Innocent Eyes

Innocent Eyes

Chapter Seven

(Author’s Note VERY IMPORTANT!  This doesn’t pertain to tall of you but those who have read chapter four before I just recently (meaning one hour ago) corrected chapter four should now know that Harry and Hermione haven’t slept together I uploaded the wrong version of the chapter.  I had previously written that they had slept together, but wanted to upload the revised version that I thought would better fit the plot so just to clear that up…HARRY AND HERMIONE HAVE NOT SLEPT TOGETHER THEY ONLY KISSED SORRY FOR THE SCREW-UP!  Now…on with chapter seven.)

            Harry sat setting his blurry vision upon yet another pint.  Ron had abandoned him for some blonde about a half hour ago and since he hadn’t caught site of them yet figured that conquest must have been worth Ron’s while.  But now he was alone and drunk.  It really wasn’t fun to be alone and drunk.  He wanted to go home and sleep but he knew even now with half his wit about him that Hermione would kill him.  Charmain certainly didn’t need to think that her father went out drinking every night he was supposed to be at a family gathering.  But hell if she was the supposed Fate she already knew right? 

“Hey, Potter, what in the hell are you doing here?”  Draco Malfoy hadn’t changed much except for the fact he had reformed the amount of evil in him.  The smart-ass quota was promptly accounted for though.  His hair was layered and almost to his shoulders.  Ginny loved to run her fingers through it and it was very well kept.  He was built well he had been an auror with Harry for a time until he had obtained a near-fatal injury and Ginny threatened him within an inch of his life if he ever worked in that department again.  So, in compromise he just worked in the offices in the department and wasn’t allowed to run out to crimes with active aurors.  His body was kept in great shape though, he saw to that for other purposes. 

“I don’t really know,” Harry kind of slurred.  He wasn’t at his most drunken point yet, but he was not capable of apparition at this stage.

“Well, I do, you’re getting sloshed and doing a damn good job.”  Draco smirked.

“Thank you,” Harry said and then put his head in his hands. 

“Would you like to tell your old partner what the hell all of the oh, four pints and two shots of firewhiskey have been for?”  Draco inquired. 

“Hermione.”

“I always knew she’d send you to the bar someday.  Please tell it was for something good.  Did you get her pregnant, or worse sleep with someone else and make her jealous?”

“What, Hermione and I have never slept together!”  Harry said as indignantly as he could manage.

“Oh, well then maybe it’s bloody time you did.”

“No, we kissed and then she blamed that, the girl…”

“Charmain,” Draco said helping out.  He pulled out his wand and cast a bit of a sobering spell on his friend because this was going to require Harry to think straight.

“Oh, sweet Merlin thanks for that,” Harry said rubbing his now cleared head.

“Any time I want to hear this shit,” Draco said and waited for Harry to bask in the wonder of soberness for a moment.

“How do you know about Charmain?  You aren’t at Molly’s?”

“Harry, that party was over three hours ago.  Ginny and Hermione, though she denied it, sent me out to find your white arse,” Draco said and sipped at a vodka and cranberry juice.

“Oh, no.”

“Yeah, you’re gonna be in the doghouse a while mate.  Ron’s going to be with you though, and worse yet Molly sent Luna out to find him.”

“OH NO! He slinked away with some blonde earlier…Luna’s…”

“Harry the blonde was Luna you dumb arse.”  Draco laughed.

“Oh, well I thought.”

“No, actually you didn’t mate, because you were fucking pissed.”  Draco said with another smirk.

“Whatever, how’s the baby making?”

“Well it’s a hell of a lot better than a kiss that causes you to go get shit-faced,”  Draco said not letting it go.

“Oh, shut up already, it’s bloody embarrassing.  Hermione’s a virgin, like she would just up and decide to have sex with me because we started making out on a couch like the common teenagers.”

“Hmm, well most teenagers start out making out on the couch before the girl gives it up to them in the bedroom.  You were on the right path I suppose.” 

“There are more important things at the moment I’d like to discuss than how I get women into bed,”  Harry seethed.

“Yes, I suppose, but since we are in the raunchy atmosphere to discuss such raunchy adventures I figured what the hell,” Draco replied.

“Have you ever heard of Fates?” Harry asked and watched Draco’s gray eyes turn suddenly to look into his, with a face full of astonishment.

“Holy hell what have you done in the past two days!”

“Well, first off Hermione and I adopted Charmain Aiglentine, now Charmain Aiglentine Granger, whom you’ve met at Molly’s well,  Hermione went in to throw herself into the research departments of the ministry on the morning after we kissed and came back to the flat to pull me into my study and reveal that she believes Charmain is in fact a Fate.”

“Harry there is no fucking way Charmain can be a Fate,”  Draco said his insides churning with remembrance. 

“You wanna share?”

“Well, Fates they, well there hasn’t been one since…look this just isn’t the place to tell you,”  Draco said and apparated them to the London Bridge. 

“And this is?”  Harry asked peering over the edge of the small railing they now stood upon to the dark depths of icy cold water.

“Yes, because it’s one of those things reporters like Rita Skeeter would turn into a bloody bug for.”

“So as you were saying…”

“The last Fate was…well I don’t like to share because it has to do with family demons but the last Fate was going to be born to a cousin of mine, therefore it was saw to that she was…killed.  I don’t like to think of there being a possibility of another because of what unfairly happened to her.  She was sentenced to death by the French ministry because her lover, the bastard kid’s father ratted her out.”

“Who was he?”  Harry asked getting a sick feeling.

“Marquis Aiglentine,”  Draco sighed.  He could sense that he would be off inactive duty in the Auror department very shortly.  “See he was an exceptionally well-trained bastard because he ruined their whole family.  We Malfoys keep family close so even though they were a distant relation in France I saw them about three times a year.  We kept family close because we had all been tied into the Dark Lord and couldn’t have someone betraying us traipsing about with the family name.  He was betrothed to the girl’s stepsister.  See I liked Charise, the stepsister, but not Ciara, who was quite plainly the bitch.  Ciara was the one betrothed to Marquis and Charise is the one he sold to the ministry.  Charise was only half Malfoy, and I think that’s why he fucked her over because no one in the family really cared except me who tended to like those unassociated with Malfoy blood lineage.  Guess I have to hate myself in some twisted way.”

“Malfoy are you serious, you haven’t talked to Hermione about any of this have you?”  Harry asked looking very overwhelmed.

“No,  I don’t love you Potter, but I bloody well wouldn’t screw over a colleague that has helped in saving my arse on more than one occasion.  Surprised to hear the many faucets to my family tree?  I’m sorry that Charmain may have something…”

“Draco did you know that Ciara and Marquis did marry?”

“Yeah, my family was desperate for his money.  Did you know there’s at least a million galleon fee for a betrothal that is to be paid to the father of the girl?  He was a bastard, but he killed my Grandpa’s cousin’s ‘mistake’ so I guess he was just being that much more noble in their eyes.  But yes, I recall the blasted marriage.  It was sometime in May of my third year at Hogwarts.”

“Did you know what happened after that?  Was Aiglentine a Death Eater?”

“Oh, hell yeah it was his life.  Ciara joined at the Dark Lord’s request.  She bragged all the time about having a special mission.  It was quite frankly, fucking annoying.”

“You knew they had a daughter right?”

“No, they had to cut ties after they were married and went of to hibernate in Siberia for a while.”

“We have to open a new file on Monday, don’t let me forget that, and bring a pensieve to record all the memories you’ve just told me?”

“What in the bloody hell for?”

“Marquis and Ciara Aiglentine did have a daughter and I have no doubt in my mind that’s what Ciara’s special project for the Dark Lord was.  He would use a Fate for…anything, and he would be the only man crazy enough to know that Marquis was a descendant of Mordrid and the ancient sorceress Mab.  They died and someone brought their baby to England and hid her from Voldemort.  They saved her life too, but so far that’s the only piece of the puzzle missing is why in the hell Voldemort didn’t use her?”

“What are you talking about?”  Draco asked quite peeved he hated his family but he wanted to know what Potter was thinking. 

“Charmain was Ciara and Marquis’ daughter.  According to Hermione she could be a Fate and we’re going mad because we don’t know is she caused the damn kiss.  It’s all starting to come together now though.”

“So Charmain is…”

“Your second cousin once removed on your father’s side, and don’t ask me to repeat it,”  Harry sighed.

“Look, Potter just tell Hermione to meet me somewhere tomorrow and we’ll let her deal with this.  If Charmain isn’t killing anyone it’s safe to keep this hush for at least a little while.  Letting Hermione Granger think she’s right until she proves herself wrong has always worked well in the past.  Why break the bloody cycle?”  Draco said thinking quietly and cursing his family.  He was happy that Hermione and Harry were happy with Charmain but pissed that she couldn’t be a normal kid. 

“You’re right I need to go home and just sit and think for a while.  Think really hard.  I’ll have Hermione owl you in the morning, but could you do me a favor and make her stay at the house tomorrow.  We need to have some family time.  You know, not worry about what’s wrong with someone we love.  We have to see all the good qualities in Charmain.  Even if she is a Fate we won’t be able to dwell on that forever.”

“Yeah, and you’re forgetting the girl’s at least one quarter veela.  You can keep yourself awake for hours thinking about that one.  That’s why my grandfather’s cousin remarried.  His first wife was okay but one day he saw some half-breed veela strutting her stuff and boom, the bitch we know as Ciara was born.”

“Bye Draco, tell me when you and Ginny achieve the goal,”  Harry said.

“That’s what I had really come to talk to you about, since you didn’t show up at Molly’s.  Ginny’s pregnant, due sometime in August.”

“Congratulations.”

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean I won’t stop fucking her like crazy, which I’m way overdue for at the moment.  See you later Potter!”  Draco called and apparated to his mansion. 

Harry sat staring at the river before apparating to the front of his apartment building and ringing his own flat.  He knew it wouldn’t be wise to wake Hermione, but he really didn’t have a choice because he left his portkey with Ron and the anti-entry apparition wards came on at nine.

“Harry I’m really not in the mood for your drunkenness,”  Hermione said coldly through the speaker.

“How’d you know that’s where I was?”

“Luna called about two hours ago to say she had gone to get Ron and that I should perhaps come for you but I told her I didn’t really care enough to go to a smoky disgusting bar to get someone I can’t stand,”  Hermione said and could feel Harry flinch even though she couldn’t see it.

“Look, I deserve that but there are some things we need to talk about that don’t concern Charmain or Fates, and I need to talk to you about it tonight.”  Harry said honestly with a sigh. 

“Fine, I guess I’ll let you up,” Hermione huffed.

When she went to get the door she looked through the hole to just see what kind of state he was in and by the looks of it he had certainly had a rough night, emotionally speaking.  Yet he still managed to look rugged and sexy.  It drove her crazy at times.

She pulled out her wand undid the locking charms and then turned the muggle lock. 

“Hi,” she greeted with no feeling whatsoever.

“I suppose I deserve that, but I found out a few things today that regardless of what they mean have come to tell me that I can’t put childish things before my family.  I have to have a distinguished trust in all parts of that family, and not to say that we ever will… but if I’m not getting any from the wife it shouldn’t affect how I present myself to the daughter.”

“Harry I think in some odd corner of my mind that almost made sense,” Hermione smiled.  Harry didn’t waste anytime and brought Hermione into his arms.  She might not be more than a friend right now, but a friendly Hermione was all he really needed.

“Charmain’s in bed I hope?”  Harry asked after he put her down from their warm embrace.  She was still dizzy, but nodded.

“She had quite the time with the Weasley children.  You missed the quidditch game and Fred and George weren’t at all too happy to lose their teammate.  It was quite boring without someone diving and skimming the grass at breathtaking speeds,” Hermione smirked walking over to the couch with a cup of hot chocolate. 

“I can be breathtaking in other ways,” Harry said.

“Are you still drunk?”  Hermione asked raising an eyebrow, but Harry usually wasn’t flirty when he was drunk, thank Merlin, he was more of a clumsy laughing idiot.

“No, Draco came and got me from the bar and was telling me more about his family tree but before you even ask I refuse to talk about that tonight.  Tonight is just about us.  I need one night to set things straight with you then tomorrow it’s the new trio, my wife, Charmain, and myself having a day of fun.”

“Harry I’m hardly your wife.  I am Charmain’s mother, but your wife is going a bit far just because I signed a document that would legalize it,” Hermione smiled a small hopeless smile.  She wanted to be his wife but at the same time was just so confused and a bit angry towards him. 

“Don’t be this way.  You know as well as I do that it doesn’t matter what Charmain is or isn’t we’re what we are and the paths we choose are ours to choose.  I chose you Hermione and I don’t care how long it takes you to comprehend that.  You can read a million psychology books.  Hell, take courses at Oxford University on male nature, but I know what I want and I know that I would’ve chose you without the little Fate in our lives.  She just sped up the process.  Now, you’ve got five years before I’ll grovel, but I’m asking you now, without the damn ring.  I want you to be my wife one day Hermione.”

“Harry we only kissed once…”

“Is that the problem?  Well, then guess we’ll just have to change that,” Harry said and pulled Hermione to him.  He kissed her lips sweetly and softly just to get his point across.  “Now, that makes two.”

“Harry, Hermione began laughing, it just isn’t that simple.”

“And who says it isn’t?”

“Well, I can’t just say I want to marry you.  We have to date or something…we have to do something to finalize it and make it seem like it wasn’t just a whim.  I mean it when I say, I love you…”

“Do you really love me?”  Harry asked incredibly.

“More than anything, well perhaps Charmain.”

“Good because I was feeling like showing you just how much I love you, but I wasn’t going to without a mutual feeling,” Harry said and brought her back to him for another kiss this time it was much longer than the first and she tasted him finding that there was no trace of firewhiskey on his breath.  He was just drunk on her. “Three…”

“Oh, my…where did you learn how to do that,” Hermione said in reference to the way he sent a shiver and a shot of heat straight up her spine with every time their lips met.

“It’s called passion Hermione,” Harry answered.  Then Hermione took initiative and swung a leg to the other side of his hips and gingerly straddled his lap. 

It surprised Harry to no end the way her curiosity and bravery always seemed to jump in at all the right times. 

“Is that a yes to being my wife?”  Harry laughed and Hermione shifted her weight around making him groan. 

“We’ll see,” Hermione, said and Harry wasted no time in dragging her lips back to his just to engulf himself with her scent and taste. Her hair was everywhere and he dug his large hands into it feeling the soft strands sift between his fingers.

Hermione mewed at his soft touch.  He was so gentle it killed her. 

“Jeesh, Harry I’m not made of glass,” Hermione said when there was a break in kissing.  She had been counting too, and they were now up to twenty-two. 

Harry roughly grabbed her arse and carried her into her bedroom and threw her down on the bed making Hermione laugh.  He pounced on top of her and continued where they left off only now he began peeling the clothes away from her body.

Charmain had woken up when Harry came home and stood at the top of the stairs listening until they went into Hermione’s bedroom.  Then she crept to the door when she noticed Harry had left his wand on the counter and Hermione’s was in the holder by the coat rack.  She thought it would be quite funny if they got stuck in Hermione’s room together until she got them out.  Uncle Ron had said he would pick her up at nine to go to a Cannons’ practice so she thought perhaps when she got back from that.  So she touched her hand to the doorknob and then quickly ran back to her bedroom. 

After tasting every inch of each other and pushing their quota of kisses to over a hundred, Harry and Hermione were ready for the final step.

“Harry this is my first…”

“I know, but I didn’t want to make you nervous,” Harry said kissing her.

“I’m not, but I just thought you should know.”  Hermione said blushing a thousand shades of crimson.

“Just let me find my wand…” Harry said searching the room for wherever his wand might’ve been thrown so he could cast a contraceptive charm.  “Um, Hermione…”

“What?”  Hermione asked hoping he hadn’t changed his mind.

“I can’t find my wand to cast the charm,” Harry said sheepishly.  He felt like he was seventeen again. 

“That’s okay, wait…mine’s in the holder by the door.”

“Well, I’ll go get it just a moment,” Harry said trying to think back to wear he might’ve put his.  He guessed he must’ve left it in the apartment, but he hadn’t ever done that…ever he had always slept with his wand, just in case. 

He put his pants on, which was very awkward and tried to turn the doorknob. 

“Hermione your door locks from the inside right?”  Harry asked referring to the muggle mechanism that locked her door.

“Yes, and I always put a locking charm on it at night, but I stopped doing that when Charmain moved in.”

“I can’t open the door.  It’s charmed,” Harry said looking into Hermione’s eyes. “It’s impossible to open without a wand.”

“Harry you can’t be serious.”

“Hermione I wouldn’t joke about this,” Harry said flatly.

“Harry I don’t keep muggle condoms or anything…I don’t know what we should do,” Hermione said still in the bed and looking as disheveled as Harry could’ve possibly made her, because he was always liked her like that. 

“We don’t have to do anything, but I mean it would be weird to just…”  Harry said getting back into bed.

“Keep going,” Hermione finished.

“No, I meant it would be weird to…”

“Don’t say that word.”

“What weird?”

“No, don’t say stop.  I don’t want you to stop,” Hermione said looking up into his eyes with a pleading cinnamon gaze.

“You know that if we do you could get…”

“I know.”

“You know that if you do I’d still love you, and maybe then you’d marry me sooner.”

“What about Charmain?”

“I think Charmain planned it,” Harry laughed.  He turned out the lights again with a bit of wandless magic.

“Did you try…”

“Charmain casts really good locking charms.  I can only cast alohamora without my wand and it didn’t work,” Harry said brushing his lips across Hermione’s pulse point on her neck until he reached her lips again. 

“Just make me yours Harry,”  Hermione whispered.

It was one of the oddest nights, but one of the most magical.  When they were one there was nothing else in the world that mattered more to them than the other half and lying there after Harry had fallen asleep on her chest Hermione knew that there was one thing that was certain.  If she wasn’t completely and helplessly in love with Harry she would’ve told him to stop, but now she couldn’t imagine what it would be like if he had.  With that thought, she fell into slumber wondering what fate would bring them the following morning.