Finally, here's Chapter 9. I've been on Spring Break this week, so I got this chapter finished. I've upped the rating for this chapter just to be safe; I hope you enjoy it. Thanks to Jennifer for the beta job and to AnneU for bugging me.
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Hermione woke up from her nap not knowing exactly how long she had been asleep, but from the position of the sun shining through the window, she could tell it had been a couple of hours. She began to sit up and remembered the photo album of Harry's that was in her lap when she fell asleep. She looked once again at the picture of the two of them playing in the snow, and noticed the writing next to it that hadn't been there earlier. She read it quickly, and a tear trickled down her cheek.
She then realized that Harry must have been in the library and seen her sleeping. She smiled at the thought that he didn't want to disturb her, and once again leaned her head back and sighed deeply. He had constantly surprised her this week, almost as much as she surprised herself. She came into this week fully expecting to have it out with him about their relationship and where they stood, but that hadn't been the case. The moment she saw him all the anger she felt toward him dissipated, and all that was left was this overwhelming love that consumed them both.
A speck of color caught the corner of her eye, and she rolled over to see Harry lying on his back, fast asleep with his glasses resting on his chest and his hands serving as a pillow behind his head. She rolled onto her stomach, and stared at him. It was at that moment that she knew there would never be anyone else for her, ever. He meant more to her than she could even put into words; she didn't even want to try because she would be fearful of not doing him justice.
She wasn't sure how long she laid and watched him sleep peacefully. She couldn't bring herself to wake him, just as he couldn't wake her. At the same time though, she found herself studying him in a way she hadn't before. He looked different without his glasses-younger and unguarded. He wasn't short, but not exceptionally tall like Ron. And she absolutely adored that messy mop of hair, and how he was constantly trying to make it behave. As if they didn't already have enough in common, they both had hair that had a mind of its own. She'd had the chance over the last few days to run her hands through that hair of his, and it was becoming a favorite pastime of hers. She couldn't really put her finger of why-maybe it was just that it was her Harry's, and she loved the thought of being close to him. He always closed his eyes and sighed when she ran her fingers through his hair, so he obviously liked her to do it as much as she enjoyed it.
Hermione was pulled from her thoughts when she noticed Harry move slightly. She again became interested in his movements, and after he yawned and stretched his arms above his head, he slowly opened his eyes and looked up at her. She smiled at him, which caused him to immediately smile back. He put on his glasses and propped himself up on his elbows, his eyes never leaving hers.
"Hey there, sleepyhead. How was your nap?" he asked.
Hermione reached down off the couch and ran her hand along his jaw line. "It was very refreshing. And yours?"
"Mine was great. I had this dream that you were here and we spent most of our days snogging and generally enjoying the other's company. It was a great feeling," he replied as he sat up fully.
Hermione sat up to face him properly and smiled again. "That's nice, Harry. What do you say we make that dream come true?" She grabbed his shirt and pulled him up on his knees and kissed him almost before the question was out of her mouth. Harry's arms went around her waist, and they fell back against the couch, kissing feverishly.
Harry pulled his face away from hers and looked into her eyes. His breath was ragged and he struggled to keep himself in check. "You sure know how to wake a guy up," he said as he pushed a stray piece of hair behind her ear.
Hermione gave him another short kiss and smiled. "I know." Before he could react to her confidence regarding wake-up snogs, she stood up and walked around where he was still on his knees to the lone box that was sitting next to the bookcases.
Harry was confused. "What are you doing?"
"I never did finish putting these books away. When I found the album Hagrid gave you, I couldn't resist taking a peek," she said as she scooted the box over to the couch and next to him. Harry sat up on the couch and Hermione sat next to him, peering into the box with a curious eye. "Is this what I think it is?"
"Yeah, it is," Harry replied. The apprehension in his voice wasn't lost on Hermione, and she snuggled up closer to him as he reached in the box and pulled out a heavy book. "This is everything that was left after my parents' house was destroyed. It was put in a vault, and Sirius left me the key to it after…"
His voice dropped off at the thought of why the key was left for him, and not given to him personally. He pulled the book onto his lap and stared at it. Hermione thought he looked as if he was getting up the courage to open it, so she took her hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I'm right here, Harry," she whispered in his ear, "you don't have to do this alone."
Finally taking his eyes away from the book, he turned to Hermione. "Thank you. I never got up the nerve to look at any of this when I picked it up. I meant to, but I just couldn't. When I decided to move here, I threw my album on top of it, and I haven't thought of it since."
They both had their eyes trained on the book now, wondering what could possibly be on the other side of the cover. It was Hermione who finally reached across Harry's body and opened the cover, revealing a page with the Potter family crest on it. She glanced over at Harry. His eyes were wide with the possibilities of what he might be holding. Slowly, Hermione turned the next page, and was surprised at what she found.
It was unexpected, that was for sure. After seeing what lay before them, Hermione chanced a glance over at Harry. His eyes were like huge green globes, and he was staring at the pages. She watched as he ran his hand through his hair, trying to take in what was before him. When he didn't react with anything but deep breaths and heavy sighs, she lightly touched his arm.
"Harry, are you okay?"
He breathed deep again and looked at her. It wasn't the look of an almost nineteen-year-old Harry Potter, but that of an uncertain child. "I'm not sure, Hermione. I've always wanted to know about my family, and now I realize that I've had the answers to all my questions in my possession for a year. I just don't know what to think of this right now."
Harry ran his hand over the page, an aged parchment full of diagrams and pictures, some of people who had been dead for many years. Hermione snuggled up to him as they sat on the couch in the library, comforting him as he familiarized himself with the history of the Potters.
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They sat in the library for what seemed like hours, going through the box full of items that belonged to Harry's parents. The Potter family history was only the beginning. An album full of James and Lily's wedding pictures was also found, as well as a box full of Harry's baby pictures. Hermione had found those very cute, and she sat and looked at them over and over again, silently dreaming about how her and Harry's children would look as babies. Would they have Harry's green eyes and his messy black hair, or her brown eyes and bushy brown hair? She finally decided that it didn't matter, as long as the child was healthy and it belonged to her and Harry; that's what mattered the most.
Late in the evening they decided it was time for bed. They put most of the albums back in the box to look at later, but Harry didn't want to part with the book that held the family history. He carried it up to the bedroom with him, and Hermione wondered how long it would take him to turn past the first five pages of the book. She did, however, understand his need to feel close to the family he had never known until tonight.
When they reached the bedroom, hand in hand, Harry laid the book gently on the bed and gave Hermione a soft kiss on the cheeks. "I'm going to wash up really quick. Miss me."
"I will," she replied, and went about putting on her pajamas. The weather had been fairly cool at the beginning of the week, and she had only brought her long pants to wear to bed. She feared she may get too warm, and called to Harry in the bathroom. "Harry, can I borrow a pair of shorts? These pajama bottoms I have will be way too warm to wear tonight."
Harry poked his head out the door and motioned for his dresser, his mouth full of toothpaste. "Sure, just grab a pair out of the second drawer. I'll be out in a minute." He left the door slightly cracked and went back to brushing his teeth, and Hermione walked over to his dresser and opened the second drawer.
Hermione rummaged around for some that would fit her, and found a gray pair toward the bottom of the drawer. As she pulled them out of the pile, a small box caught her eye and she couldn't help but wonder what it could be. She had an inkling of an idea, but she didn't want to jump the gun.
She took the small box in her hand and cautiously glanced to the bathroom door. She felt guilty for getting into Harry's personal things, but if she was right, then this was something that affected her as well. The box opened slowly, and upon seeing what was inside, she went immediately to the bed and sat down on the edge. Sure she was imagining things, she shook her head before again glancing at what laid inside the box.
It was everything she feared and hoped for all wrapped up in one. Her thoughts all clouded together and raced through her mind. Earlier in the evening she was imagining what their children would look like and smiling at the thought alone. But now, as the realness of the situation was before her, she couldn't help but be terrified at the idea. It was too early; they weren't even twenty yet. She sat and stared at the box, not even noticing Harry walk out of the bathroom.
"Hermione, did you find…" Harry's voice trailed off as he noticed her sitting on the bed staring off into space. He walked slowly toward her, uncertain as to what would change her demeanor in such a short time. "Hermione?" he asked again, coming to stand in front of her and kneeling down on one knee. "What's the matter, love?"
He didn't have to wait long for an answer. Slowly, she put the ring box in front of him and looked at him expectantly. "W-What's this, Harry?" Her voice was shaking, as was the rest of her.
Harry looked down at the floor and cursed himself before returning his eyes to her. "I can explain, Mione. It's really not what you think." He reached out and took her hand, and felt her tense up upon doing so.
"I'm listening," she said, not able to meet his eyes. She was very close to tears, but was unsure if they were tears of pain or joy.
"That ring you're holding is the engagement ring my Dad gave to my Mum. The only reason I have it is because it was being repaired when they were murdered. Remus came by the hospital and gave it to me after I woke up last year. He knew, Hermione. And so did Sirius. Remus told me he knew of someone who would bring out the beauty of that ring just like my Mum did, and he was right."
Hermione's eyes leaped up to Harry's, almost certain of where this was leading. Oh my God, she thought, he's proposing. She began to relax her hand in his grasp a little, and he continued with his explanation.
"Someday I'll give this ring to you, but I know that now would be too soon. I want more than anything for you to wear my ring, just as I want your name next to mine in that book," he said sincerely, pointing to the Potter family history lying on the bed. "I'm sorry if I scared you, Mione. I guess I underestimated what this week would be like and thought it would be safe in my dresser."
Hermione's eyes were full of tears running down her face, and she finally set the ring box down on the bedside table. Her hands went up to cup Harry's face as he patiently waited for her reaction to what he said. She ran her index finger along the jaw line and brushed her thumb on his lips. There was a moment of anticipation as they both tried to predict the other's next move, when suddenly Hermione pulled Harry up onto the bed and kissed him as if her whole life depended on it.
They continued to kiss intensely, and when Harry pulled away from her for the first time, minus his shirt, Hermione immediately cut him off before he could vocalize the question on his lips. "Shush, Potter. I know exactly where this is leading and I'm perfectly fine with it. Whatever it is, we can talk about it tomorrow. Tonight I just want you."
Harry smiled as Hermione's arms went around his neck and her hands began to twist in his hair. He relaxed and kissed her once more, unable to hold back any longer.
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As the sun poked through the window behind his bed the next morning, Harry woke up with a huge smile on his face. He looked down slightly and saw the sleeping face of the most beautiful person he'd ever known. Not just beautiful physically (though she most certainly was), but also beautiful on the inside. Last night had the possibility of being a downright mess, but by some miracle it had turned into the best night of his life.
He looked down at her again and lightly brushed a stray piece of hair out of her eyes and behind her ear. He didn't really want to wake her; she was smiling, and every so often would cuddle up closer to him. After one such cuddle, he dropped a light kiss on her forehead and watched her, completely content.
Harry couldn't be sure exactly how much time has passed when Hermione finally stretched and began to wake up. He paid close attention to her eyes, and when they finally opened, he smiled at her brightly. "Morning, love," he said.
"Good morning. Did you sleep well?" Her hands once again went to play with his hair, and he had to take a moment to think about what she just asked him.
"How could I not? I had you right here next to me." Harry kissed her lightly then pulled back. "I owe you an apology. So much of this week has been my way of showing you that I'm ready for a serious relationship with you, and that my life isn't complete without you. I'm sorry for not being more up front about it."
Hermione gave a small laugh as she leaned up on one elbow. "Oh, Harry. I thought you would give me more credit than that. I noticed, and you didn't have to tell me. Do you honestly think I would believe that line about you putting a library in because of all the books you've accumulated over the years? That was probably the biggest load of hogwash I'd ever heard come out of your mouth." Harry gave a fake pout, and Hermione continued. "I'm glad you thought of it, though. I'm also glad you thought to buy a house with three extra bedrooms and a large backyard. That will come in handy a few years down the road."
"So you're not angry about the ring? For a moment last night I thought you were going to walk out and leave."
"No, I could never be angry about something like that. Actually, I was trying to decide if I was excited or scared."
"And what did you decide? Harry asked.
"I've made a compromise. I'm excited to know that one day you're going to get down on one knee and ask me to marry you, but at the same time, I know that we need time to establish ourselves as a couple before we get married. The truth is, Harry that we've been through so much already, and I think we might finally have some normalcy heading our way. I think we owe that much to ourselves before we throw ourselves back into the fire again."
"I think you're right. Hell, you're always right," Harry said, leaning down for a quick kiss.
A moment of silence followed, where they did nothing but stare into each other's eyes remembering the events of the previous night. Harry noticed Hermione's expression change suddenly. "What's the matter, Mione?"
"I just realized…I have to leave tomorrow."
The weight of her statement wasn't lost on Harry. She had to go back to London and her job tomorrow, and they would have to learn to not be with each other every waking moment of the day. For one thing, he had gotten used to waking up next to her. It just didn't seem right that she had to leave tomorrow, just when they had taken the next step in their relationship. He didn't like it, but he needed to be supportive if they were going to survive.
"I know. It's horrible timing, isn't it?" Harry smirked and leaned over to kiss her, this time lingering on her lips. "We'll just have to make the most of the time we have." He kissed her again. "And it's not like we can't just Apparate whenever we want to see each other."
This time Hermione leaned forward and kissed him, and Harry couldn't think of anywhere else he would rather be than in her arms.
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Okay, I'm hoping to wrap up this story with the next chapter. As you can see, the end of the week is drawing closer, and that was the whole premise for this story. I do have a sequel in the works, which will deal with how Harry and Hermione deal with their relationship once they're forced to leave the Hollow and face their other responsibilities while adjusting to their relationship. I'd love to tell you more, but right now the only other thing I can tell you is that Harry will have a new job, and it won't be what you expect. Thanks again for reading. ~Mandy