Disclaimer: I don't own HP. JK bowling does, and we saw that in DH…
A/N: My take on the "Secret Admirer" challenge by BloodyRegrets that you can find here: http://talk.portkey.org/index.php?showtopic=26225 . Hope you'll enjoy this fic, I'm sure I'll enjoy writing it! And if you read, please review, it makes me happy and it just takes you few moments! *laughs* Ignores the epilogue.
This is a bit short, I hope you'll like it all the same as it's the last chapter of this story. I enjoyed writing it, I hope you'll like it too! Fluff alert! *winks*
The Stalker
Chapter Five : Love
As predicted, while Hermione slept just like a baby, comfortably snuggled into Harry's arms, the raven haired wizard was not so lucky.
Having her body pressed into his own caused a reaction southwards, and he did his best to adjust their positions so that Hermione wouldn't notice.
Hearing her regular breaths, he couldn't help but look down, and a smile spread on his lips when he saw her angelic face. He brushed away a single lock of her curly brown hair, which had cascaded down in front of her face, tucking it away behind her ear.
Even with the whole ordeal of that night, she had to be having a pleasant dream, because her lips were curved in a smile, and Harry felt relieved at that. He feared she would have nightmares about what had happened.
He absent-mindedly ran his hand through her hair, wondering how the hell he was going to reveal to her, his best friend, that he had feelings for her. But he had decided he would.
If she rejected him, then he would live with the consequences, but at least he would not have the regret of not having told her when he had the chance to. The events of the night had made him realize just how near to lose her forever he had come. If he had not found the flat, if he had not arrived there soon enough, she would have drunk that love potion, and would have become that psycho's pet.
Just thinking of it made his blood boil, but he took some deep breaths to calm himself. The last thing he wanted was to wake Hermione up and have to explain why he was so worked up.
Before he knew it, light started to peek from the windows, and Harry guessed dawn was almost there. He was exhausted, and slowly let his eyes close, finding some of the sleep he so desperately needed.
The black haired young man woke hours later to a wonderful smell of bacon and coffee.
Groggily standing up from Hermione's couch, he followed the smell to the kitchen, where he silently admired her as she worked on breakfast.
He couldn't stop himself from grinning, as a mischievous thought came to his mind, probably some kind of heirloom from James and the other Marauders.
He slipped inside the room as silently as he could, and then wrapped his arms around her waist, contemporarily kissing her neck softly. It was now or never, and he collected all the Gryffindor bravery he could muster to face this possibly life-changing moment.
She yelped, and threw the pan with the bacon in the air in the process.
Harry laughed merrily, and with a wave of his hand nothing was spilled, and the pan was again on the fire.
"Harry James Potter!" she shrieked, turning and ready to launch into one of her lectures about it, but she was met with his best boyish grin, and couldn't help the smile forming on her own lips.
She barely noticed that she was still somewhat in his arms, and the thought registered in her mind as a wonderfully pleasurable feeling.
"Good morning" he said, looking her straight in the eyes, and she gulped at the raw emotion she saw there.
"G-good morning to you too" she squeaked, then busied herself with the toast, finally leaving his embrace, albeit quite reluctantly, she had to admit.
Harry took a deep breath. He walked again behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Let me do it" he said, guessing his declaration of love would have to wait at least till after breakfast. "You had a rough night, you shall rest"
"What about you? I know you barely slept" she countered, turning to face him, and his heart melted right there. She was the one who was Imperiused, almost drugged and forced to be with a pervert who stalked her, and here she was worrying for him not having slept…the woman was incredible, and if possible Harry felt his love for her increase for it.
He smiled, pulling her close. "Hermione, please never change" he said into her hear and he could feel her shiver as his hot breath tickled her.
Then, as he released her, he seized his chance, and bent his head down, capturing her lips with his own. This time, however, it wasn't a friendly peck on the lips. No, this time it was a real kiss and Hermione's eyes widened.
Could he be interested…no, no way, I'm not beautiful enough… she thought, but then she felt his tongue gently run over her lower lip, and any coherent thought left her brain. She gave him access and started battling his tongue with her own, burying one hand into his unruly black mane of hair, the other roaming on his back, quite muscular back she noted to herself, while he was caressing her sides, slowly making the kiss hotter and hotter.
She whimpered when they had to part for lack of oxygen, and promptly attacked his mouth again after taking a deep breath, now running her hands over his broad chest, strengthened by years of Quidditch, Auror training and then field missions.
She gently nibbled on his lower lip, eliciting a groan from his throat. Soon later, it was her who moaned into his mouth as he cupped her right breast, never breaking the kiss.
Soon the smell of burnt bacon filled their nostrils and they had to break apart to take care of it. Hermione ran to get the pan but it was too late.
"Here goes our breakfast" she dejectedly said, throwing the blackened bacon into the rubbish bin.
"We can go grab a bite out" Harry suggested, grinning madly. Her actions left little doubt that she felt the same about him, and his heart swelled at the thought.
She turned, and blushed seeing his grin, knowing very well what he was thinking about.
"So…" she started, unsure of what to say, shuffling her feet embarrassedly. He raised her chin, and looked her in the eyes. Merlin, those green orbs of his could always make her insides melt…
"So…" he said, just a bit more confidently. "Hermione, if you regret what had happened minutes ago…" he said, very gentleman-like, although he hoped with all himself that she didn't.
"Of course I don't" she said, caressing his cheek. "I just never expected you to like me this way, to reciprocate my feelings" she shyly said.
"Hermione, you don't have idea how much I really like you" he huskily said, and she gulped. That glint in his eyes was back, and she couldn't help the thrill of hotness that travelled down her body to settle between her legs. "But I have every intention to show you" he added then. Finally, he sighed, moving his forehead away from hers just an inch.
"I'm sorry it took me so much before admitting it. We could have had years together already…" he said, closing his eyes, clearly berating himself for it. Hermione knew him all too well to know he would easily feel guilty about things that weren't his fault, and while this particular thing might have been his fault, after all it was him who chose not to tell her his feelings, it wasn't something they couldn't fix. Plus, she never revealed her feelings, so they were both at fault there.
She placed a finger on his lips, silencing him.
"Harry, we are still young, we have all life in front of us. We can still have years together" she said, moving closer to him. "And we have all the time of the world to talk about it, too, but right now I'd be really happy if you would just shut up and kiss me again"
"Yes ma'am" Harry grinned with a mock military salute that made her giggle softly, before he hungrily kissed her again.
Hermione was right, they had lots of years ahead of them to spend together, and he knew then that he was going to have his greatest wish come true. They were going to have a family together, one day, and he couldn't wait for that moment to arrive.
For now, though, the important thing was that they had finally found each other.
"I love you" he murmured against her lips as he pulled back just for a moment.
"I love you too" she said, her milk chocolate eyes sparkling with sheer happiness, before claiming his lips once more.
-->