Chapter Eleven: Silent Night
And they say that a hero can save us.
I'm not gonna stand here and wait.
I'll hold onto the wings of the eagles.
Watch as we all fly away.
(Hero ~ Chad Kroeger)
(Hogwarts: Seventh Year)
Harry sat in his Defense Against the Dark Arts class for the first time in his life not paying attention. He was mesmerized by the swinging leg of his girlfriend.
Ah, his girlfriend.
Hermione. He had never felt more at peace in his life than he did right now. Word had spread quickly about the two of them being a couple. Not that they didn't catalyze that by their inability to keep one another's hands off of each other.
He watched her, sitting a table away, her legs crossed. One of them dangling, swinging lazily back and forth. Harry was hypnotized, remembering her cute little toes, her delicate ankles, those sexy calves, those thighs that wrap so nicely…
He yanked his attention back to Professor Lupin at the front of the class. He really needed to pay attention. What he could learn could one day save his life.
"It is necessary to clear ones head of all thoughts and if possible do not make eye contact. A person skilled in Occlumency is able to do this, keeping his enemy from using whatever information is in his or her head."
Yeah, no kidding, Harry thought to himself.
Hermione's swinging leg caught his attention again and his mind drifted back to a couple of days ago. She had yanked him into a broom closet as he was leaving for Quidditch practice. He half-heartedly told her that he was going to be late and that as captain, it would not look good. She was kissing his lips, his neck, nibbling on his ear. But the protests died on his lips the minute she got down on her knees, unzipped his trousers and-
"Harry!"
"Huh, what?" Harry bolted upright, yanked out of his reverie by Professor Lupin.
"Seeing as you have a lot on your mind, I was hoping you'd give a demonstration of Occlumency to the class?" he asked and some of the class sniggered.
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He made his way to the Prefect's bath, hoping to unwind and let the day's events clear his mind. He was getting better and better at Occlumency. Now that Hermione was usually the last thing on his mind before he went to bed, he didn't want Voldemort to see what he and Hermione had been up to. After opening the door, he immediately found that he was not alone.
"Rough day?" his girlfriend asked as Harry walked over to the edge of the pool.
"My scar's been acting up all day and I've just got back from a particularly brutal Occlumency lesson with Dumbledore. I feel like my brain has been run over and over by the Hogwart's Express."
Hermione gave a small smile of understanding. Harry dived into the pool and did a couple of laps as Hermione watched. He swam over the steps of the pool and sat down. Hermione joined him, sitting behind him, legs perched on either side of him as she began to massage his temples. Harry sighed as he felt himself unwind.
"Christmas is coming up, have you thought about what you want to do?" he asked her.
"My parents are going on a holiday cruise to the Bahamas," she replied.
"Wow, that sounds nice."
"Yeah, too bad I'm not going."
"You're not?"
"Dumbledore thinks it would be wise if I stayed somewhere a little more protected." Hermione began to massage his neck.
"I think he's absolutely right. Where will you go?"
Hermione didn't reply for some time. "He was thinking Hogwarts." Harry's shoulders slumped slightly. "Or…headquarters." Harry turned around to face her.
"I think headquarters would be best," he said, moving close to her.
"Do you now?" Hermione asked, raising an eyebrow.
"The place is unplottable and the Death Eaters have no idea where it's at," Harry said as he kissed one side of her neck.
"That's true," Hermione replied.
"And you would be completely surrounded by aurors, so you would always be protected." He kissed the other side of her neck.
"Good point," she sighed.
"And I will be there to keep my eye on you." Harry kissed her deeply, tasting her as one hand slid down her waist. She was wearing the bikini bottoms with the strings on them. His favorite. He began to undo them.
"So I guess it's settled then?" Hermione asked between kisses.
"Yes, it's settled," Harry whispered taking them off.
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"Death Eaters in Ottery St. Catchpole?" Hermione gasped.
She and Ron sat on Harry's bed, Harry stood leaning against the bedpost, arms crossed while Ginny played with Crookshanks on the floor.
"Yeah, I overheard on my way back from the kitchen," Ginny said.
It was Christmas Eve at Grimmauld Place and an impromptu meeting of the Order was taking place downstairs. The Weasley's had joined Harry and Sirius for Christmas at Harry's request. The huge house would be lonely with just the three of them, Hermione included.
"Do you think they were looking for us?" Ron asked.
"Maybe,although most likely not," Harry spoke up.
"I think they were after Luna," Hermione said gently. Ron looked up fiercely at her then at Harry.
"Voldemort never really did get over what happened in the Department of Mysteries," Harry explained, his jaw clenching slightly. He had nearly lost his godfather in that near disaster. "But don't worry, I asked Dumbledore if he would keep Luna and Neville at the castle."
Ron visibly relaxed. "Do you think," he began as he fiddled with the quilt on Harry's bed. "Do you think it would be okay if we invited Luna over for the holidays?" he timidly asked Harry. "I mean we could invite Neville, too," he hastily added.
Harry smiled down at his friend. "I'll ask Sirius in the morning. I'm sure it will be okay."
"I'm going to check if dinner's ready," Ginny announced as she got up from the floor.
Hermione watched as Ginny left the room then turned to her two best friends. "I think now would be a good time to give you your gifts."
She hopped of the bed and out of the room, returning a short while later as Ron and Harry were setting up a game of wizard's chess.
"Here," she said, handing them each a small wrapped box. The boys eagerly unwrapped them.
"Oh cool, Hermione, a watch!" Ron exclaimed excitedly.
"I charmed them so they would work at Hogwarts." Hermione stuck out her arm, revealing a watch of her own. "These aren't your ordinary watches," she continued. "I've been working on them since the beginning of the term. See here?" she asked pointing to a button on the watch. "Press this, and you can summon any one of us to talk. Just speak low into the watch face. Sort of like a walkie talkie." Ron looked confused. "Like this," she demonstrated, pushing a button. "Hello boys," she whispered into the watch.
"Wicked!" Ron face brightened.
"You only need to whisper into it," Hermione continued on. "Now, press this button here, and you've got a homing device so anyone of us can find each other in case we get separated."
"Thanks, Hermione," Harry said quietly but sincerely. Ginny reentered the room.
"Dinner's ready," she announced.
Harry laid in bed that night, looking at his watch on the nightstand. The battle was getting closer with each passing day. …and you've got a homing device so anyone of us can find each other in case we get separated. Hermione's voice lingered in his head. His battle with Voldemort was his and his alone.
A small knock at the door brought him out of his thoughts. Harry got out of bed and opened the door. Hermione was on the other side, dressed in her night robe.
"You know you don't have to knock," Harry whispered, letting her into the room.
"I'd rather not risk attack by sneaking up on you," she replied as Harry closed the door behind her.
"Good point," Harry said. "Couldn't sleep?"
"I realized I forgot to give you a goodnight kiss," she said, her eyes dancing.
"Well, you should remedy that right away," Harry smiled, bringing his head down to kiss her.
She led them back towards his bed, her fingers slipping underneath his t-shirt to trace the muscles defined by his Quidditch playing. Harry pulled the t-shirt off over his head as Hermione gently pushed him down onto the bed. She untied her robe, letting it fall to the floor and Harry inhaled sharply as the moonlight illuminated the silk chemise she wore. She climbed atop him, straddling him as she began to kiss his lips. His hands wandered up her thighs, her waist then the swell of her breasts, feeling the silk against her body. He tangled his hands into her hair, kissing her deeper and more intense as she moved herself against him. She broke the kiss to allow Harry to remove his pants then straddled him once more, teasing him at her entrance before lowering herself to take him in. Harry's hands rested on her hips as she moved in rhythm, small moans escaping her lips. He watched her, feeling her warmth around him. He sat up, kissing her neck as she wrapped her legs around him. He turned them over so that he was above her. They clasped their hands together and he placed them above her head.
"You know that I love you?" he whispered into her ear as he slowly entered her. "I'll love you forever, Hermione. Forever and ever."
He slowly began to pick up his pace, moving against her, feeling the silk slide between their bodies. Soon her moans began to get louder and he felt her walls tightening as she gave her release, biting her lower lip. He soon followed, releasing himself into her.
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A bruised and bloody Harry flew through the air and landed hard on his back. He struggled to breathe as he got the wind knocked out of him. Get up! Get up! Get up! He told himself repeatedly. With difficulty he managed to roll himself over, he coughed once turning the white snow in front of him, pink. He touched his fingers to his lips then looked at them, they had blood on them. He staggered to his feet.
"Why can't you just stay down?" a cold, high pitched tired voice called out.
Voldemort had attacked them just after midnight on Christmas Day. Death Eaters swarmed Grimmauld Place and Harry separated himself from his friends knowing that Voldemort would be drawn to him like a moth to a flame. They were on the roof, facing each other down for one final time, while the others battled the Death Eaters in the house.
"I could ask you the same thing," Harry panted.
For being a self-proclaimed evil genius, Voldemort had surprisingly used his own wand to battle with Harry again. Both of them well aware what would happen if they used their wands against each other, avoided trying to cast incantations at the same time.
Voldemort limped into Harry's view. For his credit, Harry had done his own number on Voldemort. Harry raised his wand to cast another spell when two voiced suddenly shouted out.
"Expelliarmus!" Hermione and Ron shouted together. They had made their way to the roof to help out their best friend.
"NO!" Harry screamed.
Voldemort was too quick for them. "Protego!" he shouted, shielding himself from them. Their wand blast bounced uselessly off his shield. "Avada Kedavra!" he shouted.
Hermione and Ron quickly jumped out of the way as the green jet of wand blast exploded onto the ground between them. Harry took advantage of this and sent a blast towards Voldemort, who at the last minute turned but the spell did enough damage, slicing through his shoulder blade. He cried out in pain.
"Get out of here, get away from here!" Harry shouted to his friends.
"No way, mate. We're all in this together!" Ron shouted back as he and Hermione ran towards Harry.
"Reducto!" Voldemort cried out and the ground exploded between them, separating Harry from his friends, sending them all to the ground. "Three against one! No matter, just two more lives for me to claim. So," he strode towards Hermione and Ron, "would you like a taste of what it's like to duel with me? CRUCIO!!"
Hermione and Ron cried out in pain, writhing on the ground. Harry's heart broke when he heard his friends in pain, fury raged inside of him as he heard Hermione's screams. He forced himself off the ground.
"EXPELLIARMUS!" Harry shouted.
The events of what happened next seemed to only take a split second. Voldemort's wand went flying out of his hand. Harry had actually disarmed him! However, Voldemort snatched Hermione up from the ground.
"Drop. Your. Wand, Potter," Voldemort growled, holding Hermione in front of him as a shield.
"Don't listen to him, Harry! Cast it! Cast the killing curse!" Hermione pleaded.
"Yes, Harry, go ahead and cast it, but you'll kill your little mudblood along with me," Voldemort sneered, wrapping his arms tighter around Hermione, pulling her closer to him.
"Do it Harry! Just do it!" Hermione ordered but Harry just kept his wand pointed at them.
"Let her go," Harry demanded.
"Tell me Harry, does it pain you to see my arms wrapped around your little mudblood?" Voldemort taunted.
"Shut up," Harry growled.
"Tsk, tsk, Potter. You should've known better than to think you could completely block me out of your mind." Voldemort raised one hand, twirling his fingers in Hermione's soft brown curls. "I know all about you and your little mudblood."
Harry's fingers tightened around his wand.
Ron slowly opened his eyes, his whole body hurt. He could hear Voldemort taunting Harry. He saw something lying in the snow. Ever so slowly, as to not attract any attention, he began to move.
"Not too much. Just a glance here and there," Voldemort continued. "I knew how you felt about her long before you did. But I do give you credit, she is a beautiful mudblood." Harry's rage and terror began to build. "I saw a touch here and there," he caressed Hermione's face. "A kiss," he kissed Hermione's neck then very slowly began to slide his hand down her belly. "And did you know," Voldemort's voice suddenly became dangerous, "that your mind opens up for a few seconds as you reach your pleasure with her?"
"Harry, please!" Hermione cried out as tears began to fall down her face.
"Okay! Okay," Harry tossed his wand and held his hands up in surrender.
"No!" Hermione sobbed softly. "Harry, no!"
Voldemort began to chuckle softly as his hand slid into Hermione's robe. "You stupid, stupid little boy," Voldemort laughed. He withdrew his hand from Hermione's waist, drawing out her wand. Hermione suddenly elbowed Voldemort in the gut and stumbled out of his grasp as he doubled in pain and surprise.
"HARRY!!" Ron shouted, tossing a wand to his friend. Harry didn't hesitate.
"AVADA KEDAVRA!" he shouted.
A blood curdling scream pierced the air as the wind roared around them at a violent speed. Lightning began to strike dangerously around them. Harry grabbed his scar, dropped to his knees, retching at the incredible amount of pain he was in.
"Did you really think you could destroy me? Everything that I embody?" Tom Riddle's voice spoke in Harry's head. "Yes, you will kill me today but I will rise again in the form of another. Someone else will get my revenge, Potter. It's only a matter of time…"
There was a loud explosion and a powerful shockwave knocking everyone to the ground.
Then silence.
Harry lay in the snow, breathing shallow as he closed his eyes and welcomed the darkness. Ron began to crawl as Hermione got shakily to her feet. They both used the last of their energy to reach their best friend, collapsing in the snow next to him.
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