Unofficial Portkey Archive

AN: I don't know whether or not anyone is still reading this, but I always promised never to abandon it and I meant it. The last couple of years have ranked high in the `worst of my life' list. I am happy to say that I am now out of my funk, and back in business!

This has not been beta'd. Sorry.

Just One More Thing

Chapter 43

JOMT

Harry could do nothing but watch as Hermione tried to process what must have been hundreds of thoughts going through her head at one time. Even though he was waiting with bated breath for a response to the question he had just put to her, he couldn't help but feel relieved that Hermione now knew about what McGonagall had told him.

But now, as he waited for an answer from the witch in front of him, he began to grow nervous.

Even though the wind had been knocked out of him when he found out that he may just become a father to two children in less than seven months, Harry was now ecstatic at the prospect, especially when it would seem that he and Hermione would be blessed with both a girl and a boy should Dumbledore's prediction be true. Even though he thought Luna to be loopy at times, he wanted nothing more than for her to be right this time which according to her and Ron, she usually was when it came to these kinds of things.

Leaving out the undoubtedly large problem they still had with Hermione's ex, Harry would daresay his life was getting closer and closer to perfection by the day in terms of the life he was building with Hermione. Now all he needed to hear was how she felt about this possible news.

He continued to observe closely every facial expression that she made, as her eyes went from side to side, as her chest rose and fell conspicuously. She still hadn't made eye contact with him, choosing to instead focus on everything in the bookstore but his face. Finally, after what seemed like forever, she looked up into his eyes.

The expression on her face was unreadable, which to Harry was very unsettling, seeing as how he always knew just by looking at her how she felt emotionally at any particular time. This was different. Nothing in her features gave her away. In fact, he would swear that he could see every emotion in existence all at the same time, which gave him no real indication as to the real feeling in her heart right at that moment.

Hermione bit her lip, and seconds later, Harry saw her mouth begin to curl upwards. Moments later and Harry tried to think of a time when Hermione had smiled so widely before. He failed. It was a look of total awe that had graced his fiancées face, a look that could only mean one thing.

She was just as ecstatic as he was.

Hermione wiped away a joyful tear that had made its way down her cheek. "You know, we could be getting ahead of ourselves."

Harry got closer and took her hands in his. "But you'd be…ok with it?"

"Ok with it?" she repeated in wonder, as another happy tear fell from her eye. "I would love it."

Harry allowed himself to smile madly. "So would I."

Hermione let out a little squeal and threw her arms around his neck. "This is like the best news ever!"

Harry rolled his eyes playfully, "So much for not getting ahead of ourselves."

JOMT

Who knew that something so simple like raising your head from a pillow when one woke in the morning could be so damn difficult?

From the very moment his eyes flickered open that Monday morning, Dean Thomas was finding everything he did a gargantuan task. When he tried to open his lids he would have sworn that there had been some form of glue between them. But eventually after five minutes of gentle prizing, he succeeded in taking in his surroundings and found himself on his stomach lying in bed facing one of his four bedroom walls. The next job was to raise his head, which currently felt like it was full of cement. Seconds later he would find that this effect was not just limited to his head, but the rest of his body too. He never got headaches. But not even he could escape the ghastly effects of a hangover.

The alcohol induced haze that followed a heavy drinking session didn't usually bother him. He always reasoned that it was just something you had to go through after a great night of partying; no pain no gain. That and it didn't have to last all that long. One of the million advantages of being a wizard was that a simple hangover potion would have it cleared up in no time, of which Dean had ample stock.

But this morning felt different.

Last night he wasn't drinking to socialise or have fun, he was drinking to block out the thoughts going through his head and the foreign feelings which were fleeting through his heart, that he just had no idea how to deal with at present.

He was drinking to block out Natasha.

And it had worked, well...for the time that he had been dead to the world as the alcohol served its purpose. He couldn't really remember much of what happened last night after Neville had given up with him. His friend had fought in vain to try and get through to him that all he needed to do to sort out this situation that he found himself in was simply talk to Natasha. Dean had thanked him but politely declined, assuring him that all he needed at that moment was to be left alone to deal with it the only way he knew how. Neville reluctantly left his friend in the bar as he was taking Kim out for dinner that evening, a decision he was sure was going to come back and bite him in the arse.

Neville's fear was going to materialise the next morning when Dean finally found the strength to lift his head off of his pillow and turn it to face the other side of his bed.

He didn't have the energy to make a face, a gesture or even sigh. He wanted to desperately close his eyes in disappointment but was afraid that the sleep in them would cause them to get stuck again. So he chose to continue with his current train of action.

He simply continued to stare.

"You certainly live up to your reputation," a gorgeous naked blonde lying next to him commented admirably.

Dean had had to wrestle with lots of feelings he'd never dealt with before lately, and another one had just presented itself slap bang in his bed, one that he certainly never had wash over him the way it had in that very instant. He was well aware of what was currently piercing his heart that very second.

It was guilt.

Now, Dean Thomas never felt guilty, especially when it came to his sexual escapades. The women he went with knew exactly what they were getting into when they spent the night with him, because if he wasn't anything else, he was always brutally honest when he first met said women. He flirted, turned on the charm, promised them a night but nothing more, and then proceeded to `fuck and chuck' as he so fondly called it. There was only one woman who had evaded his perfected routine, whom was responsible for all the confusion and new feelings that had been surging through his mind and heart like tidal waves lately. It was the same woman that had caused him to wake up in his bed that morning next to a gorgeous naked female and for the first time feel weird about it. The predatory smirks that use to customarily appear on his face after an animalistic night with a beautiful woman and a job well done, was now replaced with a frown of regret and uneasiness.

For the first time in his life he felt as if he had somehow…cheated.

He felt as though he had cheated on Natasha.

He closed his eyes, suddenly not caring whether or not they'd stick again and scrunched his face up slightly, as his actions from last night began to forcefully take their toll on him. He still said nothing to the blonde lying next to him, whose name he didn't even remember and buried his face in his pillow.

"Fuck!" he muttered to himself harshly.

JOMT

"I thought you weren't going into work till noon today?" Kim asked from the sofa, as she watched her friend search around the living room for her handbag.

"I'm not," Natasha confirmed, breathing out air in triumph as she found her bag down the side of a chair.

"So where are you off to this early in the morning?" Her roommate asked in interest.

Natasha slung her bag over shoulder. "I'm going to see Dean."

"Boy you really are in love." Kim commented before shaking her head and smiling.

Natasha cocked her head to one side and grinned shyly. "What does that mean?"

"It means I don't get why you feel so guilty about what you said to him yesterday. Come on Nat, the bastard deserved it and you know it."

Natasha had told Kim what had transpired between her and Dean the day before, when she had fibbed and led Dean to believe that not only had she gone on a date with someone, but that she'd gone to bed with them too and that they had satisfied her more than he ever had. The look on his face was a sad picture and Natasha had immediately regretted entering into this stupid game with him of who could make the other more jealous. She had told him that she was just kidding around, but he had practically sprinted out before she could say anything else. She felt awful about the whole thing, but her friend had approved greatly saying only that, "she couldn't have done better herself".

"Kim, you didn't see his face," Natasha told her, remembering the look that had crossed Dean's features. "He seemed really…upset."

Kim chuckled softly. "Not possible."

Natasha grinned playfully. "Don't make fun of me."

"Fine. Go and talk to the robot," Kim gave in.

At that point Neville entered the living room. "Morning ladies," he addressed them cheerfully.

Kim raised an arm, gesturing for him to join her on the settee. "Good morning my fine, normal, specimen of a man."

Natasha rolled her eyes; Kim's accentuation of the word `normal' had clearly been for her benefit. "Kim," she chastised gently.

Neville kissed his girlfriend and sat beside her on the sofa. "What are we talking about?"

"Who do you think?" Kim answered.

Neville looked at Natasha who wasn't giving anything away, then back to his girlfriend. "Dean?"

Kim opened her mouth in mock shock. "Ding, Ding, Ding, Ding, Ding, give the man a prize!"

"What did I miss?" Neville asked.

Kim sighed. "Natasha here may have played a little harmless joke on him yesterday, and now she is so consumed with guilt that she feels the need to go round to his apartment at this time of the morning no less and throw herself at the mercy of the Adonis himself."

"Kim!" Natasha scolded her almost tiredly.

Neville looked intrigued. He had wondered what had gotten his friend into such a state last night and it now looked as though he had the opportunity to get to the bottom of it. Dean had admitted whilst drunk that he had fallen in love with Natasha, but Neville didn't know what had happened to make him realise it for sure.

"What did you do to him?" he asked engrossed.

"I didn't do anything to him," Natasha replied feeling slightly offended. Kim grinned at her friend and raised an eye brow. "I didn't," Natasha repeated. "I may have…said something to him but I certainly didn't do anything to him."

"What did you say to him then?" Neville enquired carefully, his girlfriend smiling at his diplomacy.

"Nothing really," Natasha answered unconvincingly.

"Please let me tell him," Kim begged animatedly.

Natasha threw her hands up in the air in defeat and allowed her friend to bring Neville up to speed.

Kim eagerly turned on the settee towards her boyfriend. "She told Dean that she went out on a date with this guy, that she slept with him, and that he was better in bed than him."

Neville looked at Natasha who was currently looking at the floor in slight shame. "So that's why he was out of his face yesterday afternoon."

Natasha's head snapped up and found Neville looking at her. "That's why he was what?" she squeaked.

Neville was unsure of whether he should say more, but in all truthfulness he had had just about enough of the way Dean was going on and decided that he wasn't going to make excuses for him anymore. "He was really…out of it. He was in `the Sticks' and it was obvious that something was bothering him."

Natasha sighed sadly. "Well now I feel even more terrible than I did before," she said desolately. "I have to go talk to him."

"Well what are you gonna to say to him?" Kim asked her quickly.

"I don't know," Natasha replied honestly. "Apologise. Tell him that this whole thing with us has gotten completely stupid and that…" she trailed off. "Oh I don't know, maybe I'll know when I see him."

Kim eyes widened momentarily. "You're not gonna do anything stupid like tell him you love him…are you?"

Neville regarded Natasha in surprise. "You really love him?"

Natasha determinedly met Neville's eyes. "Yes, I love him."

"Then you should tell him," Neville smiled at her.

Kim clapped her hands together dramatically. "Yes!" she cried sarcastically. "And then we can all go round to his flat, and take a good look at the Dean shaped hole that will be in his front door! Because you know as well as I do Nat, that that is exactly what he's gonna do when you tell him that. He is going to run from you as fast as his cowardly legs can carry him and not look back!"

Neville saw that Natasha was on the verge of tears, clearly believing what her friend had just said to her. What Kim didn't know was that Dean did in fact love Natasha; he just had no idea how to deal with it just yet. Even though he was tired of making excuses for his friend, he certainly had no place to tell Natasha how Dean truly felt. That would have to come from him and him alone.

So instead, "We don't know that for sure," he said encouragingly.

"You know it doesn't really matter how he reacts," Natasha announced. "All I know is that I can't keep doing this anymore. I just need some kind of clarity on whatever it is that is going on with us."

Kim rolled her eyes. "Ok let's see, you're normal and he is an emotional retard! There, simplicity at its best!"

"Kim, that's not nice," Neville spoke quietly.

Kim sighed and regarded her best friend with concern. "Look, I don't mean to be cruel. I just don't want you to be disappointed is all, which is all you have ever been when it comes to Dean."

Natasha glanced upward and shrugged. "I know that. I just need to know if things can be different. Kim, I know about Dean's reputation ok when it comes to relationships, or lack of should I say; I've had to endure it to some extent. But with me…he's dissimilar." Kim was about to speak when her roommate continued, "I mean in all the times I've heard about his antics, I've never heard of him going back to the same woman as many times as he's come back to me."

"That's true," Neville clarified.

"That has to mean something right?" Natasha added.

Kim didn't look convinced. "I just don't want you to get your hopes up, and your heart broken."

Natasha smiled wryly. "I'm living day-to-day without the man I love. My heart's already broken."

JOMT

"Are you just gonna sit there and stare at me all day?" Hermione asked with a smile, working her way through a stack of parchment on the bookstore counter.

Harry who had a smile of his own simply allowed it to grow bigger in response. Sitting on a bar like stool at the end of the counter, all he had been able to do for the past hour was gaze at Hermione's stomach in wonder at the possibilities, silently praying to whichever power had control over existence that there were two of his children growing inside of Hermione right now.

"It is one of my favourite things to do," he told her sweetly.

Hermione stopped filing her papers and caressed the tiny bump that was starting to protrude from her stomach. "There has to be two in here right?" she asked quickly. "I mean you can see and feel a bump here and I'm only nine weeks."

Harry chuckled; his fiancée clearly had the same thoughts occupying her mind that were his at that moment. "Trying to convince yourself there hun?"

Hermione rubbed her belly and giggled quietly. "I guess."

Harry sat up straight and placed both hands on the counter. "Well, three weeks on Sunday, we'll be put out of our misery."

That's when the scan was scheduled, the day after their wedding.

Hermione scrunched her face up playfully. "Do we really have to wait?"

Harry cocked his head to the side. "Now come on, you said you loved my idea."

Hermione sighed light-heartedly. "I do. It's very romantic."

Harry bowed his head looking pleased with himself. He wanted the first major thing for them to do as a married couple to be finding out the sex of their baby, and it had now been given extra special significance, they were also going to find out whether or not to expect two children instead of one. If he was honest, the need to know was overwhelming, but he was sure they could last another 20 instalments of 24 hours. The excitement has become so much that he was now counting the days. He then remembered that he only had to wait another 19 days before the event that would change his life forever. It hadn't happened yet, but he already knew it was going to be one of those days that he would regard as one of the best in his life.

The day Hermione would become his wife.

"Three weeks on Saturday baby," he reminded her in awe.

Hermione grinned. "Something happening three weeks on Saturday?" she asked playfully.

Harry put both his thumbs up and opened his mouth widely. "I get a ball and chain," he joked, before leaning forward, angling for a kiss.

Hermione leaned and stopped just shy of his lips. "And a swift kick in the nuts if you ever refer to me as that again," she warned, before pecking his lips softly.

Harry laughed against her lips and then cupped her cheek with one hand, before slipping his tongue inside her mouth. The satisfied humming noises soon emanating from them both as their kiss continued to deepen signalled that they had left for their own little world, and didn't return even when the bell signalled that someone had entered the bookstore.

"Oh you guys are so fucking cute," Ginny stated matter-of-factly. Harry and Hermione finally pulled apart and couldn't help but smile at the friend that interrupted them. "Don't stop on my account," she added with a grin.

Hermione stood up straight and pushed the papers in front of her aside. "What? Are you and Draco into voyeurism now?" she asked teasingly.

"Now there's an idea," Ginny returned humorously.

"Oh god," Harry sighed.

Ginny leaned an arm on Harry's shoulder. "Shouldn't you be out catching bad guys?"

"Shouldn't you be fixing relationship problems `Dear Ginny'?" he countered.

Ginny shook her head and waved a hand dramatically. "I had to get out of that office; the stress is just too much."

Hermione glanced at her watch and stifled a laugh. "Ginny, you've been at work for an hour."

"When Luna told me that she was taking the day off and she needed me to cover for her, I had no idea that that meant I'd have to put up with employee bullshit," Ginny explained.

Hermione glanced at Harry who shaking his head and trying not to laugh. "Gin, Luna is the editor, which means that you're covering for the boss, which means you have to deal with employee…problems," Hermione worded carefully.

Ginny noted that Hermione refused to repeat her choice of word, bullshit, and nudged Harry. "Only you get to hear her dirty mouth right?"

Harry continued to shake his head. "Leave me out of this."

Hermione giggled. "Gin, are you planning on sticking around?"

"Only if the conversation gets more interesting," she replied wiggling her eyebrows.

Hermione looked pointedly at Harry. Even though he hadn't said as much, she knew that he wanted to drop into the ministry to see if there was any news on Steven. Now that Ginny was here with her, it would give him an opportunity to do so. The main thing was that she wasn't going to be alone, which was the only thing that Harry felt comfortable with right now, even though she was fully capable of taking care of herself. "You should go see Draco and find out if there have been any developments."

Harry glanced at Ginny and then back at her. "You sure?" he asked sceptically.

"I'll be fine Harry," she assured him. "I have Ginny here with me."

"And I'm way more dangerous than any man," Ginny announced proudly.

"You won't leave her," he stated more than asked.

"Promise," Ginny told him.

Harry stood up. "I'll be a couple of hours tops."

"Go," Hermione smiled.

Harry leant over the counter and kissed her lips. "Love you."

"Love you," Hermione returned.

Harry stroked his fiancée's stomach briefly, pecked Ginny on the cheek and then dissaparated.

Ginny sat down on the stool that had been vacated by Harry and let her bag drop to the floor. Sighing blissfully, she smiled at her friend. "So, Draco and I had the best anal sex last night."

Hermione tried to keep a smile off of her face but was unsuccessful, as she folded her arms, closed her eyes briefly and shook her head. "Ok, you need to tell me what face it is that I make, that makes you think that I want you to volunteer that kind of information, because I really need to stop doing it."

Ginny laughed. "Oh Hermione, you know you love it!"

Hermione guiltily put a hand to her forehead in preparation for the conversation she knew she was going to have. Ginny was right. Her friend was crude, but she couldn't help but love it.

JOMT

Natasha stood at Dean's apartment door and took a deep breath. This was going to be the start of a conversation that defined them. She needed to know where this was going, and she needed to know sooner rather than later. If Dean couldn't commit, no matter how hard it was going to be for, she would have to walk away. Finally mustering up all the courage from within, she raised her hand, made a fist and knocked firmly. It wasn't long before she heard footsteps approaching followed by the door being swung open.

Dean's eyes widened when he saw who was on his doorstep, and nervously closed the door some so that only his head could be seen. "Hi," he said throatily.

"Hi," Natasha greeted shyly, wondering where the cocky, confident Dean had gone. He looked nervous about something but she quickly shook it from her mind as soon as it had entered. "I'm sorry for dropping by unannounced. I just really needed to talk to you."

"N-no that's ok," Dean stammered. "The thing is, I'm really pushed for time right now, I gotta be at work in like half an hour."

"Ok," Natasha whispered brokenly.

Dean's heart jumped into his throat at Natasha's sad expression, he wanted to talk to her too and would do everything he could to get a smile on her face later, but right now he needed to get her away from his apartment and what was inside. "I'll owl you as soon as I get to work ok?"

Natasha looked up at him and regarded him strangely. "Dean, what is wrong with you?"

Dean laughed tensely. "Nothing."

"You're acting weird."

"That's one of the things you like about me right?" he pointed out quickly. "I'm kooky."

Natasha slowly smiled and nodded, she did like that he wasn't like other men. Some of the things he did and said were damn right strange, but that was what she loved about him. He could always make her laugh. He was always surprising her with his antics.

"I guess so," she said taking a step closer to him.

This made Dean Panic and he closed the door a little more. "Tell you what, you and me tonight. We'll go out, we'll talk, we'll laugh, we'll fu-" Dean managed to stop himself from saying the usual. "We'll do whatever you want."

"You mean like a date?" Natasha asked hopefully.

"If that's what they're calling it these days, absolutely," he nodded emphatically.

He really needed her to go away.

"Ok," Natasha accepted finally. "So, you'll still owl me a work?"

Dean nodded forcefully. "I will owl you at work. And I will pick you up tonight."

Natasha leant forward and kissed his lips gently. "I'll see you tonight then."

Dean's heart still fluttered after her lips left his. "You sure will."

Natasha smiled at him lovingly and was about to leave when a female voice sailed from behind Dean's door.

"Dean, baby where do you keep your towels?"

Dean slowly closed his eyes in defeat as Natasha's eyes began to glisten with tears.

He was sure he heard Natasha's heart fall to the floor along with his own. He finally mustered together the courage to open his eyes and look at the broken beauty in front of him. All he could do was watch as she smiled wryly, shook her head in what appeared to be disgust and looked to the floor.

"Oh man," she muttered disappointedly.

Dean was fucked, in every way he could imagine.

JOMT

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