Chapter 7: Breakfast
Hermione, who was not nearly as tired as Harry, lay awake for a long time. She had never been this close to him and wanted to soak it all in. She paid careful attention to how he breathed while sleeping. Would he toss and turn all night like Ron had told her he did when Voldemort was making his scar hurt? How could one person live through as much pain and suffering as Harry had and still be ready to suffer so others would be better off? She couldn't understand it but it was definitely one of Harry's most endearing traits. In fact Harry spent most of his time worrying about others safety he often neglected to think about his own. "Harry's safety is my job" she told herself "and that's why I am here."
Harry began shifting in his sleep. He tried to roll onto his back but she was in the way. She pushed on him a bit and managed to move him over about a foot and then pulled his shoulder down so he was lying on his back. She then cuddled up to him and put her head on his shoulder and draped her arm over his chest. Harry, though she was certain he was asleep, brought his left arm up and held her tightly.
Hermione sighed in contentment and said very quietly "I Love you Harry Potter." She then gave him a soft kiss on the cheek and settled back down to sleep.
Much later Harry awoke from a beautiful dream. Hermione had kissed him and told him she loved him. Something was tickling his nose. He tried to reach his face with his left arm but something was on it and he was unable to move it. With his right hand he managed to reach his face to find several locks of long hair across his face. Startled he brushed them off and began to remember the wonderful events of the previous evening. Hermione was here, she was the reason he couldn't move his left arm. Ohh, what a wonderful feeling, Hermione lying next to him. He twisted onto his side facing Hermione, then very carefully put his right arm around her and went back to sleep. Hermione snuggled into his embrace, an angelic smile upon her face.
Hermione awoke shortly after sunrise. She was disoriented for a moment, what was going on? Where am I? Who is wrapped around me? All these thoughts flew thru her mind at once. Then she answered them all with one thought "Harry" She opened her eyes to find Harry's brilliant green eyes just inches away from her. He had been staring at her while she slept.
"Good morning Mione" Harry whispered.
Hermione felt an overwhelming urge to stretch and did so. Her "Morning Harry" came out as almost a moan as she tried to stretch and talk at the same time. Harry seemed reluctant to let her go; she took that as a good sign of his feelings for her. But they were up and she was hungry.
"What would you like for breakfast Mione?" Harry asked quietly as if reading her mind.
Gods he knows me oh so well, she thought. Then said "Oh, going to try conjuring us breakfast today?"
"Well if you show me how to I will certainly try Mione."
Hermione pulled the comforter and sheet out of the way and Harry sat up reluctantly. She also sat up and decided to get the answer to her current burning question. "Harry, why are you calling me Mione?"
Harry blushed a bit and looked down "Oh, I don't know it seems right. I will try and stop if you don't like it" he offered.
"Actually Harry No one has ever called me that and coming from you I don't really mind it. I don't think I would like anyone else calling me that though."
Harry looked up at this confession and smiled. "So how do you conjure again?" He asked.
"Well let's see you make the table and chairs first. Then I will decide if I want to risk my breakfast on your conjuring abilities OK?"
"Fair enough Hermione." He stood and pulled his wand out from under his mattress.
"Harry you keep your wand under your mattress?"
"Yes Hermione, one thing I learned from Barty Crouch Jr. 'Constant Vigilance' my wand is never out of reach." Harry answered her very seriously.
Harry shook himself out of those memories and turned to the task at hand. He concentrated for a minute then transfigured a table and two matching chairs. The table was only slightly wobbly but the chairs were just fine.
"Well done Harry" Hermione said. "Ok let's see some conjuring then. Concentrate on what you want to appear. Picture it clearly in your mind. You saw the wand motion yesterday. Let's see it?"
Harry started to move his wand like he had seen her do.
"Yes make a little cone shape with your wand. Yes just like that. Ok now the word is CONJURUS. Speak it clearly while you picture everything clearly in your mind."
Harry hesitated a minute then looked up at Hermione "You never said what you wanted."
"Oh, how about eggs, sausage, toast, and orange juice" she answered quickly.
"How do you fancy your eggs?"
"Sunny side up, a little runny."
Harry turned back to the table, began twirling his wand and screwed his face up in concentration. "Conjurus" he spoke. Instantly the table was filled with two heaping servings of the food exactly as Hermione had asked. Harry had only forgotten the plates. "Oops" he exclaimed, "good thing I didn't conjure the orange juice yet" he then quickly tried again "Conjurus" and plates appeared under all the food. Harry finished with one more "Conjurus" and two large glasses of cold orange juice appeared along with silverware and condiments.
Hermione had barely kept herself from giggling at Harry's mistake but she beamed a smile at him when he fixed it. "Great job Harry." She got off the bed and moved to the table and started eating. "You're a good cook too."
"I have had a lot of practice with the Dursley's, but I wouldn't' think it mattered much in this."
"Of course it does. When you visualized the meal you included details like the eggs had been cooked in so much butter etcetera. If you had forgotten that detail they would have been completely different."
Harry sat down and started eating. There was no longer need for words. Harry reached for the butter just as Hermione was passing it to him and later Hermione wanted the marmalade and found Harry offering it to her. These actions had become second nature to them from five years of eating together. Once again they felt the reassuring calm of two very close friends settling over them as they ate.