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Healing

cpt_slog

Nine

Voldemort sat silent for a very long time. The latest news had the effect of putting him in a thoughtful mood. The mudblood's father had narrowly escaped death - such a pity! - and Potter had saved him again later, as well as himself, when he stopped the dog.

"My, my, my, Potter certainly enjoys saving people," Voldemort said with a sneer. "What ever are we to do with the lad, Alecto?"

"He shall die by your hand, my Lord!"

A growl from behind him indicated that Greyback had returned.

"Fenrir, you saw?"

"Yes, my Lord. It was nothing but sheer luck that saved him. He has no talent, no ability."

"Yes, my friend. We both know he would not have been able to protect himself had it been you that attacked."

"Master, I hunger. Let me bring you his throat as a trophy."

"Not Potter's. I'm saving his death for myself. But there are plenty of other throats you may take."

The werewolf growled again; he was hungry and impatient. He wanted to kill, and he needed the taste of blood. "I await your command!" he said.

"Yes, but of course. All at the proper time." Turning back to the woman, Voldemort asked, "And Potter grows closer to the mudblood?"

"Yes, my Lord," Alecto said. "He is already too close, yet he is too young to see the risk."

***

Harry sat straight up, as he had done each day for the past couple of days now. The nightmares were now coming much more regularly, and his head started to throb. As sometimes happened, this time he knew it was only a dream as he watched Hermione fall dead after being hit with the purple flame in the Department of Mysteries. He raced to be at her side and saw her lying there, but something in the back of his mind told him it was only a dream.

After the memory of the nightmare started to subside, Harry looked around. He sighed when he saw the time on the clock was 1:57. A piece of paper resting on his legs shifted position as he moved, catching his attention. He instinctively reached for his glasses and put them on before he picked up the note. He couldn't suppress a slight laugh when he saw Hermione's handwriting.

I mean it, Harry. If you can't sleep, come to my room.

Trust Hermione, he thought. He read it again and wondered what would happen if he did go to her. Placing the note on his bedside table he noticed writing on the other side.

I mean it!!! she had written, the word `mean' underlined several times.

Figuring he had no choice but to do as he was told (not that he was complaining anyway), he got out of bed and walked to the door. Opening it slowly, he turned to Hermione's door and saw that it had been left slightly ajar as she had said it would be. A small amount of light could be seen coming from her room. Thinking she must be reading (but at THIS hour?) he softly pushed it open, inches at a time, until he poked his head around it.

At seeing him, Hermione gave a huge, beaming smile, indicating it was safe for him to enter and that she was happy he had taken her advice. (Did he really have any choice?) She was sitting up in bed with the bedside lamp on, writing a letter.

Harry smiled back and shook his head, not believing she was awake, or that he was in her bedroom this late at night. He walked over and sat on the bed; Hermione put the letter down.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Finishing some letters. Nightmares?"

He nodded slightly but smiled as well, as if to tell her that this time they weren't so bad.

"Why aren't you asleep?" he asked.

"I was just about to turn in, and now that you're here, you can go to sleep too." she told him.

Harry was amazed, no, shocked beyond belief. Surely she didn't expect that he would... that they would.... "Hermione, you HAVE to be kidding!"

"You need to sleep, Harry. You can't stay up for the rest of the night without going back to sleep. It's not even two o'clock."

"Yeah but - - "

Hermione smiled at seeing Harry's embarrassment. Even by the dim lamplight she could see him blushing again.

"NO!" he said.

"Why? Are you afraid I'll bite?" She looked at his bandaged arm, remembering the wound and the blood she'd seen earlier. She drew back the covers and sighed when Harry didn't make a move.

"Hermione, I can't!" he said through clenched teeth, trying to keep his voice down.

"I'm not taking `no' for an answer," she said in typical, bossy Hermione-tone. She put the letter on the bedside table and shifted her weight away from him. Putting a hand on his shoulder, she gently forced him to turn and lie down.

Hermione took his slight laugh as an acceptance of defeat, and pushed him back down as he made a show of sitting back up.

"Don't move, Potter, or I'll be forced to body-bind you," she said in mock anger.

"I'll tell your Dad," Harry said, teasing.

"Tell him. I don't care!"

"Yeah, right!" Harry replied. The idea of Dan finding him in Hermione's bed told him that Dan might not be as friendly as he had been a few hours ago.

Harry lay on his back, watching the ceiling and not daring to look at Hermione less than a meter away. "And you told your mum this might happen?" he said, not believing her.

"I told you I did."

"And she said...?"

"`Great Idea!'" They were both laughing now. "What, you don't believe me?" Hermione asked.

He didn't want to call her a liar. "You've never lied to me before," he said as if only just realising it.

"No. I haven't. And you haven't lied to me either."

"I came close, with Snape's potions book. I almost told you I had thrown it away after you were giving me such a hard time about it." Remembering the events of the book, and what they had led to, Harry turned on his side and faced Hermione, now lying next to him. "I'm so sorry, Hermione! I didn't know what I was doing. I should..."

"Shhhh!" she said, comforting him and moving in closer, how hugging him. "Don't..."

"But I should have listened. I should have realised you knew what you were talking about and..."

"Shhhh!" she said again, as if he was a child and she his mother. "Don't torture yourself, Harry! Enough is enough. You didn't know what would happen or whose book it was."

"But if I had listened to you..."

"You may not have known how to save Ron after he had been poisoned."

"But if I paid attention more in class, I would have known..."

"You may not. Stop it, STOP IT! You can't blame yourself for everything that happens."

She held him tighter as he started to cry softly against her shoulder. He could feel her body pressed against his. It was soft, yet strong at the same time. He could feel she wasn't going to let him go, so he stayed there, in her arms, allowing her to hold him, realising after a time how good it felt. Her embrace had the desired result and had calmed him down.

Hermione gave him a satisfied smile and kissed him lightly on the forehead.

"You really expect me to sleep here with you?" he said as a final protest.

In answer, Hermione flashed a hand and from somewhere had retrieved her wand, faster than Harry could comprehend. "Hey! That's not fair," he said. "How come you get to keep your wand?"

"Nobody said anything about you having to give your wand up," Hermione said with that I'm-right-you're wrong look of hers. "Last chance: stay here and sleep or body-bind?"

"Sleep," he accepted.

"Good. Now, if you'll turn off the light, we can both go to sleep."

Harry grinned and rolled over, reaching out with his closest arm and found the lamp. He ran his hand up until he found the switch and turned it off; the room instantly became dark. Rolling back to his original position, he was surprised to find Hermione had shifted closer to him and anticipated where Harry's lips would end up. She was kissing him before he could even think of protesting.

She kissed him deeply and he instantly felt himself soften, melting into her again. His arms reached around and held her gently to him; Hermione pressed herself even closer. It was the deepest kiss they'd had, the deepest anyone COULD ever have. She was his now, and Harry was letting go.

Minutes later they broke the kiss but only as they both needed air.

"You cheated!" Harry protested.

"Complaining?"

In answer he kissed her again. This time he was the instigator, and Hermione kissed him back. They held each other together again for a long time.

"This is a first," Harry said. "Snogging in your very bed."

"For you or for me?" Hermione said playfully, and he swatted her.

He kissed her again, this time lightly on the forehead as she had done to him. It was a light touch, almost not there at all, and Hermione was surprised to feel a shiver run down the length of her spine. Harry felt her shiver, and it had the result of him holding her even tighter. He couldn't help but think if he was any closer to her right now, he would be on the other side of her.

"Thank you," he said softly. "I don't know what I would do without you."

No words came to Hermione as a reply. She smiled again and released him slightly.

"I can't thank you enough, Hermione. Or your parents, you have all been..."

She interrupted him by giving him a slight peck on the lips. Hermione was now afraid that if she kissed him again like she had before, and if he kissed her back, she wasn't sure what would happen next. She moved away slightly, giving Harry more room as she fought to get her attention away from THAT thought.

"What was the nightmare about?" she asked.

"The usual," Harry replied, silently glad for the change of conversation.

"The usual one where you're battling the basilisk, or where your friends all die, or Volde - sorry - Riddle is killing you or..."

Harry laughed as he realised she already knew all of them. Well... maybe all but one.

"The second one," he said.

"Let me guess, I'm the one that died this time?"

He nodded, amazed she was able to read his mind so well; but then something told him he shouldn't be amazed. Nobody knew him better than Hermione; it was as if they had some hidden connection. As that thought entered his mind, Harry instinctively recoiled slightly.

"What?" she asked, seeing the change in him.

"I don't know yet, an idea. Maybe an idea."

"What?" she asked again.

"I'll tell you when I've worked it out," he told her.

"Deal!" she said, and they both laughed as they felt the déjà vu that Hermione's answer invoked.

"So, Harry," Hermione said softly. They were not as close as they were minutes before but still very, very close. "When are you going to realise that you feel better when you give up all your secrets?"

He smiled, and knew deep down she was right. "I do, don't I?" he replied.

"Yes, you do!" she said again in her bossy tone. "So?"

"I've only got one or two, you know. I've told you everything else."

"All right then, lets start with `one' and then we'll move on to `two'." Hermione instantly slipped into her `do as I say' mode, one that Harry realised was always, ALWAYS right.

"It's not something I can tell you. It's more of a show thing," he said.

"So show! Come on, Harry. You admit you feel better when you get things off your chest."

He paused, unsure of whether he was going to do as he was told. Then he realised he couldn't NOT show her.

"All right," he said with a grin. But you have to promise not to tell anyone, ANYONE!"

"Oooohhh!" Hermione giggled. "This sounds like a good one."

Harry drew the covers back and rolled over and out of the bed. He turned on the lamp again and looked down at Hermione, now propping her head on her elbow in bed, facing him. Harry stopped suddenly at seeing Hermione in this pose. She smiled back and he couldn't help but feel that this is how lovers must look at each other.

Her eyes told him to get on with it, so he turned his back to her. He placed one hand on the waist of his blue-striped pyjamas and tentatively started to lower them, showing more and more of one cheek of his bum as he did so.

Hermione's eyes started to get wider and wider. She clearly had no idea what was going on and her eyes were drawn to the part of Harry's buttock he was showing her.

Not understanding, she waited for him to explain. When he didn't say anything, she said, "Nice, Harry. Very nice, but I don't get it."

Harry looked surprised at hearing her words and tried to look down at his behind before he realised his mistake.

"Sorry, wrong side. I haven't even seen it myself."

"Haven't see what?"

"This!" He lowered the other side of his pyjamas and Hermione could suddenly see the secret. Her eyes were wide and surprised and she straight up.

"It's a tattoo!" she said, shocked.

"A personal charm, actually," Harry said.

Hermione couldn't take her eyes off Harry's bum and the sight of the tattooed golden snitch flying around in sharp, jerking movements.

"Dumbledore planned it before he died. It has less than the level of protection as I would have if I lived permanently at the Dursleys'... which, I should add, I have no intention of doing."

Hermione moved over and looked at the golden snitch from a few inches away. "No way!" she said, stunned.

"Way! Dumbledore decided this was the best way to make sure I'd have it with me wherever I go, not like an amulet that I could lose or forget."

"Harry, it's amazing!" she said, still not believing what she was seeing with her own eyes.

"He was going to put a phoenix there... at least that's what I was told. I asked if I had a choice, so that's why it's a golden snitch. It isn't strong enough to defeat Riddle or anything, but I guess it's better than nothing."

Hermione looked at it for a long time, watching its repeating dance around Harry's backside. After a while she smiled slightly. "You know, Harry, it's kind of cute," she said.

Harry smiled. "That's what McGonagall said."

"You showed McGonagall your bum??!!" Hermione said, now even more shocked.

"Who do you think put it there? Besides her, and now you, nobody else knows about it."

Harry pulled his pyjama pants back up and turned so he could face her. Hermione looked slightly disappointed but she simply patted the bed where Harry had been, indicating he was supposed to resume his original position. When Harry paused, Hermione raised her wand slightly; she was still holding it.

Harry laughed and lay back in bed next to her while she drew the blankets back over them both. Harry rolled over to turn the lamp off again, and remembering what happened last time, rolled back towards Hermione very, very slowly. Hermione laughed again, but this time left him alone.

"Two?" she asked in that tone of hers again.

In reply, Harry yawned so wide Hermione would have been able to see all his teeth if the light had been on. She laughed at his response.

"Good. Go to sleep, Harry."

He nodded, his eyes now closed.

"Pleasant dreams," Hermione said, but Harry didn't hear. He was already asleep. Hermione watched him for a long time; watched his deep breaths, and baby-like soft face.

***

"Yes," he said slowly. "It is time." Voldemort swept his arm in the direction of his minions, indicating they were to leave his presence. He waited until there was but one remaining: Bellatrix.

"And see to it my message is delivered, while I take care of... other plans."

"Yes, my Lord!" she replied, bowing slightly and leaving him alone.

***

He held her beneath him again, his bare skin was in contact all along hers. She moved beneath him as she softly called his name. She drew his head toward hers, kissing him again, softly, tenderly.

He fell into the kiss again and shifted his weight, rising slightly and then lowering himself.

She moaned again and held him tighter. He repeated the motion and she moved again to allow him more room to move as he woke, his pyjamas bathed in perspiration. He sat up and looked around, not understanding why the room looked different... until he looked down and saw Hermione still asleep next to him.

No, not asleep. One hand rose to the level of Harry's chest and softly pushed him back down, his head resting on the pillow. Her eyes remained shut tight, and her bushy brown hair lay all about her.

"Sleep!" she commanded, too exhausted to look at him.

Harry protested by shifting his weight. He was still disoriented by the dream, the vision, the nightmare... whatever it was.

"Sleep!" she said again.

Harry relaxed and rolled on his side so he could watch her. She was drifting back off to sleep already, and Harry found he couldn't care less what time it was though he could see it was still dark. He watched her for the longest time, taking everything in.

He watched her breathe, her eyelids fluttering, her chest rising and falling in perfect timing. His eyes followed the line of her lips several times, knowing how sweet they tasted. He looked at the slim neck and the exposed part of her neck above her nightgown. He looked at her face again for a long time, as if directing his very soul to commit her features to his permanent memory.

He felt he could draw her face with exact detail... except for his complete lack of artistic ability. He decided it was better-far better-to have her next to him, in person, at his side, and in his heart.

He remained very still, moving only his eyes. He followed each strand of her hair as it flowed onto the pillows like the delta of the Nile. He breathed in her scent, a soft musky smell that he could identify before she even came into a room. He looked at her face again and sighed.

As if in response, Hermione sighed back and inched closer to Harry. She was in his arms now, and he put his right arm around her body, as if to protect her. He resisted the urge to kiss the tip of her nose, and he fell asleep.

***

Waking with a yawn, Hermione opened her eyes. She was alone though the indentation in the sheets where he had been was still there, making her smile.

Did last night really happen? Was it just a dream? Did he really stay here with me all night? What time did he leave and how did he do that without waking me up?

She saw the letter she had finished writing to Ginny the evening before and decided she needed to make a few changes. Where she had started the letter with `Dear Ginny, thank you for lending me your boyfriend,' she changed it to ` ...thank you for lending me my boyfriend.'

Hermione wondered if perhaps she was going too far, but it was too late; she wasn't going to re-write the letter. Besides, she wasn't finished yet. She decided to add a postscript. `P.S. tell Ron he's imagining things if he thinks Harry snores. Harry slept like a baby all night. And he does the cutest thing with his nose. He wrinkles it like a bunny rabbit when he drifts off to sleep.'

There! That ought to do it, Hermione assured herself. She was only disappointed that she wouldn't see Ginny's reaction when she read it. She silently hoped Ginny would be drinking pumpkin juice at the time because she would spit it everywhere!

She smiled again, and put on her dressing gown as she made her way to breakfast. As soon as she opened her door she could hear her father laughing, laughing as he hadn't done since she was a young girl. She remembered the time when she was four when the only presents she played with one Christmas were books. Neglecting her dolls, she sat down with a book and looked at the pictures. Before the year was out her mother had taught her to read quite well.

She walked into the kitchen to see she was the only one missing. Her parents were sitting down to breakfast and enjoying their conversation while Harry was standing over the stove. The smells of fresh toast, orange juice, bacon and eggs came to her; it all smelt wonderful.

"Morning!" she said in her sleepy voice and kissed both parents before sitting down.

"Morning dear!" her mother said. "How did you sleep?"

Hermione smiled in response, "Great!" She looked over at Harry. He was standing behind her parents' backs so they didn't see his sheepish expression.

"Harry, can I borrow Hedwig to deliver a letter?" she asked.

"Sure, and you don't need to ask. Use her any time you need."

"Thank you," she said sweetly.

"Breakfast!" Harry said, bringing her a plate of bacon, toast, and two hard boiled eggs sitting in white eggcups.

"Slightly soft-boiled, three and a half minutes, bacon still just pink," Harry said setting the plate in front of her. He then went back to the kitchen to retrieve a hot mug. "Tea, one sugar, milk!"

"We're keeping the chef, right?" Hermione said with a laugh to her parents.

They laughed back, and even Harry joined in.

"If you mean our personal assistant," Emma said to Hermione, "the answer is yes. He's already fed Sam and he got the morning newspaper from the front lawn."

"And it's a `yes' from me too," Dan said. "Though I think I like to think of him as my personal bodyguard!"

"Aw shucks!" Harry started with pretend bashfulness.

"How did you sleep, Harry?" Hermione asked with a naughty grin. She looked to be addressing her breakfast because she couldn't face his eyes.

"You know!" he started and Hermione let out a very un-Hermione laugh. "Not bad. You?"

"Great!" she said repeating her earlier answer.

Dan had the newspaper open in front of him and his attention was instantly reabsorbed by the sports news. Emma, seeing the exchange between Harry and Hermione put her cup of tea down and stared at Hermione with a `What was that all about?' look.

Hermione lowered her eyes as if she had just been caught stealing.

"This looks great, Harry, but you didn't have to make breakfast," Hermione said.

"That's what I said," Emma said.

"Well, we would have starved if we had to wait for you," Harry told her, and she poked her tongue out at him.

Hermione lifted her knife and raised it to slice the top off the first of the eggs. Emma kicked Dan lightly beneath the table. When he looked at her to see what she wanted, Emma looked at Hermione.

Dan saw what was going to happen and lowered the paper.

Hermione struck the shell of the egg, but instead of meeting resistance, the knife shattered the eggshell; it was empty.

Harry, watching from the other side of the kitchen roared with laughter at the stunned look on Hermione's face. Dan immediately joined in and Emma laughed as well. Seconds later, Hermione also joined in, understanding she had been the butt of Harry's practical joke.

He laughed again and went over to the table with two new eggcups, both containing Hermione's slightly soft boiled eggs and set them before her.

"Sorry," he apologized. "I couldn't resist. You should have seen your face!"

"Hmmm, very funny. And these ones are real?"

"Yeah, though I'm not sure about the bacon." They all laughed again.

"Careful, Harry," Dan said. "You could be playing with fire. It's been a long time since I've seen Hermione get really angry and who knows shat she's likely to do to get you back."

"Don't worry, Daddy. I have a few ideas already."

"You don't scare me," Harry said. "Bring it on!"

"Looks like I'll need to keep the first-aid kit handy," Emma said.

Harry sat beside Hermione with a plate of toast. When Hermione saw that this was all he was having he said, "Already had mine." She nodded, satisfied, and removed the top off one of her eggs. Instead of eating right away she looked down into the centre.

"What?" Harry asked.

"It isn't going to explode?" Hermione asked.

"I never thought of that," he said; Hermione started her breakfast.

"This is great, Harry. Who told you how I like everything?"

Harry pointed in the direction of her parents. She lifted her mug of tea and looked at it.

"Tea, one sugar. Really, Hermione, you're starting to get all paranoid you know!"

"Really?" she said.

"Who is the letter to, dear?" Emma asked Hermione.

"Ginny."

Harry was surprised by the answer. "You get a letter from Ginny everyday. Couldn't you have waited for today's mail and then sent the reply?"

"That doesn't come till lunch time and I wanted her to get this straight away. That way I'll get her reply today."

"Makes no sense at all," Harry said to Emma's giggle.

Breakfast finished and Harry was cleaning up while Hermione lingered in the kitchen. Dan and Emma had walked into the lounge-room discussing something when Hermione walked over to Harry and gave him a hug.

"Thanks!" she said "I haven't seen them that happy for ages."

"All part of the service, ma'am," he said.

"Two?" she said.

"Huh?"

"Item number two, the second secret?"

He shook his head.

"I'll find out you know," she told him.

"How?"

"MUM!" Hermione called to her mother in the next room. "Have you seen my wand?"

"No dear. Why, do you need it?"

Hermione raised her eyebrows at Harry so he understood the threat.

"Doesn't matter," Hermione said to her mother. She reached up and gave Harry a quick kiss on the cheek before she walked into the lounge-room.

"What did you need your wand for?" her father asked.

"Nothing. I was just going to poke Harry with it."

"Good girl!" Dan said. At this response Emma looked at him wanting to know what he meant.

"Well you can't expect that Hermione won't try to get him back?" he said with a smile.

"Your daughter can look after herself," Emma said.

"Yeah!" Hermione replied, and hugged her mother. She smiled at her mother, but something in the smile told Hermione that her mother wanted to talk.

"I'm just going to take a shower. I won't be long," Harry said.

"Okay," Emma replied, and she watched with interest as Hermione smiled; she was up to something.

"What time did everyone get up?" Hermione asked.

"Me, half an hour ago; your father, before dawn," Emma replied.

"Are you okay, Dad?" she asked, sounding slightly worried, though she thought her father looked good.

"Never better! Tell me, when was the last time you saw a sunrise?" he asked.

She shrugged her shoulders. "Is this something to do with yesterday?"

"It's everything to do with yesterday. Except for an extraordinary piece of luck, I wouldn't be here to have breakfast with you both."

"So you're not blaming Harry then?" Hermione asked.

"I'm blaming Harry for saving Sam and I last night. And he was bitten by a dog in the process, instead of allowing it to bite us."

Hermione hugged her father for the first time in a very long time.

"So what plans do you have for the rest of the day?" she asked.

"Your father is taking me shopping and to a movie," Emma said. "Do you think you and Harry will manage without us today?"

"She'll be fine while Harry is around, dear," Dan said. "If anything happens he'll be there to protect her."

"Who says I need protecting?" Hermione said.

"Well if you prefer we can take Harry with us and leave you by yourself," Emma teased.

"That won't be necessary. Excuse me for a moment," Hermione said, and she left the room. Seconds later they heard the sound of a toilet flush and Harry screamed at the sudden burst of hot water in the shower.

Hermione walked back into the lounge-room and found her parents laughing.

***

Closing the bedroom door behind her, Emma sat on her bed and waited for Hermione to speak. This was going to be another one of those conversations Hermione didn't look forward to, like the one they had the day before. Hermione tried to distract her mother, but knew all the time it wasn't going to work.

"What?" Hermione asked.

"I think you know very well what. What was that about at breakfast?"

"You mean the eggs?" she tried again.

"IF I have to spell it out, I will! I'm talking about the `how did YOU sleep Hermione? Fine, how did YOU sleep Harry?'"

Hermione laughed; she was trapped and knew it.

"Harry slept with me last night," she said simply.

Emma was going to say something, but before she could say a word, Hermione added to the explanation.

"Nothing happened, Mum. He had nightmares and I knew he wouldn't go back to sleep so he slept in my bed with me. That's it."

This had the result of calming her mother slightly, but only slightly. So Hermione finished the picture off for her. "NOTHING HAPPENED! And before you ask, it was my idea, and I kinda forced him to do it."

Emma paused, considering everything Hermione had said. "You kinda forced him?"

Sheepishly she explained, "Okay, I threatened to hex him."

Emma's look of horror had changed into a smile, and she shook her head. "Let's start the beginning."

"He woke up with a nightmare around two. I made him, MADE HIM, lie down and he was asleep ten minutes later," Hermione said as if it were no big deal.

"That's it?"

"That's it! Oh, there was a little kissing, and he got a couple of things off his chest and that was that."

"A couple of things off his chest? Not his pyjamas I hope," Emma said.

"Not his pyjamas. Well not his pyjama top anyway," Hermione said and had to duck as her mother tried to swat at her.

"Anyway, YOU were the one telling me yesterday that I should tell Harry how I feel," Hermione said defiantly.

"Tell him, I said tell him, not show him."

"Tell him, show him. What's the difference?"

"The difference is twenty-four hours ago you were worried what Ron might think," Emma reminded her.

"And YOU told me not to worry about what others say or think. I'm just taking your advice, Mum," she said with a cheeky look.

"So, is this likely to become a regular arrangement?" Emma asked.

Hermione said nothing, but returned her mother's keen gaze with interest. She figured that unless her mother flat out forbid her to allow Harry into her room, she would stand her ground.

"I see," Emma said when she saw Hermione was not going to answer. "So, let's go back to the kissing bit and you can tell me all about that."

"Yeah, that was the best part," Hermione said with a sigh.

"It usually is dear, at least as far as you need to be concerned. But what I don't get is how you managed to move so far and so fast in just one day?"

"I didn't plan it, well, not much. All I said was that if you can't sleep come and see me," Hermione said, omitting one small detail.

"I see," Emma said again. The shock had now passed and Emma realised they were talking more as close girlfriends rather than mother and daughter. "And what would you have done if something HAD happened?"

"Mum, now it's YOU who's moving too fast. Gee, yesterday you all but had me married off. I hardly need to tell you of all people that I'm not ready for whatever it is you're worried about. Nothing happened and nothing was ever going to happen."

"That's from your point of view. What about from Harry's?"

"Mum, he was the perfect gentleman. Do you expect anything less?" Hermione asked.

"No, not really, but what if..."

"Not Harry. He wouldn't. I know him better than I know anyone. And I know if I said `no' he would respect that."

Emma nodded her head in agreement. She had to concede her daughter was probably right. Emma let out a breath of relief.

"You are worrying about nothing, Mum," Hermione told her.

"So you talked? How did that go?"

Hermione smiled and sat next to her mother. "It went really well, Mum. He admits he feels better when he talks about the things that worry him. We talked and went to sleep."

"It sounds romantic," Emma said.

"It was," Hermione said back. "Boy, it was!"

"So what happens now?" Emma wanted to know.

"Nothing happens. I still stand by what I said yesterday, I won't do anything that destroys our friendship," Hermione said.

"And you don't think this might?" Emma asked.

"No. Harry wasn't complaining, if that's what you mean. Mum, it was wonderful!" Hermione said, not able to control herself any longer.

"What was?"

"Being next to him, the feel of him with me, kissing him and watching him while he was asleep."

"My little girl is growing up," Emma observed.

"I'm not all grown up yet. I still need your help and advice, Mum," she assured her mother.

"I'm glad to hear that. I must admit Harry looked pretty good this morning, completely at ease."

"And why wouldn't he? He has us to help him get through everything he has to deal with."

"Yes, dear, but it isn't US that's sleeping with him. It's YOU."

"You make it sound worse that it is, `sleeping with him'!"

"Well, didn't you?" Emma asked teasingly.

Hermione paused, trying the words out for herself in her mind. "I guess I did. I slept with Harry!"

"And how do you feel?" Emma asked.

"I couldn't be better, Mum. I feel great!"

Emma hugged her daughter and they remained like that for a while. "You know this changes things a little between us, don't you?" she said playfully.

Hermione was confused; she clearly didn't understand what her mother was talking about. "What changes?"

"Well, let me put it this way: have you ever heard the expression, `if you want to dance to the music, you have to pay the piper?'" Emma asked.

Hermione shook her head; she hadn't heard the saying and she didn't know what it meant.

"It means," Emma continued, "that if you are going to continue sleeping with Harry, you and I have no choice but to talk about preparedness."

"Prep-" Hermione started, and only THEN understood what her mother was talking about. "Mum, no. NO! We DON'T need to have THIS discussion!"

"Yes, we do, dear. We really do. And I for one can't be happier because there are TONS of things I've been dying to talk with you about."

A/N - an excellent place to leave this chapter. I don't know what Emma and Hermione were about to discuss, and I don't WANT to know. But I like how the relationship between these two is developing and getting stronger. I hope this all adds to the human side of the plot and doesn't just feel like filling.


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