As I am NOT the original author of the Harry Potter series, who as anyone should know is the wonderful JKR who lets us play with her world. I don't own a darn thing here. On with the story.
Chapter 22 Honeymoon Part 1
Everyone was seated at the formal dining table. Anna had hired a couple of local girls for the day to serve. After the glasses were filled Neville rose and looked at the newlyweds saying, "I believe it is my honor and duty to deliver the first toast to the happy couple. To Harry and Hermione; we always knew there was a spark between the Gryffindor three since first year. The question most of our school friends had was would it be Harry or Ron. I think there will be a few coins exchanged at school when this is announced. Hermione, Harry may your lives be filled with the happiness you are feeling today for the rest of your long lives." After everyone raised his or her glasses in toast. Neville sat down quietly saying, "Harry the new bet will be how much your grades will improve and Ron's fall."
Hermione laughed then said, "Oh no, I won't be bugging Harry like I used to."
"If Ron's grades start to fall I can get Mum to appoint you as her replacement at Hogwarts if you want, That should give you enough clout to push him to study." Ginny said
"Why not you?" Hermione asked.
"I'm going to be proving I'm the twins sister. Besides I have a few other things that might be taking up my time," Ginny said licking her lips slightly as she looked at Neville.
"If that idea doesn't suit you Neville you should speak up now," Harry whispered to Neville but the blush on Neville's face as he looked at Ginny told Harry that idea was a welcome one.
"From the comment the best man made I take it you are as compulsive about school work as always?" Her grandmother asked later as they were waiting for the wedding cake to be brought out.
"Smartest Girl in school." Harry said with great pride in his voice.
After saying goodbye to the last of their wedding guests Harry and Hermione adjourned to his room.
"Hermione I know I've told you many times today but you look so beautiful." Harry said as he held her in his arms just inside the door.
"Harry you look quite handsome yourself but if you don't unzip me I don't know how much longer I will stay standing."
"What?"
"Just be glad you are a boy and don't have to wear something like this. What do you think is holding this dress up?"
Harry looked at Hermione standing there still in her wedding dress causing the thought 'his wife' to flash through his mind bringing a great smile to his face. Noting there was nothing going over her shoulders he said, "I'm not sure."
"Then let me tell you it stays up because I'm stuffed in here like a banger in it's casing it can't slide down or up for that matter. Now get this zipper down and let me breath normally." Hermione said.
What happened after the zipper was lowered is best left for adults to discuss privately.
The next morning Hermione woke early and started to get out of Harry's bed and go to her room before her body reminded her that circumstances had changed and she was now not only entitled to be in Harry's bed, it was expected she would be. Lying back down she rolled over and cuddled Harry falling off to sleep.
Hermione's cuddling brought Harry to the brink of consciousness. He looked at her cuddled into his chest as the thought, 'Mrs. Harry Potter. Of her own free will she bound her life to mine. She even gave up her own name to take mine. I wonder if she knows I would have done the same if she'd wished to keep her own name. With his heart overflowing Harry fell back asleep not noticing the pulse of magic that bounced from him to Hermione and back multiple times expelling a black cloud from his noticeable scar before exploding outward destroying the black cloud before it continued outward destroying the enchantments on a ring buried under a floor in little Hangleton, a cup in one of Gringotts vaults, and a locket in a London townhouse. It was drastically weakened by the time it reached Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry where the Headmaster noticed it pass as he was sitting down to his breakfast. Making a mental note to look into it later he reached out for the pot of tea. Meanwhile as the cloud passed through Hogwarts it maintained enough energy to expel a dark cloud from an item in a hidden room. Two days later the cloud dispersed unable to find a living host.
A knock at the door followed by Mrs. Granger's voice calling out, "Come on you two we need to be ready to go in two hours," woke Harry and Hermione who looked at each other and quickly blushed.
"Good morning Mrs. Potter." Harry said looking at Hermione.
"Good morning, my husband. I guess it's time we got up and dressed." Hermione replied
"Agreed I'll make sure my stuff is packed while you shower."
"You could shower with me."
"Would we still make the two hour dead line?" Harry asked a twinkle in his eyes.
Hermione started to reply then looked at Harry a smile crossing her face before saying, "Probably not," ducking into the bathroom.
Down in the kitchen Jane was making breakfast for everyone when Harry and Hermione walked in. "Forty five minutes. Faster than I expected." Alan said winking at his wife.
"We are responsible." Hermione said looking at her mother. Her mother turned an eye toward her daughter with a raised eyebrow causing Hermione to add, "Besides Harry was no fun. He didn't want to upset you two on the first day," bringing a blush from Harry who was uncomfortable with her parents being aware of what had transpired last night.
"Relax Harry, come and have some breakfast after that we're just going to the airport and hopping down to Spain." Alan Granger said from his seat at the table.
It wasn't until they stopped in the ladies room of the airport that Jane Granger was able to corner her daughter without Harry around to ask, "Did everything go alright last night?"
Hermione turned four different shades of red before she was able to say, "It went quite well."
Jane with a smirk on her face couldn't resist adding, "I'm sure it will get better the more you two practice."
Hermione saw the smirk and replied, "I don't know how I will survive if Harry gets much better at it," while making a show of fanning herself with her left hand. Seeing her mother turn pink Hermione thought, 'that's what you get for making me blush.'
As they approached the ticket counter Alan and Jane made a point of being right in front of Harry and Hermione so Harry could just follow Alan's example of what to do. The ticket agent's eyes widened slightly when she noticed Hermione's ticket was for a Mrs. Potter, But Hermione's posture and the fact she had an arm around Harry convinced her to board them without comment.
Customs in Spain was a repeat of the ticket counter. Hermione had helped him fill out the declaration form on the flight and Alan provided an example by going through customs directly before them. "We've booked you two in to your own bungalow." Jane said approaching the costal resort.
"Thanks mum." Hermione said.
"Don't thank me. You two are on your honeymoon you deserve to have your own place, besides it gives your father and I a chance to rest in quiet." Jane said.
Hermione blushed knowing that last night she'd been rather vocal about Harry's attentions. "We won't have that problem here. The legal age in Spain is fifteen." Hermione said smiling at the though silencing charms were needed.
"Want to bet if the ministry finds out either one of us has been doing magic, even outside of England, they put us on trial?" Harry said an angry edge in his voice.
"No you're right." Hermione said hoping to head off a foul mood that threatened to appear at her words.
Harry felt bad for snapping at Hermione he thought his comment over then added, "I don't think they would be able to detect the normal powered stuff at this range. If we avoid casting patronus and such it should be alright."
Once they'd registered Jane looked at the two who stood beside each other with long faces. "Hey you two it's your honeymoon." Jane said hoping to help her daughter raise Harry's spirits.
"You know you are right, we'll see you two sometime soon." Harry said taking the keys and Hermione's hand he left his in-laws in the lobby.
"Harry that was rude." Hermione said as he followed the path to their bungalow.
"She was expecting it." Harry countered a goofy grin on his face.
"True." Hermione said watching as Harry unlocked the door and helped her inside. Once there she stopped and face him saying, "Harry I want you to know something. Last night you were kind and loving, very concerned for my well being. I really appreciated that for my first time but I want you to know that just as in everything else there are leaders and followers. Harry you are our family's leader. I and our children are your followers. I love you, where ever you lead I will follow you even in to the fires of hell itself."
"Hermione, I don't want nor need you to follow I want you to stand by my side and help guide me." Harry said surprised at the feelings rising inside of him at her words.
"I'm sorry Harry there can be only one captain on a ship, or on a team. You are my ships captain, my lead. Tonight I want you to claim you position. I want you to become my captain." Hermione said feeling his uncertainty she showed Harry a simple charm to allow them to share thoughts for a short period of time.
"Are you sure it's safe?"
"There has been only once instance of a problem and that was when a powerful wizard cast it on two people who didn't like each other. It drove them both insane. That was why it's not talked about or taught. I found it in one of the books in my library."
"How about if we cast it together?"
"That should work." Hermione replied picking up her wand. Together they cast the spell only to be hit with a rush of emotions and memories that weren't their own. 'This isn't what the book said to expect.' Hermione thought.
'Just another incident in the life of Harry bloody Potter.' She heard a voice in her mind say.
'Harry?'
'Who else? we did cast the spell together. Now start gathering your memories out of this mess.'
'How?'
'Not sure, when I did this during the Occlumency exercises we did this summer I visualized putting them in my school trunk.'
'Right this is just like that.' Hermione thought back before gathering her memories and stacking them on her mental library shelves. Occasionally she'd come across a memory that felt painful after checking the first few and finding out they were all from Harry's childhood, she decided to set any with that feeling aside and let Harry check them.
It was late when they finished and Harry said, "We can build the wall between us tomorrow. I am too tired to do that right now."
"Are you to tired to claim you captaincy?" Hermione asked dropping her blouse to the floor
The next morning Hermione rolled away from Harry. She'd certainly gotten her wish, Harry had laid claim to her and she had reveled in it. But the feeling of having him in her mind during the entire evening was something she really didn't want to part with.
'Neither do I love.'
'So how do we deal with this?'
'I'm too hungry to think.' Harry responded while Hermione had to agree his hunger pains were affecting her. Reaching over she picked up the bedside phone saying, "Two complete English breakfast's to this bungalow please." Feeling Harry's confusion she said, "Room service. They bring the meals to us."
"So we don't have to leave?" Harry asked with a sly smile on his face.
Hermione grinned she was thinking the same thing. "Tomorrow we should show up at one meal, just so the folks know we are alive." Hermione said adding the last part when she caught his thoughts.
By that evening they had a partially wall between their minds that allowed them to share thoughts when they wanted by "Tossing them over the wall." And at Hermione's request the wall had a weak spot that either one could break through should the need arise.
The following morning they weren't ready for people but Hermione's concerns about her folks found them leaving the bungalow by noon.
Jane noticed a change in the newlyweds when they showed up for lunch. She couldn't point to just one thing but the two of them were acting like a couple that had been married longer that just two days. They still touched and smiled at each other but it was more like they were just letting the other person know they were loved than the touching and blushing that newlyweds shared.
"What happened the last two days?" Jane asked looking at the two of them.
Hermione actually blushed saying, "Harry and I reached an understanding. It is amazing how much better something is once you are able to practice it."
Jane tried hard but couldn't keep the blush off her face at her daughter's words. "That is too much information dear." She replied as the table broke out in laughter.
"What do you want to do today?" Alan asked once they had quieted down.
"I was thinking a little shopping in the morning and just relaxing in the afternoon." Hermione said looking at Harry wearing the smile that had been a part of her since the wedding.
Harry was willing to go shopping but when Alan spoke up suggesting the two of them play a round of golf while the girls shopped he looked at Hermione to gage her reaction to her father's words before replying.
"Oh, go on. I knew you two were going to get in a few rounds of golf while we were down here when I saw the bags being unloaded at the airport." Hermione said trying to scold them and failing miserably.
"Without them around to complain we should be able to get a lot of the shopping we needed done." Jane said trying to put the best spin on the day's events.
A little while later Harry and Alan were walking up to the first tee with two other vacationers. The taller of the two men they were playing with said, "Isn't this a great course. I play it every time I come down."
"I do like the view." Alan answered carefully.
"It gets even better on the back nine. There's a beach back there that was quite interesting when we played this last week."
"How much longer are you here?" Harry asked deciding to speak up.
"Our family's headed out tomorrow. This is our last chance for a round before going back home. By the way I'm Tom and that's my father Jim." The shorter man said.
"Alan and Harry." Alan said motioning to Harry as he introduced him.
"You two related?"
"Harry is my son-in-law." Alan said watching their response. Pleased when it was only a quick double take at Harry who actually looked older than he was.
"Should be a friendly round then, the last couple we played with were brothers-in-law. Talk about two people going at each other for an entire round, wasn't any fun at all."
The problem happened on the 10th tee ever since he'd teed off the first time Jim had been on Harry's case about his drives only traveling 200 yards. "A young man like you should be driving 250 yards. Why Tom was driving 225 before he was in high school." Jim had said just before Harry had driven off the last tee. This time Tom and Jim had teed off and were walking down the path bordering the fairway as Harry stepped up addressed the ball 'calm down Harry. Jim's just a loud mouth like Draco relax and play your game you are beating them.' He thought to himself but the anger at his being embarrassed in front of Alan was barely under control.
Alan watched Harry's ball sail over the green and land in the ocean fifty yards from the beach. "Harry the green is only 350 yards away, that went over 550 yards."
"Sorry I'll do it again."
"Harry you don't understand no one drives the ball that far."
Harry looked at Alan a puzzled look on his face as he asked, "What about the professionals?"
"The longest drive in competition is 515 yard by Mike Austin at the 1974 US Senior Open" Alan replied seeing a look pass over Harrys face.
"Now I know where Hermione gets it." Harry replied a half smile breaking out.
"Hey that bit of trivia has won me more than a few pints at various clubs and pubs." Alan countered proudly.
"At least it is usful." Harry said then considered his swing. He thought he'd felt a little surge of power as he'd swung now that he thought about it but that shouldn't have allowed him to drive the ball that much harder.
Alan thought for a moment then said, "When you swung it was like a strobe light. I saw you start downward then the next thing I remember was you following through it was like you sped up as you hit the ball."
"Great another thing I've got to be careful about. I guess it's two off the tee for me on this hole."
"Right we'll tell them the wind knocked the ball off before you hit and you insisted on counting it as a stroke." Alan said knowing Harry's sense of fair play would cause him to insist on counting that stroke.
While down in the local village Jane was walking with Hermione more enjoying a relaxing day with her daughter than anything. "Mrs. Potter how are you two doing? I know this morning you said you had reached an understanding."
"Oh that, I've noticed that you tend to let dad think he's making the major decisions while insuring you get an outcome that you like."
Jane looked at her daughter realizing she had observed things a lot closer over the years than Jane had suspected. "True but don't tell your father."
"I won't. Harry and I reached an understanding along the same lines last night. I basically told him how I felt now that we were married."
"And how is that dear?"
"He was being careful not to do anything that might upset me, far too careful for my liking so I told him he was the head of our family and it was time for him to act like it."
"A risky statement young lady." Her mother cautioned.
"Not really I know Harry and trust him with my life. I wouldn't have said yes otherwise. I think you'll see some changes in him as he realizes we are not playing, this marriage is for keeps."
"If you need to come home you know you will always be welcome." Jane said resting her hand on her daughters.
"I believe the famous quote is: "…for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God…" That about sums up how I feel about Harry mum. I love him so much it scares me sometimes but where he goes I go," Hermione said going quiet as she walked with her mother.
Jane understood her daughter's position far better than she wanted to admit. When she announced her engagement to Alan her mother threw a fit questioning Jane's state of mind and calling him a useless rich snob who wouldn't be worth a damn without his father's money behind him. It took until Hermione's birth for her mother to be in the same room as Alan and it was until Jane pointed out that a three year old Hermione was questioning her about why her parents weren't saying hi to Alan that Jane's parents started to talk to him.
Watching her mother lost in thought Hermione decided to change the topic saying, "let's visit that shop it looks interesting."
"Which one?"
"The little one next to the coffee shop."
"There's a t-shirt shop next to the coffee shop." Jane said puzzled knowing her daughter was not for that type of souvenir.
With realization nagging at the back of her mind Hermione asked, "You can't see the shop between them?"
"No."
"Take my hand then. I'll lead the way," used to this from their visits to Diagon Alley Jane walked with her daughter into the shop.
A young girl sitting in a chair looked up from the book she was reading, looking the two arrivals over she asked "English?"
"Si." Hermione said.
"Mama, English," the girl called out her attention all ready returning to the book in her lap.
A woman about Jane's age emerged from behind a curtain and after a glance at the two women said, "Welcome to my shop. How did you find it?"
Hermione spoke up saying, "We were window shopping and saw your shop it looked interesting."
"I carry local crafts and ingredients. I also offer a delivery service should you need it."
"That might be useful but I'm short on Galleons," Hermione said carefully the answer she received would end all doubt in her mind.
"Not a problem I also take the local currency."
Hermione and her mother looked over the displays spotting a book that she was interested in she was about to ask the lady to retrieve it from it's high shelf when she noticed if floating down to her opened hand. A quick glance later she noticed it was a Wizarding history book long out of print and put it with the sunburn salve she'd picked up for Harry.
"Let me know if you have any complaints about the salve I make it out of local plants." The lady said totaling up their purchases. "That will be two Galleons six sickles or 16.85 Euros"
Hermione counted out the Euros then placed the package in her shopping bag as they resumed window shopping.