Summary:
A summer thunderstorm triggers a nightmare for Hermione Granger after the war. Confused and disoriented she seeks out her live-in unofficial boyfriend Matt Santini for comfort and their relationship evolves as he provides safety and comfort for a tired Hermione.
Hermione stepped off the Hogwarts express for what would be the final time. She had chosen to return to the famed school of witchcraft and wizardry for her final year of education. Meanwhile, Matt Santini, had chosen to go into the Ministry, following Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Neville Longbottom. Although Matt was less interested in catching dark wizards and witches. He had asked Minister for Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt about joining the Department of Mysteries. His pattern recognition was above all others, and often had helped them solve the mystery of the school year easily.
The pair were closer than close and spent a great deal of time together, often being very physically affectionate, much to Ron's dismay. They had never made anything official but the year previous found the two sharing watches outside the tent cuddled in each other's arms and sharing the bed. Hermione had even let the love word slip and Matt had nodded in response, indicating he reflected her feelings.
He had gone that summer to Australia to retriever Hermione's parents for her. They both knew it would take some time for them to move the couple back to the U.K. and with Hermione starting school, it would likely be into the fall or even late winter by the time they would be back permanently in the U.K. Hermione agreed and the two kept in touch via Owl for months until her parents were back safe. Then Matt's work as a newly minted Unspeakable swamped him, as indicated in the last owl she received around Easter. Then nothing.
Hermione knew it was nothing to be concerned over. They were told that it was probable that if the Unspeakables became wrapped up in a project, they would sequester themselves until it was satisfactorily completed, either successfully or unsuccessfully. She knew it was going to take a lot of work and sacrifice at the Ministry, especially being an Unspeakable. However, she also knew, that was Matt's desired career path, and she was certain magical law, and the Department for Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures was her destiny.
As she stepped off the train, however, it was unusually crowded. There were a lot of people on the platform and the engine itself was making loud booming noises. It disconcerted Hermione as she dragged her trunk and pet carrier along, Crookshanks safely tucked in his cage. A lot of steam billowed from the engine, wafting over the platform and obscuring everything. She shook her head and put her hand out to shield her eyes from the steam. The engine roared again. The windows on the cars rattled and she looked around nervously.
Carefully Hermione stepped away from the engine and moved towards the barrier. When she tried to go through it was mysteriously closed off. She remembered when that had happened before, it was to prevent someone from getting onto the platform not off of it. It was unusual. Regardless, Hermione sat on a bench, she knew Matt and her parents would be there. They would be early, Matt always was, and they would have been on the platform. So, Hermione waited. The crowd on the platform thinned to virtually nothing, the engine still shuddering and banging.
She looked around and stood, not seeing the familiar sight of Matt's tall form or his short and wavy brown hair, or her mother and father standing with arms around one another. There was no one there. The platform was entirely empty. Hermione had been forgotten. She felt her heart break. There would be no one coming for her, she was abandoned and alone with presumably no place to go. Matt would have been escorting her parents, for safety. If he could not make it, or worse had decided it was too much trouble to deal with her anymore…
A laugh echoed through the platform. Hermione turned, trying to see where it had come from, it seemed to emanate from everywhere, but nowhere. She turned looking for the source of the voice. The engine was roaring, and more steam than ever was billowing from it as she turned, her trunk and belongings abandoned as she searched for the voice. Through the steam there were dark shapes seeming to form. Hermione pushed ahead, determined to see what was laughing at her sudden misfortune.
There, just ahead through the billowing steam. She pushed through as a black form materialized. The voice was now distinct, cold, high, and evil. The steam parted to reveal Lord Voldemort, his snakelike visage grinning. How? It was impossible. They had destroyed all the Horcruxes, Harry had died and come back to life, he killed Voldemort in front of her and the entire school. Yet here he stood smiling at her, at his feet, lay Matt, his eyes open staring blankly at nothingness. Dead.
There was a sudden flash of light, and the Hogwarts express exploded right beside her and Hermione screamed.
Hermione Granger shot straight up in bed, her breathing erratic as she looked around the room she was in frantically. It took her a moment to remember where she was. It had been a dream, the platform, missing her parents, all of it. They were still in Australia. They had decided to stay there, once their memories were restored. Hermione shuddered and stood up out of bed. She and Matt had agreed to live in her parent's old house, so they could keep it if they wanted to return.
That was right, it was summer, she was working at the Ministry, so was Matt. They both had gone back to Hogwarts. Matt was not an Unspeakable but working in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, overseeing the reform of Azkaban. Voldemort was not back; it had all been a terrible nightmare. The blackness of the middle of the night pressed in, until a brilliant flash of light and an accompanying explosion of thunder startled Hermione out of bed with a yelp.
She immediately stood and fled her bedroom. Hermione let out another yelp as she turned right and nearly toppled down the stairs. That was right, she had taken over the master bedroom, with Matt taking the spare room. They were still unofficial but that would not last much longer and both knew it. Gripping the rail, Hermione turned the other way and quickly sped down the hall, bursting into Matt's room.
"Hermione?" Matt asked, rolling up out of bed, the covers slipping down to reveal his shirtless torso, and body. "Are you ok? You know you're naked, right?" Matt asked. Hermione blushed but it was not like he had not seen her like that before.
"No…I'm not alright. Yes, I know I'm naked, no I don't care!" Hermione charged over and leapt into bed, pressing her body against Matt's, her lips crashing into his. Matt returned the unexpected kiss and gently pulled back, to pull the covers around them properly, so she was at least under them.
"What is it?" Matt asked, gently running a hand over her bushy hair.
"I…had…a nightmare…I…can't sleep…" she stammered.
"Ok. Ok. I'm here. You're alright now." He said and pulled her close to him, allowing their bodies to press against each other. Hermione shuddered and she was not sure if it was from running around the house naked or because of the storm. "It's a thunderstorm and bad dreams combined. I'm here." He whispered to her, his arms around her, rubbing her bare back soothingly. "It's all over."
Hermione buried her face in his chest and nodded. The coolness of the sheets combined with the warmth of his body felt good to her. He settled in lower on the bed and she slipped lower as well. Her legs draped over his, their bodies caressing each other. Matt kissed the top of her head and simply held her. Hermione looked up at him and smiled.
"Thank you." She whispered.
"Anything for you." He said as he started to slip back into slumber.
"I love you." Hermione said as she listened to the calm beat of his heart.
"I love you, too." Matt whispered back, the last thing he uttered before slipping into a silent sleep. Hermione finally felt safe, wrapped up in his arms, nothing between them. The steady rhythm of sleep finally taking her as well, safe and sound in his arms.
When the morning broke, it was bleak and gray. Hermione slowly pushed herself up in the bed, Matt stirred beneath her as he turned to look at her disheveled state.
"Hey, how are you?" Matt asked as he reached up, one hand gently cupping her cheek, his thumb caressing her face softly.
"I-I'm better now." Hermione stuttered as she sat up and stretched, giving Matt a view of her unclad upper body. He blushed slightly and smiled at her. She looked slightly confused and then looked down and smirked. "Like what you see?" she teased.
"I do!" Matt smiled back and shifted to his side, his own body rubbing against her and she could feel the effect she had on him against her thigh. Now it was her turn to blush. "And you?" he asked now feeling a little more provocative as he pushed himself up on one arm, the covers falling off his bare chest.
"Mmm. It is a lovely view. Although…do you need my help taking care of something?" Hermione asked, as her hand slipped to her side and Matt let out a gentle groan. "I'll take that as a yes." She grinned and suddenly pinned Matt down as she climbed on top of him, differently than she had the night before.
Once the couple had relieved their stress from the night before, the pair got ready for their workday and ate a light breakfast.
"Do you want to meet up for lunch or just wait and we'll get dinner at home?" Matt asked as they munched on toast and jam.
"Oh, if you get home first, could you perhaps start dinner?" Hermione asked hopefully. Matt was the best cookout of anyone in their friends and they all knew it. The only reason he never opened a restaurant was due to not wanting to have to wait on total strangers. That and he claimed he did not want to put Madams Rosmerta and Puddifoot, as well as Aberforth Dumbledore out of business by opening a shop in Hogsmeade.
"Of course!" Matt grinned at Hermione. The morning turned darker and darker, and a fresh storm rolled in. The windows in their apartment shook as the storm let loose. Matt stood behind Hermione and helped her slip a jacket on over her official work robes. Hermione trembled a little as another thunderclap roared. Matt's arms went around her and held her.
"I'm ok." Hermione whispered, trying to shake off the shortness of breath and waves of nausea.
"We could owl off you know. Claim the fireplace flooded and washed out all our Floo powder. With the weather as bad as it is, we couldn't get to Diagon Alley until either tomorrow or the rain lets off, whichever comes first."
"No…I'll be alright." Hermione insisted. "Besides, we can just Apparate in." Hermione reminded him and he sighed. Apparently, he had wanted a day off with her. She smiled and leaned up to kiss him for his consideration. Matt smiled as she did. He took her hand and the two departed for the Ministry of Magic. Matt held onto Hermione's hand until she was at her office door. He finally let go and she waved her wand at the windows in her office. They immediately turned sunny and bright not at all like the outside weather.
Hermione sighed as she sat down at her desk and Matt waved bye to her as he strode off to his own department. She knew she needed to talk with him more about what happened. The sound of the thunder, the noise it made, reminded her of the Battle of Hogwarts. The explosions and crashes as the castle was attacked and ripped apart around them as they searched for Ravenclaw's Diadem and Nagini. Fred's death was still a sore spot. Hermione herself was only centimeters away from joining him. Matt had saved her by shielding her, and although injured, still lived.
Hermione mulled over their living situation as she drafted new legislation, expanding House Elf rights and requiring a new approach to "ownership" and the ethics around it. It was hard work, but she knew she held a lot of popularity in the Wizengamot, partially due to her tenacity and partly due to her status as a war veteran.
Matt did not stop by as he usually did throughout the day. It was not until later into the afternoon she discovered why. Both he and the Minister were called away to Azkaban to deal with something on site. Hermione had been forced to go there once, to oversee the release of a Goblin that was unjustly imprisoned. Matt had volunteered to go with her as he had business as well at the prison. Hermione had hated every moment of it. Even after the Dementors were forbidden to return, it was still awful and solitary. There was entire three floors of corridors and rooms dedicated to people who had been Kissed by the Dementors. Some intentional, some accidental.
Hermione felt horrible for those who had been Kissed without an order to do so. They were bad, yes, but hardly deserving of such a cruel fate. Even Mundungus Fletcher, who while technically a member of the Order of the Phoenix, was awful and responsible for Mad-Eye Moody's death, did not deserve, at least in her opinion, the Dementor's Kiss. Still, he roamed one of those floors, his soul destroyed his body still functioning.
When Hermione arrived home, she smelled the wafting aroma of stir-fried vegetables and hamburger. Matt was making pasta. He had his back to her in their kitchen, two pots bubbling, one full of red tomato sauce, the other full of water and pasta. He looked over his shoulder at her when she came in and his face split into the largest smile he could manage.
"Oh, this smells delicious!" Hermione all but moaned out as she approached the stove.
"Thanks! I hope it tastes just as good." Matt said as he tipped the wok over the sauce, dumping red and green peppers, onions, and ground beef into the sauce. "It'll be ready in just a moment." Matt grinned as he shut off the burner the wok had been on. A few moments later and the pasta was drained and the over dinged, fresh breadsticks popping out with a wave of Matt's wand.
Hermione and he both knew how to cook magically. It was easy but Matt always liked to do things "the Muggle way." When it came to food prep. He said it made it taste better, taking his time with it and working directly with the ingredients with his hands, rather than a wand. Hermione had to agree, this was a great way to cook.
As they sat down to eat Hermione blushed as she looked at Matt. The skies outside had not gotten any better after work and the storms had resumed. While at the moment, only rain splattered on their windows, the skies outside showed an early darkness coupled with heavy storms.
"Matt? I've been thinking…" Hermione began.
"Yeah? What about?" Matt asked as he paused between bites of pasta and breadstick. He scooted his chair to better face her at the table and leaned in closely to listen.
"I-I would like for you to sleep with me. Not just, you know, like that, but I want you to move into my room with me." Hermione said, her face flushed red.
"Oh? Sure! I'd love to. What brought this on?" Matt asked, happy for the offer but curious at the same time.
"I…erm…that is to say…Ifeelsaferwithyoubesideme." Hermione said very fast. She was supposed to be a strong independent woman who did not need anyone else. The truth was, she found Matt to be a comfort. While she may not need anyone's help day to day, this felt more like taking care of herself. Matt would do anything she asked him to, and she wanted that additional comfort of him being beside her. Hermione could let her guard down near him and not ever have to worry about judgement. He accepted her for who she was, flaws and all.
Matt reached over and placed his hand over hers. He smiled genuinely and affectionately.
"I feel better sleeping next to you too." He replied. Hermione's heart leapt at his statement. He reflected her feelings, and she felt more connected to him than ever before. The couple finished dinner and spent the evening floating Matt's belongings from the guest room to Hermione's. They expanded the bed out to a full king size, and they were in the middle of making it when the storm broke.
Hermione's wand flew out of her hand and across the room as if someone had disarmed her. Matt had grabbed it thankfully. He handed it to her, and she immediately wrapped her arms around him. Thunderstorms were truly frightening to her now. He rubbed her arms as she buried herself in his chest and took deep breaths to calm herself.
"It's ok. I got you. You're safe." Matt whispered to her. Hermione nodded into his chest. After the thunder seemed to die off, they quickly finished making the bed and climbed in, both naked again. Despite the bed being large enough for both Matt and Hermione to sleep comfortably with Crookshanks curled up between them, Hermione and Matt slept in the middle of the bed. Hermione tucked against Matt's side as the storm grew worse.
"I know it's irrational. But it just takes me back so much!" Hermione said between flashes of lightning and flinches from the thunder.
"I totally get it." Matt said, his arms wrapped around her. "But nothing will get you as long as I'm here. No battles or whackos in hoods." His hands rubbed her back again.
"Thank you." Hermione replied, still trembling.
"I love you." Was Matt's response. Hermione smiled into his chest and nodded.
"I know." She grinned cheekily, knowing he would like the reference. He gave her a comforting squeeze as the storm died off and the pair drifted to a restful sleep.