Hermione chooses
Disclaimer: I own nothing. JKR still owns everything, even though she screwed up the last 2 books.
Setting: Right after Harry arrives at 12 Grimmauld in OOTP after leaving the Dursley's.
Harry Potter stormed into his room. He noticed that apparently someone had decided that he was to room with Ron. No Fucking way was he going to do that. Especially, after the way he had been abandoned again by not one, but both of his best friends. Well, Ron wasn't a best friend anymore, but Hermione was supposed to be.
He went across the hallway and put his stuff in one of the other empty rooms. Sirius wouldn't mind. Probably piss off Hurricane Molly though. That was ok. She needed to learn that SHE was NOT Harry's mother and had no say over Harry. She had been a little too overbearing lately and was starting to really annoy him. Just then Ginny came up the stairs.
"Harry what are you doing? I thought you were rooming with Ron?" Ginny said. "Mum isn't going to be happy"
"Who gives a flying fuck what your mum thinks? This isn't the Burrow. Sirius owns this house and I know he will not mind at all"
Ginny gasped. "Harry language!! And why are you so angry? I thought you would be happy to be away from those horrid relatives of yours."
"Sure, I am happy to be someplace where I am not beaten and starved, but I am still angry at being abandoned by my so called friends. Now get the hell out of my room!!!" and Harry slammed the door. He could hear Ginny going downstairs. Probably to find Ron and Hermione. He knew it wouldn't be long before those two tried to find him.
He started to unpack his trunk, when he heard a knock on the door.
"Harry? You in there? It's me, Sirius." Harry hurriedly went to open the door and quickly hugged his Godfather.
"Hi, Sirius. It is really good to see you. You don't mind that I took a separate room, do you?"
"Nah, it is fine, Pup. I would have recommended it, but Molly said that you would want to room with Ron."
"After the way, he abandoned me again this summer. Not likely." Harry snarled.
"I guess they didn't follow my advice." Sirius said sadly. "I told them not to listen to Dumbledore. He is the one that told them not to write you or have any contact with you. He said that you needed to be alone to work things out. I took them aside and told them that you needed your friends by you. Me and the Twins wanted to come visit, but we were being watched too closely. By the way, did you get the package we sent?"
"Yes, I did. It was a life saviour. I think I would have completely starved to death if you and the Twins hadn't sent me that food. The Fucking Dursley's decided that I didn't deserve to eat and refused to feed me. Thank you so much"
"No problem. I am glad that I could help. I just wish I could do more." Sirius said. "So what are you going to do with Ron and Hermione?"
"I don't know." Harry admitted. "Ron, I can understand. He has done it before and will most likely do it again. Which is why I no longer think of him as a Best friend. He is just a guy I hang out with. However, what really hurts, is Hermione. She is the only person that has stood by me, in the past 4 years. Even the Twins thought I had somehow cheated to get into that damn tournament. I know that she respects teachers and authority figures way too much, but thought I was more important to her than them. I guess I was wrong."
"Don't give up on her so quickly. Talk to her and tell her how you feel. Don't bottle up everything. Let it out. What you have with Hermione is special, don't let a simple mistake on her part ruin it." Sirius told Harry. "Best friends are worth fighting for. Peter forgot that and now has no one."
"Okay Sirius, I will talk to her. If you see her, can you send her up. Alone. I don't want Ron or Hurricane Molly to butt in."
"Alright Pup. Will do. Anything else you need? You hungry?" Sirius asked. "I can have Kreacher get you something"
"Thanks Sirius. That would be great. How about a couple Roast beef sandwiches and some sodas."
"No prob. It is really good to see you Harry" Sirius gave Harry a quick hug and went downstairs.
Harry was just starting on his sandwiches, when there was a light knock on the door.
"Harry? Can I come in? It's me, Hermione."
Harry got up and unlocked his door. Hermione opened it and came in. She just stood there quietly until Harry spoke.
"Well, are you going to explain yourself?"
"Professor Dumbledore told all of us that with Voldemort back, it was too risky to contact you. We had to think of your safety and that we would see you at your birthday."
Harry just stared at her for a minute and then said, "So you chose following Dumbledore over our friendship. You live in the muggle world, did you never think to write a letter and send it by regular post? or call? You do own a phone, right? I know that there is no way in hell that some Death Eater would be able to track that."
"What? NO! Our friendship means everything to me. I don't want to lose that. You are my best friend in the whole world." Hermione's eyes were starting to water up. "But Professor Dumbledore said that you needed to be alone to work things out. It didn't sound right to me, but he is the Headmaster and would no better about these things."
"Hermione, I had just watched Cedric being murdered in front of me, watched the most evil being on the planet being reborn, and tortured by the Crucio. I barely escape with my life and when I tell my story, I find that no one believes me. Then school ends, and I get sent back to my little hell on earth. Beaten and starved, but I think it will be okay. Hermione will help, she always helps me. But Noooo, not this time. Do you know that my "loving" relatives refused to feed me? Said I wasn't worth feeding. If it hadn't been for Sirius and the Twins ignoring Dumbles, and sending me food, I would have starved to death."
Hermione was openly sobbing. "Oh Harry, I am so sorry. I never knew it was so bad. Why didn't you tell anybody?"
"I did." Harry growled. "I told the great high and mighty Albus 'Fucking' Dumbledore. And do you know what he said? 'Oh Harry, it can't be that bad no one would do that to a child'. Either Dumbledore is a sadistic evil bastard or a complete and idiotic moron. Either way, I will never trust that bastard."
"But he is 'Dumbledore'. All the books and everyone says what a great man he is."
"Yeah, well I am willing to bet that a lot of people think that Voldemort is great too. And if he wins, there will be tons of books saying how he defeated the evil Dark lord, Dumbledor. It is all about perspective. History is written by the victors. Now for some fucked up reason, I am in the middle of this damn war. Voldemort is trying to kill me. The Bumblebee is trying to control me, and the Ministry refuses to acknowledge me. So in order for me to survive, I need to be on my own side. Right now, I have 4 people I can count on to help me. Sirius, Remus and the Twins. Sirius says that his cousin is reliable too, but I don't know her, so I don't know if I can trust her. You are my best friend, more so than Ron ever was, and I need to know where you stand. Are you going to be my friend and stand with me or follow Dumbledore?"
Hermione lifted her head and with a firm resolve looked Harry straight in the eye and said "I, Hermione Jane Granger, so swear on my magic and my life to Harry James Potter. In this life and in the next. So mote it be." There was a bit flash of light between them. "I will always follow you, Harry." She added quietly.
Harry was shocked. "Hermione!, you didn't need to do that. I would have accepted your word."
"Harry, I wanted you to know how much you mean to me. I was wrong to follow the advice of Dumbledore. I thought he knew what he was doing, but you are my best friend and you were right. I should have followed my instincts and contacted you. Can you forgive me?" Hermione hung her head ashamedly. Harry lifted her head and looked at her face.
Looking deep into her chocolate brown eyes with his emerald green eyes he saw something that he thought he would never see. Love. Harry could see the love this girl, no young woman, had for him. It was overwhelming, the amount of love shining through her eyes. It wasn't infatuation or a simple crush. This was the real thing and he knew he felt the same thing for her. Harry Potter loved Hermione Granger and she loved him back.
In a soft voice, "I, Harry James Potter, so swear on my magic and my life to Hermione Jane Granger. In this life and the next, so mote it be." again there was a brief flash between them. Harry then took her in his arms and kissed her.
Harry and Hermione could literally feel the love for each infusing their bodies as they deepened the kiss. Neither wanted it to end. A Golden dome formed about them as they continued to kiss as their magic merged with each other. There was a brief bit of pain in Harry's scar, but he ignored it. They didn't notice the green stuff oozing out of his scar, or its screeching sounds of pain until it finally disappeared into thin air. Harry and Hermione were totally lost in the moment. All they understood was the love they felt for each other.
By the time, they finally ended the kiss, the Dome had expanded outward and filled the whole house with it's warmth and love. In another part of the house, no one but an old house elf noticed that there was another scream of pain from a locket in a desk, until it too oozed something green and disappeared into a green mist. Neither, did they notice when the same house elf started dancing in joy.
" I love you, Harry Potter."
"I love you too, Hermione Granger."
Harry realized that everything was going to be good. Hermione loved him and would always love him. Through whatever life threw at him, he could survive, because she would always be by his side.
AN: Just a little something that popped in my head. If Hermione has to choose between her respect of authority or Harry. She would always choose Harry.
Why did Harry and Ron have to share a room? It was a mansion and Sirius would love the idea of setting up a permanent room for Harry to live in.
If Voldie can hurt Harry through the link, then Harry should be able to hurt Voldie.
"In this life and the next" I copied that from Robst new story. Excellent author, great Harry and Hermione stories. Highly recommend.