August 11, 2003
On one of the hottest days of the summer, it was a very flustered, uncomfortable Hermione Granger who was sitting, donned only in underwear, in her Oxford flat.
It was, admittedly, not a scene she would usually picture herself in - sweating, half naked, and lying, stretched out on the couch. Well, not a scene usually seen without Harry present, of course, as being male he had an automatic disposition to somehow land them in a situation where clothes were scarce and where a lack of self consciousness was rife.
Hermione, at the moment, however, was feeling self conscious, despite being alone, but with the choice of being sweating and half naked in the privacy of her own flat, and being sweltering in clothes in the privacy of her flat, she was reluctantly staying put.
Truth be told, she would much rather not be at the flat at all. Her classes at Oxford were out for the summer, and she was hearing rumour of it being at a much more tolerable temperature in Liverpool, where both Ron and Harry were living at the moment, being the most convenient place for the two whilst they undertook a surveillance assignment for the Ministry.
However, and regretfully so, she was not there with them - though she was recently returned from there. She had been able to spend two weeks there, over the course of Harry's birthday, and was only back to fufill a commitment to tutor a fellow student, which had proved to be pointless in the end as the weather simply didn't allow for it.
So she was back, in the heat, experiencing an English summer not like one she had before (the usual being a variation of winter with the difference being that trees had leaves on them during the summer) and feeling thoroughly bored, lonely and restless in the continuous heat.
Thus, it was such a huge and surprised relief when Harry walked through the door later that afternoon that she actually managed to lift her head and smile.
"Hey," he said, happily, but looking even more uncomfortable than she in the heat. Dressed in tan khaki shorts and a bright Hawaiian shirt she had bought him on a trip there the summer before, he was looking as sexy and as wonderfully out of place as he always did. As soon as he had closed the door, he dropped his bags on the floor and quickly made his way over to the couch to flop down on it next to her, head resting close to hers. "Hot?"
She didn't answer, and instead decided to begin working away at the buttons of his shirt - he did look awfully hot after all.
"You're keen," he remarked with a smirk as the first button was undone.
"Shut up, it's too hot to be wearing clothes." The smirk grew. "And too hot to be doing anything else either, pervert," she added as she slipped away a second button.
"Hey, I'm not the one with sex on the brain here. If anyone is thinking such thoughts, it's the person who began stripping me as soon as I walked in the room..." The shirt slipped off as the last button was undone by nimble fingers.
"Quiet - as if you mind." He didn't reply to that, and instead just watched her happily as her hands went to his shorts and worked on undoing the drawstrings. "Why are you here, anyway? You didn't owl." A finger comes up from his pants to poke him indignantly in the stomach.
"Ron is covering for me for a few days in return for his sordid little weekend a few months back, so I though I'd come and surprise you." She stopped her work, slow as it was, and leaned her face into his for a quick kiss.
"That was nice."
"And I missed you."
"You just know all the things to say, don't you, Mr. Potter?" Another kiss, longer this time, slower and deeper, with tongues meeting lazily and lips moving languidly against each other. When they moved away again, she murmured quietly in appreciation and went back to his shorts, slipping them off slowly with his help. When they were gone, he keenly put his hands back to his boxers, ready to slide them off as well, but her hands stopped him before he had the chance.
"You can leave them on."
"It's hot!" Indignant, with a poorly hidden smirk.
"So are you. I'm much too tired for any of that."
"It wouldn't necessarily lead to that."
"I've seen you naked before. I've seen myself around you whilst you are naked. Believe me, you wouldn't stand a chance."
"My little sex kitten," he says proudly with a grin. She swats his arm.
"Quiet." She settles against him, head resting on his chest, and sighs, more contented that before, but still distinctly exhausted and hot.
"It's hot," he remarks a few moments later.
"Yes."
"We should take a cold shower."
A snort. "The only person around here who needs a cold shower is you, Harry Potter," she replies, rubbing her hips against the front of his boxers to prove a point.
He laughs and kisses the top of her head, nestling his head in the top of her hair. "No, seriously, it will help us cool down."
She looks at him dubiously. "Are we talking about a pre-'Us' type of shower or a post-'Us' type of shower, here?"
"You make it sound as if all we do in the shower these days is shag." Another dubious look and a blush in response from him. "Well, we don't see each other nearly enough."
She laughs and turns her head up so there lips are close again. "You're right," she agrees. "I love you," she says, her voice soft before they kiss, gently and quickly.
"Am I right about the shower idea as well?"
*
A/N - Long time no post, I know. Life is quite insane this year. This is to be followed by an NC17 sequel, which will be posted along with this piece at when the time comes. My author name there is 'Jacquin,' so keep a look out for that over the next month or so. Anyway, please do review :)
- Carl, October 4, 2003