A/N - …hokai, so this took 58957484 bagillion years to get up and running. Sorrryyy ^^'''''
Good news is that i'mma off for 2 FREAKING MONTHS. *confetti*
Hopefully the next chapter ( which is almost half written) will be up soon.
Please enjoy!
Well into the week succeeding the `incident', it seemed that they had both indirectly decided that Hermione was to stay with Harry, and it wasn't long before he had noticed remnants of her scattered about the house. There was no time limit on her stay, nor was there the need for one, because Harry knew that though Hermione would never admit it, she needed some stability and companionship at the moment. Harry, of course, was only too happy to oblige, so the two remained a content pair for the remainder of the week.
A few days in to Hermione's break, Harry returned from Auror training to a sparkling and immaculate household from top to bottom. It seemed that his temporary housemate was determined to keep busy despite her vocational status and had plunged into the nearest project she could find. Though he couldn't for the life of him see how washing windows or vacuuming floors could be considered `enjoying a holiday' he did like Hermione flitting around him in tattered shorts and an old tee shirt, wand in one hand, washcloth in the other.
Though he could feel his thoughts running away with him, he couldn't shake the joy he felt every time he came home to find Hermione waiting for him, lonely from being the sole inhibitor of the house all day and therefore exuberant in her welcome. Harry relished the instants in which he would stride through the door and she would bound off the couch towards him like she hadn't seen him in years. He would bring flowers home on occasions just to see her eyes light up and her exclamations on how perfectly they would go in the dining room or on the table by the stairs. Harry hadn't been this happy in months, and judging by her generally cheerful disposition, neither had Hermione. They hadn't talked of Ron at all; neither had Ron appeared to checked up on his girlfriend, so Harry took Hermione's lead and didn't bring it up, not wanting to spoil their wonderful time together. He wouldn't have given up these moments with Hermione for anything in the world. He felt half selfish, but Harry saw it as a window of opportunity to make a memory, this very well might be the last chance he had.
On Saturday morning Harry awoke to the smell of something truly delicious, and he stumbled out of be in a considerably more cheerful mood that he would have normally done. Taking a brief look at the alarm clock beside his bed which read a time that would have been considered completely indecent for any other person, he flung the nearest shirt over his shoulder and descended the stairs to find the source of his tingling tastebuds.
He tripped on the little incline step into the kitchen and heard a small tinkle of laughter which he instantly knew to whom it belonged. Looking beyond the counter he spotted the short, pyjama clad form of Hermione, smiling over her shoulder at him as she darted about the appliances.
`Hermione?' he said groggily, tugging his shirt over his head and sliding onto a stool.
`Wha…' he yawned hugely, stretching his arms out wide across the kitchen. `What on earth are you doing up this early?'
`Isn't it obvious?' she chortled, as she poured what looked like fresh orange juice into a glass in front of him with one hand, and flicked her wand at the pots and pans in the sink with the other; `I'm making breakfast.'
Harry stared at the utensils washing themselves for a few seconds before exclaiming; `But why? Its Saturday morning for Pete's sake, you should be asleep right now! And don't tell me that you're-
Harry momentarily forgot what he was about to say and gave a great appreciative groan, abandoning his sentence to stare longingly at the plate Hermione had just placed before him. She stood smirking, her hands on her hips in victory as Harry dove into the mountain of bacon, pancakes and other such delicacies that he had ridiculed moments before.
As the approving silence permeated the room, Hermione leant on the counter with her hands under her chin, watching Harry eat his fill, smiling to herself.
`I do feel bad about you having training on a Saturday.' She said sympathetically, scooping some more bacon onto his plate; `Besides, you haven't had a decent meal in weeks, judging by the state of your fridge.'
Harry paused, sausage halfway to him mouth and gave Hermione a sheepish look to which she instantly rolled her eyes at. It was at this moment that Harry fully supported Hermione's obsessive compulsion to have something to do with her hands.
`If you keep this up Hermione, I'm never going to be able to let you leave!' chuckled Harry, shoving the last piece of food into his mouth and dropping his fork so it clattered noisily. He stared triumphantly at his plate for a second before scraping the stool backwards and getting up.
`That appetite could rival Ron's!' Hermione laughed, taking his plate away from the table and towards the sink.
There was a sharp silence, in which Harry stopped to look back at Hermione instantly and she too, froze mid turn, her expression unreadable. Harry stood very still, watching her face for any recognised emotion but she surprisingly took a few slow, deliberate strides towards the sink and continued with her job as if nothing had taken place. Gradually turning away from Hermione, Harry ascended the stairs and walked out of sight, not noticing the tense exhale of breath from his companion as soon as he was out of hearing distance.
Ten minutes later, the thud of Harry's shoes could be heard and he emerged, stuffing his wallet into his back pocket as he went. Hermione appeared behind him having apparently tired of kitchen duties. She additionally remained ignorant to Harry's sudden stiffness as she fixed his collar, and feeling as if he had choked on his own breath Harry cleared his throat and tried to ignore her perfume or her breath on his neck.
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When Harry returned late that afternoon, ruffling through his mail and depositing his wallet on the counter, he didn't have to look far to find Hermione. He noticed her legs poking out from the side of an armchair by the fire, her toes dangling neatly off the edge. Harry gave a small smile and walked towards her, leaning on the door frame to look down at the volume clutched in her hands. She looked up as she heard his footsteps and gave a wide smile, her eyes lighting up under the firelight. The sight of her warmed Harry's heart, as battered and bruised as he was.
`Hey,' she smiled, playing with a page corner under her fingers.
`Having fun?' Harry commented teasingly, secretly enjoying the guilty blush Hermione gave, clutching her book defiantly to her chest.
`I have good news,' Harry continued, watching as she perked up with interest and kneeled up to rest her head on her arms on the back of the chair.
`Break from training starts tomorrow, I get a months holiday!' He grinned, resting his palms ether side of her, watching her gasp in delight and practically leap at him, so he felt temporarily winded and heard the book thump onto his floor. He laughed at her enthusiasm as she exclaimed phrases of glee. Subconsciously his heart jolted at the idea that she was excited to have him all to herself, and not Ron.
`I think I underestimated your loneliness, here by yourself all day' Harry mocked, receiving a nudge in the ribs and a glowing smile. After a pause in which Harry couldn't help but notice how close she was now standing to him, seemingly oblivious to their proximity, Hermione shrugged her shoulders and broke the silence.
`So!' she said, picking up the heavy book from its fall and placing it back on the chair, `I have the perfect way to kick start your vacation from ultimate world protection.'
`Oh?' Harry asked, raising an eyebrow and watching her small figure rush out of sight and down the hall. He laughed inwardly and collapsed on the couch to await her return, though didn't have to linger long. Before he had even lowered himself into a chair completely he heard the shuffling of her feet on the carpet and got up instantly to catch the oversized box she was tripping with.
`Easy now,' he said, taking the box from her struggling hands and hearing her huff in defiance, knowing that she wouldn't have wanted any help.
`You could have just used a levitating charm' he sniggered; dropping the box on the floor and watching her readjust her clothing. Hermione gave him a withering look but otherwise ignored his comment.
`What have you got in here?' he inquired, lifting the lid with a tentative finger.
Hermione slapped his hand away and reached into its depths to pull out several long and tattered boxes, their faded colour additionally blemished by a thick layer of dust. She hurriedly took the top one and placed it on the coffee table, opening the lid.
Harry watched the filth fly everywhere and waved it away jokingly, enjoying her childish excitement. Peering curiously into the contents he recognised it and gave a low expression of awe.
`Aww, no!' He exclaimed, pulling the next box out of its confines and opening it, laughing. The familiar names of the old board games jumped out at him as he felt their worn covers admiringly.
`Where did you find all these?' he enquired, poking his head about the games, gazing at their rules. He couldn't be sure he even remembered how to play. They brought back old memories, ones of sneaking a game or two while the Dudleys were out or passing a toy store and wondering how pointless it would all seem to a wizard.
Hermione smiled and wrapped her arms around her knees. `They were having a garage sale a couple of doors down.'
Harry whistled in appreciation and Hermione, seemingly not wanting to waste any time began packing things neatly back into their box.
`C'mon,' she said, pulling a single one from the pack; `You might beat me at wizard's chess, but I play a mean monopoly.'
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`Not a five, not a five!' Harry chanted, the dice clattered in his clenched fist. They fell noisily onto the board, spinning on their edges before…
`Ha!' Hermione shrieked, pointing at the dice like a madman as Harry groaned and hung his head in defeat. He looked up to her smug face and glared.
`Pay up Potter, if you can.'
Grumbling under his breath, Harry shoved what remained of his bills into her expectant hand and she placed them on top of her orderly row, co-ordinated by worth and colour. She raised an eyebrow at him and motioned towards his last pathetic little card, alone and in danger beside him. Harry scoffed indignantly.
`Oh no,' he said, pressing the card to his chest; `This is my last property; I'll tap dance for the Malfoys before you get your hands on this.'
Hermione's eyes narrowed and Harry was instantly wary of her devilish grin. Her fingers twiddled one of the dice precariously and she took a sip of her wine before flashing her teeth at him and speaking in a low, over dramatised voice.
`I'll play you for it.' She said, indicating the die in her hand, `Winner takes all.'
Harry sized her up for a moment, still sceptical. If he hadn't been so hyped up by the heat of the game, he would have been slightly alarmed at Hermione's extreme competitiveness. If there was one thing the years with her had taught him, it was that Hermione's ambition reached much further than school grades. Though the act was trivial, the fire in her eyes and the determined way in which she moved about the board made him grin to himself. She was so special. So Hermione.
It may have been the alcohol, but Harry brazenly raised his chin and straightened up to face her wicked stature.
`You're on, Granger.'
Hermione's grin widened and they both leaned into the board in anticipation.
`Odd numbers, I win. Even numbers, you win.'
Harry nodded and watched as she rattled the die and threw it high in the air. Their heads followed it as it came down to land but as it did, it spun off the board and rolled away. The pair leaped up from their position on the floor and ran after it, bounding over furniture to get to it first. Hermione was nimble but Harry was fast and passers by might have thought they were running for their lives. Just as they reached for it, the force of their stampeding feet had flung it in the other direction, back towards the game. There was a short struggle, a push and a shove before they both catapulted themselves on the now slowly revolving die at the same time. As they landed directly on their playing field like two people in a ridiculous cartoon, pieces went flying everywhere with a loud clink of metal and plastic.
There was a small silence, in which paper money fluttered down over the heap that was Harry and Hermione, before an eruption of laughter reverberated off the walls. The situation was so completely silly, and both felt so childish that they couldn't help but make fun of themselves.
The minutes ticked by, the euphoria died down, and Harry rolled over to face the form of Hermione, propped up on her elbows, playing with a game piece in her long fingers. She plainly felt his eyes upon her and immediately met his gaze, a small reminiscent smile in place.
`It'll be nice to have you around more the next few weeks.' She said, a warmth spreading to her chocolate eyes that Harry couldn't explain. It made him feel a bit light headed, if he was honest.
It was Harry's turn to smile, as he said; `Believe me, I'd much rather be hanging out with you, that's for sure.'
Hermione looked down at the piece of plastic in her hands again, as if she was trying to find the right words to say. It was out of the ordinary enough that she was having trouble expressing herself, a feat that was rarely reached. She opened her mouth to speak but paused before words came out.
`Harry, I just want to say that I really appreciate everything you've done for me. And not just this week, I mean everything.'
She had his full attention now; he watched her with alert senses and hung on every word she said.
`You always seem to know what to do,' she gave a small smirk, flicking the object back onto its board; `Even when I don't.'
`What if it's a fluke?' Harry asked quietly. `What if I'm making it up as I go along?'
Hermione's expression became softer, she was looking directly at him now and they were almost nose to nose. His breathing hitched a little bit, and Harry was sure that if he had tried to speak, no words would have come out.
`Well, it's worked for you so far, hasn't it?' she asked, her voice becoming gentler too, and her last two words were only hushed whispers.
`Thank you.'
Harry stared straight into her face, searching. Her expression, he couldn't read it. It was impenetrable. There was a need there, a gratitude that he couldn't quite understand. He had known his presence was required but until then he hadn't known how much. It was like her appearance at his front door all over again, the helplessness. He felt like he was only just beginning to realise how much she kept hidden, however much he thought he knew her.
Then, it happened.
He let his guard down.
He hadn't meant to, it wasn't something he planned, but with her eyes upon him he felt a surge of something that urged him forward, to go places he wouldn't ordinarily dare to go. Harry's voice was low and thick, and he spoke so close that she would have felt the warmth radiating from his body.
`I'd do anything, if it was for you.'
For the first time in so long, Harry held her gaze. He was raw, no barriers, no walls. He looked at her, really looked, and she stared back. He felt powerful, courageous, like he was daring himself to go just that extra mile. For that split second in time he forgot all the consequences and had no fears, it almost scared him.
It was to great surprise, that it was Hermione who broke the gaze, not Harry. She cleared her throat and turned away from him, hastily picking up after the mess they had created. She appeared flustered, though there was no direct reason as to why. Harry remained where he was, his head spinning and his nose still filled with her scent, hearing only the bustling of Hermione clearing space. He listened as she stood up and dropped the unorderly board game into its box and pulled her hair back into a ponytail.
`Want to grab something to eat?'
Harry looked up, and saw Hermione's polite face of enquiry, her fingers resting in the pockets of her jeans. Her eyes were bright and simple, explaining only a feeling of carelessness.
The moment was gone.
He sighed and got up from the floor, wondering if it has all been a trick of the light. With a deep breath, he pushed it to the back of his mind and nodded.
`Okay.'
Yaaaaay! There was a MOMENT, people! Wheee! Next chapter to come hopefully a lot sooner than this did, and guess what, more Luna! Heart luna xD aaand RON! Oooh, confrontation.
If you liked, PLEASE review, its really important to me to know that people are still enjoying this.
Thanks! xx
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