Yay! I didn't leave the author on this time... Taking Chances, Gift For: morte206
Title: Taking Chances
Author:
Pairing: Hermione/Luna
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I did not create these characters, and am making no profit from their use.
Summary: Hermione sometimes takes a long time to make changes and take chances. Luna can be relied on to point out the obvious eventually.
Recipient: morte206
A/N: It was hard to give you UST and a happy ending. I hope you don’t mind the compromise.
Luna came to visit haphazardly, as the mood took her, as the winds blew her to shore. She would bound up the steps and scatter new parcels, redolent of spices and foreign shores, onto the kitchen table and ask exhaustive questions about the well-being of all mutual friends. Hermione had never quite figured out why Luna visited her for this information, but did appreciate the parcels.
This time, as she spooned some of the new Ethiopian coffee into her Muggle coffee machine, she watched as Luna hung a new amulet against the evil eye in her window. Hermione looked at the gleaming blue beads on this one. “Luna, why do you always bring me amulets against the evil eye?” she asked.
“When a woman is as beautiful and clever as you, the evil eye must always be guarded against,” replied Luna solemnly. Hermione laughed, but sobered suddenly when she saw the earnest and admiring look in Luna’s eye. “Really. There must be countless people jealous of you,” she insisted. Hermione blushed vividly, and felt the traitorous little stir of attraction. She ignored it with the ease of long practice. “Come and tell me all about that terrifying anti-toxin research you were doing last time I saw you,” continued Luna, seemingly oblivious to Hermione’s blush.
Hermione had also never figured out how Luna could be so ditzy, yet so interested and informed about the esoteric research Hermione did. Her other friends usually rolled their eyes and sniffed when she got started about exactly how the boomslang skin extract differed in magical properties from the raw product and the implications of this on anti-inflammatory potions. But Luna never yawned. She might interrupt, to suggest dinner, or another coffee, or a novel idea about the process that Hermione has never considered, but never to tell Hermione it’s time to talk about something more interesting.
And Luna was devastatingly attractive, and had a terrible affect on Hermione’s blood pressure. She wasn’t sure what it was about Luna, and was even less sure if it was reciprocated. She didn’t want to do anything to rock the boat, so she looked down at the table, breathed deeply, and shoved aside the urge to tell Luna how gorgeous she was.
Once the boomslang skin extract was thoroughly dissected, Luna turned to her news. There were always mad tales of action around the globe, interspersed with meetings and conferences and training and who knows what else. Hermione sometimes thought it might be nice to be an independent scholar, and to research whatever took your fancy. She sometimes thought it might be nice to be dreamy and blonde and not have a big sign on her head that read “confrontational Muggle-born”. She sometimes thought that Luna was incredibly beautiful, but usually suppressed that.
Once Luna had finished her spirited account of collecting Waddling Dawn Orchids in Sumatra, a small silence fell. Hermione drained the last of her coffee, and winced at the bitter taste of the grounds. She looked up from her cup to see Luna gazing at her across the table, almost as if she was a new creature that needed to be thoroughly examined. “I’ve been offered a new job,” she blurted, anxious to stop that scrutiny. It was making her skin prickle.
“Really? I always said you were wasted at that hidebound hospital.”
It was true, reflected Hermione. She had said that, warmly, and full of praise about the work that Hermione did. “Well, I haven’t accepted yet,” she cautioned. Luna waved a hand carelessly and leaned forward to hear about the job. “It’s for Insight Pharmacologists. You’ve heard of them?”
“Yes, indeed. Small company, just launched last year, with a strong research commitment to exploring magical and Muggle solutions.” Luna practically bounced in her chair. “They’ve offered you a job?”
“Yes, that’s right. They want me to join a research team, with one other person, and, basically, we can research whatever we like. It’s not like Muggle companies, with their eyes always on making a profit.”
“Not at all like Muggle companies,” agreed Luna, with more enthusiasm than Hermione had expected.
“It would mean a lot of travelling,” sighed Hermione.
“Oh,” said Luna, deflating slightly, “Is that a problem?”
“Not really. I’m always quite jealous of you and your carefree life. I just don’t know that I’d be very good at it.”
“Trust me, Hermione, you’d very quickly get the hang of it.”
“I’m supposed to be meeting the projected partner tomorrow. She just got back in from overseas, and they want me to meet her before I decide.”
“What a fantastic idea,” agreed Luna. She practically glowed with excitement. Hermione ignored the little tug of attraction she felt and stood up.
“Do you want to stay for dinner?” she asked.
Luna looked down at her watch then jumped up from her chair. “I was supposed to be at my father’s house ten minutes ago,” she said. Hastily collecting all her belongings, she hugged Hermione tightly and gave her a warm kiss on the cheek. “Don’t be scared of new things, Hermione,” she urged. “Take a chance on all sorts of things.” She squeezed her once more and stepped back, apparating away with a small pop.
Hermione rinsed and put the cups on the bench to drain, and wondered what taking a chance with Luna would be like.
>>>>
Hermione stepped up to the door of the small cottage in Rhyl, on the northern Welsh coast. Knocking, she gazed around the garden, taking in the companion planting of magical and Muggle plants throughout. The door opened behind her, and a familiar voice said, “It’s a lovely garden, isn’t it?”
Whirling round, Hermione stared at Luna, framed in the doorway. “My interview,” she gasped. “Have I come to the wrong place?”
“No, no,” said Luna, “this is where you’re supposed to be. Come in.”
Hermione stepped in as if dazed, walking through the simple hallway to a study. Luna gestured her to a comfortable wing chair next to a brisk fire.
“Is this your house?” asked Hermione, shaking off her dazed look.
“No, it’s the headquarters of Insight’s research teams. We have offices here when we’re in the country. The administration is housed here too, and manufacturing and labs are in the farm buildings.”
“You work here?”
“Yes, as of about a week ago.” Luna leaned forward and captured Hermione’s hand. “I know this is a bit of a surprise, but I didn’t know the boss was considering you as my partner until you said last night that you had been approached. Then I guessed, since I’d been summoned home to meet you. I had nothing to do with this.”
“You’re disappointed?”
“Oh, no. Quite the contrary.” Luna smiled and squeezed Hermione’s hand. “I can’t imagine many things more pleasant than working with you.”
Hermione looked at her, seated in the chair across the fire. Luna was so calm and confident, despite what people thought of her. She was beautiful and clever and so many things that Hermione admired. She felt very brave for a moment. “What can you imagine that’s more pleasant than working with me?”
“Being your lover, of course,” replied Luna, completely unfazed. Hermione gaped, not having expected Luna to be so forthright. “Should I not have said that? Courtship rituals are so complicated.”
Hermione opened and closed her mouth a few times. Despite wanting exactly this to happen, in her secret heart of hearts, she found herself unsure of how to respond. She fumbled for words. Luna smiled understandingly.
“Hermione, you don’t have to say anything. I was too abrupt. You can have the job. You can have me as a lover. You can have both or you can have neither, and you don’t have to decide now.” She squeezed Hermione’s hand one more time, then let go and sat back in her chair. “Tea?” she asked.
>>>>
Hermione got there first, apparating discreetly into an alleyway next to the hotel. Not all her experience with the wizarding world could convince her that it was acceptable to apparate directly into the lobby. Leaving aside whether or not it was courteous, what if you landed on someone? Hermione checked that her bag was still safely shrunken inside her pocket, and headed inside.
As she pushed the lobby door open, she caught a glimpse of blonde hair disappearing up the stairs. She quickened her pace. All her plans would be ruined if Luna arrived first and uncovered the changes she had made to the reservation before she had time to set the scene.
Once in the room, she worked quickly. Sheets were changed, clothes were changed, and the room was changed. A few quick floo calls to room service were made, and all that was left was for Hermione to pace impatiently, and nervously, as she waited for Luna to arrive. The food arrived, and she thanked her lucky stars she’d ordered food that wouldn’t spoil. Of course, she hadn’t been expecting it to have to wait while she waited for her tardy partner.
Finally, just as Hermione was about to give up hope of seeing Luna at all, footsteps sounded in the hall. She dithered in the middle of the room, realising she had not planned how Luna would find her. The door swung open, and she stood there, feeling remarkably foolish in her new dress.
Luna stared around the room, taking in the candles, the nice dinner by the window, the large double bed, before moving on to Hermione. Luna’s eyes roved over her legs, sheathed in black stockings, up over her royal blue dress as it draped over her hips, the hint of cleavage it displayed. Finally, they rested on Hermione’s face, where they lingered a moment over her lips before meeting her eyes. Hermione had never seen Luna look so feral before. All dreaminess had fled in the face of her hunger.
“Is this for me?” she asked, gesturing round the room, the bed with new silk sheets, the candles glowing softly everywhere, and Hermione dressed to kill in the middle of the room.
“Uh, Luna, you told me I could have the job, or you, or both, or neither,” started Hermione, watching nervously as Luna slipped off her backpack and dropped it to the floor. “I’ve decided what I want.”
“Have you?” asked Luna, voice throaty.
“I want both,” said Hermione. She opened her mouth to speak again, but Luna had her crushed in a warm embrace, and her next sentence was drowned in a passionate kiss. Hermione abandoned explanations in favour of demonstrations and kissed back.
Author:
Pairing: Hermione/Luna
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I did not create these characters, and am making no profit from their use.
Summary: Hermione sometimes takes a long time to make changes and take chances. Luna can be relied on to point out the obvious eventually.
Recipient: morte206
A/N: It was hard to give you UST and a happy ending. I hope you don’t mind the compromise.
Luna came to visit haphazardly, as the mood took her, as the winds blew her to shore. She would bound up the steps and scatter new parcels, redolent of spices and foreign shores, onto the kitchen table and ask exhaustive questions about the well-being of all mutual friends. Hermione had never quite figured out why Luna visited her for this information, but did appreciate the parcels.
This time, as she spooned some of the new Ethiopian coffee into her Muggle coffee machine, she watched as Luna hung a new amulet against the evil eye in her window. Hermione looked at the gleaming blue beads on this one. “Luna, why do you always bring me amulets against the evil eye?” she asked.
“When a woman is as beautiful and clever as you, the evil eye must always be guarded against,” replied Luna solemnly. Hermione laughed, but sobered suddenly when she saw the earnest and admiring look in Luna’s eye. “Really. There must be countless people jealous of you,” she insisted. Hermione blushed vividly, and felt the traitorous little stir of attraction. She ignored it with the ease of long practice. “Come and tell me all about that terrifying anti-toxin research you were doing last time I saw you,” continued Luna, seemingly oblivious to Hermione’s blush.
Hermione had also never figured out how Luna could be so ditzy, yet so interested and informed about the esoteric research Hermione did. Her other friends usually rolled their eyes and sniffed when she got started about exactly how the boomslang skin extract differed in magical properties from the raw product and the implications of this on anti-inflammatory potions. But Luna never yawned. She might interrupt, to suggest dinner, or another coffee, or a novel idea about the process that Hermione has never considered, but never to tell Hermione it’s time to talk about something more interesting.
And Luna was devastatingly attractive, and had a terrible affect on Hermione’s blood pressure. She wasn’t sure what it was about Luna, and was even less sure if it was reciprocated. She didn’t want to do anything to rock the boat, so she looked down at the table, breathed deeply, and shoved aside the urge to tell Luna how gorgeous she was.
Once the boomslang skin extract was thoroughly dissected, Luna turned to her news. There were always mad tales of action around the globe, interspersed with meetings and conferences and training and who knows what else. Hermione sometimes thought it might be nice to be an independent scholar, and to research whatever took your fancy. She sometimes thought it might be nice to be dreamy and blonde and not have a big sign on her head that read “confrontational Muggle-born”. She sometimes thought that Luna was incredibly beautiful, but usually suppressed that.
Once Luna had finished her spirited account of collecting Waddling Dawn Orchids in Sumatra, a small silence fell. Hermione drained the last of her coffee, and winced at the bitter taste of the grounds. She looked up from her cup to see Luna gazing at her across the table, almost as if she was a new creature that needed to be thoroughly examined. “I’ve been offered a new job,” she blurted, anxious to stop that scrutiny. It was making her skin prickle.
“Really? I always said you were wasted at that hidebound hospital.”
It was true, reflected Hermione. She had said that, warmly, and full of praise about the work that Hermione did. “Well, I haven’t accepted yet,” she cautioned. Luna waved a hand carelessly and leaned forward to hear about the job. “It’s for Insight Pharmacologists. You’ve heard of them?”
“Yes, indeed. Small company, just launched last year, with a strong research commitment to exploring magical and Muggle solutions.” Luna practically bounced in her chair. “They’ve offered you a job?”
“Yes, that’s right. They want me to join a research team, with one other person, and, basically, we can research whatever we like. It’s not like Muggle companies, with their eyes always on making a profit.”
“Not at all like Muggle companies,” agreed Luna, with more enthusiasm than Hermione had expected.
“It would mean a lot of travelling,” sighed Hermione.
“Oh,” said Luna, deflating slightly, “Is that a problem?”
“Not really. I’m always quite jealous of you and your carefree life. I just don’t know that I’d be very good at it.”
“Trust me, Hermione, you’d very quickly get the hang of it.”
“I’m supposed to be meeting the projected partner tomorrow. She just got back in from overseas, and they want me to meet her before I decide.”
“What a fantastic idea,” agreed Luna. She practically glowed with excitement. Hermione ignored the little tug of attraction she felt and stood up.
“Do you want to stay for dinner?” she asked.
Luna looked down at her watch then jumped up from her chair. “I was supposed to be at my father’s house ten minutes ago,” she said. Hastily collecting all her belongings, she hugged Hermione tightly and gave her a warm kiss on the cheek. “Don’t be scared of new things, Hermione,” she urged. “Take a chance on all sorts of things.” She squeezed her once more and stepped back, apparating away with a small pop.
Hermione rinsed and put the cups on the bench to drain, and wondered what taking a chance with Luna would be like.
>>>>
Hermione stepped up to the door of the small cottage in Rhyl, on the northern Welsh coast. Knocking, she gazed around the garden, taking in the companion planting of magical and Muggle plants throughout. The door opened behind her, and a familiar voice said, “It’s a lovely garden, isn’t it?”
Whirling round, Hermione stared at Luna, framed in the doorway. “My interview,” she gasped. “Have I come to the wrong place?”
“No, no,” said Luna, “this is where you’re supposed to be. Come in.”
Hermione stepped in as if dazed, walking through the simple hallway to a study. Luna gestured her to a comfortable wing chair next to a brisk fire.
“Is this your house?” asked Hermione, shaking off her dazed look.
“No, it’s the headquarters of Insight’s research teams. We have offices here when we’re in the country. The administration is housed here too, and manufacturing and labs are in the farm buildings.”
“You work here?”
“Yes, as of about a week ago.” Luna leaned forward and captured Hermione’s hand. “I know this is a bit of a surprise, but I didn’t know the boss was considering you as my partner until you said last night that you had been approached. Then I guessed, since I’d been summoned home to meet you. I had nothing to do with this.”
“You’re disappointed?”
“Oh, no. Quite the contrary.” Luna smiled and squeezed Hermione’s hand. “I can’t imagine many things more pleasant than working with you.”
Hermione looked at her, seated in the chair across the fire. Luna was so calm and confident, despite what people thought of her. She was beautiful and clever and so many things that Hermione admired. She felt very brave for a moment. “What can you imagine that’s more pleasant than working with me?”
“Being your lover, of course,” replied Luna, completely unfazed. Hermione gaped, not having expected Luna to be so forthright. “Should I not have said that? Courtship rituals are so complicated.”
Hermione opened and closed her mouth a few times. Despite wanting exactly this to happen, in her secret heart of hearts, she found herself unsure of how to respond. She fumbled for words. Luna smiled understandingly.
“Hermione, you don’t have to say anything. I was too abrupt. You can have the job. You can have me as a lover. You can have both or you can have neither, and you don’t have to decide now.” She squeezed Hermione’s hand one more time, then let go and sat back in her chair. “Tea?” she asked.
>>>>
Hermione got there first, apparating discreetly into an alleyway next to the hotel. Not all her experience with the wizarding world could convince her that it was acceptable to apparate directly into the lobby. Leaving aside whether or not it was courteous, what if you landed on someone? Hermione checked that her bag was still safely shrunken inside her pocket, and headed inside.
As she pushed the lobby door open, she caught a glimpse of blonde hair disappearing up the stairs. She quickened her pace. All her plans would be ruined if Luna arrived first and uncovered the changes she had made to the reservation before she had time to set the scene.
Once in the room, she worked quickly. Sheets were changed, clothes were changed, and the room was changed. A few quick floo calls to room service were made, and all that was left was for Hermione to pace impatiently, and nervously, as she waited for Luna to arrive. The food arrived, and she thanked her lucky stars she’d ordered food that wouldn’t spoil. Of course, she hadn’t been expecting it to have to wait while she waited for her tardy partner.
Finally, just as Hermione was about to give up hope of seeing Luna at all, footsteps sounded in the hall. She dithered in the middle of the room, realising she had not planned how Luna would find her. The door swung open, and she stood there, feeling remarkably foolish in her new dress.
Luna stared around the room, taking in the candles, the nice dinner by the window, the large double bed, before moving on to Hermione. Luna’s eyes roved over her legs, sheathed in black stockings, up over her royal blue dress as it draped over her hips, the hint of cleavage it displayed. Finally, they rested on Hermione’s face, where they lingered a moment over her lips before meeting her eyes. Hermione had never seen Luna look so feral before. All dreaminess had fled in the face of her hunger.
“Is this for me?” she asked, gesturing round the room, the bed with new silk sheets, the candles glowing softly everywhere, and Hermione dressed to kill in the middle of the room.
“Uh, Luna, you told me I could have the job, or you, or both, or neither,” started Hermione, watching nervously as Luna slipped off her backpack and dropped it to the floor. “I’ve decided what I want.”
“Have you?” asked Luna, voice throaty.
“I want both,” said Hermione. She opened her mouth to speak again, but Luna had her crushed in a warm embrace, and her next sentence was drowned in a passionate kiss. Hermione abandoned explanations in favour of demonstrations and kissed back.