Round 13
Real Randomness
Chaser 1:
S3R1 / Getting to Know our Team-Mates - Write about your KEEPER's favorite pairing/character
Team: Puddlemere United
Prompts:
9 (setting) a Muggle restaurant
4 dialogue) "I will eat that damn muffin if it kills me."
10 (song) 'Reach' by S Club 7
Keeper: Writing Block
Fav: Pairings: Harmony and Sevmione
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the song by S Club 7.
Harry watched Hermione flit around the tent. He was glad to see she was feeling better, although he was still worried about her. The past few weeks had taken a toll on her. She was quieter and thinner and smiled less. He had gotten to see that smile the night he danced her around the tent but it was brief, like a shooting star. He watched a strand of her long brown hair fall in front of her face and smiled sadly. They had missed a lot of things this year. They missed the start of the school year, Hermione's birthday, Halloween (the day his parents died), Christmas Eve.
He was determined not to miss another thing.
If his timing was correct, which he thought it was, then tonight was New Year's Eve.
Earlier that day, he had gone to the muggle village and found a small restaurant. Well, the restaurant had been recommended to him and he checked it out. It was small and homey, and he knew Hermione would love it.
He knew for a fact that Hermione still had the red dress from the wedding in the bag and his suit was buried in there too.
The way he saw it, having one day off wouldn't change anything, they were no closer to finding the next Horcrux, so they might as well celebrate the end of the year and the new beginning that was to come.
"Hermione."
She turned to look at him. "Harry?"
"Go shower and then get dressed. I have a surprise."
"A surprise?"
He nodded. "The red dress is the best thing to wear tonight."
He saw a look of excitement cross her face then worry.
"Harry what about…?"
"Don't worry about it tonight Hermione. Now go get ready."
He shooed her away and she stuck her tongue out at him and ran to the shower. He smiled, excited for tonight.
The restaurant was called Cave and despite its dark name, the inside was beautiful. The walls were a light gray and the booths were ruby red or emerald green. The lights inside were dimmed since it was dinner but it gave the restaurant a soft homey feel. Plants were scattered around the restaurant in brightly colored pots. The bar top was decorated with detailed painted stones, mineral, gems, and jewels
There were two cooks and one waitress and the restaurant was full, although it seemed like many people would be leaving soon.
The waitress approached the couple. She had long blue hair that was pulled into a ponytail and a big smile. She was small in size but judging by the way she knew everyone's name she had a big presence in the community. She led them to their table.
"It's a cold night for ya'll to be outside. Do you want some coffee to warm you up?"
"Can we get hot chocolate instead?"
She laughed.
"Knew there was a reason I was drawn to ya'll. Woman and man after my own heart,"
She walked away and Harry smiled as Hermione raised an eyebrow at the quirky waitress.
She scanned the place taking note of a wall full of pictures and of the fact that everyone seemed to know each other. It was a beautiful place and Hermione didn't even care that they were the most overdressed people there.
The waitress came by with her hot chocolate.
"What's your name?" Harry couldn't help but ask, noticing the absence of a name tag.
She laughed.
"Sapphire, my bad I should have told you that earlier. I'm Sapphire La Fleur."
She smiled at them and then waved to a couple leaving.
"See you next week, Mr. and Mrs. Guard!"
She turned back to Harry and Hermione.
"Let me know when y'all ready to order."
Hermione looked at Harry.
"Where did you find this place?"
"I was out looking for food and this little girl told me her mother owns the best restaurant in town."
"You took advice from a little girl."
"She was quite persuasive."
"The Boy Who Lived, taken down by a little girl."
He leaned forward to tap her nose.
"I learned that girls are much smarter and cunning and stronger than boys. I mean I have known you practically all my life."
Hermione blushed.
Sapphire came by to take their order and then she was off.
"She reminds me of someone."
"She reminds me of Luna, she has the same quirkiness."
Harry nodded, thinking of the silver haired girl who had wormed her way into his heart. He looked across the table to see the first girl who wormed her way in and smiled.
Then Harry's thoughts drifted to the younger girl, worry on his face.
"I wonder how she is doing under Snape's reign."
"She's fine. She's strong and smart and she has the others."
"Still, I worry what Snape will do to the others."
"You know, Snape isn't a bad guy."
"He's the headmaster of the school where kids are being tortured."
"You don't know him."
Harry snorted.
"And you do?"
Hermione looked down at her napkin, a light blush on her cheek.
"I do actually." She whispered.
Harry looked at her curiously and leaned in to hear her better.
"I became friends with Daphne Greengrass is our fourth year, she was the one who helped me get ready for the ball. Fifth year, Snape asked me to be his assistant along with Draco. We graded papers and restocked shelves. Snape used to tell me and Draco stories about his years in school. He talked about your mom a lot. He loved her, she was my first friend. He had a few good stories about your dad, funny ones about all the ways James tried to impress your mom. Snape gave me a reason to be out after curfew and Draco gave me information, regarding what Umbridge was doing."
"You hung out with Slytherins?"
"They aren't bad."
"I'll believe it when I see it."
"Snape told me that he doesn't hate you, only because you have Lily's eyes. He says I remind her a lot of him."
"Mom would have loved you. You are smart and beautiful and sweet and keep me out of trouble."
"I like to think you wouldn't have survived without me."
"I wouldn't have."
There was a pause.
"So Snape still loves my mom?"
Hermione nodded and she bit her lip.
"Hermione?"
"On Halloween, Snape got really drunk and he thought I was your mom. He clung to me crying and he tried to kiss me and kept apologizing."
"What!"
"He was drunk, Harry. It was fine. Draco got him under control."
Harry was fuming. Hermione tried to get Harry's mind off things but Sapphire swooped in with more hot chocolate for them, distracting them and leading to a new conversation.
Harry couldn't remember the last time he and Hermione had a normal conversation.
He was in mid-laughter when he heard a shriek and turned to see a small girl dressed in a red run up to his table.
"You came, sir! I told you Mama had the best restaurant!"
Hermione smiled at the young girl.
"Ruby!"
Sapphire came rushing over.
"I'm so sorry!"
"Do you want my muffins? I made muffins!"
Harry didn't have the heart to tell the girl no, even though Sapphire had paled and was shaking her head frantically behind Ruby.
"I would love too."
Ruby rushed to get him a muffin while Sapphire shook her head.
"Don't feel obligated to eat it."
Harry smiled at Ruby when she brought the muffins and took a huge bite. His eyes widened and he reached for his hot chocolate to wash the taste away. Sapphire slipped away to get him another hot chocolate, calling Ruby with her.
"You don't have to eat it, Harry."
"I will eat that damn muffin if it kills me."
He took small bites and Ruby watched from her mother's side.
"He finished it, Mommy!"
"Yeah, baby he did."
She didn't even realize her daughter had taken off until she heard her daughter's voice loud and clear.
"Are you a magic prince?"
Harry looked quickly at the girl.
"Can you find my daddy? He's been gone for a long time and it makes Mama sad."
"Ruby!"
She picked up her daughter and smiled tensely at the couple.
"I'm sorry."
There was silence as she escorted her daughter away and Hermione looked after the little girl thoughtfully and with a wistful look in her eyes.
"Harry?"
He turned to look at her.
"Why did you ask me out tonight?"
"You have no clue what tonight is, do you?"She shook her head no.
"It's New Year's Eve."
Her lips parted, shock in her eyes.
"Everything is going so fast and crazy; I forget days like these exist."
"I figured, what's one day of us just being Muggles?"
"Thank you, Harry."
She reached over and squeezes his hands.
"Sometimes I forget there is a world outside of the war," He confessed quietly before sighing and burst out.
"I hate this. We are kids fighting a war that shouldn't have existed in the first place."
Hermione tried to calm him down.
"Harry, tonight it's just you and me. "
"It's always been you and me."
"Even if we were Muggles, it would always be you and me."
"You think?"
"Yes." She shook her head, smiling sadly.
"Sometimes I dream what it would be like to be normal. You and me in the muggle world. We would have a small house and mismatching plates and tons of pictures. We would have a dog and a garden. You would do all the cooking and I would knit as you watched tv. I want that Harry. I want that so bad, it hurts."
She shook her head, tears burning in her eyes.
Harry grabbed her hand and their eyes met.
The waitress watched the couple from her spot at the bar. She smiled sadly, remembering similar words spoken several years ago.
"What are you looking at Sapphire?"
The man looked at the couple holding hands and squeezed Sapphire's shoulders.
"It wasn't that long ago that it was you sitting there with…"
Sapphire turned away, straight out the window.
"It's snowing hard, Brad. You should get going. Go be with your family."
"I can't leave you alone."
"I'm not alone. I got the customers and I got Ruby."
Brad sighed and nodded.
"Thanks, Sapphire. See you next year."
He grabbed his coat and was out the door.
Sapphire shivered and her hands reached up to neck where a small stone laid around her neck. A familiar comfort and a familiar torment.
Her eyes landed on the couple whispering and she turned the radio on louder, trying to drown out the memories in her head. She hoped they had a happier ending that ns he did.
Harry got out of his seat and pulled Hermione up.
"Dance with me?"
She let him pull her up and just like that night in the tent, he danced her around the room. They made an elegant picture. Him in his black suit and her in her stunning red dress.
They swayed to the words that seemed like it was playing just for them.
When the world, leaves you feeling blue
You can count on me, I will be there for you
When it seems, all your hopes and dreams
Are a million miles away, I will re-assure you
We've got to all stick together
Good friends, there for each other
Never ever forget that
I've got you and you've got me,
"Hermione, I'm glad you are my best friend. I love you."
"I love you too, Harry."
He pulled her closer and she rested her head on his shoulder. He whispered in her ear.
"I'm going to end this war for us, Hermione, I promise. Then it's just you and me."
She looked up at him and froze at how close they were, just like that night in the tent.
He leaned in and she gently leaned in and pressed her lips against his.
He moved his hands from her waist to her hair and she held onto his arms.
When they pulled away, her eyes were glazed.
They swayed for a bit until the song became a pop song and they slid into their seats. Sapphire brought them more hot chocolate and left them to sort out what had happened.
Neither could look at each other, time passed and midnight drew closer.
Finally, Harry sighed.
"Did you mean what you said Hermione about growing old together living a normal life.?"
Hermione sighed and squeezed his hands.
"I wish we could, but we have a duty to everyone: to your parents, to Luna and Ginny and Neville, to Lupin, Tonks, and the baby, to all wizards and witches. We can't just leave."
Harry knew she was right.
He sighed and Hermione saw the same sadness in his eyes that she held in her heart.
"After the war is over, let's leave, see the world."
He looked at her in surprise.
"Hermione?"
"Let's see the world together Harry, Just you and me, when this is all over."
.
Ten….He nodded and she kissed their joint hands
Nine… Ruby slid out to join her mother as Sapphire picked her up.
Eight…. Harry and Hermione stood up.
Seven…. Sapphire whispered to Ruby about her dad and how they got married on new year's Eve.
Six….Hermione slipped her hand into Harry's.
Five…. Ruby prayed that her dad would show up.
Four ….. Time seemed to slow down
Three…. Harry turned to face Hermione. "Hermione"
Two…She stepped in closer and kissed him.
One...Fireworks went off. Sapphire hugged her daughter close, another year without him. Harry and Hermione were still wrapped up in their kiss. They ended the year together and would start it together.
"Happy New Year."
Harry rested his chin on her head. It was a new day, a new year. It was time to go back and end the war.
15 years later.
The war had been long over. Despite their promise, to see the world together, both Hermione and Harry had responsibilities and both ended up in relationships. Harry had married Ginny and realized later they were not suited. They stayed together until Lily was a third year simply because James told them they shouldn't force themselves to be happy. They were happily divorced and on good terms.
Hermione and Ron got married and immediately after Hugo was a first year, split. They didn't speak for a while but were now on good terms.
All was well, the kids were all in school or out of school.
Harry smiled to himself.
So here he was, back at the same muggle restaurant from all the years before. He had waited a long time for this. He wasn't even sure if he was going to show up. It just seemed like he should.
He sat down at the table and was hit by all the memories of that night.
The way she looked, the way she laughed. The promise to travel the world.
Hermione entered the restaurant. She had been coming here every New Year's Eve since that night.
"Hiya Sapphire."
Sapphire beamed at the older woman.
"You look good for a divorced woman."
"You look good for a woman who is expecting again."
Sapphire placed a hand on her belly.
"Doctor says it's boys."
"Names?"
"He wants to name them Forrest and Hunter."
Sapphire wrinkled her nose and Hermione laughed.
"You would think that you run out of names considering all the kids you guys have."
Sapphire and her husband, Onyx, reunited the same new year Harry and Hermione were at the restaurant. He had finally made his way home and they were giving the Weasleys a run for their money. They were constantly having kids and it made Hermione smile when they kids would come down to bring in the new year.
Hermione tried to casually look around.
"I'll take you to your table,"Sapphire's hips swayed as she lead Hermione to her table and Hermione smiled. Love suited her muggle friend well.
"Here you go, Hermione."
Hermione's eyes widen at the sight of Harry sitting there.
"Harry?"
"Hi, Hermione.
Sapphire left the two and Hermione slid into the seat across from him.
"What are you doing here?"
He held up a book bag.
"Is your offer of traveling still available? Is now the time?"
"Harry."
"The war has been over for 15 years now. We aren't married to anyone, aren't seeing anyone. James gave me the blessing to date again and Ginny said I should chase after you. Let's run away Hermione."
"Harry."
"Just you and me, like you said all those years ago."
"Harry."
He kept babbling on until Hermione grabbed his hands.
"Harry."
He focused on her.
"Just you and me. One more adventure?"
His smiled and Hermione couldn't help but laugh as he raised their joined hands to his lips.
"Just you and me... and the world."
Let me know what you think of this one! Love You Wallflowers!