~A/N> Please Note: the rating has gone up Well, here you go, the next chapter as promised.
Things will continue to heat up between our favorite couple in coming chapters, and the angst will be returning soon as
well. I'm going to shut up now before I give away too much. Thank you for the great reviews on the last chapter,
and thanks to Lisa as always. Hopefully the new year is treating you all better than it's treated me so far, and
that you enjoy the chapter! :)
With his arms wrapped around her waist, Hermione took hold of his upper arms tightly and dug her nails into the flesh
there, wanting badly to cause him pleasure and pain at the same time. When his lips came crashing down on hers, she
kissed him back hungrily, unable to get enough of him. Her blood felt as if it were on fire, just as it had when she
had suffered the cruciatus curse at the hands of Damien, but this time there was no pain with that fire.
Leaving her lips, Harry trailed kisses along her jaw and then worked his way down her neck as she leaned her head back to give him better access. His lips on her skin only stoked the fire within her, and before either really knew what had happened, they found themselves on Harry's bed minus their shirts. Reaching behind her, Harry unhooked the clasp of her bra and without hesitation, divested her of it. Pushing her back onto the bed, he bent down and took one of her rose coloured nipples into his mouth, suckling greedily. Hermione's back arched off of the bed as she moaned in pleasure, her hands gliding over his bare skin as she longed to touch him anywhere and everywhere. She needed to feel more of him, and reaching down she tangled her hands in his hair, guiding him up to her lips again in yet another fiery kiss. When her nipples brushed against the bare skin of his chest she moaned into his mouth, causing him to kiss her even harder.
Harry was drowning in her, in the feel of her body pressed into his, and all he could think was that he wanted more. Sliding up a bit so that he could feast on the soft skin of her neck again, his manhood brushed against her thigh and a jolt of pure ecstasy flashed through him at the contact. He had never felt such pleasure before and wanting to feel it again, he positioned himself so that he rested between her parted legs and moved again in much the same manner. Since they were both still wearing their jeans, the movement not only caused Harry to feel the same pleasure again, but also caused Hermione to feel the same thing as he ground against her. When she felt him move again in much the same manner, her instincts kicked in and she pushed herself more into him, causing even more friction and contact. Moaning at the wonderful feelings he was causing and the knot of tension that seemed to be growing in the pit of her stomach, Hermione silently urged him to quicken his pace. Wanting the same thing, Harry started moving faster, pushing himself against her more with each thrust.
The knot continued to grow and Hermione lifted her head just enough so that she could kiss Harry, feeling a primal need to make the intimate contact with him. Harry's actions mimicked the way her tongue moved in and out of his mouth, and when she took his bottom lip between both of hers and nipped it with her teeth, his speed increased even more. Abandoning herself to the sensations she was feeling, she closed her eyes and felt herself being drawn into Harry, and then she was experiencing his feelings along with her own. He was experiencing that same feeling of being wound up tight, his body begging for release. Just as that tension broke in him, it broke within her as well and waves of intense physical pleasure washed over them, causing every muscle in their bodies to contract from its' force.
When the two of them finally came down from the emotional and physical high, their muscles relaxed a bit and Harry's arms gave out, causing him to put all his weight upon her. Liking the feeling, Hermione wrapped her arms around him and held tight, knowing that what they had shared was special. With her mind working once again she whispered, "I think we just shagged with our clothes on."
She could feel his body shaking before he looked at her, his face holding none of the usual tension as he laughed quietly. "If that's what it's like with clothes still on, I can't wait to do it without anything in the way." Leaning down, he kissed her tenderly and then rolled off of her, laying on his side so that he still faced her. "No wonder Ron's so happy everytime he comes back from spending time with Luna in your room."
Hermione laughed, feeling happier and lighter than she had in a very long time, and rolled onto her side so that she was facing him. As she studied his features she reached her hand out and caressed his cheek, and that's when she felt it. The connection between them was even stronger now, something she hadn't thought possible, and before she could ask him about it he said, "I feel it too."
"Wonder what it means?" she asked.
"Dunno, but I'm not going to be asking Remus or Firenze about it, let alone Sorcha," he replied cheekily, a note of tiredness in his voice.
Feeling very relaxed and sleepy herself, Hermione reached down and pulled the blanket over them and then snuggled closer to Harry. Feeling her move, Harry lifted his arm and smiled as she lay her head on his shoulder, her nose pressed against his neck as he wrapped his arm around her waist. Unable to fight it any longer, they both fell into a restful sleep, the first one for both in a long time.
~*~
"It's quiet."
"That can't be good. Should we go check on them?" Just as Ron asked his question, a wave of magic seemed to travel from the second floor through the rest of the house, slamming into the two of them as they sat on the sofa. As his body tingled with residual magic from the wave, he looked to Luna and asked, "What the bloody hell was that?"
"I don't know, but I don't think we should go check on Harry and Hermione just yet," she replied, looking from Ron to the top of the stairs, and then back at him again. "I think the tension's finally broken between them."
Ron stared at her silently for a moment and she knew he was thinking about what she had just said. Clearing his throat noisily he asked, "You...you mean the same way that we get rid of the tension?"
She smiled at how he had worded his question and said, "I can't be sure, but yes, that's what I meant."
"Oh." Ron looked down a moment at his hands, then looked back to her. "I don't think I wanted to know that."
"Now you know how Harry and Hermione felt both times they walked in on us," she replied and then laughed. "I think they should be glad Remus and Tonks had to go to Hogwarts to meet with McGonagall, or else they could be in a lot of trouble right now...if that's what's happened."
The two passed the rest of the night playing exploding snap and reading; Ron had the latest Quidditch Weekly magazine while Luna read that day's edition of The Quibbler. When they heard voices at the top of the stairs they both looked up to see Harry and Hermione walking hand-in-hand, both with big smiles on their faces.
Luna stifled her laughter at the look on Ron's face and said, "I think we were right."
"I did not need to know that."
~*~
"A wave of magic? Are you sure?" Hermione asked, mortally embarrassed that their two friends had a good idea of what they had been doing in Harry's room before.
"Yes," Luna replied, sounding relaxed and sure, not embarrassed at all by the subject of their conversation. Harry and Ron, on the other hand, had red faces that rivalled Hermione's. Harry wouldn't have minded sharing 'guy talk' with Ron about it, but to have a discussion with Luna as well about what he and Hermione had experienced just hours before was...well, bloody disturbing. Wasn't anything in his life private anymore?
"I don't understand," Hermione mumbled while staring at the floor. "I don't think that was supposed to happen."
"It's never happened to Luna and I," Ron replied without thinking, and then stared at his friends in horror as he realized what he had said. "Oh bloody hell, you didn't need to know that. Sorry."
Luna started it; a soft, bubbly laugh floated throughout the room and then Hermione joined in, the tension in the room breaking at last. When the boys joined in, the four friends finally relaxed completely. Wiping the tears from her eyes that her laughing had caused, Hermione took a deep breath and said, "I don't mind having close friends, but I never thought we'd be this close."
That just caused another round of laughter between the four of them, and when they felt as if their stomachs would burst from laughing they heard Remus's voice speak up and ask, "What's so funny?" All four teens immediately became silent at the intrusion of the adults, and Remus found himself face to face with four falsely innocent looking teenagers. Eyeing them suspiciously he said, "Tonks and I need to speak to the four of you in the kitchen. That way we can all pitch in to cook dinner and talk."
They all looked at one another, each wondering the same thing...what could Remus want to discuss with them? Getting up from their seats, Harry and Hermione followed Luna and Ron into the kitchen, praying it wasn't going to be another one of 'those' talks again.
~*~
"So, we're all going to be spending Christmas at the Burrow?" Harry asked, looking over to Hermione to gauge her reaction to the announcement. Usually he loved spending time at the Burrow since the Weasley's were practically all the family he had, but he wasn't sure how she would feel about spending time with the close-knit family for her first Christmas without her parents.
"Yes," Remus replied. "Molly requested that the four of you go there for the holidays instead of staying in this stuffy old house by yourselves. You'll be leaving the morning of Christmas Eve, and you'll come back on the twenty-sixth to re-start your training."
Hermione, sounding hesitant, asked, "I won't be sharing a room with Ginny, will I? Because we really don't get on all that well."
Tonks, stifling a smile, replied, "No, you won't have to share a room with her. Seems that Mr. Weasley finally got the ghoul out of the attic, so you and Luna will be staying up there."
"Ghoul?" Hermione asked, looking to Ron.
"Long story," he replied. "Just be glad it's gone."
"Right," Hermione said, looking a tad bit worried still. "Remus, I don't suppose there's any way that we can do a bit of Christmas shopping, is there?"
He looked at Tonks, the two seeming to have a silent conversation, and he looked back to her and replied, "There's no way that you four can go out into Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade. However, we may be able to go out into Muggle London if we use a glamour charm on the four of you to change your looks. They usually last for about six hours, so that should give us enough time."
Since Christmas was only two weeks away, they made plans to go into London that coming weekend. Thankfully the days inbetween passed quickly and the next thing they knew, they were on their way to London with their glamour charms in place. Hermione's usually brunette hair was blond, her eyes a vibrant blue hue she had never seen before. Harry's black hair was shorter, and to his dismay, red. His brilliant green eyes had been changed to almost the same brown color as Hermione's originally were, and he was wearing a set of jeans and jumper that Remus had transfigured his old clothes into. Ron's red hair was now a dark black (Remus seemed to enjoy switching their looks, making them look like each other) and his eyes were a deep blue, while Luna walked beside him with the same black hair, but with vibrant green eyes. Ron found it disturbing that she now looked as if she could pass as Harry's twin, or his own twin for that matter, since he closely resembled his best mate at the moment. The only difference was their eye colour, and that could be easily explained if someone were to comment on it.
Taking their muggle money from Remus (he had been kind enough to go to Gringott's to get it for them the day before), the girls went with Tonks to do their shopping while the boys were paired with Remus. Luna knew exactly what she was going to get Ron, but Hermione had no idea what to get anyone really. She'd never really shopped alone before, and when she did go she was usually accompanied by one of her parents while she bought Christmas presents. If she was shopping for her mum, her dad would take her and help pick out the perfect gift, and if it was a gift for her dad she and her mum would always pick one out together and sign it, 'From Your Girls'. It was always easy shopping for them because she knew them so well, but what should she buy for people she just became friends with?
As the girls wandered around, Remus took the boys to a special shop that was a couple of blocks away from their arrival point. When he got questioning looks from both of them, Remus chuckled and said, "I know the shop owner. Trust me, this is a good place to find gifts for girls."
Harry felt his cheeks warm at Remus's knowing look and walked past him quickly into the shop. After they were inside, Remus walked up to a kindly looking old man that stood next to a register and greeted him warmly. Motioning the boys over, he looked to the old man again and said, "Zarek, I would like to introduce you to Ronald Weasley and Harry Potter, two former students of mine."
Zarek studied them silently for a moment, his eyes seeming to be two little black beads set deep into his face, which was a myriad of lines and wrinkles. After satisfying his curiousity with Ron he turned to face Harry, who could've sworn he saw a flare of recognition in his beady eyes, but that was impossible. How would a muggle shopkeeper know who he was? Feeling a little uncomfortable, Harry watched the old man closely as Zarek walked up to him and then stopped, slowly extending his right hand toward him. Reluctantly, Harry reached out and met Zarek's proffered hand, gripping the fragile feeling appendage in his. With a strength he didn't realize Zarek had, the man tightened his hold on Harry's hand and shook it slowly. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Mister Potter."
"Good to meet you," Harry replied, trying to be respectful.
Remus, noting Harry's discomfort, said, "Why don't the two of you have a look around and see if anything catches your eye?"
Ron, never hearing the expression before, looked around him quickly while swallowing noisily. "Catches my eye?"
"It's a muggle expression Ron, nothing's coming to take out your eyes," Harry whispered so that Zarek couldn't hear, clapping his hand on Ron's shoulder while laughing at his friend's misinterpretation.
"Yeah, well the muggles need to learn to phrase their expressions differently," Ron whispered back angrily, embarrassed by his faux pau.
Leaning in to look into one of the many glass cases that lined the walls of the shop, Harry was amazed at the magnificence of the jewelry that met his searching gaze. His eyes devouring each piece, he walked along the cases, staring down at the sparkling baubles that lay within. As he scrutinized each piece, he noticed a necklace and stopped suddenly, feeling that it was the right thing to do. Seeming drawn to the necklace, Harry studied it closely and then decided to keep looking. As he continued on, he felt as if he was being pulled back to that one certain necklace by some invisible force, and for the life of him he didn't know why. Finally giving up, he walked back to the necklace and studied it yet again, wondering what it was about the gleaming silver trinket that fascinated him so much.
"Ah, Mister Potter, you are very perceptive," Zarek said as he approached Harry, startling him.
Tearing his gaze away, he looked to Zarek and asked, "I am?"
"Yes. You see, this necklace is known as a 'Malak' symbol, or messenger symbol," Zarek explained. "It is said that the wearer is bonded to the giver once the necklace is put around the recipient's neck, and it can not be taken off until one or both of the bonded are dead. It helps the giver track the wearer, in case they are ever in harm's way."
"What a happy thought," Ron mumbled from where he stood behind Harry, causing Remus to give him a look of reprimand.
As Ron shuffled off to continue looking, Harry asked, "Could I take a closer look at it, please?"
Zarek nodded and walked to the case, withdrawing a wand from within his robes. Unable to stop the gasp of surprise that escaped him, Harry looked to Remus quickly for explanation. Remus smiled and said, "Sorry, I guess I forgot to mention that this shop is run by someone from our world."
"Guess you did," Harry replied. Realizing that Zarek was standing in front of him with the necklace in his outstretched hand, he reached out to take it from him. Upon examining it, he said, "I'll take it."
"Very good, Mister Potter," Zarek remarked as he made his way back to the cash register with the necklace. "I'm sure your young lady will be pleased with your choice."
"I uh...hope so," he replied, feeling embarrassed yet again as he wondered how it was that everyone seemed to pick up on his feelings for Hermione.
After paying for his purchase, Zarek performed the necessary charms to put the messenger spell on the necklace and placed it in a box for Harry. As he placed the box into a small white bag he said, "Now, you must remember that for the charm to work you are the one that must put the necklace on her, otherwise the charm will not be activated. And always keep the tracking spell with you at all times, in case an emergency should arise."
"Right, I'm to put it on her, and keep the spell with me at all times" Harry repeated so that Zarek would know that he had heard the important instructions. After waiting for Ron to choose something for Luna, Harry walked out of the store with him and Remus, somehow knowing that he had just bought Hermione the perfect Christmas gift.
~A/N2- ducks objects thrown by readers Remember that I said that things will continue to heat up in coming chapters, please be patient with me. The angst will be back in full force as well soon, so it will be a roller coaster ride once again. Thanks for reading :)