A big hug to everyone who reviewed chapter 6. I was a bit worried you guys would have given up on this story a long time ago due to my lack of posting.

But you're here and I am going to finish this I promise. So here is chapter 7, just for my special people out there….. You guys don't know how happy I was to see the old names again lol…

Bra4goten

Chapter 7- A step forward

Harry was on his way out the door and to the Quidditch pitch, when his watch caught his eye. It was purely out of habit rather then need. He knew he was still quite early yet, so it wasn't the time that had him perplexed; it was the date that was displayed just above the number eight.

September 3. Just a few weeks till her birthday. The day he'd proposed to her.

Hermione was only a few steps behind him. Her breakfast had consisted of black coffee and a sobering spell. It was just what she needed for her massive hangover. After this morning, she was sure there would be no more drinking games in her future.

Harry watched her move quickly through the kitchen grabbing papers, while desperately trying to hold on to her purse. Unlike him, she was in danger of running late this morning.

He knew she was beyond upset at this very possibility. Hermione possessed the finely tuned gift of punctuality, of gauging everything properly so that, barring some unforeseen, act of God, she was never late.

"Is something wrong?"

She asked summoning her earrings to her earlobes, then running her fingers over each ear to make sure they were both properly fastened.

Harry didn't move. He stood frozen in the doorway as if she somehow waved her wand over him.

Holding back her sigh, Hermione looked at him. She still wasn't used to Harry or having to share her space with him. And she was beginning to think she never would. It had been almost two weeks since the accident and her time is this funhouse with this man she didn't remember.

Except for tiny spurts of thoughts she couldn't seem to hold on too, nothing was coming back to her about him or the life he claimed they'd had. Somehow her mind had cut Harry Potter out of every single memory she had.

Was it motivated by talks of divorce? She wondered. Was that what had somehow opened up this mental black hole?

Suddenly realizing he never answered her, Harry sighed, "Nothing."

"Harry," she began.

Something in her voice made him turn around. Something about its tone told him she was about to follow it up with something he should brace himself for. As if having a wife who didn't know you anymore was not bad enough.

"Yeah?" He asked somewhat guarded, when he finally looked up.

"Were we getting a divorce?"

Harry groaned… "What?"

Hermione took a deep breath and asked again, only this time slower, as if she was seeking an answer from someone who was mentally impaired.

"Were we getting a divorce, talking about a divorce, getting help?" she repeated

"No," he barked. Then just in case she felt the need to go down the line again, he made it perfectly clear.

"No to all of them Hermione." Harry paused, looking at her face.

Her expression remained the same. Puzzled. That made two of them.

"Why?"

Hermione shrugged her shoulders slightly.

"I just figure it had to be something of that extent for my mind to shut you out of my life."

At least she wasn't balking anymore at the idea that they were married, Harry thought. That was something, right?

"No, no major storm in our lives," he told her for what seemed like the hundredth time as he pushed her fallen piece of hair back.

It would have taken very little for him to grab her face and kiss her within an inch of her life, but instead he sighed and resisted the temptation, by letting his hand drop back to his side.

"Just a whole series of tiny ones." He said and gave her a small smile. "Like always."

Hermione fought back the shiver that spread throughout her body. Her pulse had accelerated. Harry's touch had seemed intimate, she didn't know why, but the slight gesture sent a wave of heat and she almost felt her forehead.

Although she was independent and guarded her space, in her heart of hearts, she felt a sort of deep pleasure taking over her body

A second ago he was ready to leave for work and keep his silence. But her thought that they were considering divorce had his defenses ready to strike.

"As a matter of fact," he told her, "today's the day I proposed to you."

Hermione searched her mind, desperately trying to recall the event but came up with nothing.

"It is?" she asked weakly

Harry nodded, "September third."

The man standing in front of her didn't strike her as the sensitive, sentimental type. More like the type who found remembering dates quite ridiculous.

She stared at him in shock.

"You remember the day you proposed to me? Most guys don't remember things like that."

"Yeah, well, I'm not like most guys." That was what he was trying to get her to see. That she'd said yes to him, even though the stakes were high. That made him different from all the other men she'd ever gone out with.

They were best friends. Friends weren't supposed to fall in love with one another. Yet they did risks and all.

Yesterday, in a moment of desperation, he'd flooed Seamus. It had taken sometime for Seamus to finally get a word in. He told him that it wasn't unusual that she still didn't remember. He told him to continue being nice and patient as well as surround Hermione with familiar things.

The last one now prompted him to say,

"Why don't we go to the place where I proposed when I get back tonight? Maybe that will help."

At this point , even though part of him had become okay with the thought of winning Hermione all over again, he was willing to try just about anything to move the process along.

Hermione caught her lip between her teeth, thinking.

"What time?"

He saw a but coming and tried to beat it. "Any time you're free."

She flashed him what he knew was an apologetic smile.

"That's just it, I'm not. I mean, I promised to attend this ball for house elves. It's tonight. I said yes weeks ago Harry," she added.

The depths of his own patience surprised him as he asked her evenly,

"Do you have to stay for the whole event?"

She had planned to, but in light of what he just told her, she supposed she owed it to him to alter her evening.

"No, I guess I could leave early. I could say I had another engagement." Her mouth curved a she realized what she just said.

"No pun intended."

"Make all the puns you want, as long as we get this settled before I am as old as Dumbledore."

He thought for a second. "I'll come to the ball with you. That way, you can spend a little more time at the ball and then we can go to the restaurant from there."

She seemed surprised by his suggestion.

"But you don't like balls."

The words came out automatically, before she was even aware that they had occurred to her. Feeling uncomfortable, like being discovered, she tacked on,

"Do you?"

How did you know that?" he asked trying to contain his excitement and not jump to conclusions, he still grabbed her shoulders.

His emerald eyes searched hers, looking for a sign, a clue.

"Did you just remember something?"

Hermione managed to free herself from his grasps and spread out her hands blindly.

"It just came to me. Instinct, I guess." She looked up at him. "I don't know," she said honestly.

No one had ever accused Harry Potter of being an optimist. He didn't deserve the label after his countless times of claiming his upcoming doom with Voldemort, but right now he clung to this small tidbit she'd unwittingly thrown his way.

He had too, he gave him hope.

He needed to get going before they were both late. Still he lingered a moment longer. Willing her to find her way out of this whole mess.

"What time do you have to be at this ball?" he asked.

"Six."

Then, before he could ask her anything else, she said

"I have to meet up with Evan. Evan Waltertrap," she added in case she'd taken too much for granted.

She kept treating him like a newcomer to her life and it irritated him. Irritated him because he knew her better than anyone, even Ron.

"I know who Evan is, Hermione. You're the one with amnesia," he reminder her, "Not me."

Trying to remain calm, Hermione gave him a shrug.

"Well, I just don't know how much you know about my world." She sighed

"It's our world," he told her gruffly.

"Bits and pieces might be separate, but it's our world, Mione, yours and mine."

Annoyance filled him as he studied her puzzle expression. He swore he saw her slipping away from him again. After the small progress they just made.

"What?" he snapped.

Stepping back Hermione lifted her chin defensively, ignoring his tone.

"You're making me nervous Harry"

A feeling of déjà vu passed over him, feeding his anger.

"You'll get over it," he promised her, and then added, "You did the first time."

To his satisfaction, he saw her eyes widen. Something else you can't remember, he thought.

They'd had this conservation once before, when she'd admitted that she did have feelings for him and that it worried her because they had such a strong friendship. She went on to tell him that risking their friendship was like giving up pieces of herself. He'd answered by saying he didn't want pieces of her, he wanted all of her.

Just as he gave all of himself to her, she decided to give it a go and what a go they made of it. Everything was perfect. Just like they dreamed it would be. Now it seemed he was the only one with those dreams now.

Hermione dreaded this silence hanging between them. Due to last night's fun, she really didn't feel up to having another row with him.

Harry looked up and sighed.

"You might want to take another sobering potion to work with you just in case" he told her.

"I'm fine really," she replied not even looking at him.

"Six," he repeated.

She nodded, still refusing to meet his eyes. "Six."

"I'll be home by five," he told her as he walked out the door.

Once she heard the door shut, Hermione knew it was safe to look up. When she finally did, the tears that were hidden before fell freely from her eyes.

"So then he went on about my behavior, as if I was his child." Ginny huffed.

Luna sipped her water as she listened to Ginny complain about Draco.

"I can only imagine what my git of a brother had to say to you." She huffed at Luna.

Placing her glass down Luna shrugged. "Ronald was upset, but he was so sweet."

"Sweet, Ron?" Ginny chuckled. "Yeah right, don't go easy on him Luna. I might be his sister but they acted like babies last night."

"Honestly I was pretty much on cloud ten, so I don't remember much but going to bed, though we talked this morning." Luna told her.

Hermione snickered, "You were pretty drunk, Lu"

Laughing Luna leaned back in her chair, her radish earrings falling with her plaits.

"How did things go between you and Harry?" she asked, turning the conversation toward her.

Sighing Hermione leaned back. The events of last night seemed to dance around her mind, stopping on that blasted kiss that unnerved her.

"Well…I actually kissed him" she said weakly

Neither spoke for a second, while they registered what she told them. Ginny made the first step when her face broke out in a grin.

"Oh, Mione. Does this means you got you're memories back?" she asked.

When Hermione didn't answer, the smile dropped. Once again she felt the dreaded feel of disappointment again. She wanted so badly to remember. For everything just to go back to normal.

"No, I haven't. It was the Firewhiskey" Hermione decided to continue with what she knew was a lie.

"It's the crumpled – horned snorkacks. They interfere with the mind during September and October." Luna explained.

"Luna," Ginny began

"Yes,"

"I'm not even going to try and understand what you just said." She told her.

"Later when we have more time I will explain it to you. Don't worry you're brother didn't know much about it either." She beamed.

Hermione just shook her head and laughed. Luna was an odd girl, but she wouldn't have her any other way.

"Here comes lunch girls" Hermione said spotting the waitress.

"Good I'm starved." Luna smiled, tucking her wand behind her ear.

Ginny was not very happy at the moment. Life just didn't seem fair.

"So let me get this straight." She huffed looking at them both.

"You got bed and a talk this morning? And you got a kiss?" she followed.

"My husband treated me like a freaking child. Even had the guts to ask me if I flirted with the guys." She pouted.

"Gin," Hermione said.

"Things were a little crazy last night. I can only imagine what was going through their minds when they found us."

"Well, I don't care Hermione" she huffed once again.

"We weren't doing anything wrong. And his little display of child-like behavior just shows that he obviously doesn't trust me."

Luna frowned, "Draco trust you with his life, you know that"

Ginny nodded, "Yes, with his life but not around other men." She pointed out.

"If he can't trust me, then we have a problem Luna. He acted ridiculous and until he apologizes he will continue to sleep on the sofa."

Hermione laughed, she couldn't picture Draco sleeping on the couch without a fight.

"And Draco is okay with sleeping on the couch" she asked.

"Of course not," Ginny shrugged.

"But I'll be damned if I'm sleeping in the same bed with someone who does not trust me."

"Until he realizes what he did and says he's sorry, the couch will continue to be his bed." She added for measure.

"Oh, Gin. You two just need to talk this out then everything will be okay." Luna told her smiling.

"I agree with Luna." Hermione added.

"Talk?" Ginny scowled.

"We tried that this morning and all it accomplished was me screaming some more and him leaving for work calling me a bitch." She said

"Sorry Hermione but not all of us or perfect like you and Harry." She sighed looking down at her plate.

Hermione shifted in her chair trying not to show how uncomfortable she was at the moment.

"Umm…right now I would hardly call Harry and I perfect." She told her.

Ginny sighed.

"I know Hermione, but you guys will get through this. The love you two share is too strong just to give up."

Hermione didn't offer a comment to her, and turned to her food instead.

"The same goes for you and Draco too" Luna offered.

Ginny stifled a laugh, "Hardly the case at the moment Luna I assure you. Matter of fact the next time I see that git it would be too soon."

Laughing Luna nodded, "Well get ready for too soon, cause here he comes."

At that both Ginny and Hermione turned around to see Ron talking the hostess. Draco and Harry stood right behind him.

Both turned to Luna for an explanation.

"Don't worry they aren't staying. I asked Ronald to pick up my paycheck to put in the vault. He has a longer lunch."

Harry spotted Hermione once he followed Ron and Draco to the back. She looked terrified to say the least and his heart sunk.

He knew it was due to his presence and it irritated him. Before she would give him a mega-watt smile, loving the times they were able to catch a glimpse or a word throughout the day. How he wished today was another one.

But today she didn't know him. Most likely tomorrow would bring the same results. His only hope rode on their dinner tonight. It had too, or he would be forced to find another way.

Once they reached the table Ron gave Luna a kiss and they began talking about deposits and such. Harry stood there watching her eat her meal wondering if he should say something.

Once she looked up he decided he should.

"Hermione," he said nodding. That should do it.

"Harry" she nodded back giving him a small smile which he assumed was a forced one. What he would give for her mega- watt one now.

Draco tried his best not to look at Ginny. After the way she yelled at him like a banshee this morning, he really didn't want a repeat this afternoon.

He knew she was looking at him from the corner of her eye. He could see her mouth fighting to stay shut and he smirked. Damn woman had a problem with opening her mouth a lot.

Oh but the things she did with that mouth would drive a man insane he thought as he watched her chew on her bottom lip.

That same mouth that brought him great pleasure just two nights ago. He groaned at the thought. Two long days since he last touched his wife. It would most certainly be longer now that he was banned from his own bedroom.

His anger at that quickly dissolved any ideas he had about sex with Ginny. She acted in a disapproving manner last night. He had every right to be upset.

And he was damned if he was going to apologize for being worried about his wife.

He was brought out of his thoughts by Ron laughing and telling Luna goodbye.

"I'll see you later tonight sweetie. Owl me later so I know what you want for dinner." Luna told him.

Harry who was still staring at Hermione smiled. "Yeah, I'll see ya around five."

"Five" Hermione repeated though she didn't look so sure about the idea.

The men began to walk away, Ginny smiling at Ron and Harry as they pasted. Draco came up behind Harry and the smile dropped.

"Malfoy" she said coolly and nodded. No reason to be completely uncivilized.

"Malfoy" he returned in her exact manner.

Ron stopped and turned around laughing.

"Harry, pinch me," he chuckled.

"I must be dreaming because Malfoy just shunned his own name."

"People do not shun the Malfoy name" Ginny and Draco said in unison.

Both turned to stare at each other as the rest of the gang laughed. Draco swore he saw Ginny's face soften and even try to smile.

Following Ron and Harry out the restaurant he began thinking. Maybe he did overreact last night? Tonight he would try to apologize. There is a first time for everything.

Harry wasn't home by five. Or five-fifteen, or five-thirty. At five –thirty one, Harry burst in through the front door, moving at the speed of a true seeker. He knew Hermione hated being late for anything. Tonight would be no exception.

And when he saw Hermione at the foot of the stairs he stopped dead in his tracks.

She was wearing a floor-length, hunter green gown made of what looked like shiny spider's web. The all but translucent material clung to her body like a second skin. His palms suddenly itched.

"I think I'm jealous of a piece of cloth."

The look in his eyes as they roamed over her body washed away the impatient anger that had been building steadily with the passing of each minute. She tried her best to get some of it back, but found it useless.

"Where were you?" she demanded. "I was about to leave without you."

"The ball. The restaurant dinner. His mind came back online. He made for the staircase.

"Three minutes," he tossed over his shoulder, stripping off his practice shirt as he ran up the stairs two at a time.

"All I need is three minutes."

Gathering up the hem of her gown, Hermione followed him up the stairs.

"I should have left ten minutes ago." She yelled.

She heard him opening up the wardrobe in her bedroom. Their bedroom, she admitted silently.

His clothes were flying from the wardrobe to the bed as he continued to get undressed.

"Where is this ball at anyway?" he asked.

She walked in just in time to see him kicking off his shoes and then pulling down his pants. He seemed to favor silk boxers, which looked dare she say sexy.

Very sexy. Damn.

"Hermione?" he asked looking up in her direction when she made no reply to his question.

Hermione realized something right then. She found out that it was hard to answer when your tongue was suddenly sealed to the roof of your mouth because all traces of moisture had dried up.

Harry's everyday clothes hadn't exactly been baggy, and his jeans had a nice way of clinging to his slim hips, but she had no idea he had a body that would make any woman under the age of ninety weep for joy.

Harry's body was hard, muscular and taut, with a small waist and a butt she had a feeling she could bounce quarters off of. It made her want to get her wallet out.

"Ministry," she managed to say, dragging her eyes away. Unfortunately they dragged right to the mirror on the wardrobe door, which reflected Harry's body right back at her.

It took a great deal of effort for her to form words. "It's at the ministry ball room."

"You're the guest speaker, right?" he asked dragging on his best pair of pants.

He was aware that she was watching his every move, watching as his pants slipped over his thighs and hips before he buttoned then zipped them up.

The look in her eyes pleased him and again he told himself they were making progress. Something was going to make her come around to him.

He just hoped he could hold out until it happened, because as things stood, angry or not, happy or not, all he wanted to do was take Hermione and make love to her.

The hardest thing to do was to miss someone who was standing right in front of you.

It took a great deal of effort for Hermione to pull her thoughts together.

"What?"

She blinked, focusing. The sentence he'd just asked played back in her head. Something about a guest speaker. Her. She was the guest speaker.

"Oh, right. Right," she repeated with feeling

Reaching up Harry grabbed hold of the green-long sleeved shirt. Interpreting the look on he face correctly, he suppressed a grin. Barely.

Soon, he promised himself.

"Well, they won't start without you, will they?"

She watched as his fingers worked their way down the front of his shirt, closing buttons as they went

"No."

They word came out as a sigh, then suddenly aware of the way it sounded, Hermione cleared her throat and repeated it a little more forcefully.

"No"

Mercifully he was covered again, she thought. Now all she had to do was block the imagine of an almost naked Harry out of he brain.

"Ready," he smiled. He nodded toward the door. "Go on, go."

"I'm assuming that we will apperate," Harry said as they made it downstairs.

He was putting on his cloak when she turned to look at him. She wanted to be angry, to get so deep in a argument that her mind would wind up creating a kind of fury force field around her head.

With effort she did her best to pick a fight.

"If you were going to be late, why didn't you owl?" she demanded.

Leaning in front of her he sighed.

"I didn't know I was going to be late until I was still in the air at five twenty seven." He said.

Today's practiced had been hell. With the biggest game in the season coming up the coach had them all pushed to the extreme.

She gave him a puzzled look, not understanding his reason.

"If you knew we had to leave Harry, you could have gotten off your broom."

"Coach had us in the air Hermione; I didn't take notice of the time. Once I did I came home didn't I?"

"Sorry," he apologized. "I wasn't counting on going back up, when he called my name."

She dismissed his apology with a wave of her hand before turning back around.

"Doesn't matter now," she told him.

With a quick sudden jerk on his arm, she pulled him closer to her.

"If we hurry, we can still make it on time." She said.

In a flash they were gone.

And hurry they did Harry thought when he jerked with a force in the ball room. Hermione instantly let go of his arm and hurried toward Evan.

Making his way to the bar, Harry growled when he saw her hug Evan. Then if that wasn't bad enough the bloke got his mega-watt smile to boot.

Because he was trying to win her over, Harry didn't go after the guy the way he wanted too. Instead he did his best to hold his tongue. He tried not to feel ignored as she spent the evening weaving in and out of the crowds.

She watched her as she made stops, smiled and shared jokes with everyone but him. He really hoped the restaurant worked. Not having his wife was really affecting his game and state of mind.

He spotted her standing by the punch table and for once she was alone. He decided to make his way over to her.

"You know, I was thinking maybe we could have the next dance." He said coming up behind her.

She glanced around the room before she finally turned his way. Her eyes shifted to his as she let out a nervous smile.

"I didn't take you for someone who likes to dance."

"Maybe I don't but then again you wouldn't remember" he smiled trying to lighten the mood.

"Well, I'm afraid that I still have duties to make. So dancing is out of the question." She replied.

"Hermione, one dance is all I ask. You still have time before we leave to handle any duties you might have."

Hermione took one look at his pleading eyes and felt herself unable to say no.

Offering her hand she sighed. "Fine, one dance" she told him.

She couldn't help but smile as his eyes lit up. Taking her arm, Harry walked them to the center of the dance floor.

"Satisfied" she asked when he pulled her close.

"Getting there," he told her before she leaned her head on his chest.

Hermione couldn't help it as the image of Harry's half naked body came back in full. Try as she may, the feel of his body so close was more than she could take.

She began to feel flushed, and dare she say turned on.

"Damn," she whispered once she realized the feeling wasn't going away.

Instantly alert, he looked down at her.

"What's the matter?"

"I need to go to the loo" she whispered out fear of using her voice too loudly.

"Now?" he asked looking at her face.

"You can't wait?" he was still looking into her eyes.

Did he want her to scream? Admit she had to collect herself, that at that moment she wanted him so badly she could barely breathe.

"Now, Harry" she said.

He understood then, she wanted him. The look on her face was enough proof.

"Then go," he told her with a smile.

He watched her as she merged with the crowd and made her way toward the loo. She had stopped for a minute looking unsure which way to turn. She made a left, and then quickly turned right toward the women's.

Harry didn't say anything. He was too busy trying to suppress the grin that so badly wanted to spread out over his face.

Hermione didn't remember.

She didn't remember the restaurant when they finally managed to leave the ball. Didn't remember his proposal. Harry found it hard not to take it personally.

She remembered old movies, details about people she worked with, the ingredients in the one meal she could cook without filling the kitchen up in smoke.

But she didn't remember him. Why?

The question echoed in Harry's mind as the popped into the sitting room, just as it had since this whole damn thing happened.

Harry all but stormed into the kitchen once he got home. He was having a hard time controlling his disappointment. It had cloaked itself in anger, which he was trying very hard not to take out on her.

"I'm sorry Harry," Hermione said quietly as she followed him into the kitchen.

She was different now compared to earlier this evening. At the ball, she was happy, talking to everyone who came up to her. She worked the room like a pro, securing a lot of support for the house elves.

At the restaurant, she'd been a little less talkative but she still held great company. And now as they returned home without an audience, she suddenly turned quiet on him.

It was as if someone had turned the volume down both on her voice and her personality. She almost looked vulnerable, he thought. Almost but not quite.

"Sorry about what?" he asked, heading back to the sitting room.

"Sorry that I didn't remember," she told him coming into the room and dropping her purse.

Harry paused for a moment, the strange note in her voice catching his attention. There was a look of sadness in her eyes, of regret. The lingering look of doubt that was present since he brought her home from St. Mungo's was gone.

He felt his way around carefully, knowing better than to take too much for granted when it came to Hermione

"Then you've stopped doubting that I'm your husband." He asked.

"Yes." She lifted her shoulders in a half shrug which was not nearly as careless as she pretended it was.

"Actually, I started believing you a couple of days ago."

The only sound was the howl of the wind outside. Maybe he was opening up a can of worms, but he had to ask.

"Why?"

Though she thrived on logic, always had, there where times when she gave way to emotion.

"Because nobody would go through this much trouble, stage photos, get my friends in on it, that kind of thing," she elaborated.

"It has to be true."

A smile played on her lips for moment before she added.

"Even I'm not worth that much trouble."

Harry laughed and shook his head. He was doing his best to keep this sense of hopelessness at bay.

"Nice to know the accident didn't affect your ego either."

She wasn't sure how he meant that, but she stopped short at any reference to having an ego. Nothing could be further from the truth. If anything, the person she was inside was insecure, not egotistical.

"That was meant as a joke," she told him.

Harry sighed. He unfastened his cloak and dropped it onto the sofa without a conscious thought as to what he was doing.

"Yeah, I know." He said pulling out his shirt from his pants, he began to unbutton it.

"Sorry, maybe I'm being a little testy."

"No more than usual"

Hermione picked up the cloak and brushed it off, something he noted that she always did whenever they returned from a function. She was doing it unconsciously. Naturally. Maybe some small part of her mind was staging a comeback.

He tried not to get excited about what would have been, under normal circumstances, a very normal act.

She saw him looking at her oddly. Had something fallen out of his pocket? She looked around and saw no reason for his expression.

"What?" she cried.

"You're picking up my cloak."

Hermione looked down at the cloak in her arms.

"Well you left it on top of the sofa. Do you have any idea how dirty it can get with all the things in here. Why are you looking at me like that?"

Harry allowed himself to smile. Inside he filled with hope.

"Because that is something a wife would do."

She had no idea why on hand she felt so attracted to this man and on the other; she had this desire to contradict everything he said. Was that what her marriage had been like?

"Or someone who was trying to establish some kind of order in this land of chaos," she countered.

Hermione threw the cloak at him. "Here I'll even let you hang it up."

He caught the cloak with one hand. "You can still nag I see."

Hermione gasped as she raised her eyes to him all set to go a round or two.

"I do not nag. I make tasteful suggestions."

Harry rolled his eyes, and then headed up the stairs.

"Over and over again."

Grabbing her dress up, she hurried after him.

"There's nothing wrong with reinforcement Harry," she informed him.

Harry's laughed was forced.

"Is that what you call it, now?"

Under Hermione's watchful eye, he took the cloak and tossed it on the chair. He removed his shoes, then his shirt. He left them all on the chair.

Hermione couldn't take her eyes off him. Something stirred in the back of mind, but as she tried urging it out, it wouldn't budge.

There was no denying that she was experiencing a very real sense of déjà vu. She'd stood like this before, in some room. Perhaps even this one, watching him do exactly what he was doing.

The picture just refused to become clear no matter how much she willed it to.

When Harry's long, tanned fingers went to undo the button at the top of his pants; Hermione realized that she had caught her breath.

"What are you doing?"

"Avoiding another 'tactful' suggestion, he told her mildly.

"If I take my pants off downstairs, you'll only complain about where I leave them."

He eased the pants down from his hips, and then flung them to the chair.

"Besides my pajama bottoms are here." He shrugged.

Hermione felt a wave of warmth coming over her. Intense warmth. And there seemed to be a sudden shortage of air, not just in her lungs but the whole room.

She knew she should turn away. Standing here like this, staring at him, was giving Harry the satisfaction of getting the reaction she knew he was after.

But it was impossible to look away from a body like Harry's.

Hermione's mind might not remember this man but her body sure did. Her tongue was resting in a dry mouth.

"You sleep in pajama bottom's?" she heard herself asking.

"Sometimes," he told her, his eyes never leaving hers. "Sometimes I sleep in nothing at all."

Suddenly everything got hotter. Hermione could have sworn she was in the oven.

She could feel her heart hammering in her throat. And her chest. How was that possible?

And why wasn't he putting something on for Merlin's sake?

Her knees were getting weak. "And which time is this? Her voice was hardly above a whisper.

Harry stood so close to her there wasn't even enough room to wedge in a prayer. Not one for strength.

"That's up to you," he told her.

She wanted some kind of outside power to come in and intervene. To take it out of her hands. She didn't want it to be up to her.

Because she wasn't strong enough to turn away.

His words seemed to shimmer before her, almost tangible enough to reach out and grasp. The next moment she was aware that she was grasping his shoulders. Standing in the high heels she still had yet to take off.

The distance between point A and point B was not as great as it might have been. Point A were her lips, point B were his.

She didn't know who it was who cut the remaining distance between them. It might have been Harry, but she was fairly certain that she made the first move. That she was the one who brought her lips up to his.

The next thing she knew, she was being pulled in his arms. He was pressing her to him. Pressing his mouth against hers. And even though she couldn't remember a physical relationship between them beyond the time Harry kissed her, something inside her cried for joy.

Hermione surrendered to the inevitable not with resignation but a sense of elation that almost frightened her for its intensity. As far as she was concerned, she really still did not know him.

It didn't seem to matter. Her soul somehow knew him and that was enough.

Hermione lost herself inside the kiss.

Then, suddenly he was drawing back, away from her. "Hermione?"

It took her a moment to contain herself. Her insides were spinning, along with the room. She looked at his face, his expression, and knew what he was asking.

Whether she'd suddenly remembered.

Ever so slightly, she moved her head from side to side. She didn't remember. And right now she desperately wanted to.

"Make me remember, Harry." She cried.

Harry didn't need anything more. Sweeping her back into his arms, he kissed her over and over again.

Melting her, melting himself.

Well there you have chapter 7. Chapter 8 will be out shortly, and please remember to review good or bad…