She emerges from the en-suite, wrapped in a towel, her hair loose down her back, dripping water on the carpet. She stops when she sees me sitting on the bed.
"I thought I told you both to leave" she spits as she walks over to the chest of draws. She slips on some panties, some sweatpants and a thin t shirt and then wandlessly dries her hair, and puts it up in a bun. She turns to Poppy "I'm sorry if I've disappointed you, I know I agreed to come to you if things were getting too much, but this was so out of the blue I didn't see it coming. I guess habits and routines you've had for years are harder to break than I thought" she explains.
Poppy smiles and nods, "it gets too much for all of us at one time or another, but we get through it. Will you allow me to help you?" She asks sincerely.
Instead of answering, Hermione walks over to the glass that Poppy offered her earlier, and downs the contents. "Gah, why can't they make a potion that tastes better?" Poppy breaks out into a smile at this comment, but doesn't say anything, just happy that Hermione has agreed to let her help.
"Hermione?" I venture, quietly. She turns, slowly, towards me. As our eyes meet I see betrayal and pain flash across her gaze.
"I'm sorry for accusing you, for believing that you would do that. I didn't think, I just reacted to the visual stimuli and allowed my anger to block out my better judgement. Please forgive me. I love you. I want to marry you." I utter breathlessly. Not exactly how I'd planned to propose but I need her to know, even at her lowest point I still want and need her. Our eyes are locked in battle, I hope she sees my regret, my love, and my need for her. I still see the betrayal and pain that was there before but there is also a hint of forgiveness creeping in. "I love you Min, truly I do. I want nothing more than for us to be married, however, my head is not in the right place to accept your offer right now. You don't deserve…..this" she says as she gestures around the room, encompassing the flat in general. "You deserve so much better, I release you from any promises you may have made to me over the last year, I release you from any obligation you feel you have towards me. I don't expect you to stay" I've heard enough. I rise from the bed and step forward, well into her personal space and pull her towards me. My right hand I bring up to her face. I place my palm flat on her cheek, my thumb resting just below her lip, my other hand I settle on her hip, I can feel the skin where her shirt has ridden up ever so slightly.
"Hermione, the last year that we've been together has been truly eye opening for me. I never thought I would experience true love after I walked away from Dougal. Yes I married Elphinstone, but that was more out of not wanting to be lonely. But with you" I sigh "you've changed me, my outlook on life, for the better. I'm not walking away, not when you need me the most." I finish and lean down to kiss her. She doesn't react. I go to pull away, when she finally moves. Her hands move up to my back, her lips seek mine. I tentatively let my tongue stroke across her lip, asking for entrance. She pulls me in tighter to her, her hand stroking the back of my neck. This time when my tongue reaches out it is met by its companion. Kissing Hermione is like nothing I've ever experienced. It's all consuming, beautiful, completely spine tingling, every thought, every worry floats away and I can only concentrate on the feelings this woman brings out in me. The kiss ends naturally, we rest our foreheads together and reconnect with each other after our discord.
"Whilst I'm happy to see that you are both back together and happy" Poppy interjects, "I'd quite like to go for a walk and some food, if you wouldn't mind"
Hermione and I smile at each other. Hermione steps away from me slightly, and slips her hand in mine.
"The walk I wouldn't mind, however, I don't feel up to going out to eat right now. I'm sure Trixie wouldn't mind rustling something up for us, if you are agreeable?" She asks.
"Sure, I can work with that" Poppy answers, smiling
On our walk Hermione and Poppy discuss starting her counselling again. Hammering out appointment times and a potion regimen. Hermione's hand hasn't left my grasp. I realise how lucky I am, that she has forgiven me for accusing her of something I know she couldn't ever do. I know this is going to be a long road to recovery, but I'm going to see her through this. I fantasise about ways to make Ronald pay for the upset he has caused. Filling his office with spiders, turning him into a spider for a weekend also sounds good. Castrating his tiny little penis, so he can never do this again. As we see Poppy off, after our lunch Hermione looks over at me.
"Thank you, for coming back, for not leaving me. Would you stay tonight? I really need you to hold me" she confesses quietly.
"I'll be here every night for as long as you'll have me" I reassure.
"Forever then" she says matter of factly and leads me to our bedroom.
That sounds like heaven I think as I close the door behind us.
Forever.
That's the end of this story, for now. I'm working on something else at the moment, so it wont be long until you have something else from me. (I prefer to have them almost finished before I post) i may revisit this but for now this is complete. I hope you enjoyed :)