A/N: Again thank you to the awesome Mrs. Ren for being a kicktail Alpha. Everything belongs to J.K. Rowling. Any unfamiliar spells are of my creation. Warning: Mentions of miscarriage, heavy Dumbledore bashing, abuse, and heavy Weasley bashing. Proceed at your own risk.
Hermione kept her eyes squeezed shut and her grip firmly around Harry's waist until she felt her feet touch solid ground. Harry put his hand on her arm lightly and whispered, "We're here, 'Mione. You can open your eyes now," he teased gently.
She pried her eyes open, her jaw immediately dropping when she beheld the sight before her. The park where she grew up—a welcoming sight. Harry had remembered! She looked up at Harry, who towered over her, smiling broadly. "Harry! How did you...when did you…?" she spluttered.
"I'm not entirely daft, witch," he jabbed playfully.
She stood quietly, in awe. Pleasant memories from her childhood bubbled up in her stomach, bringing a warm smile to her face, the first sincere one in several weeks. Kensington Gardens held a special place in her heart, as it was one of the last places she visited with her beloved parents, Richard & Jean Granger. Before she took their memories. She let go of Harry, but he wrapped his arm around her waist and guided them to a shaded area where a lush picnic quilt was spread under an oak tree, laden with a smorgasbord of food. He let her go and eased down onto the quilt after helping her sit.
"I feel overdressed," she bemoaned.
Harry cracked up, his face mirthful. "Maybe I just wanted an excuse to stare at you," he smirked, causing Hermione to throw a grape at him.
"This is lovely, Harry, really," she smiled at him. "But how did you remember that I always came to Kensington gardens with my parents?"
He had a bite of sandwich halfway to his mouth, but stopped to answer her. "I remember in third year when you came back from summer hols and wrote me about how beautiful they were and I was a bit envious because I was locked inside that small bedroom the entire summer," he gruffed.
Hermione reached over and lightly squeezed his hand in a gesture of comfort. She knew how difficult it was for Harry to recount his childhood, but at the same time admired his bravery for being able to broach the subject.
"So, how are your mum and dad?" she asked as she munched on a crisp, relaxed against the mound of pillows.
"They're doing great, actually, and getting settled in again at Potter Manor," he replied, snatching a crisp from her plate. She shot him a half-hearted glare, eliciting a snicker from him.
"Potter Manor? I thought they only had the home in Godric's Hollow," she queried. Harry shook his head, mouth full of crisp.
He swallowed then answered her,"When they returned from hiding out in the States, they immediately went to Gringotts to reestablish themselves in the United Kingdom. Thankfully while they were gone, Sirius took care of things and lined up everything in case they were able to return…" he trailed off. "When he was going through important papers, he noticed another property that was not previously mentioned and he checked it out and it turned out to be Dad's ancestral home."
Hermione looked at him, shocked. "Wow, Harry. That's really something to come home to," she mused, plucking a grape from the bunch and popping it in her mouth.
Harry nodded in acknowledgement, polishing off another sandwich.
"So what actually happened to your parents twenty years ago, Harry?" she asked carefully.
Harry stretched out on the quilt, his head in her lap. She carded her fingers delicately through his dark mop, causing his eyes to droop a little. She smiled softly at him, relaxing as he did so.
"Well, from how Mum told it, Halloween night of 1981 was a night of darkness in many ways. When Voldemort infiltrated the house because Pettigrew gave up the Fidelius secret, Moody and Moony were alerted because they were also Secret Keepers. Moody had given my parents a portkey that could be activated at any moment, but Dumbledore refused to allow me to go with them to escape Voldemort that night. So he told me for as long as I can remember that my parents had died, refusing Moony and Moody to tell me the truth. I suspect he kept them under a mild Confundus charm the entire time they were professors at Hogwarts."
Hermione scowled at the air, irritated at Dumbledore's idiocy, tugging a little on his hair. Harry took a deep breath to continue his story.
"Finally, after we graduated and Dumbledore was long dead, an owl flew brought me a bundle of letters, several marked with the Gringotts seal, and two other, one whose writing I did not recognise at first. When I opened the ones from Gringotts, it stated that I was not Lord Potter because a family member who was still living had been located, still alive, and had returned to England to claim their rightful title as Lord Potter. The next one I opened was a letter from Remus, who had managed to escape alive with Tonks, and had moved to Ireland. He told me that my parents were alive and living in the United States under a heavy glamour charm and false identities. He apologised for not being able to tell me, but that old saggy pants wizard Dumbledore had prevented him from telling me anything," he rolled his eyes and exhaled again."
Hermione rubbed at the wrinkles in his forehead, smoothing them and soothing him, giving him courage to continue.
"I finally opened the last letter and it was from my Mum. I had gone twenty years believing that both my parents were dead because of Voldemort and because Dumbledore had lied to me for so long. I cried so much reading that letter, both in relief and anger." Hermione hugged his head lightly, pressing a chaste kiss to the top of it. He continued. "The next morning, I heard a knock at the door and when I opened it, my parents were standing there, smiling at me and I got to hug them after twenty years and it was the best feeling in the world," he breathed out in relief, then kissed her arm affectionately.
"Oh Harry," she whispered sympathetically. "I am so glad your parents are alive, and I cannot believe that Dumbledore would lie to you like that!" she growled.
He sat up and moved to sit cross legged across from her. "I'm sorry I spilled to you about depressing things on our first official date," he mumbled, embarrassed.
"Nonsense, Harry," she cooed. "I'm glad you just trust me enough to tell me these things, but I'm also sorry I didn't know about this sooner. Ron really didn't allow me to see any of you while we were married, and I'm sorry again about that," she mumbled at her lap. He nudged his finger under her chin, making her look at him. "Mione, it's not your fault. At all. Don't ever think that it is," he stated firmly but lovingly.
He then picked up a blueberry from the bowl of fruit and fed it to her, causing her to blush.
"So now that the depressing things are out of the way, have you still not found a position you like yet?" he smirked at her again, making her cheeks heat further.
"Merlin Harry! What is it with you and your dirty mind?" she gawked, picking up a pillow and hitting him with it.
Harry laid over, laughing.
"Harry James! It's not funny!" she bit her lip, trying not to join his laughter, but it was useless. She soon joined him, her delicate laugh creating a lovely melody with his deep baritone.
She took a sip of the pumpkin juice Harry had poured for her earlier and fanned herself to try and cool the redness in her cheeks. "Actually, I have. There is an empty shop in Diagon Alley that I would love to have and open my bookshop-cafe. The only problem is money and investing. I really need a partner to go in with me to help balance the books and handle other aspects," she mused.
Harry brightened when she explained what she wanted to do. "I'll buy the shop for you, 'Mione," he offered.
"Merlin no, Harry! I couldn't accept that from you," she started, but Harry held up a hand to silence her.
"Alright, if you won't let me buy it outright, then I'll go in as a silent partner and help you purchase the building," he groused, looking at her sternly, but lovingly. "I won't take no for an answer, Hermione Jean." he warned.
Her face morphed into shock, but she nodded. "Alright Harry, I'll let you be a silent partner, on the condition that you take some of the profit," she argued back.
"There she is," he snarked playfully. Hermione quirked an eyebrow at him, the corners of her mouth working into a smile. "Fine," he relented, "I'll take one percent of the profit and that's it," he replied firmly.
Hermione squeaked in delight and threw her arms around him in a tight embrace. "Thank you Harry! You're the greatest!" she gushed.
Harry nuzzled her hair, inhaling her feminine gardenia scent and tightened his arms around her, content to hold her forever that way. "You're welcome, sweet heart," he whispered in her ear, sending chills down her spine. He reluctantly released her and stood up, then reached to scoop her up too. With a snap of his fingers, their secluded corner returned to as it was before.
"Ready for the next portion," he asked, grinning down at her, eyes alight with happiness.
"Of course I am," she returned, matching his grin.
"Hold on tight, then." She gripped his hand tightly and he Apparated them away.
When she opened her eyes again, they were standing on the other side of the large park, near a beautiful gazebo flanked by colorful flowers of all sorts. A band was setting up to play inside it as the sun was beginning to set.
"Dancing?" she mused, unable to stop smiling. It was wonderful to just be with Harry.
He nodded at her. "I promise not to step on your toes this time," he supplied. She laughed quietly, almost wincing on the spot at the memory of the last time they danced together at their graduation party at the Burrow.
"Then lead the way, Mr. Potter," she mock bowed, earning a barking laugh from the wizard beside her.
He led her by the hand to the temporary dance floor just as the band was beginning to play. He drew her into his arms, dancing slowly with her. She rested her cheek against his shoulder, content as he danced with her. They danced in content quietness until the song ended.
She picked her head up and looked at him. "Well, you certainly have improved," she joked. A livelier tune began to play and he took her into his arms again, showing his skills and impressing the witch in his arms immensely.
As the night drew on, he noticed she was growing tired, so he leant down and whispered to her, "Getting tired, love?"
She nodded, so he helped her off the dance floor and to a secluded spot so they could Apparate to their final destination.
They landed smoothly outside of Susan's Sweet Treats in Diagon Alley, and he opened the door for her, then followed inside behind her. Susan Bones greeted them cheerily. "Hi, you two! What can I get you this evening?"
Hermione immediately pointed out the slice of strawberry cheesecake to Harry, her eyes alight like a child's. Harry couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm, so he looked back to Susan. "The strawberry cheesecake please, and two forks if you will."
The friendly witch nodded and removed the slice from the case and put it on a plate with two forks and handed it over to Harry. "Two galleons please," she chirped. Harry handed her the appropriate amount of money and escorted Hermione to a table near the back.
He pulled out a chair for her and took the other one for himself, placing the plate in the middle and handing her a fork. They shared the cheesecake in companionable silence, Hermione fighting to stay awake. Harry noticed this and squeezed her arm gently, signalling her to stand up and walked her outside, then Apparated them away.
They arrived in front of Harry's door, him having to hold her up practically from being dead on her feet. He unwarded his door silently and scooped her into his arms, carrying her inside and pushed the door closed with his foot, re-warding it in the same manner. He laid her down on the sofa, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead before retrieving the plush throw and spreading it over her. He went into the kitchen to prepare a pot of tea, since he was still wide awake, pondering over how well his date with the curly-headed witch had gone. He was pleased with himself, and chalked the date up to a plus one for him and hopefully putting him on the right path to finally woo her.
He filled the tea kettle with water at the sink and placed it on the range, then cast a silent Silencio to prevent the whistling from waking Hermione up. He peeped around the corner to see that Hermione was still asleep, not missing the smile on her face even as she slept, snuggled securely under the throw. He re-focused on the task at hand, as the water had begun to boil. He lifted the kettle off the range and poured it over a waiting tea bag in the mug he had set out earlier.
A piercing scream tore through the room, resulting in Harry almost dropping his mug. He quickly plopped it down on the bench and dashed for the lounge, only to see Hermione sat straight up, terror written all over her face. "Noooo," she sobbed, still sound asleep. Tears tracked down her cheeks and dripped off her chin, her knuckles white as they gripped the blanket unawares.
Harry quickly darted around the coffee table and knelt beside the couch, lightly touching her forearm. "Hermione," he whispered soothingly, rubbing small circles on the top of her hand with his thumb. "Hermione," he called a bit louder. When she did not respond, he reached under her and pulled her tight against him, holding her snugly in his embrace. He felt helpless and unsure of what to do, so he just held her until she came around.
When Hermione realised she was in Harry's arms, a fresh wave of tears knocked her over, sobs echoing around the lounge. She felt Harry's lips faintly in her hair, whispering soothing things, unlike Ron did when she cried. He would tell her to 'suck it up, no one cares' and 'quit crying before I really give you something to cry about'. She clung to Harry tightly as he rubbed her back, head resting on top of hers.
"You're alright, love. You're safe," he murmured comfortingly.
Soon the sobs became sniffles, then the sniffles hiccups. When she finally felt composed enough to lift her head, her red-rimmed eyes looked up to him, his being full of worry and love for his witch.
"What happened, 'Mione?" he inquired in a gentle tone.
She hiccuped again, then drew a shaky breath. "Nightmares about the b-babies I've lost," she managed. Her response resulted in him hugging her even tighter against him, but she continued on. "It's awful. I can see their tiny bodies, but their faces are a blur to me now. Is that wrong?" she wondered aloud.
"No, 'Mione, it isn't," he responded calmly. "It just means you're healing, which takes time. You are so brave," he whispered against her ear. He wanted to kiss her there, but was hesitant to. As fate would seemingly deem it, her head turned at just the right moment, causing his lips to brush against the delicate outer shell of her ear. A delicious shiver ran down her spine, so he decide to take a chance and press a kiss under her ear, nibbling down the slender column of her neck to her clavicle, leaving searing kisses.
"H-Harry, please," she begged, eyes fluttering closed at his touch. Her fingers dug into his sides, trying to curb her whimpers but failing miserably.
He pressed fleeting kisses across her clavicle and up her throat, suckling gently under her jaw before pressing his lips to hers. The same magical aura enveloped them in the pale golden light, creating a buzz of electricity between them.
She reluctantly broke the kiss, resting her forehead against his shoulder, breathless. She peered up at him, wondering if he felt the same thing that she did; from the hungry gleam in his eye it was evident he felt it too.
"H-Harry...make love to me," she begged again, voice shaking with nerves. He pulled her back to look at him, unsureness on his face.
"'Mione, are you sure?" he asked haltingly. "I don't want to take advantage of your vulnerability or cause you to regret this lat-" His spiel was cut off by Hermione pressing her lips hungrily to his this time, all doubts gone from her mind.
"I'm sure, Harry. I trust you," she implored. "My feelings for you are so strong, and I know you won't intentionally hurt me. I also love you, which scares me but I feel safe with you all at the same time," she continued. He sat, unmoving, unsure of what to say.
"Harry, please say something…" she pleaded.
He cleared his throat, unsure of how to answer her. "I feel terrible taking advantage of you," he whispered, an unfamiliar gleam in his eye. He exhaled, trying to figure out what to say. He pressed his forehead to hers, the magic crackling between them.
"Wow," she whispered, wide-eyed.
"I know," he murmured. "I think that was our magic connecting, 'Mione."
"Our magic?" she breathed. She had read all sorts of books about it, but there was nothing quite like feeling it for yourself, the magic weaving between two individuals on the precipice. Her body hummed to life for the first time in years, sending another shiver through it.
He swooped in, gently sucking her lower lip before kissing her slightly-swollen lips yet again. He held her firmly in his arms, decision made, and swiftly Apparated them to his bedroom.