I do not own Harry Potter, the Wizarding World, or any canon characters.
Extended Family
Chapter 44 – AU: A Book Wyrm's Hoard, Part 3
Starts on September 19th of Harry's sixth year.
"Hi there!" Hermione wrapped Harry in her arms and kissed him sweetly on the lips. She then rolled her eyes at an audibly gagging Ron. "You sound remarkably like Crookshanks when he's coughing up a hairball Ron. Do you need to see Madame Pomfrey?"
"Nah, if I was suffering, I'd just ask Harry. If you two weren't busy snogging that is," Ron said back. "Then again, he just might let me kick it if you two were snogging."
"We weren't snogging," Harry protested. "And I wouldn't let you die, I don't think."
"Thanks mate," Ron said flatly.
"You're just jealous you don't live in the same area as Hannah," Hermione sniffed.
Ron blushed deeply. "That's an outrageous accusation."
"And that's a big word for you," Harry grinned.
"Ugh, that's the worst part about you two getting together, gang up on me all the time," Ron complained, shaking his head. "It's not fair."
"The other day you two were giving me the business about my fall during practice," Harry said. "You even made dramatic reenactments."
"It was very funny," Hermione said apologetically. "And I did make up for it later."
Ron smiled. "Oh yeah, forgot about that. That really was funny." The three friends chatted some more before Ron left, walking faster when Hermione told him to say hi to Hannah for her.
"Hey, walk with me," Harry said.
Hermione followed willingly, threading her fingers through his. "A bit early for us to patrol," she remarked.
"Well I wanted to give this to you first," he said after leading her to an unused classroom. With a flourish he gave her a wrapped box. "Happy Birthday!"
Her smile was wide and bright. "Aw thank you!" She undid the wrapping eagerly, looking at the polished silver box. "Oh my, this looks really expensive."
"It wasn't bad and I wanted to get you something I think you wanted."
She opened the box and nearly dropped it, shocked by the contents. A gleaming silver watch sat on crimson velvet. The metal shone and when she picked it up, it tingled in her hands. The clock hands clicked softly as they moved, a shiny black against the marble white watch face. A length of fine chain also sat in the box alongside a leather strap. On the back of the watch, an open book with dragon wings was etched into the metal.
"I know you find some wizarding traditions silly but I know you always wanted a watch like that on your seventeenth birthday," Harry said as she stared at the watch. "It's not very big but I thought you would like it. You can use it as a pocket watch with the chain or attach it to the strap for a wristwatch." He rubbed his neck at her continued silent gaping. "D-do you like it? I didn't misstep, did I? I know it's usually from family but since it'll be a while before you see your parents again, I thought you'd like it."
"I love it," she whispered, cradling it to her chest. "Thank you so much Harry."
His smile exuded relief. "Thank good-"
Her lips crushed against his, a hasty, needy, sincere gesture. Not letting go of the watch or case, she grabbed the front of his robes and pulled him to her, her lips never leaving his. She tasted of cinnamon and honey to him, smelling slightly of mint and parchment. After a moment's surprise, his hands went around her waist and she melted into him as he melted against her mouth. When she reluctantly broke away, he blinked as if drunk. "Wow," he said after a moment.
She cleared her throat, blushing. "Sorry, don't know what came over me," she lied.
"Don't be," he breathed. "Let it come over you whenever you want."
Her smile turned sultry. "Oh? In that case." She kissed him again, pushing against him. He leaned back, lying onto a desk and she climbed on top, her lips attached to his. For a while they were lost to the world, finding only each other. They missed the sound of the door opening.
"Okay, break it-OH DEAR MERLIN!"
They broke apart, Hermione twisting to look at the open door with shock and displeasure, Harry's head coming up slightly to stare at the door with horror.
Daphne and Padma stood at the open door, their jaws dropped and their eyes open wide. The four of them stared at one another for long excruciating moments.
"It's…not what it looks like?" Harry finally said, anything to break the suffocating silence.
"It looks like Hermione was eating your neck," Padma said weakly.
Harry touched a rather tender spot on his neck. "Oh. Maybe it is what it looks like then."
"Do you mind?" Hermione sniffed, trying to preserve the shreds of her dignity. "It's nowhere near patrolling time."
"There are rules about propriety and public displays of affection!" Daphne squeaked with a bright red face.
"We aren't in public and I'm well aware of the rules!" Hermione fumed.
"We were just discussing something," Harry offered, "discussing it very…uh…."
"Intimately?" Padma suggested.
"Literally intimately. You two live in the same tower for mercy's sake!" Daphne crossed her arms and looked slightly over Hermione's head. "Why are you in a classroom doing…this?"
"It's Hermione's birthday and I gave her a gift and she wanted to thank me?" Harry said in what he hoped was a level and normal tone.
"Oh, now I feel even more bad interrupting," Padma said, starting to giggle at the absurdity of the situation.
"Well since it is not curfew and it is Hermione's birthday, I suppose I can overlook this for once," Daphne sniffed. "You owe me!"
"Let's give them some privacy," Padma said and pulled Daphne away, catching the look of growing wrath on Hermione's face. "See you later!" She pushed the other girl down the hall and their giggling could be heard as it slowly faded.
"I'll owe her my foot up her arse!" Hermione hissed.
"Well it could've been worse," Harry said, finally smiling and snickering at what happened.
"How so?"
"It could have been Alicia, imagine her never letting us live it down. Or Tonks."
"That's true." Hermione sighed and pressed her head into Harry's chest. "Well, they aren't here anymore so…"
"Hermione!"
-0-
"You deserve some serious brownie points," Jean said as she opened the front door to the Granger home.
"Oh it wasn't that bad," Harry protested.
"Son, it was bad. I applaud you for staying as calm as you did." David hung his coat up after he hung up Jean's. "I nearly lost it myself this time and I'm related to them."
It was the winter holidays and Harry had gone to a family gathering with the Grangers. Every year, the Grangers met with their sides of the family and Harry had asked to come along when he learned how bad of a time Hermione usually had at them.
Jean and David, not to mention Hermione of course, had agreed and they just came back home from the party at David's relatives.
"I had a delightful time," Hermione said with a sharp smile.
"Of course you did, dear," Jean chuckled. "Harry was a perfect gentleman, easily and politely told all those cousins to shove it, and you came out on top well above the rest of them. I almost cried laughing when that girl your cousin Jamie brought was making eyes at Harry."
"Proud of my girl for keeping her cool," David said, kissing Hermione on the forehead. "Relatively speaking of course."
"I told Rachel I was going to make her eat her words one day," Hermione said, eyes narrowing. "Oh and it was so sweet this year." She and her father started talking about the long-maligned history between their family and Rachel's.
"We should let them get it out of their system," Jean smiled, pulling on Harry's arm. "David and his brother Phillip never were the closest and it is something their children have continued. Rachel has always been cruel to Hermione."
Harry frowned at that. "Good thing I didn't know about that before the party. Well, I don't know about brownie points but maybe some brownies will be good."
"That sounds lovely!" Jean and Harry went into the kitchen and she watched as he starting making brownies. "Thank you again, Harry."
"For going with you to the party? I won't say it was a pleasure per se," they chuckled at that, "but I'm glad I went with you. Anything to stick it back at the others for a bit and I like spending time with all of you."
"Well for that yes, but also for all you do for Hermione. She's so happy and you're to thank for it. Now I know you'll say it's not just you and all that," she smiled at his protest, "but you really do so much and she is so plain happy now. It does my heart wonders to see it. I was so worried about her in the past. I wanted her to have friends and do all sorts of things and it was hard for her. For her to be accepted and have friends and to be with you, it really puts my heart at rest."
Harry smiled as he watched the brownies bake. "She does a lot for me too. She's always been there for me, supports me." He grew silent for a moment. "Did she ever tell you about my past?"
Jean nodded sadly. "Not everything, but enough to know the gist."
"Not even she knows everything," Harry said softly. "Not even the team knows everything. I can't…some things I can't bear repeating. When I was younger, people gave up on me. I remember asking for help sometimes and help never came. Either people didn't believe me or it got too hard and they stopped trying.
"Hermione never stops trying for me. I don't really understand it, but she never gives up on me. She's done things for me that others wouldn't. She tried to learn how to play Quidditch for me. I would never force her to. I never want her to change for me. But she wanted to try for me and that's something I never had before." He released a deep breath. "I adore her for it and nothing is too hard to do for her."
Jean's heart melted at his words and she hugged him firmly. "You're a wonderful young man and I can think of no one better for Hermione."
A tiny sniffle made them turn and Hermione stood at the entryway into the kitchen, her eyes shining like stars. David stood behind her, a warm smile on his lips.
"I suppose I should let you go before she does something to me," Jean teased. She snickered at Hermione's look and pushed Harry gently into her, her smile warm as Hermione crushed the air from his lungs.
"I wish I could hate him," David whispered into her ear as he rested an arm around her shoulders.
She slapped him on the stomach gently. "No you don't."
"No I don't," he agreed. "After what he did for us today, for Hermione. After what he has done for our family all these years, he's more than shown his character. And I can't think of anyone better for our Hermione either."
-0-
Harry ran out of the small kitchen space when he heard her shout. He ran to the open door. "Hermione?! What's wrong?!"
Hermione pointed into the empty room. "My things aren't here!"
Harry looked around. "Where could they be? I've never heard the House Elves misplacing things at the start of a year before. Inky? Fanny?"
Two cracks heralded the arrival of two House Elves. "Hello Nest Hair!" they chorused when they saw him. "Hello Miss Miney," they said to Hermione.
"Do you two know what happened to Hermione's things?" Harry asked.
"They are where she be staying of course," Inky said.
"But they aren't here!" Hermione pointed into the empty room once more.
Fanny snorted, a surprisingly deep sound for a small House Elf. She walked over to Harry's door and opened it, revealing his trunk sitting beside Hermione's. "See? There Miss Miney's things, where she will be staying."
Harry and Hermione looked at each other, blushing furiously. "Uh…how…what-" Hermione stammered.
"House Elves can feel magic on people," Harry said, looking up and rubbing his neck. "You…you didn't tell Professor McGonagall, did you?"
Inky and Fanny gave him a look. "Is none of her business," Fanny said.
"Thank you," he said with immense relief. "I'll bake you biscuits soon."
The two House Elves cheered and disapparated with small pops, waving goodbye. Hermione hid her face in her hands. "I truly didn't expect that."
"We did get used to sleeping in the same bed over the summer," Harry said weakly. "We could sleep in separate rooms while we're at school."
"No need for that," Hermione said. "Why do you think I worked so hard to be Head Girl with you and agree to have the shared dorm?"
"Hermione Granger!" Harry gasped, holding a hand to his mouth. "Do you mean to tell me that you became Head Girl for such base reasons?"
"Yes," she said plainly. "And the badge of course."
"Of course." He smiled and wrapped his arms around her. "I will admit I do really like sleeping beside you."
She kissed him. "Me too."
-0-
"Whose things are in your room Hermione?" Lyla asked.
"Uh, what?"
"Those are mine," Luna said without shame. "It is a bit of a trip back to Ravenclaw tower after all so I have a few things here."
"You do?" Hermione asked.
"I asked Harry."
"She did," Harry confirmed. "Granted I didn't ask what things but it's nothing dangerous is it?"
"No, just clothing mostly."
"Have you been sleeping in Hermione's room?" Mirabelle asked with raised eyebrows.
"She isn't and like I said, it's a long trip back to Ravenclaw. Besides, it's very comfortable."
All eyes turned on Hermione and Harry and they turned bright red.
"So not fair," Tracy complained. "If you were Head Girl, I could be sleeping here with you," she said to an incensed Daphne.
"I still cannot believe you beat me," Daphne said bitterly.
"How have you not noticed Luna sleeping here?" Lyla asked, her face red from suppressed laughter.
"Too much snogging," Ron smirked.
"No, they are rather reserved about that," Luna disagreed.
"I'm about to kick all of you out," Hermione said, unwillingly laughing when they did.
"As long as we don't get in trouble, I don't see a problem," Harry said. "And we shouldn't. We aren't disrupting anything; our grades are just fine as are Luna's and there's technically no rule to say she can't sleep here occasionally. There're more rules about sleeping in an opposite person's room in the same House, especially different gender, but there aren't really any involving the Head Dorm."
He colored slightly when everyone looked at him. "I read the rules. I have to as Head Boy."
"Percy would be so proud of you and the twins would be so disgusted," Ginny laughed.
"You ruined him," Ron sighed dramatically at Hermione. He ducked when she threw an empty ink bottle at him.
-0-
"I'm home!"
Hermione smiled wide. "Welcome home! I'm in the library!"
Harry walked into their little library they made in their flat. It was the spare bedroom/office but they set up the majority of the bookcases in there save for a favorites one in the living room. Bookcases lined the walls and while the majority had books Hermione collected, there was a shelf dedicated to a small but growing collection of books Harry liked. His cookbooks and his little knickknacks and art things were in the outside one.
"How was practice?" Hermione asked.
"Good. Captain has mellowed out some, believe it or not, but it's going to be a good European League season."
"It's so nice that you'll be on the team with Angelina and Oliver again, especially with Katie back and finished her Sports Healing."
"Yeah! I'm really happy and excited."
"Well I'm about to make it better. I got most of my heavy work done and things set out so I'll be able to come with you on tour." She shrieked with laughter when Harry lifted her up and spun her around.
"Really?!"
"Really! I'll be doing remote paperwork and the like and will have to come home every so often but I'll be able to go with you for most of it and won't miss a game."
He kissed her. "I love you."
"I love you too of course."
"This makes me feel even better. I have something for you." He handed her a flat rectangle package wrapped in paper.
"Ooh! I wonder what it is," she teased.
"It might surprise you," he smiled.
She unwrapped it and smiled at the cover. "Aww, it's called The Book Wyrm. I didn't know someone wrote something like that." She frowned slightly. "Feels odd though. Hollow?" She flipped over the cover and gasped. "What happened to the book?!" She gazed in horror at the large section cut out of the middle.
"That's your takeaway?" he asked with a wry smile. "If it makes you feel better, it was made this way and wasn't desecrated."
"Ha ha oh." She looked at the center of the cut-out, her eyes widening. A velvet pillow sat within and a ring sat upon it. A large sapphire sat in the middle, surrounded by four small diamonds. The silver band gleamed and tiny scales were etched into the metal. A tiny dragon mouth opened on the right and a tiny dragon tail curled on the left and small wings were flat under the diamonds.
"Is this?" she whispered.
"It is. You've been by my side for what feels like forever, and yet not long enough. I honestly can't imagine a life without you in it and I want you to be an even bigger part of it. You've never given up on me, no matter how hard it was. I will never be able to pay you back for that. But I want you with me so I can try to do it every day, to show you how much you mean to me, to cherish you and give you what you deserve."
His eyes met hers, emerald against agate. "I used to dream about having a family when I was little. I so desperately wanted one. I thought if I had someone who cared about me, who liked me, I would be okay. Even watching…them…be a family was something I was so jealous of. I never thought I'd have that. Now I'm so blessed to have the team, to have you and your parents, Sirius and the Tonkses, our other friends. It's almost selfish of me to want more but I do. I want you."
"Hermione Jean Granger, would you please marry me?"
She pulled him to her, her lips met his. She injected all her love, all her care and warmth, all her affection into the kiss. Years of wondering, of worrying, years of suppressed thoughts and feelings were dissolved in the heat of that kiss. A kiss that promised, a kiss that reassured.
"That was yes by the way," she said when they finally broke apart. Her eyes glistened from tears. "Yes. Yes Harry James Potter, a thousand times yes!"
He slipped the ring around her finger and she sighed as it warmed her hand and her heart. "It's beautiful," she whispered, admiring the way the light made the ring shine.
"You're beautiful."
She smiled and kissed him again and again. "You're a terrible flatterer."
"Hey, I think I'm pretty good at flattering."
She chuckled. "Okay, maybe you are. You know, young Hermione would be livid if she got a dragon themed ring."
"What does this Hermione think?"
"She thinks you are a dreadful romantic and she loves being your book wyrm."
"And I love being your hoard."
-0-
The Chasers all sighed at Hermione's ring, admiring it.
"You're such a romantic Rabbit," Angelina praised Harry, ruffling his hair.
"It's beautiful," Katie sighed happily.
"Welcome to our little family," Alicia said warmly and hugged Hermione. "I'm so proud of you, protégé of mine."
"Are you sure you didn't talk to Charlie about it?" Fred asked. "Because that looks like a Charlie thing to do honestly."
"Nah, it's too inaccurate," George laughed. "Charlie would be up in arms about how not accurate it is."
"Weasleys," Alicia and Angelina muttered under their breaths.
"So we can officially let bygones be bygones yeah?" Oliver asked. He grinned at Hermione's look of confusion. "Or do you still intend on filing a complaint?"
"Oh! No! I mean, yes we can let the past be the past but I will hold you responsible for Harry's well-being for future practices and games," Hermione said with bright red cheeks.
"Hell yeah!" Katie high-fived her enthusiastically while Alicia applauded. "Let's keep our idiots in line."
"Sounds like we need some luck Sir Harry," Oliver chuckled.
Harry hugged Hermione from behind. "I have all my good luck right here."
The team smiled fondly when Hermione buried her face in his neck, happily embarrassed and enjoying every moment of it.
-0-
Eleven years later
Harry woke slowly, at first confused about what brought him to the waking world. His smile grew as his sleepy brain caught up and kissed Hermione back. "Good morning," he said, voice raspy but warm.
"Good morning," she said back and kissed him again. "Happy Birthday!"
"Oh right, thank you!" He pulled her to him and enjoyed her warmth and the way she felt in his arms. "So a dragon and a prince then?"
She snorted. "You make a terrible damsel in distress. More like a damsel that causes distress."
"My days of causing distress are behind me." He looked at the closed door. "Did you lock it?"
"I had to if I wanted some privacy," Hermione huffed, making him laugh. "Those girls of ours have no respect for what I want. Besides, if it was a true emergency the door would open swiftly."
"Your charm work has gotten even better," he said admiringly.
"Your charms have still been perfectly satisfactory," she replied with a smile.
He chuckled. "Well I suppose this is as good a time as any. I have a gift for you."
"It's your birthday, you shouldn't be giving gifts," she protested with a laugh. "But I'll happily accept them any time. So what is it, another book?"
"Not this time. I put in my notice with Portree yesterday. This last season was my last one as a full-time player."
"Oh?" She blinked and looked down at him. "I knew you were planning on that but it feels rushed. What will you be doing?"
"Well I'll occasionally be the Seeker coach and things with the team. They're so close now I can't walk away forever. But I have something else lined up."
"You would think you would talk to me about that," she said with a light frown.
He smiled. "But we have."
She blinked before she gasped. "Really?!"
"I'll be starting at Hogwarts this year," he said and he laughed when she collapsed on him, hugging him hard and kissing his face again and again. "Those poor students will be so confused when there'll be two Professor Potters."
"This is a dream come true!" she squealed.
"You've been making mine come true for a long time," he said softly.
"Okay, your flattery has improved," she laughed. She looked a little concerned. "You want this too, right?"
"Yes, I do. Really. Now we'll get to work together, and we'll see our daughters every day eventually."
She sighed happily, burying her face into his chest. "Why does it feel like my birthday?"
"Because you are hoarding my day into yours." He snickered when she pinched him.
The door thumped, pounded on by indignant small hands.
"Better let them in," Harry grinned.
"I suppose," Hermione sighed and flicked her wand at the door. It unlocked and flew open, pushed aside by a tall girl with dark brown hair that was slightly bushy and a shorter girl with wavy black hair. "Not fair!" Camellia shouted.
Hazel clambered up the bed, snuggling in between Hermione and Harry.
Harry chuckled as Camellia climbed up too. "Good morning girls," he said warmly.
"Tell Mummy to share," Camellia said, glaring at Hermione who glared back.
"You know dragons don't share," he teased as he hugged the two girls, winking at Hermione.
Hermione snorted. "Certainly not. You all belong to me." She smiled when he wriggled over, maneuvering so that she could rest against him while holding onto the other two easily. She melted into his side with a happy sigh and kissed him on the cheek.
"Hmm?" he hummed, looking at her.
"Thank you for always making me feel special," she whispered.
"You always were, but you're especially special to me," he whispered back.
Her heart purred as she held him and her daughters and reveled in the warmth of their love.
-0-0-0-
alixx33 - Hermione and Hedwig shaking leg and hand was my favorite part as well.
Arnie1701 - Bacon is her right.
DOOOOOOM Lord of Waffles - Hope things are getting better for you.
