Shortly after leaving the Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, Harry found himself standing before the atrium of the Ministry of Magic.
A quick and silent disapparate from Diagon Alley deposited him before the main entrance to the ministry headquarters with nary a whisper. The busy ministry workers paid him no mind as they milled about their own business. It seems things have really calmed down if they weren't immediately suspicious of a hooded figure wandering into the building.
Harry cast a mild aversion charm on himself as he made his way further into the depths of the ministry.
Midway into the atrium, Harry found himself before the fountain of magical brethren.
Taking a moment to examine the statue, Harry grimaced slightly.
Thankfully, the hideous golden statue had been removed after the war ended. But, Harry wasn't too fond of its new replacement either. At the center of the fountain stood a golden statue representing the heroes of the Second Wizarding War that was commissioned shortly after their victory at Hogwarts. To the side, Neville was holding the Sword of Gryffindor in mid-swing. A pose taken from his slaying of Nagini, the snake Horcrux. Ron and Hermione were standing slightly off-center with their wands at their sides, poised and ready. Harry himself stood at the center of the masterpiece, wand brandished with a fierce and determined look on his face as clean, sparkling water spouted from his golden wand.
Harry had wanted a different version of the statue installed at the end of the war. His original plan was to have Hagrid standing in the middle of the group carrying Harry with his friends flanking the giant. The water would stream out from the side of their eyes symbolizing the pain and hardships they had suffered during the war. The statue was supposed to be a reminder to everyone that there is no glory to be found in war.
In the end, Harry's plan was vetoed by Shacklebolt and the top echelons of the ministry. They claimed that the public needed a rallying point after the war and the statue would become a symbol of hope for the common wizard. They can't have a statue reminding everyone the horrors of war. Harry had relented and settled for a painting depicting the scene he wanted. The painting now hung inside the minister's office and a copy was made for the memorial in Hogwarts.
Standing before the golden statue, Harry was once again reminded of why he had left Britain on a journey. The statue looked nothing like him. He was tall and handsome. Charismatic. A leader standing at the forefront, leading his country. None of which, Harry could claim to be before his journey.
Harry glared at the lightning bolt scar on the statue in annoyance.
The damn scar had faded after the Battle of Hogwarts, but they had insisted on making it as prominent as magically possible. He wouldn't be surprised to see it glowing in the dark at night. A beacon during the dark times. Heh. It sounded stupid enough, that the wizards might have actually done it.
"An impressive sight, isn't it? There are more visitors coming to the ministry nowadays, just to catch a glimpse of the statue. It's the only way to see their saviour after he left the country…" A voice called out to his side.
Harry turned to inspect the newcomer. Another hooded figure had joined him at the fountain. The trim of his robes informed him that the speaker was an Unspeakable.
Quirking his eyebrows, Harry questioned the figure.
"I thought Unspeakables weren't meant to be heard in a public setting?"
The Unspeakable chuckled in a jovial manner and gave a him a light nod in response.
"Indeed."
The figure tapped the badge pinned to the front of his robes.
"The badge has many charms laden on it to prevent our conversation from being overheard."
Glancing around the busy atrium, Harry noted that the workers were ignoring their rather conspicuous clothes as they stood awkwardly in the middle of the atrium. A notice-me-not ward anchored to the badge as well, he concluded. It makes sense since the presence of an Unspeakable would rouse interest and make it harder for them to go about their work.
"Might I interest you in a guided tour around the Department of Mysteries?" the figure asked Harry in a deceptively calm manner.
"Oh?" Harry responded non-committally. "I didn't know the department was accessible to the public. Did something change?"
"No. It's still off limits to the public." The Unspeakable admitted in a bland tone. "But that has never deterred you now, has it Lord Potter?"
Harry sighed in a dejected manner. He had barely set foot into the ministry and his presence was already noticed.
"Very well. Lead the way then." Harry gestured towards the elevators.
The Unspeakable shook his head in amusement.
"Not that way. You don't expect the Unspeakables to be crammed into an elevator with the rest of the ministry workers now, do you?" He pointed to a side corridor leading away from the atrium. "There's a concealed elevator further down that is only accessible to the Unspeakables."
Harry followed the Unspeakable in silence as they rode the elevator down to level nine, into the Department of Mysteries.
Harry glanced around in mild surprise as they made their way deeper into the department. It was very different from his previous visit during his fifth year. The doors were stationary and properly labelled with brass plaques.
"Surprised?" The Unspeakable queried. "The department's defenses are activated at night after most of the staff have left. It was unfortunate that one of our own had betrayed us, and disabled most of the traps during your last visit. You will be pleased to hear that the traitor has been dealt with and the Unspeakables are now held to higher standards of conduct. We have more fail-safe in place to prevent something similar from occurring in the future."
The Unspeakable led Harry into a large office that was sparsely decorated. Two massive filing cabinets lined the back of the office, and a large heavy desk and two chairs occupied the rest of the space.
Given the size of the office, the Unspeakable was obviously highly ranked in the department. However, the lack of decoration was a stark contrast to the man's position.
The Unspeakable sat behind the desk and pulled off his hood.
"Saul Croaker. Head Unspeakable for the Department of Mysteries." The man introduced himself with a faint smile on his lips. "I've spent my entire career studying time magic. Though I had to take an unforeseen break a couple of years ago when all the time-turners in the Time Chamber was destroyed in what I heard was an epic duel." Croaker chuckled drily.
Harry shot the man an apologetic look. "We weren't given much choice with the death eaters pursuing us. We had split up into smaller groups and everything was embroiled in chaos. Most of the stray spells were fired by the death eaters. One of them tried to use the Killing Curse on Hermione…"
Croaker waved his hand impatiently. "Don't worry about it. It gave me time to focus on other stuff. Ironic, I know. I couldn't find time to myself despite my expertise in time magic." He paused for a second to gather his thoughts. "There were several unexpected benefits that arose from the altercation…"
"First, it brought Ms. Granger to my attention. She has a lot potential that would be wasted in any other departments in the ministry. After the end of the war, I got in contact with her during her last year at Hogwarts and offered her a position as a researcher in my department. So far, she has made great contributions to our department. Her logical thinking has dramatically reduced a lot of redundancy in our experiments and has brought a lot of new insights from her muggle background that we have overlooked for decades. As of now, she has yet to decide on her specialization and is hopping around several different fields helping out where she could."
"Sounds like the Hermione I know." Harry grinned fondly. "She is interested in everything and could never bear the thought of leaving any subject untouched. She had a time turner in our third year to attend all the electives offered."
Croaker nodded in understanding.
"Ah yes, we loaned that particular time turner out to Dumbledore. We were interested in what he would do with it and observed Ms. Granger for a time during that year. Unfortunately, she dropped off our radar when she returned the time turner at the end of the year. It wasn't until I read her O.W.L.s results and caught wind of her involvement in the Battle of the Department of Mysteries that I began evaluating her as a potential recruit."
"Now, another benefit was the death eater that had his head stuck in the Bell Jar of Time. We are not authorized to perform any human experimentation in the department, nor would we do so as it would go against our morals and oaths. However, the death eater who was stuck in the Bell Jar provided us valuable information on the effects of time magic on specific human body parts. From the results and information gathered, we were able to engineer a revolutionary procedure to restore damaged body parts, beyond what healing spells are capable of. The procedure is still highly classified and can only be administered by an Unspeakable as the knowledge can easily be abused."
"Last of all, it gave me the opportunity to revamp the entire department. There were many protocols in place that needed to be overhauled. Augustus Rookwood was the perfect excuse for me to start the process. Despite his lifetime sentence to Azkaban, he was able to exploit our weaknesses when Voldemort broke them out of the prison. Now, we have new oaths in place that have much more severe repercussions should anyone test their luck."
Harry sat in his chair quietly as he absorbed everything Croaker had told him.
"Is it fine for you to tell me though? Isn't this like classified information?" Harry wondered aloud.
Croaker hummed in agreement. "It is classified information, which leads us to the next topic. I would like to offer you a position in my department as an unofficial Unspeakable." Croaker held his hands up to stall Harry's objections. "You will not be working as a normal Unspeakable. You won't even be required to report in to the department. I was hoping to recruit you during your last year alongside Ms. Granger, but you left the country before I had the chance. I have received several reports on some of your activity overseas and I would like to offer you work as a consultant for my department. Your exposure to the many different branches of magic across the world has provided you a unique perspective to how magic works…"
Harry gave the head Unspeakable an evaluating look.
"What benefits are there to accepting your offer?"
"Well, first you will be provided anonymity for any work contracted under my department, so you won't have to worry about anyone discovering your identity. You will have all the benefits of a standard Unspeakable. The hood and badge included. You will also have access to confidential information including but not limited to the research on time magic and more. This extends to foreign branches overseas that we are on friendly terms with. The restriction on dark magic use will be lifted as long as you don't use them to harm anyone."
Harry considered the offer. It was certainly enticing, as most of the more volatile magic in Europe are secreted away in their versions of the Department of Mysteries. His travel across Europe has exposed him to more widely available branches of magic but the truly arcane knowledge was out of his reach, and with the restriction of dark magic lifted, he won't have to worry about getting caught up in technicalities and politics. He would be free to use any magic he had learnt during his journey.
"I want a guarantee that my freedom to travel will not be restricted. Also, no more spying on me. I don't mind if you find out about my activities through other methods, but I don't want anyone tailing me." Harry countered.
Croaker nodded in satisfaction. "That can be easily arranged. I look forward to working alongside you."
Harry shook the offered hand firmly.
"Now, I believe you visited the ministry for a different purpose?" Croaker inquired.
"Yes, I was hoping to catch Hermione when she's free." Harry admitted wryly.
"And you were thinking of just waltzing into the Department of Mysteries in broad daylight?" Croaker shook his head in exasperation. "We do have proper defenses in place, you know? Oh! That reminds me, I wanted to show you one of our recent projects. Ms. Granger helped out with several of the enchantments." He clapped his hands together excitedly, and Harry had no doubt that the head Unspeakable had been waiting for this moment.
Croaker pulled out a blank parchment from his robes. "I'm sure you are rather familiar with a different version of this." He declared in a smug tone.
He gave the parchment a quick tap with his wand and the parchment unraveled itself. Slowly a map of the ministry was revealed, with Harry's dot standing next to Croaker's. The head Unspeakable beamed with pride as he showed off the map.
"One of the new fail-safe I mentioned earlier. It was how I noticed your arrival at the ministry. Let's see… Ah! You will find Ms. Granger at the library of rare tomes. It's just past the Space Chamber. I'm sure you recall the room with floating planets. Remember to come back to my office before you leave. I will have the contract ready by then."
Harry took it all in stride. The head Unspeakable was like a child, fascinated with any new piece of magic he could get his hands on.
Harry bade the man goodbye and set out to find Hermione.
The Space Chamber was exactly how Harry remembered it. The model of Pluto that Luna had used as a shield during the skirmish had been replaced with a shiny new replica. As he navigated his way between the planets, Harry found himself floating a couple feet off the ground.
Darn, he forgot about the enchantments in the Space Chamber.
Harry quickly ran through the magic that he knew and considered which one to use. There was gravity magic that would simply nullify the enchantments in the room, though the affected area is hard to control. A simple slip of his hand would send all the planets crashing onto the floor. He could also use magic to propel himself in the air until he left the zero-gravity zone. A bit awkward but it was definitely achievable. Flying was another alternative, but he didn't want anyone to witness him flying unaided. The last method would be the simplest.
Gathering magic inside himself, Harry formed it into a ball before settling into a horse stance.
"Hah!"
He forced the ball of magic downwards. His body was forced downwards as well and he landed on his feet weighing like a ton of bricks. Faint cracks can be seen spreading out across the floor of the chamber. It was one of the training methods employed by the mages in China to exercise their stance and lower body. Harry waved his hand at the floor and repaired the cracks and quickly made his way out of the area before letting the ball of magic disperse.
Harry paused just outside the door to the library. An idea came to him and he pulled his cloak back to reveal a pouch at his waist. Reaching his hand into the pouch, Harry withdrew the invisibility cloak and concealed himself with it before opening the library door.
Hermione was half hidden in a pile of old tomes as she devoured the book in her hands. His entry had gone unnoticed. It was not that surprising of a development to Harry. She had a bad habit of getting too absorbed when she was reading, becoming oblivious to her surroundings and the passage of time.
Harry slowly crept closer to her figure, careful not to let any errant sound escape. Gradually, a sadistic grin formed on his lips as he beheld her unsuspecting form.
Harry reached out with his hand to pinch a strand of her hair, slowly pulling it away from her tight bun.
Success!
He let the strand of hair that he had liberated fall from his grasp, directly into her eyes.
Huff! Huff!
Hermione blew at the errant strand. She shook her head slightly to clear it out of her vision.
'Unbelievable,' Harry thought to himself. 'She was still unaware.'
His grin grew wider. This was going to be a lot more fun than he had expected.
Harry leant down closer to her figure and breathed softly into her ears.
Hermione's body twitched slightly as her sensitive ears reacted to the stimuli. Harry could see that her ears had reddened. She made no further reactions, wholly focused on the open book.
Harry pulled back a bit and repeated the action on the other side.
A hand came up to swat the air in an annoyed fashion. The blush had spread further to her neck and cheeks. Harry could tell that her frustration was starting to build up, as Hermione's eyes watered slightly.
Emboldened by her tepid response, Harry caught a strand of her hair and slowly ran it along her nape. Hermione's shoulders jerked up reflexively as she elicited a cry of surprise. She reached up to touch the back of her neck with her free hand but found nothing.
She frowned slightly and rubbed the spot Harry had tickled moments ago.
Sigh. She was having trouble concentrating on what she was reading. Even her mind is working against her now, conjuring up phantom sensations to distract her.
Hermione rubbed the spot a few more times before finally convincing herself that she was imagining things.
Harry gave her a few seconds of reprieve before returning to his self-appointed task of making Hermione lose her cool.
'Hmm, what should I go for next…' Harry wondered. There were so many options he could choose from. A freaking dilemma out of nowhere… 'Ah! Got it!' Harry secretly rejoiced as a wicked gleam entered his eyes.
Harry stuck his right index finger out and concentrated magic at the tip of his finger. Slowly, the magic coalesced into a drop of liquid as he positioned it at the back of Hermione's nape once more.
Pure magic condensed into liquid form had an electrifying feeling even to those with dull magic senses. Harry learnt that during his stay in India. It was one of the many techniques described in the magical version of the Kama Sutra, which really was just the Kama Sutra with additional chapters on magical spells and techniques that one could incorporate into the art of pleasure. It even included an entire chapter on Parseltongue and its many uses in oral lovemaking.
Ever since he first discovered the magical Sanskrit text, Harry had become a firm believer and practiced from the book religiously. He had also discovered that Parseltongue is a highly prized and coveted talent in India. Apparently, there was no negative connotations attached to the talent in India, unlike the British wizarding community. It was even famous for its uses in healing magic. As a result, Harry had spent his time in India mastering his Parseltongue talent.
Harry watched as the condensed drop of magic left his finger and travelled the short distance down to Hermione's nape.
The effects were instantaneous.
"AHHH!!!!"
Hermione screamed out loud in surprise as her senses were overloaded by pleasure. The drop of liquid magic ran down her nape to her back, leaving a trail of tingling numbness.
Her toes curled in her shoes as she gripped on to the book for dear life. Throwing her head back, she panted heavily in gasps trying to draw in breath desperately to fill her lungs. Her mind had blanked out for a second as it tried and failed to process the sensation.
"FUCK!" Hermione swore to herself, as she slowly recovered from the orgasmic bliss. Looking around the room, she found it still devoid of other people. Very surprising, considering how loud she had just screamed. She could feel sweat dripping down from her forehead, plastering strands of her hair to her face. Her legs were still shaking and were refusing to cooperate.
Shakily, Hermione reached into her robes for her wand.
Her mouth was dry as she tried to cast Homenum Revelio. It came out an unintelligible mess.
She cursed silently and recast the spell.
The results came back negative. She was alone in the library. Hermione scowled at the result. Her eyes darted around the room, searching for any hidden threats. Her chest was heaving from her laborious breathing, as she squirmed slightly in her chair. Her wet silk panties were clinging to her mound as it absorbed her sexual release. Soft squelching sounds could be heard as she shifted uncomfortably.
There wasn't much she could do, when her entire lower half was still numb from the incapacitating pleasure. Hermione waved her wand again as she silently cast a different detection spell.
The detection spell for active magic around her signaled that a silencing spell had been cast on the door, which explained why no one has come running to check on her, when she started screaming.
A small relief, as she didn't want to explain why she was in the state she was. Things would get awkward really fast. But it doesn't explain who cast the silencing spell and what was affecting her.
Hermione raised her wand, intent on casting every single detection spell she knew. She had an extensive list of detection spells in her mind, bolstered by the knowledge she had gained working in the Department of Mysteries, ranging from sonar to heat detection. She was sure one of the spells would catch the culprit off guard, unless whoever it was has managed to make themselves intangible and mask their heat signature.
That almost sounds like the definition of a spirit, Hermione mused to herself. Maybe she should try soul detection spells. That's what a spirit was, right? A remnant or an imprint of a soul… Surely, they would register as something to her spells. It wasn't something Hermione had much experience or knowledge in. The extent of her knowledge in soul magic was that a person can split their soul into pieces to form a Horcrux. The topic was pretty much taboo in Wizarding Britain and she didn't feel comfortable delving further into the subject. There were other subjects that were much more appealing like love magic and time magic.
Harry stood to the side of the library as he observed Hermione's reaction. He had taken a few steps back once the drop of magic landed on her. As expected, the results were explosive.
Harry smirked to himself. In more ways than one. He could detect a faint smell of arousal emanating from Hermione, mixed in with her delectable sweat to form a complex but enticing scent. Her prone form in the chair was enough for Harry to surmise that her legs had given out and she was unable to support herself. He drew closer to her form once more, as he heard her running through a battery of detection spells. Harry recognized most of the spells she had cast in that brief interval.
A futile effort, given the omnipotence of his invisibility cloak. Hermione would be astounded. He had indeed managed to turn himself intangible alongside the cloak. It was a function that he discovered during his travels. The combination of all three hallows appears to have unlocked additional features or maybe a power-up in each of the three artifacts. Perhaps, they were always meant to be wielded together.
It would be entertaining to watch Hermione puzzle through the mystery. But Harry opted to not give her any breathing room to recover her wits and wanted to end his teasing with a bang.
He snuck up behind her and charged both his hands with magic. The electrifying pleasure would be less intense in this form but it would be enough for his purpose. His target was already primed and teetering on the edge, a tiny shock would suffice to send her back into the throes of pleasure. Harry brought his hands down on the sides of her neck.
Hermione collapsed backwards into the chair as the numbing pleasure returned in force. It wasn't as shocking as before, but the pleasure quickly overwhelmed her reasoning as she threw her head back and moaned out loud.
She could feel hands travelling down her neck as she arched her body back instinctually to remain in contact with them. Or was she trying to escape from them. Her foggy mind refused to cooperate with her.
Through her many layers of robes, her nipples hardened into stiff nubs that rubbed against the soft fabric bringing her greater pleasure. Hermione squirmed in the chair as the electrifying feeling persisted. Her climax came not as intense as her first, but it was lasting a lot longer.
MORE! I NEED MORE!
A part of her mind was betraying her true feelings. She wanted the magical hands to travel further down, to grasp her breasts and maul them in between their fingers. She wanted to know what it would feel like if the electrifying spark came in direct contact with her more sensitive erogenous zones. Her legs pressed together in an effort to relieve some of the tension but it was futile. Her hips buckled forward slightly in a knee jerk response to the orgasm wracking through her body.
OHH! THAT FELT GOOD! Her traitorous mind supplied.
Hermione felt the hands slowly drew back. She unintentionally let out a whine of protest as her climax tapered off. The mind-numbing release was starting to fade, but she could still feel her hormones rampaging around uncontrollably. Her body was still crying out in joy.
She blushed profusely. I did not just whine in need! The rational part of her mind protested vehemently.
She could feel the bottom part of her robes getting drenched in her own fluids. The wet sounds unmistakable to her own ears. Some of the liquid was travelling down her legs, as her over-saturated panties failed to do much more.
Hermione leant back into the chair.
What was happening?
Her mind unable to form more complex theories at the moment. She wanted to just lie back and bask in the afterglow of the most intense orgasm she had ever had in her life. A much needed one too, her body reminded her. Hermione could feel the stress and tension that had built up over the past few months slowly seep away, replaced instead by ecstasy and contentment.
Harry chuckled to himself as he ogled his best friend who was sprawled in the chair in post-orgasmic bliss. He noted the faint smile of contentment forming on her lips as she laid her head back with her eyes closed. That was a sight he had learnt to appreciate over the years. Leaving girls and women insensate from pleasure and satisfaction was a grand achievement of its own.
The small puddle of liquid pooling on the floor had Harry licking his lips slightly as he wondered about the taste of his best friend. She had grown and matured into a great beauty over the two and a half years he was gone. Harry shook his head slightly, now was not the time to feel randy.
He looked at the single lock of hair he had plucked from Hermione when she was enraptured in bliss. She had not noticed the slight sting with all the other sensations flooding her body. Harry carefully stored the hair into a glass vial and returned it to his pouch. He has achieved the main purpose for his visit. Now, maybe he should get to revealing himself before Hermione recovers from her ordeal and begins a manhunt. It would be too late to appease her anger by then… Not even the joyous news of his return would distract her from enacting retribution.
Harry debated with himself for a moment before coming to a decision.
He should go with the shock and wow factor. Coupled with her currently rattled mindset, she wouldn't be able to think coherently and marshal up any real anger.
Before further doubts could set in, Harry whipped his cloak off and revealed himself to Hermione.
There was no reaction to his grand revelation. Harry glanced at her prone form once more.
Oops! Hermione was still savouring the lingering bliss with her eyes closed. Guess all that bravado was for naught.
"Ahem." Harry cleared his throat audibly to draw her attention.
Hermione's eyes snapped open in panic as she stared at the tall figure standing before her. She didn't hear anyone enter the room, nor the door opening.
Had he been here the whole time?
Hermione shifted awkwardly in her chair, as she sat up straight to hide her still visible signs of arousal.
She glared at the figure warily. He was very tall, taller than Ron and appears to be in his twenties. His cloak shielded most of his body from her but she could tell that he was well built from his posture. A subtle feeling of intimidation and unyielding will radiated from the man, gradually building up the longer she stood in his presence.
How did she manage to miss his presence before? It was near suffocating to be enclosed in the small library alone with the man. His silent figure demanded attention just by standing there. The man made no further move or sound after announcing himself. She dared not take her eyes off him.
The man gave her an insufferable smirk as if he knew something she didn't.
A nagging feeling in the back of her mind was telling her that there was something familiar about the man.
Have they met before? Hermione wracked her brains trying to pull out any relevant memories.
She scrutinized the man's face with narrowed eyes. He had high cheek bones, a sign of noble heritage. Most likely of pureblood descent. Straight nose and slightly sun-burnt skin. Lips curled in a cheeky grin. A memory flashed in her mind. She knows that grin. Her eyes travelled further up. Bright emerald eyes shining with power and confidence. A feeling of déjà vu. A young boy flashing the same grin at her before they barreled into the unknown, his eyes sparkling with concealed excitement and determination as they challenged their foes.
Hermione's eyes widened slightly as the pieces slowly fell into place in her mind.
She glanced upwards at the man's forehead. There! A faint silvery scar stood proud on his sun-kissed skin. A zig-zag pattern reminiscent of a lightning bolt, or the Sowilo rune. Messy black hair, styled fashionably.
Hermione gasped aloud as recognition slammed into her with the subtlety of a rampaging bull. Tears were starting to gather in her eyes as she examined the young man before her.
"Harry?" She gasped out in a quiet, hesitant voice.
The man gave her a bright smile and nodded.
Hermione barreled into the man at full force, hugging onto him for dear life as if she was afraid that he would disappear if she let him out of her grasp. Her tears streamed down her face uncontrollably as she sobbed into his chest.
Harry looked down at his best friend crying in his arms. It was obvious from her current state, that she had missed him a lot more than he had expected. A small twinge of regret could be felt in his heart. He had left rather abruptly back then, when she was too busy to fully grasp the entirety of what his plan entailed.
Harry hugged her closer as he waited for her to calm down, making soothing motions on her back with his calloused hands.
Sniff. Sniff.
Hermione rested her head against Harry's chest as her sobbing gradually died out. It has been years. YEARS! She exclaimed internally. Right after the war ended, she was so busy trying to reconnect with her parents, helping out with the post-war rebuilding efforts and everything else. She had paid little attention to Harry's announcement during his birthday celebration, and by the time she came to her senses, he was gone. GONE! They had never been separated for more than a few months, mostly during summer break, ever since they became friends. Even then, Harry would write letters to her every few days. But when he disappeared on his god forsaken journey around the world, his letters became infrequent. Once a month, if they were lucky. And they were never addressed to her personally. She raged in her mind. Now that she had recovered from her bout of weakness, there was something important she had to do. Give him a piece of her mind!
Harry could feel the moment the atmosphere changed in the room. Hermione's grip had tightened and he could sense that her emotions had gone in the other direction.
Hermione gripped his cloak tighter and tried to give him a pinch. Unfortunately, his cloak was too thick to feel her wrath.
Harry gave her another hug.
Hermione froze momentarily in indecision. Harry was never a tactile person. He disliked being touched and initiating contact of any kind. An unfortunate consequence of his time with the Dursleys. It seems a lot has changed over the course of the years he was gone. It was a good change, she surmised. He has become more confident and self-assured.
The hug was different.
Hermione could feel herself getting antsy the longer Harry held her. She's never felt this way before. A slight tingling sensation can be felt, slowly spreading throughout her body. It reminded her of what happened earlier in the room. She could tell Harry wasn't doing it on purpose. Her sharp senses could feel the magic brimming under his skin. He was like a magic generator. As the feeling grew stronger, her thoughts started to stray. Her hands began to roam his back before she caught herself.
She struggled slightly in his grasp and he soon released her from his hug. The hug had sent her imagination running wild. It wasn't just the tingling sensation she could feel. His toned, muscular body had made itself known as she was pressed up against him. His tight, firm, bulging muscles. STOP! She chided herself mentally. Hermione stored the images in a secluded corner of her mind using Occlumency for later perusal, when she was alone. At home. Behind closed doors. Memories of the orgasm she had earlier indicating that it would be an explosive session.
Whilst Hermione was grappling with her own mind, Harry had taken off his cloak and laid it across the desk. He pulled out her chair and indicated that she should sit.
Hermione perched on the offered chair as she watched Harry grab a chair of his own. Her eyes unconsciously roving over his uncovered form.
"It's been a while hasn't it…" Harry commented. His eyes were alight with amusement as he noted her wandering eyes. Hermione's gaze flicked back to his face upon hearing his words.
His eyes were deadly in the way that they entice and mesmerize you without notice, she noted to herself. It was muted by the glasses he usually wore when he was still at Hogwarts. But now, she could clearly see the emotions behind those eyes as they regarded her warmly, and she could feel her body getting warmer just by the way he was looking at her. She had missed his company dearly.
Hermione shoved the sentimental feelings aside and harden her resolve. She won't be letting him distract her anymore.
"Harry James Potter!" She demanded hotly. "You've disappeared for nearly three years with barely a word and you don't even bother sending me letters anymore! Where have you been? What's happened to you? You, you look so different…" She blushed towards the end.
It was hard to stay mad at Harry. Her indignation was dampened by his very presence and she was for once at a loss for words. She knew that with the war over, Harry has finally obtained freedom. Freedom from his destiny. Freedom from his responsibilities. Freedom to choose what he wanted to do with his life. It was something he wished for so desperately as a teenager. She didn't blame him for his decision. It was just painful not having her closest friend by her side.
"Relax, Hermione… I'll tell you everything that has happened to me after I left Britain. There's a lot to tell you, though there are some parts that I have been sworn to secrecy. Some secrets aren't mine to share. Now, where should I start…" Harry settled down into his chair unhurriedly and began his story.
The two of them were entrenched in the small library for the next few hours as they shared stories of the past couple years.
Eventually, Harry had to call it a day. Teddy and Andromeda likely have returned to the Black ancestral home, and he was hoping to have dinner with them.
Harry rose from his seat to bade her goodbye. Hermione echoed his actions, getting up from her chair before enveloping him in another Hermione-patented hug.
He gave her a cheeky smile and hugged her back. The feeling of ecstasy returned with a vengeance. Hermione squeaked in shock as she felt a spurt of liquid flow down her thighs. Harry quickly released her and disappeared through the door.
Hermione stood in the library motionlessly. Mortification, guilt, and euphoria overwhelming her body. Before long, she came to a sudden realization.
It was Harry! He was the one giving her mind-blowing orgasms! He must have used the Cloak of Invisibility earlier.
She also realized that he was distracting her with his sudden appearance and stories, rather bluntly too. She was somewhat still reeling from his revelations and it was no surprise that she failed to connect the dots until now.
Maybe not all the changes were for the better, she groaned to herself.
Oh Merlin, I can't even hug him without climaxing… she shuddered at the thought. Though she was uncertain if it was from anticipation or dread.
Elsewhere, Harry met up with Croaker once more before swiftly making his way out of the ministry without encountering anyone else. He was very happy with what he has accomplished for the day. He will leave notifying the rest of his friends for another day.
Smirking to himself, Harry thought about the parting gift he had left behind. A cleverly concealed charm that will notify him when it comes into contact with its other part. He had placed the matching charm on Ron earlier in Diagon Alley. Now, he'll just have to wait for the two to meet. With how much he had riled up Hermione, Harry was sure that their encounter would quickly devolve into the amorous kind.
And Harry would be waiting.
He had all the materials at hand, now he just has to set it up.