CHAPTER EIGHT
Summary: With the War finally won and a rapid decline in the wizarding population, drastic measures are taken in a bid to save Wizarding Britain with the introduction of a new Marriage Law. Under the law, Hermione is forced to marry at eighteen or face being exiled from the Wizarding World. She must learn to deal with her past and look forward to her future with rising Quidditch Star, Oliver Wood. Rated M for a reason.
Disclaimer: All original characters and canon events belong to J.K. Rowling. Non-canon events and characters are my own. I am not making any profit from posting this fanfic. Characters are likely to be OOC.
Updated: 05/02/19
Page count: 28
Wood Manor – Thursday 2nd July, 1998
Hermione and Oliver laughed as Hermione put Quaffle down and he ran through the grass, barking happily as he made for the lake, with them walking slowly behind them. After spending a little more time with his parents, Oliver had wanted to take Hermione back to the lake so they could watch the sunset.
They reached a spot not too far from the lake and Oliver removed his v-neck jumper and transfigured it into a blanket, laying it on the ground for them to sit on. They chuckled and shook their heads as they watched Quaffle put his paw in the water, splash water about before he jumped in and began swimming around.
"Brilliant, I only got him this evening and he's going to need a bath," she sighed and he snorted at her.
Hermione laid down on her back and looked up at the sky with Oliver following her actions and doing the same, lying down beside her.
"Were ye ever gunna tell mae aboot yer hidden wealth?" He asked her.
"It never came up, but when it did I would've told you. Why, does it matter?" She replied.
"Naw, it doesn't, but in order fer our soon tae be marriage tae work, we have tae be honest with each other."
"I haven't lied to you," she responded.
"But yer keeping things from mae."
"Only the things that are too painful to talk about. I promised you I would tell you and I will, but only when I'm ready to relive the memories."
"A'm sure they aren't tha' bad," he said softly.
"They are, Oliver, and if you knew half of the things that have happened to me...I wouldn't blame you for wanting to petition The Ministry for a new match."
"A wouldn't do tha'," he said with a frown.
"I would if I were you," she said honestly. "I'd petition for someone less damaged, less scarred and more beautiful, someone more suitable."
Oliver turned onto his side, supported himself on his elbow and he leaned over her so his head was above hers and he was looking down at her. She startled at his quick movements.
"Yer beautiful an' yer not damaged, jus' troubled," he said sincerely. She blushed at the expression he wore on his face as it hovered over hers. "As fer bein' scarred, what do ye mean? Mentally? Emotionally? Physically?"
"All of the above," she admitted in a whisper.
"A'll help ye tae deal with the mental an' emotional scars, but the physical scars are jus' scars, marking on ye body. Yer've survived a war an' they show tha' yer strong. They don' change anything. A have scars, tae."
"Yes, but I bet yours are from your childhood and from playing Quidditch."
"They are," he nodded. "Which makes them meaningless, whereas yers tell a story. Can a see them?" He asked and she shook her head. "Why?"
"They're not the nicest things to look at. I'm not ready to show you yet, and they're in places I wouldn't generally show to the public," she said and he chuckled.
"What aboot yer arms? A've noticed ye always cover them up," he said and it wasn't hard to miss the way she flinched.
"No," she said shaking her head and he frowned. "The worst of them all is on my left arm. Fred and George haven't even seen it," she said sadly. He felt a twinge of hope in him; maybe he would be the first person she would show it to.
"Even with scars yer beautiful," he said honestly and she blushed and shook her head. "Ye are,"
"You haven't seen them," she whispered sadly. "They're horrendous."
"A doubt it,"
To stop her protests, he leaned down and pressed his lips against hers softly. Instead of pulling away like he'd done with their previous kisses, he moved his lips against hers, encouraging her to respond and she did, after getting over her shock. She brought her hand up and rested it against his cheek, her thumb brushing over cheek bone gently and they action made his stomach drop.
He kissed her with slightly more force, testing the waters and Hermione reciprocated happily. He resisted the urge to slip his tongue into her mouth as to not scare her and he brought his other hand up to rest against her hip and he squeezed gently. Hermione sighed against his mouth and he smiled, until they were both jumped on by an over excited and soaking puppy, forcing them to pull away from each other. They both gasped in shock and laughed when Quaffle shook himself, sending water flying everywhere, including over them.
Oliver leaned back over Hermione, smiling as Quaffle draped himself over Hermione and licked her face.
"A don' think he likes mae takin' away yer attention," he said amused and chuckling.
Hermione laughed. "Well, he'll have to get used to it," she replied, scratching the puppy behind his ears before he barked and climbed off her, running back over to the lake and diving in happily. They laughed at him.
"I'll never be able to get him back to the flat," she sighed.
"Tha's okay; a saw the way me parents was looking at him. They'd gladly keep him here," he said amused.
"They're not getting my puppy," she said with a straight face and he chuckled at her.
"A didnae think ye would let them have him, yer like a momma bear," he said amused. She raised an eyebrow at him. "It's in yer nature tae look after people, a've seen it. The way ye are with Fred and George, the way ye were in school, an' the way ye are with Quaffle," he said fondly. He knew she would be a good mother and he found that it didn't bother him to think about having children with her.
"Do you want to play a game?" She asked him.
"What game?"
"Twenty questions but with a twist"
"An' what's the twist?" He asked intrigued.
"Instead of answering the questions ourselves, we each have to answer for each the other what we think their answer might possibly be. This way we're forced to think like each other and we have to use what we've learned of each other so far to predict our answers."
"Okay, let's do it," he nodded.
"You can go first," she offered.
"Alright then, favourite flower?" He asked. "A'm gunna go with roses."
She shook her head. "No, and I don't think you have one."
"Yer right, a don'. What's yers then if it isnae roses?"
"Sunflowers," she answered. "They seem to be everywhere and no matter what you do, they grow back and they grow in the most difficult of weathers. They're survivors," she said. He smiled taking into account her answer and filing it away for later. "Favourite food? Let's see, I'll say yours is spaghetti bolognaise."
He shook his head. "It's not, but a'm gunna say yers is a Sunday roast." She shook her head, indicating he was wrong. "Mine's beef stew. Yers?"
"Chicken poppet wraps," she replied.
"What? A don' even know what tha' is."
"It's something I invented when I was a child. It's basically tortilla wraps filled with beans and sausages, chicken poppet balls and mayonnaise. It's amazing and I've been eating them since I was eight years old. It's my specialty meal so I usually make it at least once a week, especially since the twins have taken a liking to them."
"Ye'll have tae make it fer mae," he commented.
"Oh believe me, I will. I can't go without my chicken poppet wraps," she said and he shook his head at her with a chuckle.
"Okay next, favourite dessert? A'm gunna say yers is treacle tart."
She shook her head. "No, but I'm going to go with cake and banana custard for yours."
"Hoo'd ye know?" He asked surprised.
She shrugged her shoulders. "I didn't really, it was just a guess, but it's my favourite, too. It's simple and I loved when the elves made it at Hogwarts. Actually, now that I think about it, I remember seeing you chose that over the other choices after dinner once. You weren't sitting too far down from me so I could easily see you," she mused and he looked at her in surprise. "Right, it's my turn, favourite book? I think yours is Quidditch Through The Ages."
"An' ye would be right," he nodded. He wasn't as surprised at her getting that one right, given his passion for Quidditch he would've been disappointed if she'd chosen anything else. "A know yes is Hogwarts, a History." He said confidently.
"How'd you know?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.
He chuckled. "Whenever a saw ye around school, ye always had yer nose buried in it. It always made mae laugh when a saw ye walking doon the corridors an' everyone would jus' move oot af yer way." She snorted at him. "Favourite fruit? A think yers is an apple."
"Correct, I think yours are blueberries," she replied.
"Naw, apples tae,o" he grinned at her. "Can a ask ye a question?"
"That's the whole point of the game," she said amused and he rolled his eyes at her.
"Naw, a mean a question tha' isnae a part af the game." She looked at him curiously and nodded. "Ye said tha' ye were allergic tae nuts an' coconut, what happens if ye were tae eat them?"
"I don't just have to eat them to be affected by them. If I touch them, eat them, or inhale the powder or dust off them, I'll go into anaphylactic shock."
"What's tha'?"
"It's my body's reaction to coming into contact with nuts and coconut. It affects people in different ways and some may suffer more than others, especially if they're not treated correctly or quickly enough. My throat may close up and I may have breathing difficulties, My tongue can swell up or I might break out in hives and my face may swell, too, and I could vomit or have abdominal pains."
His eyes widened, not expecting so many outcomes or the severity of them. "Hoo are ye treated? What if it happens when yer oot?"
Hermione lifted her hand and opened her beaded bag which she had put a Disillusionment Charm on. She pulled out her epi-pen and she showed it to him.
"This is my epinephrine pen, epi-pen for short. It's very easy to use. If I ever suffer from an allergic reaction, all you have to do it take this, give it a shake and remove the lid. You then put it against my skin, either on my thigh or hip, and you push this button on the end of the pen with your thumb and count to ten. After you then remove the pen, put the lid back on and push the pen down against a hard surface to reset it, and that's it. Do you think you can remember that?" She asked him. He nodded seriously, remembering everything she'd said and committing it to memory. "I always have one with me, as does Fred and George. I'll probably give one, too, for emergencies."
"If ye don' get this in time, what will happen?"
"I could die," she answered.
"I'll remember," he promised softly.
"I trust you," she said softly and he smiled widely at the statement. "Now, back to the game and I believe it's my turn. Favourite meat for a dinner? I think yours is lamb."
"Correct, a gunna go with beef fer yers."
"No, mine's lamb, too. It's your turn," she said.
"Favourite wild animal? A think yers is an elephant."
She shook her head. "It's not, and I think yours is a lion."
"Hoo'd ye know?" He asked.
"Gryffindor," she said, shrugging her shoulders and pointing at him, chuckling at his frown. "Why did you think mine would be an elephant?" She asked curiously.
"From what a learned on tha' trip around the zoo, elephants are family orientated an' wise, much like ye are."
Hermione smiled. "My favourite wild animal is an owl."
"Owls aren't wild animals," he said with a raised eyebrow.
"They are in the Muggle World," she replied and he chuckled at her.
"Why?"
"They're wise and represent transition, mystery, protection and intelligence. They're thought to be sacred to Athena, the Greek Goddess of wisdom. And they're free; they can soar through the clouds as high as they want, they can go where they want, they get to make choices in life and no one controls them. To me they represent freedom, which is something I've never had. We may use them as familiars and messengers, but they're still free. We don't force them to stay with us, they choose to."
"Alright, it's yer turn now," he reminded.
"Let's go with, favourite domestic animal? I think yours is a dog," she spoke.
"Then ye'd be correct. A'm not sure aboot ye," he admitted. "A'll say a dog seeing as ye have one."
"I don't actually have a favourite. I used to have a cat for my familiar, his name was Crookshanks but he died in the war," she said sadly. "What about you, did you have a familiar?"
"A had an owl when a was a child, he died af old age a few years back. His name was Feathers." She giggled at him. "A was six when a named him," he defended, but he had no malice or hurt in his tone, and he marvelled in her giggling.
"I'm sorry, but Feathers? Seriously?" She giggled loudly.
Oliver playfully scowled at her as he sat up and before Hermione had registered what had happened, he was tickling her and she was squealing and laughing loudly, trying to wriggle free from his attack.
"Quaffle! Help me!" She squealed through her laughter.
They heard him bark and he ran over to them, jumped on top of Hermione and she squealed as Quaffle playfully growled at Oliver and then he turned his attention to Hermione and began licking her face as Oliver continued to tickle her whilst laughing at her.
"Quaffle, you're meant to protect me, not like me! Traitor!" She said through squeals and laughter, but he continued to lick her and Oliver didn't relent in his tickling attack either, Quaffle weight helping to pin her down and keeping her in place.
~000~000~000~
Unbeknownst to them, Mr. and Mrs. Wood had decided to follow them to the lake and see how the two interacted without company. They'd just arrived and they were smiling widely and chuckling as they watched Hermione being attacked by both Oliver and Quaffle with no sign of either of them letting up as the laughing witch was pinned to the ground by the large puppy.
"She's perfect fer him," Mrs. Wood said wistfully. "A never thought he would find someone."
"He's only twenty-two, Beth," Mr. Wood chuckled. "A've known wizards tae not find the one they're destined tae be with until they were one hundred an' ten years old."
"Still, they're perfect fer each other; a'm grateful they were paired tagether. Ye can see it in the way they are now, they love each other."
"Let's not get ahead af ourselves," he said amused.
"But they do, jus' look at them. They may not realise it yet but they do love each other."
"A still think yer poking at somethin' tha' isnae yet there."
"When did ye realise ye loved me?" She asked her husband, already knowing the answer as he told her often.
It was one of the reasons she loved him so much. He wasn't afraid to tell her how he felt and he always showered her with love and affection. Even when they were younger and Oliver had yet to be born, he was never afraid of what others would say to him. He was never embarrassed about admitting his feels for her, even in front of his friends who'd taunt and tease him relentlessly.
"A knew from the moment a met ye tha' a would marry ye an' love ye fer the rest af mae life," he said honestly and she smiled at him.
"As did a, an' tha's hoo a know they love each other. They jus' havnae realised it yet," she sighed, leaning into her husband's side. "They'll be a beautiful family, an' a cannae wait fer them tae have children an' fer a'thing tae fall in tae place."
"Yer gettin' way ahead af yerself," he said, shaking his head at his wife fondly. "Let's leave them tae it an' head back inside."
~000~000~000~
"Do ye admit tha' ye were making fun af me six year old self?" Oliver asked playfully.
"Yes," she said through her laughter.
"Do ye promise not tae do it again?" He asked. She didn't answer and he smirked. "Do ye promise not tae do it again?" He repeated amused.
"I promise not to do it again tonight," she said. He snorted at her.
"Well, tha's as good as a'm gunna get."He relented in tickling her and he laid down beside her once more as she struggled to get her breath back, and Quaffle jumped off her and ran back over to the lake to chase after the ducks.
"That was mean," she said, turning her head to look at him.
"It was justified an' now a know tha' yer ticklish, tha' can come in handy," he replied. She scowled at him and he chuckled.
"You're forgetting I know more hexes than there are listed in the books in the Hogwarts library." His face dropped. "Exactly, my dear, Ollie," she smirked.
"Ollie?" He questioned and she shrugged in response. "It sounds weird," he said scrunching his face up and Hermione laughed at how cute he looked.
"You don't like it?" She asked playfully.
"Naw, a don',"
"Too bad, Ollie" she said, he scowled at her. "Ollie...Ollie...Ollie," she sang.
He leaned down and kissed her again, cutting off her speech. His hand buried itself in her soft curls, while hers went to his cheek and the side of his neck. He happily deepened the kiss, still restraining himself from reaching out and licking her lip and slipping his tongue into her mouth. He pulled away slightly and stared into her large, soft chocolate brown eyes, which he was sure, would be the end of him.
"Do you really hate it?" She questioned quietly.
"When other people call me it a do, but with you, a suppose it isnae so bad. Yer different, Hermione," he admitted softly, pushing some of her hair away from her face tenderly.
"You called me Hermione," she said quietly in surprise. He'd never called her that!
He smiled at her softly. "A did," he nodded. "What do people call ye?"
"Some used to call me 'Mione or Hermy, but I hated it. Fred and George call me Mia, but everyone else just uses my name."
"Then a guess a have tae be creative," he muttered against her mouth before he kissed her again sweetly. She sighed happily and he pulled away and looked at her with a soft smile. "A've got it," he said triumphantly.
"Hmm?" She hummed in question.
"Sparrow," he answered proudly.
"Sparrow?"
"Aye, sparrow. A've been reading up on animals an' their symbolic meanings since yer gunna teach mae hoo tae cast a patronus. A read aboot the sparrow an' it symbolises adaptability, problem solving an' bein' able tae cope in hard situations. People go tae ye in the hardest af times fer support an' ye have the ability ta calm people, even withoot realising yer doin' it. Yer calm an' collected unless ye feel threatened. Sparrows are protective an' unique an' mysterious. It's perfect fer ye," he said and Hermione smiled softly. "An' they're small," he added.
"I'm not small, I'm average height, thank you very much," she said, playfully sniffing in disdain and scowling at him. He laughed at her. "You should do that more often."
"What?" He asked smiling.
"That," she said, using her finger to trace his lips and the corner of his mouth twitched at the action. "Smile and laugh. You're too serious all the time. Take it from someone who didn't have the opportunity to laugh and smile, life's too short to be serious. You love your job, it's your dream. And yes, you should take it seriously, but you should enjoy it, too. You'll get the most out of life that way. Besides, you look handsome when you smile."
"A do?" He asked smugly.
"Alright, you'll not be getting compliments from me if your ego's going to inflate," she spoke and he smiled at her cheekily.
"Ye really are wise beyond yer years," he said quietly.
At that point Quaffle came running over to them and he flopped down on the end of the blanket and fell asleep close to their feet. Hermione chuckled and then turned her attention back to Oliver.
"I've lived through a war; I've plenty of life lessons and rules to teach you."
"Such as?" He said with a raised eyebrow.
"Rule number three...Never eat my digestive biscuits unless I offer you one," she said seriously and he laughed at her.
"A'm guessing they'e a muggle biscuit an' someone ate one withoot yer permission."
"George," she nodded. "I Bat Bogied him until he ran into a wall and knocked himself unconscious," she said and he burst out laughing.
"A'll take tha' in tae account. Any more rules?"
"Only about sixty of them,"
"Should a take notes?" He asked playfully.
"That would be best for your safety," she nodded and he chuckled at her.
"Well, thanks fer the warning, a've a feeling a needed it."
They both stared at each other with soft looks on their faces as he was still leaning over her, from his place laid by her side. They both felt a major shift in their relationship and knew that their feelings for each other had deepened.
"A wanted tae talk tae ye aboot somethin'," he said.
"We are talking," she frowned in confusion.
"Aboot somethin' else, somethin' important."
"Alright, what is it?"
"A wanted tae talk aboot ye moving in with mae...Before the wedding." He noticed her eyes widen and a panicked expression crossed her face, so he rushed to explained himself. "Jus' hear mae oot?" He pleaded and she nodded, stunned. "We're getting married in less than a month, if ye move in with mae now we'll have the chance tae get used tae each other, tae learn each others' habits an' learn tae over look them. We'll learn tae be comfortable around each other, an' by the time the wedding comes around we can transition smoothly in tae the marriage phase withoot a problem. We can get on with our lives withoot any interruptions, but if we wait until after the wedding tae move ye in, we'll be walkin' on egg shells around each other, an' tha' not what a want fer us."
"It makes sense," she said quietly.
"But?" He prompted, having the feeling there was more she wished to say.
"I don't know if I'm ready to leave Fred and George yet," she said softly, not wanting to upset him. "They're the only people I've ever been able to count on not to leave me, or to be angry with me for something I did to keep them safe. I have too much to do before I leave, and I have to prepare the twins for it and teach them how to look after themselves. I'm not having them living off food from The Leaky Cauldron and Mrs. Weasley." She noticed his features pulled into a frown and sighed. "But I'll talk to them and see what they think about it."
He smiled widely. "Tha's all a ask," he said quietly.
"Where do you live?" She asked, realising that she didn't know.
"In an apartment in London, so ye won't be far away from the twins."
"An apartment? Are you sure there's enough space for Quaffle? And what about the landlord? Will he allow Quaffle in the building? I know some landlords can be funny about having animals in their properties."
Oliver chuckled at her. "A promise there's enough space fer him, even when he gets tae the size af a small hippogriff. An' me landlord's fine with Quaffle living with us."
"How do you know?"
"Trust mae, a know."
~000~000~000~
Weasley's Wizard Wheezes
Oliver floo'd into the twins' flat to see the living room empty, and he was carrying a sleeping Hermione in his arms. He smiled down at her softly and Quaffle was stood by his side, his tail wagging back and forth and his tongue lolling out of the side of his mouth.
Oliver walked into Hermione's room and curiously his eyes took in his surroundings. It was simple, with a white wardrobe, chest of drawers and beside table and a double bed. The walls were white and it had cream carpeting. There were books stacked on top of each other covering half of the floor, her bedside table and the top of her chest of drawers. He smiled and shook his head; he hadn't expected anything else. He walked over to her bed and carefully laid her down in the middle of the mattress, where he removed her bag and put it on the floor and he transfigured her clothing into a long sleep shirt. He covered her with her blanket and then lifted Quaffle onto the bed.
"Keep her safe from her nightmares," he said quietly, and as if to prove he had magical abilities, the dog nodded and then laid down in front of Hermione.
Hermione sighed and put her arm around Quaffle and she snuggled against him. Oliver chuckled and walked out of the room and closed the door.
"What were you doing in there, Oliver?" Fred and George said in unison and Oliver startled and turned to glare at the smirking twins.
"Don' do tha'," he hissed. "A could've woken Hermione."
"Hermione, eh?" Fred said with a raised eyebrow.
"Well tha' is her name," Oliver replied.
"Yeah, but you call her 'Granger.' Why the sudden change?" George asked amused.
"A have tae go, a've trainin'," he muttered. "Her shoes are in her bag."
The twins laughed as he stormed over to the fireplace and floo'd home. Fred closed the floo network for the night and they peaked their heads into Hermione's room to check on her. They smiled when they saw her cuddled up with Quaffle, who looked at them when the door opened.
"Watch out for her, Quaffle," George said, once more the dog nodded.
They closed the door behind them. "Best gift we've ever given" Fred said proudly and George nodded in agreement.
~000~000~000~
Weasley's Wizards Wheezes - Friday 3rd July, 1998
Hermione was sat the kitchen table with the twins eating dinner. They'd a busy day and she was exhausted.
"What's the matter, Mia?" Fred asked her; she'd been acting strangely all day.
"Nothing," she muttered.
"We know you, Mia; did you really think that would work?" George said with a raised eyebrow.
Hermione sighed and pushed her untouched plate of food away from her. "It's Oliver," she spoke.
"What did he do?" George stiffened, gripping his fork tightly in his hand a slight growl wrapping around his words.
"We saw him sneaking out of your room last night. If he hurt you, I swear..." Fred said in a dangerous tone.
"He hasn't done anything," she defended and they both calmed at her words. "I fell asleep and he put me to bed last night, that's it," she rolled her eyes.
"Then what's the matter?" Fred asked confused.
"He wants me to move in with him," she admitted.
"Well you don't have a choice," George said bitterly, thinking of the stipulations of the law Hermione was being forced to follow.
"No, he wants me to move in with him now, before the wedding."
They stared at her. "What?" They both whispered.
"He wants me to move in with him so that we can learn to be comfortable around each other. After the wedding he wants us to be able to transition into our marriage easily and comfortably without any interruptions."
"What do you think?" George asked her quietly.
She bit her lip. "It makes sense, there shouldn't be any awkwardness, but I'm not ready to leave. I only have twenty-seven days till my wedding and I don't want to leave you yet. I love living with you; you're my family," she said sadly and a tear fell down her cheek.
Fred and George stood up and walked around the table to her side. They pulled her out of her seat and hugged her between them.
"We'll always be family no matter where you live and we'll always love you. You're our little sister," Fred said softly and she cried into his shirt.
"I think you should do it. We'll miss you, but your happiness comes first and you get to that point by taking chances," George said, rubbing circles on her back comfortingly.
"But I'm happy here," she sniffled.
"And you can't stay here forever, as much as we want you to, you can't," Fred said sadly.
"But we'll see you every day and we'll visit you all the time. Like we said, you can't get rid of us," George said.
"So I'm doing it?"
"You're doing it," they confirmed and she cried louder.
"I have so much to do."
"We'll help you get everything sorted," Fred said.
"No, I have so much to do for you. I have so much cooking to do to last you at least a week." They laughed at her.
"Owl Oliver and let him know the news, you can use one of the shop owls," George said.
She nodded, pulled away from them, kissed their cheeks and walked away into her bedroom with Quaffle following behind her. The twins looked at each other sadly.
"She's leaving," Fred whispered.
"We knew this was coming."
"Yeah, but I thought we still had a month to prepare."
"Oliver's right, it's what's best for her. We want her to be happy and comfortable, and moving in with him before the wedding might even encourage her to open up to him. There's still things she's hiding from us and maybe she'll tell him. She can't get better unless she learns to deal with the past, and Oliver can help her with that."
"We promised to take care of her," Fred muttered.
"And we have taken care of her, but now it's Oliver's turn. Just because she's getting married doesn't mean we can't still protect her. You know, usual big Weasley Twin brother's protection?"
Fred smiled slightly at his twin's words. "If he hurts her..."
"Then we'll make him regret it for the rest of his life. No one hurts, Mia. Not now, not ever." George promised.
~000~000~000~
Oliver stepped out of the floo to see Hermione and the twins sat in the living room on the floor around the coffee table and playing a muggle game of cards. Quaffle was draped over Hermione's crossed legs, but when he saw Oliver he bounded over to him and Oliver scratched his head. He noticed the sombre tension in the air and Hermione's tear stained face and he walked slowly towards them.
"Oliver," the three greeted in unrehearsed unison and he blinked in surprise and then shook his head.
"Fred, George, Hermione," he greeted and then he sat down next to Hermione, with Quaffle climbing back onto Hermione's crossed legs.
"What we playing?"
"Poker, it's a muggle game," Fred said and then he groaned when they all put their hands down on table and Hermione smirked at them, and took the winnings from the middle of the coffee table; the winnings being a huge pile of muggle and wizarding candy.
Hermione picked up a sugar quill and handed a liquorice wand to Oliver, knowing that it was his favourite. He smiled and took it.
"Want to play?" She asked, as she shuffled the deck of cards and nibbled on her sugar quill.
"Okay," he agreed.
"Great, I'll teach you," she said and she dealt out the cards.
It didn't take long for Hermione to teach him how to play and he was soon playing his own hand. And it didn't take long for Hermione to wipe the floor with all three of them.
"Yer cheating. Ye have tae be," Oliver said, after thirty minutes of playing and getting beaten for the umpteenth time. In all honesty, he'd lost count.
"No, I'm not," she spoke, shuffling the deck again as it was her turn to deal the next hand.
"I agree with Oliver, you're cheating," Fred said, eyeing her strangely while George watched her hands carefully as she dealt out the cards.
"No, I'm not. Cheaters never prosper and cheaters only cheat themselves," she shrugged. "You're all just rubbish and I can tell when you're bluffing."
Oliver finally decided to broach the subject of Hermione moving in with him.
"So, are ye sure ye want tae move in with me?" He asked and he threw out the cards he didn't want and Hermione gave him the correct amount in return.
"We've all spoken about it and we've agreed it's the best chance we have of making our marriage work," Hermione replied.
"Don't think that because she isn't living here anymore that we won't be visiting and making sure our Mia's happy," Fred said seriously.
"Yeah, and that means we're having dinner at yours at least four times a week," George informed him.
"Four times a week? Don' threaten mae," Oliver joked and it broke some of the tension and they all laughed. "A don' expect Hermione tae cut ye oot af her life, anno what ye mean tae her an' how important ye are in her life. It jus' means tha' a have tae be prepared tae allow ye twa in tae me apartment. A'll be checking ev'ry room ev'ry night fer any hidden joke products."
"Yes, you will," the twins promised.
"Although it's not us you should be worried about," Fred said, looking pointedly to Hermione and she smiled innocently at Oliver and he shivered slightly in fear.
"Now you're getting it," George chuckled.
"I know I said I wanted to move in now, but I want to wait a few days. Sometime next week, maybe? That way we'll still have three weeks and I have time to prepare the twins for my leaving."
"Prepare?" Oliver raised an eyebrow.
"Do you have any idea how much food I need to cook to keep them going through the week?" He shook his head amused at her frightful expression. "A lot, enough to feed your entire Quidditch team...Including the reserves...Twice over!"
"Don't be ridiculous, Mia," George scoffed.
"Yeah, you forgot to include the wives and girlfriends, too." Fred joked and they laughed at him.
"I didn't know you could cook," Oliver said to Hermione.
She shrugged. "I do my best, but I'm no Mrs. Weasley."
"Don't go there, Mia, you're a great cook, and an even better baker," George said scoffing.
"Yeah, your baking's better than mum's." A fearful look found its way onto Fred's face when he realised what he'd said. "Don't tell her I said that," he said and they snorted at him.
"So, next week?" Oliver asked.
She nodded. "Tuesday, maybe?"
"A'll floo over after training tae pick ye up."
"Mrs. Weasley isn't going to be happy," Hermione muttered.
The twins shivered and her face paled; they all knew Mrs. Weasley's thoughts on cohabitation before marriage, and it wasn't a pretty sight to witness when her disapproving tone made itself known, as did her wooden spoon.
~000~000~000~
Weasley's Wizard Wheezes - Tuesday 7th July, 1998
Oliver floo'd to the twins' flat and stepped out into the living room to see that Fred and George were sat on the couch with sad looks on their faces, and Quaffle bounded out of Hermione's room and he ran straight to Oliver, who crouched down and greeted the dog as he scratched his head.
"Before Hermione comes out," Fred said as he and George stood and walked over to them. "We need to talk about a few things."
"Alright," Oliver nodded, standing up and Quaffle sat on the floor with his tail wagging, looking up at them.
"First of all, if you hurt her in any way or make her do something she doesn't want to do, we will find out, and we'll make you regret it for the rest of your life." George warned in a dangerous tone and Oliver shuffled on his feet and Quaffle growled in agreement. "And you've likely got a hundred and thirty years left of it, that's a lot of newly invented products just for you."
"Of course you'll have to deal with the guard dog first," Fred spoke and Quaffle barked his agreement.
"A won't hurt her or make her do anything she doesnae want tae do," Oliver assured them.
"Good, the next thing is to make sure that you monitor her food intake the best you can. Her food portions have increased by about three mouthfuls and that might not seem like a lot, but for Hermione it is," Fred said and Oliver nodded.
"Make sure that she weighs herself regularly, too, we need to know that her weight's increasing," George said and he nodded again. "When she has a nightmare, and she will, you make sure that you floo call us immediately." Oliver nodded again.
"Don't let her criticise herself, don't let her get trapped in her own mind and don't allow her to feel sadness or despair. She'll go into a depressed state and it'll take a while to break her out of it, if we can broke her out of it," Fred said. "Make sure she drinks at least four glasses of juice, milk or water a day. She prefers milk. Make sure that she doesn't lock her bedroom door at night. If you have to, wait until she falls asleep and then dismantle any Locking Charms she's erected."
"Don't let her put up Silencing Charms either. Again if you have to, wait until she falls asleep and then dismantle them. And don't let her take any Sleeping Potions," George said as Fred handed Oliver a muggle note book.
"What's this?" Oliver asked confused.
"A list of Locking and Silencing spells Hermione uses, along with their counter charms and wand movements. A diary of her weight since she moved in with us, if you look you'll see that she's doing really well despite the circumstances. When she moved in she weighed under seven stone and our target is around nine and a half stone. At that point you can stop monitoring her. It's also a diary of her food intake so you can see how she's improved over the weeks. Make sure you fill it in regularly, but don't let her catch you writing in this book or with it or you'll get hexed," Fred explained.
Oliver looked at them in surprise; he had no idea the twins did so much for Hermione, that they'd been secretly caring for her in the way they had been. By the sounds of it, Hermione probably didn't know either seeing as they were warning him not to get caught.
"It also contains a list of food and drink Hermione doesn't like the taste of, the smell of and what makes her want to throw up. It contains a list of things to say and do when she has a nightmare and how to calm her down. It also has her schedule in there; when she works, when she goes shopping, her eating and sleeping habits, things like that. It contains things that you should avoid mentioning at least for now, it has a list of things she's afraid of and it explains how to avoid facing her temper. And there's a list of things she's allergic to and how to treat her for anaphylactic shock," George said.
Oliver stared at them with his mouth parted. He'd never seen the twins so serious and caring. He looked down at the book, feeling grateful for the invaluable information it contained.
"Thank ye," he said sincerely. "She's already told mae she's allergic tae nuts an' coconut an' how tae use an epi-pen. She mentioned tha' ye each have one fer emergencies an' tha' she'll give mae one tae."
Fred and George looked at each other silently. "Is that all she's told you she's allergic to?" George asked.
"Nuts and coconut?" Fred questioned.
"Aye, why?" Oliver replied in confusion.
"No reason," they said quickly and he frowned.
"Ye really do a lot fer her," Oliver observed.
"Like we said, she's more of a sister to us than Ginny, regardless of her blood," Fred said seriously and with tired eyes; he looked like he hadn't slept in days. "And she does even more for us, it's only fair that we make sure she's safe and healthy."
"We love her and we can honestly say that if we had to choose between them, we'd pick Hermione," George said with equally tired eyes. "Now, we've seen the size of your apartment, do you have a house-elf?"
"Aye," he nodded.
Fred and George looked at each other amused. "Does Hermione know?" Fred asked.
"Tha' a have a house-elf? Naw, a don' think so, why?"
"No reason," they said with a smirk and Oliver looked at them suspiciously.
They heard Hermione approaching and they knew it was time. The twins sighed and then they crouched down in front of Quaffle.
"We're going to miss you," George said, scratching his head and Quaffle made a whining sound.
He was going to miss the twins; they looked after his owner when she cried and screamed in the night and they scratched his head when he whimpered. They fed him bacon and pancakes when Hermione wasn't looking and let him play with shoes, which he had no idea where they got them from, but he suspected it was their older brother, Percy. Quaffle had met the rest of The Weasleys including Charlie the previous Sunday, when they took him to The Burrow and he liked them all. He understood that they were his owner's family and that they would never hurt her. And Charlie played tug of war with him in the garden, Bill played fetch with him and Fleur fed him food from her plate under the table. He liked her and he could sense that she had a pup in her stomach.
"But we'll visit you all the time and I'm sure Hermione will bring you to work. We don't mind as long as you stay out of the potions lab and work area, you don't try to escape out the door and you don't bite the customers," Fred said, scratching his back and Quaffle barked in agreement.
They'd allowed him on the shop floor once before, but when they opened up he tried to escape and was sent back upstairs. They checked on him regularly and gave him new things to play with, but he was never allowed down stairs after that.
"Take care of our girl for us," they said quietly. Quaffle whined again and then he licked their faces and they smiled. "Thanks," they smiled sadly.
Hermione drew their attention as she walked out of her room with her beaded bag slung over her shoulder and she had tears rolling down her face.
"Sorry," she said with a watery laugh and she wiped her tears away. "Merlin, I've cried more these last few days than I have in my entire life." They chuckled at her.
"Ye ready tae go?" Oliver asked her, smiling softly. He knew it was hard for her to give up her life with the twins for him and that only cemented his growing feelings for her. She nodded and then turned to the twins.
"I know we've been saying goodbye for the last few days, but I'm really going to miss you," she said and they hugged her between them tightly.
"Nothing's going to change," Fred promised her.
"You're just moving into another apartment. You'll be down the road if you need us and you'll see us when you have a nightmare."
"Don't bother taking a potion or putting up charms, we've already warned Oliver to check for them," George said. She sighed, kissed their cheeks and then pulled away and she walked over to Oliver.
He took her hand in his and smiled at her softly. Fred and Oliver noticed the movement and smiled slightly.
"Remember, when using the toaster the bread goes in for a minute and a half. If it isn't done when you take it out, put it back in for thirty seconds. If it isn't done when you take it out again, then you're idiots because you forgot to turn the toaster on," Hermione told them and Oliver chuckled. "Don't change the settings; keep the dial turned to two. Make sure the milk is used within three days of opening otherwise you'll be in bed with stomach pains for being muppets and drinking out of date milk." Again Oliver chuckled. "Use Heating Charms on the food that I've placed in the fridge and freezer, stop when it starts to smoke lightly; it means that it's done and not that it's cold because the smoke isn't filling the room. Cook your bacon in the frying pan for five minutes on each side on the medium setting. Remember that if it's pink it's still raw and you forgot to turn the oven on. Remember to put oil in the frying pan and to bin the old oil regularly. When you turn on the oven, find the correct gas dial for the correct corner of the oven, turn it and then press the button, otherwise just use the gas and an Incendio. But be careful that you don't hurt yourselves or the kitchen," she said with tears rolling down her face, and they nodded at her with soft and sad expressions.
"We'll be over for dinner at least four times a week," George promised.
"A'll have yer names spelled on tae chairs at the kitchen table," Oliver joked.
"Be sure that you do, we wouldn't want you to get us mixed up," Fred spoke.
"A can tell ye apart now," he said smugly and Fred and George smirked. They both pushed their shaggy hair behind their ears and Oliver's eyes widened. They both had two ears.
"Hoo?" He asked in disbelief.
"Hermione," they said and he looked at her to see her shrugging.
"By the way, Fred's wearing the blue shirt and George the white," she informed him.
"Ye can tell them apart?" He asked surprised.
"She's the only person that can," George said, and they smiled proudly.
Oliver shook his head and then he walked over to the floo with Hermione and Quaffle following him. Hermione picked up the puppy and held him in her arms.
"A'll have ye keyed in tae mae floo network fer easy access," Oliver promised and the twins nodded.
"We'll see you later," they said to Hermione and she nodded sadly.
"I love you," she said. A pang of jealousy hit Oliver at hearing her say those words so easily to the twins.
"We love you, too," they responded, before they floo'd out of the apartment.
Fred and George looked at each other.
"Well that's it, she's gone," Fred sighed.
"Yeah, she is," George agreed sadly.
"She didn't tell him about all her allergies?"
"I suspect it's because she would have to tell him why she's allergic and she's not ready for that."
"She'll have to tell him, it's dangerous for her not to," Fred pointed out.
"If she doesn't tell him within a week, we'll tell him ourselves," George said and Fred nodded in agreement.
"He didn't tell her he has a house-elf," Fred said, now grinning.
"Sucker," they both chuckled.
~000~000~000~
Wood Apartment
Hermione's eyes widened as she and Oliver stepped out of the floo and into a large open space.
"What the hell? Why would you need this much space?" She gasped and Oliver chuckled at her. "This room's bigger than my parents' entire house."
The room was massive with white marble flooring and white walls, and there were large floor to ceiling windows covering the length of the room, rather than there being a back wall. In the middle of the room sat a large white corner suite with two puffy chairs placed in front of the couch, perfect for resting your feet on. A matching white four seater couch faced the corner suite and a white matching arm chair next to the couch, creating an almost rectangular shaped seating area, with a glass coffee table in the middle of the seating arrangement. Off in the right corner of the room was a large wooden table pressed up against the wall and Oliver's fish tank sat proudly on top of it.
Before she moved further into the room, Hermione put Quaffle down and he ran around the room happily, barking as he skidded along the floor. She left him to it and walked off to the left of the room and she saw a black marble breakfast bar that separated the room from the kitchen. The kitchen walls were black and white and there were large white cupboards on the walls as well as some under the black marble counter tops which were in the shape of an 'L', and there were two sinks, white drawers and a large black double oven, too. A wooden kitchen table that seated eight people sat off to the right and the floor was white marble, matching the living area. She then noticed that there were a few muggle appliances around the room, too. A black double door fridge-freezer sat in the corner of the room, and a black kettle, toaster and microwave were positioned on the counter tops.
Oliver was leaning back against the breakfast bar with his arms crossed over his chest, smiling at the way Hermione was taking in the kitchen with small gasps and wide eyes. Fred and George had told him that she loved to be in the kitchen almost as much as she loved to read, so he'd made sure to have it renovated before she moved in. And with the help of a little magic and some wizarding contractors, they were able to get it done in only two days.
"Why do you have muggle appliances?" She asked as she turned around to once more face him.
"A had help from the twins. A want ye tae feel comfortable here an' a wanted tae incorporate a part af yer muggle heritage intae our home. It's a part af ye an' it shouldn't be suppressed."
Hermione smiled at him softly. "You didn't have to go to all that trouble."
"A know, but a want our children tae learn aboot both worlds, the majority af the time they'll be here, but we can take them tae the Muggle World at every chance we get."
Hermione faltered slightly at his words when he mentioned children, how was she supposed to tell him that she might not be able to give him children?
Oliver noticed her reaction but he pushed it aside thinking she was just nervous about the topic.
"Thank you, I really appreciate it."
Oliver watched her as she approached him and she surprised him when she wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him. He quickly recovered and wrapped his arms around her and out of instinct he placed a kiss to her forehead. Hermione smiled widely at his action.
Oliver took the chance to breath in her scent; strawberries, vanilla and honey. How had he not noticed how good she smelled? It was feminine, fruity and subtle. He didn't think she wore perfume so it must've been her shower gel or shampoo.
"The only problem is we couldn't figure oot hoo tae get them tae work around magic. They keep overheating," Oliver spoke.
"That's okay; I created a spell so that muggle appliances can work around magic. That's how they work in the twins' flat."
"Yer've created a spell?" He said sounding surprised.
She nodded against his chest. "I've created a fair few, they've come in handy."
"Like what?" He asked intrigued.
"Later," she replied as she pulled away from him. "Do you mind if I nosy around? I'm going to nosy around," she said, not waiting for him to answer.
She all but ran out of the kitchen and back into the living area and she skidded on the marble floor, squeaking when she almost fell over and Oliver laughed at her when she steadied herself by gripping onto the back of the couch. Hermione noticed the large fireplace on the wall, close by the only door in the middle of the wall which she suspected to be the entrance if you weren't using the floo. She then looked to her left and noticed a corridor; she looked at Oliver and then walked towards it and down the corridor. He laughed at her excited expression as he followed after her.
She decided to start with the last room at the end of the corridor and she opened it. It was a large empty room with white walls and a cream carpet, and it had two bay windows. There was no colour, no furniture and no items inside.
"Why is this empty?" She asked.
He shrugged. "A havnae decided what tae do with it. Why, do ye have something' in mind?"
"I don't know, maybe," she said. He raised an eyebrow.
She smiled cheekily and left the room, moving over to the door closest to her left and it opened up to a bathroom. It had a large shower with glass doors, a sunken bathtub the size of a small swimming pool, a sink and an overhead mirrored door cabinet, and a toilet. There was no colour scheme to it, the walls and floor being white so she assumed it probably wasn't used often.
She closed the door and moved onto the next one, opening it to reveal a bedroom. It had a queen-sized bed, with a bay window, a bedside table and a walk in closet. The walls were white as was the carpet.
She turned around so she was facing the other wall and she opened the first door, revealing another bedroom that was identical to the first one, and when she opened the second door on the right side, it revealed yet another bedroom, also being identical. She shrugged her shoulder and then walked back down the corridor and into the living area and she noticed another corridor on the opposite side of the room. She walked over to it and started with the first door on her right instead of walking to the very end; she got the feeling it would be Oliver's room.
She opened the door to reveal yet another empty room, with light laminate flooring, white walls and bay windows.
"What about this room?" She asked him and he shrugged.
"A havnae decided what tae do with this room either. Ye have an idea?"
"Maybe, I don't know yet," she replied.
She moved onto the room on her left and opened it, revealing yet another bedroom that was identical to the others. When she opened the door next to it, that also revealed a bedroom, yet this one was different. It had the some bay windows, queen-sized bed and walk in closet, but it was decorated in soft purples and ivory. The bed covers were ivory with purple accents and had purple cushions placed strategically on the bed. There was a desk along the wall with a matching chair tucked underneath, and the bay window had purple and ivory cushions thrown on it, and finally there was a large dog bed on the floor and close to the bed.
"This is yer room," Oliver spoke from behind her. She startled and he chuckled at her.
"You didn't have to go to all this trouble," she said quietly, turning around to look at him.
"A know, tha's why a had it decorated. A dinnae do it; if a did a'thing would be hideous. A paid someone tae do it fer mae, a supervised," he grinned and she chucked at him.
"I doubt it would've been that bad. I mean, you've seen the joke shop."
"Fair point," he nodded with an amused smile.
"You do realise that Quaffle will probably just sleep in the bed, right?"
"Aye, but ye never know. And this isnae the best part yet; a have one last surprise fer ye," he said grinning.
He took her by the hand and gently tugged her out of the room and he closed the door behind them. He frowned when she skipped his room at the end of the corridor and went straight for the final room opposite her bedroom.
"Yer not gunaa look in tha' one?"
"No," she shook her head.
"Why?"
"I know that's your bedroom and we're all entitled to our privacy, therefore I'm not going to go searching through your room."
"Ye won't be sharing a room with mae?"
She shrugged her shoulders. "When I've got that lovely and newly decorated one you've just gifted me?" She said, catching his frown. "But that doesn't mean that I won't in the future."
"Jus' not yet?"
"Maybe,"
"A can live with a maybe," he nodded to himself.
"Like you had a choice," she snorted to herself, before she opened the door and a gasp of surprise fell from her lips. She stepped into the room and Oliver smiled at her reaction.
She was in a library. There was a soft beige carpet, the top half of the walls were beige and the bottom half were cream. A cream coloured couch and two matching arm chairs sat in the middle of the room, with a round coffee table placed between them. A fireplace sat in the centre of the left wall with a cream plush rug on the ground in front of it. The windows were high up in the room and from the windows down, covering the entire right wall and the back walls were bookcases. A third of the bookcases were filled and she could see that they had been clearly labelled with sections from Quidditch to history of magic to magical law to muggle literature.
Hermione turned to Oliver with her eyes tearing up. "Please tell me you didn't just do this for me," she said quietly.
He shrugged his shoulders. "Not entirely, a needed the space tae put all af me Quidditch play books an' me parents are always complaining there's nothin' tae read when they visit," he lied through his teeth, but she didn't need to know that.
In fact, he'd done exactly that, he'd had the library constructed solely for Hermione. He had an empty room and he wanted to give her something that would bring her peace and tranquillity. Hermione wasn't the Brightest Witch for nothing and she needed something and somewhere to feed her desire for knowledge and learning. A library was perfect for her.
"I'm glad to hear that," she said honestly, although she was convinced he wasn't telling her the exact truth.
She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him tightly and he smiled and wrapped around his arms around her. He could get used to her hugging him all the time. Hermione looked up at him and before he knew it, she was reaching up on her tiptoes and pressing her lips against his.
It was Oliver's turn to be surprised since he was always the one to initiate the few kisses they had shared, and when Hermione pressed her lips against his with more pressure, he broke out of his stupor and responded happily. He brought one hand up to cup her face and the other laid against her hip, where one of her hands was pressed against the side of his neck and the other rested on his chest in-between them.
Oliver wishing to see how far he could push her boundaries, ran his tongue over her bottom lip and Hermione parted her lips for him. He slipped his tongue into her mouth, exploring the unfamiliar territory for the first time, and she sighed and relaxed against him.
Hermione wasn't as inexperienced as people thought; she just didn't shout her thoughts and feelings for the world to hear; she was a private person. She'd shared kisses with Viktor during her fourth year and there was some touching on Hermione's part which led to Viktor climaxing a few times, but the gesture was never returned. Viktor's kisses had been rushed and sloppy.
Then there was a muggle boy she'd shared kisses with the summer before her sixth year and his kisses were better, but they still left something to be desired. Then there was that whole Ron sticking his tongue down her throat at the Final Battle incident, which she just didn't want to think about for fear of throwing up.
But then there was Oliver. His kisses were always controlled and gentle and they left her blushing and breathless. The way he was kissing her now was with experience and tenderness, and he was doing it languidly, taking his time to explore her and she was more than happy to reciprocate. When he kissed her she felt like her magic was tingling and her heart was fluttering as it beat faster, she felt dizzy and a flush covered over her cheeks.
A moan fell from her lips and was caught in his mouth and Oliver pulled her tightly against him and groaned in response. She heard barking and she pulled away from Oliver, but not before she sucked his lip into her mouth and he groaned when she let go. They were both a little breathless and they stared into each other's eyes silently.
As Oliver marvelled that she was to be his future wife, Hermione stared at the wizard in front of her with her chest filling with affection for him. She knew she was blushing furiously; she could feel her face burning.
Oliver thought the blush in cheeks was adorable and he leaned down to kiss her, but before his lips brushed against hers they heard barking again. They pulled away and looked down at Quaffle who was trying to get their attention.
Hermione picked him up and snuggled him in her arms. "What did I tell you Quaffle? You can't be jealous of Oliver. You're my number one puppy and that will never change. Oliver is human, you're not," she said as she rubbed her cheek against his soft fur and he barked in response and then licked her face. "Sorry about that," Hermione muttered and he chuckled at her; she was adorable cute when she was embarrassed.
Hermione walked past him and back into the living area and she put Quaffle down on the ground.
"So what do you think Quaffle? Do you like your new home?" She asked her excitable puppy.
Quaffle barked and jumped up at her in response.
"A'll take tha' tae mean he likes it," Oliver chuckled.
"Question?" She said to Oliver. He titled his head curiously. "Why is everything so...White?"
He chuckled at her. "A've jus' never gotten 'round tae decorating," he shrugged.
"How long have you lived here?"
"It would've been twa years but because af the war a stayed at the manor with me parents." Hermione started laughing. "Okay, so a couldn't be bothered," he admitted. "But now tha' yer here, ye can decorate." Hermione raised an eyebrow. "An' a can help ye," he added, she smirked at him. "Now a know a said a had one last surprise fer ye an' it was the library, but a lied an' a promise this is the last one," he said.
He took her hand and tugged her over to the windows, where he pressed his other hand directly against the third window panel and it slid open, allowing them to pass through. Hermione let out a quiet gasp as it opened it onto a rather large balcony that covered the entire length of the windows. It looked to have been made into a small garden, with real grass and a patio table and chairs sat off to the left, close to the corner. Quaffle had followed them out and Hermione looked down to see her puppy rolling around on the grass happily, and Oliver pulled her over to the railing, showing a beautiful view of the country side.
"I thought we were in the middle of Wizarding London," Hermione spoke up, lifting her gaze from the view and to him for a brief moment.
"We are; the balcony's charmed tae show the country side. It's the same with the windaes, some Wizarding London below us an' others show what yer seein' now."
"How far up are we?"
"We're on the top floor, the twentieth. This apartment's triple the size af the others below us as this is the Presidential Suite."
"And the balcony? Is it safe?" She asked worriedly, peering down to the ground and in doing so making herself feel dizzy; she hated heights.
"Aye, it's completely safe so there's nothin' fer ye tae worry aboot; it has safety wards 'round it ye cannae fall over the railing an' it's charmed tae deflect wind, snow an' rain. There's also the privacy wards, we canne be seen or heard."
"Like a Fidelius Charm?"
"Aye, it's a similar but milder form of magic; it only covers the windaes an' balcony an' not the entire building."
Hermione turned around and leaned her back against the railing, crossing her arms over her chest. Oliver mimicked her actions and they both snorted at Quaffle, seeing him trying to scratch his back on the ground.
"A think he likes it," Oliver spoke amused.
"Are you sure the landlord won't mind him being here?"
"Aye, a'm positive he won't mind," he replied with his mouth twitching at the corners.
"How do you know?"
"There's a reason a have the biggest apartment in the building," he shrugged his shoulders.
"I assume it's because you're Oliver Wood, Captain of Puddlemere, starting keeper and one of Wizarding Britain's most eligible bachelors," she said with a roll of her eyes.
He loved that she didn't treat him like a Quidditch Star and celebrity; to her she just saw him as Oliver, a regular person.
"Not exactly," he smirked.
"No!" she gasped. "You've got to be kidding me! You own the apartment?"
"Not exactly,"
"You own the entire building?" She squeaked.
"A own the entire building," he confirmed, amused by her reaction.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Her voice rose and she slapped him on the arm.
"Ow!" He said in surprise, blinking at the fact that she'd just hit him and that it had actually hurt a little. "Yer've got an arm on ye, why dinnae the twins tell mae?"
"As much as I love them, they can be arseholes when they want to be," she replied. His eyes widened at hearing her using that kind of language, not being used to it.
She walked back into the living area and he followed her, leaving the door open for Quaffle as he was still outside.
He was about to speak when Hermione yelped in surprise as a house-elf popped into the room without warning. She had large brown eyes, large pointy ears with a patch of fur on the tips and she was wearing a black skirt, a white shirt and comfortable shoes.
"Master Oliver," she said bowing. "I have completed today's maintenance tasks."
"Thank ye, Tillie, but ye didnnae have tae do them all taday," he said softly, crouching down in front of her to be at her level and Hermione's mouth dropped open. "Those tasks were tae be spread oot through the week," he spoke, sounding amused.
"Tillie loves to work, Master," the little house-elf said seriously and he shook his head at her.
"You own a house-elf!" Hermione spoke and sounding horrified, too.
Looking up to her, seeing her wide eyes and hearing her tone of disbelief, he was reminded of an article he'd seen about Hermione, accounts about her personality from students of Hogwarts. One particular student had outlined Hermione's passion for house-elves and equal rights. In that moment, he took into account the twins' strange behaviour; they'd just dropped him in it with Hermione when they could've warned him against it.
"Aye," he said slowly, seeing her hair beginning to spark and his eyes widened. He realised he needed to diffuse the situation and quickly, before he witnessed Hermione Granger's famous temper.
"Sparrow," he said softly, hoping his nickname for her would calm her down. "Tillie gets paid an' she takes days aff."
Her hair stopped sparking. "How much?"
"Eight galleons a day, she works four days a week."
"What are her responsibilities?"
"She does me laundry an' carries oot maintenance on the building."
"That's it?"
"She'll give the apartment a quick clean a couple times a week, an' she doesn't cook 'coz she's rubbish."
Tillie clicked her fingers and that morning's newspaper appeared rolled up in her hand and she hit Oliver in the leg with it.
"Ow!" He whined.
"Bad Master hurting Tillie's feelings," she scolded. Oliver scowled and crossed his arms over his chest like a child. "Master knows be Tillie sensitive about her cooking."
Hermione smirked. She liked Tillie; she had someone to help her keep Oliver in line.
"I like her," Hermione said and Tillie beamed at her.
"Tillie, this is Hermione Granger. Me future wife," Oliver introduced whilst he rubbed at his stinging leg.
"Tillie is honoured to meet you, Mistress," she said, bowing low.
"Okay, there's no need to bow," Hermione said. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Tillie, and you don't have to call me that."
"You are to be Tillie's mistress, and Tillie will show you respect," Tillie said, waving the newspaper at her. "Good night," she said before she disappeared from view, taking her newspaper with her.
Hermione looked at Oliver. "Why didn't you tell me you have a house elf?"
He shrugged. "It never came up an' a suppose a dinnae think it was important. Tillie was me great Grandmother's house-elf, she's tended tae me family fer four generations, she's family. Me Ma decided tae give her tae mae when a moved oot. An' befere ye go on a rampage an' break somethin', she's treated well. She has her own room, she only works the hours she wants to, she gets paid an' has three days a week aff. A dunna what she does with the money but tha's up tae her, af course she throws a bit of a fit when it comes tae pay day."
"Okay then," she nodded, her eyes catching sight of the clock on the wall and seeing that it was almost nine in the evening. "Why didn't you tell me the time? Are you hungry?"
He shrugged, when in truth he was starving. He hadn't eaten since lunch.
"Well then, let's get to work then," she said as she made her way over to the kitchen and he followed her. "Can you cook?" She asked as she removed her wand from her back pocket and put her beaded bag on the kitchen table.
"Naw, a'm worse than Tillie an' tha's sayin' somethin'."
He took a seat at the kitchen table and watched her fondly as she fluttered around the kitchen, looking through all the cupboards and drawers and learning where things were kept.
"How did you feed yourself?"
He shrugged his shoulders. "A would jus' eat toast or somethin' simple for breakfast thanks tae a Heating Charm, or an Incendio if a was runnin' late." She chuckled and rolled her eyes, the twins were the same. "A eat lunch in the cafeteria at the stadium an' tae be honest, it's barely edible. Fer dinner a'd either grab somethin' from one af the cafes or pubs in Diagon Alley, or have whatever me Ma would send over."
"Would?"
"Aye, would. A told her ye like tae cook so now she doesn't have tae worry aboot me eating habits anymore."
"You're better than the twins; they set the living room couch on fire a couple of weeks ago, I still don't know how; they were in the kitchen peeling potatoes." He laughed and she laughed along with him.
When she'd finished looking around the kitchen, she walked back over to the cupboards above the counter top where all the food items were kept and she opened the fridge-freezer, too, seeing what she had to work.
"You've put a Cooling and Freezing Charm on the food, haven't you?"
"Aye, it's the best we could do so the food dinnae spoil."
She nodded before cancelling charms and with a few waves of her wand and a simple whispered incantation, she had all of the muggle appliances working and ready for use. She then looked through the fridge, freezer and cupboards and noticed that the shelves were all but empty.
"Seriously? No food?" He looked at her sheepishly and she sighed, shook her head and then chuckled. "We'll have to go shopping; I'll take you tomorrow after work. We'll go to the Muggle World and I'll get everything I need to make you my specialties," she said and he nodded in agreement.
She found some cheese, ham and bread and then closed all the doors and put them on the table. She summoned the butter and some knives and plates and then she sat down at the table next to Oliver.
"Okay, cheese and ham toasties," she told him and he looked at her confused.
"Just make cheese and ham sandwiches and I'll show you what to do next, it's easy."
They chatted as they made the sandwiches and when they were done, she stood up from the table and walked over to the toaster. She put the sandwiches into the toaster and one they were done, they ate together at the table.
"Well it's getting late, I suppose I better unpack," she said, after she finished cleaning the plates and table and Oliver nodded. She looked at him awkwardly and then sighed. "Good night, Oliver."
"Good night," he replied, watching as she walked away. "Should've kissed her good night," he muttered to himself and he ran a hand through his hair.