19

How Can A Hug Be Suggestive?

"And you're certain?" Dumbledore asked wearily.

"I saw it myself." Alastor Moody said gruffly. "Four Aurors dead. Don't know how they managed it. I know they've got their spies, but only a few people were supposed to know about those places Al. Amelia's looking into it, but it isn't gonna change nothing. The Malfoys got their kid back."

"Damn it." Dumbledore said, pounding his fist on his desk. "If Voldemort knows of one, he likely knows where the rest of our detention areas are."

"Except the ones we put under the fidelius for high security prisoners." Remus Lupin reminded them.

"Which are perfectly safe as we haven't got any high security prisoners." Sirius added bitterly. "We were close Albus. Damn fucking close. We nearly had the rat. But in all the chaos, the coward slipped away again."

"He won't evade us forever. Our circle is closing." Dumbledore sighed. "However, this will all be for nothing if we don't find the rest of the artifacts and destroy them."

"Any word on that?" Remus looked up.

"No. Mister Weasley's negotiations are ongoing at this point. He feels the goblins are purposefully stalling, likely holding out until we are desperate enough to give them whatever they ask for."

"And the other two?" Sirius wondered.

"I believe one is in the possession of the Lucius Malfoy." Dumbledore sighed. "I am certain as one of Lord Voldemort's most trusted and influential lieutenants, he would have gifted one of his Horcruxes to Lucius. Just as I am certain that one rests in the vaults at Gringotts. Voldemort would have wanted to reward his faithful, though he never would have told them just what it was he gave them."

"That seems so stupid." Sirius remarked. " They could have sold them, or lost them or something."

"I doubt that very much." Dumbledore said as he sat back to look at the three men responsible for raising and training their best chance for ending the war. "But that isn't for us to speculate over. We need to get inside Malfoy manor and find the artifact."

"We don't even know what it is." Moody grumbled.

"No, but I think it will be easy to find it. Just as with the Ring, and the Diadem, it will feel most foul. The magic emanating from it will be the most vile, most atrocious."

"So, how do we get into the house?' Remus asked.

"Maybe we don't need to." Sirius said thoughtfully. Everyone turned to look at him giving one of the most heinous smiles.

"All we need to do is find it, and set it on fire." Sirius smirked.

"Fire?" Remus looked puzzled.

"Fiendfyre, to be exact." Sirius grinned. "It's one of only a few things that can destroy those things right? It'll take far too long to search the house, and there's no guarantee Lucius won't have moved it before then. But we know there could be loads of foul things hidden in that house. Likely much of it looted from my parents' place while I was away. So... why waste the time and effort."

"Ah ha ha!" Moody threw his head back and laughed. "Oh I like your style lad. Tracking the house shouldn't prove too difficult wither, and we might manage to get our hands on a few stray Death Eaters as well. It's a good plan."

"Fiendfyre is very dangerous, and takes an immense amount of control." Dumbledore warned. He looked at the three eager faces and sighed heavily. "And while I strongly suspect the Horcrux lies within the walls of Malfoy Manor, I am not one hundred percent positive. But then again... we have little choice. Very well. Though, I ask that you try to keep the body count as low as possible, and capture anyone you can. The information we could can would be invaluable."

"Yes." Sirius pumped his fist and Moody laughed again. Remus remained stoic, though he did give a small smile. Dumbledore looked at them all in turn before holding up his hands.

"That leaves only one more, and I believe our French contact has found it. However, they refuse to meet anywhere but Paris. They also refuse to meet with me personally."

"We'll go." Sirius said, looking ready to take the first international portkey to Paris.

"I'm afraid our contact is a bit nervous, and your reputation precedes you, Sirius. In fact, She has stated that she does not wish to meet with almost everyone I trust to retrieve the item. She believes Death Eaters are already beginning to infiltrate her country and doesn't want to bring our war to her homeland until there is no choice. I agree."

"So, how do we find out for sure if she actually found one of these damned things?" Moody grumbled, taking a swig from his flask.

"I have come up with a solution. As Remus is the most respectful looking of the three of you, I would like him to go, along with young Miss Tonks. They can pose as a couple on holiday, and meet our contact. Remus will need to disguise himself, and Tonks can…" Dumbledore said looking to Remus who began shaking his head.

"Have you forgotten that new policy the French government has enacted regarding werewolves?" Remus reminded the headmaster.

"Ah, yes... To protect its citizens... Werewolves must be screened...Right." Dumbledore grumbled.

"They have those lunar detector things," Moody snarled. "Whatever they call them, and it's hard as hell to make an international portkey without the Travel offices help."

"Yes." Dumbledore said, looking dejected. "Yes, without the receiving countries assistance, such a thing could go horribly wrong."

"I'm a decent swimmer, but if I wind up in the middle of the Atlantic, I don't think I could make it back, even with apparition." Remus joked.

A thick silence fell as Dumbledore tried to find a way around France's new policies. Tensions between the two countries had become tense since the Tri-Wizard Tournament. France's Minister of Magic had been very angry that the French champion had not emerged victorious, despite the fact the technically no one had won, as the Hogwarts champion had died. Not to mention, he was somewhat prejudiced against half breeds.

"What about the kid?" Moody spoke up. "He can take his bird, and the cover still works."

"Whoa!" Sirius stood up looking scandalized. "You want to send Harry on a mission on his own?"

"I do not think it would be appropriate..." Dumbledore began, but it was Remus who stepped in.

"Hermione's of age, and Harry's far more mature and responsible than any other boy his age." The werewolf said. "Besides, it isn't like we can stop nature. If those two really care for each other, they're going to do what comes naturally anyway. This is our best option right now."

"So it would seem." Moody agreed.

"No, I don't like it." Sirius said emphatically.

"Because you're having trouble letting go, lad." Moody argued. "Face it, the kid's grown up, and there ain't anything more we can teach him."

"Send Tonks with him at least." Sirius started but Moody and Remus both threw their heads back in laughter.

"Are you out of your mind?" Remus stuttered over his mirth.

"Tonks would eat him alive. She's said half a million times she'd love the chance to educate the kid proper like. She wants to bed him first. Has since she met him. Kid's got a strong will, but the moment she dropped her top, he'd be putty and bloody useless to us as well. She'd scare the kid into uselessness." Moody pointed out. "Better the Granger girl. She'd at least ease the kid into manhood."

"Alright, I think that's enough of that sort of talk." Dumbledore said looking a bit nauseous.

"Sending Harry is a good idea. Our contact would likely be very receptive of him, and Harry isn't likely to be distracted to badly. Alastor is correct as well. Two young people on holiday is a strong cover. Remus is also correct in that we cannot stop nature."

"Albus, we have plenty of people who could do this." Sirius pleaded. Dumbledore shook his head.

"Most of our people would be missed should they up and leave, even for just a few days." Dumbledore pointed out. "And besides... I owe Harry for what happened a few weeks ago."

"You were protecting him." Sirius stated but Dumbledore didn't agree.

"Harry doesn't think so. I need to earn his trust back." Dumbledore sighed. "He's been trained well, Sirius. You did a fine job. It's now time for us to allow him to spread his wings. This is the easiest and likely least complicated mission we can send him on. I have every confidence that he will not only be successful, but he will also keep Miss Granger safe. You shall focus all your efforts in finding the Malfoy home, and carrying out our mission. Until next week, then."

Sirius knew he'd been dismissed and grumbled loudly as he led Remus out of the office. Moody remained behind for a moment.

"I just wanted you to know Al... the kid was right. Little Draco should have been dealt with before. Now that' he's free again, and he's got dozens of willing tutors... every death is on your head." Moody said before turning and limping out of the office. Dumbledore could only watch the retreating form of his oldest friend.

Hermione still couldn't believe it. Even as she was being led out of the castle with Harry holding her hand, and a bag of clothing and travel necessities slung over her shoulder with clothes for the weekend, she still couldn't believe that she was going on a mission like some sort of spy.

She hadn't been able to believe it when Dumbledore called the two of them to his office Wednesday night. She was certain they were in trouble or something. So when Dumbledore asked her how her French was, she was quite puzzled, to say the least.

Dumbledore had gone on to explain that the Order of the Phoenix had a friend in France who was certain she had located an item that would aid them in finishing the war, but she was afraid to meet with Order members for fear of bringing the war to her homeland. The headmaster went on to explain that he wished for Harry to go, and that it would be best if he were to have a companion along.

Hermione had had troubled containing her enthusiasm. Harry hadn't even tried to discourage her from going on a mission. In fact, he seemed happy to have her along. Harry took her aside Thursday and explained that he wasn't worried, as there should be no combat at all. It was a simple meeting, and possible retrieval mission. He said that it would be nice to get out of the castle with her again, and Hermione agreed whole heartedly.

They had been briefed the previous night in the Headmaster's office all about their mission. The location for the initial meeting had been changed from Paris to a small coastal town called Lorient. They would be posing as young lovers on holiday. That wasn't a stretch at all as far as Hermione was concerned. Especially as she and Harry were young lovers.

They were to meet their contact at noon on Saturday at Bistrot Du Boucher, where they would accompany their contact to Paris where they would locate and retrieve, if necessary, the artifact.

Hermione wasn't told much more than that. It was stressed that they would remain in France until Sunday afternoon, and should do all they could to appear as normal tourists when not in Paris. This made Hermione smile for a few reasons. The first and most important was that she and Harry were going to be completely alone for nearly three days. Three days in a hotel room with her boyfriend, with no parents, no teachers, and no other nosy students.

"Are you certain you have everything?" Dumbledore asked when they got to the Hogs Head pub, a dirty, ramshackle building that looked ready to fall over at any moment.

Hermione nodded, patting her coat pocket where her fake passport and other documents were. Harry also nodded.

"Good. Now, there should be very few people within the Ministry this morning, so you should have no difficulty in getting to the International travel office and take your portkey. If anything goes wrong, Harry, you know what to do." Dumbledore looked to Harry who gave a nod.

"Yes sir." Harry said flatly.

"Very well, I shall see you both Sunday at five. Good luck." Dumbledore said, opening the door to let them in. Hermione noticed the barman give Dumbledore a foul look, though he nodded in greeting. Dumbledore led them to the fireplace where Harry took a handful of floo powder and threw it into the fire before stepping in and calling his destination. Hermione followed seconds later and in a flash, stumbled out of the fire and into Harry's waiting arms at the Ministry.

"I hate floo travel." Hermione muttered.

"I do too." Harry nodded. "Apparition is much faster, but nothing beats a broom."

"Oh, no thank you." Hermione shook her head.

"You don't like brooms?" Harry asked, taking her hand and leading her to the travel office."

"I don't like heights." Hermione replied.

They walked in the nearly deserted atrium of the Ministry before reaching the lifts. Harry called for one, and stepped back. Hermione grasped his hand in both of hers, smiling uncontrollably. Harry noticed and smiled in return.

"So what part of this has you so excited?" Harry asked.

"You mean besides getting out of the castle for the weekend and spending some real quality time with my boyfriend without a million people watching everything we do?"

Hermione said, getting closer to Harry who leaned forward and kissed her cheek.

"Is this one of those chances to explore our feelings more, like you've been saying?"

Harry asked and Hermione nodded. "I still don't know what that means."

"Don't worry." Hermione smiled playfully. "I'll be able to explain it real well later."

Harry just shook his head as the lift opened and the two entered. Minutes later they were presenting their passports to a haggard looking man with a salt and pepper beard and narrow blue eyes. He inspected their travel vouchers and when he was satisfied everything was in order, stamped their passports and handed them back before asking them to follow him.

"Here you are." He said in a rough scratchy voice as he handed a dinner plate size disc to the two of them and pulled out his wand. "Enjoy your trip. Portus."

Hermione felt the telltale tug behind her navel as the portkey activated. A few dizzying minutes later, and Hermione found herself sprawled on a marble floor where two young French women tittered merrily. Harry, ever the gentleman helped her to her feet and led her to the two ladies and handed them their portkey.

"Identification?" The taller of the two women asked with a heavy French accent. She had long brown hair, down in a braid, and striking brown eyes. She was eyeing Harry predatorily, which made Hermione want to scratch the woman's eyes out. The other woman, a strawberry blonde seemed to notice Hermione's ire, and tittered again.

Just as before, their passports were stamped and handed back. They were then directed to the fastest way out of the travel office and into town where they could get a taxi to their hotel. Harry thanked them, though Hermione just glared making the ladies snicker again.

"Tramps." Hermione thought as Harry took her hand and led them out into the city.

It was still very early, but the sun was up now, and the town of Lorient was waking up. Hermione could smell fresh bread and was sure they were near a bakery. There were a few cars abut, and scooters as well. Hermione turned and found the Magical Travel office was disguised as a shady looking bar, with a foreclosure sign on the door.

A car pulled up, and Hermione turned to find that Harry had hailed a taxi for them. She slipped her bag off her shoulder and got in, with Harry following. Hermione asked the driver to take them to their hotel, and the man, a bald older man with beady eyes, and no front teeth nodded and turned the car around.

The town was quite pretty. There was a prevalent scent of the ocean in the air, and Hermione wondered what the beaches were like, and if Harry would enjoy them. Though it was still pretty chilly, and she doubted she'd strip down to a swimsuit. But… they could always come back one day, right?

"Wow." Hermione said when they arrived. The hotel was rather nice, though not quite a four star resort. Harry paid the driver of the cab, then took Hermione's bag from her, and led them inside. It was quite lovely, and Hermione could see guests entering the lobby where a wonderful smelling breakfast was being laid out.

"Reservations for Black." Harry said to the woman at the reception desk.

"Yes, Mister Black." The woman, a heavy set woman with curly short black hair and a bright friendly smile. "I have you for two nights, correct?"

"Yes." Harry nodded.

"Here are your room keys. Did you drive?" The woman asked. Harry shook his head. The women smiled and handed Harry a tourist guide and set a registry in front of him to sign. When he'd paid, and signed the registry, he turned to find Hermione looking at the people eating.

"Come on Angel." He said in a soft whisper. Let's take our bags up, and then we can get something to eat."

Hermione nodded, and took Harry's hand. They had a room on the seventh floor, which was small, but cozy. Harry quickly made his way through the room, inspecting it."

"Harry, the only escape route is through the window, even I can see that." Hermione chastised as she opened her bag to place her toiletries in the bathroom.

"Well that could be a bad thing. There isn't a swimming pool to jump into if we have to get out quick." Harry smirked making Hermione shake her head.

"I don't know if I should let you and my dad watch so many action movies anymore." She smiled.

"Hey, Lethal Weapon Two was amazing." Harry retorted.

"Shut up." Hermione grinned as she ran to her boyfriend, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him soundly. She shivered at the feeling of his hands going to her hips. Immediately she began to imagine him pushing her back onto the bed, and slipping his hands underneath her jumper.

"Hungry?" Harry asked, breaking her out of her daydream. She smiled softly and nodded.

Breakfast was light, consisting mostly of pastry, fruit and juice. However there were some eggs and bacon as well. Harry chose a corner table where he could see everything. Hermione couldn't help but give a little smile. Even while acting like they were on vacation, he couldn't help be a soldier.

"What should we do next?" Hermione asked, breaking apart a croissant.

"Well, our orders are too appear as tourists. The woman gave me a guide, so we can look through it and figure something to do today. Though I've really got to say this feels strange." Harry admitted, looking to Hermione, who looked a little worried.

"Strange how?" She asked.

"I've never gone on holiday before. Anytime I went anywhere, there was an objective. I mean, I know we have something to do, but usually it's get in, get it done, get out. You know?" Harry asked. Hermione gave him a reassuring smile.

"Harry, this is what life is supposed to be like." She said gently. "People, having fun, enjoying their day without worrying about objectives, or maneuvers or anything like that. I mean, have you ever thought about what you'll do after the war is over?"

"Until recently, not really. But lately…" Harry said, sitting back in his chair to look at her.

"Lately what?" She pressed.

"I don't know what I'll do when Voldemort is finished. But I… I want you to be there with me." He said. Hermione's gaze softened. She reached across the table to take his hand.

"I'll be there as long as you want me to be." Hermione said, touched by his words. "I'd love to be with you, whatever you decide to do."

Harry didn't smile. Instead he looked troubled.

"What is it?" She asked.

"There's something I've wanted to ask you for a little while, but we haven't been alone, and I didn't want to embarrass you again or anything."

Hermione felt her chest begin to tighten as she stared back at Harry.

"I mean, it's really important, but… well, I got the impression it should be a private conversation. But, I really need to ask you.

"Um…" Hermione felt herself getting hot, and began to fan her face a bit. Surely he couldn't be talking about what she thought he was talking about. Not that she had a problem with it. But they hadn't even been together three months just yet, and they were still quite young, not to mention still in school. On the other hand, Hermione was certain she was falling for Harry and the idea of being with him was just so intoxicating.

"But, he still had no clue what love was, right?" Hermione thought. Sure he could have figured it out, or perhaps Neville had filled his head with more nonsense. Hermione would have to slap her friend upside the head when they got back for embarrassing Harry like that.

"Ok, well…" Hermione said, her voice trembling.

"What do you consider cheating?" Harry asked.

Hermione felt herself deflate, and she found she couldn't say anything at all. Had she really just assumed he was going to propose to her out of the blue like that? What the hell was the matter with her?!

"W-what?" She managed.

"When Lavender and Ron broke up, she admitted to cheating on him. I get that it's bad, and I don't think I'd appreciate it if you did it to me, and I'm sure you'd want to hex my bits off if I ever cheated on you. But I'm unclear as to what constitutes cheating. Neville said that it varies from person to person, and I wanted to be clear, because I don't ever want to hurt you Hermione. So… what do you consider cheating."

"Gods Harry, that's a complicated subject. I mean, well obviously any sort of affectionate physical contact with another girl would be cheating." Hermione replied, still trying to push down her embarrassment over assuming Harry was about to propose to her.

"Then I have cheated." Harry looked crestfallen. "Lavender hugs me all the time and…"

"No, no. That's okay." Hermione corrected. "Lavender hugging you is okay."

"But you said any affectionate…" Harry started and Hermione nodded.

"It's like magic Harry. It's about intent. Lavender's hugs are friendly. She's your friend, so she hugs you. But if she intended more… like she wanted you to be her boyfriend, she would hug you differently... more… suggestively."

"How can you be more suggestive with a hug?" Harry wondered. Hermione sighed, and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Let's come back to that." She said, Harry nodded and Hermione took a breath. "Cheating is about intent. So, anything you do with another girl with the intent of being intimate, or physical in romantic way is cheating. Remember how I went out with Cormac.."

Harry's eyes narrowed and Hermione felt a wave of bitterness roll off her boyfriend.

"Ok, well, if we had been going out at the time I went to the party with him, I would have been cheating. Even though I went as friends with him, it would still be wrong, as it hurt you. I am committed to being with you. I could go out with a friend who I is a guy, and you could do the same with a girl, but…"

"Now you're contradicting yourself." Harry said, and Hermione sighed again. She tried twice more to say something, but she quickly realized each time it would likely confuse him further.

"Why do you ask such complicated questions?" She said after a moment.

"Neville asked the same thing." Harry smirked.

"How about this… Let's make a pact that we always remain completely truthful with one another. If you want to go hang out with someone, you tell me, and if I'm uncomfortable with it, I'll tell you and vice versa. We can talk about it when it comes up, and deal with it together. There's far too many ways a person can cheat on someone to discuss, and it is really complicated."

"Ok." Harry agreed. "But… can you show me what you meant when you said hug suggestively?"

Hermione felt her face go scarlet.

"Later, Harry." She hissed.

It had been an amazing day. It was no wonder she felt so tired.

Hermione slipped off her shoes, and countered the transfiguration she'd done on her trainers to turn them into sexy strappy high heels. She rubbed her feet softly, smiling at the reason they were so sore.

Harry and Hermione had spent the day walking all over Lorient, taking in the sights. Harry had been fascinated by the marina and all the sail boats. They'd spent an hour talking with an older man all about sailing. Harry was so enthusiastic that the man had ended up inviting them out for a bit of sailing.

The elder man, Jean-Claude, had truly enjoyed taking the young lovers out on the sea. Jean-Claude was a retired salesman who'd dreamt his whole life of buying a sail boat, which he'd managed only the year before. His father had been a fisherman, and Jean-Claude admitted he'd hated fishing, but loved the sea.

Jean-Claude even allowed Harry to steer for a bit, which Hermione was excited to see made Harry smile even bigger than when he'd seen his first movie. When they got back to dock, Harry invited Jean-Claude to join them for dinner in payment for such a fantastic morning. Jean-Claude had accepted, and said his wife would love a night without cooking.

The afternoon was spent wandering through shops, which had been quite fun. Hermione loved spending time with Harry like this. Seeing him discover new things was so fun for her. He was always so calm about it, though she could see in his eyes what captured his interests.

They returned to the hotel to change into proper dinner clothes, as Jean-Claude had suggested a nice place for them to meet at. Hermione transfigured her jeans and jumper into a modest, yet sexy black dress with matching high heels, and a elegant blazer. Harry went for a nice suit, black of course.

Jean-Claude and his wife, Monique met the young couple just outside of the restaurant.

Jean-Claude greeted them as if they were old friends, while Monique was a bit more reserved. Hermione wondered if she maybe thought that she and Harry were con artists or something. Why else would a young couple invite complete strangers to dinner.

However, as the night went on, the older woman relaxed, and became much more friendly. She shared a few stories about how she and her husband met and fell in love, which made both Hermione and Harry laugh as it was quite the tale of courtship.

Dinner was delicious, of course, but it was what came after dinner that had Hermione rubbing her feet, and smiling like a buffoon.

The restaurant had a piano player, and a dance floor. Harry had needed little coaxing from Jean-Claude to take Hermione out for a dance that turned to two and so on. They had had so much fun, that they hadn't noticed their companions leave, much less pay for dinner.

Hermione had felt a little guilty, but she remembered Monique telling her how much she and Harry reminded her of how she and her husband had been so many years ago. Harry agreed that they would leave some money on Jean-Claude's boat along with a note of thanks before they left town.

"Do you want me to do that?" Harry asked.

Hermione looked up, a little lost by what he had asked, until he indicated her feet. She smiled and shook her head.

"You don't have to." She smiled.

Harry sat on the bed next to her, and took her feet, placing them in his lap. Hermione couldn't help but moan softly as Harry began to rub lightly.

"You looked really nice tonight." He said gently. He turned to look at her, her favorite smile on his face.

"So did you." She replied.

"You look a little tired." Harry noted, and Hermione nodded.

"I can't remember having such a good day. Except that night we first kissed. That was pretty good." She grinned. Harry nodded. They were silent for a bit save for a few nearly inaudible purrs from Hermione as Harry massaged her tired feet.

As she watched her boyfriend, Hermione remembered that they were alone, in a hotel room, with no fear of being walked in on, or interrupted in anyway. She smiled as every fantasy she'd had about Harry came rushing to the forefront of her mind. She sat up suddenly, slipping her legs out of Harry's lap. She was kneeling on the bed beside him, looking at him pointedly. Harry simply returned her stare, though she could tell he had no idea what she was trying to tell him through her look.

She thought for a brief moment about trying to tell him what she wanted to happen now, but she remembered every conversation they had ever had about becoming intimate. It always left her embarrassed and ready to bolt from the room. She knew she was going to have to get more comfortable with talking about intimacy especially as she wanted to be more intimate. However, this wasn't the time for talking.

"I'd better just show him." She thought.

Slowly, she leaned into him, kissing him. She sighed into his mouth as he brought his hands up to the small of her back. She could feel the tips of his fingers on her flesh of her bare back, as her dress had been very low cut in the back. She shivered at his touch, relishing in the electricity she felt from his fingertips.

She broke the kiss and looked into his emerald pools.

"Harry, I want us to take things a bit further tonight than just kissing. But I need to trust you, alright?" She asked softly, her voice a husky whisper.

"Alright." He said, staring back at her.

"If I say stop, we stop, okay?" She asked.

"What do you… what's going to…" Harry began to ask but Hermione placed a finger on his lips.

"If I say stop… we stop. Okay?" She asked again. Harry nodded, though he clearly had no clue what she was talking about. It didn't matter, he would soon.

Slowly Hermione pushed him back on their bed, falling with him so she wound up on top of him. She began to kiss him again, her fingers running slowly through his short black hair. She began to kiss him tenderly along his jaw line. She could feel his heartbeat in his chest, and smiled as it began to speed up a bit.

She kissed up his neck, and softly nibbled his earlobe.

"Harry, but I want you to touch me." She whispered. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and she knew she was more nervous than she had ever been in her life, but she wanted this. She wanted things to progress tonight.

"I am." He replied, tapping a few fingers on the small of her back. Hermione smiled to herself before she sucked on his lobe again. She reached down and slowly guided his hands onto her bum. She felt his whole body stiffen underneath her.

"It's ok Harry." She whispered. "I want you to do this. Just be gentle."

For a moment, nothing happened, save for a bit more snogging. And then, to Hermione immense delight, Harry began to softly squeeze. Encouraged by his boldness, Hermione continued kissing his neck and jaw, and especially his lips. Slowly Harry became a bit bolder, and he began to rub her backside a bit more. Hermione wanted to squeal with delight, and then she did.

Harry had followed her lead, and began kissing her neck, and when he nipped at her exposed collarbone, Hermione's eyes rolled back, and she let out a long slow moan of pleasure. She felt her body reacting to their activities, and began to think of how far she wanted to take things. She decided that she wasn't quite ready to give herself completely yet, but she was ready for quite a bit of exploration.

Slowly she began to unbutton Harry's shirt. An image of Harry standing in the bathroom of her parents' home, fresh from the shower popped into her mind, and she grinned to herself, knowing that she would be touching that very chest that had haunted her most erotic dreams in just seconds.

It was better than she imagined. His skin was soft, impossibly soft, though his muscles were rock hard. He was so warm as well. Hermione continued kissing her boyfriend, reveling in his taste and scent.

Harry had removed his hands from her backside, and had taken to gently stroking his fingers on her bare back along her spine. It was sending chills through her body, and affecting her in her most private areas in a most delicious manner.

"Take this off." Hermione whispered heavily, tugging at Harry's shirt now that she had it nearly all the way undone. He did as she asked, practically tearing his shirt off. He'd had to sit up in order to get it off, and Hermione was straddling him now, her dress bunched around her hips. She took his face in her hands and kissed him deeply, her tongue caressing, and massaging his.

Her head was swimming with lust now. She'd been imagining doing this with Harry since Christmas when they had shared their very first kiss. Every single time they were together alone, she had wanted nothing more than to get closer to Harry. It was as if, once again, Fate was repaying her for a life of torment.

"Harry." Hermione moaned his name as he gently nipped at her neck. "Harry, give me your hands."

Harry pulled back a bit so he could look at Hermione. She took his offered hands, and with a look that begged for him to trust her, slowly placed each hand on her dress covered breasts. Harry's eyes bulged a bit, and he gulped rather audibly. Hermione just smiled at him, holding his gaze with her own, telling him with her eyes that he was fine, and that this was a good thing.

"Hermione, I…" Harry began to say, his voice husky and anxious.

"Shh." Hermione said quickly. She removed her hands from his and reached behind her neck, unfastening her dress. She removed his hands and let the top of her dress fall down.

Harry looked ready to run across the room, yet he was frozen in place staring at Hermione's chest. Again Hermione took his hands and placed them back upon her now bare breasts.

"It's ok, Harry. I want you to touch me." Hermione urged. Harry licked his lips and looked in her eyes questioningly. She gave him the softest of smiles even though her heart was hammering in her chest. She was sure he could feel it, but he was still staring at her confused and with growing lust in his eyes.

"But this…" Harry started, his voice trembling. Hermione had never once seen her boyfriend so scared, and it made her nervous, and thrilled all at once.

"Like this." Hermione instructed, moving his hands slowly over her tender flesh. She gasped as his callused hands brushed her stiffening nipples, sending shocks through her body to that most sacred of places between her legs. Harry started at her groan, but she held his hands in place.

"It's okay." She said shakily. "You're doing wonderfully."

Slowly Hermione leaned towards Harry and captured his lips, showing him that she was ok, and that she liked what was happening. Slowly she let go of his hands and wrapped her arms around his neck. She began to whimper softly as Harry started to knead her breasts tenderly, learning what she liked by focusing on the sounds she made. It also helped that she kept up a steady stream of whispered encouragement when her lips weren't attached to his.

Hermione wasn't sure when it started, but she realized a bit later that she had begun moving her hips against Harry as she began to feel a strange and thoroughly wonderful pressure building within her. She could feel Harry's own excitement separated by just three layers of clothing. His trousers, underwear, and her own moistening knickers. At some point she had somehow aligned herself perfectly so that she was sliding herself along Harry's own excitement. It was really starting to drive her crazy.

Hermione knew clinically what was happening to her. She had read about it all, and had heard girls talk about it when they hadn't realized she was around. But until this moment, she hadn't even really imagined what it might feel like. She began pressing herself into Harry more, trying to get more of him pressing into the right spot. He was kissing her shoulders now, both hands still exploring the soft firmness of her breasts. Her head fell back and she clung to his shoulders, rubbing herself a bit harder into him. She was beginning to moan with the pleasure of it.

And then she felt his mouth kissing the tops of her breasts, and the pressure in her belly rose. Her breathing became ragged, and she urged him on.

"That's good." She hissed as his lips pressed against her bare skin. "Keep going Harry."

He gave a soft grunt of acknowledgement and continued worshiping her with kisses. Her back arched suddenly and she gave the softest of cries when his tongue touched her left nipple. He started to pull away in fear that he'd hurt her, but Hermione clasped her arms around his neck and pressed him back to her chest, where his mouth clamped around her rose colored bud, and began to softly suckle.

"Oh, yes.' She whimpered. "Yes, keep going Harry. That's perfect."

She was grinding her hips into him now, the pressure building within her. She knew what was going to happen, and wanted it very badly. She had the perfect rhythm for herself now, and she was hitting the perfect spot. She wondered what it might feel like without anything between them. His hardness pressing into her womanhood. The thought was intoxicating.

"Harry." She panted, pulling him up for another searing kiss. "Harry, I think I'm getting close.' She gasped in his ear. "I think I'm getting so close…"

"Close to what?" Harry asked huskily. He began nipping at her neck, his teeth scraping against her throat deliciously.

"Oh gods Harry." Hermione whimpered as the pressure within her became stronger when he once again licked at her rock hard nipple. She quickened her grinding as the feeling intensified. She wasn't going to fight it, she wasn't afraid. She knew Harry wasn't going to disappear, or lose respect for her. There was nothing at all to worry about. She was in love, and Harry was making her feel like this. This wanted, this appreciated, this loved.

And then she felt it happen. Like a small explosion spreading from between her legs throughout her body.

She felt dizzy, and her muscles seized up as a wave crashed over her. Her thighs began to shake and her back arched. She threw her head back and let out a long guttural moan of ecstasy. She couldn't believe it. It was better than she could have ever imagined. Her first orgasm.

Harry held her tightly, looking at her fearfully. She began to relax after several minutes, and threw her arms around him where she began to cry softly. Harry, never liking it when Hermione cried, slowly laid back, wrapping his arms tightly around her bare back to hold her protectively.

"I'm sorry… I…" he began but Hermione shook her head, before lifting herself up to shower him with kisses.

"That was amazing.' She said between kisses. "That was so… just…I loved it."

"What happened?" Harry asked completely baffled by his girlfriend's behavior.

"You." Hermione smiled, wiping at her eyes. "You happened. I love you Harry."

"You do?" Harry looked startled.

"I do. I've known for a while, but I didn't… I was too scared to tell you. You don't have to feel the same. I know you're confused, and this is all new to you Harry, and I can wait for you to figure it out, but I need you to know that I am deeply in love with you."

"What just happened to you?" Harry asked, now looking very fearful. Hermione could only laugh and continue to kiss him.

"What we just did, it's only the beginning to what we can do Harry."

"Did we… Did we just have sex?" Harry asked a little nervously.

"Technically no." Hermione laughed softly, snuggling up to him, fitting her head in the crook of his neck. "But it was close. I had only intended for you to touch my chest, but things got… well everything felt so good, and I think my instincts just took over. Are you okay?"

"I think so." Harry shifted a bit, and Hermione could still feel his hardness. She suddenly felt very guilty, he was likely feeling a bit of pain if what she had read was to be believed. She wondered if she should try to do something to relieve him, but she was too afraid to ask, and wasn't sure how he would react to her taking off his pants.

On the other hand, it felt incredibly to be laying on top of him with nothing between them. Her breasts were pressed into his chest, and it felt like heaven. She thought it would be extremely good to have nothing at all between them, her flesh on his all night.

"Is this what you meant when you said we could show that we cared for each other physically?" Harry asked. Hermione couldn't help but give a light laugh as she nodded.

"This is exactly what I meant.' She replied.

"I think I liked it, but… it was a little scary. I thought I had hurt you a few times."

"But you didn't." She assured him. "You did amazing, and I want us to do more."

"Now?" Harry asked, sounding a little nervous. In reply, Hermione pushed herself up a bit and looked into his eyes. She bent down and kissed him, a long slow, emotional kiss.

"Do you trust me, Harry?" She asked when she broke the kiss. He stared into her eyes, a look she hadn't seen before. It was full of emotion, something Harry always managed to keep hidden. Slowly, he gave a single nod. This made her smile. She stood up, and let her dress fall to the floor. She stood before him, wearing only her black knickers, which were soaked now. She blushed a bit under his gaze, but smiled at him. She went to the wall and turned out the lights before turning back to him and telling him to take off his pants, and lay back on their bed.

Harry didn't move right away, but slowly he got up and kick off his shoes, and removed his pants and socks before getting back on the bed. When he was settled, Hermione climbed back onto the bed and curled up into his side where she began to kiss him again. Long slow soft kisses. She could feel how tense he was, likely due to his anxiety over what she was planning.

Hermione understood as she felt extremely nervous. She couldn't believe that she was about to attempt this at all, but she really wanted to, especially after what she had just experienced. She remembered reading several books when she was fourteen about human sexuality. It had been so clinical, though she understood it all. She also remembered hearing girls in the bathrooms talk about these things in very graphic detail. It had made her feel afraid, and disgusted. Now however, she found the thought of touching a boy in that way quite appealing.

She began kissing Harry to try and relax him. He was incredibly nervous. Hermione knew it was because he had no idea what was going to happen, or what she planned to do. He returned her kisses, though it wasn't as nice as it had been a bit earlier.

"That'll change.' Hermione assured herself as she began to rub her hands on his chest slowly, lovingly.

Slowly, she began to mover her hand lower to his abdomen. She decided it was best to go slow, as to get him used to her touch, and allow him to relax a bit. Besides, she liked the pace. It allowed her own excitement to build as well as Harry's.

Hermione kept kissing on Harry and slowly rubbing her hand up and down his chest and stomach, getting him used to her touch. The longer she went on, the more he seemed to relax. When she felt he was comfortable, she slipped her hand lower, and grasped his manhood through his boxers. Harry immediately tensed up again, and likely would have leapt off the bed were it not for her whispering to him that she wasn't going to hurt him, and that he was safe.

"Hermione I…" Harry started to protest, but Hermione cut him off.

"Shh, Harry." She whispered, looking him in the eye, and pressing kisses to his face. "I promise I will be gentle. Just as gentle as you were with me. Please trust me, Harry."

He said nothing, but nodded slowly. His breathing was faster now, and he was sitting very stiffly. Hermione found the opening of his boxers and slipped her fingers inside. It was like nothing she'd ever felt before. His manhood was almost pulsing. It was so warm in her hand, and the skin was almost velvety.

Harry gasped, and winced slightly at her touch, but remained where he was as she drew him out. Hermione looked to see what it looked like. It wasn't as strange as all the drawings she'd seen in books. It was odd, but not gross.

Deciding now was not the time to inspect Harry's manhood, she turned back to her boyfriend and continued kissing him, doing her best to keep him calm as she began to stroke him.

What she hadn't expected was Harry's anxiety. He fidgeted a lot, and appeared as if he wanted to get away from her, though he wanted to show that he trusted her. Perhaps if he'd grown up normally, he wouldn't be so nervous. He'd be begging her to go further, or wanting to experiment with different things.

"It's ok, Harry." She whispered to him as she continued a steady rhythm. Harry nodded, though he was practically climbing the headboard. Hermione was really worried she was doing it all wrong, and that maybe he was acting the way he was because she was hurting him or something. She knew that couldn't be right because she was holding him softly, just allowing her hand to glide up and down him.

"If I'm hurting you…" She began but Harry shook his head.

"No it's… It feels… good." Harry stammered. Hermione smiled, and bent her head to kiss on his neck, sucking on a spot below his ear. She continued stroking him, listening to his breathing. His hands were balled into fists at his sides, and she swore he was gritting his teeth.

"It shouldn't be like this." Hermione thought. "He should be…"

And then she heard something that made her center tingle and moisten. Harry let out a low, soft moan of pleasure.

She smiled to herself and sucked a little harder on his neck, using her tongue to entice him further while keeping her rhythm steady.

"It's ok, Harry.' She whispered. "I want this."

Harry merely nodded. He gave another low, barely audible moan which had Hermione dancing for joy in her head. She could feel that tingling sensation between her own legs, and began squeezing her thighs together unconsciously.

Hermione continued kissing on Harry's neck and shoulders, occasionally kissing his mouth, loving how he would kiss her back as passionately as he had before. He was relaxing more and more, and Hermione felt more and more confident as she stroked him, loving how he felt in her hands, and imagining what it might feel like to strip away her panties and allow him to enter her.

"Not yet." She told herself. "We're not ready for that. Though… I'm really beginning to want to."

"Uhhhh." Harry moaned a little louder.

"I want this Harry.' She whispered to him again. "I want to make you feel good, just like you did for me." Harry clenched his jaw and his body tensed again. Hermione swore he was fighting against what his body was feeling, as if he was embarrassed or ashamed.

"It's ok Harry." She encouraged. "For me. Let it happen for me. Please Harry."

Harry gave a grunt, and then moaned. Hermione felt his manhood tighten and then swell. The she felt him finish. It was hot, and sticky as it came out and flowed over her hand. She continued to stroke him as his body tensed and he moaned her name through gritted teeth.

Harry's orgasm subsided a few seconds later, and Hermione slowed her manipulation until she was just holding his now slowly softening member. She continued to kiss him as he came down from his own little high. He was breathing almost as if he'd run a marathon, and Hermione realized she was breathing a bit heavy as well, which made her grin.

"That…" Harry panted. "That was…"

"Yeah, it really was." Hermione replied. "Thank you for letting me do that."

"I think I should be thanking you." Harry replied with a soft chuckle. "I think I understand some of Moody's jokes now."

"I don't want to know." Hermione shook her head as she got up to find her wand. She cleaned herself and Harry with a wave and climbed back into bed, curling up into Harry's side. He wrapped both arms around her and kissed the top of her head.

"I've never done any of that before, Harry." She admitted. "I never would have done that if I didn't care about you as much as I do. If I didn't love you."

"I know." Harry said, his normal even tone returning, which Hermione found strangely comforting. "I understand why. You have to be able to trust the other person to share yourself like that."

"Strangely insightful." Hermione nodded, a soft smile on her face, her fingers tracing long trails up and down his chest. He kissed the top of her head again and sighed.

"There's loads more, you know. We've barely scratched the surface of this side of our relationship, but… I'm really afraid. I really want to take things further, but… I don't want to freak you out, and I don't think I'm ready for a lot of it… emotionally speaking I mean." Hermione said quietly.

"Hermione, Angel… I'm not in a hurry for anything. I don't want you to think…"

"I know Harry.' She said, turning a bit so she could look at him. "I don't want things to get weird between us, or anything. I mean… things are going to change no matter what, but that's not a bad thing, if we don't let it be."

"Hermione…" Harry said slowly, his hand going to her cheek, holding it tenderly. "You know that I'm really out of my depth with all of this. It's all new to me. I'm following your lead here. I trust you, and I know that whatever happens between us is because you want it to happen. If you think you're ready for more, then we'll do more. If you say stop… we stop."

Hermione smiled at him and crawled up on top of him again, kissing him long and sweetly.

"I don't know why you're with me, or why you even came to be in my life." She whispered to him. "But I am so thankful for whatever force led us to meet and come together."

"You want to thank Sirius and Dumbledore?" Harry asked with a sly smile. Hermione shook her head.

"I think it's bigger than them. They played parts for sure, but I think it's something else. Maybe fate, or destiny, or some combination. Whatever it is… " She shrugged. Harry gave her one of his small smiles that always made her heart skip, and kissed her. She laid down again, and sighed as his arms came up around her protectively. She shut her eyes and listened to his heart beat in his chest, taking comfort in the sound.

Within minutes, she was sound asleep.

Hermione awoke feeling incredibly rested, and strangely energized, though it wasn't something she was familiar with. It was a new kind of feeling that seemed centered between her legs.

"Huh," She thought quite humorously. "Who'd have ever thought I'd wake up randy."

She took in a deep breath as she thought back to the previous night and everything she and Harry had gotten up to. It was then she realized that she was quite undressed. She had never changed into sleep wear and was still only wearing her black knickers. On top of that, Harry was pressed up against her, spooning her, with his arms wrapped around her. It felt amazing, and Hermione decided that this was a fantastic way to wake up. Even Harry's erection pressing into her backside was…

"Whoa." She thought, her eyes bulging a bit. She'd read about the male condition know and "morning wood" but experiencing it first hand was definitely enlightening. It probably didn't help that she was feeling a bit sexually charged. How could she not after what had happened. She still had difficulty in believing she'd had her first orgasm.

She wondered in maybe she could get Harry to give her another one. The thought of Harry's hardness pressing against her center again had the wonderful effect of making her nethers react, and she began squeezing her thighs together. She wiggled her backside against her boyfriend, feeling rather naughty as she did it.

"Good Morning." Harry's sleep addled voice broke the comforting silence. Hermione's face burned as she felt herself blush.

"Good morning." She said squeakily. She waited until she felt her blush subside before she turned over to face him. His eyes were still closed, but she could tell he wasn't sleeping. If she'd paid attention, she would have known earlier.

"Sleep well?" She asked.

"Yes, thank you. I woke up at my normal time, but for some strange reason, I just couldn't make myself get out of bed." Harry admitted. He cracked an eye open to peer at her. "Any idea why that might be?"

Hermione grinned. "It might have to do with the fact there was a half-naked girl pressed against you."

"Likely." Harry said. "but I rather think it was the fact you were sleeping so soundly, and looked so beautiful, I didn't want to disturb you."

Hermione sighed and smiled, reaching up to caress his face.

"Hungry?" He asked, opening both of his gorgeous green eyes.

"Famished." Hermione said, though she was sure she could wait on food if Harry were willing to help her with another desire. However she felt too embarrassed to ask him. Clearly she needed to work on that. Perhaps it was just something that happened as they got closer.

"Do you want the shower first?" Harry asked, starting to pull away. Hermione immediately felt a sense of loss as he pulled away.

"We could share" Hermione suggested. Harry gave her a questioning look, and Hermione smiled and shook her head. "Go ahead. I'll wait."

Harry gave her another puzzled look, but she push him away, urging him to hurry up. He nodded, and headed for the bathroom. She heard the water turn on, and lay back, sighing contentedly. Last night had been really good, and if things went well with their mission today, she and Harry might get to do a bit more exploring later that night. Maybe tomorrow they could share the shower.

Ok, sure, she had blurted out that she was in love with him. But he hadn't freaked out. He hadn't told her to get lost, or that he didn't feel the same. He had just held her. He was still there. She knew he was probably very confused by everything, but he wasn't letting it show. She would have to ask him if he was ok, and then laughed a little as it should have been the other way around. Harry should be the one worrying he had revealed his feelings to early or something.

To distract herself from overanalyzing her situation, Hermione began to think about their mission. Today they would meet this mysterious contact and go to Paris to hunt for some relic Dumbledore believed would help end the war. He hadn't told her what it was. Hermione assumed that Harry knew what this thing was supposed to look like, or they might be in trouble.

She sat up, pulling the sheets with her, covering her chest, though she wondered why she bothered. Harry had seen her mostly undressed last night. Still, in all the movies, the girl always covered herself with the sheet of the bed. Somehow, it seemed sexy to her. Maybe because for the first time in her life she felt sexy.

Life was really strange, Hermione decided.

She finally got herself out of bed and picked out clothes for the day and laid them out. A few minutes later, the shower was shut off, and Harry emerged from a very steamy bathroom wrapped in a towel. His chest was a bit shiny from moisture, and he looked delectable in Hermione's opinion. She crossed the room and pressed her body against his, grinning at the sensation of her breasts on his chest, marveling out how something so benign could feel so gods be damned amazing.

They shared a long slow, soft kiss before Harry urged her to get cleaned up so they could get breakfast. Hermione frowned a little, thinking that it would be much more satisfying to just climb back into bed with Harry and spend the day there. Still, they had a mission to accomplish.

Twenty minute later, Hermione was showered and dressed and finishing brushing and drying her hair. Harry strapped his wand holster to his wrist and slipped his wand inside before donning a light jacket and offering Hermione her own holster.

They headed to the hotel lobby for breakfast. Both of them ate more than normal while talking about how they might spend time before they had to meet their contact. They decided to go back to the Marina to see if Jean-Claude was on his boat again. Their new friend wasn't around, so Harry wrote a note, and conjured an envelope where he placed some French cash and sealed it up before placing it in the sailboats cabin.

They wandered through a few more shops, and Hermione bought a few gifts for Lavender and Neville.

"Does Lavender fancy Neville?" Harry asked while they were looking at handbags in a little boutique. Hermione turned to look at Harry with awe.

"How did you know?" She asked.

"She sits close to him in the Great Hall, and touches him a lot. More than she used to. I've seen her grab his arm, or shoulder when she talks to him. She also looks at him a lot. Like you look at me." Harry stated. "Is that why she broke up with Ron? So she could be with Neville?"

"No." Hermione shook her head and then shrugged. "Maybe. Lavender and Ron were having problems, mostly due to Lavender cheating on Ron. But there was more. Lavender hated what she did. She hated that she cheated, and hated that she lied. That isn't who she is, and it was really hurting her. But Ron wasn't very nice to her. In fact, I'm actually stunned that he hasn't tried to spread rumors about her or something."

"He doesn't want to." Harry said. "He told us that if he hears anyone saying anything bad about her, he'd kill them. He's really angry over it, but… he says he doesn't want to hurt her."

"Really?" Hermione looked stunned.

"From what I gather, that's unusual." Harry said. Hermione nodded.

"Usually a break up that bad there'd be a lot more rumors or arguments or general nastiness. They're just avoiding each other, which is good I guess, but strange. It's surprisingly mature." Hermione shrugged.

"But Neville was a factor in their break up, right?" Harry asked.

"Yes." Hermione said, selecting a handbag she thought Lavender would like. "She's liked him since New Year's. I think she saw something in him that night that touched her. But, she thinks he's afraid of her. Plus he's still hung up on Hannah."

"He does speak of her a lot." Harry agreed. "He didn't want things to end, but he understands it. At least that's what he says."

"They both need time to get over things before they try to start new relationships. I kind of think they might be good together, and I think if they spend time getting to know each other, they could get married one day. They'd be good for each other, I think." Hermione said while they paid for Lavender's present. The store clerk thanked them and they headed back out to the street.

"How do you know?" Harry asked.

"I don't." Hermione admitted. "It's just certain things I see. Lavender's a pretty confident person, and she's not afraid to be forward. I think that might be good for Neville. At the same time, Neville's respectful, and reserved. I think that could be good for Lavender. They also have a lot in common. I just think they might find that they work well together, if they take things slow and get to know each other. At the very worst, they could be very good friends."

Harry nodded as Hermione finished her explanation. She took his hand in hers and smiled when he gave it a light squeeze. It was getting close to time to meet their contact, so they made their way to the restaurant and got a table.

"This was a good choice." Harry said, looking around them. There were quite a few people there enjoying lunch. It was open, and easy to see nearly everyone as well as the front door, though they could make it to the rear emergency exit if they had to.

The waiter came and brought them water and took orders for drinks. Harry wasn't sure if they would get time to eat, as he had no idea how long their contact would want to stay. Hermione told the waiter they were waiting for a friend and that they wanted to wait on ordering until they were joined.

They sat in silence. Hermione kept her eyes on the door, while Harry continually scanned the dining room. It was fifteen minutes before someone entered the restaurant, catching Hermione's attention, as well as many of the males as well.

"Harry?" Hermione said, nodding towards the door. Harry turned to look as a tall slender woman entered, and looked around. She wore a long lightweight coat and sunglasses. She had silvery blonde hair, tied in a ponytail. She stopped when she saw Harry and Hermione looking at her, and then, after a hesitant pause, made her way over to them.

"Excuse me," The woman said with a heavy French accent. "Would you 'appen to have ze time?"

"Uh, yes it's…" Hermione began but Harry cut her off, eyeing the woman suspiciously.

"My apologies." He said. "But I don't wear a watch."

The woman relaxed visibly and Harry motioned for her to sit down.

"Dumbledore zaid you would be easy to recognize." She said, taking off her sunglasses revealing bright blue eyes. "'E zaid your 'air was perpetually messy."

"I know you." Hermione said. "You were the Beauxbatons Champion in the Tri-Wizard Tournament."

"Oui." The woman smiled softly. "My name is Fleur Delacour."