A/N: The inspiration came from a challenge by mycha_kk at portkey, but I didn't follow some of the rules…
Got to thank Twitch E. Ferret my beta reader-thanks for putting up with me ;)
Oh yeah, my first fiction here-read, review and enjoy!
Disclaimer: You all know I don't own the characters-they belong to the venerable JK Rowling…I don't get any money from it-just kicks!
Who? What? When? Where? Why? and How?
Chapter 1
It was a clear moonlit night; a lone female figure could be seen on the top of the Astronomy Tower as she looked out towards the Forbidden forest. She looked up to the sky, awed with the beauty of the night sky. Gazing at the sparkling stars and their half moon companion, she pulled her cloak tightly around herself trying to warm up in the brisk late spring air. Her smile became whimsical as she reflected on the events that had occurred three weeks before. Her husband of six months, as tonight would be their sixth month anniversary, had finally fulfilled his supposed destiny by finishing off one of the darkest wizards in history.
Harry Potter was no longer the `Boy who Lived' but the `Man who Saved'. She had a proud expression on her face as she recalled when her husband had told her that she was his inspiration in delivering the final blow to Lord Voldemort.
"I thought of you love, the life we have, the life we could lead free from any danger…you were my driving force. I vowed to protect you and offer you happiness as my wife. By Merlin I swore to you-you were the power he knew not…It was you."
A small smile formed as she heard the door creak, then she felt two strong arms wrap around her as lips nuzzled her nape.
"You're late…"
"You're stunning…"
She let out an uncharacteristic giggle as she turned in his arms to face her husband, "You're forgiven."
They smiled at each other as their lips met opening and tasting each other. They both broke the kiss when they felt that their lungs needed air.
Harry inhaled deeply, breathing in the scent of his wife of cinnamon and vanilla. He closed his eyes and let his forehead rest against hers, feeling her small soft hands running up and down his spine under his jumper.
"I don't know how much longer I can take this…" he mumbled, then moaned as those exploring hands moved to his chest.
Obviously misunderstanding her spouse's complaint, "Thank Merlin we have private quarters then…" she whispered back as she kissed his forehead, barely grazing the lighting bolt scar. She started to rain kisses on his face and his jaw line. She brought her lips to the corner of Harry's mouth and he turned his head instinctively trying to capture her lips. She let out another giggle when she moved her lips down his neck and felt the vibrations as he growled.
"Minx…"
"Yes I am, and you would not have me any other way." She whispered in his ear as she playfully nipped his earlobe. She sighed, as her husband's callused fingertips skimmed her sides, moaning when they brushed the under side of her breasts.
"Harry, let's take this to our bedroom." she pleaded, but as she led him toward the door, he held her back.
"Love, I can't take this anymore…"
"Harry, that's why we're going back to our bedroom." She stated as she rolled her eyes. "By the way, you did finish the final sweep of the castle didn't you?"
Harry smirked at his wife as she went into her "Head Girl Mode" ticking off their duties. "Aye darling, I did finish the final sweep of the castle, it did help a lot though when I used the map. Ron and Luna were none too happy when I opened the broom closet on the third floor!" he chuckled remembering his best friend's reaction, then adding nonchalantly, "Oi, I finally found out who Ginny's mystery man is…"
"Well, don't keep me hanging then! Who is it?"
Harry took a dramatic pause then said, "Ferret Boy."
His wife's chocolate brown eyes probed his emerald ones trying to decipher if he was joking, she gasped and muttered, "Bloody hell!"
Harry laughed, hearing his wife swear was as rare seeing a hippogriff dance the tango. "Yes love, I kid you not!"
"Ginny and Malfoy?! That is just…" she paused trying to search for the proper word, "Wrong…Oh Harry! I have a sinking feeling that this is our fault!"
Harry looked at her with shock, "What?! What do you mean `our fault'? We did not wrap Ginny up and leave her in the Slytherin Common Room! She is a big girl now, despite what Ron thinks. Plus, I think Malfoy - in spite of his rotten attitude- proved his worth when he turned and fought with us against Voldemort." He was amazed that he, Harry Potter had defended his former nemesis.
His wife shook her head, "I mean, what if you scarred her for life by breaking up with her last year? May be that's why she hooked up with Malfoy! Do you not see? Ginny's trying to get your attention by hooking up with your former archenemy!"
Harry laughed at his spouse's ridiculous assumption, but when he caught her glaring at him he stopped and said, "Gosh love, if you put it that way…Can you imagine Ginny's reaction then when she finds out that we're married? Why she may end up shacking up with Snape himself!"
"Ah then that's why we still keep this a secret…"
"No! NO! I cannot handle it anymore! I will not allow this charade to go on! We agreed to keep our marriage a secret for your protection," Harry heard his wife give an unfeminine snort at his outburst, "But now that the last of the Death Eaters have been captured, we can finally begin living our lives as it was meant to be."
She watched her handsome spouse as he ran his hands through his already messy raven hair in frustration and turned his back on her. She knew that he was irritated; she wasn't known as the smartest witch of her age for nothing, and judging by Harry's body language she didn't need many neurons to deduce what he was feeling.
Wrapping her arms around her Harry she buried her face in his stiff back. Immediately feeling him soften, she kissed the nape of his neck and whispered, "Soon Harry…Our time will come soon."
Harry turned in her arms, looking down into her eyes he said, "Love, soon is not fast enough for me. Gods, not one person in this bloody school has any idea that we're even more than friends - not even Ron knows and he's our best friend!"
"We've been that good eh?"
"Stop being smug! I'm serious…"
"Oh my, and here I thought you were Harry all this time! Been at the polyjuice potion I see, taking a page from Barty Junior eh? Well `Sirius' how shall we tell your godson that I've been shagging the wrong man-not that I'm complaining!"
"Har har har." Harry grumbled, "Fine play it that way. I bet the reason you don't want to tell the world you're Mrs. Harry Bloody Potter is because you're still stringing Krum along!"
She pulled away from him and gasped at his accusation, "HARRY JAMES POTTER! HOW DARE YOU ACCUSE ME OF ADULTERY!" she screamed in a tone that would make Molly Weasley proud.
Harry actually cowered back, "Well, I know he sent you flowers…"
"Which I threw away…"
"Then those letters…"
"Which I never replied to."
"Then he sent you those Bulgarian sausages-which I know has a double meaning to that gift!" Harry said with a strangled voice while wagging his finger in the air.
She giggled, "Please! You out of all people should know that you have nothing to worry about in the `sausage department' Mr. Potter. In fact," she ran her hand over her husband's crotch and felt him stiffen immediately. "I bet no one in the world has created a sausage large enough to compete with yours…"
Harry blushed, he knew that she was trying to distract him from his train of thought, and he also knew that she was doing a splendid job at it. His plan was not going accordingly, he had wanted someone to catch them here at the infamous Astronomy Tower. He had left obvious hints with Ron, Seamus, Dean, and Neville that he was going here. Even mentioning it when Filch was near enough to hear during dinner at the Great Hall in hopes that they would come and check out whom he was going to meet. Harry realized that his friends were actually a bunch of dimmocks! He and his wife had been here for about an hour and no one even came up-but hey, Filch wouldn't resist the temptation of having caught the Head Boy with some girl snogging on the Astronomy Tower right? WRONG! Filch wasn't in sight-not even Mrs. Norris. Harry felt his wife tug his hand and he let her lead him to the door, she turned around and gave him a deep passionate kiss that made him forget his name as they exited the tower and headed for their private chambers.
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"Oi mate! Where have you been?" Dean shouted as Ron came into the seventh year boys' dormitory.
"Could tell you mate, but might make you jealous that I'm getting some and you're not getting any…" Ron replied as he swaggered to his bed.
Dean threw a pillow at him in reply.
"Aye, did you lot see Potter? He mentioned something about the Astronomy Tower." Seamus asked from his bed.
"Mate, he caught me and Luna doing the deal at the broom closet on the third floor. Why Finnigan, never knew that you felt that way about Harry-miss him? Eh, Harry may be my best friend, never thought of him as queer but better you than me Seamus!" Ron replied while he wiggled his eyebrows at his roommate.
"Shut it Weasley! Just because you got some action doesn't mean you could come in here acting like King Weasley!" Seamus growled.
"He did mention the Astronomy Tower to me too during dinner. Then Harry came in here looking for you Ron, said that if you needed him he'd be at the Astronomy Tower after night shift to meet his lady love." Neville added.
"Well, did any of you blokes go to the Astronomy Tower to see who Harry's lady love is?" Ron asked thoroughly intrigued now.
"Nah, seeing that you didn't ask about Harry, we didn't feel obligated to see who Potter was hooking up with. He deserves a major snog anyway-hell he deserves a good shag in my opinion, considering all he's been through!" Dean answered as Neville and Seamus nodded their agreement.
Ron mulled over the information, rubbing his chin he thought, "Lady love? Harry has a `lady love'? Wait a minute…No, it can't be Ginny can it? He did break up with her a year ago `for her protection' he said-Voldemort is now gone…so…Merlin! It has to be Ginny! She has been acting strange for the past few weeks…I did catch her sneaking out of the common room late at night one time…hmm…it has to be Ginny!" He could feel a smile growing on his face at this thread of thought, "I've got to ask Hermione! Yeah, Hermione should know! She and Ginny shares secrets, and since she and Harry stay together at the Head Students' Chamber, Hermione would be bound to know if Harry has been sneaking out during the night too."
Ron abruptly got up, his energy back he smirked at his three roommates. "Well what are you waiting for? Let's go see what Harry's up to at the tower!"
"Mate have you lost you're marbles? Filch might catch us, and I don't think Harry would even still be there!" Dean countered.
"The way I see it, Harry probably just finished the nightly rounds right about now, seeing that he caught me and Luna half an hour ago and he was just at the third floor! Harry would have probably escorted Hermione back to their quarters then went up to the tower, if we hurry we can catch him when things are about to get interesting. Plus he may have hooked up with Ginny again, so if Harry would be meeting her then I would want to be there to stop them from doing anything!" Ron explained.
The other three boys looked at each other then at the redhead, they gave a slight nod and stood up too. They put on their trainers and grabbed their cloaks as they followed Ron out the portrait hole.
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"Now where could they be, Albus?"
"They may still be doing their rounds of the castle, Minerva."
"But Albus, I have to still update Mr. Potter to the awarding ceremony at the Ministry of Magic! That boy has no idea what's going to happen when he receives the Order of Merlin first class-and we all know how important protocol is in those ceremonies and Mr. Potter is not one who follows etiquette!"
"Don't worry, Harry will follow whatever procedures the Ministry has for him, he IS quite fond with the new Minister of Magic. Plus I'm sure Hermione will keep him in line…" Remus Lupin added.
Dumbledore smiled at the connection his DADA professor made between his two head students, "Tell me Remus, any news about those two?"
Lupin sighed, "None Albus! It's honestly ridiculous how close those two are and still keep it on a platonic level! I try to catch any lingering contact, any unwarranted glances during my classes but those two still act…closer but at the same-best friends till the end! I even try to keep my ears open to any rumors circulating about them, especially after the fall of Voldemort. I thought Harry would make his move knowing that he can now have a real relationship with Hermione, but I see nothing! Even the ever digging Rita Skeeter has stopped printing any dirt on those two for quite a while now."
"Albus, what date did you wager?" McGonagall asked.
"Fifty galleons on Valentine's Day," he replied with a chuckle.
"Dear Merlin! You mean you lost? Well, I'll be a flobberworm's uncle! I never thought that I would live to see the day that the Mighty Albus Dumbledore lost a bet in a faculty pool!" Lupin exclaimed.
"Pray tell then Remus, what date did you place your galleons on?" Dumbledore challenged.
Lupin smirked sheepishly, "Fifty on Christmas eve."
"Oh my, that was a long shot…How much is the pot?" McGonagall asked.
"I believe it has reached one thousand five hundred and five galleons." Lupin answered.
McGonagall gawked at the large amount but something bothered her, "Five?"
"Hmm…Severus waged the five galleons after Filius chided him for not joining the pool." Lupin said with a smirk.
"And what date did our Potions Master have?" Dumbledore asked.
"April fools Day," Dumbledore laughed at this as Lupin continued, "Since Severus had the last date on the pool, and mind you it has passed without any fanfare, no one has officially won the pot…now what do we do with the money?"
"Give it back?" McGonagall suggested. She too waged fifty galleons on when Harry and Hermione would have formally been a couple.
"That would not be sporting now would it? Well, I guess something will come up on how we can put into good use the money." Dumbledore said.
The Headmaster of Hogwarts, Head of Gryffindor House, and the Professor for Defense Against the Dark Arts were in the common room of the Head Boy and Girl chambers. They had gone there for the purpose of orienting `The Man who Saved' about the award he was to receive in the next couple of days. Having decided that there was no time better than the present to begin this task, Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Lupin (due to his close connection to the awardee) they went to the Head's tower. Being the Headmaster of the school, Dumbledore knew the password to the Head Students Chambers so they entered awaiting the arrival of the head students.
Imagine their surprise when four young men from Gryffindor House came tumbling through the portrait door of the Head Students' Chambers.
"MISTERS WEASLEY, THOMAS, FINNIGAN AND LONGBOTTOM! WHAT ARE YOU DOING OUT OF YOUR DORMATORY PAST CURFEW?!" McGonagall shrieked. "Ten points from Gryffindor for each of you! Mind you it pains me to take points off from my very own House. You will also be serving detention for three days each with Professor Snape!"
A collective groan was heard from the four men.
"Told you Weasley that it was a bad idea to come here…" Seamus began.
"It's all Weasley's fault, Professor!" whined Dean.
"Bloody hell! Traitors I say! I ought to…" Ron said threateningly as he advanced towards the pair, Neville just remained silent.
"MISTER WEASLEY! WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE! Five more points from Gryffindor!" McGonagall continued.
Ron immediately shut his mouth as his face burned bright red in embarrassment and anger. He gave dirty looks at Dean and Seamus, who returned his angry looks with glares of their own.
Dumbledore cleared his throat, and with a twinkle in his eyes he asked, "And to what do we owe your presence in the Head Chambers at this hour?"
Ron answered, "Harry wanted us to meet him after his night rounds, headmaster."
Lupin, rubbing his chin in contemplation said, "Well seeing that I have students in my midst, I may as well take the opportunity to ask you gentlemen a question. Do not worry what your answer is it will not get you into any more trouble." Remus purposely turned toward their head of house, and when he saw her nod he continued. "There's a buzz that I overheard from some Ravenclaw students-is it true that there is a pool among the students of Hogwarts on when the Head Boy and Girl will formally become an item?"
The Gryffindor boys looked first at each other, then at the headmaster and their professors uncomfortably.
"Uh…well I suppose there would be no harm in telling you considering that no one won the pool…" Neville began.
"Aye, no winner indeed." Seamus agreed as Dean nodded.
"No winner?" McGonagall burred as the four boys cringed instinctively.
"You see Professor, there was a pool among the students on when Harry and Hermione would hook up, but all the dates have passed with no winner. So we're stuck with a two thousand nine hundred fifty galleon pot that won't go anywhere. But we're planning to use it for an end of the year ball." Ron said dejectedly, thinking of his monetary loss in the bet.
The two professors and Headmaster looked at each other with astonishment in their eyes upon hearing the amount of the students' pool. They did keep their remarks to themselves though.
"On that note then, shall we all wait comfortably for our Head students to finish their duties?" Dumbledore conjured up extra seats for the boys, and then uttered, "Dobby"
After a few seconds a pop was heard as Dobby the house elf appeared wearing his trademark mismatched socks and a purple and orange scarf.
"Good evening Dobby, may we request some hot chocolate for all of us here? If it isn't too much of an imposition as we await the arrival of Mr. Potter and Miss Granger." Dumbledore asked politely.
"Oh not a burden at all Headmaster! But why do you wait for Harry Potter and his Hermione since Harry Potter and his Hermione has been in their bedchambers for a while now." Dobby replied as he disappeared and in a few seconds reappeared with a tray of hot cocoa and a plate of cookies. He placed the tray on the table near the headmaster and the professors and disappeared again.
The seven present looked at each other; the boys just shrugged as McGonagall stood up muttering something under her breath in an annoyed fashion. She started toward the bedroom of the Head Boy followed by Dumbledore and Lupin, and the boys rounded up the end.
McGonagall knocked on the door, "Mr. Potter?" she was answered with silence, "Mr. Potter?" she repeated loudly.
"Minerva, the boy is obviously asleep. We can orient him tomorrow, it is late after all." Dumbledore reasoned.
Huffing, McGonagall replied in an irritated tone, "Albus, I have wasted precious minutes waiting for a person who was already here. I will not come back tomorrow to finish a task which I could finish tonight!" She tried to turn the knob of the door and found it locked, taking out her wand she muttered, "Alohamora." The spell did not open the door due to a strong collaportus, so after a complicated swish of her wand and muttering the incantation under her breath the door clicked open.
The sight that greeted the group caused the Head of Gryffindor to loose her normally imperturbable demeanor, "MR. POTTER! MISS GRANGER! WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!"
Dumbledore and Lupin immediately entered the bedroom of the Head boy followed by the boys. Everyone was shocked speechless as they took in the scenario before them. The naked back of the head girl of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was visible to them, her head thrown back in ecstasy. She was straddling the hips of the head boy of Hogwarts, whose hands were planted firmly on her hips, the head boy was in the middle of sucking on one of the head girl's breast. Upon hearing the commotion at the door the stunned couple froze. Harry snapped his head up from his previous ministrations and let go of his grip on the Hermione, which caused her to topple backward on their bed as she turned her head to the crowd gathered at the door of their bedroom. Harry acted instantly and grabbed the pillow behind him to cover Hermione's front from the gawking eyes of his former dorm mates.
"MISTER POTTER AND MISS GRANGER, I AM SORELY DISAPPOINTED IN THE BOTH OF YOU! YOUR BEHAVIOR IS BEYOND REPREHENSIBLE! Might I remind you that you both were chosen upon your merits of responsibility and proper character? How dare you take advantage of your positions and perform such sacrilegious activities in these venerable quarters which were bestowed on you with honor!" McGonagall furiously lectured the couple.
Lupin was trying to control his laughter miserably; he started to cough to disguise his mirth as he wiped the corners of his eyes from the tears that had formed.
Ron and the other three boys looked like fishes out of water, opening and closing their mouths with no sound coming out.
"Bloody hell! SHE'S OUR BEST FRIEND! WHAT THE FREAKING HELL ARE YOU DOING?! SHE'S OUR BEST FRIEND!" Ron shouted when his voice finally came to him. He actually felt a bit relieved thanking all the stars in heaven that it was Hermione he caught in bed with Harry and not his sister. But wait, Ron thought, "What if Harry did meet Ginny at the Astronomy Tower, then after he snogged her, he comes down here to finish the job with Hermione? Nah! Harry never disrespects women…but we're talking about a shag…No-could he? Bloody Merlin! Harry's cheating on Ginny with Hermione so he's cheating on her too! Why, I'm going to kill him!" Ron started to advance toward the couple, fists formed at his sides, but was stopped by a firm hand on his shoulder by his DADA professor.
Hearing the voice of Ron seemed to shake the other three boys from Gryffindor from their stupor. Neville turned red in embarrassment and tried to look everywhere except the bed, but the harder he tried to evade the bed the more his eyes kept drifting toward the naked figure of Hermione. Dean and Seamus both had a wolfish grin on their faces as they wiggled their eyebrows at Harry and broke out into applause which they abruptly stopped upon the icy glare their Head of House gave them.
Dumbledore's grin could not be erased from his face, making him look much younger. The twinkle in his eyes took on a much brighter sparkle, and he placed a hand on the shoulder of McGonagall, which she shrugged off in fury. Looking at the two head students and his transfiguration professor, Dumbledore knew that Harry and Hermione were in deep trouble.
"Albus, I demand the dishonorable expulsion of the two Head Students of Hogwarts for actions deemed unbecoming of ones in their positions…"
"Now Minerva, I believe that your request is quite harsh. And I believe that the position that the Head Students were found in, though not standard in the actions they were performing were actually appropriate to the task at hand for Mr. Potter…" Dumbledore stated which caused the boys and Lupin to sputter in laughter.
"Honestly Albus! What Mr. Potter and Miss Granger were doing is not permitted on school property nor between young students. Just because it's Mr. Potter does not give him the right to break all the rules of this school!" McGonagall countered.
Harry pulled Hermione up to a sitting position and saw that she was red as a ripe tomato. Upon hearing the request of McGonagall he watched as she lost all color to her face. He saw tears were starting to form in her eyes and felt his own temper starting to rise at the people who caused pain to Hermione. He wrapped Hermione with the comforter, cupped her cheek searching her beautiful brown eyes as an unspoken conversation took place between them, when she nodded he kissed her tenderly.
"Headmaster, Professor McGonagall, Professor Lupin and you gits from Gryffindor, may I please ask what would be the purpose of your visit to our chambers on such a lovely evening?" Harry asked them with dripping sarcasm not once breaking eye contact with Hermione.
Hermione placed her hand on Harry's still tenderly touching her cheek; she turned her head and kissed his palm, grateful for the comfort he was showing her during this trying time. She smiled at him and drowned herself in her lover's emerald green orbs.
"Harry, Professor McGonagall and Headmaster Dumbledore were supposed to orient you to your award ceremony of the Order of Merlin." Lupin answered, as he observed the actions of the couple on the bed, "Uh…Might I suggest that the two of you stop it…this is a grave misconduct you have performed."
"This orientation for the ceremony of the Order of Merlin-it could not have been postponed for the morning?" Harry asked.
"Certainly not Mr. Potter! I'll have you know that I am not one to procrastinate in my duties which I take seriously mind you! How dare you both act without any remorse for being caught at performing an action that is restricted to occur among our students! I am disappointed in you Mr. Potter and so much more in you Miss Granger."
Hermione tore her gaze from Harry, she shifted her eyes to her professor who she holds in high esteem and in a very soft firm lilting voice she replied, "I am sorry Professor McGonagall but I do not answer to the name of Miss Granger any more."
"Is that so Miss Granger? And how do you wish us to address you then?" the professor burred sarcastically.
Hermione lowered her eyes as Harry took her left hand to his lips; she looked at him then lifting her chin in a defiant gesture she gazed steadily at the crowd gathered in their bedroom.
"Mrs. Harry James Potter," Hermione said firmly, enunciating each word.
Professor McGonagall gasped stunned speechless as were the rest of the group.
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