Note: Hey there!

So, new story. Before talking about it, I wanna say that if you follow my other story, Blurred Lines, do know that I'll be updating it this month. Still not sure when. But I will.

About this one, though:

- It won't have many chapters - around 11 or 12.

- Another Harry/Hermione story with Ron/Luna. No Draco on this one.

- Since this website is broken and there are no views/story stats working, any fav/follow and review are very important and I'll appreciate them a lot, that way I won't feel like I'm publishing the story into a void.

- And I'm sorry about any errors, unfortunately they're bound to happen.

Hope you enjoy it!

August 31st, 2005

London - Harry's flat

It's the light from outside that wakes him - because someone opened the curtains. Harry groans, hiding his face under the pillow and moving his hand to swat away the one he knows is doing this.

Hermione.

"Wake up, Harry." She says and claps her hands, excited and ready to begin this day. "Come on, you begged me yesterday to be your alarm clock, so, as a good friend I'm here, but I need to go and I don't care if you go back to sleep, so-"

"Okay, okay, fine." He mumbles, moving from under the pillow and turning to lie on his back.

Hermione has her arms crossed, already ready to go out on their morning run. Her face says it all. She won't wait more than five minutes for him to get ready and she doesn't care if he'll be mad at her for going alone.

But she opens a small smile to him, cocking her head. "Hey, it's not so bad, I've woken you up earlier than that. It's 8am."

He frowns, yawning and stretching, his muscles tensing and relaxing. Hermione knows he sleeps only in his boxers but she doesn't care anymore. After so many years of friendship - and specially the last three - they've developed such an intimacy that's even a little hard to explain to others - and sometimes to themselves.

He moves one hand to pat the other side of his bed, raising an eyebrow. "Where's the lovely lady who spent the night?" He asks Hermione.

"When I entered the place she was already making breakfast for both of you." Hermione opens a playful smile. "Poor girl. Pretty, though." She shrugs and Harry laughs, rising from the bed and going to her. "She was a bit intimidated by my presence, you know? People still think we live some torrid romance behind the curtains." They laugh together and he hugs her tightly, inhaling her scent. A perfume he absolutely adores.

"What are you talking about? People still think? Are they idiots? Of course we're living a torrid romance. Isn't it obvious?" He winks at her and Hermione shakes her head. "Skeeter knew all along!"

Harry laughs at his own words, going to the bathroom. He closes the door, but they keep talking through it.

"Indeed. Regardless, I told her it was time to go and such. She acted surprised when I explained that Harry Potter had to practice today. I mean, she even said, 'but it's Sunday'. And I said, 'so?' Can you believe she gave me a nasty look? Bold girl."

Harry comes out of the bathroom with a smile on his face. "You're such a life saver." He kisses her cheek before moving to his closet to choose the right outfit to go on this run with her. "And you know I can save you from boring men whenever you need me to, it's been a while since the last one, hasn't it?" He asks, putting on some shorts and socks, still not sure on the t-shirt.

"Yeah, not that I didn't go out and hooked up, but they were kinda of jerks and left on their own without even a word of goodbye." She makes a face and Harry frowns.

"Idiots." He raises a black t-shirt and a red one in front of him. "Which one?" He asks honestly, wanting her opinion.

"Red." She doesn't hesitate and he dons it in a beat. They walk together to his kitchen to fetch bottles of water. "But, yeah, it's been a while since I've dated a decent guy." Hermione sighs.

Harry holds her hand. "Hey, the right guy is out there, I'm sure. You'll find him, Hermione. You deserve to be happy." He winks again, kissing her hand gently.

Hermione snorts. "You're such a flirt." She shakes her head. "But thanks, it's nice to know that you're rooting for me while I'm giving up on myself."

He makes a face, but before he can ask anything, Hermione apparates to their usual running spot and he rolls his eyes, apparating too.

She's stretching by his side and he takes a moment to look around. They can't remember who suggested it because they were both drunk when they decided they were going to run 6 miles every morning, but the place they chose is absolutely amazing and the best one - in his opinion, at least.

The Forest of Dean.

It's peace.

There are no humans around and no paparazzi trying to get a picture of them. They could be doing this in Muggle London, but what's the point if they can't enjoy the nature? Harry loves the place and even if at first it reminded him of difficult times they went while at War, in a way he and Hermione healed from it. It was a nice choice because now they have better memories here, memories he cherishes. Like the many talks they have while running. The many competitions they make. The many laughs they leave on the trail behind them…

Not to mention that running on its uneven ground is excellent for the body and fitness.

It's been three years of this routine and he absolutely adores every second of it. On the few days they're not able of coming because of some random reason, he misses it immensely.

"So, what's this talk about giving up on yourself?" He asks when they start jogging side by side.

She makes a face again, a single and adorable wrinkle appears between her brows.

"Well, I haven't told you this, but a few weeks ago a new journalist came up with a new idea for The Clever Owl." Hermione's magazine. Harry knows she takes the new journalists' ideas seriously because when people are recently hired they're eager to show how much they want to be there, and in her experience many new and fresh ideas come from there. "She thought it would be nice to have a weekly article on how witches can bewitch a powerful wizard." Hermione rolls her eyes.

Harry laughs sincerely. "Oh, wow. Is she aware she's working at your magazine? Does she know she was hired by Hermione Granger?"

She shoves him a bit and he trips on his feet. Hermione keeps running, laughing. Harry groans and runs a bit faster to reach her.

"Right?" She says. "I mean, The Clever Owl is serious, we're not a bunch of Rita Skeeters there." Hermione chuckles. "The magazine reached its position of prestige because of the way I run things, Harry. You know that, everybody knows that. Our political, cultural and educational branches are the best ones nowadays." He agrees with a nod. Indeed. Hermione started from nothing and now she's the most respected CEO and editor in chief in a long while. Many traditional journals are losing ground to her - which sometimes isn't that nice since they constantly attack her… especially her ancestry. "But I swear, the girl got everyone else's support. They also think it might be a good idea to 'open our minds'" She quotes the phrase with her fingers, "Of course I'm the one who calls the shots, but I saw myself in a difficult situation. I said I was going to think about it, said I wanted her to write something convincing first and let me read it."

She stops talking for a moment.

"And did she? Write the piece?" He asks, very interested in what she's telling him. Harry surely knows how Hermione can be stubborn. In a way he understands, this happens because she's hardly ever wrong.

"She did. She gave it to me three days ago and fuck, it was good." Hermione snorts. "I read it so fast and got lost in the way she naturally took me through the informations with a lot of humor and such." Harry widens his eyes.

"Oh, don't say your magazine is going to have a weekly article on how a witch can get a wizard for herself." He's already laughing and mocking her in a way.

She tries shoving him again, but this time he's faster and deviates in time. He shows his tongue to her, provoking his best friend. She snorts.

"I'll… test it for a month." Hermione states, not liking her own words. "Not just that but since I approved the article, I got a new suggestion from Luke." Harry raises an eyebrow. He doesn't like Luke very much… The man is Hermione's editor and they're always together, laughing and having an amazing time. And in a way since Luke is gay, Harry knows that there are things Hermione shares with her editor that she doesn't share with him. And that gives him a strange sensation. Almost as if Luke might take his place as her best friend and that pisses him off- "He thought it would be fun to also have weekly articles on sports."

Harry chuckles. "Oh, my. They're really trying to piss you off."

She nods, smiling. "Well, I'm smart enough to know that we have to change things from time to time."

"I thought you didn't mess with the winning team."

"Luke said it could be good for us to reach new readers." Harry grits his teeth. "And I think he's right. Of course I'm a bit afraid it might take away our credibility, but from what we discussed incessantly, if the articles are on point, mixing fun and seriousness at the right amount, then we have nothing to worry about. It could be a good thing." She shrugs. "What do you think?"

He can't help opening a small smile at her question. There are few things they don't discuss together. Most of their life changing decisions go through the other. It's a good and nice feeling knowing that he can count on Hermione for anything, at any time. It's… security. A safe landing.

"I think you should try it. I mean, what's the worse that could happen?"

She nods by his side, their strong steps hitting the ground with energy, their run going smoothly.

"Exactly. It soothes me that I can pull the plug on it whenever I want to, so, I'll indulge in this and hope for the best."

"I'm sure it's going to be a success. I mean, how could it not?" They smile to each other, the gratitude in her face making him feel good. "And what sports? Quidditch?"

"Is there another one people actually mind?" She asks ironically. "We'll start with Quidditch, of course, Luke even said how fortunate I was that my best friend is the best Seeker in the world." She scoffs.

Harry laughs openly. "That he got right. I really am." After a while, he asks, "What any of this has to do with you giving up on yourself?" Because he felt she was talking about her love life, not the magazine.

"Ah." She shakes her head. "The article the young journalist wrote on how to find the perfect wizard had a statistic that… really shook me."

He frowns. "Is that so?" He prods. She's very resistant on the matter. "Spill it out, then."

"You'll think I'm silly." She says in a low voice. He waits. It takes her a few more silent beats. "It said that 95% of witches had already encountered their partners for life at the age of twenty-three!" She's outraged. Harry widens his eyes. "And if you hadn't, chances are that you're going to die alone in some ditch."

He can't help laughing. "You can't be serious." He says, already doubting this article's credibility and the mistake Hermione is making in releasing this to the public. "That's rubbish." He says in a serious tone, surprised that she looks sad. "Hey, come on, do you really think you're not going to find a husband because you're twenty-five?"

"Soon to be twenty-six." She says through gritted teeth. Then, she sighs. "I feel like it's true, you know? I mean, since Viktor I haven't had a serious relationship!" Harry does his best not to make a face. Fuck. He hated those years she was with Krum. And he's always glad when he gets a chance at beating the man's ass in some international Quidditch game. "When we were seventeen I was sure I was meant to marry Ron and you saw how that turned out." She gives him a pointed look.

He rolls his eyes. "Oh, please, you can't take that into consideration. You and Ron were an accident waiting to happen." He blinks at his own words. She makes a face, questioning him. He never uttered this belief before.

"Are you serious? Was that what you thought of us?"

He shrugs, breathing hard, their pace a little faster now. "Can you blame me?" He asks in a low voice, observing her. "You fought all the time. You couldn't agree on a thing and I mean, you're like oil and water, you don't go together."

She snorts. "We fought all the time because we wanted to be kissing instead of talking." She says honestly and it makes him uncomfortable. He's not sure… why. "But yeah, after we got over our little problem," She moves her hands in a clear way, indicating sex. He rolls his eyes. "Things just went downhill extremely fast. And I mean, dealing with the aftermath from the War was just-" She shudders.

"Painful." He says in a low voice and they share a look. He clears his throat. "But hey, it turned out fine. You're still friends even after all the shouting and crying and hurting-"

"Yeah, yeah. I get your point. And don't get me wrong, I'm so glad he married Luna, they're perfect for each other and I absolutely love little Sarah and Elle." Harry smiles. Ron and Luna's oldest daughter is the sweetest thing. Five years old and just loony and funny at the right amount. A perfect mixture of her parents. And Elle is only one, but so chubby and adorable that he can't help squeezing her every time she's in his arms. "But sometimes I think…" She trails. He waits. "I mean, I won't lie, I wished I had a child by now, you know? I really want to be a mother and-" She lets out a groan, a bit angry. "After Ron I was so fucking happy with Viktor." She stops talking.

"Not that happy." He says in a low voice. Annoyed. "I mean, if you were you would be married by now."

She shakes her head and says nothing.

Harry never knew the real reason why they broke up. Hermione never shared with him and it irks him to imagine that she shared with Luke. But on the other hand… he never asked-

"Why did you break up? You never told me."

Hermione looks at him, her cheeks and tip of nose already a bit red from the exercise. Harry finds it adorable.

"We-" She exhales heavily. "He wanted me to move with him to Bulgaria." Harry widens his eyes. He never imagined this was even a possibility and- "I wasn't ready for it, Harry. I had just started the magazine and I couldn't leave it all behind." She lowers her head. "And we also had a little… issue."

He narrows his eyes. "What issue?"

The redness on her face deepens and he realizes she's blushing now. For her to be blushing it-

"On the sex department." Hermione says. This. They hardly share their sexual experiences. And he knows she does it with Luke. Harry is not sure why sex is kind of an off topic for them. It shouldn't be, right? They're best friends. They should be able to talk about everything, share anything. And it's not like he doesn't know Hermione has sex frequently. She does. And she knows he does too. A lot.

"Was it bad?" He asks, unsure.

She laughs loudly and he makes a face, not understanding.

"No. It wasn't." She's still smiling. "The thing is… it was way too good." She makes a face, clearly feeling awkward in sharing this with him. His heart skips a beat at her words and he ignores it.

"I-" He begins, "I think I'm missing something here. It was way too good and that's an issue because?"

"Well, we barely talked." She chuckles. "We fucked like bunnies, Harry." He chokes on his own saliva, but she doesn't mind, Hermione keeps talking. "And when we indeed talked about important stuff, it was… off. Awkward. Like something was missing. Our emotional connection was a bit frail. To say the least. That's why I said no when he asked me to move to another country and change my whole life." She shakes her head. "But even so, since him I haven't felt the rush of love and excitement, you know?" He makes a face. He only felt it once. With Ginny. Hermione looks at him strangely. "All the other guys after him never compared and I can't help wondering if I… made the wrong decision."

"I don't think so." He says fast, his voice strange. "It wasn't meant to be, Hermione."

She sighs. "Maybe. But I was twenty-three when we broke up! What if he was the one?" She groans. "And now I'm going to die alone."

"Please, you can't be this worried about some silly article-"

Hermione stops running and he frowns, looking back at her.

"It's not a silly article." She says, her hands on her waist, her chest moving up and down hard. "I would never agree on publishing something stupid, Harry! It has a real research behind it and real results." She shakes her head. He jogs back to her, stopping. "Fuck. I should just give up on the whole thing."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean- I won't date anymore! I'll accept my fate."

He laughs. "Not a chance." He shakes his head to her. "Hey, look. I'll help you."

She snorts. "Harry, come on. All your male friends are Quidditch players and we all know what they want. To whore around."

He opens his mouth, outraged. "Excuse me?"

"Oh, are you going to say you do not whore around? Because I must be living in another reality, then."

He raises a finger in front of him, their eyes locked. "First, I do whore around, I admit it." She cocks her head. "But only because I'm not looking for anything serious! I want to be single, Hermione. I want to live my life freely. Can you imagine me in a relationship?" He scoffs. "I don't have the energy or patience for it, and let's be honest, there are a lot of incredible and gorgeous woman out there for me to just tie myself to one." She makes an ugly face, raising an eyebrow.

"See? And you think all your fellow players don't also think like that-"

"Of course not!" He says fast. "Thinking about it now I know at least four of them who want to get married and have children!" She rolls her eyes and go back to a jog, he follows. "I'm serious! I'll ask them!"

"You don't need to."

"I want to!" He says, holding her by the arm, both stopping. "I'm serious. Look, I want to help you, let me."

"I can find guys to date on my own, Harry." She narrows her eyes.

"I know! Of course you can. But I know these guys, I can choose one that won't be an utter asshole."

She crosses her arms and they stare at each other for a while. Harry observes her face, her small nose and full lips.

He's so used to her face. To her expressions. Of joy. Of sadness. Of worry-

"Fine." She says after a while, raising her hands in surrender. "Okay, fine. I'll go out with one of them."

"Just one?" He frowns.

"Yes. Because you'll choose the perfect one, right?"

They smile, both making fun of the situation in a way. And then, they resume their run.

Harry feels good. He'll be able to help his best friend and that's something that always brings a smile to his face. If he's honest, he never thought Hermione would mind an article like this so much. Nor did he know she was so eager to marry and have a family. But now that he knows, now that he can see how it unsettles her, he's ready to do the best he can to help her. Like she always did for him.

Puddlemere United Training Quarters

It's odd. He's been observing his mates for hours now and Harry can't think of one that is suiting for Hermione. If it's not for their manners, it's because they're not good looking enough or serious enough or-

"Hey, what's on your mind?" Lester asks. He's their Keeper. The best one in the UK.

Harry makes a face, taking a towel to dry the sweat on his chest. They've been working out for two hours now and he's a bit tired. It's crazy how their coach deals with the physical training. He usually tells them he doesn't care what they do with their personal lives or how much they drink or smoke or indulge in any other activity, his only demand is that they show up every day to train… to exhaustion.

He sits down and Lester sits with him, both done with their routines.

"I… want to find a date for Hermione." He says and frowns. The words are strange and the notion seems ridiculous when expressed out loud.

"Hermione? THE Hermione?" Harry looks at his friend with a strange face, what does he mean with- "Hermione Granger?"

He snorts. "Yes, the one."

Lester widens his eyes. "Blimey, mate. Are you serious?"

Harry is not following. "I am. Why?"

"Don't tell the others!" He says fast and-

"Don't tell us what?" Edward asks, sitting with them. Lester groans and Harry rests his chin on his fisted hand, curious.

"That I want to find a date for Hermione." He states.

"A date?" Edward perks up, coming closer to them. Harry notices that the others are also paying attention. Even Evelyn, one of their Chasers. "Can I volunteer or something?"

Harry snorts. "What? What are you talking about?"

They all look very surprised and… eager to know about this.

"Harry, mate," Lester says, "We all would love to go out with Hermione."

Harry blinks, opening his mouth. "I-"

"I mean, you do know how hot she is, right?" Edward asks and the others agree, nodding. "You can't be this shocked that almost every guy in here wants to date her. I mean, I think even our rivals would let you catch the Snitch if you set up a date with Hermione for them."

They all kind of chuckle at Edward's words.

Harry on the other hand, is in total shock. He widens his eyes even more when Lester moves his hands in a clear way of talking about a woman's body, making the shape of a guitar in the air.

He never-

No. He can't lie.

Harry is not blind or an idiot. Of course he's aware of how hot Hermione is. And he first noticed it when they were on the hunt. Before that, he had already noticed how beautiful she was, the Yule Ball was a huge wake up call, but he kept it inside him, not making a fuss about it or even sharing with Ron - who obviously was trying to concentrate on Hermione's flaws at the time.

Then, later, while on the hunt, he… it wasn't on purpose, but one night, when they were alone - Ron had left - Hermione thought he was sleeping and she indulged in a relaxing bath, not even bothering in closing the curtain around the bathtub… Harry saw her naked on that night. And he can't deny how it aroused him. He felt hard instantly. But he closed his eyes shut with force and made himself forget about it-

Well, he tried.

He can't deny that… her body flashes through his mind from time to time. But he does his best to ignore it. Mostly because it feels like a disrespect to his best friend and that's the last thing he wants, to disrespect or upset her-

"So, mate?" Lester calls him. "What kind of guy is she looking for?" He opens a dashing smile. "I'm sure I can give her the time of her life-"

"Oh, please," Edward cuts him. "You have half a brain. Hermione Granger is the brightest witch of our generation and-"

Harry stops listening. He's a bit numb. He never imagined they were all eager to have a shot with Hermione. It's kind of crazy. And he wonders why they never manifested this before.

He raises both hands in the air, asking for silence.

"Wait, wait, wait!" He yells a bit, calming their voices. "If you want to go out with Hermione so much, why you never tried it before?"

They all make faces like he's grown a second head.

"We thought you…" Edward begins, unsure.

"We what?" Harry asks.

"Harry, you can't be serious. We all thought you and Hermione had a thing-"

"What?" He shrieks. Then he laughs. Strangely. Maybe from some kind of nervousness. "You guys, I understand if people who don't know us think like that, but you're always with me when I go out and take many girls back with me to my flat."

"Yeah, well, we know, but I mean, you two are so close that we inevitably thought she was kind of off limits." Lester shrugs. "But it's amazing to know that she isn't. I mean, we have a party this week, after the game, you should invite her!"

"Yes!" Edward and the others voice their agreement. "You don't have to set her up for us, we can ask her out now, so, she can choose for herself."

Harry wants to tell them that they could have asked her out before, but the Coach arrives and the conversation ends. There's a new whole routine for them to do before heading out and Harry can't deny that his best friend consumes his thoughts while he does it.

Harry's flat

The shower was everything he needed. It took his mind from Hermione and- Someone just apparated inside his place.

He walks to his living room. Ron is there with little Sarah.

"Hey!" Harry says and opens his arms for the girl to hug him. They share a tight embrace and Harry laughs when she tries taking his glasses. Sarah is fascinated by them.

"Uncle Harry!" She squeals when he starts tickling her.

"Hey, mate." Ron says, sharing a half hug with him. Sarah starts to run around the place. "All good?"

Harry nods. "Yes. You?"

"Same. I'm just a bit tired. Elle is at that age that I swear-" He exhales heavily. "Were you heading out?" Ron observes his clothes. Indeed. Harry was just about to go to a night club to maybe… meet someone to spend the night with.

"I was…" Harry trails.

"Oh, it's fine then, mate. I'm just heading over to Hermione's to see if she can take care of Sarah for a few hours. My mum is going mental with the house filled with grandchildren and since Sarah loves to stay with you, I figured it wouldn't be a bother."

"It's no bother at all. Hermione must be home, right?" Harry walks to his front door, Sarah excitedly goes after him.

"Are we going to see auntie Hermione?" The girl practically yells. She's crazy about Hermione. Harry smiles to her, opening the door and watching while her blond hair goes from one side to the other while she crosses the hallway to knock on Hermione's door.

Which is just across from Harry's.

Ron comes with his hands inside his pockets, a smile on his face. Harry knows how happy he is that Hermione is an aunt for his daughters. The girls love her and their friendship is stronger than ever now. After they got over the heartbreak and the many fights from the end of their relationship, Ron and Hermione never had another fight. Which is odd and very amazing at the same time.

Hermione opens the door with a smile, probably already knowing that it was Sarah since the girl kept screaming 'Auntie Hermione'.

"My love!" Hermione shares a tight hug with the girl, spinning her in the air, both laughing.

It brings a smile to Harry's face. He's a bit fascinated by their connection and-

Ron is looking at him with a smirk.

"What?" Harry asks, raising his eyebrows.

"Nothing. Nothing, mate." Ron clears his throat and walks to Hermione, both sharing a hug and kisses on the cheek.

She invites all of them inside and Harry closes his door behind him to enter her place.

Her flat it the perfect mirror of his own. A nice living room and spacious kitchen, a big dinner table. Then two bedrooms and two bathrooms. Is more than enough for a single person. The most obvious difference between both is that Hermione's living room is filled with books. Shelves and shelves of them. And a nice and comfy armchair that she uses to read. His living room however, is filled with Quidditch trophies and posters of himself playing. A bit narcissistic? Maybe. But he's very proud of his achievements. And not one bit embarrassed to display them.

"Would you mind taking care of Sarah tonight?" Ron asks Hermione and Harry takes the girl in his arms, throwing her in the air and catching right after. She giggles madly.

"Oh, not at all." Hermione says. "No problem. Is everything alright, though?" She lowers her voice and Ron gulps, Harry tries paying attention even with Sarah screaming in the air.

"Yeah, yeah." Ron sighs. "Me and Luna just need some alone time, you know? Elle will be with Xenophilius and Sarah wanted to be with you."

Hermione opens a smile. "I totally understand. We're going to have a great time, aren't we, sweetie?"

Sarah squeals, leaving Harry's arms and going to Hermione, hugging her legs.

"YES!" The girl screams.

Ron laughs. "Okay, now, love," He kneels to talk with his daughter and Harry can't help thinking how adult he looks now. Married with two children and running the Shop brilliantly. "You behave, okay? Don't go too crazy on the candy that I know for sure auntie Hermione is going to give you." Hermione opens her mouth, outraged. "I'll pick you up later tonight-"

"Ron." Hermione cuts him. "She can sleep here, it's no problem. I'll take her home before I head to the magazine tomorrow morning."

Ron looks up at Hermione. "Are you sure?"

"Of course. Do you wanna sleep here, Sarah?" Hermione asks the girl. And her answer is an excited nod. "See?" Hermione smiles. "Enjoy Luna." She winks at him and they share a knowing smile. It makes Harry uncomfortable. He has no idea why.

"Thank you." Ron hugs Hermione and even if he talks in a low voice, Harry hears his next words, "I owe you one, anytime. Just ask."

She pats his shoulder. "Oh, I will." They share a chuckle now.

Harry sets his jaw, clearing his throat.

"Hermione," Harry calls, "Do you want me to stay and help?" He blinks, having no idea where this came from. Yes, he loves taking care of Sarah, but only when he's free. And he had this night out scheduled for some time now-

"It's fine, Harry. You go have your fun." She waves a hand to him, seizing Sarah in her arms.

Ron says his goodbyes and apparates away.

Harry observes while Hermione takes Sarah to the kitchen, setting her on the counter and preparing both sandwiches while talking about silly little things all children enjoy so much. Like why the mayonnaise is inside the jar. Or why the bread comes in those packages. Or why Hermione is so pretty-

Harry blinks at the question and Hermione laughs wholeheartedly. It's an amazing sound.

"You think so, sweetie? Well, thank you. Children are always so honest that it warms my heart." And she kisses the girl's little head, handing her the sandwich. Without turning to him, Hermione asks, "Weren't you supposed to be gone by now?" Her words aren't that kind, but her tone is playful and Harry smiles.

"Yes. Sure." He pockets his hands. "Morning run tomorrow?" He asks.

Hermione turns to look at him, making a face. "I guess it won't do, I mean," She points to Sarah, "I have to take this little girl to her house and then I need to be at the magazine very early. Raincheck?"

"Sure. Tuesday, then." He winks and she nods. "Well, goodnight, Hermione."

"'Night, Harry. Have a great time. Say bye to uncle Harry, love."

Sarah waves her little hand, her cheeks already dirty with mayo and ketchup.

He smiles. And with another look at Hermione, he apparates away.

September 1st, 2005

Puddlemere United Training Quarters

Harry flies fast, trying to find the Snitch. He hates these trainings and is sure that they're kinda of useless. There's no way of making a simulation feel the same as the game. When all the players are out there is impossible to know what will happen next, everything is unpredictable. Every move, every goal, every Bludger.

But at the simulation it's just Harry and an imaginary Snitch inside a room that gives the sensation of the field. It's boring and he always does his best to end it as fast as possible.

The Snitch goes flying past him and he wastes no time. In under a minute Harry has it in his palm.

He comes down from the broom, smiling and raising an eyebrow to the Coach. The man pats his shoulder and Harry sits to rest a bit. The next drill is for the Keeper.

The Coach - a big and heavy man - sits by his side, sighing.

"What's wrong, Nate?" Harry asks the man.

"Well, Potter, I just heard that Ballycastle Bats has a new Seeker in sight."

Harry widens his eyes. Puddlemere and Ballycastle are the best teams this season and they're practically head to head at the top positions-

"Who?" He asks, drinking some water.

Coach Nate clicks his tongue. "You know him well. Viktor Krum."

He freezes inside at the name. Harry has already played Krum a few times, it's common for the Quidditch International Federation to organize games between local teams and such, but to have Krum playing the UK League again would be… a pain in the ass.

Krum is indeed one of the best. It wasn't for nothing that when Harry first saw and heard of him the man was playing the World Cup.

Even if Harry is very sure of his own abilities, most of the times glad that he gets a shot at facing challenging opponents, this news about Krum are not exactly thrilling.

And he's not sure why.

The only thing that comes to his mind is the way Hermione talked about the Bulgarian a few days ago. How she wondered if she had made the wrong choice not moving to Bulgaria with him. Or how good the sex-

"Is this a done deal?" He asks Nate.

The Coach makes a face of irritation. "I think they're very close to coming to an agreement, at least that's what my guy told me."

"Your guy?"

"Of course. I do have someone to poke around and bring me these informations on any team. Especially the one that is almost taking the National Cup from our hands, Potter."

Harry nods. "Would they change Seekers like this? Mid season?"

"It's not common, but they can if they want to." Nate shrugs. "You're our Captain, and if this happens, I want you to hold the team together. I understand how Krum's presence might throw them off a bit. It happened those years ago when he used to play here." Nate stops talking to run a hand on his almost bald head. "Do you remember? We lost on that last year and I'm sure we were going to lose on the next, but suddenly Krum returned to Bulgaria." He shrugs. "No one knows why."

Harry wets his lips, thinking. Hermione only said that Krum asked her to go with him, but she didn't say why he was leaving…

"He used to date Hermione, didn't he?" Nate asks, pretending he doesn't know the answer. Harry only grunts, drinking more water. "Maybe he left because they had a fight or something…" Nate trails.

Sighing, Harry raises from the bench.

"I need to go, see you tomorrow, Coach."

He pats Nate's shoulder and walks calmly, exiting the training field with a strange sensation in his chest.

And a need to talk with Hermione stronger than anything else.