At the Beginning With You [Harmione]

23. Can't Take My Eyes Off You

  Life is a road
And I want to keep going
Love is a river
I wanna keep flowing
Life is a road
Now and forever
Wonderful journey

I'll be there when the world stops turning
I'll be there when the storm is through
In the end I wanna be standing
At the beginning with you

- 'At the Beginning' by Richard Marx and Donna Lewis from the movie Anastasia  

  ❾¾ ❾¾❾¾❾¾ ❾¾❾¾❾¾  

Harry was waiting for Hermione on the couch when she came back downstairs with a wrapped present in her hand. Harry gave her a curious look when he saw the gift and right away she answered his look.

"I don't know if you noticed tonight when we were opening presents that there wasn't one for you from me under the tree."

"I actually did notice, but I didn't think much of it. You've given me so much over the years and the past few months that you didn't need to get me anything."

"Yes, I did," Hermione said, sitting down next to Harry on the couch and tucking her legs underneath her, "especially since you gave me that set of Transfiguration books. I love them, by the way, and can't wait to read them."

"Good, and I'm sure you'll have all eight of them read by time we go back to school. But you didn't have to get me anything just because I gave you a set of books, Hermione."

"That's not why I had to get you something, because I already had this made up before I found out you bought me a set of fairly expensive books." Harry shrugged.

"They weren't that bad, I got a good deal on them." Hermione smiled and handed him her gift.

"Well, this isn't quite as pricey as those books, but I'm sure you'll love it just the same." Harry looked over the present in his hands. It was a twelve inch square box that was narrow width-wise. It wasn't heavy, but was hard.

"It's a book, though, isn't it?" Harry said with a grin. Hermione grinned back and nodded.

"But you'll still love it. Trust me. Just open it." Harry tore the paper off of his gift and found that it was a blue and green scrapbook. He opened it up and found pages full of pictures of Teddy, and of Teddy and him together. Each page had two or three pictures on them, and were themed. One page had pictures of Harry and Teddy outside after the first snowfall of the season, with Teddy all bundled up in his thick coat and pants, his hood up and hands gloved. Teddy was sitting in the snow, and putting his hands in it, looking at the prints his hand left in the snow. Harry was sitting next to him, doing the same thing and showing Teddy the prints. Another page was one of the times when Harry was helping Teddy walk. He was standing behind him, and Teddy was holding onto his hands, taking small steps. All of the pictures were still, so they had been taken with a muggle camera.

"Ever since you got Teddy I've been trying to take pictures of you and him together with my digital camera. It was difficult sometimes to take them when you're not looking because I had a hard time being sneaky about it. I thought you should have pictures of when he's little and as he grows up since he's pretty much your first child." Harry didn't say anything, he just kept flipping through the book, looking at all the pictures. Hermione was watching him, looking for a sign that he liked the gift or hated it. Finally she asked him what he thought.

"I love it. You have no idea, Hermione, thank you so much. It's the best book you've ever given me." Hermione laughed.

"Good. I'm glad you like it." Harry reached the last page and saw that it had only one picture on it. It was in black and white and there was nothing else on the page save for that picture. It was a picture of Teddy and Harry, and Harry was lying on the couch, the same couch he and Hermione were sitting on at that moment, and Teddy was lying on his chest. Both of them were sound asleep. Harry smiled at the picture and gave Hermione a teasing look.