Chapter 24:
Oliver sighed as he saw his wife's sleepy form draped all over the bed. She was lying down on her tummy and the sheets barely covered her sexy ass leaving everything else bare, much to his amusement. Cursing in his mind because he had no time then to enjoy the enchanting treats that were on offer, he just drank in her sight for a few more minutes before he had to rush to the stadium for his practise. He had kept her awake well into the night and woken her up almost every hour after that. He had needed the reassurance last night… he had needed to know that she was really there beside him, with him… and not just a fragment of his destitute imagination…
There were major changes Oliver planned on making in their relationship and tonight he'd discuss them with her. No more hiding. That was his new moto. He smiled at that. She really is not hiding anything of hers right now and I'll end up taking full advantage of just that if I don't leave immediately. He walked up to her and kissed her forehead, leaving a small note to say 'I love you' beside the tea he'd heat charmed and kept for her on the bedside table along with a potion for soreness should she need one. He smirked. He really needed her fighting fit from tonight. He had the weekend off after all. Smiling at that happy thought, he made his way to the fireplace.
That evening he took his time to savour her tea as he heard her talk about her day. I just don't want to live without this ever again he realized and said as much. Motivated by her smile, he opened up the bigger topics they usually took care to avoid and steered the conversations towards them.
Within a few short weeks, Hermione had confessed to him about everything. Her joy of finding out she was a witch, her life before and after that, her feelings of forever being a mis-fit, her pain at obliviating herself from her parents' memory, the battles she had fought over the years, the trio's year of run, the snatchers, the torture, the scar, the losses, the horcruxes, Ron's abandonment, then his return, and everything else in between.
He told her about every single aspect of his life so far. She did not laugh when she realised that everything was quidditch related before her. She kissed his nose and told him that she loved that singular focus and passion about him, shyly confessing that she'd always admired exactly that about him, even in their Hogwarts days. She told him she'd look up at him after checking for Harry every single time and she'd seen his zeal and one-mindedness all through their practise session and matches. He smiled and held her closer at that.
He finally even confided in her about his feelings of family over-dose every weekend and how he wanted to see her at all of his matches, kissing him good luck before the match, cheering for him during it and celebrating with him after it. They settled for seeing the family every other Sunday instead of every single one, with Hermione firmly putting in that the family Sundays would entail Weasley family lunches and Wood family dinners. He hadn't expected anything else from her, so he simply put up his hands in surrender and agreed. She promised him she'd be there for him, as much as he wanted. He kissed her at that and they were soon lost to the world.
They were communicating and taking steps towards each other. And finally their relationship was blossoming the way they both wanted. The way they both needed.
!
Hermione gave her NEWTs and got all O just as Oliver had expected she would. He threw a big party in her honor with all their friends and family in attendance and she remained glued to his side all through the evening.
After a lot of thought she decided to take up healer's training but instead of working at St. Mungo's, she thought of opening up her own private practice, something very common with the muggle doctors she explained to Oliver, giving her the freedom of shuffling her hours around. She figured she would alternate her free time between working for her beloved house-elves, trying to pass laws to set them free and Oliver's matches, travelling with him as much as she could for their away matches and getting home around the same time he did on the days he was in the country.
They walked a little around the estate every morning, hand in hand, and spoke about their day every evening while he drank her tea. And they both offered each other tit-bits wherever they could to help ease off the stress of their professional life.
They'd come a long way in the past 6 months Oliver thought as he was walking till the floo at the stadium to go home to his wife. He was happy with the way everything was progressing in every aspect of his life. He smiled, tucking his hands in his pockets, he made his way to the fireplace, threw in a pinch of floo powder and shouted 'Wood Park'.