A/N: Hi guys. Firstly, thanks for all the reviews they really mean a lot. Please keep them coming. Secondly, this chapter is unbeta'd, which I apologise for and I hope there aren't too many errors. I don't have a beta at the moment - if anyone would like to volunteer, please let me know.
Now, on with the story…
The Talk
Harry and Hermione were still sat on the couch watching Lord of the Rings and Harry was bored. It wasn't that he disliked the film; he just thought it was long. Hermione on the other hand was totally engrossed. Harry had tried several attempts to gain Hermione's attention and get her to take a break from the film. So in the end he began kissing her neck and nibbling on her earlobe.
"Harry!" she exclaimed. "I'm trying to watch this."
"I'm sorry, 'Mione, but I'm bored. This film seems to be going on forever."
"Do you not like it?"
"No, I do. It's just been on for aaaggggeeees!"
"I think that's a slight exaggeration Harry, but we can take a break if you want. Maybe we shouldn't have started you with the extended version," she chuckled
"No, maybe not."
"So, fancy some lunch?"
"Actually, no. I was thinking I might go for a run. You can keep me company if you like?"
"Yeh, okay. I'll just go change." Hermione stepped out into the hall way just as the front door opened and her mother walked in. "Mum? What are you doing here?"
"I had a few cancelled appointments so though I'd take an extended lunch and come and have a chat with you."
Hermione rolled her eyes; she knew exactly what was coming from the way her mother had emphasised the word 'chat'.
"Actually Mum, Harry and I were just about to go for a run."
"That's nice dear, but I really think we should have this chat now, while your father isn't here," replied her mother sternly. Hermione knew that tone - it meant she would be having this talk now whether she liked it or not and she had 2 choices; either she stayed here with her mother or her mother would come running with them and talk to both her and Harry at the same time, which wasn't something Hermione wanted at all.
"Okay, we'll give running a miss"
"Well maybe Harry should still go sweetie. Gives us a bit of space then doesn't it?" suggested Mrs Granger. Hermione rolled her eyes as she went to tell Harry the news. "I saw that young lady!" her mother scolded playfully.
Hermione returned to the living room and found Harry sprawled on the sofa.
"Hey, did I just hear your mum?"
"Yeh, she's nipped home for an extended lunch break. She wants to have 'the talk' with me, so I can't go running."
"That's okay. We can go later."
"Actually, Mum thinks it would be a good idea if you went running without me in order to, and I quote, 'give us some space.'"
"Ah, I see," replied Harry, realisation dawning. "What if I get lost? I don't exactly know this area that well."
"I've thought about that…there's a running track just down the street. You could run there and then there's not much chance of you getting lost. Just turn left out of here and carry on down the street and it's across the main road."
"Okay then. I'll see you in a bit," he said, leaning down to kiss her on the cheek. "Good luck with your mum," he whispered, before leaving the room.
Hermione heard her Mum and Harry having a brief conversation as Harry passed her in the hall, and once the Harry had closed the door behind him her Mum came to join her in the living room.
Her Mum took a seat on one of the lounge chairs, but Hermione stayed on her feet, walking up and down the room.
"Hermione, please stop pacing and sit down." Hermione did as her mother bade her and took a seat on the couch. They both sat in silence for a few minutes; each trying to work out how to broach the subject. In the end it was Hermione's mother who spoke first,
"So…do you want to explain to me why your bed hadn't been slept in this morning?"
Hermione took a deep breath, preparing to confess to her mother, "I was in Harry's room. We'd had a pretty emotionally draining day in London, as I told you last night and I went into Harry's room to comfort him and we fell asleep. Nothing happened - it was all completely innocent."
"There's no need to be all defensive Hermione…I'm not angry."
"You're not?
"No, I just want to make sure that you're being responsible and safe."
"Mum, Harry and I aren't having sex."
"Not yet, no"
"What do you mean, not yet?"
"Come on Hermione, I wasn't born yesterday. I know you feel something for Harry and I think he feels something similar for you too."
Hermione was in shock…how did her mother know this? Had she been that transparent? How many other people had noticed?
"I take it by your silence that there is something in what I've just said?" her mother questioned.
"I…err…I guess you're going to find out sooner or later…Harry and I have decided to pursue a more romantic angle to our relationship."
"So you're courting?"
"Mum! That expression is so dated!"
"Sorry. So you're dating?"
"Yes."
"Since when?"
"About 5 hours ago."
"Okay, so it's all new?"
"Very, and to be honest, I didn't really want to tell you until we'd had time to get used to the idea for ourselves. Plus, I'm not sure how Dad would be about the whole thing, especially now Harry is staying here."
"I'm sure he'll be fine about it," assured her mother, but Hermione looked less than convinced. "But, I suppose it can be our little secret for the time being," her mother conceded.
Hermione smiled, "Thanks Mum!"
"Right then, I want to know all the details. Who said what to whom etcetera, etcetera? You can fill me in while we make some lunch. That man of yours will be hungry when he gets back from his run."
Hermione smiled at thought of Harry being 'her man,' and followed her mother into the kitchen. As they prepared the tomato and basil pasta bake and salad, Hermione dutifully answered her mothers questions about how long she had had feelings for Harry, and what had led to them taking the next step in their relationship. However she drew the line at answering "So, is he a good kisser?"
Soon, lunch was ready but there was no sign of Harry.
"Do you think he'll mind if we start without him?" asked Hermione's Mum.
"Not at all. He'd hate to think we were going hungry on his account"
As the two ate the delicious meal, conversation again returned to Hermione and Harry's relationship, particularly the physical side.
"All I'm saying, Hermione is that you need to think about how you are going to handle it." Hermione could feel her face getting redder and redder as her mother continued.
"Mum. For the last time we're not having sex so it's not an issue," Hermione replied trying to end this embarrassing conversation as soon as possible
"But it is, Hermione. Contraception might not seem like an issue now but if you don't plan then who knows what'll happen. You and Harry might not be having sex now, but you might decide next week or next month that you are ready. Surely you would prefer to be prepared, rather than have to put it off because of a lack of planning. Just think about it okay. It can't hurt to do a bit of research can it?"
Hermione had to concede that her mum was right and that she really should look into it. And it was a chance to learn about and research a new subject, something that appealed to Hermione greatly.
"Okay, I'll look into it. Can we change the subject now please?"
"Of course we can dear," said her mother, smiling a little at her daughter's embarrassment. "You'll never guess who was in the surgery this morning…"
As luck would have it, it was a good idea to change the subject at that point because just after Harry returned from his run. Hermione heard the front door open and got up to greet him. It was obvious that he had done a lot of running; he was out of breath, there was sweat running down his very red face and on his t-shirt and he looked very tired. Hermione thought he looked quite sexy and made a mental note to do that research into contraception sooner rather than later.
"Hey you," she smiled, "Good run?"
"Hi. Yeah it was alright. Good chat with your Mum?" Harry moved in to hug Hermione, but she politely pushed him away.
"No. Shower first, hug later. And, the chat was okay if a little embarrassing, thanks for asking. I told Mum about us. I know I said we should wait, but she suspected and I couldn't lie to her."
"What did she say?" Harry asked nervously.
"She was okay about it. She's agreed not to tell Dad for the time being and she did suggest that we do try to sleep in separate rooms though."
"Awww do we have to? Last night was the best night's sleep I've had in months"
"I know; me too. But I did say we'd try."
"We could still share a room, and claim we tried and failed?" suggested Harry, hopefully.
Hermione laughed. "We'll see. Now go for your shower. There's some pasta bake in the oven for you when you're done. Mum and I have had ours. We would've waited, but we didn't know how long you'd be and I didn't think you'd mind.
"I don't." he said as he walked up the stairs.
"Oh, Harry!" shouted Hermione, realising she'd forgotten to ask him something. He looked over the banister rail on the landing,
"Yeh?"
"Do you think we could go back to London tomorrow? There are a couple of books I really want to get. I wanna do some research."
"Yeh that sounds good. I could do with stocking up on owl treats for Hedwig anyway. Can I ask what you're researching?"
"Oh, nothing important," said Hermione, trying not to give anything away.
Harry looked at Hermione, the slight smirk on her face and the rising blush on her face and made a mental note to accompany Hermione to Flourish & Blotts and keep an eye on the books she looked at. She was up to something (something that involved him maybe?) and he wanted to know what.