Another drabble for the 4K House Challenge on the Harmony Discord. Prompt: Number 4 Privet Drive.
One of those stupid glass animals his aunt used to collect had fallen off the table onto the carpet. Harry held his foot over the small rabbit, then pressed it down, relishing the feel of the crunching glass under his shoe. He looked up and saw Hermione watching him.
“I always hated these,” he explained. “I cut my hand on a glass cat when I was three. I wasn’t supposed to be play with it but I – I was young.”
He nodded. “Anyway, my aunt was livid. She didn’t even care about my hand. She was just mad about the cat. I remember bleeding all day and eventually, she did wrap it up, but only because it was creating a mess.”
Hermione placed a hand on his arm. She didn’t say anything. What was there to say to that?
“Thank you for coming,” he whispered. He didn’t know why he’d felt like coming back here. He knew it would be empty, since the Dursleys were still in a safe house until they rounded up the remaining Death Eaters. Harry felt like there was some unfinished business for him here, but it was just filled with bad memories. It had been a mistake to come back.
Hermione squeezed him arm. “Of course I came. But, if you don’t mind me asking, why are we here?”
“I was wondering the same thing myself. I don’t know.”
He shook his head and looked back at her. Her brown eyes were warm and stung with tears. She stepped closer to him and placed a hand on his chest, just over his heart.
“We’re all just a compilation of our past. All those moments, good and bad, weaving together to make us who we are. This place, those bad memories, they’re a part of you, Harry, but they don’t define you. I know you feel them pulling on you, right here,” she looked down at her hand, “but you’re so much more than all that. Believe me.”
Harry felt a tear run down his cheek. He exhaled and rested his forehead against hers. He’d been considering bringing Ron, at first, and even thought of inviting Ginny, but ultimately, had settled on Hermione. She was the right choice; he knew that now. She was always the right choice. And maybe that had been the point of this trip. To give him that reminder that it was Hermione who understood, who always knew what he needed, who was always there, without fail, to help him.
He opened his eyes and saw her eyes, just inches away from his, looking concerned. Did she feel the gravity of what he’d just figured out? Probably. She knew his own mind better than he did. “I-” he began, but stopped. He was going to say, “I love you,” but they’d said that to each other countless times in the past few months and right now, it didn’t seem like enough. So instead, he turned his head and pressed his lips against hers.
She stiffened, just for a second, then threw arms around his neck and melted into him, moving her lips in perfect time with his. His heart was pounding in his chest as warmth spread through him. When he pulled away for air he smiled at Hermione, at a loss for anything to say.
“I’ve been waiting for you to do that for a long time.”
All he could think to do was smile. He’d apologize for being an idiot later. She smiled back. Then, she did something very odd and unexpected. She stepped back and created a ball of flame in her hand with her wand. She cocked an eyebrow at him and gave him a wicked smile, which made his stomach flip.
“Let’s burn the house,” she whispered, holding the fire up. He watched the flames dance in her eyes, as his jaw slowly dropped open. That was exactly what he wanted to do. He’d been feeling it, in his heart, but had been too hesitant to put words to the action he’d been longing for. She’d figured it out. Of course, she had. But it was too much, wasn’t it? What if someone was hurt?
“We’ll contain it, magically,” she said, sensing his hesitation, “so it won’t spread past this property. What do you say?”
He took her hand, the one that wasn’t holding a burning flame, and kissed it. “Let’s do it.”
As soon as she asked, he knew he would say yes, even if it hadn’t been something he’d been yearning for. She’d followed him to the ends of earth and now it was his turn to follow her. Harry grabbed his wand and created his own ball of fire, then gave Hermione a quick kiss before throwing it at the curtains across the room.
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