Dreams don't lie

“Ha…Harry,” she panted. “Right there…mmm, yes. Yes,” she cried, as she wrapped her legs tighter around his neck. “Oh God…God…Stop,” she breathed heavily all of a sudden, and then received a confused look when she met his eyes. “Come here,” she ordered, pulling his head up and kissing him deeply for a few seconds. “I want you inside me,” she breathed against his lips and felt him grin.

“Your wish is my command beautiful,” he smiled, clearly more than ready to fill her request. “I love you,” he breathed in her ear, as he positioned himself to enter her.

“I love you too,” she moaned, closing her eyes and biting her bottom lip in anticipation, but he didn't push into her.

“Open your eyes,” she heard instead. “Open your eyes,” she heard again, but she didn't want to.

“Hermione, get up. You're gonna miss Potions. GET UP,” her friend, Lavender Brown, yelled and shook her shoulders, bringing her out of a deep sleep.

“What time is it?” she asked groggily.

“It's time for you to get up,” Lavender told her. “Jeez, that must have been some dream,” she commented before heading into the bathroom.

Hermione was glad that she left the room because she couldn't hide the blush that covered her entire body as her dream came flooding back to her in all of its glorious and frustrating details. She's been having these dreams for the last four months, but every time the dream is about to come to its climax, so to speak, she gets interrupted somehow, and wakes up tied in knots. It's not easy wanting someone so badly that you can't have, but it's even harder when that person is your best friend.

“Jesus,” she breathed, and then plopped back down on her bed. She wishes she were alone in the room so that she could relieve some of this tension, but at this point she wasn't gonna get to be alone again until sometime late tonight. “Jesus,” she breathed again at that realization and then turned onto her side putting a pillow between her legs. That's when she caught the time and remembered why Lavender had woken her.

“Shit, I'm gonna be late,” she cursed and jumped out of bed. “Lavender, let me get in there real fast,” she begged, banging on the bathroom door. “I have a quiz today. I can't be late. Snape will kill me. Please…Thank you,” she said as the door opened and she rushed in.

Five minutes later, she was on her way to the classroom after a hasty goodbye to Lavender, who she let stay with her last night after a nasty fight with Pavarati. Being Head Girl has its advantages, and getting her own room with a bathroom is definitely the biggest one, but she's glad that Lavender was there to wake her up this morning. Otherwise, she'd be dealing with Snape's wrath.

Even though she knew that she wasn't gonna be late now, she still doesn't really think that she breathed again until she sat down in a regular seat between Harry and Ron. She had just made it and was unbelievably happy because she didn't wanna lose any house points. Snape was just looking for any opportunity to undercut Gryffindor, as Slytherin was not far behind them for the top spot. That didn't matter anymore though because she had made it on time, and was now sitting beside the man that's been haunting her dreams for months.

The dreams started the first night they got back to Hogwarts for their final year, and haven't stopped since. She's even starting to have daydreams that are affecting her concentration in classes. The confusing part is that she has no idea where all this is coming from. She's loved him for almost two years, but this uninhibited lust is all new to her. It's all she can think about, and the fact that she spends so much time with him on a daily basis is not helping.

`Maybe he could feel the same way,' she thinks. At least that's another idea that she hasn't been able to get out of her head for months. She just really wishes that she could be closer to him in more ways than one.

When Snape began to lecture after they had finished their quiz, Hermione tried very hard to concentrate, but she couldn't control her imagination. She couldn't get Harry off her mind and, after that quiz, the realization hits her that her little problem is seriously affecting her school work, which makes her decide right then and there that she needs to take action. She's known for quite a while that she's been physically ready for sex, she just hasn't found anyone, besides Harry, that's made her feel emotionally ready too. Maybe she can just talk to him about it. She can talk to him about anything else. She's ready, and she wants him to be her first, and maybe even her last.

When class ended an hour later, she accidentally bumped into Harry on their way out the door, and any doubts that she wanted him flew right out of her head. He had the biggest smile on his face as he tried to steady her

“Hey,” she smiled right back. “Sorry,” she told him apologetically.

“Not a problem,” he grinned. “You can bump into me anytime,” he said, putting his arm around her. “You can also do my Potions homework anytime too,” he added mischievously.

“Oh, get away from me,” she laughed, pushing him away playfully and regretting it immediately. “Where's Ron?” she asked, suddenly a little nervous.

“He went to meet Luna,” he informed her. “We're gonna hang out down by the lake during break. Come on,” he said, grasping her shoulders and changing her direction towards the lake.

“I can't,” she started. “I have to stu…,”

“You can study tonight,” he cut off.

“No, Harry…”

“Yes, Hermione,” he cut her off again. “Don't argue. I need you. I can't be alone with those two. Please,” he begged and gave puppy dog eyes.

“Fine,” she said begrudgingly, but the truth is he had her at `I need you.'

They walked in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, until he broke it.

“So, how's it going with what's his name? You haven't mentioned him the last couple of times we talked” he asked curiously.

“You know very well his name is Ernie,” she said. “You're just bitter because he's Quidditch Captain and Head Boy,” she accused.

“Oh yeah, I'm really jealous. Dumbledore would've been crazy to make me Head Boy. After everything I've done, how could I yell at someone else for anything?” he scoffed. “So how's it going then with Ernie?” he asked again.

“Alright I guess, but…I don't know,” she replied.

“Well that wasn't a very good answer,” he smiled.

“Let's just say my interest has waned, and I fully expect it to be totally gone within the month,” she told him.

“So what went wrong?” he asked, but she wasn't sure that she wanted to give him the honest answer yet. “Hermione?” he prodded.

“Sex,” she blurted out without thinking, and he tripped, almost taking her with him. “HARRY,” she yelled.

“Sorry,” he apologized quickly. “You just caught me off guard. So uh…it's no good or what?” he asked haltingly with a nervous laugh.

“Maybe we should talk about this later,” she suggested, afraid that he'd injure them.

“It's fine. You just surprised me,” he told her. “We've never talked about sex before, but we can. We can talk about anything, so let me have,” he said a little more coolly.

“Ok,” she started slowly, and saw him swallow deeply. “All he wants to do is have sex. It seems like that's all anyone wants to do around here anymore. I feel like I'm surrounded by it,” she breathed deeply.

“So, he wants to do it a lot then?” Harry asked. “That not surprising,” he offered.

“I know. It's just that he doesn't care about me at all. I'm just a sex object in his eyes,” she told him quietly.

“Then why did you do it in the first place?” he asked a little angry.

“I didn't…I mean I haven't. That's the point,” she said.

“Oh good,” he breathed out in relief. “You had me worried there for a second.”

“Please, like I would let some sad little man take advantage of me,” she said.

“Well, that sounds more like the girl I know and love. I was hoping that dating that prick wouldn't change that at all,” he told her, as the lake came into view.

“I can take care of myself,” she told him.

“I know that, but men are dogs. I know that's cliché, but they really are. You can't ever let your guard down,” he warned.

“You're not a dog,” she said, wrapping her arm around his waist quickly.

“That's only cause you taught me well,” he said, kissing her head. “I just don't want you to have any regrets,” he whispered.

“I'm so glad I came,” she said once they were within about 100 feet of Ron and Luna. `Maybe just hanging out and acting normal will knock some sense back into me, and I'll stop lusting after my best friend,' she thought.

As Harry watched her walk in front of him a bit, he couldn't help but appreciate how good she looked. He also couldn't help how relieved he felt when she told him that she hadn't slept with Ernie. He couldn't deny that he wanted to be that guy, but he also couldn't try anything without looking like a total jerk off after the talk they just had. Not that he'd ever have the guts to try anything anyway, but still.

About thirty minutes later, Hermione and Luna looked on as Harry and Ron were engrossed in an intense game of wizard's chess.

“God,” Hermione said. “I think I'm even gonna miss watching you two play this barbaric game.”

“I keep telling you that you should stay in London instead of going to the States for more school,” Harry smiled, but he wasn't totally kidding. He really did wish that she'd stay closer. Maybe they could work something out if she were closer.

“I wish that I were staying,” she sighed.

“Really?” he asked a little hopeful

“Yeah,” she admitted.

“Why?” Ron wanted to know.

“I'm excited about going to Stanford, don't get me wrong. The professors are great and the campus is beautiful, but I don't like the idea of being so far away,” she told them. “I'm gonna miss you guys so much. I'm already dreading going a little to be honest,” she admitted.

“Transfer to Oxford,” Harry suggested boldly. “Maybe we could get an apartment together.”

“Are you being serious?” she asked.

“Yeah,” he said. “I mean Ron's ditching me for Luna,” he grinned. ” So, I'd much rather live with you than anyone else, and if you're not gonna be happy out there…” and he let that statement hang.

Hermione didn't know what to say. The idea was appealing and not, all in one. She loved the idea of being that close to him all the time, but doesn't know if she could handle having to watch him with other women. If they were together, it'd be amazing.

Harry took her lack of silence as an indication that she didn't think it was a good idea, so he tried to backtrack. “You'll probably end up loving California,” he said. “We better start heading back,” he added quickly.

“I agree,” Hermione said. “You guys are still gonna meet me in the library to study tonight, right?”

“Yes,” they answered simultaneously, as they all began to make their way back to school.

After dinner that night, they all met in the library to study for their Transfiguration exam. For the next six hours, they studied and joked around as much as Hermione would let them. Around midnight, Hermione decided that she couldn't be in the same room with him anymore. It used to be that being around him only made her think about how much she loved him, but now the lust part is there too and it's just as strong. It didn't seem to be going away like she had hoped it would. She needed to go to bed before she did something rash.

“I'm gonna head to bed,” she announced suddenly to Harry and Ron's surprise.

“Us too,” Ron added quickly, happy that Hermione was not insisting that they study any longer.

“We're still gonna meet up again before breakfast, right? For a quick review” she asked a little breathlessly.

“Yeah,” Harry replied, and Ron just nodded half-heartedly. “Are you alright?” he asked quietly as Ron packed up his things. He couldn't understand why she was out of breath all of a sudden.

`He's so sweet,' she thought. “I'm fine,” she smiled, becoming more convinced by the second that asking him was the right decision. “I just need to figure something out, and then I wanna talk to you about it,” she whispered. Then walked away without looking back.

Once she closed her door behind her, Hermione couldn't wait for the sun to come up. She was pretty confident that he wouldn't object to her idea. He was a great guy, but he was still a guy. She knows he's been dating a lot this year, but she doesn't think anything too serious has happened. She'll find out for sure tomorrow though. With that, she fell asleep with a smile on her face and excited about tomorrow. It wasn't long before she got caught up in her dreams again.

This time, for the first time, they were in her shower. She was in there by herself at first, just rinsing her hair. Then all of a sudden, she had to brace herself against the wall in front of her with both hands because he had slipped into the shower behind her, pressed himself up against her, and reached his hands around to begin pleasuring her.

“Mmm…Don't stop,” she whispered desperately, pressing herself as close to him as possible and throwing her arm behind her and around his neck. She could feel his erection pressed against her back. It turned her on even more, thinking that she did that to him.

With little effort, she managed to switch places with him and push him against the wall. Then she pressed her palms against his chest, and ran her hands down the front of him until she was on her knees.

Without hesitation or fear, she took him all the way in her mouth and worked her tongue and hands around him, enjoying the way he'd look down at her and the way he'd say her name over and over again. She loved the way that he'd grip fistfuls of her hair when she'd scrape her teeth down his length, and she loved the way that her actions would cause his knees to buckle, but she wouldn't let him come. Instead, she stood back up in front of him, and allowed him to pick her up by the backs her thighs and press her against the wall, while she kissed him passionately and wrapped her legs tightly around his waist.

She could feel his hardness pressed up against her again and it was unbelievably intoxicating. “Uh…ha,” she cried, breaking the kiss. “Come inside me,” she whispered in his ear. “I want you now. Please.”

And that's when she woke up, drenched in sweat, frustrated as hell, and wanting to throw her alarm clock out the window.

“Fuck,” she said softly, as she sank back down into her pillow. She didn't even have time to cool off with a quick shower. She was supposed to meet Harry and Ron in the library in a few minutes, so she got dressed faster than she ever has before and was on her way about a minute later. As she reached the library, that's when the butterflies began. She wasn't sure if it was fear or anticipation, but it was making her feel sick.

“Hey,” he greeted with a smile when she walked up to the table where he was waiting.

“Hey yourself,” she smiled back, and knew that she couldn't back down now, if only for her own sanity. “Where's Ron?” she asked.

“He decided to sleep in,” he told her, and she smiled knowingly. “So what did you wanna talk to me about?” he asked suddenly, catching her by surprise. “Tell me what's going on?” he prodded when she hesitated and he saw her eyes widen a little.

She didn't wanna chicken out, but she didn't wanna have this conversation in the library either. “It's kinda personal,” she told him. “Can we talk over break?” she asked. “Somewhere private,” she added.

“Sure,” he agreed. “Let's go to the Room of Requirement,” he suggested.

“Perfect,” she smiled. “Ok, quiz me,” she told him. “We only have a half hour.” She couldn't wait to talk to him later.

-->

“So what's going on?” he asked her as they entered the Room of Requirement about two hours later. They were both embarrassed to see what the room had created for them. It was small and very intimate. There was a fireplace, flowers, and the biggest bed Hermione's ever seen.

“This is interesting,” she offered nervously.

“Yeah,” he started just as nervously. “Interesting.”

The truth is that they both thought it was their own thoughts that had created the room, and were scared that the other would be offended.

“So what's going on?” he asked again, a little more confident now, seeing as she hadn't gone running from the room. He was still confused as hell though. Hermione, on the other hand, wasn't confused at all. She knows exactly what she wants. She just doesn't know how to get it, and really wishes that she could find the answer in a book somewhere. The only thing she can think to do is be honest and straightforward. This is Harry after all.

“Well,” she started, sitting down in the middle of the bed and smiling when he followed suit. “Before I answer, I think it's your turn to tell me something personal. I told you about Ernie yesterday,” she said. “So how are things going with Pavarati?” she added quickly, hoping that it didn't come off contrived.

“She's a lot of fun,” he answered honestly. “But we're just having a good time. It's not getting serious or anything,” he clarified, in case she was going to say what he wanted to hear.

“Have you guys had sex?” she blurted out, wincing at her boldness. For as much time as she's thought about having this conversation, she's really just winging it now.

“What?” he asked. He was totally shocked that she had asked him that.

“I'm not trying to pry,” she explained quickly. “I just have some questions about it, and you're the only one I feel comfortable discussing it with. I mean, I would with Ron too,” she began to ramble. “…but I'm pretty sure he hasn't had sex yet, or has he? Do you know? I don't know” she said, out of breath and awaiting his answer anxiously. It wouldn't bother her if he's not a virgin. At least then someone would know what they're doing, but it'd be really nice if they could fumble through it for the first time together. “Harry?” she prodded, when he just kept staring at her instead of saying anything.

“Um…Ron and I haven't talked about it, but I think you're probably right,” he nodded.

“What about you?” she asked, and then saw his face get a little red.

“I…um…I haven't either,” he said slowly and shifted uncomfortably.

“Why not?” she asked. “I mean, I know it's not because you haven't had opportunities,” she added quickly, not wanting to bruise his ego at all.

Harry wasn't really sure where this conversation was going, but he knew that he could be totally honest with her.

“Truthfully, it's kinda confusing,” he told her. “Believe me, it's not that I don't want to. I want to more than I can say,” he paused and swallowed. “It's just that I don't want it to be something casual. What if the girl got pregnant? No matter how careful you are, and no matter how many spells you cast or potions you take, there's always a chance. I know that I could never… not want the child, but I don't wanna be tied to some girl for the rest of my life just because we shared a few minutes of physical pleasure. I mean, obviously, I wouldn't sleep with someone that I didn't enjoy spending time with, but there's still no girl in my life right now, besides you, that I anticipate having a lifelong connection to. So, as frustrated as I can get sometimes in the present, I'm trying to be as responsible as I can,” he finished slowly.

“Wow,” she smiled, unbelievably impressed by his maturity. “That doesn't sound like the impulsive boy I've known my entire life.”

“Well, I'm definitely no saint, as you know, but it's not something that I can take too lightly,” he smiled. “As much as I hate all the attention I get, I certainly can't ignore it,” he paused. “I just don't wanna create any more drama for myself than I already have,” he finished.

“Probably wise,” she agreed with a laugh. “What if Pavarati was your girlfriend?” she asked. “Would that make a difference?”

“Definitely,” he said. “I'm not saving myself for marriage or anything. I just need to be with someone I can trust,” he told her. “I'm sorry that I can't offer any first hand knowledge though. What did you wanna know about?” he asked curiously.

He caught her a little off-guard with the question even though she had started this conversation. She decided that she just needed to be as honest as possible, so she could get this out quicker.

“I've been thinking about having sex a lot lately,” she admitted.

“But I thought you didn't trust Ernie?” he asked, a little alarmed.

“I don't, but I can't help the way that I feel,” she said, and then continued quickly before he could interrupt. “Remember how I told you that I felt like I was surrounded by sex? Well, I meant that pretty literally. Ernie is constantly trying to take it there, and all Lavender talks about how great it feels. It's kinda hard to be making out with Ernie on my bed, and not want to experience that too,” she told him.

Harry was sweating a little at this point, even though it was the middle of December. He had to talk her out of this though. He couldn't let her have sex with that jerk.

“Hermione,” he started slowly. “Believe me, I understand what it feels like to be caught up in the moment, and how hard it is to stop yourself, but you'll regret it if he's your first,” he said.

“I know that,” she smiled. “That's one of the reasons I haven't done anything with him yet.

“What are the other reasons?” he asked, hoping that listing them out would help her realize that she shouldn't even be considering sleeping with Ernie.

“Well,” she sighed. “I know that sex is all he wants, and I'm too stubborn to let him just claim me as another notch on his belt. Plus, I don't trust him. I mean, I don't want him talking about me to other guys. He probably already does, but it doesn't bother me when I know it's all totally false. Every time things get a little heated and he starts to take my clothes off, those thoughts run through my head, and I stop him, but it's not easy. I guess it also helps that I start to feel self-conscious too” she finished.

“What do you have to feel self-conscious about?” he asked, thrown by that comment. “You're absolutely gorgeous.”

“Thanks,” she said, shaking her head no, but appreciating the compliment coming from him. “It's not so much my body that I'm self-conscious about though. It's more about my abilities. I don't really know what I'm doing, and I know that nobody knows what they're doing at first, but most girls learn when they're younger and they learn with guys that are just as inexperienced as they are. This year, it seems like everyone already knows what they're doing and I'm left out in the dark. I know this might sound horrible, but I'm not really used to not being good at something,” she told him.

“First of all, who gives a fuck what anyone thinks?” he asked. “Besides, I think it's a hell of a lot harder, and takes more character, to wait than it does to just do it with anyone, Hermione. And I'm not just saying that because it's what I've done. I really believe it. And as far as not being good,” he paused. “I highly doubt that will be the case. And I'm not just saying that either,” he finished softly.

“I'm not worried about this because I care what people think. It's not that at all,” she clarified. “If I cared about Ernie's opinion on the subject, we would have had sex a long time ago. I've never even…” but then she stopped.

“Never what?” he asked.

“It's not important,” she said.

“I thought you wanted to discuss this,” he countered.

“I've never…um… Ok, we're both adults, so I'm just gonna tell you.”

“I'm listening,” he told her. “I'll help if I can.”

“I've never had girlfriends or sleepovers where you get to practice kissing your own hand or discussing what techniques guys seem to like when you go down on them,” she said, and noticed that he shifted a little again. “I've thought about it a lot, so I'm pretty sure that I know what I'm doing, but I've never actually tried. So you see, Ernie's been quite patient,” she said.

“It's not like he deserves a god damned metal, Hermione. I don't care what he's used to, or expects, from a girl. He should respect your wishes. He certainly shouldn't be praised for it,” he said a little heated.

“I agree, but that's not the world we're living in, unfortunately. You know that. At least ten girls throw themselves at you on a daily basis,” she said.

“And each one is less sincere than the one before her,” he countered. “I don't really like it, ya know,” and then he stopped for a moment. “You sure that you don't wanna transfer to Oxford?” he asked with a smile. “That way you can help save me from all the crazies. I'll keep all the jerks that hit on you at bay.”

She laughed out loud at that. She was grateful that he had lightened the mood a bit, but she was also ready to get to her point. She was nervous, but still wanted to go through with this.

“Harry,” she said softly, and her heart was going about a mile a minute.

“Yeah?” he asked, a bit thrown off by the sudden change in her demeanor.

“I've been wanting to ask you something for a really long time, but I've been scared,” she started.

“You can ask me anything?” he told her.

“I know,” she said. “But this is a really huge favor, and I don't want you to feel obligated to say yes just because it's me. If you think it's weird or out of line, just say so. I'm…”

“Hermione, what is it?” he asked, cutting her off.

“Alright,” she breathed. “I feel like I'm ready to have sex, and I want my first time to be with you,” she said and her breath hitched. She couldn't believe that she got it out. He looked like he was in shock, so she tried to explain. “We've talked a lot about trust and regret being important where sex is concerned. Well, I know that I trust you, and I know that I would never regret being with you no matter what else happened. And I don't want you to think I'm just using you because I would never do that. You're too important to me. It's just that this is a big step, and I wanna take it with you. I can't really see myself waiting until marriage either, so I just thought maybe tonight we could…” but she let that statement hang.

Meanwhile, Harry's mind was going a mile a minute. This was like a dream come true, but he still didn't know what to say. He certainly couldn't move because this conversation and her suggestion hadn't left him in the most graceful state. He just hoped that she didn't notice. The truth is, he loved the idea. He was nervous about the same things as she was, and being with someone he trusted like no one else would certainly make it easier, but he was also really concerned about the aftermath. What if Ron found out? What if she did end up regretting it? What if she didn't enjoy herself? But, most importantly, what if he fell even more in love with her? Would he be able to swallow his pride, and watch her with someone else after making love to her? Then again, if he doesn't say yes, it's not like she's gonna stay a virgin forever. Someone else will get to be that man. Does he trust anyone else to treat her like she should be treated? He knows that she's waiting on an answer, but his conflicting inner dialogue and the hard on he's trying really hard to ignore are not helping him to speak at the moment.

“Harry?” she questioned softly, and moved a little closer to him on the bed.

Her voice and proximity were not helping either.

She'd noticed that his breathing had sped up and, when she got closer, she noticed something else too through his robes.

“Sorry,” he apologized quickly and shifted again when he noticed her gaze. “I'm sorry,” he said again, looking away.

“It's fine,” she told him, rubbing his knee.

“That doesn't really help,” he said with difficulty, motioning toward her hand.

Hermione just bit her lip, and decided to take a chance. “What about this?” she asked, running her hand under his robes and up his leg until she came in contact with the bulge in his pants, which she then began to massage gently.

Harry opened his mouth a little, but nothing came out except a loud breath. Hermione took that as a sign that she was doing something right, so she just continued to knead him and moved up on the bed so that they were sitting side by side with Hermione facing the headboard, while Harry faced the foot of the bed. Harry had his knees pulled up, and Hermione had her hand in between them, now rubbing faster. His eyes were glazed, but they were glued to hers. She couldn't have looked away if she tried.

“Hermione,” he breathed out, like he did in her dreams, and it only encouraged her to keep going. On instinct, she then ran her hand up under his school shirt for a moment to caress his muscled stomach, before undoing his belt and reaching down into his pants and boxers to grasp the base of his member.

“Hermione,” he called out again, squirming on the bed and grabbing handfuls of his cover in anticipation of her stroke.

Hermione, meanwhile, was anticipating this as much as he was. She's been dreaming about being this close to him for months, and now she's holding him.

Neither one of them was disappointed when she ran her fisted hand down the length of him.

Hermione almost moaned herself because he was just as long and wide as she had ever imagined, and she couldn't help the flashbacks of her erotic dreams. Harry, on the other hand, couldn't really process a solid thought. All he could focus on was how amazing it felt to be on his bed with the woman he's loved for years, while she gave him a hand job and stared right into his soul.

Hermione just continued to stroke him slowly, enjoying his every reaction.

“Ha…Hermione,” he cried softly when she rubbed the tip of her thumb roughly over his head. Then she gripped him tighter and began to caress him a little faster. She noticed that his breathing seemed to correspond with pace of her hand, and she loved that he never closed his eyes. He kept them on her the entire time, and she knew deep in her heart that he didn't do that with other girls.

“Do you want me to go faster?” she asked, only a trace of nervousness in her voice

Harry just swallowed and nodded yes. He couldn't find his voice.

When she began to rub him faster, it didn't take longer before he started to feel the beginnings of the end. He's dreamt about this so many times that he couldn't last long in the reality of it. He couldn't help biting his lip and closing his eyes at that point, but he made sure to grab her other hand and lace their fingers first.

He tried to suppress the groan that started at his core, but he couldn't. That was the most amazing and exhilarating experience in his life, and he felt like he couldn't move.

“Oh my God,” he breathed, as she removed the hand in his pants and he tried to slow his breathing. She then laid down on her side next to him and stared at their still linked hands.

“I thought you said you've never done that before,” he said out of breath and with a smile. “And I mean that as a compliment,” he added.

She just grinned and felt her face get red. “Don't just say that,” she told him. “I'd appreciate constructive criticism, and…” but she was cut off by his laugh. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

“First off, I don't say anything to you that I don't mean,” he told her seriously. “And secondly, all I know is that felt more amazing than…than, well…it was awesome,” he finally declared. “Do you see what you've done to me,” he laughed. “I can't even talk right now,” he finished, starting to feel his breath go back to normal. He wasn't sure if she wanted him to return the favor. He sure as hell wanted to, but didn't know how to approach it. They hadn't really clarified anything yet.

“So, I take it that wasn't your first hand job then?” she asked with a smile.

“Uh…no,” he answered honestly. “But I was quite honored to be your first,” he replied with a grin.

“Shut up,” she laughed. “So how do girls normally start that?” she asked. “I mean, I assume they don't really sneak attack you like me,” she finished.

“Hey, don't worry. I love surprises,” he defended her. “But I guess, normally, it just evolves from a heated make-out session,” he answered honestly.

“So how do you reciprocate?” she asked quickly, and felt her face get red again.

Harry again wasn't sure where this was going, but he figured that he'd just keep answering all of her questions honestly until they got there.

“It depends on where we are, and how much time we have,” he told her, and Hermione got the picture. She couldn't help but think that alone in the Room of Requirement on a bed was a pretty good to place to be. She could tell that he was willing too, but she didn't want him to feel obligated at all and she wanted him to make a decision that wasn't based primarily on hormones.

“Have you let Ernie…” he ventured.

“No, not at all,” she interrupted quickly, and then got up to her knees and released his hand.

“Think about it,” she whispered. “I meant everything that I said, but I want you to make a decision with a totally clear head. Either way is fine. I'll totally respect your decision. Just let me know,” she finished, kissing him on the cheek and then leaving the room.

Harry just laid there for about ten minutes, enjoying the afterglow, and still in a bit of shock. Then he got up, performed a cleaning charm on his robes, and made his way quickly to the showers to cool off before his next class. He couldn't deny that that was hands down, no pun intended, the best experience of his life. It was just amazing, and he couldn't even imagine how amazing it'd feel to be inside her. But he didn't have to imagine it for much longer if he didn't want to. He still had all the same reservations that he'd had before, but the idea that he couldn't get out of his head was that she was gonna do it at some point no matter what, and he knows that no other man will treat her as good as he would.

He was 100% sure that he wanted to be with her, but he was only 90% sure that he was actually gonna say yes. She was right though. He needed to clear his head and really think about this some more, so he decided to gain some perspective by skiving off his classes for the rest of the day. He knew that Hermione wouldn't approve, but he just needed to stay away from her for a few hours.

Around six o'clock, Harry decided that he definitely wanted to do this, but he wanted to make sure that she was totally positive. It took him a while to find her, but when he did, he was struck with an uncontrollable and irrational jealousy. He thought she would be in the library, but instead he found her sitting at the Gryffindor dining table in what seemed like a pretty deep conversation with Ron.

Harry knew that he should have turned away, but he couldn't. Instead, he just kept watching them and tried to imagine what they were talking about. `Did she only ask me because she saw me first?' he couldn't help but think, even though he was pretty sure she wouldn't do that. But he did know that she trusted Ron a lot too, and she did have a crush on him when they were younger. Maybe she was mad at him for staying up in his room so long, and she decided to tell Ron everything. That would be pretty embarrassing. When he saw her reach over and give Ron a big hug, he felt like a hot coal was burning in his stomach, and he knew he was in serious trouble. Then he took a deep breath and made his way towards them.

“Hey,” Ron smiled, as he caught sight of Harry. “Where have you been?”

“Hey man,” Harry greeted, as he sat down across from them. “I wasn't feeling good earlier,” he lied

Hermione was still leaning a bit against Ron, but the smile that she gave him, and the way she was looking at him when he met her eyes, calmed his heart. He just smiled back and began to pile food onto his plate

“Well, let me tell you that you missed an absolutely riveting Divination class today,” Ron informed him.

“I'm sure,” Harry smiled.

All through dinner, things were totally normal between the trio, but Harry couldn't help the way his breath caught every time Hermione laughed or their eyes met. He couldn't wait to be alone with her again.

“Harry,” Ron started. “Hermione and I were planning on heading down to Hagrid's for a bit after dessert. Would you like to join?” Ron asked.

“I'd love to, but I'm pretty tired,” Harry told them. “I think I'll pass. Tell Hagrid I'll come by on Saturday though.”

“Will do mate,” Ron answered.

“I'm gonna go get changed,” Hermione smiled. “It's freezing out there. I'll see you in a few minutes Ron,” she told them as she walked away from the table

“I think I'm gonna take advantage of having our dorm to myself for a few hours and try to catch up on everything I missed today,” Harry told his friend, and then got up to follow her out.

When he reached the Head Girl's room, he hesitated for just a second before knocking on her closed door. “Come in,” he heard her say, and then he quickly opened and closed the door.

“You look nice,” he commented. She had changed into a green turtle neck and black jeans that left little to the imagination. She didn't look nice, she looked unbelievably hot, and he didn't want her going out like that. “Aren't you gonna be cold?” he asked, as she tied her sneakers.

“Don't worry about me. I'll be fine,” she smiled.

“I know, I know,” he said putting his hands up and leaning against her wall. “You can take care of yourself,” he said.

“Yes, I can,” she responded, as she walked up to him and playfully grabbed the open button-down shirt he was now wearing over his t-shirt with both her hands. “But I do appreciate the concern,” she finished, looking him straight in the eye again, as she reached into his shirt to rub his back. Harry just kept his hands in his pockets. He was having a little trouble focusing on his thoughts being so close to her again, and he was afraid that he wouldn't be able to wait if he touched her.

“So…?” she asked, trying to hide her nervousness.

“You're sure this is what you want?” he asked steadily, praying that she hadn't changed her mind.

“Absolutely,” she replied immediately.

Harry let out a small sigh of relief, and then moved forward until his mouth was at her ear. “Then I absolutely wanna make love to you tonight,” he whispered.

Hermione's breath just caught in her throat, and she couldn't stop the huge grin that spread across her face. She couldn't wait until tonight. When she pulled back slightly to look him in the eyes again, she saw reflected back at her that he was just as exciting. She knew in the back of her mind that Ron was waiting for her, but she didn't wanna walk away from Harry. She was completely caught up in the way he was looking at her.

“I wanna kiss you,” he said thickly, taking his hands out of his pockets and grasping the sides of her face gently.

He got a small smile from her in return, and knew that he had permission. So without any further hesitation, he closed in on her lips and kissed her like he's never kissed anyone. When she opened her mouth under his, he felt like his head was gonna explode, and he knew she could feel his enthusiasm against her inner thigh because she kept pressing up against him and then pulling back only slightly in a teasing fashion. He could also feel her smile against his lips as he groaned a little each time she did it. They continued like this for a while, totally oblivious to anything else.

Then Harry felt her hands running down his chest to undo his zipper, and a flash of even greater desire coursed through his entire body. It took all the strength he's ever had to stop her.

“Don't,” he whispered huskily, pulling back from her lips only slightly. He then took both of her hands in his and laced their fingers.

She looked hurt for a split second until he clarified. “It's my turn,” he breathed, and then he switched their positions, pushing her up against the wall to kiss her passionately again. He also lifted their entwined hands above her head and against the wall, so that his body could be completely flush against hers.

Hermione felt totally light headed between the way he was kissing her and the feeling of his erection so close to her.

“Harry,” she breathed heavily, having to pull back at the thought of him inside her. She leaned her head back against the wall and closed her eyes for a moment, arching her body towards him. Harry didn't think twice about pulling her turtle neck down a little so that he could suck on her neck.

That lasted about a minute before he pushed her flat against the wall to kiss her again. Then he released his right hand from her grasp, and slowly trailed it down her arm and over her body until it was resting at the waist of her jeans.

He spent a couple of seconds just tracing circles with his thumb on her hip, just in case she decided to change her mind, but the way she was kissing him and gripping the back of his head, told him that she was fine, so he slowly moved his hand to her zipper and undid it quickly. Then he made his way inside her pants until he was pushing aside her underwear to touch her. She was so wet and warm he could have died a happy man right there.

He broke their kiss to ask if she was ok, but she cut him off before he had the chance to say a word.

“Don't stop,” she told him, and pulled his head back to her. With that, he slipped one finger inside of her, quickly followed by a second.

“Ha…Harry,” she cried out at the sensation. She's done this to herself before, of course, but that doesn't even come close to comparing to having him do it. She can definitely tell that he's not inexperienced in this area. He was pumping in and out of her slowly, while sucking on the pulse point behind her ear. She didn't think it could get any better until his thumb rubbed against her hard node as he pushed into her. “Oh God,” she breathed into his neck.

Then without warning, Harry released her other hand and brought it around her waist so that he could pull her up and wrap her legs around his waist. At that angle, he was able to go a little deeper and a lot faster. “Oh my God,” she breathed again, and then everything become ten times more intense when he stopped kissing her neck and just brought his eyes level with hers.

That's when she felt all the tension that they had built up begin to release. That's also when she distantly heard a knock on her door and Ron asking if she was ready to go.

Harry saw the mixture of alarm and annoyance fill her eyes when Ron interrupted them, and then he saw surprise when he just grinned and kept going.

Hermione couldn't believe this was happening, but she didn't want Harry to stop either. So she swallowed quickly and then spoke really loudly so that her voice wouldn't break.

“I'm coming,” she said. “I'll be right there. I'm coming,” she yelled quickly. “Oh God, I'm coming,” she whispered into Harry's ear, and wrapped her legs tighter around him. “Go faster,” she begged, feeling like she was gonna explode if this didn't fully hit her soon, and then it did, and she had to bit his shoulder to keep from screaming out his name.

Harry was savoring this moment. He loved that he was the first man to be inside her, and he loved every reaction she had to him. He loved the feeling of her legs wrapped around him, and he really loved watching her as she held her bottom lip firmly between her teeth, eyes closed, and took deep breaths to try and regain control.

“Mmm,” she smiled as he removed his fingers and she slid down him languidly. “So that's what I've been missing out on,” she breathed and he smiled, kissing her softly and finding it difficult to ignore his painful erection, which become even harder to ignore when she trailed her hand back down to his zipper again.

“Hermione,” he whispered. “I can wait.”

“You don't feel like it,” she teased, giving him a playful squeeze and he couldn't help but groan.

“I've been waiting for eighteen years,” he said with difficulty and a small grin.

“Ok,” she told him and began to walk towards the door, adjusting her clothes along the way.

“But hey Hermione,” he called after her, and waited until she turned around. “I can't wait.”

“Me either,” she smiled.

-->

To say that she was distracted would be the understatement of the century. Hermione couldn't focus on anything for more than two seconds without being interrupted by thoughts of her encounter with Harry.

“Hermione, are you sure that you're alright?” Ron questioned.

“Huh, oh yeah. Totally fine,” she answered. “Why?”

“Well, for starters, I had to ask you that question three times before getting that very unconvincing answer,” he smiled.

“Sorry Ron,” she breathed. “I guess I'm just a little wound up. It's been a pretty stressful semester, and I haven't really been able to just chill out much.”

“And missing an entire night in the library isn't a very good stress reliever for you,” he added sarcastically, even though they both knew it was a totally on point statement.

“That's true,” Hermione confirmed half-heartedly, thinking about how Harry was gonna help her relieve a lot of stress and tension later. “So do you know why Hagrid wanted to see us?” she asked.

“I have no idea. You don't either?” he asked.

“Not sure,” she said slowly. “Hopefully, his reason isn't alive,” she finished, thinking back to the Norbert disaster of first year.

“Yeah. You can say that again,” Ron scoffed. “I'm really gonna miss all this though,” he added.

“Me too,” she agreed.

“We shoulda made Harry come,” he laughed.

“Yeah,” she smiled nervously, biting her lip and thinking about his hands again.

“Did you hear that,” Ron suddenly voiced, spinning around to check behind them.

“No…Ahh,” Hermione screamed before feeling an invisible hand cover her mouth. “Harry,” she said muffled against his hand.

“Yes,” he asked, uncovering his head and coping a quick feel before revealing the rest of his body.

“That never gets funny,” she scolded, but couldn't hide the amused look on her face.

“Maybe not for you,” he suggested.

“We find it pretty amusing Hermione,” Ron added.

“I take back what I said earlier,” she started. “I won't miss you guys that much.”

“Liar,” they said simultaneously.

“Ok, now did you hear that?” Ron asked again.

“Shut up,” Hermione responded immediately.

“No seriously,” he said, looking around wildly.

“I heard it too,” Harry responded.

“I'm not falling for it,” Hermione practically sang. “Ok,” she then breathed. “What the hell is that?” she asked, pointing towards the Forbidden Forrest.

“I have no idea,” Harry commented, looking on at the two strange lights coming towards them.

“Wait a second,” Ron cut in. “Is that my father's…”

“Yes,” Hermione yelled. “Yes it is. Stun it. Stun it.”

With that, they all shot stunners at the magically possessed car barreling towards them. Thankfully, it came to a stop a few feet before causing any damage, but leaving all three teenagers breathless.

“Holy shit,” Ron exclaimed. “Where the hell has this thing been the last five years?”

“I definitely thought we'd seen the last of it,” Harry breathed, leaning against the hood. “Hermione, in your infinite wisdom, can you help me get this back to the castle?” he asked.

“Yeah. I have an idea,” she agreed, a little out of breath.

“And what about me?” Ron asked.

“Can you check on Hagrid?” Harry suggested. “We'll get this back and let Dumbledore know. We can't have it roaming the grounds.”

“Alright, I'll see you guys later. Be careful,” he said, continuing on to Hagrid's cabin.

“So Hermione, how do you intend…,” he started, but was cut off by the sound of the engine roaring.

“Get in,” she smiled.

“How the hell did you do that?” he asked, buckling up.

“You can't expect me to reveal all my secrets in one night, now can you?” she asked coyly and he just laughed.

Once back at the castle, Hermione stopped the car and took a deep breath.

She could feel his eyes on her during the whole ride and it made her feel amazing. Then she caught sight of a Pavarati poster hanging right outside the car window and felt immediately inadequate. Pavarati was campaigning to become Queen of the Christmas dance, and pictures of her were all over the castle. Hermione couldn't help her jealousy. Pavarati was so beautiful.

“You ok?” he asked softly, noticing the line of her gaze, but she didn't respond.

“Please, talk to me,” he almost begged.

“I'm sorry,” she apologized. “I'm acting totally out of line.”

“You don't have to apologize for the way you feel,” he told her.

“I know, but I'm still sorry. I have no right to be upset over her. I don't have any claim on you,” she finished.

“Do you want a claim on me?” he asked boldly and then held his breath.

“Huh?” she replied, surprised and unsure if she had heard him correctly.

“Do you want a claim on me?” he asked again, this time breathing noticeably heavier and staring right in her eyes.

Hermione didn't answer him with words. Instead, she grabbed his head between her hands and began kissing him passionately for the second time that night.

He responded just as enthusiastically, running his tongue along her lower lip until she granted him entrance to her mouth. She couldn't help the moan that came from the back of her throat as his tongue massaged hers, and he brought his hand up to cradle her face and gain more control over the kiss. Then he pulled back slightly and began giving her sweet gentle kisses, which were driving her insane because all she wanted to do was rip his clothes off and kiss him deeper than anyone ever has. She didn't know how he was maintaining such control.

His control was quickly lost, however, when her hands left his face and traveled down the front of his chest. Then, without warning, she grabbed fistfuls of his shirt and launched them both into the backseat. It wasn't the most graceful transition ever, but his lips never left hers and they ended up in the middle of his backseat with her straddling his lap.

His erection was already huge, but when she started grinding her pelvis against his, he thought that his head was gonna explode. Both of them.

“Hermione,” he gasped, leaning his head back against the seat. “Oh God,” he breathed as she began to undo his zipper. He didn't have the willpower to make her stop this time. She's amazing, she feels amazing, and he plans to cherish every moment he can steal with her.

Once she freed him and began to stroke him vigorously, he could barely keep his eyes open because the way that he feels about her makes everything she does ten times more intense. “You're so amazing. Don't stop. Jesus,” he panted when she gripped him tighter. It wasn't easy, but he forced himself to open his eyes because he wanted her to see what she was doing to him.

“Tell me what you like,” she breathed in his ear. “Tell me what you want.”

“Mmm…ha,” he groaned, pushing up into her hand.

“Tell me what you like,” she asked again. “I wanna know how you like it,” she said right into his intense stare.

“You,” he breathed deeply. “I like it because it's you. Because it's you,” he gulped, unable to keep his eyes open any longer. And just like that afternoon, because it was her, he wasn't able to last very long. A few heated strokes later, and he came in her hand. And just like that afternoon, he couldn't stop the loud groan that stemmed from his core.

When he opened his eyes under her fervent gaze, he felt like he was the luckiest man alive, and he wanted nothing more than to make her feel what he was feeling. Without pretense, he then kissed her deeply and ran both his hands up her shirt.

“I love your body,” he whispered huskily into her ear as he shifted her onto her back and quickly pulled down her jeans and knickers.

“Mmm,” she moaned, as he towered above her and then kissed his way up her exposed leg to suck on her inner thigh. “Harry,” she almost begged.

She wanted to feel his mouth against her so badly and Harry wanted to oblige, but he didn't wanna do that here. That was for later. When she was comfortable on a bed and they had more time, but he still, sure as hell, intended to make her come.

“Harry,” he heard her call again, as he continued to kiss the insides of her thighs and then moved to her throat, practically ripping off her turtleneck.

“I really, really love your body,” he smiled against her neck, inserting two fingers inside her at once.

“Na…ha,” she cried out at the sensation, and then pulled his lips to hers.

Harry matched the rhythm of his tongue with the motions of his hand, which was quickly sending her over the edge in her already highly aroused state. The things he was whispering in her ear between kisses didn't help either.

“You feel so amazing,” he murmured softly. “I can barely breathe when I think about what it'd feel like to be completely inside you.”

“Ahh...ha,” she screamed.

“And I think about it all the time,” he continued, speeding up his actions. “I can't get you out of my head,” he admitted, feeling her inner walls flex against his fingers.

“Mmm…yes. God…yes,” she yelled, as her climax hit her.

When she was finished, he collapsed on top of her and buried his head against her shoulder to regain control. “Please tell me we're still on for tonight,” he breathed against her neck.

“Absolutely yes,” she responded thickly, sitting up and taking him with her. “Do you mind talking to Dumbledore on your own?” she asked, holding his head between her hands and leaning against his forehead. “I wanna get ready,” she told him. “The car should be good here for another hour at least.”

“Sure,” he responded, but didn't move. His head was spinning. He still couldn't wrap his head around the fact that this was happening, but just `going with it' has certainly served him well in the last twenty-four hours, so he was gonna stick with that philosophy. “What time?” he asked.

“Midnight,” she said softly, kissing the tip of his nose and forehead. Then she removed her hands from his face, and they began to straighten themselves up.

“I can't wait,” he said, kissing her softly one more time before jumping out of his car and making his way toward Dumbledore's office with a smile on his face. This was the best day of his life.

-->

As soon as Hermione got back to her quarters, she practically sprinted to her bathroom for a quick shower. She didn't feel like she had nearly enough time to get ready, but then again, she wasn't sure how long this was supposed to take either. She's never prepared to have sex before.

When she got under the water, she felt herself relax into the warmth and, as she thought about what she was about to do, she marveled at the fact that she had no reservations. She was nervous for sure, but not because she's not ready and not because it's Harry. She just has the first time jitters, which is totally normal.

You love him, her inner voice accused. That's why being with him is so natural. That's why you've done things to him and have let him do things to you in the last twenty-four hours that you've never let anyone do before. And you let him do it without thinking and without fear.

“I know,” she whispered, closing her eyes. She feels so lucky that her first time is gonna be with the man she's loved for so long, but she's also afraid that watching him with other girls after they make love is gonna be ten times more gut-wrenching than it already is. No matter though, she still thinks it'll be worth it. It couldn't be more special with any other person.

She spent a longer time than she usually would in the shower, but felt totally relaxed once she stepped out and wrapped herself in a towel. Part of her still felt like this was all just one of her dreams, but she didn't have to pinch herself to know it was real. It wasn't until she was done drying her hair that she realized her potions homework was left lying out in the common room. It was pretty late and no one was ever up before her in the morning, but she still wanted to go grab it just in case.

When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she ran right into the guys on their way in.

“Hey guys,” she clamored out off breath.

“You alright?” Ron asked. Harry was too preoccupied with her bra-less state to share in Ron's concern.

“Fine,” she smiled, blushing at Harry's obvious distraction. “I just wanted to grab my potion homework before either of you could try to copy it,” she grinned.

“You don't trust us?” Harry asked overdramatically, leaning against the fireplace.

“Not where my potions essay is concerned,” she smiled and stuck her tongue out at him, as she made her way to the table

“Play nice,” Ron told them through a yawn as he made his way up to the boys dormitory. “I'm getting too old for this.”

Harry grabbed her hips as she walked by, pulling her between his legs and into a searing kiss. He didn't even care that Ron could walked back down at any second. Hermione more than willingly allowed herself to drown in his kiss. Things just seemed to get so intense with him so quickly that it was amazing. Before she knew it, he was grunting softly as she continuously rolled her hips against his.

“That's…Oh God…not very nice,” he breathed huskily into her hear.

“Mmm,” she smirked, not letting up on her actions for a second. “Since when did either us…ha…start listening to Ron's advice.”

“Good...point,” he breathed back, finding it impossible to concentrate.

“Kiss me,” she ordered, pulling him away from the fireplace and pushing him down onto a nearby couch. As she climbed into his lap, she couldn't help that it turned her on to think that this was the couch that every Gryffindor had sat on at some point.

With that, Hermione began to grind against Harry a little faster and a lot harder. It crossed her mind for a split second that she might be hurting him, but he wasn't complaining and it felt too damn good to stop and ask.

“Ha…aah,” she cried out softly. If rubbing against him with layers of clothes between them felt this good…

And that was the thought that put her over the edge, taking him right with her.

“Oh my God,” she breathed, slumping against him. “So much for my shower,” she sighed, and he couldn't help but chuckle a bit.

“I'd take you flushed and sweaty over prim and proper any day,” he told her, still trying to recover from the experience. He couldn't believe how quickly everything had changed between them, but he really couldn't believe how free and intense it all was. “You're amazing,” he whispered, and felt her smile against his neck.

“Midnight,” she whispered right back, kissing him on the neck and then getting up to grab her homework from the table.

Harry didn't move. He just watched her grab her paper, smile at him, and then go. He knew he must look totally dazed and confused, sitting on the old couch with a goofy grin on his face. The truth is that he just can't wait to be with her. He's nervous for a lot of reasons, but mostly he's just excited. Thinking about how she could bring him to his knees with just her hands or without even touching him at all, drove him absolutely insane with desire. He wanted her so badly he could feel it in his teeth.

At that thought, he realized that he better go get cleaned up before he made an even bigger mess of himself. It's only fifteen minutes until midnight, but Harry knew it was going to be a long fifteen minutes.

Back in her room, Hermione kept changing in and out of different outfits. One minute she'd feel completely sexy in something, but the next she'd feel like a total fraud. She was afraid that Harry wouldn't like it and as the minutes ticked away on her digital clock she felt the butterflies erupting in her stomach about everything. Fifteen minutes was going way too fast.

In the end, she decided that she should just wear something that makes her feel comfortable, so she put on her form fitting Hogwarts t-shirt, sans a bra because she liked Harry's reaction to that look earlier, and the matching workout shorts. Then she threw her hair into a ponytail, took a deep breath, and began making her way to the Room of Requirement.

Meanwhile, Harry was lying prone on the bed created by the Room and anxiously awaiting Hermione's arrival. Now he just wishes that it had taken him a little longer to get ready so that he wouldn't have any time to get nervous about everything. Then he heard the click of the door opening. All his nerves swarmed right to the pit of his stomach and he bolted upright on the bed.

As Hermione walked into the room, her breath caught. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. He easily had fifty candles burning, and soft music playing in the background. When her eyes finally reached him, she couldn't contain her smile. He looked a little embarrassed, and she thought it was the most adorable thing she'd ever seen.

“Harry,” she breathed, but he just shrugged.

“You deserve more than I could ever give you. I figured it was the least that I could do,” he said softly and then chucked a little. “I would have done the whole rose petals on the bed thing too, but I didn't wanna make you feel like you were in the middle of a cheesy soap opera.”

“It's perfect,” she smiled looking around again. “Thank you.”

“You're welcome,” he said, getting up and walking towards her. “You look great,” he commented. “I mean you always do, but…wow. Ok, I'm gonna stop talking now before you wanna run away,” he laughed, but she could tell he was getting flustered.

“Hey,” she said quietly. “Are you nervous?” she asked, getting close enough to grip his t-shirt in her hands.

Harry just swallowed and nodded.

“Me too,” she breathed.

“Are you sure that you want this?” he asked quietly, cupping her face gently.

“I know I want you,” she answered just as quietly. Harry just closed his eyes for a second, and let those words wash over him.

When he opened them again to stare into hers, his heart skipped a beat at the amount absolute trust he found there.

With that, he took a deep breath and moved forward to give her a gentle kiss on the forehead. Hermione felt her entire body relax at how sweet he was being, and she just licked her lips in anticipation as he kissed his way down her face.

When he reached her lips, she opened her mouth under his without hesitation, and immediately felt her knees buckle from the intensity. But before she had time to straighten herself, Harry was supporting her between the wall and his body. She could feel his erection against her thigh, and it excited her even more to think that she could turn him on so quickly.

“Mmm,” he grunted softly into her mouth, when she rubbed against his arousal as she was lifted up to wrap her legs around his waist. “You drive me crazy,” he breathed heavily, and then closed his mouth over hers again before she could respond. His tongue didn't neglect a single spot in her mouth.

“Oh my god,” she cried, breaking away from his lips. “Bed,” she barely managed to choke out before they were devouring each other again.

Harry wanted to be inside her so badly that he almost just dropped to the floor with her three times before they reached the bed. Once he had her comfortably positioned, however, he had his focus back. And his focus was to make this a night she'd never forget. Harry then covered her body with his and began kissing his way down her's.

Hermione couldn't help but arch her back from his actions. It felt so amazing to be this close with him, and she was relishing in every moment. She also couldn't help making an even bigger mess of his hair than it normally was, as he showered her neck with kisses and tentatively worked his hands under her shirt until he was circling her stomach with his thumbs.

She felt like she was sinking, but in a good way. And, in an effort to let him know she was ready to take things a step further, she ran her hands under his t-shirt and up his bare back. Then she worked them up and down his chest and stomach a few times until he had to break contact with her skin to catch a breath.

“Hermione,” he whispered quietly, and she took advantage of his momentary distraction to her touch by grabbing the bottom of his shirt and slowly lifting it over his head. Harry moaned softly at her actions, and then returned his attention to her neck and abdomen. This time, running his hands up to her ribcage. It was then Hermione's turn to moan when she felt him caressing the underside of her breasts with his thumbs.

“Harry,” she urged insistently, arching against him again. That was all the encouragement he needed before rubbing those rough thumbs across her already sensitive nipples. Hermione tried to contain her reaction to the sensations he was creating in her, but she never stood a chance. This moment has been dreamed of and anticipated for far too long to try and contain any reaction to it.

“Mmm…Don't stop,” she breathed heavily and a little louder than Harry expected, but he wasn't gonna complain. In fact, he was gonna be impressed with himself for quite some time for being the reason for her reactions, which were turning him on even more. He couldn't wait a second longer. He needed to see her.

With confidence, he then sat back on his knees, still straddling her body, and gripped the hem of her shirt with both hands. After a quick and instinctive glance to make sure she was still ok, he slowly removed her shirt to reveal the breasts that he's wanted to see since he was twelve. All he could do was stare.

When Hermione noticed the look on his face, she immediately began to feel self-conscious and moved to cover herself up with her arms.

“Don't,” Harry ordered, gently pinning her arms to the bed. “Do you have any idea how beautiful you are to me?” he asked with a meaningful look.

Hermione was a little blown away by his comment, and wasn't really sure if he was expecting an answer. Before she could open her mouth, however, he was kissing her again. In that mind-numbingly passionate way that made her lose all ability for rational thought.

Right when she felt like her lungs were gonna explode, he trailed his way down her body and began licking and sucking on her nipples, which caused her breath to explode out of her body before she ever had a prayer a catching it.

Harry loved every noise she was making, but really felt like he needed to get moving if things were gonna work out like he wanted. So then he sat back again, allowing himself a small grin at the unhappy noise she made when his mouth left her, and he lifted her leg up to place a tiny kiss on her ankle, and then her calf, behind her knee, and eventually her inner thigh, which he paid much closer attention to.

After a tantalizing minute or so, Harry removed his tongue from her inner thigh and replaced it in her navel. A sensation that Hermione was not expecting, but clearly enjoyed. She didn't even notice that he had also placed his hands on the waistband of her shorts until she felt them sliding down her legs.

A moment a fear struck her when she realized that she was almost completely naked, but that thought was quickly chased away when he began kissing his way up her other leg. This time, however, he did not pause at inner thigh, but rather her still cover center where he placed another soft kiss.

“Uh…Harry,” she choked out, wondering if he could feel her throbbing. Then she felt him dragging his tongue up her stomach, between her breasts, and finally across her lower lip, before he began kissing her again, slowly and with so much control it baffled her. Just like in his car earlier. She wanted to know how he had learned to be so sensual, but, more than that, she wanted to make him feel as wonderfully out of control as she felt.

Without breaking their kiss for a second, Hermione pushed up until they were both on their knees, and then pushed him onto his back, so that she was now the one straddling him and they were facing the foot of the bed. Then she pulled back from his lips and began kissing the pulse point under his chin, hoping it drove him even half as crazy as it did her.

Hermione loved the way he kept running his hands up her sides and down her back while she kissed him, and Harry loved how her bare chest felt against his.

“Hermione,” he sighed when she returned the favor, running her hands down his chest and licking the hollow of his collar bone. She continued like that for a few minutes assaulting his chest with her hands and tongue. Without asking, he then pulled out her ponytail because he wanted to feel her hair against him, as well.

“I had a dream like this once,” he whispered before he could stop himself, and Hermione smiled.

“Was I only kissing your chest in this dream?” she asked in a voice he didn't recognize.

His eyes told her that the answer was `no,' and she smiled. Then she sat back and, to Harry's surprise, removed his pajama pants and boxers all at once. He had to admit that he felt a little self conscious. This was the first time that he'd been totally naked in front of someone, and he couldn't place the look she had on her face. He hoped it was just the way he looked when he was staring at her breasts for the first time.

As she stared at him completely for the first time, she was so happy that she found the courage to bring this up. With that thought, she closed her eyes and kissed the top of his bent knee, which was his closest body part to her mouth. Then she laid her cheek against his knee and looked him right in the eye while running her hand up and down his leg. She wanted so badly to tell him she loved him in that moment, but didn't have the courage. Instead, she extended her hand to help him up so that they were face to face again. Then she ran her thumb along his bottom lip.

“I want you,” she breathed huskily, and was then beneath him again being kissed passionately before she could blink. Those weren't the three words she wanted to get out, but they were still three words that she meant. She could feel his erection between her thighs, and she knew it was really affecting him too because it wasn't long at all before she felt her panties trailing down her legs.

This time, she didn't feel the need to cover herself up. He made her feel confident, and they way he was looking at her made her feel sexy.

Once he had removed the last piece of clothing between them, he took a few seconds to try and memorize her. He never wanted to forget this moment or the way she looked. Naked, absolutely beautiful and, most importantly, totally trusting of him.

“Can you…?” she asked, breaking his concentration.

“I'll take care of it,” he whispered, dipping down and kissed her stomach in response, and then reaching for his wand to perform the contraception charm.

Her heart was racing again while Harry completed the incantation and she felt the warmth flow through her body as the spell's affects took hold of her. Then she felt him place his wand back on the side table, and watched as he slowly pulled back to look down where she had parted her legs slightly to let him know she was ready.

“I'm so sure about this, and I'm not gonna want you to stop,” she whispered, preempting the `Are you sure?' and the `I'll stop at any point if you want me to,' that she knew was coming.

Harry just grinned and then crawled between her legs, towering above her with his hands on either side of her head. The combination of his eyes gazing intently into hers and the feel of his member right against her, made her moan before he was even inside her. Harry had to grin again at her reaction.

“I'm ready,” she breathed, trailing her hands down his chest and grabbing him so she could help guide him inside her.

From the second his head entered her, Harry just wanted to close his eyes and go crazy, but he forced himself bite down and go slow. He wanted this to be perfect for her, and he wanted it to hurt as little as possible. He also wanted to cherish every second because he may never get the chance to be with someone he cares for so deeply again.

He noticed that she had her eyes closed, and her lower lip between her teeth. He didn't know if that was because she was enjoying or just bracing herself. When he felt resistance, he stopped and waited for her to open her eyes, and when she did, he swears that he never felt more overwhelmed in his life. He had to rest his head in the hollow of her neck and take a deep breath for a second to regain his control.

And that was the moment that he knew. He knew that know matter what happened after tonight, he needed her to know. And he needed her to know before the made love. He needed her to know that this was about more than just trust and physicality for him. He needed to say it, even if she couldn't fully understand it.

“Harry,” she encouraged, gripping the back of his head.

Then he lifted his head, and placed his forehead and lips against hers. He wanted to be looking her right in the eyes

“You're ok?” he needed to know. She just smiled, and caressed the side of his face. He also felt her tilt her pelvis to give him better access, and he knew she really was ready.

“I love you,” he whispered against her lips, and then plunged into her with one swift motion.

Harry was able to contain the groan that wanted to erupt from him, but Hermione wasn't able to hold in the cry that tore against his heart.

She had felt prepared and had braced herself for the moment, but lost focus when he told her he loved her. Now, he was completely inside her and, despite the discomfort that came with her first time, she couldn't get over how amazing it felt to have him as close as possible and she still marveled at his control. She knew it couldn't be easy for him not to move, but he was remaining totally still, she knew, until he told her she was alright to continue. She wanted to ask him if he meant what he said, but now was not the time. She'd overanalyze later. For now, she just wanted to live in the moment.

“Nothing has ever felt better than you,” he breathed quietly into her ear, breaking her train of thought and making her turn her head and meet his lips in the most passionate kiss they'd shared yet.

“Don't stop,” she then breathed. “I wanna make you feel good.” And she did. Because she loved him and because this was about him too, but, most importantly, because he's spent the last twelve years making her feel good and she wanted so badly to do the same for him.

“You don't even have to try,” he whispered, leveling his eyes with hers and linking their hands. Then he began to move slowly, waiting for her to get comfortable.

“Mmm,” she moaned, not so much out of pleasure as out of total fulfillment. And then he kissed her and it was like nothing she had ever experienced. His tongue was mirroring his thrusting, and he was moaning into her mouth.

He wanted so badly for her climax with him, but also knew that there was no way he'd last much longer. Her tongue in his mouth certainly wasn't helping with his control either, so he pulled away to just look her in the eyes again and slowed his actions. She could see in his eyes that he was trying to hold back, and that was the last she wanted him to do.

“Don't you dare hold back,” she breathed, coming up to meet his thrust. “You're not hurting me. You feel amazing,” she told him, and he did. The feeling of him inside her coupled with the thought that she was making love with her best friend, who she loved more than anyone, sent a jolt right through her body.

“Ha,” she cried out in rapture, starting to really feel why this was the extracurricular activity of choice at Hogwarts. Then she began meeting him thrust for thrust, and felt the pressure building inside her.

“Oh God,” he panted. “Hermione…I can't…”

“Just let go baby,” she whispered, while gripping the hair at the base of his neck. Then she rolled her hips into his again and he was gone. He pushed into her three more times, and then felt him stiffen and explode inside her, calling out her name a few times in the process. His eyes never left hers for a second until he collapsed on top of her from pure physical and emotional exhaustion.

His hot breath on her neck and their chests pushing against each other as they tried to catch their breath were not helping her still highly aroused state, but she didn't want him to go. She moaned softly in protest when she felt him slip out her, and then moved quickly to tighten her hold around his neck and to wrap her legs around his waist while he tried regaining control.

For his part, it took Harry a few minutes to think more than, `Sweet Jesus that was awesome.' Once he did, however, he quickly realized that the actual experience of being with her was practically indescribable. It was certainly far more than his dreams or fantasies had ever led him to imagine, but he couldn't put it into words.

“Thank you,” she then whispered into his ear.

“I feel like I should be the one thanking you,” he breathed back, and she laughed a little. Then he felt like he had enough focus to get back to his plan. He knew going into this that, as amazing as it'd be, there was about a 1% chance that they'd climax together. He certainly didn't intend to end the evening like this.

“I'm being serious,” she said, lifting is head up with both hands so she could look him in the eye. “This meant the world to me, and I just want to thank…”

But she couldn't finish her sentence because he had silenced her with a soft kiss.

“Don't thank me,” he said, pulling back with a grin and then leaning over to whisper in her ear. “We're not done yet,” he told her. Then he placed a soft kiss on her ear, which was followed by soft kisses all the way down her body until he reached her center, where he began kissing her passionately.

“Na…mmm, Harry,” she cried, completely out of breath again. She made sounds he'd never heard before with every stroke of his tongue, which made him pleasure her with an intensity that he's never given anyone else. When she wrapped her legs tightly around his neck, he couldn't help but grin right against her.

“Don't stop,” she almost begged, gripping his comforter, but that's exactly when he did stop because he had felt her clench around his mouth. “Harry,” she exclaimed, pushing up onto her elbows. “What…Oh my God,” she yelled, as he entered her again and all she could do was fall back. She definitely wasn't expecting this.

After her initial shock to his actions, Hermione quickly realized that she was having no discomfort at all. It only felt good now. Wonderful actually.

“Harry,” she moaned loudly, wrapping her legs around his waist, arching her back, and focusing on him as he repeatedly sank into her. She had her eyes closed, but her mental image of how they must look caused her to moan again. She was blown away by the driving desire she felt for release, so in order to speed things up, she began coming up to meet him every time he pressed into her. The only sound in the room was their heavy breathing and the smacking of their hips. This time, it wasn't about being gentle and totally focused on each other. It was all about passion, raw lust, and being totally focused on how they were making each other feel.

Going with that feeling, Hermione halted her actions for just a moment to push them both up without ever parting. Harry ended up sitting back on his knees, while Hermione was straddled above him. Then she came down on him hard and fast, which created a whole new level of sensations. They both paused to appreciate the new position, but that only lasted a second before Hermione began moving again at an even faster pace. Harry began to move faster, as well. Also, taking the time to run his rough hands all over her chest in the hopes of driving her over the edge. He really didn't want to come again before she did.

He really didn't have to worry, however, because a few thrusts later and he felt her clenching around him, which created an experience that was ten times more powerful than the one they shared a few minutes ago.

“Harry,” she cried out again, and he'll never forget the way it sounded. And then he heard a steady litany of “God yes,” in his ear as she rode out her orgasm. It wasn't long before he followed. Hermione felt him stiffen, and then just held on tightly as he released himself inside her again.

Hermione has no idea how long they held each other, lost in the feelings of the afterglow and every limb entwined. All she knows is that it wasn't long enough because forever wasn't long enough.

“Can I thank you now?” she asked quietly, running her hands through his messy hair and kissing his neck. He tasted salty from all the sweat, and it almost turned her on again when she realized that she didn't know if it was her sweat or his. They were completely covered in each other. Then she felt him smile against her shoulder in response to her question.

“What?” she giggled, pulling back to see his face. Harry just grinned and then pushed them back on the bed.

“How do you plan on showing your appreciation?” he asked.

“Any suggestions?” she countered with a raised eyebrow, but he just bit his lip and then kissed her.

“Believe me,” he told her. “You don't owe me a thing. Not even a thank you,” he smiled and then rolled off her. She immediately missed the feel of him inside her, and had to choke back the panic that wanted to well up at the thought that she may not get to experience it again.

“No regrets?” he asked with a furrowed brow, running a finger down the side of her face.

“Not for a second,” she smiled. “You?” she asked.

“Fuck no,” he told her, and she laughed at his declaration. “I'll be right back,” he whispered and then made his way to the bathroom.

Once the door was closed, Hermione stretched out like a cat on the bed and grinned. She felt totally sated and was ridiculously happy about it. That's also when she remembered his words from earlier. He had told her that he loved her. `Did he mean it?' she wondered. `Of course he meant it,' she told herself. `The question is how does he love you?'

“Are you trying to kill me?” he asked, surprising her.

“Huh?” she asked a little confused.

“Lying there,” he told her. “All naked and beautiful and stretched out on this bed,” he finished, climbing down next to her and lying on his side with his head propped up by his elbow and hand. “Are you trying to kill me?” he asked again.

All she could do was blush.

“Cold?” he asked coyly, motioning to her rock hard nipples. Staring at them so freely and without embarrassment is something he's wanted for so long. He doesn't want to give it up.

“Maybe,” she replied, turning her head towards him. “Or maybe you're just killing me,” she told him. “Horny?” she asked just as coyly, motioning towards his newly formed erection.

“Do you see what you do to me?” he asked.

“Tell me that charm you did was strong,” she laughed.

“It'll last a while,” he told her, taking her nipple into his mouth and teasing it for a few seconds before bringing his mouth to her ear. “If I only get to have you one night, then I want you all night,” he whispered and then began kissing her passionately.

They made love three more times before they were both completely exhausted. “Oh my God,” they said simultaneously as they came apart for the last time.

“This has been the most…,” she started. “The most…umm…Ok, I don't think the word has been invented yet that could describe this night,” she finished.

“Wholeheartedly agreed,” he confirmed, while yawning. “Sorry,” he apologized.

“It's alright. I'm really tired too,” she said.

“Let's get under the covers,” he told her getting up to fold down the bed. “You're not leaving, right?” he asked a little nervously.

“Not unless you…”

“I want you to stay. I want us to stay here,” he interrupted and she smiled.

In all honesty, this is the part that she was both looking most forward to and was the most nervous about, lying with him when everything was said and done. She hoped that it wouldn't be weird.

“Come here,” he said once they were both under the covers. He was lying on his back and had motioned for her to cuddle up against his side. She did it without thinking, curling up to him with her head right below his chin and her hand on his chest.

“Night,” he whispered.

“Good night,” she replied, smiling with her eyes closed when she felt him take her hand that was on his chest. Then out of nowhere, she felt him chuckle.

“What?” she asked tiredly.

“I was just thinking of something dumb,” he told her and then yawned again.

“What?” she wanted to know.

“Alright, but I warned you,” he said. “Ever see those MasterCard commercials when you were home over the summer?” he asked, and felt her nod a yes against his chest. “Well I was just thinking…Fifteen burning candles to set the mood: $15…Satin sheets for her pleasure…$500…Multiple orgasms courtesy of your best friend….”

And that's where they both lost it, laughing so hard that tears came to their eyes.

“You are so dumb,” she told him through laughter, and then placed a soft kiss on his lips. The meaningful look in her eye when she pulled back was enough to sober him. Again, she wanted to tell him that she loved him, but she didn't wanna chance ruining the perfect evening. So she just gave him one last kiss and then settled back into her previous position.

The last thought that went through her mind before she let sleep take her was, `What have I gotten myself into? One night just isn't gonna cut it.'

-->

When Harry woke up the next morning, he immediately felt an unfamiliar weight against his chest. His initial reaction, in his still sleepy state, was to push against it. Then, without warning, the events of the prior evening came rushing back to him, which did nothing to help his morning erection.


Once he was fully awake, he tried to move as little as possible in the hopes of getting the chance to just hold her for a while. It felt so nice to have her completely against him, and totally content was probably the best way to describe his state of mind.


“Hey,” he then heard, breaking into his thoughts.


“Hey,” he whispered back, a little disappointed that she was awake. He felt like this whole dream would end when she woke up, and he didn't know what to say to her. He just knew that he didn't want it to end.


“Morning,” she greeted, running her hand across his bare chest, which really wasn't helping his erection.


“Unfortunately,” he breathed, and she just bit her lip. She wasn't sure what to do either.


“Are you ok?” he asked, stilling her hand on his chest and holding it in his.


“Yeah,” she answered quietly. “A little sore, but that's natural,” she told him.


“I'm sorry,” he whispered, hating that she hurt, even if it was natural.


“Don't be,” she laughed, shifting even closer to him. “It's just a muscle that I need to work more,” she finished and felt him take a deep breath. “Ok…that didn't sound good, but you know what I mean,” she smiled.


“As long as you're ok,” he said.


“I am,” she told him, sitting up and wrapping the covers around herself. Harry sat up quickly, as well, hoping to hide his erection. He didn't want her to see because he was afraid that she'd try to take care of it. He didn't want her doing anything if she was hurting. However, he couldn't help but think how beautiful she looked, smiling at him with her hair all over the place.


“You're beautiful,” he told her, pushing some hair behind her ear.


“You got it backwards, Harry. You're supposed to sweet talk the girl before you take her to bed,” she grinned.


“Well, I've always been an unconventional guy,” he shot right back. “Can I tell you something seriously though?” he sobered.


“Anything,” she responded, but he remained quiet. “Harry?” she prompted, scared that he was trying to figure out how to let her down gently.


“Sorry,” he said, scratching his head like he does when he's nervous. “I just…uh,” and then he let out a sigh. `Shit,' he thought. `What do I say to her?'


Hermione was unsure how to take the distressed look on his face, so she decided it was time to make her graceful exit. “I should probably get out of here before someone sees me,” she said quickly, grabbing her shirt from the floor and throwing it over her head. Then she grabbed her shorts, and practically jumped out of the bed without worrying about her underwear.


“Hermione wait…I,” but he was cut off by her jumping back on the bed and softly covering his lips with hers before he could get anything out that made sense.


“Shh,” she whispered, putting a finger over his mouth when she pulled back. “I just want you to know that last night was amazing. You were amazing, and I will cherish it for the rest of my life. Thank you for making my first time so perfect,” she finished quietly, kissing him once more and then rushing from the room before he could see her tears.


Once she was safely inside her room with the door locked, she laid down on her bed and cried for an hour. She knew that she had no right to cry. Last night was all her doing, and it was everything she ever wanted, but it only made her want more. She knew this would happen, but she did it anyway because she could've never guessed that it'd hurt so bad.

***********************************************************************************

“Morning,” Harry heard, as he walked into the common room about a few hours after Hermione's disappearing act. He had been wondering the castle trying to sort things out in his head, but came to no significant conclusions.


“Oh…hey, Ron,” he greeted distractedly.


“You alright, mate?” Ron asked.


“Fine,” he started, taking a seat on the couch next to his best friend. “Just a little confused,” he admitted.


“Can I help?” Ron ventured.


“I'm not sure yet,” he answered honestly. Harry wasn't really sure how much he should reveal to Ron, but figured it was smartest to keep his mouth shut until he knew where he stood with Hermione.


He couldn't place the way she was acting this morning. At first she seemed fine, but then she totally freaked when he tried to talk to her. And she definitely seemed upset when she left the room. `Did she regret it?' he wondered. `Does she feel the same way as me, and is just too afraid to admit it, or afraid that I don't feel that way? Could I have hurt her more than she admitted?'


It was his last thought that got to him the most. He knew she enjoyed herself last night, but things did get a little rough at points and now she was hurting.


“I'll be right back,” Harry suddenly announced, jumping from his seat and running toward the library where he knew he'd find her. He paused a few feet from her table, and then quickly lost his nerve.


He didn't have time to turn back, however, because she picked that moment to look up and meet his surprised eyes.


“What's wrong?” she asked, immediately noticing the worried look on his face.


“Oh…nothing,” he recovered, walking beside her as she made her way down one of the aisles to return the book she was reading.


“Are you really ok?” he whispered.


“I'm fine,” she smiled, but it seemed a little forced.


“Hermione,” he breathed, grabbing her hand to prevent her from heading back to her table and pushing her against the opposing wall. “I…uh,” he started, but was quickly distracted by her eyes and proximity.


Hermione was really distracted, as well. The feeling of his hot breath on her face was causing her to have flashbacks from the prior evening. In particular, she couldn't help but remember how good his hot breath felt against her neck as he whispered her name incessantly while climaxing the last time they made love.


Caught up in the moment, Hermione closed in on his lips and began kissing him almost violently. Harry wasted no time in pressing his body against hers and running his hands up the back of her shirt. Control was quickly lost, despite the fact that there were more than a few people not far away. Then they unconsciously began moving forward and accidentally bumped into a book shelf, which proceeded to fall to the ground end.


The noise brought them apart quickly, both breathing heavily and extremely confused.


“What are you doing,” Madam Pince yelled in exasperation. “How many times do I have to tell you children that the library is not a play area?”


“Once too little I guess,” Harry tried to quip, avoiding Hermione's eyes.


“Well move along so I can get this cleaned up,” she said in an annoyed tone, waving them off.


“I'll help,” Hermione spoke up, turning from Harry and starting to pick up books.


“Hermione…,” Harry tried to begin, but she just ignored him. “Shit,” he breathed, walking away. He didn't understand what was going on.
********************************************************************************

About forty-five minutes later, Harry, Hermione, & Ron were sitting around her private common area and laughing over an old photo album that Hermione had insisted on pulling out.


“Give me a break,” Harry smiled, as she gave him that look and pointed to another picture of him.


“It's not my fault that you provided the most fodder throughout our formative years,” she grinned, meeting his eyes for the first time since they were interrupted in the library.


She looked away quickly, however, and it ripped at his heart. He needed to get her alone.


“Do you guys wanna take a walk or something?” Harry suggested. “I think I've had enough of memory lane for the moment.”


“Sounds good to me,” Ron piped in. “I was out earlier. It's not that chilly.”


“Mione?” Harry prompted with a huge grin.


“Just let me put on some shoes. I'll meet you guys outside,” she said.


“So what's going on with you guys?” Ron asked, as they made their way outside.


“What do you mean?” Harry replied, wanting to change the subject.


“How long have we known each other?” he asked in response. “I can tell when something's wrong. You two are acting weird”


“It's…,” he started. “Ok, listen…can you do me a favor?” Harry asked.


“Name it,” Ron told him.


“Can you pretend that you're not feeling well about fifteen minutes or so into our walk? I just need to get her alone for a few minutes, but I don't think I'll be able to do it without some help. I think she's gonna try to avoid me otherwise,” he sighed.


“Why would she do that?” Ron asked.


“It's complicated,” he started, but then caught sight of Hermione heading their way. “Please?” he asked, right before Hermione joined them.


“Alright boys, let's go,” she said, walking ahead of them a bit.


“I'm gonna miss this so much,” she breathed, once they had made their way down to the lake.


A few moments later, Ron started groaning and Harry let out a deep breath.


“Listen guys, I'm not feeling too hot, so I'm gonna head back. I'll meet up with you later,” he finished, walking away before either had a chance to respond.


“We should probably go back,” Hermione then started, a little out a breath. “He might need…”


“Hermione,” Harry interrupted. “Please walk with me?” he asked.


She couldn't say no to him. It's not his fault that she's in love with him, and it's not his fault that she's gotten herself into a situation that's the equivalent of an emotional powder keg. `He looks so sad,' she thought. `Like he did something wrong.'


“I'm sorry,” she breathed with a small laugh. “I'm acting so dumb.”


“It's fine,” he breathed. “I just didn't know if I did or said something,” he stopped at a loss for words.


She was just smiling at him, and then she moved forward to hug him tightly. `He's so sweet,' she thought for the thousandth time since all this started.


“I'm sorry,” she said again, pulling back and continuing to walk. “I've just thought about last night so much and for so long, but I never thought it would actually happen,” she smiled, stealing a quick glance to catch a smile on his lips, as well. “So, I guess I never thought about what would happen in the after. Then it was over way too fast, and I wasn't really sure how to act. I just know,” she stopped, taking a deep breath and looking him in the eyes. “I know that I don't regret it,” she said, putting her head down and holding her breath to wait for his response.


When he didn't say anything after a few seconds, she looked up to find him standing only a few inches away from her face.


“I know something too,” he echoed, taking her face in his hands.


“What?” she asked, out of breath.


“I know that I don't want this to end,” he whispered boldly, kissing her softly and hoping that she wouldn't push him away. It was a chance he had to take.


He relaxed when he felt her smile against his lips before pulling back.


“Well,” she smiled. “It certainly couldn't hurt. I mean, practice does make perfect, right?” she posed, wanting to hold on to the way he makes her feel for as long as possible. He just smiled right back at her. “And you're a pretty good teacher,” she complimented.


“Hey, I know as much about sex as you right now,” he admitted, looking a little embarrassed.


“You know more about everything else though,” she said, biting her lip. “And, believe me, I don't think anyone would've been able to tell that was your first time,” she finished, her cheeks getting red.


“Likewise,” he smiled.


“Thanks,” she replied.


“I'm not just saying that, ya know,” he wanted to clarify. “You didn't do a damn thing that I didn't love,” he laughed. “I can't stop thinking about it,” he breathed. “You made me feel so amazing.”


“What was your favorite part?” she asked suddenly, sitting down and wrapping her arms around her legs. “Besides the obvious, of course.”


“Besides the obvious,” he started, taking a seat beside her. “The third time,” he said right into her eyes. “You got on top of me, and…I wasn't even inside you yet,” he breathed heavily. “You dipped down and licked your way across my waist, and then you slowly crawled up me. I could feel every breath you took against my skin, and then the look you gave me before you kissed me,” he paused, closing his eyes and taking a few breaths in the hopes of regaining control of his voice. “I almost…well, you know… which really shouldn't have been an issue considering the considerable amount of release I'd already experienced that day,” he grinned. “It was…pretty wow,” he breathed heavily again. “You have NOTHING to worry about ever,” he declared.


“Thank you,” she said, feeling incredibly sexy.


“I also really…really liked it when you started speaking Spanish,” he grinned.


“What?” she asked in confusion.


“You don't remember?” he smiled.


“No, not at all,” she breathed.


“I'll take that as a compliment then,” he flirted, watching the blush crawl up her face. “And you can call me Papi anytime you want by the why,” he added with a laugh. “I didn't even know you spoke Spanish.”


“Oh my God,” she exclaimed in embarrassment, covering her face with her hands.


“Don't,” he smiled, pulling her hands away. “It was totally hot. I loved it. It turned me on even more, which I didn't think was possible. You're amazing,” he finished quietly.


She just smiled and met his eyes, so grateful that she had taken this leap with him.


“So…since we're on the subject,” he prompted.


“Oh,” she smiled, biting her lip again and looking down. She hadn't expected him to ask. “Well, I…uh,” she started.


“Don't be embarrassed,” he urged. “I mean, guys can't really be expected to be mind readers. We can only tell what you like in one of three ways. We can guess, which is probably never the best course of action, we can go off the noises you make, which I hear women are pretty good at improvising these days, or you can just tell us, which almost guarantees success,” he finished rationally.


“Well, I assure you that no improvising was necessary,” she confirmed.


“Good to know,” he smiled. “So…”


“I…um…well,” she hesitated. “I liked it when…when you went down on me,” she told him quickly, and then looked away.


“Well,” he started, grabbing her face and making her look at him. “I didn't even get to finish that,” he pointed out. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. “I'd really like to finish that some time by the way,” he whispered.


“What…when?” she stammered, and he couldn't help but grin at the thought that this amazing woman could want him again.


“Anytime you want, beautiful. Anytime. Every time,” he breathed.


“How about now,” she suggested with a confident grin that she couldn't believe had formed on her own mouth.


“Come on,” he laughed, grabbing her hand and jumping up.


“Where are we going?” she yelled, trying to keep up with him.


“Trust me,” he said, letting go of her hand.


She did, and just kept pace beside him. About two minutes later, he began to slow down by the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest.


“Harry?” she began to question, but was pushed up against a tree, and felt his tongue in her mouth, before she could get an answer out of him. “Mmm,” she groaned from the back of her throat, feeling the wetness quickly pool between her thighs. Then she felt his hands trail down to her butt, and lift her off the ground. She wrapped her legs as tightly around him as possible, and had flashes of wrapping them around his neck instead. “Harry,” she called out, needing to break away from the kiss to catch her breath.


Then she felt him sink to the ground, where he gently covered her body with his and felt no need to waste any time. In a lightening move, he removed her shirt and was kissing her again before she even realized that his lips had left her in the first place. `This man is dangerous,' she thought through a foggy brain, grinding against his leg.


“Impatient?” she felt him smile against her ear.


“Just trying to let you know what I want,” she whispered breathlessly. “As suggested,” she sighed, referencing their earlier conversation.


“I believe I said you should tell me,” he replied with a smile in his voice, meeting her eyes for a heart-stopping second.


“Hey,” she began to retort, but quickly lost her train of thought at the combination of his eyes boring into hers and the feel of the wind against her hardening nipples.


“I was getting the sense that you might want me to take off your bra,” he quipped, dipping his down and teasing her nipple without hesitation, while silently marveling at the sense of confidence he feels when he's with her like this. He wishes he had this confidence when they were both fully clothed.


“Oh God,” she panted, arching further into his mouth. “Harry,” she almost begged.


“I love the way that sounds,” he whispered, kissing his way down her body, and taking her pants with him. She felt a bit of a chill when left just in her underwear, but was quickly warmed up when he began kissing and running his hands up her legs.


Once he ran out of leg, however, she felt his thumbs in her waistband and released a breath that she didn't even realize she was holding. She lifted her hips up to help him, and then felt him slip her t-shirt below her like a blanket before completely removing her underwear.


Then he quickly kissed his way back up her legs, intoxicated by her scent. “Mmm,” he groaned from the back of his throat, sucking on her inner thigh. She felt the vibration throughout her body.


“Please,” she whispered, arching her lower back off the ground. Then he pressed her insistent hips down and worked his tongue inside her.


“Harry,” she cried out, trying to push her hips up again. He wasn't having it though, so she just had to settle for wrapping her legs tightly around his neck. Then he began running his hands over the tops of her thighs, realizing that trying to tame her hips wasn't where his main focus should be. Her enthusiasm was a major turn on anyway, and trying to keep up with her was kinda fun.


Somewhere in the back of her mind, Hermione realized that she was probably making his job a little harder, but she couldn't fight her natural impulse or her strong desire for release.


“Ah,” she moaned, throwing her head back as he circled his tongue around clit, and then began sucking gently. “Harry…harder,” she panted, and then felt him grin against her before giving her exactly what she wanted.


It didn't take long for her to go over the edge once he had intensified his actions, but she couldn't stop the scream that erupted when he surprised her by deftly slipping two fingers inside her while she was already climaxing.


“Oh my god,” she breathed, as he slowing kissed his way back up her body.


“I think you should never wear clothes,” he admired before kissing her, and then lying down on his side next to her.


“Mmm,” she smiled up at him, still feeling a little lightheaded. “You can do that anytime you want,” she laughed.


“Gladly,” he replied.


“So?” she questioned, sitting up. “How can I repay you?” she bit her lip, and began to trail her hand down his chest.


“Surprise me later,” he said with a little difficulty, stilling her hand. “I wouldn't want Ron to come back and ruin the moment.”


“True,” she agreed.


“Besides,” he clarified. “I got to see you naked again, so…”


“Shut up,” she cut him off with a playful smack in the head. “Have you seen my underwear by the way?” she then asked.


“Right here,” he said, pulling them out of his back pocket.


“And what were you planning on doing with those, Mr. Potter?” she mocked with a raised eyebrow.


“Just trying to be a gentleman,” he replied sarcastically, as he watched her slip her underwear and pants back on, and then stand up to shake her shirt. “I wouldn't want them to get all dirty,” he grinned.


“Harry,” she exclaimed. “Where's my bra?”


“Right here me lady,” he smiled, pulling it from his other pocket.


“I'm gonna hurt you,” she laughed.


“You can do whatever you want to me,” he said sincerely, as they began to make their way home.


“No worries. I plan to,” she acknowledged almost matter-of-factly


“Christmas vacation is looking up,” he quipped. “I can't wait until everyone goes home.”


“Well, I give you fair warning then that it's probably safest to keep snow bunny Parvati away from me if she decides to hand around,” she told him.


“Who?” he smiled


“Harry,” she sighed.


“She's not you,” he said with finality. “If I wanted to have sex with just anyone, I would. I'm kinda hot,” he said in a Paris Hilton-like voice, putting his arm around her.


“And so modest too,” she chuckled, feeling ten times better and deciding to use the walk back to figure out exactly how she was gonna `surprise' him.

-->

“Hey Ron,” Hermione greeted with a smile, as she and Harry walked back into the common room. She was afraid that everything that was happening could be read right on her face, but she couldn't stop smiling anyway. She just had an amazing orgasm…yet again…courtesy of the most amazing man, and he had his arm around her the whole way home. For her, it didn't get much better.

“Feeling better?” Harry asked, trying to keep up appearances.

“Actually no,” Ron replied.

“What?” Harry asked in surprise.

“Physically I'm fine. I'm just pissed. My mother needs me to come home for a few days,” he sighed. “Apparently, she can't handle being in the presence of Fleur without ALL her children there to support her.”

“Will you make it back for Christmas?” Harry asked, adding his own sigh. “The three of us were gonna have free roam of the tower.”

“I hope to, which is why I'm gonna leave right now. I figure if I give her a few days she might let me come back. I'm gonna go get my things,” he told them, walking out of the room.

“Ugh,” Hermione groaned in disgust. “Molly can be too much sometimes.”

“Hey,” Harry protested. “Is having a few days alone with me in this huge tower cause to groan. You should consider yourself lucky,” he smiled.

“Well,” she grinned, wrapping her arms around his neck. “I suppose it could be worse. I will enjoy the alone time with little Harry” she quipped.

“Glad to be of service,” he replied, wrapping his hands around her waist. “…and what do you mean by little?”

“Maybe little was the wrong adjective,” she teased.

“Maybe?” he asked against her lips.

“Yeah,” she breathed, trying to kiss him, but he pulled back slightly with an evil smirk.

“Maybe?” he questioned again, more quietly this time.

“I hate you,” she whispered back.

“Really?” he asked.

“No, not even a little,” she breathed, kissing him deeply.

“You sure?” he smiled.

“Yeah,” she smiled back, kissing him again and gripping his neck almost possessively.

Things were about to get out of hand when they heard Ron bounding down the stairs with a suitcase.

“You're gonna be the death of me Granger,” he breathed heavily, moving to the other side of the room.

She just gave him a sexy grin that didn't help his state at all.

“That was fast,” she commented to her friend, as he entered the kitchen again.

“Well, it's not like I folded anything,” Ron informed them.

“Naturally,” Harry offered.

“I gotta get going if I'm gonna catch the last train,” Ron acknowledged. “Enjoy have the tower to yourself and practically the whole castle. This really sucks.”

“I chose to think positively,” Hermione piped in. “I'm banking on everything being resolved in enough time for us all to be together.”

“I'll be praying for that,” Ron smiled, giving Hermione a hug and kiss on the cheek.

“I'll see you in a few,” Harry said, giving his friend a hug, as well.

“See you soon,” Ron waved as he walked out the entrance.

“This sucks,” Harry breathed.

“It really does,” she agreed. “But I'm still choosing to stay positive. We need to look on the bright side.”

“Which is?” he asked.

“Well…I rather thought it was obvious,” she bit her lip and walked towards him.

Harry just took a deep breath and watched her…almost willing her to slow down. He wanted to freeze this moment in time. The way she looked. The way she made him feel.

“We have the tower to ourselves,” she sighed, replacing her hands around his neck and pulling him close.

“How do you suggest we take advantage of that?” he asked.

“I…,” she kissed him. “…wanna spend…,” she kissed him again. “…the afternoon in bed,” she finished with a longer kiss. “Ron's,” she added with a grin.

The idea turned him on immediately, and he quickly picked her up and threw her over his shoulder, taking the stairs two at a time and thanking the heavens that girls had no problems getting to the male dorms.

“Put me down,” she laughed.

He obliged when they reached Ron's bed, depositing her gently and then crawling towards her like a lion stalking its prey.

“This is gonna be fun,” she managed to breathe before he kissed her and pushed her down on the bed, covering her with his body.

It felt to her like they'd been kissing for years because there was absolutely nothing awkward about it. It was so natural, and felt so right. She loved his tongue, and she'd be totally content to just kiss him all afternoon, never letting her hands roam farther than his unruly hair. Her body had other ideas, however. Not to mention his.

“You're the best kisser,” she whispered when he pulled back for a moment to take a breath.

That made him smile into their next kiss. “I love kissing you,” he breathed, and then began sucking on her neck.

“Mmm,” she sighed, as he continued, and ran his hands under her shirt and up and down her sides.

“I have to go get a condom or something,” he sighed into the crook of her neck. “Or do you know how to do a protection spell?”

“Did one already that lasts a month,” she told him, pulling him into an impossibly deep kiss. “Did I forget to mention that last night?”

“That's even better,” he breathed heavily, kissing her passionately again. As seemed to be the case of late, it took about ten seconds for things to get totally heated between them.

Then he sat up and removed her shirt, smiling slightly to himself. `How lucky am I?' he thought.

“Why are you smiling?” she grinned up at him.

“Just thinking how lucky I am to be taking your shirt off for the second time in an hour,” he smirked. “Plus, I was right before,” he said, undoing her bra, as well, and throwing it to the floor. “You should never wear clothes,” he sighed in appreciation, staring at her for a moment and then moving forward to suck gently on one of her nipples.

Hermione moaned softly, gripping the back of his head and arching into his mouth. She definitely loved his tongue. `And his hands,' she thought, as he moved them down her body, in a maddeningly slow fashion, while never letting up with his tongue. Then he pulled her pants about halfway down while kissing his way over to her other breast. Hermione finished what he started by kicking her pants off, and then wrapping her legs around his waist to grind against him with purpose.

Then it was Harry's turn to moan against her chest, a sensation that sent a shutter throughout her body.

“Baby,” she breathed quietly and without even thinking. It was like he put her in her own little world. That was not a word she used.

“I like it when you call me that,” he then whispered in her ear, bringing her back to reality.

“Well…Babe,” she teased, rolling him onto his back. “You're wearing far too many clothes.”

“These jeans are getting a bit uncomfortable,” he panted, and Hermione could feel why.

“Patience,” she told him, pushing his shirt up slowly and leaning forward to kiss his skin as it was exposed.

“You're evil,” he chocked out, trying to remove his shirt, but her grip was firm. “Hermione,” he almost begged.

“Patience,” she told him again, coming up to meet his eyes with a grin. Her mind was changed, however, when she saw the raw and hungry look in his eyes. “Ok,” she breathed heavily. “Patience next round,” she smiled, removing his shirt and then quickly going to work on his pants.

She took his jeans and boxers off in one motion and Harry sat up to rip her panties right off without apology. Then he grabbed her hips and pulled her up and right down on him like she weighed two pounds.

They moaned in unison, as she sank all the way down on him, but their stalled appreciation of the feeling didn't last long once the desire for release overcame all else. They began moving against each other then, eyes locked and arms totally wrapped around each other. Hermione loved this position. She felt like she was as close to him as humanly possible in this position.

She wanted to kiss him, but wanted even more to just focus on the way it felt to have him inside her. And the feeling of his strong chest against hers. She threw her head back then and moaned loudly after a particularly forceful and focused thrust. It felt great to be alone with him, and to be able to vocalize the way he made her feel without restriction.

The aural stimulation he was creating in her caused Harry to be even more turned on, as well. In fact, nothing turned him on more.

“God…right there,” she panted, arching away from him. “So perfect.”

Harry could tell that she was close, so he pulled her back and as close to him as possible. She had her eyes closed and she was biting her bottom lip, whimpering with his every upward stroke.

“Open your eyes,” he breathed heavily against her lips.

Hermione moaned again at his words, having a flashback to one of her dreams.

“Open your eyes,” he said again, bringing a hand up to her face. “I wanna see your eyes.”

She opened her eyes then per his request, and almost came immediately just from the look he was giving her. It was so fervent. A few moments later she felt herself clenching around him, but she never closed her eyes. It was the longest and most satisfying orgasm of her life, and she'd had plenty of practice on herself. `He always was a quick leaner,' she thought fleetingly, knowing that half the reason it was so intense was because she loved him and he was watching her the whole time.

“Mmm…Harry,” she sighed, falling limply against him. “That was…oh,” she suddenly called out, realizing that he was still totally hard inside her. “Sorry,” she smiled. “You completely distracted me for a minute there.”

Harry was breathing heavily and his hairline was damp with sweat, but the look in his eye was still strong. In short, he never looked better.

“Are you close?” she breathed, kissing him deeply.

All she got was a grunt in response, so she kissed him again and then began riding him slowly, clenching and unclenching her muscles as she went.

“Please go faster,” he whispered in her ear. Her slow teasing was driving him insane.

“Here,” she told him, lying on her back and bringing him down with her. “As hard as you want,” she whispered in his ear and then gave him a `go ahead' smile.

Harry just groaned in response and then quickly got to his knees and began pounding into her harder than he would've ever dared had he not been given express permission.

Hermione reached back and grabbed onto the edge of the bed in response to try and brace herself. “You're so beautiful,” he breathed heavily, appreciating the view he had from his position.

Hermione swears that she saw his eyes go two shades darker right before she felt his body stiffen. Then he released himself inside her, along with the sexiest moan she'd ever heard.

She welcomed his weight on top of her, and his hot breath on her neck, when he fell forward a moment later.

“Am I too heavy?” he asked.

“No stay,” she said quickly, wrapping her legs around him.

“Come here,” he said, pulling out of her grasp and bringing them back to the head of the bed. She settled comfortably on his chest and listened to his heart slow down. After a few minutes, she couldn't stop her giddy laughter.

“What?” he questioned.

“Ron would flip out if he knew about this,” she laughed.

“Kill me is more like it,” Harry added.

“How many women do you think he's had in this bed?” she asked.

“A fair few I'm sure,” he smiled. “Ok I know, and have unfortunately heard on occasion.”

“Mmm,” she grinned, climbing back on top of him and settling her lips close to his. “I bet he doesn't satisfy them half as well as you satisfy me,” she told him, kissing him deeply and then feeling his erection again in record time.

“Fuck patience,” he breathed, rolling her over onto her back.

“Deal,” she agreed, and he was inside her again before she could get the whole word out. Their tongues battled for supremacy as their hips met in a frenzied fashion.

When he pulled back from their kiss, he saw that she had reverted to biting her lip again, so he drew her lower lip between his to prevent it. “Don't hold back,” he told her. “I want to hear you.”

And from then on, she didn't hold back at all because who knew when she'd get another opportunity to be completely free like this. She responded, and loudly, to every one of his thrusts, and Harry loved every second. He knew she loved it too when he felt her fingers digging into his back and her orgasm rippling through his body a few moments later. It didn't take him long to follow, and then they were back trying to catch their breath again.

“Oh God,” she sighed in his ear, as he nestled against her neck. “It felt good to scream. I'm spoiled now. It's gonna be hard to go back to holding it in when everyone gets home.”

She felt his smile against her neck at the comment. “So I don't have to worry about this ending after break?” he asked.

“Not a chance,” she grinned, stroking his back.

“Good,” he whispered. “Because I've absolutely fallen in love with making love to you.”

She felt her heart begin to race again at his words. She thought for a split second that he was gonna tell her he loved her. He didn't, but she certainly had no room to complain, seeing as she was currently in his arms, naked, and totally sated.

She felt herself begin to doze then, until he rolled off her.

“No,” she protested weakly.

“Come here,” he told her. “I don't wanna fall asleep on top of you.”

She obliged quickly, curling up in his arms and falling asleep in minutes.

Harry sighed when he felt her breathing steady. He was tired, but fighting sleep. He wanted to take the opportunity he missed this morning, and just hold her for a while. It felt great, and all he could think about was how much he wanted to tell her he loved her. He didn't wanna scare her though, and he certainly didn't wanna ruin this. He wanted to hang onto this as long as possible. She sure knew how to make a guy feel amazing, and he loved being that guy. Despite his best efforts, however, he couldn't keep his eyes from dropping for long. His body was tired, and the warmth of her body seeping into his was like a sleeping pill.

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