~A/N> I want to apologize for how long it's taken me to update this time, I've had some problems with
this chapter and unfortunately the person who usually helps me has been away this weekend. With that said, please keep
in mind that this chapter has not been looked over by my beta, and I apologize now for any mistakes I may have missed.
I hope you will enjoy it, I tried to mix a little humor and H/Hr naughtiness into it, which has caused me to up the
rating to NC-17. It's not the big moment between them yet, but I promise you it's coming (no pun intended), and
they will be having some fun together between now and then. Also, I have put a prologue up on my live journal for a
story I'm thinking of writing, if you have time I'd love for you to read it and tell me what you think of it
and whether I should keep writing it or not. You can find it here: http://www.livejournal.com/users/miscard/2729.html#cutid1.
It's an H/Hr murder mystery, it'll be rated NC-17 and I'd appreciate your feedback on it. I'll also be
posting a teaser from "The Light Within" there too. That's the story that follows "The Power
Within" and "The Fear Within". Thanks for the wonderful reviews on the last chapter, and I hope you
enjoy this one!!! :)
I felt like a total bitch after what I had done to Harry, but after everything he had said and done in the past couple of days, I completely lost my capacity to care. After Ron helped him up from the floor, where I had put him, he looked up at me with such an expression of confusion and...hurt? 'That's rich' I thought, 'he's going to act hurt after everything he's done to me?'
After staring at him for a moment, I felt my anger give way to sadness; what was I doing? Wasn't Harry the person I loved most in this world? How could I have hurt him like that? Feeling really confused, I quickly excused myself and ran from the room. I ran to the common room, but before I could make it up the stairs a hand had grabbed my arm to stop me. I turned around to see who had stopped me and saw Harry standing there. "Hermione, please don't run away from me again; we really need to talk."
"What's there to talk about?" I asked, and then tried to turn and make my way back up to my room. Harry gently tugged on my arm and I stumbled down off of the step and onto the floor. He reached up with his other hand and caressed my cheek; it was such a sweet gesture I felt like melting onto the floor.
"Us, Hermione" he said, rubbing his thumb back and forth so lightly over my skin that it tingled. We stood there like that for a moment, staring into the others eyes, and then the portrait hole opened and a group of second years came in giggling. Harry pulled away from me, but still held my hand in his as he asked, "Why don't we go try to find somewhere quiet where we can be alone?"
I nodded my head in agreement and we started to make our way to the portrait hole. Once we were out of the Common Room, we stopped in the corridor as Ron walked up to us. "You okay mate?" he asked, looking at Harry. When Harry nodded his head, Ron turned to me and said, "That was some bloody brilliant dueling Hermione; remind me never to make you angry."
I smiled at him and said, "I've wanted to do to you what I did to Harry quite a few times before."
His eyes grew wide and then he said, "well, thanks for not following through with it." I smiled at him and he returned it, and then asked, "so where are you two off to?"
"We're going to take a walk" Harry said, not quite telling him the truth.
"I wouldn't upset her again if I were you mate" Ron teased, "I won't be there to pick you up next time."
"Ha bloody ha" Harry replied, glaring at him.
I tugged lightly on his hand and said, "We'll see you later Ron." Ron just nodded and as he made his way to the portrait hole, Harry and I went to find somewhere we could talk.
~*~
Hermione and I walked around for a little while, holding hands and not saying very much. We had run into Remus and Kingsley, and after some smart-arse comments from them about how Hermione pretty much kicked my butt, I made up an excuse to get away from them. Realizing that the Room of Requirement was now empty, I steered Hermione in its' direction; once we were in front of where the door would be, I paced back and forth three times and thought of how we needed a nice, quiet place to talk. Once the door appeared and I opened it, I realized that we were once again walking into a replica of the Gryffindor common room. "You must really like the Common Room" Hermione quipped, looking around. The fireplace held a roaring fire, and I could see rain falling quite heavily outside the windows; overall it gave it a welcoming feel, almost as if I was home. I led her over to the sofa and we both sat down, facing each other.
"Want to tell me what this morning was all about?" I asked, staring straight into her eyes.
She looked away for a split second and then looked back at me, locking her gaze on mine. "Last night after our argument and then...whatever you would call what happened in the corridor, I was really confused. I love you Harry, I really do, but I'm tired of all the confusing emotions I've been going through. I try to comfort you, and you push me away; I try to be there for you, and you tell me to leave you alone. It seems as if nothing I do is good enough for you, and I don't appreciate feeling like this."
Her eyes were bright with unshed tears, and I could feel a tug at my heart as I listened to her. I had been a real arse lately; I was surprised that she had stuck by me this long. I looked at her, trying to convey all the love I felt for her through that look, and said, "I'm sorry I've been such a git lately 'Mione. I know you've only been trying to be there for me and all I've done is push you away, but I am afraid of losing you. You're all I have left, and I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure you stay safe."
She sat there staring at me for a moment, and then stood up from the couch; I watched as she slowly walked over to the window and watched the rain as it hit the glass and traced its' path with her finger. "I know you're afraid of losing me Harry, I feel the same way. But I'm not the one flying off into the night with a person who's hated me for years; I'm the one who's always been there for you no matter what. We helped each other get through Sirius' death and my Mums passing; we've slept with each other in almost every sense of the word. I told you that I love you Harry, that means I've given my heart to you and I trust you with it no matter what. But lately..."
I really didn't like the sound of the last part as her words trailed off and she continued to stare outside. I walked up behind her and whispered, "Are you saying you don't want to be with me anymore?"
"No that's not what I'm saying" she replied, and I breathed a sigh of relief, which was short lived. "I'm saying that I'm tired of the way you treat me. I've given myself to you completely and unconditionally; you keep offering your heart to me but then you take it back. One minute you say you love me and then the next you're pushing me away, telling me that it's 'for my own good'. I don't know how much more I can take Harry."
"I'm so sorry 'Mione, I know I keep saying that, but I truly am. I've never felt for anyone the way I feel about you, and it scares me sometimes; suddenly I'm overwhelmed with this constant need to be with you, to touch you, protect you, and I have no idea how to deal with it." I wrapped my arms around her stomach and pulled her back so that her back was flush against my chest and leaned down closer to her ear. "I can't lose you 'Mione, it would kill me."
Before she could reply, I placed a kiss on the side of her neck, under her ear, and felt as a shiver ran through her body. Feeling emboldened by her response, I continued to kiss and suck lightly on her neck, making my way back to her ear. I gently took the lobe between my front teeth and heard her moan softly; releasing it, I whispered, "I need you 'Mione; you're my heart and soul and I'd die without you."
She closed her eyes and leaned her whole body against me; encouraged by her lack of resistance, I pulled the hem of her shirt out of her skirt and started to slide my hands up her stomach, her smooth skin feeling like satin. I cupped her bra covered breasts and gently kneaded them, eliciting another moan from her, louder this time. While my left hand continued it's ministrations, I slid my right one back down her stomach to the bottom of her skirt and lifted it up. I slowly moved my hand so that it rested between her legs, and I could feel the wetness there; she was as turned on right now as I was and it made me want her so much more. I started to rub my fingers over her wet knickers and then sucked in a breath as she pushed her arse back against my erection. I quickly turned her around, crushing my lips against hers and pushing my tongue into her mouth, exploring her hungrily. I reached up to the first button of her shirt and started to undo it, hesitating long enough for her to stop me if she wanted. When she didn't make any moves to do so, I went to work, unbuttoning the shirt completely so that it hung open, exposing her bra.
My knees almost buckled when I felt her run her hand down my stomach and over the bulge my erection was causing; she continued to slowly rub up and down and I had to break the kiss in order to breathe. I leaned my forehead on her shoulder, feeling myself coming closer and closer to release, but this wasn't how I wanted it to happen. I took a step back and felt her hand pull away. I looked up at her lust filled eyes and grabbed her hand, pulling her over to the sofa; I sat down first and then pulled her down so that she was straddling my lap. I reached up and peeled her shirt off, dropping it to the floor and then she reached down to take mine off, depositing it on the floor with hers.
She started to lightly run her fingertips over my chest, leaving a trail of tingling nerves in their wake, as I reached behind her to undo her bra. After a minute of wrestling with it, I finally succeeded and slowly pulled the straps off her shoulders and down her arms, exposing her perky breasts. As soon as the bra left my hand to join our shirts, I bent my head and took one of the rosy nipples into my mouth, making Hermione arch her back in pleasure. I started to flick my tongue over the tight nub and Hermione raked her hands through my hair as she moaned. As I continued to suck on one nipple and then the other, she had reached between us and undid my trousers, and then slipped her hand inside. It was my turn to moan as she wrapped her hand around my erection and started to move it up and down slowly. The more she moved her hand, the more the pressure intensified in my groin, and I couldn't think straight anymore. I reached around and grabbed her butt with both hands, probably leaving finger shaped bruises on her backside, but I didn't care anymore. Right now I wanted her more than I had ever wanted her before; I wanted to show her how badly I needed her, how much I loved her...I wanted to make her a part of me.
~*~
Harry's erection felt hard, yet silky, as I wrapped my hand around him; I had no idea what I was doing, but judging by the sounds he was making, I was doing something right. Suddenly Harry's mouth left my breast and next thing I knew, he had lay me down on the couch cushions and propped himself above me. Before I could say anything, he started to kiss his way down my body, stopping at the waistband of my skirt. I felt him lift the skirt up and then he was sliding my knickers down my legs; once they were off they quickly joined the growing pile of our clothes on the floor. I felt a little nervous as I felt his fingers probing my folds gently, rubbing lightly as he explored every part of my womanhood. I gasped as he slowly inserted one finger into me and then moaned at the sheer ecstacy I felt afterward. He pushed another finger in and after a moment started to work them in and out of me, causing waves of pleasure to travel through me; my eyes rolled back into my head as his thumb started to rub across my clit. Almost as if they had a mind of their own, my legs spread wider to give him more access to the most personal part of me, and I could feel a blush rising on my cheeks. As his fingers continued to pleasure me, he brought his face toward mine and claimed my lips once more.
I reached down and ran my fingers lightly over his erection and then smiled as I felt him shudder. I wrapped my hand around him completely and started moving it up and down, matching my movements to the movements of his fingers as they slid in and out of me. He started to grow harder beneath my hand, if that was possible, and his breathing was becoming ragged; I could feel a tightening in my lower stomach that felt quite pleasant and then realized that I had been moaning his name over and over again. "Gods 'Mione, you are so hot" he hissed, moving his fingers faster and plunging them just a bit deeper into me. I was breathing so fast that I thought I might hyperventilate and pass out soon, but what he was doing felt so good, I never wanted him to stop.
I felt his erection twitch and then suddenly he thrust into my hand; I could feel something warm hit my stomach. 'Merlin, did he just...?' I thought, but then stopped abruptly when the knot in my stomach suddenly let go; I felt a wave of pure pleasure wash over me as my breath caught in my throat. He kept moving his fingers and I continued to feel as if every nerve in my body had suddenly caught fire. "Har-ry!" I screamed out as my back arched off of the sofa; as the intense feeling started to die down, I was able to focus on his face again and noticed he was grinning from ear to ear. Without saying anything, he bent down and kissed me again, but this time it was gentle and filled with love. He carefully slid off of me so that he was lying on his side and lay his head on my chest.
Once our breathing had returned to normal, I grabbed my wand to cast a quick 'scourgify' and slowly got up to put my clothes back on. Harry lay there watching me for a moment and then got up to do the same. Just as Harry was zipping his trousers and I was buttoning my shirt the door flew open and Ron ran in. He stopped dead when he took in our appearances and then he groaned. "Geez you two, don't you ever give it a rest?" he teased, and even though I knew he was trying to be funny, he still had a look of seriousness on his face.
"Ron, what's wrong?" I asked as Harry walked up next to me and wrapped his arm around my waist.
"Yeah mate, I don't think I've ever seen you look so serious" Harry teased, but then he turned serious as well as Ron continued to stand there, watching us.
"Dumbledore sent me to find you guys" Ron replied, "there's been another attack, this time in Diagon Alley, and they're sending us home tonight."
~*~
I had just had the most incredible experience of my life, and I'd be damned if Voldemort hadn't found a way to kill my happiness. I looked down at Hermione and noticed that she had a sort of disappointed look on her face too. When she noticed me watching her she gave me a small smile and I noticed a sparkle in her eyes; it felt good knowing I helped put it there. Shaking myself a little, I made myself pull my attention back to Ron and asked, "where exactly is Dumbledore sending us, Grimmauld Place or the Burrow?"
"I think we're going to the Burrow, but I'm not sure. That's why he had me come find you, we're supposed to go to his office before dinner. That's when he's going to make the announcement that they're closing the school early" he explained. I nodded in understanding and grabbed Hermione's hand; we would need each other now more than ever.
The three of us walked to Dumbledore's office, said the password and made our way up the stairs. After knocking and being told to come in, Ron opened the door and stepped inside. As Hermione and I walked in, I almost ran into the back of Ron; he had stopped dead in his tracks. As I looked in the direction he was staring, I saw his parents standing there. It wasn't unusual to see them at school, especially now when we'd be going with them to either the Burrow or Grimmauld Place, it was who was there with them.
"Malfoy?" Ron asked in disbelief. Draco Malfoy was standing with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and talking to them as if it were an everyday occurrence. At Ron's question, all the adults and Draco turned toward us.
"Ron dear, how are you?" asked Mrs. Weasley, coming over to give him a hug, and then hugging Hermione and I. When she got to Hermione she stopped, pointed to her neck and asked, "Why is your neck red dear?"
I felt my face grow very warm and Ron was trying not to laugh out loud at his Mum's question; poor Hermione just stood there stuttering, which had never happened before. When I got the nerve to look up at her, her face was as red as Ron's was when he was angry, and she wasn't looking Mrs. Weasley in the eye. "Um...well...Crookshanks must have nicked me when we were playing before."
"Well, you must teach that cat to behave himself" Mrs. Weasley replied. I thought Ron was going to die if he kept his laughter in any longer; he was making strange noises and holding his hand tightly over his mouth. When I looked up I was mortified to see Dumbledore, Mr. Weasley and Malfoy all smirking at me with knowing looks on their faces.
I cleared my throat and tried to act as normal as possible when I asked, "Professor Dumbledore, may I ask what's going on? Ron mentioned something about an attack on Diagon Alley?"
"Yes Harry, I am afraid that it is true. About an hour ago the Death Eaters apparated into the middle of the town and started to attack any witch or wizard they saw" Dumbledore explained.
"Will we be going to...Grimmauld, Sir?" asked Hermione carefully. None of us knew how much Draco knew about the Order of the Phoenix, or anything else for that matter, so we had to be careful about what we said.
"No Miss Granger, you will be going to the Burrow with the Weasley's, and Mr. Malfoy will be going with you." The three of us stood there, mouths hanging open, staring at Malfoy.
"He's going home with us?" Ron asked angrily, the tips of his ears turning red.
"Yes Ron, he is" said Mr. Weasley. "Dumbledore told us all about Harry and Draco's little 'excursion' the other night, and we all agreed that it would be safest for Draco if he came to stay at the Burrow."
I looked at Draco and noticed for the first time that he didn't look exactly thrilled by the turn of events either. When he looked up and saw that I was watching him, he glared at me and immediately looked away. Professor Dumbledore broke my train of thought as he said, "The four of you need to go pack your things; as soon as you are done you will return to this office and leave for the Burrow immediately."
~Please review, it only takes a minute, and I greatly appreciate it!!~