Chapter 5-Come With Sore Hands
Are you made of calcium or are you carbon based?
And if you're made of calcium I'll have to take a taste;
'Cause, listen, calcium is deadly, but tender to the tooth,
And it's one sure-fire way to know if you're MX-Missile proof.
MX-Missile Proof by Andrew Bird
"Mmm-If I would have known about this I would have left the Dark Lord sooner."
Harry smiled crookedly, confused. "Hermione, it's nothing special."
"You just don't know how good you have it," she said, waving him off.
"It's toast!"
"Perfectly toasted toast," she corrected. "And fantastic marmalade. Yum."
"What did you eat, gruel?"
"Hush, you. Our toast was just never cooked the way I liked it, that's all."
"You could have made it yourself, you know."
She mumbled something under her breath and flushed prettily.
"What was that?" He teased, leaning closer. "I didn't quite hear you."
"I said I'm rubbish at cooking charms."
Harry hooted in laughter.
"Honestly!" She tried to look stern, but a smile tugged at her mouth. "It's not funny, Harry."
"You can create spells, but you can't do a cooking charm?" He gasped out in between bursts of laughter.
"It's-that's to say-"
Harry only laughed harder.
"I'd be fine if only we had a toaster!"
"Oh, that'd go over well with Ol' Riddle; `Lo Voldie, check out the new muggle-ware I got-makes things easier, don't it?"
Hermione lost her hold and burst into a chorus of melodic laughter. "Oh, Harry. Honestly, you're so-"
"Charming? Irresistible? Devilishly handsome? All of the above?"
"Or absolutely nauseating." Ron supplied, sitting down across from the pair. "You do realize that everyone in the bloody hall is watching you two. Everyone already thinks Hermione's lulling you into a false sense of security, and now you're both over here giggling-"
"I was not giggling!" Harry protested.
"-Giggling like you're arse over tit in love-"
"That's descriptive."
"-And so now everyone thinks she's got you under some love potion, mate."
Hermione smirked. "Oh woe is me; my plan has been thwarted."
Ron groaned. "You have got to stop making jokes like that!"
"Who's joking?"
"People are going to take you seriously," Ron huffed.
"'Bout time!"
Harry was spared from having to listen to Ron's response when a rather scrawny owl flew into the hall and crashed into the table; Hermione snatched her toast out of harms way, but the owl still collided with Ron's juice glass, spilling its contents onto his lap.
"Aw, hell."
"Karma." Hermione stated matter-of-factly, before waving her wand over the letter on the table. It glowed a bright blue and she nodded, satisfied. "No curses on it that I can detect."
"That's good enough for me."
He grabbed the letter and broke the seal, and then nearly dropped it once he realized what it contained.
"Harry?" Hermione leaned over his shoulder. "What-"
It was a map; a very complex map with multiple passages, all leading toward one particular place. Scribbled on the bottom were two lines:
The Dark Lord and his followers will be at this location for the next month.
My life debt to you is now paid.
"Harry! Mate! What is it?" Ron stood to bend over the table and reach for the paper.
"It's a map." He turned to Hermione. "It's from Wormtail."
Her eyebrows rose. "Oh?"
His eyes narrowed. "I have this strange feeling that you know more about this than you're letting on."
She ignored him and reached for the map, studying it. "Harry, this is Durmstrang."
He continued to watch her, unconvinced. "Hermione, what did you do?"
"Oh, honestly! Is it so hard to believe that Wormtail suddenly realized the wickedness of his ways and decided to repay the kindness you showed him so long ago?"
Harry stared at her dubiously.
"Don't look at me like that! It was worth a shot!"
"Hermione-"
"I might have gently brought up the fact that he owed you a favor."
Ron snorted.
Hermione glared at him. "I can be gentle!"
"Oh, right. Gentle like an Abrasion spell."
Harry sighed loudly. Hermione turned away from Ron and gave him an apologetic look. "It doesn't matter why he did it, Harry, just that he did."
"I suppose. But can we trust him?"
"Oh yes, I made sure of that."
"Ha!" Ron exclaimed. "Gentle my arse!"
"If you think I'm unable of being gentle, Ronald, then why are you antagonizing me?"
Ron remained silent after that.
"We need to bring this to the attention of the Order, tonight, if possible. And then we have to start planning."
Hermione peered at the map carefully. "I know a great deal about Durmstrang-secret passages and such, but I'm afraid I won't be of much use when it comes to informing you of the Dark Lord's numbers or tactics; he's undoubtedly changed them now that I've run away with you. I may be able to do something about-"
She froze. Harry could practically see the light bulb turning on over her head.
"Hermione?"
"I've got to work out a few things, Harry. I'll see you at the meeting tonight!" She then rushed out of the Hall.
"Mental, that one." Ron smirked.
To Harry's disappointment, he did not see Hermione until the Order meeting, coming in with a stack of parchment and ink stains all over her hands and even a few smudges on her face. The sight nearly made the wait worth it; he had never seen her look more adorable.
"Sorry," she whispered, sliding into the seat next to him. "I had a few things to do."
"I see that." He resisted the urge to wipe one particularly prominent streak of ink off her face with his thumb. "We're going to start in a few minutes, I think. What were you doing, anyways?"
"Don't you like surprises?"
He looked at her warily. "Sometimes."
She laughed quietly. "I was writing out all the information I had about Durmstrang and the forces under the Dark Lord's control."
"Brilliant."
"You can just read it off, or-"
"Nonsense. I'll defer to you."
She bit her lip. "They won't listen, Harry."
"I'll make sure they do."
Hermione smirked. "Oh, I look forward to it."
"I do need to get through this meeting though," he said with a wink.
"Harry," Hermione began, more seriously, "there's one other thing I was working on earlier. It's-well, you know how I believe in equal rights for all creatures?"
"Yes, of course."
"Well, it's-would you back me up on that? If I needed you to?"
"Of course I would."
She gave his arm a squeeze. "Thank you."
"You're welcome, but what's this-"
"You see, Harry. It's a well known fact that the Dark Lord has a large number of `dangerous' creatures on his side, but it's not as widely spread knowledge how he managed it."
Harry looked at her carefully. "Hermione, are you trying to tell me that you-"
"I'll bring it up during the meeting, but yes, I had something to do with forging those alliances. Hopefully, with your help, I may be able to break a few of them."
He shook his head. "You know, after awhile, things like this aren't going to surprise me anymore."
She titled her head. "So we're to be together for `awhile' then?"
"I certainly hope so."
"Good," she said simply, but with an odd smile. "Best start your meeting. Looks as though everyone in the room is either glaring at me or looking at you expectantly."
"Seems to be the new thing to do," he muttered before standing and addressing the full Order. "Hey everyone. Sorry for calling this meeting at such short notice, but I've received a piece of information that I thought necessary to share with you all."
The room quieted almost immediately; all eyes trained on the young man standing before them.
"You see, this morning, I received a very unusual letter. It was from Peter Pettigrew."
Remus stood, knocking his chair over. Tonks reached out to grip his wrist.
"Remus," began Harry gently, "Peter's told us where to find Voldemort."
Wild chatter broke out quickly, but Harry seemed to ignore the loud noise and continued to speak softly. "Peter send me a map; a very detailed map." By this time, the hall was silent again. "And at the bottom of that map he wrote two lines: `The Dark Lord and his followers will be at this location for the next month' and `My life debt to you is now paid.'"
"A trap!" Moody bellowed.
"A life debt is not something one can easily shake," McGonagall stated, her lips set in a thin line. "Nevertheless, it is possible Pettigrew sent you this map in order to lure you into a trap."
"Two reasons why this cannot be the case. First, Peter did not specify a date, only a month, which would make it impossible to Voldemort to know when we would attack. Second-" Harry turned to Hermione.
She stood, her face a mask. "Peter is under an Unbreakable Vow; for this map to be a trap of any sort would mean his death."
Loud conversation broke out once again; Hermione remained calm and silent until it quieted down.
"Miss Granger," spoke Professor McGonagall, "an Unbreakable Vow must be done between two willing participates, and furthermore requires a Bonder. I find it hard to believe that Pettigrew would willingly form any sort of vow with you, or that you managed to find a reliable Bounder in a Death Eater camp."
"Peter Pettigrew is a coward. He desires nothing other than to live. I simply promised him the ability to do that. As for the reliable Bonder-I used Narcissa Malfoy. I entered into an Unbreakable Vow with her, with Peter as the Bonder, to ensure she would never tell a soul about her involvement in the first Vow and it's contents."
"And how, pray tell, did you get Narcissa Malfoy to do such a thing."
"I promised her the same thing I promised Pettigrew-freedom from the Dark Lord, but for her son as well."
"Any other objections?" Asked Harry, making a mental note to ask Hermione about this later.
"I have one!" Called Molly Weasley shrilly from the back of the room. "Everyone does realize that, once again, we must take the word of a Death Eater?"
"Molly, you are under no obligation to come with me to Voldemort's stronghold. In fact, no one here is under any obligation. Membership into the Order is on a voluntary basis, as you all well know. But believe me, I will be attacking Voldemort within the month, using this map and the information Hermione can supply. I ask for your help, but if I receive none, I will still go. If you wish to help me defeat Voldemort, then stay and listen to what I have to say. Otherwise, leave now."
Harry ended his speech, his eyes roaming from one Order member to the next, and came to rest on Molly Weasley in the end. She appeared uncomfortable, but did not move.
No one did.
"Thank you." Harry said after a minute, relief evident in his voice. "I fear I will fail without you all." He then waved his wand, projecting an image of the map of Durmstrang in the center of the room. "Does anyone recognize this place?"
Professor McGonagall was first to speak. "It looks a great deal like the Republic of Estonia, Mr. Potter."
"Correct." Harry zoomed in with the map, focusing on the castle itself. "And this?"
"Durmstrang." McGonagall continued, her eyes wide. "Albus did always suspect it was either in Estonia or northern Latvia."
"Right again, Professor. More specifically, it's located in Võru County, within the Haanja Uplands. The multiple paths you can see on the map wind through the Uplands, though, there appears to be much fortification around the castle, with only one gate allowing access to the castle."
"Where they'll ambush us." Moody interrupted gruffly.
"Not necessarily." All eyes turned to Hermione. "I assume you all remember Viktor Krum. Everyone was rather shocked, after all, when he joined the Death Eaters."
Harry's eyebrows rose, immediately knowing what she was going to say next.
"Though, I don't imagine many of you know that he was a spy for your Order."
Harry spoke before anyone could interrupt. "It's true. Only a few members of the Order knew, and only because they needed to. He supplied a wealth of information until about four months ago, when we stopped hearing from him."
"He was killed. The Dark Lord found out about his betrayal." Hermione grimaced.
Harry sighed. "I feared that might have been the case."
"When he was alive though, we were-friends. Or as close to friends as Death Eaters can get. He used to talk about his old school fondly, and often mentioned details about his exploits there." Hermione turned to the map and zoomed in on it further. "For example, Viktor used to use this passage to escape the castle without his Headmaster noticing. The passage connects a cave in the Suur Munamägi, the tallest peak in the area, to the inside of the castle."
"This is preposterous, Potter!" barked Moody. "We're being mislead into a plan of You-Know-Who's chosing! This girl will supply him with the date, and now she gives us the exact place!"
"Actually," started Ron, standing up, "I know a bit about this. You see-erm-I was one of the people that knew Krum was a spy. In fact, I was his contact. I was a less obvious choice than Harry, see. Anyways, Krum foresaw the day that Voldemort would use Durmstrang as a base, and about a year ago, he met with me about that very thing."
Ron waved his wand and muttered under his breath. A few seconds later, a package soared through the doorway and into his hands. He floated it over to Harry.
"It's another map of Durmstrang, similar to the one Wormtail sent, but with more secret passageways. I've studied it quite a bit; there are actually loads of caves around the area that lead into passageways connecting to Durmstrang. Three main ones, including the one Hermione mentioned."
"Ha! That put you in your place, Mad-Eye," Tonks quipped with a grin.
Moody only grumbled under his breath.
"Ron, Tonks, Madame Bones, and Moody-I'd like you to head up the group concentrating on gaining entrance into Durmstrang. Come to me with your finalized plans within the next two weeks. Hermione, what can you tell us of Voldemort's forces?"
"The number of Death Eaters Voldemort has in his services is not an overly large one. It's comparable to the number of members in this Order. The problem lies in his alliances with various powerful creatures, namely, the Werewolves, Vampires, Goblins, Giants, and recently, Veelas. Fortunately, I was the one who lead the negotiations with these groups, and as such I know what the Dark Lord is offering. The trick will be to offer them just as much, if not more. Mainly, they just want equality. If I could, I'd like to have Mr. Lupin and anyone else who believes they can be of help to assist me."
"I believe I can be of some assistance," called a voice from the back and Bill Weasley stepped forward.
"Je peux aussi."
Hermione's eyes widened as she took in Fleur Delcour-Weasley, but she recovered quickly. "Thank you both." She nodded to Harry and sat down.
"Very well. If anyone has any suggestions, objections, or information, come to me at any time. We will be having another meeting in two weeks time with finalized plans, and we'll attack shortly after. You're all dismissed."
The next two weeks passed quickly, full of crafting plans and discussions with various Order members, among others. He saw very little of Hermione; she too was busy with her own meetings, though hers involved a variety of different creatures. He attended a number of these meetings, though, for the most part, Hermione did much of the speaking and negotiating. She was impressed, however, by the honesty and nonjudmental attitude he showed in the meetings, and informed him that she was not the only one that noticed such things.
The most interesting meeting, in Harry's opinion, was that with the Vampires, four days earlier.
"Harry!" Hermione burst into his room, dressed in a flowing dark red gown with a low-cut and high slit. "Aren't you ready yet?"
"Uh-er-"
"Harry, honestly! You can gape at me later! Count Nafara's clan will be here soon!" She threw some clothing at him. "Get dressed in this."
Harry snapped out of his daze. "Sorry-it's just you look-well, dead sexy. Now turn around so I can change."
"Well, that is the look I was going for. You did read the notes I gave you on Count Nafara, right?"She asked, her back to him.
"Yeah, yeah." He stripped quickly and began to put on the clothing Hermione had supplied. "You have got to be kidding me!"
"What?"
"Could this outfit be any tighter! Bloody hell."
He could tell Hermione was smirking. "Probably."
"Gods-I'm going to pop a button somewhere during this meeting."
"Are you done yet?"
"This is difficult, okay!" He finished buttoning up the black silk shirt. "Fine, yes, I'm done."
Hermione spun around and eyed him appreciatively, then stepped forward to run her hands down his chest. "Mmm-I find myself hoping that these meetings with the Vamps drag on-and that you have to be present at all of them."
Harry thought he looked absolutely ridiculous, but if it warranted this reaction from Hermione, who was he to complain?
"The Count will be here soon," Hermione sighed, stepping away from him. "But before we meet him, you may need this." She handed him a wooden stake.
"Hermione, I thought this was a peaceful sort of meeting."
She shrugged, "You never know with the Vampires. They're a tricky lot."
"That's reassuring."
She pecked him on the cheek. "You'll be fine. You've done fabulously at all the other meetings."
"Well," Harry grumbled as they left his room. "Those didn't involve wooden stakes."
The meeting itself went smoothly, or at least from Harry's point of view it did. Count Nafara and Hermione seemed to know each other well. A little too well, in fact. Harry found himself very much disliking the Count's smooth voice and wandering eyes. However, the interesting bit did not occur until the end of the meeting.
"Hermione, let us cease with the pleasantries of negotiation and come to the true point of this meeting. You wish my clans' support. I assume you will offer the same promises of equality that we have under Lord Voldemort. I would gladly offer my support to you now, as you know I only supported your former Lord because of your influence."
"But?" Hermione questioned.
"But I am unsure of the influence you have over the man who will ultimately be the one to grant the equality you pledge." The Count's steely eyes turned on Harry. "I was sure of your authority in Lord Voldemort's circle, but I am not quite as sure what power you hold over young Mr. Potter."
Hermione nodded. "Allow me to reassure you then."
With that, she spun around, grabbed Harry, and bit his neck, hard.
Harry had a feeling that if his knees buckled, the diplomatic advantages to Hermione's display would have been lost. He managed to remain standing, but only just.
"Well?" Hermione asked, facing the Count once again, wiping a small portion of blood from her lower lip.
"You are her mate?" The Count asked Harry, an eyebrow raised.
"Yes." Harry stated simply, unsure how he managed to keep his voice steady after that little display.
The Count studied him for a few moments. "Very well, Harry Potter. I will assist you in your case."
Hermione apologized to him later, claiming her actions had been necessary to put up a front of her influence over him.
Harry assured her she was welcome to use him for such a display anytime.
In the end, aside from the support of Count Nafara's clan, they managed to sway the Goblins and Giants into neutrality, and enlist a number of Werewolves (outside of Fenrir Greyback's clan) into their service, though an equal number remained with Voldemort.
The team he assigned to planning the attack itself formulated a plan that involved splitting the Order and its allies into four battalions, each taking a separate tunnel into the castle. Three of the battalion would be selected of members of various talents, such as offensive magics, defensive magics, healing, stealth, and enchantments. These would primarily concentrate on clearing the way for the last battalion, led by Harry, to reach Voldemort. They would be attacking at two o'clock in the morning, adding to the element of surprise.
For that reason, what was likely the final Order meeting ended early on the day before the attack, leaving Harry pacing his room, feeling uneasy and anxious. It came to him quite suddenly during this time that he could very well die in less than one day's time. The thought caused him to stop pacing and flop onto the couch.
"Hey."
He looked up, feeling immediately better when he saw Hermione standing in front of him, looking just as apprehensive as he felt.
"Hey." He managed a small smile.
She sat down on the couch next to him and placed her head on his shoulder. "You should be sleeping."
"Hermione, you know as well as I that neither of us are going to get any sleep tonight."
"I know," she sighed and grabbed a pillow, placing it on his lap and laying her head on top of it, kicking her legs over the arm rest.
He began to run his hand through her hair; she closed her eyes and breathed out heavily.
"Tell me something, something I don't know about you." Her voice sounded quiet to his ears, quiet and tender.
"About what?"
"Anything. Anything at all."
He thought hard for a moment. "Snape was in love with my mum."
Hermione chuckled. "Is that all you can come up with? I already knew that."
"What?" Asked Harry, shocked.
"I told you I spent a great deal of time with Snape-he was my Potions tutor, for lack of a better word. Your mum came up a few times. You could see it in his eyes when he spoke about her-he didn't try to hide it much, not from me, at least."
"Well, bollocks. There goes my surprising piece of trivia."
Hermione laughed softly again. "You've got to have something else."
"Eh, search me."
"Favorite color?"
"Blue."
"Favorite smell?"
"Lately, the shampoo you use."
She did not open her eyes, but still smiled. "Favorite book."
"Erm-Quidditch Through the Ages."
"Favorite dream?"
He coughed. She opened her eyes to look at him curiously. "I-uh-think it's your turn to answer some questions."
"Actually, now I'm dead curious about your dream."
"I'd rather not discuss it." He flushed red.
Hermione propped herself up. "Oh? Having dreams you shouldn't?" She purred.
Harry shifted in his seat; Hermione smirked and laid back down. "Fine, spoilsport. Ask your questions then."
"Er-I dunno. Just tell me something I don't know about you."
Hermione bit the inside of her cheek. The entire mood of the game changed suddenly. "I've never been so afraid in my life." She reached up to stroke his face. "I'm terrified that you're going to-get hurt tomorrow." Her eyes shifted away from his, her voice lowered so he could barely hear her properly. "I don't know what I'd do without you, Harry."
His heart swelled. "Hermione, you know, you must know that I feel the same way."
"I do-that just makes it all the more frightening. It feels like I have that much more to lose."
"We're going to be okay. We'll make it."
She rubbed her face, pushing her fringe back. "I just want it to be over. I'm so tired. When the Dark Lord's dead, we'll be free; Wormtail and the Malfoys will be safe, and-"
Harry rolled his eyes. "Who cares about Wormtail and the Malfoys? They've done their part and-" Harry trailed off, seeing Hermione bit her lip and look a bit nervous. "Hermione-"
"It was the only way I could get them to agree!" She blurted out.
Harry pulled her up into a sitting position, feeling panicky. "Hermione, what did you do?"
"What I had to." Hermione stated, sounding more composed. "My Unbreakable Vow with each of them was two-sided."
Harry's face turned pale.
"When I promised them their freedom from the Dark Lord, I backed it with my own life. I swore that the Dark Lord would neither kill them, nor kill them through his Orders."
"So if Voldemort causes the death of Wormtail, Narcissa, or Draco, you die as well?"
"Essentially, yes."
Harry stood, fuming. "Dammit, Hermione! What the hell were you thinking?"
Hermione remained sitting. "I was thinking I'd do anything to keep you alive. And I haven't stopped thinking that, either. I'll do whatever it takes, Harry! I don't care what the cost is!"
"Even if it's your own life?"
"Even if it's my own life."
His shoulders sagged. "Please-I can't-if you die-I don't think-I just don't think-" He sat back on the couch and took her hand, gripping it tightly. "It wouldn't be worth it-you dying-it wouldn't be worth it."
"Shh." She shifted their positions so that now he was the one lying in her lap, and began to run her hands though his hair. "Relax. It'll be okay. Now it's your turn again; tell me something new."
He inhaled deeply and let the air out slowly. "I love to cook."
"Really? You'll cook for me, when this is all over?"
He smiled. "Sure."
"You promise? Something with shrimp?"
He paused, unable to resist the pleading look in her eyes. "Yeah, I promise. Your turn."
"Hmm. Well, I love to dance."
"Dance? What kind of dancing?"
She got a wistful look in her eyes. "The tango is my favorite."
His eyes widened. "Where in Merlin's name did you learn the tango?"
"Oh, remember that boy you saw in my memory? Darcy? He taught me."
Harry frowned. "Isn't the tango, well, rather-sexual."
"Aw-are you jealous, Harry?" She said with a small laugh.
"Maybe," he grumbled.
She lifted his head off her lap and stood, offering her hand. "Well, come on then. I'll tango with you."
Harry scoffed. "As much as I'd love to, I can hardly waltz; I'd hate to see the disaster that would be me attempting to tango."
"You won't have to do anything fancy, I promise." She tugged at his hand. "Come, on! It'll be fun!"
"I highly doubt it." He allowed himself to be pulled up, regardless.
She grinned. "Let's see-first off." She waved her wand and suddenly they were both dressed in the clothing they had been wearing on the day of the Vampire meeting.
Suddenly, Harry found he liked this idea a great deal better.
"And here." She removed his glasses and placed them on the end table next to them. "You'll do better without them."
"Hermione!"
She winked. "There's no need to see, only to feel-just feel," she assured him. "And now, we need music, but what to play?" She tapped her chin with her wand. After a short time her eyes lit up. "Of course! Now, just stand there, Harry."
She waved her wand again and then slid it into a wand holster on her thigh. A low string melody began to play in the background, four notes repeating. Hermione began to walk toward him, slowly, one foot in front of the other; her hips sashaying in rhythm with the music. When she reached him, she took his hands and shaped him into a rigid stance, her body flush against his.
And then she began to whisper in his ear, softly and seductively.
"L'amour est un oiseau rebelle
que nul ne peut apprivoiser,
et c'est bien en vain qu'on l'appelle,
s'il lui convient de refuser."
She twisted her body, still holding his left hand with her right and gripping his arm with her left, so her right hip pressed into his front. She slid her right leg up until her thigh was straight and kicked the leg rapidly outward behind her left leg, and then let it curl around him.
"Rien n'y fait, menace ou prière,
l'un parle bien, l'autre se tait:
Et c'est l'autre que je préfère,
Il n'a rien dit mais il me plaît.
L'amour! L'amour! L'amour! L'amour!"
She then turned, her leg still around him and pressed her back into him, keeping his left hand in her right and wrapping it around her left shoulder.
"L'amour est enfant de Bohème,
il n'a jamais, jamais connu de loi;
si tu ne m'aimes pas, je t'aime:
si je t'aime, prends garde à toi!"
She spun around, letting go of his arm and his leg, and faced him once more, her left arm coming to rest on his back and her right leg wrapping around him. He moved his arm so it encircled her back, and she pressed further into him, shifting her hips into his.
"L'oiseau que tu croyais surprendre
battit de l'aile et s'envola ...
l'amour est loin, tu peux l'attendre;
tu ne l'attends plus, il est là!"
She pulled away, crossing and pivoting her hips and legs, and then once again spun to spoon her back to his front, sliding up and down slowly. She grabbed his hands and interlocked them with her own, sliding them down her front.
"Tout autour de toi, vite, vite,
il vient, s'en va, puis il revient ...
tu crois le tenir, il t'évite,
tu crois l'éviter, il te tient."
She spun around fully, twice. He gripped her instinctively when she faced him on the second time around, halting her and pulling her close to him. She pressed herself up against him, sliding up his body all the way, and let her lips graze over his chin, her teeth gently scrapping over the skin. Harry breathed in shakily as he felt her lips move against his skin, forming the last words, even more softly and slowly than the rest of the song:
"L'amour. L'amour. L'amour, L'amour."
He felt a breeze, full of static and energy, blow through him, blowing his fringe away from his forehead and leaving him feeling restless.
The music continued, but Hermione stopped, breathing heavy, wetting her lips as she pulled her head in front of his, their lips a short distance apart.
"You see," she breathed, "you're a natural."
He wasted no time in replying and instead, pressed his lips forcefully against hers. His hand trailed up her robes, finally exploring the wonderfully high slit that gave him access to her thigh, only to have his passage blocked by her wand holster; he quickly removed it, throwing it to the ground, and continued his explorations.
"Harry." His name came out as a moan, breathless and enticing.
His lips moved to her neck, nipping it gently and suckling on the spot just behind her ear. He felt her body shake against his, an enthralling tremble.
"Harry," she moaned again, "Harry, please."
The plead affected him more than he would have thought possible, and soon he found his desire for her overwhelming, causing his lips to seek hers out once again, more desperately, more fiercely, and backed her into his room. Hermione's hands, never idle, now fumbled with the buttons of his shirt, removing it and throwing it to the ground before they reached the bed and he pressed her into it. She scratched her nails down his chest and rolled her hips against his.
"Hermione," he gasped. "Hermione-we-"
She rolled them over, her face centimeters from his, "I'm not stopping." She pressed into him. "I'm yours, Harry."
Yours.
He disrobed her with reverence, taking pleasure in the gasps and moans she emitted as his fingers brushed over her skin with torturous slowness.
And then it was just he and she.
Harry and Hermione.
A combination of sore hands and weary souls
Colliding in harmony
I'm yours, she had said.
And he was hers-undoubtedly, unreservedly hers.
Notes:
After repressing my inner fluff addict for so long, I knew, eventually, it would overwhelm me and cause me to write something light and sappy. Oh well, it was only a scene or two after all.
In case you haven't noticed, I love paranoid!Moody and quirky!Tonks. They're two of my favorite to write.
Fleur essentially said that she could help out as well, in French.
Again, Hermione wouldn't be Hermione without her equality quirk.
Eh, What can I say-after Forever Knight, I'm obsessed with the idea of a Vampire Hermione. I just had to throw in a hint of that here.
Oh the Tango… If I had any sort of grace I would learn it. I think at this point, I'm living vicariously through Hermione, a fictional character. How sad.
The moves described in the scene are actual moves preformed in tango, and in fact, I drew inspiration from a dance I once saw to Habanera.
I drew a little picture to go along with the tango scene: http://imstillsleeping.livejournal.com/12760.html
The song Hermione dances to is my favorite classical piece; Habanera by Bizet. The lyrical version that Hermione sings is from the opera Carmen. The English translation follows:
Love is a rebellious bird
That nobody can tame,
And you call him quite in vain
If it suits him not to come.
Nothing helps, neither threat nor prayer.
One man talks well, the other's mum;
It's the other one that I prefer.
He's silent but I like his looks.
Love! Love! Love! Love!
Love is a Bohemian child,
It has never, ever, known the law;
Love me not, then I love you;
If I love you, you'd best beware!
The bird you thought you had caught
Beat its wings and flew away ...
Love stays away, you wait and wait;
When least expected, there it is!
All around you, swift, so swift,
It comes, it goes, and then returns ...
You think you hold it fast, it flees
You think you're free, it holds you fast.
Love! Love! Love! Love!
Draw from it what you like. ^^
Sorry for the non-explicit nature of the ending. I'm really horrible at writing any kind of smut, so I just don't. ^^ I should have asked someone to write a smutty scene for me. Haha.
I'm posting from vacation right now, and I don't have a lot of time (so there may be more mistakes than usual…), but I promise I'll reply to your reviews as soon as I get back!
Thanks for reading!
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