Tattered and Torn

James shooed his daughters into the house. "You're welcome to stay with us, Harry," he offered.

Harry shook his head. "Thanks, but I've got to get home. Aunt Petunia's going to worry about me."

In truth, there was a little more than that behind it. He wasn't ready to stay with his father. He was still too afraid that something awful would happen to James and the girls.

"Okay. I'll see you tomorrow." James paused. "I love you, Harry."

Harry's heart gave a painful wrench. "Goodnight, Dad." He turned and headed slowly back up the street, wondering why he couldn't seem to tell his father that he loved him too.

Aunt Petunia was watching worriedly from the front porch...but she wasn't alone. A pretty girl with bushy brown hair stood next to her, craning her head to look.

Harry stopped in his tracks. "Hermione?"

"Harry!" Hermione flew off the porch and flung her arms around his neck, squishing his arm painfully against his chest.

Harry winced a little and sort of hugged her back. "Mind my arm."

Hermione backed off and stared in alarm at the cast. "What happened?"

"Dudley knocked me over. I landed on my arm funny and broke my wrist." Harry turned to his aunt. "Aunt Petunia, I...the doctor found evidence of abuse and called the police. I told them the truth, so...well, Uncle Vernon's being arrested. So is Dudley, once they find him."

Aunt Petunia nodded heavily. "I suspected as much, but I didn't say anything because I...well, I didn't know what to say." She gave Harry a watery smile. "I'll leave you two to visit." She turned and went inside.

Harry turned to Hermione, who was looking at him in concern. "Hermione, what are you doing here?" he asked her.

"My uncle lives down the street," Hermione answered, sitting down on the stoop next to him. "I thought I'd spend the rest of the summer with him." She hesitated, then added, "Lupin stopped by the other day to let me know that he'd found your parents. He thought I'd want to be here when you found out...I guess you know now."

Harry nodded. "I spent earlier today with my mum...and I was in the park this afternoon with my dad." He hesitated. "And his daughters."

Hermione blinked. "You have sisters?"

"Half-sisters. Dad didn't know Mum and I were alive any more than I knew they were alive...he went to America and married a woman named Leanne. Apparently she died a couple months ago."

Hermione hesitated. "You...don't sound happy."

Harry sighed. "I just...I don't know. It isn't the fact that he had kids by someone else...that's not what bothers me. I can't really explain why I have such a problem with this. I think it has something to do with Sirius, but I don't know why."

"I bet I can," Hermione said quietly. "Do you love your dad?"

Fear flickered across Harry's green eyes. It startled Hermione for a minute. "I...I don't...I can't answer that question," he said desperately. "I..."

"Do you want to?"

Harry swallowed. "I don't know," he said finally. "I think...I think I'm afraid to."

Hermione frowned. "Why on earth would you be afraid of that?"

"Maybe I'm afraid that if I say those words, they'll disappear like Sirius did," Harry said quietly. Everything fell very quickly into place. "Sirius died because I made a mistake, because Voldemort was playing off of how much I cared about him. I'm afraid that if I love anyone else as much as I loved him, Voldemort will find some way of taking them away from me too." He paused and took a deep breath, trying to fight back a flood of tears. "I can't lose anyone else, Hermione. I just can't. I don't think I could be strong enough for that."

Hermione put her hand over his gently. "Harry, never be afraid to love," she said softly. There were tears in her eyes as well. "I know it'll be hard, but you are stronger than you were even as little as a year ago. You can love and you shouldn't worry about people being taken away from you just because you love them. What you should worry about is not having enough time to tell them how you feel."

Harry swallowed hard. "You're right," he said finally. He looked directly at Hermione, then put his free hand over hers. "Hermione, I need to tell you something important that's really hard to say."

Hermione looked a little worried. "What is it, Harry?"

Harry hesitated, then finally offered her a small but sincere smile. "I love you, Hermione."

Hermione smiled as well, looking a little like she wanted to cry. "I love you too, Harry."