The Lantern Festival
A/N: This is a one-shot that takes place during Chapter 33 of Fourteen Days, a few days before Harry and Hermione's trip to The Forgotten City with Ron, Nora, Ginny, and Charlie. You can read it without having read Fourteen Days, though some of the references may not make sense.
This story was created for the December drabble prompt on the Sanctuary Discord server (see this same story on AO3 for the invite link). The prompt was: "Your characters attend a party for a holiday that is not Christmas and some mysterious magic seems to be afoot…"
November 2003
"I didn't expect there to be so many people here," Harry commented as he and Hermione made their way through the crowd. Harry had no idea where they were going, but was content to let Hermione lead the way - as usual. Not having to navigate gave him the freedom to scan the crowd for any signs of danger but so far, none of the cheerful Muggles surrounding them seemed interested in violence.
The emotions in the crowd were varied - some people were in thoughtful prayer while others were laughing heartily - but one thing was consistent, the undercurrent of hopeful anticipation. The thought of violence breaking out in this crowd seemed almost absurd, but Harry had seen the atmosphere of a crowd change on a sickle. Look how quickly things had turned at the Quidditch World Cup.
He tried to push the dark memories away. There was no place for them here on this warm, clear night, where the air was filled with song and laughter. The people around him were enjoying themselves and he should try to do the same. He reminded himself that there was a difference between being on alert and being so paranoid, that it clouded his thoughts and ruined his and Hermione's night.
The war was over, so why was he still letting it affect him? They'd won but every time he did this - let the fear get the better of him - Voldemort was winning. The thought of the Dark Wizard sent a chill through Harry.
"What was that?" Hermione asked, drawing his attention back to her.
"Huh?"
"I didn't catch what you said."
"Oh. Er - the crowd. I just didn't expect there to be so many people."
He'd tried to keep his voice casual, but she saw right past it - of course. Her eyes darkened and she pulled them off the path, making room for the people behind them to rush past. Hermione lifted up on her toes and kissed his cheek. "I know it's a lot," she said, leaning close to be heard above the crowd. "There won't be as many people where we're heading. We just need to get to the river."
Harry waved dismissively. "I'm fine. I'm excited to see what this is all about."
Hermione fixed him with a knowing look as one of her eyebrows lifted up. "You are not fine. You're on edge - just like I am. It's understandable that we'd be uneasy around large crowds - just another relic from the war, like the nightmares and scars."
She placed her hand back in his and laced their fingers together. Harry pulled their entwined hands up to his lips and planted a kiss on her knuckles. "You're incredible."
"Incredible" didn't begin to cover it. They'd been together for nearly two years now, had been engaged for half that time, and he was still surprised when she was able to do this - take something that had been niggling at the back of his mind and slowly tearing him down, pull it out, identify it, then address it plainly with that matter-of-fact way of hers.
Others might see this and call Hermione blunt, but all she was doing was delivering a message she'd already sent to Harry a thousand times, in a thousand different ways, but that he still needed to hear on occasion: I see you, even the flaws, and it's okay. They have no bearing on how much I love you. I have them too.
Harry grabbed her chin and placed a firm kiss on her lips before stepping back. "Let's go," he said. As they walked and Harry continued scanning the crowd, he noticed that everyone seemed to be holding large cylinders made of paper.
"What are those?" he asked, pointing to one of the stands that was selling the paper objects.
"Lanterns," Hermione said cryptically, a smile pulling at her lips.
Lanterns? Made out of paper? Surely they'd catch on fire if they were lit. And why weren't there handles? And there were so many of them. If they were turned on all at once, the resulting fire would be too massive to contain. At least, not without magic. How many witches and wizards were hiding in the crowd? Would it be enough?
None of this made any sense. Though Harry knew better than to ask any follow-up questions. Hermione was in one of her secretive moods and Harry knew very few things he did or said would make her crack. She'd tell him what was going on when she was ready.
"We're here," Hermione announced when they reached the edge of a large lake. There were several boats spread out on the surface of the lake and the crowd had thinned slightly, but not by much.
"O-kay," Harry said carefully, wondering what the big surprise was and if they'd find out once the sun went down and everyone began lighting the paper lanterns and potentially setting the entire area on fire. At least they were close to water.
"Come on. We need to get some lanterns for ourselves."
Oh, great. We're going to be setting ourselves on fire too.
Hermione dragged them to a nearby stall and paid for two lanterns, then handed them to Harry as she led them back to the edge of the water. Harry inspected the items for some sort of clue of what was about to happen, but they were just as mum about the whole thing as Hermione.
Harry expected Hermione to stop at the edge of the water, where most of the people were gathering but instead, she went into the forest and stopped in front of a large tree. She reached into her bag and took out two strange objects. One was a miniature boat and the other was one of George's fireworks. She handed the firework to Harry. "I need you to set this off as discreetly as possible."
"Are you mad?" he hissed, keeping his voice low so he wouldn't attract the attention of the Muggles surrounding them. "There's paper everywhere! If I light this the whole field will go up in flames."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "I modified it. It's not going to dart around or make any obviously magical shapes. It'll go straight into the sky and explode. Trust me. I just need the distraction so I can enlarge this." She indicated the tiny boat in her hand.
"That's your plan? To suddenly reappear from the forest with a full-sized boat?"
Hermione gestured toward the tree trunk. "I'll prop it against the back of the tree, which is already covered in shadow. And the Muggles won't notice. I mean - they'll definitely notice us dragging a boat out of the forest, but you know how they are about brushing things off that don't make sense. They'll just convince themselves the boat was there the whole time and that they missed it."
Harry's mouth dropped open. He was seriously considering asking her a Polyjuice question, but was wary of agitating her when she was in such a fragile mental state. He took a deep breath and said as calmly as he could manage, "Since when do you take advantage of Muggles and their inability to see the truth?"
"Since I messed up!" she snapped.
The group of Muggles closest to them looked their way. Harry touched his wand in his pocket and cast a silent Muffliato. Hermione gave him a quick nod in acknowledgement before continuing with her rant.
"I had this plan to come here for the lantern festival - it's brilliant, almost like another Wonder, but one that wouldn't remind us of James and Lily - and I had it all prepared. The Portkey, the accommodations - and I was able to align it with our trip to the Forgotten City in a few days with Ron and Nora and the others - and I thought it would be good for you to relax before spending all that time with Ginny, which I know will be weird and it was all planned out and then - I forgot the bloody boat. And by the time I remembered, it was too late! They were all booked out. So, I had this idea to bring my own boat and-" she gestured to the boat in her hand, "-here we are."
Harry stared at her oddly as she caught her breath. "What's a lantern festival? We're all going to light these?" He shook the paper lanterns he was still holding.
"Yes," she sighed, "we're going to light them. We're all going to light our lanterns and release them into the air and they'll float and it will be lovely. Is that really what you're choosing to focus on?"
Harry had a few follow-up questions about the floating lanterns, but knew now wasn't the time to voice them. She was clearly wound up and he was pretty sure it had nothing to do with the boat. "Hermione," he said gently, "let's just do this lantern festival without the boat. Is it really so important for us to be on the water?"
"Yes!" she said insistently. "It will be quiet out there. We're both uneasy around crowds - we've established that - and we won't be able to relax and talk freely until we're out there, on our own boat and - and this is meant to be romantic. We need that, Harry. Especially now." She stopped and looked down at her left hand, where her engagement ring was.
Ahh. There was the problem. "Hermione, it's oka-"
"No, it's not! I know I've been difficult. I know you've been frustrated and are trying not to show it and be patient - like always, and I - I want to do something for you in return and believe me - this night is going to be a thousand times better if we watch this lantern festival from out there."
Harry placed the lanterns on the ground and grabbed Hermione's shoulders. "Breathe."
She scowled.
"Breathe," he repeated, sterner this time.
She took in a deep breath, then blew the air out in his face.
Harry shook his head. "You're adorable."
Hermione scowled again. "Pygmy Puffs are adorable."
"Pygmy Puffs…" Harry tapped her nose, which made her scowl even more, "...and you when you're all worked up."
Hermione rolled her eyes.
"I don't think I've ever seen someone say that many words in that short a time," he continued.
"Are you trying to get hexed? Because I can do it without all these people noticing." She tried to pull out of his grasp, but he kept her firmly in place. She sighed. "Stop looking at me like that."
"Like what?"
"Like you're wondering if you need to take me to St. Mungo's now, or if it can wait until after the trip."
Harry's eyes scanned her face. She looked stressed, that much was obvious, but otherwise seemed okay. She kept saying this relaxing trip was for his benefit, but she was clearly the one who needed it more.
"Please?" she murmured, almost grudgingly. "I'll use a disillusionment charm, so no one will see me or the boat until we drag it out of the forest. I know it's a strange plan, but there's very little risk. We've done so much worse."
Harry dropped her shoulders. "Oh, I'm in."
"You are?"
"Yeah. I've decided the trip to St. Mungo's can wait until after the trip. Plus, when have I ever said no to one of your plans?"
Her face broke into a smile. "I love you."
"Loved by a complete nutter," Harry said, grinning as he took the firework from her hand, then winked at her. "Lucky me."
Hermione's plan went off without a hitch. Harry set off the firework, all the Muggles in the vicinity looked up at the sky, Hermione enlarged the boat and a set of oars under a Disillusionment Charm, and a few minutes later, Harry and Hermione dragged the boat out of the forest to the lake.
A few Muggles gave them confused looks but after several seconds, they shrugged and returned to talking animatedly with their companions.
Harry rowed them to the far end of the lake, away from as many of the other boats as possible, but he couldn't avoid them entirely, since there were so many of them. Though, after they'd been floating in place for a few minutes, Harry noticed the boats around them begin to drift further and further away. Also, the noise in the air had lessened considerably. He looked back at Hermione, who was watching the crowd on the shore.
"Did you set up a ward around us?"
"A what?" she said innocently, but he could see the answer to his question in her eyes.
"A ward," he repeated. "You know, a magical barrier that can be used to put distance between you and other people. In this case - I'd guess about ten feet around. And something that can block out sounds too."
Hermione shrugged. "I did say it would be quieter out here, didn't I?"
Harry just grinned at her. She was such a stickler for the rules. Until she wasn't. "I don't know much about the laws here in Thailand - or, well, anything, for that matter. But I assume you're not allowed to use magic around Muggles."
She was grinning back at him now. "Are you going to turn me into the Thai Ministry?"
"We'll see how the night goes. Are there any other borderline-illegal plans I should know about?"
"That was it. Now we just wait for nightfall and light the lanterns when everyone else does."
Harry nodded down at the paper lanterns at their feet. "What's the deal with the lanterns? I assume there's a story there."
"It's called the Yi Peng Festival and, like I said earlier, we're all going to light these lanterns and release them into the sky. The light is meant to symbolize new beginnings and Muggles believe that if you make a wish when raising your lantern into the air, it will come true as long as the lantern stays lit until it is out of your sight."
"How does it fly without magic?" Harry asked, looking at the lanterns at their feet.
"Science. The light from the candle there heats the air in the lantern, making it float for as long as the candle stays lit. Similar to how a hot air balloon works."
"Huh. So it's not magic?"
"That part isn't. But there's a wizarding legend that if you wrap the lantern in your magic before releasing into the air, Marici, the Goddess of Light, will send her magic down to the earth to lead you out of the darkness to a brighter future."
"Since when do wizards believe in gods and goddesses?" Harry asked.
Hermione shook her head. "I don't know much about it. But the wizards on this side of the world seem to be more religious than we are. They worship Gods and Goddesses and their ancestors - who are all believed to wield ancient magic. We saw a bit of that in the other world."
Harry nodded, remembering the Liu ancestors Hermione had inadvertently summoned.
"And there's no denying that the magic here has a distinctly mystic quality," she added.
"Do you think the lantern thing works?" Harry asked. "That this goddess will really light the way?"
"Honestly. I have no idea. Couldn't hurt to try. Just like with most things like this - the records are varied. Some people swear it's true, while others say it's a hoax. I read one source that said it only works for people who believe it will work, which is awfully convenient, don't you think? If it doesn't work, you can just say, 'Oh, it didn't work for you because you didn't believe' and brush it off. So, who knows?"
Harry could tell by the way she was speaking that she was in the camp of people who didn't believe. He wondered which side he was on. He'd seen so many spectacular feats of magic in his life, the idea of some goddess sending down magic to light up a future didn't seem that preposterous to him. "How do you wrap something in your magic?" he asked, looking down at the lanterns again.
"I've been thinking about that. You know that spell we used to protect our wands when we went to the Sanctuary?"
"With the demon?" Harry cut in, referring to Teddy, who had thrown an epic tantrum when they told him it was time to leave.
Hermione let out a laugh. "Yeah, don't remind me. Anyway, that protection spell essentially encases the object in our magical signature, preventing someone without that same signature from breaking through the barrier. I was thinking that might be as good a spell as any to try on the lanterns, since we'd literally be covering it in our magic."
"Yeah. Okay." Harry looked around them before pulling his wand out of his pocket, but none of the Muggles in the boats closest to them were paying them any mind. They each cast the spell on their lantern and a thin, faintly glowing layer covered the thin paper. "Now we just need to believe?" Harry asked.
Hermione snorted. "Yeah, right."
He nudged her leg with his foot. "Come on, now. That goddess broad isn't going to light your future up for you with that attitude."
"Right," Hermione sighed, keeping her eyes down on her lantern.
Harry wanted to press. He wanted to say, "Do you think she'll spell out a wedding date for us? Because that's the only part of my future that seems unclear at the moment," but he bit his tongue. He'd learned by now that patience was the most important virtue for anyone dating Hermione Granger.
She had a plan for everything - from what she was going to eat each day, to which days of the week she was going to wash her hair, to when one of their arguments was going to play out (and who should start it). It was exhausting trying to keep up with it all, but he gave it his best shot, because he knew it was important to her and he knew why. His mum had told him once, "Hermione tends to cling to her plans because they give her life meaning and order," and that was exactly it.
She had a giant brain with the capacity to overcomplicate even the most straightforward decisions and had found a method for dealing with her tendency to overthink things by implementing countless routines and effectively removing that decision-making process altogether. The problem was - sometimes her plans made no sense, or she simply put off the plan-making altogether because she knew it was going to be too difficult. That was the other thing about Hermione - she was incredibly good at compartmentalizing her thoughts.
So, when they were at an impasse, like they were now about the wedding, Harry had to balance between staying patient and waiting for the best time to bring things up - so as not to interfere with any of her plans, and pushing her out of her comfort zone when she was being a little ridiculous. It was a lot, and he had to employ all his "Hermione whisperer" powers to keep from mucking things up too much, but it was worth it. She was worth it. This was just a small thing, really, when weighed against all the benefits of getting to be with her.
The way she made him feel, the way she always knew exactly what he needed and would go to any lengths to meet that need, the way she understood him in a way no one else did. And on top of all that, she was funny, gorgeous, sexy, and smart. It almost seemed unfair - that he would be allowed to have someone so perfect - but he wasn't complaining.
Hermione's voice pulled him out of his thoughts. "I know what you're thinking."
Harry highly doubted that. "What am I thinking?"
She bit her lip and he saw that her eyes were shining with tears as she continued to stare at the paper lantern in her lap. Harry looked around and when he confirmed no one was looking, he used his wand to widen the bench he was sitting on, so that he was no longer sitting several feet away from her, but was just in front of her. He framed her legs with his and placed his hands on her knees. "Hermione. What is it?" he whispered.
She flinched in surprise when he touched her, then smiled when she saw that he'd altered the boat. When her eyes drifted up to meet his, he saw that a few of the tears that had been glittering in them had fallen onto her cheeks. He reached out and wiped them away.
Hermione dropped her eyes again before saying. "I'm sure you're hoping this goddess is going to help me get over myself and pick a bloody wedding date."
"That wasn't what I was thinking." It was close, but not exactly it, so technically, he wasn't lying.
"I know I'm being ridiculous, Harry. I know it's not logical - just putting it off and hoping it's somehow going to resolve itself, and I know it's a bit cowardly and it's not me and I hate that. But I can't shake this feeling like - like something is going to go wrong."
"I know," he said, tilting her chin up so she was forced to look at him again. He could see the fear in her eyes. Also, the anger, which he knew was directed at herself, not him. They'd discussed this for the first time a month or so ago, when Harry had been worried her reluctance to set a date for their wedding had something to do with him. They'd had this circular sort of conversation that went nowhere.
She admitted her apprehension was driven by an irrational fear of losing him, he accepted it and told her he'd wait for as long as she needed, and they set the matter to the side. So, in short, she was too afraid of losing him to marry him. It reminded him of something his dad had told him in the other world: "More proof that humans are incredibly complicated. You loved Hermione, which drove you to refuse to acknowledge her as a romantic interest and push her away. How counterproductive."
Harry had been wanting to bring the topic up again for a while now, but didn't know how. He never expected to do it here, on a boat in Thailand, that Hermione had been carrying in her purse an hour ago, holding paper lanterns laced with their magic that were meant to be an offering of some sort to a light goddess, but here they were.
Perhaps it was Hermione's plan all along. Maybe it's why she was so desperate for them to secure a private boat. Or maybe it had just popped into her mind while they were talking about futures and she'd finally surpassed her quota for being able to keep the issue bottled up inside. Who knew? Harry was just glad they were talking about it.
"I think our luck has changed since the war," Harry said softly as he slowly ran the pad of his thumb along her jaw. "Since we stepped into that portal together, I'd say things have gone alarmingly right for us - wouldn't you?"
"I know, Harry. We could have been stuck there, something could have happened at one of the Wonders, we could have been Obliviated once we returned, Ron - well - that could have been a disaster but it wasn't and - and us… I mean - that doesn't bother you? That it's all been so…easy?"
"A little," Harry said, "But it feels right, so I try not to overthink it."
That wasn't to say he never over thought things. Just earlier, in the crowd, he'd been spiraling when Hermione had snapped him out of it. She was brilliant at that. He hoped that with time he'd be able to do the same for her. Then again, her capacity to overthink things was much greater than his, so pulling her out of it was bound to be more difficult.
Hermione gripped one of the hands he'd rested on her knee. "It feels right to me too, Harry. I promise it does. Every moment we spend together is perfect. It's just - a wedding - getting married - I almost feel like we're pushing our luck and I want to - I do, but - I don't know."
"I get it, Hermione," Harry said, moving the hand that was on her face down to her shoulder and giving it a firm squeeze. "It's just another one of those after-effects of the war. But we can't-"
"I know," she cut in. "I know we can't let the war run our lives. But that's something else that's making me hold back. I don't want to be nervous and skittish on the day. I want to be completely focused on you - on us - and on starting our life together. But I'm worried I'm going to be a mess, heavily dosed with Calming Draught and that - well, Voldemort already took so much, I don't want him to have that day too."
She was crying again. Harry set their lanterns to the side and pulled her against his chest. He ran his fingers through her hair as he hugged her. Fuck, she was a mess. But the fact that she was letting him see her like this was a testament to how much she loved and trusted him. Even when they'd been best friends, she rarely let herself fall apart like this in front of him.
He knew if she just grit her teeth and committed to getting married, no matter what, it would all turn out fine. She'd relax on the day once she saw how right it felt, and making it past that hurdle would release a huge stress for both of them, but he couldn't force her into it.
This was the start of their relationship all over again. When he'd known that she loved him and known they'd end up together, but had to wait for her to figure it out. She was one of the bravest, most assertive people he knew, but when it came to him, it all fell apart. It was because losing him tapped into what seemed to be a primal fear of hers and for some reason, she'd convinced herself that the closer she got to him, the more likely she was to lose him.
As Harry held Hermione, he noticed the sounds around them begin to fade. The ward Hermione had cast muted the voices of the crowd but this silence wasn't magical - the people had all stopped talking. There was a palpable feeling of anticipation in the air and after a few moments, Harry spotted two lanterns floating into the sky. Then, a few more. He leaned back and released Hermione, just in time for her to see the first rush of lanterns float into the air.
"Wow," she whispered.
Harry nodded as he watched the sky fill with lanterns. At first it was just a few spots of light, sparkling like stars against the night sky. But soon, the dark sky was so filled with light, the swaths of black were barely visible. Some earlier lanterns were already so far away that they were just tiny pinpricks of light and he remembered what Hermione said about your wish coming true if the light stayed on until the lantern was out of sight.
It hit him then that behind each of these lanterns was a wish or a hope for a brighter future. They weren't just a mixture of paper and light and hot air, but an essence of all the people around them. Their desires, their dreams, the longing in their hearts, all floating together. The thought made his heart ache.
The sound of Hermione's voice drew his attention back to her. "Hey." She was holding her lantern, which was lit, and gesturing toward his unlit one. "I can't light yours."
Right. She wouldn't be able to with the protective spell they'd cast on their lanterns earlier. Harry touched the tip of his wand to the candle and cast a silent Incendio charm. His fear earlier about the light of thousands of lanterns being too blinding was unfounded. Even though the lanterns were large, the light they emitted was just a dim, soft gold.
They sat across from each other, holding their lanterns and for once, Harry had no idea what she was thinking. Was she hoping the goddess of light would light a path for her? Harry doubted she actually believed that. Would she make a wish when she released her lantern, like the Muggles? What would she wish for?
"Ready?" she asked.
Harry nodded and they let go of their lanterns. They watched as the glowing paper rose higher and higher, mixing with the rest of them. Harry let out a small laugh. Well, so much for watching his lantern to see if it would stay lit until it disappeared in the distance. He didn't mind the fact that it had got caught up in everyone else's wishes. Perhaps there was strength in numbers.
He moved his eyes back to Hermione, who was still watching the spot where their lanterns had drifted off. Maybe she hadn't lost sight of them, like he had.
Damn, she was beautiful.
The ethereal light created by the lanterns was causing her skin to glow almost gold. Her curls appeared to be a warm mix of chocolate and caramel and the soft light sparkling in her eyes made them look even wider and more dazzling than usual. He could not believe she was his. He got to talk to her whenever he wanted, hold her, kiss her, sleep with her. He could pull her close when he was awoken by a nightmare and got to see her first thing every morning. And one day, they'd get married. They were going to be just fine.
Hermione smiled shyly when she looked back at Harry and saw him watching her. "You're gorgeous," he whispered.
"You're not so bad yourself."
"Come here." Harry shifted to make room for her, but it was tight. She ended up sitting mostly on his lap, with her legs draped over his, as she rested her head on his chest. They were quiet as they watched the lanterns floating in the air around them.
"I love you, Harry," she said after several moments, leaning back so she could see his face. "This doesn't mean I don't love you. I think it means I love you too much, but I'm trying. I really am."
"I know," he said gently, running the fingers of his free hand, the one that wasn't wrapped around her waist, along her bare arm. "I think that might be your problem. You're trying too hard. You just need to… let go."
She let out a breath of a laugh. "Right." She shook her head. "Your parents would berate me if they could see this."
Harry smiled sadly. "Just my mum." He paused to push back a few curls that had fallen into her face. "But I'm not her. So, I'll just say…" He took a moment to consider his next words. He didn't know how long it would be until this subject came up again, so wanted to get this just right.
"Getting married is just the first step in a long list of steps we're going to take together. And after this, they're just going to get worse - like when we have kids. I know you're scared, but you don't have to do everything alone anymore."
He took her hand in his and began rubbing her engagement ring with his thumb. "You have a partner now - someone to help shoulder the burden. You can be scared and I can be brave and then, later, I'm sure we'll switch."
Hermione wrapped her arms around him and buried her head in his chest. "You're incredible, Harry. Sometimes I can't believe I'm going to get everything I wanted."
Harry pushed her back so he could see her face before saying, "You are. I'm going to make sure of it." He leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on her lips. When she pulled away, he continued to watch her.
Harry could see the floating lanterns reflected in her eyes and considered turning to watch the majestic scene, since this might be the only lantern festival he'd ever attend, but he couldn't pull his eyes away from her. It was no matter. The lanterns looked more beautiful through her eyes anyway.
They didn't talk about their wedding (or lack thereof) for the rest of the night. They committed to focusing on the lanterns and the gorgeous scene around them. Hermione thanked Harry for being so understanding and he thanked her for planning the trip, agreeing with her previous assertion that it wouldn't have been as good without the boat. They drifted there for hours, watching the lanterns float around them. A few times, a lantern would drop near them and they'd summon it to them with their wand, strengthen the flame, and send it off.
When the sky was mostly dark again, save for a few stray lanterns here and there, they returned to the shore, shrunk the boat under a Disillusionment Charm, and made their way back to their hotel, walking in silence through the now subdued crowd.
They were currently lying on the bed in their room and reading. Well, Hermione was reading but Harry had given up the activity several moments ago. He was currently watching Hermione, who was lying on her side with her back to him, and wondering if he'd get rejected if he tried to initiate sex right now.
They were on holiday, which was a point in his favor. She'd chosen to wear a skimpy pair of shorts and a tank top to bed, which was another point, and she'd given him an appraising look when he'd climbed into bed wearing just his underwear - point three.
The only thing working against him was the fact that she was reading. He knew she hated to be interrupted in the middle of a chapter, so had been watching her for a few moments and waited until she reached the end of her current chapter, which, luckily, hadn't taken long. He could see the blank spot at the end of the page. When she lifted her hand to turn to the next page, Harry made his move.
Before her finger touched the page, he was on her side, pulling her hair away and planting soft kisses along the length of her neck. She let out a breathy moan. That was a good sign, but Harry wasn't in the clear yet. He saw a flash of light out of the corner of his eye but ignored it. He was focused on the book in Hermione's hands as he worked on her neck, switching between grazing his teeth along her soft skin and lightly sucking on the sensitive areas. She closed her book and let out another contented sigh.
The book was closed. Fuck, yes. This was happening.
After she placed the book on the table, Harry moved a hand around her and slipped it under her tank top, cupping one of her breasts in his hand as he continued kissing her neck. When he flicked his thumb over her nipple, the strangest thing happened. A faint light rippled under the surface of her skin. Harry froze. What in Merlin's name was that?
Hermione wiggled her bum against him. "Did you already change your mind?"
Harry began rubbing her breasts again, moving to give the other one attention. He peppered kisses on her shoulder as he watched her skin. A moment later, it did it again, just as a moan caught in Hermione's throat. Was she doing this somehow? No. He knew the feel of her magic, almost as well as he knew his own, and this was different. But it wasn't bad - he could tell that much - and it did seem to be linked to her reactions.
"Harry?"
He'd stopped again. Damn, he was really bad at multitasking. He should focus on Hermione. He could diagnose the strange light later. It didn't seem to be causing any harm.
Harry removed his hand from her shirt and grabbed her chin. He tilted it toward him slightly and kissed her fully, pressing his tongue into her mouth and sliding it against hers. She shifted so she was lying on her back and tangled her fingers in his hair. Harry moved on top of her and pressed his hips against hers. He was already hard.
Damn, it had been too long since they'd done this. When was the last time they'd shagged? Two weeks ago? Two and a half? It was the week before Halloween because they'd been joking about dressing up and taking Teddy out for Muggle trick-or-treating. When was that?
Stop counting out dates and focus on the gorgeous witch in front of you!
Harry lifted up on his elbows and smiled down at Hermione. "I love you."
"I love you," she whispered back.
She was gorgeous. Her eyes were wide and darker than normal, her curls were spilling over the pillow, her cheeks were flushed and she was biting her lip in that nervous way she did anytime he studied her like this, which just made her look even sexier.
He leaned his head down and nibbled on her earlobe before whispering, "You're stunning."
A few patterns of light played across her skin. Harry kissed her neck again, keeping his eyes open as he sucked on that sensitive spot she liked. Her skin glowed again as she tugged at his hair tighter. Now that he was up-close, he could see little lines of light dancing right under the surface of her skin. Harry was beginning to suspect that her pleasure was triggering the bursts of light. It also seemed like she had no idea she was doing it.
He grinned against her as he got an idea. Harry kissed a path down her neck to her chest as he lifted her top to expose her stomach. He kissed her abdomen, stopping to swirl his tongue around her navel, which earned him a throaty sigh and another jolt of light. Yeah, this was definitely tied to her pleasure. Brilliant.
He hooked his fingers through the elastic of her shorts and knickers and began sliding them down. Hermione lifted up on her elbows and smiled down at him. "Hi," he said as he pulled her shorts off and threw them to the side. "Did you need something?"
She let out a laugh before lying back on the pillow and opening her legs for him. "No. Carry on."
Harry did just that. He would normally provide more build-up, like placing kisses along the inside of her thighs or running a finger along her slit, but he wanted to get straight to the lighting her up part so moved right to her clit, circling his tongue around the bundle of nerves as he pushed a finger inside her.
She gasped and arched her back just as the light returned, brighter than it had been previously. The little rods of light were making shapes under her skin by moving continuously and the faster they moved, the brighter the light was. Harry adjusted his movements, slowing his tongue to make the shapes turn slower, dimming the light, and sucking gently on her clit to make the intensity of the light increase.
Hermione writhed under him as he played around with the light, bringing her to the brink, using the flickering patterns as a guide, then pulling back just before she reached her peak. She had one hand fisted in the sheets and the other in his hair, nearly yanking it out by the roots, while she bit her lip so tightly, he was worried she was going to break skin.
"Fuck…Harry…holy fucking God…Merlin…Oh Lord…bloody hell…Christ…Harry…"
Harry placed a second finger inside her, pumping his hand at the speed that made the little patterns on her skin move at what he had determined was the ideal pace - not so fast that she was thrusting her hips erratically, on the brink of finishing, but fast enough to elicit those delicious moans and string of swears where she mixed his name with God and Merlin, which he rather liked.
A few moments later, Hermione was begging for her release. She kept thrusting her hips into his face and pulling on his hair and he figured now was as good a time to end it, he'd drawn this out for long enough. Plus, he wanted to see what happened to the light when she orgasmed. He swirled his tongue around her clit as he pumped his hand faster, curling his fingers toward her stomach. She finished with a surprised gasp and the light show did not disappoint.
The little patterns twirled around her skin, getting brighter and brighter until finally, they burst out into the air, hovering a few inches above her. He stopped licking her but continued moving his fingers in and out, causing the rods of light to dance slowly in the air as her walls trembled around him. When she went slack, the lights finally faded.
She gave a final shudder as he removed his hand. Harry kissed her stomach, then placed his fist on the spot he'd kissed and propped his chin on top of it as he watched her. She looked blissfully calm. Her eyes were closed and there was a contented smile playing across her lips.
"Oh my God," she whispered.
Harry grinned.
She lifted her head slightly and looked down at him. "That's a smug smile."
"Undeserved?"
She rolled her eyes. "Come here. I can't move but I want you up here." As if to demonstrate how little energy she had, she reached down and brushed her fingertips lightly against his cheek before sinking back into the bed.
Harry went to lie next to her and gathered her up in his arms. She nuzzled into his neck and began placing lazy kisses there. "That was incredible. I think I blacked out."
Harry let out a laugh. That probably explained why she hadn't noticed the lights. He was about to tell her about the strange light when he got distracted by her reaching into his underwear and wrapping a firm hand around his cock. It appeared her strength had returned.
He pressed her back onto the mattress and kissed her as she stroked him inside his pants. "Take these off," she murmured, pulling at the elastic of his underwear.
"You're very bossy," Harry said as he pulled the offending garment off.
"I know. You tell me that every time we have sex."
She pulled him back into a deep kiss as she grabbed him again and lined him up with her entrance. Hermione placed her hands on his backside and pulled hard, her intention clear. Harry pounded into her. They both gasped heavily once he was sheathed inside her, exhaling into each other's mouths. Damn, she felt perfect - tight and wet and warm.
As Harry moved inside her, the flashes of light reappeared. Brilliant. Harry used the light on her skin as a guide again, caressing her breasts and kissing her neck to get her closer to that peak, hoping to time her release with his.
"More," she bit out. He was thrusting into her as hard as he could, her nails were digging into his back, and she had her legs completely wrapped around him but apparently, she still wanted more.
Harry lifted off her and pulled on one of her legs. Once she'd removed it from behind his back, he pressed it up against her chest and entered her again. She let out a delicious moan at the new angle and the light fluttered faster as he pressed into her.
"Harry - what? What the-? What's that?"
Her eyes were wide and it took Harry a moment to figure out what she was talking about. Then the light rippled over her skin again. She was staring at her calf, which was draped over his shoulder. "It's fine," he grunted.
Fuck, they were both so close. He didn't have the presence of mind to explain the strange light that made him extra-good at pleasuring her. Or his absurd theory about where it had come from.
"So you're - you're doing that?" she asked, letting out a loud moan at the end.
"Yeah," he panted, which was technically true. "I'll - fuck - explain later."
That seemed to be enough of an explanation for her. She reached her arms above her head and wrapped them around the bars of the headboard as Harry pushed her tank top up to her neck, cursing himself for not removing it earlier.
He took a moment to watch her. She was gripping the headboard for support, damp curls were sticking to her face, her cheeks were flushed, her eyes had fluttered closed and she was biting her lip hard. Light flashed with each of his thrusts and her breasts were bouncing - fuck, she looked completely undone. Pride swelled in his chest at the thought that he'd been the one to unravel her like this.
Harry was so close and could finish at any moment, he just needed to get her there. He lowered his head and began sucking on her breasts. She finished with a strangled cry. Once her walls tightened around him, he came, emptying himself into her.
He moved to kissing her mouth and as they rocked their hips in a slow rhythm, riding down from the high of their orgasms together the light - which Harry had nearly forgotten about, appeared in the air around them and began encircling them in a bright cocoon. It swirled and swirled until Harry and Hermione broke their kiss. The little rods of light froze for a few seconds, then began twirling and dancing in the air until they finally faded away.
"What the bloody hell was that?" Hermione panted as she watched the last of the glowing shapes fade away.
Harry let out a laugh. He dropped onto his side and pulled Hermione against his chest.
"Harry?"
Harry was still trying to catch his breath. He stroked her hair, which was damp now, as he recollected himself. "I think it was that light goddess," he said after a while.
Hermione leaned back so she could see him. "What?"
"You know - from the lantern. You said the light goddess would light up my future. Well - that's you. And - it was the same color as the lanterns, that dull gold."
"But - you said you were doing it," she pointed out.
"Well - I was sort of doing it - since it only began when we started shagging. But - no - it wasn't a spell or anything."
"I don't - I don't understand. It was-" she paused to blush, "- it was tied to me. I watched it. When I was hit with a wave of pleasure, it - you know - shone."
Harry started rubbing her lower back with the hand that was draped around her waist. "I know. I found it very helpful."
She shook her head. "You expect me to believe that the goddess of light in all her power and wisdom sent some sort of magic down that did…that?" she asked sternly.
Harry shrugged. "I've seen stranger magic."
"Hmm." Hermione's brow furrowed as she laid across from him. Then, without warning, her expression hardened and she got up and went to the loo.
"Hermione?"
The door slammed. Fuck. Harry was up the next moment, stumbling after her to the washroom. He nearly tripped on her shorts on his way there. "Hermione?" he repeated, wrapping his hands on the door. There was silence. "Can you please tell me why you're angry?" His question was met with the flushing of the toilet, followed by the sound of the sink running, then more silence.
"Hermione?"
The door opened a few moments later to reveal an angry-looking Hermione, standing with her arms crossed over her chest. He decided not to tell her that the fact that she was stark naked took away from the menacing look she was going for, or that her current pose was pushing her breasts up in a very sexy way.
Focus, Harry.
"I'm sorry," he said, though he had no idea what for.
"What for?"
"I don't know," he said honestly.
She sighed and marched back to the bed. He watched her use her wand to clean up the sheets before climbing back in, fluffing the pillow a few times before lying down in a huff.
"Can you please tell me what I did?" he asked as he climbed under the covers next to her.
"You know I'm sensitive about this wedding thing - and you know I've been looking for some sort of - I don't know, sign - that everything will be okay - so you used this trip to - to trick me. You made that stupid spell and it's - it's not funny. It's in really poor taste, actually, and if you thought that would work - then you're an idiot."
"I didn't make that spell," Harry said quickly. "I didn't know about the goddess of light legend until tonight and creating that sort of spell - I wouldn't even know where to start. Though - if you know - maybe you can tell me because I think it would be very useful-" He cut off at the sight of her face. "Right - sorry. But really, Hermione. It wasn't a trick." He reached for her hand and was relieved when she didn't shake him away. "I wouldn't do that. I promise."
She was searching his eyes and he hoped to Merlin she was able to see how sincere he was.
"You didn't create those lights?"
Harry shook his head.
"But - you really think it's a byproduct of the lantern festival?"
Harry shrugged. He shifted so he was on his back and pulled her into his arms. "I have no idea, Hermione, but it wouldn't be the first time a mystical power of the universe wanted us to be together."
She let out a small laugh and began tracing patterns on his chest. They were quiet and he wondered if she was thinking about the Fire Lizards from the other world, who had appeared to her at Fall's End and pushed her into the mist, forcing her to confront her feelings for Harry. Or the Deluminator, which had led her to the world with his parents and the fourteen day trip that changed their relationship forever.
"I should have told you about the light as soon as I noticed it," Harry said. "I'm sorry."
"It's okay. I quite like how you chose to use it." She smiled against his chest.
Harry leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "About the wedding, Hermione. I know you're stressed, but don't be. We'll get married when you're ready. I'll wait for as long as you need."
"Five years?"
"Longer, if you want."
They were quiet again. Hermione traced patterns on his skin as he ran his fingers through her hair. After several moments, she lifted up and looked at him, her expression serious. "March 2nd."
"Huh?"
"I want to get married on March 2nd. That way our wedding date will be 02-03-04. That's pretty neat."
Harry couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Are you - what?"
"I'm finished waiting. You're right. The universe clearly wants us to be together. I want us to be together and yes - I'm scared - but like you said - you're not. So, I'll be scared, you'll be brave and we'll - we'll get through it. It'll be fine. But - well - I actually don't know what day March 2nd falls on. What if it's a Wednesday?"
"Then we'll get married on a Wednesday," he cut in. He placed a hand on her face and tilted it up before pressing his lips to hers. She moved higher up on the bed and began kissing him in earnest as she wrapped her hands behind his neck.
"Are we really getting married in a few months?" he asked, slightly worried she was going to say that he'd misunderstood her meaning.
She nodded and he felt a rush of euphoria, similar to how he'd felt when she first said she loved him or when she'd accepted his marriage proposal last year. He'd waited years for this and finally - it was going to happen.
The lights reappeared. Not on Hermione's skin this time, but hovering in the air. They were dancing around, almost as if in celebration. "Look," Harry said. "The goddess approves."
Hermione turned her head to focus on the nearest group of lights. She smiled but when she turned back toward Harry, her expression was stern again. "If I find out later that you were behind this light show - I will kill you - even if you're my husband by that point."
Harry laughed. He pulled her back down and she turned so she was facing up, watching the rods of light flit around the room. "Say it again," he said softly.
"What? That I'll kill you?"
"No. That I'm going to be your husband."
She wrapped an arm around his middle and whispered in his ear. "You're going to be my husband, Harry. And I'm going to be your wife."
"On March 2nd. You can't take it back. Not allowed. You've created a binding contract with the goddess of light."
Hermione let out a laugh. "Okay. I won't take it back."
Harry kissed her temple. "March 2nd can't come fast enough."
A/N: I was going to title this "Alex writes a self-indulgent fic because she's sad 14 days is over and it's Christmas, so why not?" but it was too long. Hope you enjoyed it! The next story in the Fourteen Days universe will be more than me just mixing my favorite things together with magic that makes no sense.
It's going to be the story of how the other Harry and Hermione got together. We'll learn more about Hermione and Neville, we'll see Lily and James, we'll get glimpses from the war, and we'll see the other Harry and Hermione, obviously. Get excited!