Sleeping Dragons

Chapter Nine: Lifeline
By Gemini

It was me.

I looked down at myself, then to... my other self. Here I was, perfectly fine and able, and there I was, lying as stiff as a board.

“What's going on?” I asked out loud. My voice was eerily hollow. It sounded unearthly. No one answered.

“Hello?” They ignored me, as if I was a mere shadow passing through.

It began to dawn on me that I couldn't be seen or heard. I thought I knew why, but I couldn't accept it yet, I just couldn't. My brain was telling me, Yes, it's the only logical conclusion! My heart was telling me, No, I don't want it to be true!

But of course, I was Hermione. I was the “know-it-all”, even after Hogwarts. So what did I do? I listened to my brain.

I was dead. But how was I still alive? I couldn't be a ghost because ghosts are always seen. It was clear that no one could see me, not even the helplessly bound Death Eaters.

While I gathered my thoughts, the other Agents had gathered around Ron and Harry. Voldemort lay on the ground, but I didn't know if he was dead or alive. I hoped at the very least he was dying.

I couldn't bear to see Ron, or Harry, or my friends over my body; I could almost feel their pain, especially Ron's. I focused on myself instead.

Looking closer, I discovered a thin, silvery cord that connected my body to, well, my other body at the navel. And I wasn't standing, like I thought I had been. I was actually floating.

I tried to take a step forward and found I could do it. My foot sank a few inches into the earth but I could still walk, in a sense.

I knew what was happening; I had read books. Call it what you want: astral traveling or an out-of-body experience, but I was definitely doing it, and not intentionally.

According to my Avada Kedavra research, I should have been dead. Avada Kedavra killed people and banished their soul away from this world. But this experience I was having, the silver cord and mental aliveness... these were not the signs of death.

I still existed. And I was ready to be alive again.

“Ron,” I said loudly. “Ron, can you hear me? Harry?”

No answer. I wasn't expecting one.

“Is she really... dead?” whispered Cho. No, I still exist!

“No one could have survived that,” said Marcy softly.

Ron finally spoke, his voice quivering and his face stained with tears. “She can survive that. She has to. She's... Hermione.” But no one agreed with him.

Remus laid a hand on Ron's shaking shoulder. “Ron, you must accept it. Hermione's... She's gone.”

“She isn't!” he roared. “She can't be!” Ron stood abruptly, backing away from my body. He grabbed the collar of Remus' cloak and pulled him close. “She isn't dead.”

Remus stepped back, startled, but Sirius had grabbed Ron around the shoulders and pulled him back.

“Ron, don't,” Sirius said while Ron struggled against his grip. “She's...”

Ron pushed Sirius' arms away, but didn't round on him. He just kneeled by my body again.

“She's not dead,” he whispered softly. “I can still feel her.”

I put my hand to my mouth, to try and stop the strangled sob that would escape. I walked over to him as well as I could and tried to put a hand on his shoulder. If I concentrated hard enough, I could do it. But he couldn't possibly have felt it, because even the laws of physics wouldn't let my body become solid.

But what did the laws of physics have to do with magic?

As soon as my hand lightly came into some sort of contact with Ron's shoulder, he let out a shuddering sob.

“Hermione.”

I whirled around, expecting Voldemort or some evil of the like. But it wasn't him. Not even close.

“Hermione, do you know who I am?”

She shimmered, almost like an angel. But she wasn't an angel, she was a beautiful spirit.

“Lily?”

She smiled, with those beautiful green eyes that I had seen so often before.

“Yes.”

Here I was, confronted by someone I only knew from stories and photographs, and I blurted out the first thing that came to my mind.

“Where's James?”

She laughed. Her photos didn't do her justice. She was more vibrant than any of her pictures.

“James wasn't able to come,” she replied. “Hermione, I should explain.”

I nodded slowly.

“You know the story of how I saved Harry with my love.” It was a statement, not an explanation. “Well, because of that love, we've been bonded since I died. James as well, though the bond isn't as strong because of my spell. James and I became what everyone becomes when they die: a simple soul, a mere spirit. We couldn't talk to Harry, but through our bond we could watch over him. When people die, Hermione, they don't disappear forever. Their souls still exist somewhere. Isn't that what your Avada Kedavra theory is even based on?” She looked at me casually, as if we were calmly discussing the latest Canons match.

“That is exactly what my theory is based on,” I said nervously.

“Hermione, James and I want our son to be happy,” she said gravely, gesturing to Harry. He had turned away from the scene, from the mourning Agents, from Ron, still as stone. Harry's back faced us, and he was shaking uncontrollably.

“You are not Harry's lover, nor is Ron a blood brother. But you are both more important to him than anything he has ever known. You are his first friends, his true friends, and for that alone he is happy to live. You have done more good for him than any one of you will ever know, and for that I am grateful. But I can't bear to see him suffer like this.” Lily stared sadly at her son, a crystal tear dropping onto her cheek. I felt tears on my own too. “Everything he has worked so hard to save has fallen apart.”

“What are you saying?” I asked. I had a small suspicion... “Are you going to bring me back? Can you?”

She shook her head. “I won't, and I can't.” She must have noticed my crestfallen face because she added, “Not the way you think.”

I frowned. “I'm not going to be reincarnated, am I? Because I don't really care for that sort of thing. And I'm still connected to my old body. And --“

Lily cut me off. “Hermione, stop.”

“I'm sorry,” I said meekly. I glanced back to the scene. The other Agents had moved away from Ron, and Harry was still by himself, alone.

“I've used up a lot of time already,” she said. “And I can't stay like this much longer.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“It takes energy to hold this form together and quite frankly, being dead doesn't give me enough.” She smiled ruefully at me. Already, she didn't look as vibrant as she had when she first appeared.

“Will you tell me what to do then?”

“I'm sorry, Hermione, I can't tell you what to do. The dead cannot act in the affairs of the living. When we are dead, time becomes clear and meaningless, and trust me, bad things will happen when the dead and alive collide.”

“But... How will you save me?”

“Dear girl, I cannot save you,” she said, smiling sadly. “You must save yourself.”

My face fell. “How?”

“Remember your research, Hermione. What is your theory? What is the basis of the connection from this world to the next?”

“The connection is the soul,” I said slowly. “It always exists. But those people we brought back died again.”

“Why?” she pressed.

And it dawned on me. I wasn't dead yet. I was dead in a technical sense, but I was still connected to my body by the silver cord -- my lifeline.

“So,” I whispered, “if they brew the Avada Kedavra counter spell, then I will be alive again?” Lily nodded. “Why am I like this though? Why am I actually not dead, not banished from this world?”

“Avada Kedavra is a strange spell, Hermione. It works on many different levels. This time, Voldemort was weak, slipping away from life itself. How could he completely take your life if he didn't have any of his own?”

I nodded. But I needed one more answer.

“Lily, how will be I be brought back? How do I tell them what to do?”

She smiled. “You won't have to.” She pointed to my friends, where Cho was already laying out the ingredients and Owen was setting up the procedure. I saw the look on Ron's face and knew he was fighting hope. If this didn't work, nothing else would. Harry was still alone.

Lily shook her head. “Typical Ravenclaws.”

“I still don't understand,” I said. “If my friends don't need help for this, then why are you here?”

She smiled sadly. “To protect you.”

“From what?”

“From me.” I turned around. And backed slowly away, toward Lily.

“Voldemort?”

“Yes, it is I once again.” He looked just as he did currently lying on the ground. Tall, dark and pale at the same time.

“We meet again,” said Lily. She regarded him coolly as I stood by her side, almost hiding behind her.

“Lily Potter.” Voldemort nodded at her. “It hasn't been too long since we last met.”

She stared at him, unafraid and indifferent. I was still in shock.

“Lily,” I whispered, “what's going on?”

Making no attempt to lower her voice, she said to me, “Hermione, haven't you figured it out by now? If you're 'dead' and here, then where else would Voldemort be?”

And she was right. Another cord connected Voldemort's image to his dead body.

Lily put her arm in front of me, as if to protect me. It felt real and solid, but she was growing fainter.

“You won't have her,” she said clearly.

“Oh, but I must,” he replied. “I will come back to life again and again, and she will help me do so.”

I was so confused.

Voldemort laughed. “Do you think you can stop me?”

At that point, Lily whispered to me, “Hermione, your friends are almost finished with the Potion. Do you think you can make a run back to your body?” I nodded fearfully. “Good. Do as I say.”

She turned back to Voldemort and continued her former conversation with him.

“Tom, there are so many possibilities, do you really think that particular one will play itself out?”

His smile turned into a frown. “I can feel it. You're up to something, aren't you?”

Lily stayed silent.

“You always were. You and that precious Potter, always having something up your sleeve to throw me off. Well, it won't work this time. I will take his blood. And when he's dead, I will rule as the lone Heir, without Harry Potter to stop me.”

Harry stood in the way of Voldemort?

“You will never achieve that goal,” said Lily. “There will always be someone to stop you.” But she looked more nervous than before.

“You're lying,” he said, almost happily. “After Harry, who is left? He hasn't produced another Heir yet.”

Ah, I understood now.

“Lily, what's he going to do?” I whispered to her.

But she didn't answer. Instead, Voldemort began to move sideways until he came to the silver lifeline that stretched from me to the body that my friends had lain on the stone pedestal.

He grinned a wicked grin at me, and stretched his hand to touch it. It was the most horrible pain I had ever experienced. It wasn't pain of the body, but rather pain of the mind as Voldemort tried to steal my life away. I cried out as Lily reached to put her hand on my lifeline as well. She took away some of the pain, but not all.

“Stay strong,” she whispered.

It was over as soon as Voldemort lifted his hand, and I felt normal again, if dead was normal. I couldn't even feel the repercussions of the pain; it was like it had never happened.

Looking to my other body, I saw my friends were in an uproar, especially Ron. My body had actually started spasming because the pain was so intense that it must have flowed through the lifeline itself.

Voldemort lifted his hand again and I cowered behind Lily like a child, as if it would help. She put her hand on it again, to protect me from at least some of the pain. Was this truly good versus evil? The very soul of what could only be defined as goodness, pitted against the embodiment of evil. And there was me in-between.

The pain was harsh, but not as intense as the first time. But Lily seemed strained and much fainter; she was taking part of the pain for me.

“Hermione,” she whispered. “Your friends are almost finished. When they cast the spell, I need you to run as fast as you can toward them, to ease the distance. I'll take care of Voldemort for you. I promise; Voldemort will not take your life away from you.”

I stared at her wide-eyed. “Lily, you mustn't.”

“I will,” she said with force.

We looked to where my body was lying, with Remus and Cho reciting the spell. Ron watched, hoping against all odds that it would work. (Of course it would; it was my own research, after all.) Harry, his green eyes blank, sat desolately at the edge of the group with Sirius standing protectively behind him.

The spell was beginning to work; I could feel it. But the sheer pain that pounded through my mind hadn't disappeared and I was growing fainter myself. Lily was struggling to protect me, I knew.

She leaned down. “Alright, Hermione, listen. Your friends are almost finished. I'm going to let go of you and you must run toward them. Ignore the pain, it will go away soon. Trust me.”

“Lily, what are you going to do?” I asked. I was sure I sounded afraid.

“Trust me. And please, tell Harry... Tell Harry that his father and I love him.”

I nodded gravely. “Of course.”

“We'll continue to keep watch over you, don't worry. And Hermione, I'm very glad to have met you. Thank you for what you've done for our son.”

We stared at each other, knowing what it meant that she had given up her life to save Harry's.

“Go, Hermione, now!” She broke the contact, and the pain flooded back. I stumbled as I ran. Voldemort smiled like a sinister cat as he followed me and my lifeline.

The distance between me and my body grew shorter and shorter, and my lifeline grew brighter and stronger. But that only meant that Voldemort could take more of my life from me. I could not feel physical pain, but if I could, my eyes would have been streaming with tears.

I reached the pedestal, passing through a few Agents on the way. They shivered as I glided through them like the ghost I seemed to be. My life was coming back.

Suddenly, Voldemort let loose a shriek of agony. After Lily had let me go, she made her way to where he stood. I looked back as I waited impatiently for Cho and Remus to finish the spell; they were so close.

Lily had her hand on Voldemort's throat. It wasn't the savage image I had expected. She was angry, but calm. This was the epitome of good against evil, just as I thought it was. Where her hand laid, a light grew so bright that I couldn't even bear to look at it. And I knew. I knew that she was killing Voldemort once and for all.

Three things were happening at once. Voldemort was taking my life, Lily was taking his power, and I was being brought back to life.

It was almost like waking up from a dream. Gone was the pain, gone was the sensation of flying, and here was Ron, peering down at me worriedly. His eyes were red and puffy, and they grew wide as I physically opened my own eyes in my own body.

“Hermione?” he whispered.

“Ron.”

He swept me into a hug so tight that I thought he would never let me go. I didn't want him to.

Collecting my thoughts, I pushed him, and everyone else, away. I hopped off the stone pedestal without any trace of, well, being dead.

I scanned the area for Lily or Voldemort, but of course I couldn't find them. They only existed in the realm of the dead, and Voldemort would stay there forever.

“Hermione! What are you doing?” Ron ran up to me and grabbed my arm, as if I was about to disappear.

“She's done it,” I said softly.

“Who? Who's done what? Hermione!”

I turned back to an almost devastated Ron, a wide-eyed Harry, and the rest of my friends. “No one. It's alright, I'll explain later.” Without any sort of acknowledgment, Ron wrapped me into a big hug and began to sob and laugh into my hair.

I started to cry and immediately berated myself for it. But I was so glad to be myself again. It felt different, being dead. Emotions and touch were muted, and I felt like only my mind existed. Here in Callanish, by the stone pillars and the rising sun, did I truly feel alive.

Harry broke into a run towards me and Ron. The three of us wrapped each ourselves in a giddy hug, relieved of the fear and devastation.

Harry whispered into my ear, “Hermione, I'm so sorry.”

“Harry,” I began, “you have nothing to be sorry about. It's not your fault, and it never was. That's just the way life goes.” He only hugged me tighter.

I was finally let go by my two best friends, only to be hugged by everyone else.

Voldemort's body lay cold and still, and I knew he would never come back. And I smiled.

Remus had brought a Portkey, which he and Patrick used to take away Lucius and the Death Eaters, who had been sitting and watching in disgust and boredom.

As the sun rose, we Apparated home.

~ * ~

“I now pronounce you wizard and wife.”

We cheered as Harry escorted Ginny back down the aisle, and I smiled at the older brother pride on all of the Weasley siblings' faces. Arthur, of course, couldn't have looked happier and Molly was vaguely reminiscent of my own mother when I married Ron -- laughing, smiling and always seen sobbing into a white handkerchief.

Ginny was a radiant red-haired angel and Harry was far from the shy boy he once was. “They're going to be so happy together,” I whispered to Ron as they glided by us, grinning and waving. Ron looked furiously joyful. Finally, his best friend was now really his brother.

Harry and Ginny left the Quidditch pitch of Hogwarts and one by one, the wedding guests made their way to the Great Hall where the feast would be held.

It had been Harry's idea to have the wedding at Hogwarts. The Burrow was simply too small to accommodate so many guests, and where else but Hogwarts? We became friends there and the stone walls probably knew more about us than anyone else.

Ron offered his arm to me and I took it happily. We began walking with the rest of the Weasleys to the Great Hall, chatting amongst ourselves with the glee we were all experiencing.

Surprisingly enough, Harry had asked Fred and George to provide the entertainment. What he was thinking then, I'll never know. I had to hand it to him though, they did liven up the party. The guests were sprinkled with bright colour-changing confetti and every so often, some unlucky wizard would turn a random colour. Fred and George had charmed one out of every hundred or so confetti pieces to turn the victim into whatever colour they were reflecting at the moment -- courtesy of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes.

Arthur and Molly led the procession followed by some professors, and then us Weasleys. Fred and Angelina, carrying their darling baby, were in front, closely followed by George and Katie.

Bill and his latest girlfriend, Michaela, were next. Luckily, Michaela wasn't as thunderstruck as any of his previous girlfriends, who tended to be put in complete awe in the presence of the Minister of Magic, a star Keeper and the Boy Who Lived. Bill explained to us that Michaela was a leading Daily Prophet interviewer, so she was used to the high profiles. Needless to say, this was one of the reasons why we all liked her so much.

Percy and his horde of girls, including Penelope, were next, trailed by Charlie and Samantha. Percy was unlucky enough to have been hit by a charmed confetti piece and had turned into a shocking shade of blue. His daughters found him greatly amusing to say the least, and took turns shouting out “Cookie Monster!” (Compliments of their grandfather, who had just found the other kind of magic called television, and Sesame Street.)

When we arrived at the Great Hall, Harry and Ginny were already there to receive the guests. Where the staff normally sat during the school year was now the bride and groom's place of honour. The guests filed in, quickly filled the Hall and sat in their properly marked places.

At the head table, Ron and I sat with the rest of the Weasleys on Ginny's side, while Harry's side consisted of Sirius, Remus, their dates, and the Hogwarts Professors. The kids had to sit at their own special table, otherwise, we'd have been crammed full. Blue Percy drew a lot of attention (mostly giggles).

Everyone was so giddy and eager to start the party that it took Harry a little while to get the crowd's attention. Finally, we grew quiet in honour of the impatient groom. Ginny stood to join him in their speech.

“Thank you all, for being able to attend,” he said. “It means the world to us.”

“It doesn't matter who you are, whether it be work colleagues, cousins --“

“- Or world famous Quidditch players,” Harry interrupted.

“- You are all our family and friends, and for that we are thankful.” Ginny blushed as we stormed our applause.

“Now, let us begin!” On our tables appeared masses and masses of all sorts of food. Ron grabbed a plateful of chicken while I folded a napkin over my lap.

We talked among our table while we feasted. As usual, Quidditch reigned as the supreme topic among the males. I sat between Ron and George, so I was caught in the middle. The hall was noisy, but it was the good kind of noise -- the sounds of happy people free of worries and troubles.

At the end of our meal when everyone had finished eating, the tables disappeared taking away the dirty dishes and goblets. It was time for dancing.

Of course, Harry and Ginny went first to the tune of a famous wizarding ballad, surrounded by family and friends. A string quartet of wizards played on a small makeshift stage as we watched, sighing and gushing to our heart's content.

Ron pulled out a camera and took a picture; hopefully Harry and Ginny didn't notice. Ron and I had our own dancing pictures, and we put it on our fireplace mantle. Everyday, we saw ourselves dancing at our own wedding, and it always gave me the most wonderful feeling. We thought we'd give the same gift to Harry and Ginny.

The ballad ended, and a new song started out. The quartet was replaced by more modern singers, a new age band called The Faithful. The two main singers, Caitlyn and Zoe, had the most beautiful voices of the newer bands, and Ginny had immediately snatched up the opportunity to hire them when she interviewed the band for Witchbeat.

I began to dance with Ron to the tune of a Celtic waltz, and watched as the other couples began to move onto the dance floor.

I saw a lot of Agents, and I was thankful Harry had managed to invite them. He told us that he claimed they were Quidditch friends; hopefully Ginny believed him. The entire Chudley Cannons team had come, so more Quidditch players wouldn't seem out of place.

Still, an excuse was needed to invite Draco. I have no idea how Harry handled that one.

Draco was a bit offset at first. The Daily Prophet had printed an article about his discovery and where he had been the past ten years, so at least everyone knew the true story. But it was still awkward to have a wizard deemed Dark in the past to suddenly appear among merriness.

Still, that didn't stop a few girls from fawning over him. His appearance improved a lot since that night that I died, and now he looked like his old self. I watched him over Ron's shoulder, and he and a red-headed girl made their way to the dance floor. There was no doubt about it: she was a Weasley cousin. She had curly red hair and freckles, and a striking china-doll face. The other girls who had tried to capture Draco's attention alongside her shot her angry glares, but she grinned cheekily at them over his shoulder.

Remus and Sirius had come with their respective dates: two witches from the U.A.A. They suited each other perfectly. Remus' date, Michelle, read books, essays and composed music to which Remus would try to plunk out the tune, while Sirius' date, Maureen, partied and danced to her (and his) heart's content.

The high table reappeared at the side of the room, and desserts sprang up from the dishes. A few guests made their way to the table, while others stayed and danced. Harry had cut in on me and Ron earlier, so I made my way to the desserts where Ron was chatting with Cho and her date, Oliver Wood. They were talking about... You guessed it: Quidditch.

“The Arrows are going down next year,” Ron remarked to Cho as I walked up.

She sighed. “Oh please, our line-up's gotten better, and I do believe we train way more often than you do.”

Oliver snorted. “Right.” But I saw the look on his face and knew he was mentally making up extra practice sessions for the next few months.

“Hermione!” Ron put his arm around me. “Ready to get back on the dance floor?”

“Not yet,” I said, smiling. “Harry tired me out and I need a break.”

We talked with Oliver and Cho amiably as Draco and his date sidled up. We greeted them, though Oliver was a bit hesitant about Draco at first. Luckily, Ron covered up the awkwardness as he stepped forward and twirled Draco's date about in a bear hug.

“Aisling, I haven't seen you for so long!”

She laughed, replying, “Well, chasing dragons in Romania doesn't let me come home often.”

Ron turned to me. “Hermione, this is Aisling, yet another one of my cousins. She's been in Romania for the past ten or so years. She works with Charlie, actually.”

I shook her long, piano-playing hand. “Very nice to meet you, finally. One down, a billion more to go, right?” We laughed. I had been in the Weasley family for years, but hadn't met all of them yet.

Harry and Ginny, out of breath, joined us at the table.

“How are you guys doing?” asked Cho. “Holding up alright?”

“I think we'll be okay,” Ginny answered. Her smile shone with radiance. “This is probably the best day of my life.”

“I certainly hope so,” said Harry.

Cho and Oliver headed out to the dance floor, as well as Draco and Aisling. Ron and I were left with Ginny and Harry.

We stood silently among the music and laughter, simply smiling at each other. Words weren't necessary.

I broke the silence first. “Congratulations!” I lunged myself toward Ginny and grabbed her in a hug so tight that I heard her squawk in protest against my ear.

Harry and Ron laughed, but they joined in on the hug.

“A little eager there, Hermione?” Sirius and Maureen had walked up without our noticing.

“I'm just... I'm just very happy, that's all,” I said, dabbing at my eyes with a handkerchief.

Remus and Michelle came up as well. Introductions were made all around, covering Michelle and Maureen as regular Aurors. They offered her glad tidings as Ginny grinned at them.

“Michelle here plays the violin,” Remus said proudly. “And, she's been trying to teach me how to play the piano, but I've had little luck.”

“Apparently, Remus is a bit tone-deaf,” said Michelle, laughing at him.

Sirius shook his head sadly. “Remus never was good with the music bit when we were at Hogwarts. Couldn't tell the difference between any old classics.”

“Sirius, I don't think anyone knows the old classics as well as you do,” said Maureen. She turned to whisper to us conspiratorially. “Sirius loves to play all his old wizarding songs. He still thinks they're popular today.

Sirius grinned. “Don't deny it, Mo, you love them too.”

Finally, another ballad began to play out. Ron and I walked with the others onto the dance floor as a few candles snuffed themselves out to dim the lighting.

Ron held me close as we danced, lost in a world of our own. I sighed happily, whispering, “I'm so glad I'm this lucky. We have the best family and friends.”

“I'm just glad you're here with me,” said Ron. He smiled down at me. Neither of us liked to talk about that night at Callanish, but one thing was for sure: we appreciated life with each other much more since then.

“Harry and Ginny look wonderful together, don't they?” I asked.

“Definitely. They're almost like us.”

We watched as the bride and groom danced their way past us, and I thought I heard Harry whisper, “You don't mind all those Quidditch players that I invited, do you?”

Ginny giggled quietly. “Quidditch players. Right. In the way that you're 'just a Quidditch player too'?

“Shh, not so loud! Dumbledore might hear you!” They danced away, out of hearing range.

But as I looked at Dumbledore, he was smiling knowingly at the newly wed pair. He and Headmistress McGonagall waltzed fluidly, with years of experience.

Ron shook his head. “Harry wouldn't have been able to contain himself. Of course he's told Ginny.”

“Good,” I said. “She deserves to know.”

Ron just held me closer, and we danced till the Great Hall's ceiling turned to glittering starlight.

The End.