***sorry guys! im a little bad with updating on a regular basis...ok, so im REALLY bad with updating on a regular basis xp. ill try and do better :S i hope i havent lost all my readers...but i hope you like this second chapter! please review! :)

Chapt. 2

They had a fantastic time at the restaurant. Harry apparated them into an alley behind the building so as not to startle any muggles walking by, and they'd walked in right behind Ron and…Luna. The two had been dating for the past year and a half, as unusual as they seemed together, they fit.

The restaurant had been serving a special five course meal that night, and the four friends ate their way steadily through it all, laughing, joking and reminiscing. And to everyone's surprise, halfway through the meal, Ron had gotten down on one knee and proposed to Luna. It was then that Ron's intentions and planning for the night finally made sense.

When dinner was over, Harry and Hermione excused themselves as it was clear that the happy couple wasn't going to stop making goo goo eyes at each other anytime soon. They thanked Ron for dinner, congratulated the pair and walked out arm in arm around the building to dissapparate back to Hermione's apartment.

"That was fantastic!" said Hermione as they rounded the corner, "It was about time too!"

Harry laughed, "He certainly took his time about it didn't he. But really, a few years ago, could you ever have imagined those two as a couple? Let alone married?" he chuckled again.

"Well, I guess there were some signs,"

"Really? Like what?" and he laughed when Hermione couldn't come up with anything.

They had reached their aparating point by now, "So, to your flat then?" asked Harry. Hermione hesitated.

"Harry, I really don't feel comfortable imposing on you like this. I have two days, I'm sure I can find a reasonable place by then."

"How many times have I got to tell you, it wouldn't be imposing at all. You're one of my best friends, we've been practically to hell and back together. You and Ron watched my back, I watched yours, and we're still doing it! This is me watching your back for you Hermione! And I'm happy to do it!"

Hermione opened her mouth again to protest.

"But fine," Harry said, before she could get any words out, "If you're that uncomfortable with it, I wont push you. But I have a deal for you then," Hermione glared suspiciously at him, but motioned for him to continue, "Let me help you look for a flat, and if you cant find one by the time you're lease is up, you move in with me."

Hermione looked up, clicking her foot on the street, thinking. Harry just looked at her, sure that he had covered everything this time and that she wouldn't be able to refuse.

"Well I wouldn't have any other choice would I?"

He was right.

Harry shook his head, trying to retain his smile. She kept on clicking.

"Fine," she crossed her arms, grudgingly, " you've got a deal. But you look bloody hard, Potter, if you're really gonna help me look. And you're still going to help me it does take longer than two days. Not that it will!"

He laughed and offered her his arm once again, "Shall I escort you home Ms. Granger?"

She pursed her lips, but a small smile escaped anyways. She nodded, took his arm, and they were off.

Two days later and Hermione still hadn't been able to find a decent apartment. Harry had gone with her to look at many, about five actually, all with reasonable rent, positive references… and absolutely horrid first impressions.

The first had a landlord who looked as old as Godric Gryffindor himself and as rotten as Hermione's current landlord. He repeatedly interrogated her as to whether or not she was a witch, and practically chased them out of the building with his cane.

The second was roach infested. Enough said.

The third looked promising: one story, nice upkeep, fully furnished, even had a smallish back yard. The landlady was lovely even. Hermione was just about to sign…and then the objects had started moving. Lamps flying across the room, cabinet doors opening and slamming, and she swore she felt the carpet move under her feet. Hermione decided she did not want a poltergeist as a roommate.

The fourth was also fully furnished, on the third floor but looked-and smelled-as though an older lady had lived-and died-in it previously. And then there was that dodgy looking stain on the cream colored carpet. When Harry asked the landlord, the man did admit the previous tenant had died of a heart attack and hadn't been found until a week after her death. He then added that she had had quite a few cats, "who hadn't been fed in a few days so…" he left off his sentence and looked in the direction of the stain. Hermione walked out then and there, Harry following looking quite green.

The last apartment had the most potential. It was modern, also fully furnished, good rent, and no one had died and been eaten by cats. It was the landlord who spoiled this one however. His eyes had lit up when Hermione walked in the office and he'd taken her hand at once, led her up the stairs to show her the apartment (followed by a peeved looking Harry) and hadn't let her hand go since, despite her many attempts to free herself. Then when he put his arm around her waist and said that his apartment was right across the hallway that was the end of it. This time it was Harry who ran her out of the building, while the landlord called after them, "Ill look forward to your call, love!"

Now the paperwork was drawn up and it was only a few hours before Hermione had to "vacate the premises". She was still apartment-less, and rather depressed. Her apartment was empty but for a smallish, blue suit case which she was sitting in front of on the floor.

"Come on Hermione," Said Harry, trying to cheer her up a bit, "Those can't be the only ones in London."

"Right, so its just my luck to pick the haunted, roach-infested, died-in, womanizing apartments right off the bat! That's just great."

"Hermione, you know my offer still stands."

Hermione sighed, looking around dejectedly at her soon to be ex-apartment.

"And I should have taken you up on it the first time you offered. I have to admit, I think I just didn't want to leave so soon. This has been my home for the last four years. I'm sorry I wasted all this time and effort on your part Harry."

"Don't. I understand completely, you don't have to apologize." He went to sit next to her on the floor. He looked over at his best friend who seemed to be looking at a ball of lint on the floor as though it held one of her most precious memories.

"You know, you'll still have my help searching, and I bet your next apartment will be even better than this one. Perhaps in a nice wizarding complex that doesn't have such a beanbag of a landlord." The corners of Hermione's mouth twitched upward.

"A beanbag Harry?"

"Yeah well, pratt seemed maybe too harsh of a word for this bloke, don't you think?"

Hermione sat up straighter, her shoulders squared back, and there was a defiant look in her eyes. Good he thought, that's more like the Hermione I know.

"You know what," she said, standing up. Harry stood up with her, "I think a pratt is exactly the right word for him. Well done Harry, I think we should go let him in on that fact, don't you?" and with that, she grabbed her suitcase off the ground, and walked out of the apartment, shutting the door and locking it with a sense of finality after Harry.

Twenty minutes and an apparition later, Harry and Hermione sat at the bar of a locally favorite wizards pub, Spellman's Pub (go figure) that was only a few blocks away from her now ex-apartment and hidden from muggle eyes. Hermione was looking quite a bit better with a drink called "Felix Felicis" in her hand. It was supposed to make you forget all your present worries, and brink you good luck in the future, at least that's what the barman told Hermione when she asked for something strong.

The landlords office lay in paperwork ruin after the man had tried to deny Hermione her security deposit, as she had earlier predicted. There had been many inventive uses of the word 'pratt' also, and Harry was quite sure the pudgy man was still cowering in the corner of his office next to his now useless filing cabinet.

"So how is it," Hermione asked him, taking a swig of her drink, "that you can have this one huge house all to yourself, you know somewhere you wouldn't be bothered too much by the attention from reporters you so detest, and you don't live there?"

Grimuled Place. Harry had tried living there at first, after things had settled down with both sides of the world, but it had felt overwhelming. It had swallowed him up in memories, thoughts and darkness reminding him too much about Sirius and Dumbledore. For him, it held no truly happy times to be thought of, and he wasn't quite ready yet to work on making some. No, the house was left in hiding with only Kreature to look after its empty hallways, not that he minded.

To Hermione, he only said, "Ill move back in one of these days." And she left it at that.

It was after Hermione's fifth Butterbeer and fourth "Felix Felicis" that Harry called it quits, for both of them. She hardly ever drank after all, and though he understood her reasons for it, enough was enough.

She gibbered on about pudgy landlords and not having enough luck in any department as Harry tossed a few sickles on the counter and steered her through the doorway. It was fully dark by this time, and the night folk were starting to wake up. Harry threw dark looks at a couple of wizards passing into the pub who looked just a little too long at Hermione's still gibbering form. Hermione didn't even notice, though she did notice how, "pretty the hars look Starry!"

Harry thought it dangerous for them to apparate with Hermione in this condition, so they continued walking down the street, Harry keeping a firm hold on her elbow and listening to her go on about the most random subjects.

I hope that drink was worth it Hermione, though Harry, for the morning you're gonna have tomorrow.

"Alright Hermione," he said aloud after about ten minutes of walking, "hang on tight, I'm apparating us back to my apartment."

"Oh I can do it Harry!"

At least she can pronounce my name right now…maybe the drink is wearing off…

He released her elbow and she took a step forward – and promptly tipped to one side. Harry caught her before she landed in the street but Hermione was laughing.

"Why are you holding me Harry? Cant you see, I'm perfectly alright now."

"Oh yeah, you're right as rain. Now come on, hold tight, and don't you dare let go."

"Rain? But there isn't any rain tonight Harry. Harry? Have you been drinking?" she hissed this last part, trying to be patronizing but she wrapped her arms around his neck all the same.

Harry snorted with amusement, but managed to contain his laugh.

He held her tight with both hands around her waist and looked around to see if anyone was around, but the street was empty.

He thought to himself, her hair smells nice…like lavender, and then he spun on his heel.

***so? what did you think? it probably wasnt worth the wait, i know, but i hope you liked it :) review if you did! and review if you didnt! its ok! lol till next chapter, which i promise wont take as long xp lol )