Suppression

Duty of the Father

Harry and Hermione arrived back at the home with their clothes soaking wet. The second they stepped through the door, they were greeted by a disapproving Dan and Emma who immediately toweled them both off and sat them both down on the couch. The teens shared a look and braced themselves for the questions they knew were sure to follow.

"Where were you two?" "What were you two doing?" Emma and Dan asked respectively in unison.

At the quizzical glances from the teens, Emma patted her husband's shoulder and moved to take over the discussion.

"Hermione, Harry, it started raining a half hour ago. Where were you two?"

"We were at the park, mother, honest," Hermione earnestly answered. Instinctively, her hand found Harry's and gave it a light squeeze.

"Right," Emma answered exasperatedly. The older woman shook her head before noticing the clasped hands of her daughter and friend. Friend no longer, it seemed. "And what was so important at the park that you couldn't leave immediately after the rain started?" she continued with a sigh.

"Well..." Harry made to answer before Hermione painfully squeezed his hand to stop him in his tracks.

"We were just talking about his nightmares," Hermione coolly replied as she gestured to Harry who looked sheepish and apologetic.

"I'm really sorry, Mrs. Granger, we really just lost track of time," the wizard said. He inwardly knew he was telling a half-truth but he hoped that Emma was not nearly as inquisitive and determined as her daughter.

"That can't be the only reason you two took so long," Dan reintroduced himself to the discussion from behind his wife. The father knew something was not quite adding up.

"What else happened?" Emma sternly asked as she leveled a penetrative gaze to Hermione who tried in vain to ignore it.

Harry felt the gaze of Hermione's mother compelling her to reveal everything but was powerless to do anything as Hermione stared defiantly up to her mother.

"Nothing else, happened, mummy," the witch answered as calmly as she could muster despite the shakiness in her voice.

"Really?" Emma looked to Harry now.

The force of the gaze rocked Harry back into his seat as he struggled to find any escape. The chocolate brown eyes of the older woman seemed to have effects of the imperius curse as he felt his lips opening and moving without his permission.

"Hermione went into the woods because we had an argument, I went to find her to apologize, and then we kissed."

The room went dead silent after Harry's confession tumbled out of his mouth before he could stop himself. Dan and Emma wore dual smirks while Hermione had her heads in her hand, shaking it in disbelief at Harry's weakness.

"Really now?" both parents leant in and regarded Harry with equal looks of curiosity and fondness.

The poor boy could do nothing but nod his head with his mouth agape as Hermione groaned in frustration from beside him.

"That is ALL that happened, mother," Hermione pinched the bridge of her nose, "are you happy now?"

"Immensely, dear. Now why don't you go to your room? We need to have a discussion with Harry."

If it were possible, Harry's jaw dropped to the floor at the not-so veiled command Emma gave to Hermione. He desperately looked to Hermione for support only to find the girl departing the room without so much as an argument. He looked around desperately for any form of respite before his eyes caught the wide, maniacal grins on both Granger parents.