Chapter 3 - Duel Monsters

"I'll just... kitchen. I'll be in the kitchen. When you're... when you're decent."

Harry groaned as he heard Hermione's muffled voice through the door. "Bloody hell," he muttered, running a hand through his messy hair.

This wasn't exactly how he'd planned to end his night with the Patil twins, but he wasn't about to let it ruin his mood.

He turned to the Patil twins, who were hurriedly gathering their scattered clothes. "There's no need to rush," he told them. The damage was done. "Hermione already saw what she saw."

Parvati gave him a small smile as she pulled on her shirt. "Always the gentleman, Harry." Her words were accompanied by a flirtatious wink.

Padma, on the other hand, looked absolutely mortified. "I can't believe Hermione saw us like that," she whispered, her eyes wide.

"Well, to be fair, she didn't knock," Harry said and felt his cock twitch in his trousers as Parvati, who was always the more outgoing of the twins used her knickers to wipe up the cum from her face.

"We should probably go," Padma said, now fully clothed and looking at her sister expectantly.

Part of Harry wanted to agree, to let them leave so he could face Hermione alone. But he also didn't want the twins to think he was just kicking them out.

"You two don't have to sneak out," he said. "We're all adults here. Let's go down together and... well, I'm not sure what we'll say, but you don't have to sneak out the back like this is something shameful."

Parvati and Padma exchanged a look, then shook their heads.

"I think it's best if we leave, Harry," Padma said. "You and Hermione clearly have a lot to talk about."

Padma nodded in agreement. "We don't want to make things more awkward than they already are."

"Alright," Harry shrugged. If that's what they wanted. "I just don't want you girls to feel like I'm kicking you out."

While he'd been clear from the start that he wasn't looking for a serious relationship, he didn't want the twins to think he was just using them or wanted them to feel like slags who were only worth a quick shag before being kicked to the curb. He cared about their feelings, even if he couldn't offer them the commitment of a traditional relationship.

Parvati smiled warmly. "We know, Harry. Don't worry about us," she said. "It's like you said, we're all adults. We knew what we were getting into."

Parvati nodded. "This arrangement works for all of us. So don't worry," she added with a cheeky wink, pocketing her soiled knickers. "We'll talk later, okay?"

Harry nodded, and with two soft pops, the twins disapparated from the room.

Left alone, he quickly finished getting dressed, and then made his way downstairs to the kitchen. The smell of fresh tea greeted him as walked down the steps.

Trust Hermione to make herself at home and put the kettle on, even in such an awkward situation, Harry thought shaking his head. Though he didn't think tea would make their conversation any easier.

He stepped into the kitchen and saw Hermione standing at the counter, her back to him as she poured steaming water from the kettle into two mugs. She hadn't seen him yet and he took the moment to watch her. Embarrassing as their conversation was going to be, he'd missed her these past few weeks. Her bushy hair was still damp from the rain outside, and he could see that her shoulders were tense.

"Oh bugger," she cursed as she spilled some due to her trembling hands. The hot water splashed onto the counter, narrowly missing her fingers.

Harry quickly moved to take the kettle from her. "Here, let me," he said, reaching for the kettle. His fingers brushed against hers as he took it, and he felt her flinch slightly at the contact.

Carefully, Harry filled both mugs without spilling a drop. The familiar task helped steady his nerves, giving him a moment to try and think about what to say. He could feel Hermione watching him now, but he kept his eyes focused on the task at hand.

Hermione gave him a grateful nod. "Thank you," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. She picked up the mugs and carried them over to the large wooden table that dominated the center of the room. The magical flowers in the centerpiece were currently a soft, muted blue as if sensing the mood in the kitchen.

Harry shut off the kettle before joining her, pulling out her chair for her and settling into the chair next to it. The silence in the kitchen was deafening, broken only by the soft clink of their mugs being set down on the table.

An awkward tension filled the air between them as they both stared into their steaming mugs, neither quite ready to address what had just happened upstairs.

Harry waited for her to say something because he honestly had no idea where to start. She had just seen him shoot his cum all over Parvati Patil's face; what was he supposed to say?

"Okay," Hermione began, her voice soft but determined. "What's been going on with you, Harry? Everyone's been worried sick and you've been here…here…well, you know!"

"Oh, believe me, I know," Harry chuckled, leaning back with an easy grin that only widened as he noticed Hermione's irritated flush.

"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed, slapping his arm, though her anger was more affectionate than fierce.

"I just needed time, Hermione," he said. "To think, to process everything. I died you know."

"I know that, Harry," Hermione said. "But—"

"No," Harry cut her off, his voice suddenly sharp. He stood up, pacing the room. "You don't know. No one knows. How could they?"

Merlin, he hated talking about this. He hated thinking about it. Because no one could ever understand. They weren't raised like a pig for slaughter. They didn't die and come back. But he was. He did.

"Then explain it to me, Harry! Help me understand what's going on!" Hermione pushed, her voice tinged with both concern and frustration. "Because you've been missing Death Eater trials and the funerals…"

She trailed off, the weight of unspoken names hanging between them. Harry stopped pacing and turned to face her, his green eyes sharp behind his glasses.

"I was there," he said firmly. "I just didn't want things to be about me, so I stayed under the Cloak. Remus, Tonks, George…all of them, everyone who died deserved better than that."

Watching him, Hermione realized Harry wasn't just hiding away; he was stepping back to let others have their space, especially when the world always seemed to focus on him.

"You could have told me," Hermione murmured. "I would have understood."

Harry sighed. Hermione would have tried to understand, he believed that. But how could she? How could anyone? Some days it felt like he still didn't understand what had happened.

"What about Hogwarts?" Hermione asked, "Headmistress McGonagall said you turned down her offer to let us return for an 8th Year. Don't you want to finish your education?"

A wry smile crossed Harry's face. "After you've gone toe-to-toe with Voldemort, sitting for the NEWTs just doesn't seem that important anymore."

Hermione's expression soured. "There's more to education than exams, you know? Even Ron's coming back."

"I know you mean well, Hermione," Harry said, and he did. He didn't want her to think he didn't. "But I can't go back to Hogwarts. I want to find out who I am without all the 'Boy-Who-Lived' nonsense."

Hermione, while still hoping to change his mind about Hogwarts had clearly picked up on Harry not even acknowledging the Ron part of her question. She knew him too well to believe it wasn't intentional.

"It's not just the strangers, is it?" she asked.

"It's not his fault," Harry shrugged. "The Weasleys have been nothing but kind to me. It's just..."

"Overwhelming?" Hermione suggested.

Harry gave a small sigh of agreement, knowing she'd likely received the same treatment after revealing her relationship with Ron.

"Molly started talking about marriage and children almost immediately," he continued, a hint of frustration creeping into his voice. "Like we hadn't just fought a war. Like I'm not still trying to figure out who I am without Voldemort looming over me."

Hermione gave him a sympathetic look. "And Ginny?" she asked, though she suspected she already knew the answer.

Harry's lips quirked in a half-smile. "Ginny's brilliant," he said. "She knows exactly what she wants. A career in Quidditch, to see the world. And I..." he trailed off, shrugging.

"You don't want a long-distance relationship," Hermione finished for him. Clearly not, given what she'd seen upstairs.

"Yeah," Harry agreed, looking relieved that she understood. "We talked about it. Ended things properly. But it's made everything with the Weasleys a bit..."

"Awkward," Hermione guessed correctly, again. She really did know him too well.

"Ron tried to pretend everything's normal, but I could tell he was torn," Harry said. "And Molly..., I think she's still holding out hope that Ginny and I will change our minds."

"They love you, Harry," Hermione said. "They just want you to be happy. Even if they don't quite understand what that means for you right now."

"What will make me happy is space to figure things out," Harry said. "To be just Harry for a while, you know?"

Hermione nodded. They sat together in silence for a while, just enjoying each other's company. It had been weeks since they last saw each other in person, and while Romilda, Cho, and the Patil twins were good fun, Harry had missed his friend.

"So…" she began again after a few moments, "what on earth is Duel Monsters? I've never seen anything like them."

Huh? Harry was confused for a moment, not expecting that question. Then he remembered the case Dudley had sent him along with a letter in the mail.

"Read my letter, did you?" he asked, picking up the folded piece of paper on the table.

It read:

Dear Harry,

I hope this letter finds you well. I know we haven't spoken since... well, you know. But something's happened, and I felt I ought to reach out to you.

Remember those Duel Monsters cards we used to play with? The ones I made you make all those dodgy copies of because Dad wouldn't buy me more?

Well, I've still been playing. Actually got quite good at it. Good enough that I won a local tournament not long ago.

The thing is, winning that tournament got me an invitation to this big event called Duelist Kingdom. It's supposed to be a right big deal in the Duel Monsters world. But... I'm not going. Dad says it's time for me to start working at Grunnings, that I need to stop arsing about with "daft card games."

I've been doing a lot of thinking lately…about everything that's happened. About how I treated you growing up. I was a proper prat, wasn't I?

I'm sorry for that, Harry. I really am.

Anyway, I want you to have my cards. They're in the case I've sent along with this letter. It's the Hero deck—the only proper set of cards we had. You always liked them, and I'm sorry I never let you use them before. I always thought I was the hero, you know?

But I wasn't. You are. You're the one who saved us.

I want you to go to Duelist Kingdom in my place. The invitation, star chips, and everything you need are in the case. You deserve this chance more than I do.

I know this doesn't make up for everything, but I hope it's a start.

Good luck in the tournament. I'll be cheering for you.

Your cousin, Dudley

Hermione's cheeks flushed a deep pink as Harry looked at her with raised eyebrows. She fidgeted with the hem of her robes, clearly embarrassed.

"I... I'm sorry, Harry," she apologized. "I shouldn't have read your letter without permission. It's just that... well when I saw it was from your cousin, I got worried. I know how awful they've been to you in the past, and I just wanted to make sure they hadn't sent you anything nasty or cruel."

Hermione continued, her words tumbling out quickly.

"I didn't mean to pry, honestly. I was just trying to look out for you. I'm really sorry. It won't happen ever again," she promised.

Harry couldn't help but chuckle at Hermione's flustered expression. "Hermione, relax. It's fine," he said, his tone light and amused. "I don't mind if you read my mail. After all we've been through together, a bit of letter-reading is hardly going to bother me."

Hermione's tense shoulders visibly relaxed, though her cheeks were still tinged pink. "Really? You're not upset?"

"Not at all," Harry assured her, but he couldn't resist a little teasing. "Though I have to say, your face just now was priceless. I should pretend to be cross more often just to see that look again."

"Oh, stop it, you prat." Hermione let out a relieved laugh, playfully swatting at Harry's arm. "Now tell me about these Duel Monsters. What are they?"

"It's a Muggle trading card game," Harry explained, reaching for the silver case and dragging it closer. "Dudley and I used to play growing up."

"That part of the letter surprised me," Hermione admitted, knowing full well the torment Harry had endured at the hands of his so-called family. "I didn't think you two ever got along.

"We didn't," Harry admitted. "I hated playing with him, to be honest. Always had to let the great lump win, didn't I? But the cards...when I was locked in the cupboard, I'd spend hours creating decks and dueling myself. I loved the game, and it made being forced to read about or watch duels and make fake cards for Dudley tolerable."

Hermione felt a lump form in her throat. Even after all these years, the casual mentions of Harry's mistreatment never failed to make her heart ache.

"Oh, Harry," she murmured. "I'm sorry."

Harry shrugged, offering a small smile. "It's alright. The game itself was brilliant, even if Dudley wasn't."

"And now? Are you getting back into it?"

"Yeah," Harry said. "Dudley must've gotten a lot better since we last played," he mused, a hint of surprise in his voice. "He's been invited to the Duelist Kingdom tournament by Maximillion Pegasus himself."

"The creator of Duel Monsters," Hermione said before Harry could explain, surprising him.

Harry looked in the case and saw the five invitation cards were in a different order.

"Read those too, huh?"

Hermione smiled sheepishly and shrugged. "I was curious!" she said, then leaned forward, pointing at the card with the ship. "And this island? I've never heard of Duelist Kingdom? Is it actually a real place?"

"Duelist Kingdom Island," Harry nodded, his green eyes shining with excitement behind his glasses. "It's Pegasus' own private island. The game has taken off like a Firebolt lately and there are tournaments and official leagues all over. This Duelist Kingdom thing is meant to be the biggest yet, and the winner will be crowned the 'King of Games'."

"Are you thinking of entering?" Hermione asked, her eyebrow arching in that familiar way that always made Harry feel like she was reading his mind.

Harry hesitated, his excitement dimming slightly. "Part of me wants to, but...after everything with Voldemort, a card game seems kind of trivial, you know?"

His hand unconsciously reached up to touch the lightning bolt scar on his forehead.

"Or," Hermione countered, "it could be exactly what you need. A chance to just be Harry, not the Boy-Who-Lived."

"Maybe you're right," Harry said. "Besides, it might be fun to actually win for once, instead of letting Dudley flatten me."

"That's the spirit!" Hermione beamed, her whole face lighting up. "And if you do enter, I'll help you prepare. We could research strategies, practice duels, analyze the most effective..."

Harry laughed, cutting her off. "Of course you would. But the ship leaves tomorrow from Domino City pier, and I don't think that's enough time—"

"Tomorrow!" Hermione gasped, nearly falling out of her chair in shock. Her voice rose an octave as she exclaimed, "Harry James Potter! Are you even packed?"

"I was going to do it in the morning and disapparate to Domino City," Harry said with a nonchalant shrug, as if last-minute preparation for international tournaments was perfectly normal.

Hermione's eyes narrowed dangerously, reminding Harry of Professor McGonagall's stern gaze. "And how long is this tournament going to last? What's the weather like on the island at this time of year? Will food be provided, or do you need to bring your own? Do you have the proper travel documents for international travel?"

Harry's confident expression faltered. "I... well, I don't actually know," he admitted sheepishly. "I hadn't really thought about any of that. I just got the invitation and got excited."

Hermione sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of her nose in exasperation, but the smile on her face gave her away.

"Honestly, Harry. What would you do without me? Come on," she said, standing up and straightening her robes. "I'll help you pack, and we'll figure out the details together."