A/N: Finally got the next chapter finished, I know I've taken my time and I'm very sorry for the delay. This was originally going to be the last chapter (before an epilogue), but as I was writing the chapter, I kept adding little extra bits in, so I ended up with a full chapter before I got through half of what I wanted to include - the good news in this is that the story has an extra chapter before the end.
Thank you for all my reviews, your support is fantastic, and thank you all for coming back to read the next chapter.
Hope you enjoy the next instalment, so while you guys read, I'll get cracking on the final part.
xBx
~ Chapter 19: Something Magically Ordinary ~
Half an hour after coming to their decision, Harry and Hermione were back in Hermione's kitchen – or rather their kitchen, as it would now be called – opening a bottle of champagne,
"I was saving this for when I became fully and officially out of debt," Hermione said as she poured the champagne into two flutes, "but I think this celebration is better suited for it."
Hermione handed a glass to Harry, and then held up her own glass in a toast: "To us." She smiled, "Finally getting our lives back on track, and going the way we were meant to be going."
Harry grinned, and raised his glass to hers, "Cheers to that." They each sipped their drink then Harry leaned forward to kiss Hermione lightly, and quickly, on the lips.
"So, when do you want to start spreading the good news?" Harry asked, sipping his champagne and taking a seat at the kitchen table.
Hermione took a seat next to him and shrugged, "I don't know, the next time we see them?"
"I was thinking we should tell them before I start to move my stuff in here – we don't want them thinking we're keeping secrets, after all."
Hermione laughed, "Alright then, when will you want to start moving your things in?"
"As soon as possible. Now, even."
Hermione rolled her eyes, "You want to send an owl out to everyone don't you?" She accused.
"No," Harry answered slowly, Hermione arched her eyebrows disbelievingly, "Owls take too long: It would be quicker to just apparate around." Harry finished quietly.
Hermione laughed, and shook her head, "There's no need to be in such a rush. Besides, it going to take a few days to get this place ready for you to move in: I've got to clear some space for your things."
"But this weekend, I'm here." Harry stated.
Hermione smiled, "I can't wait." She said simply, leaning over the table to kiss Harry deeply on the lips.
Over the next few nights, Hermione managed to clear out some closet and wardrobe space in her room – now that she had fully opened up the hidden closet, and it was in daily use, she found it very easy to locate plenty of spare room in her bedroom. The rest of the place, however, proved a little more difficult. She managed to clear some spaces downstairs for anything Harry might bring that he wished to keep there. She had also decided to turn the spare room into an office: Hermione had always done her admin work for her business at the kitchen table, keeping everything organised and filed on one shelves of her bookcase in the living room. But since Harry would also be having ample amounts of paperwork also, and undoubtedly would be bringing a lot of it home, she figured it might be useful to have a proper office space.
Harry had not wasted time spreading their good news, and the next time Molly called in to see her (which happened to be the next afternoon after Harry and Hermione had come to their agreement), she came with everyone's congratulations, and the promise of a celebratory family dinner.
"Really, Molly," Hermione tried to calm the unnecessary excitement of her adoptive mother, "It's not too big of a deal, we're only moving in together, it's not like we're getting married."
"On the contrary, this is the first real step on the road of commitment. It's a very big deal. A hint of something more to come, may haps?" Molly inquired slyly.
Hermione laughed, "Honestly, Molly. Harry hasn't even moved his things up here yet, and you already have us picking out china patterns?" She asked, in semi-rhetoric, as she cleared a nearby table.
"So, you'll be living here?" Molly asked, slightly surprised, taking a seat at her favourite table near enough to the counter to maintain a conversation with Hermione whilst she was making coffee for a steady stream of customers.
Hermione nodded, making her way back behind the counter, "Yes. Didn't Harry tell you that part?"
"No, we assumed you would move down into Grimmauld Place." Molly told her truthfully, Hermione sighed,
"I know, Harry had the same idea. And one day we will live there together. But right now, I need to be here. For a good few months at least."
"This place won't be too small for you?" Molly suggested, trying to feign innocence, but Hermione knew Molly was thinking about – and sincerely hoping for – the 'patter of tiny feet' to soon be gracing Harry and Hermione's home.
Hermione rolled her eyes, "For now, it's a perfect size," she assured Molly, "One day, I will move down to London, I told Harry I would. The reason Harry is moving in here is because we want to be together, and he didn't want to wait months until I was free to leave this place." She explained, without going into too much detail.
A flurry of custom, at that moment, prevented Hermione from continuing the conversation, and by the time Hermione had served, cleared the empty tables, and pushed a load of pots through the dishwasher, Molly was too invested in conversation with Betsy, to return to questioning Hermione about her and Harry's future plans.
By the end of the weekend, Harry and his most prised possessions were now permanent residents in the apartment above Hermione's store. Within the next week, Hermione was exceptionally glad she had decided to spontaneously turn the spare room into a study: the desk was littered with a mountain of official looking documents from the Auror office, and the new bookcase crammed with an assortment of books on various dark-artefacts, histories of dark wizards, and official documentations on Auror legislations, and the relevant wizarding laws.
About a month after Harry had moved in, Hermione entered the office, carrying two cups of coffee, Harry had come back from the ministry at 6pm, quickly grabbed a bite to eat, and had spent the next three hours at the desk.
"I can't believe how much paper work you have" Hermione said, placing down a mug, and running a hand through Harry's hair.
"Thanks," Harry said, picking up the mug and taking a sip. "After every case I get a mountain load. This one in particular, as it's been long on going. As head Auror, I have to compile my own report, as well as a compile a brief outline of all the other reports from other field agents involved, to hand in to the ministers office. As well as reading and compiling briefs on all the other cases the Aurors have going on."
"The joys of being high up in the system," Hermione said sympathetically. Harry grinned and pulled Hermione onto his lap.
"How was your day? I'm sorry, I've hardly seen you since I came home," Harry said.
Hermione shrugged, "Same-old, same-old. I'm thinking I might take on another member of staff, now that we're in the middle of summer, it would be nice to have an extra pair of hands. And the trade will be at it's highest mid- to end of August, so now would be a good time to train someone up. It also means I will be able to take more time off throughout the week, maybe even have most of my weekends to myself."
"Seriously?" Harry asked with a smile, Hermione nodded.
"Yep, Katie is fully proficient, I have no qualms about leaving her in charge, and promoting her to management status. And by the end of September I should have trained the next employee up well enough to handle the odd mid-day shift on his own, I could open, they could come in about 10am, take over me, and Katie could come in a close down in the evening. It will give me so much more time to take care of the admin side of things during the daytime, and more regularly, instead of having to stay up until 1am at least once a month."
Harry laughed, "What about the cost? I thought all this wouldn't be financially acceptable until the New Year?" He asked.
Hermione shrugged again, "It may push a couple of things back a month or too, but nothing more than that. My original forecast was based on worse case scenario sales. But this summer has been my best one for takings, since I opened. The presence of little Izzy alone has almost tripled my daily takings." Hermione explained with a laugh,
"What do you mean?"
"Well, everyone who comes in falls instantly in love with her and can't get enough of her, and Molly is more than willing to keep people talking about her, and lets people hold her and play with her: people are staying twice as long as the usually would, and buying more than one round of drinks in the process." Hermione grinned, "You've actually been a great help as well" she said, Harry looked at her cautiously,
"Meaning?" He asked, slowly,
"Every woman spends so much more time in there when you're helping out; especially when your t-shirts are rather close fitting, and it doesn't take a lot of imagination to see you muscles" she said, grinning. "And you appeal to women of all ages as well, you've really improved our demographic since you came around"
Harry chuckled, "Well, I can't help it if I have something all these Northern women want,"
"Not just the women," Hermione continued, "I've had a few men inquire about you. Apparently you have a quality"
"What kind of quality?" he asked, and Hermione laughed.
"I don't know. They just said there was something about you that was worth trying to turn you." She said, Harry shrugged then said with a grin:
"Well, I can't help it if I'm universally adored."
Hermione rolled her eyes, "can your ego get any bigger?"
"Oh, I don't know. Maybe if you tell me how amazing I am, how attractive you find me, how much you love me and want me, maybe it might grow some more" Harry said with a cheeky grin.
Hermione arched an eyebrow "Are we still talking about your ego?" she asked slyly, and before Harry could answer she kissed him deeply on the lips.
Harry threw down his quill and wrapped his arms tightly around Hermione, "I think I can finish these papers off tomorrow" he murmured into Hermione's lips, he felt her smile against him.
"Time for bed, maybe?" she suggested. Harry stood up, with Hermione still in his arms; Hermione wrapped her legs around his waist as he said: "Now that sounds like the best idea I've heard all day." Hermione crushed her lips back onto his, and allowed Harry to carry her upstairs to their room.
###
A couple of months later, into the middle of October, the weather had cooled, the last of the summer regulars had returned to their homes, and their was a taste of winter in the air.
Hermione had successfully recruited and trained a new member of staff: Jake was in his early twenties, studying part time at the University only thirty minutes away, living with his grandmother while she got herself back on her feet (she had recently taken a fall and broken her wrist; Jake had moved in with her in the middle of summer, just a few days before Hermione had advertised for staff – fate is the only way to describe it).
Jake turned out to be better than Hermione could ever have expected, or hoped for. He took to the job like a duck to water, Hermione had even been considering training him up to handle running the place single handed – at this rate she would be able to extricate herself from daily work a lot quicker than she had ever anticipated.
Hermione placed dinner on the table as Harry poured out a couple of glasses of wine.
"He's such a lovely guy as well" Hermione continued, after filling Harry in on Jake's progress. "I mean, everyone loves him, he's great at his job, so diplomatic, never pisses anyone off, no one has a bad word to say against him. It's a shame he only has two more years left at university, I don't know how we'll replace him," she said, sitting down across from Harry.
"Should I be jealous?" Harry asked, jokingly. Hermione grinned wickedly,
"I don't know. I never really fancied myself as a potential cougar, but for the right guy, it could be fun to test drive a younger model."
Harry's smile faltered a little, "Ok, now I actually am a little bit jealous."
Hermione laughed, "I'm kidding. Don't worry, you're the only man for me." She placated him with a laugh, and then turned the conversation. "I was thinking of taking the whole weekend off, this week, you're not working are you?" she asked.
"Not unless something drastic happens." Harry shrugged, "It's been pretty quiet recently, I've been able to catch up on a lot of paperwork. And when you say 'take the whole weekend off', is that a normal person's full weekend where you clock off Friday night, and don't return until Monday morning? Or is it an Hermione weekend off, where you're in Saturday morning, you pop in during the evening, back again Sunday morning and look in again Sunday night?" Harry asked with a grin, and was rewarded with one of Hermione's infamous glares.
"I'll admit that I was going to open up on Saturday, but that was it. I'm going to let Jake do the close down Saturday night, and have Katie run things on Sunday." Hermione said "Jake is coming in a couple of evenings this week to run through to cashing up and close down procedure."
"You really are seriously taking more of a back seat aren't you?" Harry said, slightly impressed, "I have to say, I didn't thing you'd do it so quickly, I'm impressed at how easily you seem to be delegating. Anyway, what were you wanting to do this weekend?" He asked.
"Hogsmeade," Hermione stated immediately, "I didn't get a chance to drop in there the other day when I was out with Ginny, we got too caught up in London, all those clothes and shoes." She explained, "I want to go into Honeydukes, I'm running low on a few things, and I need to renew my contract with them, about buying up their hot chocolate in bulk. I also want to get some cool stuff for Hallowe'en, I really want to go all out on this place this year."
"You can't go seriously all-out though, this place is full of muggles." Harry countered,
"I know, I'm not talking about singing pumpkins, and skeletons that come to life. It's just that I can get things in Hogsmeade that will be so much better than, and different from, the usual muggle clichés." She explained, "Giant pumpkins that last longer than the muggle ones, and a lot of more traditional decorations that the muggles probably haven't seen since the 17th Century, but that Hogwarts used to have every year." She said.
"Actually, I'm glad you said Hogsmeade, Neville wrote to me a couple of days ago, asked if we were planning on going up there anytime soon. He wants to do lunch, have a bit of a catch up, what do you think?"
"Absolutely, it's been a while, I don't think we've seen him since the school year started again have we?" She asked; Harry nodded.
"Yeah, you're right. Last time we saw him was August 31st, the dinner we had at Grimmauld Place."
"Of course," Hermione remembered fondly, "We had Teddy there as well, with Adromeda and Ted. He was so excited to be starting Hogwarts, though a little intimidated by Neville."
Harry laughed, "Yeah, he wasn't expecting to meet a professor before he got there, poor thing."
"Have you heard from him since he got there? How's he getting on?"
Harry grinned, "Yeah, I've had a couple of letters. He's loving it: He's befriended Hagrid, and spends nearly every weekend down at Hagrid's hut, hearing a multitude of stories about us in our early years."
Hermione laughed, and Harry continued, "Apparently our escapades are the stuff of Hogwarts legends, Teddy is a bit of a celebrity; Everyone knows his parents are famous heroes, part of the Order, and now that he's told people I'm his Godfather, everyone wants to know if all the stories are true."
"What stories?" Hermione asked,
"The chamber of Secrets is a pretty big one, and feeding a Professor to the centaurs"
Hermione laughed, "That makes it sound like we murdered her! Umbridge followed us willingly,"
"I know, I corrected him on that one; he's heard all about Dumbledore's Army. And you're a pretty big legend as well." Harry finished, Hermione looked up surprised,
"Really? What have I done that's legendry?"
"Don't be modest. You're known as the brightest witch Hogwarts has ever seen: everyone tells about you brewing polyjuice potion in your second year; taking every class available in your third year; you're known as the brains of the trio. And apparently you punching Draco Malfoy is also fondly remembered." Harry took a drink, "You know, getting those letters from Teddy, it's made me think about our time at Hogwarts properly, for the first time in a long time. And I actually miss the place."
Hermione smiled, "Me too," she admitted, "It would be nice to see the place again, I think."
###
At 11am the following Saturday, Hermione and Harry were walking hand in hand down the Hogsmeade main street. Their first port of call was Honeydukes, in which Hermione spent nearly a full hour picking out a selection of treats to re-sell in the coffee shop over Hallowe'en, and re-adjusting her current wholesale agreement with the Honeydukes owner, to expand the hot chocolate range she was selling to the muggles. When business had been taken care of they headed to the Three Broomsticks, calling into Scrivenshafts along the way for Harry to stock up on supplies he was lacking in the office. By the time they made it into The Three Broomsticks at 12:30pm, Neville was already sat at the bar, facing the doorway, halfway through a bottle of butterbeer. Upon Harry and Hermione's arrival, Neville waved them over, at the same time asking the bartender for two more butterbeers.
When the pair made their way around to Neville's side of the bar he stood up to greet them, shaking Harry's hand, and pulling Hermione into a hug.
"Hope you weren't waiting too long, Hermione took forever in Honeydukes," Harry explained. Neville took in their lack of shopping bags, and frowned.
"Did you forget your purchases, Hermione? Or did you eat them all on the way here?"
Hermione laughed, "No, it was more business purchases, rather than for personal consumption. I was re-negotiating the stock I'm, buying from them to sell in my coffee shop." Hermione explained, as Neville handed the pair their butterbeers,
"Ah," Neville nodded his understanding, than gestured behind him "Shall we get a table?" He asked.
The others nodded, Hermione quickly grabbed a couple of menus from the bar, and followed Harry and Neville to small, round table near a window.
As they sat down, Harry asked Neville, "How's Teddy doing? I've heard from him a couple of times, and he sounds like he's enjoying himself. He's not getting into any trouble I hope?"
Neville chuckled, "Hmmm, how to put this. He certainly seems to be following in his Godfather's footsteps."
Hermione sniggered, and Harry looked wary, "Why does that not sound like a compliment?" he asked,
"How many midnight wanderings has he taken?" Hermione asked with a grin, before Neville could respond to Harry.
"That we know about?" Neville asked, "Or that we suspect?"
Hermione laughed, while Harry frowned, "He's not getting into serious trouble though?" He tried to clarify, "I mean, he's got good friends right? And he's doing well in his classes?"
Neville smiled, "Harry, relax. Teddy is doing great. He has his Mother and Father's talents, he's very bright, he gets along with everyone. And he's very much like you as well. He's doing fine. And he hasn't yet got into the kind of trouble you used to get yourself into. For instance, he hasn't befriended a giant three-headed dog yet." Harry laughed,
"How about a dragon?" Hermione asked with a fond, reminiscent smile. Neville frowned.
"A dragon? When did you guys befriend a dragon?" He asked, then his memory caught up with him, as he recalled the first detention he was ever given: "Hang on. When Malfoy was raving about you two with a dragon, back in first year, was he telling the truth?"
Harry and Hermione looked sheepishly at one another, then looked guiltily back to Neville. Hermione explained.
"He was called Norbert. Hagrid hatched him in his hut, he was a Norwegian Ridgeback, but he was getting too big, so we wrote to Ron's brother, Charlie, in Romania. The night the four of us got caught wandering the halls, that was the night that Harry and I carried Norbert up to the Astronomy Tower so he could be picked up by a few of Charlie's friends, to be taken to Romania."
Neville shook his head in disbelief, "How is it, after all these years, I still don't know the half of what you guys got up to at school! Do you know, it was only the other week I found out about you brewing Polyjuice Potion in our second year-"
"Yeah, you didn't have to tell Teddy that one, mate." Harry interrupted,
"I didn't!" Neville defended himself. "He told me! He heard it from Moaning Myrtle. And When I asked him how he'd met her, he told me he went to visit her bathroom. I asked him why, and he said, he wanted to see the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets himself. I swear to the Gods, Harry, he is getting more like you every day."
Harry didn't know whether to look proud, impressed, or sheepish, that his bad habits had rubbed off so early on his little protégé, so he contented himself with staring intently at his menu, while Hermione tried to control her laughter. Luckily, the waiter chose that particular moment to come over and take their orders.
Thirty minutes later, the trio had gotten through a majority of their meal and a bottle of wine. Harry and Hermione had filled Neville in on some of their still unknown antics that he hadn't been part of, and Hermione finally told him the truth of how she had been attending three classes at once during their third year – this also helped to fill in the gaping holes of the Sirius Black mystery that still lingered the halls of Hogwarts.
As their plates were cleared away, Neville leaned back and picked up his glass,
"So," he said. "How's living together going? Infuriating each other to no end yet?" He asked with a grin.
"Not at all," Hermione smiled, "though I did completely underestimate how much work he actually brings home from the ministry. My tiny office is slowly drowning in papers." Hermione joked.
"It's not that bad" Harry countered, Hermione gave his leg a loving squeeze.
"No, it's manageable. I've just been so used to having that place to myself for so long. I don't know, maybe Molly was right, maybe my place is too small."
"Wait," Neville asked, "You're not living down in London?"
The pair shook their heads at Neville, who laughed, and looked directly at Harry, "She got you to move in with her, to her tiny apartment, leaving your four-story house, complete with every magical luxury, including a house-elf?" Neville clarified.
"Yes," Harry answered, slowly. Neville laughed again, and shook his head,
"Dude, after all these years, she still has you whipped. This is fantastic."
"Hey," Harry protested, meekly, but was over-shadowed by Hermione's splutter of indignation.
"I do not have him whipped. And what do you mean by 'still'? I never had him whipped." Hermione protested.
"You did a little bit Hermione," Neville countered, "Honestly, Harry and Ron would never do anything unless they had your permission."
"That's not true." She turned to Harry, "Harry, tell him it's not true,"
"Yes dear," Harry said with a grin, while Neville laughed.
Hermione rolled her eyes, and changed the conversation. "So tell me more about Hogwarts, Nev. Has it changed at all, since we were there?"
Neville shrugged, "Not much – you can't get away with as much nowadays, not with Minerva as Headmistress, she still instils that fear in all the students that she did with us. And there's a lot more inter-house unity now as well. Though there is still a lot of healthy competition when it comes to Quidditch. The castle itself, though, is still pretty much the same."
Hermione sighed in a wistful sort of way, something that Neville picked up on:
"You miss it, don't you?" Neville asked, Hermione smiled sadly, and nodded.
"Of course I do, who wouldn't? And I really miss Hagrid, I miss our tea-visits we used to pay him." She reminisced fondly.
"Why don't you come back with me? Call in on him" Neville asked suddenly,
"Is that allowed?" Harry asked slowly, Neville shrugged.
"I don't see why not, it's you two after all. And we'd only be going to Hagrid's mind you. I don't reckon I could get you into the castle without McGonagall's permission. But then again, it is you two, you can get away with anything."
Hermione and Harry looked at each other, Harry shrugged, "If you wanted to, we could I guess."
Hermione grinned, "Alright, lets do it."
A/N: Ok, so I know not a lot happens in this one, it was more to move the months along. But still, let me know what you think :)
Next chapter has more things happening, and will start bringing the story to a close.
Thank you to everyone who has stuck with this story, thank you to all my readers and all my reviewers, it's made this process so much fun, and so rewarding.
I will try and update soon. However, we're currently on school holidays, so I won't have much time to make a good start on the next chapter this week - once the kids are back in school I'll get back to writing properly.
xBx