A/N: Hey everyone! Hope you're doing well. If you liked this chapter, please drop a comment, leave a review, and send a Power Stone. Thanks for all the support!
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Harry didn't see Hermione later that night. Angelina told him that things went better than expected, which gave him some hope, but she also thought Hermione had been thoroughly weirded out. He prayed they would be able to talk about it during their training session the next day.
It didn't happen. They ate breakfast together in the Great Hall, making awkward conversation that stayed far away from anything related to the previous night. She could barely meet his eyes. When they left, he asked her where she thought they should train, but she begged off.
"Harry, I think I need a little time. To think about last night. It caught me by surprise," she said, blushing but managing to hold his gaze.
He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I understand. It caught me by surprise too. Just promise me you won't leave me. You don't have to be a part of the club. I just couldn't lie to you."
She smiled. "I would never abandon you. I just need some time to myself, okay?"
"Okay."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
He didn't see her the rest of the day, even at dinner. When 9 PM rolled around and she was still missing in action, he checked the map. She was in her dorm room, and probably had been all day. He imagined her lying in bed, curtains pulled, deep in thought. He wished he knew what those thoughts were.
He decided to go to the Pride's secret room, just to see who was there.
It was virtually empty. Given that it was Sunday and they had classes tomorrow, that made sense. The only people present were McLaggen, his friend Martigan, and Jo Hampson. They lounged on chairs, books spread around them, fully clothed. He didn't bother to wait around to see who else might show up. He took his leave quietly, knowing he wouldn't have been able to enjoy himself anyway.
Monday brought a full day of classes, but the distraction didn't ease his worries. He talked with Hermione at breakfast, but they stuck to safe, superficial topics. She was unusually quiet, and the little wall that had sprung up between them left him scared.
He spent an hour trying to turn a mole into a seat cushion for McGonagall, and by then he couldn't stand it any longer. He pulled her aside after they left Transfiguration.
"Hermione," he whispered, his hand gripping her arm gently. "We've been avoiding this, and it's starting to scare me. Can we talk? Please?"
She smiled weakly. "Yes, and I'm sorry. I know you must be worried. Can it wait until after dinner tonight?"
"Not a problem. Shall we go to that little classroom near Myrtle's haunt?"
"That's fine."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
For the rest of the day, Hermione could barely contain her racing thoughts. They covered the same ground she had already covered a hundred times, but still she couldn't outrun them. She knew she shouldn't be ghosting Harry, but she didn't know how to face him yet.
If she joined him in the club, would he think her some sort of whore? Right now, he needed her. He respected her. Would that change if she brought her carefully hidden desires into the light?
He wasn't the only problem. She would be revealing a very private side of herself to an entire group of people. Would it sully her reputation? Her self-worth? She prided herself on her intellect and her integrity. Academic excellence was just a by-product of those values. Her peers may think of her as a bossy little swot, but they respected her mind. Would that change?
She had forced herself to approach these questions rationally, for hours at a time. She had discovered reassuring answers dozens of times already. Still they hounded her. She envisioned nightmare scenarios of dozens of people laughing at her, mocking her body and her desires. Every one of her deepest insecurities assaulted her at once.
It didn't help that she had been wet almost constantly since that night. She couldn't get the images she had seen out of her head. She imagined the twins' cocks, long and slick as they plunged into Alicia and Katie. Katie's moans were seared into her brain. She replayed the vision of McLaggen ejaculating onto Manson's face. It turned her on more than anything else she had seen. She had masturbated three times that very evening, alone in her bed, hoping the release would grant her sleep.
It hadn't. The images continued to assault her, and no sooner than she was finished, the ache in her belly returned.
How could she expose such thoughts for all to see? To actually indulge—in front of other people—the embarrassing desires she had kept so carefully hidden? To let Harry see her?
She didn't think of him romantically. Not precisely. He was far more than a potential boyfriend to her. He was her anchor: the one constant in her magical life, and the person whose approval she needed the most. She couldn't bear to lose it.
And yet the ache between her legs continued unabated.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
They arrived at their meeting place separately. Harry's anxiety was wrecking him. He knew the coming conversation might determine the future of a friendship.
She seated herself at a desk across from him, and they looked at each other, neither quite sure how to proceed.
"Er, hey," he said awkwardly.
"Hey," she replied, pushing a strand of bushy hair behind her ear.
"I didn't mean for this to get so strange," he began. "I'm sorry if—"
"It's okay, Harry. I'm sorry for avoiding you. I just needed to think. I have some questions for you, and I need totally honest answers."
"Of course."
"If I joined this club, would you think less of me?"
The question surprised him, and it took him a moment to answer. "Er, no. Why would you think that?"
"I thought you might want me to know about the club, but not participate."
"I'm not your boss, Hermione. I wouldn't think less of you. Do you think less of me?"
She shook her head demurely. "No. I just don't want things to get uncomfortable."
"I don't either. That's why I had to tell you. I want you by my side, no matter what. If you ask me to choose between you and the club, I'll choose you."
It was her turn to be surprised. "Choose? I wouldn't do that to you."
"Well, you know what my choice would be if you did. I'm being totally honest here. I like being part of this Lion's Pride thing. Much more than I expected. And yeah, it's, er, embarrassing to admit that. But I don't need it. I do need you as my friend."
She smiled. "That means a lot to me."
"Good, because I mean it."
"I like being your best friend," she said. "I like how much we depend on each other. I don't want to lose that."
"And you're scared we will."
"Yes."
"Don't be," he said sincerely. "Hermione, after I was initiated into the club, I only had one thought on my mind. I knew I couldn't keep it a secret from you. Honestly—I think I'd be more comfortable with you there than not."
She blushed, again surprised at his admission. "At this club—people don't get jealous? Or insult other people? Or lose respect for each other?"
"Not that I've seen. I think Angelina and the twins are basically in charge, and they keep things light. Half the prefects are there. As far as I can tell, nobody's reputation suffers at all."
She took a deep breath and looked him in the eye. "Okay. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm willing to give it a try."
His face lit up. "Really?"
"Really."
"Oh, thank God," he said, nearly collapsing in his seat with relief. "I was so worried you'd think I was disgusting or something."
"I have fantasies of my own, you know. I've just always kept them to myself. The idea that other people indulge theirs in public..."
"Bit of a shock, isn't it?"
"I can't believe it's real."
"Me either, and I've experienced it."
"If I'm going to try this, I have one thing to ask of you."
"Anything."
"I want my first time to be with you."
He smiled fondly at her. "I would love that."
He rose and approached her. She stood from her seat and he pulled her into a hug. "I don't have much experience yet, but I'll try to make it wonderful for you."
She hugged him back tightly. "I won't lie, Harry. This scares me. It scares me that I want to do it. Let's make a promise to each other, okay?"
"A promise?"
"That we won't lose each other to this place. If we start to do things that aren't good for us, if we drift apart, we pull each other back, okay?"
"Always. I promise."
"It's settled then," she said, reassured by his sincerity. "Did you have a place in mind? For the two of us?"
"We can go to that little bed behind the alcove if you want. It's nice and private."
She reached down and squeezed his hand. "That's fine. Let's go."
"Now?"
She nodded with certainty. "Before I lose my nerve, and so I can stop thinking about it. I can't concentrate on my reading and it's getting annoying."
He laughed and squeezed her hand in return.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The moment they climbed onto the hidden bed and closed the curtains, the awkwardness disappeared. He had expected it to linger or even grow. Instead, their eyes met, and both seemed to know what the other was thinking: 'wow, we're really about to do this.' He couldn't stop his grin, and she returned it.
Now that the decision had been made, the air was filled with an aura of anticipation rather than dread. It was almost euphoric.
She disrobed and lay down on the bed in only her bra and knickers. He followed her example while she watched. Her eyes went to his tented boxers, and he loved the expectant look he saw there.
Without a word, he leaned forward and kissed her. It wasn't his first—that one belonged to Katie—but this one felt much different. It was needier and more intimate, and both were quickly hypnotized by it. It grew lusty, as if years of sexual tension were being released.
Her hand went for his boxers. She reached inside them to caress his cock, surprising him with her boldness. She pulled away from their kiss, already panting, and looked down.
"Can I take them off?"
He didn't bother to answer. He pushed them to his ankles in one swift motion. She stared between his legs and then reached for him.
He shivered as she caressed his bare flesh. She ran a curious finger along his shaft, gently squeezed his balls, and then wrapped her hand firmly around his girth.
"That feels good," he whispered.
She gave an experimental tug and then massaged his engorged head with her palm. He couldn't contain himself any longer. He needed to touch her. He resumed their kiss hungrily and kneaded her bra-covered breast, willing the material to go away. She kissed him back with equal fervor, her hand stroking and squeezing and driving him wild.
Before he could contemplate his next move, she yanked off her bra and tossed it to the edge of the bed. He pulled on her knickers, willing them to be gone too, and she slid them down, breaking their frenzied kiss only long enough to kick them off her ankle.
She moved onto her back without a word. She spread her legs and pulled him on top of her, giving him no time to even admire her body.
He had planned to take things slowly; to make her comfortable; to seduce her. He half-expected her to talk the entire time. But she wanted nothing to do with words. She again captured his lips and reached between his legs. Her hand gripped his cock, pulling it toward her with obvious intent.
"Are you sure?" he asked.
"Please, I want to feel you. I'm ready."
That was all he needed to hear. He reached between her legs and caressed her clit. She shivered and pulled his body closer, as if she desperately needed him to be inside her. He reached lower, and found her soaked with arousal. He couldn't wait to bury himself deep within her. She whispered something unintelligible as he touched her, her eyes closed and her breath coming fast.
He rubbed his crown along her folds until he felt her wet lips caress him. "Here we go."
He gently pushed forward. His head slipped inside her and she made a little whimpering sound. She spread her legs wider but he stayed still, allowing her to adjust to the intruder who had just entered her. But she renewed their kiss urgently, and her eyes pled with him.
"Put it in all the way."
He pushed forward, amazed at the lust that was pouring off her. She groaned with every new inch that penetrated her and kissed him even more fiercely. She was so unbelievably soft and wet, and he could feel himself stretching her. He pushed deeper and her panting grew more intense.
"Jesus, don't stop."
Her words almost overpowered him. With her body taut and ready beneath him, his instinct was to go hard and fast and spill everything he had inside her. He barely resisted the urge.
Instead he moved deliberately, trying to savor the exquisite tightness that gripped him and the little noises she made with every movement. He filled her completely and then slowly withdrew.
"Oh, God," she moaned.
He was so turned on right now it was all he could do not to fuck her in a frenzy. He thrust into her with longer strokes, removing half his length before plunging it back inside her. She was wet beyond belief and seemed to be in no discomfort at all. If anything, she was more desperate than he was. She wrapped her legs around him and crossed her ankles. He pulled out and her thighs gripped him so hard he almost lifted her off the bed.
"More," she begged, and kissed him aggressively.
His thrusts grew deeper and more urgent, and still she clung to him with her entire body. Her arms wrapped around him and her hand found its way to his hair. She gripped it and kneaded it roughly.
He drove into her harder, overcome by the raw desire of her embrace. She thrust her hips into his, trying to draw him deeper with every penetration.
"Oh, f-fuck," she panted, totally beside herself. Her filthy words undid him.
He gave up and fucked her like they were a pair of rutting animals, shoving his full length in and out of her roughly. She made a little whimpering sound and her whole body shuddered against his. His balls tightened, his belly quivered and orgasm overcame him without warning. He burst deep inside her, each spurt a wave of ecstasy he could barely stand.
He was still thrusting when she cried out and gripped him even tighter by the shoulders. Her release followed quickly on the heels of his. He felt her contracting around his cock and he spurted even more powerfully inside her.
He collapsed on top of her, breathing hard. Hermione's panting matched his. Her body went slack, and she released him from her crushing embrace. When he found the strength to lift himself, he flopped onto his back next to her. They both stared at the ceiling as they regained their composure.
They were silent for almost a minute. Harry managed to find words first.
"Holy shit."
"Yeah," she breathed, her chest still heaving.
"I can't believe that just happened," he said to the ceiling.
"Is it always like that?"
"No. That was something else."
"It was amazing."
"What got into you?" he said in astonishment.
"I, er, didn't mean to move so fast," she said sheepishly. "Sorry."
"I'm not complaining. Merlin, that was hot."
He rolled onto his side so he could see her. "You were wild."
Her face was flushed, but still he could see her blush.
"I don't know what you're talking about," she murmured.
"Right. That was just your average, everyday first time. Merlin."
She huffed. "I got a little carried away. So did you."
He laughed and rested a hand on her belly. "I'm just teasing, Hermione. I loved seeing you like that."
She met his eyes uncertainly. He smiled and it seemed to dispel her worries. There was no true awkwardness in the air, much to his relief. He didn't want to think about what might have happened if things had gone poorly. Only now did he realize how many risks they were taking with their friendship.
The ensuing silence was relaxed. He let his eyes roam casually across her naked body. This was his first real chance to examine her. They had been in such a frenzy earlier that he had barely registered her nudity.
She watched his expression as he examined her breasts and hips and legs and the little tuft of brown hair between them. He cupped one of her breasts, and a little pink nipple hardened in his hand.
"They're not much to look at, I know," she said.
"What are you talking about? They're gorgeous."
"You don't have to flatter me, Harry."
"Oh, shut up," he said, rolling her nipple across his palm. "They're nice and perky. I just can't believe you're letting me touch them."
"Neither can I."
He played with her nipple a moment longer, then trailed his hand along her belly. Her pubic hair was a deep brown, and much less thick than he expected, given the thickness of her hair. It was trimmed neatly on the sides. He rubbed it between his fingers, admiring its softness.
He looked at her face. She was watching him with a peculiar expression.
"Sorry. I didn't get a good look earlier before you ravished me," he said.
"You were the one doing the ravishing. I'm quite certain I've just been ravished, thank you very much."
He laughed. "No, no. I was the one intending to go slow and gentle for your first time. You were the one who molested me."
"Harry Potter. If you don't stop, I will hex you."
He rested his hand on her breast again. "I guess you'll just have to hex me then."
She narrowed her eyes but her lips showed her amusement. They just watched each other as he gently massaged her breast. The intimacy of the moment was a relief, given the anxiety of the past two days.
"I didn't hurt you, did I?"
"No. Well, a little, but I wanted it to happen. I'll probably feel it tomorrow."
She had no intention whatsoever of telling him about her hairbrush, or just how much she had already explored with her fingers. Nor did she intend to tell him how it felt when he came inside her. The sensation had spurred her own orgasm, and filled her with an intense warmth that was indescribable. She had been delirious in the aftermath.
"So you're happy with your first time then?"
She rolled closer to him and snuggled into his shoulder, pushing him onto his back. "Very."
She ran a finger across his chest and admired the definition of his abs. He watched the top of her head as she got her chance to examine his body as well. She gently tugged on his black pubic hair and then held his flaccid cock in her hand. It was still slick with both of their fluids. She turned it this way and that, examining its texture and shape. It twitched under her caress, growing slightly larger.
"I've never seen one of these outside of a magazine," she mused.
"Been looking at dirty magazines, have you?"
She squeezed his cock and it slowly grew in her hand. "My father has a collection of them. I accidentally discovered it when I was younger."
"Wow. And you looked at it?"
She looked up at him with an embarrassed grin. "Every page."
He couldn't stop himself from laughing. "Oh my God, Hermione. You are blowing my mind right now."
She returned her attention to his cock. "Oh, be quiet. I was curious. My mother has her own stash of really dirty novels. I started reading those when I was 12."
"I would never have guessed."
"I've kept it secret. My dirty little secret. Not so secret now, I suppose."
She continued caressing his cock with her hand. She watched with fascination as it grew hard again. She stroked it casually, watching as the skin moved across his shaft.
"Having fun?" he asked.
"It's bigger than I expected. A lot bigger."
"You can play with it any time you want."
She squeezed him firmly. "How about right now?"
"Are you serious?"
She looked up and smiled. "I want to try being on top. Books make it sound wonderful."
He laughed, shocked but delighted with her audacity. She raised herself up and straddled him with her hips, then leaned forward and kissed him. Things had definitely changed between them, but they hadn't become weird. His deepest fears went unrealized.
She reached behind her to grab his cock, and he held himself up to guide her. She wriggled against him experimentally and then sighed when he slipped in. She lowered herself until he filled her.
"God, that feels good," she whispered, closing her eyes.
"Perfect," he returned, spellbound by the look on her face.
He grabbed her breasts from underneath. She opened her eyes and smiled, then ground her hips, moving him around inside her. He hadn't believed it possible to share something so erotic with his best friend.
"You really are going to join the club, aren't you?" he said.
"Don't you want me to?"
"Hell yes. I was just worried that you would feel coerced. Like you had to do it for me."
She shook her head. "I was just scared that you would think I'm some sort of deviant, and that everyone would laugh at me."
"Hermione, I want to watch you lose your mind with lust like nothing else in this world."
She couldn't contain her blush and rocked her hips, pushing him deeper inside her. "You really mean that?"
"Yes."
"It won't change your opinion of me?"
"My opinion of you only gets higher every day."
"Good, because I want to be a part of this so much it scares me. Promise you'll watch out for me?"
"I promise."
She started moving faster on top of him, and he closed his eyes in bliss.