~A/N> I'm sorry I've taken so long to update, but with my husband coming home and my Dad visiting for
Christmas, I've had no time to write. I have to say thanks to Spaz141 for her wonderful beta work and I want to say
a special thanks to all my LJ friends; writing back and forth with you guys keeps me sane! I hope you enjoy this
chapter, and please keep in mind as you read that there is a purpose for the things that happen; it will all be
explained in the next chapter, which I will hopefully post next Friday. Happy New Year!!! :)
I hurriedly made my way to the library, intent on finding the book I needed. If I was right, what had just happened to
Harry was due to the protection spell his mother had cast that fateful night. If I could find what I was looking for, I
might be able to cast the spell myself, using my love for him. It might just give him the protection he needs during
the final battle against Voldemort, which meant we could finally be together, in peace.
I stopped abruptly as I realized what I had just thought; when did Harry ever say he wanted to be with me after we were out of school? For all I knew he would become an Auror or Quidditch star and I would hardly see him; what had made me think he'd want to be with me, Hermione Granger, bookworm extraordinaire?
As I started walking again, a jumble of thoughts running through my mind, which vanished completely the moment I walked up to the library entrance. As I opened the door, I saw two people immediately separate from what looked to be a very passionate snog; I almost passed out as I realized who they were.
"Ginny? Draco? Wh-what's going on? What were you two doing?" I asked, gob-smacked.
"What do you think we were doing Granger?" Draco drawled lazily, "You and Potter are practically experts at it."
"Shut it Draco" Ginny growled, making her way towards me. "Please, Hermione, don't say anything to Ron, okay? He would go mad if he knew you had seen Draco and I together."
"Are you two a couple?" I asked in disbelief. Surely Ginny wouldn't be that foolish...
"Um...Well...You see..." Ginny started, looking towards Draco. I saw him nod his head slightly and she turned back to me and said, "Yes, we are."
"But Ginny, how can you be with him after everything he's done…especially to me?" I asked hurt and confused and then lowering my voice so that only she could hear I whispered, "we don't even know if we can trust him yet."
"Hermione, he saved my life when he could have easily just let me die" she replied, and I knew she was getting angry; her face was flushing as red as her hair. "I know he did some horrible things to you, we've talked about it, and he explained to me why he had to do it."
I stood there looking at her for a moment, and then shifted my gaze to where Draco was standing. "It's your choice Ginny; I won't say anything to Ron or anyone else, but..." I walked over and stood directly in front of Draco, staring at him intently, "if I find out you've hurt her in any way, Malfoy, you will have me to answer to. She's my sister, and I will not let you hurt her the way you've hurt me."
I turned to make my way to the door, all thoughts of the book I wanted forgotten, when Draco's voice stopped me in my tracks. "I know I'll never be able to make up for all the shit I've done to you Granger, but I don't intend on ever hurting Ginny. She's the only person to give me a chance to prove myself; I'm not going to mess that up."
Without turning to look at them, I said, "You'd better not, or you won't live to finish Hogwarts," and made my way out the door, walking blindly down the hall.
~*~
After Hermione's epiphany of a way to save me from Voldemort, I made my way downstairs to find it empty. I decided to go to my room and find something to do, and just as I reached the top of the stairs, I ran into someone. I was surprised when I realized it was Hermione, and then I noticed that she looked upset.
"Hermione, what's wrong?" I asked, "I thought you were looking for a book in the library?"
"The library?" she asked, dazedly.
I lightly grabbed her chin and raised her face so that she was looking at me and asked, "Has something happened?"
She stared at me for a moment and then seemed to snap out of the trance-like state she was in. "No, no nothing happened. I just...I, uh..."
"Did you find the book?" I asked, getting worried by her behavior.
"Book?" she asked, and then I saw comprehension dawn in her eyes. "The book, right, I didn't get a chance to look for it."
"Why not?" I asked, confused.
"Ginny was in there, doing her course work, and I didn't want to disturb her" she replied.
I watched her for a moment, taking in her bright eyes and plastered-on smile; something was wrong, but obviously she wasn't going to tell me what it was. "Where are you off to now?" I asked, changing the subject.
"I was going to go downstairs to the training room and work out for a little while" she replied, "Want to join me?"
"Sure" I answered, "I'll change and meet you down there." She nodded in agreement and turned to make her way to her room. The way she was acting had me a little concerned, but I knew she wouldn't talk to me until she was ready. I continued to go over our conversation while I changed and then headed to the training room to meet up with her.
I wasn't prepared for the sight that met me when I walked into the room; Hermione was using the cycling machine, dressed in some very short shorts and form fitting tanktop, peddling furiously and sweating profusely. She hadn't noticed me standing there, so I took the chance to just watch her and take in how beautiful she really was. Her brow was furrowed in concentration and her eyes had a faraway look to them; obviously she was still upset about whatever had happened before and was using exercise as a means to blow off some steam. I hadn't counted on my body's reaction to seeing her like this when she looked up and her eyes met mine, I couldn't restrain the need to touch her anymore.
I walked over to the bike she was using; she was following me with her eyes and her legs stopped pumping the pedals. I noticed a heat in her eyes that I had never seen before, and I could feel myself harden. I placed my hand on her bare, sweaty thigh and started to lightly rub the damp skin. I watched as she closed her eyes, obviously enjoying what I was doing, and felt my self-control snap.
I grabbed her hand and tugged lightly, causing her to open her eyes, startled. I watched as she dismounted the bike and stood in front of me, curiosity written all over her face. My mind had stopped working the moment I walked through the door; my body was functioning on raging hormones and I was weary of the sexual tension that filled me every time I was around her. I wanted Hermione, and I was tired of waiting.
I bent down and captured her lips in a hard kiss; this wasn't a languid, love-filled kiss, this was a kiss filled with all the sexual hunger I had kept hidden from her for so long. I wrapped my arms tightly around her waist and lifted up; understanding what I wanted, she brought her legs up and wrapped them around me, causing me to feel as if every part of my body was on fire. Losing the last grip I had on my control, I walked forward and pressed her back against the wall, grinding my hardness into her. When she groaned into my mouth, I pressed her to me even tighter, confident that her body would melt into mine if I kept her there.
I almost groaned in frustration when she pulled her lips from mine, but then I almost dropped her as she whispered in my ear, "I want you Harry, now."
I stared into her eyes, and I swore I saw flames flickering in their chocolate brown depths; she wanted me as badly as I wanted her. The wait was finally over; today she would finally be mine mind, body and soul.
Suddenly I realized where we were and felt a wave of disappointment. "I don't think this is the best place," I said reluctantly.
"Why not?" she asked, looking around the room, "We've got mats over there we can use, and I'm sure you can perform a good locking charm, seeing as you're a powerful wizard and all." She stood looking me over for a moment and then said, "It's not like I need romance and flowers Harry; I want you and it feels right, that's all that matters."
That was all I needed to hear; I waved my hand towards the door and performed a strong locking charm that Dumbledore had taught me while teaching me wandless magic. According to him, he was the only one who knew how to break it, and I doubted he would show up anytime soon.
I turned to make my way back to Hermione and stopped dead; she was standing in front of one of the mats that were laid out on the floor, wearing only her bra and knickers. Coming back to my senses, I started slowly walking towards her, taking in the way her skin glistened. I stopped in front of her and she immediately reached for the hem of my t-shirt, drawing it up and over my head. She wrapped her arms around my neck and started playing with the hair on the nape of my neck. I could still see the fire in her eyes, but now I could also see her love for me there too.
"Are you sure about this?" I asked, steeling myself in case she said no. When she just smiled and nodded her head yes, I released the breath I didn't know I was holding and bent down to kiss her again. I felt her take both of my hands in hers and was surprised when she guided them to the clasp of her bra. I pulled back and looked at her, fumbling to undo the stubborn clasp, and when I had finally got it undone I started to pull the straps down her arms. When I had finally gotten the frustrating piece of clothing off, I stood staring at her in wonderment. I brought my hands up and cupped both breasts, relishing how heavy and soft they felt. I watched the emotions cross her face as I rubbed my thumbs over her nipples; there was this almost...wanton look on her face and I wished I could just bury myself in her right then and there.
I was trying to gather my patience when I felt her hands tugging at the waistband of my shorts. She pushed them down my legs, along with my underpants and then I froze as I felt her hand wrap around my erection. My knees almost buckled when she took me into her mouth a moment later. "Hermione..." I hissed out as feelings of undiluted pleasure traveled through me; I almost lost control when she answered, "Hmmm?" the vibration traveling to my very core.
I stopped her soon after, afraid that we would be finished before we started, and lay her back onto the mat. I started by kissing her swollen, red lips, down her throat, lavishing attention on both breasts and then continued down her body until I reached the sacred valley between her legs. I slid her knickers off and I used my mouth and fingers to pleasure her until she told me she wanted me inside her; that's all the encouragement I needed.
I moved up and positioned myself between her legs; "Are you still sure about this?" I asked through gritted teeth, praying to every God there was that she would say yes.
"Yes I am Harry," she whispered, and that was all I needed to hear. I started to enter her very slowly, hoping not to hurt her.
"Oh Harry...Harry..." she whispered as I continued to cautiously push into her, "Harry...Harry..."
"HARRY!" I heard someone yell, and after jumping about a foot off of the floor, I turned around to see Ron standing behind me.
"WHAT!?" I yelled back, frustrated that he had interrupted my fantasy.
"What the bloody hell were you doing?" he asked, looking at me as if I were daft.
"I was...uh, well..." I started, embarrassed when I realized that I had been standing outside the door to the training room, watching Hermione as she exercised; bloody hell, I'd been standing here fantasizing about her like some pervert. What the hell was wrong with me?
"Are you going to work out or what?" he asked, the same look on his face.
"N-no, I just remembered, there's something I need to do first" I replied, and then turned to run up to my room. I had no idea what was going on with me, but ever since I had touched Hermione and experienced those strange feelings, I felt as if I had no control over my emotions anymore. The hot, tingly sensation I had experienced earlier was back, and if Hermione didn't find out the cause of it soon...I was afraid to even think about what might happen next.
~*~
I had looked towards the door and noticed Harry standing there right before Ron had yelled at him. He was looking right at me, but his eyes were glassed over and his cheeks were flushed; it was an almost hungry look, one I had seen a couple of times before, and it made a shiver run down my back. 'Could he have been thinking about me?' I wondered, peddling a little faster as images of us in the Room of Requirement flashed through my mind; his mouth on my breasts, his fingers inside me... I had been hoping for a moment like that again, but Harry seemed to be content with our relationship the way it was. 'Even if I have no idea what kind of relationship we have' I thought, peddling even faster as my frustration grew.
"You do realize that you still won't go anywhere, no matter how fast you pedal?" quipped Ron, smirking at me.
I looked up and glared at him, not in the mood to be teased at the moment. "Sod off Ron" I said.
"You've been hanging around Harry and I too long" Ron said, laughing, "you're starting to sound like us."
"Merlin forbid" I mumbled, but he still heard me and started to make his way over to where I was.
"What was that?" he asked, with a devilish gleam in his eyes.
I stopped pedaling and watched as he got closer, realizing what he was about to do, but not moving fast enough. He reached out and started tickling me, causing me to stumble off the bike. He kept tickling me unmercifully, and even though I begged him to stop, he just kept up the torture. I was hoping Harry would come back and rescue me and the next thing I knew...
"Hermione?" Harry asked, sounding very surprised and bewildered. I looked up and realized that I was no longer in the training room, but in Harry's bedroom.
"What am I doing here?" I asked, more to myself than to Harry.
"That's what I'd like to know" he replied, watching me. "I was laying here reading and the next thing I know, your standing there looking lost."
"I was down in the training room and Ron started tickling me" I explained, noticing a strange look cross his face, "I remember hoping you would come in and stop him...wait a minute!"
"What?" Harry asked, thoroughly confused now.
"I must have apparated!" I exclaimed, excited that I had finally done it and basically hit my target. I was ignoring the fact that I hadn't meant to apparate and had no idea where Harry would be at the time; instead I concentrated on the fact that I had found him successfully.
"That's great!" Harry said, getting up from his bed. He walked over to where I was standing and gave me a hug; after a moment of being wrapped in his arms again, all thoughts of my accomplishment were gone. I was being overwhelmed by a wave of tingling heat and it was very...enjoyable.
When I looked up I saw a look on Harry's face that turned my blood to liquid fire; his normally emerald eyes were a darker green and seemed to smolder as he stared at me. I started to wonder what was happening to us and tried to comprehend the feelings that were going through me; it was all very exciting, but scary at the same time.
"What's going on here Luv?" he asked, walking me backwards toward the wall.
"I don't know" I replied, my back hitting the wall, his body pressed against mine, "I feel like my body is on fire every time I'm around you lately; like a jolt of electricity runs through me."
"Me too" he said, bending down so that his forehead rested against mine.
His closeness was starting to get to me; I felt like I couldn't draw a deep breath, and when I tried, my breasts would press against his chest, making my body temperature go up even more. "Harry..."
~*~
'Bloody hell' I thought; she had just said my name the same way she had right before Ron had interrupted my...thoughts...earlier in the training room.
"Are we together?" she asked, drawing me out of my thoughts.
I looked at her for a moment, a myriad of emotions crossing her exquisite features, and replied, "I'd like to be."
Her eyes grew wide at the implication in my answer and I knew she was surprised; to be honest, I was surprised myself. I was feeling randy, and I was enjoying it immensely. It almost made me feel like any other teenage boy and not "The Boy Who Lived".
"What's gotten into you?" she asked, watching me intently. I instantly thought of another lecherous answer, but quickly quashed it.
"I don't know" I answered honestly, "Ever since I touched you in the library, strange things have been happening to me." When she looked suddenly worried, I quickly explained, "Not bad things; it's just that...I can't stop thinking about you."
"I can't stop thinking about you either" she said. "If I'm not around you, I feel like something is suddenly missing; it's like I'm incomplete."
"Same here" I replied. While she'd been talking, I realized her breasts were pressed against my chest and my blood felt as if it were boiling. "Hermione, I don't know what's going on with us, but..."
"I want you Harry" she said suddenly, interrupting me; what shocked me the most was that she basically voiced what I had been thinking.
"Now?" I asked, wanting to kick myself; that had sounded so pathetic.
She made it even worse when she smiled at me and softly replied, "yes, now."
I bent down and captured her lips, not needing any more encouragement, and slipped my hands underneath her shirt. Her skin was still slightly damp from her workout and the silky feel of it almost drove me mad. I started to lose myself in the way she tasted as we kissed and the way my hands glided over her soft skin when suddenly I felt a surge of magic flow through my body.
She pulled back from me suddenly, a confused look on her face. "What was that?" she asked.
"You felt that too?" I asked, seriously starting to wonder what the hell was going on with me.
Before she could answer, there was a knock at the door and then it opened immediately. We were in quite a compromising position when Dumbledore walked in and I could feel my face grow warm with embarrassment as Hermione's cheeks started to turn pink.
"I see" he said, before we could explain ourselves in any way. With the twinkle in his eyes brighter than usual, he smiled at us and said, "I believe there is something the three of us need to discuss; follow me please."
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