FicWad

Chapter 7- Three Witches and a Wizard
. . .

"No," Harry calmly answered for the third time in a row.

"But, Harry," Daphne whined rather attractively as she attempted to get her way with the wizard who was being all too stubborn as far as she was concerned. The young witch was dressed in a nice light blue muggle dress that Harry had bought her last time they had gone shopping together. Granted she picked it out, not him, though he did pay for it. The neckline of the dress was rather daring in that it dipped fairly low, far lower than Daphne was used to wearing. She had thought, when looking at herself in the mirror before leaving her room, that the soft swell of her breasts that barely showed was rather an enticing view that no normal man would be able to resist. Perhaps I was wrong?

"Absolutely not!" Harry declared adamantly. Focus, he told himself, though it was hard to do with those…things...peeking out right in front of him as they were. How was he supposed to fight that?Granted, it wasn't a fair fight but then again women have always had the upper hand in such situations. They were equipped with far too many weapons in their arsenals after all, every single one designed to distract and beguile the weaker gender, men.

Daphne, not one to give up easily, soldiered on, determined to get her way. "But what if I can't-"

"I'm certain you'll manage just fine," Harry cut the pouting witch off before she could further try to convince him. It wasn't very easy to say no to Daphne, especially when she used that look and her bottom lip stuck out so irresistibly like it was doing right at that moment. It was only with a Herculean effort that he had managed to keep his eyes on her face at all. Harry had forgotten momentarily, as he had forced his eyes up and off of what was peeking out the top of her dress, about her full pouting lips and her watery blue eyes, weapons the both of them for certain.

"But I may need help deciding," Daphne offered meekly as she leaned forward a bit further so that she could look him in the face. She wasn't happy that he had cut her off but decided to let that slide for now. She had a different goal in mind and sacrifices must be made to reach one's objectives she reasoned. A bit more of a lean to entice the reluctant wizard she thought. Like most women, she knew the way to get a wizard to do what she wanted.

Harry crossed his arms over his chest defensively and used every ounce of nerve and self-control he possessed to look anywhere but at the beautiful witch leaning forward before him. "I'm certain Andi or Davis can offer their opinions," he assured her. "They're woman after all," he added as if it made all the difference in the world. Which is did, at least to his way of thinking.

Daphne went back to pouting outrageously once again as she stood erect once more as that ploy wasn't working, as unbelievable as that was. "But what if I want a man's opinion, Harry. Surely you wouldn't want me asking some other man, a complete stranger, which undergarments he thinks I would look best in?" Daphne asked in an innocent tone of voice.

The blonde witch's questions had two rather distinct effects on the young man. First, being male, his imagination was very helpful in providing him with images of said witch in the mentioned unmentionables. Again, like all males, Harry really had no control over his blood flow and hence shouldn't be blamed for its sudden southerly detour. Harry was already uncomfortable enough due to the topic of discussion without this added distraction cropping up as it were.

The other thing that happened was that the mental images awoke the primal male inside of Harry which made itself known. Woman! Mine!/ /it declared at the thought of some other bloke being asked their opinion concerning Daphne and her undergarments. The latter Mine! sounded surprisingly like his godson Teddy when he claimed something as his, Harry thought. Abet in a much deeper and more manly tone of voice, Harry assured himself. "N…no," Harry stammered, his voice cracking slightly. Yup, that sounded oh so manly! he silently cringed.

The besieged wizard turned towards Andi in a last ditch effort to escape his pending doom. The older witch was dressed in a dark skirt with a white blouse that gave the impression of being rather reserved but still managed to pass as muggle clothing in a pinch. "I think she's got you on this one, Harry," Andi told him before Harry could say anything. The older witch just chuckled at the look of betrayal that crossed Harry's face at her words.

Beside her, Tracey fought a losing battle to keep a scowl on her face. The corners of her mouth seemed to have a mind of their own and kept curving upwards, especially at the mortified look on Harry's face as Daphne started to drag him towards the lingerie store. The young woman was finding that she rather enjoyed the jeans and shirt she had borrowed from Daphne so that she would fit in with the muggles, though the blouse was a bit tight across the chest she thought.

Daphne had her arm wrapped securely around Harry's, just in case he tried to bolt."I don't understand what the issue is, Harry," she stated innocently as they walked toward the glass doors to the store. "It's not as if I'm going to model each item for you and ask your opinion." Beside her Harry stumbled and nearly went down as he suddenly felt lightheaded. Daphne only just managed to keep the triumphant gleam from her eyes as her smile widened ever so slightly.

Once inside the store Harry kept his eyes on his shoes, thankful that they weren't the kind that were polished enough to reflect everything like a mirror. The witch on his arm led him about for a bit before pointing out a chair. "Oh look, a chair, Harry. Why don't you have a seat while we go off and find a few things to try on?"

"Thanks," Harry managed to mumble, still feeling a bit lightheaded. How did I get talked into this, he bemoaned silently as the three women vanished into the depths of the store in search of items that he felt rather uncomfortable thinking about. She's just trying to embarrass me, he reasoned, meaning Daphne. The young man decided that he would just have to put up with it and not let it get to him. If I can face down Voldemort I can certainly handle women's underwear! he declared, gathering his lost courage and hardening his resolve to not allow Daphne to win this one.

To Harry it felt like a life time passed before the three witches finally returned. The somewhat frazzled young man, showing his Gryffindor bravery, had managed to look about once or twice while they were gone. What he had seen had just confused him even more. Wow that one looked big enough for Hagrid to wear! Thankfully images of a cross-dressing half giant didn't manifest in his mind. Noticing that the others were finally returning, Harry hastily dropped his eyes to his hands in his lap and took a sudden interest in the cleanliness of his nails.

"Alright there, Harry?" Daphne asked, pausing at the young man's side and resting a hand upon his shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze in the process. She thought it was rather cute how just being around women undergarments had the man all flustered. I'm certain he'd faint dead away if he ever saw me in some of the items I have, she thought, recalling telling Tracey just that the other day.

Harry swallowed heavily, doing his best to ignore the items hung over her other forearms. Is that silk? "Sure," he managed to get out while still looking at his nails. "It's not so bad I guess," he told her boldly, daring to look up at her with a forced smile plastered on his pale face.

"Good. I'm glad you feel that way." Daphne replied with a knowing smile of her own, having noticed the cold sweat Harry had broken out in. "We shan't be long," she told him as she led the others through the curtained doorway that was right next to the chair Harry was seated in. "You use one of these small rooms for trying on the clothes," Harry heard Daphne tell the others to his immense surprise.

"Daph, you come with me as I'll need your help," Tracey said. Even Harry could hear the woman's uncertainty in her voice. Tracey had never been out into Muggle London before and had no real interaction with muggles at all. The Davis' were Half-bloods who desired greatly to be accepted by the Pure-bloods of their world. Due to that they followed almost all of the customs of the Pure-bloods, including not associating with muggles. The war had opened Tracey's eyes though and she had come to realize that there was a whole wide world out there that she knew next to nothing about.

"Alright," was the quick reply from the blonde witch, followed shortly by the sound of two curtains being opened and then slid closed. There were a few moments of silence before Harry heard Daphne tell Tracey what she needed to do. "It will be easier if you just strip, Trace."

"What?" Tracey exclaimed in surprise, her voice several octaves higher than usual.

"Oh come on! I've seen you starkers plenty of times!" Daphne scoffed playfully. "Afraid you've gained weight, are you?" she teased.

"Potter's right out there!" Tracey snapped back, clearly refusing to do as told. It was one thing to be unclothed in the privacy of your own room but to get naked in a public place with a man you once fancied not more than five feet away, well it was a bit more than Tracey was apparently ready for judging by the nervous tremor in her voice.

Harry silently had to agree with her way of thinking, he was sitting right there after all. If it was embarrassing for him, he could only imagine what it must be like for her. Why is there just a curtain to cover the door? Why not a thick wooden door, or perhaps one made of steel, as well as a few silencing spells for good measure? A portal to another building wouldn't be unreasonable, would it?

"Yes, and I'm sure that he was ever so glad to hear you announce that," Daphne agreed with her friend a bit sarcastically. A few more moments passed in silence. "Honestly Tracey! It's not as if he's going to sneak in here to take a peek at you!" Daphne finally said in a slightly exasperated tone.

"For his own sake he'd better not!" Tracey exclaimed. "I'll hex his bits off if he does!" Harry was fairly certain that the fact that the last part was said in a much louder tone than anything previously was purely for his benefit.

"Red's really not a good color on you is it?" Daphne asked thoughtfully.

Tracey's voice, a bit puzzled, reached Harry. "Red? These are white."

"Not the panties you picked out, silly," Daphne clarified. "I meant your face. I didn't know you could blush that shade," she chuckled.

"Shush you!" Tracey growled back, turning a shade darker.

After a few more moments of near silence, an occasional rustling of clothes could be heard now and then, at which point Harry tried to ignore the fact that there was every likelihood that a naked witch was just a few feet away, Daphne spoke up once again. "No, you're putting it on wrong, the clasp goes in the back and your arms going through those."

"No laces to tie like on a corset?" Tracey asked while making the adjustments as Daphne had instructed.

"You'll actually be able to breathe without straining for a change," Daphne assured Tracey. Women's undergarments in the Wizarding world were still stuck on what had been in use a hundred and fifty years previously in the muggle world. The more modern brassieres hadn't become common till the early 1900's. Apparently the Wizarding world had as yet to catch up. "If you think it feels good now, wait till you've eaten. Those corsets, always forcing you to suck in your tummy, no wonder I was always full after only a few bites. There was no room for any more food," she giggled.

"It's still uncomfortable," Tracey offered after a moment and a bit more rustling behind the curtain.

"That's because you need to adjust them so they're in there correctly," Daphne offered helpfully. "Here, lean forward so they dangle more freely. That's it. Then reach in and situate them to where they're comfortable."

"Like this?" Tracey asked a bit doubtfully.

"No. Not like that. Hang on let me show you," Daphne's voice said from behind the curtain. "Let me get my dress off first, Trace," she offered innocently enough, followed by more sounds of fabric being removed.

"Morgana!Have you gotten bigger?" Tracey asked, rather surprised by the fact,"and they're heavier too," Tracey judged for herself with one hand.

"I have and they are!" Daphne preened proudly as she was fondled.

"I'm still bigger," Tracey quipped back playfully.

"Only because you're older," Daphne told her. "Here, now watch. See, like this and then this. Then you stand up and lift up a bit and they should be good." Harry clearly heard Daphne's exasperated sigh a moment later."You're still doing it wrong. Turn around," the younger girl directed, "let me do it for you."

Tracey shrieked rather loudly. "Bloody hell your hands are cold, Daph! Warm them first next time!"

"Language, Davis! Sorry," Daphne apologized after chastising Tracey first for swearing. "Besides, they'll be plenty warm shortly where they are right now," she added with a mischievous snicker as Tracey blushed yet again, certain that the wizard just outside the dressing rooms had heard that last comment as well.

Harry sat petrified in place by the entire exchange taking place no more than a few feet from where he was located. There was no southerly flow of blood this time though as apparently all the blood in his entire body, in defiance of all the laws of gravity, had rushed to his head, particularly in the area of his face. Thoughts of showing Daphne that he could handle a bit of embarrassment had completely flown his mind. A tiny voice in Harry's head was yelling that he should run for his life but his body wouldn't respond. The final pièce de résistance, sadly for the young wizard, was not far off.

"Daphne," Andi called from the next changing booth over. "I know you have your hands full with Tracey at the moment, but when you have a tic I could use a hand over here, dear," she stated. "Maybe both hands actually. Are these things supposed to be this small?" Andi asked in mild disbelief at how it was fitting her, or not fitting her, depending on how you wanted to look at it.

"They do come in different sizes, Andi," Daphne assured her.

"Really?Thank goodness," Andi replied in a relieved tone. "That probably explains why I'm bulging out all over the place with this one on. My Teddy would have loved me wearing this for him though," she stated with an amused chortle.

Daphne slipped out of the booth Tracey was in, once she freed her hands, and slipped behind the curtain of Andi's booth. "Morgana, you're huge!" Daphne exclaimed upon seeing the other woman. "I thought Tracey was big, but this!" she said with a gesture.

"I heard that!" Tracey barked from the next booth over.

Rather than be offended, Andi smirked rather proudly. "Both of my sisters were ever so envious when they never filled out nearly as much as I did. I may look a great deal like Bella did but I'm at least twice her size. She and Cissy hated the fact that the boys in school paid me all the attention."

"I can see why!" Daphne replied, forcing her eyes off the woman's chest with an effort. "Oh, look," she said, "these others look like they're larger sizes. Here, try this one," she instructed as she handed Andi a black lacey number with a strong underwire. Daphne only had to show Andi once how to properly adjust for the item to fit correctly, much to the blonde witch's disappointment.

"How do you know how to wear these?" Tracey asked once Daphne had returned to try on the few items she had selected. "I've never seen you wear Muggle clothes before, Daph, at least not till I saw you at Potter's."

"The first time I came in here one of the store clerks had to show me," Daphne explained. "For some reason she kept asking me when the play would be opening and offering to come see it," Daphne confessed with a creased brow. At the time Daphne had been wearing typical Wizarding world robes, roughly mid 1800's attire, which was why the woman had mistaken her for a member of an acting troupe. "She seemed rather eager to help though," the young girl recalled that the clerk had shown her several times how to tuck her breasts in correctly.

It was only a few minutes more before Daphne left the changing rooms to check on Harry only to discover that the chair he had been seated in was now empty. Looking up she saw two older women who clearly worked there, bent over double with laughter while tears rolled down their faces. The young witch crossed the short distance to them as they struggled to regain control of themselves.

"Pardon me. Have you by chance seen a young man about this tall," she asked, holding up a hand at what she guessed was Harry's approximate height. "He has black hair, green eyes and was seated just there," she added as she pointed over her shoulder to the now vacant seat next to the change room door.

"Oh, dearie," one answered, wiping tears from her cheeks as she talked."You'd best be holding on to that young man, he's a keeper!" she told Daphne, before pausing to try once again to catch her breath.

Daphne smiled graciously, not sure just how to take that comment. While she could readily admit that Harry was worth having, she herself was not in any hurry to settle down and be kept by anyone. Not even if he does have the cutest crooked smile, she mused appreciatively. The young witch certainly didn't want to keep anyone either.

"A keeper for certain," the other woman agreed readily. "Your young man, I thought he was going to make it right up to the end," she offered between amused chuckles, her shoulders shaking with silent mirth. "Any lad that has the hutzpah to take his sweetheart shopping here, as well as bringing her sister and mum along is one hell of a man, lass! Could teach my Alfie a thing or two I'd wager!" the woman snort good naturedly.

Daphne was too shocked by what the ladies were saying to have heard Andi and Tracey walk up behind her while the clerk was speaking. "Sweetheart?" Tracey asked a bit confused, having caught the tail end of the woman's comment.

"Oh aye, that lad of hers," the first lady clarified. "Damn funniest thing I've seen in a long while, I tell ya. He was sitting there just as red as a cherry, he was. Thought for sure his head was gonna explode if it went on much longer," she cackled.

The second clerk gestured towards Tracey and Daphne, "The two of you were going back and forth behind the curtain and there he sat, just listening to it all word for word."

Both witches wore slightly puzzled expressions, not certain exactly what they could have said to cause that sort of reaction in Harry. It only took a second or two for them to replay their words in their heads. The younger two witches' faces turned red in embarrassment as they realized how their conversation might have sounded to someone listening in, especially if they were a certain young wizard.

"Thought for sure we were going to have call some medical people for him," the clerk added with a grin. "He kept getting redder and redder," she clarified before pointing at the two blushing girls. "That's the look he had! Just like that, it was! Surprise he didn't pass out."

"But it was you love that finally did him in," the first clerk said to Andi with a look of amused admiration. Seeing Andi's knowing expression she continued and explained for the other's benefit. "I think he was good right up until the bulging part, dearies. Ain't seen a man move that fast since they were giving away free pints down at the pub!" Both older woman chortled in unison at the recollection of Harry's hasty flight from the store.

Tracey and Daphne simultaneously turned to look at Andi in disbelief, noting the rather smug smile the older witch wore. "Point for me," Andi snickered, shocking them further. Andi was certain that was what the girls had been up to, what with all their grabbing and groping they had been carrying on about. The three women shared a good laugh at the mortified expressions her words brought forth on Daphne and Tracey's faces which reddened even further.

The three witches spent the next hour trying on different items and making their selection of what to purchase. Daphne mostly grabbed items for the others to try as she already had almost everything she needed. The young woman had a keen eye for what looked good on the other two and wasn't shy about telling them if something didn't. She was however a bit envious of the other two witches who were rather more developed than she herself was.

They had come to an unspoken agreement that Harry would probably need a long while to collect himself. They didn't mind as it meant more time to try on different items. Daphne even managed to find several silk dressing gowns that she just had to have! The extra time also allowed the younger girls to get to know Andi a bit better as well. Shopping proved to be a rather good way to bond, well at least for them. Maybe not so much for Harry.

Daphne stepped from the store and glanced about, spotting Harry surprisingly easily. He was seated on a bench not far off from the store, drinking a red can of some Muggle beverage. She was rather surprised at just how easily she was able to locate him a mongst all the other people hurrying about attempting to do their own shopping. It was almost as if she could sense where he was.

It's probably just due to spending so much time with him these past few weeks, she figured dismissively. After all, if she was being honest with herself, ever since discovering Harry was dating she had found herself watching the man more and more. There was an attraction developing there that she wasn't quite certain how to handle or what to do with. The blonde witch quickly made her way over to Harry, still somewhat embarrassed by what he had overheard, but determine not to show it. "Harry?" she said sweetly to get his attention.

"I'm not going back in there, Greengrass!" Harry stated in a tone that clearly told the woman that there was nothing she could do to get him back in there short of a stunner spell and levitating him through the air. Thankfully she doesn't have her wand, Harry thought while giving thanks for that minor detail.

Back to last names are we, she noted with a small sad silent sigh. "But you have to pay," Daphne told him, a slight pouty whine creeping into her voice. It just wouldn't due to let him have his way after all, at least not without a bit of a fight. Perhaps Granger doesn't have him completely broken in yet? We'll have to work on that I suppose, she mused, realizing that Harry could still be very stubborn when he wanted to be.

"No. No I don't," Harry replied giving her a wide smile that was filled with relief as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a plastic card before holding it out to her. "You do!" he told her rather proudly at having outwitted her.

Daphne had seen him pay for their purchases before with the card. It wasn't hard to figure out that it must be a means of buying stuff within the Muggle world. A great deal easier than carrying around a sack of galleons, she had to admit. "Don't you have to sign for it though?" Daphne asked, remembering him doing just that before as well. She had been intrigued by the pen that he had used instead of a quill, finding it very inventive that the Muggles had put the ink inside of the item.

"You can this time," Harry replied as he held up the card facing her. There in gold letters was her name. The women had been in the store long enough for him to apparate away and acquire a card for Daphne. "This is tied to a Muggle bank, much like Gringotts, except it is run by Muggles," Harry explained."The Royal Bank of Scotland," he told her before she could ask."The card lets the store issue a bill of sale to the bank who in turn pays them the money that I, or in this case you, spend there."

"Royal Bank? Since when are you royalty, Harry," Daphne asked with an amused grin.

"I'm not, Ron is." Seeing her blank stare he added, "Weasley is our King?" Harry chuckled at his own joke, finding it rather clever if he did think so himself. Seeing Daphne's look of uncertainty he waved it off figuring it wasn't worth explaining to her.

"No, that's just the name of the bank is all. It was probably founded by the Royals or something," he offered in way of explanation as he really didn't know himself. "Just give them that card and when they give you the slip of parchment sign it where it says signature."

"I can use this anywhere?" Daphne asked skeptically as she accepted the card from him, turning it over and eyeing the back of it before looking at her name on the front of it once again.

"Most places," Harry assured her with a shrug. "Not all places accept cards of course, but many of them do. It's only for the Muggle world though. Won't do you any good within our world."

Daphne let out a loud squeal as she threw her arms around Harry's neck in a tight hug and planted a hard, quick kiss upon his cheek. "Thank you, Harry!" the excited woman exclaimed before dashing back to the store to put her new Muggle galleon card to good use. A slightly dazed Harry couldn't help but admire the view of her receding figure or the sway of her hips.

-oOo-

The table in the library of Hogwarts was covered with all manner of medical books. There were many books from the Wizarding world but also a fair number from the Muggle world as well. Hermione Granger, Head Girl of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was currently looking at none of them. Instead the bright young woman was focused rather intently on the lengthy scroll before her. The rather loud and incessant scratching of the tip of her quill could be heard as she worked away.

"Hello, Hermione," Luna Lovegood voiced as she dropped into the seat next to the writing witch. "Find anything of use yet?" the seventh year Ravenclaw enquired eyeing the stacks of books. The two of them had been at it for several days now and had, as yet, to find nothing that might help her father.

"Not yet," Hermione finally answered when she paused to dip the tip of her quill into the ever-fill ink well. Just as quickly she was off and writing once again.

Luna looked over, curious as to what her friend was so focused on. Noting that Hermione was jotting down a list, and a rather lengthy one at that, she started to read some of the items on the list. "Runes? Those are names of books that deal with runes, aren't they," she asked, a bit surprised.

"Harry wrote me and mentioned that for one of his projects he ran into some runes he wasn't familiar with," she explained.

"Did he send you a copy of the runes?" Luna enquired. It seemed like the logical thing to do to her after all. If you needed to know what the runes meant you sent them to those best able to tell you. Hermione was certainly well qualified as Luna saw it. She herself was almost just as qualified as well as the two of them sat the same Ancient Runes class this year.

"That was my thought as well," Hermione answered. "Of course he didn't. He's still being rather quiet about whatever it is he's working on," she added in a slightly frustrated tone. "Perhaps he thought the runes would give me a clue as to what it is."

"So you're sending him a list of books on runes?" Luna replied, having sussed out what the list was for now that she had all the facts. "That way he can look them up himself."

"Exactly!" Hermione answered with a smile. More and more it seemed that Luna and she thought alike. They were both very intelligent witches and seemed to enjoy many of the same things in life. Certainly they had their differences. Luna was far more apt to believe in something she couldn't see or touch whereas Hermione wanted hard physical proof. Rather than this fundamental difference separating them it seemed rather to balance out their friendship. Of course another item Hermione had discovered they had in common was Harry. They both missed him.

"Well then you'd best include Spellman's Syllabary," Luna offered, not having seen it in the witch's list.

Hermione hastily looked over the two foot scroll, shocked that she had forgotten such an obvious choice to add. "I can't believe that I forgot that one," Hermione confessed as she hastily jotted it down at the end of the list."I even own a copy of it as I got tired of having to run to the library every time I wanted to look something up in it. Thanks, Luna!"

Luna gave a small smile. The young witch didn't smile about a great many things these days so Hermione was happy to see it. "How's Harry doing?" the Ravenclaw Prefect questioned.

"Well enough it seems," Hermione told her. "He's only written the twice now. He claims that he's been a bit busy of late. You recall, Tonks?" Hermione asked with an arched brow.

"Nymphadora?" Luna asked, using the witch's given name as she rather liked the sound of it.

Hermione managed not to cringe at the name, thinking it rather a ghastly name to give to a child, especially a female one. "Yes, the same, though now I guess her last name is Lupin," Hermione agreed, refusing to use Nymphadora."Apparently her mum is now staying with Harry along with the Lupin's son, Teddy. Harry was named as Teddy's godfather by Professor Lupin it seems."

Luna's small smile grew a bit more at this news as she was happy for Harry."He'll make a good father someday," Luna said aloud, "don't you think so, Hermione? Can't you just imagine it, Harry sitting with his baby on his knee and reading to him or teaching him about Quidditch?"

"W…what?" Hermione stammered as she felt her cheeks begin to warm into a blush. The woman's imagination showed her an image of Harry seated in a chair with a small baby in his arms. The fact that the baby in her imaginary future had bushy brown hair and rather large front teeth did not escape her notice. Just what am I thinking! she chastised herself.

"You know, Harry's babies," Luna answered a bit more dreamily than she had been in a long while. "I wonder how many he would want." Luna mused more to herself than to the witch with her. "I bet he'll want a big family."

Hermione's answer, still rather lost in her own daydream, slipped out before she even realized it. It really wasn't her fault as she was rather enjoying the images Luna's words had sparked. It was a rather enjoyable daydream after all. "I would think no more than three for us. Maybe a fourth in later years once the others are grown a bit."

"Us, huh?" Luna ribbed her friend playfully causing the older woman to blush brightly as soon as she realized what she had said.

"No!I mean…," Hermione stuttered as she hastily backpedaled from her remarks. Why did I even say that! I gave up on Harry back at the end of fourth year! At the time she had been seized by an overwhelming fear that the young wizard she loved was certainly going to die one day. More likely sooner rather than later.

Young and completely inexperienced in such matters of the heart, Hermione hadn't been certain she could handle the loss of Harry if she allowed herself to become good and truly in love with him. After logically approaching the problem, her younger self had concluded that Ron was the safer choice of her two friends. If anything were to happen to Ron, Harry would be there for me and if anything happened to Harry…well Ron would help me through it. Wouldn't he?

The more mature witch of now suddenly realized just how unlikely that would have been. She had more than once commented on the fact that Ron's emotional range was less than that of a teaspoon, had she not. If anything, Hermione was fairly certain that it would have been her trying to help Ron cope with the loss of their friend. Merlin! Was I really that naive? she pondered, mulling over what her younger self had thought. It's a good thing we all made it through the war alive.

"Well why not?" Luna asked, unaware of the thoughts spiraling through her friends head and heart. "I mean, Harry is a wonderful guy after all. I don't think I know any others that are as giving or as caring as he is," Luna voiced. "If there is someone who is better father material, I'd like to know who."

Hermione's scattered thoughts were pulled back by the younger witch's words. She most certainly couldn't deny Luna's observations. Harry is giving to a fault, often even at the expense of himself, Hermione thought, recalling how he had given her access to his own vault when he realized she hadn't any means to support herself. Harry had also given his winnings from the Tri-Wizard Tournament to the Twins so that they could start up their business.

It had been her best friend's selflessness and caring that had first seen her falling for him back in their first year. How is a witch not to fall for a bloke that repeatedly risks his life to save mine? she wondered, recalling the troll, Basilisk and the Dementors. Harry had always placed his friends before himself, truly wanting them to be happy as well as safe. True she had helped him with research and studying spells but he had repeatedly risk his life for her. It was just too hard not to love him!

Recalling their time together in school brought to the surface all those old feelings once again. Harry's absence in her life these past several weeks hadn't helped at all. It had only made her realize that try as she might not to, at some point she had good and truly fallen in love with her best friend. What a fool I was back then, she berated herself. Some Gryffindor I am! Too afraid I might get hurt if Harry were to die. How pitiful, she told herself, lamenting the past and possibilities of what could have been had she only had the courage to try for it.

"I am so glad that Voldemort is dead and Harry didn't die as well," Luna continued with, oblivious as to the turmoil boiling inside the witch next to her. "Hopefully he'll be able to find some happiness now for himself," Luna said in a rather wistful tone of voice, lost in her own thoughts of the handsome wizard with emerald eyes. Harry was one of her best friends but that didn't prevent her from thinking he was rather…well, dreamy.

Hermione suddenly sat up straighter in her chair as her eyes widened. "Harry's alive." She said in little more than a whisper, which of course Luna heard clearly as they were in the library where everyone whispered. "The war is over," the Head Girl added in the same tone as if only now just having realized these two facts.

"Can't get anything past you," Luna teased a bit while wondering at the rather shocked expression Hermione was currently sporting. It wasn't often that Luna had seen the witch surprised before. She found she rather liked the fact that someone as bright as Hermione Granger could still be surprised by life now and then.

"It's not too late!" Hermione suddenly exclaimed, drawing the looks of others from nearby tables at her loud voice in the silence of the room. Luna was rather startled when Hermione turned and grasped her hand rather tightly."There's still time isn't there?" the Gryffindor witch asked.

"Y...yes," Luna stammered, not sure what had come over her friend. "Of course there is," she tried to assure Hermione only to see the woman in question stand and hastily begin packing her things away.

"I have to go," Hermione offered, not really realizing just what she was saying. "I need to go write a letter," she continued with as she held up the parchment with its list on books on runes, "to Harry," she added as if that alone cemented her decision. Turning about suddenly, Hermione threw her arms around the petite witch and hugged her while delivering a quick peck to Luna's cheek. "Thank you, Luna! You're brilliant!" she said before hastily fleeing to the safety of the Head Girl's suite.

Luna sat rather dazed and a bit confused well after Hermione had left. She wasn't sure just what she had done but as it seemed to make Hermione happy she was glad to have done it. Sitting there alone in the library the young Ravenclaw witch couldn't help but think about her friend's final words. "It's not too late, there's still time," she said aloud softly as if weighing each word for its significance. A sudden thought occurred to Luna when she took what she had said concerning Harry's happiness and coupled it with Hermione's words. Not pausing to talk herself out of it, the petite blonde withdrew parchment, quill and ink from her own bag and wrote.

Dear Harry,

I hope this finds you in good health and well spirits. I trust that your projects, whatever they may be, are going well for you. Remember to be mindful of Nargles and put up proper protection to keep them away. I would be very sad if they came and stole away all your hard work. If you need help with making the necklaces, as you don't strike me as the earing type, I'll be more than willing to make some for you.

I hope you don't mind me writing you out of the blue, Harry. Do you? I have missed you very much this summer as well as now here at Hogwarts. I wasn't aware you weren't returning to school but I guess I should have realized that. I'm certain it would have been far too painful for you to be here not to mention all the additional attention your presence would warrant. Poor Hermione doesn't get a moments rest from people wanting to speak with her.

Now, as for my reason for writing you, other than to ensure you were well of course. Which you are, aren't you? The first Hogsmeade weekend of the term is fast approaching and will be here next weekend. I would like very much for you to join me for it. I feel that this is rather owed to me, by you, Harry. After all you did rather up and leave me in a hurry our last date, at Professor Slughorn's party that time in my fifth year. I would like ever so much to finish our date that Malfoy interrupted. Please say you will come. I'm certain it will be great fun.

Love& Tickles,

Luna