A/N: It all belongs to Jo. Nothing is mine. If it were, I would be laying down on some beautiful beach enjoying life and sipping a wonderful fruity drink out of a coconut, and not here writing this. *wink*
Thanks so much for the lovely reviews and for appreciating that writing a love scene can be sexy and hot without being overly graphic. I'm glad you all enjoyed it. I assure you they did as well! LOL
After lots of loving and flirting, alas, drama enters the story as requested. I do not like writing angsty fiction (so don't even expect that), but we can always use a bit of drama.
The Cottage
After a while, Hermione lifted her head from Harry's chest and smiled at him. "Maybe we should get ready again and go on our little road trip."
"Are you sure? We can stay here all day instead."
"Nope. I want to go to the cottage. Besides, we can continue there what we started here!" she said winking at him.
"Well, in that case we can go. But I suggest we shower first, since we did sweat a bit!"
"Fine, meet you downstairs in half an hour. If we take a shower together, we'll never make it out the door."
She dropped a quick kiss on his lips and got up. With a wave of her hand, she summoned all of her clothes and walked out of the room, hips swinging invitingly. Harry groaned as he admired her from the bed. He could hear her laughter down the hall and smiled.
After their second shower of the day, they met downstairs as accorded and Harry took their bags out while she locked the flat.
He put their things in her car, since it was a convertible, and she handed him her keys. "You can drive since you know where we're going, Harry."
"Okay. It should only take a couple of hours to get there. It's close enough to go anytime, but far enough to forget the city for a while."
"Sounds nice. I could use some time off before heading back to work on Monday."
The drive to the cottage was relaxing and they talked the entire way about mundane things. What had happened between them before leaving was not mentioned once. However, she kept her hand on his thigh throughout the trip, and every now and then he would rest his over hers and squeezed it lovingly.
"We're almost there," he said turning into a small drive that was lined with old trees and flowering bushes.
Hermione was reminded a bit of the Burrow. The cottage lay ahead, nestled between more trees and it was a beautiful place.
Hermione wasted no time getting out of the car once he had parked in front. She smiled at him.
"Oh, Harry, it's beautiful. Like something out of a fairytale. Who owns it?"
"We do," he said as he came to stand next to her and dropped his arms casually around her shoulders.
"We do? What do you mean `we'?"
"That I bough it but it's in both of our names."
"What?"
He chuckled. It was always a surprise to see Hermione confused and at a loss for words. It hardly ever happened.
"You heard me right. If anything ever happens to me, it's yours."
"Nothing is going to happen to you, Harry James!" she said heatedly. "I still don't understand why you put it in both of our names."
"Because when I first saw it, I knew in my heart that you would love it and that made the decision easier to make. It's fully furnished and I'm sure you'll like it since Ginny helped with the décor and she knows your tastes well."
It was too much to comprehend at once and Hermione burst into sudden tears. Harry was instantly alarmed.
"Hermione, why are you crying?" he asked turning her around so she was facing him. "I thought you liked it."
"You silly, wonderful man, of course I like it!" She threw her hands around his neck and kissed him.
Not one to waste time, he wrapped his arms around her and enjoyed the kiss.
She pulled away a moment later and she was smiling. "I still can't believe you did this, Harry. We're only friends."
"Well, I'm hoping that after a weekend together here, you might change your mind about that."
Her eyes were as big as saucers and he smiled tenderly at her. "Harry, I…"
He put a finger against her lips. "Don't say anything right now. All I'm asking is that you keep an open mind about us. After what happened before we left, I think it would be obvious that I want more than just your friendship, love. But we can talk about that later, after we're settled."
She nodded and he removed his fingers from her lips. "Okay."
"Go on ahead and I'll bring our things inside."
She started walking towards the front door, amazed that her feet could move after what he had said. All of her pep talks about taking it slow and not jumping into anything with him went out the window in a flash. There was no way on God's green earth that she would be able to rein in her heart after the past few hours with him. Everything had changed now and even though it scared her a bit, she was willing to give their love a chance.
She disarmed the locking charms on the door and opened it. She stepped inside and was surprised at how cozy and warm the cottage was. There were overstuffed sofas and armchairs facing a huge stone fireplace. The carpet in front of it looked soft and inviting. The kitchen was open and airy. The dinning room was dark wood and could sit six people comfortably. There were stairs leading to a small loft that was surrounded by a wooden rail. She could see Ginny's touch in the pictures hanging on the walls, the candles around the room, and the many pillows and throws.
Hermione walked down the hall towards the back. She found two beautifully decorated bedrooms and bathrooms. On the back was a porch that faced a small pond where some ducks were frolicking in the water. She smiled at their antics and walked back inside. She met Harry as he was walking down the hall with their bags.
"Which bedroom do you want?" he asked her.
"Which one is yours?"
"I usually use the one in the back, since it has a view of the pond."
"Then you can put my bags in there as well," she said before she lost her nerve. She was quick to notice that he was surprised by her answer.
"Unless you don't want to, of course," she added quickly, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.
"Oh, no, you don't. There is no changing your mind now. I was hoping that would be your answer." He winked at her and continued down the hall to their room. He was thanking the heavens the entire way. He specially liked how words like `his' or `hers' could now become `theirs' and `ours'.
When he came back out, she was sitting on the sofa, absently running her fingers through the soft pillow on her lap. He took a deep and satisfied breath and thanked his lucky stars once again for giving him this opportunity.
She turned around when she heard him approaching. "This place is beautiful inside and out, Harry. How did you find out about it?"
He lay down on the couch, resting his head on her lap. Her fingers immediately started playing with his hair the way he liked. He looked up at her and tried to ignore just how close her breasts were to his mouth. He cleared his throat and she smiled knowingly at him. Nothing got passed her, he thought.
"Minerva told me about it. It belonged to an old friend of hers and he was looking for someone he could trust to sell it."
"Why someone he could trust?"
"Because it's been in his family for many decades and he didn't want the new owner to tear it down and build a huge house in its place. I promised him we wouldn't do that, that you would love it just as it was, and that it would be our escape from city life."
"And who did you tell him I was?"
"My fiancée."
"Your what?"
"You heard me right. I couldn't very well tell him we were just friends."
"Why in Merlin's name not?" she asked, surprise coloring her words.
"He wouldn't have believed me since I kept talking about how much you would love it. It didn't help that Minerva told him we've been in love for years and best-friends for longer than that."
"She said that?" Would the surprises never end? she wondered wildly as she tried to assimilate everything that Harry was saying to her.
"She did, and she was right about one part at least."
"Well, sure, everyone knows we're best friends," she acknowledge with a nod.
"That wasn't the part I meant," he said as he looked deep into her eyes.
"Oh…"
He got up from her lap and sat facing her. He took her hand in his and laced their fingers together, letting them rest against his heart. "I love you, Hermione Jane Granger. I have been in love with you for as long as I can remember. You are my soul mate, my other half. I cannot go on pretending that all I want from you is friendship. I want so much more. I need so much more."
"Oh, Harry, you do have a way with words," she said as she leaned over and kissed him.
He kissed her back with all of the love inside of his heart, savoring their closeness and relieved that he had finally gotten to tell her how he really felt. After a few minutes, she pulled back, and her eyes were brimming with happy tears.
"I love you, too, Harry. I have for a long time but I was afraid of losing what we have if I gave into those feelings."
"I felt the same way, but then I realized that it was working for the rest of our friends and maybe it could work for us as well."
"I'm glad you did. I don't think I would have had the nerve to say something first."
"I told Ron and Ginny this past week, and that's when she came over to help me decorate the cottage to your taste. That is also one of the reasons Ron stayed over at Luna's. I had asked them to give us some privacy this weekend."
"So everyone is in on this," she exclaimed surprised. "Now I understand why Ginny and Luna haven't called since I've been home. I had wondered about that."
"So you're okay with this? With us being in love?"
"Yes, Harry, I'm more than okay with it," she told him and kissed him with all of the pent-up passion she had been holding inside for so long.
He responded in kind. Little by little, their kisses grew more passionate and before they knew it, they were laying naked on the rug, making each other very happy once again.
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A while later, Hermione looked at her watch and noticed it was close to midday. She was surprised at the time.
"Harry, it's almost lunch time. No wonder I am starved."
"Do you want to go into town and grab a bite to eat? You're going to love it, it's a lot like Hogsmeade."
"Then let's get dressed and go. As much as I enjoy seeing your naked arse, I also need to nourish my body with food!" She slapped his arse softly and got up.
He took the time to look at her while she dressed, his mind still trying to comprehend how someone so bookish could wear the kind of undergarments she did. This time they were pale pink in color, and just as tiny as the ones before. He had loved peeling them of her body inch by inch with his teeth. If he was to judge by her many moans and gasps, she had enjoyed it as well.
"Come on, you lazy bum, get off the floor and feed me!"
He laughed at her as he got up, completely comfortable in his nakedness. But before getting dressed again, he grabbed her by the waist and kissed her silly. After, he got dressed slowly, letting her watch his every move.
"Had I know you were so well endowed, Mr. Potter, I would have had my way with you a long time ago," she said eyeing him sexily and wiggling her eyebrows.
"The feeling is mutual, Miss Granger. Had I known about your penchant for sexy underwear, I would done something sooner as well."
"Oh, so you like my taste in underwear, eh?" she asked cheekily.
"Not only do I like it, I'm going to enjoy taking it off your gorgeous body everyday," he assured her.
"Everyday? Think you can keep up?"
"Just make sure you take your vitamins everyday and we'll be okay," he said winking at her.
She walked up to him saucily and ran her fingernail down his chest, not stopping until she reached his member, all the while whispering promises in his ear. By the time she was done, he was starting to get hard all over again.
He cleared his suddenly dry throat and took her hand. "We are leaving right now, because if we don't, you will not get any food until tomorrow. After what you just told me, you are going to need your energy for the rest of the weekend."
She had the nerve to laugh all the way to the car.
And for the first time in hours, The Voice had nothing to say.
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The town was as beautiful as Harry had promised it would be. After a wonderful lunch in the town's tavern, they strolled through the stores, hand in hand. Hermione bought some homemade candles, a couple of books on potions, and a few other things that she deemed useful for their new cottage. She also bought a cauldron and potion making supplies. When he asked what she needed those for, she explained that they might need all of that at the cottage for when they visited. Of course, he though smiling. Harry indulged her and carried all of the purchases to the car when she was done.
After, they continued to walk around, getting to know the place that would become their second home. As they walked by, people stared at them and smiled. They made an attractive couple and their love shined in their faces. It did not help that they would steal kisses from each other every chance they got. Hermione could not remember a time when she had been happier and Harry could not be more pleased at how their weekend was turning out.
Little did they know it would not last that much longer.
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After a while, they sat down at a café to have an afternoon cup of tea. Harry had seemed a bit preoccupied and distracted for a while and Hermione could not stand it anymore.
"Is something wrong, love? You've been quiet for a while."
"Oh, it's nothing."
"Lying is not something you do well, so don't even try."
"You're going to think I'm crazy if I tell you."
"Oh, for the love of Merlin, Harry, just tell me what it is."
"Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you." He took a moment to look around them and then moved
closer to her. She moved closer as well, sensing his need to talk quietly. "I think someone has been following us
for a while since we got into town."
Her eyes widened as she looked at him. "What do you mean? Have you seen this person?"
"No. It is more of a feeling. Like we're being watched but the person doesn't want us to see him."
"When did you first notice?" she asked. As she talked to him, her eyes wondered slowly around, but she did it in a way that made it seem like she was just taking in the scenery. He knew that her mind was already working overtime and plotting a course of action. He could always count on her.
"Since we sat down to eat lunch. I didn't mentioned it before, because for a while I didn't feel it anymore. Ever since we sat down again, the feeling is back."
"Is this a `good feeling' or a `we're so screwed it isn't even funny' feeling?"
He had to laugh despite the situation. Leave it to Hermione to sum it up so simply. "I would have to say it's more like your second choice."
She nodded and sighed deeply, resignation written all over her face. "Of course it is! Nothing is ever simple when it comes to our lives, is it?"
"And to think things have been quiet for so long. What do you want to do about it?"
"Let's take a walk and head a bit out of town. If someone is in fact following us, and things get out of hand, I don't want any innocent bystanders to get hurt."
"You're right, of course."
"Now I'm itching for a good fight," she said as he watched her move her wand from her holster to the small of her back, where her t-shirt covered it.
"Itching for a fight? How come?"
"Oh, it's the photographers fault, really. When I had to deal with them last night, I realized how much I missed using my wand for more than healing. Does that sound absurd or what?"
"Not at all. I can understand more than you think. Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I became an Auror instead of a professional quidditch player."
"It's never too late, you know."
"It's something to think about for sure. Let me pay and we'll head out."
She nodded and got up from the table. She squinted her eyes and stared at the corner of a store. She could have sworn she saw someone dart back when she had looked that way.
When Harry came out of the café, she told him and they headed in that direction. They rounded the corner to find themselves facing an alley. Alleys were never good, since there was only one-way out them, she though. She looked behind her and noticed there was no one around them.
"Ready," Harry asked taking out his wand.
She nodded as she took hers out as well. They started walking forward, staying close together. Halfway down, there was a noise behind them and before Hermione knew what was going on Harry twisted around and shouted a spell. A figure went flying against the brick wall. There was a nasty thud and the figure fell to the ground.
They ran together to that spot and pointed their wands at what they assumed was a man. He was wearing a cape that covered his face. Harry waved his wand and the man lay on his back starring up at them, panting and grimacing in obvious pain. They both caught their breath when they saw the mop of red hair.
"Ron," they both gasped at the same time.
A/N: Oh, the pain and the horror…another cliffhanger.
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