Hero of the Story || James Potter x Hermione Granger Fanfiction

prologue | you taught me the courage of stars

A/N:
Hi, this is my first time writing a Marauders Era fic and I'm absolutely nervous. I've been obsessing over James Potter for quite some time now and I wanted to write a story about him. So, here it is. I hope you enjoy it!

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prologue.

you taught me the courage of stars

(Saturn by Sleeping at Last)

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December 14, 2000

It was inexplicable how Hermione could still feel irrational terror whenever they ventured out in the open. They had been doing this for a long time after all, had rigorous escape plans in case things blew out of proportion, and Harry's Invisibility Cloak proved to be a very reliable saving grace.

But one thing Hermione Granger learned from this unending war was that things always didn't work out, no matter how she was sure everything would turn out well at first.

(Example A: She and her best friends knew that the only way to bring Voldemort down was to destroy his horcruxes. Months passed, and still they hadn't destroyed the last two.

Example B: She knew that after the end of it all, she would marry Ronald Bilius Weasley, pop beautiful, fiery children to reign terror over their quaint little garden. Not even an hour had passed during the Battle of Hogwarts, but Hermione witnessed firsthand how Dolohov had hit Ron with a well-aimed Avada.

Example C: She knew that she would continue fighting up until her last breath. But the year was coming to an end, and Hermione had already lost all hope).

Harry had been a constant companion. The-Boy-Who-Lived, who used to be the beacon of all light and hope in Hermione's starry eyes, was now reduced to an empty shell, hardened by war and grief. His emerald eyes held emptiness and despair that clenched the very strings of her heart. Looking at Harry was difficult nowadays because if her hero had blatantly lost hope, then what was Hermione supposed to do?

When Harry came to their small tent after a raid one time, he brought a questionable book that was thick with suffocating dark magic. Hermione had seen Harry's eyes by then, how they had gleamed with life and sudden light she hadn't seen these days, and hope blossomed in her heart.

"I brought a solution," he then had said, placed the dark book in front Hermione and flipped through the pages. When he paused and pointed at a curious potion, its illustration emitting a dark blue steam she had never seen a potion emit before, Hermione's eyes quickly devoured the words racing out of the yellowing pages.

By the time she was finished, she glanced at Harry, the hope in her heart morphed into horror. "Harry..." she started. "But... this is – it's dark magic!"

Harry aged quickly before her eyes as he slumped forward, his forehead almost touching the book. "Hermione," he whispered, his voice flowing into the frigid air and biting her cold cheeks. "It's been too long. The war had stretched for too long and -" His breath hitched as his eyes shone, furiously looking away from Hermione to hide the tears she knew were forming. Harry always hated to cry in front of her. "I'm so tired of fighting, Hermione."

She choked out a sob and tightly held onto his hand with both of her own, clutching onto him like he was her lifeline.

Therefore, although reluctant, she finally relented and started brewing the potion just to appease Harry's weary heart.