The night sped by in the same way that rockets don't. Harry tossed and turned as he passed fitfully from one dream to another. First he was flying a giant version of Hedwig in a Quidditch match where a fairy version of Hermione was the snitch then he was going to the Yule Ball with a wolf in an old-fashioned nightgown. He didn't quite understand what was going on from one setting to the next but he felt quite confused when he woke the next morning to his doorbell going off. He slapped his glasses on his face and looked at his alarm clock.
"I'm late! I'm late for this date!" He shouted in alarm. In one fluid motion, he was out of bed, in a pair of sweat pants, and had pulled on one of his button down dress shirts. He shot like a rocket to the front door and unceremoniously ripped it open.
An extremely startled redheaded woman jumped back and leveled her wand at the sudden disappearance of the door and stifled a laugh at the haphazardly dressed man standing in the doorway.
"Sorry!" He blurted quickly. "I had a hard time sleeping, please come in."
Connie smiled and returned her wand to it's previous hiding place and stepped into the front hall gracefully. "This is a nice flat you have." She said appraisingly. "Lots of room."
"Thanks, would you like something to drink while I get ready?" He asked politely. "I shouldn't be more than a few minutes."
"I'm fine, thank you." She replied and sat on the sofa when he indicated it was fine to do so.
"I just need a shower and a fresh set of clothes, I'll be right back." With a smile, he was into his private bath for a quick cleanup then quickly into a fresh pair of jeans and jersey. He was out the door with his prepared basket in hand in quick succession and smiled brightly at the woman he'd be spending the day with. "Ready to go?"
"I'm ready when you are." She said with a smile as she turned from the photographs she'd been perusing. "So these are Ron and Hermione?"
Harry walked over and looked at the moving moments in time and smiled fondly. "That's right. This one is from our first year ... this one here is just before graduation ... The only one with me in the hospital is after our fight with Voldemort."
Connie flinched at the name and smiled apologetically.
Harry smiled kindly and nodded. "It's alright. There are still too many people who fear his name. Did his actions affect you?"
Connie sighed and nodded. "M-my parents and little brother were tortured to death by Death Eaters." She whispered quietly. She looked at a picture of Hagrid with a dreamy look in her eyes as if she were visiting a grave. "A friend of mine tried to stop them but he died as well ..."
Harry placed a comforting arm around her shoulders and squeezed. "Hermione went through the same thing." He said quietly. "My first real friend in the wizarding world, Hagrid, died protecting her family as well ..." He stopped and blinked for a second and looked at Connie. "I think you two might have some things in common."
Connie let out a breath she had been holding and smiled at him. "I guess I'll have to meet her one day then?"
Harry smiled as he guided her to the door. "I was hoping Wednesday would be a good time for the both of you." He said with a laugh. "Now, why don't we concentrate on today and forget about the past for a few hours?"
"That sounds wonderful." She said with a smile. "Where are we going?"
"That, my dear, is a secret for now." They stopped in front of the door but he didn't reach for it. She went for the doorknob but he caught her hand. "We're going to apparate." He said with a grin.
She looked at him a bit surprised. "There's a good chance that I'll splinch if I don't know where I'm going ..."
"Not if I'm guiding you." He said with a smile. "Just hold on to my hand and we'll be there in a flash."
"Your hands are full ... How can you use your wand?" She asked quickly.
"Oh, another thing that's been kept out of the books. I know wandless magic." He grinned at the look of awe on her face and cleared his throat. "Ready?" She nodded mutely and with a soft pop, they found themselves standing in the center of a large park. They were standing at the base of a green hillock that overlooked a stand of trees and a large lake. Harry smiled and led her towards a single oak that provided a wonderful amount of shade.
"This park is beautiful." She said quietly as she looked around at the flowerbeds that lined a low wall that had been hidden by the hillock. A stand of maples circled the opposite side of the lake. A carp jumped from the once placid waters near the shore and disappeared beneath it's surface. "Where is this place?"
"We're at the gardens near my ancestral home." He said with a grin. "The entire place is unplottable and only my guests and I can apparate beyond the outer wards."
"You've got ancestral lands?" She asked bewildered.
"Another secret of mine." He said shyly. "I hope you don't mind if I keep the exact location a secret ..."
"No ... Not at all ..." She had lost the ability to speak as once hidden spires now loomed over the trees.
"I guess you can see the castle?" He said with a chuckle at her wide eyes. "My parents had left me more than what I thought." He admitted. "There are other holdings and such, but I haven't had the time to inspect everything."
"There's MORE?! I don't know if I can handle this." She said woozily. "I read so much about you and your family, but I never knew this!"
"There are many things that are hidden about the Potters, Connie." He said wistfully. "I haven't even had the chance to tell Hermione or Ron about all of this. I only just inherited it on my last birthday ..."
"I'm seeing something that the entire Dream Team hasn't shared in yet?" Connie asked with a hint of nervous laughter in her voice. "Why show me this before your friends?"
"I'll show them soon enough." He said in the same wistful, sing-song voice. "I really wanted Hermione to visit here, there's a library inside that she'd kill to get her hands on!" He let out a laugh as he pictured his best friend's reaction to the room.
"She's a reader then?" Connie asked quietly.
Harry snapped to and smiled apologetically. "I'm very sorry, Connie." He said quietly. He stopped and turned towards her. "I have to tell you something up front."
She looked into his eyes then glanced nervously to his chest. "Yes?"
With his free hand, he cupped her chin and tilted her face to meet his gaze. "Hermione is my best friend, Connie, as is Ron. They mean the world to me and if something happens between us ... I'm not sure if it will ..." He added at her look of surprise. "But if something does, you have to know that they come with me, especially Hermione, I owe her my life so many times over that I've lost track."
Connie took in his words and nodded gently, not once breaking eye contact. "I understand, Harry." She said in a whisper. "I'm not here to split you from your friends ... And I don't know if things will go beyond the charity auction." She winced at the look in his eyes and smiled slightly. "But there's a possibility."
"So, you're ok with the fact that I have a female best friend that I'm very close with?" He asked warily.
She nodded. "She helped you during the war and you both defeated You-Know-Who."
Harry smiled brightly at her and offered his arm. "That is such a relief." He said as he let out a deep breath. Connie took his offered arm as they continued their trek to the large oak. "You're the first who hasn't run off by knowing that aspect of me."
"Everyone's got to have their friends, Harry." Connie said with a hint of sadness in her voice.
"I'm sorry. Did I bring up a bad memory about your friend?" He asked concernedly.
She looked up at him with confusion in her eyes but shook her head and smiled. "No, you didn't." She smiled at the great, old oak that was towering above them just a few meters away. There were two enormous roots that provided a perfect spot for a picnic blanket. Somewhere overhead baby birds chirped for their dinner and on the other side of the tree, two squirrels were romping in the grass.
"Like it?" Harry asked with a laugh.
Connie nodded silently and took in the view. She stopped suddenly and he saw her ears perk up. "Do you hear that?" She asked in an astonished voice.
Harry smiled. "What does it sound like to you?"
She closed her eyes and concentrated. "Bach ... but it's like one of his concertos is being played on crystal?"
Harry laughed. "That's one of the nice things about this spot." He pointed to what, at first glance, seemed to be simple ivy that was growing over a cave mouth at the base of the cliff that the Potter castle used as a foundation. "That ivy is really a special kind of magical crystal. Each person that hears the wind play across them experiences a different kind of music." He explained to the wide-eyed woman. "You hear Bach, I'd assume Ron would hear Celestina Warbeck, and actually, Hermione would hear classical music as well."
"What do you hear?" She whispered in awe.
"Me? Well, it sounds rather silly ..." He said with a blush.
"Please, Harry, what do you hear?"
He looked at her carefully and saw she was interested. Harry cleared his throat and looked longingly at the ivy. "I hear my mother singing to me." He whispered as if he were in a trance. "I think this is the most wonderful place they left me. I don't care about the money, the castle, or any other object ... Hearing my mother's voice ..." He felt a hand on his shoulder and he smiled. The trance he was in seemed to have lifted and he turned to look at her once again. "I'm sorry." He said shyly. "I ... Well, I just felt like I could tell you that ..."
Connie returned his smile and looked to the blanket he'd laid on the ground. She looked back to his eyes and grinned. "You can tell me anything you want, Harry." She said quietly then she glanced at the basket and bag that were on the ground. "So, what do you have planned for us today?"
Harry shook his head and followed her gaze. "Oh, right, right ... Well, I don't really know much about you." He admitted with a blush. "And the only women I've been on outings with are my sister and Hermione. Well, I dated once but she and I didn't really fit well together ..." He cleared his throat and motioned for her to have a seat on the blanket. "I really didn't know what else to do so I made lunch, which I hope you like ... Are you a vegetarian or anything like that?"
Connie shook her head. "I'll eat just about anything, really." She said with a smile. "I like to try new foods and experience new flavors."
Harry beamed at the news and opened the picnic basket. "I've been dabbling in cooking recently." He said excitedly as plates were pulled from the wicker basket and laid before the two of them. "I am also on a special training diet for my team. I wanted to try something that I watched on a cooking show, but I put my own twist on it." He quickly produced two wrapped sandwiches, a bowl of fresh fruits and berries, and finally two wrapped cakes.
"This looks more like a feast!" She said with a smile. "I don't know if I could finish all of this in one setting!"
Harry smiled. "I got used to the feasts at Hogwarts it seems. The sandwiches have a chicken breast that was seared with a blend of herbs and spices. I didn't know what fruit you might like, and the cake is a special treat that I discovered when I was on a trip to America."
"You've been to America? I went to the Salem Witches' Institute." She said with a smile. "Where did you go?"
Harry grinned. "I spent a bit of time in California and New York City. The cake is carrot cake with a hint of rhubarb and pumpkin." He said with a grin. "I've had carrot cake before, but there was a small diner in California that served it with rhubarb and I decided to add a touch of pumpkin when I returned to London."
"How is it?" She asked nervously, poking the cake with her fork.
"The pumpkin adds a sweet taste and a nice creamy texture. The rhubarb adds a bit of sour and the two tend to offset each other nicely."
"I think I'll wait on that for now." She said with a shaky laugh.
"Eat whatever you like." He said with a smile. "Like I said, I was feeling adventurous and I didn't know what you'd like. Oh, and I have some cold, herbed pasta as well. Think spaghetti with garlic, basil, and oregano with a bit of parmesan and olive oil. It really beats hot weather." Her ears perked up at the mention of pasta and he didn't miss the interest. "Hold on and I'll serve you some." He said with a laugh.
She watched hungrily as he forked a good amount on her plate and Harry laughed as she dove eagerly into the dish. "This is wonderful, Harry!" She said between bites. "I haven't had anything quite like this before!"
"I'm glad you like it." He said with a laugh before taking a bite as well. He had to admit that his experimental cooking was paying off quite well and he was eager to see her reaction to the chicken sandwich he'd come up with.
As if she'd read his mind, Connie had taken a test bite from the wrapped sandwich that was in front of her and Harry smiled brightly as her eyes lit up. "What kind of bread is this?"
"It's honey oat." He replied with a smile. "The bread is supposed to be slightly dry, would you like some hot cocoa?"
She nodded eagerly and slid the piece of cake farther from her. Harry laughed and shook his head as he looked for the thermos he'd prepared this morning. "Is something wrong?" She asked tentatively as he fidgeted with several things in the basket then his bag.
"I forgot to make the hot cocoa." He said with a sigh. "How would you like wine instead?" He looked at her expecting disapproval but grinned at her smile.
"What do you have?" She asked.
"I just have some white zinfandel ... One of the fruitier varieties." He admitted with a blush. "I don't really like dry wines and Hermione was the only one I had any with ..."
"Zinfandel is fine." She said quietly.
"I'm sorry." He sighed. "I keep mentioning Hermione, don't I?"
"That's fine, she's your best friend, Harry."
"No, it's not." He admitted quietly. "No more talk about Hermione, it's all about you today."
She smiled softly and shook her head. "Hermione is part of who you are, Harry, I can't make you change that."
"She is, and I don't want to change, but I think it's time that I let you talk." He said with a smile. "You've heard me prattle on and on about this or that and I still haven't heard much about you."
She smiled shyly and looked for something to occupy her hands. She spotted the cake and without thinking about it, picked up the small platter and began stuffing small forkfuls of it in her mouth. Her eyes went wide when she'd realized what she'd done but found that she loved it. Within seconds she'd eaten the entire piece and began to frown.
"Would you like mine?" He asked with a laugh. He held out his untouched cake and she smiled sweetly at him.
"Oh, I'd love to, thank you, Harry!" She said as she dug into her second helping with abandon. He handed her a flute of wine as he poured another for himself.
"What should we drink to?" He asked with a grin.
"I'm not sure." She said, mirroring his smile perfectly.
He thought for a few moments and raised his glass. "To new friends and a dynamic future!" He said with a smile.
"To new friends and a dynamic future." She laughed and the piercing ring of glass on glass echoed across the lake.
They drank to life and to loved ones lost before they'd decided they had enough to drink for the day. It would be terribly difficult for them to apparate home safely, she'd argued and Harry relented as he knew he would. They'd finished the majority of the food that was set before them and she lay back on the blanket with a groan.
"I can't eat another bite!" She said sleepily. "I don't think I can move either ..."
Harry chuckled softly and placed the empty plates and uneaten food back in the basket. "Well, now we have two choices." He grinned as she eyed him suspiciously. "One, I can read to you and two, we can take a nap."
"Read to me?" She asked with a hint of amusement in her voice.
"Yes, read to you." He said with a smile. "I have a few books here that I thought you might like ... I wasn't sure, but it seemed right to choose them." He grinned at the interest she seemed to be showing and fished the books, along with two shrunken pillows from his bag. With a wave of his hand, the pillows expanded to their large, fluffy selves and he offered one to Connie.
"I didn't know if you'd enjoy Robert Frost or Emily Dickenson, but I had a slight inkling of an idea that you might like poetry." He said with a sly smile. "Was I right?"
"I love Poetry ..." She said with a slightly goofy grin.
"Would you like me to read some to you? All you have to do is get comfortable and I can start when you like."
He put his pillow against the oak's trunk and leaned in to it. To his surprise, she moved her pillow next to him and lay with her head close to his thigh. "I'm ready when you are." She said with a smile.
Harry grinned as he opened the book and began to read. He'd never read to anyone but Hermione and that was a textbook during sixth year, but he found that he was enjoying the experience immensely. She'd laugh magically when she was supposed to and he caught her wiping a tear from her cheek at one point during a sad sonnet. He didn't know when it had happened but somehow she'd gotten her head in his lap and he found himself running his fingers through her hair subconsciously.
He looked down and suddenly realized how the situation had turned. Connie had fallen asleep at one point and he looked down to her face as he closed the book and set it aside. He traced the spattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose with his eyes and continued his travels down her jaw line to her rosy lips. He couldn't help but trace every contour of her face and realized how familiar she seemed. It felt natural to sit with her like this and he smiled gently as he looked at the pink ribbon in her hair. He hadn't noticed it before but it seemed to add a kind of innocence to her delicate features.
Harry felt the urge to reach out and touch her cheek but he stopped himself before contact could be made. He sighed and looked out at the crystalline ivy and smiled contentedly as he listened to his mother sing to him. He hadn't realized that he'd gone back to stroking her hair and he lost all sense of time.
He felt Connie retie her ribbon and he looked down in surprise. "Oh, did I wake you? I'm sorry." He said with a soft smile.
"N-no." She said nervously. "Did you untie my ribbon?"
Harry shook his head. "I didn't know I had." He said softly as he looked back over the lake. "I was listening to my mum sing again." He refocused his attention on her then looked around briefly. "It's dark already?"
She turned her gaze to their surroundings and smiled wanly. "It looks like it. I guess today is over then ..."
Harry smiled apologetically. "I guess it is ..."
A few moments later, after they had packed everything for their return trip, Harry found himself walking very slowly back to the apparition point with Connie. He glanced at her hand longingly and before he could control himself, he'd taken it in his. She started but didn't pull away and they returned their gaze to the carpet of stars above.
"This is a beautiful night." She said breathlessly after a moment.
Harry had been watching her twinkling eyes and her long, red hair cascade over her shoulders. He smiled and without turning from her said, "Beautiful ..."
She glanced at him and blushed when she'd realized he wasn't looking at the stars. A smile began to creep across her face as they stopped walking.
Harry's heart was beating faster than he could ever remember and he was sure that she could feel the clammy sweat seeping from his palm. He heard her breath catch in her throat as he dropped his baggage to the lawn and cup her cheek with his hand. Her eyes went wide as he slowly inched his way to her lips and then fluttered closed as she stood upon the tips of her toes. He felt her sweet breath flow over his lips in short, ragged bursts and then it happened, their lips touched ever so gently and his heart stopped. He couldn't think and everything but her lips faded from his senses. They were soft, moist, and a lingering hint of raspberries and zinfandel reached his tongue. He felt her tongue gently ask for permission and he granted it without hesitation.
Somewhere along the line, arms had wrapped around one or the other and fingers were caught in each other's hair. They didn't know how long they were together but when they finally broke apart it was dizzying to not be connected.
"Harry ..." Connie said breathlessly.
"Connie ..." He said with a husky hint to his voice. He bent to kiss her again but was met with her fingers and not her lips.
"Harry, you don't know me ..." She said quietly, searching his eyes with hers.
He nodded mutely and pulled her into a gentle hug. "I know, we should slow down, shouldn't we?" He felt her nearly imperceptible nod against his chest and he sighed quietly. "I understand." He said with a hint of disappointment to his voice but when she pulled back to look into his eyes, he smiled genuinely at her.
"Thank you." She said with a small smile of her own. He nodded and retrieved his things before they walked to their exit point. With a wave, she disapparated and a few moments later, he did the same.
Ron still wasn't home from his day with Luna and Harry started pacing in his study. He looked at the clock on his mantle and saw that Hermione was still in transit. He went back to pacing as he waited for her to get home from work and looked at the device again. He sighed when it landed on WORK and didn't have the patience to wait for her to get home.
With a pop, he was standing in the Ministry of Magic caught in a determined stride to the security desk. After a few pleasantries, he was on the lift and soon knocking on Hermione's office door.
"Just a minute." She said distractedly from the other side and a few minutes later, she was inviting him in for a cup of tea.
"I'm sorry, Hermione." Harry said quickly. "I had to talk to someone ..."
"What's wrong?" She asked concernedly as he began to pace the room. "Harry, sit down, you know how your pacing sets me on edge ..."
Harry frowned but did as she requested. "I was out with Connie today ..." He started quietly.
"How did it go?" She asked distractedly as she looked around her desk for a folder of forms.
"Hermione, I need to talk to you, could you pause for just a few moments?"
She sighed and looked over at her best friend. "I'm listening, Harry." She said quietly in an almost irritable fashion.
He raised an eyebrow at her response and looked at her quizzically. "Are you alright? I came at a bad time, didn't I?" He stood and started towards the door. "I'll talk to you later when you're not too busy." He said apologetically.
"Harry." Hermione said quietly. "I'm sorry ... Please, what's on your mind?"
Harry looked at her suspiciously but sat back down again. "It's Connie." He started again. "I ... She." He sighed in frustration. "I don't know what it is about her, Hermione! She's ... It feels so natural to want to hold her ..." He growled irritably and buried his face in his hands. "I kissed her tonight." He admitted with a groan. "Oh, boy did we kiss ..."
She sighed and put a gentle hand on his shoulder. "That's good, isn't it?" She asked quietly. "She kissed back ..."
Harry nodded then looked back to her face. "Hermione, I know it sounds crazy, I know we've only just met ..."
Her look changed from concern to confusion in the blink of an eye. "What are you saying?"
"Hermione, is it ... I mean ... Can someone fall in love with one kiss?" He asked in a worried voice that hinted of fear.
She looked at him dumbly with her mouth partly open. "W-what?" She finally stammered in response.
Harry stood and started pacing again. "I kissed her and now I can't get Connie out of my mind." He said in irritation. "I think about her lips and mine and my heart beats so fast ... Look at my hands!" He held two trembling hands that glistened with perspiration. "Is this normal?" He asked quickly.
"Harry ..." Hermione stood and pulled him into a comforting hug. "Calm down and stop overanalyzing this." She whispered to him. "You had a great kiss ... She's new and exciting." Hermione pulled away and rubbed his arm gently. "Take it slowly and see how things go before you start making any plans."
Harry sighed and sat in his chair again. "You're right, Hermione." He said as he leaned his head back and closed his eyes. "I don't want to fall into another Cho situation ..."
She retook her seat and sipped at her tea. "Get to know her, Harry ... I don't want to see you get hurt again."
He smiled at her and took her hand in his. "You're such a wonderful friend, you know that?" He said quietly as he kissed her knuckles gently. "I'd still be lost if it weren't for you."
Hermione pulled her hand away gently and looked to her desk. "I know, Harry ... I'm ... glad ... I was here to help."
He stood then bent and kissed the top of her head. "Don't work to late and get some sleep tonight, ok?" She nodded quietly as he ran his hand over her back. "Thanks again, Hermione, I should get some sleep for practice tomorrow." She turned to him as he stood but he was at the door waving goodnight before she had a chance to speak with him. With a smile and a wink, he was on the other side of the door smiling to himself as he walked back to the apparition point.