Time Again (Completed)

Chapter 23

It was around eleven the following day when Hermione woke, dressing in her house coat quietly she left the bedroom, and after a quick bath, and a quick moan because there was no shower, she started on breakfast, it was not long before the cottage was filled with the aroma of freshly cooked bacon, and the sound of sizzling sausages filled the little kitchen. Harry woke when his nose told him breakfast was ready, he too moaned about the lack of a shower as he filled the bath, both hot and cold taps on full. A quick wave of his hand set the temperature of the bath too just how he liked it. Lying soaking in the water and thinking of Hermione gave Harry ideas for later.

It was almost midday when Harry sat back in his chair and held his stomach, 'if you keep feeding me up like this I am never going to be able to fit in that chair Ron made for me'.

Hermione smiled at his odd compliment, then took the dishes and with a quick wandless spell she set the dishes to washing themselves. Harry had slipped his shoes on by the time she came back in to the living room, a grumpy house elf was still telling Harry off for letting Hermione do the dishes "Look Dobby I promise I will do them in future, I'll also cook breakfast if it makes you happy," Harry was saying.

'Dobby is going to drive me crazy if he keeps this up' he complained to a grinning Hermione.

'Fancy a walk down to the beach, you can wear that sexy red bikini' he thought as she pulled her shoes on.

'You want to see a bikini at this time of year, you best put it on your self' she laughed.

'Yes, well on second thoughts, maybe a jumper might be better' Harry said picturing her in the little red bikini he had only seen once.

They left the cottage hand in hand and that's how they walked down to the beach, several brave people were attempting to ride the surf on various inflatable mattresses just a hundred yards or so to the right so they turned left and made their way slowly across the sand.

Harry suddenly stated "You really do love me don't you,"

Hermione looked at him wondering where this statement had come from, "Yes Harry, I really do love you, I love you more today than I did this time last week, and I loved you more last week, a thousand times more than the day when we first kissed."

They walked a few more yards when he spoke again "I was trying to think of some words that would express my love for you, all I could think of is, you are my yesterday, today, and tomorrow, you're my bread and butter, and my strawberry cream cake, I mean you mean everything to me Hermione, you're my food and drink, light and dark, sun and moon."

Hermione wondered what he had been thinking about when he spoke again "See there just aren't the words that say enough, those three little words 'I love you', hold a whole world of meaning in them."

"Is my man becoming a romanticist?" she asked turning to give him a kiss.

Harry thought about how much she must have loved him in this life and in his other life, she had always looked after him, tried to keep him safe, given her time freely too him, everything she had ever done since she was eleven years old, she had done with him in mind. He was determined in this life he would make up for all the heart ache he must have caused her in the other time when he chose Ginny and not her; she had been left with Ron.

She had not had a lot of choice, she loved Harry and she had given up so much for him, her teens and her early twenties; she had never gone to dances or dressed in girly clothes. She had given her entire life to him and he had left her for another. A tear fell down his cheek and he held her tight, holding her for all he was worth. He knew then he would never let her go again and he would never let her down, she was now, and would always remain the centre of his universe.