At Last

michou

Rating: PG
Genres: Romance
Relationships: Harry & Hermione
Book: Harry & Hermione, Books 1 - 5
Published: 29/07/2004
Last Updated: 29/07/2004
Status: completed

It is going on five years since Harry defeated Voldermort and the young wizard has moved on with his life. Hasn't he?

Chapters

1. At Last - Part Two

1. At Last - Part Two

A.N: This is my very first Harry/Hermione fic. Since I am noticeably lazy, H/Hr for me is just really hard to write. Well, I had this done last Thursday but took me a whole to reedit this thing. I think it’s okay I hope you all enjoy this. Thank you for all the reviews from part one. I appreciate them. I don’t own Harry Potter and all related characters.

Last

At last My love has come along
My lonely days over
And life is like a song
At last
The skies above are blue
Well my heart was wrapped up in clover
The night I looked at you

Ron’s wedding was really beautiful. It was good for Harry to see his best friend so happy. For Ron to be happy, after such a long period of doubting himself with a woman he loved and loved him back, was nothing short of great. So there was just one question for Harry James Potter to ask himself.
Why was he dreaming of it?
And it wasn’t even a simple dream. He was watching from left the side of the guests, looking at every detail. Luna’s smiling face, Ron’s dumbstruck one, along with the happy guests watching the couple move onto another stage in their lives. And suddenly everything changed. Suddenly it was no longer Luna walking down the isle but Hermione and she wasn’t walking towards Ron but himself. She looked beautiful. He didn’t see anything else but her and he didn’t want to. As he watched her walk he started to imagine their children. They’d have two, first a boy with Hermione’s hair brown hair but it would permanently be messy like his and with green eyes. He’d be studious just like Hermione and play Quidditch, perhaps a Chaser. Then they’d have a little girl, she’d have his hair color but in every other sense would physically be a carbon copy of Hermione. She’d have his disposition but stay away from Quidditch because she was Daddy’s little girl and didn’t need to break anything important. As Hermione finally reached Harry, his vision started to become blurry as giggling was amplified in his head.
In reality Harry stirred swatting the tiny hand away and turned to his other side. Trying to go back to sleep he groaned as a voice called out to him, “Daddy!”
Suddenly he was shaken from his dream as his once still bed moved up and down. He looked up to see one of his dream children jumping on the bed grinning widely.
“Daddy!” The little girl said plopping down to her knees and throwing her arms around his neck.
“Mommy said to wake you up!”
His son stood on the side of the bed and folded his arms. He wore his silver framed glasses and had already brushed his teeth, took his morning bath, dressed, and was waiting for his breakfast. He was huffy because he couldn’t eat until his father was seated at the table.
Still hovering between the dream and reality Harry asked, “Did she?”
The girl giggled and pulled on his hand, “Come on Daddy! Go brush your teeth.” Harry looked at his daughter, Elizabeth, who lost her two front teeth smiled wider. Unable to say no Harry stumbled out of bed into the bathroom that adjoined the room. Two minutes later he walked out back into the bathroom, dressed in slacks, and an old t-shirt, he walked to his children standing in the hallway. Taking their hands he let himself be dragged into the kitchen.

Hermione Granger hadn’t changed much, physically after their sixth year. She stopped growing at five foot five, and was considered to have grown into quite a beauty. The fizz that was her hair calmed down into beautiful brown curls. Around the end of her sixth year, she finally lost her baby fat revealing a girl with high cheek bones, a cute nose, and full lips that encased teeth permanently fixed in fourth year she possessed a body that wouldn’t quit, full breasts, tiny waist, full hips that led to the greatest longest legs in the world. She was currently in light blue jeans, a white blouse with what looked like a heeled shoe. She had her hair pulled back in a ponytail, her face done up nicely but casually. She heard him walk into the room and smiled.
“Hi Harry.” She turned the fire off from under the skillet that held the French toast and used her wand to transport it safely to the serving tray on the kitchen table. He caught sight of her left hand and like every morning felt a fist fly into his face. Despite their living together and two beautiful children, they weren’t married. They only lived together, had for almost six years, but were not married and all because he could never ask. He grinned, just like he did every morning, the smile never reaching his eyes. He wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her forehead softly.
“Good Morning Hermione.”
She smiled, her cheeks filling prettily with blood, she looked up at from under eye lashes.
“Morning Harry.”
She leaned over to kiss him but they were interrupted by their two children interrupted with their groans and snickers.
Elizabeth leaned over into her brother’s ear, Tyler, and said, “Mommy and Daddy are silly.”
Hermione ruffled her three year old’s hair as she holstered Elizabeth in her arms and smiled as she watched Tyler walk calmly into his seat. Sitting Elizabeth in her chair Hermione sat down at the rectangular kitchen table as the enchanted toast floated down to the four waiting plates. Breakfast in the apartment was always calm. Neither of the adults nor the oldest child of five years, was a morning person. Elizabeth, despite her genetics, loved mornings and was the only reason why conversation was held at all. After the four finished breakfast, Hermione said good bye to her family, pulled on her black robe and grabbed her clutch, and went on her way to Flourish and Blotts. After she graduated from Hogwarts Hermione, spent the next year of her life balancing her worrying for and supporting Harry, helping out with the war, and giving birth to her first child. To say the least, everyone was shocked.
No one would’ve thought that the Head Girl, smartest witch to ever grace Hogwarts in over a century, had a baby and better yet out of wedlock. Even more surprising was that he father was the newly crowned and permanent hero of the Wizarding world due to his defeat over Voldermort. Further shocking the Wizarding world, Harry didn’t make an attempt to make ‘an honest woman’ out of her. Hermione, turning down offers from the Ministry and world known institutes, settled for an apprenticeship at Flourish and Blotts. In less than two years the store would be hers. It was Hermione’s dream, to own a book shop, to be around all those books everyday and to introduce children and even adults to the joy of books. That was her joy. When she woke up in the morning she sometimes feared she’d have to settle for what her life was. She woke up every morning at exactly six, and always wondered if perhaps today would be the day he’d propose. And every evening Hermione laid down to bed she would find herself smacked with disappointment.
She supposed many women would love to be in her place, living with the famous and gorgeous Harry Potter. She supposed some of those women wouldn’t mind having his children. Hell, they’d say, I’m practically his wife!
But they weren’t. She wasn’t.
Every evening when she lay in his arms, she had to face herself, because if you lied to yourself, what could a person really say about themselves? Was it so much to ask? She didn’t mind having his children; they were her number one passion, her life. But sometimes, we they made love it just wasn’t enough to be just being the mother of his children. In her heart her greatest wish was to say to someone, “My Husband Harry.”
Because what was wrong with making it official. Hermione longed for the finality of it all. And despite her pushy nature, couldn’t bring herself to push Harry into marrying her. If she did, and if he eventually gave in, there would always be that underlying doubt that he was just forced into marrying her. He married her because he was pressured into it, not because he loved her. Hermione just knew, though this limbo was hard, that constant fear would become hell.

It was a little after six when Hermione walked into their apartment. They lived in an apartment building that housed both Muggles and Wizards and Witches. As she walked into the warm apartment, flipping, through the mail she noticed the quiet. Quiet was a problem since she was mother of two growing children, there was never quiet.
Unless it was Thursday. And it was Thursday. And that meant her mother should be coming over in a few minutes. On Thursday s Harry and her father hung out with the children while her mother had dinner. Before she could even rummage the kitchen for anything editable for someone older than five, the door bell rang. Knowing who it was Hermione used her wand to unlock the door.
They stood in the door way for a few minutes. Her mother smiled and folded her arms.
“Want to go out and eat?”
Hermione smiled and nodded her head.
They found themselves at a nice Italian Restaurant eating in a corner booth away from prying eyes.
“Isn’t the waiter gorgeous?” Jane Granger asked. She paused and looked at her daughter quirking an eyebrow, “So what’s wrong?”
Hermione laughed leaning back against the booth. Shaking her head she said, “Nothing.”
It was Jane’s turn to laugh and took her daughter’s hand, “I gave birth to you, was with you when you lost your first tooth, broke your arm, and read the owl when you realized you were in love. I know you very, very, well.” She squeezed her daughter’s hand, “Now what’s wrong.”
Hermione frowned and sat forward resting her arms on the table.
“It’s Harry.”
Jane’s face grew concerned, “Is there another woman?”
Hermione shook her head, “No.”
“Is it his work?”
“It’s not that either mother.”
“Then what in hell is problem?”
Hermione rubbed her eyes suddenly tired, “I don’t know if I can do it anymore.”
“Do what?”
“Not be good enough.”
Jane confused asked, “Not good enough for what?”
“Why won’t he marry me?!”
Jane knowing that as a woman and as a mother there was no answer to give.
“He does love you Hermione.”
Frustrated once again Hermione ran her hands through her hair.
“Then why won’t he marry me?”
Before Jane could say anything, the handsome waiter arrived with their orders, and the two proceed to eat.

It was later that evening and after Harry and Hermione put their children to bed, the two proceeded to ready themselves for bed.
“How was your dinner with your mother?” Harry asked doing his nightly stretches.
Hermione shrugged as she brushed her hair. She was already dressed in her pajamas consisting of very short grey shorts and a sheer thank top. She was currently sitting down at her vanity brushing her hair.
“It was alright. We had Italian.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah. There was a cute waiter my mother was fawning over.”
Harry sat Indian style on his side of the bed, “Really.” He paused then asked, “How cute was he?”
Putting down her brush and reaching for her moisturizer, “He was pretty good looking.” She bit her lip and her brow furrowed, “He was kinda flirting with me.”
Harry’s interested look faded and his back straightened.
“Flirting?”
Hermione shrugged. She wasn’t lying but she knew she was being perfectly vindictive telling him all of this.
“Yeah.” Hermione stood up doing her own nightly stretches. She had read somewhere that if a person stretched before bed the person would sleep better. At her insistence everyone in the household stretched before bed, and slept better because of it, “He said it was shame that someone as attractive as me does not have a husband.”
Hermione finished with a roll of her eyes and walked towards the bed. Seeing a faraway look in his eyes, Hermione grew slightly worried.
“Harry?”
“Yes?” Seeing her sitting down next to him he smiled and leaned over to kiss her softly on the lips, “Ready to go to bed?”
Hermione nodded and sighed to herself as she watched Harry reach for the switch on the only light in the room.
“Good night, Hermione.”
Hermione may have been able to turn over and go to sleep but as she slept Harry’s mind was wandering.

He wasn’t an idiot. He knew how lucky he was that it was he Hermione loved. And he loved her back. How could he not? She supported him, guided him, knew him, and loved him for him. And he would love to marry her.
But how long would her love last?
She’s find someone better, who was better suited to raise their children, and she’d leave. That was probably his greatest fear, bursting his content bubble he contented himself in. Because, despite everything she knew about him, she did not know the one thing that held him down, that stopped him from proposing. He’d actually had the ring for years. It wasn’t like he didn’t have dozens of speeches prepared. He was just scared. She’d never want a murderer. It was going on his years since his final confrontation with Voldermort and no one knew what went down in those final moments, except him. Many people assumed her performed an exorcism of sorts, since many people believed he was still a spirit. However, some time between his fifth and their final meeting he managed to possess a body, Lucius Malfoy’s body. The killing curse wasn’t going to kill him; he still possessed Harry’s own blood magic and was ready to inflict damage. He didn’t count on a person’s love and his threatening Hermione and Ron along with their loved ones pushed him over the edge. The Gryffindor Sword may have been considered mere decoration but the ‘decoration’ was what sliced Voldermort/Lucius Malfoy’s head off.
But no one knew that.
Everyone assumed the ‘Darling Hero’ of the Wizarding world just threw a little curse and everything was fine. Well in order for everything to be fine, Harry sacrificed his blood innocence. People may not understand the change a person went through when another person killed another, either intentionally or unintentionally. The mental preparation Harry put himself didn’t help and he was still facing the consequences later. The consequence? Himself. Never letting himself be happy, in constant fear that someone would come after his family. In the end didn’t Voldermort really win?
The thought brought Harry up short. Did Voldermort win? Voldermort was dead but in the road to that killed his parents, Sirius his only caring relative, and those who opposed him, and died at his hands. And for what? For Harry to wallow in self pity and deny all he wanted. He could tell Hermione what happened, he would finally open himself up fully to her and if she couldn’t accept him, the real him…
His mind swimming with plans, Harry finally felt his eyes start to close, he knew one thing. Ginny Weasley would be getting a call tomorrow.

It was maybe two in the afternoon when Ginny rang the bell to their apartment. Quickly answering the door, Harry all but shoved the redhead into the apartment.
“Harry!” Ginny asked almost tripping over her own feet, “What’s going on.”
“I need you…” Harry said.
Before Harry could finish, Ginny hand swung and hit Harry’s cheek hard causing a slight red mark.
“I’ll have you know I am in love with my current boy friend and Hermione is my best friend! How dare you presume…”
Knowing Ginny could continue on for the next two hours Harry saw it in his best interest to interrupt, “GINNY!”
Ginny’s mouth snapped shut and looked at Harry stupidly.
“I don’t really cook well.” Harry blushed, “And I need you to help me cook dinner for Hermione.”
“Dinner for Hermione?” Ginny asked, “Where are the brats?”
Harry rolled his eyes, at this rate they’d never get anything done, “At their grandparents.”
Ginny sighed and took off her robes not want the expensive gift from Draco to get messy. Pushing her hair back and transfiguring the pencil in her hand into a hair tie, she pulled back her hair and rested her hands on her hips.
“So what do you want to make?”
Ginny was a great chef. She owned a restaurant in London well known for its romantic casual atmosphere; the positive reviews were proof of that. In less than two hours Ginny cooked up Veal Tenderloin with Sautéed Pears and very tasty Crispy-Creamy Potato Galette for two. As Harry managed to complete an attractive looking salad and set up a platter of expensive cheeses and fruits with little direction from Ginny.
“I really appreciate you doing this, Ginny. I know this was your week off.”
Ginny shrugged her right arm whipping the cream expertly to make it into home made whip cream for the dessert.
“I needed to get out of the house.” She took a spoon to taste and nodded, “Draco has been acting funny.”
Harry laughed, “He just told me the other day, it was you who was acting funny.”
Ginny rolled her eyes, “Just because I haven’t told him where I was going a few times, he throws a fit insisting I was seeing some guy.”
Curious Harry asked, “Where you?”
Ginny turned the transfigured mixer on and over the noise said, “Yes.”
“Well than his suspicions were founded.” Harry leaned on the kitchen counter, “Ginny I’m surprised at you.”
“Not for what you are thinking you idiot.” She was quiet for a minute as the white cake in the oven, “He’s a jeweler. I am re-inventing the Malfoy a ring.”
“A ring?” Harry asked.
“A ring, with the new Malfoy crest Draco had done a year ago.” She sighed, “If you must know I am planning on proposing to him with it.”
“You are proposing to Malfoy?!” Harry asked incredulously.
Hands on hips Ginny asked, “Yes? Do you have a problem?”
Harry shook his head. He really didn’t but…
“Wouldn’t Malfoy act like a git and get his male pride bruised?”
Ginny shrugged, “Well he is taking too long to propose to me. His birthday is in two months I plan on doing it then.”
“If you both survive that long.” Harry said, “I swear, you two flirt with other people, swear and argue like sailors, and then are swapping spit with each other in seconds. I pity any children you might conceive.”
Ignoring him Ginny walked back into the foyer, “You might want to get ready for this romantic dinner of yours.”
Seeing Harry about to protest she said, “I’ll set the table. You just freshen up.”

Hermione pushed her key into the lock and before she could turn it she was shocked to see the door open and present a dressed up Harry standing before her. Well not dressed up but he wore dark khaki pants, a green button down long sleeved shirt that was just a shade darker than his eyes, and he made an attempt to neaten up his hair.
“Harry?”
“Hermione.” Harry said offering his hand. Hermione not knowing what else to do took his hand and allowed him to lead her to the dinning room. Her eyes grew wide as their normal rectangular kitchen table was now a circular table surrounded by dozens upon dozens of floating candles. Two beautifully detailed chairs were aside the table that held in the exact center two dozen beautiful and perfect white roses. Unable to say anything Hermione just turned to the love of her live and managed to smile as she felt tears fall down her cheeks. Whenever she was feeling down he always did something to pick her up and make her feel special again.
“Would you like to sit down?”
Hermione not trusting herself to talk nodded and let herself be led to her seat. She watched Harry pulled out her chair and whispered her thanks. She watched Harry walk over across to his own seat and smile happily at her.
“Are you hungry?” Harry asked startling Hermione out of her examination of Harry’s face by candle light. Afraid her stomach would grumble any minute Hermione said yes. The cheese platter appeared in front of them and they both casually munched on the snack conversing about their day, well Hermione’s day. It was obvious what Harry did though Hermione did ask a few questions the first question about the whereabouts to their children. Soon they were ready for the main course, skipping the salad, wanting to skip to the perfectly prepared dish. They had to give Ginny her credit she knew what she was doing, the meat was tender and delicious as well as filling. Though they were full they were ready for dessert they took generous portions of the cake with heaping dollops of the cream.
No longer any room in their bellies they sat back and drank their Merlot gingerly, neither one wanting a hang over with children coming back the next day.
“This was wonderful Harry.” She smiled taking his hand and kissed the back of it, “Thank you.”
Harry blushed and shook his head, “Thank Ginny with a huge wedding gift.”
“Wedding gift?”
Harry nodded lifting the wine to his lips, “She’s planning on proposing to Malfoy.”
Hermione just shook her head and took a sip of her own wine unknowingly tensing up again. She almost missed Harry say, “I wanted to talk to you about something.”
Hermione set down her glasses and leaned forward on the table, “Yes.”
“It’s about us. I just wanted to let you know how much I love and appreciate you. For loving me and for having my children, standing by me and not judging me.”
“Harry, I will never mind.” She smiled as she tensed, “I love you.”
Harry smiled and looked down at the table for a moment. It never ceased to content him hearing those words from her mouth.
“I know.” Harry sighed taking her hand, “But we’ve lived together five years and you have never asked me for anything. And someone as special as you deserves so much more than I’m giving you, to be married and to have something more secure than what I’ve given you these past twelve years.”
“Harry, if this is about the waiter I…” Hermione started. She didn’t want to push him to commit over some waiter she had no intention of ever seeing. Harry shook his head and gestured to let him finish. Letting go of her hand and fishing in his pockets, he pushed his chair so he was sitting next to he instead of across from her. Opening the small box he presented her with a huge beautiful diamond ring.
“Oh Harry.” Hermione whispered looking at the ring and looked back up to the man holding it.
“Before I ask for your hand there are things you need to know about me.”
Hermione laughed slightly confused, “Harry I know everything I need to know. You love me and I love you.” She laughed and kissed his cheek, “For the kind considerate man you are.”
“But you don’t.” Harry insisted setting the box down on the table the brilliance catching the candle light magnificently, “When I fought Voldermort I killed him.”
Hermione rubbed her hands across his smooth face before cupping his face in her hands, “Almost everyone in the war killed someone Harry or saw someone die. It’s part of our generation now.”
“People killed each other with curses.” Harry looked away from Hermione, “I didn’t kill Voldermort with a curse. He…” He paused. The words were becoming so hard to say especially when they meant everything. Forcing them out he continued, “He took Lucius Malfoy’s body for his own and the only way to kill him would’ve been a flesh wound. He threatened everyone, Ron, Ginny, the other Weasley, Hogwarts, children…you. And I knew I had to kill him. I sliced his head off, Hermione.”
His eyes and voice were distant now, “His blood spurted everywhere in my eyes, my clothes, nose, and ears, everywhere. I know other’s killed people but their hands were never stained. Not like mine. You’ve hesitated moving forward with you because these past few years I’ve never been able to move past that moment. I just hope you can see me for me and not what I’ve done.”
Hermione leaned her head against his shoulder.
“I always have.” Hermione took Harry’s hand, “I saw you kill him Harry.”
Harry jumped forward and stood up, “What?!” Stammering he said, “You were already pregnant and were thousands of miles away in Hogwarts attending to the injured.”
Hermione shook her head, “No I wasn’t.” She pulled Harry back down to sit in his seat, “Someone had to take care of you. Ron was unconscious and I didn’t trust anyone to else to have your back. So I did it myself.”
She took Harry’s face between her hands and forced him to look at her, “I was making sure no other Death Eaters made it to you. I was in the corridor and I saw everything.”
“Hermione.” Harry whispered. Hermione having none of it moved her right hand over his mouth to prevent him from interrupting.
“Harry listen to me.” She looked him in his eyes hurt at the hurt the topic still brought him, “We can move on. He’s dead and can’t haunt us anymore. I love you and nothing can ever change that. Understand?”
Harry unable to move his lips nodded. Hermione smiled as she removed her hand.
“Can I get a kiss?” She asked.
Harry nodded and hissed his fiancée on the lips.
“Can you place the ring on my finger?” Harry nodded and removed the ring from the box. She bent down on one knee looking Hermione in the eye.
“Hermione Jane Granger, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?” Hermione bit her lip and nodded quickly. Raising her hand to the light Hermione smiled.
“It’s so beautiful.” Hermione said her smile unwavering, “I waited years for you to ask.” She sighed contentedly as the ring was slipped on her finger. So happy, she was glowing she pulled Harry down into a kiss enjoying his smile. Breaking away for just a moment she said, “I would’ve waited for you forever.”

That I could speak to
A dream that I could call my own
I found a thrill
To press my cheek to
A thrill that I have never known
Well ...
You smile
You smile
Oh and then the spell was cast
And here we are in heaven
For you are mine at last

Smiles widely, I hope you all liked it. Review please?