De-Gnoming, bleeding hands, bruised eyes and joke shops.
DISCLAIMER: This is my seri- kidding. I could NEVER own Harry Potter, or any of its characters, I'm not creative enough. It still belongs to Rowling.
Hi! If you could take the time to review and tell me how you all feel about this fanfiction, I would really appreciate it. I only have 4 prewritten chapters left before I would have to continue writing, so I'd like to know if you are all actually enjoying it. I haven't published a chapter of CMO on AO3 since 2018, and I don't want to write something no one is enjoying. Thank you all for the favourites and hearts!
Harry couldn't decide whether he was incredibly uncomfortable or incredibly happy.
Both Ron and Ginny seemed to have made it their mission to embarrass the couple as much as they could without drawing the Weasley parents' attention. They were continually making kissy faces across the table.
It was when he felt a hand upon his knee that had him leaning towards the latter.
The hand squeezed his knee reassuringly—definitely the latter.
"We're going to Diagonally later this afternoon," Mrs Weasley announced, once again vanishing the now empty plates from in front of them. "for school supplies, an-"
"Oh! And Fred and George's shop! Harry hasn't seen it yet!" Ron interjected, his mouth full of a piece of bacon he had managed to swipe before his mother took the last of the food away.
"Well, yes, they did ask for you." Mrs Weasley huffed as she moved towards the sink.
"It's fantastic, Harry. Still, I have no idea how they were able to do it."
"Hard work and too much knowledge in the area?" Harry quirked an eyebrow, a knowing smirk on his face.
"They really are quite intelligent, as well as skilled… when they're not flooding entire hallways and blowing up exam rooms, that is…" Hermione added thoughtfully, her hand still ever-present on his knee.
"Well, you have the morning to yourselves- though, Ron, the garden could do with de-gnoming before you disappear." The older witch informed without turning around..
"Oi! Why doesn't Ginny have to help?" Ron protested from his seat, folding his arms across his chest.
"Because Ginny has to write to Dean, thank you very much." Said redhead spoke up before standing from her seat and flicking Ron's ear, eliciting a yelp from him. "Go, prove your great strength to us all, Ronnie." She teased through her laughter, turning for the stairs, soon followed by her mother.
Harry heard Ron mumble something like, "I'll show you great strength." Before leaving the room in a huff, throwing a "Don't start thinking you're not helping me, mate." over his shoulder. Harry inwardly groaned; he'd been hoping to catch Hermione in private to discuss the events of the previous night.
"Can I watch?" Hermione broke his train of thought with her amused tone; he turned to her, crooked grin in place.
"You're not gonna help?" He accused, sneaking his hand over hers.
"What can I say? I'd probably show the both of you up." The brunette said in mock-seriousness, quickly standing from the table and tugging on their interlocked hands and pulling him along.
"That hurt right here, Hermione," He put a hand over his heart. "Right here." He feigned offence, enjoying the laughter that bubbled out of her as she grabbed a book from the couch on her way past.
"Well," She stopped just before the back door and turned on her heel, bringing her almost nose to nose to him. "We can't have you in any pain, especially before you work." The young witch placed her book on the side table without breaking eye contact, her hands then coming to snake around his neck. "I'll have to fix that."
"Will you now?" The raven-haired wizard cupped her face with his hands; he looked down at her, brown eyes twinkling with mischief.
"Uhuh." She nodded before capturing his lips with hers. Harry smiled into the kiss as his hands slowly moved down her body, coming to rest at her hips, where he began to swirl small circles on the exposed skin.
"So last night actually did happen," Harry uttered quietly when they did pull apart. Hermione's hands fiddled with the unruly curls at the back of his neck, the sensation sending shivers down his spine. "I was beginning to believe I'd imagined the entire thing."
"Hmm, I guess it did." She cocked her head to the side.
"Just to be certain, though." He said in mock precaution as he dipped his head again, catching her laugh in his mouth.
"Harry!" A loud voice exclaimed suddenly, forcing the two apart. "Get your arse out here and help me before I hand it to you!" Ron growled, though it sounded less like a threat and more like a plea.
"Guess you ought to save him," Hermione smirked, detangling herself from his hold. "You owe me a talk, though, Potter." She smirked, moving to pick up her book.
"Well, as long as it comes with more reassurance, I'll gladly oblige." He opened the door for her, allowing her to walk through first.
"A fair trade." Hermione nodded thoughtfully, stifling a laugh at the sight of Ron prying a Gnome off of his fist.
"Oh, and I'd like to know exactly what you told Ginny when you wandered in at "daft O'clock in the morning". The young wizard quoted the youngest Weasley's earlier statement cheekily, inwardly smirking at the blush that erupted on her cheeks.
"Rotten little buggers." Their redhead best friend grumbled under his breath before hurling another Gnome across the yard; it's high-pitched squeal fading away. "Nice of you to join us," Ron commented dryly, eyes drawn towards the sound of rustling. "You planning on helping us at all, Herms?" He turned towards Hermione, whose lips were tightly shut; she glared towards his oblivious best mate.
"Do not call me 'Herms'." She snapped, her tone causing Harry to turn away from the long grass and Ron to let out a rather audible gulp; one hand was on her hip, the other clutching her book so hard he saw her knuckles turning white. "And no, I do not plan on helping you, Ronald. I plan on sitting over there and observing; thank you very much." And with that, she whirled around, her dark hair whipping to her left shoulder as she stalked off towards a shaded tree.
"She is absolutely terrifying," Ron finally spoke, moving from his frozen state and back to the grass. "You are one brave soul, mate." He complimented as he turned towards him, watching him spin a Gnome over this head.
"Oh, come off it, Ron," Harry rolled his eyes before launching the creature across the yard. "You know how much she hates that name."
"Alright, alright, fair enough." The youngest Weasley son shook his head, the pair continuing to remove the Gnomes as they spoke.
"How was it," Ron asked suddenly, a smirk on his face.
"How was what?"
"Don't play coy, Potter. The kiss, or kisses. You've been following her around like a lost puppy for months!"
"I have not!" Harry shot back at once, unintentionally startling the Gnome he was holding, causing it to sink it's razor-sharp teeth into his hand, "Ow, fuck!" He pried the brute from his fist before launching it as far as he could. "Littleshit…" he mumbled under his breath, nursing his injured hand. "And it's none of your business! We aren't even together yet." Yet indeed, he thought as he glanced back at her, nose stuck in a book. "Why are you so okay with all this? I thought you liked her."
"Bloody hell, are you mad?" The long-nosed wizard chuckled, "Me and Hermione? Where'd you get that from?" He questioned as he flung the last remaining Gnome. "All that paranoia of yours has made you lose the plot," He sniggered, but it was short-lived as a gasp escaped his mouth, eyes drawn to Harry's hand. "Or maybe the Goddamn blood loss!" The ginger rushed forward, gripping his wrist to get a better look, "Harry, you tosser! Why didn't you say anything!"
Harry simply gawked at his best friend. Didn't he just initiate the 'feelings' talk–and then continued after the little sod tried to bite his hand off?–Or had he missed something?
He squirmed as Ron started applying pressure to the deep bite marks. I attempt to stop the –slow– blood flow. "You're a right idiot; d'you know that?
"You started talking about other stuff!" Harry replied helplessly, wincing at the dull throbbing in his hand.
"Does that mean if some bloke walked by and saw you on the floor with your head cracked half-open and asked you for the time, you'd just answer?" The taller boy enquired, "No, "Sorry, mate! Bleeding to death, could you help?"?"
"Hey, I-"
"What's wrong?" A feminine voice startled the two as they turned towards her; she hadn't left her spot from the tree but was now standing so she could get a better look.
"A Gnome decided to take a chunk out of Harry's bloody hand, that's what," Ron responded sharply.
"What?" She screeched, rushing over immediately, her book forgotten. "Why are you still standing here?!" She flapped her hands around in worry, "You need to go to Mrs Weasley," She grasped his forearm and dragged him towards the Burrow, "Honestly, what could have been so important that you had continued on about while half your hand was missing!"
"You're overreacting," Harry grumbled under his breath as he was yanked through the door.
For some reason, meeting in 'his' room at the Burrow was becoming a persistent event.
A knocking at his door assured him of that.
"Come in." He requested softly, soon greeted by the sight of a certain bushy-haired witch's head peeping into the room.
"Hi." She greeted, "Ron's on the hunt for some of Fred and George's products, said they needed us to bring some along for testing." She rolled her eyes, moving further into the room and looking around, eyes drawn towards a stack of boxes.
"Probably your best bet," Harry nodded, following her gaze, fiddling with the bandage on his hand. "How many did they need?" He moved to help her but stopped in his tracks when he caught her glare.
"Your hand isn't remotely close to being healed. You'd only drop something and break it."
"You're the boss." Harry held his hands up in surrender.
"Are they even in here…?" Hermione whispered, standing on her tiptoes and reaching into the top box, pulling an item from it and studying it; she shook her head. "It's just an old Telesco-" Hermione never got to finish that sentence; just as she went to return the object to its box, the dust cap that was placed over what should have been the objective lens swung open; releasing a tiny fist on a spring which erupted from the opening and hit her square in the face, or at least Harry assumed as the puff of black smoke and loud bang were accompanied by Hermione's own cry of pain. Harry was on his feet immediately.
"Jesus Christ, Hermione!" He dashed forward, hearing the Telescope fall to the floor as he reached for her. He grasped the spluttering witch's hands and pulled her out of the smoke in an attempt to get a good look at her. Hermione hissed in pain as he cupped her face, gently moving part of her bangs behind her ear, backing them up until they stood under the light.
"I can't believe they're selling that sort of stuff to children." She choked out, raising her hand up to her eye.
"Hey, don't touch it." Harry scolded softly, pulling her hands away and leaning in closer to see. The entire area around her left eye had turned purple, fading into brown around the edges; her unharmed eye was dripping with tears. "Damn, it got you good," The young Gryffindor raised his injured hand, catching the tears as they fell with the pad of his thumb, "Are you alright?" He asked lamely as they waited for the pain to subside.
"I'm fine."
"You sure? It almost took your head off."
"You're overreacting." The brunette echoed his earlier words with a small smile. "Merlin, that hurt." She pinched the bridge of her nose and squeezed her eyes shut. "I must look a sight."
"You look beautiful." Harry retorted, his hands now cradling her neck. "How long do we have until we head out?" The green-eyed boy whispered into her ear.
"A couple of hours, yet," Hermione looked up at him, her bruised eye now beginning to open again, "Wanna' have that talk?" She asked, eyes bright; he nodded and led them to his bed.
"So, what did you want to talk about?" He questioned dumbly, crooked grin in place.
'Oh, just the weather." She answered solemnly, her mouth twitching slightly. She shook her head and looked up at him. "Things have changed." She commented, eyes down.
"They have."
"Is that... okay?" She looked unsure.
"More than okay, especially if you think so too."
There was a pause; Hermione hesitated before asking, "What are we then?"
"Well, we're best friends. Always." He reassured her immediately, his hand slipping into hers. "But, we can be whatever you want," Their fingers intertwined.
The witch hummed. Happily, her finger drawing circles on their paired palms, her hair was tumbling furiously from the previous commotion. Cheeks shiny from tears, and lips plump from where she had been biting, Harry found the words for her suddenly.
"You, Hermione Granger, are everything." He took a deep breath; this was it. "You make me feel everything all at once. You make me happy just by being you. Even with all this bullshit going on, you calm me despite sending my heart racing merely by existing, and whatever this is, whatever we are, I'll always need you."
Hermione oversaw him, drinking in his words. "I'm so sorry it took me so long to realise what's right in front of me. But it's definitely taken its toll now because you're all I think about, every single chance I get, every minute of every day, and it's driving me crazy.
And that moment on the train," Harry looked her in the eye, she stared right back. "Was all I needed to assure me that I am one hundred per cent prepared for a change like this, whatever it is." He brought his hand up to her cheek, where she leaned into his touch instantly, her eyes drifting closed. "Are you?"
Hermione let out a long breath, "You are everything, Harry," Her eyes drifting open, and she smiled. "And I think so." She nodded sincerely. "I feel exactly the same."
"Good." He leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss on her bruised eyelid, taking care not to add too much pressure, "Because I do believe it was you who made the first move, m'lady, it'd be a little embarrassing on your part if you got cold feet." Harry teased as he pulled back slightly, watching as she raised a brown eyebrow.
"S'not my fault you didn't have the guts."
"I beg to differ." He argued before crossing the remaining distance between them and pressing his lips to hers, the sensation still new and exciting; Harry was confident it would always feel fresh and exciting.
Hermione made quick work of burying her hands in his hair, gripping fistfuls of the unruly mess, linking their ankles that hung over the side of the bed together. He kissed her slowly, softly, as his own hands mimicked her actions, moving to tangle in her own brown curls.
As the kiss came to an end, he moved back to look at her, that smile present once again. "I think my hand's feeling much better. How about we lug this stuff downstairs and see what we can do about that eye." A boyish smirk graced the young wizard's face, "I mean honestly, what could be so important to ta-" Hermione cut him off mid-sentence with another kiss. "Oi!" He protested –albeit with a grin– as she retreated.
"You talk too much, come on." She ordered, dragging him from the bed. "You can reach the ones at the top, Beanstalk." She quickly dodged him when he went to push her shoulder.
"Watch it, Granger," Harry warned lightly; her only response was a bark of laughter.
"This place is amazing!" Harry heard Hermione exclaim, having to keep a tight grip on her hand to make sure he didn't lose her.
"To hear Hermione Granger utter those words inside a joke shop is music to my ears." Ron chuckled, looking around for any opening towards the counter; the place was packed. "Quick, this way." He pointed a long finger towards an area, giving them enough leeway to make it to their destination.
"I'm surprised none of these boxes has toppled over," Harry remarked, looking up at the towering boxes that touched the ceiling.
"Oh, honestly, Harry, there are charms to prevent that," Hermione said; he could practically hear her rolling her eyes. "You do remember they're wizards, right?" She snorted as they reached the counter before he could retort; however, she caught sight of something next to the register. '"Patented Daydream Charms ..."'
There was a large display near the front desk, and Hermione was reading the information on the back of a box which was bearing a highly coloured picture of a handsome youth and a swooning girl who was standing on the deck of a pirate ship. "That looks, uh, rather predictable," He gestured towards the couple, "And, um, kinda outdone."
"'One simple incantation and you will enter a top-quality, highly realistic thirty-minute daydream, easy to fit into the average school lesson and virtually undetectable (side-effects include vacant expression and minor drooling). Not for sale to under-sixteens.'" ... You know," Hermione said, looking up at Harry, "That really is extraordinary magic!"
"For that, Hermione," said a voice behind them, "You can have one for free."
A beaming Fred stood before them, wearing a set of magenta robes that clashed magnificently with his flaming hair.
"How are you, Harry?" Harry removed his hand from Hermione's grip as they shook hands. "And what's happened to your eye, Hermione?"
"Your punching telescope," she said ruefully. "Got me when we were getting you some more merchandise- we left those by the door, by the way- but nothing seems to be working when we try and heal it…"
"Oh, blimey, I forgot about those," Fred grimaced, shaking his head, "You can't remove it with magic." He rummaged around his blazer pocket. "Here –"
He pulled out A tub out and handed it to her; she unscrewed it gingerly to reveal a thick yellow paste.
"Just dab it on; that bruise'll be gone within the hour," Fred promised. "We had to find a decent bruise-remover; we're testing most of our products on ourselves."
Hermione looked nervous, glancing between Fred, the paste, and Harry. "It is safe, isn't it?"
"Course it is," Fred said bracingly, turning towards Ron, who was looking inside a basket full of fake wands, "Oi, Ron! Mind giving me a hand with the stuff you brought?" The older Weasley twin hollered over the noise, "I'll show you around when we're done, mate."
"If it's paid labour." The younger brother replied dryly as he followed Fred towards the front of the store.
"Here," Harry took the tub from her, pulling the witch closer to the wall, out of the way of the crowd. "I'll do it." He rolled her eyes at her sceptical look, "My hands are clean, I promise."
"Oh, fine." She chuckled, closing her eyes and standing still.
He dabbed the paste around the tender area, his fingers moving with the utmost care, mumbling his apologies when she flinched. After he was sure he'd applied a generous amount, he screwed the lid back on and placed the tub in the pocket of her jacket.
"See, better already." The young wizard admired his work. "I am an awesome healer, admit it." He grinned crookedly at her, hands in his pockets.
"Very gentle, I must admit, would definitely recommend, but I'm not willing to share."
"Wow, that's a little greedy 'Mione, not that I'm complaining," He added as an afterthought before peeking behind them. "D'you think anyone from school is here?" He questioned, turning back to her; she was practically pressed up against the wall, with Harry towering over her to avoid being in someone's way.
"Hmm, I think most of the school's population is here, Harry." Hermione shook her head at his gaze; his eyes were on her lips. "This is not the place, Potter. We don't need rumours swirling before we even get back to Hogwarts."
Harry groaned loudly but nodded his head. "That's a whole different issue," He ruffled his hair and closed his eyes. "Those fan club girls are ruthless; the last thing I need is for them to freak."
"Hey, Investor!" A voice startled the couple, forcing them out of their bubble; shifting towards the source of the voice, they were met with the grinning face of George Weasley, who smirked at their proximity, "You two look cosey."
"There isn't exactly a lot of room to breathe in here." Harry retorted, taking a step back. "This palace is stuffed to the brim."
"I think there's you to thank for that," The younger twin's grin widened, "Come on, let's find Fred and give you the grand tour." He insisted before Harry had the chance to argue with his previous statement, leading them throughout the magnificent store.
As always, thanks for reading, and do consider letting me know what you think, still wondering whether I should bring this story back once and for all