The Muggle Project

They Were Right

Shortly after our conversation in the Forest of Dean, Harry and I returned back to Grimmauld place. I went straight to the kitchen to begin a dinner that would consist of steak and potatoes. I started tenderizing and marinating the meat before I moved to cut the potatoes.

"Here, let me do that." Harry said as he came into the kitchen and took the potato peeler from my hand.

After I handed him the peeler I watched as he began working on the five potatoes I was using for dinner. I quickly decided to add some carrots, celery and onions in with the potatoes so I grabbed those from the pantry and began dicing and cutting.

When dinner was finally on the table the two of us sat and ate in silence. Then Harry turned into his bed while I turned into the bathroom to draw a bath.

I sank into the large claw tub, allowing the near scolding water to obliterate any train of thought I had. I didn't want to think right now. The quiet times was when I began to remember. Remember everything.

"What did you take from my vault!" Bellatrix screamed in my face.

I gasped as my head was filled with the pain and memory of her torturing me.

"NO!!!!!! I screamed, flailing my arms, causing bath water to splash everywhere.

I clutched at my head as the voice of Voldemort whispered through my mind. It burned like a white hot branding iron tagging my brain. His voice was poison.

"NO!!!!!!" I screamed again.

I tried my best to rationalize my thinking. I wasn't in Malfoy Manor, Bellatrix was dead. I was safe from her.

I took a deep breath.

We weren't on the grounds of Hogwarts, in the middle of the war against Voldemort. He was dead. I was safe from him.

I took another deep breath.

It was all in my head. They were just memories, bad memories.

I took another deep breath.

I was sitting in the bath in the bathroom of the house I shared with my brother-friend Harry Potter. The war of Hogwarts was over, our enemies were dead. I was home, I was safe. I was home, I was safe.

I took another deep breath and then I opened my eyes. I could feel my entire body shaking, like someone was shaking me with force. My teeth were chattering together so loudly that I couldn't hear anything.

Looking up I saw Harry was looking right at me. His eyes were wide with shock and fear as he stared at me.

Without saying a word he pulled a large towel out of a side drawer and moved over to my side. He pulled me to my feet and quickly wrapped the towel around my body before he helped me out of the tub.

"Hermione, are you-" he began.

"No Harry," I cried, shaking my head, "I'm not alright. I'm never going to be alright." I wiped my eyes and turned to leave the bathroom.

I didn't stop walking until I reached the seclusion of my bedroom. Then I closed the door. With tears in my eyes I began to towel myself dry. After I was dressed in my night-things I climbed into the four-post bed that once belonged to Sirius' brother.

Several long, lonely, quiet minutes passed when I heard my bedroom door open and then close. I listened as footsteps crossed the bedroom floor and then I felt weight on the bed.

"Come here." I heard Harry's voice speak.

He pulled me over to him so I was laying beside him with my head on his chest. He put arm around me and then his lips pressed modestly to my forehead.