The Edge of Nowhere

Chapter 11: Action Reaction

It was difficult to say goodbye this time. It had been a significant week in both their lives. A dramatic event had turned from near tragic to life-changing for Hermione and Severus. Emotions pushed to the limit had forced admission of deep feelings for one another culminating in the physical expression of those feelings. Expressed several times, as a matter of fact.

On Sunday evening Hermione reluctantly returned home to her flat in Charing Cross, this time via the floo system. Stepping across the hearth into her own living room was synchronously sad and joyful. Sad because she had to leave Severus and Ireland. London could be suffocating. The air was bad, the crowds crushing and the Ministry stifling. On that rugged Atlantic coast of Ireland, with Severus, she could breathe, relax, fall in love. That was the joyous bit; she  was in a new relationship that felt more right than anything ever had in her life.

Her love life sorted, all that was left to do now was set in motion Severus' plan that would, hopefully, rejuvenate her professional life. Coming down from her holiday high she threw some green powder into the fireplace. She needed to talk to Harry as soon as possible. With a baby's cry in the background Harry's strained face came into view.

"Hey, Hermione, welcome back. Have a nice time?"

"Yes, wonderful actually. You sound a bit busy, sorry to interrupt."

"S'all right. Gin just got home from shopping and rescued me. What's up?"

Ginny called through the floo, a baby's cooing now floating in the air.

"Hey Hermione! How was your trip?"

"Great, Gin. Tell ya' all about it soon. Harry, if it isn't too much of a bother could you come through? I have some official business to discuss."

Hermione stepped back as a rather harried looking Harry stepped into her sitting room. She suppressed a giggle much as Severus had done during her breakfast misadventure a few days ago.

"Oh my. Fatherhood taking some getting used to? I'll put the kettle on."

Plopping onto the sofa Harry let out a long sigh.

"That's an understatement. Who knew babies were so much work?"

Not Harry obviously. Hermione couldn't help but chuckle. The sight struck her as particularly humorous. Harry Potter, the boy who lived, had faced Death and Voldemort and won the day yet an 8 month old child seems to have defeated him. Harry shook his head as if to clear the image of messy nappies from his mind. 

"You said you had some official business. Everything ok?"

Hermione handed him a cup,

"Well, it's unofficially official actually."

Taking a sip of tea Harry leant his back on the sofa and closed his eyes, enjoying the absence of infant chaos, his ears still ringing.

"Unofficially official? What does that mean?"

Hermione sat opposite him in a chair, her stomach clenching with nerves,

"I have some information that no one else can know, just yet. I'm only telling you because of Director Fudge."

Harry scrunched up the boyish features of his face.

"Oh him. What about him?"

Hermione bit her lower lip and twisted her clasped hands nervously. She had known Harry most of her life, considered him family, but she had to admit in this particular instance predicting his reaction was impossible given all the variables within a certain dynamic.