" MYone "
He was singing so wonderfully out of tune and Hermione couldn't help but love it. Harry smiled warmly at her and continued to belt out the song.
They were inside Ron's pad, along with the rest of his brothers and Ginny, and believe it or not, Harry was singing karaoke for her.
" L is for the way you look at me, " he sang in front of her as George and Fred laughed out loud. Ginny was shaking uncontrollably as she took pictures of Harry and his silly antics.
" O is for the only one is see- "
Hermione buried her face in her hands, both embarrassed and flattered that Harry was willing to embarrass himself for her. It started out as a silly joke that turned into a dare. Harry was too embarrassed to sing for all of them, and Hermione joked that he didn't love her enough to humiliate himself.
"V is very, very extraordinary, " Harry belted out winking at her. Hermione laughed out loud and gazed at Harry who was wearing a dark green turtle neck that accentuated his eyes.
Harry laughed unable to finish. He was enjoying himself actually, despite knowing how hot his ears were from his act. He couldn't carry a tune, but what the heck, Hermione was enjoying it.
It had been three years since they had graduated from Hogwarts, two years since Ron, Hermione and Harry joined the aurors, and a year since he had first asked Hermione out for a very serious date. They were getting married this coming spring.
There was a light shower of snow outside, and the Christmas lights near one of the windows twinkled like multicolored stars. It was Christmas Eve.
Hermione gave Harry a big hug just as the song ended. There were cheers from the rest.
" Bloody good show mate! " Fred said as he clapped his hand on Harry's back.
" Right on Fred! " George said. " We should've recorded this one with one of those muggle recording gadgets! "
" It's called a video camera! " Ginny said with a grin.
" Harry, I swear, if you ever sing like that again, " Ron began. And he laughed.
" I'm getting the bites, " Ginny said heading towards the kitchen.
" I'll help, " Hermione said standing up.
As soon as Hermione was out of an earshot, Harry nudged Ron and said something that Ron would never forget. " Ron, that's the girl I'm going to marry! " he said with a serene smile on his face. " That's the girl, I love. "
Ron looked at Harry for a moment, surprised at his sudden overflowing display of affection for Hermione. He smiled.
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A few hundred miles away, a young man was lying on a hospital bed, his face thin, but otherwise still handsome. His blonde hair was a little messed up on his head and he was breathing shallowly and rapidly and sleeping quite peacefully.
A blonde woman and man were discussing something outside the room, with a large Christmas tree twinkling nearby with little angels and snowballs and boxes in delightful covers beneath it. The hallway was quiet, as expected at such an ungodly hour. It was almost three a.m.
" You mean there's no hope… " the regal looking woman's voice faltered and she almost sobbed.
" Oh dear…"
" No, no madam, he has hope… but in desperate need of a transplant. "
" But- "
"Of course there's a 'but', madam. We do not have that here, only in muggle medicine is it available-"
" So you're trying to say- "
" Yes, we need help. I have half-muggle medi-witches and medi-wizards who may aid us in the muggle medicine world… unless you are not willing? " his voice lowered. The old man bowed his head and straightened his glasses. It was a sad affair, a sad Christmas indeed
She stood still and stared at the door and the room's number done in silver. Her gaze went to the Christmas tree. Then back to the medi-wizard. " I-, yes- I need help- we need their help, " her voice tightened. " We need, he needs it, " And she finally allowed herself to cry, thinking about herself, her husband, and especially her son.
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Harry glanced at Hermione once in awhile as he drove the car through the streets of London. There was a festive mood everywhere and so were they, despite the time being almost four in the morning.
" That was fun, wasn't it? " Hermione said with a smile.
" Well, of course it was. I was the reason for it, " he said.
Hermione laughed. " True. "
They lapsed into silence as Hermione stared outside. They passed by a large shopping mall, with its lights burning brighter than she had recalled.
" You're beautiful. "
Hermione looked at Harry. " Hmm?"
"You're beautiful, " he said once more, seriously.
She laughed. " Harry, you're just sleepy. "
" It's true. I think you are. I know you are. "
" The boy-who-lived thinks I'm pretty? " She smiled.
" The boy-who-lived loves you like hell, " he replied.
He leaned over to kiss her on the cheek.
" Mind the road! " Hermione said loudly.
He laughed. A few minutes later, Harry's car drove up to Hermione's apartment building. It was a lovely building, three stories high, done in a pale orange with little terraces that made you think of the Mediterranean, despite being in a dreadfully cold London.
" Your stop, Mione, " he said resting his hands on the steering wheel.
" Thanks, Harry, " Hermione give him a long kiss on the cheek. " Merry Christmas, I love you. "
Harry smiled and felt himself blush. " You know, for some weird reason, I like it when you say that. "
" Harry! "
" Okay! I love it! Say it again? "
" I l-ove you…" she said slowly with a grin.
Harry kissed her gently on the lips. " I love you, MYone, " he said in a soft voice, emphasizing the 'my' part. He placed a tiny box on her hand. It had a little red ribbon on the middle.
She laughed. " MYone?"
" I kinda liked the idea of making you sound like you're mine. " He laughed.
" Don't worry, " she assured him. " I am. "
Harry smiled and they kissed one last time.
" Don't open the gift I gave you until I'm out of your sight! " she warned. He nodded, smiling at the red box she left on the passenger's seat. She closed the door.
" I love you, " he said again with a silly but charming smile on his face. Harry's eyes lingered into hers for awhile, as if he didn't want to leave. He smiled one last time.
With a wave, Harry sped off into the night.
Hermione smiled. She quickly ran up to her pad, locked the door and flopped on her couch and opened the box.
It was a pair of dangling earrings, with a diamond on each earring. There was a little note inside.
" I'd love to see you wear this with your wedding gown. I love you. Harry. "
Hermione laughed and knew she loved Harry even more now.
Harry sang along with a song playing on the stereo. " Look at the stars… look how they shine for you- and everything you do, they're all- yeah they were all yellow, " he laughed to himself; finishing the line. Not only was he half a note lower, he was terrible with lyrics. Then he thought of Hermione once more.
He grinned as he looked at the box. He couldn't resist what was inside. With one hand on the steering wheel, his other hand reached for it. The top came off easily. And he finally held what was inside.
He smiled again, unable to contain his bliss. It was a silver locket, circle in shape, the outside designed with Celtic art, swirls of red danced inside the tiny stone found in the middle. He opened it with little difficulty on one hand. Inside was a picture of him and Hermione, taken during their last year at Hogwarts. He was trying to kiss her nose as they stood side by side under their last Hogwarts winter. He laughed.
Without another thought he decided to wear it and he slipped it over his neck. " I'll adjust this later, " he thought.
The snow kept falling on the streets of London, like the sky never ran out of supply.
" Your skin, oh yeah your skin unfolds,- turning to something beautiful, you know, you know I love you so, you know I love you so, " he sang under his breath as the wipers kept swishing off the falling snow from his windshield. He reached an intersection and drove straight through as there were no cars in sight.
A honk blared out into the night and Harry looked sideways to see a truck heading straight for his car. The lights blinded him and then he saw nothing else, no one else but…
"Hermione. "
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Hermione's heart fluttered as she walked down the aisle, wearing a simple gown with little beads at the hem and near her chest. It had a scooped neckline, showing off her lovely neck. Her hair was done simply, in a French twist and her make-up looked au naturelle. She had never looked more beautiful.
Harry was a few feet across her, with a smile on his face, waiting for her calmly as she walked down the rose petal strewed carpet. The whole Weasley family beamed at her with happiness and her other Gryffindor schoolmates were there too. She inched closer and closer as the music played softly in her ears. "This is it Hermione, " she told herself.
Suddenly Harry's eyes looked blank.
" Is something the matter? " she asked, pausing her walk. The music had stopped. The Weasleys had stopped smiling as well. Her friends suddenly had hostile looks on their faces.
" Harry? "
His mouth opened. " Hermione, I can't marry you. "
Hermione's heart stopped. " What? I don't…"
" I'm not…I can't- "
" I don't understand. If this is some sort of nuptial joke- "
" I'm sorry, Hermione, " he said. His eyes were not sorry at all.
Hermione shook her head and felt nauseated and cold and all the other horrible things one felt at a moment of humiliation and disbelief.
Someone screamed out loud, like a banshee…
A shrill ringing woke her up from her nightmare. " Damn it, " she muttered. Hermione rolled over her bed and sat up and grabbed for the cordless phone. " H'llo? " she said groggily.
" Hermione Granger? "
" Yes? " she said, annoyed at the late caller.
" We have a 22 year old male here, his identification says his name is Harry Potter and your number was listed on- "
Suddenly Hermione was fully awake. Her hand gripped the phone tightly. " What? Has something happened? "
" General Hospital, he's been in an accident, ma'am, " the caller said in a mechanical voice.
Emotionless and unsympathetic. The bastard!
Hermione felt blood drain from her face, her entire body. Oh god…no…it was another nightmare, wasn't it? Without another word, Hermione dropped the phone on the floor.
She ran into the emergency room, wearing her red flannel pajamas and a white wool coat over it. She was breathless as she stood at the desk.
" I'm here for Harry, Harry Potter! " she gasped.
The man looked at the computer and on a piece of paper. "He's undergoing an emergency surgery, if you'd like to wait or call someone, we have a phone in the lounge, over there, " he said pointing to a large, comfortable looking room.
Hermione nodded, unsure if she knew she had understood everything he had said. She walked down the short hallway and picked up the phone, and with trembling fingers, she dialed for Ron's number. After a few rings, a voice came over the line.
" Ron! " she said in a tight voice.
" Who… Hermione? Is something wrong?" he asked with a yawn.
" I'm at General Hospital, Harry, he's… please come, oh Ron! He's been in an accident, Ron! "
" What! " Ron sounded fully awake now.
" Ron! I don't know what- "
" Wait there! I'm coming! " he said firmly. " Just wait there! I'm coming! "
And she waited, for what seemed like hours, although it had only been fifteen minutes, and Ron had driven like a madman, with Ginny and his two older twin brothers in tow. He ran directly to the waiting room and saw her sitting on the couch, one hand near her mouth, as she stared quietly at the floor.
" Hermione, " he began.
She looked up. And she tried to smile. " Ron, you made it-"
He sat beside her and drew her into an embrace. " It's alright, Harry's tough. " He knew it was an awful line, but it was true, Harry was tough. But was it the right thing to say to his fiancée? He didn't know how bad it was, but he'd never seen Hermione look so down, so negative.
Ginny stood still watching them and she took a seat beside Hermione and hugged her after Ron let go. Fred sat across them, and George got out for some coffee. He returned and placed a paper cup gently into Hermione's hands. She took it and held it without a word. She stared hard at the floor, willing herself to be optimistic.
Thoughts formed in her mind. The room disappeared, its white walls replaced by the Hogwarts gray and moss ridden walls. Hermione was once again in seventh year. She and Harry just had a fight….
" He's not right for you! That Jason Mulder was, is, not right for you! " he said hotly as they stood in the middle of an empty common room.
" Who are you to say that! "she snapped. " Just because you think he is, it doesn't mean you should ruin my date at Madam Rosmerta's! "
" He's a bloody git with a dead toe! "
" Just so happens that your beaters gave him that, you twit! " she said.
" Well he deserved it! "
" What's wrong with you! You never really cared whom I went out with! "
" Well, can't I care now; then? "
Hermione glared at Harry. She had never been this angry at him. So what if she dated someone from Hufflepuff? Dates were dates, it didn't matter!
Harry glared at her. What did she see in him anyway! The guy was bad at Arithmancy and Charms! He was… he was stupid!
" You self-absorbed bastard! Ron's better than you are! At least he told it to me nicely, that he didn't fancy that guy for me… and you! You of all people! You piss me off like you're my father or something! I'm not stupid, Harry Potter! "
"Self-absorbed? Bastard? Well, this self absorbed bastard just spent the last year and a half loving you! " Then he grew quiet and he felt his ears burn.
Hermione paused. She looked at Harry's eyes…
" Hermione! " Ron's voice snapped her out of her reverie.
Hermione looked at Ron's face. She saw a man in a green gown standing at the doorway. She looked back at Ron.
" How, how is he? " Ron asked, standing up.
" He's lost a lot of blood, we're doing the best we can. "
" Well who's inside, operating on him? " Hermione's voice became small.
" Apparently he's had brain hemorrhage, " the doctor continued.
" Who's operating on him! " Ron bellowed.
" Doctor Radnor, I assure you, he's highly competent, " he said with a frown. Did it matter if she knew or not?
Hermione lapsed into silence once more as Ron apologized and asked the doctor if he could have a word with him outside the waiting room. Ginny sat beside her without saying a word.
Ron stood and breathed in deeply. " Tell me, what's the prognosis? "
The doctor breathed in deeply, as if to prepare himself for a long speech, enough to hurt and shock them all. " Mr. – err- "
" Ron, Ron Weasley. "
" Mr. Weasley, I'm afraid I may have some bad news. We've done our best, still doing our best, I left the operating room to inform you of this as there were two other doctors. But I don't have the heart to tell you, the young lady in red beside you… "
" What is it? " he said through gritted teeth.
Silence for a second.
" He may not live, Mr. Weasley. "
Ron waited for the words to sink in. " So it's... "
" It's that bad, sir. Massive brain hemorrhage…" The doctor took another deep breath. " Since you are Mr. Potter's next of kin and since the lady is not in good condition, you are the next name listed in his… I would like to discuss with you about giving something away. You see, Mr. Potter had signed a donor card. "
He nodded, running a hand over his head. Oh god, Harry was going to die... how could… why now? Why this accident? They didn't deserve it! Hermione didn't. How was he going to tell it to her? It wasn't right! Harry couldn't die! Not now! His mind swirled with thoughts of Harry dead, and he tried to shake them off desperately, as fast as they had come. The doctor went through a lengthy explanation and Ron felt dumb, listening to it all.
A man went out of the operating room, wearing greens scrubs. And Ron felt his heart sink.
Inside the room, Hermione stood up and looked outside the window. Snow was falling softly, incessantly. Lights blinked all across the buildings. It was a lovely, modern hospital that had a comfortable atmosphere…
She heard the sound of shoes on the floor. She felt a hand on her shoulder. Hermione turned to face Ron and saw his eyes. There was no need for words.
She fell on the floor.
TBC…How was that for a first chapter? Thanks very much for reading! R.E.V.I.E.W?