Sold to the Boy with No Place to Live-Chapter 12
Harry realized once more what incredible magic surrounded the attic. He wasn't sure if it was anywhere close to as effective as a Fidelius Charm and he thought it would be broken easily once discovered. The fact was that with Hermione in his bed with him they'd never be found when intruders made a first pass through the house and grounds. Harry felt selfish that he was hiding leaving the others to protect him, but he wasn't exposing Hermione until they knew her parents were safe.
He carefully slid her off to the tiny little bed. She stirred and moaned as someone would when being pestered in their sleep, but didn't awake. He went down the stairs to find out the news. He was shocked to see that the sun was already up.
"Harry, I'm so glad that night's over," said Seamus with Parvati in hand. "I'm sorry about your Uncles'."
Harry realized he must have fallen asleep, but couldn't think of when or how he'd managed it. "Has word of the Granger's returned?"
"Yes, the Auror squad arrived moments after they got the word," said Seamus. "I overheard that there was a brief skirmish outside the house. The Aurors discouraged them enough that they left knowing you were not there. They captured Malfoy."
"They did what?" asked Harry. "You have to be kidding me. Malfoy? I'm shocked that Snape didn't keep his pet locked up." Harry felt the rage growing.
Parvati spoke as well. "Harry, how's Hermione?"
"I know she'll be better now, thanks," said Harry. "That isn't the end of that I'm sure. Whoever sent the Death Eaters to Hermione's will find out where I am soon."
"No one told us the significance of your seventeenth birthday until we were wandering around the house scared to death Harry," said Parvati. "Why was there such a powerful spell placed on you in the first place?"
Harry never doubted that one day the story would come out. The reports of him being `The Chosen One' had left people scoffing mostly. Yet each time an event such as this happened around him, more questions were asked and more was divulged. "It's too long and too complicated to explain right now. I'll tell you sometime or look for Ron. He can explain it pretty well, I think. I don't know if he'll want to but ask him."
Harry knew that the time for protecting his friends was past. Hermione's name was associated with him and the Burrow was sure to follow. He hoped that someone would make the decision when to let the other kids go home to their families and destroy any evidence that they knew anything about Harry. He knew no one at the Ministry cared about that or the other kids. They only cared that appearances made it seem they were doing something.
He took a deep breath and went back up to his cubicle. He sat next to the bed. There was no way to get back into bed with her without waking her. He wondered how she slept at time like this. How had he slept, he wondered? Maybe it was the comfort that they were together or just exhaustion. He realized it was probably both.
"Harry, Sweetheart, wake up," said Hermione. Her lips were close to Harry's ear as she whispered.
Harry's head rose from the pillow he'd nabbed from the bed. "Hi, did you sleep well, Hermione?"
She giggled at him. "How do you wake up in a horrible position on the floor with just a pillow and care how I slept?"
"I don't know, but I have news. Your parents are safe. They never saw anything as far as anyone can tell. They captured Draco Malfoy too," said Harry.
A faint smile crossed Hermione's face at the news. Mostly there was a look of relief. "Harry, what are we going to do to get you safe? You and I need to leave today. We need to make as much distance from here as possible."
"What do you mean? Run?" asked Harry.
"No, I don't mean run. But we're not medieval warriors protecting a castle Harry. We don't need to light tar in the moat, we just need to stay mobile and keep them looking for us while we look for and find the Horcruxes," she said.
It never occurred to Harry that she would figure out his strategy on her own. He'd planned to move quickly and keep the pressure to find him on the Death Eaters. It was the reason he wanted to be alone. Others in his company would make him easier to find. How hard would it be to find a brown-haired, teenage boy with glasses when he had a girl with him? But he knew that she was his saving-grace. That seemed to be what was supposed to happen.
"What about seeing your parents," asked Harry?
"Harry get your priorities in order. As far as I'm concerned, I don't plan on asking them to your funeral. You have to be alive and well for them to meet you, and so do I," she stated flatly.
At first, it sounded like an attempt at humor, but Hermione was serious and all business. "Good point," he said.
"Harry, I'm scared to death and I admit it. I'm sure to a point, you're used to it. I'm not."
"You don't get used to it Hermione." He replied.
"I'm sorry to put it that way Harry. I didn't mean to sound callous. What do you think the ministry will do to protect my parents?" she asked.
Harry knew what Lupin had told him about how muggle families would be handled. He supposed it was time to tell Hermione. "They will send Aurors to your house and use one of a dozen or so stories about a leak or something dangerous in the area. They'll do some snooping in your home to make sure there is no sign of intrusion by magical means. They'll repeat the same thing in the surrounding houses to make it look authentic, but also to prevent Death Eaters from using the surrounding neighborhood as a base to try to find you and me."
"I am scared, Harry," said Hermione.
As they came down the steps, Ron emerged from his room. "What do you need me to do, Harry?"
"Me too," said Ginny with Neville.
A faint voice came from the steps behind them. "You're leaving to do that task for Dumbledore, aren't you?" asked Luna. "I may not be going with you, Harry, but I'll be waiting to help if you need me. No matter what happens, I think we all are."
Harry was never so impressed with his friends' loyalty. The battles in the Ministry had been a surprise. The attack at the castle had been a surprise. This was sure to be dangerous and lethal, yet they were with him…scared to death or not. "Ron, you have to figure out what to do with everyone. Send them home with a code or something that we can use to call everyone. But Hermione and I are being hunted now, I suppose and we need to get as far away as we can as fast possible."
Everyone turned to Ron. "Gee Harry. Use me, abuse me and then put me in charge, why don't you?" He smiled. "I'll work with my Dad on a plan Harry. Talk to him first. He'll have good ideas."
"I think he's right, Harry." Hermione agreed. "Mr. Weasley has been right more often than not."
"Harry, there is no doubt the safest place is the house at 12 Grimmauld Place," said Mr. Weasley after some thought. "I don't mean at this very minute, but after we allow the Order to investigate the area around it."
Harry didn't want to be disrespectful to Mr. Weasley. He'd heard Professor Lupin's version, now he had to hear Mr. Weasley on the same subject. "No offense intended, Mr. Weasley, but two words come to mind: Professor Snape."
"Ah, yes, Harry. Right you are to be concerned. I'm sure that Remus…err….Professor Lupin told you how he felt. I agree with him. If Professor Snape's true nature eluded Professor Dumbledore all this time, we have very little chance of success. You were not harmed and he had ample opportunity to have harmed Hermione too. Neither of those things happened. He must know by now that you were not at the Dursleys, yet there has been no attack here. Harry, do you think that if Severus Snape were that vicious these past two months after Professor Dumbledore's passing would have brought no attack or any remotely suspicious occurrence even close to you or your friends?"
Harry had never regarded Mr. Weasley as this intelligent until this summer, but his logic made sense. "I suppose not."
"Harry, there is another thing about this summer that you should know about. The reason these children were brought here was not DA training. It was to keep them under surveillance this summer. Their families were in little danger, because most are elderly, muggle or simply have no political connections. But these children had openly opposed the Dark Lord." Mr. Weasley looked sad to have hidden this from Harry and Hermione. "Draco Malfoy had seen the list of DA members and we were sure he'd share the names to gain favor after the events at Hogwarts."
"But only a few people helped during that raid, Mr. Weasley. Not all of these," said Harry.
"We offered many families to send their children. Many refused. We were ready to take as many as had participated in the DA if necessary," admitted Mr. Weasley. "The training was real. The confidence in you was real. But do you think these families would have sent their children to learn to fight and make themselves even larger targets if that were the way we proposed it?"
"No, they wouldn't have, Sir. At least, I don't think so," said Harry.
"So were there Aurors hidden here the entire time?" asked Hermione.
"Yes, Tonks has been here since the second day," said Arthur. "She is still maintaining her cover even as we speak. Charlie never came back home, kids. He's still in Romania."
"I didn't think you could change form from man to woman," said Harry.
"Harry, she changed her face or used polyjuice or something," said Hermione. "Right?"
"Yes, she simply changed her appearance as close to Charlie's as possible and then dressed as a man," said Arthur. "My children knew and were told to say nothing."
Harry hung his head in embarrassment. He remembered that Charlie said the guys should show the girls how to do things undressed first when Seamus was joking. It never occurred to him then. "So, the night that Charlie was giving Seamus a difficult time?"
"Yes, I warned Tonks about trying to get the young men get naked. It would do nothing for Charlie's reputation," smiled Arthur.
Hermione and Harry laughed. "We have to go, Sir. Where should we go and await word about the house on Grimmauld Place?"
"Find a hotel in London somewhere near Bill's flat, but not the one from last night," said Arthur. "Too many people here know about it and Veritaserum would be a nasty surprise if we were to be overrun somehow here. Bill will be your contact. I will send Hedwig to him today with a message about our plans. Hedwig will stay there. I don't suspect that he will be intercepted on that route, but coming back here would be too dangerous."
"Bill has a fellytone…I always do that…a telephone. Here is the number. Call him and tell him where you are but only after asking him if he's feeling better. If he says he's feeling fine then give him the location. Any other answer means hang up and go somewhere else, okay?" Mr. Weasley seemed to be enjoying the cloak and dagger aspect of current events.
Harry thought this was a bit much, but he would follow his instructions. He had to work as a team now, even if he thought he'd be better on his own. Once he got to Grimmauld Place, he would re-evaluate. Unbeknownst to everyone, that was to have been his first stop to investigate his ideas of who R.A.B was and the mysterious locket he'd seen. Or was it only in a dream that he'd seen it? He wasn't sure.
They said their goodbyes to everyone with a particular laugh at saying goodbye to `Charlie'. They gathered their things and Harry realized that he'd lost a great deal at the Dursleys if he couldn't go back. He knew he couldn't. He hated the thought of him being the reason for their misfortune. There was no love lost, but no normal human being wanted to cause pain and suffering to innocent people. In this, they were innocent.
Hermione found a hotel that fit the bill. They checked in and went directly to their room. They had argued briefly about two adjoining rooms, but Hermione pointed out that they had two beds and they needed to conserve money now that they were out on the road much sooner than they'd planned.
She sat on the end of the bed closest to the window and decided she liked the other one better. Harry didn't care. He was too busy flipping through the channels when he noticed the local news reporting on a story of a house that exploded mysteriously early this morning.
"Hermione, I don't care which bed. Listen! This is about the Dursley house," he said emphatically.
"At 12:14 AM London time this morning, this house in the Little Whinging section of Surrey exploded unexpectedly sending debris into the night air and nearly setting the surrounding block afire," said the young man. "Neighbors reported strange activity in the area immediately after the explosion and the occupants cannot be accounted for. One witness told this reporter that she saw the outline that appeared to be a group of three men standing near the street as the blaze roared. She was so terrified she said she called to her husband to come look, but when he came to their window there was no longer anyone there. Her husband maintains and I quote, `if my wife saw them, they were there.' The cause of the blast and the ensuing fire are under investigation by a joint Surrey/London Fire Investigation and Arson team. Back to the studios, this is Alan…" said the young man.
Hermione's eyes were glassy at the site of the gorgeous house that Harry had once called home. She looked at Harry who seemed to be staring at the television or beyond it in stunned silence. "Harry, Sweetheart, are you okay?"
"I know it's not the same thing, but I can't help but think of my parents lying dead in a similar report," he openly cried for the first time Hermione's memory.
Hermione came to him slowly. She sat behind him and wrapped her arms around him. "Baby, I'm sorry I wish I could turn back time for you. I really wish I could." She wondered why she'd used the term `baby'. But there seemed to be something childlike in Harry's sobs. She wanted to go away and let him have his difficult moment, but she also felt motherly as if he needed that too. She remained silent and rocked him as she felt his pain. He turned to her and buried his face in her shoulder.
Neither spoke for hours as Harry slept next to Hermione. She had sat up for quite a while sitting close to the television with the volume down to see if there was anymore news on the dinner edition. There had not been anything except that same report. She ran to the shop downstairs and grabbed a couple of books to read and a magazine. She had the feeling they might be cooped up for a day or two.
Finally, around eight o'clock Harry awoke with swollen eyes. "Hi, Sweetheart," was all he said. He rolled to his back and stared at the ceiling.
She got up and walked to the sink. "Would you like a spot of tea, Harry?" She tried to act normal as her heart broke again. He never seemed this broken up with any of the other tragedies. Yet she realized that the end of the year had come shortly afterward and she had no idea how he was when at the Dursley home.
"Sure, I'm sorry," he said simply.
"What are you sorry for, Harry?" she asked. "Are you supposed to be immune to emotion?"
"It was like my parents were in that fire. I don't understand how after all this time I would react like that," he said quietly. "I couldn't convince myself at first that it wasn't them. Am I going crazy, Hermione?"
"No, Sweetheart, that's why everyone loves you who really knows you. Your anger is real, your love is real, and so is your friendship. It's just who you are." Hermione crossed with the two cups, handed him one and kissed his cheek as he sat up. She fluffed the pillows on her bed and leaned against the headboard.
Harry remained quiet and Hermione put the T.V. on a pay-per-view movie channel and looked at the selections. "There is no way I'm paying for movies I know nothing about she said. Here I think I remember another one." She switched to an American channel called TMC. The movie was in black and white.
"Come here, Hermione. Come cuddle with me," suggested Harry. Hermione looked at her tea and set it down. The offer was too tempting.
Hermione had learned the remote well enough to be able to bring up the explanation. It was `Casablanca' with Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart. They recognized the names and neither had seen the movie.
Hermione clawed at Harry every time it seemed that Rick and Ilsa would finally be together. And, Harry, captured by intrigue of World War II, wondered how Rick could pretend not to care one way or another about the politics of the war. He was even more amazed at how he remained unpredictable when asked to help Ilsa, the love of his life, escape with her husband. The ending left them speechless, but happy.
"Oh, man, that was a good movie. I never thought I'd get into a love story like that," said Harry.
"It was sad and happy at the same time, Harry. You wanted them to be together, but there was just this sort of feeling like it was meant to be that way," she said.
"Man, I can't take this, Hermione. It's crazy. I'm glad we watched that movie, because even as we did my mind flashed to the scenes of the Dursleys'," he said sadly. "The movie kept me from dwelling on it."
"Harry, I'm sorry that the reality of things catches up with you so often. I could see it on your face tonight. I don't think I ever felt so helpless. Even when you were in the Tri-Wizard Tournament, I could at least help you somewhat. Here, with these things, you are on your own and I know it." Her hand brushed through his hair.
"I'll be fine. It's just that the description of the people almost matched dreams I've had Hermione. That was the most upsetting thing," he explained.
Hermione slipped off the end of the bed and went to the bathroom. "Harry, I'm going to get ready to go to sleep. Are you going to be able to sleep?"
Harry heard the water running in the sink. He saw Hermione brushing her teeth. "I think so. I'm so drained emotionally that I really want to sleep to be honest. Maybe I'll have some sweet dreams and this feeling will pass by morning."
Hermione talked with toothpaste in her mouth, "I hope so, Harry. You deserve better."
He heard the door shut going into the loo and shower. He used that opportunity to change himself. "Hermione, don't come out unless you want to be embarrassed." He heard her giggle as the water came on.
She came out in sweats and a tee shirt with a towel around her head. She pulled that off and shook her hair out. "It's all yours there, Harry."
Harry went in brushed his teeth and showered quickly. It was refreshing. He usually showered after his run, but doing this before bed relaxed him more than he imagined it would. When he came out, Hermione was sitting up with a book.
"I was waiting to turn the light out until I could say goodnight to you," she said sweetly. She set the book on the nightstand and walked over to Harry before he'd gotten to the other side of the bed. "I figured we should say goodnight in the vertical position. There'd be too much temptation the other way," she whispered softly placing her hands on his bare chest and kissing him.
Harry felt the world wash away for a moment at her touch. He was satisfied with the moment. He covered one of her hands softly. "You have no idea how soothing your touch is Hermione," he said. "Really, I mean that. I was pretty sad tonight, but you made it easier whether you know it or not."
"Harry, we will be there for each other. I'm here for you and I know you're here for me." She kissed him again. "Goodnight, love."
"Goodnight, Sweetheart," he said as he circled his bed.
She turned back her covers, blew him a kiss, crawled in, reached up and shut off the light.
The next day brought more of the same. After dinner around seven or so they went out long enough to find a pub with a phone. Harry dialed, Bill's number. It was picked up quickly, surprising Harry. "Hello, Bill?"
"Hey, Harry, I was expecting you to call a lot earlier than this," he said.
"How are you feeling, Bill?" he asked.
"Fine." Bill answered. "Hold on Harry. No need to tell me where you are. Meet my Dad at your house at 2:30 tomorrow afternoon, okay?"
"Really?" asked Harry.
"Yes, Harry. They searched it already and things are just fine. I will be there after five," said Bill.
Harry didn't know how to take the news. Tomorrow would bring another turning point. He'd go back to a place that held more anxiety for him than the Dursleys. The aura of Sirius and his parents would be even thicker. He would have to deal with those emotions as they came.
Hermione heard the change in his voice and wondered what was said. Harry just looked at her in silence for a second. "I'm sorry, Hermione. It's just taking me a second to absorb this. We go to my house…I mean the Grimmauld Place residence at 2:30 tomorrow and meet Mr. Weasley."
"Harry, that's great. It means that things are getting better," she said. "I mean at least the coast is clear, so-to-speak. Let's watch another movie tonight. I saw one in the guide that might be a little bit more modern and a little sexy. Can we handle it?" she flirted.
"As many times as I've had to get used to being frustrated, I could handle anything but a live striptease," he joked.
"That's what I like to hear," she poked him in the belly and ran across the street. Harry followed smiling.
"I think this woman is gorgeous," said Hermione. "It's a pay-per-view, one of the cheap ones. The movie is not new, but newer than 1943." She chuckled. "It's `Pretty Woman'."
Harry knew about this movie. He'd actually seen parts of it at the Dursleys' while they were gone two summers before. The actress was very pretty and he thought her lips where her best feature. "Okay, go for it."
"Wait, wait," said Hermione. They hadn't used the microwave yet, but Hermione had gotten the popcorn out of the little complementary stash and threw it in. She reached in and grabbed two of the little stubby sodas in the wet bar. "Okay, now, we're ready for a movie."
Harry smiled as she did her little dance barefoot around the room getting the popcorn and sodas. She was so cute like that he thought. He felt like a kid for the first time in a day or so. He'd felt so old with the depressing thoughts of the house in Surrey and going to Grimmauld Place. But for now, he was seventeen again.
They snuggled up and started the movie. Neither of them had seen the entire movie and the opening twenty minutes caused Harry to feel a little awkward. He'd thought of what it would be like to be with Hermione like that and had kind of put it out of his mind in the past. He was glad that it was simply suggestive and lacked nudity. He could see himself pleasing Hermione with oral sex without intercourse, but had a hard time thinking of asking her for oral sex. He just couldn't ask.
Hermione sat just as quietly and didn't seem to be shocked. The moment passed and they enjoyed the rest of the movie. Harry realized as the movie went on that they held each other tighter tonight, but they hadn't kissed like they had occasionally the night before.
When Richard Gere walked up the ladder to Julia Roberts, Hermione shed a tear. Harry tried hard not to laugh. He'd seen the ending and thought it was kind of corny. She must have felt him trying to hold back. "What? Okay, just go ahead and laugh then, why don't you?" she sniffled. "It was romantic."
"Hermione, he was tired of paying for his women," he joked.
She shot him a glare. "Men! What's that supposed to mean? Because she gave him a blow job and she was a hooker at one time, she doesn't deserve love?"
"Hermione, I'm sorry. I was kidding. I saw the ending before. The first time I thought if fit, the second time seeing it with a girl sniffling, I thought it was funny," he explained. "So don't get so defensive."
She realized maybe she'd overreacted. "Harry, why did you say he got tired of paying for his women?" she pressed. "I just want to know why you said that." Her tone was much more casual after he admitted giving her a little bit of a ribbing about crying at the ending.
"I don't know," he said. He thought for a minute and realized what he'd been thinking the whole movie. "It just seemed like he was a rich guy who liked women who were free with their sexuality and to get that he had to pay. He didn't have time to deal with the drama of a relationship. Now he had one he didn't have to pay. I guess that's what I meant. It wasn't meant to be a comment against women or anything."
"You don't think he loved her? I think he did. I think you may be right. If she hadn't been a hooker, he wouldn't have been so intrigued by her and gotten to know her though," she said thoughtfully.
Harry felt his stomach tighten a little and a nervous flutter hit it at the same time. "What do you think of oral sex, Hermione?" he asked nervously.
Hermione wasn't ready for that question to come out of the blue like that. But she dealt with it truthfully. "It's part of sex, I think Harry. But like anything that deals with sex, once you do certain things with your partner you change the way you interact forever. I'm not afraid to do it if that's what you're asking. I am nervous about knowing what to do. I won't lie about that," she said.
She put her hand on Harry's chest and drew a figure eight. "I had no idea that movie had that part, but I'm glad it caused us to talk about this." She continued to trace figures on his chest through his tee shirt. "I lied Harry, I am afraid." She smiled shyly.
"I know, Hermione. I think about stuff like that too," he said. "We must be weird. I'm sure that kids our age just experiment and don't talk a whole lot about it. They just do it with coaxing from peers or their lovers. I just couldn't ask you out of the blue and I'm not asking now to put pressure on you."
"Do you think that a girl who does that kind of stuff for her boyfriend is a slut?" she asked directly. "Some guys do, I think. They don't care if they're getting a blow job from a girlfriend or a maid at a hotel. You know what I mean?"
Harry wanted to experience everything with Hermione, but he didn't want to make her feel vulnerable.
"You know it's not something we have to do right now because we're talking about it, but I want to make love to you Hermione. I want to feel the power that I felt in a dream I had." He told her of his dream and how good it made him feel.
"Harry, I dream of you too. More often than you think, but a dream is safe. What you're suggesting could change more than our relationship." She reminded him.
There was an awkward period of silence in which Harry touched her hair and stared into her eyes. Hermione's eyes met his. They were frozen in time as if they were reading a story on the other's face.
He moved slowly.
Harry's hands found the bottom of her tee shirt and softly pulled toward her head. She sat up and raised her arms and let it slide off. She took his and did the same. They had touched each other under their clothes before but nothing more. "May I, Sweetheart?"
She nodded as Harry took the straps of her bra and slid them over her shoulders. She covered her breasts with one arm and undid the clasp for Harry with the other hand. She pulled her arms away and let him see her bare bosom for the first time. He touched her tenderly, tracing a nipple with his finger. "You're beautiful, Hermione. Touching you through clothes didn't do justice to you."
She lay on top of him pressing against him. "I've wanted to feel this for two days now," she said as she kissed him.
He gently rolled her to her back and kissed her neck. He had no idea what he was doing. He was never so excited and cautious at the same time in his life. He was like a roller coaster at the top; he wanted to get to the bottom as fast as he could. He kept his hand on the brake. He kissed her softly everywhere he saw that seemed to beg to be tasted. Finally, he teased her nipple with his tongue and felt an instant surge of adrenaline and testosterone.
Hermione seemed afraid to speak. Her breathing got shallower and her nipples became firmer. Harry was still unsure of where to go next so he took a deep breath. He felt her hand touch his hair. "That was nice, Harry." A little of the nervousness fell away. He lingered there for as long as he dared.
Hermione put her hand to the side of his face. "Sweetheart, it's my turn." The glasses had come off long before, she kissed him and pepper his chest with kisses as she lay atop him his hands kneaded her breasts and she took his nipple between her lips swirling her tongue. Harry felt himself come alive against her tummy. His shorts strained. He'd never imagined that that sensation would stir him as it did.
From there Harry knew that this was not their ordinary snogging session. Something that they had fought for so long was hurtling toward them. He admired her breasts as she sat up on his stomach. "Hermione, where are we going?"
"Wherever it takes us, Harry," she said happily. "I just want to enjoy being with you. Talking doesn't seem to ruin it." She giggled. He rolled her to her back again and kissed her deeply. His hands slid into her shorts as she giggled. Several seconds passed. "Now this is different and I don't mean in a bad way either," she said breathlessly moving with him. A minute or two more passed as Harry kissed her. "Harry, wherever we're going I thinking I'm getting there before you." Her breathing changed from rapid to slow to rapid again. She gasped.
He had to laugh. "It's not a race; just don't leave me waiting at the station, Sweetheart."
"Oh, Harry, I don't think…" She gasped again. "…that'll….be… a….problem…omigod…"
She was softer, her skin tasted sweeter, and her gasps and moans urged him on. He never imagined this. He felt the power of her body grow as he moved lower. The rest was a blur. He was lost in pleasing her. He was not disappointed at the attention he received either. He let out a few gasps of his own as new sensations surprised him.
As they moved together it became more enjoyable as they're sexual banter increased. They teased and played until they were exhausted.
All their fears disappeared. Hermione put it best as they lay naked together hours later, "Harry, if it would have happened another way, I think I'd be sorry. Thank you for not being in a hurry. I love you for that Harry."
Harry's expression was one of satisfaction and tenderness. "I love you too. Thank you for trusting me."
They lay quietly until they fell off into a deep sleep coiled around each other for the first time as lovers.
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