Chapter 9

After dinner that night Hermione was still very much on edge and it bothered Harry more with each passing second. She excused herself and took Charlotte up for a bath andthen after she got her snuggled into bed Hermione stood at the top of the stairs and contemplated not going back down to face Harry and maybe just go straight to bed. She decided to do that even though it was terribly rude. She just couldn't deal with Harry at the moment, Draco's kiss was flying around in her head and messing with her emotions. She turned around and went to her room to get ready for bed. Hermione jumped into a nice hot shower and let the water gently massage her tense shoulders and run down her body. She washed her hair nice and slowly and massaged her scalp to help with her relaxation. After a while she stepped out and wrapped her self in a huge, fluffy, white dressing gown and stepped out into her room. Hermione almost fell over when she saw Harry sitting on her bed although for some reason she was half expecting him to be there.

"What are you doing here Harry?"

"Umm I live here!" Hermione snorted at his sarcasm and continued over to her dresser and unwrapped her hair from the warming towel. She started brushing her hair while Harry sat there watching her intently.

"What happened at work today?" Harry continued watching her and Hermione could see him in the mirror. He noticed she tensed up immediately.

"Why do you ask Harry?" She turned around to face him.

"Because it's not like you to be so tense, what happened?" Harry stared her down and waited and Hermione could see she wasn't going to be able to get away with being vague.

"Like I said earlier how do you know what I am like Harry, for heavens sake you carry on as if we were really married. You know nothing about the real me, you think you do but you don't, believe me." Hermione stood up and walked over to her window. Harry watched her walk over and slowly stood up and followed her. As it was night, the lights within the room illuminated them and Harry could see their reflection in the window, Hermione standing in front of him in her white dressing gown, arms folded across her chest and him standing behind her in his white shirt and black pants. He slowly lifted his hand up and took a curl in his fingers and let it flow through, he glanced up and saw Hermione slowly close her eyes, hopefully enjoying the feel of him close to her body.

"I know you love 'our' daughter. I know you would do anything to help people because you are so kind, generous and giving. I know you are terribly self conscious and you have absolutely no reason to be. I know you hate your hair and you tie it up so any attention won't be drawn to it. I know you miss Paris so much and if it wasn't for Charlotte having to stay here you would be back there in a heartbeat. I know you Hermione more than you know," Harry whispered and he watched her eyes trained on his and then he heard her whisper how?

"How, you ask, how?" Harry smiled and was so tempted to tell her he was falling for her and he wanted to share her bed, he wanted to continue running his hands through her beautiful soft golden brown hair and touch her milky coloured skin in places that right now he couldn't. He wanted to grab her and kiss her more than he wanted to breathe but he couldn't, he would risk everything.

"I see how your eyes light up when Charlotte does something new. I see how your heart is alive when you give Dobby his monthly gift of clothing. I watch you battle to tie up your hair so you can tame it. But the most painful one is that I hear you cry at night when you think about Paris or you see something that reminds you of home."

Harry put his hand on her shoulder and slowly turned her around to face him. She didn't fight him or struggle and then Harry started to lean in closer to finally kiss her and Hermione freaked. She couldn't do this twice in one day, not the two men she had been battling with her affections for. Plus he was all to convincing and Harry still had that stigma attached to him about being a womaniser.

She stepped away from him and even a blind man could see the pain in his face.

"Harry I can't do this, not with you." Harry's earlier suspicions of her being with someone else surfaced all too quickly and as per usual the tension between them didn't help the argument that followed.

"Not with me, what's that supposed to mean?" Harry said it a little too forcefully and of course Hermione bit back. The yelling started and at least Hermione had the frame of mind to remember to place a silencing spell around her room so as to not wake Charlotte or Dobby for that matter.

"Listen Harry we are not married, we are not dating, hell we aren't even together so you need to get that through your head. If I meet someone that's my business not yours. I don't need permission off you Harry."

"Just answer the question Hermione, are you seeing someone?" Harry was this close to completely losing it and when she finally admitted to liking someone, the argument ended up swelling up to a complete disaster. He said horrible things to her as she did to him and after an hour of yelling and stamping feet and verbal abusing, Hermione opened the door and told him to get out.

He walked past her and then stopped, he turned back and grabbed her around the back of her neck and pulled her in for a passionate deep intense kiss. Harry's tongue fought its way into her mouth and once it touched hers, fireworks exploded. The kiss quickly deepened and without her even realising it, her hands had made their way up into his hair and she held on. Harry ended the kiss as quickly as he started it and he looked into her eyes then he kissed her again quickly. Hermione could barely stand up when he eventually finished. He turned around and stepped out leaving her breathless and panting.

"Lets see him make you feel like that!"

Hermione's eyes widened and her breath caught in her throat. Harry walked down the hall to his room and closed the door.

"Nobody can make me feel like that Harry, only you." Hermione whispered as he walked away.

The following morning Hermione was exhausted as she had little sleep and when she did sleep it was a very erotic dream about her and Harry that kept her from sleeping any more. She drank her coffee and listened to Charlotte waffle on and on about the picnic they had planned for the day and then Charlotte jumped up into Harry's arms. Hermione looked at him and snorted, how could he look like he was a God when she looked like death warmed up.

"Sleep well Hermione?" Harry asked and at the same time sat down in the chair opposite her. Hermione nearly choked on her coffee and Harry's little laugh made it worse.

"OK ladies we are going visiting today so would you like to get ready so we can start driving."

"Ohhh daddy where are we going?" Charlotte asked excitedly.

"We are going to visit daddy's family my sweet so it will be a fun day."

Hermione spent the time looking into her coffee while Harry set out the days agenda. She decided that it was a good idea for him to take Charlotte out as she could have some time to get over last night's events. She stood up and then told Charlotte to hurry along so she could change her into going out clothes.

"Come on Charlotte, I'll get you dressed to go out with your dad." Harry looked at her and raised an eyebrow, "You're coming too Hermione." It was a statement rather than a question.

"Umm I don't think so Harry, Charlotte needs to meet her family but I don't think its necessary for me to be there too." Hermione tried to sound assertive but it came out much weaker than she hoped. Harry stood up and watched Charlotte walk up the stairs and then when Hermione tried to follow he grabbed her hand and turned her back around. She turned into his body and her stomach flipped instantly at the sudden reminder of last nights kiss and dream.

"Give me the weekend Hermione and I will make you forget him." Hermione dared not to look into his eyes but ended up giving in. She was at a loss for words and couldn't comprehend the magnitude of the whole situation with Harry. She needed space, she needed to breathe but then as she was thinking that, she felt Harry's lips press against hers and damn it to hell, she kissed him back. She drank him in as if she were dying and he responded just as passionately. Harry heard Charlotte call from upstairs and he pulled back. He lifted his hand and swept the hair away from her face and tucked it behind her ear. He leant down and whispered in her ear to give him the weekend and she wouldn't want anyone else then he turned and walked away.

Hermione watched him walk upstairs and her mind couldn't help but wander, he was so gentle and terribly handsome and she knew in her heart she wanted him with such desire. She walked upstairs after him and went straight to her room, she laid down on the bed and tried to get her thoughts in order. Hermione got comfortable and with the sun rays streaming in through her window and onto her face it wasn't long before she dozed off to sleep. Hermione started to wake and she felt the warm blanket covering her and she hoped that Dobby had been in to tend to her. Hermione washed up and went down stairs to see what was happening. As it turned out Harry had left with Charlotte so Hermione had the day to herself and it was welcomed. Hermione spent the day reading her book and then she received an owl from Luna asking if she had plans for lunch and after a few messages back and forward, Hermione left to meet her friend.

She had a wonderful afternoon with Luna, it was so nice to just listen to someone else talk without having to think. Luna picked up that she had something on her mind and Hermione only meant to briefly mention some problems without too much detail but before she knew it Hermione had blabbed everything out to her friend and surprisingly she felt better that she had confided in someone.

"I think the question is Hermione, how do you feel about both men?" Luna sipped her coffee while Hermione contemplated her response.

"I just don't know Luna, its so confusing, Harry is Charlotte's father and that is a blessing and a complication in itself and then there's Draco, he's gorgeous, he's single and he seems interested but he doesn't know about Charlotte. Its a lot to take on someone else's child Luna, I don't know that I could ask that of him." Hermione sipped her coffee.

"So you don't think Harry is gorgeous?" Luna was starting to think her friend was blind.

"Oh Merlin, Luna don't get me started on him, he drives me mental, he is beautiful, he's ridiculously sexy and his kisses drive me insane.."

Luna interrupted "Hang on you kissed Harry?" Hermione huffed out a breath "Umm yeah but Luna, it's Harry Potter for Heavens sake, why on earth would he want someone like me."

"Hermione, you're beautiful and kind and loving, of course he would want you." Hermione rolled her eyes and the look in her eyes should Luna she truly believed it.

"Anyway there's always Draco who I have also kissed..."

"WHAT? WHEN? details Hermione, details Hermione?"

Hermione was quiet for a second and then told her it was on the same day. Luna almost fell off her chair laughing.

"Oh Hermione you certainly have yourself in a bind. You're in love with two men!" Hermione gasped but then the realisation dawned on her and she started to freak out. Luna spent five minutes calming her down and when she was able to actually speak without hyperventilating, the questions continued.

"Hermione this will have to be a matter of elimination, lets discuss Harry first, ok we have established you like them both but what is holding you back with Harry?" Hermione looked so defeated that Luna almost stopped but Hermione continued.

"His reputation and Ginny to be honest. She told me he has a way of moving from one woman to the next and that is not an option with Charlotte. If we broke up and trust me as volatile as we are together, it is a likely scenario, then where does that leave Charlotte, where does that leave Charlotte and me. I mean Harry has money, he could buy any solicitor in the wizarding world and I would have no hope." Luna nodded and asked about the negatives with Draco.

"I don't know Luna, I don't really know him that well, I know he is persistent that's for sure, but he just seems to be so carefree and where does someone else's child fit into that?" Hermione and Luna sat in quiet for about ten minutes when Luna asked the million dollar question.

"Hermione who makes your insides turn upside down with just a look, who could make your knees weak with a gentle touch, who makes your whole body turn to jelly when they kiss you?" Hermione stared at her and opened her mouth to answer but Luna stopped her.

"No Hermione I don't want to know, I want you to know and know it well because whoever it is deserves your full heart not the half heart you have been giving them. Its ok if things don't work out but you have to try and sometimes the road isn't that easy but that makes the journey all the more exciting." Luna squeezed Hermione's hand and the two ladies finished their coffees and headed off to have a look through some more shops before calling it a day.

Hermione knew what her heart wanted but sometimes she needed to think about what was better for Charlotte in the long run and not what felt good right now.

Poor Hermione is so confused but the problem is she doubts she would ever be good enough for Harry.

Tell what you think?

Sirius xox