CHAPTER Nine –

Hermione went to her book shelf and pulled a thick book from its shelf. She placed it on the desk and then flipped through the pages "It starts with Gi." Harry stated with mirth.

Hermione snorted "I know how to spell Potter" Hermione's finger fell down the page and then it suddenly stopped and then her face looked surprised. She turned the book over to read the title again and then turned back to the page before looking at him "How did you do that?"

Harry almost laughed "Magic!"

Hermione rolled her eyes and had a little smile "So you want me around for…" she looked at the definition "A definition of Hermione Granger's intellect and intelligence." She chuckled out "That is so corny Potter."

Harry with much mirth "But it is so true my beautiful and brainy friend."

Hermione smirked before crossing her arms "So what is the reason you want me in your bed, my brains or my beauty?"

Harry looked shocked "You have to ask? I mean really it should be obvious. It's for that beautiful brain and a body that does things to me but I was too young and stupid to realize it before."

Hermione seemed pleased before she asked "This is not a part of your saving people thing?"

Harry placed her in a hug "When you get back to Hogwarts make sure you ask everyone how I have been acting for the last two weeks, all of your concerns will be answered by others. Hermione I do love you and my life is far better with you than without you. You should never doubt that."

Hermione smiled up at him "I have to learn all about you all over again. I have missed so much."

Dan stepped through the door with Hermione's trunk rolling behind him and Hermione's eyes widen "How, I threw it away?"

Dan smiled "I knew you weren't thinking right so I retrieved it then hid it so just in case."

Emma came in and stood beside her "Dear I was happy to have you home and will miss you terrible but not like this, not because you are running away. You belong where Harry is that much is obvious." This caused Hermione to blush and Emma smiled.

Emma walked up and knocked her head "Hermione the boy loves you. Why else would he come here like this?"

Hermione heard Harry mutter "Stubborn as a mule, that one."

Hermione thumped his arm before Harry quipped back "I am telling Minerva when we get back. Just wait until she gets a hold of you."

Hermione narrowed her eyes "You do Potter and I will make you regret it."

Harry smirked "Yes, well the only way you can stop me is if you are there. So if you are done feeling sorry for yourself we need to head back." Harry smiled "Shouldn't you be packing or something?"

Harry ducked as she tried to hit him again and grinned as he pulled Dan from the room. Hermione watched him go "Potter this is not over."

Emma smiled "Are you happy he came for you?"

Hermione's face began to glow and then smiled "Ecstatic, thrilled, scared."

Emma laughed "In love."

Hermione really smiled "That too. Harry has always been a challenge and a weakness for me."

Emma caressed her face "Love, the only way to wipe out the past is to plan for the future and Harry I think is your future."

Hermione's face darkened for a second and then brightened. Hermione folded her clothes and placed them into her trunk "Mum, Harry suggested we should sleep together tonight. Do you think it's too soon?"

Emma sighed "Hermione I don't have the answer to that, you do. You have to do what you feel is right."

Hermione let a tear fall "The only memories I have of being with someone are a cloudy and hazy mess and they hurt when I think about them. Maybe being with Harry would make them go away?"

Emma smirked "Hermione don't think of it like that. It will dirty your tomorrows. Be with Harry because that is what you want." Emma quickly added "Don't make me a grandmother until after you are out of school."

Hermione smiled "Worried you will feel like an old maid?"

Emma chuckled "Having a magical child and the trouble she gets into with her wizard boyfriend, I am surprised I don't have more grey hairs."

Hermione's eyes brightened "What you want a dull boring life? Embrace the excitement." They finished and stood up and then looked at each other before they began to laugh while hugging each other.

"When you see that scoundrel of yours tell him I want my door back, will you." Emma stated.

Hermione smirked "I don't think daddy is going to like it because I can hide boys in my room again."

Dan turned up to look at them "Princess what is this about hiding boys in your room."

Harry placed his hands on his hips "Yeah, Princess why is my girlfriend hiding boys in her room."

Hermione was smiling by this time "Well Harry that was before you so it doesn't count and besides I am not your girlfriend because I am have not been properly asked. Just seducing me to get your way doesn't count."

Harry grinned before Dan turned to him "Potter have you been beguiling my daughter… I mean my little princess here?"

Harry bowed his head and almost laughed "Yes, sir I have but my intentions are honorable I assure you."

Dan raised his eyebrow "Yes, well behave because I have shotguns."

Emma piped in "Harry put my door back before you sweep my daughter off her feet."

Harry smiled and waved his hand and they heard the door shut upstairs. Emma then shoved them out the door "Now go on and don't come back til June." Emma then pointed at Harry "That means you to for the entire summer."

Harry smiled at both of them "Oh, I am so happy I put the door back then because it will be easier to hide in Hermione's room from the mean man there."

Dan growled "Potter!" Harry and Hermione flashed away before he could say anything else.

Dan held his wife "She is going to be just fine."

Emma smiled "I know a perfect way to embarrass them all summer along." Dan grinned as Emma turned to go back inside "We should plan a holiday in France, the nude beaches." They both laughed together as the door closed.

Harry and Hermione landed together in a very nice suite. Hermione looked around "Where are we?"

Harry smiled "This is my new room while at Hogwarts. It is in the Lord's Wing."

Hermione shocked "That rumor was true then you took your lordship?"

"I told everyone at breakfast when I took out Malfoy senior and made the Malfoy's paupers." Harry said. I thought you were there?" he asked her.

Hermione bowed her head "He heard about it just before we went to breakfast. It made him very angry and he took it out on me. He has very low self-esteem."

Harry sat her down and kneeled in front of her while holding her hands "Hermione what happened to you was terrible, it left you vulnerable, and feeling weak. I lived with those feelings for thirteen years and I do know how you feel."

Hermione let a tear roll out of her eye "How could you know?"

Harry looked down "Because my aunt and uncle use to beat me, my cousin also took his turn, and I was made to cook, clean that house since I was five years old. I was their slave in every sense of the word. I know how you felt."

Hermione brushed his hair back "why did you never say anything?"

Harry looked at her "I tried as a child and they believed my uncle and then I got beat worse so I learned quickly to suffer in silence to avoid more pain."

Hermione leaned forward and kissed his forehead "I tried writing in books until I was caught and he made me do more degrading things, so I stopped."

Harry looked at her and then caressed her face "It hurts Hermione I know but I want you to remember one thing and one thing only. I am proud of you because you suffered and survived and when you found a way to overcome it you took action and came out on top. The Prat will always be a prat because that is what he is and always will be."

Harry smiled at her "But you, you are very special and don't forget that he had both of us fooled as to his true nature, not just you." Harry kissed her lips softly "Promise me that if you feel bad you will say to yourself Harry Potter is very proud of his Hermione."

Hermione giggled and then looked at him in the eyes "That is so corny Harry."

Harry smiled "But you know you will be saying it."

Hermione pushed him away "You are too cocky for your own good. I am not sure I like this new you."

Harry sat down beside her and leaned back "Oh, so you don't want to hear about my brilliant plan to pay Ron back in spades?"

Hermione stopped "What Plan?"

Harry turned away from her in a mock pout "No, my feelings have been hurt. My poor male ego has been shattered."

Hermione began to smile and then took a bold step as she leaned over and placed her hand on his upper thigh "Ah, you poor thing. Are you sure I can't do anything to make it up."

Harry had a small smile on his face "I don't think it's possible but I think you are very close to my ego. Perhaps if you move to the right and a little further up and rub there it will feel better."

Hermione almost laughed as she moved her hand and got an evil grin on her face and then she caught Harry totally by surprise as she strategically squeezed him "Need I remind you Mister Potter I have the upper hand here?"

Harry turned to her with wide open eyes "No, ma'am absolutely not. The plan is simple in that we will curse any magazine he sees, where ever he is at, to show the two of us prancing around together. He will see us around London, Paris, all over hugging, kissing and all sorts of things. Laughing and having a good time. Any articles will speak about how wealthy, famous and rich I am. It will drive the jealous Prat over the edge."

Hermione was smiling by this time as he continued "My hope is that this will cause him and his mother to show up at the station in London to gloat over us. Then I will be able to beat the shit out of Ron and you can have revenge on Molly because we both know she is the one that made the potions."

Hermione smile faltered and then she sat back "It won't work Harry. The laws won't allow us to touch them, they are poor but they are still pure bloods."

Harry scooted closer and then put his arm around her and sighed "I know because you are muggleborn and have no rights compared to purebloods. It makes me mad too."

Harry waited a second and then grinned evilly "Ok, so we are done with the pity party so I can continue and we can execute this plan?"

Hermione looked at him in awe "You are so different but I am listening."

Harry kissed her cheek and then covered his crotch "Do you think I can extract a little black mail from you without you threatening my man hood?"

Hermione smiled "It depends on it being a good plan?"

Harry chuckled "You are going to love it."

Hermione twirled her hair in thought "Maybe?"

Harry smiled "Ok, to make my plan work and to add more icing on the cake I will have to make a betrothal contract with your dad for you and then Fleur and Daphne will become concubines. If you are the future Lady Potter, then as Lord Potter, from an Ancient and noble house I can legally beat him almost to death for besmirching my future wife."

Hermione looked at him "Why are Daphne and Fleur involved and are their contracts going to be real?"

Harry's smile faltered "Oh boy this is complicated."

Hermione listened intently to what he had been doing in her absence. Many times she chewed her lip while listening intently to his plan.

Harry finished up "They both agree they don't love me or want anything long term with me but they helped me and I agreed to help them so they could have freedom to do what they want without having a husband forced on them."

Hermione looked at him "How far did the three of you go?"

Harry looked into her eyes and answered without hesitation "We went all the way and we have been friends with benefits the entire semester."

Hermione held his hand and answered after five minutes of thought "Thank you for being very honest with me. I am sure that a part of you is worried that I might be disgusted by what happened but I am not. I owe both of them a thank you for keeping you sane and together in a stressful time."

Hermione blew her hair out of her eyes "I am scared Harry. They are two very beautiful women and I am not the prettiest girl. They can take you away from me at any time and I just got you back when I thought all was lost."

Harry nodded his head "I thought it would be something like that. Today was especially hard for me because no one would tell me what happened to you. I have been a right terror for the last two weeks. I reducto'ed a wall out of Minerva's classroom and when anyone sees me with a scowl they generally either shite their pants or run in the opposite direction."

Harry brushed his hair back with a nervous hand "Two hours before dinner Daphne and Fleur were scared that I would tear the castle down if I didn't calm down. So they chose a unique method that involved sex to do that. I was much more sociable after but still very angry."

Harry looked at her "Hermione they offered in the middle of the main hall in front of God and everybody to take me back here and give me whatever I wanted."

Harry smiled "You are so important to me I turned them down because I wanted to know what was wrong with you. You, regardless of what other idiots tell you are just as beautiful as they are in every way."

Hermione was smiling by this time "I don't think I will believe it unless I see it in writing."

Harry chuckled and then handed her a very thick book Harry opened it to beautiful and it said the following definition "Lord Potter of Hogwarts states emphatically that Hermione Granger, Daphne Greengrass, and Fleur Delacour are his definition of Beauty."

Hermione was laughing by now "I am going to find out how you keep doing that." She then stood up and looked around before holding out her hand "Where is your bed sir." Hermione then looked at him in the eye "You promised we would sleep together and I expect you to perform up to expectation. I have to find out if my new friends broke you in right or if I have to make some slight adjustments."

Harry smiled at her "You are in charge tonight and I don't want to hurt you in any way or make you feel uncomfortable. So tell me what you need."

Hermione smiled as she followed him "Harry, I never fear you acting like the prat. You will be fine."

Hermione was lying in bed when the bathroom door opened and Harry leaned against the door frame and looked at her with his lopsided grin "As you can plainly see now you know why I am so cocky."

Hermione's eyes shot open "Oh good god is that real?"

Harry strolled over to the bed and crawled up it to get closer to her. Hermione was still staring at his lower section and her eyes flickered to his face every so often. Harry pulled her sheet lower down to expose her body. Hermione's last cognizant thought was to sigh in pleasure.