Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of HP but I do own this little plot.
Author's note: It's the 12th chapter already!! I had so much fun writing this chapter, I hope you guys have fun reading it too! For my dearest Joanna, happy sweet sixteen dearie!
Well, here it is, my friends. The last and final chapter in this book of teaching you how to win her heart and make her yours. It's been a long journey to get to where you stand right now with the witch of your dreams, but wouldn't you agree with me in saying that it was a most fulfilling and wonderful one?
Without much further ado, we shall proceed on to the last and final tip in this book:
12. Always tell her you love her.
This is an important tip that you should put into use everyday. Send her an owl at work, just to tell her that you love her and you miss her already. When she's at home, finishing up some work, give her a hug and a kiss and tell her you love her so much, bearing in mind to make it sound completely heartfelt, which it should be of course.
Witches need to hear that the relationship you share with them is something that you treasure and they need to feel validated to some extent, and therefore it is vital to always; always and anywhere to tell her how much you love her that you could do anything and everything for her. This is a wonderful tip that every wizard should know so as to keep his witch by his side and in his heart always.
Telling her constantly that you love her should always sound sincere and meaningful. It shouldn't be just said in passing, or as an afterthought, but as something that you really mean and as something you want her to know, all the time. By reminding her constantly of how much you love her, you will secure your relationship and affirm it constantly, making it stronger and taking it to newer levels.
So, don't forget to tell her just how much you love her today.
-12 Fail-Safe Ways to Charm Witches, Chapter 12, Three Little Words
Hermione stood before the stove, carefully flipping an egg before one side of it became too burned, never taking her eyes off the golden-yellow yolk that stared up at her from, the depths of the frying pan and the stark contrast of the pure white that surrounded it. Soft music played from the Muggle radio that was placed on the shelf erected on the wall beside the stove and its gay, lilting melody, complemented with the gentle patch of sunlight that streamed in through the sparkling kitchen windows which she had just cleaned yesterday.
She glanced quickly around the kitchen, smiling to herself, as she looked at the freshly painted cheery yellow kitchen walls which she and Harry had just done yesterday. She allowed a small laugh to escape her lips as she remembered how most of the paint had ended up on their faces, their arms, their clothes, in their bid to paint the other with more yellow paint and how Harry had had to go out for more so that they could finish the job.
The sizzling of the frying pan bought her back to the matter at hand and meticulously, she slid the egg which she had just fried onto a small porcelain plate which she had placed in preparation on the wooden sideboard and picked up yet another egg from the counter top, still thinking to herself as she cradled its delicate shape in her fingers and used a spoon to crack it, ensuring that it was broken into the frying pan.
They'd been married for about 5 months already and Hermione loved every minute of it. She felt like she could never get tired of this life, being Harry's wife was something that she was thoroughly enjoying. They'd moved out of the flat that they'd shared with Ron (who seemed to take the news of their marriage with some sort of glee, and Hermione suspected it was partially because he could now ask a certain blond-haired young lady to move in with him without feeling awkward) and into another home, not too far away from Ron's flat, so that they could go over for dinner every now and then.
She loved everything about her new life. How she could wake up every morning to see his face beside her, his features peaceful as he slept, or even grinning at her in a morning greeting, how she could go to sleep every night, with his arms around her, whispering to her about how his day had been and just asking her how hers had been. She loved how she could introduce Harry to her friends as her husband now, and how he would always smile and wrap his arm around her waist in a casually possessive movement that would always show all that was around that she belonged to him and him to her.
In short, her new life was everything she had hoped for and dreamed for as a little girl, and now that she was living it, she loved every minute of it.
Just then, she was brought out of her reverie by a pair of arms being looped around her waist and she smiled as she felt him lean his chin against her shoulder blade. She could feel the heat of his body pass through her skin and could feel his heart beat, a steady, strong rhythm that made her smile even wider.
"Morning, Mr. Potter." She teased genially, not removing her gaze from the pan but still smiling nonetheless.
"Morning to you too, Mrs. Potter." Harry carefully released one of his arms from around her waist and used it to tilt her face towards his such that he could kiss her gently. They shared a series of short, sweet kisses and Hermione could only revel in the moment, as she used her free hand to caress the side of his face and the prickly stubble that edged his jaw, a sure sign that he hadn't shaved yet.
Finally, almost regretfully, she broke away; knowing that she would burn the eggs if she continued let him kiss her. Harry pouted slightly, but she only laughed and jabbed him in his side slightly with her elbow and he winced a little but laughed too, and tightened his grip around her waist as she continued to flip another egg.
"So what got you out of bed this early, Mr. Potter?" She glanced at the clock which read 11 am and she could not help but smile playfully, her words more joking than sarcastic.
"Well," Harry seemed to debate the question seriously but Hermione knew that he was just playing along with her. She loved that about him too, how they could have just bantered on all day, their conversation light and teasing, belying all the affection they held for one another. She loved how he could just pick up on when she was teasing, when she was joking and play along with his famous sense of humor. "The delectable smell of eggs and bacon coming from the kitchen."
She jabbed him once more with her elbow and he grimaced in mock-pain before breaking out into a grin that illuminated all his features. "Ouch! What is it with women and hitting their husbands?" He pouted once more, a look that always made her laugh, "You should really learn to treat a guy better you know."
She refused to rise to the barb but instead, angled her head slightly such that she was able to look him in the eye and give him a look that was both knowing and anticipating a better answer, her brown eyes sparkling with mischief. Harry let out a gusty sigh, one that was intended to show that she had caught him, before admitting in all seriousness. "Alright, I lied. What got me out of bed was my delectable wife making breakfast for me."
She could not help but laugh at that sentence but at the same time, it sent a rush of tenderness for him through her body, starting up from somewhere deep inside her gut and spreading throughout her body. Harry must have picked up on that vibe as well as he once again lowered his lips to her, kissing her tenderly, affectionately, only as how a husband can kiss his wife that he loves so very much.
This time however, he was the one who broke the kiss and began to trail kisses along her jaw and down her neck, making her shiver slightly. She loved that about him too, and wanted him to be the only man that could make her feel this way when he kissed her. He pulled her closer to him, such that their bodies were pressed more closely against one another and she could not help but forget the egg that was frying merrily on the stove.
But apparently, the egg did not like being neglected and the pan let out a hissing sound that indicated that the oil was extremely hot and the egg was in danger of being burnt. Hermione could not help but sigh internally. Merlin, she was never going to cook eggs in the morning again, not if Harry was going to kiss her like this every morning. And with that she tried to pull away slightly to attend to the egg but Harry refused to release her.
"Harry, stop that." Her voice did not come out as commanding as she hoped it would and he continued kissing her in a manner that made her legs and voice feel rather weak. When he didn't listen to her, she exclaimed in mock-exasperation but a hint of laughter in her voice, "Harry James Potter, you stop that!"
Harry then pulled away reluctantly, wearing a rather devilish grin on his face. "Why should I?" She could feel her insides tensing in anticipation, but refused to give him the satisfaction of knowing that she was feeling that way and settled for a small smirk of her own. She loved how he could also be dangerous sometimes, how he could just use all his charm on her and make her feel so light-headed that she thought she might hyperventilate.
"Because the neighbors will see." She pronounced the reason with the clarity and the matter-of-fact tone she always used when working in St. Mungos' to explain to the board of directors that this was why she thought that using yew was a useful ingredient in cures because of their many medicinal properties that many people often overlooked and turned her attention back to the egg which she managed to salvage by flipping it over.
"So?" Harry laid his lips against the side of her neck suddenly, making her tremble slightly, a thrill of pleasure coursing through her body. She could feel his grin against her skin as he continued. "Then they'll understand, because they too were young and very much in love like we are now."
"Harry," She protested once again as he traced the edge of her ear with his lips, half -praying that he wouldn't stop but continued, with a slight note of warning in her voice. "Don't do that!"
"Why?" He kissed her temple, apparently disregarding her order,
"Because it's distracting and I can't cook in peace if you don't stop!" Hermione mock-frowned at him, momentarily forgetting about the egg once again.
"Then don't make eggs," Harry shrugged his shoulders, pulling her such that she was leaning on him. "Make waffles. So much easier and less," At this he began to kiss her once more, although this time with slightly more urgency and tenderness, a dangerous combination, Hermione had learned. "hands-on."
However she regretfully disentangled herself from his arms, picking up her spatula to flip over the egg. "Harry…." Her voice was now warning, but it held the faintest note of laugher.
Harry laughed then, wrapping his arms around her waist again, "Merlin, I love you so much." She unconsciously relaxed into his touch but she turned her head slightly such that she could look into his emerald green eyes that were shining with affection for her.
"You do?" She knew the answer of course, but she always loved to hear it from his lips.
Harry smiled down tenderly at her then, his emerald eyes then darkening with seriousness. "Of course I do." He paused to brush a strand of hair out of her eyes, his fingers brushing over her skin lightly as he did so. "I love you, so, so much, Mione."
She could feel that familiar pang of pleasure and happiness flow through her veins as it overtook her lips in a smile. And Harry, his sides of his eyes crinkling up as his lips too curved into a wide grin, kissed her once again, a soft, gentle one this time, that conveyed all his love for her and she kissed him back with equal affection in her gesture.
He then deepened the kiss, his hands sliding up the small of her back and she too, gently used her fingers to rake through his messy raven locks, making them more ruffled than they already had been. They were so caught up in the other person, so lost in the moment that they failed to even notice the shriveled, dark mess on the frying pan which was now emitting ominous clouds of black smoke behind them…
They had waffles for breakfast that day.
Ahahaha. The end of this story has come… or has it? *mysterious smile* I'm so evil, aren't I, making you all stew in suspense. Stay tuned and of course don't forget to review!