Author's Note: Oh wow, sorry for the delay but I got overwhelmed with crap this weekend. I'm sitting here in the semi dark, surrounded by about fifteen candles, listening to the thunder roar outside… And the battery power on my laptop is down to 15% so I need to move along here. Thanks, as always, to all my buds for reading and reviewing. I hope this chapter is to your liking. Over and out - niner! -aj-
Chapter Five: Maybe Its Been Crazy And Maybe I'm To Blame But I Put My Heart Above My Head
"Potter! Get your damn head in the game! And Hawk, if you don't start defending your posts, you'll be doing laps! Now, run it again!"
Harry, for the life of him, was trying to stay focused on the white and blue ball that kept coming in his direction but it was becoming increasingly difficult. He looked down at the yellow armband wrapped around his naked bicep, disgusted that he was being such an awful Captain. When the whistle blew, he cleared all negative thoughts from his head and rushed forward, his mind immediately clicking over to strategy and game plans.
Passing the middle field, the ball moving frantically between his feet, he approached his "shirts" team. "Now, in this situation, your opponent is going to expect you to come ballside." He saw his own right Forward coming up behind him and grinned, thankful that he caught onto the move. "So, instead, he'll do this." Harry delivered a perfect back heel kick to his Forward, shuffled to the side and waited for him to reverse it back, and then shot the ball into the net with little effort.
The "skins" team erupted into cheers and mocked the "shirts" team. Coach Cox blew the whistle, a small smile on his face at last. "Brilliant move, Potter." He scribbled a few notes on his clipboard then blew the whistle again. "Alright, back to formation. This time, shirts, if you let Harry score you'll owe me fifty push ups each."
Harry jogged back to his position and suddenly wished he hadn't. Jason Hawk was turned towards his left Fullback and had propped himself against one of the goal posts, his conversation from earlier continuing.
"Mick, I'm telling you, you have to see this girl." He motioned with his hands to show the curves of a woman's body. "Bloody perfect ten model, I swear. Couldn't keep her paws off me all night…" Harry gripped his sides painfully hard, the sun beating down on his bare back causing his blood to boil even more. "It's nice to be with a girl who, you know, will openly show you affection in public. Unlike that prim and proper prude of an ex-girlfriend I sent packing." Harry closed his eyes and took a few deep, cleansing breaths. He had to listen to Jason's horrific storytelling all day. He just had to make it through one more hour. He looked up the field and saw his shirts team practicing a maneuver to stop Harry from the new play. He heard Jason clear his throat and his voice picked up a notch, making sure Harry heard him. "That's not to say she wasn't … adventurous in the bedroom, though. I can't count the number of times I've made that one scream for mercy." He tapped his finger against his chin. "Come to think of it, she might have been screaming in pain…" He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "Oh well, what can I say, I like it rough. And oh, that mouth of hers, works it like a common whore…"
Harry's eyes snapped open and in what seemed like a split second, he had Jason pinned against the post, his feet hovering a few inches off the ground. Jason grinned down at him, triumphantly. "It's about bloody time, Potter… COACH!" Harry had played right into his hand, he knew it, but at the moment, he didn't care. His grip only tightened when he heard the coach come up behind them.
"Potter, drop him. Hawk, what's going on?"
Obeying the coach's words, Harry let go of Jason's shirt and he stumbled to his feet. Straightening himself upright and wiping dramatically at his shirt, he turned towards the coach. "I dunno. I was just telling a story to Mick here, when Potter flipped out and lunged at me. If he didn't like what we were talking about, he shouldn't have been listening to our private conversation."
The coach turned towards Harry for his explanation. He shook his head, not wanting to drag Hermione's name into it any further. "He's right, Sir. I apologize."
Coach Cox looked between the two of them and then nodded his head. "I want ten laps from both of you." He saw Jason was about to protest so he held up his hand. "Don't even pretend like you're the innocent one in this, Hawk. It takes a lot to get Harry riled up and you seem to be the only one on the team to do it. Now shut up and start running."
Harry smirked as Jason fell in line behind him and they began running around the field. He should have known that the silence wouldn't last long. "Riddle me this, Potter. How is it that you attack me and yet I still get punished?" Harry ignored him and kept his eyes focused in front of him. "Oh, I forgot, I only get a reaction out of you when I bring up Hermione." Harry's eyes and jaw twitched but he kept moving. "Does it bother you to hear about the things we did? Or rather, the things I did to her…" Harry's fists clenched together and his vision started to become a little blurry. "Seriously Harry, you don't know what you're missing… She feels so tight that you wouldn't believe she's actually a …"
His words and his air were cut off as Harry swung around and clutched him by the throat. "One more word, Hawk. That's all I need to hear from you… I'm begging you."
Jason smirked as he narrowed his eyes at him. "Slut."
Harry gripped the back of Jason's neck and slammed his face towards his knee, shattering his nose. Jason stumbled backwards and fell to the ground, blood pouring through his hands. Harry advanced on him again and was just about to deliver a punch to his stomach when he was ripped violently backwards by the coach. He held his hands up in surrender and was let go. He looked over to see no one was helping Jason up, and that brought him very little solace.
Coach Cox walked over and grabbed Jason by the shirt, pulling him to his feet. "That's it. I'm tired of this. I don't know what happened between you two, but you've been at each other's throats for the past four months. It stops here! I will not tolerate violence between team mates. I want to know what's going on now."
Neither Jason nor Harry made a move to speak. Mick rolled his eyes and stepped forward, away from Jason. "It's actually quite simple, Sir. Jason was dating Harry's best friend, Jason cheated on her, and now he's doing everything in his power to get Harry pissed and kicked off the team." Jason looked scandalized at his supposed friend and Mick just snorted. "You deserve whatever is coming to you. With what you did and were saying about Hermione, you're lucky Harry hasn't killed you yet."
Cox shook his head in disappointment and pointed up the hill. "Hawk, go to the Care Center and have someone there take you to the hospital. When you return with your paperwork, I'll then decide when you'll play again."
Jason started to protest but stopped at the coach's raised eyebrow and folded arms. "Yes, Sir."
"And the rest of you, back to the field. I want you running Potter's move until its perfect."
As the team jogged back to their positions, Cox grabbed Harry by the elbow and escorted him off the field. "Harry, you are the best Striker and Captain I've ever had on this team. You're a natural born leader and the boys look up to you tremendously… But if you don't get your shit together real soon and stop letting Jason get to you, you'll be watching the game from the sidelines on Friday. Now go home, cool off, and return tomorrow an hour early with a clear head. Do you understand me?"
Harry, livid with himself, could only nod as his headed towards the locker rooms. Changing only out of his cleats, he grabbed his bag and ran to his car, slamming the door shut and banging his head against the steering wheel. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
Turning the ignition, he threw the vehicle into gear, found the hardest rock station imaginable and started the reckless journey home. His knuckles were ghostly white against the black leather wheel and his jaw kept clenching against the malicious thoughts running through his head. Mick was right; he wanted to kill Jason Hawk. He wanted to rip his cocky, arrogant head off his shoulders and kick that around the field.
When he came to the last red light before reached home, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath but it didn't stop his hands from shaking. He needed to get rid of the anger that was coursing through his veins. He needed to release… His eyes snapped open and he looked down at the digital radio clock, a delicious thought running through his head as he smiled.
She should be home by now.
When the light turned green, he sped through and quickly pulled into the driveway. As soon as the engine cut, he was out of the car, up the steps and into the house. He was about to call for her when he saw her standing the kitchen, her back to him, standing on the tip of her toes trying to get a far away cobweb. She was wearing a loose tank top, a pair of his old practice shorts and her hair was piled under a pale blue bandana. He had to stop and watch as she extended her arm as far as it would go, but it still wasn't long enough to reach it.
She huffed and blew the bangs out of her eyes, bringing the feather duster down to her side. "So much for 'Go Go Gadget Arms.'" Harry decided she was being too damn cute and he had enough watching. He dropped his keys on the mail table and she spun around, dropping the duster and clutching her heart. "Oh, Harry, you scared me." She looked down his body and noticed he was still in his uniform shorts, but his upper body was bare save the yellow captain band wrapped around his arm. She fanned herself dramatically. "Now, Harry, you know what seeing you in uniform does to me."
But Harry wasn't in the mood for jokes at the moment. He stalked towards her, ripped the bandana off her head and threaded his fingers through her hair. She looked up at him, concerned, but his thumb on her lips stopped her from speaking.
"No questions."
She barely had time to nod before his lips crashed down on hers, desperately. He backed her against the cool glass of the patio door, causing a shiver to run through her body. She moaned against his mouth as his tongue slipped inside and started battling hers. He pulled her away from the wall and started walking backwards towards the stairs, bending down to scoop her up.
Once they reached his bedroom, he dropped her down into the middle of his bed, kicked off his shoes and socks and crawled on top of her, claiming her mouth again. She gasped when he ran his hand down the length of body, pausing briefly to slip inside her shorts and press two fingers against her, feeling the way her body was throbbing already. She arched against him and nipped at his lips before pulling his lower lip completely into her mouth and sucking on it roughly.
He groaned, straddled her hips and pulled her into a sitting a position, trailing kisses down her jaw and throat. When she lifted her arms into the air, he eagerly grasped the bottom of her tank and ripped it off her body, followed closely behind with her sports bra. He laid her back down and began kissing her again while he worked on the knot of her shorts. His shorts, he thought, and his arousal grew and pressed painfully hard again her hips. She sighed and ran her hands down his back as he broke his lips from hers and with a frustrated grunt, tore the shorts and her panties down her legs.
She smirked and raised an eyebrow at him, but her expression immediately changed when he threw her legs apart and came to rest between them, his erection pressed tightly against her centre. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head as she grasped the headboard behind her, trying desperately to remove his shorts with her feet. Anxious to be out of them himself, he did the honors for her and laid himself flush against her.
He ran his fingers over her a few times, making sure she was at least ready for the assault he was about to inflict. Convinced she was, he looked into her eyes and placed a gentle kiss on her lips, a silent unnecessary apology. She smiled and wrapped one leg around his hips while he hooked his arm under the other, bringing her knee up to her chest. He entered her in one quick movement and both their eyes snapped closed. He searched for her hand by the headboard and interlocked them together before pulling out completely and slamming back into her.
Hermione's back arched off the bed as she welcomed the amazing intrusion. Her head shot back and squeezed Harry's hand forcefully when he hit a particularly sensitive spot deep inside her. His mouth attacked her neck as his thrusts picked up an almost brutal pace. She whimpered when she felt her own release coming already but wanted to make sure this was about him. She lifted his arm that was holding her leg down and immediately flipped them over, sinking down on him completely. Neither could suppress the delirious sighs that escaped their lips.
Hermione placed her hands flat against his chest, leaned down briefly to run her tongue over his lips, then sat back and started slowly sliding up and down on him. Harry groaned and grabbed her hips tightly, urging her to move faster. She grinned down at him devilishly, ran her hands up his chest to grip his shoulders, and began frantically rocking against him.
Harry moaned as he pulled her face down to his, his mouth devouring hers. His hands traveled down her spine, over her ass, then reached between them to where they were joined. She gasped when his fingers started moving against her at the same speed she was moving on him. She clenched her eyes shut tight, unable to prolong the inevitable, and came with a silent scream. Harry held her hips in place as he thrust into her three more times, and then he was spilling inside her with a shuddering force.
She collapsed, boneless, on top of him and waited for her racing heart and breathing to return to normal. She smiled when she felt his fingers running through her hair, down her spine and then back up her arms. He picked up one of her hands and brought it to his lips, kissing her palm. She turned her head to face him and gently cupped his cheek, running her thumb over his lips and jaw. She resituated herself on his chest, tucking her hands under her chin and looked up at him.
"Ok, spill it."
He smiled down at her and tucked her hair behind her ear. "I thought I just did." She slapped his chest and smiled but then returned to her serious face. He sighed and ran his fingertips over her shoulders. "You don't want to hear it."
She looked up at him incredulously and raised her infamous eyebrow. "Harry, you're my best friend, of course I want to hear it. You were obviously upset over something when you charged me like a rampaging bull..." She smiled at him coyly and ran her finger over his chest, letting him know she wasn't offended by his action. "Tell me." She looked into his eyes and saw his some-what defeated look. She looked over at the clock and the pieces began to fit together. She sighed and propped herself up on her elbows. "What did Jason say to you?"
Remembering the conversation all to well, he gently ran his fingers over her cheek bones. "Doesn't matter, it's not important anymore."
She placed her hands flat against the bed and raised her torso off him, her stubbornness starting to seep through. "Harry, I'm wearing my big girl panties. I can take it."
He smiled and ran his hand over her smooth bare ass. "Actually Miss Granger…"
She cut him off by squeezing him none too gently inside her. "Oh… Oh, fine. He was bragging to one of our team mates about the blonde he picked up… Then he made sure I was able to hear all the wonderful details of your sex lives together."
She looked at him, curiously. "And that bothered you?"
"Hermione, I obviously don't have a problem with you having a sex life." To prove his point, he rocked his hips against hers once and she smiled. "It's what he was implying that I didn't like."
She looked at him seriously and her voice dropped a notch. "What did he imply?"
Harry gazed up at her sadly; not really wanting to tell her but knew he couldn't stop now. "That he forced you to do a lot of things you didn't want to… That he enjoyed causing you pain…"
Hermione ran her fingers comfortingly over his face. "Harry, I promise, he was just trying to get you worked up. Do you honestly believe I would stay in an abusive relationship?"
He visibly relaxed and kissed her fingertips. "No, of course not. I just let him get to me… like you predicted. Then he said some more things so his face connected with my knee and I shattered his nose. Then I got chucked off the field… again like you predicted."
He dropped his eyes as he tried to smooth over the last bit because he didn't want to hear one of her outbursts he already had planned in his head. Oh Harry, you shouldn't have… Now Harry, what could you have possibly gained from that… Harry, what were you thinking!?!
But when it didn't come, he looked back up at her and was surprised to see a soft smile on her face. She leaned forward, letting her hair cascade onto his shoulders, and kissed him sweetly on the lips. He was smiling as well when she pulled away.
She looked down at the yellow band that had miraculously stayed on his arm and traced the "C" that was printed on it. "You haven't been kicked off the team, have you?"
He smiled at her concern and planted a quick kiss on her forehead. "No, Coach loves me too much to get rid of me. Just have to show up an hour early tomorrow. Probably have me do laps and drills."
She smiled brightly at him, running her finger under the band. "Well, I guess I can't be too angry then. I won't lie and say I'm not flattered that you would risk losing this just to defend me." She batted her eyelashes dramatically at him. "But I would be terribly heartbroken if I never got to see you running around the field again, getting all hot and sweaty…"
She laughed loudly as he flipped them over so he was on top again. He grinned mysteriously and then leaned down to kiss her deeply, his tongue slipping in briefly before be broke off to kiss her jaw. She sighed as he worked his way down her neck, alternating between sweet kisses and quick nips with his teeth. When he kept moving down her body, she propped herself up on her elbows and looked at him somewhat surprised. When he reached her navel, he swirled his tongue around it then dipped it inside, causing her to grasp wildly at his hair.
"Oh, what is this for?"
He slowly kissed his way back up her body, capturing her lips again. He gently pushed her knees farther apart and entered her slowly. She gasped, not expecting the tender moment, and deepened the kiss.
He broke away slightly but kept his forehead pressed against hers. He smiled down at her as he set a slow, steady rhythm. "Make up for earlier. I know you don't like being pulled away from your cleaning."
She returned his smile and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. "Mmm… I think I could make an exception if I was being pulled away for this." Her hips began arching against his gentle thrusts and his hand slipped underneath her lower back to pull her closer to him.
"Good to know."
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References and Inspirations:
"Hello Again" by Neil Diamond