December 2001
Hermione passed the entire day with a beaming smile on her face. It was so extreme that by the time she had to get dressed for Hannah's party, her cheeks were sore. She felt like she was floating and had to keep pinching herself to confirm she wasn't dreaming. Harry had stopped by this morning, even if it had been for just a few minutes. He had kissed her and promised to do so again tonight.
And that kiss, wow, it had been perfect. Certainly better than "Acceptable," but he knew that. He knew she'd only been joking. Harry knew everything about her, which made this whole thing simultaneously thrilling and terrifying. She tried her best not to think about it too much and simply enjoy the bliss of the moment.
Harry liked her. He thought she was beautiful and had kissed her and he liked her. There were a few complications they needed to work through but those could wait until later.
She put on three different outfits before ultimately settling on the one she'd picked out first, a shimmering maroon sleeveless top with a pair of dark jeans. She pulled her hair up into a high pony-tail and put on a small amount of make-up, then considered cleaning it off. Would it look like she was trying too hard?
No, don't overthink it. It's just Harry. He said you were beautiful even when you looked a mess and were wearing penguin pajamas.
She smiled at that memory. Had he liked her then? When had he figured it out? She couldn't wait to get some real time alone with him so they could talk through it all.
Hermione wished she could skip the party and spend the whole evening alone in her quiet flat with Harry. It was too bad their absence would certainly be noted. Also, it would be good for Harry to be out in a non-threatening environment like Hannah's party. He'd spent too much time avoiding the public lately.
Hannah had been hosting this New Year's party for the past three years. She closed the Leaky Cauldron and invited all the members of the original DA (excluding Marietta Edgecombe, of course). Hermione always had a good time. It was the closest she'd ever felt to being back at Hogwarts as it was reminiscent of the loud parties in the Gryffindor Common Room following Quidditch Matches.
Hermione was ready early, so she curled up with a book on the sofa and quickly lost track of time. She was startled out of her trance by the appearance of a familiar Patronus in her flat.
"Hey, Sugarlips. Put the book down and get over here," Harry's stag said. Hermione looked down at her book and smirked. Harry's voice added hastily, "Uh...please? See you soon." The stag disappeared and she shook her head, smiling to herself.
Sugarlips. That was a new one. She wondered if it was inspired by their kiss. She grabbed her wand and outer clothes and donned them quickly, eager to finally see Harry again.
When she arrived at the pub it was packed with people. It took her a moment to spot Harry across the room, talking to Dean and Seamus. He saw her as soon as she walked in since he'd been facing the door waiting for her to arrive. When their eyes met, Harry winked and Hermione's heart fluttered. She gave him a small wave before going to hang up her outer robes and scarf.
"You look incredible."
She turned around to find Ron standing there. "Oh." She blushed and looked down at her outfit. "Thanks."
Hermione noted that Ron looked a little down but before she could ask him about it, he said, "How were your parents? Any panic attacks? You never called so I assume things weren't too bad."
"It was fine," she said honestly. "Not awful, not perfect, and it's certainly getting better."
One thing that had helped was that her mind was so filled with thoughts of Harry that she had little room to over analyze every interaction with her parents and compare them to how things used to be between them. Though she knew better than to tell Ron that. He was looking at her like he didn't believe her.
"Really, Ron. I'm good. You're sweet for worrying. Thanks."
He nodded thoughtfully as he bit the inside of his cheek.
"Are you okay, Ron?"
He hesitated, wondering if he should tell her the truth right now, in the middle of a party.
Hermione saw Harry watching her from behind Ron. He was waving her over.
"Yeah," Ron finally said. Hermione forgot for a second what question he'd been answering. Oh, right, whether or not he was okay.
She patted his arm and smiled. "Okay, good. I'm going to go say hi to more people. Thanks for checking in. You're a great friend."
She picked up a glass of sparkling wine from a tray on a nearby table and started making her way across the room to Harry.
Hermione kept getting stopped by classmates she hadn't seen in a while and was as polite as possible in brushing them off but her progress across the room was still agonizingly slow. Harry seemed to be having the same problem. When she was just a few feet away from Harry, who was nodding politely at something Dennis Creevey was saying, she was stopped by Ernie MacMillan.
She nearly cried out in frustration but plastered a smile on her face and turned to greet Ernie. Luckily, she was rescued after just a few minutes. She felt a hand on her arm and let out a sigh of relief when she saw Harry. "Sorry, Ernie. Can I steal her for a second?"
He didn't even wait for Ernie's reply before pulling her to a shadowy corner of the room. "Hi," he said when he turned to face her.
"Hi."
"Were you reading?"
"No comment," she mumbled. He smiled smugly.
They stood there for several moments, just looking at each other. Hermione took a sip of the wine in her hand as Harry leaned in and said, "I was nearly killed today."
She almost choked but managed not to spit out her drink. "What?" she coughed.
"First, I almost splinched myself while Apparating because I was missing one of the Ds - determination. Leaving you behind was not something I felt determined to do. Then, during our raid I was dreadful at dueling. I couldn't stop thinking about you. Luckily, I have incredible reflexes and dodged all the bad curses just in time. But if it weren't for those…"
"I thought you were serious!" Hermione cried, pushing him. "You of all people can't joke about near-death experiences."
Harry laughed and caught her arm. He ghosted his fingers up the length of it and the feeling sent chills down her spine. He stopped at the top of her arm when he hit her sleeve, then moved his fingers over to her collarbone before tracing the neckline of her blouse. Did he know that when he touched her like this, it drove her wild?
"Harry…" she said warningly.
He finally remembered they were surrounded by people and dropped his hand. "Sorry. But I find you irresistible."
"Ditto."
Harry smiled, then his expression turned somber. "How were your parents? I should have asked this morning."
Hermione leaned against the wall at their side. "You had limited time and I rather like the way you chose to spend it."
Harry grinned and leaned against the wall too. "I thought that was just Acceptable."
She gave him a coy smile and shrugged.
"You didn't answer my question - about your parents."
She gave him the same answer she'd given Ron. "It was fine. Not amazing, not terrible."
"Really? Are you lying?"
"You're just worried I'm going to turn into a madwoman again and start shouting at you."
"Yes." He nodded seriously. "It's the only reason I'm asking. Not because I care about you or how you're feeling in the slightest."
She pushed him again. He grabbed her wrist and moved his hand down, linking their fingers together. "I missed you," he whispered. "Let's-"
"Hermione! There you are!" Someone pulled her arm and she nearly spilled her drink. She pulled her hand out of Harry's so she could move her glass of wine.
It was Parvati who had interrupted them and Hermione could tell immediately she was drunk. "Come settle an argument! You'll definitely know. You know everything!" she shouted at Hermione as she pulled her to a group several feet away.
Hermione turned back to Harry and gave him an apologetic shrug. He nodded and she turned to Parvati, hoping to resolve the so-called argument quickly so she could get back to Harry.
Harry leaned his back against the wall and watched Hermione leave with Parvati. He took several deep breaths in an effort to calm his racing heart.
This was the first time he'd ever felt like he was flying while standing with both feet on the ground. That thrilling sensation of rushing through the sky, hundreds of feet in the air where one wrong move could cause you to plummet to the ground. That's what this felt like with Hermione. Invigorating, exciting, and terrifying.
But this was scarier than flying because at least he was good at that. He had no idea what he was doing with Hermione but had decided to just go with his gut and so far, she hadn't pushed him away. Impossibly, she seemed just as enamored with him as he was with her. So, although he was afraid and knew he could fall at any moment, he had no plans to return to the safety of solid ground.
Hermione and Harry spent the next few hours trying to fight their way back to each other. They'd ended up in a group together a few times, but still hadn't managed to steal away alone. Every time Harry saw Hermione, he grabbed her wrist or hand discreetly, unable to keep from touching her. The most recent time they'd met up, he'd slipped a hand under her blouse and brushed his fingers along the bare skin of her hip.
His ever-increasing desperation to get Hermione alone again, coupled with the Fire Whiskey flowing through his veins, was making him bolder. But before he could make up some excuse to tear her away, he was pulled into a drinking game with several of his old Quidditch teammates.
Everyone seemed determined to get a piece of Harry tonight. Hermione figured it was because he'd been holed away - seeing only their closest friends - for the past few months. But she could tell that Harry didn't mind the attention and was having a good time. His eyes were sparkling, he was quick to laugh at every joke, and he'd been wearing his genuine smile all night.
Hermione was having fun too. She was feeling giddy and was slightly tipsy from the wine. Seeing all her friends was nice but she was ready for that tryst in the storeroom Harry had mentioned earlier. She was on the verge of doing something rash to get him alone and was currently running through possible spells in her head. She needed something that would cause a distraction but wouldn't hurt anyone. She wanted to see Harry up close, run her fingers through his hair, feel his lips on hers, the hard lines of his body pressed against-
"Hey."
"Oh. Hi, Ron." Hermione blushed and took another sip of her drink.
Even through the haze of alcohol, Hermione could tell something was off with him. "Where's Lucy?" she asked, realizing she hadn't seen her all night.
"We broke up."
That sobered Hermione up a little. "What? When?"
Ron leaned forward against the bar and sighed. "Today."
"Oh my God." Hermione placed a comforting hand on his arm. "You should have said earlier. Are you okay?"
"Yeah, it was coming for a while. Today was just the final fight that did us in. It was about you, actually."
Hermione's stomach turned. "Me?"
"It all started because of that Patronus you sent this morning," Ron began to explain.
"Oh, but you told me to send that," she said defensively.
"I'm not blaming you. Honest. It just started this stupid fight. She asked what I would have done if you said in your Patronus that you weren't okay. And I said I would go to your flat to check on you. Then she freaked out and brought up that time you were in St. Mungo's. I was late to lunch with her parents because I was with you and apparently she never forgave me for choosing you over her."
He ended with a sigh and drained his beer. "Anyway, no more Lucy," he finished.
"I'm so sorry, Ron. I know a lot of people don't have friends as close as me, you, and Harry. They don't get it, what it's like to go through all we did together. But Lucy; you said it wasn't serious from the start, right?"
Just then, Hermione spotted Harry over Ron's shoulder. He was beaming at her and motioning toward the back of the pub.
"Yeah, I guess," Ron sighed. "Break-ups still suck though."
"I'm really sorry about this, Ron. I need to go to the loo and I'll find you when I get back, okay?"
She gave Ron a final pat on the arm before heading down a hall near the back she'd seen Harry disappear into. Just then, someone leapt out of the shadows and grabbed her by the waist, dragging her into a dark room. Hermione pushed the door closed behind them as Harry pulled her into his chest.
When he stepped back, he nearly tripped over a box on the ground. They laughed while Harry stumbled and tried to keep them both upright. Hermione created two floating bulbs of light with her wand. Then, she noticed that Harry was still partially hidden by a Disillusionment Charm. That wouldn't do. She wanted to see him. She removed it quickly before pocketing her wand.
Harry wrapped his arms around her and placed his hands in the back pockets of her jeans while she started running her fingers through his hair.
"Hi," he said with a bright smile. Hermione could smell whiskey on his breath but he didn't seem drunk. He was probably just tipsy like she was.
"I was beginning to think this storeroom thing was never going to happen," she admitted.
"Ugh, I know," he groaned. "It's these stupid friends of ours. Asking me about my life and what I've been up to, wanting to tell jokes and play games..."
"How awful."
"It was."
Harry took his finger and traced it along her jawline. When he reached her chin, he slowly tilted it up before capturing her mouth with his. At first, their kiss was slow and deep as they reacquainted themselves with each other.
Hermione buried her fingers in Harry's hair while Harry slipped one hand under her blouse and gripped her waist, keeping his other hand on her chin. He pressed her against a tall stack of boxes and soon their movements became more frantic.
Their embrace now was less of a kiss and more of a clashing of lips, tongues, and teeth. Hermione had never kissed anyone like this. She'd never wanted to. She'd always let herself be kissed and responded appropriately. But now it was like she wanted to stake a claim on Harry. He was hers and no one else's.
Harry was not thinking about whether he'd ever kissed anyone like this.
[He hadn't].
Harry was marveling at Hermione's blouse, which hung loose over her jeans, allowing him to move his hands easily under it. He was also thinking about how incredibly soft her skin was and how he wanted to get as close to her as possible.
There was a voice outside the door, then a rattling of the doorknob. Harry reacted first (since he had incredible reflexes). He pulled Hermione behind the stack of boxes, hiding them from the view of the door. The door opened and they heard Hannah's voice say, "Yeah. I think there's another case of mead in here."
Hannah started when she saw the floating lights in the storeroom. She recognized them instantly as one of Hermione's signature spells and grinned to herself. She strained her ears as she looked around for the mead and smiled when she heard the unmistakable sound of kissing and then someone inhaling sharply. There was only one person Hermione would be snogging in an empty storeroom.
Damn, she thought to herself. Ginny won the bet. They owed her five galleons a piece. Hannah made a plan to go find Ginny and tell her after she restocked the mead.
Meanwhile, Harry was kissing Hermione's neck while she tried, in vain, to shush him. When he found a sensitive spot, he sucked on it, then grazed his teeth along it, causing Hermione to hitch her breath. Hermione bit her lip to keep from making more sounds and pushed Harry off. He was grinning wickedly.
As soon as the door closed, Hermione placed a silencing charm on it and they burst into laughter. "You're trying to get us into trouble," she said, hitting him playfully.
"What do you think is going to happen? That someone's going to dock points?"
Hermione smiled and started fixing Harry's hair, which was a mess after she'd attempted to pull it out by its roots a few minutes ago.
"Speaking of which," Harry continued. "Tell me, Professor, which grade did I earn?"
"Inconclusive," she replied with a smirk. "I need more time to evaluate." He leaned in for another kiss but she pushed gently on his chest, shaking her head.
"Not now, unfortunately. We should go back before we're missed." She'd finished fixing his hair and dropped her hands.
"You're too sensible," he whined.
"I could argue that you're not sensible enough," she countered.
"Fine," he sighed. "But you're not leaving my side for the rest of the night. Deal?"
She smiled. "Deal. We should go find Ron first and cheer him up. He broke up with Lucy today."
"Ron." Harry frowned.
"Yeah...Ron." Hermione was sure he was thinking the same thing she was. About how terribly Ron would react if he knew they'd been snogging in a storeroom.
Harry pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "I didn't know about Lucy. That sucks. And now that I think about it, I haven't seen Ron all night. You're right, we should find him."
Harry leaned in to give her a final kiss on the cheek before turning to the door, but she pulled him back before he could open it. "Harry?"
"Yeah?"
Harry could tell she was nervous. She looked down at her hands, which were fidgeting with the hem of her top, as she spoke. "Do you remember your prediction? That I would get a boyfriend by December 31st?"
"Yeah."
"Did that come true?" she asked in a small voice. "Is that what this is going to be? Are you going to be my boyfriend?"
Harry tilted her chin up, then grazed her cheek with the back of his fingers. "I'm sorry, Hermione. No. I thought we'd just snog until we got sick of it, then go back to being friends."
Her chest clenched, then she saw his lips turn up slightly and shoved him. "You're so cheeky today!" she cried. "I could hex you!"
Harry laughed, then cupped her face in his hands and said seriously, "I'm giddy because I just found out the witch I've been pining over for months likes me back."
Hermione started at that. "Months?"
"Months," he confirmed. He placed a soft kiss on her lips, then stepped back and took her hands. "Hermione Granger, will you be my girlfriend?"
As she nodded, he picked up her hands and kissed them, holding her gaze, and the prediction which Harry had made weeks ago (and had thought was a load of crap at the time) came true.
Harry and Hermione did manage to cheer Ron up. They forced him to stop drinking alone at the bar and join in on one of the drinking games Lee Jordan was overseeing. Lee was commentating with the same announcer voice he had used back at Hogwarts during Quidditch matches. Hermione couldn't decide which she found more amusing, the games themselves, or Lee's colorful commentary.
Soon enough, Ron was laughing and having a good time. After a particularly impressive maneuver, Ron turned to Hermione (out of habit, more than anything) to see if she'd seen. She was looking past him at Harry and mouthing something. Ron turned and saw Harry wink back at her. Ron scowled.
Those two had grown shockingly close in the past few months. Ron had always been closer to each of them than they were to each other and it was strange having that dynamic suddenly reversed.
At least that was one good thing about his breakup with Lucy. He'd have more time to hang out with Harry and Hermione. Maybe soon, the three of them could gain back that closeness they'd lost and Ron wouldn't feel like the odd one out whenever he was with them anymore.
Just then, someone announced, "One minute until midnight!" There was a collective shuffling as people went to grab their drink and find the person they wanted to spend the first moments of the new year with. Ron looked around for Harry and Hermione, but they'd disappeared into the crowd.
Harry had taken the moment when everyone was distracted to pull Hermione to the far side of the room, near where the coats were hung. They weren't alone in this new spot, but at least they were out of sight of Ron, who was the only person Harry was trying to avoid right now. He wanted to kiss Hermione at midnight and knew he wouldn't be able to do so with Ron nearby.
Several people around them started counting down from thirty.
"Can I kiss you after the countdown?" he asked. Although he'd had fun sneaking around with her all night, Harry wasn't entirely sure why their new relationship was secret. Was it just for Ron's benefit, or was there another reason Hermione wanted to hide this?
Hermione frowned and looked around. "It's probably not a good idea."
Harry sighed. This was something they'd need to resolve sooner rather than later. "Everyone else will be distracted for those first few moments. Please?"
Hermione grabbed his hand and squeezed it. "Okay. Just a small one."
Harry pulled her closer and brushed a hand down her arm. "Have I told you you're beautiful tonight?"
Hermione looked down at the goosebumps he'd raised on her skin and noted that her thoughts were pleasantly hazy. When she looked back at Harry she was caught up in his gaze and soon forgot about the crowd of people around them.
"You've told me several times with your eyes," she answered with a smile. "But officially, no."
Harry grabbed her hands and entwined their fingers together. "I have the most beautiful girlfriend," he announced.
Hermione beamed while Harry leaned in and added, "It's going to be a good year, Love." Hermione could barely make out his words over the sound of everyone counting down and was sure she'd misheard him at first.
"Love?" she said carefully, heart pounding hard in her chest. "You've never used that one before."
Harry froze in place. The word had slipped out. He blamed the Fire Whiskey.
"Ten...nine…"
Harry considered his options. He could try to brush it off. Using "love" as a pet name was very common, it didn't mean he was in love with her. But he was in love with her, and she was looking at him hopefully, her eyes bright and expectant.
"Eight…"
That gave him the courage to continue. "I was saving it," he said in a rush.
"Six...five…"
"I know I've only been your boyfriend for an hour but I do - love you. Totally. Completely."
It was out there. Harry thought of his analogy from earlier, about how being with Hermione was like flying. If that were the case, then right now, he was dangling from the broom, hanging on by just a finger, waiting to see if Hermione was going to push him off or give him a hand up.
"Three...two…"
Harry's logical brain kicked in and he was beginning to regret his outburst. He was about to explain how he was sorry, and that he was rubbish at relationships (just ask Ginny). He was going to warn Hermione that he always seemed to say the wrong thing at the wrong time, but that he didn't mean to, then ask if she could please just forget it. He couldn't bear the thought of having ruined this before it had even started.
Meanwhile, tears stung Hermione's eyes. In her whole time knowing Harry, she'd never seen him looking this vulnerable. The mix of fear and hope that she saw in his eyes perfectly matched the feelings in her own heart. She took a step closer to him so they were just inches away from each other and he stiffened, as if bracing for an attack.
"One!"
Hermione kissed the side of Harry's mouth, then hugged him tightly. "I love you too, Harry," she said in his ear. And lest he didn't believe her, or thought she'd only said it because he had, she added, "With every ounce of magic in my body, every thought in my mind, and every feeling in my heart, I love you. Always have."
Harry pushed her back. He was stunned by the enormity of her statement and suddenly had to see her face. He had to know if it was real or just something uttered in the excitement of the moment. But he could instantly see the sincerity of the words in her eyes.
She loved him. She knew him better than anyone. Knew the dark parts, his inadequacies, his flaws, and she still loved him.
She nodded, as if in answer to his unspoken question: Me? Really? You love me?
Harry pulled her back into his arms and right then, ten seconds into January 1, 2002, Ginny's prediction came true. Hermione's declaration filled Harry's heart like a bright light and the dark recesses of loneliness that had lived there for years; painful parts of his heart he'd expected would always be there, began to disappear.
January 2002
The next morning Hermione was pacing her flat, waiting for Harry to arrive. It was very early, especially given how late she'd returned home the night before, but she had agreed to meet Harry today at seven.
Hermione smiled as she remembered how Harry had dropped her off. After kissing her thoroughly just outside the door to her flat, Harry had pulled away and started playing with her hair. He was making no moves to leave, but also no moves to head inside. He seemed to be waiting for her to decide.
Hermione had been nervous as she tried to figure out how to explain why he couldn't come inside, even though he'd been there a hundred times and had even slept in her bed before.
But Harry seemed to sense how she was feeling. He understood that because everything between them had been so fast that day, that Hermione needed this to be slow. She was spared from having to come up with an explanation. He'd kissed her cheek and said, "I'm going to go but I want to come back first thing in the morning. When's the earliest I can arrive?"
"You should sleep in. It's two o-clock," she'd pointed out.
"I won't be able to sleep."
"Yeah. Me neither," she'd admitted and that's when they'd decided to meet at seven.
And Hermione had been right. Even though she was still adjusting to the time change from her trip and had gone to bed late, she'd been too excited to sleep properly. She wanted to finally see Harry alone and talk to him without any distractions. She glanced at the clock, 7:05am. Where was he?
Just then, there was a knock on her door. She rushed to answer it and Harry was on the other side holding two to-go cups and a bag. He handed her one of the cups first, "Masala Chai," then the bag, "and a scone, in case you're hungry."
Hermione could only manage a smile in reply. He was here. This was real. This was actually happening.
"Can I come in?"
"Yeah! Sorry." Hermione moved out of the way of the door. She put the bag with the scone on the counter. Her stomach was doing too many flips right now to handle eating.
She sipped on her tea and savored the warmth and flavor of the spices. It was perfect. She recognized that it was from her favorite Muggle coffee shop and was trying to remember when she'd told Harry about that place. Maybe a few months ago? And he'd remembered not just where it was but that she especially liked their Masala Chai.
Harry was sipping on his own drink as he watched her. When she looked up at him he greeted her with a small, "Hi."
"Hi." She sighed heavily and added, "I'm suddenly very nervous."
He let out a laugh. "Why?"
"I have no idea."
"Here, let's go sit." Harry cocked his head toward the sofa and Hermione followed him over, still gripping her warm drink. Harry took a seat on one edge of the sofa and spread his legs out in front of him. Hermione sat on the other edge facing him and entwined her legs with his.
Harry started tapping softly on her shin and asked as he looked down at his hand, "Are you nervous because you're suddenly regretting everything you said and did yesterday?"
"No!" she said quickly.
Harry smiled and let out a sigh of relief. "Okay, good." He took another sip of his drink and Hermione followed suit.
"I just - uh - have some things I think we should talk about."
"Okay," Harry nodded. "How many things? If it's more than fifty, I'd like to finish my coffee first," he joked.
"It's two things," she said with a smile, then amended, "three, actually."
"Oh, that's not so bad. Okay, go ahead."
"First one." She leaned forward and placed a hand on his knee. "I wanted to let you know that I really do love you. I didn't say it because it was midnight and because you'd said it or because I had had a lot to drink. It was real and I just wanted to confirm that for you, in case you were wondering."
A breathtaking smile lit up Harry's face. "I believed you, but I do appreciate the confirmation. I meant it too. I love you, Hermione. And I know it's weird to start a relationship at that place, but, I don't know, if we feel it, shouldn't we say it out loud rather than trying to hide it?"
"Yeah. I don't want to hide how I feel about you anymore."
"My thoughts exactly. What's the second thing?"
Hermione sighed. She leaned forward and grabbed one of his hands. "I was thinking about this one all night, when I wasn't sleeping."
"Oh," he replied, looking down at their hands. "I bet it was the same thing I was thinking about while I wasn't sleeping."
"Ron?"
Harry nodded.
"Yeah." Hermione let out another sigh. "I don't think we should tell him yet. And I know when we do tell him the fact that we kept it from him will make it worse, but I - I want to enjoy this with you. The beginning part of a relationship is the best part and I don't want to muck it up by, uh, detonating a bomb."
Harry laughed and finally looked back up at her. "I love your Muggle phrases."
"I love how you understand them," she smiled back.
He took a few more sips of coffee as he considered her words. She was right, not telling Ron would make everything worse in the end and they'd have to continue hiding this for a while, but she also had a good point about taking time to sort this out without any distractions. Eventually, he nodded in agreement.
"It's not ideal, having to hide this, but I get it and I agree. Plus, I'm not eager to tell him. I think we both know who's going to take the brunt of that explosion."
"Yeah," she nodded sadly.
"Okay, Bumblebee, what's thing number three?" He was hoping it was happier, since talking about Ron was killing the mood.
"Shagging."
Harry's eyes widened. That was even better than he'd hoped for.
"I mean, no shagging. Well, what I'm trying to say is that I think we should wait on that front. I...with everything happening so quickly, like how it feels like we've already been dating for months and how we've admitted we love each other...it's a lot and I think in just one area it would be nice to take things slow."
Harry nodded thoughtfully. "I don't like that one. You should have stopped at two."
"Oh...yeah." Hermione looked down at her drink and Harry laughed. He nudged her leg with his foot.
"Come on, I'm joking. Of course that's okay, Hermione. I understand."
"You do?"
"Yeah." He put his drink down and slunk over to her side of the sofa. "I can still do this though, right?" He placed a soft kiss on her jaw.
She put her tea on the table behind her and linked her hands behind his neck. "Absolutely. I insist, actually."
Hermione shifted down so she was lying under Harry as he continued to kiss her. She tasted coffee when he pressed his tongue into her mouth and wondered if he was tasting Masala right now.
This kiss was different from last night. For one, they both had the mental clarity to really focus on what was going on and to appreciate each touch and catalogue the other's responses. It was softer, and less desperate, but also, more deliberate in a way. This was real – not just some drunken, lust-driven snog. This was the start of something.
Harry pulled back, propping himself up on his arm. "I should ask. Did you want to talk about anything else? Maybe an item number four or five popped into your head?"
Hermione shook her head. They didn't need a big talk. He knew her, she knew him, and they both knew how much they stood to lose if this went wrong. But they also felt the attraction between them, like a magnetic pull, and knew that now that they'd identified it, they wouldn't be able to ignore it.
"Okay. Good talk," he muttered as he lowered himself back down and resumed kissing her. Hermione wrapped her arms around his neck while Harry moved one hand to her hip and slowly started trailing it up her shirt. The way his fingers were crawling up her bare skin, achingly slow, was sending shivers up and down her body. She wanted him to hurry up and get to where he was heading, then she realized he was probably moving slowly to give her a chance to stop it.
But she had no plans to stop it and didn't protest when he moved his hand under her bra and cupped her breast.
"Is this okay?" he whispered in her ear.
"Technically not shagging," she said breathlessly.
He smirked. "Good." He started kissing her neck as he swiped his thumb across her nipple a few times, sending waves of pleasure through her. She buried one hand in his hair and pulled up on the hem of his shirt with the other. Harry sat up, straddling her, and tugged his shirt off in one motion.
Hermione shifted out from under him and pulled up so she was sitting on her knees opposite him. She ran her hands along on his chest admiringly. "You're very fanciable, Harry," she said formally.
He let out a laugh. "You've told me that before."
"I have?"
"Sixth year."
"Really? I don't remember."
"Well, I never forgot." He tucked a curl behind her ear and was about to lean in to kiss her again when she kept talking.
"Though, in all honesty, I am disappointed you don't have a giant dragon tattoo, as rumored."
Harry cocked an eyebrow at her. "You've seen me without my shirt."
"Not since last summer. I had hoped…" she let her voice trail off and he rolled his eyes. She moved her hands to his shoulders and pressed herself against him. "Oh well, this will have to do."
"Do I get to see if you have any tattoos?"
Hermione pushed back. She was extremely nervous, but reminded herself that this was Harry, and he liked her. Loved her, even. She took a breath and pulled her shirt off, throwing it to the side.
Harry feathered his fingers along her flawless skin. "Beautiful," he breathed, "but no tattoos."
She bit her lip nervously which was incredibly sexy. Harry decided to push his luck. He looped his fingers under the strap of her bra and asked, "What about under here?"
When she didn't protest, he very slowly moved his hands to the fastening at the back, hovering over the clasp. "Do you want me to stop?"
"No," she said simply.
He pulled her bra off and leaned back to look at her. She was blushing but straightened her spine and looked back at him boldly. He could not believe she was his and that he was allowed to see her like this and touch her.
"You're gorgeous," he declared.
Her blush deepened. She reached forward and took Harry's glasses off and placed them next to her tea. "That's better, now I'm just blurry, right?"
He shook his head. "You're a foot away, my eyesight isn't that bad. But if it makes you feel better…" He kissed one of her collar bones and remembered wanting to do that at the opera. Then he moved over to the other collarbone before trailing a path downward. He'd thought of doing this loads of times but never believed it would actually happen. This all felt so surreal.
When he finally reached his destination and began running a tongue around her nipple, she let out a long, delicious moan. She leaned her head back and grabbed his hair as he continued to kiss her breasts.
"You know, I was thinking," she panted. Harry stopped and leaned back on his knees, waiting for her to continue. She bit her lip again and Harry's stomach did a flip. Did she know how hot she looked when she did that? Probably not, which just made it hotter.
She brushed her fingertips along his abdomen and kept her eyes down as she said softly, "While we're taking clothes off and all, I don't see why we need to be wearing trousers."
Harry's heart skipped a beat. He lifted her head up so he could see her eyes, to be sure she wanted this, but she looked determined. "I recall you telling me once that part of your job was to find loopholes in laws," he mentioned, his lips turning up slightly.
She smiled wickedly. "Yes. There are a lot of things we can do that don't count as shagging."
She pulled herself up to her knees, then began undoing his belt. Harry smiled and shook his head. This was so Hermione. She was extremely insecure and set up countless rules and systems in her life to give herself a sense of security. But once she was inside those boundaries, she was as bold and fearless as anyone and when she set her mind to something, she committed fully.
After she'd pulled his jeans down, he got up and took them all the way off and watched her do the same. She straddled him once he sat back down on the sofa and began stroking him through his boxers as she peppered kisses along his neck. Harry laid his head back against the sofa and cupped one of her breasts.
"Are you seriously okay with this?" he asked.
"Does it seem like I'm not okay with this? I thought you were observant," she quipped.
Harry didn't get a chance to reply since she'd slipped a hand into his boxers and he was busy stifling a groan.
Hermione pulled his boxers down, then shifted off of him and he lifted his hips so she could peel them off the rest of the way. She grabbed her wand from the side table and muttered something under her breath and when she returned and started rubbing him again, he discovered that she'd cast a Lubrication Charm.
He kissed her neck and nibbled her earlobe before asking, "Is there any spell you don't know?"
She leaned back and thought about it. "The dark ones," she said in a serious tone.
"Oh, well, good. If you did any of those, I'd have to lock you up."
Hermione cupped his balls and drew her hand along the length of him, eliciting a soft moan. "I have a feeling I'd be able to convince you otherwise," she whispered.
She was right. He'd do anything she said right now. Damn, she was good at this. How many times had she done this?
No. You don't want to know that.
He focused back on the present - on how beautiful Hermione looked and how divine this felt. Harry had imagined doing a lot of things with Hermione over the past few months, but ironically, this wasn't one of them. He hadn't had a hand job since Hogwarts but there was something perfect about starting here with Hermione. He should have started dating her in school and it was like they were making up for that loss now.
It had been years since Hermione had done this and it was a lot more fun than she remembered. She liked watching all of Harry's little reactions without the distraction of seeking her own pleasure. It was lovely having this much control and she was cataloguing all the little things that made him hitch his breath, moan, or, her favorite, utter her name.
When he was close, he moved his hand behind her neck and gave her hard, demanding kisses. Soon, he dropped his head against her shoulder and let out a final grunt as Hermione felt him finish on her hand.
"Fuck," he muttered, then bit her shoulder lazily.
Hermione swelled with pride and immediately wanted to do it again. She realized then that she didn't know how long it took wizards to recover. She'd never thought to look it up or ask. With Ron sex had been nice enough but once they were done, they were done. She'd never had a desire to instantly repeat the act.
Before she could ask Harry about it, he pushed her back onto the sofa, moving one of the cushions behind her head. "My turn," he said with a grin. She smiled. He hadn't said, "your turn." It was as if the chance to pleasure her was what he'd really been waiting for.
He reached over to the side table and grabbed her wand, cleaned them off, then extended the sofa several inches so they both fit on it comfortably.
"Clever," she praised as he put her wand back.
He gave her a lopsided grin and started walking his fingers down her body, stopping when he reached her knickers. He began running his fingers along the edge of her knickers as he kissed her neck, occasionally slipping a finger under the elastic, but no further.
After a few moments, she pushed him up. "You can take those off, you know."
Harry smirked and moved his hand to the bottom of her knickers, running it under the elastic at her legs. "Oh yeah, I know."
She pressed her head back against the cushion. He was just doing this to tease her, but she wasn't going to beg, like she knew he probably wanted her to. She bit her lip and tried to make as few sounds as possible as he kissed her neck and breasts and continued to trace the lines of her knickers.
A few moments later, he laughed and whispered in her ear, "You're so stubborn."
She smiled and bent to pull off her knickers and kicked them to the side. He was beaming at her when she laid back down and whispered, "I love you," just before sinking a finger inside of her.
She'd meant to say something clever, but the thoughts in her head jumbled when he sunk a second finger inside her and started rubbing her clit.
It wasn't long before Hermione abandoned her decision not to beg. "Harry," she breathed between kisses. "Yes...that...please."
Just then, right when she was about to finish, he slowed his movements and if she'd had the wherewithal to grab her wand and cast a hex, she would have. He was drawing this out so long that it was starting to drive her mad. He'd go fast and take her right to the edge, then stop and slowly pump his fingers in and out. She felt like this had been going on forever and wondered if he was getting bored. But she didn't feel too bad for him since this was all his fault. If he wanted to, he could have ended this ages ago.
Harry was not bored. He was having a lot of fun driving Hermione mad. He loved how she mumbled his name, bit her lip, and dug her fingernails into his back. He could do this for hours, but she was really close now and he wanted to see what she looked like when she finally let go.
"Don't...don't...stop," she panted.
He pulled his hand away and grinned down at her. "You want me to stop?"
She grabbed his hand and put it back. "You finish what you started here or we will not be progressing to shagging, ever," she said as threateningly as she could manage in her current condition.
He laughed. She knew her threat wasn't very convincing since she'd said it while literally begging for an orgasm, but luckily, he continued anyway.
"So…you're liking this…?" he asked teasingly.
"This...yes. You...no," she gasped.
Harry let out another laugh and started kissing her neck. A few moments later she cried out and tensed around Harry's fingers. He leaned back to see her face. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were clenched shut. Her mouth was slightly open and a few curls had fallen into her face. He loved seeing her so out of control and moved his fingers a few more times, eliciting several more shudders before she finally pushed his hand away.
She pulled him close, locking her arms around him as she buried her head in his neck. "That was perfect," she whispered, still slightly out of breath.
Harry's heart felt like it was floating. A part of him had feared that if they did get to doing anything sexual, it would be too awkward. But everything had been perfect, just as she'd said. It all seemed too good to be true.
He settled back on the sofa and pulled her against him. Hermione started tracing patterns across his chest as he played with her hair.
"I've discovered something," he said after several moments.
She hummed and lifted her head up to look at him.
"You were not the witch who sent me the moaning howlers."
She smiled. "No. I was not. But those were my eyelashes."
Harry laughed and hugged her into his side. "I used to think you weren't fun," he admitted. "I was an idiot."
Hermione propped her chin on her hands and looked up at him. "No, you were right. I wasn't fun. I was far too serious back at Hogwarts."
"Why?"
She considered for a moment, then shrugged and laid her head back down. "It was the Muggleborn stuff, I think. I was too busy trying to prove I belonged there to worry about fun."
"You belong here," he said insistently, tightening his grip on her.
"In the Wizarding World or in your arms?"
He smiled and bent to kiss her cheek. "Both."
A/N: This chapter was brought to you from the gorgeous white sand and turquoise water beaches of Antigua. Also, I was half-drunk on rum cocktails while writing it. Thanks as always to my beta, Lancashire Witch.