They were finally forced apart later that morning when Harry had to go to the ministry and Hermione also. Hermione promised Harry that she would be back later and she'd bring dinner. They still had plenty they needed to talk about.
Despite being tired and preoccupied with thoughts of each other, the couple did manage to make it through the day apart. At six o'clock Hermione showed up with a pizza. They got comfortable on the couch and started talking. Hermione had some things that she needed Harry to clear up for her.
"So…these women that you did take out…what were they like?" she asked.
Harry looked a little surprised at this first question, and then he looked hesitant. "Do you really want to talk about this?" He could see how uncomfortable she'd become and knew that this was going to be a difficult conversation to get through.
"Yes. I really think that we need to. I need to know everything because if I don't there are things that I might assume to be true that aren't. And it will bother me. Then I'll try to hide the fact that it bothers me, but you'll notice anyway because you can read me so well. Then I'll just lie and say it's nothing. It'll go on like that, you knowing something is wrong, me saying it's nothing, until it just taints the entire relationship. So I really need to talk about this." Hermione knew that she was babbling and it was almost like she was trying to convince herself because even though she didn't really want to know, she certainly needed to know.
"Okay… so the women are mostly older, either widowed or with husbands that work all the time. As their escorts we…accompany them to social dinners, charity events…plays…things along those lines. The women usually pass us off as relatives of some sort. It isn't exactly socially acceptable to have to hire someone to be your date. For the most part, they're just lonely people. There's one woman…Mrs. Jenkins that hires me to come…uh…play cards with her. She treats me like a grandson. Although…its sort of hard for me to take her money. If I didn't want to give it to the orphanage then I would probably just do it for free. But I started off for the bills, as you well know, but then I started feeling lonely and hoped I would meet Miss right if I carried on…"
Hermione smiled at that. It was another reason for her to love Harry. He had a really big heart. She knew that it had to be awkward for him to be a part of any of this.
"So, from that I assume that twenty three year women don't usually call for dates huh?" she teased.
Harry shook his head. "Twenty-three year old women, like yourself, are pretty capable of getting dates for themselves."
Hermione's smile faded and she looked quite sad suddenly.
"What…sweetheart? Did I say something wrong?" Harry asked, immediately sorry and concerned.
"No…uh… I'm just …you know when you told me that Luna had hired you, I guess for the most part, I was upset because the only way I could get a date was to pay someone. I just, I never thought it would come to that and it made me start to wonder what was so wrong with me and why you'd even want to be with me." The tears slipped from her eyes before she could catch them.
Harry quickly pulled Hermione into his arms. "
Merlin…Hermione, there's absolutely nothing wrong with you. Nothing. You're so amazing that I wake up and wonder what you even see in me. You're smart and funny and beautiful and… perfect. You smile and it makes the whole day seem that much better. I can't think of a single reason why you'd never been on a date before. But I'm glad that I got to change that. This is selfish of me, I know… but I'm glad that no one else knows just how special you are because they might try and take you away from me and I can't let that happen. You mean everything to me and I know that this is meant to be. I've never loved the way I already love you," he told her, his voice hoarse with emotion.
Hermione really was crying now. "Oh, Harry…" She wrapped her arms around his waist, settling herself for more firmly in his embrace. His fingers moved to sift through her hair, while one hand ran soothingly up and down her back.
Harry kissed the top of her head. "You still have other questions?" he asked softly. He knew that Hermione need to get some answers and he would tell her everything. He didn't want to keep anything from her anymore. And he was secure enough in the way they felt about each other to know that she wasn't going to turn away from him.
Hermione nodded and pulled back a little to look up into his face. She looked away shyly at the next question. "You don't have to…you've never had to… uhm… 'do' anything with these women…h-have you?" she asked. She was embarrassed for even asking the question and continued to look down at the coffee table once the question was asked.
Harry took her chin and gently pulled it back to make her face him. "No. I would never do that. But I could never be with someone I didn't love. As desperate as I was for money I would never resort to that."
Hermione gave him a small smile. Hermione was having trouble remembering if she had any more questions. She was more aware and focused on how tightly Harry was holding her and how his eyes looked really incredible from the angle she was sitting. And how she really, really just wanted to kiss him right then.
"Harry…are you still hungry?" she asked softly, referring to the now cold pizza that was sitting on the coffee table.
Harry gave a cursory glance to the open box of pizza. "No…maybe later."
Hermione smiled and then pressed her lips to his. Harry's kisses were better than food.
*** So they were working through things. Hermione knew everything about Harry that he'd been keeping from her. They were now free to be completely open with one another. For Harry's part he was definitely more relaxed now that he'd told Hermione the truth. He wasn't afraid of their relationship moving forward because he didn't have any more secrets.
A whole week went by without incident. They spent practically all of their free time together at Harry's apartment. Hermione would come and read a book while Harry studied, or they'd watch TV or just talk. Sometimes they just took naps together on the couch. It was just about being able to be around each other.
Harry did feel bad though about not taking her out like he did when they first started dating. When he told Hermione, she laughed at him. " I don't need to go on dates. Being with you is enough. Besides…save your money for my Christmas present later on this year," she teased. "I like spending time alone with you…without anyone to interrupt us. It means I get to kiss you as much as I want, whenever I want."
"Well…when you put it that way…" Harry smiled at her and kissed her then to show her that he agreed that staying in was definitely better.
It was almost eleven pm and they were lying on the couch watching a muggle tv programme called *Torchwood*, both about to fall asleep. Hermione yawned and lifted her head from Harry's chest. "Maybe we should go to bed. I'm tired and you look like you going to drift off at any minute," she said. Her hand went up and gently rubbed along his shoulder.
Harry sleepily agreed. It took a moment, but what she said finally hit him. She didn't mean that she was going to go back to her apartment to her bed and he would go to his. She meant both of them sleeping together in his bed. It shouldn't have shocked him really. The last few nights they'd both slept on his couch together. Sleeping in his bed wouldn't be any different except that it would obviously be more comfortable for the both of them. Harry liked the fact that Hermione didn't want to leave.
His eyes opened fully finally and locked with hers. "Are you sure?" he asked, his right hand came up to lazily sift through her silky hair.
Hermione nodded, biting her lower lip.
"Okay, then. Let's go to bed," he told her. They manoeuvred themselves off the couch and Harry led Hermione back toward his bedroom.
"Do you have a t-shirt I could borrow?" she asked.
"I don't know…I never got the other one back," he gave her a teasing smile.
"I'm keeping that one. This one I promise to leave here for the next time."
Her smile made his heart beat a little faster. Or it could have been her words. She was going to be spending more than just tonight with him. She'd just stated it like it was a given.
He saw Hermione blush and remembered how new this all was for her. It was actually pretty new for him too. Aside from a bumbling experience that he barely remembered from his freshman year of college, he'd never been this close to a woman. He'd never really wanted to be this close.
"I'm going to the bathroom," Hermione told him. He watched as her bare feet padded across the carpeted bedroom floor, taking her away from him. With a sigh, he took a glance at his room and jumped into gear. He needed to pick up, badly. He hadn't been expecting to end up in his bedroom and so his dirty clothes were strewn about everywhere. He didn't want Hermione to think he was a slob.
As he was shoving things into his closet, he remembered a t-shirt for Hermione and rummaged through his dresser. Finding one, he put it outside the bathroom door and knocked. "Hermione, I put a t-shirt out here for you," he said through the door.
A soft thank you could be heard from inside. The door opened then and Hermione smiled out at him. "Uhm…. Harry do you think that I could maybe use your toothbrush?"
Harry smiled. "Ah…well…you can if you want, but I sort of bought you one when I was at the grocery store today. It's in the cabinet. I figured that since you've been here the past few mornings you might like to have one here, just it case." He was awarded another of Hermione's beautiful smiled.
"I'll kiss you to thank you after I brush my teeth," she told him.
Harry went back to the bedroom then and finished picking things up. After shoving the rest of his dirty clothes out of sight, he straightened up the bed to the sheets as rumpled and then dug out an extra blanket from the closet, just is case Hermione got cold. After that was done, he changed his clothes, discarding everything but his boxers and grey t-shirt. As an after thought he pulled off the grey t-shirt and grabbed a clean white one from the drawer.
He'd just finished pulling the shirt on when he heard the door to the bathroom open. A moment later, Hermione appeared in the doorway of the bedroom. Her clothes were folded neatly and she set them on top of Harry's desk. His eyes looked her up and down. The t-shirt he'd given her was way too big on her. She looked like she was swimming in it. She looked so…sexy wearing his clothes. He was trying in vain to pretend like the sight of Hermione in nothing more than a t-shirt wasn't causing a tent to form in his boxers.