Disclaimer: I own nothing that has anything to do with Harry Potter. All that stuff belongs to JK Rowling. I just wanted to play in her world a bit to make mine seem more fun.
Chapter 7
James Potter and Lily Evans had known each other since they were both eleven years old. However, each knowing who the other was, does not imply liking or even tolerance of the other. Lily thought James was a skinny nuisance and he thought Lily was a stuffy know-it-all. Not exactly the beginnings of a beautiful friendship, but with time, they grew up (one taking a bit longer than the other) and grew closer.
Now they'd been married for almost 26 years and couldn't imagine their lives without the other in it. However if you would've told them as first years they would be married and have a grown son, they probably would have tried to get you locked up in St. Mungos.
Lily was drawn out of her thoughts on the past when familiar arms wound their way around her; one across her shoulders, the other around her waist. She leaned back against the presented chest, feeling as warm and secure trapped against James' body as she had the first time he'd put his arms around her.
"What are you thinking about, Love?" James asked, kissing her temple.
"Just us a bit," Lily replied. "Where we are now, as opposed to where we were when we first met."
James smirked and tightened his arms around his wife. There were so many things that ran through his head; smart-arsed comments he could have made, but he was just content to hold the woman he loved more than life itself.
"You know," he said suddenly. "We're all alone, for a change. Padfoot isn't here."
"I see," Lily replied. "And just what are you going to do about it, Mr. Potter?"
"What do you want me to do about it, Mrs. Potter?" James flirted back.
"Anything you want," Lily stated firmly.
"Well, I think I just might have an idea or two," James replied. He lowered his head and kissed Lily behind her ear, earning a subtle moan of approval from her. She moved her head, to give him access to her neck.
James, though, would have nothing of it, as he spun his wife around and went straight for the source of the noise that was currently driving him mad with desire.
"Hide me!!" Sirius yelped, sliding across the kitchen floor. He came to a full stop, right in front of Lily and James' embrace. "Not again!" he groaned.
"Padfoot!" James whined, breaking the kiss, but maintaining the hold he had on Lily, who didn't seem to mind. "You seriously need to work on your timing!"
"Apparently," Sirius grumbled. "And I'm sure your son would probably agree with you on that, right about now."
James wrinkled his nose at the thought of his son and that…person. "Well, I'm sure Vicki-kins didn't mind," he said, disgust in his voice.
"Well, last time I checked, ickle Vicki didn't have curly brown hair," Sirius replied suggestively.
James' face was a mask of confusion, which slowly shifted into a smile of wonder as he figured out what Sirius was implying. "Harry and Hermione!?" he squealed. "My Harry and our Hermione? Kissing??"
"They weren't exactly kissing," Sirius began. "Well, I, er, that is to say, I interrupted them," Sirius admitted, lowering his head.
Lily had to stifle a giggle at the looks on James' and Sirius' reactions. Sirius winced, like a child about to be scolded, and James-well, James looked like he wanted to cry or hit Sirius, he wasn't sure which.
Secretly, she was glad Sirius had interrupted, though she dared not voice that particular opinion right now. When Harry and Hermione shared their first kiss - and she was confident it was a matter of when, not if- she wanted it to be on a clear conscience…and that meant no Josh and no Victoria.
Call it women's intuition, but Lily firmly believed her two kids would make the decision to be single before acting on their impulses. But that didn't mean there wouldn't be temptations and near-kisses.
As Sirius and James began plotting and Lily listened, trying to keep her giggles in check at some of their ideas, not too far away Harry and Hermione were blushing furiously, trying not to stare at each other.
"Harry, I am so…" Hermione began, playing with her necklace.
"Hermione, please don't apologize," Harry cut in quickly. "Because I'm not sorry we almost kissed and I don't want you to be either," he added firmly.
Hermione blushed as her eyes finally zeroed in on Harry's emerald ones. "I'm not sorry either," she admitted, shyly.
Her response made Harry grin widely and pull her into a tight hold. "I'm glad," he whispered, directly into her ear, sending a shiver to her very core.
Once again, Hermione had to fight the overwhelming urge to grab the front of Harry's shirt and give him a good snogging. She stopped herself only by remembering that 'officially' Harry and Victoria were still together and she didn't want to have the role of 'the other woman'. Plus she and Josh were technically still a couple, well, they were kind of still a couple, but she wanted a clean break from him. And she was fairly confident Harry felt the same way.
At that moment, Harry wanted nothing more than to press his lips against Hermione's until they both passed out from lack of oxygen. However, his conscience, 'damn conscience,' he cursed it briefly, got the better of him; Victoria may be a cow, but she was still (in theory) his cow, er, his girlfriend.
Harry released Hermione from his arms, but not before dropping a kiss onto her forehead, as if sealing their unspoken agreement - no real, proper, lip-on-lip action - until each was complete and utterly single.
"So what are we going to do now?" Harry asked, breaking the silence.
"Well, we could go to that pub, if you're interested," Hermione suggested half-heartedly.
"Not particularly," Harry answered. "I would rather just stay with you here, if that's ok."
Hermione broke into a smile that tested Harry's willpower, as she readily agreed. "That sounds wonderful. I'm just going to get out of these clothes and I'll be right back," she answered.
Hermione returned a few minutes later, dressed in an over-sized Quidditch jersey and shorts, forcing Harry to have to think unsexy thoughts, especially after she'd pulled him onto the couch with her. She poured them each a glass of wine and they settled in for the evening.
The pair spent the next few hours laughing and talking. Harry learned Hermione was afraid of heights, but only if she wasn't in an enclosed structure and Hermione heard all about Hogwarts and the pranks and tricks Harry and his friends had pulled. They sat up until Hermione noticed the time and reluctantly suggested they bid goodnight. Harry agreed, although a small part of him wistfully wished Hermione would ask him to stay.
The two friends hugged their farewells, with plans to meet at the stadium in the morning.
"Sweet dreams, Hermione," Harry wished, kissing her cheek.
"Sleep well, Harry," Hermione returned, kissing his cheek. "And happy birthday," she added, shyly pressing another kiss onto the corner of his mouth, as close as she dared.
"Thank you," Harry replied, smiling. "I'll see you very soon. 'Probably in my dreams,' he added silently. He winked and Apparated without a sound.
"Goodnight, Harry," Hermione whispered as made her way to bed, falling asleep with a smile on her face for the third night in a row.
The next morning, Harry awoke, very excited to spend the day with Hermione, um, with his family. He quickly readied himself for the day, taking a little extra care than he would have for a normal day.
He made his way downstairs, only to be greeted by Sirius in a clown suit. Raising his eyebrow, yet knowing better than to actually ask questions, Harry followed his nose into the kitchen. There, Lily was putting the finishing touches on a special breakfast for him.
"Morning, Mum," Harry said, kissing Lily on the cheek. "Looks great. Thank you," he added after sliding into a chair.
"You're welcome," Lily replied, kissing his forehead. "Happy birthday, dear."
"Thanks," he answered, helping himself to a large portion of pancakes and sausage. One of the many reasons he loved coming home was his mother's cooking.
"So what time are you meeting Hermione?" Lily asked casually.
"Just before the match, I guess," Harry replied, blushing. "We, uh, didn't make concrete plans."
"Ok," Lily stated, sitting with her son at the table. "I just didn't know if you were going to go with your parents, since you're too cool for us now," she finished, her emerald eyes twinkling.
Harry grinned. "I'll never be too cool for my Mum. But we may be too cool for Dad and Sirius."
"I couldn't agree more," Lily responded. "Any plans for after the Match?"
Even though her tone was light and innocent, Harry wasn't fooled. He knew the two things she was really asking.
"Well, don't tell Dad or Padfoot, but I'm going to go look for a flat afterwards," Harry answered, dropping his voice. "Hermione's going to go with me."
"Hermione is going with you where?" Sirius butt in loudly. He plopped into the empty seat across from Lily. "And how was last night?" he added slyly.
Harry blushed to the tips of his toes. "Last night was ok. I met with everyone for dinner at Seamus' place."
"And then what happened?" James asked mischievously, after kissing his wife hello.
Harry turned and glared at Sirius, who attempted to look innocent. "Nothing happened. Hermione and I went back to her flat after a small misunderstanding with Ginny and we talked. That's it."
Even James knew not to push his son at the tone of his voice, but Sirius just couldn't leave well enough alone. However, when he tried to speak, he found his voice was gone and caught Lily tucking her wand into her pocket. He opened his mouth to protest, but remembering his predicament, settled for a pout.
"Thanks, Mum," Harry chuckled. "That is the best birthday present I could have received."
"Oh yeah!" James exclaimed. "Padfoot made me forget. Happy birthday, kid." He ruffled Harry's already disheveled hair affectionately.
"Thanks, Dad," Harry answered, not even bothering to try to fix his hair.
"So what are you doing today?" James asked, piling food on his plate for breakfast.
"Um, Hermione offered me an extra ticket to the Match," Harry blushed. "So I'll be able to spend at least a few hours with you and Mum…and Padfoot."
"Af'er tha'?" he mumbled, food in his mouth.
Harry sighed. He didn't want them to know exactly what he was doing; he wanted it be a surprise for tonight. "I'm not sure yet. Ron mentioned going to his, our, flat, but I don't know."
"I'm just happy Hermione had an extra ticket, though I don't know where it could've come from," Lily glared at her husband and his best friend. "But now I can spend the day with my favorite boy."
"And me!" James pouted.
"Me too!" Sirius mouthed, pointing to himself vigorously, desperate to be a part of the conversation.
"Yes, yes, all three of my boys," Lily conceded. "Now let's get going. The Match starts in 45 minutes. We don't want to be late."
The boys groaned, but fulfilled Lily's wishes. They all knew of her little obsession with timeliness and neither of them wanted to be on the wrong side of her wand.
Hermione arrived at the pitch with a little less than two hours to go before the Match began, as was her custom. She made her way toward the locker-rooms, pausing to wave to the guards along the way. When she'd first started her job, they'd all given her a tough time, insisting she show her Ministry credentials to get in; some even went so far as to claim the ones she had were forged.
Now, however, all the guards knew her, and when a new one began work, Hermione always made certain to introduce herself. She usually met them at their interviews in her department, but if one slipped through, she went out of her way to make sure she made their acquaintance. It helped them feel welcomed, as well as ensuring she wouldn't be hassled to show her Ministry ID.
Hermione visited the coaches and players in the locker-rooms to see if anything was needed. Once everyone was happy, she was free to enjoy the remainder of the Match, with very little else to do until the end, when she had to certify it completed.
With 30 minutes before the start, Hermione excused herself so she could meet the Potters at the front gate. She smiled involuntarily at the thought of seeing Harry…Harry! The ticket! Hermione let a few choice words slip out of her mouth, and left quickly, apologizing sheepishly as she hurried past stunned Ministry officials.
'There's not enough time to pop back to the office,' Hermione groaned. She also knew of Lily's…fixation…to be on time for things; and on time meant 30 minutes early. She would just have to bring Harry in and he would have to stick close, lest someone ask to see his ticket. 'Hmmm,' Hermione mused, 'That may not be such a bad thing.'
The Potters (and Sirius! - minus his clown suit, of course) arrived at the Pitch and were about to join the queue when Harry remembered he never actually got the extra ticket from Hermione. He merely shrugged it off and let his parents know he would just meet them inside; he needed to wait for Hermione. A split second later, he wished he could take it back, as James and Sirius both 'volunteered' to wait with him.
His attempts to brush them off were in vain as Hermione came out of the Pitch and made her way to the group.
"Good morning!" she said brightly.
"Morning, Hermione!" James and Sirius chorused innocently- too innocently for Hermione's liking.
She narrowed her eyes as the grins on Sirius' and James' faces grew. Deciding the best thing would be to ignore them, she focused her attention on Lily and Harry. "Hi, Lily," she said, hugging the older woman.
"Good morning, dear," Lily replied, kissing Hermione's cheek.
"Happy birthday, Harry," Hermione said, giving him a hug and kiss on the cheek.
"Thanks, Hermione," he answered, returning her affections.
She smiled shyly in response. "Oh, before I forget. I have good news and bad news for you about the Match."
Harry's smile faded at this revelation. "Oh ok. What is it?"
"Well, the good news is you'll still be able to watch the Match," Hermione began. "The bad news is that I forgot the ticket, so you'll have to stick close to me so you're not chucked out."
"That doesn't sound like bad news to me!" Sirius answered, cheekily.
"Me either!" James piped in.
Harry and Hermione both blushed. When they each looked at the other and locked eyes, they turned away and blushed some more.
"Alright, let's get into the stadium," Lily interjected. "We don't want to miss the beginning of the Match."
"Of course," Hermione replied, grateful for the subject change. "Harry and Lily can come with me. James and Sirius, we'll see you inside."
"Wait, where are you going?" James asked, confused.
"Inside," Hermione answered. She tapped the Ministry ID badge clipped to her belt loop. "I work here. I don't have to wait on line to get in. And neither do my guests."
"But, we're your guests too!" James sputtered. "Look at the queue! It's going to take forever to get in!"
"I see tickets in your hands," Hermione replied slyly. "And the line is getting even longer as you stand here and argue with me. See you inside, boys!"
Hermione led Harry and Lily away, leaving James and Sirius to mumble about traitors and mean Ministry workers. The trio walked to a hidden side entrance where one of the guards let them pass. Hermione went in last, pausing to smirk at James and Sirius. They both looked torn between crying and throwing things.
James happened to glance up and catch Hermione's eye. She winked, put one finger over her lips, and gestured slightly with her head for James to join them. He didn't need to be told twice and stealthily made his way to the entrance.
"I knew you loved me more!" James exclaimed when they we in the Pitch. He planted a noisy, wet kiss on Hermione's cheek.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," she waved him off, grinning. "Thank your son. We're just getting back at Sirius and his comments."
"Thanks, kid," James said, ruffling the hair that was just like his own.
"Don't make me regret not leaving you out there," Hermione mock threatened.
Hermione and the Potters climbed to the Top Box in relative silence, Hermione and Lily talking amongst themselves. Lily excused herself to use the loo, and James disappeared, most likely to find food.
Harry caught Hermione's eye and smiled shyly. Hermione blushed in reply. "You don't have to stay with me now. Michaels has seen you enter; he won't keep you out, should you leave," she said softly.
"Ok," Harry replied easily, taking her hand. "I'll keep that in mind. But right now I am right where I want to be." He kissed the back of her hand, causing her blush to deepen.
Lily watched their exchange and sighed happily. She'd never seen this side of Harry; he never acted so sweet and romantic with Victoria. And Hermione had never looked so happy, yet so incredibly shy, around Josh.
James returned with food, Butterbeer and ale. He walked up to Lily, who was still gazing at the couple. He kissed her cheek, startling her out of her musings.
"James!" she reprimanded quietly.
"Sorry," he whispered in response. "Why are we whispering?"
Lily simply nodded toward the kids and James smiled goofily. There may not be any need to use the plans he and Sirius had come up with after all, he mused.
"I don't want to interrupt their moment," Lily explained softly.
"So, a funny thing just happened," Sirius chose that moment to stomp into the Box, talking loudly.
Harry dropped Hermione's hand and blushed. He turned around and saw his parents standing behind them. He blushed more, realizing what they'd witnessed. He was surprised when they both just smiled at him.
"So, like I was saying," Sirius reiterated, a little more forcefully, "A funny thing just happened."
"Oh, what was that, Sirius?" Hermione asked innocently.
"Cute, Granger," he retorted. "I was standing in the queue, talking to Prongs, but when he didn't answer, I looked up, only to find him gone! Imagine my amazement to discover him here, ahead of me!"
"Must have been quite the shock," Lily answered.
"I'm astonished you made it here all by yourself!" Hermione chimed in.
The two women were much better at keeping a straight face, while James was slowly turning red, then purple, from trying to hold his laughter in. Finally, he couldn't keep it in any longer and let out a huge guffaw, attracting the attention of those just entering the suite.
Just as in the Three Broomsticks, those awaiting the start of the match just shook their heads when they saw who was at the center of the disturbance.
Sirius just stood and pouted, upset he'd been put in his place - by Lily and Hermione, no less! He sat in an empty seat next to Harry, still grumbling and shooting glares at the two witches.
Harry patted him on the arm in mock sympathy. "It's alright, Padfoot."
"Thank you, Harry," Sirius said, not noticing the sarcasm. "I know you're just an innocent bystander in this situation."
"Harry? Harry Potter?" an unfamiliar female voice broke into the conversation.
"Yes?" Harry turned toward the sound, his confusion evident.
"Oh, it really is you!" the same voice squealed. "You are such a legend in the Auror force. My son Jesse talks about you all the time!"
Hermione and Lily exchanged bemused glances, while James and Sirius just smirked knowingly.
"I'm Miranda Kelley," she continued, and Harry immediately recognized the name. Jesse Kelley was a newly graduated Auror just placed on his team; and in a firefight, the boy couldn't tell his wand from a tree branch.
"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Kelley," Harry said politely. "Jesse certainly has made his mark on my team."
"That's my Jesse," Mrs. Kelley responded, fondly. "And this is my daughter, Claire," she added, pulling an overly made-up, brown haired girl over. "She's just finished her studies at Hogwarts; top of her class. My angel is so smart. She starts Healer training in September. Can never know too many Healers in your line of work, right?"
The girl in question smiled widely, showing off teeth that made Harry cringe inwardly and Sirius swallow his laughter. There was little doubt as to Mrs. Kelley's motives for this introduction, and Harry knew how to handle her.
"Yes, well, it's great to meet you both," he answered, effectively ending their exchange, but still being polite in the process. "I hope you enjoy the Match from the Box. The view is wonderful."
Hermione looked thoughtful as she regarded the newcomers carefully during their talk with Harry; there was something that just didn't add up in her mind. "Are you guests of the Assistant Head of the Department of Magical Sports?" she asked cordially.
Caught off-guard, Mrs. Kelley smiled uncertainly. "We sure are. He's, um, an old family friend."
Lily and James winced at the obvious mistake and Hermione smiled tightly, knowing she had trapped them in a lie. "Well, SHE doesn't know you, so SHE suggests you leave before SHE has you both forcibly removed from the stadium."
Mrs. Kelley and Claire both grew wide-eyed at the threat. "Yes, well then, we must be going. Ta." The two women made their way quickly out of the box…as fast as you can go in 4 inch heels, of course.
"How did they get in here anyways?" Lily voiced the others' thoughts.
Hermione was already looking for a likely culprit, her eyes narrowing as her gaze locked on the second guard at the entrance. "I bet I know how," she grumbled. "Excuse me for a moment."
She stood up and strode purposefully to the door, James, Harry and Sirius taking care to watch the situation closely. James and Sirius exchanged glances, knowing Hermione had been having trouble with this same guard, and Harry was just looking out for his Hermione.
"Hello, Clark," she said evenly, as she reached him.
"Hi, Miss Granger," he replied. "What can I do for you?"
"You can turn out your pockets, to start," she spat out.
Clark's smile faltered. "I'm sorry, Ma'am, what?"
"You heard me," she hissed. "Turn them out now if you want even a slim chance to keep your job."
The guard called Clark slowly turned out his pockets as instructed and a small pouch (which was later examined and found to hold 50 galleons) fell out. The 'M.K.' embroidered onto the purple coin-purse was a give-away; obviously, it was money Mrs. Kelley had paid for her 5 minute foray into the Top Box to meet Harry.
Harry sat up a little straighter and had his hand resting on his wand, on full alert; he didn't like the way this Clark person was behaving. He was acting like a caged animal, his eyes going back and forth, as if looking for some means of escape. Harry stood quietly and subtly made his way closer to Hermione, just in case she needed him; he moved in such a way as to not incite action by Clark.
"Clark, we've had this conversation on three separate occasions. You shouldn't even be here," Hermione said, her voice sounding tired. "You have two options as of right now. You can be moved to a much lower position, namely collecting rubbish and losing all associated privileges of working as a guard, or I can sack you right this moment."
"You can't do that!" Clark exclaimed.
"As Assistant Head of the Department your job falls under, I can and I will," Hermione said evenly. "You cannot be allowed to continue to abuse your privileges!"
"But what about my family?" Clark asked, sorrowfully, switching tactics. "My wife and all my children. What will I tell them when there's no food on the table?"
He looked so pitiful, anyone but Hermione would have let him off with just a warning; as it so happened though, she knew he was unmarried, still living with his mum and dad.
"I'm sure your mum and dad are faring well enough to take of you," Hermione stated firmly. "Minority owners of the Falcons, aren't they?"
"Well, um," Clark stuttered. "That is to say, they, um…" And without even a backwards glance, he took off running down the steps.
Harry was ready to bolt after him, when he felt a warm hand on his arm. He glanced down and saw Hermione looking up at him.
"It's ok," she said quietly. "I'll take care of him later. It's your birthday. You're off the clock today." She smiled at him and gently led him back to his seat. "Thank you though." She kissed his cheek and sat down next to Lily.
Harry took his seat next to Hermione. "Just looking out for you," he said softly, returning the kiss.
They tuned into the Match, just as the announcer finished introducing the Canons' players. Sirius was screaming, waving his orange shirt in circles over his head, while James was booing with all his heart.
Hermione giggled so hard during the game, it was hard to keep track of what was going on out on the field. James and Sirius had traded hexes and jinks for each goal that was scored. So far, they'd each had boils, jelly legs, sprouted tentacles, extra-long, extra-curly nose hairs, and a tail. It was still early in the game too; the Snitch had disappeared right from the start. She turned to talk to Harry, when she noticed his gaze was locked; his emerald eyes tracking something very carefully.
"Harry?" she asked.
"The Snitch," he answered, not losing the tiny object in his sight. "It's above the left goalpost the Canons are defending. It's been there for about 3 minutes, not moving."
Hermione found where Harry had mentioned and gasped as she saw it too. It seemed neither of the Seekers had spotted it though. She then wondered briefly how Harry had been able to just pick the Snitch out like that. The exchange left her wishing she'd been able to see him in action at Hogwarts; it would have been a real treat. Loud cheering brought her back to the Match.
"And McSweeney has caught the Snitch! Canons lose…again! 250-50! Gudgeon never had a chance, even though it was on his side of the field. What a…" the sonorous spell was cancelled before young ears could hear the rest of that sentence.
James grabbed Lily up and twirled her, as she giggled like a school girl. "That wasn't even close, Padfoot! Where's the challenge?! Wasps, here we come!" he whooped.
Sirius sulked in his chair, pouting like a little boy, his legs still moving on their own accord. Lily had taken pity and had removed the majority of the hexes from the two friends. "James always wins," he muttered.
"Sirius, it's the Canons," Hermione reasoned, patting his hand. "They pretty much always lose. Maybe you should support another team."
Sirius turned to Hermione, his eyes wide with shock. "Hermione Granger! Support another team!" he clutched at his heart. "Never! I will stay with my beloved Canons!
"Better luck next time," Harry teased him.
"Let's all just keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best!" Sirius replied, somberly, reciting the team's motto.
Hermione let lose a giggle and clapped her hand over her mouth to stifle it. She grinned innocently when Sirius glared at her. "Well, as much fun as this is, I still have a job to finish. You ready to go, Harry?"
"As I'll ever be!" he responded. Harry then hugged and kissed his mother, promising to be home for 'dinner' at 7, sharp.
"Hermione, make sure he's there and looking presentable, please?" Lily asked quietly, as she hugged her.
"Of course," Hermione answered. "Not a minute before 7. Let me know if something changes."
Lily nodded her response as she released the younger woman. Hermione then said her goodbyes to an overly-happy James and an equally sad Sirius. She gave Sirius an extra kiss and giggled as he brightened up. "Well if that's all it takes to get a kiss from a beautiful woman, I may have to try it more often!"
Hermione swatted him playfully and grabbed Harry's hand to keep him close as they went through the stadium. "Bye!" she called over her shoulder.
"Bye, Hermione!" James and Sirius chorused. "Bye, Harry!
Hermione and Harry headed into the basement of the Stadium, to the changing rooms, so Hermione could finish her work duties. Harry looked around the rooms and players in awe as she gained the signatures of the coaches, before signing off on the match herself. Reluctantly, she also filled in a slip to terminate Clark's employment with her department. She hated this part of the job, but, after all, it was part of her job. Now, they would be free to spend the afternoon together.
'Flat shopping', Hermione mentally reminded herself. 'We're just flat shopping. And then we're going to a party. It's no big deal. What could happen?'
a/n:: hiya. first all, thank you so much for sticking with me and encouraging me to get on with it! here is the next installment, as promised. i know it's way late, and for that i'm sorry; i wanted this out a long time ago and i just had a tough time with putting it out in words. hope you enjoy it though! let me know what you think, please!