James elbowed her in the stomach, but Angela paid no attention to him. "Hey mom, I was wondering if I could get my belly button pierced."
"Sure honey." Hermione said and turned to look at James. "James, how was your date tonight?"
"I- didn't have a date tonight." James said and raised an eyebrow.
"Yes you did, don't be stupid." She said. James's eyes widened as she walked over to him and poked a finger in his chest. She narrowed her eyes and asked, "Are you having sex?" Angela burst out laughing and so did Ron.
"What?" James asked incredulously.
"You heard me." Hermione warned.
"No!" James said and stumbled backwards.
"That's what I thought." Hermione said as if she'd known all along. James looked mortified. "Now I think I'm going upstairs." She walked up the stairs talking constantly to somebody who wasn't there and her steps meandering from side to side.
"I'm sorry!" Ron said as James glared at him. "We only had five drinks, I swear! I didn't know she would react like that!"
"Whatever." James said, but he was smiling now.
"Do you promise to keep an eye on her tonight? I don't want her to hurt herself in this- condition."
"We promise." They said together.
"Okay, I trust you kids. I'll see you later." Ron said and disapparated. They heard their mom singing from behind the closed doors of her room. They laughed and were about to go look at the pictures when there was a nervous knock on the front door. James and Angela looked at each other and turned around to open the door. It was the man from earlier that day. He jumped a bit when he saw them.
"Whoa. That was quick." He said and laughed. Angela and James smiled a bit. "Is your mom home now?"
"Yeah but she's- not exactly herself…" Angela said, and couldn't help but laugh.
"What do you mean?" The man asked. "She's not- uh- sad is she? You know, like depressed?"
"What?" James and Angela said together.
"Well, not anymore." James said uncomfortably. The man sighed.
"That's good." He sounded a good deal less stressed. "Can I see her?"
"No." Angela said, but at the very same second James said;
"Yeah!" He darted up the stairs and knocked on Hermione's door.
"That idiot!" Angela hissed under her breath. The man heard her.
"I don't bite." He said.
"Yeah well, we don't know that." Angela said almost lazily. She thought the guy must be okay, or at least he didn't seem like he was bad.
"I see your point."
"Mmm," Angela said and yawned.
"Angela!" James cried as he ran down the stairs. "Angela, she's- she's- she's on the roof!" He leaned against the door, panting.
"The roof?" Angela and the stranger said at the same time.
"Why is she up there?" Angela asked.
"I don't know." James said. They heard a muffled hiccup from the roof. They all moved back so they could get a better look. Hermione was dancing ballet on the roof with no shoes on. She was wearing her nightgown that was a long floaty thing that was blowing around in the wind.
"Mom, get down from there!" Angela cried up to her. Hermione didn't seem to notice. She just kept walking on her toes on the flat roof and every now and then doing some dangerous trick.
"Hermione! You'll hurt yourself!" Called the stranger. Angela and James jumped. They didn't know he knew her name. Hermione glanced down at them.
"Ooh." She said in her drunken, sing- song voice. "What a pretty night! Oh how I wish I could fly."
"Don't!" All three of them cried.
"I've seen Hagrid do it a million times. I should be able to do this to…" She paced backwards a few steps, facing them. "One…two…threeeee!" She ran to the edge of the roof and jumped. Her nightgown whipped out behind her as she started to fall quickly to the ground.
"Catch her!" The stranger yelled to the kids. They all ran around under her. Hermione was laughing and smiling. She fell into the stranger's arms and it looked like he was holding a baby.
"Wee!" She said.
"Bon giorno, principessa!" The stranger said pleasantly and smiled at the drunken woman in his arms. Hermione looked at him and smiled.
"Bon gior-" She started, but her eyes then met his and she fell silent for a few seconds. Glinting behind the glasses were brilliant green eyes. They were oddly familiar. Instinctively her eyes flitted up to his forehead. They widened in terror as she realized who's arms she was in. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!" She screamed into his face and then she fainted. Angela muffled a small cry.
"James! Go call dad! Now!" She commanded. James nodded and dashed back in the house and up to the attic.
"Can you help by carrying her to her room?" Angela asked the stranger who was looking at the woman in his arms in an odd way.
"Sure," he said and followed Angela up the stairs and into Hermione's room. He gently lowered her onto her large bed.
"Thanks." Angela said, sounding stressed. "I wouldn't have been able to get her up here."
"Oh, I don't know." The man said. "Well I should probably get going. Find a hotel to stay in or something." Angela did some quick thinking.
"Why don't you just stay with us? I mean you saved our mom's life and all. You can't be that bad..." She said slowly.
"I don't know if your mom will like that." The stranger said skeptically. Angela rolled her eyes.
"Were you born yesterday? My mom has blacked out and unless I'm quite mistaken, she cannot make important decisions like this in her condition." Angela said. "We'll explain it to her in the morning." The man laughed.
"Well, when you put it like that..."
"You accept."
"Indeed."
"Cool. Um... I guess we'll put you up in the guest bedroom..." She pointed to an open door down a hall to the left. "You should be comfortable there, and feel free to raid the kitchen if you're hungry. Me and James do that all the time." Angela winked slyly. There was a pop from the living room.
"Angela, James? What was the emergency?" Came a man's voice.
"Oh Dad!" Angela called. "Thank god you're here! Mom passed out…she's upstairs. Come on. See you in the morning and thanks again!" She added to the man.
He watched the retreating back of Ron Weasley and the girl who was called Angela jog up the stairs. It registered in his mind where the red hair must have come from. His heart sank. Hermione was no longer his.
~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~*
Hermione woke up with a terrible headache and a premonition of foreboding. Then she remembered what had happened the last night. It was fuzzy, but she remembered jumping off the roof of her house and then landing in the late Harry Potter's arms. That must have been an illusion though, she told herself. Harry was dead and he had been for seventeen years and a day. Or at least something close to that. Ah, but his body was never found, said the little annoying common sense voice in the back of her head. Hermione had always had little silent battles with that voice that told her the truth all of the time. She wanted to believe that Harry was dead. He had caused her so much pain it was almost too much to bear. She didn't want to think of him.
Ron, to her surprise, was in her room asleep on the couch chair that Hermione read on late at night. She got up stiffly and walked in the bathroom and took a much-needed shower. She reeked of alcohol. She inhaled all of the steam from the shower and that perked up her senses. She stepped out and threw on some clothes and walked back outside the bathroom. Ron had woken up.
"Good morning sunshine." He said and went over to her. "I hear you had an interesting evening…"
"Yeah, I was so drunk I thought I fell off the roof and landed- oh god Ron I thought I landed in Harry's arms." A single, fat tear rolled down her cheek.
"Now don't you start that again." Ron warned and wiped it gently off her cheek. "You are no fun when you cry." Hermione laughed. "That's better. Now I suggest you go meet the man who saved your life. I do believe he's having breakfast."
"He stayed here?" Hermione said.
"Angela invited him in. He had nowhere to go."
"Have you met him? Is he okay?" Hermione asked.
"No, actually. But Angela is a smart kid. She wouldn't let the wrong kind of person into your house."
"And how did you get here then?" Hermione said, not able to stop herself.
"HEY!" Ron cried. Hermione grinned wickedly and punched him lightly on the shoulder. "You wanna make something of this?"
"Bring it on, shrimp boy!" Hermione said.
"Oh hardly." Ron said. Hermione kicked her leg high up in the air, just barely missing Ron's face. "Oh, think your smart now, don't you!" Ron grabbed her foot and made her hop around behind him around three times around her room before she managed to shake him off and push him roughly onto the bed. He grabbed her on the way down and they both cracked up. It was like they were in school again, acting like children should. Ron seemed to realize this too and sat up.
"I can't even begin to imagine what my kids are thinking about right now." Hermione said and stood up off the bed. "I need to put some things strait. Belly button piercing? I think not." Ron laughed as Hermione jogged down the stairs into the kitchen. There was an extra head behind a newspaper today. She knew it must have been the guy who had caught her the previous night. The two teens raised their heads when she came into the room.
"Morning mom." They said together.
"Don't you good morning mom me! We need to get a few things strait." Hermione said, her hangover beginning to wear off. "Angela, you are not getting your belly button pierced while you are living under this roof."
"But you said-" Angela began to protest.
"But nothing. I was drunk." Hermione said and cut her off. "And just because I was drunk does not mean you can take advantage of me like that. I thought you had more sense. And I never ever want you two following my example. Never, I repeat, never drink. And James dear," Hermione said, rounding on her son.
"Yes, mum?" James asked.
" Two words. Safe sex." Angela spit out her Cornflakes, James blushed and the stranger laughed.
"Mum!" James hissed and jerked his head towards the man, whose face was hidden behind the paper.
"Oh!" Hermione said. "I almost completely forgot! Um- sir? Could I see you privately in the living room? I'd like to apologize and explain."
"Sure." The man said. He put the paper down and Hermione jumped. He did look a good deal like Harry. Hermione quickly regained composure and led the man into the living room and shut to double doors behind them.
"I'm so sorry I- hmm how shall I put this- screamed in your face and fell on you!" She said the man chuckled.
"It's not everyday beautiful women fall into my arms." He said. Hermione felt a little uncomfortable now.
"My- uh- my reason for being so -ah- startled is that- well-" Hermione began.
"I'm leaving!" Ron called from somewhere upstairs.
"Bye Dad!" Came Angela's voice, oddly close to the room Hermione was in.
"Bye!" James called.
"Ron, are you going to be here for dinner?" Hermione asked loudly
"Are you cooking?" Ron asked.
"No. And do you always answer a question with another question?"
"Just as much as you, dear. Did you say you were'nt cooking? I'll be here then!" Ron called and a very faint pop told them he had left.
"Oh that man..." Hermione grumbled. The stranger cleared his throat loudly. "Oh- what was I talking about?"
"Why you screamed." The stranger said. Hermione shivered. That voice was so familiar.
"Right. It's just that you have a- er- striking resemblance to- to- to ah-" Hermione began to play with her fingers.
"Harry Potter? Oh there is a simple explanation for that. Because my dear Hermione," He lifted a hand to his forehead brushed back some of his bangs away exposing a lightning bolt scar. " I am Harry Potter." Hermione went numb with shock.
"Oh- my- god." Was all she could choke out.
"I missed you Hermione." Harry made his way over to her in one long step and kissed her full on the lips. The kiss lasted for around five seconds. Hermione pushed him roughly into a couch.
"How dare you! Get your hands off me!" She snarled. "Who are you?" She began backing away to the french doors.
"You know who I am." The the mad said. "Don't be silly."
Hermione was breathing quickly in raspy breaths. She looked at the mad from head to toe.
"This is a sick joke." She decided. "A very sick joke." Her hands felt the door knob and she fumbled to get it open.
The man crossed the room to her again. He put a thin hand on her shaking wrist and pried it off the door handle.
"Listen to me." He forced her to look into his eyes. "I know I've been away for a very long time- but if you would let me explain-"
Hermione shut her eyes. ~* This is a bad dream*~ she thought and squeezed her eyes shut tighter.
"Hermione, you don't belive it's me do you?" He said.
Hermione opened her eyes, and glared viciously at the man. "What tipped you off?"
"Hermione. Listen to me now." He said. "Ask me any question. I swear I will know the answer."
Hermione looked at the man. His eyes were pleading and his hands were twisting nervously together behind his back. It was him. It had to be. Her fright turned to anger.
"You think you can just come in my house after SEVENTEEN YEARS and just kiss me and everything will be okay?" She asked.
"You owe me one." Harry said smittenly.
"I owe you nothing." Hermione hissed.
"I saved your life last night!" Harry pointed out.
"You ruined my life." Hermione spat.
"How so?" Harry said.
"You left me for seventeen years!" Hermione said, a tear falling down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away. She was not going to cry.
"Oh, and that apparently didn't hold you back for a long time." Harry motioned behind him to the kitchen where the twins were supposed to be having breakfast. "Did you and Ron get married the same day I disappeared? Or did you wait a week, out of respect for the dead?"
"You mock my pain!" Hermione cried melodramatically. "I died that day."
"Why did you do it? Didn't I tell you I'd always come for you?" Harry clearly had no idea what was going on here. Hermione however had figured it out: Harry thought she had married Ron, and had kids with him.
" And is that supposed to mean something to me? The promise of a nineteen year old man?" Hermione laughed bitterly.
" The promise of your love?" Harry asked. "Yes, it should mean something to you."
"And it did." Hermione said. " And a tip for the future, don't go saying things you don't know are true."
"And what is that supposed to mean?"
"I'm not married to Ron."
"Your kids call him dad." Harry pointed out. "So would that make you a one night stand?" Hermione's jaw dropped and she balled her hands into fists.
She rounded on him. "IS THAT WHAT YOU CONDSIDER ME? A ONE NIGHT STAND?WELL I HAVE NEW FOR YOU HARRY POTTER-" He cupped a hand over her mouth.
"Shhh. you'll make your children wonder." Harry said. "Who is the father?" His eyes were strained.
Hermione looked away. "That is-"
"It was Ron." Harry accused. "You cant deny it."
"THEY ARE NOT RELATED TO HIM!" Hermione said. She did not like where this conversation was heading. "He isnt their father. You, Harry Potter should know Ron and I could never- do- ttttttttthhhhhhhhaaaaaaaatttttttt-" She blushed a deep red and thought viciously ~*I hate that you've seen me naked.*~
"Whatever. I heard you two this morning..." Harry said skeptically.
"What are you implying?"
"That you obviously could love him like that." He put on a strained face and mimicked his old school mates. " 'Oh Rooooon! Stoooooop that! Owwwwwwwwwwwww!' 'Hermione that was fun we should do this more often..."
"Nonsense. Ron and I were having a wrestling match." Hermione said bitting back a yell of fury.
"Hey, I don't care what you call it." Harry said. Hermione slapped him.
"Shut up you!" Hermione said. "You have no right to assume things like- that. Ron and I aren't lovers. That happened oh- about TWENTY YEARS AGO!"
"Touchy, touchy." Harry said. "So if he isn't their father, why do they call him dad?"
"Jesus, Harry! Put two and two together! Ron is their Godfather."
"Uh huh. And why, may I ask, don't they call their father that?"
"Because they've never met."
"Who is the father?"
"YOU!" She avoided his eyes.
"No, that cant be right because we only-" Harry stammered.
"I know that." Hermione snappef, turning red again.
"I have kids?" Harry sat back down in a chair and pondered this silently for a minute. He rubbed his temples with his fingers. "I- I have kids. What? How did that happen?"
"This is hardly the time for me to explain the birds and the bees." Hermione snapped. There were some peculiar noises coming from the other side of the closed doors that told Hermione that Angela and James were listening in, if not watching. Hermione had seen James come in with a portable-hole package.
"They're both so perfect." Harry said. "How did that happen?"
"Okay, we can discuss this later." Hermione said. "Where did you run off to? America? Romania?"
"I have no idea where exactly I was. Nobody ever told me."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Hermione said, dreading the answer.
"That business trip I went on was rigged. When I went to the place where it was supposed to be, I realized something had to be wrong. Nobody was there. Then all of a sudden three other people from my work appeared and neither of them knew what was going on either. Before any of us could say anything to another the place just melted away and we were in cells."
"Cells?" Hermione asked.
"We go tricked into going into Confinement." Harry said. "I dont really remember much else."
"What is Confinement?" Hermione asked uncomfortably.
"It's like a training camp for Wizards and Witches. They locked us all up in this big cell and made us do incredibly hard tasks. They even killed a couple of people. They did weird experiments on the older ones. New torture charms and all. It was horrible." Hermione realized Harry was shaking. She went over and sat next to him.
"However did you get out?"
"That's another mystery. When we all woke up a week or so ago, we were in the same clothes we arrived there in and our wands had been returned to us." Harry said. " We went to the ministry and they told us what they were going to do. They're keeping our story secret for a while. When they do tell they are going to say that I was found in a sleep of living death, being kept alive by druids in the Black Forest. They don't want to worry the public."
"Harry I missed you so much. You have no idea." Hermione said and hugged him warmly.
"And I you." Harry said and hugged her back. "Hermione, I was going to propose to you when I got back from that trip."
"What a coincidence, so was I," Hermione said and laughed through her tears of joy.
"So will you marry me?"
"Of course." Hermione whispered in his ear. Harry grinned at her and they kissed deep and long. The double doors gave in and Angela and James toppled into the room and watched their parents with large smiles on their faces. They were a family again. Angela couldn't wait to call Ron and tell him all about it.
"Sure honey." Hermione said and turned to look at James. "James, how was your date tonight?"
"I- didn't have a date tonight." James said and raised an eyebrow.
"Yes you did, don't be stupid." She said. James's eyes widened as she walked over to him and poked a finger in his chest. She narrowed her eyes and asked, "Are you having sex?" Angela burst out laughing and so did Ron.
"What?" James asked incredulously.
"You heard me." Hermione warned.
"No!" James said and stumbled backwards.
"That's what I thought." Hermione said as if she'd known all along. James looked mortified. "Now I think I'm going upstairs." She walked up the stairs talking constantly to somebody who wasn't there and her steps meandering from side to side.
"I'm sorry!" Ron said as James glared at him. "We only had five drinks, I swear! I didn't know she would react like that!"
"Whatever." James said, but he was smiling now.
"Do you promise to keep an eye on her tonight? I don't want her to hurt herself in this- condition."
"We promise." They said together.
"Okay, I trust you kids. I'll see you later." Ron said and disapparated. They heard their mom singing from behind the closed doors of her room. They laughed and were about to go look at the pictures when there was a nervous knock on the front door. James and Angela looked at each other and turned around to open the door. It was the man from earlier that day. He jumped a bit when he saw them.
"Whoa. That was quick." He said and laughed. Angela and James smiled a bit. "Is your mom home now?"
"Yeah but she's- not exactly herself…" Angela said, and couldn't help but laugh.
"What do you mean?" The man asked. "She's not- uh- sad is she? You know, like depressed?"
"What?" James and Angela said together.
"Well, not anymore." James said uncomfortably. The man sighed.
"That's good." He sounded a good deal less stressed. "Can I see her?"
"No." Angela said, but at the very same second James said;
"Yeah!" He darted up the stairs and knocked on Hermione's door.
"That idiot!" Angela hissed under her breath. The man heard her.
"I don't bite." He said.
"Yeah well, we don't know that." Angela said almost lazily. She thought the guy must be okay, or at least he didn't seem like he was bad.
"I see your point."
"Mmm," Angela said and yawned.
"Angela!" James cried as he ran down the stairs. "Angela, she's- she's- she's on the roof!" He leaned against the door, panting.
"The roof?" Angela and the stranger said at the same time.
"Why is she up there?" Angela asked.
"I don't know." James said. They heard a muffled hiccup from the roof. They all moved back so they could get a better look. Hermione was dancing ballet on the roof with no shoes on. She was wearing her nightgown that was a long floaty thing that was blowing around in the wind.
"Mom, get down from there!" Angela cried up to her. Hermione didn't seem to notice. She just kept walking on her toes on the flat roof and every now and then doing some dangerous trick.
"Hermione! You'll hurt yourself!" Called the stranger. Angela and James jumped. They didn't know he knew her name. Hermione glanced down at them.
"Ooh." She said in her drunken, sing- song voice. "What a pretty night! Oh how I wish I could fly."
"Don't!" All three of them cried.
"I've seen Hagrid do it a million times. I should be able to do this to…" She paced backwards a few steps, facing them. "One…two…threeeee!" She ran to the edge of the roof and jumped. Her nightgown whipped out behind her as she started to fall quickly to the ground.
"Catch her!" The stranger yelled to the kids. They all ran around under her. Hermione was laughing and smiling. She fell into the stranger's arms and it looked like he was holding a baby.
"Wee!" She said.
"Bon giorno, principessa!" The stranger said pleasantly and smiled at the drunken woman in his arms. Hermione looked at him and smiled.
"Bon gior-" She started, but her eyes then met his and she fell silent for a few seconds. Glinting behind the glasses were brilliant green eyes. They were oddly familiar. Instinctively her eyes flitted up to his forehead. They widened in terror as she realized who's arms she was in. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!" She screamed into his face and then she fainted. Angela muffled a small cry.
"James! Go call dad! Now!" She commanded. James nodded and dashed back in the house and up to the attic.
"Can you help by carrying her to her room?" Angela asked the stranger who was looking at the woman in his arms in an odd way.
"Sure," he said and followed Angela up the stairs and into Hermione's room. He gently lowered her onto her large bed.
"Thanks." Angela said, sounding stressed. "I wouldn't have been able to get her up here."
"Oh, I don't know." The man said. "Well I should probably get going. Find a hotel to stay in or something." Angela did some quick thinking.
"Why don't you just stay with us? I mean you saved our mom's life and all. You can't be that bad..." She said slowly.
"I don't know if your mom will like that." The stranger said skeptically. Angela rolled her eyes.
"Were you born yesterday? My mom has blacked out and unless I'm quite mistaken, she cannot make important decisions like this in her condition." Angela said. "We'll explain it to her in the morning." The man laughed.
"Well, when you put it like that..."
"You accept."
"Indeed."
"Cool. Um... I guess we'll put you up in the guest bedroom..." She pointed to an open door down a hall to the left. "You should be comfortable there, and feel free to raid the kitchen if you're hungry. Me and James do that all the time." Angela winked slyly. There was a pop from the living room.
"Angela, James? What was the emergency?" Came a man's voice.
"Oh Dad!" Angela called. "Thank god you're here! Mom passed out…she's upstairs. Come on. See you in the morning and thanks again!" She added to the man.
He watched the retreating back of Ron Weasley and the girl who was called Angela jog up the stairs. It registered in his mind where the red hair must have come from. His heart sank. Hermione was no longer his.
~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~*
Hermione woke up with a terrible headache and a premonition of foreboding. Then she remembered what had happened the last night. It was fuzzy, but she remembered jumping off the roof of her house and then landing in the late Harry Potter's arms. That must have been an illusion though, she told herself. Harry was dead and he had been for seventeen years and a day. Or at least something close to that. Ah, but his body was never found, said the little annoying common sense voice in the back of her head. Hermione had always had little silent battles with that voice that told her the truth all of the time. She wanted to believe that Harry was dead. He had caused her so much pain it was almost too much to bear. She didn't want to think of him.
Ron, to her surprise, was in her room asleep on the couch chair that Hermione read on late at night. She got up stiffly and walked in the bathroom and took a much-needed shower. She reeked of alcohol. She inhaled all of the steam from the shower and that perked up her senses. She stepped out and threw on some clothes and walked back outside the bathroom. Ron had woken up.
"Good morning sunshine." He said and went over to her. "I hear you had an interesting evening…"
"Yeah, I was so drunk I thought I fell off the roof and landed- oh god Ron I thought I landed in Harry's arms." A single, fat tear rolled down her cheek.
"Now don't you start that again." Ron warned and wiped it gently off her cheek. "You are no fun when you cry." Hermione laughed. "That's better. Now I suggest you go meet the man who saved your life. I do believe he's having breakfast."
"He stayed here?" Hermione said.
"Angela invited him in. He had nowhere to go."
"Have you met him? Is he okay?" Hermione asked.
"No, actually. But Angela is a smart kid. She wouldn't let the wrong kind of person into your house."
"And how did you get here then?" Hermione said, not able to stop herself.
"HEY!" Ron cried. Hermione grinned wickedly and punched him lightly on the shoulder. "You wanna make something of this?"
"Bring it on, shrimp boy!" Hermione said.
"Oh hardly." Ron said. Hermione kicked her leg high up in the air, just barely missing Ron's face. "Oh, think your smart now, don't you!" Ron grabbed her foot and made her hop around behind him around three times around her room before she managed to shake him off and push him roughly onto the bed. He grabbed her on the way down and they both cracked up. It was like they were in school again, acting like children should. Ron seemed to realize this too and sat up.
"I can't even begin to imagine what my kids are thinking about right now." Hermione said and stood up off the bed. "I need to put some things strait. Belly button piercing? I think not." Ron laughed as Hermione jogged down the stairs into the kitchen. There was an extra head behind a newspaper today. She knew it must have been the guy who had caught her the previous night. The two teens raised their heads when she came into the room.
"Morning mom." They said together.
"Don't you good morning mom me! We need to get a few things strait." Hermione said, her hangover beginning to wear off. "Angela, you are not getting your belly button pierced while you are living under this roof."
"But you said-" Angela began to protest.
"But nothing. I was drunk." Hermione said and cut her off. "And just because I was drunk does not mean you can take advantage of me like that. I thought you had more sense. And I never ever want you two following my example. Never, I repeat, never drink. And James dear," Hermione said, rounding on her son.
"Yes, mum?" James asked.
" Two words. Safe sex." Angela spit out her Cornflakes, James blushed and the stranger laughed.
"Mum!" James hissed and jerked his head towards the man, whose face was hidden behind the paper.
"Oh!" Hermione said. "I almost completely forgot! Um- sir? Could I see you privately in the living room? I'd like to apologize and explain."
"Sure." The man said. He put the paper down and Hermione jumped. He did look a good deal like Harry. Hermione quickly regained composure and led the man into the living room and shut to double doors behind them.
"I'm so sorry I- hmm how shall I put this- screamed in your face and fell on you!" She said the man chuckled.
"It's not everyday beautiful women fall into my arms." He said. Hermione felt a little uncomfortable now.
"My- uh- my reason for being so -ah- startled is that- well-" Hermione began.
"I'm leaving!" Ron called from somewhere upstairs.
"Bye Dad!" Came Angela's voice, oddly close to the room Hermione was in.
"Bye!" James called.
"Ron, are you going to be here for dinner?" Hermione asked loudly
"Are you cooking?" Ron asked.
"No. And do you always answer a question with another question?"
"Just as much as you, dear. Did you say you were'nt cooking? I'll be here then!" Ron called and a very faint pop told them he had left.
"Oh that man..." Hermione grumbled. The stranger cleared his throat loudly. "Oh- what was I talking about?"
"Why you screamed." The stranger said. Hermione shivered. That voice was so familiar.
"Right. It's just that you have a- er- striking resemblance to- to- to ah-" Hermione began to play with her fingers.
"Harry Potter? Oh there is a simple explanation for that. Because my dear Hermione," He lifted a hand to his forehead brushed back some of his bangs away exposing a lightning bolt scar. " I am Harry Potter." Hermione went numb with shock.
"Oh- my- god." Was all she could choke out.
"I missed you Hermione." Harry made his way over to her in one long step and kissed her full on the lips. The kiss lasted for around five seconds. Hermione pushed him roughly into a couch.
"How dare you! Get your hands off me!" She snarled. "Who are you?" She began backing away to the french doors.
"You know who I am." The the mad said. "Don't be silly."
Hermione was breathing quickly in raspy breaths. She looked at the mad from head to toe.
"This is a sick joke." She decided. "A very sick joke." Her hands felt the door knob and she fumbled to get it open.
The man crossed the room to her again. He put a thin hand on her shaking wrist and pried it off the door handle.
"Listen to me." He forced her to look into his eyes. "I know I've been away for a very long time- but if you would let me explain-"
Hermione shut her eyes. ~* This is a bad dream*~ she thought and squeezed her eyes shut tighter.
"Hermione, you don't belive it's me do you?" He said.
Hermione opened her eyes, and glared viciously at the man. "What tipped you off?"
"Hermione. Listen to me now." He said. "Ask me any question. I swear I will know the answer."
Hermione looked at the man. His eyes were pleading and his hands were twisting nervously together behind his back. It was him. It had to be. Her fright turned to anger.
"You think you can just come in my house after SEVENTEEN YEARS and just kiss me and everything will be okay?" She asked.
"You owe me one." Harry said smittenly.
"I owe you nothing." Hermione hissed.
"I saved your life last night!" Harry pointed out.
"You ruined my life." Hermione spat.
"How so?" Harry said.
"You left me for seventeen years!" Hermione said, a tear falling down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away. She was not going to cry.
"Oh, and that apparently didn't hold you back for a long time." Harry motioned behind him to the kitchen where the twins were supposed to be having breakfast. "Did you and Ron get married the same day I disappeared? Or did you wait a week, out of respect for the dead?"
"You mock my pain!" Hermione cried melodramatically. "I died that day."
"Why did you do it? Didn't I tell you I'd always come for you?" Harry clearly had no idea what was going on here. Hermione however had figured it out: Harry thought she had married Ron, and had kids with him.
" And is that supposed to mean something to me? The promise of a nineteen year old man?" Hermione laughed bitterly.
" The promise of your love?" Harry asked. "Yes, it should mean something to you."
"And it did." Hermione said. " And a tip for the future, don't go saying things you don't know are true."
"And what is that supposed to mean?"
"I'm not married to Ron."
"Your kids call him dad." Harry pointed out. "So would that make you a one night stand?" Hermione's jaw dropped and she balled her hands into fists.
She rounded on him. "IS THAT WHAT YOU CONDSIDER ME? A ONE NIGHT STAND?WELL I HAVE NEW FOR YOU HARRY POTTER-" He cupped a hand over her mouth.
"Shhh. you'll make your children wonder." Harry said. "Who is the father?" His eyes were strained.
Hermione looked away. "That is-"
"It was Ron." Harry accused. "You cant deny it."
"THEY ARE NOT RELATED TO HIM!" Hermione said. She did not like where this conversation was heading. "He isnt their father. You, Harry Potter should know Ron and I could never- do- ttttttttthhhhhhhhaaaaaaaatttttttt-" She blushed a deep red and thought viciously ~*I hate that you've seen me naked.*~
"Whatever. I heard you two this morning..." Harry said skeptically.
"What are you implying?"
"That you obviously could love him like that." He put on a strained face and mimicked his old school mates. " 'Oh Rooooon! Stoooooop that! Owwwwwwwwwwwww!' 'Hermione that was fun we should do this more often..."
"Nonsense. Ron and I were having a wrestling match." Hermione said bitting back a yell of fury.
"Hey, I don't care what you call it." Harry said. Hermione slapped him.
"Shut up you!" Hermione said. "You have no right to assume things like- that. Ron and I aren't lovers. That happened oh- about TWENTY YEARS AGO!"
"Touchy, touchy." Harry said. "So if he isn't their father, why do they call him dad?"
"Jesus, Harry! Put two and two together! Ron is their Godfather."
"Uh huh. And why, may I ask, don't they call their father that?"
"Because they've never met."
"Who is the father?"
"YOU!" She avoided his eyes.
"No, that cant be right because we only-" Harry stammered.
"I know that." Hermione snappef, turning red again.
"I have kids?" Harry sat back down in a chair and pondered this silently for a minute. He rubbed his temples with his fingers. "I- I have kids. What? How did that happen?"
"This is hardly the time for me to explain the birds and the bees." Hermione snapped. There were some peculiar noises coming from the other side of the closed doors that told Hermione that Angela and James were listening in, if not watching. Hermione had seen James come in with a portable-hole package.
"They're both so perfect." Harry said. "How did that happen?"
"Okay, we can discuss this later." Hermione said. "Where did you run off to? America? Romania?"
"I have no idea where exactly I was. Nobody ever told me."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Hermione said, dreading the answer.
"That business trip I went on was rigged. When I went to the place where it was supposed to be, I realized something had to be wrong. Nobody was there. Then all of a sudden three other people from my work appeared and neither of them knew what was going on either. Before any of us could say anything to another the place just melted away and we were in cells."
"Cells?" Hermione asked.
"We go tricked into going into Confinement." Harry said. "I dont really remember much else."
"What is Confinement?" Hermione asked uncomfortably.
"It's like a training camp for Wizards and Witches. They locked us all up in this big cell and made us do incredibly hard tasks. They even killed a couple of people. They did weird experiments on the older ones. New torture charms and all. It was horrible." Hermione realized Harry was shaking. She went over and sat next to him.
"However did you get out?"
"That's another mystery. When we all woke up a week or so ago, we were in the same clothes we arrived there in and our wands had been returned to us." Harry said. " We went to the ministry and they told us what they were going to do. They're keeping our story secret for a while. When they do tell they are going to say that I was found in a sleep of living death, being kept alive by druids in the Black Forest. They don't want to worry the public."
"Harry I missed you so much. You have no idea." Hermione said and hugged him warmly.
"And I you." Harry said and hugged her back. "Hermione, I was going to propose to you when I got back from that trip."
"What a coincidence, so was I," Hermione said and laughed through her tears of joy.
"So will you marry me?"
"Of course." Hermione whispered in his ear. Harry grinned at her and they kissed deep and long. The double doors gave in and Angela and James toppled into the room and watched their parents with large smiles on their faces. They were a family again. Angela couldn't wait to call Ron and tell him all about it.