Chapter 4

Surrender

The following morning, Hermione woke to sunlight streaming in from her windows and the sound of birds chirping outside. She briefly noted that she was on the couch rather than her bed before remembering the unexpected and amazing night she had had.

She stretched out and released a loud yawn before her eyes shot open. Birds. Birds were chirping and the sun was shining into the living room! She shot up off of the couch in a panic, looking at the clock only to confirm her suspicions. She was late, and not by a little.

"Fuck! I have never been late to work a day in my life!"

She scrambled off the couch and ran to her bathroom determined to take the quickest shower ever and dash to her office, but as she reached the bathroom door she stopped short at what awaited her.

Her hand went to her mouth and she felt her nose begin to sting as tears filled her eyes. On the counter was a large basket full of bath salts and flower petals, a stuffed Hippogriff and one of Harry's old Quidditch jerseys. She shook her head and wiped at the tears that had fallen down her cheeks while she walked forward to pick up the stuffed animal. Hugging the soft little creature to herself, she smiled and pulled down the letter taped to the mirror. The envelope simply read 'Don't panic' and she rolled her eyes before pulling the paper out.

Good morning Love,

I know you're probably mad at me for not waking you this morning but you looked so peaceful and you needed the rest. Don't roll your eyes either, or you'll find yourself turned over my knee before you know it.

Now, I've already called the office and let them know that you're taking the day off, I would have stayed with you but I had an assignment to go on. Hopefully, it'll be quick though and I can come back soon. In the meantime, I want you to relax. I'm serious, Hermione if I come back to that flat and you look anything but refreshed I'll be very disappointed.

I've left you everything you need for a nice bath and a lie in, enjoy your day off.

I miss you already,

Harry

Hermione's heart swelled and she couldn't help the tears that once again spilled onto her cheeks. How long had she yearned for a man to take care of her in this way? She hadn't had a day off in years, never allowing herself the time to stop and enjoy...there was always something that needed doing. Now here she was, not even twenty-four hours into a relationship with Harry and he had taken the initiative to not only call into work for her but also provide everything she needed.

His sweetness wasn't unusual, Harry had always been kind-hearted. He had taken care of her in their third year when she was running herself ragged even though he didn't know the extent of her workload. He needed no explanation, he simply watched over her and intervened when he thought she needed him.

She laid the letter on the counter and hugged the hippogriff to her chest before kissing it on its tiny beak. "I think I'll call you mini Buckbeak, not very original I know, but you look just like him."

Decision made, she smiled to herself and set him on the counter as well before she went to start her bath water. While the tub filled she picked through the gift basket, chose which bath salts she wanted and dropped them along with some of the flower petals into the water.

Her hair was still in the braid she had put it in last night and knowing the disaster it would be if it got wet, she took it down and put it in a bun on top of her head. When the water was ready, she stepped in and sunk down letting the warmth wash over her. She hadn't had a bath in so long and was beginning to wonder what on earth had stopped her from indulging in them. With a soft sigh, her eyes drifted closed and she was lost in thought about the previous night.

Harry was exhausted as he walked through the floo. He had not planned to spend his day chasing after teenaged wizards who thought it would be funny to charm the doorknobs of muggle homes to insult anyone who tried to enter. It was both frustrating and time-consuming to locate the wizards, inform their parents and charge them for their crimes which were hefty because of the Statute of Secrecy being broken.

He decided to take a quick shower and pack a bag for the weekend, he wanted to spend as much time with Hermione as he could and had no intentions of leaving her this weekend unless she told him to go home, and he doubted that would happen.

He tried to quiet his mind as the hot water relaxed his muscles, but found it almost impossible. He rolled his eyes as he recalled how outraged each boy's parents had been when they were told their sons would be placed in holding at the Ministry. They'd not only had to catch the little miscreants and deal with their parents, but the obliviators also had to be called and the curse breakers had to be sent to each home to remove the charms on the doors.

After all of that, the paperwork was lengthy and Harry was glad Hermione was home today. He smirked as he stepped out of the shower and dried himself with a charm. Had his witch been there, she probably would have given the boys and their unreasonable parents a piece of her mind just for the amount of work they'd created for her.

He quickly dressed before packing his bag and gathering his coat. With his bag slung over his shoulder, he locked up Grimmauld Place and headed to the Apparition point. He had planned to pick up dinner before heading to Hermione's flat and wondered what she might want to eat.

The alley near their favorite Chinese place was empty when he appeared and he walked down the street to get takeaway. After a brief conversation with the owner, Harry discreetly shrunk their order and walked back to the alley before he turned on the spot and landed down the street from Hermione's building.

Harry walked into the flat to find Hermione curled up on the couch in his shirt with her little hippogriff snuggled into her chest. She was lightly snoring and the television was playing the credits of Snow White, a Disney film she watched regularly. It took great restraint to leave her be while he got settled, he wanted nothing more than to kick off his shoes and join her on the sofa for a kip.

Instead, he quietly walked into the kitchen to set down their dinner and then went to her bedroom to put his bag down. He could smell the lavender bath salts coming from the bathroom and was pleased that she had done as he asked and taken care of herself today.

Walking back into the living room, Harry turned off the DVD player and television before gently sitting beside his witch and rubbing her back.

"'Mione, it's time to wake up, little love."

Her eyes fluttered open and she breathed in deeply before rubbing her eyes and sitting up to look around. She had woken up like this while they were on the run as well and he had found it completely adorable.

"Hey," she said with a shy smile, "I'm sorry, I must have dozed off. Have you been here long?"

He smiled and shook his head, rubbing his thumb over her cheek where the little hippogriff's face had left a red indentation. He chuckled when her eyes went wide and she asked if she'd had drool on her face.

"No drool, just some marks from a very tight snuggle with your little hippogriff."

He noticed her face burned red at the mention of the stuffed animal and she looked down at her lap. Confused by her behavior, he lifted her chin with his fingers and asked her what she was ashamed of, for that was the only thing her reaction could be.

"I'm not a child…" she replied softly.

"No, love you're not."

"I just don't want you to think I'm childish because I slept with a stuffed animal."

Understanding dawned on him and he wanted to strangle Ron and Anthony for making her feel as though she couldn't be who she was with them. He had noticed early on that when she was feeling down, stressed or even on days like today when she just needed to relax, Hermione would surround herself with things she loved as a little girl. He had always suspected she had a little side.

"Look at me, 'Mione. I got that for you because I thought you would like it, and I thought it would remind you of our third year. I wouldn't have given it to you if I had thought you having it or sleeping with it would make you childish. Do you like it?"

She nodded and bit her lip, her eyes filling with tears.

"Then that's all that matters. I love you just the way you are, Hermione, I always have. I love that you like my gift enough to want to snuggle up with it and I love that you enjoy things you've liked since you were a little girl. There is a reason I asked you to call me Daddy, this side of you doesn't make you any less of a woman in my eyes, love. You're still my 'Mione, my little love, and I could kill Ron and Anthony for making you feel ashamed of yourself."

His heart broke as she burst into tears and threw her arms around his neck. He pulled her closer and held her tight while she cried in what he hoped was relief. He wanted all of her, even the little side of herself that she so rarely allowed to the surface anymore, the side that watched Disney Princess films and colored in the intricate designs on the fancy coloring book he'd bought her for her birthday. These were all things that were part of her and had been forever. He'd be damned if anyone would make her feel like she had to hide it.

When she calmed, he wiped her tears with his thumbs and kissed her forehead.

"I'm sorry, Harry. It's just that, Ron and I were together during the worst time of our lives. I was suffering from the loss of not only my friends but my parents. I turned to things that gave me comfort, things that most people would consider childish. He found me in my room at Grimmauld on a particularly bad day with a few stuffed animals from my parents and made fun of me for it. He told me that it was time to get over everything. That I was a grown woman and should act like it because he wanted to date a woman, not a child. Anthony never knew about any of that...I hid that side of myself after Ron. He was opposed to my sexual desires, that was what he left me about."

Harry nodded, and quietly apologized for their treatment of her before taking her by the hand and leading her into the kitchen.

"Sit," he said and pointed to the bar stool on the other side of the counter.

She got herself situated comfortably on the stool and smiled at him, apparently feeling much better after a good cry.

"I brought Chinese, that okay?" he asked and laughed as her stomach growled loudly. "I'll take that as a yes."

She giggled and rubbed her tummy, "that is perfect, it smells so amazing."

Harry set her food in front of her before sitting beside her and digging into his own dinner. They talked about nonsensical things while they ate, he was so happy to see her laughing again after their previous conversation. He wanted to make her eyes light up, to make her this carefree all of the time.

After they finished up, Harry took the liberty of cleaning up and was happy to see that Hermione only put up a minimal fight. While he didn't want to discount her need to serve, as he knew taking care of others was second nature to her, he needed to show her that he could and wanted to take care of her as well.

"I want you to know that I was in such a panic this morning, Mr. Potter. I woke up feeling so lovely and then heard the birds singing and nearly fell off of the couch trying to get to the shower. Thank you, by the way, it was such a sweet surprise and I really needed it."

"You're welcome, love. I'm glad you enjoyed yourself."

"How was your day? I can't imagine it was as good as mine if you had to go out on an assignment."

"My day was very long, I would have much rather been here with you. You'll be happy to know that I spared you from several ridiculous cases of accidental magic, a domestic dispute case and the most frustrating case of immature adolescent behavior I have seen in months. The paperwork alone was astronomical, but I spent most of my day chasing the idiot teenagers and then dealing with their equally idiotic parents. It was a hell of a day and I'm very happy to be back here with you now."

"Oh, Harry I'm so sorry, that sounds awful. You know, there are plenty of bath salts left…" She wiggled her eyebrows and he barked out a laugh at her cheekiness.

"Little minx, you'd better be careful you might get more than you bargained for."

"Oh, I don't know about that, the way I see it I have so much to show my gratitude for."

Harry straightened up, folded his arms across his chest and with raised eyebrows asked, "is that so?"

She bobbed her head and looked at him with an innocent expression. It took all he had to force down the urge to fuck her right there on the kitchen counter.

"And what will you do to express your gratitude, little love?"

He watched as she slowly stood from her stool and walked around the bar where he had been standing. Her eyes never left his and he turned to face her, following her every move. He felt his heart rate pick up as she sank down to kneel before him. She leaned into him resting her cheek on his thighs and he swallowed heavily tempering his emotions as she wrapped her arms around his legs. After a moment of clinging to him, she looked up at him with a smile.

"I'm yours, Daddy. I'll do whatever pleases you."

Harry uncrossed his arms and ran a hand through her curls, holding the back of her head while the other gently stroked her jaw. She was his. He knew he probably looked pretty intense at the moment but he couldn't help it, her words meant more to him than anything.

He leaned down far enough to take her arm and help her to her feet and she looked up at him, waiting for instruction.

As he stared into her eyes his hands ran down her arms, around her hips, and over her ruffled knickers. His mouth was on hers then, unable to deny himself any longer and he squeezed her arse firmly before lifting her up and turning to sit her on the counter.

Her legs automatically wrapped around his waist and her fingers gripped his hair while they snogged like teenagers. It wasn't long before Hermione pulled back and put her forehead against his.

"Please, Harry...I need you."

He was gone. He couldn't deny her, and honestly, he didn't fucking want to. With a low growl, his lips were back on hers and he lifted her in his arms once again, carrying her to her bedroom.

When they reached the room he laid her out in front of him taking in the sight of her, she was gorgeous. Her hair fanned out above her and her lips were kiss swollen, his quidditch jersey had ridden up and barely covered her perfect breasts.

"Arms up, little love and don't move them"

"Yes, Daddy."

Her arms stretched above her head and she took hold of the headboard. Unable to hold back any longer, he leaned down, kissing and nipping at the skin of her stomach and made his way down her body.

"Who am I, little love?" he asked as he nipped at her hip.

"Daddy."

Her reply was breathy and quite possibly the sexiest thing he'd ever heard. "Mhm, and are you my little girl?"

She nodded frantically and he bit down on the inside of her thigh in reprimand, he wanted to hear the words.

"Yes! Yes, I'm yours."

"Say it."

"I'm your little girl."

"That's my good girl," he said as he moved up her body and relished in the shiver that ran through her at his praise.

His hands reached her breasts first and he felt her nipples harden under the fabric of his jersey. He leaned up on an elbow and bent his head down to take a hardened peak between his teeth, biting down just enough to sting.

She yelped in surprise and her back arched in offering to him, a desperate moan falling from her lips. He nipped and sucked over the jersey, giving her the attention she desired while driving her wild. She was writhing beneath him, trying but failing to find the friction she craved and he moved his body away from her.

"Please, please, please...Daddy please!" she begged.

He pulled away from her breast and trailed kisses up to her neck, sucking the skin there and marking her for his own.

"Are you sure you're ready for this, little love?"

"Yes, Harry please fuck me! I can't take it anymore, I need you inside me!"

"Fuck, witch…" He shook his head in awe and took the hem of the jersey in his hands, he swiftly lifted it over her head before removing his own clothes.

Her heated gaze was sinful as she took him in for the first time and he leaned down once more, kissing her deeply.

"You like what you see, little love?" he teased as he lined his cock up with her entrance.

She moaned her reply and her feet came up to wrap around his waist, pulling him closer. He couldn't help but chuckle at her eagerness.

"Patience little love, I know exactly what you need. You'll have it when I say you can, do you understand?"

Her eyes were wide as she nodded, "yes, Daddy."

"Good girl," he said and smiled when she melted into him.

With his lips at her ear, he pushed into her just a little and whispered, "I'm going to fuck you until you can't move, little love. You're so wet for me already, are you this wet for me all of the time, love?"

She nodded furiously, desperate for him to push into her fully.

"My naughty little girl." He pushed in deeper, "so tight, so bloody perfect for me."

"Please, Daddy..."

Finally, he thrust into her completely before pulling almost all the way out and slamming into her again falling into a rhythm.

Her whimpers and moans were music to his ears and he didn't think he had ever felt anything better in his entire life. She was beautiful, and uninhibited as she gave herself to him.

He moved her legs up to rest on his shoulders and continued to pound into her as filthy promises and words of praise fell from his lips. Her moans turned into pleas and he could feel that she was close, her walls squeezing him tighter and tighter as he relentlessly drove into her.

"Daddy! Oh Merlin, fuck, Harry! I need! Please, Daddy, please!"

"Come," he commanded and clenched his jaw, doing his best to hold back as her body arched and she fell over the edge. Tears trailed down her face as she rode it out and began to relax. His pace picked up then and he pushed himself deeper before reaching his own release with a deep groan.

Unable to help himself, his body collapsed on top of hers and her legs fell to the bed. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and when he tried to hold himself up so he wouldn't squish her she pulled him down, holding him tightly to herself.

"Please don't move. I like this, I feel so safe."

He buried his face into her shoulder and let himself relax for a minute before rolling to the side and pulling her into his chest instead. She looked up at him, her head now pillowed on his arm and her legs entwined with his.

"Hi."

He laughed softly and wipes away her tears, "hi, you okay?"

"Never better...I just love you so much, Harry."

"I love you too 'Mione." He pulled her in tighter and closed his eyes as he breathed her in. With her snuggled into his chest, breathing softly as she fell asleep in his arms, he couldn't help but feel that he was home.