Riddle and His Lady

Chapter Thirteen: Work Hard, Play Hard

Previously:

Only when her eyes met his once more did she realise that at some point in their conversation, they had both moved very close to each other on the bed and their skin to skin contact - albeit only his hand holding hers which gently touched his chest – was altering her breathing pattern and she could feel her pulse quickening. Too soon he removed his hand from hers, but moved it up to her face to tenderly stroke her cheek with the back of his fingers, causing a sharp intake of breath from the witch at the sudden intimate gesture.

"Am I making you nervous?" Orion asked huskily, his face growing ever closer to hers.

Even her own thump of a heartbeat flustering in her ears drowned out the sound of Orion's now, but she denied it all the same.

He smiled gently at her quite obvious white lie and muttered, "I say I am," before inclining slowly forward to capture her lips with his warm, soft ones and cradling her face in his strong hands as he did so.

Hermione pulled away, startled from the sudden intimacy and found herself unable to form words as she stared at the young man sat before her with his plump lips parted slightly and his right hand still loosely holding her face.

Then despite all that had happened over the last two days, she found herself powerless to control a smile forming on her face and a nervous laugh escaping her lips. She considered that maybe some things she couldn't control, things like feelings, and maybe it wasn't such a bad thing to just let herself get swept away by a gentleman for once.

Orion took her pretty little smile as confirmation to try again and with his right hand, lifted her chin up slightly towards him and kissed her again, this time pressing a little harder. The passion he was feeling for this girl was undeniable and the rush of heat surging through him as their lips moved together with more pace was something he had no control over. Threading his slender fingers through the curls of her hair, he felt her hands move towards his chest and grip the white material of his shirt. The contact through her fingers to his chest sent a spark of excitement straight to the pit of his stomach and he couldn't stop himself from pressing further, his tongue gently exploring her mouth as she made quietly content sounds.

He pulled away once more, reluctantly, and panting. He then realised that they had somehow moved further onto the bed and she was now lying underneath him with her mouth parted and her cheeks pink. Her innocent eyes stared up at him and he couldn't stop himself from taking one hand and grazing her warm cheek with his fingertips delicately. Her skin felt even smoother than it looked. She was perfect. In that moment, with that exact expression in that exact position – so vulnerable and so innocent but so enticing – she was absolutely perfect.

"Do you return my feelings, Hermione?" he said softly, his eyes tracing every detail from her collar bone to the crown of her head.

He watched her gulp, studying the movement in her throat as she did so. He knew not to expect too much of her, especially as half an hour ago she thought he'd been sleeping with Genevieve Parkinson.

"I don't think I can answer that just yet," she whispered, her eyes darting from his eyes to his lips before a nervous smile appeared, "I can tell you I quite enjoy kissing you though."

Orion laughed, both of them suddenly relaxing and smiled lighting their faces.

"That will have to do for now then," he replied, not allowing her answer to defeat him, but instead motivate him.

They stayed like that for a little while – him observing her, memorising every essential element of her face and her watching him as he did so until she finally spoke.

"I have to get back," she said softly, almost reluctantly.

He nodded and lifted himself from her. He watched her take her bag from beside him and walk over to the fireplace.

"I might see you later then," he said hopefully, taking her right hand and placing a gentle kiss on her knuckles before watching her disappear in the green smoke.

Within seconds, Hermione was back in her room in the Three Broomsticks and quite unable to believe what had happened in the short time she was at Grimmauld Place. Tracing over her bottom lip with her fingers softly, she smiled. She could only explain the feeling she was experiencing as something one would feel at thirteen, experiencing your first crush where even just a glance from them would send your heart into a flutter.

The elated witch proceeded downstairs to find Rosmerta wiping down the bar.

"Oh, Hermione!" she cried, her hand flying to her chest, "you gave me a fright!"

Hermione apologised but Rosmerta just laughed and reached into her apron pocket.

"A letter arrived for you not long ago; from Dumbledore I think," she informed her, handing the fat little letter over which indeed held the Hogwarts seal. She thanked her, and tucked the letter into her pocket to read later then opened the pub doors. Within minutes the room was flooded with thirsty witches and wizards, and Hermione began serving.

Virtually as soon as Hermione had left Tom's apartment, Lestrange appeared in his fireplace holding a deck of cards and a bottle of fire whiskey. Needing a bit of a distraction, they both sat down and began playing.

"I've heard Orion isn't too pleased with you, Tom," Lestrange said with a smirk, taking a gulp of his whiskey.

Tom feigned innocent, "Why would that be?" he inquired, not bothering to look up from his cards.

"For trying to steal his girl," he chuckled, shaking his head.

He snorted, "Hermione is not his girl, and if he wants to act like third years about this, I actually met her first."

Lestrange laughed loudly, astounded at how these two seemingly mature boys could become so petty over a girl they barely knew. "I thought you were seeing Lucretia, anyway," he remarked, clearly quite uninterested but probing just the same.

Tom shook his head and smirked, "I was never seeing Lucretia. Well, not in the gallant sense anyway,"

Lestrange laughed, taking another swig if his drink and scanning through his cards.

"And what's happening between you and Eileen then?" Tom asked in a monotone voice.

Without looking up, he heard his fellow slytherin sigh, "It's difficult," he replied, holding the cards in one hand and running his other hand through his hair as if agitated, "Not going to lie – I really like her, maybe even love her but she doesn't want to pursue anything apparently."

Tom was silent for a moment before saying, "Well it's obvious she likes you. Just keep pushing and the girl will crack."

Lestrange nodded and opened his mouth to add more to the conversation but was interrupted by a loud crack in the hallway. Moments later, Abraxas appeared in the living room with a wide smile on his face.

"I order you both to put your cards down, and join me in the Three Broomsticks," he cried, sweeping his platinum locks from his eyes and marching up to them.

"We only went out last night, Brax," Tom sighed, really not feeling up to another alcohol induced night of mistakes and then waking up with a bleary head.

"Hermione will be there," Abraxas replied teasingly, "she's on shift tonight."

"I see why not," Lestrange barked, tugging his dark haired friend up by the elbow, who was suddenly feeling more inclined to visit said pub.

Finishing her short break, Hermione returned to the bar from the kitchens and began serving once more. Rosmerta flitted between tables, collecting glasses and refilling glasses before trotting over to where Hermione stood.

"You're boys are here, Hermione," she muttered.

"My…boys?" She replied with a frown, pouring a butterbeer.

"Tom, Abraxas and the Lestrange boy, of course; they're with Minnie and Lucreatia at the back. Although I haven't seen Orion,"

Hermione nodded and returned to serving before she is asked to take the drinks over to their table.

"Hermione," Minerva cried once she saw her approach the table, although she was sat on the wrong side of Lestrange and Abraxas to be able to move from her seat to properly say hello.

"Take a seat with us for a while, 'Mione," Lestrange said with a wide smile, after gulping down half of his pint.

"I can't I'm afraid," she replied, her eyes darting to each of them and noticing that Tom was sat with his arm around Lucretia's shoulders and looking at her rather than at Hermione. "I'm working, but I'll come back over during my break,"

She then returned to the bar, thankful that she didn't have to deal with watching a lovesick girl drooling over Tom Riddle for the rest of the evening. She was sad to not have the chance to speak to Minerva longer, but the pub seemed to be swelling more and more with drunken wizards.

So instead she watched the group from afar as they chatted merrily and drank incredibly amounts. It struck her as odd that Orion wouldn't have gone with them, although she had a feeling there wouldn't be much affection happening between him and Tom at the present. She wondered if Tom had known at all what was really happening in that room before he swept her away the morning after. She wouldn't have put it past him to have concocted some sort of plan like that just for an excuse to hurt someone. Her feelings towards that man were so mixed that she was almost certain she must really have just hated him.

"Mine eye hath played the painter and hath steeled, thy beauty's form in table of my heart; my body is the frame wherein 'tis held, and perspective that is best painter's art," a voice cried from close to her in a dramatic expression, making her jump in shock having been so consumed by her own thoughts.

Hermione turned to the direction of the voice to see Orion sat across from her on the other side of the bar looking totally recovered.

"Shakespeare," she commented with a laugh and he nodded with a smirk, "what are you after then?" referring to a drink.

"Why, you of course," was his reply which he accompanied with a wink. She continued to serve other customers, attempting to ignore his presence.

"The boys are by the back table," she said, pouring him a pint, "if you were wondering."

"No actually," he replied with a frown, "I wasn't even aware they were here."

"Oh," was all she said, unsure how to respond.

"No," he continued, "I actually did come over for you. I came to ask if I could take you out on your day off." He was now leaning over the bar, his hand reaching out to take a stray curl from her face and play with it as she turned to him.

Hermione gulped when a finger accidentally touched her cheek and sent a sharp sensation to her stomach.

"If you sit down and stop distracting me, I'll think about it," she replied, trying to even her voice but failing.

Orion promptly left her with a small, mouth-watering smile, and joined the table at the back.

The night was drawing to a close and the pub was slowly emptying. There appeared only to be three or four more groups left in the room so Hermione removed her apron and collected a spare tray from the bar, quickly moving through the many tables to collect the glasses that have been left behind.

As she drew closer to the table at the back where Tom, Lucretia, Minerva, Lestrange, Orion and Abraxas sat she noticed that Orion seemed to be clenching his jaw quite firmly and if he had been gripping the glass any tighter it might have smashed.

From the corner of her eye she could make out a smirk on Tom's lips as they moved slowly. The rest of the group was still and none of them talked, nor even looked at either of the two men.

Moving a table closer she managed to overhear a small part of what Tom was saying, "You'll never win her round now anyway, Orion. Maybe you should learn to keep your activities a little more private next time."

Hermione chose to move to that table then, just before Orion could jump from his seat and land one on the wizard opposite him. She quickly collected the glasses, flashing a smile at the people round the table and informing them that the pub would be closing in five minutes.

"Is everything okay?" she inquired, her eyes darting from person to person.

"Oh, yes," Abraxas insisted with a warm, but clearly faked smile, "We're all fine,"

Hermione nodded and moved the tray into one hand before walking from the table, making sure to lightly touch Orion's shoulder as she passed.

Bugger this, she thought suddenly with a impulsive feeling of determination and turned back to the group with her eyes focused on the black haired man on the end of the table.

"Orion," she spoke confidently, forcing all heads to turn in her direction, and a bright smile lighting up her face, "I'd love to spend my day off with you. I finish in ten minutes if you want to discuss it then," and then promptly darted back to the kitchen with a tower of glasses clinking beside her.

I've tried my hardest to produce another chapter for you all before Monday because after that I'll be off to Morocco for two weeks!

I can't even begin to tell you how astonished I've been by the response I got since the last chapter. Thank you to everyone who's reviewed; your feedback means so much to me and to hear so many of you with such high praise is really inspiring! Keep reviewing and I'll keep posting!

Mwah!