Changed

Changed...

Hermione slowly walked the street of Diagon Alley. She hadn't been in this place for so long, but due to the death of her beloved headmaster she had returned for the funeral. It had been five long years since she had left. Left her school, left her life, left her friends. The last 3 years of her schooling had been too hard. Too many people had left her for eternity and now it was Albus's time.

She quietly slipped into the funeral home, not wanting to be noticed. The funeral was beautiful but being there brought back memories Hermione wasn't ready to deal with... She had to go.

She ran out the door, tears streaming from her eyes

"Hermione. . ."

I'll always remember
It was late afternoon
It lasted forever
And ended too soon
You were all by yourself
Staring up at a dark gray sky
I was changed

It was Harry. The boy, now a man she had tried to block from her mind. He was running after her with a look of internal aching inside his soul.

"Please don't go. I....I need you"

She stopped dead in her tracks. He needed her. After all he had been through, all he had lost, he needed her. Anyone would have consoled him, but he wanted her.

Slowly she turned around. He was standing right in front of her, the closest they had been in five years. She looked up from her feet and met his eyes. He was crying. . . For the loss of his mentor of 12 years, possible, or maybe... just maybe thought Hermione, it was for the reunion of his best friend, the only one he had left. At that thought she flung her arms around his neck, listening as he cried uncontrollably, knowing she was changed.

In places no one would find
All your feelings so deep inside (deep inside)

It was then that I realized
That forever was in your eyes
The moment I saw you cry

The moment that I saw you cry

It was September 19, Hermione's 25^th birthday. Harry waved his wand and strung glittering lights around the yard. In the middle was a table with a dashing red table clothe strung over it. All around were red roses. Two candles flickered on the table as Harry nervously rung his hands.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hermione pulled into the drive way and gracefully stepped out of her car. She was wearing a red strapless dress that hung around her ankles, a sheer black shah over her shoulders. It was a beautiful evening; the stars began to poke out as the sun sank low beneath the trees. Harry and Hermione had been seeing each other for two years now, and he promised to take her out to dinner for her birthday. As she went to open the door she saw a note taped to it.

Around the back, meet me out there.

Love, Harry

She turned and went to the gate, quietly opening and shutting it. She walked along the side of the house, wonder why Harry was in his yard, her question was quickly answered as she walked into the yard. There he was, his back turned to her, looking up at the stars. He had never been the romantic type, but this certainly made up for it.

The yard looked amazing, like something you see only in the movies. There were roses everywhere and Hermione could hear a faint violin playing in the distance.

Harry turned around to see her standing in the yard... crying. This was not the reaction he had expected and quickly closed the gap between them. She wiped her eyes and smiled back as he held her in his arms. "This... is the nicest, most romantic thing *anyone* has *ever* done for me Harry Potter. I love you"

He placed a kiss on her forehead and stepped back, keeping her hands in his. This is it he thought as he lowered his body to one knee.

"Hermione Granger, I have loved you since the day we met, fourteen years ago. You have stood by my side, even when you thought you had left me. I will never, ever be as happy or as complete as when I'm with you. And I promise to never hurt you or leave you. I love you too much and I can't picture myself with out you. I want you to be there in the morning when I get up and at night when I close my eyes. I want you to have our kids, and I want to grow old with you." Harry looked into her eyes; there was a smile plastered on her face as tears caressed her cheeks. He took a deep breath. "Will you marry me?"

It was late in September
And I've seen you before
You were always the cold one
But I was never that sure
You were all by yourself
Staring at a dark gray sky
I was changed

Hermione looked into the mirror. Her beautiful caramel curls lay neatly on a satin white dress, a veil gently covering them. "Honey, it's time." Ginny placed the bouquet of white lilies in Hermione's hands and with a kiss on the cheek lead her out the door.

The band started playing The Wedding March as the guest in the pews rose. At the end of the rose covered isle was Harry, the man she had dreamed of all her life.

As she came to a stop her father kissed her and gave her hand to Harry. The pastor began to speak... "Dearly beloved, we are gathered her to day to unite Hermione Helen Granger and Harry James Potter in holy matrimony."... She looked into his eyes blocking every thing else that was happening around her. Those emerald green eyes drunk her in and she had never been so happy.

Before long she declared "I do." and Harry took her in his arms... kissing his wife for all eternity.

In places no one would find
All your feelings so deep inside (deep inside)
It was then that I realized
That forever was in your eyes
The moment I saw you cry

"I love you Hermione, you can do this, your strong, I know you can." Harry kissed her forehead and held her hand tightly as she cried out with pain...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Isn't she beautiful?"

"Looks just like her mother"

"What should we name her?"

"Whatever you want." said Harry as he kissed Hermione, then the baby.

"I know, Lilly. Lilly Aimee Potter, after her grandmother."

"That sounds perfect."

Harry slid onto the hospital bed, placing one hand behind Hermione's head and letting the other rest on her arm holding now the two loves of his life.

I wanted to hold you
I wanted to make it go away
I wanted to know you
I wanted to make your everything, all right....

"I hope she's ok", Whispered Hermione to Harry with great concern present in her voice.

"She'll be ok, hunny, she'll be ok." The two sat in the hospital waiting room, hand entangled together.

Harry Jr. and Ben, their two younger sons, sat there also, each holding their wives hand. They heard Lilly's voice one last time. Her husband Jon burst though the door. "It's a girl!" He shouted with an overwhelming amount of joy. Harry leaned over and kissed Hermione, memories running through his head.

Six hours later they all sat in the hospital room with Lilly and the new baby.

"So what have you decided to name her?"

"Hermione..." Lilly smiled at her mother, "Hermione Jocasta Wimiski"

The room broke out with laughter. "What??"

Well sis, we always thought mom had it bad with just plain old Hermione, but now Hermione Jocasta Wimiski, she'll never have any friends."

"Hit him for me will you dad?" The room laughed again as the baby fell into a deep slumber...

I'll always remember...
It was late afternoon...
In places no one would find...

It was September 19, Hermione's 125^th birthday. Not only was it her birthday but 100 years ago to the day Harry had pledged his undying love to his beloved wife. As Harry strung the lights in the back yard her heard a car pull in front of the house and took a deep breath.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hermione walked to the front door where she saw a note:

Go to the living room.

Love,

Harry

Hermione opened the door and went directly to the living room. Lying on the couch was a red dress and black shah; a note was attached reading,

Put this on and meet me in the yard.

Love,

Harry

She smiled as she slipped into the dress and made her way to the yard.

There he was, wearing the same white suit he wore a hundred years ago. She once again began to cry. The yard was a perfect recreation of that night so long ago. Harry walked up and placed her in his arms with as much passion as ever. They kissed each other, that same feel of fire rushing through their bodies.

Harry pulled away and looked into Hermione's eyes. She was crying and he gently brushed her tears away. "I love you."

"I love you too." Hermione looked up into his face. Under all the wrinkles and the white hair, Hermione still saw that youthful face she had met so long ago. Looking into his emerald eyes she realized she was not the only one crying. As that tear ran down his face Hermione remembered back to when they had first reunited. She held him crying in her arms... and was changed...

In places no one would find
All your feelings so deep inside (deep inside)
It was then that I realized
That forever was in your eyes
The moment I saw you cry

END