February 3rd, 2006
Somewhere in Romania
"I must be completely out of my mind to let you bring me to another country without explaining a thing." Hermione says.
Harry snorts a chuckle. She's blindfolded by his side and he's guiding her, their hands together while they walk through a wooden passage in the middle of a forest. She's wearing light clothes and her hair is up in a bun, proper for fast movements and flying.
No engagement ring again.
So, it happens that Harry has a friend who takes care of some… Dragons. And he imagined that a date involving soaring into the sky at the back of one might be perfect.
Even if he doubts his decision a bit, he knows he won't regret it. And he's sure Hermione won't either. He just hopes she has never experienced something like this.
"You'll thank me later." He says. They're closer to his friend's house now.
"I'm starting to doubt that." She mumbles.
Harry squeezes her hand. "You said you knew it would be amazing, regardless."
"I'm regretting my words."
He laughs wholeheartedly and turns his head to look at her. She has a mischievous smile on her face.
Harry stops and brings her closer to him. They're both under a heating spell. "If you don't like what I've planned, we can…" He leans to her ear, "just have sex the entire night." She lets out a sigh.
"I might not like it on purpose, then."
He chuckles, kissing her cheek. "Come on, I know it's just the curiosity killing you."
She turns her head and her lips find his in a soft kiss. "Tell me at least where we are." She pleads, her mouth close to his.
Not hiding his smile, he shakes his head. "In Romania."
Hermione pulls back, opening her mouth in shock. "Are you serious?"
"Yes."
And he says nothing more as he starts to lead her again. Hermione follows closely and he can tell that her curiosity spiked now that she knows where they are. He hopes she doesn't figure it out before they make to the Dragons.
As they had settled before, they're forbidden of talking about work or investigations on these dates and it was their best decision, by far. This way, everything is more intimate and meaningful. And Harry thinks he might be more in love with her than before. Which is certainly not healthy. But inevitable.
Finally, he sees the house and stops. "Now." He clears his throat, Hermione perks up at his voice. "I need to talk with a friend and you're not gonna be with me."
She crosses her arms. Even with the blindfold he can see her expression of clear distaste. "Why?"
"Because if you hear or see anything, the surprise is over. So, you have to promise me that you won't peek through the blindfold and that you won't use a spell to hear my conversation."
She taps a foot on the floor. Dio. She's annoyed.
"Harry." She whines. "You can't do this to me."
"You just have to be patient." He smirks. "You can be, can't you?" He holds her in his arms. Her own go around his neck. It's strange looking at her and not seeing her eyes, but at the same time… "You know, it's kinda of hot seeing only your lips." He gives her a kiss. Then his thumb goes over her lower lip in a caress.
"Yeah?" She nibbles at his thumb. "How hot?" Her voice is low.
"Very." He kisses her again, his tongue invading her mouth, going over her lips. "We might use this blindfold later, huh?" He hints and she opens that devious smile.
"We will." It's what she says, her chest moving up and down heavily.
He groans, his hands roaming over her body. "Promise you'll behave."
She lets out a sigh of discontentment. "Fine. I promise. But hurry."
Harry gives her a peck and moves to the house - that's more a hut than anything else - still watching Hermione standing there with her arms crossed while he knocks on the back door.
Rubeus Hagrid, his friend, opens the door with a smile. Rubeus is easygoing and impossibly gentle for someone who constantly deals with Dragons. And such a massive man.
"Harry!" Rubeus pats him on the shoulder. "I'm glad you're here, it's been a while since the last time!"
Harry smiles in return. "I know. But I brought someone special tonight." He gestures to Hermione with his head. "We're on a date."
Rubeus laughs out loud. "You have the craziest ideas. Do you think the lady will enjoy flying?"
"I think she will, but I wanna know from you if you think it'll be a problem. I mean, Dragons can be so touchy sometimes."
"Well," Rubeus runs a hand through his well groomed, but full, beard, "It depends on her intentions, to be honest. If she's pure of heart and such, you know." Rubeus says, talking about the way Dragons can sense people's emotions. Hagrid says they can smell someone's heart, but Harry highly doubts that. "Go see Bellaverde. Make the introductions. If anything goes wrong, call me." He winks at Harry.
"Thanks, Rubeus." Harry turns to go to Hermione- but, "And… could you please not mention this to anyone? Ever?"
"Of course!" Hagrid says with a smile. "Don't worry, Harry!"
And he jogs back to her.
"So?" She asks when he takes her hand again.
"Keep following me, beautiful." He says and steers her to the other side. They're not that far from the cavern where the Dragons live.
"I like that, you know." She says. "You calling me beautiful."
He opens a small smile. "Just stating a fact." He says seductively.
Hermione snorts. "You're such a flirt."
"I know."
"Do women tell you this often?"
He almost stops at that. Harry coughs. "Maybe."
Hermione stays silent for a few minutes, and then, "Have you had many girlfriends? Besides Chiara?"
She can't see him tilting his head. This is almost a certain conversation between… couples. Real couples. He narrows his eyes.
"Not that many. I mean, my first love was Anna. We were classmates and I remember thinking how good she smelled every day." He lets out a chuckle. "Then when we were fourteen, the school promoted a Ball. I asked her to go with me and she said yes. We shared our first kiss that night. Then we dated until we were seventeen."
"I thought Chiara had been your first love."
"Chiara was… my first friend. My first kiss. But no. Not my first love. We shared something more… lasting than a first love."
"I see." Her voice is clipped. She's jealous. "And why things ended with Anna?"
"We grew apart. It was natural. We didn't share the same thoughts anymore and the love cooled off. I mean, we were seventeen and weren't shagging every day." He kinda of laughs at the statement.
She clicks her tongue. "Tough. And after Anna?"
"Well… then after Anna I was finally single. And young. And I mean, handsome." Hermione slaps his shoulder.
"You're so cocky."
"What? You think I'm ugly?" She doesn't answer. "These were my crazy years… I dated a lot. I had a lot of sex. But I didn't fall in love again. Not until Chiara." He stops talking, not wanting to bring Chiara into their date and ruin it, but Hermione is not ready to end the conversation:
"When you started dating?"
"At the Auror training. When we were twenty-one." He decides that Hermione wants to hear everything, so… "Then, after three years I proposed. We were supposed to be married by now."
Hermione doesn't make a sound at that. Harry doesn't prod. After all, they've reached the cavern. He stops and she stops by his side.
"Can I please take this damn thing off?"
"Just a second." He stops her from taking the blindfold.
Harry whistles very loudly and then, from beyond, from a hug hole in the ground, the Dragons stir.
Hermione gasps and takes off the blindfold. She blinks a few times to adjust, but the fire coming from bellow is unmistakable. Her eyes are wide when she turns to Harry.
"Dragons." She whispers.
As if on cue, at least three of them soar into the sky, fire coming out of their mouths. Hermione takes a step back and Harry holds her.
"Don't worry." He says calmly. "There's a strong protection." He moves his hand forward and touches the solid - and almost invisible - ward. "The keeper here thought about it and I helped him put it up. It's a way of giving the Dragons some freedom, but not too much." He smiles at her.
Hermione's eyes are wide and she's clearly mesmerized, her mouth open while she observes the legendary animals flapping their enormous wings.
"That's nice." She whispers. Harry sees her gulping, then she takes that step forward again. "There's actually a Dragon chained inside Gringotts. I find it barbaric. I already tried freeing him but no one seems to care." She looks down and then at him. "So, my curiosity is eating me out." She motions her head to the Dragons. "As impressive as they are, I wonder what we're really doing here."
He opens a smile. Hermione narrows her eyes. "You see," He begins, "When I turned five, I got a very special gift." He shrugs. "A Dragon of my own."
Hermione snorts. "Oh my, not even my father went to these lengths. And can you really own a Dragon? I mean, they're wild creatures. Dangerous."
"I know you think it was my grandfather who gave it to me, but it was actually my mother." Hermione raises her eyebrows. "Shocking, right?"
"Wasn't she afraid you might get toasted by the Dragon?"
He laughs. "She was. A bit. But my mother also believes that we should always give these creatures a chance. The little Dragon's mother had been killed by illegal hunters. My mother was there when it happened, she saw everything, and she said she couldn't stand that baby Dragon wailing for its mother." He pockets his hands, Hermione is looking at him attentively. "Since it was a baby, the Dragon didn't pose a real threat. My grandfather had a nasty fight with her about this, but in the end they decided to give it a shot. Like, give it to little Harry and lets see what happens." He smiles. "I'm glad they tried. I mean, yes, I got burned a few times, but nothing major."
"This is kinda of unbelievable." She says, still with her eyes wide.
"I know. But when I was like, eight, the Dragon had outgrown me by way too much and things started to get dangerous. I knew it would never really hurt me because we formed a real bond. Strong. But it became impossible to keep the Dragon at the Villa." He chuckles. "Even if it is a big place, Dragons need their space, their sky, their caverns." He motions to the huge open space in front of them. Beyond the ward, there's a valley. "They need to mate and find their homes. I remember crying like crazy when they took it away from me." Harry sighs. "But my grandfather had planned everything. He went after the best keeper he could find and made him a tempting offer. This valley started with my Dragon, but as it happens when one of them settles, many follow. They kind of find each other." He gives her a pointed look. Hermione is biting her lower lip. "In a way, all of these Dragons are owned by the D'Angelos."
He chews the inside of his cheek. This is extremely classified information.
"I had no idea." She whispers, in awe.
Harry gulps. "Dragons are not that dangerous. At least, not when you grow up with them. Are you familiar with the theory of-"
"Their emotional bond?" She cuts him. "I thought it was a legend. That they can practically smell your heart. See your intentions. Bond themselves for life to you because of it."
He nods. Of course she'd heard about it. "People think it's a legend because no one gets close enough to one to test it out. When they do, it's rare for the bond to happen. But it's true. I bonded with my Dragon."
"Harry, this is fucking amazing." She chuckles in a joyous way. "Which one is yours, then?"
He takes her hand and she interlaces their fingers naturally, Harry whistles again, this time on a different tone, one only his Dragon knows.
And the deep green beast soars into the sky. It stops right in front of them. Its eyes as yellow slits zooming on Hermione fast. It puffs out some smoke in what is close to a snarl. Harry chuckles.
"She can be a bit possessive."
"She?" Hermione asks, gulping.
"Yes. This is Bellaverde." He touches the ward. The Dragon looks at Harry, its expression changing into a softer one, if that's even possible for a Dragon. "Bellaverde, this is Hermione. My…" Harry glances at Hermione, and she clears her throat, averting her eyes, "special someone." Harry says with a sudden boldness.
Hermione opens her mouth, squeezing his hand. But she says nothing. She doesn't refuse the words or agree with them.
"Be nice to her." Harry keeps saying to Bellaverde. "I'll allow you through the ward-"
"Harry!" Hermione interrupts. "Are you crazy? I mean, yeah, Bellaverde won't you eat you alive, but I can't say the same-"
"Hermione." He turns to her, his hands on her arms. "Relax, breathe." They take a few deep breaths together. He smiles, she returns the smile. "Better?" Hermione nods. "Okay. Now, I'll allow Bellaverde," He raises a finger to stop her from talking. She closes her mouth, "And you'll be very still. You need to let her sniff you and stuff."
Hermione chuckles nervously. "I don't know about this, Harry." She says seriously.
He crosses his arms. Bellaverde is still on the other side of the ward, waiting. Its eyes going from Harry to Hermione. The Dragon is paying the uttermost attention.
"Look, okay. If you don't feel comfortable enough we can go." He makes a face. "But I have to say that I had planned a nice flight for us and it's a beautiful night…"
Hermione blinks. "You fly on her? Oh, wow, I-" She cracks her knuckles, fidgeting, moving her feet. "Okay. Okay. We can try. But will you be fast enough to save me if she decides that I'm food?"
He can't help smiling and feeling that warmth inside him at the way Hermione calls Bellaverde a 'she'. It's something they never encourage. Dragons are indeed very wild. And very dangerous. But Harry never cared about this, for him, Bellaverde is a beautiful and amazing creature that he was lucky enough to kinda of grow up with. He has no doubt that Bellaverde's heart is filled with the purest light.
"Do you trust me?" He asks in a low voice.
It takes one beat for Hermione to nod. Sure. Extremely sure. Harry feels his heart swelling inside his chest. Again, there's no knife hurting him.
"I just let her sniff me, then?" Hermione asks, her eyes on the Dragon, that's staring right back at her.
Harry can already feel Bellaverde's magic flowing through the ward. He wonders if Hermione can feel it too, but he doubts. He knows of the Dragon's magical properties because they kinda of share this magic when they're together. It comes with the bond. Harry frowns-
"Yes. I'll allow her through. Okay?"
Hermione gulps. He can see she's still pondering. On one side she has this unique experience and on the other her own life on the line. But only if things go tragically wrong, which Harry doubts will happen.
Bellaverde is already assessing Hermione. Getting a feel of her emotions and intentions. Harry can tell. And he can't deny that he also planned this date with this particular reason in mind. He trusts his Dragon's judgment.
If Bellaverde approves Hermione, there's nothing else for him to even consider. When they finish visiting the Aurors, he'll tell her everything. He'll open his heart. And he'll fight for Hermione till his last breath.
"Okay." She says in a whisper, taking a step back.
Harry sets his jaw and turns to the Dragon. It lets out again a cloud of smoke. Harry allows Bellaverde through the ward.
Slowly, knowing the fear it gives the little human, Bellaverde opens its wings. Harry steps closer to Hermione, but he doesn't touch her. However, he can tell she's very afraid.
The Dragon crosses the ward. And the air thickens around them, hot. It's the natural temperature of a Dragon. Always burning up. Its scales an armor of fire. Harry only is able of flying on Bellaverde's back because the Dragon allows him to use a few spells for it. Otherwise it would be impossible.
He extinguishes the heating spells they had on them.
And then Harry just holds his breath. Hermione is frozen on the spot.
The Dragon is taking its time observing Hermione.
Bellaverde is not in a hurry. At all. The Dragon circles Hermione, its huge head coming close to her body while it sniffs. Another cloud of smoke comes out of its nostrils. And a low snarl.
Hermione is shaking.
And after circling her two times, Bellaverde stops in front of them and opens its wings again, flapping. The rush of air is strong, but Harry and Hermione hold their grounds, their arms protecting their eyes.
The Dragon lets out some fire into the air, puffing again.
Harry smiles. He could tell Bellaverde had approved Hermione on the first sniff, but she made all this show just to tease them.
"What are you smiling about?" Hermione asks, her voice very low. She's still stiff on the spot.
"You're cool, Hermione. Relax."
She frowns to him and he shakes his head, walking to Bellaverde that is now yawning and lying down on the ground. Harry uses a spell that enables him to touch the Dragon without getting a third degree burn.
"You're terrible, you know that, right?" He says to the Dragon. Bellaverde opens an eye and puffs some smoke into Harry's face. He laughs and pets her head. Then he turns to Hermione who's still at a loss of actions and words. "Come." He extends his hand to her.
Hesitantly, she goes, taking tiny steps, her eyes wide, going from Harry to the Dragon. "Are you serious?" She asks when she finally takes his hand. Harry squeezes hers gently.
"Yes." He says and utters the spell to protect Hermione from the extreme heat of Bellaverde. "You can touch her if you want." He's smiling. Widely.
Hermione blinks many times, still not believing.
And with her mouth hanging open, she takes another step closer. The hand that is not holding Harry's, in front of her, ready to touch the Dragon. Bellaverde puffs out some smoke again and Hermione stops mid motion.
"She's just provoking you." Harry says. "It's her way of showing that she likes you." He tilts his head.
Inhaling deeply, Hermione finally touches the Dragon.
And Harry feels an excitement he never experienced before. It's like a puzzle coming together. Like pieces clicking. He sighs.
Hermione laughs. Her hand on the scales. And she's crying. From sheer joy.
In a surreal moment they laugh and cry together. One of Harry's hands on the Dragon, the other holding Hermione's. She's doing the same. And their eyes meet.
"Thank you for this, Harry." She says in a soft voice, almost palpable affection coming out of her. "It's amazing."
Not resisting it, he tugs Hermione to him, kissing her slowly. They fully embrace and enjoy the kiss. Both smiling. Both sighing. Both feeling their lips, their tongues moving together.
It's Harry who pulls back slowly.
This kiss. This moment.
It's love. Just love.
Hermione presses her lips together. And he frowns when he sees some pain in her eyes. Again. That same look he saw some other times. She moves her head down and brushes her tears.
He wants to ask what's wrong. But in a way he knows. In a way he feels that he shouldn't ask a thing.
And Bellaverde moves, sitting and blowing smoke on their faces again. This brings a laugh to Hermione and Harry's thankful.
"Let's go." He says and takes her hand, guiding her to climb the Dragon's back. "Careful with the spikes."
Gently, Hermione positions herself the way Harry instructs. She's a bit nervous about the fact that there's no saddle or something of the sort. Harry waves his hand, dismissing her worries.
"It's fine. The only moment we have to really hold on is the take off-"
And Bellaverde doesn't wait for them to be prepared, the Dragon soars into the sky with a brutal force. Hermione yells and Harry holds her with both arms. He's used to this, but Bellaverde is really mocking them now. And as they break through the sky, Hermione turns her face to him, kissing his cheek and bumping her nose on his.
There's a permanent smile on her face now and he couldn't be happier.
"I knew you would enjoy this." He says in a low voice. Bellaverde is finally reaching a soaring altitude and Harry relaxes his arms around her while the Dragon blows out another ball of fire.
Hermione lets out another laugh of pure joy. "I mean, this is wild." She says, excited.
They rearrange themselves on Bellaverde. Harry lies down, his stomach up and Hermione does the same, lying by his side. They embrace and he uses a spell to conjure pillows for their heads. "Bellaverde don't burn the pillows, please." He says, snorting. "Sometimes she breaks through the pillow's spell just to piss me off." Bellaverde lets out a little ball of fire in response.
He smiles at Hermione and she kisses his neck, her body on the nook of his, their legs together.
In silence, because there's nothing worth saying to ruin this moment, they watch the stars and the moon. The sky is clear and the night pleasant. In reality is cold, but the heat from the Dragon is enough for them to be comfortable.
Harry caresses her arm and she moves her leg up and down on his.
It's peace. Being this up high where no one can bother them, where it doesn't matter who they are or anything of the sort. The only thing that matters is living the present.
Together.
"Harry, this is- I have no words." She says. Her voice is strange and he moves his head to see that she's silently crying.
"Hey, what's wrong?" He asks, kissing her temple.
"Nothing is wrong. It's-" She chokes. "It's the exact opposite. Everything is perfect." He opens a smile. "And I can't help being a bit emotional, sorry."
"You don't need to apologize." He squeezes her arm. "I get what you mean. Whenever I fly with Bellaverde I get the same feeling. As if things, as if life is too precious and at the same time too small for this beautiful world. And it's a bit sad that we only get one chance at living it."
She nods. "Yes. And up here our problems seem so insignificant…" She whispers.
Bellaverde takes a turn on her course, flying closer to a river now. Harry laughs. "This Dragon enjoys water way too much for a Dragon."
Hermione chuckles. "She's beautiful. Bellaverde." The Dragon snarls softly, flapping its wings. "What kind of name is that?"
"Believe it or not, I gave it to her. Bella in Italian is beautiful, as you know, and verde is the color green."
She snorts. "Such creativity." She mocks him.
"Hey! I was five! Cut me some slack."
Hermione moves her head and kisses him. "Okay, fine. Just this once." She's smiling.
"Thank you, bellissima."
She raises an eyebrow. "Bellissima?"
He shrugs. "I think you can guess what it means."
"I think I can." She says in a low voice.
"Maybe I'll call you that from now on. Or maybe," He chuckles, "There's one I think it's hilarious. Mia zuccherina."
"What does it mean?"
He's smiling. "It's my little sugar."
Hermione laughs with him. "I think I prefer bellissima."
There are so many other phrases he could say to her, all of them true. Like, luce della mia vita. [Light of my life]. He likes this one a lot. But he clears his throat and says, "You can call me handsome. It suits me."
"For fuck's sake. You're insufferable."
Their laughs die down a bit.
And the silence is comfortable, filled with a sensation that Harry finds hard to describe, but maybe he could use the word… belonging.
He sighs. "So, since you asked I have to." He begins and she looks at him with a frown. "Besides Ron and the stronzo," She slaps his chest lightly, "How many boyfriends did you have?"
Hermione presses her lips together, she's smiling, but not very amused. "Well, Ron was my first boyfriend and after the messy relationship we had, I had another boyfriend at Hogwarts. Actually, one of Draco's friends. Then other two before Asmo."
Harry narrows his eyes, the jealousy growing inside him. "Give me names. All their names. I'll murder them."
She laughs out loud. "Don't be so dramatic, Chiara and Anna are still alive. And you probably lost count of the many others…" She makes a face.
He pinches her side. "Come on, I'm kidding."
"I know. Well, Draco's friend was Blaise Zabini. I've had a few dates before him, but nothing much. And by chance, one day, we were studying late at the library and he sat by my side out of the blue. We began talking. I fell in love with him after a few months. It was nice. Totally different from the relationship I've had with Ron." Harry sets his jaw. "I used to think I was going to marry him." She snorts a laugh. "Because my father liked him better than Ron, so." She shrugs.
"What happened?"
"Well, on our last year, Blaise decided he wanted to have fun with other girls." Hermione turns her head and looks at him pointedly.
"What a bastard. Where does he live? I can pay him a visit-"
She kisses him briefly. Smiling. "No need. I got over it. Then… well, then I met someone at the Auror training." She stops talking.
"Come on, Hermione, names." She laughs again at his words.
"His name was Cedric Diggory." She clicks her tongue. "He was a bit older, like three years, and I mean, for the first time I was in an adult relationship."
"Why it ended?" He already dislikes this Diggory guy.
"Well, he was kind of… my instructor. And I couldn't exactly date him."
Harry moves to look at her face, his mouth hanging open. "You do enjoy sneaking around!" He says, outraged. Then he laughs and she laughs with him.
"I know it wasn't right, but there was something between us, you know-" She stops because Harry is pursing his lips, snorting. She shakes her head and clears her throat. "Regardless, I ended things because I realized it was wrong and it could jeopardize my training."
"Is this guy still an Auror at the Ministry?"
"Aaan. Yes?" She makes a face at him. Harry widens his eyes. "He's happily married, though." She points out. And just to cut the subject, she says, "And then, after a while I met someone else. My last boyfriend before Asmo."
He grunts. "I'm regretting my question."
"Viktor Krum." She blurts out the name.
"That's not British."
"It is not. So you can see… how much my father hated him." She scoffs. "He's Bulgarian and we met at the Ministry. I was already training with other Aurors and Viktor was there on some kind of internship at the Quidditch Department."
"Wait a second." He holds a finger in the air. "Krum? The player?" Hermione only nods. Harry lets out a strangled sound. "You're ruining Quidditch for me."
She chuckles. "Don't be jealous." She moves to kiss him, her tongue invading his mouth. "You're a God compared to him." She raises an eyebrow. Harry tilts his head.
"Oh, really?" He opens a smirk. "Nice to know."
"Male egos are… fascinating, you know?"
He laughs and kisses her, bringing her closer. "Fine, so what happened with him?"
"Well, it came to a choice. Him or my family." Harry gulps. "I chose my family. And because it was an easy decision I realized I didn't love him that much." She shrugs. "I was already twenty-three and soon to be Head Auror when we broke up. Even if Krum had asked me to marry him, my father would never allow. And then I met Asmo. I mean, not met him, we already knew each other, we were kind of friends, but he asked me out one night… I had no reason to say no."
She stops talking and Harry tries wrapping his mind around everything she just said. Bellaverde flies higher, into some clouds. He can't say he's happy with what Hermione told him, but he guesses she didn't like hearing about his girlfriends either…
"Cat got your tongue?" She asks. And Hermione moves to lie down on top of him, facing him, her body on his. He makes a face when she kisses him. "You have no reason to be jealous. Come on. It's the course of life. We go out searching for the perfect partner and such." She gives him another kiss.
"And is Pettigrew the one?" He holds her close. His eyes on hers. Hermione sets her jaw.
"I don't know what you want me to say, Harry." She whispers.
"I know he isn't." His heart beats faster. Hermione bites her lower lip. "You know that too."
She closes her eyes. Harry is tense, angry now. And Bellaverde feels his distress. The Dragon dives fast. Hermione opens her eyes and cups his cheek.
She won't say a thing about this.
Harry sighs. "Fine. I have until September to change your mind." He says.
She touches her forehead on his. Then they share a kiss. Meaningful, filled with unspoken words. "Are you mine, Harry?" She asks.
One of his hands holds her by the neck. And he looks into her eyes when he says, "Yours." She bumps her nose into his, sighing. "Are you? Mine?" He's afraid of his own question. And he dreads her answer.
"Here? Up in the sky? Flying on your Dragon?" She gives him a peck. "Yours. Only yours."
Bellaverde reacts for Harry, letting out another ball of fire and finding a nice peak of a mountain to land. The Dragon comes to a halt and Harry gulps, still holding Hermione when they hit the ground. The Dragon lies down, a bit tired.
They're still looking at each other and Harry's tongue itches.
I love you.
He wants to say it. He needs to.
"Hermione, I-"
Bellaverde flaps its wings and moves her whole body to the side, throwing them on the grass. They roll on, each one going one way.
"Come on!" Harry says when he finally stops rolling. Hermione is laughing her ass off, sitting on the grass.
And Bellaverde blows some smoke into their faces again before taking off for good. Harry shakes his head and walks to Hermione.
"She's temperamental." He says while he helps her up, their hands together. "At least she left us at the highest mountain where I wanted her to. The view here is unbelievable."
They climb together in silence, the words he was going to say, lost along with his courage.
But when they reach the top, Harry hugs Hermione from behind, both fascinated by the view. Green mountains, a flowing river. The Dragon's valley beyond. Bellaverde is heading there now.
After leaving a few kisses on her neck, he uses his wand to bring out the things he kept hidden near by.
Hermione turns on her heels when she realizes what he's doing. There's a blanket on the grass and a picnic basket. He moves his wand and the food arranges itself for them. "Again, what kind of date would this be if I didn't feed you?"
She smiles to him and takes his hand, walking to the blanket. Harry performs the heating spells again - or else they'll freeze - and sits down with her between his legs, her back on his chest. Both take off their shoes and settle comfortably while Harry explains what he brought. Some of his favorite types of Italian breads: focaccia, ciabatta, panne toscano. And cheese. And wine.
They eat and drink in silence. Observing the night and occasionally sharing some kisses and caresses.
When they're finally done, Hermione puts away the things with a flick of her wrist. Then she turns to Harry, straddling him.
It's no surprise their kisses are eager. The taste of wine on their mouths.
Harry takes off Hermione's jacket and shirt fast enough and he moans when he notices she's not wearing any bra. Not that he hadn't already noticed, but the confirmation is nice.
But he didn't expect her tattoo to be exposed. He stops for a moment.
With his fingertips he traces the ink, the feathers, the eyes of the phoenix, its beak. He can see goosebumps all over Hermione's skin. She closes her eyes, breathing hard at his touch.
Harry murmurs a revealing spell, exposing his own tattoo. Hermione bites her lip, her hands seeking his wrists where she can see some of the wings' feathers. And she brings it to her mouth, kissing gently. Harry leans to kiss her tattoo as well.
And then, taking all the time in the world, he worships her breasts.
Hermione lets herself go completely. She moans a bit louder than Harry ever heard, disheveling him, embracing him, rocking her hips. Harry knows she's pretty sensitive, very responsive to his touch, especially to his mouth. And he keeps doing it until he knows she's going crazy.
Then he kisses her collarbone, her neck, moving back to her jaw and her mouth. "Get rid of this." She says in a strained voice. She's talking about his jacket and t-shirt. "I need to feel you."
In a swift motion, he does, tossing it aside along with her clothes. They embrace, kissing. But mostly touching, their hands traveling everywhere. Until she moves to kiss his neck, and chest. His hands squeeze her waist while she moves her hands down to his waistband. Teasing.
Hermione undoes the knot of his sweatpants in one incredible motion.
Harry tilts his head, surprised.
"Many years of practice." She provokes and he groans, seeking her lips, biting not so gently. "So jealous." She says when she pulls back. "So possessive." She tugs his hair. Her tongue goes over his throat. "So hot." He tries kissing her again, but she backs off. Then her eyes soften, from the sheer lust to something else. Something new. "So handsome and amazing." She touches her brow to his, her hand cupping his face, her thumb on his cheek. "So good and brave." Hermione bumps her nose into his. Harry has no words. His heart is beating so, so fast. "So gentle and thoughtful." She rubs her cheek on his. "So stubborn." He snorts a laugh and she does too, "So powerful." Her eyes go back to his. "So intelligent and sometimes incredibly stupid." Hermione takes a deep breath. "So lovable."
He stiffens. And she goes very still.
But Hermione blinks and the moment breaks between them. She moves to kiss him and it's soft. Soft and slow and charged.
"Would you do something for me?" She asks in a low voice. Their lips together, her hands as always on his hair.
"Anything." He says.
She sighs. "Make love to me, Harry."
He purses his lips. And the look they share gives him the certainty.
The certainty that she loves him.
"Hermione, I lo-"
She presses a finger to his lips. "Don't." She closes her eyes. "Don't."
"Why?" He asks in a low voice. "Isn't it obvious?"
She gulps and takes his left hand, placing it above her heart. She does the same with her left hand, pressing it gently above his heart.
"Some things are better when we just feel them. Words… they're not always trustworthy." She looks down and then at him again.
He wets his lips, sighing. "But I do." He says. "I do love you, Hermione."
There. He said it. It's out there.
So much for waiting to visit the Aurors and shit. He just can't hold it any longer inside him. Each day he loves her more and more and it's eating him from inside. Not being able of voicing this feeling and of actually living it.
Hermione presses her lips together and he can feel her heart beating extremely fast. Her chest moving up and down heavily.
Some tears roll from her eyes. "Make love to me." She says again.
"I've been doing that for a while." He whispers.
She kisses him, her tongue invading his mouth, her hand now back to his waistband and inside his pants, stroking him. They lose no time in moving to take off the rest of their clothes. With a simple spell they're all gone.
And Harry turns them over on the blanket, positioning himself above her, spreading kisses.
"I love you." He says again.
He doesn't care if she doesn't say it back. He can feel that she does. Hermione sighs, hugging him. Harry moves his hand to her sex, finding her clit. He stimulates her, his eyes never leaving hers.
There's so much being said in that moment. He can tell she wants to say the words back and he wonders why she resists so much. Why she tries denying it.
She lets out a moan, trembling, her whole body shaking. He keeps stimulating her, the palm of his hand on her clit while his fingers seek her entrance. And she closes her eyes at the bliss. At the sensation. It doesn't take much for Hermione to reach her orgasm.
"Harry!" She bites on her lower lip, her nails digging into his back. "Oh, fuck." She says when an after shock hits her as he keeps rubbing her clit. She's panting and he's delighted. Pleasuring her gives him such satisfaction that he's not able to measure.
He leans to kiss her, his hips rocking slowly, his cock meeting her entrance. They share a long kiss. Lazy.
Harry takes her left hand with his, the tingle coming to life. He positions them over her head on the ground and everything seems heightened. The softness of her lips. The smoothness of her skin. The contact of their bodies.
Hermione widens her eyes, opening her mouth. And Harry enters her.
The pleasure is unexpected and unexplainable.
It's… peace.
It's right and amazing.
He's sure their hearts are beating at the exact same pace.
The tingle is increasing and taking over them, taking over their bodies and souls.
Total sync. Total harmony.
"Dio." He says.
Hermione gulps. Her eyes going from his mouth to his eyes. Her hand squeezing his. She rocks her hips and closes her walls around his cock. He kisses her.
There's a magic flowing around them. Maybe coming from the legendary magic the Dragons hold, maybe it's theirs, maybe it's the tingle.
Whatever it is, is powerful.
Hermione cups his cheek while he thrusts inside her, slowly and steadily. She takes over the kiss and dominates him completely. Harry groans against her mouth.
And when she pulls back and look into his eyes, their bodies moving because of their love making, she purses her lips and with tears running down her cheeks, she says:
"I love you too, Harry. Fuck, I love you."
And it's like something explodes inside them, around them. The magic. Or whatever.
Harry smiles, touching her forehead with his and thrusting harder.
There's nothing else they need to say. No words left.
He holds her tightly when he comes, murmuring her name. And she holds him with her right arm, bringing him even closer to her, herself shaking from another orgasm, his name on her lips.
It takes them a long while to move.
Harry is the first. He releases her left hand and both make faces at the lack of contact. It's like they're losing something. But without their hands clasped together, they can embrace and Harry, flicking his wrist, covers them with another blanket, hugging her.
He spread kisses across her neck and jaw and finally, when their eyes meet, they smile.
"So, you love me, huh?" He says, raising an eyebrow.
She chuckles, shaking her head. "Well, it seems so, unfortunately." She sighs, mocking him. Harry pinches her side and she yelps.
"Why are you marrying-"
"Harry." She closes and opens her eyes. "I can't talk about this now. I can't even think about this now. Please. I know it's confusing and it's a fucking mess. But things are far more complicated than you think-"
"So explain to me." He says, a bit harshly. She pouts angrily. He moves and lies on his side, bringing her with him. "Please." He's begging.
"I can't." She lets out a sob. "I can't."
"Is he forcing you to marry him?" He's already seeing red.
"It's not like that." She squeezes his shoulder. "Harry," She inhales and exhales deeply. "Listen to me, you have to trust me on this. Please."
He lets out a sound of outrage. He wants to talk about this, he wants her to explain everything. But… "Fine, fine. I trust you."
"Okay, okay." She kisses his neck, her arms squeezing him. "I don't wanna spoil this perfect night talking about Asmodeus, okay?"
"Sure. I'm sorry. Love, I'm sorry." He kisses her tenderly. Hermione opens the brightest smile.
"You'll ruin me, D'Angelo." She says in a low voice.
"I think it'll be the other way around, Head Riddle."
And just like two fools in love, they stare into each other's eyes. He touches her brow with his and they sigh. Before Harry can even notice, Hermione is already squeezing his ass, her hand seeking his cock. He raises his eyebrows. She gives him a peck.
It's a fantastic night.
February 6th, 2006
The Palace
Head Quarters
"And please, remember, never underestimate your opponent. Always alert. It might save your life."
He ends his masterclass with this piece of thought.
Harry smiles at the kids and adults while they walk out of the Great Hall, most talking excitedly between themselves. Some come to Harry for further explanations on the things he taught today.
Gladly, he answers everything, demonstrating as many times as necessary for them to understand the concepts of a few protective spells.
Harry even made students duel today and he was impressed by their abilities. They all know what they're doing with their wands and spells and he's sure the majority of this class would beat Aurora's students in a fight.
Finally, when the last student leaves. Petunia comes to him. "You're looking good today, Harry. Happy." She smiles at him. He can't help smiling back.
He feels like he's been smiling for days now. And Hermione is the reason why.
Clearing his throat, he says, "I guess I'm happy, yes." He tilts his head, kind of shrugging. "Enjoyed the class today?"
She smiles and interlaces their arms for them to walk around the grounds, "Very much. You're a natural." She pats his arm fondly. "It reminded me of your mother. She used to explain to me the mechanics of spells and such. Frequently I would ask her how it felt. To be able of doing these amazing and unbelievable things." Petunia sighs.
"Did you… resent her for it?" He tilts his head, raising an eyebrow.
His aunt makes a movement with her hand, making a face. "Of course not! Lily was my little sister and I loved her with all my heart. I was excited for her and happy that she was able of such." She looks down. "If anything I might have been angry with myself for not having it. But well, I can't complain, Harry. I love things as they are. I'm very grateful."
He smiles to her. Harry can see many families sitting together on the grounds. Students are reading under the tress. Some are swimming at the lake. There are others flying around. And he also sees Muggles. Incredible people that do as much as they can to help around.
"If you don't mind me asking," He begins, "who actually finances activities here? Is it all Dumbledore?"
"Not exactly. He's our main provider, but Severus' family was loaded. And he found a way of making more money, investing, so… in a way it also comes from him. But every family here pays a small sum to keep things going. We help ourselves out."
He nods. "I would like to help too." Harry never talks about this, but he's crazy rich. He has a lot of money that Matteo invested for him when he was just a baby, money that today sums up to a ridiculous amount. Not just that, but Harry always worked his ass off. And he never thought of himself as a big spender… so. Yeah. He has a lot of money. Both Muggle and Wizarding. "I mean, whichever way you accept me to."
"That's incredibly generous of you." They reach a bench and sit down. "You know. There are a few families that arrived this week. They're very poor. Maybe you could… pay for their education. Would that please you?"
"Immensely." He opens a small smile. "Thank you."
"Of course, Harry." She pats his hand. "Now, even if I want to stay here for us to talk some more," She glances at her watch, "I have a reinforcement class in five minutes." She stands up and kisses his cheek. "If you want to, Dobby is right there," She points discreetly to a elf that is manually polishing a pile of brooms. "Maybe you could introduce yourself and talk a bit." She winks at him. His aunt noticed how he wanted to try to extract some information from the elf. He winks back at her in thanks. "Now, I have to go. See you soon?" He nods. "And Harry," She says after a few steps, "Whatever it is that's making you this happy… keeping doing it, okay?"
With a wide smile he chuckles, a bit embarrassed. "Okay." She seems satisfied by it and walks away.
Harry stays there observing Dobby. The elf is wearing a miniature wizard's robe. It suits him.
Leaning back on the bench, Harry squints his eyes. The elf's movements are fast and he's always looking over his shoulder. As if expecting someone to pop up and diminish his work. Something Malfoy surely did countless times-
The coin turns cold inside his pocket. Harry smiles.
Miss you.
That's the message. Nothing more. His smile gets wider. He answers her:
Miss you more.
Dio. They're sappy.
Harry sighs. Riddle had already asked Hermione to spend the day at the Manor. With all his counselors. They're trying to find ways of protecting themselves and the Ministry better. Harry is not frustrated at all that he was left out of this. Actually, he's glad it didn't get in the way of him coming here.
But he misses her. Of course. Since they woke the next morning - still at the top of that mountain with Hagrid clearing his throat near them - it's been hard to take a moment to be together again. Which drives Harry to already plan their next date.
He flips the coin. He can't deny his mind still goes back to what she said about marrying Pettigrew. He doesn't like mulling over it, but she's obviously hiding something and he needs to find out what. He can't let her go through with this. She can't marry that stronzo.
He grits his teeth. The coin turns cold again:
It's so dull without you here.
He can't help feeling warm inside. Damn. It's good being in love with her. It's even better knowing that she feels the same.
He sends to her:
Our next date is in 4 days.
Anxious?
It's impossible not to provoke her. She pouts in the most cutest way.
Her answer is short and simple:
Excited.
He shakes his head and bites his lower lip. How the hell are they going to make this work? Because Harry wants to. He really does.
He pockets the coin and stands up from the bench, walking to Dobby.
I want forever with her.
"Hello." He says to the elf. Dobby raises his head. He's relatively young and has a gentle face, dreamy big eyes and as huge and pointy as they get ears. "I'm sorry to interrupt your work." Harry sits on the floor, facing the elf. Dobby has an expression of complete suspicion, but he stays there, waiting. "But I was watching and I have to say, I've never seen someone polish their broom this well." Harry tilts his head. "I mean, I used to he a Seeker and I couldn't do it-"
"There's a secret to it." Dobby says in a thin voice. "You have to use this," He shows Harry a product, "in small doses, three times. No more, no less." The elf stops talking abruptly. Without a second glance at Harry, he goes back to polishing.
"I'm Harry." He says simply and extends his hand to Dobby.
The elf recoils a bit, startled. Harry opens a smile. Almost a minute goes by while Dobby thinks about taking his hand or not.
Finally, he does. "I'm Dobby."
"It's a pleasure."
The elf nods. And goes back to polishing his broom. But he's clearly more relaxed. Harry stays there, making himself comfortable inside the elf's space, pretending that he's analyzing the brooms' products.
"Are you new here?" Dobby asks. His voice still thin and low. Submissive. Scared.
"In a way. I'm teaching a few classes now."
Dobby gives him a more thorough look. "Which discipline?"
"Defense, mostly. I was just there," He points to the Great Hall, "lecturing."
"Ah." The elf moves and turns fully to Harry. "You're Mistress Petunia's nephew! Of course. Harry Potter!" Dobby makes a move to bow, but Harry stops him.
"No need for this, Dobby. We're friends here."
And he's being truthful to his words. Dobby seems to be a nice little elf who was poorly treated. But intelligent and filled with good intentions.
"I- Okay."
"Good." Harry takes one broom. "Can I help you? Maybe you can even teach me your secret."
Dobby's eyes fill with brightness. "Sure! Sure!"
Harry listens carefully while Dobby explains to him each step. In no time they're both polishing the brooms. No one stops to look at them, because there's no reason to think the scene is strange and Harry is bewildered by it.
For a wizard to be on the floor helping a house elf- Tom Riddle would die of a heart attack.
Harry wickedly smiles at the thought.
"Is it true?" Dobby asks after a while.
Harry frowns. "What?"
"That you… killed master Lucius?" The words barely get out of his mouth, such is his dread.
"It… is." He says in doubt, not knowing if the confirmation will make Dobby like him more or less. It's not unusual for the elves to always feel obliged to like and obey their masters. Even if they were mistreated.
Dobby stops polishing the broom. His eyes get even bigger. The elf nods countless times in a maniacal way.
Harry squints, a bit worried. He doesn't push, though. And lets the elf settle with the idea. Harry keeps polishing the broom as if nothing happened. And Dobby is doing the same, which Harry considers a good sign.
Then, after some time, he inhales deeply, gathering some courage. "Dobby. Can I ask you a question?"
The elf nods.
"Do you know that I'm trying to bring the Minister down? Has anyone spoken about this around here?" Harry asks in a secretive tone. His wish was to talk freely with Dobby without having to use some kind of subterfuges, but the elf would obviously run from him.
"I do. There is much talk around." He nods one time to Harry.
"And what do you think about it?"
"I think… it's the right thing."
Harry is the one who nods now. "Can I count on you to help me with this, Dobby?"
"Yes, Harry Potter. Yes." Dobby says, excited.
"That's great, Dobby. I've heard you're very intelligent and good with spells."
If elves were able to blush, Harry is sure Dobby would be blood red right now. But he just nods again.
And Harry continues. "Not to mention that you were Lucius Malfoy's house elf." He lets the words die in the wind.
"If… you want to ask me about it, you can." Dobby says slowly.
Harry gulps. He's finally getting to the point. "I just want to know if you heard something… important, Dobby. Something that might help us."
Dobby shakes his head. "Master Malfoy was very careful with his meetings. Except…" He trails and Harry might die from anxiety. But he stays calm, smiling, waiting. "Except when the Pettigrews visited."
Harry gulps. "Yeah? They visited often?"
"Oh, yes, Harry Potter, all the time." He's nodding again.
"And do you know what they talked about?"
"Master Lucius stopped talking whenever I entered the room, but I've heard a few things. They used to talk a lot about a woman."
Harry presses his lips together. He really hopes this isn't what he's thinking. "A woman?" He prods.
"Yes," Dobby leans closer to Harry, and whispers, "Hermione Riddle."
Doing his best not to react, Harry raises an eyebrow, his heart pounding inside his chest. "What about her?"
"The Pettigrews have a son. Asmodeus." Dobby shudders at the name. "From the bits I understood, they were planning for this son to marry Miss Riddle. But not in a good way, oh no, Harry Potter. Not in a good way at all." He shakes his head again, taking another broom and looking over his shoulder, as if waiting for Lucius to appear right there and punish him for talking about his private meetings.
Harry chews the insides of his cheeks. Dobby left Malfoy Manor three years ago. Hermione has been with Pettigrew for a bit more than two. Was his sudden interest in her a part of some bigger plot they were scheming? He exhales heavily. He's not mistaken in thinking that Hermione might not be safe with Pettigrew. There's something incredibly wrong there.
"Do you think Asmodeus means to harm Hermione Riddle?"
Dobby stops for a second to think. "I'm not sure if that's the word. But once I heard young Pettigrew talking about perpetuating their Bloodline with a Riddle. That it was a union Tom Riddle wouldn't be able to get rid of."
Of course. It's perfect for the Pettigrews to stay at the top. Harry wants to scream at the mere illusory image of Hermione pregnant with Pettigrew's child.
"Anything else, Dobby?" He asks gently. The elf seems calmer, a bit lighter now that he told one of his master's secrets.
"Nothing much. Minister Riddle and his family never visited the house. The Malfoys who were always summoned to Riddle Manor. As any other counselor."
Of course. Riddle likes meeting people in controlled environments where he holds the upper hand. Like what he did to Harry inside his office when he offered him Veritaserum.
And for now, Harry doesn't prod anymore. But he stays there with Dobby, talking about spells and Quidditch.
At the back of his mind, Hermione. As always.
February 10th, 2006
Harry's flat
He checks himself on the mirror again. He looks good. His hair is styled back and he's wearing a simple black shirt with black trousers. He told Hermione to feel free to wear whatever she pleased, but he warned her that they would be out in the streets, so…
He glances at his watch. She'll be there soon.
Happily whistling, he heads to the living room, searching for his wallet and-
There's a knock on the door. Harry frowns. Hermione is allowed inside. Still smiling, he turns the knob without checking-
"Why didn't you-"
He stops mid sentence.
It's not Hermione on the other side.
It's Chiara.
"Surprise!"
Note: *sigh* yeah, they love each other.
Updating today because last week I didn't. Mostly because I had to be careful with this chapter... thinking about the progression of the story and such.
And, gonna tell you a little secret. There are many chapters' titles that are names from songs I like. And the song matches the chapter perfectly. This one is from Cirque du Soleil - Zumanity (Mio Bello Bello Amore). Just leaving this here in case you want to see the lyrics.
On another note, I love Chiara, hahaha. and I do hope you come to like her the way I do. In the future, of course!