I wish I could tell you how much all of the reviews on this story mean to me. :D You can't even imagine! You all completely rock!
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He didn't know how long he'd been out, but he felt something cool on his forehead and shivered.
"Harry? Can you hear me?"
"My-nee?" he muttered, unable to open his eyes. "Wha'hpnd?"
"You passed out. Are you all right?"
Her voice was very close to his ear and he struggled to open his eyes so he could look at her. He only managed to open them a slit, but it was enough to see her. She was perched on the bed next to him, leaning over him as she smoothed the washcloth over his skin. Her brown eyes were near enough that, even without his glasses, he could see them clearly. She looked tired, and worried, but her face broke into a small smile as he looked up at her.
"Madam Pomfrey has been by. She performed the spell McGonagall was telling us about, and it seems you've been given a potion. She wasn't able to determine which potion though, which really doesn't help us very much at the moment."
Harry didn't bother to respond. He kept his eyes on hers. There was something so comforting about having her so close. It was more than comforting, truth be told, but he wasn't really willing to dwell on that at the moment.
She must have taken his silence for interest, because she went on. "If we could identify it, then we could possibly counteract it. As it is, Madam Pomfrey seems to think that our only option is to wait it out. She's worried about the effects on your health, of course, but she doesn't think you're in any immediate danger. So, that's something, isn't it?"
He nodded. He wanted her to keep talking. Her voice was sending little tremors through him and her breath drifted across his skin in a way that made his heart, and other body parts, flutter. This realization shook him, so much so that he had to look away for a minute.
It's the potion, he thought desperately. This attraction you're suddenly feeling? Lust. It's just lust. She's attractive, of course, and you're horny and that's why you're thinking this way.
It made him feel slightly better.
He caught sight of the ceiling above him and he frowned. "Where are my curtains?" he muttered, then looked to his left. "Where am I?"
He wasn't in his dorm any longer. He didn't have any memory of having been moved, but Hermione had said that he'd passed out. He shuddered at the thought of being brought through the castle in his present condition.
"We're in Professor Sinistra's quarters. She's going to bunk with Professor McGonagall until this passes. They thought it was best not to leave you in your dorm, given your-" She motioned helplessly to his body.
Harry sighed. "Professor Sinistra knows?"
"No!" Hermione insisted. "No, we didn't tell her. She thinks you have something contagious, so you're being quarantined here. The only people who know are you, me, Ron, Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey. Oh, and I think Madam Pomfrey consulted a Healer at St. Mungo's. She didn't tell them it was you, though," Hermione added quickly, seeing the horrified look on Harry's face. "They're being very discreet."
Harry didn't like the idea of some unknown Healer knowing about any of this, but he was happy to believe Hermione that he remained anonymous. "So what am I supposed to do, then?"
"Just what you've been doing," Hermione said, wincing. "I know it's uncomfortable for you and I'm sorry that we can't do more just now. Madam Pomfrey thinks the potion will be out of your system soon."
"There are antidotes, though, aren't there? Can't she just give me a general one-something that would cover all the possible potions?" Harry squirmed under the blankets. The ache in his muscles had worsened while he'd slept and his groin was quite sore from overuse and strain.
Hermione chewed her lip. "That's the thing. There are antidotes, but they're very specific. It's not like love potions, where one fixes all. With these types of potions, you have to know which one you're treating before you can give the antidote safely."
"Safely?" Harry asked, sighing. "Do I want to know?"
"Probably not. But you should, I suppose. It's better to get the idea out of your head now. It will be easier to understand why she's taking this path as opposed to trying to fix it, I think."
"All right, then," Harry muttered. "Why?"
"Well there are-complications when you're given the wrong antidote. It can have several effects, but the two worst are a complete reversal of the engorged state or an actual enhancement of it."
Harry, like so many times before, had no idea what Hermione was trying to tell him. "Complete reversal. But that's what we want, isn't it?"
"Complete isn't the best word, really. More like-permanent."
Harry suddenly had the urge to slap his hands protectively over his genitals. "You mean--?"
"Chemical castration. More or less."
"No. No, let's not risk that one. And if it didn't do that, it could actually make this worse?"
"Yes."
"Is that possible?"
Hermione blanched. "Yes."
"Brilliant."
Hermione hummed in agreement. "So, you're fortunate, really. Well, not fortunate perhaps, but it could be worse. How are you feeling?"
"Better, I think."
"Has it--?"
He shook his head. "No. But it isn't being quite as demanding as before. And I'm not as knackered."
"You were asleep for a while. I'm sure that helped." She blushed, looking away. "You don't feel like you need to--?"
"I do, but it's not as severe as it was."
"Good. Maybe you should try to sleep a bit more."
He stretched, his arm brushing hers. The feel of her skin on his caused an immediate reaction. His penis throbbed beneath the sheets and he let out a soft growl. He was only vaguely aware of her voice next to him as he was lost in the renewed stirrings of his hormones.
His condition hadn't abated at all, it seemed. It came back as strong as ever, and with it came images that he never thought he'd have. Hermione, naked, was straddling his hips, moving on top of him in a way that he wasn't sure a human body could move. At least, not at that speed.
His body tensed as though his climax was imminent, but it didn't come right away. He was aching with the need for it, so he completely disregarded the fact that Hermione was still sitting next to him (she'd already seen it, hadn't she?) and wrapped his hand around his erection, pumping it so hard and fast that it actually hurt. The pain was irrelevant when compared to the pleasure of it and he lost control of any thoughts or voluntary movements when his orgasm finally hit.
He must have blacked out again, although he was distinctly aware of the blood rushing through his veins and the breath entering and leaving his lungs. His mind was mercifully blank for several long moments. It couldn't stay that way forever, unfortunately.
The first thought that crossed his mind was disconcerting. He could hear Hermione breathing. Panting actually, his mind amended. His breath had calmed enough that he could recognize that hers hadn't.
It made little sense to him, and he almost dismissed it as being his imagination. He might have if not for the fact that he could still hear it. He blinked his eyes open and looked up at her, feeling his cheeks burn. He'd just let her watch while-no, he couldn't think about that. He was sure to burst into flame if he acknowledged it. He also couldn't allow himself to think about what he'd been imagining while he'd done it. He couldn't and he wouldn't.
He didn't have to. As soon as his eyes fell on her face, all other thought was driven from his head. She was panting. And flushed. And she wasn't looking at his face. Her eyes were directed, unmistakably, to the point where his hand was still holding his still-aroused penis.
Holy shit, he thought. She liked it. She liked watching me… But that couldn't be. It wasn't possible. Surely the potion was making him see things that weren't there. It was coloring his judgment. Still, that didn't change the fact that she was staring at his hand, his cock, with fascination.
"Hermione," he croaked, his throat burning.
She jumped. It would have been comical to see had she not turned her gaze to his and looked at him with obvious guilt. "Oh!" she said, throwing her hands up to cover her face. "Oh, Harry! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to-" She broke off, climbing quickly off the bed. "I wasn't-I swear I wasn't."
Harry had no idea what to say to that. Of course she wasn't. Only, she was. If he wasn't certain of that before he saw her reaction, he definitely was now. She had been looking and she was, unless he was very mistaken, aroused.
"Hermione," he started, not sure at all what he was going to say to her. He didn't have to think of anything, though.
"Oh, you're right, Harry. I was. I don't know why I'm lying about it. It's obvious that I was." She started to pace beside his bed, her cheeks bright red as she stared at the floor in front of her. "I don't know what came over me. I know it's terrible of me, but I couldn't help it! It caught me by surprise, of course, and I couldn't-But it's natural, isn't it? It's natural to be-curious. And it's natural to be affected by it. It's natural, right?"
Harry didn't even attempt to answer her this time. She was so caught up in what she was saying that he doubted she'd hear him anyway.
"It is. It's perfectly natural. You were doing that right there in front of me, and of course you're very attractive and I'm only human, after all. I shouldn't be surprised that I would react to that, should I? I'd never seen it before-not before today anyway, but I couldn't really watch earlier because Ron was there and that was too awkward to even think about. But Ron wasn't here this time, and it did take me by surprise and I can't be blamed for being curious, can I?"
Harry heard what she was saying, but his mind kept going back to one specific part of her ranting. "…and of course you're very attractive…" He didn't know why his mind stuck so firmly on those words, but it seemed determined to make sure he remembered them.
"I shouldn't be embarrassed. And neither should you!" she added quickly. "It's nothing to be embarrassed about. Obviously, under normal circumstances, that isn't something I would have seen, but these aren't normal circumstances, are they? It's just something that happened and we can't let it bother us. It's completely natural. Completely. OH! You need more water. I'll just go get you some!"
Before Harry's mind had even processed her last few words, Hermione had snatched up the pitcher on the table and was out the door. She didn't come back for half an hour, during which Harry could only lie there thinking about what had just happened. He tried not to think about it, but he quickly realized that if he didn't think about that, then he'd have to think about how Hermione had replaced the dancing girls in his latest fantasies and that was too much for him to consider. It was especially bad considering that he couldn't think about it without thinking about it, and the image did nothing to help the steadily growing ache in his genitals.
By the time she returned, he was squirming again. "Oh, are you all right?" she asked, hurrying over to him and setting the pitcher down on the table beside the bed. "Is it hurting again?"
He nodded, grinding his teeth. "Starting to," he muttered. "It doesn't seem to be wearing off."
"It will. It may take a while, though. I don't know how long since I'm not sure what you were given or how much, but these potions are made to last when taken correctly."
"You told Ron they were only good for two or three-well, you know. I've had several more than that already. Shouldn't it be wearing off already?"
She sighed. "I don't know. There are some that last longer. They're made for endurance as opposed to quantity, if that makes sense. But they're supposed to be activated by stimulation, only. And the -condition should abate between sessions. They're primarily used for honeymoons or as conception aids. And they're more complicated to brew. I doubt anyone here now could do it-or would."
The term honeymoon seemed to linger in Harry's mind. He quickly tried to brush it away, as it led his thoughts to a secluded beach with he and Hermione rolling around naked in the surf-
"Bugger all," he moaned.
Hermione blushed, but moved to sit beside him. "There must be something setting this off. It can't be completely random, can it?"
"I don't know, but honestly I couldn't care less at the moment," Harry groaned, his eyes sliding shut. "I can't take this much longer."
"It's all right, Harry. It won't be much longer. It has to wear off sometime." She laid her hand on his arm. "Do you want me to leave you alone? Does it bother you if I'm in here?"
He shook his head, feeling the ache build slowly. "It doesn't make any difference anymore," he muttered. "Oh, God."
He couldn't wait for this one to come on its own. It was building too slowly. He'd go mad by the time it finally climaxed if he waited. He moved his hand to have another wank.
His hand stopped immediately and his eyes flew open when he felt Hermione's hand close around his wrist. He looked up to find her watching him, her bottom lip caught between her teeth. "Could I? I have a theory and it's probably not going to make a difference, but-well, it couldn't hurt, could it?"
"Wh-what?" he stammered.
"Well, I thought maybe if it wasn't you doing it, it might make a difference. It may not help, but if it does-"
She swallowed hard and he could see that she was embarrassed to even be asking. The very idea of it was enough to make his eyes roll back in his head, though, and he had to restrain himself from grabbing her hand and putting it there himself.
"So-can I?"
"Yes," he hissed. "Yes, please."
He heard her taking a calming breath, but her hand was firm when it finally wrapped around him. "Is that too hard? Should I hold it more gently?"
He almost laughed. "No. No it's-harder if you like. It won't break."
She gripped it a bit tighter. "Like this?"
"Oh holy hell," he moaned. Her hand was smaller than his, softer too, and so warm that he wondered if she'd cast a warming charm on it before she touched him. She moved it slowly and his breath caught at the incredible feeling of it. "Oh, Christ that's amazing," he sighed.
"Should I get some lotion?" she asked, her hand pausing.
Without thinking, Harry reached down and put his hand over hers. He heard her gasp as he gripped her hand tightly and started moving the two together. "Don't-stop," he whispered. "Please don't stop."
She followed his movements, tightening her own grip. His hand fell away as his thoughts gave way to the feelings she was sending through him and the knowledge that it was Hermione who was doing this to him. There was no embarrassment in that thought now. He was even more aroused by the thought of her, to the point that he couldn't stop himself from crying out her name as his orgasm hit with the force of a hurricane.
He didn't pass out this time. He floated along mindlessly for a moment as the tremors ran through him, but he was still awake. And he was suddenly very aware that she was still stroking him. He could feel the slick warmth of his semen on his stomach and hand, between her hand and his erection. He could feel her leg pressed against his thigh, her chest pressed against his arm. Her other hand touched his face and pulled it toward her and she kissed him softly.
It was too much. He came again, harder than ever before, and almost immediately dropped into unconsciousness.
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See? You knew she was eventually going to get "hands on" with him, didn't you? It just had to happen at the right time. :D More to come, as soon as I can get to it!
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