The Last Time

Calliope

Story Summary:
When Harry wants to stop the pain he suffers from re-occurring dreams about the death of his parents, it is only the bond he shares with Ron and Hermione that saves his life. The bond proves to be the only thing that saves them all as they face the unimaginable… [written pre-OotP, but partially OotP-compatible]

Chapter 10

Chapter Summary:
When Harry wants to stop the pain he suffers from re-occurring dreams about the death of his parents, it is only the bond he shares with Ron and Hermione that saves his life. The bond proves to be the only thing that saves them all as they face the unimaginable… (Rated PG-13- R/Hr, H/Hr...)
Posted:
02/01/2003
Hits:
3,591
Author's Note:
The Last Time was originally written pre-OotP and then was edited to comply with the new canon. There are still some small things that don’t quite reconcile with OotP but I had to take a bit of artistic license with them, such as the inability of boys to go into the girls’ dormitories, the layout of St. Mungo’s, how people are selected to be Aurors, and a few other small things. I felt that changing them to be totally compatible with OotP would require totally taking the story apart and reworking it.

Chapter 10

"It was the weirdest thing, Hermione," said Ron, as they sat in front of the common room fire. "You put your hands on Harry's face, and then a minute later he woke up!" Ron looked amazed and impressed.

After Harry had woken up, Madam Pomfrey and Dumbledore had burst back in with a million questions. Madam Pomfrey had wanted to keep Harry in the hospital wing - "He needs his rest!" - but Harry had vehemently refused to spend another minute there, and had walked out without giving Dumbledore or Pomfrey a chance to argue. He'd said he'd rested plenty already. Hermione had been too exhausted from her experience in Harry's mind to do anything but go to bed. She'd barely made it back to the tower without collapsing.

She didn't get a chance to talk to Harry or Ron at all the next day, between classes and the mobs of people that surrounded Harry to talk to him. They'd come back to Gryffindor Tower after dinner, and after what seemed like forever the common room finally cleared and they had their first chance to sit down and talk, just the three of them.

"It only took a minute?" Hermione asked. "It seemed so long." She hesitated, not knowing what, if anything, Harry had told Ron, and feeling it wasn't her place to say.

"It was a long time," said Harry. "I still don't know how you did it." From his tone of voice and the puzzled expression on Ron's face, Hermione supposed he hadn't gone into any detail with Ron.

"I don't either. It was...strange," she replied, lacking a better description.

"Do you know why...I mean, why your dreams got so much worse now?" asked Ron.

"It means that Voldemort's back," said Harry.

Ron flinched. "I wish you wouldn't use his name, Harry."

"Sorry. I know you hate that, but I just can't say 'You-Know-Who'. It's what he wants, you know - for people to be scared to say his name. I'm not giving him the satisfaction. My parents weren't afraid to say it and neither am I. I wish you wouldn't be either."

"So what are you going to do?" asked Hermione.

"Nothing. I mean, I don't know what he's planning yet. I'd try to warn the Ministry, but since they didn't believe me about the Triwizard Tournament...with Cedric...I guess we just wait and see." His tone indicated that the subject was closed, for now anyway.

No one spoke for a while. Hermione was seated between them, where she liked to be. Harry and Ron. She knew she was protective of both of them, like a mother hen, and she knew it irritated them sometimes, but she couldn't help it. She loved both of them dearly. They were her best friends. Her only friends, really.

Now that Harry's better, what happens? The whole kissing thing? Can we just ignore it? When this whole thing with Harry's dreams started, on this very couch, Hermione had totally forgotten about Ron's kiss, and apparently Ron had too. They had been too worried about Harry to think of anything else. Now, though, her mind wandered back to it. Ron had said he wouldn't mention it again, but...it was still hanging there between the three of them. On one side of her, Ron was tense and jumpy, and on the other side, Harry was staring at the fire with a vacant look on his face.

Why did it bother her so much? Ron was wonderful - honest, outgoing, funny, intelligent, hard working (when he wanted to be), even good-looking, in his own Weasley way - and that kiss had been wonderful - so what was the big deal? And why did Harry react the way he did when he'd seen them?

"Okay, that's it!" she said, jumping up from her seat and whirling around to face the two boys.

"What?" said the both of them, wearing identical expressions of confusion.

"This!" She waved her arms around between the three of them.

Ron eyed her suspiciously. "I thought you didn't want to talk about that," he said.

"Well, I don't - but it's better than us sitting here having it hanging over our heads, isn't it?"

"Hermione, you don't need to do this," said Harry. "It's okay, really...I..."

"Yes I do. Be quiet and listen, both of you, or I might not get it out," she said.

Harry opened his mouth to argue, but she ignored him.

"I hate arguing with you two. I hate when we fight. I hate it more when we don't talk at all. When we fell out...it was awful. Not being with you - both of you - I hated it. And we thought you were dying, Harry...with that still hanging there...no. It's not going to be like that."

"Hermione, listen..." Harry began, but she kept talking.

"No, you listen. See how we can't talk anymore? We just sit here, with this...thing...hanging over our heads, and we can't even say what we think. If Voldemort is really after you again, Harry, then we need to be able to talk to each other."

"Hermione, be quiet!" said Harry.

"Don't talk to her like that," said Ron. "After what she did for you...."

"Shut it, Ron," he said, and then flinched at the look on Ron's face. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be short with you. I know what she did. That's why I'm going to say this."

He took Hermione's hand and gently pulled her down to sit between them again, then scooted to the edge of his seat so he could see both of them. "It was stupid of me to act the way when I saw you two. I don't know why I did it. You're my best friends...what you did for me, both of you...you gave me my life back."

Hermione looked down at her lap. Ron didn't say anything.

Harry took a deep breath, and continued. "When I saw you two...kissing...." he grinned a bit as he said that part, and Hermione blushed. "I didn't know what to do. Maybe I felt left out or something. I don't know. It doesn't matter now, though. Cause if you two...you know...like each other...you should give it a try. Really. Nothing's going to change on my part. You two are really like family to me, you know? The only family that matters, anyway, and if Voldemort is on the rise again, then I'm going to need both of you to help me."

What do you say to something like that? Hermione wondered. When did Harry get so...philosophical? It was suddenly extremely warm in the room.

"Oh, dear me, look at the time," said Harry brightly, with a big, fake yawn. "I'm so tired, I think I'll go on up to bed. Good night!" He punched Ron lightly on the arm before leaving, snickering to himself.

Do I get up and leave? Or do I just sit here? What do I say to Ron? Is he mad? This is so strange.

"I think his little experience addled his brains," said Hermione hastily.

"You think so?" said Ron.

"Maybe."

"I don't."

"Really?" Where is he going with this?

"Really. He made perfect sense to me."

She was very aware of how close he was. Before, when they'd been worried about Harry, she didn't give it a second thought...Ron was there and she'd turned to him instinctively, without hesitation or embarrassment. But now...she was blushing furiously and didn't know what to do or say.

"Oh," she said.

Ron chuckled. "'Oh'? Is that all you can say?"

"No." Her heart pounded madly. Maybe, it would be nice, to kiss him again...no! You told him you didn't want to. But did you mean it?

"Hermione Granger...at a loss for words. What is the world coming to?"

"I can be quiet sometimes, if I feel like it." God! Get to the point!

"I never would have guessed."

"Well, you don't know me that well, then, do you?" What is that smug tone in his voice? He's enjoying making me miserable!

"Maybe not." He laid a hand lightly on her shoulder, sending little tingly sparks all down her arm and into her fingers.

Why does it feel like this? I'm so confused.

"Hermione...are you okay?"

She couldn't answer. "Um..." It was maddening. She liked to know what to do and what to say all the time. She liked to have the answers. Right now, she didn't know anything. Only that Ron, her best friend, was sitting very close to her and looking at her in a way she'd never seen him look at anyone - except her, the day he'd kissed her after class.

He took his hand away. "I'm sorry."

"No, don't...you didn't have to move..."

"I didn't?"

"No..."

"Oh."

I really want him to kiss me, but... "Ron..."

His hand was back to her shoulder. More little tingly sparks. Heart pounding madly.

Do I have to spell it out for him?

Apparently not, because before she could say anything, he touched her face gently, turning her to him, and brushed her lips with his.

"Is that ok?" he asked, pulling back slightly and looking at her.

She nodded, and reached up to touch his hair. The firelight caught the thick, soft strands, making it shine cinnamon, copper, and gold. She'd never noticed how many shades of red there were in his hair, or the dark blue of his eyes, or just how many freckles were sprinkled across his nose and cheeks.

"I know you said you just want to be friends," Ron said softly, tracing the line of her cheekbone with a finger. "Are you sure about that?"

She closed her eyes. "No." I don't know what I want.

His finger continued around her face, down around her chin and up to her lips, and then back again, outlining her face gently. "That day, after class...did you like it?"

"Yes," she whispered. "But..."

He put his finger to her lips. "No. Don't say 'but'. Just think about it, okay?" His lips met hers again, for just a second, and then he pulled away.

"Good night, Hermione."

*****

It was wonderful being on speaking terms with Ron and Harry again. It was even better having Ron and Harry being back on speaking terms with each other. It was just like old times in a lot of ways - whispering about Snape in Potions, working incredibly hard in Defence Against the Dark Arts, and Harry and Ron complaining about homework and Hermione nagging them to get it done. The best part, in Hermione's opinion, was that they could just sit around and talk again. She was relieved.

But some things were different now, as Hermione soon discovered. Ron was a lot nicer to her now. Not that he had ever really been mean (okay, there was those stupid comments he'd made about "Neville's right, you are a girl", and "Hermione doesn't care about other people's pets" - but that was years ago, and he just didn't think before he spoke), but he didn't bait her into arguments nearly as much as he had before. He seemed to think more before opening his mouth.

Her birthday was just a few days after the three of them had worked out their problems, and she wasn't expecting anything at all from anyone other than her parents. None of them had ever made a big deal out of birthdays - though she usually sent Harry a nice present, since she knew the Dursleys would never get him anything anyway, and she knew it would make him happy when he was stuck there by himself - but other than that, none of them had given each other anything more extravagant than a box of Chocolate Frogs or a bag of Every Flavour Beans. They just didn't. Birthdays weren't a big deal.

Harry had never been the gift-giving type. Probably because he hadn't grown up getting gifts, and had no one to give them to for so long, therefore she just assumed he just didn't think about it. So, she was very surprised when he pulled her aside after lunch and gave her a heavy, messily wrapped package.

She unwrapped it quickly (difficult because of all the tape) and found a copy of the newly revised edition of Hogwarts, A History.

"I...um...just wanted to say...thanks, you know, for helping me," he said.

She smiled. "It's great, Harry - thank you." She gave him a big hug, which seemed to surprise him.

"It's been updated." He took the book from her and flipped through the pages until he'd found what he was looking for. "Read it."

It was a section on the Chamber of Secrets - how it had been opened during their second year - detailing how Harry had defeated the basilisk. A sentence caught her eye...

...which he would not have been able to solve without the assistance of Hermione Granger. She realized that the monster in the Chamber was a basilisk, and was on her way to relay this information to him when she herself was petrified. Due to her research, Potter and Weasley were able to...

"You've made the history books," Harry said, grinning.

"No, Harry, we've made the history books," she replied. It felt very strange - but exciting - seeing their names in a book she'd practically memorized when she first found out she was a witch.

Ron's gift was even more unexpected. That morning when she woke up, she had found a card at the foot of the bed. One look told her it was from Ron, and that he had obviously made it himself. When she opened it, it sang "Happy Birthday" in Ron's voice - if you want to call it singing, since it was more like energetic yelling, making her dorm mates cover their ears and shriek in protest. It was so out of tune that she wouldn't have known it was "Happy Birthday" if not for the words. She laughed, trying to imagine him singing, and was very glad he wasn't there to see that. Then a piece of parchment fell out of the card. It said:

You're not spending your birthday studying!

Be in the common room at 9 o'clock tonight.

-R.

Ginny had come in from her dorm to see what the noise was about, and Hermione showed her the card and the note.

"Do you have any idea what your brother is up to?" Hermione asked.

Ginny giggled. "I could tell you, I guess, but then Ron would kill me...so no," she said. "What was that noise?"

"That noise was your brother, singing," Hermione answered. "Listen!" She opened the card again and it began to 'sing'.

"Close it!" yelped Ginny, sticking her fingers in her ears. "That's awful! It's definitely Ron, but...he actually can sing. Well, it's been a while since I've heard him...since before he came to Hogwarts, I guess, but he used to have a nice voice. I guess puberty killed it. Too bad."

She didn't have many classes with Ron that day (other than Potions, and she wasn't about to bring it up there) so she didn't get a chance to ask him what he was up to. He vanished after dinner, and neither Harry nor Ginny would say where he went. Harry, in particular, would assume an expression of absolute ignorance whenever she mentioned Ron or his whereabouts. Aggravated with their smirking, she stomped up to her room and threw herself on the bed. Crookshanks jumped on the bed and curled up beside her, purring. She scratched his head absently.

What is he doing? I hate secrets. I hate surprises. I hate when people know something I don't.

Ron had been extra-attentive to her the last few days, offering to carry her books and such, but hadn't brought up The Subject at all. It was like he was letting her know what he wanted, but leaving it up to her to decide what happened next.

Trouble is, I don't know what I want to happen next. It's Ron for heaven's sake!

At ten to nine, she got up, ran a brush through her hair (which was apparently destined to be bushy forever, no matter what she did), and went downstairs. The common room was crowded. Assorted lower year students were scattered around the room, studying or playing Exploding Snap. Colin and Dennis Creevey were looking at Colin's latest batch of photos, and Neville was dozing off in the corner with Trevor on his lap. Lavender and Parvati were reading the latest issue of Witch Weekly. Harry and Ginny were playing wizard chess by the fire, with Dean and Seamus watching and giving advice. It looked like Ginny was winning, but Hermione was never sure when it came to chess. There was no sign of Ron.

"I don't suppose anyone's seen Ron, have they?" asked Hermione irritably.

"Actually...." said Harry, getting up. "I'll be back in a minute," he said to Ginny, "so don't cheat!"

"Like I need to cheat, playing you," Ginny smirked, watching as one of her knights knocked one of Harry's pawns over the head, dragged it off the board, and threw it on top of a large pile of mangled black pieces.

He walked Hermione over to the portrait hole, out of sight from the others.

"What's going on, Harry?" she asked.

Harry pulled something silvery and shimmery from the folds of his robe - his Invisibility Cloak. He grinned.

"You're going on a little adventure," he said, holding the cloak out to her.

"What!" She was too shocked to take it. Harry had never let anyone borrow his dad's cloak before.

"Just be quiet and listen. Ron is waiting for you in the Charms classroom right now," he said, his grin widening, "and probably scared as hell too. He wanted to work up a little birthday surprise for you, and he needed a little help. So...." He reached into his robe again and pulled out a piece of parchment. "Oh, yeah, you might need this too."

Hermione took one end of the parchment and they unrolled it. She knew what it was - the Marauder's Map. "Harry, your map!"

"Yeah, well...you wouldn't want Mrs. Norris sneaking up on you two when you're...ah...you know...." His cheeks went red.

"Stop!" said Hermione. "I get the idea." She was absolutely not going to think about kissing Ron with Harry standing right there. No, no, no.

"You know how to work it, right?" Harry asked.

Hermione took out her wand and tapped the parchment. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," she said, trying not to laugh. This whole thing was getting out of hand. She was going to sneak out of the tower, breaking about a million school rules...and found the idea very appealing.

Inky lines began to spider over the surface of the paper, revealing the map of Hogwarts, with its familiar heading - "Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs...Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers..." She saw a tiny dot labelled Ron Weasley in the Charms classroom, pacing back and forth, and her heart jumped.

"I can't believe I'm doing this," she said incredulously.

"Yeah, I know. Who would expect you to be sneaking off through the castle with an invisibility cloak and a magic map...to go off and meet..."

"Hush!" she said. He was obviously enjoying teasing her about this.

"You better go, before he thinks you're standing him up," said Harry, pushing up his glasses.

"Thanks, Harry," she said, taking the cloak.

He helped her put on the cloak, and then pushed back the portrait for her to climb out. "Be good, now...don't keep Ron out too late," he said with a wink.

She was very glad she was invisible, because she felt her cheeks burn hotly.

*****

Hermione stopped in front of the door to the Charms classroom.

"Ron!" she whispered. "Ron! I'm out here. Open up!"

The door opened, and Hermione hurried in, taking off the invisibility cloak.

"Hey, Hermione," said Ron. Even in the semi-darkness, Hermione could see that his face was almost as red as his hair. "I thought maybe...that you weren't coming."

"Of course I was coming," she said. "Harry was just picking on me a bit."

"Picking on you?" said Ron.

"Just teasing. He didn't mean anything."

"Oh, okay." He waved his wand at the door, mumbling. "Just so no one walks in," he said. "I mean, not that we'd be doing anything wrong, or anything, but it's just that I've...er...I've gotten you a birthday present." He dug around in the pockets of his robes and took out a small hexagonal box, wrapped in red paper and tied with a gold ribbon.

"Happy birthday," he said, handing her the box.

"You didn't have to get me anything, Ron," she said.

"I wanted to. Go on then, open it," he said, elbowing her gently.

In the little box were a pair of gold earrings, each shaped like a tiny owl, with miniscule garnet eyes.

"Oh, they're so pretty!" she said, lifting them out of the box. She normally didn't wear much jewellery, but the owls were so delicate and lifelike she couldn't resist.

"Look," said Ron. "If you tap them with your wand, they move." He took one of the little owls from her and touched his wand to it. The golden bird began to move its little head and wings and blink its sparkling eyes. He touched his wand to it again and it stopped.

"I had them made special...usually they always move, but I thought, you know, if you wanted to wear them around your family, that you wouldn't want them moving. They've got a bit of protection magic on them, too. Not much, but..."

"I've never seen anything like them," she said, putting them on. They were so light she couldn't even tell she was wearing them. "Where did you find them? In Hogsmeade?"

"Yes," said Ron.

"But we haven't been there yet this year," said Hermione. "First Hogsmeade weekend's not until Halloween."

"I got them this summer, when I worked for Fred and George at the joke shop sometimes...Ginny helped pick them out. I didn't tell her who they were for, but I think she knew."

"This summer?"

If Ron's face could have gotten any redder than it already was, it would have. "Well...."

"Ron...how long have you...um...been thinking about...you know...?" Hermione asked slowly, not sure how to phrase the question.

"A long time," said Ron softly. "I don't know when I started thinking about you as more than a friend. I think it was at the Yule Ball."

"The Yule Ball? That was ages ago!"

"You were there with that Viktor Krum...I didn't like it, but I didn't know why," he continued, taking her hand. "I thought I was mad because you were being disloyal to Harry or something, but that wasn't it. I was supposed to be there with Padma, but I didn't even notice. I was too busy watching you and being mad. Then after, when we were fighting in the common room...you were yelling at me, and your hair was falling down out of that thing you had it in, your face was red...and you were so...beautiful."

"No, I was really horrible to you, Ron," she said.

"Uh-uh. I bloody well deserved it, making remarks about trolls and such right there in front of you, then acting like you didn't exist. Like you weren't a girl." He touched her cheek lightly.

He looked embarrassed to admit he'd been thinking about this for so long, and unsure about what to do next.

Hermione found it absolutely adorable.

"Ron?" she whispered. "Kiss me."

It was like he had been dying to hear her say that. His hand slid around to the back of her head, under her hair, and pulled her close. It was a soft kiss, sweet and tender, and she kissed him back, wrapping her arms around him.

"Mmm," she said a few minutes later, letting go briefly. "That was nice." She slid her hands under his robes, feeling the flat muscles of this stomach through the soft fabric of his shirt.

He jumped. "Ooh, don't do that," he said, squirming.

She grinned evilly. "Are you ticklish?"

"No," he said, backing away. "Quit!"

She backed him against the wall. "Oh, does that tickle?" She let her hands roam around his sides, using her fingernails lightly.

"Stop that!" he said, laughing, batting her hands away. He caught her around the waist and spun her around gently so her back was to the wall.

"I said...quit!" he said softly, and kissed her again.

It was quite late by the time they finally headed back to Gryffindor Tower, hand in hand underneath the Invisibility Cloak.