"This is indeed troubling," Dumbledore mused. "I can see why you felt you couldn't trust the aurors."
"He was trying to find out how you knew about Riddle Manor. Apparently he's still unaware I'm having the visions," Harry said. "Sir, may I ask what you found out when you investigated the manor?"
"Harry, I would prefer you not concern yourself with what happens to Voldemort. The information you're providing me is undoubtedly helpful in the fight against darkness, but I would prefer you enjoy your childhood while you still can, hm?" He gave Harry his best "jolly old man" smile. Harry didn't take in a word of it.
"Sir, he's already robbed me of my parents and then got involved in my life again when I was reintroduced to the magical world. I don't think ignoring him would make him ignore me. In fact, he seemed to have a rather unhealthy interest in watching my progress in the tournament," Harry retorted.
"Ah, yes, but you must not face him before you're ready, Harry. It is important to choose your battles wisely instead of rushing to meet your opponent at the earliest opportunity."
"But if we don't keep track of what Voldemort's up to, how can we know when is the right time to face him?" Hermione asked.
"Miss Granger, if Voldemort does return to power, then there will be many roles in the days to come. Coordinating the forces of the light is not the job of a young student such as yourself."
"But what about Harry? Voldemort's taken a personal interest in him, he's going to have to face him eventually!"
"Then let us hope it does not come to that. It is the role of the adults to take arms and protect the innocent such as yourselves."
"I'd rather not hope about it, but actually know what I'll be facing and prepare for it," Hermione huffed. Harry smiled. He knew she wasn't the type to hope she got good grades even if she'd been tutoring all the other students in their year. She'd certainly been helping him prepare for nearly every possibility when it came to the Triwizard trials.
"Do not doubt the power of hope, because hope is one of the greatest sources of light when you are faced with darkness," Dumbledore said. "When plans fail, hope is what carries people through."
Harry was getting frustrated with Dumbledore's answers. Did he always have a wise-sounding answer to everything? The discussion was going in circles. There was no point in any more discussion- other than to get what they came here for originally. "Thank you, Headmaster, I'll keep your advice in mind. You'll tell the aurors that Hermione's done nothing wrong, then?" he asked as he took Hermione's hand. With a nod from Dumbledore, they left his office, walking past the security team waiting outside.
They slipped past the aurors, avoiding their gazes. As they approached Gryffindor Tower, Hermione tugged back on Harry's hand. "Harry... I don't want to go to bed yet."
"Aren't you tired, Hermione?" Harry asked, concerned by what he saw in front of him. Hermione was already drained at the ball from dancing, and after that she underwent an interrogation by the aurors. He thought that rest would be the first thing on her mind.
"Harry... I just want to be with you a little longer. An hour ago I thought you were dying... and that I might have had a hand in it..."
He reassuringly held her closer as they turned the corner towards the Room of Requirement instead of the Fat Lady's portrait. "You didn't, Hermione, you have to remember that. Even if you did, I wouldn't blame you for it. It would have had to be some compulsion charm, or the imperius, or something like that. I know you'd never hurt me willingly."
"It's just... the interrogation... it felt awful," Hermione mumbled. Harry lost his concentration when she said that, making him attempt to summon the room all over again.
"What did they do to you?"
"It's not so much what they did, but what they said. They kept asking questions like 'do you know what you've done?' and telling me, 'you'll never walk away with this many witnesses.' When they started asking me for the formula of the poison, I realized they probably couldn't wake you and you might have been dying." They walked into the room together, which had fashioned itself into something much like a deluxe suite at a hotel. They both sat down on the bed and Hermione leaned her head onto Harry's shoulder.
"You know, it's not so bad, is it? If it was poison, you could always go back in time again and we'd be reunited. You'd be saving my life, too." He wondered if this was the right thing to say in this situation. He realized it probably wasn't when Hermione cried harder.
"But that wouldn't fix anything!" she sobbed. "I thought you really were poisoned, and I'd done it! What if you never trusted me any more? What would be the first thing you'd do when we found each other in the chamber again?" She flopped down onto the bed and curled into a ball. "Or, even worse, if I was found guilty and sent to Azkaban, then I wouldn't be able to send myself back anyway, and I'd have to live years with those dementors..."
"Hermione, you're thinking too much again. Have you forgotten how much you've done for me? How much... you've suffered... for me?" Harry was almost brought to tears when he realized how much his friendship with Hermione had cost her over the years. No, Harry! Be a man! Stay strong! he told himself. "I almost thought I'd never see you again, either. I was so scared when I woke up and they told me you'd been taken away."
Hermione's breathing grew quieter as they lay on the bed together, savouring each other's presence, which they could have lost with a little bad luck. "Did you come straight to me, Harry?" Hermione mumbled, half asleep.
"As soon as I found out. I... attacked an auror to find out where you were," Harry winced. Hopefully they wouldn't charge him with anything as he was pretty agitated at the time, and Dumbledore would put in a good word for him, wouldn't he?
"Mmm... thanks..." Hermione mumbled in response. She must have been really tired if she didn't berate Harry for doing something so irresponsible. He guessed he should never tell her about how he was almost contemplating duelling two aurors at once just to get into the room. Soon enough, they were both asleep on the bed in each other's arms, still wearing their dress robes.
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