Home is Where the Heart Lies || Harmione

Chapter 2.6

He can't tell them of the things they went through together in detail, the horrible danger that no children should have had to face, the war that should have never been theirs to fight. But he can tell them of how things weren't ever easy, how he doesn't know if he would have made it through without her there by his side.

"Sounds like Mum needs her own book." Rose says in between her yawns.

"Sounds like it's time for bed," He closes the book and manages to untangle himself from the two little monkeys climbing over him and begging for just one more page.

"Good night," He murmurs softly once as they have finally settled down and drifted off to sleep, kissing their foreheads one by one, closing the light, and tip-toeing to the door.

What he finds there almost makes him let out a startled yelp.

"How long have you been standing there?" Harry whispers to Hermione, who is standing by the bedroom door in her Ministry robes and staring at him with the most peculiar look in her eyes.

"Long enough," Is all she says before she throws her arms around his neck and kisses him soundly.

"Mmph—I thought you were going to be held up longer with that emergency." He questions in between her onslaught. "Hermione! The kids might wake up!"

She doesn't seem to be in the mood to listen so he rolls his eyes and picks her up, carrying her to their room himself.

He's barely put her down on the bed gently before she's tossed her robes off and pulled him on top of her.

Their faces are pushed close together and Harry playfully nuzzles her nose. "Maybe I should tell bedtime stories in front of you more often if this is the reaction I get."

Hermione always wears her signature white blouse under her robes and Harry takes great care to unbutton it one by one, dropping a soft kiss on each newly exposed patch of skin as he goes down.

"Harry," There's something in the breathless quality to her voice that makes him look up at her flushed face and bright eyes. "Harry, I want another baby."

"What?" His hands pause in their movement.

"I want another baby." She repeats more forcefully and then turns a little red at the confession. "I know you're going to ask why and why now when we've decided the twins are enough. I don't know why. All I know is that I came home today, tired and weary, to my husband telling my children the most ridiculous, sweet bedtime story—our story—and I thought that I don't want it to be the last time I hear it be passed down."

Harry lets out an incredulous laugh, both deliriously joyful and disbelieving. "I've always wanted a large family, Hermione. You won't find me disagreeing."

"Another baby, huh?" He smirks down at her. "That can be arranged."

Hours later, when the both of them are tired and sated and Harry is about to drift off to sleep, he feels Hermione burrow her face into his back and murmur drowsily against his skin, "I told you, didn't I? I said you would be a great father, and I was right."

"You were right." He smiles and allows himself to close his eyes, knowing nothing but peaceful dreams await him. "You always are."