Hi everyone!

So, this chapter is an interesting one, and there's definitely a spoiler in the title :) Harry got very clear advise from Ron - "just get on with it". He also advised Harry to talk it over with Hermione. What's it going to be? A smut-warning is warranted!

So - no talk about the cliffhanger that is Philip's and Lydia's betrothal right now, but believe me, you'll hear all about it next chapter ;)!

Once again - I hope everyone is doing okay and is staying safe! I also want to use this opportunity to wish everyone a Happy Pride Month in these trying times. Love trumps hate, always - that message is more relevant now than it ever was. Take care, wherever you are, and I hope this love/angst/fluff-combination of a Harmony-romcom is helping you with whatever you're facing right now - good or bad :)

Love,

Flora.

Chapter 20: How Harry and Hermione didn't do it just yet.

'Stop studying,' Harry grinned. It was half past 12 - they had slept in today, as neither of them had to go to work, and Harry had taken a long shower after breakfast, preparing them for... later that day. Hermione seemed to have been preparing as well, but not in the sense Harry had. She really was treating the loss of her virginity like a final she had to pass and she was revisiting some of her notes while she sipped from her tea.

'It's not healthy. You'll get into your own head.'

'Hmm?'

Harry sighed, kissed her forehead and grabbed the Sunday Edition of The Quibbler - the magazine had greatly expanded since the war, earning its name as a paper that was not controlled by the government. He leaned against the door frame, studying the front page that read "To Forget About You-Know-Who, We Need You! 10 Ways To Make A Difference In Today's Society!"

'I said: stop studying.'

'I'm reading up on the goblin rights!' Hermione protested. Harry smirked, swung his wand and a book called Global Goblin Affairs and their Most Noteworthy Repercussions that Hermione had used to cover her notes was sent flying, exposing her lie. She turned crimson as her notes fell into her lap.

'Well-... That's-... I'm just... Harry!'

Harry put aside The Quibbler and walked towards her, leaning closer to her face so he could place a small kiss on top of each of her eyebrows, kissing her frown away.

'Harry,' Hermione sighed, with annoyance in her voice, and Harry chuckled. He placed a small kiss on her nose, on both her cheeks, and then he gently cupped her jaw, as he rubbed his lips against her, earning her another sigh, but Harry was quite sure it wasn't out of annoyance this time.

'Harry,' Hermione said again, but he noticed the undertone in her voice by now. He grinned and kissed her deep and wanting. Hermione growled, gripping her hands around Harry's neck, pulling her close to him. He wrapped his hands around her small waist, helping her up from her chair. They stumbled towards the doorpost, where Hermione pushed him firmly against the frame, her deliciously soft body pressed up firmly against his. She kissed his lips, then his face, neck and collarbone, tugging at the soft cotton of his T-shirt. Her lips and tongue tasted and worshiped his skin, as Harry leaned back against the wood, controlling his breath.

Finally she found that place behind his ear again, and Harry heard himself mewl. It was a foreign sound on his lips, and he would have felt ashamed with anyone but Hermione, but now he didn't have to. She giggled mischievously, while her tongue and teeth grazed the sensitive spot, and Harry felt her hand wander to the front of his jeans. He swore when he felt the palm of her hand press against him firmly and confidently. Oh, how different this felt from a few weeks ago!

'Someone's enjoying himself,' Hermione teased. Harry groaned again, allowing her delicious pressure on his member, but then he felt the heat that was building inside his body take over. He couldn't help but grumble "Bed, now!" as he took her body in his arms, dragging her to the bedroom, or perhaps, as he hadn't spend a day in the New Year without sleeping in it, their bedroom?

He tossed her on the bed, a bit more roughly then he intended to, and Hermione let out a large "oof!" when she came down. A moment of fear struck Harry, but then he saw that Hermione was laughing hard and his worry subsided.

'Yes, someone's definitely enjoying himself,' she mocked. Harry stuck his tongue out at her, then winked and started pulling his shirt over the top of his head, forgetting the fact that he still was wearing his glasses. They got entangled in the shirt, and Hermione laughed hysterically as she saw him wrestle with the fabric.

'Hey, it's my first time, you know.'

'Doesn't mean I can't be nervous,' Harry countered with a grin, as he finally managed to get the upper part of his clothes off. He jumped on the bed with her, making the spring squeak and they both giggled as Harry nuzzled his face against Hermione's neck. He noticed her labored breath and knew that it wasn't only because of her arousal. Hermione had gotten herself worked up over all of this, preparing and studying. He knew he had to find a way to make her feel at ease with the situation.

'Did I mention already that I am very much in love with you?' he asked, slowly nibbling at her skin. Hermione chuckled and then gasped, as Harry bit down a bit harder. 'And did I mention already that you look absolutely breathtaking and that I am feeling like the luckiest man on the planet right now?'

He dragged her loose fitting sweater down, and pressed down the underside of her breast to pop a nipple out of her bra. He engulfed the bud with his mouth, softly suckling and caressing, warming up her senses to him. Hermione began to pant a bit as he felt her stiffen under his ministrations. She lifted the shirt above her head and stopped Harry when he wanted to undo her bra.

'Wait, I... Let me show you something,' she said, with a blush on her face. Harry looked at her distracted as she pulled her trousers down, exposing matching dark blue panties to her bra. He noticed her hands were trembling a bit.

'Oh, you've been shopping!' Harry said, with a wide smile.

'Hmm,' Hermione nodded, looking nervous but confident, as she lay back into the pillows. 'Do you like it?'

He took in the sight of her, matching underwear, with a bit of lace but not too much to be too racy to wear. It was modest, but inviting and beautiful all the same, but to be frank, Harry didn't really care for lingerie.

'You look beautiful,' Harry said, 'I really appreciate you taking the effort. But I know a place where those articles of clothing will look even better.'

'If you dare to say "our bedroom floor", I will stomp you,' Hermione said.

Harry looked caught, catching a laugh in his throat and then they both cackled.

'Fine, don't let me make my terrible jokes,' he said, letting one hand roam on her back to undo the hooks on her bra. Hermione shook her head, taking his hand in hers.

'Front,' she said.

'Oh, can I unpack your boobies like a present?' Harry asked, enthusiastically.

'Harry!' Hermione said, pretending to be shocked.

'Yay! Boobies are the best kinds of presents!' Harry said, producing a boyish laugh that he knew Hermione loved, as he used both hands to undo the clasps on the front of Hermione's lingerie. Her breasts looked absolutely mouthwatering when they were exposed to him - soft, round, with dark, stiffened nipples that just begged to be touched. He bit back a laugh and pushed his head between her mounds, blowing air against her breasts and shaking his head, producing a loud "PRRFFT".

Hermione burst into a loud shriek, and when Harry finally removed his head from between her breasts, she had tears in her eyes from laughing.

'You are an absolute idiot,' she guffawed.

'Well, you decided to say "yes" to my proposal, so who's the real idiot?' Harry quipped with a smile. He helped her get out of her bra and they lay side by side for a while, kissing and smiling, until Harry decided to pay attention to Hermione's exposed body once more. She moaned with a content look on her face, fully relaxed, and she rubbed slow circles on Harry's back as he repeated that pattern with his tongue on her nipples. His plan had succeeded for now - he managed to take her worry away.

He continued his lovingly touches to her chest, as he let his fingers roam across Hermione's underwear. He used his index finger to stroke lines on her slit - up and down, up and down, and he grinned against her soft skin as he felt her wetness through the fabric. He noticed his own erection pulsate in his trousers, but he wouldn't allow to touch himself yet. He was used to give the girl the attention, and he wouldn't stop now. He moved his face to hers again, grinding her tongue against hers slowly, as he pressed a bit harder on the fabric, finding the sensitive nub once again. She whimpered against his lips.

'What do you want me to do?' he asked quietly. 'Do you want me to use my mouth or my fingers?'

'Both,' Hermione answered, with a coarse voice. 'Both, please, Harry.'

Harry felt himself twitch in his trousers at those words and nodded, kissing her one last time, deeply and sensual. He moved lower, pushing her panties aside a bit, as he brushed his fingers across her folds, spreading her soaking wetness across her heat. He kissed her again right there, and again, and finally placed a loving, french kiss on her core, earning him a deep, guttural moan from his girlfriend. He lapped at her wetness, tasting and devoting himself to her, making sure to stimulate every part of her core. It didn't take long for her to reach completion, shuddering against his lips. He kept his fingers on her heat, as he sat up straight, bringing his lips to hers, so she could taste herself on his mouth. They always love that, he thought.

'I'm going to enter you,' he whispered, and moved his middle finger inside of her. He slowly pushed against her center, feeling her muscles give away to allow him inside of her, and Hermione sighed. She felt so hot, so warm, and Harry immediately knew he wouldn't last long when he would enter her with another part of his body. His fingers sought that spot again and grazed against is slowly, curling his finger gently and carefully. Hermione made such sweet, harmonious sounds, completely giving her to his touch - he felt honored to be allowed to watch her like that.

'Just imagine, Hermione,' he breathed against her skin. 'Imagine me being inside of you like that... Filling you up... Hitting that spot, over and over... Would you like that?'

He winced a bit as he realized what he was doing - he had used this tactic on other girls as well, the "dirty talk". It had always worked. He had no idea why his brain decided to do it with Hermione too - he didn't need to be an imposing seducer with her, he didn't even like this side of him, the side that tried to impress and not be authentic, but he was surprised to find out that in that sense, Hermione didn't differ a lot from the other women he'd had. He felt her tighten around his finger immediately, responding to the words from his lips like she was envisioning it in front of her, and she started to pant.

'Yes, Harry... Please. I want you so bad...'

Gosh, she was a sight. Slightly puffed lips from all the snogging, soaking wet and begging around his finger, Harry didn't think she could look any more arousing. He began to unfasten his belt, almost mechanically, and he felt himself halting. He wanted her - why did he stop in his tracks? She looked like absolute heaven and he had her begging for him, but it didn't actually feel like... Like he was present. It felt like a different Harry had taken his spot, in his bed, with his girlfriend. An annoying voice in his head, that sounded a lot like Ron, was scolding him for not shagging her on the spot. Just look at her, you absolute idiot! She wants you, you want her - get the hell on with it!

Ron was right. He just needed to get it over with. All his sexual encounters would be tainted by the ones he had before, that's just how it was going to be. And he wanted this - he knew he wanted this, he felt the prove of that painfully throbbing against the fabric of his briefs.

He undid his trousers, his socks and his underwear, all in one go. As he got close to her, fully unclothed, he picked up his wand and whispered the anticonceptive spell that Ginny had taught him when he was 17. It was 6 years ago - it seemed an eternity. Hermione was stunning, and she wanted him, and he knew he wanted her. He knew that, he assured himself.

'Let me know if it's uncomfortable,' he heard himself say, as he had said a dozen times at least, and when he pushed himself against her, he felt Hermione's hand on his forearm, stopping his movements.

'Harry... Are you alright?'

It was like he broke out of a trance. He looked at her, truly seeing her, realizing that the concerned look she had in her eyes had been there for the last five minutes at least.

'Al-... Alright?'

'Yes,' she said. 'I get weird vibes from you.'

'No-no... No weird vibes,' he chattered. 'No weird vibes at all. You are beautiful, you know that?'

She smiled at him lovingly, but not lustfully, and she got up to face him. Harry gulped, and realized his hands were the ones that were shaking now. How long had they been doing that?

'We don't have to do it today,' she spoke.

'We do,' Harry corrected her. 'I want to. I really want to.'

'Then what's wrong?'

'Nothing's-...'

'Don't say that. Talk to me. Be honest with me.'

Her face was worried and Harry didn't like that. He didn't want to be the one to cause her worry or harm - he never wanted that. Especially not on the day where he would take her virginity. She took one of his hands inside hers when she spoke again.

'You were truly enjoying yourself when you did the crazy thing with my breasts - how is that called? Motorboating?'

Harry managed to laugh genuinely.

'I-... No idea,' he honestly replied.

'Right,' Hermione said, copying his smile. 'But then you started to be all suave and, don't get me wrong, I don't mind that, but you started to get fidgety and... It kind of felt like Harry left the room and someone else took over. Am I sensing that wrong, or...'

She studied him carefully as Harry bit his tongue.

'Harry - I don't care how good or how bad of a lover you are,' Hermione ensured him. 'I don't care if you don't make me climax a dozen times, I don't care if you fumble around and miss the mark completely, I don't care if you think about yourself for once. I don't care if you make a mistake, if you mess up or hurt me. You know I've made mistakes with your body - and I hurt you occasionally, but do you like me any less because of it?'

Harry snorted and shook his head.

'No, but it's just-... I want to do it right, with you. Especially with you. Because it's you, and not a lot of people have cared about you like that. And that's wrong. You deserve the world, Hermione, truly.'

'I might deserve the universe in your eyes, Harry, I know,' she replied. 'But I don't want the entirety of the universe in my bed. I want Harry. Not some fake, pretend, heroic, "savior of the Wizarding World" - I want Harry. Just Harry.'

Harry felt a lump caught in his throat as he looked at her. Sweet, loving, and so, so wise. Wise beyond her years. She understood him. Damnit, she did.

'This is kind of the same situation like when you gave me my Christmas present, don't you think?' she continued. 'We both totally downplay our worth to the other person for a dumb reason. I thought I wouldn't be worth the effort to you - but I was. And you know what, I have read your note every time I opened that book. I read it every day. You say I am worth every knut, well, same goes for you. You told me that you have no idea why I doubt myself so much sometimes - well, again, same goes for you. You are amazing, just the way you are. Will you just allow me to be in love with you, without giving me a version of yourself that I don't need? I am not in love with The Chosen One, Harry. The guy that had his head printed on the cover of the Daily Prophet a thousand times is not the guy that was so mad at my cousin that he proposed to me; he is not the same guy as the one who buys me sushi whenever I ask for it; he is not the same guy as the one that just... Well... Made farting noises between my boobs.'

Harry laughed, and only when he did that he noticed the wetness on his cheeks.

'But that weird, rambunctious, impulsive moron is the man that I am deeply in love with. And I want him. I wanted him since I was very, very young and I still want only him.'

At the moment a warm feeling filled his chested, caused by Hermione's sweet words, Harry realized that the wetness came from his own eyes. He felt so stupid, so inherently idiotic, but Hermione wiped away the tears with her thumbs and kissed him on his nose.

'I don't cry,' Harry said. 'I have no idea why I do now.'

'Because you're a mess,' Hermione said. 'We both are. We have been since the war and we are finally getting shot at happiness and normalcy. It means a lot to me that you are, actually. It means that I'm already getting through to you, just a bit.'

'One bit at a time,' Harry smiled, and he allowed Hermione to wrap her arms around him and straddle him, holding him against her bare body.

'I love you so much, Harry.'

He closed his eyes, leaned against her and sighed. He didn't need to tell her. She knew.