A Blooming of Possibilities

Summer was in full bloom at Hogwarts, making everything smell light and floral. Hope would miss this little stretch of time because soon, the term would start again, and students would return to the castle. Some familiar, some new. It was exciting, yet at the same time, a little disappointing. Much of her summer had consisted of all-consuming thoughts and life-endangering incidents.

Still, it could be worse.

She could be without her memories, wondering about all the secrets the universe kept from her. At least now she knew.

At least now, she could make choices with a clear frame of mind.

Hope gazed up at the sunlight that dappled through fluttering leaves above. She was nestled in a cozy spot of the Forbidden Forest. Not all of the place was doom and gloom, and it just so happened she'd found a small meadow with soft grass to lounge in. 

She loved Newt and Albus, but sometimes, she liked the solidarity of being within nature with no one but herself and the trees. Newt was the same with his creatures in his case, and Albus with his books in his study. 

"Newt said I'd find you here," Albus smiled with his hands in his smart gray suit pockets as he walked toward her through the tall, wavy grass, "and here you are."

Hope looked over but didn't move any other part of her body. She was far too comfortable for that.

"Here I am." She smiled, meeting his twinkling blue gaze that, to this day, could send the warmest chills down her spine.

Watching Albus lower himself to the ground, he sat cross-legged beside her. His fingers found bits of her hair - that had grown significantly longer in the last months - and lightly curled a piece around his finger, nodding his head. "It's quite peaceful." 

"Hm," Hope murmured with a nod and a smile, looking up at the bits of sky peaking through the shady canopy, "it might be my new favorite spot." The swish of leaves in all directions and the constant babbling of a nearby brook made everything seem slower. Sleepy. As if she'd eaten an entire batch of brownies that contained a little more than just sugar.

She turned her gaze back to him. "You were looking for me?"

Albus offered a crooked smile as his finger played with the sleeve hem of her white blouse. That, with the black skin-tight pants she had on and bare feet, made Hope more resemble a pirate than a Witch.

"I have an offer for you, well," he chuckled, correcting himself, "the Ministry has an offer for you."

"Oh?" Hope asked, raising a brow as she sat up a little. "I swear if the word Registry comes out of your mouth…" The very notion of the word made her skin crawl with annoyance. 

His laughter boomed as he shook his head, making a few crows fly from their hidden branches. "No, actually, as it turns out, they feel increasingly guilty for everything that happened with Syliva and the Poachers that pretended to be Auror's. When Theseus told them you had been killed by Sylvia and that it was a miracle you'd been able to revive, they've since increased security and have added more rigid protocol for new Auror's."

"Ah, I see; now they want to kiss my ass because their negligence in security was a contributing factor to me being killed."

"Precisely."

Hope nodded and shrugged, saying with a wave of her hand. "Let them kiss away." She laid back down again, resting her arms under her head.

Chuckling, his fingers brushed along her hip. "They've asked me to offer you a new position at Hogwarts."

Her eyes flicked to his face so fast it blurred her vision. "A new position?" She sat up, her palms starting to sweat. While she was excited at the prospect of trying something new, she didn't know how much she cared for the idea of leaving Newt and the beasts.

Albus nodded, his blue eyes scorching hers.

"Hm, they'd like to know if you'd be interested in becoming the new Muggle Studies Professor."

Hope raised her eyebrows and sat up a little straighter. "Muggle Studies?" She wasn't sure what she'd been expecting, but it hadn't been that.

"Seeing as you are a bit of a history buff and you've been around Muggles most of your life, they see you as very qualified to teach the subject."

Hope?

A Professor?

That sounded…

"Hope," Albus interrupted her racing thoughts; she met his gaze as he continued, "You can say no if you want to. I don't want you to feel obligated if it's not something you want."

"It sounds… intriguing," Hope shrugged, "and, I mean, you're right. It would be something I'm good at. I've never not lived around humans. Muggles, whatever. That would be the start of this term?"

Albus nodded with a small smile.

Taking another moment to imagine herself teaching students about the other side of the human race, she finally nodded with a grin. "I think that sounds like an adventure I want for myself."

She wondered if Albus had secretly hoped she'd say yes because his grin was filled with enough relief and joy to make her insides tingle.

"I'm delighted," he leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss against her lips, "you'll do amazing. You do well with the students, and I know you like being challenged."

"In certain contexts, yes."

Albus gave her a look that flashed something dark through his eyes but smiled. "I'm going to have my hands full this year, aren't I…" he murmured more to himself.

"Yes," Hope grinned and leaned forward to capture his lips in another tender kiss, "Yes, you will." 

Her fingers lightly stroked through his beard, down his jaw, and to his neck, where her hands rested on his shoulders. "I think we should celebrate."

"Do you?" He asked, smiling as he placed his hands on her hips, thumbs stroking under her shirt to caress the skin beneath. "What did you have in mind?"

With a light laugh, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him forward, using her body to guide him down on top of her. His mouth moved freely then, traveling across her cheek and down the length of her neck.

Hope let out a soft sigh as she rested her head back, closing her eyes as she basked in the sensation of his beard against her throat.

Deftly, they undressed each other. Moving at a leisurely pace so that when one item of clothing was removed, kisses devoured the new exposed spot.

Albus hooked a finger around her soaked panties and slowly pulled down, meeting her eyes as he removed the last piece of cloth that separated them. Hope didn't look away even as he lowered his head between her thighs, and his scorching tongue glided through her pink, dripping folds. 

Her eyes rolled back, and her hips arched upward, but his hands pressed her firmly to the earth. "Hm…" she murmured in a soft sigh, resting her arms above her head as she ground herself lightly against his mouth, trying to entice him to stroke the one spot that screamed for attention. 

Looking down at him, her skin flushed pink, she bit her lip with a smile.

"How do I taste?"

Albus glanced up with a light chuckle, his lips and dark beard glistening as he trailed a line of kisses to her mouth.

"You tell me." He murmured, capturing her lips in a slow kiss. Their tongues wrestled harmoniously as she sucked him to the back of her throat.

She felt him guide his tip to her entrance and then the slow stretch of him pushing his way into her. 

Hope gasped softly against his lips, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. She dug her nails into his back as he pushed further, filling her completely. The squeeze was tight at first, but after letting herself relax, she could feel the simple pleasure of being full. 

She moaned softly as he began to move his hips. The soft brush of hair below his waist and the soft grass against her sensitive skin made an involuntary shiver run up her spine, sending goosebumps all over her body.

Hope opened her eyes as a thumb brushed against her bottom lip. She was met with his intoxicatingly deep gaze. Their breath came quicker as their hips worked harder, moving together in synchronized thrusts. 

The sound of her own heartbeat thundered in her ears as the pressure built with each thrust. Heat flushed her skin, making her hair cling to the damp sections of her neck and face.

Before she could give her body permission, she was coming around him in harsh waves. Her eyes squeezed tightly shut, and her jaw dropped as she sucked in a voiceless gasp. Pounding waves of pleasure enveloped her like ocean waves in a storm, her hot channel convulsively milking his cock.

Hope's fingers dug into the earth below as she whined, her voice breaking at the end with a soft squeak.

With her chest heaving, Albus pressed his forehead against hers, his own orgasm raking through him in shaking trembles. While Hope was still riding on her climax high, Albus peppered her body with soft kisses. Not leaving a single spot untouched by his swollen lips.

"Hope," he murmured, stroking her cheek gently, "look."

Carefully, she opened her eyes, the sun suddenly seeming too bright. It was the scent she caught first that surprised her. An almost overwhelming floral scent, practically bathing her in soft fragrance.

Blinking, she searched around them, gasping as she took in the sight.

The meadow that had once been filled with only soft grass was now filled with wildflowers. Blooming colors of red and yellow, blue and purple, all came together to make a heavenly little circle, depicting their moment of love.

"You never cease to surprise me," Albus murmured, gliding his thumb along her jaw.

Hope practically purred but slowly shook her head. She picked a little purple aster flower and held it to her nose.

"Not me," she smiled softly, "us."