Eighth [Harmione]

10. Holiday Revelations

  PART II: The Interim  

When the sunlight finally began to stream through the window, splashing across Hermione's face, she stirred and awakened, squinting into the light. She scrunched down under the covers, as she stretched; the heating charms kept the rooms at a comfortable temperature, but the air always seemed chilly to her first thing in the morning.

Her squirming disturbed Harry, who blinked his green eyes sleepily at her. "Good morning," he said in a thick voice. She smiled at him, and kissed him chastely on the mouth, before sliding out of bed, shrieking a little when her bare feet touched the stone floor.

"Is that all I get?" he mumbled in protest, smothering a smile into his pillow, waiting for the refrain that had grown very familiar in the last couple of months. Hermione had spent very few nights in her own bed since that first night, and - even though that's not what they did all the time - Harry had gotten more adept at the contraceptive charm than he ever thought he would be.

"Harry, you really don't want me to kiss you until I've brushed my teeth, trust me," Hermione said authoritatively. Harry muttered something unintelligible that ended in "blasted daughter of dentists". Hermione swatted him. "Besides," she continued. "I need to start packing, if we're leaving today. I bet you haven't started packing."

Harry waved his arm around the room in a wide gesture, as if to say "do you see any evidence of packing in here?"

"You're going to the Burrow," Hermione said. Harry nodded, even though she hadn't really phrased it as a question. "Do you think that'll be awkward?"

"You mean, because of us?" Harry shrugged. "I don't think so. I mean, I'm sure the Weasleys know we're dating by now...and Ron and Ginny are - seem okay. Dean's coming by over the holidays too." He said, referring to Ginny and Dean's rekindled relationship. "Luna and her father will be there as well. And after Ron saw you..." he trailed off, with a smirk, and Hermione blushed.

"I got careless. He's never up that early; it didn't even enter my head that he would see me leaving your room. I had your shirt on too, and I think that made it worse!" Harry rolled over in the bed and laughed. He had been awakened that morning to hear Ron calling loudly in the hallway, "You're not really there. I don't see you at all!" before fleeing into his room. Hermione had said later that he had his fingers in both ears and his eyes closed. It had taken him three days to be able to meet their gazes again.

"Remus and Tonks are going to be there too," Harry said. "I got an owl from him yesterday."

"I imagine they have news to report," Hermione said in a bland tone, and she and Harry exchanged secretive glances. "It'll be a full house at the Burrow."

"Only right at Christmas. I wish you were going to be there the whole time," Harry said after a pause.

"I'll be there Christmas Eve night," she promised. "But I do need to spend some time with my parents too."

"I know," Harry replied, not wanting to make her feel guilty for leaving him, when she was already so much a part of his world, rather than her parents' world. He shifted around, swinging his legs carefully over the edge of the bed. "What have you told your parents? About me..us?"

"That I'm in love with a wonderful person who loves me as much as I love him," Hermione answered with a tender smile, gazing at him limpidly. "As for the other...well, I am eighteen. I think my parents have a strict 'don't ask, don't tell' policy."

"Are they coming to the Burrow?" Harry asked casually, looking over his shoulder at her.

"They're coming for dinner on Christmas Eve."