Unofficial Portkey Archive

A/N: Dan and Emma. I cannot resist this particular cliché.

Chapter VI: Conversations

"Dementors!"

In Harry's personal opinion, Hermione was overreacting at the news. Not that he could blame her for it, she had every right to be concerned at what had happened just before they had come from the Dursley family home.

Fortunately, Harry could call that chapter of his life a part of the permanent archive now.

"We handled it, Hermione," Harry said. "Remus was there, he helped too. It wasn't a problem."

"How is Dudley?"

Always emphatic, even about the people she didn't like - Harry loved that quality in her.

"He'll live. Shell-shocked, but otherwise fine."

"And if the Dementors find him again?"

A macabre devil rose in Harry at the thought. "I hope so."

"Harry!"

"Kidding, dear."

Hermione turned towards the window - Harry noticed the dusk over the forest in the horizon. Moments like these were beautiful, he thought. Right then, the floorboards creaked behind them.

"Hermione?"

"Mum!"

"Sorry, dear, did I startle you?"

"A little," Hermione admitted. "What's going on?"

"We will be having dinner soon, Hermione. Harry, do you need anything?"

"No, Ms. Granger, I'm fine," Harry told her quickly.

"Emma, Harry," she smiled warmly. "I don't need to feel any older than I already am."

"I'll do that, then," Harry reciprocated, "Emma."

"Come down in ten minutes, or so."

And then, our favourite couple were left alone again.

"So, how do you feel, Harry? Being out from the Dursleys, now....and here...with me?"

Hermione could not keep the slight quivering out of her voice.

Harry had thought the change was right up there with the moment he found out he was a wizard, and dare he think it, slightly better. But, he had never considered the matter too deeply. Now that Hermione vocalized it for the first time, and he had the time to consider it more thoroughly, some other thoughts did come up.

"Aunt Petunia," he said, "as much a pain as she was, I think she was receptive to me more than Uncle Vernon and Dudley. Being my mum's sister and all..." Harry trailed off.

"She did seem to care a little more," Hermione offered. "Not much, but she did care."

"Uncle Vernon dominated everything. I don't think she had much of a choice to begin with."

"Do you blame her?"

"For what?"

"Everything - the closet, how she treated you - "

"No, I don't" Harry told her firmly. "As cold a person as she was, I can see why she did what she did... I suppose she never transcended herself in light of my mum and her passing."

"No," Hermione shook her head.

"I still think I might miss her a little, though," Harry mused. "She was not a completely terrible person."

"Are you ever going to see them again?"

"I don't know," Harry shrugged his shoulders. "But I am happy to be away from them." He took a few steps forward and wrapped his arms around Hermione's waist. "And here with you." Her breath hitched and what followed, was the kind of soft kiss only the best of writers can express and most readers dream about.

Hermione, for the second time in her life, would have been happy to melt in the very spot she stood.

"Should we head to dinner?" Harry snapped her out of her reverie, checking his watch in the process.

"Uhm?" Hermione looked at him dreamily. "Yeah..." and she floated out of the room, tugging Harry by the hand behind her.

Remus had also stayed behind at the Grangers' request, and he looked all the better for a moment of relaxation from his otherwise visibly stressful life. At least, Harry was happy to see him enjoy himself for a change, not rushing to do something or be somewhere, for once.

"Hermione, what have you told your folks about Hogwarts?" Harry asked Hermione, as they descended the stairs together.

"Not a whole lot," she admitted. "Enough for them to not be worried. I would play down everything we've done..."

"So much for your integrity," he smirked, but she couldn't see it.

But, she felt it. "Don't make me wipe that smirk off your face, Harry."

"You're so cute when you're mad," Harry gushed mockingly. But, he did surprise himself how comfortable he felt saying that to Hermione - had they progressed as a couple so fast that he somehow missed it?

"Oh, hush," Hermione gave in, "but seriously, Harry, mind what you say. This isn't funny."

"I will," he promised her, completely seriously this time. The last thing he wanted to do was alienate Hermione's parents, and with that, potentially his budding relationship. Not even Voldemort could give him the chills that followed the thought.

The dinner party was not as intimidating as Harry thought it would be, and even Hermione visibly relaxed when her parents turned out to be far less prying of Harry's history than she feared. Remus, rather more interested in the sumptuous steak and potatoes, the scent wafting above the plate and pleasantly mixed with the spices, participated less in the conversation and seemingly wanted to make the most of the serene moment he was afforded.

"So, Harry," Dan was inquiring between bites, "what is it you like least about the school?"

Harry was happy the question was not hard at all. "Potions," he said without hesitation. "Snape is terrible."

"Professor Snape, Harry," Hermione chided him out of habit. "He is a very intelligent man."

"Just not very good with the students," Harry expanded. "Unfair, sarcastic..."

"Is he really that bad, honey?" Emma turned to her daughter, wondering.

"No, not that bad," Hermione shook her head. "Harry is exaggerating."

"How am I exaggerating?" Harry turned to her. "He regularly takes points off Gryffindor when you blink."

"He does that to every student."

"You, specifically."

"Well..."

"And he loves Slytherin," Harry continued. "That's another of the houses at Hogwarts," he explained to the Grangers' somewhat questioning look.

"Favouritism, then?" Emma summed up the description of the esteemed Severus Snape.

"Yes, and quite prickly," Harry finished it for her.

"Alright, I'll settle for that," Hermione conceded. "Unfair and prickly. But, still a genius."

"Fine," Harry agreed on his own turn. "He might know a thing or two."

"Remus here was your teacher some time ago - isn't that so?" Dan proceeded to change the direction of the conversation.

"The best we've had, really," Harry commented casually.

"He is an excellent teacher," Hermione agreed.

Remus looked up from his plate, slightly taken aback and blushing. "Well, I only did what was required of me."

"Nonsense!" Harry came back. "Remus, don't undersell yourself."

"I am not, Harry," Remus told Harry patiently, and then turned to the Emma. "The dinner is fantastic, by the way, thank you!"

"Oh, don't mention it!" Emma smiled at Lupin. "If Hermione knows people like yourself, then I can be sure she is in safe hands!"

"Always," Remus smiled slightly in return; his usually low voice was even lower for some reason tonight. Maybe he wasn't comfortable with the attention, Harry thought.

The conversation drifted back and forth between some of the quirks of Hogwarts, like the way owls delivered mail, some of the memorable feasts in previous years and how classes on magical creatures with Hagrid usually went.

Once the dinner party ended, Hermione's parents retired to the living room for a round of television shows Emma had been talking about for the previous fifteen minutes and left Harry, Hermione and Remus to entertain themselves.

"I think I'll be heading out," Remus said.

"Nonsense, stay the night!" Hermione protested, resenting how self-conscious Lupin felt almost all the time.

"I literally cannot," Remus remained insistent. "There is business I need to attend, which cannot wait."

"Is it about Voldemort?" Harry asked him.

"You might say that," Remus nodded. "But, I cannot say any more right now."

"Why? I saw him directly," Harry objected, "I think I'm ready to handle whatever it is you might be doing."

"Not quite, Harry," Lupin shook his head. "I don't have any doubt of your abilities, but there is a time for everything. You need to be patient for now."

"Remus - "

"No more, Harry. I need to be going. In the meanwhile, enjoy your break. Believe me, you will need it."

A moment later, he spun on his heel and was gone.

"Well, that was interesting," Harry commented.

"Give it a rest, Harry," Hermione told him, "Let's go out on the deck."

Harry made a note to pick this bone with Remus the next time he saw him and followed Hermione through the side door, into the backyard.

The night was slightly brisk and he felt Hermione shiver against his touch. She wrapped her arms around herself and came closer to Harry - he tightened his grip around her shoulders. The moonlight reflecting off her hair caught his gaze and lost him for a moment; he stumbled over an unevenness on the ground, but recovered before Hermione could say anything.

The deck was a little distant from the house, a lone platform in the middle of a clearing, a few hundred yards away. Hermione's house was far from it neighbourhood and there was no surrounding light to interfere with, which made it perfect for stargazing, and this thought crossed Harry's mind as they approached the wooden deck.

The steps creaked to show their age, and a backbench sitting against the fence was draped over with a blanket; Harry couldn't tell what colour it was, but he thought it was perfect for watching the star-studded sky above. They sat down, and Hermione quickly melted into his embrace.

"I wonder what made Remus leave so suddenly tonight," Harry closed the silent lull.

"I don't know," Hermione said, looking above, "he said it had to do with You-Know-Who."

"I don't like being left out, Hermione," she felt him clench a determine fist, "I can't see more people dying because of me."

"It isn't your fault, Harry."

He picked up the distinct, but subtle note of exasperation. Still, he appreciated Hermion's patience in reminding him about this reality - or so she thought it was.

"I can still make a difference - I'm no good being idle."

"To be honest, Harry," Hermione turned toward him in a snaky motion, "the fact you are alive and well is good enough for me, Harry. And, that's plenty."

"I know, Hermione, I know," he agreed, "but you are the first in the long line of people who are important to me. I can't do nothing!"

"You aren't doing nothing, Harry. You also have to remember that you aren't the only one doing anything about Vodemort, and what you do has an impact on those around you."

"That's the problem, innit," Harry sighed. "The more people help me, the more they die."

He laid back and let his head back. "You think Sirius is up there looking at us right now?"

"I don't know, Harry," Hermione laid back beside him. "But I do know he's in your heart."

He took her hand. "You're in my heart. I'm going to see him eventually."

A grasshopper chirped somewhere nearby and another answered somewhere off to the left. A symphony began and the breeze picked up a bit. Hermione wrapped the blanket around herself and Harry and looked at him to grab the half on his side.

As he did so, his mind again drifted to how beautiful Hermione looked in the moonlight.

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