He watched her for several long minutes, as she lie in her bed, looking so peaceful, the moonlight through the open window, playing across her skin, causing it to practically glow in the night air. It drew Harry to her with its serene beauty, almost unnaturally. She was still dressed in her work clothes. She had on a knee length skirt, and a white blouse, which accentuated her curves. She was also wearing a matching jacket over this, and a small tie.
Harry cast a glance at the clock. It was just gone midnight. He looked back towards Hermione; she had her right arm up over her head as she lay on her back. The room was totally silent of all but her rhythmic breathing, as he simply knelt there taking in where he was and everything about the situation, with every sense I possessed.
He finally tore her gaze from her perfect face, soft curls of hair falling down past her neck, caressing her skin in the gentlest of manners. He looked down to her smooth legs, and perfect as he had ever remembered them, perfect in shape, and as smooth and cream coloured as ever. He was tempted to reach out and caress them there and then, but resisted the urge for fear that she would wake up still, despite the spell.
He carefully removed her socks, sliding them off her feet, so small in comparison to his. He smiled to himself when he saw that her toenails were painted to match her fingers. Only Hermione would bother to paint her toes when she was going to be wearing socks all the time.
His knuckles grazed her ankles as he removed the socks, and he hesitated, revelling in such a simple thing, such a small amount of contact, and yet it was enough to make him draw a breath and close his eyes, as he gently ran a finger across the side of her foot, feeling her skin, which had once been so available to him, and was now forbidden along with the strictest taboo's.
He increased the pressure of his touch, until he was using his hole hand, feeling her perfection, how soft her feet were, despite the fact she walked so much. The shape of her ankles, everything about her, was so familiar and yet so different to him. He felt he could see better if he closed his eyes, than he could in the moon light. The memories of the times they shared, of her body, it was so clear, that he could see it almost better than real life, as though what he saw in real life was when he didn't have his glasses on, and everything somehow seemed blurry.
He drew his hand away, for as small as his intentions were they were quickly growing, and whilst the lightest of touches was more fulfilling than anything he could remember recently, he was lost with his mind. He could never be happy with what he had. What he would have given anything for only a moment ago, was no longer good enough, and soon he felt himself craving more, wanting to run his hands over her arms, to touch her, to smell her, to taste her.
How much he wanted to kiss her…
He quickly glanced back to her face, where she seemed as deep in sleep as she ever did. She smiled a little, perhaps from a dream, or perhaps from Harry's touch, before rolling over a little, bringing her arm down as though she were hugging a bear that wasn't there. He thought to himself how this accentuated her child like qualities, made her seem younger again, like when they had first started going out. Harry supposed Hermione would always seem young and beautiful, he could never imagine her being anything else.
He got up from his knees for a moment, which clcied as he stood. He needed to calm down. He shouldn't have been here in the first place, and he would have left, had he been of stronger conviction. Instead he merely walked to the window, where he gulped in the cool night air, and tried to calm his mind. He was getting to involved, for no reason. He couldn't have her, and he knew it. The fact he was doing this, touching her in her sleep, like some kind of pervert…
Maybe that is what he was? Maybe she had reduced him to whatever he was now…
He didn't care.
He removed her tie as gently as he could. He wanted so badly to run his fingers along her neck, yet she had always been ticklish there. He feared he would make her laugh or wake up if he tried such a thing. Instead he merely concentrated on the tie. It was cotton, or some other fabric, but felt as hard and sharp as sandpaper on his hands, compared to the infinitely smooth texture of the pale cream skin.
He set about removing the next article of clothing. It was her jacket. If he had thought ahead then he would have taken it off before lying her down, but as he raised her up, and carefully removed it, sliding it off her arms, before carefully placing her back down on the bed he gave a sigh of relief and dismissed his fear. She probably wouldn't wake up no matter what. After all he knew it was a relatively powerful spell. He was just being overcautious he supposed.
The top button of her shirt was done, and Harry looked at it for a moment, fighting an inner debate, before reaching forward and undoing one more. There, she should be comfortable sleeping like that he supposed. He would have happily undressed her all the way, but he knew she would be less than appreciative in the morning if he did. He leant forward on the bed, the mattress sinking under his weight as he leant forwards, leaning over her. He could smell her, like flowers and some other indescribable aroma, it was intoxicating.
Hermione rolled over a little so she was once again flat on her back, in the middle of the double bed. Harry got up off the floor to sit on the edge beside her. He sat for several minutes just playing with her hair. It was enough to distract him from his thoughts, which were for once not logical. Her shirt had risen up slightly, to reveal a few inches of flat smooth skin on her stomach. He cast one final glance at Hermione, who lay motionless before he reached out and placed his hand upon her.
He paused for a moment, letting her adjust to his feel. Her stomach rose and fell only a small amount with each breath she took. He was as skinny as he had remembered, if not more so, and he briefly fretted if she was eating properly. He always maintained that she should eat more, whilst she, like most girls, believed herself to be to fat.
He began to move his fingers lightly along her downy soft skin, up and down then the smallest of circles, feeling the light hairs across her middle before he reached to her right side wrapping his fingers around her ribs, almost holding her, pressing his palm into her. At that moment he felt her stir, but after another moment, she didn't move, she was still sleeping. Her breathing hadn't even changed. Her top was now pulled up all the way to just under her breasts, by the bunched up fabric that pressed against him as he sat by her side.
Hermione hand moved down, until it was by Harry's wrist. There was a moment of fleeting panic, in which he thought she had awoken, and was stopping him, but as nothing else came of it he realised she must still have been asleep. Harry lay back a little flatter, almost beside her in the bed now. He took the hand that was on his wrist, and held it in his free hand. They were so small in his. They used to hold hands all the time…
He closed his eyes and lay back, his hand running over her flat stomach, up to the bottom of her chest, as far as the bunched up material would allow without him removing her shirt. He wasn't going to though. He knew that would be going too far. He was picturing her beneath the fabric, the soft skin exposed, her body right next to his. The intimacy of the evening, utterly unrepeatable. It would never happen again.
The clouds in the sky outside moved along, and the moon shone clearly once again. The room lightened a little, and
Harry could see the start of the rise of her breasts, the fabric of the shirt had risen just slightly showing about the
edges of her bra, lacy red. She was so beautiful, he thought. It was so warm and the scent of her body enveloped him,
the sound of her breathing, the rise and fall of her stomach seemed magnified.
Harry leaned forwards and in a moment of madness, decided to kiss her. He hesitated at the last moment, but sheer longing and lust over powered reason at this point and he closed the gap, letting his lips gently brush against hers. She pressed against him lightly, in her sleep she must have been thinking of something else. Harry broke the contact for a minute as he caught his breath which he had been holding.
"Don't, Stop." She murmured.
He quickly recoiled, as though he had been stung. Eventually as she said no more he deciding she was sleep talking. She had done occasionally when they lived together. He took her advice none the less though, as he gently stood up. He had to stop. If he didn't now he knew he never would be able to. It was at that moment as he stood watching the angelic figure sleep, bathed in moonlight, looking so calm, so serene, with the taste of her on his lips… at that moment, as he felt hot tears roll down his cheeks, that he realised he still loved her as much as he ever had done before.
The next morning Hermione awoke with the foggy morning sun shine playing across here eyes. She knew something was strange even before she opened her eyes. She always drew her curtains, which were thick and velvet lined. She obviously had not done last night, or else her room wouldn't have been nearly as bright as it was now.
It took her a few moments before she managed to trace back her memory and find out the cause of this…
She had fallen asleep…
…On Harrry…
As she remembered this she sat up quickly, the bedsheets falling down. She glanced down, and was relieved to find she was still clothed. Not that she had expected otherwise. Although at the same time she hadn't doubted it. She wasn't sure what she had expected. She suspected that Harry perhaps had some feeling for her still (she could tell it from looking into his eyes.) and yet she supposed perhaps she just imagined the small signs…
The way he looked, never directly at her…The way he hardly even seemed able to meet her gaze come to that. The way he looked at everything she touched, as though it were his enemy, or as though it were diseased… She shook her head at these thoughts. She shouldn't be thinking about Harry, not when her weeding was so close, now only five days away. Adam would be back in a few days, which would be nice.
She climbed out of bed, stretching and yawning as she did so. It was a Tuesday today which meant she didn't have to be in quiet so early. She could therefore have a nice soak in the bath, rather than a shower. She looked down at her clothing. Harry had obviously removed her jacket and her socks. She thought briefly, as she looked down at her shirt, that perhaps he had undone one of the buttons, but then the shirt itself was a bit small, and the material stretched against the swell of her bosom could well have caused it.
He also removed her tie, and although he probably saw nothing she was glad she hadn't worn a truly hideous bra. Not that she had any reason to please him of course. She would never forgive him. It was merely a fact that women should always make an extra special effort to look good when ex-boyfriends are around. If you cant rub their noses in it what can you do? She discarded her crumpled dirty clothes, before gingerly making her way to the bedroom door. She stuck her head round the door, just to make sure that Harry wasn't upstairs or in the bathroom.
There was a faint clanging sound form downstairs, which revealed Harry's whereabouts, so quickly as stealthily, like a rabbit darting across the snow, Hermione ran to the bathroom…naked.
Harry breathed in the deep aroma of the cooking breakfast. The bacon would be a little bit burnt around the edges, but then he wasn't Jamie Oliver. Other than that thought it would all be done near perfectly, as was most of his food. Harry had a talent for cooking, even though he didn't use magic at all. He heard the bath running upstairs, and the faint gurgle of the piped as the water ran threw them. Hermione was obviously up, though he was surprised as he thought she had work today. If not then perhaps she could spend the day with him?
He wondered briefly what he would be doing today. It was so strange not to know what to do with his free time. At home there was always work to do, and when there wasn't he always had other things to entertain his mind, such as a large music collection, or the most recent computer game.
Ron had a scheduled practice again today, so that ruled that option out, and Ginny, who was a part time secretary at the ministry of magic would be working as well today. Harry didn't know it yet, but Hermione and Ginny went into work together on Tuesdays. He supposed he could catch up with some other people, maybe even visit Hogwarts. Dumbledore had passed away two years ago, and in a strange turn of events Remus Lupin had become the new headmaster. He would probably enjoy catching up with Harry over a cup of tea.
Fifteen minutes later he was serving the breakfast up onto the plates. He worried what was taking Hermione so long, but then she was a girl, and he supposed he should have prepared for this eventuality. It didn't bother him however. He was used to eating without her, even when they had been dating. He was just about to pour himself a glass of orange juice when the phone rang. Harry let it ring twice, deciding to leave it alone until he heard Hermione call down from upstairs.
"Could you get that please Harry, I'm not decent."
"I can close my eyes." He joked, but walked over to the wireless phone attached to the wall. He picked the receiver up and raised it to his head,
"Hello…Granger residence." He said, not knowing Adams surname, and not caring to either. There was a moment's pause on the other end before a voice spoke questioningly.
"Is Hermione there?"
"Yes hang on a second I will just go and get her, can I ask who's calling?"
"Adam…" came the curt reply.
Harry almost dropped the receiver in disgust and shock, but managed to suppress it. So that was the voice of his enemy. The one who had stolen Hermione's heart. He sounded like an idiot. He was probably ugly as well… and it wouldn't have surprised Harry at all if Adam had been dribbling into the receiver as well. He held the receiver at arms length as though it were diseased, and also so that the pounding of his heart couldn't be heard.
He walked out of the kitchen and up the stairs. He stood on the landing looking for Hermione.
"Uh, Mione… Phone." He called to her with his hadn't over the receiver, as he cast around for where she may be. He took a few steps forwards and glanced into the bathroom to see that it was empty. He was just about to knock on her bedroom door, which was closed when it began to open. At the same time there was a loud crack, like a gun being fired, which caused Harry to spin around.
The phone fell from his hand as he drew his wand instantly, in a defensive manoeuvre as he spun round to face the attacker. At the same time as his mind raced ahead, his feet failed to keep up. As he looked to the figure that had apparated in, and saw it was Ginny, he felt himself trip as his foot caught on the carpet (it was a stupid carpet in his mind). He began to fall backwards his hands flailing for something to keep upright. The hadn without the wand managed to clasp onto something, that felt soft, damp, and towel like. It didn't break his fall however, and a moment later he found himself on the floor, with Hermione naked underneath him.
He was staring into her eyes, which looked confused, and scared. Ginny was the one that started the problems from that point, and it took him many years to forgive her, for as she turned round her eyes widened and she said in an accusing tone loud enough to be heard clearly by the phone lying on the floor.
"Hermione, why are you naked… and Harry, why are you on top of her?!"
"It was an accident though." Hermione explained into the phone which she had taken into her bedroom. The door was closed and Harry and Ginny were both standing outside with their ears pressed to the door. Although they couldn't hear what Adam was saying they could hear every word Hermione said, and this conversation was far too exciting to miss.
"Do you get into these accidents with any other guys?" Adam asked hotly. "I mean…"
"I know what you mean." Hermione snapped before calming her voice a little and continuing. "And that's not fair. Harry is back in town for the wedding and he just popped over this morning to see me. He didn't know I had to get ready still, so I told him to have some breakfast whilst I got ready, and then maybe we could talk for a little bit before I went off to work with Ginny. He tripped and we fell. That's all that happened."
"I thought we agreed you wouldn't invite him." Adam said after several seconds silence.
"Well yeah but that was just because I didn't think we would show up. Now that he has I would like him to be there, as a friend."
"Well I'm not to comfortable about it." Came the reply. "I mean you guys dated and everything."
"That's over, you know that now and you knew it back when we first started dating. He's my best friend Adam and I would like him to be there."
"But you haven't seen him for four years, how can he be your best friend?"
"Because friends don't have an expiration date, that's why." She said in a tired tone.
Ginny turned to Harry outside the door and gave him a glare.
"That traitor!" She whispered. "I'm meant to be her best friend. Honestly Harry stop being so charming."
"I'm not charming." He said as he tried to shut Ginny up. He couldn't hear what was being said inside the bedroom.
"Like hell you're not, you could charm the pants of the pope, or at least off me." She said with a giggle which worried him.
Hermione sat down on the bed and slumped back onto the mattress.
"Buy why does he have to visit the house? Hasn't he got other friends?"
"He has got other friends, but he has visited them already. He has been in town two days now…"
"Where is he staying?" Adam asked through gritted teeth. Hermione wouldn't be that stupid would she…?"
"Um he said he is staying at the travel lodge." She said, refraining from mentioning one of his friends. If she said he was staying with the Weasley's Adam could probably find out, having met them on a few occasions, and having there telephone number.
"Ok, well anyway I just called to say I'm going to be back earlier than expected. One of the partners had to drop out of the deal, so there wasn't really any competition on the singing. We got everything sorted out this morning, so I will be getting the plane back soon. I should touch down at Heathrow about seven o'clock."
"Wow that's good." Hermione said as she reached over for the note pad and wrote down the time in case she forgot.
Harry didn't know what was good, not being able to hear, but he had a vague suspicion it wasn't going to be good for him.
"Would you like a lift back? Save getting you the taxi fair." Hermione volunteered.
"No that's alright. I know you are probably busy with papers from work. Besides what I would really love more than anything is some decent food. There is no such thing as good food over here. I tell you right about now I could murder some turkey escallops."
"Well I think we have some, I will see what I can rummage up ok." Hermione said as they began their goodbyes. Thankfully it wasn't horribly drawn out and lovey dovey, due to the fact Adam was on his cell phone, and the credit was running low. Once Hermione hung up the phone she sat on her bed a minute later wondering how she would chuck Harry out. He had been planning on staying a few nights longer, and although he could pay for a hotel she still wasn't going to relish the experience.
As Harry and Ginny heard the beep of the phone they quickly crept away form the door. It was a good job it was a thick carpet, for the floor boards would have creaked otherwise. They went downstairs to the kitchen where breakfast was now cold. Harry ate his bacon, but cold toast and soggy cereal didn't really touch on his culinary pallet.
"Oh well breakfast is ruined." Harry said with no level of surprise. Hermione had a habit of ruining breakfasts, though he supposed he could have eaten it while it was still hot, rather than listen to her conversation. This was technically an option, though with curiosity present it wasn't even worth considering. He just wished he could hear what Adam said. Maybe they would break up? He would like that, though he wouldn't hold his breath.
"Well I'm sure you don't mind Harry, after all you did get to cop a feel." Ginny said slyly, causing Harry to blush deeply and look down at his plate.
"I did no such thing." He said quietly (and rather sadly too). I'm a gentleman and would never dream of doing such a thing.
"Like hell you wouldn't." Said Ginny as she poured herself some coffee. "I have had sex with you often enough in the past Harry to know there is nothing gentlemanly about it." If possible his coloured darkened even more. Rather than try and come up with some witty response (though he knew he couldn't) he simply said.
"You like it like that though." Ginny nodded with a big smile at this, before drawing the morning paper over to her for a quick glance.
"The fact I fell on her and she happened to be naked was an accident, and I didn't see anything." He continued. I was looking at her face when I fell, and then I closed my eyes as she pushed me off of her and ran into the room." He didn't feel it necessary to mention that he had seen a fair bit the night before.
"Well Harry that's good then." Ginny said seriously. "Seeing her at all is going to be tough, but naked… There is no need to go down that road. The more distant you stay from her the less you will both be hurt, know that Harry.
They fell into silence as Hermione entered the room, now fully clothed.
"My ears are burning." Hermione said as she looked at both their guilty faces. They had jumped into one of those highly suspicious silences which could only follow a conversation about the person who had just entered the vicinity.
"I can get an ice pack out if you would like." Ginny joked.
"Yeah, you should keep it cool, could be a rash." Harry added as He finished with his plate and scraped half of it into the bin.
"So what are you're plans for today, and though I haven't asked, what are you doing here Ginny?"
"Well I thought I told you, but I work at the ministry part time." Ginny said rather matter of factly. "Me and Hermione go in to work together in Tuesdays. You know how floo network traffic can be these days."
"I have heard." Harry responded, having not used it in several years. Despite the fact he avoided magic when possible, floo network was also the worst form of magical travel there was. It was ruffing it, in his eyes.
"Well it's nice to have someone to talk to while you wait…" Ginny said before fading off…
"Well I guess that means that you two will be busy…" Harry concluded. He knew he shouldn't have gotten his hopes up. After all he had spent all evening with Hermione, and even fallen on her naked body. He couldn't expect to much.
"Yeah sorry about that Harry, I hear Ron's free." Hermione offered sweetly. Ginny snorted.
"When isn't Ron free. All he seems to do is slob about the house.
"Yeah I might give him a call, or maybe I will drop by Hogwarts. I hear they dedicated a room to me for outstanding service throughout the ages."
"You could go and see it, but I don't know if you're head will fit through the door." Ginny said as she stuck her tongue out. "Now come on Mione we will be late again."
"I'm never late… But would you mind waiting in the lounge a minute Ginny, I need to have a word with Harry."
She nodded and left the room, leaving Harry staring at the woman of his dreams. He could tell by the expression on her face that she wasn't about to profess an undying love for him.
"Harry, um that was Adam on the phone, as you probably know. Well he kind of heard what Ginny said about me being naked, and it kind of freaked him out. I explained it all but I still don't think you want to be around when he is. It seems he is finished business earlier than we expected and he could be back as early as tonight. I know its short notice and everything but you can't be here when he is… you're going to have to find some place else to stay while your in England."
Harry sat in silence for a minute as he looked at Hermione. His chair creaked as he leant back on it, and he felt a pang in his heart, one of disappointment and hatred. Disappointment that he wouldn't be able to spend another night in close company, or maybe being able to see her sleep again, if only for a moment, and hatred at it being the fault of Adam, who couldn't possibly love her as much as she deserved. Only the briefest of frowns passed his face, and he felt it was fast enough for Hermione to not have noticed.
"That's ok." I do have money and I can just rent a room in Diagon Alley or something.
"I am sorry Harry, I know its short notice but it might be for the best."
"Oh yeah of course." He replied quickly. "I mean with our history and everything."
"Still I will see you tomorrow I expect. We are having a wedding rehearsal and I expect you to come along."
"You have to revise for a wedding?" Harry asked as he raised an eyebrow. Hermione gave him a glare which made him repeat himself. "You have to revise for a wedding." He said understandingly, as he placed emphasis on the first word.
He bid Hermione farewell a minute later, and after washing the dishes and packing up his belongings he walked out of the front door. He stood for a moment, a bag of clothes in one hand and his coat slung over the other. The wind blew across his face, messing his hair. He looked around for a minute, before deciding on what he would do. Firstly he would have to drop off his bags. He couldn't go anywhere with them weighing him down.
He hailed a taxi, and not long later he stepped into the leaky Cauldron. Although it was a week day, and not to busy, he still attracted much more attention than he cared for.
"a room please." He asked for as he tried not to draw any attention. Tom the barkeep tried to make conversation, but Harry cut him off. "I'm afraid if I hang around for long then I might end up drawing to much attention."
"Understanding you perfectly." Tom replied as he passed Harry a key. "First door on the left. You can be sure I won't mention you."
Harry ran up the stairs to his room where he deposited his bags. There were plenty of stupid wizards outside who wanted him to sign autographs and things. He was a human, (and debatably a murderer of the evil) but not a celebrity. After waiting as long as he dared for people to forget about him he made a quick dash back down the stairs and out back into Muggle London. The last thing he needed right now was more reporters.
He looked left and right. He had been here just yesterday with Ron, but he had foolishly not paid much attention to the directions and he had also not told his taxi to wait for him. He set off at a brisk walk to the right, where he felt the nearest pay phone would be. He would give Ron a phone call, see if he wanted to do anything. Harry spotted a pay phone attached to the side of the building. There was one next to it, but someone had ripped the receiver off the hook, and the other one was occupied, so he stood waiting for a fat muggle woman to finish talking about rubbish.
As he waited he didn't hear the approach of footsteps behind him, nor did he see the two shifty looking figures approach, as he normally would have done. Harry was seldom one to be caught unaware, but with his thoughts full of Hermione, he was not his usual perceptive self. It was only when he felt a tingle run down his back, saw the shadow on the ground, and felt a hand clamp down on his shoulder that he realised something was wrong. He spun round to see a man in a trench coat and sunglasses, before he was pushed down into the alley.