Chapter 26
Hermione huddled with Astoria on her couch, wondering if she had been truly prepared to be an auror's wife. Not that she would ever take it back.
There had been times over the years since Harry had become an auror that she had worried for him. She'd known his job was dangerous. But they had been distant, nebulous feelings.
Those feelings had become more intense in the months since she'd been in New York and she'd seen, up close, the risks he often took on the job. However, they were nothing in comparison to these hours when she'd been sitting with Astoria waiting for their husbands to return to them while the two men had been part of the team lying in wait for the Silent Killer.
It was worse- at least in her mind- that she and Astoria had been the ones to send them off after this suspect in the first place. And even worse than that, she'd had little time to speak to Harry about her behavior in respect to the case after she'd explained her theory to him.
Harry had- understandably- been anxious to move forward with the operation and no part of herself could bring her to try to delay him from stopping such a monster. But it still chafed that she hadn't gotten the chance to properly explain herself to him, especially given the small part of her that couldn't help but worry that he might never come back.
They had been married for six days. Hermione thought that even given six decades she'd have a hard time expressing to him how much she loved him. So, six days was far too few, and she'd squandered most of them, even if she still felt that her intentions had been good.
Hermione and Astoria were still on the couch, mindlessly watching some infomercial on the television when the wizards in question stumbled in just before 3 am, both looking a little worse for the wear, but also healthy and hale. Draco grabbed Astoria and apparated away before Hermione could protest their sudden departure.
Harry held her tight. "He would never, ever have taken her if he had a single doubt that he could transport her safely."
Hermione let out a relieved breath, knowing he was right, and did another assessment of her own husband. Again, her eyes told her that he looked a little rumpled, but mostly well.
"How are you?" She ran her hands down his face, over his torso, she'd reached his hips before she realized he was smirking at her.
"I'm completely fine, but feel free to keep checking."
She stopped fretting immediately, a half-laugh, half-sob escaping her lips. "You're okay? It worked? Did you at least check in with a healer?"
"I'm perfectly safe. And of course it worked, you brilliant witch. I had a healer do a diagnostic scan because I knew that you would fret, but I'm fine."
He raised his eyebrows at her, silently asking if she believed him.
"Thanks," she rasped.
He drew her into his arms. "Shower with me?"
Hermione was exhausted, she had been up for two days, only catching a cat nap here and there, and that was following a couple of days of restless sleep. She wasn't certain how long her legs could even support her at this point. She couldn't imagine how Harry seemed unaffected. Still, she didn't hesitate. "Lead on Mr. Potter."
He pulled her towards the bathroom and closed the door behind them, then started the shower. He whipped his glasses off and practically threw them onto the vanity, but given his nearsightedness Hermione wasn't concerned that he wouldn't be able to see what he was doing in the small space.
She watched as he stripped out of his standard issue auror uniform and armor. She hated the reason that he had to wear it, but she couldn't help her reaction to the sight of him in the body-hugging suit, and more so to watching him peel it off.
She was wearing a pair of old pajama pants and one of his tee shirts. She had spent all night tugging at her hair and worrying her lip. She was certain she looked a mess, but when he grinned at her and said: "Hi, beautiful," she didn't doubt his words for a moment.
"Need you," he murmured as he stripped her clothes from her body.
"Yes, okay," she gasped, as she allowed him to maneuver them towards the shower. It didn't escape her notice that, despite the fact that he seemed desperate for her, his body was taut as a bowstring and that he seemed set to let loose his own roiling emotions, he still seemed to be trying to be overly careful with her.
"Go, ahead," she encouraged him, "I'm not fragile."
"I'm sorry," he breathed against her neck.
"Harry, take what you need, I'm here with you- I like being what you need."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
He hugged her against him, her back to his chest as he finished walking them into the tub/shower combo and paused briefly underneath the spray, soaking them both, then he pressed her against the tiled wall.
Hermione gasped at the contrast between his heated body at her back and the cool tile at her front. He placed his hands on her shoulders, trailed them down her arms, then took her hands in his and placed them on either side of her head on the wall. She felt him positioning himself behind her, and then, all of a sudden he was inside of her. He brought his hands up to cover hers and she let her head fall back on his shoulder in ecstasy.
"Good?" He inquired.
"So good."
"I didn't expect you to be so ready for me."
"You...dragonhide...really does it for me," she slurred and let her forehead fall heavily against the cool tiles. "Also very happy to see you."
"I'll have to remember that, I'm very happy to see you too," he practically growled as the hesitant man from before disappeared and he began to pound into her, he laced their fingers together and her moan was the only agreement she could manage to give him. "Are you close?" He asked after a few minutes.
She nodded and he brought one pair of their hands to the place where they were joined, which almost immediately sent her over the edge, he followed, burying his face in her shoulder with a groan.
He kept her trapped against the tiled wall, running his hands all over her slick skin. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"
"Of course not, that was fantastic," she reached back and squeezed his hip.
"I love you so much," he breathed.
"Oh, Harry, I love you too."
Hours later, after a nap, they were huddled together on the sofa much like Hermione had been earlier with Astoria, but with a lot less clothing. Harry was devouring an enormous breakfast as he usually did when he was coming off of the adrenaline high of a mission- no matter the time of day. Hermione was mainly munching on toast, occasionally stealing bites of eggs.
"Okay, sweetheart," he eventually said, wrapping his arm around her across the back of the couch and squeezing her against his chest. "I don't think there's any point pretending we don't have things to talk about. What would you like to tackle first?"
"The mission, please. You were back much sooner than I anticipated."
"Details?"
She shook her head. "Not unless it would be cathartic for you to discuss them."
"Nah," he kissed her temple. "Honestly, one of the most upsetting things about this is how easy it was."
"He had no idea that anybody was onto him, much less that you were lying in wait for him?" She guessed.
"Spot on. How did you know that?"
"His actions thus far have been...arrogant, while his magic in ritual reads as mediocre as it is disgusting. Who is he?"
"Nobody. He's nobody. An average man with an otherwise rather comfortable life. He's never been arrested before, never even been questioned for a crime. He just couldn't be content with what life had gifted him and he thought that this was the answer, to increase his power, to make him somehow better."
She blew out a long breath. "That makes it worse in a way, you know? Riddle was insane, at least at the end. I see too many criminals around here who are just greedy or jealous. I know you've seen it too."
Harry frowned. "And you don't think that's ultimately the same thing?"
"I don't know what you mean."
"Riddle was naturally powerful, yes. But he drove himself insane with his greed, his jealousy, and mostly his fear. He wanted to be a pureblood, or at least he wanted to be revered as such- I don't think he really cared about that at all in the end. And he was terrified of dying, and was willing to do anything, even the unthinkable to avoid it. Which really just goes to show how utterly out of touch with his own humanity he was."
"I- that's the most accurate and insightful summation of his character that I've ever heard."
"Don't sound so surprised, I'm not a complete idiot," he nuzzled her neck.
"Of course you're not. I've just never heard you articulate something so well. I guess," she sighed, "part of me is still getting used to the adult you, at least as far as your intellect."
"You're used to us all being more than a little behind you." He held a hand up when she went to object. "I'm honestly not offended, You are smarter than me, though I like to think the gap has closed considerably since we left Hogwarts."
She stroked his cheek. "It's not even that, Harry. It's that we've always just applied our intelligence in different ways. And at Hogwarts it seemed to me like you were hiding yours. I don't think it was intentional, but it's surprising to see you let it out," she shrugged.
He nodded and kissed her cheek. "Now is that all? Because I'd like to finish this discussion as soon as possible, it's still my honeymoon week and I have things to be doing." He ran a hand between her legs.
She narrowed her eyes at him and giggled, though it felt a little empty, and agreed. "For now, you know I'll want details later, or I'll just read the reports. But for the record, the charm on Prongs worked like we wanted it to?"
"Like a charm," he quipped.
She couldn't help but snort into the crook of his neck.
"Now you," she encouraged, "I know you have things to get off your chest about what's happened this week, maybe even before, I don't blame you."
He took a deep breath. "You could have told me what you were up to. I'm not angry but I'm...confused. I understand that we both have subjects in our work that we won't be able to discuss with each other due to confidentiality, but this wasn't one of them. Why did you think that you needed to solve this alone, or shield me from it?"
"I've been thinking about that," she said slowly. "Throughout our friendship it's mostly been my job to do the research, to formulate the plans. I never wanted to stress you when you were already stressed."
"Okay, I get that. And you're not wrong," he allowed, "but we're not kids anymore, Hermione."
"No, we're not. But I love you even more now than I did then, I guess it makes me even more protective."
"We agreed to stand together," he let out a long breath, "we agreed."
"You're right, which is why I'm so sorry. There are some things I know here," she tapped her temple, "That this is still struggling to accept," she moved her hand to touch the place above her heart. "I suppose I'm still adapting, but that's no excuse. Please forgive me."
"Oh that's not even a question, love."
"Thank you," she whispered. "I just want us to live this life in peace."
Harry remained quiet. Normally he would have said something, but there was something in her words that seemed like a benediction and it felt like he needed to let it be.
Hermione twisted and untwisted the fingers of their joined hands over and over. It took awhile before she realized that Harry was toying with the rings on her left hand, his brow furrowed in thought.
"We never talked about how this was going to work, did we?" He asked. "I mean, I know that we're certain about each other, but we moved rather fast, we might have missed a few conversations."
She laughed. "We had the longest whirlwind romance in history."
He grinned and kissed her brow and for some reason that comment reminded him of a question he'd been chewing over. "Why did you think of Prongs, the other day in your office?"
She grinned at him mischievously. "Actually, it was because of your talk of sex magic this weekend."
"Excuse me?"
"It's just, when you love, you do it hard, Harry."
"Excuse me?" Harry reiterated, laughing long and loud.
Hermione glanced up at him, confused, before her unintentional innuendo sunk in."Harry James!" She chided, though she hardly meant it, given that she wasn't actually offended, it was just an automatic reflex.
He just continued to laugh and scrunched his nose in her direction. "What? I didn't say anything!"
"Thorough, I meant thorough! You're a very thorough lover! I mean- I mean yes, but no!"
Harry was basically howling, rocking back and forth, and almost accidentally tossed her off of the couch in the process."Hermione, you're blushing so much, you do realize I've seen everything you've got, right?"
She glared at him. "It's not that! I just don't like being caught off guard, okay?!"
He looked her straight in the eye, one eyebrow raised. "And neither do I."
Her breath caught. "Understood. I'm really very sorry, love," she stroked his face.
"Prongs?" He prompted. "Because I know that I'm not as well read as you are, but I still know that patronuses are not sex magic, so explain yourself Miss Granger," he poked her.
"No. It wasn't a straight trajectory from one thought to the other," she sighed and melted back into his embrace. "I'll never forget that night with the time turner."
"Me either."
"Not just for what happened, but because I was never really scared in the way I probably should have been."
Harry scoffed.
"I know. But now that I think about it, I was just so certain that you would protect me, I didn't hesitate."
"You put that time turner around both of our necks without any real thought," he chimed in.
"Yeah," she breathed, "because I didn't need to think. And it wasn't even the first time when it came to you, it certainly wasn't the last. And then I looked up yesterday morning and you were standing in front of me, and I felt so stupid. I'd seen what Prongs can do, and it just seemed suddenly obvious that you could direct him for me, for the same reason I think we both know that we could perform some beautfiful sex magic, because we love each other so much."
"But what about Astoria? She seemed to sense a lot more from Prongs than anybody else ever has."
Hermione shrugged. "She's a charms expert and she knew what I was getting at. Most other people are- as I said- either a little too used to you being extraordinary that they just ignore it, or they'd never really seen what you're capable of doing."
Harry looked down and seemed to chew on the thought. He literally chewed on his lower lip, but when he looked up his eyes danced with mischief. Hermione braced herself.
"So what you're saying is that I walked into your office and you immediately thought of sex?"
Hermione could only stare at him for awhile, trying to decide if she wanted to hit him, laugh, or shag him. Eventually she decided on all three, in that order.
