More or less at the same time as when the minister had initiated a new plan to extinguish the criticizers of his rule, namely known as Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore, a certain dark lord was once again experiencing anguish of a very high level.
By now it was a common occurrence for Lord Voldemort, suffering through headaches that randomly occurred during the day and evening, but that didn't help him even a bit to get to the bottom of his problem.
Perhaps it was almost worse for him to not be able to get an answer to the cause of his discomfort, because no matter how much time he spent investigating this phenomenon of his, the dark lord didn't find an explanation.
"My servants are starting to get wind of my.. condition. If they see my weakness, I fear I might lose their loyalty.. I need answers. What's the value of seven horcruxes when they can't protect my mind from these assaults?" Lord Voldemort thought as he currently worked on building defensive mechanisms to protect the site that would serve as his seventh horcrux in the near future.
"Dumbledore must play a crucial role in this, the Potter boy alone could never harm me.. But then again, how can the old owl help the boy when he has been sick so frequently since the start of term?" He thought, believing the information his spies had given him about his number one threat. Little did he know that his arch-enemy actually sought a way to destroy him when he pretended to be incapable of governing Hogwarts.
"Maybe I should just.. ah!" The dark lord then suddenly coughed intensely as an overwhelming does of pain flooded his sense, and before he knew it, there was a small amount of blood exiting his mouth with every cough.
The fit of coughing lasted for what felt like an hour from his perspective before it ended as abruptly as it had started. And then a feeling that could be described as fear spread inside the dark lord.
"Oh, this is serious." He thought and immediately disapparated on the spot, in search for a blood-replenishing potion…
A few hours earlier:
"Yeah, we're together." Hermione admitted, making her mother squeal loud enough for the entire neighbourhood to notice and the Brightest Witch of Her Age plus the Boy-Who-Lived blushed a nice shade of rose-red.
"Aw, congratulations you two! We two always knew you would end up together!", Jane exclaimed as she literally pushed the two teens inside her home, "They must tell us everything, isn't that right, Daniel dear?"
"Let them breathe, Jane.", Hermione's father chuckled with a huge smile plastered on his face as he gently wrapped an arm around his wife's shoulder, "I'd say you two unpack before we're having the conversation Harry probably dreaded ever since your first kiss. Oh, please show Harry the room he's going to stay in for the next two weeks, won't you Hermione?"
"Yes, dad!" The brunette quickly replied before grabbing her boyfriend's arm and dragging him out of the danger zone. For now.
"Honestly, my father is acting more serous right now than my mother." She snorted as she and her beloved climbed the stairs to the first floor and the raven-haired wizard chuckled with a sheepish smile on his face.
"That's not how you wanted to tell them, am I right?"
"You're as right as someone can get.", Hermione declared as she stopped in front of a door next to her own room, "Now, this is where you'll sleep for the near future. I hope you'll like it here. Happy unpacking."
"Ha ha, thanks 'Mione." Harry chuckled and as both teens went into their respective rooms, they couldn't help but wonder how long it would take them until they slept in one bed…
A little while later, both Harry and Hermione were done unpacking and had released their pets from their confinements so they headed back downstairs to have THE conversation with Hermione's parents.
"This is going to be so exciting!", Jane exclaimed from her seat in front of the fireplace as she eyed the young couple with curious eyes, "Sit down, sit down!"
"Jane.", Daniel sighed with a soft smile, "Don't make it worse for them."
Mr. Granger still could remember how he had felt when he and his wife had told their respective parents that they were an item, so he perfectly understood how the teens in front of him felt. And that's why he had sworn himself to handle this situation much better than especially Jane's father had done all those years ago.
Harry and Hermione hesitantly sat down on the couch, as shy as they had ever felt in their entire lives, before glancing at each other with a helpless look.
"Okay, so let's get the most obvious out of the way:", Hermione's dad then started the talk, "First of all, I'm immensely happy for both of you. Young love is a wonderful thing, my wife surely won't object, and finding it in a time as.. complicated as yours is like a beam of light inside a dark world. And secondly: Harry, if you ever hurt my daughter now, you should rather worry about me than about the dark wizard who's trying to kill you."
"I'm well aware of that.", Harry responded with a deep blush, "Although please know that I will do everything in my power to keep your daughter safe and happy."
"Thankfully, I had the opportunity to meet you a few times before today, so I sincerely believe what you just said.", Daniel gave Harry a thumbs-up, "You're a fine bloke, Harry. You deserve a girl as brilliant and beautiful as my little princess."
"Dad! Don't call me that!" Hermione squeaked with a high-pitched voice, a wonderful shade of red currently gracing her face.
"Well, you're right. Hermione surely is the most amazing woman I've ever had the pleasure of meeting in my life." Harry admitted with a shy smile, which earned him a light sigh from his girlfriend.
"That's because we raised her.", Jane joked and winked at Harry, "It was only a matter of time until she would come home with a boyfriend."
"Yeah, and although it is a bit scary for a father to experience such a situation, I at least had a lot of time to prepare myself. If she hasn't told you, Harry, Hermione has been getting into raptures about you in her letters to us ever since first year." Daniel explained and Harry snickered as he smirked at his beloved.
"What did she write about?" He asked with a curious tone as he closely observed and enjoyed the way his girlfriend looked more and more like she wanted to smack him hard with every second that passed.
"About your deeds to Hogwarts, your crazy adventures and experiences and the most of the time she rhapsodised about your personality."
"I didn't rhapsodise! Okay, well, maybe I did.." Hermione then admitted before giving her boyfriend a most threatening glare.
"I'm gonna make you regret this SO badly.." She thought and began plotting inside her truly capable head…
A little while after the conversation with Mr. and Mrs. Granger had terminated, much to the teens relief of course, Professor Dumbledore paid his two students a visit.
Just as always, he politely rang the doorbell before being welcomed by his host. And then he just invited himself into the house.
"I assume you already know why I am here?" The headmaster asked his students as he looked around the house, intrigued by the design and decoration of the interiors.
"You wanted to cast some protective spells, right?" Harry said and the elderly man nodded.
"Precisely. We can't have Voldemort attacking you during Christmas, am I right?" He more stated than asked as he drew his mighty wand and began moving it in complex patterns.
"What kinds of spells are you casting, sir?" Hermione asked and Dumbledore chuckled.
"Well, besides the "usual" anti-necromancy wards and anti-apparition spells I also decided to illegally legalize the usage of underage magic inside and around this house – just so you can defend yourselves as a last resort." He explained and despite the professor's good intent, both teens thought of something entirely else.
"Great, now we can use silencing charms." The couple thought with a mental smirk, completely unaware of the other having the exact same thought.
"I hope you don't get into any trouble because of that." Harry expressed his gratitude with this, something that made the old man smile mildly.
"My dear Harry, you should know by now that we can only be punished for the crimes somebody else knows of." He said and Harry's face fell significantly after this exclamation.
"Yeah, I'd be careful using this phrase, sir." The Boy-Who-Lived muttered, his girlfriend shooting the headmaster a nasty glare.
"My apologies. I sometimes forget how much of a two-edged sword the word can be.." Dumbledore admitted with a sigh and Harry exhaled a deep breath.
"It's alright. You say you're done with your old ways, and I still believe you. Though I still haven't forgiven you yet." The raven-haired wizard added with a meaningful tone and the headmaster nodded briefly.
"Maybe you will when Voldemort is dead once and for all.", He said before his sky-blue eyes flashed up for a second, "And speaking of that, we're a small step closer to achieve this goal."
"What did you find out?!" Both Hermione and Harry immediately asked, their eyes also lighting up at the prospect of inching closer to the big achievement.
"I have found a trace which might lead me to the location of a horcrux." Dumbledore stated with a small smile.
"Woah, awesome! Which horcrux are we talking about here?" Harry responded with thick curiosity in his voice.
"The ring I promised you to talk about one day. It's an heirloom of Tom Riddle's family." The headmaster explained.
"I think we should converse about this after the holidays." Hermione suggested and was met with a united hum by both men.
"There is no need to crush the Christmas spirit, on that I agree with you, but it would be wise to continue reading the tome I gave you concerning the Tomb of the Seven even over the holidays. The tomb is Voldemort's wildcard, if you ask me, and we currently have no means to outplay it. Good lord, we still don't even know how to enter this site!" Dumbledore exclaimed and both teens sighed.
"Oh, that's not good. Though please know that we'll continue investigating. There must be a way for us to enter and destroy the tomb!" Hermione ferociously exclaimed and the headmaster hummed in thought.
"I also think so, Miss Granger. But even if we cannot permanently damage Voldemort for the moment, we should hurt him with the weapons we do have. Or let me rephrase this, YOU two should hurt him with the extraordinary power you wield over the great Lord Voldemort." Dumbledore chuckled as his students blushed madly, easily getting his innuendo.
"This is no joke! Nobody was is or probably will ever be able to hurt him in the way you do. He can't stop the anguish, can't predict it, can't delay it.. If I might hazard the guess, I think he is even scared. Scared of pain he cannot explain in any way.", The headmaster continued before abruptly spinning around in the hallway of the house, "Ah, the wards are completely active now! I think that's my cue to go, then."
Harry and Hermione then went outside with the professor, both exchanging an amused look because of the headmaster's behaviour, before bading farewell to the mightiest wizard in Great Britain. Without a single sound he disappeared in front of the teens' eyes…
By the time it was eight o'clock Harry and the Granger family ate dinner in the living room, all four of them enjoying the pizza that Mr. and Mrs. Granger had made.
Again the group discussed the upcoming visit to the mall on the very next day and agreed to leave for the city centre by lunchtime – something that Harry in particular endorsed. He really couldn't wait to sleep in for once.
After dinner, the raven-haired wizard demonstrated the now consequence-free usage of underage magic when he made all plates, glasses and cutlery fly right into the dishwasher, making Hermione's parents clap their hands in amazement.
"Imagine if we could use magic, Daniel." Jane chuckled and her husband sighed.
"Yeah, looks like magic can do more than just create funny explosions."
"Yes, dad. Lots of wizarding families can't even live without household spells and magic around the house in general. That's how convenient spells make things." Hermione told her father, who just grinned.
"I can totally see why."
"Could you even wash the dishes with magic?" Jane asked and Harry nodded his head.
"Yeah, you could. But, well, I'm not good enough at that right now." He admitted with a sheepish laugh.
"That's what you've got a girlfriend for." Daniel teased and made his daughter blush with a mixture of embarrassment and outrage. Jane however remained calm, knowing precisely her husband was just telling a stupid joke.
"Dad!" She exclaimed and crossed her arms in front of her chest. But then she saw her boyfriend snickering because of her father's joke and immediately saw an opportunity to unfold her plan from earlier.
"Oh, you come with me right now, Mister! You certainly need to be taught some manners." Hermione declared and suddenly grabbed her boyfriend by the ear before dragging him outside the room and up the stairs.
"Ouch, Hermione! What has gotten into you?!"
"You laughed because of dad's stupid, conservative joke and now you'll pay for it."
As the teen couple continued to argue, the girl's parents still sat at the dining table, quietly listening to the exchange on the staircase.
"Oh my, our daughter sounds exactly like you, Jane." Mr. Granger chuckled and wrapped an arm around his wife as he looked at her lovingly.
"I take it as a compliment, Daniel." She responded as she returned her husband's gaze.
"Yeah, I'm serious! She inherited your looks, your charm and your bossiness. That's a damn good combo, if you ask me." He responded and Jane quietly laughed.
"If you think of bossiness as a plus." She said and Daniel nodded.
"Absolutely! One of the many reasons I fell in love with you was the way you could handle yourself and others. I don't know many women that are as confident and brave and tough as you or my daughter.", He declared before grinning slightly, "And Harry apparently has a similar opinion on this."
"Let's ask him tomorrow what he loves about our daughter.", Jane lightly giggled, "I think he has other priorities like a person that keeps him alive and he can consult with at any time."
"Yeah, we could do that. That is if I still remember this conversation in the morning." Daniel smirked and his wife groaned.
"You really don't remember anything but the things you absolutely need to know, huh?"
"You could say that. Excuse me, when was your birthday again?" He teased his wife, who just rolled her eyes and covered her face with her hands.
"You drive me crazy, Daniel Granger.", She sighed before getting up and tapping her husband on the shoulder, "Come on, let's watch a movie on the telly. That way I at least know you won't be able to annoy me with your jests."
Meanwhile upstairs in Hermione's room…
"Hermione, chill! I just laughed at your dad's joke because you reacted so funnily! It's not like I would ever treat you in such a sexist way." Harry defended himself as his girlfriend looked up at him with a murderous gaze.
The Brightest Witch of Her Age of course knew that her boyfriend was absolutely honest with her, but her iron grip on his pullover didn't loosen a tad bit.
"Don't you know the most important rule of being a good boyfriend? Always side with your girl." She almost growled and nudged herself and the Boy-Who-Lived towards her bed.
"Hey, I didn't side with your dad! I've done nothing wrong." Harry responded with a mild grin, slowly starting to realize that this was all an act.
"And you didn't side with me either. That's a violation against the boyfriend-code as well." Hermione stated as she saw her boyfriend was now touching the edge of her bed with his calves.
"You know how much I hate disobedience." She then whispered up to him with an enticing tone, her hunger for the young man in front of her multiplying by the second, and Harry smirked widely as he predicted what his girl wanted from him.
"You hate me for that? Show me." He requested and the second the words had left his mouth was the second the brunette crashed her lips onto his and made them fall onto her bed, a mutual moan escaping both their lips as a fantasy came true for the two of them.
Their kisses were raw and hungry, sending jolts of electricity down their spines and igniting their bodies with a fire that was consuming.
"I hate you so much." Hermione moaned in between kisses as she entangled one hand in Harry's raven-black hair and snaked the other under his pullover to feel up his abs, something that made the Boy-Who-Lived shudder in a most pleasant way.
"I hate you more." Harry hoarsely whispered as he followed his girlfriend's lead and slid a hand under her pullover as well.
"Fuck it, take it off!" Hermione commanded, her hormones on absolute overdrive, and Harry obeyed his queen without another thought.
They briefly separated and the Brightest Witch of Her Age seductively smiled at her beloved before raising her arms so he could easily take off her pullover.
"You don't know how sexy you're looking right now." Harry groaned as he almost ripped off his girlfriend's cloth, something that made the brunette beauty giggle.
"Don't come inside your pants." Hermione teased, her hormone-induced state stopping her from overthinking every word, and Harry growled at her.
"You're gonna.." He never completed his sentence as his hands had just revealed Hermione with a bare midriff.
Wearing a light pink tank-top that just reached her ribcage, Harry lost all communication skills as his eyes were glued to his girlfriend's flat abdomen and hourglass figure of a torso.
"Fuck, she's so damn hot.." Harry thought as he tried to bury his petite girlfriend underneath him, but failed miserably when the girl in question quickly regained control of the situation.
"Ah ah. That's for embarrassing me earlier when we talked about my letters to my parents.", Hermione devilishly grinned at her boyfriend, "Though you're welcome to touch my bare belly now. Am I not the most generous woman there is?"
She then sealed his lips with hers again and pressed herself fully against him, making him feel her chest through the thin fabric of her tank-top and the bra underneath.
"You're killing me." Harry moaned as his girlfriend had her wicked way with him, moving her curvaceous hips against his pelvis with every stroke of his hands on her abdomen, torturing the raven-haired wizard with her femininity.
"So.. fucking feminine.", He groaned as he moved his hands to the side of her body, tracing the way the brunette curved ever so beautifully.
"Does this arouse you?" Hermione boldly asked with a smug smirk as she nibbled on her boyfriend's earlobe, her own arousal increasing her bluntness significantly.
"I've never been harder in my life." Harry told her with all the sincerity he could muster in his mind-fogged and intoxicated state, making the brunette beauty giggle seductively.
"Good boy.", She whispered before tugging at his pullover, "This will go off. Now."
Hermione herself felt hungrier and hornier than she had ever felt before, and it was that moment she knew that she would lose her virginity in the upcoming two weeks, her restraint to NOT give herself to the wonderful, wonderful young man beneath her growing thinner with each moment that passed.
Being the assertive and determined woman she was, Hermione swiftly took care of the problem that was Harry Potter's pullover before she eyed his defined torso like the lioness she was; with absolute hunger and a possessive stare.
"Awfully sexy." She purred before beginning to kiss her way down to Harry's chest and abdomen, each ministration sending jolts of pleasure down the wizard's spine.
"Oh my god.", Harry moaned, "Girl, you are heaven."
"I'm no mere girl. I'm a goddess." Hermione then announced with a voice dominated by lust when she considered her task done and quickly crawled up Harry's body again so she could straddle his lap, deliberately centring her mass on his pelvis.
"Aphrodite." Harry breathed her pet name as his hands came to a rest on her naked waist and the witch smirked as she began drawing small circles with her hips, eliciting an elongated moan out of her beloved's mouth.
"Ares.", Hermione giggled as she played along, "Seems like the god of war doesn't know how to fight in bed."
"Don't want to..", Harry moaned, "You make me feel far too good."
"Aw, don't you want to press me into the mattress?" She teased and felt the grip on her waist tightening.
"Maybe another day. Today, you've won, love. I can't think straight." The Boy-Who-Lived declared with a hot breath and the brunette smirked victoriously.
"All men fall for Aphrodite, goddess of beauty. Mortals and gods alike." She whispered, thoroughly enjoying the power she wielded over her boyfriend in this very moment.
"I love you. I love you so much." Harry groaned as he gazed into the grinning and so very beautiful face of his girlfriend, her self-assured expression combined with the seductive gaze of her eyes making his heart pump blood like crazy.
"And if you could feel my pulse right now, it would feel just like a sledge hammer." Harry added when the thrumming of his pulse grew louder with every second that passed, the brunette on top of him then taking a hand of his in her own.
"Mine isn't any different.", Hermione whispered as she placed Harry's hand atop of her throat so he could feel her pulse, "And I want it to go even faster."
The Brightest Witch of Her Age then dug her nails into the bare shoulders of her beloved before she continued assaulting him with kisses and ministrations like her life depended on it…
When Harry woke up the next morning, he noticed two things: He felt well-rested and had small scratches all over his shoulder blades.
"Oh god, Hermione is a bloody vixen.." He whispered to himself as he got up from his lying position and stretched his body before having a look at the time: It was a bit before eleven o'clock.
"That means I had around eight hours of sleep. Good.", Harry grinned as he remembered the passionate night he had shared with his girlfriend, "We really made out until half past two. Dammit, I love that girl and her body."
He then grabbed a new set of clothing and went to the bathroom on the first floor, just to be met with the sight of his gorgeous girlfriend already inside.
"Morning, Harry." Hermione melodically greeted him as she currently brushed her teeth.
"Morning, beautiful." Harry sighed back as he took in her appearance: A towel wrapped around her hair, a white tank-top that exposed her abdomen and an equally white pyjama shorts outlining the curves of her hips. Harry felt himself getting hard just by looking at his girlfriend.
"You feeling tired after last night?" The brunette teasingly asked with a grin and Harry chuckled.
"Nah, I'm actually very well-rested. Mind the scratches on my back, of course." He winked at his girl, causing her to giggle lightly.
"I didn't hear you complain last night." She said as she rinsed out the toothpaste inside her mouth with a sip of water before kissing her beloved good morning.
"Missed me?" Hermione teased and ruffled his hair playfully with a smug smirk on her face.
"I always miss you when I can't see you."
"Insatiable, aren't you?" His girlfriend whispered with a mischievous grin and Harry smiled brightly.
"Yeah, and I'm proud of it.", He stated, "You're lucky we're going to the mall soon or I would demand my revenge for yesterday right now."
"Poor Harry. Wasn't allowed to be on top and now he's sad." Hermione provoked him and petted his cheek with her small fingers.
"You realize that I let you be on top?" Harry asked with a smirk.
"Nope, you didn't. You were absolutely incapable of thinking anything except how FUCKING good it feels to snog me.", The brunette whispered with an alluring tone before she devilishly smirked, "But who could blame you? Sexy me, I guess."
She then spun around and exited the room, but not without swaying her hips in a suggestive way and delivering the final blow to her boyfriend.
"Okay, she can absolutely control me when she wants it.. But damn, she's playing dirty tricks. And it's SO hot." Harry thought as he locked the door before undressing himself and taking a quick and cold shower.
All he could think about during his bathroom time was how his girlfriend's hips had swayed before she had exited the room, her movements a torture he gladly went through again and again in his head.
"If this continues like right now, I don't know how much longer I can resist her charms..." Harry thought as he redressed before something flashed through his mind.
"Jesus, how things have changed. Not even two months ago I thought that I might never get together with her, and now it's realistic that I get to share a bed with Miss Perfect. Wow, seems like my life isn't so bad after all." He silently told himself with a chuckle as he then headed down the stairs to the ground floor.
"Good morning, Harry." Hermione's parents greeted him as he entered the living room, Hermione already seated opposite of her parents, casting the raven-haired wizard an innocent smile like she never had put her bum on display for him in the bathroom.
"Good morning, Jane and Daniel." He responded before narrowing his eyes on his girl, something that made the brunette quietly giggle.
"So, Hermione told us that you and her still need a present for each other. Do you guys know what you'll be looking for at the mall?" Daniel asked the teen couple and Harry nodded briefly as he sat down next to his beloved.
"I've got an idea." He grinned lightly and nudged Hermione's side playfully.
"I'll be spontaneous." She smirked in return and her parents chuckled at her declaration.
"Can't believe I saw the day our daughter would be spontaneous." Jane commented and her daughter rolled her eyes.
"How funny, mum."
"So, did you two sleep well?" Daniel asked and both teens nodded with a slight blush.
"That's good. Knowing my wife, she'll stay at the mall until all the stores are closing." He provoked and Jane just snorted.
"Like I spend this much money on clothes."
"Well, the last time we went to the mall, you spent 300 pounds on clothes! On clothes, if I might repeat that!", Daniel then looked at Harry, "Women are a complicated business, I tell you."
"Dan, you know exactly the last time I bought clothes was half a year ago! Don't make me look like a stupid girl in front of our daughter's boyfriend. I'm his future mother-in-law!" Jane hissed and her husband raised his hands in defence.
"About that she's right. It's quite a while ago since we last went shopping. But still, 300 quid!" Mr. Granger sighed and Hermione giggled.
"Harry, I promise that I will be better than my mother." She said and raised her right hand like she was under oath.
"Okay, let's see about that." Harry challenged her with a small smirk…
An hour later the Granger family plus Harry arrived at a mall in Central London, the car park in front of the enormous building already using more than half of its capacities.
"Well, wouldn't be a Christmas shopping trip without sharing it with half of the city." Daniel remarked with a groan as they entered the complex and his wife put an arm around his shoulder.
"You'll survive."
"Yeah, barely.", He replied before looking at the teen couple, "So, this is where we part ways for now. You two just go wherever you want to go, BUT we'll meet here in exactly two hours. By that time we should all have whatever we needed to buy – hopefully."
He gave his wife a meaningful look before taking her hand and leaving the Golden Couple alone.
"So, what do you say? We split up as well, search for our presents first and then when we've got the present hidden inside a bag, we meet here and stroll through the other shops together." Harry proposed and Hermione nodded resolutely.
"Good idea, love.", She said and wanted to walk away when something struck her, "Ups, I don't have any muggle money with me right now."
"Hermione, Hermione.", Harry teasingly clicked his tongue as the brunette beauty blushed cutely and the raven-haired wizard quickly pulled a 50 pounds note out of his purse, "Looks like Lord Potter has the monopole on the finances of his family."
"Shut up, you sexist." The Brightest Witch of Her Age silenced him and snatching the note out of his hand before walking away for real this time, leaving the Boy-Who-Lived staring at the back of his brunette girl.
"I love her so much.. She has so much fire." Harry sighed before taking off into a random direction as well. The quest for his present had begun…
Harry considered himself quite lucky when he found a worthy present for his goddess of a girlfriend inside of the second shop he took interest in, thus it didn't surprise him when he didn't spot Hermione at their gathering spot just yet.
"I hope she'll like my present. It's simple, but I think that's what makes it the right thing to gift her.", Harry thought, "Anyway, how's the saying? Go for broke? Until now, this motto has kept me alive, so I guess I should stick with it. Never change your winning team."
The raven-haired wizard then looked at the nearest clock before a smirk passed his face.
"Let's see how much longer she needs than me.." He whispered to himself and started his waiting game…
Exactly twenty eight minutes later, Hermione walked towards him with a small box in her hand and a wide smile on her face, making the brunette girl look like the angel she was.
"I had a feeling you'd have to wait for me." She told him as she briefly dared to glance at Harry's bag.
"I waited twenty-eight minutes, 'Mione." He told her and his girl just shrugged her shoulders.
"So?", She challenged him and giggled when she looked into his rolling eyes, "Aw, I know what will cheer you up."
Hermione then grabbed his hand and dragged him up the escalator and Harry raised his brow in curiosity.
"Where are we heading?" He asked and the brunette giggled devilishly.
"Clothing stores."
"Fine, I think it's time for me to find some replacements for my hand-down clothes I got from my aunt. I already bought quite a few things in the summer, but I'm still not finished." Harry replied like he was too dense to catch the suggestive tone of his girlfriend.
"I'm gonna model for you a bit, you know?" Hermione whispered as an Adidas store came into view and now Harry had to gulp.
"Adidas? You're not gonna.."
"Yes, I am."
"And what about me?"
"What about you?"
"I'll.. You.." Harry croaked incoherently and Hermione giggled in amusement.
"You loveable fool." She just said before pecking his lips for a second…
Harry knew exactly what awaited him inside that blasted sports clothing store, and yet he felt totally overwhelmed when his girlfriend presented herself with a brand new outfit on her glorious body.
The raven-haired wizard didn't know where he should look first when Hermione stepped out of the changing cubicle, her hair tied back in a regally beautiful way and body clad in nothing but black clothes.
From her black and bare midriff tank-top over her tantalizingly figure-hugging shorts to the Sambas covering her feet, she looked like the definition of a hot sports girl in Harry's opinion – although he was very happy his Hermione had a far bigger appetite for knowledge than sports. Sports girls had a tendency to be a bit shallow in his opinion.
"How do I look?" The brunette asked with an innocent tone and spun around, again demonstrating how much her exercising had paid out.
"Buy this stuff, please!" Harry almost moaned, which made Hermione giggle heartily.
"Even if I already have a pair of black shorts?" She teased.
"Yes, I don't care."
"That's good, because I need a second one if I want to wear this outfit more often.", Hermione said and then grinned at her boyfriend, "Alright, I'll change back into my normal clothes and then we'll pay."
Without another word she walked back into the cubicle and locked the door.
"Okay, maybe I underestimated how pleasant it is to go shopping with Hermione.." Harry thought as he impatiently waited for his girlfriend to return to him. Now he was eager to see her trying on more clothes…
After the raven-haired wizard and the brunette witch had paid for the clothes, they looked around a few more boutiques and shops, Harry's favourites of course being the ones where his girlfriend would try on clothes and remind him time and time again how lucky he had been to end up with a woman as gorgeous and attractive as Hermione Granger.
When their time was up, both teens met Mr. and Mrs. Granger at the gathering point with a moderate amount of bags slung around their arms and shoulders, their resourcefulness a key factor in keeping the shopping bill as low as possible.
The quartet then returned to the car and made their way back to the outskirts of London.
"Let's get these new clothes washed ASAP." Hermione declared when she and her boyfriend climbed the stairs up to the first floor of the Granger residence, carrying all their newly-equipped items.
"Won't be a problem with magic, eh?" Harry said as they entered the bathroom and put down his bags. He as well had bought a few things to wear.
"Absolutely not." Hermione replied before starting to remove the price tags from her clothes and then levitating them straight into the washing machine.
"You know, it's so nice of you to buy clothes in the colours that look the best on you."Harry chuckled and smirked at his girl.
"Well, that's just a precaution so I can be sure you'll always be focused on me and me alone.", Hermione giggled, "Though if you had to rank them, which colours are your top three?"
"Oh, that's impossible to answer.", Harry laughed, "Though number one probably is the colour you're currently wearing."
"Okay, I'll let that answer pass. But what about number two and three?" The brunette asked and the Boy-Who-Lived hummed in thought.
"Black and then closely followed by red." Harry stated and Hermione grinned at him because of his answer.
"Why are you so obsessed with me in black clothes?" She asked as she continued removing price tags and Harry shrugged his shoulders.
"It's a damn attractive thing to see such dark clothing on your incredibly light skin.", He sighed, "Most girls can get a tan if they're exposed to the sun enough, but who has natural, creamy-white skin like you?"
His rhapsodising way had Hermione blushing intensely as she stammered a thank you.
"Well, I should rather thank you for looking as gorgeous as you do, 'Mione." Harry affectionately said as he rubbed his girlfriend's back before returning to his task of getting his clothes into the washing machine.
"I love you, Harry." Hermione then told him with a genuine smile and the raven-haired wizard flashed him one of his enamoured grins.
"I love you too, babe."
"C'mon, let's go outside! It's snowing and the sun is beginning to set, what better combination is there?" Harry said an hour later when both teens were sitting at the dining table downstairs, drinking a mug of hot chocolate.
"Alright, I can see you really want to see me while it's snowing.", Hermione giggled in return, "Though I would appreciate it if you could wait until I'm finished with my hot chocolate here."
"'Course! I'll use the time and tell your parents about our plan." Harry announced before getting up from the table, walking towards the kitchen where Mr. and Mrs. Granger currently were having a chat.
It didn't take long for the brunette to finish her hot beverage and a few minutes later, the Golden Couple found itself outside on a December afternoon.
Snow flakes idly descended from the sky above, the slight breeze playfully swirling them through the air.
"Got your wand?", Hermione asked her boyfriend who nodded in confirmation, "Let's go, then."
"Any idea where we're heading?" The raven-haired wizard responded as the brunette took one of his hands in hers before guiding him down the street.
"There is a park not too far away from here." She told her beloved.
"Alright, beautiful, lead the way." Harry said before kissing her forehead softly.
"I already do so." Hermione stated with a small giggle.
After fifteen minutes or so the duo arrived at said park, a thin duvet of snow covering the earth and grass by now.
"If this continues, we could have a snowball fight tomorrow!" Harry ecstatically declared and raised a fist into the air in a childish manner.
"You wouldn't dare attacking your lady, would you?" Hermione batted her eyelashes at him in an enticing manner, but Harry just grinned at her.
"Depends on your means to stop me." He cooly replied.
"Okay, then I'll just use my ultimate weapons and I win." The brunette playfully smirked.
"Like you have to! Knowing you, you're the one starting the snowball fight." Harry said as he and Hermione sat down on a bench in front of a small and frozen pond.
"Ha ha, yes.", The Brightest Witch of Her Age admitted before she shuddered, "Bah, why must the wood of this bench be so cold?"
"I really can't understand why you're feeling cold.", Harry snickered, "You're so hot, you should melt the snow around you."
"Harry!" Hermione squeaked as a deep blush formed on her face.
"You know, I could help you feeling warm again.", He then wrapped an arm around her shoulder before pulling her close against him, "Yesterday had us burning at a thousand degrees Celsius, at least."
His hot breath visibly lingered on her hair and around her ear due to the cold, making the brunette gasp lightly.
"Yeah, it also had me sweating like that." Hermione replied, pretending to be unaffected by his words.
"You just look even more alluring when you're all sweaty. It stimulates my fantasy." Harry cockily countered and the brunette rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, I guess it's not the only thing that gets stimulated." She dryly remarked and Harry laughed heartily.
"Although this was meant to insult me, I loved the joke nonetheless.", He then leant down so their lips were almost connecting, "May I?"
"How can one person change its behaviour this quickly? And why must he be SO CUTE?" Hermione thought before getting a grip of herself.
"Of course.", She then whispered with an enticing tone, "I'm yours and you are mine. And a lion doesn't ask for the things he wants, he just takes them. So what are you waiting for, big boy?"
Without another word the Boy-Who-Lived gently cupped his girlfriend's face before closing the distance between their mouths, a bubble of comfortable warmth and love soon enveloping the teen couple…
From thereon the holidays continued wonderfully for Harry and Hermione.
Christmas wasn't far away any more, the days were filled with fun and relaxation alike and ten a.m. suddenly was an awfully early time to get up. Life felt good and normal for once.
On some days Harry and the Grangers even paid a visit to Central London, which took place when Hermione's parents didn't have to work, and showed the raven-haired wizard around the city.
That of course was a first time for him, since the Dursleys never even thought of doing some sightseeing with the boy.
But that wasn't the only "first time" awaiting Harry.
Since setting foot inside the Granger residence, he had suspected what eventually would happen during his two week stay, although he couldn't tell when.
But one thing was as clear as crystal to him: IT would happen.
With every day, their kisses grew more urgent and hungry, with every day, their desire for one another multiplied, with every day, their need to unite became more overwhelming.
It was only a matter of time until their restraint completely slipped away…
Author's note:
I'm back with another update for you sooner than I thought. Yay! And I also managed to write a "shorter" chapter after quite some time again. Yay!
Now, this chapter has one purpose, and that is to set up the next chapter - oh well, you could actually say this about any chapter but in this case it's applying to the most.
So you know what to expect from the next upload, though I'll make sure to drop a warning at the beginning of chapter 28 as well. I don't want people to read things they are keen to avoid.
Also, did you catch the "Game of Thrones" / "A Song of Ice and Fire" innuendo I used as a title for this chapter? I hope a few fans of the show/books immediately associated the title with Westeros :-)
And last but not least, I made a reference to a song called "Sledge Hammer" by "Fifth Harmony". Though if I had to guess, you will have noticed so without my help if you know the song. By the way, that's not the sort of music I usually listen to. Just a song that came to my head when I wrote the scene containing the reference.
I hope you enjoyed this update and please review my progress if you find the time.
'Til the next time!
NewOrderFan05
