Chapter 8
The following morning, Hermione lay in her bed, trying to remember the dream she had, something about Harry lying on top of her and devouring her mouth with his tongue…wait a minute, had it been a dream? Hermione opened her eyes and looked over to her right and found Harry asleep beside her.
Fully clothed. It all came flooding back to her, clear as day.
When Harry kissed her in the kitchen, they quickly became carried away and moved their long awaited snogging session to Hermione's bedroom. Before she knew it, Harry was on top of her and he was indeed devouring her mouth with his tongue.
She finally stopped him when he moved to unzip the back of her dress.
"Harry!" she exclaimed, while he was nibbling on the sensitive skin of her neck.
His head shot up. "What's wrong?"
She stared at him with his glasses askew, hair mussed, and looking so damn irresistible she almost forgot why she had stopped him. Looking up at the ceiling, Hermione took a deep breath, gently pushed Harry off of her and sat up on the bed.
"I think we're moving a bit fast here."
Harry ran his fingers through his mussed hair; clearly frustrated and let out a small groan.
She held up a placating hand. "Listen, Harry, I had a great time tonight and kissing you was…."
Hermione was having trouble finding a word that would describe the way he made her feel. Amazing, sexy, mind-blowing, the thing she had been waiting for her entire life?
She settled on "just how I hoped it would be."
Harry's eyebrows shot up. "So you thought a lot about kissing me?"
Hermione nodded, blushing. "Of course, ever since I started to realize how I feel about you."
"Well, that's good, because that's all I've thought about for the past two days," Harry replied.
"Really?"
"Well, if you want to know the truth, I have thought about more than just kissing you," he said in a low voice.
"I guess that's what I want to talk about, Harry. The more than kissing part." She took a deep breath. "When you reached for the zipper on my dress, alarm bells went off in my head….I'm just not ready for that yet."
"Yet?" Harry said hopefully.
Hermione nodded. "I want you to be my first, Harry. I've never felt this way about anyone, certainly not Ron. But I'm just so inexperienced. Ron and I only really kissed that one time and before him… there really wasn't anyone."
Harry looked surprised. "But what about Krum… and McLaggen?" He wrinkled his nose in disgust.
Hermione chuckled. "Harry, nothing happened between Viktor and me during fourth year. He was a gentleman. I think he was aware of our age difference - the only thing he ever kissed was my hand…and as for McLaggen, I was just using him to make Ron jealous…or now that I think about it, I think I might've been using him to gauge your feelings for me, too."
"Wait, you fancied me during sixth year?"
Hermione sighed, "I was really confused during sixth year, I felt lost and frankly I felt like you and Ron didn't need me anymore. I think I was desperate for either of you to notice me, but you were so distracted by that potions book and then by Ginny, and Ron fell for Lavender and I just felt like I didn't matter anymore."
Hermione looked down sadly, a lock of curly hair covering her face. Harry reached over and pulled the strands away so he could see her.
"Hermione, you always mattered to me. Always."
Hearing the tenderness in his voice, tears came into Hermione's eyes and she pulled Harry into a hug. They just stayed like that for a minute or two.
Finally, Hermione pulled away. "Harry, will you stay with me tonight?"
Harry looked simultaneously hopeful and confused. "I thought you wanted to wait."
"I do. I mean, I'd like you to just sleep beside me tonight. Nothing more, is that okay?"
Harry sighed, a bit disappointed. "Of course it is. At least I'll get to wake up next to you in the morning."
So Hermione went into the bathroom and changed into her pajamas. She was careful not to wear anything too revealing. Usually she wore a tank top and pajama bottoms, but tonight she pulled out a baggy t-shirt with her bottoms.
When she emerged from the bathroom dressed with her hair in a ponytail Harry said, "Hey, sexy."
"Very funny," she said dryly as she climbed into bed next to Harry.
He removed his glasses and she turned off the light. She realized this was the first time she had ever really shared a bed with anyone. Sure, she might've climbed into bed with her parents when she was a little girl, scared of storms. But this was Harry.
She felt him creep a bit towards her and was very aware of his weight on the bed and the sound of his breathing.
"Can I kiss you goodnight?" Harry whispered.
Hermione turned her head towards him. "Of course. But no tongue."
"Why not?" Harry asked.
"Because now that I know what your tongue can do, I need to protect myself."
Harry chuckled and brushed his lips against Hermione's. "Goodnight, Hermione."
Hermione wished him a goodnight and turned over to go to sleep. As she did she had a smile on her face.
She was still smiling, savoring the memory of their first night together. Sure, nothing really happened, but Hermione felt a seismic shift had come into her life. Harry was now her boyfriend, for real.
She felt him stir and he opened his eyes. His eyes were beautiful, even before he had wiped the sleep out of them. They were such a captivating shade of emerald green, which contrasted greatly with his pale skin and raven hair.
Even with his blurred vision, he could see that Hermione was looking at him.
"Morning, sunshine," he said, sleep evident in his voice.
"Morning, Harry. Did you sleep okay?"
"Yes, I did. Better than I have in a week."
He had a mischievous smile on his face. "Can I get a good morning kiss or do you have bad morning breath?"
"I don't think so, why don't you find out?"
Harry leaned over and kissed Hermione. If she had bad breath, he couldn't smell it, so they continued on. He moved closer and she could feel something pressing into her hip.
"Um, Harry?" she giggled against his mouth. "Do you usually wake up with your wand in your pocket or are you happy to see me?"
Harry looked down and looked a bit embarrassed. "Um, both? Usually I take care of this in the shower…unless of course, you'd like to assist me."
Hermione laughed. "Sorry, you'll have to take care of that all by yourself."
"Not fair, since you're responsible for it."
"No, just partially responsible. Your teenage hormones must shoulder the rest."
Harry groaned and got out of bed. "Well, I'm showering first then, since I have something urgent to take care of."
"Go ahead, I'll just laze around until you're done."
Hermione lay in bed and felt happier than she had in a long time. But something was gnawing at the pit of her stomach. Her parents. She had vowed that she would confront them this week, no more procrastinating. But would she be able to reconcile with them and really be a family again? She wasn't so sure.
Later that day, Harry was on the couch studying for his written driving exam, which was coming up later in the week. Hermione was supposed to be writing down some exam questions to quiz him but her mind was elsewhere.
"Hermione?" Harry said, peering at her from his manual.
"Yes?" Hermione said, absentmindedly doodling on her pad.
"You seem distracted, are you okay?"
Hermione sighed and put down her pencil. "I suppose I am. I keep thinking about my parents. I need to go see them."
"When?"
"I was thinking about going over to their office today around closing time - I thought I could catch them before they settle in for the evening."
"And are you planning to tell them?"
"I think I have to."
"Do you want me to come with you?"
Hermione shook her head. "No, I think this is something I need to do on my own."
Harry nodded. "Okay, but if you change your mind, let me know."
"Thanks," she paused. "Do you mind if I take a walk while you study?"
"Not at all - no offense, but you're not helping me much."
Hermione got off the couch and kissed Harry on the cheek. "I'll be back soon."
She grabbed a hoodie sweatshirt since it was a bit chilly, and took a walk down to the beach. When she reached the sand, she took off her sneakers and stared at the horizon while the cool waves lapped her toes.
Hermione closed her eyes and visualized herself reunited with her parents. They were both smiling and looked at their only daughter with pride and love. She also saw Harry standing close by looking happy for their reunion. Her father reached out and shook Harry's hand and her mother hugged him, symbolically welcoming him to their family.
Hermione opened her eyes and stared at the horizon again, noticing that the sun was starting to descend. She looked at her watch, it was already 4PM and her parents' office closed in two hours. She started to walk back towards the cottage when she saw Lucy headed towards her, looking a little upset. She was grateful for the distraction.
Hermione waved at Lucy. "Hey Lucy, how's it going?"
Lucy looked like she had been crying. "Not well, Hermione. Ben and I had a big fight."
"Sorry to hear that. Do you want to talk about it?"
"You don't mind?"
"Not at all, tell me what happened."
Lucy had a blanket with her so she spread it out on the sand and motioned for Hermione to sit down and she followed.
"Well, it started when I gave Ben a ring to see if we were going to the movies tonight. A girl picked up his phone, and it wasn't his sister. When she handed the phone to him, I started asking questions. It turns out that Ben's ex from school is in town and she's paid him a visit."
"I see," Hermione nodded.
"Ben said it was no big deal, that they were still friends and that she was just in town for the day."
"I said if it was no big deal, then why didn't he tell me she was coming? Things just escalated from there and Ben accused me of not trusting him and if I couldn't trust him then maybe we shouldn't be together."
"Lucy, I'm sorry. Did you break up?"
"Not exactly, he said I should only call him when I've calmed down."
"Well that's good news then. Just call him and tell him that you overreacted."
"I know I did, but maybe Ben is right about me trusting him. If I had trusted him, I would know that he wouldn't cheat. You see, Hermione, the other guys I've dated we've broken up because he'd cheat. I guess I expect the same of Ben, even though I love him and think he's different from the others."
"I guess old habits are hard to break," Hermione said sympathetically. "And even though you've been with him for a few months, trust does take time to build. Harry and I have been through a lot for us to really trust each other. It took a while before he really trusted my judgment and knew that I was looking out for him."
"You're right, Hermione. Oh, speaking of Harry, how was your big date?"
Hermione grinned and launched into the whole detailed story including the dress, the fancy dinner, La Boheme, and Harry spending a somewhat chaste night in her bed. She left out their somewhat racy talk from this morning because it was a bit too personal.
"That's so romantic, Hermione! I knew he was planning something special. You're a lucky girl!"
Hermione nodded. "I know! I have to pinch myself that it's actually happening between us. And the most amazing part is, he's still my best friend."
Lucy sighed wistfully. "I hope Ben will still be my best friend. I feel like an idiot."
"Why don't you call him and just explain your feelings. I'm sure he'll understand."
"Thanks, Hermione. And to think I was the one giving you relationship advice when you first got here."
Arm in arm, the young women walked back to their street and Lucy gave her a hug before they parted.
Hermione walked into the cottage and found Harry dozing on the sofa, with his manual open across his chest. Smiling to herself, she gently picked the book up and kissed him on the forehead. He didn't seem to notice and kept on sleeping.
She went into the kitchen and fixed herself a quick snack of peanut butter on toast before glancing at the clock. It was about 5:30 and her stomach did a quick flip when she remembered that she was going to pay a visit to her parents.
Hermione scrawled a quick note on the pad she had been using to quiz Harry to remind him where she was going. She put her wand in her bag and started to head towards the Wilkins' office and residence.
As she got closer she felt her heart pounding and her stomach was tied in knots. Perhaps it wasn't such a good idea to have eaten a snack, she thought. When she reached their house, she took a deep breath and knocked on their office door.
Their office assistant, Cathy, answered the door. "May I help…? Oh Hermione, it's you. We're closed. Do you have a dental emergency?"
Hermione shook her head. "Um, no, but I was hoping to talk with the Wilkins."
"They just went home, which is next door."
"Do you think they'd mind if I rang their bell? I only need to talk to them for a few minutes."
"I don't think so, although they have dinner plans tonight so they might be getting ready. Are you sure it can't wait, Hermione? I can leave them a message and have them call you tomorrow."
"I really would like to speak with them tonight, if possible."
Cathy sighed. "Okay. Just ring the doorbell to the main house. Have a good night, Hermione."
"You, too. Thanks for your help."
Hermione purposely walked towards the Wilkins' front door and rang the bell twice. After a few moments, the door opened and there stood her father. Hermione hadn't seen him in over a year and it took all of her self control not to launch herself into his arms.
"May I help you?" Dr. Wilkins asked.
"I'm sorry to bother you sir, but I'm a patient of your wife."
"Do you have a dental emergency? My wife and I are getting ready to go out to dinner."
Hermione shook her head. "Not a dental emergency, but I do need to speak with her. And it involves you too, sir."
"What is your name?"
"Hermione Granger."
Dr. Wilkins gave her a quizzical look. "What a lovely name, Hermione. I've always liked that name, it's from Shakespeare, isn't it?
"Yes, `A Winter's Tale.'"
"Let me get my wife, Miss Granger. Please wait here in the living room."
Hermione took a look around the living room. Except for some of the colors and the décor, it reminded her of their living room in Oxford. The placement of the furniture was similar and there were a lot of the same art work and pictures of her parents. The only thing missing was pictures of their daughter.
Soon, both of her parents returned to the living room. Her mother was dressed elegantly in a black shift dress, pearls and her bushy hair pulled up into a chignon. They were obviously going somewhere nice for dinner.
"Hello, Hermione. What can I do for you?" Monica asked.
"You look very nice, Dr. Wilkins."
"Well, my husband and I are going to dinner tonight at Aria. It's a restaurant in Sydney. We're celebrating our first year in Australia."
Hermione nodded. "I've been there - it's a lovely place. My boyfriend and I went there recently on a date."
"Wow, you must have a wealthy boyfriend, then."
Hermione didn't want to be distracted with talk of Harry, so she decided to get to the point.
"I'm really sorry to bother you both, as I'm sure you both have a reservation tonight."
"Our reservation is at 7:30, so we have a little time," Wendell said, clearly curious about this young woman. "What can we do for you, Hermione?"
Hermione took a deep breath. "Well, I suppose I should get straight to the point…I came here because…I'm your daughter."
Monica and Wendell looked incredulously at Hermione. Then Wendell burst out laughing.
"Oh, you're pulling our legs."
Her heart still beating loudly in her chest, Hermione shook her head. "No, I am not. I know this sounds crazy but you have to hear me out."
Monica turned to her husband. "Wendell, is there something you want to tell me? Did you father another woman's child while we were together?"
Wendell became visibly angry. "Of course not, Monica! I have been faithful to you for the twenty years we've been married. This girl must be lying."
Hermione stood up and approached her parents. "I am not lying! And your husband isn't lying to you either- the child he had was with you!"
Monica laughed in disbelief. "Surely I would've remembered being pregnant and raising a child! Hermione, I really think you should leave, Wendell and I will be late for our reservation."
They stood up to leave, but Hermione removed her wand from her bag and muttered a modified binding spell to stop them from getting up from their chairs. They fell back into their chairs, still able to talk and move their heads, but not their arms or legs.
"What the bloody hell is going on?" Wendell yelled, trying desperately to move from his chair.
Monica looked terrified. "Hermione, what do you want from us? Please just let us go!"
Hermione put her wand away and approached her parents. Inside she was also terrified, but tried to appear calm in front of her panicked mother and father.
"I'm so sorry for doing that, but I need you both to sit still and listen to me. I will not harm you in any way, I just need you to listen to what I have to say and explain everything. I will answer any questions you have after I am done with my explanation."
She took a deep and shaky breath and started her story. "My name is Hermione Jane Granger and I am your only daughter. I will be nineteen years old on September 19th. You are not really Monica and Wendell Wilkins. You are John and Elizabeth Granger from Oxford, England, and yes you are dentists. And I am a witch."
She took another breath and looked at her parents' stunned faces.
"As a child, I had unusual gifts and an interest in magic. I never really fit in at my school or had many friends. When I was eleven, I received a letter from the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, informing me that I had been accepted as a Muggleborn witch into their program. You are considered Muggles in the Wizarding World, who do not have any magical powers. You allowed me to go off to school where I was able to learn magic and further my education. While at school, I became friends with Harry Potter."
Wendell looked like he was about to speak but Hermione continued.
"Yes, the same Harry Potter who came to see you a couple of weeks ago for a check-up."
Hermione launched into the whole story of how Harry was hunted by Lord Voldemort and how as his best friend, she was able to help him thwart Voldemort's evil plans to kill him during their first six years at school.
"About a year ago, I realized that you were both in grave danger. Harry was about to go off to destroy Voldemort once and for all and I made the promise to go with him. I knew that Voldemort would instruct his minions to hurt the loved ones of anyone associated with Harry….so I made the decision to alter your memories and send you here, to Bondi, so you would be safe. With an identity change and no memory of me, no one would be able to harm you.
"During the past year, I went along with Harry on his quest to destroy Voldemort, and about two months ago, he succeeded. He decided to accompany me to Australia, so I could restore your memories and we could be a family again. So here I am."
Hermione stared at her parents; they were still stunned, but appeared to comprehend what was being told.
"So, now that I've told you my story, I'm going to remove the spell so you both can move and I will take questions."
Hermione took out her wand again and removed the spell. Even though they could now move their extremities, her parents seemed afraid to move a muscle.
Wendell tentatively raised his hand. "I have a question."
Hermione nodded. "Go ahead."
"If all of this is true, why couldn't you have just moved us here without altering our memories? Would this Voldemort's people have gone to the trouble to hunt us down here, far from England?"
"I believe they would have, yes. It was important that you had never heard of me or Harry for you to be safe. I'm sorry that I had to go to such extreme measures, but I didn't want you to suffer for having a daughter who was close to Harry Potter."
"And how close are you to this Harry Potter?" Monica asked. "Is he the rich boyfriend you mentioned?"
Hermione nodded. "Yes, Harry is my boyfriend now, but that's a recent development. We weren't together during our fight against Voldemort."
"So you did this all for a boy," Wendell said.
Hermione shook her head. "No, no, not for a boy. I did it for your safety and to help save the Wizarding World from an evil force."
"And because you were in love with him," Monica said. "I hope this Harry is worth it."
"Worth what?"
"Severing ties with us, taking away our memories, changing our identities so we would be living a lie…"
"But I did it for you!" Hermione protested. "At least you are alive and safe! And you don't have to live a lie anymore. I can restore your memories, so you can remember our life in Oxford. And maybe you'd want to come back to England with me."
"We like our life here, such as it is," Monica said. "And I think you should go now, or we are really going to be late for dinner."
Wendell stood up and ushered Hermione towards the front door. "Yes, I think you should go now, Hermione."
"But what about your memories, what about our family?" Hermione protested.
"We can't really give you an answer about that now. You've come here and laid a bombshell on us, so how can you expect us to want a happy family reunion?"
Hermione sighed, crestfallen. "I suppose not, but when can I see you again?"
Wendell shook his head. "Please give us time to let this all sink in. We have your contact information in our files, and will reach out to you again when we're ready. Goodnight, Hermione."
And then the door was shut in her face. In a daze, Hermione returned to the cottage where Harry was in the middle of preparing dinner. The house smelled like garlic, like Italian food.
When she came through the door, Harry rushed out to see how things had gone. When he saw the defeated look on her face, he knew things hadn't gone in her favor. He held out his arms and Hermione fell into them, crying tears of both relief and regret.
-->