This is being cross-posted from Ao3. It was originally posted on 28 November 2020.
This was definitely not supposed to be this long or make me want to write more... Anyway, I really hope you all enjoy it! Happy reading! Much love, xxDustNight
Huge thank you to starrnobella for reading this over and to GaeilgeRua for letting me use her Grammarly. Any other mistakes are definitely my own...
Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling, Bloomsbury, and Warner Bros. Twilight belongs to Stephanie Meyer and Temple Hill Entertainment. No copyright infringement is intended.
Prompt: #CastTheDice20 07/25/20 - 3 of a Kind: Scars
#HHBingo2020 Square O5: Two-Way Mirrors
It had been a long time since Hermione travelled alone. More often than not, she convinced Harry or Ron to come along with her, but not this time. This time she was looking for something to take her mind off of the pain she felt. It wasn't physical pain but more a mental state that enveloped her both day and night.
At nearly thirty years old, Hermione was still living alone, single and unmarried. The years since the war trickled by slowly, but to Hermione, it felt like it had happened just yesterday. She was sure that her best friends felt much the same, but it was hard for them to talk about all that suffering. It was even harder to talk about those that they lost.
Hermione had lost her parents when she'd sent them off to Australia without any memory of who she was. Ron had lost his brother and his ex-girlfriend. Harry, well he had lost more than everyone… He'd lost the part of himself that was innocent when he'd been forced to destroy Voldemort. It was because of this that they all just tended to avoid the subject of their past.
Wandering down the stony beach of the La Push reservation, Hermione wondered if maybe she needed to stay away from London altogether. When she was far, far away, she felt free from the expectations that were placed on her shoulders as a war heroine. The media always wanted to follow her every move, and all she wanted was to be left alone.
On a whim, Hermione had picked a random place in the world and ended up in the state of Washington. She remembered her parents telling she had family here, but with them gone, there was no way of knowing who they were or where even to start looking. Nevertheless, she felt the quiet towns outside of the major cities were rather lovely, and she wondered whether or not she could settle here and stay.
As she was staring out at the churning sea, Hermione could hear a group of people walking down the beach to her right. Curious, she glanced their way and noticed it was some of the locals. She smiled and nodded as they passed by, hoping they didn't mind her being there. They were dressed to go surfing even though the weather was dreary and a bit on the cooler side. Hermione supposed they were used to the weather though, and couldn't help but to watch as they got into the surf without seeming bothered.
Not wanting to intrude on their time, Hermione started to wander further down the beach, tugging her jacket tighter around her to keep out the chill. Eventually, she came to an area with some driftwood set up as places to sit around a firepit. The firepit was currently empty, but Hermione took a moment to sit down and relax.
She dug around in her small, magically expanded purse as she tried to find a book or even her mobile phone to pass some time. There wasn't a lot of time to kill before she wanted to head back into the city for dinner, but there was enough to read a chapter or two. As she was settling in, more voices could be heard from nearby.
"Hey there," someone said from behind her.
Twisting to see who was speaking, she spotted a man who seemed younger than her, but she wasn't quite sure. He was clearly a native here, and he was with a pale girl with brown hair. Smiling, Hermione said, "Hello. Is it okay if I sit here?"
"Of course you're welcome here," the man said, stepping over the driftwood and sitting down across the way. "I'm Jacob, by the way. This is my friend Bella."
"Hi," Bella said, giving a half-smile before moving to sit next to her friend. "We didn't want to interrupt you."
"I'm just taking a break from walking for a few minutes," Hermione explained. "I'm passing through the area. Are you two in high school?" Bella seemed really pale, even for someone who lived in this type of weather year-round. Both of the strangers looked far younger than she did.
Bella and Jacob shared a look before looking back to Hermione. Jacob said, "I graduated a couple years back."
"I'm taking classes at Peninsula," Bella said slowly, glancing away. When she looked back at Hermione, she asked, "Do you go to school around here?"
Laughing, Hermione wrapped her arms around herself to keep warm. "Oh no. I'm nearly thirty." remembering suddenly that being a witch allowed her to age a bit slower, she added, "I just have good genetics, I guess, but thank you."
Feeling like it was time to get going, Hermione reached for her bag only to knock it off of the driftwood. It tumbled over, spilling many items that were clearly too large to be kept in a regular, non-magical purse. She hurried to grab everything when she realized her two-way mirror had cracked in half.
"Do you need some help?" Jacob asked, standing and coming over to help her with her things.
"I'm okay," Hermione said, hurrying to hide away her belongings. "I'm not usually this clumsy."
"I'm clumsy all the time," Bella said with a smile as she too stood to help. "Here you dropped this stick…"
Embarrassed that she'd dropped her wand, Hermione took it back from Bella and quickly slid it into her bag. "Thank you two so much. I'm going to get going, but it was nice to meet you."
"It was nice to meet you too," Jacob and Bella said almost together.
Quickly, Hermione began to head back the way she came, scolding herself for allowing the muggles to see her wand and magical bag. She was sure that she probably thought she was insane carrying round a random stick, even if it wasn't random at all. It wasn't until she was back behind the wheel of her rental car and headed toward Port Angeles that she realized she'd never told them her name. They doubtless thought she was crazy now.
Later that week, Hermione found herself back in the UK. She had work, after all. Being the Minister of magic didn't allow for very long holidays, but the time away had been excellent all the same. Despite working in London, Hermione lived in a little house near Seaford so she could enjoy the shore all year long. Besides, she hated the hustle and bustle of the city; it always felt far too loud and crowded.
As she had done in the States, Hermione took a walk along the shore to clear her head. She had her bag with her so when she found a cosy place to sit, she sat and looked for a book. As she was searching through the pack, her finger grazed something sharp. "Ouch," she exclaimed, pulling her hand out only to find her finger bleeding.
Instinctively putting the tip into her mouth, she tried to get the bleeding to stop while she tried to find the source of her pain. Rolling her eyes as she saw the two-way mirror that she'd broken in La Push. Carefully, she extracted it so she could dispose of it later. Her finger had stopped bleeding, and so she held the mirror up in front of her face.
Startled to find someone staring back at her, Hermione yelped and dropped the mirror in the sand. What had she just seen? Who was that person in the mirror? Harry had the opposite mirror in his home office, so who could that be? Swallowing back her worries, Hermione bent over and picked up the mirror again.
Still, the same face was looking at her. A pale man with curly, honey-blond hair and strange golden eyes stared back. As she examined his face, he smirked, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly. Still being careful of the sharp edges, Hermione grabbed her wand and tapped the mirror to allow them to speak to one another.
"Hello?" she asked cautiously. "Who are you?"
"Oh? We can hear each other now? How interesting…"
"Yes, it's, um, a bit of magic. Who are you?" Having to ask again made her frown. Whoever this person was, they clearly did not know about magic, and so Hermione was going to have to destroy her mirror and hope whoever this was, did not come looking for her or other magical folks.
"I'm Jasper," the man said, still smirking slightly. "Some of my friends found this broken mirror on the beach. They thought it was worthless, but I had a feeling it was special. I was right."
Hermione's stomach flipped nervously. "Are your friends Jacob and Bella?" She held her breath as she waited for an answer.
"We were wondering if you would remember," Jasper replied, shifting wherever he was.
It jostled Hermione's view of him for a moment, but she held her piece of the mirror steady. "I do… I embarrassed myself enough, I'm not surprised they told you about me."
"Well, Jacob seemed to think you had a wand, but Bella didn't believe him," Jasper explained, smiling again.
"You know about wands and magic?" Hermione began to think that maybe she'd been wrong about the two she'd met in La Push.
"You could say that… We're not exactly what you would call normal," Jasper said, giving a sideways glance at someone she could not see.
"What does that mean?" Hermione asked, leaning closer to the mirror. "Are you magical?"
Appearing to take a deep breath, Jasper said, "We are special types of creatures, to put it simply."
Hermione's eyes went wide, and she immediately examined Jasper a bit closer. "Are you a vampire? Bella too?"
"Nailed it," Jasper said with a laugh.
"There's no way Jacob was one…" Hermione trailed off, biting her lip in thought. "What was he? A wizard?"
"No, but I'll be sure to tell him that. He'll like it. No, Jacob is a werewolf," Jasper explained, his eyes staring straight into Hermione's.
"A werewolf…" Hermione trailed off, lost in thought for a moment. "I had no idea there were any over in the States, but it makes sense. Why didn't they say anything while I was there?"
"One can never be too careful about who knows your secrets," Jasper replied, shaking his head. "That's what caused my mate to be taken away."
"I'm so sorry, Jasper," Hermione said softly, shaking her head. "That couldn't have been easy. I can relate… I had to take away my parent's memories so they would be safe. They have no idea I exist."
"That is horrible." Jasper ran a hand over his face. "I'm sorry… You know, I still don't know your name."
Blushing, Hermione was quick to rectify this. Here she was sharing secrets and having Jasper share his own all without introducing herself yet again. "I'm Hermione Granger. I can't believe I forgot to introduce myself again."
"It happens," Jasper said, smiling. "Look, I've got a few things I need to take care of around here, but will we be able to communicate with these mirrors again sometime?"
Nodding, Hermione said, "Sure, I'll keep mine out on a table. Just call out my name if you need to talk. If I'm nearby, I'll be able to hear and reply."
"That sounds great," Jasper said, the mirror rocking slightly as he stood. "I'll see ya around, Hermione."
"See you later," Hermione replied and then tucked the mirror away into her purse.
She made sure it was in a spot where she wouldn't accidentally cut her finger again. Taking a few minutes to stare out at the ocean and think about Jasper and the others. Finally, she stood and brushed off the seat of her pants. From what she'd learned of vampires, they were mean and aggressive, but these ones didn't seem like that at all. She would have to keep learning more about them to see what they were all about and how they were able to live the way they did.
"So tell me more about Alice," Hermione asked Jasper one night a few weeks later.
She was curled up on her sofa underneath a blanket. Ever since that first conversation on the beach, she and Jasper had stalked talking almost every single day. Since Jasper never slept, it made communicating a lot easier, especially with them living so far apart. Their conversations had slowly turned from learning about each other's magical and creature abilities to more personal topics.
Like Alice.
Hermione learned that Alice had agreed to give up Jasper and the life she knew and loved to serve with the Volturi to save Bella's daughter, Renesmee, and the rest of her family. Practically, Alice would never probably never see them again, or at least for many many years until she was either set free or fought for her freedom. This, of course, left Jasper alone in the world without his mate.
"She was unlike anyone I've ever met before," Jasper said, closing his eyes. He appeared to be laying in a field of snow, surrounded by snow that seemed to pale in comparison to his own skin. "Alice was the only one who was ever able to quell my unquenchable thirst for human blood."
Hermione shivered, pulling her blanket tighter around her shoulders. "From what you have told me, she sounds amazing. I love that she was able to see glimpses of the future, even if it is what made her so desirable to the Volturi."
"She was certainly one of a kind," Jasper said, his eyes flashing open suddenly.
For a split second, the golden-brown flashed red, causing Hermione to wonder precisely what it must be like to be a "vegetarian" vampire. "Maybe one day, you two will be able to be together once more."
Shaking his head, Jasper sighed. "I'm not sure about that. I imagine the Volturi won't ever let her leave there alive. I'll settle for missing her gentle but fierce nature so long as I know she is alive and well."
"I'm sorry I asked about her," Hermione said, shifting slightly with guilt.
"It's fine," Jasper said, plastering a smile onto his features. "I have a question for you, though."
"Sure," Hermione answered, brightening. "Ask me anything."
"When are you going to come back to the States?"
Laughing, Hermione shook her head. "I already told you, my job as Minister of Magic doesn't give me much time to go away on holiday. As much as I would love to, I can't take more time off right now."
Jasper's question wasn't a surprise. He'd been asking her the same thing nearly every time they talked in the hopes that she would return and he could meet her face to face. Knowing it was his loneliness speaking, Hermione tried not to make much of it, but at the same time, she had grown rather fond of their conversations. Jasper was full of exciting stories from his past as a Confederate major and vampire creator.
"I understand," Jasper said, his face solemn. He shifted, placing an arm across his eyes and revealing to Hermione for the first time the many scars that littered his arms.
"Are those vampire bites?" Hermione asked, holding the broken mirror closer to her face. "Scars?"
Jasper lifted his arm off his face and looked at his arm. "Huh? Oh yeah… During my time training the vampires, I got bit a lot. Vampire bites never fade. I'll be scarred like this forever."
"I have scars too," Hermione said softly, sliding up the sleeve of her nightshirt. She held her arm so that Jasper could read the word carved into her flesh.
"Mudblood," Jasper read aloud, his eyes married in concentration. "What does that mean?"
"It means that my blood is dirty… The Dark wizard i told you about, Voldemort, wanted to kill all the muggle-born witches and wizards," Hermione began to explain, eyes drifting shut as the memories resurfaced. "One of his followers, Bellatrix, carved this into my skin as a reminder of how filthy I was. She would have killed me too, but we got lucky and escaped."
"That's horrible," Jasper whispered, golden eyes wide. He'd sat up at some during her story, holding his own mirror fragment closer to his face. "Why didn't it ever fade?"
"The blade was magical, I assume," Hermione answered, opening her eyes. She was surprised to see Jasper so close to her face, and it made her heart beat faster. Wetting her lips, she said, "I never tried to find out because the blade was then used to kill the house elf that saved us."
"You've lived through some terrifying events, Hermione," Jasper said, his eyes darting briefly to Hermione's lips before returning to her eyes. "I can't imagine it was easy dealing with all of that when you were barely more than a child."
"I won't lie, I struggle with a lot of PTSD and night terrors even all these years later," Hermione admitted with a smile.
"I guess the one good thing about never sleeping is not having to worry about nightmares." Jasper sighed heavily and then sprang to his feet. He began to walk while holding the mirror aloft so he could still see Hermione. "The PTSD I can relate to, though."
"I guess we have more in common than we originally thought," Hermione said, laughing lightly and resting her head on the arm of the sofa. "Where are you going?"
"I'm heading further into the woods so I can hunt. I need to feed more often than some of the others, so I don't crave human blood as badly." Jasper smirked, his eyes flashing red briefly again.
"What is it like? The thirst?" Hermione asked, and then instantly regretted it as a look of pain appeared on Jasper's face. "No, don't answer that. I'm sorry."
"It's fine," Jasper said, pausing his steps and glancing around. "It's hard to explain really, but it's more like a burning hunger in my chest instead of my stomach. It makes it hard to think of anything other than the wet heat of blood flowing down my throat." Here he paused, groaning as if in pain and closing his eyes.
Miles and miles away, Hermione felt that sound in her very being. "Wow," she whispered, trying to figure out why Jasper's intense hunger for human blood was turning her on right now. Clearing her throat, she tried to find a way to distract them both. "I should probably get to bed, but can we talk again tomorrow?"
Slowly, Jasper nodded, his eyes opening to reveal just how hungry he was. "I need to go too," he managed to say, his voice low with hunger and something else Hermione could only guess was how she was feeling too.
Wetting her lips, Hermione nodded. "Okay, then I will try to reach out to you around the same time," she said, her voice rough.
Jasper merely nodded before the mirror went dark from being put inside his pocket or jacket. After he had gone, Hermione flopped backwards on the sofa and groaned as she covered her eyes. Whatever just happened was probably not a good sign for either of them. Deciding it was probably best to just go to bed, Hermione shrugged out from under her blanket and made the way to her bedroom. Tomorrow would be a new day, and they could try again.
Hermione had genuinely wished that the conversation between her and Jasper the night before had disappeared from her head. That was far from the case. Her dreams were interrupted by wild fantasies of her intertwined with Jasper between her sheets. Hermione woke up more than once with a fresh sheen of sweat and an ache between her legs.
Finally, before the sun had fully climbed into the sky, Hermione gave up on sleep for a cold shower instead. Standing under the spray, she was reminded of the gentle rain from that day in La Push and wished that she'd met Jasper instead of Jacob and Bella. Now she was doomed to this long-distance relationship between damned two-way mirrors.
The worst part? Hermione knew that Jasper loved Alice still. She was probably just irritating him while he hoped for his real mate's return. Stepping out of the shower, Hermione towelled her mass of hair dry as best she could before stepping back into her bedroom. It was then that she noticed her mobile lit up on the nightstand.
Knowing it was far too early to hear from any of her friends, she hurried to pick up before the caller hung up the call. Hitting the accept button, she held the mobile up to her ear. "Hello?"
"Hi, Hermione. You don't know me, but I feel like I know you," a cheerful, but a strained voice said.
"Who is this?" Hermione reached for her wand as she asked this question, worried that someone was stalking her now.
The voice laughed. "Don't worry," it said with a chuckle. "I'm not going to come after you. I'm stuck in Italy for the foreseeable future. My name is Alice, and I believe you've heard of me by now."
Alice.
Hermione suddenly felt like she couldn't stand and sat heavily on the edge of her unmade bed. The bed where just an hour before she'd dreamt of Jasper's face between her legs, making her cum harder than she ever had in her life. Blushing, Hermione tugged her robe more tightly closed around her body before attempting to reply.
"Alice… I, um, I can say I wasn't expecting a call from you," she managed to say, glancing around her room. The broken piece of the two-way mirror was still out in the living area, so there was no risk that Jasper could overhear this conversation.
"I know," Alice said, a gentle sigh escaping her. "Did Jasper tell you about my abilities?"
"That you can glimpse the future?" Hermione inquired, frowning.
"Yes," Alice said to Hermione. "I can see glimpses of the future depending on who they are and what decisions they make."
"You had a vision about Jasper and me…" Hermione trailed off, feeling guilty all over again. She hated that Alice may have seen something that happens in the future between her mate and some random witch.
"Hermione, I want you to know that I am going to be here working with the Volturi for a long time." Alice sounded resigned to this fact. "Jasper and I will find our way back to one another eventually, but not for many, many years."
"What are you saying?" Hermione asked, holding the mobile to her ear so tight it was starting to ache.
"I'm saying that it is okay to feel the way you are feeling and that when Jasper asks you to come to Forks, you should go," Alice answered, a hint of a smile evident in her voice.
"He is going to ask me to come to Forks?" Hermione stared at her empty suitcase sitting idly in the open closet. She hadn't put it back into storage in case she was tempted to travel again soon.
"I know that he will, and I have seen his reaction when you say no…"
"Can I ask what happens if I say no?" The worry in Alice's voice made Hermione worry.
"My family is not supposed to leave the Continent of North America," Alice began, a sigh leaving her heavily. "In my vision, I saw him coming to the UK to see you, but the Volturi found out. He will be killed, Hermione. If he comes to you, he will be killed."
The mobile nearly dropped from Hermione's hand at this news. She felt cold all over, but it wasn't from the freezing shower. Even though she'd only known Jasper for a short time, she didn't wish him to die. Especially for the sake of seeing her. To Alice, she said, "I don't know what to say."
"Do you have any desire to become a vampire?" Alice asked her voice firm.
"As fascinating as I find all of you, no, I do not." Hermione swallowed hard, her heart beating frantically. "I want to stay human."
"Then there is nothing to worry about, Hermione." There was another voice in the background to which Alive said something in Italian. "I can't talk for much longer," she told her, "but I want you to know that even though you do not need it, you have my permission to be in a relationship with Jasper. Just be careful, please. He is still new to the vegetarian lifestyle, and I don't want you to get hurt."
"Will he hurt me?" Hermione asked voice barely above a whisper.
Alice heard her though and said, "No, he will not. Jasper would never hurt you. He will leave you before it would come to that, and my family wouldn't allow it. There are rules where they live; rules that require them to maintain that vegetarian lifestyle."
"Oh." Hermione let out a shaky breath, again eyeing her suitcase. "Alice, I am so sorry you and Jasper cannot be together."
"I know," she replied, sounding sad for the first time since calling. "It's okay, though. I will always do as I must to keep my family safe, and like I said, Jasper and I will see each other again long after you have left this earth. I don't wish for either of you to put your lives on hold for my sake. I will be fine, I promise."
Closing her eyes, Hermione thought about Jasper and the way their conversation ended the night before. Her body flushed from the memory of the hunger in his eyes. "Thank you for calling, Alice. I think I feel a lot better about this now, even if I still feel bad that you two can't be together right now."
"You're welcome," Alice said and then sighed. "I have to go, but please take care of Jasper for me."
"I will, I promise," Hermione said, her eyes open once more.
"Until next time… Goodbye."
The line went dead before Hermione could reply, but that didn't stop her from saying, "Goodbye," to the empty bedroom.
Staring down at the now dark screen of the mobile phone she held, Hermione wondered what to do next. She didn't want to disappoint Alice by saying no to Jasper if he asked her to come to Forks, but she also had responsibilities here. Flopping backwards on the bed to stare at the ceiling, Hermione realized that today was going to be a lot more complicated than she originally planned.
That night, Hermione settled on her sofa with a glass of red wine and the broken two-way mirror. Ever since that morning, she had been a ball of nervous energy, so much so that Harry had insisted she go home early. She hadn't, but she definitely talked to him about her future as the Minister of Magic.
Idly, she flipped through a copy of Witch Weekly as she sipped her wine all while waiting for Jasper's face to appear in the mirror. It was getting late, and Hermione's glass was getting low on wine when at last golden eyes appeared in the mirror. Sighing in relief, Hermione tossed aside her magazine to smile warmly at Jasper.
"Hi," she said a bit shyly, still remembering their last interaction.
"Hi," Jasper replied, apparently still feeling the same as her. He rubbed at his head and cleared his throat. "Look, last night things ended a bit…"
"Tense?" Hermione supplied with a grin.
"I was going to say erotic, but tense works too," Jasper said, chuckling. "I want to apologize for losing it like that. I was hungry, and I can't help but feel attracted to you. I was out of line, and I apologize if it made you feel uncomfortable."
Hermione bit her lip, wondering if she should tell Jasper about the phone call with Alice, deciding it was best to get everything out in the open, she said, "I got a call from Alice this morning."
"Alice? Why did she call you? Is she okay?"
Jasper seemed worried, so Hermione hurried to ease his mind. "No, no! Alice was fine. She just wanted to let me know that it was okay if we… If we, uh..." She blushed, and glanced away, unsure how to finish that sentence.
"If we get into a relationship, you mean?" Jasper asked, and when Hermione merely nodded but didn't look back at the mirror, he added, "Hermione, please look at me."
Taking a deep breath, Hermione looked back at the mirror. "I'm sorry, I don't want to make things uncomfortable between us or you and Alice. I know she gave her blessing, but I don't even know what you want."
Jasper groaned, his eyes briefly closing. When he looked back at Hermione, the hunger from last night had returned. "I want you, Hermione. I want you more than I've ever wanted anyone, but not in a hunger kind of way. I hunger for you, but it's with my very being and not my vampire instincts. I want so badly to touch you… Kiss you… To be with you in every way possible."
Hermione trembled, his words making her flush all over her body. "Jasper…" her voice came out in a whisper, but she knew he heard her when his pupils dilated even further with lust. Swallowing, she said, "I want that too… I just… I'm scared."
"Don't be scared of me, Hermione," Jasper said gently, resting two fingers on the mirror.
Placing her own fingers over his in an attempt to touch him, Hermione sighed. "I'm not afraid of you, Jasper. I'm still trying to figure this out. I know that Alice gives her blessing, and I want nothing more than to be with you, I worry that I won't be enough for you."
Nodding, Jasper dropped his hand. "I understand now, I think. Listen to me, I will always love Alice, and we will find each other again, but you are who I want to be with right now. Both of our pasts are littered with darkness, but we can make each other feel whole again."
"Do you really think that we can make this work? A vampire and a mortal witch?" Hermione asked, still feeling unsure. She needed Jasper to tell her it was right that they went further with this relationship than just friends who talked about their daily lives and scars over two-way mirrors. "We come from very different worlds."
"I think we will be good for one another. We both have scars, Hermione, but we don't have to suffer alone," Jasper explained, a smile lifting the corner of his mouth. "Come to Forks and be with me. Take some time off from work so we can be with one another."
Hermione, even though she knew she would heed Alice's advice, still took a moment to think about Jasper's request. She had already talked to Harry, and her other Department heads about taking a leave of absence from the Ministry. They trusted her, and with having never taken more than a week or weekend off here and there her entire career, there was no reason to say no.
Smiling, Hermione nodded. "I'd like that, Jasper. I want to come and be with you too."
Relief evident on his face, Jasper said, "I can't wait to meet you in person, Hermione. I promise you will be kept safe and we will go as slow or fast with this relationship as you want."
"I know, and I love you for that," Hermione said, smiling. Inside, she knew that there was no way they would be able to keep their hands from one another, but she respected his attempt all the same. From the smirk on his face, Hermione knew he felt the same.
"When do you think you will be able to come to visit?" Jasper asked, trying to appear calm, but you could see the want in his eyes still.
"Actually," Hermione began, a smirk forming on her own face, "I talked to my Heads of all the Departments, and I can take some time off starting Monday. Is that too soon?"
"No," Jasper said, shaking his head. "Monday is definitely not too soon. In fact, I don't know how I am going to stay sane until then."
Chuckling, Hermione sipped her wine and snuggled deeper into the couch. "Why don't you start by telling me all the fun things we'll do while I'm there?"
"I can do that," Jasper said a toothy grin on his face now.
Feeling a desire pool between her legs, Hermione knew they were in for a fun evening. Draining her glass, she set it aside and gave Jasper her full attention. In less than a week, she would be there in his arms, and instead of her own fingers drifting down the trace patterns over her knuckles, it would be Jasper instead. Shivering with anticipation, Hermione let her fingers deep into her knickers as Jasper's voice began to describe exactly what he had planned for her when they finally came together.