Author's note: Here's another slice of fluff for you…the bad stuff is still a couple of chapters away…Thanks for all who have reviewed. And if you haven't yet, please do so. Reviews are the lifeblood for us writers…they keep us going. Thanks to Heaven for all the help on this one!
Chapter Two
Scenes from a Marriage
Harry paced nervously in front of the bathroom door. What on earth was she doing in there? She'd been in there for twenty minutes, doing Merlin knows what. He could still remember how they'd both been laughing hysterically as he carried her into the bedroom and dropped her gently down onto the bed. He was about to lean in to kiss her when to his surprise, she pushed him away rather abruptly and said she had to do something first.
Well, he'd been quite taken aback by what she did next. She went over to the dresser and pulled something out, rather quickly, he might add, before retreating to the bathroom without so much as a second glance to her husband of only a few minutes.
What was it Sirius had once told him?
Harry, you could spend the rest of your life trying and you will never solve the mystery that is woman.
He was beginning to see Sirius' point rather clearly. As he thought of his godfather, he wished as he often did that Sirius' could have seen their wedding. He wished that he could have had their entire family and friends there to witness the ceremony, but it just wasn't possible. Especially with Hermione's parents reacting like they had to the engagement. Harry supposed he was lucky they'd still allowed Hermione to go along on the holiday. Though, truth be told, they hadn't looked exactly thrilled at the prospect. Imagine how they'd react when they heard their daughter had married at the tender age of 17, he thought.
"You okay in there?" he called to Hermione.
Her muffled reply was, "Yes, won't be too much longer. I promise."
He smiled. He sat down on the edge of the bed and took off his shoes. He sat there for a moment or two contemplating what was about to happen. This was it. This was the moment they'd both been waiting for months to happen. As he looked around the bedroom, he couldn't help but feel nervous. A number of questions went through his head. What if they started and had no idea what the hell they were doing? What if he did something wrong? What if the buildup was better than the actual event? He likened the feelings he was experiencing now to that old familiar feeling of taking a test you were ill-prepared for. On the bright side, at least Hermione was inexperienced when it came to this. They'd both have to muddle through it together.
Romantic thought, Potter. Great way to describe making love to your wife for the first time.
As he thought these thoughts, he looked around the room. It was a nice hotel room. The bed was nice and comfortable and the view was absolutely fantastic. Their patio overlooked the ocean. He and Hermione had watched the sun rise and set a number of times and each time the sheer beauty of it fascinated him. The best part of it was seeing the look on her face as she took it all in. She enjoyed it so much that it made him like it, too.
Still, he couldn't help but think he should have done more to prepare the room for a wedding night. He hadn't even bought flowers or put out candles. It looked the same as it always did. The whole time he'd been planning the wedding, he hadn't even thought about the "Wedding Night". Well, that wasn't entirely true. He had thought about what would happen on the wedding night, but he hadn't thought about the minor, romantic details. Truth be told, that was more Hermione's forte.
His eyes fell to his wand on the bedside table. He took his hand to his forehead and it dawned on him that he was a wizard after all. Cases like this were where magic was a big help. He took his wand in his hand and with a few incantations and a few swishes and flicks; the room was lit with candles of all shapes and sizes. Rose petals littered the bed and a few vases of tropical flowers and other roses decorated the room. He walked over to the stereo and popped in a favorite CD of Hermione's. The soft music set the perfect mood.
Not bad. Not bad at all.
He was so busy admiring his romantic improvisations via magic that he hadn't even noticed Hermione had just come out of the bathroom. She stood in the doorway, looking at Harry and not being able to suppress a wide grin. She took in the room and couldn't believe how absolutely…well, magical was the word that she came up with to best describe what he had done.
She fidgeted slightly in the doorway. She felt so foolish for being so nervous and apprehensive. She knew she shouldn't feel this way. This was Harry---the love of her life; her husband. How she loved those words---her husband. This was what they'd both wanted. This was what they'd both held out for. And it was about to happen. She wasn't scared---she never was when she was with him. It was strange. She could be facing the most daunting tasks or evil creatures and she always felt that as long as he was with her, everything would work out okay. It might not make sense, but it was something she knew in her heart; just as she knew the sun would set in the evening.
He looked so adorable standing their admiring what he'd just done, she couldn't help but laugh. As she did so, he whirled around to see her. She beamed at him.
She was wearing an ivory lace, chemise nightgown with spaghetti straps. The ocean breeze had frizzed her hair up some and she'd had to apply a liberal amount of Sleek-Easy on her hair to tame it back into ringlets. He was staring at her and she wondered if something was wrong. Had she smeared toothpaste on her chin by mistake? Had she walked out of the bathroom with loo roll trailing behind her? She touched her face and then looked as discretely as she could muster behind her to see to her relief that she hadn't done anything embarrassing. Yet, he still looked at her, his mouth agape.
"Is, um, something wrong?" she asked with a nervous laugh.
He shook his head and a smile played at his lips.
"Why are you looking at me like that, then?" she asked concerned.
"Uh, um, well, you…really look…," he stammered. "I mean, you…wow."
She blushed and couldn't help giggling.
"So you like this?" she asked, a wave of relief coming over her.
He could only nod as he crossed the room and put his hands on both sides of her face and within seconds they were kissing. Hermione felt the familiar toe-tingling, electric feeling that came over her whenever he kissed her or touched her like this. He was the only person who made her feel like that. He broke away from her to catch his breath and then covered her lips with his again, deepening the kiss. Hermione wrapped her arms around him and she could feel his hands wandering up her back and then back down her waist and around her hips. He pressed her closer to him as he stepped backward toward the bed.
They lay back on the bed as Hermione began to unbutton his shirt, never breaking the kiss. He pulled the straps of her nightgown down from her shoulder and planted sweet kisses along her neck and on her shoulder. She shivered as he did so, enjoying the feelings he was arousing in her. He pulled away from her and looked down at her, taking her in, seemingly looking at her as if he was trying to mentally capture this moment in his mind. In all her life, she'd wanted many things---good marks in school, a number of books, peace in the wizarding world, elf rights. Those things were important, of course, but they paled in comparison to how much she wanted this man. As she stared up at him, she could see that he wanted her just as much as she wanted him.
She hesitantly pushed him away so she could sit up on the bed. She was a little scared and unsure of what she was about to do. She'd never been completely naked in front of him before. Looking into his eyes for encouragement, she slowly lifted her nightgown over her head and tossed it to the floor. Instinctively, her hands went to cover herself, but Harry stopped her and gently took her hands in his.
"You look absolutely beautiful, Hermione," he whispered.
She was about to make a sarcastic remark about him having to say something like that now that they were married, but as she looked into his eyes, she could tell that he meant every word. This was how he truly felt. She gave him a shy smile as she lay back down onto the bed and he looked down at her, looking for her assurance that what they were about to do was what she wanted. He wanted her to know that he would understand if she wasn't ready to take this step.
She looked up at him, tears shining in her eyes, and nodded. She wrapped her fingers around his belt loops and pulled him down on top of her.
*****
Hermione awoke early the next morning. She was a little sore from the events of the night before, but she couldn't help waking up with a smile on her face. Harry was still asleep as she crept quietly out of bed and slipped her nightgown and dressing gown on. She opened up the patio doors and watched as the sun rose. It was absolutely breathtaking. The waves were crashing into the shore and there wasn't a cloud in the sky.
She wished that they could stay here forever. For as much as this was lovely and nice and amazing, this wasn't the real world. They would have to return to their normal lives sooner or later. She wasn't fooling herself into thinking they'd always be this happy, but she knew that as long as they loved each other, they'd make it through the hard times and hopefully, the good would always outweigh the bad.
She heard Harry come out onto the patio. He was wearing only his boxer shorts and his hair was all disheveled and he grinned stupidly at her as he walked toward her.
"Where are your glasses?" she asked him, with a grin.
"I have no idea," he said. "You threw them off of me last night and I haven't seen them since."
"Summoning charm," she reminded him. "Honestly, you wouldn't last two minutes without me."
"You're right," he agreed, coming behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his chin on her shoulder. They stood in silence taking in the sights and sounds of the early Hawaiian morning.
"Was it worth the wait?" she asked him, turning a little to see into his eyes.
He pretended to think long and hard about her question, but smiled softly at her.
"It was well worth the wait," he said, kissing her neck.
"What about you?" he asked her.
"Ahhh, I've had better," she said cheekily.
Harry tensed up behind her.
"Oh, you big baby," she said, laughing. "I'm just teasing!"
He looked at her and she knew that look at once. It was the look that said he was going to get her and he was going to make her pay. She walked away from him gingerly and he followed her.
"You can run, but you can't hide, Granger," he said warningly.
She looked at him. "That's Mrs. Potter to you."
She ran back into the hotel room and he followed her as they collapsed onto the bed into a fit of giggles.
***
One Year Later…
As with all good things, their trip had to eventually come to an end. After a few more days in Hawaii, they ventured onto Greece, Australia, and Spain. They finished up their trip by visiting a number of the sights in America. It was the trip of a lifetime and their relationship and marriage had flourished while they'd been on holiday. Sure, they'd had an odd disagreement here and there, but nothing to call the barristers for. Marriage certainly agreed with them and they returned to London the first week of August, healthy, relaxed and still very much in love.
Hermione had expressed concern to Harry about where they would stay once they returned to London, but he'd brushed her concerns off by changing the subject. She'd figured they'd probably just stay at Grimmauld Place. The Order was no longer using it and as far as she knew, it was empty. She hadn't worried too much about it. She'd learned to do something while they'd been on holiday that she hadn't done too much of while she'd been in school. She'd learned to live in the moment. She didn't think too much about what they'd do when they returned home or where they'd live. She'd just concentrated on the here and now.
Well, the here and now was back in London and she was now getting more than a little concerned about their living
arrangements. They were sitting in a small restaurant near Kings' Cross, enjoying a late lunch.
Hermione was going to visit her parents and Harry said he would have to take care of a few minor details. He'd offered to go with her to see her folks, but she'd told him it would probably be best if she went alone.
It was no surprise to Hermione that her parents hadn't reacted favorably to the news of their daughter's engagement. Hermione had called them from Greece to tell them the news, but her mother had coldly told her that they'd already heard about it in The Daily Prophet. Mrs. Weasley had apparently sent them a copy of the paper that announced the marriage. They'd been none too pleased and hadn't minced words with Hermione when she called.
As that had been a disaster, Hermione hadn't spoken to them more than a handful of times in the past year. She hoped that by now they'd had a chance to get used to it and would be more open to accepting the marriage.
"So, you aren't going to tell me anything, are you?" Hermione asked him, laughing as he took a bite of his sandwich.
"No," he said, shaking his head. "I'll meet you back here at 6 and we'll go to our new home."
"No hints?" she asked him.
He shook his head and smiled at her. "You do know that the definition of a surprise involves one person knowing what's going on and the other person being completely clueless."
"Ha, ha, ha," Hermione said, looking down at her watch. "I'd better get a move on. Mum should be just getting home from the office now."
"You sure you don't want me to come with?" he asked her, looking at her as she got up from the table.
She nodded. "It'll be okay. They've had a long time to get used to the idea. I hope that they'll see the photos I've got here and that they'll see how happy and healthy I am and say that they are ready to admit that they were wrong and that they wish us all the happiness in the world."
"And if they don't?" Harry asked, taking her hand in his.
Hermione looked thoughtful. "They'll be missing out on having the best son-in-law in the world."
He blushed. "I love you."
"I know," she said, smiling at him. She touched his cheek with her hand and leaned down and gave him a kiss. "I love you, too."
"It'll be alright, Hermione," he said, reassuringly. "No matter what happens, it will be okay. We'll be okay."
She nodded and with one more quick kiss to her husband walked out of the restaurant, praying that he was right.
**
Hermione felt a little strange as she knocked on her parents' door. It didn't seem right to be knocking on the door of her childhood home. But, standing here on the front porch, she felt very much like a visitor.
Her mother opened the door and gave a slight smile to her daughter.
"Hi, Mum," Hermione said warmly.
"Hermione," her mother said, surprise in her voice. "I wasn't expecting you this soon."
"Well, we just got in today, actually," Hermione said. "We're both a little worn out to tell you the truth, but I wanted to come by and let you know that we're doing okay."
Karen looked at her daughter and then poked her head out the door and looked up and down the street.
"Where is Harry?"
"He had some things he had to take care of," Hermione said defensively. She didn't like the tone in her mother's voice.
"I see," Karen replied coolly.
"Can I come in?"
Karen nodded and stood back to allow her daughter entry into the house. Hermione smiled again at her mother as she walked through the foyer and into the living room.
"Where's Dad?" she asked, as she sat down on the sofa.
"He had a last minute root canal to perform," Karen said, sitting down beside her daughter. "He should be home later this evening."
Hermione nodded.
"Did you want some tea?" Karen asked.
Hermione shook her head. "No, thank you."
There was an awkward silence between mother and daughter as they both sat there, unsure of what to say or how to say it. It was Karen who spoke first.
"So, how was your trip?"
"Great," Hermione said. "Fantastic, actually. I brought some photos. We took loads. Harry even threatened to take the camera away from me a few times. He said I was going to blind him before he was 20 if I kept up flashing the camera at him."
Karen didn't laugh. Hermione offered her the photo album, but Karen didn't take it. Hermione sighed as she held the photo album against her chest.
"You just can't be happy for me, can you?"
Karen was about to reply, but Hermione shook her head. "You are really unbelievable, Mum. Honestly! It's not as if I went out and dropped out of school or got into trouble or ended up with the wrong crowd. I haven't done anything wrong. And as much as you don't want to think so, I am very happy. I have no regrets about what I've done. Why can't you just be happy for me?"
Hermione looked at her mother, willing the tears in her eyes not to fall.
"Hermione," Karen said. "I have never wanted anything for you, but for you to be happy. And I really don't think you've thought this through. You have a life ahead of you-"
"Not this again!" Hermione interrupted. "I'm 18 years old. In a month, I'll be 19. I know I have a life ahead of me! Just because I'm married doesn't mean I can't do everything I've always wanted. I start classes at University next month. Harry's going to begin Auror training soon. We're both getting the chance to live out our dreams and we're doing it together, Mum! I don't see how this could cause you or anyone any pain or inconvenience!"
Karen gave a hollow laugh. "You make it sound so easy, Hermione. You haven't even begun to do any of that. You have no way of knowing if any of this will work out. You're both going to be leading very different lives and you might now always have time for each other---"
"I can't believe this!" Hermione said angrily. "You keep looking for reasons for this to fail when I keep giving you all these reasons that it won't. You're never going to change your mind are you? I don't even know why I came over here. I don't know why I thought that you would change. You and daddy both have always been set in your ways. You see the world as you see it and you don't care about what anyone else thinks or how they feel. That's not going to be me, Mum. And if you can't accept me and my marriage, then I don't think I can be a part of this family anymore."
"Hermione-" Karen began. "You're not-"
"Goodbye, Mum."
Hermione gathered up her purse and photo album and dashed as quickly as she could out of the house and she didn't look back. The tears she'd been desperately trying to hold back fell slowly down her cheeks as she walked away from her house and from her old life.
****
When Hermione arrived back at the restaurant she went into the bathroom. She splashed cold water on her face and ran a brush through her hair. After she'd left her mother, she'd gone into Diagon Alley and watched a little wistfully, as she saw some younger children venturing into the shops purchasing school supplies for Hogwarts. It was hard to believe that she'd ever been that young. Yet, here she was---married. She smiled as she glanced down at her hand. The wedding band shined in the sunlight. She knew that what she'd done was right. She couldn't live her life for her parents. She had to live it for herself. Maybe someday her parents would see that.
She walked out of the restaurant bathroom and saw that Harry had just walked inside. He caught sight of her and smiled at her, beckoning her to follow him outside.
She kissed him on the cheek as they walked toward the alley. He inquired about the visit to her parents', but she'd told him she didn't want to talk about it right now. He knew not to press her on the issue and gave her a comforting hug.
"So," she said grinning at him. "Where are we going?"
He grinned back, mischievously, at her. "Hold my hand."
She did as she was told and right before they apparated told her, "We're going home."
**
They arrived at a village. Hermione stared at the row of nice cottages.
Thackerey Drive.
She'd never seen this place before, but it looked so pleasant and nice.
"We live here?" she asked him.
"Third cottage on the right," he said, taking her hand and leading her excitedly to the cottage.
It was small and the yard needed some work, but Hermione had no doubt that with care this could be a wonderful home.
Harry produced a key from his pocket and handed it to Hermione to do the honors.
She beamed at him as she put the key in the lock and unlocked the door. She squealed with laughter when he picked her up and carried her over the threshold, cheekily telling her that it was tradition.
When he put her down, she looked around the house. It, too, needed some work, but Hermione knew at first sight that this was the right place for them. This was home.
"I know it's not much," Harry said, watching as she looked around. "The trip kind of took a chunk of our savings, but I think with time and work, this could be a great place."
Hermione turned around and nodded. "This is perfect altogether, Harry."
"You think so?"
She nodded again. "Because it's ours. It's our first place. It's ours. Yours and mine. No one can take that away from us. This is our home."
He swept her up in his arms for a warm embrace and twirled her around.
"Welcome home, Hermione."