November 18th, 2007
He can't stop smiling. And he doesn't want to stop either. So, as he works, he keeps smiling to the costumers. Of course he already misses Hermione. She's in Paris right now, working. But they've been sending each other patronus the whole day. She said that she's talking to the Head of the Hôpital later tonight. It bothers him a bit that for them to be together she has to move back to London. He knows how much she loves working there, but she insisted and he only smiled, happy that they're going to do this.
The only thing that irks him is thinking that she's close to Gustave there. They've talked more about their marriage and Hermione told him that Gustave always behaved like the perfect husband in many aspects, but there were times that she felt pressured. She had to love all his friends. She had to love the Parisian life more than anything else. She had to be just as obsessed with work as him. Things like that.
So, because it annoys him that she's there - so far away from him - he's going to her flat as soon as he closes the restaurant. And he's taking Rachel with him. The thought brings an even wider smile to his face. Yesterday they spent the day together after they fetched her from School. Just the three. They went to the park and they enjoyed it to the fullest. They magically hid themselves in front of everyone and Rach was over the moon with the way they kept entertaining her with spells. Hermione even dared to teach her a simple incantation. Just the words and the wrist movement.
Harry could see the exploding happiness coming from Rachel. Of course she missed being with them like this. It was the first time in more than four years. And he took so many pictures. He and Hermione were obsessed with them later. All extremely beautiful. Hermione took one of the three to keep magically tucked with her wand. So she could always look at them.
And, of course, they talked about the time he was with Tessa. Harry opened his heart to Hermione in a way he never did before. He told her everything. How he felt. How he wished he hadn't tried with Tessa. How hard it was to end things after she had just woken up from a coma. How he wanted her and Rachel to connect. How guilty he felt. How he never stopped thinking about Hermione. How many countless nights he dreamed of her. How he masturbated a lot imagining that they were together - Hermione had a strong reaction at this. She was completely shocked, but also… aroused.
Sighing, he walks to a table at the corner in the restaurant. Olaf's table. The old man eats alone everyday and Harry always makes an extra effort to sit and eat with him.
Olaf raises his head to look at him with a permanent scowl that Harry learned that it's only his normal face.
"You look happy." Olaf says with a knowing smile. "And you weren't here yesterday. I gather you finally took my advice." The old man points out before slurping on his onion soup - that he orders every lunch.
Harry chuckles, "Well, I think she was two minutes faster than me."
Olaf laughs honestly. And then he coughs a bit. "My boy, these are good news! Are you going to celebrate? Do it soon! I wanna be here to see it."
It's Harry's turn to laugh. Olaf is always implying that he's dying. That he could drop dead at any minute. And the way he deals with this is very amusing.
"For sure, Olaf. Maybe she can eat with us tomorrow." Harry says, digging into his plate of pasta. "She's moving back to London."
"Wise girl. And you make yourself the favor of never letting her go again, huh?"
"You don't even have to tell me that."
"Good. Because I sure did an extra effort to keep you two locked inside that shop."
Harry stops eating, his eyes wide. Olaf is acting as if what he just said has no importance whatsoever. Harry blinks a few times, tilting his head.
"What?" He asks, confused.
"You heard me." Olaf says, unfazed. "You really think I didn't know you two were there? Please. I'm your little fairy Godmother."
Harry has his mouth hanging open. And then, after a while, he shakes his head, the permanent smile wider on his face.
"Olaf, thank you. Seriously."
"I know, I know. I just can't stand young love being wasted." He waves a hand in front of him, "Call me a hopeless romantic."
They keep eating and talking about life. Olaf has a ridiculous amount of stories to tell to those who want to hear. Harry loves them. And some he's telling Rachel. Her eyes glint with excitement while she listens. Olaf's stories are a bit crazy. But fun.
And Harry's day goes by insanely fast. He leaves his sous-chef in charge and apparates to fetch Rachel. With both hands inside his pockets, he keeps thinking about the night he has ahead of him. Being with Hermione and Rachel is all he wants in this life. It's sheer happiness and belonging.
Rachel comes running from the front gate and they hug tightly. Harry apparates them to their house.
"Okay, take your things so we can leave to mummy Mi's-"
He stops at the sound of the apparition inside.
It's Hermione.
Rachel runs to her and they share a hug. Harry has a huge smile on his face but he's a bit confused. She comes to him when Rachel darts up the stairs to her room to change for the evening.
"Hey, darling." She says, her arms around his neck.
He kisses her. "Hey, honey. What are you doing here?" He tilts his head, their eyes locked. "I thought we were supposed to-"
She shakes her head. Harry sees the way she looks at the stairs Rachel climbed. "I ran into Gustave." Hermione says in a low voice. "It wasn't pretty." She sighs. Harry clenches his jaw, embracing her even more. "I want to stay far away from there for now."
Harry nods, understanding. "What happened?"
"Well, as I said I would, I talked to the lawyer very early in the morning before heading to the Hôpital. The divorce papers were done by the afternoon. Everything is quite simple since our stuff is very well divided. The lawyer said that not having children also makes everything easier."
"Thank fuck for that." He whispers, kissing her.
"Yes, well, before I left the Hôpital I sent a copy to Gustave for him to sign. I already signed mine." Harry smiles at her words and she also does, kissing him softly. "I knew he wasn't working. But he went after me at the Hôpital." She looks down. "It was an ugly fight, Harry. In front of everyone. I had to apparate us to the flat-"
"You shouldn't have-"
"I don't think he would try anything-"
"You can't know that!" He says angrily. She purses her lips. "Fuck. Don't be alone with him. Please."
She sighs. "Fine. I won't." Hermione kisses his jaw. "I won't." He bumps his nose on hers. Still angry. "He said he's not going to sign it." He can tell by her voice that she's angry and desperate. "I don't know what to do now. There's no way of forcing him. And magical divorces have to be consensual."
Harry runs a hand through his hair, biting hard on his lower lip. "That fucking jerk. He has to sign it-"
"If he does, it will take time." She whispers, closing her eyes. "Gustave doesn't fall in love easily. He- he can't accept that I don't want him anymore."
"Fuck him." Harry says, cupping her cheek. "Maybe you should move as soon as possible."
She nods. "Yes, I think so too. I wasn't able to talk with the Head tonight, so, maybe tomorrow…" She trails, thinking.
Harry gulps. This transference might take so much time. Maybe the Head won't want to let her go. And she'll keep running into Gustave-
"Just quit." He says. Hermione widens her eyes at him. He inhales deeply. "I know you love your patients and your job, but if you quit, things will be easier. Money is not a problem for us. You can move on the next day. And then you can get in touch with St. Mungo's and-"
"Harry." She stops him, a wrinkle between her brows. "I know that you're exasperated, but I can't abandon my patients like that. They need me."
He grits his teeth. "I know. But-" His arms loosen around her and he takes a step back. She keeps frowning, her hands on her waist now. "Knowing that you'll meet him there drives me crazy. And this is not about jealousy. I'm worried." He states firmly. "He's obviously crazy, Hermione. Why else wouldn't he sign the divorce?!"
"He's not crazy. He wants to have the last word." She says. "I'm sure of it."
He exhales through his mouth, angry. Harry doesn't say a word. If it was up to him he would pack all her things right now and bring everything to his house. He would even talk to St. Mungo's Head for her transference to go through even faster. But these are her decisions. Not his.
Crossing his arms, he stares at her. Hermione has her eyes narrow.
"Look." She begins, "I'll talk to the Head tomorrow. If… if he resists my transference I'll quit, okay?"
"Are you serious?" He's surprised.
"I am. But I need to talk with my patients. I need to give them some explanation. I can't just disappear."
He nods. "Yes, sure." Harry closes the distance between them, kissing her gently. "I- I just worry-"
"I know, love." They share another kiss. "It's all going to be fine. I promise." She whispers to him. "I- even if Gustave doesn't sign the divorce, it won't change a thing between us. I'm moving here. I'm staying with you for as long as you want me."
"How forever sounds?" He bites softly on her cheek. Hermione chuckles, her arms closing more around him.
"Not enough. But it's settled them."
He nods. Harry opens his mouth to say that even if this is an amazing thing, he still wants her to divorce Gustave because he wants her to be Hermione Potter-
"DADDY!" Rachel yells loudly, clearly scared.
And they move in a blink. Harry and Hermione are in her room in a blur. Rachel is crying on the floor and Hermione goes to her fast. Harry strides to the window. Someone broke it from the outside. The glass is shattered.
His heart is beating so fast. He's so scared.
"Is she okay?" He asks Hermione, crouching to look at Rachel.
"Yes. Only a superficial cut." Hermione says, her voice strained. She already healed it. Rachel is crying in Hermione's arms, her face buried in her chest.
Harry and Hermione share a look. They're both insanely worried.
"Sweetie, what happened?" Harry asks. Hermione keeps soothing Rachel, but her eyes are on the shattered glass. Harry can see how livid she is.
"A man." Rachel whispers. Harry grits his teeth. "He was outside." Rachel points to the window. He feels cold. "He wanted me to let him in."
"But you didn't, right, sweetie?" Hermione asks, her voice is shaking. She is shaking.
"No, mummy."
"Good, Rach. That's good." Hermione says.
Harry gulps. "Did he break the glass?"
Rachel only nods, sniffling. Fucking shit. He shares another look with Hermione. They both agree fast that they're not taking their eyes off her. And he also makes a face. Hermione raises an eyebrow in question. There are some things that he needs to tell her. She purses her lips and sighs.
"Pumpkin," Hermione begins, brushing Rachel's tears away. "All is fine. Mummy and daddy are here, okay?" Rachel nods. Hermione stands from the floor with Rach and Harry embraces both. His whole body is tense.
"How about sleeping with us tonight, Rach?" He asks in a low voice.
The girl nods. She's truly shaken. With reason. Hermione wets her lips.
"Daddy is gonna make us something to eat and then you're going to take a shower with mummy for us to sleep, okay?"
Harry can hear the faint influence Hermione puts into her words. He knows this is a Healer's technique to soothe the patients. It calms them, enabling the healing to happen faster. And he's glad she can ease Rachel's heart a bit. The girl is finally calming down.
"Okay, mummy." Rachel sniffles again.
Hermione exits the room with her, giving Harry a pointed look.
He fixes the window and stands there for a while, watching the outside. There's no one there. The wards are intact. Whoever talked to Rachel was surely behind the ward. But how…
He looks around and sees it. There's a pebble on the floor. That's how the man broke the window. And this infuriates Harry so fucking much. What if this had hit Rachel? He runs a hand through his hair. Hermione won't like what he has to share, but maybe he can't keep this silent anymore.
However, right now, the only thing on his mind is making sure that Rachel feels safe in her house. Then, later, he needs to have a serious talk with Hermione.
The moment Rachel falls asleep in Harry's bed - their bed - Hermione puts up a silencing spell around the girl. They've eaten and showered and now she's facing Harry inside the room.
He's hiding something from her.
"Spill it out." She says to him, crossing one leg over the other while sitting on the armchair he has inside the room. He's sitting on the bed, facing her.
They hold their gazes. She can see that she's not going to like what he has to say.
Sighing, Harry says, "I never stopped receiving those threats."
Hermione opens her mouth, her eyes wide. "What?" She squeezes the armrests. "Why didn't you-"
"I told no one, Hermione. I-" He shakes his head. "I never thought whoever was sending them would act on it. Rach had many moments alone with Tessa and Leonard and nothing happened to her. Not to mention that I never saw anyone close to her in a suspicious way. Not at her School or anywhere else." Hermione cannot believe his words, she's so angry. "The threats always felt like a shot in the dark just to annoy me-"
"Not so much, right? Because something did happen, Harry. There was a fucking man outside the house and he wanted Rach." She says between her teeth. Harry makes a face. "I had no idea she was in danger-"
"She was not in danger, I already said that-"
"How many threats?" She cuts him. He widens his eyes. "How many have you gotten on these last three years?"
Harry holds his head with both hands, exhaling heavily. She waits.
"Close to five hundred." He whispers. She gasps. "Something like three threats per week."
"Fucking shit, Harry." There's so much going through her head right now. The many times Rachel was with her and Gustave in Paris, walking freely in parks and by the Seine and- Hermione closes her eyes. He shouldn't have hidden this from anyone. "You shouldn't have-"
"I didn't want to worry everyone!" He says a bit louder, standing up. "I'm tired of being the reason why my daughter can't have a normal life!"
"This is not your fault!" She says a bit louder too, standing up and facing him. "I already told you that-"
"Oh, please, Hermione! We know this is my fault!" He's angry too. "What was I supposed to do? Hell, I didn't want to alert the authorities and have them invading my privacy, entering my house or following Rachel around! She doesn't deserve this. She deserves a normal childhood. And I'm here to make sure that she gets one."
Hermione purses her lips. "Harry, I know. Fuck, I know. But three threats per week! Delivered at your own house. This is not random! This person was just outside!" She's exasperated. "We should go to the Ministry. Right now."
He shakes his head vehemently and she can't believe how stubborn he is. "No."
"Harry, be rational, please." She whispers.
"I'm being rational." He says slowly. "I- fuck, our lives are already all over the newspapers even when we try to run away from the spotlights. Can you imagine what's going to happen if I go to that Ministry? I don't care what they say about me or the way they can harass me, but I won't let them ruin Rachel's life!"
She inhales deeply, thinking. "You're not totally wrong, but it's her safety-"
"I won't let them win." He says through his teeth. "I won't bend to these threats, I won't accept that they can control my life. Not again. We can take care of her, Hermione. Even if I didn't pursue the career, I know everything an Auror needs to know. We fought a fucking War!"
By looking into his eyes it becomes clear to her that she won't win this argument fighting him. Harry has all his reasons to resist reaching out to the authorities. She also knows how much he fears that him being Harry Potter can ruin the normalcy in Rachel's life. But he's not seeing clearly right now.
Yes, they're both furious. Just the mere thought of someone hurting Rachel like this drives her insane. It transforms her completely. Hermione is sure she would easily kill people to protect her daughter. So, she understands Harry, of course she does.
And she closes the gap between them, her arms around his waist, her lips kissing his jaw.
"Love." He says in a broken voice, his chin trembling.
"I know. I know, love." She squeezes him in her arms, kissing his neck. "Maybe we should sleep. We can talk about this tomorrow. And… we need to tell Tessa." He tenses. "The decision of what to do is also hers, Harry. We need to think together what's best."
He sighs but kisses her cheek. Soon their lips find each other's. They both try to calm down together while they slowly kiss. Harry pulls back first, his eyes still closed when he says:
"Okay. You're right."
On her tip toes she kisses his scar, then his closed eyelids, her hands cupping his face, her fingers going to his hair.
"It's going to be fine." She says and they lock their eyes. He's visibly shaken. "Nothing is going to happen to her."
He nods, gulping. He pulls her closer to him and they share a tight hug.
"Thank you, love. Thank you for being here." He whispers.
Her heart squeezes inside her chest. "I'm always going to be here now. I'm not going anywhere." And she proceeds to kiss his neck. Small kisses, gentle.
He's too shaken. But after a while, Hermione leads him to bed. Rachel is lying in the middle and they lie down one on each side of her. Harry is wearing some pajamas and he gave her one of his t-shirts. On their sides, they look at each other, embracing Rachel between them, their hands meeting.
"I love you." He says.
"I love you."
And they fall asleep looking at each other.
November 19th, 2007
She had to change her shift at the Hôpital to be here with Harry for this. They sent a patronus to Tessa and Ron and also one to Draco and Ginny. It feels right to have this conversation with everyone.
And now, as she sits on his desk inside the study, Hermione can't believe the box filled with threats that Harry has. She's fuming. They're fucking nasty and she wants to vomit each time she reads a new one. Hermione has no idea how Harry kept his cool all these years.
Inhaling deeply she puts the envelope she had in her hands away. It was easy to notice a pattern. Of course they all come from the same person. Probably the man that was outside yesterday. It's clear that they need to ask Rachel how he looked like, but they decided to let this go for today. Harry took her to stay with Molly and Arthur. The Burrow is insanely well protected too. And always more than one Weasley is there. The place is constantly packed with grandchildren and Ron and Ginny's brothers. Linda is also going to be there with them. Only Nico and Fred are staying in the house while they discuss things.
Hermione is unsure on how Tessa is going to react to this. It won't be pretty. Tessa won't blame Harry himself for this, but she'll blame him for not telling her before. And she's going to be right about it. Ron is not getting away with this neither. Well, none of them. They all hid this from Tessa.
"What's that face?" Harry asks, entering the study. He stops in front of her, his arms crossed.
"Did you tell Molly and Arthur?"
"Yes." He purses his lips.
"It's for the best, Harry. Everyone needs to know."
He looks down. "They weren't that happy that I've hidden this from them for almost four years."
She clicks her tongue. "Tessa won't be happy either, you know that, don't you?"
"Yeah, I know." He runs a hand through his hair. "So, what do you think?" He points to the envelopes on the table.
"Well, it's the same person for sure. A man." They share a look. "I just wonder why he never acted before." Harry tilts his head. "As we've said, Rach had moments alone with Leonard and Tessa. Also at the School. If this person knows where you live, he surely knows all her schedule. In a way your privacy is already compromised." He exhales through his mouth. "And… whoever this man is, he hates you fiercely, Harry."
"Yes. I- I noticed that in a way the threats are directed at me." She nods. It's hard to admit this. Because- "How can you not blame me?" His voice is barely there.
She snorts and pulls him to her. "Stop." Her voice is firm. There's nothing more for her to say. "The only thing you need to blame yourself for is being insanely hot and irresistible."
He laughs loudly and she opens a smile, glad that she can distract him, even if for a second. Harry closes his arms around her. They share a sweet kiss.
"I don't want you to leave to Paris."
"I have to, love. But I'll be back as soon as I step out of the Hôpital, okay?"
He makes a face. "Maybe me and Rachel could spend a few hours there packing all your things."
She tilts her head. "That's actually a good idea." He opens a huge smile at her words. "I don't plan on staying there that much anyways."
"It's settled then, I'll make sure to burn all the t-shirts from your exes." She chuckles, shaking her head.
His mouth moves to hers and their tongues meet in a caress-
"OH! Look at you two!" They separate when they hear Ron's voice. Fred is in his arms and he has a mischievous smile on his face. Harry and Hermione share a small laugh.
Then, Tessa is entering the study, a suspicious look on her face. But before she can ask anything, Draco and Ginny arrive with Nico.
"Oh, I hope this is worth it!" Ginny complains, sitting on the comfy couch. The study is pretty big. "I'm exhausted."
Draco is holding Nico with a tired smile on his face. It's clear that they're barely getting any rest.
But even so, they're all there.
Hermione shares a look with Harry, encouraging him.
He turns from her and pockets his hands, then he looks down. When he looks up again, he begins:
"There's no way of sugarcoating this, so, I- Tessa, almost four years ago I received a threat." Tessa widens her eyes. "Directed at Rachel. Whoever this person is, they think that Rachel shouldn't exist-"
"What?" She reacts strongly. And her head turns to Ron. "Did you know about this?" She's practically hissing.
Ron gulps. "Yes. I knew."
Tessa snorts, angry. "Oh, Ronald." She shakes her head and her eyes go through all of them. "You all knew. Why didn't you tell me?! Because I don't have fucking magic?" She almost yells. "I'm her mother, Harry! What were you thinking? What if something had happened?" Tessa is truly furious.
"But this was years ago, right?" Ginny asks, her face a mask of confusion. "I remember the last time I heard about this was on Rachel's fourth birthday."
"I kept receiving them." Harry says in a low voice.
"Oh, shit, mate, for real?" Draco asks, surprised. They're all surprised. Tessa is still fuming, though.
Harry nods.
"All this time?" Ron asks, his face showing all his shock.
"The threats are here." He points to the envelopes by her side on the table. "I- I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner-"
"Why are you telling us now?" Tessa interrupts him. And her eyes go to Hermione. They hold their gazes. "What happened?"
Hermione inhales deeply and says, "Last night someone tried to enter the house." They all curse, gasping. "It was a man and he broke Rachel's window. When she called out to us, he wasn't there anymore. He tried to convince her to let him in. He was standing behind the wards."
"Bloodyhell." Ron says in a low voice.
Tessa snorts, shaking her head and looking down. "How safe is she? Fuck, why isn't the Minister aware?" Of course now she knows pretty well how the Wizarding World works.
"I don't want to bring the Aurors into this-" Harry begins and they all protest together. He glances at Hermione and she raises an eyebrow. She knew this was going to happen. That's why she suggested that they should talk together. Harry needs to see that not warning the authorities is extremely dangerous. And she can tell the moment he understands what she did. He squints at her. She holds his gaze. Harry sets his jaw.
"You need to, mate." Ron is saying, his voice is the loudest now. "Someone tried to break in!"
"But we can protect her!" Harry yells a bit, angry. They all stop to listen to him. "We don't need the whole Wizarding Community to know that someone is threatening my daughter! I don't need Aurors inside my house! Rachel doesn't need this! For four years I've been receiving these threats and nothing happened-"
"But now it did!" Tessa cuts him. "Fuck, Harry! It's our daughter's safety- her life on the line here!"
"And don't you think I would die for her, Tessa!?" He yells for real now and baby Nico begins to cry. Draco exits the study with the baby, trying to calm him.
Hermione climbs down the table and puts herself between Harry and Tessa. Ron is looking at her with pleading eyes, nervous. She puts one hand over Harry's chest and he moves away, angry at her. She tries not minding, she understands how nervous he is. So, she turns to Tessa.
"Tess, I get why you're angry. I only heard about three years of threats last night too." She's talking in a low voice, "I have no doubt that Harry would protect Rachel with his life. And I would do the same." She turns to Harry. "But it would be unwise not to warn the authorities, Harry. This way we can be more protected and prepared for whatever-"
"NO!" He yells. "Fucking shit!" He runs a hand through his hair.
Hermione holds back a few tears, anxious by the way he keeps resisting the most rational thing to do.
"You're not thinking clearly, Harry." Ginny says slowly. "Hermione is right."
"Love." Hermione goes to him again. This time he doesn't move away. She puts both hands on his neck, their eyes locked. "We'll establish boundaries with the Aurors, Rachel won't even perceive them. And the moments we're with her, they'll be close by, but invisible. Just their mere presence is going to stop this man, I'm sure of it." He looks down, his face contorts and she knows he's going to cry. Hermione kisses his cheek tenderly. "Please, Harry."
Suddenly Ron is there with them, his hand on Harry's shoulder. "Mate, it's for the best."
Harry begins to cry and he squeezes Hermione in his arms. "Okay. Okay. You're right."
She feels a ton leaving her chest. But she barely has time to think because Tessa and Ron begin to argue. Tessa is obviously hurt. Harry clears his throat and Hermione kisses him briefly before he tries to appease things between the two.
"Tess, this is not Ron's fault." Harry says. Ron has some tears in his eyes, little Fred still in his arms, paying attention. They're all so tense. Draco comes back to the study, handing Nico to Ginny - he's hungry. "I asked them not to tell you because I didn't want to worry you-"
"You know what, I don't need to hear this right now." And Tessa leaves the study, Ron takes a step in her direction- "Don't follow me!"
Ron lowers his head, sighing. Hermione feels bad for them. Harry makes a face, one of his arms around her waist.
"Ron, give her some time-" She begins.
"Fuck that." He cuts her. "Here, hold him for a sec." He gives her Fred and walks out of the study, going after Tessa.
Ginny and Draco are on the couch with Nico. Harry sighs by her side and she opens a wide smile at Fred, holding the small baby in her arms, talking to him in a gentle voice, asking questions she knows he won't answer. He's so cute.
Harry opens a tiny smile, their eyes meeting. He's still nervous, but now that they agreed on going to the authorities, things feel lighter. Hermione gives him a kiss and he pulls her even more to him. Harry tilts his head, looking at her and Fred.
"You look so good with a baby in your arms." He states in a low voice.
She raises both eyebrows, her heart missing a beat. She knows what he's saying. And, damn, she wants this so much.
"Yeah?" She kisses him softly. "Maybe one with black hair?"
Harry opens that smile. That now is even brighter. He wets his lips, kissing her neck right after-
"Oh, you're not about to make this baby in front of us, are you?" Draco jokes. Ginny laughs loudly. Harry and Hermione also chuckle.
"I hope those two don't kill each other." Ginny says, sighing after.
"Nah. They'll be fine." Harry says. Then, he turns serious and asks Hermione, "Are you going to the Ministry with me?" His eyes are pleading.
Hermione shouldn't. In a way she's still married to Gustave and if she goes out publicly with Harry, this is going to be all over the newspapers. He's still looking at her, waiting. She wets her lips. There's no doubt left in her mind or in her heart about what she wants. And what people are going to say really doesn't matter.
"Of course." She says. Harry opens a huge smile, understanding what this means.
And she hopes everything goes smoothly.
November 23rd, 2007
Harry enters the kitchen and stops on his tracks for a second. Hermione is inside, making them some breakfast. She has her back to him and she's clearly singing a song in her head. He stays there, watching her. It feels a bit surreal. After so many years apart he could only hope for something like this, but now, he's living it. And it's fucking perfect.
He noticed how different things are this time. Hermione is really one hundred percent in their relationship. Harry knows it's because they don't have the question of what would have happened if Tessa hadn't suffered the accident looming over their heads anymore. It's clear to him that Hermione is completely free. Even the way she kisses him is different. The way she smiles and looks at him. He now can see how hard it was for her when they got together for the first time. The guilt used to stop her from truly enjoying what they had. Tessa was always there at the back of her mind.
And he can't even explain how this time everything is a thousand times better.
All her things are already here. She closed the flat in Paris. But she's still working there. Which bothers him a little but he understands. Hermione has to leave things organized since she has a lot of patients and they were heartbroken at her news. Harry could see the pain in her eyes when she told him about it. But she was also happy that she got a transference to St. Mungo's. They offered her a big position. Neurology Head. Harry has no doubt that the Hospital regretted letting her go all those years ago. And Hermione is excited about it because the old buffoon that used to run St. Mungo's is finally retiring.
Of course they still have a few things to solve, but he considers those minor issues. If he gets to go to sleep with her, then wake up with her, all is fine in the world.
"Morning." He says slowly, going to her, his arms wrapping around her waist. "Where's Rach?"
"Morning, love." She turns her head around, kissing him. She's already dressed to go to Paris. "She's in her room getting ready." He's taking Rach to School in thirty minutes. "The Aurors already checked outside. They're ready to leave when you are."
He makes a face, kissing her neck. They went to the Ministry. It was… uncomfortable, to say the least. Harry behaved, but it was easy, he was calm with Hermione by his side. They had a meeting with the Minister himself and the Head Auror. He told them everything, he showed the threats and Hermione helped him explain how the man was outside the wards on that night. Their reaction was more sincere than Harry was expecting. The Head Auror was not happy that Harry waited that long to come forward with the threats, but together they elaborated a nice security plan.
When Rachel is with any of them, the Aurors stay outside the house or any other place. They check the wards and perform spells to be sure that no one is lurking close by. When Rachel is at School, two Aurors stay there. And as Hermione predicted, Rach didn't even notice their presence.
Of course Harry and Hermione asked Rachel how the man looked like. She gave them a description of a clown. He was magically disguised. This made Harry so furious.
But he had to be honest that the way the Minister dealt with everything was… professional. The fact that Harry Potter's daughter is being threatened hasn't leaked to the press. And Harry hopes it stays this way. Nothing changed in Rachel's life and he does feel better knowing the Aurors are there. So, he has to admit that he regrets not reaching out to the authorities sooner.
And the only thing they had to face when entering the Ministry and then leaving were the rumors about his relationship with Hermione. A big picture was taken of them holding hands, her left one without her wedding band.
"Okay." He says in her ear, nibbling her lobe. He can see the way her skin reacts. Hermione giggles. "Do you think he's going after you today?" He's asking about Gustave.
The man hasn't signed the divorce yet. And Hermione received a patronus from him. Gustave was yelling at her, asking her how she dared to publicly go out like that with Harry, saying that she was humiliating him. Stuff like that. She had to hold Harry back for him not to go after Gustave and give the man a piece of his mind.
"I don't know." She says in a low voice. "It's hard to understand what he can possibly want. I was clear when I ended things."
Harry sighs. "Just call me if you need me, okay?" He kisses her neck and she nods, finishing the animal shaped waffle for Rachel.
Who enters the kitchen as if summoned by it.
"Morning, daddy." They share a hug and Harry sits by her side. "We'll fly tonight, right?" She asks him in a low voice, her eyes going to Hermione.
Harry laughs. "We are!" He says loudly. Hermione shakes her head, sitting by Rachel's other side and kissing her head. The girl smiles at the waffle. "And mummy is going to fly with us!"
Hermione raises an eyebrow-
"Really!?" Rachel asks, excited. "That's so nice!" She's smiling widely at Hermione. Harry can see how happy Rach is and he's sure Hermione can see the same, so, he knows she won't refuse this. But she tries, though.
"Oh, Rach, I'm not sure I should fly-"
"Of course you should!" Rachel exclaims. "It's nice and safe! Daddy says so. And we never fell! Nothing is going to happen, I promise!"
Harry purses his lips - amused - at the way Hermione is killing him with her eyes.
"What?" He asks innocently. "We have a rule here, don't we, Rach?" The girl nods. "Tell mummy our rule."
"Every Thursday we fly!" She says while chewing.
Hermione snorts. "Is that so?"
"Yeah, and now that you live here, you have to fly with us." Harry says, his eyes locked on hers. "Every Thursday for as long as you live with us. So, forever."
Hermione laughs loudly. Rachel is having the time of her life while looking at them. And Harry feels his heart full. It's been like that since they kissed that day.
"Okay, fine. I guess I can't disobey the rules."
"You can't!" Rachel says, amazed that Hermione is going to be riding a broom with them.
But Hermione's eyes tell Harry that he's going to pay for this. He smiles even more at her. And then, she looks at her watch.
"Mummy has to go now." She stands from the stool and hugs Rachel. Then she comes to him, her hand cupping his cheek, their lips meeting. "Bye, love, see you later." He bumps his nose on hers.
"See you, love." They share another kiss and he sighs when she apparates.
"So, ready for your day, young lady?"
Rachel nods and soon they're also gone.
When Hermione comes back home exhausted, Harry greets her with a glass of wine and a bright smile on his face. And it's amazing how all her worries go away in a blink.
"Hey, honey." He says and kisses her softly, his arms around her. And that's when Hermione hears the many voices at the backyard: Draco, Ginny, Tessa, Ron, the kids. It makes her so fucking happy. She drinks her wine and gives him another kiss. "Everything alright?" He nuzzles her neck.
"Yeah." She closes her eyes, squeezing him. "I'm just tired. It wasn't a nice day. The Head tried to convince me to stay. He offered me a lot of perks and such." Harry makes a face. "Good thing I have something way more valuable right here." She smiles at him. He smiles back. "And then I talked with the patients… Alain too."
Harry cocks his head. "How was it?"
"His wife wants to come to London for some routine check-ups. She said she doesn't trust any other Healer." She exhales heavily. "And I feel honored. But I still wonder if I'm going to-"
"You are." He kisses her cheek.
It's hard for her to express how his unwavering faith is important. It gives her the courage she needs to accomplish anything. To be anything.
"I love you so fucking much." She says in a low voice. He kisses her again, a bit more provocatively this time. And for a moment she really wished the house was empty right now.
"Good. Because I'm about to force you to fly with us."
She smacks his shoulder. "Fine." Hermione rolls her eyes. "But this time I'm doing this for Rachel." She squints at him and Harry squeezes her ass playfully.
And holding hands they go to the backyard. All their friends greet her and Rachel comes running to her, Linda by her side. Hermione hugs them and then she sits with Draco and Ginny. Ron is trying to convince Tessa to let him fly a bit with Fred - he's obviously losing the argument. Hermione knows the Aurors are outside, close to the wards. But it's like they're not even there. Which is a relief. She was so nervous about all of this. About the way Harry would react. But thankfully it's all working out. He hasn't received any new threat since that night when the man appeared.
Draco stands up to fly a bit with Linda and Ginny turns her head to Hermione. Harry is already picking a nice broom for them to fly together.
"It's so nice to have you here. I mean, really back into our lives." Ginny says, Nico in her arms. "I've missed you all these years."
Hermione exhales, nodding. "Me too, Gin. You have no idea."
"So, I wanna know when you and Harry are going to have a child for us to spoil."
They laugh a bit. Hermione feels her insides fluttering. She shrugs, shy, her eyes on Harry and Rachel while they look over the many brooms.
"Well, I- he wants to try and I've stopped taking the potions, so, who knows, right?"
Ginny smiles. "Oh, that's amazing. You've lost so much time already."
Hermione agrees and disagrees with this statement. It- they weren't ready before. Not like they are now. There's no doubt this time. On neither side. And it's so wonderful. She never felt this connected to him. And the thought of building a family… She opens a huge smile.
"Yeah." Hermione says in a whisper. Harry looks at her, winking.
"What about the divorce?" Ginny asks.
Hermione groans, frustrated. "Gustave keeps saying he's not going to sign it."
"What a jerk." They share a knowing look. "Did he go after you at the Hôpital?"
"No." She shakes her head. In fact she saw him today, but she was able to evade the encounter. And she doesn't want to worry Harry. She still has a week in Paris. And maybe she needs another conversation with Gustave. But… what for? He knew what Harry meant for her. He always did. And then when she asked for the divorce, they already were in a strange place for months. It was not that surprising.
Nico babbles and Ginny begins to talk to him, Hermione does too, both smiling at the baby. But Harry interrupts the moment by calling her. Resigned, Hermione stands up and walks to them. The others all tease at the fact that she's going to fly with them.
But, truth is, she's not that nervous. She's not afraid anymore.
"Okay." Harry says, already on the broom. "Mummy in front of me and then Rach."
Hermione is shaking a bit, but she positions herself. Harry immediately holds her with one arm around her waist. His fingers squeezing her flesh. They share a look. She feels hot. He has a faint blush on his neck.
But she averts her eyes and clears her throat when Rach climbs the broom in front of her. Hermione doesn't need to hold Rachel. The girl is pretty comfortable with her hands around the piece of wood. Harry puts one hand in front of her, holding too. Hermione is not quite gripping the broom, but she's tense.
"I'm so happy you're here, mummy!" Rachel yells, excited.
Hermione smiles. And when they soar into the sky, she's not sure if it's the height or the sheer happiness that makes her walk on clouds.
It's all perfect.