A/N: Sorry! I totally forgot it was a chapter day. Y'all owe LibMcGranger a thank you for reminding me lol

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By the time the sun started to wane in the sky, they had more than a few bags with them, not including the ones they'd already shrunk into their pockets. It was getting late so Minerva brought them to a stop.

"Dinner out, or at home? We shall need to be back soon if we want it at home?"

"I want to eke out as much time with you as I possibly can, but if you're ready, we can go home?"

"Well, I know a little place close to where I send my Muggle post. We can retrieve that and then grab a bite to eat."

"Muggle post?" Hermione queried quietly. Minerva held her breath as the younger woman leaned in so her lips caressed the skin of Minerva's cheeks. "That sounds secretive."

"You are so wicked," she muttered as she rubbed the tickling feeling against her shoulder. "Post about investments and the like. Overdue library notices." Hermione laughed. "Correspondence with real estate agents."

"Oh!" Hermione blinked. "Do you think?"

"There's only one way to find out, shall we?"

Hermione wrapped her arms around Minerva again as she slipped down the alleyway and apparated away.

The village she had her post diverted to was the next one over from where she grew up. She knew the woman behind the counter in the Post Office by name and smiled warmly when she managed to get in before closing time.

"Here you are, Miss McGonagall. Thank you."

"And to you," Minerva nodded, already looking through the handful of post she was given and she turned to find Hermione.

The sight arrested her. Hermione was standing beside a woman with a baby in a chair and was playing peek-a-boo with the bairn. The child giggled endlessly and the woman smiled as Minerva joined them.

"See you!" Hermione said dramatically and waved as she turned to leave.

"You are beautiful," Minerva whispered.

"You are biassed," Hermione answered back, making Minerva roll her eyes. "What did you get?"

"Junk," she chuckled as she stopped to throw a handful away. "A bank statement for an account I have, and -" She beamed as she held up the envelope. "Something from the real estate agent."

Hermione's eyes widened and then she suddenly turned away and took a deep breath. Minerva watched and waited until she turned back around and nodded.

"What was that?" Minerva asked softly.

"I don't want to get my hopes up. In case it is a long, drawn-out process."

"Darling," Minerva chuckled. "I would not let it be. I want to own this thing before the end of the school year and we are fast approaching."

"Alright," Hermione groaned. "Go on then."

Minerva opened the envelope and pulled out the letter, schooling her features as she started reading. She allowed just a little curl to her lips as she looked up at her love.

"What?" Hermione asked.

"Do you want to read it?"

"Minerva!"

"We got the house, leannan."

-0-

Hermione was so overcome with joy, she snogged Minerva right there in the car park. Minerva rallied admirably and it took them a long while to break apart.

"I love you so much," Hermione whispered as they breathed together. "I wish there were more words for it."

"Want to go and pick up the keys? I included the check at the time, he said we can," she glanced back at the letter and winced. "Punch in a code? That seems violent."

Hermione laughed and shook her head before she paused.

"Wait," Hermione blinked. "You paid cash for the house?"

"Shh," Minerva chuckled. "One of the greatest lessons my mother ever taught me," she paused. "Perhaps the only one worth noting, was that the Galleon to Sterling exchange rate is preposterous. And Wizarding folk are so anti-muggle that it never occurred to them to make some money off it."

"Oh god, we need to tell Harry! All of his wealth is in Galleons." She thought for a while. "Damn, all mine is in Sterling."

"I will talk to Harry," Minerva chuckled. "Don't worry, sweetheart. Over the holidays we can focus on it for a while, okay? The mundane runnings of adult life."

"In our dining room," Hermione grinned.

"Over endless cups of tea from a bloody kettle."

Hermione laughed as she wrapped her arms around Minerva and breathed in her scent. They rocked together in that car park for much longer than was probably necessary until Minerva kissed Hermione's temple and let go. Hermione followed suit and they grinned at each other.

"Let's eat."

"I thought you'd never ask," Hermione groaned. As if on cue, her stomach rumbled. Minerva chuckled.

"Come on, this way."

They came across a charming little restaurant that seemed to know Minerva by sight as they waved to her as she came in.

"Minerva, lass, we a'n't seen yeh in an age."

"I have been more'n a little busy," she replied, her accent slowly slipping further into the deep north country that Hermione had only ever heard sparingly. She watched on as Minerva and the man talked broadly about this and that, catching up on children and nieces and nephews before he turned to her and she blinked.

"And who might this be then?"

For half a second, Minerva looked caught but Hermione just stared at her easily. There was no wrong answer to this question. Hermione was not bothered in the slightest how she was introduced but prepared herself for whatever answer might arise.

"This is Hermione," Minerva said quietly, pausing for a moment before she continued. "My partner."

Whatever Hermione had expected, she had not expected that and she beamed as the man glanced at the two of them then stuck out his big hand. Hermione braced herself and hoped whatever happened that he didn't notice anything out of the ordinary when they shook.

"It's an honour that she's brought you here, lass," he chuckled. "She's been dining alone since she were a bairn."

The suggestion prickled Hermione a little but Minerva's soft smile put her at ease.

"It's a long trip from England," Hermione joked. The man guffawed loudly and patted her on her shoulder, hard. She kept her eyes fixed on Minerva as he shuffled off back to the kitchen and they were left alone.

"Family?"

"Long distant cousin, actually," Minerva chuckled. "On my father's side. I don't know that he knows, but otherwise, just someone who has come to know me as a patron."

Hermione snorted and smiled instead of continuing. She frowned as she realised something.

"He didn't -"

"Oh, he's cooking for us. It's going to be a surprise."

"Is he," Hermione winced. "Any good?"

"He's one of the best cooks I've ever eaten food from," Minerva smiled. "There's no need to fret."

Hermione shrugged and sat back.

"You own a house, Min."

"We do," Minerva smiled. She bit her lip and then seemed to come to a decision. "I was going to save this for later but I'm weak and cannot hold out any longer." Hermione frowned again. Minerva reached into her coat pocket and drew out a new letter. She passed it over to Hermione and Hermione unfolded it while her eyes remained fixed on Minerva's. "I had a thought as I was delivering the cheque for the house. It is nonsense that a house that we both want and are planning on living in, a house that we are going to love together so much should belong to only me. So," she grinned. "I paid my lawyer a visit on the way home and when you are 18 in a few months -"

Hermione's eyes widened as she looked down at the letter. She skimmed the legal jargon and read the bones of the letter.

"What does this mean?"

"Your half of the house has to be held in trust until you turn 18. But when that happens, we will go and sign the deeds that grant you full ownership of half of our home."

Hermione blinked at the letter and then at Minerva.

"You just -"

"I want you to know that what is mine, is yours. We may only ever have each other, but in this we are equal."

Hermione stared at her hands and tried not to cry. The stark realisation that she was not even old enough to put her name on a property deed was confronting but that was not Minerva's main concern. And that was progress.

She sighed and wiped away a tear.

"That was supposed to make you happy, mo leannan."

"It does," Hermione sighed. "So, so happy, Min."

"Good," Minerva smiled. It faltered as Hermione looked up and she questioned her with a look. "I sometimes wish you could not read me quite as well as you do," Minerva chuckled. "To be honest, my lawyer was more than a little concerned at your age. He has a brother who was in the year above me, so he is not without some knowledge but he cautioned me against making this an obvious thing."

"We've been through all that," Hermione said softly. "Haven't we?"

"Yes, but it is difficult when someone who is so versed in the law is telling you it is not a good idea. Or it is, at best, not prudent."

"Then perhaps we should wait for September," Hermione said quietly. "If that is the issue."

"Hermione -"

They were interrupted by two plates of steaming stew with the largest chunks of bread and butter she'd ever seen set before them.

"Enjoy," the waitress said as she stepped away.

Hermione salivated as she inhaled the rich aroma and was glad of the distraction as she ripped off a corner of the bread and dipped it in the gravy.

"Oh god," she moaned as she tasted it. "This is delicious."

"Yes, it is," Minerva agreed.

They ate quietly for a long while, the flavours doing wonders for settling their souls before the hunger abated and they were left with only delight in finishing the bowls.

"Hermione," Minerva said softly.

"Min, I don't want to talk about it, it's fine."

"Hermione," she said again, reaching over and taking Hermione's hand. "Listen to me for a moment." Hermione put down her spoon and stared. She looked at their joined hands and winced as she pulled hers away. "Darling, I need you to hear me," Minerva said softly. She turned her hand over and offered it back to Hermione. "I do not think I can wait until September. I do not want to wait until September. There is no law against that, I have," she sighed. "I have made my peace with that and I am no longer at war with myself over it. You are," she scoffed with a smile on her face. "Everything." Hermione blinked and felt the tears running down her cheeks. "Darling," Minerva chuckled as she came around the table. "Tha mi ag iarraidh seo còmhla riut." Hermione looked up and met her eyes. "Mo ghaol."

Hermione kissed her hotly and it wasn't until a giggle went up nearby that she remembered where they were. They broke apart and Hermione blushed deeply as a few of the staff whispered to each other. Minerva, her face beet red, cupped her cheek and pulled her bowl over to join her. They ate together, with their thighs pressed together and their elbows brushing one another.

The leaving took forever and they were simply not allowed to leave without a portion of their supposedly famous apple pie. Minerva was still chuckling as the door closed behind them.

"Shall we go and get our key?"

"Yes," Hermione smiled.

It had been a long day but she wanted to set foot in their house before she had to go back to their 'real' world.

"Ooh, wait a moment, I forgot something." She paused and looked up and down the street. "Stay alert, mo leannan."

"I'm fine," Hermione whispered. "It's alright."

Minerva ducked back inside the restaurant. The night air was cool and crisp and Hermione breathed it in deeply. It helped clear her head of all the things she was scared about. Minerva had made her choice, over and over, against all odds and it wasn't fair that she'd brought it up as she had done. She regretted it now and made a note to tell Minerva that once she came back out.

Just as she was about to turn to look back, something made her freeze. Her heart rate picked up and she held her breath as she tried to figure out why she felt like that. Her hands prickled and her feet warmed in her shoes and she turned slowly in a circle. A man stood a long way down the road, watching her as she stood all alone. A heavy feeling settled in her stomach as she stared at him. The fact that she acknowledged his presence seemed to unnerve him and he stepped forward like he was going to walk towards her before someone in the distance whistled. As she slid her wand into her hand, he paused.

She rolled her shoulder and sent out her senses but before they could reach him, he turned and disappeared. She gaped at the now-empty road. Her hand remained firmly on her wand and that was how Minerva found her when she rejoined her; her back pressed against the wall and her eyes on a swivel.

"I almost -"

Minerva didn't even pause as she drew her wand and checked their surroundings.

"Speak to me?"

"Someone was watching," Hermione muttered, nodding with her chin down the road. "They seemed to know something wasn't right when they saw me and they stepped forward like they were going to come down and investigate and before I could figure out who they were, they Disapparated. In front of me, like they knew I was magical."

"Are you hurt?"

"No," Hermione muttered. "Nothing happened, I'm just startled. I assumed we were alone here in this town, honestly, I think he did too."

"It is odd that they were here," Minerva said, glancing down the road again. "There is nothing here of note. Nobody that I know, which is why I come here."

"You don't think they know?"

"That I visit here once every ten years?" Minerva chuckled. "No, I don't think so."

Hermione frowned.

"The Post Office is that way," Hermione muttered. "I mean I don't even know if it was a Death Eater, but what if they -"

Minerva blinked at her and nodded for her to start walking. They got to where Hermione knew the man had been standing and glanced around. Not even the curtains twitched.

"What do you feel?" Minerva asked gently.

Hermione let loose her senses and came across nothing, save from the few muggles all around them either snuggled up in their beds or watching television.

"Nothing," she shrugged.

Minerva finally seemed to lose the tension in her body and held out her hand.

"In that case, mo ghaol. Let's go home."

Hermione blinked but before she could say anything, Minerva pulled her into her arms and Apparated her away.

"You really need to warn a girl," Hermione groaned as she doubled over.

"Sorry darling," she chuckled as she rubbed her back. "Do you think you can work this fandangled thing?"

Hermione blinked and looked up. They weren't at Hogwarts like she'd assumed but in front of their house.

Their home.

"I said we needed to go home," Minerva chuckled. "I didn't specify."

Hermione stood and kissed Minerva soundly.

"What's the code?"

Minerva lit her wand and showed her the letter. Hermione punched the code into the little lock box on the door and it unlocked with a beep. Hermione withdrew a ring of keys and stared at them.

"I -"

"Unlock our home, sweetheart," Minerva whispered.

She pressed up against Hermione's back and Hermione closed her eyes as Minerva's hands smoothed over her belly. She could see now why Minerva had never put up a fight when she did it. It made her whole body warm.

"Welcome home, mo ghaol."

Hermione squeaked as Minerva bent a little and Hermione's feet left the ground. She laughed as Minerva carried her over the threshold and deposited her on the other side.

"I couldna help it," Minerva grinned. She looked so young as she giggled. "I have wanted to do that since we set upon the idea."

Hermione grinned back and looked around.

"This is our home, Min."

"It is," she smiled. "And I know we must do some magic eventually but," she chuckled as she reached into her coat pocket. "I procured something I thought you might like."

Hermione stared as Minerva popped the cork on a bottle and transfigured it and the cage into two crystal glasses.

"You are so good at that," Hermione said, twisting the glass on the kitchen bench.

"One day, love, I am sure you will be better."

Hermione scoffed as Minerva poured two healthy glasses and pushed one towards Hermione.

"It's apple juice," she confessed with a cheeky grin. "Toast with me, darling."

Hermione picked it up and though they were transfigured, the glasses made such a pleasing sound against each other that she couldn't help but grin. Minerva's transfiguration was pristine.

"To us," Minerva smiled. "To our house and our future and our continued happiness."

"To life and love," Hermione whispered. "With you."

Minerva's smile softened as their eyes met. They took a sip but Minerva didn't wait for them to finish before she took Hermione glass and lifted her onto the counter. Minerva stepped between Hermione's thighs and Hermione's breath caught in her throat.

"Is tusa a h-uile càil, a leannan. A h-uile dad a bha mi a-riamh ag iarraidh no a bha a dhìth. Fàilte dhachaigh." [You are everything, my love. Everything I've ever wanted or needed. Welcome home.]

Hermione felt the words even though she did not know what they meant and she pulled Minerva in by the collar. Cold hands swept away her jacket and slipped under her shirt and she arched around them with a cry. Minerva's teeth raked down her neck and Hermione's legs wrapped around Minerva's hips as she drew her in and held onto her tightly.

"I love you," Hermione whispered hotly as she took Minerva's face in her hands. "I love you like fire."

They kissed for longer than Hermione could keep track of. In the process, Hermione had lost her shirt somewhere and Minerva's shirt was open enough that Hermione could trace her fingers along the edges of her bra. She took delight in marking Minerva in the places she knew nobody would ever see.

"Her -" Minerva's voice cracked as Hermione cupped her breast and the falter helped Hermione's brain to see reason.

"Fuck," Hermione breathed as she pulled away. "Again. Shit, Min, I -"

Minerva stopped her from speaking by kissing her hard. She held onto her tightly and as they pulled away, leaned into her body tiredly.

"A ghaoil, cha do mhothaich mi riamh a leithid de theine. Bidh mo chorp a 'losgadh dhut." Hermione whimpered and kissed Minerva again, pulling her in as close as she could while she desperately wished they were in the future. "I know," Minerva said gently. "I know. Breathe, love. I've got you." [My love, I have never felt such fire. My body burns for you.]

They breathed in the dark for a long time before Hermione stifled a yawn against Minerva's shoulder.

"Come," Minerva whispered. "It is time to go."

"Wait," Hermione said quietly. "One thing before we go?"

"What is it darling?"

Hermione nodded for her to move so she could get down, but Minerva was not letting her go so easily. Instead, it was her hands that went to Hermione's backside and slid her forward. She held her against her body and Hermione let out a shaky breath and her feet came to rest on the floor.

"You make my heart race," Hermione whispered. "I do not know how to say this in Gaelic, Min, but I love you."

"Tha ghaol agam ort," Minerva said gently.

Hermione stared at her and heard the words turning in her head before she leaned her head against Minerva's.

"Tha ghaol agam ort, Minerva."

Minerva upped her cheek and nuzzled her with her nose before she stepped back. They dressed properly again, with Minerva's steady fingers doing up the buttons on Hermione's shirt, even as Hermione's did up the ones on Minerva's shirt. Minerva's hat had fallen off somewhere but they didn't bother looking for it. Hermione tucked Minerva's long hair behind her ear but no more words were said. The fire dancing in Minerva's eyes was enough for Hermione. As she led Minerva through the house to the bedroom - their bedroom - she realised that she wasn't sure whether it mattered to her anymore whether Minerva ever said the words. Minerva's love was in her actions, in her feelings and her eyes. And though she did not often allow herself the intrusion of feeling other people's feelings, in the scant moments that she did these days, the hesitation that had plagued Minerva so deeply was waning.

And that did make her heart happy.

"Darling?"

"One thing, then we can go."

"What is it?"

Hermione patted her pockets, then reached forward to Minerva's and pulled out their shrunken bags. She waved her hand over them and Minerva grinned at the little bit of wandless magic as they came back to their usual size. She pulled out the canvas and walked backwards with it while she looked at Minerva.

"Help me put it up?"

Minerva grinned and nodded. After a few moments of 'left a little, up, no, too far, down a little, no, to the right' Minerva performed a sticking charm and Hermione stepped back into Minerva's body.

"Oof," she chuckled as Minerva caught her and held her. Her chin rested on Hermione's shoulder as they swayed in front of their new artwork.

"Beautiful," Minerva whispered. "But you are sleepwalking. Let's get you home."

"Can I stay with you?"

"Yes, but I must be up early tomorrow as I have the Seventh years."

"You can always leave me in bed," Hermione mumbled as she turned and wrapped her arms around Minerva's neck.

"Oh sweetheart," Minerva chuckled. "Come on. Let's go."

"I love you, Min," Hermione whispered. "Tha ghaol agam ort."

As strong arms slipped under her knees and Minerva picked her up, she heard a whisper as she settled against Minerva's shoulder. Those whispered words made her smile, even as she slipped into darkness.

"Tha gaol agam ort cuideachd, a ghràidh."