CONTEST WINNER THIS CHAPTER: User "Daisykins" recommended the song, "Give and Take" by Tyler Collins for Lavender & Seamus this go around, and I thought it a perfect complement to Lavender's thoughts here. So, this chapter is dedicated to DAISYKINS - congratulations! Lyrics for that song appear at the bottom of this chapter. Hope you'll find this song somehow and give it a listen.

Remember, I'll accept song suggestions for each couple, as well as digitally manipulated images of live people and your original hand-drawn or digitally drawn fanart for this story up until the end of this fic is published. SEND ME YOUR LISTS OR ARTWORK to: rzzmg at yahoo dot com.

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CHAPTER THREE (#1): Seamus & Lavender

Back in their own private version of the Gryffindor common room, Lavender tossed her bum down in the same cozy chair she'd previously occupied during the last two action rounds, crossing her legs. She positively glared at Seamus as he entered behind her and quietly shut the door.

Swaggering over to the couch, he carefully removed his woolen jacket and jumper, laying them across the back of the sofa, and then literally jumped into the same catty-corner as before, lounging back as if the world was his oyster and he had no cares. He unbuttoned his white, cotton dress shirt at the collar, and did the same to his shirt cuffs, rolling them up to mid-forearm.

They stared at each other the whole time in silence, she trying hard not to notice his predatory inspection of her person. When he'd made himself quite comfortable, he lifted his card and read it aloud to her:

DEED: Caress every inch of your partner's naked body on the outside.

Lavender felt the blood drain from her face. "You have got to be joking!"

That sexy smile of his put in an appearance, gliding up his cheek. "'Fraid not, sweet angel. Shall we get ta it then?"

She grit her teeth, letting her fingernails roll-tap over the arms of the chair. "I'd rather not."

Her partner frowned, losing his good humour. "Yer mad about how I answered the question, aren't ya?"

She hated to admit it, but the fact that Seamus had so casually tossed out the idea that he wouldn't mind getting it on with two other women, one of whom was her good friend, had stung. Lavender had always felt she'd placed second when compared to Hermione, whether it be in Ron's arms or in their various classes. To have Pansy included in the mix... she couldn't even begin to describe how that had galled her. The woman was a Slytherin, for Merlin's sake!

Of course, it hadn't helped that not a minute later, Ron had said he'd preferred Pansy, too. Her self-esteem had taken a big hit then.

Was she going to let Seamus know any of this, though? Abso-bloody-lutely not. He had too big an ego as it was.

"Let's just get this over with. It's not like you haven't already had me naked before."

Quelling her terror, tamping it down deep into her gut – she was a Gryffindor, after all – Lavender stood up and reached behind her neck, pulling the string tie to the halter of the dress, letting it fall. Peeling the dress away with a wiggle here and there, it drifted to the floor in a satiny heap.

Seamus sucked in his breath as he took in her lingerie. "Bloody hell!" he swore in amazement, and wolf-whistled. "Ya went and grew up on me, love. And yer knickers are quite fetchin', ya know." He got to his feet in a flash and approached.

Teetering on her heels as she took a step away, Lavender nearly fell back. Sea caught her with an unexpected swiftness, however, gathered her into his arms and effortlessly held her up against his solid chest. His arms were steel bands around her, pressing her into his warm curves. They were nose to nose when she looked up.

Godric, he was gorgeous, wasn't he?

An electric tingle shot up her spine and into the back of her head, causing her knickers to go instantly wet, just as it had last round when he'd touched her. She might have said it was some sort of magic she'd felt that caused the reaction, but he wasn't holding his wand.

"Easy, sweet angel," he murmured in a gentle tone. "No need ta be rushin' and hurtin' yerself. Let me enjoy ya like this a bit, yeah?"

Lavender's inner alarms blared in warning. From the end of third year, when she'd first developed a fancy for Sea, he'd been her greatest temptation, with his smooth moves, his alluring woodsy scent, and those full, kissable lips and intense, green eyes. And that brogue… gods, that lilt, with the rolled r's, and the way he emphasized the 'La' part of her name! It made her shiver inside and out. Her ex-boyfriend had a way of enchanting her with a look or a simple phrase - which is why she'd made such a grave error in calculation two years ago and given up her virginity to him.

She'd promised herself after that fiasco that never again would she be made a fool of by putting her feelings so easily on the line. She'd cried too many tears, for too many months to count, and didn't intend upon repeating such a mistake. That vow was one she had lived by since, as she absolutely refused to become a victim to any man's clever wit or sultry looks a second time. In order to assure that happened, there was no such thing as 'making love' in bed – it was 'just sex' now.

That meant that Mister Seamus Finnigan, who had made the claim tonight that he was offering her something deeper than a simple physical relationship, was strictly off-limits. Besides, she didn't believe his offer to be true, anyway. It was most likely that he was simply trying to alleviate his guilt by earning her forgiveness. Once she gave it, he'd probably skip off to the next girl.

Narrowing her eyes, she threw him her most disapproving frown. "The card says nothing about either one of us enjoying this. I just have to do it."

The teasing glint left Seamus' eye and his countenance became very serious. "Lavender, I want this ta be good for the both o' us. Don't make me touch ya without care, Angel. It would… hurt me."

A sharp pang stabbed Lavender's chest. Well, that had seemed totally sincere…

No, he's a silver-tongued liar!, she sharply reminded herself, shaking off her momentary doubts. She knew better than anyone that this wizard talked a pretty speech to get a witch into his bed. The rumours from the other females around school only confirmed it; he'd turned dumping a girl into an art form. Frankly, Lavender didn't trust Sea any further than she could throw him.

"You did it before, so why should you care now about a repeat?"

The frustration flashed through his eyes, making him stern, almost scary. "I told ya why already! Merlin's pecker, woman, don't ya listen? I care about ya, a'right?"

"Pretty words, but just that," she threw back, her heart fluttering behind the cage of her ribs in anxiety over this confrontation. "But then, you're known for them, Sea. Every girl you've shagged says the same thing: you're a regular Lothario blessed with Cassanova's mouth."

He closed his eyes and sighed, obviously trying to rein in his temper. "Lavender…"

"Save it," she interrupted, pulling herself out of his embrace, reaching for her heels to get the bloody things off her feet so she'd stop tripping. "Your history speaks for itself, Finnigan, and I don't believe you." She kicked her shoes across the room, and then shakingly began removing her heart bracelet. "So, let's just get this over with already."

I will not cry, I will not cry, I WILL NOT CRY, she repeated the litany to get rid of the unexpected wavering tears in her eyes.

Why in all the levels of Hell was she this distressed? She'd promised her heart that she would never allow a man to upset her like this again; would never to let a man tip her whole world upside down and turn it inside out a second time…

…and why was this fucking clasp not coming off?

Gentle hands intervened, pushing her shaking fingers to the side and calmly removing the bracelet from her wrist, placing it down in the center of the nearby chair's cushion. "Slow 'n easy, sweet lass," Seamus coaxed, stepping back into her sphere, pressing in too close.

Wait, didn't he hear what she'd just said? Didn't he understand that she didn't want him like that ever again?

Those strong fingers of his slid over her arms and up to her shoulders, gently slipping her bra straps down, softly caressing the skin in passing.

Godric, he was stripping her. She should stop him!

No, he was only doing what his card allowed. If she stopped him, it would be her forfeit, and that was something her pride wouldn't let her do. She wouldn't be chased out of this game! She wasn't some little, naïve girl anymore. Their experience two years before had irrevocably changed her. Now she would show Seamus Finnigan that she could endure whatever he could dish out like the grown, mature woman she'd become!

Heart skipping madly, threatening to crawl up her throat, Lavender fought to regain control of her rapid pulse, to stop her body from trembling, and to calm her breathing. That odd, warm sparking tingle continued up and down the length of her spine, though, making it hard for her to ignore. Godric, was she that desperate for his touch, or was their chemistry just that bloody good?

Seamus slowly circled behind her, giving her a bit of space… but was too little a gentleman to stop, apparently. When he began unhooking the clasp to her bra, her inhalations sped up again. "Calm, me love," he coaxed in a soft murmur. "I won't hurt ya."

"Liar," she whispered, unable to match the strength of the echoing shout in her head.

His touch was tender, unhurried, and when the tension of her bra eased up, his warm hands smoothed the lingerie away, pulling it from her arms and dropping it to the floor. He leaned his head over her shoulder and looked down, his hands coming to rest on her waist. He melded his body to hers. "Yer beautiful," he whispered, and began tracing circles over her skin with his fingertips, gliding them across her abdomen. "Tell me, love, can we combine our cards, do ya think?"

Against her better judgment, Lavender nodded. Perhaps if they did their actions together it would go faster? She recalled her card's requirements and recited them back verbatim for him:

FORFEIT: Your partner gets to use a feather on you in any way they wish.

Seamus hummed in approval and held his hand out before her. Into it appeared a rounded wooden knot, at the top of which was bound a grouping of cockerel feathers. He gripped it between his fingers and brought it towards her without pause. The pulsing organ in Lavender's chest tried to leap out between her ribs.

No! Get control of yourself! She adamantly refused to let what he was about to do to her affect her. She'd grit her teeth and endure it, but she would not enjoy it!

Oh-so-gently, her partner stroked the feathers over her throat. "I'll only touch ya this way, angel," he pledged, running the extremely soft plumes over her neck, up and down, back and forth from one shoulder to the other. "And ya don't have ta get any more undressed unless ya want ta. I won't force it."

"But the cards say-" she began, but he cut her off, stroking the feathers over her lips.

"Sod all the cards," he denounced, moving the fetish toy over her cheeks and jaw. "It's me turn, and I get ta interpret the bloody things as I want."

As the wispy strands of the feather edges moved past the bridge of her nose to her forehead and back down, Lavender had no choice but to close her eyes. Trying to hold absolutely still through this wasn't going to be an option, as her body was shivering from the pleasurable sensations as the feather ran over her sensitive pulse in her neck again. Anticipation quickened her breath.

Seamus' lips were right on top of the shell of her ear when he groaned in longing, but instead of trailing the feathers down her breasts, as she'd expected, he teased them over the flesh of her right arm, bringing goose bumps to the surface.

Lavender kept her eyes closed out of fear and embarrassment now, and bit her bottom lip when the tickling centered on the inside bend of her elbow and over the veins in her wrist, for that feeling did more than just delight – it set off a rioting of butterflies in her stomach, making her belly clench. A gasped huff escaped her mouth despite her will.

As her fingers received a light stroking, the brush moved across her abdomen in a zigzag pattern from just under her breast to her lower left hip bone and back, before centering on her bellybutton. She was not normally a ticklish person, but that light grazing made her burst into helpless giggles. Trying to staunch the eruption was impossible as well, because Seamus didn't let up until she pushed his wrist away.

"No, no, lass, ya canna prevent me from touchin' ya how I want," he kidded, stroking the feathers down the length of her spinal column. "This is me reward, after all."

His reward, Lavender instantly sobered, opening her eyes once more, the harsh reality of their situation coming down on her once again. That's right. That's all this is about – winning me over so he can get my forgiveness and appease his guilt.

Stiffening up again, she stood stock still. "I apologize for interrupting. You can continue. I won't move again."

Finnigan sighed and she could hear the frustration. There was an awkward pause, and then she was being tugged to the sofa, being forced to straddle him once more. This time, however, her breasts were thrust into his face. She backed off as far as he would allow – which was only to put a little space between them. Her ire shot through the roof.

"You can't touch me like this! It's a foul!"

"I'm beggin' ta differ," he countered with a growl. "I need good access ta ya front, since that's where I'm wantin' ta touch ya next. Sittin' here like this gives me what I need ta fulfill the cards." He jerked his knees out, forcing her thighs wider, and leaned forward, leering at her. "Yer gonna like this part, I'm thinking. Now, don't move, like ya promised."

With deft hands and one rather determined feather, Seamus managed to transform her irritation into instant desire, as he trailed the stimulating ends of his toy over her right breast, circling her nipple with it. More electric sparks shot along her spinal column, seeming to centre in the very sensitive spots at the tip of her tail bone and at the nape of her neck. Everything inside her clenched, making her literally quake, and a startled gasp escape her lips. It took a supreme effort of will not to clutch at his arms for support, instead forcing her hands into clenched fists at her sides.

"Ah, ya see, angel," Seamus enticed, continuing his lazy sweep of her tiny rosy-beige buds. "Yer body isn't as cold as ya'd have me believe." He flicked the wispy feathers under the curve of her breast, following it around to the top and over to her left nipple, where he repeated a languid figure eight pattern across her skin.

"Yer tiny nips are perfect for suckin', me lass. I'd love ta run me tongue o'er this one here first," her former boyfriend indicated the breast on the left, tickling it with the feathers. The hot air from his sultry, thickly-accented speaking voice lightly danced over her skin at the same time, adding to the stimulation. "I'd bathe ya in me wet, warm mouth, lappin' across yer nipple, sucklin' and leavin' behind a love bite ta mark ya as mine."

He tilted his head to the other side, making sure his mouth hovered very close to its intended target. He exhaled and cool air instead caressed her skin, making Lavender choke back a whimper and resist the urge to squirm. "This one here, I'd clamp me teeth around and pull." He pressed his torture device directly against that nipple and slowly rotated it. "Gentle like, ya know? I'd let go right when ya were on the brink a'tween pleasure an' pain, then do it again and again."

Seamus continued his languid sweep around each breast, over and over again, turning his head to supposedly 'inspect' his work, all the while changing the temperature of the air around them by physically exhaling through his open mouth, or pretending to blow air out. By the time he moved the feather toy down her abdomen again, Lavender teetered on the brink of insanity.

And still he wasn't done with her.

The velvety smooth titillation continued its downward trek to just over her knickers, tracing the edges from one hip to the other, and around the curves of both thighs. The sensitive flesh there quivered in response, tensed up, and now she had to place her hands on her thighs to keep herself from jumping up off his lap.

"Ah, such soft lookin' skin ya have, me love," her partner murmured. "I gotta touch ya again." He put the toy down at his side on the cushions, and then blew on his hands and rubbed them together to warm them up. Lavender went as stiff as possible, steeling her resolution and dedication to her previously made vow, her fingers twitching and digging into the area just above her knees.

Tender, determined fingers splayed across her ribs and roamed slowly upwards, cupping her breasts and pushing in a smooth rolling motion. Lavender lurched and bit her tongue.

"Godric's rod!" Seamus breathed in awe, letting his fingertips stroke her nipples back into hard, little points. "What a fool I been, missin' this beauty."

He tweaked each of the tiny buds between his index fingers and thumbs, and that's what sent Lavender plummeting to her doom. She cried out and grabbed at his biceps, arching into him. With her face pressed to his neck, and her breathing ragged, she drew in the scent of Seamus once more, drowning in his musky fragrance, letting it roll over her, just as she had when she'd kissed him not an hour before.

"I wanna kiss 'em, sweet angel," her seducer whispered his wish against her ear. His fingers continued to work their magic on her overly-sensitive breasts. "Will ya let me?"

Stop fighting it, a naughty voice in the back of her head coaxed. Give in.

Her walls battered down by his physical assault of her senses, Lavender was helpless to do anything but nod in surrender.

His mouth closed over her left breast, and just as he promised, he took it into the moist cavern of his mouth, and licked and flicked gently with his tongue, soaking her in his saliva. Her hands moved into Seamus' hair and grabbed on, as she pressed into him more firmly, a low, desperate moan leaving her throat. Deep in her womb, she felt the fire of need burning, and between her legs, warm fluid trickled from her opening, wetting the fabric of her knickers.

Tilting her hips forward, she tightened her buttocks, and Seamus' hands roamed down to cup her backside in response, pulling her body in tight against his. As soon as she came in contact with his very hard erection, he began a hard sucking of her tiny bead, leaving behind what she knew would be that love bite he promised. Driven by a lusty greed, she ground her pelvis against his covered cock and cried out in pleasure.

When he was satisfied with his attentions to her one breast, Seamus turned his mouth towards the other, and again, as he had described, he took her bud expertly between his teeth and clamped down, tugging it away from her chest with slow, deliberate pressure. Digging her nails into his skull, Lavender hissed and arched more vigorously into her former lover's embrace. "Oh, Merlin!" she panted, as his hands began kneading her arse, pulling her over his solid length, humping to a slow, insistent rhythm. His fingers slid the edges of her knickers up and over until they met in the crack of her bum, and then he glided over the exposed flesh, rubbing it, urging her to continue pumping over him on her own. All the while, his teeth never stopped tugging and releasing her nipple.

"More," she whimpered, ashamed by how easily he'd enslaved her to the need for him that had never quite gone away over time, no matter her contrary claims. Godric, help her, but she wanted Seamus – always had. He was her one weakness…

Never breaking contact with her breast, her lover guided her back onto the couch. Hovering over her, he continued to place wet, warm kisses between her tits, even as he shifted to find a comfortable position kneeling between her legs. He didn't mount her as she'd expected. Instead, he pulled the edges of her knickers up in the front, letting them ride her slit, tugging them with gentle insistence so they stroked up and then down, rasping against her clit.

Shite, that felt good!

Spanning his fingers over her mound next, he teased her small patch of well-trimmed curls, moaning as he found them dampened by her musky arousal. Pushing the heel of his palm up, he caused the panties to continue to ride her clit. Rocking against her this way, he easily overwhelmed Lavender's will as the onslaught of such lovely feelings shoved aside all logical protest.

Deep inside her core, electricity began arcing. It worked its way up her spine and simultaneously traveled down her hipbones, centering under Seamus' touch. "Oooh, yes," she hissed, her pelvis swaying forward to meet the thrust of his hand, her fingers running through his hair and pulling him into her in an unconscious gesture of longing. "Don't stop," she begged in a heated whisper, her knees bending to cradle against his outer thighs, rubbing against his crisp woolen slacks. "Feels so good."

His tongue and mouth continued to love her as thoroughly as promised, even as his fingers gently scraped through her pubic hair at the same time as increasing his palm's tempo. Scorching fire shot through her engorged clit, sending sparks rioting along both the outside and inside of her pussy lips. She soaked the thin strip of fabric that rested in her seam, scenting the air between them with her body's natural musk. Her lover indulged Lavender's utmost gratification, utilizing his honed skills to bring her to the brink in moments.

By cherishing her body as he was - as he'd previously neglected to do years ago - the fortified wall of Lavender's anger began to erode. Perhaps she could let this happen between them again. Perhaps she might be able to trust him. Perhaps…

A sheen of perspiration dotted her upper lip as she panted, reaching… reaching…

Lifting his head, Seamus placed his lips next to her ear, breathing hot air down the curve of her neck at the same time as pushing up with his palm again, making her shudder. "Let go, me love," he gently bid. "Come."

Like magic, his words freed her, and Lavender tumbled over the edge of bliss with a wild, lusty cry. Her back arched off the cushions, and behind her tightly shut eyelids, detonations of colour burst in a parade of light. She floated high on the wave of pleasurable sensations for several long seconds before slowly coming back down to earth.

"Lavender," her wizard purred against her throat as she rode out the aftershocks and slid into the warm glow. "Yer so lovely, me lass. How I wished I'd been able to bring ya back then like this."

His words… they wounded without intention. Why couldn't he have said these things to her back when she'd given him her virginity? If only he had, things might have been different between them. They were such small words, but they were so very important.

Her tears came, as a hot rush of mortification overcame her, adding to her vulnerability. She burst into sobs, trying to push Seamus away, afraid of her weakness, but this time, he wouldn't let her go. Wrapping those powerful arms about her, he pulled her up against him as he knelt back on his haunches, and rested her face into the cradle of his neck. "I'm so, so sorry, love," he murmured, gently rocking her. "I wish I'd had this knowledge in me head back then. I'd have made yer first time so special. I'd have loved ya all night, and never let ya go."

Her icy resolve cracked, splintered, shattered as she threw her arms about his neck and buried her nose against his throat. "Oh, Sea!"

Her lover held her tight to him, letting her anger and sorrow run its course, and bathe his shirt in her tears. When it passed over her at long last, she lay like a limp ragdoll in his strong, comforting embrace. He finally let her go only when the chimes rang out to tell them that their time together was nearing its end.

Helping her to her feet, he redressed her with tenderness, fitting her breasts away inside the cups of her bra – not sexual now, but sensual, caring. When the tie on the back of her halter was redone, and he'd loaned her his handkerchief to wipe away her tears, he gave her a final look-over, stroking her cheek with one finger.

"Do ya want me ta forfeit the game, so I canna force ya ta do anything more?" he asked. "I won't hurt ya again, Lavender."

Her heart gave a lurch.

This was it, then – the decision that would affect both of their lives. If she said 'yes,' he would walk away and set her free. If she said 'no'…

"Kiss me," she breathed, leaning up on tiptoe, wrapping her arms about his neck, wanting to know what his mouth would tell her about his sincerity.

Seamus sighed in resignation, taking her request as a sign of her rejection, and yet, he did not let that stop him from sweeping down and gathering her into his arms again, slanting his mouth over hers in hungry possession. Their tongues twined, pulled apart, their lips following the rhythm as if it were the most natural of fits in the universe.

This was meant to be. She realized it then – felt it in the marrow of her bones. Some small voice inside her head told her to follow this path of second chances that the game had provided to see where it would lead. Perhaps it had been fate that they'd both agreed to play tonight, after all.

Lavender sighed with contentment as he moved away. She finally had her answer. The wall she'd protected herself behind for so long began to crumble, and the ice of her cold anger to melt. "I want to see where this leads us," she told him. "So, no, don't quit."

His spring-green eyes glimmered with the light of new life and hope. Taking her back into his arms, he pulled them in good and tight. "I meant it when I said I wanted ya fer me girl, Angel, so I'm gonna do everything I can ta win yer heart back."

Blushing to the roots of her hair – Merlin, please don't let this be a mistake! – she gave him a quick peck on the lips. "We should go. Time's almost up."

Seamus nodded and taking her hand, he led her from the room. He didn't let her go, even after he'd sat back down on the main area's couch at her side. The feeling of him holding onto her was much more comfortable than she'd anticipated. In fact, it felt warm and good. It felt… right.

TO BE CONTINUED...

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

Please review!

.

Musical Selection for this Chapter: "Give and Take" by Tyler Collins. Lyrics are as follows…

So many nights, I kept wondering why
We could never see eye to eye.
We never gave in
To love deep within.
Why couldn't we ever compromise?

I must admit that I've been selfish,
Only thinking 'bout myself.
But I'm willing and able to try love again,
Cause through the fire, I've learned my lesson.

That love's a game of give and take,
There's no flowers when there's no rain.
It's love again.
I'm ready for the pain.

Time's passed away,
As we foolishly play
Silly game with our hearts and minds.
It's time for a change,
If we still feel the same,
Let's start with the past far behind.

Yes, I know we had some trouble,
And only time will mend our hearts.
But I'm willing and able
To try love again.
This time we'll make it.
I know we can win!

That love's a game of give and take,
There's no flowers when there's no rain.
It's love again.
I'm ready for the pain.

Love's a game of give and take,
There's no flowers when there's no rain.
It's love again.
I'm ready for your love.