Timeless (XXVI)

Hi guys. This chapter is definitely M, so be warned. Please send me reviews.

Their bedroom door was slightly ajar and the faint echo of the Musical Hairspray hung in the hall. Arthur had to chuckle, recognizing his children's attempt to ease the tension between their parents. He sent Molly into the room and kissed her softly on the temple when she moved past him.

"I thank your little ones for their thoughtfulness. I'll be only a minute", he said quietly and saw a radiant smile widen Molly's lips. She nodded and stroked his cheek gently.

Arthur reached the twins room and found all the children present there. He nodded to Bill and Charlie and they grinned in return. Fred and George looked a bit uncomfortable and made little gestures as if pointing their hands at the other. Neither of them wanted to take the blame. And that in itself was prove enough that the twins were behind the romantic setting of their bedroom. But then his gaze dropped to Ginny and Hermione sitting on the floor. They were a little flushed and couldn't look up into his face. 'So they also had something to do with it', thought Arthur in gratitude.

"Hi kids", he greeted them amiably. "Thank you for the romantic setting. Oh and Fred, George, How about that party you two promised me? Is it still up?"

Fred and George nodded enthusiastically. Arthur inclined his head and turned around again.

"I have a rendez-vous with your mother."

----

Arthur reached the door to his bedroom and peeked in. Molly didn't even hear him push the door open or notice him standing in the doorway. She looked tired. Sad. A little weak maybe. He smiled at the way the moon shone on her red hair. An idea flashed in his mind. Reaching over to the LP player control panel, he pushed a button and the music changed from the intro to the song 'Timeless'. That caught her attention.

She looked away from the window and caught the outline of him standing in the doorway. "Arthur," she spoke softly, "you're here."

He put his finger to his lips, pushing the door shut behind him. He moved towards her, loosening his tie. She sat silently in the chair watching him advance. He slowly withdrew the tie from around his neck, tossing it in her direction. She reached out to catch it, but it fell at her feet instead. He could see a small smile curve her lips as she looked up at him. For the moment, he knew that she was his. There was nothing on her mind but him standing before her and wondering what he had planned.

He slowly removed his jacket, arm by arm until he tossed it too in her direction. This time she caught it with a laugh. The way she looked up at him caused her to slightly blush and it made him smile that he could still cause her to react after so many years. They were no longer young, but middle aged, yet he took pride in the fact that they still had romance and such passion in their relationship.

Today, he wanted nothing more than to make her feel better. He wanted her to forget about the open heart surgery and their fights.

As he started to unbutton his shirt, she stood up, letting his jacket fall from her lap to the floor. She took a step closer to him and started to say something when she stumbled over a book she had laid on the floor next to her chair. She fell forward and into his waiting embrace. Molly laughed and looked up at him. In what seemed like an instant, he bent down and scooped her up and into his arms. The curls in her hair bounced as she leaned her head back before finally resting it on his shoulder and closing her eyes. She didn't even notice they'd moved until he was gently placing her on the bed.

Her hands roamed up his chest and she held his face in her hands. They looked into each other's eyes for a moment before their lust overpowered them both.

Her hands turned to the buttons of his shirt as he moved atop of her. He began to kiss her neck as she tried to push the shirt off his shoulders. With his help, she finally managed to toss it aside as he undid the tie on her robe. In the few minutes he had visited the children, she had changed. She was wearing a short black slip underneath. Even when she felt ill and utterly unattractive, she could still turn him on with just a simple black slip worn beneath her robe. She knew that and Arthur had to smile that she was this eager. That was the beauty of his wife. She looked the most gorgeous when she wasn't trying at all. He slid his right hand up her thigh and beneath the silky material. She moaned softly as her hands played with the buckle on his belt. She finally got it undone and cast it aside, quickly unzipping his pants. He kicked them off and pushed her slip further down as he began to kiss her neck and down her chest.

She softly moaned his name, her cheek pressed against the top of his head. She reached out to run her hands through his hair as he kissed her stomach. Suddenly he was kissing her lips again and his right arm slid beneath her body, rolling her on top of him. He threw the robe off the bed as he pushed it from her shoulders. The slip was next. He began kissing her neck again as she positioned herself on top of him. He could tell that she was uncomfortable. She usually liked to be underneath him, to feel his body pressing against hers. She had once admitted to him that it made her feel safe and as if he would always be there to protect her.

"Oh, Arthur, I've missed you," she whispered softly, her hair falling in her face as she bent down to kiss him.

He brushed her hair aside, his hand against the back of her neck. His other hand ran along her thigh. She could feel his excitement for her and it made her heart race even faster. She pulled away from him and began to place kisses upon his chest, in particular his scar from the surgery. Her hair fell to the side and tickled him slightly. Her eyes flashed up to his when she heard him laugh softly. She wasn't supposed to be seducing him. He was the one seducing her. He reached for her waist and pulled her against him, looking into her eyes. He kissed the side of her mouth and down her chin, tickling her neck. He smiled to hear her giggle and feel her starting to squirm.

Arthur rolled over on to his side and pulled her with him. She reached her hand up to touch his face, but he grabbed her hand with his own. She allowed him turn her around to face away from him. Molly bent her head down, tightening her grasp on his hand. She'd only let him take her this way a few times. Usually she protested and he wouldn't push her any further, but every once in a long while she would eventually give in to his advances. Tonight she felt uniquely in the mood. In fact, she wanted it. She wanted to feel him inside her. She wanted to let him take control. She wanted him to take away her fears. She would let him do anything he wanted to do to her tonight and she would savor every moment of it because it meant he was alive.

His hand let go of hers and ran up and down her leg a few times. Gently, he brushed her hair from her neck. He moved to kiss her neck and placed his left hand on her hip. Her hand quickly found his as she intertwined her fingers with his. His body was pressed closely against her own.

"Are you all right?" he whispered into her ear. She nodded in reply, unable to find any words to speak.

It was slow and he could hear her breath catch as he entered her. She took a few quick breaths and laid her head back against him. Letting go of his hand, she clutched the sheet in her fist. He moved slowly against her, listening to her moans. He whispered her name into her ear causing her body to quiver against him.

She opened her eyes and turned her head to face him. He leaned forward to kiss her.

"You don't have to be so gentle," she whispered breathlessly, pressing her lips to his. "I won't break. Or aren't you feeling well?"

"I'm alright, Mollywobbles, just taking my time."

That was the first time she'd ever asked him not to be gentle with her. For once, she didn't want to feel so delicate and breakable. She wanted to feel alive and on fire. She turned her face away from him as he grabbed her hip. She knew she'd have a bruise there the next morning. However, the thought quickly left her mind as he began to thrust against her.

He slid his strong hand between her legs. She groaned deeply, feeling his fingers pressing into her. She became louder and louder as he moved against her. The sound of her voice turned him on, making him want her even more. He kissed her neck. Her shoulder. Suddenly he pulled out of her, startling her as he grabbed her shoulder and pushed her back against the mattress. He loomed above her for a moment, his eyes raking down her body and causing her to blush.

"You're beautiful. How could I have even thought about giving up sex with you? I must have been stupid," he whispered, and she smiled slightly as she looked up at him.

"Not stupid, love. Never stupid, just afraid", she whispered back.

Her smile only lasted a moment, though, before he thrust into her quickly. Her head rolled back and she couldn't contain the sound that escaped her lips. His hands grabbed her hips, pulling her closer to him. Normally she would close her eyes and let the sensation of him moving inside of her take over her senses. But this time she couldn't stop watching him. It wasn't until he pushed her legs wider apart and thrust deeper into her that she let out his name in a loud groan and her eyes slid shut. Her breathing became shorter as every time he thrust into her she could feel her breath catch in the back of her throat.

"Arthur, please," her voice quivered ever so slightly.

He knew she was reaching her climax and he could feel himself about ready to let go. He slowed the pace to prolong it for both of them, moving gently against her as he bent down to kiss her lips. She slipped her arms around him, pressing him against her body. He kept whispering how beautiful she was in her ear as a final sensation overtook her body.

She lay motionless beneath him, the only movement coming from her chest as she tried to catch her breath. He remained on top of her for a moment, catching his own breath. He finally extricated himself from her and slid over next to her. Emily turned on her side and faced her husband.

She sighed, moving to rest her head atop of his chest. It was as if she could still feel his hands caressing her body even now and the sensation of making love to him still felt tangible.

"Oh Molly… that was … you were …" He shook his head. He didn't have the words to describe it. He was usually never at a loss for words.

She smiled, content that she could still satisfy him in such a passionate way.

----

Molly exited the bathroom clad in a towel only. Running a hand through her damp hair, she tried to work out some of the excess water with the end of her towel. As she walked to her closet, she found a small yellow box on the dressing table. It hadn't been there last night. It was quite a small box and looked to be just the size that she loved the most – boxes this small almost always contained jewelry. Yet she wondered why it was there.

"You're not going to just stand there and stare at it, are you?"

Molly jumped at the sound of his voice. She turned around to find her husband standing in the doorway.

"My God, Arthur! Don't come up behind me like that!"

"My apologies, dear," he conceded.

She looked at him quizzically, holding up the box. "Arthur, what is this?"

"Why don't you open it and find out?" he suggested.

"I just don't understand the occasion for this."

"It's a yellow box, Molly. No special occasion. Just open it."

His answer was short and didn't satisfy her. He was behaving oddly and she couldn't figure out what he was up to. It didn't escape her notice that he was dressed, not in a robe or pajamas, but in an normal clothes. She was lost in her thoughts until she heard Arthur clear his throat.

"Are you going to open it or not?" he asked.

The irritation in his voice made her smile inwardly. He had been grating on her nerves for weeks and she had gone out of her way to make sure that she didn't upset him, something that was not an easy task. Their playful bickering and short, biting remarks were the hallmark of their loving banter and it had been hard to break herself of the habit to argue with him.

Molly turned away from him and back to the box. Arthur frowned slightly that she was facing away from him and he couldn't watch her response. He could hear the faint sound of her opening the box. After a few moments, she turned back to him.

"I don't understand," she stated flatly, holding a tube of lipstick in one hand and the empty box in the other. "Why would you give this to me?" she asked.

"I wanted to buy you something to wear when we go to Egypt next week."

He was being coy and it was confusing her even more.

"Next week? Egypt…? What are you talking about, Arthur? We don't have any plans to go to Egypt next week … or any money to go with."

"We do now," he informed her. "I made the reservations yesterday and because I was attacked at work the ministry has paid for everything. I told you that insurance would come in handy."

"Why … why would you do that without asking me first? You know that I have responsibilities here. Our children for instance and the Order."

Arthur sighed heavily.

"Asking your wife first ruins the point of a surprise."

Her frown quickly faded and Molly didn't look quite as disapproving as she had a few moments ago.

"You have been amazing these past few weeks. I know that I have been driving you crazy with my mood swings and my bad attitude. I also missed our anniversary while I was in the hospital and I just wanted to do something to show you how much I appreciate you and all that you do for me."

Molly smiled.

"I missed you, too. But there are still your job and the Order."

"I know. The children will be in Hogwarts and the Order agreed that they can cope even without us. The trip was Albus idea. And Bill asked friends of his if we could use their holiday house. They said yes. And we're going for two weeks only."

"I think it's a wonderful idea, Arthur. But what is this for?" she asked, holding up the tube of lipstick once again.

"It's all you'll need to take with you on our trip. You are not allowed to pack anything else," he informed her.

"And why is this the only thing that I will need? You expect me to walk around Egypt wearing nothing but lipstick?" She raised an eyebrow as a playful smile appeared on her lips.

"Not around Egypt, no. But I don't plan on doing much sightseeing while we're there."

"No?"

Arthur walked over to where she was standing.

"No," he confirmed, taking the tube of lipstick from her hand.

He put it back in the box and dropped it on the dressing table behind her. His hand reached out to trace down her shoulder. Her skin was cool to the touch, but his hand was warm and sent a shiver thought her body.

"I think we'll just stay inside the house and make up for lost time."

"We do have a lot of time to make up for," she agreed.

Molly smiled and Richard caught a glimpse of the sparkle in her eyes, encouraging him to go further. But before Arthur could comply, they were interrupted by a shy knock on their door.

"Mum, Dad, we're waiting for you to start breakfast. Are you coming?" asked Ginny's voice from the other side of the door.

Arthur sighed heavily.

"Yes, we're coming", he called to his daughter, before bending down to his wife and growling in her ear, "I'll get you in Egypt."