Filler

Author’s Note: Well this is my first Harry Potter fan fiction… I’ve been writing fiction since I was 14 (now 24) but have yet to try my hand at HP. So of course this is going to awful until I get in my groove. But I thought I’d post it anyway… What can I say; I’m a glutton for punishment. I did want to say a quick thank you to everyone who’s been participating in my fiction awards (Sonorus.) The response has been amazing… Keep those nominations coming!

I feel I need to warn you about this story… This story is very AU/OOC… If you’re not into that, I’m sorry, but this story probably isn’t for you then.

Rock Out Banana Hands! –aj

Chapter One – A Trophy Wife (Oh How Cute!)

“Alright, where’s the birthday girl?” The waitress called unnecessarily as Hermione already had both hands high in the air, bobbing up and down, her faux-diamond tiara slipping off her head. Harry caught it without a second thought and started to put it back on her.

Hermione waved him off, her eyes following the tray of twenty test tube shots making their way in front of her. “Just leave the blasted thing off, it won’t stay. In fact…” She pulled the tiara from his fingers and leaned across the high bar table, not aware how far her short black dress rid up and that she had just exposed, to Harry and the entire dance floor, her bum. Harry quickly moved behind her to block the sight from anyone but himself. Letting his gaze only linger mere seconds, he transferred his attention back to the table. Hermione was beckoning Ron over with clumsy fingers.

“Ronald! You are required under Birthday Law to do anything I say tonight… Now please lean forward.”

Ron shot a “oh Lord its going to be a long night” look to his girlfriend, Luna, and then did as he was told and met Hermione halfway over the table. As if the diamonds were real, she very delicately placed the tiara on Ron’s head then sat back and admired her handiwork.

“Well that’s just not fair.” Her drunken pout caused many giggles around the table.

Seamus wrapped an arm around Parvati’s shoulders and lifted his beer to his lips. “What’s that, Hermione?”

She propped her elbow up on the table and pointed accusingly at Ron. “You’re not supposed to look better in it than me!” Seamus backwashed the gulp of beer he took and wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

Harry snuck a hand under her curls and soothingly rubbed her neck. “That’s complete nonsense darling…” Seeing that she wasn’t buying it, he decided to change the subject. “Ready to do your slightly modified Birthday Shot?”

An insanely large and pretty smile overtook her face and she clapper her hands together. “Oh most definitely… Wait a minute! Did you say modified? Why is it modified?”

Harry laughed and dispensed a test tube shot to the eight other inhabitants of the table then took one for himself. He shuffled the remaining eleven in front of Hermione. She eyed them hungrily and licked her lips. She was just about to grab her first when Harry’s hand stopped her.

“No, see, this is how it’s going to happen. You will not be doing one shot for each person – you will only be doing half.” At her immediate protest, he placed a finger over her lips. “Oh no no no. There is no bargaining on this. Do I need to remind you what happened last year? You downed ten shots in less than a minute. And who was the one holding your hair back when you vomited twenty minutes later?”

She sighed and dropped her eyes. “You were.” Her drunken, foggy mind then remembered an insignificant tidbit. “But you like playing with my hair.”

He smiled, and as if to prove her point, wrapped a curl around his finger. “Of course I do sweetheart, but not while there’s vomit coming out of your mouth.”

She conceded and grabbed five shots out of the tray, leaving the rest, sadly, behind. She started on her left and worked her way around the table, saving Harry for last. Harry always got the last shot. She reached her first victim and Parvati raised her shot in the air.

“To always defending your friends.” Parvati shot the liquid back in one gulp while Hermione was forced to only drink half. Parvati leaned over and gave her customary kiss on the cheek. Afterwards, Hermione looked down at her half full shot glass and shot Harry a menacing glare but he only laughed and swatted her on the butt.

“Keep moving, you have eight more people to see. You’ll stop being mad by the time you make it back to me.”

She made her way to Seamus and repeated the process, then continued on. Each person contributed their own little line of praise then kissed her cheek, forehead or in Ron’s case, the tip of her nose.

When she reached Luna, the bright eyed girl looked up at her with a mischievous grin. She raised her glass, shot a quick glance at Harry, and then clinked Hermione’s glass.

“To undeserving boyfriends not coming to their girlfriend’s birthday party.” Everyone raised whatever bottle they had in front of them, shouted things along the lines of ‘hear hear!’ and ‘damn straight!’ and slammed their drinks down.

Hermione looked around the table at her adoring friends, suddenly grateful to have at least a few people in her life she could count on. She knew what they were waiting for. Whenever someone called her out on her “never there” boyfriend, she immediately become defensive and made excuses for him. “Oh, he’s held up at work… Oh, he wanted to come, but the coach had him on a strict no-drinking rule… “

Not tonight. Tonight, she wanted to be surrounded by those who loved her… And obviously she was. Switching all her birthday shots into one hand, she grabbed a fresh one from the tray. She ignored Harry’s quirked eyebrow and raised the glass to the middle of the table.

“Fuck him!”

Harry’s smile could not have been prouder. They all raised their drinks next to hers, everyone with silly stupid smiles on their faces, and toasted to the greatest revelation ever spoken. Hermione downed her shot quickly then tossed it on the table where it rolled back and forth aimlessly. A few friends later she was down to her last shot. Harry’s shot.

She walked back to him, dragging her hand along his lower back. He smiled and raised his glass to her, gently pushing her sweaty side swept hangs away from her eyes. “I do believe your two word speech was the most poetic thing I’ve ever heard.”

She laughed and leaned into him. “Well, it’s about time I said it, isn’t it? You’ve all been saying it in your minds, and on that one occasion, out loud.” Everyone simultaneously turned their heads towards Harry and laughed, remembering.

“Well, it was well deserved…”

She smiled at the memory as well, although she knew she shouldn’t have. She shrugged the feeling off and raised her shot glass to Harry’s. He clinked the bottoms together twice then intertwined their arms.

“To always knowing that your friends love you above and beyond everything else; to finding pure happiness in the smallest of ventures; and to always being aware of your own needs and not compromising one ounce of yourself to appease someone else. You’re brilliant and beautiful Hermione, and he’s a fool to not be here with you tonight. We love you.”

He clinked her glass again to signify he was done and they shot the last of the birthday alcohol down. He leaned in and gave her a chaste kiss on the lips and pulled back smiling. “Happy Twenty-Two, Hermione.”

She smiled and rubbed his cheek lightly, her drunken state making her more emotional than she usually allowed. She threw her empty glass on the tray then wrapped her arms around his neck, sniffling ever so lightly. “Thank you, that was very sweet.”

Harry rested his hand on the small of her back when she pulled away, unknowingly caressing her with his fingertips. She turned to say something to Ginny when a familiar song pounding through the speakers got her attention. Both girls looked at each other with delighted smiles on their faces then rushed over to plunk Luna off her barstool. Hermione and Ginny squealed “it’s our song!” while Luna just supported a dreamy smile, allowing her self to be dragged to the dance floor.

“Let them in, get the lights, let the party begin, mix a little love, get the mood jumpin’”

As the three girls made their way to the dance floor, all remaining members of the party followed behind, lining the outside of the dance floor and watching from a distance. Hermione kept signally them to join them, but no one did. Finally she just rolled her eyes, turned back to Ginny and Luna, and gave into the music. To warm her body up from the upcoming choreographed steps, she swayed her hips back and forth, raising her hands above her head and slowly grinding down to the ground. Several catcalls sounded from the sidelines but she heard none of it.

“You want it, you got it, you need it, but you know you gotta have it boy.”

By this point, several more girls and a few guys joined in the dance. Apparently they knew the moves as well. Harry saw they were at a point where the guys and girls were to be dancing together… And he felt a little bad. Neither Hermione, Ginny or Luna had a guy out there with them to dance against. But he didn’t feel bad enough to go out there and humiliate himself. Besides, by the looks of things, they were handling themselves just fine without a man to drool on them.

“This is for my girls comin’ from NYC, and everybody down from LA to BC.”

Watching Hermione dance always caused some kind of reaction in him, so he wasn’t surprised when his mouth became dry and his pants because a little snugger. He watched, smiling, that she was still so in tune with her steps even after the amount of alcohol she consumed. The once group of three had grown into a crowd of about twenty people. All doing this… dance. He didn’t even know the name of it. He knew it was from a movie the girls watched but it had to be a real dance if these other people knew it. It looked like a harder more glorified version of the Electric Slide.

Harry chugged the last of his beer, placing it on the empty table beside him, not knowing that his now empty hands made him a target for Hermione.

“Slip, gone until the dawn’s gone with me.”

As soon as Harry turned around, he saw the three girls swaying towards them, obviously with a goal in mind. Luna grabbed Ron, Ginny grabbed Draco and Harry didn’t even have a chance to protest before Hermione’s hands snaked in his and she pulled him out to the dance floor. All the girls had congregated on one side of the dance floor and pushed their respective male partners to the other side. Harry noticed some of the guys had been up the whole time dancing, but others were pulled out by their female counterparts like he was.

“Now all my ladies, move it to the front, show’em what you got.”

The girls started dancing intoxingly exotic in front of the men, swaying their hips and running their hands over their bodies. Hermione locked eyes with Harry, winked, then mouthed “Don’t worry; I’ll take care of you.”

The bulge got bigger.

“Fellas, oh like that!”

The girls walked back to the guys, each grabbing one, and pulled them forward. Hermione pulled Harry flush against her body and wrapped her arms around his neck. He could tell she felt the hardness pressed against her waist because her eyes lit up and she began grinding on his leg.

“And all my ladies say (Ah! Ah!), and all the fellas say (Ah! Ah!), everybody say (Ah! Ah!), come dance with me.”

Just then, Hermione pulled away slightly so her right side was tight against his right side and they were facing each other. Her right hand came up and grasped his shoulder while the left shot straight into the air. And then she was jumping. She did two quick jumps, her breasts against his arm, and then she lunged behind him, turned and then was pressed against his back. Another two jumps and lunge and she was on his left side. She swung around so her rear was pressed against his strained erection and he had no choice but to grab her hips. She quickly bent at the waist, leaving her rear pressed against him and her hair cascading to the floor.

“Once again, you can shake your thang and there ain’t no cops.”

She gyrated her hips, causing her dress to ride up, leaving the smooth expanse of her thigh exposed. Just as Harry slid his fingers towards her inner thigh, she whipped herself up, her hair flying over both her and Harry’s shoulders. His grip on her thigh tightened as he pulled her even closer, making sure she knew what she was doing to him. She bit her lower lip and threw her hands around his neck, tangling her fingers in his messy raven locks. She knew she was supposed to be dislodging herself… there were more dance moves left. But she couldn’t pull herself away from him.

He bent down and nuzzled her neck, then kissed her ear. “Have I told you how amazing you look tonight?”

She smiled and turned in his arms, retightening her arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around her slender waist and his hands came to rest on her naked back. “Yes, many many times. But I thank you. You always make me feel however you’re describing me.”

He decided to take a moment and memorize everything about her in this moment. Her soft dark brown hair with honey highlights slightly frizzed from the frantic movement and the heat of the club. He reached up and pushed her bangs aside again to see her large caramel colored eyes staring up at him through long, thick lashes. Her pert nose and pouty pink lips, which lead him down to the smooth, graceful column of her neck. The black halter dress she was wearing was low cut and no back. He had a perfect view of the valley between her breasts and the beautiful arch of her spine. He looked down farther, admiring her slender thighs, and the black strappy four inch stilettos that had fabric criss-crossing up her calves.

She gently rubbed her pelvis against his and brought him out of his self-induced stupor. There was never any awkwardness when it came to them. They were both so open about their sexuality and how attracted they were to each other that they could get away with these long stares and not have to worry about explaining it the other. But that’s all the further they let it get. Stares, casual caresses, chaste kisses and lots of naughty innuendo. And it worked for them.

The upbeat tempo faded and he stared down at her. “And I’ll tell you many more times, you know that much.”

She smiled and twirled his short hair as a slow song started playing. She looked up into his eyes and no words needed to be said. He slowly started swaying with her in his arms. He at least knew he could dance this way with her. She rested her head against his chest, one arm still around his neck while the other came down and rested over his heart. He brought his hand up and placed it over hers, interlocking his fingers with hers.

Hermione’s eyes, which had fluttered closed at one point, opened slowly to take in their surroundings. She wanted to make sure none of her guests where sitting back at the table by themselves. There were two people in particular she was worried about – Neville and Lavender. They were the only ones to come solo to the party. Her eyes raked the crowd – Ginny and Draco clung together, practically mauling each other. Ron and Luna were near them, dancing sweetly together. Hermione had to giggle when she saw Ron still wearing her tiara. Seamus and Parvati had their arms wrapped around each other, dancing in slow circles. She finally spotted Neville dancing with a pretty brunette, looking more nervous than she had ever seen him. She nudged Harry slightly and pointed in Neville’s direction.

Harry’s face lit up and he pumped his fist in the air. “It’s about time Nev get’s some ass…” Hermione’s laughter suddenly left from her face and Harry noticed the change immediately. “Mione, what is it?”

Her eyes suddenly burned as she felt the bile rise in the back of her throat. Harry started to get frantic when she wouldn’t respond to him. “Hermione… Mione, talk to me. What’s going on?”

Without giving him an answer, she started to stalk towards Neville. Brushing past him, Harry following close behind, she jumped the two-step landing to the bar, stumbling slighting in her four inch heals, but Harry was close enough behind her to steady her before she fell. Once Harry joined her on the landing, he finally saw what she did. His jaw clenched and his hands curled into fists.

Hermione turned and faced him. “I want you with me but you have to promise me you won’t do anything.”

“You know I can make no such promise.”

“Please Harry, I don’t want everyone’s time ruined because of him… If I let you do what I know you want to do, we’ll all get kicked out of here. So please, for me, stay calm. Let me do what I should have done weeks ago and we’ll walk away, get lots of alcohol and drink away the pain, eh?” Her attempt at humor was lost on him. All he saw was red. He wanted to rip his fucking throat out and…

“Harry! Please! For me?”

The quiet desperation in her voice finally broke him. He looked down and his fists unfurled and his jaw slackened. “Only for you. But if he tries to hurt you, I won’t be held responsible for my actions.”

She smiled, gave him a small hug then turned herself back around. She took a deep, shuddering breath, then walked towards her preoccupied boyfriend. He was cradling a blonde in between his legs, one hand snaked under the front of her skirt, the other holding the back of her neck to him, his tongue lost somewhere in the depths of her mouth.

She looked to the bartender closest to her, who also happened to be watching the little display and caught his eyes. Luckily, it was one that she was on a first name basis with – coming here so often. Sam knew Hermione and also knew that the man the blonde was kissing was her soon to be ex-boyfriend. Hermione nodded at him and he understood. He slowly turned around and busied himself mixing a drink but didn’t leave the area in case he was needed.

Hermione tapped the blonde’s shoulder and waited until she turned around, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand and readjusting her skirt. “Uh, can I help you?”

“Uh, yeah, you can move aside.” The nameless blonde was about to retort when a hand on her shoulder stopped her. She stepped to the side and Hermione was finally able to come face to face with him. “Jason, how wonderful to see you’re feeling better and could come out and celebrate your girlfriend’s birthday.” At the word girlfriend the blonde blanched, slapped Jason across the face, grabbed her purse and left. “Aww, and I thought you had a real chance with her… You know, with your hand in her panties and her tongue down your throat. And she’s just your type too, bleach blonde and big tits. A trophy wife, oh how cute!” She clapped her hands together in dramatic fashion and took a pregnant pause.

It was at this pause that Jason finally noticed Harry standing behind Hermione, vengeful murder radiating from his eyes. He audibly gulped and turned his attention back to Hermione. He saw she was about to go on another rant so he would try to get a word in while he could.

“Hermione, I thought you were supposed to be at the pub across town… You said…”

This was his first of two mistakes he would make. He was better off keeping his mouth shut.

Hermione drew her hand up to silence him. “Are you really going to sit here and try to put this on me? It’s my fault you were cheating because I happened to be in the wrong bar and CATCH YOU?! You fucking coward, at least own up… No, you know what… I’ve already wasted enough of my night on you and I’m not going to let you pull me into a fight with you. This,” she motioned between them, “whatever this was… It is 100% done. Do you hear me?” He numbly nodded. Hermione turned around to walk away but then thought better of it. She faced him again. “No you know what, you’re not getting off that easy.” With that, she pulled her fist back and delivered a punch to the side of his face. Jason fell against the bar out of shock and she immediately began shaking her hand. “Ow! Dammit!”

Jason, angered that he was just punched by a girl in a public place, took a step towards Hermione with his hand raised. This would be his second mistake. Harry immediately stepped in front of Hermione and pushed Jason back against the bar, grabbing fistfuls of his shirt. Harry’s voice was low and thick with hatred when he spoke. “I want you to think real hard about your next move. You can either get your shit and leave quietly, or you can do what you were about to do to Hermione to me and see how far it gets you. I truly am hoping you chose the second option because I’ve wanted to pound you for the past four months and I have a lot of pent of rage…”

Jason knew a losing battle when he saw one so he threw up the white flag and Harry let him go. He paid for his drinks, threw a tip on the bar, and then walked past them to the exit. Harry didn’t turn around until he saw the door shut behind his retreating form. He then spun around and gathered her in his arms.

“I can’t believe you punched him… I have never been so proud of you…”

She laughed into his arms then pulled her swollen hand up to her face to try to get a better look. He gently took her hand and carefully moved the fingers back and forth. She winced slightly but it was a dull pain. Nothing was broken. He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed each knuckle softly.

It was already feeling better.

Someone yelled over the loud music. “Harry, Hermione!”

They both turned around to Sam, who was handing Harry a small glass filled with ice. “Here, get this on straight right away to cut back the swelling.” The forty year old Irishman smiled at the pair and winked at Hermione. “You got a strong upper cut there, Hermione.”

Harry’s heart burst with pride as he started rubbing the ice over her fingers and knuckles. “We’re sorry for causing a minor scene in your bar Sam, you know we try not to.”

Sam simply waved at Harry in dismissal. “I saw nothing Harry, me back was turned the whole time.”

Hermione handed the glass back to him, then leaned over and kissed him sweetly on the cheek. “Thank you, Sam. I promise it will never happen again though.” She looked down at her now white and pink blotchy hand. “I don’t think my hand could take it, to be honest.” He laughed and threw his bar rag over his shoulder, then scurried off to help other customers.

She turned back to Harry, who was watching her intently. She smiled and leaned against him. “Thank you for keeping your word.”

He tucked the hair behind her ears and she shivered slightly. His ice cold fingers were a contrast to her warm face. “I always keep my word when it comes to you, you know that.” He kissed her forehead lightly, and then smirked. “Plus after your punch, mine would have just been redundant.”

She laughed and grabbed his hand with her good one. “Come on, I haven’t had any alcohol in like…. Thirty minutes. I want my buzz back, baby!”

Walking back to the table with more test tubes and bottles of beer, she wasn’t surprised to see Ginny and Draco getting their jackets on. She smiled knowingly at her friend and nodded, letting her know she wasn’t mad at them for leaving.

Ginny visibly relaxed and came over to them, dropping a kiss on Harry’s cheek then enveloping Hermione in a massive hug. “I’m sorry for leaving, but I’m terribly horny and haven’t been able to sleep with my boyfriend for the past 4 days.”

Hermione laughed knowingly, having been in that predicament before. “So the flow finally ended, eh?”

Ginny nodded enthusiastically and kissed her cheek. “Happy Birthday Hermione. Call me... in two days and we’ll do a girls day.” At that, Draco came over, giving one of those ‘manly goodbyes’ to Harry and kissing Hermione’s forehead, wishing her a happy birthday as well, then they were gone.

Ron looked around the table, a drunken smile on his face. “And then there were six…”

Harry then noticed that they were missing two other people. “Where’s Lav and Nev?”

Parvati giggled, wrapped herself around Seamus’ arm, and dropped her head on his shoulder. Oh, she wasn’t going to last too much longer. “You missed it. Neville was dancing with this really pretty girl and Lavender got all jealous and spouted off to him… Poor Neville, he didn’t know what hit him. Well, the pretty girl realized she was in the middle of something, so she took off and Nev and Lav just stared at each other. Then at the same time, they both reached for each other and started …” She used her hands to symbolize two people kissing heavily. Everyone got the picture.

Hermione pushed the alcohol into the center of the table and noticed Ron and Luna swallowing each other whole. She decided to put them out of their misery since she knew they wouldn’t leave until her and Harry did.

“How ‘bout we finish up these drinks then call it a night?”

Ron and Luna both turned to her with excited grins on their faces. They both reached for two test tube shots each and waited for everyone else to do the same. Hermione didn’t need to be told twice. She was all about the double-fisting. They had forty tubes in front of them that needed to go. Parvati was done drinking for the night so between the five of them, they would get it done.

Hermione held her final shot of the night in her hand. She looked around and saw everyone else still had their last ones and were looking at her with gentle smiles. She lifted it, suddenly feeling the weight of burden disappear off her shoulders.

She was free.

They silently said their own little prayer, praise, thoughts and downed the shot. She looked up at Harry who smiled down at her. “Ready to go home, Birthday Girl?” She nodded and swayed a little in her seat. Harry caught her and grabbed her jacket, draping it over her shoulders. He placed a kiss on the top of her head, put on his own jacket, and then helped her off the stool. He wrapped his arms around her as the three pairs made their way out of the pub.

Harry turned to Seamus and Parvati. “Will you be able to make it home okay or do you want to crash at our place?”

Parvati answered, her voice suddenly devoid of the drunken slur she had earlier. “It’s okay Harry, we’re going to my place and it’s within walking distance of here.” They gave their goodbyes and started walking in the other direction. The remaining four smiled at each other and started walked towards their shared flat, only four blocks away.

Harry wrapped his arm around Hermione’s shoulders, holding her jacket to her. “Except for the minor fifteen minute glitch, what did you think of tonight?”

Hermione smiled and snuggled into his side. “Oh Harry, it was fantastic. And I’m not worrying about that glitch until I wake up tomorrow. In my drunken mind, it hasn’t really sunk in yet. I had so much fun tonight, that’s what I want to remember, okay?”

Harry nodded and noticed Ron and Luna walking ahead of them. He shook his head and laughed. “Horny little buggers.”

Hermione sighed wistfully. “I know the feeling… You know, it’s my birthday dammit, and everyone’s getting laid but me!”

Harry laughed and stroked her neck playfully. “Well you know, that could be arranged…”

She smirked and lightly elbowed him in the stomach. “Don’t tempt me.”

“Baby, you know my body is yours for the offering… I’d gladly be your vessel, do with me as you wish!” He could barely get the last line out without his lip twitching into a smile.

She genuinely laughed and wrapped both arms around his waist. “Oh Harry, now you’re speaking my language!”

He grunted in response and bent down to pick her up, then began to run, passing Ron and Luna on the way, whom only laughed and sprinted behind them.

Hermione was laughing so hard so could barely breathe but managed to keep a tight grip on his neck. Harry slowed down to a fast walk and turned his head to look at her.

“Have I told you how amazing you look tonight?”

Hermione’s laughed turned into drunken giggles and she ran her finger over his lips. “Shhh… you flatter me too much.”

“Mione, you know only truths come out of this gorgeous mouth.”

“Oh it is a gorgeous mouth, you ridiculously good looking man.”

Harry mockingly puffed his chest out and slowed his walk down to a casual step, causing Ron and Luna to almost ram into him.

“Whoa, way to lose momentum there Harry. Now if you’ll excuse us.” Ron pulled Luna around them and Harry, seeing they were close to their flat, put Hermione down on her feet, opting to hold her hand instead.

Ron was fumbling with the door when Harry and Hermione came up the steps behind them. “Now who’s slowing the momentum? I may have finally talked Hermione into some mad bedroom action and this stalling is just going to make her stop and think about things.” To prove his point, he turned Ron to look at Hermione and saw she was staring at the sky and tapping a finger to her chin. Harry could tell it was taking every ounce of her willpower to keep a straight face. Harry turned back to Ron with a cold face.

“God damn you Ron.”

That was the last straw for Hermione. She broke into horrific giggles, struggling for breath, leaning against Harry for support. “Oh Ron… Your face.”

Ron was not as amused. “Yeah, laugh it up, fuckers.” And with that, he finally got the door open and ushered Luna inside. “Don’t expect to see us before noon tomorrow. Goodnight and happy birthday Hermione.”

Hermione smiled as she watched them scramble up the steps to their shared bedroom. She looked up at Harry with sad, pouty eyes.

He rolled his eyes and rolled up his sleeves like he was about to perform some strenuous chore. “Hermione, if you want me to sex you up, just say something. Stop with the eyes, they drive me crazy.”

She bumped her hip against his and smiled. “How ‘bout you just make me some of your famous hangover tea?” He nodded and was about to walk into the kitchen when her hand on his chest stopped him. “Feel free to watch me walk into the kitchen though.”

Harry’s smile broadened as he watched her hips and ass swing to the time of non-existent music. The low scoop of the back of her dress fell even lower and he swore he saw a peak of what was concealed beneath it. After getting his eye full, he walked into the kitchen and started brewing tea for the both of them.

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References and Inspirations:

“Til The Dawn” by Drew Sidora (From “Step Up” Soundtrack)

“Never Again” by Kelly Clarkson (From “My December”)

The dance scene is from “Step Up.”

Author’s Note: Oh I can’t believe the amount of hits and reviews I had after mere hours of being posted. You guys rock!! And yes, this story is decidedly AU. Even tho magic will play a part later in the story, its still not going to be the main focus. This story isn’t about that. It’s about Harry and Hermione’s relationship. And I don’t need to throw in a few Silencio’s and Hogwarts, A History references to tell my story. So I won’t. I think it would be hokey and un-natural. So I’m sorry if I offend anyone. Anywho, I hope you enjoy the next chapter… let the games being ;) Since this is my first H/Hr NC17 scene, I would greatly appreciate feedback. Sanka!

P.S. - I am also glowing a little because Ned chose Moze!! WHOO WHOO! ;) And I just saw Ocean’s 13 – nothing wrong with all the delicious hunky meat in that movie… Mmmm… Matty Damon and Scott Caan… Love them!

Chapter Two – Baby I Could See Us Touching Like That

Hermione’s eyes gazed over the back of Harry’s form as he stood in front of the stove, keeping an eye on the tea. Finally alone of all other company, she let her mind absorb the way his black trousers accentuated all the right spots and the way his shirt clung tightly to muscles of his back. A sudden desire to see the front of him coursed through her veins and caused a dull throb to begin between her legs. As if reading her mind, he turned so his back was resting against the countertop, his palms flat against the surface, his face still turned towards the kettle. She let her eyes continue their exploration, admiring the black silk shirt and aqua silk tie he was still wearing. As gorgeous as he looked in his outfit, she suddenly wished he would spill something on himself so she would have an excuse to remove the offending clothing and admire the well toned muscles she knew existed underneath. Pushing that thought to the back of her head, her eyes traveled to his face. His lightly tanned skin was a beautiful contrast to the dark short stubble that adorned his chiseled jaw. His naturally, stylishly, messy raven locks were currently cut short on the sides but slightly longer on the top so he could occasionally style it into a faux-mohawk (which she begged him to do regularly, and he always agreed.) She was then drawn to his eyes, those beautiful green eyes that she had yet to see replicated on another human being. Whether he was wearing his contacts (which he currently was) or his black, square framed glasses, they always stood out.

His tongue darted out to wet his lips and she was immediately drawn to the movement. She pursed her lips and lightly rubbed her legs together, making a mental checklist of all the places she wanted those tongue and lips to be.

She was brought out of her daydream by the soft pitch of the kettle.

Hermione smiled gratefully as Harry filled her favorite mug half way with his homemade concoction and then did the same with his own mug. She leaned over and let the steam fill her pores while he put the kettle back on the stove and stopped at the freezer to pull out an ice tray. Coming back to the table, he sat down beside her and waited for her to sit back before plopping two cubes into her cup.

Hermione swirled the cup around a few times before bringing to her lips, letting the liquid hit the tip of her lip to test it. Deciding it was cool enough to drink, she took a large swallow and immediately felt her stomach settle. “Oh, this shit is good.”

Harry laughed and took his own first sip. “It serves its purpose.” He got a contemplative look on his face and Hermione knew where he was going.

“Uh-oh, my spidey sense is tingling; you must want to talk about something serious.”

He smirked but started to run his fingertip over the rim of mug. “I’m not hesitant because it’s a serious conversation. I’m hesitant because you said you didn’t want to deal with it until tomorrow… And I don’t want to disrespect your wishes, but I think it would be best for you to get it all out of your system tonight. I want you to wake up tomorrow and have him completely out of your head.”

She decided to spare him considering how sweet he was being. She dramatically looked up at the wall clock then back at him. “Well, Mr. Potter, it appears you are in luck. It technically is ‘tomorrow.’” He smiled and got up to refill her cup, repeating the same process as before. “Well, what do you want to know? You know I tell you everything, so there really isn’t anything left…”

He cut her off, sitting back down, his question having been formed in his head for over seven hours. “When you came home,” he too looked up at the clock then back to her, ”yesterday, to get ready to go out, you told everyone that Jason wouldn’t be coming out because he hurt himself in practice. Now, considering that he and I are on the same team, and I know for a fact he didn’t get hurt… What was the real reason?”

She sighed, knowing this is what he would ask about. She could never lie to him. Not that she wanted to, but she also didn’t want all the other people who were in the room at the time the reason why her then boyfriend would not be joining them for the evening.

She took a small sip of tea then set the cup away from her, splaying her fingers in front of her against the cool island tabletop. “We got into a massive argument… involving our nightly activities. You know, our fantasies and whatnot. Then he started talking about this show that he wanted to take me to… One thing led to another and we were screaming at each other.”

Harry let out a low whistle and quirked an eyebrow. “Show? Is this story going to cause me to go to his place and pummel him?”

Hermione laughed and wrapped her legs around his under the table, keeping him from moving. “Now, why would you do something silly like that and leave me here all alone?”

He nodded and tapped his chin. “You’re absolutely right; please forgive me for even suggesting such a preposterous thing. Now, please continue.”

She closed her eyes and gathered her thoughts, deciding the best way to go about this. She didn’t want Harry getting angry again, so she thought the best plan of action was to just make light of the situation. “You remember that movie of Ron’s we watched the other day?”

He smiled slightly at the fond memory but nodded his head in conformation. Really, how could he forget?

“And do you remember the part I made you fast forward through?”

“Of course, you made me mute it at first so you couldn’t hear the donkey’s cries, but then you could still see it so you made me fast… Oh, oh my god Hermione! He wanted you to do that? Did he not know you at all?”

Highly empowered by his indignation on her behalf, she leaned over and cradled his face in her hands. She pressed a kiss to his forehead then sly grin overtook her face.

“No, he wanted to do it and make me watch.”

His mouth opened in fake shock then a loud laugh escaped his lips. He pulled her to him, wrapping her in a tight embrace. “I always knew there was something about him. All those times I caught him sneaking a peak at me in the locker rooms… I thought he was just admiring the view.”

Hermione laughed heartily and pulled away to look up at him. “Darling, I think that’s exactly what he was doing.”

He cocked his head to the side and looked at her like he was about to explain something to her she should already know. “Yes, Hermione, but I thought it was just an ‘Oh wow, I wish I was that big,’ not ‘Oh wow, I’d love to shove that in my mouth.’”

Hermione laughed louder than she humanly thought possible and crushed herself to him again. She tucked her head under his chin and ran his tie through her fingers. Once the giggles subsided, she released a gentle sigh and traced her fingers over his chest. “I love you.”

He smirked and kissed the top of her head. “I guess I love you too.”

She huffed and pulled back from him. “You guess, huh? Please do tell me when you know for sure… I wouldn’t want…” She swayed slightly when his foot caught the bottom of her stool, pulling it flush against his own, but his strong grip on her upper arm steadied her. His fingers weaved through her hair, coming to rest on the back of her neck. He pulled her face so close to his that their noses bumped and she swore she could feel herself getting drunk again.

“I’m sorry, you were saying?”

She searched her mind, trying for the life of her to remember what she was going to say, but nothing came to mind. She placed her hand on his thigh, deciding two could play this game, and reveled in the ragged breath that escaped his lips. “It appears to have slipped my mind.”

His blasted tongue shot out again and she wanted to catch it between her teeth, but she refrained. They were on the verge of crossing that invisible line that had worked so well for them for the past few years. If they stopped this now, they could still very easily pull away with a chuckle and a kiss on the cheek. But his fingers stayed on her neck and his thumbs came up to stroke her cheeks. She could see in his eyes what he wanted to do, but she felt him pull back slightly. She knew why. She had just broken up with her boyfriend not even three hours ago and he was putting the ball in her court. He wanted things done on her time.

She never wanted him more.

“Hermione, I think its best if perhaps I leave the kitchen now. I don’t know how much longer I can behave myself around you.” He stood up and grabbed both their mugs and placed them in the sink. Hermione stood and walked up behind him. He gripped the counter, took one long shuddering breath then turned around to face her.

She looked up at him with her lust-filled eyes and lightly ran her fingertips over the growing bulge in his trousers.

“Then don’t.”

Line? What line?

He growled deep in his throat and clutched her face with both of his hands. No, Harry, this can still be salvaged. “Hermione, we’ve set very clear boundaries between us and it’s been working…”

“Oh Sod that!” She checked her hormones in place when he smirked at her and she recollected herself. “What I mean is… Yes, we do have the most amazing friendship and we can get away with things that most people would only dream of… But maybe…”

“Maybe what, Mione?” His voice came out smooth, betraying the choppy churning of his stomach. His hands slowly moved from her cheeks, down her neck and came to rest on her shoulders.

“Maybe, when the other is in need, we could be there… To offer comfort,” she gripped her fingers into his biceps, stepping closer to him, “And a release.” The breath he exhaled caused her bangs to flutter. “I mean, there would be rules of course. It could obviously only happen while we were both single. Once one or both of us starts dating again, we go back to the way we were. We would just make sure our needs are fulfilled in the mean time.”

He smiled and locked his hands behind her lower back. “Now, when you say ‘when the other is in need’, give me some acceptable examples.”

Knowing that she had already won him over, she pulled her body flush against his, wiggling against the still lingering bulge that was currently pressed against her stomach, and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Oh you know, untimely break ups, horrific days at work or practice…”

“Running out of milk?”

She opened her mouth slightly and brushed her lips around his. “Well, that strangely does seem to have some kind of tragic effect on—” Her words were cut off when his hand snaked around her neck, slightly angling it, then crashing his lips down on hers. Her fingers immediately raked through his hair while she raised her leg to grind against him.

She wanted more. She wanted to devour him. She pulled his lower lip into her mouth and sucked and nibbled until she felt his hands slide down her back and grip her ass. Breaking from the kiss, her head fell back, leaving her neck exposed for his hot open mouthed kisses. When he hit a particular spot behind her ear, she felt her knees give way, and she had to grip his collar to stay standing.

Harry decided to have mercy on her and bent down to pick her up, and she instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist. His mouth fused back to hers as he swung her around and dropped her on the counter. His tongue ran a line around her bottom lip before shooting into her mouth, desperately searching for the heat and sweet taste he knew would be there. Her tongue battled his for domination, and he eventually let her win, mostly because he wanted to feel hers inside his own mouth. When she started running her calf up and down his side, he broke away from her mouth and scooped all her hair to one side. Pulling her head back, he started trailing his lips down her jaw, alternating between soft kisses, swirls of the tongue and quick nips to her flesh. When the tip of his tongue ran a line from between her breasts to her throat, she let out a throaty groan and squeezed him between her thighs.

“Oh, Harry…”

He grinned against her skin and then came back up to claim her mouth again. Her hands started to frantically pull his shirt out of his pants, desperate to feel the skin underneath. As soon as her fingertips graced his stomach muscles, they both released a collective gasp, neither prepared for the reaction the simple touch would cause. Her hands left his warm skin and she pulled anxiously on his tie.

“I want this off.”

He began working on the knot while she started clawing at his belt buckle, her fingers shaking slightly with the anticipation of finally being able to touch him. Skin to skin.

With his tie flung somewhere in the corner of the room, his mouth sought hers out again. When she finally got the belt unhooked, she simply couldn’t wait any longer and barely had the zipper down before her hand reached into his boxers and grasped him in her hand. The kiss broke, his eyes fluttered close and his hands came to rest on the cabinets on either side of her head, his forehead resting against her.

“Hermione…”

Hearing the way her name naturally rolled off his tongue made all her pulse points throb harder. She started to stroke him slowly, letting her palm graze over the tip to collect the moisture, and then run back down. When she started to apply a little more pressure, he reached in and pulled her hand out, lightly kissing her palm, growling at the faint taste of himself on her.

“Ten years Hermione. If you keep doing that, I will be done in ten seconds.”

Smiling at the affect she had on him, she started working on the buttons of his shirt. She leaned forward and placed a kiss to each inch of skin that was being exposed. When the last one was undone, she ran her nails up his chest and over his shoulders, pulling the garment down his arms. Her breath hitched in her throat as she drank him in. She had seen him shirtless more times than she could remember, and wasn’t a stranger to touching him, especially in the summer when they were laying out together. But this was something completely new. She was never allowed to taste him before.

Harry apparently had the same desire. He gently pulled her to him so her chin rested on his shoulder and her hands grasped his now naked back. He placed his fingertips at the base of her spine and slowly dragged them up until he came to the knot at the nape of her neck. He turned his head and placed a hot kiss under her ear then pulled the lobe into his mouth, suckling. Pulling away to look in her eyes, he grabbed one of the strings and pulled it straight into the air until the knot came undone. Letting go of the string, the top of her dress came down and pooled around her waist.

Not wasting any time, he immediately ducked his head and took any already hard nipple into his mouth, his thumb flicking over the one his mouth was neglecting. As his tongue darted out to tease her flesh, Hermione’s back arched of its own free will, pushing her breast closer to his face. He dragged his mouth over, dropping a kiss in the valley between for good measure, and gave the same attention to her other nipple. Satisfied that he had lavished them equally, he started trailing kisses down her flat stomach, stopping at her belly button to delve his tongue inside.

Hermione’s hands gripped the edge of the counter and her hips arched towards him. Harry took advantage of her current position and quickly pulled her dress from under her. Once her hips came back to the counter, he unhooked her legs from around him and pushed them together in front of him. He placed his hands on her thighs above the fabric and started massaging them, bringing the dress with him as he moved. When he reached her knees, the dress fell to the floor, but he continued with his slow torture. Reaching her calf, he brought her leg up to rest on his shoulder and started assaulting the muscle with his lips and tongue.

Hermione’s head banged into the cabinet and she suddenly needed to touch him again. Placing her hands on his hips, she ran them down, enjoying the feeling of his silk boxers against her fingers as his pants slid down. She pushed as far as she could with her hands then used her free foot to push them down to his ankles. Now sucking on the sensitive skin of her knee, he kicked off his shoes and socks, and then stepped out of his pants, kicking them and her dress to the side. Her hands reached forward again and had just made it to the elastic of his boxers when his hands grabbed hers and forced them roughly above her head. A bolt of desire shot through her as her leg fell off his shoulder and she couldn’t stop from rubbing her thighs together.

“Harry, please… I need to touch you too.”

He shuffled both her hands into one of his, keeping them pinned above her, and dropped his other hand to her panties, letting his knuckle run over the already soaked material. Hermione sucked in a breath and squirmed under his strong hold. He let the tips of his fingers sneak in through the top of the garment and then stopped. Hermione opened her eyes and nearly came when she the way he was staring at her. Before she could process another thought, the sound of ripping fabric could be heard echoing off the kitchen walls and he sunk to his knees, his hand letting go of hers.

Harry was done teasing her. Pushing her knees as far apart as they would go, he threw her one leg over his shoulder and bent the other so her stiletto heel was flat against the counter. Hermione whimpered in anticipation and dug her fingers into his hair, needing to feel some part of him. Harry placed his thumb against her entrance and that minor touch was enough to make her quiver. He then leaned forward and ran his tongue from his thumb to the tight little ball of nerves that was impatiently awaiting his attention. He swirled his tongue around her clit slowly then pulled it into his mouth and sucked.

Hermione was losing her mind. She removed one of her hands from his head and grasped for the cabinet handle to hold on to. Her fingers turned white when his thumb was replaced by two greedy fingers that plunged deep inside of her.

“Oh fuck, Harry! Oh god, yes! Remind me…” A quick flick of his tongue, “… to buy thank you cards,” A third finger enters her, “… for your ex-girlfriends tomorrow.” Harry smirked against her folds but then turned his head and lightly bit her inner thigh, warning her now was not the time to talk about ex’s. She got the hint.

Harry’s fingers began pumping furiously as his tongue and lips worked her clit. Hermione reached behind her, laying her palms flat for support and began gyrating her hips in time with him. It was his voice vibrating against her that finally sent her over the edge.

“Come on, Mione, I feel how close you are. Come for me.” Her entire body arched off the counter, her legs falling from their positions and her insides exploded. Harry quickly stood and wrapped one arm around her back, holding her up, while his other hand kept working on her. His three fingers stayed plunged inside her while his thumb stroked her. She suddenly clamped her legs together, trapping his hand between them, silently telling him she couldn’t handle anymore.

Harry smiled and laid his forehead against hers and waited for her eyes to open. When her breathing finally returned to normal, her eyes fluttered open and stared into his. She reached down between them and extracted his fingers from her body, and without breaking eye contact, pulled the slick digits into her mouth, swirling her tongue around them.

“Mmmm…”

While his fingers still occupied her mouth, he crashed his lips onto hers, his tongue sweeping in to join in the cleansing of his fingers. Hermione rocked forward, her hands going back into his boxers and grasped him, smiling as he released a low moan into her mouth. She broke away from the kiss slightly and he pulled his fingers out of her mouth. She started stroking him and he swayed on his feet. She pulled her hand out, gently pushed him away and hopped off the counter, her heels making a sharp clinking noise against the tile.

She pushed him back against counter and dropped to her knees in front of him. His hands automatically tangled in her hair as she slipped his boxers down and freed his painfully hard cock. She pumped him a few times with her hand then brought her lips to the tip, her tongue collecting the drop of fluid waiting for her, and then enveloped him completely with her mouth.

“Hermione…” His hips rocked slightly, causing her to take more of him in. Her free hand moved from his thigh and cupped his balls, then massaged the skin with her fingers. She pulled him out of her mouth and ran her tongue up the complete length of him and reveled in the small shiver he gave. She was about to take him back into her mouth when he stopped her with his hands on her shoulders. She looked up at him with big doe eyes and his grip tightened. “Fuck Hermione.”

She squealed with delight when he hoisted her back up and she found her legs wrapped around his waist again. “Yes, please!”

He walked them towards the island, attacking her breasts with his teeth and tongue, and stopped when her back hit the wooden tabletop. He reached forward and swiped everything off the table, sending a bowl of fruit and the salt and pepper shakers to the floor.

Hermione sighed blissfully as she was laid back onto the table, her legs dangling off the sides, cradling his hips. Harry gripped her waist and pulled her a little closer. He dropped a kiss to her stomach then lifted her slightly towards him to deliver a warning.

“You may want to grab onto something.”

Her eyes grew wide and her entire body twitched with anticipation. She quickly laid back down and reached her hands above her head, grabbing the edge of the island. His finger brushed her once to make sure she was still ready for him and then he grabbed her waist and slammed into her in one hard thrust. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head as she let out a mighty wail.

“Oh my god Harry…”

He pulled completely out of her then slammed back into her, going even deeper, and her legs shot up and wrapped around him, her heels digging into his ass. Once her senses returned, he started moving in a slow rhythm that she eagerly matched. Soon the slow pace wasn’t enough for either of them, and his thrusts became faster and harder. Sweat dripping down his forehead, he waited until he was as deep as he could go, and then stopped, ignoring her cry of protest. He reached behind him, unlocking her legs, and pushed her knees up to her chest. He pulled out, laid against her bent legs and slammed back into her, enjoying how much deeper he could go in this new position.

Hermione screamed in pure ecstasy when he hit that sweet spot inside her and she couldn’t stop herself from coming and clenching her muscles around him. He grunted and his thrusts faltered. Sliding both hands under her back, he pulled her into a sitting position, wrapped a hand around her neck and pulled her into a searing kiss. Her heart jolted when she felt he was still as hard as ever inside her.

He grabbed her ass in both hands and pulled her off the island, immediately slamming her back against the closest wall. She let out a shaky moan when he let her body slide down on him, his cock impaling her to the point of breaking her. Grabbing the back of her thighs, he pushed her up slightly then started ramming into her again. She could do nothing but grip his shoulders tightly, throw her head back and release a wanton cry.

“My god, Harry, I won’t be able to walk tomorrow…”

He attached his lips to her neck as his hips began frantically moving beneath her. “Considering we won’t be leaving my bedroom all day, I think you’ll be okay…” Her centre throbbed at the multitude of possibilities tomorrow brought.

Her next release was building momentum and just as she was about to break, he suddenly stopped pounding into her and they were moving again. She wrapped herself tightly around him, loving the way his sweaty body felt against hers. He stopped in front of the island again, but this time he pulled out of her and set her down on the ground. She had started to raise her leg to his hips when he waggled a finger in her face.

Without saying a word, he spun her around so her belly was pressed against the cool edge of the tabletop. He reached up and pushed her hair aside so he could suck on her neck. While she was preoccupied with that sensation, he maneuvered a stool over with his foot. Propping his foot up on the rung, he pressed his body tight against hers to keep her steady, then lifted her leg and draped it over his. She smiled wondrously at the new position and wiggled her ass against his still glistening cock.

Harry laid against Hermione’s back, pushing her against the tabletop. His hands caressed her shoulders and then snaked down to her hands, where he intertwined them. Unlike all the times before, he entered slowly and relished the feeling of being inside her. Once inside, he came back to a standing position, pulling her with him. Keeping one hand locked in hers, he freed one and ran it all over her body, memorizing each inch of skin that he could reach.

Feeling he couldn’t prolong his release any further, he grabbed her hand in his and brought it down to where they were joined. Placing first her fingers then his over her clit, they started rubbing the sensitive area together. She arched into him and he knew it wouldn’t be long again for her.

“Hermione, you feel so fucking good… I can’t hold on much longer.”

Their intertwined hands clutched the table harder as the sound of his hips slamming into her resonated in their ears. She slipped her fingers from beneath his and reached down to cup him, lightly squeezing the sac in her hand.

“I’m ready for you baby, let go.”

Touched by both her endearment and the fact that she was pushing for his orgasm more than her own, he slowed his thrusts ever so slightly and concentrated on his fingers working furiously side to side on her.

“Oh… Oh Harry, I’m close…” She started bucking her ass against him and squeezing him harder. “Baby, please, make me come with you.”

A low rumble was emitted from his throat and he started moving faster than he thought possible. The muscles in his legs and stomach tightened as he felt himself teeter on the edge of insanity.

“Oh god, Harry, YES!” She clenched completely around him and screamed.

He pulled her roughly to his body, her hair whipping over his shoulder, thrust three more times and then blissfully fell over the edge. Cupping her breasts, he brought his lips to her ear, her name pouring from his lips repeatedly as he emptied himself inside of her.

Finally sated, they slumped against each other and waited for their hearts and breathing to return to normal. After a few moments, she was mentally convinced she could move without falling over so she turned in his arms and wrapped her arms around his neck. He gave her a tired but deliriously happy smile and pecked her lips. She sighed contentedly, resting her head under his chin, listening to the steady thrum of his heart. He ran his fingertips up and down her spine, just enjoying the warmth her body provided against his.

He finally looked up at the clock and saw it was nearly four in the morning. He cradled her face in his hands, planting a quick kiss on the top of her head before titling her head back and delivering a long sensual kiss to her lips. When he pulled back, he rubbed his nose playfully against hers.

“Let’s go to bed.”

She smiled and nodded, leaning up to give him another kiss before he turned to gather all their clothing. Putting his boxers on first, he then grabbed his black dress shirt. She turned to pull her dress from the pile when his hand on her shoulder turned her back. He held his shirt up to her and she smiled brightly at him. She turned so she could slip her arms through then turned back around to see if he wanted it buttoned up. He simply stared down at her, a blissful little smile on his face, loving the way she looked in his clothes. He gave her a quick kiss, grabbed the pile of clothes and then her hand and walked towards the stairs.

Dropping the clothes on a chair inside his bedroom, he walked towards his bed and pulled down the comforter. He turned back towards her, shucked his boxers down to the floor, letting them rest on his one foot. Raising his foot up slightly, he then flicked them towards her face. She laughed gleefully and swatted them away. She gave him her best smoldering stare then let his shirt slowly fall from her shoulders. Before it hit the floor, she grabbed the sleeves and tied it loosely around her waist. He heartily laughed and walked over to her. “You’re so silly.”

She smiled and let him remove the shirt, tossing it on top of the pile. He then bent down and scooped her up, dropping her on the bed. He kneeled down in front of her and began unlacing her heels. Once removed, she dropped a kiss on his forehead then moved to the center of the bed with him crawling in after her. He pulled the soft down comforter up over their bodies and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her flush against him. She smiled and burrowed into him, sleep already starting to take over.

“Goodnight Harry.”

He placed a soft kiss to her ear. “Goodnight Hermione, Happy Birthday baby.”

A sleepy smile made it to her face before she passed out. “Mmm... Best birthday ever.”

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References and Inspirations:

“He Said She Said” by Ashley Tisdale (From “Headstrong”)

“Thanks For The Memories” by Fall Out Boy (From “Infinity On High”)

Donkey scene inspired by Clerks II (Direct by Kevin Smith)

Author’s Note: Oh you guys are too kind to me… Your reviews are absolutely amazing ((bows gracefully))… Well, here is the chapter that I’m sure some of you were waiting for (besides the previous chapter, of course ::wink:: ) I am finally going to explain the absence of magic… sort of. LoL… I can’t reveal it ALL just yet. I hope those who wanted the magic will be appeased, and I hope I don’t piss off anyone who liked it the way it was. Believe me, this will help the story further down the road. Thanks so much for all your support – I love you all!! –aj-

Chapter Three – Wake Up With Bloodshot Eyes, Struggle To Memorize, The Way It Felt Between Your Thighs

“… break out the sun block, its going to be a scorcher today…”

Harry groaned and reached over Hermione to shut off his alarm. Lying against her naked back, he nuzzled into her neck. “Sorry, forgot to shut it off last night.”

She yawned and snuggled against him. “S’ok, I was going to get up soon anyway.”

Harry laughed and tickled her side. “Sure you were…”

She giggled and turned her head to face him, her eyes still closed. She ran her tongue over her teeth a few times, feeling the drunken residue, then made a disgusted face. She pulled the comforter up, which had pooled around her waist, to cover her mouth.

Harry laughed and wrapped his arm around her tighter. “Oh, like I never had to deal with your dragon breath before.”

Hermione’s eyes snapped open and she shoved him mockingly off of her, and then rolled on top of him. “Well, in that case.” She then bent down and gave him an exaggerated open mouthed kiss, but before she could get her tongue in, she started laughing and rolled back off of him. “I can’t. I just can’t. I need toothpaste and mouthwash, stat.”

Harry wrinkled his nose and tried to pull her back. “That will take too long… There’s some gum in my top drawer.”

Hermione slapped at his hands, which had snaked around her waist. “Harry James…” She turned around to look at him and stopped. He has this sexy, squinty thing going on. “Oh for goodness sake…” She turned back around and whipped open the top drawer of his bedside table. He did, in fact, have a pack of gum lying on top of a paperback book, but it was what flew forward in her haste to open the drawer that caught her breath. “Oh…”

“What, you didn’t believe me?”

She shook her head to clear the cobwebs and looked back at him with glossy eyes. “No, um, it wasn’t that.”

Harry then realized what she found and shuffled himself up to sit against the headboard. “You okay?”

Hermione reached in and pulled out the object of her wonder, sat back beside him, then placed the phoenix feather wand on her lap. Harry rubbed the stubble of his jaw as he looked over at her. Well, they hadn’t talked about this in awhile.

She tucked her hair behind her ears, and then picked up his wand, lightly twirling it in her fingers. “It’s hard to believe it’s been four years already…”

Harry wrapped an arm around her shoulder, gently pulling her closer. “A lot has changed since then…”

She smiled and laid her head on his shoulder. “I know. And I knew you and I would be fine… We grew up with muggles. We knew how this world worked… It was Ron that I was worried about. Harry, he grew up in a magical family. His life was surrounded with it constantly, he knew nothing else. I was… I was scared to death… He wouldn’t…” She stopped, forcing all sad thoughts out of her head. Harry ran his fingers through her hair and kissed the top of her head. “But then, I see him and Luna together. And they are blissfully happy. So I feel like I can finally stop worrying about him, you know?”

Harry let a deep chuckle pour from his mouth. “Oh Hermione, you will never stop worrying about us.”

She smiled, dropped the wand, and wrapped both arms around his waist. “Well someone needs to take care of my boys… You certainly don’t do it yourself.”

He lightly ran his fingertips over her hip causing her to emit a soft sigh. “I do think you can stop worrying about Ron in regards to this though. You’re right, he is happy. And you know he’s not one that can hide his emotions… If he was miserable, we’d know.”

She smiled and ran her middle finger around the contours of his chest. “I don’t doubt it.” She looked up at him and saw he was giving her his squinty stare again. Then it sunk in. “Oh Harry, you slept in your contacts, didn’t you?”

He gave her a goofy grin then rubbed his leg against hers. “Well, I didn’t exactly have an opportune time to take them out last night.”

She laughed and then hopped out of bed, putting his wand back in the drawer. She turned back around, smiling that his eyes had been focused on her lower region, then offered her hands to him. “Come on, bathroom time.”

He shook his head and took her pro-offered hands. Once in his bathroom, she shoved him towards the sink. “Contacts, out.”

He sighed dramatically, turned towards the mirror and began taking out his contacts. “Yes, dear.” Hermione smiled and grabbed his toothbrush and started brushing her own teeth. Harry laughed and poured some mouthwash into two paper cups. “I hope you don’t have anything contagious.”

Hermione smirked and spit into the basin, wiping her mouth as she stared at him pointedly in the mirror. “Well, if I do, I think you were more likely to get it from fucking me, not me using your toothbrush.”

He smiled and rolled his eyes, taking his toothbrush from her and began brushing his own. “Such a mouth on you.”

She gargled the mouthwash, spat, and then turned to face him. “I seem to recall you liking my mouth on you.”

Harry slapped her ass as she walked towards the bathtub. “Oh, you are saucy this morning.”

Hermione smiled as she bent to turn the faucets on. Looking over her shoulder, she shot Harry a look. “Oh, did I forget to mention I had amazing sex last night? It kinda brings it out of me.” Turning back to the water, she waited until it was the perfect temperature then pushed the knob to turn on the shower.

Walking up behind her, Harry wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her tight against him. “Mmm, that’s funny, ‘cause I had some pretty good sex myself last night?”

She spun around in his arms and stared up at him, indignantly. “Pretty good? Oh, only pretty go-“ He cut her off when his hand gripped the back of her neck and his lips crashed down on hers. When he sucked her bottom lip into his mouth, she let out a breathy moan. “I guess you’re forgiven.”

He smiled and kissed her full on the lips, his tongue sliding languidly into her mouth as he bent down, grabbed the back of her thighs and hoisted her onto his hips. He stepped into the shower and let the water cascade down their intertwined bodies before slowly set her back down on her feet. Breaking from the kiss, he leaned her against the wall then seductively ran his tongue around her lips. “Mmm, minty.”

Hermione laughed and pushed him towards the shower spray. “I don’t know what your intentions are, but we are solely in this shower to get clean.” Harry got a hurt look on his face then shrugged it off and picked up a bar of soap and lathered his hands. He then kneeled in front of her, grabbing her left foot. She gasped when he started massaging his fingers into her flesh. Her eyes fluttered close and she had no choice but to fall against the tile wall. “Oh, what are you doing?”

He kissed the spot just below her knee then continued to suds her up. “I’m washing you, of course. What does it feel like I’m doing?”

“Torturing me?”

He smiled and nipped her inner thigh, then rubbed the skin with his hands. “Your rules darling, not mine.” He grabbed the bar of soap, re-lathered his hands, and repeated the process up her right leg. He intentionally skipped over the place he wanted to be most and started rubbing her belly and sides. He very briefly cupped her breasts before moving onto her arms, working his way to her fingertips. When he started trailing his fingers back up her arms, he noticed her eyes were still closed and she was biting her bottom lip. He smirked and grabbed the soap for the last time, getting a good lather, and slowly ran his hand down her stomach. He rested his fingertips at her centre and nudged his nose against hers. “I think we still need to clean here, yes?”

She nodded numbly and snaked one hand into his hair, keeping his head close to hers. He nudged her legs open with his knee and gently began stroking her with one finger. A soft sigh of delight passed her lips. “Oh…”

Harry continued his slow movements on her, enjoying the way her hips would buck, trying to get him to move faster, but he would have none of that. Moving his fingers down, he allowed one to enter her, taking a moment to relish in her hitched breath, then pulled out completely and planted a kiss on her nose. “Okay, I do believe you’re clean dear. Do me a favor and hand me that shampoo bottle?”

Harry’s grin was victorious as he placed himself under the shower spray and let the water fall over his overheated body. But it would be short lived as Hermione knew how to give as much as she received. Slowing her heart rate back to normal, she kicked off from the wall, grabbed the shampoo bottle and stood behind him. Pouring a small amount into her palm, she pulled him slightly backwards so he was out of the spray, and began massaging his head. He couldn’t help the small moan that ripped from his throat. She moved in front of him, letting the water hit her neck and travel down between her breasts. Pulling him forward, she raked her fingers through his hair as the water pounded the top of his head. As her fingernails scraped against his scalp, he had no choice but to grab onto her waist and softly dig his fingers in. Convinced all the soap was out, she wrapped her arms around him tightly, pressing her breasts to him, and slowly pushed him back. Keeping one hand on his back, she bent slightly, dragging her hard nipples down his stomach muscles and picked up the shampoo bottle. Harry groaned when her chin came in contact with his growing erection, but she simply returned to a standing position and began washing her own hair.

The score was now even.

As her head was bent backwards under the water, she wasn’t surprised when she felt a hot mouth on her neck. “You vicious, vicious woman.”

Before she could even get out a retort that he was just as bad, she was pulled away from the water and pushed against the tile wall. In the next second, her legs were wrapped around his waist and he was driven inside her. She clutched the back of his neck as her eyes rolled to the back of her head. Lost in the feeling of being stretched and filled, she clenched her muscles around him and sighed. “Oh god, Harry…”

His mouth searched out hers as his hips began to slam against hers, their wet bodies causing a high intensity friction. His tongue began matching the movements of his thrusting and Hermione couldn’t stop herself from biting it lightly, then pulling it into her mouth to suck on it. Harry growled deep in his throat and pulled her hips away from the wall slightly so he could get a deeper angle. On a particularly hard thrust, Hermione’s back arched up and she sunk her short nails into his shoulders. “Oh... Oh do that again.” Harry was only too happy to oblige.

Wanting him to feel the same things she was, she started rolling her hips in time with his. Grunting in approval, his head dropped to her shoulder and he grabbed her ass in both hands, pushing her up and down on him. Feeling her release coming, Harry reached between them and began frantically stroking her clit. Hermione’s thighs tightened around him and her stomach muscles quivered in anticipation. “Please don’t stop… Oh god!” She bucked her hips against him roughly and clenched his cock painfully tight.

Harry’s thrusts stopped and he fell against her, biting into her shoulder. “Hermione!” His voice was thick with arousal as he held her hips in place.

She pushed herself off the wall and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. Foreheads and chests pressed together, she began sliding up and down on him again, short quick thrusts that had her toes curling, extending her orgasm to levels she never even knew existed. Gripping her hips, he slammed into her two more times, and then claimed her mouth as he came inside her.

Gently putting her back on her feet, they leaned against each other as they struggled for breath. Harry reached over and shut off the now cold water, then turned back to her, dropping kissing all over her face. He smiled down at her, a very noticeable twinkle in his eyes. “Just getting clean, she says…”

She laughed and smacked his chest. “You should know better than to start something you can’t finish… I had a duty to women everywhere…”

He threw a hand over his heart then one to his forehead. “Oh good lord, now I’m responsible for the needs and wants of every woman on the planet…” He stepped out of the shower and grabbed two towels. He wrapped the first around her and then tucked the second one around his hips. He looked around the room, tapping his chin. “Well, if I’m to take on this task, I do believe I’ll need a bigger bathroom.”

She rolled her eyes as he opened the cabinet and fetched his glasses. Slipping the black square frames on, he then grabbed a third towel from the closet and began towel drying her hair. She smiled up at him, always touched by the sweet little things he did for her. “I wish you would wear your glasses more often, you look so stunning in them.”

He laughed and started drying her face and neck. “Any other requests?” He sat her down on the toilet seat and kneeled down in front of her, running the towel up and down her legs. He looked back up when she didn’t answer right away and saw she was tapping her fingers together. “Oh, don’t even ask me to ‘hawk it’ more, because I do every time you ask.”

Hermione giggled and ran her fingers through his hair, trying in vain to get her mini Mohawk to appear that she loved so much. “That’s the point Harry, I shouldn’t have to ask you. You should realize how hot you look with it and want to do it all the time.”

Harry grimaced and smacked her hands away, immediately flattening his hair back down the best he could. “Hermione, it’s Sunday, we have no plans to leave the house, and I am not putting product in my hair…” She looked down at him with big wide eyes and her bottom lip sticking out. “Oh, and you can put that away Miss Granger, I am impervious to your pouts.”

She tucked her arms against her chest and looked away from him. “Fine…” She felt him stand up and walked towards the mirror. She mentally counted down in her head. When she felt his hand on her shoulder, she smiled and turned back around. He was holding a small lime green container in his hand.

“What I do to make you happy Hermione…” She squealed and clapped her hands together, pure mirth on her face. She stood in front of him and he grabbed her waist and hoisted her onto the sink counter in front of him. She opened her legs to him and he sunk in happily.

Removing the towel that was wrapped around her body, she ran it over his head a few times, getting it partially dry. Opening the container, she put a dime-sized amount in her palm and then rubbed her hands together. He bent his head and she began stroking it through his hair. Getting it the way she wanted, she twisted around and turned on the faucet, washing the remaining product from her hands. Using her discarded towel to dry her hands, she looked up at him and her breath caught. She reached forward and cradled his head in her hands, running her thumbs over his stubble. Bringing his face towards hers, she gave him a long, sweet kiss. They broke apart and she smiled up at him.

“Damn, you look good.”

He looked down at her naked form. “Ditto.” He grabbed her waist again and helped her off the counter. Picking up the towel that dropped, he re-wrapped it around her.

As they walked back out to his bedroom, she grabbed her shoes and clothing from the previous night and turned towards him. “Ron and Luna should be stirring soon. If they’re feeling up to it, I was thinking maybe a light lunch and then just hang out at the pool.”

He smiled and nodded. “Sounds perfect.”

“Okay, I’m going to go grab my stuff. I’ll be back.” She shuffled out of the room as Harry pulled on his swimming trucks and an old t-shirt. He had just thrown his towel in the bathroom hamper when she returned, holding a pile of fresh clothes and a caddy holding her tanning supplies. She pulled her towel off and chucked it at him. He caught it and threw it in the hamper with his. When he turned back around, she already had the bottom portion of her peach string bikini on. He smiled when he saw the metal of the heart shaped cut out, that rested above her rear, glinting at him. Lucky metal.

Lost in his thoughts, he didn’t notice her holding out the strings of her top to him. “Harry?”

He walked up behind her, tying the strings together. “Tight enough?” She nodded and slipped on her shorts and tube top. He grabbed her caddy then linked her arm with his. “Ready?” She smiled, took his arm, and they walked down to the kitchen.

They both had to laugh at Ron and Luna, who were already sitting at the island. Ron had a pair of Wayfarer sunglasses on and the hood on his sweatshirt was pulled tightly on his head. Luna had her hair pulled up in a sloppy ponytail, was missing an earring, and had a glazed expression on her face. Hermione held her hands up to her mouth, “Oh, you guys look terrible.”

Ron winced at her voice and croaked out. “Hermione, could you tone your voice down a notch or two? I don’t think the howler monkeys on Mars heard you…” Harry clamped his hand over his mouth and turned away from them. “Yeah, thanks Harry, I’ll remember that the next time you’re… Wait, why aren’t you guys hung-over?” Harry turned back to him, holding the kettle up. “Blasted tea.”

Hermione couldn’t help but point out the obvious. “Well, Ron, if you hadn’t been so horned up last night, you could have had some and avoided—“

Ron waved his hand at her. “You. You just stop talking, you’re not helping.”

She sighed and turned towards Harry. “Should we take pity on them?”

Harry nodded and turned around, already starting to prepare his next batch of tea, making sure to bang the kettle against the stove a few times. Ron’s distraught voice made him chuckle. “Harry! That is so unbelievably not funny…”

Once the tea was finished, Hermione pulled two mugs down and let Harry fill them while she pulled a few cubes of ice out of the freezer. Placing the mugs down in front of them, they had to laugh as Ron reached for it eagerly, and drank it down in three big gulps. He put the cup down and tentatively pulled his glasses down. He groaned and slid them back up his nose. “Oh, it still hurts. What about you baby?”

Luna had just finished her cup and set it back on the table. She looked up to the ceiling, as if the answer was written there. She brought her attention back to Ron. “A lot better, actually.”

“Oh, what the fuck? I mean, that’s good Luna, I’m glad you feel better… But why do I still feel like crap?”

Harry laughed and brought the kettle over. “You’re a lot bigger than Luna and you probably drank a lot more. Here, drink at least two more cups and you should start feeling better. Luna, are you hungry? We were getting ready to make lunch.”

At the mere mention of food, Ron grabbed his cup and kettle and wandered into the living room. Luna giggled at her retreating boyfriend’s back but then turned her attention back to Harry. “I’m famished, actually. What’s on the menu?”

Hermione opened the fridge and pulled out a few items. “We’re eating light because we’re going out to the pool afterwards. Sandwiches and fruit okay?”

She nodded and got up to help her. Harry saw they had everything handled so he pecked Hermione on the temple and started walking towards the living room. “I’ll go check on Ron.”

As soon as he was out of earshot, Luna stopped washing the fruit and turned towards her friend. A knowing smile took over her beautiful face.

“So, what’s it like having sex with Harry?”

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References and Inspirations:

“Makes Me Wonder” by Maroon 5 (From “It Won’t Be Soon Before Long”)

Author’s Note: I just wanted to say a quick thank you to my new friends who have been faithfully reviewing this story, and offering the most amazing words of encouragement. You girls know who are… If I knew how to make a fruit basket out of periods, commas and other various symbols it would so be here… Alas, I only know how to make smiley faces and roses… So here you go: >:-) @}--->---- Thank you so much, I love you guys! Let me know what you think.

Chapter Four: When The Sun Shines, We’ll Shine Together

Hermione stopped cutting the sandwiches, took a deep breath then began cutting again. She couldn’t help the smile that came to her face at her best female friend’s forwardness.

“Could you just tell or did you hear us?”

Luna grinned, removing the remaining earring from her ear and shoving it in her pocket. “Hermione, we’ve lived together for the past two years, yes? And I’ve heard sounds coming out of your bedroom many times in those two years… But I’ve never heard you scream like that.”

Hermione laughed and started piling the sandwiches onto a tray and then suddenly turned towards her. “Wait… Did Ron…?”

Luna waved her off. “Oh gods no, he passed out almost immediately. And you know once he’s in his drunken coma…”

Hermione let out a sigh of relief, but then looked at her with sad eyes. “So after all that foreplay at the bar, you didn’t even get to seal the deal?”

Luna’s eyes lit up. “Of course we did…” She stared wistfully at the ceiling. “Best three minutes of my life.”

Hermione released a loud laugh and pulled her into a tight hug. “Oh, Luna, I do love you. You’re absolutely irreplaceable.”

Luna smiled as she pulled away and Hermione started making a pitcher of lemonade. “Thank you. But don’t change the subject… What happened?"

Hermione shrugged her shoulders as grabbed an ice tray from the freezer and started plopping them into the pitcher. “There really isn’t anything to tell, to be honest. We both just needed the same thing at the same time, and like everything else we’ve gone through in our lives, we were able to be there for the other… If you’re looking for a fairytale ending, you won’t find it here.”

Luna quirked an eyebrow and tucked her hands under her chest. “So, this was just a one time thing?”

Hermione walked over to open the patio door and then walked back to Luna smirking. “Well, actually a two-time thing… This time.”

Luna giggled and tossed a grape at her. “I knew I heard you guys in the shower…” She then looked like she was struggling to tell her something. There was only ever one topic that Luna was sensitive about towards them. “I was pretty sure I knew what you were doing… and Ronald was waking up. He would have heard you guys… I had to…”

Hermione rested a hand on her shoulder, consolingly. “It’s okay Luna, I appreciate what you did.”

Luna smiled then gasped. “And what do you mean ‘this time’?”

Hermione laughed and carried the tray of sandwiches to the patio table, Luna following close behind with the lemonade. “Well, we sort of made this little… agreement?”

Luna playfully slapped her arm and followed her back into the house. “Details!”

Just then Harry and Ron returned to the kitchen, Ron still looking a little sickly, but his sweatshirt and sunglasses had been removed. As Harry bent down to pick up the long forgotten grape, Hermione turned towards Luna and mouthed ‘later.’ When Harry stood back up, he quirked an eyebrow at the girls. “Having a food fight without us? That’s not very nice.”

The girls laughed as Ron came over and looked at the fruit, trying to decide which would settle the best in his stomach. He picked up an orange and Hermione immediately smacked it out of his hands. Ron scowled at her and lightly rubbed his hand. “What was that for?”

“Stay away from anything citrus. It will make your throat feel worse. A banana will probably be the best for you. And you may want to grab a bottle of water, we only have lemonade outside. You need to stay dehydrated today, especially with the heat.”

He smiled appreciatively down at her and grabbed a banana. “Thanks Hermione.”

She nodded, grabbed the bowl of fruit and pushed it into Harry’s waiting arms, and then grabbed the picnic set from the cupboard. Walking outside, they all sat around the table and enjoyed a light lunch and a decidedly light conversation.

After Ron finished his banana and two bottles of water, he turned towards Luna, a tired expression on his face. “I think I’m going to go back in for a nap. Are you going to lounge out here with them?”

Luna wrinkled her nose and dismissed that idea immediately. “Oh, heavens no, it’s supposed to be blazingly hot today. You know how bad I burn. I’ll come lay with you.”

Ron smiled and leaned over to kiss her forehead. “You’re too good to me.”

Luna shrugged and stood up to start clearing off the table. “We’ll take this stuff in, it will spoil out here.” Together they gathered all the items off the table the headed towards the door. “Happy sunning. Take care of each other and don’t burn!”

Hermione turned around just in time to catch Luna’s wink, and then they were gone. She stood and turned towards Harry. “I’m going to get my caddy and a cooler for our waters. Do you need anything from inside?”

Harry had a thoughtful expression on his face but shook it away and smiled at her. “No, I’m good. I’ll get the towels and our chairs ready.” He got up and walked towards the pool while she went to retrieve her items.

A few moments later, Hermione dropped the cooler between their chairs and started removing her clothing. She caught Harry’s gaze again and dropped her arms. “What is it?”

His lips twitched into a smile. “She knows.”

Hermione laughed and finished removing her shorts and tube top. “Did you really expect otherwise? It’s Luna.” She walked over and started pulling at his shirt. Taking the hint, he pulled it off, along with his glasses and set them on the table. Pulling a bottle of lotion from her caddy she turned back to him. “Are you laying on your front or back first?” To answer her question, he simply sat down in the chair and pulled her by the hips onto his lap. She laughed and wiggled around so she was straddling him backwards. “You know, if you’re lying on your back first, you could probably put this on yourself.”

He swatted her on the butt then gently ran his finger over the heart shape cut out that he loved so much. “What would be the fun in that?”

She shivered at his touch, despite the blistering heat, but then popped the top of the tanning lotion and started rubbing it into his legs. Once she reached his thighs, she turned around again to face him. She poured the lotion onto his stomach and giggled when he quivered against the coolness. When his chest and arms were finished, she put his lotion back and grabbed her oil.

Harry looked at her, concerned. “Hermione, are you sure you want to use that today?”

Hermione smiled and leaned towards him, rubbing her nose against his. “If I start to burn you can throw me in the pool.” She stood up and piled her hair messily on the top of her head and then laid down belly first on her own chair.

Harry repeated the same process with her, starting at her legs and then moving up her thighs to his heart. He put some oil on his finger and lightly traced it over small area of skin. She sighed against her towel and closed her eyes. “You are obsessed with that thing.”

“I just think it’s cute. It gives you this little tan tattoo on the small of your back. It’s sexy. Besides, it’s not my fault you keep wearing it around me.”

She cracked an eye open. “Well it’s my favorite bikini.”

Harry straddled her hips, untied her top and began rubbing the oil into her back. “Mine too.”

She smiled and rested her forehead against her towel, enjoying the way his fingers massaged the oil into her skin. “I’ll let you borrow it sometime… Oh, your hands are heavenly.”

He laughed and tickled her sides lightly before moving onto her shoulders and arms. Convinced she was evenly covered; he hopped off her and went back to his own chair. After a few minutes of comfortable silence, he threw his arms up behind his head and stretched his legs.

“Good god, it’s hot out here.”

She giggled and turned her head towards him. Poor thing, he never made it very long. “It’s okay Harry, you made it as long as you could.” He smiled and got up from his chair, planted a kiss on her neck, then dove into the in ground pool. Hermione sighed and stretched her arms above her head, letting them hang over the chair. “Lightweight.”

Hermione soon fell asleep to the sound of Harry doing laps in the pool. It wasn’t until thirty minutes later when she was awoken by the feel of water drops hitting her back. She turned her head and saw Harry standing over her, staring down. “Hermione, you’re starting to burn.”

She nodded her head and stretched her limbs. “Okay, I’ll flip over.”

Harry shook his head and snaked one arm under her waist. “No, that wasn’t our deal.” Before she could even comprehend his words, he had flung her up over his shoulder with amazing ease and walked towards the edge of the pool.

She squealed and clawed at his back, her bare breasts pressed against him. “Harry, no!” Wait, bare breasts? She frantically looked up and saw her top had gotten tangled in her hair. “Harry, my top!”

She kneed him in the ribs and he emitted a small “oof” before bringing her to rest on his hips. He laughed at the peach fabric stuck in her hair but when she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, he immediately worked on getting it out. When the top was removed, he also pulled her hair out of the ponytail, letting it cascade down her shoulders. She smiled and reached for her top, but he held it out of range with an “honestly, do you really think I’m giving it back?” look.

He tossed the garment over his shoulder then dove them head first into the pool. Hermione came up sputtering and pushing the hair away from her face as Harry swam away from her, laughing. “Oh, this is far from over Potter!” She eagerly chased after him and almost had her hand on his ankle when he reached the edge and hopped out. He looked down at her triumphantly, his hands on his hips. She smirked at him and waded towards the ladder. “What? You don’t think I’ll get out of the pool because I’m topless?” She shook her head disbelievingly, then slowly started climbing the ladder.

Harry’s eyes widened slightly as he watched her reach the top step. She looked down at herself, then ran her fingers underneath the strings of her bottom, then looked back up at him with smoldering eyes. She slowly walked towards him, her hips swinging enticingly, and Harry had to swallow the dry lump that appeared in his throat. When she reached him, she pressed her body tight against his and he instinctively lifted his arms to pull all her hair to one side. As he brought his mouth down on her neck she smiled and rested her hands on his hips. Satisfied that he was completely preoccupied, she quickly turned them so his back was towards the pool and pushed on his chest. Harry, aware of her plan from the beginning, just smirked and grabbed her waist, dragging her back in with him.

This time they both came up laughing. Harry swam over the side, hopped up onto his stomach, grabbed her top then swam back to her. She smiled and turned around, letting him drop it over her head then secure the strings. He grabbed her hand and they walked towards the shallow end. Sitting on the second step, he pulled her down beside him and she rested her legs in his lap. He started tracing shapes into her skin with his fingertips. “Well, it’s back to normal tomorrow, eh?”

She smiled softly and ran her fingers through his hair. “Yeah… Feels like we were in our own little world this weekend, didn’t it? A little break from reality?”

He smiled and squeezed her knees lightly. “Well I hope the distraction worked…”

She beamed and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. “Oh, don’t worry. Because of you Jason isn’t even a blip on my radar anymore.” She crawled into his lap and resituated herself. She ran her fingertips over his eyebrows and down his cheekbones. “I hope when you see him at practice tomorrow that you’ll keep yourself in check. I don’t want you being kicked off the team because of him. He would love nothing more than to see you chucked off the field.”

He laughed and rubbed her sides. “Well, I’ll try. That’s all I can promise, okay?”

She raised an eyebrow at him but eventually gave in and planted a quick kiss on his forehead. “Alright.” She stared down at him and thought about everything that had happened in the last twenty four hours. She sighed and flipped around so her back was resting against his chest. “I’m not ready to go back to work yet. How about I take a week off and we’ll just barricade ourselves up in your bedroom and not leave until all our sexual frustrations are gone?”

Harry laughed outright and wrapped his arms tightly around her waist. “Well first, Hermione, you would never take a week off work. Secondly, a week? Seriously, I would need at least… Six to seven months, minimal.”

She laughed and turned back around, wrapping her legs loosely around his waist. “I suppose you’re right. Besides, I guess it will be good to get back into our routine. You know, our infamous ‘Harry and Hermione sexual tension extraordinaires.’”

Harry laughed and tucked the hair behind her ears. “Okay Ron.”

Hermione smiled and kissed his palm. “What? It grew on me…”

Harry looked up at her, a soft smile curving his lips. He cradled her face in his hands and gently ran his thumbs over her cheeks. “Well, since I don’t know when we’ll do this again…” He brought her down and gently ran his lips over hers, a soft parting kiss. Or that’s how he intended it to be. But when a primal groan escaped her throat, he couldn’t help but deepen it, threading his fingers through her hair.

When breathing became a necessity, they pulled away slightly and gently nipped at each other’s lips, refilling their lungs. Hermione pushed him back against the steps and crawled on top of him. “You know, we never really determined a time frame for this…” Harry nodded and pulled her lips back to his. She melted into the kiss as his tongue sought out hers and his hands grazed down her back. She pulled back slightly and ran her thumb over his lower lip.

Harry smirked up at her, lightly running his fingertips under the strings of her bottom. “So, wanna go make my bedroom walls shake?”

Hermione laughed loudly and cradled his head in her hands, laying her forehead against his. “Harry, I swear, no one makes me laugh the way you do.”

Harry’s face took on a look of mock indignation as he turned his nose up and away from her. “It wasn’t supposed to make you laugh; it was supposed to make you horny.”

Hermione smiled and pulled his face back to look at her, then kissed the tip of his nose. She climbed off him and slowly walked up the steps to get out of the pool. Once she reached the top, she looked over her shoulder at his still form.

“Who said it didn’t?”

Harry grinned as he clamored out of the pool and chased after her.

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References and Inspirations:

“Umbrella” by Rihanna f/Jay Z (From “Good Girl Gone Bad”)

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