Saved and Loved

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I wish I did, so HBP would have been more pleasant. For me at least…

A/N: My take on the challenge “Harry to save the day”. Hope you will enjoy this, if you read please leave me a review so that I know what you think of it.

Requirements:

I had the idea of Death Eaters taking Hermione down like an alley way and torturing her, and then Harry comes and saves the day.

Harry can have known Hermione from Hogwarts or she could have went to another Wizarding school.

If she is from Hogwarts, then when Harry saves her she recognizes her feelings for him.

If she is from another Wizarding school, then Hermione meets her rescuer and realizes it is the 'great Harry Potter'. Feelings then begin to rise.

I would like a lot of fluff. I don't care what it's rated, but I would prefer it to be PG13 or R. I would like it to develop over a few chapters, please no one shots.

Saved And Loved

First contact

A pretty brown haired witch was peacefully walking in London, when someone pushed a wand in her back.

“Shut up and walk” a deep voice said her, and steered her toward a dark alley.

She started fearing for her life when she saw two other man waiting there. Their faces were covered by white masks, and she immediately recognized them for what they were. Death Eaters, followers of You-Know-Who.

Muggle-borns were persecuted by them, and often killed. They claimed to be polishing the Wizarding World from “the scum of mixed blood”, and no one had ever resisted their master, apart for a boy. The Boy-Who-Lived, Harry Potter.

So she walked into the alley knowing her fate was already written.

“So, what did you bring us? A pretty face, indeed. I think we will have fun with this whore, after all what else can a Mudblood be if not a slut?” one of the other two said, walking toward her.

“Wait! Let's have fun in torturing her first. We have all the time to rape her later, and then kill her” the man who had brought her there said.

“I like how your twisted brain works, you know” the third said. “Crucio!”

The girl writhed in pain, screaming, while her capturers laughed loudly. No one would come to save her, and she would die at their hands, after being humiliated.

She started crying for her hard fate, and that made the men laugh even harder.

“Crucio!” the called again, all together, keeping the curse on her for what seemed hours, although it was probably just a couple minutes.

Slowly she stopped shaking, just to be put under the curse again.

Her torturers didn't have the time to laugh this time, though.

“Sectumsempra!” someone shouted three times, and three beams of light hit the men, slashing them roughly across their whole bodies.

A single figure walked down the alley, and kicked the masks off their faces.

“Avery, Dolohov and Nott. What a pathetic company” he smirked, before conjuring ropes around them and sending them directly to the Auror quarters, then walked toward her.

The girl looked in awe at the young man.

She immediately recognized him, when he was so near she could spot his burning green eyes and the scar on his forehead.

“You…you're Harry Potter!” she whispered.

“Yes, I am” he said, offering her an hand that she eagerly grabbed, and helping her stand. “And you are…”

“Hermione Granger. I attended Beauxbatons, and now I've transferred here to search a work. It's just few days I'm here”

“Do you have an home?”

“Well, for now I'm staying in an hotel…”

“Nonsense. I'll host you in my flat till you find your own place. For now, though, I think you can use an hot chocolate”

“Oh, no. I mean, I can't live with you. I don't even know you” she said blushing, realizing that she was speaking to one of the most famous wizards in the world.

“Well, then the hot chocolate could be an occasion to start that” he found himself saying, enticed by her simple beauty.

“Well, I guess since you saved me, it's the easiest way to start pay back my debt” she said, fidgeting with her purse.

“So my help is worthy just a mug of chocolate?” he teased her. “Maybe next time I'll stick with my own business then”

“Oh, no. What I meant is that…” she said, looking down. She'd never been such a mess with words, she was smart and no one made her speechless ever, yet she seemed to not be able to say one right thing around him.

“Don't worry, I know what you meant. I was just teasing you. So, if you want to come with me…” he said, taking her hand and gently squeezing it.

After a quick walk, they entered a Muggle pub.

“What can I bring you?” the clerk asked them.

“One hot chocolate and a beer” Harry ordered, while Hermione settled in front of him.

“So, what were you doing out so late? It's still dangerous times, especially for people like you” he said.

“What do you mean “like me?”” she said narrowing her eyes at him. “I should have known, the mighty Harry Potter is an obnoxious git like everyone in this society. Maybe this is a mistake” she said, starting to move.

He grabbed her wrist gently.

“Stay. What I meant is that you should be careful You were lucky I was passing by, but I doubt many other wizards would have intervened. They would have pitied you, sure, but left you to your fate” he said, his eyes boring into hers, and she gulped.

“I know” she stammered. “It's just I lost track of time while reading in a library, and was going back to my hotel…why did you intervene, by the way?”

“You know my name, I guess you know my story too” he started, sipping the beer that had just arrived. “I am not an obnoxious git like you may think, I hate fame. So it's not for that. I won't go to the Prophet right now and tell them to write an article on how I saved you” he continued, smiling.

She snorted, sipping her chocolate.

“Simply, I loathe Voldemort” and at that she shuddered.

“Don't say that name” she whispered.

“Come on, you have not to fear to call him his name. Fearing a name just increases the fear of the thing itself” he said her, his eyes twinkling. She found that mesmerizing.

One should not be allowed to have such magnetic eyes.

“However, if you like it more, I'll call him by his real name. Tom Riddle. Now, as I was saying, I loathe him and his followers. Since I killed him a couple months ago, the ones who served him have hid, and come out at night to do raids like the one they were doing with you. They pick a random Muggle-born witch, and they rape and torture and kill her. I've stopped them more than once, so maybe it's just become an habit for me lately” he said, drinking some more.

“But…don't you have a job? A family?” she asked, interested.

“Family? I would love that. No, all the witches I meet are trying to get me just for the fame and the money. I've still to find a witch who loves the real me, not the hero. As for the job, not yet. I'm going to be an Auror. Had my fair amount of work to convince them to make me go trough the usual training, but now I'm almost done”

She nodded.

“What about you?” he asked then. “What would you like to do?”

“Well, I would like to be an Healer, but my dream is to be Minister and right some injustices in our world, for example the treatment of other magical beings, like Elves, werewolves, and so on”

“You know, I like what you said. And with my name we could have you do just that in no time” he suggested. “Although, I don't think you would like to get the position that way”

She shook her head, smiling. “No. Thanks for the offer, but I want to reach it for my own merits”

“Understandable. Well, I'm going home, and my offer still stands”

She looked at him for some time, thinking. The idea of living with the great Harry Potter was tempting, but still she knew him too little yet.

“No, thanks. I think it's better if we know each other first, then maybe…” she said.

“Ok. Well, then I'll walk you to your hotel, just to be sure” he said, actually glad she refused his offer. It spoke volumes to him on how much she was different from the other witches he had known till that moment, they would have killed to have the chance he was offering her. Yet, she refused.

“Who knows, maybe she's really the witch I'm searching for”

And so they left, and he noticed she was shivering. Draping an arm around her shoulders, he pulled her close.

“Hope this doesn't upset you” he said, and she shook her head. “I just wanted to make you feel warmer”

“It's ok” she said softly, leaning just a bit into him, and missing the small smile tugging at his lips.

They continued walking silently, enjoying the company and the quiet night.

“I hope we're going to see each other soon. I'll send you an owl so that we can fix a day and hour, if that's ok with you” he said, once they arrived to the hotel.

“I would love to” she said, and he grinned, then kissed her on the cheek.

“Good night, then”

“Good night” she said, and entered the building, touching the spot where he had kissed her.

True to his word, next day Harry sent her a note.

“Hey,

how are you doing?

I thought if you had nothing

else to do we could meet

in a couple days for dinner.

I would invite you tonight, but then

It would seem I wanted to rush things…

Your friend,

Harry”

She smiled reading that. Truth was, she had scarcely thought about something not having green eyes and a scar since she got to the hotel the previous night.

So she wrote back to him.

“I would love to, and if you want

we could make it tonight. I've

nothing to do, and your company

was really pleasant yesterday night.

Kisses,

Hermione”

Later that day, she was in her room in the hotel, relaxing, and a bit put out because he didn't write her anymore that day.

“Guess he was busy with Auror training” she reasoned, going to answer the knock at her door.

“Yes?” she said, opening the door and finding herself facing an huge bouquet of red roses, and a grinning Harry Potter.

She was so shocked it didn't register in her brain that she was covered just with a towel, since she had just exited from the shower.

His blush, however, gave that away as she looked at herself wondering why he was reddening.

She became scarlet red herself and slammed the door on his face, just to open it again a couple minutes later, dressed with the first things she found.

“Sorry for that” she muttered, looking down.

“Hey, don't worry. It's my fault, I shouldn't have come here without telling you first” he apologized. “I thought to surprise you, but maybe it was a bit too much”

“Oh, no. It's ok, really. So, since you're here I guess you want to go out?” she asked tentatively.

“Well, yes, if it's ok with you, we could go to an Italian restaurant that's near here, it's really good”

“Ok, just give me the time to dress properly…”

“You're already beautiful as you are” he blurted out, and she blushed.

“Don't tell me things I may believe” she said, taking something from her wardrobe and retreating into the bathroom to change.

Soon later, they were off to the restaurant.

They shared lasagne and a salad, as no one of them was really hungry, and they chatted quietly.

“So, how was your day?” she asked him sipping her wine.

“Very good, thanks. Tiring, but good, it was. Of course, the fact that your pretty face came to my mind now and then was a bit troublesome for concentration…” he said, taking her hand into his own.

She didn't expect the gesture, but welcomed it all the same, and entwined their fingers together.

Till that moment she had had only a boyfriend in her life, but she felt she was already falling for him, not the hero she had so much heard about, but the simple and sweet boy who carried that heavy title.

Just Harry, as he had told her he longed to be known by the others.

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Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I wish I did, so HBP would have been more pleasant. For me at least…

A/N: My take on the challenge “Harry to save the day”. Hope you will enjoy this, if you read please leave me a review so that I know what you think of it.

Developing an attraction

Once dinner was finished, they set for a walk under the starry sky. Of course, being in the middle of London, the lights of the town didn't let them see the stars that well, but still it was lovely.

While walking, he again took her hand, and she smiled at him.

There was something about him that made her feel at ease, not at all the nervous wreck she thought she would be if she ever met the great Harry Potter. And now here she was, walking hand in hand with him!

They reached Hyde Park, and set for a walk in there, it was quieter, and they could chat freely.

“So, you told me you attended Beauxbatons. I guess you know very well Fleur Delacour, then” he said, while steering her to a bench.

“Well, not really well, but who didn't know her? She was the queen of the school, and she had boys all around her” Hermione said, scowling a bit.

“If I didn't know you, and I don't very well, I would think you are envious” he teased her.

“Me envious of that cow? I think you should change glasses, hero” she teased back, underlining that last word.

“So you like playing like this eh? My revenge will be terrible” he said, a spark in his eyes, as he started tickling her.

“No, no…Harry…please…stop it…” she said, and after some moments he did, the two of them laughing madly. Both realized the compromising position they were in, she lying on the bench and he over her, their faces just inches from each other.

She gulped at the closeness, and at the intense look in his eyes. But soon, too soon, he broke the moment, clearing his throat and resuming the previous position, sitting near her, but leaving a bit more distance than before. She felt cold envelope her, at the missing contact, and shivered.

Chivalrously, he put his jacket around her shoulders.

“However, Fleur is now married” he said nonchalantly, resuming the topic they were talking about before the tickling incident. “To one of the brothers of my best friend Ron Weasley”

“Oh, I see” she said.

“Did you come to Hogwarts the year of the Triwizard Tournament?” he asked then. “No, I don't think so” he added. “I would remember such a beautiful girl”

She blushed and swatted him lightly on the arm. “Will you stop saying I'm beautiful? I'm not”

“You are, instead. It's just you're too modest to admit it”

“Whatever. But no, I didn't come. I know all of what has happened though. It was really brilliant how you defeated that dragon, I would never have used a broom. I hate flying”

“What? It's the best feeling in the world! I love to soar up in the air, I feel free like I've never really been” he said, a bit wistfully.

“I'm sorry for your fate. Growing up without parents, I can't imagine how it would be” she said sympathetically, squeezing his hand.

“I don't even remember them…just bits of my mother screaming when the Dementors come near me” he said, a single tear rolling down his cheek. He felt at ease with this girl, and felt himself wanting to open up with her, and tell her things he had never revealed to anyone. Things of which he was a bit ashamed.

He emitted an hollow laugh. “Hero of the Wizarding World. If they only knew that their hero was kept locked in a cupboard for ten years, and beaten by his cousin and his friends for the same period, and not to talk about how bad his relatives treated him, just because they despised magic…”

She gasped. “I knew your childhood was bad, but not this much. I'm really sorry” she said, and she meant it. She felt a bond constantly growing between the two of them.

“However, I'll bring you flying one day of these. And I'll bring you to Hogwarts, and Hogsmeade. You have to see them” he said enthusiastically, grinning again.

She knew then that his grin was infectious. She couldn't help to grin back, and accept eagerly his offer. Later in her room she would think back to it and realize she had agreed to go flying, something she hated, but at the moment she was overwhelmed by his enthusiasm.

A while later, he accompanied her back to her hotel.

“Good night, Hermione” he said, kissing her just on the corner of her mouth.

“Good night, Harry” she said, a bit dazedly, and kissed him on the cheek too. Both of them, walking to different locations, kept touching the spot where the other had kissed them.

That night Hermione kept dreaming of Harry and her together as a couple, and in the morning she took a decision. Packing her things, she shrunk them to fit her pocket and paid the hotel, then she left.

“Now how can I contact him?” she asked herself, cursing that she had not sent an owl to him first.

Then she remembered. “Of course, he's at the Ministry for the training!”

So she walked toward the building in which the Ministry of Magic was located.

Entering the phone boot, she said, “Hermione Granger, searching for Harry Potter”

A little badge came out and she pinned it on her robes, before the boot moved downstairs. Once in the atrium, she walked to the desk to have her wand checked, then she moved to the lifts.

Going to the Auror Department floor, she hoped she would not be disturbing him.

Hermione kept walking here and there, not knowing very well where she should go, and some looked at her suspiciously.

“Sorry, madam, what are you searching for here?” a deep voice startled her.

“Don't worry, Kingsley, she's here for me” another voice she by now had come to think about as familiar said a moment later. The older Auror nodded to Harry who was walking her way, and left them alone.

“Sorry for that, but at least he stopped questioning you. Now, what are you really doing here?” he asked her, smiling.

“I was searching for you, actually, so you got it right” she smiled back.

“And why would you search for me?”

“I…I decided to take up your offer” she said, looking down. He lifted her chin, and looked directly in her eyes.

“I hoped you would. Maybe we could meet for lunch, I've got to go now”

“Oh, ok. Lunch it is then” she said.

He nodded, and started walking away, then turned.

“Oh, by the way, if you want to settle your things in the meantime, here's the address” he said, passing her a note. “I'll meet you there at noon, more or less”

She agreed, and left to go to his flat.

Once there, she wondered how could she enter. He had not given her keys, and probably he had wards up too.

So, nearing the door, she was ready to be sent miles away with a magical shock wave. Instead, the door clicked open softly.

Bewildered, she entered, and as soon as the door closed, Harry's voice welcomed her, although he wasn't there.

“He must have expected I would accept soon or later, and prepared for the occasion” she thought, shaking her head with a smile tugging at her lips, and started to work on settling her things.

The flat practically screamed it was occupied by a single man, and she worked on cleaning it a bit too.

When Harry arrived at noon, he grinned sheepishly. “I guess the flat was a bit of an hell, sorry” he said, blushing.

“Yes, it was. But it's normal for single men. I've settled my things as you said, but I hope I won't disturb you too much. I hope I'll find a flat for myself soon” she said.

“Nonsense. You stay here as long as you need, there's no hurry. I, for one, am sure I'll enjoy your company”

She blushed, and then they walked to a nearby fast food to grab something to eat.

“Sorry, but I don't have so much time at lunch. They really exploit us, at times I wonder if it wasn't better to enter the ranks directly, skipping all of this” he said, and she could see he was really exhausted already. That gave her an idea.

That night, when Harry came home, he found a delicious smell coming from the kitchen. Entering there, he saw her finishing to set dinner on the table, and stayed just on the threshold of the room, leaning on the wall, looking at her moving, admiring her beauty and elegance.

“What?” she said when felt his gaze on her. “Do I have something on my face?”

“Not at all. It's just I love watching you” he said. “And I have great news for you too”

“And what would that be?” she asked, while both sat in front of their plates and started eating.

“I've found a job for you” he said.

“What? You shouldn't have bothered, really…” she started, but he cut her off placing a finger on her lips. That caused reactions in both of them. He marvelled in their softness, and wondered how would it be to kiss her. Not the first time he thought about that, but now he had the softness of her lips to tempt him too. As for her, she felt shivers running down her spine at his gesture.

“Let me explain. It's not much, but it is a start. You dream to become Minister, what better way to do that than start working in the Ministry? So I found you a spot in the Department for Relationships with other Magical Beings”

“Harry, I appreciate your gesture, and that you look out for me, but really, you shouldn't have”

“Well, if you don't like it, there's no problem, I'll talk with the director tomorrow and cancel your hiring…” he said, but she cut him this time.

“What I meant is that I like it, and I thank you, but you shouldn't have worried for me. You've got enough things to worry about with your training”

They chatted some more through dinner, then they sat in front of the TV for some time. Hermione almost forced him to see one of those chick flicks, and exhaustion took him. He fell asleep near her, and she giggled. Turning the telly off, she shook him awake.

“Hey, Harry” she said softly. “It's better if you head to bed, tomorrow you'll have another hard day”

“No way. You take the bed, I'll sleep on the couch” he said.

“I can't do that! This is your flat, I can't kick you from your bed!” she protested. After a quick discussion, it was settled they would enlarge the bed and sleep there both.

Hermione felt awkward at entering the bed with him. She had never slept in the same bed with a man before. However, she knew Harry enough to know that he would try nothing. Apart for the fact that his tiredness would not allow him to anyhow.

She giggled softly when heard his breath regular and deep just moments after he entered the bed, and relaxed. Minutes later, she was asleep herself.

Next morning he woke up first, and rolling to his side bumped on something that resembled a body. Recalling the previous day, he grinned, and putting his glasses on he looked at her angelic face, still sleeping.

He pushed a tendril behind her ear, and quickly kissed her on the forehead, at which she smiled.

Later, she woke up with the delicious smell of coffee and pancakes, and opened her eyes. She wondered where she was for a moment, then smiled, and walked to the kitchen.

There Harry was, sipping his coffee.

“Good morning, beautiful” he greeted her, and she sat near him.

“Good morning” she greeted back, pouring coffee in her cup, and taking a couple pancakes and some jam.

“I would wait for you and we could go together to work, but I've got to hurry. Early field practice, today” he said, standing up and kissing the top of her head, then he Apparated away.

She stayed there, a dreamy expression on her pretty face, the cup of coffee forgotten in her hand for some moments, then she shook herself from her reverie and finished her breakfast, then went to have a shower, and dress. She then Apparated to the Ministry herself, and asked for the director of her Department.

After a quick chat with him, she was assigned to her office, and started reading the files on her desk, busying herself with work.

It was Friday, so in the fields around London Harry was already thinking about enjoying a whole weekend with her. Then an idea struck him to make it perfect.

He couldn't wait for the day to end, and he was sorry he could not see her at lunch, but their practice kept them busy till late in the afternoon without a pause. Tonks kept telling them they should get used to that, because it often happened to be on the chase for a dark wizard all day, but that didn't lessen his desire to see her.

That night, at dinner, he told her his plans for the weekend.

“I thought we may head to Hogsmeade, so I can show you around, and then we may walk to the castle…”

“I would love to, Harry. Seems pretty good, since you keep talking about it” she teased him.

“Well, it was my real home for seven years” he said dreamily.

After dinner they relaxed in the living room, snuggling close as it had become natural to them, and Harry proceeded to tell her something more about his friends, as she was really eager to know them.

Then, around midnight, they walked to their bedroom and this time Hermione felt much more at ease being there with him. She almost felt like they had known each other forever.

So, next morning, after breakfast, he Apparated them both to the village, hugging her maybe a bit too close than needed for double Apparition.

Moments later they were in front of the Three Broomsticks.

“Here I used to come with my friends, Ron, Neville and the others, to have a Butterbeer. I have to make you meet them soon or later, I'm sure they will love you” he said, taking her hand. It had become an habit by now.

He showed her all the shops, and she eagerly entered the small library, and the quills shop. He followed her in, although he would have preferred to enter Zonko's or Honeydukes. But then he dragger her in them too, and she had to admit the sweets were really good. She immediately developed a taste for Sugar Quills.

They then walked in front of Madam Puddifoot's, and Harry winced.

“What's so bad about this place? It seems nice” she said.

“It is nice. The memory I have of it isn't though” he said. “See, my first girlfriend, if we can call her that, brought me there on Valentine's and there were those little angels throwing confetti and candies and couples kissing, and I was a bit uncomfortable. She kept asking me about her previous boyfriend, who was killed by Voldemort under my eyes, and started crying again…so, long story short, it was a disaster, and the end of our relationship”

“No wonder you don't like it, then” she said, chuckling, and a bit relieved it didn't work out.

They then went back to the Three Broomsticks to have lunch.

“Harry! It's a long time I haven't seen you!” Rosmerta greeted him. “And she is…”

“She's Hermione Granger, a friend of mine” he said, and the two women shook hands.

“I'll be to you in a moment” Rosmerta said then, and they sat at a table.

After a quick meal made of fish and chips and Butterbeer, Harry led her up to the castle. A stop by Hagrid's hut was needed, and the half giant welcomed them.

“Come in, we can have tea. Blimey, `Arry, it's been months from the last time I have seen you. Actually, it was the day of the battle, the last time we met. As for you, Hermione, any friend of Harry is a friend of mine too” he said, patting her on the back and sending her sliding on the floor.

Once they left him to his duties, the two of them walked to the Quidditch Pitch.

“Here's where I learned what Quidditch was” he said, while they sat on the stands. “I got on the team my first year, and every one kept praising me for that, but the truth was, I had simply helped Neville taking back a thing of his from Draco Malfoy. He was…well, we can define him my nemesis, here at Hogwarts. He was in Slytherin, and his family one of the most active supporters of Voldemort. But he changed, in seventh year. He fell in love with Ginny Weasley, and turned to our side in the battle. Sadly, he got killed in a duel with his own father. Ginny was devastated, and killed Lucius herself. But I digress”

“It's ok. I like to hear about your past. Makes me feel a part of it too” she said, moving closer to him, and he draped an arm around her shoulders.

“I thank Merlin you weren't here. I'm sure I would have got you hurt or killed if you were” he said.

After some more chat, he led her to the lake. Students were in class, so it was quiet. They sat under a tree, looking at the beautiful scenery.

“It's awesome” she said.

“Sure it is” he sighed. “I wish I could stay here forever” he admitted.

“I'm sure you would be qualified to be a teacher, if you wanted” she said him.

“Me? A teacher? No way! I would be the joke of the school. I mean, how could I pretend from the students to respect rules when I broke all of them in my years here? Or to do their work when I used to wait the last moment to do it?” he said, smiling and reminiscing the carefree moments he had in the castle. Often accompanied by dangerous adventures, though.

“I still wish I could have shared it with you” she said.

“You're with me now, and I plan to never let you go” he said, leaning in. She gulped, and closed her eyes.

His lips met hers in the sweetest of kisses, and she laced her arms around his neck, kissing him back.

She felt in Heaven, as he did too.

“Wow” he said, breaking the kiss. “I've never felt something like this before”

“Nor have I” she breathed, before claiming his lips again, this time in an hungry and passionate kiss.

He freed her hair, letting it fall on her shoulders, and pulled her on his lap, still kissing her.

She moaned slightly in her throat, while their tongues kept dancing around each other, now battling together, now exploring the other's mouth.

Then they parted, and no words were needed. Both knew what the other was feeling, and cuddled together under the tree, hoping that moment would last forever.

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Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I wish I did, so HBP would have been more pleasant. For me at least…

A/N: My take on the challenge “Harry to save the day”. Hope you will enjoy this, if you read please leave me a review so that I know what you think of it.

Soul Mates

Harry and Hermione stayed there at the castle all day, and went to visit Headmistress McGonagall, who allowed them to roam in the building so that Harry could show Hermione around.

He led her in the Gryffindor common room, and then up to the boys dormitories where he had spent so much time in the previous years. He told her about some of his adventures, sitting on what once was his bed.

“One would think at school students should worry just about grades, but it wasn't this way for me and my friends. First year, we had to stop a teacher possessed by Voldemort from stealing the Philosopher's Stone, passing through an hole guarded by a tree headed dog, property of my friend Hagrid, who has a quite dangerous taste for pets, I must admit” and he chuckled. She laughed softly. “Then we passed trough Devil's Snare, flying keys, a giant chess board brilliantly resolved by my best mate Ron Weasley, and finally a set of potions, some of them were venom, other did nothing only one was good to go on. And, icing on the cake, I had to wrestle the professor to stop him from taking the stone”

“Pretty intense as a first year, wasn't it?” she said.

“Yes, but hear the second. A diary of Tom Riddle, alias Voldemort as a student, was given to my best friend's little sister, Ginny, who wrote in it and was possessed to open the Chamber of Secrets releasing a basilisk. Riddle had done it himself fifty years before, framing Hagrid for that, but that night when he tried to kill me he passed some of his powers to me, so I was able to go down there when he decided to kill Ginny draining her vital force to regain his body, as only a Parseltongue could open the Chamber…and there I had to kill the Basilisk with Gryffindor's sword. But it all started with me almost being expelled because the House Elf of the Malfoys had tried to save me closing the barrier to the train, so me and Ron arrived here with the flying car of his father.”

She was now both in awe for what he did, and laughing imagining the scene of a flying car landing on the grounds.

“You find it funny now, but it was real hell back then” he said, smiling. “Well, enough with these memories for now. Maybe I'll tell you more later, but there is a place in the castle I think you'll love to see” he said, taking her hand and leading her through the corridors.

They arrived at the second floor, and he opened the doors for her. She walked in, and remained open-mouthed.

“A library! And one far bigger than anyone I had seen in my life! Oh, Harry, I could be here for years!”

He chuckled at her enthusiasm. “I knew you would like it” he said, pulling her close and kissing her softly. “Anything for you”

“You're really sweet, you know” she said when they parted, still a bit light-headed from the kiss.

He simply smiled. The tour continued with a trip to the kitchens, where Hermione was able to meet Dobby and Winky, and all the other Elves. They weren't allowed to leave without accepting some food, even if they had already had lunch.

“It's unbelievable how many Elves are here” she commented when they exited the room.

“I'm sure Beauxbatons has its fair share of them too” he said, munching on some pumpkin pie. “However, I thought having Dobby with them could be an example, as he is paid and likes that too. But the others think he's a freak. It's in their DNA, they can't be freed as you would like. I think that would be great too, just I don't think it can be done”

She nodded thoughtfully. Maybe Harry was right, but still she hoped to be able to show them what freedom could be.

For now, however, they walked to the Astronomy Tower, and from there Harry showed her the beautiful view over the whole grounds.

“It's breathtaking” she whispered. “Although, maybe it's not the best for me, with my fear of heights…”

“We really need to work on that. I promise you I'll take you flying soon” he said, and she found herself nodding, although flying was the last thing she wanted to do with him at the moment. She could think of many other things involving the two of them, but not flying…

Last stop of their tour was down in the dungeons. It was the less pleasant place of the whole castle, but since Snape wasn't the Potion teacher anymore, it had become bearable. He showed her the big stocks of ingredients, some of them really rare, and she was really interested. Then they walked back to the village, stopping by at Hagrid's again, to have a chat about the creatures in the forest. If there was something Hagrid knew about it was what lived in there, and creatures in general.

Hermione shuddered when he told them about Aragog, and Harry squeezed her hand in reassurance. She smiled weakly at him.

Once back in the village, they Apparated home, and had a quick dinner.

“You know, this trip was really enlightening, but I can't help to feel like a stranger in your life” she said later, a bit sadly, once they were cuddling in front of the television.

“That's why I brought you there. To start and fill you in on my life this past years, so you won't be a stranger anymore in few time” he said, pulling her closer. “I know it's a lot to take in, but even if you don't know every bit of my past life, this doesn't matter to me. After all, I don't know lots of your past too, so we are even”

She nodded, although not completely convinced.

Sensing her discomfort, Harry spoke again. “Listen, it's already late. Why don't we go to bed, and then tomorrow I'll tell you more of my adventures?”

She kissed him lightly. “You always know how to raise my spirits, uh?”

“I try” he grinned. “And I'll set up a night with my friends too, so you can meet them. I'm sure they will all love you”

So they headed to bed, and soon fell asleep, Harry's arm around her, keeping her close. She felt secure, protected and loved, and sighed contentedly before succumbing to sleep.

True to his word, next evening Harry told her more about his life.

“So, in third year I believed I was being chased by a mad murderer, just to find out he was chasing not me but the Animagus pet of Ron, who was the real betrayer of my parents, and discovered the supposed murderer was my godfather. I saved him from the Dementors producing a corporeal Patronus…”

“You were able to make a corporeal Patronus at thirteen?” she exclaimed in awe. “That's brilliant! It is supposed to be hard magic!”

“Yes, it was in fact. It's just…I dunno how I did, but it happened, and believe me I thought it was my father. Only, it was myself from the future, as me and Neville used a Time-Turner to go back and save him and Buckbeak, an hippogriff of Hagrid's”

“This Hagrid keeps having the strangest and more dangerous creatures…giant spiders, hippogriffs…”

“Ah, but you've not heard the best. It will come in fifth year. However, in fourth year there was the tournament, and you know all about it. I must admit Hagrid was utterly fascinated by the dragons, especially by the Horntail. He had to admit himself that it was quite irritable” he chuckled, while she laughed resting her head on his shoulder.

“What many don't know about that year, though, is that the cup was a Portkey. It brought me and Cedric to a graveyard, where Voldemort killed him and used me with the help of Wormtail, the escaped traitor, to restore his body. Only Dumbledore believed me, so the news of his return were not told till next year”

“Oh my. It must have been horrible to have to witness the rebirth of the darkest wizard of all times” she gasped.

“Yes, it was. Even worse was when he wanted me to duel him. Believe me, luck was on my side that night. It was just because we had brother wands that I was able to save myself, thanks to the Prior Incantatio. It allowed me to Accio the cup and Portkey back to Hogwarts” he said, holding his arm remembering the pain of being stabbed there by Wormtail to get his blood.

It was one of his darkest memories, and she was the first person outside his circle of friends he felt able to open so much as to reveal all of that. It both pleased and frightened him.

However, he felt it was doing him good to finally speak about that, so he continued, although it was by now starting to get late.

“Fifth year was a real hell. The ministry kept calling me a liar, and they sent a bitch, Umbridge, to control the situation and stop my spreading of “lies”. She rose as the total tyrant of Hogwarts, using her “Inquisitor Squad” made of Slytherins to control me and my friends. She even made me use a Blood Quill during detention to try and dissuade me from telling the truth, I still have the scar…” and he showed it to her, who caressed his hand gently.

“I'm sorry you had to live such an hard life. No one should have to endure such things in his youth, since your birth you had nothing but sadness” she said, a single tear rolling down her cheek. He brushed it away, and kissed her softly.

“If I had to go through all of that to be worthy of you, I'm glad I did” he said, and she melted in his eyes. No one had ever told her such sweet things, and hearing the great Harry Potter telling that to her made her giddy.

“However, as I was saying, fifth year was an hell. Because it was not only Umbridge who ruined it, but also the discovery of my connection with Voldemort, who used it to his advantage, luring me to the Department of Mysteries with images of my godfather being tortured, so I risked my own life and the ones of my friends to go and save him. And here comes Hagrid and his creatures again. To reach the Ministry quickly, we used something my friend had showed us in lesson, Thestrals. Only who has seen someone die can see them, so I don't expect you to know how they look, but I'll tell you just that they are winged black horses who are attracted by blood. So we went there, only, it was a trap and we had to face Death Eaters. Help came, but the battle cost us the life of the one person I thought I was going to save. If I hadn't gone, he would still be alive” Harry said, starting to cry, as he had reopened an old wound he thought he had closed for good. “It's been my fault” he whispered hoarsely.

She held him, and let him cry to mourn the loss that was still hurting him. “Harry, it was not your fault. It was Voldemort's” she said, for the first time uttering the feared name. He smiled at her for that. “You just did what you thought right. Whoever in your condition would have done the same, I'm sure of it, so don't blame yourself” she said, kissing him.

“I know. It's just I wonder at times how would have life been if I hadn't gone. But, to end fifth year, Voldemort himself joined the fight at the Ministry and duelled with Dumbledore, then tried possessing me. Only, something pushed him away from my body, so he failed. And then, in the Headmaster's office, I was revealed the reason of my troublesome life. It was decided by a prophecy” and here Hermione snorted.

“I know, Divination is bullshit. But this prophecy was true, or at least true enough that Voldemort believed it. So he chose me as the one with the best chances to be the one he would have to fear, and tried to kill me at one, when I was still unoffensive. He didn't think my mother would sacrifice her life for me, and that cost him his body, and almost his own life. In the process, he himself marked me as his equal. It could have been Neville, but he chose the Half-blood like himself. I was now marked to kill him or die trying, as only one of us could survive”

She gasped loudly.

“Well, I think it is enough for tonight” he said, and stood up, taking her hand and leading her to their bed. There was no need for her to find another flat now, and both could feel their bond grow day after day. Telling her his life helped, and both found themselves falling unstoppably for the other.

Their works kept them busy for the next days, and the little free time they had they spent relaxing together, or going out for dinner so that they hadn't to cook, and it delayed the end of Harry's narration about his Hogwarts years. But on Friday night they came home quite early, so they were able to sit again together after dinner, enjoying the company of each other, and Harry readied himself for the last bit of his story.

“Sixth year was more or less simple. I was distracted from my task by Ginny Weasley, for who I developed a crush. We were together just for few weeks, the crucial moment of the year though, as in those weeks I paid less attention to Draco Malfoy, who I thought was up to something all year, and it ended in him bringing Death Eaters into the school and in Dumbledore being killed by Severus Snape when he and me came back from searching an Horcrux”

“No! The Potion Master!”

“Yes, seems he was playing double spy. Feigning to be a spy for us, but being one for Voldemort instead” Harry said angrily. “I had always known there was something bad with him, but no one ever believed me. After all, they all trusted Dumbledore, who had one fault, he always gave people a second chance. This time, it was the wrong thing to do”

“But, sorry if I ask, what is an Horcrux?” she asked.

“Let's put it this way. Voldemort feared death, and went further than any other wizard in trying to stop it. He murdered and used the torn pieces of his soul to create seven Horcruxes, all having a piece of it in them. This way, he would be immortal. He could lose his body, but his soul would stay, and he would continue living. As it has happened. Only destroying the Horcruxes first you could kill him, but that cost Dumbledore his wand hand, as it was burnt in destroying one of them”

“That's against nature!” she exclaimed, disgusted.

“Voldemort never cared much for anything, apart for himself” Harry said coldly. “So, since my seventh year I worked on finding and destroying them, and when I did, I confronted him. It was time to close the bills, and I for once showed no mercy, and killed him” he finished.

She nodded, and held him. “It's scary, your life. But I'm glad you were able to open up and tell me all of this”

“Well, now that you know it, if you feel like you don't want to be with me anymore, I understand you, I mean, who would want to be with a murderer…” he started but was cut mid-sentence by her lips meeting his own. She kissed him hard, pouring all her love for him in that kiss.

“I love you, Harry, and I would never leave you for this. All what you went through, and you are still a compassionate young man, when you could have become like him. Why would I want to leave you?” then she led him to bed, and for the first time they made love. She wanted to show him just how much she loved him.

“I never told you before, Hermione, but I love you too” he said sleepily when they were finished.

She smiled contentedly, and both fell asleep soon.

Work was giving both of them hell, they barely were able to see each other at night, although both of them wouldn't have been able to stay a whole day without the other, now that to their relationship the pleasures of sex were added too, but in a week time Harry managed to organise that night out with his friends he had promised her. They all met at a pub.

“So, Harry, care to tell us who is she?” Neville said, when they arrived, his arm around Ginny's waist.

“She's Hermione Granger, my girlfriend and a witch coming from Beauxbatons. She works at the Ministry, and we live together in my flat” he said.

“Pleased to meet you” Ron said, as soon as he had swallowed the food in his mouth. Luna swatted him on the arm. “Wow, already living together. What, you going to get married tomorrow?” the redhead teased them. Luna glared at him.

“Sorry for that. I'm Luna Lovegood, and he is Ron Weasley, my fiancé” the blonde said, outstretching her hand toward Hermione, who eagerly shook it.

“And we are Neville Longbottom, and Ginny Weasley” Ginny said. “Pleasure to meet you. Harry in his owl was ecstatic about you”

The raven haired wizard blushed a bit, and pulled a chair out for his girlfriend, who smiled at him and sat.

“Ecstatic?” she mouthed him, and he blushed even more, but nodded, for the amusement of them all.

Later, he went to take something to drink for both of them.

“So, I always wondered, how is he in bed?” Ginny asked, nearing Hermione.

“Gin! I so much don't need to hear that!” Ron said.

“Shut up, you! No one asked your opinion” his sister said, then turned toward Hermione again, waiting expectantly.

The brown haired girl felt extremely embarrassed but didn't want to delude the other girl, so answered the question.

“Awesome” she said, reddening even more.

“I still was far better without knowing that” Ron insisted, while Ginny squealed.

“What you lot talking about?” Harry asked, coming with two drinks in his hands.

“Your skills in bed” Neville said, making him turn as red as a tomato.

So, they enjoyed the night together, laughing, joking, teasing each other, and Hermione had to admit Harry was right. They all made their best to make her feel included, and she could tell they liked her. She thought they were really great too, exactly as Harry had told her they were.

At a certain point, a slow song started to play, and Ginny squealed. “Come on, Harry! WE can't miss this one, it was our song when we were together” she said, taking his hand and leading him on the dance floor. Ron and Luna were already there, so Hermione was alone with Neville at the table. She kept looking to Ginny and Harry dancing together, a bit sadly.

“Hey, Hermione” Neville said. She turned to look at him. “You've nothing to worry, Ginny won't try to steal Harry from you. She's been over him for years now”

“Yes, but they still share so much, things I'm not part of, and never will be” she said.

“You feel like that now, but there's no need, for you to be happy with Harry, that you were in all his adventures. We were, ok, and you can't change that, but you and Harry will have soon your own memories to share”

She smiled at him. The boy was right, she and Harry would create their own memories soon enough, and in time could look back on them laughing and reminiscing.

Soon later Ginny, Harry, Ron and Luna came back to the table, and he kissed her. “Why don't you and me go for a dance now?” he whispered to her.

“Sure” she said, taking the hand he was offering her.

From the table, their friends watched them.

“Harry seems really happy” Luna commented.

“I'm sure she's a great girl” Neville said, sipping his drink. “She'll make him happy”

Ron and Ginny agreed.

“So, did you enjoy yourself?” Harry asked her on their way back home.

“Yes, they are really great. I can see why you hang around with them”

“They think you're good too. Ron only teases that way people he likes. He got it from his twins brothers. Never trust anything coming from Fred and George, they keep inventing new pranks and you can never tell what you're going to get with them”

Both laughed, and looked at each other.

“But, as I was saying, I've never seen him be so friendly to any of my girlfriends in the past. On the contrary, he could be really rude to them if he didn't like them”

Then he embraced her, and kissed her sweetly. Then switched the wireless on, and they danced like that, alone, in the living room, her head on his chest, both of them with their eyes closed, savouring the moment.

They were still young, and marriage was something they would consider in some time, but both already knew they had found their soul mate, and they would be together and happy forever.

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