A few hours later, Harry, Hermione, and Lily were sitting cross-legged in the middle of a clearing, surrounded by a charmed bubble that kept the mist away, as they waited for James to send the next pair of coordinates. They'd been playing a game to pass the time but had stopped after the thirty-five-minute mark, which was the longest James had been away so far.
"How long has it been now?" Lily asked.
Harry checked his watch. "Forty-five minutes."
Lily nodded slowly.
Hermione could tell she was trying to hide her rising panic. She reached for Lily's hand and as soon as their skin touched, Lily jumped. "Oh! Coordinates! Look!" Hermione looked at the coin on the ground and sure enough, a series of numbers were appearing in glowing red letters.
Lily snatched the coin up and memorized the numbers before handing it to Harry and Hermione. "I'll see you there?"
Harry nodded. "Yeah. We'll be right behind you."
Harry and Hermione applied Bubble-Head Charms on themselves before Apparating to the coordinates on the coin. When they reappeared, they were in another, smaller clearing with a fallen tree in the center. The mist kept them from seeing anything further than twenty feet away, but even with the limited visibility, the forest seemed denser. Just like in the other Wonders, the magic felt foreign to Harry. Not Dark, but strange enough to make him feel on-edge.
He wiped away the sweat that had beaded on his forehead before turning to his dad, who was in a bubble of clean air at the edge of the clearing, retching into a shrub. Harry wondered how he had anything left to throw up.
He watched his mum enter the bubble and begin rubbing his dad on the back as she held out a vial of Rejuvenation Potion. Hermione started chanting and Harry turned and watched her cast a large bubble around the area, clean the air inside, then step through the barrier and drop the Bubble-Head Charm around her head.
After six times going through this, they had the routine down. His dad was always sick after spending so much time roaming the forest without magic. After James was finished throwing up the contents of his stomach, Lily forced him to drink several glasses of water and a dose of Rejuvenation Potion. Then she ran a series of diagnostic spells to check his energy levels.
Hermione was the one who set up the area for them, casting the protective bubble and cushioning charms on the ground. Harry's only job was to sit back and worry about everyone, which he was very good at.
He sighed and went to join Hermione inside the bubble. Soon, they were joined by his parents. Harry scanned James's face as he took a seat on the fallen tree. He was relieved to see that his dad was already getting his color back as he sipped on the bright purple potion. James had his wand gripped tightly in his hands and was sending out occasional sparks. He'd explained that this helped him feel the magic flowing through his veins, which was comforting after being forced to wander through the forest without it.
"Okay, James," Lily said sternly. "It's time to call it. We've made excellent progress and Hermione has been taking diligent notes so tomorrow, we can Apparate back here and you can pick up where you left off."
"Come on, Lil. We're so close. I can hear the waterfall when I'm out there. My guess is we only have two more jumps to make."
"Perfect. We can make those jumps tomorrow."
"How about one more?"
Lily crossed her arms and continued to fix him with a stern glare.
"You saw the spells, Lil. I'm fine. Do you want to cast them again?"
"Your energy levels may be fine but you're not. You're sick, James, and you look like a corpse."
"A handsome corpse?" he grinned.
Lily just rolled her eyes.
"Relax," he said, reaching out to grab her arm. "I just want to get as many of these forest sweeps out of my way today so that tomorrow, when we finally reach this magical pond of Enlightenment, I don't feel like shit. How about I take one more run of the forest, then we'll go right back to the campsite?"
Lily let out a large exhale. "Has anyone told you how impossible you are, Potter?"
"Yes. I've heard 'impossible,' quite a lot, Evans. Not as much as 'arrogant toerag,' though," he added with a wink, coaxing a small smile out of Lily.
"That better not be what this is about," she grumbled. "We all know you're wonderful. There's no need to prove it."
"She's right," Hermione chimed in. "Even I think you're wonderful, despite the fact that I spend most of my time trying to refrain from hexing you."
James laughed. "If anyone should be hexing the other, it should be me hexing you. 'You'll get to lead...It will be so fun and dangerous,'" he said in a pretty good impersonation of Hermione. "This is the worst job and don't pretend you didn't know it."
Hermione cringed. "Sorry, James."
"I have a way you can make it up to me. Learn how to transform into an animal tonight, then take over the forest sweeps tomorrow."
Hermione smiled. "I'll get right on it. But as most people transform into the same animal as their Patronus, I don't think I'll be super helpful."
James snorted. "Yeah, a river otter wouldn't be much help right now. Why can't your Patronus be a bird?"
"Probably because she's terrified of heights," Harry suggested. James nodded thoughtfully. "I'm with Mum," Harry added. "Let's go back to the campsite and pick this up again tomorrow."
James clicked his tongue. "You've been wanting to go back to the campsite since we started. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you didn't want to find Enlightenment."
Harry just shrugged. No, he didn't want to find Enlightenment. Or, more accurately, for his parents to find it.
"I already feel like myself again," James said, standing up. "It's just that initial shock that gets me. I'll find the next magical spot, then we'll go back."
James transformed into a stag. Lily reached out and placed her palm on his face. "Stay safe," she whispered.
The stag nodded, then turned toward the edge of the clearing. Harry saw him hesitate, stepping forward, then back a few times before finally galloping into the mist.
"That man is going to give me a heart attack one day," Lily said once the sound of his hooves had subsided. She plastered a smile on her face and wrapped an arm around Harry, then added, "But he'll be fine. Though he's going to lord this over us for months to come. Probably years."
Even though Lily's tone was light and she looked like her usual calm self, Hermione could see the hint of uncertainty in her eyes. Maybe because she knew those eyes so well, or maybe it was because she knew how Lily was feeling.
Lily and Hermione both had to stay behind while their loved ones went off to hunt Dark Wizards, unable to do anything but pray they'd return safely. One of the reasons Hermione threw herself into her work was so she didn't have to sit at home worrying about how her fiancé and best friend were in the field and could be injured, or worse, at any moment. She was going to need something to replace that distraction, now that she didn't have a job anymore.
"Do you want to keep playing the game?" Harry suggested, eager for something to divert his attention from thoughts of his dad out there, all alone.
"Yeah," Lily said as she removed a pile of leaves from her pocket and placed them on the ground in front of her. "Not a word to your dad though. If he finds out we were having fun while he's out there suffering, we'll never hear the end of it."
"Got it," Harry nodded. "Erm, who was next? Hermione?"
"Yes," Hermione said, looking up at the cloud of mist above the bubble as she tried to think. "I guess I'll go with, 'I've never attended Hogwarts in my Seventh Year.'" Both Lily and Harry grabbed a leaf and added it to their piles. Harry stuck his tongue out at Hermione and she smiled back. Back in their world, she wouldn't have got him with that one.
"Okay, I'm next," Lily said, stopping to think.
When Hermione first suggested this game, Harry thought she was crazy, since surely, his mum would find out they weren't the real Harry and Hermione. But they weren't as out of their depth as Harry initially thought. They'd learned a lot about their other selves through the photos they'd reviewed in China.
Also, the game provided another means for Harry to learn about his mum. It had already led to her telling them several stories from her time at Hogwarts.
"I've never been left out of the Slug Club," Lily said slyly, then added, "Sorry, Harry."
Harry added another leaf to his pile as he shook his head, pretending to look annoyed. Sometimes, like now, the game provided more insight into the other Harry's life. Now, he knew Slughorn was the Potions Professor while he was at school and that Harry hadn't been in his exclusive club. He must have been replaced by Neville. Harry didn't mind one bit but wondered if the other Harry was sore about it.
"I've never…" Harry began, looking at everyone's piles of leaves. His was so much larger, which meant he was losing. "I've never had muggle parents."
Lily gasped. "You're going to target us for being muggleborns? Shame on you!" Harry could tell by the gleam in her eyes she was kidding.
"You've been prejudiced against muggleborns this whole time?!" Hermione asked, a smile playing on her lips. "Were you planning to tell me before we were married?!" This made Lily laugh.
"Hey!" Harry said defensively. "You two have been targeting me all day." He began counting on his fingers as he listed their statements from earlier rounds, "I've never been a Quidditch captain, I've never owned an invisibility cloak, I've never been gifted a map of Hogwarts."
"You could have targeted us in a less offensive way," Hermione pointed out. "Like, 'I've never slept in the Gryffindor girl's dormitory.'"
"Fine. I'll do that one next time. But for now, you each get a leaf."
Hermione grabbed a leaf and added it to her pile, holding his gaze the whole time. Then she grinned and said, "I've never slept in the Gryffindor boy's dormitory."
"Cheap shot," he said as he reached for another leaf. He noticed movement out of the corner of his eye and saw his mum reaching for a leaf too. "Mum!"
"What? I've done that," she said simply.
"I don't want to know that!" he cried. "Wait—it was with dad, right? Actually, no, don't tell me."
Harry covered his ears with his hands while Hermione burst into laughter. Then, a lot of things happened at once.
Something glowing shot at them from the forest, heading straight for Hermione. Hermione squealed and jumped out of the way as a booming voice filled the air around them, speaking in a language Harry didn't understand. He turned to ask Hermione if she could translate the words when he noticed she was half outside the bubble. He watched her eyes widen in alarm and the next second, before she had a chance to hold her breath, her eyes rolled back into her head and she went limp.
"Hermione!"
He dove after her, not even stopping to cast a Bubble-Head Charm on himself, so he was surprised to find his vision distorted by the curved edge of a familiar translucent barrier a moment later. It must have been his mum. Harry praised her quick thinking. He'd been stupid to jump into the mist without protecting himself first, but he'd only been thinking about Hermione.
He gathered her into his arms and cast a Bubble-Head Charm on her to keep her from breathing in any more of the mist. Her brown eyes were open wide and as he watched them, they clouded over, as if the mist she'd inhaled was settling into them. Harry's blood ran cold. "Mum, I need to—"
"I know." She was standing next to him and holding out a copy of the coordinates Hermione had written down, marking the magical areas in the forest. "Make sure you stop and focus before each Apparition," Lily said, placing a comforting hand on Harry's arm. "I'll gather our things and be right behind you."
Harry took a deep breath, then stood up, pulling Hermione along with him. He checked the coordinates of his first Apparation point, gripped her tightly, and turned on his toe. After five more Apparations, Harry was back at the campsite. He ran into the tent and gently laid Hermione on the couch. He removed both of their Bubble-Head Charms and crouched down next to her.
Her face contorted like she was in pain, and the mist in her eyes was so thick now, he couldn't see the brown of her irises anymore. Harry gently closed her eyelids and laid his forehead against her side. He took her hand and squeezed it. "I'm so sorry, Hermione. I don't know what to do to help you."
As he spoke the words, he remembered the tea the Australians mentioned this morning. They said it would reduce the time of her suffering by half. He got to his feet just as his mum came into the tent, holding the very leaves he was about to go and pick.
"I'll make the tea," she said, Summoning the teapot from the kitchen. She filled it with water and boiled it with her wand, then Harry watched her throw the leaves into the pot. "What do you think? Five minutes?" she asked.
"Sure," Harry said, his voice catching in his throat.
Lily set her wand alarm, then went to join Harry. He'd taken a seat on the coffee table next to the couch and was still holding Hermione's hand. Lily reached over him to place Hermione's wand on the side table near her head. "She'll want that nearby when she wakes up."
Harry nodded as tears stung his eyes. "Thank you," he forced out.
Lily leaned against him. "She's going to be okay, Harry. You saw the Australians. They've gone through this multiple times and are just fine."
Harry nodded, then reached forward and pulled down Hermione's shirt, which had hiked up slightly, showing the edge of that nasty wound. "What about dad? How do we—?"
"Don't worry about it," Lily cut in. "I've got the coin here and as soon as I see his coordinates, I'll send a Patronus and tell him what happened."
Hermione flinched and Harry felt her pain, like it was his own. A curl fell into her face when she moved her head and he reached forward and pushed it away. "What was that thing that flew at her?" he asked, keeping his eyes trained on Hermione. Whatever it was seemed familiar, but Harry wasn't thinking straight and couldn't place it.
"It was a Fire Lizard. I think the Liu ancestors were finally responding to her message."
Harry recalled the foreign language that had boomed through the clearing. Mandarin. Of course. "Great timing," he said darkly.
"Yeah."
Hermione's brow furrowed and he wondered what she was seeing. Her heart's deepest fear. That's what Margaret had said. What would that be for Hermione? He reached out and tried to smooth the lines of her forehead.
Lily's wand alarm went off and she went to pour the tea into a cup. Harry knelt back at Hermione's side and reached his hand out for the teacup. Over the next few minutes, he carefully poured the tea into her mouth, lifting her chin every few seconds to ensure the liquid made it down her throat.
When the tea was gone, he placed the cup on the table and took a seat on the ground as he laid his head against her side, wanting to be as close to her as possible. She inhaled sharply and Harry squeezed his eyes shut. His mind was trying to pull him back to Malfoy Manor: Hermione's screams, Ron banging on the door of the dungeon, searching frantically for any way out as each of her distant cries hit him like shards of glass.
He tried his best to clear his mind, though he'd never been good at it. He needed to stay calm and level-headed until she was conscious again. Then he could break down, once he knew she was safe.
Lily had resumed her seat on the coffee table and was watching him, her eyes swimming with concern. "She's going to be okay, Harry. This isn't like last time."
Hermione cringed again. "She's in pain, Mum," he said in a broken voice. "And all I can do is sit here and watch her suffer."
Lily reached out and patted his arm. "You'll be here when she wakes up. And I promise she'll be fine. She's incredibly strong."
"I know," he whispered as he looked back at Hermione. Her face was calm and he hoped that was a good sign. He saw his mum jump and turned to find coordinates appearing on the surface of the coin she had in her hand.
"You should go," Harry said. "Tell him what happened in person."
"It's okay, Harry. I can stay."
"No, go. There's nothing else we can do for Hermione and dad will probably be sick again. He shouldn't have to recover and make his way back here alone."
Lily reached forward and squeezed Harry's shoulder. "Are you sure?"
Harry nodded.
She kissed the side of his head, then touched Hermione's arm before standing up, pulling her wand out of her pocket. "I'll be right back," she said before applying a Bubble-Head Charm and Disapparating.
Harry turned back to Hermione. He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing seemed adequate. So he just stayed quiet as he laid his head against her waist and looked up at her, his chest clenching painfully every time she winced or let out a small moan.
Hermione was standing on a black stage with a smooth mirror finish. There was nothing around her, just a thick white fog, billowing as if it was being cast about by the wind, but the air was still against her skin. There was no sound, besides her heart beating in her chest. She'd never heard it this loudly and as she listened, its pace became erratic.
She had an odd thought that if she was on a stage, and this was a show, that her heart was the star. But where was the audience? She didn't know where she was but one thing she was certain of: she was utterly and completely alone.
As she focused inward, she got the strange feeling that something was burrowing in her veins, expanding her blood vessels as it made its way through her body, on its way to her heart. Once the unknown thing reached her heart, it seemed to explode into tiny pieces. She felt as if millions of ants were crawling around her insides. She screamed and collapsed to the ground.
Hermione was in the Forbidden Forest, following behind Hagrid. It was nighttime and there was an eerie feeling in the air, making her hair stand on end. What was she doing here? It took her a few moments to remember as she walked quickly on the path to keep up with Hagrid's long strides. Detention. That's right. She'd received detention for being caught out of bed at night. They'd been delivering Norbert to Charlie's friends and Malfoy had told on them.
Red sparks appeared in the air to their left and Hagrid swore. "Summat's wrong," he grumbled. "If 's Malfoy again… Stay here, you two." Hagrid ran after the sparks and Hermione noticed that she wasn't alone. Neville was there, several paces behind her, looking terrified.
She lit her wand and gestured for him to do the same, then took a seat on a log. "Let's sit here until he's back," she said kindly. "Don't worry. Hagrid said we'd be safe on the path."
Hagrid was gone for a long time and Hermione knew something was wrong, but didn't want to upset Neville. Should they make their way out of the forest themselves? Voices filled the air and she stood and raised her lit wand, trying to think of all the spells she knew and which would be the best to cast at an adversary. It was McGonagall.
"There you are."
"Professor?"
McGonagall looked unbelievably sad. "Detention is over," she said, her voice cracking slightly. "Let's get you back to the castle."
As they walked, Hermione heard more voices in the distance. This was bad. Something bad had happened. "What's wrong Professor?" she asked as politely as possible. "What happened? Is it something with Harry and Malfoy?"
McGonagall turned on the path and placed a firm hand on Hermione's shoulders. "There was an accident, Dear. We could have never imagined he was here, this close." She cut off and Hermione waited patiently for her to continue. "It was You-Know-Who, in the forest and he—Mr. Potter—he's gone, Miss Granger."
"What? No." Her legs went weak and it was all she could do to stay standing. Harry? Gone? She stumbled to the ground, her legs finally giving way. Harry couldn't be gone. He was one of her only friends.
The scene changed.
Hermione was in the Hospital Wing. There was a crowd of professors in the room and as she looked around, she saw Colin Creevey, Penelope Clearwater, and Justin Finch-Fletchely on the beds closest to her. It took her brain a few minutes to piece together what was happening.
The basilisk. She'd been with Penelope in the hall and told her to use the mirror to peer around every corner. Then, large yellow eyes, and nothing. But now they were awake. Professor Sprout must have finished the Mandrake Draught.
Her eyes searched the room and landed on Ron, huddled in the corner. "Ron!"
He slowly made his way to her bed and she could tell instantly something was wrong. He was paler than she'd ever seen him and it was clear by his red, puffy eyes he'd been crying. "What is it, Ron? What happened?"
"I don't know how to put this. It's—" His voice cracked.
"Just tell me."
"Harry died. You were right about the snake and we went down there, because it had Ginny. And I was separated from him and he—he saved Ginny, of course he did that, but the snake got him. Killed him."
"He's...gone?" Hermione's brain, which had never failed her, which was able to solve even the most complicated riddles, couldn't accept this fact. As tears flooded her eyes and sobs threatened to overtake her, she had a fleeting thought that she wished they hadn't woken her up.
The scene changed again.
She was in the stands at the Triwizard Tournament, facing the walls of the maze. She had nail marks on her face and the insides of her palms and wished there was some way for them to know what was going on in there. Fleur and Viktor had been removed from the maze, but they didn't have any more details.
Was it really that dangerous? She wished she could take it as a good sign that Harry hadn't been pulled out, but something was clearly wrong. Dumbledore had disappeared into the maze fifteen minutes ago and still wasn't out. Why had he gone in there? What had happened?
Just as Dumbledore's tall, thin frame appeared at the entrance to the maze, two figures dropped out of the sky in front of him. They fell into a heap on the ground. Hermione could see red and yellow on their clothes and guessed it was Harry and Cedric. But what were they doing? Had they touched the cup and been transported out of the maze? Why were they still lying on the ground? Why didn't they stand up?
She made her way forward, not caring who she was pushing past. She had to get to Harry. Dumbledore was crouched down next to them. He looked up at McGonagall and shook his head. Then he ran his hand over Harry's face—she could tell it was him, she was close enough to see his dark hair and glasses. What was he doing?
Then, it hit her. He was closing Harry's eyes in that way people did in movies when someone had died. Harry was dead? No!
There was screaming and it took Hermione a while to notice it was coming from her.
Strong arms engulfed her. "It's okay."
It was Ron. Why was he so calm? He must not have figured it out. She buried her head in his chest and cried. "It's okay," he said again.
But they were empty words. Harry was gone and things were never going to be okay again.
It continued like that for what felt like forever. Hermione was forced to replay the most terrifying scenes from her childhood, all those close-calls, but this time, Harry didn't get lucky and escape. He died every time.
He was crushed by a flying statue while Dumbledore fought Voldemort at the Ministry. He was killed at the top of the Astronomy tower by Bellatrix, who discovered him hiding under the stairs just after Snape killed Dumbledore. During the seven Potters mission, he was killed in flight and his body was never found.
He was caught during their break-in at the Ministry to retrieve Slytherin's locket and was killed publicly, as Voldemort wanted to make an example out of him. Nagini dealt him a blow at Godric's Hollow that Hermione couldn't heal. At Malfoy Manor, Bellatrix's knife stabbed Harry in the heart, instead of Dobby. At Gringotts, he was buried under a pile of treasure. And finally, when Hagrid walked him out of the Forbidden Forest the night of the Final Battle, he stayed dead. There was a funeral for him and everything.
The stabbing pain in her heart intensified with each death. She supposed it was because as time went on, her love for Harry had grown. She thought if she had to see him die one more time, the blow would finally do her in. "I can't bear it," she whispered to Ron, who had an arm wrapped around her at Harry's funeral. She was dreading what she'd be forced to see next but the following scene wasn't a memory. Somehow, she'd broken the spell.
She was back at the Department of Mysteries, standing next to the portal to the other dimensions. Harry was standing next to her, patting his body.
"We're back?" she asked, trying to make sense of what had happened.
"Are you okay?" Harry asked, taking her by the shoulders. His eyes scanned her body and once he seemed satisfied that she wasn't injured, he dropped her arms and took a step backward.
Hermione threw herself at him. "Oh, thank God," she murmured. "It was awful, Harry. I had to watch you die. Over and over again. And it felt so real. This distant part of me knew it wasn't but it—it was and—"
He stiffened in her arms. She let go of him and stepped back. "Harry? What happened? Why are we back?"
He was avoiding her gaze, staring off into the portal again. "The mist got you. And you didn't wake up. We gave you the tea and nothing worked. You were...trapped. So I brought us back, thinking it was the only way and...I guess it worked."
Hermione's heart fell as she saw tears wet his eyes. Shit. He had to leave early. No wonder he was upset. She reached out and placed a tentative hand on his arm. "I'm sorry we had to end the trip prematurely. Did you—um —get a chance to say goodbye?"
He pinched the bridge of his nose as he turned away from her. "You shouldn't have done it," he said sharply.
Hermione dropped her head.
"You're in the middle of some life crisis and you dragged me along with you and you—you had no right! You knew I wouldn't say no, you knew I'd want to stay and now—now I have to go on knowing they're out there and that I don't get to see them. How am I supposed to be okay with that?"
"I didn't mean to hurt you, Harry," she said as tears streamed down her face. She knew he'd be in pain, but this was more than she'd been expecting. "I was trying to do a good thing."
"No," he said, his green eyes filling with rage. "You were being selfish and manipulative. This was about you, not me. Don't stand there and try to pretend otherwise."
She felt like he'd slapped her. "I wasn't trying to manipulate you. I'm just lost and scared—just like you and—I was searching for something and a part of me knew I had to do it with you. It's always us, isn't it? We help each other, stay by each other's side and now—we're going to get through this. I can help you get through this. We can talk and—"
"I don't want to talk to you. I'll talk to Ginny and Ron. You…" He sighed and turned away from her. When he spoke next, his voice was cold and flat. "I think you've been a good friend in the past and maybe we were a good team before but...people change. They grow and we—maybe we've outgrown each other."
"What? That's it? We're not friends anymore?"
Harry shrugged. "You're going to marry Ron, so we'll see each other all the time." He said it like he wished it wasn't true. "But just me and you... no. I'm done."
Without another word, he walked away, the sound of his footsteps echoing around the marble walls.
Hermione felt completely lost. This was so much worse than all the deaths she'd witnessed in the other world because this time, Harry had chosen to leave her. She dropped to her knees and began crying into her hands. That was it. No more Harry. She wailed as sobs shook her body.
Some indeterminable amount of time later—between five minutes and five hours, a wind started blowing her hair around her face. She looked up from her palms and saw a thick fog entering the room through the portal. Once it was surrounding her, and she could see nothing besides white, she heard Harry's voice again.
This time his voice was tender, not cold and unfeeling, like before. "Hermione?"
She wanted to call out to him, but her voice was swallowed up by the fog.
"Hermione. Open your eyes."
But her eyes were already open.
He said it again, more insistent now. "Open your eyes. Please, Hermione."
She wiped her tears with the edge of her shirt, closed her eyes tight, took a deep breath, then opened them again.
Harry stayed in that same spot on the floor, lying against Hermione's side, for two hours. His dad came back and cast a few diagnostic spells on her and Harry didn't bother telling him it was no use, because he'd already cast those spells and they'd turned up nothing. He probably wasn't supposed to know all those spells, since he'd only learned them in his world from Auror training.
When James was finished, he turned to Harry and placed a hand on his shoulder. "She's going to be okay."
Harry gave him a curt nod. His dad studied him and Harry wondered distantly if he was behaving abnormally again. He couldn't find the energy to worry about it.
His mum and dad disappeared into the kitchen to make a meal. Perhaps lunch, or maybe even dinner. Harry didn't know or care what time it was. When his mum brought a plate of food and a steaming mug of tea and set it on the coffee table, Harry didn't touch them.
"No," Hermione whispered.
Harry perked up and shifted closer to her head. This was the first time Hermione had said something he could understand. It had just been unintelligible moans for the past couple hours, with a lot of sharp intakes of breath and wincing mixed in. He watched her face slacken, then her eyelids fluttered slightly, like she was trying to open them but couldn't for some reason.
"Hermione?"
He grabbed her hand and felt a faint pressure there. Had she squeezed his hand? Was she finally waking up? He released a long breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.
"Hermione. Open your eyes."
Her brow furrowed again but this time it didn't look like she was in pain, just that she was concentrating hard. He cupped her face in his hand and her eyelids fluttered again, but stayed closed.
"Open your eyes. Please, Hermione."
Her eyes snapped open.
"You're awake! Thank Merlin! How are you?"
Hermione looked extremely disoriented. She raised her hand up to his, which was still on her cheek, as her eyes darted wildly around the room. Harry was so glad to find them clear of the mist and back to their normal, deep shade of brown. "Where—? Where am I?"
"The tent. The couch, more specifically. Here." He stood and helped pull her up to a sitting position, then took a seat on the couch next to her.
"We're not at the Department of Mysteries? Did that—did that not happen?"
Harry grabbed her face in his hands and gave her a warning glare. He could see his parents out of his periphery, watching them from the other side of the room.
"We've never been to the Department of Mysteries," he said slowly, hoping to give her brain time to catch up. "You must have imagined that."
Realization flickered across her face and she dropped her eyes. "Yes. Of course."
Harry pulled his hands away from her face, but didn't move away from her. He still wasn't sure she was okay. He was about to grab his wand from the table and cast a few diagnostic spells when she placed a hand on his heart. She fixed him with a piercing look that trapped his breath in his lungs.
"You're here," she whispered.
"Yeah," Harry breathed, still captivated by her gaze. "And so are you."
She leaned forward and he watched the fall of her long lashes as she closed her eyes, then pressed her lips to his. Harry closed his own eyes and leaned into the kiss. He was relieved to have her back. He tilted his head and opened his mouth, slightly pulling her bottom lip between his teeth.
Shit. Too far.
He leaned back and opened his eyes, preparing himself for the admonishing look he knew would be on Hermione's face. But she didn't look upset. Not at all. He gave her a shy, apologetic smile and before he could mouth, "Sorry," she was kissing him again. It wasn't like before, which was just a quick touch of the lips. This kiss was fierce, desperate, untamed.
Hermione moved her hands to the back of his neck, digging her nails into his hair. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close as he moved his lips instinctively against hers. She arched her back and pressed her chest against his, drawing a low groan from the back of his throat.
She bit his bottom lip and heat coursed through his veins. Harry turned his head and tentatively slipped his tongue into her mouth, where it met hers. He could feel that familiar fuzzy feeling, numbing his thoughts and setting his body on fire, making him grow hard against his jeans.
He moved his hands to her side and gripped her waist as he continued to kiss her. He could not get enough of her. Every inch of him craved her. He must have been wanting this for a long time. Kisses like this didn't come out of nowhere.
Harry moved his hand lower and his fingers brushed across her skin. But it wasn't warm, like it should be. It was cold. Realization hit Harry like a Stinging Jinx. Her wound. The other Hermione and Harry. His and Hermione's fake relationship, which didn't feel very fake at the moment. Ginny. Ron.
He stopped kissing her. But that was all he could bring himself to do. He didn't have enough willpower to actually pull away from her. Her fingers were still tangled in his hair, his hands were still resting on her waist, and her lips were just a hair away from his. He could feel her warm breath in his mouth. Taste it, even. It tasted the same as her lips and tongue had: warm, sweet, and slightly earthy, probably from the tea he'd given her. Hermione was the one to finally lean back. Her mouth was hanging open, lips red and swollen from kissing him, and her eyes were wide, filled with the same expression he imagined he was wearing: a mix of shock, fear, and desire. They'd crossed a line. The other kisses and touches had been small, easy to explain away, almost nothing but this —this was certainly not nothing. It wasn't the sort of thing platonic friends did. "Bloody hell," he whispered. "I was going to go with, 'Bollocks.'"
