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Chapter Four
Surrender
When Harry woke that morning, he was smothered with bushy brown hair. He spluttered, trying to get it from his face, and he blushed as he realised there was some drool in her hair from it being in his mouth all night. He patted it, a frown on his face, and then carefully brushed it from her face and pressed it down, trying to snuggle in behind her. He wrapped his arms about her, and with a slow, warm tingle through his body, he remembered the events of the previous night. He smiled, a broad, sleepy smile, and thought about all that he felt about him.
His body against hers, both of them as bare as the day they were born, wrapped up in each other. He was sure there was nothing so perfect in the world than that.
He lay there for he didn't know how long, watching a bright gold stripe of sun steal in from his curtains and crawl down the opposite wall. He was utterly content, just feeling this new thing, of sharing his bed with someone. No, not just with someone - with Hermione.
He snuggled tighter, idly watching the gold beam of sunlight continue to crawl down the wall. It wasn't until it hit the handle of the top of his chest of drawers that a niggling worry grew in his heart. Just as his brain was clambering to get a hold of what was concerning him, Hermione stirred, rolling onto her back and taking a waking breath.
"Ohh," she sighed, rubbing her face. "What time is it?"
Realisation slammed panic through him, and he jerked his head around and checked his alarm clock.
"Oh, bugger!" he growled, "It's seven! We've slept in!"
Hermione was already up and out of bed as he crawled out, and he searched out a clean pair of underpants and some clothes to get dressed into. He was so wrapped up in getting ready for work that he didn't notice what Hermione was doing. He ran into his bathroom, jumping right into the shower, barely noticing that he didn't have to get undressed, and bumped into the soapy, warm, wet body of Hermione. He blinked.
"Hermione-"
She just blinked innocently at him. He opened his mouth, but after looking at her, dripping and naked, he forgot what he was going to argue about.
"It's all right, Harry," she said, washing herself with a frothing bar of soap, the suds sliding down her body, Harry's eyes following their tracks. "It'll be quicker this way."
It wasn't any quicker that way. In fact, he was sure that it was the longest morning shower he'd ever taken. As they Apparated down stairs, fully dressed, hair damp, Harry was trying to concoct a list of reasons why he was late. It occurred to him that they both had the same superior: Lupin. It would be highly suspicious that they were both late. It would be even more ridiculous if they had differing reasons why this was so. Embarrassment swelled in his stomach, and he wasn't so sure if he was hungry. Hermione began to cook some eggs, however, and his stomach changed its mind and complained loudly that it was so very empty.
"It's all right," she said, answering his digestive system, "I'm making enough for both of us."
"I'll make the coffee then, shall I?" he muttered tiredly, and Hermione smirked.
Sleepiness encroached on his awareness as he pulled out some coffee cups from the top cupboard. As he did so, a little hand grabbed his bottom and he leapt with a yelp.
"Hermione!"
She grinned and ran back to the stove, taking the eggs off the flame with a wicked gleam in her eye.
"I've wanted to do that forever!" she sighed, looking very relieved. "You have the loveliest bottom!"
"I do?"
"Yes!" she gasped, "And I've never been able to tell you!"
He shook his head with a smirk, closing the cupboard behind him. "Yes, well, you can safely assume that I think your bottom is just as lovely."
"Thank you."
He busied himself with the coffee, Hermione laying out plates and doling out scrambled eggs. He smelt the cooking of bread and out of the corner of his eye he could see her toasting some bread with a blast from her wand. He put his concentration back to the coffee, and he went to grab a teaspoon from the sink. The thing flipped from his fingers as he had rushed himself and not gotten a proper purchase of the slippery metal utensil, and it clattered onto the floor. He bent over, picking it up, and this time two hands grabbed at his behind.
"That's it!" he growled, slamming down the spoon and rounding on Hermione.
She squealed, abandoning her wand and toast on the table and running. He leapt to one side of the kitchen table and she stopped, gripping one of the chairs, a glint of mischievous joy in her eyes. She edged back and forth, watching him carefully, and he matched every movement. Finally she bolted one way and with an easy sidestep he caught her, roaring happily, her cries and giggles in his ears.
"Harry!"
With a hearty, triumphant laugh, he descended on her neck, kissing it hungrily and taking great handfuls of her bottom and squeezing it with relish. Hermione laughed, the breathiness of arousal mixed up in it, only playing at resisting him.
"Harry, we have to - uhnn..."
"Hmm?"
"Get ready for work!" she finally managed.
He pulled his head away from her neck and met her eyes with a wicked gleam in his own.
"You started this, Miss Granger."
She took her bottom lip in her teeth and squirmed. "I did, didn't I?"
He nodded, and without another word he took her lips in his, kissing her hotly, quite forgetting about his tardiness again. He thought Hermione may have whimpered something about her make-up, but he wasn't paying all that much attention to anything but her moist lips.
He had just stolen between them with his tongue when he heard a familiar chuckle by the kitchen door. Leaping away, he flattened his hair, grabbing for coffee cups and jabbing at the sugar with the teaspoon he'd abandoned, and spooning far too much of it into the cups in question. Hermione was in a similar state of embarrassment, pawing at her hair and straightening the cutlery on the table.
Ron stood at the doorway, long lanky hands wringing at the biggest shit-eating grin Harry was sure he'd ever seen on his best friend's face. His blue eyes positively glittered with triumph, and a long, slow, evil laugh fell from him.
"Ohhhh Harry," he said. "Harry, Harry..."
Hermione rolled her eyes, tutting to herself. She turned and dug into the fridge, probably to hide the bright red blush in her cheeks.
"Why aren't you at practice or something?" Harry found himself biting out at Ron, and Ron just lifted his red brows and wagged his shoulders teasingly.
"Not on today. Obviously someone wasn't expecting me to be here."
"Of course he expected you to be here," snapped Hermione, slamming closed the fridge door and gripping some wrapped rashers of bacon in her hand. "You LIVE here, you idiot!"
Ron just sniggered. "No need to get tetchy with me cause I interrupted a moment."
"Do you want some coffee, Ron?" Harry asked, trying valiantly to change the subject.
"No," said Ron, twisting in his chair a little. "I'd like some tea thanks. I got all the sleep I needed last night, thank you."
Hermione glared daggers at him, which only seemed to fuel his amusement. She busied herself with frying the bacon, and Harry tried to put back some of the sugar he'd dumped into his cup. As he did so, a certain someone else swanned into the room behind them, singing happily at the top of her lungs.
"I'll tell you what I wanna do, oh, I wanna do it... Do it all night!! I wanna do it, do it to you right!"
Harry closed his eyes, feeling the humiliation increase. Hermione was glaring at Lavender, utter shock in her expression. For the first time in years, Harry felt like throttling Lavender.
In an attempt to turn the situation around, he said, "I take it you had fun last night, Lav?"
"Of course," she said, sitting down next to Ron and grinning naughtily. Harry was surprised to discover that the woman had some sense of mercy or propriety, because that's all she chose to say.
Hermione's shoulders seemed to sag in relief when the silence stretched on from Lavender, and she very quickly cooked the bacon and shared it out. Harry all but stuffed his breakfast into his mouth, body working to get his morning routine finished, his mind lingering on the sweet activities of the night before. He found himself sneaking glimpses of Hermione, wondering in the joy he now got in something as mundane as watching the poor girl eat.
He could have thanked God when Lavender jumped up, winking at Harry and Hermione, and giving Ron a hearty kiss, Apparated off to work. Harry was glad, very glad, that she had such a busy schedule. Ron yawned and grinned and mumbled something about trying to find something on the VeeTee to watch. Harry gripped his knife and fork, his eyes meeting Hermione's only for a moment.
She got up, piling the dishes in the sink and striding to the fridge, she grabbed the marker hanging from it by a string and scribbled on the message board.
Harry stood, gathering his cloak, wondering just how the day was supposed to go now. Hermione answered that for him.
She fastened the hook of her cloak and grabbed his hand.
"Come on," she said. "Lupin's going to kill us."
"Do we know what we're going to say to him?" he asked.
"We slept in," she said simply. "It happens."
A smile crept across Harry's face. "All right."
She lifted her brows to him matter of factly. He'd seen her pull that face a thousand times, often in justification of some rather important rule she'd just broken. He shook his head and leant in, kissing her softly. Her business-like stance grew a little limp, and she squeezed his shoulder.
"Oh, Harry we are going to be late!"
"Already late," he said.
"Don't want to be any LATER!"
Harry just grinned, and together, they Apparated to work. On the fridge was a hastily scribbled note.
Dear Ron,
Do the dishes. That is not a request. We'll be back after work.
Get that damned smug look off your face.
From,
Hermione (and Harry).
PS. This has nothing to do with any Snitch whatsoever. No matter what anyone might say.
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AN: I want to thank each and every one of you for your feedback so far. I'm really chuffed and very thankful for your support - bless every single one of you. *kisses to you all* One more chapter!
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