Reckless
Chapter 11
Harry's fingertips caressed the cold glass of the picture in his hand. Ginny's lips were curved into an attractive smile. A small smile pulled onto his lips. The beautiful redhead had always hated that her bottom lip was a little fuller than her top.
"I think you're beautiful," Harry had told her as he leaned in close to her. His arms came to a rest around her waist. Ginny laughed lightly and pulled a lock of her red hair over her shoulder. Her pale hand came to rest on her neck as she looked at him. He molded his lips over hers. She smiled slightly against his lips and wrapped her arms around his neck. As he pulled away he nipped her bottom lip gently with his teeth. Her gasp made him smile. "Pouty bottom lip or not…"
Today was the anniversary of the Weasley's death. The rest of the Weasley family was with them in this picture, but his eyes were locked on Ginny. Things back then had been so heavy back then. Ginny had been a breath of fresh air when the heaviness bore down on him. She had made him feel like a normal teenager.
"I still love you," he told her smiling face. His green eyes began to sting. He could feel the familiar tightness in his throat. "But I know you'll understand…" He set the picture back down onto his nightstand. He would have to get ready for his day soon. He closed his eyes.
"If anything happens to me, Harry," Ginny whispered to him in the quiet of the Burrow just before he was to leave to hunt for Horcruxes, "I want you to move on."
"Hey," Harry had said softly. It no longer mattered that he had sworn to stay away from her. It just mattered that he reassures her. He slipped his hand underneath her chin and tilted her head upward. "I promise nothing is going to happen to you."
Hermione joined him in the living room. The cheerful smile that had become a frequent sight was missing today. Harry surveyed her outfit for a moment. It was a simple white button up long sleeve and a pair of dark wash jeans. Her unruly brown hair was tugged up into a ponytail. It wasn't all that different from his attire: a green button up and a pair of dark jeans.
"Green is such a nice color on you," Ginny commented as she readjusted his collar. It was one of the few times the Weasley home was less chaotic. Fred and George were not playing pranks every few seconds (probably because they were grounded). Ron and Hermione were off in another room. They were probably locked into a vicious battle of chess that Hermione would lose. Harry blushed brightly and turned his eyes away from her. Ginny laughed.
Harry shook away the memories and drew in a deep breath. Hermione gave him a small smile as he extended his hand to her. This day was going to be so hard. After a sharp pop the two adults were gone.
Harry walked through the rows and rows of graves until he found the ones that he wanted. Instead of buying nine bouquets of flowers, Harry pulled one rose out of the dozen and laid it onto the graves of his family. Hermione did the same except with daises-Molly Weasley's favorite flower. Harry's throat closed. A small sob ripped its way up his throat as he forced himself to move past Molly's grave. No matter how many years had passed the pain was still present. The Weasleys had been important figures in both Hermione and Harry's lives.
They had been Harry's family. Molly had been the mother figure for him. Arthur was his father figure even when Sirius and Remus came into the picture. Harry swallowed back the pain at thinking of his godfather and the professor he held so much respect for. He placed a rose on both of the twins' graves and thought with a small grin of what their reactions would be.
The twins had laughed and mercilessly teased both Ron and Harry for showing affection. They had accused them of being women. They would then pull them into a difficult game of Quidditch to "get them back their balls." A small chuckle escaped him. Fred and George had been his brothers just as they had been Ron's.
It bothered him though that his thoughts of Percy were short. He had not gotten to know Percy Weasley all that well. The same could be said for Bill and Charlie. However he would be forever grateful for Bill for lending the trio refuge after Malfoy Manor. Harry knew that Bill would not have turned him away, but it did not stop him. He set the rose onto Bill's grave.
When he finally reached Ron's grave his resolve not to break down wavered. Moments with his best friend assaulted his mind. He had never forgotten Ron and he felt that he never would. There were simply too many memories to rest on. The rose fell numbly from his hand. He couldn't help but imagine Ron's reaction to it. The redhead would blush slightly at his ears, grumble something about "girly" sentiment, and tell Harry to "grow a pair before you turn into Hermione." Harry forced himself to see past the gathering tears and moved on. The last of his resolve crumbled when he moved to Ginny's grave. Memories of her assaulted him the instant he looked down at the name carved into the stone. He felt his knees give out.
"I promise nothing is going happen to you." He had lied. It did not matter that he did not know it at the time, but it still burned all the same. He had been angry with her response, but now he felt that she somehow knew she wouldn't make it: "Don't make promises that you can't keep, Harry." He knew that the thought was absurd. Ginny was a fighter; she would not have accepted her death so easily and so early into the game. Harry jumped as a small hand curled around his shoulder, but he did not look over. He knew how Hermione's expression would look. He had seen it many times in the nine years and he was certain that his expression was the same. His eyes were simply fixed onto the carved name of Ginerva Weasley. Hermione stared at the letters as well. Her mind easily raced back in time to all of those moments with the Weasley family.
"Oh admit it, Ginny! You are still hopelessly in-"Hermione squealed as a rose pink pillow smacked her across the face. Hermione caught it as gravity took a hold. Ginny sat on the other end of her bed with a small blush on her cheeks. Her brown eyes were flashing with her annoyance.
"You know as well as I do that I'm trying to forget that stupid crush. Nothing will come of it…" The depressed look on Ginny's face made Hermione want to act. She raised the pillow Ginny had thrown and smacked her across the face. Ginny's shock made Hermione snort with laughter. "Oh, it's on now." Ginny growled as she picked up another pillow from beside her. Hermione shrieked as the Weasley teen smacked her in the head, side, and then the arm. Hermione tried her best to retaliate but Ginny had years of secret Quidditch practice on her side.
"What on earth are you girls-" Molly Weasley started as she pushed open the door. Flying feathers however answered her. She blinked as she looked at the girls. Feathers were tangled in Hermione's curly hair while Ginny's hair stood up from static. They were both giggling uncontrollably even as they turned to face her. They both looked fully ready for a heavy scolding, but Molly did not have it in her. She simply smiled softly at the two. "You both will fix those pillows later." Hermione's mouth fell open softly in surprise. She looked over at Ginny to see her reaction. A wide grin threatened to split Ginny's face. Hermione couldn't help but grin as well.
"Yes, ma'am," they both chimed. Molly nodded and then closed the door to Ginny's room again. The pillow war did not end until all of the feathers were out of them, but the giggles did not stop. Both were lying on their back on Ginny's bed. Hermione turned her head to look over at her best female friend. Ginny's chest was heaving from the war they had carried on, but giggles still escaped her lips. Hermione smiled widely.
Fred and George cornered her in the common room. Their expressions were identical looks of pleading. Hermione raised her eyebrows at them. She knew what this conversation would be about. They wanted their products back. Hermione was getting tired to fighting them. She rolled her eyes and sighed.
"Stop testing them on children and don't slip anymore into my drink," Hermione had told them as she pulled the box out of her satchel. Fred's and George's pleading expressions immediately evolved into beaming smiles. Their brown eyes lit up. Hermione let a small smile drift onto her lips.
"Don't worry, love," Fred told her as he took the box from her hands. George draped an arm over her shoulders.
"You're reputation of a hard arse is safe…" George promised. Hermione glanced over at him. She glared at the cheeky smile on his face.
"We won't tell a soul," Fred swore as he wrapped his arm over George's. Hermione rolled her eyes, but she did not attempt to shove them away.
"Do you need any help, Mrs. Weasley?" Hermione asked as she watched Molly fight with a small horde of flying pixies that had somehow escaped from the box Sirius had locked them in a few days ago. Molly turned to her and blew a curl of her fiery red hair out of her face.
"It would be appreciated, dear," Molly told her. Hermione smiled softly at the mother of the Weasleys. Molly returned it only to curse as a pixie pulled a lock of her curly hair. Hermione stifled a giggle and went to work in helping Molly reign in the playful little buggers.
Tears fell from her eyes. Unlike Harry, she had established no resolves today. She knew the outcome each time she tried. She failed and she hated it even more each time. Harry wrapped his hand over hers. They would go to see Teddy later, but right now they needed this.
Once they had fully composed themselves they set off to Teddy's house. The moment they stepped onto the front lawn a ten year old Teddy tackled Harry. Hermione smiled softly as the young boy turned his hair pitch black and spiky. His eyes turned green. In front of her eyes, Teddy became a young Harry Potter or at least how she assumed a young Harry Potter without the scar would look. Harry laughed and ran a hand through Teddy's hair.
"Been working hard at the transformations, huh, Ted?" Harry asked. Teddy released him and nodded. The child locked his hands together in front of him and smiled.
"I wanted to have something cool to show you when you came over," Teddy exclaimed. Hermione's heart tugged as she stared at Teddy because she still thought of Tonks and Remus. Teddy turned to her. "Watch this, Harry," Teddy told him with a wink. Hermione's eyes widened as Teddy's hair lengthened and became curly. His face became more feminine. When he opened his eyes, they were a familiar brown. Harry collapsed into laughter at the sight. Teddy returned to his original make up. Hermione held her breath to keep from crying. Remus' brown eyes stared back at her.
"That's very accurate," Hermione commented as she knelt in front of Teddy. "I'm impressed." Teddy smiled widely at them. He launched into telling them of what had happened during his month. Hermione and Harry tried to see him each month. When they weren't visiting the child, they were writing to him.
"You both are going to write to me when I get to Hogwarts right?" Teddy asked. Hermione and Harry nodded.
"Just don't neglect your studies," Hermione told him. Teddy nodded seriously. She couldn't help but wonder whose habits he would have most once he entered Hogwarts. Would he be serious about his studies like Remus or would he only study lightly like Tonks? Either way, she hoped he did well.
"But don't forget to have fun," Harry told him after Hermione's statement. Teddy smiled widely at his Godfather. Harry glanced over to see Hermione's quirked eyebrow. He smiled cheekily at her.
"I want to be like Sirius or dad," Teddy said quietly. Harry and Hermione looked over at one another. Harry reached down and patted his godson on the head.
"That's a good goal to have. They were both good men," Harry muttered. Hermione reached over and squeezed his shoulder reassuringly. Harry shot a small smile in her direction before following Teddy toward the front door. They both listened closely as Teddy parroted stories that Tonk's mother had told him of the Marauders' years at Hogwarts.
Aaron Hotchner leaned against his couch and thought of his newest agents. They were an amazing duo to be certain. His curiosity about their lives before America had reared its head at their early request of a few days off.
"We need to go pay our respects to people in England," Harry had said quietly. The haunted look in his green eyes had spoken to Aaron. When he had looked over at Hermione he had seen that same haunted look mirrored in her brown eyes.
"How many days will you need?" He asked.
"Possibly three," Hermione told him as she bit into her lip. "We wouldn't ask-" Aaron held up his hand.
"I understand," Aaron told them. "I'll see you back here in three days." They rewarded his understanding with a small smile.
Aaron closed his eyes. They both seemed entirely too young to have suffered through the amount of pain he saw in their eyes. His phone interrupted his quiet time. He sat up and swung his legs to the floor. With a small sigh, he picked his phone up from the coffee table. A message from Emily blinked up at him: I'm bringing you some sandwiches from the deli over. Don't burn down the kitchen. A chuckle bubbled up from his chest.
Yes, ma'am. He sent back. Aaron set his phone back down onto his coffee table. Emily was another thing he would have to think about. Her presence had been slow at first. She called to check up on him after the divorce. Those calls slid into visits one day after work.
"You look horrible, Hotch," Emily had stated bluntly from where she stood at his office door. Aaron glanced down at himself. His clothing was wrinkled he knew. He probably had a small amount of stubble on his jaw. He glanced up at her and raised an eyebrow.
He had been surprised when she knocked on his apartment door. He had been even more surprised when she shoved him into the bathroom and demanded that he take a shower. When he had gotten out, Emily had been pulling out Chinese food from a takeout bag.
"Sit," she had demanded just as he exited the bathroom. She slid a box of Chinese food over to him and a set of chopsticks. Aaron looked up at her with a quirked eyebrow as he broke the chop sticks apart.
"I'm grateful, Emily, but why are you doing all of this?" He asked. A small blush tinted the agent's cheeks.
"I'm worried about you," she admitted as she tore apart her own chopsticks. "Besides," she sent him a small teasing smile, "I hear that you are horrible in the kitchen." Aaron snorted and rolled his eyes.
"Ah," he muttered before he wrapped some noodles around the chopsticks. "Haley told you about that, huh?" It hurt to say her name, but he knew he had too. Emily nodded with a small snort.
"Oh yeah…"
Aaron ran a hand over his hair and sighed. It was friendly support, right? He plopped his head back onto the couch. He kept telling himself that Emily and he were just friends. It had comforted him at first, now it just upset him. Why? Did he want more from Emily? A knock broke him from his thoughts. He swallowed.
'Emily…' Aaron stood with a small sigh and walked to the door. His heart was pounding as he reached the door. He opened it with a small smile. Emily returned his smile and held up the bag of sandwiches. Aaron stepped aside to let her in.
Emily raised her eyebrows at his behavior. He seemed nervous about something. As he took some plates down from the cabinet, Emily took the sandwiches out of the bag.
"Is everything okay?" She asked him as he turned around. Aaron blinked and nodded.
"Yeah. Everything's fine." He told her, but he could see that she wasn't convinced. Aaron cursed himself mentally. He needed to get his act together before he worried her further. After all, it wasn't like he could tell her that his problem was her.