Chapter Three

A Family of Fifteen, what a lucky number

Just let me have this time

Then you can have me

But let me have this moment

As usual, the burrow sang with excitement and life and Harry felt it creep into his system. He had been here for a couple of hours with Ron playing Quiditch and talking with the Weasley gang. He spent an hour or two with Ginny and they had talked about life, about them, about their recent hitch, and about how Harry had finally accept Ginny 'Ginerva' Weasley had grown up. The redhead witch no longer was the little girl everyone knew or her brothers still treated. She was an auror, deadly, and incredibly brilliant. She had her own wits and streets smarts and was a young Hermione in progress. Aside from Hermione, she was his savior, his angel in the dark.

Speaking of Hermione, where the bloody hell is she?

Harry, like the other thirteen that were in the Burrow at the present knew not to be late to one of Molly's 'family dinners', if that's what you called a family of eight and seven adopted family members. She was probably scarier than the Dark Lord himself when she got into one of her moods about family. Suddenly there was a pop to his left and he turned his emerald eyes to a witch with wavy brown hair, chocolate eyes, alabaster skin, and a lean body. He smiled as the witch came running his way and flung herself into his arms. Ginny may be his angel, but Hermione was his Mary.

"Harry!" He smiled. He had always loved Hermione, more than anyone could ever tell, but he knew he would never have her as his. She was too independent and needed someone who could offer her the world, he couldn't do that, he was bound to his fate. He knew though, that Hermione had a place for him in her heart that no one could take and she would give her life away so he could live an that was okay with him. In away, she was his little sister and he was her little brother. They took care of each other. It showed in the way Hermione wrapped her arms around his neck and he dangled her off the ground in his strong arms. He just prayed to God no one ever hurt her. She'd already suffered too much, he wouldn't let he suffer anymore.

"Hey Hermione."

"Hey Harry. Oh, it smells good even out here."

"Yeah, but don't' go in there."

"The French tart?"

"The French tart."

They looked at each other and burst out laughing. They had so many inside jokes that they didn't even remember them anymore. All they had to do was look and even if they didn't have the power of occumulecy, they could still understand one another.

"So, how are you, oh Harry the Boy Who Lived?" Harry cringed at the familiar memory but smiled at the absurdity of it.

"You know, you really don't have a right to call me that."

"And why not?"

"Because that gives me the right to call you bookworm."

"Oh I'm shaking in my boots."

"I'm warning you, if you do that again you're gonna regret it."

Hermione smirked and then shrieked as Harry picked her up and carried her into the house.

Everyone suddenly turned to see a squirming witch in Harry's arms and Ginny, sitting at the table with Tonks slapped her arm and said, "Dammit Harry, I told you not to do that in public. Keep it out of public eye." Tonks in turn smiled and they both laughed as Harry turned to Hermione and waggled his eyebrows suspiciously.

"Harry, put the girl down." Harry feigned hurt and looked at the redhead who just addressed. Ronald Weasley. How much he had changed. Gone was the little boy who threw a tantrum and what had replaced him was sharp, strong, and mature.

"Ahhh, Ron, do I have to." Ron raised one eyebrow and said with a smirk Fred and George could be proud of, "Only if you share." At that point, Hermione bit Harry's arm and he dropped her.

"Ummph!" She squeaked and rubbed her soar butt and glared at them both. Suddenly, chuckles were heard around her and she couldn't help but smile. On the couch was Bill with his arm around Fleur who's large stomach bulged her and Hermione looked up to Harry and then to Ron whom both chuckled at their little joke. Bill prominently turned to look at the two he knew were making fun of his wife and glared. Harry and Ron shrugged and tried to hold in their laughter as Fleur glared too. After being so close to a veela, they had gotten used to her charms and saw her only as Fleur, whom they had affectionately named "kitchen Flour". By the window were Charlie and Fred and George who were talking about his dragon escapades and their bag of tricks. Near the fire were Remus Lupin, Arthur Weasly, and Kinglsey Shackbold along with Moody. In the kitchen were Molly, Tonks, and Ginny. Hermione smiled and looked up at the two best friends before laughing at only something they knew. Ron sauntered over and reached out a hand to Hermione.

She in turn pretended to pout and crossed her legs and arms and stuck out her tongue. Ron laughed and Harry guffawed. Hermione could be so childish when and if she wanted. Ron and Harry then looked at one another and Hermione jumped up and tried to turn when Harry grabbed her around the waste and Ron grabbed her legs.

"Think she make a good stew."

"I don't know…with all those stale books she hangs around…maybe it's affected her too."

"Hey, I am here you know. And put me down right now!" Harry and Ron smirked and nodded and proceeded to the kitchen.

"I mean it Harry James Potter and Ronald Billius Weasley! Right now!"

"Hear that Harry, I think she's excited."

"I hear they taste better frightened."

"What in the blazes are you two doing!" Molly asked stared at the two boys brining in a disgruntled Hermione. Ginny and Tonks just giggled.

"I'll have mine over easy." Ginny said and Tonks added, "Naw, to raw, better fry her."

"Boys, you put her down right now." The bows suddenly let go and hung their heads. Molly put her hands on her hips and shook a finger at them, "Out. I can handle the twins but I don't need another set of them." Harry and Ron nodded and hid their smirks under their hair. Hermione just sighed and sat over at the counter across from Ginny and Tonks.

"Wotcher Hermione."

"Hi Mione."

"Hey."

"So how was the coffee quest?"

"Mmmm, wonderful."

Only Tonks and Harry knew of the true joys of a Muggle coffee shop, and only they knew why she wasn't willing to give it up either. It was a safe haven she didn't want to have corrupted by the magical world- her own little invisibility cloak- the moment she stepped into it, she was Hermione Granger, human, Muggle, and ordinary. In fact, she could never truly leave the Muggle community; there was just something so simple and nice about it, about how technology worked and how it was explained, or other things. It was nice to revert back to something so ordinary and light. She sighed as her thoughts brought her back to her time and place.

Everyone knew the party for Fleur wasn't really a party for Fleur, although it was an excellent mask. However, Molly didn't need it, but it did seem much nicer to say, "Fleur's party," then "Maybe the last time we see each other again party."

She looked back at Tonks who was looking at her. Like Hermione, Tonk's weakness was the movies, it was her coffee shop and for a moment, they shared a look of pure understanding. Suddenly, Ginny clapped her hands and yelled, "I'm starving!"