Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. and 'A Lista' to Mione Ootori, I'm just translating.
This was Mione Ootori's first fanfic here in , so I thought I'd start by this one, if you guys wish to keep reading her work tell me (review!) and I shall translate more (or search in her profile if you know Portuguese)! Any reviews will be passed to her by me, so don't worry about that! =D
It's the first time I translate a fic so… please forgive any mistakes I might have made, and, well…Enjoy it!
In the Past
In the Present
The List
Seventeen, a difficult age. Full of choices and inner conflicts...
However, now it was different with him.
Risky messes? What for? Not that he ran from them. Harry Potter, after all, would be, forever, a Marauder's son. Conflicts? He'd been through many already, but for now… Ah! Nowadays were all about sighs of relief, resting and a normal (or almost) life of a seventeen year old boy.
Anyone would like to be in his shoes: Intelligent, handsome, very rich and famous, really famous.
But everything Harry Potter wanted was to be a normal guy, with common problems. Why couldn't he just have to worry about the huge amount of extra exercises that greasy haired
Snape gave them? Right, he had been through the worst part (he had defeated Voldemort), but now he had other problems: fans.
He just wanted to be forgotten, but that would never happen. Why? Well, besides being a talented wizard in DADA and Quidditch, he had just defeated the most terrifying dark wizard of the world.
Harry would trade anything to be "normal", would give anything to have a family like Ron's, his best friend, a large and loving family.
Now he was at school, it was a real problem every time he walked off one of his Quidditch practices… Girls would follow him asking for autographs, actually, not only girls…
"Out, out of my way" she pushed some sixth years, who were sighing for him, away."So? Harry?" asked the woman 'charmingly'
"Ah! How are you Vanessa…" Harry was starting to think he preferred to give autographs over talking with the lady.
For some time now, she was trying to get an interview with Harry, who firmly refused to say anything at all about his "love life", let alone give an interview to "Witch Weekly". She still tried to get anything out of him, something which was, definitely, impossible…
"I wanted to make a proposition to you about…"
"No. My answer is no to everything that comes from you" He said before Vanessa could finish her sentence "I thought you were going away today…"
The woman sighed "I am… I just wanted to try one last time." Harry smiled at the woman's displeasure.
"I gotta go. Got some things to do"
'Love life…' And had he, some day, time to think about himself? No. That was the answer. For obvious reasons…
He had no time, he didn't want to think, didn't want to get involved. And, finally, he hadn't found THE girl.
One he could trust, throw himself blind-folded at space knowing that she would be there. That at least tried to comprehend him and realized that, sometimes, he only needed a hug, stay by her side, quietly, just hearing their breaths. That thought about him above all else, that is, above his money and fame; his true self. That could see his feelings through his eyes (and him hers). He just wanted someone who loved him (that wanted to be loved as well).
A little bit before dinner, he went to Gryffindor Common room and took a shower. He went downstairs soon after to eat something before going back to his studying, sharing a NEWT's year with Hermione Granger, his best girl friend, was not easy.
"Harry. Where have you been mate? After the practice you vanished!" said Ron
"Around." he said while sitting.
"About three girls came looking for you in the meantime." Said Hermione, who was reading a really huge, thick book.
"Who?" he asked while preparing his plate.
"As incredible as it may sound, it was not that reporter."
Harry smiled "She left today."
"Now it makes more sense. Did she get anything out of you?"
"Yeah, right. But you didn't say who came to talk to me."
"A ginger girl from Ravenclaw, I think from the seventh year. Caren, from Hufflepuff and a girl that I don't know, she has blue eyes and curly hair…
"Ah! Gabrielle. She said that she wanted to talk to me long ago. Last time I meet her she was so nervous that I decided to talk to her another day."
Hermione laughed emotionlessly behind her book.
"Mommy?" she entered the room "What are you doing here?"
"Just cleaning around dear." Said a sweet and calm voice.
The youngling lied against the wall smiling. Her mother had always had a thing for organization; her father told her that it was even worse in the past...
The basement was completely organized, as far as she could tell, and it was really clean. Truth was that she took refuge in there sometimes, to study (of course). There was already a couch there (really comfortable, by the way). Her father put it there after seeing her spending so much time there.
"What's that?" she pointed to the old parchment in her mother's hand "If I may know, of course."
"Of course you can." the girl realized that the woman's eyes grew even brighter than they normally were (they were always intense like her father's).
She loved to see how beautiful was her parent's marriage. Of course they argued, but that was so rare that she didn't even mind. Most of the time they were talking, playing (that was one of the things she liked most, she thought that that kind of friendship- always growing- was really great), discussing their work, walking, hugging (to say the very least...).
"So?" she seated on the couch.
"Oh Lyra... This is a list of 'girls' your father made when he was your age."
"He" she grimaced "Did he really did such thing? It' so childish..."
Hermione smiled "He didn't want to, but ended up doing it..."
"What do you mean?"
"I convinced him."To her daughter's surprise, Hermione shrugged.
"May I see the list?"
"Sure"
Her eyes scanned hastily each name. "But... Your name is not here!"
Hermione's smile grew bigger "Indeed..." she said deep in thought.
Right! Now she wasn't on Earth anymore... There were certain things (not to say everything) that her mother focused so much that nothing, nothing at all, could take her away from the 'world' that she'd found herself in. And her dad was one of those things (just like her daughter and her work as well). She should be remembering something really interesting... Maybe, or rather, definitely something to do with the girl's father...
"Ahn... Mom? Could you explain it better? Why are you happy? Your name is not here!"
"Indeed. But you know, it was that list that got me dating your father."
"I don't understand..."
"Why did I know that you would be here?" A tall, dark haired, strong and with a really charming smile man entered the room.
"I thought you would arrive later..." Hermione hugged and kissed him.
"I would, but there wasn't much work for me to do after all." he caressed his wife's hair "But what are you doing here?"
"Mommy was showing me this list... But she had yet to tell me the history behind it..."
The man gave a mysterious smile "Alright. It seems I've arrived at a good time. I believe I can help you with that..."
And it started again. They just had to see him...
"No! I'm not going to do it! It's ridiculous." he sat heavily by the breakfast table.
"Why? We all did it, man!" said Seamus
Harry rolled his eyes "What do you guys have on your heads? Besides hair, that is."
"Harry. It's just for fun. It's cool." said Ron
"Why did you do it after all? To see which one of could 'catch' more from your lists?"
They smiled "Now you're beginning to understand." Dean spoke
"How old are you?"
"What?"
"Answer me this. How old are you?"
"17" They said together, confused.
"Yep. Don't you think you should leave that for the third years?"
"Oh Harry, come on!" Exclaimed Ron.
"Merlin!" he exclaimed "Guys, you have to grow up. It's funny up until certain point, but it gets tiring after a while."
"They enjoy themselves." Seamus said grinning.
Harry gave then an ironic look. He never thought he'd have changed so much.
He was in the middle of his last year and these jokes just weren't funny anymore (actually, he simply realized that they were never funny). To use girls that could actually like that was grotesque... No. He had never done it. And he was proud of that fact.
"They are so beautiful." he now was back to paying attention to the silliness the others were saying.
"Have you ever considered that beauty is not the only thing that counts?" he said angrily. They looked at him with incredulous looks on their faces. "You look at a beautiful girl who has nothing inside her head, that's all looks, that doesn't even know the meaning of 'obstacle'."
Seamus raised one eyebrow maliciously.
"But what does it matter, right Seamus?" Harry sarcastically asked "Why care about her head? You'll only use the body, anyway."
"You only talk like that because you can have any girl you want." Seamus responded angrily (not that Harry wasn't right).
"Wow. You really said that?" Lyra asked.
"Yes and, anyway, I am absolutely sure that I was right..."
"That's great! At least now I know that that generation wasn't a total loss" Lyra said and Harry smiled.
"It wasn't that long ago."
The girl looked evilly at them before saying innocently "I didn't mean that... I'm really proud that my father thinks that way. I think that there might be some hope for my friends and the boys at school..."
"Anyway..." it was odd to see his daughter growing up so fast... She was his only daughter and she was spectacular. Lyra was really kind (if you didn't poked out her wrong side), she was intelligent, brave, pretty and, of course, a marauder...
Harry sighed lowering his head "If you must know, I think you're luckier than me. I'd switch places with you any time. And I'm sure I'd find cooler girls than any of those you think like me" he said calmly "Have you never realized that all they want is my fame? If I was in your position I'd know that the girl I was dating, whoever she might be, would be with me because she found me interesting." he looked at them seriously "Each girl's name you cross and dump of your list, will add negative points on their list off boys in your names, in a short time your names will be as bad as..."
"Knock it off Harry." Ron interrupted him. It looked like nothing in Harry's speech had affected him, if, of course, he had heard any of it. "The list..."
"I already said 'no'!"
"'No' what?" asked Hermione sitting between Harry and Ron.
"You're so stubborn!" exclaimed Ron.
"It's nothing, Hermione" said Harry firmly.
"He doesn't want to make a list." Pouted Ron.
However, what bothered Harry the most was the top of each list.
Everyone, no exception (even Ron!), had put Hermione Granger on the top. Of course Hermione knew that, and had never, (it was good to think about it) never ever, acknowledged any of them, and none had dared to come close to her.
Three guesses why? That's right, Harry Potter had been crystal clear (scary really) with her 'candidates to candidates'. Saying something along the lines of ' She is not like the others. And if, by any reason, you hurt my best friend...You will answer to me' Nothing else was needed to know that Hermione was untouchable.
"Aww... How cute. You're so cute." Lyra said to her father.
Hermione enlaced one of her hands in one of his putting her head on his shoulder.
"He is" she said pecking his neck.
"List?" She frowned.
"Yeah. The one of girls." said Ron as if it was obvious.
"Oh. But..." She looked at Harry surprised "Didn't you made one?"
"Is it so hard to believe?" said Harry, weary.
She immediately lost her surprised air "No, of course not... But every boy has one, right? I thought it was the same with you."
He just shook his head negatively.
"That is so silly. I still don't see the problem of making a list." complained Dean.
"If you used more of your time studying, maybe, one day, you'd understand my motives." 'It doesn't surprise me that Ginny dumped you.' He goaded.
"What's the problem Harry?" Asked Hermione, not understanding.
Harry looked at her with wide eyes "Oh, please! Hermione!"
"I'm serious. What's the big deal? Not that I made one for myself." she said "But it doesn't mean that you have to use the same (stupid) way that the boys did. You may choose the virtues and faults of the girl. You don't have to take only beauty in consideration." she finished raising an eyebrow at the other boys.
"And I followed your mother's advice."
"But why didn't you put her name on it? You didn't see her as a woman?" Lyra asked curiously.
"You're such a curious girl." Said Harry.
He seated in the library with a piece of parchment, a feather and ink. He had decided to see what would come of making that thing.
He scrabbled, wrote, cut...
Until, finally, the Damned List was ready. Truth be told, he even had fun while making it.
'In my opinion"
Was centralized in the beginning of the parchment. Then came the number one:
1-Gabrielle Vendur
"Wow! She's beautiful!" exclaimed Ron sitting by Harry's side.
"She is more than beautiful, Ron" said Harry meaning she was also intelligent, friendly, honest.
"I know! She is beautiful."
Harry though it was better not to argue...
"Let me get a better look at it" he said taking the list from Harry's hand.
"Uhum. Good! Very good. But you put Ginny's name!"
"Yeah. I did." he said simply.
"But Ginny?"
"What's the big deal? She's a girl you know?" he answered teasing.
"But it is Ginny!"
"You did that just to teach Uncle Ron a lesson, didn't you?" asked a smiling Lyra "He is so jealous... I can imagine his face when he saw Aunt Ginny in you list."
The grown ups smiled."He is not just jealous. He is THE jealous one."
"Get off it Ron. I have no romantic interest in your sister" he smiled "I just think she'd make a great companion. She is a great friend."
"So is Hermione and yet you didn't put her here" said Ron analyzing the list.
"No, I didn't put her name."
"Why not?"
"Oh, come on. Hermione is not a girl for lists!" Harry said seriously. "She is greater than all of this. And also, you know, she is our friend."
"I had no problems putting her in my list. I think is time you realize she is a woman now Harry." he said discreetly.
He blinked "Are you mad Ron? Of course I know Hermione is a woman. I just think that, really, you should have more respect for her. I don't know... I think she is different. She can't be compared to others, she'd win without difficulty." he said naturally "I already told you... Hermione is not a girl for lists."
"Of course..." said Ron with a smirk. "Let' go to the common room."
"And, obviously, Ron realized first that I had been for a long time completely into your mother."
Hermione blushed furiously. Lyra laughed, how could her mother still get so flushed over a compliment of her husband?
She hoped that it would be the same with her...
"Leave the list there."
"But Ron, what if someone..."
"Only a really fanatic fan, the teachers or Hermione will know it's yours. Relax! No teacher comes here. I want to show you a girl I'm interested in."
"Another one?"
"Cut it out. I meant it this time."
"Alright then..." He looked again to the piece of parchment lying over the table.
"Relax. My things are there as well"
"What about you Mom? What were your feelings over it?" She was really interested. Her parents had always been like a role model for her.
"Well..."
She had never thought that Harry was the only boy that hadn't done that, well, that thing. Of course she thought it to be childish and narrow minded, but what could she do?
At least someone was still in his right mind, though she didn't know for how long – she was thinking to herself as she went back to Gryffindor's common room.
She was going to the girl's dorm when she saw bottles of ink, pieces of parchment and feathers scattered over a table.
"How many times have I told them not to leave their things lying around?"
But something there got her attention, it was Harry's handwrite. She moved it so she could see it better.
Was that... Yes, it was.
Harry Potter's list. She looked over the names, Ginny's was second.
It was not like she was expecting to see her name there, but it was slightly disappointing not to.
"So you're reading my list. Liked it?" Harry asked raising an eyebrow. He had just arrived.
"Oh" She mumbled sheepishly "It's... ahn… really varied."
He smiled while trying to straighten, without success, his hair. "I followed your advice. Shall we go to dinner?"
"I'll go latter" She gave the list to him.
"'Kay. See you later than"
"See yah."
"I was a teenager... Put a lot of thing in my mind... Merlin, I feel silly now, talking about it. It was the first time that I realized just how much the thing your dad did was important to me."
'I was never one of those girls that believed that all my dreams would come true... Or rather, I was never one to wait still for them to simply come true.
I did believe in damsels in distress, knights and dragons… Huh. It is weird for such a skeptical person to say it. Anyway, I don't know when I stopped believing in those things (Except the dragons. They do exist after all.), but one day I realized how silly it all was…
I am not and have never been a damsel in distress, there is no Knight that will come to save me from a dragon (I don't even live close to dragons).
How could I believe that Id fall in Love for some guy that I had never seen? And "just" because he had saved me I'd marry him? I don't think so…
I still dream about being happy, of course. But I fight for it.'
Did she had some kind of problem? Was she annoying? Extremely so?
Not for the other boys. She knew she was on their list, but why wouldn't her friend look at her?
Was she too weird? Too studious? Tiring?
She looked to her reflection on the mirror holding a strand of her hair.
Ugly? Horrible?
"No, you are not." Said someone from the doorstep.
"Harry! What are you doing here, on the feminine dorm? You almost scared me to death! And what if I was naked in here?" she reprehended him "And what did you say?"
"A marauder trick and you wouldn't be naked with the door opened." He smiled "And I Said 'No. You are not'"
"What am I not?"
"You were looking to yourself in the mirror with a face of 'Merlin… am I ugly?'. That's why I answered 'no'. To be honest, you are the most beautiful girl I know," radiant was not enough to describe how she was feeling "The most beautiful friend I have."
Her grin grew a bit smaller "But what are you doing here?"
"So you already could read each other's faces? Even then?"
They looked at each other "I think... always…" pondered Harry "I got that ability without realizing it… What about you Mione?"
"I think you're right, always."
"You never showed up at dinner. Any problems?"
"I lost track of the time."
"Do you want me to ask the elves to bring you something?"
"No... I'm not hungry."
"What is it Mione? Is something wrong?"
"No..." she sighed.
"Yeah, right. And I am a normal guy." He said sarcastically "What is it?" he asked coming near her "What's wrong?"
"I already told you there's nothing wrong."
"Really?" He raised an eyebrow.
Hermione frowned "What out of "nothing's wrong" didn't you get?" she said harshly. Harry looked at her surprised. "I'm sorry..."
"It's alright" He smiled awkwardly "Ahn, I'll be going then. If you want to talk, I'll be there to hear and help you."
"Thank you Harry"
"Don't mention it"
Well, she was not going to tell him... Nay, she wasn't going to ask him. Just picture it 'Harry I'd like to know why you didn't put my name on your list…'
No way! She would rather die than do that.
Of course she was really curious (what was her problem? Why wasn't her name there?) to know the reason… Maybe he just forgot –Great! They almost slept in the same bed-slight exaggeration- and the asshole…-wow! Now she was having a go at her best friend- forgot about her! No, Harry would never do that, he is a little out tuned and all, but…
Or worse: He had not realized she had grown up, that she was a woman now...
She sighed. She was far more upset than she should be about this. And that meant… Problems ahead.
"Hi Harry" Ginny exclaimed when He came into view "Good morning."
"Hey Ginny. Shall we go to breakfast?"
"Sure!" they walked towards the portrait.
They walked without talking for a while.
"Harry.." she called.
"Hum?"
"You know, sorry to meddle in but..." she spoke cautiously "You've made a list right? The one that all the boys have" she beckoned.
"Yes" He curiously answered "Why?" They sat by the table.
"Well, I kind of… heard that... you didn't write Mione's name, is it true? She asked quietly.
"Yes it is."
"Why is that?"
"Why do you want to know?"
"Curiosity...It's weird, you know? Every boy has, but you…"
"didn't" He finished for her "I know, Every one found it weird."
"So? Why didn't you wrote her name?"
"Because…"
"Hello Ginny... Harry" Hermione had just arrived and took a sit across Ginny.
"Good morning!"
"Are you feeling better Mione?"
"Harry, I'm okay. Seriously, I just wasn't hungry" She forced a smile.
"So, Harry? Ginny insisted.
Hermione looked from one to the other but, oddly, didn't say anything. She started to put some food on her plate.
"Oh Ginny. I'm not like the other boys."
"Obviously" She said maliciously, giving him a wicked grin and a raised eyebrow. He lowered his head.
"Ahn... I Just thought..."
"You thought...?"
"That my friend's name shouldn't be on the list" Hermione started listening harder.
"You hurt me speaking like that. Does it means that I'm not your friend?"
"Ginny! It's complicated."
"How much so?" she was going to dig it all out. She, inexplicably, loved seeing Harry's embarrassment... It was funny, in a way, to see him flush when he spoke about his feelings, even if lightly.
"Very much so"
"What are you talking about?" Ron arrived.
'Great! Now the party is complete' thought Harry ironically.
"Oh, Harry was just trying to tell me why he didn't wrote Mione's name on the list, but he hasn't been successful until now" Ginny said casually, looking at Hermione by the corner of her eyes.
It looked as if Hermione was not hearing the conversation. She very much 'focused' on feeding. And now Ron was giving Harry an 'encouraging' smile.
"What?" Asked Harry angrily to Ron who just looked away to hide his grin.
"I was really embarrassed then… And it looked as if Hermione wasn't even hearing us. Of course it just looked that way.
"Our friendship is of a different kind…" said Harry.
Hermione threw her fork and knife on the table and got up, walking determinate towards the doors without looking back. Though what she really wanted to do was to punch Harry, slap him. No, that wasn't right. She wanted to go to him and scream at him until he realized that she was not that naïve girl that entered the school with him. That she was now a woman and that she was, inexplicably so, in love…
There's no need to say that Harry got utterly confused.
"What's up with her?" Ron asked.
"I'll go and find out." Said Harry.
Ginny's eyes followed Harry as he left the Great Hall.
"Oh come on! Your problem has got to be with me!" he exclaimed following behind her.
Hermione turned brusquely towards him, making Harry take one step back. Now was her chance to say everything that was locked inside her chest.
"What do you want?" she asked trying to remain in control f her emotions.
"Talk with you! Know what's wrong!"
"Do you really want to know?"
"I wouldn't be asking if I didn't" He smiled anxiously.
"In which way is our friendship different?"
He looked numbly at her.
"Tell me Harry 'cause I don't know."
He stood there with his mouth hanging open "I thought you knew, you are my best girl friend. You're different from everyone else. You're different from Ron. Our friendship is different somehow. It is stronger, I dunno." He spoke, searching for words "I've never been able to understand someone as I understand you, Hermione... Whether you want or not, you'll never be like the others for me. – he answered getting nervous.
She remained silent, looking at him to see what he was up to, what he was hiding, what he was feeling. Then she went back to walking.
"I really can't understand you right now!" he complained following her again. Hermione simply continued to walk. "Are you going to tell me" he said holding her arm "what is your problem? What have I done to you? What have I done wrong? Are you hurt or something?"
"You are hurting me now." She whispered trying to free herself "Can you let me go?"
"Only if you tell me what's wrong."
Hermione nodded "Alright. As you wish" she all but yelled. Harry released her "Do I have something abnormal?"
"What?"
"Hermione stepped closer to him
"You've got to understand that I'm not only your friend, I am, besides that, a woman!" she uttered.
'Why was she yelling?'
"What? What are you talking about? What do you want?" He asked angrily.
"I Just want this" she didn't know where she took the courage from, but she held his face in her hand and kissed him. She thought that Harry would push her away, but no…Quite the contrary, he pushed her against the nearest wall and his hands soon find their way to her hair.
Their lips touched in a wonderful and noisy frenzy. It was the first kiss in which Hermione felt everything at once: emotion, satisfaction, rage, care, fear, kindness, lust, a need to never stop it…
"And that's how we started dating..."
"It was all because of the list? Wow…"
"Later on Harry finally told me why He hadn't put my name on it." Hermione caressed her friend's hair.
"And why is that?"
"Simply because you mother's name was more than etched in me, in my heart. I knew that, no matter what, she was the number one for me and there was no need for any list to prove it." said Harry kindly pressing his lips against his wife's.
The end