Quick a/n- I've realized I forgot to add a disclaimer in the first chapter. Y'all know I'm not JKR, right? So, not one of these characters is mine. Should be pretty obvious from my writing, lol.
Thank you, to everyone who read, and especially reviewed, Chapter 1. It was more than I ever would have hoped for, my first time around writing hp. So, to show my appreciation, I have but two words: Afternoon Delight. Hehe.
Chapter 2: The Law of Gravitation
Hermione opened her bedroom door the next morning to find Harry, again, on the other side of it. She started.
"Harry! You scared me."
"Hey." He grinned. God. "I think we should talk."
"Erm, sure. Come in."
Harry eyed her up and down. "Actually, I think we should probably just take a walk."
Hermione reddened. "Of course. I'll just get a jacket." She turned back into her room, and stopped, laughing nervously. "You know, I actually don't need a jacket. It's not really cold." They headed downstairs. "I guess, because it was raining last night, I thought- but it's actually quite nice today, so…" she trailed off as they went out the front door.
"Hermione. You're rambling." Harry glanced sidelong at her. Hermione tutted.
"Yes, I know, but I'm really terribly nervous, Harry," she said agitatedly.
"Why? I thought you'd want to talk about it. You want to talk about everything."
Hermione looked at him. "Listen, we don't have to talk about last night. It doesn't have to mean anything if you don't want it to."
"Do you?" He asked. "Want it to mean anything?"
Hermione made it a few more steps before she realized he had stopped. She turned.
"Harry…to me, it already means-" she broke off. "I've waited a long time for that to happen," she said quietly.
"I understand, though, if you want to- I was upset last night; perhaps you were just-"
"Hermione." Harry took her hand. "Stop. I love you."
She couldn't breathe. "Oh, no. No, you don't."
"I don't?" Harry said evenly, tilting his head.
"Harry, I've seen the women you go for."
"Really? What sort of women are those, then?" Harry asked, amused now.
"Ginny!" she exclaimed. "And Cho. And- and whatever that other one's name was, and- are you laughing at me?" she asked, unnecessarily, as he most definitely was.
Harry got close to her. "If I really went for those women, I'd still be with them. And none of them," he said as he tilted her chin up, "has ever kissed me the way you did last night. I'd rather like to do it again."
"Y-You would?" Hermione squeaked, again unnecessarily.
"I would." Harry watched her wet her lips as he leaned in.
"Aah!" He sprung back from her suddenly, clapping his hands to his forehead before giving a great shudder and passing out.
"Harry?" Hermione fell to the ground beside him, looked around frantically. They were well within the wards. She pulled out her wand and sent her otter up to the house ahead of her own yells.
"Ron!" She screamed. "Ron!" She levitated Harry's limp form and carried him in front of her as she ran.
Ron ran out of the house and met her halfway. "What's happened?" He looked from Harry to Hermione, who was shaking.
"We-we were talking, and he just- It was his scar, I think, but…then he passed out. It was so quick, I didn't-"
"Hermione, look at me. Are you alright?" Ron asked her.
She looked up at him as if she'd just noticed that he was there, met his eyes, and nodded. "Yes."
"Okay. Let's take him inside; someone from the Order will be here soon." He took over carrying Harry with his own wand. When they got inside, Ron set Harry down on the living room rug.
"He's dreaming, or something," she said. "Look at his eyes." They were moving very rapidly beneath his closed lids.
Hermione moved her hands and wand over him urgently, muttering every awakening spell or charm she knew, and her eyes roved over his body anxiously. Ron sat back on his haunches and studied her, and understood.
Oh.
Before he could really process it, Harry stirred.
"Harry?" Hermione's eyes searched his. Harry looked at her.
"H-How did we get in here?"
"You passed out when we were outside. You were clutching your forehead; are you alright?"
"I- need to think," Harry muttered, trying to sit up.
"Harry, you should lie back down."
"No, I saw- I think I know where he is."
"You Know- I mean, Voldemort?" Ron asked. "You know where he is? How?"
"I just saw him."
-==-==-==-==-
Remus came in through the front door, having apparated to the yard. "I got your patronus, Hermione; what's happened?"
"Harry's had a vision. He may have seen Voldemort's location."
"No, I did see it, Hermione. I just need to figure out where it is."
"Harry, your Occlumency is superb at this point. You haven't had an episode like this in years," Hermione replied. "And never while you were awake."
"I know, but this was just like it used to be, Hermione. It was like I was there."
"Just like when we were in school? When we were in fifth year?" Hermione asked pointedly.
Before Harry could respond, Lupin cut in. "Back up for a moment, please. What did you see, Harry?"
"I was- he was in a room, an office…or a sitting room, or both. It was in London, I'm sure of it. There was something familiar about the view from the window. I think I've been there before. And there was covered up furniture, all around, and dust.
"Voldemort was talking to a man...I've never seen him before."
"Harry, before we worry about what he was doing, did you see anything else that may show where he is?" Lupin asked.
"Erm, he was sitting at a desk, an old desk." And the last time Harry had seen it, he realized, Dumbledore had been sitting in front of it, and he'd been wearing a lurid purple suit.
"The orphanage. The muggle orphanage that Dumbledore showed me in his memory all those years ago, where Riddle used to live. He's there." He stood up.
"We don't know how much longer he'll be there; we should move."
Lupin stopped him. "We need to alert the rest of the order, who should be here soon for the meeting. We'll not move until we discuss this further. I want to send some members ahead to verify that someone is indeed there, or at least to look for any concealment wards that would indicate same. It's just common sense, Harry," he said as Harry moved to object.
When the rest of the Order arrived, they discussed plans to use this new information. Hermione was uncharacteristically quiet as the meeting stretched into the afternoon. She was working out in her head how Harry came to have this vision in the first place, especially when he hadn't even been asleep, and she doubted that it was just because Voldemort was angry that his Horcuxes were gone. Could Voldemort be setting another trap? Why would he want to lure Harry to the old orphanage? Did he honestly think Harry would come alone, or with five teenagers, like last time?
No, that didn't add up; she thought. But neither does this. Something was telling her that there was more to Harry's 'vision' than it seemed.
-==-==-==-==-
Hermione caught up with Harry in the hallway at the top of the stairs after everyone had left, with the intention of discussing her worries further, away from the others. She touched his shoulder tentatively, feeling taut muscles coiled with tension. And in that moment, she couldn't think past making that tension go away, if she could.
"Are you alright?"
Harry turned, just looked at her for a moment. He wanted, badly, to be with her now. She was the only one that could ease his mind, push any and everything to the back, so that there was only her. He thought of their kiss the night before, and their almost-moment this morning, and he nearly gave in as her arms came around him now.
Nearly. "Hermione…" Harry extricated himself from her hold. "Not now." He turned and continued down the hall and into his room at a much faster speed than could have been construed as natural.
Hermione stood for a moment or two. She hadn't mistaken what she'd seen in his eyes just now. Had she?
Of course I didn't, she thought, and there's no way he's getting away with this. Not with me.
Harry closed the door to his bedroom. He could smell her still, he thought. She was on his jumper. She'd been touching him, in some way, all day. It wasn't helping. He pulled it off and went to the closet for another.
But when he came out with the fresh laundry-scented sweater in his hands, Hermione erupted into the room.
"You seriously think I'm falling for that?" she demanded.
"I don't want you to fall for anything."
"Bullshit. You think Voldemort may know what's happened between us, and now you think you can go back on what you said to me this morning. That if you pretend nothing happened maybe Voldemort"- she spat out the name like an expletive- "will think he was seeing things, or something. Well, Harry, I. Don't. Care! I don't care if he sees us. I hope he does. I hope he knows that if he puts a hand on you I'll bloody well kill him myself! He's not taking you away from me, and you aren't backing out. Got it?"
Harry looked at her, loving her, and fought down his inexplicable urge to both burst out laughing and throw her onto the bed. "Hermione, calm down. I just think maybe this isn't the time."
"Calm down?" Hermione shrilled. " 'Calm down', he tells me," she said to the room at large, before she spun around, without warning, grabbed his face, and kissed him, urgently.
And how could he resist the sheer heat of it? He swung her around so that she was up against the wall and wrapped around him like a vine. He took control of the kiss, plundering her mouth as she opened it willingly for him. He groaned as her hands fisted in his hair. But even still…
"Hermione," he panted, as she broke the kiss to run her lips along his jaw.
"Yes…" she sighed. "I mean- yes?" she corrected weakly.
"Er," Harry stalled as he tried to stop hearing her sigh like that. "Um, it's three o'clock in the afternoon."
"Well spotted, Harry." Hermione said, barely breaking her rhythm. She was still hitched up around his waist. Maybe if he set her down he could concentrate. He did.
"Look, maybe we should wait."
"Wait for what? Harry, we've waited entirely too long. I love you. I want you. And I want it to be now."
I love you. I want you. I love you. I want you. Harry shook his head. "I don't want you to feel pressured, at all."
Hermione's smile bloomed slowly, beautifully. "That's sweet, Harry. But there is pressure," she murmured. "There's tremendous pressure, inside me."
Overcome, Harry touched his brow to hers. "Hermione." His hands were already digging into her waist, dragging her against him. His blood hadn't moved like this in…since…Hell. It had never been like this.
He pulled her top over her head, turning her around, backing her up to the bed, nearly tripping over his long-forgotten jumper on the floor. The next few moments undressing her were a blur as he felt his control slipping, as he felt more and more of her skin, as her hands roamed over his torso, and moved trembling to the button on his jeans. They tumbled onto the mattress.
Finally, Hermione thought. At last. She could feel him; the hands, and the lips that had heated her dreams for years were on her, for real, raising goosebumps and awakening the aching needs and fears that she didn't yet have a name for. She didn't have the experience to know what she wanted, but she knew, for sure, that whatever it was, it was wrapped up in him.
Harry knew just what he wanted. She was here, surrendering herself completely to him, and the feel of her arching against him was more than he could take. He was urgent, and impatient, as he reached down to feel more of her. He was ravenous, his lips, teeth, tongue, feasting on her breasts, his fingers exploring the rest of her.
Hermione was towering over that first peak so fast her mind had no hope of catching up. Her breath was sobbing out of her lungs and her heart racing with the release, and still she wanted….just….more.
"Harry…" she breathed, pleading.
His mind, his senses were lost; he couldn't wait. He drove into her, fast, plunging, deep.
And froze when she cried out, stiffened. Oh, god.
"Hermione- Oh, Merlin, I'm- wait." Harry desperately tried to clear his head. A virgin. And he'd taken her with all the finesse of a speeding locomotive. He tried to slow down, to stop.
There was pain, and it flashed through her, white-hot in its intensity. But even as Hermione braced against the next onslaught, it began to fade, replaced by a soft, deep, aching pleasure. She instinctively moved her hips upward to prevent Harry's retreat.
"Don't stop." Her whisper was urgent in his ear, and he could only bury his face in her curls as she pulled him under.
-==-==-==-==-
It had actually been pretty quick, Hermione mused, as she lay beneath him, heart still beating out of time, and hearing the answering rhythm in his chest. And she'd certainly enjoyed it; parts of it had even been amazing.
Oh, but she loved this part. This was wonderful, this peaceful entanglement, this absolute stillness. Listening to his heart, to his breathing, she'd never felt closer to him.
"I'm sorry," she heard him say. What?
"Whatever for?"
"I don't know why I didn't think about- you're the one person who really matters, and I- I should've- I didn't mean to hurt you," Harry finished lamely.
"Harry, you are seriously ruining the moment, here."
But the moment was already gone, as was evident by the knock on the door.
"Harry." Ron popped in. "Come on, mate, Shacklebolt's here. Something's happened." He froze when he found Harry hastily buttoning up his jeans and Hermione sitting up in Harry's bed, looking flushed, with the sheets up around her.
Ron floundered visibly, but recovered. "Bit early in the day for that, innit?"
He turned abruptly and headed back out the door.
"Fuck." Harry shrugged on a t-shirt. He couldn't deal with this right now. "Damn it, is it too much to ask to enjoy what just happened without having to deal with all this shite?"
Hermione felt his frustration. "Harry. There's time. We'll make time. Later."
They went downstairs to find a very shaken Kingsley Shacklebolt sitting in the parlor. with Remus next to him. Tonks was perched on the arm of the sofa. Ron was up and pacing, and determinedly avoiding their eyes.
This caused Harry real concern; The Auror and key Order member within the Ministry had always seemed so unflappable, so sure and steady. Now, he stared at Harry as he came in with a look of abject shame on his face.
"Harry, I'm extremely sorry."
Remus put a hand on Shacklebolt's shoulder. "Kingsley, calm down, and just tell us what happened."
"You had a…vision this morning, of Voldemort, at the old Muggle orphanage."
"Yes," Harry replied warily, but Hermione was looking at the others in the room, and a feeling of dread came over her.
"How did you know that, Kingsley?" she asked him.
The older man hung his head. "Because Rufus Scrimgeour has seen it, too."
"What are you talking about?" Harry demanded. The rest of the room was shocked silent. Ron had stopped pacing. Hermione was starting to redden in increasing anger as it dawned on her.
Not Voldemort. Not this time.
Shacklebolt moved a hand over his smooth head. "It was my job…I'm so sorry that I didn't realize…he's been watching you all this time."
Remus straightened. "Kingsley, you need to get a grip on yourself and explain what you mean."
"As you know, the Ministry's made no progress tracking down Voldemort. And even though you've cut off all communication with them over all this time, they know you've made headway. I overheard Scrimgeour in discussion with Dawlish, and your name came up. I eavesdropped, and it looks like they've been monitoring you- the three of you," he looked to Hermione and Ron as well, "to see what progress you've been making. There are spies assigned to each of you."
Tonks broke in. "How much have they found out?"
"I don't know for sure. I had to leave or risk getting caught. But they were talking about what you saw this morning."
"They must be using Leglilimens to break into your mind, Harry," Hermione said. "Project images. It could have been anyone's eyes you were seeing through.
"How is it that you can block out Voldemort and not them? And what else have they seen?" She looked from Harry to Ron.
Even after all this time, only Remus, Tonks, and the Weasleys knew that Voldemort had made horcruxes, and that the three of them had been destroying them. If that information were now in the hands of the Ministry, then the information could spread like wildfire, not to mention what Scrimgeour would do with it. It would be disastrous.
Blood pounded in Harry's ears. "So, they've been watching us all this time, so they could, what- piggyback off everything we've done? Take credit? Were they ever going to- I don't know, step in and help at all?" He leapt up, incensed.
"Well, of course they were- at the last possible moment, I'm sure- just in time to take a few pictures for the Daily Prophet." Tonks was utterly disgusted with the whole situation- and herself. She worked for the Ministry, as well, and hadn't suspected a thing.
Ron squinted. "Wait, so- how does that fit in with what Harry saw? Is it real, or not?"
Kingsley shook his head. "It's unclear to me whether or not the images were fabricated, or what Scrimgeour was planning to make you do. First order of business would be to check out that orphanage."
"I say we go to the Ministry, right now. I'll get that bastard to talk to me." Harry was still up, and stalking the room.
"No, Harry, the absolute last thing we need is for you to give them any reason to lock you up and start trying to get any deeper into your head. You aren't going anywhere near that place." Hermione was emphatic.
Lupin agreed. "We still have no idea what's going on, Harry, and it would be playing into their hands at this point to go to them now. For all we know, that could be exactly what they're hoping for."
Harry felt impotence clawing at his sanity. There had to be something he could do, now. It had shaken him to hear that his best friend and the woman he'd just realized was so much more were also being monitored by the Ministry.
-==-==-==-==-
Much later, when it was just the three of them again, Hermione was the one pacing.
"I can't believe this. I cannot believe this. This is unbelievable. I mean, we knew something was horribly wrong in that - that organization," she said with distaste.
She began to mutter things like "ineffectual dunderheads" and "control of the press" and "questionable interrogation tactics" and "self-interested sycophants".
Harry and Ron exchanged glances.
"But resorting to petty subterfuge, and Legilimency, no less, which is definitely of questionable legality in and of itself. Honestly!" she huffed.
She hadn't been this pissed off since house elves.
"Well, I think that's my cue," Ron said, feeling awkward. "I can't take it when she starts in with all the big words." He stretched.
"Ron." Hermione said quietly as he started to leave. He turned. "Thank you, for…this morning, for helping me with Harry. You were very considerate." She nearly winced. Did that have to sound so patronizing?
Ron only nodded. "It's nothing."
"Ron-" Harry started to say. Hermione shook her head.
"It's fine, guys. I'm fine. 'Night." He went up the stairs.
Harry slumped back onto the sofa. He let out a deep breath. There was guilt, anger, frustration, warring inside him. He felt like he might explode.
Hermione went to him, sat and placed a hand on his arm. Harry reached out and pulled her onto his lap. He turned his face into her neck and just breathed in.
"Harry," she sighed as she felt Harry tightening his hold. Maybe this wasn't the time. Perhaps they were selfish to even be thinking about it with all that was going on. Certainly, they should be focusing their energy on other things.
But it was still so new. And when they were together, like this…God, it was so hard to worry about anything else. So they took their escape.
And when Harry carried her upstairs, set her on her feet, there was no rush, no particular urgency. He kissed her, languidly.
"I didn't do it right, earlier." Harry murmured. He nibbled on her earlobe gently. Hermione shivered.
"It's okay, Harry," she whispered. The pain had been so brief, after all.
"No, it isn't. I won't hurt you again."
Hermione was prepared to feel the rough, racing hands, the scorching kisses of this afternoon. Instead, she was met with whisper soft caresses. Her head fell back on a moan as he trailed his lips down the column of her throat. Helpless to him now, her mouth fell open and her breath shuddered out.
She didn't have a memory of Harry taking off their clothes, and she didn't know if Harry had placed her onto the bed or if she'd simply floated there. But he was on top of her, now, and taking her to magical places with his fingers, teasing her with his mouth.
"Tell me what you like," he murmured.
"I…c-can't." She didn't know where to begin. "I don't…just…" Her moan was low and throaty as his mouth closed over her breast. She didn't have to tell him.
Still patient, even as his blood leapt, Harry continued in his slow exploration of her body until Hermione thought he would die from the throbbing pleasure. Harry's tongue glided up her thigh and she knew that she would deny him nothing as she opened for him.
She felt the explosion wash over her, fire spreading throughout her body, and she fell bonelessly back against the pillows. She could only hope he was doing it right this time. If it got any "righter", she was going to lose it.
This time, when he took her, it was painless; it was perfect. He touched her face with a tremulous hand.
"Look at me."
Her heavy, glazed eyes met his as he took them both over the edge.
-==-==-==-==-
Hermione was still asleep when Harry woke early the next morning. He took the moment just to look at her. She looked utterly content, thoroughly used, and unbelievably tempting. He let out an unsteady breath.
Nothing could have prepared him for what it was like to be with Hermione. His attraction to her was absolute, he loved her completely, and the lengths to which he would go to hold onto her frightened him.
He thought of the risk that she faced just by standing beside him, and he knew what he would risk to keep her safe.
-==-==-==-==-
By the time Hermione awoke, tousled and floating on air, Harry was gone.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
A/N- So, what just happened? Where'd Harry go? What is the deal with the Ministry? Did Harry really see what he thought he did?
I hope you come back to find out in Chapter 3- the Law of Reciprocal Action.
Thanks for reading. Also, I tried to not go into too much detail with the love scenes; I never know where that line exists between R and NC17. If it's too much, let me know and I'll up the rating. If it's not enough…um, sorry.
Please review, if you feel like it; I really appreciate every one and I'd love to know what you think. Cheers!
-Heather