Chapter 5
A/N Wahoo ff.net is finally up again!
The evening that followed was quiet in the Potter household; the whole family sat in front of the fire just being a family. Benjy cracked them up with dumb….I mean cute jokes and the twins wrestled on the floor with Harry. Around eight Hermione noticed Harry was slowing down. The twins were endless energy.
'Okay!' She said standing and clapping her hands. 'Bedtime for all those under twelve.' A chorus of groans followed but the children good-naturedly headed off to change.
'Rosie USE TOOTHPASTE' she called after them then turned to Harry who was lying on the floor.
'Thanks. Gracias. Merci Becoup. And other ways to express gratitude.'
'Welcome. Languages were the only things I didn't master!'
Harry grinned and for a second she thought she saw the old spark.
'Help?' He asked.
'No I don't need any thanks for asking.'
She stepped over him and went to help the kids but he grabbed her leg. She found herself on top of him. No sooner had this registered did he roll out from under her and started tickling her.
'Stop! Harry Get Off! Harry! Sexual harassment'
'Call out the aurours!'
'Stop! I mean it.'
'Gimme one good reason.'
'Umm… Couch.'
'Ouchies. Hermi that hurted!' he whined. Grinning.
'I know.'
'Don't make me regret what I'm about to do!'
'What?' She giggled.
'This!' He embraced her and kissed her hard. After the shock wore off she relaxed into his lips. She never could figure out how long they kissed but the next thing she knew a chorus of really loud giggling was above them. Hermione looked up to see her three children in slippers and robes staring at them.
'Uh… Hi guys!'
'Mum were you and dad snogging?'
'Watch your language!'
'Sorry.' Dobby bustled in but turned when he saw them.
'Dobby, wait please. What is it?'
'Dobby wanted to know if Master and Mistress wanted the fire out. Dobby will wait.'
'No that's okay.' Harry rolled over and Hermione stood helping him up.
'Kids in bed. Now.' They scampered and Hermione and Harry followed. They tucked the twins in and as Harry was kissing Rosie goodnight she whispered sleepily,
'I like habin' a daddy.' Harry's voice was choked as he replied.
'I like having a daughter princess.' But Rosie was already asleep.
In their bedroom that night Hermione ached for something closer than kissing.
'Harry? Can we…?'
'Can we what babe?'
'Umm Harry could I….I mean could we maybe.'
'Could we fuck you mean?' he said quietly.
'Mmm yeah. Watch your mouth though'
'I don't think I'm ready.' She kissed him on the shoulder,
'Pwease?'
'Hermi.' His voice was strained. 'I would love to but I just don't think I'm ready.' She nodded.
'That's that's okay Harry.' She held back tears as she kissed him. 'It'll pass.' But it wasn't okay. She admitted to herself. Why couldn't he make love to her? She loved him and he loved her. Didn't he?
'You love me right Harry. Even after these years?'
'Hermi I love you more than life itself. I wish with all my heart that I could make love to you.'
'When do you leave?'
'In a week.'
'Once before you leave?'
'Yeah. Okay.' They kissed and Harry rolled over and went to sleep. Hermione however couldn't sleep. She pulled on her robe and went out on the balcony. Tears ran down her face dying to know what happened to her Harry. She stood there looking out at the lake for hours and eventually Harry awoke from a nightmare.
'There you are.' He murmured kissing her behind her hair.
'Nightmare?' She said.
'Yeah. Dammit.'
'You dream of people torturing your family. Me. The kids. You're parents.'
'How'd you know?'
'You talk in your nightmares. That and I just know. I will always know.'
'Oh.' He put his arms around her and she reached up to touch his arms.
'The kids love you. The twins took to you and Benjy has always loved you.'
'It's hard getting to know your own kids. At least Benjy remembers me.'
'Yeah. He was always asking me where you were, he cried at night up until you came back. I always kept you in our prayers. And when Benjy would pray on his own he asked God to save his daddy.'
'I missed him so much. I had to hide it. All affection. I guess that's why it's so hard for me now.'
She nodded. 'I think we need to go to bed now.' They walked hand in hand to the bedroom.
The next day Hermione met Ginny at the Three Broomsticks. The kids were with their Uncle and Grandparents.
'So its been four years since you've… You know.'
'Done the horizontal tango?'
'Hermi!'
'Well it's the truth.'
'So four years that must've sucked?' Hermione bite her lip.
'Mmmm.' She said shrugging. Ginny's eyebrow shot up.
'Whaddya mean?' Hermione chewed on her straw. 'Hermione Marie Granger Potter you tell me what you are not talking about.'
'Well two years ago I was depressed and well it was our anniversary and I was usually sober.'
'Thank the lord.'
'But that night I couldn't take it. I left the kids with a sitter. I went to a bar and got a bit tipsy. You know had a few shots of scotch.' The eyebrow again.
'And some vodka so I guess was drunk.' Again. 'OKAY and several martinis and I was loaded.'
'Martinis?' Ginny burst out laughing causing people to glance in their direction.
'Shut up!' Hermione whispered blushing.
'I thought you were never gonna touch those again and the very sight made you nauseated.'
'I was already drunk and I forgot.'
'Bet it didn't take you long to remember!'
' Shut up. So… I was.'
'Martinilized.' Hermione glared at her.
'And there was a guy. His name was Dirk. No wait Dreak. No Dick, or was it Bill?' Ginny shook her head.
'Hermione from experience when you are drunk you are out of it. His name was probably BobobobobJoe. And if you keep this up I'm going to do a Harry and start banging my head against the wall.'
'Huh? Should that offend me?' she thought about it.
'Forget it. I guess you forgot that part.'
'Oh. Anywho he charmed me. And bought me drinks. And the next thing I know I'm in a hotel room bathroom spewing my guts out buck naked with a hangover the size of Guam.'
'Oi. Hermi. A. Shit that sounds familiar and B. did anything come of it?'
'Yeah. A headache that lasted for a week. And a weeks salary turned over to a seventeen year old gum smacking sitter.'
'Nothing else?'
'Nah. He was never seen again which is good-'
'Because god knows what you said to him.'
'GINNY- You're probably right.'
'I know. So you gonna tell Harry?'
'Do you think I should?'
'Um yeah. Tie and gag him and take his wand first.'
'Okay. I think I'll petrificus totalus.' She smiled and they proceeded to talk of other things.
A/N What's Hermione like when she's drunk? You'll find out. Trust me!
