"My Neville would surely become a Auror . He has showcased a great courage at the time of Battle of Hogwarts. If there parents could see it , they would feel so proud on him" Mrs Longbottom speaks taking sip from her cup ,occasionally glancing at Neville.They have arrived for picnic along Weasleys ,Luna , Harry , and Hermione. It was small get together planned by Mrs Granger so that all children can chill before heading towards their respective life Journey .
At least , this is what Neville has thought until his grandmother decided to share his life ambition(that she has planned) with Mr.Weasley .
Like his other class fellow( except Hermione ) , Neville too has decided to discontinue his study however becoming an auror would be the last thing he would ever want .
Taking a deep breath , he stands up from his sit walking away from the buzz of this get together.He stands under a tree and looks up at at.
Trees .
That's what he love .He caresses his trunk with longing. He could no longer find solace in the wide variety of these fascinating creation of nature .
"This tree grew up so fast " Ginny's voice coming from behind breaks his trance. He turns his head to look at the red head .He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice her arrival.
"I have seen it few months before,it was like herbs "She speaks looking at the tree
"This is elephantine Gargantum" Neville said " This is known for his gigantic growth.It is not even half of its real size " He explains .
"Wow! I can't imagine,how long it can grow. " She speaks , looking at the tree in awe."You love trees . Don't you" She turns his head to look at him.
"Yes . They are my first love" Neville speaks with chuckle .
"Then who is second one" Ginny asked with playfulness in her voice. Neville looks away her face turning red .She laughs looking at his face matching the colour of her hair.
"By the way .How are you? " Neville speaks "with Harry and Hermione I mean."
"Perfectly Fine." Ginny replied with a smile on her face."Yes I was shocked when I heard about it but It was always mean to be " She replied with shrug. " In fact I am Happy that my friendship with Hermione is in way of mending. She was my best friend whom I lost due to my own stupidity"
"It was not stupidity Gin. It was normal Teenage side-effects " Neville said ."Did I ever tell you that I had crush on Hermione"
"You had?" Ginny said with surprise looking at him.
"Yeah .The same reason due to which you have crush on Harry. For me she was Knight in the armour" Neville said with chuckle.
" She was only one who talks with me when I first time boarded the train. She also helped to find my toad .She is confident and headstrong girl .So ..." He shrugged with laughter.
"So when did it ended" Ginny asked greatly interested in this new information.
"I don't know .More I spent time with her ,the awe with her personality started vanishing and she becomes more approachable. Not some fascinating knight in a armour but a normal human. So it automatically ended" He said with smile
"Normal teenage side-effects " Ginny speak with smile and turns to look at her friends.They remain in silence for sometime.
"You should tell your Grandmother that you don't want to be an Auror" She speaks sincerely.
"I can't " He replied looking down at his shoes." It is first time that Granny is taking so much proud on me .I can't tell her .I can't let her down by telling her that everytime I can't gather courage to pick up a sword and pierce someone or point my wand at someone, yelling some curse .I can't gather courage to be an auror.Yes, I have beheaded Bellatrix and Naagini but that was demand of the moment. I can't witness bloodshed, every single day of my life .I have seen enough. " His voice was trembling as he speaks."It was called of moment that portray me as a brave man but I am not .
"Yes , You are" Ginny speaks in such a confident tone that it made him stops abruptly.
"I have seen what you have to go through in Hogwarts" She said looking in his eyes." I have seen you being hexed from Curious ,I have seen you standing against carrows .Oh! I have seen you going through hell and smiling as if it doesn't matter."
"You can't tell me that You don't have any courage. " Ginny said." I was there with you , remember? " She asked with slight humour in her voice which make him smile.
"You always have that courage inside you. You have gone through so much in your life. So It's okay if you lack confidence . It doesn't make you less Gryffindor . You have fought not only from death Eaters but also from your own insecurity. You are really a brave man , Nevil " She said with smile.
"But what make you different is your soft heart. " She speaks looking in his eyes." Your've sympathy for everyone , even for these trees ." She speaks looking up at the tree with smile .
"Being a auror would destroy your soft heart". She said looking back at him."And I can't handle it. It is too precious for me". She speaks fully turning towards him, looking into his eyes with different kind of emotion.
"So if you tell your grandmother that you would not become a auror than I will ask you out" She speaks .
"Wha....What!!!" Neville speaks taken aback but before he can react further her lips meet with his . His eyes widen at sudden contact . Before he can properly comprehend anything , he is experiencing best feeloling of his life.
Ginny looks at him breaking the contact with twinkle in her eyes.
"Your telling for your grandmother would be yes for me"She speaks, winking at him before walking away , leaving a dazed Neville behind.
*****************************************
"Have you seen it" Ron exclaimed looking at some distance where Neville and Ginny are standing " That bloody moron has audacity to lay hand on my sister " He speaks looking at Harry and Hermione with wide eyes .
Harry and Hermione looks at outraged face and then at each other with calm expression.
"From where I can see it is your sister who 'lay hand on' our poor Neville"Hermione speaks calmly while ruffling Teddy's hair .
"Oh!! You two...just ...just can't take it ...as ...as " Ron look around as if looking for some words to jump into his mouth.
"Casual" Harry helped his friend
"Yeah! Casual " Ron speaks , looking at Harry.
"Grow up Ron . Ginny is mature enough to take her decision " Hermione speaks.
"Ignore him, Hermione " Ginny speaks walking towards them with wide smile on her face. "Just because he can't gather courage ,he thinks everyone is coward like him ."
"what do you mean?" ask Ron looking in her eyes.
"Excatly what you understood" Ginny replied. "You are coward Ronnikens "
"Don't call me that "
" I will .What would you do? "Ginny said .Ron looks at her furiously.
"At least I would not roam around your friends and....."
"Ron!!" Harry and Hermione shouted together , understanding that again their red head friends forgot that how words can hurt.
"And what complete it....."Ginny snapped "At least I have guts to accept my feelings unlike you"
"What do you mean?" Ron snarled , gaining attention of their friends who were chatting nearby.
"What I mean is what I feel for any guy, even if it is mere infatuation, it is real unlike you who dated some girl only because you can't get anyone else " Ginny speaks . Harry shifted at his place awkwardly ,not understanding that why the fight between the siblings ,is becoming embarassing for him. He glanced at Hermione and found her looking at him with sympathy.
"Also I has the courage to confront the person and tell him that I ,no longer feel for him, unlike you who hide from your supposed girlfriend " Ginny doesn't stop.
"You don't have to bring my and Lav relationship in this , Ginny " Ron speaks in rage.
"What about now Ron . Why don't you let anyone know about you and Luna ?"Ginny said looking at him and then at Luna
"There is nothi...".Ron starts in the rage but stops when his eyes fall on Luna . Something in her eyes stops him to speak that there is nothing between them.
"I would let them know if you would let me ask her first" He speaks in same fury . But tension ,that was till now suspended in the environment, just evaporated.
Everyone gap at Ron for sometime before loud cheer erupts from the gryffindors .
"Wait a minute" Hermione has to raise her voice to make them hear it ." Ron hasn't asked her yet. Save cheers for Luna agreement.
"So Luna tell me do you go out with our little Ronniken " Said Fred , putting his hand around Ron's shoulder and pulling it towards him ,while his eyes are looking at Luna.
"It was I who is supposed to ask" Ron said grumpily and as usual twins ignored him
"If I refuse wrackspurt will invade my mind " Luna speaks looking down .Ron can see red hue spreading over her milky white skin .He smiles looking at her and turns to looks at his fellow mate due to their calmness and found them looking at each other with confused eyes.
"She said yes" Ron clears the confusion and again the loud cheer erupted. This time louder than before ,as all of them surrounded Ron and Luna.
*****************************************
Since morning Harry is sensing Hermione's quandary not only from her feelings from her actions too.He has the feeling that she keeps looking at him all the time but whenever he turns to look at her ,she looks away. However Harry has caught her many a times .He has the feeling like she wants to say something to him and takes eternity to gather her courage but before she can act ,she loses it .In same way whole day has ended .
"Going to your house or Grindiwald's palace" Harry asked to Hermione after they bid good bye to over enthusiastic Mrs.Weasley .
"You would not mind if I drop in your house for a while " Hermione asked " Actually I was hoping to spend some time with Teddy.".She clarified immediately.
Harry looks at the Teddy who is sleeping on his shoulder. He knows that he is not going to wake up before morning and she knows it too.
"Obviously not" Harry speaks , clearly not understanding that why Hermione is making excuses to come in his house. He would not mind if she would walk in, at the odd hour of midnight, without any proper reason. He would not even ask.
In a while two of them are in Harry's house. Harry made Teddy sleep in his room before joining Hermione with two cups of tea .He forwarded the cup towards her which she takes with a smile.
"Today's day was quite happening".Harry speaks looking at Hermione as she cupped the cup from her hand. "Ron and Luna, Ginny and Neville. It was all of sudden."
"Yeah! Afterall a long separation is going to come for them. They might be thinking to not take risk ." Hermione speaks absentmindedly, making irregular pattern on cup from her hand.
"Yeah!".Harry speaks looking down at his own cup.In some days his and Hermione path is also going to diverge.
"How is your ....err... research going?" Harry asked without looking up at her . Hermione looks up at him at the mention of the research.
"Actually I want to talk about it" Hermione said sitting up straight .He looks up at her ." Actually I want to ask you something" She said and paused for a while.
"Are you...you okay with annulment?" She asked with hesitation." It's not like you shouldn't be.You should be.I mean I don't mind if you are .In fact I know you are.But Ron was adamant that you are sad because of the annulment and not because of the marriage. So if you tell him the fact from your mouth . He would know that I am right " Hermione blabbers in her usual 'know it all tone ' . She stops and looks at him for response.
He doesn't reply anything instead he looks down at his shoes till then Hermione's own emotions settles down a bit, she can sense his emotions in her.
"I am not much aware about marriage ,Mione but I think it requires consent of two for marriage. You are already working so hard for annulment " Harry speaks without looking up at her and the sorrow that she sense is so painful as if it he is hurting physically.
"I am talking about you , Harry" Hermione said curtly looking at him, her eyes readings his face .
"Common Hermione . You've already done so much for me . Even you stuck in this marriage mess because you tried to help me to be alive. " Harry speaks standing up , feeling suffocated with uneasy heaviness in his heart .
"I am... talking about you. Harry" Hermione speaks sternly ." You can't hide any of your emotions, Harry. It's High time .You should understand that ."
Harry looks down at her with defeated sigh and sits beside her . Obviously It would be foolishness to hide his feelings from her . But What would he tell when he doesn't know what he felt.
"I really don't know what I want Hermione".Harry stated the fact .He was so poor in acknowledging his own wishes. Always it is Hermione who knows what he actually want even if he acts opposite to his own wishes.
"Marriage is such a big thing and even after dating for years people can't decide whether they are ready for marriage or not .And it is not something that I have thought of" Harry said without looking up at her ."It is unnerving to think that we are married. and then there is our friendship. It is too precious for me too be ruined."
"My relationships were too disastrous. Cho was nothing for me but Ginny is Ron's sister and one of the person about whom I care .I was on the verge of destroying that thing. "
"I can't.... can't survive if anything like that happens to you " He said turning to look at her ."..to us....I can't loose you. I can't loose your friendship. The thought itself is scary , scarier than facing voldemort. But..." He halted and Hermione can sense his hesitation.
"But?" Hermione asked.
"I don't know , you are so desperate for divorce and it's just ...." He speaks in low voice " and ofcourse I can't ask you to bear me for your whole life . You have already done so many things for me .You deserve a good life partner not a horrible partner like me." He starts blabbering without stopping.
"Harry " Hermione speaks
"You've already past seven years worrying about me and struggling to keep me alive when I , myself, was being completely idiot ."
"Harry "
"I can't even remember last time when you were not worrying about me and I didn't even respect it .I didn't even value you as you deserve"
"Harry "
"I am sorry for that .I can't be so selfish to ask you to be with me and there is so much to loss....."
"Harry " This time she speaks sternly in her Hermione-ish voice.
"Why can't we give us a try, Hermione " He speaks abruptly in one breath . His eyes widen as he realised what he speaks.
"No. I mean ...sorry.It 's just...I'm sorry .I don't mean it .I mean I meant it but ...." Harry speaks .
"Harry " Hermione chided sternly making him silent .She takes a deep breath and turns her face away from her .Her brows
furrowed in a pensive expression.
Harry could have sensed her emotions only if he was not scared like hell and was not so focused on his erratic heartbeat and strange sensation of his stomach. That's why He was sure that he has messed everything and now he is going to loose the best relation of his life.
"You would not mind if I will shift in your house after returning from Beuxbaton." Hermione speaks .
"No I would....." Harry speaks ,ready to agree to whatever she would say " Wait ..what!!!" He exclaimed standing up in shock, looking at Hermione with wide eyes.
"You want to continue our marriage. So isn't it obvious that I have to shift in your house " Hermione speaks crossing her hand and looking at him like he is not understanding a simple spell .
"Yeah....but...I thought.... you were looking for annulment.. Oh! You are doing it because of me .Look Hermione I am fine and I don't want you to sacrifice anything for me . You are free to ..." He continues to speak.
" Don't you think you are slight self-obsessed?" Hermione speaks looking at him calmly. "Do you really think that I care so much about you that I would agree to everything that you want even if I don't want it" She speaks with sigh standing up .
"What a stupid!" She murmurs to herself before rolling her eyes."Good night, Harry" She speaks and disappeared from there with popping sound .
Harry who was gaping at the Hermione come out of his trance because if the sound of her departure.
"She doesn't care about me?" Harry speaks to himself.
"What a stupid" Sirius suddenly come out from the sofa,his transparent face looking at Harry with hopeless expression.
"Sirius " Harry exclaimed in shock
"Sorry Champ . I can't hold my curiosity for long time" He speaks floating in the air.
"From How long you were hidden under the sofa" Harry asked, trying hard to look at the ghost who keep disappearing from the sight.
"From the time Brightest witch of the age came" Sirius said , hanging from the terrace .
"You need to learn ethics" Harry speaks .
"If I have learnt ethics your Dad would not be married with your Mom and you would not be standing there" Sirius said, floating down. "James was as hopeless in relationship as you are..
"What do you mean" Harry asked.
"She told you that she would not do everything that you would want but she agreed to continue this marriage" Sirius speaks and Harry looks at him cluelessly .
"That means She wants to continue this marriage" Sirius said looking at him with disappointment.