Good Evening

Welcome to Chapter 10 of A New Beginning.

Read and enjoy.

Chapter 10

I gaze at the beautiful lake before us with long willow leaves skimming the surface of the water. There is a slight breeze in the air and it smells of summer. Yes, summer is definitely here and it fills my heart with gladness. I will be celebrating my nineteenth birthday in September and I briefly wonder where we will be, because I certainly will not be returning to Hogwarts on the first of September, but my birthday is the furthest thing from my mind as I am wondering what Harry is thinking about. He stands a short distance away from me and he staring off into the distance as if being here will make him understand his Mum's involvement with Professor Snape. It really is beautiful though and I could stay here forever, but it getting late and I wonder if and when he will decide it's time go home.

Scowling, I bend and retrieve a stone and with all my strength, I angle it so that it skims the surface of the lake. The Burrow is the last place I want to be right now as too many question are going to be asked and because Ron will not be there when we do decide to go home, and I don't know what to make of that. I don't even know if Harry is aware that his best friend is moving out. For six years we've had a solid friendship and now that the war is over, everything is falling apart and it saddens me. How can things change so drastically in less than a month? Is this what growing up is all about? Losing closest friends and making new ones instead? Sighing softly, I join Harry and slide my hand into his warm one.

"A galleon for you thoughts?" I murmur as I rest my head on his shoulder.

He laughs softly, "I'd trade a galleon for you any day, Mione."

"Hey, I am not for sale," I retort and he laughs outright as he slides his arm around my waist and he kisses my cheek.

"Love you too…And thank you for earlier," he murmurs and to my surprise, he blushes.

"Was I that good?" I ask, completely amused by his bashfulness. In fact it is adorable and enough to reward him with a deeply passionate kiss, but I resist. I'll save my passionate kiss for another time.

"Good," he chuckles, "You were bloody brilliant."

Now it is my turn to blush and I bury my head in his shoulder, and whisper, "The pleasure is yours to have, Harry."

"Ah, maybe so, but you thoroughly enjoyed yourself. In fact, you look well and truly fucked," he chuckles.

I roll my eyes, "I think you've spent too much time listening to George, but I must say, you should look at yourself. You are more than well and truly fucked," I tease. As soon as the words leave my mouth, I want to crawl into a hole and die. I don't curse…normally, but with him, it means something else entirely.

"Oh my God…My hot girlfriend has just cursed," he laughs as he dances around me.

"It's your fault," I say as I fold my arms across my chest, "You have always been a bad influence on me. Coercing me into breaking about fifty school rules."

He stops dancing and his jaw drops, "I coerced you? What a load of twat, Mione. You were always keen to help us and you were always searching for answers in the library."

"Yes, I know. Don't rub it in," I tease.

He smirks as he circles his arms around me, "I can do more than just rub it in," he teases and he has the nerve to grind his hips into me. I suck in air as I playfully push him away.

"You've had your fill for today, Harry. I am off the market for at least a week," I say as I become aware of a pleasant dull throbbing ache down there and as I wonder about it, my eyes widen in shock and disbelief. He frowns as he regards me with concern.

"What…What is it?" he asks.

"We…We have not used any means of protection, Harry," I blurt as I drop to the ground. I wrap my arms around my legs and stare resolutely at the lake.

He drops next to me and sighs, "I know. I'm sorry. It's slipped my mind. I know we should have gone to the doctor." He sighs again and stares forlornly across the lake like me while we both contemplate the consequences of our irresponsible behavior.

"When last-" he finally breaks the silence.

"I don't know. With all the travelling we did, I lost track," I bite my lip to prevent myself from bursting into tears like a stupid immature girl.

"Hey," he says softly as he grasps my chin and turns towards me, "It doesn't matter, Mione. We will make it work. I will make it work and that is a promise."

"How can it not matter?" I whisper.

"Because no matter what happens, I will be there for you and with you. I love you and want to be with you and that is not going to change."

"Harry," I whisper as he gently enfolds me in his arms and holds me close, "I love you more than I care to admit. It's just that we are so young. We have an entire future ahead of us. You need to complete your education."

"I know. So do you, Mione. So do you… You know it's not too late to change your mind about returning to Hogwarts."

I vehemently shake my head, "No, I meant it when I told you I don't want to go back. I do not want to go back, but I will support you if you do."

"I am going back, Mione, but before I do that, I think we should consider finding a flat for us. You and me, Mione. I have the money. You have the money. I think we should go ahead and do it and besides, I think it'd be great to have a place we can call our own."

"Ron's leaving," I whisper.

"I know…He told me that yesterday and that was after he politely informed me about his relationship with Lavender. He is going to move into the flat above the shop and board with George."

"So you knew?" I murmur.

"Yeah, I did. I was going to tell you, but the opportunity never arose. Except for now…"

"Except for now," I echo.

"I'm still angry with him, Mione. He had no right to insult you like that."

"He's pissed off with me, Harry. It will pass."

"Well, next time he will get more than a bruised jaw. No-one, especially my best friend, has the right to insult my girlfriend and think they can get away with it."

I glance at him, amused and touched by his admission, "Girlfriend, huh?"

"Yeah," he smiles. "Sounds brilliant, doesn't it?"

"What about lover?" I tease more to see him blush and to my delight he does.

"What about fiancée?" he shoots back and that leaves me at a complete loss as to how to respond.

"Are you serious, Harry? Is there something you'd like to ask me?" I ask softly as I play with his fingers.

"Yeah, there is, but the time is not right," he replies as he regards me over his glasses and I start laughing.

"All you need is a pointy hat like McGonagall's to complete the picture of being a teacher," I tease as I readjust his glasses on his nose. I feel his hands slide beneath my clothes and I allow him to pull me onto his lap, not that I need much encouragement.

"Professor Potter how do you perform a patronus charm?" I tease as I thread my fingers through his hair, "Or Professor Potter, how do I disarm an opponent?"

He rolls his eyes and laughs and he wants to say something, but I shake my head, "Professor Potter," I whisper as I deliberately rock into him, "Are you going to teach this naughty girl to behave?"

"Mmm, I think this naughty girl needs to go home and have a hot shower, don't you agree?" he asks as he gently pushes me off his lap, "Come on my beautiful girl, it's getting late." He gets to his feet, holds out his hands for me to take and he pulls me into his arms, "One for the road?"

"Oh yes," I breathe as our lips come together in a tender kiss, "I love you."

"Love you more, lover girl," he teases.

"Oh for God's sake, sod off," I mutter as we pull apart and we both give the lake a lingering glance.

"We should come here again," he says softly.

"I'd like that, Harry. It's really beautiful and peaceful and exactly what I needed to clear my head…"

"Not from me, I hope?"

"Not from you, I promise. Now, on the count of three…"

He quickly ensures our hands are securely intertwined and when he is satisfied, he nods.

"One…" We say together.

"Two," he whispers.

"Three," I murmur and once again we spin into oblivion.

We traipse into the kitchen, euphoric after the adrenaline rush of apparating and of course, our steamy romantic interlude earlier today. His cheeks are slightly flushed and I don't want to know what I look like because I am well and truly fucked, like he said. The thought makes me flush with pleasure and complete satisfaction.

"Where have you been?" shrills Mrs Weasley as soon as she spots us by the door. I cringe. We went against her wishes and did the disappearing act..again. As I think this, the realisation dawns on his face.

"Shit…"

She glowers, "Mind your language, young man…"

He flashes her an apologetic and endearing grin, "I do apologise, Mrs Weasley. We would have informed you if we knew what we going to do this afternoon. Unfortunately, it was one of those spur-of-the-moment decisions."

She sighs and throws her hands up in exasperation, "Oh alright. I forgive you, but," she says as she regards us, no doubting notice our rather dishevelled appearances, "Where did you go, if you don't mind me asking."

She shoos us to the table and we promptly sit down. She moves around the kitchen bringing out bowls, cutlery and a bottle of butter-beer. My mouth waters at the thought of downing a glass. Surprisingly, I am thirsty and hungry and he probably feels the same. I look at him and he is literally drooling and his stomach grumbles for good measure. She places the glasses in front of us, serves us the butter-beer. She disappears into the diningroom and comes back with two bowls of soup. My mouth waters even more when I realise she's made vegetable soup - one of my favorites. She then places a basket with freshly baked miniature bread-rolls in front of us and only then does she sit down.

"Well, I am waiting. Where did you go?"

He looks at me and I shrug my shoulders, letting him know, he can explain why, because I am not going to be at the wrong end of Mrs Weasley's disapproval. He sighs and sets his glass aside.

"Okay, but you are going to mad at me, but I want you to hear me out first…"

She frowns and nods, but says nothing.

"Okay, we went to a lake near my Mum's childhood home. It was where she and Severus Snape spent their holidays and time before and during their years at Hogwarts."

Her frown deepens while she considers his explanation, "Lily and Severus were childhood friends, I know. They used to spend hours together at Hogwarts and he was often at the mercy of James and his band of marauders. For a time, I thought the two of them were more than just friends…until Snape started taking an interest in the Dark Arts. He followed Tom Riddle around even though he was at least two years ahead of him and Lily did not approve, however it did not prevent Severus pursuing her romantically."

I grip Harry's hand. His expression is tense and upset all at once.

"And James went out of his way to snag Lily…With Severus turning to Dark magic and all of that, her decision wasn't difficult to make. She was gentle in letting Severus know that she was not remotely interested him in that way and that she would always regard him as a friend…And that only served to cement his decision to delve deeper with Tom Riddle, Lucius Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle…You know them all, Harry… At least most of them."

He tightens his grip on my hand, "He loved my Mum, Molly…You didn't see the memories he gave to me shortly before he died."

"I know that and as for James, I always thought he was arrogant and rather full of himself. He was popular among his peers, but he was not my favorite person. You may look like him, Harry, but you are nothing like James. You are Lily's son through and through. To this day, I do not know what she saw in him, but does it matter?"

"Yeah, it does. He loved my Mum. He was there shortly after she died. He cradled her in his arms and wept, Molly. I don't think I have ever seen a man as devastated and broken as he was…He loved her… He loved me… You should have seen the look in his eyes when he asked me to look at him. The last words he said was that 'you have Lily's eyes'…All these years I despised him and for what? Only to find out that he was protecting me all along. He sacrificed everything to ensure I had the tools and knowledge to destroy Voldemort. Dumbledore's death was not murder, Molly. It was planned by Dumbledore and Snape…"

By this point the tears are running freely down his cheeks and I am on the verge of joining him, but this Harry - there is absolute remorse and regret in his eyes for the man who loved his Mum. I cannot take his tears anymore and I get to my feet and slip my arms around his shoulders.

"It's okay," I murmur, "I'm here."

"Harry," she says softly, "None of this is your fault."

"Yeah?" he yells as he jumps to his feet, sending me stumbling backwards and in a panic I look around for anything to grab onto, but there is nothing and I stumble to the floor, landing flat on my backside. It knocks my breath away and I gasp for air.

"People died because of me," he yells as he steps over me, and he stalks, slamming the door behind me causing me to flinch and burst into tears simultaneously.

"Hermione," she says, "Are you okay?"

"I will be fine," I snap as I manage to pull myself to my feet, "I've been through worse." I am beyond upset and I need time to gather my thoughts. Smiling apologetically at her, I grab my glass, bowl and a roll of bread, "Look, I need time to think. I'm sorry about all of this. I did not realise he was this…I don't know," I sigh as I slump back into the chair. What is the point of eating alone when she will provide good company and a good ear?

"Eat your supper and we can talk. It's not as if my children are at home tonight."

Frowning, I look at her, "What do you mean?"

"Well, Ginny is out with Dean…again. Ron has moved in with George and Percy has a date with Penelope Clearwater and my husband," she smiles fondly, "Is tinkering away in the garage…You know how he is and the fascination he has with muggle 'artifacts'," she chuckles.

"And you are here on your own," I muse as I break my bread roll apart so that I can dip it into the soup.

"Not really. You and Harry are here, so technically, I am not really alone."

I frown as I eye the backdoor. I wonder where he could be. I hope he is not doing something rash and that just makes me anxious.

"He will be fine, Hermione. He just needs to blow off steam, that is all. Now, I believe you don't want to return to Hogwarts in September." It's more of a statement than a question.

"No, I don't, but Harry intends to go back…" I stare into my soup, my appetite has seemingly disappeared, "I don't know what to do. If I go back, we will not be allowed to continue our relationship and if I go to university, then we won't see each other. I don't know which is worse."

"You are that serious about him, Hermione?" she asks as she folds her hands in front of her, "I've seen the way you look at him and I've seen the way you glow around him. He really makes you happy."

"I love him," I whisper and as I say the words, I feel his eyes on me and I turn towards him, "Harry?" I venture as I get to my feet and approach him. I stop within arm's reach and I wait for him to speak first. I am barely aware of the chair scraping back as Mrs Weasley gets up and walks out. He eyes me for a moment before closing the distance between us and taking me into his arms.

"I'm sorry…for hurting you, Mione," he murmurs as he nuzzles my hair.

"I'm okay…Don't worry about me. It's you I am worried about."

"Mione," he breathes as he gently cups my face, "I love you," he murmurs as he kisses me.

"I know you do…" I whisper as we come up for air, "But you should eat something and a hot shower sound exactly what you need."

"Mmm," he whispers as he kisses the tip of my nose, "What I need is you in the shower with me to make it worthwhile."

"Harry, after what we shared today? I don't think I am up for another session…"

"Yeah? We will see about that," he laughs as we walk back to our seats. I pick up my spoon and resume eating my soup while I contemplate his plans for our shower. I don't think I am going to get away with refusing him. The thought makes me smile and down the rest of my soup with gusto. I follow that with butter-beer and I end up refilling my glass while he takes his merry time eating his meal.

I eagerly follow him into the bathroom holding tightly to his hand and every once in a while, he rubs his thumb along my knuckles. In spite of telling him I don't think we should make love again today considering my slight discomfit from our earlier today, it is clear it is exactly what he wants to do.

"Harry," I tease as I hang back, "I was being serious when I told you making love again was out of the question."

He laughs deeply as he turns towards me. His eyes are alight with humor and I giggle. I love it when he is like this. At least he is happier than he was earlier in the evening.

"Mione, you misunderstand."

I regard him with a slight frown and a smile. I can't help but wonder what he has planned for us this evening and I find the not-knowing very exciting.

"How so?" I ask.

He tilts his head to the side and smiles, "Wait and see."

"I don't know about this, Harry," I whisper.

"Hey," he says softly as he touches me cheek, forcing me to meet his gaze, "Do you trust me, my beautiful girl?"

"I do, but-"

"Mione," he says quietly as his hands move along my arms, to my sides to the hem of my jersey. He slowly lifts it up and tosses it the floor. He grabs my hands and pulls me in for a hug and I snuggle into him, glad to be in his arms.

"Mmm, I am not going to make love to you tonight," he reassures me.

"You aren't?" I ask, not quite hiding the disappointment in my voice, "I mean, I won't object if you do."

"As tempting as that sounds," he chuckles, "You are right… Just trust me and you'll see."

Smiling at him, I decide to indulge him and see where it leads.

"Okay, I trust you. Of course I trust. I love you, Harry."

He grins at me as he releases me, "I love you too. Now, please let me take care of you."

I don't say anything more as he grips the material of my shirt and starts tugging it upwards. He tilts his head to the side and silently regards me as he inches it over my breasts, being careful not to touch me. I watch his progress until I have to close my eyes as he pulls it over my head. Once he tosses that aside, he moves his hand to my back and unclasps my bra. As he pushes the straps off my shoulders, he plants a soft kiss on the corner of my mouth and it draws a soft sigh from my lips. As he moves away, I turn towards him and lightly brush the corner of his mouth with my lips. I bring my hands up and place them on his shoulders as our kiss becomes more than just a kiss. His mouth is demanding and gentle at the same time. He threads his fingers through my hair cascading it around my shoulders and then he cups my face between his hands.

"Mmm, this is not what I had in mind," he says softly, breathlessly and I laugh softly.

"What did you have in mind?" I ask.

"Well," he murmurs as he gently pushes me away, "Let's get out of our clothes and into a hot shower. What do you say?"

"Okay," I agree as I turn and step away from him. I walk to the shower, turn it on and while it heats up, I strip off my remaining clothes. By the time I have tossed them on top of his clothes, billows of steam have filled the bathroom causing a sense of intimacy and coziness we have not yet experienced. It really feels as if I am home, even though The Burrow is not my home, it still feels like a home. Without checking to see what he is doing, I step into the shower and I stand under water. It is very soothing and relaxing and washes all my worries away…for the moment.