A/N: ACK! I didn't want to start a shipping war! I understand how many of you want instant gratification with H/Hr, but like real life, it's not going to happen in this story. I'm sorry if that bothers you, but this is a story explaining everything to Erin. Explaining who her biological mother is and what happened that caused those 5 years before she was born to be 'stricken' from history, so to speak. It's not about Harry and Hermione finding love and, oh, here's a 3 page footnote saying that Tonks is her mother... it *should* technically be the other way around, but I'm not giving just a 3 page 'Harry & Hermione get together' footnote, they have a few chapters, which can be as long as 100 pages if I wanted, dedicated to how they coped with everything and finally got together. So, back to Erin's story... :) Thanks, by the way, to izzieq for the wonderfully long analyses of the story and the full support of why I wrote what I did. Thanks to everyone else, of course, for leaving such wonderful words in your reviews! :)
The first day was spent acclimating themselves to the heat by not wearing any clothes and exercising in a most romantic manner on several occasions. Once the sun had gone down, Harry and Tonks spent a few hours watching the stars from a hammock just outside their door. They made love under the stars and woke when the first rays of dawn struck their nude forms the next morning.
Neither had actually been on holiday before, Harry having gone through school to fight Voldemort then directly into Auror training, and Tonks spending most of those early years as one of Harry's guardians, keeping him safe. After Harry's completion of training, and many times during it, they were partnered and sent on mission after mission without reprieve.
Those thoughts behind him, Harry smiled happily at the woman who was running down to the crystal blue water for a quick morning swim where she turned and waved to him before a wave caught her from behind. He laughed heartily at the sight and ran down to help her up and join in the fun. For the first time in Harry's life, he felt more complete than he had ever been, save when he was with his best friends, but that relationship had ended far too soon for his liking. When Hermione returned to his life, he was confused and though she knew how he felt, she still remained at arms length.
The more time he'd spent with Tonks, a woman who loved him in return and understood how he felt in the same way that Hermione did, the more he realized how lucky he was. Harry Potter was elated to have won the heart of the woman who was now rolling in the sand and kissing him passionately under the hot, Caribbean sun.
Over the months since they admitted how they felt, Harry had realized how much he wanted Tonks in his life, not as a partner for sexual purposes, not as merely a friend; Harry realized that he wanted this woman to be his wife and the ring he'd found that day in Hogsmeade solidified that belief.
It was the last night of their trip, the couple having enjoyed another relaxing day basking in the sun and frolicking in the ocean surf. Tonks was back at their hut getting ready to go out as Harry waited for her outside. He was nervously playing with the small velvet box that he'd purchased a few weeks ago and wondering what was taking her so long to meet him.
"Love?" he called into the hut as he walked up to the door. "Are you ready to go yet?" Silence was the reply he received and Harry frowned in concern. He gripped his wand and slowly opened the door. Nobody was in the common room and he looked to the light in the bedroom. "Marion?"
No answer issued forth so he crept to the bathroom quietly to make sure that nobody was hiding there. With nobody lurking in the shadows, he turned his attention to the bedroom. His eyes widened in surprise and he dropped his wand when he saw who was waiting for him.
"H-Hermione?" he asked incredulously. "Where's Marion? Why are you here?" He noticed she'd been crying and walked over to her cautiously. "What's wrong?"
"Is this what you really want?" Hermione asked quietly, motioning to herself.
"What are you talking about?" Harry asked bewildered. "You're my friend..."
Hermione looked to him with anger burning in her eyes and fresh tears flowing down her cheeks as she shoved a piece of parchment in his chest. "You know perfectly well what I'm talking about!" she yelled at him. "Is this what you want? This?!" she said angrily and motioned to herself.
Harry looked from the crumpled paper to his screaming friend. "What's gotten in to you?" he asked in confusion. Taking a step back he glanced at the paper.
My Dearest Harry,
I'm sorry if sending you this letter gets you into trouble, I know Hedwig stands out but she wouldn't let
me use any of the school owls...
I hope your mission is going well, school just let out for us and I'll be spending Christmas with my parents
for the first time in five years! I hoped that you could be there with me, and James and Marion have accepted an
invitation for my family's Christmas feast...
I've got to stop this rambling business. Remember when I asked you to be patient with me? I know it hurt you to
hear those words and I still need time, but I really need to talk with you, Harry...
Harry stopped reading and looked to his friend. "Why did you bring this to me yourself?"
"I didn't!" Hermione growled and pointed to the snowy owl perched in the corner. "Hedwig just brought that by!"
Something in her voice caught Harry's attention and he looked at Hermione with a glint of irritation. "Why?" he asked quietly, trying to keep the anger out of his voice. "Why change into Hermione when I've told you that I love you?" His voice trembled with anger and he threw the now crumpled parchment to the floor.
"You don't really want me!" Tonks said, reverting to her normal self and wiping away the tears on her cheeks. "You've been in love with her for six years!"
"Marion," Harry said warningly as Tonks reluctantly morphed into her alter ego, "how many times do I have to tell you that I love you?"
"You read the letter!" Tonks said sadly. "She wants you... Can't you see that?"
"And I want you," Harry said tenderly, pulling her into his arms. She didn't resist but didn't hug him in return. "Love," he whispered in her ear, "she was too slow this time; I've already made up my mind..." Tonks pulled away and looked to the floor. "I chose you," he whispered as he cupped her chin and lifted her face so their eyes would meet.
She smiled slightly then tears began to fall again as her smile fell. "I have to tell you something, Harry," she whispered as she reverted to her normal self. Harry's eyes went wide for a moment before casting every privacy spell he knew on the room. He morphed to his natural form and motioned for her to sit on the bed, which she did.
"I have something to talk to you about as well..." he said seriously, shoving his hand in his pocket and gripping the box that lay dormant within its depths. Tonks looked up at him when the tone in his voice changed.
"What is it?" she asked quietly, seeing the look in his face.
"We've known each other for what, six years now?" He asked as he began to pace before her. She nodded though he had asked the question rhetorically. "We've been through more together than any two people should have. My friends, when I was in school, being the only ones who shared as much as we do, but we've shared so much more...
"I've lost count of the number of assignments where you and I were paired together as a married couple or as teenagers who were dating in that one Muggle school... Three years ago we stopped being partners or just friends and became more. I-I didn't know what to label it at the time, it just felt wonderful to have someone in my life, to comfort me and hold me like you did..."
"You did the same for me, Harry," Tonks said quietly, her heart beating faster and faster with each step that Harry took. The entire time her face grew more and more confused as his speech continued. "What are you trying to say?"
He saw the surprise in her eyes when he stopped abruptly in front of her and settled down on one knee. Harry withdrew a black, velvet box from his pocket and presented it to her. "What I'm trying to say is..." he said shakily as his trembling hand lifted the lid to reveal the dual diamond engagement ring inside, "Nymphadora Tonks, will you do me the honor of marrying me?"
Harry's world suddenly slowed to a dreaded silence that matched the pace of a snail on valium. The woman he'd just proposed to was sitting in front of him with wide eyes and a gaping mouth, clearly bewildered at the turn of events that had just unfolded.
"W-what?" she whispered dumbly, the ringing silence that had settled in his ears was wiped away by the booming sound of her voice.
"I just asked if you would marry me," Harry said even more nervously than when he'd asked the first time. "I know that it's sudden, we've only been 'together' for a few months..." he started to mumble incoherently.
"Yes."
"And with everything that's going on..." He looked to her watering eyes as he stopped talking. "Did you just say?"
Tonks nodded. "But before we go any further, I have to talk to you about something important," she said seriously. "Decide if you still want to marry me afterwards..." Harry nodded quietly and didn't move, waiting for Tonks to continue. She cleared her throat and looked to the ring that was glittering in the box, tempting her to keep her mouth shut, but she sighed instead. "Promise me you won't be angry," she said quietly, not meeting his gaze.
"What is it?" he asked.
Tonks looked him in the eyes. "Promise," she pleaded, taking his hand in hers.
Harry gulped and nodded. "I promise," he whispered.
It took her a few seconds to collect herself then she cleared her throat nervously. "R-remember when I went to Madam Pomfrey's for a refill on m-my potions?" she stammered, looking back to the ring that was still enticing her.
"Yes?" Harry prompted with a raised eyebrow. "You told me that she would Floo them to you..."
"Actually, I-I didn't need them anymore," she said quickly, tears starting to well in her eyes again.
"How could you not need them?" Harry asked incredulously. "I saw you taking them each week like normal."
"Well, that was water, actually..." Tonks said nervously, Harry could feel the perspiration begin to bead on her palms. "I couldn't take the birth control potions because it would hurt the baby..."
"Hurt the..." Harry's arms dropped to his sides as he looked at Tonks, so stunned that his jaw went slack. "Baby?" he whispered quietly.
"I'm so sorry," she cried, reaching for his shoulders and latching onto them. "I built up an immunity to the batch I was taking and I was three weeks along by time I had my first examination... Please say something..." she pleaded when he continued to stare at her, trying to process the information he'd just been given.
"W-we could have lost our jobs..." he whispered after a moment.
Tonks winced and bowed her head. "I know... I should have listened to you..."
"We're going to have a baby..." Harry said again, a slight smile hitching on his lips.
"Yes, I'm pregnant, I screwed up, alright?!" Tonks said frustratingly, snapping her head up to look at Harry. "I said I was..." She was cut off by a pair of lips pressing against hers. Tonks was shocked, to say the least, and her eyes remained wide, even as Harry pulled back, revealing a broad smile. "Wha... You... You're ok with this?" she asked in a state of shock.
"It's earlier than I would have expected," Harry said as he cupped her cheek, "and since you said yes, we should be fine with the division."
"What?" she asked, her turn to be confused.
Harry took the ring from its box and slipped it on Tonks' finger, smiling the entire time. "We're engaged," Harry explained in a low voice, "and according to regulations, we can't be fired for your pregnancy or our actions over the past three years." He kissed her tenderly, feeling her relax into him. "We'll be married, and we're going to have a family..."
Tears fell freely from Tonks' eyes again, looking from the ring to Harry's beaming face. "Why?" she asked simply, looking deeply into his twinkling eyes.
"I love you," Harry said with a smile, "and I realized that I want you as my wife. I'd made up my mind long before now..."
"You knew the ring that I liked?" she asked again, dumbstruck as she looked at the ring on her trembling hand.
"I guess it proves we were meant to be together," Harry said with a shrug, his smile firmly in place. "I saw it in the window and knew it was made for you..."
"But... what about Hermione?" Tonks asked quietly. "She loves you..."
"I'm sure she'll understand and come to accept us..." Harry said with a reassuring kiss to her forehead. "We were friends, first and foremost, and I don't plan on losing her as a friend. I'm sure she won't be happy initially, but she'll be fine with it in time..."
"Harry, you don't understand," Tonks said emphatically. She retrieved the crumpled letter and handed it back to Harry. "Read it..."
Harry looked at her with mild irritation but unfolded the parchment and reread Hermione's latest correspondence.
My Dearest Harry,
I'm sorry if sending you this letter gets you into trouble, I know Hedwig stands out but she wouldn't let
me use any of the school owls...
I hope your mission is going well, school just let out for us and I'll be spending Christmas with my parents
for the first time in five years! I hoped that you could be there with me, and James and Marion have accepted an
invitation for my family's Christmas feast...
I've got to stop this rambling business. Remember when I asked you to be patient with me? I know it hurt you to
hear those words and I still need time, but I really need to talk with you, Harry. I've missed you so much over the
last five years but that's nothing compared to now. I really need to see you more than an hour a day, when we do
see each other. I know that you're on assignment and undercover but I'm feeling so lonely and depressed...
It's worse than when I was with Ro... him.
James and Marion have been wonderful friends and I couldn't ask for any two people who are so supportive and
understanding. But they're not you, Harry. Nobody in this world is you...
Please, come and see me on Christmas if you can't come sooner. I want to talk to you about everything. About
you, me, us, him, Tonks, what happened to our friendship but most of all, I just really need to see you.
Please say you'll come... I couldn't bear it if you didn't...
With much love from
Hermione
"You see," Tonks said with a sniff. "She's not going to be happy about this... about us, Harry. Hermione may only be your friend, but she's finally starting to wake up... she'll be devastated."
Harry stood and began pacing around the bedroom. "I know she's not going to be happy at first," he said with a sigh, "but with time, things will smooth out." Harry turned to Tonks and guided her into his arms. "But she's going to have to realize that I love you, we're getting married, and we're having a baby..." he said hoarsely. "I'm going to be a father!"
Tonks smiled at him compassionately and nodded. "You're going to be a dad," she said soothingly.
"And you're going to be a mum!" Harry said with a laugh.
"Is there something funny about that?!" she asked with a playful scowl but joined in the laughter before Harry kissed her passionately.
"From where I'm standing, everything's as it should be," he whispered seriously. "We only have tonight before we head back... why don't we celebrate and enjoy ourselves while we can? We can deal with everything else when we get back..."
"But how are we going to tell Hermione about us?" Tonks asked worriedly.
Harry morphed into his persona as James and watched as Tonks followed suit as Marion. "Why don't we worry about it when we cross that bridge?" he asked tenderly. "I know we can't put it off... I have an idea: I'll tell her when I go see her on Christmas... how about that?"
Tonks smiled slightly and nodded her agreement. "It's only four days away," she said as Harry hugged her. "Now, about that dinner and celebration..."
Harry smirked and offered Tonks his arm. She accepted it gladly and the newly engaged couple set out for the final night of their holiday.
"Love, the Portkey activates in five minutes!" Harry called from the common room of their hut. "What's taking so long?"
"Almost done!" Tonks replied from the bedroom. With less than a minute to spare, she stumbled through the door with everything she'd be bringing back floating behind her. "Sorry... It's getting harder to bend over..." Tonks said and smiled apologetically.
"But you're barely showing," Harry said with slight laugh.
"You try and bend over when your stomach feels like you've just eaten a turkey... by yourself!" Tonks said irritably.
Harry gathered their luggage and Hedwig with a slight sigh. "I'm sorry if I've made you angry..."
"I'm not angry," Tonks said again. "We're going home and there's a lot we have to deal with when we get there!"
"I know, but everything will be fine," Harry said comfortingly as they both took hold of the large conch shell they'd salvaged from the ocean the night before. Almost immediately, Harry felt the all-too-familiar hook behind his navel and the three of them shot forward in portkey fashion. They landed with a thump in their sitting room and Harry was just able to catch Tonks before she tripped over her luggage.
"Thanks, Love," she said with a grateful smile. Hedwig silently flitted upstairs just before their house sitter emerged from the kitchen.
"How was your trip?!" Hermione squealed as she wrapped her arms first around Tonks then Harry in greeting. "You both look like you've gotten loads of sun!"
"It was the most relaxing week of my life!" Tonks said with a sad smile as she looked at the beaming Hermione.
"What's wrong?" Hermione asked worriedly, looking between Harry and Tonks. "Did something happen?"
"I'm just upset that I had to leave the beach," Tonks lied. "I really hate the snow and cold..."
"That she does," Harry said with a comforting squeeze of her shoulder. "I was hoping a week away from the snow would help..."
"It did, Love," Tonks said with a smile. "I should get my bags upstairs..."
"I've got them," Harry said quickly, bending to pick up their bags before Tonks could even move. "Why don't you two sit down, I'll be back in a second..." Harry took the bags upstairs rather swiftly and fetched an owl treat for Hedwig. "Sorry, Hedwig," Harry said quietly. "I didn't have any treats with me on our trip, can you forgive me?"
His response came as a gentle nipping at his finger and Harry smiled brightly at the snowy owl. He stroked her head softly before returning to the sitting room. There was a large blaze already dancing in the fireplace and Tonks was talking to Hermione in the sofa that faced it.
"The Caribbean?!" Hermione asked scandalously, looking at Harry with an approving smile. Harry caught a glimpse of something in her eyes as she forcibly widened her smile followed by a forced laugh.
"It was so beautiful," Tonks crooned with a dreamy look in her eyes. "I can still smell the ocean and feel the warm sand on my feet..."
"That sand was hot!" Harry said with a laugh as he sat in a chair off to the side. "I think I preferred the hammock right outside the door..."
"Or swimming in the crystal blue waters..." Tonks sighed happily.
Harry had been watching Hermione throughout the conversation and noted her demeanor was slowly slipping from happiness to depression. He glanced at Tonks, catching her eye, and his fiancée caught on immediately. She looked properly at Hermione and noticed how white and thin she'd become. Hermione was doing a good job at covering it up, but the darker outlines under her eyes spoke volumes.
"What's wrong, Hermione?" Tonks asked quietly. She gently laid a hand on her friend's knee and Harry noted tears forming in her eyes.
"Oh, just more stuff about Harry," Hermione said quietly. "I just miss him... more than I thought I would." She looked to her two friends and smiled softly. "It's nothing to worry about, I asked him to owl me about visiting this Christmas, but I haven't heard anything from him yet... I usually get a reply straight away, but he must be deep undercover or something's happened-"
"I'm sure nothing's happened," Tonks interrupted before Hermione could follow that train of thought further. "He's probably just busy; he is an Auror after all..."
"You're right," Hermione said with a sigh. "I know you're right... I just never thought I'd miss him this much..." she looked pleadingly to Tonks' eyes. "Do you think I could be in love with him?" she asked in a whisper.
Tonks was taken aback by the bluntness of the question and Harry could literally see her fight to remain calm. "You might be," Harry offered, taking Hermione's attention from Tonks. "Have you thought about the possibility?"
Hermione nodded slowly. "It's been on my mind since the night after Ron came for me," she said softly. "W-we almost kissed, I spoke with Marion... but I asked him to wait."
"Well," Tonks said experimentally. "W-what would you do if he happened to be with someone else?"
"What?" Hermione asked in surprise. "I-I really hadn't thought about that..." She looked worried for a moment. "Harry's very close with his partner..."
"If he and his partner were together," Harry prompted, "how would you react?" he asked, fighting down the nervousness that was seeping into him. He glanced at Tonks and saw she was doing her best to keep her tears at bay.
Hermione sat silent for a few minutes, pulling absently at her lower lip as she mulled the question over in her mind. She sighed and looked back at Harry. "If Harry was happy, I'd be happy for him," she said quietly.
"But it would kill you," Tonks said just as quietly.
Hermione nodded. "We were never more than best friends," she admitted, her voice not rising above the volume of a whisper, "but he said he loved me..." A tear finally broke from the restraint of Hermione's eyelid and splashed helplessly on her cheek. "I asked him to wait, but I might have had him waiting too long..."
Harry sighed solemnly and before he knew what he was doing took her hand. "I'm sorry..."
Tonks and Hermione both looked up to him at the same time. Hermione smiled at him softly and Tonks' eyes were wide with warning.
"It's not your fault, James," Hermione said with a slightly nervous laugh then squeezed his hand gently and released it. "But thank you for your sympathy." Tonks' warning look rapidly changed to a covert glare and Harry sat back with a red face. "If I want Harry in my life," Hermione continued with a resigned look and a hint of defeat laced in her voice, "then I'm going to accept him for who he is, whether or not he's with someone other than me..." An egg timer went off in the kitchen just as Hermione finished speaking and she shot from her chair in panic. "I almost forgot the food!"
She raced into the kitchen, Harry and Tonks following behind her curiously. "Food?" Harry asked as they stepped into the kitchen.
"A surprise for you two when you got home," Hermione said hurriedly as she lifted pot lids and flipped a few tuna steaks. "I thought it would be nice for you to come home to tea ready and waiting..."
"We don't deserve all this," Tonks said haltingly. Harry put an arm around her, bracing for the stream of tears that were ready to spill from her eyes.
"You two are the best friends I have right now," Hermione said with a caring smile. "You've saved my sanity on countless occasions and my life on one... The least I can do is cook for you every once in a while and that's not even repaying an ounce of what you've given me."
Tonks nodded as the tears began flowing then quickly went up the stairs to their bedroom. Hermione looked at James in confusion and he shrugged. "She's been very emotional for the past week or two," he said with an apologetic smile. "Keep at it; we'll be back down good as new..."
Hermione nodded reluctantly. "I hope it wasn't anything I said," she whispered, afraid that her confession had some strange adverse affect on her newfound friend.
"I don't think it was," Harry lied as he turned to the steps. "We'll be back in a few minutes..."
Harry entered their bedroom to see Tonks lying on their bed weeping silently. Without a word, he sat next to her and drew her into a tender hug.
"I feel so foolish!" she hissed as he wiped her tears away gently. "I told you," she whispered.
"You did," Harry said quietly and kissed her forehead. "But you heard her, if she found out, she'd support us..."
"But the hurt in her eyes... And you almost gave everything away!" Tonks hissed.
"I didn't know what I was doing, but it turned out fine in the end," Harry replied with a slight smile.
She frowned in response to his chiding. "This isn't funny! We can't let anyone know!"
"I know that," Harry said quietly. "What I'm saying is she thinks of us as such good friends that my apology was something she might have expected... listen, I'll write her in the morning and on Christmas let her know that we're engaged. Why don't we try to enjoy that secret of ours while we can?"
Tonks sighed once again and wiped her eyes. "Look, I know you're not going to run off on me and I'm sorry I'm so jealous... I remember the problems you had when you told me about Madam Puddifoot's and... Cho was it?" she asked and Harry nodded. "Hermione's my friend as well and this is going to be really hard to deal with..."
"I know," Harry whispered with a kiss to her temple.
"Can you forgive me for being jealous of her?" Tonks asked quietly. "I just can't help it... but I don't want you to lose her as a friend..."
"There's nothing to forgive," he said with a slight smile. "You've known how I've felt about her for ages and I can't expect that knowledge to just fly out of your head. Just try to control it?"
"I-I will," she stuttered, hugging him tightly. "It's hard, but I will... for you."
Harry kissed her gently on the lips before pulling back and smiling at the woman in his arms. "Then why don't we have something to eat and we'll work on this together?"
Tonks smiled genuinely for the first time since they'd gotten back and nodded quietly. They made their way back to the kitchen where a nervous Hermione was pacing back and forth, having already plated the food. She looked up tenuously as Harry and Tonks entered and smiled hopefully at her two friends.
"Is everything ok?" she asked quietly. "I didn't say anything to upset you, did I?"
Tonks shook her head and wrapped Hermione in a hug. "Everything's fine. I just seem to cry at the drop of a hat these days." Hermione rubbed her friend's back soothingly and released a sigh of relief. "Why don't we eat this wonderful meal you've cooked for us?"
Hermione smiled brightly as they took their seats. She spent most of the meal talking animatedly about some wizarding dishes she'd discovered in a rarely used cookbook in Harry's library. Hermione went on about how she'd modified a few recipes with a bit of French and Japanese ingredients and to her delight, Harry and Tonks approved tremendously of her work.
Night settled quickly on the small wizarding village and after glasses of wine by the fire-Tonks had insisted on pumpkin juice-Hermione took her leave. Long after she had left, Harry and Tonks lie awake in their bed whispering about the turn their lives had made. To her amusement, Harry was eager to start buying toys for his daughter.
"I think he will want a broom and a Quidditch training kit," Tonks said with a giggle.
"She can play Quidditch all she likes," Harry said with a laugh, "but I'm going to dote on my baby girl!"
"Are you ready for a daughter?" Tonks asked with a chuckle. "You know, she'll eventually start dating-"
"She's not dating until she's thirty!" Harry said adamantly. "And any bloke who lays a hand on her is going to answer-"
"Settle down, Love," Tonks giggled after a kiss to his cheek. "You don't have to worry about that anyway because we're going to have a boy!"
"Girl."
"Goodnight, Love," Tonks said with a roll of her eyes and a slight smile. "Hermione's coming back over in the morning to help finish up the last room..."
"You still want to go with the pastels?" he asked with a snicker, wrapping an arm around her protectively as he snuggled into her back.
"They're warm and cozy like a sunny meadow," Tonks said with a sleepy yawn. Harry nodded his agreement and no further words were spoken as they both fell fast asleep.
Harry found himself awake bright and early the next day. Tonks was still far beyond the reaches of consciousness so he let her sleep as long as she could. Harry had two things that were firmly implanted in his mind: first, he had to write to Hermione and second, he was going to spend as much time as he could in a wizarding toy store down the road from their house. After getting ready for his outing, Harry quickly scrawled a note to Hermione.
Hermione,
I'm sorry I haven't been in contact often enough but I will come visit on Christmas. We do need to talk,
about everything, and I hope we can clear things up then.
Say 'hello' to your parents and the Bakers for me!
Harry
Hedwig seemed anxious to deliver whatever Harry had in his hands and with a hoot, flew out the window as quickly as she could. The white owl disappeared almost immediately into the heavy snowfall and Harry made sure to bundle up before leaving the house.
He returned a few hours later carrying a single, small bag. Most observers would think that he'd spent quite a bit of time shopping for the perfect gift, but in the wizarding world the bag told a different story.
This particular bag had the same amount of space as that of a small room, approximately the size of the soon-to-be nursery they were preparing to paint later that day. Inside that virtually room-sized bag lay packages of nappies, furniture, stuffed toys, teething rings, and several other baby accouterments.
Harry huffed as he stepped back in the house and hung his heavy, wool cloak on a nearby peg. He stopped and smiled with wind-burnt cheeks at the woman who made him the happiest man on the planet.
"Where did you go?" Tonks asked with a slightly curious smile.
"I just went to the store," he replied with a devilish grin. "But you can't look... It's a surprise!"
"You know I hate surprises!" Tonks said impatiently but her beaming smile told a different story. "What did you get?!" she asked with an eager laugh.
"You'll just have to wait," he retorted and shrunk the bag down to fit in his pocket. She started for him but his quick reflexes and raised eyebrow stopped her. Before she knew what had happened, Harry had her arms pinned to her sides in a gentle, yet strong, hug.
"Let me go!" she said in an attempt to sound menacing but she squealed at his sudden kiss to her neck. "JAMES!" she squealed again when he picked her up and started for the stairs. Just as his foot landed on the first rise, however, a knock came at the door. "Go get the door, you prat!" she scolded playfully and he obeyed the command.
"Good morning, James!" Hermione said with a bright smile. She looked far happier than he'd remembered seeing her since he'd realized how deep his feelings for Tonks were.
"Good morning," Harry returned with a laugh as she happily hugged him then moved to Tonks. "You're certainly looking better today!"
"Harry finally owled me this morning," Hermione said with a wide smile. "He's coming to see me!" she said with a near laugh to her voice.
"That's great!" Harry said with a bright grin. He glanced at Tonks who hugged Hermione close with a bright, fake, smile plastered on her face.
"I hope things work out for you!" Tonks said as she pulled back. "How about we have some breakfast before we paint the last room?"
"I'm famished, Love," Harry said, grabbing his stomach as if he hadn't eaten in days, eliciting a snort of laughter from Hermione that infected Tonks.
Breakfast had ended hours ago. The time since then had been spent in the final bedroom of the modest house. Setting down the rollers and paint brushes, the three friends stepped back and admired their handiwork.
"These pastels make me feel warm and safe," Hermione sighed contentedly as she took in the room. "The yellows and baby blues are just wonderful." Hermione looked over at Harry and Tonks and smiled wanly. They were leaning against one another with curious smiles on their faces and Hermione gasped.
"What's wrong?" Tonks asked, startled.
"Marion?" Hermione asked, the glee nearly bursting from her. "Are you pregnant?"