Harry Potter and the Year After

Chapter Thirty-seven: Stars at Noon

Chapter 37: Stars at Noon

As Harry slid down onto the bench in the empty seat next to Hermione.

"I need to talk to you," he said to her quietly. Ron was talking to Dean and Seamus about Quidditch and wasn't paying attention thankfully.

"What about?" she asked in a careful tone. Harry started shoveling food onto his plate. He didn't care what it was. He glanced at her, unsure what to say. He didn't want to say Ginny's name so close to Ron, even if he wasn't paying attention.

"Never mind, I think I know."

"You do?" As Harry picked up his fork, he had a brief moment where he felt like he could see himself. He hated himself for how pathetic he felt in that moment. He wished he could have been talking to Hermione about something really important and world-altering. Like that Voldemort was trying to kill him again. What he wouldn't give for Hermione to tell him to block his mind against Voldemort, or instead give him that worried glance because his scar was hurting him again.

But no, this worried glance was over a girl.

"You know what," Harry said. He felt his heart lighten for the first time in weeks. "I'm done playing this game." He grabbed Hermione's wrist and pulled her up. "Ron, we'll be back in a minute," Harry called. Ron held his hand up in a gesture that he'd heard him.

Harry half-led, half-dragged Hermione from the Great Hall.

Once they were out in the hall, he led her outside and down to the edge of the lake so they couldn't be overheard.

"Listen," he said huffing out a deep breath of air.

"I'm listening," she said breathlessly.

"I'm done messing about," he said. He watched her for a moment. He'd been sure that he was going to be totally honest a minute ago before he'd dragged her out here, but now he wasn't sure. He'd wanted to tell her that he'd just been spying on Ginny and Draco, but he also wanted to tell her about the summer and how he'd taken her memory and how he'd turned Ginny down yesterday when he really shouldn't have. Or maybe he should have? He had just wanted to be free of it all, to not have to think or worry about it anymore.

But telling Hermione would certainly not help him that way.

"You're messing about? With Ginny you mean?" Hermione asked, crossing her arms over her chest even though it was a balmy afternoon.

"Yes. You know what? Forget I said anything. I'm just being strange," he said, and started coughing. He cleared his throat. "Let's go back inside."

"What? A minute ago you looked like you'd just figured out that you saved the world and now you look like you're in pain again... goodness, are you alright?" Harry had started coughing again and still hadn't stopped as she said this.

And then, Harry coughed up blood and spat it to the ground.

"Merlin! What is wrong, Harry?!" Hermione said, laying a hand on his back and grabbing his arm to steady him as he coughed up blood again.

Harry had no idea what was wrong, but he couldn't tell her this because his mouth was full of blood. He felt overcome with dizziness then and knelt down. He saw a mermaid swim up to just under the surface of the lake and gaze at him.

"Let's get you to the hospital wing. Shall I levitate you?" Hermione was looking over her shoulders and up to the stairs but no one else was around. Everyone else was eating lunch still.