"I don't bite," she said.
Harry laughed and climbed in beside her. She snuggled close. He didn't even realize he drew in a deep breath and was holding it.
"Are you ok, Harry?" she asked.
His first thought was to say that he wasn't and that she was going to drive him off the deep end if she kept on like this, but he thought better of it.
"Oh yeah, I'm fine," he said.
But his breathing was rapid and as she looked over at him, Hermione saw, even in the dark, a new depth in those gorgeous green eyes. He was so close, so wonderfully inviting. Hermione was enticed by the feel of his soft breath on her face and drew nearer, all the while keeping eye contact with him. Harry wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer. So there they lay, facing each other, no distance between them…things were different now; there was no turning back. She brushed her face against his cheek and softly began to kiss it. Then, Harry somehow got up the courage to turn his head, and his lips found hers. It started out very hesitant and tender, just like the kiss they'd shared the night of the ball when they were seventeen, but after a few seconds of this bliss, it was as though someone had simultaneously lit a torch inside of them both. Harry began to run his hand along her back with a firmness she'd never felt him use before, and Hermione wasn't just gently running her fingers through his hair, but was roughly grasping and tousling it all over. They were no longer children, but adults who were ready to love. When they finally broke away, Harry allowed her to pull his shirt off. Just the same, he had to ask.
"Hermione, are you sure?" he whispered against her lips.
Her reply was to kiss him again, and then she noticed a strange thing happen.
"Are you cold or something, Harry? You're shaking," she said, gently tracing his lips with her thumb.
Indeed, he was trembling all over, and it was a completely new sensation to him.
"No…no, I'm not cold," he answered between warm kisses. "It's you that's making me shake."
For a brief moment, Hermione was sure that she felt her heart stand still and then begin to beat again with a force she never thought possible. In the moments that followed from then til daybreak, the ground beneath them could have shaken and they would have never even noticed.
When Hermione had been with Harry a week, she thought that it was time to start getting ready to go back to Ron and Ginny's. She hadn't said anything to him, but she knew he'd asked her to stay a few days, and it had been twice that long already. She didn't want to wear out her welcome. Besides, she didn't know how much longer Harry could take off from his job, and when he went back he'd be gone at night, and she'd be working in the day time; it would be hard to spend much time together. Every day (and night) had been absolutely wonderful, but although he'd shown her constantly how much he cared about her, he hadn't actually said anything about his feelings. Actions meant more than words - she knew that. How many times had her ex said he loved her? In the end, it didn't matter because of what he did. Anyway, maybe Harry needed a little time to sort out what he really wanted, and she was willing to give it to him. She had gotten out her suitcase and was planning to start packing soon. That evening when Hermione and Harry sat down to eat the dinner they'd made together, he broached the subject.
"Hermione, would you like to stay longer?" he asked.
She couldn't help but show her surprise. "Umm…if you're sure you want me to, yes."
"Of course I do, Hermione. I thought I did enough to show you how much I want you here with me." He looked a bit hurt that she could have doubted him.
"You've done more for me than I could have ever asked you for, Harry. It's just that…you never told me how you felt, and I didn't want to assume something that you'd never actually said," she said apologetically.
Now he understood. All he had to do was say it…Take a deep breath, he told himself and just do it. He laid down his fork and looked up from his plate, straight into her eyes.
"Hermione, you are the only woman I've ever really loved in my life. I want to keep you with me as long as you'll stay - permanently would be nice. If I didn't feel like I was ready to offer you a commitment, I'd have never let things get intimate in the first place. I know you've just gotten out of a relationship, and if you need time to think about things that's fine with me, but could you please consider doing your thinking here? Because if you leave now without telling me something, I'll have no choice but to go after you. What do you say? Will you stay, or are you going to make me wait for five more years?"
Hermione's eyes were almost as big as saucers. "Well," she began, "in that case, I'd say I need to get back to Ron and Ginny's place…"
Harry's heart sank to the pit of his stomach. He put his head in his hands and let out a frustrated sigh.
"…to get the rest of my things," she finished.
His head snapped back up and his expression was that of euphoria.
"Oh, and another thing," he said, "Don't expect me to keep you here like you're just some kind of long-term visitor. If you stay, we're getting married. I want you to know that you're my partner and we're equal before we start having children."
Hermione's smile faded a bit and she looked down at her hands.
"What's wrong, Hermione? Don't you…love me?" he asked.
"Harry, you know that I love you. It's just that…"
"Whatever it is, just tell me. We'll deal with it together," he said, and reached across to wipe a single tear that flowed down her cheek.
"Harry, I want to be with you, but I don't know if you'll want to marry me after what I'm about to tell you." Clearly she was devastated.
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