Here are the prompts I used for this last chapter:
Situation prompt: The primitive carnality which drove the fire dancing and rituals completed the night before was replaced in the morning light with a passion of another sort-a light hearted good cheer that led the feet and ribbon to twine the intricate patterns on the May Pole.
Word prompts: embers, replete, wisp
Image prompt (Remove *): ht*tps*:*/live*.*staticflickr*.*com/65535/33960380218_40bf97141b_
The early morning sun was just starting to peak over the horizon as Hermione woke and slowly became aware of her surroundings.
She could hear the many birds chirping happily in the woods that surrounded the Davies' property. The whisper of the wind as it travelled through the grass and over her body brought with it the sounds of other revellers also waking to greet the day and the last few embers crackling from the dying Bel fires.
She shivered in the cool morning breeze. At the movement, Roger unconsciously squeezed her closer to his warm body. A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth at his action.
Hermione could also feel that the gossamer shift dress she wore the night before was starting to bunch around her upper thighs from tossing and turning in her sleep. She didn't want to give any of Roger's friends and relatives any more of a view than they may have received the night before during the fire dancing and rituals they all participated in, so she reached down to pull the material to a more decent level. Once she moved the dress, she quickly became aware of just how carnal their activities had been the night before, and she slid the shift more delicately over her sore body.
After her outfit was back in its proper place, the brunette witch relaxed back into her boyfriend's arms.
She was very thankful to see that she still had her clothing on, but her arse ached and she could feel a severe case of grass and blanket rash coming on. 'I will have to make sure I take care of that, and soon,' she thought, groaning as her shift dress brushed against her sore bum again when she turned in Roger's arms.
Looking up at her boyfriend, she smiled; he looked like he could've still been in Hogwarts with wisps of hair covering his forehead and the lines around his closed eyes smoothing out in his sleep.
As she watched him sleep, Hermione thought back to the night previous. She was delighted with how the festivities went the night before. Two weeks prior, when she turned in her findings to her superiors, they were impressed with her suggestions and agreed that they just might work and to pass the idea on to the general populace. After she received their approval, she then spoke with Roger and his family about including the old rituals in their Beltane plans. Roger's mum, who had taken a quick liking to the Muggleborn witch when the younger couple started dating, was only too happy to try anything to stop the red caps from bothering their Beltane celebration like they had done in recent years.
"You know, now that I think about it, we didn't have any unwanted visitors last night, even when Roger and his father performed the blood ward rituals," she murmured to herself.
"What was that, love?" Roger cracked an eye open bleary with sleep.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you. I was just saying that we didn't have any unwanted visitors last night, even during the blood ward rituals."
Roger nodded more awake now. "You're right, no little goblin-like creatures were running around causing mayhem last night."
"Now all we need to do is gather a few more flowers, dance around your family's May Pole, and eat the feast that your elves have been preparing for us. After all that, then I think we can safely say that the red caps are gone from the Davies family Beltane celebration."
"Do we really have to get up? I'd rather stay here with you in our own little world."
Hermione chuckled. "I'd love to do that too, but we need to be present with the rest of the revellers to make sure everything goes according to plan, and we don't have to worry about a chance of them returning." She smirked at him. "How about this? After everything is over, we'll head back to my place for some alone time."
Roger returned her smirk with one of his own, kissing her shoulder. "I like the way you think, love."
"Well then, what are you waiting for? Let's go." She slipped out of his arms and stood up. Roger reached up, grabbed her hand, pulling her back down to lie on top of him, her legs straddling his waist. She laughed, "Roger! We don't have time for this!"
"Oh, I always have time for you, my dear." Roger waggled his eyebrows, an impish grin upon his face.
She shook her head, smiling. "You're incorrigible." She kissed his cheek before wiggling out of his arms again, spinning in circles, laughing as she declared gaily, "Now, come on, we must get out there and join the light-hearted good cheer that will lead our feet around the May Pole in intricate patterns twining our beautiful teal and magenta ribbons together."
As Roger stood up from where they'd been lying on the ground, he chuckled at his girlfriend's antics.
Later after the feast, Hermione beheld the finished May Pole, grinning at the results. "I think our first Beltane together turned out fantastic, replete with all the rituals we needed to ward off the red caps."
"Love, I think I just might have to agree with you." Roger pulled her back into his arms, kissing her soundly in celebration. Pulling back, he murmured against her lips, "Now, about that alone time at your place."