Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Harry Potter and the Memories of the Future	By : Christina_Potter_09 Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Harry/Hermione Views: 13966 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 4
- 5
- 6
Chapter Five – Their Greatest Fear

The rest of the previous day had been too silent for everyone, Hermione had spent almost the entire day at the beach, scrubbing in her notes, provoking Harry’s curiosity more and more but he never made the move, the nightmare of the previous night, the awkwardness, the knowing smiles of his grandmother, all these things kept him away, they both needed time.

They had returned to bed with Hermione sleeping instantly, or so it seemed, with her notes shrunk somewhere again, and Harry laying down wide awake, staring at the ceiling and enjoying the music of her rhythmic breathing until he had fallen asleep too, at around 3am with his eyes and heart heavy.

The first sunrise found him opening his eyes but not because of the light but the jerking movements against his body. He looked down and found Hermione sleeping again on his side but not peacefully like the previous morning. Now she was tossing and mumbling things in her sleep, her face screwed in a frown of pain as she pleaded in her sleep.

‘Please… I don’t know anything about your vault…’ her words woke him up fully and he supported himself on his elbow so he could hover above her and shake her to consciousness, he knew exactly of these dreams of hers, the torture in Malfoy manor. He had woken her up in the past, in the Heads’ Common Room, where she would doze off sometimes and he would find her screaming in her sleep, or in her own dorm or in her flat later on, he hated those moments, he knew how the nightmares felt, he still had, and many of them included her screams from that day…

‘Hermione… wake up, please, wake up,’ he pleaded in a hushed voice as he shook her body carefully while she still tried to stop the pain in her slumber.

‘Please… I don’t know anything,’ she cried before a scream could rip through her lips and make Harry frown deeper in his desperate try to wake her up.

‘Hermione! Wake up, come on, wake up!’ he tried harder and her eyes finally snapped open and the tears were released as she looked startled at him for a moment more before she could wrap her arms around him in her desperate try to keep him close, he could only hug her back as tightly, wanting her to know that he was there for her. They remained in the hug, not allowing themselves to get lonely once again. She was in her thin gown and he was in his shorts and t-shirt but the fabric of his clothes were quickly turning damp from Hermione’s sweat and tears.

‘Ssh, it’s alright, it was just a dream,’ Harry tried to sooth her as they still remained in the embrace, him hovering above her and her hiding her face in the crook of his warm neck.

‘It… it felt so real, I almost felt the blade on my skin again…’ Hermione whispered between the sobs and Harry could maneuver his arm so he could caress her back soothingly.

‘She’s dead, in a grave with a soul rotting in hell, and you’re just fine, here, with me,’ Harry whispered close to her ear and only then they parted slightly as to look at each other’s eyes.

‘I’m here, with you…’ Hermione whispered, confirming his words, their lips were an inch away, parted as their labored breath came in rasps. Harry kept looking in Hermione’s eyes, and he didn’t even realize he was leaning down until their lips touched in a feather touch.

The knock on the door made them both jerk and sat up on the bed, startled as Margaret was heard from outside the room.

‘Harry? Hermione? Are you alright? We heard screams! Can I come in?’ she was asking and Harry and Hermione sighed and didn’t dare to look at each other as they answered the door with heavy hearts and lips that burnt on the tiny spot they had touched.

‘So… you had a troubled sleep…’ Margaret pointed out and Hermione nodded her head behind her glass of ice tea she had for breakfast along some delicious things Margaret had prepared, the weather was so hot so the ice tea had seemed as the best choice.

‘Uhm yes… I was feeling a little… cold,’ she finally came up with a lazy excuse and mentally kicked herself for it, Margaret Evans was making her nervous as she had the same knowing stare with her mother, Jane.

‘I see…’ the older woman only said and Hermione sighed, Margaret knew something else had happened, she hadn’t heard such screams ever since Lily had entered the Order of the Phoenix and was seeing awful nightmares of James dying. Margaret knew her grandson and his friend were not only war heroes but also war victims so she didn’t push on the subject, she didn’t want to get in too deep waters with things she was still unaware of, but she was sure Harry had been there for Hermione and vice versa and that kept her from asking and wanting to know openly, things needed time.

‘I will give you something for the cold then, it’s a very good blanket, the baby maker,’ Margaret said and Hermione chocked on her tea and looked at the older woman with wide eyes, wondering why Harry needed so long to get ready for the day.

‘The baby maker? Hermione asked and Margaret grinned and nodded as she waved her hand dismissively.

‘Oh it’s a blanket I gave first to Petunia and then to Lily… I had it from my own mother, I conceived my children when I had it in my possession and so my daughters had when they borrowed it… and fortunately or not… I have no other blankets right now as they’re all stored for the winter… so you’ll take the baby maker.’ Margaret said and Hermione was still looking at the older woman terrified, images, the information of Harry’s grandparents, uncle and aunt and parents having done it on the same blanket made her gulp down the ice tea and rise from her chair, she sighed and excused herself, saying something about finding Harry as her cheeks burnt red.

‘That was low…’ Craig was heard after a moment as he entered the kitchen with a smirk and Margaret grinned and nodded.

‘I know… you think it worked?’ she asked and Craig grinned too and hugged his wife of so many years.

‘I think it worked… but give her a break, woman.’ He said softly before he could kiss her temple gently.

~*~

Harry had lost track of time in the bedroom, his mind lost in the almost kiss they had given that morning, her lips had felt exactly as he had imagined them to, soft, velvety, warm and comforting.

When the door opened he jerked his head at the direction and smiled slightly when he saw her, all blushed and startled, he guessed his grandmother would have said something again, he had started learning both her and his grandfather.

‘Hey…’ Harry said slowly and Hermione smiled calmer and said a soft “hey” with her turn. They remained in silence, both knowing they wouldn’t touch the subject just yet, it was too early.

‘Won’t you go downstairs for breakfast? I had only a glass of tea but… why don’t we go downstairs?’ Hermione offered with difficulty and Harry sighed, he was ready to give a smart remark, using his favorite title for her, “wife”, but suddenly, that title felt too intimate, after the almost kiss calling her like that would probably made them even more awkward with each other, so he held himself and only nodded his head and followed her downstairs in silence, not daring even to reach for her hand…

‘We think that you should meet our friends,’ Margaret said as Hermione and Harry were enjoying their breakfast, ‘of course as to reach some of them, you would need an Ouija Board… however, you’ll meet the surviving ones,’ Margaret said and the young pair chuckled and nodded. ‘Every once in two weeks we all gather up for dinner, just old couples, it might be boring but we’re giving you a free to go anytime you think you’re done with stories from the world wars…’ Margaret said hesitantly but both Harry and Hermione shook their heads with smiles.

‘We’re sure we’ll enjoy the company, I want to make sure your friends are good influence after all…’ Harry said smartly and his grandmother laughed this time.

‘Well it sounds fair enough, since I have checked out your company and found it more than proper…’ she replied as smartly and gave a wink at the blushing Hermione, Harry gave a gentle smile to both women.

‘There is a problem,’ Hermione suddenly said and both Harry and Margaret looked at her, she immediately regretted her words but decided to talk, it was too late to brush it off now… ‘I have nothing to wear for a dinner… I mean… when Harry and I were getting ready to come here, we mostly expected to face a trap so…’ she trailed off as Margaret smiled at her brightly.

‘Then that’s an excellent opportunity for you two to go to Bari for shopping,’ Margaret said and both Harry and Hermione groaned, they were never the people who enjoyed shopping and they were not very comfortable with each other recently. ‘No groaning, you both need clothes for a dinner and you both need swimsuits, you’re here for three days and you haven’t enjoyed the sea, you’re supposed to be on vacations… you will go to the market while I will make sure lunch is ready and dinner is set for tonight with the rest of the couples. I want you to make a good impression to my friends, they have been gloating for their grandchildren for far too long!’ Margaret said and both Harry and Hermione found themselves unable to deny her authority… she was the grandmother and these were straight orders…

The road downtown was a bit silent, Hermione didn’t push play to have the cd that was still in the player, they didn’t talk or comment on how Margaret achieved to command the stubborn pair of them while Craig just watched with a smile on his face… Harry finally sighed as the silence was unbearable.

‘What dress you want to find?’ he asked and Hermione looked at him surprised, more than anything for asking something about clothes…

‘Uhm… something that won’t have me burning I guess, the weather here is killing me,’ Hermione replied and Harry gulped down as his mind jumped immediately in how Hermione could be burning, all sweaty and gasping, pressed against him like she was this morning, the next thought after that was their almost kiss just awhile back and he did all his best not to groan.

‘I see,’ he croaked and Hermione sighed, her mind having traveled to similar places.

‘You think your grandparents’ friends will approve of us?’ Hermione asked as to bring a neutral subject up for conversation. Harry shrugged with a small smile.

‘Why not? We have manners and we’ll just shut up and listen to their stories about the wars as grandma said…’ Harry said and Hermione smiled and shrugged too. ‘You think these stores are good?’ he asked as they turned into a corner that revealed a street with many stores with clothes and shoes.

‘I guess they’re just fine, lets get done with it.’ Hermione said and Harry nodded as they parked the car and got outside.

Finding clothes for Harry was very easy, a nice pair of black trousers and a nice deep green t-shirt looked just fine, he was going for a black t-shirt as well but Hermione stopped him and chose a green one, like the one she had bought for him in the past, with the green, he looked less like the new dark lord, she had joked and he had laughed as she was straightening the collar, her fingers making him shiver every time she touched his skin.

Hermione was really easy with shopping so Harry trailed behind her while she chose three different dresses from around a store they visited and then waited outside the changing room. She came out first in a green dress she had chosen, she looked nice but she frowned.

‘We’ll look like a band with all the green of your t-shirt and the dress,’ she said and turned around to try the next one. A couple of minutes later she was returning in a black dress. ‘Too mournful?’ she asked and Harry shrugged while she sighed. ‘You’re of great help,’ she said mockingly and he stuck his tongue out at her and she replied in the same fashion, both feeling great for reaching just a bit of their normal easiness around each other. She returned for a last time in a beautiful dress, knee-length with a nice posh neckline and short sleeves, the deep blue looked amazing on her.

‘That one,’ Harry said automatically and Hermione smiled and nodded after she looked at herself in the mirror.

‘I will have the sandals I brought from London, so we’re done I think,’ Hermione said as she returned in the changing room, leaving Harry with her backside’s memory from England, when she was trying to find the sandals in her wardrobe, all easiness was forgotten instantly…

‘We should go for the swimsuits, I think,’ Hermione said as they moved out of the small store and Harry nodded as they moved down the street, checking the fronts of the stores, soon they were finding a lingerie store with a few swimsuits on the front. ‘I guess that will do,’ Hermione said as she moved inside first, Harry remained for a few moments more outside, staring at the lingerie… his mind filling with pictures that shouldn’t make him so hot in an already hot day with Hermione so close by. He shook his head, mentally kicked himself and finally entered the store.

Hermione was already talking to the saleswoman who smiled at the girl, then at Harry and then showed a few sets of bikinis to Hermione who decided upon a black set with purple details, Harry gulped down and waited awkwardly for Hermione. When she was done with her shopping the saleswoman looked at Harry and the young man smiled as awkwardly as he was standing and spoke.

‘Well I’d like a pair of swimming trunks,’ Harry said and the woman nodded and showed him a few pieces, Hermione looked at them too and pointed out at one suggestively.

‘You like this one?’ she asked, pointing at a knee length, black with red details pair of swimming trunks, the saleswoman smiled.

‘Your girlfriend has a nice taste,’ the woman said and both Harry and Hermione blushed furiously but didn’t even try to clarify -one again- the misunderstanding, it would only lead to more awkwardness after all…

‘Yes, she does, always, ok this one,’ Harry finally said and the woman packed the clothe while Hermione just semi-smiled and shook her head. ‘I’m lucky my wifey has a good taste in clothes, it’s handy,’ Harry felt his mouth forming the words while his eyes looked at Hermione’s, who turned and looked at him with the smile fading, they needed to do something about their situation, they both knew that.

They left the store in silence, Harry bought ice-creams for both and they moved back to the car so they could return. Hermione didn’t comment further in the little game he had restarted with the nicknames, a part of her had missed it, another part of her felt uncomfortable and wary, she didn’t want to hurt Harry or herself, she wanted things to be easier than this.

They arrived back at the Evans’ and they greeted a frowning Margaret as they approached the front and she opened the door.

‘You’re back so soon? I thought you’d enjoy yourselves…’ Margaret wondered and both the young pair looked uncomfortable at her judging eyes.

‘We did,’ they answered in unison but Margaret wouldn’t have it, they wanted to play like that, she could do it too.

‘Then you’ll keep up enjoying yourself at the beach, come on, as I see from the bags in your hands, you bought swimming suits, time for you to hit the beach, the lunch is not ready yet and I just called my friends so we can have the dinner, I don’t want you to stop enjoying yourselves…’ Margaret practically ordered and both Harry and Hermione did their best not to groan, so they would keep up being uncomfortable around each other AND semi-naked… great.

Twenty minutes later, they were moving down the small street as to get to the beach, almost kicked out from Margaret who told them to be back in an hour for lunch… They were given each a towel and Hermione was also holding the sun cream, they were both pale so they had to protect themselves from burns; the Italian sun was way hotter than the British.

They laid their towels close to the tree Hermione has sat under the previous day and looked at each other for a moment with eyes narrowed because of the sunlight. The silence stretched until Harry decided to break it.

‘I guess we should put on the sun cream.’ Harry said and Hermione nodded her head and opened the bottle, she put a portion on his opened palm and then on her own, they started spreading it on their fronts, legs and arms, they also applied some on their faces as Hermione put more on their palms and then they looked at each other again, it was time for their backs.

Oh Merlin, Morgana and Circe…

‘You first,’ Harry said, he needed time before he could touch her, even if he wasn’t sure what would happen the moment she would start caressing his back, still he wasn’t ready to caress hers.

Hermione took a deep breath, Get a grip, it’s not the first time you’re out for a dive with Harry! She put some of the cream on her palm, rubbed it with the other and started touching Harry’s warm blades, he had a toned body, all sculptured from the Quidditch and the Auror training, his skin smooth, only with a few breaks from curse scars he had gotten over the years, she almost sighed as she ran her hand on his lower back, where the waistband of his swim trunks touched him, covering his perfectly formed as-

‘I think I’m ok now,’ Harry’s croak for a voice snapped her out of her thoughts and made her jerk her hands away from him, blushing for no reason… she gripped the bottle again and thrust it in his hand so she could turn around to hide her blush, now the second phase of their torture.

Harry sighed as she saw her taking away her hair and bringing it before her, her back was revealed, this beautiful, flawless back, these nice shoulders, the very faint chain of her spine, her beautiful curves right after the lithe part of her waist and then the bottom of her bikini who covered that amazing curve of hers… he took a deep breath, put some of the cream on his hands and rubbed it between his palms, he then touched his hands flat on her shoulder blades, making both sigh in silence.

He started caressing her skin with the cream between them, she hang her head and he felt her sighing and for a moment, he smiled, she enjoyed it as much as he had enjoyed her touching him. He kept up, and almost gasped when he lifted with his fingers the strap of her bikini for the cream to go everywhere, he moved slightly closer as his hands changed the angle and touched her lower back and he resisted not to grip her from the hips and pull her against him.

‘OK thank you,’ her voice was heard and she covered her back with her hair again, he sighed and nodded as she turned around again but he had already stared for the water, he needed to cool off immediately, all the feelings of that morning when they had almost kiss had resurfaced.

Hermione followed after a small sigh, they somehow had to find some balance here, she gasped slightly as she got inside the water and stopped when she was waist-in, close to Harry, both of them trying to adjust to the temperature of the sea, it was then when they finally felt better.

Hermione screamed in shock as the splashed water hit her body from the waist and up, she gasped and glared at Harry who was grinning and she immediately answered the attack with one of her own, sending splashed water on him who tried to avoid it but of course got wet. She squealed when Harry moved fast towards her, his large arms hitting the surface of the water and sending more on her, Hermione tried to walk away, a task difficult to achieve because she was in the sea to her waist, she kept sending water behind her with her arms until Harry caught one of them and pulled her close to him. She squealed and closed her nose as Harry let them both collapse inside the cold water before he could bring them both up.

They laughed and took away the water from their eyes with their hands, they could still step on the bottom, only now the water was to their chests, Hermione splashed more water on Harry in a try for revenge but Harry gripped her from the waist again.

‘Don’t play with me, Granger, you’ll lose,’ Harry said as he tickled her from within the water, making her jerk and squeal, he wasn’t sure how the idea of the water fight had crossed his mind, all he knew was that he wanted to be back to feeling comfortable around Hermione, the most important person in his life, and this lame attempt to get closer had actually worked as now they were laughing in the water and enjoying themselves as Margaret had ordered them to.

‘OK, OK, I surrender, I’m sorry, Mr. Potter, lets go a bit deeper,’ Hermione said and Harry nodded as they moved slightly deeper, when they stopped Hermione surprised Harry by suddenly gripping his shoulders and pushing him down in the water, using her weight to take him under the surface while she made it to keep her head out.

After a small onslaught of bubbles two arms wrapped around her and Harry resurfaced all shocked and untruly angry.

‘You have done a great mistake, dear wife,’ Harry said as Hermione tried to escape his grip but couldn’t make it as he was holding her tightly against him, his hand started caressing her ribs and belly and she could only laugh and jerk in reflex, darn him for knowing all her tickling spots over the years after the war, when they got closer than ever before.

‘Oh Harry please!!! Please stop I didn’t mean to!’ Hermione said in gasps as he had moved them back where they could step on the seafloor yet he wasn’t easing his grip on her.

‘Are you surrendering?’ Harry asked as he pinched on her waist making her squeal.

‘I am!’ Hermione called out, unable to take his hand away.

‘Are you accepting total defeat and obedience to your husband? Knowing that he’s a merciful and great, handsome man who will spare you for your sinful attack?’ Harry asked with a smirk on his face and heard Hermione huffing.

‘Oh you’re taking it too far…’ Hermione said but squealed again, louder this time as he had just poked and tickled her.

‘I think I didn’t hear you well, dear wifey,’ Harry said with the smirk still plastered on his face as he blew on her neck while he had her back on him and his arm securely wrapped around her, his hand tickled her again.

‘OK OK, I am accepting all these things,’ Hermione finally gave in and Harry blew on her neck one last time before he could release her, only to have her glaring at him.

‘You’re a despotic husband!’ Hermione accused and Harry puffed in pride.

‘And you’re a fierce lassie of a wife…’ Harry accused back and they both laughed under the hot sun, they remained silent for awhile, and this time their silence was more comfortable than all the others ever since they had arrived in Italy.

They were soon returning to the house, with smiles on their faces but still hands that remained on their sides instead of holding each other. Margaret smiled when she saw their reddish faces, Harry had a shower on the bathroom of the ground floor while Hermione had hers upstairs. They were quick and they both moved to the lunch table with hair dried by their wands and nice t-shirts and shorts, it was too hot for anything else.

They ate quickly, the sea having made them hungry, afterwards they felt sleepy so after Margaret informed them about the dinner taking place at a neighbor’s house, they excused themselves for a nap, Harry laid down first, Hermione followed and as always, the moment sleep overtook both, their bodies moved closer.

They woke up on the light knocking of Craig’s, Harry opened his eyes first, the first reflex in his sleepy mind was to tighten his arms around Hermione who woke up because of it, she moved away from his arms, making both to miss the contact immediately and then Harry sat up and answered the door, Craig showed up and smiled at the younger people.

‘Your grandma says you should start getting ready, Carla and Silvio have set up the barbeque and the couples are gathering slowly.’ Craig said and Harry and Hermione nodded, suddenly worried about the whole deal, what if Harry’s grandparents’ friends didn’t approve of the young couple? Margaret had given them an escape to the city but both wanted to make a good impression.

‘I’ll get ready in the bathroom,’ Harry said as he wanted to give space for Hermione to undress and put on her new dress, girls needed privacy, he knew that. He took his clothes and the shaving leather along his razor and aftershave and moved to the bathroom while Hermione moved close to the dress she had bought for that night, a refreshing charm made the dress have a nice flowery sense and she undressed, renewed the spell that hid her scars and searched for her shoes and make-up stuff.

Twenty minutes later, Harry’s head was turning towards the stairs as he heard Hermione moving down. Margaret and Craig smiled behind their grandson as they saw the young lady, an image of beauty smiling shyly at the little family before her, Harry gave an honest smile, a similar smile to the one he had given when he had seen her in the Yule Ball night.

‘You look beautiful,’ he said what he should have said back then, Hermione smiled and thanked him quietly.

‘You look handsome yourself.’ Hermione almost whispered as the two remained close to each other, totally forgetting the older couple who was looking pointedly at each other behind Harry.

‘And what about me?’ Craig finally broke the moment with humor, Hermione grinned and looked at Harry’s grandfather.

‘I think you’re the most handsome around here, Craig,’ Hermione said and Craig puffed his chest in pride while Margaret and Harry rolled their eyes at the other two.

‘And I get to escort you, mister so eyes on me,’ Margaret said, faking jealousy as Craig grinned and kissed her temple as he took her hand, Harry did the same with Hermione, causing the both of them to gasp.

Margaret and Craig took with them two bottles of wine and the couples moved out of the house, walked for about five minutes and then entered another front yard full of roses and other flowers, on the lawn there were torches for light, some candles, a large dining table with many chairs, occupied by three people while three more were moving in and outside the house bringing more plates with food as salads and potatoes, the barbeque was already on in a corner with a tall man, probably Silvio, taking care of the meat there.

‘Oi the Britons are here!’ A man called and the three couples looked at the newcomers with huge smiles as they approached. They all greeted each other as old friends and then turned at the young couple who was smiling blushingly.

‘This guys is my grandson and his… best friend, Hermione.’ Margaret said as she gestured at Harry and Hermione with a proud smile.

‘Harry, Hermione, this is Carla, and her husband Silvio,’ Margaret started and a couple of a white-haired short woman and a tall grey-haired man smiled. ‘This is Evita and her husband Roberto’ she went on and a woman with brown long hair and a man with the few white hair smiled ‘and this is Anna-Patricia and her husband Luigi,’ Margaret said as a raven haired woman and a white-haired man smiled, while the woman called Carla moved closer and hugged first Hermione and then Harry.

‘Mama mia, Maggie, qhe bella ragazza, and why you didn’t introduce us your grandson any time sooner? Now divorces are too expensive…’ Carla said and everyone laughed as Silvio rolled his eyes and took back his wife in his arms, whispering something in Italian only for her to hear.

‘Come on, don’t mind these two pervs, here, come, lets sit down,’ the man called Roberto said and they all moved around the table.

‘I could help you with the serving, is you wish,’ Hermione offered before she could sit down and Evita, Carla and Anna-Patricia smiled at the young woman while Margaret looked at Harry with a pointing smile.

‘Such a kind, young lady,’ Anna-Patricia said in a thick Italian accent. ‘No worries my dear, just have a seat and enjoy the company of the guys, we’re sure Margaret will back up the women until we’re done with the plates,’ the older woman said and Hermione smiled and nodded as she sat between Harry and Margaret who patted her shoulder.

They were soon all sat around the table, Italian music was playing from within the house and the couple started adding food on their plates, Hermione helped Harry with salad while he helped her with a good steak as he knew how she preferred her meat, he also added some of the potatoes that that were juicy and she helped both with the wine, Margaret was only smiling to herself while she helped her husband in a similar fashion.

‘So… young people, tell us about you… we know from the old couple here that you were abroad for years, and we kind of know about your magical world…’ Luigi said and Anna-Patricia elbowed him hard on the ribs. ‘What Patti? We know…’ he said and Harry looked alerted at his grandparents who only nodded in understanding. ‘Don’t look alarmed guys, even if we exposed the secret, who would believe a bunch of old fellows?’ Luigi went on and Harry and Hermione sighed in relief.

‘Speak for yourself, old, I’m not old…’ Roberto said and winked at Harry and Hermione as they all laughed.

‘Well after the obligations we had…’ Harry tried to test the waters of how much they knew.

‘You mean with the war?’ Silvio asked this time and Harry nodded.

‘Uhm yes… we started working for the ministry of magic, of course we were wary, and still are, but we’re doing our best for it to change from within, I have become a captor of evil wizards and Hermione is working in the law enforcement department, passing laws in favor of the ones who have been overlooked, being fair to the ones who deserve it.’ Harry said and at his last words, he and Hermione looked at each other’s eyes.

‘Mio Dio! Il nostro figlio e fortunate ma ciero.’ Craig murmured and Harry glared at him playfully while Hermione looked uncomfortable, obviously having understood what the older man had said.

‘In English please,’ Harry said and Craig grinned.

‘I’d rather not,’ he said before Carla could speak.

‘And you’re having wands and cauldrons and black cats and books of shadows?’ she asked excitedly and Harry and Hermione grinned at the cliché image of the magical people.

‘Well we can have cats, not black necessarily, and you can make a book of shadows if you want to pass some specific knowledge to the next generations…’ Hermione replied this time and Carla clapped in excitement.

‘Can you make some spell right now?’ she asked, her eyes hopeful, the rest of the couples, even Harry’s grandparents looked interested and Hermione and Harry looked at each other for a moment, then Hermione looked around the fence that kept the garden’s privacy and through the gate to make sure none was passing by at that moment, she then nodded at Harry, and without saying anything further they withdrew their wands and cast the same spell.

‘Expecto Patronum,’ they both said and soon, from the tips of their wands a bright stag and an otter were bursting in the garden, running around the table proudly, the otter playing with the large stag by moving in between its legs and then around its head in the air. The older couples looked in amazement at the two bright animals who finally moved close to their creators, the stag standing proud next to Harry while the otter floated a mare centimeter from Hermione’s lap, moving its head close to the mesmerized Margaret who smiled at the form of positive power.

‘You have the same patronus with James…’ Margaret whispered as she then looked at Harry and he nodded his head, the remainder of his parents to both Harry and Hermione made the two patronus forms to fade until they were completely gone, bringing the garden back to its yellow lights from the torches.

After that, the couples tried to lighten the mood again by chatting over everything and nothing, there were questions about the Wizarding world, about the war, about the Evans’ daily life that Harry was unaware of, yet. Through the entire conversation, Harry and Hermione had returned to their less happy mode, as they both had tried to push away the feelings caused by the sight of their patronus forms playing together, with not a care in the world, just like their own souls wanted to, and the fact of both of them having created the forms based on the memory of their previous play in the beach wasn’t helping their troubled hearts.

‘So again, why you two are not together? I mean, you obviously have been through Hell together, why not support and love each other as a couple…’ Carla asked but saw Margaret shaking her head negatively just a bit but the wine didn’t make Carla stop. ‘Oh why not, Maggie, we haven’t been in Wizarding wars but we have been through other wars, and believe me my dears, if you’re like that in war times, when people get desperate and show their worst colors… then you can be together for a lifetime…’ Carla went on before she could drink more of her wine.

‘Guys, why don’t you take a walk until we sober up the drunk wench here?...’ Margaret said to the young couple’s rescue and both Harry and Hermione nodded awkwardly as they stood up and moved away from the table and out of the house’s garden, they passed the small street and Hermione took of her sandals so she could walk on the sand.

They started walking in the heavy silence they had made to chase away in this same beach a few hours ago, not it was back, maybe heavier than ever before.

‘So we made quiet an impression I think, hubby,’ Hermione tried to lighten the mood by bringing back the nicknames game but she achieved the opposite as Harry stopped and looked at her with stern eyes.

‘Everyone thinks we’re together, in both worlds, no matter for how long they know us, all of them think we’re one, from a random saleswoman in a muggle Italian shop up to our best friend who hasn’t sent a letter in three days to check on us because he knows we’re somewhere together… like we were when he left us in the middle of nowhere. They all see things we don’t see or-

‘Harry please,’ Hermione whispered urgently, the truth thrown at her face was hard, the tears gathered quickly in her eyes as Harry gripped both her arms with his hands, he was finally slipping through the walls she had built up around herself.

‘Or we pretend not to be seeing, which one is it Hermione?’ Harry asked as he brought her closer to him, he hated seeing her eyes filling with tears, but he hated more all this mess, nothing and everything kept them from each other and it hurt like Hell.

‘Harry…’ Hermione whispered as she looked at his eyes, the tears finally falling from her eyes, he softened up at the image and sound of hers, like he always did.

‘Why you’re crying?’ he asked softly, wanting to know exactly what, maybe, if she said it out loud, she would chase it away.

‘Because I want this…’ she whispered desperately, making Harry’s heart kick in its ribcage. ‘But I’m so afraid it will all crush upon me, we’ve been through so much and yes we survived it, but we did so only because we had each other, I- I don’t know, I can’t imagine my life without you in it. I have never been without you and you’ve never been without me, my fear is yours too, I know that.

‘I don’t want to lose you, we both know that if we try and fail, we’ll lose each other for ever, and I can’t stand it.’ Hermione said finally, her eyes full of tears and her lips trembling, vocalizing finally their greatest fear. She had survived without her parents and without Ron, without a home and without a safe place to hide for months, if not for years, but she had never been away from Harry and she didn’t want to try it because the mare thought of him in trouble made her heart actually hurt.

‘We… we’re not like the rest, I’m not Ron, you’re not Ginny, we’re Harry and Hermione, if we can’t make it, none in this bloody world can!’ Harry tried to reason with their fear and tried to lean closer but Hermione halted him with a finger on his lips.

‘Please… not now… not yet, give me a little time, give us a little more, we’ve waited for years, and we’re finally open about it, give us a few more days…’ Hermione whispered and Harry finally sighed and rested his temple upon hers, he couldn’t say no to her.

‘OK… a few more days, we’ll either return to England as a couple or as friends once and for all…’ he finally said and Hermione nodded with shut eyes in relief and regret at the same time...
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Harry Potter and the Memories of the Future