Unique (Hermione x M! OC)

20. See You Soon

We leave the train after another long, eventful year at Hogwarts. me, Harry, Ron and Hermione make our way off the train after Hermione nudges me awake. Harry smiles, "Don't be a stranger."

"Read our mail this time." I suggest.

"Will do, Sammy."

"When can I call you Sammy?" Ron asks.

"If I have my way, never." I reply. Ron smiles and nods.

"Well kids, ready to go?" Dad asks. He comes forwards. "Oh, hey Ron. How was your year?"

"Eventful." Ron sighs, "But of course it was. I'm friends with three of the most troublesome wizards on the planet."

"Didn't you steal your family's car?"

"...Maybe."

"I'm just saying. Don't be the pot calling the kettle black. Anyways, it was good to see you both, Ron and Harry, now I need to take those two home. But if either of you want to visit. Throw these at a wall and say this address." He hands them the card and the trleporters, and he, Hermione and I walk away. "So, they pushed these off again, after deciphering the code in the name. Now they're just called WheyPoynts, which is lame. But they're finally on shelves and my advisors have all been rehired." He pulls out another lighter. "Home." We wheel our carts through the door and enter into our house, pulling the door closed behind us. "There's no party this year, your parents are working late. Sash, could you order a pie?"

"Yeah." Sash says.

"You look tired, Dad."

"Yeah, I've been working myself too hard. Haven't gotten sleep in three days."

"How is Lockhart?"

"Well, when we hooked him up to the machine, he had a seizure. We're going over what caused it. So far, all he remembers is that he's a writer and he's writing a new book as we speak." He sighs, "Speaking of books, the royalties came in from The Criminals. A letter of Galleons twice a week. You got somewhere in the realm of four hundred a piece. I'd grab the sacks they're in for you, but I threw out my back yesterday, I can't lift fifty pounds worth of gold." He smiles and groans. "I've gotta go off to work. I trust that you'll both be fine to stay alone for a while." We nod. "Good. No funny business. Here's the tip for the driver." He hands me a... five pound... note? I don't know, I'm from America. It's a five.

Hermione and I make our way into the living room and sit on the couch. "Well, at least we'll get some quality time together."

"Haven't we spent two years together?" She teases.

"Just about." I shrug, Shakespeare curled into a ball at my feet. I grab the The Fallen Empire from my bag and she grabs a book she's read to me from hers. She leans on my shoulder after a bit and I start combing my fingers through her hair. Eventually, it's almost time for the sunset. Me and Hermione get on my broom and fly out until we're at a cliff we discovered last year a little-a-ways out of the city. Nobody's out here to bug us as we watch the sun's colors dance across the sky.

"The view's always so beautiful up here." Hermione says.

I give her a content smile, studying her features, "Yes it is." She looks at me and blushes, I keep eye contact with her. Those brilliant brown eyes, so soft, so wise. They've become one of my favorite sights of her. I'm still not emotionally stable enough yet. I can't hurt her. "Will you wait for me?"

"On what?"

"Just in general." I fib, trying to convey the real meaning through my eyes. Her face shifts to understanding.

She smiles as she lays back, "Of course I will." I join her on the ground, looking at the sky the damp grass radiates a sweet aroma. "I'll wait as long as you need, just don't make me wait a hundred years, okay?"

"Okay."

"Oh, and try not to die again, I don't want to lose you forever."

"I know."

"Then I think we're clear." She whispers, "So, Ron's going to Egypt. I hear his mum wants to take you too."

"Really?"

"That's what I said." She laughs. "Ron told her about the chamber. You gave your life protecting her daughter and almost immediately gave it a second time fighting the basilisk. So yeah, it makes sense that she'd invite you."

"I'd love to go, but I'd leave you alone."

"Didn't we just talk about this? I'll wait for you."

"I know." I sigh. Soon, the sun has hidden itself in the distance and the stars come out. "There's our constellation." I whisper, pointing at the Big Dipper.

"The Plough. I can't believe it's been a year since we did this for the first time."

"I can't either." I admit, "You've really changed, Golden."

"For better or worse?"

"Definitely better." I smile.

"You've changed quite a bit yourself, Sammy."

"How?"

"You're more mature than you used to be, less confrontational. More kind. I admire it."

"You admire me? I mean, look at yourself. You're smart, loving, talented as all hell and you're only getting better." Hermione wraps an arm around me and lies her head on my shoulder, we stay like this in silence for a while. "We should probably head back."

"...Yeah." She sighs and gets up. "Do you ever wonder if... I don't know, one day we'll show up here... with a different relationship?"

"We will. I'm not sure what that change is yet, but... I guess I'm hoping it goes a certain way."

"How so?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" We mount my broom, I flick the switch and we take off at hypersonic speed, Hermione yelling at me the entire way up.