AN: I'm trying to pump out these chapters as fast as I can for you guys, since you seem to like the story, so I'm trying to keep up, but I do have a life outside the computer, so sorry if you have to wait a bit for a new chapter. I'm also trying to organize what I want to happen in order for this story, because there's going to be a lot coming, so I need to figure out what I want to happen before or after this certain "event" (wink wink), or if I even want something like that to happen at all, so just bear with me. Thanks!
The sun was peaking through the curtains of Hermione's room that she was staying in, creating lines of yellow across the cream colored carpet. When she woke up she didn't even have to look at a clock, she knew it was late in the morning. She felt groggy, and she didn't want to open her eyes to be blinded by the day light. She just lay in her bed, still as if she was sleeping, and she thought about the previous days events. She was perfectly aware she was in Harry's house, it was just… strange. Her eyes slowly started to open in reaction to the smell of… bacon? The lovely scent danced around her nose and made her stomach grumble. She hadn't eaten dinner last night, and boy, was she starving. The only thing that kept her in bed was her thoughts. She didn't want to get up and face what she had to do today.
Downstairs, Harry was cooking a very large breakfast for Hermione—Ginny had already left for work. He wanted to give her choices, so he made everything from pancakes to eggs to biscuits and gravy to sausage. He put everything he'd made onto two trays, including three types of drinks for Hermione to choose from. He stood back and surveyed his work, and grinned, proud of himself for making such a delicious looking breakfast. He knew Hermione was going through a rough time, and he was going to do everything in his power to make this day easier for her.
Harry levitated the two trays with his wand, the food staying expertly balanced and not a single piece spilling on the floor. He walked up the stairs and went to Hermione's door. He set the trays down on a thin, dark, oak table in the hallway that had a vase of flowers on it. He grabbed two of the flowers, a white tulip and a pink rose, and set them on her tray, making the food look even more appealing. Before picking the trays up again he knocked softly on Hermione's door, then turned the handle and peaked in on her.
"Hey sleeping beauty. You awake?" He called softly with a smile, and when he saw Hermione stir and just nod from her pillow, he took that as a yes. She didn't look to happy this morning, and hopefully his extra hours of work in the kitchen would pay off.
Harry walked over to the bed and sat on the side. He didn't have a shirt on, but just wore some loose fitting athletic shorts that were dark blue with a white stripe down the sides.
"How'd you sleep?"
"Alright. Better after you came in." She mumbled softly, then couldn't help but smile up at him.
"That's good. Glad I could help." Harry responded, looking much cheerier this morning then he did the previous night.
"I smell something delicious. What's for breakfast?" Hermione's curiosity—and her grumbling stomach—got the better of her.
"Well, everything basically." Harry joked with a grin, and then held up a finger to tell her to wait one moment.
Harry stood up and went out into the hall and grabbed the trays, carrying one and levitating the other with his wand like a circus act. "Taa daa!" He said, and Hermione could tell he felt very pleased with himself that he put all this together for her.
Hermione sat up and leaned against the head board, and had to laugh at his antics. "Wow, you've gone and right out done yourself, Harry." She complimented with a smile, her eyes much brighter now then a few minutes ago.
"I'll take that as a compliment, and I did it all for you. I'll just eat what you don't want."
"Thank you. You really didn't have to do this, although I'm glad you did. It looks great. I don't know where to start."
"May I recommend the pancakes, there's chocolate chip, blueberry, and plain ones. Take your pick." Harry said with another big grin.
Hermione laughed softly and nodded, picking up the tray with the pancakes and setting them on her lap. She grabbed a small syrup dispenser that was on the tray and poured it on her pancakes and dug into the blueberry ones. After swallowing she smiled, "Mmm, those are delicious. Send my compliments to the chef." She teased.
Harry laughed, and grabbed a strip of bacon off the other tray and sat down in a chair next to her bed, lounging his feet up on the side of the bed. "So, what would you like to do today, or do you have somewhere you need to be?" He asked.
Hermione shrugged, and then took another bite. "Well, I actually have to go talk to Molly about something. I'd like to do it earlier in the day if possible, but it shouldn't take me too long." She said softly. Thinking about the prospect of going to see Ron's mother was not the idea she fancied at the moment, but she had to. She couldn't even be sure Ron was there, but she knew he most likely was.
"Oh, well would you like me to come with you? I can give Ron a little punch or two if he starts to bother you." Harry said, joking light heartedly, hoping that wasn't crossing the lines with Hermione as far as joking went.
Hermione just laughed and shook her head. "No, it's fine. I should do this by myself. Plus, I don't need you and Ron getting into a fist fight. It's Ron and I that have a problem, you two are supposed to still be friends. Remember that." She told him. She was partially joking, but she didn't want things between Harry and Ron getting rough on her behalf.
"I can't rightfully be friends with him if I haven't talked to him in three years." Harry said, his tone portraying sadness, and some regret.
A yellow cab pulled up into Harry's driveway carrying Hermione and a little boy with light brown hair in the back seat. Hermione got out and paid the cab driver, then pulled the little boy's suit case out. For being so close to revealing to Harry the truth of her arrival, she felt pretty calm. Maybe it was having the boy's presence with her that reassured everything, that Harry couldn't possibly not help her, and not give this little boy a chance at a life with two parental figures.
Hermione let herself into Harry's house, not bothering to knock this time. "Harry! I'm back…" She called, her soft soprano voice echoing through the large estate.
Harry had been sitting in the living room watching some boring soap opera on the muggle television and sipping on a soda. Harry stood up quickly, glad to hear Hermione's voice again, and went to the door. Hermione had the little boy balancing on her left hip; his little arms clung to Hermione's neck.
Harry stopped a few feet away from Hermione and the little boy, a shocked look on his face. "Wh-who's the little one? Is he yours?" Harry finally managed to form his words as he walked up to Hermione, smiling down to the little boy, who could easily be Hermione's son, having the same dark, chocolate brown eyes.
Hermione laughed softly and shook her head, trying to do anything to keep her nerves down, but knew they would present themselves sooner or later. "No, he's not mine. This is Teddy Lupin." She said softly.
Harry's eyes widened when he heard the last name, then he smiled a crooked smile, looking at Teddy in Hermione's arms. "So-so this is…" He started to say, but the thought of Remus made his words catch in his throat. Hermione just nodded.
"Yes."
"Teddy!" The little boy shouted with a bright smile.
Hermione laughed, and nodded. "Yes, you are Teddy." She said teasingly, and then tickled the boy's stomach a little as he wriggled and laughed in her arms.
Teddy Lupin was three and a half years old and had no parents. Both Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks had died in the battle against Lord Voldemort, and now he was given to Hermione to be cared for. Nobody could figure out why the parents had kept their child a secret, even from their closest friends and family. This even shocked Molly Weasley to find out.
"You're the godfather." Hermione said quietly, looking into Harry's eyes with a small smile, but the smile was heavy, like she was trying to be happy, but she was burdened with something. She knew what she had to get off her chest.
"R-really?!" Harry asked, shocked, but he looked happy.
Hermione nodded and smiled as she looked at Teddy who in turn smiled back at Hermione, then yawned.
"I saw that!" Hermione teased Teddy and she poked his nose with her finger.
"I need to get him upstairs to have a nap. Can we talk when I'm done?" She asked Harry quietly, her eyes hopeful.
"Of course."
Hermione carried Teddy up to her room and laid him in her bed, pulling the covers up to his chin and tucked him in on the sides, which he giggled at.
"Sweet dreams." Hermione whispered to him, and kissed the boy's forehead.
Teddy smiled and obediently rolled over on his side and closed his eyes. So far he was one of the easiest kids to take care of, although Hermione had only babysat a few children in her life time.
Hermione shut Teddy's door and headed down the stairs to see Harry in the living room… pacing. Was he suspicious about this? Was he catching on to what Hermione needed? Right on queue, Hermione felt her stomach ball into a knot and her throat felt dry, her hands shaking with nervousness.
"Hermione, would you mind telling me what's going on? Why do you have my godson?" He asked curiously, but Hermione could tell he was trying to keep all signs of accusation out of his tone and expression.
Hermione took a deep breath and sat down on a large chair. She put her head in her hands and rubbed her forehead in a manner of a person who was under a lot of pressure. She finally looked back up at Harry.
"I have been given care of Teddy Lupin. Remus and Tonks put in a letter before they died, that if they were to die in the war I would be given care of the boy because apparently they think I'd make a good mother, which I don't completely agree with, but I'm willing to take on this responsibility." She started to explain, though she was far from done. She took a deep breath inward, as if out of breath from explaining all that.
Harry just looked at her, confused. "Alright, that makes sense. Does any of this have to do with you coming here?" He asked, looking at her wonderingly.
Hermione just nodded and bit her bottom lip slightly, and Harry just waited for her to speak, not rushing her.
"Th-this is why Ron and I got in that huge fight. I need help with Teddy; I don't want to play the role of a single mother. I don't want to have to do this all on my own. When I told Ron I needed his help, he-he backed out… just walked out on me…" Hermione said, her voice starting to falter at the end as she felt a lump form in her throat, and tears well up in her eyes.
Hermione swallowed the lump in her throat and blinked back tears, and looked up into Harry's emerald eyes.
"I need your help. Who better then to father a child who lost both parents at such a young age? I think you could be a great father, and you're my only hope, Harry, please… just hear me out. I have so many more reasons, if you'll just listen-…"
She was cut off by Harry's finger on her lips, and she looked up at him surprised. Harry got on his knees in front of her and took her hand. "Of course I'll help you. I would do anything to help you Hermione." He said softly.
Hermione was slightly shocked, she had to admit. She didn't expect such an answer. Then her thoughts came around to Ginny. She stood up quickly and pulled her hand away and paced a little, then stopped in front of the wall and leaned against it, wanting to slide down the wall and curl up on the floor, but she didn't. Her shaking knees held herself up thankfully.
"What about Ginny? Can you help me with this and still be with Ginny? I don't want you to leave her for this. If you have more of a commitment to her, then please don't put me first…" She explained, her tone slightly pleading.
Harry shook his head and sighed. "I have no commitment to her any more, Hermione. I don't love her anymore. It's been going badly for a while now. Neither of us is happy." He said definitively.
"But-but Harry, think reasonably about this. Can you do that to her? She'll be devastated. I don't want you to make a mistake because of me. I'm just employing you to think this through!" She told him, her voice rising slightly. It was hard for Hermione to believe Harry didn't love Ginny anymore; just like that. When she'd first arrived they looked happy together, and she could easily picture them together for the rest of their lives. If Harry was sane, he would stay with the easy route, but was the easiest route the right route?
"Can't you see, Hermione? The biggest mistake I've made was letting you get away from me, and I'm not going to let that happen again! I'm going to help you, and we'll build a family for Teddy. I want to give him a chance at a family I never had, and if breaking things off with Ginny is what I have to do—it's what I want to do—then so be it. Let me decide for myself… please?" Harry's voice had started to rise, like he was about to yell at her, but he calmed himself, and his tone seemed determined, and he looked at Hermione with a caring that she hadn't seen in his eyes before.
"Harry… going are separate ways was not your mistake." She whispered to him, tears starting to well up in her eyes again.
"We just… we drifted apart. It's not a mistake; it was just the way things happened." She added quietly.
Harry walked up to her slowly and took her hand in his. Her hand felt so small in his firm but soft grasp, yet it fit perfectly inside his palm.
"Listen. To. Me. You're staying here. I want to get to know the Hermione I've missed out on for so long." He told her, his eyes looking deep into hers for some understanding, but he'd found what Hermione had been trying to hide: months of fighting with Ron, fright, nervousness, doubt, but he also saw courage in her. She had the courage to take on the task of Teddy Lupin, and he was going to help her through it. He wouldn't let her go through this alone, and especially after she was rejected by Ron.
Hermione just stared into his eyes, letting him search for what he wanted. "Okay." She mumbled weakly as tears started to fall silently down her slightly freckled cheeks.
Harry reached a hand up and wiped the tears away with his thumb before they even reached her lips. Even though there were no more tears, his hand stayed on her cheek, and Hermione let her head rest in his hand a little, liking the feel of his warm skin on hers. It was comforting, it was her safety net.
Harry let go of Hermione's hand, and moved his hand away from her cheek, and she started to frown slightly, not wanting the contact to stop. Harry had no intention of that and quickly put his arms around her and pulled her to him in a tight hug. Hermione rested the side of her head on his muscular chest, and Harry kissed the top of her head and left his lips there, taking in the sweet smell of her hair as he ran one hand through it.
"You smell nice." Harry whispered.
"Thanks."