Ch.2
The magical ship Hermione had boarded slid into New York harbor a few hours later. Stepping onto the pier, she stood on tiptoe and searched the swarm of people for one in particular. She soon saw his sandy blonde hair and smiling, freckled face bobbing towards her. She felt a grin spread across her face. He rushed toward her, wrapped his arms around her, and swung her round three times.
"Lionel," she whispered into his neck. He lightly set her down and gazed at her. "Well?" she asked excitedly.
"Well what?" he replied nervously. Had he forgotten something?
"Kiss me, already! I haven't seen you for—"but he quickly silenced her with his lips. It was a big one. "Two years," she finished as they came up for air.
"We better head out. The subway's a madhouse this time of day," Lionel said as he picked up Hermione's bag. "I assume the rest of your luggage is coming?" Hermione didn't hear the question. She was still stuck on the word "subway".
"Subway, sweetie?" she asked uneasily.
"Yeah, I'd have you apparate, but you don't know where it is. Plus you'd have to wait for me, because...you know," he finished, a little embarrassed.
"I know Lionel," she said sweetly with a kiss on the cheek. Lionel was a squib. "But the subway? Can't we take a cab or something?"
"Take a cab that far across town? Are you crazy?!" Lionel laughed. "Unless you're an heiress to some huge company I'm unaware of, we can't afford a cab ride clear across the island. Why? Are you afraid of the subway?" he teased.
"No, no. Of course not. Don't be silly," she assured, an obvious note of apprehensiveness in her voice.
Hermione was just a little claustrophobic. Heading down into the gloomy depths of the New York underground, she held her breath and squeezed Lionel's hand. Once they were seated (it was actually quite amazing they found a seat), Hermione kept her eyes shut and thought of wide open spaces. She had been to NY before, but had never been on the subway, for obvious reasons. Luckily, the trip was short, with no unnecessary stops or break downs. Lionel laughed silently at Hermione the whole trip.
They finally reached their street and gratefully (in Hermione's case) resurfaced. They reached Lionel's apartment in a matter of minutes: A plain, small-but-not-too-small one-bedroom flat in the Village. Hermione's luggage had been delivered already and she began to unpack. She paused when she took out a picture of her and Harry. A smile instinctively creeped across her lips, but was soon flipped over when she came to her senses. She turned it upside down in her suitcase and put it away. Hermione and Lionel went out to dinner that night and did a lot of catching up. Hermione neglected to mention Harry's name all night.
As promised, Hermione wrote home often. Especially Ron. They had a very regular correspondence, and the distance didn't effect their friendship in the least. They still bickered, she still gave advice, and he still didn't take it. Also as promised, Hermione did not write Harry. Both were happy about this (for awhile). They were still furious at each other and refused to back down. Harry felt he was doing his duty protecting Hermione from someone that was obviously not right for her. And if she didn't heed his warning it wasn't his fault. But he still couldn't help but worry if she was happy and safe. Hermione felt Harry was being unnecessarily protective. She knew what was right for her, not Harry. And how could he just kick her out of his apartment like that? Subconsciously, Hermione knew Harry might be right. But she wouldn't let herself think that. Not only would that ruin a possibly very serious relationship, but it would mean having to go back and apologize to Harry, admitting she was wrong. Something she was not willing to do.
Hermione and Lionel lived a relatively uneventful life in the Big Apple. Work-night's in-work-night's out-work-days off-work-romantic dinners-work- work. But one day Hermione got an unexpected and exciting letter from Ron. He was going to visit them! Hermione got everything ready for his stay. She finagled an expanding charm on the apartment, creating a bedroom for him. She got tickets to a Quidditch game, made reservations for dinner, and even set him up for a blind date with one of her girlfriends from work. Everything was ready for his arrival.
The magical ship Hermione had boarded slid into New York harbor a few hours later. Stepping onto the pier, she stood on tiptoe and searched the swarm of people for one in particular. She soon saw his sandy blonde hair and smiling, freckled face bobbing towards her. She felt a grin spread across her face. He rushed toward her, wrapped his arms around her, and swung her round three times.
"Lionel," she whispered into his neck. He lightly set her down and gazed at her. "Well?" she asked excitedly.
"Well what?" he replied nervously. Had he forgotten something?
"Kiss me, already! I haven't seen you for—"but he quickly silenced her with his lips. It was a big one. "Two years," she finished as they came up for air.
"We better head out. The subway's a madhouse this time of day," Lionel said as he picked up Hermione's bag. "I assume the rest of your luggage is coming?" Hermione didn't hear the question. She was still stuck on the word "subway".
"Subway, sweetie?" she asked uneasily.
"Yeah, I'd have you apparate, but you don't know where it is. Plus you'd have to wait for me, because...you know," he finished, a little embarrassed.
"I know Lionel," she said sweetly with a kiss on the cheek. Lionel was a squib. "But the subway? Can't we take a cab or something?"
"Take a cab that far across town? Are you crazy?!" Lionel laughed. "Unless you're an heiress to some huge company I'm unaware of, we can't afford a cab ride clear across the island. Why? Are you afraid of the subway?" he teased.
"No, no. Of course not. Don't be silly," she assured, an obvious note of apprehensiveness in her voice.
Hermione was just a little claustrophobic. Heading down into the gloomy depths of the New York underground, she held her breath and squeezed Lionel's hand. Once they were seated (it was actually quite amazing they found a seat), Hermione kept her eyes shut and thought of wide open spaces. She had been to NY before, but had never been on the subway, for obvious reasons. Luckily, the trip was short, with no unnecessary stops or break downs. Lionel laughed silently at Hermione the whole trip.
They finally reached their street and gratefully (in Hermione's case) resurfaced. They reached Lionel's apartment in a matter of minutes: A plain, small-but-not-too-small one-bedroom flat in the Village. Hermione's luggage had been delivered already and she began to unpack. She paused when she took out a picture of her and Harry. A smile instinctively creeped across her lips, but was soon flipped over when she came to her senses. She turned it upside down in her suitcase and put it away. Hermione and Lionel went out to dinner that night and did a lot of catching up. Hermione neglected to mention Harry's name all night.
As promised, Hermione wrote home often. Especially Ron. They had a very regular correspondence, and the distance didn't effect their friendship in the least. They still bickered, she still gave advice, and he still didn't take it. Also as promised, Hermione did not write Harry. Both were happy about this (for awhile). They were still furious at each other and refused to back down. Harry felt he was doing his duty protecting Hermione from someone that was obviously not right for her. And if she didn't heed his warning it wasn't his fault. But he still couldn't help but worry if she was happy and safe. Hermione felt Harry was being unnecessarily protective. She knew what was right for her, not Harry. And how could he just kick her out of his apartment like that? Subconsciously, Hermione knew Harry might be right. But she wouldn't let herself think that. Not only would that ruin a possibly very serious relationship, but it would mean having to go back and apologize to Harry, admitting she was wrong. Something she was not willing to do.
Hermione and Lionel lived a relatively uneventful life in the Big Apple. Work-night's in-work-night's out-work-days off-work-romantic dinners-work- work. But one day Hermione got an unexpected and exciting letter from Ron. He was going to visit them! Hermione got everything ready for his stay. She finagled an expanding charm on the apartment, creating a bedroom for him. She got tickets to a Quidditch game, made reservations for dinner, and even set him up for a blind date with one of her girlfriends from work. Everything was ready for his arrival.