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Challenge list at the bottom
Beta'd by Sophy
Word Count - 810
Prewarned
The wedding had gone off without a hitch. Hermione had been stunning in white, her face glowing with happiness. People were milling around the reception now, little clusters of guests grouped together, chatting happily, while Harry stayed to the side, watching.
He didn't trust Theodore Nott.
Sure, he made Hermione happy now, but who was to say that that would last?
Hermione's happiness was very close to the top of Harry's list of priorities.
Waiting for the opportune moment, he crossed the room, sliding in beside Theo, who'd just paused to get a drink from the bar.
"You know, if you hurt her, I will murder you," Harry said quietly, his tone almost conversational.
Theo snorted. "You don't have it in you."
Harry's eyes narrowed. "Are you willing to find out? I'm sure that her father has given you the shovel talk, but we all know that he wouldn't actually be able to do anything to you. Me on the other hand…"
"Whatever, Potter. You're just salty that she married me instead of you."
Harry shook his head, a small chuckle leaving his lips. "No, Theo, I'm really not. Hermione is the sister of my heart, I've never thought of her in an intimate way. You ought to remember though, that should you ever decide to treat her with anything less than the utmost respect, I won't be happy."
"You're all mouth, Potter."
Harry nodded. "Let's hope you never have cause to find out. There is nothing I won't do for her, Theodore. Nothing."
Hands on his shoulders made him turn, and he smiled when Hermione wrapped her arms around him. He hugged her close.
"What are my two favourite men talking about?" she asked cheerfully.
Harry grinned. "Our favourite woman, what else?"
…
He held her close while she cried, rocking her gently in his arms. While his words whispered in her ear might be soft and full of support, his mind was filled with murder.
Green eyes glinted in the firelight as Hermione fell asleep in his arms.
The sleeping potion would hold her until he could return. He laid her carefully on the sofa, taking an extra moment to tuck a blanket around her.
He'd be back before she awoke, it would be like he never left.
…
"Get the fuck out, Potter," Theo stormed, when he saw Harry leaning against the doorframe of his living room. Harry stayed silent, watching Theo's tongue run along his lips nervously.
He was eager to hear the man scream and cry.
"I warned you," Harry said quietly, his voice carrying in the silent room. "At the wedding."
Theo rolled his eyes, lifting his tumbler of whisky to his lips.
"So what? You're here to read me the riot act?"
Harry shook his head. "No."
His wand was in his hand before Theo had time to lower his glass, and within seconds he was writhing in his seat. Harry let up, taking a moment to appreciate watching the other man pant as he tried to catch his breath.
Harry didn't give him a long break, and moments later, he watched the other man succumb to the pain once more. It was bliss, to release his anger this way.
He let up again, grinning as he walked closer to Theo.
"You might've thought I was all talk, Theodore, but you really should've known better than to cheat on my girl."
Theo stammered out an apology, but it was too little too late as far as Harry was concerned. Hermione had found him, in the bed they shared, thrusting in to the little blonde girl he'd hired as his PA.
Theo couldn't even claim drink as a stresser.
Harry shook his head. He was just an animal.
"Do you think I won't press charges?" Theo demanded, as he forced himself to his feet.
Harry blinked. "Do you think you'll live long enough to?" he asked, tilting his head to the side curiously. "Because if you do, you're sadly mistaken."
"You won't get away with this, Potter!"
Harry smirked. "Are you sure?"
…
He cleaned himself and the scene up afterwards. Murder, he supposed, shouldn't be the answer, but he felt satisfied that he'd gained a revenge that Hermione wouldn't even think to want for herself.
Returning himself to his lounge, where Hermione still lay undisturbed, he picked her back up from the sofa and reseated himself in the chair with her on his lap. Her head fell into an awkward position against his shoulder, and it took him a moment of shifting to get them both comfortable.
It wouldn't be long until she awoke now, he thought. She would still be hurt for a while, betrayed by a man who had promised to love her forever, but he would be there to support her as he always had been.
He'd look after her.
Written for;
Creativity Month - Harry&Theo - P6. "If you hurt her, I will murder you." / "You don't have it in you." / "Are you willing to find out?"
Character Appreciation - 10. Harry Potter
Buttons - Word, Kill.
Disney - C3. Flounder - A supportive friend.
Book Club - Ria Wolf - Infidelity / Awkward / Bed
Showtime - 4. Cell Block Tango - Murder
Sophie's Shelf - Word Set 4 - Bliss, Tongue, Pant, Succumb, Intimate, Eager.
Caffeine Awareness - 12. Corretto - 810 Words