Disclaimer: I own nothing. Don't sue.

Where are we?: My world. It's post-DH, though, by how much I haven't decided. I'd say a few years at least. Hermione and Harry are engaged. That's all you need to know.

A/N: I don't know where this came from. Just sort of felt like writing it. As for The Doppler Effect, sorry for taking so long to update. I have absolutely no idea where I want to go from where I've started. So if anyone has any ideas, feel free to PM me. It would be greatly appreciated and I'll be sure to thank you in the next chapter.

Read on, fellow fans.

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Worth It

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Harry has a temper.

It was something she saw more of when they were still in school. It didn't show anymore and, after a while, she'd stopped thinking about it at all.

Which is why she's so surprised when Harry starts a fight. Granted, he has reason to be angry. No doubt about that. But, really, she has more of a reason to be upset and it isn't like she overreacts like he does (she's never been one to lash out irrationally).

They're just standing outside of the restaurant the just had dinner in, saying goodnight to Ron and Ginny before they go back to their flat, when a large group of people starts walking past. One man in the group, trying to catch up with the people in the front starts jogging. She's standing slightly in his way, not that she notices. So, as he passes her, he pushes her, just to get her out of the way. But she loses her balance anyway and hits the sidewalk. Hard.

Harry turns and looks at her, his laugh at something that Ron was saying still on his face. The smile disappears as he sees her and he turns to see the man that shoved her heading away.

"Hey!" he yells after him. The man stops walking and turns back to face him. "That's my fiancée you just pushed over!"

The man takes a few steps closer and shakes his head. "Then your fiancée should stay out of my way."

"Maybe you should just keep your bloody hands to yourself."

She gets to her feet again and grabs Harry's left arm, pulling him a little. "Harry, it's okay. Really. Let's just go," she tries, even though she can tell that it's far too late for him to hear reason.

"She's right, mate. Keep walking."

Harry puffs out his chest when the man says this, feeling a little proud that he's a few inches taller. "Don't tell me what to do."

She tugs on his arm again, suddenly afraid that he might pull out his wand. So, she's rather surprised when she sees him ball his right hand into a fist and pull his arm back. Before she can even react, his fist collides with the man's face with a terrible thud.

Ron and Ginny flank her on either side, looking just as shocked as she is. The man closes his eyes against the impact and Harry draws his arm back, forehead scrunched in anger. Hermione releases his arm and takes a step back just as the man opens his eyes back up.

The man punches back a few moments later, missing by less than an inch. Harry spins around and looks at her with a grin when he does, laughing when he goes to punch the man back. And, even then, when there's the threat of being punched or getting hurt, he's smiling at her and laughing as he defends her honor without question.

Later, when Hermione cleans Harry's knuckles and presses an icepack to his face (after kissing the only part of his face she can find that isn't bruised) he smiles at her through cracked and bloody lips and says simply, "It's worth it for you."