Disclaimer: Anything that rings a bell belongs to J.K Rowling
A/N: This is rated M for a reason, folks!
Chapter Fourteen: Never have I ever…
27th August 2005
Harry's POV
"How's everything at the Burrow?" Bill barely stepped out of the fireplace at Shell Cottage when Ron had posed his question.
"It's okay. Kids are already asleep. Perce is staying over, with Audrey, Ginny and Luna are over as well. And the extra aurors. Have our wards been tightened?"
Ron and I nodded at Bill's question just as the fireplace flashed green as Fleur stepped out, followed quickly by George and Angelina. They, understandably, wanted to check in with their children.
Whilst we were not sure if there was a link between Trevor Nott's escape from Azkaban, the break in at Ky's house in Brooklyn and the attack at Shell Cottage, we did know that Trevor Nott knew that his son and Hermione had a romantic history, and it wouldn't be a crazy assumption that he would seek revenge against her for leading his son astray, so to speak, so it was reasonable to increase security on the events this weekend.
The party had moved over to Shell Cottage, but had thinned out a fair bit.
"I can whip us up some food." Fleur made for the pantry but I stopped her.
"Seamus and Dean have already got a barbecue going." I turned to Hermione, who had been holding an ice pack to her head, already nursing a hangover, "I know it's not La Trompette like you wanted."
Hermione waved her hand dismissively, "Who needs fancy French food."
"Especially since we have fancy French drink!" Fleur smiled, taking out two large bottles of champagne, "I know the party is a bit, womp womp, after Roger's news, but, as my papa always says, Qui ne risque rien n'a rien. Without risk, we get nothing."
"Got to love papa Delacour." Bill smiled, pouring us all flutes of champagne, "Almost as much as mama Granger. Hermione, your mother has to be the most delightful woman, other than my wife, I have ever met. Where have you been hiding her!"
"I've not been hiding her, I've just, always struggled with making my two lives…" She seemed to be trying to clasp her hands to symbolise merging, but in her current state kept missing.
Ron passed Hermione a glass of water but all she did was roll her eyes at him, "NO! No sobering up! No Trevor Nott ruining my honeymoon!"
"Bachelorette." Ron muttered.
"Exactly! I'll have none of it!" She mouthed, grabbing the bottle of champagne from Bill and drinking straight from it. After a few gulps she lowered the neck and gave a mighty belch.
I heard the familiar chuckle as Ky walked in from outside, "That's my girl." She took a swig, and passed it to Angelina who didn't need telling twice, the quidditch player almost always the life of the party.
"I wanna dance!" Hermione laughed, dragging Angelina by the hand, "Remember at your bachelorette when we all got belly dancing lessons!"
"Oh I remember that!" Said Charlie, appreciatively looking at his Bulgarian wife, "Ileana kept going for lessons. And now,"
He gestured to his wife who laughed a deep throaty chuckle, showing off her belly dancing skills.
"By Godric I am the luckiest man in the world." Charlie gloated, pulling Ileana in for a kiss.
"Not a chance, position already filled." Bill whispered, dragging Fleur into his arms as he flicked the wireless on.
It didn't take long for everyone to partner up, and I was appreciative that Ron had taken Ky into his arms, I didn't particularly want to dance with her in front of half of Ginny's family. I let Parvati pull me into a dance, allowing myself to drink a bit more now that it was closer to bedtime.
I extricated myself after a few minutes of dancing, and took a walk outside, over to the perimeter where I knew Alex was stood guard.
"Any updates?"
He shook his dark head, "On your side?"
"Ky says she's tried to get a hold of Theodore Nott to question him about his father, but she hasn't been successful, she did say this is pretty normal for him. The last she heard was that he was in Hawaii and the last time they spoke in person was when she came over to England to help Malfoy four weeks ago. He visited as well, tried to help with Astoria. She swears that he doesn't know anything about his father's escape, that she's confident he would have told her if so."
Alex sighed, massaging the bridge of his nose, something he often did when thinking, "So you were right about Hawaii."
I nodded, "Well, didn't manage to track him down whilst I was there though. Any updates on Karetnikov? It's weird that she was in Hawaii as well. I wondered whether she had the same intel I did and followed Nott there, though I don't know what she would want with him?"
"Well, the last the death eaters knew of him, he was on the run for disobeying the Dark Lord's orders, perhaps she wants to punish him for that? Didn't her father try making her into some hybrid of a werewolf, witch and house elf? It does say in her file that she has strong house elf tendencies, so extremely loyal. It would make sense for her to want revenge on behalf of her master, Voldemort. Or," Alex shrugged, "Maybe they're both just on the run and who wouldn't want to hide out in paradise?"
I grew contemplative at Alex's joke, "Doesn't feel like Nott's style, Ky didn't give me much when I asked her why he was there. Just said he spends a lot of time travelling so it's harder to track him."
"Hmm. How did Ky take her house getting broken into?"
"She didn't seem that concerned, she said everything of value to her is with her in England. To be fair," I grinned sheepishly, "She's not exactly very clear minded at the moment. I'll have a proper conversation with her tomorrow."
His blue eyes glimmered over a knowing grin, "I see. I couldn't help but notice that you were dancing with my wife in there."
"Of course, I figured you'd prefer it be me, than Seamus."
Alex groaned, "Anybody but Finnegan, please." I laughed at his words, knowing it was only half a jest, Seamus had a crush on Parvati since third year. "Though…wouldn't you rather be dancing with Ky?"
I chuckled quietly, "Believe me my feet are grateful to be spared a dance with Ky."
He shook his head but accepted my joke for what it was, a desperate plea to change the subject.
"Well, I know you know better than to sneak out with her again now that we know about Nott Senior." I sighed, grateful that he at least didn't have a judgemental look to match his words. "But…" I watched as Alex's face turned soft, and he glanced around us, "I just wanted to say that I'm manning this side of the perimeter alone. And…I got your six, mate."
I gave Alex a sheepish smile, both appreciating, and understanding his words. He was relaying that he sympathised with the fact that we were currently being scrutinised, but he had my back. "Well, I promise you I won't be taking that kind of risk again. If I leave with Ky tonight, it will only be for the safety of my home, though the plan is to sleep over here tonight." I narrowed my eyes at my partner, "So who spilled the beans, Stewart or your wife?"
He laughed, "Both of them. And to be honest, I didn't really need anybody to tell me that you were going to run off with her on some reckless yet romantic adventure." His laughter disappeared, and he smiled sincerely, "It's a bloody fucking miracle. But mate, nobody deserves a miracle more than you. I know it's messy, and everyone's conflicted because they all love Ginny and they all love Ky, but, well." He glanced to the house so as to avert his eyes, "I just wanted to say I'm Team Harry. Do whatever makes you happy." His blue eyes clapped onto my own, "You deserve that."
I swallowed, overcome by Alex's display of emotion. This man literally saved my life on countless occasions, but I had never appreciated him more than I did now.
I nodded my head appreciatively, not capable of speech at the moment.
"Cap'n." I turned, and Dean stood nearby, "Grubs done. Want a plate, Silver?"
"No thank you, Dean. Best get back to work." And with that, Alex dissilusioned himself once more.
We ate quickly, suddenly ravenous from all the drinking and had found ourselves sat around a bonfire on the edge of the beach, just inside the ward line.
"Oooh, oooh, show Charlie your puppy, Ky! He wants a puppy! You should see him, he is so cute!" Ky laughed as Ileana, pulled animated faces. She did as instructed and passed her mobile over to Charlie who smiled down at Padfoot.
"Oooh. Who is that!" Ky's face fell at Charlie's teasing expression, grabbing her phone back and snapping it shut.
"Oh not that again." Ileana moaned, "What do you guys not get. She doesn't want to talk about the guy on the wall!"
"What guy on the wall?" I was glad the question came from George. I didn't think I could speak at the moment.
Hermione and Fleur both seemed to sense the tension, but Ileana clearly didn't, "In the background of Padfoot. There's a photo of Ky and her boyfriend."
I watched as Ky swallowed, purposely avoiding my eyes, not correcting Ileana.
Boyfriend.
Of course.
I am an idiot.
"Let's play a game!" Hermione shouted, almost falling off her beach chair to help the situation, but Ron held her steady.
"How about I solemnly swear I'm up to no good!" George threw in, "Oh no no, let's play that muggle one Dean taught us, Never have I ever!"
"I always lose at that one." Hermione groaned, and Ron laughed as she tickled his neck with the action.
"Okay, how about, new house rules." George held a devilish smirk, "Not only do you drink when you've done the thing suggested, but, the bride, or the groom, has to also take a shot with you if neither of them are drinking in that round." George turned to Hermione, "See, that way, you're pretty involved."
Ron grimaced, "Yeah but somehow I feel like I'm going to have to bear the brunt of this new house rule."
"You always had great instincts Ronald." George laughed, "I'll start. Never have I ever…had a spell backfire on me that resulted in my throwing up slugs."
"You always do this! You're just going to make really niche ones that only work for me!" Ron moaned.
"I think if you complain you should drink twice." Fleur smirked. Godric the woman could be evil.
"I second that." Bill smiled, kissing his wife on the cheek.
"Demon pair." Ron glared at them, downing his drink. "My turn then. Never have I ever quit school, riding out on a broomstick, leaving behind a swamp that took days to clear up."
George rolled his eyes at his brother's very specific words, swigging back his drink, "Fine. Never have I ever slept in a bed with a rat that was actually a man."
Ron's glare sharpened as the circle dissolved in laughter, he took an annoyed shot of whisky at that.
"Someone ought to drink for Percy as well." Charlie muttered.
"I think the groom should!" George teased and I jumped in before Ron ended up being sick in the sea.
"I'll drink for Percy. And I suppose it was quite possible that Scabbers slept in my bed at some point as well." I downed my vodka, and topped up my drink. I cleared my throat, trying not to think about Ky's boyfriend, and stopped myself from making an embarrassingly targetted one, "Never have I ever…used a time turner just to go for extra classes."
"Hey!" Hermione threw a little stick at my face that I easily dodged, but happily took a drink, glad to be able to do so. "Okay, Never have I ever…" She closed her eyes, concentrating deeply for the right phrase, "Kissed someone of the same sex as me."
All the girls except Hermione drank, as well as Charlie and Dean.
"Wait wait wait wait." Seamus had almost fallen off his chair, "All of you kissed girls."
"We went to boarding school." Parvati responded plainly.
"So you lot were like, what, making out, in the, in the dorms?" Seamus looked two seconds from fainting.
"Nobody said 'making out', she said kiss. Like this." Fleur turned to Ileana and gave her an innocent peck on the lips.
"You have the softest lips."
"It's the new Madam Zangara lip lush, I'll get you some."
"Could you get me some?" Seamus teased.
"Who're you going to use it for, your hand." Dean mocked.
"Hey!"
"Okay, okay!" Bill stopped it before the boys crossed a line, something they're wont to do, "Charlie, you go next."
His brother looked up at the sky, thinking of a statement, "Never have I ever…gone skinny dipping."
Quite a few people drank to that, and I was glad Ky didn't. At least she wasn't off dancing naked in the ocean with whoever this boyfriend was.
How did I not spot the photo in the background?
Boyfriend?!
"Okay I'll go next, never have I ever…had sex on the beach." Angelina glanced around the group curiously.
I took a sip, just noticing the disgusted looks that Bill, Charlie, Ron and George were giving me.
"What?"
"It's…just…weird you playing this. Can we not do any sex ones anymore." Ron whined.
"Drink!" Angelina chided for Ron's complaint, imposing Fleur's rule, "And it doesn't matter, you're all having a laugh about each other! Ginny's a grown woman, let her have sex on the beach. Good for her!"
"Oh! Oh! Oh that wasn't with Ginny!" I spat out, just realising what got them annoyed.
"Oh." Heads swivelled to Ky, who I had just noticed also had taken a sip of her drink. She hiccupped, and Dean's brows rose, nodding impressed.
"It wasn't with Ky either." I muttered, taking in her red lips on the glass almost hypnotically.
Sex on the beach?
So she was having sex on beaches with this man!
"Ooooh." Seamus teased, "You holding out on us then Harry? Chang?"
"Just some American girl when I visited MACUSA." I answered Seamus automatically, "You?" I stared straight at Ky, other than Bill and Fleur, we were the only ones that drank to that prompt.
"Harry!" Hermione gasped, "You can't ask a woman that!"
"Why, you can ask me but I can't ask you? Double standards, yet again." I snapped, suddenly at the end of my tether.
"Oh Merlin, do you guys actually like this girl." Ileana gestured to Ky, "Because I swear all day it's been prying into her business and then losing your shit when she wants you to back off."
"Ili," Charlie kissed her on the forehead, "It's a bit complicated."
"No, you know what's complicated. How little I've lived!" Hermione shouted, and we all tried to make sense of her words. "You went skinny dipping?" She turned to Ron, more annoyed than jealous, "When?"
"It was just with this lot, it was a dare, when we went to Spain for Neville's birthday last year."
"Oh yeah I forgot about that! Shit and our clothes got stolen! And all of us were too wasted to conjure new ones. Oh man, we had to walk back to the hotel butt naked." Dean doubled over in laughter, "Someone recognised Harry and wanted his autograph but he couldn't sign because he was covering his bits with his hand. And then the bloke swore at him for being stuck up. Never meet your heroes."
I glared at my friend, "I believe it was you who suggested an autograph, that guy just waved at me."
"I forgot you guys went on that trip." Hermione muttered, turning to Parvati with a sullen face, "I guess, we could have had fun dorm reunions, but then half of our dorm was dead."
The circle fell silent.
"Boys, get in the house." Ky's voice echoed clearly through the night.
"What?"
"You heard me! I'm giving you ten seconds." She stood, pulling Hermione up, and turning her towards her, and planting a big kiss on her lips, "There. You kissed a girl. Now, some of us are about to get very acquainted with the Cerulean sea, so anybody with a penis, get in the house!"
"Yes Ma'am." Bill laughed, jumping to his feet as Fleur giggled, already unzipping her dress.
We had barely made it into the house when we heard the first splashes and sounds of giggles as the girls went skinny dipping, "Oh shit, the aurors."
Bill waved off my comment, clearly not bothered in the least by his wife being looked at nude. I didn't particularly love the idea of my colleagues seeing Ky naked, but at least it was Alex who was stationed on this side of the perimeter, and I knew he wouldn't look.
"Whisky?"
"Sure." I took the glass from Ron, who fell next to me on the couch.
"What a day."
"Yup. Sorry."
"What are you sorry about? I was just about to say thank you."
"I mean, you didn't get the club. And that's the only thing you really wanted aside from quidditch this morning."
"Ah, all I really wanted was to spend time with you idiots. I know it's been a crazy two days, so I appreciate it. I appreciate you."
I clinked my glass with his, "Right back at you."
Ron sighed, "I couldn't help but notice my sister shoving her tongue down some blonde guy's throat earlier." I glanced around but the rest of the boys were in the kitchen. "Everything alright?"
I shook my head in the negative, "It's not her fault though."
"It's not your fault either. But I'm not feeling sorry for you. Boohoo, I have two amazing women in love with me. My life sucks." Ron joked and I laughed.
"Well, one amazing woman. Ky, has some person. Boyfriend."
Ron shook his head, "Did you see the photo in the background?"
"No, did you?"
Ron nodded, standing, "Mate, look at the photo."
I frowned at his statement, I doubt looking at a photo with Ky and her lover was going to make me feel any better. I suddenly felt too warm, and craved some fresh air, and walked out just as the women clambered into the living room.
I walked for a few minutes, trying not to imagine just what Ky had gotten up to in the last seven years. Having sex on beaches? Keg parties were an American thing, weren't they? Godric she drank for kissing a girl too didn't she…she really was having the full college experience.
"Oh. Sorry. I…I don't even know how I got here." I muttered aloud, just processing where my feet unconsciously took me, glancing out at the restless sea just meters away.
"It's okay. I was just about to head in with the others. I was just, curious." Ky shrugged, the moonlight dancing across her face, "I did't really get to take in the view yesterday."
Ky was standing on what used to be her grave, the place my feet walked me without thinking.
"Woah, I can actually ask you. Did I make the right call?" She looked at me confused, "Erm, here." I gestured at the old stone that still bore her name, "I thought, you'd like to be near the water."
"Oh being buried here? Oh yeah, this was good. You did good. I like the beach."
I glared, remembering just how much she liked the beach.
"What?" She asked at the look on my face, running a hand through her half wet locks.
"Oh, I'm just remembering how much you liked the beach."
"Oh." Her eyes narrowed, "Well, you liked the beach too." I caught her steely glare and her voice had an edge to it as she registered my words, "How is that any different?"
"I mean, I told you who I liked the beach with."
"Oh yes. Just some American girl. Nice."
"I'm sorry, are you angry at me?"
"No. Why would I be angry at you Harry. You get to have Ginny, and have your American girl, and this American girl, and who knows who else, and you get to be angry, and I get to be the bitch."
"What is happening right now." I took a step back, physically affronted by her words, "And you're not just some American girl to me. You know that."
"Do I?"
My mouth hung open, "Kyrianna."
"Don't call me that. Okay. You don't get to call me that and also call me 'just some American girl."
"I never said that about you! I meant…" I threw my hands up in frustration, how was I in the wrong here? "Her name was Lily. I know it's fucking weird, but that was her name. And no, she wasn't just some American girl. I really liked her. I didn't think I could like anybody after you until I met her. But, surprisingly, I don't really want to talk about Lily in front of you, or my ex-girlfriend's family. But, yet again, I'm telling you things, and you're just as usual, getting to keep your secrets!"
Ky had an unreadable expression on her face at my rant.
"Fine. What do you want to know?" She snapped suddenly, taking a step towards me agressively, her nostrils flaring, "Do you want to know which beach it was? Coopers, in the Hamptons, in New York. His name was James. He had black hair. And green eyes. And a fucking lightning bolt scar on his forehead."
"What?" I took a step back, as if winded, feeling the spray of the nearby sea on my cheeks, but not fully processing it.
"I was wet." She laughed darkly at that, "I was soaked, and cold, and disheveled." I took another step back, remembering her words from the bar earlier when she had described how she'd go about getting my number in a pub, "It was pouring outside. I forgot my purse in a bar in Manhattan, and some good samaritan," She gestured flamboyantly at me, "returned it to the barman. My phone was dead, and I needed to call my roommate and let them know that I missed my train, and I was going to be home late. And there you were. In that green jumper Nessie bought you for Christmas back in '96. And you looked at me, and you said-"
"You look the way I feel."
29th July 2002
"You look the way I feel."
"You feel wet?" The redhead laughed, it was throaty and extremely sexy. I didn't plan on talking to her, but I felt drawn to her for some reason. It was unsurprising though, she was gorgeous and vibrant and many heads turned when she walked into the bar.
"No. I feel like I'm having a hard day." I downed the last of my drink, placing it quietly back on the bar.
"So I look like I'm having a hard day? Rude." She teased, her eyes were bright green, lighter than my emerald ones, and so much prettier.
"No you look…very pretty." I had no idea where that came from, that fourth whisky was clearly a bad idea. I had arrived in New York that morning pursuing a lead on Theodore Nott. I had just got back from spending the day working with MACUSA aurors trying to track him down, but an hour ago we receieved word that he was sighted in Costa Rica.
He got away.
Again.
I was already skating on thin ice taking personal time to come to the States in pursuit of Nott, especially as I was now officially forbidden from wasting resources tracking him. Robards will have my head if I went off to Costa Rica. At least being in the States I could pretend to be working on some potential transatlantic collaborations.
I was once again, at a dead end.
"Well, you look like you can use a drink." She turned to the bartender, who smiled at us both genially.
"Ah! You two have met! James, this is Lily."
I coughed, "What?"
The bald muggle bartender frowned at my reaction, I had chatted briefly to him when I got here an hour ago, said my name was James Black, my usual alias.
"This is the girl whose purse you found, James. Lily White?" He smirked at her name, "And you said your name was James Black. Well what do you know, some coincidence. Black and white." He laughed, and I tried to regain my composure, knowing that wasn't even half the coincidence.
She was a redhead with green eyes named Lily?
"Well I guess I have to buy you a drink now to thank you! Two of whatever James is having."
"Sure thing, Ma'am."
Lily settled into the bar stool next to me and shrugged her wet coat off, revealing a voluptuous body in a pair of well fitted jeans.
Godric, what's happening to me. I shook my head.
"What?"
"Pardon?"
"Pardon." She mocked in my accent, "You Brits are too cute. You were shaking your head, do you disapprove of my outfit?" She leaned forward conspiratorially, "I know I'm a little under dressed, but I wasn't really planning on coming in here."
"What made you?" She smelled good, an unknown floral scent that made my mouth run dry.
"My phone died. And my train got cancelled, so I wanted to kill some time before the next one, and this was the closest bar. And then, I forgot my purse, which thankfully you found and handed in, but resultantly missed the last train home I was meant to be getting. My roommate's probably alerted the police that I'm missing, I was meant to be back a while ago."
"Roommate, huh?" I turned to the woman, trying to gauge her age. She was definitely early twenties, and very muggle. For one thing, she had a mobile phone, and she hadn't commented on my scar, and even American magicfolk seemed to recognise me.
"Yup, a regular little worry wart."
I smiled, "I have one of those too." Hermione wasn't really a worry wart, but I often found it was better to let her know if I was going to pull an all-nighter, or if I was going to be out of the country, even if I didn't let work know. And she was pretty much a saint as a roommate, it was a wonder how she put up with Ron and I.
"Girlfriend?" Her green eyes sparkled curiously.
"No…" I glanced down thinking about my answer. George and Angelina decided to tie the knot last week, and in a bid to get me back on the 'broom' again, I was set up on a date with Alicia Spinnet who I had a decent enough time with at their wedding.
The date was fine, but we didn't really have any chemistry, and I was glad that at least got Hermione off my back who seemed to think four years mourning Ky was too long.
As if you could set a time limit on something like that.
"Hmmm, you sound convincing."
"Oh, no, I am without a girlfriend, trust me… It's just, you don't want to know about my terrible love life."
"Oh you are so wrong. I love hearing about people's miserable love lives, it makes me feel better." She smiled, and my lips couldn't help quirking up at the lilt in her voice.
"Am I to believe you are unlucky in love?"
"What's the tone of surprise? Do I look like the lucky in love type?" She cocked one perfectly arched eyebrow at me in question.
I could feel my face heating under her stare, "Honestly?"
"No, I want you to lie to me." She chuckled.
I rolled my eyes, "You look like love comes easy for you."
Her laughter froze, "Why? Because of what a pretty package I make?"
I shook my head, "You're more than just a pretty face. I've only known you for five seconds, and even I can tell you that."
Her eyes zoned into my lips, which had moved closer to her face, "I think you're misconstruing charm, for love."
"Oh? So, men don't just fall in love with you then?"
"Actually, no. They don't. They're charmed by me, and I much prefer it that way."
"Why?" My mouth was dry and I felt around for my drink, not taking my eyes off her.
"I asked you first." She teased, taking the drink from my lips and tipping it back.
I took a deep breath, clearing my head. I was too drunk and sad to be talking about my miserable love life, but clearly not dumb enough to deny this woman anything she wanted.
"There was a girl that I loved very much, and she died four years ago." Her face softened but I was glad she didn't interrupt with some empty apology for my loss, "Anyway, my friends, they feel like I should, get back on the horse so to speak. And they set me up on this date last week and it was fine, and she's lovely, an old friend from school."
"Oh?"
"Yeah, a teammate actually, we were on the same… football team."
"You Brits have mixed gender sport teams?"
"It was a weirdly progressive boarding school."
"Ah. So this lovely girl have a name?"
I narrowed my eyes, was it odd to be inquisitive about such a thing?
"Alicia. Anyway, Alicia's great but I just don't like her like that. And then turns out my best friend's little sister has feelings for me, which she decided to confess to me after she found out that I went on that date with Alicia, she didn't know I was up to dating again, you see, and well. She, apparently, really likes me. And she's this amazing sports player back in England. And beautiful. And smart. And funny."
The redhead raised her brows, turning to stare down at her drink, and I just realised I was being an idiot. This woman was flirting with me and I was going on about how great Ginny was.
"But…"
She turned away from the drink, looking me straight in the eye, "But?"
I sighed, maybe it was the fact that she was a complete stranger, and I'd never see her again. "I don't know. She's everything I want. Everything."
She bit her lip, and I moved closer, wanting to whisper this secret, feeling guilty for airing the words, "In here." I pointed at my head. "But in here." I pointed at my chest, "It's all Ky. The dead girl."
Before I could process a thing the redhead's lips were on my own. I quickly overcame my shock and deepened the kiss. We kissed for minutes, leisurely, gently, unbothered by the fact that we were at a busy bar in the middle of Manhattan.
She pulled away, a deep blush creeping up her pale cheeks, brushing a thick scarlet lock behind her ear. "Sorry. I…got swept up in the romance of it all. I am terribly impulsive."
"Don't apologise. I…" I touched my chest, feeling my heart thump loudly as if it woke from a deep sleep. I hadn't wanted to kiss another girl since Ky, but this girl… There was something about her that almost felt familiar. I felt comfortable and close to her. "I…"
I didn't know what to say. I knew I was a bit drunk, but I also knew it wasn't just that. She bit her lip and my tummy flipped.
By Godric, I wanted to kiss her again.
"You don't happen to have a middle name, do you?"
She frowned, "Why?"
I smirked, "It's just my mother's name was Lily."
She smiled, "And that's a problem, why?"
I leaned forward and she magnetically did so too, and I grinned. She wanted me almost as much as I wanted her, "Well, I don't particularly want to be moaning my mother's name tonight."
She cocked a sharp brow, "That's very presumptuous."
I shrugged, unsure where my confidence came from, "Am I wrong?"
"You can call me Rose then. Since you English are so fond of them."
I leaned forward, pecking her on the lips once again, "Very fond, indeed."
"No…no that's not possible."
Ky folded her arms, glaring at me, "Some American girl?"
"Are you still annoyed at that! Godric, Ky! Did you actually…what! How?"
She sighed, running a hand through her half wind dried locks, "Teddy found out that you knew he was in New York, that you followed him there. And… I was meant to just… look at you. But when you walked in, and I panicked and I ran out, and I legitimately forgot my bag. So I went back, and well… you know what happened."
"Why did you go by my mother's name?" I couldn't help the horrified look on my face.
She let out an exasperated groan, "Teddy thought that would be funny, I didn't even know he charmed an ID for me, I guess he thought I might get carded at the bar. And naturally the bartender looked in my purse to find out who it belonged to." Ky rolled her eyes in annoyance, "Teddy thinks he is a right laugh, I didn't even know what I looked like. He made Lily White up, rather than polyjuice. It's a bit of a risk using charms, rather than potions, because you never know if you alter the nose, and the teeth, and the lips the right way consistently, but, he's annoyingly clever at this sort of thing now. And I guess, in the end the charms only had to be maintained for a weekend, seeing as you disappeared by Monday."
I glanced to the floor, Lily White and I had one, perfect, glorious weekend. She was fun, and funny, and beautiful but also a muggle who lived half way across the world. We had no future, so I came back to England, with a new perspective, as a man who could be with someone other than Ky, and gave things a try with Ginny.
No! No, she isn't making me feel guilty about this, she, once again lied to me! Played me like I'm some kind of puppet!
I shook my head, trying to regain some level of clarity, "I don't get it. Why would you do that? Why wouldn't you just say it was you!"
"Harry, I…wasn't ready to come back. To face, life without all of them! And I didn't want to pull you into this…black hole I felt like my life was. It was easier to play Lily White…Rose Williams… I could keep away from you when there was an ocean that seperated us, but…" She looked up at me, a desperate look in her stormy orbs, "You were right there."
I paced across the sand, entering the edge of the beach that was shaded by trees, feeling mad, this can't be, Ky can't be Lily. That weekend romance that made me believe in a Ky-less future.
I laughed, Godric, a Ky-less future.
"You play me for a fool! Again and again and again!" I panted, leaning against a tree trunk, half crying at the realisation, "Why do you do this? Why?"
"Harry, I don't want to lie to you. I want to tell you everything. I want to…" Ky walked towards me, her hair whipping in the wind, her eyes unguarded, grabbing my arm and turning me around to face her, "Please don't be angry."
"Don't be angry? How can I not be! Do you and Nott sit around playing me like a boardgame. He being spotted at places so I chase him, and you…you…toying with me-"
"Toying with you!" She looked as if I slapped her, her face a furious red, "Toying with you! Me, toy with you! Godric Harry! I wish it were I that had the control here! I wish I could play you…I wish I could…" She panted as if running, and my glare softened at the pained look on her face. "You don't understand. You don't understand."
"What?"
"How much I want you." The words crept out of her mouth, quiet but clear.
"What?" I swallowed, is this some alcohol infused fantasy.
"I want you." She repeated, closing the distance between us, "I always want you. Even when I'm meant to just look from across the room, my body, it acts on its own…even when it knows…knows it can not touch you."
I could feel the heat of her achingly close to me, but still not against me, her fingers hovered at my chest, her eyes fixating on the rise and fall of me.
"Why? Why do you think you cannot touch me?" My voice was breathy but she was so close she could hear every word.
"Ginny." She whispered.
"We're broken up, I told you that."
"She at least waited till I was cold in the grave before she pounced."
I stayed silent at that, Ky was completely right.
It had barely been twenty four hours since my break up, what kind of heartless person did something like this.
I narrowed my eyes, another thought flickering to life, "Is it because of your boyfriend?"
"What?" She breathed, as I panted down at her, I could feel her thighs at my legs.
"You're saying it's because of Ginny, but really, you can't touch me because of him. Your boyfriend."
She laughed and I glared down at her in anger. "Fuck, there's no boyfriend. There's just you." She stopped laughing and flicked her eyes up, and her storm honed in on me, "And those eyes that make me want to rip my own clothes off. And those lips…" She bit her lip, and I lowered my face automatically at the gesture, but not yet giving her what she wanted, craving her words, "That I want them to taste, and be tasted." She leaned up, flicking her tongue across my lips and I slid down the bark of the tree, it's roughness caressing my back through my shirt, "And that nose, that I know exactly where it bumps when you do the tasting." She reached forward, grabbing at my shirt, "And Godric your body." She let out a deep sigh and I pulled her roughly against me.
"Tell me." I whsipered.
"Harry, I want to know all the new ways your muscles move." She whispered back, running her warm fingers under my shirt, "The way they flex, and freeze, when you work so hard to give me exactly what I want."
"What do you want?" I breathed out, unsure how I was able to form sentences at this point.
"You. Now."
I swallowed, taking in her large grey orbs, chapped lips, flushed cheeks, wild hair…her thigh between my own, her breasts flush against me…
Ky had always loved being together outdoors, and it would seem time hasn't changed a thing, for both of us. She wanted to be out in the open, and I just wanted to give her what she wanted.
In the back of my head I knew we were well hidden in the trees, but Alex was out there, but I also trusted that he was giving us privacy, we had put our lives in each others hands and there is no way he was still here, eavesdropping on any of this.
I let out a breath when I felt her thights nudge me, but it quickly got swallowed up by her own lips. Our kiss, already well past boling point, progressed fast. Godric she could make me burst with just her lips, which duelled with my own in the very best way, giving and taking control with ease.
My head pulsed as if I was hanging upside down, I was baffled how it could have this feeling when it felt like my blood had much more important places to be, and it got there so fast I had to wonder if it were magic.
How could she think I had any control over this? One kiss from her and all sanity fled with the tide.
"Harry." She panted my name and I moaned, I loved her voice, and she knew that, nothing aroused me more than my name on her breath.
I let out a guttaral sound as I felt her hand caress me, not taking a pause from the attention she was giving me with her lips. In a minute I had to though, banging the back of my head hard against the trunk of the tree as I flung it backwards, pleasure completely overcoming me.
I grabbed her wrist, stopping her ministrations, knowing I wasn't going to last if she kept at it and by Godric did Ky know how to keep at it. I turned us around, moving her wrist over her head, looming over her, a proud smile on her face that I knew too well.
She loved how good she was at this. And I loved how cocky it made her. I captured her smile with another rough kiss but it was her turn to gasp as I busied my free hand with her pleasure, pulling down the tiny bit of cloth with ease…what did she say the brand was, Agent Provocateur?
Her legs welcoming me as they parted, wrapping around my waist, her dress bunching up and falling all at the same time so it was just a scarlet strip about her waist. Her eyes closed and her now bare chest moved forward and I let out a chuckle as my fingers became re-acquainted with one of it's favourite places…guess it was just muscle memory, as I watched her face erupt into microexpressions of passion as I teased her.
I leaned my head down after a few minutes so I could hear her muffled pants, she seemed to be almost swallowing her hand to stifle her sounds and the sheer pleasure on her face and at my fingers had me withdraw them. I smiled at her glare, which quickly changed to an eye roll as they seemed to go to the back of her head as I swiftly entered her.
I let out a deep moan, not at all prepared for the sensation, despite having done so so very many times before.
"Harry!" She moved with me, synchronising after just three thrusts. "Har-" I covered her mouth with my lips, desperate to taste her knowing that I wouldn't last long. Not after the day of teasing, not after seven years of not knowing her.
I watched as her hands climbed the bark that rested at her back, giving me some leverage, my own hands were tight around her waist, her legs knowing just where to wrap to keep us steady.
I noticed her eyes were open, and she looked up at the sky, it almost felt like the moon itself reflected in her grey orbs. Her lips parted as her back arched and she let go of the tree, her hands finding purhase around my shoulders, her grey gaze locking me in, without words commanding me…and somehow, like always, I knew just what she wanted.
I quickened my pace, and not five seconds into my new tempo her legs wrapped so tightly around my waist I struggled to move, but I knew better than to stop, and I watched with pure abandon as her pleasure broke on her face, coaxing me to my own end as well.
My knees hit the floor, my legs were shaky and my head rested against her tummy which coiled and uncoiled as we both tried to catch our breath. I felt her fingers grip my hair and my heart soared at how much I loved the feeling. Not having the energy to move, I glanced up, and my breath caught at the sight of her.
Her lips were bruised from kissing, her hair was a mass of knots, her face flushed a scarlet that almost matched her dress, which was barely on her, slipping off her shoulders.
With energy I didn't know I possessed, I swiftly rose to my feet, grabbing her to me and turning, and with one twist of my tummy we were in my bedroom.
We barely steadied our landing when I pushed her on the bed, dark locks spreading across my dark grey bedsheet. She smirked, "I see age has done nothing to your endurance."
I returned her smirk, "Oh, I'm not dumb enough to think my endurance has anything to do with my skill, and has everything to do with…" I looked down at her, running a finger down her chin, then her neck, and then swiftly moving my hand down to the hem of her dress and flinging it off her. "They should bottle you up, lust potion has nothing on you."
She laughed but they quickly dissolved into moans as I began making up for lost time…
A/N: So… I know that's a bit more spicy than I usually write - I went to a writing course recently and the teacher mentioned that it was pretty important to learn how to write intimate scenes well, it's an important tool in a romance, so you could utilize it to convey different things, so I decided to challenge myself. I will really appreciate any feedback on that bit especially, did it feel too much? I wanted to do justice to them re-connecting physically after seven years, but I also don't want it to be spicy for the sake of it, so I hope it's not coming across that way.
Thank you so much for reading!
Kalina