Chapter 5/5

~*~Part Five~*~

Three months later, Hermione’s research had come to a close. Her apparition back to London would take place that Friday, a mere two days away.

And she had yet to express to Xander exactly what he meant to her.

In him, and his friends, she had found a sense of normalcy that was unbelievable in its simplicity.

Normal was what you made of it.

She was normal. Her life was normal. And the people that she had chosen to spend the last three months getting to know where normal. It was those “other” people, the ones outside of her world, that were abnormal.

In Xander’s brown eyes on many a moonlit night she had managed to find happiness and even love.

A love which she was about to throw away when she went back ‘home’.

Home.

Wasn’t this her home, as it had been for many months? Weren’t those people, including the Slayer, her friends now?

She sighed. Being normal meant experiencing heartache, apparently. London was a far cry from Sunnydale – and even by apparition it would take hours to get there and back, something that couldn’t be done on a regular basis as it was anyway, as it took a lot out of the witch or wizard attempting it. She could fly, on a regular airplane, of course; but that was expensive and she was living on a student’s stipend.

So here she had reached a dilemma unlike any she had ever faced before. It was much more difficult even than facing off with Voldemort so many times had been. She wanted to stay here, where she had made a life for herself – the rest of her classes could be done through correspondence. This paper had been the last ‘large’ task for her to complete.

But then there were her friends back home.

Was leaving them worth the chance of having a normal life here, on the Hellmouth?

She just didn’t know.

~*~*~

Hermione was leaving.

She hadn’t said it in as many words, but Xander knew it was to be the truth. Her paper was finished, complete with the interview information she had received from Buffy. It was a work of art, if he had to say so himself. Definitely something someone in her wizarding society should publish.

Back to the point, though.

She was leaving.

Leaving him.

Oh, he had tried not to think of it in that way. Tried to think of it more as ‘she’s going home, just as you always knew she would’. But it was hard. He had fallen for her in the past three months. Fallen in love. Head over heels. So much more than he had ever thought possible.

He liked to be there in the morning when she woke up, see the sunlight glinting off of her hair as she slept. Surprising her with little things, whether wildflowers or store bought goodies, was a treat not just for her, but for him as well. Holding her hand, putting an arm around her shoulders, touching her, talking with her, learning about her life – these were just the tip of the iceberg when it came to the wonders that was his relationship with Hermione.

She was anything and everything. A comforting shoulder to lean on, a hard hand to mete out reprimands when he was feeling too down on himself. She was a lover, a mother, a friend and a confidant.

Everything.

And she was leaving.

It felt like a part of his heart was going away on an extended vacation, and he knew when the moment came he would no longer feel whole or secure. She was his rock in the storms of life.

He leaned against his couch, shutting his eyes and fighting back the sadness that was invading his heart and soul.

~*~*~

‘This is is,’ Hermione braced herself, smiling at Xander as she took his arm for their nightly stroll through the Hellmouth. She didn’t find Sunnydale nearly as frightening as she once had, before meeting the group that called themselves the ‘Scoobies’. If Xander, the mans he had fallen in love with, wasn’t afraid to walk through the streets without any powers at all – why should she be scared when she had a full arsenal of magic at her disposal?

The moon was bright overhead, still a few days away from an actual full moon. The full moon always brought back thoughts of home and her former Professor, now friend, Remus Lupin. He was doing better now that Professor Snape had come up with a less debilitating version of the Wolfsbane potion, one that didn’t leave the user so tired and drawn thin the next day. She smiled at the memory, wondering how he was doing. Last she had heard he and Sirius had finally decided to ‘give things a go’ and move in together.

Maybe now they’d finally just leave Harry alone and stop doting on him like a pair of mother hens.

“So ---“ Xander murmured, breaking through her reverie to interrupt the walk down memory lane she was having.

Oh yes, tonight was the night she would tell Xander. The idea of the conversation to come brought the butterflies in her stomach out in full force, jostling her fragile nerves until she felt quite nauseous from their over-enthusiastic efforts. She took a deep breath and opened her mouth –

“So –“

Merlin, when did she get as tongue tied as Ron had been back in their school days together? She frowned, turning her head so that he wouldn’t think it was at him. Her frustration was with herself. Why couldn’t she just say what needed to be said and move on from there.

Right.

Just say it.

“You’re leaving. . .aren’t you?”

Hermione froze in mid-step, turning with open mouth to her boyfriend.

“Why do you ask?”

‘Bloody brilliant, Hermione. You can’t even give him a straight answer now that he is bringing up the subject?’ she mentally berated herself.

“Because your paper is done,” he sighed after a few moments of silence. “And I know what that means, Herm, I’m not stupid.”

She frowned, this time right into his face. “I never said you were, Xan. I just wanted to know what prompted the question.”

He nodded. “I’m sorry – that was bad of me. I’m just torn up. Either you’re leaving now or in a few days. I know that much. I just can’t figure out why you haven’t said anything before now. I mean – I *thought* we had something good going on between us.”

“We did!” She cried, throwing up her hands in sad frustration. “I mean – we *do*. We are not over, Xander Harris. Not by a long shot. I hadn’t mentioned anything because I hadn’t quite figured out what I was going to do yet. You know – moving here is a big step and I wanted to make sure I did everything write. Had to owl Ron and Harry, my Professors at the Academy. Then there’s the whole thing about packing up my stuff. I’ll still have to go back for at least one trip to do that, you know. And then the obligatory visits a few times a year. And, don’t get me wrong, Ron and Harry will want to visit me here, too. And some others. They’re quite odd, I hope you don’t get frightened off by them –“

“Wait, wait, wait!” Xander interrupted, face clearly caught up in the shock of everything she had just spewed forth in a babbling torrent worthy of – “You’ve been learning that from Wills, haven’t you?”

“Huh?”

“The babbling. . . nevermind. You’re staying? Here? As in Sunnydale? Where?”

“Well, I hadn’t gotten that far yet. Can’t keep living out of a hotel room. However, yes – I’m staying. If you want me to. . . I guess I didn’t ask if you *wanted* me around on a more permanent basis. Probably should have done that before telling everyone back home that I wasn’t coming home.”

Xander shook his head, grabbing her head with his hands so that she was forced to look into his laughing, smiling eyes. “You can stay with me, if you want, you know. You stay over there most nights anyway. Just move your stuff in. . .”

Hermione nodded slowly, a smile creeping across her face until it was lit up like the sun itself was shining from within her. She threw her arms around Xander’s neck, kissing him firmly on the lips in the middle of the sidewalk, the warm night air swirling about them.

“Is that a yes to the moving in thing?” Xander murmured when they broke apart, his face flushed with passion.

“Definitely,” she smiled, grabbing his hand and squeezing it with force.

“Are you sure I’m what you want?”

Hermione paused in her celebration, giving her boyfriend an odd look. “Of course you are! Why?”

He shrugged, giving her an embarrassed smile. “You’re just so wonderful. A witch. Beautiful. I’m plain old Xander. Just a normal guy. Why would you want to move away from your friends to be with me?”

Hermione chuckled softly. “Because you’re just what I was looking for, silly.”

Xander managed to look confused and happy at the same time. “And what were you looking for.”

She smiled, pulling him down the street after her, plans for moving in already filling her overactive brain. What had she been looking for again? Oh yes --

“Something normal.”

~*~The End~*~