A/N: Dedicated to Kevin Lee Price Jr. aka Paladeus, who we sadly lost in 2018 due to mysterious circumstances.

Hermione paced inside the Room of Requirement, frustration visible on her face. Harry was being annoying again, as he had been all year. It started on the train, when he had wandered off to spy on Malfoy and had gotten beaten up as a result, all to somehow 'prove' that Malfoy was a Death Eater. Hermione scoffed. As if You-Know-Who would mark a school child of below average intelligence. Then, as if being hyperfixated on a school feud was not enough, Harry had begun cheating in Potions class, robbing her of her deserved first place! She had even gone up to Professor Slughorn to complain about Harry using someone else's book, but the teacher would hear none of it. Halfblood Prince indeed… Harry was a cheater, nothing less. Still, he had asked her to come to the Room after dinner, explaining it was a matter of life or death. Despite his abominable behaviour all year, she still cared about the boy. She simply could not resist his pleading expression, and it wasn't as if she could go to Ron for support, with Ron being all but glued to Lavender-no brain-Brown's lips… or other bits. With Harry being a git and Ron trying his hardest to spawn a new generation of Weasleys with the most airheaded girl in Britain, Hermione felt both lonely and unloved.

Unloved… that was a problem. Hermione WAS indeed a girl, and wanted to experience love herself. Unfortunately, the only boy who had shown interest in her in the past was the aforementioned Ron Weasley, who was now busy riding the Hogwarts bicycle. Hermione scoffed again. Seriously, at this point, Harry was probably the only Gryffindor in their year who had NOT sampled what Lavender so willingly offered. Even Nevilla had touched her bare baps.

Ron was a horrible choice for a boyfriend in almost all aspects, but at least he had shown some interest in Hermione. That this was only her body she would just have to accept, it seemed. It wasn't as if she had other suitors. Viktor Krum had a fiancée in Bulgaria and had left either way, all the upper year boys were either in a relationship or were absolute gits, and Neville was caught between being scared of Hermione and trying to hide his obvious crush on that Hannah girl from Hufflepuff. So here she was, alone again in a room, or make that Room, waiting for Harry because he needed her again. She frowned, thinking 'Honestly, the least he could do is be on–'

The door opened, allowing Harry to enter, then disappearing after a few seconds. Hermione raised an eyebrow. She did not remember setting it for privacy, but then again it would not be the first time the Room responded to an unvoiced request… and perhaps it was Harry's?

' I suppose I can't be angry for him for being spot on time, though I wish he had been here early. It isn't like I've got anything else to do.' She stood up as he set his book bag down, pulling out the ratty potions text that was the indirect cause of all the strife between them. "What did you want to talk about, Harry?"

Harry opened the book and showed her the inscription on the front cover, showing it to be the hated book that she wished never existed. "You don't like that I'm using the notes in this, right?" He asked, needlessly, seeing her glare at the text with such a hatred that he actually felt the whole thing heating up in his hands and nearly burning him in discomfort.

Hermione groaned, not wanting to argue yet again. "Harry, I thought you said this was a matter of grave importance. The last thing I want is to yet again – EEK!"

In the middle of her sentence, Harry threw the book into the air to the other side of the room, following it up with a curse from his wand that obliterated the book. It was clear he wanted to make a statement and surprise her with it. As Hermione gaped at the results of the silently cast curse, Harry grinned as he saw her face flush with surprise.

"Harry? What? But the book?" She began, wondering why he just did that to the book that had made him the top student in Potions, when she saw him holding a perfectly new copy of it, still with a tag from Flourish and Blotts owl delivery attached.

"Hermione, we have been friends for far too long, and you mean far too much to me, to let a stupid book screw up our friendship. I had to wait to do that until I got the new one, though," Harry said, taking a seat on a couch that had appeared been in the room at some point. "Does that make things better between us? I can't not be friends with you, Hermione. This arguing and not talking to each other is tearing me apart and I'm not going to let it continue. I don't know why it angered you so much, and why you've been so mean because of it, but can things go back to how they were, now? Will this make you happier?"

Hermione sat next to him, trying not to cry at the gesture and the truth. "Ha-Harry ... it wasn't just the book," she told him, feeling the need to clear things up. It was obvious he was hurting over this much more than she had thought.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, worried. "Do you just not want to be friends anymore?"

"No! No, I want to!" Hermione rushed out, feeling helpless all over again. "Merlin! How do I explain this?"

"Hermione, just tell me," Harry offered, scooting close and holding her close. "You always told me I could come to you and talk. You know that goes both ways. Just tell me."

"It's embarrassing, Harry," Hermione mumbled, sighing. Somehow, she didn't think she would be able to avoid explaining. And even if she could , she knew she owed him an honest explanation.

"I won't let us go back to the way things have been, Hermione," Harry said firmly. "This is too important. When I said it was a matter of life or death, I meant that. This is our friendship we're talking about. If things don't get better, then it won't last much longer. You have to be able to see that."

Hermione nodded. She did, actually. "Harry, I'm ... I'm lonely."

Harry looked confused. "Hermione, I know we haven't talked much but –"

" No , Harry. I mean ...," she trailed off, unsure of how to say she wanted to experience love and explaining why her prospects were so bleak. "Harry, I want a boyfriend. I'm tired of seeing all of our friends engaged in happy dating and going to Hogsmeade together when no one but Ron has even shown an interest in me! And now , he's sucking face with that slag Lavender! Gah!" She screamed out her rage.

"You mean you almost ended our friendship because you want a boyfriend and Ron and Lavender are together?" Harry asked, looking at Hermione peculiarly. Peripherally, he also wondered when Lavender had gotten such a bad reputation. He knew both Dean and Seamus had been with her, and that some of the older boys had mentioned how precocious Lavender could be, but didn't realize Hermione had hear the same rumours.

"Harry, no one wants me! Don't you see?" Hermione asked, tears beginning to fall down her cheeks as despair and hopelessness flooded her. "Krum had just wanted a date for the ball, but mainly chose me because I didn't fawn all over him! He just wanted to be around a girl for five minutes who didn't giggle foolishly at him for being famous, but even he didn't want me romantically! He's engaged and probably going to get married soon! Ron is the only person who has shown any interest! I don't even like him and we may fight all the time, but at least I wouldn't feel so ... so...-"

"-so lonely? No, hollow?" Harry finished for her carefully.

"Yes!" Hermione seized upon the assisted description, feeling it was perfect. "And on top of that, that book of yours just made me feel like you didn't need me anymore! You were getting better in Potions because of the notes in it and didn't even ask me for my help with your homework! It was like I could just leave and no one would have cared!"

"I would have cared, Hermione," Harry said, holding Hermione's crying form to him tightly. Probably tighter than he needed to, but he knew that the tighter his embrace, the more it would reassure her. "I will always need you. No book could ever replace you, even if it had the answers to everything in it." It was true, too. Even in their first year he had been aware of her. That was why he had gone looking for her when she was missing and the troll happened, despite them not being friends or even hardly having shared a word or two.

Hermione took a deep breath and then let it out. "Thank you, Harry. You're sweet. I don't want to ruin our friendship. I just ... I feel like no one wants me. Like I don't matter."

They were silent for a few minutes, enjoying each others' company and embrace, feeling the rift that had been between them mend and close. Harry squeezed her hand. "Hermione, do you trust me?"

Hermione looked up from where she was beginning to doze in Harry's lap, feeling more relaxed and at peace than she had since before the summer had begun. Being around Harry had that effect on her and she had been missing it. "Of course I do! Why would you-"

"Then get up for a second," he told her, sliding out from under her. She stood up, watching as Harry took both of her hands in his left hand while his right grabbed his wand. With a silent thought and a flick of the wrist, he tied her hands together.

"What are you doing?" She asked. Under normal circumstances, a girl would be worried when a boy tied their hands together. But she was honest when she had said she trusted him. Then the Room shifted and a simple hook appeared on the ceiling that Harry used to hold Hermione's hands up, less than a foot above her head, so she could easily release herself if she chose to. "Harry?"

"You said you trust me, Hermione," Harry said, "I think we'll be okay now. We don't have to worry about our friendship. But, I want you to know I'm always going to need you."

"What does this have to do with–"

"Hush. I want to share something with you," he interrupted her as if she hadn't been speaking. He reached back down and picked up a blindfold that had appeared from nowhere on the couch and held it up. Hermione gave him a curious look and then a quiet nod as she continued to listen. She wasn't all that worried since she she could get her arms down if she only stepped on her toes and raised her arms, and the rope was tied so loose that a simple pull could release her. And no matter what ever happened, she knew Harry. She was safe with him. Even after everything they had been through this year.

Harry wrapped the blindfold around her head. "Like I said. You will always be important to me and I will always need you. But obviously, I've not ever told you just how much, or how important to me you really are. I think my own stupidity caused this in a good many ways. I haven't told you nearly enough how badly I need you in my life."

Hermione swallowed as the blindfold was tightened and checked, then loosened before he smoothed her hair down and slid it back on, ensuring he didn't catch her hair. "How does this do that?" She asked quietly. With her sight now cut off from her, her other senses were what she was relying on, and because she was paying more attention to her hearing, she didn't speak any louder than she thought she had to.

"Hermione ... while I'm talking, remember you can stop me at any time either by telling me to, or just getting down, alright? That's why your arms are only up part of the way." She nodded, showing she understood.

"Good. Now, Hermione," he said, pulling a quill out of his cloak that Hedwig had left in his room from one of her preening sessions, "I think you should know first and foremost that I never would have made it past my first year without you."

"Well, you're right. But I wouldn't have either, Harry," Hermione said with a slight grin, feeling somewhat cheeky.

Harry quietly moved his face to Hermione's left ear, making very sure not to touch her at all. "Shhh," he soothed, quietly, making her shiver before pulling back a little. "Every important thing to happen to me, every major puzzle, you solved." Gently, Harry moved Hermione's hair behind her ear, glad she tilted her head to allow him and then slowly trailed the feather along her jaw line.

"What is that?" Hermione asked even as her breathing became shallower.

Harry moved his head to the other side and, still ensuring he didn't touch her with his own body, leaned in to whisper, "Shhh."

Hermione gulped and tried unconsciously to lean into Harry, but he moved his own body back and away as she moved, not allowing it. She could almost swear her senses were hypersensitive. Without her sight, she had no way of knowing when something was going to touch her, or from what direction. And it was so soft... She tilted her head backwards as the tip of whatever it was moved from her chin, down, trailing her skin and leaving goosebumps as it found its way down the front of her neck.

"I destroyed the potions book, Hermione, because you are more important to me than Slughorn's empty praise or the grades." Harry tilted his head to the side and trailed the soft tip of the feather along Hermione's lips, appreciating how they seemed to dip a fraction against the soft pressure as they opened up, appearing darker and perfectly delectable as she licked them. He quickly moved his head forward, letting his face rest beside hers, still without touching. "You are the most important thing in my life," he told her, moving his head away as she tried to get a little closer and smiling lightly as she jumped from the unexpected closeness.

Hermione swallowed as the voice spoke up normally in front of her again. She could occasionally feel the heat he let off, but she still had been unable to actually touch him and it was driving her mad! She had never experienced something like this before and she couldn't figure out why it had taken her so long to do so now. "I will never take advantage of you, Hermione. You understand that, right?"

Suddenly, the voice was at her left again, whispering sweetly into her ear. "Yes or no, Hermione."

"Yes," she whispered back.

"Then may I take off your cloak?" His voice asked from in front of her before that sweet whispering was in her ear again on her other side. "Yes or no, Hermione."

Hermione let out a gasp, but nodded slowly. "Yes." Warm fingertips trailed down her jaw line this time, caressing her skin and then down her neck to the front, untying the clasp there and then stroking her collarbone as they pushed it down and off of her. She was now in her robes, which were over her usual muggle attire, and suddenly, she felt the delicate touch of that soft item again. It was trailing the outside of her ear, then her jaw line again, finally to find its way to her lips once again where it seems to play for a bit as the tormenting voice returned.

"Throughout my entire life, I've had only a few constants," Harry continued. "You were the one constant I could count on. The Dursleys would keep hating me and do whatever they could to make my life Hell. Dumbledore would keep me in the dark. Ron would do things on his own to eventually piss me off and then apologize and come back. And you would always be there to help me. To believe in me."

Harry took the feather away, ignoring Hermione's whimper, and then used it to trace her delicate eyebrows. "Until this year, I believe I honestly took that for granted. I didn't truly know how precious that was until you weren't there any longer."

"Harry, I-"

" Shhh," Harry whispered again, leaning in to her ear and drawing out the gentle command. He was close enough he could feel her shudder before he pulled back. He noticed her cheeks were pink now, and she was breathing as much through her mouth as her nose. "I always cherished our friendship, Hermione. It was never such a fickle thing like Ron's or anyone else's."

Harry gently used his fingers to move Hermione's hair behind her other ear, taking a moment to cup her face as she leaned into his touch and leaning forward so his face wasn't even an inch from her own and they could feel each others' breath. It took a great deal of effort for him to pull back as she moved her head forward, trying to get closer to the source of warmth and the scent that was uniquely Harry.

"May I remove your robe?" He asked, moving close into her ear again. "Yes or no, Hermione."

Hermione swallowed thickly, barely registering what he asked and falling back to what had become a standard answer. "Yes."

Harry moved his body in close to Hermione's as he used his wand to gently move the cloth around her arms and shoulders, letting it pool by her feet. He stepped back, taking in her current appearance. Her dark blue T-shirt was one that had been moderately tight and currently strained around her chest, showing her state of arousal, but it bared her arms from nearly her shoulders. Her jeans were designed for comfort and hung against her waist snug and tight. Her face was redder, her lips swollen and the blindfold added a special element Harry had never really felt before. That she was able to remove her ties, but kept her hands tied and strung up also provided a sense of excitement. Not just that she was bound, but that she could stop it at any moment, but chose not to.

Putting the feather down for the moment, Harry instead used his fingers and tracd Hermione's quivering jaw, relishing in her quiet gasps as his fingertips moved lower, caressing her neck and then the squeak as his other hand touched her waist, trailing its way up her side and back down. "I will always need you, Hermione," he told her stepping closer. "And you will forever be important to me."

He leaned forward ever so slightly, letting his lips brush against hers and gently sucking on her lower lip as he pulled away, even as she pushed forward, trying to get a better form of contact and whimpering as it was lost. Then she was surprised as his warmth followed her back and his lips kissed her own gently, both of his hands gently stroking down her spine and making her shiver in his grasp.

"I'm about to thank you for everything, Hermione," he told her, pulling back and letting a hand trail slowly down than her neck, but never quite reaching the top of her heaving breasts. "I'm about to show you precisely how important and needed you are to me."

He leaned forward, licking her collarbone before his lips suckled on the tender flesh, grinning when she squeaked and moaned and shuddered beneath him, before his teeth scraped the skin, only to kiss once again to rid her of the incredible pain. "May I remove your shirt? Yes or no, Hermione ."

Hermione let out a keening moan of pleasure, trying to tilt her head to give him better access and wondering why she couldn't remember how to get her arms to wrap around him where they belonged. "Yes!" She gasped out loudly, pleadingly. She knew that question! Yes would mean wonderful things, no would mean everything would stop! ' Yes, yes, OH YES!'

Harry once again cast a spell on the arms and shoulders of Hermione's clothing, but this time, it was too tight to just simply fall down on its own. Agonizingly slowly, he pulled the top of the shirt down, but not enough to uncover Hermione's breasts, much to her vocal disappointment. Instead, he grabbed the feather again and gently brushed the top of her soft flesh, making her jerk in surprise and squeak in enjoyment.

"You're too important to me to ever hurt, Hermione," Harry said, watching the feather diligently and focusing on her panting. "And you're too important for me to ever allow some random guy to have you, especially just because he's shown interest in you."

He tugged the shirt down a touch more, the material barely covering the top half of her cleavage as the feather found its new home between it, in a place that was rarely ever touched – and Hermione was very sensitive. "I can't promise to be the best person in the world for you. I don't think anyone is good enough for you. But I swear to you I will always do my best to be so."

The feather began an ascent from between Hermione's breasts, up her sternum and neck, before circling her throat, making its way to her lips once again. "Will you have me, Hermione?" He leaned forward, ensuring not to touch her and pulling the feather away again. "Yes or no, Hermione?"

"YES!" She shrieked, trying to throw herself into him bodily. "Yes, Harry!"

He pulled her shirt down, finally allowing it to fall to the floor and kissed her collarbone, then nibbled his way to her neck before he pulled back, absently noting she was kicking off her shoes and socks on her own as the room morphed slightly to create a warm, crackling fire that kept things from getting too cold. Who among them had asked for this, neither could tell at that moment. Perhaps it was both, in sync as always. Then Harry's feather trailed from underneath of her bra, down the middle of her stomach where it circled her bared belly button.

"Please, Harry," Hermione moaned out slowly.

" Shhh," he whispered. "I still have quite a way to go, Hermione."

Hermione whimpered again, squirming desperately as that diabolical feather, as she was now sure that's what it was, trailed along her sides and her belly. Then her world exploded in sensation as a warm hand gently pressed itself against her belly, slowly moving its way up and around. Almost feeling a physical ache, she breathed rapidly as the warm hand made its way up and bumped against the bottom of her bra, moving it up above her breasts before the hand rotated and a hard nipple found itself pinched.

Hermione threw her head back and screamed out in release as her legs gave out beneath her. She was caught before her arms straightened and held firm against Harry's body as she shuddered for nearly a minute as her orgasm hit her body in waves, energy exploding throughout her entire body. As it neared its end, she began to pant and stood slowly on her wobbly legs. Then she whimpered again as the feather began tracing its way down the middle of her tummy again.

"That's one," Harry said, watching Hermione's breathing trying to return to normal. "And many more to go. May I remove your jeans?" He moved in close, letting his entire front press against hers. "Yes or no, Hermione."

"Y-yes sir," she responded in a shaky breath. She felt her waist band tighten, and then loosen drastically before feeling Harry's lips kissing their way down her sternum, then taking the time to suckle her hardened nipples, much to her shrieking pleasure, and then down again, taking the time to explore her belly button before lowering again. By the time he made it to her waist, she was squirming all over again.

Then she felt her jeans being slowly lowered, feeling the material practically peel away from her soaking core from her previous release. Once her jeans were half way down her thighs, she squealed loudly as Harry's tongue found and explored her through her panties. She had no idea how long he teased her, but by the time he stopped, her legs were bare and she was on the edge of another release.

And then she felt nothing for ten long seconds, though it felt like minutes to the sensory-deprived girl. "H-Harry?" She jumped as she felt him embrace her, but returned the kiss suddenly upon her enthusiastically. She could even taste herself on his lips which, while unexpected, made her even more excited. It somehow added to the surreal and forbidden experience.

"I haven't been pushing you too far, have I?" His voice asked, pleading for her to have been okay with this. "You remember you can say stop at any time?"

Exactly what they had done and her state of undress hit her like a punch and she suddenly felt self-conscious, but she nodded. "I don't regret anything as long as you don't," she told him quietly. She could feel him smirk into the nape of her neck, even as his hands firmly grasped and squeezed her very firm arse cheeks.

"Next, I think we're going to find out if being a parselmouth really does give me a vibrating tongue. What do you say?" He asked, nipping at her shoulder and neck. "Yes or no, Hermione?"

"Yes sir… but could we lay down for this?" She asked. "My arms are starting to hurt from lack of blood flow." Though she planned on working on that. This was far too much fun to not repeat another time. "Eep!" Hermione blushed furiously as she felt him pick her up, letting her lift her arms out of the hook and to a bed where the couch once was.

"As you wish. And since you keep calling me sir… let's see how good you are at following instructions. I want you to leave the blindfold on and keep your arms above your head, understand?"

Hermione couldn't help it. She giggled. This was hitting upon a special part within her that she had never realized she had before. "Yes Master," she stated, smiling happily even as she felt his tongue trailing her chest. The trail of kisses and suckles went down agonizingly slow, only pausing to remove her bra completely now, then her mind went blank as he sucked in a nipple.

Hermione squeaked in delight, then could not hold back a sigh as her nipple was released again, the trail of kisses going down to her belly button. 'How is he so good at this? ' she thought as his tongue poked her innie for a moment, then down further he went, leaving a trail of kisses on her red hot skin until he reached her now well soaked panties.

She shuddered as he licked her core through the thin fabric, then let out a wail as he moved the fabric to the side and repeated the lick on her bare skin. His tongue went over her wet folds until it actually went inside her, then Harry hissed.

Despite everything, she could not help her laughter. "Ha-Harry, stop!"

Immediately, he withdrew. "Hermione? Is something wrong?" he asked, concern clear from his voice.

"No sir, it's just…" Hermione sucked in breath, allowing her time to phrase it carefully. "The hissing isn't working for me. Instead… could you focus more on my clit? It's the little nub that – Oh!"

Proving he needed no further education, she let out a gasp as her most dense cluster of all nerve endings was stimulated by an eager tongue. After what felt like an eternity but was in reality closer to a minute her mind went blank as immense pleasure washed over her, her body shivering uncontrollably as she suffered what the French called the little death. When she came out of it, she felt Harry's mouth seeking her own and she eagerly kissed him back, tasting her essence on his tongue.

All too soon for her liking, he broke the kiss. "That's two, I think. And on we go. May I remove your panties?" She felt his fingers hook the fabric on her hips. " Yes or no, Hermione. "

"A-a th-thousand times yes, Ha–sir," she responded as best she could, her breath still hitching from the orgasm. The hands on her hips let go as he embraced her. His mouth found hers again and this time, she slightly opened her lips to allow her tongue to peek out. Harry felt her lick his lips and responded in kind, and for a while their tongues twirled around each other. Then he broke their kiss, only to plant a kiss on her collarbone, another just above her left breast, a third next to her belly button… and then she felt his fingers hook her panties again. Obediently, she raised her bum a bit so he could slide the utterly soaked fabric down her legs, first left, then right.

"You are the most beautiful girl in the world to me," she heard Harry say, then she felt him get back to work as he licked her inner lips, now unobscured by any clothing.

Harry found he really enjoyed the taste. It reminded him something of caramelized apples with some rich, deep, earthly flavour he couldn't quite place, but which was now his most favourite thing in the world.

Hermione whimpered as her lover sucked her clit into his mouth. " Oh dear God that's good!" She shuddered and let out a long, low moan when his lips pinched her clit and his hands pulled slightly on her nipples.

Only a few minutes later Hermione screamed out in joy, her legs clenching around Harry's head so hard she would have worried about hurting him if she was capable of conscious thought.

"That makes three, love," Harry's voice breathed in her ear. "I really want to continue. May I–"

"Harry, just do it! You have my permission!" Hermione exclaimed, her breasts still rising and falling in a rapid tempo. "Love me, take me, make me feel good! I am yours, master, forever and always!"

Harry, and by extension the Room, was silent. Just as Hermione began to worry if she had said something wrong, a small voice asked, "Do you mean it? Really?"

"I'll never tell you no," she stated. "Just go slow and give me time. I trust you to never hurt me."

"Oh, Hermione," he said, moving in for another kiss. Eagerly, she let her lips get captured by his. As they kissed, she felt something incredibly hot and hard press against her inner thigh. Realizing he had removed his clothes at some point she slowly spread her legs as far as she comfortably could in this position.

Harry broke the kiss and she felt him move over her. She felt him press against her inner lips, her virginal cunt all but beckoning him inside. "Last chance to back down. Yes or no, Hermione ."

This time, her answer was not in word, but in deed. She shifted her body down, forcing the head of his cock to enter her. "Oh god," she said in a small voice as she felt things expand that had never felt anything larger than a tampon in the past. "Oh god," she repeated, as Harry finally took the hint and pushed himself in further. Had she not been blindfolded, Hermione would've been amazed by the amount of natural lubricant that oozed from her inner depths as it welcomed her lover home.

"Is this slow enough?" Harry asked, hoping it was. Hermione grunted an approval and he pushed in further, pulling out slightly only to push further in, soon pistoning himself inside her until his balls slapped against her. The moment he hit home he bent down to kiss her again and as they swapped saliva, he began to work up a steady rhythm.

"Oh god! Never stop fucking me, master!" Hermione yelled after they came up for air, breaking the kiss.

"You feel fan-bloody-tastic!" Harry praised her, now hovering over her with his arms on either side of her shoulders as he let his thighs do most of the work of slamming his pelvis into hers.

"Fuuuuccckkk! I love you, I love you, I love you so much!" Hermione managed to almost yell. She wrapped her legs around his back as best she could, forcing him inside her as much as possible.

"I… love… sex… with… you," Harry panted, then he let out a deep guttural groan and Hermione felt him shudder, much as she had done multiple times before. His strength leaving him, Harry just managed to make sure he rolled off her, unfortunately not taking into account they were lying on a couch.

The sudden loss of her lover's body followed by a thump barely registered with the brunette as she lay there, her legs turned to jelly as an unfamiliar sensation of a sticky liquid escaping from her now no longer virginal cleft slowly began to register. But she had more pressing concerns. "Harry?"

"I'm okay, love," came his voice from just below her and to her left. "I just forgot we were on a couch…"

She giggled. Yes, the serious bookworm actually giggled. "So, you've fallen for me then?"

"That was bad and you should feel bad," Harry said in an amused voice. Suddenly, Hermione felt the unmistakable feeling of the feather on her sides again.

"That's enough of that," she said, pulling her right hand free from the ropes and grabbing for it. With her left hand, she moved the blindfold out of the way. "Harry… this was –"

"Will you be my girlfriend?" Harry blurted out, interrupting her.

"Prat," she said, smiling as she threw the feather at him. "You should have asked before all this."

Harry caught the feather, moving the tip to her neck. "That's not an answer. Yes or no, Hermione. "

"Yes. And keep that feather, I want a repeat session soon," the witch said, sitting up so she could kiss him.

Fin.

A/N: This story was begun by Paladeus before 2014. We had shared story drafts and idea outlines through email and this is one I always felt could use a conclusion.

He never completed it before his untimely death and I have been sitting on this for years but I felt like completing it. About half the text is based on his draft. Everything from the point where Hermione lies down is my work or based on the outline we worked on together.

Rest in peace, Kevin.