The soft light of dawn broke through the brisk, almost bracing air around her.

It was a beautiful morning, calm and quiet. She could feel her heart racing, a pounding in her chest and a throb in her neck synchronized, and she felt alive in a way she simply couldn't recall feeling before. It was chilly in the dim light of morning, yet she felt warm despite the breeze.

She could still feel him. His arms wrapped around her, hands roaming eagerly, curiously; his lips on hers, trailing down her jaw to her neck, leaving a warm trail of kisses as he progressed… Her eyes closed and her head tilted back, teeth on her collarbone sent a thrilling shock through her entire body. The familiar scent of him lingered in her nose, even in the cool spring air, and she could still taste him on her lips.

She'd kept quiet about the fact that he'd been her world for a long time, and she was almost euphoric to learn he felt the same way. For a few precious moments, he'd taken over every single one of her senses in a way that she was still struggling to comprehend, setting them all aflame. But that time was gone…

…Over…

She watched, trying desperately to memorize every fleeting moment they'd spent together in that antechamber, as his head bobbed slowly toward the tree line and ice filled her veins.

This was not the ending they deserved. It wasn't the ending she'd dreamt of. They were supposed to leave this conflict together… Find whatever a new normal could look like together… Considering the revelations they'd just shared, they might even make a life after everything they'd been through together.

A series of sweet futures rich with love and the quiet happiness of the two of them together, flashed through her mind. With each new image, she felt like her heart was pumping broken glass through her veins.

They would find her parents, take their NEWTs, settle into whatever work suited them… Eventually marry, maybe even raise a family, and share a life full of love together.

All of that was being robbed from her - robbed from them - by this insane circumstance. In that moment, she knew that if there was a God, they'd be wise to fear meeting her. The weight of the injustice was too much for her to bear.

So she decided not to.

Harry had always been able to improvise. Perhaps this was her chance to.

Her heart raced for a new reason, and her legs burned as they pushed her faster, further into the thick underbrush of the forest. Trees blurred by but she had tunnel vision. All she could see was his back as he walked away from her.

He walked away from her.

He was only a short distance ahead of her. She could make it. He'd hear her.

She tried to fill her lungs to call out to him, but a stitch in her side stopped her. "Harry" she gasped out breathless and quiet, nearly paralyzed in her exertion. She wanted with everything in her to scream out his name, to call him back. "Harry, wait! Don't go!".

Dawn blossomed like a wildfire on the horizon before her, just as a blinding flash of green light stopped her in her tracks. She felt as the air in her lungs was replaced with concrete, and the fire inside her moments ago turned to ice.

"Harry!"

"Harry, don't leave me!"

"I need you..."

"Come back!"

"No."

"No no no."

"NO!"

"HARRY!"

She jolted at the sensation of a warm hand on her face and startled awake.

"I'm here. I'm right here." The calming voice of the man she'd just been chasing filled her ears.

It was dark. Pitch dark, save for the soft glow of a few small wall sconces in the room she awoke in.

"Come here, it's okay, I've got you…"

She rolled over and clung to his like a raft in the ocean, the vivid tempest of her nightmare dissipating slowly around her as she returned to her senses.

"Can you hear me, Hermione? I'm here, I'm safe, you're safe. Do you feel my hand in yours? I'm right here."

"You t-turned and walked- walked away from me." She sobbed into his chest.

Tears filled his eyes then, a response to her anguish, knowing he'd had no small part in its cause. "I came back Hermione, I'm right here. It's okay. I love you. I'm not leaving again, not like that. Not ever."

Over the course of five or so minutes, her rapid breathing slowed to normal, and he could somehow feel her eyes on him, even in the dark.

"Do… Do you want to talk about it? Erica told me it can help to talk through these things when they happen."

"She's probably right, Harry, but not at…" she struggled to focus on her watch she'd left on the nightstand. "…Not at 3:17 in the morning."

"Right. I'll let you get back to sleep then."

His hand found her hair in the dark and he followed it until he located her forehead, stretching over to kiss it.

"I'll see you in the morning… I promise." He said as he got up to head to his bedroom.

Her hand captured his firmly in the dark before he could fully get up.

"…Stay?" He heard her whisper in a small, uncertain voice.

He froze completely. "Are you sure?"

"Yes." Her reply was immediate, but no louder than her request, and he settled back down onto her bed in the dark room.

A moment later, he was in a familiar position, with his arm around her and her head on his shoulder, and her arm wrapped snugly around him as he lie on his back.

He clung to consciousness just long enough to hear her breathing regulate and slow as she fell into a deep sleep in his arms. Only once he was certain she was sleeping restfully did he allow himself to follow her.

—X—X—X—

Neither of them moved much at all that night.

Harry woke first to something tickling his nose.

Light was streaming in through the windows as his eyes opened and while he didn't know what time it was, it was clear they'd had a bit of a lie in.

The first of many, he was certain.

After the light, as he climbed out of the deep sleep he'd been in, he noticed what caused him to wake.

He felt the warm weight of Hermione's body pressed against him from head to toe. In her sleep, she'd wrapped her leg around one of his, entangling their feet in a mess of sheets in the process. She was laying half on top of him, not quite snoring, but breathing deeply with her head on his chest and her arm wrapped around him.

As a subtle scent of her shampoo and a hint of smoke from the fire the previous night filled his lungs, he took a moment to appreciate the magnitude of the changes the last week had thrust upon him.

From robbing Gringott's and sacrificing himself, to waking from a restful night's sleep with Hermione sleeping contentedly in his arms, apparently every bit as in love with him as he was with her…

He couldn't help but think he didn't deserve what he had in life. But for only the first of the hundreds of times that idea had entered his mind, he meant it in a positive light. He frequently thought about how the trials and losses he'd collected throughout his life were undeserved. This was a pleasant departure for him. If he'd done something to earn or deserve to wake up next to this beautiful, perfect witch he adored, it escaped him at the moment. It made little sense, but in that moment, he didn't need it to. All that mattered was her.

He didn't want to wake her, but had little choice. It was becoming apparent he'd need to address the wine he'd had last night pretty soon, plus he needed his potion. He'd likely slept in beyond the time he should have taken it.

He kissed the top of her head and hugged her to him briefly before he tried to shimmy his way out of bed, minimizing his movements as best he could. She stirred, and after thinking for a second, he didn't mind it. Given the apparent topic of the nightmare she'd had that woke him up last night, her waking to find him simply gone probably wouldn't be for the best.

She stretched her arm out over their heads, and as she relaxed, he grabbed her extended hand, guiding the back of it to his lips for a soft kiss.

"Good morning, sleepy head." He smiled.

"Mmm. Good morning." She answered, only half awake. "Have you been awake long?"

"No." He kissed her forehead once more. "Only long enough to realize I need the loo. Sorry I had to wake you to get out of bed."

"Oh, 'at's okay." She said through a yawn as she rolled onto her back, freeing the right side of his body, then onto her other side, burying her head from view under the covers.

He slid from the bed and made his way from the room, a slight blush on his face as he realized he'd only been wearing boxers, not having taken the time to find a shirt when he overheard Hermione crying out, clearly distressed in her sleep.

After completing his morning routine, taking his potion, and dressing in sweat pants and a plain t-shirt, he returned to find Hermione wrapped in a comfy robe and brushing out her hair at the desk in her room.

"Better?" she asked.

"Much." He laughed. "Ready for the morning?"

"What's left of it, you mean? It's almost eleven." She grinned.

"Did you sleep okay… after?"

"Yes. Thank you."

"You really don't need to thank me for that… I'm going to get dressed properly and head downstairs. Do you want tea or coffee this morning? I think there's a cafe down the street we can get takeaway from if you like."

"That sounds great! I'll have whatever you think sounds good. I'm alright with just about anything."

After a time, and a brief conversation with Charles about getting an owl to send a message, Harry had walked down to the cafe on the next block and returned with a few fresh pastries and a pair of vanilla lattes, dusted lightly with cinnamon.

Hermione followed the smell of coffee down the stairs and saw Harry in the dining room writing out a letter. Upon hearing her, he indicated a coffee and a small assortment of pastries.

"Help yourself. The pastries are very good. That place might be a problem…" Harry smiled at her.

"What are you writing?" She asked, curious, while taking a warm croissant and her coffee and sitting across from Harry.

"Inviting the Lovegood's over for our interview… Are you going to be okay seeing Xeno-"

"I'll be fine, Harry. It was an impossible circumstance for all of us." She replied, cutting him off while ripping a corner off of her pastry.

—X—X—X—

After eating and sending off their letter to Luna, Hermione pulled a packet of instructions Milly had left for her from her handbag.

Among them, there was a map of the UK with a few dozen areas circled in red, showing places that would be expected to have the sort of environment that would help Hermione's efforts to regain her magic.

It only took a few minutes for Hermione to notice a problem.

"Harry, I don't think this is going to be as straightforward as I'd hoped…" she said, poring over the map laid out in the dining room.

"What's wrong?"

"Well, for starters, most of these are either extremely public landmarks, or so far off the beaten path as to not have any roads to them… And neither of us can apparate."

Harry thought for a moment. "Who do we know that might know more about, well, muggle things than we do?"

"That's it!" She beamed. "I just have to get used to being able to ask for help… For so long, we couldn't."

Harry squeezed her shoulder. "Who do you have in mind?"

Fifteen minutes later, they were still huddled around the table, and a third person had joined them.

"Yeah, some of these spots are pretty rugged, but it's nothing you should have a problem getting to with the right vehicle." Charles stated in his crisp, businesslike fashion.

Hermione eyed him suspiciously. "Pardon my curiosity, but were you ever in the service?"

He gave her an appraising look. "Her Majesty's Special Air Service, ma'am."

"Impressive. I imagine you picked up a thing or two about driving off the beaten path then."

"You could certainly say that."

"Well then, might you help us get our hands on the right sort of car? And gear, I suppose? Or at least point us in the right direction?"

"I've got a few friends I can get in touch with."

"I don't want to impose, you're already looking out for us and I don't want to dump anything more on you." Hermione countered.

"Thank you, really. I- we, appreciate it." Harry chimed in.

"Don't mention it. And really, it's really no trouble at all." Charles replied with another deep nod as he turned to exit.

It was barely noon, and it seemed Charles was going to take on the primary task they'd set out for themselves that Friday afternoon. Not having something pressing was an entirely foreign sensation for the two of them.

—X—X—X—

Hermione's eventual suggestion that day, to go out and get some muggle comforts for Grimmauld Place, would be remembered for a very long time as one of her better ideas. And that was saying something.

They'd gone out to get a few odds and ends they needed. New toiletries, and some comfortable clothes. They'd both initially agreed not to get any proper clothes, leaving that for their date the next day, and on the way back from their shopping, Hermione noticed a video store from the car.

"Harry, what sort of movies do you like?" She asked as they passed the blue sign with big yellow lettering.

"I'm not sure, really." He said, contemplatively.

She considered that for a moment before she made a dark face. "They never let you watch any, did they?"

"Not really, no. I caught a few glimpses occasionally, but haven't really had a chance to see a whole one, you know? Do you like movies?"

She did. Quite a lot.

At that moment, she decided that this simple experience of watching a movie in a living room, wearing comfy clothes and eating takeaway and snacks, was a perfect candidate. It was an experience he'd missed out on growing up that she could give him.

It had taken a while, but with the help of their driver and the two aurors on duty for their detail, they'd managed to acquire and situate a brand new telly in the room next to the den.

Harry made a mental note to thank Shack once more for the job his "cleaning crew" had done. Not only was the home spotless for their arrival, and with fresh and likely brand new linens in all the bedrooms and fresh food in the kitchen, but they'd added some minor muggle details. Harry'd noticed at least one telephone on each floor of the home, as well as mains sockets throughout which he didn't think had been there before.

Harry sat cross-legged on the couch in front of the TV, paging through the listings for restaurants in a muggle phone book. He was wearing a new set of comfortable joggers and a light sweater supporting Manchester United. He didn't actually follow football, but the logo and colors were reminiscent of Gryffindor, and he could wear it in public in muggle areas without drawing any odd looks.

Hermione, similarly clad in joggers and a football jumper, though hers was supporting Arsenal, was tinkering with some cables linking the new telly to a machine that could play videos from either a large cassette or a much smaller disc.

They were trying to decide between pizza or Indian for dinner when a knock at the door punctuated the evening.

"Were we expecting anyone?" Hermione asked from her position half hidden behind the telly.

"No. I'd expect an owl back from Luna, not a surprise visit." Harry replied, setting the phone book on the arm of the couch and getting up to answer the door.

Hermione momentarily appeared to be intently focused on the manual for the video machine she was hooking up as Harry walked out of the room heading to the front door.

Harry opened the door to find Charles waiting for him.

"Evening, Charles. Don't you ever go home?" Harry said with a grin.

Charles smiled in kind. "Shift change is in about 45 minutes, sir."

"Good. I hope you have a relaxing evening ahead of you."

"I just might. But there's a quick spot of business here we need to address. You've a visitor, and we should probably talk about getting a list of allowed personnel for you."

"A visitor? Who is it? Where are they?" Harry looked around and didn't see anyone.

"Well, we've got some wards set up. Anyone trying to apparate inbound to anywhere on the block will be rerouted to a point of our choosing. Currently, it's the street corner at the end of the block. The man claims to know you."

"Who is it?" Harry asked, trying to think of who it might be.

"Identification provided says his name is Remus Lupin. Shall we allow him through?"

—X—X—X—

Harry's eyes bulged. "Remus is here? Merlin. Of course, let him through. Let that be the first name on our list. He's family - let him apparate into our bloody living room if he wants to. I'll have more names for you tomorrow."

He stepped out onto the the porch looking frantically for the man as his memory assaulted him.

It was an overcast day at Shell Cottage, just shy of a month ago.

"Dora had the baby, Harry. We named him Edward, "Teddy", after her father, rest his soul." Remus was walking alongside Harry on the edge of the surf, just beyond the reach of the bubbling waves.

Remus beamed and Harry wrapped him in a great hug and patted him heartily on the back. "Congratulations Remus! How's Tonks doing?" Harry asked, beaming.

"Ahh, she's perfect. A real fighter, that one." Remus smiled, pure adoration on his face as he thought of his wife and new son. "She's doing great, and so is Teddy. He's a metamorphagus, just like his mum."

"That's… Brilliant!" Harry couldn't seem to stop smiling.

"I wanted to ask you something, Harry." Remus sobered a moment, and it had a similar effect on Harry.

"What is it, Remus?"

"Dora and I… We've talked at length, and it would be an honor to us both if you'd agree to be young Teddy's godfather, Harry. There's no one we would rather have."

Words escaped him for a long moment and he turned to face his former instructor head on. "Godfather? Merlin, Remus, it would be a privilege… But, this war is still on… What if I…" Harry rubbed his eyes and ran his hands through his hair.

"Nonsense, Harry. Any one of us would give our lives for the cause." The older man smiled warmly. "You're the one with the best chance of winning this thing for us all, and we're damn sure going to get you through it."

The man's eyes had sparkled, full of life, fire, and determination. He truly believed in Harry, in the cause, and in the idea of a brighter future for his wife, his young son, and himself.

"Yes. Of course I will. I don't know what to say, really… I'm honored you'd even consider me."

"I know it's a bit… Atypical. But, us Marauders need to stick together." Remus winked at him.

"I'm no Marauder, Remus." Harry turned and looked out over the water, a thin smile on his lips. "That was you and the others. If my dad were around, I'm sure he'd be honored, too."

Remus grabbed Harry's shoulder. "James' son, not a Marauder? That's utter nonsense. You, Harry, are a Marauder if any of us ever were."

"I…" he wiped his eyes on his sleeve. "Thank you, Remus. That means a lot to me."

"Harry, you're family to me, you know? If ever there's something you need, large or small, you can always come to me."

Harry shook off a wave of emotion at that thought surfacing once more. Remus was the last tangible connection to his parents he had. He'd been among his father's best friends back in the day. And now, he'd lost his wife because of a conflict Harry had failed to hold off or avoid entirely.

Too many had indeed given their lives for him.

"Hermione!" He called back into the house hoarsely. "We've got a guest."

It was at that moment Remus made it to the base of the short staircase leading up to the door, and his eyes met Harry's. Harry hadn't noticed Charles leaving.

"Remus." Harry whispered, as the man made his way up the stairs.

That light, the fire, the spark… Whatever it had been in his eye that day at the cottage was entirely gone. No doubt stifled by the empty rocker and the cold, newly vacant side of the man's bed. The contrast between the Remus he'd just remembered and the one standing before him now was a stark one. It set a weary sorrow into Harry that he hadn't expected. Seeing Remus in this state almost physically hurt.

About a week's worth of stubble was bordering on what one might reasonably call a beard, and his eyes were sunken, with dark bags under them, and full of a sullen sorrow.

"How are you, Harry?" Remus asked in a weak voice as he summited the stairs, forcing a wan smile onto his face.

"I'm so, so sorry." Harry couldn't help but hug the man.

In turn, Remus wrapped Harry in a vice-like embrace, and Harry couldn't help but note him shuddering.

"You've nothing to be sorry for, Harry… she's always been a fighter." Remus sniffled. "It wasn't in her nature to stand on the sidelines."

"No… No it wasn't. Please, come in. We were just about to order in." Harry offered, gesturing for Remus to lead him into the house.

Right then, a Hermione-shaped missile blurred across Harry's field of view.

"Remus!" She exclaimed, wrapping him in an embrace before he even made it to the door. "It's so good to see you… I'm so sorry about Tonks." She wiped tears from her eyes, releasing him.

He kept one arm around Hermione, and reached out to Harry, who immediately took up the post in his other arm. There was nothing quite like a hug from people who care deeply for you to make you feel loved and grounded when the very center of your life has been ripped away from you.

"I'm so glad that the two of you… The two of you made it through." He held them both for a moment before straightening up and releasing them.

They led him inside to the den in the back of the house.

Once they were seated comfortably, Harry spoke up first.

"Thank you so much for coming, and I want to tell you that if there's anything we can do for you, you can consider it done."

Remus rubbed his temples. "Thank you, Harry. That means more than I can tell you. What I'd like more than almost anything right now, though, is to hear how you two are doing. I understand you were both hurt pretty significantly, but nobody has given me any details. I wasn't sure you'd both be getting around on your own until I saw it for myself."

"Well," Harry started, "this is going to be a while, then." He stood up from his spot on the couch. "Perhaps you can help us decide. I must insist you stay for dinner, but we're stalemated deciding between pizza and Indian."

Hermione rose from her spot and headed behind the bar, looking intently at the shelves of bottles while Harry left and went to the other room to get the phone book again.

A half hour later, there was another knock on the door. Hermione had just finished her recounting of her duel with Bellatrix. Harry had talked a little about his walk into the forest, but had left out much of the detail of that part of the story. He'd lied and said after Voldemort used the killing curse, the next thing he knew he was standing in the courtyard.

He simply couldn't yet bring himself to speak openly about the veil or the fact that he spoke with Sirius that morning, even with a glass of fire whiskey in his hand. Though, he did let slip a few words about the warm feeling in his chest after he and Hermione spoke before he left the castle, and how he'd focused on that in the forest. He'd been too focused on keeping his head on straight at that moment to notice the look on Hermione's face while he did.

They broke briefly from their tales to have a quick dinner. Chicken tikka, saag paneer, and garlic naan served alongside pizza. Remus' suggestion that sometimes 'both' is the right choice, was a good one.

After sharing a meal together in the dining room, they returned to the den for Harry to pick up with the part of the story Hermione couldn't tell.

Remus was shocked and horrified throughout most of it, but when Harry spoke of running Tom Riddle through with the Sword of Gryffindor, he got up and hugged Harry heartily.

"Harry, I know that came at a great personal cost to you, and I'm sorry it had to come to that. But thank y-"

"Remus, I appreciate where you're coming from, but I only did what I needed to in order to survive." Harry interjected before he could finish.

"No Harry, no you didn't. Do you really need me to tell you that this was not only your fight? And Hermione, I bet you need to hear this too…"

Harry felt Hermione take his hand at that moment.

Remus continued, "You two weren't there the first time, not in such a way that you have a proper recollection, anyway. The first war was horrific. Every bit as much so as this latest one. People dying or 'going missing' at every turn, the Order nearly entirely torn apart. It was impossible to tell who you could trust, and Voldemort's goals were the same as ever. James and Lily, and Frank and Alice Longbottom for that matter, were the heart of the resistance.

"I just…" Harry interjected. "I wanted none of them to… My parents, Cedric, Sirius, Albus, Hagrid, Tonks, they died for me. It's more than I deserve, and so much less than they do."

"Harry," Remus spoke softly, "had you and Hermione not done what you did. Had Voldemort not fallen a week ago… The whole of Britain, magical or otherwise, would have been in a truly dire situation.

"You are many things, Harry, but I know you well enough to know that 'arrogant' isn't one of them. Please hear me when I say that none of them died for you. All of them, your parents included, gave everything they had for all of us, in hopes that their sacrifices would bring about a future free from Voldemort, and his death eaters.

"My- my lovely wife did not die for you Harry," his voice wavered at the mention of her, "she gave herself to this cause so that our Teddy can grow up in a world better, brighter, and with more love in it than the one we had a week ago."

Harry didn't have any words at that point. Remus hadn't told him anything he didn't already know at some level. Still, Harry couldn't do anything but lower his head to his hands, wiping away silent tears as he did so. Coming from anyone else, Harry would have tried to refute that logic, but coming from one of his father's best friends, on the eve of one week removed from losing his wife to the war, there was no countering the point.

"So. Neither of you have your magic anymore?" Remus asked, changing the subject and still wrapping his head around the details of the story they'd just relayed.

"Not in a sense, no." Hermione replied sullenly, rubbing Harry's back in a supportive way. "Mine is… still there, but incredibly weak after the curse. The healers gave me some things to do to work on strengthening it, and this week we'll be leaving on a bit of a trip to start to see to that."

"Merlin, I can't imagine, Hermione. You'll get it back, I know it."

She gave a weak smile at that. "And Harry here, had to have a device put in his head to basically ground out most of his magic, so that Tom's curse wouldn't kill him."

Harry lifted his shirt a bit to show the flesh toned bandage on his side.

"It was bigger a few days ago, ever since the procedure it's shrunk pretty quickly. Still sore though. Monday it was about as big around as a bludger."

Remus blanched. "You said it was using your magic to eat away you? I've never heard of anything like it, and I hope not to again."

"Yeah, nasty bit of work, that." Harry agreed readily. "Once it's healed though, they can take this… thing, out of my head, and I will get back to normal over a few weeks or months they said."

"Remarkable what they can do. And I'm glad for it. You two have been through it and deserve to relax a bit. And by the way, I'm happy to see you two together. Most of us figured it was just a matter of time."

Harry and Hermione only smiled at their joined hands.

"Anyways, I think I'll take my leave. I'm happy to see that the two of you are doing well enough, and are on the road to being even better."

The three stood and made their way to the front door.

"Remus," Harry started, "If there's anything you, Teddy, or Andromeda need. Please send word or stop by. We are going to be moving around a bit, but Shack should be able to get in touch with us if we're needed, alright?"

"Yes, of course, Harry."

"And if you need anything, even if it's just a room to stay in for a few nights, or an ear or a shoulder, you know I'm your guy, right?" Harry asked.

Meeting Remus' eyes, he continued, "Us Marauders need to stick together, yeah?"

Remus wrapped Harry once more in a tight hug, exhaling deeply. "Thank you, Harry. We do indeed." When they parted, Harry pretended not to notice as Remus wiped his eyes.

"And give Teddy and Andi our love, won't you?" Hermione added as Remus walked down the stairs to the street.

He turned back and nodded with what might have been the first honest smile they'd seen on him that night.

—X—X—X—

After Remus left, Harry and Hermione worked together to get the telly hooked up so they could watch one of the movies Hermione had selected.

That task completed, Hermione got the movie itself set up while Harry made popcorn down in the kitchen.

When he returned bearing a large bowl of popcorn and two bottles of "Barliman's Best Imperial Butter Beer", a brand he'd never seen before. He set the bowl on the center cushion between them and handed her a bottle before sitting down himself.

"So, what are we watching?"

"It's…" Hermione suddenly felt self-conscious for a moment. "It's one of my favorites. It's a little silly, I'll admit, but there's action and adventure, humor and romance…"

"Sounds brilliant."

"My parents took me to see it in the cinema when I was eight… They always loved taking me to the movies…"

Harry reached across the couch and took her hand. "One day, we'll all go to the movies together. The four of us, okay?"

"That sounds lovely." She wiped her eyes with her free hand.

"So, what's it called, then?"

"It's called The Princess Bride."

Not long later, they'd both settled in and were enjoying the movie. The sharp-witted, sarcastic brand of humor Westley displayed during the sword fight atop the Cliffs of Insanity immediately tickled Harry.

When Hermione finished her butterbeer about twenty minutes into the movie, she noticed Harry's was empty too, and got up to get a second round from the small fridge behind the bar. Returning to the couch, she moved the bowl and sat down right next to Harry, taking the bowl of popcorn on her lap so they could both reach it.

Harry laughed warmly a little while later. "That's a good bit - he poisoned both because he's immune."

"Yeah," Hermione chuckled. "This scene almost reminds me of-"

"First year." They said in unison.

"That potion puzzle. You really were brilliant that night, you know? And don't give me that 'books and cleverness' line." Harry chided.

"You still remember that?" She asked jokingly.

"Of course I do. How could I ever forget it? Even way back then, you were right by my side in the thick of it. I'd never had anyone…" he shook his head, "give a damn about me like that."

"Well, you definitely cannot say that anymore, can you?"

"Hmm. I s'pose not." Harry took the opportunity to put his arm around her. He then raised his bottle, clinking it against Hermione's, and took another long pull as she did the same. He was already feeling the effects of the drink. The brand stocked at Grimmauld seemed to be more potent than the one served at The Three Broomsticks.

For his part, Harry was not expecting the degree to which a movie could make him feel things. There were plenty of jokes and funny lines, but the obvious unspoken love between the two main characters, and the tragedy when she thought he'd died, also made him feel a surprisingly intense wave of fear and sorrow on her behalf.

When he noticed her bottle was empty, he looked at her askance before getting up to grab them a third round.

The tale on the screen was a delicate blend of lighthearted humor with intense drama and tragedy. That some themes in the movie somewhat mirrored aspects of his life allowed the story to hit him particularly hard at some points. Unconsciously, he'd drawn Hermione tightly to his side.

"I love your arm around me, but can you ease up just a bit?"

"As you wish." Harry said, drawing a chuckle from Hermione. He immediately loosened the snug one-armed hug he'd had her in.

"You still enjoying the movie?" Hermione asked as she shifted around a bit on the couch, curling up next to him and resting her head on his leg.

"Yeah! …Yes. It's just hitting a little close to home, don't you think?" He sounded distant, like he had something major on his mind.

"Parts of it, I suppose, yeah." She was trying to remember what was on the screen when he'd squeezed her so tightly… and it came to her. Westley, staring into the princess's eyes, saying 'Death cannot stop true love.'.

She didn't want to push him too hard, but she was deathly curious. "I've still been thinking about what you said before your surgery…" Hermione admitted.

"What's that?"

"You said… I brought you back. You told me not to worry about your surgery because when you," she hesitated before continuing, "died…" she could barely whisper the word, "I somehow brought you back. You implied that death didn't stop you the first time and that somehow I was a part of that."

Harry exhaled deeply, remembering the conversation and the series of experiences tangled up with it.

"You don't have to tell me more yet, if it's still difficult." She whispered as she rolled onto her back to look up at him, stretching her legs out toward the armrest on the far side of the couch.

"No, it's… It's okay. I want to." He assured her, as he carded his fingers through her hair.

"When I left the castle last week, after we… Well, after our talk. It was like you were still with me somehow. I was so overwhelmed with everything going on that night, and that I was... on my way to where I was going. I don't know how to explain it other than you'd put this warm feeling in me, right here." He tapped his hand on his chest, over his heart.

"It was unlike anything I'd ever felt before. I don't really know what else to say, almost like I had a little piece of you with me, giving me strength and keeping me calm."

Hermione's head was swimming. She'd felt it too, but it wasn't some entirely foreign thing to her.

It seemed almost as though he was trying to describe feeling love, but it was a heartbreakingly foreign concept to him. Like the warm, contented feeling she got on holiday with her parents, but different, just as powerful, but more personal...

"The thing I told you about before, that I couldn't quite talk about yet?" Harry continued.

"Was that it, Harry?"

"No. But it's related…" Harry took a deep breath and rocked his head back into the cushion of the couch.

"You can take your time, Harry. I don't want to pry."

"After Tom hit me with the killing curse… I don't know how much time passed, but I woke up somewhere before the courtyard."

Hermione sat up at that. "What do you mean, woke up?" She held him in an intense gaze as he collected himself for a new part of his story.

"I don't know, honestly. All I remember is looking up at the sunrise through the trees and focusing on that feeling… Focusing on the fact that no matter what he did, he couldn't take it away from me." He wiped his eyes, and she did too.

"The next thing I knew, there was only darkness. Pitch black. But I was awake. Conscious in some sense, anyway."

"God, that sounds horrifying, Harry!" She interjected, holding him tightly and waiting for him to continue.

"Well, it was, but it wasn't. My mind was… foggy, I guess, at first. It was just empty. Nothing hurt, but nothing really felt at all. I couldn't feel my body, and I was just sort of… stuck."

"How did you snap out of it?" She asked, with her head buried in his chest. She'd shifted to be fully sitting in his lap, like she needed to be as close as she possibly could be to him in order to hear his story.

"I didn't even know who I was at the time. Couldn't even remember my name at first. I eventually remembered that I'm Harry, and that I'd died, but nothing else. Then, I started to remember small bits and pieces. I worried that perhaps that is how the curse works. I mean, how would we know, you know? Maybe it does just sort of rip out your soul or essence and send you into a black void?

"I worried my parents might be in a similar way." He paused to kiss Hermione's forehead. She was holding him in a grip that was bordering on painful, but her closeness and intensity was exactly what he needed just then.

"Then, a feeling came over me that I just wasn't finished yet." I had a vague sense that I had something to get back to... Someone to get back to." He pulled his head back and tilted her chin up so they were looking right at each other. "That's when it happened."

"What?" she asked. The movie in the background wasn't loud, but still her voice was barely audible.

"That feeling, that warm, calm, peace. It came back, right here." He took her hand this time and put it firmly on his chest, her palm open over his heart. "And somehow, I returned to myself again. I knew it was you I had to get back to."

"Harry, it sounds like you're describing… Love." She breathed, eyes misty as she looked up at Harry's face, lost in his memories. Her heart fluttered in her chest as he considered her words, while her hand remained where he'd left it.

The thoughtful look on his face faded away, replaced by his trademark crooked grin. He tilted his head down, and their eyes met. "I think you're right. I just didn't know it could feel like that."

Hermione's breath caught, and she turned in his lap to face him, resting her forehead against his, their noses touching.

"I feel it too, you know." She kept one hand on his chest, and captured his hand in her other, raising it to kiss his fingertips before delicately moving it to her chest, over her heart. "Right here."

She realized after a moment that both of them were holding their breath. Even in the shadow she cast over him from the dim, flickering light of the telly, she could see that his eyes were locked on hers, with wide pupils.

She grinned widely, letting slip a playful laugh. "Don't forget to breathe, sweetheart."

Harry blinked a few times, releasing the breath he'd been holding.

Hermione crashed her lips into the stunned smile on his face.

They swept each other away in an instant.

One hand in his hair and the other still on his chest, she kissed her way from his lips down to his jaw, then down his neck until she encountered his jumper. As she gripped the shirt gently and tugged it up, he wouldn't have been surprised if she could feel his heart pounding in his chest.

Harry, in the meantime, had one hand buried in her curls at the back of her neck while the other was nearly where she'd left it, gently caressing and exploring her. He enthusiastically kissed her neck, stopping only to nibble tenderly on her collarbone, sending that same electrical jolt she'd had in her dream down her spine.

She tugged on him twice more before he relented with a playfully frustrated groan and took his hands off her, tossing his glasses on the end table then lifting his arms and letting her remove his jumper. She giggled as she did, tossing it all the way across the room and moving to sit astride him at the same time.

"Hey!" Harry exclaimed sarcastically, half breathless. "What did that poor shirt ever do to you?"

His hands immediately found their way to her hips and gripped firmly.

She kissed him deeply, and when she drew back for breath, replied, "I suppose you're right…" she rolled her hips, grinding in his lap as her eyes darkened. "We should send it some company, don't you think?"

He met her eyes and swallowed hard as she raised her arms.

Her heart was racing. This was a first she'd been looking forward to for some time, and she was almost certain based on his reactions that it was the same for Harry.

He moved his hands up from her hips, dragging her jumper up as he did. Moving slowly, almost reverently, the first thing he noticed was how warm she was. Her smooth skin felt like she'd been lounging next to a fire, and he couldn't get enough of it.

As his hands moved higher, she gasped as he felt his hands slide over the smooth satin strap of her bra, and he pointedly looked her in the eyes, as though he was worried at any instant, she'd change her mind and want him to stop.

She didn't, though, and when her jumper joined his on the other side of the room, he immediately pulled her close to him. The feeling of her, embracing him, skin to skin, was thoroughly intoxicating.

He realized distantly that her fingertips pressed firmly into his back and she was enthusiastically continuing her path from his neck to his chest now that the pesky jumper was out of the way, and he shivered at her touch, before pulling her up and kissing her on the lips again.

She smiled against his kiss and yelped in surprise as he quickly shifted, lifting her briefly, before she found herself pinned gently beneath him on the sofa.

He paused as she looked up at him with a hunger in her eyes, her hair spread out wildly around her head. He raked his eyes over her. "You, Hermione Granger, are absolutely gorgeous. Do you know that?"

Before she could answer, he claimed her lips, and kissed a straight line down her neck, chest, and ribs, finding his way all the way down to her navel.

It was around that point when, with a sobering shock, he realized where things were headed.

He let out a frustrated groan, and retraced his path up to her face, then laid down slowly, just next to her.

"What's wrong, Harry?" She asked in a low, sultry voice.

"I think we…" he kissed the tip of her nose as she turned her head to face him, "are both a little drunk."

She looked deep in thought for a moment, breathing fast. "I think, you might be right about that." A subtle look of realization appeared on her face.

"Hermione, I'm sorry if I-"

She cut him off. "Nnnonsense Harry." She dragged out the first syllable playfully. "No apologies required. None at all... If I recall correctly, I did sort of start it." She smiled sheepishly and held his cheek.

The concerned look remained in his eyes.

"It's okay, Harry, really. What's on your mind?"

"I just… I don't want to bollocks this up, you know?"

Even in the dim lighting, he could see her color deepening. "You mean our f-first time?" She asked, a bit shyly.

"No!" He replied immediately. No, not that… Well, yes, actually I suppose that too. But what I meant was this, you know? Us. I don't want to rush you, or do anything stupid while we're tipsy or any of that."

"Seems we're doing things in the wrong order again, doesn't it?" She said with a smile, resting her head on his arm.

"Maybe that's just our style." he replied, putting his arm around her.

They laid, nestled into the couch together, for a while before Harry noticed Hermione had fallen asleep.

He kissed her forehead, waking her.

"Hey," he breathed. "Let's get you to bed, yeah?" By way of response, she yawned and nodded her head.

Harry lifted himself off the couch and retrieved their jumpers.

"It's a bit chilly in here." she said, rubbing her bare arms as he came back with her shirt.

"When we're not keeping ourselves busy, you mean." he said with a smirk.

"Something like that." she said, grinning and sliding her jumper over her head, before leading the way upstairs.

—X—X—X—

We're crashing into

Into the unknown

We're lost in this

But it feels like home

Feeling alive all over again

As deep as the sky that's under my skin

Like being in love, she says, for the first time

Well, maybe I'm wrong, I'm feeling right

Wherever I belong with you tonight

Like being in love, to feel for the first time

Artist: Lifehouse
Track: First Time
Album: Who We Are

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