CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Summary: Hermione is running. She is running from rogue Death Eaters bent on revenge, the fame that surrounds her after the war and an overbearing ex-boyfriend and his mother, insisting that they marry, regardless of her ex being a cheating weasel. She finds a quiet town in the States and meets a handsome young man, one that gives her a new outlook on life and a new love. The kind of love she had craved.
Disclaimer: I do not own canon events and characters; they belong to J.K Rowling and Stepenie Myers. I am not making a profit from writing and posting this fanfic. As for the descriptions of appearances for the Twilight characters, all my research is based on the books and not the movies.
Saturday 24th June 2006
Hermione noticed that Leah stayed behind the rest, her eyes locked on the only closed door in the hallway, meaning she knew that it had to be where Jacob was being kept.
"It wasn't your fault," Hermione spoke softly and Leah's dark eyes snapped to her, her face was blank but her eyes were the complete opposite, filled with guilt and pain and worry. "What happened tonight, it wasn't your fault, no matter what you believe," she continued to stare. "And the important thing now is that Jacob is going to be fine, if you think about it, he's got it better than the rest of you. He going to be waited on hand and foot, not that I can cook, but I can order a mean Chinese," she saw Leah's lip twitch slightly. "He's not going to be getting out of bed and he's going to be asleep for most of his bed rest, he gets out of patrols whilst the rest of you will have to cover for him."
"Lazy bastard," Leah muttered and she and Hermione shared a look and both of the corners of their mouths twitched.
"Are you hurt?" she asked her and she watched her carefully, but shook her head. Hermione's eyes flicked down to Leah's hip, where her tank top had ridden up, she could see a large and nasty looking bruise beginning to set in, and she didn't doubt it went higher, she probably had a few broken ribs too.
Hermione rolled her eyes and stepped back into her potions lab, grabbing a tub of Numbing Cream and a Skele-Gro Potion.
She handed them both to Leah and she stared at her hands.
"You don't have to use them if you don't want to, but they'll help with that nasty bruise that's already making an appearance," Hermione gestured to her hip and Leah scowled down at it. "I know you have healing capabilities, but that doesn't mean you don't feel pain. This is a Numbing Cream, which when applied to a bruise, numbs the pain to a tingle, it also helps to speed up the healing process. The other is a Skele-Gro Potion and since I suspect you may have some broken ribs, it will help to speed up the healing process also, whilst making sure your ribs heal as they should and in the correct position. I'll warn you, if you do decide to take it, it tastes foul, like something's crawled in your mouth and died, foul."
Leah's lip twitched once again and her eyebrow rose slightly.
She cautiously took the things from Hermione and then turned and walked down the hall.
"Lovely speaking with you," Hermione said and she smiled when she heard a snort escape from Leah. Progress was being made.
Hermione followed her and stepped out of the tent, coming face to face with Sam.
"I'll tell Billy you'll pick him up after lunch," Sam spoke.
She nodded and smiled at him. He turned to leave and then looked down at her, his eyes shifting between Hermione and something behind her, he looked nervous before he swooped down and pressed a kiss to her cheek, quickly leaving her sight.
She stood their shocked and she slowly turned around seeing that Seth was dying to laugh at her, she could see that he was biting his lip and his eyes were crinkled. "He... he... just..." she whispered, not being able to finish her sentence in shock.
That broke Seth, and he leaned against a nearby tree, all but doubled over on himself.
Hermione blinked several times and her mouth twitched at seeing the way Seth had slid down the tree until he ended up on the floor, his hands pressed against his stomach, and making sounds as though it were painful for him to laugh.
She shook her head and went into the tent, leaving Seth to his laughter.
With a wave of her wand, she had everything cleaned away and put in their rightful places and then she headed to the potions lab, double checking that everything was set to be left for the night, hanging her robes up on the hook, she closed the door behind her.
She yawned and stretched, going a little dizzy in the process and then sighed and headed to Jacob. She summoned some boxers and pyjama bottoms and after enlarging them, she magicked them onto him so he was no longer naked under the covers.
She then headed to her bedroom. She sat on the edge of her bed and winced when her bed creaked under her weight. She was kicking off her shoes when Seth entered her room, looking a lot calmer and still with a smile on his face.
"Feeling better?" she asked him amused, looking over her shoulder at him.
He nodded. "I don't know why I couldn't stop laughing, but between Sam's uncharacteristic nervousness and fear to what I'd do to him for touching you and your shock at him kissing your cheek, I couldn't control myself," she chuckled at him.
Her hands came up to her shoulders, which were killing her. For weeks she had been bent over reading books and taking notes, brewing potions and getting injured, not to mention the stress she was feeling by being pursued by Death Eaters, dealing with Ron's continuous letters and insults, as well as Mrs Weasley's and finding ways to keep the pack safe, her muscles had tensed up to the point where it hurt when she lifted her arms too high or moved too quickly. And that's not counting the stress she had to deal with throughout and after the war with school and exams, Ron and the press.
"Your shoulders hurting?" Seth asked, climbing onto the bed after kicking off his shoes.
"Killing me," she mumbled tiredly.
"Come here," he spoke. Hermione shuffled back on the bed with her back to him and with her legs crossed. Seth shuffled behind her, moving closer and slipping his legs on either side of hers.
His hands brushed the skin of her neck when he pushed her curls over one shoulder and she sighed when his hands took to her shoulders, being careful not to hurt her with his strength, but applying enough pressure that he was able to work the aches and pains away as he took care of the tight knots in her shoulders. Hermione was putty in his hands, just sitting there with her head lolling forward and releasing soft moans and little whimpers, when he found a particularly large knot at the junction of her neck and shoulder.
She could feel herself falling asleep, her eyes fluttering closed and sighs leaving her every minute or so. She had no idea how long he'd been working at her shoulders, but surely his fingers were hurting, though the possibility didn't stop him as he moved his hands to the back of her neck. Hermione pulled her legs up and rested her forehead against her knees, lifting her arms to gather her hair on top of her head to give him better access.
She bit down on her lip when he dragged his thumbs down the sides of her spine, a muffled moan escaping from the back of her throat and she felt Seth shift behind her, before continuing with turning her into a pile of jelly. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt so relaxed.
His hands moved away from her neck and followed the path of her spine down to the middle of her back and she felt the goose bumps erupt over her skin when his hands slipped under her t-shirt and trailed up her back until her reached her bra clasp, which he undone and she felt the elastic loosen and return to her sides.
She didn't comment nor move when he did this, though she did bite her lip when his hands continued to massage along her spine. His hands slipped lower towards the small of her back and Hermione shifted, letting go of her hair and it spilled down her back, she moved forward slightly and laid her legs flat, with her knees slightly raised, so that she could lean her body forward and press her forehead to them, wrapping her arms around her knees.
Seth reached the small of her back and splayed his hands on her hips, using his thumbs to dig into the dimples and dragging his thumbs outwards toward her hips, she sighed and moaned loudly and he stilled once again, before continuing.
"You really are perfect," she mumbled, but of course he heard and he beamed at her, not that she could see. "You better not have done this for anyone else."
He could hear the tone of possessiveness in her voice and his beam widened, whilst his member -which had long since been woken due to the moans he was eliciting from her from simply giving her a massage- twitched.
"Sometimes my mom and Leah," he responded.
"Good," she sighed. "Just you wait till I get cramps, you'd think your hands would fall off by the time I'd let you stop."
"Cramps?" he asked confused.
"Hmmm," she hummed. "My menstrual cycle, massaging my back and shoulders helps with cramps, my mum used to do it for me, Harry and Ron would just blush bright red and run out of the room when I'd ask them to do it for me," he could tell she was rolling her eyes, even if he couldn't see and he chuckled. "Ginny would sometimes do it for me, but she was rubbish at it. I once begged Fred to give me a massage in fifth year because I felt like my insides were being ripped out, he looked terrified to decline. It was no use though since he's a Quidditch player, a beater no less, so he couldn't find the right balance of pressure to use, and he'd hurt me by accident. George also being a beater was the same. They fled the corridors every time they saw me for two months afterwards." He laughed. "I asked one of the house-elves since they have small hands, again, didn't work since they're small creatures and they don't have a lot of strength so it didn't hurt me because I could barely tell there was someone touching me."
"Well, I have an older sister, the screaming, crying, mood swings and demands for shoulder rubs come with the territory." She chuckled at him. "How can I help you?"
"You want to know how to help me when I've got cramps?" she asked surprised.
"Of course I do, if I can alleviate any stress or pain you may feel then I want to. I also want to know what to expect from you. With Leah it was crying at the TV and screaming when I laughed too loud or when she couldn't find the right shirt."
She sighed. "Where have you been all my life?" she asked, giving a moan when he once again dug his thumbs into her dimples. "Well, let's see," she said, seeming to be thinking of her response. "Chocolate helps any girl, and I like to drink hot chocolate rather than tea, with whipped cream, mini-marshmallows and a funky straw," he chuckled and filed it away. "I like for someone to read to me, or to play with my hair. I like to be cuddled, I become this needy little kitten, Harry complained all the time when we were on the run because although we often shared a cot for warmth, he'd wake up choking on my hair when I had cramps." He didn't know whether to laugh in amusement or growl at the idea of someone else sharing a bed with his girlfriend.
"I like to have my back and shoulders massaged and in general, I become a more affectionate person, wanting hugs all the time, or I'd sit and hold someone's hand or play with their fingers, not even realising that I was doing it. Rather than becoming an emotional wreck, screaming and shouting and snapping over the tiniest of things, I will likely suffocate you in your sleep, more so than I do now. I also become lazy, not wanting to do anything, just wanting to stay in bed all day. I hardly get any research done since I can't concentrate so I don't really bother anymore."
"So you won't scream at me for eating the last of the ice cream?" he clarified.
"No, but if it's chocolate and you touch it, you'll lose your hands for a week," she promised him, once again sighing.
"Got it, stay away from anything that contains coco," he nodded to himself. "And I'm done," he lifted his hands, fastening the clasp of her bra and she sat up, leaning back against him as his hands slipped around to rest on her taut stomach.
"No," she groaned in protest.
"Yes, I've removed every knot that I could find."
"But I was so comfortable," she grumbled sleepily and he chuckled at her, peppering her cheeks with soft, butterfly kisses and she turned her cheek into him, smiling sleepily.
She stretched her neck and his kisses latched onto the new bit of skin that was revealed. She sighed and her hands found his under her t-shirt, interlocking her fingers with his.
She moaned when he lightly nibbled at her skin and she turned her head, managing to catch his lips with her own.
She turned in his hold, her tongue swiping across the seam of his lips and he parted for her, and knowing that she was more experienced than him, he allowed her to dominate the kiss. She rose up onto her knees, wrapping her arms around his neck and she pushed against him, until he fell down onto his back and she followed, her chest pressed flat against his and her legs straddling his hips.
She felt the bulge in his jeans and her hips began moving of their own accord, circling and grinding. His hands gripped at her hips and he gave a cross between a growl, gasp and groan.
She sat up and he followed her, his arms wrapping around her back and pulling her closer. She pulled her mouth from his needing to breathe and moved her lips to his jaw and neck, nipping, kissing, nibbling and sucking, knowing that if she were to give him a love bite, it would be gone in no time at all, but that didn't stop her, she wanted to mark him as hers, no matter how long it lasted.
"What is it?" she asked panting and pulling back to look at him, knowing that something was playing on his mind.
"What?" his headed tilted to the side like a confused puppy and he looked adorable.
"I know there's something on your mind, something that you can't stop thinking about," and her suspicions were confirmed when she noticed that his cheeks darkened, though it was difficult to see given his russet tone. "It's something you're embarrassed about," she stated knowingly. "The only time I've known you to be embarrassed about anything is when it's of a sexual nature, so, let's talk this through. If there's something you're curious about or there's something you want to try, just let me know. This is a learning curve for us both, I may be slightly more experienced than you, but that doesn't mean I'm not learning too," she said softly, placing her hands against his cheeks. "I'm learning things about myself that I didn't know before, just as I am learning about you, and you vice versa. So tell me, what's got you so muddled up the head," she tapped his temple with one finger.
His eyes bore into hers before they fell downcast.
"I was just curious," he mumbled.
"What are you curious about?" she asked him, he looked up at her and took a deep breath, before leaning forward and whispering in her ear.
Her eyebrows rose slightly, but then she smiled and pulled back from him, looking down at his embarrassed expression.
She leaned forward and pressed her mouth to his, distracting him from his embarrassment, and when they were both breathless she pulled back and climbed off him, pulling him off the bed and out of the room towards the bathroom.
She flicked her wand turning the shower on and setting it to the right temperature. She then grabbed a couple of towels and left them in reaching distance, before proceeding to strip out of her clothes. She didn't have sensitive hearing, but even she was able to hear the hitch in Seth's breath and the way his breathing sped up.
She climbed into the shower and sighed when the warm water washed over her.
"Are you joining me?" she asked and she smiled when she heard the rustle of clothing being removed, before Seth opened the shower door and stepped inside with her.
It wasn't an overly large shower, but it was big enough to just as say fit two people, but due to Seth's large frame, it was a tighter fit. She took the soap and wash cloth from the shelf and turned to face Seth, noting the way his eyes had darkened and he started at her in lust, love, adoration and amazement, as she simply lathered the soap and picked up his hand, washing from his shoulder down to his fingers, before moving to the other side. She softly dragged the wash cloth down his neck and across his chest and abdomen. He took a deep breath when she knelt down and repeated the process on his legs, before standing and turning him around so she could do his back.
She pushed him under the water so the soap suds were washed off him and he took the soap and wash cloth from her, reciprocating, washing from her neck down to her feet, he was gentle with her scar and when it came to her breasts he was hesitant, but Hermione put him straight, meanwhile Hermione's skin broke out in goose bumps and she sighed happily.
She was manoeuvred so she was under the shower and the soap was washed away.
She opened her eyes to see Seth staring at her lovingly.
"What?" she asked him softly.
"You're beautiful," he stated with a tone of adoration, and normally Hermione would've protested, but she knew he meant it.
His hands came up to her cheeks, holding her gently and locking his gaze on hers.
"You are beautiful," he repeated and she smiled at him.
"I don't know what I did to deserve you," she admitted in a whisper, standing up on her tip toes to rest her forehead against his. He tilted his head and pressed his lips to hers and pulled her closer to him. His erection rested against her stomach and that's when she remembered Seth's whispered confession.
She pulled back, moving her lips across his cheek and down towards his neck, nibbling at his jaw and throat and determined to leave a mark. She moved her mouth lower, placing kisses against collar bones and pectorals, moving lower to his abdomen until she was on her knees.
Seth's eyes widened and his breathing sped up, seeming to understand what she was planning to do.
She looked up at him through her eyelashes, wanting to see his reaction. She took him in her hand and after a few strokes she leaned forward and swiped her tongue over his slit, before taking his head into her mouth and sucking gently.
A series of colourful curses left him, much to Hermione's surprise, and he fell back against the wall for support when she slowly, teasingly took him in her mouth, inch by inch, using her tongue to trace patterns on the way down and hollowing her cheeks and sucking on the way back up, taking great pleasure in seeing the way she was effecting him.
"I now understand the appeal," he said quietly as they lay in bed together.
Seth was wearing nothing but boxers and Hermione a pair of knickers and one of Seth's t-shirts, which he had left behind, not that he minded. He had come to the conclusion she should only wear his clothes. She had laughed at him when he pointed it out after climbing out of the shower and drying.
She chuckled at his words and snuggled closer, her fingers trailing circles on his chest and her head resting over his heart, hearing the steady beat putting her in a trance.
"Well, I'm glad that I could help," she spoke sleepily.
"There's something else I'm curious about," he admitted, and she noted that he sounded a lot more confident than he had before and she smiled to herself.
"Yes?"
He placed a kiss to her forehead before whispering his reply in her ear. Her breath hitched and her fingernails inadvertently scratched over his chest, causing a low rumble of a growl to be pulled from the back of his throat.
She looked up at the clock and saw that it was close to three in the morning.
"Next time," she promised him, leaning up to give him a kiss, which he tried to deepen but she pulled away and smacked at his chest lightly. "You're exhausted, I'm exhausted, it's been a stressful day and we need sleep."
He placed a kiss to her forehead, pulled her even closer to him and they both fell asleep.