled against his shoulder.
"I didn't think you'd ever want to."
"Why would you think that?" He pulled away and looked into her teary brown eyes. "You were my best friend."
"I did an awful thing to Ron…"
"To Ron, not to me. I've missed you terribly. Everyone has. Why haven't you come home? It's been what, eight years? We all love you Hermione, we can forgive you for what happened. It's not like we've cast Charlie out. Molly always misses you at Christmas, she used to love decorating the tree with you. And Ginny always mentions you when she needs a bit of female advice. She's engaged to Blaise now, Blaise Zabini. All she could talk about for weeks was how she couldn't have you as Maid of Honor - Oh, Hermione."
Hermione had started sobbing softly, and Harry pulled her back into a hug.
"I'm sorry," he whispered.
"Granger!" a voice boomed from behind them. "Back to work!"
"Yes sir!" Hermione abandoned Harry's arms and grabbed the half-apron that was hanging on the back of a nearby chair. "Harry, I have tables waiting."
"I'm here with Luna. We'll wait for you to get off shift, ok? Then we can talk. Please."
Hermione couldn't resist the pleading in his voice, and nodded her agreement.
"I'm off in an hour."
"Your head must be spinning," Luna said quietly as Harry took a sip of his drink. He had switched from Martinis to Scotch about forty-five minutes ago.
"Part of me thought she might be dead." Harry shook his head. "We have to get her out of this place. She's a witch, she's the most talented witch I ever knew. She must be dying without magic."
"Harry she grew up in the Muggle world," Luna reminded him. "And not the way you did, she actually liked it here. We don't know anything about her new life. Maybe she wants this."
"She doesn't belong here."
Luna frowned at him but kept the rest of her opinion on the matter to herself as she saw Hermione make her way towards them. "Here she comes."
"Luna!" Hermione exclaimed, pulling her old friend into a hug. "Oh it's so good to see you! You look fantastic!"
Hermione felt a twinge of jealousy. Luna must have been twenty-six by now, but she still looked like a teenager, though her body had certainly matured. It was upsetting. There were days when Hermione looked in the mirror and swore a forty-year-old woman was staring back at her.
"Right well, shall we go back to my flat?" Hermione asked uncertainly. Luna nodded eagerly.
"Sure! I've never seen a Muggle flat before."
"All right then," Hermione grabbed her car keys out of her purse and caught the odd looks both Harry and Luna were giving her. "I'd rather you didn't Apparate around here, if you don't mind. It's a short drive, really."
Harry let Luna sit in the front seat of Hermione's car, as she had never ridden in one before, and she was happy to be allowed to play with the radio dials and the temperature controls. A few minutes later they pulled up to a modest looking apartment building and Hermione turned off the car.
"It's really nothing special," she mumbled, slightly embarrassed to be bringing them here. She knew how much money Harry had and wondered what kind of housing he had grown accustomed to. Luna didn't seem to notice Hermione's discomfort as she hopped out of the car and bounded towards the front door. Harry slipped his arm over Hermione's shoulders, and they followed her.
Hermione's flat was on the third floor. When they reached it, she unlocked the door and the trio entered the lit apartment.
"Hello?" Hermione called out. "I've brought home company."
"Company? Oh Harry!" an older woman entered the living room where they all stood around awkwardly. Harry recognized her as Hermione's mother from their early years at Hogwarts, when Hermione's parents used to accompany her to Diagon Alley. "What a wonderful surprise! How are you dear!"
"I'm well, Mrs. Granger. This is Luna Lovegood," he added, and Luna shook Mrs. Granger's hand.
"Pleasure."
"Nice to meet you," Hermione's mother said cheerfully.
"Mommy!"
A small boy, wearing white footy pajamas with dinosaurs on them, came bounding in an jumped into Hermione's arms. She seemed startled, but gave him a big hug and ruffled his hair.
"It's almost midnight, what are you doing up?"
"He insisted on waiting for you," Mrs. Granger said with a shrug. "He's just as stubborn as you were at that age."
Hermione became aware of Harry and Luna staring at her and turned the boy around to face them.
"Sam, these are my friends, Harry and Luna. They've come to visit."
"Hello!" Sam said cheerily, flashing the couple a large smile that revealed one of his missing front teeth. Harry felt his heart sink a little. The boy had Hermione's sandy brown hair, but those blue eyes and the freckles that dotted his cheeks were as familiar to Harry as his own reflection.
"Hello there!" Luna replied when Harry didn't say anything. "It's very nice to meet you."
"All right, it's time for little boys to go to bed," said Hermione, taking Sam's hand in her own. "Make yourselves comfortable, I'll be back in a moment."
"I'm headed home." Mrs. Granger gave Hermione a hug and kissed the top of her grandson's head. "I'll see you tomorrow Darling. Have a good night, it was wonderful to see you again Harry."
Harry nodded as Mrs. Granger left, and Hermione disappeared with Sam. With a groan he collapsed on the sofa and ran his hand through his hair.
"Now stop it, you're jumping to conclusions!" said Luna sternly. "She's almost twenty-seven, it makes perfect sense she's had a kid by now."
"Sorry about that." Hermione re-entered the room and took a seat beside Harry on the couch.
"How old is he, 'Mione?"
Hermione looked down at her hands. "He's almost seven."
"So you were pregnant when you ran off then."
She lifted her head to meet her friend's judgmental gaze. "I swear to you Harry I didn't know. There were so many times I wanted to come back, to explain everything to you, and to Ron. But you remember how I was treated back then. I was a target, there was practically a bounty on my head. I couldn't bring my son into that." Her eyes were pleading. "Please Harry, can you understand?"
"You kept Ron's son away from him, Hermione. This will tear him apart, do you realize that?"
"Keep your voice down will you!" Hermione hissed. "Look I know Ron is your best friend and I'm sorry for any pain I have caused him in the past but -" Hermione began to choke on her words and she couldn't seem to finish her thought. Luna quickly sat down beside her and took the older girl in her arms.
"But what Hermione? We would have protected him. He could've grown up in the wizarding world where he belongs. Where you belong, too."
Hermione's face fell a little further. "He's started doing accidental magic. I know I'll have to tell him the truth. I remember how scary it was to not know, to wonder if something was wrong with me. I don't want him to walk into Hogwarts and have no idea what he's getting himself into. You and I both know how that is." She was trying to extract some degree of sympathy from Harry, but it seemed she was failing. "Please understand, it wasn't safe. I was almost killed the day I left the burrow, attacked by Crabbe's little sister, and Goyle. You and Ron weren't protecting me, as much as you may have wanted to. And I couldn't trust you to protect my son."
"He's a pureblood Hermione, I doubt he would have been a target."
"Ginny's a pureblood too. But you knew they would have used her to get to you, so you never took her back. Don't you dare be a hypocrite to me Harry Potter. You me and Ron were all targets after Voldemort died. No one we loved was safe."
"It's different now Hermione," Luna said gently. "Enough time has passed. The families of the Death Eaters have learned that they will get no where in the new world if they hold on to their old grudges. Harry and Ron are celebrities, heroes, as they should be. Come back with us. You'll be safe now."
Hermione shook her head. "My life is here now. Sam's life is here."
Harry nodded and rose to his feet. "Then we shouldn't be intruding. Come on Luna, I'll take you home. It was nice to see you Hermione, good luck."
Luna didn't rise to follow him. "Actually I'd love to stay the night, if you don't mind Hermione. Single mother and all I'm sure you're starved for some girl time. We can chat! I can even to spend some time here tomorrow and get to know Sam. Do you mind?"
Luna grabbed Hermione's hand and smiled, and Hermione couldn't bring herself to say no. She didn't have many friends, and Luna was one of her favorite people to be around when she was upset.
"All right then."
With a slam of the door, Harry was gone, leaving the two girls alone to catch up.
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