"Yeah, I mean, it's definitely been getting better but he still cries throughout most nights," Neville explained. He and Harry had set up blankets on the floor of an empty classroom with both baby Jamie and baby Frank. Harry and Neville's playdate with the babies had been a wonderful change of pace last time and they decided to set up another. It was good. Both men could sympathize and understand what the other was going through.
"Same for Jamie. It's not so bad though, I don't mind." Harry, lounged out across the blankets with Jamie, grinned when he thought about how the night before last had gone when the baby had woken Hermione and him up. It had ended in a wonderful derail of kisses and lingering touches. He tickled Jamie's tummy and the baby kicked his feet in response. His bright blue eyes tracked his father's movements above him.
Neville raised his eyebrows at Harry. "Bully for you, mate. It's killin' Hannah and me."
Harry looked up at Neville who was sitting with Frank in his lap. "Haven't you tried that spell Ron gave us?"
Neville made a face and nodded glumly. "I mean, yeah, but he's still always up and he just cries. I dunno what it is."
Harry shrugged one shoulder up awkwardly. "Have you looked at the baby books?"
"Yeah, something about colic. It'll go away. A big cause of it might be the baby formula, but Jamie wakes up all the time as well, right?"
Harry nodded. "Yeah, but that's to be fed. I told you about a few weeks back when he had that hair around his toe but otherwise, it's usually 'cause he's hungry. But the bigger he gets the less that happens. Hermione feeds him less often now, but Jamie eats longer each feeding." Neville nodded once as he thought about that. "So maybe it is the baby formula." Harry shrugged. He tried not to think about the fact that he was an eighteen-year-old boy and this should not be what he and his mates talked about on a daily basis.
"Merlin, I hope not." Neville shook his head. "Hannah is not a fan of the idea of breastfeeding."
Harry snorted. "I can't imagine why. Hermione was a wreck the first month and a half. She still has her moments but then again…"
"She's Hermione," they chorused. "Which means she's now gotten the hang of it," Harry continued, "and is currently managing it better than any other mother could." Daphne Greengrass was the only other mother breastfeeding. She never did it in public and though she still looked perfect every day, there were heavy charms on her face and hair.
Jamie kicked his legs and squealed loudly. He'd started doing it a few days ago. He was often awake during the days longer and he liked to entertain himself with loud noises. His hands were still too weak to hold onto his toys for very long and Harry was still holding his breath to hear the baby laugh.
Hermione and he had magically ordered a chair from the catalogue for Jamie to sit in with hanging fairies and pixies. Mostly, it just put him to sleep. Jamie preferred to lie on his back or stomach instead, playing with one of his parents. Hermione claimed it was because he loved the attention as much as his namesake famously had.
"I just don't want to push it, you know?" Neville glanced at his friend awkwardly. Harry nodded as he tickled Jamie's tummy again and shifted so the baby could see him. Jamie's eyes instantly locked on Harry again. "Things have been weird between me and Hannah."
Harry looked up with a frown. "I thought you two were getting along?"
"We are!" Neville insisted. "We just…" His brows furrowed. "I like her. I mean," his eyes widened, "I think I really like her. Like - like her, like her."
Harry raised a hand. "Yeah, no, I got you, mate."
"I mean, as much as I hate doing what Umbridge says, we have been. And I feel like… the closer we get the more I…" He leaned closer despite the fact that no one else was around that could hear them. "I think it's from the bond."
Harry's head fell back. "Thank Merlin." He made eye contact with Neville. "I thought we were the only ones."
A sigh of relief left Neville. "You as well? What am I saying, of course, you as well." Harry couldn't help but nod at that. It was always Neville and Harry, one way or another. "It's weird, I can't tell what's what. I mean, does she even like me back or am I just nutters?"
"Have you tried asking her?" Neville looked terrified at the suggestion. Harry chuckled, his hand absentmindedly toying with Jamie's sock-covered foot and it kicked in reflex. "It's not as bad as it sounds, trust me. Hermione and I were a bit uneasy about it at first but we gave it time and-"
"-Time? How long have you and Hermione had feelings for?" Harry froze. His eyes were wide behind his coke bottle glasses when he looked up at his friend. "Mate?"
Harry sighed. "Since the beginning?"
Neville let out a startled breath. "Bloody hell, no wonder you were so relieved." The Family Planning classes had started in January and it was already the end of March. His brow furrowed as he thought about that. "It makes sense though. I mean, nothing started up between Hannah and I until we got closer. There's quite literally no one closer than you and Hermione."
Harry nodded along. "I guess that's true. But there are others, like Luna and Ron, that are close and I know nothing's happened there."
Neville frowned thoughtfully. "I guess, but Ron and Luna aren't the same sorts of closeness, right? They're friends, sort of. But I've always thought that Luna just baffled Ron in a slightly annoyed sort of way, you know?" Harry smiled and nodded. That sounded about right. Neville studied Harry for a long moment. "Did something happen between you and Hermione?"
Harry's eyes flickered up. He swallowed.
Neville's jaw dropped. "No way!" Harry ran a hand through his hair and looked away. Neville excitedly shuffled forward. "Tell me everything."
Harry laughed despite himself as his hand moved from his hair to cover his face. "Mate…"
"Come on…"
He dropped his hand and glared at Neville. "Don't you dare tell anyone."
"I won't, I swear." He raised his hand like he was taking a vow.
Harry studied his friend for a moment, judging his sincerity. He nodded. "Hermione and I slept together."
Neville's already wide eyes widened even further. He let out a short breath. "Bloody hell."
Harry chuckled. "You're tellin' me."
Neville paused, a question on the tip of his tongue he thought was too far. He asked anyway. "Is she as bossy as you'd think she'd be in bed?" Harry raised his eyebrows in surprise at Neville's question. He smirked.
/\
It was nearly five in the morning. Harry and Hermione both groaned as the alarm on Harry's wand woke them. Jamie was up.
Harry threw back the covers on the bed and slipped on his boxers before heading over to Jamie's crib. Hermione stretched before she went to grab her soft blue robe from where it had been thrown several hours earlier. She slipped the silky material over her shoulders and loosely tied the front closed. Harry moved towards the changing table as Hermione tiredly rubbed her face. She stood, touching Harry's back as she passed him to the loo.
When Hermione returned, Harry was rocking a newly changed but fussy Jamie in his arms. He glanced over at her as she pulled her hair up into a bun. "No bottle?" They usually fed Jamie the leftover bottled milk at night. Hermione would spell her extra breast milk into spare bottles in the morning because it held the most nutrients early in the day which put Jamie to sleep faster. It always made sense to use those when he woke up in the middle of the night.
Hermione shook her head as she crawled back into bed and held her hands out for Jamie. "It's nearly time to get up anyways, there won't be a difference." Harry nodded and handed off the baby. He disappeared to the washroom while Hermione bounced and soothed Jamie. He was stretching a lot and stuffing his hands in his mouth, signs Hermione easily recognized by now as his feeding cues. She tickled his stomach and watched him squirm, his eyes firmly shut. He yawned.
Harry exited the washroom and smiled when he saw her waiting for him. He slipped into bed behind her. Hermione leaned against his chest and pulled open her robe so she could feed Jamie comfortably. Harry pressed a kiss to her shoulder as they stared down at Jamie.
Jamie's eyes blinked open sleepily and Hermione's breath caught. "Harry… Harry, are you seeing this?"
Harry swallowed down his tears. "Yeah."
Staring up at the both of them were Jamie's big, bright hazel eyes. His grandfather's eyes. Hermione's finger lightly touched her baby's cheek. She tried not to cry. "Oh, baby, you're so beautiful." She felt a tear hit her shoulder. She shifted her hold on Jamie and raised her free hand to touch the back of Harry's head. He raised his own hand over hers and their fingers threaded together. Harry pressed another kiss to her shoulder.
Neither of them looked away from Jamie.
/\
"It's going to be crazy," Ron said around a mouth full of pot-pie. "Mum's bloody ecstatic, of course. She can't wait to have a house full of grandkids." His eyes widened in slight horror and he shook his head. "You both will be there, right? It'll be tight but we'd love to have you."
Hermione smiled warmly at the offer as she sat with Jamie in her lap. "That's sweet of you, Ron, but Harry and I have opted to stay at Hogwarts."
Ron made a face. "Are you sure? There'll be a lot of kids but even more adults. You'll be able to have a proper break, for sure."
Hermione and Harry exchanged smiles. "We're good here." Ron's eyes flickered back and forth between his two best friends. He'd picked up on the change between the two of them in the last month. It hadn't taken a genius to figure out what had probably changed. Ron had wisely stayed out of the topic. Hermione and he may have been able to remain friends in the recent failure of their relationship and the drama of the Family Planning class, but that did not mean he wanted to hear about her sexual exploits with his other best friend.
Luna smiled airily. "The Lorgilks have taken to you today." Her smile turned knowing. "Be sure to use a contraception charm tonight." Ron choked on his orange juice. Luna popped a grape in her mouth innocently and continued to smile at the blushing couple.
Harry coughed into his fist and looked away, praying for someone to say something. Hermione saved him. "Have you seen my bracelet?"
"The one I gave you?" She nodded. "I didn't realize you'd even taken it off." Hermione had been enamoured with the gift since he'd put it on her in February. She charmed it every day to withstand her showers and natural wear and tear. She'd already set up an appointment at Gringotts to have them insure it and charm it to never tarnish.
"I didn't, not that I can remember at least. But it's gone missing. I'm scared it slipped off."
"The pretty bracelet," Luna asked, "the one with the gems?" They both nodded. "I'll keep an eye out for the Nargles, they are expert thieves, you know."
Hermione smiled tightly. "Thank you, Luna." Harry smirked at her. He knew how Luna tried her patience. She turned back to her food and stabbed a tomato forcefully.
Harry leaned towards her. "We can try a locator spell whenever you're done lunch."
Not a second later, Molly began crying loudly which instantly set off Pandora and a few other children in the room. Hermione turned to Harry, wide-eyed. "Now, please." He smiled and nodded. They packed up their things and headed out with Jamie in his stroller before he caught the crying bug too.
They stopped outside the Great Hall and Harry quickly cast the locator spell. The end of his wand glowed a soft golden colour, growing in vibrancy when he turned in the right direction of the bracelet. "This way."
They walked for a bit in silence, Hermione glancing at Harry every few minutes. "I'm sorry." His gaze flickered towards her from where he was focused on his wand. "I didn't mean to lose the bracelet. It was your mother's and here I am, two months later and… I feel awful."
"It's fine, Hermione. I know it was an accident."
She frowned. "I still feel terrible about it."
He kissed her temple. "Well, don't." He nodded towards the hall they were now heading down, the one that led to their room. "Besides, it looks like it's just misplaced. Not lost. Probably slipped off when you were sleeping."
They climbed through the portrait hole, Harry with the retracted stroller and baby snuggled within it. He set the pram by the crib and the two moved around the room as they tried to find the bracelet.
"Ah-ha!" Harry cried out victoriously. He crawled out from beneath the bed and held up the gold chain victoriously. "Told you it fell off when you were sleeping."
"Or doing other things," she countered with a sly smile as she crawled across the bed to him. Harry smirked and nodded. She was probably right.
He gave her a quick kiss. "Wrist." Hermione held out her wrist. Harry went to clasp it and both quickly realized why it had fallen off in the first place. "It's too big."
"That's impossible. How is that possible?"
Harry raised the gold chain higher and both inspected it. "That one," he pointed to the centre gem. A beautiful hazel one, like the one on the end. "It's for Jamie."
Hermione made a face. She pointed to the one beside it. "That doesn't explain the brown one."
Harry stared at the bracelet turned necklace now that the extra gem had forced the chain to grow longer. He set it on the bedspread and pointed to the hazel gem at the far left. "That one's my dad's," he explained and then pointed to the green one at the opposite end, "and mum said that one was hers. I was at the centre but now I'm here…" he pointed to the green gem beside his father's.
"Jamie's at the centre," Hermione added, pointing to the bright hazel.
Harry pointed to the brown one, smiling softly. "And his mother right beside him."
Hermione didn't know what to say to that. The warm brown gem was right beside the green of Lily's. The mothers on one side, the fathers on the other, and the baby at the centre. Hermione's eyes watered. "But I…" Her hand rose to her mouth. Harry smiled hugely. He pulled her hand away and kissed her soundly.
"Turn around." Hermione sat up straight and turned, pulling her hair aside so Harry could put the necklace on her. He clasped it and Hermione jumped off the bed.
She looked in the mirror at the delicate gold chain that rested along her collarbone. It was at a choker length, which she normally wouldn't have worn. Her nose wrinkled. "It's a bit small as a necklace."
Harry came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He pressed a kiss to her neck. "Is that your way of hinting at wanting to have a baby?"
Hermione choked on a startled laugh. "Excuse me?"
He grinned at her in the reflection of the mirror, terrifyingly mischievous. His fingers grasped her hips and he pulled her back flush against his front. "I certainly wouldn't mind putting in the effort."
She snorted. "Of course, you wouldn't." She turned her head to him. "You're an absolute troll, you know that, right?"
"I'm not a troll. I slay trolls. There's a difference."
"Regardless," she emphasized, "we are doing exactly as Luna said." Harry quirked an eyebrow in question. "Using a contraception charm," she clarified.
/\
They did use a contraception charm. Actually, the two of them were meticulous about using it. The last thing either needed or wanted was an actual baby to worry about - despite Harry's jokes. Hermione had plans and Harry had … Well, Harry was very excited for school to be over. He didn't really know what he wanted to do beyond it. But he had the time and he had plenty of money, so there was no rush.
"Hurry up," Hermione ground out between clenched teeth. She groaned as Harry thrust into her again. "Jamie will be up by now."
He looked up, water from the shower catching on his lashes as he gave her an arched look. "Oh, that's nice, very romantic." His hand grabbed her thigh and hitched it higher over his hip. Her ankles locked behind his back and he thrust into her again.
She moaned and her head fell back against the tile wall of the shower. Her nails dug into his shoulders. "I didn't realize you wanted romance when you asked me to lend you a hand in the shower." Her mouth opened in a small 'o' as Harry finally found the right angle. He grinned and kissed her chin as he slowly began to speed up.
"I mean," he grunted, "I wouldn't complain."
Hermione gasped and arched her back. "I - I'll make a mental note." Her head hit the tile wall again, harder than the last time. "Fuck!"
"Yes…" He buried his head in the crook of her neck. Hermione bit her lip in an attempt to smother her scream as a second, sudden wave hit her. Harry panted. He pressed a kiss to her collarbone before he pulled back. "You okay?" His fingers reached up to feel the back of her head, where it had slammed against the shower wall.
Hermione nodded. "Worth it." He laughed and helped Hermione back to her feet. They each took a moment to wash off any remaining soap and breastmilk. The shower had become one of their favourite places after they realized Hermione's lactating during orgasm was a repeat thing. It didn't always happen, but Hermione felt less self-conscious about it if they were in the shower when it did. Harry didn't mind but knew it bothered Hermione so he didn't fight too hard. The whole mix up of hormones already made it difficult for her to become aroused some days, he didn't want to add acute discomfort to the list as well.
Just as they began to towel off, Jamie began to cry. Hermione cursed. They'd taken too long in the shower. She shot Harry a look before rushing into the bedroom. She shushed Jamie as she pulled him into her arms. Hermione pressed the baby's face to the skin of her naked chest and rocked him as she paced. He settled quickly, faster than he would have three and a half months ago. Recently, his crying seemed to stem from a lack of attention rather than hunger or anything else.
Regardless, crying often led to at least a small feeding. Hermione lounged back on the bed and curled the bedsheet over her naked body to ward off the chill of Hogwarts. She drew Jamie close to her body to feed him laying down. Harry entered the bedroom then, pulling on his Quidditch practise clothes while Hermione fed Jamie. "I'll see you at dinner?"
Hermione gave him a look. "Why did you shower before practice?"
Harry leaned onto the bed, careful not to jostle Jamie and kissed her quickly before he headed towards the door. "So we could have sex," he explained simply. Hermione rolled her eyes, but she was smiling.
"Have a good practice," she called after him before she turned her attention back to the baby at her breast.
Harry paused at the door and smiled at both of them. His family.
/\
Jamie squealed and waved his arms. Headmistress McGonagall smiled in delight as she rocked the baby. "He's gotten so big." She changed her hold and held him against her chest, her hand to his back as she smiled into the baby's eyes. "He's such an agreeable baby, like you were, Harry," she claimed.
"Really?" Harry asked from his position beside Hermione on the couch in the headmistress' office.
"You were the same. Oh," she sighed as she stared into Jamie's bright hazel eyes, "he's so beautiful." Her expression turned mischievous as her eyes slid towards Harry and Hermione. "When am I going to get proper babies from you both?"
Harry's eyes widened. Hermione tried to appear unaffected, but her face was bright red. She swallowed and said, "Not any time soon, as you well know." Hermione raised an eyebrow in a scolding manner she had learned from the witch it was levelled at.
Professor McGonagall sniffed and turned her attention back to Jamie. She smiled at the babe who smiled in return. "Well, I'll hold my breath."
Hermione rolled her eyes and Harry grinned at the headmistress. He put his arm along the back of the couch and around Hermione, completely content.
It was Good Friday and the headmistress had invited them over for tea before they went down to Hogsmeade for the day. She'd provided a wonderful spread of fruits and sandwiches. She knew Harry had Hermione on a pretty strict diet while she was breastfeeding - a fact she found infinitely amusing since James had done the same thing with Lily - and had adhered to the list of foods she normally ate. It was a calm, lovely spring morning and the professor was more than happy to have them with her.
"How have your applications gone?" she asked as she sat back down, Jamie in her lap. "For the muggle schools?"
Hermione's face lit up. "Wonderful! I already have several acceptance letters from reputable schools in the programs I've applied for. My parents have sent me several packages with information from each school. I'm still considering my options."
"Weren't you also looking into getting your magical mastery?"
"Ideally, yes. I don't want to just leave the magical world."
"It's not too much?" the older witch questioned.
Hermione's face became slightly pinched but she smiled through the stress. "I'll handle it. If I really want it, then I'll make it work."
Harry's brow furrowed. "But don't magical masteries need to be taken directly after school?" He looked to the headmistress who nodded. "Then shouldn't you do that first? Muggle schools can be applied to at any time."
Hermione's smile was wide and tense. "My parents and I discussed it and we agreed my muggle education can't be put on hold any longer. This way is the best option."
Harry exchanged a look with the headmistress. The old witch smiled politely. "That sounds lovely, dear." Hermione's smile eased into something a bit more gentle.
Jamie's arms jerked and he squealed again. Hermione smiled. "He's been doing that more and more often."
"It's good. It means he's developing properly. He'll start babbling in no time." She smiled at Harry. "You were a quiet one, drove Lily absolutely mad. She couldn't figure out why you wouldn't talk."
"Did she figure out why?" Harry asked, always eager for more information about his parents and his past.
Professor McGonagall's shoulders shook as she snickered. "Sirius had cast a silencio on you to get you to stop crying one night and…" She smirked. "Lily hexed him so hard he had to go to St. Mungos." They shared a loud laugh at that.
Jamie pouted and stuffed a fist in his mouth. Hermione caught the action instantly. "And that's my queue." She reached out and took him into her arms. Hermione pressed a kiss to his cheek before cradling him. She pulled aside the strap to her sundress and quickly got Jamie settled against her breast.
"Does he still feed often?"
Hermione nodded. "Yes, but not nearly as much as before. He eats more when he does, though. He doesn't wake up all that much at night anymore, which is wonderful."
"We're trying to keep him from napping too much," Harry put in. "The more he sleeps during the day, the less he does at night."
Hermione tenderly held Jamie's head with her free hand. "As much as this has made everything far more complicated, I'm going to miss this. I already miss how tiny he was."
Headmistress McGonagall smiled sadly. "Having a child is like that, I'm afraid. The moments disappear before you even realize how much you should have been paying attention." Harry looked down at Jamie, his heart sinking, as the baby fed. "It's one of the many reasons I was so furious about this class. It's not fair to give something so precious, only to snatch it away later."
Harry swallowed and blinked his eyes rapidly. "No… no it's not."
/\
"Just ignore them," Harry advised as he hiked Jamie up higher on his hip. The baby's head rested against Harry's shoulder.
Hermione sighed. She pursed her lips at the reporters down the street, snapping photos and scribbling away. She hoped they'd write a scathing report about the Family Planning class but doubted she'd ever get that lucky. The Prophet had written a number of articles about the Family Planning class, all with glowing recommendations. Hermione had gone into a full thirty-minute rant upon seeing it the first time.
"Hey," Harry caught her wrist and she turned to him, annoyed. "This is our first time out with the baby."
Hermione's shoulders sagged. "Right, yes, of course. I'm sorry." Her hand came up and she touched his cheek gently. "I don't care," she stated boldly, "I'm ignoring them. Today is about us." Harry smiled. Hermione turned her attention to the baby in his arms. "How about that walk now, hmm? We're going to show you the Shrieking Shack!" She kissed Jamie's cheek before taking Harry's hand. The small family slowly made their way towards the leaning, decrepit house by the forest.
"See there," Harry said, pointing to the house, "that's where Uncle Moony went every month. And Uncle Sirius, Uncle Peter, and Grandpa all went with him." He leaned his head close to the baby and whispered, "They weren't supposed to go with Uncle Moony, but those four never followed the rules. Neither does your dad."
"But you," Hermione interrupted, bending over so Jamie could see her as well, "you're a good boy who takes after mummy." Jamie's hand reached out to Hermione. She smiled and plucked him from Harry's arms. "That's my boy." She kissed his cheek and held him close. Harry came up behind her. He wrapped his arms loosely around her waist and pressed a kiss to her temple.
It was perfect.
Harry closed his eyes, wishing he could capture this moment forever. He nudged the side of Hermione's face. "Don't move."
"Where are you going?" she asked, but Harry was already off.
He raced down the hill, back to the shops that ran along the main street of Hogsmeade. Harry ducked into a shop and scanned the shelves. He found what he was looking for in a display case by the front teller. A camera. It was more modern looking than the ancient thing that Colin Creevy had always used.
"Is this magical?" he asked of the big, black camera.
"Nah, mate. 's muggle."
Harry frowned and shrugged. That would work as well. "I'll take it."
He grabbed some film as well and loaded the manual camera. He had no clue how to go about developing film but figured he'd deal with that problem when he got there.
When Harry got back to the Shrieking Shack, Hermione was standing by the fence. She had Jamie on her hip, her dress flaring beneath her spring jacket in the cool breeze. Harry raised the camera, turned the lens until it focused and clicked the button. Hermione turned at the sound of the camera. She smiled and he took another picture.
"You got a camera?" she called, using her free hand to push back her hair as the wind threw it into disarray.
"Yeah," he jogged up to her and the baby. "I mean, what McGonagall said made sense and I… I don't ever want to forget these moments with you."
"Okay, you're being absolutely adorable now."
He wiggled his eyebrows and leaned closer. "How adorable?"
She held him back with a hand to his chest. "We are not giving the Prophet the satisfaction."
"I thought we were ignoring them?"
"We are… let's go get lunch." She hugged Jamie close and moved her hand to his little beanie covered head. "I want to get Jamie out of the cold for a bit."
Harry nodded, deciding it wasn't worth the argument. It wasn't like he was exactly ecstatic over the idea of what ridiculous stories the Prophet would run if they caught evidence of Harry Potter kissing Hermione Granger. He was fairly certain a news article like that, with proper evidence, would break the Wizarding World. Harry guessed the world would never know about them, once the school year ended.
Harry glanced sidelong at Hermione as they headed towards the Three Broomsticks. He didn't want it - whatever was going on - to end. He wasn't sure if Hermione felt the same. It wasn't exactly something they'd discussed.
Hermione was going to go off to university somewhere Harry didn't even know. He doubted it was somewhere very far. He could always apparate or floo to her. It's not like Harry had much else he wanted to do after school ended. The only thing he was sure of for his life past graduation was that he wanted it to be with Hermione.
The door to the Three Broomsticks swung open and the two-headed inside with Jamie. The air was much warmer in the pub and both eagerly breathed in the wonderful scents wafting in from the kitchen. Harry waved to Madame Rosmerta before he and Hermione grabbed seats at the back. They pulled out the pram with its bassinet bed and enlarged it for Jamie. They clipped him in and set it at an angle like a highchair before perusing the menus.
Hermione pretended not to notice how Harry kept glancing up at her. Something was on his mind, she knew. He was rather obvious about it. She continued to ignore his awkward looks and uneasy shifting until after they ordered. Rosmerta brought water for Hermione and a butterbeer for Harry before disappearing back into the kitchen.
Hermione leaned forward on the old wood table, her chest resting on her neatly folded hands. She widened her eyes at Harry expectantly.
He gave her an uneasy look. "What?"
"You tell me."
His jaw clenched and his gaze shifted away.
Hermione stretched her arms across the table and grasped Harry's fingers. "Hey, whatever it is, you know you can talk to me." She smiled warmly and he couldn't help but return it.
"I love it when you do that."
"Do what?"
"Smile like that. It's one of my favourites."
Her smile turned into a smirk that Harry found extremely attractive. "One of your favourites?"
He grinned and nodded. "Yeah, I'll read you the list sometime."
"You'd better." She tugged his hands closer to the centre of the table. "Now tell me what you're thinking."
"I'm worried," he replied immediately.
"About the class ending?"
He shook his head. "About this ending." It took Hermione a second to realize he meant them. Her eyes widened. "I don't want it to and I don't know how to convince you it's a good idea to keep it going… properly."
Hermione swallowed. Her heart was racing in her chest. "Properly?"
Harry gave a small half-smile as he nodded. "Yeah, properly. A proper date. With candles and dinner and an awkward end of the night kiss. Then one night I'll keep you on the doorstep too long and your dad will catch us and strike the fear of God into me. He'll never like me but your mum will think I'm just the most handsome young man," Hermione snorted in dry amusement, "and then one day I'll take you to our restaurant - probably an Italian place because you love pasta - and I'll ask you to marry me."
Hermione gasped softly. "Harry…"
"And you'll do that. Exactly that. And then you'll nod and say yes and despite the fact, your father will never really like me he'll be happy because he'll know that there is no one in the world that will ever try and make you as happy as I always will."
"Harry!" She shook his hands and he finally trailed off. "Harry…" Her eyes were watering and she inwardly cursed her hormones. "Do you really want to marry me?"
Honestly, Harry hadn't really considered it too hard until the words were suddenly coming out of his mouth. "Eventually," he finally said. "One day. If you'll have me."
She smiled. "One day. A long way away."
"After years of school… for you."
Hermione rolled her eyes. She looked down at the table, the apples of her cheeks still flushed from his uncharacteristic speech. "It does feel a little like a dream right now, doesn't it?"
"Yeah… yeah, it does." Harry leaned closer, his green eyes twinkling. "I'll bet you a blowjob that reality is better."
Hermione burst into laughter.
/\
Jamie looked absolutely tiny in Hagrid's massive hands. Harry had to physically hold Hermione to stop her from taking Jamie away from the half-giant. The deep line between her brows and the tension in her body gave away her nervousness. Harry was decidedly less worried. He knew Hagrid could be just as gentle physically as he was at heart.
Hagrid swallowed down a choked sob. "He's so tiny, he is."
Harry smiled. "You'd be surprised. He's grown a lot."
Hagrid gave a watery laugh. "Can't hardly believe that. He's perfect." His eyes met Hermione's and he gestured for her to take the squabbling baby back. Hermione practically flew across Hagrid's hut and gently eased Jamie backed into her arms. She cooed at him and his noises instantly quieted.
Hagrid smiled and sat down at the table where the small family joined him. "You're a good mum, Hermione. But no surprise there, yeah?"
Hermione's cheeks warmed. "Thank you, Hagrid. That's very kind of you." Harry kissed her temple and she smiled at him.
"And can't say I'm not pleased about that." Hagrid gestured between the two of them. "Always liked the thought of you two, I did." Both teenagers blushed at that.
"Oh!" Harry exclaimed in sudden realization. He dug around in his rucksack. "I bought a camera," he informed his old friend, "and I'd love to get some photos of you and Jamie. What d'you think, Hagrid?"
The half-giant was speechless. "Me?"
Harry grinned. "Of course. I wouldn't have anyone else for the first photo shoot."
Hagrid's eyes widened and he looked to Hermione. The witch nodded. "He's done a few candid shots but he was rather adamant that the first real photoshoot be with you, and I couldn't agree more."
Hagrid gave a great sniffle as his eyes grew even more watery. "I don't know what to say."
"Don't say anything," Harry responded, "not unless you're accepting."
Hagrid nodded fiercely but couldn't speak, completely overcome with tears. Hermione pressed her face close to Jamie's head to hide her amused smile. She'd told Harry he would cry.
Harry tried not to look uncomfortable. "How about tea first?"
Hagrid nodded and began to bustle around the small hut. "'ve got scones," he grumbled around his tears.
"Thanks," they chimed but didn't move to take any. They'd learned their lesson years ago. Hermione bounced Jamie while Harry sipped his tea.
"Been enjoyin' your break, then?" Hagrid asked once he had settled down again and was no longer in threat of crying.
Harry smiled broadly. "Every second. It's been brilliant. Hermione's finished all her school stuff in record time," he winked at her. "We're enjoying the peace and quiet of Hogwarts while we still can."
"Aye, it's nice. But Hogwarts never really feels like home until it's filled with students."
Hermione nodded and smiled. "That's very true." She gave him a look. "Do you think you're ready for the photo now?"
Hagrid brushed the crumbs from his beard and nodded. He held his hands out and Hermione eased Jamie back into his massive hold so that he was sitting up in Hagrid's hands against his torso. Hermione sat back in her chair and smiled and waved at Jamie. The baby smiled in return. Harry's camera was a flurry of snaps in the background.
Harry knelt down and focused the camera. Hagrid was smiling down at Jamie who was looking around with wide hazel eyes. He took a picture. Perfect.