Raw

Headmaster McGonagall peered at Hermione from over her spectacles. "Hermione, you know training to be an Auror is a lot of work."

Hermione bit her lip anxiously, staring at her former teacher sitting across the headmaster's desk. "Please, Professor, I really do think I can do it. I study constantly, I received eleven OWLs last year, I -"

McGonagall cut her off. "Hermione, I have no doubts about your capabilities. Ever since first year you have distinguished yourself as the top academic student in your year at Hogwarts. And since the end of the war, no one has any qualms about your bravery or valor. I merely meant to....warn you."

Hermione cocked her head quizzically. "Warn me of what, Professor?"

"I understand, the allure of becoming an Auror can be strong. It's a highly sought after position and very few are technically capable of the magic it requires. I just want you to realize that training to become an Auror changes you...it changes you greatly. Being an Auror is not just a profession, it's a lifestyle. You have to fully accept every difference it will make in you in order to be successful - and in order to be safe."

Hermione stared at her former professor. "I don't mind change, Professor. If anything, I'm ready for a challenge."

McGonagall stared at her silently for a moment, appraising her. "Well, I for one have great faith that you will make an excellent Auror. The Auror Academy requires that any entering students begin their training in their seventh year of school, prior to enrolling in the Academy. You will be assigned a mentor, who will pick you up at your living chambers tomorrow morning to begin your training. I know it is a week before classes start, but the Auror schedule does not quite operate around other priorities, I'm afraid. Your mentor will work with you to fit your training around your other schoolwork. Do you have any more questions about your schedule this year?"

Hermione shook her head, holding back a smile, and rose from her seat across from the Headmaster's desk.

"Fantastic, then you are all set to complete your seventh year. I wish you well. Oh, and Hermione?" McGonagall called after the girl as she started out the door.

"Yes?" she answered, turning.

"Congratulations on your appointment as Head Girl. You've done Gryffindor proud," McGonagall said, her eyes twinkling.

"Thank you." Hermione beamed as she exited the room. She bounded down the steps of the Headmaster's office, eager to tell Harry and Ron about her new training schedule.

The trio had originally all harbored dreams of becoming Aurors, but since the war their plans had changed. Ron's family was still painfully recovering from their losses in the war. Fred's death still hung heavily over them all - Ron's priority was to help his family regroup. He no longer had dreams of pursuing evil wizards after defeating Voldemort had taken such a toll on his personal life - the thought of his family losing another member was too painful for him to justify putting his life in constant danger as an Auror.

Harry was just tired of being targeted. He had faced death constantly over the last several years and come out unscathed - he was wondering how many more times he would be able to get away successfully. Since he was no longer marked by Voldemort to fight, he didn't want to fight at all anymore. After defeating Voldemort, the trio had garnered much attention in the magical community. All three had received numerous high profile job offers from the Ministry of Magic upon their future graduation of Hogwarts. Harry and Ron seemed content to pursue those careers, happily awaiting some degree of normalcy in their lives.

Hermione, on the other hand, was restless. She had had her first taste of justice while fighting Voldemort, and she was hungry for more. She wanted to spend the rest of her life in pursuit - in pursuit of evil, in pursuit of high intensity situations and magic that most of the wizarding community would never even see, let alone perform. Not satisfied after the defeat of Voldemort, she alone of the trio still wanted to become an Auror.

After the war she traveled to Australia to find her parents. She brought them back home and restored their memory; however, she couldn't bring herself to talk to them about what had happened over the past year. She didn't want them to worry about her or know what she had been through. She couldn't tell them about the losses she had suffered or what she had done to protect them - she felt too guilty.

So instead she turned to Ron's family. She spent most of the spring and summer months at the Burrow, using her burgeoning relationship with Ron as an excuse. She found solace in his intimate hugs and sweet kisses. She found a family in the other Weasleys, who were coming together to cope with the death of one of their own. She helped the Weasleys through that summer, cooking and cleaning when Mrs. Weasley sat on the couch in a glazed trance, as she often did those days. She talked to Ginny and let her cry in front of her, often sitting beside her without saying a word for hours.

Try as she might, she couldn't get through to George. The surviving twin was solemn, much quieter since Fred had died. No one was really sure how well he was coping, or if he was at all. But Ron seemed to take comfort in Hermione's constant presence. They talked and talked for hours on end, putting the war and all their grief behind them. Harry visited often, also searching for solace in his two best friends. Although all three had suffered great losses, they were slowly healing and relishing the fact that things would return to the carefree life they remembered during their first few years at Hogwarts.

However, Hermione wasn't so sure if she was ready for normal. She didn't know if she wanted to give up the life the trio had led over the past few years, chasing Voldemort across the countryside. She had grown restless while comforting the Weasleys, ready to move on and search for more excitement. She hoped her Auror training would satisfy the craving for the danger she had been lacking in her life lately.

"Novus," Hermione whispered to the Fat Lady, who smiled as she swung open to let Hermione into the common room. She entered to the cheers and welcomes of her fellow Gryffindor seventh years.

After the war had ended, the Ministry of Magic had deemed the last year at Hogwarts not suitable education for all those in attendance. Any witch or wizard that wished to graduate had to repeat the year, so Harry, Ron, and Hermione rejoined their classmates for their final year of Hogwarts.

"How did it go?" Ron asked as she slid onto his lap and shyly gave him a kiss on the cheek. Their relationship had taken off after the war had ended, and it was nice to be able to explore their feelings without the constant danger presiding over their lives as it had in previous years. However, they only had experience acting as a couple in the privacy of the Weasley home, and Hermione was still slightly shy under the prying eyes of her classmates.

"It went wonderfully! McGonagall approved me for Auror training. I was worried she wouldn't - she went on for a while about how becoming an Auror may change you...I thought she was worried about me. But then she said she thought I would do fine, and that my training starts tomorrow!"

"She was probably just trying to warn you about what could happen - I mean, look what happened to Moody," Ron snorted, "with all his 'constant vigilance" bull, he went practically batty."

"Do you know who your mentor is yet?" asked Harry, leaning back on a footstool.

"Not yet, they are coming to get me at my chambers tomorrow."

"Oh yeah that's right, I forgot the Head Girl gets her own chambers!" said Ron excitedly, wrapping a piece of her hair around his fingers.

"Well, not to myself exactly...I have to share a common room with the Head Boy. Has anyone heard who it is yet?"

"No one has any clue," said Parvati, shrugging. "It's no one in Gryffindor. We all figured it would be someone in Ravenclaw, but I asked Luna Lovegood and she had no idea either."

"Well then, let's go see your room, Hermione," said Ron. "I reckon you're lucky, you can escape this lot whenever they start to bug the shit out of you," he joked, dodging a couch cushion Dean lobbed at his head.

"Yes but wherever will I hide from you?" she answered as Harry shoved Ron playfully through the portrait hole.

Hermione relished the atmosphere that had settled through the castle as the seventh years returned - the somber mood had finally started lifting after three years and the castle had become the place of joy that she remembered from her preteen years. The trio laughed and leaned on each other on their journey to Head Tower, on the opposite side of the castle from the Gryffindor common room.

Hermione linked her arm with Ron's as they made their way up the last flight of stairs, letting him support her up the tower. "I can't wait for this year to start, guys," she said happily. "It's going to be a whole new beginning." Harry tugged on her braid from behind her, and she turned to smile at him as they stopped at a portrait of a red dragon at the top of the stairs.

"Here it is!" Hermione announced triumphantly. "Head Tower...password is...conjunctus!" The dragon portrait roared and swung aside, and Hermione walked through the opening, pushing aside a sheer red tapestry as her mouth swung open in shock.

"Hello, Granger."

"Malfoy," she sneered between clenched teeth.

Ron stumbled in behind Hermione. "What are you doing in here?" he asked Malfoy, his mouth open in shock.

"What do you think, Weasley?" Malfoy shot back. "I'm Head Boy, how else would I have gotten in here?"

"No shit, I just can't believe they would let scum like you back in the school, much less in the Head Boy position," Ron said as he started towards Malfoy. Harry and Hermione each grabbed one of his arms.

"Ron, please don't, not in my room."

"Yeah, Weasley, better listen to your girlfriend. By the way, I saw you two making out in the Great Hall yesterday. Disgusting. If I wanted to lose my lunch I would have eaten something prepared for me by that sad house-elf of mine, Dobby."

"YOU SHUT UP ABOUT DOBBY," roared Harry, brandishing his wand as Malfoy quickly followed suit.

"That's enough!" screamed Hermione, quickly stepping in between the two boys and covering their wand tips with her hand. "Harry, Ron." She turned to them, her voice begging. "Please go, just go. If I'm stuck with him all year I'd better learn how to deal with him now."

"Hermione, there's no way were leaving you here with this prat, he's foul," said Harry, his eyes locked on Malfoy's in a death stare as Malfoy smirked back.

"Please Harry, Malfoy's pathetic, he couldn't hurt a fly. Now just go, I can't have you three fighting in here. I don't want to get in trouble my first week as Head Girl." She practically pushed them through the tapestry and out the portrait hole.

"Don't worry Weasley, I'll take good care of your girlfriend for you," Malfoy called behind them as Hermione shut the portrait hole.

"OOOOH, Malfoy, thank you for making that the worst possible start to our year as Head Girl and Head Boy," Hermione fumed, shooting him a look of fury.

"You started it." Malfoy shrugged, walking away from her and to the common room window.

"We're going to have to deal with each other all year, Malfoy - we have to work together to manage the prefects, for Merlin's sake. I can't be in a constant battle with you in here. It's too small, we'll blow each other to pieces."

"Hermione, I am perfectly content to approach this year in whichever way you see fit, just say the word."

"Well, why don't you start by not attacking my friends the minute they step in the door?"

"Harry pulled his wand on me, I was merely defending myself."

"Ugh, I cannot believe this is happening. I don't know how I am going to manage an entire year living with you."

"Granger, come here for a moment." Malfoy motioned at the table. Hermione remained still with a scowl on her face. "Seriously, come here and sit." Hermione walked over sullenly and sat at the table, wearing an angry expression. Malfoy sat across from her, his grey eyes serious and his blonde hair brushed aside haphazardly.

"Look, clearly I didn't come back to this school to bask in hoards of praise like the three of you did," he said flatly. Hermione opened her mouth to retort but he held up his hand to continue talking. "I don't mean that in a bad way. I just mean that this year, Slytherins are basically going to be outcasts at Hogwarts, myself especially. I'm just here to continue with my life, graduate, and move on. I had good grades here before the war started, and I'm not one to just throw my life away because I screwed up. I won't bother the three of you if you all just stay out of my business and leave me alone. I'm willing to stick to this if you all are as well. What do you say?"

Hermione eyed him suspiciously. "Malfoy, how am I supposed to forget six years of torture at your hands? Or did you forget that you tried to kill the three of us in the Room of Requirement last year?"

"Hang on a minute, I didn't try to kill you, that was Crabbe."

"Bull, you were in there with him. You drew your wand."

"I was searching for Potter to give me back my wand. He had it from when he disarmed me. However, I don't need to talk about the war with you, Granger. My father's name has been cleared by the Ministry - he was tortured by Voldemort into obeying. My name was never even up for discussion. Now either you can be mature about this and agree to coexist peacefully with me, or we can resign ourselves now to a year filled with hatred and tension. It's your choice." Malfoy held his palm out, face up, in a firm gesture. Hermione hesitated before taking it, refusing to look him in the eye as she did so. "Great, that's settled. I'm hitting the sack. Goodnight, Granger," he said, getting up from his seat and stalking off towards his room.

Hermione watched his retreating back angrily. She had no idea how she was going to manage a whole year living in the same quarters as Malfoy. She'd have to try, somehow.

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Hermione awoke the next morning around six to a light knocking on the door to the Head chambers. She yawned sleepily and grabbed a woven blanket off her bed, wrapping it around her shoulders as she shuffled to the portrait hole. She shoved it open and peered out through bleary eyes.

In front of the portrait hole stood a young girl, who looked not much older than Hermione. Hermione's first thought was that she was beautiful. The girl had narrowed blue eyes with dark lashes, a tiny nose and pink full lips. Her tiny frame was surrounded by long dark brown straight hair. Her skin was strikingly olive, and she looked far too awake for the early hour.

"Umm, good morning. Can I help you?" said Hermione politely, squinting out into the dim castle lighting.

"Good morning Hermione. I am Megan Hewlett," replied the girl. "I am your Auror mentor."

"You-you are?" Hermione stammered.

"I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself at a more appropriate hour, but I just arrived at Hogwarts late last night and you'd already retired. I figured this morning is as good of a time as any though. Are you ready for your first morning of training?"

McGonagall's words came rushing back to Hermione. "Right. Training. I'll, um, just grab my robes and be - "

"You won't need robes, Hermione. You don't need your wand either - we won't be using any magic. Put on something comfortable. We're beginning your physical training today."

Hermione stared back at the girl through her half open eyes. "Physical training. Right."

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Hermione walked outside, her eyes adjusting to the barely sunlit morning. Megan was standing in the middle of an open field coated with dew, her hands on her hips, facing the rising sun. She turned and smiled when she saw Hermione and instantly began speaking to her.

"One of the most important parts of becoming an Auror is being in top physical shape. Most wizards do not consider this an important part of their magical training. Starting today, you will." Megan shed her tracksuit, revealing tight spandex shorts and a top covering an impossibly muscled body. "Let's begin by running. Don't worry if you can't keep up with me today. You will eventually."

Hermione glanced down at her baggy sweatpants and loose hoodie and shrugged determinedly. "I'm ready. Let's do this."

Megan turned and took off without a word and Hermione, surprised, ran to catch up after her. Megan immediately began talking to her while they ran.

"Hermione, the first thing to understand about becoming an Auror, as Headmaster McGonagall has no doubt already told you, is that being an Auror is a lifestyle, not a profession. Being an Auror isn't like having a job at the Ministry of Magic, where you head in at nine o' clock, focus for eight hours, and then punch out at eight and release yourself. Being an Auror means you are on the job every minute of every day. Having an off day doesn't mean your boss gets angry with you. Having an off day means you will die at the hands of another wizard. Do you understand?"

"Uhh...yes," replied Hermione, stumbling over a branch as she panted behind Megan.

"How many rabbits have we passed so far?"

"Huh?"

"Answer the question."

"Umm, I think I saw one before we first started out..."

"Wrong. We passed seven. Eight including the one five feet to your left." Hermione glanced to her left and started, surprising a rabbit exactly where Megan had pointed it out. "Vigilance is of utmost importance. You need to be aware of every aspect of your surroundings at all times as an Auror. Your senses will improve. You will learn to operate without your eyes, without your ears, and without your sense of touch. All your senses will grow stronger, because you will depend on every single one during every single second. I've heard an awful lot about you, Hermione. You're an incredible witch."

"Thank you," Hermione said, surprised at the sudden compliment.

"You and Harry and Ron went through a lot last year, and performed a lot of magic that most wizards won't be able to perform in their lifetime. That experience gives you an incredible advantage over most Aurors-in-training. However, this path is very difficult. Do you know how many Aurors-in-training there are this year, Hermione?"

"No," she huffed.

"There are six. Two from Hogwarts, one from Durmstrang, and three from Beauxbatons. Roughly one Auror completes the Academy...every five years. The odds are heavily stacked against you, that's why so few Aurors exist in the wizarding community."

Hermione wondered to herself who the second Auror-in-training at Hogwarts was.

"But if you do as I tell you, and you have the drive to succeed, you will feel yourself start to change in every way. How are you feeling, Hermione?"

"I'm ok," she said, trying not to sound exhausted.

"We've run a mile and a half so far. I don't want to shock you on your first day, so we'll only run a mile more before we quit. Lose your jacket," Megan said, glancing at Hermione over her shoulder. Hermione awkwardly pulled her jacket off and flung it off to the side, running quickly past it.

"Your magical training won't start until you reach the Academy. It would be too rigorous for you to attempt while still attending Hogwarts. However, the Auror Academy wants you to start preparing by beginning your physical training immediately. Having your body in top shape is just as important as having a sharp mind and advanced technical wand skill. Too often on the job you will find yourself facing a Muggle opponent, yourself without a wand, or yourself in some other situation where it is impossible to use magic to defend yourself. You will have to fight your way out and use your body to protect yourself and whoever else is in danger. That is what you will be learning with me here at Hogwarts - to fight, and mainly, to defend."

"You are already at a disadvantage because you are a female, and a small female at that. You will have to work even harder and learn to fight smarter to be able to overcome physical disadvantage. Luckily, I had to overcome this as well, and I am ready to teach you everything I know. For the first week before classes start, I'm going to train you one on one every day, getting you in shape and teaching you how to fight. Once you have the basics down and once classes start, I'll train you and my other student together. Slow down gradually here, we've gone far enough."

Hermione slowed to a light trot, breathing heavily. Her forehead was beaded lightly with sweat, and steam blew off of her hair in the cool foggy morning. The sun had risen higher in the sky; Hermione guessed it to be about seven o' clock. The rest of Gryffindor would be waking up soon and heading to breakfast. Megan stopped in front of her and began stretching.

"Megan," Hermione asked, "who is the other Hogwarts Auror-in-training?"

"You'll meet soon enough. I want to make sure you'll both make it through the first week of training. You kept up, you're doing well so far." Megan shot Hermione a grin as she bent over to stretch her calf.

Hermione glanced around at her surroundings while throwing her arm across her body. She wasn't familiar with this part of Hogwarts. They were in a wooded area, yet far from the Forbidden Forest.

"Begin to get used to everything around you out here. Use all your senses - not just sight, but sound, taste, sense, and smell. I'm going to be asking you questions about your surroundings every day so that the rabbit question will seem easy. You're going to be able to tell the temperature by the degree, how many birds there are in a square mile by the sound, and how long ago it last rained. You're going to push your senses beyond the normal threshold, further than they were ever meant to be used."

"Megan, why do I need to have such strong senses?"

"Because. Every waking second for an Auror brings new danger. By having heightened senses, you will learn how everything feels when it is in place. Therefore, you will become very aware when something is out of place, and this will help you to realize when you or someone else is in danger before it becomes apparent to anyone else. You were born a Muggle, yes?"

"Yes." Hermione nodded.

"So you have heard of fictional superheroes? They all supposedly have heightened senses that help alert them to danger. You will get these heightened senses by pushing your senses to the limit so that they will drastically improve. In a sense, Aurors are the real living superheroes of the wizarding community. How are you feeling, Hermione?"

"I'm okay, resting a little."

"Are you feeling overwhelmed?"

"Can I say yes?"

"Yes."

"Then yes, I am."

"Great. I'd be concerned if you weren't. You ready? Now, we fight."

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Hermione dragged herself into the castle around eight o' clock in the morning. After their run, Megan took her to an open area of the woods. She conjured a dummy made of fabric using a verbal chant and trained Hermione for another hour on the basics of fighting: several simple punches and kicks. She made Hermione practice over and over until she had perfect form on each of the maneuvers she learned. Then she let Hermione go back to the castle, but only after a lecture about using the rest of the day to stretch her body and limber up. The training would become even more difficult in the days to come, so Hermione would have to start preparing in advance.

Breakfast in the Great Hall was wrapping up by the time Hermione entered. She made her way over to the Gryffindor table, where Harry and Ron waved her over.

"Hey - we were about to ditch you, that took forever," said Ron, standing to kiss her on the cheek. "Blech - you stink!"

"Well in that case," grinned Hermione, grabbing him from behind and nuzzling her face in his neck while Ron struggled to get away. "Don't think you're safe, Harry!" she cried as he laughed at them, pulling him into the hug with Ron.

"Seriously, Hermione, you reek. How did that Auror training go?" asked Harry, returning to his seat and wasting no time putting a forkful of scrambled eggs in his mouth.

"Good, I guess," said Hermione, digging into a bowl of cereal. "My mentor is named Megan Hewlett. She's nice, but really tough and ridiculously in shape. She basically made me run around all morning and then beat up a cloth dummy for over an hour. The worst part by far is no magic - whatsoever."

"No magfick?" Ron turned to look at her in disbelief, his mouth bulging with fried egg. "Why not? Isn't the point of being an Auror that you're really good at magic?"

"Yeah, that's part of it too. But she told me that while I'm still at Hogwarts I have to participate in physical training only. I need to get my body ready before I can even start learning the magic that I'm going to need to use."

"Sounds hard," said Ron nonchalantly, while continually stuffing his face.

"Yeah, it is," said Hermione. "You should try it sometime."

"No way," said Ron. "Harry and I just spent a year roaming around the countryside on the most impossible mission known to wizarding history, and defeated the most evil wizard in the universe. I'd like to see your Aurors do that."

"Ron, they do that! Every single day. Seriously, I can't believe you both aren't going to be Aurors with me like we planned. Harry, I thought you were really into the idea."

"I dunno, Hermione," said Harry, studying his plate. "I've already died more times than I planned on this year."

"Nice one Harry," said Ron, holding out his hand for a high five.

"Boys," scoffed Hermione. "So lazy and weak."

"Ha!" replied Ron. "I've been kicking Ginny's ass for years, yours would be no problem. OWW!" He turned suddenly as his ear got twisted away from the table. Hermione and Harry turned to see Ginny walking behind them, carrying her breakfast dishes.

"I didn't know she was behind me," grumbled Ron, rubbing his ear.

"Morning guys," said Ginny, pecking Harry on the cheek. Ever since Voldemort's defeat, Harry and Ginny had resumed their relationship. They had recovered happily together, finally basking in the luxury they had never been afforded throughout the entirety of their teenage relationship: time.

"So Hermione, how's the whole rooming with Malfoy thing going?" The boys had filled Ginny in on their encounter with Malfoy the previous night - not so much filled in as given her an earful as to exactly what they thought of the situation.

"Oh! I completely forgot to tell you. After you all left, I raged at him for a bit, telling him we had to work together this year and he couldn't off and threaten my friends every time they walked in my room. And then the strangest thing happened - he sat down and basically told me he didn't want any trouble with us this year. That he was here to make good grades and graduate, and that he wouldn't start anything with us if we didn't start in on him. Isn't that odd?"

"Doesn't sound like the Malfoy I know," muttered Ron.

"Maybe he feels targeted," shrugged Ginny. "I mean, look around." She gestured towards the Slytherin table. "This year the Slytherins are basically pariahs. Only about half of them returned. Those who are here that had Death Eaters as parents basically only have each other as support. He might just be trying to establish solid ground with you all so he doesn't have to watch his back constantly. It seems like this year the Slytherins are going to need all the friends they can get."

"I never thought of it like that, Ginny." Hermione gazed at the small table of Slytherins, sitting together mostly in glum silence. "It's going to be so different around here this year."

"Well as long as Malfoy stays out of our business, that's one change I can get behind," said Harry.

"'Ear, 'ear," said Ron, clinking his orange juice glass against Harry's. Hermione and Ginny shot a glance at each other, rolling their eyes.

"Hey, do you all want to do anything fun today?" asked Ginny. "We could all go down to the lake and go swimming or something."

"Yeah, I'm in," said Harry. "Hermione, you don't have any more Auror training today, do you?"

"Umm I don't think so...minus the constant stretching and limbering up, but swimming should be great for that," Hermione said wryly. "Looks like all I'm going to be doing this year is exercising."

"Oh c'mon, Hermione, life can't always be all fun and libraries," said Ron, jumping out of his seat before Hermione could pinch him. "Last one in the lake is a rotten egg!" he yelled, jogging out of the dining room.

"Yeah, you'd better get a head start before I catch you," Hermione called out after him. She turned to face Harry and Ginny.

"Right now I couldn't catch him if a raging hippogriff was chasing me towards him," she groaned, and dropped her head on the table.

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"Ron!! Shhhhhh," Hermione giggled as they climbed the stairs together towards Head Tower. They had spent the rest of the morning swimming in the lake with Ginny and Harry, horsing around and dunking each other. They were currently sneaking back up to Hermione's room in their swimming trunks. Ron stood behind Hermione and wrapped his arms around her waist, playfully gnawing on her neck as she giggled against his mouth's touch.

"Ron, we have to be quiet, I don't know where Malfoy is!" she half whispered, pulling him closer against her back as they stumbled towards the portrait hole.

"Conjuntus..." she whispered, and the red dragon eyed them sleepily from its afternoon nap as it swung forward to let them in.

"Wait here," Hermione said to Ron, motioning for him to remain outside in the hall as she stepped inside. "Malfoy? Are you there? Anyone?" She stepped inside the common chamber and scanned the room warily for signs of Malfoy or any other guests. Upon seeing no one, she motioned Ron in from the corridor and grabbed his hand, pulling them into her bedroom.

Ron shut the door behind them and immediately devoured her mouth with his, covering it entirely with hungry, passionate kisses. Hermione responded, surprised but excited by his intensity. While they had been alone together at the Weasleys' house, the atmosphere had been constantly polluted by an aura of sadness. They had never quite been able to bring themselves to take their relationship to the next level, physically. It wouldn't have felt right as their first time together. However, it seemed things were quite different today.

Ron backed her up against her bed, laying her down softly while continuing to cover her mouth with his. She nipped his lip softly and he mock growled. She giggled in response.

He moved his lips down to her neck and sucked gently, toying with the back of her wet swimsuit. She arched into him, already impatient to move to the next step faster. She wound her hands in his wet hair and pushed his head further down her body into her chest. He grinned at her as he quickly untied her swimsuit top and pulled it loose, allowing her small breasts to spring free. He quickly cupped the right one and flicked his tongue over it rapidly, causing her to moan softly. She thrust her body against him, signaling the impatience she had felt over the last few months.

Hermione hooked her thumbs under the strings of her bathing suit bottom and pulled it over her legs, tossing it carelessly off the bed before grabbing Ron's face and pulling him towards her, kissing him long and slow and deep.

He leaned over her, gently sucking on her bottom lip and she removed his suit, leaving them both bare and pressed against each other. He pressed his forehead against hers and looked into her eyes. "Yeah?"

She nodded, biting her lip nervously. He moved into her slowly, and she only felt pain. He kissed her forehead softly, reminding her that it was just him. As he stroked in her, he kissed more strongly and more desperately. Hermione began to feel more comfortable, and she bucked her hips against Ron, bringing them closer together. As he moved faster she wrapped her legs around his back, running her hands up and down his back.

He came with a loud grunt, and Hermione shifted under him, taking in the new experience. Ron leaned over her, panting, and Hermione just looked at him, playing with the sweaty hair in front of his face. He finally rolled off of her and lay down next to her, looking at her drunkenly through loving eyes.

"Hey," he said, giving her a languid kiss on the lips.

"Hey," she whispered. "Sleep with me." He replied by nuzzling closer to her neck and kissing her lightly on the shoulder, resting his head against her. She turned towards him and closed her eyes, running her nails lightly down his back as he fell asleep. A smile started on her bottom lip and spread to the corners of her cheeks as she drifted off. She was finally welcoming joy back into her life.