The Return

Chapter 2

Over two years later………..

Small, fluffy snowflakes gracefully fell around a dark, raven-haired man as he stood outside the grounds of a very tall, crooked looking house. His breath billowed in front of him in white clouds. He took a deep breath and a painful cold filled his lungs, causing him to cough. He pulled the collar of his jacket up high on his neck and began to walk towards the house. The closer he got to the home, the more his nerves threatened to demolish his poise.

Harry Potter stopped a few steps from the Burrow, a place responsible for many of his fondest memories. It had been over two years since he had disappeared from England without any good-byes, well except one. He wondered what the occupants of the house would do with his sudden return. He took one more large breath and ascended the steps to the backdoor by the kitchen. He peered into the window, his eyes searched for one person. He knew she was there, he could feel her.

He found her sitting at the kitchen table, hands folded softly on the tabletop. Her chestnut hair fell in loose curls around her shoulders, her cheeks held the rosy tint that always seemed present there. She looked even more beautiful than he could remember. She had grown up, that was obvious, but she was still Hermione. Still the woman who held his heart, and could still caused butterflies to flutter in his abdomen. A smile involuntarily found its way to his face. He stood out in the cold for several minutes just watching her talk to the other occupants of the kitchen. Her smile was the same as he remembered, slightly higher on the left than the right, and her right eyebrow still arched when she laughed. Her eyes still held the faint glow of confidence and she still scratched her nose when she thought something was embarrassing.

Harry inwardly gave himself a confidence boost and started to ascended the remaining steps to knock on the door but Ron walking into the room caught his attention. He stopped and watched Ron walk over to Hermione and place his hands on her shoulders. Hermione looked up at him lovingly and Ron bent down and placed a soft kiss on her lips. Something inside Harry broke in that moment. He froze in place, inwardly kicking himself for the way things ended up.

“I knew it. I should have never come back. What am I going to do? Shit!” Harry whispered, against the cold. He glanced back in the window to where Hermione and Ron remained. Harry decided to leave, maybe to return another day, after he came terms with how his leaving had in deed fucked his life up. Harry turned to walk back down the stairs, the smile that once illuminated his face long gone.

“HARRY!!!”

Harry spun around, almost falling down the last steps. George Weasley stood in the doorway, a huge smile on his face. He opened the door and pulled Harry up the last two steps and into a huge Weasley hug. Harry found it hard to breath, for the fact that George held him so tight and because an uneasy panic filled him as he realized he would have to face Hermione after all.

“It’s about time you come home. Where have you been?”
“Harry, dear, you have had us worried sick! Where did you leave to? Who has been taking care of you? You look thin!”
“Harry, oh my gosh.”
“Harry, mate, man it’s good to see you. About bloody time you come home!”

The whole Weasley clan burst into their normal excited group instantly. Harry hugged each of them in turn and tried his best to keep his eyes off of Hermione. He didn’t want to make anything obvious to the others. But she was the one person he wanted to hug the most.

Hermione sat in her chair frozen, as she stared at the man who haunted her thoughts everyday. A ghost materialized in front of her. He was Harry, despite the obvious changes, he was still the same man she fell in love with all those years ago. He had the same messy hair, which had the untamed sexy look without even meaning to. The scar that had made him famous, still present in his forehead. The strong confident stance he held was new, as were his more adult, muggle looking glasses. In her opinion, he had grown into quite a man.

“Hermione, can you believe it? Harry’s back!!” Ron looked to Hermione, excitement filling his voice and face. She forced a smile and finally stood from her chair. She straightened her sweater nervously as she finally looked Harry in the eyes.

Harry slowly walked towards Hermione, his heart racing nervously. He stopped a foot from her. They stood, just looking at each other for what seemed like hours. Hermione shook her head and finally smiled. She took the last steps Harry could not and reached her arms up around his neck, got on her tiptoes and hugged him. Harry snaked his arms around her waist and closed his eyes as her body was pushed flushed against his. Her scent filled his nose, the sweet lavender scent he could only remember ever being present on her. The hug lasted for several seconds without either of them noticing the looks being exchanged between the rest of the people in the kitchen.

“Hey mate; you’re not trying to steal my girl are you?” Ron said as he walked up and patted Harry on the back.

Harry and Hermione broke apart and Hermione looked sadly at Harry, knowing what was coming. He would learn she did not wait for him and that she and Ron were together, and she worried it would break his heart.

“You’re girl?” Harry questioned with a forced smile on his face, doing his best not to let on he already knew. He forced himself to look at Ron and not Hermione, even though he could feel Hermione staring a hole into him.

“Yeah, mate, Hermione and I are together now, have been for awhile. A lot has changed since you’ve been gone.” Ron said with a smile on his face as he placed his arm around Hermione’s shoulder. Harry’s eyes finally met Hermione’s and he noticed tears stood still in her eyelids.

“Yeah, I guess so. I don’t know, maybe I was hoping not a lot of things would change, but I guess that is what I get for leaving in the first place.” Harry said, not intentionally meaning to be hurtful but noticing the sting on Hermione’s face. “I’m happy for you, Ron.” Harry purposefully left out Hermione’s name.

No one noticed the secret tension between Harry and Hermione as everyone scattered to finish preparations for dinner. Ron left Hermione’s side and helped Mrs. Weasley set the table. Harry gave Hermione his best attempt at a smile and walked into the family room.

Harry removed his glasses, closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose as he tried to calm his emotions. So much was going through his head and he didn’t know what to think. It was hard to be mad seeing how happy Ron was, but he still loved Hermione and wanted her back. He had always hoped she would wait for him, that their love was strong enough for that. But then he reminded himself that their love was anything but normal.

They had never even really sat down and talked about how they felt, it was always one of those uncommunicated things between them. He chickened out and couldn’t find the strength to tell her he loved her until he left and it was in a bloody letter. He couldn’t blame her for not waiting, two years was a long time to wait. Even he never expected to be gone that long. And even though he dated while he was gone, it never lasted very long and never got too serious. They were never her and she was all he ever wanted.

Hermione quietly entered the room and watched Harry slowly pace the front of the fireplace with his eyes closed. She debated whether to make her presence known, and talk to him or take this chance to just watch him. That is all she ever wanted in the last two years, just talk to him. Tell him that she didn’t hate him for leaving, that she loved him too and that she would wait for him. But after a year and four months, and no word, she gave up hope that he would come back. And now that she was finally given the chance to talk to him, her strength failed her.

Harry stopped pacing and returned his glasses to his face. He opened his eyes to see Hermione standing a few feet from him. He stared at her for what seemed like an eternity, both of them frozen in place, not blinking, too afraid of spending another second not looking at the other. Hermione cleared her throat and took a few steps towards Harry.

“So how have you been?” She finally spoke. He was finally able to hear her sweet voice. The sound of her speak was like music to his ears and he had to try his hardest not to run to her and take her in his arms.


”I’ve been……. Okay, I guess. It’s nice to be back home. America is a lot different than England, I definitely prefer it here.” Harry hesitantly answered her question.

“America! That’s where you’ve been?” Hermione said, shocked he had gone so far away.

“Yeah. I wanted to get as far away from here as possible. Somewhere no one had heard of me, no one would recognize me. And I did for the most part. There was this one bloke that recognized my scar. But anyway, that’s not important.” Harry began picking at his shirt nervously. “How have you been?”

“Oh you know me, I always manage to survive. I’m a healer at St. Mungo’s. It’s something I enjoy very much. The feeling you get from healing someone, I can never explain it.” As Hermione spoke Harry slowly closed the gap between them. This caused Hermione to stop talking. He placed his hand on her upper arm, sending bolts of fire to her shoulder.

“I’m glad you’re okay. That’s all I have ever wanted, Hermione, for you to be happy.” Harry finally gave her a genuine smile and it broke her heart. How he still had that effect on her she would never know, but in that moment she hated him for it. A single tear descended her cheek and Harry gently brushed it away with his knuckle. She looked him deep in the eyes and sighed.

“Why did you leave then? Why did you walk away from me, from us?” Hermione whispered, barely able to speak. Harry let out a small sigh and started to answer the question that had haunted her for over two years.

“Here you two are, dears, dinner is ready. Come on, Harry, dear, Hermione you too.” Mrs. Weasley chimed in, with the worst timing in the world. Harry nodded and cast Hermione a sad smile before he ushered her to lead the way.