A Real Family

Hermione added her tuppence worth, "Mum, dad, it was my fight but you were caught right in the middle of it, unaware and unprepared. I knew there was a good chance you would never speak to me again but I would rather have that than be laying flowers on your graves because I truly believe that was the alternative."

"Mr and Mrs Granger, if there's one thing I've learned it's that your daughter is very rarely wrong, in this case I agree. You may have been kept alive as bait to capture us but that would have left you wishing for death."

Hermione's father had a thoughtful expression on his face, "You have given us a lot to talk over, could we do this again tomorrow and we might actually get to eat some food," both quickly agreed but he wasn't quite finished yet, "Harry if I ask you an honest question, will you give me an honest answer?"

"I promise I will sir."

"Can I ask what your relationship is with my daughter?"

Harry noticed he'd been holding her hand all night so was brutally honest, "Hermione has been my best friend for seven years, when we wake in each others arms it's because one of us has had a horrendous nightmare that only the other can understand. We've stood by each other through everything that life's thrown at us but neither has looked any further than finding you both. I know I never expected to survive the final battle and suspect Hermione thought the same, at some point we'll sit down and discuss our futures but whatever mine is, your daughter will be part of it somehow."

Hermione laid her head on his shoulder, "I feel exactly the same way and look forward to that discussion, neither of us is ready for it yet but I think we will be soon."

The healing process had begun and they had been visiting her parents every evening for five days when Hermione approached him, "Mum has offered their spare room to save us living in the hotel," before Harry could say anything she had countered his argument, "Mum and dad know we're sleeping together, they also know it's just sleeping and don't have a problem with it."

Slowly but surely Harry got to see how a real family operated and it was nothing like the Dursley or Weasley models he was familiar with, this was something he felt a part of, just simple things like helping Hermione make dinner for her parents coming home made him incredibly happy.

It was a few weeks later when Hermione said she was going away for a couple of days with her mum, Harry didn't ask too many questions as he could see how important this was to her. Sitting having a beer with her dad after the Granger girls had left, he found himself answering strange questions.

"Tell me about this Weasley boy?"

"We thought he was our friend but then he hurt Hermione, I wanted to go after him but she was afraid because of my magic being unstable, I could have finished up killing him. I didn't learn about the bruises until we were on the plane or nothing would have stopped me. I haven't forgotten and will be raising the matter next time we meet, nobody hurts Hermione and gets away with it. My magic is back under control but changed so much I rarely need my wand anymore." Harry summoned another couple of beers from the fridge just by lifting his hand, her father took one without seeming to notice the feat.

His eyes stared into the distance as he spoke, "Harry a father only wants what's best for his daughter and I think we both know who that is, please take care of my girl for me because apparently I can't." With that he rose and headed off to his bedroom, leaving Harry sitting wondering just what was going on.

When the girls returned Hermione clung to him like a security blanket and cried in his arms the entire night, Harry just held her and provided as much comfort as possible, not knowing what was going on but trusting she would tell him eventually.

Weeks turned into months before they decided to return to Britain for Christmas, no mention was made of 'home' since they hadn't decided where that would be yet, one day back and they had all decided it wouldn't be here, or should that be one issue of the Daily Prophet.

Both Harry and Hermione were aware the magical world was corrupt but this had reached new lows, from what they could gather Kingsley was denied being minister when some archaic law was wheeled out stating that the holder had to be British and a pureblood, since he was neither Doloris Umbridge somehow weaselled her way into the job. The Malfoy's had not only escaped a stay in Azkaban but were back in the society pages as pillars of the community. The biggest shock though was the Weasleys, Ron and Molly were being hailed as the Heroes of Hogwarts for their part in defeating the forces of the evil half-blood who'd deceived the country' pureblood elite. Harry and Hermione had fought and won the bloody war for the Weasleys to claim the credit with the bigotry issue appearing worse than ever.

Thus Harry found himself on Christmas Eve in his godfather's old house praying to every deity that Hermione would accept his proposal, after getting his business sorted at Gringotts and retrieving the ring from his vaults he needed somewhere quiet to compose himself. The stares he was receiving in Diagon Alley were unnerving; it was as if people could not make their own minds up and were waiting to be told what to think of him, he also wanted the portkey to the private Black Island off the cost of Bermuda. If she said yes his plan was for the whole family to visit there, if she said no he needed a private place to quietly drown himself.

The silence was shattered by the shrill of his mobile's ringtone and his heart sank as a distraught Dan's voice had Harry apparating before her father finished speaking, "Harry, the red headed bastard was here and he's got Hermione!"