Remembrance

It was a beautiful autumn morning. The leaves were a riot of color in the trees. The sky was a deep periwinkle blue. Hermione Potter stood at the window in her room, looking out at the countryside, her husband still in the bed behind her. She stood there, noticing the similarities between this morning and one fifty years ago . . .

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride," Dumbledore said, smiling. Harry bent down and touched his lips to hers. She had waited for this for years. Her first kiss of married life. "Things are going change," Hermione remembered telling herself. ‘A new beginning for us both . . .’

Things had changed for Hermione over the past fifty years. Her bushy brown hair now contained streaks of gray; small wrinkles lined her face. She had bore and raised three children, and became a grandparent. Yet one thing had remained constant- her love for the man she married that day fifty years ago. The man that was now stirring in their bed . . .

"Happy anniversary, love," he said. Time, too, had taken its toll on Harry Potter. His hair was a mix of salt-and-pepper, and he, like Hermione, had wrinkles. But he was still the same Harry she had met sixty years ago on the Hogwarts Express. He rose from the bed, kissed her forehead, and started dressing.

"What do you think we should do today?" he asked, with a mischievous glint in his still brilliantly green eyes. "If you don’t have any plans, I’ve got a few ideas up my sleeve . . . "

"I just want to spend the day alone with you," Hermione answered, with a smile on her face. "But I’d like to hear what some of your ideas are."

"Well, the first was to have some breakfast. Let’s go down to the kitchen and you can make me some. I’m famished." Harry walked towards the door, dragging Hermione behind him in protest.

"Harry, don’t you think that for our anniversary, we could make breakfast toget-" But she was cut short as Harry swung her up into his arms and started kissing her. He started to make their way down to the kitchen, stumbling on a stair or two, his lips still on hers.

As they rounded through the door to the living room, they were suddenly interrupted by a loud "SURPRISE!" Standing in the room were at least a hundred people, all with huge smiles on their faces. Behind them was a huge banner with the words HAPPY ANNIVERSARY HARRY AND HERMIONE on it. Harry almost dropped Hermione in shock. She turned around, surveying the scene with wide eyes. She got to her feet and stood next to Harry, at a loss for words.

Everyone was there: Their three children- James, Ron, and Lily and their spouses, Sirius, Remus, Arthur, Molly, Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred, and George and their progeny. Ron and Lavender, Draco and Ginny. Their ten grandchildren. Old Hogwarts friends, and people from work- Almost every single person that had meant anything to them during their lives was here, standing in their living room.

Ron came forward to speak to them "Happy anniversary, you two," he said. "Lavender and I thought you might like to have a little party to celebrate, so here we are. We brought some breakfast, want some?"

Harry regained the use of his voice. "Ron, how did you get into the house?" he asked.

Ron laughed. "I apparated, silly, then unlocked the door so everyone could come in. I put a silencing charm on your room so we wouldn’t wake you up."

"Wow, " Hermione said. "Well, everybody, thank you for coming. We really are surprised, and thankful, that we have friends that care enough about us to celebrate our anniversary. Ron, I’m think I’m ready for some breakfast."

"Sure," He said with a grin on his face. "Let’s go." And he led everybody into the kitchen.

The party was unbelievable, and it lasted all day. Harry and Hermione were barraged with well-wishers. Some they hadn’t seen in years, like McGonagall and Oliver Wood. Others they saw only yesterday. After breakfast, the party headed out on the lawn, taking advantage of the mild October day. Children ran around playing tag and catching leaves. There were pick-up games of Quidditch. Families brought presents for Harry and Hermione to open.

Lunch was picnic-style, put together by Molly, Lavender, and Ginny, with sandwiches and pumpkin juice. The afternoon was spent relaxing and strolling through the nearby woods. Dinner was wonderful and included all of Harry and Hermione’s favorite foods. In the evening, George and Ron lit a bonfire, and the adults sat around and talked while the kids roasted marshmallows.

Since most of the day was spent catching up with the lives of the party guests, it was inevitable that the conversation would turn to the man and woman of honor- Harry and Hermione.

"Do you remember your first kiss together?" Lily asked her mother.

"Of course. We were going on one of our walks around the lake and suddenly Harry stopped, and I turned around to say something. Next thing I knew he was kissing me, and I was kissing back."

"How sweet," Lily said as everyone around the fire sighed.

"Hey Lav," Ron asked, "Do you remember the time we caught them snogging in the Astronomy Tower?"

"Sure. The looks on their faces when we walked in were priceless!"

Harry, whose ears were turning pink, retorted, " So, you two were going up there to do the same thing! We just got lucky and beat you to it!"

At that Hermione started giggling and couldn’t stop. "That reminds me of the time when Draco and Ginny took the kids to see the Cannons play. They got back early and found us in the study. . ." She couldn’t finish she was laughing so hard.

Everyone seemed to have a story to tell about one time or another. Some were sweet, some were sad, and some were just plain embarrassing. Harry and Hermione, hand in hand, laughed, sighed, and cried along with the others, remembering the years gone by.

It was almost midnight when everyone had left. Harry and Hermione, happy but tired, retreated to their room, and got ready for bed. As they curled up beside each other under the covers, Harry turned to Hermione and said, "Well, that was a unexpected way to spend the day."

"Yes, but I really enjoyed it. People we hadn’t seen in forever came today to wish us well. It was like a big reunion." She paused and said, "It doesn’t seem like it’s been fifty years."

" I know," he replied. "I’d still think we were thirty if it wasn’t for the gray hair and wrinkles. But you know what?"

"What?"

"It’s been great to spend every minute of it with you."

Hermione leaned over and kissed him. "I love you."

"I love you too."