Chapter 9: Hermione Granger
Hermione woke up slowly the next morning. The first thing she noticed was that she felt warm. As she flexed and unflexed her muscles, her limbs felt tired and heavy. She could see a soft light through her eyelids but it took her several minutes to work up the energy to flutter her eyes open. That's when she realized she wasn't alone.
There was a man in the bed with her. He was lying on his side, facing her, with one hand draped lazily over her bare stomach. She looked down. The bedspread was covering the bottom half of their bodies but Hermione could see the edge of her knickers and the man's boxers. She let out a sigh of relief. She wasn't completely naked, she just didn't have a shirt on.
She slowly pulled up the sheet to cover her chest before looking back at the man. This time, now that her vision had cleared of its initial fogginess, she recognized him. It was Harry. He looked older and different without his glasses. He also had facial hair, which was new, but it was unmistakably Harry.
She reached out and pushed away a lock of hair that was covering the spot where his scar should be. It was there, fainter than she remembered, but still the same lightning bolt shape. Hermione smiled. This was surely a dream. She felt so blissfully at peace and warm, and couldn't think of a time in real life when she'd ever felt so content. It was lovely and she was fine to just lie here and revel in the feeling until she woke up.
After what felt like a few minutes, Hermione felt Harry's hand move to her waist, then he tightened his grip on her. It all felt so real, for a dream, and she gave kudos to her brain for having the ability to create such realistic sensations. Harry's eyelids moved and eventually opened. When his eyes focused on her, his lips turned up.
He pulled his hand away from her waist and traced the edge of her face. "You are so beautiful," he whispered. "I've never seen you first thing in the morning," he added, sounding awed.
Hermione grabbed his hand and kissed it and when she looked back at his face, she noticed tears slowly falling down onto his pillow. Hermione shifted closer to him and wiped his eyes with the edge of the sheet. "Why are you crying?" she whispered.
He leaned forward and pressed his lips against her forehead. "Sorry. I'm very weepy lately, but nothing's wrong. I promise."
Hermione felt his lips moving against her forehead and his warm breath on her skin. She was beginning to suspect that this wasn't a dream. It felt too real. Moving on instinct, she buried her head in the crook of his neck and linked her hands behind his head. The feeling of his thick hair between her fingers, the warmth of his skin, his scent - there was no way she could have imagined all of this. This wasn't a dream. This was real.
And even though she had no idea where she was or how she got here, why Harry was here and why they were half-naked, she felt safe. Her mind was beginning to run wild, as it emerged from the sluggishness of sleep, but her body was calm. Hermione pressed herself against Harry and focused on her heart, which was beating steadily, almost in perfect time with his.
Harry wrapped an arm around her back and pulled her close. He began to speak into her hair in a low voice. "I know you're probably scared and confused about where you are and why you're with me, but you can relax. You're safe. I promise."
Hermione still couldn't make sense of anything, but she could feel the truth in his words. He began tracing his fingertips over the top of her back, which sent shivers throughout her body. She snuggled closer to him and focused on the feeling of her chest rising and falling against his.
She was safe. She was confused and had no idea where she was, but she was in Harry's arms and she was safe. If they were in danger, she'd have been able to feel it coming off him, either as a quickness in his breathing or as a rapidly beating heart. But he was calm and he seemed to know what was going on. She had no idea but for now, knowing Harry knew and didn't seem concerned was good enough.
After a few minutes, she managed to peel herself away from him. She leaned back slightly, so she could see his face, and repositioned the sheet over her chest. "What's happening, Harry?"
He gave her a small smile, then reached behind him and picked up a scrap of parchment from the bedside table. He handed it to her and she looked at it curiously before unfolding it. It was written in her handwriting.
You love Harry and he loves you. You can trust him. You have to trust him. You don't have to do it all alone. -H
She looked back up at Harry, who was watching her expectantly. "Um, thanks, but I'd already gathered all this on my own."
He let out a soft, low rumble of a laugh. "I insisted you write something down last night and you insisted you wouldn't need it, but did so anyway, just to make me feel better. I should have known better than to go against someone who's always right."
"I wrote this last night?"
Harry nodded and took one of her hands. "You had an accident from a backfiring charm when you were trying to restore your parents' memories. You only form memories for a day, then everything resets each night. It's September 1, 2000 today."
"My parents? What happened to them?"
"They're okay. But their memories were never restored."
"And Ron? Was he hurt?"
Harry shook his head. "Ron's fine. He lives just a few miles away and you see him all the time."
"A few miles away from where? Where are we?"
"London. Grimmauld Place. This is your bedroom on the third floor."
She looked around the room. She recognized it now. This was where she and Ginny used to sleep, but it had been repainted and the window was new. Some time in the past two years, the room had been redecorated. What else had changed in that time that she had no memory of?
Two years. Two whole years, plus a few months, with no memories. And her parents still didn't remember her. Hermione's thoughts were spiraling and she tried to get back to that serenity from before. She crawled back into Harry's arms.
"You have a good life," he told her. "You've achieved so much, are still managing to put your mark on the world, have a lot of friends who love you, laugh and have fun, all of it, even with this limitation."
Hermione nodded as he held her close. She knew this was true. That feeling when she'd woken up - that contentment - she'd felt that deep in her gut and she wouldn't have felt that way if she wasn't satisfied with her life. She had a good life, with Harry, … she just couldn't remember it.
As Hermione laid in Harry's arms, taking slow, deep breaths, she began to recapture a bit of the calm from earlier. Harry was running his hands through her hair and whispered, "I love you."
She thought again of the letter she was still holding in her left hand. You love Harry and he loves you.
"We're together," she said. It wasn't a question, she was just testing the words on her tongue.
Harry took a deep, shaky breath then repeated in a wavering voice, "We're together."
Hermione leaned her head back and saw he had tears in his eyes again. "That makes you sad?"
He let out a small laugh and shook his head as more tears fell. "Like I said earlier, I'm just very weepy. You suggested a nickname of 'Howling Harry' yesterday."
Hermione smiled. "Are you going to lock yourself in a bathroom and start floating around the u-bend?"
"I was thinking of haunting the kitchen. More snacks."
Hermione let out a small laugh, then reached up and wiped his tears away. "Why are you so weepy?"
"This, waking up next to you, was a long time coming and I was starting to think we'd never get here. And-" He cut off and took a deep breath but it didn't stop his tears from falling faster. "I was sure you were going to hex me when you woke up, or at least be scared. I told you to write that note, I tried to get you to put your clothes back on, but you insisted you'd know. And you do, don't you?"
"Know what?" Hermione recalled the note again. "That I love you and you love me?"
Harry nodded and started wiping his eyes.
"Yes. I know. I feel it. But I don't understand," she said carefully. "Do we not go through this every morning?"
Harry shook his head. "This is day two of our relationship and the first time we've woken up together like this. And apparently, I'm an emotional wreck now. This is what you've reduced me to. You're to blame for all these tears, but I can assure you that they are very happy tears." He gave her a small smile, then placed his hand on her chin and kissed the side of her mouth.
He tried to pull away, but Hermione didn't let him. She moved her hands to the back of his head and kissed him fully. Their kiss was tentative and slow at first and soon it wasn't enough for Hermione. She wanted more of him. She pulled his bottom lip into her mouth and nibbled it slightly, then she pressed her tongue against his. As she intensified their kiss, Harry met each of her actions; every lick, every bite, every caress.
When Hermione finally pulled away, she was out of breath and slightly embarrassed by her very passionate response to what had started as an innocent kiss. She dropped her head against his chest as she caught her breath.
"Are you okay?" Harry asked.
Hermione nodded and looked back up at him. His eyes were swimming with concern as they darted across her face. "I'm great," she said with a smile. "But, um, I know this is probably a stupid question because of that kiss and our state of undress, but, uh, did we shag last night?"
Harry smiled and said simply, "Yes. We also took a bath together."
"Oh. And that was my, uh, first time?"
Harry shook his head. "No. I haven't counted but I think it was like our tenth or twelfth time. Yesterday was our first official day as a couple, but we'd been together before. It's a long story."
Hermione could see the pain in his eyes as he spoke. He'd said he hadn't expected her to be here this morning, which meant there were other mornings when she hadn't been. What had happened? Had they shagged, agreed to start a relationship, and then gone to sleep, just to have Hermione steal away in the night and forget everything? How awful. She couldn't see herself doing that to Harry.
She'd have to ask him more about that later, but for now, she just wanted to make that pain in his eyes go away. She shifted closer to him, closing the distance between them, and ran her fingers over the top of his bare chest. It was strange, touching Harry like this, but it didn't feel wrong. It felt familiar.
Hermione pressed her lips to one of his collarbones, then slowly kissed a path up to his neck. She seemed to instinctively know just where to suck, a spot right under his ear, to elicit a low groan. Hermione nibbled his earlobe and whispered, "Can we do it again? Maybe go for round eleven or thirteen?"
Hermione had no idea where this bout of sexy confidence had come from, but it seemed to be working. When she looked up at Harry, he was biting his lip and his eyes were dark with desire. She could tell her own body wanted this and resolved to just let it take over, since it seemed to know what it was doing.
She moved her hand down his chest, over his stomach, and stopped at the edge of his boxers. She slipped a finger under the elastic of his waistband and whispered in his ear again. "I'm waiting for some sort of confirmation here. Consent is very important to me."
Harry let out a low laugh, then flipped her over onto her back, making her squeal. He pulled his boxers down, then kicked them off before climbing on top of her and kissing her. "Is this enough confirmation for you?" he growled in her ear.
She pressed her hips against him in answer, then pushed him up by the shoulders so she could see him. Her eyes scanned his body. "You're really handsome."
Harry smiled. "And you're beautiful."
"Also, um, I have no idea what I'm doing," she added.
Harry bent down and kissed her cheek. "You say that every time and you're wrong, every time."
Harry moved off her, onto his side, and linked a finger into the elastic of her knickers. He cocked an eyebrow at her and said with a roguish smile, "May I take these off? Consent is very important to me, too."
Hermione nodded and as Harry slowly peeled off her knickers, her heart started pounding so loudly, it was all her mind could focus on. Well, that and Harry, of course. He was back on top of her, watching her, seemingly waiting for something, and she guessed her nerves were showing on her face. She forced a smile and reminded herself this wasn't her first time before pulling Harry back down into a kiss.
Harry moved his hand down and gently slipped one finger inside of her. A few moments later, when he slid a second finger in and began rubbing her clitoris with his thumb, she forgot to be nervous.
"That feels incredible," she panted after several moments, digging her hands into his shoulders.
He kissed her cheek, then lifted his head. "Your body's ready for me, if you are."
Hermione nodded, not trusting herself to speak.
Harry shifted slightly, then lifted one of her legs and linked it over his shoulder. He stopped just above her, holding himself at her entrance, and raised an eyebrow in question. She nodded again and he lowered himself down. They both let out a collective sigh once he was inside of her.
Harry began to move and the feeling was … not what Hermione had been expecting. She'd expected a little bit of pain followed by mind-blowing pleasure - if all of Parvati and Lavender's gossip was to be believed. But this was subtler than that. It felt good, being filled up by Harry, and at the end of each of his thrusts she was hit by small shudders of pleasure, but it wasn't as acute as when he'd been touching her before.
The experience wasn't as physical as it was emotional. She was with Harry, locking eyes with him as he moved inside her and occasionally, he'd let out a small grunt or whisper her name. This was intimacy, something she'd never shared with Ron or Viktor, and that knowledge hit her so much more intensely than any of the bodily sensations.
As if he could read her thoughts and had taken them as a challenge, Harry moved his hand down and began rubbing her and she retracted her earlier thought. Okay, so this was mind-blowing. The combination of all the ways he was touching her was sublime. His cock moving in and out of her, hitting her at a perfect angle, his fingers rubbing her clitoris while his other hand caressed her breast. She was struggling to think, even taking in air was difficult, but she had a fleeting thought about doing something to make him feel similarly, since this seemed to be all about her.
She lifted up and sucked on that spot on his neck she'd found earlier. Harry let out a long moan and she felt it vibrate against her lips. Then she reached down and began fondling his balls with her hand. He swore and pulled back, then gave her a wicked grin. "I thought you didn't know what you were doing."
She just smiled, since she still didn't trust her ability to form words right now. But if she could have talked, she would have said, "You surely know what you're doing."
Hermione reached down and touched him again and it wasn't much longer before he finished, tensing up and groaning into her neck. He took several deep breaths, told her he loved her again, then pulled out and continued pleasuring her with his hand as he peppered kisses along her breasts and neck. Soon, she found her release and cried out. She nearly saw stars behind her eyelids. Mind-blowing indeed.
Hermione lay there for a few moments as she tried to decide which parts of sex she liked best, the physical pleasure or the feeling of being so close to Harry. She hadn't come to a conclusion by the time she opened her eyes and saw Harry propped up on his elbow, beaming down at her.
"That was amazing," she whispered.
"Agreed." He laid down next to her and wrapped an arm around her middle and said softly, "Usually I call it a good day if you're smiling and joking within the first hour of waking up. Morning sex, that's a whole new bar you've just set."
"We've never had sex in the morning before?"
Harry shook his head.
Hermione turned over onto her side so she was facing him and saw his eyes were wet again. "More weeping? I think you have a serious condition."
"Happy tears," he said as he blinked rapidly. "I just never thought morning sex was something we'd ever get to enjoy."
Hermione assumed he was referring to her condition, but she didn't want to think about that right now. "I liked it, morning sex," she said matter-of-factly. "Or, well, just sex in general. We should do it again."
Harry smiled and placed a quick kiss on her lips. "Deal. But first, we have a big day ahead of us. I need to catch you up on everything we decided on yesterday, we have to slog through all your notes and letters and add in the new, 'Harry's my boyfriend' information, we need to eat because I'm starving, and somewhere in there I need to go to Ginny's to get the box she stole from you. Then, we'll shag, at least once more. Probably twice."
Harry had been tracing a finger along the contours of her face as he talked and now Hermione caught it and kissed it. "That sounds like a big day. Do we really have to do all that?"
"Yes," Harry said simply. He reached over and grabbed his wand from the nightstand and she could tell he was eager to get the day started now. If she was being honest, she was curious to learn more about her life, like why Harry had said it took them so long to get here, why he'd thought she wouldn't be here in the morning, and perhaps why he was so weepy.
And his mention of Ginny reminded her of her friends and she'd like to know what was going on in their lives. Where was Ron? Was he okay with their relationship? Was Ginny? When had they all broken up?
Hermione was distracted from her thoughts by the tickling feeling of a cleaning spell on the inside of her thigh. She twitched involuntarily, then realization hit her. "Harry! I didn't perform a Contraceptive Charm!"
He waved her away as he put his glasses back on. "You took a potion last night. You're good for the next month."
"Oh. Do I, uh, always take a potion at the end of the month? Do you remind me to do that?"
"You took one the last day of July, so I didn't worry about August, and you took one yesterday, so this month will be good. All other times, whenever I haven't seen you take the potion, I make sure to take care of the spell." Harry had climbed out of the bed and was at her side now.
"Thanks," she replied as she sat up and kicked her legs over the side of the bed. "I guess I have to trust you on that one."
Harry crossed his arms over his chest. "Are you worried I'm going to trick you into having kids you don't want?"
"No, of course not. I mean - I can't have kids, not like this."
Harry bit his lip and frowned. "We've already had this argument, I'll catch you up later though, it's too heavy for a post-coital morning chat." He held his hand out to her. "Come on, let's go take a shower, but we should go downstairs to my bathroom, since it's bigger. After that, breakfast."
Hermione placed her hand in his and he pulled her to her feet, then wrapped an arm around her. The modesty that Hermione had been too distracted to remember during sex was back now. They were naked and just casually walking through the house. She felt so exposed and had to keep reminding herself that she'd been naked with Harry before.
When she looked over at him to see if he thought it was awkward, all she noted was that he couldn't seem to stop smiling. And there was an unmistakable bounce in his step. He was giddy. She allowed that while this was weird, walking through Grimmuald Place naked, with Harry, it was also sort of wonderful.
"Are you going to tell me what topics of conversation are appropriate for post-coital morning chats?" she asked when they got to the bottom of the stairs.
He stopped and turned to her. "Yes, of course. I have a list in my room." He gestured to a closed door behind him. "I'm an expert on this topic."
"Oh yeah? I thought this was our first time having morning sex. But - oh. You're still famous, aren't you? I'm sure there are witches lining up to have sex with you at all hours of the day."
Hermione had stopped in the hall and Harry turned back and laughed when he saw her face. He walked over to her, wrapped an arm around her, and guided her to the bedroom. "I was kidding. I've only ever shagged one other witch, Ginny, but we broke up ages ago. Come on, give me more credit. You're the only witch for me."
"I have no way to know if you're kidding. You could be cheating on me and I'd have no idea. And if I did ever find out, I'd just forget the next day."
Harry turned to her and tilted her chin up and when he spoke, his green eyes were intense. "You do have a way to know. It's me, and I would never do that. There are a thousand ways for me to take advantage of your memory loss and I will never, ever use any of them."
Hermione knew he was telling the truth and she felt bad for doubting him. "I know."
"Good." He kissed her cheek and turned back to the bedroom. "Also, infidelity is not on the list of approved topics, pick something else." He stopped in the doorway to the bathroom and smiled at her.
"You're naked," Hermione blurted out. He was standing several feet away and it was the first time she'd taken a moment to truly take in his fully nude form. It was nice. But now she was embarrassed for having drawn attention to it.
"Are you just now noticing? I thought you were meant to be bright."
"I'm brain damaged now," she quipped as she followed him into the bathroom.
"Ah - you've stumbled on two approved topics," Harry said as he started the shower, "us being nude and jokes about your condition. Come on."
Harry put his glasses on the counter and walked into the shower. Hermione stood in place. She was back to thinking she was in a dream. She was naked, joking with Harry, who she'd just had sex with and now they were going to take a shower together. This couldn't be real, but it was. Her heart fluttered at that last thought.
"Get in here, girlfriend, I can't reach my back," he called.
"What do you usually do?" she asked as she stepped into the shower.
"Never wash it. It hasn't seen soap in years."
Hermione smiled. "It's a good thing you have me."
Harry caught her chin and kissed her. "Yes. Yes, it is."
Later, Harry and Hermione were at the stove, cooking pancakes. Harry was doing the actual cooking while Hermione watched. She was standing behind him with her arms wrapped around his middle while she lifted herself up on her toes so she could prop her chin on his shoulder. She kissed his neck and whispered in his ear, "Am I crowding you? Do you hate this?"
He smiled and pulled his free arm up to cover hers. "You are not crowding me and I don't hate this."
"Of course he doesn't hate this," a voice said behind them. "This is what he's been dreaming about for ages."
Hermione jumped away from Harry and turned around to find Ginny in the doorway, holding a large, wooden box. She had short hair, a nose ring, a tattoo on her arm, and looked more muscular than Hermione remembered. But the harshness of her new, more intimidating look was offset by her beaming smile.
"Well, what do we have here?" Ginny asked as she placed the box she was holding on the table. Hermione was pulling down on the hem of the shirt she was wearing. She'd grabbed one of Harry's shirts to wear after their shower and it just barely covered her bum.
Ginny crossed her arms over her chest as she smirked at Hermione. "Thanks for bringing that back," Harry said over his shoulder. "I'm going to yell at you later for taking it in the first place."
Ginny scoffed. "Yell at me? You should be thanking me. Because by the looks of it - based on Hermione's wet hair, her outfit, and her ever-increasing blush - you two shagged, then took a shower together and it's-" Ginny looked down at her watch, "-not quite nine."
Hermione buried her face in her hands. This was so awkward. The next moment, Ginny was hugging her. "You don't have to be embarrassed, Hermione. I don't care. Harry and I broke up over a year ago."
Hermione dropped her hands from her face. She saw from Ginny's expression that she was sincere. She didn't seem jealous at all, just giddy, like Harry. Hermione was more curious than ever to learn about her history with Harry, but he'd said he wouldn't tell her anything until after breakfast.
Ginny nudged Hermione's arm and said teasingly, "You're welcome, by the way. I'm the one who taught Harry his way around a woma –"
Ginny was cut off by Harry slapping a hand over her mouth. "Okay, that's enough. Time for you to go." Harry had Ginny by the shoulders and was marching her toward the hall. "Thanks for bringing the box back, we'll see you at the Burrow, Sunday."
"Wait! You didn't even confirm. Are you two together?"
Harry dropped Ginny's shoulders and began raking his hand through his hair, like he did when he was nervous.
"Yes. We are," Hermione chimed in. Harry looked back at her and gave her a warm smile. Again, he seemed surprised that this relationship was happening, which was odd, since it felt so natural to Hermione. What had happened between them to make Harry so wary of this?
Ginny was clapping. "Yay! We need to celebrate. How about a party?"
"No," Harry said while Hermione said at the same time, "Okay."
"Hah! Hermione said 'okay.'"
Harry groaned. "Fine. But it has to be small. Only the people she has summaries on."
"Yeah, small. Of course. We'll do it here at seven, that way you can't escape. Just the summary people, and Ruby and Rolf, of course. I'll set it up." Ginny started walking backward toward the front door. "I'm going to run off before you get a chance to change your mind or put any other limitations in place. Congratulations and I'll see both of you tonight!"
Hermione heard the door slam shut, then Harry came back into the kitchen, shaking his head. He gave Hermione an exasperated look. Hermione frowned. "Sorry. A party sounded fun."
Harry shrugged and pulled her into a hug. "As soon as she got that idea in her head, there was no stopping it. You're right, a party will be fun."
"Who are the 'summary people?'"
"Ah. It's part of what we need to work on after breakfast." Harry let go of her and went to grab the plate of pancakes. He set them on the table and Summoned two clean plates from the cabinet. "You usually start the day by reading all these summaries about your friends, so you generally know what to expect when you see them."
"Oh. That's clever. Where do I keep those?"
"On your desk. I probably should have shown you but I was distracted."
Harry grinned at her and she blushed and returned his smile.
"Anyway," he continued, "the summary people are Ginny, Ron, Neville, and Luna."
"Oh. That is a small party. Good. And who are Rolf and Ruby?"
"Rolf is Luna's boyfriend, the grandson of Newt Scamander. Both he and Luna are magizoologists."
"That sounds perfect for her."
Harry nodded as he finished his bite of pancake. "Yeah. It is. And Ruby is Ginny's girlfriend."
"Girlfriend? She's gay?"
"Bisexual."
"Huh. Interesting. I assume this is a piece of information I'd have in my summary?"
"Yeah."
Hermione sipped on a mug of tea as she tried to reconcile this new, edgy, bisexual Ginny with her friend from school. "What did you think when you found out she liked witches?" Hermione asked carefully.
Harry shrugged. "I was fine. The only person who had a problem with it was Molly – that's when Ginny started changing her look, mostly to piss off her mum, but I sort of like it. It fits her. When Ginny told me, my main thought was that I must have been a really shit boyfriend to turn her off wizards altogether. And, well, she's only dated witches since we broke up, so I may have been right."
"I'm sure you weren't a bad boyfriend."
"Oh, I was, because I was in love with someone else."
He nudged her leg under the table and gave her a knowing smile. Hermione was chewing and smiled back, then realized she may have just made an inaccurate assumption. "Were you talking about me?" she asked as soon as her mouth was empty.
Harry rolled his eyes. "Yes. You really are brain damaged."
Hermione kicked him under the table. These offhand comments about how much he loved her were going to take some getting used to. But she'd never get used to it, would she? How awful.
"What's wrong?" Harry had noticed the abrupt change in her demeanor. Of course he had, he seemed very attuned to her.
"It just makes me sad that I'm going to forget all this."
Harry nodded sadly. "I'll remember, if that makes you feel any better."
"It does." Hermione sighed and took a large gulp of tea, then asked, "What about Ron?"
"What about Ron?"
"Ginny's obviously supportive of the two of us. Is Ron?"
"Yeah. I know it's hard to imagine, but he is supportive. You broke up with him shortly after your accident and he hasn't had a serious girlfriend since. He likes his status as eligible bachelor." Harry turned and looked toward the hall. "Speaking of Ron, I'm actually surprised he hasn't –" There was a sound of a door opening and closing. "-there he is," Harry finished with a sigh.
A moment later, Ron appeared in the doorway. "Are you two really together?!"
Hermione shifted further under the table in an effort to hide her bare legs while Harry had turned back to his plate of pancakes. He seemed determined to ignore Ron.
"You are! And you shagged, didn't you?" Ron took a seat at the table and turned to Hermione. "How long after you woke up did it happen?"
Hermione dropped her head in her hands.
"Can you leave?" Harry asked.
Through her fingers, Hermione saw Ron reach for a pancake, then saw Harry slap his hand away. "We don't want you here. Leave us alone."
"Hermione wants me here-" Ron turned back toward her, "-don't you?"
Hermione finally dropped her hands from her face. "Um – It's lovely to see you, but I would prefer it if I were dressed. Maybe we can have lunch later?"
Ron looked confused, then looked under the table. "Oh, you're just wearing that shirt?" He waved his hand dismissively. "I've seen you more naked than that."
Hermione's eyes widened in alarm. "No, not that," Ron said quickly. "I was talking about when you're in your bathing suit. We've never – uh – we haven't done anything you don't remember. And we were wearing clothes for – well, you know." Ron sighed and said to Harry, "That got awkward, didn't it?"
Harry was just leaning back in his chair, looking amused. "It was always awkward. Can you leave now?"
"Fine." Ron stood up from the table. "But, just tell me, is this for real?" He'd directed this question at Hermione. "Like – you'll be together tomorrow, and the next day, too?"
"Yes, absolutely," she said immediately.
"Thank Merlin. Okay, lunch later. I'll pick something up." Ron turned to Harry. "What haven't you two had lately?"
"Just get sandwiches from that deli near your flat."
"Okay, done." Ron was in the doorway but he stopped and gave Hermione a small smile. "Can I have a hug? I'll close my eyes."
Hermione nodded. "You don't have to close your eyes."
Ron pulled her into a tight hug and whispered in her ear, "Don't hurt him, again."
When Ron pulled away, he gave Hermione a final nod, patted Harry on the shoulder, and left them alone in the kitchen.
"What did he whisper to you?" Harry asked.
Hermione looked down at her lap. "Not to hurt you again."
Harry hummed.
"What happened, Harry?"
"Are you finished eating?"
Hermione looked over at her half-eaten stack of pancakes. "Yes."
Harry pulled her to her feet and gave her a long, deep kiss. "I love getting to do that whenever I want," he said with a smile, then added, "Am I crowding you? Do you hate this?"
She smiled and shook her head.
Harry wrapped an arm around her waist and led her toward the hall. "Okay then, let's get to work."
An hour later, Harry was sitting at Hermione's desk, holding a quill above a blank piece of parchment, and laughing at Hermione, who was trying very hard to hold her tongue.
"Are you literally biting your tongue?" he teased.
"Mmm-mph." She replied as she shook her head, which made Harry laugh louder.
She was biting her tongue, then bit down harder as Harry started to write. He'd just explained the method they'd agreed on yesterday for writing down the outcome of their arguments, so they wouldn't keep having the same fight over and over again. Anytime one of the topics came up, Harry would let Hermione know they'd already discussed it and she could ask him about the outcome or refer to the argument log they were about to create.
The system made sense, since it wasn't fair for Harry to have to keep having the same conversations again and again, but in practice, it was incredibly hard for Hermione to adhere to. All she was given was the topic and the resolution they'd come to, with none of the context that had got them there. That was why she was biting her tongue, because it was incredibly difficult for her not to fight back or point out arguments she may or may not have pointed out before. She just needed to trust Harry and her past self.
It also didn't help that Harry had chosen to start with the most contentious topic, but she figured he'd done that on purpose, to get the hardest fight out of the way first.
"Topic," Harry said aloud as he wrote, "Whether or not you should have kids."
"Status: Not resolved," Hermione added quickly.
"Yes. Not resolved," he repeated. "Interim conclusion: This is not allowed to be a dealbreaker for us being together. Hermione is adamant she'll never change her mind about this and Harry disagrees but knows it's a possibility and wants to be with her anyway. Families are allowed to exist with just two people."
"Did I point out-"
"Yes," he cut her off.
"But-"
"Ah, ah, ah," he motioned back to the parchment.
"It's not resolved, though, so we will have this argument again," she pointed out.
"True. But not now. We have years to sort this out. Okay, next topic." He turned back to the parchment and began to write again. "Can we have a healthy sex life?"
"We talked about that?"
Harry nodded. "You had a very long list of reasons why you thought we couldn't be together and we talked through all of them." He began writing again. "Status: Resolved. Final conclusion: …" He turned to her and cocked his head. "Any guesses?"
Hermione rolled her eyes "No need to be so smug about it."
Harry wrote YES in all caps as he chucked to himself.
They continued like that for the next hour as Harry filled her in on all the arguments they'd had and whether or not they were resolved. Hermione had to resist the urge to argue more, but it got easier as they went on. She was just glad their conversation was lighter. Earlier, Harry had explained their past and shown her a letter she'd written herself last weekend. It was heartbreaking. "Was it really this bad?" she'd asked once she was finished reading her harsh words.
Harry had sighed and looked away from her and after a few moments when she'd thought he wasn't going to answer, she'd pressed him and he'd said, "I'm torn between not wanting to lie to you and not wanting to make you feel bad." And that was answer enough. No wonder he was so weepy this morning.
When she'd asked him why he'd let it get so bad, he'd admitted to the guilt he'd been holding on to about how he'd taken her for granted when they were growing up and how he'd chosen Teddy over her just before her accident. Hermione made a mental note to get that argument down on the log, too. It would be important for her to know that Harry thought deep down that he didn't deserve her in case he tried to pull away from her again.
She could also see him "conveniently" forgetting to log that argument. But its final conclusion: Harry does deserve Hermione and has more than made up for any past indiscretions, needed to be put right at the front and written in indelible ink.
After they finished their argument log, Hermione re-wrote her summary about Harry since the original one had been woefully inadequate. When she was finished, she got to her feet and stretched her hands over her head. "Are we finished?"
"Almost." Harry waved his wand and several moments later, the box Ginny had brought by this morning floated into the room and landed on the bed. Hermione had almost forgotten about the box.
"What's in there?"
"I don't know for sure, but I have a suspicion." He looked down at his watch. "Ron will be here in about an hour. We can wait until after lunch to go through this."
Hermione shook her head. "No, let's just get it all over with." She was already emotionally drained from all the information she'd taken in so far, but she knew if she stepped away, she might not have the energy to come back to it.
Harry smiled and shook his head. "I should have known that given the option of working more and taking a break, you'd pick working."
Hermione crossed her arms over her chest. "Yes, you should have known. Aren't you supposed to have an uncanny ability to guess my thoughts and feelings?" she asked with a smirk. That was one of the few telling things she'd recorded in his previous summary. She was glad that the summary she had on him now accurately reflected the depth and complexity of their relationship.
Harry leaned forward and kissed her. He'd been doing that a lot today but she still wasn't used to it. She thought again of how she'd probably never get used to it, but this time, the thought didn't upset her. She'd be lucky enough to experience the thrill of a new relationship forever, when even the smallest touches made her heart race.
"How bad is it going to be?" she whispered as Harry pulled away.
He shrugged. "I don't think it will be too bad, but we can take a break," he repeated. "We've been at this for hours."
"No, let's just finish reviewing the past, then we can spend the rest of the day enjoying the present together."
"You haven't been enjoying the present with me, so far?"
Hermione was about to backtrack, but she saw from his expression he was joking. "You know what I mean." She went to the bed and sat on her knees, next to the box. There were no latches or handles she could use to lift the lid and she guessed it was locked with a spell. She placed her hands on top and felt a small amount of magic on the surface. "Do you know how to open this?"
Harry went to join her on the bed. "No. I've never been with you when you've opened it. But yesterday you told me the password you used to unlock the notebook I showed you earlier. Perhaps it's the same." He picked up his wand and tapped the top of the box as he said, "Harry James Potter."
The lid clicked open.
Hermione shook her head as she lifted the lid off the box. "How was it ever a question that I loved you?"
Harry let out a small laugh.
Hermione reached over and squeezed his leg, then turned back to the box. There was a folded stack of parchment right on top, tied with a thin, green ribbon. She untied the ribbon and saw there were two letters, one small one, written on half a piece of parchment and one longer letter that went across several pages.
Hermione read the shorter note first.
Hermione,
I'm sure you've already figured out the point of the 'one day at a time' challenge, since I suspect that as soon as you realized you'd acted out of the ordinary, you set a goal to find out why. But in case you don't know, I'll tell you now. You need to figure out what you want. More specifically – whether you want a relationship with Harry.
You spent an entire month starting each morning fresh, with nothing influencing you toward Harry. Now it's time to review what happened each day. How often did you mention him in your notes? How many times did you make your way back to him? Do you truly love him? And if you discover that you do love him, decide next if you can handle the inevitable difficulties that would come from trying to maintain a relationship with your condition.
Whatever you decide, you have to be sure. No more waffling. I know this is a lot to ask, but you need to do your best. You've strung Harry along for too long and he deserves a final decision. You can do this – it's just like an Arithmancy problem, review the data, find the patterns, and come to a final conclusion. Good luck.
-Hermione from July 31, 2000
When Hermione finished reading, she was about to tell Harry what the note said when she saw him looking at the longer, folded up letter on the bed. She followed his eyes and saw For Harry written on the outside. Hermione picked it up and handed it to him. "It seems like this is for you."
Harry just held it in his hand. He seemed reluctant to open it. "No matter what it says, Harry, nothing here is going to change. You don't even need to read it if you don't want to." Though she hoped he would, since she was very curious to learn what was inside.
Harry nodded and shifted closer to Hermione, so she could read alongside him. He unfolded the letter and spread it on the bed. "This changes nothing," he stated.
Hermione nodded and began to read.
Harry,
I owe you an explanation for why I never went back to your room after you returned from the pub, for why I hid away the album, the notes, and the summary you wrote about me, and for why I'm breaking the promises I made you earlier today. So here it is.
After you left, doubt began to settle in as I thought of us being together. My mind went through everything: little inconveniences like you losing an hour every morning to help me get settled to large ones, like never having children, and a hundred things in between.
I was pacing the house, driving myself mad with worry, when I ended up in my bedroom. I scanned the bookshelf for something to read, anything to take my mind off its current thoughts, when I saw a small book of poems. I began flipping through it and my eye was caught by writing on a few of the pages. I sat on the floor and read the poems you'd circled as tears streamed down my eyes.
Then, I did something I've never done in my life (and still feel queasy about) and tore my favorite page out of the book. I began pacing the house again with the page in my hands but this time, instead of concerns and worries floating through my brain, it was your words. And when I reached the attic, it hit me – I can't make this decision for you. All my doubts are thoughts and worries for you, not me. I love you and want to be with you and if you want the same, who am I to get in the way?
I returned to the library, I started repacking the box and clearing the notebook, then a poisonous thought flitted across my brain (for the record, I've officially concluded that I think too much). The thought was: "Of course you're going to be with Harry. He deserves this after everything he's done for you." Then, I began to lose it.
I began to wonder if I truly loved you or if I just thought I loved you because I'd become reliant on you. I was pretty sure it was real, but I was worried, because I didn't know. I don't have the history to draw on, just countless notes – many of which were written by you.
This is when Luna found me. I asked her if it was real, because if I was going to go through with this, it had to be real. She said only I could answer that. I began to cry and the longer I thought about it, the more confused I got and the more excuses I made up. That's when the idea for living one day at a time came about.
I know this past month was probably hard for you, and I know that on August 1st, you probably felt betrayed, but I just want to let you know I did it for you. At the end of this month, I'm going to make a final decision. And I need to know for certain that I'm all in. Because I'm going to write it in my notes and I'm going to commit to it every day.
It's like you told me earlier, most people choose their partners every day but me, I choose once, write it down, and follow my notes. I just need one month to see what I choose when I start the days fresh, and if I choose you, we'll both know for certain it's real. If I don't choose you, I'm so sorry, but I know it's for the best. Otherwise, I'll probably change my mind later and restart this awful back and forth, and that can't continue.
I've considered walking downstairs and telling you all this right now, but ultimately, decided against it. I know you, you'll fight me on it and I know me, I'll cave, because I've always put your happiness ahead of all else. So, I cast a Silencing Charm so I wouldn't hear you come home and I'm trying so hard to stay here on the bed and not rush to you and try to smooth things over. I'm trying to forget that it's your birthday and not think of how devastated you're going to be tomorrow.
This is for you, Harry. For us. I hope you understand and can find it in your heart to forgive me. Who are we kidding, of course you're going to forgive me. And now, it's time for present day Hermione to tell you what she decided. Even if she didn't choose you, know that I love you and wish you every happiness.
-Hemione from July 31, 2000
Harry sighed and put the letter down, then took his glasses off and pressed his fingertips into his eyes. While he did so, Hermione saw a page from a book fall out of the letter. She grabbed it and recognized what must have been the page she'd torn from the book of poems. She looked back at Harry and he was looking at her, but she couldn't tell what he was thinking.
"I wouldn't have fought you," he said eventually. "I would have let you go about your challenge, but if you'd told me, we could have avoided a lot of unnecessary heart ache."
Hermione nodded. "I'm sorry. You're probably right. It's possible I have a tendency to make things more complicated than they need to be."
Harry let out a small laugh and put his glasses back on. "No kidding. But it's done and like we said, this changes nothing." He reached over and placed a hand on top of hers, then noticed the page she was holding in her other hand. "Oh. The poems."
"Yeah." Hermione looked down at the page. There were two poems Harry had circled. "Do you mind if I read them?"
Harry sighed and shook his head. She looked down at the page and began to read the first poem.
Please, don't forget about me. Please, don't stop loving me or change your mind about how you feel about me. Because I need you in my life - even if it's just a little bit. I need you to be able to be me. You are the only place I can be me and that's okay.
When she looked up at Harry, he was watching her sadly. "This is beautiful, but really sad," she whispered.
"Yeah. Beautiful and sad. That pretty much sums up our story from the past few months. The second one is sadder, but just as true as the first."
Hermione looked back down at the page and read the second poem.
You can't always be somebody's 'forever'. Sometimes you're just their 'summer' or their 'little while' … Sometimes not even that.
Sometimes the closest you'll get is their 'almost' or their 'maybe'. And when they leave, the best you can hope for is to be their 'what if' or 'remember when'. Because you can't always be somebody's 'forever' … even if they were yours.
When Hermione looked up at Harry this time, he had his head down, resting his forehead on his knees. She was glad she couldn't see his face, since she didn't think her heart could handle seeing his expression right now.
She turned back to the page in her hand. Underneath the poems, Harry had written a few lines of his own.
Maybe I'm not your 'forever'. Perhaps I'm just your 'almost, if things were different' or your 'in another life, maybe.' But regardless, don't send me away. I need you and I'll take any part of yourself you're willing to give. The poem said it better than I ever could: "You are the only place I can be me and that's okay."
Hermione was crying by the time she finished reading the last line. She was at a loss for words. Her heart broke as she imagined Harry writing these lines. How had he found the book? What had made him stop to read the poems? How long had he sat there patiently waiting for her to find the lines and seek him out?
This page made Harry's anguish clearer than anything else she'd seen or heard today. No wonder Ginny and Ron had been so happy for them this morning. They'd been forced to watch Hermione hurt Harry for months without realizing what she was doing. But now she'd know. It was in her summary and in their argument log, and maybe she'd frame this, too, as a reminder of the dark place of longing where their relationship had started.
Harry was watching her warily now, as if he was concerned for her. Hermione set the papers to the side and crawled closer to him. "Harry. I'm sorry. The words don't seem adequate, but I am. And I know it's a bit of a joke between us that you forgive people too easily, but I understand if you haven't forgiven me yet and need more time."
Harry pulled her close and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "There's nothing to forgive. You were trying your best to do what was right for both of us, given your limitations. And now we're here, together, and can begin to put all this pain behind us."
Harry turned to the box and began rifling through the contents. He smiled when he spotted something and pulled out a large book. "Here, look at this. This will make you feel better."
Harry wrapped an arm around her and showed her a photo album he'd made filled with pictures and notes from the time she couldn't remember. Every picture had a small caption and a date, written in Harry's writing. Occasionally he'd written longer notes, further describing the event or scene. Hermione loved getting to see herself laughing with her friends and could see why looking through this every morning had helped her come to terms with her memory loss quicker. This was undeniable proof that she was still able to live a good, happy life.
She also noticed why her past self had seen this album as something that had potentially predisposed her toward Harry. Not only were all the notes written by him, but anytime they were in a photo together, she was right next to him, usually touching him. Hugging him, resting her head on his shoulder, grabbing his arm, or just reaching out for his hand.
When Hermione had reached the end of the album, she started back at the beginning, wanting to go through it slower the second time. She was looking at a photo of Ginny, Neville, and her at Hogwarts, before Ginny had cut her hair, when Harry's voice cut into her thoughts.
"Ah. Here is it." He was pulling a piece of parchment out of the box. "This is the summary I wrote about you. You used to read it every day, right after you looked through that photo album. Do you want to hear it?"
Hermione nodded and Harry began to read.
"Hermione Granger
"In 1998, Hermione had an accident and she thinks it's her most defining characteristic now, but she's wrong. On a long list of the most interesting and important things to know about Hermione, her memory loss doesn't even rank in the top one hundred.
"Hermione is kind, brilliant, funny, powerful, beautiful, and above all else, has an unlimited capacity for caring. She loves every living thing with her whole heart and this pushes her to make the world around her better than she found it. Some would say she's already done her part to improve the world with her actions in the war, but those people don't know about Hermione's insane drive and work ethic. She never stops working for others (see a list of accomplishments below for proof).
"But before you start to think that Hermione is a bore who works all the time, let me set the record straight. As long as you plan them in between all her 'saving the world' activities, she enjoys a number of leisure activities, such as flying (as long as she goes no higher than 20 feet), heckling Muggles on cooking shows, winning the spelling game, Ghost, and losing at Wizarding chess.
"She likes camping (yes, you really do), loves to read (especially snuggled up with her cat, Crookshanks), will drink tea almost any time of the day, and has an uncanny ability to know exactly how to cheer each of her friends up. Her smile is infectious and her laugh, even more so. She has a sharp wit and when angry, is very scary – so beware.
"She thinks the biggest tragedy of her life is that she can't remember things, but it's not. The biggest tragedy is that she doesn't have a proper view of herself. She thinks she's plain and boring, overly bossy at times, and a burden to her friends, but she couldn't be more wrong. She improves the lives of everyone around her and I count myself lucky to be one of her closest friends."
Harry handed the parchment to Hermione when he was finished reading. Listed below the summary was a long list of things Hermione had accomplished in the time she couldn't remember, along with dates. Hermione shook her head as she read through the list. When she was finished reading, she looked up at Harry, who was smiling at her.
She wiped her eyes, since hearing the summary had made her cry again. "I read that every morning and didn't know immediately that you loved me?"
Harry took the parchment out of her hand and placed it back in the box, then put the photo album and the letters she'd written back inside before placing the box on the ground. He returned to her side and paced a hand on the side of her face. "In your defense, I didn't know I loved you when I first wrote that."
"We were both really stupid."
"Agreed."
Harry kissed her and Hermione responded eagerly, the emotions from the past few hours pouring out of her through their embrace. He pressed her back onto the bed and soon they were kissing passionately. Harry had slipped a hand under her shirt and was gripping her waist and Hermione was about to reach under Harry's shirt when Ron called from downstairs.
Harry let out a frustrated sigh and rolled off her, then sat up on the bed. Hermione sat up next to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, then kissed it and whispered, "Let's make this a really short lunch and pick this up, later."
"Where are you two?" Ron called from below. "Are you shagging again?"
Harry rolled his eyes, then kissed Hermione's cheek before getting to his feet and pulling her up after him. "Deal. We'll eat as fast as we can, then kick Ron out immediately after."
Hermione nodded and motioned toward her desk. "And we're finished with all this, right?"
"Yeah. That was plenty for today." He pulled her into his arms. "Let's spend the rest of the day – how did you put it? Enjoying the present together?"
"Yeah." Hermione kissed the underside of his jaw just as Ron called up the stairs again. "But first, Ron."
Harry turned to the door, pulling her after him. "I'd just like to point out that it's your fault he's here," he said over his shoulder.
"He's our best friend!" she hissed back defensively.
"We'll see how you're feeling about that after this lunch, during which I'm sure he's going to be impossibly smug."
"Of course I'm going to be impossibly smug," Ron said when they reached the bottom of the stairs. He'd been waiting in the hall for them. "I don't know if Harry's told you, but I tried to force you two to talk this last weekend, which I'm pretty sure led to this, and it earned me a nasty punch." He touched his nose carefully.
Harry waved him away. "I already apologized for that. Now where are the sandwiches?"
"I want to hear more about Harry punching you," Hermione said, then turned to Harry. "You didn't even do that back in the war, when Ron left, and I think that definitely deserved a punch."
"Okay, I don't want to talk about the punch anymore," Ron grumbled.
Hermione winked at Harry and he wrapped an arm around her and kissed the side of her head. "I love you," he whispered.
Later that night, Hermione was sitting on the sofa between Neville and Luna. Neville had been telling them about an incident earlier in the day with a first year who had had an unfortunate run-in with a sneezewort bush. When his story was over, and the three of them were laughing, Hermione looked across the room to where Harry was talking with Rolf. When Harry caught her eye, he winked at her, causing her heart to flutter.
She smiled and turned back to find Neville giving her a knowing look. He'd obviously caught the interchange. Neville leaned into her side. "I'm really happy for you two, Hermione."
"We all are," Luna added.
"What are we happy about?" Ruby had just joined the group. She was holding two beers and handed one to Neville.
"Thanks," Neville said. "We were just saying we're happy for Hermione and Harry."
"Oh yeah." Ruby took a seat on the coffee table and took a long swig of her beer. "I was beginning to fear it would never happen. I'm glad you two finally figured it out."
"How's it going?" Neville asked. "I know it's only been, what, two days? And that it feels like just one day to you, but still, I'm sure you have a sense for it."
Hermione turned back to Harry. How was it going? It was perfect, but that response seemed too obvious. "Everything is so exciting," she started. "You know how it is at the start of a relationship." Both Luna and Ruby nodded. "Well, I was thinking that with my condition, it might always be like that. After a time, Harry will settle in and everything won't feel thrilling and novel for him, but it will for me. I sort of like that, even though it's not really fair."
Ruby shrugged. "Well, your condition is bound to have some perks, since there are loads of downsides."
Hermione let out a laugh while Luna said, "Ruby. You are exceedingly blunt," which, coming from Luna, the bluntest person Hermione knew, was quite a statement.
Ginny had joined them, now. "How did Ruby put her foot in this time?"
Ruby was opening her mouth to defend herself when Harry announced to the room, "This was fun, but now it's time for all of you to leave."
"It's only been two hours," Ginny argued back. "And Neville came all the way from Hogwarts."
"I don't mind leaving," Neville said quickly.
"Thanks, Neville," Harry said, then he turned back to Ginny. "You can all go to a pub or take this back to your flat. I said we could have a small, short party. And two hours is plenty."
"You said small, not short," Ginny pointed out.
"I was about to say short before you ran off."
Ginny turned to Hermione. "Do you want all of us to leave? You get a say here, too."
"Oh, um, I-" Hermione faltered.
In truth, Hermione did want them to leave. It wasn't that she wasn't having fun, but after the grueling day she'd spent with Harry, struggling to understand their past, she wanted to soak up as much time alone with him as she could before everything reset.
"That's a yes," Ron chimed in. "We can go back to my flat. Jones is out on patrol duty, tonight."
He crossed the room and pulled Hermione to her feet, then hugged her tightly. "Thanks, Ron," she whispered. "I think we just need a little more time to talk before I reset," she explained.
Ron winked at her. "Talk, shag, whatever you want to call it."
Hermione took turns saying goodbye to everyone, taking note of when she was planning to see each of them next so she could write it on her calendar. When they were all gone and the house was empty, she snuggled on the sofa with Harry. "That was fun."
He nodded. "It was good to see everyone. It's been awhile since we've all been together, since Neville is up at Hogwarts and Luna and Rolf travel a lot."
"Thanks for kicking them out, though. I was trying to invent excuses just before you did that."
Harry tightened his grip on her. "Anytime. They're great and all, but I like it best when it's just us."
"Well that's convenient, since we have loads of 'just us' time ahead of us."
"Promise?" he asked.
"Absolutely."
Harry bent down and kissed her on the cheek. "Good. I think I might actually believe you this time."
Hermione looked up at him and gave him a sad smile. "I'm starting a new challenge."
"What?"
"I'm going to earn back all that trust I lost. One day at a time," she added with a smile.
Harry groaned. "I've come to hate that phrase."
"But it got us here," she pointed out.
"I still think we could have made our way here through a much easier route."
"Maybe." Hermione shrugged and settled back against his chest. "But we've never been the type to choose the easy way, have we?"
He laughed. "Yeah. That's an understatement." Harry shifted slightly and tilted her chin up. "You're more than worth it though, and I wish you luck on your next challenge."
"I won't need it, but thanks." Hermione jumped to her feet and pulled Harry up off the sofa. "Come on, let's go … talk," she said with a sly smile.
He answered her with a wicked grin, his green eyes sparkling with amusement. He wrapped an arm around her and led her to the stairs. "We're going to be naked during this talk, right?"
"That's the plan. You really do have an uncanny ability to read my thoughts. Are you a Legilimens now?"
"Only when it comes to you."
She smiled. "I love you. Did you see that in my mind?"
"I did. Before, I didn't know what to look for, but I see it now."
"Good." They'd just arrived in his bedroom and Hermione kicked the door closed behind them. "That's enough talking for today, wouldn't you say?" She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.
"Agreed," Harry replied, pulling away. "But I have just one more thing to say."
"Okay. Make it quick."
"I love you, too."
Hermione beamed back at Harry, then took his words and locked them away in her heart, where she'd be sure to find them again tomorrow.
A/N: One more chapter! Thanks for reading and thanks to my beta reader, Lancashire Witch. You can find me on Tumblr at Alexandra-Emerson.