Happiness Is Just Around the Corner

Harry woke to the smell of bacon and sausage coming from downstairs. Still dazed by the events of the previous night, he put on his glasses and rubbed at his temples. Looking around the room he realized that Fred and George were still asleep and Ron was nowhere to be found. So Harry quietly put on his team sweats- Puddlemere United- and slipped out of the room.

Going down the stairs, Harry quietly passed the rooms that still had closed doors. As he neared the bottom of the staircase, he came upon a sight that took his breath away. Hermione was still asleep, lying peacefully on the coach with the fudge from last night still on the floor beside her. She looked beautiful, with her chest gently lifting up and down as she breathed. It made his mouth water (Hermione, not the fudge).

Going into a trance and stopping in the middle of the stairwell, he didn't notice Fred and George coming down the stairs at top speed, until the last second. With a big BANG, Fred, George and Harry fell down the stairs. Opening his eyes, Harry realized he was at the bottom of a Fred and George pile.

Coming to his senses, he heard Fred apologize, "Sorry mate." And George mumble, "Those stairs should have a speed limit." The twins got off of him and proceeded into the kitchen rubbing their heads, which had banged together during the fall. Feeling pain starting to reside in his body, Harry rolled onto his back with a groan. Focusing his eyes, he looked over to the couch, which was now empty and then looked toward the kitchen and saw Hermione's backside. She was yelling, "They just fell down the stairs, I'll take care of it Mrs. Weasley."

Even in as much pain as he was in, he managed a chuckle at Hermione's pants. They were the pants he had given her as a gag gift for her birthday. They were blue and on the front by the hip was the Puddlemere symbol. Then on the butt of the pants, there was bold letters spelling: POTTER. Ron had also given her a pair but they were Chudley Cannon ones that said WEASLEY.

He remembers when they gave them to her she said, "Now that just gives men an excuse to look at my bum." Like always, Hermione was right because Harry stared at his name until Hermione rushed over to him. "Wow, Harry you could be a ballerina. Let me bring you to the couch."

With a flick of her wand Harry floated to the coach. "What hurts?" asked Hermione as she sat down beside him.

"Er, I think I have a bruise on my head and my chest feels like I've got a bit of a rug burn."

"I think Mrs. Weasley has a cream for floor or rug burns, I'll go get it." With that Hermione got up and walked to the kitchen. Searching the shelves for the cream, Hermione didn't notice Ginny walk up behind her.

"So, he fell down the stairs did he?" Ginny slurred, eyeing Hermione curiously.

"Yes he did and I'm just fixing him up a bit," Hermione snapped.

"Is that all?"

"Yes that's all, now could you please help me look for the cream to use on his rug burn!"

"Touchy."

"Where's Ron?" Hermione asked trying to change the subject.

"Dad took him and all of the other Weasley men that were awake for a walk to talk about marriage and how to treat a woman right."

"Why didn't they take Harry?" Hermione asked.

"Probably because they thought the talk would do him no good considering he's probably not going to get married soon," Ginny answered.

"Well he could if he just found the right woman."

"And that is?"

"Oh Ginny just shut up," Hermione snapped as she finally found the cream. Grabbing the cream, Hermione went huffing out of the kitchen back into the living room.

Smiling, Harry said, "There you are, I thought I was going to have to do an Accio Hermione. What took you so long?"

"Ginny," Hermione said very bluntly.

"Ah, and what was she pestering you about this time?" Harry said as he gingerly took off his shirt to rub the cream on it.

With a very annoyed yet longing look in her eye, Hermione said, "Marriage."

"Ah, you mean that little thing where you fall in love, the guy pops the question, and you say yes. Then you spend months vigorously planning the big day making sure every detail is just right. That day finally comes when you walk down the aisle, say I do, snog a bit, and walk back down the aisle again. That little thing where, you have a big party, drink, dance and thank everybody for coming. Finally everybody leaves and you think it was worth all of that just so you could be alone with him again," Harry finished breathlessly.

"Who are you, the marriage expert?" Hermione asked as she squeezed the cream into her hand.

"No, I just have been thinking about a lot lately, with Ron and everything," Harry answered as he took a loose strand of hair that fell out of Hermione's ponytail and gently put it behind her ear.

Locking gaze with Harry, Hermione started to blush. Hurriedly she stuttered, "We uh, better fix your chest up I suppose." With that, Hermione started to rub the cream all over Harry's toned muscular chest. In five minutes the burning started going away, but Hermione still had her hand over Harry's heart.

With a goofy smile on his face, Harry asked, "Hermione, why is your hand still on my chest?"

"Oh sorry, is that bothering you? I was just feeling your heartbeat. It makes me feel closer to you."

And again their gazes locked, but this time neither looked away and they started leaning in closer, and closer to each other until... A muffled sneeze was heard from the other end of the room. Pulling away from Harry, Hermione turned to see Bill and Fleur's son, Jacque. Embarrassed to see that he interrupted a romantic moment, Jacque mumbled, "Breakfast is ready," and quickly left for the kitchen.

With cheeks the color of Ron's hair, Hermione stood up and walked to the kitchen. This is going to be a long day, Harry thought, as he gingerly put on his shirt.