Warning: Rated M, sexual scenes, Harry/Hermione relationship. Includes bits of PTSD (very minimal, mainly discusses advanced symptoms from a spell.
All recognizable characters and aspects belong to the Harry Potter franchise and its writers/producers
Since returning to the school for the rebuild after the war, something had changed in Harry. Disconnected from himself as much as he was his friends, Hermione worried for him. Her worry worsened while they were placing wards around the school.
"Fuck!" he screamed, slamming his fist into a near by wall.
He didn't move to hold his hand, he didn't so much as wince from the pain. Instead, his eyes simply flared in more anger than Hermione could ever recall seeing in anyone- even the dark lord himself.
"Harry!" Hermione screamed, rushing to his side. In his anger, she thought he may push her away or yell at her, too. Instead, he simply stayed still.
He was so still, that it was as if he was trying very, very hard to not hurt her, to not act out again. While it was appreciated, it had also worried her- he had never needed to actively hold himself back like that.
"I'm sorry I... I don't know what happened."
He usually didn't.
"We need to figure out what's happening to you, Harry. Ron and I, we can--"
"We've looked everywhere, Hermione. It's no use."
Hermione's head fell, disappointed that he was so intent on giving up. He hadn't known that they'd potentially found a solution for him.
She had been in the library when she found it, restocked from the rebuild. It was a thick leather bound book, filled with hundreds of spell side effects. Another book she found showed PTSD symptoms and how to help those who had it.
While there was no doubt that Harry had PTSD from the number of deaths he couldn't prevent, the ones he felt responsible for, there was also something deeper and stronger than even that.
"Alright, let's get you inside. I'll finish this up." she told him, leading him to the front doors just feet away.
Professor Mcgonagall took him from there, a worried look in her eyes. Hermione gave her a single, small nod, a secret communication to give him the serum.
While they had tried to prevent having to do so against his will, it became clear how necessary it really was. The professor broke their gaze, and took Harry in.
"Did it happen again?" Ron asked, rounding the side of the building as he saw the professor with him.
"Yeah... we've got to get this figured out."
Ron nodded in agreement.
"Back to the library then?" he asked.
"It's our best bet."
Thankfully, Ron had been seriously seeing someone from town and she no longer had to worry about being alone with him. While she had never returned his feelings for her, she also hated having to let him down so frequently.
They settled into the chairs of a long table, their typical mountain of books laid before them. While they knew what to look for and where, it still seemed daunting to Ron, seeing so many books they would have to filter through.
Taking the smallest first, he avoided Hermione's gaze. Ron had no doubt that she was glaring at him, and his lack of true effort, as she sought one of the larger volumes.
As Hermione read, her hands fidgeted nervously against the pages. She worried about Harry in every moment of their days there, and she wondered how he was doing, and if the serum had revealed any new information.
"You alright?" Ron asked, concerned.
"What? Oh, yes, I'm fine. Find anything?"
"Not yet."
"Miss Granger?" someone called from the hallway.
Hermione stood and went to the library's entrance, finding the professor there, her eyes worried, and her mouth in a taught line.
"What is it?" she asked, a little breathless.
"Perhaps you should come with me."
Hermione followed her, up the stairs and to the old head master's office, rebuilt in honor of him. It would be left alone to any new head master, and they would have a seperate office on the other side of the school.
"Why are we here?" Hermione asked, confused.
She had assumed they would go to the hospital ward, as they'd done each time before. It had the restraints needed to keep Harry down when he became violent, as he always had during their treatments.
"I need to show you something." she said seriously.
Once inside the room, Hermione fought the urge to go to Harry. He was laying against a hospital bed that had been spelled to the room. While he wasn't restrained as she was used to seeing, he did appear nearly lifeless as he was still and unmoving.
"What happened?" she whispered.
"Come, you'll see."
Blue swirls expelled from the professors wand, removing a wall that hid what appeared to be a small reservoir, filled with a clear liquid. It wasn't water, she knew, as it held a sort of silver colored sheen.
"Look inside." the professor instructed, leadjng her to the basin.
What appeared there formed in dark, endlessly black smoke. It swirled, forming images- the first being that of Sirius's death. Then Dumbledore's, and the others.
She was seeing his memories, she realized, immediately feeling intrusive.
"It's alright dear." The professor consoled, seeing her concern. "You need to see what he sees. It's the only way we can truly know how to help him."
Hermione nodded, returning to the images before her.
What she saw next completely surprised her- it was her. Over and over again, it was her. It was each time she had chosen to fight beside him, each time her life was at risk, including the wizard's chess game they had to play to get to the sorcerers stone, and when she was petrified by the serpent.
While it shouldn't have been entirely surprising to find his concern in her safety, it was surprising to her because it was only her. Ron wasn't in these images, at all. It was either his family and who he considered as such, then there was her.
There was a deep emotion tied to the images she saw of herself, as she saw herself through his eyes. He cared for her- much more so than she could have ever expected. It was as if she could feel what he felt in those moments- pure terror, the insistent need to protect her at all costs.
She gasped, a new, brighter image coming in to focus.
It was her, walking down the steps to join Viktor during the ball, in honor of the tri wizard tournament. She hadn't realized then, the way he looked at her. Seeing it in that moment, it was a wonder she hadn't.
Harry woke in a gasp, and Hermione ran to him, taking the edge of the bed beside him. As she always had, she took his hand in hers.
"Harry? Harry, you're alright." she soothed.
"Hermione..." he moaned, his eyes still closed.
He was awake, but still seemed to be in pain. Whether it was mental, physical, or both, she wasn't sure.
Finally, he opened his eyes and appeared to recall where he was as he blinked the sleep from his eyes.
"I'll leave you two to talk." the professor said suddenly, as she made her way out of the room.
"I'll be right back." Hermione told Harry, promising herself she would keep it quick.
"Professor, did--"
"Yes, Miss Granger. He's taken the serum. It should be safe to question him, but I'll be just out here in case you need me."
The door closed between them, leaving her alone with Harry. It didn't scare her, as he had never hurt her up to that point, but she worried that she wasn't the right person for the job.
Still, he had the most progress when she was with him, and perhaps it would lead to answers.
"Hey...how are you feeling?" she asked, resuming her position beside him.
"Not great, but...better than earlier." he replied, sitting up. "I'm sorry about earlier."
"You couldn't help it. Harry, we've got to figure out what's going on with you."
"I know what's wrong with me." he said, surprising her.
In all of their efforts before, he had never so much as hinted at what had caused his problem.
"You do?"
He nodded, then continued.
"I have for a while now... during the attack, I was struck. Only... only one thing kept me alive."
Hermione's brow furrowed, confused by his words. She tried, and failed, to find anything that would explain his ability to fight off the harsh, deadly curses that were sprung around any available space through the air that day.
"What do you mean?"
"It was meant to kill me. It was..." he choked his words off in a brief sob. "It was the same one that killed Dumbledore."
Hermione gasped, unable to imagine his death. Furthermore, she was unable to fathom surviving it.
"Then how..."
"Remember why Voldemort couldn't kill me?"
Of course she did.
"Well, it was to the same effect. I was too loved, and loved too much, to be as heavily effected as it was intended."
She nodded slowly, understanding what he meant but not grasping what he was getting at.
Harry saw her confusion, and smiled, depite the memory. His last thought, as he saw the green light racing toward him, was of her. It was her hair, her eyes, her laugh and her smile. In his moments of sanity, which were shrinking in size, that was what he saw, even after.
He stroked the back of her hand, a habit he had gotten into as it calmed him after his episodes. This time though, she turned her hand over. He traced the lines of her palm, before closing his fingers around hers.
"What do you see, when it happens?"
She didn't need to be specific for the truth serum to work, and she would really rather not put a name on it.
Harry let out a long, slow breath.
"Everyone. I see... everyone. I see myself just standing there, watching them die."
He closed his eyes briefly, and tightened his grip on her hand.
It was reassuring, to know how much he leaned on her. The grasp hadn't been too tight, or painful. More of that squeeze to remind himself that she was there. She smiled at his kindness, but fell quickly as she recalled his words, and the pained expression he bore.
"How do you deal with it? How do you make it better?" she asked, eager to know more she could do to help him.
"I imagine I'm somewhere else, somewhere happier."
"Tell me about those places." she urged, moving to curl up beside him.
Harry adjusted himself to make room for her, tucking his arm beneath the pillow that she leaned against, and turned to his side.
The position allowed him to see her better, and it instantly calmed him. As it allowed him to better picture each scenerio in detail, he explained them to her.
"I imagine the moment I first caught the snitch, or that summer we all spent together at Ron's." he smiled at the memory, at the laughter they shared. Before things got really bad.
Watching his expression fall from the wide smile he bore before, she tried to remedy it quickly.
"What else do you picture?" she asked softly, squeezing hand.
The squeeze alone made him smile, a sort of private conversation between them in the moments they needed it.
"When we met." he said, his eyes becoming lighter, amused. "You know, your hair has come a long way."
He laughed softly, and she found herself laughing along side him. A moment later, she stopped, feeling his hand in her hair.
Twirling a strand around his finger, he thought of the others.
"I've pictured the lake at night, from the hill just out there." he said, nodding to the views out the window.
"You'll have to show it to me sometime."
Harry watched her then, his eyes finally finding hers for more than merely a second. He thought he knew her better than anyone, but one thing always threw him- he could never read her.
"Tonight?"
She smiled, enjoying his eagerness. It meant he was willing to be out, it meant he would be at a place that made him happy, helped him feel connected to himself.
"Tonight."
"Hermione?" a voice called.
"Yes?"
Ron opened the door, peeking around it.
"I think I may have found something."
Hermione turned back to Harry, and instantly regretted having to leave him.
"I'll be back soon." she promised.
"What is it?" she asked Ron, finding him in the hall.
He had laid the book out over a bench, his fingers trailing across the page to find the proper passage.
"Here." he said, pointing.
Hermione leaned over to see better, and read the words aloud.
"In special cases, the victim of a spell or hex can naturally deflect parts of it, if not all, when the victims soul leaves its body during the time of the attack." she gaped. "What?' But that doesn't make any sense..." she wondered aloud.
Ron briefly attempted to explain, but Hermione cut him off. No, she understood the passage. What she couldn't figure out was how Harry's words connected.
"Hold on." she said, taking a book from her robes.
"Yes, here it is. When the soul leaves its body for any length of time, it will ground itself to a person or object that the soul has connected with. To connect on a soul deep level is one of the greatest natural forms of defense, as two souls connected can heal one another, as well as having a higher chance of surviving even the most unforgivable curses."
While it brought them answers, it also provided more questions. Hermione had no idea how they would find whatever it was he had connected with. Whatever it was, it had to be the answer.
"I don't even understand how any of this is possible." Ron said, confused at it all.
"I don't either, but I suppose stranger things have happened... Look, I'll catch up with you later, okay? I want to see what I can do for him. He's doing well today, longer stints of calm than usual."
Ron nodded, and she turned, heading back to the room.
The moment she returned, she knew sonething was wrong. To her horror, she found Harry wasn't in bed.
"Harry?" she called out.
"He's in here." she heard the professor say.
Following the voice, she found Harry bent over a toilet in the small lavatory. He was wreching, and small pained cries erupted from him. In the same instance as he would cry out, she found that the muscles of his bare back would ripple and spasm.
That wasn't normal.
"Professor...?"
Finding Hermione's gaze, the professor followed her line of sight. Seeing what she saw, Mcgonagall instantly set a soothing charm against his muscles. They had stopped, but only for a little while, until one of them had to do it again.
Having the pain dissipate, at least from his back, it seemed to calm the vomiting a little.
Over an hour passed before they felt confortable enough to bring him back to bed, before spelling his entire body clean. Once again, the professor left the two of them alone.
"What happened?" she asked him, soothing his hair away from his face.
"I have no idea... I started feeling horrible as soon as you left." he commented, and Hermione's face fell.
"Not that it's your fault!" he quickly mended, placing his hand over hers. "I don't know what caused it, but that's around the time it started."
Not long after, Harry fell asleep. Not feeling able to leave him, Hermione laid back and slept beside him. When they woke, the skies outside had turned dark, the moon visible and luminous.
"Do you still want to go to the lake?" he asked her sleepily, as he finally woke and found out how late it had become.
"Of course." she said, standing.
Harry stood weakly, and Hermione went to his side to keep him upright.
After helping him put his shirt and shoes on, they transported to the grounds outside. It was easier that way, Harry was too weak to make it down the stairs.
They stood at the top of the hill, and prepared a place to sit for a while. The night was eerily dark, the vast stars and streaks of moonlight being its only saving grace.
Against the water though, the contrast was stunning. Silver beams of light shone across the dark surface, and creatures of the sea basked in it as they rose to the surface.
"It's amazing here." Hermione said, awed by the beauty of the night. She wondered why she had never noticed before.
Harry was silent, watching her as she watched the scene before them. She turned and found his eyes on her, a small smile forming on his lips.
"What is it?"
"Just you."
"What about me?" she asked. Too late, she recalled that the serum was still in full effect.
"You're beautiful. I'm glad I brought you here."
Trying hard to ignore the sudden compliment, she asked, "What, is this private or something?"
"Very. I've never brought anyone here, or said anything about it."
It surprised her, hearing him admit that. Granted, if he were to take anyone there, it would have been his two closest friends. Or at least, they would likely be told if he was taking a girl there or something.
"Why did you agree to bring me here?" she asked curiously.
His smile fell a little, his expression turning into discomfort. He wasn't comfortable admitting what he was about to say, she realized. She wanted to take it back, to prevent him from being forced to tell her. In the thought of unveiling potentially important information, she refrained from reversing it.
"I always thought I'd bring you here some day. When Ron started having feelings for you, it sort of complicated everything." he told her.
Hermione tried to wrap her mind around what he was saying, but decided she must be misinterpreting it.
"Why did it complicate things for you?" she asked in a whisper.
"Because I'm in love with you. I have been for a long time now." he said, his eyes falling from hers.
Hermione gasped, unsure how to respond. She had no idea he was even remotely invested in her, though the images of his memories did make her question it.
"Can I ask you something?" he finally questioned, his eyes remaining on the blanket beneath them.
"Oh.. of course!"
"Why have you been helping me so much? I see you more than anyone else."
"You always seem to do better when I'm there. Perhaps part of the solution is having your friends with you." she replied, shrugging.
Harry looked back up at her again, his eyes searching hers. He seemed to be contemplating her words, piecing them together with something else.
Slowly, carefully, Harry closed the small distance between them.
Hermione didn't move, didn't push him away. His hand caressed the side of her face, lightly touching the skin there as his fingers lightly brushed over her hair.
When he finally kissed her, the amount of warmth and desire surprised her- both in him as well as in herself.
Within moments, his desire increased, his tongue parting her mouth until he found her own, his hands lightly trailing across her neck and shoulder. He let out a low growl against her lips and it sent a quiver through her entire body.
She wanted him. So badly it hurt her. She had never felt like that before, how she felt with him in that moment. The only thing that stopped her from moving forward then, was knowing he was still sick. It didn't scare her or bother her, more that his health was a priority.
Emerald bursts of fire works erupted behind the mountain peaks beyond the lake, and Harry tore away from her. His eyes widened and his body shook almost inhumanly.
"Harry? Harry, what's wrong? What is it?" she asked, panicked.
"I-- I can't, I have to leave." he began, and ran, albeit awkwardly, back to the lights of the school.
Hermione ran after him, but couldn't find him once she got to the school.
"Professor!?" She yelled out.
"I have him." came the womans voice.
Hermione released a long breath, relieved that someone had gotten to him.
She ran to the hospital ward just a few doors down, but the professor stopped her at the door.
"It's better that you don't come in." she said, holding her by the shoulder.
"What!? Absolutely not, I'm going in there." she yelled back.
Reluctantly, the woman released her, and Hermione barreled into the room. Then almost wished she hadn't.
He was strapped down to the bed far more seriously than she could ever recall seeing before. His face was drained of color, noticable even from her distance from him.
Instantly, she wanted to call out, to go to him, but found that her voice was as halted as her own steps.
"What happened?" the professor asked, coming up behind her.
"I don't know I--" she cut off, finally understanding. "The fireworks. There were green fireworks by the lake and he saw them."
The professor nodded sadly, understanding what she did. This was one of the PTSD episodes, probably the worst yet.
"I see." Mcgonagall said, moving to his bed side.
Hermione finally moved closer, before stopping again. His body was covered in sweat, matting his hair to his forehead. He still writhed beneath the restraints, angry growls and hisses emanating from him.
It wasn't normal, Hermione thought. The spell he had been hit with was intensifying his reactions.
"Professor... I think you should know something."
She went to her side and explained what she and Ron had found, and Harry's words to her that evening on the hill. The professor nodded slowly, then stopped, her eyes snapping to hers.
"That's it."
"What is?"
"It's you, Miss Granger. That's why he does so much better when you're here."
"I don't understand." Hermione said, puzzled.
"His soul connected to you."
Hermione stilled, unsure if she had heard the professor correctly.
"I... I'm sorry?"
"His soul connected to you." she said again, a smile slowly forming across her face. Finally, they had found at least one solid answer. "He's better with you, because part of his soul resides in you, as part of yours resides in him. When someone connects to another person or object that way, part of its essence also transfers to them. You're quite literally each others half."
Hermione let out a breath, not realizing she had held it to begin with.
"Okay, so... where do we go from here?" she asked.
"I'm afraid I can't tell you that, or it wouldn't save him."
Hermione thought about that, but couldn't decipher any meaning behind it. Which, given the professors words, seemed to be for the best.
"I'll figure it out." she said finally, then sat beside Harry, soothingly stroking his arm until his panicked movements ceased completely.
"I'll leave you be then, it appears he's alright for the time being. Let me know if you need anything, I'll be just next door."
Hermione nodded and thanked her, watching as she left the room.
"Can you untie me?" Harry asked, a little breathless.
She watched him, and once she decided it would be safe, she did exactly that.
"I'm sorry about earlier." he said, unable to meet her eyes.
"Don't be. It's alright now, you're alright."
"I just hate being like this." he said sadly. She hated seeing him that way, but she wasn't about to tell him so.
"Can I lay with you?" she asked instead.
"Please." he replied, shifting over in the bed.
She positioned herself beside him, this time resting her head against his chest. The sound of his heart beat soothed her- it let her know he was alive, that he was okay.
"Did you enjoy the lake?" he asked her.
"I did. It was incredible, I can't believe I've never noticed it before. You think you've seen everything when you've been here as long as we have."
"I find myself finding something new on a regular basis. The grounds are bigger than I had thought- we couldn't explore half of it before. Oh! That reminds me. There's actually something else I wanted to show you."
"Tonight?" she asked, not sure how good of an idea that was.
"If we could. If you're uncomfortable with it after..."
"No, no, it's alright. We'll go, I'll just need to be able to get in touch with one of the professors... just in case."
Harry nodded, understanding.
It was a simple enough maneuver of her wand to do just that, and found no issue in being able to do it if need be. But, given his current mood, she didn't think it would be necessary.
"Let me go talk to Mcgonagall about it, I'll be right back, okay?"
She returned to him a few minutes later, cheerful and eager to see what he wanted to show her.
"Ready?" she asked, seeing him pull a coat on.
"Ready." he replied, flashing her a wide, brilliant smile.
They set off into the woods, their wands lighting their path as Harry led the way. The path to wherever they were going was next to a stream, brilliant in the silver moonlight. Deep green brush and pine trees surrounded them, a dusted golden light flecked across their branches.
Finally, a small cottage came into view. Hermione had never seen it before.
"What is this place?" she asked in wonder.
"It was Hagrids before it got too dangerous out here. Nicer than his current place I think."
He unlocked the door and they stepped inside the dark room. When Harry lit the space, she was surprised at how well cared for it was.
"It's been my project away from the school. Mcgonagall thought it would be good therapy for me or something." he said, as if reading her thoughts.
"It's amazing, Harry." she said honestly, taking in the space.
The room before them held a dark leather couch with a matching recliner, a wooden coffee table, and various photos along the walls that seemed to have come with the place.
Just beyond an open wall to their right, there was a quaint little kitchen and dining table set for four places. It was almost odd to see it all there, in the small hut in the middle of the woods.
She could hear the running creek just outside the living room window.
"Want to see the rest?" he asked excitedly.
"Of course!"
Harry led her to through a doorway that came off the living area, leading to a small bathroom and two rooms. One was a spacious office, and the other an equally spacious bedroom.
The bedroom was dark, the bed covered in a black plush comforter and matching satin pillow cases. A desk sat along the opposing wall, a dark walnut wood as its base. The walls helped to even out the contrast, coated in an off white paint with a dark wooden trim.
"What do you think?" he asked, finding her focused on the bed.
"It's amazing what you've done here." she said, turning to him.
Hermione searched his eyes, finding them light, comfortable. She leaned into him then, pressing a soft kiss against his lips. He responded immediately, returning to the hungry kisses like they shared by the lake.
His desire turned something inside of her, something deep and unfamiliar as she felt his hands grip her waist.
Nervously, Hermione pulled him into the room until the backs of her knees hit the edge of the bed. Her heart racing, she pulled him closer still.
Harry realized what she wanted, and broke the kiss briefly.
"Hermione, I don't think--"
"Please? We could... we could atleast try." she told him.
There was something about him then, something that drove her to him. She wanted to be with him as deeply as she could be. She had only ever been with one other person before, but it had been especially disappointing in his ego and inability to please her.
"Are you sure?" he asked.
"I'm sure."
His eyes turned dark then, and for a moment, she thought he was going into another episode. Instead, his tender kisses reassured her that he was perfectly fine.
Harry's kisses trailed from her lips, down her neck and collar bone. She moaned softly at the touch, partially from the surprise of their ability to be that way together- she never, ever thought they would even be more than friends.
Her moans drove him further, his hands slipping beneath her top. At first, he merely gripped her sides as his kisses continued against her skin. After several long moments, his hands finally trailed to her breasts, staying above the confining fabric of her bra.
Hermione shifted below him, centering him between her thighs. He was already hard and pressing against her, adding to the already raging hunger she felt.
There was an unnatural edge to that hunger, and she had no doubt that it came from the connection they had just discovered. Still, it wasn't unwelcome.
Feeling her intensity grow, he slipped his hand beneath the fabric, finally connecting against the bare skin of her breasts. She took in a sharp breath, surprised at how good it felt. His pressure was more intense, his palms digging into her until he pressed her nipples between his fingers.
Hermione moved beneath him, grazing against him. She needed to feel him.
She trailed her hands down his torso, until she felt the buckle that fastened his jeans. Undoing them as quickly as she could, she found him easily, pressing against his briefs.
The simple touch from her above the fabric made him moan against her throat, and jump slightly beneath her hand.
It wasn't long before her hand slipped beneath, and drew him out. Feeling him entirely like that made her ache for more, as she worked against his length.
Muttering a few words under his breath, every article of clothing on her disappeared. Her breasts uncovered, he lowered his mouth to each one, taking her nipples between his teeth as he slid a hand down her stomach until he met the bare skin of her sex.
Feeling her warm and wet beneath him, he growled a low, satisfied sound. It drove her insane, hearing him like that, and she moved until he was laid out beneath her, his erection standing against her lower abdomen.
Straddling his lap, she lowered herself until her mouth was against him, enveloping him. He let out a surprised gasp, his hand reaching down into her hair and pulling it back for her.
Her tightened lips around him filled him with an ecstacy he didn't know existed, and furthered when her tongue circled him.
When she came back up to him, she slowly removed his shirt and pressed her hands into him as she felt across his chest and his tight torso. She was so close, just barely grazing against him, and it wasn't enough. He needed more.
Grasping her hips, he shifted her to him until he found her opening, then lowered her onto him.
Hermione threw her head back, her hands still pressed into his chest for support. She rode him slowly at first, before she sat up and grasped his wrists, riding him fast and hard. The grip she held wasn't enough to support her position and she moved to grasp his thighs from behind her.
His body arched, pushing himself further inside of her until she moaned so loudly, that he was glad they were in the middle of the woods, away from the others.
To his complete surprise, and utter pleasure, she released one hand from him to pleasure herself, on display in front of him. Seeing her like that, writhing in her own pleasure, using his body to her advantage, nearly pushed him over the edge.
He wasn't ready yet. He wanted to taste her, to touch her, until neither of them could handle it any longer.
Harry flipped her to her back once more, so abruptly that it startled her for a moment before realizing what was happening. She writhed beneath him, aching for him after such harsh movements from before.
He chuckled softly, nipping at her ear, her breasts, her stomach, until he finally reached her. His tongue was eager as it darted across the sensitive spot, earning him gasps and moans from his counter.
His hands worked her breasts as he tasted her, until he drew one hand down to bring to her, inserting three fingers at once, roughly moving them within her.
Hermione gripped his hair and bowed into him, amazed at how much pleasure he was giving her. Viktor had either been too gentle, or too rough with her. Instead, Harry gave her exactly what she wanted, and what she needed.
As her orgasm came closer to the surface, she began to feel full and her senses overwhelmed, completely enthralled with him.
Harry felt her muscles clench and shiver around him, and he knew she was close. He needed to he inside of her as she came, he needed to feel all of her around him, flooding him.
He propped himself back above her, removing his hand from her until he was propped above her, panting and needing. She was fast, moving until he was inside of her again. Hermione began to ride him from that position, lifting her hips against his length in quick, powerful motions.
When he felt her legs weaken, he lifted her hips above the bed and slammed into her, reaching deeper than he had before. She came undone around him, her body bowed as he held her.
He continued his harsh movements against her until he was close to his own release, pulling out of her quickly. Spilling against her stomach, he watched her, her hands working against herself until she found another release, just as he found his.
Laying beside her after made him feel as if he had changed during their activity. Where their sex had been rough and unrefined, their laying beside each other had instantly made them sweet again, cuddled against each other.
"Harry?" she breathed.
"Mmm?"
"I need to tell you something."
Concerned, he turned to her, finding her face flush from the precious excitement, and her eyes filled with a happiness he'd never seen there before.
"What is it?"
"I... I love you."
Instantly, he felt a heavy weight seem to lift from him, a pain he didn't know he held lifted, leaving him feeling light and unlike anything else he had ever experienced before.
"I love you too." he whispered against her hair, before placing a kiss against the top of her head.
