Warning:
This chapter is rated R due to its strong sexual content. While not graphic enough to warrant an NC-17 rating, at times it is quite explicit. It is definitely NOT suitable reading material for children, or those that are sensitive or easily offended.
Please note that the full encounter is NOT included in this version of the story. I'm sure several of you will be disappointed by this fact, but it is an R-rated fic and I'm only able to take it so far. Extended foreplay is one thing, a full on encounter which included intercourse is another. I'm terribly sorry to those of you that are disappointed or feel like you've been waited for a long time to see it happen and then got short changed. The complete NC-17 version is posted in the Bed Chamber at Checkmated . com, for those of you that meet the agerequirement and do want to read it.
And finally, I must address the condom issue. Not everything about sex is romantic, as much as we might like to close our eyes and pretend otherwise. Part of being mature enough to have sex, is being responsible enough to deal with those less than romantic aspects. Preventing unplanned pregnancies, talking about pervious sexual partners, and ensuring that you and your partner BOTH remain healthy is a necessary part of the package. It might not be something we necessarily like to do, but it is something that we have to do in the real world to protect ourselves.
This story however, does not take place in the real world, but in a magical world created by J.K. Rowling. It would be unrealistic and completely out of character for someone like Ron, who has very little knowledge of Muggle methods of contraception, to accept using a condom without so much as batting an eyelash, so please take his reaction with a grain of salt. I am in no way, shape or form trying to promote unsafe sex as some people have suggested.
Chapter 53
"Hermione," Ron said, looking at her cautiously, nervous about what was about to happen, yet still wanting it desperately. So desperately in fact, he was almost afraid to finish the statement he was about to make for fear she might take him up on his offer. "I know that the first time isn't usually all that good for girls and...well, I don't mind... I mean, I want you to enjoy it too and Bill said that this would help relax you, so... um... if you want me to do this for a while," he said, although what he really meant was instead, he just couldn't bring himself to say it. "I can."
"No, I'm ready," she assured him. "As long as you're ready," she added, shutting her eyes so he wouldn't be able to see the fear she was feeling. "Just be sure you do it quick like we discussed," she continued. "And... er..."
"And what?" Ron asked when she didn't finish.
"You're not going to like it," she replied, opening her eyes in time to see the apprehensive expression that crossed his face.
"Not going to like what?" he demanded, his voice squeaking slightly as his panic levels kicked up a notch of two. The sex? He wondered, trying to make sense of her statement before she answered him. Of course I will.
"Well, you see," Hermione said uncomfortably, "The thing is, we need to collect your semen, so ..."
"So you want me to pull out at the end," he finished for her.
"Um... no," she replied, although the truth was she had considered that option as well. But Ron would have to be in control and know exactly when the right moment was for that to work and every book she'd read on the subject agreed that boys often had little to no control during their first sexual encounter. That method was just too risky. "I...er... you're going to have to...um... use this," she said, reaching into her bag, which was still on the bed and fishing out one of the foil wrapped objects he'd spotted earlier.
"Huh?" Ron said, looking at Hermione as if he thought she might be slightly unbalanced. A chocolate galleon?
"Do you know what a condom is?" she asked, bending the object in her hand in half so the foil covering would come loose, then peeling it aside and handing what was left to Ron for him to inspect.
"What the hell?" he asked as he stared down at the small circle of latex in his palm.
"It's a contraceptive device," she explained, "Muggle men use them all the time."
"I'm not a Muggle," Ron said, dropping the condom on the bed as he gaped at Hermione. "And you're already protected by those pill things, right? So we don't have to worry about that."
"You're still going to have to wear one," she said, picking the discarded condom up off the bed and unrolling it so Ron could see exactly what she was talking about. "Just this one time."
"WEAR IT?!" he cried out loudly, both stunned and horrified when he realized what part of his anatomy she wanted him to wear it on. "NO WAY!" he shouted, shaking his head back and forth as he goggled at the mad Muggle device Hermione was holding up. "No bloody way!" I'm not covering myself up with some fucked up Muggle rubber glove. I won't be able to feel a bloody thing. "No!" Ron said loudly. "Absolutely not."
"But we need your semen for the potion," Hermione argued, "and using a condom is the best way I know to procure the sample."
"NO!" Ron stated adamantly.
For a moment Hermione considered arguing further, but deep down she knew it would get her nowhere. Ron had his heels dug in and he was just as stubborn as she was when he wanted to be. She knew that she wasn't going to be able to rationalize it or use reason to talk him into it, not when he wasn't even willing to listen to her. She'd known there was a high probability of this happening and she did have a back up plan, it just wasn't something she really wanted to do.
So much for romance, she thought, letting out a deep sigh as she closed her eyes and readied herself for what she knew had to be done.
"Well, that's that then," Hermione said, snatching her knickers up and putting them back on before crawling down to the foot of the bed.
"What are you doing?" Ron asked, when Hermione grabbed her shirt off the top of her ordered pile of clothes, shook it open, and slipped her arms into it.
"Getting dressed," she replied, as she reached down and pushed the bottom most button through its hole.
"Why?" Ron asked.
"Because you said that you didn't want to," Hermione replied sadly.
"No I didn't," he insisted, crawling down the bed himself until he was kneeling beside her.
"Yes, you did," she replied, "You practically shouted it in my face."
"I wasn't saying no to you," Ron tried to explain. "Just to that mad Muggle thing, but that doesn't mean we still can't..."
"Yes, it does," Hermione replied as she reached for her skirt.
"No, it doesn't. I'm sure we can find some other...," Ron started to say, but then another thought occurred to him and he stopped mid-sentence. "Wait a minute," he said, narrowing his eyes and glaring at her suspiciously. "Are you trying to... you're not actually blackmailing me are you?"
"Of course not," Hermione said, sounding offended and looking hurt despite the fact that it had been her back up plan. Only when it came time for her to implement it, she'd realized that she couldn't go through with it. Not just because she didn't want to manipulate him into doing something he didn't really want to do, but because it would tainted the experience for both of them. He'd be angry and resentful, she'd feel guilty, and it would ruin their first time together.
Not that it's not already ruined, she thought, wanting nothing more than to get out of there before the tears she was struggling to hold back finally spilled out. She didn't want him to see her cry. She didn't want him to think that he'd upset her or that he'd hurt her. She had no one to blame for the way she was feeling but herself. Everything had been perfect and she'd ruined it. You should have just told him about the condoms from the start rather than springing it on him. At least then he'd have had time to get used
to the idea.
"Look," Hermione finally said, "the mood has obviously been ruined and I really don't want to argue with you, so I think it's best if I just go. That way you can get dressed, go down to the feast, and salvage the rest of your night."
"Is that what you really want?" Ron asked, trying to keep the disappointment he was feeling out of his voice. "Hermione?" he said her name with concern, reaching for her when she didn't answer.
Why does he have to be so sweet? she asked herself, purposely tilting her head forward so her hair would cover her face and obscure his view. It would be so much easier to leave if he were being a prat about all of this.
"Is that what you really want?" he asked again, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, before placing two fingers under her chin and lifting her face up so he could see her. "Do you really want to go?"
"I don't want you to see me like this," she said, brushing away a lone tear, hoping that he wouldn't see it.
"I'm sorry," Ron said miserably. "I didn't mean to yell at you. I was just..."
"It's not that," Hermione assured him. "It's not you at all, it's me," she stated.
"Yeah, right," Ron mumbled under his breath. The 'it's not you, it's me' excuse. Shit, this is worse than I thought.
"I hate that I even considered doing that," she continued, dropping her head again in shame now that Ron had released her. "That's not the way I want our relationship to be and it's certainly not the way I want to start off our marriage."
"What are you talking about?" Ron asked, clearly confused by her ramblings. "What exactly is it you considered doing?"
"You were right," Hermione admitted, lowering her head even further. "About the... the blackmail," she said softly. "I did consider it for a minute," she explained, "telling you that I wouldn't have sex with you unless you agreed to wear a condom. Using sex to manipulate a man is the oldest trick in the book," she groaned, "but I don't want it to be like that with us. I don't want to be like that period. And the worst part is, I considered doing it for something I didn't even really want."
"So you don't... what you're saying is that you really didn't want to... to have sex," he finished weakly.
"No, I do," Hermione answered quickly. "I did," she corrected. "I just didn't... well, what I meant was that I didn't really want there to be any barriers between us. I don't really want you to wear one of those things, even though I know that it's necessary. Not only is it un-romantic, it just... it feels wrong. It's like it will impersonalise it or something and I don't want that. Especially not on our first time."
"But you still think it's necessary," Ron said, looking at her pointedly. "You were still going to leave because I said that I wouldn't."
"No," she replied, but she amended herself almost immediately. "I suppose it was like that in a way. It is important for the potion and I realized that you weren't going to listen to me," she tried to explain. "Arguing with you about it would have been pointless and I didn't want to manipulate you or force you into it, so I thought it might be best if I just backed off and gave you some time to think about it on your own. I mean, I did just spring it on you out of nowhere. Maybe once you've had a chance to talk to Harry about it, you'll..."
"Are you mad?" Ron yelped. "I'm not talking about this with Harry. Any of it," he stated.
"But... he's your best friend."
"So?" Ron shot back. "Harry doesn't want to hear about our personal life. He's made that quite clear."
"Oh come on, you expect me to believe that you and Harry never talk about sex? It's only natural that you would. I know boys talk about that kind of stuff. "
All the bloody time, he thought, remembering the numerous conversations he'd heard Dean and Seamus have on the subject before Dean had been murdered. "In a general way maybe," Ron admitted, "before there was a chance of either of us getting any," he replied. "But I certainly don't give him any specifics about us."
"Didn't he tell you about Cho?"
"There was nothing to tell," Ron replied. "It was just a kiss. It wasn't even a particularly good kiss. Besides, that's different," he insisted. "Cho's not you."
"But what do you do when you have a question or a problem?" Hermione asked curiously. "Surely you'd go to him first."
"I have five older brothers," Ron replied. "Most of those questions were answered before I could even think them up. It never mattered to any of them that I didn't want or ask for their advice; they just gave it to me anyway. I mean look at Bill. You were sitting right there the last time he... well, ok, so you were asleep, but you were still there in the room with us, for Merlin sake. You'd think that would have put him off, but no, he just went right ahead and gave me his advice anyway. Buggered everything up in the process too, but did he care? Oh no. Er... why are we even talking about this?" he asked. Why are we talking at all?
"The condoms."
"Oh yeah," he mumbled, wishing that he hadn't asked and that she hadn't reminded him. Bloody Muggles and their barmy inventions. They're all a bunch a nutters.
"If you ask Harry, I'm sure he'll tell you that it's quite common for Muggle
men to..."
"Hermione," Ron said, cutting her off. "Muggles do all kinds of wacked out things, but that doesn't mean I'm going to do them."
"Then what do you suggest we do?" she asked in an exasperated tone. "Because we need that sample. Unless..."
"Unless what?" Ron asked when Hermione stopped talking and bit her lower lip as if she were contemplating something.
"Unless we forget the whole thing and use the sample I already have," she replied. "The sacrificial aspects aren't the same, but maybe if I combined it with your blood it'll be enough."
"And if it's not?" Ron asked.
"Worst case scenario, we won't be able to maintain the link," she stated, "But I doubt that will actually happen. The most probably outcome would be that my connection to you would simply be weaker than your connection to me. I suppose it's also possible that my connection to you could diminish over time," she added. "But I plan on saving the portion of the potion we have left over, so if that's the case, I should be able to drink it again and reestablish the link that way if it becomes necessary."
Bugger. "And if I agree to wear that... that Muggle thing?" he asked. "What's it going to do to me?"
"Nothing," Hermione assured him. "It merely prevents the transfer of bodily fluids."
"So I won't be able to... to feel you?" he asked. "Your wetness I mean?" he clarified, his ears flooding with color.
"Probably not the way you mean, no," she replied, blushing a bit herself. "You'll still feel it, only it will be different. It's hard to explain," she sighed.
If only I had a latex glove, she thought. Then I could have him put it on and dunk his hand in water so he'd know what I'm talking about.
But you don't have one, so you're just going to have to try and explain it to him.
I do have extra condoms though, Hermione told herself, so why not use one of them to show him what I'm talking about?
"Ok, I know this is going to seem like an odd request," Hermione said, as she snatched the discarded condom up off the bed, "but just go with me for a minute," she continued. "Here," she said, holding the condom out for him to take. "Slip your fingers inside this for a second and I'll show you what I mean."
For a second or two, Ron just stared at her, his brow creased as he decided whether or not he wanted a practical demonstration, but since it was only his fingers she was talking about, he figured what the hell. "Ok," he said, slipped his index finger into the condom, "Now what?"
"You don't happen to have glass of water anywhere handy do you?" she asked. "Oh well, she said, when Ron shook his head. Spit? she asked herself. I could have him spit on his fingers and rub it around. No wait, I know, she thought and without so much as another word, she grabbed his hand so she could hold it in place, leaned forward, and took the tip of his latex covered finger in her mouth.
Ok, that's just gross, Hermione thought to herself, as she brushed her tongue against the finger in her mouth before pulling away entirely. No wonder they make flavored condoms. These regular ones don't taste very good. "See what I mean?" she asked.
"Er... I guess," Ron replied, as he pulled the condom off his finger and held it up in the air so he could get a closer look at it. Ok, so it wasn't what I expected. Not like those rubber gloves Mum has me wear when she wants me to clean something particularly nasty. But it still didn't feel normal. I could still feel it though, she was right about that, he told himself. "We're only talking about this one time, right?" Ron asked. "After that I won't have to..."
"No," Hermione replied instantly. "Just this one time. And only because we need to collect your semen."
"So I'll have to...that thing will... it'll catch it or something."
"Exactly."
"I can't believe I'm agreeing to this," he sighed.
"Oh Ron," Hermione cried, as she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. Honestly, she hadn't really expected him to agree to it either. At least not so quickly. "You will?" she asked between kisses. "Really?"
"Only if you promise that you'll never tell anyone about this. Ever!" he replied. "And that included Ginny," he added as an afterthought. If any of this ever got back to Fred and George he'd never hear the end of it. No, no one could ever know that he'd agreed to use some nutter Muggle contraceptive device. He'd be a laughingstock.
"I won't," Hermione assured him before kissing him yet again. "I won't tell a soul. I promise. And it won't be so bad really. It'll just be the first time and once we drink the potion we'll have the rest of the night to do it again."
"Wait," Ron said, his eyes snapping open at her comment. "Seriously?" he asked, as an unexpected wave of desire coursed through his body and he felt himself start to respond. "We can... you want to do it more than once? Won't you be... sore or something?"
"Well, yes," Hermione said, her face turning scarlet as she spoke. "I suppose I will be, but I probably won't feel the full effects until tomorrow morning. And that being the case, there is no reason we can't fully enjoy ourselves tonight. Well, except for the fact that it's Thursday and we have Prefect rounds at nine. I suppose we'll have to stop for that."
"But it's Halloween," he whined.
"We still have rounds, Ron. Honestly," she retorted. "The feast doesn't usually end before nine, so I suppose we'll have to give everyone a little extra time to get back to their dorms, but even so, I bet we catch a lot of people out after curfew tonight."
"Ok," Ron said, pushing that information aside and bringing her back to what was really important. "But after that, you'll come back up here with me, right? You'll spend the night and we can... we can pick up where we left off?"
"Provided we're both feeling up to it," Hermione said, allowing her eyes to roam down Ron's body and lock on the visual proof of just how up to the task he really was. "But I should probably go up to my own room first," she said, staring at his erection and reflexively licking her lips. "Make sure Lavender and Parvati see me get into my own bed. I'll slip out and come up here once they're both asleep and with a little luck, you're roommates will all be asleep by then as well."
"But you will spend the night?" Ron asked, eyeing her eagerly. "The whole night? And... and we can..."
"Yes," Hermione answered before Ron had a chance to even finish his question. "As many times as you want," she added. Or as long as I can take it, she thought. It is our wedding night after all. And it will probably be a while before we can be together like this again. We ought to make the most of it.
"Oh god," Ron groaned loudly, as he envisioned himself taking Hermione over and over again until he was completely sated, only to fall asleep in her arms. But he wouldn't sleep for long. Just long enough to rejuvenate himself, and once that happened, he'd wake up and make love to her again. He'd make love to her all night long.
Their first time, he would try and be as gentle as possible. And after that, once the fire currently surging through his body had been squelched a bit, he'd take her again nice and slow. And he wouldn't have to wear one of those ruddy cover things, so he'd really be able to feel her. Every glorious inch of her, sopping wet and slick with want, all for him. Forget about sleep, he decided, wanting nothing more at that moment than to spend the rest of the night buried within her body. I'll sleep in class or skive them off
entirely. Maybe I can get her to skive them off as well and we can spend the whole day together in my bed. The whole weekend even. Harry can bring us food and we can spend the next three days shagging our brains out. It'll be like our honeymoon or something. If I play it off that way it might even seem romantic.
"Now?" Ron asked, having worked himself up quite nicely with his little fantasy. "We should start now," he added, his voice hoarse with need. "That way we'll have plenty of time to finish the potion before everyone comes back," he said, trying to justify his lust driven urgings.
"Now?" Hermione asked, looking down at his arousal once more. "You want to put it on now?" she asked, bringing her eyes back up and looking at him uncertainly.
That's not what I meant, Ron thought, but why the hell not? If we do that part now, I won't have to stop or worry about doing it later. Yeah. Yeah, now is good.
"You don't want to wait until we're... you know...," she continued, oblivious to his thoughts.
"Yeah. I mean no," Ron replied. "No. Why wait? Let's just do that part now and get it out of the way. Maybe that way I'll be able to get used to it a bit."
"Oh," Hermione said, reaching for her bag so she could retrieve another condom. "Ok, then. I guess that makes sense. Only, I've never put one of these on anyone before, so it might take me a couple tries," she said, looking more than a little embarrassed.
"You're going to put it on for me?" Ron asked, his dark eyes going a bit wide. Holy shit!
"Well, I thought it would be easier that way," she answered, averting her eyes down to the condom in her hand as she unwrapped it so she wouldn't have to look at him while her cheeks flushed. "I have a basic understanding of how it's supposed to work after all," she muttered. "I'm going to have to touch you though," she said, looking up into his eyes at last. "Is that ok?"
"Hell yes, it's ok," Ron replied almost instantly. It's better than ok.
......................................................................................................................................
"Aren't you going to say anything?" Ginny finally asked Harry, who was sitting beside her in the Great Hall, seemingly lost in his own thoughts as he picked at his food. "We've been down here for nearly forty minutes and you've barely said two words to me."
"What am I supposed to say?" Harry whispered back, shifting his body enough to ensure that neither Parvati or Lavender wouldn't be able to read his lips. "It's not exactly something I want to talk about. Especially here," he added, nodding his head towards the two girls who'd been shooting glances in his general direction since they sat down. "In fact, I'm trying not to think about it, so stop bringing it up."
"There are other things in the world to talk about besides my brother's love life," the young red-head replied in a hushed voice, stealing a quick look at Hermione's roommates herself and staring straight at Parvati's until she finally turned away.
Ginny wasn't stupid, she knew that neither of them had believed a word of the explanation she'd given them to explain Hermione's absence. The idea that her homework obsessed friend would forgo the Halloween feast in order to revise her Rune's essay, in and of itself was entirely plausible. It was the fact that Ron was missing as well that made it so suspicious.
Everyone in the school knew that the two Gryffindor prefects were a couple and the fact that Harry had shown up without them hadn't gone unnoticed by many. Terry Boot hadn't been the only one to ask about it. Luckily it had been Seamus, not Harry, who had jumped in and given Ron an alibi. An alibi that was backed up wholeheartedly by Neville, who'd seen Ron with his own eyes and truly did believe that he was sick. It wasn't exactly easy to fake pallid skin and cold sweats. Unless one was extremely nervous, that is. Fortunately, Harry was the only one that had recognized his best friend's symptoms for what they really were, and with Seamus and Neville convinced that Ron was ill, the rest
of their classmates, while suspicious, had no real proof that anything out of sorts was going on.
"It's called small talk, Harry," Ginny continued sarcastically. "You know, that thing people do to pass the time? Surely you must have done it at some point in your life. Maybe a list of topics would be helpful," she said, holding her right hand up and raising a finger every time she rattled off a possible topic of conversation. "Quidditch. Complaints about homework and/or teachers. Your plans for the weekend," she offered. "How it felt to finally beat Ron at chess. Or we can speculate about what kind of entertainment Dumbledore's got lined up for after the feast," she suggested. "Just pick any one of those. See that's the great thing about small talk," she continued to ramble on, "it
doesn't really matter what you discuss. No matter what you pick it's bound to be better than just sitting here sulking."
"I am not sulking," Harry stated a bit louder than he'd meant to. Damn, he cursed in his head, knowing full well that the two girls trying to eavesdrop on his conversation had heard that. "Well, I'm not," he whispered.
"Oh please," Ginny replied with a snort.
"I'm not jealous either," he muttered under his breath.
"I never said that you were," she replied calmly.
"Good, because I'm not."
"There's nothing wrong with it, you know?" Ginny said a few moments later, as she stood up and leaned over the table to retrieve a caramel covered apple. "Even if you were. I am," she admitted, settling back down.
"Huh?" Harry said, his head snapping up in shock. But he's your brother. That's just sick.
"What?" Ginny asked when she noticed Harry's incredulous expression. "It's ok to want what they've got," she stated. "We all want that, you know? It's just that most of us don't get it right on our first try and it's hard waiting when you see it happen for someone else. I'm happy for them, sure," she continued, "but I can still be happy for them and be envious at the same time. It's only natural. It's not like first year though."
"First year?" Harry asked, somewhat confused as he watched Ginny take a small bite out of her apple. Our first year or hers?
"Oh, yeah," Ginny replied, after swallowing. "I hated her when I was a first year. I'm surprised she never told you?"
"Wait, you hated Hermione?" he asked, as he tried to wrap his head around this new information. He remembered Ginny as a first year. She'd been awkward and shy, but he'd never seen any signs that she'd hated anyone, least of all Hermione. She'd never been rude to Hermione. She hadn't glared at her during meals or anything like that. He never would have guess. But there must have been some kind of signs if Hermione had figured it out. "And she knew about it?"
"Well yeah," Ginny replied. "I told her."
"You told her that you hated her?" Harry asked, his mouth falling open in surprise. I knew she could be blunt, he thought as he gaped at her, but damn.
"Sure," she replied, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "Why not? I waited until I actually knew her before I admitted it," she said, as if the waiting made it ok because it wouldn't have hurt her feelings as much.
"But why?"
"Because she stole my place. I know it was stupid," Ginny admitted, "but I was just a kid and it made perfect sense at the time. I blamed Mum too, of course. I had it all worked out in my head, see," she continued unabashedly. "How if Mum had only allowed me to come to Hogwarts with Ron when I wanted to, it would have been me hanging out with the two of you and not Hermione. It wasn't just that he was my brother," she explained. "Ron and I were really close before he went away to school, but then he came home and all he did was talk about the two of you," she stated.
"So you hated me too?"
"Well, no," Ginny replied. "You were different," she said blushing slightly. "I mean I knew that Ron was going to make friends of his own, just like the rest of my brothers did when they went away to school. But those friends were always other boys. So when Ron came back home with a best friend that was a girl...it was sorta like a slap in the face. Not only did he not want to hang out with me anymore, when Mum forced him to, I had to listen to him talk about her. I mean, he talked about you too obviously, but it was her I was angry at because she was the girl in his life now instead of me."
"It was hard hating her though," Ginny admitted. "Because Hermione was never anything but nice to me. Even after what I did to her. She never once blamed me for it and she had every reason to. I felt so bad after she was attacked," she confessed in a hushed voice. "I was so afraid when Mum told me that she was coming to stay with us before the World Cup and that I'd have to share my room with her. I just assumed that she'd hate me too, the difference was, she had a legitimate reason to. I'm the one that set that great dirty snake on her after all."
"That wasn't your fault," Harry replied in a hushed voice. "You didn't even know what you were doing."
"That's what Hermione said when I apologized for it, but I still think it was my fault. I'm the one that told Tom that she was Muggle-born. I'm the one that spent months pouring my heart out to him and telling him how jealous I was of her and how much I resented her for taking my place. I don't thing it was just some random accident. It wasn't just Hermione that the Basilisk attacked after all, Percy's girlfriend was attacked that time around as well. What are the chances of that being a coincidence? The two girls closest to my brothers at the same time? Either it was because of the things I'd told him, or because of the things I was feeling when I let the Basilisk out, but either way it was my
fault."
"You told her all of this?" Harry asked, wondering why Hermione had never mentioned it to him or Ron. "And what did she say?" he asked, when Ginny nodded her head.
"That it didn't matter. That it was an accident and that I shouldn't be so hard on myself because I was a victim just like everyone else. She really was great about it. It was a bit annoying really," she added with a smirk. "It was impossible to go on hating her after that. I had to admit to myself that she was actually nice and not the type of person that I'd been making her out to be in my mind. But if you'd have told me way back then that not only would we become friends, but that she was going to become my sister and that I'd be
happy about it, I never would have believed you. It really is amazing how things work out sometimes, isn't it?"
"Yeah, amazing," Harry replied mechanically.
Ginny thinks of Hermione as a sister? It really shouldn't have surprised him, because that's the way he felt about her as well, but it did. Is it just because they are really close friends now or because of her relationship with Ron. She is married to him after all, he reminded himself. The two of them had been holed up in his dorm room alone together long enough for them to consummate their union and complete the Lànain ritual. She's a Weasley in all but name now. Surely she isn't going to change her name? he thought. No, not while we're still at school and trying to keep it a secret.
But she was an honorary Weasley before all of this Lànain stuff started, a more rational voice piped in. Same as you. So it's not like it's really that big of a change. Ron's still your best friend and the closest thing you have to a brother. The same with Hermione. Just because their relationship has changed a bit doesn't necessarily mean that yours will.
Except for the fact that I am now the third wheel, he argued, letting his insecurities get the better of him once again. They won't want me around the same way they used to. They have each other, they don't need me anymore.
That's what Ginny thought too, the more rational voice reminded him. When she was little. But she doesn't feel that way now. She isn't judging their relationship by how it affects her. She's move beyond that. She knows perfectly well what is going on upstairs and what it means, but you don't see her brooding about it. She doesn't think of it as losing a brother, she's viewing it as gaining a sister. And if that really is the case, then it is the same for you, isn't it? You aren't losing Ron or Hermione. They'll still be your best friends. That shouldn't change just because they are in love or because they are married. Obviously they'll want some alone time, but it's not like you want to watch them snog... or do any of that anyway. And it's better than having them niggle each other all the time. At least this way you aren't being put in the middle and forced to choose sides.
"So what do you think the entertainment is going to be?"
"Huh?" Harry asked, looking up at Ginny after he heard her speak.
"The entertainment tonight?" she asked again. "What do you think it's going to be? I heard a rumor that Dumbledore hired a Banshee choir. Merlin, I hope that's just a rumor or I might have to cast a deafening charm on myself. "
"Won't that just make it louder?" Harry asked.
"What?" Ginny asked.
"I always thought deafening charms made noise louder, not softer."
"Damn," Ginny swore loudly. "I think you're right. Well, so much for that bright idea. I guess we'll just have to stuff napkin in our ears or something."
"Can't be any worse than that wailing egg, can it?" Harry asked, thinking back to the clue he'd had to decipher for the Triwizards Tournament.
"You've never heard a Banshee sing have you?" Ginny laughed.
"I've never heard a Banshee period," Harry replied.
"I heard one once in Madam Malkin's," Ginny said. "She wasn't singing of course, but boy could she ever shout. Mum sent the rest of us outside while she picked up Fred and George's school stuff, but even with our ears plugged, we could still hear that Banshee screaming about the fact that the robes she'd received were the wrong color."
"So stuffing our ears with napkins won't work either," Harry said with a slight smile.
"No, we're doomed."
....................................................................................................................................
It did take Hermione more than one try to get the condom on right, not that Ron really seemed to mind all that much. One of her hands was wrapped firmly around the base of him, holding him in place, and she couldn't help but stroke him with her fingers as she tried to unroll the condoms down his length. So what if it took her three times to actually get the thing to stay on right?
"How's that?" she asked, releasing him when she was finally finished.
"Odd," he replied honestly. "But it's ok, I guess. It's kinda tight though. Can't you enlarge it a little?" he asked hopefully.
"If I do that it's liable to fall off," Hermione replied. "And we don't want that. It's not painful is it?" she asked.
"No, I guess not. Just... odd and ... a bit distracting."
"Well try not to think about it," she said, unbuttoning the bottom button on her shirt and slipping out of it. "Focus on something else instead," she added, reaching around behind her back, unclasping her bra, and allowing it to fall in her lap. That's right, just like that, she chuckled to herself when Ron's eyes zeroed in on her bare breasts. Focus on me and forget about everything else.
"Would you like to take my knickers off?" Hermione asked shyly, "or shall I?"
"No," Ron said, his lust filled eyes ranking over her slender body before landing on the thin pink lace hugging her hips. "Let me do it," he said, inching forward on his knees until he was right in front of her.
Only his hands didn't reach for her knickers as she expected. They went higher instead, the right one coming to rest on her shoulder, while the left one covered her breast. Ron's mouth immediately descended to Hermione's neck, and he sucked on it briefly before moving on to her lips. As their kiss deepened, Ron continued to gently knead the breast in his left hand, although periodically he'd stop just long enough to roll his thumb over her stiff nipple.
Merlin, Ron groaned in his head, pulling away from her mouth so he could look down and watch his hand move over Hermione's supple flesh. She feels bloody brilliant, he thought. Tastes even better, he told himself, seconds before he gave into the impulse, leaned forward, and buried his face in the valley between her breasts.
Removing the hand that was on her shoulder and using it to grasp her around the waist, Ron darted his tongue out and ran it up the slope of her unbound breast. When he reached the peak, he sucked her taut nipple it into his mouth while he teased its mate with his finger tips.
Bloody brilliant, he thought again when he both heard and felt Hermione moan. Of course all it did was stoke the fire already burning within him. She was enjoying it too. He'd made her moan out in pleasure. He'd done it with nothing but his mouth and the gentle touch of his fingers. And the best part was, he hadn't even meant to do it. Of course that didn't mean he wasn't going to intentionally do it again. He wanted to please her. He wanted to give her so much pleasure that she'd have no choice but to cry out. He wanted to hear her moan his name. He wanted to make her ache the same way he did. He
wanted to drive her as crazy as she drove him. He wanted her to want it as badly as he did. He needed her to be ready, and he wasn't going to proceed until he was sure that she was. He just never expected that to happen so rapidly.
"I love you, Ron," Hermione said though her labored breathes.
Her declaration took him by surprise. Not just the timing of her words, but the fact that he could see that she meant it when he looked into her face. Her dark brown eyes were shimmering, clouded with the same desire he was experiencing, but it wasn't enough to obscure her true feelings for him. This wasn't about lust for her. It wasn't about finding release or even about completing a potion. Those other things were all there. They were a small part of it, but mostly it was about love. She wanted to be with him because she
loved him. She really did love him. And he loved her too. He loved her so much that for a moment he thought his heart might actually burst with the intensity of what he was feeling. But it didn't. It kept right on beating in his chest as he gazed into her sparkling eyes.
"I love you too," he whispered, although suddenly the words didn't seem nearly enough to convey what he felt.
"It's all right," Hermione said, lying on her back and pulling him down with her. "I want this too. I'm ready."
"Are you sure?" he asked, making sure that his eyes never left hers. If she had doubts he wanted to know and despite how she responded, he knew he'd be able to tell if he continued to stare into her eyes.
"Completely," she replied, taking the hand that had been on her breast, lifting it up to her lips, and kissing it briefly, before pressing it against her stomach and pushing it down towards her knickers. "Take them off," she said, when Ron's fingers brushed over the lacy fabric. But rather than comply with her request, Ron moved both of his hands to her hips as he came up on his knees and straddled her legs.
Without so much as another word, he leaned forward, pressed his lips against her stomach, and kissed it tenderly. When he finished tasting the skin there, he moved lower, bypassing the lace covered portion of her body and pressing his mouth against her thigh, caressing her sides with his fingertips the entire time.
"Please," she sighed, although what she was really asking for, Ron wasn't entirely sure.
Not that it really mattered. Whatever it is, I'm going to give it to her, he decided, as he pulled his hand free and used it, as well as it's mate, to draw her knickers down her legs.
"Tell me what you want," he whispered, after divesting her of her one remaining article of clothing. "Is it this?" he asked, spreading her legs open just enough so he could kiss her inner thigh.
"Oh god, Ron," Hermione groaned, her heart thumping violently against her chest. "Please."
"Please what?" he asked, moving his mouth to her other thigh and kissing her there just as softly. "Do you want me to help you come?"
"No," she whimpered, managing to take him by surprise once more.
"Why not, love?" he asked, prodding her legs apart even further before kneeling between the soft cradle they created. It just didn't make any sense to him. Wasn't the whole point to feel pleasure? Why was she purposely trying to deny herself that when he was only too happy to help her along? "I want you too," he said, accidentally brushing against the bare skin of her inner thigh and hissing loudly when the contact sent a shockwave of pleasure coursing through his body. He was so close. So unbelievably close now, he couldn't stop
his arousal from twitching against her flesh in anticipation.
Soon, he told himself, but not yet. You have to take care of her needs first.
"RON! Oh god!" she shrieked, her entire body quivering beneath him when he began touching her. "What ... what are you...? Don't," Hermione panted. "Please. You have to stop that. Now. Please stop."
"Am I hurting you?" he asked, instantly sobering up. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to..."
"No, you didn't hurt me," she assured him before he could work himself up any further. "It's just... If you... if you make me come, I won't want to finish it. Not the same way I do now," she tried to explain. "I'll be too relaxed and the sense of urgency, the need I feel right now won't be the same."
"Oh," he replied, not fully comprehending what she was telling him. But women aren't like men, he thought. They can keep going, even afterwards. How else are you supposed to give them multiples? They have to keep going for that to happen. Don't they? "But ... it'll come back, right?"
"Eventually," she replied, "but I don't know how long that will take and why go to all that trouble when I'm ready now?"
"Trouble?" he asked, genuinely confused now. "What trouble?"
"Oh for heaven sakes," she tutted, wrapping her arms around Ron's shoulders and hauling him down on top of her. "Will you shut up and shag me already?" she scolded, seconds before her mouth crashed against his.
Merlin, I love it when she's bossy, was the last truly coherent thought he had.
...........................................................................................................................................
"Ssss...orry," Ron panted, crashing down on top of her after it was all over. "Tried... tried to... couldn't... couldn't wait... unbelievable... sorry," he said again, rolling over on his back and bringing her along with him, so she wound up laying on top of him. "Sorry."
"It's all right," Hermione assured him.
"No," Ron objected, eye closed, chest still heaving beneath her. "No... it's not. You didn't come."
"Oh, that," she replied when she realized what he was on about. "Don't worry about that. It was still lovely. Really," she assured him. "I didn't really expect to," she admitted, moving enough so he'd slide out of her and then rolling down to lie beside him so she could close her legs and give them a rest. "I suppose I'll have to get used to it before first."
"Or I can take care of you beforehand," he said, opening his eyes and smirking at her. "Or after," he added, arching one eyebrow. "Just give me a second and I'll..."
"No, that's all right," Hermione objected, her cheeks flooding with color. She didn't know why she was so embarrassed. It wasn't as if he'd hadn't done it to her before, but he'd never done it after they'd just had sex. Surely he'll be disgusted, she thought, I'm all hot and sweaty and gross.
"No Ron, seriously," she objected when he abruptly sat up. "We should... we still have to finish the potion and..."
"It can wait," he interjected, leaning over her and shutting her up with a rather forceful kiss. "You shouldn't have to," he whispered a few moments later.
"No, really, you don't have to. I'm..."
"Frustrated," he replied, sliding one knee between her legs and forcing them open. "It's only fair, love. Besides, I want to," he assured her. "I wanted to before we started, remember."
"But I'm all gross."
"No, you're well and truly shagged, that what you are," he stated bluntly, causing Hermione to gasp before her mouth fell open. "And it's hot as hell. I may just enjoy this as much as you," he said, opening her legs a bit wider so he could kneel between them.
That's when he saw it. Blood. There was blood on the bedspread beneath her. Just a few drops. Hardly any at all when you really thought about it, but it immediate caught his attention. "Bugger," he grumbled, his eyes darting down to his penis, which was still covered by that thin Muggle covering. "Fuck!" he swore loudly when he noticed that it smeared with her blood as well. "You're bleeding," he said, his voice now full of genuine concern.
"That was supposed to happen," she reminded him, "but it's all right. It doesn't hurt anymore. NO! DON'T! " she shouted, when she saw him reach for the condom. "DON'T TOUCH IT!"
"Why not?" he asked, jerking his hand back as if he'd been burned.
"We need what's on the outside as much as what's on the inside," she said, sitting up quickly. "You better let me do it. Only, hold on a second," she added, as she leaned over and wrenched the thick curtains surrounding themapart. "DAMN!" she shouted, after leaning thought the gap.
"Hermione?"
"Where's my bag?"
"Hermione."
"It was just here."
"It's right there," Ron informed her
"Where?" she asked, jerking her head back in and looking at him.
"There," he said, pointing down at the foot of his bed where her clothes were still lying."
"Oh," she muttered, leaning forward and grabbing it by the strap. "Ok, just hold on a second," she instructed, as she pulled the jar containing the Coupling Potion out of her bag and handed it to him.
"What am I supposed to do with it?" Ron asked uncertainly, once he'd taken it from her.
"Just hold it. Honestly," she sighed. "I know I had extra strips of material in here," she said, disregarding him as she dug through her rucksack. "Where are they?"
"Um..."Ron began and then thought better of it. He remembered the strips of material she was talking about. He'd seen them when he was rummaging through her bag. He also remembered chucking them out. He just wasn't sure if he ought to tell her that or not. "What do you need them for?" he finally asked.
"To wipe off the blood."
"Oh," Ron replied, scanning the surface of the bed, because that's where he'd tossed them. "Why don't you just use your knickers?" he asked, when his eyes landed on the pink lace.
"I suppose that will work," Hermione said, pulling her wand out of her bag, before dropping it and she reached for her knickers. A flick of her wrist was all it took and her sexy pink panties were in shreds.
So much for ever seeing her in those again, Ron sighed in his head.
"Open the jar for me, will you?" Hermione asked Ron, as she crawled forward and knelt in front of him, using a tattered strip of her underwear to swab her fluids off the condom. "Is there anymore?" she asked, once she was finished.
"Anymore what?" Ron asked, as he strained to get the lid of the jar off.
"Oh, I used a permanent seal charm on that," she said, tapping the jar with her wand to lift it. "Sorry. I forgot. Anymore blood?"
"Er..." Ron replied, looking a bit queasy when the jar lid popped off and he got a good whiff of the concoction he was about to drink. "Over there," he said, pointing towards the middle of the bed where she'd been lying. "I think there is some there, where we were... you know?"
"That's it?" Hermione questioned, looking up at him once she'd found the spots he was referring to. "That's all there is?"
"Isn't it enough?" he asked, sounding genuinely concerned now.
"For the potion," she replied, "yes." For you to freak out about, she thought, no. "I'm going to have to cut it out though," she said, pointing her wand down at his bedspread before he had a chance to agree or disagree and tracing a small circle around the first spot with the tip. "I'll patch it later," she added.
"Ron, are you all right?" Hermione asked, when she looked up and saw how pale his face was.
"Yeah," he replied halfheartedly. "It's just... this is really it. We're really going to ... to do this."
"Of course we are," she answered.
"What if...," he started to ask and then changed tracked before he could get himself in trouble. "I'm sure you brewed it right and all," he said, "but what if... what if something goes wrong?"
"We let it wear off."
"No, really wrong," he asked. Like Polyjuice Potion and cat hair wrong, he thought, but he wisely kept that to himself.
"That's why I told Ginny where my notes are and exactly what we're doing," Hermione replied. "Nothing is going to go wrong, but if it does, Ginny will be able to tell Madam Pomfrey exactly what we did. There's nothing to worry about."
Yeah? Except that she'll tell Dumbledore, who will tell my Mum, who will floo here and go straight to the hospital wing, and when she finds out about the Lànain, she'll bloody well kill us both. Nothing to worry about my arse. If any part of this goes wrong we're soooo dead.
"Ron?"
The sound of his name being called, caught his attention and drew him back.
"Have you changed your mind about this?" Hermione asked, when his eyes met hers and she knew that she had his full attention again. "Because if you have, now would probably be a good time to tell me. If you go through with it anyway
just because you feel obligated to, I'll know. Once we're connected you won't be able to hide it from me. If you don't want to do this, you need to tell me."
"No, no I do," he protested. "Really," he added for good measure when her lips pursed ever so slightly. "Aw to hell with it, I might as well just tell you, since it's like you said and you're going to know everything I'm feeling anyway. I'm just a little nervous about it is all," he confessed. "If something goes wrong, Mum is going to find out and the shit will really hit the fan then. I mean you've never really seen my Mum when she is seriously hacked off about something. I might be able to protect you from Death Eaters, but I doubt I'll be able to protect you from her. And the thing is, I know how you are. You
won't back down either. She'll demand that we take the Lànain charms off and you'll look her dead in the eye and refuse to do it. If the two of you dig in and butt heads it's going to be bad. Really, really bad."
"And you don't want to get caught in the middle of it?" Hermione asked, shaking her head disapprovingly.
"Hell no," Ron replied with complete honesty. "But it's not that so much. I'll take your side, naturally." And by that I mean I'll stand behind you, way behind you, and keep my mouth shut. "But the thing is... I don't know if that will be enough. I honestly don't know what will happen if you two ever really square off. I just know it will be ugly. You're both stubborn as hell and used to getting your own way, but eventually one of you will have to give."
"Are you saying that you want me to give in?" Hermione asked, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "You don't want me to stand up to her? You want me to let her control us?"
"Of course not," Ron sighed. Why was this so hard to explain. It wasn't that he wanted her to do anything per se, he was simply worried about the magnitude of the fight that would ensue and uncertain as to who the over all victor would be. "I don't want you to do anything," he tried to explain. "Nothing you wouldn't normally do anyway. I'm just worried about which one of you will win."
"Oh, it'll be me," Hermione stated point blank. "You can count on that."
See, this is exactly what I'm talking about, Ron thought. Stubborn and unwilling to give in or even consider the fact that you might not win.
"But it isn't going to come to that," Hermione stated, "Because there is nothing wrong with this potion," she insisted, taking it out of Ron's hand and tossing the strip of lace and the spots she's cut out of his bedspread into the jar. "It is going to work just fine," she continued, holding the jar beneath him as she cautiously removed the condom he was wearing, and dumped it's contents into the potion as well. "Well, that's that," she said, after replacing the lid and shaking it until the thick goopy mess inside turned bright purple. "It's finished. Do you want to honor of having the first taste or shall I?"