Chapter 7
Hermione was walking down the corridor, her head buried in Advanced Potions, already checking what Slughorn would probably introduce them to in the next lesson. Veritaserum and SkeleGro were both good contestants, though she was more inclined towards the former. It was trickier, but the ingredients were easier and cheaper to come by. Considering how much the war had affected Hogwarts and the Magical World in general, waste expensive stuff in possible potion wreckages wasn’t the wisest choice.
Distracted by those thoughts, she turned a corner and ended up straight against a hard chest, a sweet, familiar scent of cinnamon and cloves tickling her nose. She gasped, when a pair of strong arms swept her behind a tapestry hanging over a nook in the wall. In the dim light, Theo pried her book from her hold and snapped it closed, while pulling her hard into him, his nose gracing hers. A blade of light filtered through a gap between the tapestry and the stonewall, shimmering shadows playing on Theo’s angular face. Hermione inhaled, eyes locked in his, lips parted. He smiled predatory.
“Good morning, Princess.”
Relaxing in his hold, Hermione slid her hands up his chest and around his neck, never breaking eye contact while snuggling closer. He was lean and strong, hard in all the right places.
So. Many. Places.
Merlin, she was on fire already.
“Good morning,” she whispered, breath tickling his lips. Theo groaned and kissed her like a starved man, hands tangling into her hair. Hermione moaned, pressing into him, the tip of her tongue tracing the seam of his lips. Theo growled and grabbed her hip. She wasn’t close enough. Hermione felt her back gently hit the wall and Theo trailed his palm down her side, grazing the hem of her skirt and caressing her bare thigh with a low sound of barely contained pleasure, rumbling and reverberating into her chest. His fingers stilled and he broke the kiss, resting his forehead on hers.
“Could it be? Miss Granger challenging school rules about skirt length?” he teased, pushing his index under the hem slowly.
A mischievous smile spread on her face. “What are a couple of inches in the great scheme of things, Nott?”
“A valid point, Granger. Let’s explore the topic further,” he suggested, splaying his hand on her thigh and pushing up, kissing her jaw, his movements sensual and intentional. Every nip of his teeth down the column of her throat accompanied his fingers an inch higher. When he reached her collar, Hermione sighed.
“We’ll be late for Potions,” she exhaled, running a hand in his hair, right when his digits found the band of her knickers. Theo nuzzled his face in her neck, growling again.
“We can’t be late for Potions, we’re starting a new one today,” she admonished, tracing the contour of his sharp jaw.
Theo looked up at her. “I bet it’s Veritaserum.”
Hermione smirked. “I’ve read it needs to be stirred and checked every day for a fortnight.”
Theo slowly straightened and adjusted his hold on her waist, looking in her eyes with a fire that made her insides melt with anticipation. “Partners again?”
*********
Moments later, they walked into the classroom, Hermione’s cheeks flushed and Theo’s hair slightly tousled. She was clutching her book to her chest, while his hand hovered over the small of her back, protective and deliciously close. He could feel the heat radiate from her warm, sinuous body, that had just been pressed against his.
He couldn’t believe it, really. A smile played on his lips at the memory of their kiss the previous night, of her feminine moans, of her skin under his fingers just minutes earlier, and a jolt of pleasure travelled down his body. Gods, he wanted her! He couldn’t think about anything else but her. Kissing her, touching her, exploring every inch of her, body and mind. Salazar, her sexy, magnificent mind! He instinctively angled his body behind hers, hiding his raging hard-on from straying eyes.
They were headed towards their bench on the front row, when Boot interjected them and stopped before Hermione, a nervous grin on his dumb face. Theo crept closer to her, his hand now plainly resting on her back. He felt her lean in the contact.
“Hermione, hi!”
The girl smiled back politely. “Hi, Terry.”
The Ravenclaw sent an hostile look Theo’s way and nodded once. “Nott.”
“Boot,” he acknowledged, eyes cold like frozen lakes.
Boot’s gaze trailed back to Hermione. “Can I talk to you for a second?”
“Sure, what is it?”
Boot looked back at Theo, clearly expecting him to back off, which he definitely didn’t. Taking the hint, Boot focused on Hermione, irritation seeping from the downward curve of his lips.
“I was thinking that maybe we could keep this new pairing for another potion? I mean, you two clearly make a good team,” he blurted out, a faint blush already creeping up his neck. Theo slowly smirked and turned his head towards Daphne, filing her nails on a bench in the back rows. She looked unfazed, with her lips painted red and her legs elegantly crossed, but he could read the signs. Her foot, dangling in the air, was twitching and she was blinking a little too fast. Theo’s smirk grew wider. He turned back at Hermione’s innocent reply.
“Oh…but you said just one potion, Terry. Are you sure?”
Theo looked down to her, her blank expression so convincing he almost believed her himself.
Boot waved a hand. “Yeah, sure. By the way, I don’t mind working with Daph…with Greengrass. She’s not that bad.”
“Mmh. Can be a…handful sometimes, uh?” Theo mused, a twinkle in his eyes. This was going to be fun.
Boot stared him, uncertain how to reply. “Well, she’s a bit chatty, but…”
“Yeah, she loves to run her mouth, doesn’t she?” Theo teased.
Hermione cleared her throat. “Well, then! Let’s keep the pairs like this again. We’ll see how it plays out, yes?”
“I’m sure Boot here will have the time of his life playing with Daph, right Boot?” Theo asked, unable to hide his amusement. He noticed Hermione slightly turning her face away. Boot started to stammer an inconclusive reply, but was saved by the entrance of Slughorn, that encouraged everyone to take their sits. Boot didn’t esitate and sprinted away from them.
Theo chuckled under his breath while sitting on their bench. Hermione swatted his arm playfully.
“You are terrible, Theo, really. I was going to laugh in his face,” she whispered.
Theo gave her a proud look. “You would have made a fine Slytherin, Granger.”
Hermione grinned, devilish. “Yeah, I know.”
*********
“I suggest you ward the door, Nott,” Hermione said, walking past him into the classroom the following night. Theo smiled to himself. He’d better ward the door, indeed, especially if he wanted to go through with what he had in mind. He waved his wand towards the closed door, locking it, casting a series of confounding and repelling charms, all topped up by a very strong silencing one. When he turned, Hermione had already started stirring their Veritaserum, checking the instructions in the book.
He sauntered to her, halting behind her and placing his hands on her hips.
“It only requires two turns clockwise and three counterclockwise the first night,” Hermione explained, her ladle completing the final turn.
Theo buried his face into her neck and kissed her.
“Thank Merlin,” he murmured on her skin, while Hermione resettled their blood wards around the cauldron. When he was sure she was done, he flipped her around in his arms and gently pinned her against the edge of the table.
“We have unfinished business to discuss,” he growled, hovering over her lips.
Hermione pushed on her tiptoes, sliding her hands behind his neck and up into his hair.
“What business?” she asked, her voice already husky.
Theo felt weak in the knees. He wanted to devour her.
“The skirt length, Miss Granger. I think you should serve detention for such a violation,” he teased, nipping at her lips tenderly.
Hermione smiled on his. “You are so strict, Mr Nott. What kind of punishment could I possibly deserve?”
Theo’s hands travelled down her sides and he grabbed her behind her thighs, lifting her up on the table with a smooth movement, just beside the cauldron. Hermione’s giggles morphed into a throaty gasp when Theo pushed between her knees and pulled her flush against him.
“I have so many ideas, Miss Granger,” he whispered, his breath tickling the shell of her ear. She didn’t have time to reply, before Theo attacked her jaw and throat, kissing down to her collar, hands sliding under the skirt and up her thighs. Hermione pulled him closer, throwing her head back and exposing her neck to his thorough lips. She hooked her legs around him and beckoned him forward, relishing the hint of his arousal against her core. She had ditched the tie before dinner, the first button of her shirt undone around the base of her throat. Theo reached up to pop another, then another, then another, slowly, until the upper curve of her breasts was exposed. He traced the edge of her white lace bra with a finger, gently kissing her delicate, cream skin. He could feel her nipples peak behind the thin fabric.
“Theo,” Hermione moaned, pushing into him. The need in her voice made him even harder, his chest swelling with a feral kind of joy. He still couldn’t believe she was there, in her arms, asking for more, asking for him. He had dreamed about this for ages, pining for her in the shadows since Third year, his crush going back even further, to their first ride on the Hogwarts Express. His heart was going to give in for beating too fast in pure happiness. He wanted to do this right.
“Slowly, Miss Granger,” he murmured, reaching behind her back and unclasping the bra from over the cotton of the shirt. He tenderly pushed one cup down, exposing her skin, goosebumps ruffling her nipple, already perched up with pleasure. He grazed it with his thumb, and observed her throat bob, a low moan escaping her lips. Theo placed his mouth on the laced covered nipple and rolled his tongue around it, dampening the fabric, then sucked gently.
“Oh my,” Hermione gasped, arching her back. He nipped and sucked, teasing the other breast with his thumb and index, circling around her taut peak, eliciting all sorts of delicious sounds from her throat. He could make her come just like that, but he had other plans. His free hand, resting on her thigh, pushed the pleated skirt up, exposing her spread out legs. He inched up and found her knickers. He let his fingers trail over them, until he reached her center. It was soaked. Theo felt his cock twitch in his trousers. He moaned around her nipple and she sighed, shivering.
Theo looked up and locked eyes with her, a question in his gaze. She nodded once and he pushed the damp fabric aside, exposing her warm core and tracing her entrance with feathery strokes.
“Theo, please,” she keened, grasping a fistful of his hair on the nape of his neck. Theo released her soaked nipple and flashed his smirk.
“Eager for your detention, Miss Granger?”
Hermione’s chest heaved and she stared him backing away and slowly sinking on his knees. Her eyes widened in surprise and held her breath, slightly leaning back on her forearms. When his tongue trailed her entrance she cried out in pleasure. Theo pushed the tip between her folds, reaching her swelled bundle of nerves, stroking it thoroughly, until her thighs started to tremble around his head. He flipped his finger on her nipple, sinking his tongue inside her and she cried his name again. Salazar, he was going to come in his pants just listening to her arousal. He reached his other hand up her body, finding her other breast and pushed the bra down, gently twisting both her peaks. His tongue travelled up and down her folds, quicker and hungrier, her moans and cries pumping his blood faster in his veins. Her nails scraped his scalp and he pushed his tongue into her, tasting her, pinching her nipples in unison, playing her strings like an expert musician. Hermione arched her back and cried out, coming around his tongue in waves. Theo almost lost it himself, drinking her in. When she finally came down from the high, he lifted his head and cradled her hips in his hand. He took her in with parted lips, her lids half-closed, her naked chest rising and falling, her hair a halo around her beautiful, flushed face. She was a goddess. And he would live to worship her.
Theo rested his cheek on her inner thigh and smiled adoringly, his thumbs drawing circled on her hipbones. Hermione blushed and started to push her shirt over her chest, but Theo reached up and covered her hands with his.
“You’re perfect, Hermione,” he said, his voice hoarse and swelling with all the things he was holding in his chest, beating hard and powerful, rattling his ribs.
She must have sensed a glimmer of it, because her body relaxed and she let the shirt hang loose on her breasts and intertwined her fingers with his.
“This…it was my first…No one had ever…” she gently stammered, her eyes locked on their fingers.
Theo smiled, the small ball of shining joy getting bigger and bigger in his chest. “Keep up with the rule breaking and it won’t be the last, honey.”
Hermione chuckled, locks of wild hair falling around her face. “If you’re open to consider retroactive rule breaking, I’ll never get out of detention.”
Theo kissed the soft skin of her thigh, his eyes closed, and inhaled her divine scent. Maybe, just maybe, she wanted this as much as him. Maybe she would allow him to keep her and care for her like she deserved. Maybe life was about to get warmer.