Pins and Needles

Chapter 15: I Would

The rhythm they fell into in the days after was not really all that different from the rhythm that had been governing their lives in the months before. Sitting at the counter, watching Minerva brew their coffee as she did most mornings, Hermione pondered that all they had really done had been to add kisses, occasional declarations of love, overt instead of covert appreciative looks and increasingly frequent touches to their routine. She let her thoughts drift back to last night and added extensive cuddling-but-not-just-cuddling to the list with a grin.

Other than that their days were pretty much the same, which suited Hermione just fine. While it might not have been the kind of ecstatic, get swept right off your feet and lose all of your inhibitions, passionate beyond description kind of romance that society generally expected fresh relationships to be like, it also meant that they had not lost any of the countless small things that she had come to treasure in the past months.

She realised she had been so busy worrying about misinterpreting Minerva's interest and the possible repercussions of being rejected that she had never even considered that reciprocation of her advances might just as easily have caused irreparable harm, perhaps even more so. Noting that their coffee was ready she took the chance to reach for her cup from an angle behind Minerva sufficiently unsuitable that full body contact was all but guaranteed. She dropped a little kiss on her love's neck before taking her cup and heading to the dining table.

When Minerva had joined her and they both had started eating, she asked, "Are you going to take another one of your mystery trips today?"

That had been one of the more peculiar additions to their life. Every other day Minerva would disappear for about half an hour, then reappear, looking disappointed. Hermione was aware that those trips were in some way related to the date she had been promised, but other than that she was clueless. Preferring to be surprised, she had not actually been trying to figure it out either.

Minerva looked up. "I am sorry it is taking so long. There is something I am waiting for." She took another bite, then put her fork down with a sigh. "I should probably just look for something else."

"Please don't." Hermione shook her head with a smile. "If there's something you want to do, that's what I want us to be doing."

"But there is nothing I can do to help it along. So perhaps–"

"You told me you were never going to ask me to leave, right?"

"Yes. So?" Minerva asked, clearly confused by the apparent change of topic.

"So that means I'm not going anywhere." She took another bite to give her words a chance to sink in before going on, "It's not like it's lost time or anything. I'm enjoying every single day I get to spend with you."

"That is good." Minerva returned the smile. "Because I am afraid, I am not very good at this."

"That really is for me to decide, don't you think?" Noticing Minerva still did not appear to be entirely convinced, she continued, "You should look at the bright side."

"Being?" Minerva asked dutifully.

Hermione grinned. "Since we're kind of doing this backwards, you don't actually have to be any good at it. You already got me convinced."

"That does not mean you do not deserve to be–"

"Minerva darling, stop worrying. It's going to be great. Whatever it is." She could see the other woman was about to object once again and quickly added, "Or whenever. Okay?"

"If you say so. Sweetheart."

Hermione chuckled. "I do indeed. Honey." She had been trying out different kinds of endearments, but had failed to determine a favourite so far. "Is there one that you like best?"

"Not really." Minerva shrugged. "It is you saying them that makes them special."

"Noted. Doodlekins." She blew Minerva an air kiss before getting up to refill their cups. "On a totally unrelated note, it'll be the weekend tomorrow and I kind of promised Harry I'd be around more often."

"You got an earful as well?"

"He was quite gentle, actually." Hermione had returned with their cups and handed Minerva hers. "Probably more so than I deserved," she said while sitting down again.

"Well, Molly was not. She suggested we come around for breakfast on Sunday."

Hermione snorted. "And by suggest you mean …"

"Ordered might be too strong a term. But not by much. And by Sunday she means Sundays. Possibly not every single one, but I can assure you it was not intended to be a one time invitation."

"It seems we have a date then." Hermione winked. "No pun intended."

Minerva appeared to not even have noticed the teasing. "Unless you would rather go on your own?" she asked.

"What?" Hermione gave her a puzzled look. "Okay. First off, what would make you think that? And second, I'm not going to explain that to Molly." She finished her coffee to buy herself some time to try and figure out the meaning behind the words. "But if you're really saying we should agree on what we're going to tell people, then you're right."

Minerva had finished her breakfast as well and swiftly proceeded to clear the table and wash the dishes with a flurry of spells aimed at the mess in the sink. Leaning against the counter Hermione was content to just watch for the moment. As a staple of the magical housekeeping curriculum the spell involved was anything but extraordinary and yet she always marvelled at the way Minerva executed it. Being a muggle-born she had not actually witnessed all too many variations, but she was willing to bet that most people would have the tableware sorting itself like soldiers marching into position the way Molly did. With Minerva it was more like an intricate dance – breathtakingly efficient and yet beautiful to watch at the same time. When everything had been sorted out, Minerva turned to face her again.

Hermione watched her struggle for words for a bit before taking pity. "Let me try?" she said while walking up to Minerva until she came to stand before her close enough to put her arms around her hip. "You're not ashamed and you don't want to hide. But you also think it's a bit early to be shouting it from the rooftops?" She felt her relax and gently pecked her on the mouth. "I agree. Has anyone ever told you that you look cute when you're flustered?"

Minerva huffed. "I am not usually in the habit of looking flustered. And if I were, people would know better than to call me cute."

"They're all cowards then. Because you are."


Breakfast at the Burrow had been about as calm and peaceful as was to be expected. It had also been fun. When everyone was getting up and George, Ginny and Ron were lobbying for an impromptu Quidditch match, Hermione only just spotted Harry ducking out of the kitchen, motioning for her to follow him upstairs. Plopping down on his bed, he did not waste any time beating around the bush. "So, how's the first move dilemma going?"

Hermione had joined him on the bed. She could feel herself blushing furiously. "She's not a foolish saint."

"Told you so!" He grinned at her and, not for the first time, she asked herself what she had ever done to deserve a friend like him. Then he raised an eyebrow and asked, "So?"

She shook her head and laughed. "I don't kiss and tell."

He chuckled. "Ah, but you do kiss?"

She just beamed at him.

He settled down more comfortably, obviously not deeming the conversation to be over, and asked, "And it's good?" Hermione had already opened her mouth for another rebuttal, when he added, "I'm not talking about the kisses. How's it going? Have things been weird or, well … Is it working, for lack of a better term?"

"It's working quite spectacularly." Hermione grabbed herself a pillow and leant back against the headrest. "Considering the amount of headaches I gave myself before going for it, it's been remarkably … unremarkable." She grinned. "Well, not the kisses. They're anything but. But so far there haven't been any major bumps on the road. Fingers crossed."

Smiling widely he nodded his support for the sentiment, before asking, "How's the apprenticeship going? Or have the two of you decided to put that on the back burner for now?"

"Quite the opposite, actually."

"Of course." He shook his head. "I should have known better than to ask. Not even newly found love will keep Hermione Granger from learning all there is to know."

"Well, there's that. But there's another reason. We intend to get Level One done by summer."

His brows furrowed. "Isn't that supposed to be a two year curriculum? Granted, that would probably mean a year and a half tops for you. But not even a year? Why the hurry?"

Hermione found herself blushing once again. "She may have offered me a job at Hogwarts." When Harry gaped at her, she quickly added, "Or rather, she has strongly encouraged me to apply and is quite confident regarding the outcome."

"You really got yourself an all-inclusive deal, didn't you?"

Tensing up, Hermione started to get up. "That's not what–"

"I know! Sorry." Harry's response had been adamant. He went on to elaborate, "That is so not what I meant. I know you don't think that way. And if you manage to pull off a Level One Mastery in under a year, you're certainly qualified. I'm just so happy for you. That's all I wanted to say. She's good for you."

Relaxing, she let herself sink back again. "I know." She shook her head slightly in disbelief. "I keep expecting to wake up. Because you're right, it does seem like it's all just too good to be true."

Harry was grinning yet again. "You sound about ready to marry her."

Feeling the telltale warmth across her cheeks once again, Hermione answered, "It's a bit early to be thinking that way."

For a moment Harry just looked at her in silence. Then he said, "But you would."

She allowed herself a few seconds to think about it, then answered, "I would."


Down in the kitchen, after a lot of ruckus, Molly had finally succeeded in ushering everyone but Minerva out claiming to require her help for some magical feat that had remained unnamed.

She let herself sink onto a chair, facing Minerva. "So?"

Letting her eyes roam the kitchen but otherwise keeping a straight face, Minerva asked, "I was under the impression that you were in need of assistance. Where would you like to start?"

Molly leant back in her chair, folding her arms. "Spill!"

Minerva let out an exasperated sigh before answering, "The insinuation may have ceased to be unfounded."

Her eyes widening slightly, Molly allowed herself a moment to consider her reply. "In for a knut, in for a sickle?"

"Try galleon."

"You really are smitten, aren't you?"

Minerva shrugged.

The ensuing silence was burst by the sudden echo of footsteps on the staircase, before Hermione popped her head into the kitchen to the sound of the backdoor thunking shut. Eyeing them both for a moment, she asked, "Is this a bad time?"

Taking in their reactions, she tried to remain serious, but the sight of Molly nodding while Minerva was shaking her head made it an impossible feat. Biting her upper lip to at least keep herself from laughing out loud, she decided her lover's opinion outranked that of the host and proceeded to enter and cross the room while aiming what she hoped to be a charming smile at Molly in way of an apology.

She leant against the table next to where Minerva was sitting, before saying, "I have been asked to kindly request you join the match outside."

Minerva chuckled. "Why would Mr. Potter believe that you asking would make me respond favourably?"

Hermione grinned. "No idea."

Their ensuing reverie was interrupted by a loud huff from across the room. "Okay you two lovebirds, out of my kitchen!"

Taken by surprise, Hermione quickly turned towards Molly, relieved to see only good-natured teasing. Then she faced Minerva again, trying to keep a straight face in spite of her looking like a deer caught in the headlights. "So, we are telling people?"

The other woman blushed. "Um … well, Molly is not people."

Hermione managed to maintain her serious face for a few more moments, before letting her amusement shine through and saying, "Well, neither is Harry. Just so you know."

Laughing, Molly spoke up again, "What did I just say? Out!"

They both rose and started to leave, but as she had almost reached the door, Hermione turned back and rushed towards Molly, enveloping her in a crushing embrace. "Thank you."

Holding her tight for a moment, Molly seized the chance to whisper, "Try to make it work?"

As they let go of each other, Hermione just nodded, before joining Minerva again and heading out to meet up with the others.


Unsurprisingly, Hermione had found Quidditch to be a vastly improved experience when Minerva was playing. It was common knowledge that she had been part of the Gryffindor house team and as such her proficiency on a broom was hardly surprising, but to actually be able to witness her in action was something else entirely.

After that Molly had insisted they stay for lunch as well, which in turn developed into another round of chatting in front of the various fireplaces. When they finally arrived back at the manor, the sun was already setting.

For the rest of the afternoon, Hermione had been delving into her books. Her apprenticeship was going smoothly, but given their ambitious goal it would not do to lose momentum.

After dinner, as usual, they settled down in the library again. Hermione was still engrossed in the Chronicles book series Minerva had introduced her to. Today, however, she found her intent to quickly lose herself in the story sabotaged by the way Minerva kept looking at her attentively, a small smile playing on her lips. She dropped the book in her lap. "Mind telling me what's so entertaining?"

"Just enjoying your charming company."

Still smiling, Hermione rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right."

"That and wondering whether you would be amenable to grace me with said company tomorrow evening? At a location that shall remain undisclosed for now?"

Hermione found her smile to be widening considerably before replying, "I would."


Notes:

I'm kind of mostly sure the Quidditch reference, short as it is, was inspired by "Promises Kept" by EmPoweredBeing. Thank you!