Chapter 17
After a couple of hours of talk and getting re-acquainted with Dumbledore on a more personal level, Harry began to feel Hermione's worrying for him.
"Sir, I don't mean to cut our talk short, but I think I should get back now. I feel my friends might be worrying about me unnecessarily." Dumbledore and Merlin looked at him with a knowing smile. Black eyes were mirroring the twinkle in the blue ones.
"I believe that empath power of yours can be a curse or a blessing, couldn't it my boy?" Harry smiled at Dumbledore sheepishly.
"Oh let him be Albus, I am sure Ms. Granger is very worried since he's been gone the whole day and with the threat of Voldemort, I don't think I can blame them."
"I was just having fun at my grandson's expense, lighten up." They decided to drop the great since he was his only living grandfather. "I'm sure he's eager to share the new information as well."
They bid Merlin farewell and Harry leapt them back to Hogwarts in the headmaster's office. They found the office in proper order and the people back in their portraits. When they saw Harry materialized, they all ducked for cover. Harry noticed and asked his grandfather what in the world was wrong with the portraits. He decided to enlighten him on what had happened during his anger. He'd forgotten to inform him during their long talks. All Harry could say was "Oh!" He did, however, apologize to every one of the portraits. He leapt out of the office and into the seven's secret meeting room.
It was there he found all of them pacing back and forth. He decided to watch them for a while. He didn't know how Draco snuck in the room without being seen, but he was glad every one of them was there. He saw the concern etched in all their faces and was touched again by their loyalty and love for him. He'd grown up with not knowing any love since he was one until he arrived at Hogwarts, not he actually had real family who loved him and an extended one who to him are family nonetheless who love him just as much. He cleared his throat and watched them all run up to him headed by Hermione of course.
"Oh, Harry. We've been so worried." She kissed him soundly on the lips as the others gathered around him and pulled him in a group hug.
"I'm sorry for worrying you lot, but I guess when I tell you what happened you'll understand a little why I pulled a disappearing act."
"Where were you, mate?"
"I was in Fincayra, Ron. It was the only safe place I knew where I could sulk for a while. I really didn't think I'd be gone that long."
"Well, it's all right Harry. You're here now."
"Thanks, Ginny."
All the others except for Hermione went to their seats. They decided to give them both a little alone time. They knew Hermione was worried sick. She stood there now in front of him and he felt the worry that overwhelmed his empath block on her slowly ebb away.
"Don't you ever do that again, Potter," she hissed and gave him a halfhearted punch in the gut. He gathered her close and kissed her gently.
"I'm sorry to worry you. I actually felt your fears even though I'd put a block on my empath for you." Hermione was surprised. She knew that Harry promised block out his empath for all of them to give them privacy, but she didn't know that her heightened emotion could actually go through the barriers.
"I didn't think that could happen."
"No, I think it only happens to people who are very close to me. I'm sorry again, but I actually like that you worry about me." He smiled; his eyes twinkled with merriment. "Not that I like that you are worried, but that you care enough to worry about me."
"Don't you get it yet?" Hermione asked frustrated. She's told him many times just how much she loved him, and yet there were still times when he doubts her.
"I know. I love you too, very much." She smiled then and stood on her tiptoes to give him a kiss. "There are just times I can't believe it, is all."
"Well, what makes you think that I'm fickle to have my feelings turned on and off with a flick of the wand?"
"It's not you, `Mione. There's always a part of me that is frightened that having you in my life is just a vivid dream that will go away when I wake up."
"No need to worry. You're stuck with me, Potter, whether you like it or not." He pulled her closer in an embrace and rested his chin in the crook of her neck.
"I like it a lot, Miss Granger. I hope you like being stuck with me?" She sighed. She still couldn't believe that Harry and she were together. It's like a dream come true for her.
"Okay, you two. Break it up already," Ginny yelled out. She didn't want a repeat performance of what she walked in on. "Let Harry tell us where he's been already. You can resume your snog fest after, in private." She smiled at the both of them. They'd made it a private joke out of the situation. No longer did Ginny get turn a shade of fuchsia when she saw them, they'd come to an understanding and no one else needed to know.
"Okay, you're quite impatient tonight. How'd Draco get in without being noticed?"
"Well, you remember the outside entrance to our room, well, we brought him in there and then through the inside entrance when the coast was clear. Simple really." Ron explained quite proud of his accomplishment.
"All right then. I guess I don't have to remind you of the repercussions of the information I am about to tell you is great and if you choose to have your memory altered after I tell you the information then it will be done."
"Oh, come on already Harry, we know all that," Ron was anxious.
"Oh, all right. It's simple this time. No riddles, no prophecies. Dumbledore is my great-grandfather." The others mouth dropped simultaneously. They had all types of scenarios on why Harry had disappeared for the whole day, but what he told them was nothing to what anyone of them could have imagined.
"Bloody Hell!" Ron yelled. "What did you do?" He knew how much Harry had always longed to be part of a family and to be stuck with the Dursleys all those years when he actually had other blood relatives that could have taken him in. He was angry at Dumbledore.
"Oh nothing short of wrecking the headmaster's office and then leaping out of there before I did him some physical damage." Ron let out a sigh. At least Harry hadn't accepted the news readily.
He continued to tell them about what Dumbledore told him that happened to his office, about the portrait people running away at the sight of him. He explained to them about where he went in Fincayra and what Dumbledore explained the reasons were for his decisions.
He also told them about when his family line started with the Potters, and how his grandfather and father before him took the news just as bad as he did. When he was done, they were all shaking their heads as if telling him they were glad they weren't in his shoes.
"I thought my family history was bad," Draco joked. "At least there were straight lines and our lives weren't threatened. That was probably because my family was doing the threatening." It left a bad taste in his mouth, but he had to admit it, his family was probably part of the dark magic that's torn Harry's family apart for years. "I'll have to apologize for my ancestors, Harry."
"It wasn't your fault, mate. Sometimes you have to remember that whatever happened in the past by our ancestors are events that we cannot be held accountable for. We've all had a long day; I suggest we all get some rest. We'll resume the search for the first song's meaning tomorrow night." The others nodded in agreement.
Neville who'd been very quiet throughout the evening walked out quietly as well after his quiet goodnights. Draco asked to be leapt back to his dormitory after sharing a torrid snog with Ginny. Lavender and Ron went to their rooms for a bit of snog session as well leaving Hermione and Harry alone.
After everyone left the room, Harry made sure the door was locked before he went over to Hermione and devoured her mouth. "I missed you so much," he told her.
Hermione ardently returned Harry's kisses. All her worries and thankfulness flowed into the kiss. She was frightened when he was gone and the only thing she was able to think about is not being able to give herself to him before it was too late. She `d been thinking about it since they'd been caught by Ginny, especially because she was so willing without any reservations. She believes herself ready in her heart, but her mind sometimes just doesn't want to cooperate. She's too practical and logical by nature to let her heart completely take over her life. But when Harry kisses her, her bloody head doesn't seem to be working.
Harry could almost hear her thoughts. He could feel her respond to his kisses, but he could also feel her mind backing out. He felt he would be taking advantage of her if he knew she wasn't subconsciously willing to be his. He had to stop himself before it was too late. He wasn't able to tap in her thoughts the last time, but this time it was so vivid when it popped in his head that he could have sworn Hermione herself said it out loud.
"Why'd you stop?"
"Because you're not ready yet." She looked at him with a knowing look that would have asked "Are you reading my feelings?"
"I wasn't reading your feelings, I can tell what your feelings where the way you were kissing me back. I think I heard your thoughts or your subconscious or something that was shouting that you weren't ready."
"Harry! You could read minds!"
"I don't think so, were you actually thinking something like that?"
"Not exactly, but I'd been thinking about us and being intimate for a while now. My heart and my mind don't seem to want to agree."
"So in the back of your mind you were thinking it?"
"I guess you can say that, but when you're kissing me my mind doesn't seem to work." Harry smiled at her confession.
"My mind doesn't work too well either, but I felt that if we went any further I would be taking advantage of you somehow. I couldn't do that to you, love." Hermione kissed and hugged him fiercely.
"Thank you so much, Harry. You're the sweetest man I've ever known, not that I know a lot, mind you. But compared to the other guys I see out there, you are the best."
"I always thought it was because of you that I am at my best, you know. Without you I don't think I would be the same person at all."
"Oh, please Harry. You were already sweet and selfless before I met you."
"Ah, well that was because I didn't want to be anything like the Dursleys, but I became better after I knew you."
"What am I going to do with you, Potter?" She placed her head on his chest and held him. She sighed knowing there would never be anyone else for her.
"Well, now that you mentioned it, there is something you could do with me?"
"What is it?"
He took out the galator that still rests in the chain that Hermione had given him on his last birthday. "It would give me great pleasure if you would promise to one day be my wife?"
Hermione was so surprised she gasped. Then her eyes filled with tears. She knew she wanted Harry to ask her to marry her one day in the future, but she never thought he would ask her to promise to be his wife. She was at a lost for words.
"Hermione?" He was worried. He didn't think she would flat out refuse, but he never thought she'd be totally in shock.
"Oh, Harry," She sobbed. "I would be honored to be your wife one day. I would love nothing more." Harry let out the breath he didn't know he was holding and tried to put the galator around her neck. He felt clumsy trying to work the clasp. After it was around Hermione's neck, the galator glowed in the most vivid green ever.
Harry took her in his arms again and kissed her once more. He knew it was far off from the engagement he'd envisioned, but he thought the timing was perfect. They just have to work together to find the most perfect ring to symbolize their promise to each other.
A/N: What do you think of that? Didn't see that one coming did you? I didn't either until I was writing it and it just seemed right. Anyway, hope you enjoyed the little fluff. I appreciate your support in my previous comment. Keep those reviews coming.
I will be on vacation next week so I may not be able to give you another chapter until the following week or so. But I will certainly try to finish another chapter before the end of this week… I will try, I promise I will.