A/N: Back to our regular programming, then? LOL. Again, thanks to TyrannicPuppy and Untold Harmony! :)
The following days were crazy with the press and hectic due to the upcoming start of the new school year, but Hermione didn't mind it at all. The press had camped outside of her shop the day after they ambushed her on the street. She simply waved and smiled at them every time before entering the shop. She was glad, though, that they didn't barge in nor did they disrupt her business and bothered her shop's patrons during the day. After a few days, less and less of the press showed up at her shop.
They'll soon realize how boring I am, she thought and silently chuckled. A few customers did approach and ask her if she was dating Harry Potter. Since there was no point in denying it (and because of Harry's statement on The Quibbler), she simply confirmed it and they all had gone on their way. There were the very few Harry Potter fanatics who voiced their objections and did not "approve" of her as she was a nobody and did not match their famous hero. It was hilarious watching Alice throw them out of the shop. Of course, she didn't pay them any mind. They had no say about who Harry should or should not be dating. He told her to simply ignore them as they were under the delusion that he would end up with them, to which he responded, "I wouldn't touch them with a ten-foot branch of the Whomping Willow."
Hermione was shocked to find out what Harry did to "deal" with the photographer that took photos of Ethan at school.. The wizard photographer was under the employ of The Daily Prophet, the publication that had first come out with the article about her relationship with Harry. The day after the incident at Ethan's school, Harry had gone to the Ministry to acquire a temporary restraining order and had his solicitor write up a contract-in other words, an ultimatum-forcing them that should they ever want to publish articles and photos of him again, they would have to leave Hermione and Ethan alone. He would also buy the paper and liquidate it. Just one signature and no more The Daily Prophet. The executives had no choice but to agree to his terms if they wanted to write about the Man-Who-Conquered, which was a sure money maker.
They had decided to finally go out on a date on the wizarding side of London as they had been only going out on the muggle part since his statement was published. They felt it would help the public acclimatize to the idea of them as a couple. Harry told her to dress up just like when they went to Paris and that he would pick her up at six in the evening. She put on a silver column high neck, sleeveless, cocktail dress that ended just an inch or two above her knees. The bodice was made of lace with a wide fabric that wrapped around her waist, while the skirt was charmeuse silk that flowed down her hips and legs. She paired it with her black pumps and a silver shoulder bag. As this was their first outing since going public with their relationship, she wanted to be presentable enough to stand beside Harry without losing who she truly was, so she decided to keep her wild curls free around her shoulders and applied subtle makeup on her face.
There was a knock on her door and Ethan peered into the room. "Hey, little man," Hermione greeted with a smile.
The boy grinned at his mother in return. "You look great, Mum! Anyway, Harry's here. I told him to wait downstairs."
Hermione laughed. "Well, where is he supposed to wait then if not downstairs?"
Ethan shrugged, turned around, and went back down. Hermione shook her head at her son's antics. She took her shoulder bag from the dresser table and followed her son. She could hear the voices of Harry, Ethan and Margarethe as they talked about Harry's upcoming Quidditch season. She loved hearing the most important people in her life get along with Harry. She had a suspicion that Harry was on his way to being one of those important people, too. Hermione decided to shelve that thought at the moment because she didn't want to think about it too much yet.
"Our first game of the season will be against the Wimbourne Wasps next week. My best mate's sister plays Chaser for them so there's going to be more competitiveness during the game," Harry told Ethan and Margarethe. "Maybe you could come and watch us play."
Ethan was about to answer when he saw her standing by the stairs. "Mum! Harry was asking if we could watch their first game! Can we? Can we, please?"
Hermione simply raised her eyebrow and Ethan rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. She tried her best to fight the smile that threatened to grow on her lips. The truth was, she and Harry had already agreed that she, Ethan, and Margarethe would be watching the Quidditch game. It was going to be a surprise to the young boy and she couldn't wait to see his excitement. She looked at Harry and he winked at her, probably also thinking about their surprise. Incidentally, it was Harry's birthday so they planned a little celebration after the game. She took a few steps towards the sitting area and sat on the arm of the chair Harry was sitting on.
"Well, let me think about it first. I'm going to have to check my schedule at work, okay?" she said.
The nine-year-old nodded, torn between hope and disappointment. Hermione and Harry shared a look and a quick smile before the latter stood up. He took her hand and pulled her to stand, as well. He went to the coat hanger by the front door and helped her put on her coat.
"We'll be back a bit late so don't wait up for me, alright?" Hermione told Ethan then turned to Margarethe. "Please don't let him stay up way past his bedtime. You know he will be a nightmare in the morning." Harry and Margarethe laughed as Ethan shouted "Mum!" in embarrassment.
After a few more reminders to the two, Harry and Hermione left and apparated near the restaurant they would be dining at that night. The Golden Spoon was one of the fanciest restaurants in the British Wizarding World. It was owned by a half-blood who travelled the world and had learned to cook under muggle chefs. As much as magic made cooking easier, she said that cooking the muggle way transformed the dish to a whole new level. Hermione heard that reservation to The Golden Spoon required months in advance as there were limited tables within the restaurant itself. She wondered how Harry was able to get a reservation on such short notice but quickly answered her own question with a reminder of who Harry was in their world. She knew Harry didn't like throwing his name around but he once admitted guiltily that he sometimes used his name to get last-minute reservations or some other perks.
They were led to a table almost in the middle of the restaurant. Hermione sat with her back towards the door and Harry sat across her. It had always been like that whenever they go out to eat, even in the muggle world. "I prefer to see who comes in and out. Can't be too careful and it'll be easier to defend us if something happens," he explained when she noticed and mentioned to him about this particular habit. She assumed, after all those years of training and fighting Voldemort and his Death Eaters, his slight paranoia and keeping his guard up all the time was a habit that was difficult to break.
They ordered their meals and a bottle of wine and were just updating each other about their day when a waiter approached their table. "Apologies for the interruption, Mr. Potter. Minister Shacklebolt has requested a moment to speak with you."
Harry looked at her then turned back to the waiter with a frown on his face. "But-" he began.
"It's alright, Harry," Hermione cut him off and took his hand in hers to soothe him. "Really. I'm sure it won't take long. Go and see what the minister wanted."
He looked at her, uncertainty clear on his handsome face. "Are you sure?"
She nodded. "I'll be right here, waiting for you."
Harry sighed, kissed the hand holding his, and stood up. "This had better be good," he murmured before following the waiter towards the minister's table.
Another waiter approached their table and refilled her wine. She thanked the man then brought out her phone to check on Ethan and Margarethe. She paused when someone had approached their table again. She thought it was another waiter so she fixed a smile on her face as she looked up. She couldn't help her surprise when she realized it was a woman and clearly was not part of the restaurant's staff. The woman was petite, with long black straight hair. Her Asian heritage was evident in her dark almond eyes, pale skin, and she had on the skimpiest cocktail dress she had ever seen on a woman.
"May I help you?" Hermione asked after she realized the woman was studying her.
The woman tilted her head slightly, a smirk grew on her dark red lips. "So you're Hermione Granger, Harry Potter's newest fling."
Hermione inwardly cringed at the word fling even though she knew what she and Harry had was more than that.
"I'm sorry, I'm at a disadvantage since you already know who I am. You are?"
Hermione realized she must have hit a nerve when she asked who the woman was when the other woman raised an eyebrow at her question with fury evident on her face. Should she know who this woman was? She didn't particularly care about Harry's past relationships so she didn't bother to know who his exes were and what they looked like.
The dark-haired woman held out her dainty, manicured hand to Hermione. "I'm Cho Chang."
"Ah. The infamous Cho Chang," Hermione said in a sarcastic tone. She looked at the other woman's hand before shaking it briefly. "The woman who not only cheated on Harry, but was caught cheating on him with her teammate by Harry himself. It is such a pleasure to finally meet you." She gave the other woman a smirk. If this woman thought she was going to be intimidated and would back down, she's got another thing coming.
The muscle under Cho Chang's eye twitched at her words, which gave Hermione a feeling of satisfaction.
"Enjoy it while it lasts. Sooner or later, Harry will get bored with someone like you then he will move on to the kind of women he usually goes for," Cho retaliated.
"Someone like me?" Hermione repeated. She felt her temper grow but she tried to tamp it down because she didn't want to rise to the other woman's bait.
"Oh, you know. Harry usually dates women like me. Beautiful, famous, hot-everything you're clearly not." Cho's pretty face was somewhat distorted by the sneer she gave Hermione.
"So you're saying Harry is shallow?"
Hermione saw Harry approaching them. His pace was hurried as he must have realized who was speaking to Hermione. Cho was unaware because her back was turned towards him.
"No, I'm saying that he deserves more than you. You're a plain, boring, nobody. You can't offer him anything so you won't be able to keep him occupied for long. He will tire of you soon enough. He probably even pities you, having a son and all, that's why he's indulging this farce."
Harry was close enough to hear what Cho had said and for the first time in his life, he wanted to slap a woman. Not that he condoned violence against women but what she said was vile, cruel, and disgusting. He couldn't believe he had dated this—this bitch for so long previously. He decided to make his presence known at that moment to stop her from tormenting Hermione any longer.
"Alright there, darling?" He stood beside Hermione's chair and placed his hand around her shoulder in a subtle protective gesture. He looked at Cho with a pleasant expression on his face but deep inside he was seething.
Cho pasted a smile she probably thought was alluring but only served to irk Harry more. "Oh hello, Harry. I was just making the acquaintance of your lovely date. I've read so much about the both of you! And I was so looking forward to see you again. It's been so long since we last saw each other."
"Yeah, since I broke up with you last year for cheating on me."
"Come on, Harry dear. Surely you've forgiven me for all that. It was nothing." Cho rested her hand on Harry's arm which he not-so-subtly brushed away. Harry raised his eyebrow and looked at her in disgust.
"Of course, the humiliation it brought me was nothing." Harry waved his hand loosely as he rolled his eyes. He then fixed her with a hard look that only his enemies had ever had the pleasure of seeing. The look caused Hermione to shiver and she was not entirely sure whether it was due to fear or arousal.
"I would prefer that you do not ruin our night or our appetite any longer. Please be on your way." His tone was hard, with an underlying threat.
Cho looked at him then at Hermione before turning around in a huff and walked away. Harry didn't leave Hermione's side until he was sure that Cho was out of their sight. He released a breath he belatedly realized he was holding and squeezed Hermione's shoulder.
"I'm so sorry, Hermione," he spoke so softly as he leaned down and kissed the top of her head. Hermione watched him as he took the seat across from her again. He sighed and looked quite upset. He was staring at the table as if the answer to the universe was written there. Hermione didn't want some chit to ruin their first date in the Wizarding World so she reached across the table and took Harry's hand in hers.
"Harry," she said, trying to coax him to look at her. It took a bit of pulling on his hand and calling his name before he looked up at her.
"Hey."
Harry shook his head. "I'm really sorry."
"You have nothing to apologize for."
He sighed again. "But the things that woman said to you-."
"Mean nothing," Hermione interrupted. "She doesn't know me so whatever she said about me does not hold any weight at all."
Harry placed his other hand, palm up, on the table and Hermione didn't hesitate to put her other hand in his.
"Besides," she continued, "I'm used to girls like her. I've lived with them for seven years back at Beauxbatons." She shrugged her shoulders and gave Harry a teasing smile, "Honestly, they need to come up with better insults. It's just the same thing over and over. They have probably never held a thesaurus in their whole lives."
Harry chuckled at her statement and visibly relaxed, which was her goal. She gave his hands a squeeze before leaning back in her chair. He smiled gratefully at her and Hermione blushed at the clear adoration in his eyes.
"Thank you." He gave her a gentle smile, it was a smile she noticed he directed only towards her. "I've been wracking my brain as to why I dated Cho for so long and not see how cruel she was. I don't know how that reflects on the kind of person I am or the people I surround myself with."
Hermione shook her head. "You shouldn't think that way, Harry. You are a good person and I am proud to be here with you. I'm sure the rest of your friends aren't as… intense, as Ms. Chang was."
Their food finally arrived and they talked of more pleasant things and their plans on Harry's birthday.
A week later—the encounter with Cho all but forgotten—Hermione, Ethan, and Margarethe arrived at the Wimborne Wasps Quidditch Stadium for their game against Harry's team, Puddlemere United. It was the first game of the official Quidditch season and it coincided with Harry's birthday. Hermione smiled at the obvious delight and excitement her son was feeling as they headed towards their assigned seats in the VIP box assigned for the players' family and friends. She recalled the moment when she and Harry told Ethan that they would be attending the quidditch game.
Harry, Hermione, and Ethan were spending a day at Potter Manor in Wales. Harry arrived at their flat to pick them up and told them they were taking a portkey. It was the first time Harry had brought Hermione to his home and to say that she was surprised when she saw it would be an understatement. His ancestral home, as he had told her, was an elegant manor. The furthest right wall was covered with vines that looked like a waterfall of leaves. The walls were made of bricks and unpainted that gave it an old-world look. Cream-colored bricks lined the corners of the manor, the windows, and the arch leading to the front door. She could see that the gardens were well-maintained. Across the front door, in the middle of the gravel driveway was a fountain surrounded by carefully cut shrubbery.
"Wow. You live here, Harry?" Ethan asked Harry as they appeared just below the steps leading to the house.
"Yeah. This has been my family's home for years so I thought I'd live here as well," the dark-haired man answered.
"Thank Merlin for apparition, right?" said Hermione.
"Oh, definitely. I probably would be living in London right now if apparition wasn't available." He led them towards the front door. Harry turned towards them and with a cheeky smile, he opened the door and swept his hand across the interior of the house.
"Welcome to Potter Manor, Mr. and Ms. Granger."
He gave them a tour around the manor which had 12 bedrooms, two sitting areas, formal dining room, a modern and well-equipped kitchen with an informal dining table. (Harry had mentioned that he enjoyed cooking so he made sure that the kitchen was updated to current standards), an indoor heated pool, his large office/study which was connected to an enormous library. Ethan and Hermione practically ran towards the bookshelves to browse the collection of books. It took Harry a few tries to get the mother and son away from the books and out of the library for lunch. They went back to the kitchen and saw a little boy sitting at the six seater dining table.
"Teddy!" Ethan ran towards the young metamorphmagus. The other boy jumped from his seat and rushed towards the other boy. They exchanged hugs which made the adults in the room smile.
"I didn't know you were going to be here!" Teddy told the other boy.
"It was a surprise, Teddy. Did you like your surprise?" Harry asked as he approached both boys and led them back to the table.
"Definitely, Uncle Harry!" Teddy's hair shifted to a bubble gum pink color, expressing his joy at his friend's presence. He turned towards Ethan. "We are going to have so much fun today! We can even go flying!"
"Before Master Theodore can go flying, he must eat his lunch first," a squeaky female voice spoke. Hermione turned around and saw two house elves each levitating a tray filled with food and drinks.
"That's right!" Harry turned towards Hermione and gestured towards the two elves. "These are Dobby and Winky." Both elves bowed. "They work with me in taking care of this manor and its grounds. Winky acts as Teddy's nanny when he stays here."
"I am looking forward to when Master Harry has his own little ones that Winky can take care of," the female elf said.
Hermione laughed as she crouched down to the elves' eye level and smiled. "It's good to meet the ones responsible for taking care of Harry. I'm Hermione," she gestured towards her son who was already seated beside Teddy, "and that is my son, Ethan."
"It is our pleasure to meet you, Miss. Master Harry has never brought any woman here to Potter Manor before," Dobby smiled and glanced at Harry, who rolled his eyes.
Hermione looked at Harry over her shoulder and smirked at him. "Really? I wonder why."
"Don't you worry your pretty little head about that. Come on and let's eat. Dobby, Winky, please join us," Harry replied.
Hermione's laughter followed him as he turned towards the table and waited for Hermione to take a seat before taking his own.
Once everyone was done with their meal and dessert was served, Hermione shared a look and a smile with Harry. He nodded and gestured for her to speak first.
"Ethan, Teddy, Harry and I would like to ask you something," she began, waiting for the two boys to turn their attention towards her.
"What is it, Mum?" The brunette boy asked.
"Well," she shared another glance with Harry. "How would the both of you like to watch Harry's quidditch game next Saturday?"
"YES!" Both boys shouted enthusiastically.
"Really, Mum? We're really going to watch the game?" Ethan was practically bouncing in his seat, so was Teddy.
"Yes, it's Harry's birthday, as well, so there's going to be a celebration after it," Hermione answered.
"I can't wait, Uncle Harry!" Teddy faced Ethan, a huge smile on his face. "I have an extra Puddlemere shirt you can borrow and wear to the game."
Harry and Hermione shared a smile as they watched the two children make plans for the upcoming game.
"Do you think Teddy's already here?" Ethan asked his mother as they rode the lift up to the stands.
"I'm sure he is." Hermione squeezed her son's hand in hers. "Harry said his grandmother would be bringing him here."
There was a ding and the lift doors opened to a hallway. They followed the signs that directed them towards the VIP box. There were already several people scattered in the lounge area, where there were tables for food and drinks for the guests. Beyond the lounge was the seating area for the guests.
"Ethan!"
The three of them turned towards the voice and saw Teddy approaching them, a middle-aged woman following him at a sedate pace. She had met Andromeda Tonks a week ago at Harry's home when the older woman had picked up a sleepy Teddy after dinner.
"Teddy!" Both boys hugged and engaged in excited chatter.
"Hello, Mrs. Tonks," Hermione greeted her. Andromeda smiled at her and pulled her into a hug. Hermione was surprised at the action but welcomed it and returned the hug. When they separated, Andromeda raised an eyebrow and placed her hands on her hips. "It's Andy, Hermione. None of this Mrs. Tonks business."
Hermione laughed and gestured at the blonde woman behind her. "Margarethe, this is Andromeda Tonks, Teddy's grandmother. M-Andy, this is Margarethe, my best friend."
The two women greeted each other as they moved to the table to get food and drinks, while keeping an eye on the two children. 15 minutes before the game was to begin, a chime sounded around the stadium and the crowd cheered wildly.
Hermione looked at Andromeda. "That meant the game is about to start in a few minutes."
The two boys came to them and dragged them to their seats. The adult women laughed at the boys' eagerness and excitement.
Hermione sat beside a dark-skinned woman that smiled at her as she took her seat. Ethan sat on her right, Teddy, Andy, then Margarethe. She watched Ethan and Teddy with amusement as they alternated from shouting at the pitch and talking to each other.
"You must be Hermione," the woman on Hermione's left said. Hermione turned towards her left and looked at the woman in surprise.
"Oh! I'm sorry, I'm Theresa, Matthew George's wife," she leaned back so Hermione could see two more people seated on Theresa's left. "This is Lena Dawson, Rebecca's wife, and that's Crawford Littletown, Robinson's better half."
"You got that right!" Crawford joked. Hermione, in turn, introduced Ethan and Margarethe as the other three already knew Teddy and Andy.
"Is this your first live quidditch game?" Lena asked Hermione.
Hermione nodded in response. "Yes. To be honest, I'm not really a fan of the sport. But my son is."
"None of us are, really. Well, except for Lena here," Theresa said. "We're just really here to support our partners."
"Which you clearly are doing now, despite not being a fan," Lena inserted, eyeing the quidditch jersey that Hermione was wearing. "You must be incredibly special to Harry."
Hermione frowned. "What made you say that?"
"Well," Crawford began. "For starters, he's never had a date or girlfriend sit here with us. It's always his friends or the Weasleys, whom he considers family."
"Never?" Hermione asked in surprise. "Not even Cho Chang? But they've dated for quite some time, right?"
All three nodded. "They did but Harry never had Cho sit in this box the whole time they were dating. It was either she was at training or she just didn't want to watch him play. And they're going to play against each other today," Theresa explained.
"Or maaaybe, he just didn't really care for her all that much," Crawford chimed and laughed.
"Either way, Hermione here is a far cry from that slag," Lena spat. "Also, you're wearing a jersey with his name and number, which she never did. That's basically like him claiming you as his."
Hermione blushed. "It's not like that."
"Oh, it definitely is like that, dear" Crawforn drawled. "That jersey was made exclusively for the players. It wasn't sold along with the official team merchandise."
"Oh, honey. It's quite alright. I've never seen Harry smile as much as since he started dating you. You're good for him." Theresa patted her hand.
Their conversation was cut off by a loud horn and the crowd began cheering again.
"Welcome ladies and gentlemen to the first game of the 332nd British and Irish Quidditch League!" The commentator announced and the crowd went crazy. "Today, we will witness last season's first runner up, Puddlemere United, as they fight their way back to the top! The Wimbourne Wasps are not to be scoffed at, though! They finished fifth in the PQL last season! How far will they go this season? Well, what are we waiting for? Let's bring our teams out here now!" The commentator then called out the members of the Wimbourne Wasps, each sporting their yellow and black quidditch uniforms and leather guards, flying around the stadium
"Now let me call on the players of the Puddlemere United! We have Chasers Dawson, Merrell, and Puck, Beaters George and Bloomberg, Keeper Weasley, aaaaaaaand Seeker Potter!"
Hermione and the rest in their box cheered wildly as the members of the Puddlemere United team were called. The players flew around the stadium, waving and acknowledging the audience. Harry broke off their ranks and flew to the VIP box where Hermione and the others were. He hovered by the box and winked at Hermione, causing the brunette to blush deeply. The crowd cheered louder as the large screen in the stadium showed Harry winking at her, which she returned with a flying kiss. He gave her a winning smile and waved at Ethan and Teddy before flying back towards the other players.
Seeing Hermione in the VIP box wearing his personal quidditch jersey did funny things to Harry's stomach and made his heart flutter. Having Teddy and Ethan there made his heart swell, as well, making him more determined to win their first game. He wanted the young boys to be proud of him and to enjoy watching him play.
The game lasted an hour and a half, with Harry catching the Snitch and getting Puddlemere United's first win of the season. Hermione and company were led to the team's locker rooms where several members of the press were waiting outside for the players to come out. When some of Harry's teammates finally came out, they were swarmed by journalists and photographers. Hermione and her companions stayed back during the interviews with some of the players and their coach, Armond Lewis. She tried her best to keep herself small so the press wouldn't notice her there. The interviews took about half an hour before the press left. Theresa, Lena, and Crawford had already left with their partners, telling Hermione that they would see them at The Burrow later where Harry's birthday celebration was going to be held.
It took another ten minutes before they saw Harry peering out the door of their locker room. He looked around before turning to them.
"Are they gone?" He inquired.
"Yeap!" Ethan and Teddy answered together. The two boys ran up to him and Harry knelt to hug both children.
"Did you enjoy the game?" He asked the two boys.
Both began speaking excitedly, gesturing wildly describing the earlier game. Harry smiled happily as he listened to the young ones. He looked up as he noticed Hermione and Andy approach and rose to stand.
"Congratulations on winning your first game," Andy said as she kissed him on the cheek in greeting.
"Thanks. You didn't have to wait for me, you know," he answered as he kissed her cheek, as well. He turned to Hermione, a bright smile on his face.
"Hello, Harry," she greeted him with a smile and hug. "You played wonderfully! Congratulations!"
Harry laughed as he moved slightly away from her. "You actually kept your eyes open during the game?"
"Hey!" She slapped his shoulder as he and the others laughed. "I barely did, but I still watched. You're a bloody devil on a broom!"
"Mum, language! But that's why he's the best Seeker in the league!" Ethan exclaimed as he stood beside Harry. Hermione huffed but she couldn't help but laugh, as well.
"I don't know about you lot, but I'm starving!" Andy proclaimed as she took Teddy's hand.
"Me, too, Grandma! To The Burrow!" Teddy shouted excitedly.
"Let's go!" Harry said as he held Hermione's hand, while she held Ethan's, and led them to the nearest apparition point.
They appeared at a distance from the property of The Burrow. Harry heard Ethan's wonder as he first laid eyes on the crooked building which seemed in danger of falling over. He had been to the Weasleys' home too many times in the past decade or so but the house's charm never failed to bring a smile to his face.
"What a charming home," Hermione spoke beside him, unknowingly saying his thoughts out loud.
"The house is being held together by magic, isn't it?" Ethan asked as they entered the gate into the property.
"It is. The Burrow has been here for many, many years so the magic keeping it together is older than most of us," Harry explained.
"Wow," the young boy uttered. Harry knocked on the front door of the house which was immediately opened, revealing his best friend of many years.
"Harry! You're finally here!" Ron said loudly. "Come in, come in!" He ushered everyone into the house and led them to the sitting room where some of the redhead's family members were hanging out.
"Yeah, well. I waited for those pesky journalists to leave before I came out of the locker room," Harry related. "Ron, these are Hermione, Ethan, and Margarethe. Everyone, this is Ron. We've been best friends since we were eleven."
"Welcome, welcome! Glad to finally meet you. Harry won't shut up about you, you know," Ron said with a wink. Harry hit him on the arm and gave him a withering glare that caused the others to laugh.
"Likewise, Ron. It's nice to finally put a face to the name," Hermione replied, chuckling. Harry cleared his throat then addressed the rest of the redheads in the room.
"Everyone, I'd like you to meet Hermione Granger, her son, Ethan, and her best friend from Beauxbatons, Margarethe," he introduced the two women and child. One by one, the Weasleys approached the trio and introduced themselves. Harry's heart swelled at seeing his surrogate family welcome Hermione and Ethan. He already knew that he would be torn if the Weasleys did not like Hermione.
It was not the first time he had wondered about the depth and strength of his attraction to this beguiling woman. It also didn't help that he had been steadily growing closer to her son, who in turn, was also growing closer to his godson. And now, their lives were quickly blending together and he was powerless to stop it, even if he wanted to. He knew he wanted Hermione and Ethan to know his life and family, for them to be a part of it. He only hoped they want the same for him. He feared the day that Hermione realized he had no place in their lives, and he hoped it would never happen at all.
"Oh, how wonderful to have you with us today, dear," a motherly voice broke through his revelry. He watched as Molly Weasley, the Weasley matriarch, approached his girlfriend and gave her one of her signature hugs. She looked down at the boy beside her and bent forward.
"Welcome to our home, young man. No need to be shy. There are plenty of kids around for you to play with," she said with a smile. The boy beamed then looked up at his mother.
"Go ahead," she told him. He reached up and kissed her on the cheek before he and Teddy ran towards the other children in the room.
Both mothers followed the children with their eyes before turning towards each other. Molly gentle smile changed into a teasing one when she looked first at Harry then back at Hermione.
"You know, our Harry here has never brought a date to any of the family gatherings before," she whispered conspiratorially, but loud enough for him to hear.
"Molly!" Harry cried out.
Hermione simply laughed, giving him a shrewd look. "So I've been told more than once."
Harry gave her a questioning stare which Hermione only responded to with a wink.
"Well, we're happy to finally meet the woman who has captured more than our Harry's attention. Come, come," the matriarch said before leading Hermione and Margarethe away. Harry tried to follow them but Molly gave him a look that told him to stay behind. It worried him for a bit but he knew Hermione would be in safe hands within this group of people. He knew the Weasleys enough to know if they accepted someone in their fold.
"Alright there, Harry?" A male voice called out from behind him. He turned around and saw Neville.
"Hello, mate!" Harry gave the other man a quick hug. "Happy birthday to us!"
"You, more so than me," Neville teased him as he glanced in the direction of Hermione and the other women. "Bloody brilliant game earlier. You keep playing like that and you'll more than likely to win this season."
"Yes, well. We just got to play our best and avoid getting injured."
Neville nodded in agreement, looking again at where Hermione and the others were. It didn't take Harry long to figure out why his friend was glancing intermittently at the crowd of women on the other side of the room.
"Well, well, well. Looks like Bill and I are not the only ones captivated by a French woman," Harry ribbed his former dorm mate.
Neville turned to him in a rush, face turning red due to blushing. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Come on, Nev. It's me here. I mean, I don't want to think you keep looking over there because of Hermione. I'm going to hex you if you were," Harry mocked threatened his friend.
Neville raised his hands. "Whoa. It's not like that, Harry! I'm not saying that Hermione is not eye-catchingly gorgeous, because she is! And she's one of the kindest people I know and-" Neville stopped his ranting abruptly after realizing Harry was laughing at him.
Harry clapped him on the shoulder and tried to stop his laughter. "Nev! Mate! I was just joking. Merlin, you should have seen your face!"
"You're a bloody git, you know that?" Neville told him, unable to keep an annoyed expression and ended up laughing with Harry.
"Seriously, though," Harry continued. "You should tell Marga that you're interested."
"Mate, you have seen her, correct? A lot of men-" "And women," Harry interjected. "-are likely lining up for a chance to date her! I'm just a flower shop owner that her company occasionally hires. I'm-"
"Out of her league. I know, I know," Harry continued as he waved his hand. "Hermione says the same thing about me, which I find preposterous because, if anything, I'm the one who's out of her league. She's a successful business woman and I'm just a guy who earns a living by flying on a bloody broom and flying after a golden ball. At least you are a professor of Herbology and teaches at the school we all graduated from!"
Neville shook his head. "Look at us. Both attracted to incredibly strong and capable women. They could decide to conquer the world and we'd be right behind them, holding their handbags for them," he inadvertently admitted what Harry was accusing him off.
Harry nodded and laughed. "As long as Hermione keeps me around, I don't mind if she rules the world. But first, you've got to get your head out of your arse and ask Margarethe out before someone else sweeps her off her feet!"
"Who's going to sweep who off her feet?" Hermione's voice interrupted the men's conversation.
Harry looked behind Hermione to see if Margarethe was with her. Spotting the blonde woman being preoccupied in a conversation with Ginny Weasley, Ron Weasley's sister, Harry bent down to speak.
"Our Neville's quite smitten with the vivacious Ms. Ackleman," he told her loudly enough for Neville but quietly enough that only the three of them could hear.
"Well, you best get a move on. I've noticed Ginny has been eyeing her a bit while we were speaking earlier," Hermione responded, patting Neville on the chest.
"Bloody hell," the dark-haired man muttered. "Excuse me, then," he said before walking towards the blonde woman.
The couple laughed at Neville before Harry turned towards her and wrapped his arms around the brunette.
"Having fun?"
"I am, actually. Your family has been the most welcoming," her voice held a tone of surprise.
He cupped her face in his hands and briefly pecked her lips. "I told you, you had nothing to worry about. They like you, they like Ethan. Heck, they even like Margarethe." Hermione laughed briefly. "Molly's right, though. I've never brought a date to a family gathering before." He swept a strand of hair from her face.
"Why not? And why do it now?"
"Because I want the family to know you and Ethan, and I want you to know my family," he answered, no hesitancy in his voice.
Whatever Hermione was about to say was interrupted by Molly's announcement that dinner was ready and for everyone to proceed to the back garden. Harry entwined his fingers with hers and followed everyone heading outside.
Dinner was a lively affair with Harry's whole quidditch team being there, the Weasley family and their children running about, and some of Harry's Hogwarts friends. The celebration of Harry and Neville's birthday had lasted all throughout the night. Ethan had asked to stay the night with Teddy and the other children at The Burrow. At first, Hermione had refused, not wanting Ethan to be a burden to the Weasley elders but Molly and Harry had convinced her that it was not a problem as Molly had been regularly watching over her grandchildren.
With Ethan safe and secure in The Burrow, Hermione went home with Harry to his manor. It would be the first time she would be spending the night at his home, despite having been in a relationship with him for several weeks already.
"Are Dobby and Winky here?" She asked, noticing that the manor was empty and dark when they entered.
Harry shook his head. "I gave them the night off. They went to Hogwarts to be with their friends."
"Friends?"
"Hogwarts house elves. The both of them used to work at the school before they asked if they could bond with me before I left Hogwarts," Harry answered as he waved his wand and several lights turned on. They went to the sitting room and Harry gestured for Hermione to take a seat before lighting the fireplace.
"Did you want anything to drink?" He asked as he stood.
"Perhaps some tea? All that food was too good not to eat. And now my stomach is bloated," Hermione grimaced. "Mrs. Weasley is dangerous to my figure."
"You are not bloated, Hermione. Anyway, I'll be right back with tea," he told her, kissing her on the head before heading to the kitchen.
Hermione followed him with her eyes until she couldn't see him anymore. She sighed and sat back on the settee in front of the fire. She loved this room-next to the library- because of its warmth and comfortable atmosphere.
Her thoughts flew to the events earlier that evening. She had finally met Harry's "family" and they were nothing but wonderful to her, her son, and her friend. They never made her feel like she was an outsider and had tried to include her in their conversations. Her son had gotten along well with the other children and seemed to have developed friendships among them. Their lives were rapidly becoming entangled with Harry's and there was nothing she could do to stop it, even if she wanted to.
But seeing Harry interact with the Weasleys, and how they interacted with their numerous children including her son, gave her a feeling of longing and sadness. They reminded her of her own family, or the lack of, and the wrong decisions she had made when she was younger. She lost count of how many times she had held back her tears throughout the night whenever she saw Molly and Arthur Weasley acted as doting parents and grandparents to not just their own children but to everyone, including her. She didn't realize there were tears in her eyes until Harry hurriedly knelt in front of her and wiping away her tears.
"What's wrong, Hermione? Why are you crying?" He asked. His voice soft and filled with worry.
"It's n-" She began to say but Harry shook his head.
"Don't tell me it's nothing. I've noticed it all night, you know. I saw how you've been trying not to cry several times, how you tried to hide your sadness. Please, tell me what's wrong," he pleaded.
Another thing she discovered in the past weeks of being with Harry Potter was she couldn't deny him anything whenever he asked for something, looking at her with his intensely soulful green eyes.
She took a deep breath and held his hands in hers, pulling him so he would sit on the sofa beside her. She looked towards the roaring fire and sighed.
"I-I want to tell you about my parents and Ethan's father."