Disclaimer: I don't own any rights to Harry Potter stories or characters. They are all property of J.K. Rowling and her associates. I only play with them for my pleasure, and hopefully yours.

Tired

Harry felt so tired... It wasn't really surprising. He'd been awake for more than thirty hours, he'd broken into Gringotts, escaped on a dragon, fought dementors, got rid of the Carrows and then practically died at the hand of Voldemort, only to come back and conquer, ridding the world of that evil. Yet that didn't make him feel so tired, really. It was only when he remembered that kiss, the one between Ron and Hermione, that he felt so tired that he could not even move.

He wondered why he felt that way. He knew his two friends were getting closer for more than a year. He had even encouraged them sometimes. Yet, when Ron came back, after deserting them for a while, Harry didn't feel as glad as he expected himself to feel. He felt frustrated, feeling that whatever relations started to bloom between him and Hermione would now lose the chance to flourish in whatever direction they would have led.

He didn't really understand what he felt towards Hermione. He was her friend, sure; he liked her company; he liked her wit and her devotion; he even liked her looks. Hermione didn't think she was beautiful, certainly not in comparison with Ginny, Lavender, Cho or Parvati, each of whom was pretty in a different way. Yet Hermione had some very special beauty. It wasn't as evident, but Harry found he liked it better.

He was still thinking of Ginny daily. Well... almost. There were some days he was so fascinated with Hermione that he didn't think about Ginny at all. That Christmas eve at Godric's Hollow was still very special to him. They hadn't looked like themselves then, yet he had felt that getting older at her side, just like the couple whose identity they had borrowed, was quite right. When facing his parents' graves he had felt that she was the right person at his side. He couldn't think of any other girl, not even Ginny, he'd rather visit there with.

These thoughts kept him from falling asleep despite his tiredness. He had escorted his friends to the Great Hall after returning the elder wand to Dumbledore's grave and then went to the dorms to get some rest, as they both said he deserved.

The Gryffindor dormitories were almost untouched by the battle, maybe because of the many stairs leading up to them. The hinges on the portrait of the fat lady were askew and she couldn't really guard the entrance, but the common room only suffered a bit of scattered debris falling from the ceiling due to some missed curses which had probably come through the shattered windows. A simple cleaning charm made the sofa, where they had used to spend many hours during the previous years, as clean as ever.

Harry sat there a bit while Kreacher, who sensed his needs, brought him some food. Harry wasn't sure if it was a very late breakfast or a slightly early lunch. He then went to the bathroom. He took a long shower to remove all the battle grime and slime from his body. There were some bruises and scars which a few simple healing charms took care of. Considering what he had gone through, he had come out quite unscathed.

Once clean, he let himself fall on the nearest bed, closed his eyes and tried to sleep. Yet sleep wouldn't come. He was reliving in his thoughts all that he had experienced since the previous year, since that night Dumbledore had been killed. These thoughts were not helpful. He was also thinking of Ginny and of the chance he now had to build a future with her. For some unknown reason, these thoughts were just making him more agitated. Only thinking of Hermione, of how she had always stayed at his side since first year, of how good a friend she had always been and how good it felt being with her, helped him relax a bit. That is, until he remembered that kiss.

Why did they have to kiss? It unsettled him. He turned over and over in the bed until he decided it was futile. He then put on some clean clothes, which he suspected that Kreacher had prepared for him, and descended back to the common room.

He sat on the sofa once again, looking into the cold fireplace, trying to recall some of the happier memories he'd had in that place. Somehow, they were all about Hermione and how she was helping him whenever he needed help of any kind, either at doing homework, healing some minor injuries or comforting him, as the circumstances called for. Despite her bossiness, she always had his safety and well-being in mind, even when it unnerved him.

He was deep in thought and didn't notice when another person came in. He only noticed when said person plopped on the sofa at his side. "I'm so tired!" he heard Hermione's voice, bringing him back to reality.

Harry looked at her. She was still wearing the Belatrix-like robes she had been wearing since they left Shell Cottage, which by now had quite a number of tears and some signs of spell damage. Her face was carrying some signs of the battle as well, with dirt smeared in bands on her cheek and her forehead. Her hair looked messier than usual with some dust and debris caught in it. Even her eyes looked tired, yet when she looked at him, she smiled, and the smile was evident in her eyes as well, making his heart flutter for a moment.

"It's natural that you feel tired," he said.

"I thought you were already sleeping," she said, hardly holding a yawn.

"I couldn't sleep. Too many thoughts kept me awake."

"A girl may have some ways to make a boy stop thinking, but I'm too tired to even remember any," Hermione said with a hint of a smile. She put her head on his shoulder, as they were doing for years. "You're comfortable," she added.

Harry wasn't sure how to reply. Before he even made his mind, he noticed her relaxing and her breath becoming shallower as she promptly fell asleep, her head still resting on his shoulder and her body leaning on his.

With a sigh, Harry moved his hand to secure her in that position, not knowing what to think.

He heard other people coming in. Turning his head, making sure not to disturb Hermione's sleep, he noticed Ron and Ginny coming along with some others of the fighters. Both Weasley siblings looked extremely sad and their eyes were red from weeping. Ron noticed him and they both came closer. "How are you, mate? Managed to sleep any?" Ron asked.

"I tried, but sleep alluded me. I came down here, and then Hermione arrived, just a few minutes ago. As you can see, she had no problem falling asleep," Harry replied.

"Do you want me to take her to the girls' dorm?" Ginny suggested. "I can even levitate her there, so she won't wake up."

"Thanks, Ginny, but no. Let her enjoy her sleep undisturbed. She has not slept for more than thirty hours. She deserves her rest."

"As if you don't!" she huffed.

"I'll manage," he smiled reassuringly at Ginny.

"Well, I'll take a shower and then check on you, just to make sure you're comfortable," Ginny said, as she left. Ron was already on the stairs to his dorm.

Harry woke up with a bang, or more precisely – with a thunder. The weather, which had been quite nice in the morning, turned stormy during the afternoon. Harry opened his eyes and noticed he was lying on his back with somebody's head resting on his arm. They were both covered with a thin blanket. Even without looking, Harry knew it was Hermione's head on his arm, as he could sense her particular scent of parchment, spring flowers and dark coffee even with all that battle grime.

Looking around he noted that the fire was now burning merrily in the fireplace and his glasses had been taken off his face and put on the coffee table in front of the sofa where he was lying. He was also becoming aware of Hermione's body pressed at his side and of his free hand resting on it, held in place by her hand. It took him another moment to realize what he was holding in that hand. The soft bulge Hermione's hand was pressing his onto was her breast.

Harry tried moving a bit, feeling as if he had just intruded on her privacy by fondling her tit, yet her hand was pressing his quite firmly. He couldn't move without waking her up.

His dilemma was solved by another thunder, a much louder one. He noticed that Hermione stirred, yet her hold on his hand just tightened, making Harry wonder. He turned his head towards her, staring directly into her brown eyes. She smiled at him. "You've slept," she said, stating it as a fact.

"You've slept as well," he smiled back, extremely aware of his hand pressed to her breast.

"I woke up after Ginny put the blanket on us and remembered one way to make a guy stop thinking. It seems to have worked." Her hand pressed his a bit tighter for a moment, as her smile turned into a grin.

Harry didn't smile, though. "Are you sure this is right? For you, I mean."

"I'm a legal adult in both Muggle and Magical worlds. I can decide whom I allow to touch me and whom not."

"But... but... You kissed Ron!" he blurted.

"No. He kissed me. It's not the same, you know," she corrected.

Harry was unable to understand yet. Despite sleeping a few hours, he was still quite tired. The feelings his hand was transmitting to his mind and the way his body was reacting to them were not helpful either. Hermione seemed to notice. Being in such close contact with him she was bound to notice.

Hermione grinned once more. "I think I should first allow you to think again before expecting you to understand anything."

She grabbed his hand and moved it across her breasts, letting him feel their fullness, before moving his hand to her lips and giving it a small kiss. "I think I should shower now. I can't understand how you could even stay close to me while I'm so slimy. In the meantime, can you check if and when we may have dinner?"

Harry was still a bit stunned, but Hermione sat up, folded the blanket and then took it upstairs to the dorm. Harry just looked at her, feeling enchanted, until he could see her no longer.

"Harry, mate! Do you know when dinner is served?" Ron's voice brought him out of his musing.

"Not yet. I'll find in a minute."

He stood up. Put his glasses on and yawned, and then called "Kreacher!"

The small elf appeared immediately. "Master called?"

"Yes, Kreacher. Can you tell me when dinner is served?"

The elf looked sad for a moment. "Dinner cannot be served in the Great Hall right now. I can bring your dinner whenever you want it."

Harry nodded his understanding. "Bring it in about half an hour, if you don't mind. I think everybody will be awake by then."

Kreacher vanished. A few other house elves came a moment later and started making room for a dinner table, large enough to accommodate all present at the Gryffindor tower. By the time everything was ready, except for the food, Hermione was coming back down, wearing clean clothes and hugging a tearful Ginny.

Ron looked alarmed. "Why is Ginny crying?"

"She wanted to hear how it happened," Hermione said apologetically. They all understood what she was talking about.

Kreacher reappeared. "If you'll just sit down, dinner will be served in a moment," he said to all present. He then turned to Harry. "Master should sit at the head of the table, with Mistress," his eyes went to Hermione, "just at his side."

"I'm not your mistress!" she said forcefully.

"As you wish," the old house-elf answered, as if she didn't know what she was saying.

Hermione didn't really mind sitting at Harry's side. It had been her place since first year, and Harry also felt natural with Hermione at his side. Ron took the place at his other side, naturally. Harry wondered why Ron didn't choose to sit on Hermione's side, until he saw Lavender taking her place beside Ron.

"How are you?" Hermione asked Lavender worriedly.

"I'm fine. Grayback only tore my robes, and you saved me from his teeth. None of my wounds was infected by him and Madam Pomfrei could heal me in no time," the blond girl replied.

"I'm glad to hear that. Too many didn't escape the battle so well," Hermione said, her face turning somber. She leaned on Harry, as if seeking support, not seeming annoyed at all by Lavender leaning on Ron in a much more suggestive way.

Ginny was also looking at the head of the table. Her eyes were still moist and she looked at Harry with an unidentified expression, yet she seemed content when Dean took the seat at her side and wrapped his arm around her waist. She turned towards him, smiled sadly, and put her head on his chest, leaning on Dean for comfort.

Some others joined them during dinner. The Weasleys, Luna, Susan and Hanna Abbot, who went directly to Neville, kissing him for all her worth, disregarding the comments of others.

"Love, how nice it is..." Luna commented in her dreamy tone, making Neville blush even redder, yet he kept his arm safely around Hanna's waist.

Conversation didn't flow freely around the dinner table. Nobody wanted to talk about the dead or mention those badly injured, fearing to awaken recent memories of the events which had taken place less than a day earlier. They just commented about the food and the expertize shown by the house elves who prepared it; they talked about the sudden change in the weather; some even wondered who would be the next headmaster. Most were still too tired to really talk much. The visiting girls were invited to share the girls' dormitory while the married Weasleys left for the rooms they were assigned.

Harry intended to say "goodnight" to Hermione and go to bed, when Kreacher reappeared. "Master and Mistress must follow me to their nuptial lodging," he said.

Harry paled at the thought. As much as he liked Hermione, no – he loved Hermione, he had not yet confessed his feelings to her and he wasn't sure about her feelings towards him. Their afternoon may have given him a slight hint, but not enough to take it for granted.

Hermione didn't look pleased either. "I'm not your mistress!" she said again.

Kreacher looked at her. "As much as I was taught to despise muggleborns, you really are my mistress now and I'm glad of it."

Hermione looked furious. "Care to explain?" she asked.

Kreacher looked quite amused by her reaction. "Mistress already knows that my bond transferred to Master when my previous master died. As much as I disliked the idea at that time, I felt my bond to him and I had to obey. When you two bonded, I felt my bond changing, making you my Mistress as well."

"We never had any bonding ceremony of any kind!" she said, not even thinking.

"Have you wanted to have one?" the elf asked.

"Well, of course..." She stopped and looked at Harry apologetically. "It's my fault, Harry. When we stayed at the Forest of Dean..."

"Then it's my fault as well. I was also thinking about getting old with you, only I dared not say it aloud. I thought you were still interested in Ron."

"I was never interested in Ron, Harry. Even in fifth year, it was just a love potion which Draco tried, wanting to distance us from each other. Daphne found out and told me. It has always been you, really, yet you were interested in Cho and then in Ginny..."

"Only because I was sure I couldn't have you."

They both smiled at each other. Their heads got nearer, their lips found the others' and they kissed. It wasn't a snog. It was almost chaste, yet it showed all the emotions they had been suppressing for years. Kreacher looked at them, seeming quite content.

"Can we continue?" he asked as the two separated for air.

He had to repeat his question a few times before they even noticed him. Hermione bent down to be at his approximate height, still holding Harry's hand tightly. "Can you tell us when that bond happened?"

Kreacher shrugged. "About four months ago, at Christmas eve. I'm not sure about the exact time, though. It didn't happen at once; it changed gradually and then I felt it."

"Are you happy about it?"

Kreacher looked at her again with an expression of an adult talking to a small child. "Of course I am. Now I may have a chance to help raising small children."

Hermione just blushed at the implication, while Harry still looked as if he understood nothing. "And why do you say it is our nuptial if we've already bonded four months ago?"

"You've not finished your bond." He saw she didn't understand. "You have to consummate the marriage for it to become complete," he added, making Hermione blush even deeper. Harry was also starting to understand, as evidenced by his reddening cheeks.

"You don't have to, really," Harry said, fearing she would get angry. "There may be a way to reverse it or cancel it, if you wish."

"Are you already regretting this, my dear husband?" she asked, mock threateningly.

"No, not at all. It is like a dream come true for me, but if..."

"Shut up and kiss me!" Hermione stopped him. He obeyed willingly. Kreacher just rolled his eyes.

It took them longer to separate. "Take us there, please," Harry said to Kreacher as soon as he could speak again. "We have a lot of catch-up to do."

"Yes, that as well," Hermione said, as if to herself.

Kreacher turned and led the way. He already liked his new mistress. He knew she would bring some babies for him to take care of. It may not be very soon, he knew, but house-elves can live quite long lives as long as they have somebody to care for. Kreacher was now looking forward to a long life of serving his new master and mistress.