Chapter 8
A/N: Well I can't seem to stop writing, so here's chapter 8. It's rated R, but don't let that scare you away! Fully H/Hr, so without further ado, here we are!! :D
Hermione had her arms wrapped around Harry's middle as he descended them down near the vacation home he had been checking out for his father. It was cold, the wind nipped at her exposed nose and cheeks, so she buried her face in Harry's back. During the past few weeks they had begun seeing each other, almost four already, she had grown to love how he smelled, a woodsy pine that reminded her of being outdoors.
"We're almost there!" he called over his shoulder. Hermione looked down and she could see the top of a roof poking out among the trees.
"It's huge!" she shouted. By most standards, the house was a decent size, but to Hermione it looked like a palace. Harry deftly landed them down in front; up close the place looked even bigger to her.
"This is a vacation home?" Hermione asked in disbelief. "Shit, you could fit the entire town of Hogsmeade inside!"
Harry laughed and wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder. "It'll do for a vacation home, although I'd rather it just be us inside, and no one else." He pressed his lips to her neck, and Hermione closed her eyes. She had an idea of why he had brought her here today, and as she was sure that she was in love with him, she needed to hear it back before things went so far.
"Come on." Harry let go of her waist and took her hand. They went up past the porch and Harry produced a key.
"Why do you need a key?" Hermione asked.
"My father puts anti magic charms on the house since no one's living here." Harry replied. "We'll have to make do like Muggles." He grimaced on the last word and Hermione laughed. Harry finally managed to work the key and they went inside.
Everything was draped in sheets, and the fact that it was a dark day made the whole inside look dreary and shadowy.
"Can I sit here?" Hermione indicated a sofa in front of the fireplace.
"You can sit anywhere you want." Harry said, brushing past her to light a fire. He turned to watch her; she was wearing a short grey skirt and ivory blouse, it contrasted nicely against her dark hair. She pushed the sheet aside and sat down, now she was the one watching Harry. As he lit the fire, the strengthening flame danced off his shiny black hair; he took his cloak off and tossed it aside, revealing a sky blue jumper and black trousers.
"This place seems very lonely." Hermione said after a few moments.
"That's part of it's appeal." Harry answered, stirring the fire.
Hermione looked at him a long moment. "You bring women out here often?" she tried to keep her tone light.
Harry turned and looked straight at her, then left the fire and sat next to her. "No. You're the first." Hermione was astounded to see hurt flicker through his eyes.
"I'm sorry…" she said, looking down. "I didn't mean to imply anything."
"I know." Harry brought a hand up underneath her chin, tilting her head back so he could look at her. He leaned in and kissed her, pressing his mouth gently to hers. "Hermione, the real reason I brought you here, I just wanted us to have a chance to talk, to get away together without interruptions."
Hermione nodded, her eyes still closed from kissing him. She opened them up and was surprised to see that their faces were still mere inches apart. Taking her hand, she traced down the side of his cheek with her index finger, and Harry turned and pressed his lips into her palm.
"Harry, can I ask you something?" Hermione asked softly a few moments later.
"You can ask me anything." Harry said.
"I know how you got this, but why do you still have it, so many years later?" she brushed aside his midnight hair to reveal his scar. "Wouldn't it have faded?"
Harry sighed and leaned back on the sofa. "No, there are a few good reasons why I still have it." He covered her hand with his own and pulled her so she was leaning against him. "Because I still have the scar, my father knows if Voldemort is planning on coming back. It burns whenever there is dark activity going on, and that's the way he can monitor these things."
Hermione shifted and looked up at him. "So in a sense of speaking, the fate of the entire wizarding world rests in these hands." She picked up her hand that was inside his. "Wow, we'd all better try and stay on your good side then."
Harry snickered. "That's very true, my dear." They laughed together for a moment and then Harry grew a tad serious. "You're the first person I've told about that, ever. My sister and mother are the only other people that know, for obvious reasons."
"Well I guess it's a night for firsts." Hermione said, unaware for a moment at what she was implying. Harry caught on, however, and grinned.
"Is it?" he leaned in close to her, and Hermione was looking straight into his eyes, which had grown dark in his desire. She could feel her heartbeat quicken, and her breath was coming in shorter gasps.
"I love you." She heard herself say suddenly. His eyes widened and Hermione felt like slapping herself. Why had she said that, why?
"Really?" Harry managed to find his voice a few seconds later.
"I shouldn't have said that!" Hermione was terribly embarrassed. She turned away from Harry, not wanting to see his reaction.
"Hermione, look at me." Harry said. She shook her head, tears ready to spill from her eyes down her face. "Look at me." He repeated.
'What is wrong with me?' Hermione asked herself. She successfully managed to bite back her tears and turned to face Harry.
"Did you mean that, do you love me?" he asked. Hermione was unable to reply for a moment, but then she nodded.
"I was looking for the opportunity to tell you this, and the timing couldn't be better, well for me I guess." Harry ducked his head down a bit, but then looked back up straight into her eyes. "Hermione, I love you too." She opened her mouth to say something but he put a finger on her lips. "Let me finish what I was going to say."
Hermione nodded, and some of the embarrassment she had felt ebbed away.
"I just want you to know this; I don't throw around that term very often. And I've never said that to a girl just to try and get her in bed. As I may be stubborn and quite a bit cocky at times, I'm still not that type of guy."
Hermione smiled softly, all her fears gone. "Thank you for telling me that." She said quietly. "I'm sorry I reacted so badly, I just didn't think you'd feel the same way, especially so soon."
"Well, when it comes to love, I don't think it can be too fast." Harry said. They looked at each other for a very long moment.
"Have you ever been in love before?" Hermione ventured.
Harry seemed pensive. "There have been times I thought I have, but when it's ended, I have never been all too upset." He looked at her. "How about you?"
"There have been two times when I thought I was in love with someone." Hermione said. "They were both really using me, I found out AFTER we had sex."
Harry bit his lower lip in sympathy. "There are so many assholes in this world, taking advantage of people." He reached out a hand and stroked her hair, she had straightened it that day and it felt like silk between his fingers.
"Well it's in the past, I don't like thinking about that anymore." She said. "Besides, I think we've gotten serious enough for one day don't you?" Hermione laughed softly and Harry grinned.
"The only thing I want to be serious about right now is you…" he pulled her against him once more and brought his lips to hers. He kissed her gently at first, and moved his hand from her waist up to cup her cheek. Harry caressed her face gently and ran his tongue along her lips, seeking entrance. She opened her mouth to his and he gladly clashed his tongue with hers.
Hermione could hardly contain herself as Harry's other hand travelled from her hip up her side, gently brushing the side of her breast through her blouse. Her hand made it's way from his shoulder down his chest, feeling his tight muscles contract under her touch. He pulled his mouth from hers only when he felt as if his lungs would burst from lack of oxygen.
Harry began to press small opened mouth kisses down the side of her neck. He breathed in her scent, it almost smelled like spicy flowers, he had never smelled that on anyone before and it turned him on. He began to fumble with the buttons on her blouse, opening the top few and slipping his hand inside, gently stroking her through the lace bra she wore.
"Harry…wait…" Hermione said, pushing him away. "Not here."
"What?" Harry asked, panting lightly.
Hermione looked up at him a moment, her eyes betraying her outer calm. "If we're going to make love, I don't want it to be just on a sofa."
Harry nodded, he understood she wanted it to be something special, and he intended to make it as perfect as he possibly could. "We can go upstairs." He began to get up from the sofa but Hermione pushed him back down.
"Close your eyes." She said, and he obediently shut his emerald greens. Hermione leaned down and kissed him, then stood back up and laid her cloak on his lap.
Harry could hear the rustling of cloth as she laid something over his lap; he assumed it was her cloak, then nothing after a few more moments. "Hermione?" he asked aloud. He opened his eyes to find the room deserted. Harry got up and picked up a candle, then turned to the fire and lit it. "Hermione?" he called again.
"Follow the breadcrumbs, Harry!" Her voice came from upstairs. Harry went towards the stairs and found her heels she had been wearing, one on the bottom step and the other about halfway up. At the top, hanging off a banister, was her the ivory blouse she had had on, and then as he walked down the hallway, her skirt was tossed down on the floor.
Harry walked on a bit longer; he had not seen any more clothes for a few moments and was beginning to think he missed her when the candlelight caught a glimmer of something else lying on the floor. Harry moved forward swiftly and picked it up; he gulped hard when he saw it was her lacy navy blue bra. His breathing came a bit more swiftly as he went down a few more paces and then saw her panties lying directly in front of the door that ironically, when Harry had come there the first time, had picked to be his bedroom.
Hermione had just barely had time to wrap a sheet around her as the door slowly creaked open and Harry's head appeared around the frame.
"Cute, Hermione." He grinned and came into the room. "How did you know this is the room I've been staying in here?"
"I didn't." She said, moving towards the four poster bed. "I just guessed."
Harry looked on appreciatively at the way the sheet fell around her; it almost looked like an old Greek toga. He set the candle down on a dresser and moved towards her slowly, almost as if he were trying to torture himself and her by prolonging the inevitable.
"Granger…" his voice was a low whisper as they met at the foot of the bed. "How did you know that navy blue is my favourite colour?"
"Another guess." She leaned forward and their lips came together in an explosive kiss, immediately tangling tongues, Hermione's body was pressed against Harry's. He brought his arms around her and they fell back on the bed.
*** Here's where I leave you to your imaginations ;) ***
Some time later, Hermione lay in Harry's arms, still basking in what they had just done. It had been marvellous, absolutely perfect, and she felt no regrets. Her eyes began to shut from drowsiness when Harry's voice jerked her back into full consciousness.
"Hermione…" Harry said softly, moving his arm a bit to wake her.
"Mmmhmm…" her voice was barely audible as she tried to cling to sleep.
"Hermione!" his voice was a bit louder now.
"What?" she asked sleepily, raising her head to look at him.
"I need to tell you something." Harry said seriously. She finally pulled her head up fully. "Remember when I told you I was just taking a break from school?"
"Yes." Her eyebrows were knitted together in confusion.
"Well, I lied." Harry licked his lips nervously. "I was kicked out."
"Why?" she asked, immediately feeling sorry for not waking up before.
"I was failing a course, and I cheated on the final."
"People flunk courses a lot; it's not a big deal." Hermione said.
"Well yes, but that sort of thing doesn't happen to me, I mean, I'm James Potter's son, I am supposed to do everything right." Harry's tone was bitter.
"Harry, you shouldn't have lied, I can handle things like that." Hermione propped herself on her side and looked down at him. "But I am glad you told me."
"You are?" Harry's eyes flicked over to hers.
"Just don't do it again." She replied.
"What, cheat or lie?" a ghost of a smile was on his face.
"Either." Hermione's voice was soft as she smiled back at him. Harry leaned up and kissed her, then rolled back on top of her for another round.
A/N: Well, here's ch 8, unfortunately the only shag chapter for them in this story…
AideeEight, your turn ;) LOL
Thanks for reading, and as always don't forget to read and review. Your responses so far have been terrific!!!