Chapter 18

March 2002

Hermione stopped on the pavement just outside the Indian restaurant. "This is where we're going for dinner?"

"Yes." Harry stepped forward and opened the door for her.

"But - uh -" She looked down at her dress. Harry hadn't given her any details about what their first date was going to entail but when she asked what she should wear, he said to dress like she was going to an opera, then reassured her that they weren't going to an opera.

"Aren't we a bit overdressed?" she whispered.

Harry just shrugged and cocked his head toward the inside of the restaurant. Ankit was standing just inside and seemed to have been waiting for them. "Ahh, you look lovely, Hermione." He grabbed both of her hands as he studied her, then leaned in and whispered, "When you realize this bloke isn't good enough for you, give me a call."

She shook her head and pushed him away. "Don't you have a wife? And a kid?"

Ankit shrugged and motioned for them to follow him to the back of the restaurant. "I'd leave them for you, Hermione."

Harry rolled his eyes and wrapped his arm around her waist possessively. "I'm going to let that slide, Ankit, since you helped me so much with this dinner tonight."

"This guy," Ankit teased. "He thinks he could beat me in a fight. What do you think, Hermione?"

I think he has a wand and you don't. He'd destroy you in seconds. "I hope we never find out," she said before turning to kiss Harry on the cheek.

"Where are we going?" she asked as they turned down a hall past the kitchen.

"You'll see," Ankit replied conspiratorially.

Ankit opened the door at the end of the hall to reveal a large room covered from floor to ceiling in colorful Indian decor. Hermione's mouth fell open as she walked into the room and took in the scene around her. There was art lining the brightly covered walls, elaborate gold molding, intricate rugs, beaded garlands with small elephants and flowers hanging from the ceiling, and swathes of rich cloth draped across the farthest wall.

She felt like she'd entered an Indian castle, or perhaps a prayer room, or maybe a harem? No, that wasn't right. She realized then she didn't know much about India besides the fact that she liked their food. She made a mental note to read up on the country as a whole later.

Hermione turned back and saw Harry smiling. He didn't look surprised so she figured this wasn't the first time he was seeing this gorgeous room. "How did I not know this was back here?" she asked Ankit.

He motioned toward a table at the center of the room that was made up with elaborate goblets, gold flatware, engraved plates, and colorful linens. "We don't tell the white people about it," Ankit said as he pulled back her chair, then added with a grin, "But we made an exception for you two. You eat here so often, you're like honorary Indians."

Hermione let out a laugh as Ankit grabbed a bright green napkin from the table and laid it across her lap. She marveled again at the table. Who knew this restaurant offered fine dining? It was usually so casual.

"We use this room for weddings," Ankit continued. "It's nice, isn't it? I had my reception here."

"It's gorgeous, Ankit." Hermione turned to Harry who'd just taken a seat across from her. "How did you find out about it?"

Ankit answered for him. "He came in last week saying he was planning some special date for you and wanted to see if we could deliver the food somewhere. I told him absolutely not and that any special dates between you two must happen here, then I showed him the room and he said it was perfect. What do you think?"

Ankit had just finished pouring wine for the two of them.

"I agree, it's perfect."

"Okay. I'll leave you alone. No menus tonight. Harry already put the order in and the food will be out shortly." Ankit winked at Harry before he left.

Once they were alone, Hermione noticed there was faint music in the background and a subtle smell of incense, but it wasn't overpowering. She was officially impressed.

"This is beautiful."

"You're beautiful," Harry said as he grabbed her hand across the table.

She smiled. "What did you order?"

"You'll just have to wait and see."

Hermione picked up her goblet of wine and took a sip. "This is a lovely date," she declared.

Harry nodded. "This is just the start."

"Oh? Well, it's a lovely start, then. That reminds me! Speaking of dates, Agatha asked Ron out."

"What? She asked him?"

Hermione smiled and nodded. "Apparently when he was in St. Mungo's Agatha saw from his chart that it was his birthday and told him it was a shame he had to spend his birthday in a hospital bed. Then she said offhandedly that they should celebrate for real once he was better.

"A few days ago, when Ron was dropping one of the Aurors off at St. Mungo's, he went to say hello to her and she cornered him and said she thought it was time for that birthday celebration. She said she'd hoped he'd ask first but wondered if maybe he'd forgotten."

"Wow. She's pretty blunt, isn't she?" Harry replied, smiling as he pictured the scene in his mind.

"Honestly, that's just what Ron needs. Anyway, Ron sort of snapped to attention and asked her out to dinner. Agatha asked if they could go somewhere in the Muggle world so they wouldn't have to deal with reporters, which Ron loved, of course, since he's convinced now that Lucy only ever liked him because he was famous."

"Good for them."

"Yeah. Their date is tomorrow night. He was in my office for nearly an hour today studying up on Muggle money."

"Brilliant. I hope they work out okay," Harry said earnestly. "Ron really needs someone who isn't Lucy. Or you, for that matter."

"Agreed."

"First course." Ankit had appeared in the room holding a raised platter with three different foods on top.

"First course?" Hermione asked. "How many courses are there?"

"Three," Ankit said simply as he placed the food in the center of the table. "Enjoy."

As soon as the door had closed behind Ankit, Harry leaned in and pointed to the platter. "I ordered everything in your notebook that we rated a five. Then, I asked them to size down the portions so we don't explode."

Hermione saw two samosas on the plate about a quarter of the usual size. "How incredibly thoughtful."

Harry was beaming. So far, this seemed to be going well. "I'm glad you like it."

Hermione put a bit of each appetizer on her plate and leaned back to look at Harry. "I love it. And I'm going to forgive the fact that you clearly rifled through my things to find my Indian food notebook. You're like a cat burglar."

"Cat burglar? Who says that anymore?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. Actually, I think it's technically incorrect. I think to be a cat burglar you need to climb things."

"I've been wondering something - semi-related to cat burglarizing."

"Yeah?"

"What happened to Crookshanks?"

"Oh. I guess I never told you."

As they ate their first course, Hermione explained how she'd released Crookshanks into the Forbidden Forest after Dumbledore's funeral, when it was clear they weren't going to be back at Hogwarts for their Seventh Year. She reasoned Crookshanks would be happier there, than stuck in the Muggle world with her parents and she wasn't worried for his safety, since he'd always been exceedingly clever.

"Did you see him when you went back after the war?" Harry asked.

"Yeah. He was there. He spent most of his time in the forest but visited me in the Gryffindor Tower every so often. At the end of term, I asked him if he wanted to come back with me to London or stay and he wanted to stay. I miss him but I know he's having more fun there than he'd be having locked up in my flat."

Harry nodded as he chewed. He swallowed his bite of food and took a sip of water. "I can't believe there are still things I don't know about you."

Hermione gave him a seductive smile and ran her foot up his leg. "There has to be a little bit of mystery to keep the romance alive. Otherwise we'd just be a boring couple."

"I happen to like boring." Harry reached down and tickled her ankle, causing her to laugh and pull her leg back.

"Yeah. Me too."

"Okay. Time to look like wizards again," Harry announced.

After dinner, Harry had Apparated them to a dark alley that seemed vaguely familiar to Hermione, but she couldn't place it at the moment. Harry transfigured his suit into dress robes while Hermione changed her outer coat into an outer robe and left her dress alone.

Harry offered Hermione his arm and when they reached the main street, she recognized the theater where they'd attended the opera back in December. "You said no opera."

"I did not lie. Did you know they have other shows here?" he asked sarcastically.

"Like what?" she pressed.

"I recall you saying you didn't really like the opera but that you preferred the ballet or symphony. Well, there's a ballet tonight." He stopped at the bottom of the stairs leading up to the theater and faced her.

"Is that okay? I hear they're better in our world because there's flying, or, more accurately, levitating. And, occasionally, a magical creature will make an appearance, but that's something Luna has a serious problem with because they're often mistreated. And I know you're a big proponent of creatures' rights so I tried to find out if there were any animals in this show but couldn't find any details and it was the only thing I could think of and I'm pretty sure you'll like-"

"You're rambling," she cut in.

Harry took a deep breath. "Yeah. I'm nervous."

"I can look past the creature thing for one night. We actually have pretty strict laws about that sort of thing in the UK. I think the mistreatment Luna was referring to is more common in other countries."

"Oh," he let out a sigh of relief. "Okay. So, er - do you want to go in?"

Hermione nodded and linked her arm with his again. Once they were inside, Hermione could feel countless eyes on them. This was common anytime Harry went out but as they made their way to the robe check, she thought it seemed worse than normal. Then she realized why. After Harry had dropped off their robes, she leaned into him and whispered, "This is our first public appearance as a couple."

"So it is." Harry looked at the crowd around them and saw several people staring. When he looked back at Hermione, he placed one hand on her waist and the other on the side of her face before pulling her into a kiss.

Hermione linked her hands behind his neck, momentarily forgetting about the crowd around them as Harry moved his lips against hers. When she finally pulled away, she thought she saw the flash of a camera from across the room.

"Are you embarrassed to be seen with me, Butterfly?"

Hermione smiled and shook her head.

Harry nodded and motioned toward one of the side staircases. As Hermione made her way up, holding Harry's hand, she thought of how different this was from the last time she was here. She smiled inwardly when she spotted the pole she'd hidden behind, watching Harry and Agatha talking. She had been so stupid.

When they reached the top of the stairs, Hermione headed for the doors to the balcony seats but Harry caught her hand and pointed toward a hallway on the side. "This way."

"Oh. I thought there were just boxes over here."

"You were correct," he said simply.

"A box?! Harry!"

But Harry had approached one of the ushers and was showing her their tickets, effectively cutting Hermione off. The stout witch led them down a dark hall, lighting the way with her wand. She deposited them into an elegantly decorated box just above the stage.

Once Harry and Hermione were inside, the witch wished them well and muttered a spell that caused a light grey mist to appear around the box. Hermione recognized it as a privacy spell. The background sounds were muted now and she guessed anyone looking into the box would just see the grey mist.

"This is too much!" she cried, turning back to face Harry. "And I'm sure that dinner cost a lot and let's not forget the necklace." She grabbed the gold chain around her neck.

Harry reached out and stroked her cheek. "It's sweet that you're so concerned with my finances. Don't worry. I have plenty of money."

"Really, Harry," she implored. "This is too much. You're not going to have 'plenty of money' if you continue to spend it lavishly like this. I'm a simple person. I don't need all of this."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Okay, I didn't want to have to give away all my secrets, but I can tell you're just going to stress about it. Ankit and his father didn't charge me for the room and the bill for the food was insanely small. It probably just covered the cost of ingredients. The necklace did cost a lot but I can afford to splurge on gifts here and there since my expenses besides that are next to nothing. And I did not pay for this box. Now can you be quiet? I have one more surprise for you."

Hermione ignored his last request. "How much was dinner?"

"Seriously?" Harry asked, exasperated now.

Hermione glared back at him and he knew she wasn't going to drop this.

He sighed and rolled his eyes again, then reached into his pocket and handed her the check.

"What?! That's it? They made like ten different dishes. And there was a whole bottle of wine, too."

"I know. I left a good tip." Harry took the slip of paper back and returned it to his pocket.

"And the necklace?" she asked next. "How much was that?"

Harry waved dismissively. "I'll tell you later."

"More or less than a racing broom?" she pressed.

"More. Now please, stop. This is extremely rude," he said sternly, pointing his finger at her. "I expected better from you."

"Fine," she sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. "What's this other surprise? Does it cost money too?"

"No." He grabbed her by the shoulders and moved her to the side of the box. "Now stand here and close your eyes."

Hermione could hear the sound of Harry casting a series of spells but he wasn't speaking the incantations out loud so she couldn't tell what types of spells he was casting. She was about to crack her eyes open slightly when he said, "Keep your eyes closed!"

"I didn't-"

"You were thinking about it."

She smiled and turned to face the stage so she wouldn't be tempted to peek again. A few minutes later, Harry put his hands on her arms and turned her around. "Okay. You can look."

Hermione's jaw dropped. Harry had transfigured the two high-backed chairs into a sofa that looked remarkably like the one in her flat, just smaller. The blanket they always fought over was draped over the back of the sofa and she noticed Harry had her gold scarf in his hands.

He stepped forward and began wrapping the scarf around her neck as she continued to stand there, in awe. After he'd activated the scarf so it began warming her, he bent in and kissed her cheek. "I'm not the best at Transfiguring furniture so maybe you can fix it up a bit?"

Hermione just looked at him, still at a loss for words.

"Or maybe not," he said in a low voice. His face fell. Shit. Had he got this wrong?

"We're going to sit on the sofa under a blanket and watch the ballet?"

Harry nodded. "Is it bad? Damn. You're crying."

Hermione carefully wiped her eyes with the edge of her scarf. "They're happy tears. I promise."

"Yeah?"

Hermione smiled and stepped toward the sofa. She sat on it and ran her hands along the cushions. "Are we allowed to Transfigure the furniture in here?"

"I'm sure we're not," he said as he shot her a roguish smile. "But who's going to know?"

She let out a small laugh and started inspecting his spell work. It didn't need much fixing. She adjusted the cushions slightly to make them more comfortable, then put her wand away and motioned for Harry to join her. Harry sat down and pulled her into his arms as he wrapped the blanket around them.

Just then, the chime for everyone to take their seats sounded and the musicians started tuning their instruments. Hermione had momentarily forgotten that they were in the middle of a formal theater. She turned to face the stage and as a few notes played from the instruments, the sound hit her as clearly as if they were being played in the box. The view from their location was spectacular. And best of all, she was going to get to enjoy this show while cuddling on a sofa with Harry.

"This is incredible. How did you get this for free?"

Harry sighed and pushed a curl behind her ear. "Why do you suddenly care so much about money?"

"I'm just - I know you were trying to make me feel special with this date and you don't have to spend a lot of money on me to do that."

Harry pulled her back into his chest and kissed the side of her head. "I know this makes you uncomfortable because you're not used to a lot of attention, but believe me, you're worth all of this and more. I'd empty my entire vault in a heartbeat to make you happy and I know you don't need that - you've sent that message loud and clear tonight - but just allow me to treat you every so often and let me worry about paying for it. Okay?"

She nodded. "I'm sorry to be a nag. It's just that I - I've never had anyone do all this for me. It feels, I don't know, like I don't deserve it. All this on top of having you? How is that fair?"

"You deserve it," Harry said insistently. "Now, can we promise to stop talking about money?" He leaned in and nibbled on her ear, then whispered, "You're killing the mood."

"Okay," she agreed. "But - uh - I am curious to know how you got this box."

Harry let out a sigh. "You really aren't going to let me have any secrets, are you?"

She smiled and shook her head.

"Okay. This is Burke's box."

Hermione scowled as she thought of the head of the Elders. How had Harry ended up with that old bigot's box?

"I know," Harry said when he saw her face. "I was talking to Kingsley last week when Burke came over to apologize about your law and how it was rejected so quickly during the appeal after he'd promised me they'd give it an impartial review. I couldn't tell if he was sincere - I think he was just putting on a show for Kingsley. Anyway, he said it was out of his control but that he still felt bad and wanted to make it up to me.

"I asked rather bluntly, 'What did you have in mind?' I could tell he hadn't expected the question. He fumbled for a bit then asked if I liked the ballet. I think he assumed I'd brush him off because when I said yes, his eyes widened in surprise. Then, he begrudgingly offered me his box for tonight and here we are."

Hermione laughed. "The fact that we pushed Burke out of his box makes this whole thing better. I hope he was really looking forward to this show," she added viciously.

Hermione settled back against Harry's chest and watched the people below filing into their seats. She couldn't get over how perfect this was. "This date, Harry. It's just, it's so us. Eating Indian food and watching a show while snuggling on the sofa, but - elevated."

"Yeah. That was the idea." Harry turned and saw another tear fall down her cheek. He wiped it away with his finger. "More happy tears?"

"Yeah." Hermione took a deep breath and blinked back the rest of the tears threatening to fall. "I can't - I can't even express how perfect this is and how much I love you. I have no idea how I got this lucky."

Harry turned her head and pressed his lips against hers. They kissed passionately, since they didn't have to worry about anyone seeing, then slowly broke away as the lights dimmed and the first song began to play. They both turned back to face the stage just as the curtain was opening. Hermione grabbed Harry's hand under the blanket and linked their fingers together.

She turned to whisper in his ear. "The last time we were here together and you held my hand - the way it felt - I knew there was something more. But I never imagined how much more."

Harry squeezed her hand. "Neither did I."

It appears Harry Potter has given up. He's decided to ignore the hordes of eligible witches lining up to date him in favor of his plain best friend. He'd rather go with what he knows than take a risk on someone great.

They were rumored to be dating last year but those were likely floated around by Hermione Granger herself to boost her status.

She's decently pretty when she tames her hair and puts on a nice dress, but snagging Harry Potter, that's more than any of us thought her capable of.

Harry was getting angrier and angrier the more he read. He could feel magic crackling just beneath his skin and had to tuck the paper away. He couldn't lose it out here in the Muggle world. He just hoped Hermione hadn't seen this rubbish. She had the paper delivered each morning but maybe she hadn't got to it yet.

When Harry arrived at her flat he heard the shower running. Perfect. He could snatch the paper and pretend it had never arrived. He looked around and saw it lying open on the coffee table with Hermione's mug next to it. It was open to the page of them kissing at the ballet. Well, so much for that plan. She'd clearly read the articles about them.

Harry put the tea and scone he'd brought for her on the table next to her mug and went looking for Hermione.

"Hermione! I'm here!" Harry called when he reached her bedroom.

"Hi!"

He popped his head into the bathroom just as she was turning off the shower. He waited for her to dry herself off and put on her robe before wrapping his arms around her. "I love you."

"Well, hello to you too," she said brightly. "What a nice welcome. Why are you here so early?"

Hermione went to the closet and pulled out a pair of jeans and a shirt. Harry sat on the bed and watched her get dressed. He was looking for any hints of sadness in her expression but she seemed happy and upbeat.

"You saw the paper," he said carefully.

"I did. That was a lovely picture of us. Do you think if I write to the Prophet they'll send me a copy?"

"Yeah," he said slowly. "So, um, did you read the accompanying article?"

Hermione waved her hand. "Oh. Yeah. Rubbish, right? Also, I started getting mail."

Harry looked around the room and Hermione motioned toward the door. "It's out there, on the desk."

"You haven't opened any of it, have you?" Harry asked as he stood up and walked to the other room. He noticed a small pile of letters and a few parcels on her desk.

"No," she called from the bedroom. "I've just woken up, actually. I had a bit of tea and read some of the Prophet but I hadn't made it to the mail."

Harry checked the first few letters for any spells but they were clean. He slipped them open and began to read.

You'll never deserve him! He's MINE! He's-

Harry lit a fire in Hermione's fireplace and tossed that letter on it. He turned to the next letter, which only contained two words: Die bitch.

He tossed that one in the fire too. The next letter was nicer, though slightly creepy.

Congratulations! I've been following both of you in the news since the war ended and have always thought you two would be great together. You are a lovely couple. Can I bother you for an invitation to the wedding?

Harry tossed this one on the fire too. When he looked up he saw Hermione leaning in the doorframe, watching him with an amused expression.

"What do they say?"

He shrugged. "Nothing worth repeating. Can you promise me something? Please, don't read them. It's my fault you're getting them, so just save them for me and I'll sort through them and destroy them for you."

Hermione walked over to Harry and moved his hair out of his face. "You're cute when you're protective. I'm perfectly capable of sorting through mail and know better than to open letters without checking them for harmful substances or spells now." She winced as she recalled the incident with the bubotuber pus in Fourth Year.

"I know you're capable but I want to do this, okay?"

She could tell by the intense look in his eyes this was important to him. "Okay."

Harry moved his hands down to Hermione's arms and gripped her elbows. "Back to the article," he said seriously, "it really is rubbish. Those people are fools and-"

"Harry," Hermione interrupted. "I really am okay. I know that most of that is just the reporters stirring up drama to sell more papers. And the rest is just them being jealous of me for getting you." She kissed him on the cheek and added, "Rightfully so, since you are quite a catch."

Harry stepped back and studied her face but she didn't appear to be lying. "Are you sure? I know this sort of thing has bothered you in the past."

Hermione nodded. "Honestly, if I'd read that six months ago it would have upset me. I would have cried, then tried to hide it and put on a brave face. But now...it really doesn't bother me. It stings a bit, but that's it."

"Really?"

"Yes," she insisted. Hermione paced her hands behind Harry's neck and began playing with his hair. "It's because of you, you know."

"It is?"

She shook her head. "You can be really thick sometimes, Harry. Yes! You've been committed to building my confidence up for the better part of a year and I think it's finally working. I don't need to listen to the stupid things jealous twats say about me because at the end of the day, I won.

"I have an incredible boyfriend who tells me I'm beautiful every single day - not just with his words, but with his eyes and his touch. He respects me for who I am without reducing me down to a stereotype like 'brightest witch of my age.' He encourages me to keep fighting for justice in this slightly corrupt world and he loves me most when I'm weak and tired and wrapped up in blankets."

Harry ran his fingers through her hair, which was still wet from her shower. "You're really okay?"

She smiled and nodded.

"Thank Merlin," he said in a low voice. "I'm really glad the articles and mail aren't an issue. I was worried when those started, they'd drive a wedge between us."

Hermione leaned in and placed a quick kiss on his lips. "Absolutely no wedge." She pulled out of his arms and turned back to her bedroom. "I need to dry my hair, then maybe we can head to the Burrow early?"

She noticed the paper bag and to-go cup on the coffee table. "Oh, brilliant!" She grabbed the cup and peeked into the bag, smiling when she saw the large scone inside. "Thanks!"

Harry nodded.

"I want to find out how Ron and Agatha's date went," she said excitedly before disappearing back into her room.

Harry let out a long sigh. She really was okay. She wasn't that good of an actress. He was so relieved. He remembered telling her several weeks ago that they couldn't just power through the hurdles in their relationship like a checklist, but that seemed to be exactly what they'd been doing lately.

First telling Ron, then getting over his fear of sleeping over, dealing with her panic attack, and now handling the public's reaction to them being together. None of these were as bad as Harry thought they would be. He was finally letting himself believe that this relationship was truly meant to last.

The getting together part had taken far too long and been a bit painful, especially when he'd been convinced she didn't like him back. But ever since they'd become a couple, everything had been so easy. Harry wasn't used to things in his life being easy.

He went to pick up her copy of the Prophet and studied the photo of them kissing. Hermione looked gorgeous in her gown. Her eyes widened slightly when he first pulled her in by the waist, then she closed them and leaned into their kiss. They looked like they were in their own little world, completely unconcerned about the people around them.

Harry watched the scene play out a few more times, smiling to himself. Then, he crossed the room to her desk and found a blank parchment. He started writing a note to the Daily Prophet, requesting two copies of the photo.

April 2002

Hermione was reading in Harry's bed when she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. She turned to see Harry in the doorway, staring off in the distance as he absently raked his fingers through his hair.

"Harry?"

"Yeah?" He kept his eyes on the opposite wall.

"What's wrong?"

He sighed and slowly made his way into the room, stopping at the side of the bed. "Nothing's wrong. Just - Teddy. I love him and he's so much fun, but sometimes he'll say something that completely guts me."

Hermione crawled to the edge of the bed and wrapped her arms around Harry's middle. "What did he say?"

Harry sighed again and hugged her, propping his chin on the top of her head. "We were talking about his birthday party tomorrow and he asked me if being four made him a big kid now. I said yes, I think it did. Then, he asked if his dad could come see him now that he's a big kid and if he would be at the party tomorrow." Harry's voice cracked and Hermione tightened her grip on him.

"I told him again that his dad is gone and that if he could be there, he would. Then, Teddy got that pleading look in his eyes that's impossible to say no to and promised that if his dad came, he'd be good and listen and wouldn't yell or hit anyone."

Harry took his glasses off and put them on the bedside table, then rubbed away the tears that were forming in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Harry."

"Yeah. I tried to explain again what it means to be dead but he doesn't get it. In his games we kill the bad guys but then they always come back. I just never know if I'm saying the right thing to Teddy. It should be Lupin here with him, not me. He would have been a brilliant dad."

Hermione leaned back and looked up at him. "He would have been. But Teddy is doing fine, Harry. You're doing a really good job with him and he's surrounded by people who love him. It could be worse. You know that, better than anyone."

"Yeah," Harry sighed. He stayed at the side of the bed, hugging Hermione, until the tightness in his chest had lessened slightly and the tears threatening to fall were gone. Then, he stepped back from the bed and took off his shirt and trousers before sitting down next to her.

Hermione watched Harry for several moments as he looked off blankly toward the window. She was biting her lip, trying to decide if she should say what was on her mind. She went for it. "Harry?"

"Yeah?"

She shifted closer to him and laid her head on his shoulder. "I've been wanting to ask you something for awhile but have been putting it off because it's a little sad and I didn't want to spoil the mood, but as you're already sad now, I was wondering if you could tell me about your parents."

"My parents?"

"Yeah. Like - not what happened to them, we don't need to rehash any of that. But - uh - what do you know about them? I know throughout school a lot of people told you about them and I was there for a few of those conversations but not all of them. I'm just...um...curious. What were they like? How did they get together? What qualities did you get from each of them?"

Harry shifted so he was facing her. "You want to know all that?"

"Yeah. I do. If you don't mind talking about it."

Harry's initial reaction was to reject the idea. He'd always held everything he knew about his parents close to the chest. It was personal. They were his. He felt strange sharing all the information he'd collected about them over the years with other people, even Ron and Hermione – because they still had their parents and didn't understand.

But, it wasn't an unreasonable request. If they were alive, Hermione would have met them plenty of times by now and would already know everything she was asking him to share.

Her eyes were swimming with concern, then she looked slightly ashamed and dropped his gaze. "I understand if you don't want to. I'm just nosy, you know me."

She began to pick her book back up but Harry pushed her arm down. "I don't mind."

"You look like you do mind."

"No. I just - it caught me off guard. But I want to tell you."

"You do?"

No. He didn't. But he reasoned that if he was ever going to get her to open up to him about her parents, which he knew was still a big, unresolved mess for her, then he needed to start by opening up to her about his parents.

He nodded and held his arms out to her. "Come here."

She shifted close to him and settled with her back against his chest. Harry wrapped his arms and legs around her and kissed her neck before lying his head back against the headboard. Then, very slowly, he began to tell her everything he'd learned about his parents from Lupin, Sirius, Dumbledore, Snape's memories, Professors from school, Hagrid, and even Aunt Petunia.

The more he talked, the easier the words came and the knot in his stomach that had appeared when she'd first asked about his parents began to dissolve. He told her everything, from the trivial to the significant. He explained their personalities, favorite subjects, hobbies, appearances, likes, dislikes. Hermione asked clarifying questions here and there, but mostly stayed quiet while Harry spoke.

After what felt like hours, he leaned over and picked up the photo album that he kept on his bedside table. "Have you seen this?"

Hermione shook her head. "I know what it is but I've never looked through it."

Harry flipped through the album with her, pointing out his favorite pictures and everything he knew about each one, which was quite a lot. He'd never listed out all the facts about his parents before but was surprised by the wealth of knowledge he'd gained over the years. And by the end he was glad she'd pushed him to share it. Talking about them to someone else made them feel more like real people, somehow.

Hermione bent forward to get a better look at the photo from his parents' wedding. "Sirius looks so young," she said. "Also, happy."

"Yeah. I know."

"So, in a nutshell, your dad was a lot like Sirius. Clever, powerful, quick-witted, always looking for a laugh, but also fiercely loyal and serious when he needed to be."

"Yeah. That's my impression. But he was more confident than Sirius, I think. Sirius never had the support and love of his family so I think he overcompensated and put on a show of arrogance. I get the impression that my father's confidence was more natural."

Hermione hummed and looked over at Lily, who was more beautiful than she'd remembered. She couldn't see any of Harry's Aunt Petunia in her. No wonder Petunia had hated her sister. Lily got all the looks and the magic. "And your mum," Hermione said, "she was like you. Kind, caring, and willing to see the good in everyone."

"Yeah. Dumbledore said once I looked like my father but that my personality was my mother's. But she was a lot smarter than me. Brilliant in classes, just like you." He kissed the side of her head.

Hermione turned around until she was facing Harry and sat back on her heels. She placed a hand on his cheek and said sadly, "I'm sorry I didn't get to meet them. Thank you for telling me about them, though."

Harry put the album on the bed and rested his forehead against Hermione's. "I'm sure they would have loved you," he whispered. "How could they not?" He pressed a kiss onto her lips and leaned back. "What about your parents? Will you tell me about them? I know I've met them a few times but I know very little about them, besides the fact that they're dentists."

She shrugged and looked away, focusing down on the bed spread. "I will tell you about them. I promise. Just not now."

"Hermione -" Harry started, but she interrupted him.

"I know it's not fair," she said, finally looking back up at him. "I know it was hard for you to share all that and I'm going to do the same, really. It's just, when we talk about my parents it's going to be upsetting and I don't want to taint this lovely night we've had reminiscing about your parents."

Harry nodded sadly. He was dying to know more but could tell she wasn't ready to confide in him.

She looked down at her watch. "It's late. I should be getting home."

Harry grabbed her hands. "Stay."

"I don't have my stuff here," she argued.

Harry straightened up and threw the covers off. "I'll go get your things. What do you need?"

"Um, a toothbrush and some pajamas. I can just wear these clothes back home tomorrow and shower and change there, then meet you at Andromeda's for Teddy's party."

"You should just keep an extra toothbrush here all the time. And pajamas and several changes of clothes."

"Yeah," she agreed. "That's probably a good idea."

"Or - you know what else we could do?" Harry asked.

"What?"

"Move all your stuff here."

Hermione shifted backward on the bed. "Like - live here?"

"Yes. Like - live here," he said with a smile as he linked their fingers together.

Hermione looked down at their hands. "But - we've only been sleeping over at each other's places for a month and now you think we should move in together? Isn't that a bit fast?"

Harry nudged her chin up with one of their pairs of clasped hands. She gave him a small smile but he could tell she was scared.

"Hermione, we had our first kiss five years too late, said I love you one hour after we started dating, but didn't have our first date until over three months after that. The timing of this relationship has been wonky from the start but it works for us. So, yeah, I want you to move in and I know you think it's early, but to me it feels late."

Hermione searched Harry's eyes for hints of the fear and hesitation she was feeling, but she saw nothing but determination there. "Okay. Uh - I'll think about it."

"Good. And tonight, if I go get your toothbrush and pajamas, will you stay? Or did I scare you away?"

"Of course I'll stay. But I can go get them myself." She jumped out of the bed, eager for an excuse to leave the room. Harry's offer had caught her off guard and she wanted a moment to think about it alone. Harry could tell that's what she was thinking, so didn't protest.

A few months ago, her lackluster reaction would have upset Harry, making him fear that she didn't feel the same way for him that he felt for her. But he knew her well enough now to know this was just how she processed things. She wasn't good with surprises but once she'd had time to think through the idea of moving in with him, she'd come back to him, ready to talk it through (likely, in excruciating detail).

"Fine," he said. "I'll see you soon."

Once Hermione had left the room, Harry picked up the photo album on the bed. He went to the first page which had always been his favorite photo, one of his parents embracing under an umbrella in the rain. His dad twirled his mum around, then kissed her quickly. It reminded Harry of that photo of Hermione and him in the Prophet, when they'd looked like they were in their own world, oblivious to the fact that there was a camera nearby.

Harry recalled what he'd told Ron after George's wedding, about how he was convinced his loved ones were watching him from the afterlife. Not all the time, of course, but he knew they were there during the moments he needed them. Sometimes, that thought hurt; like thinking of Lupin watching his earlier conversation with Teddy, desperate to reach through the veil and comfort his son, rather than having to watch Harry do it.

But other times, it was comforting knowing the dead could see him. "If you're watching right now, I just want you to know that I'm happy," Harry whispered aloud, touching his fingertips to the photo. "It was a long road getting here, but I think I finally found someone I love as much as you two loved each other."