Moments in Love

Gifted

"Happy Birthday Harry!" said Hermione, squeezing Harry tightly, unable to resist giving him a perfectly chaste kiss on the cheek despite the near vicinity of her mother. Harry turned beet red when he spotted Hermione's mother smiling at them.

"It's good to see you again dear," said Mrs Granger, beaming at Harry. "Maybe I should just leave you both to it for the afternoon then. I'll look after Crookshanks and your things until you return to the Leaky Cauldron, Hermione..." she continued. "You can leave your things with me too Harry. Where's your lovely owl by the way?"

"Oh... er... I just let her fly up here. Hedwig's going to meet me at my godfather's," Harry replied.

Hermione couldn't have been happier to spend the rest of the bright summer day in Diagon Alley just with Harry. After leaving their things with her mother, Hermione grabbed Harry's hand and made a beeline for the rear of the Leaky Cauldron.

Harry bought them both ice-cream sundaes at Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour when they had finished visiting Gringotts and purchasing their quills, parchments, and potions supplies. Though it would be more accurate to say that Harry had attempted to pay for the sundaes, as Mr Fortescue had once more refused to accept even a knut from his two favourite customers.

"Is your scar bothering you again?" Hermione asked Harry with a concerned look in her eyes when she noticed him rubbing at it absentmindedly.

"Er..." Harry began haltingly; he had hoped to not spoil his afternoon with Hermione. "Yeah... I suppose so," he sighed. "I was going to tell you and Sirius and Lupin later. I didn't want to worry you just yet..."

"But that means that something's happening with Voldemort then, doesn't it?" Hermione gave Harry a hard stare.

Finally Harry relented and he revealed the dream that he'd had the night before. He told her about Wormtail and Voldemort, the snake and the old man, the old man's murder and the plot to kill someone else... but she could sense there was something about the dream he was still holding back.

"Harry...it's not a dream, is it!? He's come back... and he's plotting to kill you, isn't he?"

Slowly, unwillingly, Harry nodded, unable to refuse those big brown eyes; despite the warmth of the sunny day, a little shiver ran up his spine. Hermione squeezed Harry's hand and peered at him pleadingly.

"Harry, you've got to tell Dumbledore..."

"Yeah... I know! I promise I will Hermione," Harry swallowed uncomfortably. "After I get home - to Sirius's I mean. I... I just wanted to have a nice time with you today."

Hating to see Harry looking so anxious, Hermione bit her lip glancing up and down the street, and decided to risk it. Pulling her chair a bit closer to Harry's, she leaned in and gave him a kiss, allowing their lips to mingle as long as she dared in public. Hermione spied a witch smiling at them as she pulled away, and turned pink. But seeing Harry's happy, dazed expression, she decided it was well worth the price of embarrassment.

Harry felt much more relaxed after Hermione kissed him, and the burning in his scar faded until it was barely an itch. The grin on his face was infectious, and Hermione beamed back at him as they carried on with their afternoon in Diagon Alley. They were both a bit puzzled when they spotted the next item on their lists.

"Dress robes? That's weird! What d'you reckon that's all about?" asked Harry.

"They must be for some sort of formal event," Hermione murmured. "It looks like we'll have to pay a visit to Madam Malkin's."

"Er... formal event?" Harry squeaked anxiously.

"A fancy dinner with guests..." Hermione began.