Disclaimer: All things pertaining to Harry Potter are the property of J. K. Rowling, Bloomsbury Books/Scholastic Press and Warner Bros. I just like to play with them!
A/N: Ok, well, I thought this would be relatively easy to write, since I knew pretty much what I wanted to say, but I just haven't been feeling very inspired these past couple of weeks. So sorry it's taken me a while to get this out, but now it's done - yay! This is actually longer than I was planning for it to be - though not as long as the other chapters (sorry to disappoint those of you who felt the other chapters were not long enough!) Anyways, thanks to those of you who've stuck with this and hope this wraps everything up for you - please let me know what you think!
I solemnly swear that I am up to no good...
***
Harry and Hermione sat at one of a dozen round tables under a marquee in the garden at the Burrow, drinking elf-made wine.
It was Ron and Luna's wedding day and the pair watched the happy couple as they mingled with their guests. Luna looked beautiful, her dress white with crystal beading and a fishtail skirt, while her new husband looked resplendent in black dress robes and didn't look in the least like his Great Aunt Tessie.
Harry's arm was resting on the back of Hermione's chair, his thumb stroking the curve of her shoulder, while her hand rested lightly on his thigh. Both gestures spoke of the intimacy of their relationship, which had recently reached the six month mark. Despite both wishing to keep said relationship under wraps for at least a time, thanks to Ron, that time had lasted less than three weeks.
The third member of the Trio had come by Harry's flat unannounced one Saturday morning to see if Harry wanted to go out for breakfast with the pretence of discussing his upcoming stag do. In fact, Luna had put him on a diet in preparation for the wedding - ironic considering her nickname at Hogwarts was Loony Lovegood and any sane person knew never to try to come between Ron Weasley and his food.
Nevertheless, for one of only a handful of times in his young life, food was the farthest thing from Ron's mind when he walked in on his two best friends in flagrante delicto on the kitchen table. Though for the most part, they were both still dressed, Harry still teased Hermione about grabbing a pair of oven mitts to cover her naked breasts. And while it had understandably been an embarrassing experience, the look on Ron's face and how he'd subsequently turned around so fast that he walked into the doorframe, had been priceless.
And since Ron was as good at keeping secrets as he was at dieting, the news spread like wildfire through the Weasley family, with a few choice comments coming from certain members of the clan. And a couple of months later, a photograph of them kissing after the Chudley Cannons won the League Cup for the first time in over a hundred years beneath the headline `The Boy Who Loved', took the wizarding world by storm.
Given Harry's status, the media had always been interested in his associations with women, but they paid infinitely more attention to his relationship with Hermione, perhaps due to her own notoriety following the war. Or maybe the story of two best friends falling in love was like a fix for those members of the public who thrived on celebrity gossip. Whatever the reason, Harry, who had more than a little experience in dealing with Rita Skeeter wannabes, used his considerable influence - which was considerable - to shield Hermione from the media circus.
Alex' response to the news had been predictable. Initially, he'd tried to persuade her to take him back and on the Monday morning following that Saturday night, he'd come by her office, although her secretary had turned him away on Hermione's prior instruction. Unperturbed, he'd later cornered her in the canteen, only to beat a hasty retreat after Harry arrived and began making his way over, his hand reaching for his wand.
But when he found out that Hermione and Harry were a couple, he began by making insinuations that Hermione had been seeing Harry while they were still together, before arriving the Ministry's annual summer ball with the French ho-bag on his arm. Hermione almost literally had to restrain Harry from subjecting him to, in his words, `a hex that would wipe the smile right off that smarmy git's face'.
When Harry asked her how she could be so calm, she told him with a smirk worthy of Malfoy that she'd hexed both Alex and his date so that at precisely the stroke of midnight when Minister Shacklebolt stood up to give his speech, the words `BASTARD' and `SLUT' would appear on their foreheads, glowing and blinking like neon signs.
Harry's pride at his girlfriend's method of revenge was only surpassed by his amusement of the demonstration of said revenge, especially when she later told him that the hex would last for a whole year and would appear whenever the pair were in public, conforming to the language of each person who saw them or talked to them - ironic considering they soon left for France, Alex taking back his former job at the French Ministry.
Ron and Luna were now sharing their first dance as a married couple and before long they were joined by Arthur and Molly and Bill and Fleur. Harry and Hermione were heading for the parquet dance floor, when their attention was drawn to the entrance to the marquee, where Ginny was standing, her green dress looking a little creased and her hair sporting a few more tendrils that earlier.
Suddenly Draco appeared behind her, his dress robes decidedly rumpled. Add to that the fact that his cravat was undone, his shirt was unbuttoned at the neck and his normally slicked back hair was sticking up in a few places and it was clear that Ginny had meant what she said earlier when she'd whispered to Hermione that she wanted to sneak Draco upstairs for a quickie in her childhood bed.
Harry looked at Hermione and rolled his eyes, before pulling her into his arms and starting to move with the music. The pair of them were absolutely incorrigible. When Ginny found out about Hermione and Harry, she'd insisted on her and Luna coming over Hermione's flat for a girlie night in to get all the gossip - and was sorely disappointed when Hermione failed to `kiss and tell'.
Saying that, the couple did have one thing for which to be thankful to Ginny and her tendency to overshare. Not long after their relationship was made public, they were shopping in Diagon Alley, when they stumbled upon Astoria's Secret. Seeing a blush to rival Ron climbing up Harry's face, Hermione's eyes had narrowed and she'd pestered him until he confessed to peaking in her bag the day she came over to his flat and told him her plans to lose her virginity.
Hermione's laughter at his admission and her reminder that if he hadn't looked in the bag, he might never have started out on the path of realising he found her attractive, had him following her into the store. Once inside, she teased him to within an inch of his sanity and he ended up purchasing every item she picked up, before Apparating them directly back to his flat for a private fashion show, audience of one.
After dancing three numbers in a row, the pair decided to take a break and returned to their table.
"Have I told you how beautiful you look today?" Harry asked, as they sat down.
Hermione grinned. "Yes, I think that was the fifth time."
"Well, have I told you how much I love you?"
Even though it wasn't the first time he'd said it, her heart still skipped a beat.
She pretended to think. "No, I don't seem recall anything like that."
Harry chuckled. "Well, I do. I love you, Hermione Granger."
He leaned forward to kiss her softly, before pulling back to tuck a lock of her hair behind her ear. Then he stopped, seemingly waiting for something.
"Well, don't you have something to say to me?"
Her face was a picture of innocence, but upon closer inspection, there was a wicked glint in her eye.
"Oh, I'm sorry...would you like some more wine?"
Harry chuckled. "Minx. If you don't say it, I'm going to have to torture you until you do say it."
He squeezed her knee, his fingers playing with the hem of her dress, making it clear exactly what kind of torture he had in mind.
Hermione's eyes sparkled with a mixture of mirth and anticipation. "Mmm, before you do, I think you ought to know…" she leaned forward to whisper in his ear, giving him a great view of her cleavage. "…I'm wearing something new from Astoria…custom made."
She bit gently on his earlobe and then flicked out her tongue to soothe the sting.
"Okay," Harry said, standing up. "Time to go home."
"But they haven't cut the cake yet," Hermione protested.
Harry threw her a look of pure, unadulterated lust. "The only thing I want to taste right now is you."
It was a look that would have had her agreeing the sky was orange if he asked her to.
"Yeah, home sounds good."
They drifted between the tables, saying goodbye to the other guests, before locating the newlyweds to apologise for cutting out early, claiming Hermione had a headache - to which both Ron and Luna gave knowing smiles.
Leaving the festivities behind, they Apparated back to Harry's flat and the second they arrived, Harry pushed Hermione up against the wall and dropped to his knees, before pushing her dress up to get a look at his girlfriend's latest purchase from Astoria.
When he saw the red lace with gold trim encircling her hips, he grinned and looked up at her. "Exploring your Gryffindor roots, huh?"
Hermione smiled. "You like?"
"Very sexy," he said, noting with satisfaction the damp spot between her legs which had darkened the lace and the scent of her arousal filling his nostrils.
She licked her lips. "There's more." When he raised an eyebrow, she whispered, "Touch me."
He chuckled at her demand, but obliged, trailing his right hand up her leg until he reached the crevice between her thighs. His hand shifted to trace her through the material of her knickers, but as soon as he touched the garment, it disappeared and his fingers slid unhindered over her hot, wet flesh, making her gasp as they brushed against her clit.
Getting over his momentary surprise, Harry flashed a wicked grin and before she had a chance to think, he was back on his feet ravishing her mouth. "So vanishing knickers, huh?" he whispered against her lips.
Hermione bit back a moan as his fingers continued idly playing in her wetness and nodded. "If a wizard's...wand is used...to cast...Evanesco...on them...they're charmed...to respond only...to that wizard's magic and touch."
He pulled back for a moment. "So that's where my wand disappeared to this morning? I knew I didn't leave it in the bathroom."
"Um...sorry," Hermione mock pouted. "Forgive me?"
"Well..." Harry appeared to be considering his response. "A little punishment may be in order..."
Without warning, he slid two fingers inside her and she cried out.
"Now, wasn't there also something you were supposed to say to me?" he asked, as he moved them rapidly in and out, the pressure building quickly, while he nipped at her neck.
"I don't think..." she panted.
He pinched her clit and she came, clenching around his fingers.
"Oh, Merlin...I...oh...Harry...love you...oh..."
He kissed her softly as she came back down, before pulling his fingers from her and licking them clean. "Now that wasn't so hard, was it?"
Hermione looked at him from under half-closed eyes, before sliding her hand down to cup the bulge in his trousers. "I beg to differ..."
Harry groaned, placing his hand over hers. "Well, sweetheart, that's a given around you."
She smiled, secure in the knowledge that Harry never stopped wanting her, before tugging at his cravat. "So what say we go do something about it?"
He pulled back and gestured in the direction of his bedroom. "Lead the way, sweetheart."
And as she took his hand and lead him towards his room, where they would undoubtedly spend the next few hours making hot, passionate, orgasm-inducing love, Harry Potter silently gave thanks to Merlin and Circe and most of all to Astoria Greengrass, whose `secrets' had lead to his discovery of the most amazing secret of all: that he was now and always would be...in love with Hermione Granger.
***
Mischief managed!
Well, that's all folks!
Hope you liked it and a BIG thank you to `dennisud' for giving me the idea of how Hermione could get revenge on Alex - loved it, hun (though I made a slight addition)! I'm currently working on a few ideas for my next fic but nothing definite as yet so just keep an eye out...
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