Strawberries with Milk and Sugar

"Merlin, I'm tired!" Hermione exclaimed and bent over to rest her head against her folded arms. I myself stifled a yarn, trying to cover up that I was just as tired as her.

I stood up and stretched to activate all my muscles again. We had been working on the same case for a little more than a month and it had gotten us absolutely nowhere. Well, on the case that is. I myself, on the other hand, have moved quite a lot. I usually couldn't stomach Hermione Granger, so to say that I was displeased when I learned we'd be working this case together would be an understatement. I was absolutely furious! But of course I just pulled myself together. I'm a professional. No problem whatsoever. But over the last month a new problem has surfaced. I find myself very attracted to Hermione – not just her body, but also her astonishing brain, her moral and ethics and her kindness. Weird, huh? Who would have thought, that I'd actually find myself lusting after Hermione Granger. I, for one, was not one of them. But there's no denying what I'm feeling. There's only hiding it and I'm doing the best I can.

"I can't work anymore," Hermione mumbled into her sleeve but she didn't move from her chair. I walked up to her and contemplated whether or not I should offer her a back rub. I really, really wanted to touch her. But I didn't.

"You want me to take you home?" I offered instead. Hermione raised her head and looked questioningly at me.

"You'd do that?" she asked befuddled. I sighed.

"You don't trust me or what?"

Her expression turned bewildered and then apologetic.

"I didn't mean it like that," she hurriedly said. "Yes, I'd like for you to accompany home."

I couldn't contain a big smile as I went to my desk to get my jacket. I glanced over my shoulder while putting it on and was pleased to see Hermione getting dressed to leave as well. I'd never been to her place before, didn't even know where she lived. But now I was going to find out. And I couldn't wait.

After buttoning the last button in my jacket I turned to her and said, "You ready?"

She nodded with a small smile and started walking towards the exit. I followed her, jogging a little to get up beside her. As I settled into her pace I noticed how she glanced nervously at me. That did not sit well with me at all. I instantly got the feeling that she was uncomfortable with my presence and that she'd rather not show me her home. I cleared my throat a little too loudly and she quickly looked straight ahead again.

"So," I said to break the silent tension. "Where do you live?"

"Russell Square," she answered. I waited for her to continue but she said nothing more.

"That's a nice place," I said to once again break tension. This tension between us annoyed the crap out of me. When we were at the office, working, there was no problem at all. But as soon as we left the office we had nothing to talk about.

"It is," Hermione agreed and stepped out of the office building.

"Why did you choose to live there?"

Hermione rubbed her cheek before answering, "You're going to think me silly."

I laughed a little and that and shook my head.

"Not at all," I laughed. "Go on, I want to know."

"Okay," she still hesitated. "Well, it's close to British Museum."

Nothing silly there, I thought.

"Why would I find that silly?"

She stopped walking and turned around to look at me.

"Well, because it is," she said a little hotly. "I chose my home based on its proximity to a museum!"

I didn't answer; just cocked my head in question. Hermione exhaled loudly.

"You know," she said quietly. "There was a time when you'd have made fun of me for saying something like this."

"True," I admitted. "But as you said; there was a time. As in I've changed."

She blushed to a deep scarlet and looked away. Wringing her hands she started walking again. I watched her walk for a couple of seconds, trying to figure out what the blush was all about, before I walked to her side again.

"There's also another good thing about Russell Square," I said to hopefully make her feel more at ease.

"Yeah," Hermione said and lovely smile dawned on her lips. "There's the park."

"Sure," I said, rejoicing silently in the beauty of her happy face. "But I was thinking more along the lines of the distance from there and to work."

"Oh," Hermione said and her smile fell apart. "Yes, of course, there's that too."

"But you're right, the park is really lovely."

Instantly the smile reappeared. Merlin, I then realised that I'd do anything to keep that smile on her face.

"Especially this time of year," she said dreamily, her eyes glazing over as she entered a dreamlike state. I couldn't keep my eyes off of her. "The leaves are coming back to life, soft green and delicate. Flowers emerge from the ground that is no longer frozen during the night. There are birds in every tree, chirping and building nests. Squirrels jump from branch to branch waiting for you to pull out a bag of nuts."

"I'm guessing you go to the park often?" I said with a small laugh. Again Hermione blushed. The colour suited her perfectly.

"I do," she admitted and smiled crookedly. "I try to go there every day during the spring and summer."

"I'd love to do that too," I said and smiled at her. "Tell me something, about those squirrels?"

I waited for her to say something, but she just blushed a deeper red.

"Do you feed them?"

She hesitated before answering, "I do, yeah. They're the cutest little things you can imagine."

I laughed, a full blown laugh.

"Don't make fun of me!" she scolded and folded her arms defensively in front of her chest.

"I'm not," I laughed. "I just think you sound incredibly sweet when you talk like that. So unlike you, really."

"How do you figure?"

"Well, normally you're ruled by logic and reason. But with these squirrels. The only reason why you feed them is because you find them cute."

"Yeah, well, they are." I detected the defensiveness in her words and instantly held up my hands in surrender.

"I never said that they weren't" I explained myself. "I just said I never pecked you for one who cared about those things."

"Hmm," she said and watched me carefully with narrow eyes. "Okay. Well, I do care."

"Good to know."

And then we continued in silence. Right up until Hermione suddenly stopped dead in the street in front of a grocery store.

"Oh!" she said loudly and then started laughing.

I followed her stare but didn't realise what the big thing was.

"What?"

She pointed at the store's assortment of fruits.

"Strawberries," she said and smiled. "The first of the year."

I frowned.

"How do you know that?"

"I walk by here every day and always look for them. And now they're here."

With those words she started walking again. I took one last look at the red, tempting berries before I followed her again.

"Aren't you getting any?" I asked a little confused. "It seems that you've been waiting for them but then you don't want any?"

"Oh no, I do want them," she said and made me even more confused. "I just only buy them on Saturdays. Else I'd eat them all the time. I like it better when you save them for just once a week."

"I don't understand. If there's something I like I eat it whenever I want to."

"But that's the thing. If I were to eat strawberries every time I felt like it I'm afraid I'd might grow tired of the taste. So therefore – just once a week."

"You really are too rational for your own good," I said teasingly.

"Perhaps," she said and kept her tongue for the rest of the walk. Four minutes later we arrived at her apartment building.

"This is where I live," she said and unlocked the door. Halfway through the door she hesitated and looked back at me. "Thank you for walking with me. I enjoyed it."

"As did I," I answered, gave her a smile and started walking home.

As I came by the grocery store again and saw the strawberries an idea formed in my mind. I walked in and bought a small basket of strawberries.

The next morning I showed up for work earlier than I normally would. I knew that Hermione wouldn't be in for another ten minutes which should give me time enough to start kick off the first stage of my plan.

Ten minutes later Hermione arrived at the office, humming a happy little tune. Once she reached her desk she stopped dead in surprise. On the desk was a bowl of strawberries with cold milk and sugar. She reached out and touched the bowl in wonderment. Slowly a smile formed on her lips and she look back over her shoulder at me.

"You did this?" she asked me. I walked up to her, nodding as I went.

"My mother used to make this for me when I was younger," I explained. "I know what you said about the whole getting-tired-of-the-taste-thing but I just thought that you deserved your strawberries."

Merlin, now I was blushing, hoping that she didn't find me strange or silly. Uncomfortably I looked away from her searching stare. After a second or two she placed her small, elegant hand on my arm.

"Thank you," she whispered gratefully. I felt a lump form in my throat and had to clear it to be able to speak again.

"Yeah, well," I fumbled around with the words. "Don't sweat it. Just enjoy your strawberries."

She sent me a beaming smile and turned to pick up the bowl and put a loaded spoon in her mouth. As she moaned at the taste I instantly knew that I was definitely going to do this again the next day. And the day after that and the day after that. Anything to get her to smile like that and hear that adorable little moan again. Anything.

I know, I know, I promised to finish 'We're Stuck, You and I' before starting anything new. But since spring is just outside my door I wanted to do something a little more up to date. So I started this. Don't worry, it's still my intention to finish the other story. But it is just going to take me a little while…

Oh! And please review!