"What!?"
"Did…did you just say LOVE?"
"You heard her," Ron muttered from behind his blush, eyes carefully avoiding his two best friends.
"When did this happen!?" Harry asked, somewhat shocked at this new piece of information.
"A little while ago. Before this whole You-Know-Who fiasco, for sure," Lavender assured, still beaming.
"That's great! I'm really happy for the both of you," Hermione congratulated, smiling.
"Yeah, me too," Harry said, briefly thinking of the time he had declared his own love, then pushing it out of his mind and flashing Ron a grin. His very crimson friend sheepishly grinned back.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
From this end of the school year, summer seemed much closer to the students of Hogwarts. The school population was thoroughly shaken by the conspired events of Voldemort, but not as much as Harry, Ron and Hermione. Though they tried to maintain a calm demeanor when amongst the other students, awkward silences often settled between the three when alone.
The screech of the morning owls broke the newly settled uncomfortable silence between the trio at breakfast on a warm, summer morning on the last day of school. Beyond glad, Harry looked up in search of his snowy owl and spotted her circling downward to where he sat.
I expect that's our O.W.L. results," Hermione stated nervously as a barn owl landed on the table in front of her, parchment tied to its foot.
"What have you got to worry about, Hermione?" Ron asked miserably. I'm the one who made up half the stuff I wrote in my O.W.L.'s!"
"Let's just open it and get it out of the way," Harry said heavily. He felt as if a thousand Snitches had just been let loose inside his stomach, which was now squirming uncomfortably.
"Harry's right," Hermione said, untying the parchment from the owl's leg and watching it as it flew off. Ron and Harry did the same, and once Hedwig and the Errol had flown off together, all three stared at the piece of paper in their hands.
"Mum's going to disown me!" Ron said, near hysterics.
"Just calm down! On three, we open it. Ready?" Hermione asked, looking at them with anticipation evident in her eyes.
"Ready," Ron and Harry answered solemnly.
"One…two…three," she said and practically tore the parchment open. Ron and Harry followed suit, much slower. Harry's eyes scanned the page with the black ink on it. After counting up the total, a grin split his face. Reducing it to a smile, he looked up at Ron apprehensively, to see that he was grinning as well.
"Ten! Not bad! And I thought I failed Potions AND History Of Magic!" he exclaimed, eyes scanning the page.
"Good for you, Ron!" Hermione approved, then, looking at her own paper, smiled widely.
"How many did you get, Harry?" Ron asked, looking up.
"Twelve," he answered, surprised and glad that Snape hadn't failed him entirely.
"And I suppose YOU got all fifteen?" Ron asked, turning to Hermione.
"You say that like it's a bad thing!" Hermione said, wearing a shocked expression that dissolved into a grin.
"Way to go, Hermione," Ron said a bit dryly, but smiled anyway.
"Got one O.W.L, did you?" Lavender approached them from her spot at the far end of the Gryffindor table and sat next to Ron, holding her own exam results.
"For your information, I got ten," Ron answered rather proudly. "What about you?"
"Thirteen," Lavender beamed.
"Oh, big deal," Ron muttered. They laughed.
"Oh, come ON, Ron! It's not a big deal! You surprised me! I didn't think you'd make it past four!" Lavender said in-between laughs.
"Thanks for the faith," Ron said, his ears turning crimson.
"Well, we better go. Don't want to be late for class," Hermione chirped, standing up. Harry could tell her mood had greatly improved. For the past few days, she had been moody and seemed depressed.
The three got up and made their way out of the Great Hall among the throng of students.
Harry felt someone push him hard from behind, and upon turning to see, regarded the blonde Malfoy who was wearing his signature smirk.
"You think you're so great, Potter," Malfoy sneered as the students emptied out of the Great Hall.
"I know you have a speech problem, Malfoy, so could you please explain what you're on about?" Harry said snidely.
"Just because you dueled Voldemort, and squirmed out of it alive, you think you're so great. The famous Potter, once again in the spotlight for doing something heroic!" Malfoy retorted. By now, the Hall was empty except for Harry, Hermione, Ron and Malfoy.
"And the stupid Malfoy, once again in OUR spotlight for being his natural idiotic self!" Ron said, earning a glare from Hermione.
"Shut up, Weasel," Malfoy snapped. Then, turning to Harry again, he growled, "You watch, Potter. I know Voldemort escaped before anything happened. I promise, he'll be back to rip you limb from limb. And you can bet that I'll be right there, helping along." With that, he turned on his heel and stalked off.
"Oh, please. Sounds just like a Muggle movie," Hermione said, rolling her eyes. "Empty threat. Come on!" The other two reluctantly followed Hermione to class, fuming all the way.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Last day of school! And classes are over!" Ron cried upon entering the Gryffindor common room, and was welcomed by loud cheers and whoops. Harry and Hermione followed, grinning at Ron and the fact that it was indeed the last day of school. The three flopped down on the couch, but Ron walked over to the table in one of the corners to join Seamus and Neville in a game of Exploding Snap. Hermione and Harry sat next to each other quietly, watching Ron as the pack of cards exploded, singeing his hair and leaving a black mark on the tip of his nose. Lavender and Parvati came in after a few minutes, clearly excited. Parvati joined Ginny and a couple of other fourth years in the corner, who then went upstairs, and Lavender headed over to the Exploding Snap group and sat on the arm of Ron's chair, loosely draping an arm around his shoulders.
"Perhaps, after your little game, we could go upstairs to play a game of our own," Lavender whispered in his ear, making him go rigid. At the sight of this, she burst into laughter.
"Are you serious?" Ron asked a bit hoarsely.
"Absolutely," she whispered.
"Um," he started, then cleared his throat, "what about Harry and Hermione?"
"What about them?" Lavender asked. "They've got each other. I'm sure they'll keep themselves entertained, if you know what I mean."
"No, what d'you mean?" Ron asked, confused.
"Don't act like you don't know," Lavender said, smiling a bit. "The two lovebirds, alone in the common room?"
Ron went stiff again.
"Do you mean…" he asked, eyeing Lavender.
Studying Ron's expression, Lavender's hand flew to her mouth.
"Oh my god," she whispered, "you really didn't know."
"Know what!?" Ron asked, a pink tinge appearing in his cheeks. He started to stand up.
"Something wrong, Ron?" Seamus asked, looking concerned.
"No," Ron forced himself to say. Then, turning to Lavender, he said somewhat calmly, "Actually, I think I have a pretty good idea what."
In about five long strides, he was standing in front of Harry and Hermione.
"What's going on with you two?" he asked, trying to keep his voice from shaking.
"What do you mean, Ron?" Hermione blinked, coming out of her little reverie.
"Oh, come off it," Ron snapped. "Based on what Lavender told me, or rather didn't, I can guess what you two are up to."
At this moment, Lavender came up behind Ron.
"Ron, calm down. Let's talk about this rationally," she said urgently.
"No, Lavender!" Ron said, his voice increasing in volume and turning a few heads. Fortunately for them, there were only about five people altogether in the common room.
"I want to know what is going on between you two," Ron demanded. Harry and Hermione stood simultaneously. Seamus and Neville slowly edged toward the portrait hole and slipped out.
"Ron! Why are you getting so upset!?" Hermione asked, her heart beating loudly in her ears.
"Why!? Isn't that a bit obvious!? You two are together and you didn't even tell me!" he half-shouted.
"There's a reason!" Harry jumped in. By now, the common room was totally empty except for them. The remaining third years had run up to their dormitories, whispering excitedly.
"I'd love to hear it!" Ron bellowed.
"Because we didn't want to hurt you! We had just come off a relationship and Harry and I didn't think it was right to tell you!" Hermione said, her cheeks red now.
"Well, by not telling me, you hurt me more! Did you ever consider that?" Ron snapped back.
"Yes, we actually did, believe it or not! You know, Ron, you have no right to be yelling at us when WE didn't even know about you and Lavender up until a couple of days ago!" Harry's voice was also rising in volume.
At this, Ron went silent. Hermione was breathing heavily, and Harry was staring at his best friend, trying to gauge his reaction. The silence was unnerving.
"I'm sorry," Ron muttered at last. "It was just so sudden."
"So was this," Hermione's voice was soft now as she kneeled beside Ron, a hand on his shoulder. "We're sorry we didn't tell you. We just didn't know how you'd take it."
"And Ron, I'm sorry for not telling you. I just thought it should come from them. I shouldn't have even opened my big mouth," Lavender said, fiddling with her hands.
"Hang on. How did you know, Lavender?" Hermione asked, looking up at Lavender in surprise.
"I saw you two snogging out by the lake the other day," she said matter-of- factly and shrugged.
Ron looked up. "Truce?" he asked, looking at Harry. Harry grinned, a wave of relief washing over him.
"Of course. What are best friends for?" he answered, causing Ron to break into an identical grin.
"I'm sorry for losing my temper like that. I mean, you two are my best friends, and I'd like to be included," Ron said, standing up.
"W'd never exclude you, Ickle Ronnie!" Hermione said playfully, ruffling his hair. They laughed, except for Ron.
"Don't even start," he warned. Then, he turned to Lavender, taking her hands in his. Hermione backed away to Harry's side, smiling at the two.
"You don't have to apologize," he said softly to her. "In fact, I'm kind of glad you did open
your big mouth." This caused Lavender to break into a huge grin and throw her arms around Ron. They broke apart
slowly, and Hermione whispered to Harry, "Let's leave them alone."
Harry was glad that she had said this. With his plans that he had talked over with to Ron during Potions, Ron needed the time.
"Well, have fun, you two. Don't do anything I wouldn't do," Harry said.
"Very funny, Harry," Ron said, but grinned nevertheless. The two shared a wink and Harry and Hermione left.
"Want to go for a walk?" Harry suggested once they were outside the portrait hole.
"Ooh, you should! It's a beautiful day outside!" The Fat Lady exclaimed. Hermione smiled at Harry.
I'd love to," she said. Hand in hand, the two headed for the lake. It truly was a beautiful day. As soon as they stepped outside, golden rays of sun hit them, filling them with warmth. Over on the Quidditch pitch, students were racing each other on brooms, heading at top speed toward the goal posts. Still other students were reading books on the benches, or talking while lounging on the green grass.
Harry and Hermione strolled lazily around the lake, lost in their own thoughts.
"Like Dumbledore says, another year, gone," Hermione said after a few quiet minutes.
"Yeah," Harry sighed. "I'm kind of glad, though. I mean, I never knew I'd have to do so many things in one year. I hope that never happens again."
"Well, I, for one, am proud of you," Hermione said.
"Why?" he asked, giving her a small smile.
"Because you are an amazing person, and you have so much courage, and you helped me more than you know," she said, stopping in front of the lake and turning to face him.
"Did I tell you how lucky I am?" Harry asked, smiling her at her fully.
"No, but I'd like to hear it," she said, grinning.
"I am so lucky," he said, then kissed her soundly.
"That was nice," Hermione said as they broke apart.
"Nice? Just nice?" Harry asked, pouting.
"It was excellent," Hermione laughed. "Happy?"
"A bit," he said. They sat down at the base of a tall tree, and Hermione leaned her head back against Harry's chest.
"I'm going to miss you, Harry," she said softly, intertwining her fingers with his.
"I'm going to miss you too, 'Mione," he whispered, kissing her neck. She laughed softly.
"But there's always Ron's house to look forward to in the summer,' she pointed out.
"True," he replied thoughtfully. "But what am I going to do until then?"
"Keep yourself occupied," Hermione answered. Turning her head, she kissed him once more, snaking her tongue out to meet his. His arms immediately encircled her stomach, pulling her against him. One of her hands went behind his head, smashing their lips together. The other hand stayed entwined with his.
"That, I'm definitely going to miss," he said breathlessly when they broke apart in dire need of oxygen.
Time passed, too fast for their taste, as they watched the sun set in the horizon in each other's arms, talking, laughing, and exchanging kisses. After a while, Harry reluctantly glanced at his watch, and noticing that it was seven already, bolted upright.
"Something wrong, Harry?" her voice showed concern.
"No," he answered quickly. "I just remembered…we have to get back to the common room."
"Why?" she asked, frowning.
"Because…because I have an overdue library book! That I forgot to return!" he said hastily, congratulating himself on coming up with a good excuse this fast.
"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed, standing up. He pulled himself up as well. "You're so irresponsible!"
"I forgot," he tried his best to put on an embarrassed expression.
"Well, come on then! Let"s go!" Hermione ordered, pulling on his hand.
"Right," he said as they hurried up to the castle.
"I can't believe this. Saving it for the last day…" Hermione muttered all the way up to the common room. Here, noticing that she was a bit preoccupied, he stepped in front of her.
"Um, I also need you to close your eyes," he said, wincing a bit. How was he going to give an excuse for this?
"Why?" she asked, confused.
"That's a good question," he muttered to himself.
"Hermione! Harry!" Lavender came running from the other end of the hall. Both looked up to see her skid to a stop, panting.
"What?" Harry asked, thanking the heavens above for the temporary distraction.
"There's something ugly on the other side that you do not want to see. If you let me go ahead, then I'll clear it up for you and everything will be OK," she let out in one breath.
"What's there? Come on! Let me just go in! We'll be late for the feast!" Hermione said exasperatedly.
"Um, Dean got sick all over the carpet. Right after you left. One of Fred and George's tricks that he got somehow. Just do as I say. Its not a pleasant sight," Lavender said, a note of desperation in her voice. As Harry caught this, he understood why she was here, and thanked the heavens again.
"Ugh. All right," Hermione snapped, closing her eyes. "There. Now open the door!"
"OK. Snapping Strawberries," she recited the password, grinning at Harry.
"Don't peek, Hermione!" she warned as the portrait slowly swung open.
"I'm not!" Hermione replied, annoyed. Harry took her hand and led her into the common room, where Ron and Lavender had done a magnificent job. He almost didn't recognize the room.
"All right. Open," Harry commanded. Hermione followed and gasped, hands flying to her mouth. Her eyes grew round as saucers.
"What… what…" she couldn't form full sentences as she looked around the room. The couches and chairs had all been moved, and a single square table for two sat in the center of the room on top of a very clean Gryffindor- colored carpet. Tiny lights twinkled from the corners of the room and along the walls, and candles hung in mid-air, much like the Great Hall.
"Surprise!" Harry, Lavender, and Ron, who had just entered, shouted.
"Oh my god," Hermione whispered.
"'Oh my god' good or 'Oh my god' bad?" Harry asked carefully.
"Oh my god wonderful!" Hermione squealed, throwing her arms around Harry and almost knocking him to the ground. Then, she gave Lavender and Ron rib- breaking hugs as well, exclaiming, "Thank you!" over and over.
"You're very welcome, 'Mione," Ron said, grinning.
"Well, have fun, you two. Don't do anything I wouldn't do," Lavender said, wiggling her eyebrows. Hermione laughed.
"Where are you going?" Harry asked, looking at Ron, who held a finger up to his mouth above Lavender's head.
"Out for a walk by the lake," Lavender answered. Then, with a thumbs-up, the couple left.
"Madame…" Harry extended his hand out, and Hermione laughed but took it. They walked over to the table and sat.
"Harry, this is too much. All of you really shouldn't have," she said, looking around in wonder.
"Anything for you," he said softly, reaching across the table to take her hand in his. She looked into his striking eyes and smiled warmly. He grinned back, then said, "Now, for the final touch." Waving his wand in the air, the ceiling disappeared, to be replaced by the stars of the night and a bright full moon. A soft breeze ruffled their hair.
"Wow. Where'd you learn how to do this?" she asked, looking up with a big smile.
"From the overdue library book," he answered, and she burst out laughing. He joined, and then they fell quiet, just gazing into each other's eyes.
"Harry Potter!" a squeaky voice interrupted their silent conversation. Harry looked down to see Dobby the house-self standing with a grin.
"Dobby!" Hermione exclaimed, torn between shock and amusement. Someone (undoubtedly Ron and Lavender) had talked him into wearing a small white button-down shirt, and a bright blue-and-pink striped tie. He also donned a black apron tied around his waist and a small top hat in -between his floppy ears.
Harry almost burst out laughing, but noticing that Hermione was around and knowing that that wouldn't be nice, he settled for a polite smile.
"What are you doing here?" Hermione asked.
"And why are you all dressed up?" Harry added.
"Mister Weasley and Miss Lavender is asking Dobby to be shef for Harry Potter and Miss Hermione, sir!"
"Do you mean chef, Dobby?" Hermione asked slowly.
"Yes! Miss Lavender is even offering Dobby five Galleons! But Dobby says he'll do it for free, sir! Mister Weasley forced Dobby into taking the Galleons, sir!" Dobby explained in frenzy.
"That's…great, Dobby!" Harry said, at a loss for other words.
"Dobby, I'll give you five more Galleons if you'll go off and relax," Hermione said gently.
"No, no!" Dobby shook his head so fast that his ears flapped wildly. "Dobby ever quits a job,
miss!"
"But…" Hermione started.
"Hermione, just let it go. Please? For tonight?" Harry looked at her pleadingly. She sighed in defeat.
"All right," she grumbled. Dobby and Harry beamed. Dobby snapped his fingers, and the napkins that were folded so neatly beside the gleaming plates flew in the air, unfolded, and laid themselves neatly on their laps.
Dobby snapped his fingers again. A fresh salad, complete with dressing, appeared in the bowl in front of them. Hermione smiled at Harry, who smiled back as he surveyed her. She seemed truly happy. Then, he bent down and began to eat. Chewing, he looked up to see Hermione stuffing her mouth. He laughed, causing her to look up.
"What?! I'm starving!" she exclaimed over a mouthful of lettuce.
After the salad appeared a delicious Filet Mignon with a side of fettuccini marinated in creamy sauce, which they finished rather quickly, considering their hunger. The main course out of the way, the desert arrived with another snap of Dobby's fingers. Two cups of smooth chocolate mousse with a fresh strawberry on top rested in front of them.
"Is this your doing, then, Mr. Potter?" Hermione smirked, glancing up.
"Maybe. Do you like it?" he asked testily.
"Harry, you know this is my favorite," she replied as she ate the strawberry.
"Then, it's my doing," he answered, grinning.
After dinner, which had made both of them very full, the table had disappeared and a scarlet couch for two sat in front of the fire, which was now blazing. Harry and Hermione sat, her head resting on his shoulder, his arm around her, and gazed into the fire.
"I wonder what's going to happen next year," Hermione wondered out loud.
"I hope, nothing," he replied softly.
"Do you think Voldemort's going to come back, Harry?" she asked, eyes glued to the fire.
"I don't know, Hermione," he answered honestly. "But if he does, I'll be ready for him."
"That was one of the scariest experiences I have ever had," she said, recalling the memories of that horrible night. She gave an involuntary shudder. His arm tightened around her.
"I don't want anything like that to ever happen again. You almost died, Harry! I don't know what I'd do if anything close to that happened again," she said heavily.
"Hey," Harry said, moving so that they were sitting facing each other. "Nothing is going to happen to me, or you, or Ron, or anyone. We fought him off this time, we can do it again next time. Besides, I would never let anything happen to you," he said, cupping her face in his hands. She smiled, her eyes brimming with tears.
"You're right. It's done. It's in the past. Let's just…concentrate on now," she said softly, then leaned in and sealed his lips with hers. He kissed back fiercely. She gently pushed him back until he was lying with her on top, never breaking the kiss. His hands snaked around her waist, making her laugh against his mouth.
"What's so funny?" he asked, pulling apart.
"That tickles," she whispered before claiming his lips once more.
"It's my turn now," Harry said, grinning mischievously, trying to catch his breath. He sat up, which caused her to lie down, and lowered his lips onto hers again. Her arms went around his neck and she pulled him even closer.
"Ouch!" she said softly, wincing. Harry immediately pulled back.
"What's wrong?" he asked, searching her eyes.
"The chair's arm," she said. Harry sat up.
"Would you like to get more comfortable?" he asked, grinning widely.
"Why, thank you for the offer, you gentleman, you," she replied, raising her eyebrows briefly before giving him her sweetest smile. "I would."
"Your wish is my command," he said, waving his wand. Immediately, the couch transferred into a queen-sized bed, and Hermione's head was resting on an incredibly soft pillow.
"Wow, your Transfiguration skills are quite fascinating!" she exclaimed. "Let me guess, the overdue book?"
"Actually, and I can't believe you of all people are wrong, I learned it from Professor McGonagall," he answered, sticking his nose in the air.
Hermione laughed. "Are you serious?" she asked.
"Oh, yes," he said, and cut off any further coherent thoughts with a slow, sensual kiss. Hermione gasped sharply, somewhat caught off-guard. Her hands came up to hold Harry's cheeks in her hands, running her thumbs over his well-defined cheekbones. Slowly, Harry undid the clasp of Hermione's robe and pushed it off of her shoulder. Hermione arched her back to help him, and finally, her robe, along with his, lay forgotten on the floor.
She ran her hands through his soft hair, and slowly removed his glasses, setting them on the small table beside the bed. Somehow, the fact that his eyes seemed brighter without his glasses occurred to her as she ran her fingers through his messy hair and stared into his eyes. Without breaking eye contact, her fingers left his hair and traveled down to the striped tie around his neck. She loosened it, and he helped her undo it. She pulled his tie down and claimed his lips. The impact was so strong, she suspected that it might leave a bruise later. Right now, though, she didn't care.
Next came the shirt. Her fingers unclasped the buttons on his crisp white shirt. The soft breeze that flowed through the room ruffled his hair as she worked on each button until the shirt was completely open. She slipped her hands inside over his broad shoulders and pushed the annoying piece of cloth off. He raised his arms to completely slip it off, and it joined their robes on the floor.
"I believe you have the upper hand here, Ms. Granger," Harry whispered.
"Want to do something about it?" she asked, grinning.
"You bet I do," he grinned back and, in a matter of moments, her tie and shirt kept the other items of clothing company on the floor.
"You're beautiful," he said before dropping a quick kiss on her lips. Then, bending his head, placed butterfly kisses on her neck. She sighed and kissed him just below the earlobe. He lightly bit the area between her neck and collarbone, leaving a small mark there. Grinning, something suddenly occurred to him.
"Hermione, I have to ask you something," he said, looking at her.
"What?" she asked.
When we were at the cliff, you know, with Voldemort, and I was in that trance, and you said you loved me, did…did you really mean it?" he asked, half not wanting to know the answer.
She laughed softly.
"Yes, Harry. I did," she said, looking directly into his eyes. "I realized that if I lost you, it would be like losing my meaning in life. And I also realized that if I felt this way, it must mean I love you. And I do."
He grinned, then kissed her deeply. She kissed back full-force, and he started again on her collarbone, slowly traveling down. She exhaled and threw her head back to allow more access, running her hands over his strong back. When he arrived at the final piece of cloth that was covering her upper body, he sighed.
"This just won't work," he said, shaking his head.
"Then I guess a change needs to be made," she whispered, pulling his hair so he looked up at her. His hands went around her back and slowly unclasped the forest green bra.
Harry stopped to gaze down at her breasts. Slowly, he bent his head down to kiss the soft crevice between them. She ran her fingers through his thick hair as he moved his mouth to one of her nipples. She let out a groan at the initial contact as a million feelings surged through her. As he moved to the other, she grabbed his hair in her fists. He lifted his head, and her hands immediately went to his belt buckle.
"Hermione," Harry started, his pants constricting, "are…are you sure?"
"More sure than I've ever been," she said and undid the buckle. Harry worked her skirt, and those items went to the floor as well. Hermione briefly noticed that he wore black boxer shorts, and how tight they were getting. She smiled, the butterflies beginning to make their appearance.
"Harry…" she whispered, leaning up on her elbows to kiss him. He nibbled on her lower lip gently, and she opened her mouth, running her tongue over his upper lip. He let out a noise between a whimper and a groan and their tongues engaged in a brutal battle. Her fingers brushed lightly against him on top of the boxers, getting a full moan out of him.
Harry's hands trailed blazing paths slowly down Hermione's side, all the way to her knees, then changed directions as it came back up, this time on the inside of her thigh. His index finger hooked onto the strap of her underwear.
"I've got a confession to make. I've never actually done this before," she whispered, her face wearing an expression that he was sure matched his.
"Neither have I, but I think we'll be OK," he said, smiling before engaging her in another mind-blowing kiss. He slowly pulled the satin down her legs and her fingers trailed the elastic on the top of the shorts.
In one swift motion, his boxers were laying on top of her satin panties. Hermione looked at him, and took in a sharp breath. He was gorgeous.
"Have you been holding out on me?" she asked, raising one eyebrow at him.
"I could ask you the same thing," he replied, looking her up and down with a smirk. The thought that she was shaped like a goddess swam through his mind.
"Absolutely. Now shut up and kiss me, Potter," she pulled him down, and in the middle of the kiss, flipped over so she was sitting on top.
"My turn," she grinned evilly and kissed him fully on his already swollen lips. He didn't argue, just ran his hands up and down her back and sides. Moving away, she sucked on his earlobe, then trailed kisses down his neck, collarbone, and chest, where she took one of his nipples into her mouth. Harry groaned, grasping at her hair. She did the same with the other, then continued downward over his well-toned stomach and, as she neared her destination, went back up and kissed him, drawing a moan from him.
He flipped her over quickly, and as his weight fell and settled in-between her thighs, she inhaled slowly.
"You're positive, 'Mione? Because we can stop now…" she silenced him by pulling him all the way on top of her and kissing him.
"I'm just a bit nervous," she confessed.
"We"ll be fine," he assured and slowly entered her. She gasped at the stroke of pain it brought, and
he crushed his lips with hers in an attempt to take her mind off the pain. She whimpered lightly against his lips for a
moment, getting used to him inside of her.
After a moment, she opened her eyes slowly and released the breath she had been holding when a new feeling dominated:
pleasure.
She clung onto his back as he moved inside of her, slowly at first as not to cause her any more pain, going deeper with every gentle thrust.
He moaned as he buried his face in her neck. Hermione bit her lip from screaming as wave after wave washed over her. She moved her legs farther apart, grinding into him. In response, he moved a bit faster, raising his head to study her face. She gazed deep into his eyes as she thrust harder as well. She moved under him faster, urging him on.
"Oh God, Hermione…" Harry started.
As they quickened their pace, Hermione felt her adrenaline rising inside of her.
"Harry…" she moaned, shutting her eyes.
Raising her hips one more time, she crashed into him as he let go inside of her.
Breathing heavily, he buried his head in her neck. She clung to him, the sweat on his back matching hers.
"Wow, that was…" he started as soon as he had caught his breath.
"Amazing. Wonderful," she listed as she kissed him, running her hands through his hair. The breeze that flitted by made her shiver, and she could feel the goosebumps on his arms. Moving slowly, him still on top of her, they got under the covers, and she held onto him as he rested his head just above her chest, where he could hear her slowing heartbeat. She ran her hands slowly through his hair, kissing his forehead.
"I love you, Hermione Granger," he said, shifting slowly so that she was nestled in his arms underneath the warm covers, her back against his chest. He gently kissed her neck.
"I love you too, Harry Potter," she said, turning briefly in his arms to kiss him one more time before turning back over.
The sight of the stars, the gentle breeze, and the drumming of each other's heart drove the couple into a peaceful slumber, cuddled in each other's arms. It was a perfect fit after all.
*A/N: Well, that is the end! Ladies and gentlemen, I want to thank each and everyone of you for loving my story. But I'm not finished! I will be writing other stories! This was my favorite chapter by far (you can tell why), and I am so glad you all followed, liked and reviewed my story! Hope you enjoy! Bye!*