[A/N: The last chapter was mostly PWP so I wanted to give you a chapter with something more if that's not your thing! Yay, back-to-back chapters!]

It took a while for Harry and Rory to get together and on the road to Hogsmeade. Rory had wanted to fix her makeup and her hair before they left. And then she'd had to fix her makeup again because she could not stop kissing him.

Harry did not mind in the slightest. If they hadn't made plans with their friends and Atlas for this afternoon, he would have happily blown off Hogsmeade to spend the day with Rory. Whether they spent the day kissing or talking or doing other things, he didn't care.

They were in a little bubble of happiness. He had his arm around her as they walked into The Three Broomsticks. At first, Harry didn't see his friends.

"There you are!" Hermione called out to them.

He spotted, Hermione, Ron, and Matilda sitting at a table together.

Harry pulled out a chair for Rory and she smiled at him as he sat down beside her. She thanked him with a kiss.

"Did you do your hair differently?" Matilda asked.

"I got bored waiting for this one to finish pampering himself," Rory teased.

"Forgive me for wanting to shower and brush my teeth before we go out," Harry said draping his arm over her shoulder again. "I'm here now and I haven't done anything to make you upset with me yet."

"The day is still young," she countered. She gave him a long lingering kiss and then rested her head on his shoulder.

"Feeling optimistic today, I see," Matilda said.

"I don't think I can do worse than I did last year," Harry said. "I mean, I've set a pretty low bar."

"You actually showed up this time. That's a start," Matilda said.

"Agreed," Rory said she grinned at him before giving him another kiss. "I think this is the first time you've been here without being ridiculously and obviously over-monitored."

"Don't worry, we can all see you," Ron said.

Harry detected a hint of snark in his voice but he couldn't say why Ron would be irritated.

"It helps that we don't have to collude to make sure we can get a proper education," Harry said.

"I missed the last trip because of Quidditch practice," Ron recalled.

"Pretty sure Rory would kill me if I scheduled practice on a Hogsmeade weekend," Harry said.

"Depends on how the team's doing," Rory said. "Then I might judge you for not doing it, especially since we'll going more often this year."

"You are kind of a crazy person," Harry said.

"But that's why you love me," she said. She kissed him and Harry could not help thinking about how much he would rather be back with her in his room kissing her than be sitting at the pub with his friends.

"Is Neville coming?" Hermione asked.

"He might later," Matilda said with a sigh. "He's not my biggest fan right now. I don't want to talk about it. Maybe once I've had another drink."

"I should get a butterbeer," Harry said.

"I'll get it," Rory volunteered almost eagerly. "My treat."

"You sure?" he asked.

"Of course. More than happy to," she said. Rory kissed him again before heading up to the bar.

Harry looked at his friends who were staring at him, clearly holding back from saying something. Rory was happy with his but he'd clearly done something to irritate his friends.

"What is it?" Harry asked.

"The hell is up with her?" Ron asked. Hermione elbowed him. "What? Tell me she's not being more obnoxious than usual."

"Than usual?" Harry asked.

"Like since you've been back together you're both annoying, like you were before," Ron clarified. "It's a compliment."

"I don't think you know what a compliment is, mate," Matilda giggled.

"I do think he's right even though he put it terribly," Hermione said.

"I still don't know what you're on about," Harry said.

"You're both just very gross and cute today," Matilda said. She seemed to be the only one who was not particularly bothered.

"The PDA is a bit excessive. And it doesn't seem to bother you in the slightest and usually you tend to be more reserved about all that," Hermione said.

"Just tone it back a bit," Ron said. "You were both perfectly normal at breakfast."

"That's because they both had their virginity before breakfast and now they don't," Matilda said.

Ron choked on his drink and Harry was fairly certain that if he had a beverage he'd have choked as well.

"Matilda, must you be like this?" Hermione said. "I mean they obviously—."

"They obviously haven't had sex?" Matilda scoffed. She looked at Harry. "It took you so long to show up after breakfast because you were busy taking my friend's virginity, right?"

"First of all, Matilda," Harry said, trying to sound more confident than he felt, "virginity is a societal construct that the patriarchy regularly uses to shame women. Secondly, I'm not obligated to answer that question."

Matilda laughed. "Spoken like a boy who just had sex with Rory Lupin for the first time."

She had a point there. It was exactly the kind of thing he would be expected to say.

"Besides, if you hadn't you'd have just said no," Matilda went on.

Harry didn't have a response. "All fair points."

"I'm going to get another drink and harass Rory for a moment," Matilda said.

Harry watched her rise from the table and walk over to Rory at the bar, leaving him alone with Ron and Hermione. He turned to them. Ron looked at him expectantly. Hermione looked like she wanted to die of secondhand embarrassment.

"What is it?" Harry asked. Might as well get this over with.

"If I'm being honest," Ron said, "I'm kind of surprised you two waited this long."

Harry couldn't help but be amused even as Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Just tell me at the very least you were safe," Hermione said.

"Obviously," Harry said. "Have you met my girlfriend before?"

"Well if I can be honest with you, girls tend to lose control of their common sense around you for whatever reason," Hermione said.

"You being the obvious exception," Harry said.

"Obviously," Hermione said.

There was a beat of silence.

"So… How was it?" Ron asked.

"Do not answer that," Hermione warned. Then she seemed to have a thought. "Well…"

"Well?" Harry laughed. He couldn't imagine what else Hermione had to chime in on.

"I just want to make sure you were nice to her," she said. "I mean, so many girls have terrible first experiences and I'd feel ashamed to be your best friend if Rory was somehow traumatized by being with you."

"Have you seen her since they walked in the door?" Ron asked. "She can't keep her hands to herself. It seems like he did alright."

"I can't believe we're talking about this," Hermione said, burying her face in her hands.

"We really don't need to," Harry said. "It happened. It was good. That's it."

"Hermione!" Matilda called out.

Hermione groaned and downed the rest of her drink.

"Here we go again," she said as she got up from the table. Harry watched her walk up to Rory. He caught his girlfriend's eye and she gave him an apologetic smile. He smiled back and she turned away.

"So now that she's gone," Ron said. "Really. How was it?"

Harry shrugged. "It's like I said. It was good. Great even." Ron nodded. "I mean, it was kind of awkward at the start. But not in a bad way. Just that, you know, neither of us knew what we were doing. But it all went fine. At least it seemed to."

"Well, like I said," Ron replied, motioning to the bar. Rory was trying to reassure Hermione. "Seems like you did alright."

Rory waited for her drinks patiently before Matilda appeared, slinging an arm over her shoulder.

"So, what was sex with Harry Potter like?" Matilda asked.

"Excuse me?" Rory said, shocked by the statement.

"You took forever getting down here and we can barely have a conversation with the two of you without sticking your tongue in his mouth," Matilda said. "And he seemed way too satisfied with himself. It was obvious. I already got it out of him."

Why was Rory surprised? Was she really being that transparent? Did it matter? It was Matilda after all.

"How was he?" Matilda asked. Rory shrugged and her cheeks went hot. "I assumed it was a positive experience since you've been all over each other since you got here."

"It was positive," Rory said. "Is that enough detail to satisfy you?"

"You know it's not," Matilda said.

Rory sighed. "No complaints. Would do it again. Will do it again."

"I'm sure," Matilda said. "Hermione!"

"Just because we had a debrief the first time you and Fred slept together doesn't mean I want or need that."

"But what if I do?" Matilda asked.

Madame Rosemertta sat two butterbeers down in front of Rory as Hermione joined them. Rory caught Harry's eye and gave him a weak smile. She knew she would tell Matilda and that Matilda would lay into her for details. But immediately after while they were in the pub had not been what she was expecting.

"Please don't make me regret coming over here," she said.

"She's incorrigible," Rory said. She'd long since given up trying to rein Matilda in.

"Aren't you the slightest bit curious?" Matilda asked.

"Sure," Hermione conceded. She looked at Rory. "I asked Harry already, but you two were safe?"

"Yes," Rory said.

"And he was respectful of you?" Hermione asked.

"Always is," Rory answered.

"Curiosity satisfied," Hermione said.

"Hermione Jean, you are boring," Matilda said. "Don't you think we should destigmatize sex? You think Harry and Ron are over there having a chat about the weather?"

Hermione frowned. "I told them—."

"Just to be clear, Matilda is right about what they're talking about," Rory said. She was under no illusions about what Harry and Ron chatted about when she wasn't around.

"And you're okay with that?" Hermione asked.

"I know I tend to put Harry on a pedestal sometimes, but he's still a guy. He pretends all that talk is beneath him, but I'm sure he tells Ron just like I tell Matilda. And if he's only telling you two then it doesn't really matter."

"Except I don't really want to know," Hermione said. "I already know far too much about your relationship."

"Yes, but it's not like he's going to share every illicit thing we do," Rory said.

"I promise that's not true," Hermione said. "I already told you that he told me what happened over winter break."

Matilda gasped as Rory's face went hot and she took a long drink of butterbeer.

"What did you do over winter break and why is this the first I'm hearing about it?" Matilda asked.

"Harry and I were just fooling around one night in the bathroom," Rory said.

"You are wildly downplaying that event," Hermione said.

Rory took another drink.

"Hermione, what did she do?" Matilda asked.

Hermione opened her mouth, but Rory stopped her.

"No, it's fine," Rory said. She sighed. "I got up to use the toilet and I happened to see Harry on his way to the kitchen. So on his way back to his room, I pulled him into the bathroom. And we were just kissing at first and it was very innocent… Until it wasn't."

"Oh, my God. Did you let your boyfriend finger you in the bathroom?" Matilda said.

"No," Rory said.

"He did earlier in the day though, in her room," Hermione said.

Rory and Matilda gasped.

"He told you about that?" Rory asked.

"You didn't tell me about that?" Matilda asked. "What did you do in the bathroom?"

Rory sheepishly took another sip of her drink. "I may've given him a blowjob. Like, for the first time."

Matilda cackled. "Aurora Delphine Lupin, that is very much something I would do. And with your dad and Sirius sleeping upstairs. I am genuinely shocked and a little bit proud."

"Well," Rory went on, "there's a good reason he told Hermione this particular story."

"Why?" Matilda asked.

"Because they're idiots and they got caught," Hermione said.

"You got caught?" Matilda exclaimed. Rory shushed her.

"Not in the act," Rory said. "It was after."

"While Harry was feeling her up in the hallway," Hermione said.

"You are being awfully talkative for someone who didn't want to be part of this conversation five seconds ago," Rory said. She looked at Matilda. "Sirius found us in the hallway and it was a whole thing. They knew we were full of it about just snogging in the hallway, but no one wanted to know what we were doing beforehand and resorted to watching us like hawks the rest of break."

Matilda looked so proud, and Rory felt so embarrassed. Thinking about that night still made her feel a bit ill, even if she hadn't regretted it.

"But… You're good now? You and Harry?" Matilda asked.

Rory nodded. "I will look back on this day only with fondness. It was… Good."

"Good?" Matilda asked.

"I mean, it was kind of painful at the start, but I expected that," Rory said. "And then it got better. A lot better."

"A lot better?" Matilda laughed. "What, did he make you orgasm or something?"

Rory was confused. "Was he not supposed to?"

Matilda and Hermione exchanged shocked looks.

"You're serious?" Matilda asked. "You had sex for the first time and you actually finished? You, the girl?"

Rory nodded. "Isn't that the standard?"

"I read that less than one out of every five women can have an orgasm through vaginal intercourse alone," Hermione said.

"Well, I mean, he had to work at it a bit. I think he could tell I was a bit uncomfortable, so he kind of helped things along," Rory said. "Then he seemed to have as easy a time getting me over the finish line as he usually does."

"As he usually- Hermione, I know you've not had sex yet, but I promise Rory is not an accurate representation of what sex is like. No girl has an orgasm the first time they have sex."

"False," Rory replied. "I am evidence of that."

Matilda shook her head. "Wow. Fuck Harry Potter."

"Been there, done that, will do again," Rory said.

She rolled her eyes, but even Hermione managed to laugh at this.

Matilda held her cup aloft. "A toast, to Rory and her obnoxiously wonderful boyfriend."

Hermione and Rory clinked glasses with Matilda and then all took a long drink.

"Can I tell you two something?" Hermione asked.

"Of course," Rory said. She'd just overshared with Hermione so there was nothing off the table right now.

"Slughorn is having a Christmas party, and we're allowed to bring someone," she said. "I thought I would ask Ron."

Rory managed to stop herself from jumping into the air.

"Granger, do it!" Matilda said. "You two have been making everyone nuts for ages."

"It's not a big deal," Hermione insisted, her face reddening. "It would just be as friends."

"I think Ron has wanted to be a bit more than friends since third year if I'm being honest," Rory said.

"But he's my friend. He's my best friend," Hermione said.

"Even better," Rory said. "I think relationships can only work if you're friends first."

Matilda scoffed. "It's not fool-proof."

Hermione and Rory exchanged looks. They were the only ones who knew Matilda and Neville were together and were the only ones who knew that they weren't together now.

"What exactly happened?" Hermione asked. "You and Neville were—"

"He wanted me to take time for myself after my mum died," Matilda said. "Said that it wouldn't be good for me to jump into a relationship without dealing with all my shit first."

Neville had a good point. That had been part of Rory and Harry's problem last year. They hid in each other and snogging and fooling around instead of dealing with the shit storm that happened upon them after the Tri-Wizard tournament.

"So, he basically dumped me," Matilda said. "Said I needed him more as a friend now and not as a boyfriend. But we hardly speak now, so what was the point?"

Rory was heartbroken. Neville and Matilda not speaking wasn't something she'd ever anticipated. Them getting together? Absolutely. Breaking up wasn't in the cards.

"But how… How are you feeling about your mum?" Hermione asked.

"She's dead. It sucks. I'd feel better if I had someone to make out with," Matilda said.

"Maybe, Neville's right and—"

"Rory, I know you and Harry have mended fences and your storybook romance has gone back to being perfect and he gives you orgasms whenever you want, but it doesn't make you a relationship expert," Matilda said.

Never in all their years of friendship had Matilda ever spoken so harshly to Rory. Matilda definitely put Rory in her place more than once, but she'd never been intentionally hurtful.

"Mattie," Rory started, "I wasn't saying that at all."

Matilda finished her drink. "I'll see you two later. Enjoy your double date. I'm tired of fifth-wheeling anyway."

She sat the empty glass on the counter and walked out of the bar.

Even Hermione was stunned. "Do you think she's alright?"

"I think if I bug her about it now, she'll blow up even worse," Rory said. "But how do you think you'd feel if your parents were dead?"

Hermione nodded in agreement.

Rory would not have minded abandoning her friends to spend all day in the castle with Harry, but she would have felt bad if she bailed on Atlas.

They got lunch together and chatted happily together the whole time. Afterward, she showed him around Hogsmeade. They never ran out of things to talk about, which made sense. They had 14 years to catch up on after all.

Rory worked very hard to recount things to him that weren't traumatic, but the last three years had really done a number on her. Every story somehow ended up leading her mind back to her grandfather or Harry or Voldemort or Sirius.

Atlas was able to keep things light though. She was grateful for that.

He was incredibly funny, and while Rory could be outgoing and extroverted, she had none of the charisma and charm that Atlas had. He said hello to everyone, he always smiled, was always friendly, and yet somehow managed to maintain boundaries that he didn't let people cross.

"Do you want some Slytherin hot gossip?" Atlas asked.

"Um, obviously," Rory replied.

"Your boy Draco and Pansy are done. Everybody heard them arguing last night. I mean, I didn't because obviously, I mind my own business."

"And yet you seem to know all the business of everyone in Slytherin," Rory said.

He shushed her. "Pansy told him he was being stupid or something and he said he didn't have time for that argument or her," Atlas said.

Rory was kind of stunned. Pansy and Draco were basically Rory and Harry's counterparts. It felt strange for them not to be a thing anymore.

"I don't think he cares, for real," Atlas said. "Theodore Nott told me that Malfoy said his life was going to be so much easier now. Cold-blooded."

Truly. Even for Draco that was a harsh thing to say to a girl he'd been dating for two years.

"But that guy has some other stuff going on," Atlas said. "No disrespect to your dad, but Malfoy is giving him a run for his money in the looking exhausted department."

Draco had been looking worse lately. Rory was always on him about Alchemy, but he seemed to be putting in as little effort as possible in his other classes. Harry said there were a few times when Draco hadn't even bothered to show up to Snape's class. This only roused Harry's suspicions more. What could be more important than class, and why would he be sneaking off to the Room of Requirement?

"You ever talk to Draco?" Rory asked.

"Not really. If I'm talking to one of his friends he'll say 'hey' but that's the extent," Atlas said. "I don't think he hates me if that means anything."

"Dumbledore wants me to be his friend. Help keep from being a Deatheater like his dad," Rory said. "I don't know that anything I'm going to do is going to help. He tolerates me in one class."

"You just have to force your friendship on him," Atlas said as if it were the easiest thing in the world.

"You can't force someone to be your friend," Rory said.

"Yeah, you can. You just wear him down. Pretend to not hate him. Treat him like he's your friend until he is," Atlas said.

Rory was dubious. "We're talking about a boy who I've literally smacked in the face multiple times. He's not going to fall for that."

"He might," Atlas said. He gave Rory a pat on the shoulder. "Won't know unless you try."