The Romanticism of Simplicity
Chapter Eight
Every day the following week, Gemma and Harry attended meetings to discuss just how she was going to go about this. By Friday, the plan had been drawn up and the only thing left to do was to wait for an opening, which finally came late Saturday night.
"Are you ready?" Harry asked as they made their way through the fog to The Three Broomsticks.
"Ready as I'll ever be."
Ron's grip tightened on her hand but he didn't speak.
"We're all going to be close by," Hermione said.
Moody nodded. "There's no need to worry."
"That's what you think," she huffed, stopping when they reached the corner.
"Got everything?"
She patted her back pocket, checking for her wand. "I'm set."
Harry peered around the corner at the entrance . "Coast is clear."
Ron bent to place a small kiss on her cheek and in a moment of weakness, she threw herself at him, squeezing him with all her might.
"So much for being brave," he whispered, laughing despite his own painstaking fear.
"I can't help it."
Harry turned back around. "You better go now Gemma. I don't know how long it'll be clear."
She pulled back and nodded, allowing herself two, deep breaths. "Right."
They all wished her luck and with one last check for her wand and a reassuring smile from Ron, she entered the musty pub. As always, it was filled to the brim with every type of character imagineable, all of whom, stared unyieldingly at her from the moment her feet scraped the rotting wood floor. She pretended not to notice while she scanned their crooked faces for Ty. It didn't take long to spot him, seeing as how he was the only decent looking one amongst the lot. He was hunched over the bar, sipping a tall mug of some sort of smoky brew, conforming in that he was keeping to himself. As she sauntered towards him, she couldn't help but wonder if he was trying to look that mysterious or if it was more of a natural occurence. When he didn't budge from his seat, she figured he must not have noticed her come in and cautiously took the stool to his left.
"Come back for more?" he smirked, giving her a bit of a shock.
She shrugged it off and urged herself to begin what she had come to do. "I need to talk to you," her voice was surprisingly stern.
"You're lucky I don't blow you're fucking head off," he replied, downing the last of his drink.
"I thought you wanted to keep me around," she retorted, letting a hint of sensuality roll off her tongue.
"Whores are a dime a dozen."
Gemma choked down a mix of terror and anger and scooted closer. "Oh come on. A nice long fuck wouldn't be so bad would it?"
He turned his head in her direction, not letting his shock at her forwardness show. "What is this?"
Her voice was now low and sentilating, having mastered her nerves. "One night Ty. That's all I want."
"You must think I'm a god damn idiot."
She sat up a little straighter, ignoring his comment and caught the bartender's attention. "I'll have what he's having."
Ty laughed. "Get lost Gemma."
Knowing she had his full attention, she unclasped her cloak, letting it slip from her bare shoulders, revealing a low cut, scarlet silk top. If he refused, she could rest assured that one of the other wizards crammed into the place would be more than willing to satisfy her needs. She could feel them all on her, gawking shamelessly.
Ty, who had sized her up out of the corner of his eye, was fighting the urge to rip the thing right off of her right then and there by staring determinedly into his mug.
"It's been a long time Ty," she declared, coming closer yet. "Let's catch up."
Her scent was intoxicating. "What's the catch?"
She ran her fingers down his neck and over the top buttons of his shirt (he'd definately be going home with somebody tonight). "Pleasure first, business later."
There was soemthing funny about her coming to him like this, but as soon as her hand found his knee, it became very easy to push those thoughts aside. He was feverish with lust and wanted nothing more than to swallow her whole.
The room was small and nothing more than a lumpy bed and a wobbly chair. 'The bair essentials' she thought, taking a second to scan the area. If she was going to get through this night she'd have to abandon her scruples.
Wanting to get it over with as soon as possible, Gemma began tearing at his clothes, passing it off as desire. She had just about gotten his belt loose when he suddenly seized her firmly by the throat and shoved her hard against the wall.
"If you pull anything, anything at all," he warned. "You'll be dead before you hit the ground."
She surprised herself by grinning at him. "Get over yourself."
Her bravery was laughable. "I'd have never thought you for a slut."
She hoped he couldn't feel her heart pounding madly in her chest as she pressed herself against him. "I'd have never thought you for someone who'd go for a slut."
"I guess we've both changed then haven't we?"
Meanwhile, keeping in the shadows outside, Moody, Harry and Hermione were trying to keep Ron calm.
"Everything's going to be fine Ron," Hermione assured him. "We just have to be patient."
"Stand still will you!?" Moody barked. "You're distracting me!"
"If it were you're girlfriend in there with that bloke you'd be just as nervous as I am!" Ron protested, fumbling with his wand.
He and Gemma hadn't yet told anyone of their plans of marriage. No one knew that the reason he was going out of his mind was that his future wife was inside, being done God knows what to.
Ty had been so cold and distant when Gemma had seen him outside of The Pheonix Feather that she was sure he wouldn't have a tender bone left in his body. There was nothing left of the man she remembered, not even the tiny scar he had had above his right eye and beacause of all this, she had prepared herself for a rough night. He pinned her tightly to the bed, holding her hands in place above her head with one of his own and using the other to explore her gleaming body. His kisses were hard and hungry, even painful at times. Unable to stop herself, she whinced.
"What's the matter," he moaned. "I thought you'd want it rough."
She didn't answer.
That's when it hit him. This is Gemma, the girl he had fallen in love with that night by the lake. The girl he had spent his entire life comparing every other woman to. The girl he had been pretending to hate for almost five years. Right here, in his arms, was the one that got away.
"Ty?" she asked, unnerved by the way he was scrutinizing her. All of a sudden he looked different. Softened.
"This is," he began.
"This is what?" she groaned, wiggling her arms free and cupping his face.
"This is..." he wasn't sure what it was he wanted to say.
"Kiss me Ty."
He did just that, only this time, it was such a tender kiss that it nearly took her breath away. 'Oh no,' she thought. 'Oh no, oh no, oh no'. The roughness she could take, but this? This was a completely different story. No way could she handle this. He stopped man-handling her and started trying to make up for the damage he had done. He traced his lips down her neck and chest, caressing her breasts with his tongue and then moving on to her thighs, savoring the sweet taste of her skin. She arched her back isntinctively, and grabbed his shoulders to guide him back up to her face. 'Don't let him linger,' she told herself. 'Get it over with.'
"Now," she urged him, sliding into place.
Ty, who realized he couldn't wait any longer either, spread her legs with his knee, finding her hands again so that he would have something to hold on to. He entered her slowly, pressing his mouth to hers to smother her cry. They found a rhythm quickly and within seconds, he felt as though they were the only two people in the world. He'd only experienced that feeling once before and it had been with this same, sweet woman. She was taking him back to that warm night. He pictured the still water, the cool grass and the brilliant stars. She had been crying, said she was lonely. He was too. She knew a spot where no one would be able to find them. The only other person who had been there was James and he was gone. They brought a blanket and he held her for a long time, until most of the tears had subsided. He was just about to let her go when he realized she wasn't ready yet. He'd asked her if there was anything else he could do and she nodded and kissed him. Afterwards, she apologized and moved away, but he wanted her close, so he kissed her again. Soft at first, then deeply. The next thing he knew, he was undressing her and she him.
It had been so long since he had allowed that memory to materialize before his eyes and it was incredible how vivid it was. The salty taste of tears, her tight grip on his arms, the warm summer breeze...it was the single most thrilling experience of his life. He hadn't know how much he cared for her until then and all he'd wanted was for her to love him back. Maybe she hadn't believed him when he'd told her later on that week, or maybe she was afraid to say it back. Whatever the reason, it didn't matter now. All that mattered was the she was here now, right back in his arms where she belonged. It felt good...it felt safe. The only problem was that, once again, he was with her for all the wrong reasons. Nothing could come of this. Nothing beyond the tangled sheets at least.
About an hour later, after they had finished, Gemma crawled out of the moist sheets and began searching for all her things.
"What are you doing?" he asked, still in a bit of a daze.
"Going home." She spoke as little as possible, afraid that at any moment she was going to be sick.
He sat up and reached out to pull her back down to him. "Why can't you stay?"
"We're done aren't we?"
"Come on. Stay."
She sat back up, found her bra and clumsily tried to hook it in the back. "What for?"
"No one likes to fuck and run," he grinned.
'Don't blow it', she told herself as she started to put on her shirt. "You got what you wanted."
"Maybe I'm not through with you yet," he suggested, wrapping his arms around her waist and rolling on top of her.
She desperately wanted to grab her things and run, but she knew everything was riding on this night. She had to be careful how and when she pulled away. It was crucial for him to want to see her again.
"Get off me you big git," Gemma ordered, forcing a smile.
"Don't leave," he pleaded, caressing her neck gently.
"I've got better things to do than hang around with you."
"Is that so?"
She gathered her wits and turned him over, stradling his middle. "It was fun Ty, but I really have to go."
He sighed deeply, running his rough hands up her legs and thighs. "Just like that huh?"
"Just like that."
"All right. You can go, but on one condition."
"What's that?"
"You have to see me again."
'Thank God'! "When?"
"Tomorrow night."
"So soon?" she laughed.
"Meet me here."
She slid back down to the floor and tried not to seem in too much of a rush as she threw her clothes on. "Tomorrow night it is."
Once she had found her left heel and tucked away her wand, they uttered their goodbyes and she made her way back downstairs through the pub. The frigid night air was an unexpected slap in the face and as she trudged through the fresh layer of crisp snow, she made a mental note to dress a little more sensible the next time.
When Ron spotted her coming down the narrow alley way, she was so absorbed in thought that she didn't hear him call her name.
"Gemma!" he repeated for the third time, but still he got no reply.
He reached out and grabbed her arm to get her attention, but before he could get out a hullo, she had whipped out her wand and thrust it at his face.
"S-sorry," she began, breathing heavily.
"It's okay," he assured her, raking his fingers though his disheveled hair.
"I'm just a little...edgy." The word hardly described her situation.
"How did it go?" Moody asked, appearing at Ron's side.
"Fine."
"Is it gonna work?"
'What a git', Gemma thought to herself, swallowing down all the emotions that were threatening to spew out. 'Doesn't even bother to ask me how I feel'.
"Well?" he chided.
"He wants to see me again tomorrow," she explained, tightening her cloak around her shoulders.
"Does he suspect anything?"
"Probably."
Her mood was extremely irritating. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means he knows I'm an auror and my coming to find him was a fairly suspicious act."
"Did he say anything about it?"
"Not really."
"I want to know everything he said."
She eyed him angrily. "I'll be happy to indulge you tomorrow morning at the meeting."
"What's wrong with right now?"
Harry, Hermione and Ron listened nervously as the argument grew more heated.
"I'm tired, that's what's wrong with right now!"
"That's hardly a valid reason to keep your partners in the dark."
"Well, partner, I'm sorry you feel as though I'm being unfair, but I'm not exactly keen on the situation myself."
"Is that right?" he snapped.
"Yes it is, and seeing as how this entire plan is riding on my shoulders, I'd say I'm entitled to a shower and a little rest before I have to spit out all the details of being trapped under that lunatic for an hour and a half!"
He was so infuriated he was practically fuming. "I'm not going to fight with you Gemma."
"Oh come on!" she sneered. "I'm sure you're just dying to toss one my way right about now."
"I'll see you in the morning."
She watched him turn on his heel, and saw, or heard rather, him dissaperate. She started to do the same, but suddenly felt entirely too weak. It was all she could do to keep her balance.
"Are you all right?" Ron asked, reaching out a hand for her to take.
"I just need to lie down," she exclaimed.
He nodded, catching Harry and Hermione's eyes as he slipped his arms around her.
"We'll see you back home."
Chapter Eight
Every day the following week, Gemma and Harry attended meetings to discuss just how she was going to go about this. By Friday, the plan had been drawn up and the only thing left to do was to wait for an opening, which finally came late Saturday night.
"Are you ready?" Harry asked as they made their way through the fog to The Three Broomsticks.
"Ready as I'll ever be."
Ron's grip tightened on her hand but he didn't speak.
"We're all going to be close by," Hermione said.
Moody nodded. "There's no need to worry."
"That's what you think," she huffed, stopping when they reached the corner.
"Got everything?"
She patted her back pocket, checking for her wand. "I'm set."
Harry peered around the corner at the entrance . "Coast is clear."
Ron bent to place a small kiss on her cheek and in a moment of weakness, she threw herself at him, squeezing him with all her might.
"So much for being brave," he whispered, laughing despite his own painstaking fear.
"I can't help it."
Harry turned back around. "You better go now Gemma. I don't know how long it'll be clear."
She pulled back and nodded, allowing herself two, deep breaths. "Right."
They all wished her luck and with one last check for her wand and a reassuring smile from Ron, she entered the musty pub. As always, it was filled to the brim with every type of character imagineable, all of whom, stared unyieldingly at her from the moment her feet scraped the rotting wood floor. She pretended not to notice while she scanned their crooked faces for Ty. It didn't take long to spot him, seeing as how he was the only decent looking one amongst the lot. He was hunched over the bar, sipping a tall mug of some sort of smoky brew, conforming in that he was keeping to himself. As she sauntered towards him, she couldn't help but wonder if he was trying to look that mysterious or if it was more of a natural occurence. When he didn't budge from his seat, she figured he must not have noticed her come in and cautiously took the stool to his left.
"Come back for more?" he smirked, giving her a bit of a shock.
She shrugged it off and urged herself to begin what she had come to do. "I need to talk to you," her voice was surprisingly stern.
"You're lucky I don't blow you're fucking head off," he replied, downing the last of his drink.
"I thought you wanted to keep me around," she retorted, letting a hint of sensuality roll off her tongue.
"Whores are a dime a dozen."
Gemma choked down a mix of terror and anger and scooted closer. "Oh come on. A nice long fuck wouldn't be so bad would it?"
He turned his head in her direction, not letting his shock at her forwardness show. "What is this?"
Her voice was now low and sentilating, having mastered her nerves. "One night Ty. That's all I want."
"You must think I'm a god damn idiot."
She sat up a little straighter, ignoring his comment and caught the bartender's attention. "I'll have what he's having."
Ty laughed. "Get lost Gemma."
Knowing she had his full attention, she unclasped her cloak, letting it slip from her bare shoulders, revealing a low cut, scarlet silk top. If he refused, she could rest assured that one of the other wizards crammed into the place would be more than willing to satisfy her needs. She could feel them all on her, gawking shamelessly.
Ty, who had sized her up out of the corner of his eye, was fighting the urge to rip the thing right off of her right then and there by staring determinedly into his mug.
"It's been a long time Ty," she declared, coming closer yet. "Let's catch up."
Her scent was intoxicating. "What's the catch?"
She ran her fingers down his neck and over the top buttons of his shirt (he'd definately be going home with somebody tonight). "Pleasure first, business later."
There was soemthing funny about her coming to him like this, but as soon as her hand found his knee, it became very easy to push those thoughts aside. He was feverish with lust and wanted nothing more than to swallow her whole.
The room was small and nothing more than a lumpy bed and a wobbly chair. 'The bair essentials' she thought, taking a second to scan the area. If she was going to get through this night she'd have to abandon her scruples.
Wanting to get it over with as soon as possible, Gemma began tearing at his clothes, passing it off as desire. She had just about gotten his belt loose when he suddenly seized her firmly by the throat and shoved her hard against the wall.
"If you pull anything, anything at all," he warned. "You'll be dead before you hit the ground."
She surprised herself by grinning at him. "Get over yourself."
Her bravery was laughable. "I'd have never thought you for a slut."
She hoped he couldn't feel her heart pounding madly in her chest as she pressed herself against him. "I'd have never thought you for someone who'd go for a slut."
"I guess we've both changed then haven't we?"
Meanwhile, keeping in the shadows outside, Moody, Harry and Hermione were trying to keep Ron calm.
"Everything's going to be fine Ron," Hermione assured him. "We just have to be patient."
"Stand still will you!?" Moody barked. "You're distracting me!"
"If it were you're girlfriend in there with that bloke you'd be just as nervous as I am!" Ron protested, fumbling with his wand.
He and Gemma hadn't yet told anyone of their plans of marriage. No one knew that the reason he was going out of his mind was that his future wife was inside, being done God knows what to.
Ty had been so cold and distant when Gemma had seen him outside of The Pheonix Feather that she was sure he wouldn't have a tender bone left in his body. There was nothing left of the man she remembered, not even the tiny scar he had had above his right eye and beacause of all this, she had prepared herself for a rough night. He pinned her tightly to the bed, holding her hands in place above her head with one of his own and using the other to explore her gleaming body. His kisses were hard and hungry, even painful at times. Unable to stop herself, she whinced.
"What's the matter," he moaned. "I thought you'd want it rough."
She didn't answer.
That's when it hit him. This is Gemma, the girl he had fallen in love with that night by the lake. The girl he had spent his entire life comparing every other woman to. The girl he had been pretending to hate for almost five years. Right here, in his arms, was the one that got away.
"Ty?" she asked, unnerved by the way he was scrutinizing her. All of a sudden he looked different. Softened.
"This is," he began.
"This is what?" she groaned, wiggling her arms free and cupping his face.
"This is..." he wasn't sure what it was he wanted to say.
"Kiss me Ty."
He did just that, only this time, it was such a tender kiss that it nearly took her breath away. 'Oh no,' she thought. 'Oh no, oh no, oh no'. The roughness she could take, but this? This was a completely different story. No way could she handle this. He stopped man-handling her and started trying to make up for the damage he had done. He traced his lips down her neck and chest, caressing her breasts with his tongue and then moving on to her thighs, savoring the sweet taste of her skin. She arched her back isntinctively, and grabbed his shoulders to guide him back up to her face. 'Don't let him linger,' she told herself. 'Get it over with.'
"Now," she urged him, sliding into place.
Ty, who realized he couldn't wait any longer either, spread her legs with his knee, finding her hands again so that he would have something to hold on to. He entered her slowly, pressing his mouth to hers to smother her cry. They found a rhythm quickly and within seconds, he felt as though they were the only two people in the world. He'd only experienced that feeling once before and it had been with this same, sweet woman. She was taking him back to that warm night. He pictured the still water, the cool grass and the brilliant stars. She had been crying, said she was lonely. He was too. She knew a spot where no one would be able to find them. The only other person who had been there was James and he was gone. They brought a blanket and he held her for a long time, until most of the tears had subsided. He was just about to let her go when he realized she wasn't ready yet. He'd asked her if there was anything else he could do and she nodded and kissed him. Afterwards, she apologized and moved away, but he wanted her close, so he kissed her again. Soft at first, then deeply. The next thing he knew, he was undressing her and she him.
It had been so long since he had allowed that memory to materialize before his eyes and it was incredible how vivid it was. The salty taste of tears, her tight grip on his arms, the warm summer breeze...it was the single most thrilling experience of his life. He hadn't know how much he cared for her until then and all he'd wanted was for her to love him back. Maybe she hadn't believed him when he'd told her later on that week, or maybe she was afraid to say it back. Whatever the reason, it didn't matter now. All that mattered was the she was here now, right back in his arms where she belonged. It felt good...it felt safe. The only problem was that, once again, he was with her for all the wrong reasons. Nothing could come of this. Nothing beyond the tangled sheets at least.
About an hour later, after they had finished, Gemma crawled out of the moist sheets and began searching for all her things.
"What are you doing?" he asked, still in a bit of a daze.
"Going home." She spoke as little as possible, afraid that at any moment she was going to be sick.
He sat up and reached out to pull her back down to him. "Why can't you stay?"
"We're done aren't we?"
"Come on. Stay."
She sat back up, found her bra and clumsily tried to hook it in the back. "What for?"
"No one likes to fuck and run," he grinned.
'Don't blow it', she told herself as she started to put on her shirt. "You got what you wanted."
"Maybe I'm not through with you yet," he suggested, wrapping his arms around her waist and rolling on top of her.
She desperately wanted to grab her things and run, but she knew everything was riding on this night. She had to be careful how and when she pulled away. It was crucial for him to want to see her again.
"Get off me you big git," Gemma ordered, forcing a smile.
"Don't leave," he pleaded, caressing her neck gently.
"I've got better things to do than hang around with you."
"Is that so?"
She gathered her wits and turned him over, stradling his middle. "It was fun Ty, but I really have to go."
He sighed deeply, running his rough hands up her legs and thighs. "Just like that huh?"
"Just like that."
"All right. You can go, but on one condition."
"What's that?"
"You have to see me again."
'Thank God'! "When?"
"Tomorrow night."
"So soon?" she laughed.
"Meet me here."
She slid back down to the floor and tried not to seem in too much of a rush as she threw her clothes on. "Tomorrow night it is."
Once she had found her left heel and tucked away her wand, they uttered their goodbyes and she made her way back downstairs through the pub. The frigid night air was an unexpected slap in the face and as she trudged through the fresh layer of crisp snow, she made a mental note to dress a little more sensible the next time.
When Ron spotted her coming down the narrow alley way, she was so absorbed in thought that she didn't hear him call her name.
"Gemma!" he repeated for the third time, but still he got no reply.
He reached out and grabbed her arm to get her attention, but before he could get out a hullo, she had whipped out her wand and thrust it at his face.
"S-sorry," she began, breathing heavily.
"It's okay," he assured her, raking his fingers though his disheveled hair.
"I'm just a little...edgy." The word hardly described her situation.
"How did it go?" Moody asked, appearing at Ron's side.
"Fine."
"Is it gonna work?"
'What a git', Gemma thought to herself, swallowing down all the emotions that were threatening to spew out. 'Doesn't even bother to ask me how I feel'.
"Well?" he chided.
"He wants to see me again tomorrow," she explained, tightening her cloak around her shoulders.
"Does he suspect anything?"
"Probably."
Her mood was extremely irritating. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means he knows I'm an auror and my coming to find him was a fairly suspicious act."
"Did he say anything about it?"
"Not really."
"I want to know everything he said."
She eyed him angrily. "I'll be happy to indulge you tomorrow morning at the meeting."
"What's wrong with right now?"
Harry, Hermione and Ron listened nervously as the argument grew more heated.
"I'm tired, that's what's wrong with right now!"
"That's hardly a valid reason to keep your partners in the dark."
"Well, partner, I'm sorry you feel as though I'm being unfair, but I'm not exactly keen on the situation myself."
"Is that right?" he snapped.
"Yes it is, and seeing as how this entire plan is riding on my shoulders, I'd say I'm entitled to a shower and a little rest before I have to spit out all the details of being trapped under that lunatic for an hour and a half!"
He was so infuriated he was practically fuming. "I'm not going to fight with you Gemma."
"Oh come on!" she sneered. "I'm sure you're just dying to toss one my way right about now."
"I'll see you in the morning."
She watched him turn on his heel, and saw, or heard rather, him dissaperate. She started to do the same, but suddenly felt entirely too weak. It was all she could do to keep her balance.
"Are you all right?" Ron asked, reaching out a hand for her to take.
"I just need to lie down," she exclaimed.
He nodded, catching Harry and Hermione's eyes as he slipped his arms around her.
"We'll see you back home."