Note: Hello, hi!
So, yeah. I'm sorry about the long hiatus. It was not my intention but I got sucked into writing Blurred Lines and some people were being so unpleasant here that writing the story lost its fun.
But I'm back! For real! As I publish this chapter I have already finished the story and I'm a bit emotional about it. When I started this I knew it wouldn't be an easy task, but I love this one just as much as my other stories.
I'll update weekly. The story ends on chapter 33 (the Epilogue). The chapters are not that long, around 6k-7k.
I have to confess that I loved to death writing the second part of this story. A lot changes now that Tessa is back in their lives.
For those who always liked this, thank you so much, your support means a lot and I really hope you enjoy the rest of it. For those who never liked it but keep coming back to read and comment, I mean, lol, what are you even doing here? Honestly. And to new readers, thank you for giving this a shot. I hope you like it.
So, that's it! Buckle up!
September 18th, 2003
He's totally lost. His thoughts are all over the place. His heart can't stop beating like a crazy drum and his lungs feel small for the amount of air he's needing right now. The moment the doctor called, Harry was giving Rachel a bath and he answered thinking the news would be more of the same. When he understood that she was really and truly awake, his mind shut down. He had enough rationality to send a patronus to Hermione and ask for Draco and Ginny to take care of Rachel.
Then, he took off to St. George's in a blur.
Now he's in a little room with the doctor explaining everything to him and Leonard. He got there desperate to see Tessa, but the doctor stopped him, a lot must be explained first: Things like how she woke up but is still extremely disorientated; How it's going to be a slow recovery because of the amount of time that she spent in a coma; How she needs to relearn the basics of life: talking, moving, walking, eating; How it all will take days, weeks, months even. And on top of everything, right away they won't know for sure the damage her brain suffered. She might not be the same anymore, she might not remember them. Anything could happen.
But at the moment Harry doesn't care at all. His mind is on repeat: Tessa is awake. Tessa is awake. Tessa is awake. It feels like a miracle. And he can barely measure the immensity of how happy he is. Rachel will get the chance to share moments with her birth mother, will get the chance to be hugged and kissed by her. He hopes.
He looks at Leonard. Tessa's father is in complete shock. Quiet and with wide teary eyes. He probably thought he would never get his daughter back. Harry looks down. He can't stand Leonard, mostly because of the way he ignored Rachel's existence, but now that Tessa is awake he ponders if he shouldn't try letting all this hurt in the past. Maybe the best for Tessa right now is them acting as much civilly as possible around each other.
A knock on the door stops the doctor. Harry looks over his shoulder when the door opens. And in an instant he's up embracing Hermione. She's crying and he closes his eyes as he squeezes her tightly against him. The world fades away while they share this moment. Only both know what they went through, how much they wished and hoped for Tessa to wake up. How much they wished for Rachel to have her mother with her. And now this is a reality.
Their hug is long and emotional. He's again with his best friend, with the woman he's been missing every second of every day since she moved to Paris.
Hermione is the first to move away. Their eyes meet. A million words pass between them. He can see some kind of… resignation in Hermione's eyes. And he knows pretty well what she's saying: Tessa is back. There's no us anymore. It angers him and he sets his jaw. She averts her eyes and goes to her uncle. Harry stays frozen. He's angry because he has no idea how this new development will affect his relationship with her. But he can't focus on that right now. There are more pressing matters.
He sits back down on the chair and Hermione gives all her attention to the doctor, nodding, as he repeats everything he already said to him and Leonard. Harry takes the moment to observe her. She seems good. Beautiful as always. Maybe a bit tired, but… fine. An intrusive and fast question goes through his mind, does she miss me the same way I miss her? It's only been three weeks but it surely feels more. Like an eternity.
The doctor politely asks them to wait outside the office while he goes to check on Tessa.
As soon as they step onto the corridor, Leonard excuses himself and goes away seeking the washroom. Hermione conjures up a silencing spell around them.
She wastes no time. "I can make her come back to herself." Her eyes are eager, hopeful. "I mean, I already knew all the complications from waking up from a long coma and I've been studying the magical aspect of it. With a few certain spells and potions I can make her better in minutes, Harry." She's smiling and he does the same.
He exhales, his chest bursting with happiness. "I shouldn't be surprised." He hugs her again. "This is amazing, Hermione. Thank you." Softly, he presses a kiss on her cheek. Hermione closes her eyes. He desperately wants to kiss her mouth. Trap her bottom lip between his teeth, feel her tongue battling his for dominance-
He inhales deeply and moves away.
Hermione blinks fast, clearing her throat. "But it won't be so easy."
"What do you mean?"
"There are doctors with her all the time, how am I supposed to perform spells?" He raises an eyebrow at that. "We should come back later. With your invisibility cloak and the potions I need."
"Do you have a plan?"
"We'll need to perform a repelling and a silencing spell around her room. We can't stun the doctors because other patients need them, but I can't be interrupted." He nods. "I just need to rest a bit. So, maybe around 3am might be a good time. I'll have the potions by then."
"Are you stealing them from St. Mungo's?" He asks honestly. Her eyes tell him so. Hermione pretends to be appalled by the suggestion, but she opens a mischievous smile.
"I would never." Her tone says otherwise. "Lend me your cloak?"
He's about to answer when the doctor enters the hall and walks straight to them. Hermione ends the spell and Harry frowns at the doctor's face.
"Look, since it's too soon and she's still very sleepy and lost, I don't think all of you going in there is ideal." Harry opens his mouth to protest but Hermione's hand on his forearm stops him. "I'm sorry, but tonight I'll allow only her father to go in. One of you can come back tomorrow." He gives them a tight smile and spots Leonard, walking to him.
"Can you believe this?" Harry is fuming. He wants to see Tessa.
"It's fine, Harry. We'll see her later." Her voice is off and he takes a breath, running his hands through his hair in a nervous manner.
"Okay. Let's head back to my house to fetch the cloak." The words leave his mouth and in a second he widens his eyes. There's a sad smile on her face.
"Sure, let's go. I need to visit your house after all."
It was supposed to be our house, Hermione.
He nods and they walk in silence to the nearest alley to apparate. And standing there in the dark, Harry steps into her personal space, his hand searching hers while their eyes inevitably search for clues and answers of what's happening between them. They should talk about this. Tessa being back to their lives is a reality now. Harry sets his jaw and gently brings her hand to his mouth, kissing it. Hermione exhales and after a beat kisses his hand too.
He needs her to reassure him that everything will be fine. But he can tell that she's asking him the same, and maybe, for the first time, after a long while, they're both in doubt.
He apparates with her.
Hermione is truly dazzled by the house. It's big but not in a preposterous way. Every room seems to have a purpose: The living area is welcoming and warm with an open space that leads directly to a spacious kitchen; There's also a big table for entertaining guests; And then there's Harry's study on the ground floor and nothing more. Going up the stairs the first room is Rachel's. Hermione stops inside, her heart beating fast at the sight of the little girl's things. The bed is a tad larger and Hermione doesn't miss an enchanted painting of a Golden Snitch on the wall. Smiling, she follows Harry to see the two guest rooms and then finally his own. She hesitates at the door, unsure if it's a good idea to enter a small space filled with Harry's stuff and scent. But the cloak is probably there so she steps inside. The room is large with a king sized bed and a comfortable armchair by the window. She stops breathing when she sees a beautiful portrait of Harry and Rachel on the wall. They're standing in front of the house in a tight embrace.
Harry nudges her. His cloak extended. "Here."
She takes it. "Thanks." She looks down, feeling awkward.
"There's also the attic and the basement." Harry breaks the silence. "Do you wanna see?" She nods, but, before, she walks to the window and gets a pretty nice view of the backyard. Harry stands next to her. "The whole ground is mine. You see, this is a particular wizarding community where the houses are very far away from one another, much like the Burrow." She nods. Indeed, all she can see are trees in the distance. "I'm thinking about a pool. And a tree house for Rachel. I always wanted one of those." He chuckles softly and the sound goes directly to her heart, warming her. It's amazing to see Harry this happy, with a life of his own. With his daughter. With love. With Tessa. She blinks fast. "Maybe we could get a dog, who knows?"
"I'm sure Rachel will love it." It's all she says. Harry turns to look at her and she knows he's about to talk about Tessa. She's not ready. "So, what about the attic?"
He stares at her for a moment, then he smiles. "Come." He takes her hand and they walk together into the corridor and to a hidden stair on the wall. "Neat, right?" She agrees.
Harry climbs in front of her and when she reaches the top, she uses a hand to cover her mouth. The room is filled with photographs. From floor to ceiling. There's a table and a few chairs at the center, on the corner there's another table and a furniture with drawers that probably has many more photos. She tears up a bit noticing that she's in almost every one of them. Hermione has no reaction, she's in a silent awe.
But most of all, she feels torn.
She was just thinking about asking Harry to move to Paris. To give them another chance. But now…
It won't happen.
She lost him. For good. She knows he won't leave. Rachel and Tessa need to reconnect and Harry will be there all the way. And she likes it or not, this notion makes her sad.
But when she thinks about her cousin, she's exultant. Tessa woke up. She's back. She's alive. It's an indescribable emotion.
And again with all of it comes the guilt. She bites her lower lip.
"What are you thinking about?" His voice takes her out of her own head. "I can tell there's something bothering you."
Hermione shakes her head. "It's nothing. I was thinking about how to steal the potions, that's all." Harry narrows his eyes and she decides changing the subject. "This room is truly amazing, Harry."
"You really liked it?"
"I loved it."
Tessa will too.
Hermione moves to the stairs and Harry follows. He leads her to the basement and shows how he divided the place into a playroom and a 'cleaning station' as he calls the place Hermione can see some laundry washing itself. There's also a treadmill at the corner. She smiles fondly to him. The house is adoring and it sure feels like a home. It didn't escape her how the place checks all her requirements when it comes to a house.
It's almost like he bought it thinking about her. No. Don't go there.
They go back to the living area and sit down in silence. She yawns. "Are you tired?" Harry asks.
"Yeah, I mean. I should be sleeping now." She glances at her watch. "I have to be at the Hôpital pretty early tomorrow, but I'll warn them I won't make it." Harry nods.
"We… we haven't talked much lately, I mean I hear you talking to Rachel and all, but- how are things in Paris? Really?" His tone indicates a hidden question.
"Are you asking me if I'm happy there, Harry?" She says the words he couldn't. He looks down.
"Are you?"
Hermione weights the moment. It's a heavy one. And a few hours ago her answer would be different from the one she actually utters, "Yes. I am, Harry. Very." She opens a sincere smile to him and he purses his lips. The only things missing are you and Rachel. "In a way you were right. It's everything I ever wanted for my career." She stops talking but her tongue itches. For her career, yes, but not her life. Her life is them. Their little family.
Harry looks crestfallen and she has no idea how to deal with this right now, so, swallowing the lump in her throat she gets up.
"I'll take the potions. And… if it's okay with you, can I crash here until 3am? I'm knackered and won't be able to perform the spells without sleeping a little."
"Of course."
It's hard to find the right words, so, she turns to leave.
"Hermione." She stops and feels his presence behind her. Turning around she meets his eyes. "I can't thank you enough. Never."
"You don't have to, Harry."
"You never left my side." He practically blurts out. Their voices are low since they're pretty close. "And- I never had anyone like that, you know? Someone I could fully trust. Even with things weird between us, I knew you would come. I knew you would be here now. There never was a doubt in my mind and in my heart. I hope you realize how amazing you are."
She might cry. But she hugs him instead. "You're my best friend, Harry. I'll always be here."
She feels that he wants to protest at her words, but she moves away and apparates.
Coward.
Like she said she would, Hermione took the potions from St. Mungo's and came back to his house to rest. She practically blacked out the moment her head hit the pillow. And he stood there, like a fool, watching her sleep. It's 2:50am and she'd asked him to wake her up, so, he sits on the bed by her side.
She sleeps exactly in the same curled position he remembers. And that brings a smile to his face. Without thinking he leans to wake her with a kiss but he stops just in time and shakes his head. Shit. He hesitantly moves a hand to cup her cheek.
"Hermione, wake up. It's time." She mumbles and stirs. "Wake up." He caresses her cheek and she opens her eyes in one go.
"Harry." She whispers.
"Hey."
Sitting up she rubs her eyes. "Merlin, I'm tired." She yawns again.
"Are you sure you want to do this tonight? Healing can take a lot from you and-"
"We'll do it tonight." She cuts him and moves to stand but he cages her into his frame. She raises an eyebrow in question.
"It's just- Happy birthday."
"Oh!" She chuckles and he hugs her. "I totally forgot about it. Thank you."
Harry presses a kiss to her shoulder and sees her shivering under his touch. But she doesn't move away and in a bold move he spreads kisses up her neck until he reaches her jaw. He misses her so damn much. And just like magic they're facing each other, extremely close.
"I really wanna kiss you." He says in a low voice.
Hermione doesn't answer, she moves. He feels the softness of her lips on his and marvels at it. It's a slow kiss. Gentle. And when they separate, he leaves a trail of small kisses on her cheeks and nose. She smiles. His mouth finds hers again, a little bit more eager this time and they battle for dominance, the temperature in the room going up a notch. Harry is already pushing her down on the mattress, but she stops them.
"We need to go."
He blinks, his mind going back to normal. "Yeah. Sure, I'm sorry." He feels ridiculous for apologizing for kissing her, but Hermione just nods, a strange look on her face.
"Where's the cloak?"
He fetches it from a chair. "Ready?"
In a blink they apparate to the nearest alley. Harry throws the cloak over both of them, bringing her to him by the waist. They're suffocatingly close. "There was a lot more space here when we were eleven." He mumbles and she laughs.
"Let's go."
Harry never thought they would enter the Hospital and get to Tessa's room so easily. The hard part of it all was the proximity they had to maintain in order to stay under the cloak. He never tried apparating already under the cloak and they decided it would be better to just walk up to the room. At a point, when they were walking down a corridor, he embraced Hermione from behind and walked in sync with her. He admits that his body had a very strong reaction to that. But Hermione gracefully pretended it never happened.
And now, as they stand right next to Tessa's bed and Hermione utters the spells, his heart is beating like crazy and he's sure she can feel it on her back.
Tessa on the other hand is peacefully asleep, oblivious to their presence.
"So, the spells are up." Hermione says, "we just need to get closer to her."
"Can't we miss the cloak?" He's desperate to put some distance between them. He has no idea for how long he'll be able to keep his arousal in check, and he knows that Hermione doesn't need this right now. She needs to focus.
"Of course not, Harry. How would we explain our presence here? No one will come, but they can still see us from afar."
He grunts and they move closer to the bed.
"Okay, so," Hermione says, "I have to perform at least three healing spells. For her brain, for her muscles and another one for the rest of her organs. This will take a while and I can't be interrupted."
He nods, serious. They share a final look before Hermione takes a deep breath and turns her attention back to Tessa. Harry tries his best not to move or even breathe, but the one thing he can't stop himself from doing is admiring Hermione. He's completely enthralled by the way she performs the spells, her words sure, her movements firm yet graceful. It dawns on him how important her work is. She saves lives. She improves people's health. She gives people hope. She takes completely broken and almost gone patients and gives them a new chance.
It takes Harry a moment to notice that a few tears are welling behind his eyes and falling. It's an odd kind of emotion. He's just so incredibly proud of her, of knowing her since she was eleven, he saw every step of the way while she turned into this outstanding woman.
He feels a sudden urge to hug her for hours.
But his eyes fall on Tessa. She's stirring on the bed, mumbling something. He can see that Hermione is giving everything she has in order to heal her cousin. She'll be drained after this. And he hopes she lets him take care of her. It's the least he can do.
Hermione abruptly ends the last spell, gasping a little. Harry can see her arms shaking and his hands instinctively go to them, caressing and soothing.
"It's done." Even her voice sounds weak.
"Okay. Now what?"
He's not sure because Tessa still has her eyes closed.
"We wake her up." And just as she says the words, Hermione leans to her cousin and touches her arm, shaking a bit. "Tess, wake up. Tess."
It feels like a miracle when Tessa opens her eyes. Harry is sure he gasps. It strikes him how much he missed those blue eyes. That infinite ocean he once got lost into. One he would drown gladly.
But Tessa blinks and looks at her surroundings with wide eyes, scared. In a swift motion she sits up on the bed. "Hermione?"
"Tessa." It's Harry who answers. His heart is pounding inside his chest and he automatically moves forward, Hermione moving with him. He'd forgotten how sweet her voice was.
"Harry?" She puts a hand over her mouth. "Love, where are you? Where am I?"
He takes her hand and Tessa starts crying. "I'm here. Me and Hermione." They intertwine their fingers.
"Mi?"
"Hey, Tess." Hermione puts a hand on one of her legs. "How are you feeling?"
"I- I'm fine! Where am I? Where's Rachel? Is she okay?"
"Our daughter is fine." Harry says fast and an earth-shattering smile takes over Tessa's face. He can't help smiling with her. He'd stopped believing this moment would come.
"Okay, what's happening? Why can't I see you?" She frowns.
"Look at your hand." Harry says and she widens her eyes when she notices she can't actually see her hand that is under the cloak holding his. "We're under the invisibility cloak. We shouldn't be here."
"Why?"
"Tess, what's the last thing you remember?" Hermione asks, her voice strange.
"I- I was coming back home and-" She lowers her head, confused. "A headlight. Then… nothing."
Harry sees Hermione squaring her shoulders and preparing herself, then she says:
"Okay, look, this will be hard to understand, but you suffered a car accident that night, Tess. You had many injuries and a severe head trauma. You- you've been in a coma for more than two years."
"What?" Tessa's voice is barely there. "Are you saying I lost more than two years of my life?"
Hermione has no answer to that, but Harry does. "But you're here now, Tessa. Finally. And what matters is what comes from now on, okay?" He gently brings her hand to his lips, kissing it. Tessa opens a wide smile again.
"I've missed you so much, Harry. I wish I could see you. How is our daughter? I can't believe I wasn't there when you met her!" She sounds excited and alive. So very much alive.
"She's good." He smiles. "Amazing. And she looks so much like you." He says.
Hermione falters by his side and his attention immediately goes to her.
"What's wrong?" He asks.
"Hermione?" Tessa calls her.
"I- it's just- the healing. I need to rest." She purses her lips, tears running down her face.
With the hand that's not holding Tessa's, Harry supports Hermione by the waist, bringing her even closer to his body. However, she tries resisting his touch.
"We can go." He says to her.
"No. Stay with Tessa. I think I can apparate."
"What's happening?" Tessa asks.
"Just give us a minute." He says to Tessa and releasing her hand, he practically makes Hermione walk with him to the corner of the room. "You're not fine, Hermione. Let me take care of you."
"No, Harry." She avoids looking at him. "You've waited too long for this moment. You should stay." He opens his mouth to protest. She raises a hand. "I can apparate. I'll go to Draco and Ginny's. It's a good opportunity to see Rachel."
He closes his mouth. He has no idea what to say. He can't deny it's a strange reunion, him, Hermione and Tessa. After everything…
"You're crying." He whispers. Suddenly nothing else matters. He tries cupping her face but she rejects his gesture.
"Happy tears." She opens a small smile. Then, she takes something from her pocket and shoves into Harry's hand. "Make her drink the three vials, okay?" He nods and she doesn't wait, in a blink Hermione apparates.
And just as she does, Tessa's voice reaches him.
"Love? Are you there?"
Under the cloak he walks to her bed and sits by her side, again mesmerized by her eyes. They do have a lot to talk about.
She sits alone at Draco and Ginny's living room. She's allowed to apparate inside and they're all sleeping. Hermione already went to see Rachel at one of the guest rooms, but she didn't have in her heart enough courage to wake up the girl. And now she's just there, watching their moonlit backyard in a numb way.
She knows she broke completely when Harry gave Tessa that smile. It was just too much but she still tried hanging in there. However, the way they were so absorbed by each other brought memories of those weeks in Paris when they met. And it was the confirmation she needed. Harry still loves Tessa. He's still in love with her. Maybe he never stopped. Hermione thinks she just fooled herself all this time. Closing her eyes she lets the tears fall.
No, what we had was real. It was.
She has no idea if Harry will tell Tessa about their relationship. It is a tough and touchy subject. And maybe not important enough for him to tell. Because it's over. And just as he said, what matters is what happens from now on.
She sobs.
"Merlin." Her voice comes out shaky and broken in the silent and empty living room.
The way they talked about Rachel was also a knife to her heart. Their daughter. Hermione has no place in this, no place in the life they'll build for themselves. No place in their family. She cries some more and presses both hands to her eyes.
Hermione doesn't want to feel this. She wished she could just be over the moon for having her cousin back, but unfortunately that means she loses Harry - and Rachel - and it's… painful.
But she had a feeling. That's why she kissed him before going to St. George's. She knew it might be their last kiss. And it was perfect.
"I guess I'll just have to live with that." She sighs, trying to stop her tears.
Tomorrow, when she wakes up in the morning, she'll put on a brave smile and pretend all is fine, pretend she doesn't want to curl into a ball and cry because of this situation. It's her birthday after all and she intends on spending it the best way possible. With her friends and with her cousin who's truly a miracle.
And then… then she's off to Paris to live her life.
He doesn't apparate to his house. Harry goes directly to Draco and Ginny's. It's already 8am. He stayed with Tessa for almost 5 hours. He told her about the Auror training while she told him about finding out about Rachel and the pregnancy. He smiled widely when Tessa said she wouldn't have been able to deal with everything if it wasn't for Hermione. Harry said the same. He told her how Hermione helped him after the accident, how he doubted he could be a father and how she reassured him.
Tessa wanted to know everything about his relationship with Rachel. And Harry gladly told her. They laughed and cried a bit. He could feel how sad she was about losing these years and moments.
But she finally felt tired and Harry left with a promise of coming back later. Tessa slept immediately. Him, on the other hand, still insanely pumped with adrenaline, wouldn't be able to sleep even if a Bludger hit his head.
Harry gulps. He apparated directly to their living room and the first thing he sees is… Hermione sleeping on their couch. He crouches to look at her. She looks peaceful and exhausted. Harry knows it's because of the healing she performed. It'll take her a few days to go back to normal.
He sighs, running a hand through his hair. He- he didn't tell Tessa about him and Hermione. He doesn't know why. Not because it doesn't mean much, mainly because it meant everything to him and it's hard to tell how Tessa will react to that. She was very disorientated still, trying to come to terms with the fact that she lost years, something that he's sure won't be easy. He can't even imagine her utter surprise when she sees Rachel. The girl grew a lot.
His eyes wander to the backyard. Ginny, Draco and Rachel are having breakfast there. The three probably agreed on not waking Hermione up.
Standing tall, he looks at her again. They need to talk. And the notion makes him shiver. He has no idea what to expect from this talk.
Harry can't lie to himself or to Hermione. Tessa is awake. And he's truly shaken by it.
She mumbles something in her sleep and his heart swells. It's her birthday today and he wants her to have a great day, so, he walks to the backyard, fetching Rachel and smiling. A bright smile. Ginny and Draco want to hear about Tessa, but he shakes his head.
"I need to bake a cake first." He states. "Can I use your kitchen?"
He has a long conversation with Ginny and Draco while he prepares the cake. Rachel doesn't understand things that well, but she listens to his every word. Her mind keen to the word Tessa. They never stopped explaining to her who Tessa was and Harry hopes they can pick up from where they left off all those years ago. He knows it won't be easy and he also knows they have a long journey ahead of them, but he's excited to see how things will unfold now.
However, what Rachel is the most excited about is her mama's birthday. And Harry can't deny that he also is.
And when Hermione comes to the kitchen - at 11pm - Harry is just finishing frosting the cake. In a blink he conjures up some candles and they all start to sing 'happy birthday'. She smiles, even if she slept a lot, he can see that she's still pretty tired. But that doesn't stop her from taking Rachel in her arms for them to blow out the candles together.
Hermione hugs Ginny and Draco, and then she's finally in front of him.
"Thank you for the cake." She says and he inhales deeply, embracing her, squeezing her. Harry nuzzles her neck and her hands go to his hair.
But they separate fast after that.
"So, are you at least spending your birthday here? With us?" Ginny asks, making a face and levitating two gifts. Hers and Draco's. Hermione shakes her head, thanking them. One new healer's coat made with the best fabric ever known, which is amazing, and one book on extremely hard new techniques on head healing.
"Of course I am." She answers after hugging them again. Harry's gift is at his house. He bought it… weeks ago. And Rachel comes running with a red balloon to give her. Hermione opens a gorgeous smile and Harry feels his heart pounding inside his chest. He misses her smiles. He misses these moments with her. So fucking much. "Thank you, sweetie." Hermione sits down on a stool and they all proceed to eat the cake. After a while, she says, "I need to talk to Tessa." Her voice is low. She looks at Harry.
He knows she wants to hear what he already told Tessa and he nods, indicating that they'll talk in a bit, right now, the only thing he wants, though, is to enjoy the cake he baked with all his love for her.
As always, she understands his look and doesn't press the matter.
Draco changes the subject and an interrogatory about Hermione's life in Paris begins.
She talks about the complex cases she has in her hands at the moment. She comments on how hard she's studying and how she's trying to do the best for her patients. She also talks about how good it feels to be close to her parents again, to be able to see them and have dinner with them so easily. No one asks about Ned and Harry's not sure if he likes it or not. Maybe he wants to know. Maybe he doesn't.
"You should all visit." She says, her eyes stopping on him. "Now that Tessa is awake, Leonard might want to go back to Paris, she'll love to see the city again." Hermione looks fine and happy while she says the words, but Harry knows her. There's a hint of sadness in her motions and voice. And he knows why.
Looking down, he prepares himself for the conversation they're about to have. He knows her fears didn't disappear and now they're more justified than ever. Tessa is indeed back. When he looks up again, her eyes are still on him and they share an intense moment.
Hermione clears her throat and hands Rachel to Ginny. "Pumpkin, mama needs to have a word with dada, okay?" The girls nods, entertained with her piece of cake.
Harry and Hermione leave the living area slowly, both heading to the backyard without thinking much. They stop when they're at a fair distance from the house.
She crosses her arms and he pockets his hands.
"Have you slept?" She asks first.
He shakes his head. "No, I- I just came back from the Hospital. I was talking to her."
"How is she?"
"Good. But… shaken. She lost a bit more than two years. I'm sure it won't be easy to deal with this." And he knows what Hermione wants to hear, so he keeps talking. "We talked about the accident and my relationship with Rachel. She mostly wanted to hear about Rachel." He gulps. "I also talked a lot about my training… about you."
"What about me?" Her voice is barely there and Hermione is avoiding looking at him, her eyes lost in the sunny sky.
"About how much you helped her with everything. And I told her I… would never be the father I am today if it weren't for you."
Hermione looks down, inhaling deeply. "Did you tell her about us?"
He sighs. "No."
A silence settles.
Hermione purses her lips. "Good. I don't think we should tell her."
He blinks a few times, a bit surprised. He hesitated in telling Tessa about them because it was too soon, but it's surely something he considered doing. It's a huge part of their lives, of Rachel's.
"She has to know, Hermione. We can't do that." And it angers him. "Even if you want to erase what we had, I don't."
She turns to him. There's pain in her eyes. "It's not that, Harry. But I think that… it will only hurt her. And we're not together anymore. It doesn't change things for you."
"What are you saying?"
"Isn't it obvious? Are you gonna lie to me and say that she doesn't want to pick up from where you stopped?"
He gulps. Tessa indeed hinted that. More than once.
"Things are not like that, Hermione." He says in a low voice. "Tessa needs to readjust to her life, to her own daughter. The only thing I want right now is to help her with it. I want to explain things to Rachel and make sure that they'll be able to reconnect."
Hermione nods, biting on her lower lip. "Indeed, and you think that telling her that we were practically married will help on this?"
He blinks at her words. They're not entirely false. "Why lie to her-"
"It won't be a lie. We're just not gonna mention it. Like you did after a conversation of five hours." He makes a face, ready to protest, but she keeps talking, "Harry, Tessa went on that trip sure that she would meet you soon, her love for you was as strong as ever. For her, not even a day went by, do you think she stopped loving you? She didn't."
He shakes his head. "Hermione, I understand what you're saying, but exactly because of that it would be unfair to her to hide something like this." She scoffs and it irritates him, "What? Why are you acting like this? Oh, I know. Because you think that what we shared didn't mean as much to me as it meant for you-"
"Maybe it didn't-"
"I didn't tell her because it's too hard." He says with firmness, his eyes on hers. "Because it was the best thing that happened to me while she was in a fucking coma." Hermione looks down, sighing.
"So, she had to wake up for you to feel a bit of the guilt that-"
"Oh, please." He cuts her, "Before I decided I wanted to be with you I also felt guilty about it, but after I was sure, I let Tessa go, Hermione, you know that! That's the whole fucking reason why we're not together anymore. Because I let go but you didn't."
"Enough. I can't have this conversation again, not now. I'm fucking exhausted and it's my birthday. I wanna enjoy this day, because this day is practically a miracle." He exhales heavily. "And okay, fine, you're right, maybe we should tell her, but I won't bring this up unless she asks."
"What do you think is gonna happen when she sees Rachel calling you mama?" His tone is a bit sarcastic. "There's no fucking way of hiding us."
Hermione lets out an annoyed sound. "Yeah, okay, fine. But we have to be… gentle about this."
He nods. "We'll be."
Hermione went to the Hospital to talk to Tessa and see the results of her healing. They know the doctors won't believe Tessa's absurd recovery, but they'll have to let her go. Hermione said that they won't find a thing in the exams and there's no reason to keep Tessa there.
He has no idea if they'll take long to come back. Harry doesn't know if Tessa will go to her father's place or if she's coming with Hermione. And he has no idea what they're going to talk about. Even after he made it pretty clear that there's no way of not telling Tessa what they shared, Hermione still was a bit resistant. And he gets her hesitation, he feels the same.
Now that Tessa is back, the guilt is consuming him. He knows it's not rational, but while Tessa was in that bed, he moved on with his life. He fell in love. With Hermione.
Harry puts a hand over the velvety box that's inside his drawer. It's a present. The one he bought for Hermione. Sighing, he fetches it and sits on his bed. He opens the box. Inside there's an emerald necklace. When he bought it, they were still together. It was a day that he was walking on his own at the street and the necklace caught his eyes at a jewelry. He went inside immediately. It wasn't a hard decision, he could see how beautiful Hermione would look with it.
Suddenly he wants to cry. But he holds back his tears.
Magically shrinking the present, he puts it inside his pocket. Rachel is still with Draco and Ginny and Harry is very thankful he has these amazing friends. So, deciding, he goes to the Hospital.
"Yes, sure, I understand." Hermione says to the doctor in front of her.
She arrived hours ago and had a hard time convincing the doctors that Tessa is fine. She's not proud of herself but she might have used some slight magic to make it work.
They're releasing Tessa.
But the doctor is giving her a thousand recommendations. Hermione is listening carefully, their shock is normal. Without magic Tessa's recovery wouldn't be possible, so, not knowing about it, they fear for their patient. And Hermione tries not thinking about how all healers could help out Muggles in many unimaginable ways. This is a far deeper discussion that involves politics and she doesn't have the energy to do that at the moment.
She already talked with Tessa a lot. They had a heartfelt conversation about Rachel. Hermione avoided giving too many details about anything. She didn't explain a lot to Tessa, but they don't have the time now. And it's not the place.
But it's really impressive how well she is. It's like nothing happened. Tessa is one hundred percent back.
Hermione also had a private conversation with Leonard. She explained what she did to her uncle and was very surprised when he hugged her and cried his eyes out. He said he has no idea how he's going to return this 'favor' to Hermione. She said he owed her nothing, but he didn't accept her words. According to him, he has a life debt with her.
Tessa is with Leonard inside the room while Hermione talks to the doctor just outside, and she sees when Harry enters the hallway. He didn't even sleep. It's almost the end of the day and her birthday will be over soon, but she doesn't mind. Maybe she can call her parents and they can welcome Tessa back tomorrow. Just one more day of absence won't make a difference at the Hôpital.
Harry stops by her side, anxious. With the corner of her eye she can see the way he tries peeking inside the room, eager to see Tessa.
"I think that's all." The doctor finishes, his eyes wary. "Don't forget that her situation is very delicate, at any indication of a-"
"I know." Hermione cuts the man, a little fed up. She only wants to leave this Hospital with Tessa and never come back. "Don't worry, we'll take good care of her."
With a final nod and handshakes, the doctor leaves them. The paperwork is all done, so, there's nothing stopping them from leaving.
She shares a glance with Harry. He smiles at her.
"It's all set, we can go." She murmurs to him, glancing inside the room. Tessa and Leonard are in tears, talking, holding hands while seated on the bed. She clears her throat, "But let's give them a moment."
Harry nods. There's a wrinkle between his eyebrows. Hermione has no idea how things will be from now on. No idea if Leonard will enter Rachel's life for good. It's obvious that he wants to mend his relationship with Tessa and she knows how this affects her best friend…
But that's none of my business anymore.
So, she only crosses her arms, leaning against the wall and closing her eyes. She's exhausted. Since she got Harry's patronus she's been living in such an adrenaline rush that she has no idea how she's standing still. She only slept because she would die otherwise. Hermione feels Harry's warmth by her side and she turns her head to look at him.
"What are you thinking?" He asks in a low voice.
She gulps. "That I have to sleep for three days." He opens a smile. "And that maybe I should reach out to my parents, put together a little welcoming party for Tessa. What do you think?"
"Tomorrow? Don't you need to go back to Paris?"
"I do. But one more day won't be a problem." She says softly.
He leans a bit closer to her. "Okay. It's an amazing idea."
Inevitably her eyes fall to his mouth. His do the same. They share a look. She misses him. Harry opens his mouth to say something but the door from Tessa's room opens. Immediately Harry clears his throat and takes a step back from Hermione. She inhales deeply, looking down.
Leonard comes out from the room first. His eyes land on Harry and differently from the other times they met, Hermione can't see the clear contempt on his expression. Then, Tessa steps out and Harry opens that smile, breathing heavily. Their eyes are glued and Hermione feels like she shouldn't be seeing this. Much like she always felt on those two weeks in Paris when the two of them were together, no one else exists. And it's like no time at all went by. It's like nothing happened.
It hurts. It angers her. It makes her jealous. But she sucks it up.
Then, turning to Tessa, she asks, "So, ready to go home?"