Okay, since a part-time job came up for tomorrow, I'm updating in advance! Take it as an earlier Xmas present, `cause I don't know if I'll be able to write something for Xmas. Anyway I hope you enjoy this!
Disclaimer: Harry Potter (c) JKR. Plot (c) Me.
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"A Matter of Names"
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Epilogue
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Hermione looks at every detail of the place she is going to start calling home from now on and smiles.
The flat is not extraordinary by any means; it is like any other flat in the building. Three bedrooms, two bathrooms, the living room, the dining room, and the kitchen, plus two balconies; one outside the living room and the other in the master bedroom. There is nothing special about it, really, but…
But.
The fact that it is theirs, hers and Harry's, is what makes it special. It's what makes it perfect.
Hermione giggles and practically skips towards the master bedroom, smiling broadly at the sight of it.
Another plus about this particular flat is that it came completely furnished. She had seen it in a catalogue, while looking for a place to live with Harry, and she had fallen in love with it, furniture and all, at once. Everything about the picture of it had given her a warm and content feeling, the sensation of being home. And she'd wanted it, and Harry had bought it for her, without a second thought.
Upon entering the master bedroom, she grins and runs straight to the king-sized, canopy bed, hopping onto it.
The bed's the only difference between the real thing and the flat in the catalogue. Hermione had wanted a king-sized bed, with white bedcovers, instead of the queen-sized one, with peach coloured bedcovers.
"Ah, I love this place. It feels like Heaven," she says, letting out another contented sigh.
"Well, I'm glad you feel that way. Because it would certainly suck if you didn't."
Hermione sits up on the bed, looking over her fiance as he sets down a heavy-looking box near the door. He's obviously exhausted, but says nothing about it. He's even insisted in doing all the box-carrying business himself.
"Harry, that's the last of my boxes, right? Come lie here a little, take a break," she says, patting the empty space next to her, and is happy to see him oblige.
Harry plops down next to her and groans in pleasure, "Oh, you're right, this does feel like Heaven."
Hermione smiles at him, brushing some hair out of his forehead, and leans down to place a kiss on his scar, "I just wish you'd let me help."
"Hey," he says, grabbing her free hand, "You're just coming out of a nasty cold. The Healers said you should not exert yourself."
"I know. I'm sorry for not checking our flat's location before you bought it. I didn't know that this neighbourhood was populated by muggles mostly."
Harry gives her a dashing smile, which effectively takes away all her concerns. And it's in moments like this when she wonders why everyone keeps telling them to wait a few more years before marrying. Is it not obvious how perfect they are for each other?
"It's all right, Hermione. You love this place, and that's what matters to me."
She smiles again (it's funny how as of lately she's been all smiles), "I know."
"Besides," he adds, and smirks, "All the boxes are inside our flat now, so we can use magic to unpack."
With a sigh, Hermione lays down next to Harry, snuggling up to his side. They stay like that for a few minutes; before she lifts her left hand above their heads, displaying the beautiful engagement ring Harry had given her two years ago, at the end of their 7th Year. The light entering through the window hits the diamond, making it sparkle.
"We're getting married…" she whispers suddenly, looking at her ring adoringly, and smiles once again.
She doesn't need to see him to know Harry's smiling as well.
"Yeah…"
Hermione suppresses a squeal that threatens to escape by giggling in a very girly manner, "Next month…"
"Yeah… But, Hermione…" he trails off, sounding worried.
She groans and rolls on her back, frowning at what is to come, so she goes ahead of him and doesn't let him finish his thought, "Harry, I know what you're going to say and yes, for the umpteenth time, I am positive this is what I want."
Harry props himself up on his elbows and looks down at her, a slight frown marring his face, "But, Hermione-"
"Stop that, Harry," she interrupts, mimicking him, and propping herself up on her elbows.
"Just listen to what I have to say, please."
Hermione relents and nods, though she isn't pleased with this turn of events. They've been having such a lovely moment…
Harry takes a deep breath and begins, "I've been thinking-"
"You've been thinking? Are you sure it's not everyone else putting ideas in your head to `make you see reason'?" she cuts in angrily.
He decides to ignore her comment and proceeds, "I've been thinking about what our friends and family have said-"
She snorts, sits up, and turns away from him, crossing her arms over her chest.
Of course. Of course, it's about what everyone have said, she shouldn't be surprised. She's really starting to think they are set on ruining her relationship with Harry, but she knows they're only trying to spare them the possible heartache, so she can't just snap at them.
Oh, but they don't understand. There's not going to be heartache, because this is right! Harry and I…
"-and, maybe, they have a point, you know?"
"Oh, Harry…"
She hears him scoot his way close to her, until he's right in her line of sight.
"Just listen, Hermione… They do have a point. Maybe this is too rushed; it's only been two years… We've just moved in together and our wedding is next month already," he says, trying to make her see reason, but she's going to stand her ground, "Maybe we are rushing too much. Moving head first into something that might need more time to work it out."
Harry looks pleadingly at her, and her resolve starts to crumble…
"Hermione, love, it's only been two years since we started dating…" he says softly.
And that's enough to make her resolve come back full force.
I am not giving in.
"Since we got engaged, you mean," she points out.
"Exactly! See what I mean? We haven't even dated!"
"Harry," she says, grabbing his hands and looking at him tenderly, having finally understood his real worries about their wedding, "I know you don't want to mess this up, and trust me, I don't want to either."
Once she's sure she has his whole attention, she begins talking again.
"But don't you see? We are not going to mess it up, not ever, because we are perfect for each other. We will fight, yes, and there'll be time when we won't even want to see each others' faces, but that's okay, because that's part of relationships too," she pauses long enough to take a deep breath, and smiles, "Think about it, Harry, we don't even need to date."
"Why not?" he asks, confusion written all over his face, "I thought that's also part of relationships?"
"Yes, but, Harry, the whole point about dating is getting to know that special person. And we already know each other better than anyone else."
Hermione is pleased to see that Harry finally understands her point of view. She gives his hands a little squeeze before grinning at him.
"Honestly, Harry, do you really think I would have let you propose if I thought we weren't ready for this?"
And he has the decency to look sheepish after that comment, "Well…"
"Besides, we've already postponed it two years. Remember I said I'd marry you in a heartbeat, and I meant it. If there had been a way, I would've gone through with it."
"I know," he says, smiling at last, only to frown again, "What about what your mother said?"
She sighs, tilting her head backwards. She knows her mother means well, she really does, but she doesn't need to put more doubts into Harry's mind. He is very insecure as it is, thanks to those awful relatives of his, to have other people, people that he respects, add more to it.
"My mother is only worried about us, but without any real fundaments actually."
"Uh?"
"You see, Harry, my mother's little sister, my Aunt Susanne, married at my age. She, too, got engaged right away, and didn't even bother to date her fiance before accepting his proposal. Pretty much like us. But… there's a difference. And my mother was not taking into account that difference when she said she wanted us to wait a few more years."
Harry tilts his head to the side, "A difference?"
"Yes, my Aunt and her fiance… they weren't like us, love, not really," she replies, smiling when she notes as realization begins to dawn into her soon-to-be husband.
"They weren't best friends."
Hermione nods, "That's right, they weren't best friends, like we were-still are. They weren't even friends. In fact, they met a week before this man proposed to her, and being the young a naive girl she was, my aunt actually believed herself in love. So they married… and a few months later they divorced."
"Your Aunt must have been devastated," he says.
"She was… Now, that is what my mother doesn't want for us."
He leans in to press a soft kiss to her lips before placing his head on her shoulder, "I can understand her worry now…"
She snakes her arms around him, resting her head on top of his, and sighs, "We're not like them, Harry, love, we're not naive, or innocent for that matter. War changed us, too much, it made us grow up to fast, especially you."
"Yeah, the War only showed me that life's too short to waste it… But if a war is what it takes to be like this with you, I'd fight it as much as it's necessary," he mumbles into her shoulder.
"Then we don't need to postpone the wedding any longer, unless… that is what you really want?"
She pushes him back a little to search his eyes for the definite answer. What she finds there is more than what she is expecting; unconditional love, trust and devotion, along with the great desire he feels for her.
Harry and I are perfect for each other. We are mean to be.
"If I could, I would marry you right now," he says, putting especial emphasis on the last word.
Hermione doesn't even know she has said it, until she sees Harry's shocked face, but even if she had been aware, she wouldn't have changed her words.
"What's stopping you?"
She knows her expression mirrors his own; utter surprise, disbelief, not because she's clearly said she wants to marry right then and there, but because she has been putting so much effort, along with her mother and Mrs. Weasley to make their wedding as perfect as it can be, to throw it all away and elope with him.
Elope…
Harry crashes his mouth to hers, kissing her with such passion she thinks she's going to faint. He moves his lips with sensuous aggressiveness against her own, knocking the air out of her lungs. He presses her into the mattress, imprisoning her hands at each side of her head.
"Harry, wait…" she moans, "I didn't mean-"
He cuts off her sentence with another aggressive kiss before pulling away, but not enough to break full contact with her lips, "Yes, you did. You, Miss Granger, want to elope with me."
"I didn't-" Hermione moans again, squirming to try to escape those wonderful lips of his so she can think properly, "Oohh… said-oh, Harry-that!"
He sucks at her neck hard and then finally pulls away, hovering over her as he grins mischievously, "You implied it."
And it's the same grin he gave her back in 3rd Year, when he snuck out of the castle to go to Hogsmeade, to prevent her from turn him in. Only this time, the mischief shining in his eyes is… quite different.
She smiles in return, and their lips meet once more.
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Hedwig and Crookshanks, who've been frolicking peacefully in the living room, far away from each other, don't even blink when they hear a loud crack! coming from their masters' room.
After all, it is none of their business.
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The End… for real this time
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I guess it's until next time now, since I don't have finished stories so far, they're mostly WIPs (and I don't like to post stories that aren't finished yet). In the mean time, you can visit my livejournal and check the drabbles there. HP drabbles (as well as those fics posted here) are all there->here.
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