White House
Harry stared at the spec sheet he was holding, willing himself to make a decision. Hermione was quietly talking to Miss Wallengampit on the porch of the latest house he had gone through. He liked two of the houses, the last ones he had seen, but none of them pulled him in. A passing breeze rustled the paper out of his fingers and it fluttered a few feet away, landing softly on the grass. Bending down to retrieve it, it was lifted aloft again and this time floated a good way down the sidewalk until coming to rest under a tree.
"For bloody sakes," Harry grumbled, not in the best of moods. This wasn't fun anymore for him and he could see Hermione was getting a bit impatient that he hadn't made a decision yet. He walked quickly to the tree and snatched it up before it could float away again. As he did, his eyes caught the flash of something bright between the trees drawing his attention to structure behind the small grove. Walking a bit further he saw a 3W sign floating at the end of a tree covered walkway.
"Harry!" Hermione yelled cupping her hands around her mouth, "What're you doing? Wrong way!" Harry looked back at her and then down the walkway to what he knew ended at a house. He stood his ground and waved Hermione over with Miss Wallengampit not far behind.
"What's down here? I see your sign but never saw a spec sheet for," Harry glanced at a wooden sign nailed to the tree, "Seventy-three-and-a-half Hogsmeade Lane?"
"Oh," Miss Wallengampit waved her hand as if dismissing the idea. "This house is way over priced. The original owners, the Gladrags, won't let it go for less than two hundred thousand galleons. They've moved on to Paris and pretty much have all the time in the world to sit on this house to get what they want out of it. I didn't think you wanted to spend that much on a home, being that you're so young."
"Well, I'd like to see it and be the judge of that myself…please," Harry told her with a note of authority in his voice that Hermione hadn't heard at all in the past year. Standing next to Harry she could feel that strange force radiating from him; noticing it was much stronger than before. As Miss Wallengampit nodded and raised her wand to accio the paperwork, Hermione took Harry's arm to move him aside for a private conversation, but was amazed to feel a kind of magic surge up her arm and straight down to the pit of her stomach exploding in a warmth. With a small "oh" she jumped back and stared at her hand then his arm. Harry glanced down at her, eyebrows raised at her sudden movement.
"What?"
"What's up with you? You're radiating magical energy all over the place!" Hermione blurted out, shoving her hands in her pockets so she wasn't tempted to touch him again. The feeling that coursed through her, for the few seconds her hand lay on his arm, shot to her very core and sent blood pounding to places that should not be that sensitive while standing in the middle of Hogsmeade Lane.
"I am? No one has said anything about it and I was at school all morning." He looked down at himself, arms spread wide and Hermione couldn't help by smile at the simple gesture. "I feel fine. I just want to go see this house, that's all."
He turned back towards the lane and glanced down the walkway. All he could see was a white house with a shiny roof, and the numerous trees that seemed to shade it from the road. It was set back about thirty feet from Hogsmeade Lane and the whole length of the yard, from the street to as far as he could see was covered with trees.
"Okay, here it is. Let me know if you have any questions." Miss Wallengampit walked up and traded spec sheets with Harry. He began reading down through the parchment as the three of them walked down the walkway.
"73 and a half Hogsmeade Lane-listed May 1.
G200,000
Built in 1888, this spacious house is one of the newer homes in Hogsmeade. Numerous trees shade this three level abode from the street, but once they reach the house fade away into open land. The property sits on three acres and the outermost edge of the property borders the railroad. A small porch adorns the front of this home as well as a stone patio in the back. Once inside you are greeted by a nice sized two story foyer with marble and limestone floors. On the main floor there consists a living room, a new kitchen, bathroom and a large, sunny office/library. Upstairs, you will find three large bedrooms and one small den, along with two full baths. One full bath is housed in the master suite, which has a gorgeous view of the countryside out the back of the house. In the basement, the older kitchen is still in working order as well as ample storage space for anything you may have. The attic is accessible to owls, bats and eagles. Two fireplaces are accessible for flooing; one in the master bedroom and one in the living room. The current owners, Gladius and Principella Gladrags have been the owners for the past fifty years and have made every magical update imaginable."
Wordlessly, Harry handed the paper to Hermione who was keeping a longer than usual distance from him. Standing on the porch, giving Miss Wallengampit privacy to cast the appropriate password charm, Harry took time to appraise the outside. It was white brick with a shiny, silver roof. The porch was small but covered, and there were four sets of windows on either side of the porch. A large wooden door squeaked slightly as it was pushed open.
"Here we go, Mister Potter-."
"Harry," both Hermione and Harry corrected and he laughed softly. "Please," he added and Miss Wallengampit nodded, stepping to the side so Harry could take in the two story foyer. Looking up he saw a walkway to what must be the bedrooms connected to a curving, carpeted staircase. His eyes followed the stairs down, where he saw Hermione looking at the banister. Her hand was tracing a pattern he couldn't discern, and then she looked up. For a moment he forgot everything else about the house. His vision seemed to zero in on the way she stood at the bottom, poised as if she was going to climb the stairs and the emotion that flooded him rendered him speechless. The house seem to fit her perfectly. In his minds eye, he could see her walking up those stairs to her bedroom, carrying a book or a glass of water and she looked so at home he knew, right then and there, he needed this house.
"Harry?"
Harry started and swung his gaze to Miss Wallengampit who regarded him curiously.
"Would you like to walk down this way and look at the other rooms?"
"Sure," Harry agreed walking behind Hermione as they moved past the stairs and into the living room.
---
As Harry walked into the sunny office/library, hearing Miss Wallengampit's footsteps echo away from them down the hall, he also heard the unmistakable sound of Hermione's gasp. He was about to ask her what was wrong when he figured it out for himself. To his right and left were floor to ceiling bookcases, covering the entire length of the walls. Ladders adorned each side so one could get to the very topmost shelf. All were empty; all were a deep rich wood that shone with age, love and care.
The set of four windows in front of him opened up onto a backyard that was spacious and ran straight out to a small ridge of trees, and beyond that he knew there were train tracks. As he walked towards the ladder on the right wall he felt the pull to look behind him. As he did his green gaze slowly swept over the windows then found Hermione staring above him at the bookcases. The look on her face was one of utter bliss. He wanted to see that face, the one that showed every emotion, again and again. The way her lips parted, the way her eyes were sparkling, the slight flush to her cheeks, her hands clasped together and under her neck, almost as if she was praying "thank you" to a God.
He knew that at that moment, this house was his. No matter what the price. It was the least he could do for someone who had been his better half for a decade, and if it made her happy it made him happy. And he was transfixed watching this rare moment pass across Hermione's face and body. He backed himself up against the ladder, needing something to support him and he also needed to hold her. He had no idea why, but his body ached for her to be pressed against him.
Clearing his throat she looked over at him and the look in her eyes was one he had never seen. Desire. Not knowing what else to do, he smiled at her and nodded that this was the house.
Hermione ran over and hugged him so hard he fell back further against the ladder. He managed to catch her with one arm, and the ladder behind him with the other arm so they wouldn't fall.
"God, Hermione can you imagine how many books you could fit in here?" Harry laughed, situating himself against the ladder so he felt balanced enough to hold onto her with both hands.
"Millions," she gasped and Harry let out a low laugh, pulling her closer so he could bend and whisper into her ear.
"Maybe not that many, but your rare books would fit perfectly on that top shelf. That way Crookshanks couldn't shed on them. And, I can just see your tomes on those middle shelves, the ones that are twice as tall as the rest? They'd fit perfectly in there. Of course, I'd have a small corner for my six books on Quidditch and the Hogwarts: A History that you bought me."
"You can have more than a small corner; it's your house," Hermione murmured, and moved so she was standing on the bottom rung of the ladder and was now face to face with him. Pulling back to look up at the top shelf, she grabbed the ladder railing on either side of his arms to keep steady. As her eyes met his they locked, and neither one seemed to move or breathe, as they both realized what kind of position they were in.
Hermione didn't want him to move; she didn't want herself to move. His body was radiating a heat that she could feel in her bones, and despite trying to look away, move away, or talk, she was drawn to him. When he started talking, his voice took on a husky quality she was sure she had never heard from him and Hermione could feel herself spinning out of control right there.
Through the ceiling they could hear the slow footsteps of Miss Wallengampit.
"I don't need more than a small corner. The rest is yours, Hermione. Your Muggle and Magical Encyclopedia's can fit in here. All those volumes on Magical Artifacts and Their Powers can be shelved together," Harry whispered, startled to feel her head fall to his shoulder. His arms tightened around her, bring her effectively closer and through the thin cotton shirt, he could feel her heart beating quickly; quicker than what he thought was normal. His heart picked up and seemed to race along with hers as the thought dawned upon him to keep talking about books, anything to keep her pressed up against him. He reached into the depths of his brain, recalling titles of books she had mentioned or he had seen, maybe even read back in school.
"Your new, first edition copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them could have it's own special spot. God, Hermione with all these shelves you will have to go out and find more books to fill them or the room will look empty," Harry told her as his hand began rubbing her back, feeling her press closer and her hips now pressed against his in the most intimate manner. "Or, maybe we could find you that book Erratic Movements of the Planets: A Magical Interpretation."
"Yes," she whispered and her voice sounded thick, lower than he had ever heard it before, causing him to wonder what she was thinking. He felt the need to keep talking, so he plugged on remembering titles of books that randomly popped into his head.
"Transfiguration Secrets Revealed would be a great addition to your collection. I might actually have to read that one."
Harry felt one of her hands move to his shoulder and grab it with a strength that he didn't know she had. Tentatively, he stroked his hands down her back, slower and more deliberate than he had ever done before…and he felt her respond as he pressed his palms against the small of her back. Slowly, purposefully she pressed her hips against his, bringing blood to body parts he never thought would be pressed against Hermione of all people.
`Holy shit, this is brilliant,' was all Harry could think through the pounding in his body, feeling every part of her pressed against him. Then, the thought crashed into his head that a combination of him talking about the books, and the fact they were in a library pressed together, had completely turned her on. Based upon the grip she had on his shoulder and the fact her mouth was pressed against the crook of his neck clued him in that she was trying to rein it in, control it. A wicked thought passed through Harry's head and it went un-checked. A primitive part of him wanted to experience Hermione whirling out of control.
"Remember that book I found in Florish and Blotts?" Harry asked, bringing a hand up to her neck, pulling her hair away from it. Lightly he let his fingers rest on the back of her very warm skin, feeling the fast race of her pulse. "Remember the one called Theories of Purebloods and Sex? I might have to buy that and add it to this library, just for conversations sake…it'd definitely be stimulating. Oh, and imagine all of your childhood books, sitting on the lowest shelf for Will to pull out and read at his leisure."
It wasn't his imagination. Now she was moving against him, causing the ladder to move a bit from side to side as he
shifted his balance and tightened his arm around her waist. The thumb on his other hand began making absentminded
circles on the base of her neck causing her to arch into him even further.
"Imagine, Hermione," Harry whispered in her ear, wondering what in the hell was possessing him to play along with this. He hadn't counted on the fact that she'd be rubbing against him and it felt incredibly good. Knowing they could get caught heightened the erotic sensation. He could still hear the footsteps upstairs in a different part of the house now. "We could read in here all day, especially when it rains. I know how you love to read when it rains."
He heard a small gasp come from his shoulder and his hand tightened on her neck as he felt her grasping the rail with her free hand; she was bearing down onto him, into him, harder and closer than he ever knew was possible. It was like she was melting around his body, and the movements her hips were making against his brought out a similar movement in him.
"We can dust each book, slowly and carefully before putting it on the shelf, by hand," Harry told her in a husky voice, his lips touching her ear now. "I think it would be a good idea to categorize them too, so you know exactly…," he felt her push up, hard, against him managing to wrap a leg around his and hooked into the ladder behind him. Her hand was digging into his shoulder as her mouth pressed against his neck, muffling the sighs he knew were desperate to be released. He was beginning to lose his train of thought from their slow movements against each other, the way her hips slid up and down brought out sensations that he never experienced quite this way before. He couldn't get enough of her movement, her touch…then the ladder moved, causing a slight shift in their movement. He vaguely remembered he had been talking, "...exactly where to put each book," Harry managed to finish. He had never been so turned on in his life…and this was Hermione!
"Your own library, `Mione," he whispered thickly feeling her hand clutch at his shirt. He had never called her that before in his life. And he had never kissed her at the base of her neck, then up to her ear before. For once, he was doing something right if he gauged the small, quiet pants against his neck. A deep almost inaudible moan escaped him as he pulled her hips towards his.
"Harry," her voice pleaded, the same exact tone she had when he had touched her bare skin for the first time.
Her hips ground into his and he gasped despite trying to keep some semblance of control.
"You keep this up…," Harry panted hoarsely in her ear, "and I'll read whatever book you want, aloud, to you!"
"Please," she hissed, struggling for breath. "Harry…Oh, God!" He felt her shudder against him and he pressed his own mouth against the soft skin of her throat, muffling his groan as the spasms that racked her body flowed into him. His hand moved to her leg, yanking her against him; his hips moved in rolling rhythm with hers forcing him to growl out her name.
Everything ceased to exist as a billion points of light, or maybe they were asterisk marks, raced in front of his eyes and the knot they both felt, unleashed like a whip for a few glorious seconds. He wasn't sure if they were still breathing, or still standing and not floating in the air. Some semblance of reality returned as her fist relaxed on his shirt and her body seemed to go limp. He noticed her ragged breathing creating a warm breeze against his neck and it gave him goosebumps. This was a moment he could never forget and would remember for the rest of his life. Using all his strength he lifted his head from her neck and laid it back against a rung of the ladder.
"Fuck," Harry breathed, holding her tightly, knowing she would stumble if he let go. He hadn't even kissed her properly and now they experienced an orgasm that should fill a volume of books. "I am definitely getting this house," he whispered, his voice a bit stronger. He felt Hermione step back and tentatively plant her foot on the ground, taking stock in her balance. Slowly she brought the other foot down, at the same time lifting her head from his shoulder. She glanced up at him then stared at an area on his chest, not able to meet his eyes.
"I…I'm sorry," she managed to struggle out, horrified.
"What?" Harry managed to bring his head forward, his hands still touching her waist, not wanting her to break contact. "Hermione, don't."
"I have no idea…whatever magical force you were radiating and your voice…it…us…dammit…I can't even look at you," she whispered, running a hand through her hair, still looking away from his face.
"I don't know why I'm emanating any…force…but it took two of us, so if anyone should be apologizing, I…," Harry began while flicking his wrist, casting a cleansing charm, on both of them. Hermione looked up surprised at his use of wandless and silent magic. She almost lunged herself at him again, not knowing he could do that, but this time she pulled up all the willpower she had. Whatever attraction he was emanating was pulling at her body, her mind, her heart and it was all she could do to not collapse into his arms again.
"Don't apologize." She met his eyes this time, her face flushed, her lips parted as she regulated her breathing.
"I won't if you won't," Harry said baldly and she nodded mutely, taking a step back as they heard a shoe hit the wooden floor at the bottom of the stairs.
"Miss Wallengampit?" Harry called, standing up and gently moving Hermione to the side, squeezing her elbow in a silent gesture of reassurance. He met the agent in the hall to give Hermione a few moments to gather herself. "I'll take it."
"You…you haven't seen upstairs," she gaped at him, her brown eyes wide with surprise.
"Oh, well, I'll go take a look then, but I don't think that will change my mind at all," Harry said hoping he sounded sure of himself. He brushed by her and took the stairs two at a time. Three bedrooms, a full bath at the top of the stairs and in one of the bedrooms. A door to the attic. Perfect.
"When can I sign the papers?" Harry called down over the railing to the foyer. He heard two sets of footsteps approaching and Hermione came into view first. She turned and looked up at him and their eyes met for a moment before she glanced at a point below him.
"You sure, Harry?" There had to be more in those three words than Miss Wallengampit heard. The fact that she was biting her lip and couldn't look straight at him clued him into that fact. She was still a bit embarrassed by what happened and he got the feeling that their relationship was moving in a direction he never stopped to think existed.
`Ah, sensible Hermione is back,' Harry thought not being able to suppress the grin that was the result of happiness and his moment with Hermione. He gripped the railing with all his strength, anchoring him, forcing him to not run down, scoop her up and snog her senseless. A taste of what he could do to her, and she to him, had opened a whole new world of feelings for him.
"Quite, I assure you."
-----
Hermione stared at herself in the mirror above her bathroom sink. Just three hours ago she had done something she never dreamed she'd do. Partially, she blamed it on this energy, force, attraction, magnetism…whatever it was that Harry was radiating. The way his voice lowered an octave as he held her and talked about books had touched her in a way she never thought possible. Then, when she felt him starting to respond to her movements (she still thought someone must've cast an imperious curse on her) she had lost all sense of herself and given into her feelings. Something she didn't usually do, and had never done with Harry.
Admittedly, it was the most amorous she had been since Ron was alive and the current of energy Harry was seeping was almost like an aphrodisiac. According to the research she had done, it was a combination of being similar to that and a signal that emotionally and physically he was in control. Hermione had actually gone through a few rare books she owned and found that only the person for which it was intended would pick up on the energy vibe. He didn't even feel like he was emanating anything so how could she tell him all this? Though, Merlin knew that normally she never let a hug go past a hug, with Harry, and what had happened in what was now Harry's house went way past a hug.
After he told Miss Wallengampit that he wanted the house, he had signed some papers and had to make his way to Gringotts Bank to get the Galleons needed. Hermione had begged off, and a quick look at his bright green eyes told her he understood her need to go home and digest what just happened.
And that brought her to eight o'clock in the evening. Sighing, she ran a brush through her hair and quickly pulled it back into a clip, ready to just sit and try to sort through this year's paperwork. School was done at the end of the following week and after that she was taking a vacation with her parents to America. She was genuinely excited that she could go visit the museums in the country's capitol and then experience The Library of Congress. Maybe what she needed was a week away from Harry; to reassess how deep her friendship was with him. Obviously, to her anyway (based upon the information she had read) he seemed to have developed more than a friendly interest in her over the past week or so. And, the way her heart was racing now and the quick thought that she'd miss him the week she was gone solidified the truth that indeed, something more than friendship was growing in her heart too.
Walking out of the bathroom she ran right into Harry who apparated in her hall at the exact moment she walked out of her bathroom.
Jumping back and stifling a squeak, Hermione grabbed the wall, taking a moment to understand who was standing in her hall.
"I'm sorry. I was aiming for the kitchen and was a bit off…you okay?"
Hermione nodded, leaning against the wall and hugging her arms to her chest trying to sum up the courage to look at him.
"Everything alright?" she asked slowly, pushing herself away from the wall and heading towards her kitchen.
"I was just bringing you a key," Harry explained stopping in the doorway to her kitchen.
"Congratulations," Hermione said softly, turning around and seeing him holding out a key. "You deserve that house."
"Yeah, well…it'll be strange leaving Grimmauld. I just sent an owl to Bill and Fleur about possibly living in the house. Neville and Luna wanted to talk to you about your flat, they can come here or you can come over…," Harry trailed off, not quite sure what Hermione wanted at this moment.
"That's very kind of you, Harry." Hermione reached out and took the key from him, inspecting the code written on the side of the silver bar. It was something they could connect to their wands; only hers and Harry's would open up the door once the numbers were "programmed".
"I made plans to move my things in tomorrow and told the movers I'd check with you about moving yours…if you still want to?" Harry asked quietly. He had his hands in his pockets and looked a bit unsure of himself.
"I do and tomorrow afternoon should be fine. I need to box up personal papers and things," Hermione answered just as quietly, aware of the strange tension between them. She truly wondered if she had messed up the best friendship she had ever experienced, all because she gave into her urges and Harry had to go emanating magic all over the place. Rubbing the key between her fingers she finally raised her eyes to his and found him quietly watching her, lounging against the wall. For a moment she took all of him in. How much taller he was than their sixth year, how he added muscle and grew into his lean frame over the past few years. His hair was till a tousled mess, but he kept it cut a bit shorter so it wasn't as bad to take care of anymore.
Taking a deep breath she started apologizing again for her actions.
"Hermione…Hermione!" Harry interrupted her holding out a hand for her to stop. "Stop, please?"
Hermione pressed her lips together and nodded watching him walk towards her. She felt that pull from him, but it didn't seem as strong as when they were in the library so she stood her ground, one hand on the back of the chair anchoring her to the floor.
"I think that whatever energy I'm radiating didn't help the situation any, but I'd like to believe that I could've also stopped and walked away if I wanted to," he began softly, still keeping his eyes connected with hers.
"I don't know if I gave you much choice in--," Hermione started arguing but fell silent as Harry covered her hand with his.
"There was a choice and I chose not to stop it." He shifted his weight and became quiet as he tried to organize his thoughts. Hermione watched him in amazement as he seemed to gather his wits about him, then physically draw himself up to his full six feet. "There really wasn't one moment where I was thinking it was wrong, or I didn't want to, or that I felt guilty. It was quite the opposite actually." He finished the last few words in a rush, anxious to get his feelings out there and now he searched her face for an answer. She just stared at him, her mouth opening then closing again.
"I…wow…I wasn't expecting to hear that," she finally admitted shyly. She felt as if she was standing on a corner with Harry and they were about to make a major turn instead of staying on the straight and narrow path of their friendship.
"Well, I wasn't expecting to feel this way…about you, but your friendship is the most important thing in my life and I would NEVER jeopardize that," Harry's forcefulness took her by surprise again, but he continued. "So, I'm not sure where to go from here, Hermione. What do you want?"
`Indeed, what do I want?' Hermione asked herself searching his face for a clue as to what he wanted. But, he was able to keep a neutral look everywhere but his eyes. They were a deeper green than she had ever seen them before and the slight pulses of an electrical current she could still feel, along with the still tingling sensation she had throughout her whole body the last three hours helped her chose her next few words.
"I want…you…us…maybe for there to be an us," Hermione whispered shocked to hear herself say "you" when she was thinking plural. She had never felt such a deep desire for anyone before, to have and hold them and protect them to the point where she would drop anything just to be with someone...Harry. And now, she was giving up her private flat and independence to move in with him. She felt in her bones, in her heart and even in her mind she was making the right choice, and she hoped he would agree.
Harry took another step closer, now squeezing her hand gently. "I'd like to think there was always an "us", just never at the…level we're talking about now," he whispered, feeling something akin to a string pulling him towards her. Pausing for a moment he realized that what he was feeling must be what he was radiating. She began talking as he was taking stock in himself.
"We just need to do this slowly and honestly, Harry. If something doesn't feel right or off, we need to talk about it before we ruin what we have now," Hermione told him watching a spot on his neck where she could see his pulse beating. She could feel that he was a nervous and just as scared as she was to be talking about taking this next step, and then whatever pull she had felt seemed to recoil back into him and a slightly surprised look graced his face.
"Where did…what did you just do?" she gasped her eyes running over his body. He hadn't moved at all, but yet that pull was gone for the moment.
"I finally felt that…energy you were talking about and concentrated on bringing it in. I…I didn't want anything to sway your thoughts," Harry whispered his eyes boring into hers.
"I actually researched that, you know," Hermione gave him a small smile and he returned it.
"I figured you would…d'you mind telling me about what it is?"
Hermione then told him, the short version, of the shield he would put up and how she figured it was around him when he
was around her. She explained how it was something only she could feel, explaining how the energy was an extension of
his feelings and thoughts. She said once he realized how powerful those feelings were, he could rein them in and
control them, just like he now figured out how to do.
"So…," Hermione murmured. "What should we do now?" Her eyes flicked down to his hand, as his fingers tightened around her palm then back up at him. Harry paused for a moment, gently pulling her towards him.
"I think we need to start at the beginning," he whispered. Very gently he touched her face, cupping her cheek, feeling her mimic his gesture just like the time she had her nightmare.
And without pause he leaned over and pressed his lips to hers, lightly at first taking in the feel of Hermione's soft lips opening under his. Suddenly, his hands slid to her arms pulling her closer, relishing in the fact that her bare arms slid around his neck, feeling one of her hands touch the back of his head pressing his lips harder to hers. The thrum of emotions poured over him and as he felt her hands move and grip his shoulders, her thumbs rubbing in time to the feather light touches of their tongues.
He wasn't sure how long they stood there, their kisses becoming more urgent, their hands beginning the journey over previously uncharted territories, until a soft double pop in her living room shocked Harry back to reality. Lifting his head, he recognized the sound of Luna and Neville, then wondered briefly how Hermione became pressed against the counter five feet away from where they started out. Stepping back a bit when he heard Luna's voice calling out, his gaze met Hermione's, unspoken thoughts passing between them as their chests heaved in oxygen, forcing their brains to start thinking again.
Jerking his thumb back over his shoulder towards the bathroom, he saw her give a small nod. Quickly, he crossed the
kitchen and ducked into the bathroom, hearing Hermione greet their guests, saying, "Harry'll be out in a
minute".
Grabbing the sink, he stared at himself trying to catch his breath. Never had he felt such a flood of emotion, warmth, such a loss of time. He had glanced at the clock in her kitchen and noticed a good ten minutes had passed. In that amount of time, he had her against the counter, her hands under his shirt and one of his on the buttons of her blouse…so much for going slow. He could still feel her light touch on the small of his back. He was going to have to work on controlling himself around her. It didn't take him long to find out that he loved the feeling that charged between them when he was kissing her; he was sure if Luna and Neville hadn't stopped by he would not have stopped at the buttons on her shirt.
Using the toilet helped relieve some of his emotional and physical stress; he took his time washing his hands in cold water, feeling the shock of it bring his arousal down a few notches. Taking a few deep breaths he pushed open the door and found his friends in the living room, coordinating the moves to house and flat. Hermione was showing Neville where to sign on the contract Miss Wallengampit had owled over. Without looking up Neville greeted Harry in his typical style.
"Hey, Harry, what's up?"
Harry bit back a laugh as Hermione met his eyes briefly then looked away, biting her lower lip to keep the smile at bay.
"You have no idea Neville," Harry mumbled and Luna turned around, raising a blond eyebrow at him. Harry just smiled at her and walked over to an owl that appeared at Hermione's window.
It was a note from Bill, expressing deep gratitude and thanks for offering them Grimmauld. He and Fleur decided to take Harry up on his offer; it also said that Charlie would be joining them for a few weeks on vacation from his demanding job dealing with dragons in Romania. Harry smiled to himself, as he found a quill and scrawled a note back to Bill.
He finally felt as if his life was falling into place…the first big pieces of the puzzle being his new home and the fact that Hermione and him seemed to be starting off on the next "great adventure"…wherever that was; regardless he was estatic she was taking the journey with him.
-----
"So, he took that house that we looked at?" Ron asked sitting in the courtyard at Hogwarts next to his sister.
"Yep, I was so excited that we happened to be in the same place at the same time, I managed to create a breeze which actually carried the paper down to the For Sale sign."
"Cool, Ginny. I wonder why you feel so strongly about it though?" Ron asked, watching students study hard under the trees and some first years running around playing tag.
"I'm not sure…Draco said he can probably find out who owned it after Phineas Nigellus did. His mother has an updated family tree or something at her house. He just needs to see if it's out in the open so he can take a look at it. That's where he is now."
"Well," Ron said watching Ginny carefully, "That's nice of him to help you…us…out like that."
"Yeah," Ginny slid her glance across the lawn, where she was watching people study, over to Ron. "What?"
"Nothing. I wonder if his emotions will ever even out?"
"NO idea…he's a Malfoy. Sometimes it seems rules don't apply to them. Or, he'd like to think so…," Ginny began then stopped, thinking of the kiss he gave her. She had meant to ask Nearly Headless Nick about feeling an actual sensation she had felt.
"Why do you say that? We're all on the same field here, being Light," Ron told her, but Ginny shook her head. She told him about Draco kissing her again and what she felt.
"Fuck, Ginny…come on. Why Malfoy?" Ron asked slightly irritated. "Why him and why does it have to be you that has to feel something?" He paused for a moment, seeing her eyes widen at the unusual display of anger. "I'm sorry…it's just Malfoy…he irks me."
"Its okay; and, I have no idea why it's him. But, don't get mad at me; I didn't plan him to kiss me or plan on feeling something! Come on, let's go find Nick and see if he can shed some light on the subject." Ginny stood up, grabbing Ron's arm and pulling at him to get stand.
"Nice pun…shedding light," Ron smiled at her, his irritation now under control. "Good idea, let's go ask Nick. I wouldn't put it past Malfoy to change the rules around here."
"Me neither," Ginny agreed wondering indeed if Draco had any idea what he was making her feel. And after the second kiss, she swore she felt something more than warmth…some vague memory of actually enjoying the kiss.
"But, rules were meant to be broken," Ginny said quietly, knowing Ron heard her.
"For sure. Harry and I, and sometimes Hermione, did that all the time. You remember when she made that Polyjuice Potion…," Ron began talking as Ginny tuned him out. She needed to talk to Nick, sooner rather than later.
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