Disclaimer: JKR owns.
Lies for Love
Chapter 3: Sharing Emotions
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Hermione sighed in frustration and finally sat up from her bed. She had been laying in bed, doing nothing but thinking of the raven haired wizard in the opposite room.
"This is ridiculous," she said heatedly before throwing the duvet off her body and getting out of bed. She headed for the door and walked out silently, making sure not to disturb Harry.
When she walked past the lounge she could see Harry laying there, shirtless, arms thrown above his head, and the blanket pooled down around his waist.
She couldn't help stopping to admire the view of Harry's formed, hard abs, remembering a time when they were pressed up against her own body.
She sighed, shaking her head slightly to clear her thoughts. 'It was in the past... we've both made it very clear that it was only sex and after the war it wouldn't happen again...'
With a hand to her forehead, she walked into the kitchen and tried to flip on the lights. When they didn't turn on she remembered the power outage and took her wand out to say a quick lumos. She reached for the kettle and tapped it with her wand, causing it to fill with hot water. Since the war it had been a habit for her to keep her wand in the waist band of her shorts when she slept. 'Stop thinking of the war will you? It only brings back painful memories...'
She turned for a tin on the counter and took out a pack of tea, mixing it in with the hot water as if on autopilot. When she was finished she slid the tin back across the counter and put both hands to her face to rub her weary eyes.
"You alright?" a groggy voice asked from behind her.
She turned around sharply to see a shirtless Harry standing there with mused hair, looking adorable and missing his glasses. He must have thought an intruder was in the house by the way his wand was hanging in his hand by his side.
Hermione put a hand to her heart, "Harry, you scared me."
"Scared me first," he replied, coming closer into the kitchen. "What're you doin' awake?"
"Oh um," she said trying to think of a quick response but failing, "I couldn't sleep," she answered honestly, again averting her eyes from Harry's half naked body.
"Why not?" he asked moving closer to her after inspecting the contents of the kettle.
"Just because," she answered feebly, not meeting his eyes.
He placed a tender hand to her forehead to check her temperature, "Are you still not feeling well?"
"I feel fine."
"Good," he said back, removing his hand gently. "So were you up doing some late night thinking? I know how you get your best ideas coming at you between 1 and 3 in the morning."
Hermione smiled, flattered that he would remember such a trait about her. "More like some deep pondering."
Harry continued to look at her, admiring her beauty even in the early hours of the morning, "About Ron?"
Hermione looked up to him and furrowed her eyebrows, "Why would you say that?"
Harry shrugged, "You guys just looked awfully cosy tonight."
Hermione frowned at him before responding, "I wasn't thinking about Ron."
A few moments passed before Harry asked, "What's going on with you two? I mean really?"
"Nothing," she replied automatically.
Harry gave her a sardonic look which Hermione returned mockingly.
"What? I mean... I'm not going to lie, he's kissed me a few times, but I mean... I just- I just don't want to be in a relationship with him right now."
"Right now?" Harry asked scornfully.
Hermione frowned at his tone, "Yes, right now."
"So, you fancy him?"
"Yeah... I mean he's a good bloke. I know he'd be a decent enough boyfriend-"
"Then why not right now?"
Hermione looked at him stubbornly, "Because I don't want to rush into a relationship unless I'm sure-"
"Sure about what?" he persisted.
"Sure that I'll actually end up somewhere with him!" she cried desperately, annoyed that he was throwing so many questions at her that she was unprepared for.
Harry looked at her with his infamous poker face, "And those blokes in Australia?"
"Bloke. Singular."
"Okay so that bloke in Australia?" he questioned again relentlessly.
"Nothing happened," Hermione responded, again automatically.
"Okay, and by 'nothing happened' you mean..." Harry trailed off, leaving her time to reply.
"I mean my dad walked in on us before we could get past snogging," she said with a good-humoured smile.
Harry laughed, "Remind me to thank your dad someday."
Hermione stared at him with a light smile before turning around to tend to the tea. She poured two cups and put three lumps of sugar in Harry's.
"Thanks," he said as he took the cup.
Hermione nodded, and pulled herself up on the counter so her legs were dangling over the edge.
"So what about you?" she asked after they both had a few sips of tea.
"What do you mean?"
"You know what I mean," she looked over at him with a sardonic expression, much like the one he had given her earlier.
"I told Ginny to just have this year for herself. And if she wants to, when she graduates and we're both not seeing someone else, than we'll give it another try." He finished with a shrug of his shoulders, and looking down into his murky tea.
"Do you want to?"
"What?" he asked with genuine confusion.
"Get back with her?"
"I don't want to hurt her feelings, so I probably will give her another chance next year. I mean, I know she wants to..."
"Yeah, judging by that kiss tonight I'd say it's at the top of her priorities," Hermione commented, seeing what his reaction would be.
To her surprise he blushed, "You seen that?"
"I seen that."
"I didn't want her to, and I didn't say anything to her because she was kind of sloshed," he contested quickly.
Hermione looked at him as if studying him. Her stomach couldn't help but twist into knots when she heard him say that he didn't want Ginny to kiss him.
"You know, it's been a while," he muttered timidly, finally raising his eyes to stare into hers intensely.
Hermione sighed, "Harry-"
"Since we've talked like this. That's all I meant, honestly." He moved forward, and right when Hermione thought he was going to move between her legs he took a step to the side to put his now empty cup in the sink.
"Yeah... it has been a while since we've talked," she confirmed softly, not looking at him as he looked up from the sink so he was facing very closely to her.
"I've missed you, Hermione."
Hermione sighed, 'Do not do this to me Harry Potter... not after I've tried so hard to forget you...'
"Harry..."
"What? I have missed you- I'm not going to take that back... I'm not going to lie to you," he finished moving between her legs and placing his hands softly on her thighs.
Hermione looked down into his eyes for a while before shaking her head, "Harry-"
"Hermione, we're not in relationships. It's not like we'd be cheating on anyone. And tell me that you haven't missed me," he challenged huskily, moving his hands under her thighs and pulling her closer.
Hermione continued to shake her head.
"Tell me," urged Harry. He knew he'd stop if he heard her say that she'd forgotten about what they'd shared and didn't miss it. "You're my best friend, Hermione," he continued in a gentler tone, "You're the only person I can share what I'm feeling with... and I know what I'm feeling right now. Just tell me that you haven't missed me and I'll back off."
Hermione looked into his eyes, "I can't do that," she whispered with a bated breath.
Harry continued to pull her closer until their noses were touching, "Didn't think so," he muttered before closing the distance and kissing her.
She kissed him back, even though she was still battling with herself whether this was right or wrong. After a few moments of gentle kissing, Hermione didn't want to think about it anymore. She wrapped one arm around Harry's neck and the other took to the back of his head to run through his soft hair. Running her tongue over Harry's bottom lip, she was granted access instantly. Harry moaned into the back of his throat, eliciting a similar moan from Hermione. He moved his hands under Hermione's cotton shorts and began to re-familiarize himself with her body.
After snogging in the kitchen for a few moments, they both agreed that they needed to move to some place more comfortable. Without warning, Harry grabbed her bum and hoisted her up so that her legs could wrap around his waist. Hermione's lips attached themselves to his neck as Harry manoeuvred his way down the hall and into the bedroom, doing a good job since his vision was severely blurred.
When they were finally on the bed, Harry wasted no time in unbuttoning his pants and kicking them off into a faraway corner. Hermione was on the bed, also about to pull her shirt over her head when Harry stopped her by grabbing her hand and slowly moving on top of her.
He kissed her hungrily and started to teasingly run his fingers underneath the hem of her shirt.
"Harry..." she whimpered, wanting him to hurry.
"Shh, patience Hermione," he whispered against her lips before moving down to her neck to suck lightly on her sensitive spot.
Hermione clutched at his back as he repeatedly ran his warm mouth over her throat. Finally, he pulled her shirt up and over her head and threw it in the corner his pants were in. He smiled as he noticed that she wasn't wearing a bra and automatically bent down to give her breasts attention.
"Harry..." she whimpered again after a few minutes of her hips bucking against him. He grinned. Harry knew what she wanted and yet he couldn't help but tease her a bit.
"Yes?" he asked innocently as he released her nipple from his mouth.
"You know I love what you're doing, but seriously... its been too long... can we speed this up?" She had the grace to blush at her words but that didn't undermine what she really did want right now.
"You want it now?" he asked slyly, slipping her shorts off.
"Yes," she gasped as his hand travelled down her stomach and pressed against her aching womanhood.
"Right now?" he teased again, now slipping off her lace knickers.
"Harry!" she said clearly irritated.
By that time Harry had gotten rid of his boxers and was looming over Hermione with smug look, "I don't like your tone, Hermione."
"Harry I swear- oh..."
Harry took the opportunity to push into her unexpectedly. She clawed at his back as he wasted no time thrusting in and out of her with a fast pace. Harry gripped her hip with one hand and supported his weight from crushing her with the other.
Hermione's legs wrapped themselves tighter around Harry, urging him forward.
"Merlin... Hermione..." Harry panted as sweat dripped from his forehead and fell on her bare chest.
Hermione could feel herself tighten around him as he continued to drive into her, pushing her over the edge. She grasped his shoulders desperately and threw her head back as a racking orgasm over took her body. She moaned out Harry's name, causing Harry to also be pushed over the edge. He pumped into her a few more times for what it was worth before finally collapsing on top of her in a sweaty, spent mess.
Harry buried his head into the crook of her shoulder and lay their for a few minutes, immobile and on top of her. "Can you breathe okay?" he rasped out once the silence was over bearing.
He could feel her nod and wrap a loose arm over his neck.
"Good, 'cause I'm not movin'," he spoke again in the same voice. Harry wordlessly and motionlessly magicked her comforter to lay over them and after a few moments of heavy breathing, they both fell into a deep slumber.
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Harry woke the next day to a bright room and the sounds of muggle traffic and birds chirping out the window. Harry smiled. The birds must've had a wonderful time last night as well. He finally opened his eyes wide enough to look for the blurred form of Hermione and found that there was no sign of her in the room.
He sat up bewildered, letting the comforter pool around his waist. 'Maybe she's in the kitchen.' He reasoned with himself before he started to wonder about more extravagant excuses why she wasn't there.
He got out of bed, pulled on his boxers and then his trousers which had been thrown over a picture of Hermione's parents in the corner of her room.
"Sorry Mr. and Mrs. Granger," he muttered as he zipped them up and walked out of the room.
"Hermione?" he called out expecting to hear her voice responding to him from somewhere in the flat. He stumbled his way over to the coffee table where his glasses and shirt were.
Once his vision was back to normal he spotted a note sitting on the kitchen counter.
Harry-
Sorry I ran out on you but I forgot I had breakfast with my parents this morning. Afterwards I have to stop by the university and sign up for my classes. It stopped raining so its safe to apparate. You can help yourself to some coffee and food on the way out.
Talk to you soon,
Hermione
Harry sighed and crumpled the note in his hand. He was hoping to talk to Hermione this morning and tell her that there should be no weird feelings between them. They could still be best friends while having casual sex at the same time. Couldn't they?
---
"Oi! Harry?! Are you home?!" shouted a voice from Harry's fireplace. Harry walked over to find Ron's head floating in the green flames.
"Hey Ron," Harry greeted a bit hesitantly.
"Hey, let me in will you?" Ron asked sounding somewhat peeved about something.
Harry drew out his wand from his back pocket (what would Mad-Eye Moody think of him? He could loose a buttock after all...) and taped it against the fireplace, allowing Ron to come tumbling through.
"What's wrong with you?" asked Harry as he watched Ron quickly brush himself.
"Women Harry! I don't bloody get them!"
Harry looked away, not wanting to have a conversation with Ron about women primarily because the woman he was after was the woman that Harry had just shagged last night. Harry turned and went into his kitchen, grabbing two butterbeers from the fridge. He was about to turn back to go into the lounge to give one to Ron but sure enough Ron had followed him and was two steps away from him.
"I mean," he started, ripping the cap off the bottle and taking a deep drink, "I ask Hermione to be my date for last night. I held her hand... did all the things an interested bloke was supposed to do and then at the end of the night she shoots down my offer to go home with her!"
Harry sighed again, feeling guilty that he was the one to go home with her last night. "So you remember that much from last night?"
"No! I don't! I ran into Neville in Diagon Alley who remembered that from last night! How the hell did this happen to me?" Ron cried out desperately, dropping down into one of Harry's kitchen stools.
"Look Ron, she sent you home last night because you were pissed. She obviously didn't want to deal with that," he stopped to look at Ron and make sure he was following. Ron nodded so Harry continued, "Plus, I don't know what you were expecting from her. After seven years of friendship you should damn well know Hermione's not the type of girl to shag a bloke on the first date."
He felt tremendously culpable telling Ron this, but he had to know not to expect that from Hermione, despite what his own circumstances with her were.
"But I thought after that one night she'd be eas-" Ron started speaking eagerly before closing his mouth and looking at the ground.
"What?" Harry asked sharply as he noticed Ron's sudden quietness.
Ron shook his head adamantly, "Nothing Harry. Back to what I was saying," Harry frowned at his best mate as he continued speaking like he hadn't just almost let the cat out of the bag. 'What was he about to say? Something about that one night? What the hell?!' Harry looked up at Ron again with a sullen expression and watched him continue his banter- "I just... I wanted it to be clear that I want us to be more than friends. I mean that kiss during the battle... well, I thought it would all come into place after that. We've done some stuff but it's just been casual. Nothing's definite between us," he spoke with a love sick expression that Harry thought was kind of depressing. After rethinking the situation though, he felt bad for Ron. Hermione was leading him on a bit.
"Ron, I think you should just give her time. We've all been through a lot, and if you two are meant to get together than you will and... I'll- I'll be happy for you."
"She does like me though, right? I mean, has she said anything to you?"
"Yeah, she likes you Ron," Harry replied honestly.
"Yeah, that was a daft question. I know she likes me... she has to like me..."
Harry sighed and turned away from Ron to walk deeper into the kitchen and pull out a few letters that he had received earlier that day.
"Where do you think I should take her tonight?" Ron interrupted him from his readings a few moments later.
"Hmm?" asked Harry turning to look at him with a raised eyebrow.
"I went by earlier and asked her to go to dinner with me tonight. Where do you think I should take her. I told her I made reservations to this nice place..."
"And did you?" Harry asked his best mate with a smirk.
Ron looked up at him, "No. That's why I need your help."
Harry took another deep breath and looked toward the ground while leaning back on the counter. A part of him really wanted to tell Ron that he never stood a chance with Hermione and he should just quit now but another part of him was telling him vehemently that Ron was his best mate since they were 11. He wanted to help Ron get the girl of his dreams... even if that girl was the same one that helped release Harry's tensions during the war.
Harry looked up at him with a smile, "Didn't she used to talk about a place called Aurora?"
Ron brightened and shook his finger at him, "Yeah... where'd she that was? Off Abbey Street?"
"No, it's the small place on Lexington. Take her there, she'll love it."
Ron stood up with a smile, "Should I do anything else? Flowers?"
Harry shrugged, "If you bring her flowers don't make them too extravagant. Maybe just one. And make sure it's pretty and don't pick it off someone's garden on the way to get her."
"Okay," Ron said sheepishly, telling Harry that that was exactly what he was planning to do.
Harry stood there looking at Ron with a small smile on his face. 'See... he could do this... he could help his best friend get Hermione... it would be better than another bloke laying his greasy hands on her, that's for sure...'
"Alright, well I'll be going. I've got lots to do for tonight. You wanna grab lunch tomorrow?" Ron asked turning back as he made his way back into the lounge.
"Yeah, I'm free around noon. Oh, and Ron?"
"What?"
"Don't push Hermione into doing anything she doesn't want to do. Make sure you tell her that you can take your time with... that..." Harry told him, referring to doing anything sexual with her.
Ron nodded after a second, "Yeah that's good advice. It'll tell her I'm being responsible and serious about us," he finished giving Harry a cheeky grin. "See you tomorrow, mate."
Harry waved goodbye from the kitchen and heard Ron shout out 'the Burrow' a few moments later, signalling his departure.
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Next chapter on Lies for Love:
"Hermione, honestly what's the matter with you?" Harry asked softly as he began to rub her back.
Hermione choked back a sob and looked up to stare into Harry's eyes. "I-I..."
"You what?" Harry urged, pecking the side of her head.
Hermione looked at him desperately for a few more seconds before shaking her head vigorously, "Its the flu. It has to be the flu..."
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