Chapter 26

Smiling

For the second morning in a row Harry Potter had woken up next to the woman he loved. Yesterday morning he hadn't been sure she would be pleased to find him next to her; this morning those doubts had gone. All the doubts Harry had had about his and Hermione's relationship had been laid to rest not once, but three times last night, and this morning he awoke with a huge smile on his face. He and Hermione were together. Properly together. He'd made love to her and her to him and for the first time he finally felt complete. A whole person. She'd told him she loved him, didn't want to live without him and needed him as much as he needed her.

He awoke her with a kiss. It was still early but she didn't seem to mind because she smiled right back at him. They kissed for a while; fleeting kisses gave way to deep passionate ones and eventually she called time-

"Harry!" she said laughing.

"What?" he said, his tone matching hers.

"We have to get up." She said, the matter seemingly resolved.

"No we don't" He whined and began to kiss her neck "We can just stay here for the day."

"Mmmnn" she said, enjoying him "No-we can't – what about Jamie's breakfast?"

"Oh yeah" Harry said lifting his head "S'ppse we better get up." And after a few moments- "Hermione?"

"Yeah?"

"What are we going to tell Jamie – about us I mean?"

xxxxx

They – rather Hermione – had decided that it was best not to tell Jamie just yet, just to give them both a chance to get used to their 'new' relationship. That 'not telling' thing was also extended to everyone they knew, just so Jamie couldn't find out, Hermione had assured Harry.

Harry, however, was concerned. His immediate panicked thoughts were that she'd changed her mind about being with him, but she must have sensed his anxiety because she reassured him that she just wanted to take their relationship slowly; something Harry found ridiculous after the previous night, but something Hermione insisted upon so Harry had relented. She had said she just needed a bit of time before everyone found out and Harry decided that overanalysing wasn't going to make the situation any better, so he just accepted that this was the way it was going to be for now.

Hermione had dressed and gone to make Jamie's breakfast, leaving Harry to shower and follow her down. When he got to the table Jamie wasn't there yet, and Hermione looked mad at him.

"'Mione? You ok?" She looked right at him.

"Absolutely fine" she said sarcastically "except for this!" Harry looked to where she was pointing on her neck and saw a very noticeable red mark.

"Oh... sorry." Harry said sheepishly "Here- let me get rid of it."

"What do you mean?" Hermione said a little bewildered. Harry moved his mouth to her neck and kissed her deeply. Hermione felt heat radiate through her and a small moan escaped her mouth. She felt him smile and move his lips away.

"Better?" Harry said as she moved to look in a nearby mirror.

"It's gone" she said, surprised "but – how?"

Harry smiled and kissed her lightly on the cheek- "Magic" he whispered, in his mock voice. He was feeling extremely smug with himself that he'd managed to impress her with a simple piece of magic he'd learnt long ago-

"So Harry- how long have you been able to do that?"

"Oh ages"

"Since school?"

"Definitely" he said, and then- "oh..."

"So-" Hermione began in a sweet voice, "-when we were at school and you gave me one of those lovely marks you're so fond of making, you could have actually removed it and therefore saved me the embarrassment of trying to cover it up?" Harry shrank visably in his chair, mad for betraying himself so obviously.

"-well... erm- you see Hermione-"

"Yes Harry?" she said, in that same, sweet voice.

"Kind of – well I suppose I could've – yeah." Harry said "Sorry" he added as an afterthought. "You mad?"

She half-laughed, it was silly after all "No I guess not."

Harry began to tuck into the breakfast she had prepared, while Hermione simply sipped her coffee.

"So what's the plan for today? Do you wanna call by the Burrow – I said to Jamie we could go sometime this week?"

"Actually we need to stay in." Hermione said.

"Ok but why?"

"I've got a surprise-"

"For me?" Harry said, hopefully.

"No" Hermione said smiling "it's for Jamie. And anyway I thought you had to go into the office today."

Harry crashed back to earth from the cloud he had been sitting on. "Well- I do. But I can go anytime – no rush."

"Won't Kingsley be mad? I mean you have spent a lot of time at home recently."

"He'll get over it. Besides he has a family – he'll understand."

They both looked at each other and smiled.

"So what's this surprise for Jamie?"

"You got a surprise for me Mum?" Squealed Jamie, running into the kitchen, and nearly colliding with the table.

"Yes – but its just that Jamie Potter – a surprise. So no questions." Jamie was beaming at them both so much, they couldn't help but smile at him.

"Ok" Jamie said, sitting and helping himself to toast. "But Mum?"

"Yes Jamie?" Hermione said, knowing what was coming.

"You know my surprise?" said the hopeful little voice.

"Yes Jamie?"

"Can you fly on it?"