Title: Thursday
Author notes: This chapter begins on Thursday (five days after the last one and three days before Hermione has to go back to Meriton). Sorry for the long-in-coming posts. I'm writing my thesis and doing a lousy job of managing my time.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
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Hermione heard a log crumble in the fire and looked up from her book. The crackling fire danced merrily in front of her, sending sparks and smoke up the chimney. She and Harry were spending a quiet evening together in his father's old study: Harry was looking over some documents and Hermione was curled up on the overstuffed sofa reading Monkshood: A Practical Application by Damocles Belby. The evening was a peaceful domestic scene that was typical of the wintery countryside-reading by the fire, watching a distant storm roll in from the east, listening to the drip-drop of melting icicles on the windowpane.
Hermione's entire week had been like that: days and nights filled with quiet contentment. Reading, walks around the grounds, rare trips into Pemberley…The mornings were spent mostly by herself, usually in the enormous Potter library, but her afternoons were more varied: Tonks and Hermione would wander around the dozens of rooms in the house or Ron would rope her into a game of Wizard's chess or they'd all head into Pemberley if the weather permitted. But no matter how she spent her days, she always looked forward to these quiet evenings with Harry. He'd invite her to sit with him while he looked over legal docs and correspondence and she'd sit quietly by the fire. Over the last week it had become something of a habit-she'd read while he finished his work, and after he was done, they'd chat by the fire until Remus came in to usher them into the drawing room for a card game or coffee.
Five days ago, the old study was unknown to her, but now she considered it one of the most inviting rooms she'd ever been in. The fireplace had floor-to-ceiling gray stonework, and its mantel held dozens of odd green-glass ornaments that belonged to Harry's mother. The hearth was alive with a comforting fire that sent a warm glow to the four corners of the room. Sitting in front of the fireplace was a large dark brown sofa flanked by two matching club chairs and a green oriental rug.
Hermione looked around the comfortable room and smiled. Not at the scenery, or the fire, or the coziness of the room. She was smiling because she was blissfully, suddenly, inexplicably happy. It was just one of the many spontaneous, completely-and-utterly causeless smiles she'd had over the last five days. Lately, for no discernable reason, she would look around and become giddy with happiness-there was no Tonks making her laugh or Ron playfully bantering with her-she would be alone, usually reading or writing, and a bright smile would suddenly appear on her face. She was glad no one else could see it because she couldn't explain it if she tried. It was happening more and more with each hour spent at Godric's Hollow.
Smiling, she snuggled down into the sofa, letting the warmth of the fire surround her and listening to the scribbled sound of Harry writing. Comfortable, content, warm, cozy, peaceful…utterly utterly happy…it was wonderful… perfect even. "Perfect" seemed an appropriate word for it. Aside from the customary outbursts that erupted between Ron and Tonks, her time at Godric's Hollow had been nothing short of perfect. So perfect that Hermione looked up the word in the dictionary:
Perfect: wonderful, ideal, faultless, absolute, whole, complete, grand, just right…
But words like that, of course, only offended her sense of logic. Nothing was perfect. There was no utter completion. No flawless ideal. There were only self-deceptions that were doomed to disappointment. So instead of enjoying this time of ignorant bliss, she had begun to fall into fits of uncertainty. She kept telling herself that this stage in their relationship would not last forever-This was just the idyllic haze of a first love. They would face obstacles, have rows, and struggle to maintain their relationship, as all couples do. Harry still occasionally acted without consideration for others (although now she just chalked up the instances to his 'decisive nature') and she still fell into fits of pessimism.
Nothing in their personalities had really changed, and she found herself using these quiet evenings to obsess over how she would handle the shattered ideal of their now "perfect" relationship. Would they fall back into their old hateful habits? Would those feelings of bitterness and dislike ever reemerge? Their relationship had begun on a mutual dislike and quickly devolved into open resentment and frustration. Could they ever really overcome their acrimonious past?
Sometimes, she hated being Hermione Granger.
She always assumed the worst of everything…and everyone. Luna was quite the opposite, somehow believing in the best of people. Hermione had never heard her say an unkind word about anyone. Lavender, on the other hand, didn't seem to think much about anything besides red cloaks. But Hermione had somehow inherited her father's pessimism. Now she found herself waiting for all the lovely happiness she felt at Godric's to come to a screeching halt.
You know it won't last, an unhelpful voice whispered (as if on cue). Harry will do something rash and selfish and you'll assume the worst and the whole thing will come crashing down around you.
Oh shut up brain…Hermione muttered. She rolled her eyes and closed her book. Shaking herself out of her gloomy thoughts, she realized that something had changed in the room. The fire was still crackling, the wind was still howling…but something was…off. It took her a few seconds to realize that the sound of Harry's scribbled writing had stopped.
She turned around and smiled when she realized why: Harry had fallen asleep at his desk. His chin was resting on his elbow and his quill was hovering over the parchment mid-sentence.
"Oh Harry," Hermione muttered fondly, setting her book aside.
She quietly knelt down beside him and put his quill away so he wouldn't blot the paper. Letting her eyes roam over him, she found it was something of a struggle to keep her hand from touching his cheek, playing with his hair, or doing anything at all to wake him up.
She studied his face for the thousandth time, admiring the handsome features she'd come to know so well. Hermione took a chance that Harry was sound asleep and gently ran her fingers through his hair. She loved the feel of it, the wildness of it. It was always a little tousled no matter what he did to it.
Reluctantly, she pulled her hand away and kissed Harry on the cheek. When she took a step back, she noticed that his eyes were open.
"You didn't have to stop," he muttered as he stirred.
She looked away shyly. "I didn't want to wake you,"
He pulled her onto his lap and gave her a soft kiss on the cheek. "I think that's the best way to wake up."
He grinned as she snuggled closer and nodded against his shoulder. Now free to run her hand through his hair without fear of disturbing him, she ruffled his hair and slipped an arm around his neck.
"How long have I been asleep?" he yawned.
"Only a few minutes."
"I can't believe I did that," Harry rubbed his neck. "Remus is trying to kill me, I'm sure of it."
"Poor Harry," Hermione said with mock-pity, patting his cheek.
"I mean it." He motioned to the pile of papers in front of him. "I don't know what I did, but this is some kind of punishment."
"Why would you think that?"
Harry shrugged. "Remus has always handled the estate business himself. And now every time I turn around I have a new stack of bank statements to go through or mortgages to approve or land deals to review. I don't know why he suddenly needs my advice on every sodding thing Sirius sends him."
"Harry!" Hermione laughed, "Has it occurred to you that he's trusting you with more responsibility? It's a compliment that he wants you to be more involved with your family's finances. He obviously thinks you're ready for it."
"Yeah well…I don't see why he had to pick this week to suddenly trust me," Harry grumbled, tracing Hermione's cheek with his finger.
"Well he is on his honeymoon. He's probably trying to be more efficient with his time…"
"…So he's shucking his work at me." Harry nodded approvingly. "You know, that's not a bad idea."
"That's not what I meant!" Hermione giggled as he dipped his head down and nuzzled her neck, making her laugh and squirm as always.
She pulled away as she caught the sound of footsteps coming down the hall. She checked the clock: nine o'clock on the dot. Remus was coming to shoo them into one of the drawing rooms. It was like clockwork every evening.
She was safely back on the sofa when Remus did stride into the room. Looking from Harry to Hermione and back again, Remus greeted them both. He asked Harry how things were going and got a mumbled "fine" from Harry in return.
"Tonks is asking for you, Hermione. Something to do with…well…I didn't really catch the why, but she is asking for you."
Hermione said that "why" wasn't really a question one could ask Tonks. She bade goodbye to them both and left the two men alone.
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Leisurely pacing around the room (trying to appear as completely casual as possible) Remus was actually glad to have
the chance to talk to Harry…well…just man to man. Remus had been putting off this talk for some time now, but he'd
been called away for a few days and didn't like the idea of leaving without at least telling Harry how he felt
about the whole… Hermione situation.
"Say Harry," Remus said as casually as he could. "Do you mind if…er… if I had a word with you?"
"Of course Remus," Harry answered as he shuffled the papers on his desk.
Remus took out a glass and offered Harry a drink. Harry refused, but he looked on curiously as Remus's hand shook as he poured the Scotch.
"Your father used this room a lot," Remus said nervously as he added a few ice cubes to his glass.
Harry nodded, still watching Lupin intently.
"He and Lily you know. They used to read in here. Talk too. Just the two of them."
"Dad mentioned it," Harry replied carefully.
"There hasn't been… I mean, there wasn't much call for it after she died…the room, I mean."
"Well…it's a very comfortable room. I've always thought so."
"It is," Remus said slowly. "A very nice room for your parents….your parents who were married. Do you see what I'm getting at?"
"Not really," Harry replied, narrowing his eyes.
Remus took a seat in the armchair across from Harry.
"When your parents were alone in here, no one thought anything of it. Because they were married, you see. If they weren't married…well… people would have other things to say about it." Remus paused. "Do you understand?"
Harry gave a cautious nod. He now regretted not taking that drink.
Remus set his glass down and began pacing around the room. "You see Harry, Hermione is…well…attractive. Very attractive, and I know you've always been partial to her company and …that … that seems to present a problem for us here."
"A problem?" Harry repeated slowly.
"A sizable problem."
Harry studied him a moment. "A problem for who exactly?"
"It's not really what I'd call a problem…yet," Remus admitted apologetically. "Just…it's a situation that might present a question of…propriety."
Harry shook his head and looked directly at Remus. He opened his mouth to reply with something along the lines of "I don't see what business it is of yours …" and shoot Remus the famous Potter Glare (a frozen, inscrutable look that his father used to make). Harry had been on the receiving end on his father's look only once: he was eleven years old and he'd accidentally flown his broomstick through a stained glass window of the old Muggle Church. Harry had seen his father's famous glare only a few times before that, but it was an entirely different experience to be faced with it himself: sitting in his father's study, his father pacing around the room, muttering about how his mother had specially ordered that window and how much trouble she'd gone to fix up that ruined old chapel…but the way his father's eyes flashed angrily against the firelight was more eloquent than any speech could be.
Afterward, Harry was determined to imitate his father's dark piercing eyes, his locked jaw, his look of barely contained rage (which also had hints of boredom, disappointment, and aloofness). It took several years, but Harry finally managed to master the art of intimidation. It had served him well at Hogwarts (particularly on the Quidditch field). But now, standing in his father's study with Remus, Harry couldn't seem to muster the indignation such an accusation would usually bring.
So instead of glaring at Remus and storming out of the room, Harry calmly stood up, poured himself a drink, and miserably slouched down into an armchair.
As offended as he was, Harry knew Remus was right. He must've been mad to think no one would've notice his sneaking off with Hermione. It was his fault entirely-he was the one pulling her into dark corners and insisting on going off alone…Numerous times during the day he had caught himself staring off into space for minutes at a time, thinking about Hermione, a large smile plastered on his face…He was sure he looked like an idiot, but he didn't care. He was in love. And amazingly, Hermione loved him back.
Admittedly, he hadn't thought much beyond that. Now Lupin was forcing him to and he was just so infuriating…ly…not wrong.
"See here Remus," Harry said at last, "Hermione and I… are…"
We're what? Harry asked himself. Not engaged. Not yet. And he couldn't just come out and say "Remus, the whole reason I hosted that pain-in-the-arse wedding was to see her, and now I can't seem to stop. In fact, I'm going to marry her."
Of course that's what Harry wanted to say. He'd even had his mother's ring sent down from London for the occasion. He was going to propose her tomorrow by the lake. That was where his father had proposed to his mother…and…well…maybe it was a little rushed; however, he wanted it to be perfect, so it had to be by the lake…that was the only fitting place for it, and who knew when Hermione would be able to come back again?
But Harry didn't want to just come out and announce his plans to Remus. Remus was probably regretting his own hurried marriage to Tonks, and Harry didn't want to give Remus the chance to discourage him.
Harry realized that Remus was growing increasingly uncomfortable by the minute so he began again: "You see Remus…um… Hermione and I…are…er…"
Remus shifted uncomfortably as Harry gave a frustrated sigh and took a sip from his drink.
It was Remus who finally broke the silence: "Harry, I have no interest as to what you and Hermione are. I just feel obliged to warn you about what you do."
Harry gave a slight nod.
"So…just…er…just…keep that in mind while I'm gone." Remus nervously smiled and patted Harry on the shoulder. "I'll be back in two days."
"You're leaving?" Harry asked, alarmed. "When?"
"Tonight."
"Tonight! But why?"
"You know why Harry."
"But…but…what about Tonks? You're leaving her here? Alone? With us?" Harry was suddenly in mortal fear for Ron's safety. "You can't just…how are we…? She's Tonks for God's sake! She'll never understand why you're leaving! She'll get upset and burn the house down or turn us all into gophers or dung beetles …"
"I can handle Tonks," Remus said firmly as he finished his drink in a single swig and headed into the hallway.
"Right. Just keep telling yourself that," Harry muttered, hoping that Tonks didn't decide to break the very expensive vases on Remus's head. He put his letters away and hurried through the connecting door to the library. Tonks wouldn't get to far on her rampage if Hermione managed to catch her in time…
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Tonks hopped in place, completely excited. She'd seen Remus go into Harry's study to have "a word" with him. That could only mean one thing! Tonks could barely contain her excitement as she paced around the hallway. She noticed that Remus didn't look in a celebratory mood when he emerged from the study, but Tonks bounded up to him, nevertheless convinced that Operation Bridesmaid had worked.
"Did he ask you?" Tonks hopped in place, waiting for an answer.
"Ask me what? Remus said, startled. He'd been so deep in thought he hadn't seen her.
"Did Harry ask permission to marry Mione? Can you imagine! Another wedding! We could even give them some of our cake…we only ate half of it."
"How did you know…?" Remus shook his head and trailed off.
"About Mione and Harry?" Tonks gave a self-satisfied grin. "Oh…just call it a lucky guess. So are they engaged?"
"No…no I don't think it's quite that serious between them yet."
"What do you mean?" Tonks asked in a deflated voice.
"They're just…well…young. We'll just need to watch them more carefully."
"Ewwww. I don't want to watch them."
"Well darling, we can't let them keep running off together. People will start to think…things."
Tonks shook her head, "But…but…what do you mean? That's the whole point! For people (especially Harry and Hermione) to start thinking things. Mostly about each other. And pirates. Wedding pirates I mean."
Remus shook his head. "I'm not sure I follow you."
"I'm not sure I follow you! Here I am, working my arse off to make sure everything goes according to plan and all you're trying to do is …what? Make sure it doesn't happen? That makes no sense!"
"What…what are you talking about?"
Tonks poked him in the chest. "You know very well what I'm talking about! I'm talking about parties and cakes and pirates and all the wonderful things that we're going to miss out on because you're on some mission to sabotage me."
"Tonks…"
"Don't Tonks me! I've spent my sodding honeymoon in this rickety old mansion with RON of all people and it's all been for nothing! Nothing! No pirates. And no sweaters…or rather…lots of sweaters…all neatly folded and placed perfectly in a truck by Hermione, who's going to have nothing left in her life except wrestling with clothing. Hey! Where are you going?!" Tonks stomped her foot as Remus strode away.
Usually Remus found Tonks's odd rants adorable. But not today. He'd just had one of the most awkward, embarrassing talks of his life and now his wife was going on about…pirates. It just struck the wrong chord, and he left in a huff and headed up the stairs to his room. Taking his suitcase from his closet, he began neatly arranging his clothes for his trip. He'd only be gone a day or two…he didn't mind so much leaving Harry and Hermione alone now…Harry seemed to take his words to heart, and Hermione was a sensible enough young woman…
"You know, just because you walk away doesn't mean the argument's over," Tonks called from the doorway. She took a step towards him and froze. "Remus, what…?" she trailed off, staring at the suitcase with an open mouth.
Remus looked up: "Oh…sorry darling. You see, I've had a letter from Sirius and have to go to London for a few days. I'll be back before Hermione leaves and then we can…"
That was as far as he got before a swarm of cardinals suddenly materialized from the ceiling and dove at his head.
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"Evil …horrible husbands…every last one of them. I can see why Hermione wants to die
an old maid. Marriage is just a lot of fuss and bother…fuss and bother that somehow just isn't as much fun as it should be!"
Tonks was sitting on the bed punching one of her oversized fluffy white pillows. She tried to picture Remus's face on it while she pummeled it, but she just couldn't bring herself to do it. Hitting Remus would be like kicking a naughty puppy: it wasn't the puppy's fault. Not really. He wasn't evil puppy…he just wasn't trained yet. So instead of fetching slippers and chasing away buglers, he was chewing on socks and pissing on the potted plants (except in this case the potted plants happened to be her honeymoon).
That was how Hermione found her: Punching pillows and strangling her bedsheets. Cardinals were fluttering in circles around the room. Tonks was cursing and kicking everything in sight. Hermione batted a few of the birds away as they fluttered past her head.
Tonks heard her come in and paused mid-punch. "Hello Mione."
Hermione nodded a greeting and the punching resumed.
"Remus is gone," Tonks said angrily, strangling a harmless-looking accent pillow.
Hermione crossed her arms and glared at Tonks: "Well it's no wonder with all these birds around."
"No, I mean he's really gone. Really and truly gone. It had nothing to do with the birds because he was leaving anyway."
"Oh?" Hermione asked surprised.
"I found him in here packing." Tonks snapped.
"Oh."
"He said it was business. A silly old business trip! He decided to take a business trip during his own bloody honeymoon! Can you believe that? Ugh!" Tonks punched the bedpost and then gingerly rubbed her bruised knuckle.
"Oh," Hermione said with realization. Tonks was upset that Remus was leaving during their honeymoon. Furious actually. The cardinal kind of furious.
"Can you imagine the nerve of that man? We're supposed to be newlyweds for goodness sake! Who takes a 'business trip' when he's on his honeymoon?"
"Tonks," Hermione said indulgently. "He's probably doing important work for Sir Sirius."
"Sirius-shmirius." Tonks pouted, kicking her bed frame. "If he loves Sirius so much, why doesn't he just go ahead and marry him?"
"So I gather you had a fight…"
"Of course we had a fight! Remus knew we'd have a fight and that's why he waited until the last possible minute to tell me! Stupid…awful…Ugh!" Tonks jumped off the bed and started strangling the expensive-looking curtains.
Hermione pulled her away and calmly led her to a chair. "Tonks it's only a business trip."
"Only a business trip!"
"I don't see why you always have to blow these things out of proportion."
"Me! He started it! He started it by deciding to leave. Really…He's such an immature arse."
"Oh, so, he's the one who used the cardinal curse this time?"
Tonks sniffed. "No, that was me again. But he was just being such an idiot and…I don't know…I lost my temper…"
Hermione sat down and put a reassuring arm around her. "You know he'll only be gone for a day or two."
Tonks shook her head pityingly.
"He probably feels guilty enough as it is."
Tonks sniffed.
"He might even come home early."
Tonks sniffed again. "Really?"
Hermione nodded. "The man's absolutely crazy about you."
Tonks gave a rueful grin: "He is, isn't he? And I'm absolutely terrible to him, aren't I?"
"Most likely."
"Maybe he'll come home with flowers!" Tonks said with an excited grin.
"Maybe."
Tonks wiped her eyes and laughed: "I'm not setting a good example for you, am I? Marriage-wise, that is. I don't want you spelling up cardinals when your husband acts like an insensitive git."
"Oh…I wouldn't worry about that."
"Remember: evil cardinals solve nothing."
"I'll try."
"And besides there's two days still. Plenty of time for…um…lots of things…that don't involve…you…or Harry…"
"Uh huh," Hermione said suspiciously.
Tonks smiled sweetly, but Hermione could tell something was brewing in that odd mind of hers. Hermione didn't venture a guess, though. She'd just have to wait and see what Tonks was up to.