November 4, 1997
Hermione came awake slowly, a heavy, comforting weight slung over her waist. She cracked an eye open to see that she was in her bed in the tent, meaning that the weight over her waist was Harry's arm. Her mind started working as her eyes opened fully and in that moment, Hermione realized that she was naked beneath the blankets with a very naked Harry pressed up against her. Her face immediately flushed as the last three days returned to her.
Hermione was burning in shame for how she had acted; she had propositioned her very best friend and then they had shagged each other silly for three straight days. Her mind went over the memories as they came back to her, making tears come to her eyes. Ginny was never going to speak to her again and it was likely that Harry was going to hate her for being the cause of him not being able to get back with Ginny. She had seen how happy they had been together, who in their right mind would want to turn their back on that?
Hermione did her best to slip out from under the weight of Harry's arm without waking him. The scent of sex wafted up and hit her fully in the face; the shower was where she was heading first. The last place she wanted to be was here with Harry when he woke up and found realized what had happened and just how much she had ruined his life. What hurt the most wasn't that he was going to try to fix things with Ginny, it was that he was likely to hate her for propositioning him in the first place.
She succeeded in freeing herself and quickly gathered clothes before slipping into the bathroom. Hermione turned the water on as hot as it would go and stepped in, letting the scalding water burn away the memories of how she had fucked things up. She couldn't stop her mind from replaying every single encounter they had had in the last three days.
After that first night, Hermione had let him fuck her on the kitchen table, then on Ron's bed. He had laid her out on the table and spread her legs wide, sitting in a chair so he could feast on her womanly core like it was his dinner. She had gone to her knees several times and learned how to suck him off, he appreciated that she didn't have a gag reflex, one of the few upsides to having dentists for parents. He had even bent her over the arm of the couch and fucked her roughly and relentlessly from behind. Needless to say, there was nowhere they hadn't defiled in the tent, nowhere that didn't hold a sexy memory for her.
More than anything, Harry's demeanor had changed since their first time together. He had never been commanding and while he had always been protective of his friends, she could feel it simmering under the surface now. He had no problems telling her exactly what he wanted and how he wanted her to do it; it had been nice to relinquish control even if just in the matter of sex. This being said, Harry had never hurt her. He made sure that she was happy and never let her leave an encounter without an orgasm.
Hermione had thought at first that he had been that way with Ginny as well. He had seemed very much in control the one time she had caught him with her in the classroom. However, she didn't know if Ginny had told him to do that or if he had done it on his own. Frankly, it hurt to think about so she abandoned that train of thought immediately.
She wasn't sure what she was going to do about Ginny. Hermione would do whatever Harry wanted her to do when it came to telling the redhead the truth but if he was honest with her, it would likely destroy their friendship. While Hermione could admit that since Ginny had gotten with Harry, her demeanor had changed and didn't really seem like much of a friend anymore, she had still considered the girl as such and had betrayed that. Sure, she and Harry were broke up but it wasn't right that she just sleep with her ex-boyfriend without telling her.
Hermione knew that she couldn't hide in the shower all day so she turned off the water and cast a drying charm on her body and hair. She slid into the jeans and jumper that she had brought in, thankful for the comfort and warmth they provided. She threw her hair into a messy bun, curls escaping the tie to brush against her neck, and caught sight of the scar that Harry had left on her neck. Her hand felt it and she instantly shivered; the place on her neck was extremely sensitive. There was nothing for it now, no more hiding. She took a deep breath and opened the door.
Out in the tent, Harry had woke and started cleaning. He had clearly cleaned the sheets and then made the bed before picking up the scattered clothes on the floor. He was standing there completely naked, clearly waiting his turn in the shower. When he turned and saw that she was finished, he gave her a soft smile. He headed her way and pressed a soft kiss to her lips while his fingers brushed the scar he had left; once again, it sent a shiver down her spine.
"I picked up a little. I'm going to take a shower and then we'll talk. Why don't you start something to eat and I'll help when I get done." Hermione nodded, unable to speak. However, it was nice that he wasn't making it awkward by blaming her or anything of the sort.
The Gryffindor was quick to head for the kitchen. They had snacked through the three days they had spent shagging but hadn't ate a substantial meal. If she was starving, it was easy to say that Harry was ravenous. Since it was almost lunch time, she heated up some vegetable soup and then started making roast beef sandwiches. She was just setting them out on the table when Harry emerged from the shower, once again smelling like bergamot and man instead of sweaty sex. He shot her another smile before sliding into his seat at the table. He waited for her to sit before he started dishing them both up a bowl of soup and handing out sandwiches.
As Hermione sat there and worked her way through a bowl of soup and two sandwiches, her thoughts drifted again to the situation that they were going to have to deal with after they ate. Honestly, she wasn't mad at Harry and she didn't regret that her very best friend took her virginity but if he was so happy with Ginny and only planned to get back with her, she wished that he would have told her no. Of course, at the time, no didn't seem to be an option for her but she knew that it was going to hurt watching him go back to the redhead.
Maybe he wouldn't. He swore that he was done with her and Hermione wanted to believe him. However, she knew Ginny and she knew that the girl would work her wiles on Harry and get him back. She had set her eyes on Harry before she had even come to Hogwarts and now that she had had a taste of him, she wasn't going to just let him go without a fight. If there was one word that described Ginny perfectly, it was persistent. Hermione couldn't help but get her hopes up that he wouldn't return to the other girl but the fact that Hermione was the cause of such angst and disruption made her a little sick.
Hermione pushed her plate away and stared down at her hands. She didn't even notice that Harry had cleared the table, put the leftovers in the cooler, and then set the dishes to wash with a spell. He stood over her and held out his hand, beckoning for her to take it. She did and allowed him to pull her to the couch where they took a seat. Visions of Harry seated in the spot naked while she was on her knees before him, his cock in her mouth, returned and she knew that she was blushing. Harry dropped down next to her and took her hand, squeezing it softly.
"We really need to talk about what happened, 'Mi," he told her.
"I know, I'm just dreading the inevitable," she confessed. She shook her head angrily; she really hadn't wanted to say that. Harry cocked his head to the side, clearly confused.
"What's the inevitable, Hermione?" Harry asked softly. Suddenly, she couldn't sit there calmly. She let go of his hand and stood, pacing in front of him.
"You might not be with Ginny now but I know that she's going to fight for you. She's going to find out what we did and she's going to hate me. You're going to end up hating me for causing the problems to begin with," she told him, almost breathless by the end of her statement. Harry stood and caught her, both hands on her shoulders so he could make her look at him.
"I'm not getting back together with Ginny, Hermione. I told you that. Why is it so hard for you to believe me? I've never lied to you before," he promised her. Hermione felt tears escape and slide down her cheeks and she angrily brushed them away.
"I believe that you're telling me the truth right now, Harry. Who knows what will happen when you go back around her. I saw you two together and you were so happy. I don't want to take that from you and I feel like I just did. Ginny won't give up, Harry, but it's going to be bad for everyone else, mostly me. I'm not feeling sorry for myself, I know I did it to myself, but I'm allowed to feel these things. I'm allowed to know that boys can mean something completely and then a pretty girl twitches her hips at them and their wants change," Hermione spat at him. Harry sighed and let her go, his hand finding his hair so he could ruffle it further.
It made him unbelievably sexy.
"Hermione, I don't want Ginny. I want you." His words, while they should have thrilled her, caused her to burst into tears. She didn't bother to try to wipe them away and when Harry tried to step forward to do it for her, Hermione pushed against his massive chest as hard as she could, shoving him six inches back. He didn't let it phase him and he stepped forward again. She pushed him again and stepped back, anger bleeding out of her like she was dying from a mortal wound.
"I deserve to be someone's first choice, Harry Potter, not just a convenient choice! I understand that I opened this can of worms but I couldn't help it. There is something wrong with me! I've loved you from afar for years and you only want me after you fuck me? I deserve better than that, you bastard!" Harry rushed her, pinning her arms to her sides so he could hold her from behind and speak into her ear. He kissed his mark softly and Hermione couldn't help but to moan softly at the action. However, she still fought him, trying to free herself.
"Stop fighting me, Hermione Jean, I don't want you to get hurt," he commanded. Hermione instantly stopped, unsure as to why she was listening. Therefore, she seethed inwardly. His voice softened and Hermione let it wash over her like a warm breeze.
"You are not a convenient choice for me, kitten. I was in love with you in our younger years at Hogwarts, Ron is the one who told me that he fancied you. It was right before we saved Sirius on Buckbeak and I didn't want to step on his toes. Besides, being with me was way too dangerous." Hermione went completely slack against him and his hold on her loosened enough to where she was no longer losing feeling in her fingers. Harry continued.
"You ended up with Viktor in fourth year; watching him rescue you from under the Black Lake was horrible. I didn't trust him to get you to the surface. Even in fifth year, I wanted you but you were always angry with me. I was a complete arse to you, to everyone that year. I went after Cho to try to make you see me as a boy, not as a brother. I did think she was pretty but when she got angry we met up with you, I knew it wasn't going to work," he crooned to her. Harry pressed another kiss to her mark and Hermione was able to bite back the moan but couldn't help but to arch her back, shoving her bum into his erection.
"I don't know what happened with Ginny. I just knew that I wanted her and while it was good while it lasted, it isn't now. Looking back, I'm not sure how I could forget you when you were standing next to her," he told her. Harry spun her around and he caught her face in his hands, his thumbs brushing the remainder of her tears away.
"The thing that was great between Ginny and I was the sex. She doesn't know me like you do and I don't really know all that much about her. I know she's Ron's sister and she likes quidditch. I know you as well as I know myself. Not to mention, the sex with you is a thousand times better. You are not a convenient choice, Hermione and I want to be with you," he promised her.
Hermione hated to get her hopes up and then have Ginny swoop in and steal him away. She knew that she wasn't ugly but she was nothing in comparison to the redhead. Harry must have seen her doubts because he tucked her stray curls behind her ears and smiled.
"You are the most beautiful girl in the world to me, Hermione. Don't ever doubt it," he told her.
Hermione let out a deep sigh.
-O-
Harry wasn't entirely sure what she was going to say to his proclamation. He hoped against hope that she told him she wanted to be with him too but she was taking an age to say anything. He really wanted to bend down and kiss her, making her submit so he could show her how much he wanted her. He didn't, however, since it would only serve to anger her later. Finally, she looked up and met his gaze.
"I've loved you for years, Harry. This is a lot to process though, not even mentioning whatever it is that's wrong with me. Can I take some time to think?" she asked him. He could hear just a hint of desperation, though he wasn't sure if it was because she was scared he'd back out or scared to tell him that she really wasn't interested and just buying herself some time. Either way, he knew that he couldn't push her. She would decide what she wanted to do in her own time and he would be damned if he was going to do anything to make her decide against being with him. Harry bent and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
"That's perfectly fine. I won't kiss you or anything until you've decided either way. I don't want you to feel like I'm pressuring you. However, you're still going to sleep with me. I like knowing that I can reach out and feel that you're safe," he promised her. Her eyes brightened and he smiled at her. Knowing that they needed to change the subject before just looking at her made him want to throw her down on the bed and fuck her into the mattress.
"You know we need to move camp today. We've been here longer than we should have been," he told her. Hermione nodded, clearly happy to focus on something else. However, she flickered her gaze to his chest and spoke.
"I'm sorry I shoved you. I'm sorry if it hurt," Hermione apologized. Harry laughed and tugged one of her errant curls.
"Thank you but I'm fine. I promise," he said.
Since they were going to move, they had to secure a few things in the tent so they wouldn't get jostled around as they were shrunk and put in the beaded bag that Hermione carried everywhere. Hermione headed for the kitchen, spelling the cupboards and the cooler. The appliances were usually fine in the transition though. Harry himself went through the rest of the tent, spelling the furniture and bed to the ground.
They both slipped their shoes and cloaks on, going outside to get the outside ready. This was the most dangerous part of moving camp because they had to take down their wards. They weren't protected from anyone that might see and attack them. Hermione sent their few belongings into the tent while Harry started to negate the blood runes he had put up when they had arrived. Hermione watched his back until he was finished, her wand in her hand and at the ready.
When Harry finished, Hermione stepped forward to take down the rest of the wards. He watched over her, feeling far more protective of her than he usually was. Now, they were out in the open and vulnerable to attack. Harry covered the girl he loved while she took the tent down and retrieved it, shoving it into the beaded bag that hung around her neck. Harry swept the area one last time to make sure that nobody was watching them before he took Hermione's hand in his and pulled her into side-along apparition.
Harry had taken them to nature preserve on the outskirts of London, one that most muggles didn't leave the trails of. After casting the proper spells and such, they would never know that the pair were there. Not to mention, they weren't going to be there any longer than three days. That was around their limit since Ron had left, neither one of them wanting to be a place for too long.
Hermione instantly started casting her wards, which took longer than it did to take them down. Harry stood over her while she worked, wand drawn, ready to attack if someone else did. It was nearly half an hour later that she let her wand drop only to turn to him and hand him the knife that he used out of her bag as well. She watched him go to different locations around their ward line and spell it with his blood and runes. Ten minutes later, they were both comfortable enough to let their wands drop and focus on the tent.
Hermione summoned it from the bag and handed it to Harry. He cast the spell to erect it while Hermione cast the Point Me spell to figure out which direction was which. He wasn't sure why she always did that but she hadn't missed a single time yet. After they had the outside set up the way they wanted, both of them went back inside and removed the spells on the things inside the tent.
In less than an hour, they had moved locations.
Hermione settled in at the table with her research on possible locations for the horcruxes while Harry wrote in his journal. He had decided to start keeping one since they had went on the run; it detailed every single one of their actions since they had left the Burrow. He sprawled on the couch and began to write, detailing exactly what had occurred with Hermione and why it had happened.
Since it was for his own personal reflection, something he never planned on showing the world, he wrote down every detail that he could remember of Hermione and their time spent together. It was cathartic to get it out of his head. He remembered her smell, her taste, how she felt when he had sheathed his cock inside her. It also made him worry about exactly what had happened to her, what had caused the whole thing to even occur. Perhaps he would try to research it without her knowing.
Harry didn't blame her for her anger earlier. He hadn't known that she had loved him for years, he had never guessed. He could see how it would appear that he only wanted her since she had had sex with him. It was the furthest thing from the truth but that made no never mind. However, it did make him stop and think.
He remembered how strongly he had felt for Hermione growing up. He had hidden his feelings for her because he had been sure that she didn't return them. Then Ron had told him how much he fancied her right before saving Sirius and he hadn't wanted to step on any toes or put Hermione in a position where she had to choose. He had loved her clear up to sixth year and it had changed. Ginny had come onto his radar and he was the first to admit that while their time together had been sweet, it had been mostly sexual.
True, they hadn't been together that many times but their relationship had only lasted a month before he felt too guilty about making her a target and broke it off with her. At the Burrow, she had still been sweet but there had been something else under the surface that he could look back and see now. Something different that hadn't been there while they were together. Maybe Hermione was right, maybe it was because she was competitive and she viewed Hermione as an opponent.
He couldn't help but wonder what had turned his attention so thoroughly from Hermione to Ginny. Harry didn't get to continue his line of thought because Hermione groaned in frustration and threw her quill on the table so she could rub her eyes. It was at this point that Harry realized that it was past dinner time. He snapped his journal shut and cast his own personal privacy spell on it before setting it down. He stood behind Hermione and rubbed her shoulders, kneading the muscles until they were soft again. Harry pressed a kiss to the top of her head before releasing her.
"Let me whip up some eggs for dinner. No more research tonight," he told her. She nodded dejectedly and started to clear away her books and parchment.
Harry started dinner, making simple scrambled eggs and toast, throwing some beans on the plates as well. He set the plate in front of Hermione and took the seat next to her so he could watch to make sure she ate well. She ate most of what he gave her so when she pushed it away, he spoke.
"What had you so frustrated?" he asked. She scratched the side of her head and blew a deep breath out of her lips.
"I just can't think of anywhere that would mean anything to Riddle. The only places I can come up with are Hogwarts and maybe that orphanage he grew up in. Dumbledore took you to the cave where he tortured his first muggles. I'd say his family home but he lived in the orphanage his whole life," she said. Harry blew a breath out slowly.
"I agree with Hogwarts but I'm not sure how we're going to get back in there. With Dumbledore gone, and Snape as Headmaster, there's no way we're going to get in easily. Not to mention we have no idea where to look. The castle is huge," he retorted. Hermione gave him a little smile.
"Now you know why I was so frustrated. I think we should research where that orphanage is and see if we can find anything. It's better than doing nothing," she told him. Harry nodded.
"We'll start that tomorrow. For now, only reading for pleasure the rest of the night," he told her.
Hermione laughed but said nothing in complaint. She stood and cleared the table, putting the dishes on to wash much like he had earlier in the day. Harry settled in on the couch with a book about quidditch and it's famous players through history while Hermione settled on the other end with one that had Arithmancy in the title.
They sat that way for an hour before Hermione shifted, stretching her legs out and crossing her ankles. Harry loved how tiny her feet were, especially in comparison to his. She was just tiny in general, the smallest girl their age that he knew. Where Ginny was a willowy five foot eight, Hermione was easily only five foot two. He doubted that she weighed more than seven stone, especially since losing weight on this hunt.
Harry reached out and grabbed her feet, dragging them into his lap. She squeaked in surprise but when she felt his hand start to massage one of her insteps, she leaned her head back and sighed in pleasure. He chuckled at her but turned his attention back to his book and noticed later that she did too.
It was nearing eleven o'clock when he looked up and realized that Hermione had fallen asleep, her book flat on her chest. He realized that whatever had happened to her had probably taken a lot of energy from her, not to mention that they didn't get the best sleep during those three days of heaven. Harry set his book aside and lifted her feet off him so he could mark her place in her book and lay it aside as well.
Harry scooped her into his arms and carried her to the bed, her tiny body curling into his large one. He laid her down on her side, waving his wand over her to change her into pajamas. She would likely be angry in the morning but it wasn't as though he hadn't seen her naked. He quickly changed himself and crawled in next to her, hauling her close to him so he could press his chest to her back, his cock against her arse. His lips found his mark again and he kissed it softly. She moaned again but didn't wake. However, her arse pressed back into his cock and Harry couldn't help but to stiffen against her.
Knowing that nothing else was going to happen, Harry willed it deflate, even though it took several minutes. He threw an arm around her waist and buried his face in her hair, knowing that no matter what she said, she slept better when he was close. He had no problems admitting the same was true for himself. Harry let himself fall asleep quickly, knowing that things had gone as well as could be expected today.
They had a plan of action for what they were going to do next and Hermione hadn't said no to him. He was going to do everything in his power to make sure that she never said no to him again.
-O-
Ron was sitting under a tree with heavy foliage, trying to do his best to stay dry. It was pouring rain and he didn't have a tent like Harry and Hermione did. He wasn't even sure where they were or how to go about trying to find them. He was starving since he hadn't ate for three days and he had just battled his way out of the clutches of three snatchers. It was a good thing they were stupid because otherwise, he never would have escaped.
All in all, he felt fucking terrible for being so horrid to Hermione. He had no idea how good he had had it with them. His mother had just sent him a howler, the most idiotic thing that you could do in the middle of a war when you're trying to stay hidden. It was what had alerted the snatchers to his presence. He was torn between being thankful that he had gotten away and pissed as hell because she had given away her position.
Regardless, it didn't matter. After hearing the scathing words in his mother's voice, it was clear that she was livid and that was going to be the one on the receiving end of it when he saw her again. She had informed him that Hermione had been due to go through her heat on the first and since he hadn't sent word, she assumed that he had missed it. Their plans were all ruined and they were going to have to make new ones. Ron didn't like the sound of it and now that Hermione's heat had passed, he really needed to find his friends so he could tell them what he knew.
He really wasn't sure why there were no books on the hierarchy system; if there had been, Hermione would have devoured them already. It was more something that was passed down, parent to child, readying them for whichever hierarchy they were destined to be. His father had sat him down and explained it to him when he was only six years old. He just now wondered who told the muggleborns and the people that were like Harry, raised in the muggle world due to having no family. It was a problem that he had never considered and now it was going to bite his best friends right in the arse.
He could only hope that Harry marked Hermione; if he didn't, they would both still be vulnerable to whatever potions his mother and sister were drugging them with. It was times like this that he was grateful that he was a beta and didn't have to worry about shite like this. Most of the population were betas so they were able to marry for love, not for the need to survive.
Ron cast a drying spell on himself, the fourth one in the last hour. Starting tomorrow, he was going to start stepping up his game to find his friends now that she had passed through her heat. It wouldn't have been safe to get in the middle of that anyways; it was better this way even if he was freezing, wet, and starving. Ron sighed and conjured a blanket, wrapping himself in it, before closing his eyes.
Next on his to-do list was to find his best friends and eat an enormous helping of humble pie before telling them they could likely never trust his mother and sister again. It was bound to be a good time had by all. He only hoped that he lived through it.