5 MONTHS LATER:
Hermione sat on her couch at home, asleep. Her parents were away at the beach for their anniversary, and it was just herself at their house. Suddenly, she was awakened by coughing and sputtering.
It was Harry. He'd traveled by Floo Powder into her house. He was covered in soot.
"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed.
"Hello," Harry said in between coughs. (Harry Potter had just had a birthday recently, so he was 18)
Hermione quickly went up to him and helped him brush off all the soot. "I missed you so much," she said.
"Yeah, I'd figured that you'd be missing me a lot by now. So I decided to drop by," Harry replied. He reached inside his pocket and pulled out a small box. He opened it and revealed a beautiful emerald ring. He took the ring out of the box, and slid it on Hermione's ring finger. "I'd like you to marry me," he said.
Hermione smiled and examined the ring. "It's beautiful," she observed.
"I have my own house now. You have mentioned me to your parents, right? I mean, just so they don't think you're marrying a complete stranger," Harry added.
"Of course! I've told them loads of things about you…pleasant things of course, and I don't think they'd mind. But they're at the beach for anniversary right now, so I'll have to wait till they get back to tell them. So, are you really not living with the Dursleys anymore?" Hermione asked.
"Nope. No more Dudley or Aunt Petunia or Uncle Vernon to order me around," he said, grinning. He pulled Hermione close, and kissed her.
They kissed for a long time, and Hermione finally broke away from Harry's kiss. "Can I see your house? Now? I mean, we could both travel there by Floo Powder, and then come right back," Hermione said.
"No, not right now. It's a mess, I've still not moved everything in. So, it's not much to look at right now," Harry told her, his cheeks reddening slightly.
"Oh, OK. I understand. But as soon as I tell my parents about it, I want a visit some time, all right, Harry?" Hermione asked.
Harry nodded. "Sure. I'll be marrying you soon anyway. Don't forget that we're engaged." Harry winked.
Hermione liked that thought. She was engaged now. She would soon marry Harry and be able to spend the rest of her life with him. "Yes, lovely being engaged to you, though," Hermione said. "I wonder what's happened to Ron and Abbey."
"They'll probably see eachother a few more months and then decide to get engaged," Harry predicted. "But, I've got to get back to the house now. Got a lot of cleaning up to do."
"All right. I miss you already," Hermione said.
"I'll miss you too. But we're going to be seeing eachother again soon, you can count on that." Harry smiled.
They gave eachother a goodbye kiss, and Harry, coughing and sputtering, traveled back to his own chimney with the Floo Powder.
~
Harry arrived at his own house again. He looked around at all his stuff, some of it was still in boxes because he hadn't gotten around to setting everything up yet. He'd bought his own furniture, TV, bed, table, and all sorts of other things. Of course, he'd had to have a muggle job to pay for all this, because they didn't sell furniture or television sets in wizard shops.
Harry had even managed to get his horrible aunt and uncle to give him some money. He figured they only did that though, so he'd get out of their house for good.
He yawned and lay down on his couch and turned on his TV. He was feeling sleepy, not much in the mood for TV, but he turned it on anyway, just for some noise. He then fell asleep for the rest of the night.
~
The next morning, he began moving things around the way he wanted them to be. He got more stuff out of boxes and arranged it so it would make the house look decent. He sighed. He really missed Hermione. Maybe just one visit to her now wouldn't hurt, he thought to himself. He sat on his couch and debated whether to go or not.
"Ahh, what the heck," he said aloud, and then he did his stuff with the Floo Powder and went back to Hermione's house.
Hermione wasn't in her living room this time. He decided to go looking around the house. She wasn't downstairs in any of those rooms, so he decided to try upstairs. He went to her room first and opened the door. Hermione was still asleep in bed. He then argued with himself over whether to wake her or not…then he tiptoed over to her bed and shook her gently.
Her eyes opened. "Well, you were right about us seeing eachother soon," she commented, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. "But I do wish you wouldn't have chosen the morning, this isn't exactly the time that I look my best."
Her curly hair was a bit untidy and she quickly got up and brushed it so it wouldn't stick out all over the place. "Oh, sorry, I just really missed you," Harry replied.
"It's OK Harry. I don't mind all that bad," Hermione said. She stayed on her bed. Harry sat down beside of her.
"So, your parents aren't home yet, are they?" Harry asked.
"They'll be home tomorrow. Then I can tell them," Hermione replied.
"Good. Do you think they'll mind that you're marrying me?" Harry asked.
"Of course not! I told you last night that I've already told them so much about you. They say that you seem like a very nice guy. And as long as you make me happy, then it's good," Hermione said.
Harry nodded. "If they're sure, then."
"Well, I suppose you can spend the day with me if you want to," Hermione said.
"Really? All right!" Harry said. "Want to go to Diagon Alley after you've had some breakfast?" he asked.
"Sure," Hermione replied. "Why don't you go outside a moment while I get dressed, OK?" Hermione asked.
"Aw, I wanted to stay in and watch," Harry replied.
"Don't get naughty on me now. And this isn't a strip club, now get out!" Hermione shooed Harry away and started giggling, then she got dressed.
Harry cooked Hermione breakfast. "Harry, I didn't know that you knew how to cook!" Hermione exclaimed.
"Well of course I knew how to cook. The Dursleys made me be their 'cook' loads of times," Harry explained.
They both ate breakfast and then apparated out to Diagon Alley. Harry had missed traveling to all the different shops in the last 5 months. Hermione went to look in the pet shop where they had cats, toads, owls, and other things that young wizards could take to school. Hermione had already graduated from Hogwarts, but she'd wanted either a new cat or an owl because her old cat, Crookshanks had been run over by a car.
Hermione looked around at the different color owls. "Oh, these owls are beautiful," she said.
"Would you like to have one?" Harry asked.
"Oh no, Harry…I can't let you buy me one," Hermione said.
"Of course you can. Which one do you want?" Harry asked.
"Hmm, well, I like that brown one over there," Hermione replied. "But really, I don't want to make you buy me one or anything."
"I don't mind, Hermione. So, you want the brown owl?" Harry asked.
Hermione nodded. Harry went over and paid for the owl, and Hermione carried the owl over to a nearby ice cream parlor and Harry treated her to ice cream as well. They went and browsed around shops until it got dark, and they apparated back to Hermione's house.
"I had a good time with you today, Harry," Hermione said.
"I had fun too. Remember to ask your parents tomorrow about moving in with me and stuff," Harry reminded her.
"How could I forget? Don't worry, I'll remember to tell them. And you can come back here by Floo Powder tomorrow too, if you want. Just in case you want to talk to my parents or something like that," Hermione said.
"OK. I might come back tomorrow. See you soon!" Harry said. Then with that, he traveled back to his house with his Floo Powder once again.
Hermione sat on her couch at home, asleep. Her parents were away at the beach for their anniversary, and it was just herself at their house. Suddenly, she was awakened by coughing and sputtering.
It was Harry. He'd traveled by Floo Powder into her house. He was covered in soot.
"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed.
"Hello," Harry said in between coughs. (Harry Potter had just had a birthday recently, so he was 18)
Hermione quickly went up to him and helped him brush off all the soot. "I missed you so much," she said.
"Yeah, I'd figured that you'd be missing me a lot by now. So I decided to drop by," Harry replied. He reached inside his pocket and pulled out a small box. He opened it and revealed a beautiful emerald ring. He took the ring out of the box, and slid it on Hermione's ring finger. "I'd like you to marry me," he said.
Hermione smiled and examined the ring. "It's beautiful," she observed.
"I have my own house now. You have mentioned me to your parents, right? I mean, just so they don't think you're marrying a complete stranger," Harry added.
"Of course! I've told them loads of things about you…pleasant things of course, and I don't think they'd mind. But they're at the beach for anniversary right now, so I'll have to wait till they get back to tell them. So, are you really not living with the Dursleys anymore?" Hermione asked.
"Nope. No more Dudley or Aunt Petunia or Uncle Vernon to order me around," he said, grinning. He pulled Hermione close, and kissed her.
They kissed for a long time, and Hermione finally broke away from Harry's kiss. "Can I see your house? Now? I mean, we could both travel there by Floo Powder, and then come right back," Hermione said.
"No, not right now. It's a mess, I've still not moved everything in. So, it's not much to look at right now," Harry told her, his cheeks reddening slightly.
"Oh, OK. I understand. But as soon as I tell my parents about it, I want a visit some time, all right, Harry?" Hermione asked.
Harry nodded. "Sure. I'll be marrying you soon anyway. Don't forget that we're engaged." Harry winked.
Hermione liked that thought. She was engaged now. She would soon marry Harry and be able to spend the rest of her life with him. "Yes, lovely being engaged to you, though," Hermione said. "I wonder what's happened to Ron and Abbey."
"They'll probably see eachother a few more months and then decide to get engaged," Harry predicted. "But, I've got to get back to the house now. Got a lot of cleaning up to do."
"All right. I miss you already," Hermione said.
"I'll miss you too. But we're going to be seeing eachother again soon, you can count on that." Harry smiled.
They gave eachother a goodbye kiss, and Harry, coughing and sputtering, traveled back to his own chimney with the Floo Powder.
~
Harry arrived at his own house again. He looked around at all his stuff, some of it was still in boxes because he hadn't gotten around to setting everything up yet. He'd bought his own furniture, TV, bed, table, and all sorts of other things. Of course, he'd had to have a muggle job to pay for all this, because they didn't sell furniture or television sets in wizard shops.
Harry had even managed to get his horrible aunt and uncle to give him some money. He figured they only did that though, so he'd get out of their house for good.
He yawned and lay down on his couch and turned on his TV. He was feeling sleepy, not much in the mood for TV, but he turned it on anyway, just for some noise. He then fell asleep for the rest of the night.
~
The next morning, he began moving things around the way he wanted them to be. He got more stuff out of boxes and arranged it so it would make the house look decent. He sighed. He really missed Hermione. Maybe just one visit to her now wouldn't hurt, he thought to himself. He sat on his couch and debated whether to go or not.
"Ahh, what the heck," he said aloud, and then he did his stuff with the Floo Powder and went back to Hermione's house.
Hermione wasn't in her living room this time. He decided to go looking around the house. She wasn't downstairs in any of those rooms, so he decided to try upstairs. He went to her room first and opened the door. Hermione was still asleep in bed. He then argued with himself over whether to wake her or not…then he tiptoed over to her bed and shook her gently.
Her eyes opened. "Well, you were right about us seeing eachother soon," she commented, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. "But I do wish you wouldn't have chosen the morning, this isn't exactly the time that I look my best."
Her curly hair was a bit untidy and she quickly got up and brushed it so it wouldn't stick out all over the place. "Oh, sorry, I just really missed you," Harry replied.
"It's OK Harry. I don't mind all that bad," Hermione said. She stayed on her bed. Harry sat down beside of her.
"So, your parents aren't home yet, are they?" Harry asked.
"They'll be home tomorrow. Then I can tell them," Hermione replied.
"Good. Do you think they'll mind that you're marrying me?" Harry asked.
"Of course not! I told you last night that I've already told them so much about you. They say that you seem like a very nice guy. And as long as you make me happy, then it's good," Hermione said.
Harry nodded. "If they're sure, then."
"Well, I suppose you can spend the day with me if you want to," Hermione said.
"Really? All right!" Harry said. "Want to go to Diagon Alley after you've had some breakfast?" he asked.
"Sure," Hermione replied. "Why don't you go outside a moment while I get dressed, OK?" Hermione asked.
"Aw, I wanted to stay in and watch," Harry replied.
"Don't get naughty on me now. And this isn't a strip club, now get out!" Hermione shooed Harry away and started giggling, then she got dressed.
Harry cooked Hermione breakfast. "Harry, I didn't know that you knew how to cook!" Hermione exclaimed.
"Well of course I knew how to cook. The Dursleys made me be their 'cook' loads of times," Harry explained.
They both ate breakfast and then apparated out to Diagon Alley. Harry had missed traveling to all the different shops in the last 5 months. Hermione went to look in the pet shop where they had cats, toads, owls, and other things that young wizards could take to school. Hermione had already graduated from Hogwarts, but she'd wanted either a new cat or an owl because her old cat, Crookshanks had been run over by a car.
Hermione looked around at the different color owls. "Oh, these owls are beautiful," she said.
"Would you like to have one?" Harry asked.
"Oh no, Harry…I can't let you buy me one," Hermione said.
"Of course you can. Which one do you want?" Harry asked.
"Hmm, well, I like that brown one over there," Hermione replied. "But really, I don't want to make you buy me one or anything."
"I don't mind, Hermione. So, you want the brown owl?" Harry asked.
Hermione nodded. Harry went over and paid for the owl, and Hermione carried the owl over to a nearby ice cream parlor and Harry treated her to ice cream as well. They went and browsed around shops until it got dark, and they apparated back to Hermione's house.
"I had a good time with you today, Harry," Hermione said.
"I had fun too. Remember to ask your parents tomorrow about moving in with me and stuff," Harry reminded her.
"How could I forget? Don't worry, I'll remember to tell them. And you can come back here by Floo Powder tomorrow too, if you want. Just in case you want to talk to my parents or something like that," Hermione said.
"OK. I might come back tomorrow. See you soon!" Harry said. Then with that, he traveled back to his house with his Floo Powder once again.
