What If? (H/D, G)

[sesheta66]

Title: What If (1/?)
Author: sesheta_66
Rating: G
Word Count: ~ 645
Pairing/Characters: Harry, Ron, Hermione. (H/D pre-slash).
Challenges: awdt's prompt of "What if ... " Also for slythindor100's prompt #58 - childhood and 100quills' prompt #049 - earth.
Summary: Having exhausted all avenues of conversation, Harry, Ron and Hermione play a game of "What If".
Warning: *DH spoilers*
Disclaimer: The characters contained herein are not mine. They belong to JK Rowling and her publishers. No money is being made from this fiction, which is presented for entertainment purposes only.



Harry, Ron and Hermione were sitting in the front room at Grimmauld Place on the last night that Ron and Hermione were going to be there. They had been staying with Harry for a few months, ever since things had settled down after the war. But now they were moving on, moving into their own place the next day.

They had become engaged a week after Fred had been laid to rest, but unlike his parents, Ron had decided - or rather Hermione had decided for him - that they shouldn't rush into marriage. Molly wasn't thrilled about them living together, but they were adults, and there was very little she could do about it.

The three of them had exhausted all small talk, and had made an agreement not to talk about Voldemort, Death Eaters, or the war - at least for a while. So it was that they were playing a game of "what if".

It seemed somewhat philosophical, a bit silly, and more than a little childish, but since Harry hadn't had much of a childhood, he didn't mind. It was a good distraction anyway. His thoughts had wandered towards the future lately - now that he could see that he might actually have one - and he found himself with a distinct lack of direction in that regard. So a diversion was welcome.

"What if," Hermione began, "you couldn't be a Gryffindor? Which house would you choose to be in instead?"

"Well," Ron answered. "We know that you would be in Ravenclaw, with your brains." Hermione blushed, but nodded her agreement.

"I dunno," he continued. "I don't think I could stand being in a house full of bookworms. No offence!" he added hastily to Hermione, who just laughed. "So I suppose Harry and I would be Hufflepuffs."

"Okay then. Next question," Hermione said, only to be interrupted by Harry clearing his throat.

"I didn't answer that last question," he said matter-of-factly.

"Harry, mate, I don't mean this as an insult, but I couldn't see you in Ravenclaw either," Ron said. Hermione just nodded her agreement.

"I didn't mean Ravenclaw. I would choose Slytherin," Harry said emphatically.

His two friends gawked at him, as though he had grown a second head. "Slytherin, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"Yup," Harry said. "In fact, the hat almost put me in Slytherin back in first year. Only because I begged it not to, did it put me in Gryffindor."

"The hat almost put you in Slytherin?" Ron asked, sounding appalled.

"Mm-hmm. At that time I wanted to go anywhere else. But now … "

"Now you would want to be there?! After everything that's happened? After all the students that went from that house to follow You-Know-Who's path?" Ron still found it difficult to say Voldemort. "What on earth would you want to be in ruddy Slytherin house for?"

"Just think about it," Harry explained, looking intently at them. "Maybe I could have changed a few minds. I mean, what if I could have saved even one life?"

"Harry," Hermione said in an exasperated tone generally reserved for small children. "You saved the entire wizarding world! I think you've saved enough lives, don't you?"

"I suppose. But what if I could have saved someone from making bad choices? What if I could have prevented some of the tragedy that happened? What if I could have saved someone from the torment that serving under Voldemort entailed?" He words ended on a particularly passionate note.

Hermione cast a knowing look at Ron, who still looked bewildered. "Harry, you're not just talking about any Slytherin now, are you?"

Harry shook his head, thinking back. He was feeling guilty, remembering a young boy who had just wanted to be friends. A young boy he had rejected.

"You mean Malfoy, don't you?" Hermione guessed.

"Yeah," Harry said. What if, indeed.

~ TBC

Comments

[tweeney.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I am so glad there is a TBC at the end of this one - I'd love to see how it develops.

Oh no, Hermione. Harry's definitely not just talking about any Slytherin here. :D

[sesheta-66.livejournal.com]

Mmm ... I planned on a one-shot, but this just seems like a starting place more than anything.

Good Lord, I have a lot of WsIP now. Eep!

[tweeney.livejournal.com]

w00t cookies! :D

Oh it's a starting place, and a great one at that. I love seeing new post-DH fics pop up and all the creative ways of getting rid of Ginny... *evil grin*

[sesheta-66.livejournal.com]

Ginny ... is there someone named Ginny left at the end of it all?

Oh ... you must mean that tart in the epilogue ... bah! Who needs her?

[tweeney.livejournal.com]

Ginny ... is there someone named Ginny left at the end of it all?
LOL! Not after the H/D shippers are finished :D

Who needs her?
I certainly don't! I got rid of her right at the beginning. Heh!

[sesheta-66.livejournal.com]

*smooches*

[tweeney.livejournal.com]

♥

[prettyhairs.livejournal.com]

You know it only takes three letters to make me happy (obviously along with a good fic;)!
Very promising=)

[sesheta-66.livejournal.com]

Glad you liked. *sighs* - I seem to be adding "TBC" to the end of an awful lot of fics these days.

[prettyhairs.livejournal.com]

Keep 'em coming! *g*

[sesheta-66.livejournal.com]

Will do. :D

[nimielle.livejournal.com]

I am sooo glad I read this! :)

Thank you for sharing!

I really cannot WAIT to read what happens next! :) ♥

ooooh the possibilities! :D

[sesheta-66.livejournal.com]

I am glad you read this too. Plot bunnies are bouncing around me like crazy now!

[ravenqueen55.livejournal.com]

TBC...all hail TBC!

Thank goodness...this is lovely, but I want more!

[sesheta-66.livejournal.com]

Glad you liked it, and yeah ... it needs more ... thus, the TBC. I may regret this now that I have a HUGE list of WiPs.

[clairie-poo.livejournal.com]

Yay for TBC!! I love how Harry stuck up for himself, and he'd totes make an awesome Slytherin!! Bwuaha 8D.

[sesheta-66.livejournal.com]

Mmmm ... I like when the Slytherin in Harry (and no, I don't mean Draco) comes out to play! Slytherin!Harry is ♥.

[clairie-poo.livejournal.com]

Srsly. I had this debate with my friend and she was like 'Harry was only considered to be put in Slytherin because of his scar' and I was all 'Pft, nah.' I think I won that argument by far ;D

[sesheta-66.livejournal.com]

I think that the piece of Voldie's soul inside Harry certainly pushed the scales in that direction. But if Harry is soooooooo much a Gryffindor (his mom and dad were, and he's the brave hero & all that), the hat wouldn't have suggested Slytherin FIRST.

Harry's soul wouldn't be less prominant than a little piece of Voldiepants' - so he had to have some inner Slytherin happening anyway. How's that for an argument? ;)

[clairie-poo.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I do agree that it helped a bit, but like you said, he had to have some Slytherin in him! That's so foreshadowing lolol. Plus, his Slytherin side so comes out in the fifth book.

Yes, if it ever comes up again, I'll totally point that out -- oh, and I'd call Voldemort "Voldiepants", of course. ;P

[sesheta-66.livejournal.com]

oh, and I'd call Voldemort "Voldiepants", of course. ;P

*giggles*

[hapendfro.livejournal.com]

Oh thank goodness there's a tbc at the end, cause this definitly needs more.

[sesheta-66.livejournal.com]

Mmm ... once Ron & Hermione are gone, and he's left with his own thoughts ...

[hapendfro.livejournal.com]

I can just imagine what avenues his own thoughts will lead him down.

[sesheta-66.livejournal.com]

Me too ... my plot bunnies are going wild!

[graylor.livejournal.com]

I'm intrigued (and very glad for those three little letters). Com eon , Harry--go rescue your Slytherin!

[sesheta-66.livejournal.com]

Glad you are intrigued (I ♥ that word).

I think it warrants more, to be sure ... but my TBC list is getting out of control. ;)

[coffeejunkii.livejournal.com]

oh, an excellent start! i'm very much looking forward to seeing where you're taking this :)

[sesheta-66.livejournal.com]

Thanks sweetie.

[firefox1490.livejournal.com]

dude thats the BIGGEST what if EVER, its my favorite one too. Very cool :)

[sesheta-66.livejournal.com]

Thanks. Unfortunately, there are no time-turners left for him to find out 'what if' that way.

[piratesmile331.livejournal.com]

This is very promising, my dear. You amaze me with your prolificness.

[sesheta-66.livejournal.com]

Thanks.

I can't hold a candle to softly_sweetly or enchanted_jae in the prolific department, though. ;)

[piratesmile331.livejournal.com]

Oh, I don't know, I think you keep up with them pretty well.

[sesheta-66.livejournal.com]

It is my goal in life ... *snorts*

[thrnbrooke.livejournal.com]

So what will the Golden Trio do about this what if?

[sesheta-66.livejournal.com]

Well, with Ron and Hermione moving out, the Golden Trio is reduced to the Golden boy of Slytherin Gryffindor ... and his thoughts. We'll see what he comes up with.

[enchanted-jae.livejournal.com]

Aw.

[sesheta-66.livejournal.com]

*squishes Harry*

[dysonrules.livejournal.com]

YAY! Three happy letters! TBC! Wooo!

[sesheta-66.livejournal.com]

*grins*

[enervatexxx.livejournal.com]

Ahh, I love it! So how do I go about reading more? Do I add you? May I add you?

[sesheta-66.livejournal.com]

Thanks. You are welcome to add me as a friend, but there are very few fics that I lock, so you can see just about everything just by visiting my journal.

[enervatexxx.livejournal.com]

Thanks love, I have added you. -whoops-
<3

[hey-mockingbird.livejournal.com]

oh, i like it!

*is hoping Draco's not dead*

[sesheta-66.livejournal.com]

Thanks.

Not dead. Definitely not dead.

[moon-of-my-soul.livejournal.com]

aw. i liked this. you were going to continue it, right? well, even if you weren't, i like the way you wrote this even though it seems like it would be too short to make that kind of judgement from. anyway, can't wait for more of your stuff!

[sesheta-66.livejournal.com]

Yup - definitely continuing it. But I have so many on the go right now, I think I may have to limit it to once a month. So sometime in the next couple of weeks I should update with part 2.