Author's Note: These stories are all one-shot, 1000-word responses to the Summer Writing Series Challenge, so each one is not related to
the next.
Summer Writing Series Challenge (June 23)
Challenge: Harry and Hermione look back on their fondest memories.
Title: Photographic Memories
Word Count: 981
A/N: This is a follow-up (yay!) to Paris, With a Twist from June 16th and June 17th. It'll make more sense if you read those two parts first, but it stands alone ok, too.
"Look…you were in love with me back then!"
"I was not!" he said defensively.
"Yes you were! See…you've got your arm around me."
"That's because you'd nearly broken your ankle that day. I was holding you up!"
"Whatever. You loved me." She grinned and looked back at the photo of them on the Eiffel Tower. "That was an amazing night, wasn't it? Paris looked so beautiful from up there."
"Did you ever notice Fred and George in the back trying to throw Percy off the top?" he said, pointing to three struggling figures behind the waving images of himself, Hermione, Ginny and Ron.
"What? Where? Oh, that's hysterical!" she laughed.
He smiled. "But you're right. It was an amazing night. And I was in love with you."
"I knew it!" she smiled triumphantly and turned the page.
"There. What about that one then?" he said. "Look at that smile on your face…gazing longingly at me…"
"That's not true! Fleur's cousin Gaillard was standing next to Charlie when he took the picture…" she said, trying to suppress a grin.
"Ah-hah! I knew you fancied him!"
"No, I didn't."
"Yes, you did."
"No, I didn't."
"Yes, you did."
"No, I didn't. Wasn't Madame Delacour's cooking delicious though?" she asked, attempting to change the subject.
"I don't remember. I was too preoccupied being in love with you."
"How sweet."
"Turn the page," he said. "The next one is my favorite."
"Why? Because you're standing with me?" she asked, batting her eyelashes at him.
"No…because I look really good in this picture."
"Cheeky!" she said, playfully swatting him on the arm. "You sound like Ron."
"Is that a bad thing? Look, here we are at the World Cup. That was so much fun watching the game, touring the French countryside, sightseeing in Paris…"
"Falling in love with me…"
"No."
"No?"
"I was already in love with you, remember? What's next?" he asked turning the page. "Graduation?"
"Oh, they're out of order!" she said with a frown.
"Just by two months. Graduation was in June and the World Cup was in August."
"I miss school. Don't you?"
"I miss a few days of it. There seemed to be this dark cloud called Voldemort that loomed over most of it."
"Ok, but the other parts…late nights in the common room, trips to Hogsmeade…"
"Rendering fully-grown mountain trolls unconscious…"
She laughed. "That too."
"I do miss parts of it. There are plenty of things that I wish had been different, though. But then I might not have had the chance to fall in love with you."
She smiled sincerely and said, "Ten points for Gryffindor, Mr. Potter."
"Oh?" he asked with a laugh. "How many does that make?"
She shrugged. "Who's counting?"
"Is there another album?" he asked, closing the book.
"The wedding…it's over there…"
"I'll get it," he said, and walked to the bookshelf to retrieve it. He sat back down next to Hermione on the couch and opened the album on his lap. "Here we go. The Wedding of Hermione Jane Granger and Harry James Potter, June 22, 2000. The wors- I mean best day of my life," he said with a laugh.
Hermione just sneered at him. "You've been around Arthur too much. You're developing his sense of humor."
"Again, is that bad? Ok look, here we are…the lovely bride and her family."
"I was lovely, wasn't I?" she grinned.
"Ahh, and here's the handsome groom and his family…"
"Why are you the only one without red hair?" she asked, pointing to the photo. "Harry, I hate to break it to you, but I think you were adopted," she said, whispering the last word.
"No I wasn't!!" he laughed and pulled the book away from her.
"Move your hand, I can't see!"
"Well, if your big stomach wasn't in the way…"
"It's not big!"
"Yet!"
"I hope I don't need to remind you that it's your fault."
"Not at all. I remember very clearly," he said and wiggled his eyebrows. "Some of my best work, if I do say so myself."
"Harry!"
"Well, it's true! I'm quite proud of that one," he said, leaning over and placing a kiss on her swollen belly. "Wait, I think I've got some photos of that night in this album, too," he added, flipping a few pages.
"Harry!! You do not!" she gasped and laughed at the same time.
"Oh alright, alright. I'm only joking. But we'll have lots of photos of her to add to these albums soon enough."
"Or him…"
"Right. Her first steps, her first birthday, her first broomstick ride…"
"His first Christmas, his first holiday abroad, his first day at Hogwarts…"
Harry furrowed his brow in thought. "Do you think we should change our last name?"
"What? Of course not. Don't be silly."
"Well, it'll be awfully hard on her, don't you think? Being the child of Hermione Granger -"
"Potter," she interrupted.
"- Potter, the smartest witch since Rowena Ravenclaw -"
"Oh, please."
"- and Harry Potter…biggest troublemaker since James Potter and Sirius Black."
"And savior of the Wizarding world. He'll be fine and he'll probably love the attention."
"Not if she's like her father. I didn't like it at all."
"Harry, I'm proud to be a Potter and we're not changing our name. End of discussion."
"Yes love," he said resignedly. After a pause he added, "But Jones doesn't sound -"
"No!"
"Oh, alright."
"Look," she said, taking the album from him. "Our honeymoon."
"Now that was fun," he grinned.
"Yes, it was."
"Care to relive it?" he asked slyly.
"Sure…I'd love to go bask on the beach again…"
"Not that part," he said, taking the book back from her and scooping her up in his arms.
"Harry!" she laughed, kicking her legs.
Grinning, he carried her down the hall, into their room, and deftly slammed the door shut with one foot.
"Harry!!"