Hermione scrambled to keep her footing as she quickly left the bed to push the curtains shielding the morning sun. Something was wrong, all wrong. Lowering her head she stared at the few strands of dark hair twisted around the base of her fingers. The sunlight highlighting the hair to hues of the darkest brown. Her heart beat violently against her ribcage; she didn't want to turn around. She didn't want to face whatever or whomever was in her bed. Their bed. What have I done? The feeling of perspiration and the stranger's semen dripped from her body, making her feel queasy from the proof of what just occurred moments ago. A deep chuckle brought her out of her contemplation and she slowly turned to face the stranger.

At first, she didn't dare look him in the eyes and her attention went directly to his hands. Hands that didn't match the rest of his appearance. Hermione swallowed trying to relieve the dryness in her mouth. They were the hands that touched her on numerous occasions. The hands she missed, not the ones of this warm skinned stranger. Hermione made herself look into the face those hands belonged to. His hair was short and a soft black. The color, only a few shades darker than his eyes. Dark brown with...red? A tint of red that showed behind the darkness of his irises. Staring intently at the man, she was now able to notice the subtle similarities between this face and the face she fell in love with. Fucking prick. The guilt she was feeling was quickly morphing into anger and worse, embarrassment.

"For fuck's sake. What are you playing at?" asked Hermione moving cautiously towards the familiar stranger. Voldemort only smiled.

"Dearest," he replied. His voice was eerily the same, but coming from this form made Hermione shiver. "Are such vile words necessary?" Hermione narrowed her eyes and placed her hands on her bare hips.

"Yes!" she shouted. "Such vile words are fucking necessary!" Voldemort laughed again.

"Come here," he said, folding his arms and placing them underneath his head as though he hadn't a care in the world. Hermione didn't move, she could only glare at the naked man in her bed and the erection he was happily displaying. "Come. Here." He demanded again. Hermione shook her head without falter in her stance. Voldemort turned his head, raising a perfectly arched eyebrow. "Are you deaf?" Hermione felt the heat rise her body, but she refused to be baited.

"Alright then," she thought, moving towards a chair and sitting down with a huff. She straightened her back and crossed her legs and her arms in defiance. She could see his jaw tighten as he rose to a sitting position. She watched his lip curve into a sneer, ready to spew another demand.

"I said-"

"If you wanted me to shag another man, you should've just asked," she interrupted with a sneer. "It isn't something I would have planned, but-" Voldemort promptly stood, the irritation in his dark eyes clear as day while he made his way closer to her. The view of his masculine built was almost painfully arousing. Hermione bit the inside of her cheek to keep her eyes on his face. But the pull of the muscle underneath his skin was too enticing to not ogle over. His body was the same, yet vastly different. Hermione could admit that fuller lips, skin with color, and, of course, a nose did wonders for him, but still...Hermione could feel an ache in her chest. It wasn't him. It wasn't the hairless alabaster skin or the sharpness of his bones her body had yearned for. Her thoughts became distracted when she felt his fingers under her chin, raising her head to look at him.

"How dare you say such-"

"Remove it," she said. The request made his brow wrinkle, but his dark eyes didn't waver. "Remove...whatever glamour or charm you're using."

Voldemort's fingers swayed from her chin, making their way through her hair at the base of her neck. He pulled her forward, indicating for her to stand. Following his silent command, Hermione stood. Raising a trembling hand, she ghosted the edge of his lips. The warmth under her fingertips didn't bring her any comfort, just...longing. The need to close her eyes grew heavy, wanting nothing more than to conceal the glaze of unleashed tears. But why should I? Facing her lover, she allowed the pining she was feeling to escape, granting the slow trickle of tears to fall down her flushed cheeks. "You've been gone for so long," she breathed. "I want to feel you. I want to see you." Voldemort pressed her body tightly against his. The familiar smell of his skin caused her body to melt within his embrace. Finally allowing her eyes to close, she rested her forehead against his chest, feeling the thumping of his heart. She inhaled his familiar scent, bathing in the comfort of him.

"I'm appalled to admit how many times my thoughts drifted to you," he breathed. The confession, though weirdly warped, stirred up a sense of bliss within her. "Thoughts of you curled in an oversized chair, your face hidden within the pages of some ancient book brought me…" Hermione hid the small smile she was wearing, then raised her head to meet his eyes. She was amazed to see how the addition of eyebrows could truly make one's face so expressive. His brow was only slightly furrowed, but his eyes were not on hers. He's perplexed.

"Brought you what?" she whispered, this time placing her fingers under his chin to move his attention back to her. For a moment she feared he wouldn't continue, but his dark eyes softened and a hushed response passed through his lips. But the closeness of their bodies prevented her from missing it.

"Peace."

Her lips instantly met his, enticing a slow but passionate kiss. His hands cupped her cheeks as though accepting everything she had to offer.

"I wanted to return to you," he moaned, nipping at her skin as he trailed his mouth up her jawline, then down her neck. "I wanted nothing more than to feel your hands touch me." Hermione lowered her hands to his chest, then gently pushed him. Her measures halted his mouth and Hermione moved from his clutch.

"I want to feel you too," she swallowed. "Not a semblance of who you might have been once."

Voldemort offered a subtle nod and walked to the other side of the room. His back stayed towards her as he stood next to his abandoned robes. She recognized the extraction of his wand before she observed the elaborate movements of his arm. The maneuvers flowed perfectly, reminding her of a maestro conducting orchestra. The sing-song words he chanted were unrecognizable from her distance, but the melody was enchanting.

She made her way closer, only stopping from the pulse of his magic swirling around the room. Hermione's eyes widened, she couldn't get her feet to move. Her attention was solely on the wizard before her, mesmerized by his control, his power. She watched the hint of color seeped from his skin, slowly revealing his colorless flesh. The fullness of his shape started to morph, reverting back into his spindly frame. His dark hair faded, then slowly evaporated in the air as though it never existed. Brilliant.

This was the reason she loved him. His knowledge, power and persistence - twisted as it may be. Hermione watched his shoulders fall. It was these minuscule actions that made her feel closer to him. She knew he was weary, no doubt exhausted from the magic he had performed. Hermione's feet found their way to him and she wrapped her arms around his middle, pressing her forehead against his cool skin.

"Hello," she whispered into his back, grazing her lips up his spine. Voldemort moved her hands up his chest before lightly kissing the palm of her hands. "I know it's early, but I believe a lay in is in order." Hermione pulled away from his body and made her way to their shared bed. Crawling into the sheets, she turned to her side, holding up the blankets for him. She couldn't suppress the smile on her face when he turned to join her, then pulled her body close to his.

"The things I do-"

"Shh," she hushed him, placing a finger over his thin lips. "There is something I have to do first." Voldemort wrinkled his brow. She wasn't sure if it was from confusion or annoyance, but she didn't care. Hermione moved to rest on her elbow, then lowered her mouth. Starting from his head, down his jaw, then to his mouth, she poured everything into her kiss. A kiss rewarded with his moan.

Sorry for the delay, but my writing time has been focused on my resume and multiple cover letters. Damn you COVID-19. No worries, this story will go on :) Also, a big shoutout to Pamela RR! Thank you so much for your support and help!