Chapter 3: Mad About You

Harry fought against the flow of traffic that was rapidly coalescing along the Grand Staircase. He had to find Luna and see if she could take him to Ravenclaw's lost diadem.

He finally spotted a friendly face as he bumped into a clearly exhilarated Neville on the steps.

"Neville? Are you all right?" Harry asked, eyeing his friend up and down leerily. A jazzed up and bloodthirsty Neville girded for battle, which was how the man appeared at the moment, wasn't exactly the prevailing emotion at the moment, what with the castle student down and most of the student body who were not of age literally running for their lives.

"Never better! I feel like I could….. spit fire!" Neville whooped. There was another rumbling from overhead as the Death Eaters continued their initial bombardment. "Say, you haven't seen Hermione, have you?"

"…. Hermione….?" Harry spluttered.

"I'm mad for her! Reckon it's about time I told her, since we'll likely both be dead by dawn.

Unfortunately, Harry had no idea where Hermione was. He hadn't exactly had time to give her any orders or assignments while hunkered down in the Room of Requirement, though the understanding had largely been implicit that she would know what to do with Hufflepuff's Cup.

As he watched an in-love Neville pelt away through the throng, Harry just hoped the coming-into-his-own Gryffindor would not distract Hermione from her task.

His thoughts ping-ponged back to Luna as another quake shook the castle, and that was when he realized:

He was a hypocrite. Neville was right, and he, Harry, was a hypocrite. Time was of the essence, and he still needed to find Luna…

…. But for an entirely new reason that had just taken priority. Even a Horcrux could wait a bit for that, surely.

Neville took off running through the castle that was being torn apart. All the while, he dodged curses and screams. Explosions rocked the stone foundation, key sections of the structures crumbling. Like right now, as Neville flung himself in a wild dive onto the staircase of the Owlery Tower, seconds before its entrance partially caved in behind him.

Neville got to his feet, coughing through the dust. A pile of rubble had partially blocked the entrance to the Tower, but it was nothing that could not be moved with a little bit of magic. He proceeded up the steps to the Owlery, ignoring the early spring chill as he emerged on the external stretch of the staircase.

As he entered the Owlery, deserted of their feathery boarders and drafty with its open-air windows, he saw her. All chestnut brown hair and supremely confident, even when locked in battle with a Death Eater.

As Neville watched, McNair battered Hermione with spell after spell, and she only just managed to block each one. From the sweat on her brow, she appeared winded; it was evident that she and her adversary had been at it for some time, isolated away from the main fight.

McNair's back was to him, so he didn't see Neville, which gave Neville the advantage to raise his wand and bellow, "Stupefy!"

The red blast of light hit the Death Eater squarely in the back, throwing him forward almost into Hermione, enough off balance so that he couldn't block her next attack an instant later - a well-placed Reducto that shot McNair out one of the glassless windows with a scream. It was a long, bumpy ride down those cliffs surrounding the Tower below. Neville was certain McNair would fall to his death.

Hermione finally noticed Neville for the first time. "Hello, Neville!" she smiled brightly, gently. Only her body seemed to betray any urgency as she took his hand. "Come on, we've got to get out of here!"

"Hermione, wait!"

"What?" Hermione turned to look at him as Neville yanked her back, pulling her tight against him. One arm slung about her waist, and the other at her neck, Neville kissed Hermione Granger full on the mouth as passionately as he could. The kiss was so fiery, that he bent the beautiful Gryffindor witch back in his tight squeeze of an embrace. His lips parted, pried open, hers and his tongue disappeared greedily down her throat.

Hermione stayed at rest in his arms for a moment, and Neville wondered if he had shocked the Greatest Witch of Her Age for the first time in her life. But then -

Hermione moaned in a very un-Hermione-like way and her arms flung about his neck, her hands fisting the locks of his hair, and she pulled, assertively deepening the kiss as she closed her eyes triumphantly. Her tongue quickly swam into Neville's mouth and stayed there, grappling with his for control. She kissed him back with a fervor that rather astonished Neville. Their muscles flexed and rippled and quickly grew sore as their lips dug further into their partner's face. It was almost insane, the passion with which they were kissing each other.

After several moments, the pair broke apart for oxygen.

Hermione was gazing at Neville as if she had never seen him before. She looked utterly gobsmacked and even stunned, until her eyes gently danced as she gave him a beaming smile of what may have been pride. She nodded once, apparently satisfied with something. "I knew you could do it," she praised.

Neville gazed at her, cup overflowing. "... If we both get out of this alive, I'm going to marry you."

That seemed to catch her off-guard, and she peered at him with surprise and bemusement. Thinking his proposal was too presumptuous, Neville decided to ask properly. "Will you marry me, Hermione Granger? Someday?"

In answer, Hermione boldly yanked Neville's face down to hers and bashed her lips against his. As they embraced and kissed, Neville felt Hermione's flushed, bruised lips curl up against his into a smile. Her breath and voice tickled his mouth as she whispered:

"Of course. Yes, I will. I would love to marry you."

Giddy, Neville felt the hand at her neck disappear into Hermione's bronze hair. The palm at her slim waist, meanwhile, dipped lower. He heavily petted and caressed her bum through her skirts. He felt Hermione gasp into his throat and pull away.

"What... what are you doing?" And for the first time since he had snogged her, she seemed fazed.

"Making love to you," he responded. "Let me make love to you, Hermione..." In acceptance, Hermione brazenly raised her leg to Neville's waist, hitching her thigh around his torso. Neville pressed into her, sending Hermione into a kind of dip as the kiss deepened. The two lost their balance, in fact, and tumbled to the hay of the Owlery. Underneath Neville, Hermione gently guided his palms to her breasts.

"I want you to touch me," she hissed, and the huskiness in her voice was distinctly not like her, but made Neville let out a deep, guttural groan into her mouth. His cock violently twitched as he grinded his hips into her, squeezed her soft breasts in his calloused hands. Hermione clasped him closer and kissed him fiercely, shuddering and shivering as she let out an aroused moan: "Hmmmm..."

Soon, Neville and Hermione were rolling around the floor in each other's embrace, moaning and groaning as they continued to feverishly kiss. "Hmmm... Mmmmhmmmmm... Mmmmmm..." Hermione tugged Neville's sweater over his head; Neville pushed her skirt past her knees. Working his belt buckle loose, Hermione freed him and clasped him in her palm, furiously pumping up and down. Kissing her with tongue, Neville settled between the gorgeous witch's legs and slammed into her, unable to stand it anymore.

"Rrrrr..." Hermione growled as she arched her back into him, trembling as her insides ripped. She knew that her first time was going to hurt, but at least it was happening at all. Even if she did survive the morning, she didn't know whether any man would want to be with her like this. She was glad that it was Neville, that he was her first.

Neville picked up the pace, bouncing up and down over Hermione frantically as he thrust harder and faster.

"There... right there..." Hermione gasped, her breath airy. "Godric, Neville, I'm so close..." She shuddered, shivered, trembled violently. Neville kissed her pink lips again and again.

"Cum for me, love..."

He branded a love bite into her neck, and Hermione screamed. "NEVILLE!" She came utterly apart, her petite form pulsing violently as Neville weakly slammed against her once, twice, a feeble third time before he spilt all he had into her with a grunt. His head flopped between the valley of Hermione's voluptuous breasts, her rosebud nipples peaked on mounds that were just right in size - not too big and not too small.

Neville rolled off of her. Hermione shakily stood and dusted herself off, redressed. Neville only came back into focus when he felt her tenderly tucking him back into his pants.

"Well... That was fun," Hermione huffed breathlessly. "We should shag more often."

Neville threw back his head and laughed, accepting Hermione's hand as she pulled him to his feet. Standing on her tiptoes, Hermione gave him one last, chaste kiss before they ran out of the Owlery Tower to rejoin the fight.

Neville and Hermione did not let go of each other's hands once for the rest of the Battle.

Harry took the staircase two at a time, his arms pumping as he practically threw his body further and further along. The past year on the run had slimmed him down and made him reach the peak of physical fitness. His chest was well-toned, and distinct muscles had formed along his arms. His calves, lean and sturdy, served him well as he continued to dash almost madly through the castle, calling Luna's name.

The Ravenclaw Tower was deathly quiet and deserted when he got there. Harry checked the boys' dormitory and then the girls. Finding nothing, he headed back down the spiral staircase to find...

The Portrait Hole of the Grey Lady swinging closed, as Amycus Carrow stepped through. The twin Death Eater grinned evilly at him.

"Well, well, well. What's a Gryffindor doing in the Ravenclaw Tower?"

"Never you mind, you Death Eater cunt!" Harry puffed out his chest defiantly, wand at the ready. "Stupefy!"

Amycus blocked the attack with ease, and soon she and Harry were engaged in a fierce duel. However, as the adversaries continued, the fight gradually slid from a pretty even match into Amycus's favor. Grinning maliciously, she battered Harry again and again. Finally, she disarmed him and Harry crumpled down beside a window. Amycus towered over the biggest thorn in her side, closing in victoriously for the kill.

"I've waited a long time to do this, Potter," she jeered. She raised her wand.

"NO!" came a piercing cry, then a magical blast. The flash of green faded from Harry's eyes as he watched a thoroughly stunned Amycus freeze before toppling over, dead.

Soft, gentle hands pulled him to his feet, and a dazed Harry beamed when he gazed into the silvery eyes of the woman he loved. Luna Lovegood smiled gently at him, though her eyes were stricken and shaken.

Then, suddenly -

Luna's hands cupped Harry's face. Standing on her tiptoes, she pushed her lips up against his in a fierce kiss, her silver orbs fluttering closed instantly. Stiffening at the action at first, Harry recovered quickly and wasted no time in snogging Luna senseless, kissing her back. His one paw of a hand fell into her flowing blonde hair, encasing her skull. The other greedily cupped the curvy cheek of her ass, his fingernails digging into the flesh there, and Harry yanked Luna closer with a low groan, deepening the kiss.

He must have been doing something right, because Luna clearly liked the way he was kissing her. Nipples pink and straining against her top, she brazenly pushed her breasts up against Harry's toned pectoral muscles, rubbing the rising flesh there. "Mmmmmhhhmmmmmm... Yes, more, please," she rasped huskily into his mouth. It didn't sound like Luna at all... and Harry fucking adored it. His cock gave a violent twitch, and he shoved the hardness of his length into between her legs, caressing along her center.

"Hmmmmmmmm..." Luna sighed deeply, and the sound parted her lips for him. Opening her mouth wide, Harry licked his way into Luna's mouth, and he soon felt her own tongue twine about his. Her arms finally wound about him, draping lazily about his neck and her hands fisting the fabric of his T-shirt. And as Harry and Luna embraced and kissed, the castle shook with the tremors of battle.

Harry was continuing to wriggle the evidence of his desire against Luna, and it was driving her stark raving mad. Feeling assertive, she boldly swept her leg high, raising it to Harry's waist and hooking her thigh about his torso. Their pelvises interlocked perfectly, though their balance was soon compromised and the couple dumped themselves onto the Ravenclaw common room couch, still snogging and kissing like mad.

Luna pressed Harry down into the cushions as she adjusted herself slightly, so that she was perfectly straddling his hips. Her dainty fingers made quick work of the buckle at his belt. Pulling down the zipper, Harry's manhood popped free, and through hooded eyelids, Luna appreciated its girth. They were both virgins, innocent in the ways of the world. But, if they were both going to die sometime between tonight and the next morning, they might as well consummate their love now. Be with each other intimately and demonstrate their passion for each other.

Luna's skirt ran high up her waist, and she guided Harry's meaty palms to her panties, encouraging him to slip them off her. He did, just down past her hips, and he shivered when she navigated his fingers to dip themselves into her wetness. Feel her arousal. Her walls clenched at Harry's touch, hungry for even more, and seizing his cock in her fist, Luna pumped it once, twice. Readying him for her. Harry moaned loudly, and against his lips still ravishing her own, Luna's own very kissed mouth curled up into a smile.

Beckoning Harry to her entrance, Luna came down on him, impaling him into her most intimate spot.

Harry and Luna broke the kiss to gasp. Luna even cried out at the pain, sending the airy sound against Harry's throat. Once pleasure had replaced initial pain, Luna began to rock her hips, bouncing up and down, up and down... Harry quickly learned with her, thrusting up into this beautiful woman in perfect time. Unsure where to put his hands, Luna answered that question for him by making him cup her swelling breasts into his palms. Harry squeezed, tweaked each nipple, and Luna keened into him, throwing her head back with a breathy moan.

"I want you to keep touching me," she gasped. "Just like that." She sank down onto his member again, to the hilt. "I want you to fucking shag me!"

Harry had never heard Luna swear before, and never had he been more attracted to anything in his life. Gritting his teeth, he rammed up into Luna harder as she rode him, arching her back and letting out rather sexy noises.

"Ummmm... Errrmmmmm... Mmmmmm... Hmmmm... Uhhhhh... Huhhhhhhh! Rrrrrrrr! H-Harry..."

They were undulating against each other frantically now, their sweaty bodies slapping together with delicious smacks. Their lips consumed each other, gnawing, snapping and lovingly biting. Harry's mouth swallowed Luna's completely, and her hands disappeared into his black locks. "Mmmmhmmmmmm..."

At last, Luna's walls clenched. Feeling the wave begin to crest, she wrenched herself free of the kiss with a small POP! and buried her face into Harry's shoulder. "Mmmmmmm!" She cried out into Harry's neck, her walls pulsing as juices spilled forth.

Harry held Luna tightly as he followed with another slam, two, a weaker third, and finally he came utterly apart, Luna milking him to the hilt.

Pausing to catch their collective breaths, the lovers gazed into each other's eyes. Closing the gap as one, Harry and Luna shared another long, lingering kiss. Luna's smooth hand caressed Harry's jaw.

"I love you, Harry."

Harry grinned lopsidedly. "I love you too, Luna."

Another last chaste peck on the lips, then the pair disentangled themselves. Luna seemed utterly at peace, as if making wild love on a couch was not something unusual. The couple cleansed themselves and redressed, Harry pink in the face but Luna looking rather pleased.

Then, with Luna taking her hand in Harry's, the new lovers raced out of the Ravenclaw Common Room, to rejoin the fight.