Beta's: 5/8/2015

Me, myself, and I. Pretty sure we still managed to get it wrong…

Chapter 17, Meeting the Parents

The lorry pulled over parking on the side of the road. The driver looked at the numbers on the house before checking his clipboard to verify that what his GPS was telling him was in fact the right address. The thing was buggy as shite and half the time he ended up on the wrong side of the island for his deliveries.

"Alright. Right place this time." He stated to his partner who nodded and exited the truck. He unbelted himself and joined his companion looking over the clipboard at the strange set of instructions for this delivery. His eyes darted to the empty carport and then to the described vase. It didn't take but a moment for him to walk over to it and find the key his instructions said was there, nor to find the hidden box the key fit. Once it was open he could see the garage door opener hidden within and pulled it free. By the time he clicked the little device and the garage door started to retract his partner was lowering the freight box that was their delivery on the hydraulic platform on the back of their rig.

"I don't know about this Will. I feel funny about dropping this off when there's no one to sign for it."

Will looked over to his laborer of the day. "You didn't have a problem taking your half of the thousand pound tip."

"Yeah but there's no one to sign for the delivery, it's against policy."

Will shrugged. "The tip was to cover that and they left detailed instructions for drop off. The sender signed the waiver so the Company won't be liable for anything as long as the crate is undamaged. Come on, we still go eight more deliveries before we can call it a day. I'd like to get home at a decent hour tonight."

He waited for the man to walk the dolly into the opened garage and together they set the crate down on its side and began unstrapping it. It didn't take them long to cut the metal straps and to pop the top off the crate. Inside cushioned in packing hay was a very old and ornate steamer trunk. Carefully they lifted the trunk free and set it aside. Following the instructions listed they put all the packing hay back in the crate, closed it back up and left both items inside. Will lowered the garage door returning the device to its hidden lock box as well as returning the key to its hidden place.

"Where to next?"

Will signed off on his paperwork before checking the next one. "Back to London."

"Think we can get a bite on the way?"

Unbeknownst to either delivery men, inside the garage on the front of trunk they had just delivered something moved. Slowly a split appeared in the middle of the once flawless opal. The sides peeled aside revealing the hidden cat's eye that moved to the left, then right before the opal closed again. A moment later a sound of multiple locks unlatching sounded in the dark confines of the garage. Voices could be heard when the trunk lid opened up of its own accord.

"…you it would work." A male voice sounded from inside the trunk.

A head of short straight brown hair poked up to look around. The tips in the front were longer than the back with one resting in a wave that almost obscured the young woman's right eye. "I never said it wouldn't. I am still going to check to make sure they put the keys back."

After she managed to climb out Harry followed looking around as well. His own hair had grown longer. He had to bring one of his hands up to clear his vision. "Wouldn't hurt but with the tip we gave them I don't see them lifting anything of your parents. We were listening in the whole time and neither of them did more than drop us off and leave. Whoever had this trunk designed really went all out on the extras. I wonder who it was and where they traveled too…"

Hermione didn't reply as she moved to the door to let them in the house. It was locked when she tried it but she heard the click of it unlocking and turned to see a slight wild magic mist fading from Harry's form. "You know, when we get to Hogwarts you're not going to be able to get away with that if you don't want anyone to know about what we learned."

Harry smirked at his beloved. "Yeah, but we're not at Hogwarts yet sexy." He ignored the roll of her eyes as she turned and entered the house.

Harry heard her voice while she raided her parent's fridge. "Do you think Professor Moody managed to convince the Headmaster to our terms?"

"I hope so. Tomorrow is September 1st and his answer is supposed to be in the Daily today." Harry raised up his hands and concentrated. Between them a sphere of wild magic began to manifest. Runes, equations, and other bits ghosted about inside while he focused intently at what it was telling him. He vaguely heard the hiss and pop of Hermione opening a can of soda and her returning steps.

"So, was I right about the wards?"

Harry shook his head still concentrating. "Not really actually. No monitoring wards right now but there's a ghost of an impression of one left on the scheme. It was recently removed. All that is left and active is a structural integrity ward, fire resistance, and something on the windows to make them stronger. Basic home package just about anyone knowledgeable in runes could do. There is a passive one that triggers if any of the wards are breached or tampered with. Make sense they would want to know if anyone messed with them."

Harry released the sphere allowing it to fade away and accepted the cold can of coke Hermione handed to him. He enjoyed the beverage but preferred Pepsi when it was available. "That's hopeful. Mum and Dad won't be home from Surgery until four so we have a few hours. If Dad is still keeping to old habits he would have left the Daily in the sitting room when he read it this morning. We can see if Professor Moody succeeded in convincing the Headmaster to let us attend."

Harry nodded while pushing his glasses back up his nose. "Clever of you to convince the Professor that charm actually worked."

Hermione led Harry into the house heading toward their sitting room. "The theory is very sound and I have been working on it a while. If he ran a diagnostic on the spell he will see all the components are there, I just haven't been able to develop a receiver for it yet."

"Still, clever of you love. Where does it go if there's no way for us to receive it?"

"Honestly I don't know. I think it just randomly broadcasts. I'm still working on what went wrong with that part of it."

Harry sat down on Hermione's parents' chesterfield while picking up the paper her Dad left on the table. "Hope the Professor didn't find a lady friend before he removed the spell. That could get awkward. Better some random stranger than us for that though."

"Ewww Harry. Too much information."

Harry chuckled at Hermione's reaction while his eyes scanned the classifieds, specifically the notices. By the time Hermione returned from checking if the delivery people returned the keys to their places Harry had found what he was looking for.

"They leave the keys?" Harry asked her as she walked back into the sitting room.

"Yes yes o wise one they did, and I am thankful. Professor Moody post the message?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah it's there. Whether or not Dumbledore found some way around the vow or not I don't know but the message is there. With the monitoring ward gone I am hopeful that means he did take the vow. We won't know for sure unless we talk to the Professor. Even then unless we give him Veritaserum we won't know for sure."

Hermione nodded to Harry's points looking around her parents sitting room. "It's so strange to be back. It all looks the same but so different."

The sitting room had a very welcoming feel. Soft colors complemented the absolute dedication of her parents to capture on film what looked like every single moment of Hermione's childhood. "You worried about what your parents are going to say aren't you?"

"Well, aren't you? It's not like I did a runner for three months and then I show up out of the blue with my boyfriend whom I ran with. My sexually active boyfriend. That will not go well though I think Mum will not be surprised. We've talked about it before you and I started that part of our relationship and she knew I was doing research on the topic. I want so much to reconnect with my parents Harry and for them to accept you but I am not going to give up our sleeping arrangements."

Harry raised an eyebrow at the thought Hermione had talked to her mother about that part of them. Harry agreed with her about not wanting to give up sleeping together but he was willing to be separated from her while they were here for her sake. He decided to not comment on it though. "It's only been three months for them, but for us we've been gone almost five years. Do you think we should tell them about our time in Magnadane?"

Hermione was still looking around at the house that she grew up in. It was exactly like every detail in her mind but so much different though her eyes now. She didn't know if it had anything to do with their time away, or if it was the soul bond she shared with Harry making her see things differently as if filtered through Harry's experiences. "We can try to explain it but I am not sure they will understand. Like you said, for them it's only been three months since we ran away. How do we explain over four years inside a magical land that is not a part of the planet they know? The part that will be the hardest to explain will be our bond. If we explain it."

Harry shrugged. "Well, we got a couple of hours to figure it out. Do you think your parents would mind if I cook dinner tonight? It'd give you and them some alone time while keeping me busy and out of the way."

"No love, I don't think they will mind. Thank you for understanding how much this means to me."

Harry reached up to take her hand tugging lightly until she sat in his lap. He held her for a few moments while he played with a strand of her hair. "Anything for you love. Did you really have to cut your hair? I liked it long."

Hermione playfully looked into her lover's eyes. "You just miss having something to hold on to."

He chuckled. "I really liked your hair long Hermione. It's always been you. You're beautiful now but you were always gorgeous. You didn't have to cut your hair."

Hermione leaned in to quickly give him a peck on the nose. "You're sweet. I just wanted a change. It's much more manageable this way and it doesn't get in the way as much."

"Then I can cut my hair back again?" He asked hopefully.

"Nope. You are going to let it grow out. I think you would look very handsome with longer hair. You're do for a change as well."

"Damn it." Harry pouted.

Several hours later they had managed to clean the entire house, get all the dishes done and Harry was practically done with making dinner. Magic had sped everything up enormously. They didn't even have to go to town for anything as Harry had everything they needed in the chill box in their trunk. At the moment Hermione sat at the kitchen island with their spell book open in front of her going over a couple of the ward schemes they had learned while training under Raze. He knew she was trying freshen up on how to apply them since she wanted to leave behind a good set for her parents. Harry was on the other side running the lettuce for their salad under the cold tap. Music played over the sound system in the sitting room and both nodded along to the beat of the music.

Harry had missed having access to the radio during their time away. He knew their time in Razes world had almost driven her spare for that same reason. At the moment both teens nodded along to ACDC as 'You Shook Me All Night Long'.

Harry smirked at Hermione while hand shredding the lettuce noticing the lyrics had not gone unnoticed by her either judging by the slight smirk on her face. He had just finished the his task and checked to make sure the chicken was baking correctly when there was in interruption to their afternoon. One they had expected but had momentarily forgotten about.

"HERMIONE!" Both teens jumped only to see her parents staring slack jawed at them. Both still wearing scrubs and had only just arrived home from their practice. The radio continued to play to its unknown shocked audience.

With a quick flick of his fingers Harry turned off the radio leaving the four of them staring at each other in an incredibly awkward silence. His eyes darted to Hermione to see she had recovered somewhat and but had yet to move. He could feel her confusion, uncertainty, and longing. He gave her arm a nudge and pushed through their bond acceptance, love, and understanding. She flashed him a grateful smile before catapulting herself into her waiting parents embrace.

Harry looked on smiling. Before their bond he imagined the scene before them would have hurt a great deal, they always did before. But feeling her happiness, and seeing the relief, joy, and happiness of her parents negated any ill feeling he would have normally felt. He knew he might regret coming back later when her parents focused on him, but at this moment he didn't. Hermione was happy and that meant everything to him. Harry took a deep breath and invoked a notice-me-not charm around himself until Hermione and her parents moved into the sitting room. Once they all sat together on the chesterfield he allowed it to fade and continued with the preparations for their dinner giving them the space they needed to reconnect. He knew a great deal from sharing memories with Hermione how close she was with her parents.

By the time the rolls came out of the oven and dinner was ready he felt enough time had passed for the potentially ugly aspect of the night to start. He caught her eyes and shared with her a picture of the counter and all the done food. He felt her resignation and agreement to his conclusion. Harry took a deep breath and walked around the counter and into the sitting room.

"Dinner's done love." Harry shared for the benefit of her parents. Mr. Granger's eyes were burning holes through him. He was hopeful things might not escalate to the worst case scenario by the fact Ms. Granger eyes just assessed him without anger. Harry knew very well aside from the moment he used the Notice-Me-Not charm they knew exactly where he was and that his presence had not been forgotten the entire time they had reconnected with Hermione.

Hermione stood up and tucked herself into Harry's side making it clear to both parents her position. "Mum, Dad. This is Harry Potter, my boyfriend."

"We'll see…" Mr. Granger started.

"Jake." Ms. Granger's voice sounded firm interrupting what he was going to say. Harry knew that tone. Hermione used the same one on him to shut him up. Mr. Granger's mouth closed and sat silently after the rebuke. I wonder if my face looks like that when Hermione does that to me?

He gulped when Ms. Granger turned her gaze from Mr. Granger to him. "Harry. Thank you for cooking dinner. I have many questions I would like to discuss with you. And there is much to discuss. Jake," here she returned her eyes to her husband. "…will be civil. But there are many things I know he would like to discuss with you as well Harry."

Harry nodded. So far it was going better than he hoped it would. He felt Hermione's pleasure at the way things were going and an image of the dining room table in his mind. "Well, it's all done so maybe we should go to the dining room?"

The Granger's and Harry walked into the room and sat themselves at the table while Harry waved his arm. Purplish blue-black mist burst for a moment from his form. Plates, silverware, and cups all flew and set themselves about the table. A soft piano tune began playing about them startling Harry into looking around.

"Too much Harry." Hermione stated.

"Might have been a surge. It shouldn't last long if it is, they normally don't. I didn't put anymore into it than I normally do."

"I hated those surges when we were practicing it. Too chaotic, way too random. Half the time the spells didn't even work when there was a surge. That is why I was telling you not to rely on it. It's too wooly."

Harry concentrated and injected a bit less of the wild magic into his next summoning spell. He watched satisfied when the rolls, bowls, and platters all floated in perfectly and set themselves about the table with no unintended side effects. "You were right, too much. I've noticed the more I use it the less I need to use. You know what Raze said, we need to practice with it a lot before either of us get proficient with true Wyarding."

"No thank you. You are far better with it than I will ever be. I know enough that if I need to use it I know what to do." Harry didn't comment but sat himself down with the others at the table. It was an old argument that even now they couldn't do anything more than agree to disagree.

The entire time Hermione's parents remained watchful but didn't comment. It was honestly their first experience with magic outside of the time McGonagall showed up to explain about their daughter being a witch. "Won't you get in trouble for using magic?" Ms. Granger asked.

Hermione shook her head. "We haven't yet. Harry's not using traditional magic anyways, but Wild Magic. Something we picked up in the States. I don't think the magical monitors can tell it's Magic. We've been here for hours and Harry's been using it loads but no letters yet. If he was going to get into trouble for it, he should have been after the first time."

Mr. Granger remained silent while Ms. Granger made his plate. "I see. You don't like it though?"

"It can have unintended side effects. Like the piano music playing right now. Harry didn't intend for it to happen but it did. He could have just as easily conjured butterfly's, or snakes. An anvil could have fallen through the roof or switched all our clothes."

Harry looked up from setting Hermione's plate down before her. "Hey, that anvil thing only happened once, and it landed on that bandit that was going to feather our wagon master."

Hermione raised an eyebrow at his rebuttal. "It could have just as easily have landed on the wagon master. Or us Harry. It was a random drop and wouldn't have even landed on the bandit if he hadn't taken a setback to line up his shot."

Harry raised his hands in surrender which made her smile. She was never going to let him live that down. Harry chuckled to himself. He was almost positive it was because the side of the anvil was stamped with the word 'ACME'. "Okay okay, but it was not my spell that did the clothes switching thing."

Hermione lowered her head blushing a bit while taking a drink of water. "Yes well, that was uncomfortable and still proves my point about the unreliability of Wild Magic."

"It seems you two have had a few adventures this summer." Ms. Granger stated. Harry cleared his throat and started in on his own plate. He was a bit worried that Mr. Granger was not eating but just glaring at him with his arms folded. "Tell me Harry, about your motorcycle wreck. I think that would be a good place to start."

Right to the point and direct. Harry nodded while chewing. Once he cleared his mouth and took sip of water he explained. "We were found by two Hit Wizards. There are two kinds of Hit Wizards, those who are in the employ of a country and freelance. Usually country sponsored Hit Wizards teams are put under Auror command during missions but freelance Hit Wizards work on bounties. The two that found us were the later, and not very concerned with taking us in one piece. We were running from them when the brakes failed along with the throttle on the motorcycle I was driving. We went off a cliff we didn't know was there and I don't remember anything until I woke up a few days later."

"And WHY perchance, was there two Hit Wizards hunting you? I find I am very curious why there was any kind of bounty on your head at all young man." Asked Mr. Granger for the first time.

Harry answered honestly. "Because Albus Dumbledore believes in a Prophecy that only I can defeat Voldemort. He wanted me back in the country and under his control so he could force me into a fight I can't win, on terms only Dumbledore knows. I would imagine he thinks I will somehow win, and he is looking for the right time to throw me at my 'destiny'. Hard to do that when your sacrificial lamb is on the run."

He felt Hermione's concern and anger at her father for asking that question but Harry sent her reassurance. It would be better if they just got this over with. Ms. Granger gave her husband a strong look before returning to Harry. "Is there such a Prophecy?"

"Yes."

"I take it by your tone you don't believe in it?"

Harry took another drink of the water. "No I believe it. Or at least, I believe that Dumbledore and Voldemort believe in it. Since they do, the outcome of the prophecy is almost self-fulfilling. Sooner or later Voldemort or Dumbledore will find a way to engineer a way to create the confrontation that the prophecy mentions. In doing so, the issue is forced and that is that. Just like what happened a few months ago at the Ministry."

Hermione picked up the story. "Voldemort only knows part of the prophecy. He tricked Harry into going to the Ministry and while there Harry retrieved it not knowing better. A fight broke out and it was ages before any help came. It wasn't until it was obvious that Harry wouldn't win against Voldemort Dumbledore stepped in and fought him to a draw."

Mr. Granger cut his eyes to his daughter. "That's where you got hurt?"

Hermione kept her eyes even and lifted her chin defiantly. "Yes. I made a mistake and paid for it."

Harry drew their attention back to himself when he started talking. "We had no business being there in the first place. There were many factors that could have stopped us from falling into that trap. The fact is, I did fall for it. Hermione was hurt, and I realized what exactly we were all up against. I'd been really lucky up to this point in all the things that had happened to us over the years. Far luckier than I have any right to boast about. I knew after the Ministry Battle something had to change. My luck can only hold out so long."

"That's when you decided to do a runner." Stated Ms. Granger.

"Not exactly. The fact you were going to withdraw Hermione from Hogwarts pushed the issue. I had planned originally on studying my bum off all summer. Really give advanced education a chance and keep in contact with Hermione by any means I could. My hope at the time was to get into the Auror Corps Training Program after graduation. When she told me you were going to withdraw her and she wasn't allowed to contact me I brought the idea to her then. Hermione is everything to me. Had she told me she wouldn't run with me, I would have respected it and tried to find her after we were both over the age of Majority. Trusting you two would protect her until I could find her again. I would have run regardless."

"Why?"

"With no Hermione in the magical world I had no reason to be there. In the last five years of attending Hogwarts I've killed one man, a basilisk, almost had my mind wiped once, almost lost my soul to dementors, I've been attacked by werewolves, crazy evil witches and wizards, dragons, merfolk and other nasty's, I've been tortured twice, and I've seen one fellow classmate and my godfather killed. I'd have run two years ago if not for the thought of Hermione having to go through all that alone. Everyone expects me to fight this war. The entire wizarding world expects me to just walk up like some kind of hero and kill Voldemort for them. Here's my reply to that. Why should I?"

Harry took another sip of his water. "I thought long and hard about these things while waiting on Hermione's answer that day. I had no reason to fight for any of them. I spent all last year being vilified in the Daily Prophet as an attention seeking delusional Dark Wizard. I couldn't even convince more than a few handfuls of my classmates of the truth. I had no reason to fight for any of them. My best mate Ron and his family, I would have fought for them and truth be told I had. I've saved his sister, him, his Father, and managed to give two of his brothers the starting capital to get their business off the ground. All my classmates either want to be my mates or hate me based on the gossip of the day. My only other friends are Neville and Luna, and as purebloods they're really not in danger of being targeted. Besides, fact was I was the one being targeted. Voldemort wants me dead, not them. With me out of the way, they were about as safe as it gets."

"I needed a reason to fight this war that was my own and not simply because everyone expects me to or because of some stupid Prophecy I didn't even believe in. Divination is rubbish anyways, good for a laugh now and then, but rubbish. That was not something I was going to get attending Hogwarts. Up until that point, Hermione was my only reason. Take her out of the equation, and I had nothing. The only other viable reason to fight was because Voldemort was going to hunt me no matter what, so fight or die. I choose option C. Run like hell until I could be with Hermione again, sort out the rest then."

"Hermione did choose you though." Mr. Granger stated bitterly.

"If there was ever any doubt of what my choice was Dad, it was yours. Had you asked Mum's opinion before you started ranting in the Hospital Wing after you talked to Dumbledore you would have known differently." Hermione firmly stated. Mr. Granger's reply was silenced by his wife's look.

Harry nodded across the table from the older man before him. "I have been humbled by her choice for the last five years. I wasn't fast enough, strong enough to protect her that day at the Ministry. When she chose to run with me I knew the direction I wanted to go. I wanted to learn to be stronger so I could protect her. So, with this goal in mind we started our tour of the world looking for anything that would give us the edge we needed to survive the coming war. When the Hit Wizards found us, we hadn't gotten very far. There was this Runic Master that was in retirement up in Michigan we wanted to learn from and we were making our way there when we had the accident in upper New York. By the time we recovered that was no longer an option and a better opportunity presented itself."

Ms. Granger put down her cup after her drink. "As hard as it is to believe, Hermione mentioned you spent some time in a place called 'Magnadane.' Years she said."

"Yes. I couldn't even begin to explain how Raze did it but best as we can tell we spent a little over four and a half years in there even though only a day or so passed here. We learned a lot in there, though we didn't realize how much until we came back."

Ms. Granger tuned to look at the conflicted face of her husband. "Jake. She might look sixteen, but she's almost twenty-one now. More than old enough to make her own decisions."

"We're just supposed to take their word for it Ellen?"

"Can you honestly say you can't hear the truth in their voices? Harry we don't know very well but have you ever talked to a sixteen year old like him? We do however know our daughter. Aside from the fact she has never outright lied to us, tell me you can't hear how different or how much more mature her speech is."

"Hermione has always been more mature than her age."

Ellen shook her head. "I don't like it any more than you do. But if you need to console yourself with anything Jake, make it this. We have only lost three months. If not for this Narnia'n experience they've had, we could have lost the next four years or so before she decided to come home."

Jake Granger looked to his wife and daughter before he turned his eyes on Harry. He slumped in his chair before swallowing thickly. "You're sleeping with my daughter aren't you?"

"DAD! That is none of your business!" Hermione shouted.

Harry didn't know if Hermione anticipated this moment but Harry did. His wince at the question was all the answer Mr. Granger needed to know the truth. Even expecting it was going to happen Harry found himself surprised when it was asked. Jake groaned while putting his face in his hands.

"Jake, really now!"

"I've a right to ask Ellen. I don't care if she's the equivalent of a thirty year old, she looks sixteen!"

"Yes, Hermione and I are intimate." Harry broke in.

"Harry!" Hermione's shocked voice rang at him this time.

Harry pushed his apology through their bond. "I told you I wouldn't lie to them if asked a direct question Hermione. I want you to reconnect with your parents, and you have never outright lied to them, ever. How can I and expect to be a part of your family if I lie to them? We agreed honesty, no matter how uncomfortable the topic was the only way to know if you could reclaim your relationship, and for me to have one with them."

Hermione hid her mortified face in her hands. "Someone shoot me now…"

Jake looked at the young man in front of him. "How long?"

Harry ignored the feelings of mortification coming from Hermione and answered trying to keep his own voice even. "S…since about mid-term last year."

Hermione's father's eyes bulged slightly before turning to look at his daughter. Hermione raised her head defiantly though her skin still burned brightly on her face. His defeated face turned to look once more at Harry. "I hate you so much Harry Potter. You're dangerous. You're central in a war that by your own admission is dangerous beyond my ability to comprehend. There's a maniac out there looking to kill you, and has already tried several times to do so. He has the most dangerous people in your world following him, and they would love nothing more than to have anything they could use to get to you, and my daughter loves you enough to give herself to you."

"Ellen is right, I know my daughter well. She wouldn't have given herself to you if she didn't love you with every fiber of her being. My daughter is not so irresponsible to run away from home for anything less than the man of her dreams. She's just too smart to give herself to anyone who didn't treat her well or love her with the same intensity she loved him. And that person turns out to be you. A young man whose fought fantastic monsters the likes of which I can only imagine, has faced more danger in his sixteen years than I have seen in my forty, and has acquired more blood on his hands than I did during my years in the Royal Navy. You are going to get yourself killed and more than likely Hermione as well. I hate you so much for that Harry Potter. And the sad thing is, as I sit here watching you two, and listening to what you've been through, what you plan to face I know that there is absolutely nothing I can do about any of it. I can't protect her from mad wizards or fantasy beasts. All of my hopes for her survival fall on the same person who is responsible for her being in danger in the first place."

The defeated form of Jake Granger rose from his chair leaving his untouched dinner behind him when as he walked out of the room. Only the sound of his heavy steps told them he was headed up the stairs.

Ellen turned to them once they could no longer hear him. "That could have gone a lot better, but a lot worse as well." She too rose from her place. "Your room is as it always is. Just… I would rather not hear anything coming from there tonight if you please. We can talk more in the morning before we take you to the station."

Minutes passed by while Harry moved the food on his plate around without interest. "Harry…" He looked up from his plate to see Hermione looking at him compassionately. "I love you."

He smiled slightly. "I love you too Hermione. I wish… well, I wish things could be different with your parents."

"I know Harry. Maybe over time they will come around. I honestly didn't expect them to take any of this well or to be very forgiving at our first reunion. Maybe in time we can rebuild some bridges with them."

"Your Dad's right though. We talked about this before. Odds of me surviving this are maybe one in three. You, even less. He just doesn't want you to get hurt. I know the feeling, I don't want you to get hurt either."

Hermione reached over and stroke the side of his face. "I love you Harry. Dad was also right that I will follow you anywhere, and there will be no danger you face without me beside you. You and me, Always and Forever. No matter how much or how little time we have until the end."

Author's Notes

Okay, Chapter Seventeen revision is done. For those of you interested in the story instead of my drivel, by all means leave a review telling me what you think of this chapter, and then hit that 'Next' button. Enjoy the read. As always thank you to all reviews and readers. You are noticed and appreciated.

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