Chapter 32 – Declaration of love

'What did you just say?'

It was early afternoon. Harry and Ginny were in the living room of Ron and Hermione's place. Harry had just got back from work and had found Ginny reading a book while sipping some juice cuddled up on the sofa quite at ease and relaxed. Or at least, she was so before his affirmation.

Albus could be seen from the window in the garden helping Rose to climb a tree covered by red cherries.

She had begged her parents to be left behind to spend some time with Albus.

James was closed in his room. Ginny had backed up whole heartedly his decision to ground him.

They had got there only that morning taking with them only what was necessary to their immediate needs.

The house was spacious and with a country feeling about it, furniture was squashy and comfortable, stone walls and immersed in greenery. It was a pretty spot, Ginny had chosen it and furnished it, that helped her to feel at home there. Hermione and Ron didn't have enough time to leave some families touches besides the pictures scattered around the house.

Arriving there that morning Harry's eyes had fallen on one of their wedding day. He and Ginny were in in it; he had been the best man for the couple.

They had married very soon too despite not as soon as them. They were about twenty, they wanted a place of their own and it seemed at the time the proper step to take. Both families were really keen on it and they were still in that phase where the bickering was only something that was enhancing the pleasure of making up after it. They seemed really taken with each other and looking forward to a domestic partnership. For the firsts few years it had worked, or at least it seemed working from the outside. He and Ginny had already had James when things started to go downhill. The incompatibilities were beginning to show. Hermione was a workaholic, as much as Harry back then; she aimed to a position in the Ministry and was working hard to achieve it. Ron had tried to become an Auror too, but it hadn't worked. Tests were challenging and Ron had failed most of them despite Hermione had put her best effort in helping him like with Harry. Probably it was then, now that Harry got to think of it, that Ron's resentment toward him, that had already sprouted in school, had started to grow. Harry had managed in what he didn't, supported by his wife that had kept steadily to help him all the way through after Ron had long been discarded.

Ron had consoled himself with the money brought from the joke shop, but he didn't like Hermione being always at work and wished her to drop career to be a housewife. A wish at best unreasonable knowing Hermione. Succession of row after row in those years were beginning to wear down their relationship.

Rose had been a blatant attempt to recuperate the wedding. And strangely enough, it had worked. Ron was born to be a father. He, unlike Harry, was overjoyed at the prospect of it and had been unusually sweet and caring in Hermione's regard. She had put in hold her career to take care of a baby Rose and it seemed the child had healed the breach that had started to separate them. But unfortunately, it hadn't last. Hermione's wish to return at work became pressing; for her being confined at home with the only company of a child was depressing; her overactive brain needed challenge. She had resumed her career as soon as it was possible, helped by eager grandparents that were even too happy to take charge of Rose. Ron, after the first moment of unusual sweetness, had returned to his usual lack of effusions and the job in the shop was starting to weigh over him.

The crumbling process that had started before Rose was resumed where it had been left. Hermione, like Harry, had started to work less hours at the Ministry but was still very far from being a housewife.

After a few years Hugo had been conceived in another attempt to gain the same result as the first time. It didn't work as well as before. The relationship was probably beyond repair by then. The arguments were getting more bitter and nasty, and the kids were suffering from it. Harry and Ginny could see it all but didn't know how to help them.

Harry wondered, looking at those pictures, when exactly Hermione had fell in love with him and if it was a genuine love or only something born by her growing frustration for a relation that couldn't give her what she craved.

'I said that from today I'm going to spend every day with Hermione until I don't find a solution for the house' Harry answered to an angry-cat-Ginny with already all her fur standing up and hissing madly.

He had gathered all his courage to announce his decision to Ginny knowing how angry she would have been, but he was steady in his purpose. He was sure that with Hermione's help a solution could be found and he wasn't going to throw it away only because of her jealousy.

'We are going to go to Hogwarts to do some research and hopefully something useful will come out'

There were a few libraries scattered around the country but none as good as the Hogwarts' one. It was the biggest and more complete and if there was a spell that could help him, he was sure it was in one of those books. It wasn't open to public usually, being reserved for students, but in summer it was easier to get a special permission.

'Why can't you do it by yourself?' Ginny continued in her hissing while perusing her book in a mock calmness revealed so by a ferocious slapping of pages.

'Because, Hermione has got triple my brain. Even in the unlikely case I would find what I need, it would take me forever to put it into action without her'

He wanted to sit close to her but was afraid of a paw.

'Well, I don't think you should, all considering'

The poor book was paying dire consequences of his daring.

He paused reflecting on what to tell her. He wanted her to understand how unreasonable her fears were, at least regarding him. He had never been in love with Hermione, never felt more than a strong sisterly affection. He didn't know why it was so; it would probably have been normal in their situation falling for each other, but it hadn't happened. He had a very high opinion of her: she was smart, funny when she cared to be, strong and determinate, she was good looking too, despite not exactly his cup of tea. She had everything to attract him, but she never did. Love wasn't there and he was sure it could never be. They shared everything in their respective life, even their bodies during that forlorn year of estrangement from the rest of the world because at that moment it was what they needed from each other. They longed for that closeness and Harry, after the first moment when Ron had found it out, didn't regret it anymore; it felt natural and right to him now to have shared even that with her, it united them even more in their friendship. But he didn't have that kind of desire any longer. When he was close to her or even touched her there wasn't that sparkle, that shiver that was always there with Ginny. He couldn't even sit close to his wife without wishing for a contact. He just couldn't keep his hands from her. She filled his mind continuously creating a bundle of powerful emotions. That was the something more was missing in his relationship with Hermione and that made their friendship exactly that, only a friendship.

'Ginny' he started in saying kneeling on the floor in front of her who was still with her eyes fixed on the book 'what you are fearing will never happen. I can love nobody but you; I've always loved nobody but you. No matter how much time I spend with her, if I hug her or not, if I kiss her or not. You will always be the first and only one'

She kept her gaze on the book without reading it, his words had sorted some effect; she had relaxed her position and her frown had dulled a bit, but it wasn't completely disappeared 'She nevertheless wish for you, love you and when you are with her, she has not the same feelings that you have got for her, and I don't like that.'

'She is smart, she knows that nothing will never come out of it, she knows how much I love you; I never made a mystery of it. If she decides to stay in my company is at her own risk'.

She didn't speak without moving her gaze from that book that after having been mistreated in the first rush of fury, was resting now limply in her hands.

Harry took it, shut it and putted it aside. Ee grasped her hands in his own.

'Ginny, listen to me' he entreated her and when finally her almond eyes met his own, he resumed his speech in eagerness 'You can have everything out of me. Everything! All myself: my love, my body, my soul, everything is yours, it will always be. You can claim any of those anytime and I'll never deny it to you. They are already yours to keep and do whatever you want with it. She will never have it. She can wish for it as much as she wants but it doesn't change it; she will never own me as I'm owned by you'

A silence followed this declaration. A silence charged of significance. And while he was staring at her trying to convey all his sentiments that, somehow, he never felt to have fully explained being no words strong enough for it, tears started to pour from her eyes sliding fast on her cheeks.

After the first moment of consternation, he laughed 'Why are you crying?'

She sniffed and, in a wail, she answered 'I don't know…' and, after having brushed away her tears with the back of her hand, she started laughing too.