Harry Potter and the Scarlet Beetle lncident

By Penmom

Author's Notes: (1) no excuse other than life for the delay. (2) This incident takes places in the winter of Harry's seventh year at Hogwarts. (3) This as sort of a Buffy version of Harry (4) Let me know if you still want more!

Chapter 5

A Prize for the Little Lady

"Fred and George?" Harry questioned as he pulled back a bit. It was almost impossible to think of anything other than Hermione - the way she smelled, the way she tasted, the way her skin felt underneath his hands.

It took a similar effort for Hermione to answer Harry - God; his eyes were so green. She mentally shook herself. "Yes Harry, Fred and George - they obviously sent some sort of aphrodisiac by mistake. We need to reach them at once, before we do something we'll regret."

Her words ended on a sigh as Harry resumed his sweet assault on her mouth, speaking to her as kisses punctuated his words. "'Mione, the last thing I'm feeling right now is regret. The only regret I could possibly have would be if I were to stop touching you."

Something in his voice, perhaps the mixture of sappy puppy love and sincerity, poured over Hermione like a bucket of cold lake water. And before Harry knew what hit him, she was up and across the room. He couldn't stifle the groan that escaped his lips at the loss.

She was talking but it was hard to listen, he kept becoming distracted by her lips, her hair, and her body. He did catch one word - apparate. It came out of her mouth just as she came toward him once more. He would have gladly walked on broken glass for her, so he eagerly grasped her hand and focused on her directive - apparate to Fred and George.

&&&&&&&&&&

After a long day at the shop Fred and George Weasley were still kicking back a pint or two before turning in though they weren't so far into their cups that the sight suddenly before them didn't cause surprise.

There stood Harry - no glasses, flushed, hair more a mess than usual with an equally disheaved Hermione clinging to his side. It was she who spoke.

"Fred, George - hurry what did you put in those candies you sent Harry?"

Fred and George- while unorthodox - were not slow in the least - and the sight of Harry suddenly lifting Hermione up until she had no other recourse than to wrap her legs around his waist left little doubt.

Fred look accusingly at George - "George, you didn't! You knew they weren't ready yet!"

Hermione was using every bit of her considerable disciple to lose any measure of dignity she might have left. Her voice called out again - this time muffled by Harry's hair as he furiously kissed her neck, "Now please or I am going to be very embarrassed in a moment."

With a smirk and a shake of his head, Fred asked. "Did you like them?"

Passion caused her temper to flare and she roared, "NOW, the antidote NOW!" just as Harry clasped her bottom for all to see.

George answered straightaway this time, "It was mixture - the first was Isis powder. The second is a secret - but I guess we can tell our benefactor and his paramour" he teased.

"NOW!"

"Alright, the ingredient is scarlet beetle dung."

This confession got the attention of both parties and right before George was convinced that Hermione was about to lose her shirt too. Hermione dropped to the floor with a thud with Harry catching her at the last moment. Two silent, flushed figures regarded the brothers.

Even Harry remembered the effect of scarlet beetle dung from potions. It was an enhancement. It was added to another potion to enhance it somehow. He searched his mind for the exact enhancement. He didn't have to for long because Hermione answered.

"You used a fruition agent!" she declared.

Harry repeated her words, "Fruition agent?"

Before either brother could answer, Hermione did. "A fruition agent ensures that whatever the first potion was intended to do will go to its ultimate completion before the potion can wear-off!"

Fred confirmed, "That's about it, we wanted to make sure that everyone buying our product would be sure to --- well, how should I say this is front of a lady?"

"Don't bother, you're saying that in order for this potion to dissipate, we have to see this ---ah, act --- through to its logical conclusion."

George Weasley grinned, "Give the little lady her prize, Fred, I think she's got it."

TBC