Make Like Strangers - The Epilogue

A/N: Okay, many of you were expecting this, we know. So, here it is. We’ve spoiled you with a lot of fluffy goodness in the last few chapters…sorry to disappoint this time around. Here, things get a ‘little’ steamier. Not a lot of fluff, although—we couldn’t go completely without it!

There will be no more surprises though. The next updates will come in the way of new stories, and they aren’t written yet. We hope you enjoy the wrap-up to our trilogy.

Thanks again for your support!

Terri and Cindy

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Epilogue

Harry awoke early Monday morning and reached for the woman who should have been lying beside him. The bed was cold and empty. For a moment he strained his ears and held his breath as he listened intently for any sound from her. It wasn’t long before he remembered their decision to stay at their separate hotels for the night and disappointment instantly etched his features.

“Now that was a dumb idea,” he mumbled to himself. “She’s not talking me into that one again, that’s for sure.”

He stretched his limbs and shivered as parts of his body made contact with the cold sheets. He lay there, silently contemplating whether to just get up or to try falling back to sleep.

Well, if you don’t like it, she won’t like it, his inner voice piped in.

“Yeah,” Harry said in quiet awe of the idea. “I’ll just go to her room, crawl into bed with her, and then when she wakes up, she won’t be alone. She’ll wake up feeling a lot better than I do.”

Harry jumped out of bed. He was in such a hurry that he took his toothbrush into the shower with him to save a few minutes time. He wasn’t sure what time Hermione would be waking up, but he wanted to be sure he was there when she did. He didn’t want her feeling as lonely as he had when he awoke.

He threw his clothes and shoes on quickly, made sure he had her keycard, grabbed the leather jacket he’d been wearing during filming, and ran out the door. He took the stairs down to the lobby and ran the few blocks distance to her hotel. He was panting heavily as he pulled open the door to the lobby. He walked quickly to the lift and pushed the UP button. He leaned against the wall and dropped his head as he fought to catch his breath.

He was in excellent shape, but the early morning air was thick from the rain that had fallen so heavily the day before, and the humidity had made it hard for him to breathe as he ran. Might need another shower after this, he thought as stepped into the elevator and pushed the number 8. He leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes. Visions of Hermione’s face when she found him next to her made him smile. “I’m coming,” he said softly, as the lift doors opened and he stepped into the hall.

He was at her door in a matter of seconds, sliding the keycard into the slot. The room was dimly lit by the light from the slow-rising sun. He undressed down to his boxers and t-shirt and quietly made his way over to, and around, her bed. He carefully lifted the blankets and began to slide in next to her when he realized the bed was, in fact, empty. He felt all around and his eyes quickly scanned the room as he looked around anxiously for her.

It was then that he noticed the soft light shining from beneath the bathroom door. He quickly rose and went to press his ear to it, but he heard nothing. He slowly opened it and stepped inside, the sight before him stopping him dead in his tracks. His breathing ceased the moment he saw her. She must have used a silencing charm because judging by what he could see of her, she was being anything but silent. “FINITE!” he muttered quietly. Instantly the sounds of the shower and Hermione’s moaning filled the small room.

He stood in awe, entranced by the sight before him. Her leg was propped up against the side of the bathtub, her calf lying atop the edge. With one hand she held the shower head from which a hard, steady stream of water shot directly between her legs. With her other hand she was alternating between rubbing her clit in hard, fast circles and burying her fingers as deeply as she could within herself. Her head was back, her eyes closed tightly as she writhed in ecstasy beneath her own ministrations. She was moaning loudly, despite the fact that her bottom lip was held captive between her teeth.

Her legs began to convulse and her noises became louder. Harry closed the door carefully. “SILENCIO!” he whispered softly, trying not to disturb her. Now the sounds could not be heard beyond the sanctuary of the bathroom. As he watched, he reached down to touch himself through his boxers.

Her legs convulsed harder, opening and closing as her body began to writhe. Her fingers moved in more frenzied circles and pumped in and out harder and faster as she neared her peak. Her head was thrown back and jerked occasionally from left to right as the buildup mounted within her.

Suddenly her eyes opened and she jumped when she caught sight of Harry standing in front of the door watching her. She dropped the shower head and her fingers immediately ceased their ministrations. Without an invitation, Harry climbed into the bathtub, t-shirt and boxers still on, and separated her now-closed legs. With his tongue and lips, he licked and sucked, as his fingers found their way inside her warm, inviting folds. Not a word was said between them as he went to work to bring her the release she sought. Her hands were in his hair and she’d had to restrain herself a few times to keep from burying his face against her.

She sucked in her breath through clenched teeth and the hissing sound made Harry’s erection throb harder. He felt her arse clench and he immediately picked up the pace. He backed away to look at her and to catch his breath. He heard the shower beating hard against the side of the tub. His hand wrapped around the handle and he brought it to her once again. Spray and finger clit, lick, fingers in and out…spray and finger clit, lick, fingers in and out. He repeated this pattern until he felt her arse tighten once more. He tossed the shower head toward the front of the tub, rose to his knees between her legs, buried his fingers within her again, and raised her head to claim her lips in their first fiery kiss of the day. He pumped his fingers in and out of her for only another moment before she screamed into his mouth and he felt her release.

He pulled his fingers away and broke their kiss. He closed his eyes. “ENGORGIO!” he whispered. The bathtub immediately grew in size to accommodate both of them. He brought his legs out from beneath him and slipped out of his boxers, tossing them across the bathroom floor. His wet t-shirt clung to his muscled frame as he slid his legs under hers. He pulled her up as he started to roll his body backward to lie down in the tub. He released her only long enough to reach up and turn off the water as he guided her up his body toward his waiting erection. She planted her feet on either side of him and shakily rose up enough to slowly lower herself over him, just as the last wave of her orgasm coursed through her.

She immediately clenched around him and Harry shut his eyes, losing himself in the feel of her. She sat on him for a moment, unmoving. She stared down at him, still surprised to find him there. She reached down and pinched his nipples through his shirt before she kissed him, eliciting a low, sexually charged moan from him. Tingling sensations coursed through her when her nipples rubbed against his shirt as she moved against him.

She began to rock back and forth slowly as their kiss intensified. Harry’s hands were all over her back, her arse, and her hair…anywhere he could touch her in his frenzied state of need. Desperate to feel her ride him, he put his hands to her head and pushed her gently away, breaking the kiss. No words were spoken as he looked into her eyes, silently pleading for her to move. Hermione leaned forward and kissed him hard before she sat up and began to slide up and down the length of his cock.

Harry’s eyes were closed, his teeth were clenched, and it felt as though he was making an indentation in the tub with the back of his head. Hermione watched him writhe beneath her and she picked up the pace. She wanted to watch him come.

Harry’s hips rose up and down to the pace she set. He slammed against her a few times and then exploded within her. His hands tightened on her hips as his body convulsed beneath her, uncontrollably thrusting up into her as he rode out his release. She traced the outline of his muscled chest and torso with her fingers, pinching his nipples as she went. The contrast of the white shirt against his dark hair and lightly tanned skin, combined with the way it clung to him, was by far the sexiest picture she’d ever seen of him, or any man. She stared down at him as his body regained control. He opened his eyes and smiled up at her, the haze of desire heavy in his eyes. He pulled her down into a kiss.

“Good morning, love,” he said heavily. Those were the first words spoken between them that morning and Hermione’s heart flew at his endearment.

“Well, that’s an interesting way to start the day,” Hermione teased, looking at him curiously. “What’re you doing here, anyway?”

Harry chuckled softly. “Thought I’d come by to make sure you didn’t have to wake up lonely like I did,” he replied. “Apparently I was too late.”

Hermione laughed with him. “You ready to get up now?”

Harry looked around and discovered he couldn’t see much beyond the wall and the bathtub where he was still lying underneath her. “Well, I wouldn’t say it’s the most comfortable place I’ve been, but it’s not so bad with you on top of me like this. You decide.”

Hermione laughed again. “You know, that wet t-shirt look works well for you. You looked incredibly sexy right now,” she said as leaned forward and pulled his bottom lip with her teeth. She buried her face in his neck. “Good enough to eat,” she added, with a nip to his collarbone.

Chills ran down his arms and legs and he shivered beneath her. “Get off me,” he cried, rubbing his arms, “you’re giving me goose bumps.”

Hermione kissed him again then grabbed hold of the side of the bathtub for support so she could raise herself up. Instantly the cold hit him as her warmth left him. She held her hand down to help him up and he climbed out of the tub to stand next to her. She grabbed her wand and performed a quick drying spell on him that instantly took away the chill. He picked up his boxers and held them up to her as well. “How ‘bout these?” he asked playfully.

“I think I like you better with those off,” she said, raising her eyebrow and raking her eyes over his half-naked body. She quickly performed the spell, and then grabbed a towel and began to dry herself off. She slipped a t-shirt over her head, and together they walked out of the bathroom.

When they got through the door, he picked her up and carried her the short distance to the bed. He tossed her down and jumped onto the bed next to her. “So, you wanna tell me what that was all about in there? Looked pretty intense when I walked in.”

“Old habits, I suppose,” she replied softly.

“I don’t understand,” he replied, looking at her in confusion, “old habits?”

She looked into his eyes and sighed. “How do you think I’ve gotten through the last four years?”

“The last four years?”

“I told you I’ve loved you that long,” she replied, looking down.

“But you’ve had other boyfriends,” he replied carefully. “I don’t get it.”

She looked him straight in the eyes. “But they were never you, Harry,” she stated matter-of-factly.

Harry closed his eyes and sighed. “I’m sorry,” he said solemnly, his voice full of emotion.

“Don’t be sorry,” she said earnestly. “I told you before, it was just never our time…until now. I believe that. Besides, there’s no point in looking back…”

“…when we have so much to look forward to,” he finished for her. “Well, I’m here now, and I’m never letting you go again.”

“Yes, you are, and no you won’t,” she replied, kissing him on the cheek. “But unfortunately, you weren’t here when I woke up this morning.”

Harry looked at her with his eyebrows raised. “Are you telling me you wake up this feeling this randy every morning?” he asked, sounding hopeful.

Hermione laughed and smacked him on the shoulder. “Not every morning,” she said with an exaggerated roll of her eyes. “I just missed you this morning, that’s all.”

Harry crossed his arms over his chest and gave her a mock glare. “And just exactly whose fault was it that I wasn’t here when you woke up?”

Hermione grinned slyly. “I know,” she replied as seriously as she could, “why do you think I had to punish myself?”

Harry burst out laughing and Hermione closed her eyes and embraced the sound. “You call that little display self-punishment? That didn’t look like punishment to me,” he said incredulously, shaking his head from side to side.

Hermione eyed him for a moment and in a flash she was on top of him, pinning him down to the bed. She drew him into a long, desire-filled kiss. Gradually she pulled away. “I call it self-punishment when I compare it to what I get from the real thing,” she said, watching him intently, her mouth still close to his. “There’s nothing better than this,” she added, drawing him into another kiss.

“Mm-hmm,” Harry mumbled, grinning against her lips, “I see what you mean.” He pulled away from her and rolled over so she was lying beside him. “Come on,” he said, pulling her into his arms. “I came over here because I wanted to be here when you woke up. We still have a couple of hours before the shoot. Let’s go back to sleep.”

Hermione snuggled into his warm embrace and closed her eyes. “How could you let me talk you into sleeping apart last night?” she asked sleepily.

Harry chuckled. “The daft git returns,” he murmured, just before he closed his eyes and fell asleep with the woman of his dreams wrapped tightly in his arms.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

They awoke an hour later, refreshed and somewhat ready for whatever lay ahead for them. It was supposed to be an easy day of shooting, but sometimes the director, Julio, seemed to have different ideas for the two of them. They never really knew what to expect when they got there.

He greeted them the moment they walked through the door. “Aha! There you are,” he said, grabbing hold of their arms and walking backwards as he pulled them along.

“Good morning, Julio,” they said together.

“I see you’re well in sync today,” he said with a smile. “That’s good, because I have bad news.”

Hermione raised an eyebrow and looked anxiously at Harry before returning her gaze to Julio. “Bad news?” she asked hesitantly.

“Well,” Julio started slowly, “you remember that last week Harry, here,” he said gesturing toward Harry, “was having a little woman trouble.”

Hermione chuckled as she watched Harry’s face turn red. “Yeah, so,” Harry said abruptly, gesturing for him to get to the point.

“Yeah, so,” Julio went on. “The scene we were filming in the bar, it didn’t work out so good. We have to re-shoot it. It…”

“What’s wrong with it?” Hermione interrupted.

“There’s no, uh, what shall we say,” Julio’s eyes rolled toward the ceiling and he gestured wildly with his hands as he thought. “Spark. There’s no spark. The scene falls flat. We need something better from the two of you.”

At that moment Julio was distracted by a noise behind him. Hermione and Harry exchanged amused glances. She raised an eyebrow at him and he shrugged his shoulders and smirked in return. They want a spark? They silently thought together. We can give ‘em a spark.

They straightened up quickly and their expressions turned sour, as though the news truly was the worst possible thing to happen to them.

“You know, Julio,” Hermione began, “that scene was supposed to have been finished. What happens if we don’t want to do it again?”

Julio looked at her and shook his head. “Don’t make me have to show it to you,” he said solemnly, “it’s not pretty.”

Harry and Hermione laughed at his solemn demeanor. “All right,” Harry said, sounding as reluctant as he possibly could. He sighed heavily and looked at Hermione before speaking again. At the nod of her head he looked back at Julio. “Fine, we’ll re-shoot the scene.”

“I love you guys,” Julio said loudly, clapping them both on the cheek. “You make this all so easy. Get to makeup and let’s get started then.” He turned away from them quickly and called out for the cameraman.

Harry and Hermione stood together for a moment, consciously aware of their close proximity, making stringent efforts to not touch. Harry kept the reluctant look on his face as he leaned toward her. “You ready to do this?” he asked in a tone that spoke volumes for what he had in mind.

“Oh yes,” she replied, copying his tone perfectly.

They walked away from each other and found their makeup people to prepare for the day’s shooting.

About 30 minutes later Hermione was seated at the bar, a shot glass on the counter before her. Her heart was racing as she waited for Harry to come to her. The excitement was palpable. Perhaps it was only her, but she could feel it in the air all around her.

All of the cameras were in place and the director was standing nearby. All they were waiting on was Harry’s cue to begin. “Everybody in place?” The director called out as he looked around the room, his eyes stopped on the man closest to Hermione at the bar. “Hey, you?” he called out loudly.

Hermione turned toward Julio and pointed to herself at the same time the man next to her pointed at himself. She heard the man say, “who me?”

“Yeah, you,” Julio replied, his voice still loud. “You watch what you do with your hands this time, you got it?”

The man’s face turned red and he mumbled a quick, “yeah, I got it.”

Hermione turned and gave him a sympathetic smile before she turned back to the bar. That poor guy has no idea what’s in store for him, she thought wickedly, shaking her head back and forth.

“All right, everybody ready? We got our man out there on his mark?” Julio hollered, checking around behind him for Harry. “Here we go. ACTION!”

He swaggered into the hotel bar. He’d seen the girl before. She’d bewitched his mind. He wanted her. He needed her. His eyes scanned the room quickly as he hunted for her. Then he saw her there, at the bar…all alone. He watched her for a moment, his eyes absorbing every finite detail of her profile, her posture, her—wedding ring? His eyebrow twitched as he stared for a moment at her hand. He smiled wickedly to himself and then continued his approach.

When he got to within a couple of feet of her, she picked up her shot glass, downed her drink in one gulp, and then slammed the glass back onto the counter. She held onto the glass, turning it in small, slow circles, looking as though she were mesmerized by it. A minute later she released it, and he took his final steps toward her.

He grabbed hold of her barstool and spun her around quickly. “Oh!” she gasped, her hand pressed to her chest as if to stop the racing of her heart. He stopped her from spinning the moment she faced him. He looked into her eyes and his heart seemed to stop beating in his chest. Immediately everything else fell out of existence as he stared at her, unable to speak.

Hermione, unable to fathom why Harry wasn’t speaking, spoke first. “You scared the hell out of me?” she snapped. “Can I help you?”

Harry smirked as her words brought him quickly back to reality. He slammed his foot on the footrest of her stool and placed his knee between her open legs. “So baby,” he said smoothly, “what brings you here?”

“It’s a hotel,” she said briskly. “Maybe I’m here on business. Does it matter?”

Harry was surprised by her abrupt response, and he found he was rather turned on by the new game they appeared to be playing.

“Do you have something to say or can I get back to my drink?” she asked as her eyes slowly raked up his body until they met his. She raised a questioning eyebrow at him and smirked. “Do I even know you?”

Harry lowered his foot from the footrest and stepped between her legs, placing his hands on her thighs. She was wearing a micro-mini skirt and her legs were bared to his touch. She visibly shivered at the feel of his fingers massaging her upper thighs at the hem of her skirt.

(Meanwhile: the cameraman kept the camera rolling. He finally recovered enough to check in with the director, who was staring at Harry and Hermione, open-mouthed, and wide-eyed.

“Julio,” the cameraman whispered. The director turned to him, a look of shock on his face. “This ain’t what’s in the script, you want I should keep filming?”

Julio turned his head back to the sight before him. “Oh yeah,” he said fervently. “Whatever you do, don’t stop filming this. Wherever they go, you follow. Whatever shot you need, you take it. We can edit it all later if we need to.”

“Yes, sir,” the cameraman replied. “These guys are on fire today, aren’t they?”

Julio looked at him incredulously. “Would you just get to filming? I ain’t never seen anything so hot. I swear, if you mess this up…” His words hung in the air and the cameraman slunk back to his post and was very careful not to mess anything up.)

“Looks like you finished that drink. Let me buy you another one,” Harry replied, his hands working their magic up and down the length of her thighs. She squirmed beneath his touch, and her eyes closed in a brief moment of ecstasy.

She sat up straight on her stool and smacked his hands away. “I don’t let strangers buy me drinks. I can buy my own damn drinks,” she replied haughtily. The fire in her eyes burned deeply, and the telltale flush in her cheeks told him he had her right where he wanted her.

Harry reached out a hand to her. “Hello, gorgeous,” he said in a sexy, deep voice that almost melted her right there. “I’m anyone you want me to be tonight.” He picked up her hand and shook it gently before bringing it to his lips. He was staring into her eyes and her heart was hammering hard in her chest. He leaned closer to her. “See? Now we’re no longer strangers,” he said softly against her ear.

She laughed nervously. “Whiskey, double,” she told him breathily.

Harry reached up a hand and caressed her cheek. He leaned across her and smacked his hand on the bar. The bartender seemed to snap out of his reverie and looked at him in surprise. “Whiskey, double, for the lady. Vodka, straight up, for me. Make it quick.” The bartender stood there for a moment, then looked at the director questioningly. At Julio’s nod, he dumbly set two glasses on the counter and poured their drinks.

Harry picked them up and handed Hermione her drink. She took it in her shaking hand and lowered it to her lap, never taking her eyes from his. Harry raised his glass to her. “To getting to know each other,” he said in salute. Hermione raised her glass, and when they clinked together she felt a splatter on her leg. Harry downed his drink quickly and slammed the glass on the bar. “Here, let me get that,” he said smoothly. He placed his hands on her legs and backed up just enough to lower himself to a point where he could reach the spilled drink with his tongue. He licked and sucked it into his mouth slowly. Her leg convulsed beneath him.

He looked up at her, his mouth just inches away from her thigh. He licked her one more time and then stood up. “Drink,” he said softly, placing his hands on hers and raising the glass to her lips. Hermione downed the drink quickly, and Harry took the glass from her and set it on the bar. His fingers returned to her thighs and his thumb caressed the spot where his lips had been only a moment ago.

Hermione pressed her hands into his where they were squeezing her legs. She bucked her hips up toward him as she slid down the stool. “Anyone I want you to be?” she asked huskily.

“You got someone in mind?” he asked, raising his eyebrow and smirking at her.

“I know a guy,” she said, her breathing getting heavier.

“I think I need some of that whiskey,” he said, a devilish gleam in his eyes.

Hermione turned around to say something to the bartender when, in a flash, Harry’s hands were on her cheeks and his tongue was in her mouth. Her arms were thrown out to the side in surprise. He took advantage of it, and placed his hands on her waist, pulling her closer. Her skirt rose up as her arse met the edge of the stool. She moaned uncontrollably into his mouth.

The sound took her by surprise and she pushed against his chest to break the kiss. “What are you doing?” she said, sounding angry. “If I won’t let a stranger by me a drink what in the hell makes you think I’d let one do that?”

Harry smiled at her, his eyes shining. “Don’t tell me you didn’t like that.”

Hermione raised a shaky hand to her swollen lips and closed her eyes. Her chest rose and fell heavily as she tried to take a few deep, calming breaths. When she felt as though she had her bearings, she opened her eyes and stared him down. “I didn’t say I didn’t like it,” she said through clenched teeth, as she slid off the stool and stood before him. She glared at him and poked him in the chest as she spoke, “I said what makes you think I’d let a stranger kiss me like that?”

Harry flashed her that devilish grin once again as he reached up and grabbed hold of the hand on his chest. He quickly grabbed the other one and brought them around him, to pin them behind his back. He held her captive against his body. Struggling against him for a brief moment, she looked up at him defiantly, and lost herself in his deep, dark, passion-filled eyes. He stared down at her, gauging her reaction. She licked her lips and for a moment his grip on her hands loosened. She yanked them away from him and placed her fingers on his chest. His arms dropped to his sides as she stared at him hungrily.

Her fingers crawled up his chest until they reached his collarbone. SMACK! She slapped him hard across the face and he stood in stunned silence staring down at her. “NEVER do that again uninvited,” she said hotly.

His hand went to his cheek and he grinned at her once again. “Am I invited?” he smirked. That slap had turned him on more than anything else had to this point, and he needed to feel her against him once more.

Hermione returned his grin and raised her eyebrow as she scrutinized him. She looked into his eyes and then at his lips. She pulled his hand from his cheek and caressed the red mark she’d left behind. She licked her lips and slipped her hand around the back of his head, pulling him into a fiery kiss. She broke the kiss breathlessly a moment later and dropped her hands to his arms. “You’re invited,” she panted.

Harry put his hands on her waist as hers found their way up his shoulders and into his hair. They stood staring into each other’s eyes for a minute when they heard a noise that sounded as though it had come from a great distance. Hesitantly they pulled apart and looked around. Hermione pulled his head down and whispered into his ear, “I forgot we’re shooting, Harry. We need to move on now, don’t we?”

Harry kissed the side of her neck, just below her ear as he nodded. “Yeah, I guess so,” he mumbled against her skin.

He pulled away from her and looked into her eyes. “So, where do we go from here?” he asked in his character’s sexy, deep voice.

“What do you have in mind?” she asked, her voice still husky.

“Are you sure you wanna know?” he asked, grinning at her with his eyebrows once again raised in question.

“No,” she replied nonchalantly. “Let me tell you what I want instead.”

“Please,” he said quickly, willing to agree to anything as long as it meant going upstairs together.

She pulled him down and nipped at his ear. “I think you should join me upstairs, stranger.”

He visibly shook at the feel of her teeth on his ear and the sound of the words she spoke. He shrugged his shoulders and smiled cheekily. “Well, if that’s what you want,” he said, trying not to sound too eager. “As a gentleman, I must oblige. Lead the way.” He waved his hand in the direction of the door and she grabbed the pocket of his leather jacket and pulled him along behind her.

When they got to the doorway he stopped. She jerked backward, into his arms and he pushed her against the wall, kissing her hard. His tongue instantly searching for hers. She allowed him access for just a moment before she pushed him away and started walking again toward the lift.

When they reached the hallway, she pushed him up against the wall and rubbed up against him as she pulled his head down to capture his lips in another fiery kiss.

(“Go make sure that lift is empty,” the director said quietly to one of his runners. The kid took off down the hall and cleared the path for them.)

Neither wanting to stop or give up control, they stumbled along the wall for a few steps, taking turn to press the other against the wall. Finally, Hermione pushed him away, her lips red and swollen, her breasts heaving under her snug-fitting shirt. She put her hands on his jacket and forcefully pushed it off his shoulders and let it fall unceremoniously to the ground. She jumped into his arms and straddled his waist, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him hungrily.

He stumbled at first, taken by surprise. His hands quickly found their way to her arse as he kissed her back greedily. They made their way to lift and Harry paused. “Which floor?” he asked breathlessly against her lips.

“One,” she mumbled quickly, turning her head to nibble at his neck.

“We’re…we’re already on one,” he stammered. “Try again.”

“Two,” she mumbled, returning instantly to his neck.

“You sure?” he asked, stumbling slightly as his legs weakened at the way she was kissing him.

“Up one,” she said, her voice husky, her tone impatient.

Harry practically fell against the buttons as he went to press the number 2. His hand slipped and he hit the buttons for a few other floors, but he didn’t care. She was on the 2^nd floor, there would only be one stop.

The doors opened almost immediately and they stumbled inside, followed by the cameraman, who continued to capture their every move.

Harry pressed her up against the wall and ground his hips into hers. She moaned loudly, his moan of equal intensity quickly followed.

The moment the lift doors opened the cameraman backed out and slowly stepped off to the side as Harry and Hermione stumbled out after him. Harry walked in a circle with her still in his arms. He chuckled softly. “Which way?”

Hermione raised her hand in a mediocre attempt at giving him directions. “That one,” she mumbled.

Harry smiled and pulled back as far as he could to look at her. “What was that?”

She raised her hand again and pointed down the hallway. “232, that way.”

She laid her head on his shoulder and tried to take control of her breathing as he stumbled down the hall to room 232. “Where’s the key?”

She pulled her head up and smiled at him sexily. “In my shirt,” she teased, “wanna get it?”

Against his will, he growled and kissed her again, harder this time, as his desire for her reached a fever pitch. He squeezed his hand between the buttons on her shirt and reached inside to feel around for the card. She laid her head back against the door as his hand searched for key to the door. His hand glided over her nipples and he squeezed her breasts as he searched. He moved his other hand from her arse around to her back and pulled her toward him, kissing and suckling her neck. She moaned again and he pulled his hand out of her shirt in frustration, taking a button with him. “I can’t find it,” he said desperately.

Hermione chuckled. “Did I forget to mention that it’s in the waistband of my skirt?”

Harry shook his head in disbelief. “Yeah, I think you forgot to mention that.” He loosened his hold on her back and she leaned against the wall once more. With one hand he held her, with the other he yanked her shirt out from where it had been tucked into her skirt. Finding the keycard at last, he lifted her and kissed her again as he slid the card into the slot. The door clicked and he pushed it open with his foot.

The cameraman made to follow them inside when Harry, unthinking, slammed the door shut with his foot. The cameraman jumped back and looked at the director. Julio pulled out his own keycard and opened the door. “Keep filming,” he said urgently, “we’ll splice it. Get in there.”

Harry and Hermione were standing in the middle of the room, oblivious to anything but each other as they continued to kiss. Hermione dropped her legs and slid down his body, her skirt rising as she went. She reached for the buttons on his shirt as he reached for hers. They were watching each other as their fingers fumbled in their fevered state.

Hermione pulled his shirt from his trousers, unbuttoned the last two buttons and placed her hands inside on his shoulders. She ran her hands down his arms to slide it off. She licked her lips in anticipation as she caught the full view of his chest and muscular torso. “Do you have any idea what I want to do to you right now?” she growled. She took a step closer and her shirt fell from her shoulders as his hands pushed forward.

“And…CUT!” Julio yelled. “That was beautiful everyone. Perfect. Marvelous. Hot! That’s a wrap!”

Harry and Hermione blinked rapidly and looked around the room. There were people everywhere. Harry quickly grabbed her shirt and pulled it back over her shoulders. He moved closer to her while she shakily refastened the buttons. “Do you see what you do to me?” he whispered close to her ear. “I love you.”

Hermione’s fingers stopped on the last button and she smiled up at him. “I love you, too,” she replied tenderly. “We’ll finish this later,” she added quickly.

“Definitely,” Harry said as he picked up his shirt and pulled it back on.

“That was amazing,” Julio said loudly, as he walked up behind Harry. “I don’t remember a time when I saw that much heat between two people. I don’t think we’ll be re-shooting this one! Unless, of course, you feel like doing it again,” he smirked. He clapped them both on the shoulders, shook his head from side-to-side and chuckled as he walked away. “Brilliant!” They heard him mumble softly to himself.

Hermione stepped around Harry. “So, Julio,” she called out. “Does this mean we’re done? That’s it? No more?”

“You’re done. That’s it. No more, Miss Granger,” Julio replied. “We’ve got all we need. We’ll put it all together and call you as soon as it’s done so you can see it.” He walked back over to them and gave them both a quick hug. “That was brilliant! This is going to be GREAT!” he yelled, raising his hands up into the air.

“All right,” Harry shouted, laughing. They were free and the feeling was euphoric. They could run away together now. Hide away from the rest of the world. They could play this ‘game’ again and again and again. Definitely have to talk to her about that one, he thought amusedly.

“Come on, Harry, let’s go before they change their minds,” Hermione said urgently, already pulling him toward the door. They were just about to the door when Hermione turned around and saw Julio watching them closely. “Hang on a second, Harry.” She walked over and gave him a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek. “Thanks, Julio,” she said, smiling and looking at Harry who had joined them. She grabbed Harry’s hand and moved to stand next to him.

Julio nodded knowingly. “Young love,” he said, smiling at them like a proud father. “Be good to each other.”

Harry stuck out his hand and Julio took it in a strong, firm grasp. “Thanks, Julio,” he said sincerely. “Taking care of each other is what we’ve always done best. There’s no problem there.”

“This has been a fantastic experience, even for me,” Julio said quickly. “You kids have been a pleasure to work with. I thought I saw a spark when we started this. Now I don’t have to think, I know. And that’s wonderful. I wish you both the very best.”

“Thanks, we’ll be looking forward to that call,” Hermione said as Harry pulled her hand and led her toward the door. Julio waved in reply and they walked through the door and into their newfound love and freedom.

“So, what’s next?” Hermione asked, as they strode toward the elevator.

“Funny you should ask that…” Harry replied with a mischievous grin.