Worth Loving

Chapter 14: Smile in the Rain

"Come in."

Fleur entered Oliver's room and found him seated on his writing table, a quill on his hand. Whatever he was writing was almost at its finishing point.

He turned his head to look at her and his lips turned into a broad smile.

"Oh, I did not know you were-" The last thing that Fleur had wanted was to interrupt.

"I am finished." Oliver folded the parchment and stood up, taking Fleur into his embrace and brushing her lips with his.

"To whom were you writing to?" Fleur asked curiously.

"Just to my parents. My mother goes crazy if I do not write her at least once a week. I cannot blame her though, I am next in line for the Ithacan throne. So, to what do I owe this surprise?"

"I do not know. Let me think about it," Fleur teased him as Oliver pulled her into another kiss.

****

"Harry, damn you, show yourself!"

The couple broke the embrace as they heard the queen's screeches.

"Is she always like that?" Fleur asked, annoyed that her quality time with the Ithacan prince was being interrupted. .

"You have no idea. Where is Harry anyway?"

*****

"Harry pull over, give your horse a rest," Hermione said.

"All right." Harry followed Hermione's request and stationed his horse in a deep green field.

He dismounted and assisted her in getting off. The horse neighed and went off to get his share of green food.

Harry turned Hermione to face him and leaned his head to meet her lips, but she avoided him and sat down in front of the crystal blue lake, sighing. Without hesitation, Harry took a seat at her side.

"What is the matter Hermione?" he asked in a whisper. Had he done something to make her upset?

The princess passed a hand through her face and shifted her eyes at him as he attempted to pull her closer to his chest.

"You know, you are not as cold as you look." Hermione let out a laugh. Her impression of him had obviously changed dramatically after last night.

"I can be. With you however, is another matter. Well it should; after last night-"

"What is going on with you and Ginny?"

Harry's light blushed cheeks turned pale.

"There is nothing between me and Lady Virginia. There is no engagement, nor there will be. Alexandra just wants me to be with her because it is a good marriage in terms of a good blood line. I reckon she just does not want me to end up like Paris, falling for a random girl. It is too late though," he admitted.

At this statement, Harry felt Hermione tense up in his arms.

"What do you mean?" she sputtered. Truth be told, she had expected last night to mean nothing to him. She was not even sure of what it meant to her, or maybe she would not admit it, although the fact that it had been completely inappropriate might have had something to do with it.

But instead of answering her, Harry let his lips give her the answer she sought, giving her mouth a passionate brush, which Hermione did not hesitate to return.

So much for inappropriate.

"Harry, about last night-" Hermione tried to tear her mouth away, to talk about the real consequences of their actions, politically, but Harry kept it under his.

"It will not be as marvellous as tonight," Harry whispered against her mouth.

"Harry..." This time, Hermione managed to get little distance between them, as they were both now gasping for air. "About this morning.-"

"Hermione-"

"I do not want to be an obstacle to your decisions and I do not want you to think-" Hermione wanted to tell him that despite her inappropriate behaviour, she had not been with him in order to convince him to take the throne.

However, she lost track of her words when she felt Harry's lips against her skin.

"Do not let Alexandra's words get to you. She just gets crazier as each day passes. I am with you now because I want to and if Alexandra does not like it, it matters little to me. Nobody tells me what to do, not even her, so do not pay her more attention than she deserves."

"Fine, but I stand by my word. I do not want to just meddle in your life and-" Hermione did not know where this was going, but she did know that she did not want to get in his way, especially when she still wanted him to take the throne.

"It is too late for that and you are not meddling, I want you there," Harry admitted. He did not know where he was going with this, but he was sure of one thing despite the short time he had spent with Hermione: this was more than just lust.

"And I want to be there...but..."

"But nothing. What is it that bothers you?"

"Just the possibility that you might get hurt on my account."

"Why would that be?"

"I do not know, it is kind of like a family curse-"

"Hermione, you will not hurt me. Look, I promise you, if something does come up, I will tell you, but-"

"So no secrets?"

"No, no secrets."

Harry cupped her face and kissed her once more.

This time, Hermione did not hold back. She had to admit that she wanted it as much as he did, even though she was not sure of where this might lead at the moment. She put her arms around his neck and intensified their mouths' entwinement. Harry circled his arms around her and pulled her tightly against him.

Suddenly, he felt Hermione's cheeks get cold with water drops. Harry thought she was crying, before discovering that his own cheeks were tingling with water as well. He broke lip contact as rain poured over their bodies.

"Talk about ruining the moment," Harry cursed, but Hermione shut his lips with her index finger.

"Why does it have to be ruined? I will have you to keep me warm."

Hermione resumed their kissing and Harry, suffice to say, was powerless to complain.