Chapter 26
The bathroom was lit with candles floating in midair and the aroma of scented bubbles and burning essence filled the room. Hermione and Harry were in the tub, surrounded by white foam. Harry's back was pressed up against the tub while Hermione was nestled between his thighs, using his chest as a backrest. Her hair was piled up on top of her head exposing her bare neck and shoulders, which Harry was now kissing and stroking with lips and tongue.
"Mmm, I could get use to this," Hermione sighed as she arched her back like a bow.
"Ditto," he breathed as his hands caressed her curves under the white foam. "Remember when I walked in on you taking a bath?"
She giggled. "Yeah, you were smitten."
He pulled back his head and looked down at her. "I was not," he denied.
"Yeah you were, you were all flustered over naked Hermione."
Harry scowled at her amused face than surprised her by pushing her head down hard. Her high pitch shriek was cut off when she disappeared under the water. Harry was slightly amused when she came up sputtering profanities as she pushed the bubbles away from her face.
"Harry Potter, you're supposed to be romantic and charming."
He smiled softly and pulled her back in his arms. "You're beautiful when you're wet and angry," he whispered in his ear.
She chuckled and elbowed him in the gut, causing him to grunt. "I guess that'll do."
Harry held her tighter to him and for a while no words were spoken as they enjoyed being with each other. Their feet caressed and flirted underwater and Harry toyed with Hermione's fingers, loving the way they twined together so easily. "Hermione?" he finally asked as continued to play with her fingers.
"Hmmm?" she sighed happily.
"What happened…between you and Norman?" Harry felt her tense immediately and he almost kicked himself for bringing it up. He quickly dropped a kiss on her shoulder. "You don't have to tell me now, but…I'd like to know eventually."
She sighed as she relaxed against him once more. "No…you deserve to know and I'd like to get it over with." She shifted until she was now facing him and he sat up as well, so they were sitting on each side of the tub facing each other. Hermione smiled slightly when he reached out and touched the side of her face, quietly assuring her to take her time. "Remember that red dress I wore that night? I modeled it for you, before I left with Norm?"
He groaned. "Do I? That dress was sexy as hell on you."
She blushed. "Yeah, well. Norm didn't like it all that much."
His brows lifted. "Excuse me? Does the guy have a pulse?"
She bent her head down. "He said it was too revealing, that…I should dress more…properly when I'm out with him." She shook her head with a laugh. "He actually told me to go back up and change, like I was some child."
"But you didn't," he said and it wasn't a questions. It was a statement. He knew that Hermione didn't like to take orders from anyone.
"No, I didn't," she said firmly as she tilted up her chin. "I told him that this is who I was and I would not be bossed around that way. So he really didn't have a choice. So then, after the most boring party I've ever attended, he actually accused me of flirting. I couldn't help it if guys came to me, you know I don't like to draw attention."
"Of course you don't," he said softly as his hatred for Norman grew.
"He made me feel…whorish the way he spoke about me."
"Oh, Hermione…"
"I was so angry with him, I yelled and called him every name I could speak of then told him I didn't want to see his perfect little arrogant face."
He smiled slightly at the scowl on her face. "You sure told him, didn't you."?
"Yeah," she said softly and bent her head down again. "At the same time though…his words hurt me. I thought he cared for me, Harry, but I only found out he was ashamed and embarrassed by me. He was trying to change who I was."
"Well, then I thank Merlin you didn't fall for it," he said as he pulled her back to him. "I certainly don't want to change a thing about you."
She sighed as she fell into his arms, resting her cheek against his chest. "Harry, I don't know what I did to deserve you."
"No Hermione," he said as he kissed the top of her head. "I'm the lucky one. I don't know what my life would have been like if you didn't walk into my life that first day on the train. You are my everything."
She shut her eyes as she took in his heartfelt words. "I love you so much, Harry."
His heart ached whenever she said those words to him. "And I love you…very much." He then pulled her back gently before kissing her softly on the lips. "Come on…let's get out and dry off, hmm? It's getting late."
She nodded and they both stood up out of the water and carefully stepped out of the tub. Harry grabbed two towels and wrapped one around her first, before wrapping his around the waist. Harry walked into the bedroom, while Hermione stayed and performed a quick drying spell on her hair that Harry got went when he dunked her.
She walked into the bedroom to find Harry pulling his boxers over his hips and he gave her smile as he held out his shirt to her. She smiled as she took it, than dropped the towel before slipping Harry's shirt over her head. Together, they crawled into bed and Harry immediately pulled her close to her until her back was snuggled up against his chest. They douched the light and Harry kissed her temple, her cheek then her neck, before pulling the covers higher over the both of them. "Good night, Hermione," he whispered in her ear. "Love you."
She smiled as she closed her eyes. "Love you, too."
XXX
Ron woke the next morning to the feel of four little feet walking up his back. He heard purring and he flinched and shivered when a wet nose sniffed at his ear. His eyes squinted open to see the sunlight peaking through Macey's blind and then heard a tiny meow next to his ear. He groaned as he rolled over on his stomach and looked up to see the kitten sitting on his chest, peering down at him. "Well…morning," he said with a yawn then looked over to see that he was alone and heard the shower running in Macey's bathroom.
The kitten then leaned down and licked Ron's chin and he yelped when the cat nipped at him. "Okay, hey now," Ron said as he pushed him away. "Macey is the only one allowed to take a bite out of my chin, understand?" The kitten just cocked his head and looked down at him before lifting his paw to his chin. Ron sighed. "I guess I'm going to have to let Macey run that rule by you."
The kitten meowed and Ron smiled as he lifted a hand to pet him, but laughed when the kitten went up on his hindquarters and playfully batted at his fingers. "Oh, so you want to play, huh?" Ron slid his hand under the sheets and then moved his finger in little circles. He watched as the kitten's eyes were transfixed on the moving hump, than suddenly he leaped off his chest and attacked, causing Ron to let out a laugh. He kept his hands still now and then slowly moved his big toe under the sheets and the kitten whipped his head around, crouched low, wiggled his little butt, then pounced on his foot. "Ow!" Ron laughed as the kitten bit his toe through the sheets. "That hurt!"
"Are my two boys having a morning tousle?"
Both Ron and the kitten turned their heads to Macey, who was standing outside the bathroom door, dressed in her white terrycloth bathrobe. "Hey," Ron said with a smile. "He wanted to play."
She smiled as she walked over to the bed and sat next to Ron, who greeted her with a morning kiss. "I was watching for a bit, you guys were pretty cute."
"Yeah?" He then looked at the kitten that was watching them both with interest. "Hear that? We're cute."
Macey giggled. "Shut up and kiss me again."
He grinned. "Okay," he said reached a hand to cup the back of her neck, kissed her a bit more firmly this time. He sipped at her lips, savoring the feel of how soft they were, before he finally shifted and slowly ran his tongue along her bottom lip. However, as he shifted his toe had moved so the kitten attacked. "Ow!" Ron yelped as he pulled away from Macey and glared at the kitten. "You little, stinker, you're not suppose to attack my foot while I'm kissing my girlfriend."
Macey giggled. "Oh, Ron! That's it." She plucked the kitten off the bed and held him up. "He is a little stinker, isn't he?" The kitten squeaked out a meow. "Stinker it is then."
Ron chuckled. "Stinker? We're calling him, Stinker?"
"Yup," she said and then rubbed Stinker's nose with her own. "And he says that we better watch out, because that name will do him justice in more ways then one."
Ron rolled his eyes. "Great…in that case we're keeping the litter box in your room."
She shook her head. "No, I think I'll have him housetrained. I'm building a kitty door that leads out to the backyard."
He laughed. "That's a great idea...right Stinker?"
Stinker replied by attacking his toe again, causing Ron to flinch. "Oh, yes…that name does you justice," he said as he moved his feet under him so he couldn't attack it. "Stinker, indeed."