What If? (H/D, G)
Title: What If (1/?)
Author: sesheta_66
Rating: G
Word Count: ~ 645
Pairing/Characters: Harry, Ron, Hermione. (H/D pre-slash).
Challenges: AWDT's prompt of "What if ... " Also for slythindor100's prompt #58 - childhood and 100quills' prompt #049 - earth.
Summary: Having exhausted all avenues of conversation, Harry, Ron and Hermione play a game of "What If".
Warning: *DH spoilers*
Disclaimer: The characters contained herein are not mine. They belong to JK Rowling and her publishers. No money is being made from this fiction, which is presented for entertainment purposes only.
Harry, Ron and Hermione were sitting in the front room at Grimmauld Place on the last night that Ron and Hermione were going to be there. They had been staying with Harry for a few months, ever since things had settled down after the war. But now they were moving on, moving into their own place the next day.
They had become engaged a week after Fred had been laid to rest, but unlike his parents, Ron had decided - or rather Hermione had decided for him - that they shouldn't rush into marriage. Molly wasn't thrilled about them living together, but they were adults, and there was very little she could do about it.
The three of them had exhausted all small talk, and had made an agreement not to talk about Voldemort, Death Eaters, or the war - at least for a while. So it was that they were playing a game of "what if".
It seemed somewhat philosophical, a bit silly, and more than a little childish, but since Harry hadn't had much of a childhood, he didn't mind. It was a good distraction anyway. His thoughts had wandered towards the future lately - now that he could see that he might actually have one - and he found himself with a distinct lack of direction in that regard. So a diversion was welcome.
"What if," Hermione began, "you couldn't be a Gryffindor? Which house would you choose to be in instead?"
"Well," Ron answered. "We know that you would be in Ravenclaw, with your brains." Hermione blushed, but nodded her agreement.
"I dunno," he continued. "I don't think I could stand being in a house full of bookworms. No offence!" he added hastily to Hermione, who just laughed. "So I suppose Harry and I would be Hufflepuffs."
"Okay then. Next question," Hermione said, only to be interrupted by Harry clearing his throat.
"I didn't answer that last question," he said matter-of-factly.
"Harry, mate, I don't mean this as an insult, but I couldn't see you in Ravenclaw either," Ron said. Hermione just nodded her agreement.
"I didn't mean Ravenclaw. I would choose Slytherin," Harry said emphatically.
His two friends gawked at him, as though he had grown a second head. "Slytherin, Harry?" Hermione asked.
"Yup," Harry said. "In fact, the hat almost put me in Slytherin back in first year. Only because I begged it not to, did it put me in Gryffindor."
"The hat almost put you in Slytherin?" Ron asked, sounding appalled.
"Mm-hmm. At that time I wanted to go anywhere else. But now … "
"Now you would want to be there?! After everything that's happened? After all the students that went from that house to follow You-Know-Who's path?" Ron still found it difficult to say Voldemort. "What on earth would you want to be in ruddy Slytherin house for?"
"Just think about it," Harry explained, looking intently at them. "Maybe I could have changed a few minds. I mean, what if I could have saved even one life?"
"Harry," Hermione said in an exasperated tone generally reserved for small children. "You saved the entire wizarding world! I think you've saved enough lives, don't you?"
"I suppose. But what if I could have saved someone from making bad choices? What if I could have prevented some of the tragedy that happened? What if I could have saved someone from the torment that serving under Voldemort entailed?" He words ended on a particularly passionate note.
Hermione cast a knowing look at Ron, who still looked bewildered. "Harry, you're not just talking about any Slytherin now, are you?"
Harry shook his head, thinking back. He was feeling guilty, remembering a young boy who had just wanted to be friends. A young boy he had rejected.
"You mean Malfoy, don't you?" Hermione guessed.
"Yeah," Harry said. What if, indeed.
~ TBC
Author: sesheta_66
Rating: G
Word Count: ~ 645
Pairing/Characters: Harry, Ron, Hermione. (H/D pre-slash).
Challenges: AWDT's prompt of "What if ... " Also for slythindor100's prompt #58 - childhood and 100quills' prompt #049 - earth.
Summary: Having exhausted all avenues of conversation, Harry, Ron and Hermione play a game of "What If".
Warning: *DH spoilers*
Disclaimer: The characters contained herein are not mine. They belong to JK Rowling and her publishers. No money is being made from this fiction, which is presented for entertainment purposes only.
Harry, Ron and Hermione were sitting in the front room at Grimmauld Place on the last night that Ron and Hermione were going to be there. They had been staying with Harry for a few months, ever since things had settled down after the war. But now they were moving on, moving into their own place the next day.
They had become engaged a week after Fred had been laid to rest, but unlike his parents, Ron had decided - or rather Hermione had decided for him - that they shouldn't rush into marriage. Molly wasn't thrilled about them living together, but they were adults, and there was very little she could do about it.
The three of them had exhausted all small talk, and had made an agreement not to talk about Voldemort, Death Eaters, or the war - at least for a while. So it was that they were playing a game of "what if".
It seemed somewhat philosophical, a bit silly, and more than a little childish, but since Harry hadn't had much of a childhood, he didn't mind. It was a good distraction anyway. His thoughts had wandered towards the future lately - now that he could see that he might actually have one - and he found himself with a distinct lack of direction in that regard. So a diversion was welcome.
"What if," Hermione began, "you couldn't be a Gryffindor? Which house would you choose to be in instead?"
"Well," Ron answered. "We know that you would be in Ravenclaw, with your brains." Hermione blushed, but nodded her agreement.
"I dunno," he continued. "I don't think I could stand being in a house full of bookworms. No offence!" he added hastily to Hermione, who just laughed. "So I suppose Harry and I would be Hufflepuffs."
"Okay then. Next question," Hermione said, only to be interrupted by Harry clearing his throat.
"I didn't answer that last question," he said matter-of-factly.
"Harry, mate, I don't mean this as an insult, but I couldn't see you in Ravenclaw either," Ron said. Hermione just nodded her agreement.
"I didn't mean Ravenclaw. I would choose Slytherin," Harry said emphatically.
His two friends gawked at him, as though he had grown a second head. "Slytherin, Harry?" Hermione asked.
"Yup," Harry said. "In fact, the hat almost put me in Slytherin back in first year. Only because I begged it not to, did it put me in Gryffindor."
"The hat almost put you in Slytherin?" Ron asked, sounding appalled.
"Mm-hmm. At that time I wanted to go anywhere else. But now … "
"Now you would want to be there?! After everything that's happened? After all the students that went from that house to follow You-Know-Who's path?" Ron still found it difficult to say Voldemort. "What on earth would you want to be in ruddy Slytherin house for?"
"Just think about it," Harry explained, looking intently at them. "Maybe I could have changed a few minds. I mean, what if I could have saved even one life?"
"Harry," Hermione said in an exasperated tone generally reserved for small children. "You saved the entire wizarding world! I think you've saved enough lives, don't you?"
"I suppose. But what if I could have saved someone from making bad choices? What if I could have prevented some of the tragedy that happened? What if I could have saved someone from the torment that serving under Voldemort entailed?" He words ended on a particularly passionate note.
Hermione cast a knowing look at Ron, who still looked bewildered. "Harry, you're not just talking about any Slytherin now, are you?"
Harry shook his head, thinking back. He was feeling guilty, remembering a young boy who had just wanted to be friends. A young boy he had rejected.
"You mean Malfoy, don't you?" Hermione guessed.
"Yeah," Harry said. What if, indeed.
~ TBC