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Chapter 15: Paths of Roses and Revealed Secrets
A/n: Harry and Hermione fluff to come in this chapter!!
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"What's this idea of yours? And how can we help?" Lily said, her eyes lighting up in excitement.
"You three are a conniving bunch, aren't you?"
"Why, Harry, you know us so well," Lily said, pretending to be flattered.
"Well, apparently I should, you're my kids." Lily and Blake looked at each other and grinned.
"Anyways, here's what I'm thinking…"
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Hermione again had fallen asleep in the library. She woke up and was about to close her book, but something out of the ordinary on her table was there. A rose, with a note attached, was lying on her papers. She opened the note; she didn't recognize the neat handwriting that formed the words on the paper.
Follow the path of roses. The next one is where the little creatures work, where the subjects that S.P.E.W helps are.
The kitchens. Intrigued, Hermione gathered her books and went down to the kitchens. She tickled the pear and the portrait opened up. She went inside and immediately five house elves came up to her, asking her what she would like to eat. But they saw who she was and slowly backed away, afraid she was going to start going on about house elf rights. But she felt a tug at her robes on her left side. Dobby and Winky were standing next to her, and Winky smiled and handed her the next rose and the note. In the same tidy handwriting, it read,
Your next place to stop is the place where the food from where you are goes. Where all the activities are.
Hermione thought a little bit. Where all the food goes from the kitchens? Ron's stomach? She thought in confusion. Her gaze fell on the four tables in the kitchen. Then it hit her. The Great Hall. She bid the house elves farewell, and went to the Great Hall. It was empty, but on the Gryffindor table was the next rose and note, and next to them was a small plate of her favorite cookies; Oreos. Hermione opened the slip of paper and read,
After a snack, to the Marauder's class you go. Beware of boggarts and hinky-punks and vampires as you go.
That was simple. The Marauder's class. The only true one left was Remus. He taught Defense Against the Dark Arts. Hermione took a few cookies along and went to the DADA classroom. On the desk where she sat every class was the next rose and note.
Your task is nearly through, just two more roses to go. Your next rose is where the battle of houses takes place. Where your future son takes after his father.
Hermione furrowed her brow in confusion. The battle of the houses could be anywhere. Where her future son takes after his father. Blake was her future son, and Harry's his father. Then it came to her. The Quidditch Pitch. Hermione walked the long way to the Pitch, noticing that the sun had gone down and the last ounce of light fell across the grounds. Hermione had no idea where to look for the next rose, especially when it was dark, until she saw the second-generation trio sitting in the stands, talking. Their voices and laughter echoed off from the empty field. They had lit their wands, three wand tips shone brightly in the night sky. She climbed up the stairs to them, and when she got there, they stopped talking and stared at her. She didn't say anything, just narrowed her eyes at them. Her daughter handed her the next rose and note. Hermione took it from her.
"Let me guess, you all had something to do with this," she said coldly. The three of them shrugged.
"Dunno," Julia said. Nobody said anything, and Hermione didn't open the note.
"Well, are you going to read the note, see what it's about?" Blake said, prompting Hermione. Hermione opened the note and read…
Hate to do this to you, it's a long walk I know, but your last rose is waiting for you where the constellations are found. It's a starry bright night; the harvest moon has bathed the world in light.
Hermione looked up at the sky, the moon was just starting to rise. By time she reached the Astronomy Tower, it'd be fully up. She turned to the trio.
"Let me guess, this is all some plan you've concocted to get Harry and me together?"
"Dunno. But one thing I do know that the idea for this had nothing to do with us." Hermione gave them all an annoyed look for their refusal to divulge any more information.
"Hermione,"
"What?" Lily smiled.
"Go on." Hermione took all her roses and notes and left the Quidditch Pitch, entered the castle and made her way up to the Astronomy Tower. When she got there, she found Harry sitting on the ledge.
"Harry? What are you…?" Hermione trailed off as Harry had stood up and walked over to her, stopping right in front of her, a smile on his face as he handed her the last rose.
"What's this all about?" Harry didn't answer her; he just leaned in and brushed a light kiss on her lips. Never in her life did she ever expect to feel Harry's lips on her own. It set off sparks and fireworks in her body, reaching to all areas of her body all the way down to her toes. Hermione slowly opened her eyes as he broke the kiss.
"That. That's what all this was about." Harry took the roses from Hermione's hand and set them on the ground and took her hands in both of his.
"I want to tell you something. Something I've wanted to tell you since the end of fifth year."
"What is it?" Hermione said, barely raising her voice above a whisper.
"I love you. I've loved you since that night in the Department of Mysteries. Ever since that moment when I thought you were dead, I realized I couldn't live without you." Hermione smiled, but didn't say anything, tears starting to form in her eyes. After a minute of waiting for her to respond, Harry started getting worried.
"Hermione? Um, now would be a good time to say something."
"Why?" Hermione whispered. "Why do you love me?"
"Love doesn't have to make sense, `Mione. It just happens."
"It does have to make sense in this situation, it's you and me. You could have any girl in this school, why would you love me?"
"You've always been there for me through everything, you've stood by me no matter what. You're beautiful, smart, and I don't want any of the other girls in this school. They see me as the tragic hero they all feel sorry for. You see me as Harry James Potter, not the Boy Who Lived." Hermione's tears were starting to run down her face and Harry wiped them away.
"Why are you crying?"
"Why do you have to be so wonderful?" Hermione tearfully responded. Harry laughed.
"I'm sorry. Would you rather I be mean?" Hermione shook her head, and Harry wiped more tears from her cheeks and kissed her again. This time it was a longer kiss, and Hermione ended up breaking it.
"You're not just doing this because of Lily and Blake are you?"
"No. I told you, I've loved you since fifth year, two years before they showed up." Hermione smiled through her tears, and wrapped her arms around Harry's neck and leaned her head on his shoulder. Harry planted a kiss in her hair.
"Would you dance with me, Hermione?" Hermione took her head off of Harry's shoulder and looked at him.
"There's no music."
"So what? We can still dance, even though there's no music." They started swaying, dancing to the unheard music. Hermione leaned her head on Harry's shoulder again, and smiled when she heard a song come out of nowhere.
It was no accident me finding you
Someone had a hand in it
Long before we ever knew
Now I just can't believe you're in my life
Heaven's smilin' down on me
As I look at you tonight
I tip my hat to the keeper of the stars
He sure knew what he was doin'
When he joined these two hearts
I hold everything
When I hold you in my arms
I've got all I'll ever need
Thanks to the keeper of the stars
Soft moonlight on your face oh how you shine
It takes my breath away
Just to look into your eyes
I know I don't deserve a treasure like you
There really are no words
To show my gratitude
So I tip my hat to the keeper of the stars
He sure knew what he was doin'
When he joined these two hearts
I hold everything
When I hold you in my arms
I've got all I'll ever need
Thanks to the keeper of the stars
It was no accident me finding you
Someone had a hand in it
Long before we ever knew.
(A/n: The Keeper of the Stars by Tracy Byrd)
Hermione again took her head off of Harry's shoulder and looked at him.
"I love you too," She said softly. They both smiled and kissed again.
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"I wonder how it's going."
"My guess, pretty well."
"Why do you say that?"
"It's just a guess." Lily rolled her eyes at her brother. After Hermione had left for the Astronomy Tower, the trio had left and joined Ron in the common room, waiting for Harry and Hermione to return.
"Are we sure we want to wait for them to come back? I mean, it could be a while." Lily shot her godfather a dirty look.
"Are you implying what I think you're implying?"
"Probably."
"Then that is something I didn't really need to know about." Ron laughed.
"What is he implying?" Blake asked.
"He's implying that Harry and Hermione'll be out all night long…" Julia waited for Blake to catch her drift, but he wasn't. "at the Astronomy Tower…" Nothing. "the most romantic place in the school that sees all the action…" Still nothing. Julia sighed exasperatedly. "Having sex, Blake. Do I need to spell the word out for you too?" Everyone laughed but Blake, who made a face of disgust.
"I didn't need to know about that." Ron laughed.
"Honestly, if you two thought nothing like that ever happened, how do you think you got here?"
"It's not like we don't know that that ever happened, it's just we don't need to know or think about it." Again, Ron laughed.
"No, but I know those two, they aren't that kind of people that…yeah…right now at least."
Blake asked Julia as a new question came to mind, "How do you know about the action the Astronomy Tower gets, Jules?"
"Everybody knows about that," Julia said somewhat nervously.
"But it's not a widely talked about thing. Only the people who've been up there with other people talk about it. Would you have known about it from experience?"
"I…may have, a year ago or so."
"Seriously? With who?"
"Um…Will…Finnigan." Both Ron and Blake's jaws dropped.
"Is that Seamus's son by any chance?" Ron said. Julia nodded, blushing. Lily sighed.
"He's hot. He looks like his dad," she said dreamily, very much like Luna Lovegood would. Everyone looked at Lily, who blushed.
"Oh, did I say that out loud?" Julia laughed.
"I thought it was just a two week thing?" Blake said, his attention back to Julia.
"It was," Julia said rolling her eyes. Lily glanced at Ron, who had his eyes narrowed, looking as though he was about to go into a father-type mode.
"Then why did you…?" Blake didn't finish, for his sister interrupted him.
"Blake James Potter, if you have a brain in your head, you'll drop the subject right now." Blake didn't say anymore.
"Yes, it was just a two week thing, we broke it off because I knew someone else liked him, and I set him up with her."
"Really?"
"Yep, it wasn't even two days later where he had moved on to your sister…" Julia trailed off and clapped a hand to her mouth.
"Julia!" Lily said, shocked. Blake looked at his sister taken aback.
"Lily? You know about the Astronomy Tower from experience too?" Lily went really red and didn't meet her brother's eyes.
"Maybe." Ron grinned.
"Hmm, I'll have to mentally note this down to tell Harry and Hermione in nineteen years." Lily went, if possible, even redder. Julia smiled apologetically.
"Oh, Lils, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to let out who your secret boyfriend is." Lily looked at her friend again in surprise, for she had just let something else slip. Julia clapped a hand over her mouth again.
"Oh, shit, I said too much."
"You're still going out with him?"
Lily ignored her brother's question and said to Julia, "What part of, `ok, I'm going to tell you, but make sure Blake doesn't know', don't you understand? He's just as bad as Dad when it comes to be overprotective."
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. But if it makes you feel any better, Lils, Blake's just playing dumb, he knows about the Astronomy Tower from experience too." Blake's jaw dropped.
"You bitch."
"Really? With who?" Julia glanced at Blake and grinned.
"With Olivia Davies." Then she said to Ron, "That would be Cho Chang's oldest daughter." Ron lit his bottom lip to hold back laughter.
"Ok, I see Harry and Hermione may not be the type of people to check out the Astronomy Tower for it's uses, but their son and daughter sure are." Lily pointed at him.
"Ok, if I ever hear that you told them about this in the future, so help me God I will hunt you down and hurt you." She pulled out her wand and pointed it at Ron.
"And I can do it too. See, the skills of both my parents have been passed on to me, and I'm not afraid to use them."
"Ok, I'll try to keep it a secret."
"You'd better."
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Twenty minutes later, Harry and Hermione came back to the common room. They joined their friend who was still sitting with his future daughter and godchildren. Ron smiled mischievously.
"So? How'd it go?" Harry grinned.
"Pretty well."
"Well, what happened?"
"Ron! I'm not one to kiss and tell." Ron snorted with laughter.
"Alright," he said sarcastically.
"You know, you three, Harry told me about you helping him with this tonight and that it was all his idea, not yours, and I'm sorry for the way I've treated you lately," Hermione said to the trio. "It was wrong of me to do so, I'm sorry."
"It's alright, I can kind of see your point about the whole matter. It's a pretty inconceivable idea to see your kids from the future, and our whole stories about who we were weren't the most believable in the world. We didn't really think them through." Hermione smiled and shook her head.
"So what all did you do for that path of roses stuff?"
"Nothing, like we told you."
"Liars."
"Ok. Well, it was mostly Lily, but it was Julia's idea for the path of roses thing, Lily wrote the notes, Harry and I told her what to write," Blake said.
"I figured that was the reason why it was actually legible handwriting."
"And then Ron and I helped put the notes in the places. Oh, and by the way," Julia said. "If you keep falling asleep in the library, wouldn't that be a sign you've been spending too much time there?" Hermione laughed and chose not to answer.
"Well, the path of roses thing was a very good romantic idea."
Julia said overdramatically, "Ah, yes, I know, I'm a genius."
"I said it was a good idea, not that you were a genius." Next Julia pretended to be hurt.
"I'm wounded, Hermione, you've hurt me." Hermione laughed.
"Your ego is about as bad as Ron's is, my dear."
"See, Jules, she agrees with me too, it must run in the family," Lily said. Julia rolled her eyes and shook her head.
"You all don't know what you're talking about. I am brilliant." Everyone but Julia laughed.
"Like I said, you all don't know what you're talking about."
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A/n: -Sigh- lots of H/Hr fluff in this chapter, though I have to say I got the idea from another story I read called Red Roses in December. It's on harrypotterfanfiction.com, but I can't remember who it's by. It's a Lily/James fic, and it's pretty good. I recommend it if you're interested. Anyways, the author used the path of roses thing, and I'm sorry but I borrowed it. Anyways, please review!!!!
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