CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Summary: Hermione suffers a terrible attack and who should find her but one of Wizarding Britain's most eligible bachelors. The relationship that builds between them is one no one saw coming, but no one predicted the danger that would surely follow. Post-War. Rated M for a reason.
Disclaimer: I do not own canon events or characters, they belong to J.K Rowling. I am not making a profit from this fanfic, everything is purely for entertainment purposes.
AN:
I've done it again! Another 9000+ word chapter. I just can't help myself. At the rate I'm going, I might actually get this fic completed a lot sooner than I thought I would. I'm aiming to wrap it up at around 40 chapters, but I honestly don't think I'll be able to, but we'll just have to see.
Page count: 19
Puddlemere United Stadium – Wednesday 3rd February 1999
"What the hell?" Oliver grouched, darting out of the way of the hands that reached for him, one of them actually managing to press against his forehead before he stepped back with a scowl on his face. "Leave mae alone, what's wrong with ye?"
"Us! Us! What's wrong with us!" Pallie's voice rose in disbelief. "What's wrong with you? You're the one that took a sick day. In the time I've known you, you've never once taken a sick day! Coach was beside himself, he almost passed out!"
"Yeah, what the hell man?" Thompson said, reaching out to try and touch his forehead to gauge his temperature, but Oliver swotted his hand away and stepped further back with an annoyed look on his face. "Are you dying?"
"Obviously not," he rolled his eyes. "A'm stood right here, if a were dying the last thing a'd want tae see are yer ugly mugs."
"He's fine," Malloy said amused whilst the others scowled at him for his comment.
"A jus' had an allergic reaction tae a new shampoo a bought, an' am all better now."
They all looked at him as though they didn't believe him but thankfully their attention was drawn away from him and to Hermione as she stepped out of the floo, brushing down her clothing.
"Oh, hi boys," she smiled.
Oliver was amused at the way his teammates looked to each other with raised eyebrows before smiles pulled at their faces, and as a group, they all turned to look at her. Seeing their stares and far too innocent smiles, Hermione took a nervous step back.
"Hello, Hermione," Malloy purred, stepping closer and putting his arm around her shoulders as he pulled her into his side, looking down at her with a grin. "Where were you yesterday?"
"You do know I'm only required to be here three days unless I'm called in, right? And that I can choose which days I wish to work, yes?"
"Of course," he replied. "But it was unusual for you to not be here, especially without telling us the day before that you would be taking the day off, so we're 'not allowed to get injured as you'd be called in and your day would be ruined.'"
"Not that it's any of your business, Benny," she said, he grimaced at the name and the others sniggered. "But I haven't seen my parents since Christmas and they're usually very busy with their jobs. I found out they had taken the day off and I went to see them, we even went out to dinner and since you asked, yes, thank you, we had a wonderful time."
"I'd say, you're glowing," he said and Hermione's cheeks flushed pink and she squirmed, his arm feeling heavy around her shoulders.
She smiled. "I had a little to drink, it tends to do that to me," she replied.
"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself, you work too hard. But I have to say, it's remarkably strange that both you and Wood were off on the same day."
Oliver kept his face passive and Hermione turned to him, a slight frown pulling at her face.
"Oh, since when does Captain-taking-a-day-off-is-a-sin-Wood not come to work? Is the apocalypse approaching? Have the dinosaurs returned? Do pigs now fly?" She asked, them sniggering at her words.
Oliver's mouth twitched in amusement and he titled his head. "Allergic reaction tae a new shampoo," he replied. "Not tae worry, me healer gave mae plenty af TLC," he said innocently.
Hermione wanted to slap him!
"I'm glad to hear that, I wouldn't want to have to give your healer a piece of my mind for not taking proper care of our star player," she said. "Right boys, I made cookies," she spoke as she pulled the tupperware tub from her pocket, officially distracting them and giving her the chance to escape to her office.
~000~000~000~
Muggle London
"She said she would be here?"
"Aye, she did, Ma," Oliver replied for the tenth time in less than half an hour. "She left the stadium befere a did, she said this mornin' tha' she had tae do somethin' an' she would meet us there."
"Sorry, Dear, am jus' nervous," his mother spoke.
"We're all a wee bit on edge," his father said, taking her hand in his and giving it a gentle squeeze as they made their way down the corridor and to the office that was all too familiar to them. "So, Oliver, speaking af Miss. Granger..."
Oliver turned to look at his father suspiciously as he smiled innocently.
"Hoo are things between ye an' her?"
"Why'd ye ask?"
His father just smiled
"Oh look, we're here," his mother said, pulling their attention.
Lifting his hand Oliver knocked on the door three times and barely seconds later they were called to enter, Oliver opening the door and allowing his parents to step into the room before he did and he closed the door behind him. As he turned around a relieved smile crossed his face when he saw Hermione already sat on a chair in front of Dr. Clay's desk and the moment she looked up at him and gave him a smile, he felt some of the tension and worry leaving his body. He wasn't blind to the way his parents were looking between him and Hermione with narrowed, curious gazes and they weren't being subtle about it either, but he honestly didn't care.
If his parents found out about him and Hermione being together it wouldn't be the end of the world because he knew they'd respect his and Hermione's wishes and keep it quiet until they were ready for the rest of the world to know. If anything it might make things easier. Having someone who knew your secret lessened the burden slightly and to add to it, he knew his parents would no longer worry about him being a lonely spinster for the rest of his life. If his mother knew he had a woman in his life who loved him and would take care of him, her worry for him would lessen and it would help to reduce her stress levels, improving her health regardless of her condition.
"Not only did I beat you here, but I took Merlin home, popped on over to the bank and visited with Lee for half an hour before that," she said amused.
"It wisnae mae, it was me ma takin' tae long tae get ready," he said and his mother sent him a narrowed gaze and he smiled at her innocently.
"And she looks lovely, never rush a witch, Oliver," Hermione scolded, standing from her chair to greet his parents and at her comment, his mother was positively beaming in a way she hadn't done in weeks and she sent him a smug look. "It's lovely to see you again, Mrs. Wood," Hermione said, holding her hand out but his mother took her by surprise when she pulled her into a hug.
"An' ye as well, Dear. An' a've told ye befere, please call mae Beth," she responded, pulling back from Hermione with a smile.
Hermione smiled. "You really do look lovely," Hermione complimented.
She wore a white cashmere jumper, black trousers and comfortable shoes along with a minimal amount of makeup that was barely noticeable, and her hair was pulled back from her face and tied into a loose knot at the back of her neck. She looked as though she'd put on some weight, her skin looked less sickly and the bags under her eyes were now gone. Regardless of what the doctor said, she looked healthier.
"Oh, yer far tae kind, ye look beautiful yerself."
Hermione smiled and looked down at herself. She didn't look as beautiful as Oliver's mother, she looked normal. She wore no makeup, her hair was left to hang down her back and it was a little windswept and she wore jeans tucked into ankle boots, a white blouse and a jacket over the top.
She turned her eyes to the man stood beside her, seeing him watching her curiously with his eyes briefly darting between her and Oliver, making her wonder what he knew about their relationship.
To her, it was clear Oliver most looked like his father, though his hair was a darker shade of brown with a few streaks of grey here and there, and his eyes were slightly darker, too. His skin was tanned, his nose similar in shape to Oliver's and despite knowing he was in his early to mid-forties, his face held a small number of wrinkles that belied his age. He wore what looked to be black trousers and a grey sweater vest with a white shirt beneath allowing him to blend in easily enough.
"Mr. Wood, it's a pleasure to finally meet you," Hermione smiled, offering her hand for a shake and he did so, his mouth twitching in amusement as he looked to his son.
"An' ye as well, Miss. Granger. Oliver has showered ye with praises," he replied and Oliver sent him a less than pleased glance. "An' please, fer the woman tha' has not only captured me son's attention but has gone above an' beyond tae help me wife, it's Henry."
Hermione's cheeks flushed pink. "In that case, please call me Hermione, and I only did what anyone else would do if they were capable of offering the resources I have."
"Don' be so sure aboot tha', there's a lot af selfish people in the world," he said, giving her a smile before gently guiding his wife towards a chair and sitting down beside her.
"You feeling okay?" Hermione asked him, stepping closer to him and looking over her shoulder to see if his parents were watching them. They were but they soon turned away before she caught them and when she turned back to him, their eyes moved to watch them once more.
"Better now tha' yer here," he nodded.
She smiled at him before she brought her hand up and poked him in the ribs. "Been showering me with praises, have we?" She teased. Oliver refused to be embarrassed and just chuckled at her, shaking his head slightly.
He held his hand out for her and she looked down at it, her eyes darting over to his parents.
"They've already seen us tagether, especially me ma," he pointed out. "Besides, a think they already suspect somethin's different between us."
"What do mean?" She frowned as she placed her hand in his and he held it gently.
"Ye know, me ma's the one tha' made mae realise me feelings fer ye," he explained and she looked surprised. "When she had her first chemo session an' ye left tae the bathroom, we had a conversation tha' was very confusing fer me. She made comments aboot what she'd observed af our behaviour an' interactions in the little time she'd seen us tagether, even back then she was convinced a was in love with ye. 'Coz af her a started questioning me feelings an' after we kissed at the Christmas Eve Ball, tha's when a realised she was right. A actually think tha' if it weren't fer her, a may have never figured oot what was happening between us. An' when they saw us together after they followed mae home tae the manor when yer stalker had been at yer parents' house, they saw hoo protective a was af ye an' yer privacy an' tha's when a admitted tae them tha' a loved ye. They both know hoo a feel aboot ye an' a think they've noticed tha' somethin's different, they've been watching mae since a picked them up."
"So what you're saying is, I owe having you as a boyfriend to your mother?"
"Probably," he nodded, his eyes darting over her shoulder to see his parents still watching them and when they realised he'd caught them staring, they both quickly turned away and his mouth twitched in amusement. "Like a said, if it weren't fer her poking her nose in our business an' bein' adamant tha' a had feelings fer ye, a may have never figured it oot. She gave mae the nudge a needed tae sit doon an' sought through me thoughts."
"I'm going to have to bake her a cake," she said.
He snorted. "She likes lemon drizzle an' red velvet."
"I'll make her both," she nodded and he shook his head. "So, they're suspicious about what's going on between us?"
"Aye," he nodded, raising an eyebrow when he saw her mouth pull into a smile.
"Well, your mother's seen us holding hands and being close to each other purely out of comfort," she mused.
"Yer point?"
She smiled up at him. "So, if I were to do this..." She reached up on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his cheek, a smile pulling at his mouth when he heard his mother's soft gasp. "Is it what a friend would do, or a lover?" She finished, pulling back to look at him.
"Yer evil," he said amused.
"May as well have a little fun, right? I mean, given what we're here for, it doesn't hurt to tease your parents a little until they discover the truth."
He chuckled. "A suppose," he replied.
Just to add fuel to the fire, he reached up with the hand that wasn't currently holding hers and he brushed her hair back from her face, leaning down to press a kiss to her forehead and hearing his father's noise of surprise and his mother's hiccup. Hermione's shoulders shook as she laughed silently.
"Is tha' somethin' a friend might do, or a lover?"
"And you say I'm evil," she sniggered.
"If ye cannae beat 'em, join 'em," he said.
"They might actually have a heart attack if I kiss you."
"Best ye don' given me ma's health, but a kinda do wanna see their reaction," he replied.
She chuckled before stepping back from him and pulling him over to the final two chairs in the room, putting Oliver on his mother's right and Hermione next to him, whilst his father sat on the other side of his mother.
"Ye alright?" Oliver asked his parents innocently, seeing them watching them with slightly wide eyes, parted mouths and their gazes darting between him, Hermione and their clutched hands.
"Fine," his father said, shaking his head.
At that moment the door opened and Dr. Clay stepped into the room, giving them all a friendly smile as he crossed the room and took a seat behind his desk. Greetings were quickly exchanged before he removed a folder from a drawer in his desk and he flipped it open, his eyes scanning the contents, double checking he knew what he was about to tell them.
"Well then, I see no point in keeping you in suspense, and I'll put it as simply as I can. We have some good news and some bad news," Dr. Clay said.
Hermione felt Oliver's grip on her tighten as he sat ram-rod straight in his chair, and she saw his father do the same.
"The good news is the chemotherapy does seem to be working."
Hermione was both surprised by the news, but not at the same time. She'd known chemotherapy did wonders for some patients, but she hadn't known how it would react to being put into a treatment plan with magical medications, too, and not just that, but when Dr. Clay handed over the folder for her to flick through the scans, she was surprised with how quickly it seemed to have worked.
"An' the bad news?" Oliver's father asked.
"The bad news is that although the chemotherapy has reduced the mass surrounding the lungs, it hasn't done so enough that I'd feel comfortable in allowing you to be put through surgery to have it removed."
Oliver looked over to his mother with a frown, seeing her blank expression and because she wasn't showing her emotions, that worried him.
"But that's perfectly normal," Hermione spoke and Oliver turned to look at her and she gave him a small smile, giving his hand a squeeze. "It just means that if your mother wishes to continue treatment, another schedule will be made and after the sessions are over, we see if it's then possible for surgery. The fact that the chemotherapy is working at all is incredible."
Oliver slowly nodded before turning his eyes back to the doctor.
"Healer Granger is correct," Dr. Clay spoke. "Looking at the results and estimating the reduction in the mass in the time since chemotherapy was started, if it continues at the rate it has been, then I see no reason why won't be able to attempt surgery next time. That is, of course, if you should wish to continue with the chemotherapy treatments," he said, looking to his mother.
She gripped his father's hand and sat a little further forward in her seat.
"Am not giving up jus' yet," she said firmly. "If the chemotherapy has worked, but not enough fer surgery, am happy tae continue with treatments until it is."
Hermione smiled proudly and looked towards the doctor. "What are you thinking for the schedule? Are we going to repeat the same amount of treatments? Have the same length of time for each treatment? Are we having less or more? More frequently or less frequently?"
The doctor nodded. "At the moment I would recommend having the treatments more frequently, but decreasing the number of sessions and increasing the length of each session. If you think you can handle that, of course."
His mother nodded. "Am ready tae beat this."
The doctor smiled at her. "This time your treatments will happen once a week and last two hours for a total of four weeks. After which we'll do some more scans and see what the results say. If they come back as we hope, then we'll book you in for surgery as soon as possible. If not, the decision to continue with the treatment or not is up to you."
"Tha's fine," she nodded.
He turned away from them and started typing at his computer for a few minutes, before looking back to them.
"I've booked your first treatment for nine o'clock on Monday morning, and the following treatments will take place every Tuesday at eleven o'clock. Once treatment is over, I'll contact you with a time to come for your scans and we'll get you back in as soon as possible to discuss the results, okay? Is there anything else you'd like to discuss or ask?"
"A think we've covered ev'rything, thank ye, Dr. Clay," she said, standing from her chair.
After handshakes were shared, they all left out of the office and slowly made their way down the corridor, processing what they'd learned.
"So, who would like some tea and biscuits?" Hermione asked.
"A don' much feel up tae eating, Dear, but thank ye fer the offer," his mother said with a small smile.
Hermione smiled sweetly. "Not even if there's lemon drizzle and red velvet cake on offer?"
His mother stopped still in the corridor, her eyes lighting up and her tense frame relaxing. "Lemon drizzle an' red velvet?"
"Of course, it would be such a pain to have to choose one over the other, so we might as well have both," Hermione replied, turning and walking off down the corridor and heading for the exit.
Both Oliver and his father blinked in surprise when his mother moved quicker than they'd seen in a long time, catching up to Hermione and falling into step beside her.
~000~000~000~
Wood Manor
"Ma," Oliver sighed, dropping his head back onto the couch.
"Well answer me question, Oliver," she huffed, reaching over to put her tea down on the coffee table in the living room.
They'd barely gotten into the manor when Merlin came bounding out of nowhere, barking loudly and rushing to greet him and Hermione. He was a little suspicious of his parents but after having a sniff, he'd soon settled down on the couch beside his mother and she absentmindedly ran her hand through his fur whilst he curled up against her side.
Hermione had excused herself to make the tea and after dropping it off in the living room, she returned to the kitchen to busy herself with some baking. With Oliver being sat closest to the kitchen, every so often he heard Hermione humming to herself and he'd come to realise that it was the same melody she'd been trying to complete for a couple of days now.
"What does it matter? Me relationship with Hermione shouldn't be yer concern. Ye need tae worry aboot yerself, not aboot mae, am fine."
"Yer me son, naw matter hoo big ye get yer always gunna be me baby an' am always gunna worry aboot ye, tha's part af bein' a parent. Somethin' ye won't understand unless ye pull yerself tagether an' tell tha' witch hoo ye feel aboot her."
Oliver groaned and ran a hand over his face, hearing his father's chuckle. "Ma, a promise, ye don' have tae worry aboot mae. Am happy in me life right now, am only twenty-three an' a have plenty af time tae marry an' have kids."
"Aye, but if ye don' hurry it up ye'll be marrying the wrong witch," she replied, her eyes darting to the kitchen when they heard the sound of Hermione dropping a spoon on the floor. "If ye don' pull yerself tagether, tha' witch in there won' be around fer long an' ye'll lose yer chance with her." Oliver rolled his eyes. "Yer father told mae aboot her naw longer bein' in danger, an' apparently she's dating. If ye don' tell her hoo ye feel, befere ye know it she'll be gone from yer life an' marrying another wizard."
Oliver had every intention of making sure that wasn't going to happen and thanks to Bobby, he no longer had to worry about his future, well, not in that way at least. He didn't have to worry about finding the right person to spend his life with, he didn't have to worry if he was marrying the wrong witch because he knew Hermione was to be his wife. This meant he could spend all of his time enjoying his life with Hermione rather than wondering if he'd made the right decisions or if he'd made mistakes.
"Right, if you can be a little patient the cakes should be done in about twenty-five minutes, plus another fifteen to allow for cooling and decoration," Hermione spoke, coming into the living room and wiping her hands dry on a tea towel.
"If it tastes as good as it smells a'll be happy tae wait," his mother smiled at her.
Hermione smiled back. "I understand today was a little jarring so I'll leave you alone for a little while, but if you need me I won't be far," she said. "Come on, Merlin," she called. "Let's go for a walk."
As she turned and headed for the door that led to the foyer, Merlin jumped down off the couch and bounded after her, and he heard Hermione scold Merlin from the staircase which meant he'd nearly knocked her down the stairs.
"Where's she aff tae?" His father asked, looking to the windows to see that it had started raining.
"A have an idea," he replied. Giving the humming she'd been doing he knew she'd gone to the piano room.
For nearly ten minutes his mother continued to ask him questions about Hermione and their relationship and he was very close to giving in, but he wanted to make sure Hermione was comfortable with it first. He made an excuse before leaving the living room and heading down to the piano room. At first, he'd thought that was where she'd gone, but he hadn't heard the piano playing in the time since she'd left, so he wasn't so sure.
But as he pushed opened the door and stepped inside, she was there. The light streamed in through the window and onto the piano, Merlin was curled up beneath the piano and Hermione was sat on the padded bench, her hands resting on the keys but not playing, and a slight frown sat on her face.
"Thought a'd find ye here," he said, startling her as he moved to sit beside her. "Why aren't ye playing?"
"I've hit a rough patch," she sighed, bringing her hands up to run through her hair. "I need inspiration, I just can't seem to get past the first twelve seconds of the piece. Every time I try my mind just goes blank."
"Inspiration, ye say?" He said, his mouth pulling up into a smirk and she turned to look at him with a raised eyebrow.
He leaned forward, pressing his mouth against hers in a chaste kiss before pulling away.
"Any better?"
"Definitely not," she shook her head amused. "But it is the kind of motivation I can get behind."
He chuckled at her before his mouth pressed against hers, a sigh leaving her and her arms coming up to wrap around his neck as he pulled her into him. He was sure to kiss her until she was breathless and was rather pleased with himself when he pulled back.
"Will ye play mae tha' song?"
"Love Dream?"
"Tha's the one," he nodded.
"Don't you want me to play you something else? I do have other pieces in my repertoire, it's not just that one."
He shrugged his shoulders. "Later, but a like tha' one. There's somethin' aboot it... It's jus' calming an' soft."
"Okay, Love Dream it is," she said.
Oliver shifted on the bench until he was sat facing her with his legs placed on either side of the bench and with his arms around Hermione, he pulled her closer until her side touched his chest and he leaned forward, resting his chin on her shoulder as he watched her hands move to the keys and the soft melody started playing.
He sighed and closed his eyes, feeling the music taking over him, peace and serenity seeming to surround him and he titled his head to press a kiss to her neck.
"Thank ye fer comin' with mae taday, ye were a real help," he muttered.
"You don't have to thank me. Whenever you need me I'll always be there for you, I love you, you idiot. I think that shampoo's gone to your brain for you to have forgotten that."
He laughed at her, shaking his head. "A dinnae ferget, it's jus' sometimes it's hard tae believe tha' yer really mine, an' a love ye, too."
They fell silent until Hermione's hands slowed and the music came to a stop and he let out a sigh before Hermione turned her head and gave him a quick kiss, reaching for the quill on top of the piano but she stilled when there was a gasp.
Oliver opened his eyes to see his mother and father stood in the door way and giving their surprised expressions, he knew they'd seen the kiss they'd just shared and the way he was currently holding Hermione against him, too. That had him curious as to how long they'd been stood there and what they'd heard.
"Your parents?" Hermione whispered, keeping her eyes forward.
"Aye, they must've gotten bored af waiting fer mae an' come looking. Ye alright with them knowing?"
"Yes," she nodded. "And at some point I'm going to have to introduce you to my parents, too."
"A was expecting it," he nodded, before lifting his chin from Hermione's shoulder and sitting up straight, but not relinquishing his hold on her. His eyes locked on his parents, him being a little worried that his mother might actually faint. "When a told ye tha' ye dinnae have tae worry aboot mae, a meant it." He spoke, seeing them both blinking slowly. "Hermione's me girlfriend an' she's officially moved in with mae, tae."
His mother opened her mouth but no sound left, amusing him.
"We'd appreciate it if ye dinnae tell anyone. We're wanting tae keep it a secret fer a bit, jus' until we've had chance tae spend time tagether and we've had chance tae tell Hermione's parents an' her friends. As ye can imagine, once the press gets wind af this it's gunna be a nightmare."
His father cleared his throat and shook his head. "Yer tagether?" He asked slowly.
"Aye," Oliver nodded. "Since Saturday night."
His father's mouth twitched in amusement, knowing that Hermione had been out on a date that night. "An' yer living tagether?"
Oliver's parents weren't as old fashioned as most Purebloods were, and because of that he knew they had no issues with cohabitation or sex before marriage, the news he'd just divulged had surprised them, that being the only reason they seemed to be taking their time to process it.
"She was living here anyway," he shrugged. "It was only logical tha' she moved in with mae."
His father blinked once more before a smile pulled at his face and he reached out for his mother's hand, guiding her further into the room and helping to bring her back to reality.
"Ye mean tae tell mae, a've spent half af me afternuin worrying tha' ye'd never pluck up the courage tae tell Hermione hoo ye feel, an' all this time yer've actually been in a relationship?" His mother asked, narrowing her eyes and crossing her arms over her chest.
"Aye, it was Hermione's fault."
Hermione scoffed and elbowed him in the ribs, sending him a glare over her shoulder and he chuckled at her.
"Alright, a was havin' a bit af fun winding yer up," he admitted.
"Would you mind checking on the cakes for me?" Hermione asked. "They should be done now, I'll just finish this and be right up."
Oliver nodded and unwrapped his arms from around her, standing from the bench and heading out the room and heading for the kitchen, noting that his parents hadn't followed him. That meant they'd stayed behind likely to have a talk with Hermione and though he was curious to hear what would be said, he decided it was best not to intrude on their privacy.
Hermione watched as Oliver left the room and then she turned to look at his parents, seeing them watching her curiously.
"A dinnae know ye played," his mother spoke, moving closer until she stood beside the piano and her husband moved with her. "A only heard a bit af what ye were playing, but it was beautiful."
"Thank you," Hermione smiled. "And not many people know that I play. I stopped when I was a child and I've only recently found my love for it again, and it's thanks to Oliver," she answered, moving to pick up her quill and jotting down a few notes on a second piece of parchment so she could later see if she could find a place for them in the piece she was working on. "I don't want you to have to worry," she said, putting down the quill and turning on the bench to better face them. "I love him."
"Anno," his mother replied with a soft smile. "A've always known, the day we met at the hospital a knew from the way ye looked at him."
Hermione's cheeks flushed pink and they both chuckled at her.
"Well, he's very special. There are very few people in the world that I trust and that I feel safe with, but I can honestly say Oliver is the first. For most people, it's hard to understand that I'm not just a war heroine or a successful healer but Oliver is able to see past that. He doesn't judge me for the things I've been forced to do or the things I've been forced to face. He helped me during a very difficult time in my life and if it weren't for him, I'm almost certain that I could've died. The only reason I'm able to sit here talking to you now with my sanity still intact is because he kept me from falling apart. He's honestly the kindest, most patient person I've ever met and you've done a remarkable job in raising him to be the man he is today."
Her eyes watered and she gave a sniffle, a little laugh leaving her. "Thank ye, Dear, we tried our best," she replied.
"And you succeeded. If there were more people in the world like Oliver and like yourselves as it takes someone truly remarkable to do what you've done, then the world would be a better place."
"Oh, now yer've done it," she sniffled, her husband chuckling as he pulled her into him and gave her a hug as she hiccupped, burying her face in his chest.
"I'm afraid to say more," Hermione smiled. "So, I think it's best if you head back to Oliver, he's probably worrying that you're revealing his most embarrassing moments as a child. I'll follow you up in five minutes and put the finishing touches on the cakes, I just have to let Merlin out to use the bathroom first."
~000~000~000~
"Ma, why are ye crying?" Oliver asked, stepping away from the counter and moving closer to her and his father as they entered into the kitchen.
Oliver huffed out a breath when she hurried over to him and pulled him into a tight hug, his father chuckling in amusement when Oliver looked surprised.
"Tha' girl af yers is a charmer," his father said with a smile, and Oliver noticed that he also looked a little teary eyed. He decided he didn't want to know what had been discussed in his absence.
"Where's Hermione?" He asked.
"She said she'll be up in a few minutes, she's jus' letting tha' dog af hers oot fer a bathroom break," he answered.
Oliver nodded and managed to pull himself free of his mother's hold, before heading over to the counter and making a fresh batch of tea, taking it over to the kitchen table where he sat down and his parents sat opposite him, accepting their tea when he finished preparing it to their liking.
"A told Hermione aboot Amour, a even took her there on our first date the other day," he said casually and his mother nearly choked her on her tea and his father sent him a narrowing of the eyes as he patted her on the back. "She's not a galleon digger," he defended.
"We never said she was," his father replied, holding his hands up in surrender. "But was tha' really wise, especially this early in yer relationship?"
"She's not a galleon digger," he repeated firmly. "She was so surprised by the news a thought she was gunna pass oot, she did look a bit queasy even after dinner, but a did take her up the Eiffel Tower an' she hates heights, so tha' could've contributed tae it, tae. She's not interested in me money, she has her own wealth, granted, it's not tae our level, but from what a've been able tae piece tagether it's certainly enough fer her tae live on comfortably an' not have tae work if she doesn't wish tae. As it is, a know she's a silent partner af a business, tae."
"Really, which one?" His father enquired curiously.
"The Crimson Lion, a bar in Diagon Alley," Oliver answered. "She owns half af the business an' Lee Jordan owns the other half."
"Ah, from what a've heard it's become quite popular since it's opening a few months ago," his father mused.
"Whenever a've visited it's always been packed an' there's a queue half-way down the alley jus' tae get in. It's become the team's favourite bar an' they spend most af their time there now," Oliver replied. "Anyway, a wanted tae ask ye a favour, Ma, tha's if yer up tae it af course."
"An' tha' would be?" She asked intriguingly.
"Yer've always had a talent fer real estate," he started and she raised an eyebrow. "Hermione does a lot af charity work fer an orphanage in Diagon Alley." Both his mother and father looked surprised, whether that was because of what he'd just told them or because they hadn't known there was an orphanage in Diagon Alley, he didn't know. "A've been visiting with her once a week an' the kids there are great. The orphanage doesn't get enough funding from the Ministry tae feed, clothe an' house all the kids, so Hermione was workin' on a fundraiser event. Long story short, both mae an' Malloy went tae Coach an' he went tae the bosses. They're gunna fund, host, advertise an' sponsor the entire event at the stadium, an' they're gunna be regular donors tae the orphanage, it's part af the deal they offered Hermione if she took the position as healer fer the team. They need a new house, the one they're in now is barely stable an' a want those kids oot af there as soon as possible."
"An' ye want mae tae find a new residence," his mother stated knowingly.
"Aye, but only if yer feeling up tae it, anno yer've got a lot on with yer new treatment schedule."
"Oliver, a'd be happy tae help, it'll be a good distraction fer mae," she smiled. "What are the requirements?"
"Nothin' fancy an' mainly just the basics. A kitchen large enough tae prepare meals fer the children, a canteen or dining hall, a common room fer the kids tae play in, possibly a garden so they can go ootside. There needs tae be a staff room fer the workers, an office or twa fer the manager an' her deputy, a few bedrooms fer the staff working night shifts an' enough bedrooms fer at least seventy-nine children, having more will be a bonus though as they'll be able tae take in more kids."
His mother blinked in surprise but shook her head and a smile pulled at her mouth.
"Our best bet would be tae find a manor house similar tae this one, preferably not tae run doon so it doesn't require tae much work an' the staff an' children can get settled in as soon as possible. Tha's gunna be a difficult find, but a do love a challenge," she smiled. "What's the age range af the children?"
"Last time a was there, three up tae the age af seventeen. There was a baby, aboot six months old an' he was there as his mother died an' had naw other known family, thankfully the father was found an' the last a heard he's with him now."
"Tha' good tae hear," she said softly. "A'll get looking as soon as a get home. The building itself may have tae have a bit af work done tae accommodate the needs af the children an' staff, but a'll make sure tae find somethin'."
"Thank ye, anno the staff an' kids will be over the moon. An' there's somethin' a want tae tell ye," Oliver said, a little nervously in fact and it pulled the attention of his parents.
"An' tha' is?" His father asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Am gunna marry Hermione."
Neither of his parents looked that surprised, but then again, his mother had been harping on about it being time for him to find a witch and settle down even before Hermione had come into his life, and the moment she'd met Hermione, she hadn't been shy of voicing her opinion on his lack of a relationship with her.
"A hope ye do," his mother replied with a teary smile, making him curious as to what Hermione had said to them to get that reaction out of them. He rarely saw his mother cry, whether it being out of sadness or happiness. "She's a wonderful woman, an' we'd love nothin' more than fer her tae be a part af our family."
"Ye don' get it, am gunna marry her."
"Ye may have not been tagether long, but when ye know, ye know," his father said, taking his mother's hand on top of the table and smiling down at her.
Oliver sighed. "Naw, a am gunna marry her, Bobby said so."
"Excuse mae?" Both his parents spoke, their eyes widening slightly.
"Bobby told mae on Sunday. Since the very first day she came here, he's been answering her calls an' a know he hides in the shadows an' follows her aboot sometimes. A asked him why an' he said it was 'coz she's the future Mistress af the Manor. She's gunna be me wife an' he's known since the very beginning."
"Elf-house magic at its best," his mother spoke softly, her eyes tearing up and she sniffled and Oliver frowned in confusion.
"Ye know the story af hoo we met an' came tagether, but what we never told ye was tha' a knew a was gunna marry yer mother. Kipper's been me elf since a was born an' when a left somethin' at home after returning tae Hogwarts fer me third year, he brought it tae the castle where he met yer mother. He told me the exact same thing tha' Bobby told ye," his father explained and Oliver felt his eyes widen. "Kipper never told anyone but mae, not even me parents 'coz he was me elf an' could only answer tae mae. A knew tha' a had tae be careful with hoo a acted around yer mother, an' a couple af years later a'd managed tae win her heart an' as soon as we left Hogwarts we married. It's why a went against me father's wishes an' broke the marriage contract with the other witch. A knew she wasn't meant tae be the next Lady Wood, it was yer mother."
"He never told mae," his mother spoke, looking over to her husband with teary eyes and a loving smile on her face. "Not until after we were married an' ev'rything suddenly made sense tae mae." His father lifted her hand and placed a kiss to the back of it before she turned her eyes back to him, her smile widening as she looked him over. "It's a well known fact house-elf magic is incredibly powerful, but not in the way most people think it is. House-elves are able tae sense the magical auras af witches an' wizards, an' by doin' this, they're able tae see who is compatible an' who isnae. Those tha' are in a relationship with someone who is not magically compatible either don' last or struggle tae maintain a relationship. Yer magic doesn't have tae be completely compatible, jus' enough tha' yer able tae produce healthy an' strong children. This is why most arranged marriages fail, Squibs are born an' there's a low birth rate af Pureblood children. Rather than acknowledging a house-elf's magic tae find a compatible witch, they ignore it an' refuse tae use the magic af a lesser bein'. From the research tha's been done in the past, one oot af ten couples are truly compatible, much like yer father an' a are, or as it seems, ye an' Hermione."
Oliver sat back in his chair, trying to process what his parents had divulged.
"This in naw way affects or influences yer feelings fer Hermione, or hers fer ye," his father said. "It's purely based on yer magical core an' aura. It has nothin' tae do with genetics or personalities or horoscopes an' divination, it's jus' magic. This happened tae a friend af mine from school. Whilst he did marry the witch most compatible tae him, it took years fer them tae grow used tae each other an' develop feelings fer one another. Ye loving Hermione is entirely ye an' nothin' else."
"Tha's a lot tae take in," Oliver muttered, reaching up tae swipe his hand through his hair.
"All we've ev'r hoped fer is tha' ye would find a witch tha' ye were somewhat magically compatible with an' tha' ye truly cared fer. We never dreamed ye'd find yer most compatible match or tha' ye'd love her the way yer mother an' a love each other."
"An' fer it tae be a witch as kind, intelligent, strong an' talented as Hermione, tha's jus' the icing on the cake," his mother smiled.
"I'm about to do that now," Hermione's voice sounded and they all jumped in surprise as she stepped into the room. "What have I missed? Nothing too scandalous I hope?" She smiled.
His mother turned to her, a smile of her own on her face. "Afraid not, Dear, we were jus' sayin' hoo lucky our Oliver is tae have a woman tha' is both intelligent an' beautiful, inside an' oot."
Hermione flushed pink and ducked her head slightly and Oliver's mouth twitched in amusement.
"That's kind of you to say, but there are far more people out there that are smarter and prettier than I am," Hermione replied, lightly shaking her head. "Give me ten minutes and you can finally have that cake I promised you," she said, stepping over to the other side of the kitchen and busying herself with pulling out the things she needed from the cupboards.
"She doesn't know, an' a want tae keep it tha' way, a don' wanna freak her oot," Oliver muttered, leaning over the table so his parents would be able to hear him.
"We'll keep our mouths shut," his father promised.
"A cannae believe am gunna have Hermione Granger as a daughter-in-law," his mother whispered, happy tears swimming in her eyes. "I've always wanted a daughter."
Oliver sighed; he knew his mother had always wanted another child but it hadn't been possible for them as she'd had a few complications whilst being in labour with him and it resulted in her chances of conceiving again dropping drastically. And much to both of his parents' dismay, as well as his own in fact, he'd never gotten a sibling.
"Ma, if ye start treatin' her like she's already yer daughter-in-law, she'll get suspicious," Oliver muttered, peering over at Hermione to make sure she wasn't listening to them. She wasn't, she was too busy humming to herself as she iced the lemon drizzle cake.
"A'll hold meself back fer as long as a can. An' don' ye dare do anythin' tae mess things up with tha' witch. She's perfect fer ye an' a can already imagine the perfect grandbabies yer gunna give mae, if ye ruin tha' a won't hesitate tae ground ye fer the rest af yer life," his mother warned and Oliver rolled his eyes whilst his father snorted.
"Ma, am twenty-three, ye cannae ground mae like am a teenager," he replied.
"Ye underestimate yer mother," his father chuckled, shaking his head.
~000~000~000~
"I'm exhausted," Hermione sighed, falling onto the mattress with a heavy 'thud' and bouncing up a little before settling back down and he chuckled at her, slipping his hands into his pockets and leaning against the wall beside the bed. "Who knew your mother could talk so much?"
"A did warn ye she was a chatterbox, why did ye think a was tryna get rid af her. Ye were the one tha' invited them tae stay fer dinner," he said amused.
"It was the polite thing to do, they'd just found out you had a girlfriend that lives with you, I knew they'd have questions and would want to get to know me a little better," she replied and he shook his head. "We'll give it a week or two and then we'll introduce you to my parents, but I'll have to tell them about you first so I'll make sure to visit them some time beforehand. I warn you though, my father, he's very protective of me."
"Af course he is," he replied. "A witch like you, he'd want to keep all the wizards away and make sure you only got the best."
"Well, I'll make sure to let him know I already have it and that he has to be nice to you. I'm not above playing the 'Daddy's little girl' card. If I just pout a little and give him the sad eyes, he'll do what I want."
"Yer gunna manipulate yer father intae bein' nice tae mae?" He asked amused.
"Yep, it's that or he'll threaten to pull your teeth out whilst you're awake and without pain relief or a numbing agent."
Oliver paled and she laughed at him. "Manipulate away," he shivered. "So, it's Valentine's Day in a couple af weeks," he started.
"Right?" She prompted and he smiled, so she raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"
"A wisnae joking aboot takin' ye tae see the world. So, where do ye wanna go?"
"What?" She spluttered.
"Where do ye wanna go? Italy? Prague? Belgium? Or even Paris so ye can see the rest af the tourist sites?"
She frowned, pushing herself up until she was sitting on the edge of the bed. "Valentine's falls on a Sunday, and whilst we're off work, a day's not enough time to see all the sites."
He smiled and tilted his head to the side. "A take it naw one's told ye yet?"
"Told me what?" She asked confused.
"It's very rare tha' Coach takes days aff, even when he's sick, so he negotiated in his contract tha' he gets Valentine's aff so he can spend it with his wife. Seeing as it falls on a weekend this year he'll be aff Friday through tae Monday, an' 'coz he won't be at the stadium, the team an' their healer get the weekend aff, tae." She blinked in surprise. "So, hoo would ye like tae spend four days in Paris? Or would ye like tae split it, twa days in Paris an' twa somewhere else. We could even leave on Thursday after training an' head straight over so we have more time there."
"How do you expect to get to all these places?" She asked. "Paris I get, with you being a partial owner of Amour and it being your property, you can legally floo over to Paris. But other countries and cities, unless you have properties there, too, it's illegal to floo. Apparition and flying are obviously out of the equation, and you have to apply for port keys weeks in advance."
"A have an international flooing licence," he shrugged.
"How the hell do you have that?" She questioned in surprise. "They rarely give those out. Even Harry couldn't get one and he's Harry-bloody-saviour-of-the-world-twice-over-Potter."
He laughed at her. "Me job, everyone on the team has one, Coach, tae. We travel away a lot when it comes tae match season an' a lot af the time we have charity an' practice matches with other teams throughout Europe which requires international travel. Me licence means tha' a can take a plus one with mae naw matter where am flooing tae, but while we're on the subject, ye'll have tae apply fer one, tae. After all, we cannae have our healer gettin' left behind, plus one or not. Trust mae, ye'll be approved."
She blinked slowly before shaking her head. "You want to take me to Paris for a four day weekend Valentine's trip."
"Aye," he nodded. "But it doesn't have tae be Paris, it can be anywhere in Europe ye want tae go. We'll even go tae another continent if ye'd rather, maybe Africa or one of the Americas. It's up tae ye."
She brought her hands up to her hair and brushed it back from her face, letting out a huge breath. "This is all very overwhelming," she said quietly.
Oliver's expression softened and he closed the short distance between them, crouching down in front of her and taking her hands in his as he looked up at her.
"Anno it is," he said softly. "But yer gunna have tae get used tae it 'coz a plan on treating ye the way ye deserve, an' tha' means takin' ye tae see the world tha' ye helped tae save from damnation."
"I don't need any of that from you. That's not why I love you."
"Anno," he smiled. "An' tha' jus' makes mae want tae do it all the more. So, ye have a think aboot it an' let mae know where'd ye like tae go so a can make the hotel arrangements."
Slowly, she nodded her head. "Okay, but you're not getting me a gift, this is more than enough. I mean it, Oliver," she said when she saw his innocent smile. "And I have no idea how I'm going to top this."
"It's not a competition, Damsel."
"I know it's not, but anything I give you can hardly compare to what you're giving me," she pouted.
He smiled at her. "Anythin' ye give mae am bound tae love 'coz yer the one tae give it tae mae. Yer've yet tae get mae a gift tha' a havnae liked," he told her. "A mean, those aprons are some af the best things a've ever seen."
Her mouth twitched and he smiled, happy with himself for setting her at ease. Standing up to his full height, he pulled her up from the bed and into him, wrapping his arms around her to keep her to him.
"So, ye wanna shower with mae?" He asked with a grin.
"No, thank you," she said instantly.
"Why not?" He pouted like a child and she snorted at him.
"Why? I'll tell you why, shower time is my time. I don't want someone being in there with me whilst I'm washing my hair and shaving my legs and singing badly to the shower head."
"Now tha's somethin' a'd pay tae see," he grinned.
She rolled her eyes. "You're never going to see that. As I said, shower time is my time, no matter how handsome you are or how much I love you, I'm not letting you anywhere near my shower."
"Tha's fine, we can use me shower, or one af the other seven in the manor. If ye wanna get crazy, we could even use one af the showers in the guest houses tha' are on the land."
"I'm not getting in any shower with you. Baths are meant for relaxing and showers are meant for a quick wash if ye can't be arsed having a bath or you're late for work or an event. You don't need to have another person in there with you and personally, I can't see the appeal of wanting to have sex in either."
He smirked down at her. "What if a can change yer mind?"
"You won't," she said stubbornly, crossing her arms over her chest and giving him a look of challenge.
His mouth twitched. "Challenge accepted, Miss. Granger," he said and she let out a shriek when he swooped down and lifted her into his arms, heading straight for the bathroom. "Don' be surprised if ye wanna pull another sicky after this."
He laughed at her huff of outrage which was soon followed by another shriek when he strode straight into the shower, still fully clothed, and turned on the water.