A/N: If you recognize it, it isn't mine. Thanks to JKR for all her hard work!
A pop echoed through the quiet room and two figures opened their eyes at the same time to focus on the far wall of windows that looked out to a picturesque landscape lit by bright sunshine.
"Ugh, I get so disoriented when I do that," Oliver grumbled.
Hermione just nodded, her hand still grasping Oliver's strong forearm. He looked down at her and smiled. She let out a small 'oh' and released him.
Oliver chuckled as he moved to a small table to empty his pockets in the small dish sitting there.
"Umm, Oliver, where are we?" Hermione asked, her wide eyes taking in the fireplace and the surrounding furniture. A couch and chair were situated in a way to be able to absorb the warmth that a fire would provide. The wall of windows she had observed upon arriving showed the wonderful view of a thriving garden at the back of a patio, with a small pond, and then a forest slightly beyond. She was smiling as she turned to Oliver, who observed her smile with an inner sigh of relief.
"My place," he said efficiently. Oliver walked through an archway and turned right. Hermione was going to follow him to ask why there were there, when he popped his head through the opening over the breakfast bar.
Hermione paled.
"Why are we here?" Hermione asked quickly, before he could disappear again.
"Would you like something to drink or eat?" he asked, with a slight grin.
"Oliver," she said warningly.
Oliver looked down at the kitchen counter at his hands. "You said 'my choice'," he answered. "So, I chose here."
"But-"Hermione started.
"Really, I just didn't feel like sitting in a pub, discussing something like this over the sounds of a couple tee-totalers and the like," he said as he ran his hand through his short hair.
"Oh," Hermione settled slightly. She supposed he did have a point. Trying to talk about the mystery surrounding his book in front of strangers was not a good idea, she thought, remembering back to her first year at Hogwarts and Hagrid's affinity to associate with suspicious characters at the Hogshead over a few pints.
"Okay then?" Oliver said hesitantly.
"Yes, this is better. You were right, it is not something to discuss in public," she agreed.
Oliver grinned widely as he stood up straight and asked again, "So, food or drink?"
"Er, just a butterbeer if you have some, please," she replied.
"Two butterbeers coming up. You can sit down, you know. The furniture doesn't bite," he said with a smile, "Unless provoked, that is."
Hermione nodded, still in a slight state of shock. 'This is his house,' she fretted to herself, 'his domain.' She walked over to the couch, eyeing it suspiciously. She decided on the chair instead. Laying her tote at her feet, she sat down gently on the chair and crossed her legs at the ankle.
Oliver walked back into the living room with two bottles of butterbeer in one hand and a small tray of fresh vegetables and cheese. He handed Hermione the two bottles and took out his wand. After Oliver had conjured a low coffee table, he placed the tray down and retrieved one of the bottles from her. Hermione watched as he flopped down on the couch and tipped his head back to take a long pull on his butterbeer. Oliver, resting his head on the back of the couch, closed his eyes and released a deep breath. His entire aura suggested relaxation, while Hermione's was a study in how far a rubber band could be stretched before it broke. She primly took a drink of her butterbeer and looked around. The room was quite smallish, but comfortable. Not many knickknacks and clutter, she observed. Clean lines and spare decorating appeared to be his taste, as her eyes made their way around the room and fell back to Oliver, who was watching her with some amusement. She blushed.
"Like I said, I'm not much of a decorator," as he sat up straight and set his bottle on the table. "So, what do you have for me?"
"Um, well, let me get out my notes," Hermione said as she placed her bottle on the table, after she had conjured a coaster to put under it. Oliver chuckled and she blushed again; as she reached down for her tote, Oliver moved the bottles and the tray to the opposite side of the table. Hermione pulledthree folders from her tote and placed them on her lap. The tote was settled on the floor once more and she straightened her shoulders.
Oliver thought, 'Ah, the professor is in,' and smiled as Hermione laid the three folders out on the table, while saying, "Each of these folders holds information I have gathered in the last week. The green folder contains all correspondence from sources in the business: scholars, professors from some of the schools I have studied at, and the best in my field of ancient languages and texts. The yellow folder in the middle contains history of those that have held the book, from supposed possessors of said item to actual documented cases of ownership. The blue folder has mostly miscellaneous items in it, dealing with myths and legends," she finished.
"Wow."
"Well, this is all I have been able to find so far. I am certain there is plenty for me to go through yet, as I have only looked in the obvious texts for references to the book," she said quickly.
"No, no. This is amazing. And you got all of this in only a week?" Oliver asked incredulously, as he looked inside the yellow folder containing the ownership information. It was almost an inch thick.
"Well, I did take a day off on Sunday," she said with a smile.
Oliver looked at her to see if she was joking, but saw only sincerity in her gaze.
"Um, okay. So, where does all this lead us then?" he asked, not wanting to read the three inch blue folder she said dealt with the myths and legends.
"Well, it could lead anywhere, if we follow the myths and legends portion. But, in my opinion, the only true leads we have are in Bulgaria. One, with the bookstore where you purchased the book. Two, all the correspondence I have received back is referencing a former professor at the Bulgarian Conservatory," Hermione finished quietly.
"Former?" Oliver asked.
"Well, he is still tenured there, but he is now the Dean of the antiquities department. He is regarded as the foremost expert on this subject and will be the best resource, at least for now," she said.
"Have you contacted him?"
"No, I was waiting until we talked, as I wanted to be sure of your intentions; that is, to go through with this," Hermione said, as she reached over to grab her butterbeer.
"Why wouldn't I? It sounds fascinating, exciting, and even a bit mysterious," Oliver said as he waggled his eyebrows at Hermione.
Hermione grimaced. She may have to let the old proverbial cat out of the bag and she wasn't sure if she wanted to. 'You don't have to tell him anything, you know. Ginny knew about you and Viktor dating, it is safe to assume that Oliver would know of Viktor, at least through his profession,' she reminded herself. 'And, you may not have to tell him at all.' Hermione clung to that thought.
"Well, okay, I will send out a letter first thing tomorrow then," she said.
"Great! So, anything else I should know about?" Oliver asked, almost if he could read Hermione thoughts.
"Er, no, I don't think so," she answered, slightly flustered. "Umm, w-will you be wanting copies of these items?" indicating the folders.
"Not right now, I don't think. Eventually, I will want the succinct version of all of the research in a nice and tidy report, but for now, you can keep track of these things," Oliver joked.
"Absolutely. Will you want that coordinated by date or subject matter?" Hermione asked seriously.
"I was joking, Hermione," Oliver said with a deep chuckle. "Lighten up."
"Uh, yeah right," Hermione said, as a deep flush crept up her cheeks and she took another drink of her butterbeer.
Oliver sobered up quickly. "I'm sorry, lass. That was a wee bit nasty on my part. I didn't mean to imply that you were-"
"I understand, Oliver, really. I know my reputation from school and I also know that my chosen profession hasn't really changed it much," she said with her signature grace. She looked down at her hands, slightly rolling the bottle between the two.
"Right, well. What shall we do now?" Oliver asked. "Would you like a tour of the house?"
"Uh, well, I should really be-"Hermione began.
"Oh, c'mon. It won't kill you and then we could continue to talk some more about this afterwards," Oliver said, taking her bottle from her with one hand and pulling her up with the other.
"Uh, well, okay," she said tentatively, as Oliver set her bottle back down on her coaster.
"Okay, well this obviously is the living room," as he led her towards the archway. Hermione could feel his large hand wrapped around her smaller one and the rush of heat that raced up her arm. The calluses from riding a broom for so many years were a tad rough, but the warmth was quite pleasant.
"And this is the kitchen," Oliver stated as he flipped on a small light. Electricity hummed as the tidy galley-shaped kitchen was lit from above. A small table in the far corner had 3 chairs set around it. Deep honey colored cabinets contrasted the white tiled countertop and gave warmth to the otherwise very stark room. The stone floor was covered by a throw rug of indeterminate origin.
"My sister picked that out," Oliver said with pride. "She knows as much about decorating as I do," he said, with obvious humor.
Hermione smiled as he turned them and led her into the hallway, still holding her by the hand.
"That there is the front door, which hardly ever gets used," Oliver stated, indicating a large wooden door. The wood was so dark it was almost black.
"This here is the bath, nothing spectacular there," he said as Hermione looked in and seen a very clean and bare bathroom with a shower and sink and toilet in the corner.
Oliver was pulling her towards two other doors at the end of the hallway. He cracked open one door and said with a slight huskiness, "just a bedroom here." Hermione caught a quick glimpse of an almost bare room containing a large bed with a dark blue comforter and a dresser before he closed the door.
They stopped outside the last door and Oliver tugged her a bit closer. His eyes looked deep into hers as he whispered, "now, for the piece de resistance." Hermione's eyes widened and her pulse quickened as he turned the handle. The door opened quietly and the light was the first thing Hermione noticed. Several windows similar to those in the living room graced the back wall of the room. Sunlight poured in and warmed the air in the room and as her eyes adjusted, she was able to focus on the other areas of the room.
"You have a library!" she exclaimed with joy, walking in.
"Well, it is really just a spare room, but yeah, I decided to use it for keeping some of my more treasured items in. A lot of my things are still at my parent's place in Scotland," Oliver said.
"Really? You don't keep your stuff here?" Hermione asked, walking slowly over to a wall that contained mostly Quidditch memorabilia. There were older brooms and uniforms kept in a glass enclosure off to one side, while posters and photographs were scattered along the rest of the wall.
"No, I have way too much to house in this small room," Oliver said as he entered behind her.
Hermione nodded as she walked along and came across a framed photo showing the Gryffindor Quidditch team. She leaned in to get a better look. They were all sitting on the shoulders of their housemates, with a grinning and teary-eyed Oliver in the center of the floating mob next to Harry. His photo image would reach up and wipe his eyes every now and again, while everyone below was cheering. Hermione smiled widely. She looked over her shoulder at Oliver, who realized what frame she was looking at and blushed.
"That was a very good day," he said gruffly as he went over to one of the bookcases lining the other wall. "Thank goodness for Colin Creevey, or I wouldn't have that particular picture."
Hermione looked back at the photograph and smiled. It was a good day. It felt good to remind herself every once in a while that not all the time spent at Hogwarts was trials and tribulations.
She turned around and looked at the side of the room where Oliver was standing, looking in a book. The entire wall was like covered with several large bookcases. They reached all the way to the ceiling and were filled with Hermione's favorite things. She walked over and began to peruse the titles. Hermione noticed that although some were about Quidditch and strategies and the like, most were not. There were classics like Hamlet and Great Expectations. She even saw a book of Gilderoy Lockhart's, Magical Me. Hermione laughed out loud. Oliver had come up behind her and seen what she had been laughing about.
"He was quite the dandy, wasn't he?" Oliver said, laughing along with her.
"Well, it was a long time ago," Hermione said noncommittally.
She continued down the line of books until she came to a large wooden table that looked similar to the ones they used in the library at Hogwarts. A wooden bench was tucked underneath. She ran her fingers over the warm smoothness and sighed. Yes, many good times to remember.
Oliver had followed her and heard the sigh. "Is everything okay?" he asked softly.
Hermione turned quickly and found Oliver so close she could smell his cologne. She swayed slightly and he reached for her arms to steady her. Her hands settled on his firm upper arms. She looked up to say yes and as she did, she was captured by his eyes. Her lips parted slightly.
The deep brown of his eyes held her as firmly as his hands. She had the familiar sensation of fire filling her from deep in her soul and her heartbeat quickened. His scent flowed through her lungs and added to her racing heart. Her body shuddered involuntarily and her hands grasped his arms tighter. She couldn't pull away from his eyes.
Oliver felt the change almost immediately. She went from slightly melancholy and distracted to barely breathing as he felt her shudder then grasp more tightly on to him. When she did this, his inner maleness roared its approval. Her pupils had widened and were a bit out of focus as she stared at him. He saw the passion in her eyes and was immediately alert. His eyes flicked down to her lips, which were still parted.
Hermione's nerves were on fire and she tugged on her bottom lip with her teeth. Oliver's eyes darkened as he watched this. He was pulling her slowly closer to him, so slowly that neither of them realized it until her hands laid on his chest. His hands were splayed across her back and he leaned in slightly.
Hermione felt pulled to him, not by his hands, but by his eyes. He continued to look at her as he lowered his head. It seemed as if every nerve in her body was centered in her lips at that moment. Oliver tilted his head slightly and brushed her lips with his once. The electricity shot from there to Hermione's core and she breathed in quickly, closing her eyes.
Oliver heard this, leaned forward a bit more and pressed his lips to hers again. His eyes closed and he realized the softness of her lips may just be his undoing. He felt her hands grasp his sweater as she moved her head to the side a bit to have better access. The roar in his head was loud enough to remind him to wrap his arms around her small frame fully and hold her to his chest.
Hermione felt his arms encircle her and she slid her hands up; one to rest on the back of his head, while the other clutched his shoulder. She wasn't aware of the bruises from his practice earlier that day; of course, neither was Oliver at that moment. He felt her body come in contact with his and the response was so quick that he was left breathless. Of course, that could have been because of the kiss. Oliver eased back a bit and slid his tongue to the side of her mouth, begging entrance.
Hermione opened her mouth slightly and was instantly swept away by the heat of his mouth on hers. Oliver's hand reached up from behind her and buried in her hair as he assaulted her mouth with devastating precision. His other arm wrapped firmly around her. Time seemed to stand still as they both became lost in each other. They both pulled back at the same time with a small gasp.
Hermione's eyes were still closed as Oliver gathered her to his chest in a warm hug. Her hands went around him almost automatically and rested on his waist. She was trying to calm her speeding heart and catch her lost breath. His cologne was winding its way around her head and it was quite intoxicating. Her cheek laid near to his heart and she could feel the rapid movement from within.
'He is as affected as I am,' she thought.
Oliver's arms were wrapped around Hermione and he realized he could almost touch his own elbows with each hand. He rested his cheek on the top of her head as he thought, 'So much passion for one so tiny!' They stayed like this for a moment, each regaining their own equilibrium.
Oliver felt Hermione's breathing return to normal, much as his own had and he lifted his cheek from her head. He pulled back a bit and brought his hands up her shoulders to rest on the sides of her face. He lifted her face up to look in her eyes and saw the shyness slowly invade her eyes as she tried to bank the fire of passion he had evoked in her. Her lips were slightly swollen and a deep pink. His thumbs caressed her cheeks softly.
Hermione could see the desire for her in his eyes at that moment. The deep brown had almost completely receded; indeed they looked almost black. This blackness is what shook her from her haze as she pushed at his hips and turning, stepped a few feet away.
"Hermione?" Oliver said in a voice that sounded unused and very masculine.
Hermione crossed her arms around herself and looked down at her feet. Oliver walked over and placed his hands on her shoulders. She stiffened beneath his touch and he let his hands drop.
"I'm sorry, Hermione, I shouldn't have done that," Oliver began. "I never would take advantage of you that way, please believe me."
Hermione took another step forward and turned to face him. His hands were in his pockets and he looked deeply concerned as he shuffled his feet slightly.
'He looks like he is six years old and waiting to be punished,' she thought.
"Uh, Oliver. Look," Hermione began, and Oliver raised his head to stare directly at her. She quickly looked at his lips, which wasn't all that great an alternative. She could still feel the warmth from his kiss on her own and she reached her fingers up to rub them lightly. Realizing what she had done, she dropped her hand quickly and shook her head, as if to get her thoughts straight. "Oliver, it is fine."
"But, I still shouldn't have kissed you. It was crossing a line and I don't normally do that. I-"
Hermione cut him off and said, "Really, it is fine. I am flattered, honestly. I had never thought that the Oliver Wood would kiss someone like, uh, well, me. I am not exactly the sort of girl that is usually seen with your, uh, your type."
"My type?" Oliver asked with almost a growl. He was starting to get a bit miffed at her explanation.
"Yeah, well, you know. Famous, athletic, and let's be honest, handsome as sin," she said with a light airy tone.
Oliver could only stare at her as his mouth dropped open. 'She thinks I'm handsome as sin?' he thought as he blinked rapidly.
Hermione seen his mouth drop open and was quick to say, "I'm sorry. Now I have offended you." She looked at the ceiling as she wrung her hands and bit her lip again.
"Please don't do that," he said with a slight groan.
Hermione's eyes flew back to his face and seen him standing there with his eyes on her lips. Her face flushed as she asked, "Don't do what?"
Oliver walked over as her eyes widened. Her breath caught in her throat and her mouth felt instantly dry. She bit her bottom lip again and his eyes flared with desire.
"That," he whispered as he pulled her into his arms and kissed her deeply.
A/N: So….
Was it bad? Too much? Not enough? Let me know. I am gonna work on the next few chapters and then post them together, as it will allow you all to steep in the moment. I am so bad!
