Wooooow it's been a while! So sorry for the wait everyone. I've been so freakin' busy with school. Please forgive moi! And a big THANK YOU to all who reviewed! Love you!

Disclaimer: Still don't own Harry!

I hope you all like it!

---

Everything Is Just Roses

Chapter 3: "The Call"

Sunlight seeped into Hermione's bedroom like lemonade spilling from a pitcher. She awoke but didn't open her eyes, smiling at the wonderful dream she'd just had.

Harry had come back, single, and fallen asleep next to her in bed. Single…the way she liked him… 'Shut up brain!'

Feeling someone next to her stir, Hermione's eyes shot open. That's when she knew; it wasn't a dream.

The Boy Who Lived was sleeping right by her side, facing her. They hadn't moved from the position they'd fallen asleep in. This was quite a switch for Hermione who was generally a very restless sleeper.

Taking a moment to really look at Harry, she saw that he appeared peaceful for the first time since he had entered her apartment the night before. He was so beautiful. His eyes were softly closed, with his thick, long, ebony eyelashes resting atop his pronounced cheekbones. His skin glistened with an unearthly glow. He looked like an angel—a fallen angel.

Now the question at hand was how to get herself out of bed without waking this sleeping angel. Slowly, Hermione inched herself off the bed, still holding Harry's hand. Then, she carefully pried his gentle grip from her fingers. Just as she turned to leave, he moaned ever so softly. She froze, then looked back. Without waking, Harry reached his hand over to Hermione's side of the bed, took hold of her pillow and hugged it. Hermione smiled when he breathed in its scent. Her scent.

She pulled some clothes and a towel out of her bureau and headed for the bathroom. As she tiptoed, nimble as a cat, she passed by her calendar. She stopped and stared at the day. Today was Saturday so she'd be getting married in exactly two weeks. Butterflies began to flutter in Hermione's stomach. Was she excited? Maybe it was cold feet or…something else. Were they even butterflies?

Brushing those feeling aside, Hermione hurried off to the bathroom.

Hermione really felt like doing something nice for herself so she ran herself a bath and almost emptied her bottle of bubble bath into the water. While she waited for the water to rise, she stripped off her clothes, wrapped herself in a towel, and sat on the floor with the side of her head resting against the wall. The tiles were cold against her legs but she didn't care.

When the bathtub had completely filled, she turned off the faucet, let her towel drop to the floor, and stepped in. The steamy water was heaven to her tense muscles. Hermione immediately relaxed and let out a long exhale.

As she played around with the bubbles, she wondered at how easy it had been for her to fall asleep the previous night. Usually, she tossed and turned in vain and thought about a million things before finally dropping off into her nightly stupor.

Once she'd become a total prune, Hermione reluctantly forced herself to get out. Droplets of water rolled off her skin as she toweled herself dry. After dressing, she left the bathroom and crept softly back to her bedroom just in case Harry was still asleep. But he wasn't. In fact, he wasn't even in the bedroom. Instead of Harry's head laying on the pillow, a single white piece of paper was in its place.

Hermione recognized Harry's small, sloppy scrawl right away. Her eyes ran through the note several times. It read:

Hermione… Thank you so much for what you did. Sorry I couldn't stay, I have to go take care of a few things—visit some people. You know, like Ron. Anyways, thanks again. You're an angel. I don't know what I would have done without you. Harry

For some reason, she couldn't stop reading those last two lines. Surely he just meant it in a friendly way. 'Why am I even wondering about it? I shouldn't care!'

Deciding not to think anymore on the subject for the time being, she shoved the letter in her bag, bundled herself up to brace the freezing weather outside, and headed out the door for work. She was already running late.

After graduation, Hermione had surprised everyone by opening a Muggle-type book/coffee shop in Hogsmeade. Her friends has told her that this was the last thing they expected her to do, though she didn't really think so—after all, she loved being surrounded by books. On top of being surprised, none of her friends were too confident in her, but when it became an instant hit, they'd had to eat their words. Only her parents, Ron, Luna, and Neville had believed in her and the latter two were now working with her.

Two years ago, Hermione had been strolling around in the busiest parts of Hogsmeade trying to figure out some way she could possibly put her plan into action when she noticed a shop she hadn't seen before. It was a cozy little place that sold Self-Knitting Needles and things of that sort. Instantly, Hermione was attracted. Now, Hermione wasn't exactly what one would consider the knitting type. What attracted her was the large white sign in the window that bore the words, "Going out of business. Space for sale."

Upon walking in, Hermione was met with a tiny old lady. She was one of those eccentric types with the eclectic clothing and jewelry. She reminded Hermione of Professor Trelawney but with a much kinder face. Her name was Mrs. Muff and she told Hermione that she was selling the space for two thousand galleons, the same price she'd bought it years ago when she had been Hermione's age. When Hermione had asked when she was going out of business, Mrs. Muff told her that she and her daughter, Sabrina, had run the place, but when her daughter died a few years back, she didn't have the heart to keep up the shop. This really struck Hermione deep. She told Mrs. Muff her idea for the place and asked her if she'd like to work for her. The old lady was delighted. In honor of Mrs. Muff's daughter, Hermione called the shop "Sabrina's."

Sabrina's was already open when Hermione got there. Her three friends were inside setting up for the day. "Thank you to whoever opened up today. Sorry I'm late!" she exclaimed as she hung her coat, scarf, and hat in the back room.

"You're welcome!" came Neville's voice from behind the coffee counter.

Mrs. Muff came tottering in with a mug of a steaming rich brown liquid in her hands. "Here, love. Neville made this hot chocolate for you. It'll warm you inside out in no time!"

"Thanks, Mrs. Muff." Hermione smiled warmly, taking a sip from the mug. It was delicious. "And thank you again, Neville!"

"You're welcome again!"

The rest of the day past quite smoothly until, that evening when she was getting ready to lock up, the phone rang.

Not only did she use owl post at Sabrina's, but she also used a Muggle way of communicating. Usually, whomever contacted her that way had some Muggle blood in them. Unless of course, it was Ron, who'd become rather fond of the "fellytone", now that he knew how to use it properly.

"You guys go on and go, I'll finish locking up," Hermione said, heading for the phone. Her friends bade her goodbye and left.

As she picked up the receiver, a strange feeling in her stomach told her that there was only one voice she wanted to hear on the other line.

"Herms!"

"Ron…"

"You alright there?"

"Yeah, yeah. Fine. Really."

"Anyways, you'll never guess who's come back!"

Hermione's heart fell. Apparently, Harry hadn't said anything about coming to see her first. "Who?"

"Harry! Harry's back!"

She felt slightly dazed. "Wow…"

"You sure you're alright?"

"Yeah… Yes, I'm just…wow. Woo! I'm… in shock." It was the truth. She tried desperately to change her tone. "I'm excited!"

He took the bait. "Isn't it great? I was thinking, let's get together tonight for dinner. What do you say? We'll pick you up. Be ready at eight."

"Umm…" Hermione took a deep breath. She couldn't show her true feelings. Not now. "Sure!"

"Won't it be great? The three of us. Like old times! See you at eight!"

Click! Ron hung up.

'Like old times?' Hermione thought. 'If only.'

---

Wow, can you believe I wrote that all in only two or three days? I should do this more often. I hope everyone enjoyed it and is eager for the next chapter. Please review and tell me what you think of it. Until next time…