by DrT - Sahits

Hermione looked somewhat pleased, but then a thought struck her. "You never had a nickname for
me, did you?"
"Like what?" Harry teased. "Hermie? Herms? Mione? Ni?"
"Ni?"
Harry shrugged. "I tended to call you 'sweetheart', and sometime 'sweetie' in private." Harry blushed
as thought occurred to him.
"What?"
"My cousin's friends called him 'Big-D'. After you met them, sometimes you just called me, well. . .
."
"'Big'?"
"Exactly."
"Harry, you're longer than my forearm and as thick as my wrist. What else could I call you?"
"Your arms aren't all that long, and your wrist is rather dainty," Harry teased.
"I'm sure I'm fairly average, which you are not," Hermione teased back. She suddenly looked both
doubtful and longing, "Harry. . . ."
"My heart belongs to you," Harry repeated. "If you'd like, I'll give you a promise ring."
"Maybe you should wait until my birthday," Hermione suggested as she snuggled closer.
"If you have it before we go back to Hogwarts, you're under my magical protection."
"Just how powerful are you?" Hermione asked.
"Well, there are no exact measurements, but probably until last Friday morning, there were at least
fifteen people in the world at least a major step over all other witches and wizards, and maybe
others that I didn't know about," Harry said seriously. "Of the fifteen, three were in China, one in
the Gobi Desert and two in Tibetan monasteries, all well-hidden from the Communist authorities.
Four were in greater India -- one in Nepal, one in Kashmere, and two in India itself, all leading
communities hidden away from the Muggle population. One was the oldest living magical person
alive, at 198."
Hermione nodded.
"There was one in Japan, who is the head of the magical Shinto community, and the magical advisor
to the emperor. There was one in central Africa, who rules the only magical kingdom, the one in the
middle of the Sahara."
"The one where they kill anyone not given prior permission to enter their territory, right?"
22