Hermione was nursing Jimmy down in the kitchen of Number Twenty-One Incisor Court. It was just a little before midnight, when her baby had woken her demanding her milk. Her own stomach had growled a bit so as he suckled from her breast, she'd carefully descended the stairs to see what she could raid from the kitchens for a late night snack, only to discover that Harry had beaten her to it.
"So, Harry, are you a secret lemonade drinker?" Hermione asked as he placed a glass of R White's Lemonade along with a plate of cheese and crackers in front of her. She'd perfected holding Jimmy in one arm as he nursed, so as long as she remained seated she had a free hand to snack with.
"I don't think so," Harry said. "It was either this, the Irn-Bru can, orange juice, or the chocolate milk. I figured this was one least likely to be missed. Plus, if I was a secret lemonade drinker, you wouldn't know how much I like R. White's."
"You like R. White's?" Hermione asked putting a slice of cheese on a cracker. "It's my favorite too."
"Yeah," Harry said, sitting down with his own plate cheese and crackers. Hermione noticed that he'd chosen a different cheese for himself, being white to her sharp yellow cheddar. "I almost never got it at the Dursleys and it was almost always flat by the time I did, but I still remember that first time I got it at school. It was one of my best days at school ever. I got perfect scores on my tests, too. Too bad it went down hill the moment I got to Number Four."
Hermione didn't want to go there, not today, and not with what tomorrow was. "So, did you enjoy Neville's birthday party?"
"It was fun," Harry said, rather shortly. Hermione could tell that he was still dwelling on his time at the Dursley's.
"You spent a lot of time on Neville's Broom," Hermione noted. "Almost as much time as Ginny did."
"Ginny really liked the broom," Harry said. "I like it too, but it's really not a seeker's broom. They spent too much on speed, and not enough on control. The 2001 may be a bit faster, but I think I can corner better with my 2000. You need to be able to turn quickly as a seeker. I've really got to find somewhere I can fly this Summer. I'm getting really rusty.
"Well, now that we're on the network, maybe Ron will invite us to the Burrow," Hermione said. "Ginny told us about how she flew in the orchard there, and I promised Penny that I'd visit once she had her twins."
"Has she let out the sexes yet?" Harry asked, as Hermione finished her cheese and crackers. Jimmy had already pushed away from her breasts, signaling that he was done.
"She claims she doesn't want to know," Hermione said, shifting Jimmy to her shoulder so she could burp him. "But the nursery is painted pink." This time she remembered the burping cloth. She'd forgotten it a couple times, resulting in the need to change outfits. This time she was just wearing her bathrobe and panties, and so there really wouldn't be a problem depending on when towels were going to be washed, as her terry cloth bathrobe was washed in that load. She could go without. Jimmy burped.
"Well, I think I can put Jimmy back down to sleep," Hermione said, standing up. "I will be so glad when he sleeps through the night. Just a couple more hours, sequenced right..."
"Yeah, it will be nice," Harry said, opening the door out of the kitchen for her. Harry had gotten up every time Jimmy had cried in the night, even though Hermione had told him it wasn't necessary. He followed Hermione back up the stairs.
Hermione hadn't realized how steep the stairs were until she had to worry about carrying her baby up them. Since she'd given birth, she was seeing more and more dangerous things that she'd once dismissed. She put Jimmy down in his circular crib that dominated the center of her room now, just like the little baby boy dominated her life. He was already closing his eyes in the dim light of the night light next to the window seat that she'd turned her trunk into.
A bit tired, Hermione dropped her robe and prepared to return to bed. Only after she dropped her robe did she realize that Harry was in her room with her, when he said, "You know, you're beautiful, Hermione."
Hermione looked back at Harry, who was still standing in the doorway, dressed only in the boxers he had worn to bed. "No I'm not," she began, feeling the warmth of her blush in her cheeks. She was sure the light was too low for him to tell.
Harry strode over to her, and placed a single finger over her lips. "You are, and you're not going to argue about it," Harry said in a tone that Hermione took as an order. She would not object again.
Then he pulled her into his arms, her bare breasts pressed against his still hairless chest. Despite their differences in age, and only because of Madam Pomfrey's treatment, they were the same height, so Hermione found herself looking right into Harry's deep green eyes. Even in the low light near midnight they seemed to sparkle and draw her in. His right hand rose to the back of her head, lightly directing its position as Harry closed, his mouth prepared for a kiss.
Their lips met, and Hermione felt as if Harry was igniting a fire in her soul. She'd been wanting another kiss since the disparate one right before Harry had gone through the fire to get the stone. That one had been urgent and unexpected. This was much more leisurely, yet still unexpected. She wasn't sure how long it lasted with his lips meeting hers, one hand playing in her hair, and the other rubbing up and down her back. When it ended though, she found herself short of breath, and weak kneed. She almost collapsed back onto her bed.
"I think I'm going to start my birthday this way every year," Harry said, tucking Hermione back into her bed. As her eyes closed, he left the room. "Good Night Hermione."