Chapter Seventeen: What was gained…
Harry had arranged for the carriage to stop by Hermione's home so she could pack a valise then they continued on their way. Harry drove the horses as they headed north to Scotland where he knew someone who would marry them. He was just as excited as she was, in less than two days, she would be his to love forever. The two lovers grinned and chatted away merrily as they rode. Just before sunset, they stopped at a small town just inside the border to take rooms at an inn.
Checking in as Mr. Bentley and his sister, they were led to modest rooms that had a parlor that separated their rooms. Their dinner was brought to them as they unpacked and they sat down to their first intimate and quiet dinner. They chatted about the other guests at the inn and how many couples they had seen that were in the similar situation that they were.
As much as the temptation was great, Harry and Hermione slept in separate rooms well aware of each other's presence. But they decided to wait one more night. The next time they would make love, it would be as husband and wife.
It was a long night.
Hermione woke up at dawn, blinking at the light coming in through the window. Today she was getting married, she grinned at the thought. Today she would become Mrs. Harry Potter. She let out a squeal of excitement and threw the quilts off of her as she jumped out of bed. The maid had come in with a washbasin and some clean water for Hermione to wash up in. The maid informed her that her brother was in the parlor with breakfast waiting for her. Wrapping her robe around herself, she met Harry in the other room. He was sitting down reading the Daily Prophet and looked up at her as she entered, a smile grew on his face.
"I see you're up bright and early," he greeted her.
"I am so excited I'm surprised I managed any sleep," she said stifling a yawn.
"Well, I hope you did get some rest because I have a feeling tonight will be a long night," he said, looking at her over a coffee cup.
Hermione poured herself a cup and raised an eyebrow. "Well, I would certainly hope so."
They finished up their breakfast then finished packing and getting themselves ready and managed to check out of the inn in reasonable time. Nervous butterflies fluttered inside her stomach as she sat in the seat next to Harry on their final leg of the journey. She wondered briefly if Sirius believed the note she left, saying that she was visiting the coast for a few days. He must have, he hadn't sent for her father and there was no sign of either of them running up and down the road trying to stop them. But they would have no idea that she and Harry were eloping.
By the afternoon, they had arrived in the quaint little town of Hogsmeade. Harry stabled his horses at another inn called the Three Broomsticks and procured them another room here, a single room. They would be spending the night here. After seeing that their baggage was taken care off, he and Hermione set off down the road.
"We have to walk from here," he said taking her arm.
Hermione happily obliged. He hadn't told her where they were going to get married but she had now figured it out and she was bubbling with excitement. As they passed the winged boars at the gates, she gasped and squeezed his hand when she saw the towers rise above her.
"Here we are," Harry announced. "Hogwarts."
"Oh, Harry," Hermione breathed, her mouth agape. Harry beamed with pride at giving her this moment.
As they walked across the grounds, a venerable looking wizard stood at the steps to greet them.
"Hello Harry," Dumbledore said when they approached him. "And it's truly a pleasure to meet you again Miss Granger." This was entirely too much for Hermione and she held tightly onto Harry's arm for fear that she would collapse in a faint. But she remembered to be proper.
"Good afternoon, sir," Hermione curtsied.
"I must tell you I was not at all surprised to see your letter, Harry," Dumbledore's kind eyes turned toward him.
"You weren't?" Harry asked.
"I knew it was only a matter of time before I would find the two of you here," his eyes twinkled and Hermione blushed.
He led the two of them through the halls and poor Hermione kept tripping and bumping into Harry. She was looking everywhere trying to take everything in at once. The knights armor tipped their heads politely as she passed. The portraits whispered, giggled and pointed at her and gave nods of approval to Harry. At last they had arrived at a door where Dumbledore gave a funny little word and a spiral staircase that led up was revealed.
~*~
Harry's back rested against the trunk of a tree while Hermione curled up against him. She was playing with the gold wedding band on Harry's finger as they both gazed out at the lake.
"I don't see it," she said.
"Just give it a moment," Harry replied patiently.
A large tentacle suddenly appeared on the surface of the lake, disrupting its mirror like surface. Hermione jumped in his arms.
"Good heavens! Was that it?" she breathed.
Harry laughed. "Yes, that was the giant squid."
"Is it dangerous?"
"No, we are quite safe. A few of the first years that have fallen into the lake on their way to the castle have been rescued by the squid and put safely back in the boats."
"Oh."
"Besides," he held her closer to him. "I wouldn't dare let anything happen to you."
Hermione sighed and breathed deeply, taking in the scent of her husband. "I'd feel safe anywhere with you."
Harry kissed the top of her head. "That's good because now we're stuck with each other forever."
"Oh dear, what have we gotten ourselves into?" she teased and they both laughed.
"Come on," he said, getting up from the ground and helping his wife to her feet. "I want to show you the Whomping Willow."
He led her across the grounds, holding hands, until they came to a large tree. Hermione shielded her eyes and looked into its canopy.
"It doesn't look troublesome," she said.
"Trust me, it's very deceiving," he said as he searched the ground for a long enough stick. "Actually, it kind of reminds me of you."
"Oh stop," Hermione frowned as Harry let out a chuckle.
He retrieved a stick and moved Hermione a bit further away from the menacing tree. "Now, under no circumstances are you to step any closer to that tree until I say so, alright?" Harry said seriously.
"Okay," Hermione said uneasily.
She looked up at it and saw it quiver as Harry slowly approached. Suddenly it seemed like this was not such a good idea after all.
"Harry," she called after him. "I don't think this is such a good idea after all."
She watched as Harry flattened himself on the ground and reached out with the stick. The Whomping Willow's branches trembled angrily and Hermione found that she couldn't breathe. But he prodded a knot on the tree with the stick and the tree seemed to still and an opening appeared at the base of the tree.
"You might get a bit dirty," he said as he got to his feet and reached for her hand.
Hermione walked to him, keeping a wary eye on the stealthily still tree. He went down the opening first and she followed. It seemed that they walked forever until the tunnel rose. Harry popped out of the tunnel first then reached down to help his wife up.
"What is this place?" she asked, brushing some dirt off of her dress but it was a fruitless attempt. She gave up and looked around and saw that they were in some sort of room that obviously had not been occupied in quite some time.
"This is the Shrieking Shack," Harry said.
The house seemed to sway ominously. Hermione took in the layers of dust, the broken furniture and the claw marks.
"Harry I think some sort of animal lives here," she said pointing at a slash in a table leg.
"You're sort of right. Remus lived here during his transformations."
"Oh," Hermione said softly. She never saw her friend Mr. Lupin during his transformations into a werewolf but he always returned looking worse for the wear.
They spent some time in the shack before leaving and walking back to the town of Hogsmeade. They held hands as they strolled and both were strangely quiet. The nervous butterflies came back full force and she wondered why she was so nervous about tonight. She and Harry had been intimate together many times before but for some reason she felt like tonight was different. And it was, they were finally husband and wife.
Harry's thoughts were similar. He had the woman he loved, he had finally won her heart, and she was by his side. But a dark cloud threatened to overshadow his happy thoughts. He no longer wanted to hide his and Hermione's relationship. The possibility that she was already with child was growing stronger everyday. But revealing her as his wife would put her in great danger, she had been courted by Draco Malfoy, known Death Eater and as far as Draco knew, he was still courting Miss Granger, now Mrs. Harry Potter.
He shook his head to clear himself of these thoughts. It would not do to worry about this now, not on his wedding night. He hugged Hermione closer to him and kissed the top of her head.
~*~
Hermione paced back and forth, nervously, in her room. She could almost laugh at herself, she was behaving like a true virgin on her wedding night. The gown she was wearing was a simple one, a white nightdress with lace trimming the cuffs and hemline. She nearly jumped out of her skin when Harry walked into the room.
He had been pacing back and forth in the parlor just as nervous as Hermione and he took a drink of Firewhiskey to calm his nerves. Finally summoning his lost courage, he stepped into their room. She stood there in front of him wearing a simple white nightdress that made her look so innocent. It drove him mad with desire.
He walked over and stopped just in front of her. Hermione looked up at him as he reached out with one hand to let her hair down from its knot. His hand returned to rest his fingers under her chin and tilt her head up as he bent down to kiss her lips. She detected the faint odor of alcohol on his breath and smiled to herself. He was just as nervous as she was.
The kiss was gentle and slow. Harry gathered her into his arms to deepen it. He felt her hands on him, his skin hot where she rested them. Slowly they moved to his shirt to undo the buttons, then pull it out of his trousers so she could move it over his shoulders. She broke this kiss only to have her sweet lips land on the hollow of his throat, her fingernails raked lightly over his chest.
Hermione felt his hands leave her waist to work on his trousers. She heard the rustle of the material as it fell to the floor and he stepped out of them. He stood naked before her, his skin glowing in the candlelight. He leaned in again to capture her lips, pushing her gently backwards, leading her toward the bed. The back of her knees hit it and she slowly sat down, one hand behind his neck to take him with her. He took it further and lifted her slightly to get her completely on the bed before following her.
His hands lifted the bottom of the nightgown, his hands moved up her leg and he could feel her trembling. His breathing became shaky when he found that she was truly naked beneath her gown as he reached her waist. He bent down again to briefly kiss her lips, while he moved to lie by her side. The kiss ended and she looked up at him, her eyes large and innocent looking, filled with love. He grinned at her and began to undo the knot at the front of her gown. He was forcibly reminded of their very first time together, that magical night in his drawing room. Hermione flushed and he wondered if she was thinking the same thing.
The knot was undone and he loosened the shirt, sliding it past her waist and up over her head. She was gloriously naked beside him and he leaned down to capture a nipple in his mouth, sucking it as his hand caressed the other breast. He heard her soft moans of delight and felt her hands tangle in his hair. His hand left her breast to fall on the bed beside her, giving him leverage as he moved over her, his knee nudged her thighs apart and he settled himself between her. Her hands rested on his shoulders and they looked in each others eyes as he sought entrance to her. His hardness stroked against her wetness until he found her entrance and he sank himself slowly into her, surrounding himself in her familiar and comforting warmth.
Hermione breathed deeply as he filled her, she moved her hands to tangle in his hair and bring his lips to hers. Their tongues danced as he moved in and out of her, his mouth muffled her gasps of pleasure. He left her lips only to move them to her neck, kissing the soft and sensitive skin.
"Oh!"
Harry heard her moan and it spurred him further. He quickened his pace slightly, losing himself in their passion, the sensations, the smell, the sounds. No other woman had made him this mad with lust. He loved Hermione, the woman she was, there was no mistake in that. But no one else could give him one look, one glimpse of her skin that would send him into such a frenzy of carnal desire that begged for relief. This was her power over him, he was helpless to her, a willing slave to their passion. He felt her fingers dig into him, her moans louder and more frequent and a primitive pride washed through him. Proud that he could do this to her, that he could bring her such pleasure. He felt her walls tighten around him as she cried out, beckoning him to follow her into that abyss of pleasure. With the familiar tightening in his abdomen, he knew it wouldn't be too long.
Hermione held him to her, clinging to him as he sent her over the edge, her pleasure washing over her in waves. His hands had moved to her hips and she felt his grip tighten as he let out a groan, his warm seed spilling into her in a few final thrusts. Together they came down and she brushed his bangs off his forehead that had a gleam of sweat and gave him a kiss. He lowered himself against her, resting his head against her breasts as their breathing calmed.
~*~
Harry woke up in the late morning, feeling the warm body next to his. He rolled over and snuggled in closer to Hermione, breathing in her warm scent.
"You keep doing that and we'll never leave this bed," Hermione murmured.
Harry smiled. "That thought is appealing," he said, kissing the creamy skin of her bare shoulder. They had already made love again early in the morning.
But they did manage to get out of the bed and ring for their breakfast. Harry helped Hermione with her stays as she dressed in a simple cream colored dress that had a pattern of tiny roses on it. They set out shortly after breakfast, stopping again at the same small town just inside the borders. Checking in this time as Mr. And Mrs. Potter and making wonderful love to each other in their little room.
She wore Harry's favorite dress the next day, the light blue one with the cream lace that she had worn to tea with Dumbledore. They had a plan all worked out. She would move into Godric's Hollow immediately. They would set out to visit her father and hope for the best when they gave him the news of their elopement. Hermione insisted that her father shouldn't get mad, after all, he had married her mother in the same way. After visiting with her father, they would set out to the coast where they would take a muggle ship to the south of France for their honeymoon. When they returned, they would host a ball to celebrate their wedding.
"I promise I won't be long," Hermione said as she stood outside her carriage.
They had returned to Godric's Hollow and Hermione was setting off for her home to pack for her honeymoon and to give last minute instructions to the servants to bring her personal belongings to Godric's Hollow.
"I can't wait to see you tonght," he grinned, kissing her gently on the lips. He had business of his own to take care of before they set off.
"I love you," Hermione said.
"I love you, too," he replied.
They kissed deeply one more time before she turned around, got into her carriage and set off for her home. Harry watched the carriage until it turned and disappeared from his sight before he mounted his horse to ride into the village to settle his accounts and duties.
He came back in the evening before Hermione arrived and set about the task of a wonderful dinner. He double checked the food, all of Hermione's favorites, then the intimate table setting. When all was prepared he sent the servants home, Dobby and Winky kept out of sight, leaving the couple to their privacy.
Harry lit the candle on the table and checked the time. It was nearing eight o'clock. He sat in the chair and rested his head on the back of it. He hadn't realized how tired he was, he had had an active past few days and today he was busy running around settling last minute business. He closed his eyes briefly.
He woke up with a start. It wouldn't do to have Hermione finding him here fast asleep. He rubbed his sleepy eyes then paused when he saw that the candle was half-way burnt down. He checked his watch.
It was eleven o'clock.
He cursed silently to himself. Hermione had probably come in and seen him sleeping so she headed off to bed. He summoned Dobby.
"No, sir. She hasn't arrived yet," he said.
"She hasn't?" Harry asked.
Worry set in, was she running behind in her tasks? He gathered his cloak and left his home. He walked to the end of the drive to apparate a few blocks from her home. The thought of Hermione coming back in the dark by herself did not settle well with him. He walked up to her home and knocked on the door. It was a while before anyone answered.
"Yes," the doorman asked. Harry could tell that he had risen the man from his sleep.
"I've come to call on Miss Granger," he said. "It's quite urgent."
"Oh, I'm sorry to tell you that she is vacationing on the coast for a few days," the doorman replied.
A chill settled in Harry's insides at these words.
"Has she not been home today?" he asked.
"No, sir, she left a few days ago."
Harry managed a polite thank you and turned away from the door. Hermione's carriage somehow had not reached its destination. A fear settled upon him. Deep down he knew what had happened to her even though his mind fought fiercely to keep from acknowledging it. Rage, panic, grief and anger raced through him but he had to fight those feelings down. He took several calming breaths and then, with a cool and level head, he summoned the Order.
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