Beautiful Dreamer

Chapter 2

Making a Memory

Harry drew back from Hermione sharply, feeling as though he'd been punched in the stomach and all the wind had been knocked out of him.

"W-w-what?" he stammered, praying he'd misheard her. Hermione looked up at him with sad eyes. She extended a hand and placed it against the side of his face.

"I'm dying, Harry," she stated again, choking slightly this time as she held back the tears for his sake. Harry shook his head, his eyes wide.

"How can this be?" he asked, desperate to believe that this was all some sick joke, though his Hermione had never been much of a joker. Hermione took a deep breath and lowered her hand from his face. She looked out at the shimmering snow.

"It's really quite simple..." her voice trailed. Harry stared at her in amazement. She seemed so calm.

"How is it that you're dying, Hermione?"

"Do you remember that day when I ran out of the Great Hall because I'd seen the front page of the Daily Prophet?"

Harry nodded and said,

"Yes, it said that the Peridot of Galena had been stolen or something."

Hermione nodded and continued, "There is something that I haven't told you about the Vesuvian race, Harry. Do you remember when I took you back in time to when my brother was killed?"

Harry nodded, how could he forget? She proceeded.

"Well the Hessonite, the thing that killed him, once had been a Vesuvian. All of the Hessonites were once members of the Vesuvian race. It isn't that they went bad by choice. No, they were turned that way by a powerful spell and the powerful stone known as the Peridot of Galena. The Peridot of Galena was created by evil wizards years and years ago to terminate the rule of my great, great grandmother, Galena. Instead of killing her, they turned her into what is now known as a Hessonite. Back then, the powers of Vesuvians were very strong and there were much more of us than there are now. They were able to transform her back. Since then, the powers have dwindled and whosoever turns into a Hessonite now will stay that way forever. Thirty or so years ago, a powerful young wizard killed many muggles and fellow wizards in order to obtain the Peridot of Galena and transform himself into a Hessonite. You see the Hessonite are stronger than any other form of magical beings. The name of that young wizard was Tom, Tom Riddle,"

Harry stared at Hermione in shock, mouth agape.

"Yes, Harry. V-Voldermort was once Vesuvian, too."

That would explain why Voldermort looked so much like the creature from Hermione's past. She continued,

"Voldermort then used the stone to try and convert the Vesuvians into Hessonite to form a powerful army to use for his destruction. All you need to convert a Vesuvian is a piece of clothing or hair. Once you have that you could change them from the other side of the world if you wanted to, it doesn't matter. Seven years before you and I were born, Voldermort lost the Peridot of Galena in a battle at Evner. The Peridot of Galena was stored at Gringotts for safekeeping. As you know, it was stolen back again and Voldermort's new target is... me," Hermione sounded as if she'd been preparing this speech for a long time. She looked over at Harry, whose mouth was hanging open in shock.

"Do you also remember that time when we were in the hall talking about Christmas Break and I collapsed?"

Harry thought for a minute but then it all came back to him...

~~~

"Oh, Harry! This will be the best Christmas ever! There's so-"

Hermione suddenly moaned and fell forward onto her knees, clutching herself in pain. Beads of sweat broke out on her hairline.

"Hermione!"

Harry knelt down next to her. He didn't know what to do! Hermione suddenly looked up, seemingly fine yet still a tad more pale than usual.

"What was that? Are you ok?"

"I'm-I'm fine. I just need to lie down."

Hermione struggled back up to her feet. Harry went to help her but she put out a hand to stop him.

"I'll be fine. I can make it on my own. See you at dinner, Harry."

~~~

Harry nodded. Hermione took another deep breath.

"That was when he first started using it on me,"

"-So you're going to turn into a Hessonite?" Harry interrupted. Hermione shook her head.

"No. At the Supreme Chancellor's inauguration they have a certain charm placed on them. This charm makes it so that if the Peridot of Galena is ever used on them, they will die instead of converting. That is what's happening to me and that is why it is that I'm dying," Hermione sniffed.

"I wish they had made this a less painful process, but nobody had thought the Dark Lord would be able to steal it back."

Harry, incapable of speech at the moment, reached out and embraced her. He wrapped his arms around her and held her to him. Harry broke down and just started crying. He buried his face in her shoulder and just sobbed. Hermione stroked his hair gently and muttered things like "It'll be all right" in his ear.

Harry couldn't understand it. How is it she could be so calm about the whole situation. Harry held her tighter to him. Hermione laid her head upon his and continued to mutter soothing things to him.

"You can't be dying Hermione. You can't," he moaned into her shoulder.

"Why is that?"

"Because I love you. You're the only person I've ever loved before and I don't want it to go away, don't want you to go away."

"I love you too, Harry..."

Hermione looked down at him in sorrow. She put her hands on the sides of his face and lifted his head so he was looking at her. She smiled at him.

"Lay down, Harry."

"What?"

"Lay down," Hermione repeated again. Harry turned around and laid his head down in her lap, his feet dangling slightly over the edge of the swing. Hermione smiled down at him.

"Every now and then
We find a special friend
Who never lets us down
Who understands it all
Reaches out each time you fall
You're the best friend that I've found,"

Hermione sang softly to him. Harry felt the tension leaving his body as he recognized the song. It was a muggle one by Jordan Hill he'd heard on the radio the other day. Harry sang back to her,

"I know you can't stay
A part of you will never ever go away
your heart will stay"

Hermione smiled and began to slowly rock the swing back and forth. She ran her fingers through his hair absent mindedly as she sang the next part,

"I'll make a wish for you
And hope it will come true
That life would just be kind
To such a gentle mind
If you lose your way
Think back on yesterday
Remember me this way
Remember me this way"

Somehow, the sound of Hermione's voice soothed Harry more than any of the "soothing" words she'd been muttering before had. He closed his eyes, feeling slightly tired, and sang his part.

"I don't need eyes to see
the love you bring to me
No matter where I go
and I know that you'll be there
Forever more a part of time, you're everywhere
I'll always care"

Hermione closed her eyes and leaned her head back on the swing. It was getting harder for her to push the swing anymore. No matter how much Hermione wanted to use her powers to ease his pain, she couldn't or it would finish her off before her last Christmas together with Harry, and she wanted one last Christmas with him more than anything else in the world (aside from a lifetime with him which was not going to happen).

"I'll make a wish for you
And hope it will come true
That life would just be kind
To such a gentle mind
If you lose your way
Think back on yesterday
Remember me this way
Remember me this way"

Harry's breathing was getting slower. Hermione continued to pet his hair. He had no more parts to sing, so Hermione didn't stop.

"And I'll be right behind your shoulder watching you
I'll be standing by your side and all you do
And I won't ever leave

As long as you believe
you just believe"

Harry was sleeping now. Hermione listened to his calm, even breathing as she sang the last part of the song.

"I'll make a wish for you
And hope it will come true
That life would just be kind
To such a gentle mind
If you lose your way
Think back on yesterday
Remember me this way
Remember me this way"

Hermione bent down and kissed Harry on his temple. He stirred and looked up at her with tired eyes. Hermione bent down again and kissed him on the lips this time. She never wanted to forget the feeling of his lips against hers. It was... indescribable.

Together the two of them sat on the porch through almost the entire night. The two of them fell asleep, but then Sirius, who'd come down to check on them, carried them in to the couch and laid them in the same position that he'd found them. Together they slept through the night with no thoughts in their heads but each other.