A/N: This is NSFW, which means that adult content is ahead. If you don't like that, or are underage, please don't read it. I've designed it so that you can skip this chapter without missing any major plot points. Thanks! To the rest of you, read on!

Day Twenty-One

"Harry." There was a brush of something against his lips. "Harry, love?"

He blinked and Hermione came into view, bent over in front of him looking very amused, he nearly had to cross his eyes to see her properly as their noses were nearly touching.

"Hi," she said softly with a smile when she saw that she had his attention.

He reached for her and chased her lips with his when she pulled away, confused but wanting to touch. His hands landed on her bare thighs. He sighed at the sensation of her soft skin beneath his hands, he explored it and pulled her closer. "What's going on?" He asked between kisses, though he wasn't sure if he particularly cared.

She chuckled into his mouth. It felt strangely intimate, almost erotic, or maybe that was all of the bare skin in his hands.

"I wore you out baking, which is sadly not a euphemism," she answered.

He finally made himself really look at her. She was still leaning over him, illuminated only by the light of the television behind her. Her hair was loose and wild around her face and she was wearing some of those little shorts and a top she liked to sleep in.

"You with me?" She bit her lip, trying to suppress a smile and carded her fingers through his hair.

"I fell asleep while we were baking?" He asked incredulously.

"Hmm, more like while we were waiting for the last batches to finish cooking and cooling. I'd make fun of you for it, but we've been at it for about twelve hours."

Twelve hours? For fucks sake. He couldn't help it. He laughed. This was so 'Hermione.'

She captured his lips again, traced them with her tongue until he opened his mouth, she sucked at his lower lip for just a moment before abruptly letting go, an impish smile on her face which gave her away. She was toying with him.

He seized her hips and hauled her onto his lap until she was straddling his thighs. "Having fun?"

"Actually, yes," she laughed, "but I was just trying to get you up, and to bed, unless you just want to continue sleeping on the sofa." She had both hands in his hair now, she pulled it a little roughly and then nipped at his chin. "Also, it may interest you to know that you are both funny and sexy when you are half asleep."

She ground herself against him and for some reason that little maneuver surprised him. He automatically tilted his hips up against her in response and groaned when the heat of her against his growing erection sent sparks of pleasure through his nervous system, his fingers and toes actually tingled.

"Fuck," he muttered, "I hate to ruin your fun, but I'm definitely awake now."

She laughed, low and sensual. "I can tell, and I have no complaints."

He ran his hands from her knees, up past the hem of her shorts and cupped her bum- where he found more delightfully bare flesh. "No knickers?"

"I didn't see the point," she answered with a gasp, rotating her hips while he massaged her arse.

"Okay," he said, trying to catch his breath, gather his thoughts, anything to appear calm in the face of the flurry of kisses she was laving across his lips and jaw, and the way she was writhing so perfectly against him. Because as much as he loved this woman, and would do just about anything for her, he was not ceding total control of this situation. Not this time. "Bed," he demanded.

"Yes."

"Hold on." Before she could agree or protest he stood up with her in his arms, holding her tightly against him.

She wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled back to look at him as he strode towards the bedroom. "I love you."

His steps faltered in surprise over her sudden transition from frantic to tender, but he quickly recovered and smiled. "I love you too."

"Don't run me into any walls."

He laughed, she was something else. "You really know how to set the mood, don't you?"

She smirked at him as she tightened her legs around him, crossed her arms over her chest to reach the hem of her shirt and lifted it over her head, then tossed it away.

"Jesus," he dragged his eyes away from her gorgeous chest, determined not to run them into anything. She was absolutely no help, burning her face in his neck, sucking on the sensitive skin beneath his ear and tugging on his hair.

They finally reached her room and he was pleased that there were no felines in sight. He tossed her onto the bed, she squealed and immediately scooted backwards, a challenge in her eyes. He followed her, grabbing her thighs and pulling her back towards him, making her squeal again.

"Merlin, Hermione, did you eat like half the biscuits we made while I was asleep? Where did you get this energy?"

She grinned at him, she looked positively delighted. "It's possible that I've acquired some kind of baking fetish in the past few hours. I'm extremely turned on right now, I hope you can keep up."

He snorted. "Don't worry. But I will need you to explain that first part to me later." He kissed her starting with her lips, down her neck until he reached her breasts, nuzzling them lightly, he grabbed her calf and hooked her leg over his hip, and then reached up and under those tiny shorts and brushed his fingers through her sopping wet folds. "Fuck, you weren't kidding."

She was looking at him with half lidded eyes, all traces of amusement wiped from her features. He flicked one nipple with his tongue and ran his fingers along her slit, massaging and stretching her open for him. She gasped and arched her back, chasing his fingers and his mouth.

"What do you want, sweetheart?"

"Just keep touching me," she said between ragged breaths.

He tugged on his shirt and he sat up just long enough to jerk it up over his head and toss it away. She yanked him back on top of her to begin exploring his chest with her hands and her mouth. He worked one finger into her body, and then a second, she whimpered but pressed closer to him.

She was slick and tight, he closed his eyes, relished in the feel of her muscles squeezing just the two fingers he was using so far. It was incredible and he just knew she would be perfect on his cock. His whole body shuddered at the thought. He wanted to rip off the rest of their clothes and plunge inside of her, but he also wanted to savor this.

He massaged her breasts with his free hand, they were soft, lush. The perfect contrast to the sharp, nipping little kisses she was peppering across his shoulders and chest. She sucked one of his nipples into her mouth, he jolted in surprised pleasure.

He gathered her hair, wrapped it securely around his hand, pulled her roughly away from his chest and then brought her face to his. She mewled into his mouth, their kisses grew artless and sloppy as she pistoned herself on his fingers.

"Harry," she gasped, "I want you inside of me."

He considered teasing her, for about half a second. She whimpered when he regretfully removed his hand from her body, but she scrambled out of her shorts and was pulling him back on top of her even as he was still ridding himself of his bottoms.

She wrapped one hot little hand around him and he froze, realizing she hadn't touched him at all before now. And suddenly she had all the patience in the world, he thrust into her hand automatically, she squeezed him, but took her time rubbing from base to tip, spreading pre-come with the palm of her hand down his shaft. She looked up at him and licked her lips.

It felt like he was on fire. She was spread out beneath him, for him, head thrown back, chest arched towards him, knees parted; he had a perfect view of her pretty pink center, swollen and ready for him.

He never could have imagined her like this, his best friend; the same girl he'd adored for more than half his life, but also suddenly the most sensual creature he'd ever seen, wanting him, loving him with her body, it was almost too much.

He gently knocked her hand away and lined himself up at her entrance, nudging at it gently. She fell back onto the mattress.

"Ready?"

She nodded so vigorously that she shook the bed. He took her hands in his and pushed them up and over her head as he pressed into her core and she made the most gorgeous half gasp, half moaning sound that was almost drowned out by his own groan. His forehead fell to her sternum but he forced himself to look up at her before he moved. Her eyes were wide and her mouth open.

He released one of her hands and cupped her cheek. "Okay?"

"Yes, just go slow, I think."

Her eyes rolled back in her head when he finished pressing into her in one long, slow thrust. And then she raised her legs and wrapped them around his waist nodding for him to continue. He began to move and she met him, again and again.

The pleasure built and coiled within him. He kissed her to distract himself, it was a different kind of pleasure, tasting her mouth, her shoulders, her breasts. He switched from one to the other, licking and sucking her nipples, encouraged by the sounds she was making, the bite of her nails on his back, and her body which seemed to welcome him more each time he retreated and returned again.

Fuck but he loved her, loved this. His movements and emotions were syncing together, like if he kept it up the two of them would meld together as one. He was hurtling towards that ultimate pleasure faster than he would have liked but not wanting to hold back. It would be both an end and a beginning of this love as an action. He would always come back for more and she would welcome him.

"Gods, Hermione," he gasped.

She brought a hand to his jaw, lifting his face so that she could crash their lips together. "Yes, please."

The heat between them was almost unbearable, their bodies dripping with sweat, their flesh slapping together with each thrust, the sound obscene but it only added to the furor building between them.

When he realized he couldn't last much longer he reached between them, easily finding her clit swollen and eager for attention, he massaged it firmly with his thumb, in time with his thrusts. On the third pass she froze, and screamed like it had been ripped from her lungs as she pulsed around him. His own orgasm followed, a delicious release he didn't even try to stop, but relished coming as deeply inside of her as he could.

He fucked her through it, until her legs fell from his hips, her grip on his shoulders became lax, and he was shaking so badly that he nearly collapsed on top of her.

He managed to fall to her side and she immediately curled up against him, he wrapped himself around her and held her tight. She squirmed away just long enough to pull the covers up and over them, bundling them together, he knew that she felt the same need that he did to remain close, their skin plastered together, breathing in tandem.

He kissed the top of her messy head and she sighed in contentment and, momentarily sated, they fell asleep

He woke up alone, certain it was her absence that awakened him. It was still dark outside. He was badly in need of a shower, but he wanted to find Hermione first. He was practically vibrating with need to touch her, and he assumed now that they'd walked through that door, that feeling would be his new normal for the foreseeable future. Because he still had so much to explore.

Maybe she felt it too, because it was only moments later that she came padding back into the bedroom wearing another of his old jumpers and some baggy sweatpants, carrying two steaming mugs. She smiled and blushed at him when she saw him watching her.

She handed him one of the mugs, and then just stood and stared at his bare chest before she seemed to catch herself, blushing even brighter, she climbed onto the bed, careful not to spill her own drink.

"When did you go to Paris without telling me?" She asked, once she was settled in beside him again, warm and smelling like sex, it was far more enticing than whatever she'd brought him to drink.

He let out a bark of surprise laughter. "What?"

She held up her mug demonstratively. "A tin of Angelina's chocolat chaud in my Advent calendar today, Harry. You either went to Paris and didn't tell me," her voice was heavy with accusation, "or you had somebody get some for you, so which is it?"

"Oh that," he finally sniffed at his drink. "That's for me to know and you to find out later."

"And here I was being so nice and sharing it with you," she pouted, "I could take it back," she made a half-hearted attempt to grab his mug.

He effortlessly batted her away with a roll of his eyes. "Color me shocked, I didn't think there was any chance of actually getting to taste it, much less getting my own cup."

"Well, I must love you a lot."

He turned to look at her at that comment, slowly studied her features. She was still flushed, her lips still swollen, and she'd pulled her hair up, but he could tell that it was a disaster. He also knew that there was no question that his could rival it. She was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. Brilliant witch, tease, friend, lover, and all of it was his. He smiled at her and she smiled back, shy at first but it quickly evolved into elation, which made his heart sing.

"How are you?" He whispered.

"Really good. You?"

"Excellent," he nodded.

"So you're not mad I woke you up earlier?" Her nose crinkled adorably with humor as she asked the question.

"No," he laughed quietly, "it was worth it."

Her head fell to his shoulder and she sipped at her hot chocolate. "Happy Solstice."

"Oh yeah, that's definitely what I'm going to remember about today," he answered sarcastically, but he nudged her, "Happy Solstice."

She peered up at him. "It's the shortest day of the year, you know."

"I did know that."

"So I was thinking that we might as well just stay in bed."

"Oh really?"

She nodded. "I called Kreacher."

He almost choked on his hot chocolate. "You did?'

"Yeah," she picked at the blanket. "He's going to deliver our tins of biscuits." She quickly added, "we're going to see everybody tomorrow anyway, so it's not like we're ducking out of seeing them before Christmas or anything. But I didn't want to have to do anything today except be with you. So what do you think?"

"I think if staying in this bed for the rest of our lives was an option, I would do it."

Author's Note: So, here's the thing about writing smut, at least for me. Once you've read it a few times to make sure it's logistically possible and all the parts are in the right places, you lose all perspective on whether it's sexy or not, or if it ever was. I'd normally have a pre-reader go over it, at the very least, but I've allowed no time for that with this fic. Basically, this is me asking you to please be gentle. Thanks, and thanks for everything.