As always, I'm only playing with JK Rowling's toys.
All credit goes to JK Rowling, her publisher and all the other people involved in bringing her work to life.
#
The day progressed, and the weasel problem grew more and more suspicious about the missing pair. It was a widely known fact that relations between Ron, Harry and Hermione hit hot an all-time low and that both parties had not made any inroads to take the relationship back to parity.
As the academic day drew to a close, Ron approached Neville.
'Nev Mate, wait up!' Ron called out to Neville.
Neville sighed. Harry had told him that this was likely to happen but left it entirely up to Neville how he would handle the red-head idiot.
'Yeah Ron, what can I do for you?' Neville fake smiled
'I was just wondering if you've seen Harry and Hermione.' Ron asked
'I heard something about doing something with McGonagall, but what I have no idea. Look I need to go I'm meeting with Hannah Abbot in the Library'
'he-he Nevy-baby's got himself a cheeky bit of stuff, eh? You're a dark horse, Longbottom. So tell me, is she a goer? I heard the quiet ones are proper dirty. Hermione must be a right sl-' Ron didn't get to finish his sentence as the larger boy currently had his hand tightly around his neck.
Neville loomed over the red-head.
In a low menacing whisper, Neville said 'Mention Hannah's name again, and I will be very unhappy. Harry is far less forgiving than I am, if he had heard what you were going to say about Hermione, I doubt that there would be anything left of you to identify. I'm not sure what has happened between you three this year, but it's not before time.'
Ron's vision had started to go blank. His vision was slowly fading to black due to the pressure that Neville had on this throat. He didn't expect this type of reaction from the Gryffindor squib, at most a stuttering rebuke and severe blushing that, would normally be the course of actions taken. This new, assertive Neville was worrying. When Neville released him, he collapsed on to the floor, gasping for each ragged breath.
Neville didn't even spare him a second glance; he just walked away and left him there on the floor.
#
Dinner at the Dorchester restaurant was a sumptuous affair. Harry and the Grangers received VIP treatment. Their meal consisted of many courses, albeit very small portions; Harry had explained to the maître d that they were heading to the Barbican and didn't want to sit through the performance feeling uncomfortable. Head Chef Willi Elsener took the unprecedented step of visiting the table to speak with the guests, before promising that he would personally cook their meal.
The Grangers were awestruck, never in their lives had they experienced a meal of such high quality. The restaurant at the Cottesmore was good but this, this was something else. Feeling satiated completely, the Grangers and Harry made their way back to the suite to relax for a few hours before they left for the play.
Hermione was on cloud nine; her birthday was perfect. Getting to spend the day with her parents was more than she could have asked for; receiving the gift of the Robert Burns Kilmarnock edition blew her mind. Getting pampered and treated to a shopping spree and a fancy dinner before heading out to see a performance of Shakespeare, was like a dream come true.
The fact that these things were all made possible because of her new boyfriend; this one fact took her breath away. She had not only a boyfriend but also that boy was none other than the boy that won her heart the first moment he smiled at her. Even to her great logical mind, everything was perfect.
When they got into the suite, Harry said 'If you'll excuse me, I think I need to have a bit of a lie-down. It's been a busy day, and I have a feeling that it's going to be a long night, but a good one
'The master bedroom is just down the hall to the left there, and Mia, the door behind you is the second bedroom. That one is for you' said Harry.
'And what about you, Harry?' asked Emma
'There's a couch in the study. I'll be very happy there.' smiled Harry.
Hermione furrowed her brow at this but wisely decided to keep her own counsel on the matter.
All that Dan and Emma could say was 'Are you sure?' Harry waved away their protests and headed into the study.
About twenty minutes later, Hermione found herself standing outside the door to the study; her hand hovered over the handle.
A slightly muffled voice from the other side of the door said 'Are you going just to stand there or do you plan to come in?'
This gave her a start; she opened the door and saw that Harry was lying on the couch, his shoes on the floor, his eyes closed, and his glasses on the table.
'How did you know I was there?' Hermione asked
'Elementary, My dear Granger, Elementary.' replied Harry without opening his eyes.
Unperturbed Hermione said 'I wanted to thank you for today Harry; you've given me the best birthday that anyone could ever ask for.'
'Mia, sweetheart, all I did was to make sure that you got to spend your day with your parents. I know that it has always been hard for you to be away from them on your birthday. It was the least I could do after everything you've done for me, and besides I wanted to meet your mum and dad.' Harry replied with his eyes closed and with a roguish smile on his lips.
'Well, thank you, Harry.' she leaned over him and softly pressed her lips against his, this caused him to engulf her in his arms and pull her on to the couch with him.
She squealed a little as he pulled her down on to him; although her protest was purely for show.
Hermione playfully struggled, saying 'unhand me you, uncouth ruffian!'
'I'm afraid not my dear, I shall have to have my wicked way with you now, mwahaha!' Replied Harry as he began to tickle her. The tickling lasted only for a moment as the overwhelming urge to kiss her kicked in.
Initially, Hermione was taken off guard by the fact that he has stopped tickling her, when she looked at him she expected to see a panicked or hurt look on his face; what she found was nothing short of complete adoration. Every word that he told her on the train was showing on his face, and finally, she understood his dream and how much it had shaken him.
The teens moved their heads towards each other; nothing else mattered at that moment.
As their lips gently touched, time ceased to function. Everything was perfect; from the mid-afternoon sunlight streaming through the window and danced through her wavy curls in golden and auburn hues.
When their lips parted, both gave a small contented sigh. Hermione closed her eyes and rested her head on Harry's chest; he pulled her in close to him. It was perfection and exactly what they both needed as they both fell asleep, safe in the knowledge that they were exactly where they should be, and no one was going to change that.
#
As sleep claimed the teens, they drifted off into their dreams, blissfully aware that they had found the missing piece to the puzzle of their life. The years of loneliness and ridicule they both endured now seemed a small price to pay to be in the arms of their love.
As Harry drifted into a deep sleep, a voice echoed through his dreams, although it was feminine, it had an eerily familiar quality to it.
'Chosen one' called the voice, dream Harry looked about to see from where it was coming.
'Show yourself' he called out 'stop hiding in the shadows, come out and face me' he roared in the darkness.
'Fear not, Chosen One, I mean you no harm.' said the voice from behind him.
'Then why do you hide?' Harry asked
Almost like magic, the darkness faded, and Harry found himself standing in an ancient temple, it had an old-world feel that he could not place.
'Chosen One, do you not recognise this place?' the voice asked.
Harry turned and saw a beautiful woman wearing a white toga, a helmet and carrying a shield with a medusa's head depicted.
'Who are you?' He asked.
'I have had many names; the people from the North named me Vör, in the east where the rises I am named Fukurkuju and seen as an old man, In the desert lands of the pyramids I am worshipped as Isis. You may call me Athena; I am the goddess of Wisdom.'
'Forgive me, Athena; I meant no disrespect' said Harry as he knelt in front of the Goddess.
'Chosen One, you have done nothing to forgive.' Athena admonished softly 'You have done well Chosen One, the Fates favour you. You have enacted much change both directly and indirectly, which will have long-reaching consequences for the betterment of your world.'
'You still have much to do, Chosen One; when Cronus sent you back, all you had was your powers and your memories as dreams. I am here to give you back your memories and to give you aid at time of great turmoil.'
'Will I remember all of this? Will I remember Hermione?' Harry asked in earnest.
'Chosen One, nothing will change. Your Love will not vanish nor will the actions that you have taken be altered. The Creator has deemed it so; he has also deemed that you can only speak of your previous life to one other person; you must seek out the one who is as wise as I.'
In an instant, every memory that Harry had thought was a dream came flooding back to him. Trying to outfly a Dragon; not asking Hermione to the ball, fighting Voldemort in the graveyard. Seeing Teddy graduate from Hogwarts, watching Hermione die for her injuries from Ron.
'You, Chosen One, must be the breakwater against all darkness. The actions you have taken will see that you do not fail. I must go now, but I will leave you with this; do not be so forgiving in this life as you were in your last one.' And with this Athena was gone.
#
It was in this position that Dan found them a couple of hours later; he had a sneaky suspicion that he would find them together. He stood at the study door and saw them asleep on the couch; he didn't have the heart to disturb them.
Emma saw him standing there and came over to see; she wasn't disappointed. She rested her head on her husband's shoulder and asked 'How do you like your future son-in-law?'
'I doubt I could have found anyone better Em, I know that they are both young, but there is something about them that shouts at you that these two were destined to be together, do you know what I mean?' asked Dan
Emma nodded against his shoulder as she watched the young couple, she felt that she was witnessing something pure and innocent; like the rarest flower beginning to bloom. It was captivating, it made you feel like a better person for witnessing it, but at the same time, you felt a little guilty by watching.
Dan whispered to his wife 'I'll go and get ready; I think that you should be the one to wake them. The last thing Hermione needs is her dad finding her asleep with her boyfriend; who knows what daddy might think?'
#
The play was everything hat Hermione had expected it to be and then some. The Potter box was perfectly situated and had the perfect view of the performance; she sat captivated the entire time. Harry watched her, in awe of the young woman that sat enthralled before him.
To top the evening of the guests in the Potter box were invited backstage to meet with the cast; Hermione almost fainted at the prospect. Harry introduced the grangers to everyone and thanked them for a wonderful performance and left them with the promise that they would be back to see future performances; especially A Winter's Tale.
Ragnok had arranged everything for the young Earl; this included a chauffeur to take them back to Crawley and the Granger residence. Unknown to the Grangers Harry had paid for exclusive wards to be erected around the Granger property. They would now be protected at home, nothing short of a thousand death eaters would be able to break these new wards, and it also shielded the inside of the house from the ministry and allowed Hermione to do under-aged magic out of school.
They arrived back just after one in the morning, everyone was tired, and everyone was happy. Hermione felt as though she was on cloud nine, and nothing would bring her down, Emma was a close second, and it was allHarry's doing. As they entered the house Dan took Harry to one side and said
Son, you have given Emma and me a day that surpasses even words, it was perfect in every way. I doubt that you'll be able to get Hermione to stop smiling anytime soon. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.' Dan said as he pulled Harry into a warm embrace.
Finally, Harry found a home, a place to call his own and a family that wanted to share their lives with him. It was truly a humbling experience