Hey guys! Sorry it's been awhile but I've been busy. It's kind of difficult to write with my new kitten, he keeps wanting to craw across the pad, so if you see any typos I'm blaming my kitten Harry. Anyway, it's a H/Hr chapter but it's a wee bit short…sorry about that, but it's still a pretty good one I think. Hope you enjoy!!
Chapter 9
It had been awhile since Harry had apparrated in front of his new house, but he had yet to go inside. He couldn't help it, he still couldn't believe the three story red bricked house with black shutters was his. His, Hermione and Ron's.
Hae had only been the owner of the house for a few weeks, but it was amazing how much they had done. It was now completely furnished, except Ron's room since they wanted to let him decorate it himself. Now they were adding little touches here and there to turn the house into a home. He had one of those little touches tucked under his arm which also was a surprise for Hermione.
"I guess I better head in," Harry said. "Merlin knows what project Hermione's working on."
Harry walked up to the porch with white pillars and unclocked the door before stepping in.
"Hermione?" Harry shut the door and looked around to find the dowstairs quiet and empty. "Hermione, you home?"
Harry walked through the large great room and past the kitchen, then was about to head up the stairs when he heard something from out back. He opened the door leading to the back porch that was as wide as the house equipped with patio furniture and ceiling fans turning above him.
He walked down the porch steps to find Hermione kneeling by one of the flower beds holding up a book that was titled, Gardening for Dummies. She had a ridiculous wide brim hat on her head and her hands were covered in dirt and Harry thought she looked ridiculously adorable. "Since when have you considered yourself a dummy?"
"Since I decided to garden the muggle way," she murmured not bothering to put her book down. "It couldn't be going more horribly. It took me three hours to get the bed of daisies finished over by the tree."
Harry looked over at the oak tree in the middle of the yard and the colorful daisies that circled around it. "Well, it looks good to me."
Hermione sighed as she put the book down, revealing a smudge of dirt on her cheek and a bit on her nose. "I don't know what I'm doing, but…oh! Oh, isn't he adorable!"
Harry blinked. "Huh? Who? Oh!" He looked down at the reddish golden retreiver puppy he had tucked under his arm , who had been asleep, but now was squirming to get to Hermione. "She's a girl actually," he said setting her down.
The puppy went straight for her and Hermione giggled when she jumped up on her lap licking her face. "Oh, aren't you sweet."
Harry grinned as he knelt down by them scratching the puppy's ears. "I figured she'd make a great asset to the house."
Hermione's eyes lit up. "Really?" she asked as she scooped her up. "She's ours?"
"Ours to keep."
"Oh Harry, I love her!" she said throwing one oarm around her as the puppy wiggled between them. "And can you be an sweatier?"
Harry winced when she pulled away. "Sorry, but tryouts were exceptionally brutal today."
"When do you find out if you made it?" she asked as she set the puppy on her feet. She ran off through the big yard, tumbling a few times over her feet that she was still learning to use. Crookshanks, who was enjoying a leisurely nap in the sun, arched his back and hissed at the interuder, while the puppy barked and ran around him in circles.
"Actually, the coach told me I for sure made the team, but," he added before she could congratulate him. "So did T.J. who also is a Seeker. Basically, the coach said that we had to fight for the top position. It's not set in stone that I'm going to be the starter. I might be second string."
"I highly doubt that, Harry," Hermione assured him. "You're the best."
"T.J. can hold his own as well," he said watching their new puppy frolic around the yard. "He has just a chance as any. The coach even said he couldn't care less who I was, if I wasn't the best he wasn't going to play me."
Hermione smiled at that. "You like him, don't you?"
Harry grinned, pleased that Hermione understood. "Respect the hell out of him." He then stood up and then took his shirt off his head. "I'm going to cool off in the pool."
Hermione got up as well and followed Harry to the huge pool in the right corner of their yard. It was a decent size pool with rocks surrounding the deep end along with a waterfall pouring into pool. "What are you going to do? Jump in naked?"
Harry chuckled. "Unfortunately for you, no," he said with a wink causing Hermione to roll her eyes. "Just going to jump in with my boxers. Besides, we haven't tried out the pool yet, and I'm anxious to see how it feels."
"I dipped my toe in it earlier," she said sitting on one of the lawn chairs by the pool as she tried not to stare at Harry getting rid of his Quidditch pants. "It was a little cold."
"I'll be the judge of that," he said tearing off his glasses then tossed it to her.
"Nice Gryffindor boxers by the way."
"You like?" Harry asked as he looked down at the red and gold plaid boxers with a gold lion printed on the right leg.
"Yeah very sexy," she teased shaking her head.
"I know…I look good in them. Try and contain yourself." He then gave her another wink before diving head first into the cool water. He broke from the surface by letting out a long satisfying sigh as he stood up and pushed the hair out of his face. "It's bloody fantastic."
Hermione had to admit, Harry looked good standing waist deep in the pool, with droplets of water dancing over his well defined chest. He might have been just her best friend, but she could appreciate the define art of the male body. "Not too cold?" she asked getting up to walk to the edge.
"It takes your breath away a little at first," he said gliding through the water towards her. "But once you get over the shock it's perfect." Then with the talent of quick hands catching Snitches, Harry reached out and grabbed her wrist. "Why don't you find out?"
Hermione gasped as she tugged from his grip. "Harry James you wouldn't….ahh!!"
Harry pulled her in fully clothed in her white tank top and khaki shorts. "I'm so dead," he chuckled when Hermione was still underwater.
Hermione came up gasping from the shock. "Harry you are so dead!"
"Probably." He then splashed her right in the face. "But it was worth it."
"Why you little shit!" she gasped and then lunged for him in hopes to tackling him in the water.
Harry laughed as he caught her before pulling them both back into the water and then was pleased when Hermione came up laughing. "Give up?"
"In your dreams, Potter," she said gasping for breath as she tread water. They had both unconsciously swam over to the deep end and Hermione reached up and pushed Harry's head down under the water. Hermione's triumph was short lived, for Harry grabbed her ankle under water and her shriek was cut off when she was pulled under the surface. She him under the water then began to swim towards the waterfall where a short ledge was jetting out. She resurfaced and smiled when she realized she was behind the waterfall and Harry was right behind her. "Truce for just a second."
"Wow, it's cool in here," Harry said sitting himself on the ledge. "Not very big but big enough for two people."
Hermione smiled. "Maybe I'm not that mad at you for pulling me in."
"Well that's good," he said with a sigh of relief. "I don't like the thought of dying."
Hermione let out a laugh and shared a smile with him, but then her smile slowly faltered as she sighed and placed her head on his shoulder. "I fee guilty."
"Guilty?" Harry asked frowning down at her. "Why?"
"I always feel guilty when I'm having fun," she said softly. "I've had such a good time ever since we've moved in, I almost forget about Ron. I feel guilty when I'm happy. I feel like I should be miserable with Ron helpless lying in a hospital bed while we're here…"
"Having fun?"
Hermione nodded but kept her head on his shoulder. "Does that make me a horrible person?"
"Hermione," he sighed as he placed an arm around her. "Of course it doesn't. These past few weeks have been a ball for me, and yes I'll admit, sometimes I felt guilty, too. But Hermione…" Harry tilted her chin up with his fingers so she would look up at him. "This is what Ron would have wanted. To go on with our lives. Yes, we both desperately want him to wake up and I believe that he will eventually, but until that time we have to go on. Once Ron does wake up, life will be that much sweeter. If you're happy now…think about how happy you'll be once Ron comes back to us."
Hermione gave him a wobbly smile. "You're right," she said. "Of course you're right, I'll…I'll try harder to remember that."
"Good," he said giving her a slight squeeze. "Now, I'm going to swim some laps before I head in, do you want to finish your gardening before we lose the light?"
"Yeah, I want to finish planting the petunias."
Harry winced. "Did you really have to get the flowers named after my aunt? I mean really."
Hermione laughed. "Oh Harry, I'm sorry…I didn't think about it."
"It's okay," he chuckled. "I guess it's not the poor flowers fault that a horrible woman was named after them." He then leaned over and kissed her cheek. "Happy planting." He then ducked his head through the waterfall and pushed off into the water.
Hermione followed suite and together they swam towards the shallow end. "What would like to do for dinner? You cooked last night I'd be happy to take care of it."
"It doesn't matter…we can always….uh-oh."
"What?" Hermione asked looking over to the yard where Harry was looking. Hermione gasped when she saw their brand new puppy digging in the fresh bed of where her daisies were buried. "Oh no! My daisies!"
Harry tried not to laugh as Hermione pulled herself out of the pool and ran towards the dog screaming at him. "Bad dog! Bad dog!" Harry watched the dog's tail slip under her butt as she backed away from the wrath of Hermione. "Hey Mione! Maybe we should call her Daisy!" Hermione turned and scowled at him and he quickly held up his hands. "Hey, it was just a suggestion."
Hermione may have been furious at the time, but even she had to admit that Harry was right. Daisy fitted her perfectly.