Disclaimer: Don't think this is necessary, as it is quite obvious none of this is mine.
A/N: I wrote this kind of by accident. I hope you like it. Rated M for quite obvious reasons. Thank you for reading. Reviews make me very happy.
The First Five Times
The first time that Hermione and Percy slept together was wholly unexpected for the both of them.
It was three nights after the Battle of Hogwarts. Hermione had found herself completely unable to sleep since the war had ended. By 3:30 a.m., she decided to leave her bed at the Burrow in favour of seeking out a good book, rather than spending another night lying awake, bored, miserable, exhausted, waiting and hoping for eventual slumber.
As she passed by Percy's room, she unexpectedly overheard a muffled sobbing. She paused by the door, and knowing that she was very likely to be overstepping a boundary, she quietly let herself in anyway. Bracing herself for his anger, she approached him carefully, but found him unable to express anything but intense sorrow and grief over the loss of one of his brothers.
She initially tried to act as some form of comfort for him, speaking kind words of sympathy and understanding, but the words were largely ineffectual. She soon held him as his body continued to be wracked with sobs, and she hoped that he would not later find himself embarrassed or uncomfortable around her as a result of this moment of difficulty.
Her words were joined by caresses as she hugged him tightly on his bed, stroking his hair and his back. These gentle caresses eventually evolved into kisses, then into less innocent touches, and finally, the pair had removed each other's clothing and found themselves making slow but desperate love, trying their best to cling to something, someone, to make them feel a bit more alive when surrounded by so much death.
Even while slowly, cautiously, spreading her legs underneath him, allowing access for Percy to enter her, Hermione couldn't help but feel as though she was betraying Ron, though it would still be one month before she and Ron would actually begin dating. In that moment, though, the guilt didn't stop her from breathing Percy's name as he gently moved inside her, or from kissing away the tears on his cheeks. She placed his hands on her pert breasts, and she held him tightly as he climaxed inside her. It was her first time.
He realized this only when he saw the traces of blood afterward, and he tried to apologize, but she brushed it off, indicating that she had been just as willing a participant as he was. He helped her clean up, and showed her how to cast a contraceptive spell, just to be safe. This confirmed what she had strongly suspected – that it was undoubtedly not his first time.
Though it would remain completely unsaid, the two understood that this was a one-off, that it didn't mean anything more than two people trying to find comfort in the wake of so much war and tragedy. Neither ever spoke of it to the other, or to anyone else, but both were relieved to find that they started sleeping through the nights again.
The second time Hermione and Percy had sex was about a year later.
Hermione and Ron had broken up just a couple months earlier after a tumultuous and combative nine-month relationship, and they had not yet found their way back to the easy friendship that had existed prior. Molly had insisted on inviting Hermione to dinner at the Burrow, despite Ron's many strong objections. And while Hermione had her doubts about attending, her love and loyalty for the Weasley matriarch made it difficult for her to continue turning down her invitations.
All who were in attendance could see, though, that it was clearly too soon for such an occurrence, as Hermione kept her eyes cast downward, and Ron repeatedly made snarky comments in her direction throughout the evening. Percy could see that the meal was awkward and uncomfortable for everyone involved, and was disgusted by his brother's behaviour, but didn't think it was his place to say anything. He just wished someone else, like Harry or Ginny, would come to her defence, but it seemed as though all were attempting to ignore Ron's insolent commentary in hopes of getting through the night somewhat peaceably.
The embarrassed tension eventually ended, though not in the manner that anyone hoped. Before dessert could even make it to the table, Hermione finally snapped back at Ron in response to the continued slights, leading him to say a particularly scathing remark that had the whole table gasping.
Eyes filling with tears, Hermione grabbed her coat and bolted out of the Burrow's front door as a ruckus began at the dinner table. While everyone else was either struck dumb or yelling at Ron for his thoughtlessness, Percy got up and made a passing comment about going to check on Hermione. Running out the door and down the path, Percy was surprised by her, as she was not quite as far away as he had would have expected. She surprised him even further by grabbing him tightly and side-along Apparating him back to her flat.
Shocked to suddenly find himself – for the first time – in Hermione's bedroom, he barely had time to process what was happening before she pushed him backward onto her bed. He had tried to object – or had he? He'd have to admit, in retrospect, that he wasn't completely sure if he did. He knew without question that he had originally intended to, but all he knew for certain now was that her mouth was covering his, and that she was unbuckling his belt, and pulling down his jeans.
He tried to regain focus, to remember what he had planned to talk to Hermione about, the comforting words he was going to say, the reasons why they should just sit and talk, but all was wiped from his mind as she took his cock in her mouth. Still mostly dressed, Percy fisted his hands into the duvet, reverently moaning loudly and incoherently as she enthusiastically sucked and tongued at his throbbing erection, her small hands skilfully caressing his thick shaft in time with the movements of her mouth. After several minutes of these lustful ministrations, he felt one delicate hand move to gently cup his balls and stroke his perineum, and he knew he wouldn't be able to last a single minute more.
Percy couldn't help hollering her name as he came. He felt her swallow his seed, and it occurred to him that no woman had ever done this for him before, and it felt incredible, even if it did happen to be primarily motivated by anger and revenge.
She smiled at him as she looked up, and brushed the remaining semen from her lips with the back of her hand. This time, she was the one to try to apologize, but he insisted that the apologies were really, really, really unnecessary. He joked that she could feel free to find him the next time, any time, she got angry with someone. She laughed at that, and it seemed to break the sudden tension.
Percy was questioned upon his return to the Burrow, but he would only answer that Hermione was probably more livid with Ron than any of them realized.
The third time Hermione and Percy slept together was around six months after that, at Harry and Ginny's wedding. The aftermath of Hermione and Ron's breakup had become more of a cold war, which was not made any easier by their roles as maid of honour and best man. They performed their duties well and did their best to put aside their differences, but the frostiness between them remained, despite the fact that Ron had since rekindled his relationship with Lavender Brown.
The ceremony was perfect, the dinner was delicious, and the dancing that followed was lively. Hermione sat most of it out, and watched the new bride and groom dancing happily together. Percy couldn't help but notice that she also seemed to gaze every so often in the direction of her ex, dancing with his tall blonde girlfriend. He didn't want to be presumptuous, but he thought Hermione looked lonely. He was right.
Approaching cautiously, he asked Hermione if she would like to dance, and she had agreed to do so. As she swayed in his arms, he suspected – also correctly – that she had consumed a few glasses of wine. He held her at a safe distance to ensure she didn't misunderstand his intentions. She attempted to lean in closer to him, but he suggested that her intoxication should be reason for her to take great consideration into her actions.
Hermione straightened up and looked rather affronted, and Percy worried that it was possible he had said or assumed something that he shouldn't have, and had upset her as a result. His fears were for naught, as she clearly stated that while she may have had a couple of glasses of wine, she would not allow something such as a little alcohol to convince her of anything she didn't want to do. He told her he was glad to hear that, and he was understandably surprised when her next statement was asking if he would be interested in ravishing her in the nearest cloakroom.
He stumbled over his next words, and wasn't sure what he had actually managed to say. It became clear to him that he had agreed, as he soon found himself holding her up against the wall of said cloakroom, her knickers discarded and the fluffy skirt of her pale blue dress pushed up around her waist.
As he thrust into her tight, wet, heavenly cunt, they found an angle that had him rubbing against her g-spot, and she began to moan delightedly. A passing thought occurred to him, and he wondered why they had they had ended up in similar situations three times in the past year and a half. He didn't reflect long, as Hermione's orgasm hit her, and he almost fell over as her pussy began to flex and quiver around his erection.
Strengthening his stance, he continued to thrust inside her. As she tightened and contracted around him a second time, he found that he could no longer wait, and his mouth crashed down on hers to prevent himself from calling out loudly as he spilled inside her.
Percy gently let her down, and as she cleaned herself up, he felt inclined to ask if this time had meant anything. However, he found himself unable to find the words, or perhaps his nerve, and the question remained both unasked and unanswered.
The fourth time Hermione and Percy slept together was something of an accident. At least, they both privately considered it to be such. While their encounters with each other continued to be largely not discussed, they both knew on some level that perhaps the pleasure they experienced from such happenstances were not conducive to a typical relationship based on friendship. As a result, they started to ensure that they only saw each other in public places, surrounded by as many family members and friends as possible.
On one particular day, a few months after Harry and Ginny's wedding, Hermione and Percy both unexpectedly found themselves visiting the Burrow at the same time, and so took it upon themselves to find different things to do. Percy allowed his father to demonstrate the new Muggle household items that he had added to his collection (a handheld blender and a set of walkie-talkies, which Arthur insisted were called "talkie-walkies"), while Hermione assisted Molly in the kitchen with a number of dishes she was preparing ahead of time for a large dinner the following night.
The visit was going along smoothly and without incident, until Bill's face appeared in the fireplace to announce that Fleur had gone into labour, and was now in St. Mungo's. Molly and Arthur needed to rush to the hospital, and Molly begged Percy and Hermione to look after her simmering pots. Neither one of them could hardly refuse her at such a time.
Hermione took the lead in the kitchen, and the two worked well together to finish the dishes and pack them away for the following day. They carried on cleaning up the kitchen with only the most cordial and impersonal conversation, until Hermione slipped on a large patch of soapy water that had ended up on the floor. Percy caught her, but ended up off-balance, and the two crashed to the floor together. Percy had at least managed to protect Hermione from the fall, and his shoulder caught the worst of it while she landed on top of him. Laughing, aching, and covered in soap bubbles, the two soon ended up kissing on the kitchen floor.
Hermione straddled Percy on the floor, pressing against the bulge that had formed in his trousers, straining against them in anticipation. He rolled them over, and she wrapped her legs around his back, as they ground against each other. It was in this position that he Apparated the two of them upstairs to his old bedroom, and they hastily, anxiously tore at each other's clothes, requiring skin-on-skin contact as quickly as possible.
Percy took this opportunity to return an earlier favour, and his mouth found her swollen clit. He wouldn't tell her, of course, but he had dreamed of tasting her on many nights, and given their track record, hadn't known if or when he would have the opportunity to do so.
Hermione gasped, and flailed, and bucked against his face as Percy tongued and teased her nub. He squeezed her hips to try to steady her, and he felt himself getting harder, almost painfully so, as he slipped his tongue inside her and she moaned his name.
He felt her come apart, but she recovered quickly, inviting her inside him. Revelling in the slick, tight warmth of her, he fucked her slowly and languidly, trying to savour every sensation, as now he was never certain when, or indeed if, such an encounter would happen again.
She grinned mischievously, and moved her legs so her feet rested against his shoulders, allowing him the access to push quite deep inside her. He groaned, but still tried to restrain himself, moving as slowly as his feral, primal side would allow – an extremely well-hidden side of him that only she seemed to be able to bring to the surface.
As he started to lose control, he moved faster, both of them sweating and clawing at each other and wailing the other's name. Their orgasms were simultaneous and earth-shattering, and for the first time, they continued to kiss each other for several minutes after they had finished, his cock still sheathed within her.
Almost as suddenly as they had started, though, Hermione pulled back from Percy. Still smiling at him, she thanked him a bit too formally, and asked him if his shoulder was feeling any better. Puzzled, he simply answered that it was indeed feeling much better. She said she was glad, got dressed, and left, leaving him behind naked, spent, and very, very confused.
The fifth time Hermione and Percy slept together was distinctly different from the previous times, because while the situations around all earlier occurrences had been varied, they had all consistently been fairly spontaneous, unplanned. A month and a half after the last incident, Hermione knocked on the door of Percy's flat, wearing a clingy camisole and the shortest, tightest skirt she owned, and asked him if he was particularly busy.
He had, in fact, been getting ready to go out with a few co-workers from his department at the Ministry, including a rather attractive witch who had started only a couple months before and had been showing him a great deal of interest. As soon as Percy registered the fact that Hermione was standing in his doorway, wearing something that left quite little to one's imagination, all other plans were instantly forgotten.
There was no pretence about the reason for her visit, as she led him by the hand to his bedroom immediately after he invited her in, but they didn't even get to the bed for their first round. Stripping each other of their clothes as soon as they entered the bedroom, each was too overwhelmed by desire for the other to put any extra time and thought into the location of their lovemaking. They copulated once against the wall and a second time on the floor before even making it to Percy's bed.
They fucked passionately for hours, taking their time, nothing rushed or desperate or anxious about this particular encounter. Late into the evening, Percy would feel certain that there wasn't a single square inch of Hermione's skin that he hadn't touched.
When the two finally separated, drenched in sweat and absolutely knackered, Hermione sighed happily and perfunctorily kissed him on the forehead, and started gathering her clothes.
"You know," said Percy, clearing his throat, "you could just stay here for the night."
Hermione smiled, almost a bit sadly. "I really should get home," she said.
"All right, I've had quite enough of this," Percy said sternly, putting on his glasses. He found his discarded boxers, and put them on, feeling as though he would be unable to attain the necessary gravitas whilst unclothed. "Why don't you tell me what this is all about?"
Hermione stepped into her knickers, and started clasping her bra. "What are you talking about?"
"This. This," he repeated, gesturing toward the bed, its linens wholly in disarray after the activities of the last few hours. "This has kept happening for almost two years now."
Hermione shrugged, pulling her top on over her head. "I didn't think you minded," she said quietly.
"I don't! Who in their right mind would? But I want to know what it all means," he said.
She sighed while stepping into her skirt. "Why does it have to mean anything?" she asked, scanning the floor for her handbag. "Maybe sometimes sex is just sex."
"So am I to assume that this is an arrangement you have with a number of other wizards?" he challenged.
Hermione turned back toward him, looking extremely hurt. "How can you even ask that?" she said, a slight quaver in her voice.
Percy steeled his resolve. "How could I not? I know you, Hermione, but I don't know anything about this. You haven't told me anything about it. I don't know what you think, I don't know what you want, and I don't know why it's me."
"Why not you?" she murmured.
"That's not an answer!" he said, frustrated. "If you really don't see other wizards for 'just sex,' then I want to know why you keep coming back to me. And why you won't talk to me about what it means."
"I don't want to ruin it!" she exclaimed angrily, hands forming into fists. "I like seeing you, and I like spending time with you, and I like sleeping with you, and I don't want to think about what it means."
"Why not?" he said.
"Why do I have to be the one to answer?" she shot back.
"Because I wasn't the one to turn up on your doorstep looking good enough to eat," answered Percy. "Why did tonight happen?"
Hermione looked away. "I just wanted to see you. I've liked this. Why does it need to be questioned? Why should it have to change?" she asked.
"Because it's not fair to me," he replied.
Hermione scoffed. "How exactly is this unfair to you? I hardly think that I've been an unsatisfying lover. Why on earth would this arrangement be unfair to you?"
"Because I'm falling in love with you!" he answered, almost shouting.
Hermione's handbag slipped from her hands and fell to the floor with a loud thump.
"What?" she asked quietly.
"You heard me. I'm falling in love with you, and I can't deal with maintaining unrequited feelings while concurrently having a mutually beneficial sexual relationship. I simply can't do it," he said, both glad he was saying so and regretting it all the same, as he knew that this would have to bring their incredible, if sporadic, partnering to an end. He took a deep breath, and continued. "I love you, and I want to be with you, but I can't keep assuming something is going to happen. I can't wait, and I can't guess. I don't want to waste time holding out hope for something that I can't have. Passing up opportunities to connect with other people, because I keep hoping that this is going to happen again. It's not fair to me. I should get to understand what's happening, or I should be allowed to move on. But I won't be able to do that as long as I hold out some tiny shred of hope that you are coming to see me – specifically me – for something more than just sex. So if you are not able to tell me what this is all about, I'd really appreciate it if this doesn't happen again," Percy finished.
Hermione frowned, her mouth getting small and angry. She picked up her handbag. "Fine," she said simply, and Disapparated from his flat.
Percy sighed, knowing that the result he ended up with was far more likely than the one that he had hoped for, and he straightened his sheets before going to sleep.
One month later, Percy brought a different woman back to his flat. A week after Hermione had walked out on him, he had asked out the new witch in his department, an attractive young woman named Branwen with an auburn pixie cut and a very bubbly personality.
He had reservedly asked her to lunch on a weekday, and she had readily agreed. They had since gone out two or three times a week, and each date had ended with an enthusiastic snogging session. Percy was sure that he was enjoying the normalcy of this scenario, and to prove it to himself, he asked her if she would come to his flat so he could make her dinner.
She had shown up right on time, looking gorgeous in an aubergine dress and proffering a fine bottle of elf-made Cabernet Sauvignon.
"Hello you," said Percy, kissing her firmly on the lips.
"Hello yourself," answered Branwen, and handed him the bottle. "This is for you. You look great, by the way."
Percy smiled. "As do you," he said. "I'm still finishing up. I'll pour you a glass. Won't you take a seat?"
"Sure," she said, looking around. "Everything smells amazing. And your place is lovely. Pretty much exactly how I pictured it."
"And how's that?" he asked, bringing Branwen a glass of wine as she settled onto the sofa.
"Oh, you know. Clean lines, contemporary, very neat. Just like you," she grinned.
He started to laugh, and was about to ask if that was a good thing, when he was interrupted by a knock at the door.
"Are you expecting anyone?" Branwen asked.
Percy's brow furrowed. "I'm not. I'll go get rid of whoever it is, just give me a moment."
He opened the door partway, and saw Hermione standing in his building's hall. She was wearing a slinky black cocktail dress, and was holding a bottle of the same type of Cabernet that Branwen had brought.
"Hi," she said, smiling.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, closing the door a little bit.
"I've been spending a lot of time thinking. About us. About what you said. And you were completely, one hundred per cent right. I wasn't being fair to you, not letting you know what was going on in my mind," started Hermione.
"Could we talk about this another time?" he asked, his voice in a slightly lower tone than usual.
"I'd really like to talk about it now. It really wasn't just sex for me, either. I mean, yes, it was absolutely phenomenal, but like you said, there was a reason it kept happening. There was a reason that I sought you, specifically you, out," she continued.
"Okay, well, another time we can discuss…" he tried to interject.
"I really need you to know how I feel, Percy! I've missed you. And not just the sex, either. Being with you, connecting with you. Even just seeing you, the way we did between our, er, encounters. And after making a complete dog's breakfast of my last – well, my only – relationship, I didn't want that to happen with you. Like I said, I didn't want to ruin things, and I was too scared to try and change things. But when you told me how you felt about me, I just… needed time to process it. To find the right way to tell you how I feel. And I bottled it, I know, but Percy…" said Hermione, before Percy tried to cut her off again.
"Yes, well, maybe later you and I can get a coffee…"
"Percy, I love you too. I want to be with you. For more than just a physical relationship. I'm sorry I wasn't sure, that I was too scared, but… Is there any chance we can pick up where we left off a month ago?" she finished, beaming at him through the half-open door.
"Percy, I've turned the heat down on the sauce. It looked like it was bubbling a bit too hard," said Branwen, a few feet away from the door.
Hermione's wide smile evaporated quickly. "I guess… I've come at a bad time," she said quietly, her face turning crimson.
"I'm sorry," he whispered.
"Don't apologize. I basically told you to move on. I'm… I'm happy that you did," she said, turning as her eyes filled with tears. "I'll be seeing you."
He closed the door to his flat as she walked down the hallway, turning around to see Branwen with her arms folded.
"So that's her?" she asked casually.
"Who her?" he asked.
"Her her. The 'her' who stopped you from asking me out for ages while I was trying to send you signals. The 'her' that led to you dating me on the rebound," she said.
"You're not a rebound relationship," he insisted quietly. "She and I… we never dated."
"So I heard," Branwen smirked wryly. "It was just 'phenomenal' sex, right?"
"It was more than that for me," he admitted.
"Well, it sounds like it was more than that for her, too," she said. "So what are you still doing here with me?"
Percy looked up. "What do you mean?"
"I'm not stupid," said Branwen, wearing a smile that very nearly reached her eyes. "I knew you had someone else in mind, but I liked you. I thought I'd see where things could go. I hoped that I could help you eventually forget about her."
"Branwen, it's not that I –" he started to say.
"You don't have to explain anything," she said, cutting him off. "We've just been dating for three weeks, and I guess I knew I was taking a risk from the start. I can't, and wouldn't, stand in the way of something like love. I'm a big girl. Really, I'll be just fine. Please, do what you know you want to do, and go after her."
Percy approached her, and kissed her on the cheek. "Thank you," he said. "If it wasn't for her, I don't doubt that I would have –"
"Enough of that," she replied. "Get going!" She walked over to his fireplace. "Mind if I use some of your Floo powder? I don't think I quite have the energy to Apparate home at the moment."
Percy nodded. "Anything you need."
Throwing some powder into the fireplace, Branwen stepped in and forced a smile. "I promise things won't be weird between us. It's been fun. Now seriously, go find her!" She said her address, and vanished on the spot.
Percy turned to his kitchen, which was currently is a state of partial disarray as he had been in the middle of preparing dinner. His organized, fussy side (the part of him that most people knew about) wanted to finish up the cooking, clean the kitchen, and put everything away before seeking out Hermione. Instead, he just turned off the stove and oven, and Apparated to outside Hermione's flat.
He knocked on the door several times, but heard no answer. He was about to give up and go look for her somewhere else when he heard a quiet sound of someone blowing their nose inside the flat.
Percy resumed knocking, louder and even more determined than before. There was still no answer.
"Hermione?" he called out. "Hermione, I know you're home!"
"Go away!" he heard her shout from the other side of the door.
"Hermione, please just let me in before this starts disturbing your neighbours," he said.
"No!" she shouted. "I'm an idiot and I don't want to see anyone right now. Especially not you. Just go away!"
"Hermione, I love you!" he yelled through the door. It opened immediately.
No longer wearing the black cocktail dress, Hermione had changed into an oversized pair of blue striped pyjamas. Her cheeks were blotchy and streaked with tears, her nose was red, and her eyes were bloodshot. She had never looked more beautiful to him.
Percy stepped through the door and closed it behind him.
"One more time?" asked Hermione, red-rimmed eyes hopeful but almost disbelieving.
He brushed her hair away from her face, and leaned down, giving her a lengthy kiss before breaking away and answering her. "I love you," he said again, stroking a finger along her jaw.
Hermione beamed and wiped her tears away with the sleeve of her pyjamas. "I love you too," she answered. "I love you so much I didn't even know how to deal with it. I'm sorry I couldn't answer you properly right away."
Her arms around him, she leaned toward his face for another kiss. After several minutes of passionate snogging against the door, she took Percy by the hand and wordlessly led him to her bedroom.
While they had thought the sex was phenomenal before, they soon found that it could not compare to the sex they would continue to have after declaring their love for one another. They discovered a perfect synchronization; one seemed to know what the other wanted without having to say a word. Shortly after coming apart in each other's arms, Percy mulled over another benefit of their newfound situation, as he made no moves to get ready to go home, but rather continued to hold her as sleep began to claim them both.
As rays of sunlight came through Hermione's window the following morning, Percy awoke to find that they were still holding each other, their positions completely unchanged from the night before. He carried on looking at the curly-haired witch in his arms. Hermione woke up within a few minutes. She smiled up at him.
"Hello," she said.
"Hello," he answered back, and kissed her forehead before pulling her a little closer. "You know, there's a question I've been wanting to ask you for quite a while now, but I wonder if I've left it a bit late."
"Oh? What's that?" asked Hermione.
Percy grinned at her. "Would you like to go for dinner sometime?"
Hermione burst out laughing, and he joined in. They would both soon lose track of the number of times they expressed their love, physically or verbally.