Marriage in Solace
"I've got a surprise Harry!", breathed out Hermione Jean Granger. Her voice trembled due to the unforgivable cold of the forest, with her coat tucked over her in a crooked manner. The brown locks which were once frizzy and lively during her adolescence were now soft and wavy as if it had chosen to tame itself in order to hide away from the freezing chill.
A few strands of her unkempt hair sat unmoving on her chestnut brown eyes, framing it perfectly which emphasized her lively eyes.
A few sounds of ruffling rang out in the deathly quiet forest, a final loud flap of the tent signaled the arrival of a taller and a more rugged man who trudged over to her.
"Yes Mione?", asked Harry with curiosity ringing in his tone.
Hermione gave him a weak smile, her hands were shivering with cold as she slipped it into her pockets. Searching for something intently, with the tip of her tongue sticking out slightly in focus. The witch's brown eyes sparked with a moment of satisfaction as she retreated her hand out of her coat.
A delicate lily stood high and proud in the witch's hand. The horrifyingly cold atmosphere not seeming to affect it one bit. Her small hands grazed it ever so slightly out of admiration.
Harry chuckled at Hermione's antics, "I can't say this is exactly the surprise I was hoping for".
Hermione sighed and grinned at the Potter. Her tired brown eyes seeking solace within a dull green.
"It reminded me of your mother, Harry. She was named Lily, wasn't she", whispered Hermione cautiously.
The bespectacled boy smiled with sadness, he looked as if he had grown a decade in mere seconds.
"She was four years older than us, when she died Hermione", muttered Harry, causing Hermione to take him in her hand. Opting to play with his fingers soothingly.
"I might even break her record! How funny would that be", chuckled Harry out of spite.
She stood up from the floor and joined him under the shade of a dying tree, resting her head on his slouched shoulders. Their eyes grazed the barren nothingness in front of them.
"Harry..", started Hermione unsure of how she should begin.
"She died young Harry, she died with a family. She died with friends who cared about her and a loving husband... She died with you", stated the brown haired witch.
"And, Honestly Harry. I would die with you too. I would take my last breath knowing that I got to spend a few fleeting moments with my life long companion", confessed the Granger, her eyes shining with sincerity.
Harry turned to look into her pupils, the utter devotion and care was evident in them. "Hermione...", he breathed out
"You have never been prettier", confided Harry in his sole companion.
Hermione's lips quivered, not enough energy in her to blush at the comment. "Women like you are one in millions Hermione... My dad was lucky to snatch my mum", continued Harry as he forced himself to breathe in the chilly air.
"I'm going to die alone, Hermione... Un-married. Un-Loved. It scares me", he confessed with a tinge of sadness evident in his monotone voice.
"Harry..", responded the weak voice of the brown haired witch.
"If I die, I will die with my friend. I will die with my family in my mind.. I will die in satisfaction Harry! But-, she choked as if restraining herself.
Harry did not say anything in response, he didn't need to. A slight quirk of the eyebrow and movement of his emerald orbs was all it took for her to crumble. He never needed words.
"But I would die without being married… I know it's silly, but.. I always imagined falling in love with my husband"
"I agree", confided Harry. Thoughts of raising a family had been frequent, although brief. He would watch the Weasley's and feel a sense of longing to have his own.
"You can have me... I don't want to die alone either and quite frankly, you are the perfect choice for me. You have always understood me… always knew me", suggested Hermione.
Her lips quivered emphasizing the sense of vulnerability that was echoing through her very being.
Harry's heart bloomed at her words as his arms snaked around her petite frame. Marveling at the feeling of a smaller body snuggling up against his side. "Your brown hair Hermione, it complements my dark hair", muttered Harry absent-mindedly as he revealed a detail he had realized during the Triwizard tournament. He had hid it for nearly three years.
Harry grabbed the lily from his mate's hand before waving his wand over it diligently. The stem slowly bended itself into a ring, boasting the bright petals of the flower as its crown jewel.
The Potter slipped it onto her ring finger, before smiling at the fact that there were now two Potter's in the Forest of Dean.
"May the groom kiss the bride", sang Hermione in a childish tune
Their lips connected the hurt, sorrow and pain fading away for a second. For just a moment, it was just them. Harry and Hermione. For all eternity.