Soulmates.
Hermione knew it was the reason she'd sensed Remus's Patronus before it had come soaring through her bedroom window, the silver wolf speaking in his voice, telling her how much he missed her.
It was the reason she'd felt deliriously happy to be with him again half an hour later after going days without seeing him and didn't even mind the short hike he took her on to their picnic destination.
It was the reason she felt that special, subtle hint of magic hum through her now as she strolled hand in hand with him along the edge of the glittering lake after their picnic, her bare feet striding through the comfortably cool water.
"You were right," she told him, moving closer to his side. "This is exactly what I needed."
He smiled. "I'm glad to see you're more relaxed."
"Me too."
The last week, her first full week working at the Ministry, had left her stressed and anxious, so Remus had surprised her by bringing her here, a spot he'd once camped with James and Sirius and one of his favorite places. Being surrounded by the tranquil beauty of nature, under the beaming late-July sun, had indeed helped her unwind as he'd hoped.
Or perhaps she felt more at ease because she was with Remus again.
This summer with him had been the best she'd ever had. But her blissful holiday had gone too fast, and she'd been too busy with work to meet him the last few days. She'd missed him terribly and knew that their time together would only become more limited once classes at Hogwarts started up again. But she refused to think about that now. She'd rather enjoy this lovely summer day with him, and, as his younger self had once advised her long ago, stop and smell the roses.
Hermione took in a lungful of fresh air and sighed. "This place is so beautiful. I bet the sky looks gorgeous here at night."
"It does. The stars look as brilliant here as they do at Hogwarts."
"You must have a brilliant view of the stars from your cottage as well."
"Not quite like this, but there's a little clearing in the woods I like to go to. I've spent entire nights lying there, looking up at the stars. They feel closer there somehow."
"You'll have to show me sometime. I want to see all your favorite places."
"My favorite place is anywhere you are."
Hermione beamed.
Remus flashed her a smile and led her deeper into the water. "Can you swim?"
Swim? But she hadn't known she should bring a bathing suit. A mischievous urge struck her, though, as her fingertips grazed the surface of the water. "Of course I can. Can you duck?"
"What?"
Her hand hit the water, the splash she sent his way the answer to his question. Remus grinned and splashed her back, and the still, peaceful quiet around them was broken by the sounds of their laughter and splashing and teasing as they waded deeper into the lake.
Their splash fight soon turned into playful wrestling when Hermione pushed him under the water and he pulled her down with him. They reemerged together, entangled, but then he slipped out of her grasp and called for a truce. She replied with only a wicked smile, and he backed away toward the shallow water once more, eyeing her warily.
For good reason.
She lunged for him and tried to tackle him into the water again, but they ended up tumbling onto the shore instead. Hermione managed to spring back to her feet before he did and took off running in the grass. Her drenched clothes weighed her down, though, and she was breathless from laughter, so their chase didn't last long. Remus caught her almost immediately, seizing her wrist and hauling her to him so that she spun back around and slammed into his chest, trapped in his embrace.
Her smile faded as she met his gaze, his eyes dark with the shadow of the wolf. She understood then why he'd called for a truce and wanted to cut their swim short. The full moon was less than a week away and their wrestling must have triggered his wolfish instincts. Baiting him to chase her like she was his prey probably hadn't helped either.
Her spine tingled. She knew she should probably pull away from him. But he hadn't been avoiding physical contact with her today like he usually did during this lunar cycle, so perhaps she didn't need to. And she simply didn't want to break from their embrace. In his arms was her favorite place to be.
Whatever warning her instincts might have been giving her was drowned out by the magic flooding her veins, the magic luring them closer still. She'd realized recently that they always had to be touching when in each other's presence. If they weren't, she felt restless. Even when they were she wanted more. No matter how close they were, it was never enough. It was as though a part of her was reaching, grasping for something elusive; always seeking, wanting, needing more. . . .
She cautiously pressed her lips to his cheek, testing his reaction, and was pleased when he didn't pull away. Instead his mouth found hers, but the touch of his lips was brief and left her wanting, an intense hunger stirring inside her. She hadn't realized until now just how much she'd been aching for his kiss during their time apart, and when he rested his forehead against hers, his eyes closed, she wondered if the magic made him feel dizzy too.
"Hermione," he began hoarsely, but her mouth covered his, silencing his next words, and for a few glorious moments his demanding kiss appeased the gnawing hunger inside her.
Then he ripped himself away from her, leaving her grasping once more.
For the millionth time in his life Remus cursed his lycanthropy and tried to block out what he felt from Hermione as he returned to their picnic blanket. Considering the way the magic had been affecting them lately, perhaps it had been a bad idea for them to get together today when the full moon was so near.
After giving him a minute to cool off, Hermione joined him. She'd dried herself off with a spell like he had, so her hair was no longer dripping wet and her blouse was, gratefully, no longer soaked and sheer and clinging to her curves in a way that instantly roused the wolf.
"It still makes you uncomfortable to be with me before the full moon," she said quietly, sitting beside him. "But you've gotten better."
"I have." He took her hand, but it was more to remind himself than to prove it to her. His impulses, thankfully, weren't triggered so strongly by chaste contact like this anymore. "Letting go of some of my fears has given me better control like Dumbledore said. My instincts don't get mixed up like they used to and I don't feel the urge to bite. But my other impulses . . . I still struggle."
"Dumbledore said you wouldn't hurt me," she reminded him.
"Perhaps not, but every time I feel the wolf stir . . . I don't like feeling its presence. I've never liked to give in to those impulses, that wolfish lust."
"Is it very different than ordinary lust?"
"It's much more . . . intense."
"The reason I affect you more than anybody else is because of the magic, isn't it?"
"Yes. But it's different for the wolf. It's purely physical. Carnal. The bond between us . . . it's why I feel possessive." At her inquiring look, he reluctantly explained, not quite meeting her eyes, "When the wolf takes over, its only drive, my overwhelming instinct, is to claim what's mine — to claim you."
"Why haven't you?"
His gaze snapped back to hers.
Flushing slightly, she quickly added, "I mean, Dumbledore said it was better to give in to your feelings rather than suppress them."
He shook his head. "I'm not ready to give in to that part of my nature."
Hermione bit her lip. "If it helps," she said after a short pause, "I am."
Remus tensed as the implication of her words hit him.
"Despite what you seem to think," she continued, steadily holding his gaze as he stared at her, not quite able to believe what she was saying, "and despite what Vivienne said, I'm not so delicate and I'm not afraid."
"Vivienne?" She was the least of his interest right now, but he couldn't quite handle what else Hermione was telling him.
"I ran in to her at Honeydukes a few months ago. She told me I knew nothing about werewolves, and I wouldn't be able to give you what you need. But I want to, Remus."
Her words continued to stun him even as his inner wolf prepared to pounce.
It was true that she hadn't been afraid the night they'd been caught by McGonagall. Faced with his wolfish nature, she hadn't once tried to stop him, rather she'd been the one who'd initiated their embrace and had done nothing but urge him on like she'd done again just minutes ago. Out of fear and disgust at the reminder of his beastly condition, he had never liked to surrender to that part of his nature and lose himself in that way. But she seemed to want him to.
Realizing suddenly that he was holding her hand in a vise-like grip, Remus released it immediately.
"I . . . I'd prefer we didn't. . . . I've always abstained before the full moon."
Hermione gave a nod of understanding, but he could feel her disappointment wash through her as she stared at the hand he'd withdrawn. Then she looked up at him again, her voice soft as she asked, "After?"
His pulse picked up at the thought. He and Hermione had decided at the start to take things slow. They'd thought it best considering their circumstances and the fact that neither of them had been in a serious relationship before. And Remus wanted to make sure this could work between them, that she was absolutely sure about him, absolutely ready.
The way she was looking at him . . . she seemed sure.
"After," he agreed.
The full moon came and went as July came to a close, but the usual relief that filled Remus in the days following his transformation dissipated quickly.
"You're nervous," Hermione noted, peering up at him as they paused outside the gate at the Burrow. She squeezed his hand. "It'll be fine."
Remus squeezed her hand in return, unable to deny his nerves. All their friends were gathered here tonight for Harry's birthday, and he and Hermione were about to make their first real debut as a couple. Which meant everything was about to change.
While he and Hermione had by no means kept their relationship a secret, they'd mostly kept to themselves the last month since her graduation, in their own happy world where no one could burst their little bubble of bliss. Remus wasn't quite ready for all that was coming next, starting with the questions, the scrutiny, the judgment they were likely to receive tonight.
He also wasn't ready to face Mr. and Mrs. Granger again at the dinner he'd promised Hermione he'd go to so her parents could get to know him better, because despite what Hermione had told him he knew it would take a while for her parents to warm up to the idea of him dating their daughter. And he definitely wasn't ready for what Hermione might be subjected to later once the rest of the Wizarding community caught wind of their scandalous romance.
When fear threatened to overcome him he had to remind himself that Hermione knew what she was getting into, and this was what she wanted. She was much braver and stronger than he was when it came to matters like this. So he took a deep breath now, opened the gate, and led her toward the party.
She'd told him earlier that there was no need to worry tonight. All their friends already knew about them and seeing them together wouldn't be a big deal. Remus was grateful to find she was right. No one made any fuss about them — at least not until after dinner.
When Hermione went to help pass out Harry's birthday cake, Tonks, who was seated on Remus's other side, nudged him.
"So Hermione was the student you were talking about that time we had drinks at the Three Broomsticks. I wish you'd have told me."
"Would you have said anything different if you'd known?"
"Probably. Especially if you'd confided you had feelings for her too." She flashed him a peeved look for keeping this information from her, but then smiled. "Anyhow, I'm glad to see it worked out. You two are sweet together. You're both glowing."
Hermione indeed looked radiant when she returned with a slice of chocolate cake for each of them. Her hand slipped into his beneath the table, and Remus raised it to his lips, not caring nor fearing anymore who saw the affectionate gesture.
His smile faded only slightly when Molly caught his eye at the same moment that Hermione responded to his gesture with a kiss on his cheek.
"So, er," Molly said, looking between him and Hermione, "when — how did you two —"
"How did this come about?" Arthur finished for her.
Feeling everyone's gaze shift to them, Remus and Hermione exchanged a glance. Before either could respond, though, George said, "Thanks to you, Mum, and your roses."
Molly blinked. "My roses?"
"And some kind of old magic that's been working hard to get these dunderheads to realize their feelings for each other and give it a go."
"It's like a fairy tale," Ginny added, and she and Harry shot similar grins at the pair of them.
Everyone looked at Remus and Hermione expectantly, expressions intrigued.
"Well, it — it's a long story," Hermione said.
"Not really," George contradicted. "It's your typical tale of romance where guy innocently picks flower for girl and activates a powerful magic unbeknownst to them. Girl privately swoons and gets thrown back in time where a younger version of guy befriends her and she realizes she's in love with the fellow. Then she returns to the present where guy eventually realizes he's in love with her as well but is too concerned about propriety and other nonsense to do a thing about it. But with help from the rose and its magic and yours truly," he said, pointing to himself smugly before motioning back to Remus and Hermione, "boom — happy couple."
Everyone's gazes returned to them in amazement.
"Wait — you time traveled?" Tonks asked, gaping at Hermione. "That's incredible!"
As he and Hermione began answering everyone's questions about the time travel and the rose's magic, keeping the more personal details to themselves, Remus was relieved no reproving looks were being shot his way from Molly or anybody else. He recalled it was partly because of the high opinion of him Molly had expressed to Mrs. Granger on graduation night that Hermione's mother was giving him a chance.
The tension slowly draining from him, Remus eased back in his seat and was able to fully enjoy the rest of the evening.
"You see," Hermione said when they had a moment alone later in the garden. "I told you it would be fine." She pressed her lips to his then smiled. "I love it when our kisses taste like chocolate."
"I much prefer the taste of you."
Only when a light blush crept into her cheeks did Remus realize he'd said it aloud. But it was true, and when she kissed him again he was left craving for more.
So at the end of the night, not yet willing to part from her when it came time to go home, he asked, "Would you like to come to my place for a while? It's a nice night for stargazing."
"I'd love to."
A short while later they were lying in the clearing in the woods he'd told her about at the lake the week before, but they weren't gazing at the stars anymore. They were lost in a kiss, the magic between them stirring like a gentle breeze.
Remus wouldn't mind staying lost like this forever. He'd meant what he'd told her about his favorite place being with her. He thanked his lucky stars every day for the woman in his arms. He hadn't realized until being with Hermione just how lonely and heavy his heart had always been, how much joy he'd been missing out on. Now he was bursting with it and constantly felt dazed by his own happiness.
When they at last broke their kiss, a slow smile formed on Hermione's lips.
"It was on a night we were gazing at the stars like this that we had our first kiss," she said, gazing up at him. "And it was exactly one year ago tonight that you gave me the rose."
"And our fairy-tale romance began," he added sarcastically.
"If this is happily ever after," she told him, stroking his cheek, "everything we went through was worth it." She drew him into another kiss, then pulled back, her gaze shifting to the hand she slid down his chest. "The magic," she said softly, as if she could see it trailing her touch like the trail of light made by a shooting star. "I'd always sensed there was something between us, but it wasn't until graduation night that I could feel it clearly. It must have somehow grown stronger that night."
"We'd both finally given in to it wholeheartedly," he said, idly stroking her arm before running his hand down her waist. He was incapable of keeping his hands off her. "I wasn't keeping my feelings from you anymore."
"But if there's this connection between us," she said slowly, "why can't I feel what you feel like you can feel what I do?"
"I suppose I only feel it because I'm a werewolf. My senses are sharper and I perceive magic more deeply."
"Or maybe it's because something's missing. The bond between us . . . it hasn't quite properly snapped into place yet, has it?"
So she felt the same incompleteness he did, the same strange hunger and burning desire.
No, it was more than desire — it was a need, an aching need growing ever stronger and fueled by the magic rushing through them, flowing between them, engulfing them so completely he felt like he was drowning in it, gasping for air only she could provide. He was amazed he hadn't yet given in.
"I wish I could feel what you feel," she sighed. "It's only fair."
"I don't know if you'd like it," he said, glancing down at her necklace, his eye caught by the pendant gleaming in the moonlight. "Especially before the full moon. It's . . . overwhelming."
"What exactly do you feel from me?"
He took her hand and pressed it against his chest so she could feel the thumping of his heart.
"I feel this: your heart beating inside me as if it were my own. I can feel your heart swell when you're happy, and I can feel when you're upset or afraid."
"What else?" she asked tentatively.
He lowered his gaze to the heart pendant on her chest, taking it between his fingers.
"Please tell me, Remus. I want to know."
He hesitated a moment longer, fiddling with the necklace, then laid it back down and flattened his hand over her heart. "I can feel," he said slowly, quietly, "your pulse quicken when we get close. I can feel the heat rush to your cheeks when you blush and . . . your shiver when we touch." She arched slightly beneath his fingers as he trailed them down her sternum, her breath hitching, and his own pulse quickened at her responsiveness. "I — I can feel the tension build inside you," he continued, lightly drawing patterns on her stomach, "your anticipation, your apprehension . . . your longing and desire. . . ."
For a moment she was silent and very still, and he worried he'd made her self-conscious. Then she whispered, "Can you feel it now?" and it was his turn to go rigid. He held his breath, his eyes searching hers, until she said, "It's after, Remus."
Thank Merlin for that.
He could taste the magic as he kissed her, taste her need, her urgency mingling with his own. But before he was too far gone, he drew back and helped her to her feet.
Though the moonlight was bright, he conjured his Patronus to better light their way as they started through the woods toward his cottage. Hermione conjured hers as well, and Remus smiled at the sight of their wolves weaving through the trees before them, nudging each other playfully along the way. He'd spent most of his life disguising and denying his Patronus, but he'd grown rather fond of it recently — now that he'd seen its mate.
His mate.
Soulmate.
The entire world seemed to be touched by magic tonight.
Hermione saw it in everything, from the radiance of their Patronuses dispersing the shadows in the woods and illuminating the path before them, to the brilliance of the moon brightening the night sky and pouring through the windows at Remus's cottage, casting its interior with a romantic glow.
But where she saw the magic strongest was in Remus's eyes, and she felt it keenest in the rush of his kiss. If not for his steadying embrace, she would have been staggering, drunk as she was with the magic between them.
They crashed through his bedroom door, her heart racing as they kissed. Eager as she was, though, she was glad for the chance to catch her breath when Remus slowed things down.
He twirled her around so her back was to him and swept her hair forward to unclasp the necklace that had once belonged to his mother. He set it on the dresser where the magic rose also lay. Hermione smiled, taking the flower in her hand.
"Did it help?" she asked, raising a brow at Remus as he removed his watch. She'd given him the rose the day before she'd started her job at the Ministry so he wouldn't miss her too much when they couldn't see each other.
Remus shook his head. "It only made me miss you more."
After toeing off his shoes, he stepped behind her, placing his hands on her hips. A pleasant shiver traveled through her when his mouth touched her neck. She tilted her head to the side to give him better access as he slowly nuzzled his way up, drawing a sigh from her lips. Then he pressed a kiss behind her ear and murmured, "Are you sure, my love?"
"Yes. Absolutely sure." She'd wanted this for a long time.
Remus turned her face toward him and brushed his lips against hers, the gentle touch resonating in her core. Her blood singing, simmering, with the magic, Hermione marveled at how even the lightest, briefest contact with him could have such a profound effect on her.
The rose slipped from her fingers and back onto the dresser as he engaged her in a slow, sensual kiss. She felt dizzy and weak and exhilarated all at once, her muscles jumping and tensing in anticipation beneath his touch as his hand skimmed down her throat, her stomach, and across her hips before he spun her around to face him again.
As she deepened their kiss, her fingers threaded through his soft, thick hair, tugging gently, then moved to his shirt, swiftly undoing the buttons and pushing it off. Her hands roamed the contours of his lean body, and she delighted in the way his breath hitched when her touch traveled low down his abdomen.
"Gorgeous," she whispered, drinking in the sight of him. Although more scars covered him than when he'd been a teenager, they only enhanced his attractiveness, and she showered him with kisses, her lips moving along his jaw, his neck, his shoulders and chest, before she returned her mouth to his, sucking gently on his lower lip.
He slid his hands down her back, pulling her body flush against his, and a soft moan escaped her at the feel of him hard against her. Aching in a way she'd grown rather used to lately, Hermione abruptly pushed him back until he was sitting on his bed then kicked off her flats and climbed on his lap. She'd taken him by surprise but Remus recovered quickly, pushing her skirt up her thighs as she settled herself, making it easier for her to sit astride him.
He entangled his hand in her hair as they kissed and only tore his mouth from hers when he stripped off her blouse. He unclasped her bra as well and pressed kisses to her shoulders and down her arms as he slipped it off, then pulled back, eyes darkening as he gazed at her topless for the first time.
Slowly, raising goosebumps on her skin, his hands skimmed up her waist to her breasts. His thumbs brushed across their peaks, and Hermione gasped at the delectable sensation, reflexively pushing her chest into his hands. Her heart sped up when the heat of his gaze met hers. The faintest shadow of the wolf flickered across his features even though the full moon had already passed, and she instinctively knew the wolf was demanding Remus finally claim what was his.
He reclaimed her lips with a fervor that electrified her, one hand back in her hair, the other running up her thigh, the feel of his calloused hand against her skin delicious and his bare chest against hers heavenly. And when his mouth trailed down her throat, her collarbone, to her chest —
Remus groaned and suddenly gripped her hips hard. Hermione barely had time to register that she'd been rocking into him unconsciously when in one swift move he had her lying on her back beneath him.
"Are you taking contraceptive potion?" he asked, hovering over her.
"Yes," she breathed and reached for his belt. But he took her hand before she could remove his trousers and pinned it to the bed beside her, his fingers interlaced with hers.
He trailed feather-light kisses along her jaw before recapturing her lips with his own. Releasing her hand, he dragged his up her hip and waist and settled on her breast, caressing her, teasing her, sending jolts of pleasure through her, which doubled when he lowered his mouth to her other breast. She bit her lip, stifling some of her sighs and moans, but when Remus suddenly drew back an involuntary whimper escaped her.
He glanced between her eyes and mouth, and then freed her bottom lip from her teeth with his thumb. "Don't hold back."
"I won't if you won't."
His smile met hers, and he gently tugged on her bottom lip as he pulled away and moved south.
He kissed his way down between her breasts and down her stomach, every brush of his fingers and touch of his lips setting her alight so she was gasping and squirming by the time his mouth reached her hips. He had to gently hold her in place as he kissed across them, lingering near each hipbone before he tugged her skirt down the length of her legs. His fingers grazed her foot as he slipped off the fabric and Hermione was unable to hold back her squeal.
Remus's eyes snapped to hers.
"My — my feet are very ticklish," she explained through her giggles.
He gazed down at her in amusement. "I gathered as much." Then, before she could stop him, he ran his finger up the bottom of her foot.
"Remus!" she shrieked, jerking away from him as she squealed again with laughter.
"Sorry," he said, not looking sorry at all. "It was too . . . tempting."
His eyes roamed over her figure on that last word, feasting on her, the laughter in them fading as they darkened again with desire.
"You are perfection, Hermione, in every way."
His low, husky voice, the intensity of his gaze, had her flushing all over, and she was too warm despite the fact she was nearly naked.
Remus seized her ankle and cautiously touched his lips to her instep. A thrill shot straight to the ache between her thighs, an even more maddening sort of tickle, but she didn't shriek or yank herself free this time. She watched with bated breath as Remus moved between her legs, his hand sliding up her calf.
He pressed his lips to the inside of her knee then moved to the other, coaxing her legs farther apart. Muscles deep inside her clenched as he started slowly kissing his way up her inner thigh. She clutched the bedsheets, her anticipation soaring as he went higher and higher, closer and closer until his lips brushed against her underwear and she nearly came undone.
His mouth returned to hers and she kissed him fiercely, drunk with the magic and her body ablaze, warm and tingly all over. She was burning and squirming with an overwhelming need, and her ache for him only deepened when his fingers slipped beneath the waistband of her underwear. She didn't know how much more of his teasing she could take. It was too much, yet she wanted — needed — more.
Her hands groped down his body, and he inhaled sharply when she reached his trousers, a gratifying sound to her ears that spurred her to tear off the rest of his clothes as quickly as possible. But nerves suddenly struck her as she took in the sight of him.
She laid her head back on his pillow, her teeth sinking into her bottom lip as he slowly peeled away from her the last garment between them. He muttered something under his breath as his gaze traveled over her, but she couldn't quite catch what it was over the beating of her heart, which went wilder when he positioned himself between her thighs. Her nerves heightened at the feel of him pressed against her, and she braced herself for what was coming next.
But it didn't come.
"Hermione . . . do you remember the first time we met in the past?"
She blinked up at him, his unexpected question momentarily throwing her. "Of course. How could I forget."
He stroked her cheek, a tenderness mixing in with the simmering desire in his eyes. "I think I knew from that very first moment I was yours," he said softly. "I think part of me knew since that first time you were in my arms you were the one I wanted to be with, the one I was meant to love. And I do love you. More than you can possibly know."
Deeply touched by his words, Hermione cupped his cheek with her hand, her thumb brushing over his lips. "Enlighten me, then."
He smiled. "I'd be happy to spend the rest of my life trying to enlighten you."
The rest of his life! Joy rushed through her. "I love you too, Remus. More than I can put into words."
He leaned into her touch, brushing his lips against her palm, then lowered his mouth to hers. When he pulled back from their kiss, he began to press into her.
He went slowly, slowly, easing in inch by inch until he was fully, snugly inside her. Only then was Hermione able to properly exhale. Remus caressed her cheek and kissed the corner of her mouth before resting his head on his arm beside her, his eyes shut and jaw clenched, giving her time to adjust to the unfamiliar feeling.
Though there was a bit of discomfort, it wasn't painful like she'd imagined it would be. Gradually relaxing again, she realized how hard she'd been clutching Remus, her nails digging into his skin. She rubbed her fingers soothingly over the marks she'd left and kissed his shoulder. Remus raised his head to greet her lips with his own.
"Okay?" he asked, examining her closely.
"Yes."
He kissed her cheek comfortingly. Then he began to move.
Hermione failed to keep from digging her fingers into him again as he gently rocked into her, drawing back slightly before pressing back in, stretching her, filling her, the new sensations overwhelming at first, but . . . stirring. Pleasurable as her slight discomfort ceased.
His lips captured hers in a tender kiss, and she surrendered to the intoxicating magic pulsing through her, to the sensation, to Remus, his slow and steady rhythm, his body, and found her own responding instinctively. He groaned the first time her hips met his, and his next thrust made her cry out.
He eased up again. "If you want to stop —"
"No," she said quickly, breathless, clutching him to her.
A smile flitted across his face. He pressed into her again and his kiss absorbed the moan he elicited from her when he slowly, delectably, circled his hips. She ran her hands down his back, urging him for more. Remus obliged her, repeating the small circular motion with his hips and thrusting again.
He was moving more freely than before, and his kisses on her mouth and neck, sweet and tender a minute ago, were searing now. Hermione welcomed his fire with her own, losing herself completely to her desires and the magic blazing between them and the sweet, exquisite ache that sharpened within her with his each and every stroke, driving her wild.
She felt a small flutter deep inside her when he gripped her thigh and hiked her leg up higher on his waist. His pace quickened and her legs tightened around him, a touch of panic sweeping through her as the pressure, the tension inside her intensified, threatening to burst. She was going to shatter, explode into a million pieces, or lose her mind if she didn't soon. She squeezed her eyes shut and groaned, her head tipping back as she drifted toward ecstasy.
His gentle touch reassuring amid this towering swell of sensation, Remus cupped her face, fingers sliding into her hair and thumb brushing against her cheek, and her eyes fluttered back open. When they locked with his, something powerful flared between them, taking her breath away. Everything disappeared around them. Nothing in the world existed but Remus and these feelings. Entwined with his, her body was more alive than it had ever been, and her soul was singing, the magic between them bolting through her like lightning, surging, bursting, binding.
A second heartbeat hammered against her chest and a fierce pleasure that was not her own overcame her, adding to the growing pressure within, the throbbing ache, the delicious tension, intensifying to the point it was almost torturous, unbearable —
She trembled, then stiffened, her body arching into his, and relief came in an explosion that left her shuddering and blinded. Waves of pleasure rocked her as she clenched around him, and he gave one last erratic thrust before going still inside her.
For a few moments, their ragged breaths mingled and their hearts beat like one between them. Then Remus slowly pulled out of her and collapsed on the bed beside her.
She didn't know how long they lay there quietly in their euphoric daze, immersed in the magic, spent yet invigorated at the same time, their chests rising and falling in the same rhythm. Gradually, though, Hermione's heart and breathing slowed to normal, and Remus's hand slipped into hers. She turned to him and found in his expression a hint of the same awe she felt. The magic . . . it had been incredible.
Remus brushed her hair away from her face, gazing at her as if she didn't look the mess she imagined she did. He, however, looked more gorgeous than ever under the strange, shimmering light that washed over them. Recognizing the source of that magical light at the same time, they turned in unison to the dresser.
The rose was glowing, more dimly than it must have been before, Hermione thought, remembering the blinding flash of light earlier that she'd assumed had been a figment of her altered state of mind. She giggled, realizing the rose must have ignited at the moment of their climax — the moment the bond between them had sealed. Was that why it had magicked them into bed together twice, to lure them to consummate their love and seal the bond?
Playfully, but very serious, she asked Remus, "Do you think we can make the rose light up again?"
A slow smile crossed his face. "We can certainly try."
Hermione grinned. "Soulmates."
A/N: It feels good to finally update again. Sorry for the long wait, but I hope you liked this one.
One chapter left!