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Challenges at the bottom.

Word Count - 541

Normal Is Overrated

"Hey, you," she greeted, walking into the kitchen to find him slumped at the table, a coffee cup resting between his hands.

He nodded, not meeting her gaze.

"Come sit out back with me," she added, grabbing her own cup and pouring herself a coffee. "It's not exactly tropical outside, but it's a nice day."

He followed behind her like a pitiful puppy, and before long they were sitting on the back porch of his cottage.

"Do I want to know why there's an axe leaning against your shed?" Hermione asked raising her eyebrow.

Harry snorted. "I was cutting the tree at the bottom down yesterday."

"And you didn't use magic, because…"

He shrugged. "I like the exercise, and I've always enjoyed working in the garden. It's nice to finally have a garden of my own to work in, instead of having to do everything Petunia wanted."

Hermione nodded, sipping at her coffee. "I heard you refused another night out with the boys over the weekend."

He met her eyes, the challenge clear in his own. He'd known, as soon as she arrived, that she'd come to lecture him about his lack of sociability.

"I'm getting tired of pretending that I'm not a little bit dysfunctional," he told her, his tone harder than he intended.

"A little bit?" she asked, her lips quirking upwards. "Harry, if you don't want to go out drinking with the boys, I'm not here to try and convince you that you have too. I'm just worried that you're secluding yourself a little bit too much. We know you. We love you for who you are; not for who the press make you out to be."

He sighed, the fight leaving him. "I know, I'm sorry. I just… the press haven't calmed. I hoped… It's been over two years. I just want to be normal, or at least left alone to be not normal."

"Normal's overrated anyway," she replied airily. "Did Ron tell you about his newest obsession?"

Harry shook his head. "Not unless it's the television and dvd collection you brought into the house, that he was talking about last month."

"It's connected. He watched the Karate Kid last week, and now he's walking around doing random karate chops. He's broke his little finger twice."

Harry laughed, starting with a chuckle but quickly upgrading to a full on belly laugh. "That's brilliant."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "You wouldn't be saying that if you had to listen to him whining when it happened, the big baby."

Harry wiped away tears of laughter, before he grinned at Hermione.

"Thank you for worrying," he said after a moment.

"I hate to tell you this, Harry, but after all we've been through over the years, you're a bit stuck with us now. Isn't it great?"

He nodded. "Couldn't be happier. Let me get changed, and we'll go out for lunch."

Hermione blinked, but nodded slowly. "Are you sure?"

He nodded. "I have to face it someday, might as well start small. Besides, when the Prophet writes about us carrying on an illicit affair behind Ron's back, I might get to see this karate action in person."

Laughing, she drained her coffee. It was good to see her friend smiling again.

Written for;

Creativity Month - Harry&Hermione - 2. "I'm getting tired of pretending that I'm not a little dysfunctional." / "A little bit?"

Character Appreciation - 34. Friendship

Showtime - 12. Nowadays - "It's it great?"

TV Show of the Month - Buffy Summers - Hermione / Axe / Karate

Caffeine Awareness - 9. Calypso Coffee - Tropical.