Third Resort

As the sun came up, Harry woke up feeling very mellow, with a somewhat familiar weight on his chest and legs. His right hand found that Daphne's knee felt every bit as smooth and warm as he'd expected.

"Oh. You're awake now?" asked Daphne. Harry found his glasses, and turned to look at her. Her hair was a mess, but she was looking at him, eyes slightly closed, and she smiled slightly. "You fell asleep," she said. "I was going to complain, but I just dropped off." Harry felt lazily content, and Daphne's eyes glinted at him.

Her left foot hooked around his leg and she drew herself closer to him "And you're quite decent in bed." she added. Harry was quite pleased to hear she thought that, and slid his hand up her thigh to her arse, and briefly contemplated disputing her 'quite decent' as she'd gasped out a few things last night. Her hips gyrated once.

"After loo breaks, how about … we continue where we left off?" asked Daphne. That was a very stimulating idea; though Harry had to blink to break eye-contact with those hypnotic Caribbean blue eyes. Probably should have a run today, he thought. Fitness is very important.

"I was thinking of going for a run," said Harry, "But, I would definitely like to erm… "

"Shag my brains out?" asked Daphne, lifting her eyebrows. Harry's bit suggested that there were other forms of exercise.

"Well, I could try?" asked Harry. "I um… I haven't got a lot of practice at ... well practice. I seem to remember you liked… this"? And Harry demonstrated – she tasted a little rough now, but Harry still wanted to put her in a big goblet or something and um… definitely lick.

"Oh YES!" said Daphne enthusiastically. And Harry thought to himself that there was something different about Daphne, because he hadn't managed to make Mafalda this happy. And then her hips bucked and Harry lost track of time.

Harry lay on the bed a while later, Daphne's head on his chest, with nary a flicker of self-loathing.

"I think," she said, stroking his chest with one finger in a way that felt oddly like she was rubbing the rim of wine-glass. "Shagging someone you like is miles better. It was always … like being poked by someone, and expected to like it. And … I know you. You're… not an arsehole, and … well."

Harry stroked her back. Harry suspected that watching Daphne's entire neck flush and her face transform – he was never saying her O-face was at all goofy – could be one of those things like eating breakfast, that you just kept doing… every day, when possible. Let alone the way her quite athletic body clenched one when you were, well. It was, thought Harry, stroking her back, vastly preferable to have a girlfriend you shagged who liked it. And she seemed to be getting over her past history of rotten sex. What she needed was a long course of repeated, gentle, satisfactory sex. He had an idea how to achieve that. It would practically be medicine.

"Will you be okay for um… a bit more tonight?" asked Daphne. Harry's musing stopped and his mood improved… she would like some more. That was excellent, as it was getting easier every time to do the right things.

"Course," said Harry. She reached over and held fingers to his neck, clearly trying to measure his pulse. Harry rolled his eyes. "I'm fine." said Harry "I'm probably going for a run in a bit."

"A run?" asked Daphne. "I feel sleepy."

"Well someone's had several orgasms," said Harry. Daphne blushed more, and Harry felt that a photo of post-orgasm Daphne blushing would be… the sort of thing you kept in your Gringotts vault, or a locket around your neck. Not that he was feeling all these warm, squishy feelings about Daphne. The old 'chest monster' seemed quite absent, and … smaller than the big, soft, cuddly whatever that was he was feeling. The thought of Daphne stripping had his hands and feet stiffening.

"It puts me in good mood," said Daphne softly. Harry concentrated on the here and now, and held her by her bum.

"Even at work?" He said, and immediately regretted it, as her eyes narrowed.

"Don't talk about that please," said Daphne, stiffening slightly.

"Okay," said Harry, kissing her hair gently, which was as nice as he thought it would be. Never ever talk about that, thought Harry.

"It's not the same. This is…" she said, and Daphne's knee slid over Harry's hips, and she lifted her head and stared him in the face, "I think I could get quite fond of you, Harry Potter," she said. Her eyes bored into his soul.

"Quite fond?" asked Harry, feeling strangely optimistic and imagining, ridiculous though it would have seemed six months ago, Daphne Greengrass in a wedding dress, kissing him over an altar in front of people. His lips felt dry, and he licked them, hoping to kiss her some more.

"Could be hormones," she said, but her eyes looked so soft and her pupils were huge. It felt, thought Harry, like the good bits of the imperious curse, only not evil dark magic.

"Well, see how you feel tonight?" asked Harry, "I'm thinking showers"?

"Mmm?"

"And breakfast out on the patio, after a run," said Harry.

"Nnngh," said Daphne.

"Well the oceans' just there. You could swim?" said Harry.

"It could be cold," said Daphne, lying on Harry like a big floppy rug.

"Well, open the sliding door and find out?" said Harry.

"We're naked" said Daphne. "People could see."

"Bathrobe."

Daphne got up, pulled on a bathrobe, and yanked the covers over Harry. She opened the curtains on the folding outside door of the suite and slid it open. A wave of warm, humid air smelling of salt wafted in.

"It's already hot," she said. "You're on. Get up, lazybones."

Harry got second shower, which meant seeing naked, wet, sudsy Daphne. Her hair had a surprising amount of body when wet. Also, he wished to remember Daphne in the shower for a long time. She had not put on a display, which was just as well, as Harry was on the verge of calling off exercise and breakfast, and using dittany in a medically inadvisable way. And he was a doctor, he had to set a good example.

Running along the beach to the headland, back across the entire beach, and then back to the cabin was… not bad, thought Harry. A good warm-up. There was a clearly marked path around the resort, and Harry jogged along the gravel, starting to feel more awake.

He got back to the cabin quite a bit later, sweaty and puffed. Daphne was lying on a beach lounger in a bikini, dripping wet from the sea.

"You took a long time. Where'd you go?" she asked.

"Around the resort. There's a path," said Harry. "How's the ocean?"

"Cold," she snorted, "Woke me up… I'm quite peckish." She looked quite long and lean laid out like that. Despite having quite bulgy bulges.

"Well, we can go to the restaurant for breakfast… get something fancy?"

"You need … we need to wash" said Daphne. Showers happened again. It was a good thing there were a lot of towels, thought Harry.

Daphne put on two wraps over her bikini and wedges, and Harry looked her up and down. Ruddy hell.

"Do I meet with your approval then?" she asked. Harry tried to stand up straight, and not growl possessively.

'You could wear a Hawaiian shirt and board-shorts," said Harry. The thought of all those rich blokes staring at Daphne made him feel slightly sick.

"Well I could, but I want to show off," she said.

"Why?"

"Well, I'm here with this absolute stud," she said, "And I'm enjoying it." Harry felt himself blushing, and the sick feeling faded.

"Should I get some gold medallions, do you think?" asked Harry.

Daphne snorted. "Just don't come to breakfast in tight shorts," she said.

"Or one of those weird polo shirts."

"What's with that?" she asked.

"I have no idea."

Several of the breakfasting couples stared at Daphne. Harry didn't blame them; he was keeping an eye on her too. Well, and a hand. She sat on his lap to eat fruit pieces. Which he thought qualified as actual torture.

It was also tempting to post some fruit into her cleavage for later. A banana, for example. He wrapped an arm round her exposed midriff instead.

"I'm getting the feeling," said Daphne "That you're fond of me." Her bum wiggled slightly, which was actual torture.

"It's probably, as you said, hormones," said Harry. He had a look at the menu card. "Is Eggs Benedict any good?"

She got off his lap for the next plate of breakfast. The answer, was, as he ate the salmon and egg… yes, yes it was.

Daphne was having avocado toast.

"I desire what you have," she said.

"Isn't that a shame," said Harry. And her fork speared a piece he'd cut off, and Daphne scoffed it.

"Yes." she said "That is more like it."

Harry poked a fork at hers "Well gimme?" he asked.

And Daphne used her fork to feed him some avocado toast. Which went well with Eggs Benedict. So, well they fed each other. Harry felt strangely okay with that, and might have been smiling a lot more than was normal for him.

But then Daphne saw a sign for 'Ranch tours and Riding' on a post in the restaurant, so they were going horse-riding today.

She walked over to the sign to read the fine print, and Harry watched what he was quite sure was the sexiest woman in the universe's bum. A bum he'd had in his hands not an hour ago, and legs that had nearly given him chafing on his ears. She read the notice, turned, smiled as she saw him and was surely the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen – that nose and chin just added character – , and she came over, and held out her hand.

"Come on Harry, we need to shop."

"To shop?" asked Harry, standing up. Not even scared.

"I brought jodhpurs, but you can't ride in shorts. We need to get you something. I'm sure one of the shops here has something."

And Harry ended up with brand-new blue jeans that were tighter than he would normally buy, and a belt.

Daphne looked him up and down just outside the changing room. "Mmm," she said "Those are perfect."

"I'll just get changed back into my shorts – " started Harry.

"Oh, we're going in an hour, just leave them on," said Daphne.

And she apparently had decided that Harry's jeans meant she could shove a hand into his back pocket as they walked. Harry was okay with that, he supposed.

He was a little surprised that Daphne yanked the zip in his jeans down once the cabin door was shut and did something he'd not expected… She looked up at him and Harry felt…. That he was getting spoiled, really.

"Thanks," Harry croaked out afterwards, his legs a little wibbly. Daphne undid any sign of her recent indecency. "You look unfeasibly good in jeans, you know that," she said, which was ridiculous, he was just some bloke.

"You really didn't have to," said Harry.

"No I didn't," said Daphne, with a soft smile, "I chose to. I'm really liking this whole doing things with you because I want to thing."

"It's," Harry swallowed with difficulty, "Addictive."

"Oh," said Daphne, "How addictive?"

"Well, don't you have to get changed to ride?" asked Harry.

Daphne put a hand to her throat, "Oh, I'll have to take off all my clothes"

"All of them?"

"I'm not riding in a thong, Potter. It's not happening." she said, and chuckled. "Of course… that will entail being … quite naked."

Harry started to undo his belt.

"Harry, we only have an hour. You're keeping your clothes on" said Daphne.

Someone changed her mind a little bit later.

They were nearly late for the shuttle, and Harry wanted to cup her jodhpurs so badly. For some reason he kept seeing her naked, even fully clothed; let alone that her jodhpurs hugged her thighs and bum. Harry untucked her shirt as they sat in the shuttle bus to go to the 'ranch.'

"What are you doing?" whispered Daphne into his ear.

"Covering your jodhpurs." said Harry. Daphne lifted her chin, which meant she looked a little smug.

The Horse-trekking thing was okay, thought Harry, even if it was like riding an over-padded Thestral, and he wondered about saddles and Thestrals, but also watched Daphne riding, and she was so casual about it. She rode, thought Harry, like the tour guide, only without an American accent. Also her legs looked great.

When Harry eventually got off the horse, his wobbly legs barely held him up, and he ached in odd places. And by the smile on Daphne's face, she knew it.

"You knew I'd be sore," said Harry in her ear, as they rode the shuttle back to the hotel.

"Well, you just have to get used having something big between your legs," said Daphne.

"You know," said Harry, stroking someone's naked back later, "you can be really mean."

"Oh please. You need to learn to ride horses," said Daphne. She rotated her hips, lifting her arse. Harry cupped one buttock in his hand. She wiggled, "You're getting quite good at riding me," she said.

"Fancy some more?" asked Harry.

"If you've got it in you," said Daphne in what was almost a purr.

"I'll manage something," said Harry optimistically.

Harry woke up in the morning with an increasingly familiar blonde draped on him.

"I could get used to this," said Harry, once she woke up.

"Really," said Daphne, "I sorry I um, came on strong and weird about getting 'Tori healed."

"It's okay. It was more fun than a packet of toffee," said Harry.

"Are you implying?" said Daphne, pushing herself upwards into sitting astride Harry's lap like… she was getting on a horse. "That you enjoyed that?"

"Not as much this," said Harry, reaching up with both hands supportively. Daphne wiggled.

"So… lets just… for my peace of mind?" said Daphne, "you feel you might like to see me more often?"

"Daily sounds good. Morning and evening, and obviously, as required," said Harry.

"Would you actually marry me?" she asked in barely a whisper.

"Is that a problem?" asked Harry. "I know you've had rotters."

"You, I chose," said Daphne.

"To try and – " Harry began.

Daphne interrupted, " – no, you were a perfect gentleman. Very professional. I'm talking about since we erm… got a cure for what ailed us."

"Hmm," said Harry, "I dunno, I mean, you're so hard to put up with." he tweaked things. Daphne ground her hips.

"Hard?" she asked, extremely suggestively.

"That's… well," said Harry. Daphne adjusted things and lowered onto his lap. "Hard" she said huskily.

"Not for long at this rate," said Harry.

"You'll recover," said Daphne, lifting her eyebrows.

"You do look good naked," observed Harry.

"I'd never have guessed," said Daphne, grinding her hips.

Sweaty activities resumed.

"You wouldn't make me do anything… humiliating would you?" asked Daphne a bit later.

"If by humiliating, you mean where other people can see, certainly not," said Harry, and he got a deep, passionate kiss for that. Harry took note of that – say that sort of thing, she liked it.

"At home?" asked Daphne, panting.

"I don't um feel comfortable with the idea," said Harry. "But I suppose you'll want me to dress up sometimes… what was it? Like the head of and old, mysterious family?"

"Bloody hell," exclaimed Harry, as Daphne did something possibly reflexive and very unmentionable in response, "You like that idea that much?"

Daphne was blushing all the way down to her breasts. "Mmm" she said.

"So… you like that then?" asked Harry, "It seems like a bit of harmless fun." He pulled Daphne down for a deep kiss.

"I like you," groaned Daphne.

"I can tell," said Harry, licking her throat.

Harry was having a shower with Daphne a bit later, and was glad the shower stall was so big. Also it saved time. It's not like he was trying to interfere with her hair-washing. Why interfere when you can watch and even get clean. Also, it was not medically advisable to do stuff in the shower for a couple of reasons.

Daphne had pushed all her sudsy hair up onto the top of her head in a tall pile, which she stabilized with both hands. "Do you like my hair up?" she asked.

Harry looked her up and down.

"Pretend I'm not naked," she said, grinning and almost laughing, her eyes glittering like sapphires.

"It's hard," said Harry. She snorted.

"Um. I think that could look cute. How do you put those waves in ?" Harry asked.

"Well, I went to my healer, and he got me a blood adoption, and ever since, I've had waves in my hair. To be honest, I feel quite spoilt – it used to sit so flat, especially when it was longer." said Daphne, "Honest opinion? Hair up?"

"Certainly for dancing," said Harry.

"So for balls," said Daphne. "I do like balls" she said.

"I worked that out this week," said Harry, and Daphne snorted, and washed her hair out.

"You're entirely too naughty, Mr Potter," she said, conditioning her hair.

"Am I?" asked Harry.

"Not really. As long as you don't end up wanting buggary, I'm quite pleased with your naughtiness."

"It's medically inadvisable," said Harry. She snorted.

They went surfing after breakfast.

That evening, they … cuddled. Vigorously.

"Do um, pureblood witches actually wear ottoman collars?" asked Harry.

"Only in dirty novels," panted Daphne.

"Um. Daph?" said Harry, "I felt that."

"Felt what?" asked Daphne, pretending something quite naughty hadn't just happened.

"Well, I think you might have to wear tall collars in public sometimes" said Harry, biting Daphne's neck tendons gently.

"Ughhhh," moaned Daphne.

"You, miss, are a pervert," said Harry gently, "And that's totally cool."

"I… my husband wanted me to do that," said Daphne.

"However, choosing is different," asked Harry.

"Mmm."

"I think only now and then," said Harry. "Because otherwise it's not choosing."

"Are you implying," gasped Daphne, "That I might come home from work and… wear a collar?"

"No, that sounds dreadful," said Harry. "Maybe you can choose to do it on weekends."

"Choose?" groaned Daphne.

"Well, let's not go near making people do things with a ten-foot pole, hmm?" asked Harry, biting her tendon again. Daphne groaned and arched her back.

Harry kissed her lips. "Love you," he said, and stared, feeling he might have just stuffed up.

Daphne smiled "You do, do you?" She blew a slow kiss at him. "I think you might getting ahead of yourself. And it could be hormones."

"Uhuh," said Harry. "You um… we'll have to see, you know, give it a few months."

"Yes, a few months," agreed Daphne.

"I certainly wouldn't take you to a family Christmas all dressed up like some dark sorcerer, forcing you to wear a restrictive high collar," said Harry.

Daphne gaped at Harry. "You're awful." she said huskily "Clearly you really won the war using dark magics, and you're twisting the mind of you poor, innocent witch you ensnared."

Only that sounded to Harry far too much like something Ginny had said, and he felt suddenly hollowed out.

Harry sighed and stopped moving. "Yeah well, that's what my ex thinks," he said, losing the mood entirely.

"Oh I'm sorry," said Daphne, bending down and kissing Harry tenderly on the lips. "That's just… for fun. I know you're far too nice to really be like that." She kissed Harry again tenderly. Over and over again. "Sorry." she said.

"Hey. I've said things that upset you too," said Harry.

"Not that put me off completely. You went soft," said Daphne.

"Oh I expect that's curable," said Harry.

"We," said Daphne, "Should get some sleep."

"Loo, shower, sleep. Reduces the risk of a UTI, and I did not bring the potions for that." said Harry.

"So that's your medical advice?"

"For both of us," said Harry softly.

"Oh Healer Potter," said Daphne softly "I like you rather a lot."