~A/N> (HUGS) to all of you that read and reviewed the last chapter. It made me feel a bit better seeing that the
chapter helped you forget about HBP for a little while. After the comments Jo has made this week, I just want to say
that I am so proud to be a part of this ship. Everyone on this site and on the Live Journal communities was of course
angered by what was said, but you took it with dignity and a maturity that will put R/Hr and H/G shippers to shame :) I
want to say thanks to Poppywillow and a big thank-you to ChaserKT, who helped me work out a part of this chapter that I
was having major trouble with. Happy reading!!
The following morning was an exercise in bashfulness. Harry and Hermione had awoke in a tangle; Hermione was facing Harry and he was facing her, with his arm wrapped tightly around her waist and her legs entwined with his. The moment the two of them opened their eyes, bright green met chocolate brown and both had a look of confusion on their faces for just a moment. When it dawned on them that they were in a very...familiar...sleeping position, the two of them untangled and rolled to opposite sides of the bed.
As Hermione swung her feet over the edge of the bed she grabbed her robe off the post of the bed where she had hung it the night before and quickly put it on. Harry also swung his feet over the side of the bed and sat running his hand through his hair and over his face sleepily. Reaching out toward the nightstand, he felt around until his hand came in contact with his glasses and he groggily put them on. He felt the bed shift as Hermione's weight was lifted off of it and he looked behind him to see her going into the bathroom. He took a moment to remember the way he had woke up and a small smile formed on his lips. Of the few times he had girls stay the night, he had never had the experience he had just had with Hermione; when he opened his eyes and realized how close together they were, how he had slept with his arm around her, he couldn't remember a time when he had felt so at peace, so rested...it had just felt right to wake up next to her.
While Harry mused over what had just happened, Hermione was doing the same thing in the bathroom. She stood in front of the mirror staring at her bedraggled image and chastised herself for feeling the way she was feeling at the moment. 'How stupid was I to think that I could sleep next to him and not feel anything' she thought angrily as she pulled and yanked a brush through her bushy hair. Deciding it was a lost cause she slammed the brush down onto the bathroom counter and felt tears spring to her eyes. She had just had the best sleep of her life and had woken up in the arms of a man she was falling in love with...and she had never felt so confused before in her entire life. 'How can I let myself fall for him after I swore not to get involved with anyone anytime soon?' she silently asked herself, 'After the way Michel treated me, I'd be better off by myself, raising my baby. But Harry is such a wonderful person...' Shaking her head to ward off anymore thoughts, she ran some cold water and splashed her face so as to erase the lingering sleepiness she felt.
When she walked out of the bathroom Harry was walking toward her bedroom door. Not knowing what to say, she watched him quietly as she longed to call out to him to stay...she wanted nothing more than to crawl back into bed and curl up next to him again. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt so calm or had slept so peacefully.
Harry could feel her presence behind him and knew he should have went back to his own room sooner. Stopping in mid-stride, he turned to face her and smiled awkwardly. "Um, I was just going to go to my room and take a shower," he explained, looking anywhere but at her.
"Oh, okay," she replied, watching him closely. She knew this would happen; he was acting strange and uncomfortable, and he couldn't seem to get away from her fast enough.
As if sensing her self-doubt, he walked up to her and ran his hand slowly up and down her arm. "How are you feeling this morning?" he asked, the concern in his voice almost undoing the calm facade she was trying so hard to keep.
"I'm better," she replied, "thank you Harry...for staying with me."
"Anytime," he answered honestly, "I have to admit, that's the best night's sleep I've had since I defeated Voldemort...actually the best night's sleep I've had, ever."
A genuine smile shone on her face at his comment and she said, "I can't remember the last time I slept so well either."
Smiling at her with a smile that lit up his eyes and all semblance of awkwardness gone now that it seemed nothing had changed, Harry said, "I'm going to shower and dress for the day...how about we have lunch out this afternoon?"
"That sounds wonderful," she replied happily, "I'll be ready in half an hour."
"It's a date," he said and then walked out of the room, his steps seeming just a bit lighter than they had before.
~*~
That night together in the same bed seemed to change the relationship between Harry and Hermione, but it was a change that neither of them noticed. Edna, on the other hand, couldn't help but feel happy for her favorite employee.
"Look at the two of you," she commented one afternoon, "You're so...comfortable with each other. And you take every available chance to touch one another."
Hermione, knee deep in Christmas decorations and seven months pregnant, looked at Edna and said, "What are you on about?" Harry, who was using his wand to hang garland and make a pile of paper mache Santa's and trees float near the ceiling, took his eyes off his work to give Edna a questioning look of his own.
"I'm sorry," Edna said, looking from Harry to her, "I get all sentimental this time of year. I miss my Charles so much...it just gets lonely at times." Blinking rapidly, Edna smiled and with an obviously fake laugh said, "Don't mind me, I'm just rambling on like an old loon."
Harry and Hermione's looks dissolved into one's of sympathy for their dear friend. Hermione dropped the string of beads she had been holding and walked over to Edna, wrapping her in as much of a hug as her stomach would let her give. "Why don't you come spend Christmas with Harry and I?" she asked, "You could stay with us Christmas Eve...we're having everyone over for a huge dinner...and then Christmas morning we're going to open presents and then make our way to the Weasleys."
When Edna looked unsure Harry said, "You should spend Christmas with us, we would love to have you."
"What about your Mother?" Edna asked as she turned toward Hermione, "Will you be spending time with her?"
"I don't plan to," Hermione replied, "I haven't seen or spoken to her since the night she kicked me out."
Edna looked saddened by this, but she had tried to talk to Hermione about her Mum before and it only led to Hermione getting upset, which wasn't good for her or the baby. "Oh alright, you've talked me into it," she said happily. Deciding it was time to clean up and go home she added, "Let's get this stuff put away and go home for the night. Seeing as tomorrow is the twenty-third, we'll probably be busy with last minute shoppers and such."
As the three of them got to work the bell over the door jingled and when Hermione turned to greet the customer she dropped the decorations she was holding in her hand. "Luna?!" Hermione yelled happily as she quickly walked up to her friend and gave her a hug. As Edna greeted Edward, Luna's Father, Ron walked into the shop and stopped in his tracks when he spotted Hermione.
"Great Merlin! I'd ask what you've been up to but it's quite obvious isn't it?" he asked with an expression of surprise on his face as he turned from her to Harry, a snicker making its' way into his voice. "You know, I heard some of the other guys on the team talking about you getting some girl pregnant, but I figured it was all codswallop. But now..." A sad look seemed to cross over his face as his voice dropped off.
"I'm sorry Ron," Hermione said quietly, "I asked Harry and Luna not to say anything."
"You knew?" Ron asked, turning towards his fiancé, his eyes now boring into hers.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you Ronald," Luna replied with an apologetic look and took his hand in hers, "But Hermione was having a rough time of it and I didn't want to break my promise to her."
When Ron looked confused and a little upset, Harry said, somewhat bitterly, "It's not my baby Ron..."
"The baby's father is someone I used to date at Beaubaxtons," Hermione interrupted, "Someone that is no longer in my life." Not meeting anyone's eyes, but instead on her hands that were rubbing circles over her growing belly, she said, "It's not something I'm proud of Ron, and I just didn't want anyone to know. I'm sorry."
Ron's features softened as he said, "No, I'm sorry. It's not my business if you don't want it to be...I didn't mean to bring up anything uncomfortable."
Hermione smiled at him then as Luna hugged him and Harry wrapped his arm around her and asked, "All right then?"
"Yes," she replied quietly, relishing the comfort he brought to her and letting her head rest against his shoulder.
Soon Luna, Ron, and Harry were deep in discussion about what Ron had been up to and what they would be doing for the holidays. While they had been talking Hermione had been watching Edna and Edward. They had been talking quietly to each other since the moment he walked into the shop and they both kept touching each other in such subtle ways that Hermione's breath caught. Any fool could see that they were enamored with one another. Completely unaware of the conversation her friends were having, Hermione's attention was pulled away from the couple when Luna asked, "It's tomorrow night, right Hermione?"
"What?" Hermione asked, turning her attention back to Luna.
"I asked if the dinner party you and Harry are throwing was tomorrow night?" Luna repeated as she turned to look in the direction Hermione had been staring. A warm smile graced her lips as she asked, "They look so happy when they're together, don't they?"
"They look blissfully happy," Hermione agreed, "And no, the dinner party is day after tomorrow." After a moment of contemplation, Hermione asked, "Luna, why don't you bring your Dad along to dinner? We just talked Edna into staying with us overnight on Christmas Eve...having your Dad there would ensure that she has someone her age to talk to."
With a conspiratorial grin on her face that matched Hermione's, Luna replied, "I think that is an excellent idea."
Ron leaned over toward Harry and whispered, "Don't look now mate, but I think the girls are playing matchmakers."
~*~
The next day seemed to fly by thanks to a steady stream of last minute shoppers. Harry had been in and out of the shop all day, trying to make sure he had everything ready for their dinner the following night. The shops were closing early on Christmas Eve and Harry didn't want Hermione to be stressed in any way; unfortunately that was making him more stressed out than he normally would have been.
"Did you order the roast turkey from Neville?" Hermione asked as she rang up another customer.
"Yes," replied Harry.
"Did you pick up the Christmas cake and pudding?"
"Yes."
"The Pumpkin Juice, Butterbeer, and Firewhiskey?"
"Yes."
"The mince pies?"
"Yes."
"Christmas crackers for everyone?"
"Uhhh...no," Harry said sighing, "I'll go get those now."
Hermione smiled as he placed a quick kiss on her cheek and then watched as Harry quickly walked out the door. He looked utterly exhausted, but when she had volunteered to help with the dinner Harry had flat-out said no. He hadn't let her lift a wand or finger to help clean the flat or do any of the shopping to prepare for that night. He said that she was to relax and let him do all the work.
Hermione stood there smiling as the next customer in line walked up to the counter. As she focused her attention on the person in front of her, her smile vanished immediately as she was face-to-face with her Mother.
"Hello Hermione," her Mum said flatly, "All set for the holidays?"
"Hello Mother," she replied just as flatly.
"Still acting like a spoiled child I see," her Mum said.
"Still treating me like a child I see," Hermione shot back, unable to hold back the anger she was feeling.
Looking very unhappy, her Mum started to ask, "Why must you always..."
"Mum, I don't have time to argue with you. It's been a very busy day today and I still have a lot of customers to take care of," Hermione interrupted tiredly, before her Mother could start in on another one of her speeches.
Her Mother closed her mouth and the expression on her face turned sad. "Hermione, it's Christmas...the first one without your Father...it's not right that we're not going to spend it together."
"You don't have to remind me that Dad is gone," Hermione said quietly, "and if you wouldn't have been so hateful and thrown me out, we would be spending Christmas together. Don't try to put any of the blame on me because you're spending the holidays alone...this is all your doing, not mine."
"You're right," her Mum said as tears sprang to her eyes, "I was horrible to you. It's just that...I want you to be able to do anything you want with your life...and that baby has already made you change your plans. You're a strong young woman Hermione, and I didn't want you to think that you needed a man in your life to be happy...I just went about it the wrong way."
"Yes you did," Hermione agreed without a hint of anger in her voice. Looking at her Mum for a moment, she realized how much older she looked since the last time she saw her. Unable to keep up the angry facade, Hermione's features softened as she asked, "Why don't you come over to Harry's flat Christmas morning and have breakfast with Harry, Edna, and me? We're going to open our presents and then go over to the Weasley's house for dinner later that afternoon."
"Are you living with Harry?" her Mother asked incredulously. When Hermione's eyes flashed with anger she said, "I'm sorry, that's none of my business. I would...be glad...to have breakfast with you Christmas morning."
Ignoring the fact that she had completely left Harry and Edna out of her statement, Hermione explained to her how to use the floo to get to the flat. Once she was satisfied that her Mother wouldn't end up in some other families house, they said their goodbye's and Hermione continued working for two more very busy hours; thankfully being busy was keeping her mind off of what a disaster her Mother's visit could turn out to be.