AN: Happy New Year's everyone. I hope your holidays were filled with plenty of love, laughter and lots of good food. As promised, here's Harry POV.

Chapter Three – Harry

After a five month search that took us through more country-sides than I can remember and several shady neighborhoods, we finally caught Rowle, Travers and MacNair, along with three other Voldemort sympathizers. Kingsley was so pleased with our work that he gave us a bonus and two weeks off.

"So are heading right home or do you have time to grab a pint at the pub?" Ron asked, trading his traveling cloak for a light jacket.

"I was actually going to go see Hermione. Let her know I was back then catching up on some sleep. You know in an actual bed finally." I chuckled. While we were searching, we often chose to set up in wooded areas, sleeping in tents and taking turns keeping watch over our camp. Now that I was homebound for a while, I wanted to enjoy the basic amenities I missed. Like a bed, a hot shower and food that didn't come in a can.

"When are you two going to finally move in together? It makes no sense that the two of you haven't done it already." Ron had moved in with Padma Patil, shortly after recapturing her heart after the war ended.

"We all can't move as fast as you. Besides, I think Hermione likes the way things are now."

Ron shrugged but didn't let go of the conversation. "I don't see why you have your flat when you're never there. You use it for one day after coming back from a raid or a search, and then you spend all your time at her place. At least talk to her about it. You never know, she may want to."

"If I promise to bring it up to her tonight, will that satisfy you?"

The truth of the matter was, I thought about it a lot while I was away among other things concerning Hermione. Things between us were going good so I didn't see why the next logical step shouldn't be us moving in together. And with that thought, I closed my desk drawer and headed up to her office.

Her assistant informed me she was in a meeting with her boss, going over changes to the laws of Magical Creatures with Near Human Intelligence and wasn't expected to be back anytime soon.

"Just tell her that I've returned safely and I will see her later tonight." Was the message I left for her before heading back to my office to finish my paperwork. Once I submitted my report to Kingsley, I used the floo network to get to my flat.

The air was stale and dust had begun to accumulate on everything. I decided to deal with it later, choosing not to shower, instead taking a much needed nap.

When I awoke much later than I intended, I instantly noticed the air didn't have the same smell it carried before but now smelled clean and much like my favorite meal. I grabbed my glasses from the table, slipping them onto my face before walking into the kitchen.

Hermione was there, preparing dinner and humming some lively tune. There was something about her that seemed different this time but I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

"Harry! You frighten me. I thought you were still sleeping silly." She shrieked before coming to hug me.

"How could anyone sleep with the delectable aroma of steak and kidney pudding in the air?" I smiled and I held her for a second longer.

"I missed you." I whispered into her hair.

"I missed you too," she replied but some of the happiness seemed to have left her voice. So I let her go and took a seat at the table, watching her and trying to understand the feeling of unfamiliarity I sensed. Not seeing anything out of the ordinary, I chalked it up to my own absence. I had never been away from home and her for more than a couple of weeks at the most.

"Is there something on your mind Harry?" She asked me after some time.

"Just thinking of something Ron and I were discussing earlier at the office."

"Oh? Was it about who won which Quidditch match? Because that I can tell you."

"You've been watching Quidditch? Since when?" I asked as she placed the plate of steak and kidney pudding, mashed potatoes and vegetables in front of me.

"Ginny. I've been hanging out with her and her teammates so much I guess some of it is rubbing off on me. So what was it that you and Ron were discussing if it wasn't Quidditch?"

As I told her what Ron said, I watched her to see how she was reacting to the idea. To my surprise she was overjoyed.

"I know that you wanted to take things slow so I didn't want to bring it up but it makes no sense for you to keep this place anymore. I have more than enough room for the two of us at my place and living together is the next step to take before considering marriage." She rambled excitedly.

"Well then, when were you thinking? I have the next two weeks off so it can be during that time."

Hermione jumped right into analyzing everything and making mental lists and schedules, turning into the studious person that I remembered from our time at Hogwarts. I continued to dine on the meal she prepared, surprised that she also made treacle tart.

When dinner was over, we fell into our old routine of lounging on the couch. Hermione read her anniversary present while I listened to her spout out interesting facts about the wizarding world that she hadn't known.

As we prepared for bed, I realized why I thought things were so off earlier.

In the entirety of our relationship, I had never seen Hermione as happy as she was earlier. If distance truly made the heart grow fonder, then I would have to thank Kingsley for the assignment.

The next day, Hermione and I cleaned up her flat. She shrunk her winter wardrobe and stored it in a box on a shelf in her closet so I had space for my things and expanded the living room so there was space for my favorite piece of furniture, my sofa.

"So are you having any regrets?" I asked before we made the move final.

She shook her head no. "None whatsoever."

I kissed her before making some changes to the floo network and apparition wards, when I discovered that while I was gone, there were an unusual number of apparition signatures. And they all belonged to the same person, Viktor Krum. I looked back to Hermione, wondering what business she possibly had with Viktor.

AN: I know it's short but I needed this chapter to serve as filler as the next chapter picks up about halfway through Harry's vacation where he will run into Viktor. As always review and if you have any thoughts as to how the confrontation should go, let me hear them.