There Was A Girl

Never Alone

Never Alone

Harry awoke when Hermione slipped from the bed. He blinked and recovered his glasses from the nightstand. He sighed and stretched as he took in his room at Longbottom Manor. Because of the late hour, they'd all been bundled off to bed soon after arriving. Hermione had come straight to his room and as soon as they climbed into his bed, he'd fallen immediately into the first deep, restful sleep he'd had since leaving Hogwarts.

Harry rose as Hermione emerged from the bathroom. He touched her hand then slipped in and shut the bathroom door. When he emerged, Hermione was sitting at a small table in front of the window. The rising sun cast its light over her face and hair, setting her aglow. "How *did* I land such a beautiful wife?"

She turned to him and smiled, "You're a goof."

He walked over and bent down to kiss her gently. "Yeah but you love me anyway."

"That I do," she kissed him back.

"Are you alright? Your emotions feel all over the place."

"I'm just worried," she sighed, "What's coming is so important Harry. What if we've changed so much that it doesn't happen like we expect?"

Harry shrugged, "Well if we muck it up, Fate will just send us back again."

Hermione glared, "Please tell me you aren't counting on that option."

"The option is there," he retorted.

"You don't know that! Not for sure! Harry we have to live this life like it is our one shot! Because it may well be. Even if Fate does let us try again, there is no guarantee she will let us remember again. She said we'd done this several times, died several times, but I don't remember remembering anything last time. Do you?"

"No," he grunted.

"Fate gave us a gift, she believes we are the ones meant to change things for the better, we cannot let her down. We can't depend on her letting us coming back and remembering again. If we 'muck this up' again, she may just let us go and focus on someone else to save the world. We have to be careful."

"We're being careful. As careful as we can be," Harry protested.

"You told Dumbledore," Hermione snapped.

Harry didn't need the soul bond to tell that she was furious with him, "So?"

"So I don't think it was a good idea."

Harry snorted, "Because it wasn't yours."

Hermione scowled, "You can't possibly think I am that petty. I'm not the only one with good ideas. But we talk about them if they are a big change. At least we always did. We never talked about telling Dumbledore anything. You didn't have him sign the agreement."

"Oh yes the amazing agreement, that took Cedric five seconds to find a way around."

"I modified it," she growled.

"It wasn't like I walked into his office planning to tell him! Just once he started his old 'pat him on his head and send him on his way oh but don't tell him anything useful' thing I lost it."

"You can't afford to lose it. Not anymore. Riddle is going to be pushing into your mind soon."

"I KNOW!"

"You can't let him know anything."

"I've been working on my mental barriers for years. It's not like I need the false images he is going to send."

"Unless they've changed. Unless his plan is different. And yes your barriers are stronger. But you can't keep me out."

"We're bonded!"