PROLOGUE
1997
The town was a peaceful one by normal standards. Crime cases were small, like vandalism, and very rare. It was the kind of town one would imagine when reading a fairy tale; quaint, with noises of crickets at night and crows of roosters come morning. So it was considered big news indeed when one early December morning, the wife of a local grocer went out to get the mail and found a young woman lying on the frozen street, wearing a long, loose dress; unconscious.
“Almost as cold as the garden gnome on my lawn!” she exclaimed later to a customer in the grocery store.
She had, of course, out of the kindness of her heart, taken the young woman in, and put her in bed with a nice cheerful fireplace in the room. She had yet to gain consciousness, but her temperature had stabilized and the doctor who came to check on her said that she was no longer in danger from hypothermia.
It had taken the young woman a few days after that to start showing signs of consciousness; a weak movement of her hand, fluttering of her eyelids, and sometimes, on her good days, she managed to mumble out a syllable or two that would make no sense whatsoever to those lucky enough to be within hearing distance.
Gradually, after weeks of bed rest, hot chicken soup and awful medicine, she grew fit enough to get up from bed to have meals with the family. And it was two months after that when she was finally allowed to get up, having been declared completely cured by the doctor.
Nobody knew the background of this young lady- even after she was cured, she would complain of headaches every time the subject was broached. Eventually people gave up, and the young lady insisted on repaying the grocer and his wife’s kindness by helping them around the store. Although they tried to discourage her at first, they were secretly pleased by the increase in sales brought in by the men of the town who would casually walk in the store a few times a day, lingering for long periods at a time, each time buying nothing more than a packet of chewing gum or two.
She stayed with the kind family for a year, then another, helping them tirelessly in the store and around the house, but always carefully avoided the advances of the town blokes. The grocer and wife became fond of her, and would treat her like the daughter they never had. Despite not knowing about her real family, real life before that unforgettable December morning, they would sometimes forget that she had not always belonged in the family.
And the blokes would continue wooing the young woman with the marvelous brown curls, who they knew only as ‘Miss Hermy’.
A rooster outside the crooked three-storey house flapped it wings a few times, hopped onto a rather big rock and crowed at the first rays of sunlight from beyond the horizon. In the house, a few windows lighted up and the clatters of pots and pans could be heard as Molly Weasley made her way around the kitchen to prepare breakfast. Her husband, Arthur entered the room a while later, bags under his eyes indicating he had not been sleeping well for the past few days.
Arthur flopped into a chair at the table, propped his elbows on it and rested his head in his hands. Just when it seemed he might doze off, a loud crack echoed around the kitchen and a young man appeared near the door, his black hair messier than usual and streaks of dirt was on his face. He staggered into the room and sank into the chair opposite Arthur, and rested his head on the parched surface of the wooden table.
“No sign of her?” asked Arthur, looking up despairingly at the young man. Harry Potter shook his head without bothering to lift it from the table, his forehead rubbing against the dry splinters. Arthur buried his head back into his hands and sighed heavily. Silence enveloped the kitchen once more, and the despair that had appeared in the air since a week ago hung thicker, heavier around them.
“Here, drink this up,” said Molly softly to the men, placing a mug of coffee in front of each of them. She straightened up and looked hopelessly at the two men, not knowing what to do- if there’s anything at all she could do- about the situation. She took a chair beside Arthur and sat down, as the two men began to distractedly sip on their coffee.
Another loud crack sounded, and another young man appeared at the door. Harry and Arthur looked up hopefully at the newcomer, but seeing the dejected expression on his face, they once again brooded into their coffee. The newcomer took the chair beside Harry and heaved himself into it. A mug of coffee appeared in front of him, and he brought his hands to wrap around the mug, warming his hands from the frosty December air.
“I’m sorry boys, but she’s been gone an entire week. And we’re at war, we can’t waste much time for just one person. I know she’s your best friend, but there are other lives to be saved,” began Molly. Harry and Ron slumped lower in their chair, as if dreading what she would say next. “I’m afraid we have to stop searching,” she finished gently.
Ron Weasley let out a strangled sob and looked at his mother. “We can’t stop yet,” he begged, “she might still be out there!”
“It’s been a week, Ron! If she is still out there, chances are that she has already been found by- by someone else or she’s-”
“No, she’s still alive, I can feel it!” interrupted Ron fiercely. He looked at Harry for support, who had his head back on the table and refused to react to the argument. “Look Mum, give us one more day. Just one more day, and if we can’t find her...” his face crumpled, “...we’ll… we’ll stop…” And he, too, put his head on the table with a deep sigh.
Looking up from his coffee, Arthur patted the two young men consolingly on their shoulder. “Come on, boys. You know winning this war is top priority. And we need you in battle. This isn’t just about Hogwarts; about friendship. It’s about the whole wizarding world, and probably the whole world as well. And everyone is counting on you,” he said solemnly as he stood up, drained his mug and left the room to catch up with much needed sleep.
“I’m sorry, boys,” whispered Molly again before setting her mug in the sink and leaving the two friends to comfort each other.
They stayed still in their chair as the sun rose, as if they’ve lost the will to move. It was some time before Ron stirred, reached for his now-cold coffee and took a swig. He set the mug back down on the table before letting out a deep sigh, and croaked out, “What do we do now, ‘Arry?”
The slumped body of Harry Potter twitched. “I.. I dunno, Ron. I seriously don’t know…” he trailed off as his voice broke. Beside him, Ron stared unfocusedly into space, an affectionate smile beginning on his lips.
“She’s supposed to be the one who always know what to do,” he said, his voice hoarse with emotion. “Remember that time in our second year? When she came up with the plan to sneak into the Slytherin common room?”
Harry shifted slightly in his chair to look at Ron. “Yeah.” His voice was low. “Didn’t turn out too well for her though, did it?” he added wryly. Ron chuckled, then he screwed up his eyes against the unbearable pain in his chest.
“Damn you, Hermione!” He stood up suddenly and threw the mug across the room with all the energy he could muster, where it hit the wall near the door and shattered into small, sharp pieces. He was breathing heavily by now, his hands fisted on either side of him. Then, as if the act had drained him of every little energy he had, he slumped back onto his chair, his head on the table and his hands clutching at his red hair on either side of his head. “Please be alright...” he whispered chokingly before he fell asleep with a shuddering breath.
Harry Potter stared at his friend for a long time, until the sunlight was streaming into the room through the window, and then, with a determined look on his face, he pointed his wand at the fragments of what used to be a mug, muttered something under his breath and finally dropped his head onto his arms where he fell into a deep, yet restless slumber.
As they always were.
And the mug stood, restored, near the door.
Making Up for Lost Time by athene
Chapter Notes: This is my first shot at romance fanfic, so tell me what you think!