Chapter One - Doing the Math
A/N - Everything recognizable from the Harry Potter universe is owned by JKR and various corporate entities. I also don't own `Guys and Dolls' or `The Princess Bride'. I hope everyone enjoys this glimpse at Harry & Hermione, almost eight years afterwards.
23 April, 2006 - Grimmauld Place, London
A fire crackled merrily in sitting room of 12 Grimmauld Place. Sitting at opposite ends of the chesterfield, Hermione was seemingly engrossed in the latest revision of "Hogwarts: A History" while Harry was shaking his head over his copy of The Sunday Prophet. Though the drapes were thrown open, the gloomy conditions outside were overcome by the light and airy décor of the room, though the continual light rain outside intruded as a gentle counterpoint to the noises of the old house.
Without looking up, Hermione smiled softly as she bit her lower lip. It was time. Getting herself comfortable, she shifted her legs until both were lying alongside Harry's. Smiling as Harry unconsciously shifted so his feet were beneath hers, she sighed as his one foot began to gently rub against the arch of her left foot.
"Harry?"
The rustling of the paper answered her as his foot continued to lazily massage against hers. Shaking her head, she lowered the book slightly, just in time to see his emerald eyes disappear behind the pages of the paper.
"Harry?"
"Mmmm?" Not bothering to actually answer, Harry lowered the paper and looked at her.
Resisting the urge to smile at the totally unguarded look he gave her, Hermione nodded at him. "I had lunch with Ginny on Friday."
A brief flicker of emotion played across his face as he focused on her. "She's back in Britain?"
Nodding, Hermione carefully placed the book aside and smiled. "She just got back from that tour of Canada. She's staying at the Burrow for a week or so before she has to report back to Holyhead."
Smiling, Harry creased the paper and put it aside. Sitting up a bit, he left his foot gently rubbing against hers as he nodded, thoughtfully. "I'm surprised Arthur and Molly haven't planned some sort of celebration. We'll have to pop by there one evening and catch up with everyone."
"Actually, we're having dinner with her and Dennis on Tuesday. We're meeting them at Greengrass' at seven." Smiling smugly, Hermione watched Harry's thoughts play out across his face. "You don't mind, do you?"
"Not at all and this saves me from having to ask how they're doing." Smiling, Harry nodded to her. "Things must be going well with them, I suppose."
Smiling mischievously, Hermione nodded. "Gin hinted about some sort of announcement coming up." Watching Harry, she nodded, as his eyes got just a bit wider.
"That's brilliant." Grinning at her, he chuckled. "Should I act surprised when they tell us or are you allowed to let me know?"
"Ginny gave up on us having any secrets from each other years ago. If she hinted to me, she knows you'll know eventually." Smiling at him, she watched his eyes for any sign of discomfort. "Are you all right about it?"
Looking puzzled, Harry turned his head a bit to the side and shrugged. "Where's that coming from? You know I'd really like her to be happy, and I think Dennis might just be the ticket to that."
"Gin's worried that you haven't moved on. It's been almost six years since you two parted ways, and she's a bit concerned."
Shaking his head, Harry rolled his eyes. "Did you let her know that I'm just fine and `moved on'?"
"Erm, well, I really couldn't argue with her logic." Smiling faintly, Hermione watched Harry's eyes widen in disbelief while she bit her lower lip and waited. Just before he was going to speak, she continued "She was spot on in pointing out you've only been on a handful of dates in almost six years, and only one second date at that."
Sitting up straighter, Harry stared at Hermione. "I know we're not the most social pair in Britain, but I've certainly been out more than a handful of times over the past six years. And I'm certain I've been on more than one second date."
Shaking her head, her eyes twinkling, Hermione sighed. "Harry, you've been out on forty three dates since you and Ginny broke up, with thirty seven different witches and four muggles."
"Well, that would indicate I've had at least two second dates, and I think your numbers are a bit low." Starting to look annoyed, Harry shook his head and closed his eyes as he tried to recall his dating history since Ginny had decided to end their engagement.
"Jillian doesn't count. You didn't even remember you'd gone out with the poor girl when you asked her out three years after your first and only date." Smiling, Hermione remembered the crestfallen look on Harry's face when he ended up back at the house less than an hour after picking her up. "She walked out of the restaurant when she twigged to the fact that you had no clue you'd taken her there the last time the two of you had been out together."
Blushing, Harry nodded slowly. "That was a right disaster. I never knew she knew words like that." Shaking his head, Harry looked at Hermione carefully. "I still think I've been out more than that in the past six years."
Before Hermione could respond, they heard a door slam and the sound of a herd of hippogriffs thundering down the main stairs. "Mum? Dad?"
"In here Teddy, and stop running down the stairs, you know it makes your mother nervous." Smiling, Harry looked over his shoulder as their godson, Teddy, came careening into the sitting room.
Skidding to a halt behind the chesterfield, Teddy launched himself into the air and tumbled over the back, landing on both their feet as he was grinning from ear to ear. "I just finished talking to Vic, and she wants to know if we're coming to her birthday party next week."
Reaching up and ruffling his godson's hair, Harry nodded. "Of course we're going to Shell Cottage. What time is the party?" Smiling, Harry looked down the couch to where Hermione was shaking her head. "What?"
"Fleur was by yesterday, remember? The party's been moved to the Burrow because Molly's been inviting people left and right." Shaking her head, Hermione smiled, as Harry looked thoughtful.
"I knew that." Turning to Teddy, Harry nodded. "We'll head to the Burrow sometime after we leave Hogwarts."
Nodding enthusiastically, Teddy's hair turned a muted shade of orange, which usually indicated he was puzzled by something. Turning to Hermione, Teddy smiled. "Mum, Vic said that Gramma Molly was working on fixing Dad up with Crystal's mum."
Ignoring the strangled noises Harry was making, Hermione nodded thoughtfully. "Well, Victoire probably shouldn't have mentioned that, but you know how Gramma Molly is, she's always worrying about your father." Smiling thinly, Hermione looked around Teddy and noticed the horrified look in Harry's eyes. "Won't it be good to see Lavender again, Harry?"
"Certainly, it's been much too long since the last time she was around." Looking as if he was contemplating fighting a Hungarian Horntail barehanded, Harry nodded slowly. "I can still remember that Christmas party as if it were yesterday."
Shaking his head, Teddy turned to face Harry. "Why is Gramma Molly fixing you up with Crystal's mum? What's wrong with Mum?"
Gobsmacked, Harry stared at his godson for almost a minute. In the background, he could see Hermione looking very attentive as they both waited for his answer. Shaking his head, Harry took a deep breath.
"Teddy, there's absolutely nothing wrong with your Mum. She's the prettiest, smartest, and most loving witch in the entire world. I think Gramma Molly feels a bit sorry for Crystal's mum since Crystal's dad isn't around. Uncle Ron used to date her for a while in school, and since he's married to Aunt Luna, I suppose she thought I could spend some time with her."
Unconsciously striking a pose similar to Hermione's when she was thinking, Teddy bit his lower lip and looked puzzled. "Wouldn't it be better to try to fix her up with Uncle Charlie since he's not married?"
"One would think, but since your father isn't married, I suppose Gramma Molly thinks that since Charlie will be heading back to Romania the day after the party, Lavender might need more time to work." Shaking her head, Hermione tried to keep a smile on her face. Harry heard her mutter, "Not that it takes her very long" to herself.
"That doesn't make any sense." Looking over at Hermione, Teddy shrugged. "Aunt Ginny said that Dad was the only married man she ever dated."
Sputtering in disbelief, Harry stared at his godson and Hermione as his best mate chuckled. Shaking her head, Hermione put her hand on Teddy's arm. "Cub, Aunt Ginny was making a little joke. That's why Aunt Angelina and Aunt Audrey were laughing so hard." Trying to look stern, Hermione glared at her godson. "And just where were you hiding and eavesdropping that you heard Aunt Ginny make her not so funny joke?"
Grinning, Teddy blushed a bit and his hair changed to a peculiar ginger shade that told the tale before he confessed. "Mum, I was sitting on your lap. I was pretending to be Crooks. Vic and I were playing hide and seek, and it's always funny to sit there and watch her run around trying to find me. She even asked me if I'd seen me." Giggling, the young wizard looked over at his godfather and nodded. "Dad calls it `hiding in plain sight'. It's an auror trick."
Smiling mysteriously, Hermione nodded. "I'm certain your father is an expert with that trick. Too bad he doesn't seem to be quite as adept at noticing it when the wand is in the other hand, but that's neither here nor there." Shrugging at the puzzled look both wizards were giving her, she made a shooing motion towards Teddy. "Why don't you run upstairs and use the library floo to let Victoire know that we'll be at her party?"
Nodding thoughtfully, Teddy stared at Hermione for a second before shaking his head. "Adults are weird." Jumping down from the chesterfield, Teddy looked over at Harry. "Can we go to the Burrow early? The party's not until four."
Nodding, Harry smiled. "I don't see why not, cub. We can get there before lunch, and you can play with the mob while your Mum and I help Gramma Molly setup for the party."
"Great." Nodding enthusiastically, Teddy bolted for the door. Stopping just inside, he turned around with a mischievous grin. "I'll have Vic make certain Crystal knows to be there early, I'm certain her mum would like to help with getting things ready. I'll tell Uncle Charlie that she needs someone to look after her for the afternoon."
Shaking his head, Harry glared over at Hermione, who was settling back into her corner of the chesterfield. Smiling sweetly at him, Hermione waited until Harry settled back into his corner before placing her stocking clad feet back on his. Still glaring, Harry stared at her, ignoring the gentle nudges from her foot until she finally sighed in exasperation. "What?"
"Are you going to tell me what Ginny meant by that? And what everyone found so ridiculously funny about it?" Shaking his head, he shifted a bit to get comfortable and unconsciously started rubbing his foot against the arch of Hermione's.
Biting her lip to keep from laughing, Hermione nodded as her eyes twinkled. "Harry, it was last winter. Remember when Parvati hexed her date in the middle of Leicester Square?"
Harry nodded as he grinned at the memory. "I was in the middle of a stakeout in the Midlands when Parv's patronus shows up, in a panic." Chuckling, he looked at Hermione as she tried to keep from giggling. "Honestly, how does an Unspeakable not know that the wizard she's been seeing for six months was married?"
Rolling her eyes, Hermione finally succumbed and started giggling. "I don't know which was funnier, you apparating there in a dead panic thinking she'd been attacked or the look on your face when you saw what she'd turned him into."
"Well, her patronus message made it sound as if it were life and death. At least she had the good sense to move him to the apparition point next to the square before she called me for help." Shaking his head, he grinned at her. "I suppose it didn't help when I started laughing and going on about R.O.U.S.'s.*"
"True, Parv is a big fan of American cinema; so she immediately got what you were referring to. She had to expect something like that when she turned him into a capybara." Smiling, Hermione leaned back and closed her eyes as Harry's impromptu foot massage began to work its wonders.
"That still doesn't explain what Ginny was going on about, or the fact that everyone seemed to think it was extremely funny."
"Well…" Hermione trailed off as she looked at Harry to gauge his mood. Seeing that he had no intention of letting go, she continued. "Parv was going on about the whole thing, the shock of finding out she'd become `that witch' who was seeing a married wizard. And she was asking the others if we'd ever found ourselves in that situation." Looking back down, she reached to pick up her book. Sensing Harry's glare, she looked innocently back up at him.
"That doesn't explain anything. How did you get from Parvati dating some tosser who was cheating on his wife to Ginny's ridiculous assertion that I was the only married wizard she ever dated?" Shaking his head, Harry was puzzled by the faint blush that coloured Hermione's cheeks and ears.
"Ginny was trying to make her feel better, so she opined that the time she was dating you was like dating a married man and it took her two years to figure it out so Parv wouldn't feel quite so bad about it." Glancing back down, Hermione shrugged as she reached for her book again.
"Hermione Jane that still doesn't explain anything." Clearly in a huff, Harry reached up on the back of the chesterfield to where his wand was parked. "Do I have to send a message to Gin to find out what she meant by that?"
"Honestly Harry, think about it for a second." Shaking her head, Hermione nodded as Harry put his wand back. Giving up on getting back to her book, she sighed. "Exactly why did Gin break things off with you?"
Furrowing his brow, Harry thought for a second. "You know as well as I do, she was tired of being second place in my life to all of the things I was committed to." Not noticing the knowing smile on Hermione's face, Harry shrugged. "Turns out we probably would have been rubbish as a married couple, we really didn't have all that much in common back then." Looking up, he shrugged. "I was married to my work?"
Trying not to laugh, Hermione sighed at the puzzled look on Harry's face. "Harry, Ginny and I had a long talk after things fell apart between the two of you." Seeing that he was getting worried, she chuckled.
"Let's try this from a different tact. I think it would be clearer if we went back to our original topic." Seeing his cautious nod, she continued. "Harry you were somewhat right, while you've been out on a handful of `dates' across the last six years, you have be out a bit more than that. They simply don't count."
"Other than the fact I'm totally confused, how can it not count if I went out?" Shaking his head, Harry cradled his head in his hands. "Couldn't you just explain this to me so I could understand it?"
"Harry, you've gone `out' with Ginny two hundred and four times since the two of you broke up." Smiling as he looked up at her, Hermione nodded. "And those don't count because she's your ex and neither of you are trying to do anything regarding getting back together. You simply went out together because you both enjoy the other's company."
"I still don't see how this clarifies the `married man' thing if I'm still going out but not going out with Ginny."
Looking a bit apprehensive, Hermione watched Harry for several seconds before continuing. "Well, Ginny was referring to the other witch you spend you time with."
"That's ridiculous; the only other witch I spend time with is you."
"Precisely." Nodding, Hermione smiled at the look in Harry's eyes. "Ginny's point is that she felt like the `other witch' because of the amount of time we spend together, how close we are. Care to hazard a guess how many times we've gone out to things over the past six years?"
"How is it that it took almost six years for me to find out that Ginny was talking about you and not my work?" Seeing the look in Hermione's eyes, Harry shook his head again. "Strike that, I'm certain that the answer isn't anything that will allow me to salvage any sort of illusions about my ability to know what is going on in my own life."
"Harry, we've gone out over one thousand times in the past six years." Seeing the stunned look on his face, she nodded. "That includes breakfasts out, lunches, dinners, the theatre, taking our son to the park, nine vacations, one hundred and forty long weekends, and numerous official social functions where one or the other of us was the official escort for the other." Picking up her book, she opened it to the place she had left off and leaned back. Without looking up from the page, she concluded. "And not once have you ever actually asked me out on a date, so no, none of those count. You've been acting as if we were married since we moved in here eight years ago."
Stunned, Harry sank back against the arm of the chesterfield and stared at her. His mind was swirling with the facts that Hermione had just presented him with. In the fifteen years he had known his best mate, and especially since they had finished with their education, Harry had taken for granted the amount of time they spent together. Electing to raise their godchild together after Teddy's parents had been killed during the Final Battle; they had simply spent most of their time together.
Not that it was a great hardship. Looking down the divan at his closest mate, Harry studied her intently as she resumed reading. Closing his eyes, he vainly tried to imagine this house, his life, without her in it. The image that immediately sprang to mind was the image of Grimmauld Place the first time he had seen it. Desolate, abandoned, not really good for anything.
Feeling her amusement across the bond that the two had shared since their fourth year, Harry sank back into the arm of the chesterfield as he realized that he had been massaging her foot without consciously thinking about it. Watching her emotions play across her face, Harry thought back across the past fifteen years. Virtually every moment of significance, and every moment when he had thought himself happy had involved the witch who shared his life and his home.
"Can you forgive me?" Barely speaking above a whisper, Harry waited for Hermione to raise her eyes from the book she was reading before he continued. "I wouldn't blame you if you won't, but I just realized what an idiot I am."
Laying the book back onto her lap, Hermione studied him for almost a minute before answering. "Harry, I didn't bring this up to make you feel bad or to gain an apology from you. Ginny and I are both worried about you." Seeing the look in her eyes, Harry was shocked to see tears form in the corners as she continued. "You need to move on with your life, find someone who can inspire you, complete you." Looking around the room she sighed. "We've created a life and a home here, we're raising our son and I'm very happy. But I don't want you to settle for comfortable; I want you to be happy."
"You honestly think that Lavender or any other witch is the answer to that?" Shaking his head, Harry swung his legs off the chesterfield and scooted down, lifting her feet and placing them in his lap. Gently massaging them to give his hands something to do, he sighed. "Every moment in my life that I was happy, that I knew joy, revolves around you. If anyone's settled, it's you. I know that wizards are queued up to ask you out, but you never seem to go." Looking up, he could see that smile again and shook his head. "Why?"
"None of them are what I'm looking for." Seeing the look on his face, she shrugged. "None of them challenge me. None of them complete me." Looking away, she finished in a much quieter voice. "None of them are you."
"I'm the reason you and Ron stopped seeing each other before the end of that summer."
"We're the reason Ron and I stopped seeing each other." Seeing the look on his face, she chuckled. "Ron's not quite as daft about things of the heart as he seems, all the time. He sussed out exactly how things stood between you and me, and he decided that along with me being `the most insufferably annoying and tightly wound' witch in the history of magic, he really wasn't keen on accepting the fact that he would always be second to you in my heart. A close second, but second nevertheless."
"But if we didn't know, how could everyone else." Looking puzzled, Harry looked back down and focused on gently massaging the arch of Hermione's foot. "And I'd really like to know if you're ever going to forgive me for taking you for granted like I have."
"Harry, there's nothing to forgive, really. You haven't taken me for granted anymore than I have you. We've always `known', we've just become very adept at ignoring the truth." Smiling bitterly for a second, she sighed. "When I'm being especially shrewish, I blame Rita Skeeter, but most of the time I realize that we both became very comfortable with the love we had, and how we were living, and we both just settled into a pattern where we've been, for all intents and purposes, married to each other for quite some time." Seeing the look on his face, she amended. "Without any of the obvious perks, of course."
"One thousand times?"
"One thousand, one hundred and thirteen, to be precise."
Shaking his head, Harry watched Hermione's face for several seconds before coming to a decision. "Hermione, there's a concert this afternoon in Battersea Park at the bandstand. Would you do me the honor of attending as my date?"
"Mr. Potter, are you asking me out? On an actual date?" Biting her lower lip, Hermione smiled as she watched the exasperated look on Harry's face.
"I do realize I'm rubbish at this due to lack of practice, but that was my intention, yes. I know its short notice and your social calendar is, most likely, impossible, but I'd very much like it if the smartest witch in Europe would go to a concert with me, and then dinner."
"Hmmm." Pulling a face, Hermione considered the question. "You did just up the ante, you do realize. A concert and dinner. I suppose I could consider it."
"Well, you might want to consider quickly since its half-three and the concert begins at four." Smiling, Harry gave her feet a final flourish and gently set them off his lap. "Greengrass'?"
"I'll need to change, of course." Seeing the look on his face, she nodded. "And so will you, so you might as well get on with it." Standing, she straightened her jumper and looked over at the window. "Isn't it a bit sketchy out for a concert in the park?"
"We're English, and Londoners to boot. We laugh at weather than any normal human being would consider daunting."
"Harry, the typical Londoner's disregard for weather isn't heroic, it's masochistic. And besides, we spent six years living in Scotland; we know what real weather is and have nothing to prove. While you're changing for our date, find the brolly I bought you last year." Looking over her shoulder as she headed upstairs for her room, she nodded. "There's a revival of `Guys and Dolls' at the Piccadilly. If you really want to impress me on our first date, you might want to have Kreacher see if he could get you a pair of tickets for tonight's performance, just in case it's still raining when we leave the house. That way we could do a bit of shopping, have dinner first and then attend the performance."
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24 April, 2006 8:45 Grimmauld Place, London
Taking the steps two at a time, Teddy Lupin rocketed up the main staircase of Grimmauld Place, looking for his parents. Having finished breakfast with Kreacher and Winky down in the lower kitchen, he was curious as to why neither had made an appearance yet. They both had taken time from their jobs at the Ministry to spend time with him during his Easter hols, and they had talked about going to the zoological gardens today. He hadn't seen either since they'd left the house yesterday afternoon heading for a concert, or maybe the theatre, they were still discussing the itinerary for their date when they left in the rain yesterday.
Skidding to a halt in front of his mother's room, he put his hand to the door and gently knocked, waited a couple of seconds and then eased the door open. Looking in the room, he saw that the bed was made up and empty. The jumper and jeans she had been wearing yesterday were still lying on the bed, which was very curious.
Smirking, he quietly walked down the hallway to his father's room. Cautiously putting his hand on the doorknob, he smiled when he saw that the door was locked, something that never happened.
Tiptoeing down the hall, Teddy quietly shut the library door behind him and bounced over to the floo. Throwing a handful of powder into the crackling fire, he waited until the flames turned a familiar green and stated `The Burrow' clearly as he could.
Through the green flames, he could see the familiar furniture of the sitting room of the place both his mum and dad considered `home'. The door into the sitting room opened, and he could see a familiar face with red-hair stick her head into the room to see who was calling this early.
"Gramma, is Aunt Ginny awake?" Trying to curb his impatience, Teddy's hair turned a shade of deep blue as he saw the smile on Molly Weasley's face.
"Teddy, your aunt is in the kitchen. Do you want to come over and talk to her? Have a spot of breakfast?"
"Mum and Dad said I have to ask before I leave the house, and I think they're both busy at the moment. Could I speak to Aunt Ginny for a moment?"
"Certainly dear. I'll just go get her." The Weasley matriarch disappeared through the door. Moments later, he smiled as the face of Ginny Weasley appeared through the door. Putting his finger to his lips, he motioned her over.
Shaking her head, Ginny hurried over to the floo and sat down on the raised hearth. Looking expectantly at him, her brown eyes twinkled merrily as she looked over her shoulder to see if anyone had followed her into the sitting room. Turning back, she nodded conspiratorially. "Well?"
"They went out last night. Dad even said it was a date." Seeing the shocked look on his aunt's face, Teddy smiled. "It worked just like you said it would. You should have seen Dad's face with I mentioned that Gramma Molly was going to fix him up with Crystal's mum." Seeing the expectant look on her face, he shrugged. "They haven't said anything yet. They must be taking a bit of a lie-in. Her room is empty, his door is locked."
"Oh my. Well we certainly don't have to worry about the `three date' rule now." Giggling, Ginny Weasley noted the questioning look on Teddy's face. "Cub, I think that your mum's face would have been priceless to see when you dropped that little bomb on them, but I'm glad it's working out according to our plan."
"Wasn't your plan to make Mum see that she fancied Dad?"
"That was part of it. But your dad is stubborn and a bit clueless when it comes to witches. And your mum tends to think too much. So you and I needed to give them a bit of urgency so your mum wouldn't be too subtle with your dad." Smiling, Ginny could just picture the look on Hermione's face at the prospect of someone throwing `her Harry' into close proximity with Lavender Brown. Tomorrow night's dinner should be a night for announcements all around as she twisted the ring on her left hand that she had purposely not worn to lunch with Hermione on Friday.
"Aunt Ginny, can I ask you a question?" Looking serious, Teddy looked over his shoulder at the library door to make certain it was still closed.
"Of course, we're partners in this." Smiling, Ginny leaned close to the flames. "What is it you want to know?"
"When I was having breakfast with Kreacher and Winky this morning, Winky said the most curious thing." Looking around, Teddy nodded seriously as he leaned in so his mouth was close to his aunt's ear. "Kreacher was talking about finally opening up the old Master Suite, and Winky was nodding." Seeing the smirk on his aunt's face, Teddy continued. "Why did Winky then tell Kreacher they needed to see if they could find my old cot and pram up in the attic?"
"What!?"
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A/N - *R.O.U.S's - Rodents Of Unusual Size - ferocious denizens of The Fire Swamp (from `The Princess Bride' which I also do not own.)
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