(Untitled)
Who? Bellatrix Lestrange, Harry Potter, Hermione Weasley, Voldemort
What? The final show down
When? Roughly 24-48 hours after the Ministry battle
Why? All we are saying is give peace a chance.
( I got a number on me. I got a number. Won't make it through the high noon sun. Well I am my father's son. And I am my father's son. His bed is made. And I was a hero early in the morning. I ain't no hero in the night. I am my father's son. )
What? The final show down
When? Roughly 24-48 hours after the Ministry battle
Why? All we are saying is give peace a chance.
( I got a number on me. I got a number. Won't make it through the high noon sun. Well I am my father's son. And I am my father's son. His bed is made. And I was a hero early in the morning. I ain't no hero in the night. I am my father's son. )
Harry stroked her hair and rocked her a bit beside him. He was glad she was letting some things out. Bottling it up would only make her weaker, sicker, more likely to lose her mind later. The last thing he wanted was for her to do the laugh at death that so many before her had done.
"You knew you could die, yes, but you fought him, Hermione. I saw you. You charged in and you fought with the spirit of a lioness. If you truly wished to die you wouldn't have fought so hard. You were there to finish the fight, but you had that fire still in your eyes. The fire that said you wanted to be the last one standing. I've tried shutting myself away from Ginny and everyone, but it doesn't work really. Even over the last twenty-four hours when I was setting our back up plans in motion, I thought I could pull away from everyone. Then Reggie woke up from a nightmare and I held him to soothe him because Ginny was already asleep with Emma beside her. And I realized I needed them near me more than away from me because they are who I truly am. Ron, Rosie, Hugo, and your twins, they are the ones who will ground you when you feel like you're losing yourself. People make mistakes, Hermione, even people as clever and brave as you, but you are here with me now. You're walking into this knowing it could be a trap and putting your faith in it being worth the risk. That is the Hermione Granger-Weasley I have always known. The girl who will push past fear and logic at times and trust her heart. You can do this, and you will be the one left standing. I promise you this."
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"How many families and lives were destroyed?"
A breath before she leaned her forehead to his, "I've been so cold to Ron, pushing him away everytime he tries to get close, tries to talk to me. I could feel him watching me, cursing himself for not being able to get from that bed and just hold me until he could make everything alright. I've very much been the queen bitch."
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He wished he could wave his wand and make things automatically better for her and Ron. For everyone inside Grimmauld and hell everywhere outside Grimmauld. But solutions take time. Healing takes even longer.
"You recognize you haven't been yourself. That puts you a step ahead at putting things right. He loves you, Hermione. He loves you when you're your usual self, and he loves you when you are cold and distant. You'll lean on him soon. I know you will. You and I close off when we get stressed out or pushed to our breaking points, but we always go back to them because those Weasley hearts provide us with the foundation to build from. I know you can do this. You'll put yourself back together again. I love you so much. You know that. I'm glad it's you that will stand with me tonight to finish this."
He checked his watch and tried not to focus too much on time. It was easier to focus on her and how she was feeling. But they'd have to go soon. They'd have to finish it, and he would have to test fate. He just hoped the answer fate had for him was one that he could handle. But he really did believe Hermione would fix herself and those around her. She was so much stronger than she possibly realized.
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"I need me back, I need to be able to nurse my daughter and help her heal without causing more damage to either of us. I need to be able to take Billie and David to the park and push them on the swings and sit and read to Hugo as he falls asleep. I need to be able to kiss my husband good night."
She laughed a little sadly, "They say you don't realise how bad things are until those simple things are taken from you and you want nothing more than to have them back."
Noticing him check his watch she caught the time, it would soon be time to go. Reaching up she brushed his cheek before leaning in and pressing a soft kiss to his lips, "Every hero who goes to give their life for a good cause deserves the chance at one kiss. Even if it's just from a sister."
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He smiled when she kissed him. He didn't feel like much of a hero right now. If anything he felt like the moment he stood up he'd fall back down again. Sirius had told him dying was easy, and maybe it was if you didn't see it coming. But that walk toward death? It was mind-numbing and rather terrifying.
But he found strength and courage in Hermione's faith in him, and her ability to stand beside him no matter how uneasy and uncertain the terms of this deal were. Harry believed this would work though.
"We have faith this could work, Hermione. That's the first step to you getting yourself back." He slowly stood up and offered her his hand. He wasn't quite shaking, but he felt the ticking of the clock inside his head. Every breath a miracle. Every moment he had with his best friend and sister a gift. Once she was on her feet he didn't let go of her hand. They used to apparate this way, hand in hand, when they were horcrux hunting all those years before.
Back to who they used to be right?
"Ready then?"
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Taking a breath she closed her eyes and waited for him to take her to his very first home.
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