Chapter 25
Beta-read by Frust8dwriter
Her long slim fingers gently traced the two faces in the large portrait hanging prominently above the large four-poster bed. The unmoving portrait captured the most beautiful moment of their private wedding held exactly a year ago in the garden of her modest family residence. It was a portrait of them sharing their first kiss as husband and wife.
Hermione smiled.
The sight of her wedding portrait caught her attention at once and she didn't have time to take a look at her room. Stepping back, she gave her room a critical look and she was glad that her room was still exactly the way they had left it.
Their second year texts were stacked neatly on the brown dressing table standing at the corner of the room. The bookshelves above her desk were neatly filled with books of all genres in the strange order she had placed them. American literature was mixed with British literature so that the bookshelves would have more space to hold duplicate copies of the entire set of books. It was a good thing that they had decided to get rid of Lockhart's books because that took up a lot of space. A smile appeared on her face when she realised that her books were dust free - her mother must have cleaned her room often. Her nightstand was awkwardly filled with stacks of books in the exact position she had left them.
Every corner of the room echoed Harry and her presence. There were two chairs standing close to each other at the desk by the window. They reminded her of the frequent accidental body contact when they had shared a desk to study together. It was the only way they could focus on their homework since it was still the early period of their bonding. Hermione glanced at her nightstand and recalled the reason of the strange positioning of books - it was to make some space for Harry's glasses. Harry would pass them to her when they turned in for the night and she would pass them back to him every morning.
Sunlight was streaming through the open window, lighting up the place. Hermione threw herself onto her bed, her brown wavy hair sprawling around her as she lay on her back. Staring at the pale lilac ceiling, she recalled the countless afternoons spent lying on the bed the same way as they talked about anything that tickled their fancy. Often, they would read late into the night and would get too engrossed with their books that they would have to remind each other to turn in earlier.
It was surprisingly easy for them to live with each other despite hearing tales of other married couples that found it difficult to get used to living together. However, they seemed to be able to find a pattern of living that fit them quite well. One wonderful and exciting year had passed since their souls had entwined, but it felt like it had only been a week ago since they'd spoken their vows.
Life with Harry was never dull, she mused as she smiled.
She let out a sigh suddenly - Harry had not given her any indications that he remembered what day it was, so she didn't know if she should give him the anniversary gift she had for him. Earlier that morning, Hermione found herself wandering back to her family home subconsciously after finishing her duties. Since she was already there, she decided to go up to her old room.
It was time for breakfast and she was sure that she would be missed if she did not show up in the dining room. Giving her old room a final cursory glance, she closed the door behind her and hurried back to the Potter Mansion.
Breakfast was, as usual, a lively affair. The absence of the Dursleys was well noted by all - they had left right before breakfast. Harry was being unusually quiet - participating only in conversations when they involved him directly. He had also kept his thoughts to himself by putting up a mental barrier between him and his wife.
Hermione noticed his quirky behaviour and was worried about him. However, before she could speak to him, there was a sudden disruption. The fluttering of wings announced the arrival of four large tawny owls. She watched with surprise as one of the owls dropped a letter addressed to 'Hermione Jane Potter' in front of her. Harry had an identical look of astonishment as he caught the letter addressed to him nimbly in his hand. The conversations rapidly ceased when the occupants in the room noticed the recipients of the regal envelopes - Harry, Hermione and the Weasley twins.
"It's today?" Hermione questioned in a quivering voice.
The four teenagers exchanged uncomfortable looks between themselves as they set their cutlery down slowly.
The letters could only contain the results of their Ordinary Wizarding Levels.
"Might as well get it over with," commented Fred as he swallowed visibly. George gave a curt nod as he carefully picked up the letter as if it was a dangerous object.
"I don't know if I can. If we did badly, I can't even imagine how Mom will react." George admitted as he dropped the letter on the table and slumped into his seat.
"Nice Gryffindor courage you have there," replied Fred wryly.
George grew indignant and pointed out angrily. "You should talk! You haven't even touched your letter yet."
"That's because not even Gryffindor courage would save me from Mom if I did poorly." Fred replied factually as he sighed aloud. He received no sympathy from his friends since they were laughing at his answer.
Daphne leaned closer to Cedric and whispered, "Oh, I don't know, love. Looks like you may not have been as good a tutor as you thought. Your students are certain that they've done badly."
Cedric shrugged and answered, "Well, it could be my teaching skills but I wasn't given much to work with in the first place. They were already terrible when I first began to help them."
Susan, who was sitting beside Cedric, began laughing exuberantly.
Across the table, like her friends, Hermione was queasy with nervousness - she felt as if there were butterflies flying wildly in her stomach. She was afraid to open her letter just like the Weasley twins.
"You probably did well, Hermione. In fact, I'm sure you'll be weeping with joy at your excellent results," spoke Luna dreamily as she patted her friend's hand in an assuring manner. The rest of their friends voiced their agreements heartily.
"Naturally, since you've worked harder than Fred and George for sure," added Susan with a smirk.
"Well, OWL don't determine your life," protested Fred. "There is more than life than just examinations."
"Then why don't you just open it?" challenged Daphne coolly.
"I would love to, but my hands don't seem to be responding," answered Fred sadly as he held up his trembling hands.
Cedric ignored the jokers and turned to Hermione.
"Well, take as much time as you need. I've been there and done that. I think it's better to just get it over with so that you don't worry about it the rest of the day," advised Cedric.
Hermione gave Harry a feeble smile as she looked over at him. Even though he seemed unfazed and looked as though he was immune to this nerve-wracking situation; inside, he was just as uneasy as her.
His heart fluttered in excitement and trepidation as he fingered his letter and he felt that he was doing a good job keeping a tight control over his emotions. Unlike the Weasley twins, he assured himself, he and Hermione had a second chance if for some reason they did badly.
He flashed a small smile before opening his letter with trembling hands.
Ordinary Wizarding Levels
Passing grades
Outstanding (O)
Exceeding Expectations (E)
Acceptable (A)
Failing grades
Poor (P)
Dreadful (D)
Troll (T)
Harry James Potter has achieved:
His eyes widened in shock. The result slip fell as he collapsed into the seat.
He blinked continuously as he allowed his results to sink in.
Dazed, he felt his wife flinging her arms around him as she threw herself on top of him. The impact caused them to crumple to the ground as Harry held her close.
Excited, Hermione announced, "I've an E for Divination and Os for the rest of my subjects!" The rest of the room burst into a resounding round of applause.
"Merlin's beard, you're barking mad," exclaimed Fred loudly.
"That's really insane. How in Merlin's name did you get that many outstanding OWLs?" George declared over the loud cheering.
"She's undeniably the brightest witch in this century." Cedric said with a bright grin. Everyone took turns to hug Hermione and express their joy at her good results. It was clear from her parents' eyes that they were exceptionally proud of her and Harry smiled at the way her eyes sparkled with bliss as she talked.
When they were finished with congratulating Hermione, she remembered that Harry had also seen his results.
"Harry, how did you fare?" Hermione asked as she looked at him with eyes full of concern.
They became quiet at once. Time seemed to have stood still. The silence was unnerving.
After a long quiet pause, Harry cleared his throat, opened his mouth but swallowed his words again.
The wait was staring to worry them as they eyed Harry warily. He appeared ill at ease and even edgy.
He lowered his head when he caught sight of the anticipation written over her face. "Well, I did very well for History of Magic," said Harry solemnly as he averted his eyes. "I got an E for it."
"That's wonderful, Harry! How were the rest of your subjects?" Jean asked patiently. "I mean it's alright if you didn't fare as well on the rest. We know that you've tried your best and that's good enough. After all, you do have a second shot at it."
"Yes," added Sirius as his shoulders sagged in dismay.
"Well, I must say I'm surprised but you're juggling with a lot of work, so don't be too hard on yourself," remarked Lupin as he gave an encouraging smile.
A smile cracked his facade.
"I don't think there is a need for all the concern. I've got Os for my other eleven subjects."
"Did you say eleven?" Cedric echoed in awe. "I can't believe you took all the subjects Hogwarts had to offer."
Sirius mischievously caught him under his arm and ruffled his hair. "Why you! You had us worried for a moment! Congratulations, pup!" The rest of his friends and his family let out a collective sigh of relief. Jean lightly reprimanded him about worrying them and hugged him happily. They were very proud of their children's accomplishments.
Hermione gave him an admonishing look but she pulled him into a congratulatory hug.
"Well done, Harry," praised Lupin. "I knew you could do it."
The adults fussed about him for a while before they remembered the Weasley twins.
"Well, Harry and Hermione have already seen their results. Isn't it about time you two got your results?" Sirius asked impatiently.
"I'm sure we didn't do as well as them. Barking mad, they've gotten 24 OWL between them. This is it, I suppose?" remarked Fred. He took deep breaths to compose himself.
The Weasley twins began opening their letters as the rest of them waited anxiously.
They sat there, numb with shock and disbelief.
"So how was it?"
After what it seems like eternity, Fred finally spoke, "I've scraped about 7 Es and As."
George flashed a lop-sided smile, "I don't think Mom can protest any longer with my results. I've gotten 8, but Fred has more Es than me. "
"That's fantastic! Well done!"
"We couldn't have done it without Cedric's help," added Fred with a grin. They remembered the way Cedric tore his hair when he realised that the twins had missed so many classes because they had spent just too much time on inventing new pranks and testing them out. Harry and Hermione would have made good studying partners but they had their hands tied with their duties and schoolwork.
"They were awful when I first began tutoring them – they were always distracted and could not focus," teased Cedric. "I'm amazed that you two scraped that many passes" His remark earned a playful punch on the arm from both of the twins. The others offered heartily congratulations to them. The Weasley twins soon excused themselves so that they could send an owl to their mother informing her of the good news.
"This is simply wonderful! Shall we all go out to dinner and celebrate later this evening?" asked Oswald with a hint of smile as he searched the faces in the room. It was met with enthusiastic nods.
"That's a splendid idea but I believe someone has already made plans for the evening," commented Sirius with a playful smirk. Some of them widened their eyes in surprise when they saw Harry hit him on the arm. "It just gives you more reasons to celebrate."
Jean and Dan exchanged amused looks.
"But his birthday isn't until three days from now," commented a bemused Neville as he glanced around the table for some answers. It was clear from the clueless expressions of his friends that none of them knew the reason why Harry and Hermione were going to celebrate on their own.
A look of realisation dawned upon Hermione as she covered her mouth in surprise.
"You remembered?" exclaimed Hermione as she looked at Harry enquiringly.
Harry let out a chuckle as he gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "How could I possibly forget? We've been together for one amazing year," added Harry with a gentle smile. "I'm looking forward to more wonderful years with you." He leant in and kissed her lightly on her cheek. "It's too bad that someone just doesn't understand the meaning of surprise," remarked Harry dryly as he shot a glare at his laughing godfather.
He gave his godson an apologetic look.
"You could also celebrate the change in your relatives. I think Charles did a marvellous job with them - their attitudes towards the magical world have certainly become better," suggested Sirius.
"Yes," answered Harry as he became lost in his own thoughts - the Dursleys had surprised him twice with their change in attitude before they left the mansion that morning.
(Flashback)
Harry was in his office, his brows furrowed into a frown, as he carefully perused the documents Dobby handed to him. He was in the midst checking through mail and doing some paperwork since it was the time of the month to check the progress of all the firms he owned. Usually, he would leave it to the end of the month to finish this work, but with their anniversary and the Quidditch Finals coming up, he was not sure if he had time to address all his estate business before school started on the first of September.
Hermione and Harry had awakened really early that morning to have their run before they had to split up to attend to their respective duties. Hermione, just like him, had much to take care of since she was the mistress of a large mansion. Harry was sure that she'd said something about looking into the maintenance of some of the older furniture in their home.
The sound of someone knocking on the door startled Harry since it was much too early for anyone to be up. Hedwig gave him an enquiring gaze before she perched on his shoulder. Harry hurriedly finished reading the correspondence he was holding as he invited the person to enter. His cousin, Dudley, walked into his study with uncertainty written all over his face. His eyes settled on the piles of paperwork sitting on Harry's large desk.
Harry had gaped at the sight of his cousin but he quickly regained his composure and offered him a seat. Dobby immediately set aside the documents he was holding and disappeared to fetch drinks for the guest.
"You're a very powerful and important person in this world, aren't you?" Dudley questioned as he waved his pudgy hand over the pile of documents to illustrate his point. He could see that they were financial reports of the various companies Harry owned.
Dudley hurriedly withdrew his hand when he saw Hedwig eyeing him fiercely with her large eyes.
Harry considered his statement thoughtfully, unaware the effect his familiar had on his cousin." I wouldn't necessarily go that far." answered Harry as he set the document aside.
"That's strange. Charles says that you're seen almost like a member of the royal family – because of that, no one will touch us even though we're Muggles," spoke Dudley with a hint of uncertainty. Dudley, like his father, had laughed when Charles told them flatly that they had no place in magical society and that the wizards generally saw themselves far superior to those who do not possess the gift of magic. The idea was preposterous to the Dursleys since they've always seen magical beings as 'freaks', but Dudley was forced to accept it when he had noticed the strange looks other wizards were giving them when they went with Harry to Diagon Alley.
The trip to Diagon Alley was a bizarre experience for the Dursleys. Dudley had noticed the awe written on the faces of the people they came upon when they saw Harry and his family. They had positively worshipped Harry. Dudley also heard some wizards whisper "The Boy-Who-Lived" with total reverence when they had spotted his cousin. As usual, they turn to Charles for an explanation. They were shocked when Charles recounted the war that gave Harry his reputation and the loss of most of his family. There was a hint of tears in Charles' large eyes as he shared the sad tale.
There was a flash of regret in his mother's eyes when the elderly elf finished the tale. Dudley couldn't help but pity his cousin since he had to live with the price they paid for his freedom.
"There are four main families who dominate Society. My family is one of them." Harry clarified as he relaxed into his seat and stretched lightly. He thanked Dobby nicely when he gave him a fresh goblet of pumpkin juice.
"If you are so powerful, why don't you command those under you or bully them to do your bidding?" Dudley asked with genuine interest. His tone wrung a cocked brow from Harry.
Harry searched his cousin's face and was convinced that he was really puzzled. He recalled the way Dudley was brought up - his relatives had spoilt him rotten and encouraged him to throw his weight around, so it was no wonder why he felt that way.
"That's simple – there's not really a need to."
Dudley frowned as if his answer was too complex for him to comprehend.
Harry gave him patient smile, "I'm sure you've seen the difference of bullying others into obeying you and people choosing to obey you out of respect."
"Yes," answered Dudley as he grew contemplative for a moment. He noticed the fierce loyalty Harry's staff had for him and their eagerness to please him. "You've always been different." He added in a vague manner as he frowned slightly.
"Do you mean in a freaky way?" asked Harry humorously as he raised one of his eyebrows.
"There's not what I meant. I'm the freak here." Dudley pointed out. "I think you're different in a good way," answered Dudley as he scratched his head in embarrassment. There was an uncomfortable silence as Harry registered his words.
Did his cousin just compliment him?
"Um…We'll see you then. Dad asked me to tell you that we're leaving soon."
Harry regained his wits almost immediately. With a smile, he stood up. "Let me see you to the door," replied Harry as he stood up and followed his large cousin out.
His aunt and uncle were waiting at the foot of the regal staircase for Dudley. Charles stood beside them as he too waited for the arrival of his master. Harry noted with a smile that Uncle Vernon looked anxious to leave the place and return to his own world where he called the shots - he had apparently enough of taking orders from a being that was much smaller than him.
Harry was surprised to see that his aunt was being unusually quiet. She even looked slightly upset that she was leaving.
"I guess I'll see you all next summer at your place for a week or two," said Harry as he stood near Charles.
Uncle Vernon gave a gruffly affirmative answer, earning a glare from the elder house elf. He immediately clamped his mouth shut and averted his glance.
Harry took a lot of effort to keep his face straight.
"So until next summer, then." Harry concluded curtly.
For once, his relatives bade him goodbye without a hint of resentment. As the house elves took their arms and prepared to apparate, he was taken aback when he saw Aunt Petunia lingering around. She turned around to face him and said, "Thank you for everything."
With that, she disappeared, leaving Harry reeling from her statement.
"My Lord, it's time for breakfast," Charles spoke. "Mrs. Dursley seemed to gain a lot from this visit."
"That was the plan, wasn't it, Charles? Thank you for entertaining them. I know you despised their presence. It's hard to tell because you did everything while being mindful of their well-being." Harry answered with a smile.
"It's the duty of a good servant to carry out the wishes of the Master regardless of their own dislike, my Lord," answered Charles as he bowed.
(End of flashback)
"So today is your first year anniversary?" exclaimed Susan excitedly.
Harry and Hermione nodded at the same time. Susan and Luna hugged them enthusiastically as they congratulated them. The rest of their family and friends also passed on their good wishes to them. The celebratory dinner was still on for the rest of the group, but the couple was excused.
The afternoon was dedicated to more intensive lessons. After finding out that Harry and Hermione had done so well on their national level examinations, the rest of the teenagers were more inspired to catch up to them.
After more than half a year of self-defence lessons, they were finally showing the fruits of their hard work - their punches and kicks packed more power with help from their extensive strength and cardio training. Harry and Hermione noted with pride that their friends would now be able to defend themselves if they needed to do so. After an extensive discussion, Harry and Hermione decided to split the class according to their gender since they were going to need specialised training that catered to their physique. Harry would be solely in-charge of the guys' physical training since they shared almost the same build while Hermione would take care of the girls. They decided that they would have shared practices weekly so that they could test the effectiveness of the new training regime.
The teenagers retreated to the ancient library of the Potter Mansion for their theory lessons on Defence against Dark Arts after lunch. Harry, Hermione, and Cedric were given permission to do their own spell research while the others would have to learn a fixed set of basic counter-hexes and hexes. Harry and Hermione decided to keep themselves on their toes by duelling with each other with wands. It was slightly different from the occasional spar Harry and Hermione had at the house because they were unable to use their own wands. The duel lasted for quite a long time since they were now familiar with each other's duelling style and neither of them held back. Lupin watched in the awe the amount of raw power the young couple had, their nimbleness, and their physical stamina. Neither of the two looked as if they were tired even though they had been running and jumping out of harm's way for at least an hour. The duel was called a draw when the lesson ended but Harry and Hermione enjoyed the session very much.
The young couple headed upstairs to shower. As promised, Oswald took the rest of the group out for dinner, leaving only Harry and Hermione at home.
Their bedroom was empty when Hermione came out of the bathroom.
She smiled when she noticed a bright red note on her nightstand with the words "Read me" written in large letters. Intrigued, she picked up the note and read it.
Angel,
Happy First Anniversary! To make things more exciting, let's play a game. Please follow all instructions carefully. There should now be a bright blue envelope beside you and enclosed within is be a clue that will lead you to your next destination. Once you reach your destination, you will need to speak to the person waiting for you.
Can't wait to see you.
Love,
Harry
Hermione shook her head in amusement as she found and opened the blue envelope. To her surprise, it was a photograph of them taking a stroll along the river at night. Their hands were entwined closely and there was a smile of amusement on her lips as she looked at Harry, as though she had just laughed at one of his jokes. He was neatly dressed in a white tuxedo that she had selected for him but she could see that the focus of the photograph was on her and she looked wonderful - her usually bushy hair was swept into a stylish knot and the gown gave her an air of elegance. She could identify the photograph immediately: it was from their first Valentine's Day together and they had celebrated it in the House. Without further ado, she headed into the House.
When she had materialised, Hermione was surprised to see Ade waiting for her in her physical form. There was a hint of a smile on her ethereal face as she spoke. "Good evening, Hermione. Harry told me to expect you. He would like you to head to your bedroom and there you'll find a special outfit he has chosen just for you. You must put on the dress he has given you before reading the next clue."
Hermione thanked her politely before she apparated to the bedroom they shared whenever they stayed in the House. It had been a while since they'd visited the House – as they had already gotten quite a bit of training, they'd opted, for the present, to keep their time in the House short.
A beautiful summer dress lay on the bed, waiting for her. There were matching white sandals for her to wear and another blue envelope beside the dress. Hermione smiled at his thoughtfulness as she changed into the summer dress. The next envelope contained a picture of them sharing a kiss under the large tree. Hermione frowned as she scrutinised the picture carefully. She had no problem indentifying the place since she had spent countless days under the large tree reading but she had trouble pinpointing when this photograph was taken. Both of them were dressed in their house clothes but it was Harry's slightly tatty and overly large clothing that gave it away - this was a photograph of them sharing a kiss for the first time.
Why didn't he use the wedding portrait as a clue? It's the same place. Hermione thought wryly as she read the note. She laughed when she saw his first sentence; it was as if he had expected her reaction.
Hi beautiful,
I know I could have given you a copy of our wedding portrait but it would've made it too simple for you. I'm sure you had to spend some time thinking about when this photograph was taken, right? I'm positive that you look ravishing in that dress. Look out for a blue box.
Love,
Harry
The sky was a flaming red and the outline of the setting sun blurred as the bright yellow blended with the crimson. The entire garden was bathed with a tangerine glow as the sun sank into a bank of clouds. The heat of the day gradually dissipated as darkness began to descend.
Harry was nervously scanning the garden, making sure that everything was in the right place. He had spent last few months working on Hermione's anniversary present whenever he was free. Sirius had lent a hand in the project too. Hedwig alerted him that Hermione had just left the House so he went to reheat the food he had prepared earlier.
Hermione could recognise the tune of the soft music playing in the background as she entered the garden - it was the tune they had first danced to that night they married. The sky was now completely dark and she gasped when she took in the sight of the garden. Someone had reused the Christmas lights to light up the large tree in the middle of the garden. There was a small table under the tree but there was no one in the garden.
"Look out for a blue box," she mused as she searched around the garden. Hermione approached the table and saw a large blue box sitting on top of the table.
"Open me." The note on the box read.
She shot a furtive glance around the quiet garden, certain that someone was watching her as she opened the box but she did as she was told. She gingerly removed the wrapping and cautiously lifted a leather-bound book from within. It was very thick and different from the books that she normally read. Her brows furrowed when she saw the title printed on the cover of the book in large golden letters: "H. J. Potter – The Beginning" Fascinated, she carefully flipped to the first page. She could identify her husband's handwriting immediately and she was shocked that he had written the whole book.
Intrigued, she started on the first chapter. The book was illustrated from his point of view and it began from the first day they had met. The first chapter was about the two years they had spent together as friends, highlighting the important moments during those years like their first Halloween and the times she stood by him during their second year when all his friends shunned him. She casually flipped through the book and realised that he had thoughtfully included some memorable photographs of the times they had spent together and of things that were significant.
Hermione gently fingered the crumpled piece of paper on the page she was reading.
Of the many fearsome beasts and monsters that roam our land, there is none more curious or more deadly than the Basilisk, known also as the King of Serpents. This snake, which may reach a gigantic size, and live many hundreds of years, is born from a chicken's egg, hatched beneath a toad. Its methods of killing is most wondrous, for aside from its deadly and venomous fangs, the Basilisk has a murderous stare, and all who are fixed with the beam of its eye shall suffer instant death. Spiders flee before the Basilisk, for it is their mortal enemy, and the Basilisk flees only from the crowing of the rooster, which is fatal to it.
Pipes
She remembered this piece of paper quite well - she had torn it from a page of an old library book and recognised her own hand in which the word "Pipes" was hurriedly written. She'd been in the library, following her hunch about the creature hiding in the Chamber of Secrets, when she heard the hissing sound. She only had enough time to scribble her thought on the way the large serpent was travelling and hoped that Harry would understand what she meant when he read it. Due to the amazing connection they shared, he did.
What she did not know was that he had stowed it away in his pocket, as if it were a good-luck charm, when he faced the Basilisk. She made a mental note to ask him about viewing that particular memory of his.
She carefully closed the book as glistening tears welled up in her eyes. She was touched by the enormous effort Harry put in to make this gift. It was so wonderfully done. She felt someone wrapping his arms around her as he whispered into her ear, "Happy Anniversary, Angel. I really hope those are tears of joy."
Hermione turned around and flung her arms around him.
Harry was beaming from ear to ear as he looked at her. He wordlessly wiped the tear off her cheeks with the pad of his thumb as his smile grew tender.
"I guess you really liked the gift," remarked Harry as he scratched his head. "I know that I'm not the best writer, but I tried my best. It's a bit difficult doing justice to the moments that we've experienced together both as friends then as a couple."
"It's wonderful, Harry! I absolutely love it," answered Hermione as she hugged the book close to her.
"I'm glad. You look beautiful in the dress, by the way. Just like I thought you would," commented Harry as he pressed his lips on the back of her hand lovingly.
"Thank you." Hermione said as a soft smile fitted her lips. Dressed in a casual shirt and long trousers, with his hair was untameable despite his best efforts to smooth it, she found him breathtaking. "You look pretty wonderful yourself."
"I dress to please." Harry returned as he shot a cheekily smile in her direction. "But I thank you all the same, milady." Harry went on as he bowed exaggeratedly.
Hermione gently swatted him on the arm for his playful demeanour but it was clear from the twinkling of her eyes that she wasn't at all angry with him.
He led her to the small table lit by candles and seated her. It was then that she discovered the tray of food hovering behind him. It was an innovative use of the levitating charm to keep the tray afloat so that her could he free his arms to hug her. Harry set aside the large blue box and placed the dishes on the table. He had prepared steak for the night and it looked mouth-watering.
"The food looks delicious," commented Hermione as Harry sat opposite to her. "I had the impression we'd be eating out tonight given that we celebrated our wedding at a restaurant. I'm surprised that you chose to celebrate with a meal here in the garden."
Harry cocked a brow as he gazed enquiringly at her.
"I thought you'd go overboard with an expensive dinner," Hermione explained with a smile.
"The thought did cross my mind but it was much too difficult to organise if I wanted to have the little game. Besides, I'm sure you probably guessed where dinner would be by the second envelope." Harry admitted.
She laughed vibrantly at his faith in her intelligence.
"You're predictable, love - the same way I am to you," replied Hermione with a teasing smile.
His eyes danced with amusement as he laughed brightly. "So did it take a while for you to remember when that kiss took place?" He asked with interest.
"I did but your clothes gave it away. We shared our first kiss before we took you on your first shopping trip." Hermione explained as she took a bite of the steak. It was prepared just the way she liked it and she nearly swooned when she tasted the juice oozing out of the meat after her bite. "It's really good, Harry," she said suddenly.
"Thank you," Harry smiled as he watched her closely.
They chatted at length about how Harry prepared for the surprise. She was certain that Sirius had a hand in it and found that she was right when Harry told her that Sirius helped to send the book for binding and decorating the garden.
"How did you guess?" Harry asked in puzzlement as he looked at Hermione.
"When Sirius announced in the morning that you had plans for the night, I was sure that you'd roped him in," replied Hermione.
Harry shook his head as he laughed.
"Couldn't you have pretended that you didn't know?" Harry asked jokingly.
"Well, didn't you want me to guess it?" Hermione retorted.
Harry froze as he considered her words thoughtfully. "Well, I guess so, in a way. I guess it's an achievement to surprise you even though you kind of knew about the surprise." Harry answered.
The conversation between them was light and relaxing as they continued to tease each other. Harry enjoyed the quiet time they had with each other. Hermione expressed her gratitude for the wonderful meal when she finally finished.
"Happy First Anniversary, Harry," greeted Hermione as she presented him with the scrapbook that she had painstakingly put together. "I must admit that the effort I've put into this gift pales in comparison to yours," Hermione said as she watched him expectantly.
Harry was in admiration of the effort she had placed for each page of the scrapbook Hermione had meticulous designed. She had carefully picked the photographs and wrote a short poem on every page.
Tears began to well up in his eyes as he carefully flipped through every page. He saw the evidence of her hard work and the words of every poem she had penned down neatly on the pages tugged at his heartstrings. They were honest, loving, and sincere.
"Thanks, Mione. It's really wonderful," whispered Harry emotionally as he gazed into her eyes. He carefully set the gift aside and they shared a tender kiss. Hermione jumped away in surprise when she heard a vehicle pulling up in front of her family home. Her parents had told them before they left for work that they would be staying out late.
"Our ride is here," announced Harry as he took her hand.
Her brows drew into a frown of confusion as she looked at him.
There was a mystifying smile on his lips as he led her to the car waiting for them.
Harry was tight-lipped throughout the whole ride about where he was bringing her to for her second surprise and it shocked her when he actually brought her to a pub in London.
The place was dark and crowded with people but they soon found a place to stand. Hermione was certain that he must have pulled strings so that they could enter because the crowd appeared to be slightly older than them. She spotted many older teenage girls in the crowd.
"Why did you bring me here?" Hermione questioned as she looked at Harry. She never got her answer because the crowd went crazy, drowning out any conversations entirely.
Four teenagers took the stage and they were excitedly waving at their fans as they proceeded to take their places. Hermione gasped when she realised that the lead singer was none other than Ray Vaughan, her childhood friend. He oozed boyish charm as he flashed his signature smile. There was just something about him that made him look as though he belonged to the stage. He calmly took the mike from the microphone stand and greeted the crowd warmly as his band mates began to tune their instruments.
Ray entertained the crowd after introducing his band mates to the hyped up crowd.
Hermione grew excited. She had always wanted to see her childhood friend on stage and she was simply overjoyed that Harry had remembered.
The band kicked off with a fast beat song that drove the crowd wild and Hermione couldn't help but be amazed by his skills on the guitar. The song was masterfully played and there was good rapport between all the members of the band.
Hermione beamed when she saw that smile of fulfilment on Ray's face as he sang and played the guitar at the same time. His voice was melodious and the songs that they had played that night highlighted the versatility of his voice. The band boldly explored various genres of music as they played different songs, altering the mood of the crowds with their amazing self-composed music. They were all very talented and she could see from the way that they thrown themselves into their performance, how passionate they were about their music. Ray was all pumped up from the excitement and she could see that he was enjoying every single moment from the twinkling of his grey eyes. The crowd danced enthusiastically to the music when the band chose to play a fast number. Hermione and Harry enjoyed themselves immensely as they listened to all their songs. Occasionally, Harry and Hermione would join the crowd and danced to their music.
All too soon, their gig came to an end and they were playing their final song for the encore. His band mates took the cue from him when he nodded and they exited the stage.
He casually flicked his wet brown hair aside as he set his electrical guitar aside.
"Well for encore, I'll like to do something a bit special." Ray announced with a dazzling smile as he picked up his trusty acoustic guitar and sat on the high stool. He began testing the sound of the guitar by playing a few notes as he spoke into the mike. "My friend and I used to spend countless afternoons lying under a tree as I practiced playing my guitar and my singing. I think the word 'friend' can't express the closeness we shared. We were much closer than that and I see her as a sister of some sort and she's here tonight. I would like to dedicate our all time favourite song to you and I want to tell you that I'll always love you…" He said with a hooded look.
There were several gaps from the crowd.
That incited a chuckle from him and he hurriedly injected, "As an older brother, of course. Herm, I hope that the lucky boy you've chosen to be with will always hold you close and never let you go. If you know the song, sing along with me. Give it up for More Than Words by Extreme. Enjoy everyone." Ray concluded as he began strumming his guitar skilfully.
Hermione shook her head in amusement when she heard him emphasise "Herm". She didn't miss the sparkling of his grey eyes when he had said it. His voice became more solemn when he wished her well. Hermione felt Harry slipping both of his arms around her as their hands entwined together. They swayed to the music as Hermione laid her head in the crook of his shoulder and sang along.
Saying that I love you is not the words I want to hear from you.
It's not that I want you not to say, but if you only knew how easy it would be to show me how you feel.
More than words is all you have to do to make it real.
Then you wouldn't have to say that you love me, 'cause I'd already know.
She remembered the countless afternoons they would lie under the huge tree in her garden as he practiced on his guitar and she would be engrossed with another novel. Ray had dreamt of being a lead guitarist ever since his parents gave him his first acoustic guitar. Whenever Ray felt that she was ignoring him long enough, he would play and sing this song, knowing that she liked it and Hermione would sing along with him.
There was an amused smile on her face when Harry humorously twirled her before pulling her close to him. Her hands were on his chest while his were around her as they swayed slowly to the music. When she tilted her head slightly so that she could get a good look of his face, she noticed that his eyes were closed. She laid her head on his chest as she enjoyed the security of being in his arms.
The song had another meaning for her now. Hermione could count the number of times Harry had actually told her in words that he loved her with one hand but she knew that he loved her with his all his heart because he always tried to put her first in everything that he did. She hoped that their love would continue to be real.
Hermione didn't stop smiling for the next few days much to the amusement of her friends. They tried to pester her for the details of their private celebration but Hermione remained tight-lipped about it. They did discover the present that Harry made for Hermione and swooned.
"I must say that he knows how to get your attention," commented Daphne as she smiled. "I can't think of anything better to give you."
"That was really thoughtful of him." Susan said as she beamed.
"Perhaps it can be bested by charms to scare those Dipuces away. Well, they tend to make you fall in love with others."
Susan and Daphne exchanged looks.
"Perhaps," Hermione replied with a dazzling smile.
"Do you think you could cast one on me? I haven't had any luck in relationships," added Susan as she sighed. Daphne rolled her eyes.
"I thought it was pretty obvious who you'll be with," Luna announced absent-mindedly.
That caught their attention.
"Who?" Susan inquired, knowing that she would regret asking.
"Ernie Macmilian," answered Luna as she kept a straight face.
The expression on Susan's face was priceless and her friends unable to prank her any longer, burst out laughing.
"Thank Merlin, it was just a joke," commented Susan as she let out a sigh of relief.
"You couldn't be sure, look what happened after she said I had feelings for Cedric?" Daphne prompted and the Hufflepuff looked queasy at the thought.
Three days after the anniversary, they celebrated Harry's fourteenth birthday by throwing a small party at his house. It was a shock for Harry to discover a roomful of people greeting him when he entered the dining room for lunch. Among the familiar faces of his friends and family, he saw the Gryffindor Quidditch team and Hagrid. The Weasley twins had invited the entire team, per Hermione's instructions, to the party.
It was like a dream come true for Harry.
"Wow, it sure reminds me of birthdays at the Durlseys," Harry commented with a smile as he looked at the pile of presents at the side of the room. Naturally, it wasn't his own birthday that he was referring to. He was referring to Dudley's birthdays. The Dursleys always made it a point to go all out whenever they celebrated their son's birthday. The floor of the kitchen was usually filled with so many presents that it was impossible to walk through on those days. Seeing the look on their faces, he quickly added, "I mean this is fantastic."
"I think you'll probably need to make an appointment with my parents after you're through with all the presents that the Gryffindor team has for you," remarked Hermione when Harry slipped his arm around her.
He cocked his brow in amusement as he looked at his wife. "We shall see if you're correct, sweetheart."
The house elves pulled no stops in preparing the food for the occasion despite Hermione reminding them that it would be a small party for family and friends. The feast was grand enough to shame the house elves back at Hogwarts and large enough to feed all of them for several days.
"The house elves did not know what to get for you, my Lord, so they decided to present you with this cake," said Charles as he clapped his hands. Immediately, several house elves carried a large cake into the dining room. Harry nearly gaped when he saw the size and the decorations on the cake. The icing decorations reflected the guests of this party and the figurines were made in likeness of every single one of them. The occupants in the room immediately burst into the birthday song as the house elves carried the cake to the middle of the room.
When the song finally ended and Harry had made his wishes, fireworks were released suddenly and they formed the words, "Happy Birthday, Harrikins" before the words transformed into a boy speeding on a broomstick. The boy on the speeding broomstick was made in likeness of Harry and unlike the other fireworks; it did not fade and continue to zoom around the room, performing marvellous tricks on the broom. It was a spectacular display of magic and the room burst into applause at the sight of the fireworks.
"I hope you liked our gift to you, Harry," said Fred as he smiled.
"It's awesome. You're going to put Dr Filibusters out of business!" Harry praised with a smile.
The house elves took over the cutting of cake and Harry instructed them to cut a slice for all that was in the house, including the house elves. They nodded since they were used to the way their new Lord treated everyone like an equal.
The guest received a slice of cake with their figurine on it. Harry marvelled at the likeness of the figurine standing on his slice of cake and told Charles to thank everyone for all their hard work. It was a lively affair as they caught up with one another.
"Presents time!" Sirius announced once they had finished their cake.
The Grangers were the first to go since they were giving him the largest present. There was no way in masking the present because the size and the shape would give it away. Dan and Jean presented him his first bicycle, knowing that the Dursleys never taught him how to ride.
"Happy birthday, Harry. I know you've never ridden on a bicycle before so we're giving you your very own bicycle and lessons on how to master it," Dan declared as he rested a hand on his shoulders.
There were tears in his eyes as he carefully fingered his shiny new bicycle. It was clear from their present that they wanted to fill up the void in his life as his parents. They were going to make sure that he didn't miss out on anything in his childhood. Touched, he gave them a hug each as he expressed his delight at the gift.
Sirius and the other adults smiled at this warm exchange.
Cedric, Daphne, and Astoria presented him with a dragon-hide bag that matched Hermione's. The only difference was that it was a shade darker than hers. "The girls wanted to get you something outrageous and I stopped them in time," explained Cedric. He laughed when Daphne elbowed him.
"He's such a party pooper," groused Astoria as she glared at her sister's boyfriend. Cedric merely smiled.
"Thank Merlin that he could intervene in time lest I get another embarrassing present," Harry answered as he made a face. "This is something I need. Thank you."
Susan, Luna, and Neville gave him a stamp for his birthday. It looked exactly like those in which office workers would use to stamp the date or their name on documents. He was surprised to see that it was blank and Susan proceeded to explain.
"We saw this stamp at a non-magical shop and decided to modify it ourselves. It's different from the non-magical. You need to put your signature on the box provided on the top of the stamp, so that it can be absorbed by the stamp. It will magically adjust to fit the space you need to put your signature on, saving the effort of signing the mountains of documents. By the way, we've built in a safeguard – you're the only one who can use the stamp one you've entered your signature. If anyone else tries, they will quickly realise that it won't work." Susan explained.
His smile was large enough to split his face. "It's brilliant. It's going to save me a lot of time signing," said Harry excitedly and he thanked them profusely.
The Gryffindor team came next and most of them gave him sweets for his birthday. Hermione gave him a triumph look when she discovered that she was spot on. Crookshanks nimbly stole a chocolate frog and escaped immediately when Harry unwrapped a box of Chocolate Frogs.
Hermione frowned at the behaviour of her familiar and summoned the Chocolate Frog from him.
Harry swore that he could feel Crookshanks' displeasure and disappointment as he sulked in some corner of the large mansion.
"I'll speak to him later. He knows he can't have chocolate," Hermione promised. The Gryffindor team didn't know if they should laugh or applaud at her mastery of the summoning spell.
The rest of the adults were the last to give Harry his present and they had a good reason to do so. They had given him copies of their memories of his parents. Harry became speechless when he received a whole box full of vials of memories of his parents. With tears in his eyes, he thanked them.
Harry went up to set his precious presents aside, leaving the guests to talk and mingle.
Most of the teenagers noticed the strange tension between George and Angelina whenever they spoke. Susan and Hermione exchanged knowing looks when the two of them disappeared suddenly after Harry went to put away most of his gifts. They began to discuss the highlights of the Quidditch World Cup enthusiastically. The Gryffindor team was excited when they learnt that Harry had a Quidditch pitch in the Mansion. They grew even more thrilled when they realised that they were playing on good broomsticks and with top of the line equipment. There were good protection gear specially designed for every position on the team and if they were not mistaken, they were the latest and the best the market had to offer. Oswald begged off the game, opting to take note of the modifications he needed to make to the new protective gear one of his companies manufactured so that he could create a new line of Quidditch armour. The teenagers ended up playing a game of Quidditch so the Grangers were treated to a match in which the winning house played.
They had a lot of fun since this was the last time they would be playing together as a team. Oliver Wood had just graduated from Hogwarts.
"I didn't think Hermione would be so good at Quidditch," Oliver commented when he missed the shot that Hermione had thrown into the goal.
"Well, if you hang with people like Cedric, Harry, Fred and George, it's impossible not to learn, especially when they play so much," replied Hermione with a wide smile.
They could hear Harry chuckling hovering above as he searched the grounds carefully. He was playing seeker, against Cedric. Cedric was also flying around trying to find the snitch.
"What a luxury," commented Katie as she hovered near the goal post.
"It's a pity I didn't have the opportunity to groom someone to take my place before I left." Oliver admitted with a hint of regret.
"What do you think of Longbottom?" asked Alicia as she flew up with the Quaffle. "He did manage to save several of Katie's best shots."
His eyes gleamed as he eyed the quiet boy hovering near the three hoops at the far end. "Maybe he'll be a good replacement."
Angeline laughed, "Once a captain, always a captain."She commented with a smile as the game went back into play.
The game lasted all afternoon and finally ended when Harry caught the snitch as usual, much to the chagrin of Cedric. Harry dodged when Cedric playfully tried to knock him off his broom in mid- air even though the game had ended.
"That makes it eight wins for Harry and only two for Cedric," Luna announced dreamily from the stand as she stood between Oswald and the Grangers. When the Grangers looked at her enquiringly, she answered, "Harry and Cedric had played ten matches against each other as seekers. So far, Harry's leading with eight catches. They are both pretty competitive."
Most of the guests had left after a delightful dinner. Harry had sincerely enjoyed himself in the company of his close friends, teammates and family. Their friends decided to dedicate the rest of their evening to reading up on the various spells in preparation of the next day's lessons.
The couple were alone in the room enjoying some quiet time together after such a busy day. Harry was looking through the vials of memories that the adults had carefully listed and dated. He felt Hermione standing next to him.
"Sweetheart, I need you to put those aside and follow me," said Hermione as she gently took his hand.
There was a frown of confusion on his face as he looked at Hermione.
Hermione gave him a patient smile. "I haven't given you your birthday present and it's waiting in the House."
Intrigued, he set the memories carefully aside and followed her into the House.
A/N:I don't own the song More than Words by Extreme but it's one of my favourite.
Hi, everyone. Thank you for your reviews. I was told that traditional gifts couples exchanged betweem themselves during their first anniversary was paper so all their gifts revolved around it- the scrapbook, book and the tickets to her bestfriend's gig. That's if you're wondering why Harry seemed to only recieve such. Looking forward to hearing from you. Have a great week!