Day 29: doing something sweet and with food
A quiet knock on the door made Hermione look up from her work. Her eyes slightly widened when Peter walked inside, a handful of bags swinging on his forearms. He was still dressed in his green Healer robes, but his tie was undone.
"Peter, hi," she breathed out, getting to her feet to greet him. She leaned in to kiss him, and he smiled against her mouth as he cupped her face in his hands.
When he pulled away, Hermione asked, "What are you doing here? Not that I mind…"
"I was just in the neighborhood and thought I'd surprise you with lunch," Peter said, raising the bags for her to see. He smiled at her sheepishly and added, "I didn't know what you'd like to eat today, so I got a bit of everything."
Hermione's breath hitched. "Everything?"
"Everything." Peter juggled the bags onto one arm before pulling out his wand and conjuring another table. Hermione's heart melted, for she knew Peter knew she didn't like it when people tried to Banish her work or clear her table without asking.
Peter placed the bags down before painstakingly removing each takeaway box and placing it on the table. Hermione stepped forward to help him, but he shook his head and said, "Please, let me treat you, love. You just sit down."
Hermione mentally squealed at his consideration. Yes, she was the Head of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, but that didn't mean she always wanted to be in charge of things in her personal life. She liked it when Peter took charge without her asking. He often finished up her chores if she was too tired, let her climb onto his lap and curl up into a ball when she was sleepy, and even bought her little trinkets that reminded him of her.
She had met Peter through Harry's parents, James and Lily, and at first hadn't thought much about the older man until she had overheard James asking Peter if he was ever going to do something about the quiet tension brewing between them. It was as if a lightbulb had gone off in her head, and Hermione had been struck dumb with the realisation that the shy, reserved man liked her.
When Peter had finally taken the plunge and asked her out, she hadn't hesitated in saying yes. That had been a month ago, and now, Peter was a semi-permanent fixture in her life.
Hermione smiled at how comfortable yet happy she felt around the light-haired man, and Peter noticed her expression. He finished placing the last box on the table and beckoned her over. Still smiling, Hermione stepped up to him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.
Peter kissed her temple and asked, "Care to tell me what's got you smiling like that?"
Hermione's smile widened. "I was just thinking about you."
"Why do you need to think about me when I'm right in front of you? Silly witch," he murmured, pressing his forehead to hers.
Hermione closed her eyes and angled her head up to kiss him. His kisses were always slow and sweet yet passionate. He was shyer than the men Hermione had previously dated, but he had a quietly confident air about him when he was around her. It was as if he didn't know what he was doing, but he was willing to do it all the same. Hermione thought it was delightfully adorable.
Peter kissed her once more when pulling back, and she chuckled. He caressed her cheek, gazing into her eyes, and murmured, "Still thinking of me, Miss Hermione?"
She grinned and shook her head. "You have my full attention, Mr Pettigrew."
Peter kissed her again as if he couldn't help himself. He pulled her chair back for her and took her hand to help her sit down. He was such a gentleman.
Once he was seated, he waved his hands over the boxes and asked, "What would you like to eat first?"
Hermione bit her lower lip and looked at the various delicacies he had brought along. Her heart skipped a beat when she realised he really had bought everything she loved.
From Italian pasta to Bulgarian banitsa, from banana muffins to molten lava cake, from Butterbeer to that one frappuccino she bought every day from the Muggle coffee shop, Peter had brought everything for her.
Tears welled up in the corner of her eyes, a lump formed in her throat, and her nose prickled. She ducked her head to hide her strong reaction from Peter, but he reached over the table and tilted her chin up. He asked, "Is something wrong? Did I forget something? Shit, I forgot something, didn't I? Hold on, let me check."
He let go of her chin and scrambled around for something in his pocket. And then, he pulled out a small notebook and flipped it open to a page. He pored over it, muttering to himself, "Let's see…Bagels, cinnamon rolls, pasta, chicken tandoori, dumplings, mini pizza, banana muffins, chocolate chip cookies—"
"What are you doing?" Hermione asked, surprised by the list he was reciting.
Peter looked up as if startled she was there. His eyes widened, and he shook his head. "Sorry, I was just checking what things you like best."
He glanced at the list once more and then at the food on the table. "I thought I brought everything. Did I miss something? Did you want a fruit salad from that supermarket near your flat? You can tell me, I'll go and get it."
Hermione's heart melted. She smiled and reached over to take his hand, giving it a squeeze. "No, everything's perfect, Peter. Thank you."
"Then why did it look like you were about to start crying?"
Hermione licked her dry lips and replied, "It's just that…no one's ever bought me so much food just because they weren't sure what I wanted. I got a bit emotional, sorry."
Peter raised her hand and kissed her knuckles, his gaze shy yet hopeful. "You don't have to apologise, Hermione. As long as your tears are happy tears and not sad ones, I'm perfectly happy to treat you like you deserve."
Hermione swallowed around the lump in her throat. "Thank you, Peter, for everything you do for me."
"It's my pleasure," he said, sounding like he meant it. He squeezed her hand and let it go. "Now, are you going to start eating or will you let this food go to waste?"
Hermione laughed and nodded, turning to the delicious food on the table. "I don't even know where to begin."
"How about this?" Peter asked, piercing a small slice of watermelon with a fork and holding it up to her mouth.
She smiled and leaned in. Peter fed her the watery fruit before stabbing his fork into a cucumber next and pressing it against her lips. Hermione chuckled and asked, "What are you doing?"
"Feeding you…if you don't like it, it's okay, I'll stop," Peter said, slowly lowering the fork to the table, but Hermione wrapped her fingers around his wrist and stopped him.
"I'd like that," she whispered, shy all of a sudden. "But only if I get to feed you too."
Peter's ears reddened, and he ducked his head just a bit. He swallowed and said, his voice deepening, "I'd like that too."
Feeding each other was a very intimate act, but Peter never made it uncomfortable. He didn't let his fork or fingers linger on her lips for too long, the morsels he fed her were consistent in size, he waited just the right amount of time for her to finish, chewing on his own food in the meantime, and he kept his gaze on her.
Hermione's face warmed under his soft yet intense gaze, but it didn't make her uncomfortable. It only made her squeeze her thighs, needing a bit of friction. The heat in her abdomen only rose while he fed her a slice of chocolate cake, and she popped the top button of her blouse.
Peter's gaze flickered to her neck. His throat bobbed as he swallowed, and his eyes darkened. "Hermione," he whispered, his voice husky now, "you don't know what you do to me."
"What do I do to you, Peter?" Hermione couldn't help but tease, nudging his foot with hers.
He banged his knee against the tabletop and let out a strange squeak. He blushed to the roots of his hair and mumbled something indecipherable. Hermione leaned in to hear him better and asked, "Could you repeat that please? I don't think I heard you."
Peter cleared his throat, his head still ducked, and muttered, "You make me want to stop being a gentleman."
It was Hermione's turn to feel warm. Still, pretending as if she was confident enough around him, she smiled and trailed her foot up his calf and towards his knee. "Tell me more, Peter…"
His gaze flickered from her foot pressed against his lower thigh to the hint of cleavage peeking out from her blouse before trailing up her bared throat and landing on her parted lips. Peter licked his dry lips and took a shuddering breath. "Hermione, you don't want to do this. Trust me."
"I do trust you," Hermione cooed, brushing her toes over the bulge in his robes and making him hiss through clenched teeth. "And that's why I want you to tell me what I do to you."
"How about I show you instead?" he growled out, his pupils fully dilated with lust.
Hermione's heart stuttered. Flicking her wrist at the door, she locked it and cast a Silencing Charm on it just in case. She turned back to Peter and her lips stretched up in a wide smile. "I'd like that."
Peter was on her the next second.
Their tongues tangled as he slanted his lips over hers, his hands roamed over her body, gripping, squeezing, groping, and Hermione dropped her head back to allow him access to her neck. His mouth was hot and wet, and his kisses slippery when his lips trailed down her throat, over her collarbone, and onto her chest.
He tugged her blouse from the waistband of her skirt and quickly unbuttoned it. Once it was open, he let it fall off her shoulders to the ground. Without hesitating, Peter lowered her onto her office floor, straddling her thighs.
Hermione's eyes widened when he patted the table behind him, looking for something. His fingers wrapped around a bottle of chocolate syrup, his eyes glinting with heat. Peter growled, "Are you ready for me to devour you, Miss Granger?"
Hermione grinned and stretched her arms out on either side, unable to wait any longer. "Let's see how ungentlemanly you can be, Healer Pettigrew."
