A/N: Hello! I'm continuing Hermione and Harry's journey here. I'll be updating the tags as I go. Thank you again for the overwhelming response to A Determination of Skill. It's quite inspiring, and I appreciate all of your support. We're starting off with a long chapter. I had a bit I needed to establish, and I couldn't just let the chapter end without some bit of fun for our duo. ;)

*H*H*H*H*H*

Hermione Granger woke up to the smell of bacon. She stretched lazily and took in her surroundings. She was in Harry's bed. Which wasn't odd in and of itself. She'd stayed over countless times, and occasionally shared the bed with her best friend. What was odd though was the fact that she was nude. It took a second before the events from the previous night came flooding back. Shit! Did that actually happen, she thought.

She'd be lying if she said she hadn't thought of jumping Harry half a million times or more. It was why she'd come up with her plan of action so quickly. Oh, the things she wanted to do with that man. She imagined Harry tied down and at her mercy, her at his mercy, them teasing and tasting each other. She sat up. She needed to see the man in question and see if he had any regrets. Had she come on too strong? She'd had that comment thrown at her more than once.

Hermione looked around the room for her clothes but came up empty. Finally, she resorted to pulling out one of Harry's old t-shirts and wearing it. She made a quick stop to the loo and then padded downstairs to the kitchen. Once again, Harry was at the stove, this time frying up bacon and eggs.

"Smells good," she said as she approached him. The wizard looked back his eyes obviously scanning her body covered in only his shirt. "I hope you don't mind that I borrowed this. I couldn't find my clothes."

"N-no, I-I don't mind at all," he sputtered. 'Besides, it looks better on you than it ever did on me," he said with a grin. "Sorry about the clothes. I picked them up and put them in the wash so you'd have something to wear today."

"Oh, thank you, Harry. That was really thoughtful," she said. "So, are we ok?" she asked tentatively.

"I hope so," Harry responded. "I know I'm fine. How about you?"

"I'm more than fine," she answered. "What now?"

"Well, personally, I'd like to make a proper go of this, not just what we did last night, which was amazing, but all of it, dates, flowers, romance, the whole nine yards," he confessed looking frightfully nervous.

"I'd like that too," Hermione said softly. Harry brought his hand up to cup her cheek and pressed a kiss to her lips. The kiss deepened. It was slow and sensuous. So unlike the fevered kisses they had shared the night before, but they still made Hermione's knees weak. Suddenly a large pop came from the frying bacon, causing them to pull apart, startled.

Looking back to the stove, they both laughed. "Maybe I should focus on breakfast right now," Harry said.

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea," she agreed. "What can I do to help?"

"Uh…would you mind taking the toast and jam into the dining room and setting the table?" he asked while gesturing to the plate of toast on the counter under a stasis charm to keep it warm. "It's a beautiful day, I thought it would be nice to have some sunshine while we eat."

Hermione grabbed the plate along with some butter and jam and made for the dining room. It wasn't overly large, but could easily seat 20 people. The floor to ceiling windows that framed the London skyline brought in the morning's warm sunlight. She loved the view from here.

After the war, it hadn't been long until Harry was ready to leave Grimmauld Place behind. There were too many memories, too much pain. It had also been his godfather's last prison. With Hermione's help, he'd sifted through a mountain of old documents from the Potter and Black estates until he'd found this property. After extensive renovations, it had made for a comfortable home, if a bit bigger than he really needed. It had enough room to host the Weasleys though and his friends so he quickly came to terms with the size.

After he moved in, he'd also renovated Grimmauld Place. He'd considered selling the property, but refrained. While Sirius had hated the house, it was the only one Harry could remember him having and just couldn't bare to let that connection to his godfather go. So, instead he'd rented it out to a young wizarding family. Now another family could fill it with happy memories. He thought Sirius would approve.

Hermione grabbed plates and silverware and set a place for both of them at one end of the table. She had just laid down their napkins when Harry came in with the rest of their breakfast. The witch sat down and quickly scooped some scrambled eggs onto her plate as Harry buttered his toast.

They sat eating in silence for a few minutes. "Is this weird?" Harry asked.

"Is what weird?" Hermione responded.

"This. Us. Usually when I start dating someone, I try to get to know them better. I pretty much know everything about you, so where do we start?" Harry asked.

"Well…..you obviously don't know everything about me," she gave him a cheeky smile, and Harry rolled his eyes at her. "I know what you mean though. It feels like we already did all the 'getting to know you' stuff," she said. "but…..I think there's a lot that we've kept from each other. A lot that we could still learn. We can just learn it together."

"Ok, I can manage that. So…..first date?" Harry said looking expectantly at Hermione.

The witch laughed, "Are you asking me if I think we should have one, or are you asking me on a date?"

Harry's cheeks redden. "Would you go out on a date with me?"

"Yes, Harry, I'd love to go on a date with you," the woman replied with a matching blush.

"Tonight?" the wizard asked hopefully.

"Sorry, Harry, I have a meeting tomorrow and need to prepare tonight," she answered.

"Damn," Harry replied, "So, you won't make it to the Burrow tomorrow?"

"No," Hermione sighed. "We have a delegation of werewolves from Turkey visiting. They have very progressive werewolf protection laws there that have been in place for over a century now. They could really end up being a valuable resource for us," she explained. "Please send my love to Molly and Arthur. I hate having to skip another dinner."

"They understand, Mione. They believe in the work you're doing," Harry assured her. Both were quite devoted to the Weasley parents even after their relationships with Ron and Ginny had ended. They'd lost their own families, Harry's during the first war and Hermione's during the second to a particularly strong obliviation. So, they knew first hand never to take family for granted, and often attended more Sunday dinners than the rest of the Weasley children. "Ok, so obviously not tonight or tomorrow. I've got the late shift on Monday and will be sleeping half of Tuesday. How about Wednesday, 6 pm?"

Hermione smiled, "That would be perfect. Should I meet you here?"

"No, I'll pick you up at your flat like a proper gentleman," he responded.

The witch couldn't help but laugh again. He always knew how to make her smile. "It's a date," she confirmed.

They finished the rest of their meal, and Harry sat back with a sigh. "So, do you need to be off now?" he asked.

"Not quite yet," she answered. "Would you be up for another 'lesson' before I leave?" she asked sweetly.

Harry gave her a crooked smile. "I think I can manage that. What do you have in mind?" he asked.

"Oh….maybe a little bondage, dominance and, hopefully, a blindfold," she responded looking at the wizard as if he were a project she was eager to tackle.

"Uh….yeah, I guess so," he responded feeling a combination of lust and apprehension.

Hermione frowned for a moment. "Oh, Harry, I'm sorry!" she exclaimed. "I didn't even ask you if you even liked what we did last night. Did you? Was it too much? It was too much, wasn't it? We really should have talked more last night. Oh my God, I didn't even tell you about safe words. I'm so sorry, Harry."

Harry reached over and took her hand. "Hermione, it's fine. I'm fine. Last night was fine. It was more than fine, it was bloody brilliant. You were perfect, Mione," he said gently.

The witch let out a deep breath she didn't know she'd been holding. "Sorry," she said sheepishly. "I've been told I come on too strong before. I just don't want to scare you away."

"You won't, Mione. I promise," Harry responded earnestly. "You could never scare me away. I've been waiting for this chance for what feels like forever. I'm not about to toss that away. Besides, I just discovered you're a bloody awesome lay, and I'd be insane to let you go."

A laugh erupted from the woman and she smacked the man with her free had. "Harry!" she gasped in mock horror. "Such language! Honestly, though, I'm glad you enjoyed yourself last night."

"Yeah, I really did. I always thought that sort of thing would be a distraction to sex. Something that bored couples and old men with….problems would have to use to get it going." The wizard frowned. "But it wasn't, it wasn't at all. It just made everything better, more exciting, more satisfying," he explained. "What's a safe word?"

"Oh, it's a signal to your partner that you can use if things get overwhelming or painful in an unpleasant way and such. Some people like to use their own personal safe word. I prefer the traffic light system. It's easy to follow and allows for a lot more insight into your partner's experience during a scene without stopping things all together. Green means go, of course. It means you like what is happening. Yellow means slow down. It can mean that you are getting close to your limit or are uncomfortable, and red means stop. It stops everything," she explained. "I like to check in with my partners from time to time, by asking what color they are at."

"Ok, so do I have to wait for you to ask?" he enquired.

"No, I mean, you don't want to be yelling green the entire time, but if you feel the need, call out yellow or red," she answered.

"Isn't it awkward to just stop everything?" he pressed.

"Sometimes, but that doesn't matter," she said. "It's all about trust. You have to trust me to take care of you, but I also need to trust that you will tell me if things go too far. I'd never want to actually harm you, Harry," she confessed, giving his hand a squeeze.

"Have you ever done it? Stopped everything before they were….finished?" Harry said with a slight blush.

"Yes, a few times. It's bound to happen at some point, and it's nothing to be ashamed of. I once had a panic attack during a scene. Sometimes, the war creeps up on me, and it did this time. So, I called red and everything stopped. The person I was with was very supportive and helped me through the attack. I was quite lucky that they loved aftercare. I was pampered for the rest of the night," she remembered fondly.

"So, you wouldn't be upset if I didn't want to do something or wanted to stop once we started," Harry said. He wanted to be absolutely sure. He hadn't lied, he didn't want to mess this up.

"Of course, not!" Hermione exclaimed. "I'd be upset if you didn't tell me. As I said, trust and communication are key."

"Alright then," he said. "Tie me up. I'm ready to try something new."

A wide smile spread across Hermione's face. "Oh, Harry. The things I'm going to do to you."

*H*H*H*H*H*H*H*H*H*H*

Harry found himself once more naked and bound to his bed. This time he'd been pulled spread eagle with his wrists and ankles each tied to one corner of the bed. A blindfold covered his eyes. He could hear Hermione in the room but wasn't quite sure where she was. He tried to listen for her, but couldn't hear over the thumping of his heart.

Then he felt her. A gentle hand gliding up the inside of his thigh. "Fuck," he breathed. The hand disappeared before it reached his cock and reappeared on his lower abdomen making its way up his body. His skin had never felt so sensitive. The hand reached his throat and moved up to gently cup the side of his face.

"What color are you at, Harry?" she asked.

"Green," he responded.

"Good boy," she purred and he almost groaned at her words. Since when did I find that a turn on? He thought. Suddenly Hermione's lips were pressed against his, and he kissed her eagerly. She pulled away far too early for his liking. He lifted his head towards her chasing her lips to no avail.

"Patience, Harry," Hermione cooed. "I'll make sure you are well cared for," she promised. He dropped his head back onto the pillows and tried to get his breathing under control.

Hermione smiled down at the bound man. The sight of him making her wet. He was all hard lines and muscles. She'd dreamed of this moment for so long and wanted to savor every second. Once again she perused his form with her hands. She ran them down his chest and tweaked his nipples which caused him to gasp deliciously. He was much more sensitive than she thought he'd be.

She slid her hands down the top of his thighs this time and then back up the inner thigh. Again, she avoided his cock that was steadily rising. She smirked and curled her fingers to lightly scratch his chest and then the tops of his thighs once more. She made the circuit one more time until the wizard's manhood was fully erect.

Hermione licked her lips, eager to taste him. She straddled one of his thighs and lowered herself. Harry gasped at the feel of her naked cunt against his leg. "What color are you at, Harry?" she purred. This was all new to him, and she wanted to make sure he was still okay. Well, that and it was a bit of a turn on to hear that her skills were being appreciated.

"Green, so green, Hermione please…please, I need," he panted. Hermione ground herself against his thigh, rocking to give her clit some much needed friction.

"What, Harry? What do you need," she questioned as she rubbed herself against him, allowing pleasured moans and sighs to slip from her lips.

"You," the man moaned. "I need you to touch me. Please!" he begged.

"But, I am touching you," she teased, her pussy coating his thigh with her arousal.

"Please, Hermione!" he pleaded. "I need more!"

"Then say it, Harry. Tell me what you want, tell me what you need," she encouraged.

The man groaned, "I need you to touch my cock."

"Mmmmm, there you go. Good boy," the woman praised, and Harry's cock twitched. Hermione lightly ran her finger tips over his shaft.

"God, yes!" Harry shouted at the contact. She continued to tease for a few more moments though. Lightly touching his manhood until he was certain he would go mad. Then he felt an odd sensation. The woman lightly held his cock upright, and it somehow felt warmer despite the minimal contact.

After positioning him, Hermione had opened her mouth wide and lowered it over his manhood. She took him down as far as she could while still touching him as little as possible. She then lifted her eyes to gage his reaction, then closed her mouth and hollowed her cheeks.

"Fuck!" Harry cried out in surprise at the unexpected pleasure. He couldn't figure out how the witch tormenting him had managed to wrap her lips around the base of his cock without him feeling it enter her mouth. He felt her swallow around the head of his prick, and he instinctively bucked upward. He was about to apologize, but Hermione just moaned as his cock was shoved further down her throat and rubbed herself harder against him.

She held him there for a few glorious moments before she lifted up to catch her breath. She didn't dally long before her mouth was upon him again. She bobbed her head in time with her own movements. She ground herself harder and faster, bringing herself closer to orgasm. She reached down and lightly ran her fingertips and nails along his balls, while her other hand firmly grasped the base of his cock. The sensation was wild. The contrast between the intensity of the talented mouth and tongue on his cock with the delicate treatment of his balls was mind blowing.

Harry could feel every moan and little sound she made as it vibrated around his manhood. "God, Hermione!" he called out. "I'm almost, oh god. I-I can't.

The witch briefly lifted her mouth from him, using her hand to keep up her rhythm. "You don't need to stop it, Harry," she encouraged, her voice husky from her own arousal. "Just let it happen, Harry. I want to taste you so badly. Let me taste you, Harry," she begged. "I want to taste you while I cum," she confessed as she lowered her head once more.

The tempo increased from there. Hermione chasing her orgasm, determined to bring Harry along with her. She felt her pussy start to tingle, the sensation spread down her thighs and she knew she was almost there. She ground herself just a little harder and her cunt started to pulse and she felt herself gush over Harry's thigh.

Harry felt Hermione let out a deep guttural moan that sent vibrations through his cock. He then felt a wetness flowing from the woman's hot cunt. Did she just…he briefly thought before the idea of his witch gushing over him, and her vigorous handling of his manhood sent him over the edge. He cried out as he drained his balls down her throat.

Eventually, Hermione slowed to a stop after she had wrung out every last bit of pleasure from the both of them. She reached over and grabbed her wand. She shut the drapes and turned out the lights. Then removed his blindfold with a quick flick of her wand. He blinked slowly, allowing his eyes to adjust. Hermione watched him avidly. Once he could see well enough she looked straight into his eyes as she lowered her head once more to gently lick him clean. She then moved lower to clean his balls and thighs of her own essence as well.

If he wasn't so thoroughly spent, he would have been rock hard at the sight. As it was he relaxed in his bindings and allowed the witch to continue cleaning him with her tongue. Once she was done, she grabbed her wand once more and released him from the bed. "How was that?" she asked with a smirk.

"Bloody brilliant," he responded. He would have said more, but he couldn't quite think straight at the moment.

She moved to gently rub his ankles and then moved up to do the same with is wrists. "Are you feeling any discomfort?" she asked as she tended to him.

"No, I'm fine, Mione," he assured her. He reached out bringing her closer so he could hold her. "That was amazing. I don't even know how to begin to repay you for that experience."

Hermione smiled. "I think I can come up with something," she said. "But for now, I'll be happy to accept cheesecake for payment."

Harry laughed, remembering the dessert they never got to the night before. "That I can definitely do," he said, snuggling closer to her. Happy to revel in her warmth for a few more minutes.