A/N: Shorter chapter this week - hopefully the mid-week chapter earlier makes up for it. Reminder that this story is rated M for a reason!

Friday, 1/29/1999

The moment Harry and Hermione apparated into Andromeda's backyard, they heard a strangled whoop of delight. Hermione had barely gotten her bearings before the older witch practically shoved Teddy into her arms.

"Okay baby, now Nana is going to go do things that you simply cannot do with an infant. Be good for me, will you?"

"Not even going to invite us in for tea, Andi?" Harry shot from beside her. He was chuckling at Andromeda's barely contained excitement at the prospect of a baby-free weekend.

"Oh hush. It's your house too, go make yourself some tea. I for one need a slightly stronger drink."

Andromeda swept the three of them into a tight hug before disapparating with a soft crack. Just like that, Hermione and Harry were left in the quiet backyard with a rather subdued Teddy. There was no sound but for the slight breeze rustling the hedges. The sky was tinged pink and violet with the soft rays of the setting sun.

Harry turned to her and gave a low, throaty chuckle. Hermione suddenly felt uncomfortably warm despite the chilly January air. It occurred to her that they would be staying alone for two nights, away from prying teachers, friends, or parents.

Harry hoisted their bags over one shoulder and gently placed the other on the small of her back. Hermione felt a delicious jolt of electricity at the spot where his hand had made contact. She lingered for a torturous moment, before allowing him to lead them into the house.

The evening began comfortably as they settled into their usual routine, sans Andromeda. Harry whipped up a quick meal for them as Hermione settled their things and tended to Teddy. They had made it through three of the children's stories in The Tales of Beedle the Bard before Harry called them back inside.

Dinner was a more complicated affair. Hermione and Harry sat side by side with Teddy in her lap, attempting various strategies to get the boy to eat. They were largely unsuccessful until Hermione recalled Andi's words and suggested that Harry eat Teddy's food with him. That did the trick, except that Teddy was so insistent on sharing that Harry ended up eating the majority of the baby food anyways.

The whole time, Hermione was getting more and more flustered at the sight of Harry in dad-mode. At one point, he admonished her for not paying attention to her own food and spoon fed her a bit of soup. Hermione literally moaned at the sensation, and scrambled to pass it off as appreciation for his cooking. That only made things worse, however, as he started teasing her and moaning sensually whenever he took a bite of his own food. By the end of the meal, it was taking all of her willpower not to throw him over the table and do things that were highly inappropriate in front of Teddy.

After dinner, Hermione hastily excused herself for a very, very cold shower. The muted sounds of Harry and Teddy playing together magnified her problem a hundredfold. She desperately tried to use the showerhead to relieve her tension, but it was completely ineffective. After a very frustrating half hour, Hermione left the shower extremely clean and incredibly unsatisfied.

Taking the failure as a sign from above, Hermione resolved to change tack. She and Harry had been intimate several times since that fateful night when he had given her the vita pulcherrimae, but had yet to take that final step. She had known for a while now that she wanted him to be her first, but Harry was either too stupid or too much of a gentleman to notice. Not that she was complaining - his fingers and tongue were more than sufficient to take her of her needs. But now, her burning desire was turning her brain to mush, and she simply wasn't sure if she could wait any more. Hermione didn't want to push Harry into anything he wasn't ready for, but for her part she was more than ready.

Gathering all of her Gryffindor courage, Hermione donned a fluffy white bathrobe from Andromeda's closet, and nothing else. That ought to send him the message, the stupid, sexy git.

She paused at the head of the stairs to peer into the living room. Harry and Teddy were walking in slow circles. Teddy was clutching his father's finger tightly as he took a few shaky steps with Harry's encouragement.

Hermione snuck down the stairs and right up to Harry's back. Fighting her already creeping blush, she took a deep breath and tapped him on the shoulder.

He scooped up Teddy and turned to her. "Hermione, did you see-"

Harry abruptly went silent. His jaw dropped as he went tomato red. Hermione felt a thrill of excitement when she noticed that he could not meet her eye, and was staring quite openly at the exposed valley between her breasts.

Feeling her own face burning with a violent blush, Hermione summoned her best imitation of a husky voice.

"Harry…" she raked his chest gently, before pulling Teddy from his arms.

"Why don't we put him to bed?"

Not waiting for a reply, Hermione turned and began to head up the stairs. She made sure to walk slowly, channeling Ginny Weasley as she attempted to gently sway her hips on the way up.

Hermione led them to Teddy's nursery, where she set the baby down and quickly Transfigured his clothes into comfortable onesie pajamas. Harry was a few steps behind her, jaw still gaping. Hermione was blushing madly now, and blindly handed him a picture book without meeting his eyes. He dumbly plopped onto the rocking chair next to Teddy's crib, still staring at her openly.

Hermione planted herself firmly in Harry's lap. His hands immediately encircled her and she gave him an appreciative wiggle. She could feel his stiff excitement through his trousers. The two of them hurriedly stumbled through a bedtime story, and thankfully one reading was enough for Teddy to fall asleep. Right as the baby shut his eyes, Harry turned to her and pulled her into a heavy kiss. Hermione immediately granted access to his tongue and threaded her hands through his hair, moaning deeply into his mouth.

They broke apart gasping for air, and Hermione scrambled up to yank Harry into their bedroom across the hall. She could only manage to pull his shirt off before they collapsed onto the bed together.

Harry frantically grabbed every inch of Hermione he could reach. She settled on tangling one hand in his hair while the other wrapped around his back, pulling him closer to eliminate the few inches between them. His body was deliciously warm. She could feel his hardened length pressing against her thigh, separated by just the fabric of his trousers.

Harry's lips moved from hers to latch onto her exposed breast. She gasped, feeling a rush of ecstasy at the contact. For a delightful minute she became putty under his weight, reveling and moaning at his ministrations.

When his lips moved to her collarbone, Hermione caught his chin and tugged at his belt buckle. Harry understood, and shucked off his trousers so they were both fully undressed. She gasped again as she felt his rod make contact with her exposed thigh. It was burning like a furnace.

"Harry…" her voice was barely a whisper. He looked up at her, eyes hazy with lust.

"Harry," she repeated, a little more firmly. "Make love to me."

He moved both hands from her body to gently cup her face. "Are you sure?" Harry's eyes shone with concern, all traces of lust gone. His tenderness and care only reaffirmed her conviction. She wanted Harry to be her first. Her first, and her only. Hermione knew he would never hurt her.

"Yes…" she breathed.

Harry touched his forehead to hers, still cupping her face. "I've never done this before," he breathed back.

"Me neither, Harry. I want this with you. Only you. No one else."

In reply, Harry caught her lips in a tender kiss and pulled their bodies flush together.

The young lovers embraced each other tightly that night as two became one. Harry chanted Hermione's name like a revelation, while she repeated her promise to him a thousand times.

Only you, Harry. Only you. No one else.