Hi Everyone,

As an extra treat, I have submitted Chapter Seven as a huge thank you to your positive feedback.

Again, this chapter contains mild adult themes.

Thank you.


Chapter 07

Sometime during the night, I wake up after a particularly bad dream and I instinctively turn towards him. I can just see his profile in the silvery light provided by the moon. His breathing is deep and even which tells me he is fast asleep and he has a look of utter contentment on his face. He looks so peaceful and happy about something because of the smile gracing his lips. His eyes are blinking rapidly because he is dreaming and it must be a happy dream because of the smile spreading across his face. Whatever he is dreaming about is definitely far better than my lingering nightmare. Scowling about the unfairness of it all and because it looks like I am not going to sleep…again, I climb out of bed and that is when I become aware of a dull throbbing ache down there. As I start walking, more like shuffling towards the couch beneath the window, I wince. I carefully sit down, drawing my legs beneath me and I peer out at the night sky. It is clear night with millions of stars flickering in the inky blackness.

Shifting slightly, I wince because of the delicious tenderness down there and my thoughts drift to the frantic lovemaking in the shower. A warm glow spreads through me because I cannot believe he made love to me in the shower…and it was perfect and everything I imagined it to be even though it was awkward and we fumbled a bit, but it was worth it. He was very gentle, yet I am tender and I don't know how I am going to look anyone in the eye in the morning. I blush just thinking about it, but I blush even more when I think back to the gentle way he claimed me. He was so gentle, I experienced very little pain and the little pain I had faded as soon as I concentrated on the fullness I felt when he was buried so deeply within me, I couldn't move…and since then I feel happier - except for now when my nightmare pulled me from my sleep. As I eye him from my seat, I realise I want to experience what we shared again. I regard him for a moment longer and I start smiling when he feels around for me and because I am not where he wants me to be, he sits up and reaches for his glasses. I love the way he looks right now. His hair is an unruly mess and he is wearing a self-satisfied smirk, which turns into a grin when he notices me. He gets up and saunters towards me only in his boxers and my eyes are drawn to what gave me, us so much pleasure earlier today.

"Hey beautiful. What are you doing sitting here all by your lonesome?" he asks as he crouches in front of me, but as soon as I look at him, I burst into tears. I can't help it. It really sucked waking up from my nightmare and her face still lingers like a permanent imprint in my head. It doesn't matter how hard I try to think of pleasant things, she always intrudes and it doesn't help matters that my scar twinges slightly every time I think of her, be it knowingly or not.

"Mione," he whispers as he grabs my hand and touches my cheek in a gentle caress leaving me with little choice but to look at him. I don't know what he sees, but his brow creases into a slight frown and he stands taking me with him. He gently wraps his arms around me and holds me until I have cried myself out. By the time the tears have dried out, his chest is damp, yet he doesn't seem to mind.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he prompts softly as his hands trace soothing circles along my upper back.

"No, but it's the same dream. I never had time to think about it, but since we've been back here," I sigh. "I don't know what to do…and I need to sleep."

"Come to bed with me, Mione. Let me love you for a little bit," he whispers and my heart thuds in my chest as his words sink in. He wants to make love to me again and because I want him to, I nod. He lifts my chin and plants a chaste kiss on the corner of my mouth before taking me by the hand and leading me back to the bed and quite unexpectedly, I feel very nervous. What if it hurts when I take him in? I am already sore and I don't know if I'll cope taking him in so soon, yet he smooths my fringe back and fusses with my hair until it hangs in soft waves around my shoulders, framing my face. When he looks at me, I lose my train of thought. His eyes are so dark and I warily lift my hands to his glasses. I like seeing him without them on as I see him as he is. He doesn't have very good eyesight, but he has told me he has no problems seeing close up, like now as he steps towards me, leaving just enough room between us so that we breathe easily, not that we are breathing easily. He smiles softly at me as he gently cups my face between his hands. I close my eyes to enjoy his light, calloused touch. I love the roughness of his hands against my soft skin. I feel him lean towards me and I watch his progress from beneath my lashes. He pauses a mere inch from my mouth and he licks his upper lip and that draws a soft sigh from me. It literally kills me when he does that and he grins broadly at me as he gently presses his lips to mine in a soft and tender kiss. I start sagging and before I lose the ability to stand on my own two feet, I shoot my arms around him and he curls his free arm around my lower back. He continues showering kisses on my face, but what I want is his mouth and if he was wearing a shirt or vest, his lips would be back on my mine, so I settle for threading my fingers through his hair. Through my camisole and pajama pants, I feel every hard muscle, including the erection begging to be freed from its constraints. His hands skim the curve of my back, finally curling around my buttocks where he pulls me in for a very tight fit and the contact elicits a soft sigh from my lips which in turns pulls a deep rumble from his chest that reverberates throughout my body right to the place where I want him the most.

"Harry," I breathe as my hands shakily hook into his boxers, "Please….This is driving me…beyond wild. I need you…now."

He laughs a low pleasing laugh that sends shivers along my spine, causing my skin to break out in gooseflesh. He withdraws his hands and moves them to the hem of my camisole and he slowly tugs it upwards and over my head, revealing my creamy, standing-at-attention breasts. My pendant rests between them, but not for much longer, it seems, is my thought as he takes my breast in hand and gently kneads it, drawing another moan from me. I grasp his chin and bring him back to my mouth and I kiss him deeply. I enjoy the way his tongue teases mine. A silent battle of wills ensues between us. The battle of our tongues has begun and there is no way I can prevent the smile from spreading across my face. His hands move to my hips, to my pajama pants and he starts pushing them off with me jiggling my hips to make it easier and each time my breasts brushes his chest, he elicits a low sigh, sometimes a moan as if he is fighting to keep control of the situation.

"Do you have any idea how wild I am for you?" he growls as I step out of my offending pants. I kick them aside and get to work on my undies. With his help, they are off in less than ten seconds.

"My turn," I smirk as I hook my fingers into his boxers and I pull them over his hips, being careful not to hurt him. I drop my gaze to the magnificent erection now standing proud and free of its confines…and I moan. I am tempted to touch him, but I want to feel him buried deeply within him.

"Now it is my turn," he smirks as he gently shoves me onto the bed. I scramble further on with him crawling after me. Once I am settled, he moves to cover me, however he hovers long enough to kiss me and leaving me with little choice but to sink back onto the pillows. As I do that, he lowers himself onto me and he nestles, right there. It draws another moan from my lips which he smothers with another kiss. I move my hands along his back, over his shoulders to his chest. He breaks our kiss, long enough to reach for my hands and he interlocks them as he gently moves them to either side of my head, leaving me exposed and vulnerable, but in a very good way. I like the way he looks at me as if am the most beautiful girl he has ever seen.

During our school years, he always had admirers, most of them females. Sometimes they'd follow him around, ogling him. One girl went so far as to smuggle chocolates laced with a love potion into his dorm which Ron ate… It would have been something to laugh about if he was not poisoned by drinking a glass of mead offered to him by Professor Slughorn after he drank the antidote, but I am not going to let that memory dampen the mood Harry and I have created, so I focus my attention on his eyes.

He lowers his mouth towards mine and captures it in a deeply passionate kiss. At the same time, he releases my hand and guides it between us. As soon as I feel the hard length of him, I close my hand over it and gently guide him to the entrance of my innermost place. I release them so that I can curl my hand around the nape of his neck. I brace myself to take him in, and he slowly, gently pushes into me ensuring I feel every wonderful inch of him. I gasp and then moan softly as he eases up to give me a chance to adjust to his size, even though my muscles are doing an excellent job of accommodating him.

"Are you…okay?" he murmurs.

"Yes…Don't stop, please?"

He laughs, "I have no intention of stopping, Mione. In fact I am just getting started. Brace yourself, my beautiful girl."

Brace myself? He is just getting started? I think the temperature between us has shot up a few degrees. I get the feeling I am in for something completely different to what we experienced in the shower and by the intense way he keeps on looking at me, it is going to be even better considering the initial awkwardness between us. Thinking about our shower brings a smile to my face and he returns his smile as he trails kisses along my jawline to nibble at my earlobe.

"Harry, that tickles," I giggle.

"I know, that's why like to do that. I wonder what other delightful areas I will discover?" he muses as he pulls back to look at me.

"Harry," I whisper.

"Yeah?"

"I love you," I murmur.

He plants a soft kiss on my forehead, "I love you more," he murmurs and my heart swells with love as it is the first time he has said the words, even though I knew it already, but it's something else entirely hearing it from him.

"Harry," I whisper as I slip my arms around him, holding him close.

"Mione," he murmurs, "I am going to move now," he whispers and I nod. I tighten my arms around him, bracing myself for the pleasure he is going to give to me. He gently kisses me as he begins to move, and I moan softly. He breaks our kiss, locking our eyes together. His eyes do not leave mine as he slowly moves within me. Warmth starts pooling in my stomach and millions of sensations start flowing from where we are intimately joined. I bring him back to my mouth and we share an intimate kiss and I keep him there. I don't want to lose any of his warmth.

"You are mine. All of you belongs to me," he whispers. "Say it, Mione. Say it."

"I belong to you as you belong to me," I add for good measure and he rolls his eyes at me.

"God, I love you," he murmurs and I positively beam as his words sink in. He meant every word and it makes me grin like an idiot.

"I love you more," I whisper and with that said, he captures my mouth in a deeply passionate kiss. My nightmare seems so long ago and it is because of him. He helps me forget. I don't know if that is good or bad, but whatever it is, I love him all the more because of it. As his movements increase, the tightening in my belly and innermost place worsens, but in a very good way. I feel the build up and I elicit a soft sigh at the same time, a rumble reverberates from deep within him, shaking me to my very core and I start laughing. In all my fantasies or imaginings, I never ever thought making love was quite like this. With him, it is perfect. With him, it is just the two of us and nothing else matters but the beating of our hearts.


As we descend the stairs just after seven in the morning, he interlocks his hand with mine. Now that we have crossed the line we set for ourselves, there is no need to hide anymore. I just hope that when we sit at the breakfast table, there won't be too many questions or knowing looks from the rest of the household. I am still deliciously tender and it makes me smile. After he made love to me in the early hours of the morning, I fell into a deep sleep wrapped securely in his arms and I did not wake up until just after six and because I slept better than I have in a long time, I feel rested and ready to face whatever challenges may or may not be thrown at me during the course of today. I don't know what I look like, but I know my cheeks have a slight pink tinge to them and if anything Mrs Weasley will probably realise what occurred last night, however when we step into the diningroom, everyone is silent as the Daily Prophet is passed around and my heart sinks.

Harry leads me to my chair and just like the gentleman he is, he waits for me to sit before he seats himself. I grab my serviette to distract myself from Ron's piercing blue eyes and Ginny's I-know-what-you-did look. Of course she will know. She's not a virgin herself, so she will know what happened between Harry and me. I just don't know what her reaction is going to be, but it will definitely not be like Ron who is beet-red as he regards Harry and me. Scowling, I look him in the eye and I wonder what on earth I saw in him. He still has the emotional range of a teaspoon and I don't know if that will ever change. He smirks at me as if he knows what went on between his friend and me.

"Good morning, Ronald," I deliberately say his full name and it has the desired effect because he glowers at me.

"Hermione," he says politely enough, but not enough to hide the displeasure in his voice and I automatically reach for Harry's hand curled around my thigh. I turn towards him and gives me a lopsided grin that brings a smile to my face and I lace our fingers together. He proceeds to run his thumb along my knuckles while he silently regards the deadpan stare Ron is shooting our way.

"So," says George, drawing my attention, "Did you sleep well, Hermione?"

I blush without meaning to and he flashes me a goofy grin. He knows. He definitely knows what happened I last night. In fact, he looks rather amused. I think it is the first time he has smiled since we returned home a couple of days ago. He raises his eyebrow in an all-too knowing way and my blush deepens. I give Harry a sidelong glance and I scowl. His expression is carefully guarded and there is not a hint of embarrassment on his face. It's not fair. How does he keep his true feelings well and truly under control?

"I…Last night was the first time I slept so well in a very long time, George. Thank you. It was nice of you to ask," I reply while he regards me. If Fred was still alive, they'd be playing the mickey with me and deriving great satisfaction from my apparent discomfit that has now caught the attention of Mr and Mrs Weasley.

"She does look better, Molly," muses Mr Weasley. "At least she has a bit of color in her cheeks."

"Or," puts in George as he grins cheekily at me, "It is because of a certain wizard's presence."

"Shut up, George," I mutter to hide my discomfit at been put on the spot. It's not fair. Harry remains calm and collected while I am a frazzled bunch of nerves.

"If you must know, Mione slept very well last night and that is why she looks better this morning. That is all there is to it so you can stop with your innuendos, George," warns Harry.

"So, it's Mione now, is it," asks George a he has a sip of his orange juice.

"So what?" I snap as I attempt getting to my feet, but Harry increases the pressure on my hand to keep my seated and I grudgingly concede as I lean back in my chair.

"Okay, George. I think that is quite enough," cuts in Mrs Weasley. "They are not children and what they do in their private time is no concern of yours," she points out as she points at the paper. "The memorial service is going to be held tomorrow at Hogwarts."

Everyone slumps in their seats including me and I rapidly blink my eyes to stem my unexpected tears. Tomorrow we say goodbye to the wizards and witches who perished in the battle against Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Harry increases the pressure on my knuckles, letting me know it's okay to cry, but at the same time he is taking comfort from me. I turn towards him and the pain in his eyes is undeniable. Nothing he can say or do will bring back the dead and at the moment, he struggling to keep himself under control.

"So we will travel by port-key tomorrow morning. We will leave about about six am, so I suggest you all take it easy today," she continues as she folds the paper and sets it aside. Her expression becomes sad when she looks at George biting his lip while he tries to keep himself together. I do not want to look at Ron or Ginny, but I do and both of them staring at their half-empty plates of food. As I watch, Ron jumps up and flies out of the diningroom and by the slamming of the kitchen door, he has gone outdoors. Biting my lip, I pull my gaze from Ginny and I concentrate on my serviette. For some inexplicable reason I feel as if I am intruding on something private and the temptation to run is nearly overwhelming.

"Mione…"

I turn towards Harry, "Yes?"

"Do you want to go for a walk?"

I regard everyone for a moment, "Yes…"

"What about breakfast?" asks Mrs Weasley.

"We'll grab some toast," says Harry as we stand together. He grabs four slices of toast and hands two to me. "We won't be long. It's just that she needs fresh air."

She smiles fondly at him, "I think you are good for her, Harry. Just look at her. She can't seem to keep her eyes off you."

He slips his arm around my waist and holds me close. "We are good for each other… We will see you later."

"Alright, just don't do the disappearing act like you did yesterday. You had me worried," she teases and I smile at her. When we returned home from Hogsmeade late yesterday afternoon, she reprimanded us for disappearing like we did and she made us promise to tell her the next time we want to elsewhere. We happily agreed.

"We won't, Mrs Weasley. I just don't want you to worry about us," he says.

"I can't help it, Harry. You two are part of my family. I have to worry about you," she explains.

"Mrs Weasley," I murmur as I slip my arm around her, "Thank you. That means a lot to me."

"I know," she murmurs, "I hope he was gentle with you," she says for me alone.

"He was, so you needn't worry about that," I reassure her.

"Good, now off you go. If you need anything, you know where to find me."

"Thank you," says Harry as he gives her a friendly hug. Once they part, he slides his arm around my waist and guides me through the kitchen and out the backdoor and into the warmth of another summer day.