A Desperate Deed

Hear My Plea

The picture couldn't be more absurd yet, at the same time, familiar. Inside the great fireplace of the headquarters, George Weasley's Head was floating above the green flames. He hearty laughed. His red hair fell back, and one could easily see that he had only one ear left. At the floor in front of the fireplace, sat Harry and Ron, who shared a worried look. They had expected any reaction from rejection to disinterest but not the obvious one. The death of his twin had turned George into a shadow of his former self. These days, humour was the very last emotion that one thought of when his name came up, and yet here they sat and were watching George how he was having the time of his life.

For a few seconds, Harry was thankful that he had changed the headgirl badge from Hermione without care for the consequences or a counterspell ready.

"You really charmed the badge of Hermione Granger? Oh man, I would have loved to see her face after she got that someone pranked her or be there when she's going to pay you back, Harry." George chuckled.

"Not funny." Harry growled.

"It is hilarious. Not even we had dared to prank her." George roared again with laughter and shook in sheer disbelief his head.

"The counterspell would be more helpful." Ron grumbled.

"Not to fast, Ronnikens, do you both really think it will save you from her wrath?" George rhetorical asked.

"I've nothing to do with the prank!" Ron lifted his hands in an innocent gesture while Harry gave him a disapproving look.

"At least it might soothe her a bit." Harry sighed and dragged one hand through his hair.

"Very well, to lift the spell, you just say revidere ineptia. This should end your little prank. Good luck and by Merlin, you're going to need it." still laughing and with an eruption of the green flames George's head vanished.

Ron opened his mouth to say something but closed it only to try again.

"Hermione isn't seriously going to assume that I had anything to do with charming her badge, is she?" He finally inquired. Harry only snorted.

"Why out of all people would you change her badge, so it says Hermione Potter, Ron?" Harry stood, in a miserable mood, up.

"That's right, very good." Ron agreed, but then his face turned thoughtful again. "Why would you do that, though?"

Harry ignored him. Instead, he walked over to the red, very comfortable couch and sat on it. The best he could do was to wait for Hermione here and hope the storm would be over soon.

"Why would it be in your interest that everyone knows you're married to Hermione?" Ron continued to ask provocative while he stood up and joined Harry on the couch.

"Ron!" Harry warned him.

He didn't want to talk about it.

"Perhaps, you should realise what you really want, Harry? I knew right away that you two didn't get married only because you felt lost. Maybe I'm not as smart as Hermione or as selfless as you, Harry. But after Hermione chose to stay with you, even considered to follow you into death, I knew there was more between the two of you. Much more, Harry." Ron forcefully spoke while Harry wondered when his best friend had become this sensible.

"It isn't this simple." Harry argued.

"But it is! You are in love with Hermione, aren't you?" It wasn't a question rather a statement.

Harry remained silent, but this was for Ron proof enough. A self-righteous smile appeared on his face as soon as Harry chose to look at him. In frustration, Harry went with his hand through his already unruly hair.

Everything was confusing. More than once, Harry questioned himself when precisely his feelings for Hermione had changed? But most of all, how Ginny fit into it all?

He guessed already as much that the truth was complicated. It had never been Ginny who challenged him, who got through his thick skull when needed. If at all, she had been an escape from reality in his sixth year. After Harry had lost Sirius because of his reckless action and learned of the prophecy, it had been comfortable with Ginny to forget, just for a blissful moment, that the world was on his shoulders. Throughout the few weeks of their relationship, Harry never had to argue, explain his motives but could do whatever he deemed to be right.

Hermione, however, had reminded him. Be it by fighting with him over a potion book, Malfoy or whenever he just had looked at her how wrong he had been, how he had been this close in losing her too only because she had followed him into a trap against better judgment. Hermione had been, in a way, the uncomfortable reality in person whom he had craved to flee from. After the past year at war, Harry knew he couldn't nor wanted to escape anymore. Too much had happened that he would ever be able and lead a completely carefree, illusory life.

"You should tell her how you feel!" Ron's voice reached Harry, and he looked up.

"Hey, I'm not the problem here. I've accepted that Hermione belongs to you, Harry. Ginny, however, still believes in a future with you, that you'll decide to return to her." Ron held his hands up yet again.

At this moment, it became bright as day in the common room. From one of the large windows, one could watch how a silvery flash went through several clouds before thunder was heard. The following deep rumble drowned any other sound out.

Only after a flash of second lightning, which brightened the room once again up, became another person visible. Already in this few seconds, Hermione's appearance was everything but boding well.

"Harry, we need to talk, alone please!" They could hardly hear her over the thunder yet, Ron hastily sprung to action and left the Headquarters in a hurry.

Harry tried in vain to get a better view of her, but the room was too dark. In intervals, it was lightened up by the flashes from the ongoing thunderstorm, but otherwise, just the remaining embers in the fireplace offered some diffusely light. Hermione held her head down, didn't look up at all and chose to stay close to the entrance.

"We can't go on like this. It isn't working." Her voice sounded rough, cracked a bit.

This informed him she probably had been crying and was still fighting more tears. At last, Hermione looked up, and Harry wished she hadn't. Her heartbroken, utterly lost and helpless appearance let him feel so miserable like never before. Each time she closed her eyes painfully, it hit him once more; that was the result of his mindless action.

"This wasn't my intention." Harry tried but knew no matter what he said he couldn't undo anything.

He left frustrated the couch and walked over to her. Hermione didn't move any centimetres but was slightly kneading her fingers in a nervous gesture.

"I can't take it anymore." She whispered hardly audible and wiped with her left hand over her cheek.

"Hermione, what happened?" He asked with worry and reached for her, but she avoided his advance.

"All I ever wanted is that you're happy. You've got to believe me that, Harry." She suddenly started babbling. "Instead, I'm the sole reason that keeps you away from that."

"Hermione -"

"She's right." She mumbled under her breath more to herself than to Harry. "It would be indeed easier if Bellatrix -"

"What are you talking about?" Harry angrily interrupted Hermione and grabbed her chin and made her look into his eyes finally.

Seconds long, they were gazing at each other. Harry tried to read her, to understand, but he already could guess that Ginny had finally broken her silence. She probably had seen the Headgirl badge.

"Please, I'm begging you, Harry, end this." Hermione pleaded while the thunder kept rolling.

"I can't." was his whispered answer.

Hermione gave him one last defeated look before she turned around and left him standing alone in the darkroom.