Second Chances

Mrs Weasley began pouring the tea as she spoke, making Hermione jump out of her thoughts, “We haven’t seen you here for a while, love. Been busy have you?”

“Just a little,” Hermione replied, looking out of the window into the Burrows garden. “I’ve been working on a little project for a couple weeks.”

“Really?” Molly asked, handing her a mug and picking up her own, “What kind of project?”

“Just a little something, someone came to me with a problem and I agreed to help them shed some light on it.” Hermione caught the look of interest on Molly’s face and turned away, taking a seat at the kitchen table, “How has the wedding planning being going?”

“As everything always does with Ginny,” Molly replied with chuckle, “A lot of hard work to ensure perfection when no one else can see the problem in the first place. She’s fallen in love with a dress in Diagon Alley, not to mention the design she’s picked for your dress. And I just can’t imagine when she’s going to pick the flowers, she can’t seem to make up her mind about any of it. Whether she’s just trying to make the planning last longer or if she actually can’t decide is another-”

Hermione looked up as Molly halted and saw Harry coming down the garden path, a large bag in his hands. Molly stood, going to the door and letting him in. “Harry, love, Ginny’s not here. She’s with Luna shopping.”

“I thought I felt my pockets getting lighter,” Harry replied, stepping in and placing the bag down on the table and flashing a smile at Hermione. “I just came to bring you something I found at the Manor. They were hidden away in a cupboard. I was wondering if…” He pulled a shiny material from the bag shaking it out til it reached from his head to the floor, “You could mend them? Maybe make them look like new?”

Molly gasped, reaching out and touching the material. It was a soft fabric that appeared to shimmer and almost glow in the light, there were marks upon it and a few tears but all were fixable, “Where’s it from?”

“It’s the material for the curtains on the four-poster in the main bedroom. What do you think? Can you fix them? I was hoping to have them hanging for the wedding night.” Harry said, laying it in Molly’s arms and stepping away.

“I think I can,” Molly said, looking down at the material, “I’m going to check the book I have upstairs. Don’t go anywhere.”

She turned and left the kitchen leaving Hermione staring at Harry. Harry turned and saw her expression, “What’s up ‘Mione?”

“Nothing,” She said, immediately averting her eyes and staring into her tea.

“I don’t think it’s nothing,” He said, his voice taking on a silky edge as he moved around the table. She watched him from the corner of her eye, his movements fluid and predatory. His hands touched her shoulders and she tensed, “Jumpy? Don’t tell me your platonic friend has been keeping you up all night.”

“Nothing like that Harry,” She shook his hands off and stood walking to the window and out of his reach, “What are you doing? My office is one thing but here? In her house?”

“Don’t you think it adds to the… experience?” He asked, she felt his body press up against her back and she closed her eyes, feeling the hard planes of his physique pressing her against the counter.

“Harry, don’t…” She managed as his hand slowly swept aside her hair and his breath ghosted over the tender flesh of her neck.

“Tell me to stop. You only have to say it once and I’ll stop,” His lips touched on her neck and she had to force back a groan. He tilted her head gently, pushed the material of her shirt further down and kissing her exposed shoulder. “Why not accept it? You and I fit together on a primal level,” He pulled her leg to the side and his hand moved over her thigh pulling her skirt up with it. “Don’t you feel that ache inside? Deep down?” His hand pressed against her underwear drawing a moan from her which she quickly quieted.

Harry groaned, “The sounds you make,” He pulled her back hard against him, lowering his head to her shoulder he bit down on the flesh making her cry out. He turned her and lifted her onto the side, grabbing her hands he held them behind her and pressed his lips to hers. She made sounds of protest, wriggling against him and he tried to hold her.

The sounds of someone coming down the stairs made him step away quickly and allow her to climb down. She looked at him, his pupils dilated and his hair even more of a mess and felt tears stinging her eyes. How had she become that woman? How had he changed so much that he could take her like that? Almost against her will? She ran for the door grabbing her bag on the way past.

Molly appeared in the kitchen once more holding a tattered book whose cover was now unreadable. “Where’s Hermione going? She only just arrived.”

“She said something about forgetting a meeting she had,” His eyes followed Hermione’s back as she marched down the path until he could no longer see her, “I’ll check on her tomorrow, the stores closed she’ll be at home.”

“There’s someone in that girls life right now, I can feel it.” Molly said, sitting back down at the table and picking up Hermione’s almost empty cup. “It couldn’t hurt…” She said quietly under her breath.

“What?” Harry asked, looking in time to see Molly tip the contents of Hermione’s cup into the saucer.

“Sometimes, Harry, you just have to get a little nosy about things. The only way you find out anything.” She held the saucer at different angles, looking at the leaves carefully. After a few moments of silence she finally made a sound of understanding.

“What do you see?” Harry asked, hiding the true extent of his curiosity.

“Hermione has love on the horizon, but she doesn’t want to believe it. Something about the man is wrong. They don’t think they’d be accepted by the people around them for some reason.” Molly paused and looked up at Harry, “Know anyone who fits that description?”

“Not really,” Harry said, standing and folding the long curtain back into the bag, avoiding Molly’s gaze. “Can you ask Ginny to send me an owl when she’s back?”

“Course I will, dear,” Molly said, still watching Harry carefully.

“Thanks, ‘bye Molly.” He said, opening the kitchen door and making his exist swiftly down the garden path.