12.8.98 – Wednesday
Chapter 8 – Hogwarts Letter
Harry woke up feeling somewhat cold. He noticed immediately that Hermione was no longer at his side. He then heard her moving in the bathroom. He approached the bathroom door. "Are you OK?" he asked her softly.
"I... don't feel so well," she admitted.
Harry frowned. "Is there anything I can do to help you?"
There was a moment of silence. "Actually, there is. I'd like you to apparate to my parents' house. Go to my bathroom there. In the cupboard under the sink there's a pack of tampons. I need it now."
Harry couldn't just leave her there if she didn't feel well. He opened the door, finding Hermione sitting on the toilet seat.
"What is it?" he asked, concern showing on his face.
"It's nothing really..."
"Are you pregnant?" Hope and fear were mixed in his voice.
"Not at all. Quite the contrary, really."
She could hardly refrain from laughing seeing his face change to show some disappointment.
"What is it, then?"
"It's just my period, silly."
Harry looked bewildered. He had heard some talks about the subject, but it was still a mystery for him, never having had a serious explanation about sex.
"I'll explain later, Please bring those tampons now!"
Harry obliged. He only put some cloths on himself, just in case her parents would see him, before doing as requested. A few minutes later he looked even more confused after seeing what Hermione did with the tampons.
He prepared some breakfast while Hermione got dressed. She didn't want to talk about it during breakfast, though Harry was anxious to understand.
"What do you know about the menstrual period?" she asked him, once the table was cleared.
"Not much. Just a few bits and pieces some boys were mentioning in the dormitory. I'm not even sure how much of it was true."
Hermione sighed. "I'm not sure I can really do a good job at telling this. I know we are already living like couple and we hide nothing from each other, yet… It's still somewhat embarrassing… Maybe it's better if I first give you a book."
Harry laughed at that. It was purely Hermione – looking for answers on everything in books. She frowned at him at first, but soon joined him, understanding what made him laugh.
They were interrupted by the sound of tapping on the window. He walked to the window, noticing two owls waiting impatiently on the window sill. Once he opened the window, one of the owls flew to Hermione, while the other perched itself in front of Harry.
He took the letter from the owl, recognizing immediately the green ink and the wax seal.
"These are from Hogwarts," he noted. "I wonder why we got them. We are already too old for school."
Hermione looked up from her letter. "I've talked with Professor McGonagall the other day and she said that all students who were supposed to graduate last year would be invited to finish their studies, as the war and the Carrows prevented most from really learning anything. Some, like us and Ron, were not even able to be present."
Harry frowned. "I don't fancy going to class with Ginny, especially now that she is no longer my girlfriend. It would be awkward."
"Do you fancy going to class with me?" she asked mischievously.
"I fancy you and I want to be near you whenever possible," he answered seriously.
"Well, in that case you must go to Hogwarts next month, as I intend to go there," she told him with a smile.
Harry started reading the letter, skipping the preamble to the main text.
"All our students who were unable to finish their studies due to the war taking place last year are invited to come and do so during the coming term. You will be allotted separate lodging and will study in separate classes from the seventh year students, especially since they have to repeat much of their sixth year studies.
Term will start on September 15th, due to some restoration and modernization works which are being done now."
There was an attached list of things to purchase before term started and a train ticket as well. Hermione was looking through the list with an enthusiastic expression. Harry enjoyed looking at her, ignoring his own letter. She looked so charming when she was concentrating, he thought.
The door bell chimed. Harry opened the door to find his twin cousins there. He let them in and they joined Hermione in the kitchen.
"Have you recovered from last night's film?" Iris asked mischievously.
Both Harry and Hermione blushed deep red.
"Oh, I understand that you were inspired by the film," commented Daphne, just as mischievously.
"Well, we were lucky. I've got my period early this morning," said Hermione.
"Oh!" both twins gasped.
"Do you have any book to help Harry understand this?" Hermione added.
"We have no book," they answered. They then looked at each other and added: "but we can teach him ourselves, if you like."
Harry looked a bit frightened at the prospect, but Hermione smiled. She wasn't sure how much he would learn, but she was sure it would be fun to watch.
"We can do it outside, at the pool…"
"…It's a sunny day and it would be a shame to waste it."
Hermione cast some privacy charms at the hedges, just to be safe, and the twins removed all their clothes even before she finished. Harry followed suit, quite reluctantly while Hermione kept her knickers.
The twins brought a pencil and a few pieces of paper from the house. They sat on a bench and asked harry to sit between them while Hermione sat a bit farther, watching them through half closed eyelids.
It took them more than half an hour to make Harry understand. They pointed to their bodies throughout the explanation, making Harry blush repeatedly, until he seemed to have understood all they wanted him to know. Once they were satisfied with their pupil, they both jumped into the water.
Harry came to sit near his fiancée. "I've never imagined that the female body is so complex," he told her. He then looked at her pale face. "Are you feeling well?"
Hermione smiled at him lovingly. "As well as can be expected at this time."
Harry looked concerned. "Are all girls… e… women suffering during their period?"
"Not really. The period affects us all, yet some hardly feel it, some really suffer and most are just uncomfortable. I usually don't feel well only the first day and then I'm almost back to normal."
"But we can't…" he blushed.
"We can, only it may become too messy and uncomfortable. It's best if we refrain for a few days." Harry looked somewhat disappointed. She smiled at him and added teasingly: "Mom also told me that after refraining a few days, sex becomes much better." She smiled some more as his face reddened again.
"When would you like to shop for Hogwarts?" he asked her, changing subject.
"Oh! You're going back to Hogwarts? That's great!" commented the twins, coming out of the water.
"What's so great about it?" asked Harry.
"First – the mere fact that it reopens after having suffered so much destruction during the battle…"
"Then – you will be able to finish your studies in a much better environment than the one you started them in."
"I'm really looking forward to it," commented Hermione.
"Will you be able to sleep together there?" Iris asked.
Harry frowned. Although he was sharing bed with Hermione for less than two weeks he no longer considered sleeping alone as an option.
"I'm not sure," Hermione said. "Hogwarts has facilities for married couples as it was quite common to marry early a few hundred years ago, but as we are only engaged and not even betrothed, according to the magical customs, I'm not sure. I'll have to check it."
"Why won't you get married and stop worrying about different rules?" commented Iris.
Harry looked somewhat unsure. "You know that money is not a problem," added Daphne.
"Well… We have not given it too much thought," started Harry.
"We haven't talked about it, except for agreeing we are going to get married to each other," explained Hermione.
"We can help you plan…"
"…but you must first decide if you want the wedding before school…"
"…or after."
Harry looked at Hermione and they seemed to reach an agreement without words. "I thought that Hermione deserved the most extravagant wedding I could afford, much like the 'Potter style' your Dad talked about, yet I'm not fond of such big events where I'll know practically nobody, and Hermione also seems to prefer something modest…"
"How do you know that?" asked Daphne.
"You have not talked to each other for a few minutes." added Iris.
Harry sighed. "I don't know. Some of our friends say that we seem to understand each other so well as if we are soul bound, yet we aren't, as far as we both know."
"That's interesting. You should check a little deeper, I believe," commented Daphne.
"What would you suggest then?" asked Iris.
"Maybe a simple ceremony, with just some close friends and relatives. It could be at a church, as most of the family is not magical," Harry suggested.
"And no press," added Hermione.
"We shall handle this."
"Leave this to us," the twins said.
"When do you start school?"
"On the fifteenth of September," replied Harry.
"Then we should aim to set the wedding during the last days of August or the beginning of September, to let you have a week or two for your Honeymoon."
Harry seemed surprised, but he looked at Hermione. Seeing her smiling contentedly, he smiled as well.
"Ok, you two – start making the guest list, while we tackle the rest." Iris was all business now, despite being completely nude. She gave the couple a piece of paper and a pen, then sat down on the ground near her twin with some more sheets of paper and a pencil.
It didn't take long for Harry and Hermione to finish the list. It wasn't long at all. Aside from the friends that they had at their engagement dinner they also added the Weasleys, the Tonks (mainly due to Teddy being Harry's god-son), Hagrid and McGonnagal. Hermione had a few aunts and uncles to add while Harry put the Evans in (of course) and quite reluctantly – the Dursleys as well. He then recalled his past and added another name – Mrs. Figg. She had always been nice to him and she had even tried to alert Dumbledore to the problems he had been facing with his relatives as a child. She deserved to see him happy.
The twins were also advancing in their planning. They presented a schedule which could allow them to get married before the end of August. It was quite tight and depended upon finding an appropriate place and getting Hermione's bridal dress on time, but it was feasible. Hermione also spent a few minutes describing her ideal dress for the occasion, so that they could help her search for it.
The twins then jumped into the pool, swam for a few minutes, got out, dried themselves, got dressed and went to make the necessary arrangements. "You two get dressed as well. We shall call you as soon as we find what you need so that you can approve," they said before parting.
Harry prepared lunch for Hermione and himself. They were still finishing their meal when the phone rang. "We found a nice church where you can wed and some dresses which you may like. If you apparate or floo to The Leaky Cauldron, we can pick you there in a few minutes."
"Don't you think my parents should also be present?" asked Hermione.
"We know they trust you. You may still like them to help you, but they won't be able to join you on such a short notice. We suggest you two come first and make the preliminary arrangements and then involve them only if you need some advice or want their final approval."
Hermione agreed. A few minutes later they joined the twins at the Leaky Cauldron.
They first went to a shop on Diagon Alley specializing in bridal dresses. While most of the dresses displayed were too extravagant, dismissed by Hermione on first sight, there were two simpler dresses which looked very elegant in a modest way. Harry approved them. He would have approved anything that Hermione liked, yet he appreciated the silent elegance of these dresses and agreed to her choice wholeheartedly.
Daphne escorted him out of the shop. "You're not supposed to see your bride in her wedding dress before the wedding," she told him. "Besides, you also need appropriate clothing."
She led him to Madam Melkin's without farther ado. Harry chose a tuxedo there, along with the matching trousers, white dress-shirt and tie. They didn't look any different than their muggle counterparts, yet they were charmed to keep the wearer comfortable under any circumstances.
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