Wicked Deception

Wicked Deception

Chapter Four

Hermione woke to light kisses over her cheeks and nose. She opened her eyes and saw the familiar view of the room from her and Harry's bed.

"Good morning," Harry whispered as he continued to give her kisses. "How are you feeling?"

She smiled weakly and moved her arm across Harry's waist.

Hermione remembered the night before, coming out of the bathroom of the club feeling even worse than when she went in. Harry noticed her discomfort immediately and asked her if everything was alright. She nodded meekly but told him that she needed to go home to lie down. Apologizing profusely she suggested that Harry stay longer at the club but he wouldn't hear of it and, not having found Draco anywhere in the club, both Ron and Ginny came home with them. After Hermione had gone up to bed, they continued their conversation in the kitchen.

She lay a while listening to their happy chatter but couldn't get the thought of Draco out of her head. Feelings of guilt rose in her because though she loved Harry, Draco's touch was so different from his. It was horrible of her but he excited her immensely. With Harry she could read his expressions like they were her own but because she didn't know what Malfoy was thinking or feeling it gave their encounters an intense sexual tension. It was a sensation entirely new to her as she didn't have much experience in this area, Harry being her only real boyfriend at and since school.

If Malfoy wanted to arouse her during their encounter together he had succeeded remarkably. She felt an overwhelming need to release the tension that he had built inside her. Hermione closed her eyes and moved her hand lightly across her neck tracing the path of Draco's kisses. Her hand stirred to her breasts and she skimmed her thumbs lightly over her nipples as Draco had done. As she massaged her nipples through her nightgown she thought of his breath in her ear. Moving her hands lower she tickled over her stomach and brought her hands down on her soft mound, his startling eyes imprinted on the backs of her eyelids. While she touched herself she had sudden flashes of Draco's scent, his soft hands, his fine hair. Her pulse quickened and the thought of Draco's lips on hers made her moan softly. As soon as she thought of his tongue grazing her nipple she gasped out loud and felt a wave of intense bliss grip her body.

When her breath returned to normal, she fell asleep to the sounds of light laughter coming from downstairs and visions of Draco swirled in the fading mist of her consciousness.

Now in the early morning light, Hermione felt an immense wave of guilt as she felt Harry's kisses become more forceful. She felt deplorable for her inability to show any strength against Malfoy when she was with the man she truly loved and it crossed her mind how very Slytherin it was for Draco to take advantage of her now, when she would least expect it. At school she would've had her guard up at all times around him and likely hexed him if he had ever made a move against her. She wondered why she had ever let her guard down around Malfoy.

Harry kissed her neck now in the spots she liked best. His familiar hands caressed her lovingly. He knew her so well and never failed to make her knees weak with his touch. Her breath came faster and Harry moved on top of her, his weight comfortable and familiar. Before Harry continued he asked her again, "You're feeling better?"

She thought of stopping him because it felt wildly inappropriate to her. How could she consider making love to Harry when she had resorted to getting herself off just the night before over some other man she held absolutely no love for?

As she pondered what to do his hand caressed her arm and brushed lightly over her breast through the thin cotton of her nightgown. Tingles ran up her spine and she could feel his arousal against her thigh, his hooded eyes also showed the deep desire he had for her.

Any misgivings she had of being with Harry now dissolved in those eyes and she nodded briefly and covered his mouth with hers pulling him closer. Her hands roamed over his back and arms loving the feel of him. She inhaled deeply, thinking how much she loved the smell of him. This was where she was meant to be, and this was the man she was meant to be with.

He entered her slowly and she gasped at the exquisite sensation of him inside her. She could not help feeling how perfect they fit together as they lay entwined without moving; her head nestled in the crook of his neck. Her leg wound round the back of his knee, his arms held her back in a tight embrace. He locked his eyes on hers as he began to move within her. She felt herself sink into the deep pools of green as he slowly pulled back and pushed into her again. His unhurried, patient thrusts soon drove her to move her own hips to quicken his pace. She saw her impatience reflected in his eyes as the pressure built inside her at his steady force against her sex. He obliged her and rolled his hips into her own with faster and shorter thrusts. At the very edge of her climax he plunged deep into her as they reached the height of their ecstasy at the same time; their heads thrown back as the same powerful pleasure gripped them both. She shivered in her prolonged orgasm and he smiled and rested his forehead against hers.

As they lay together, breathing shallowly, she held her hand to his face and whispered, "I love you, you know that?"

"I do know." He kissed her lips and moved off to lie beside her. She turned towards him and they kissed each other gently as they lay in each others arms. "I love you too," he whispered back.

As they lay dozing in and out of sleep, Hermione realized that rejecting Draco's advances wouldn't be hard. She couldn't fathom being with any man other than Harry and she fell into a light sleep.

***

When she woke again, she could smell breakfast cooking downstairs and heard Harry's soft humming floating up the stairs. In the late morning light she tousled her hair and stretched. Hermione thought what a fool she had been to have yielded to Draco so easily and she made up her mind that she would firmly reject any further advances from Malfoy.

She heard the stairs creak as Harry bounded up the steps and she grinned at him as he came through the doorway with a platter.

"I made us breakfast in bed!" Harry made a grand flourish as he balanced the fully laden tray in his arms.

She stood up and pulled a robe over herself. "It all looks so delicious, Harry. You've outdone yourself!" Hermione drew Harry to her for a deep kiss, tasting a hint of bacon on his tongue. She then pulled the sheets back to let him set the tray down on the bed.

Harry sat and smiled down at the tray. Before Hermione sat down beside him her attention was automatically drawn to two flutes with red velvet ribbon tied around the stems.

"What's with the champagne for breakfast?" Hermione asked Harry of the flutes.

He winked at her and took her hand to sit her down on the bed beside him. As she sat she could see, tied to one of the ribbons, a beautiful diamond engagement ring. Turning quickly to Harry she looked at him, her eyes wide with wonder.

"Say you'll marry me, Hermione," he smiled questioningly at her.

Hermione saw before her the boy she had grown up with and the man she loved. His hair still held that boyish wildness that he could never tame and his deep, green eyes held a sparkle of anticipation as he awaited her answer.

She immediately wrapped her arms around Harry and squeezed as tight as she could. As she pulled her head back from his shoulder, her arms still wrapped around him, Hermione looked into his eyes and knew there was no other answer to his question.

"Yes, I'll marry you, Harry!" Her face burst into a happy smile. He grinned back at her, took her face in his hands and kissed her gently. Pulling back from her he removed the ring from its ribbon then took her hand and slipped the delicate band on her finger. They both looked down at her hand and Hermione gasped. "Harry! This is absolutely gorgeous! I love it! I love you!"

She wrapped her arms around him again tears of joy streaming down Hermione's face.

***

Sunday afternoon found them on the couch in their living room. Hermione had her head on Harry's lap while she read the Daily Prophet. Harry was reading the Quidditch tallies, twirling a strand of her hair in his fingers lazily. This was a ritual they had performed ever since leaving Hogwarts. Lately though, they hadn't had the luxury of lazing around Sunday afternoons as Harry often had to work weekends.

Hermione knew something big was going on in the Auror Department Harry worked for at the Ministry for Magic. Although she also worked at the Ministry, she was assigned to the Research Department and didn't know the details of Harry's occupation. In fact, very few people were aware of the work the Aurors performed. Since Dumbledore was now Minister for Magic only the select group of people he had personally assembled in the Auror Department was privy to that information. Yet while their tasks were shrouded in mystery, rumors abounded of big events on the horizon.

Hermione stared up at Harry as his eyes switched right and left reading the paper.

"What's going on at work, Harry?" she asked. She felt him tense and almost regretted asking the question. He never spoke about his work with her and she didn't know if he was instructed to keep his work secret or if Harry simply didn't want her to know what he was involved in. "I think you should confide in me about what you do. You know, now that I'm going to be your wife."

Despite the uncomfortable topic a smile played on her lips as she called herself Harry's wife. Her smile faded quickly though because it bothered her that he didn't disclose anything about work without her having to ask. At school she had always been a part of Harry's adventures but that had changed when their relationship as platonic best friends changed. This was a sore point for her upon graduating and resulted in more than a few arguments with Harry.

After the momentous battle that occurred at the Ministry in their fifth year, Hermione, Harry and Ron had discussed what they wanted to do after Hogwarts. Both Ron and Harry expressed their mutual interest in becoming Aurors but Hermione, still recovering from the injuries she had sustained, wasn't fond of the concept of battling Death Eaters and dark wizards for a living. It was common for Muggles to attend university or a vocational college after secondary education, and Hermione's parents expected her to do so. She certainly wanted to continue her education and just had to decide whether she would attend a Wizarding or Muggle institution. Hermione had been leaning towards the study of Arithmancy and Runes at some esteemed Wizarding university until the events of their seventh year.

With the capture and permanent imprisonment of Voldemort's right-hand man, many were of the opinion that the Dark Lord's downfall was imminent. However when Voldemort eluded defeat, Hermione decided that she would be needed in the fight and decided that she too would become an Auror. By that time, she and Harry were already a couple and he was adamant that she find another line of work. He categorically forbade Hermione becoming an Auror and she suspected he had convinced Dumbledore to deny her acceptance to Auror Studies upon graduation. During his seventh year, Harry had become a confident, assured young man and realized how powerful a wizard he was. No longer one to back down when he and Hermione got into an argument he had triumphed in his wish for Hermione to find another line of work, one in which she would not have to face danger directly. So with Dumbledore's influence she was assigned to Research at the Ministry. She knew that she was at least contributing something to the fight against Voldemort since she was engaged in many requests for information from the Auror Department.

However Hermione was stubborn and in the first year after graduation she had often brought up this bone of contention, arguing with Harry about wanting to be actively involved like he and Ron. After one particularly heated argument after which she and Harry had not spoken for several days, he made her promise to stop thinking of becoming an Auror for his sake. She complied with his wish but it never sat well with her, being kept in the dark all these years. So instead she poured all these frustrations into her work and was the best researcher in her department, often being called upon not only for the Auror Department but many other departments throughout the Ministry. Consequently she wasn't able to piece together what the Aurors were planning or even what the use was of the information she had gathered for them.

"Let's not talk about work, Hermione," Harry responded, his eyes glued to the paper in his hands.

Harry felt himself tense when Hermione asked him about work. He had made it one of his personal obligations to keep her as far as he could from the dangers he was involved in. If she knew that there were plans in the works to fulfill the prophecy made about him and Voldemort so many years ago she would worry and even become angry. She would also set about trying to find a way to help him.

Throughout school he was grateful that Ron and Hermione were there for him every time he had to face the Dark Lord. However since the time that he admitted his love for Hermione he could not bear the thought of involving her in any more danger. They had argued over this point endlessly at one time but this was something over which he absolutely put his foot down. Harry was determined not to lose to Voldemort the one thing that mattered the most to him. However, she was right about becoming his wife. Perhaps it was bad timing for him to have proposed to her as they launched the initial steps of Dumbledore's plan.

Ron's surprise was evident when Harry had first told him he planned to propose to Hermione. Though things had not worked out between Ron and Hermione romantically, Ron was fiercely protective of her and expressed his concern over the consequences of them marrying now. Harry confessed his reasons to Ron and whatever doubts Ron might still have had after that he never mentioned them again. Even Draco had asked him about his timing when they had gone to buy the engagement ring for Hermione.

Following their search through several shops in Diagon Alley for the perfect ring, Draco finally brought Harry to the most exclusive jeweler in London. As they entered the shop, Harry felt intimidated by the surroundings and left it to Draco to take the lead. Malfoy was in his element. All the saleswizards waited on him hand and foot and were quick to remove all the diamond rings from within their glass enclosures. As Harry examined them all, Draco stood back and watched him.

"What am I looking for here, Draco?" he asked when all the rings started to look the same. Draco sighed loudly as he moved beside Harry and looked down at the rings.

Malfoy examined the selection briefly before answering, "She looks best in silver and she should have a solitary diamond in a round starburst cut. Perhaps a single carat would suit both your simple tastes." He pointed at a few rings for the saleswizard to take away. Harry was impressed by Draco's knowledge and even more impressed that he suggested silver as Hermione was not partial to yellow gold.

"Remove all the white gold rings as well. Leave only the platinum and unicorn silver solitaires," Draco instructed the saleswizard.

This left Harry with only three to choose from and he didn't hesitate because one of the rings stood out immediately. As Draco had suggested, the starburst diamond glittered magnificently in its high setting on a slender band of unicorn silver. Harry knew at once that it would suit Hermione's slender fingers perfectly. Malfoy told the woman to bring the ring to the back for cleaning while they waited. He explained to Harry that the ring would not have to be sized as it would magically conform to the hand that it was intended for.

"Draco, I really appreciate your helping me out with this," Harry said once they were left alone.

"I read Dumbledore's plan last night, Potter. Did you read it through carefully?" Malfoy interjected without acknowledging Harry's thanks. He was moving along the display cases pausing to look at a beautiful broach here or a set of stunning earrings there.

"Of course I read it." Frowning, Harry followed Malfoy. "It's all about me after all."

"Potter, as much as none of this is really my business, do you think that making Granger your wife at this time is the best idea?" He stopped to look at Harry who looked back at him, surprised that Malfoy even cared to ask.

"I know what I'm doing, Draco, but thanks for asking," Harry firmly replied. He had already gone through it with Ron and had certainly spent countless hours contemplating the issue himself. At Draco's direct questioning he felt uncomfortable and didn't want to explain it all to him as well.

He always meant to ask Hermione to marry him, since the day they graduated, but his work as an Auror and the shadow of the prophecy that hung over his head kept him from making that commitment to her. He convinced himself that it wasn't fair to make her his wife since he was destined to face Voldemort in a life-or-death situation. Moreover he knew that even if he were able to defeat the Dark Lord there was no guarantee that he would survive the encounter. Hermione would be left the grieving widow and Harry refused to put her through that. However, now that the time of confrontation was looming, Harry had changed his mind.

For once in his life, Harry decided that he was going to do something selfish. He wanted to do something that was just for him and didn't have to do with the fate of wizards and Muggles around the world. Marrying Hermione had nothing to do with being the hero. He simply wanted to know that if he came back from defeating the Dark Lord, Hermione would be here waiting for him.

He could feel Hermione's glare through the paper he was pretending to read. He set it aside and looked down at her. "Hermione, let's not talk about this now please. Maybe, once things start happening I can tell you what's going on but we're still in the planning stages and nothing has been set in stone yet."

He didn't want to lie to her outright but this definitely was not the time to talk about the affairs of the Auror Department. Dumbledore's plan had already been set in motion which gave Harry about six months with Hermione before he had to embark on the most important last step, a step that Harry alone would execute.

"Why don't we talk about our wedding? Haven't you dreamed of having the big fancy ceremony with the big fancy dress?" He gave her his most charming smile as he made an effort to change the topic.

At once Hermione's eyes lit up at the talk of their wedding. "Oh, Harry, you know I just want a small elegant affair with close friends."

The tension between them dissipated as they talked about their wedding. They made plans to announce their engagement at their New Year's Eve party and agreed to tell Ron and Ginny beforehand as they wanted them to stand as witnesses for them. Harry suggested a June wedding which didn't give them a lot of time to spend as a married couple but she might become suspicious if he tried to suggest an earlier date for the wedding.

It was to Harry's relief that Hermione had let him off the hook about his job, but he dreaded that the topic would come up again, and he was running out of time to keep making excuses.

***