Work Text:
braiding her hair
"What have you done?" The terror in Harry's voice is immense, and James is struggling not to chuckle through his tears.
“I braided her hair.'” His absurd response causes Harry to chuckle as well.
But after a while they both fall silent as the seriousness of the situation dawns on them.
Harry stares at the piece of parchment where he is supposed to put his handwritten signature that his father asked him to.
“It can be cancelled, right?” His hesitant voice dies in his throat as James shakes his head and his face goes pale.
"It could have been cancelled." James clarifies and licks his lips, and Harry realises what he said.
“Could have been?” He repeats in the form of a question when…
Hermione enters the room and both Harry and James look at her. Contrary to Harry's expectations, she doesn't look unhappy.
“It could have been, but we consummated our marriage.” She tosses lightly and sits on the couch next to James.
Harry goes pale, then blush, and finally presses his lips into a tight line.
"You two are married because my father braided your hair at my fucking wedding?" He hisses and Hermione nods and takes a cookie from the jar placed on the table.
She bites it and after a moment's thought she clarifies, "Braiding hair, according to African beliefs, is one of the most intimate gestures, and if two people of the opposite sex do it, it means marriage." James grunts and Hermione looks at him and rolls her eyes, "Okay, marriage is made when you consummate..."
"ENOUGH." Harry's scream makes James jump, but Hermione remains unfazed. Without a trace of shame, she finishes her cookie and places her hand on James's. Harry’s gaze follows her movement and he swallows, his mind completely blank. "I don't fucking understand any of this."
Hermione shrugs and replies without embarrassment, “You don't have to. You legally married Ginny while we…” She clicks her tongue as James grips her hand tighter.
"Hermione is trying to tell you..." James begins, but Hermione snorts and interjects offhandedly,
"That it's none of your business, Harry. Mind your own business after you sign these papers.”
James murmurs, "Hermione" softly, while Harry inhales sharply and snatches a feather from the table.
He makes a flourishing signature under " witness " and leaves without a word, slamming the door.
James starts to follow him, but Hermione stops him and looks at him, shaking her head.
"Give him time, James."
James sighs and buries his face in his hands. He realises that what they have done is crazy and no one can understand it fully. But that day - at Harry's wedding - when shaman came up to them and said he should braid Hermione's hair, James didn't object.
As soon as his hands touched her hair, a spark passed between them. Hermione groaned then, which made James' heart beat faster.
They looked at each other and James saw himself reflected in Hermione's eyes. And as his hand touched her cheek, he felt something strange fill his body.
It was a sweet, slightly salty, pouring sensation that glued their skin together. And they knew they had no choice but to be together that night.
And then they will think about the future.
Only none of them foresaw that at that moment they became a married couple.