Chapter 3

Hermione

Hermione wasn't really expecting Harry to show up at her doorstep: especially if he had heard about Ginny's death. Another thing she hadn't been expecting was an owl to show up in the middle of the night, addressed to her, but one did.

Ron had just went to bed, in a drunken stupor, an hour before; Hermione was laying on her sofa, watching the news, it was 1AM. She had watched the news every night since they had left him, hoping she wouldn't hear his name. The apartment was fairly silent, so when the owl tapped on the window with it's talons, Hermione lept off the couch in fright. She looked around frantically for a few moments before seeing the grey owl perched on her window sill. She walked over and opened it.

The owl held out it's leg for Hermione to untie the letter from it. She took it and the owl flew away, instantly. There was no name anywhere on the paper, but she recognized the handwriting instantly. Her heart skipped a beat.

"Harry!" She poked her head out the window and looked around, as if he were standing there waiting on her. When she didn't find him, she looked down at the note.

Godric's Hollow.

Tonight.

3 AM.

Hermione wasn't sure what to think, do, believe. Was this really from Harry? Should she wake Ron? She looked back down at the note, and saw that Harry had written one other word, almost as if he had read Hermione's mind.

Alone.

Hermione sat down, in disbelief for several minutes. She couldn't believe that after all this time, Harry was trying to get in touch with her. What if this is a trick? What if it's not from Harry? What if it is from Harry and he doesn't show?

She couldn't take wondering. So, she decided to get some sleep before time to go. She folded up the note, put it in her pocket and set an alarm for 2:43.

When the alarm went off, she woke instantly and waited to make sure it hadn't woke Ron. When she didn't hear him moving, she put her coat on, walked outside and down the streeet, then disapperated. When she showed up in Godric's Hollow, she realized that she didn't know where she was going in Godric's Hollow. She started with the grave yard. Harry wasn't there. She didn't think he would ever return to the remains of his parents' house, but she didn't know where else to look. She walked up to the house that looked as if it had been hit by a tornado. She stepped towards the area that would have been the door, had there been one. She stood there, looking around at all the remnants of the Potter's home, but she could not bring herself to go inside.

She looked down at her watch: 2:57. Where is he? Again, as if he had read her mind, Harry spoke up.

"Hermione?" he said.

She turned around. She could not believe her eyes.

"Harry!" Hermione said in an excited whisper.

She ran towards him, but the when she got close she stopped, Harry was stepping away from her. She stood there and just stared at him for a few moments before looking to her feet. No one said anything for several minutes.

"Why am I here, Harry?" Hermione asked, playing with her hands.

"I don't really know." He said.

"You must have had some reason for asking me to come."

"I. Well. I've been living a lonely life, Hermione. I guess I just wanted some interaction. I haven't heard from you or Ron or Ginny since you left. I haven't heard from anyone." He said.

Hermione stiffened. Harry didn't know about Ginny. Does he know that Ron and I are married? She wondered to herself.

"Harry, I haven't seen you in so long, and this isn't really a conversation I want to have with you first thing, but there's no use pushing it off. Let's sit down somewhere, where are you staying?" She said

Harry's eyes raised to the house behind her.

"No." She Hermione whispered. "Harry, why?"

"Where else was I supposed to go?" He asked.

"Anywhere else." She said.

"Just come on." He said, and they walked inside