Bound by a kiss

Chapter 2

"What's happening?" Hermione yelled clutching Harry tightly, with her eyes shut.

"Whatever it is, we'll find a way out. Trust me, Hermione. I won't let anything happen to you," Harry yelled back holding Hermione to his heart. "But it's beautiful, take a look."

With some forced strength from Harry's assurance, Hermione popped open one of her eyes and took a peek at the ambiance.

The water around then had vanished completely. They were being held together just within the column of a glowing blue light against the darkness of the space. There was no chill, just warmth caressing them. They were transcending beyond their realms of understanding and Hermione couldn't help but look in awe.

"I think I know what it is," Hermione whispered into his chest. "I thought they were just a theory. I never knew they existed."

She felt his smile on her forehead. "I knew you would have some answers. Let's hear them."

"What do you know about wormholes Harry?" She asked extending her hand to stroke the column of brightness surrounding them. There was a slight tingle in her fingers where she touched the light.

"Is it like a secret door?" Harry asked lifting her chin. "But to where?"

"You're not entirely wrong, Potter," she smiled. "They are basically tunnels that connect two separate locations in spacetime."

There was suddenly a jerk in their pace, as the column took a spiral curve. Harry pulled her closer while she looked around in confusion. "It's ok, Herms. I've got you."

Hermione smiled at the name he called her. She practically hated any contractions of her name. But Harry could get away with that. Not even Ron was given that privilege. The way he called her 'Herms' with a light stress on the 's' at the end, gave it a new twist that made all her protests stop. But Hermione's heart sank into her stomach at the thought of Ron. Tomorrow was supposed to be her wedding day. And here she was hanging somewhere in the space without any clue.

"So what were you saying about those tunnels?" He asked cajoling her out of her thoughts.

"Right, wormholes. They are basically tunnels, that connect any two points in the spacetime."

"I think you covered that part, but I might need a little more explanation. Where exactly are these two points?"

"They could be anywhere. They could be as close as two corners of a small needle or as far as two different universes."

Hermione saw his eyes widen at her words. "Do you mean we may land next to Burrow?"

"Or another Universe," Hermione replied sadly looking through the light column. "Harry, why didn't you tell me anything?"

Harry turned his eyes away at her abrupt question.

Hermione turned his face towards him and forced Harry to look into her eyes. "What did Dumbledore say? Why didn't he tell us before?"

"He told me that he was worried. Given my Occlumency skills, there was a high chance, Voldemort would have found out about us and the damage would be terrible."

Hermione shivered at his words and looked at him, silently asking him to continue.

"We are two parts of the same soul. That's why we had that pull towards each other. We are powerful when together. With us, apart, there was no chance of winning the war," Harry chuckled in mirth.

Hermione nodded at that. Everything started to make sense. Why she always wanted to be near Harry. She may have had a romantic interest towards Ron, but Harry always came first.

"Dumbledore said we wouldn't get the peace we yearned, until we stayed close. I thought that could be achieved, even if we are married to two different people. I didn't want to disturb your happy life. I thought you had everything you wanted in your life," Harry said his eyes misting.

"Oh! Harry, you are such an idiot," Hermione said slapping his chest wiping her own tears. "It's always been you. Nothing is ever more important than you in my life," Hermione whispered crashing her lips to his.

As they savored their kiss, Hermione felt the warmth around them growing. She pushed at his chest and looked around in panic. There was a disturbance in the light column.

They held their hands together as the light began to close up on them. The light wound around them reaching places in between and slowly started nudging them apart. Hermione's eyes shot to Harry's.

"Something's wrong Hermione. What's happening to this hole thing?" Harry asked trying his pull his wand.

"Our wands won't work, Harry," Hermione stopped him. "Look at us we're just our souls." They gazed longingly at their transparent selves.

As those words tore out of her, the light had successfully pulled them apart. But Harry and Hermione both held onto their hands, their grip slowly moving only to their fingers. Hermione screamed when she lost contact with Harry's fingers.

She was violently hurled into the whirlpool at the end of the column. She saw the same thing happening to Harry, but in the opposite direction. She let out a loud wail that was met with another scream from Harry. "Hermione. Where ever you'll be, I'll find you." Those were the last words she heard as her vision faded into gray while Hermione gave into the darkness that awaited her at the bottom of the wormhole.

A light sprinkle of water had awakened Hermione, abruptly. She blinked her eyes open trying to see what was around her.

The darkness had vanished. She was in broad daylight and the sun was high up in the sky. It was green all around her, with lush grass and tall trees. But beyond those trees, there were tall buildings and the place looked quite familiar. It had been quite a long time since she had come to her favorite childhood place, but Hyde Park held special memories for her.

She sighed in relief, recognizing that she was still in London. So the other end of the wormhole had been in London. She laughed to herself but surprised to hear a high-pitched giggle instead of her normal laugh. She shook her head to clear all the confused thoughts and started to look for Harry. If only she could find him immediately, they could get back and work on damage control.

There was another squirt on her face and she looked around in annoyance. There was a little boy with a little water squirter in his hand spraying at her. But what shocked Hermione the most was how he resembled her tormentor of her school days. The little boy could be easily Draco Malfoy's son. But Draco didn't have a son. So where exactly did he come from?

Hermione growled in anger and stomped to the boy trying to look down at him, ready to give a piece of her mind. But the strangest of sensations passed through her as she found herself looking straight into his eyes.

How did the boy suddenly grow this tall? She gasped and looked down at her dress, as the boy blew a raspberry and hit her with another squirt. Before she pulled him back by the scruff of his neck, the boy took off in a run.

But Hermione's gaze was not on the boy who just ran, but on her tiny small feet. She stood frozen on her spot as her eyes slowly traveled on to her flowery pink dress, to her chubby little fingers and to her brown hair that was tied up in pigtails. She looked like a four-year-old. She felt so desperate. She didn't know where she ended up or what happened to her.

"Hermione, dear," her mother's voice reached her ears and Hermione rushed to her embracing her tightly.

"Mum," Hermione cried loudly into her shoulder as her mother ran her fingers through her hair. Hermione wanted to say so many things to her and accept the comfort her mother was offering, but she didn't know if she could even form a decent sentence.

"Draco, come back here right now," her mother called at the boy who was laughing somewhere in the far distance. Hermione looked at her mother in confusion. From when since her mother called Draco by his name or how in the hell did she know him.

"Auntie Jean," Draco groaned coming closer. "Please."

"No, young man. It's time we're going to have a little chat with Narcissa. You don't squirt water at others' faces."

"Oh come on, Jean. They're just playing," a new voice spoke dragging Hermione's attention. Hermione's eyes sparkled at the sight of her then came closer to Hermione's mother and whispered, "Besides, there is no use in talking to your cousin and her husband. They spoil the boy to the core."

Hermione grinned widely and threw herself at her Dad, sobbing, "Daddy." Her Dad lifted Hermione up to his shoulders and returned her hug. "Go on Draco."

"Thanks, Uncle Dan," Draco squealed and tugged on Hermione's foot. "Come on, Hermione. Ducks at the pond." He ran off in the direction of the water pond when Hermione didn't reply.

"I'll go with him," her mother took off after Draco.

Hermione shook her head burrowing into her Dad's neck. She was so scared and didn't follow a thing that was happening around her. Her parents looked the same, but why is Draco calling them Aunt and Uncle. Slowly realizations started to click in her mind. The wormhole indeed ended in another Universe. A Universe where Draco was close to her family. She even wondered if she had any magic at all. But why was she alone here? Where is the hell is Harry?

Her father slowly lowered her to the ground. "Hey! pumpkin, don't cry. You want to go and play?"

"I don't want to play with Draco," Hermione said rubbing her cheeks vigorously.

"Hmm. That's a problem then. Here I thought you might want to squirt Draco with this powerful water gun and douse him in water," her father replied with a dramatic sigh. "It's alright. It seems I get to be the one to use this super awesome water gun."

Hermione face lit up with that idea and squealed in laughter. "I want to do it."

Her father laughed handing her the little orange shooter filled with water and scooped her up on his shoulders. He took off in a run in the same direction while Hermione bobbed on his shoulders. Hermione laughed in happiness reminiscing her own memories with her parents. Whatever Universe they may be in, the love between a parent and a child never changed.

But her laughter abruptly stopped at the sight in front of her. Her mother was in an animated chatter with a woman in a beautiful long flowing red hair. Hermione gulped thinking it might be Ginny.

Her father lowered her to the ground and gently nudged her to join Draco who was near the pond shooting water into the pond, disturbing the ducks. "Show your cousin, how it's done. Ok, pumpkin."

But Hermione couldn't move, she kept looking at the red haired lady. From her position, she couldn't see her face. She walked to her mother and caught onto her legs and peeked at the other woman's face. She gasped when she found herself looking into the same emerald eyes she saw in her best friend.

The tiny sound caught her attention and the lady smiled warmly at Hermione. She slowly bent down to Hermione's level and asked, "Who is this beautiful girl?"

Hermione looked at her with wide eyes, as she found no words to speak. She heard many stories about this woman. Back in her own world, everybody sang praises of her brilliance, bravery, and beauty. It was her sacrifice that let Harry live.

"Mrs. Potter, this is our Hermione," her mother said pulling a cowering Hermione to the front.

"Well, Hermione. It's very nice to meet you," Lily Potter said extending her hand. "Call me Lily."

Hermione shook her hand and mumbled, "It's nice to meet you too."

"I'm really glad we came here today, Hermione. We recently moved to London and my son was missing his friend. He would be very happy meet you," Lily Potter said pointing to a boy standing closer to Draco.

"Harry," Hermione whispered looking at the pair of boys.

"Well, that is very curious. His name is indeed Harry," Lily Potter said looking in confusion at Hermione.

While both the mothers looked at Hermione, she walked towards Harry with a smile. She had finally found Harry.

Both Draco and Harry were already seemed to be in an argument. Draco continued to spray water at the poor ducks while Harry was trying to stop him do that.

"Stop, no hurt ducks," the tiny Harry spoke making Hermione's heart flutter. His green eyes were flashing in anger as his little arms tried to snatch the squirt gun from Draco's hand.

"It's fun," Draco said spraying the water ignoring everybody's protests.

"Stop, Draco," Hermione yelled loudly and both Harry and Draco looked at her. She had expected like her, the original Harry might be in the body of this tiny Harry. But she was disappointed to see Harry look at her in confusion. This was not her Harry. Her heart sank thinking she lost her best friend, her soulmate and her everything. Tears began into form in her eyes as she heard Draco call her name.

"Ah! Hermione. Come, my team," Draco smirked pulling Hermione to him.

But Hermione stayed there and said, "No, Harry's team," with firm determination curbing the tears at bay. She didn't want the tiny Harry to see her tears. Harry looked at her in surprise but smiled. Hermione went to stand beside him and repeated Harry's words. "No hurt ducks."

Harry smiled proudly at her, "Hermione, friend?"

"Best friend," Hermione said beaming.

"Harry, Hermione splash," Draco said turning the nozzle onto the pair of new best friends.

"No, Harry protect Hermione," Harry said jumping in front of Hermione, shielding her from the oncoming splash.

"That's enough play near the pond kids. Come on," Hermione's dad called sensing the animosity between the boys.

Harry and Hermione replied, "Yes" and turned back to go back to their parents. But Draco stayed there with a tiny scowl on his face. When Draco didn't follow, Hermione turned to see why he stopped. But when she saw where Draco had pointed his squirter, she growled and took out the larger water gun her dad gave. She used all her strength to give a mighty splash aimed directly at Draco pushing him to the ground and drenching him in water. "I said, no hurt Harry."

"Thank you, Hermione. My best friend," Harry said giving a kiss on her cheek that landed too close to her lips and she found the lost warmth, while her snickering father helped Draco to his feet.

"You should've listened to them, mate. They make a formidable team," her father said loudly enough for all of them to hear, throwing a wink at Harry and Hermione.

Harry smiled and his eyes found Hermione as he threw his hand over his shoulder. But a small guilt started to claw at Hermione's heart. It would be definitely wonderful to begin a new life with everyone here. This Harry would never have to face Voldemort and he would actually grow up in a loving home this time.

But her Harry was different, more human than anyone she knew. He was the one who knew the meaning of love even if he came from an abused home. He was the one who threw his life in front of danger without thinking. He was the one who held others' happiness before his own. He would be her own and he would be waiting for her.

This little Harry belonged to that little Hermione. And she was an obstacle in their journey. She had to get back to her soulmate and leave these little ones to find their own destiny.

As the thought started in her mind, she heard a tiny rumble in the pond. Her curious little eyes turned towards sound the whirlpool started to make, but the tiny Harry and everyone remained oblivious. She understood it was time for her to move on from this world. The pull she felt this time was familiar and she didn't fight it. It was her pathway to get back to that one person, her life revolved on.

"Always, be happy," she said kissing on little Harry's cheek as she gave into the pull of the whirlpool. Her parents were happily chatting with Lily Potter while Draco tentatively reached the new best friends, offering friendship with his hand extended. Her soul separated from tiny Hermione's body and swayed into the whirlpool.

As the blue light enveloped her, she saw both little Hermione and little Harry laughing heart fully looking into each other's eyes.

A/N: Sorry, there was not much of Harry in this chapter. But the next one, it is all about him. I hope you liked it. Please read and review. Don't forget to let me know your opinions.

I was really floored by the response I got from all of you, for this tiny attempt. Thank you so much who have followed and marked this attempt as their favorite.

And my special thanks to all those who reviewed. pawsrule, SnowyJeikobu, AllyBabyPebbles, SSSra, Katt8500, Millie, OnlyHHR, LuckyMascot, Chery1, pgoodrichboggs, Jessi Granger, Zavviov, necee90, RLyn96 ,The94thRiverII