Unbroken

Friday, Week 2

Lyla POV

It's now been just over seven hours since Boss cheated death yet again. I hate to call him the Boy-Who-Lived but, man, is he living up to that moniker. By all accounts, according to every healer in the Hospital, the man should have been dead. No one knows how he came back to life save for those of us who were there. It sounds irrational, stupid, even, but it might be safe to say that love brought him back. Hermione's and his love for each other, to be exact, is what brought him back from the edge.

Everytime I think about these two I find myself in awe of them. How wonderful it is that I, Lyla Roberts, managed to somehow bear witness to a love like this. I'm kidding, I sound like one of those pretentious poets but this...this thing between Harry Potter and Hermione Granger is the really real thing. The realest of all things.

Even now, seven hours removed from their ordeal, Hermione is still wide awake at Harry's bedside and holding his hand while talking to him. I managed to catch some of the words and they alternate between 'I love you', 'I'm sorry', or 'Thank you for coming back to me.'

Even though Boss looks like, for lack of a better word, shit, Hermione is sporting the widest of smiles on her face as his chest slowly rises and falls. I've never seen such happiness displayed on a person's face before but, hey, I guess this is what it's like when you're in love. Damn, I never had a chance with him. His heart, he himself, always belonged to her. I'm just happy she finally wised up to it.

Ronald Weasley was supposed to get a talk from me after we got here but the fucker disappeared. I wasn't going to do much except warn him of the consequences if he even dared to come between Boss and Hermione again. It probably wasn't my responsibility but I owe Harry a lot and despite how everything played out between us, I want to see him happy. Either way, I expect him to get a nice talking to from his family once they find out. He'll get his, I'm sure of it.

So now, all of this brings me to me. What should I do next? Truth be told, I quite enjoy being an Auror and I quite enjoy being a part of this team. Some things in this case obviously didn't work out but we're all happy, healthy, safe, and sound. If you ask me, I count that as a win. Who knows what's next for me, to be honest? I think I'd much rather continue to be an Auror and hope that Boss returns to the team. Though, as it stands, I doubt his woman is going to let him.

After everything that happened, I sincerely doubt Hermione's going to let that man out of her sight until the day they both pass together. And she should, I'm in total agreement with her. It's what I would do. Though, knowing Harry, he's going to be as stubborn as ever. Luckily for him, he has someone who fits perfectly with him and can mitigate his occasional bouts of idiocy.

I just wish I could find someone like that. Oh well, I'm sure he's out there. Hey, maybe Harry has a long lost brother or cousin or something. Nah, probably not.

Draco POV

Once again, Harry Potter does the impossible. A long time ago, a younger version of me would have hated him for that but, now, I can't help but feel bloody relieved. After all the shite he went through, all he fought against, was it all so that he could end up dead? No, thankfully it wasn't. It took me a while to figure it out, since everyone seemed to know it before I did, but he deserves his chance at a happy and peaceful life. We all do.

I hate to admit it but there were times during that ordeal where I didn't think I'd make it out of it and get to marry the love of my life. But, I'm here now. I'm alive and healthy, and so is my future wife. Granted, I'm sore beyond belief and she's tired as a dog, but we're okay all  because of Harry yet again. We helped but, really, if he hadn't raced to save us then I shudder to think what could have happened.

With all this now firmly in the past, I've had a revelation. There is far too little time in this world for me to keep waiting for the perfect wedding date. I know there's going to be a day when I no longer walk this earth but I plan to spend every single day til then with the woman I love as my wife.

"Hey, Red, as soon as Harry recovers, we're getting married," I tell her in what I hope is a humorous tone that belies my seriousness. She's halfway between sleepiness and wakefulness so I don't expect any argument from her.

"Give it a couple of months," she flatly responds, her voice coming out slurred from drowsiness. Well that settles that. Harry, you better wake up ahead of schedule like you did last time.

I look over to find Luna resting on Neville's lap while he strokes her hair. They've been together since before Ginny and I so now I'm wondering when they're going to tie the knot. I get my answer, however, when I see the ring worn on Luna's dainty hand. Sly fellow must have proposed as soon as we got here.

He's looking at me with a small smile and I return it with my own. Again, younger me would have bullied Neville or said something snide but that's all in the past. Harry believed I could be better, he believed I can do something more than just follow in my father's footsteps, and so, I did. I tried doing something more and becoming something greater and I think it's all working out.