Harry Potter and the related characters are the sole property of J. K. Rowling. No malicious intent or ill will is meant by using those characters and events in this fictional work.

"Don't, Harry," Hermione whispered, sitting up in bed, one hand draped over Harry's shoulder. She squeezed, looking from the back of her husband's neck to the rusted time-turner in his hands. "Don't even think it."

"We could…" he swallowed hard. "We could change everything."

"Exactly," Hermione said, her tone somewhere between harsh and horrified. "Things happened for a reason, Harry. You know bad things happen to wizards who meddle with time. Why d'y'think Sirius didn't go back farther and save everyone himself?"

Harry turned to Hermione. "We could have…all that time…we did it once, we could have…"

"Harry," Hermione cupped his worried face in her hands. "We saved a man who wasn't dead yet. And a hippogriff that was being wrongfully…"

"My parents didn't deserve to die!" he yelled. "Tonks, Lupin, Dobby, and Fred. If Fred was still alive…"

The only way to stop his babbling was to kiss him, and so she did. Fiercely. When she felt his ragged breathing return to a slow normalcy, she pulled away and pressed her head to his. "Harry," she whispered. "Stop blaming yourself. Things happen, they make us who we are, and we are stronger for it." She kissed him again and the power of it knocked Harry backward onto the mattress. She straddled him and kissed him deeper, claiming him. Pulling back again, she nuzzled him. "None of this is your fault."

"Mione," he muttered, his arms wrapping around the divots of her hips, "I can't…"

She gripped his hands tightly, pulling them off of her and raising them over his head. "Stop," she warned, looking into his eyes. "You wouldn't be who you are…and I wouldn't love you so much. We had to fight, together, survive everything we've done. Dumbledore may have been a manipulative arse, but look where it's lead us."

He took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and gazed up at her. He tried to move beneath her but she must have been using a strengthening charm to keep her hold on him firm. He stilled, then said, "I would give anything to have been able to love you this much…take you to the Yule Ball instead of Parvati…snog in the hallway between classes…do some things that would have gotten us both expelled, underneath my cloak of, course."

"Harry," she laughed, rolling her eyes.

"Could you imagine, love?" he continued, grinning. "You and I, hidden in plain sight, figuring out where all the bits and bobs go…on Snape's desk? Or right there in the Great Hall, during the final Sorting? Or on the Quidditch Pitch during a Slytherin practice?"

"Goodness, Harry," she said, still laughing, but blushing. "We know…now, we remember…we did our fair share of sneaking 'round."

"I think…I think that's what got to Ron most, you know?" he said, sighing. He squirmed beneath her, using his legs to push up the hem of her nightdress. "The fact that, even after Dumbledore used memory charms and fancy potions, when they all wore off we still couldn't keep our hands off of each other." He smirked at her. "That despite everything, it was always me you really wanted."

"Damn right," she said with a nod, and when she bent her head to kiss him, he bucked up his hips, entering her fast, hitting the ends of her. She cried out into his mouth, nipped his tongue, and responded with her own swaying hips, as if trying to take him deeper.

They found a rhythm, losing full awareness of their surroundings as they only focused on each other. So much so, that they didn't turn their heads when the bedroom door creaked open and a big, black, shaggy dog padded in. With one paw covering its eyes, it bent its head and gently grabbed the fallen time-turner in its teeth. With a wagging tail and a slight smile, the dog scurried right back out of the room.

One thing about dogs: they have incredible, almost magical, hearing.

Reviews are welcome and appreciated.

Peace and Love

Jo