Day Twenty-Eight

There was a chill in the bedroom when Hermione opened her eyes. Still fairly dark it was far too early to get up. She didn't know why she woke up, but she had always been a fairly light sleeper. Sometimes the silliest things could tear her out of a deep sleep. As she looked around her for the potential disturbance, she realized her pajama top had come partially unbuttoned in her sleep. It happened sometimes. She thought maybe the buttons were too small.

Rabastan was awake and staring at the flesh that was accidentally exposed. It was easy to tell that he was struggling to keep his hands to himself. Somehow she didn't think it was for the obvious reason though. Part of her scar was exposed. Had he been staring at that wondering how awful it was?

"Do you want to see it?"

Unable to form the proper words, he could only nod. Hermione reached over to turn the lamp on next to her side of the bed to give them some light to see better. Resting her head back down on her pillow, she unbuttoned the rest of the top with shaking hands. Rabastan watched every moment, hardly blinking. To her surprise, she was bold enough to pull the whole garment off. Naked from the waist up, he stared but made no moves to touch her.

"I know it's ugly, but…"

"No. Nothing about you is ugly, my love. Not even your scars."

Feeling braver, he reached across the bed to touch the top of her scar. It was a long and nasty slash across her entire torso. Lightly and reverently, he traced the entire length of the scar with his fingertips. Everywhere he touched erupted into goosebumps. She always hated the first time anyone she was with saw her scar. It was ugly regardless of what her husband claimed.

The second he reached the end, he started tracing it all over again with his lips. She couldn't breathe. Her heart pounded against her chest. Intense wasn't a strong enough descriptor for what was happening. All the way down the scar he kissed, licking it with his tongue. At the end he switched to the scar on her neck from Bellatrix's blade. That didn't take nearly as long. It was only when he pressed his lips against the hateful word carved into her arm that it all became too much.

Hermione jumped off of the bed, grabbed her discarded pajama top, and left the room. Outside of the bedroom she covered up her exposed skin again. All she needed was a minute or two to calm down. What had just happened in their bed was something she had never experienced before, something she didn't even know how to process.

Needing a little more distance, she went downstairs into the empty and dark shop. Leaving all of the lights off, she approached the windows at the front of the shop to look out at a still sleeping Diagon Alley. A few minutes passed and she heard him come downstairs. He approached her slowly like she was a wild animal on the verge of bolting off into the forest. Over her shoulder she offered him an encouraging smile. Rabastan wrapped his arms around her from behind. As he often did when he wanted to comfort them both, he kissed the top of her head.

"I didn't mean to upset you. I'm sorry."

"You didn't upset me. It's… I…"

She was at a loss for how to assure him that he hadn't upset her, not really. After being held in his arms for a little while longer, she thought she might finally know how to explain what she felt upstairs in their bedroom when he was all but worshiping her scars.

"My scars have always made people who saw them nervous and uncomfortable. A few have even given me suggestions on how to hide them or get rid of them altogether. No one has ever kissed my scars before. They usually kiss around them or try to pretend like they don't see them at all. Maybe they think that makes me feel better, I don't know."

The longer the month wore on, the longer they were together, she realized more that he was very different in so many ways from everyone she'd ever known or been with. She wasn't sure that she believed in soulmates. It seemed like a nice idea, but perhaps only real in romance novels. Whether they were existed or not, she was glad that her soul found his. It just felt right with him, especially in a serious moment like that.

"Your scars are beautiful because they show how strong you are, how you've survived in times when no one else would. You are beautiful, Hermione."

"Thank you."

"And your tits are amazing."

Caught completely off-guard by his statement, she snorted out a laugh.

"No, really. I suspected they would be nice, but I wasn't prepared for those. Do you have any idea how difficult it was focusing on your scars when all I wanted to do was suck on your perfect nipples? But then I'd want to taste all of you again and I don't think I can make it to the thirty days if I did that again. Nope, I've already got a stiffy just thinking about it."

She laughed again and leaned back against his chest. As if by instinct, he tightened his hold.

"How can you say the filthiest things so easily? I get too embarrassed."

Rabastan chuckled.

"Ahh, then I'll be your teacher. Lesson One, don't give fuck all what's appropriate. Say whatever you are thinking out loud."

"Sounds dangerous."

"It can be. You have to pick your target very carefully."

Both of them still laughing, he took her hand to lead her back to bed. Neither one of them were really ready to stay awake for the rest of the day at that point.

In the shop later that same day when they were open, Hermione couldn't keep her eyes off of her husband as he interacted with a customer. He was a natural. She very much hoped he meant it when he told her he liked working in the shop because she needed him. Part of her was certain she would fail without him by her side.

Sensing her staring, he looked up and smiled. Once he was finished assisting the customer, he crossed the shop to where she stood behind the counter.

"Did you need something, my darling?"

"Yes, I need to tell you something."

With her finger she gestured for him to come closer so she could whisper in his ear.

"I love you."

He smiled brightly and not caring that there were customers who could see pulled her into his arms for a kiss right there in the middle of the shop. When she broke away from him for the sake of propriety, she definitely thought she could get used to being affectionate in public. That had never been something she was comfortable with.

Everything was different with Rabastan. She had to wonder if that meant it was special and real.