The following morning, Harry woke as the light from the sun shone through the canvas. He felt dazed, and felt around for Hermione, as he was still only half awake. Surprised, his body fully erected into a sitting position and found Hermione not in bed beside him. He quickly realized that she wasn't in the tent at all, and quickly dressed before heading outside of the tent. To his immense relief, he found her only a few yards away, visible from the opening of the tent, her back to him.
She was distracted by her thoughts from last night. Looking out through the woods, her arms were crossed over her chest to help keep her warm in the cool morning air. There was no regret for her, she was glad that they had that time together. She was mainly curious as to where his thoughts were after everything that happened between them. Did he regret it? He had said that his feelings for her went further back than she had thought, but surely he could still change his mind.
Surprising her slightly, she felt his strong, thick arms wrap around her from behind. His mouth nuzzled into her neck, he whispered "Good morning". She smiled. "Good morning" she replied softly, turning around to face him.
Immediately noticing the confusion in her eyes, he asked, "What's wrong?" Her eyes lifted to meet his, her mouth opening slightly to reply, but no words came. She wouldn't meet his eyes and left her gaze downcast. Concerned, he pulled in more tightly, her face becoming flush with his chest.
"Talk to me" he pleaded.
Her face still pressed against him, he felt her breathe in deeply.
"I was just…thinking…" she began hesitantly. "How…how are you feeling…after last night?"
This confused him, and he pulled away from her. Keeping his arms wrapped around her back and his eyes now meeting hers, he found that she was in tears.
"Hermione, I don't understand…" he began, but she cut him off.
"I really enjoyed last night, Harry. A lot. I think I'm just feeling a little overwhelmed. I love you, I have for a long time. I guess I'm just worried about how you're feeling, that maybe you changed your mind about me after--" but she was cut short when he leaned in and kissed her, hard. Releasing his lips from hers, he drew back to look at her again. Her skin, flushed from the cold, brightened some as she looked back at him.
"Hermione, I love you now even more than I did before last night. If I could stay that close to you forever, I would." He watched her as her lips parted again, but instead of a verbal response, she let out air he didn't know she had held.
Not knowing how to respond, she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Do you mean that?"
He smiled. "I could just show you…" he said, bringing his lips to the side of her throat, trailing kisses behind her ear and down to her collar bone. He heard a small moan escape her lips and felt her arms tighten around him. To his dismay, she pulled away.
"Harry… we have to get back to finding the horcruxes. You know as well as I do that we can't stay like this forever." He frowned, then sighed.
"You're right. But can you promise me something?"
She cocked her head to the side, curious.
"Stay with me. Really, stay. We may be going through a lot right now but that doesn't mean that we have to abandon each other and what we feel."
Placing a hand over his heart, she felt the drumming beat there, far faster than normal. This really meant a lot to him and she could feel it. She smiled broadly and said, "I promise." He grinned at that, taking her hand and leading her back to the tent.
After collecting their items and storing them in her charmed bag, they collapsed the tent with a spell and transported themselves their next location- to visit Professor Dumbledore's brother.
Finding themselves at the door of a small shabby cottage, they knocked. After a few moments, a man eerily resembling the professor, answered the door.
"Harry Potter… I wondered when you would come by." He said, his voice deep and gruff. As if to explain, he continued, motioning them inside. Stepping into the door way, they found themselves face to face with a massive portrait of a woman above the fire. "As soon as I saw you in the mirror, I knew that my blasted brother had indeed continued the journey that I had so hoped he would abandon…"
Cutting him short, Harry said, "Wait.. it was you? In the mirror?" Mr. Dumbledore nodded. Harry continued. "Then, did you also send your patronus to us?" Mr. Dumbledore stiffened.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Harry was disappointed, but not entirely convinced that he was telling the truth. The man motioned for the two to sit, and they settled into the musky smelling, stiff couch adorned in the middle of the room.
Breaking the silence, Hermione spoke.
"Sir? Do you happen to know…anything about the Deathly Hallows?"
He let out a snort.
"What, the myth!?" he boomed in anger. "My brother had no sense, choosing that corrupted path over his own family."
Harry and Hermione watched as he stared up into the portrait above the fire, his face lit and cast eerie shadows from the light.
Harry spoke next. "Sir… would you mind, enlightening us on the…er…story?"
Mr. Dumbledore looked to him then, his eyes bore into him.
"Fine." He said simply, then dove into the story, settling himself into his arm chair across from them.
After, he stood, and placed himself before the portrait once more.
"You know what to do." He told her.
"Where is she going?" Harry asked, rising from the couch and staring at the now empty portrait. He noticed that she hadn't left the portrait like all the others he had seen, where they had left by going into the side of the painting. Instead, the woman had walked straight back and completely disappeared in the distance.
"You'll soon see." Was his short reply.
Harry and Hermione looked at each other with concern, curious but still on edge. They had to be prepared for anything. Before much time had passed, Harry gasped as the woman returned to her frame. She had someone with her.
"What--" he began, then stopped. It was…
"Neville!" Hermione gasped. As he came closer, she soon realized that his clothing was all but shredded and his face was a bloodied mess.
"Oh, I've been worse. You should see the other guy" he said, smirking. Reaching a hand out, Hermione took it first. Neville pulled her into the painting, then Harry. Taking a lantern, Neville led them into a tunnel at the far back of the painting.
"Uh, Neville…what is this? I thought all of the tunnels leading to the school had been closed off?" Harry asked, confused.
"This one didn't exist when they closed it all off. We made this for your return."
Harry smiled—his old friends had known him so well, even if they couldn't know every detail.
"Wait…we?" Hermione asked, her brows raised. Neville laughed.
"You didn't think you were alone, did ya?" Neville asked. As if to accentuate his words, they had reached the end of the tunnel and Neville opened a small door. Hearing low whispers and gasps, Harry stuck his head out into the opening and saw every single student that ever supported him at Hogwarts and he smiled broadly.
Hopping down from the cliff that this new painting resided on, he and Hermione both found themselves enveloped by their friends. Through the cheers of his old classmates, Neville spoke.
"So you're back Harry!? You're coming back to Hogwarts to fix things, aren't you?" he asked, and the room fell silent awaiting his response. Harry's heart dropped, not wanting to disappoint them all.
"Well, no…" Harry began, instantly hearing gasps and rebuttals through out the room. Standing erect and raising his voice above the others, he commanded the room. "Look. We came here in search of something, something that will help us defeat Voldemort."
Neville spoke first. "Great! We can help! What are you looking for?"
"We don't exactly know…" Harry began, noting the confusing looks that covered the entirety of the students before him. "All we can tell you, is that is something of Ravenclaw's, something that would be we hidden and…and…" he didn't know how to continue. How could he explain that the horcrux's gave off a movement and a sound as though a heart resided within it.
Hermione finished for him. "it's not an ordinary item. It must be something that held significance to the house a long time ago."
Luna perked up, centered within the students. As she spoke, the crowd around her parted so that she and Harry could speak face to face. "Do you mean the lost diadem of Ravenclaw?" she asked.
Harry's mood lifted. Finally, a lead. Cho, standing next to Luna, rested a comforting hand to Luna's shoulder.
"Luna…" Cho began, " it's a lost diadem. No one alive has ever seen it." She finished, a remorseful look crossing her face as she turned to face Harry.
Suddenly, they heard footsteps approaching. Covering themselves with the cloak, Harry and Hermione followed the other students up the side stairs and made their way back to their dorms and were soon informed to meet in the dining hall to be presented with a speech from the new head master.
Following closely, still covered by the cloak, they made their way into the large hall, now undecorated and significantly darker than Harry and Hermione had last seen it. Servus and Mcgonagall stood at the end, and the student silently lined up before them.
As Severus made his speech, Hermione felt Harry tense beside her and she wrapped her arm around him to bring him some comfort. When he looked at her, she instantly shook her head, knowing what he was about to do.
Keeping the her cloaked, he removed himself from it's cover, bringing gasps of shock from the rest of the students that were unaware of his return. Snape sneered at him, his wand instantly drawn.
Harry drew his wand from his pocket and faced him, the crowd parting out of their way. Silently they stared at each other waiting for the other to attack. When none came, and Snape drew his shoulders back, Harry lunged forward, driven by the image of his killing the professor, of ruining the only home he had ever had.
Cutting him short, the room boomed with a voice with an unknown source. The students looked around, trying to find where the voice was coming from. Where his voice was coming from. Once his voice, instructing Harry to be brought to him, had ceased, there was silence.
Breaking the silence, a Slytherin girl yelled, "Well what are you all doing?! He's right there, grab him!" Harry stared at the girl as Hermione unveiled and stood before him, her arms out stretched behind her protectively. The other students from his arrival began to surround him.
Professor Mcgonagall shielded Harry from a spell coming from Snape's wand, and began dueling him, anything to keep Harry safe. Eventually, Snape fled through the window, unable to continue.
"Filch, would you please escort the Slytherins out of the hall?" she asked.
"And where would you like me to take them, mam?" Filch sneered.
"Oh, the dungeons would be fine, thank you."
Cheers erupted from the other houses, delighted to continue the fight without them.
"Harry. What can we do for you, what do you need?" Mcgonagall asked.
"I just need some time, professor"
"Well, I'll give you all the time I can manage."
"Thank you."
He took off, grabbing Hermione as he went.
Luna chased after them amidst the crazed crowd. Finding them both at the main stairs heading to Raven Claw, Luna called out.
"Harry!"
"Not now, Luna. Kind of busy at the moment!" he yelled back.
"Harry, stop! You're going the wrong way!"
Turning, he faced her.
"What do you mean?"
"The lost diadem! Didn't you hear what Cho said? No one alive has ever seen it. It's quite obvious really."
"For the sake of time, Luna, could you please get to the point!?" he asked, frustrated now. Time was something he couldn't lose right now.
"The ghost of Ravenclaw, you need to speak to the Gray Lady."
Harry could have kissed her he was so pleased.
"Oh, you're brilliant Luna!" he exclaimed, taking off in the opposite direction, Hermione close at his heels. Calling back, he said "Luna! Find Neville and head into the chamber. Find a few Basilisk fangs." Luna nodded and ran off to find Neville.
"This way!" Hermione urged, pulling Harry into the right direction. Finally finding the right hall, he and Hermione ran down, finding the Gray Lady hovering in a dark corner.
"You've come for my mothers diadem" she said suddenly.
"Y-yes. I need it to destroy Voldemort."
After convincing the ghost to provide him with it's location, they ran to the Room of Requirement. Entering the room, they found themselves overwhelmed with the amount of items they would have to sort through. He heard Hermione sighed and turned back to her. Surprised, he saw her take out the necklace sitting between her breasts, her Time Turner that she previously used to make all of her classes, and once to free Buckbeak. She smiled up at him sheepishly and said,
"We have all the time in the world in here, you know…" she began, never breaking eye contact. Moving closer to him, she placed her hands against his chest, and kissed him softly. Breathing in her scent, he found himself instantly relaxed despite the war erupting around them.
Stepping back, Harry took her hand and began walking backward. A small smile began on her lips, one that reached her eyes. She beamed at him, appreciating the irony of the gesture. His back hitting the wall, he pulled her into him, the mouths instantly finding each other.
Separating her lips with his tongue, she let out a low moan and brought her hands to his pant line, feeling the small trail of hair below his bellybutton beneath his cotton shirt. He stopped kissing her then and brought his hands to his pants, undoing them in a hurry. Stepping away from him, she lowered herself against him, bringing his now uncovered erection to her lips. His hand guided his length into her mouth, and her tongue eagerly enveloped him as he slid into her.
"Fuck….Hermione…." He breathed.
She smiled against him, enjoying the sound of her name on his lips. Pushing deeper into her, he placed his free hand at the back of her head, pulling her further into him. He appreciated the fact that she could take him in fully this way, and appreciated her skilled tongue despite her lack of experience before him—another fact about her that he rather enjoyed.
Not knowing if it was the heated rush between them, the unknown end of the battle, or the charged electricity in the air that was not of their own making, but he already found himself climaxing.
After filling her mouth entirely, she rose, wiping her mouth. "You aren't finished with me already are you?" she cooed, bright eyed. She heard him growl softly and she bit her lip in anticipation.
She yelped, surprised. He had lifted her, her legs instantly wrapping around him. Kissing her with everything he had, he recalled the fact that she was still far too dressed. Setting her down and removing his mouth from hers, he caught a slight whimper escape her lips. He grinned, tugging at her jeans. Understanding, she helped him remove the garment and discarded them over her shoulder.
Lifting her once more, he found her sex perfectly aligned with him. Still erect, he pushed into her, watching her face as he did. God, she was beautiful, he thought, watching her head lull back and her eyes close. Her perfectly pink nipples hardened through the thin fabric she wore, and his hands quickly lifted her shirt to expose her. Once exposed, his teeth found her immediately.
To her surprise, his teeth on her like that had aroused her further and she let out a deep, long moan. With it, Harry continued, lightly nipping at her breasts and rolling her nipples with his tongue. She bucked into him faster, riding him from her position. He let out a low grunt, frustrated that his hands were kept away in order to keep her held.
Laying her down on the floor, he plunged back into her. He wasn't fully pleased with the position she was in, so he lifted her legs, causing her shins to press against his chest. Hovering over her, her legs supporting his weight, he found her sex once more. Rather than entering into her again, he brought his hand to cup her. She writhed beneath him, wanting more than what he was giving her. He smiled, understanding the torment she was going through.
Entering three fingers into her, her body calmed, eager to allow his access this way—at least for now. He curled his fingers inside of her, instantly contacting her G-spot. As she bowed her body into him further, he placed his thumb over her clit and circled her quickly. She cried out, her climax escaping her before she knew it had even began.
"You don't think I'm finished with you yet, do you?" he asked mockingly.
"No, I--" and she was cut off by his tongue encasing her sex, taking in the taste of her. Moaning appreciatively, he brought himself back to her, his tongue meeting hers hungrily. He pulled back without their lips touching, and thrust into her.
He immediately felt the back of her shallow tunnel, and her hands shot out to her sex, meeting his with a finger on each side of him squeezing him as he moved inside of her. Bending down, his lips met hers with a soft touch, one that left Hermione pulling toward him for more, but left unsatisfyed.
Taking her hand, he made her stand and spun her so that her back was to him. His back was now flush with the wall again and he bent her slightly to find her opening. Once he was inside of her again, he straightened her against him, one hand playing with her clit, the other pressing firmly into her right breast.
Her head fell back, and rested on his shoulder. He looked down at her, finding her eyes open and watching him. This thrilled him and he removed both hands to grasp her hips. Manually moving her into him, the contact was too much. He climaxed inside of her, both of them breathing deeply as he did.
She turned to him then, her face flushed once more.
"Harry, did you--"
"Hermione, I'm sorry, I couldn't—"
"It's fine." She said, smiling warmly at him. "If we get out of this alive, you're who I'd want to bear children with…" she finished, looking down. He tilted her chin so that she looked back up at him.
"I feel the same way…" he said.
Redressing, she took her necklace in hand, sliding the other chain around Harry's neck. Turning the item twice, they found themselves back to the point of entering the room. Where they were currently positioned, not the older versions of themselves, they saw that the small amount of light from the sky was illuminating part of the room. To Hermione's surprise, she saw a light reflecting off of some sort of jewelry near the far back wall.
Taking Harry with her, she headed toward the item.
"That's it!" Harry announced, his eyes widening.
Together, they retrieved the item easily and placed it into Hermione's bag.
"We need to find Luna and Neville." Harry said, grabbing Hermione by the wrist and taking her from the room. They raced through the Great Hall, dodging spells and curses as they did. Finding Luna and Neville at war with a Death Eater in the entry way, Neville nodded at a small brown bag at the base of a near by wall. Harry grabbed it and led Hermione into a vacant room back inside the school. Removing the locket and diadem, he handed one of the teeth from the bag to Hermione. She looked surprised, and said,
"No! Harry, I can't—"
"Yes you can, it should be you. You're the one that found the diadem. You can do this." He replied, and placed the tooth in her hand. Stepping back, he watched as she froze momentarily, then dug the tooth into both items, each reading a black smoke.
Harry was ambushed with excruciating, blinding pain. He screamed out, unable to control himself.
"Harry!!" Hermione screamed, running to his collapsed form on the ground in front of her.
"I'm…I'm okay." He said faintly.
"Harry we can't--"
"We need to keep going. It isn't over yet."
-I know this chapter is short, but I wanted to give you guys something until I get more written. As always, please reach out and let me know what you want to see in the future!