A/N: Thank you all so much for your reviews, favorites and follows! It's been long - far too long really - to go without an update. I knew what was going to happen in this chapter, but I just found it really difficult to write for some reason. Hopefully it will live up to what you want. If you aren't really into the smutty/intimate bits, you could skip this one. However, we are halfway through the story, now! Whoo!

Please let me know what you thought of chapter twenty-four and be on the lookout for chapter twenty-five soon!

August 1968

The following morning, Hermione woke slowly from the sunlight streaming into Rodolphus's bedroom. She stretched languorously, letting her toes skim the length of her bed partner's leg, unable to hold back the smile when she felt his hair covered shin underfoot. Her eyes opened slowly, adjusting to the light.

Rodolphus's face came into focus immediately and once again she was taken aback by how handsome he really was. She liked seeing him more like this, unpolished and relaxed without a care in the world. His lips were barely parted and Hermione shivered, think of all the wonderful feelings those same lips had made her feel.

Her fingers traced up the plains of his chest, over the strong curve of his jaw, enjoying the slightly prickly feeling of his unshaven face. Her thumb skimmed over his bottom lip, her eyes darting to his own closed lids, wanting to make sure that he hadn't woken up from her delicate handling. Continuing her crusade to catalog each and every feature of this Rodolphus's handsome visage so that she might never forget it, she let her fingertips glide down the length of his nose, stopping at the tip.

It did not take long for the corners of his lips to pull up unbidden in a smile, his own eyelids blinking open until she was met with the familiar blue color of his eyes - pale and passionate and uniquely Rodolphus.

"You are studying me more furiously than unfamiliar charms work," he quipped, his voice still thick with sleep. Turning half way onto his side, he did not shy away from her touches, completely unabashed by her review of his features.

"I just want to remember you like this forever," she whispered, not entirely sure that she would be able to speak without revealing her true emotions. "I don't want to forget how this feels like."

Rodolphus gave her one of those half-smiles of his. "Why would you forget about this?" he asked, using his own hand to caress the length of her bare arm, enjoying the feel of her soft skin under Quidditch calloused hands.

"When I have to go to Hogwarts, and the distance and your father convinces you that I am not worth it," she said in a fit of pique, hating the way that Rodolphus could always make her go from being immeasurably happy to feeling frustrated and adrift. She didn't know what was the right thing to do in terms of being in the past, but she knew that she didn't want to give up Rodolphus.

His eyebrows drew together and his handsome face was marred by a frown. He pulled her body closer to him, pressing her face against his chest, holding her in his warm embrace. "No one could convince me you are not worth it, Hermione. Not a few months of distance...and certainly not my father," he promised, his voice a rumble in his chest that Hermione could feel. "I love you too much to let something like that come between us."

Hermione felt her stomach swoop when she heard the words that she'd been pushing down in herself for weeks now. His heart beat loud against her ear the longer that she didn't respond, his body revealing how nervous he was, even if she'd never be able to tell from just looking at him. Turning her head up to face him, she rewarded Rodolphus with a grin. "I love you, too," she answered, feeling complete now that she knew her feelings were returned. Shyly, she returned her face to his chest, never wanting to leave his embrace.

Although she couldn't see his face, Hermione knew that Rodolphus was smiling as well, pressing an eager kiss to the top of her head. One hand slid down her back, easily finding the hem of her pajama top, sliding underneath to find bare skin. His fingers traced the length of her spine, pulling the shirt up with them. She shivered under the feeling, her legs pressed together to curb the ache that had begun to form in her center.

His free hand traced along the edge of her jaw, tilting her to look up at him. She was overcome by the look in his blue eyes - pure and certain. Holding her just so, he dipped his head so that he could capture her lips in a kiss. Their lips met tenderly, not full of unbridled passion in the heat of the moment, but rather sweet and honest, each one of them pouring the true depths of their feelings, of their affection, of their love for one another into the kiss.

However, it was nearly impossible to remain chaste when pressed so tightly against the wizard who had so completely captured her attention without really meaning to at all. She opened her lips to him, welcoming him to deepen the kiss. Still, Rodolphus took his time, rolling his tongue against hers, making her scrunch her toes up in pleasure. Wrapping her arms around his neck, Hermione pulled herself up to a more agreeable angle, never breaking their kiss.

The hand that had been massaging her back had slowly inched its way towards her side and had finally made its way to cup her breast. She moaned into him, loving the feel of his rough skin against hers, feeling her nipple pebble under his confident movements. After months of time together, he knew exactly how to touch her to leave her begging for more. Hermione pressed her body into him, arching her back to demand more contact with the handsome wizard.

But she wanted more. She wanted to feel him with absolutely nothing separating their bodies. Breaking their kiss, she looked down at him with purpose, ignoring Rodolphus's disappointed pout. Slipping her own fingers beneath the soft cotton of the shirt that he slept in, she began pulling it up, revealing tanned skin to her eyes. The muscles of his stomach were taut and appealing and Hermione couldn't resist running her fingers up his sides, watching in awe as he reacted to her unbidden. Rodolphus seemed to understand what it was that she was looking for, because he took over for her, pulling his shirt up and over his head, while she did the same of her own pajama top.

The look of awe in his eyes when he saw her nude from the waist up made Hermione feel powerful and confident. She'd never been the most looks obsessed witch, but she couldn't deny that there was something about being so obviously desired by someone else. It did feel even better to be pressed together with nothing separating their bodies.

Unwilling to end their lazy morning explorations, Rodolphus kissed her once again, before kissing down her jaw, down her neck, until he found the juncture between her shoulder and neck. His open mouthed kisses left her feeling dizzy and needy, enjoying the give and take of soft pressure of his mouth and the soothing sensation of his tongue. Once he was certain to have left at least one love bite to show that she was his, he continued on his exploration of her body.

Hermione couldn't stop a small groan of pleasure at the feeling of his mouth around her breast, laving its hard point with his tongue. Her fingers delved into his lush hair, holding him in place, never wanting it to stop, but wanting more at the same time. Rodolphus seemed to understand her indecision, though, and after a few beats, his fingers found the elastic band of her shorts. He played with the band, perhaps giving her an opportunity to back out if she wanted to, but Hermione could think of nothing she'd want more in that moment.

Lifting her hips, she helped him pull the shorts down from around her hips, leaving her completely bare. She felt her heart beating away excitedly in her chest, when she realized that this might actually be happening. She and Rodolphus had had many intimate moments over the course of their relationship, but they had never gone all the way. Godric, Hermione had never gone all the way. However, she found that she wasn't even a little bit nervous, just excited and anxious to have it start.

Unsure of what to do next, Hermione pressed at Rodolphus's shoulders, wanting him to kiss her again. After initiating a deep kiss with him, she let her own hands explore his body, finding his own pants easily enough. Fumbling with the ties that held the pants snug, she was glad that he couldn't see her blushing from inexperience, hoping that she wasn't doing something wrong. Rodolphus groaned, but eventually joined her hands, helping her to free him equally, shoving his pants down his legs in an eager rush. It was always nice to know that he was just as affected as she was.

Confident fingers found her wet center easily enough, his thumb staying at the top of her sex, working that small nub in gentle circles, while first one and then a second finger entered her. He quickly worked her up to a fever pitch, knowing exactly how to get her body to respond after so much time together. With each thrust of his fingers, she felt her breathing quicken as she was steadily pushed closer and closer to the edge of orgasm. And when she finally snapped, her body went rigid, unable to do anything but hold onto the feeling of absolute pleasure he had given her.

She recovered slowly, but wrapped her arms around his shoulders when she finally did. "Please, Rodolphus. I want more," she whispered, needing to have him fully in that moment.

He looked a bit surprised, but certainly eager. Removing his fingers from inside of her, he began stroking himself. "Are you certain, Hermione?" he asked, his eyes searching her face for any dissent. "We can't go back from this."

"I'm sure. I love you," she repeated, feeling her breath catch in her throat when he positioned himself against her body. Wrapping a leg around his trim waist, she could feel her body open itself up to him whilst he began to move forward. It did not hurt as she had been lead to believe; instead, losing her virginity was little more than a bit of uncomfortable pressure, and then in a moment it was over and Rodolphus was fully inside of her, giving her a moment to adjust.

She was certain she'd never felt this close to anyone - physically or emotionally - and she was nearly overcome for a moment with what it all meant. The feeling of Rodolphus's full body weight pressed against her, with absolutely nothing to separate them filled with a heady feeling that she never wanted to let go of.

And then Rodolphus started to move, pulling out of her, only to surge back forward, slowly at first, but quickly gaining. Hermione kept her arms wrapped tightly around his back, feeling his muscles move under his skin with each and every surge of his hips. She could feel his heart beating against her chest, wilder than she'd ever imagine, while his fingers held onto the soft flesh of her hips, holding onto her for purchase.

In the end, it didn't last very long for either of them; the persistent push and pull of her body quickly had Hermione cresting once again, eyes shut tight and holding onto him through his final uncoordinated thrusts before he was coming with her.

She wasn't sure how long that she laid their, enjoying the press of Rodolphus's body weight on her, his cooling skin under her finger tips while her mind reeled from the feeling, but she knew that she didn't want to let him go. She didn't want to return to the Weasleys and she didn't want to go back to Hogwarts and she didn't want Rodolphus to return to work where he might forget about her. "I'm never going to give you up, Hermione," he whispered into her ear, before rolling onto his back and pulling her against him. And she would hold him to that promise.