Authors Note: Happy Birthday Mistymist!
I've said it before but it warrants saying again - you don't need to read the other entries in this series to understand this one. They are merely in the same universe. It's been fun connecting so many characters in the one event; I hope you have enjoyed reading them as much as I have enjoyed writing them. Also, Mistymist has written her own entry to this series, the link can be found on my profile!
A Night to Remember: The Jade Cloak
Hermione smiled as Fred swung Luna around in a wide circle, the other dancers on the floor giving them even more room and a few death glares along with it. Fred's attention wavered for a moment and before they all knew it poor Luna's head was making contact with the floor.
Hermione gasped and Charlie burst out laughing beside her. She turned to glare at her lover but her gaze managed to catch just what had distracted Fred – it was her turn to start laughing.
"Pansy Parkinson," she snorted as the woman in question leant forward to kiss none other than Percy Weasley.
"Go Percy," Charlie said, tilting his head slightly as he examined the other woman's rather exposed body in the revealing blue dress. Hermione's sharp slap against his arm bought his attention away rather quickly though.
"That dress is positively indecent," Hermione muttered under her breath, wondering just how Pansy was managing to walk in her heels. Percy seemed transfixed as the younger woman led him from the ball room.
"Now why didn't the girls look like that when I was at Hogwarts?" Charlie mused, watching the pair's progress too.
"You had Tonks to look at," Hermione grinned, teasing him about his old crush on the Auror.
"If Tonks had worn heels like that we would all be in the hospital wing right now," He replied and as if his words were heard on the dance floor, his brother swung his blonde date into his arms, Luna giggling the whole time as he screamed Emergency at the top of his lungs.
The other dancers watched them leave before resuming the waltz that had been playing for some time. Hermione shook her head, wondering just what Molly Weasley would think of her son's antics. Dumbledore's Christmas in July Birthday Extravaganza was proving to be much more interesting an evening than anyone had originally anticipated.
Charlie and Hermione had been a little surprised to receive the invitation by owl the week before. Living so far away on the Dragon Reservation in Romania meant that any type event, save for weddings and funerals, wasn't something they generally invited to. Not that either of them minded, preferring to socialize over the major holidays rather than travelling back and forth every other weekend. Molly Weasley was a major factor in their avoidance of coming home; her hints about their future engagement become less subtle with every visit.
"Walk with me?" Charlie asked after a few minutes of watching the silent dancers.
Hermione smiled and accepted his proffered hand, letting him pull her from their table and out toward the darkened grounds. Thousands of faeries holding tiny lanterns were making camp amongst the trees, lending the winding paths a very magical feel. She sighed and leaned into her lover, letting him set an easy pace, enjoying his company.
It was nice to slow down and smell the roses, their lives so hectic at the Reservation that the only time they ever really spent together was in the early morning and evenings, and even then they were usually interrupted by one thing or another.
It seemed that many other couples were taking advantage of Hogwarts groomed gardens, soft conversation and the occasional laughter being heard amongst the bushes. Charlie led her toward the great labyrinth that Hagrid had planted for this very occasion, pulling her closer as the lights began to fade and the temperature dropped.
"I feel a little bit like red riding hood, being sent into the dark forest," she teased as they entered the gap in the hedges, taking an immediate right.
"I suppose I'm the big bad wolf out to eat you then?" Charlie replied lightly, squeezing her hand as they immersed themselves further in maze, following the faint glow of faerie lights scattered down the many paths.
"Something like that," she grinned, using one hand to tug her jade cloak tighter to her throat as a cool summer breeze swept around them. Her breath caught as Charlie's hair played havoc around his head, she couldn't remember a time he had looked so handsome, standing there in his new dress robes, his cornflower blue eyes sparkling with untold mischief.
"What?" he asked, seeing the goofy grin transforming her features.
"Charlie Weasley, you are a very handsome man," she told him, reaching up on her toes to kiss his cheek. His arm slid around her waist to hold her close to him, his fingers splaying beneath her cloak to caress her silk covered side.
"You're getting soft on me Granger," he murmured softly in her ear, pulling her deeper into the maze, the sounds of the other occupants falling away as they strolled. She shivered again, but not from the cold.
Somehow they ended up in the heart of the maze, Charlie's fingers shifting under her cloak as they moved making her heart pound with desire. He stopped them by the massive fountain of a witch pouring water from her wand, the streams making neat loops all the way to the bowl she sat in. Hermione sat on the edge and tugged Charlie down to sit beside her, snuggling into his warm embrace and looking up at the night's sky.
"I've missed Hogwarts," she sighed, remembering all the nights she had taken a break from studying to stare up at the perfect view, unblemished by city lights, the isolation only heightening the beauty.
"Me too," Charlie whispered in her ear, his warm breath fanning against the loose curls, "I miss the common room, Quidditch practice at four am and the meals. I miss the moving staircases and the way the doors on the third corridor always changed places on Fridays; sometimes, I even miss detention. Most of all I think I miss the Prefect's Bathroom."
Despite his innocent words, his tone had her biting her lip and closing her eyes. His deep voice never failed to send shivers up her spine when he spoke so intimately to her. She was sharply reminded that it had been a fortnight since they had been so close, first preparing for their leave from Romania and then Charlie's refusal to touch her whilst staying at his childhood home. Hermione was becoming desperate.
"Was it the bubbles or the mermaid that kept you going back there?" she asked lightly, shifting her head so that her lips brushed his cheek.
"Neither. Moaning Myrtle has always had my heart," he replied, tilting his head just so, their lips meeting in the middle as they both sighed.
"I thought I had your heart?" she asked, pulling away from his lips to kiss down his jaw, his fingers moving to the clasp at her throat, removing her cloak.
"No, you have my soul. You will have to fight Myrtle for the keys back," he replied, giving her a rakish smile when she went to return to his lips.
"You're incorrigible."
"You love it," he replied, deepening the kiss, his hands at her waist spanning upward to capture her breasts causing her to moan.
"I love you," she whispered when he pulled away to make his own path down the graceful column of her neck towards the delicate swell of her breasts, displayed tantalizingly in the green dress she had chosen to wear for the Christmas themed ball.
Her fingers splayed and flexed against his scalp as he lowered the embroidered bodice and exposed her to the night air. She didn't have time to feel the cold as his lips and hands covered and worshiped her, his tongue swirling around her nipple causing her stomach muscles to contract and breath to catch in her throat.
Her moans spurred him on as he gently lowered her against the concrete edge, moving back up to capture her mouth as his hands searched under the folds of her skirts. She gasped and arched her whole body into him when his hands found her slick and ready. He traced her intimate folds causing her slight frame to buck lightly against him, seeking greater contact.
Charlie's lips became more insistent, almost bruising in their force as he bought her pleasure until she almost sobbed. He bought her to the peak before pulling back abruptly, sitting up, and grinning down out her. Flushed and frustrated Hermione used her elbows to push herself up, pouting at him as she swung her legs to the edge, ready to leave.
He laughed and tugged her back to him, holding her between his legs as he kissed his way along her collar bone. "Would I be so cruel?" he teased, licking his way around her nipple now before gently biting down, her knees buckling slightly as he did so.
"Maybe… maybe it's just payback," she panted, "payback for being so long in the oohhh," she moaned as he treated her other breast to the same attention, "bathroom."
Chuckling, Charlie stood keeping one hand lightly on her waist as he spread her jade cloak on the spongy lawn beneath them. Hermione lowered herself to it and held out her my arms to him, smiling when he dropped to his knees and curled himself around her. They fell back onto the floor, his hands cushioning her head as his lips captured hers again. Their tongues began to tangle and Hermione restlessly shifted her thighs to cradle his lithe form.
She marveled at how well they fit together, at how he knew exactly how to make her feel good. Perhaps it was because Charlie had been her first and they had chosen to take things so slow initially, learning by reaction alone – if she sighed, he did it again; if she moaned, he kept doing it; and if her breath hitched in her throat and her hips bucked against his, he knew he was definitely doing something right.
Of course, that was how she had learnt what made him feel good – like that spot just below his right ear that made him shiver against her. Hermione knew he loved it when she tangled her fingers in his hair, or when she called his name out he would get this sort of half smile, as if she had done something to make him proud of himself. Swiping her tongue across his bottom lip now was just one of the many things that would make her smile her own secret smile.
Using his teeth, he tugged gently on her full lower lip before shifting his lips down her jaw, slowly running his hands up and down her sides as his tongue laved a path straight to her straining nipples. He left goose flesh in his wake, but the rest of Hermione's body seemed on fire – writhing and pushing against his hips as he did wonderful things with his tongue and teeth again, making her panting breaths seem so loud in darkness.
She tugged on his hair until he pulled up and kissed her waiting lips again, sighing against her with satisfaction. He fumbled between them again, raising her skirts around her hips as he released his own arousal from the confines of his trousers.
Their bodies were slick against each other when Charlie tipped her hips to meet his; the grip on her thighs was almost painful. Hermione looked into his eyes as he slowly entered her, her jaw slack and chest heaving by the time he was fully sheathed.
He looked down, watching where our bodies joined as he slowly pulled out again, repeating the movement with almost frustrating restraint. Her head dropped back and she gasped as he plunged back in, his lips found her jugular as he began slowly speeding up his thrusts, driving her insane. Hermione felt his teeth leave a mark and shuddered as the erotic act of receiving both pleasure and pain affected her body.
Charlie grunted when he finally reached a pace she knew he was comfortable with – Hermione started seeing spots when he began his unwavering assault. Her body was helpless but to ride the waves of pleasure only he would ever be able to give her. Her fingers gripped tufts of his hair as she felt my body tighten and lift in response to his ardent attention.
He reached between them, his hand travelling between their stomachs and she knew he must be nearing release – it took only a few strokes of his beautiful slender fingers on that tight bundle of nerves and Hermione was lost. She stopped breathing and went rigid as that delicious, amazing feeling of release washed over her, seeming to last for hours but in reality it was merely a few seconds. When she came back to earth her loud gasps were joined by Charlie's as he shuddered and bucked against her body, finding his own climax.
He collapsed against her, his mouth moving against her neck, his nose nudging the damp messy curls away. His tongue found the mark he had left behind and she felt herself pulsed against him as he laved it with attention. Hermione gripped him to her, happy to lie there until morning however it was never meant to be as their silence was broken by someone shouting not far off.
Charlie pulled himself off of her with a curse, standing to pull his pants back up, locating his wand and scorgifying them both. Hermione smoothed her skirts and pulled the straps of her dress back up. She used her wand to clean the grass stains from her cloak before flinging it around her shoulders to hide the sorry state of her ball gown. Some things even magic had trouble fixing.
She was attempting to bring some semblance back to her hair when Charlie's arms snaked around her waist and he pulled her flush against his chest. She gasped as he kissed her again, messing up her hair in the process before pulling away as their unexpected guest burst around the corner. Hermione was trying to catch her breath back and all Charlie could do was grin like the cat that got the canary.
"Charlie! Have you seen a red flower with blue leaves?" George panted, skidding to a halt in front of his brother, sparing Hermione the briefest of glances.
"Uh, no," Charlie replied, frowning as George began to look around the fountain.
"What's this all about George, has something happened?" Hermione asked, concerned about how worked up the poor man was.
"It's Luna; she's in the hospital wing. Fred needs a red flower with blue leaves to help heal her," he explained in a rush.
Hermione quirked an eyebrow at Charlie who was trying not smirk. "Have you tried Greenhouse five? Professor Sprout keeps all her rare plants there."
"Greenhouse five?" George confirmed, his eyes widening, "I only tried the first three. Thanks Charlie!" George cried, already running back the way he had come in, red sparks flying from his wand.
"I see Fred and George have been into the elfin wine again," Charlie grinned, tucking her arm into his and escorting her at a much slower pace out of the maze and back toward the twinkling lights of Hogwarts. The music floated across the grounds and it was apparent that many other couples were beginning to call it a night and heading back.
They headed back to their table as the music died down and a soft tinkling of cutlery on glass sounded across the hall. Everyone stopped and turned to the long table set high up on the dais, the Hogwarts staff sat in their usual places seeming to be enjoying themselves as much as the guests.
Dumbledore's portrait sat perched on an easel, his eyes twinkling, and his smile so bright he practically lit up the hall. Even in death the man was just as eccentric but following the war Wizarding England had found any excuse for a party.
"Friends, colleagues, students and others," Dumbledore greeted warmly, the hall finally falling into complete silence. "I would like to thank you all for attending my Christmas in July Birthday Extravaganza. It has been many years since I have enjoyed such company and I am sure it will be remembered for many years to come."
The gathered crowed clapped lightly, murmurs of agreement sounding around the hall. Smiling, Hermione turned to see several late guests enter the hall, including Percy and Pansy who looked blissfully happy and completely unaware they weren't polished to their usual perfection. They past Fred and Luna just inside the door and Fred gave Percy a rather exaggerated wink that caused the older Weasley to blush.
Charlie followed Hermione's laughing gaze and frowned, "There is Fred and Luna, but where is George?" he asked. Hermione shrugged before turning back to Dumbledore, who had resumed his speech.
"I won't keep you long, however there is one point I would like to breach before I let you depart," he continued. Hermione half expected him to warn them that the Forbidden Forest was off limits but his next words surprised her. "The house elves have informed me not to alarm you, but it would appear that several of our current students thought to emulate those of the past. To those of you who ate the pie, the effects of the Amortentia Potion will wear off in due time, to those of you who didn't eat the pie but have been feeling slightly more amorous, then I can only wish you the best of luck."
"A love potion?" Hermione hissed, and she wasn't the only one.
Many couples began looking at each other in alarm, some of which were the most unlikely pairings, others were established couples. Even Hermione began to assess her wanton behavior in a very public place and it all made sense. Someone had spiked the pie and the staff had kept it quiet until the end of the night. She looked at Charlie, who was watching the ball room with an amused grin.
"I hardly find this funny," she said.
"Oh, I think it's hilarious. Fred and George couldn't have done it better," he replied, his smile widening as he caught sight of Fred, holding his sides as he laughed.
"Speaking of George…" Hermione trailed off as the other twin entered the hall, his robes torn and his face ashen. He looked like he had been in a fight with both Fang and the Whomping Willow.
"FRED! FRED! I'VE FOUND IT!" he shouted, drawing the majority's attention.
"Found what?" Fred asked, wiping tears of mirth from his eyes.
"Oh no," Hermione groaned, dropping her head to her hands.
"Red flower, blue leaves! I found it!" he cried and both Fred and Luna burst out laughing, followed shortly by Percy and Pansy. Soon enough the whole hall, most of whom had no idea why they were laughing in the first place.
It was certainly a night they would all remember.
Authors Note: I have an alternative ending, just for Mistymist, where Ginny has an allergic reaction to the Amortentia and dies later that night rather painfully, but I will save that one for later lol.
Thanks for Reading!