"Happy birthday to you"
Happy birthday to me
Happy birthday dear Harry…..
Harry Potter and Hermione Granger stumbled down the path to the home they shared since the end of the Second Blood War, singing at the top of their voices. Uncaring of the fact that it was past midnight, their voices rose in harmony, holding each other up, they reached the door. "Why haven't we christened this place yet, harry?" Hermione mumbled. Then, as if struck by the innuendo she inadvertently made, she started giggling. Christened!, her giggling getting out of hand. She slumped on Harry, her giggles turning into guffaws. "Christening Grimmauld Place!" Harry finally managed to remember his wand and cast "Alohomora" at the main door.
The tipsy best friends stumbled inside the house. Hermione proceeded to lose her marbles all over the front hall, still giggling about christening and some other things harry was too drunk to think about. Kreacher appeared momentarily, looking at his master and his best friend with a deep sigh. "Does master need any help with miss?" he croaked, his bull-frog voice seeming to hold a world of patience. "No Kreacher, thank you! I will take her up myself", harry answered trying to help Hermione up. She suddenly sat up and looked at Kreacher with quite clear eyes for someone so sloshed. "Do you never think Kreacher, that we should rename Grimmauld Place? Don't you ever feel, this should have a different name? DO you ever feel like getting yourself a different name, Kreacher?'
Kreacher looked at her steadily, "I only live to serve, Miss" "But still Kreacher, do you think we should change things? Answer me honestly", Hermione insisted while Harry looked on, befuddled at the suddenly serious mood. With a strange smile on his face, Kreacher answered softly, "Master Arcturus often said, change is a breath of life, and we cannot live without it. I do not know if this helps" and he popped away.
Hermione stood unsteadily, looking at Harry with a strange gleam in her eyes "Change is breath of life. Harry, we must change. I cannot go on like this." "What do you mean, Mione?" Harry also stood, taking help of the antique table nearby.
"Everything is changing Harry and we need to change with it", she spoke with a wistfulness in her tone. "Change that we have denied ourselves for a long time. By trying to not disturb the status quo, by trying to keep everyone one happy by fitting into their ideas." "Accio Sobering Potion", mumbled Harry stretching out his hand to catch the zooming potion phials. Giving one to Hermione who took it gratefully, Harry downed his potion in a gulp, shaking his head as it cleared. "What do you want to change, Hermione? What are you not happy with?"
A disturbingly long silence followed his question. Hermione turned to him, a single tear tracing its path down her cheek. "I am not happy at all, Harry. I know I have a lot of things to be happy and grateful for. But I am not, harry." Harry felt like his heart was breaking, seeing his best friend looking so lost. He would do anything to make her happy and he was just about to tell her that when he stopped. Was he in anyway responsible for her unhappiness, he considered. Ever since he had ended things with Ginny and Hermione had broken up with Ron, they had been staying at Grimmauld. Both relationships ending had felt natural, almost as if there was no option. While the break had been amicable and the weasleys were still friends, it had brought Harry and Hermione even closer. And now Hermione was saying she wasn't happy.
"You know I will do anything to make you happy, don't you?" Harry asked, reaching out to hold her hand. She threw herself in his arms "and that is exactly why I want to talk to you Harry. Although I know I could be messing up everything that is between us, I cannot help but say this."
Harry was confused, "there is nothing you could say that would mess up what we are."
"I love you, Harry"
"I love you too, Mione"
"No harry, I love you love you.. you know like.."
"Oh.. umm" Hermione started to edge away after sensing Harry's confusion. "No, don't." Harry said pulling her to him. "I had given up hope, you know? I never thought you would feel like that"
"What do you mean Harry? Given hope?"
"I have kind of loved you 'like that' since the Christmas when we were on the hunt. Or rather realised it then. I think I fell in love with you when we flew on Buckbeak together. I was just a huge idiot about it"
"Why didn't you tell me sooner? I thought you saw me as a sister. Do you know how much I hated it?" Hermione responded, snuggling even closer to harry, unable to meet his eyes. Harry nudged her chin, making her look at him, hope blossoming in his heart at the love he saw in her eyes. "I never thought I was worthy of you. You, who was so selfless, caring and the brightest witch of our age. Whenever I thought of telling you about my feelings, something held me back"
Hermione silenced him with a quick kiss. It felt so strange yet so natural. An inexplicable sense of rightness spread through her heart. "It's all because of those horrible relatives of yours. They have done a number on you! How can you think you aren't worthy, Harry Potter. You are the only reason I am alive. I probable owe you a hundred life debts" Hermione's words rang with exasperation.
"I could say the same about you, my love" harry joked, "Can you think of the innumerable times that you saved my hide?"
"So why don't we make a deal, Mr Potter? We can fulfil our life debts to each other by linking our lives together, forever."
"That is an excellent idea, Miss Granger. In fact, if you promise not to laugh at me, I may have something that is essential in this case" Harry said while searching his pocket, finally coming up with a silken purse. "I found this in my family vault" he told her, looking into her eager eyes. These belonged to my great Grandparents, Mione and it is said that they lived a long life full of love. Dad didn't give this to mum as the stone wouldn't suit her. But I think the stone is perfect for you" he said, slipping a beautiful engagement ring from the purse. Hermione gasped, looking at the breath-taking princess-cut Sapphire surrounded by glittering diamonds set in a platinum band. Again two tears rolled down her cheeks, but her brilliant smile denied any whisper of sadness.
As harry tried to go down on one knee, she knelt with him. "You and I belong together, Harry, heart and soul. You do not need to go on a knee for that". Harry slipped the engagement ring on her finger, where it flashed and resized itself to fit her finger. "My great grandfather also married a First Blood, you know? Actually, I think I heard Dumbledore's portrait mention that it was Harold Potter who coined that term when he married his beloved. "
"It seems our plan of changing things is going very well. I think the next step would be to think about this house, don't you think?
"Do you mean christening it?" harry teased her. "Mr, Potter, mind your teasing" Hermione reprimanded him, with a light slap to his arm. "We need to redecorate, Harry. We need to turn this place into a home where we could raise our children. Where we could remember Sirius with fondness and not regret, where we could bring teddy without restricting him to certain rooms."
"I agree, sweetheart and your wish is my command. I helped a wizarding architect a few months ago, I will get in touch with him and ask for his input. And to go with the new ambience, we can call it something else.
"What about Marauder's Haven? It will be a fitting tribute to Sirius, Remus and your Dad."
"And an excellent inspiration for Teddy and his future siblings. You can't deny Hermione, our children will be the future Marauders."
"Unfortunately, you are right!" Hermione rolled her eyes. "Well, will you look at that? We truly did accept change in so many ways, Harry. Would you like to try another change?" Hermione's voice took on a husky tone.
Harry gulped, looking at the teasing, seductive expression in Hermione's eyes, "and what change is that? harry spoke, beginning to nibble at Hermione's neck. "Oh you are on the correct path", she moaned, tilting her neck to give him access. Harry found her lips almost losing himself in her as she deepened the kiss. Both strained against each other, eager to connect in every way possible.
"Now that we have a new name for the house", Hermione gasped, breathless with Harry's kisses, "Let us christen this house every other way"
"You are truly the brightest witch of the age, mione" Harry gathered her close and apparated to his bedroom.
And the new Marauder's Haven was christened quite thoroughly in the days that followed...
The End.