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CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: Full Circle
For the first time in months, Harry woke up with Hermione in his arms. He lay there for what felt like hours, breathing in the smell and the touch of her, until finally she stirred. She looked at him with eyes full of wonder and innocence, eyes that he hadn't seen in a long while. "Was it always like this?"she asked quietly.
Slowly, Harry nodded. "Being with you was always special."
"I wish I could remember it."
"I'll remember it for the both of us."
Hermione settled in his arms. "I feel like a teenager who's slept with someone for the first time. Except I don't actually remember being a teenager who's slept with someone for the first time."
Harry kissed her hair gently. "Can we just enjoy this moment?"
"Sorry, should this be a quiet time?"
"No. I think it should be about looking to the future. I think we've finally got one."
"I'm worried about her,"Scorpius insisted as they climbed the stairs to the library.
"You're worried about Rose because she's spending time in the library?"James asked sceptically. "Isn't that just what Rose does?"
"It's why she's spending time there,"Scorpius persisted.
The two boys headed through the double doors and approached Rose's table. "What are you doing?" James asked jovially.
Rose hastily shut her book and covered it with sheets of paper. "Nothing."
Understanding the cause of Scorpius' suspicion, James pushed the sheets aside and picked up the book. "Memory cures?"
"I just…"Rose suddenly looked at him defiantly. "I don't have to explain myself to you."
"I'd love to hear that explanation. You think you can cure Hermione when every healer in the country has failed?"
"I've got to try!"
"We're just worried that you're setting yourself up to be disappointed,"Scorpius suggested.
Rose glared at both of them. "Thank you for your support,"she snapped. She took up the pieces of paper covered in details of her research and stormed out of the library.
James looked at Scorpius. "All right, I admit it. You were right."
"So what do we do now?"
James glanced down at the tome Rose had left. "Well, we could start by reading this."
"You're volunteering to read something?"
"Yeah. Things must be bad."