It was slightly warmer than normal for an early September evening in the Scottish Highlands, the trees around the Black Lake beginning to develop an autumnal red hue.

The young couple sat on the shore of the lake, staring at the small, wind-generated waves of the lake gently lap against the shore.

They hadn't spoken since they left the class, merely walking in silence, holding hands, down to the shore of the Black Lake.

Y/N was sat with his back against a rock, Hermione was on his lap, her back against  his chest, holding hands as his arms were over her shoulders. After a quarter of an hour Hermione was the first to talk, saying in a shaky voice:

"So that was intense."

It was quiet for a moment before Y/N replied:

"Hermione I'm... I'm so sorry."

"I... uh... pardon?"

His comment had genuinely caught her off guard. He never used her full name unless it was an introduction or another formal setting. Between the two of them it was always 'Mione or since they started dating a cute nickname. Babe, baby, love, sweetheart. Although every morning she would be greeted with Beautiful which she loved. To hear her full name was therefore startling. Not to mention the apology. What was he apologising for?

"I'm so sorry. Your worst fear was caused by me. That pain, that fear, I'm the cause of that. I am so so sorry my love."

Oh. That's why he was apologising. Hermione smiled, even if Y/N couldn't see it.

"Look. I'm not going to pretend that your... history... with Katie doesn't upset me, because it does. But we weren't together. I'd told you in no uncertain terms that we wouldn't be. You were vulnerable and she..." Y/N heard that 'she' come out with particular venom "...was in the right place at the wrong time. Did you love her?"

Y/N answered immediately:

"No. I never did. I didn't even particularly like her. I was just hurting and wanted to be happy. After our argument with the Leviathan I felt heartbroken and just wanted something to fill the hole. I'm sorry I've never been good with handling emotions."

Hermione turned her head and smiled at her boyfriend, rubbing his face before kissing him. "You're great with emotions with me" she smiled as she spoke.

"You're the exception love. Not the rule. I can't talk with my brothers about anything emotional without causing a fist fight or ending up in Azkaban."

Hermione involuntarily laughed at this, turning back round and resting the back of her head on Y/N's chest. It wasn't funny, but Y/N had a way of putting things that just made her laugh. He continued;

"I'm just... I'm sorry. I hurt you and nothing will ever change that. I have to live with that for the rest of my life. But you have to know, what the Boggart said about me and her, it was-"

"I don't want to talk about that baby... I.. I just don't. I don't want to know" Hermione spoke with hurt in her voice. Y/N sighed in defeat before Hermione quickly changed the subject:

"Your Boggarts though love. I mean I kind of figured the first one would be that, but the second one. Is that how you really feel, baby?"

Y/N again sighed. It was almost becoming habitual at this point. He nodded without speaking. Hermione pulled his arms tight as they draped over her shoulders:

"Promise me. Promise me you will speak to Charlie about this. It's only natural given everything you've gone through, but it's important you try and help yourself. I want you to be happy. And not just because you're with me..." she glared as  she said the last sentence and even though he was behind her he could tell it was her angry face. He chuckled:

"You know me so well baby"

They sat in silence for a while as Hermione tried to build up to what she wanted to ask:

"So uh, baby... the third boggart... that was the Hole wasn't it?"

"You sure you want to know, babe?" Y/N asked apprehensively.

"Of course I do, but you didn't want to talk about it, so I wasn't asking."

It was quiet for a few moments, the whole area seemingly becoming silent, still, before Y/N sighed. After several, for Hermione- agonising, seconds he asked:

"I told you it wasn't nine days didn't I?"

"Yes?" Hermione replied anxiously, she wanted- needed to know, but she was terrified what she would hear.

"Time is different in there. It may have been nine days here but, it was more like nine years."

Hermione's eyes closed as she nodded. Y/N continued:

"That me you saw, that was... with the black eyes... he was the one that would do it to me. Sometimes I would be on the chains you saw, sometimes I would be little again, back in the manor, running from her. Other times..."

Y/N fought back tears before continuing:

"I would be on a rack. He would slice, and carve and tear at me in ways that you-"

Y/N stopped for a moment, leaning his forehead against the back of Hermione's head as tears fell down her cheeks. He cleared his throat and chuckled in an ironic kind of way:

"-until there was nothing left. Then suddenly, I would be whole again, like magic. Just so he could start over. And that me, black eyed, whatever, would come to me at the end of every day... every bloody one... and make me an offer. That the pain would stop if I just said yes. If I just let him in."

Y/N's voice trailed off. Hermione rubbed her eyes before asking through tears:

"What do you mean let him in?"

"I... I don't know love. I just know that every fibre in my being told me that I couldn't give in. That I couldn't say yes. So I told him every damn day to stick it where the sun don't shine... so the pain continued."

"Baby I'm so so..."

Hermione couldn't finish her sentence before the dam walls broke. Tears flooded from her eyes as she turned and squeezed Y/N tightly.

He hugged her back, whispering to her:

"It's ok. It was just the curse of the Room, designed to break people. I wouldn't let it break me and I'm out. You gave me the strength to get through. All I thought while I was going through that was about you. Your beautiful face, your chocolate eyes, your honey scent. You gave me the strength to get through baby. I love you."

"I love you too" Hermione whimpered, the two holding each other tightly.

They sat in silence for a while but it was a different silence now. A contented one, before Hermione spoke up with a sly grin:

"So I was thinking." Hermione said, somewhat bashfully. "Since we are excused from the rest of our classes tonight. Did you want to maybe, go to our special place? You could ask Dobby to bring our dinner when we need it from the kitchen so.... I just thought we could spend some time there, some special time."

Hermione looked in ay Y/N with eyes almost pleading. He smiled:

"Of course love, if that's what you want. Nothing would make me happier than being alone with you in our special place."

Hermione smiled and stood up. She had decided she wanted to do something, something Lavender had told her about in one of their 'girl chats'. She wanted to show Y/N how much she loved him. She wanted him to feel good.

They walked up to the seventh floor and entered their room. They entered to see a double four poster bed. "It's a bit early isn't it?" Y/N asked. Hermione grinned and pulled Y/N into the room. She closed the door behind him as he turned around confused only to be met with a slow passionate kiss.

It started slowly but built up in heat and intensity as Hermione pulled her boyfriend towards the bed. They dropped their bags as they did and Hermione took off her robes while they kissed prompting Y/N to do the same before she lowered herself down, looking up into his eyes.

—~—

They woke several hours later, they had missed dinner but two cloches were sat on a table when they woke, hungry but happy. They had a quick shower and brushed their teeth before settling down to eat dinner. They both had shepherds pie, which they loved and they both smiled and chatted before going over to the large desk and working on their assignments (due to Hermione's insistence). They worked for several hours before returning to the bed to fall asleep in each other's arms.

They woke late the next morning, which was a Saturday and had breakfast before returning to the common room to face their friends for the first time since their DADA lesson. When they got to the common room Hermione had spotted Lavender, Ron and Harry, rushed over, grabbed Lav's arm and dragged her up to their dorm. Y/N had walked over and sat across from Harry and Ron awkwardly, with the occasional nod to and from each of them and periodical squeals being heard from upstairs.