Chapter twenty-seven
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Hermione was lying on her back and felt very cold, the covers had slipped of her and she felt a cold breeze on her naked breasts. She opened her eyes and saw the castle window open, the night was dark blue and the moon shone bright on the sky. A heavy arm suddenly fell around her and she startled for a moment. Her first thought was: what the hell is Cedric doing in my bed?
Reality crashed upon her and she spun quickly to her side. Harry was lying on his stomach, facing her. He was snoring lightly, his face squished in the mattress.
Her breath caught again.
He's here, she thought, I can't believe it.
She looked at his face again, she was very sleepy and wanted to slumber off but she couldn't stomach missing a moment of looking at him. She wanted to enjoy every moment of it. Who knew how long they had together, who knew when she would see him again?
The mere thought of it made her feel weepy. She wished could see his beautiful green eyes. He frowned suddenly and twitched slightly. His eyes were moving frantically behind his beautiful eyelids and Hermione realized he was having a nightmare.
She reached out and gently caressed his cheek. His eyes shot open and violently he grabbed her arm, yanking her hard from him.
"Ow Harry, it's me!"
It took just a short moment before Harry realized where he was and whom he was with. He looked at Hermione's twisted hand and let her go.
He sat up quickly,
"Oh Hermione, I'm so sorry."
Hermione bit her lip, not wanted to upset him, but he had twisted her wrist pretty bad. "I am so sorry," he said hurriedly.
"It doesn't even hurt," she promised and he raised his eyebrows. He reached for his wand, hidden under his pillow and with a flick of it she felt the swelling already forming reseed.
Harry crashed back onto his pillow and ran a hand through his hair.
"It's okay Harry, really…" she said, a bit afraid of the expression on his face.
He didn't answer, he just turned and looked at her.
"You are so perfect," he whispered.
She was laying on her side now, the window casting moonlight over her silhouette. Her head was propped on her elbow and her hair lay wild over the pillow. She had yanked the sheet over her upper body.
"This very second, just how you look right now… that's the image I'll bring with me when I leave," he smiled. "No that's a lie…" he tugged the covers off of her upper body. "This is the image I'll bring with me!"
Hermione smiled warmly at him.
"Will you train me these few days we have together?" she asked him.
"For battle?" he asked.
"Yes."
He thought for a moment before he answered:
"I'd rather stay in this room and make love to you for hours, all day long. But yes, I will train you. The best thing I can imagine the moment I am forced to leave you is knowing that you are more prepared to defend yourself!"
-
The next day they trained in Viktor's gym for hours. They weren't alone, all Harry's friends were there, as were Viktor and his men and women.
They trained spells, they trained close combat, they trained hidden attacks and the hardest for Hermione was training attack from behind, on an enemy.
"Look, Ron is walking not knowing you are behind him. Now attack him!" Harry told her.
She walked slowly behind Ron and when she reached for him he expertly grabbed her wrist mid air and flung her around, with a loud thud she slammed into the mattress.
"Sorry," he muttered as she gasped for air.
"Damn it!" Harry cursed.
"I'm sorry," she said and hurried back on her feet, her whole body was aching.
"I'm not mad at you Hermione; I am just frustrated that I am not explaining well enough." He kicked the mattress in anger, "What is it? Is it that you don't want to attack from the back?" he almost accused her.
"No!"
"Well look at him now Hermione, he is walking away from you. He has just murdered a whole muggle village with children and innocent people, attack him!" Harry ordered.
Hermione walked quietly behind Ron. He stood still and she tried to think from what direction she should try to strike him. Right, left, up or down?
In a fraction of a second Ron spun around and swept her off her legs again, she was on her back looking up at him again.
"Sorry," he repeated for what felt like the twentieth time that day - it probably was! Harry sighed and Hermione hit the mat frustrated. She felt completely useless, she had done fairly well in the other tasks. But they had gotten stuck on this since she had not managed to out maneuver Ron once.
"Maybe if it was someone other than Ron?" she suggested and Harry turned to her, he looked very angry.
"Ron is the best, you shouldn't meet the others."
She took a step back, he looked angry.
"Couldn't I try you?"
"I'm not going to attack you!" he spat.
"She's right, trying someone new might be good," Ron said as he massaged his shoulder. He needed to rest and have a drink. "She needs a rest Harry," he added. Hermione was very red and sweaty and looked ready to pass out.
"Do you need a rest?" Harry rounded on her and Hermione was struck at how much he reminded her of Alastor Moody.
"No," she answered.
"Cedric?" Harry called out at Cedric who was on a training bike. "Will you try?"
Cedric shrugged and got off the bike. He stood at the center of the mat with his back to Hermione.
"Just," Harry started frustrated," just at any moment, sneak up to him and try and bring him down!"
Hermione waited for a while, just watching Cedric concentrate. She saw his body flex as he concentrated for her attack. Carefully she walked across the mat, not walking all the way, not wanting him to be prepared for her.
Sweat was poring down her forehead and she blinked, trying to concentrate. She was going to try and kick his leg, the healthy one. As she got prepared Cedric spun around and with a hard thud against her chest he had slammed her into the mat. He laid on top of her, her body locked down.
He rolled over her quickly.
"You okay?" he asked.
"Yes," she looked over at Harry who was tugging his hair.
"Again!" he said frustrated.
"No Harry, what the fuck?" Cedric said. "You are being far too hard on her. What's wrong with you?"
"Harry, maybe she's had enough," Ron said carefully.
"No. I'm fine!" she assured.
Harry looked between them, Hermione still lying on the mat panting exhausted. Cedric sitting protectively next to her and Ron close by.
"Oh fuck it," he mumbled and stormed out.
Ron tossed Hermione a water bottle.
"Am I that horrible?" she asked exhaustion making her more sensitive than she usually was. The fact that Harry was the one disappointed felt even worse.
"You're really not," Cedric said, still close next to her.
"No, you're not," Ron assured her. When she looked just as miserable he sat down crossed legged next to her and Cedric. "I'll tell you what I think is bothering him. Look Hermione, I think Harry's been telling himself all this time that you were hidden safely with Dumbledore somewhere, completely out of danger. Finding you here has, in my opinion that is, spun him around. I think he is panicking and he wants to know that you get ten years of training in a couple of days. He wants to know that you'll be safe… which one can't know about anyone!"
"He should work on his manners," Cedric muttered and looked at Hermione, who in return frowned at him.
"No it's good," she mumbled. "Can we try again?"
They got up and were just about to start when Harry reappeared.
"We should try the other way around for a while, someone should attack her!"
"You do it," Ron said to Cedric and Hermione smiled kindly at Ron.
"Come-on," she said to Cedric and he nodded.
She centered herself in the mat and didn't' look at Harry. She closed her eyes, trying to localize where Cedric was. She had done things like this with Sirius when they had trained. She breathed calmly. She could hear Cedric moving, but where. She concentrated harder and heard his ragged breathing, or was it Ron's?
Before she could focus she felt Cedric take a grasp around her neck.
She swore loudly.
"Again," she said before Harry could speak.
She closed her eyes again and listened. She heard him getting closer and heard him moving from side to side, she spun quickly and with kick to the back of the knees, she had knocked him to ground.
"Yes!" Ron said making an air fist.
"Yeah, good!" Harry smiled at her for the first time and she grinned. She wiped her forehead, and clutched her chest. She really was very tried.
"Are you okay?" she asked Cedric on the ground, "I didn't hurt your knee did I?"
"No," he said and let her help him off the ground. "You know very well you kicked my healthy one." She smiled.
-
Harry left with the others to shower and Hermione went with the only two others girls to do the same. The gym was still very busy and she looked over her shoulder at Viktor who was madly punching a boxing back, his muscles tensed and sweat dripping from him.
Hermione's shower took far longer than she thought it would, she was so tried and exhausted, she could barely get herself out of the shower.
When she came back out in the corridor Harry was waiting for her. She was almost expecting it, but she hadn't realized how long she had been in there. His hair was almost dried.
She walked over to him, hunched on the floor leaning his head back. She reached out a hand to him, but instead of getting up he pulled her down next to him.
"I'm sorry," he leaned his head to the side of hers.
"It's fine," she answered.
"No, I shouldn't have been that hard," he spoke softly and Hermione pulled away and looked at him. He really looked sad. "It was just, every time I saw you down like that, it scared me beyond words. Like my own private Boggart show…"
Hermione leaned her head against his shoulder.
"I love you," she whispered. He put his hand against her cheek and rested his head against hers.
"And I love you more than you'll ever know….
--
After a long rest Hermione was once again standing in front of the mirror in her room getting ready for one of Viktor Krum's dinner parties. Harry had left an hour earlier to speak to Ron. Hermione had to choose form one of the lovely dresses. She remembered that last time she had stayed at the castle a lovely girl named Marina had helped her, she would have to remember to ask Viktor about her at dinner. She paused looking at the dresses for a moment "Oh Merlin, let her be okay, no more bad news…" she begged. She grabbed the plainest thing she could find which was a black cocktail dress, ending above the knee. It was quite discreet even though it was slightly shorter than she would have chosen. The neck line was high, but the back was very naked.
She put her hair in a sloppy bun and put on just a little bit of makeup before she joined the others downstairs.
They turned to her when she arrived and it was obvious that she was the last one there and she felt a bit ashamed.
Cedric came to her with a glass of champagne.
"Here you go, I know you prefer it to wine," he said. "You look very pretty," he added. Harry had arrived at their side and Hermione felt uncomfortable. She took the glass from Cedric.
"Thank you," she smiled. Cedric seemed to sense the mood from Harry and he left.
"You look too perfect," he whispered in her ear. "Should we just go back to our room?"
She jokingly slapped his arm.
"I'm not kidding," he mumbled and licked her earlobe.
"Stop," she half ordered and half begged.
-
They ate dinner and music was played by a single guitar player.
"So, any word on when you are heading out?" Viktor asked.
"Eager to get rid of us?" Ron asked.
"Not at all, I was hoping to join you," Viktor said and everyone was quiet. He had said as a joke but everyone silence said a lot. "Am I not welcome?" he asked affronted and pushed his chair back.
"You are very welcome Viktor," Harry said quickly," But we have nothing to do with the grouping of battle. It is all managed by those higher in the Order. I wished to fight with my Godfather, Ron wanted to be with his brothers. We can not change the orders of the Order…"
Viktor relaxed a bit at the explanation.
"Well you are welcome to stay for as long as you would like of course, I am sorry to say that the manor of my castle isn't the same as last time." He nodded his head humbly.
"Well we are used to dirt floors, cold and overcooked potatoes," Ron laughed but quickly became quiet.
"Is that true?" Hermione asked and leaned her head to Harry.
He placed a hand soothingly against hers and whispered back : "Lets' not talk about it here."
She had a strong feeling he didn't trust everyone around him and she was right. Harry had a feeling that someone in the Eastern region was leaking information. Dumbledore had agreed with him from the start when Hermione and Harry's mission had been interrupted and proof had followed.
-
Hermione stood with Cedric at the small wooden bar, yet again they were in a new serving room of the castle.
"Are you sure I didn't hurt your knee?" she asked him and sipped her "Goblin-tini". He rolled his eyes at her.
"You are too skinny and weak too hurt someone like me," he answered and she punched his shoulder. She turned and looked at Harry who was deep in conversation with Viktor and Ron. She looked at Neville who was huddled in the corner.
"Is he okay?" she asked Cedric and he shrugged.
"I think he is worried about his girlfriend or something," Cedric said and sipped his firewhiskey. Hermione felt a strong tug at her heart, she knew that pain far too well. Harry was at the moment here, under her watchful eye yet she still felt that worry. She missed him right this moment, when he was just a few feet away from her.
She excused herself and walked away from Cedric to Harry. She snuck her hand into his and he turned away from Viktor mid-sentence.
"Well hello," he smiled. He then turned back and finished his sentence to Viktor. Hermione stood on her toes and whispered in Harry's ear:
"I need you to make love to me within a few minutes or I'll die…"
Harry leaned back and looked thoughtful.
"Yes, I must say I agree Hermione." He nodded and then turned to the others in the group. "We have a lot of training to do tomorrow and we need tor retire so we're not tired tomorrow."
Ron rolled his eyes, they weren't fooling anyone.
"See you early in the gym then," Viktor said.
"Indeed," Harry said as he and Hermione hurried out of the room.
"Yeah right," Ron mumbled under his breath and swept the last of his firewhiskey.
--
Hermione looked into the same mirror as she had when she was getting ready. Her face was flushed and her breathing was ragged. Harry's face suddenly popped into view.
He had been kissing her spine and was now kissing her neck. He grabbed her shoulder as he plunged into her again. She looked into his face in the mirror and smiled contently.
"I love you," she breathed and their eyes met in the mirror. Harry bit his lip in pleasure. He pulled himself from her and she groaned in displeasure. He spun her around and with a tug he threw her up on the vanity table. He yanked her thighs open and dove back inside of her.
"Merlin!" she gasped.
"It's Harry actually," he sighed in her ear.
Hermione steadied herself with both hands on the table as Harry became forceful before they both collapsed and fell forward on the rug under them.
"That was fucking brilliant," Harry finally stated and Hermione laughed.
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A huge thanks to my Beta Anna! And to those leaving reviews - you are the best :-)
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