Damn

Hermione remembered some things from last night.

He was talking about his ex-girlfriend at some point. A name that ended with "beth," but the entirety of the name she could not remember correctly. He said "beth" was a very smart woman, too smart for him, in fact. They were 'in love' for 6 years, since he was 16, he said. We broke up 3 years ago. Why, she remembered asking. Percy had sighed, shaking his head. I prefer not to say.' But the look in his eyes at the time was haunted, 'Yes, something bad happened there' She decided.

Then he was talking about his father. He said he did not have the greatest father, but his father was good. He said he felt some pressure to meet the expectations surrounding him that came from being his father's son. Hermione remembered him chuckling while he said so, in such a forcefully hidden sadness, that she wanted to just embrace him. When he confessed that he was running away, Percy's eyes seemed a bit watery and shaky, but she could not be sure. Both of them were quite drunk by then.

Hermione remembered walking down the street with him. The picture was hazy in her mind, but Percy had put on his coat, his eyes twinkling under the streetlight, just a bit like Professor Dumbledore. Their hands were together, fingers interlocked. How it happened, she could not remember.

In the midway back to the apartment, Hermione thought there was a flash of light behind her along with a clicking noise that sounded suspiciously like a shutter. She remembered looking behind her, into the alleys, squinting her eyes at them, but not finding anything and continue walking with Percy.

When they had finally arrived at her place, Hermione approched the door fumbling with her house key while still holding Percy's hand. Yes, she remembered that Percy didnt stay too far away from her flat but she wanted this man's company. Percy was warm and something inside of her needed that warmth it begged for it. Even the few feet he stood from her flat's door felt too far. Still holding her hand, he looked at her with those deep green eyes that sent sensations down her spine. It was as if they had known each other for years. As if her failing relationship with Ron had disappeared, and had become only some things of long past. Percy had been murmuring about leaving, and she remembered, as she was swinging the linked hands gently, that she did not want him to leave, that the moment was too… magical to pass up.

No, oh no. She remembered now. She had pulled him toward her. She had grabbed him by the neck and put her lips on his.

He had been frozen for a second, and Hermione, even in her drunk mind, regretting, had pulled away. There eyes had met, Percy's eyes intent on hers, then on her lips. Then he had grabbed her by her neck with both hands and pulled her into a kiss, this time both sides participating very much. Hermione thought she had heard another clicking then, but she was engrossed with the activity so much that she did not care for the suspiciousness of the sound as she would have normally.

Then there was nothing. She woke up, the sun shining through the uncurtained windows, and her nude body next to another nude body.

Percy remembered most things from last night.

She was talking politics at the beginning. The calm conversation soon became a rant, and it was fascinating to hear her talk. She was angry about slavery. Slavery existed beyond the term 'slavery,' she said. He thought she said something like 'house elves' along with indentured servants, but he was a bit drunk, so he probably remembered it incorrectly. But he remembered clearly, Hermione was a very smart woman. Like Annabeth had been… Except Hermione's intelligence stemmed from selflessness. She wanted to fight for other people, the suffering people, (she had said she was a civil rights lawyer), whereas Annabeth… she wanted to get out and be recognized, live as a renowned architect. After all, her fatal flaw was pride (Although if he was being honest he could think of a few other flaws).

Then Hermione talked about her relationship with her previous fiance'. Although she didn't say much I found we were similar in more than one way. Her pronunciation was slipping at this point, and Percy remembered staring at her half closed eyes and her fingers clenching into a fist and thinking they were adorable. Now all I'm left with is close friends… She then had plopped her head down on the table, and he could not help but pat her small head.

Another moment, she was tucking at her coat sleeve. There was an ugly scar that couldn't be removed, she had said. Percy remembered her fingers, hands, and arms trembling. When he had tried to touch her, to stop her trembling by any sort of consolation, she had flinched and looked up, her eyes full of fear, not recognizing him at all. He remembered that she had pulled out a wooden stick out of a hidden pocket and aimed it at him. You bitch! She had shouted. After a several minutes of struggle to make her recognize him, Hermione had sat back down and cried for ten minutes.

Then the bartender came over and told them the pub was about to be closed. He remembered looking around and discovering that they were the only two customers left. He had to half carry Hermione out of the pub. She stirred and woke up from her previous daze, still managing to look quite beautiful under the moonlight, and began to giggle. Alright! That's been a fun night! I'd best go home now, kind sir! Good night, everyone, good night! Percy remembered not being able to hold in his laughter as she waved at parked cars and passers by. "I love New York, They all love me here!" she exclaimed as she blew kisses to an unsuspecting bus driver. He could not possibly let go of her hand in this state. Then she pouted, fine, Sir Knight in shining armor, if you must! But I'll lead the way. It's down this street. She said matter of factly, as if we didn't live in the same building. Then she had really marched forward, and he remembered her tugging at his hand to catch up with her and realizing he had only after he did.

He also remembered weird camera sounds. There was a burst of light followed by a shutter noise. Hermione had noticed too, and he and she both had turned around to check what it was. He remembered looking down at her face, the squinting eyes and thinking, oh boy, I'm seriously screwed, because even the wrinkles on her nose was cute now. In the end, they both had ignored whatever that was behind them and continued walking, hand in hand. Percy remembered the warm, fuzzy sensation inside him when he also realized that Hermione had not puller her hand out of his.

Then when they had reached the stairs to her doorway, that was when his head was cleared entirely. Hermione was standing under the softly glowing of hallway her face and her bronze curls felt surreal to his dazed eyes. She smiled shyly, playing with a strand of her hair and putting it behind her ear. He remembered not wanting to admit it but admitting it at that moment that he might have just fallen for her. She swung the linked hands gently back and forth, and he had looked down at his shoes because he truly wished for the night to last longer. But he looked back up at her and tried his best to bid her goodbye. She was quite drunk and most likely would not remember their time together in the morning. He remembered offering her a last smile, as she was biting her lips, before she pulled him close and pressed her lips on his.

Surprised, his head had gone white and blank for a moment. Hermione lifted her lips, worries and doubt apparent in the furrows between her brows, as she searched his eyes for a kind of confirmation. As clear as his head was, one look at her eyes and her lips, Percy had been drawn to kiss her himself this time. They had kissed and kissed, him holding Hermione and carrying her up the stairs and Hermione digging through her bag and opening the door with her key.

The rest of the night till dawn, they explored each other's body with everything they had. He remembered trailing down a certain line from her lips through her neck to her shoulders and her rib cage. He remembered the intertwining fingers and the heated embraces. He remembered the whispers and the moans. He remembered all.

He woke up from the rustle of the bed sheets. He was facing down, his back to the ceiling, and he felt movement to his right. He saw a curved line of a bare back. She was sitting up, and he heard her whispering, bloody hell.

Percy realized that Hermione probably had no recollection of their intercourse last night. She was too drunk. So he closed his eyes and shifted his body, pretending to be still asleep but definitely making some noise so that Hermione would know he was about to be awake. He waited for her reaction.

He heard a quiet gasp and a hasty rustling. He felt the bed sheet pulled up.

Hermione was also playing the pretending game.

He moved around a bit more to make his rise more natural and finally sat up. He stretched and yawned, intentionally loudly, and looked down at Hermione. She was hiding under the cover. Percy let out a soft chuckle because Hermione, honestly, that's too noticeable.

Hermione, hidden under the bedsheet, began to think. Her head had never worked so hard before (actually that was a lie, but nevertheless). She tried going back to the moment she was drinking alone at the pub... Damn!