Title: Love Me, Love You
Author name: blazefury
Author email: blaze@moonshinehollow.com
Category: Romance/Humour
Rating: NC-17
Summary: Realisation is at its best when it's by chance.
DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and some situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. Though primary characters and most other characters are copyright J.K. Rowling, some characters are copyright the author and if you wish to use them please ask before hand.
Author's Notes: Dedicated to Nancy and akscully [It was a little late, forgive me? :P]. The two coolest chicks ever and of course my fantastic beta, Kenji! MWAH!
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"Why aren't you in relationship Hermione? I mean you're brilliant, slightly stubborn at times, but lovely and all. I'm sure any man would love to be with you," Ginny asked as she sipped her martini.
"Oh yes, I'm sure any man would love being with me, that's why I haven't been in a relationship since, oh, last year because I've been having one night stands all over town isn't it? Fear me, for I am scarlet woman." Hermione replied with all the bravado that she could muster.
Ginny narrowed her eyes and waved her hand, "You don't need to get all dramatic,"
Hermione gave a laugh, "I told you Ginny, I'm not looking for a man at this point of time but maybe if he knocks on my door and we end up having the best sex in the world, I'll think about it," she replied dryly, rolling her eyes.
Ginny just stared at Hermione as her lips curled into a smirk. That ferret of hers had definitely corrupted her.
"This doesn't have anything to do with Harry by any chance?" she asked surreptitiously glancing at her nails, "Does it?" she asked, looking back up at Hermione before going back to her nails.
Hermione almost spat out her drink at the insinuation, "I beg your pardon? What does me, not having a boyfriend, have to do with Harry?"
"The fact that you're not in a relationship and have a non-existent sex life speaks for itself." Hermione wondered how Ginny had this fantastic ability to make everything sound like a bloody pot of gold when it's a downright bugger?
"Excuse me, but I'm perfectly happy with not having a boyfriend and, might I add, that I'm not hard up for sex!" She was indignant; she was frustrated and downright appalled.
"I'm glad the dildo I got for your birthday has worked absolute wonders for you then," Ginny grinned at her companion impishly because she knew she was right. At that moment, an image of her dressed like Richard Simmons came to Hermione's mind shouting "Burn, baby burn!"
At Hermione's silence and the blush that grew in her cheeks Ginny continued, much to her annoyance, "As I was saying, you like Harry! Ever since that time you were drunk-"
"You promised never to bring that up again!" Hermione interjected, her eyes bugged.
She couldn't believe what a wench Ginny could be! What happened to the quiet little Ginny from Hogwarts, who used to stick her elbow in the butter? That Malfoy happened, and Hermione was getting more annoyed as she went on, not only that, but hurt too. Pinpricks of pain were attacking her heart every time his name came up and she was struggling not to lose her temper right then. Maybe that's why she was avoiding Harry, ever since that time, she admitted it to him under a drunken stupor and her only response was his slack jaw and eyes wide open.
But Ginny had continued on, ignoring Hermione's outburst, " - he has all the qualities you want in man. It's no wonder nobody can match up!"
That's when Hermione snapped though. She slammed her glass down hard, making Ginny jump a little and the liquid contents sloshing around and spilling over onto the countertop. It gave Hermione a bit of satisfaction to see her look so shocked. "Well done Ginny! I'm caught! Bloody good for you! The fact that it doesn't solve anything is just what I need!"
Hermione couldn't take it, she felt as if she was holding her breath so hard that it was making her stomach churn and her head hurt. What she needed was some ice cream therapy. Just to get out of there, away from her, the conversation and head home to a nice carton of chocolate-chocolate chip ice cream, snuggled in front of a comfy fireplace.
"Tell him!" Hermione raised her eyebrow at that and Ginny called her stubborn? Pot paging the kettle!
She could feel a headache homing in on her, so she grabbed her coat and tugged it on, "Look Gin! I am not going to go through this with you again! I'm going home! Regards to Mr. Malfoy! Goodnight!"
"But Hermione-"
"I said, goodnight!"
Stalking out of the Leaky Cauldron in a huff, Hermione left Ginny to pay the bill, which made the slight animosity toward her, wane some what. Exhaling noisily she trudged toward the Apparition Port and arrived in the corridor outside of her apartment with a loud crackle in seconds. She didn't care if the neighbours could hear her. Taking out her wand she disarmed the charms on her door and swung the door open. After slamming the door shut and taking off her cloak, she headed to the kitchen and grabbed the ice cream out of the fridge and rummaged around her cutlery drawer for the biggest spoon she had. The conversation was still running around her head and she was grumbling about red headed wenches who couldn't keep their traps shut.
"Incendio!" she bellowed, pointing her wand at the fireplace, which immediately roared with flames. Exhaling noisily, her lips puckered into a sulk, as she stuck her wand in the knot of hair she had tied hastily into a bun and plunked herself down on the couch.
Watching the fire lick the walls of the fireplace for a while she then ripped off the top of the carton and with her spoon in hand attacked her ice cream savagely. Shoving spoon after spoon into her mouth while she remembered moments in Hogwarts where she spent time with Harry like this, sitting by the fireplace just thinking or talking about the simplest of things.
Hermione gave a rather loud sigh and enjoyed the wallowing; she was feeling a little better but slightly guilty for snapping at Ginny. She was about to call her over the floo when she heard a knock on the door.
"Hermione, it's me, Harry."
Hermione gave a slight groan, she wasn't really up to talking to him just about yet and she knew that she must have been looking like a right old hag at that moment. Then the sensible side of her kicked in and she mentally scolded herself for being so silly. Taking a deep breath she walked over to the door and opened it.
"Harry, what are you doing here? Weren't you supposed to be on a date with Victoria?"
Harry just shrugged his shoulders as he stared back at her, his face etched with the look of a very lost boy. The messy hair didn't help either. Hermione instantly knew what was wrong.
"She jumped ship on you, didn't she?" she asked softly, her tone belying the sudden joy that burst in her stomach and went straight up to her heart, which began beating furiously.
"How'd you guess?" he mumbled looking at his shoes with his hands stuck in the pockets of his robe. "Can I come in?"
As fast as the joy had come, it dissipated, leaving Hermione deflated. She knew what was coming next; he was going to use her as a consolation pillow. To soothe his furrowed brow, pass him the ice cream carton and tell him that there will be a woman that will come along that will be just right for him…
She was going to help him throw a pity party.
Gritting her teeth and giving a small smile, she left the door open and fell onto the couch patting the spot next to her.
Walking in, he noticed the ice cream sitting on the table.
"You started without me? What's eating you away?" he asked, whilst he was taking of his cloak and hanging it behind the door. Wanting to get comfortable he peeled his socks off and kicked off his shoes before placing them to the side
"Can't I have some ice cream for no reason?" All he did was cock an eyebrow.
He knew her too well.
"Seriously, I'm just treating myself to some. I'll get you another spoon," Hermione was about to get up but he pulled her back down quickly.
"That's alright, I'll share yours with you. You don't mind do you?" he asked, giving her one of those infectious grins of his, which made her stomach give a little jolt.
Smiling, she replied, "When have I ever?"
Grabbing the carton of ice cream he laid his head on her shoulder while she wrapped her arms around him. Massaging his scalp, she breathed him in, enjoying the quiet little moment that they were sharing, even if she felt that this was as close as she was going to get to him. Funny her heart seemed to ache a little. Swallowing thickly, she cleared her throat, "So tell me, what card did she throw on the table?"
"You don't really want to know," he mumbled through a mouth full of chocolate-chocolate chip ice cream and spoon fed her some.
Hermione rolled her eyes and suddenly felt very annoyed. She wondered and even questioned his ability to get a woman who was worth his grain in salt. Really he seemed to handpick all the wrong ones, but she wasn't going to say anything. Who was she to stand in the way of his love life?
"She pulled the Hermione card, didn't she?"
The Hermione card was very popular; "I'm only second best to her and all that jazz."
But that was not the only card in the deck; there was the "I can't handle all the attention you get" card, the privacy card and the one that was the second most popular, which was the sex card where they just wanted, "Sex, sex, sex. I want it, you'll give it."
Harry accepted that particular one card once in a while much to her annoyance, but who was she to say anything? She was only the best friend.
But all in all, the Hermione card laid the smack down. The thing is, if the silly bints could see it, why not him?
She looked at him and he just gave me a muffled 'yeah' with his mouth full of ice cream. He set the carton down on the table and wracked out a very long sigh before snuggling with her just sitting there listening to the flames crackle. She wondered if he could hear her heart racing as his every single touch made her skin tingle.
"I knew it wouldn't work out though," he mumbled, "I thought that it would be different, or I just wanted it to be different. She was just like the rest of them though. It always feels so restricted and never comfortable enough. I'm always Harry and the boy-who-lived. Never once, just Harry. It just never feels right."
She closed her eyes as she felt her throat constrict, the hollow feeling reverberating within her getting more pronounced. She wanted to say something to quell him and maybe herself before she broke out in tears but she couldn't do it. Nothing could come out.
"Except that…it does with this one person but I don't know, I can't - I want to so badly," he turned his head to face her, as he was so close all she could see was green, his eyes reflecting her own and at that moment she thought she felt she her heart stop. Her eyes began to water and she just wanted him to kiss her.
"I want to tell her that I l-"
Right then and there, they heard a sudden rush of flames, "Hermione! I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to push you with the whole Harry thing and all, I really am, don't be-"
Hermione looked into the flames to see Ginny's eyes wide and her jaw slack and she knew what was running through her mind at the very moment, by looking at the way she and Harry were sitting. It was embarrassing, even if it was a lovely assumption.
"Oh! I'm so sorry, I'll- right, Yes, sorry!" before she could go though, she flashed that same impish smile, "Have fun tonight!" And Ginny was off with another rush of flames. Hermione was sure, that she was going to wring her pretty little neck the next time she got the chance to see her. She creates the mess and she's the one that is left to clear the mess.
How utterly embarrassing. Licking her lips she hoped that he at least only heard the end of their conversation.
"What about me Hermione?" he whispered.
No such luck.
At that moment though it Was particularly difficult for her to think straight. His breath was hot against her cheek, making her breath catch and a shiver run down her neck. Swallowing thickly she tried concentrating on the wall behind him but he was so close and she could feel his warm hand against her waist, her insides in all various sizes of knots.
"Nothing really," she managed to get out, but it was nothing more than a whisper as she struggled to control herself.
"Oh? Then why was she in such a hurry to apologise about pushing the 'Harry thing on you'?" his mouth curling into a slight smirk.
Hermione grit her teeth and looked around the room to find a way to get him out of the house. She would remember to squeeze real hard when she got her hands around Ginny's neck. "We-Well, you're conceited, there is more than one Harry in England you know,"
His slight smirk had blown to a full-grown grin, the kind that always made her knees want to give way, so it was good that she was sitting down on the couch. Looking back up at him, she saw his eyes flash for a moment. Right then she desperately wanted to know what he was thinking, a little sign of what he was feeling because she couldn't read the expression on his face at that moment. He was just staring at her, as if he was studying her from head to toe and it made her feel naked. She blushed at the thought but quickly shook her head and hoped that her hair hid her cheeks. He seemed to be actually seeing her this time, but right then Hermione remembered what he was talking to her about and that hollow feeling came back again.
She really couldn't take it anymore, the roller coaster ride was getting her queasy and she wanted it to stop. She needed it to stop before she did something she'd regret later.
Standing up quickly and taking a deep breath, she said, "Look Harry, I - I'm not feeling my best at the moment and I thought I'd have an early night,"
He just continued staring at her and she got slightly nervous, her heart doing constant flip-flops.
"Chucking me out are you?" he said softly, a small smile playing on those soft lips.
"In the nicest possible way," she mumbled, looking at her feet, unable to look him in the eye for fear of melting. Right then Harry suddenly got off the couch and stepped toward her and by reflex, she almost stepped backward but forced herself not too. By doing so, it would have just invited more questions and she really didn't need that, so instead she forced herself to look up and meet his eyes. That nervous feeling seemed to have just grown bigger because it made her want to explode and yet she felt as if it was the most normal thing in the world. "Look, with that one person that it feels right with? Just do what you have to do."
His eyes searched through hers as if he was looking for something and her just stood there, silent. Looking away for a moment, he turned back to Hermione, "Can I ask you of a favour then?"
Swallowing thickly she bit her lip and for the life of her she couldn't understand why she couldn't answer him. Her tongue felt numb and the only thing she could bring herself to do was nod.
Honestly, she thought she was too nice.
Harry, licking his lips, took a deep breath and stepped closer towards Hermione. Her heart was beating wildly and it was a wonder that he couldn't hear it at all. Her eyes were locked on his collar and she noticed his throat working. Biting her lip she wondered what he was thinking about when she heard him whisper, "Kiss me."
Her head snapped up, "What?" and before she could actually process anything she felt his lips on hers. All she felt was this tingling sensation running through her that was pooling in the small of her back. Falling limp in his arms, her hands wound their way around his neck and he deepened the kiss, his tongue running across her bottom lip sensuously before slipping into her mouth; Hot and velvety and lips that were so soft.
When he broke away, Hermione could only blink but she knew what she had to do. Turning in his arms, she released her wand from the knot of her hair and locked the door with the best charm that even Harry, great a wizard as he is, would take a while to get unlocked.
"What took you so long?" she asked softly when she looked back up at him. Her head was spinning as it was going incredibly fast but she wanted and needed him, right then.
Pulling him down into another kiss, his hands rove around the edge of her shirt and his fingers explore the small expanse of skin before pulling it up and over her head. She wasted no time unbuttoning his shirt and it was soon nothing but a mere puddle on the floor.
Breaking away from their kiss, Harry licked her earlobe and suckled lightly as her hands tried to undo his belt buckle through closed eyes and shaking hands. As he rained kisses down the pale column of her neck, she managed to get it undone but had to stop as he marked her with teeth and lips. Getting her bra unclasped, she took it off and flung it to the side and their kiss resumed, the skin-to-skin contact arousing them further.
Running her hands down his smooth back, she caressed his bottom before reaching in front and cupping him tightly, making him moan into her mouth. Hermione unzipped his pants and it pooled around his feet followed by his boxers with another swift tug, before he stepped out of them. Looking down, she licked her lips and planted kisses down his chest, which held only a smattering of hair. Her fingers delicately trailed the sides of his torso and she didn't stop till she was kneeling. She wrapped her fingers around his length, going down and up, his voice a mere hiss. Her eyes finding his, her tongue swirled the tip before her lips enveloped him. Hearing his moans she took as much of him as she could before going up again, pumping him with her mouth. He didn't know if he could hold on with the way she was looking at him, those brown eyes wide and the things she was doing with her tongue. He was already fighting the urge to thrust in her mouth.
Pulling her up, their mouths crushed together almost painfully, Hermione's fingers roamed his back as his fingers tried to undo her jeans as they moved toward her room. With the catch undone, Harry became impatient and carried her upwards slightly till her legs were wrapped onto his waist. With their lips sealed he managed to get to her room, the both of them falling onto her bed. Taking off his glasses and placing it on the bedside table, he focused his attention on her.
Shucking her jeans and underwear aside he fell atop of her, both their hands immediately everywhere at once, almost as if they wanted to memorise each others bodies, marking and mapping each other.
He nipped at her neck, his thumb brushing across her already hard nipple. Tweaking it between his fingers, tonguing her breast before he took it into his mouth. Suckling, the pressure growing till Hermione cry's out and she's clutching his shoulder. Their hips grinding into each other, his fingers reached down to her already wet entrance and he massaged her clitoris slowly, making her moan. Making his way down he left open-mouthed kisses, licking her inner thigh and she couldn't help but hold her breath. His tongue glided over her, making his way in and out before flicking it over her clit. Her hips moved against him and he had to hold her legs apart as he went faster.
Moving up his mouth latched on to hers, the intensity flaring as his fingers thrust into her and circled her swollen clit. Whimpering, her hips rocking against his hand, she pushed it away and turned him over onto his back.
Straddling him, with tendrils of her dark brown hair framing her face, she lifted her lips and lowered herself slowly, feeling the tip of his erection. Circling her hips, he moaned and she impaled herself sharply onto him. A low guttural moan escaped from the back of his throat and his fingers clutched around her hips so tightly that bruises were sure to have formed.
She rode him and his hands roamed over her chest, his fingers tweaking her nipples. He started whispering her name over and over again and it became so intoxicating and powerful.
Her tempo once slow, sped up as he thrust his cock into her fully each time. Pushing down against him, her voice grew sharper, holding his shoulder for support, her breasts moving in time with her. Riding him faster and harder, she felt that gnawing sensation in her neck tingle till finally the feeling just burst within her. Her body shuddering and stomach contracting as the feeling rippled within her, leaving her breath held till the wave subsided.
"Harry," she whispered and he came undone, his own orgasm hitting him with his eyes clenched together and his hands gripping her hard as he let out a stifled cry, before sinking back into the pillows, spent, within her.
Hermione, falling into his arms, wide open closes her eyes as he kisses her softly, his hands running down her back.
"Love me," he mumbles into her hair, once she settled down, her head in the crook of his neck while he held her. She didn't know if that was a question or a want or even a cross between the two but the answer was simple enough.
"Love you."
*****