Prophecy Fulfilled
Part 2
Harry woke up with a well-rested feeling and with Hermione still snuggling into him. It was dark outside and he wondered if he slept through most of the day. Reflecting over the shocking events that turned his world upside down he felt let down by the very people he trusted. If only; that was a very tricky phrase that could either give you the solace you need or drive you mad and what was going through Harry's mind cuddling Hermione. After a few minutes that might even have been close to half an hour, Harry felt Hermione stirring from within his arms effectively cutting his musings short and he tightened his grip for a short time before relaxing his hold on her.
Rubbing the sleep from her eyes Hermione looked at Harry. She could see the trouble in his eyes, the regret and the dormant grief threatening to break free. She gave him a lingering kiss their first show of affection in public, "Harry all these thoughts will take you nowhere. Like my mom said it is not your fault Harry, you did your best to get everyone out of there when you found out that it was a trap. Even I was deceived by Dolohov, and got cursed even after silencing him."
"I still cannot accept it Hermione. Because of my tendency to leap before I look, you are suffering."
Hermione again kissed him to get his mind off the troubles, "Harry I do not mind it one bit, Am I looking forward to die? No I am not, but I do not regret knowing you for one bit. Because of you I enjoyed my stay here at Hogwarts and experienced something wonderful in a very short time. If I did not attend Hogwarts or did not meet you, I would have remained a boring bookworm. You saw me and gave me your love turning me into a beautiful woman. That's all I wanted in my life Harry, to be beautiful in at least one person's eyes. My only regret is that I am unable to give you the family you wanted."
"Hermione I would trade everything to save you even the promise of a family. Without you, my life has no meaning."
She knew that it was difficult for Harry to accept that he was blameless and that was driving his grief. "Harry there is no real answer; we may desbate around all our lives but still will not agree on all that has happened. Let's just forget everything else and enjoy the time that we have, I could die happily knowing you love me."
Unknown to them Emma was awakened by their conversation and was moved by the depth of their love. She could never blame the young man who brought about an enormous change in their daughter. Yes it hurts to know that you daughter's life is being cut short brutally but she could not imagine what was going on in Harry's mind, the guilt about bringing that fate upon Hermione, the overwhelming grief of losing a loved one and apparently the only one who gave her unconditional love to him. No, she would not scorn him, she would love him like the son they never had and ensure that Dan understood the loss that Harry was going through; he does not need an overbearing father to add to that.
Emma saw that Harry was feeding the soup that was left there for Hermione, his dinner left untouched. She left the bed that she was occupying in the hospital wing, they were offered the guest quarters but the Grangers refused electing to stay near their daughter, and sat on the other side of Hermione. Taking the spoon silently from Harry she began feeding Hermione who was still weak and allowed Harry to finish his meager dinner.
"Do you have the time?" Hermione asked.
Harry looked at his new watch a present for Christmas from Hermione, after he lost his old one in the black lake during his rescue of Hermione during the Triwizard tournament, "It's just past midnight."
"I want some fresh air, can we go out?" Hermione asked while trying to get up. Harry held her hand and pulled her up but she took two steps before her knees buckled under her. Harry immediately scooped her up in his arms before she could hit the floor and carried her out with Emma following them. Harry sat her on the wall with Hermione's feet dangling free and to the outside facing the black lake. Standing behind her, Harry wrapped his arms around her holding tight and silently watched the night sky with Hermione leaning back into him.
The sky was peaceful but Harry's thoughts were in turmoil; where ever he looked he was overwhelmed with guilt. Guilt at Sirius' death, guilt at Hermione's predicament and guilt at what he planned to do after Hermione would leave him.
Emma broke the silence, "Why did that boy Ron claim Hermione to be his girlfriend if she was not?"
Hermione turned her head to look at Harry so sharply that she nearly toppled over. Harry was looking over her shoulder into the night, he gave her a wry grin before answering, "I think Ron fancies Hermione at some level, but he is an immature guy who thinks that fighting with someone means that you are showing them your love. He never took the time to get to know Hermione properly and was always polar opposite to her principles. I think that he was also jealous of me and wanted to take away the one person who I respected a lot. We never showed or announced that we were dating so that might have given him an opening and with Hermione unable to deny it….." he just shrugged his shoulders and let the matter drop.
Hermione snorted at the thought of Ron fancying her and 'fighting with her to show that he loved her!' now that's a thought. She turned back to look at the lake and allowed Harry to rest his chin on her shoulder.
Harry continued, "What I am not sure is Dumbledore's agenda. He has not trained me enough to face Voldemort and now he says that I have some mysterious power to take him down. What does he gain by supporting Ron's claim of being your boyfriend?"
Hermione was intrigued, "What special power Harry? Are you going to rip off your shirt and fly off to confront Voldemort?" she tried to joke.
Now it was Harry's turn to snort at Hermione's comment, "He says that Voldemort does not know the meaning of love and it's my enormous capacity to love that will defeat him."
All the three of them remained silent at that. What can you say; that you just stand in front of your enemy and love him to death? Emma broke the silence by letting out a laugh at that preposterous thought.
"I think that he is setting you up to die Harry" Hermione theorized finally.
"Yeah, I guessed as much and now with you not going to be in my life, I have no problem with that."
"Harry" Hermione admonished, "There is always life beyond me."
"Not for me" Harry concluded with a tone of finality daring her to contradict. Hermione let out a sigh she could not contradict him because that's how she felt. She turned in his arms and gave him a kiss which Harry deepened immediately savouring every moment of Hermione's presence. They were mindful of her mother though and kept it short.
Emma gave them a moment to compose before asking, "How long have you been dating Hermione? And why did you not tell us? Not that we have any objection but it would have been nice to know about it."
"I know mom! I am sorry but after Voldemort got his body back we felt that it was better to keep it a secret to prevent anything from happening to you" Hermione replied with desperation in her voice, hoping that her mother would accept her explanation.
"Hermione what you have to understand is that there is danger everywhere. It would not have made any difference, you already told us that we could be a target because of your parentage and this would have just been another point for them to get the job done. Now you cannot escape from answering my question, Spill" she demanded.
Harry took up the explanation, "For me I realized that Hermione was more than my friend at the end of our third year when we risked our lives to save my godfather. When I asked her for the Yule Ball that Christmas I knew for sure that I loved her."
"I always knew that I liked Harry almost from the moment he saved my life from the Troll but it was after I was revived from the petrification that I knew for sure that it was love" Hermione supplied.
Harry decided to explain the events that happened during and after the Yule Ball.
Night of Christmas: Harry and Hermione's Fourth Year
Harry always thought that Hermione was pretty but seeing her in the resplendent robes with a hint of makeup and her normally unruly hair tamed to adorn her face, Harry had to change his mind. Hermione was not pretty she was beautiful. Hermione on the other hand was positively radiating happiness, she was on the arm of her best friend and one she hoped would soon be more than that and he was not looking anywhere else.
Harry truly had no eyes for anyone else that night, in his view Hermione was the most beautiful girl in the ball and he happily spent most of the night dancing with her in his arms. He felt that he was in heaven.
Taking a stroll in the garden specially built for that night only and under the twinkling stars, their lips met in a delightful kiss for the first time for either of them. The moment felt magical for the couple as they lost themselves in the beauty of the night and the company of a loved one, the choir from a nearby village proclaiming the blessed night in the background.
"I could do that all my life with you Hermione" Harry told her with a blissful smile.
"With you only Harry and no one else" she agreed with him.
Hermione left early next morning to spend the rest of the holiday with her parents and it was the perfect time for Harry to visit Gringotts. Sirius told him about his family vault and he wanted to visit it, hopefully he can find some journals or other personal articles that belonged to his parents. He also wanted to take some money out and get a ring of some sort proclaiming to the world that Hermione was his girlfriend. He even thought about buying an engagement ring if he could find something that he would feel Hermione would like for sure.
The goblin led him to the Potter family vault and warning him not to take anything out without informing him, was left alone to rummage around. He picked up an album filled with photographs of his parents during their time at Hogwarts and also after it. He laughed at the antics of Sirius, Remus and his father to amuse a baby Harry. The album was never ending and it was a perfect place to keep all his own photos taken with Hermione and Ron, and the others that were given to him by Hagrid. 'I have to ask Colin to take some personal shots with me and Hermione only' he decided.
What caught his attention was a beautiful diamond twinkling in the dull light and set in a ring; probably his mother's engagement ring and it would be perfect for Hermione. He immediately grabbed the box and also the two wedding bands of his parents that were in a nearby box. He called the goblin and showing him the rings asked, "Sir, can I take these rings that belonged to my parents?"
"You are not entitled to take anything that could be exchanged for money out of the vault but since you claimed sentimental value for the rings, I can allow it" he replied and made a few notations on a parchment inside the vault.
"Now to buy a couple of chains to hold them around my neck" Harry thought out loud, happiness evident in his voice. He was not sure that he would ask Hermione to be his wife so soon and so might not wear the ring publically, but he wanted to give her that instead of a promise ring.
The goblin looked at him once and then took out a couple of identical gold chains from a nearby jewelry box and gave them to Harry waving off his thanks.
The night that Hermione returned from her home, Harry dragged her into a nearby empty classroom after dinner. He showed her the ring and expressed his wish to ask Hermione to wear it someday.
"What's keeping you from asking it now?" Hermione asked a gob smacked Harry, barely able to stop herself jumping for joy.
Harry took the hint and immediately got down on one knee, "Just being in my life, you make me happy and give the hope that there is more to my life. Will you accept this ring as a token of my never ending love and make all my dreams come true?"
Even though she practically demanded Harry to put the ring on her finger she could not prevent the tears leaking out of her eyes, with a joyful "yes" she kissed Harry. Harry put the ring on her finger and Hermione in turn grabbed his father's wedding band and slipping it on his hand vowed, "Harry with this ring I give myself to you. My heart, my body and my soul is yours for as long as I live."
It suspiciously looked like a wedding vow to him but Harry took his mother's ring and slipping on to Hermione's finger next to the engagement ring repeated the same vow. They felt a pulse of magic jump between the two rings probably sealing their love for as long as they lived.
Hermione gazed fondly at the rings before taking them off and threaded them through one of the chains that Harry handed her. Harry did the same and they wore the ring around their neck slipping the chain into their shirt and out of sight.
Present Night
"We are not really sure if our actions made us legally married but to us we are married" Hermione concluded.
Emma was shocked; even if all this was not legal they took a step that almost made them married even if it was in their eyes alone. To take such a step, they have had to be sure about their feelings for each other and looking at them she was sure that only their reluctance to make their relationship public and maybe their age too, was keeping them from having a big wedding.
Harry supported Hermione's thoughts and feelings, "We have not really defined our relationship but it is much deeper than friendship even bigger than being husband and wife."
The shock must have been evident on Emma's face so Harry elaborated, "If having sex only defines being married then we are just friends, but if you cannot live without the other, then we are a single soul in two different bodies. We know everything about the other right from favourite colour to sleeping habits" Harry alluded to Emma's raised eyebrow when he was loosening the buttons on Hermione's night shirt earlier.
Hermione chipped in, "We do not need to be intimate for the assurance that we are in love. We have a much deeper connection and we trust the other implicitly. Harry decided to wait till we get married, but now I do not want to wait. In my opinion we are already married" this was said looking at Harry and that look defined her need for him and her desire to get intimate with him.
Both Harry and Emma were embarrassed. Emma because she felt that she was intruding into something private and Harry because the discussion about their love life was happening in front of Hermione's mother.
Despite his embarrassment Harry looked into Hermione's eyes and proclaimed, "My heart and soul are already yours Hermione, you can have my body whenever you want." They sealed his declaration with a kiss before Harry carried her back to bed and falling asleep in each other's arms.
