"Boston, huh?" Harry asked as he perused the pamphlet before tossing it onto the bed.
"Yes! It's an amazing opportunity and UCSF is paying for the whole thing!" I said, practically fizzing over with excitement. When Dr Ramirez had pulled me and Ben aside that afternoon and told us about the conference, we'd had to find an out-of-the-way supply closet to jump around and shout in.
"When is it?" Harry stretched out on the bed, putting his hands behind his head. I knew exactly what he was doing as he purposely let the bottom of his shirt ride up, exposing the dark lines of ink that trailed down into the waistband of his jeans. I never would have suggested that spot for his stag tattoo if I'd known how much he'd use it against me.
"Next week," I said, turning my back to him as I rummaged around in our closet, looking for my waterproof boots. I'd been warned that Boston in December was likely to be slushy. "And before you ask I'll be gone a week."
"It's a bit last minute, isn't it? And a whole week?" I grinned at the petulant tone in his voice, imagining the look on his face.
"It is a bit last minute. The original invitees had to drop out and the tickets were already paid for, so they didn't want to just let them go to waste. The conference itself is only three days, but we're taking a few extra days to see the sights. There's a lot of history in Boston, Muggle and wizard, and I want to take it all in." I spied my boots shoved way at the back and I grabbed them. I hadn't worn them at all since moving to California and they smelled musty.
I backed out of the closet and set the boots on the floor of the bedroom, hitting them with a Freshening Charm. "So you're abandoning me for sick people and history." Harry was now lying on his side with his head propped up on his elbow, more of that damnable tattoo exposed. Against my will, my eyes traced the shape of the antlers, following the lines down to where they disappeared.
"I'm not abandoning just you this time. You and Teddy," I said, refusing to be drawn in to his 'poor me' act. "And there shouldn't be any sick people actually at the conference. It's all about Internal Medicine and how to make sick people better." I turned back to the closet, looking for all of my warmest jumpers.
I was bent over, digging through a drawer I hadn't opened in months when I felt his arms go around my waist and his lips on my neck. "You're a heartless, cold woman," he whispered, the soft sound of his voice making the small hairs on the back of my neck stand straight up.
"It's a wonder you can stand me," I murmured as I continued to sort through the jumpers.
He changed his tactics and stuck his hands up underneath my top, running just the tips of his fingers over the thin skin covering my ribs, unerringly finding where I was most ticklish. "Well, all of that Auror training had to be good for something, yeah?" I shivered when his tongue darted out to flick against my earlobe and heard him huff in triumph at my reaction.
"And now all you do is sit on your arse all day while I'm stuck running mine off at hospital, valiantly saving lives." I gave up on my quest for jumpers and closed my eyes, enjoying his warm hands stroking my skin.
"What I do is very important and besides, I'm still assistant coach of the cross-country team and I know you love it when I come in all sweaty," he said, pulling me closer to him. I could feel him hard against my bottom and I turned my head to kiss him.
Our lips had barely met when our twelve-year-old godson came into our bedroom, astronomy textbook in hand. "Harry, can you help me with—" he began, looking up from his book at us with a frown on his face. "What are you guys both doing in the closet?"
"Ginny is going on a trip next week and I was helping her sort some things out," Harry said, his voice containing only a trace of exasperation. "What do you need?"
"You're going somewhere? Where are you going?" Teddy asked me, all thoughts of homework gone.
"I'm going to Boston for a conference with Ben," I said, hoping that my face wasn't as red as it felt.
"Ben's going, too? Can I come?"
"No, love. It's going to be all work and no fun." I put on an exaggerated sad expression and shook my head.
"No fair. I never get to go anywhere," he sighed. Never mind the fact that we'd had a very busy summer of camping, road trips and another trip down the Colorado River and were going back to England for the Christmas holidays.
"Yeah, your life is so difficult," Harry said, reaching for the textbook. "What was it you said you needed help on?"
"Oh, so I was looking at this equation for calculating distances between stars …" Teddy said as Harry led him back into the lounge. As they left the room, he threw a look at me over his shoulder that clearly said, I'm not done with you yet.
Later that night, I nestled my head on Harry's bare shoulder, breathing deep as my heart returned to its normal rhythm. He'd made good on his promise, coming back to our bedroom once he'd gotten Teddy settled and in bed, those green eyes of his dark with desire. I was still sorting out things in the closet, having decided that I might as well give it a good going-through while I was in there and I had two good-sized piles of clothes on the bed.
"Harry, do you still want this?" I asked, holding up a black tee shirt that was so old it was almost gray. Now that I had a closer look at it, I saw there were several holes in the shirttail and I balled it up, tossing it on the discard pile. "What about this?" I held up another shirt and he snatched it out of my hand and tossed it aside.
"You are packing up to leave me for a whole week and you're asking me which ratty old shirts I want to keep?" he asked, picking up another shirt off the pile and tossing it over his shoulder. He blindly grabbed another item and looked down at the worn-out old bra he held. "You're getting rid of this one?" he asked, holding up the sad scrap of lace and elastic.
"Harry, that thing is ancient. I haven't worn it in years!" I said, making a grab for it. He tried to block me, but I managed to get a hand on it and tugged, trying to surprise him and failing. Grinning, he gave a hard jerk on the poor old thing and pulled me into him, wrapping his arms tightly around me and putting his mouth on mine, ending my giggles.
"If you haven't worn it in years, then why do you still have it?" he asked when we separated, both breathing hard. "Sentimental value?"
I quirked an eyebrow at him. "Maybe. Do you remember the first time you saw me in it?"
"I definitely do," Harry said, unbuttoning my shirt and spreading it wide open, eyes roving over my bared skin. I was glad I'd decided to wear one of my nicer bras that day.
"When was that?" I asked, barely able to get the words out as he bent his head to nibble on the side of my neck.
I could feel his smile against my skin before he answered. "When you Apparated into my flat and seduced me."
"What? I seduced you?" I put my hand against his chest, feeling the fast beat of his heart and pushed him a little away so I could look up at him. "I'm sorry, but I seem to remember you being the half-naked one."
"Half-naked," Harry snorted, taking the opportunity of the distance between us to push my shirt off my shoulders. "I didn't have a shirt on, big deal."
"I seem to be missing a shirt right about now," I said, letting it slip off my arms and fall to the floor behind me.
Harry raised both of his eyebrows and grinned. "I know," he said in a low voice, the sound of it practically making my toes curl. The bedroom door closed of its own accord and then it was just the two of us like it used to be before Teddy came to stay and go to school at St Ambrose's.
"Showoff," I murmured into Harry's thick, dark hair as he continued to nibble and suck at my neck. "Don't leave any marks," I admonished when I felt him use his teeth on a tendon.
"You don't tell me what to do," he said, pulling back and looking at me. His lips were red and swollen and I went up on my tiptoes to kiss him, dragging my lips over his stubbled cheek to the side of his neck where I gave him a sharp nip, making him grunt.
"I certainly told you what to do that night, didn't I?" I asked, looking up into his eyes, noticing that he was just starting to get crow's feet in the corners when he smiled as he was doing now.
"Yeah you did. I think turnabout's fair play, don't you?"
"You do, do you? All right then. Let's have it," I said, crossing my arms and taking a step back. I loved putting him on the spot like this and making him squirm. Harry was truly the best lover I'd ever had, but after years of our on-and-off relationship and even being married, he could still be oddly shy about some things. He stood there staring at me, looking a bit lost and I arched an eyebrow. "Well? What do you want me to do, oh Chosen One?"
Harry rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Don't call me that, for starters."
"What should I call you?" I asked in my sultriest tone, trying not to laugh. "Darling?" He lifted an eyebrow and I tried again. "Sugar?" I asked in what Harry called my absolutely deplorable Southern accent and he simply smirked. "Baby?" I whispered and his face flooded with red, a tingling thrill shooting through my belly. I lifted my chin and stared at him, a small smile on my lips, waiting to see what he would do.
He took off his glasses, setting them carefully aside on top of his dresser and crooked his finger, summoning me to him. Heart pounding, I stepped toward him, until only the barest inch separated us. "Now what?" Still silent, he took my hands and put them on his hips as he brought his lips down to mine, kissing me the way he knew I loved to be kissed: slow and gentle at first with a slow build up until we were both fully engaged in exploring each other's mouths.
His hands, always so much warmer than mine, trailed up and down my bare arms, raising gooseflesh in their wake and making me shiver even though our apartment was comfortably warm. I unbuttoned his shirt and ran the flat of my palm over the hair covering his stomach, remembering how I'd once threatened to use a Depilatory Charm on him. He'd rightly known it for an utterly empty threat. Still thinking about that damned tattoo, I unbuckled his belt and quickly unfastened his jeans, the sound of the zipper somehow louder than our breathing in the quiet room.
I pushed his boxers and jeans down and they landed on the floor of the bedroom with a jingle of keys and change, putting the flat of my palm over the stag on his hip and rubbing my thumb over the bony protrusion of his pelvis. Far from idle himself, he made short work of my bra clasp, sweeping his hands down from my shoulders to my bum, giving me a fluttering sensation in my stomach. Not to be outdone, I shifted my hands around to his bum, squeezing as hard as I could and making him grunt.
"Is that all you have to say?" I said, breaking away from his kisses and mimicking his grunt.
"What am I supposed to say when you manhandle me like that?" he asked, squeezing me in return and making me squeak in indignation.
"I thought you liked it." I pulled his hips into mine, sandwiching his hard cock between our bodies.
"I do like it," he murmured as he nuzzled my ear, tongue darting out to trace along the edge.
"Well all right then. A girl just likes to be sure." I reached down between us and took him in my hand, loving the feeling of the velvety soft skin of his cock against my palm. Before I knew it, my own trousers and knickers were on the floor and Harry's mouth was back on mine, hard and insistent as he stole my breath. He trailed one hand up from my waist, light as a feather, to my breast and squeezed hard, making me gasp as I felt a rush of wetness between my legs.
My blood was rushing everywhere in my body but my brain and I began to feel a bit lightheaded. I swayed on my feet, reflexively tightening my hold on Harry's cock more than he was comfortable with and he let out his own squeak. "Hey, easy," he said looking down at me. "All right?"
"Why, Mr Potter, I do declare that you have me positively swooning," I said, draping my arms around his neck and fluttering my eyelashes in my best southern belle fashion.
"That is so awful," he said, shaking his head at me. "And you're usually so good at accents."
"Let's get on that bed and I'll show you what else I'm good at."
"Mrs Potter, are you trying to seduce me?"
"Yes." Harry swept me up and tossed me onto the bed where I landed amid the clothes I'd been trying to sort out before things had taken their current turn. Still in his unbuttoned shirt, he practically jumped on top of me, smothering my face, neck and breasts in kisses, the scratchy stubble of his face making me giggle. Feeling like I was being drowned in old clothes, I tried to shove the piles off of the bed as he made his way down my stomach before settling between my legs and kissing the tops of my thighs.
"What are you doing? Stop kicking," he said, sitting back and grabbing hold of my ankles.
"There's stuff all over the bed. I want to donate these, not have sex on top of them!"
Harry looked at the piles on the bed and then at me. He made quite an interesting sight in the unbuttoned white shirt with his dark hair more disarrayed than usual, framed by my raised legs. He let go of my legs and leaned forward, kissing me just under my belly button. "We can still donate them," he said, trailing kisses further down and making my breath come short.
"We'll have to wash them first," I protested, my heart hammering in my chest when he pressed his tongue against my clit.
"Do we?" he murmured, green eyes gleaming wickedly.
"Don't be disgusting," I sighed as he bent to his work in earnest. His warm breath and wet tongue soon drove all thoughts of clothing donations out of my mind, leaving me gasping and shivering as he very deliberately brought me to the brink of coming and then back down again. I wrapped my fingers in his hair, trying to make him behave and give me the release I so desperately wanted, but he grabbed my wrists, holding my hands at my sides as I bucked my hips against his face.
Closing my eyes, I chased falling stars across my eyelids as I concentrated on what Harry was doing to me, his fingers having joined his lips and tongue as he finally decided that I had endured enough of his sweet torture and I came with a long, low groan, conscious of our godson in the apartment. Bathed in sweat, I rubbed my hands over my face, pushing my hair out of the way. I opened my eyes to the sight of Harry kneeling between my legs and running his hand over his hard cock, still in that unbuttoned shirt. "What?" I whispered, acutely conscious of the flush of blood in the pale skin of my chest and neck.
Harry shook his head and smiled, his slightly crooked dogtooth peeping out as he pushed a pile of clothes off the bed to the floor, stretching out beside me. "I love watching you come," he whispered into my ear as if he were telling me a long-held secret.
"Do you?" I asked, turning on my side to face him, pulling him gently toward me for a kiss. Tasting myself on him always gave me a bit of an illicit thrill and I eagerly delved into his mouth with my tongue until he groaned and pushed me back. "Want to see me do it again?" Harry nodded and I watched the bob of his Adam's apple as he swallowed. "Come here," I whispered, hands on his shoulders as he settled himself between my legs.
We both groaned as he rubbed the head of his cock over my clit and labia before slowly entering me, holding his body still in my embrace until I couldn't stand it anymore and started moving my hips, sighing when he began to move in sync. I slid my hands underneath the fabric of his shirt, luxuriating in the feeling of the muscles in his back sliding underneath his soft skin as we moved together.
Before too long, the pace of our lovemaking ratcheted up a notch and he began to push harder, making my breath explode out of me in harsh pants as we both tried to keep the noise down. The bed hadn't gotten the memo to be quiet and started to creak in time with our rhythm and Harry began to shake with suppressed laughter.
"I thought you fixed that," I said between thrusts, my words punctuated by a creak each time.
"I thought I had." Harry stopped moving and heaved us over, leaving me on top of him looking down at his cheeky grin. "Now if Teddy looks at us funny in the morning, it's all your fault."
"Always looking for a way to blame me for your shortcomings, Potter," I said, planting my hands on his chest and as I started to slide up and down, creating the friction we both craved. No longer occupied by holding himself up, Harry's hands were free to roam over my body and he wasted no time, cupping my breasts as he swept his thumbs over my nipples, raising them to hard points before pinching them roughly, making me suck in a breath at the pleasurably painful sensation.
Apparently, I wasn't moving fast enough for him because he put his hands on my hips and started moving his own, thrusting upwards and making the bed creak once more. "You're not going to blame this one on me," I huffed as I looked down at his grin.
He glanced at the bedside clock. "He should be asleep by now and if he's not, then that's his problem," he said matter-of-factly, one hand letting go of my hip to rub mercilessly at my clit until I came with several shuddering moans, clapping my hand over my mouth as Harry reversed our positions again, rolling me onto my back. With his lips on my neck, I held on for dear life as he pounded into me, his panting breaths rasping in my ear until I felt him pulsing deep inside as he came with a series of low moans that almost set me off again.
I felt like my whole body was tingling as he relaxed on top of me, his weight comforting and familiar. "All right?" I whispered, sweeping his sweaty fringe from his forehead.
"Yeah. You?" He shifted off of me and finally took off the shirt, tossing it to the floor. Together we moved around until we were snugged up underneath the covers.
"Brilliant. I'm not even cross that half of our closet is strewn all over the room." Harry took his wand from his nightstand and waved it, sending all of the various shirts, trousers, jumpers and other things back into the closet. "Well now I'll have to start the sort all over again," I complained as I settled my head on his shoulder.
"I'll help you tomorrow. There's a bunch of stuff I need to get rid of," he said and I knew he was thinking about his old Auror clothes. I wonder if Ron's gotten rid of his or if he's still hanging on to them? I thought as I listened to Harry's heart regain its normal, familiar rhythm.
"Are you all right with me going to Boston?" I asked after several quiet moments.
"Yeah, of course. It's a good opportunity for you and Ben, isn't it?" he said, sounding as if he had been on the brink of sleep.
"It is. I'm glad you're not making a fuss."
"It wouldn't matter if I did, would it?"
I considered his question. He'd never stood in the way of my ambition to become a fully-qualified Muggle doctor in addition to my Healer qualification. He confessed that he didn't fully understand it, but he respected my decision. That didn't stop him from complaining mightily that my first-year resident duties kept me away from home far too much, but one argument where I pointed out all of the times he'd had to skip out on me because of Auror business put paid to that. "Well, I wouldn't want you to be upset, but no. I'd go anyway." I turned my head to look up at him in the dim light of the bedroom. "And I'd buy you something ridiculously expensive to make up for it."
Harry chuckled and kissed the top of my head. "It'd have to be pretty expensive to get me out of my strop."
"Well, you have no worries on that score. In addition to making you come, I'm pretty good at spending money." I gave him a chaste kiss on the cheek and settled down back on his shoulder, content to let sleep overtake me.
"Look at you! Sitting here on this plane as calm as you please," Ben said, beaming at me happily.
"Why shouldn't I be calm? These things have been flying around in the sky for ages," I said, watching the endless line of people slowly shuffling past. How many people does this thing hold? I wondered, craning my neck to look behind me.
"Well, not everyone likes to fly. It can get a little bit bumpy sometimes and some people focus on all of the disaster stories," he said, arranging headphones and his book in the little pocket in front of him.
I looked around and leaned in toward him. "Well, between you and me, if this plane shows any hint of going down, I'm Apparating us out of here."
"Promise?" he asked, holding out his pinky. I linked mine with his and we shook before dissolving into giggles.
"Why are you flying in a plane to Boston?" Teddy had asked as he watched me pack my new rolling suitcase. "How come you're not taking a Portkey?"
"Well, we had to go through quite a bit of trouble to get Ben to go to England with us by Portkey when we got married," I said as I shrunk down several jumpers. It had been the one time that I hadn't felt the least bit awful of taking advantage of Harry's fame. "Besides, it would hardly be fair if I got to Boston in a nanosecond and poor Ben had to fly all those hours by himself, would it?" I put my hands on my hips and looked at him sitting cross-legged on our bed. "What kind of friend would that make me?"
"I guess that would be pretty awful," he agreed, looking down at his portable game system. Sometimes I wondered if he heard two words out of five from us.
Harry had given me a briefing of the Muggle security procedures, cautioning me against making any sort of joke of any kind while going through security. "The last thing you need is to be pulled aside for extra screening, all right?" he'd said, face serious as he schooled me on practically getting naked and putting everything into a little bin.
"Even this?" I said, holding out the brand new little phone I was still learning how to use.
"Even that."
"All right then. How's this?" I stood up and put a blank look on my face, walking around the lounge in jerky, robotic movements. "How do you do? Nice weather we're having," I said in a monotone, holding my hand out to him. Harry just shook his head, unimpressed.
Finally, the flood of people seemed to slow down and end before the flight attendants (Ben had told me 'stewardess' was out of favor) told us what we should do in case the plane did indeed run into land or water before its intended landing time. Watching them mime putting on oxygen masks and inflate floating vests made me a little bit nervous and my hand crept out to Ben's, seeking reassurance. He looked away from his magazine and smiled, giving my hand a squeeze and I felt my nerves settle.
The plane started moving and I stared out of the little window as we rose up into the air with a little bump and a whirr of landing gear. "Not quite as exhilarating as going up on a broom," I whispered to Ben. He rolled his eyes. Despite all of my entreaties, he refused to go up with me, citing his lousy sense of balance.
Before too long, the flight attendants came by with a rolling cart offering drinks. "Finally," Ben said, putting away his magazine. "Let me have two bottles of vodka and two tomato juices," he said, folding down the little table from the seat in front of him. I watched as he opened two of the tiniest bottles of vodka I'd ever seen and poured them into the two plastic cups of tomato juice and handed me one. "To your first flight in an airplane," he said, grinning widely.
We bumped our cups together and I took a sip, the burn of alcohol pleasing with the saltiness of the tomato juice. "Thank you, you're very sweet."
"I am. That Benadryl I took should be kicking in aaaaaany minute now." He finished his drink and fished around in his bag, pulling out a thin blanket and a sleep mask. "Wake me when we're close to landing," he said, pulling the mask down over his eyes. It was rather like putting a cover over a birdcage and I think he was asleep within seconds.
I spent the rest of my first cross-country flight reading about the sights in Boston. Harry had given me a little guidebook and I went through it, circling things I wanted to do. "Oh, this looks interesting," I said to myself, reading the entry on haunted Boston. It seemed that there were several nighttime ghost tours on offer and I marked the page for further investigation.
I was just starting to wonder how much longer we had to go when I felt that subtle shift in my stomach that meant the plane was headed downwards and I nudged Ben, hoping that he'd wake up all right and I wouldn't have to intervene. "What," he said, sounding both sleepy and cross as he yawned hugely. "Ugh, do you have any water?"
"Did you have a good sleep? I think we're close to landing," I said, handing him one of the little bottles of water the flight attendant had dropped off. He drank the whole thing down at once, smacking his lips loudly.
Ben wiped his eyes and yawned again, excusing himself to the toilet. "Benadryl always makes me have to pee so bad," he grumbled, looking much more like himself when he returned. "So, what have you been up to?" I showed him the guidebook and he thumbed through it, looking at all of the marked pages. "You've been busy. What's this? A haunted bar? We're definitely going there! What else … oh! A whole section on antique shops!"
"I thought you'd like that. I want to find something for Harry while we're here. I promised him something ridiculously expensive to make up for abandoning him for a week," I said, looking over his shoulder.
"Well, there's no shortage of expensive around here," Ben murmured as he turned the page. "Do you want to do one of these ghost tours? I've always wanted to do one, but they always seem so hokey, you know?"
"Hokey?" I said, wrinkling my nose at the unfamiliar word. "Is that the same as 'lame'?"
"Yes, but more of an old-fashioned kind of lame."
"D'you think there are any actual ghosts on these sorts of things? Like the ones at Hogwarts?" I smiled, remembering Ben's reaction to learning that Hogwarts harbored real, actual ghosts like Nearly Headless Nick and the Bloody Baron.
"I doubt it. I think it's mostly the thrill of walking around in the dark in a strange place with a group of strangers. But still it'd be fun!" Ben turned another page. "Oooh, beer tasting! Let's do that, too!" We spent the rest of the descent with our heads together over the guidebook, talking over what we wanted to do once the conference was over.
Back on the ground, I followed Ben through the confounding maze of Logan International Airport, finally arriving at baggage claim. While we were waiting, I remembered my little phone in my pocket and took it out, turning it back on. Once the screen came back up, I was assaulted by all sorts of chimes and beeps. "Somebody missed you," Ben remarked with a raised eyebrow.
"A couple of somebodies it looks like," I said reading over the messages from Teddy and Harry. Teddy's were in the vein of Have you landed yet? and What are you bringing me? Harry's were more straight to the point. Message me when you land. Be safe. I love you. I felt a welcome warmth at their messages and quickly texted them back.
To Teddy, I sent Landed safe and sound. Still in the airport, so no shopping yet. Listen to Harry or you'll get nothing!
Harry, we're at the airport and all is well. Getting bags. Will call you when I'm at the hotel. Love you!
Thank you. Be careful. Talk to you soon, was Harry's swift response.
The baggage carousel rumbled to life in front of us and I put the phone away, eagerly looking for our luggage. Soon we had our bags in hand and I looked at Ben. "What now?" I asked as he checked out transportation options.
"Hm, it looks pretty terrible out there and the line for taxis looks really long." Ben looked at me speculatively. "Can you …?" he asked, twitching his nose like that witch in that old television show.
"Maybe. Where's the hotel again?" I dug around in my purse for the Boston Magical Visitor's guide. "There should be something in here to help us out."
"Um … over by Copley Square," Ben said, checking the reservation paperwork.
"All right then, let's see what I can find." I thumbed through the guide until I found mention of Copley Square. "Looks like there's a spot disguised as a permanently closed refreshment stand. That should do." I studied the image and the description, fixing it in my mind until I felt like I had it cemented in place and I nodded to Ben. "Let's go."
"Magic is so awesome," he whispered as he took my hand and we headed off to a deserted alcove. An instant of squeezing nothing and we were dumped into icy coldness that took my breath away. Five minutes of chilly walking and we were embraced by the blessed warmth of the grand hotel lobby. I let Ben handle the check-in process, handing over the credit card Harry had given me before we left for "incidentals".
"Oh, excellent, we're next door to each other," Ben said as we walked through the posh lobby to the gleaming bank of elevators. I found myself comparing it to the Plaza Harry and I had spent a memorable night in once upon a time.
"I hope the walls aren't too thin," I said, nudging him with my elbow. His cheeks flushed pink and he giggled.
"Listen, if you see a tie hanging on the doorknob, just cast one of your little spells and you won't have to worry about your beauty sleep being interrupted."
"I doubt there's a spell strong enough," I snorted, skipping lightly into the elevator ahead of him.
"Oooh, a challenge! I like it!" Outside of our rooms, we agreed to meet up for dinner in half an hour. "That should give you enough time to freshen up and call your lover boy," he said with a lascivious grin as he closed his door.
"Hello, lover boy," I purred when Harry answered his phone.
"Lover boy? What's that about?" he asked, amused at my greeting.
"It's what Ben called you just now. I like the sound of it. You're my lover boy," I said, feeling silly. "Oh my God, Harry. Traveling like a Muggle is exhausting! How do they do it?"
Harry chuckled and I felt a longing in my gut. "Where are you?" he asked.
"At the hotel. It's nice, but not as nice as the Plaza." I stretched my arms above my head and sighed. "The bed's not nearly as comfortable."
"Oh? What's it like, then?"
"Cold and empty without you in it."
"That's too bad, then."
"I could Summon you," I said, imagining that I could feel the ink of the hummingbird that decorated my upper arm.
"You could, yes. And then who would keep an eye on Teddy and teach my classes?" Harry said, his voice warm and mellow in my ear. I imagined him on the recliner in the lounge, one arm behind his head as his glasses slipped down his nose.
"You wouldn't need to stay. Just warm my bed and cuddle me until I fell asleep. And draw my bath, scrub my back, get my breakfast …"
"Oh, is that all? I'll be right over, then."
"No, I wouldn't want to inconvenience you. I'll manage on my own," I sighed, warmed by his soft chuckle.
"What are you doing next? Dinner?"
"Yeah. I'm supposed to meet Ben in … twenty minutes," I said, looking at my watch.
"Conference starts tomorrow?"
"Bright and early. We get breakfast!"
"That's the best part!" We chatted a little bit more, Harry filling me in on Teddy's doings and his upcoming week and before I was ready to say goodbye, Ben was knocking on my door.
"I've got to go, love. Ben's at the door. It's been half an hour already!"
"I don't want to keep your gay boyfriend waiting. I'll talk to you later, all right?" He paused for a moment before saying, "Call me when you go to bed."
"Oh? Are you going to tell me a bedtime story?" I asked, my heart speeding up.
"Maybe," he said softly, sounding almost as if he were right there in the room with me.
"I can hardly wait," I whispered back.
We decided that we were far too tired to venture out into the cold night, so we had dinner at the hotel's restaurant while we perused the conference documents. I was looking forward to the sessions I'd signed up for, but Ben wrinkled his nose at my choices.
"What's all this geriatrics business?" he said as he sipped his martini.
"Well, witches and wizards tend to live a lot longer than Muggles," I said, reading over a summary on a session about managing chronic illness in the elderly. "We end up spending a lot more of our time being old."
"Wait, what? Like how long?"
I put down the catalog and sat back, thinking. "Let's see … Dumbledore was over one hundred and fifteen when he died and he definitely had a few more years left in him. He was very spry. My auntie Muriel has got to be over one hundred by now and there's loads of old fossils on the Wizengamot." I looked back at Ben who was staring at me, eyes wide. "What?"
He shook his head and drank more of his martini. "I just never really thought about it, I guess. I thought that we would grow old together," he said, bumping my shoulder with his. "So when you're sixty, you'll still look like you're forty?"
"If I'm lucky and stay out of the sun," I said, taking a sip of my wine. "Does that bother you?"
Ben shrugged and looked down at the appetizer, spearing a crispy pot sticker. "I don't know. I guess maybe a little? Is there anything that witches and wizards can die of?"
"Oh, sure. I mean, there's dragon pox; that one did for Harry's grandparents. We can be shot or stabbed like any other person; we can get cancer. We just tend not to get the other illnesses that can wear a body down over time," I said, thinking of poor Gilderoy Lockhart and the Longbottoms. Their minds were destroyed, but their bodies would last for a long, long time yet.
I pulled my thoughts away from problems I couldn't solve and smiled at Ben. "What've you got? Children and babies?" We spent the rest of dinner discussing the different sessions and the social mixer the next evening until we were both yawning. Ben looked at his watch and made a face.
"Ugh, it's barely seven-thirty at home! Let's go out!" he said, covering another yawn, making me yawn in turn.
"Tempting, but no. I need to be on my toes for tomorrow. Lots of new people to meet. We have to do UCSF Medical School proud, don't we?"
"I guess we do. You're like my own little Jiminy Cricket," he said and I frowned.
"What sort of cricket am I?"
"Never mind. Remind me to show you Pinocchio when we get home."
Back in my room, I decided to take the time to unpack, putting away the myriad of jumpers, jeans, underwear and warm socks away in the drawers. In the middle of all of my clothes, I found a Chocolate Frog and I smiled, a warm, fuzzy feeling spreading out from my chest. I opened the package and caught the frog, stuffing it into my mouth before it could make a getaway. I pulled the card out of the box and laughed out loud as Harry's stern face looked back at me.
I turned it over and read the back. Harry Potter, Order of Merlin, First Class. After defeating Voldemort at the age of seventeen, Harry joined the Aurors where he received several service awards. After leaving the Aurors, Harry moved to the United States and took a position teaching Defense at the top-rated Wizarding school in the US. While at Hogwarts, Harry was the youngest Seeker in over a century, playing the position for Gryffindor and rising to Captain.
"One of the newer ones, then," I said, picking up my phone. I knew the company had sent him new copy wanting to include our marriage, but he'd refused to allow that. "Hello, youngest Seeker in a century," I murmured when he answered the call.
"You found the card?" he said, the pleasure in his voice coming through loud and clear.
"I did. Is it from that box they sent you last year?"
"Yeah. Was the frog still good?"
"I hope so. I ate it."
"Of course you did," he said, laughing softly. "What are you doing?"
"Unpacking, obviously. And then I'm going to go to bed. Ben and I just got back from dinner and I'm completely knackered. What are you doing?" I took my boots off and lay down on the bed, settling my head on the comfortable pillow.
"Just working on some lesson plans for tomorrow, having a bit of scotch."
"What's Teddy doing?" I envisioned Harry working at his desk in our study, sitting in the dark, the only light in the room coming from the giant screen as he tapped away at his keyboard.
"Video games, I think. He finished his homework, so he earned it."
"Are you in the office?"
"Yeah."
"Alone?"
"Yes."
"Good," I whispered. "You owe me a bedtime story."
"Do I?" he asked, his voice low. I could easily visualize the corner of his mouth inching upwards in a half smile.
"You said you wanted me to call you before I went to bed and you'd have a bedtime story for me." My heart beat faster at the sound of his chuckle.
"I believe I said maybe. Do you have your pajamas on? Did you brush your teeth?"
"No and no."
"Well, it doesn't sound like you're ready then."
"Oh, I'm ready," I breathed, aware of a steady tingling between my legs.
"Since I'm not there, I guess I'll have to take your word for it," Harry said, still talking in that low, incredibly sexy voice.
"I'm very trustworthy," I said, licking my lips in anticipation.
Harry chuckled again, the sound of it from three thousand miles away making my blood sing in my veins. "All right, love. Close your eyes. Do you remember that time we were on the beach and you were wearing that bikini…"