A/N: I don't own it. If you see it, and know it, it doesn't belong to me. All hail JKR. Credit to her and her pen.
"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.
Oliver sat in one of the chairs bracketing the fireplace in the spare room/library late in the evening. The fire was giving off very little warmth and not much light. He was leaning his elbow on an arm of the chair, his chin setting on his fist.
'This is not where I imagined myself this evening,' he thought mutinously.
He had planned on having an early dinner with Hermione and perhaps take a walk out back to show her the land. It had been in his mind to invite her since that afternoon when he met her at the stadium. Her appreciation for the calm atmosphere of the empty pitch had intrigued him, as he knew she really cared little for the sport. At least she hadn't at Hogwarts. Her attentiveness to Quidditch at that point could be summed up in one person: Harry Potter.
Until today, Oliver didn't invite women to his house. After having a couple moments in his youth when women did invade his flat, he had to stop taking them back to his place. At the time, most of the women he had met wanted to secure a professional Quidditch player and the few that he had been with in a physical way were quite determined. He almost had to perform a memory charm on one particular lady. She was convinced that they were meant to be together and would show up at all hours, at all times.
Oliver winced as he remembered the time she had Apperated into the male locker room. Men diving for lockers and clothing while cries of 'bloody hell' were heard and she just flounced over and gave Oliver a big hug. He was shocked to the point of being immobile while she kissed his face and was calling him pet names. The coach had walked in, after hearing all the cussing and seen her hanging all over Oliver. His bellowing voice is what finally stopped her and woke Oliver up from his shocked stance. As he pried her off from him, his teammates were either snickering or shooting worried glances at the coach. Anti-apparition wards were put in place immediately, and Oliver took the initiative to set them about his own flat. She tried to corner him a few more times out and about, but he was firm and straight with her that there would be no 'happily ever after' for them. She got the hint eventually but it was the worst 3 months of Oliver's career that he wished he could forget. Not a chance with his teammates, as they called him some of the more choice pet names for an entire year after.
But this was different, he had thought. This was Hermione, one of the most stable women he had ever had the pleasure to know. She was not the type to go obsessive on a guy and try to plan the rest of their happy existence together. He knew that she dated Quidditch players. Well, one Quidditch player, he thought solemnly.
FLASHBACK
Slightly over 3 years ago
Oliver was walking from the pitch with his team dejectedly.
'That was a very tough loss,' he said to himself. The team had been all revved up for this match against Bulgaria. Going against Viktor Krum was always exciting and it was a standard many teams compared to winning the Quidditch Cup.
'He is just so bloody good,' Oliver thought, 'although I know Harry would give him a run for his money.' Oliver often thought of his prized Seeker at Hogwarts. The fact that Harry had defeated Voldemort was all well in good, but in Oliver's mind, Harry was just Harry; the best Seeker ever to grace his Quidditch team.
"Viktor!" a female voice called out loudly.
Oliver turned to see a young and shapely brunette race up to Viktor Krum and jump into his arms. Viktor held her easily with one arm and gave her a passionate kiss right there on the pitch. The young woman wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, returning his kiss with fervor. Viktor set her down slowly, and took her hand in his. She looked down as she wrapped her other hand around his bicep. Viktor leaned down and kissed the top of her soft curly shoulder length hair as his teammates came up and thumped him affectionately on his back, then seeing the young lady, smiled and nodded to her as they made their way back to the locker rooms.
Oliver was about to turn back when the young lady looked up to listen to Viktor say something to her. Her brown eyes twinkled and she nodded as she smiled up at him with nothing but love in her countenance.
"I know that girl," Oliver said so softly, no one but his teammate Carson McBride heard him.
Carson looked back and hmpfed. "Really, now. You know that gorgeous creature draping herself all over Krum? Yeah, right. And I will eat my nasty Quidditch shirt if you do."
"No, I mean it. We went to school together," Oliver protested.
"C'mon, mate. I think you have been hit with too many bludgers," Carson said as he led Oliver off the pitch.
"Where did she go?" Oliver asked, looking back over his shoulder towards the pitch.
"She probably went to 'celebrate' with Krum, now come on. We have to meet some people at the club in an hour," Carson said. The team usually went to one of the hot nightclubs in the towns they played at to check out the view and perhaps score a few drinks.
Oliver looked at Carson and then back at the pitch. 'Celebrating with Krum? Hermione Granger? Nah!' he thought as he was herded into the locker room. 'Probably wasn't her anyway.'
End Flashback
Oliver scoffed at his own stupidity back then. It was Hermione with Viktor Krum that day. He had been flipping through Quidditch Monthly a week later and there it was plain as the nose on his face. A photograph showed Krum out on the town with his team after their win and there she was, Hermione, at his side smiling and having that same deep look in her eyes that she showed on the pitch.
Oliver's thoughts turned back to the events of today. He ticked off the lesser important ones without regret. All of it faded into obscurity; nothing else existed in his mind after he walked out on the pitch that afternoon. His thoughts raced from one image to another.
Hermione's face lifted to the sun.
Her laughter at his joke about magic.
The blush she had tried to hide and suggesting a drink.
Her surprise at ending up at his house, and her stern voice demanding answers.
The way her voice flowed when she spoke about the research for his book.
Her quiet acceptance of her 'reputation' as the bookworm from Hogwarts.
Her eyes as she tried to look into his bedroom.
The joy in her voice after he showed her the spare room. 'I mean, library,' he corrected mentally.
Her happiness at seeing the photo of the team.
Laughter, then quietness as she looked at his book collection and ran her fingers down the table located in the corner.
The feel of her hands on his arms, the look in her eyes, the way she shuddered and bit her lip…
"BLOODY HELL," Oliver yelled to the empty room as he jumped up from the chair and went to the window nearest him. He opened the sash and breathed in the cool night air as he leaned on the frame. It was still cool in the evenings, as summer had just started. His blood started to cool and he focused on the pond located in the short distance from his house. "Bloody hell," he muttered as he pondered what to do about it.
O
O
Hermione lay on her small couch in pitch black and thought to herself, 'Bloody hell, Hermione."
She was going over the events of the day in her mind and was questioning when it had all spun out of control. 'When you kissed him, you twit,' she chided herself.
Hermione groaned.
"Why did you have to kiss him?" she yelled to the empty flat.
Things had gone along so well up until that point. She had steered the meeting back onto the track intended, the book. They had discussed the findings so far and Oliver had given the go ahead to contact Dean Sprodorov for any possible further information. Oliver had given her a tour of his house and she had been most pleased to see his library. It was a perfect environment for him. He fit in it so well, now that she had gotten to know him a bit better. Part athlete, part intellect. Both enmeshed completely in one amazing man.
Hermione blushed as she thought that. Her hands worried the small throw blanket she had pulled over herself. He was amazing, really. A true gentleman, through and through. His athletic abilities did not diminish her attraction to his mind. He was thoughtful and quite deep, really. His love for his family came through in that one statement made about his sister picking the rug for the kitchen.
His concern for her when she was reminiscing about Hogwarts spoke volumes, as well. He cared, it was that simple. They had only been in contact for a week and yet, he cared about her feelings and her thoughts. Her heart gave an extra hard thump. That was when he kissed her.
It had been amazing for her to feel his arms around her and his lips on hers. All the feelings she had felt before and buried deep were let loose once his lips met hers. Hermione had realized a long time ago that she was a passionate person. When she cared about something or someone, she did it with her whole being.
Hermione was again floating in a haze of feelings that she hadn't felt in a long time. 'So long a time,' she thought as she went back in her mind to this afternoon.
Flashback
Earlier that day
… "That," he whispered as he pulled her into his arms and kissed her deeply.
Hermione felt his arms wrap around her tightly and she gave into the need for Oliver to touch her. She reached up and clutched him around his neck and pulled his head closer. Her body cried out for his and he obliged her, his hands seemingly everywhere. Oliver buried his hands in her hair again and then one slid down her back to clutch her tank in his fist. Then they were both back in her hair again. She whimpered slightly and he almost growled his satisfaction as he dove into her mouth again and again. Oliver's tongue was sliding across hers and she almost lost her balance right then. He moved from her mouth to her jaw and kissed his way to her ear and tugged the soft lobe in his teeth. She dug her nails into his sweater and he moved down to her neck. He was kissing along her collarbone to her strap on her tank when he stopped and let out a shuddering breath against her skin.
Hermione's vision cleared and she seen that it was slightly shadowed in the room now. Oliver's hands slid around her and he held her very firmly. Hermione didn't know what to make of it, but she knew that it was a very good thing he stopped when he did. She couldn't get involved with OLIVER like that. She stopped that thought and amended it. She couldn't get involved with any man like that. Not now. Not yet.
Oliver pulled away from her slowly and let his hands slide over her body. He rested his forehead on hers and his hands on her waist. Her hands were limp on his shoulders.
"Hermione, I-"Oliver started to speak.
"Shh," she said quietly, placing her fingers over his lips. "Please don't apologize again. It will make it seem much worse than it really is. It's ok, really." She took a deep breath and was thankful she couldn't see into his eyes right now. "I have to go."
Oliver's hands tightened on her waist. She placed her hand on the side of his face, turned and walked away.
End Flashback
And he let her. That is what amazed Hermione so. That all that fire and heat between them didn't cause either one to lose complete control. Especially him.
Hermione had all this waging war in her mind with the fact that she had been burnt rather harshly by a man. Not just any man, but a Quidditch player at that. She had actually gotten scared when she had seen the darkness in Oliver's eyes. It reminded her of Viktor too much. Not that she was afraid of either man. But the feelings for one had instantly gotten muddled with the other. That was not something she was prepared to deal with yet. What she had felt for Viktor was long ago and she had put that part of her life away long ago, in regards to him. At least she had thought so, until today. Now, she may have to reexamine all that and it was not something she could do at this moment. At that very moment, she was beginning to fall asleep.
O
O
Two days later
It was just about time to leave for the day. Hermione walked into her office, reading her notes on the research she was still doing for Oliver, when she heard a cough. She dropped her paperwork and wand in hand, turned and seen Harry sitting in the chair opposite her desk.
"Hell of a way to greet your best friend," he said with a smirk.
"Bloody hell, Harry. You scared the life out of me," she said with little heat as she reached down to grab her dropped papers. She blew her bangs out of her eyes as she set the untidy pile down on the desk. She looked over at him to see him looking at her, his green eyes flashing with humor. She glared.
'Bloody hell' Hermione?" he asked. "Ron will be so pleased you have finally caught on to using his favorite curse," he said through his laughter.
"I have no idea what you are talking about," she said demurely as she conjured them both a cup of tea and sat down in her chair.
"Riiight," Harry said, smiling as she glared at him again.
"To what do I owe this unexpected, and might I add, uninvited pleasure?" Hermione said as she prepared her tea.
Harry took a sip from his cup and asked, "What are you doing Sunday?"
"Well, seeing as it is my only full day off, I thought I would go skipping along the countryside and see if I could find some daisies to pick," she said, sarcasm dripping in every word. "Honestly, Harry. I am doing what all people do on their days off, sleeping in."
"Is that all?" he asked simply. Harry knew when Hermione was on the warpath, she used sarcasm to tip off the unsuspecting. Fortunately for him, he recognized this.
"I dunno, why?" Hermione said suspiciously.
"Well, Mum Weasley asked if you would care to join us all for a family picnic that day," Harry said idly.
Hermione felt instantly contrite. Mrs. Weasley, Molly, had always had a soft spot for Hermione, especially when she and Ron had dated. Molly had dreamed of them both married and raising children until Ron took away her fantasy by announcing that they both were taking breaks from dating and would appreciate it if they all understood and didn't bug them about it. Hermione doubted it was that eloquent, but it worked just the same. Hermione was a bit awkward around the Burrow for awhile after that when she would visit, but Molly took her aside one day and explained that while she wished it was different, she understood that sometimes, things weren't meant to be. Hermione had never felt uncomfortable again when she visited.
Hermione looked at Harry. He was watching the sky outside the window and just letting her deal with her emotional outburst as she always did. Her eyes softened. He really was one of her best friends, still, after all these years.
Harry looked back to Hermione and seen that look.
"What are you gonna do?" he asked, setting his cup down warily.
Hermione leapt up and ran over and kissed him noisily on his cheek.
"Ugh," he said, wiping his cheek off. "Girl germs."
Hermione then proceeded to smack him in the back of the head.
"OWW! Sheesh, you kiss me one second, and then thump me the next. What is with you?" he asked as he rubbed his head and followed her progress back around her desk again.
"Nothing," Hermione said in a sing-song voice. "Please tell Molly that I would be delighted."
"Man, girls are weird," Harry replied, still rubbing his head.
O
A/N: ok, so read on. There is blood, mayhem, and more to come. And that doesn't even count what will happen at the Burrow picnic! Ta Ta
