A/N: Hi again! Welcome to chapter 2! I've included an * in the chapter as a reference guide. I put the info for it at the bottom. :) There will definitely be a 3rd chapter (which has already been started), and should hopefully be up in a few days, but may be delayed due to Christmas. Enjoy and thanks for reading (and reviewing)!
Chapter 2: I Spy
(Outside)
The three spies sighed in unison as Harry told Hermione the history of the desk.
"I knew they'd gone to his mum and dad's house during the summer after their sixth year, but I didn't realize Harry had brought anything back from there. From what Ron told me, the place was in shambles," Ginny said thoughtfully to her friends.
"I can only imagine the pain he must feel when he thinks about his parents," Lavender said, sorrow evident in her voice.
"He seems to be taking things well at the moment," Luna reflected. "I mean, Hermione is getting louder, and I'm sure it's all Harry's doing."
They all looked down at the small pool of light emitting underneath Harry's door. With their Extendable Ears placed just inside the bedroom, the girls could easily hear Hermione's enthusiastic responses.
"Oh-to be a fly on that wall!" Lavender mused.
Smiling mischievously at Lavender, Ginny sprang to her feet and ran as quietly as she could down the hall to the spare room. A few moments later she returned, holding something silver in her hand.
"Not a fly exactly, but we can be a B.U.G.," Ginny replied, her wicked grin widening.
"What's that?" Lavender inquired.
"It's not a nestle-toed snargle, is it?" Luna asked in her usual mysterious voice.
"A wha-no, no. It's a B.U.G. or a Brilliantly Undetectable Gadget; it's a creation of Fred and George's. Back in my third year during the Triwizard Tournament, when Rita Skeeter was posing as a beetle to get her stories-that's when they came up with the idea. They're still testing it right now, but they gave me one to try. And this seems like the perfect time to experiment with it!" Ginny said.
"So, er…" Lavender said, her eyebrows disappearing behind her fringe, "what exactly does it do?"
"Well," Ginny said, holding up the silver beetle-shaped device, "it is a piece of surveillance equipment. It captures both audio and video, and transmits it to a separate receiver. And it's really cool how Fred and George disguised them as beetles so that anyone who might see them would think they're just an insect."
"But how can that not be noticed, love? It's silver!" Lavender said.
"Because this"-Ginny held up the B.U.G.-"uses the same technology as Fred and George's Shield Hats; they become invisible once activated. Which is why they're called `Brilliantly Undetectable,'" she said, blowing raspberries at Lavender.
And with that Ginny activated the little B.U.G. with her wand just as Hermione let out a gasp from the other side of the door.
*****
(Inside)
Harry's delicate licking of her spine had caused Hermione to forget everything else; so when Harry's hands snaked into her dress and reached around to her lower abdomen, she gasped in surprise as the electricity coursing through his skin transferred into hers. She suddenly experienced a new sensation, like that of electrified butterflies twirling out of control in her stomach, spreading to the tips of her fingers and toes. Quick as lightning, she straightened up in the chair.
"Oh God," Hermione said into her arm, "Harry!"
"Hermmm-mione," he whispered against her back.
Hermione bit her lip as Harry's right hand, and then his left, crept up her stomach, making their way around her side and down her back, gently squeezing her soft skin. Harry inhaled deeply, drunk on her intoxicating scent of sweet peas*.
"You smell so good," Harry whispered, his mouth still against her, his words vibrating against her lower back, tickling and teasing her with a single breath.
Their collective nervousness melted as he became more daring. Hermione writhed in the chair as Harry's palms made a few more circles on her stomach. Then, as if in a dance only they knew, his hands traveled upwards, beneath the thin straps that clung to her dampening skin, while her arms came down to her sides.
Harry kissed a final line up her spine, his lips following his trailing fingers that peaked at her shoulders. As he pushed her dress strap aside, he kissed her now bare right shoulder. Hermione tilted her head to the right as Harry moved his hands down her arms, gently raised her to her feet, and turned her around to face him.
Hermione closed her eyes as Harry leaned into her, their lips meeting, neither hesitating to allow the other access. Hermione wrapped her arms around Harry's neck, her fingers finding refuge in his untamable hair.
Feeling that she would drown if she did not hold on as tightly as she could, she leaned into Harry with all of her weight. She moaned his name against his lips, her right hand caressing his neck. She found the collar of his shirt and traced down it to the first button, which she then proceeded to undo with remarkable stealth. Gracefully, she guided her fingers down the row, each small plastic nub succumbing to her, eventually losing the battle of clothing Harry.
Once the buttons were undone, Hermione slipped a hand just above Harry's pants and ran it up his stomach. Surprised, Harry's breath caught in his chest, while his hands, which had been resting on her upper back, traveled first to her waist, gripping it gently, before coming to rest just above her arse.
Hermione broke the kiss but her lips never left his skin. She kissed along his jaw line, down his neck, and across his shoulder. Her finger traced a line from his chest to his navel, and then teasingly ran it along the waist of his trousers, letting it slip slightly under the band. In response Harry's hands moved over her arse and cupped it gently.
*****
(Outside)
Just as the B.U.G. crawled under Harry's bedroom door, Ginny motioned for Lavender and Luna to follow her as she leapt to her feet and hurried down the hall to the guest room, quickly shutting the door behind them.
"Back so soon? Don't tell me Harry's a minute man!" Draco exclaimed, trying to hide his laughter.
Ginny gave him a contemptuous look, "No. Smart arse. Remember the B.U.G. Fred and George gave me to try? Well, I've found the perfect use for it!"
Ginny rummaged through her bag once more before pulling out a small silver box. She tapped the lid of the box with her wand, causing it to open. As the lid lifted, the box itself began to increase in size until its full contents were visible. From inside it, Ginny pulled out a flat panel monitor and two speakers. She quickly invoked a Silencing Charm on the closed door, then activated the unit.
Everyone in the room gathered around the screen as it came to life, displaying two figures in a dimly lit room. One person had their back turned to the eager viewers; the other remained hidden by the first. Ginny shook her head disdainfully and tapped her wand to the screen. This brought forward a directional control panel with four arrows pointed outward in a cross shape, resembling a compass. Ginny then tapped her wand on the left arrow, which in turn moved the B.U.G. to the left as well, its handy cloaking charm preventing the two figures in the bedroom from noticing it.
The spectators now had a clear view of both Harry and Hermione; everyone crowded around the monitor, watching with interest. Ginny turned up the volume on the speakers and tapped the screen again to access a second control panel. From this panel she selected the focus option and zoomed in on the unfolding scene.
*****
(Inside)
Hermione placed both palms on Harry's firm stomach and slid them up slowly, completely exposing his chest. She felt the shirt catch from where it was tucked into his trousers and pulled it up and out. Once it hung free, she slid her hands up and over his shoulders, allowing the shirt to fall to the floor.
As Hermione removed his clothing, Harry let his arms fall to his sides. As soon as the fabric left his skin, his hands sought refuge on her hips. In turn Hermione held Harry at arm's length and stepped back slightly to take in this new vision before her. She smiled timidly, drinking in the expanse of his bare chest and stomach. Their eyes met for a moment, full of unspoken desire.
Then, Hermione kissed a line from Harry's left collarbone to his right. Languidly, she moved down his torso, kissing his pecs and flicking her tongue around his erect nipples, her nimble fingers deftly removing his belt.
Her hand slipped into his pants once more; her lips met his again in desperation. She pulled him closer until their bodies were flush. Still cupping her arse, Harry pulled her equally tight to him, deepening the kiss. His palms slid deliberately up the slope of her back, and his fingers laced over the thin straps of her dress, barely brushing her skin, causing her to shudder under his touch.
Continuing upward without pause, Harry slipped the tiny strips of fabric off her shoulders, kissing from her jaw line to her neck. Hermione moaned softly as her dress slipped down her body, exposing her bare breasts.
She lifted her arms slowly, releasing them from the confines of the straps. Harry marveled at her beautifully exposed form; he'd never witnessed anything so awe-inspiring. Hermione cupped his face in her hands; she licked his lips seductively. As she pressed her bare chest to his, she bit her lip. The feel of his searing skin against her generated a surge of pain and pleasure unlike any she had experienced before.
Harry's hands nestled in the folds of her dress, now gathered at her hips. Hermione placed her hands over his and guided them past her curves, stripping her clothing in their wake. The light fabric fell silently to the floor around Hermione's feet. She stepped out of it slowly and nudged it to the side with one high-heeled shoe.
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* Sweet Pea is a very fragrant flower used for perfumes.
Once again, thanks to my great beta's! I have 3, Robin, Alicia, & Chris, who are all wonderful! And thanks to Chris for helping develop the idea of B.U.G.s!
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