Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Moments in Love	By : Gandalfs-Beard Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Harry/Hermione Views: 175861 -:- Recommendations : 3 -:- Currently Reading : 14
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. All rights belong to Rowling. Nor do I make any money from the story.

Chapter List
- 73
- 74
- 75
Interlude

Harry blinked uncertainly as he awoke, wondering if he was dreaming, then remembered that he and Hermione were back at Hogwarts. He felt a pressing need, but was loath to disturb Hermione, who, as usual, had an arm curled around his middle. Fortunately, Harry didn’t have long to wait, and Hermione began to stir.
“‘Morning Harry,” she said with a yawn, then gave him a kiss. “We haven’t missed it, have we?”
“Er...?”
“The news...”
“Oh, right,” said Harry, remembering the new Wiz-Vision they had discovered in the Unaffiliated common room yesterday after deciding to spend the night at Hogwarts. There hadn’t been anything on yesterday evening’s news about Puddleby or the Order’s pirate broadcast.
After showering and dressing, Harry and Hermione joined the rest of the Coven in the common room, feeling a small amount of trepidation, wondering if the Minister had conjured some sort of response yet. When the Wiz-Vision flickered on, they were unsurprised to see the magnificently groomed William O’Hannity introducing Minister Umbridge.
And they were equally unastonished when the blame for everything was laid at the feet of Dumbledore’s rebellion, and that Harry in particular was singled out as having instigated the entire affair at the headmaster’s behest.
“...Indeed,” continued the Minister in her steeliest voice, “we have substantial evidence that Dumbledore and Mr Potter staged the entire event as a means to cast a bad light on the Ministry, going so far as to breach the International Statute of Secrecy.
“And one can only imagine the lengths to which the insurrectionists must have gone to corral enough Inferi, setting them upon Puddleby in a desperate ploy to cast themselves as the heroes which saved the town from the foul creatures. Such falseness is of course standard operating procedure for those who are accustomed to conspiracy and lies...”
“Of course!” Harry groaned, rubbing at his forehead; Hermione gave him a consoling squeeze. Dora and Fleur rolled their eyes as Jennifer and Daphne glanced at each other worriedly.
“I can’t believe this rubbish,” fumed Parvati.
“She almost makes it sound believable...” Ginny added, scowling.
“Don’t worry Parvati, Ginny,” said Luna comfortingly. “All the Minister has is words. They might sound good, but all the footage that Daddy and Rita Skeeter showed yesterday will have much more impact on people.”
“Are you certain?” asked Daphne, looking doubtful.
“Luna ees right,” asserted Fleur. “People believe their eyes more than words. In France, when people see scandalous pictures, even if false images, many believe pictures more than denials. It will be ze same here, except our images are very real.”
“She’s right, Daphne,” said Dora. “I’ve seen enough on the muggle telly to know that people are more likely to believe their eyes... even if ‘experts’ say it's rubbish...”
“I think that’s true,” Hermione proffered. “I’ve read about psychological studies which indicate as much.”
“Yeah, I suppose so,” sighed Harry. “I dunno if that UFO stuff is real, but loads of people believe even the most unconvincing and splotchy looking pictures and films... even when experts can prove they’re fake. Even Uncle Vernon did...”
Harry shook his head, unable to help a wry half-smile at the irony, recalling Uncle Vernon’s proclamations of government cover-ups whenever the Daily Mail ran an article about Crop Circles or possible UFO sightings with photos. Though, come to think about it, while making his scathing remarks Uncle Vernon would often shoot Harry dirty looks as if he were responsible for the incidents somehow.
“...It’s just weird to think of that sort of thing actually working in our favour,” Harry concluded.
“That’s a good point,” added Jennifer, looking a bit relieved. “I hadn’t thought of that. My dad believed a lot of those pictures and videos were real too.”
Hermione turned off the Wiz-Vision, and there didn’t seem to be much else to say. Harry glanced at Hermione, then Dora, before addressing the entire Coven.
“So... er... We’ve all slept on it. And, er... I was wondering what the rest of you think about coming back to Hogwarts - at least during the week?” he asked, sounding slightly hopeful.
“Well,” said Dora, “I dunno about the rest of you, but I’m famished, and we still ‘ave time for breakfast in the Great Hall - We can talk about whether to stay on at Hogwarts part time, while we’re at it, if you want?”
“Yeah, alright then,” Harry agreed, his own stomach rumbling at the thought of food.
That sounded like a plan to everyone, and without any further ado the Potters and their friends departed their unofficial House, to find breakfast in full swing when they arrived in the Great Hall. They were distracted briefly by a small crowd surrounding one end of the Gryffindor table. Harry grinned when he saw who was at the centre of attention.
Dumbledore had apparently made a special announcement at the beginning of breakfast marking Ron’s triumphant return - which the Coven had missed as they had been watching the news - and Ron was enjoying his newfound notoriety, eagerly recounting his harrowing adventure for what appeared to be the second or third time as more students congregated around him. Ron caught Harry’s eye and grinned.
Seamus was rapt with awe, and stuck to his best mate like glue, unwilling to let him out of his sight. Dean and Neville listened intently, their jaws dropping at all the most exciting bits. Even Lavender and Viktor were hooked. A number of girls seemed to have gathered around to listen as well, many of them from the other Houses.
Harry had a good chuckle as Ron had returned to his tale of fighting off half a dozen Snatchers... or more. Hermione rolled her eyes and smirked a bit, but left Ron to it, not wishing to spoil his fun. Ginny chortled, having been told the truest version of the story of Ron’s return the previous evening by Harry and Hermione, and gave Ron a hug, thrilled to have her brother back.
Despite knowing Ron well enough to guess that he was exaggerating, the Twins were nonetheless extremely impressed with him. They were especially admiring of the fact that he’d won himself a Firebolt and a wand, which Professor Dumbledore had let him keep as nobody knew what the Carrows or the Minister had done with Ron’s old wand.
“...just the spoils of war,” said Ron with a nonchalant shrug. But he couldn’t help beaming at his brothers’ praises.
“That’s our brother, the humble one!” said Fred, rolling his eyes as he slapped Ron on the shoulder heartily. “I suppose you’ve earned some bragging rights though, Ron! You’ve truly done the Weasley name proud...”
“...and you’re worth more than a thousand Percys!” insisted George. “That git deserved a good pummeling.”
Ron had also received a very large parcel from Mr and Mrs Weasley full of his favourite cakes and sweets - they had apparently apparated to Hogwarts with it earlier that morning to see him before breakfast. After a few minutes sharing in Ron’s revelry the Unafilliated took their seats at the Mingling Table and dug into their own breakfasts.
Despite the sense of foreboding as they wondered what the Minister had in store next, and feeling a bit strange to be back at Hogwarts on a school-day, all in all, Harry and Hermione felt greatly cheered. And after a bit of deliberation among themselves, it seemed the rest of the Coven felt much the same way.
“...So, we’re all agreed then?” asked Harry, when the discussion wound down, just to make sure that everyone was on the same page. “We’ll stay at Hogwarts during the week and return home on the weekends?”
Jennifer nodded vigorously as murmurs of assent carried around the table. Buoyed by the consensus, Harry, Hermione, and Dora split from the others - who returned to the common room - and made their way to Dumbledore’s office to inform him of their decision. Once past the gargoyle and the winding stairs, Harry rapped the brass knocker three times and the door swung open.
“Ah, Harry, Mrs Potter, Miss Tonks, do come in,” the headmaster invited warmly, gesturing to the familiar chintz armchairs before his desk.
“I take it then that you have reached a resolution?” Dumbledore asked, looking for all the world as if he knew what the answer would be.
“Er... yes sir,” said Harry. “We’ve decided we’re ready to come back, but... er... we’d like to go back home on the weekends - if that’s still alright with you.”
“Quite alright, Harry” Dumbledore replied, nodding. “And in anticipation that you might take such a decision, I took the liberty of having a copy of Aphrodite’s portrait made to take home with you, to ease your passage...” Dumbledore glanced at the wall and the Potters knew he was looking at Phineas Nigellus. “...and to ease the burden on Headmaster Black.”
Phineas Nigellus snorted and rolled his eyes.
“Well, then,” the headmaster continued, his eyes twinkling as he regarded the three youths, “all that remains is to determine how to proceed with your education. I have already spoken with the Heads of Houses, and have recently arranged with Hestia Jones to take up a new position at Hogwarts. She will be overseeing an Independent Studies programme, in conjunction with the other Professors.
“I believe that this arrangement will also be suitable for those who may be seeking to further their education whilst considering new career options,” he went on to say, raising his bushy white eyebrows pointedly at Dora, before returning his attention to the Potters. “And I hasten to add, that Horace Slughorn is quite hopeful that you will consider allowing him to tutor you in the basics of Alchemy, now that Professor Snape has returned to take up his post as Potions Master...”
Hermione quivered in excitement at the prospect. Harry felt a slightly alarmed; he still had a hard enough time keeping up with Arithmancy, and by all accounts, Alchemy promised to be equally intimidating - but Hermione looked so thrilled that Harry didn’t have the heart to raise any objections. Dora caught his eye and smiled wryly.
“Y’know, I might take Slughorn up on it myself,” Dora mused aloud. “Alchemy wasn’t offered as an elective when I was at Hogwarts.”
Dora felt heartened to see Harry looking a bit relieved, and Hermione squeezed Harry’s hand comfortingly as they departed Dumbledore’s office.
“You’ll do just fine Harry,” said Hermione. “I know you will. Come on, let’s tell the others, and go sort out our new schedules with Hestia...”
Jennifer was as happy as anyone with the new arrangements, and even more delighted to find that Hestia Jones would be administering the Independent Studies programme; their reunion was more than a bit teary. Daphne bit her lip, looking a bit startled and like she might cry herself.
“Hestia!” Jennifer squealed, beaming.
“Oof!” said Hestia with a grin when Jennifer pounced and swept her into an exuberant hug. “I missed you too sweetie!”
Harry glanced away, feeling slightly uncomfortable, as if he were intruding on a private moment, and he noticed something which was all too apparent now that he saw Hestia again for the first time since the summer. And judging by the expression on Daphne’s and the rest of the Coven’s faces, everyone else had spotted it too.
“Is it just me,” Harry whispered to Hermione as the embrace continued, “or does Hestia look just like Jennifer’s mum?”
“It’s not just you,” Hermione whispered back, looking a bit disconcerted herself as she recalled the photographs they had seen of Jennifer’s mother at her estate. “They could almost be sisters.”
“Alright then you lot,” said Hestia once the moment with Jennifer had passed, “let’s get you all sorted...”

~o0o~
Flakes of snow drifted lightly from the pearly grey clouds above, swirling around the small procession marching through the streets of Brussels. Kingsley Shacklebolt kept a watchful eye as he led Amelia Bones and several muggle women and a young girl along the Rue Belliard towards the headquarters of the International Confederation of Wizards, barely more than a block away from the Brussels offices of the muggle United Nations.
Kingsley felt only mildly reassured that they were surrounded by a phalanx of International Aurors wearing crisp black muggle suits and dark sunglasses. Though he trusted most of the members of the Committee for the Investigation of Statutory Violations, there was one that Kingsley trusted not at all. He wouldn’t put it past Minister Umbridge to have her man on the inside stage a hit before they reached the heavily warded building which housed the ICW head-offices.
A loud bang like a gunshot went off in the street and the group halted. The Aurors peered about for the source of the sound, their wands instantly in hand. The little girl shrieked and one of the young women began to shake. Madam Bones glanced worriedly at the Dawson sisters and the ex-MI5 agent’s daughter as a passing Volkswagen lurched and sputtered.
“Ssh... It’s alright Gemma,” Clara reassured her younger sister, wrapping her arms around Gemma who was crying. “Just a car backfiring.”
“You alright, love?” Andrea Mason asked her daughter, who was still trembling like a leaf. The little girl nodded tearily.
The International Aurors all relaxed, but kept their wands at the ready as the small assembly began walking again, just in case. Kingsley breathed a sigh of relief when they finally reached the international wizarding institution and the doorman let them in without further incident...

~o0o~
The witch in the elegant black gown reached for the bottle of brandy and filled three crystal snifters nearly to the brim before sitting in one of the ornately carved ebony chairs at the small, highly polished round table.
“Madam Lestrange,” Percy bowed stiffly as he took a seat across the table from the notorious Dark witch. He had to admit, that despite having grown very accustomed to the necessity of working with such people - and having met with Bellatrix Lestrange on a number of occasions - that she still made him feel a bit uncomfortable.
Or maybe it was the way that she was looking at him, almost hungrily. Or the way her wild dark tresses tumbled over her shoulders, drawing attention to the extremely low cut of her gown. Or the glistening wetness of her scarlet lips.
“Well, aren’t you scrumptious!? Come now my dear boy,” purred Bellatrix, dipping a finger in her brandy and sucking suggestively on her fingertip, “why so formal? You and I are almost old friends now, Percy. I would be insulted if you don’t call me Bella... And perhaps if Dolores would allow, we could spend some time to get to know one another more... intimately.”
Percy couldn’t help eyeballing Bellatrix’s cleavage as she thrust her ample bosom towards him and batted her long Dark lashes seductively. She reached across the table and stroked the back of his hand with the still wet fingertip which had just been in her mouth. He blushed furiously and gulped, surprised to find himself growing warm.
Dolores Umbridge chuckled and inclined her head slightly.
“Well, as long as you leave Percy in one piece, my deputy is free to fraternise with anyone who supports our mutual agenda,” Dolores offered sweetly. “It is entirely up to him...”
“Erm...” Percy swallowed nervously again.
Lestrange was oddly compelling, though Percy had never supposed that he might fancy an older woman of Dark proclivities. But it had been a long time since he’d had a bit of fun after all - Penelope had been holding out on him for months before she finally broke it off with him. Percy supposed that under the circumstances, it was only natural that he would find Bellatrix alluring.
Bellatrix seemed almost able to read Percy’s mind.
“Perhaps later then... after the meeting?” she said with a wink.
“Anyway, you know why we’re here, Bellatrix,” Dolores began after the pleasantries were out of the way. “The outcome of events in Puddleby have complicated matters somewhat, and my contact on the ICW’s Committee for the Investigation of Statutory Violations informs me that preliminary hearings are beginning this week to examine Dumbledore’s evidence - which apparently is to include the testimony of several muggles, including the acting mayor of Puddleby.
“I am also informed that Dame Machschnell and Madam Ogoba are leaning in Dumbledore’s favour already. And it is possible that they may issue a ruling in a matter of weeks, bringing the matter to a floor vote of the general assembly at that time which could very well go Dumbledore’s way.
“If that is indeed the case, then my ability to travel abroad could be seriously curtailed in the near future. However, Percy and I have some ideas for entrapping Dumbledore and Potter which will require your expertise. And if our objectives are achieved, then it matters little how the vote at the ICW goes. Eventually - should all go as planned - our friends overseas will see their own opening to taking back Power for the Pure of Blood in their own nations...”
The two Dark witches plotted and schemed over the next few hours, with Percy proffering his own suggestions at intervals. Percy however, found it difficult to concentrate as Bellatrix seemed intent on distracting him; he began to sweat profusely when he felt bare toes caressing his calf and slowly traveling up his trouser leg to his inner thigh.
Utterly flustered, Percy was relieved to no end when the confab came to a conclusion. When Dolores readied herself for departure, Percy quickly stood up, banging his knees painfully on the table and sending his empty brandy snifter tumbling, shattering on the floor.
“D...d...dreadfully sorry!” he sputtered, his face blazing like an inferno as he bent over to pick up the shards of crystal, forgetting momentarily that he was a wizard. Percy let out a startled “Eep!” and smacked his forehead on the edge of the table when he felt firm fingers grasping his bum.
For a moment Percy saw stars as he rubbed his head, hearing a terrifying chuckle.
“Do be careful dear Bella - I would very much appreciate having Percy back relatively intact.”
“Oh, don’t be such a spoilsport, Dolores!” Bellatrix giggled madly. “He’ll still have all his parts attached when I’m finished with him... I promise! And I’m sure the boy will be feeling like a new man when we’re through, and begging for more.”
The rest of the afternoon and evening at Lestrange Manor passed in a frightening blur for Percy, but whenever he thought back to that night, Percy couldn’t deny that Bellatrix hadn’t been altogether wrong - he certainly had felt like a new man the following morning, and he couldn’t help feeling that his life had been quite lacking prior to that moment.

~o0o~
The week flew by for the Coven as they settled into the new schedules for their Independent Studies. Luna and Ginny more or less picked up where they had left off, attending some fourth year classes while being tutored on the bits they had missed. Jennifer, likewise, received extra instruction while returning to some fifth year lessons along with Parvati and Daphne.
Dora and Fleur carried on as teacher’s assistants while furthering their own post NEWT education in more specialised fields; Fleur focused her studies on Curse-breaking and joined Dora and the Potters for Alchemy sessions with Professor Slughorn.
Though returning to the fifth year syllabus for most of their classes, Harry and Hermione had both by and large moved on to advanced lessons from the sixth and seventh year curriculum for Charms and Defence Against the Dark Arts, and seventh year Potions.
Much of their study was taken under the supervision of Hestia Jones in a spare classroom, but the professors had made some time to perform demonstrations as needed. And for practical reasons, Herbology was still taken with Professor Sprout in the greenhouses.
Likewise, Harry and Hermione were taking their seventh year Potions lessons with Snape twice a week in the dungeons, and the fourth and fifth year members of the Unaffiliated rejoined the respective Potions classes for their year.
Harry was very pleased to learn that he no longer had to suffer through Professor Binns’ lessons. Though he’d always been fascinated by History of Magic, Harry had never been able to endure the soporific effects of the ghostly professor’s lectures. Reading the Magical History books was more than sufficient to learn the subject.
One class Harry missed though, was Care of Magical Creatures with Hagrid. Harry and Hermione had both put that aside for the time-being, apologising profusely to a disappointed Hagrid.
“Ah, I unnerstand,” Hagrid said sadly with a sigh when Harry and Hermione informed him over tea and rock-cakes in his hut. “Yeh both need ter focus on the mos’ useful subjects while yer fightin’ fer the Order. If yeh wanna though, I’ll be happy ter help yeh catch up when it’s time so’s yeh can pass yer Care o’ Magical Creatures OWL... whenever that’ll be now.”
“That sounds lovely Hagrid,” Hermione replied, beaming, though she was disappointed that OWL’s were temporarily on hold for the entire school, given the current state of affairs in magical Britain.
Despite the heavy workload, the Potters did manage to schedule a bit more downtime now that they were working at their own pace - much to Ron’s delight - as Madam Pomfrey had been most insistent that rest and relaxation were just as important as education, and vital for their health and well-being.
All in all, by the time the weekend rolled around again, things at Hogwarts began to seem so normal, that Harry and Hermione could almost forget that Magical Britain was in turmoil. Nor had there been any indication from the WVN news that the Minister was plotting her next move. The Potters and the rest of the Coven knew better of course, but for the time-being, they tried their best to put their trepidation aside to focus on schoolwork and training; they had no doubt that they would be in the thick of things again soon enough.

~o0o~
Friday arrived in Brussels, as dismal and grey as it had been all week - greyer even by early afternoon. The witch in the sitting room of a muggle hotel suite watched the snow falling heavily on the other side of the partially frosted windowpane, glad for the warmth of the hotel’s central heating system after the bitterly cold walk back from another morning of providing testimony at the ICW.
Unexpected giggles caught Amelia Bones’s ear, drawing her attention away from the flurries of snow swirling outside the window. Amelia turned her head and smiled to see Andrea Mason’s daughter and the Dawson sisters laughing at the buffoonish antics and prattle of the two bowler hatted detectives in the Tintin cartoon on the television.
It was the first time Amelia had seen Samantha Mason laughing all week; and it suddenly struck her that the programme was in French when Gemma and Clara laughed after the young girl explained the joke to them.
Andrea Mason had glanced up from her book at the cheering sound as well, looking a bit misty eyed. The two women caught each others’ eyes.
“Your daughter - she understands French?” asked Madam Bones.
“Yes!” Andrea nodded proudly. “I began teaching her myself when she was little, and I made sure she went to a school which taught foreign languages. She also knows some German...”
The muggle woman trailed off and bit her lip, frowning pensively. Amelia understood.
Not more than three blocks from the hotel, in a building normally inaccessible to muggles, a proceeding was taking place, headed by the German witch to whom Gemma Dawson, and Andrea Mason and her daughter had presented their testimony. The acting mayor of Puddleby had returned to Britain after providing the committee her own accounting the day before yesterday.
The two women fell silent once more. The laughter of Andrea Mason’s daughter and Gemma Dawson was the best distraction that could be imagined, given their fragile states.

~o0o~
Returning from the quidditch pitch after flying around a bit with Ron and Viktor, Harry discovered Luna eagerly poring through the book of Asian Monsters which he had purchased a little over a year ago. Ginny and Parvati appeared to be reading over Luna’s shoulder - Ginny giggling uncontrollably and Parvati with a look torn between disgust and bemusement. Hermione was sitting nearby, peering at Luna and smirking slightly.
Harry put it out of his head as he packed and readied himself to return to Jennifer’s estate for the weekend, but found the book on the nightstand when Hermione took a turn in the shower. He picked up the book and began to read the page it fell open to, finally understanding why it had a Seventeen and Over warning sticker on the cover. Harry’s stomach churned and he felt a bit ill as he read about the mating habits of a particularly revolting species of Japanese demon.
Hermione returned from the shower with a towel wrapped around her, and her hair all in a frizz. She glanced at Harry lying on the bed reading a book, and raised an eyebrow at him.
“I’m already packed and ready to go,” said Harry with a grin when he noticed Hermione giving him a Look, as if she were wondering why he was lazing around. “I’ve got the brick from the Room of Requirement in a bag with a couple of days’ worth of clothes.”
“Oh, alright! Let’s see what you’re reading then,” Hermione pounced on the bed to take a peek. “Hmm... looking for ideas to spice up our fun this weekend, are you?” she asked, sounding amused when she saw that Harry was reading the book of Asian Monsters.
“Erm... what?” Harry looked bewildered. “No! I just never finished reading this book. What are you on about?”
“That’s the page Luna was reading when you got back from flying. She was really interested in that creature...” Hermione raised both eyebrows pointedly and giggled.
“What? This horrible creature?” Harry was utterly flummoxed now. “Why on earth would Luna be interested in Shokushu?”
“Er...” Hermione was a bit taken aback that Harry hadn’t picked up on her meaning, and wasn’t quite certain how to explain it to him. “Erm... Luna - she was sort of, erm... was intrigued by its... er... reproductive cycle.”
Finally light dawned on Harry; he gaped at Hermione in shock. “You must be joking! Luna doesn’t really want an evil multi-tentacled monster to force itself on her and impregnate her, does she?”
“Of course not, silly!” Hermione rolled her eyes. “It’s just a ridiculous sexual fantasy! It doesn’t mean she really wants anything ghastly to happen to her. ... You know how Luna likes mad things.”
Harry shook his head in amazement and snorted mirthfully. Luna did like mad things, but this rather took the cake. Then something else Hermione had said suddenly struck him - something strange - something about “looking for ideas to spice up their fun...”
“Hang on! Are you sure it’s just Luna who likes mad things?” Harry chortled. Hermione turned pink, jumped off the bed, and began rummaging in the wardrobe for some clothes without answering or looking him in the eye.
“I was thinking about morphing into Hugh Grant or Kate Winslet for you this weekend, but I suppose I could give this Shokushu thing a go if you’d rather,” Harry added teasingly. "I'm sure I could manage a few tentacles at least."
“Shut up!” Hermione retorted, fumbling as she grabbed a pair of knickers, her face blazing hotly, and her towel fell to the floor...

~o0o~
Saturday brought wind and rain to the Dorset countryside surrounding Jennifer’s estate, melting the remaining patches of snow. Harry and Hermione both felt a bit awkward at the breakfast table as the rest of the Coven seemed to be eyeing them with anticipation. Finally Luna broke the silence.
“So, do you think one sex act just with you two will be enough to magically charge up the barn and to transfer the magic from the brick?” she asked bluntly. “Or do you think we should do a Coven ritual? ... We could hang up curtains in the barn for a bit of privacy.”
“I think Harry and Hermione ‘ave got more than enough juice t’do the job,” Dora chortled as the Potters both blushed furiously. “They managed to make Hogwarts shake all by themselves, after all.”
“Er... Yeah! I think we’ll just give it a go ourselves...” Harry began, sounding slightly hoarse.
“...but I suppose if it doesn’t work on the first time, we could try your idea, Luna,” Hermione continued a bit squeakily. “Right, Harry?”
“Er... Sure!” Harry mumbled, spooning some porridge into his mouth. Ginny and Jennifer tried their hardest not to giggle. Parvati shared an embarrassed look with Daphne.
Harry and Hermione dawdled nervously for a bit after breakfast, eventually gathering some blankets. They were at the front door, umbrellas at the ready, with the blankets and the brick from the Room of Requirement, when Dora and Fleur appeared with a picnic basket and a portable stereo.
“Oi, you two...” said Dora, “I know you both feel a bit under a microscope - like part of an experiment - hardly the right frame of mind for a romantic encounter! Just try and forget about the rest of us... Take your time and have fun. ... There’s no rush, alright! Take a walk in the rain for a bit... enjoy the scenery...”
“There ees enough food for lunch and your afternoon tea, and wine too in ze basket,” Fleur added. “Make a date of eet!”
“Thanks loads guys!” said Harry, feeling a bit relieved as Hermione beamed and took the basket from Fleur. “Yeah... Yeah, you’re right. I am feeling really weird about this, and I didn’t even know why.”
“I didn’t either,” Hermione chimed in gratefully. “I was so anxious it didn’t even occur to me to bring a picnic. Thank you!”
Feeling a bit better, Harry and Hermione dropped everything off in the red brick barn and took Fleur and Dora’s advice; the biting chill of the gusting wind and the sting of icy raindrops cleared their heads as they strolled through the wet overgrown grounds at the top of the hill.
They found again the secluded spot under the thick copse of evergreens from which they could view Corfe Castle in the distance one direction, and the sea in the other. It was a bit damp on the bed of pine needles, and odd drips fell from the branches above, but they were out of the worst of the downpour.
Arms around each other, sitting cross-legged, Hermione breathed in deeply and rested her head on Harry’s shoulder, watching the distant trees sway and listening to the thrum of falling rain. Harry kissed Hermione’s bushy tresses and they both began to relax...
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Moments in Love