A/N: Thank you so much for your reviews, favorites and follows after last chapter! I can't believe that this story is rapidly coming to a close — only a handful of chapters left, as there will be sixteen in total. You can find me over on tumblr (nauticalparamour).
Please let me know what you thought of chapter thirteen and be on the lookout for chapter fourteen soon!
They didn't talk about the fact that Marcus's friends all seemed to know that there was something going on between the two of them. They didn't seem to be able to talk about the fact that there was something going on between them. Out of stubbornness or fear, it seemed that neither Hermione or Marcus wanted to put a name on their relationship, afraid that it would evaporate into ephemera.
But, there was no denying that they did have a relationship. They spent nearly every free minute with one another, laughing and joking around or even talking about some of life's deeper complexities. They went on what could only be described as double dates with Hannah and Neville. And they absolutely couldn't keep their hands off of one another, randier than rabbits.
Hermione wasn't sure what he'd done, but Marcus must have extracted some kind of promise or made some sort of threat to Cassius, because he really was obsessed with Witch Weekly. He had been a wealth of knowledge about all sorts of gossip, but there hadn't even been a whiff of Hermione or Marcus dating anyone, let alone each other.
(Though, privately, Hermione wondered if this wasn't just a bit conceited of herself for thinking that her relationships were newsworthy. Who cared who a Hogwarts professor was dating? Maybe Cassius had leaked it and Witch Weekly just decided it was too boring to print.)
So, they went on as they had been, wrapped up in each other's arms and sneaking kisses whenever they could. The more time that she spent with him, the more Hermione realized that her feelings had evolved from just unbridled lust to something deeper. She cared about things he cared about, as evidenced by both the flying and the Quidditch talk.
April was just beginning to blossom, wet and grey, but with the promise of spring on the cusp, whe Hermione found herself giggling in her office with Marcus, while they killed a few minutes before heading down to the Great Hall for dinner. She'd sent a quick locking charm towards her door to keep any unsuspecting students out, while Marcus perched himself on the edge of her desk. She stood in between his legs and sighed when he kissed her soundly, enjoying the feel of his fingers toying with the hair on the nape of her neck.
While her spell work did well to keep physical intruders out of the room, it did little to keep out the whispers of students as they walked down the corridors. "I don't know who they think they are fooling," a female voice said, with a giggle. "Everyone knows that they are together. They should just come out and say it already."
"I wish they would, too," responded a second female voice with a sigh. "They just seem right together, don't they?"
"Doesn't it bother you that she's a Gryffindor?" a third voice asked.
"Who cares!" the first voice answered. "If they love each other, just let them be. Ivy said that they were all giggly and dopey when she got caught with Mason."
Hermione felt her stomach turn to mush when she pieced together that the students were talking about her and Marcus. And that they had used the word love to describe it. She stilled and stared at Marcus, feeling rather like a small rabbit that had been snapped in a snare. Was this the moment? Was this the moment he was going to realize that this was all too much?
"Do you think if they get married, she'll be Professor Flint, too?" the second voice asked, with a dreamy sort of sigh. Their voices were growing less clear as they walked further away from their classroom.
"Marriage?" the third voice asked with a laugh. "They need to admit that they actually are together first. Like that will ever happen."
Hermione once again felt that uncomfortable twisting in her stomach while she wondered just why Marcus didn't seem too keen on making their relationship public. She closed her eyes tightly for a beat, before forcing herself to open them and search out whatever it was that Marcus was bound to be feeling.
To her surprise, he looked wild, almost like an animal caged. He looked like he was fighting a losing battle. Finally, he could not hold out any longer. "Why don't we just admit that we are together?" he asked her. "I mean, let's just put a label on it. We're dating, aren't we? Can we just... make it official?"
She couldn't stop the smile from spreading on her face, realizing that he was putting to words what she wanted deep down all along. "Are you asking me to be your girlfriend, Marcus Flint?" she asked, biting her lower lip playfully.
Sensing that she was more flirty than furious, Marcus was able to relax a bit. "Yes, I'm asking you to be my girlfriend, pipsqueak," he said, looking proudly down from his vantage point.
Hermione giggled again. "I'd like nothing more than to have you as my boyfriend, you big brute," she teased back. "Officially."
He looked as if a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. "Thank fuck for that," he said, with a laugh of his own. "It was getting tiresome, always having to hide and sneak around."
"Well, it sounds like we weren't doing too great of a job of that, anyways," Hermione said, really too excited to care too much. "Sounds like we are quite the topic in Slytherin. And I am pretty sure Neville and Minerva are also aware of what we've been up to."
"And Cass, Ades and Graham have been up my arse about it as well. Making it official, I mean," he said. "Sorry for just springing them on you like that."
"It was fun," she said, thinking that it was true that it was fun. She liked Marcus's friends. She just hoped that her own friends could be normal enough to act normally. She reached out and grabbed the front of his shirt, so that she could pull his face down to her level again. "As much fun as it is, I have a sudden desire to celebrate making things official with my boyfriend. What do you say to skipping dinner with me?"
Marcus swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down in his throat at the implication of her words. "I would like that more than anything," he revealed. "My apartments, or yours?"
"Mine is closer," Hermione said. Seeing as they were already in the Transfiguration wing, they were not far from her own rooms. Grabbing him by the hand, she pulled him from the desk and began running towards the door, stopping briefly to release the lock on the door.
She couldn't help but laugh while he tried to catch her as she made her way down the hallway, but didn't actually manage to until they made it to her portrait. She was sure that he would have been easily able to catch her if he wanted to, but the chase was more fun. After giving the password, she opened the door and pulled him in.
The portrait was barely closed before he pressed her back against the wall, giving her eager kisses that had her seeing stars. Already his hands were tugging at the edge of her shirt, and she found herself fiddling with the snap on his trousers. She pulled away from his kiss, gasping for air and he immediately found the delicate skin of her neck.
"You know, if we weren't going to take advantage of the bed, we could have just stayed in my office," she teased. Putting her hands on her shoulders, she pushed him off, before taking him by the hand and pulling him through the small living area into her bedroom. He was easy enough to push back against the soft pillows.
Hermione stood next to the side of the bed, seeing Marcus Flint actually in it and she had to blink once or twice to see if this was really happening or if it was just another of her fantasies. Once she figured that it really was him, laid out for her like a feast, she was only too happy to join him on the bed, perching herself on top of him.
Triumphantly, Hermione pulled her shirt up over her head and threw it on the floor to be forgotten. Not waiting, she reached behind her to remove her bra, leaving her completely bare from the waist up. She knew that he liked her body well enough, but seeing the reverent way that he cataloged her every curve had her feeling bubbly and cherished.
She pulled her hair over one shoulder before leaning over to kiss him indulgently. Godric, she never wanted this to end. This was undoubtedly better than any fantasy she'd ever dreamed up. Sitting back up, she pulled his shirt over his head as well, revealing his muscular build to her. Just as he'd stared at her, Hermione couldn't help but drink him in, her hands sliding down from his shoulders to his chest.
Eager for more, she rocked her hips against the hardness that she was sitting astride, disappointed at the layers of clothing between them. She had waited so long for this, now that they were going to go all the way, it couldn't happen fast enough.
Marcus fumbled with his wand long enough to give a surprisingly effective divesto, finally leaving them free of any last hindrances.
"Oh," Hermione said, when she finally felt him pressing against her cleft, pleased with his idea. "That's definitely an O for you, Flint."
He chuckled briefly, before bucking up against her. Even if he wasn't inside her yet, it still sent pleasurable tingles shooting up and down her spine. "Please, Hermione, don't keep me waiting any more," he said, a hand coming up to cup her breast, rolling her hard nipple between thumb and forefinger. "You might drive me mad."
Luckily for Marcus, the feeling was completely mutual. She rose up on her knees so that he could position his cock at her entrance, before slowly sliding down on him until they were completely joined with one another. Hermione melted forward onto him while she took a few seconds to adjust to his size. Then, she gave her hips a gentle rock. The sensation that spread through her body was better than anything she could have imagined and she found herself wanting to do it again and again.
She slowly rose up until just the head remained inside her, before sinking back down, sighing at the feeling. Frustrated with her languishing speed, Marcus's large hands found her hips and encouraged her to pick up the pace, until they were both moaning together. She couldn't stop herself from looking at the sight, a secret part inside of her loving the way that he could take control over the situation, how he made her feel delicate and soft.
His own grey-blue eyes, now darker in his desire, were locked onto the place where they were joining, taking time to sweep over her breasts and face as well. It gave Hermione a thrill to realize that she had such a strong wizard underneath her. It made her feel sexy and desired in a way that she had never felt before.
Suddenly, Marcus pulled himself up so that he was in a more seat position back against the pillows, his legs slightly bent so that she could support herself against his thighs. He was able to get deeper somehow in this position, each snap of his hips sending her closer to the edge. She whined, feeling as if every nerve in her body was pushing her closer to the eventual end. She could scarcely think of anything she wanted more than that.
Only, she was overcome with a gnawing sort of need to kiss Marcus. Leaning forward, she pressed her lips against his, her tongue quickly tangling with his. It felt naughty and delicious to be joined in two ways, the new sensation pushing her closer and closer to bliss with each passing second. They were perfectly in sync, each of them racing towards a familiar peak that couldn't come soon enough.
When she was close enough to taste it, Hermione wrenched herself away from his lips and chanted his name, pleading for him to push her over the edge. "Marcus, please," she begged, only to snap her eyes shut tightly when the tension finally snapped, orgasm sweeping over her like a blaze of white hot heat.
Feeling her coming around him made Marcus's movements grow more erratic as he chased his own bliss. It was only a few moments later when he followed after her, moaning her name.
He stilled and wrapped his arms around her body, not wanting her to go from her place on top of him. Even as their breathing evened out and their skin cooled, he wasn't willing to let her go. "We probably should have figured some things out first," he said softly, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head. "I shouldn't have... I shouldn't have finished inside you without asking first."
"It's alright," Hermione reassured him, thinking that sleep sounded awfully good now. "I'm on the Potion."
Marcus chuckled. "Good to know. Still, I should have asked," he answered. "I don't want to leave."
Hermione laughed, thinking that was a rather silly suggestion. "If you even think that I'm letting you out of this bed, you have another thing coming," she said, pressing a kiss into his chest. "I have been wanting this for way too long to let you go so soon. Just stay the night. Boyfriend."
She could practically feel him smiling. "Alright, girlfriend," he answered. "If you insist."
They drifted off to sleep together, with Hermione deciding that for once, reality was much better than her dreams.