WARNINGS
Thanks to bluebell_uk of the HMS Harmony group in english for helping me correct this version./users/bluebell_uk
Year 2006
Ginny arrived home well after midnight. As she closed the door, she noticed a magazine someone had slipped under it. She immediately recognized the purple and gold cover of *Witch Weekly*. With a sigh, she picked up the magazine and went straight to the article about Harry and Hermione.
Although she'd heard about the scandal before, reading it firsthand made it all seem more real and disturbing. As Ginny reached the end of the article, just as she was about to close the magazine and put it aside, something strange happened. Letters began to slowly appear at the bottom of the page, as if they were emerging from the fibers of the paper.
Intrigued, Ginny leaned forward, watching the words take shape.
"*Next Issue: The Truth Behind Draco Malfoy's New Romance! * "
Her eyes widened. Shock immediately swept over her as she realized this was a warning directed exclusively at her. She knew at that moment that it was impossible to stop what was coming.
The clock on the wall read past midnight; there was no stopping the impending media storm that would erupt at dawn. Ginny dropped the magazine into her lap, her mind racing with the knowledge that the next morning, her private life would be exposed like never before. However, what worried her most wasn't the scandal itself but what this meant for Draco and them as a couple.
*
The dream enveloped Hermione in an ethereal and mysterious atmosphere, immersing her in a world of shadows and lights. She found herself in her room, surrounded by a strange mist, when a blurry figure began to materialize in front of her. As the figure solidified, Hermione recognized its deep gaze and familiar features.
Hermione felt a little startled to see a much older version of herself standing so clearly in front of her. However, before she could express her surprise, the older version of herself began speaking directly to her, without waiting for permission.
"I'm here to warn you, Hermione," said her future self, with a serious expression and a tone of voice that denoted her annoyance. "You're being too stubborn, and it could cost you dearly."
Hermione frowned, feeling defensive at her future self's bluntness.
"What do you mean? What do you want from me?" She asked, trying to hide the irritation beginning to rise inside her. "Why should I listen to you?"
As the figure of her future self stood there, upright and confident, Hermione felt a little overwhelmed by its presence.
With a firm and direct tone, her older self-began to speak in a way that left no doubt about her authority in the situation. Hermione listened intently, trying to absorb her future self's words while feeling a mixture of anxiety and curiosity.
Present-day Hermione frowned, feeling uncomfortable with her older self's attitude.
"I want you to stop being so stubborn, Hermione. You're wasting your time being stubborn and angry. You must forgive Harry and allow yourself to be happy," she said firmly, her voice ringing with authority.
Hermione felt hurt by her future self's words, but she also felt a twinge of truth in them.
"I'm not being stubborn," she replied vehemently, crossing her arms in turn. "I'm protecting my heart after what happened."
Future Hermione shook her head in exasperation, walking towards her younger self with determination.
"You're protecting yourself from something that's no longer a danger. Harry loves you, always has, and you deserve to be happy with him. Don't let your pride or your fear prevent you from achieving the happiness you so desire," she said, her voice full of conviction and compassion.
"I can't just... forget what happened," she murmured, her voice shaking with suppressed emotion.
Future Hermione sighed, her expression softening with understanding.
"You don't have to forget, Hermione. You just need to forgive and let go of the past so you can embrace the future. Don't let your pride blind you to what truly matters in life.
Hermione was overwhelmed by the gravity of her future self's words.
"I know you, Hermione. I know you're hurt and angry, but I know how much you love him. Don't let your pain blind you to the truth. Harry loves you more than you can imagine, and he deserves the chance to.
A movement on the periphery of her vision caught her attention. With a start, Hermione saw Harry appear on the scene.
Hermione's heart leapt at the sight of an older, but still incredibly attractive, Harry. She blushed at the thought, feeling overwhelmed by a mixture of excitement and nervousness.
The older versions of Harry and Hermione met each other's gaze, exchanging smiles that spoke of years of complicity and shared love. Despite the small wrinkles that furrowed their faces and their hair, which had a few gray strands, their eyes shone with the same sparkle as always.
Hermione of the past felt a pang in her heart as she realized that this was the future she shared with Harry, a future filled with love and togetherness.
With hesitant steps, Hermione approached Harry, her heart pounding in her chest. Their eyes met, reflecting all the love and connection they had shared over the years.
"Harry…" she whispered, her voice trembling with suppressed emotion.
Harry reached out a hand to her, his expression full of tenderness and affection as he looked at her with loving eyes.
"Hermione…" he replied, his voice soft and comforting.
As Harry and Hermione approached each other, Future Hermione slowly faded away, a serene and understanding expression on her face.
Hermione reached out a trembling hand to Harry's face, feeling its warmth and solidity beneath her fingers. Tears began to roll down her cheeks, reflecting all the emotion released by the encounter with her future self.
Gently, Harry raised a hand to wipe Hermione's tears away, his fingers gently caressing her cheek as he offered her a smile filled with support and unconditional love.
A moment later, her future self-reappeared, but her face this time showed urgency.
Hermione from the future approached, her presence enveloping and serene but with a latent urgency.
"Hermione," her future self said, her voice resonating with a mixture of authority and compassion. "There's something you should know."
Hermione looked at her future self, her eyes filled with questions. The future figure wasted no time.
"Time is a precious resource, and it's running out," Future Hermione said with an intensity that sent a shiver down Hermione's spine. "If you don't make the right decisions, you could lose everything." Future Hermione's eyes glittered with an unspoken warning.
"What do you mean?" Hermione asked, her voice cracking a little.
"There are things I can't tell you directly, but you must know that lives are at stake. Your future, Harry's... future," Hermione paused, her words heavy with meaning "You need to act wisely and quickly. Every action has its consequences, and time... time waits for no one."
At that moment, the atmosphere of the dream changed again. Harry's version of the future slowly faded, disintegrating into thin air.
Hermione watched, her heart clenched with anguish, as Harry faded away before her.
"No!" Hermione cried, her eyes filling with tears that threatened to spill over. "I can't lose you, Harry..."
Harry's figure vanished completely, leaving Hermione with a deep emptiness in her heart. Future Hermione looked at her with a mixture of pity and urgency.
"You must be strong, Hermione. Remember, time is your greatest enemy and your most precious ally. Don't waste it."
Tears streamed down Hermione's cheeks as she reached out a trembling hand to her future self, feeling the desperation of the warning. With each word, the gravity of the situation sank deeper into her consciousness.
Suddenly, the scene changed. The words pierced Hermione like needles, filling her with a mixture of fear and despair. Tears streamed down her cheeks; her breathing became erratic.
A sharp pain suddenly seized her belly, drawing a strangled cry from her. She doubled over, unable to bear the intensity of the agony that cut through her like a knife. With an effort, she looked down and was filled with horror as she saw that her legs were covered in blood, thick red streams flowing rapidly, soaking the ground beneath her feet.
"No!" Hermione moaned, her voice breaking as she tried to stem the flow with her hands. But it was no use. The blood kept flowing, endlessly.
As panic gripped her, the same ticking sound began to echo in the air, cold and metallic, intertwining with the growing sense of despair. Every second seemed to mark a heartbeat that brought her closer to an inevitable end, a relentless reminder that time wouldn't stop for her.
"Time is running out..." whispered the voice of her future self, although now it sounded distant, as if it came from somewhere very far away, almost unrecognizable.
Hermione looked around, the world around her distorting, becoming increasingly unreal. The blood, the pain, the ticking sound... everything mingled in a maelstrom of terror that made her feel like she was falling into a bottomless abyss.
Suddenly, with a stifled scream, Hermione woke up in her bed, panting heavily. Her body was drenched in cold sweat, her heart pounding as if trying to burst out of her chest. For a moment, she couldn't distinguish between dream and reality; her mind was still caught up in the terrifying images of the nightmare.
She sat up slowly, her gaze scanning the darkness of her room, searching for any sign that it had all been just a dream. There was no blood, no clock, but the fear was still there, an oppressive cold enveloping her. Hermione placed a hand on her stomach, reassuring herself that everything was all right, but the feeling of loss and despair lingered.
What did it all mean? What was her future self trying to warn her about? Hermione couldn't understand, but she knew the dream was a warning, a sign of something she was about to lose. The ticking of the clock kept echoing in her mind, something that tormented her, and Hermione couldn't help wondering if she'd figure out in time what was really at stake.
*
Harry found himself floating in deep darkness. There wasn't a sound, not a breeze, just a void that seemed to stretch on forever. His thoughts were in chaos, trying to make sense of the oppressive stillness that enveloped him. Suddenly, a flash of light broke the darkness, and before he could even comprehend what was happening, he found himself standing in what appeared to be a garden. The air smelled of summer and freshly cut grass, but there was something different about the atmosphere, as if an invisible veil covered everything.
He looked around, confused.
"What's this?" he muttered to himself, trying to understand where he was and how he'd gotten there. But then, he saw it. A few feet away, a man was sitting in an old wooden chair, a cup of coffee in his hand. The figure looked vaguely familiar, and when the man looked up and stared at him, Harry felt as if the air had been sucked from his lungs.
It was him. But he was quite a bit older.
The man in front of him had the same appearance as him, although the years had taken their toll. There were small wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, and his messy dark hair, which had always been a symbol of his rebellious youth, now had silver streaks. A neatly trimmed beard, also tinged with gray, adorned his face, giving him a wiser and more serene air. What caught Harry's attention most wasn't his aged appearance but the gold ring that gleamed on his left ring finger. A ring he knew very well because he'd seen it before. On Hermione's finger, in that dream where he'd kissed her.
Harry swallowed, trying to calm himself.
The air in the garden felt thick, heavier than it should have been. Present-day Harry still stood in front of his future self, staring at him with a mixture of confusion and fear. There was something about the older man's gaze that unsettled him, something that made him feel like what was coming next was a warning.
It was clear that his other self was older than him, but what truly affected him was the deep pain he saw in his older self's eyes. It was a pain he vaguely recognized, a despair that nestled deep within him but that he didn't yet fully understand.
"Are you... me?" he asked, although he already knew the answer.
His future self smiled, a calm smile but laden with a certain irony.
"Yes, I am. Or I will be, in about twenty years or so. If all goes according to plan." Future Harry lifted his coffee cup and took a sip, as if it weren't at all strange to have a conversation with a younger version of himself.
Present-day Harry was disoriented.
"What's going on? Why am I here?"
The older Harry sighed softly and placed his cup on the bench.
"I've come to give you a warning, or rather, some advice. Something that, if I had known at your age, would have saved me a lot of pain and regret."
"A warning? About what?" Harry frowned.
Future Harry leaned forward, his eyes, the same ones Harry knew so well, staring at him with unusual intensity.
"You know, sometimes we're a little slow to understand the things right in front of us. And if you don't change some things now, the future that awaits you will be very different from the one you want."
Harry frowned, feeling a sense of urgency settle in his chest.
"What are you talking about?"
"Hermione."
Harry's heart skipped a beat when he heard his name.
"Hermione? What does this have to do with her? She's... she's angry with me. She won't talk to me beyond the essentials. All because of... because of what happened with Sarah."
The older Harry smiled wryly, his gaze somewhere between mocking and understanding.
"Oh, Sarah. The mistake you made, looking for something of Hermione in other women, wasn't it? It's funny because in my time, in my past, I never got to know her... But now that I'm here, seeing you, I understand perfectly what you're feeling. It's always been Hermione, hasn't it? And now that the girl saw you kissing, you find yourself in this mess."
Present-day Harry felt a pang of discomfort.
"I made a mistake. I didn't know what I felt, not until…"
His future self nodded, understanding.
"I know. I understand. But you're fooling yourself if you think you didn't know before. You always knew. Hermione's been there all this time, and you've been avoiding facing it, perhaps out of fear, perhaps because it was easier to keep things as they were" The older Harry paused, then added with a faint, wry smile "And now, after this whole mess with Sarah, you find yourself in a worse situation than you ever imagined, and Hermione is more stubborn than ever."
Harry looked down, memories of all the tense moments with Hermione flooding his mind. Guilt washed over him.
"She won't forgive me, will she?"
The older Harry looked at him seriously.
"Hermione loves you, more than even she's willing to admit at this moment. But she's a proud woman, and her sense of justice and loyalty is strong. She feels betrayed, the wound is raw. And yes, she's stubborn, as you well know. But that doesn't mean you should give up. In fact, you should do the exact opposite."
Harry felt the weight of those words sink into his chest, and looked at him, his eyes full of doubt.
"What do you mean? I can't force her to forgive me."
Future Harry looked at him for a long moment as if evaluating his sincerity.
"You can't force her, no. But what you can do is find a way for the two of you to go back to being what you've always been, a team. If you and Hermione don't hurry and find your way back to each other, there's more at stake than you know."
Present-day Harry frowned, puzzled.
"Higher stakes? What do you mean by that?"
His older self looked at him with somber eyes.
"More lives are at risk, Harry. I can't tell you more than I've already told you. But believe me when I tell you, this isn't just about the two of you. If you don't fix this... you'll lose more than you could ever imagine."
Future Harry paused. His lips trembled slightly, as if he were remembering something that was tearing him apart inside.
"If you don't fight for her, if you don't find a way for the two of you to be together… you'll lose her. Not just as a friend. You'll lose her completely. And believe me, there's nothing worse than watching the person you love live a life and not having you be a part of it."
Harry felt the weight of the words fall on him like a slab.
"Lose her? Completely?" His words came out barely above a whisper, but they felt like a cry in his heart.
The silence that followed those words was deafening. Present-day Harry felt his throat close and panic rise in his chest. He couldn't imagine a future without Hermione, not just as his friend, but as the person who gave meaning to his life, as the woman he loved more than he'd ever dared to openly admit.
"But she's angry… still angry. I can't do anything right," he murmured, his voice trembling. "What can I do?"
The desperation in his future self's eyes intensified further, as if he were reliving a nightmare, he had caused.
"Of course she's angry. Hermione is stubborn, and her grief makes her even more so. But you, Harry, are strong enough to break through that barrier. I've been there. I know firsthand how difficult it can be. I know what she feels. I know how you love her because I do to."
Present-day Harry frowned, noticing the tremor in his future self's voice. There was a deep suffering there that he couldn't ignore.
"Why is there so much pain in you? Why does it feel like you've lost her? You have the ring."
Future Harry closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath before answering.
"Because I did. I wasted too much time, I hesitated too much, and it cost us so much more than we could have imagined. I can't tell you all the details... it doesn't work that way. But what I can tell you is that the pain of losing her... is more than you can bear. If you don't fight now, if you don't do it while you still have the chance, she will be gone. And that void... will never be filled."
The older Harry walked over to him, placing a firm hand on his shoulder.
"Fight for her. Don't stop. Don't give up, even if she pushes you away. You must find your way back to her; because if you don't… you'll regret it for the rest of your life." The older Harry gave him one last look, a mix of empathy and firmness. "I know firsthand the way you love Hermione, and believe me, she knows it too. But you must show her that you're willing to fight for her."
Harry looked into his future self's eyes and saw the sincerity, the pain, the despair, and the wisdom reflected there. Then, suddenly, everything around him began to fade: the garden, the summer air, his older self. Darkness enveloped him once again.
He woke up abruptly, his heart pounding in his chest. The dream was still vivid in his mind, and as his breathing calmed, his future self's words echoed in his head:
"Fight for her. Fight for Hermione."
But what disturbed him most was the desperation and pain he'd seen in those eyes. He knew it hadn't just been a warning. It was a plea, an urgent call.
*
The atrium of the Ministry of Magic was filled with wizards and witches hurrying about, immersed in their own affairs. The echoes of conversations and the bustle of portkeys filled the air, but Hermione barely noticed as she walked toward her office. Her thoughts were scattered as if there were a barrier between her and the world around her until a high-pitched voice abruptly interrupted her tranquility.
"You, Granger..." It was Sarah. Her tone dripped with contempt and resentment.
Hermione stopped in her tracks and turned slowly. Sarah's expression hardened, and there was something in her posture that indicated she hadn't come just to exchange pleasantries. Hermione felt her stomach clench with a mixture of anticipation and distaste, but she showed neither emotion. Instead, she straightened her back and raised an eyebrow defiantly.
"Sarah," Hermione replied calmly, maintaining her composure despite what she knew would come next.
"You're the reason my relationship with Harry failed," Sarah spat, venom in every syllable. Her gaze burned with resentment. "I always knew I couldn't compete with you, with your 'child prodigy' status and your very…" she hesitated, searching for the word, "close relationship with Harry Potter."
Hermione felt something cold run down her spine. Sarah's accusations weren't new, but they hurt just the same every time she heard them. She knew the gossip existed, that people had always speculated about her relationship with Harry, even when they were younger, but this was different. Sarah was pinning all her failure on her. Hermione, as always, remained calm, but inside, a mixture of exhaustion and anger was brewing.
"Sarah," she replied with sharp calm, looking her in the eye, "if you think your relationship with Harry failed because of my mere presence, you're sorely mistaken. The problem wasn't our friendship; the problem was that you only saw Harry as 'the chosen one,' as that public figure everyone admires, and not as the man he truly is."
Hermione's words landed firmly, and Sarah frowned. Her face, once confident and filled with contempt, now displayed a mixture of annoyance and bewilderment. Hermione had hit her where it hurt most: her inability to see Harry as someone beyond his fame.
"You have no idea what you're talking about," Sarah replied, her voice laced with bitterness. "You're just justifying your relationship with him now that I'm no longer in his life. You're hiding behind your 'great friendship' when we all know what's really going on with your feelings about him."
Hermione felt the knot in her stomach tighten even further, but she didn't back down. If she'd learned anything in her life, it was to stand her ground, especially when she was being attacked so unfairly. She took a deep breath before answering, her voice lower but with an edge that left no room for doubt.
"What I do know Sarah, is that Harry is an extraordinary man, and if you couldn't see that beyond his fame, then it's your loss. Harry has always been so much more than 'The Boy Who Lived.' He's brave, he's compassionate, and he always puts others before himself, even when he doesn't have to. If you couldn't see the man beyond the myth, then you never really knew him."
Sarah froze for a moment, Hermione's words echoing in the space between them. There was a flash of rage and helplessness in her eyes. Her lips pressed into a thin line, trying to stem the tide of emotions overwhelming her. Finally, she took a step back, her face a mixture of resentment and defeat.
"This isn't going to end like this," Sarah whispered, her tone sharp as a knife, before turning abruptly and disappearing into the ministry crowd, the click of her boots echoing against the marble.
Hermione stood motionless, watching Sarah walk away. Her heart was pounding, and though she kept her composure on the outside, inside she felt a whirlwind of emotions: anger, exhaustion, and a strange sense of relief at having spoken her mind. She knew those words wouldn't be enough to calm the chaos surrounding her life lately, but for a moment, at least, she had been honest with someone who had no idea who Harry Potter really was.
And then she felt it.
Harry.
Hermione felt him before she saw him. She didn't know how, but it had always been that way with him: the almost palpable sense of his presence, as if his magic enveloped her before she even noticed. She looked up slowly, and there he was, walking toward her, that mixture of concern and resolve on his face. He stopped a few feet away, the silence between them thick with tension.
Harry had been watching. He hadn't wanted to intervene immediately, but his eyes met Hermione's figure, and something inside him stirred. The words he'd heard from her echoed in his mind.
The way she described him not as "the chosen one," but as someone real, tangible touched him deeply. Hermione had always seen him that way.
He watched Hermione carefully, as if trying to read her thoughts. Her gaze, however, didn't reflect the typical anger or frustration she usually displayed in tense moments, but something more subtle.
"Hermione," he finally said, his voice low, trying to break the invisible barrier between them. But she didn't answer him immediately. She just looked at him with those brown eyes that always seemed to carry the weight of the world.
Hermione looked away, unsure how to proceed. She knew Harry had heard everything, or at least enough. She couldn't face now what that exchange might have caused her. Emotions she'd bottled up for days, maybe weeks, were threatening to spill out, and she wasn't prepared for that vulnerability.
Harry took a step closer, hands in his pockets, as if trying to look more relaxed than he felt.
"Looks like I missed something important," he tried to joke, forcing a smile that didn't reach his eyes.
Hermione swallowed but couldn't find the words. All she could feel was the weight of her emotional exhaustion and the lump in her throat.
"I have to go," she finally murmured, her voice barely a whisper but enough for him to hear.
Harry, who had expected anything but that answer, froze for a second. His brow furrowed, and the discomfort was replaced by a pang of disappointment.
"Hermione..." he began, taking another step toward her, as if he were trying to get closer not only physically, but emotionally. "You don't have to go. Not now."
There was a pleading tone in her voice, something unusually vulnerable for Harry, who usually preferred to face things head-on, bravely, but now he was standing in front of the woman who meant more to him than anyone else in the world, and he didn't know how to stop her.
Hermione shook her head, avoiding his gaze.
"Harry, you don't understand..." she began, but her voice cracked, and she stopped herself. She couldn't allow herself to fall into that abyss of emotions right now. Not in front of him.
Harry watched her internal struggle and felt the urge to do something, anything, to ease her anguish. He'd been watching Hermione drift further and further away over the past few weeks, trapped in her own frustration and pain. And the worst part was that he knew much of it was due to his own mistakes, the complexity he'd brought to his relationship with Sarah, and everything that had come after.
"Hermione," he said in a softer tone, "I know this is all complicated. But we can't continue like this, ignoring what's happening."
His words hung in the air like a warning. They both knew they were on a precipice, and the next step could determine everything.
Hermione clenched her fists, trying to maintain control, but finally met his gaze. Harry saw the pain in her eyes, and his heart sank. It wasn't easy for either of them, and the burden they both carried was starting to crush them.
"Harry, it's not that simple. None of this is," she murmured, and although her voice was low, every word was laden with meaning.
Harry watched her, his frustration beginning to boil over, but he held it in. He knew that if he pushed her, he'd only push her further away. However, he couldn't escape the pain he felt, watching Hermione, the person he loved most in the world, crumble in front of him, and he couldn't do anything.
"Of course," Harry said, his tone more bitter than he had intended, though he kept his voice calm. "Of all the people in the world, I had to fall in love with my best friend."
The impact of his words hit her like an unexpected spell, leaving her stunned. She had longed to hear those words from Harry for so long, but she had never imagined they would come at a time like this, wrapped in a tangle of problems, unresolved emotions, and a chasm of complications between them.
At that moment, it felt like all the oxygen around her had evaporated. Hermione, who had always had a comeback for every situation, froze. Her lips parted slightly, as if she were about to say something but couldn't. The words caught in her throat, smothered by the whirlwind of emotions inside her.
A tear rolled down her cheek before she could stop it, betraying the wall of composure she'd tried to maintain. She quickly wiped it away, as if with that simple gesture she could stem the avalanche of emotions that threatened to spill over. She couldn't answer him. Not now.
Harry, seeing her like that, felt like someone had punched him in the stomach. Seeing her cry, especially because of him, made him feel helpless. He wanted to step forward, take her in his arms, tell her he was sorry, but he was paralyzed with fear. Afraid that if he touched her, everything would crumble like a house of cards.
Harry stood there, motionless, a mixture of pain and hope in his eyes, waiting for a reaction she simply couldn't give him.
Hermione felt her heart beating so loudly in her chest that she was afraid he'd hear it. She knew if she tried to say anything, she'd just burst into tears, and that was the last thing she wanted to do in front of him right now.
She took a step back, slowly moving away from him, her face bowed to the ground. She knew that if she didn't leave, if she didn't put distance between them, everything could fall apart irreversibly. She needed time to think, to process everything that had just happened.
He looked at her, puzzled, but didn't try to stop her. Harry had always been that kind of person: he wasn't going to force her to stay if she didn't want to, though in his eyes, she could see the silent plea, the desire for her not to leave, to not leave him alone with the chaos of his own feelings.
Hermione turned on her heel, walking away from him, and hurried down the corridor, her footsteps echoing against the cold walls. As she walked, she fought the emotional storm raging inside her. Tears began to flow freely now that she was out of sight, and the pressure in her chest grew heavier with each step she took.
Harry watched her go. He wanted to scream at her not to go, to please stay, that they could find a way to fix this. But the words just wouldn't come. Instead, he stood there, motionless, watching the woman he loved disappear from his sight.
She was the person who had been by his side from the very beginning. The one who had supported him through his darkest moments and celebrated with him through his brightest triumphs. His best friend, yes, but she had always been more than that. For years, Harry had repressed those feelings, convincing himself that their friendship was important enough not to risk.
Now the cards were on the table, and the weight of everything they had been through together seemed to have become unbearable.
For her part, Hermione couldn't help but think how ironic it all was. For years, she'd dreamed of this moment. She'd dreamed of Harry saying those words to her, of him finally seeing her not just as his best friend, but as something more, as the woman he loved. She'd imagined this moment in a thousand different ways, but none of them had been so painful or so complicated.
In her fantasies, in her most intimate dreams, Harry would take her hand, look into her eyes, and confess his love in a perfect moment, with no obstacles or shadows between them. But reality was much messier. Things weren't that simple. Sarah, the scandal, her own doubts and fears… everything came between them, making something that should have been beautiful feel overwhelming and painful.
Hermione paused for a moment, leaning against a wall, trying to catch her breath. The tears continued to flow, but it wasn't just sadness she felt. There was relief too: she had finally heard what she had longed for, and yet, relief wasn't enough. Everything seemed wrapped in a cloak of complications, an emotional labyrinth from which she didn't know how to escape.
Harry's words kept echoing in her mind.
"Of all the people in the world, I had to fall in love with my best friend."
She'd wanted this, hadn't she? She'd spent years suppressing her feelings, telling herself that her friendship with Harry was too important to risk. But now that the words had been spoken, now that Harry had confessed what she'd always wanted to hear, all she could feel was uncertainty.
Her relationship with Harry had always been her anchor, a solid constant amidst the chaos of their lives. If that anchor were to break, if her feelings were to complicate what they had…
She knew things couldn't go on the way they had been. She knew that, after everything that had happened, there was no going back. But fear consumed her. What if they couldn't get through all of this? What if the tension and pain ended up destroying the most important friendship in her life? Hermione feared losing him forever.
Her heart sank at the thought of losing Harry. Not just the man who had silently loved her for so long, but also her best friend, the person who had always been by her side, no matter what. Losing him would be like losing a part of herself.
With a final shaky breath, Hermione squared her shoulders and continued walking, letting the shadows of the corridor surround her as her mind continued to spin, caught between what she wanted and what she feared.
Harry, meanwhile, remained standing in the same spot, staring at the empty space where Hermione had been. His heart pounded heavily in his chest, and for a moment, a wave of despair washed over him.
She was gone. And with her, perhaps, the possibility of repairing what they had.
Harry stood still for a few more seconds before finally letting out a long breath. He knew this wasn't the end of the conversation. He knew there was still much to resolve, many wounds to heal. But in that moment, as the echo of Hermione's footsteps faded into the air, he could only think of one thing:
I couldn't lose her. Not her.
*
In the dimness of Lilly's room, the moonlight filtering through the curtains cast soft shadows on the furniture. Lilly lay fast asleep, oblivious to the soft glow emanating from the Time-Turner resting on the nightstand.
Suddenly, the Time-Turner began to vibrate subtly, as if responding to a magical frequency only it could perceive. The runes etched into its surface seemed to come to life, flickering with a golden light that reflected off Lilly's sleeping face.
The magical hum of the Time-Turner filled the room. Lilly, in her sleep, experienced a mysterious bond with the artifact, as if connected to it on a deeper level.
She found herself suddenly transported to an unfamiliar setting. Around her, familiar faces mingled in a confusing dance of past and future moments. Visions intertwined, showing her parents in the distant future, surrounded by a deeper connection than she had known in her childhood.
However, the joy of that vision quickly faded, replaced by flashes of dark events and moments of bewilderment. An incomprehensible responsibility weighed on her shoulders; familiar laughter mingled with murmurs.
Suddenly, the scene changed again. She was surrounded by friends and family, but instead of celebrating, their faces reflected unease and anxiety. A distant voice spoke words that echoed in her mind, but their meaning eluded her.
Lilly found herself caught in a whirlwind of visions, fragments of an uncertain future that presented themselves as confusing, intermittent images. Among these scenes, she discerned her parents, but they were not the happy representations she had expected. Instead of laughter and complicity, she perceived anguish on their faces, and one word echoed in the air and her mind: "divorce. "
Her parents appeared with expressions of deep sorrow. Their faces were tense, their eyes reflecting a mixture of sadness and despair. They stared at each other in pain, as if caught in a dilemma they didn't know how to escape. The air was thick with the palpable tension of a fractured relationship.
As Lilly was immersed in these visions, her face reflected deep anguish even in her sleep. Her brow was furrowed, her lips pursed in a grimace of concern. Her breathing was labored as if she were struggling to find a way out of the confusion enveloping her.
In the dimness of her room, Lilly seemed to be fighting against invisible forces, trapped in a world of dreams and nightmares that threatened to consume her completely.
The vision vanished abruptly as Lilly woke abruptly. Her room was shrouded in shadow, but the Time-Turner on her nightstand vibrated and made strange sounds. A sense of urgency enveloped her as she stared at the magical object, wondering if it was the cause of the disconcerting visions she had just experienced in her sleep.
A pounding headache gripped her, her heart pounding in her chest. Lilly knew something terrible was happening, something beyond ordinary understanding that would change the course of her destiny.
Notes:
The version of Harry in Harry's dream isn't necessarily the Harry from the future, it's another variant of Harry who may have experienced the same thing he did and came to give him the warning.