Chapter Text
1997
It was freezing. Harry didn’t know if he’d ever been colder than he was in that moment, and it wasn’t all from the weather outside. A weight shifted next to him, and Hermione made a small noise as she woke up; the raven-haired wizard wondered if he should say something- if there was anything to say. Ron was gone, had been gone for a while now, and with each passing day Harry wanted to send Hermione away so she could be with Ron like she wanted and survive.
Even if he had to die.
“Harry?”
The young man didn’t answer at first.
Last night had been… Well, it had been something, but his mind wouldn’t let him go down the trail of what it meant. It was just loneliness. It was just a need to feel something besides miserable for a night, he thought firmly, as if he kept telling himself that it would finally make it believable. Something flashed across her face, something Harry almost recognized, and for one terrible second he thought she was going to say something about it.
Then her expression hardened.
Hermione looked away.
Harry did the same.
By noon, they would both pretend it had never happened.
2001
“Harry, my hands are tied. You and I are the only ones who knew the truth about what you were doing, and the moment-” The minister began.
Harry rubbed the bridge of his nose in frustration. “The moment Hermione made a big fuss, they caught wind; now it looks like I’m the dirty Auror, but surely…” Harry exhaled. “But surely no one believes that I did it??”
Kingsley was silent just a second too long.
Harry lowered his hand. “Right.”
“With time, I could probably get this overturned,” Kingsley said quickly. “There will be an investigation. Once we can prove the evidence against you was manufactured.”
“Don’t bother.” Harry said with a shrug, “I don’t want to come back.”
“Bu-”
“I’m tired. Kings. I’m so tired, and I think at this point I need a break from Britain.” He paused. “Maybe a permanent one.”
Harry was gone before the minister could say anything. The sight that waited for him outside, however, was almost worse. There, standing in front of him, was a self-assured-looking Hermione Granger. Things between them had been tense since the night in the tent, a night that neither of them had ever addressed- and for all he could tell she had no interest in revisiting that topic.
“Harry, I told you not to get involved with those people. Something wasn’t adding up-”
“Leave it, Hermione.”
“I know you’re angry but-”
“Sod off!”
Hurt flashed across Hermione’s expression.
Harry hated that part of him still cared.
“Excuse me?”
“Did you forget how to understand English?”
“Why are you being like this? I was trying to help!”
“Congratulations.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means you helped.”
“Harry?”
“They fired me.”
Hermione laughed, which wasn’t really what he was hoping for, even though he knew that laugh; it was the kind of laugh his best friend gave when confronted with something so completely absurd that her mind rejected it outright. “They what?”
“I have been dismissed from the Auror office on grounds of bribery, evidence tampering, and intimidating witnesses. Apparently I’ve been very busy.”
“B-but you didn’t do any of that.”
“Oh, so now you trust me?”
“What is that supposed to mean??”
“You heard me.”
“Of course I trust you!”
“I told you to leave it, Hermione. That I knew what I was doing.”
“But you wouldn’t listen to me!”
“Because I knew what I was doing!”
“Because I thought you were wrong!” The confession seemed to force itself out of her, and she looked away in shame.
“I’m leaving. For a year, forever- I don’t know, and I don’t really care. If you ever decide you trust me, send an owl.”
“Harry-”
“It’ll find me.” And with that he was gone.
2006
“Dad!”
Harry Potter opened one eye. Very few things in the world could frighten the man who had killed Voldemort, but an eight-year-old metamorphmagus screaming from downstairs was one of them. The young wizard came downstairs expecting a catastrophe; he wasn’t sure what he was expecting. The other day Teddy had turned his hair green and couldn’t change it back; before then, breakfast had been burning.
Harry loved every moment of it.
Andromeda had agreed that Teddy should be raised outside of Britain where his parents had died, with the caveat that Teddy come visit on weekends. When Harry had finally set up his own flat in Annecy, France, the first thing they’d done was set up a floo connection to Andromeda, so that the young boy could visit his Grandma on weekends.
France had been healing in many ways.
Here he had friends, real friends, and a job that actually allowed him to help. He had gone into business for himself as a consultant and private investigator- basically the same job that he had done in England but without the red tape that had, ultimately, been his downfall in England. Mind healing had also been a welcome escape from the nightmares he had after the war.
It was the healthiest Harry had ever felt.
“I made coffee just the way you like it,” Teddy said excitedly at the sight of his father. “I want pancakes as a reward.”
“Oh, and you think making coffee deserves a reward?”
“I did it all by myself!” Teddy exclaimed, as if it was the biggest deal in the world.
“Alright, alright. What did you call me for?”
“You got an owl!”
“An owl?” He hadn’t received an owl in five years. Anyone who wanted to talk to him would just floo over.
“Did you let it in?”
“I’m eigh,.” Teddy said with a look.
“You were old enough to make coffee five seconds ago.” Harry pointed out as he walked over and let the owl in. Without thinking about it, he moved to toss it on the table before pausing at the handwriting; everything stopped in that moment.
It was Hermione’s handwriting.
Harry didn’t open it until after breakfast, when he had retreated into his study to read it in privacy.
Harry,
I don’t know if this will reach you; I suppose I’m trusting that you were right when you said an owl would find you. I know I have no right to ask anything of you, especially after all this time, and I know you must think the worst of me, so I won’t insult your intelligence. Three months ago the Ministry passed the Magical Marriage Act. I fought it; hell, we all fought it- but it didn’t matter.
Yesterday I received my match. Draco Malfoy.
There is a provision in the law allowing an assigned match to be nullified if either person enters into a voluntary marriage before the deadline. I’ve spent every hour looking for another way around it. There isn’t one.
I know what I’m asking of you. I know what happened the last time I decided I knew better than you, so I’m not telling… I’m asking, and if you say no, I’ll understand, but you’re the only one I can trust now.
Marry me?
Hermione.