1. Cravings

He had her pressed against the cool stone wall, one hand on her hip, the other in her hair, and one leg pressed between hers, pressing against her deliciously as he ravaged her mouth, kissing her senseless. She could feel his desire in the demanding caress of his hand, the urgency of his kiss, and the way he pressed against her, not to mention the undeniably proof pressing into her belly. Without her permission her hands tangled in his hair, trying to pull his mouth closer to hers and her leg hooked itself around his even as her mind yelled at her to push him away, that any minute they could be caught. She couldn’t find it in her to care at the moment and she met his desire with her own urgent need, kissing him fiercely and pressing against his hard body, trying to get as close to him as she could.

They didn’t get enough time together; they didn’t have nearly enough chances to just lose themselves in each other like this and she endlessly craved his touch, his kiss. She knew that it wasn’t the best time or place to be doing this, but, Merlin, she wanted him so badly, she ached for him. He awakened something in her that she hadn’t even known had been dormant and she had never been so turned on for such a constant period in her entire short life. It was a hard fought battle to not jump on him and tear his clothes off every time she saw him, a battle she barely won. She wanted to be touching him always. When she wasn’t with him she was thinking about him, the things she wanted to do to him and with him and have him do to her. Her classes were once her favourite time spent, but now she resented them, hated having to get out of bed and be away from him. Sometimes she felt as though she couldn’t breath, as though there was a weight on her chest when he wasn’t around. She needed him in a way she never had before, in a way that she’d never needed anyone and she hated it and loved it, craved it, was addicted to it-to him. Her existence seemed to depend on him, her happiness on his, her future on his continued presence in her life as her partner, her lover.

It hadn’t always been this way. He’d always been indescribably important to her, she’d always needed him, but in an innocent way, in the way that one needs their closest friends. She’d once been able to go days, weeks even, without seeing him or talking to him, though it had never been easy. In twelve years of friendship she had never once thought of him in any way that was even remotely sexual, now she didn’t seem to be able to stop. For years they had been friends, only friends, best friends. Or so they’d thought. Things had changed so suddenly. With one action they’d suddenly done an about-turn from friends to something much more, they were suddenly forced to the realization that at some point they’d become everything to each other. Their roles in each other’s life changed, they were tossed across that invisible line that had defined what they were to one another.

It had happened on her birthday. He’d handed her a gift and had leaned in to peck her cheek but caught the corner of her mouth. He’d jerked back and their eyes met and the world tipped. One brief moment and years of denial, years of lying to each other and everyone else in the world, years of pretending were cut to an abrupt end. One accidental, perfectly innocent kiss and the life they knew was over and they were thrown to the beginning of something bigger than they’d ever imagined. They both knew it. He didn’t say anything to her and she thanked him for the gift before carefully unwrapping it. They both tried to ignore what had just happened between them, both terrified of what it meant for them and both nervously anticipating learning what it meant. They tried to act as though nothing had changed, but it hung in the air, taunting them. They couldn’t stop looking at each other. No one else seemed to notice that anything had changed in those few short seconds.

It was two days before either of them acknowledged the undeniable feelings that they’d finally realized. Two of the longest, most confusing days of their lives. Two days of avoiding each other while they each tried to figure out where the feelings had come from, what it meant for them, for their future, and why they hadn’t realized before what they really were to each other. Not just friends, never just friends.

She made the first move, inviting him to dinner at her flat. He arrived five minutes late, it shouldn’t have worried her, he’d never been a punctual person, but it did. It had been the most agonizing five minutes of her life as she wondered if he’d show or if she’d terrified him. He apparated into her living room with a loud Crack! and she’d nearly dropped the bottle of white wine she was uncorking. They awkwardly greeted each other, both unsure of how fast they should move things and how much was too much. Over dinner, conversation was slow and uncomfortable silences were abundant. The wine slowly worked it’s magic and by the end of dessert they were joking and laughing with each other like they always had, only now there was an undertone to everything they did, every movement seemed charged with something new.

It was nearly one in the morning when he finished his glass of wine and rose to leave. He kissed her cheek and she smiled at him. Their eyes met and held and the mood suddenly shifted and they were in each other’s arms, kissing like they’d combust if they even thought of stopping. That was the first night they’d made love.

That was nearly two years ago and they still couldn’t keep their hands off of each other.

His mouth moved to her neck and he pressed her against the hard stones. She gasped for breath and moaned softly at his ministrations. Her name escaped his lips on a gasp, inadvertently bringing her out of her haze.

“Stop,” she breathed, tugging gently at his hair. “We can’t do this. Not here, not now. We have class soon.”

His lips moved over the smooth column of her neck. “I don’t care. I want you.”

He nibbled at her earlobe and she gasped softly. “I want you, too, but there are students around.”

“Don’t care.”

“We’re professors, we have to care.” She gently, reluctantly pushed him away, letting her leg drop from his hip.

“Hermione,” he moaned.

“Later.” She told him, kissing him quickly.

“I’m going to hold you to that.”

She quirked an eyebrow. “Promise?”

“Promise.”

The sound of students clomping down the stairs towards them reached their ears and they quickly backed away from each other and straightened their clothes. He looked at her mournfully before turning to head to his classroom and prepare for the first class. She grabbed his wrist and tugged him back to her, pressing a firm, lingering kiss to his lips, tugging lightly at his bottom lip as she pulled away.

“Get to class, you wouldn’t want to keep your students waiting.” He groaned before turning away again.

“Oh, and Harry,” she called after him. “I love you.”

A smile lit his face, melting her. “Seven o’clock, Professor Potter. Don’t be late.” He turned and left, leaving her alone in the hall.

She let her head drop back against the wall, a soft smile touched her mouth. She couldn’t wait.

Cravings

1. Cravings

2. Author's Note