WTR #23: Alleviation (Hermione/Teddy)
Title: Alleviation (Worth the Risk #23)
Pairing: Hermione/Teddy
Summary: Teddy helps alleviate Hermione's stress
Word Count: 4700
Rating: Adult
Betas: florahart & heather11483
Note: This contains spoilers for Deathly Hallows. Previous chapters of Worth the Risk can be found here .
The afternoon passes by quickly. There is a lot to get accomplished by five, so Hermione wastes little time. By the time the meeting starts at three, she has an outline compiled along with other important information that she copies for everyone. It’s a productive meeting once everyone deals with the subject matter of their new case, and she knows she has a solid team supporting her for this one. After the meeting breaks, she returns to her office to focus on a few other files that need her attention.
Since Ron has Hugo tonight, she intends to work late and finish things to get them off her desk. Teddy offers to stay, and she considers accepting his help, but, in the end, she sends him on home. Most of what she has to do requires her attention, so there isn’t much she could have given him to work on. If she let him stay just to keep her company, she doubts she would get anything finished in a timely manner.
The Ministry is quiet by the time she finishes up her case notes on the last file. A glance at the clock shows that it’s after seven, so she’s pleased with her progress. Now that she has the three cases at a point where she can finish them easily or hand them off to someone else, she’s able to relax somewhat. The Warrington case will be demanding, without a doubt, but she’s more prepared for it now. If at all possible, she wants to limit her overtime to only the occasions when it’s absolutely necessary during the summer. Once the children are off to Hogwarts in September, though, she has little doubt that she’ll compensate for the silence at home by working long hours.
After she closes the file, she rubs the back of her neck and kneads the stress knot that has been there since lunch. Tonight is definitely going to be takeaway for dinner because she has no interest in cooking anything. Now that she’s finished, she finds herself wishing she’d asked Teddy to stay after all. It’s not a night when she particularly wants to be alone, but she can’t impose on Ron or Harry because they have their own lives. Would it be forward of her to drop by unannounced to see if Teddy’s had dinner yet? She’s so hungry that she can practically smell curry, so food needs to be a priority regardless.
It takes her a minute to realize that she does smell curry. She frowns and glances around the office despite knowing that no one is there. The outer office, however, could be the maintenance wizard’s choice of dinner location, she assumes. If so, she’ll send a complaint because they have dining facilities and aren’t supposed to be using the offices. She stands up and walks to the doorway, wondering who would be bloody foolish enough to have dinner in a private office with light coming from next door.
“I wondered when you’d smell the food.”
The voice is a whisper from the shadows, and she tightens her grip on her wand even as she recognizes it. “So this is an experiment? Lurk in the dark holding curry to see how long my response time is?”
Teddy steps forward and grins. “Actually, I was hiding because I thought I heard someone in the hallway outside and didn’t want to get caught after I already left for the day. Reputations and all that.”
“It’s not particularly fair to use my own rules, such as they are, against me when I’m attempting to be firm and scolding.”
“Noted and most likely disregarded in the future. If you insist on having rules, they work both ways.”
“Brat. Did you really intend to hide until I smelled food?”
“No, silly woman. I was sitting at my flat and realized you’d probably work all night if someone didn’t give you a swat on the arse, so I figured I’m just the bloke to do it. The food is because I know how cranky you get when you’re hungry and how well food works as an enticement away from work.”
“You seem to have quite the fixation on my bum. I’m undetermined at this point in time whether or not this is a good thing.”
“I can make it a good thing.”
“Stop leering, Lupin. You look ridiculous.”
“Which means sexy in Hermione-speak.”
“Which means ridiculous in Hermione-speak.”
“You say ridiculous, I say sexy. And I’m the one with food and enough stubbornness to force you out of the office, so I win.”
“I daresay that I’m more stubborn than you, though this isn’t an appropriate time to test such a theory. Fortunate for you, I just finished the last of the cases I wanted to review tonight. I was actually contemplating where I wanted to get food and, uh, whether you’d possibly share it with me.”
“You were going to ask me out? On a date? Now, really, Hermione, I have to give fair warning that I’m not easy. I’d make you work for a word-I-can-actually-say-but-won’t-right-now.”
“As it is, we’ll never know if I’d have actually asked or not because you gave in first,” she points out smugly. She doesn’t mention that his annoying ability to remember that ‘kiss’ is an unspoken word in public is rather endearing.
“So I did,” he agrees. “Next time, I’ll hold out longer. So, finished with work?”
“I never finish, but I’m at the point where I intended to stop.”
“I figured you’d be done around seven. That seems to be the standard when it comes to overtime. And, uh, I don’t mean that in the crazy stalker way it must sound. I usually stay late, too, is all.”
“I’m not too concerned about you stalking me, Teddy. If you did, it wouldn’t take any time to figure it out because you’d be attempting to swat my bum.”
“Attempting? I’d be swatting,” he says confidently. “And it’s Ted, speaking of swats. That‘s, what, a hundred I owe you now?”
She rolls her eyes but smiles as she turns to walk back into her office. After the tense day she’s had, she welcomes time with Teddy and his inherent ability to make the world seem a little better. He can make her laugh and relax at the same time he makes her tense and hot, yet she hasn’t been able to figure out exactly how he manages it.
“We can take this to my place or yours,” he tells her. “Your choice, since I don’t really care. You’ll be there, and that’s the most important thing. And, God, whenever I start sounding like a pathetic girly tosser, you have permission to hex me, so long as it’s temporary and not painful.”
“Permission to hex?” She arches a brow and glances at him. “And what if I happen to like when you’re pathetic?”
“Hmm. Good question.” He walks up behind her and sets the bag of food on her desk in front of her. “Do you like when I act like a lovestruck fool?”
“Admitting that I did would be incriminating, wouldn’t it?” she asks, cringing when she hears how breathless she sounds. He runs his hands along her arms and brushes his lips against the curve where her neck meets her shoulders. “I like confidence and intelligence. The rest depends on my mood at any given time.”
“You’re so tense,” he whispers, ignoring her reply despite it taking great effort to achieve that prim tone she managed. “This case, it’s not one you can just leave at work, is it?”
“It’s too soon to leave it at work,” she corrects softly. “We should go now. My place, if you don’t mind. Just in case Hugo needs something, I want to be home.”
He sighs and kisses her neck as he wraps his arms around her, hugging her from behind. It feels good to be hugged, and she turns in his arms so she can move hers around him. The hug tightens, and it’s not sexual or foreplay or playing some silly game. It’s just them, and she grips him harder as she borrows some of his strength to get through the rest of the day.
Finally, she pulls back and looks up at him. “The food’s getting cold.”
“Right.” He sighs and reaches up to tuck her hair behind her ear. With a teasing smile, he says, “And they say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. They, whoever ‘they’ are, obviously haven’t met you.”
“I happen to like food,” she says simply. “If a handsome young man who is utterly besotted with me is the one with the food, it just improves on an already good situation.”
“Besotted? Rather confident, aren’t you? I‘ll forgive you because you said I was handsome.”
“You? Were we talking about you? I meant Carlo from Sports & Games.” A swat on her bum causes her to smack his arm.
“I’m the only handsome young man you should be concerned with,” he mutters sulkily. “Now gather your things so we can sneak out without being seen. I’m ready for dinner, and then, relaxing.”
“Yes, sir,” she quips, not bothering to tell him that it’s unlikely she’ll feel too relaxed tonight. The Warrington case will see to that, most likely. It’s nice having work caught up and spending the evening with Teddy, though, even if she’s still stressed.
“I rather like the sound of that,” he says, grinning as his brown hair changes to turquoise.
“In your dreams, Lupin.”
“Only some of them. In others, I’m happy being bossed.”
She blushes and scowls at him, but he just flashes a cheeky smile. She gathers her things and secures the Warrington file, taking an extra precaution due to Harry’s wish for secrecy right now. When she’s ready, they leave the office and manage to make it outside without running into anyone. Their exit will be documented, of course, but there’s no crime in working late. She does it enough that it doesn’t raise suspicion.
After they arrive at her house, she gets them juice while Teddy fixes their plates. The curry is spicy and the rice is stickier than it should be, but she’s starving, since she didn’t eat much during lunch, and the conversation and flirtation that accompanies dinner makes it highly enjoyable. As tempting as it is to just let go of Warrington, she still finds it impossible to do. A part of her mind runs through the case information and worries about the two victims who are barely alive and it nags at her even as she focuses on Teddy.
“You’re drifting again.”
“Sorry.” She looks at him and smiles wryly. “I did warn you that it wasn’t the best of nights for my company.”
“If I wanted some giggly vapid bird, I’d be dating someone my age,” he points out softly. “I don’t mind that you think a lot, Hermione. I find it attractive, actually. It’s just, tonight, I know what you’re thinking about, and it’s not good for you. You’re tense, even as you laugh and ogle me in that discreet way you think I don’t notice.”
“I don’t ogle you,” she denies, shifting in her chair as she frowns at the remains of her curry. Did she ogle him? If she did, she certainly would do so subtly enough that he wouldn’t notice, she’s sure.
“Yeah, you do. But that’s not the point, so quit getting sidetracked.”
“What is the point? You’re attracted to me because I’m serious and think too much? That’s good since I always assumed it was for my sense of humor and beauty.”
“Why do you do that?” he asks quietly. “You manage to take a compliment and twist it until you’re insulting yourself. Did Ron---” He trails off as he runs his fingers through his dark purple hair.
“No, Ron didn’t,” she answers honestly, having a good idea what he intended to ask. “I can accept a compliment, Teddy. I’m not an insecure mess by any means. I am, however, realistic, and I’m honest about my faults as well as my strengths. I’m really quite brilliant when I apply myself, but I’m not comical or beautiful in a traditional sense. This doesn’t mean that I hate myself or any ridiculous such idea.”
“I think you’re beautiful,” he says with such sincerity that her tummy flutters as she stares at him. “I love your hair, how wild and unruly it is even when you manage to trap it into a braid, and your skin, how soft and warm it is whenever I touch you. Your eyes amaze me, so full of emotion that you don’t even have to speak for me to know how you’re feeling. And your lips. God, those lips have tempted me since before I even knew what temptation was.”
His words are lovely, but she feels uncomfortable because people just don’t say such things to her. She almost teases him about reading too many romance novels, yet she can’t bring herself to do so because she knows he’d be insulted. Sarcasm is a defense mechanism that she’s managed to not rely on so much over the years, but it’s still her failsafe when she feels like she’s in over her head.
He blushes and ducks his head, shifting in his chair as he fiddles with his fork. “I, uh, didn’t mean to actually say that, but I’m not apologizing because it’s how I feel, even if you don’t like hearing stuff like that.”
“It’s, um, it’s okay.” She grimaces at how idiotic she sounds and nudges his leg with her foot. “Maybe you should balance it with some of my flaws, just so I don’t become conceited.”
“Ah, I don’t know if we have enough time for me to list those,” he teases softly, grinning up at her as his hair falls across his eyes. “I could start with stubborn and lead into opinionated to the extreme and move into bossy beyond all measure and that segues into your hatred of being wrong and not getting the last word.”
“Good. At least you know the real me, warts and all,” she murmurs, relieved that he acknowledges some of her worst traits. She doesn’t want him building her up as some childhood fantasy, even if she doesn’t think he’s doing that.
“I haven’t seen any warts, and I’ve inspected your body fairly well over the past weeks,” he points out. “I suppose such an allegation of unsightly blemishes means that I need a more thorough look, however.”
“That’s a very pitiable excuse to get me naked, Lupin. I expected better.”
“If I just wanted to get you naked, Granger-Weasley, I’d use a charm and be done with it.”
She snorts and shakes her head. “Incorrigible.” She refuses to accept that her tone is complimentary instead of scolding. She stands up and reaches for his plate. “I’m going to tidy up the kitchen since we’re done. Would you like to stay over tonight?”
“To be used for hot, mind-blowing sex by a sexy older woman who makes me drool?” he asks hopefully.
“You shouldn’t sound so eager to be used,” she says dryly. “And drooling isn’t very attractive, you know?”
“Point. However, it’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make whenever I ogle you.” He follows her into the kitchen and moves behind her. When he grips her neck and kneads the tense spot with his strong hands, she whimpers and considers offering him almost anything if he continues.
“God, that feels good,” she mutters, gripping the counter as he begins to massage her neck and shoulders. “Do I want to know where you learned that?”
“Dil taught me about muscles and massage. And not in that way, so don’t even start. He plays Quidditch, and took an interest.”
“I bet he did,” she says, having little doubt that Dil did consider him in that way at one point or another because, really, how could anyone not?
“I actually have to confess to something.”
“Oh?”
“I had another idea this evening when I decided to buy dinner and force you to stop working. For relaxing.”
“Really?” She glances over her shoulder and sees his sheepish smile, curious what he had in mind. “You do realize that you’re not supposed to admit to scheming whenever you’re trying to control a situation, right?”
“Well, yeah, but I’m not very good at the whole sneaky thing. It’s why I didn’t wear green and silver for seven years. One reason, at least.”
“Okay. Just checking. I’m far better at being sneaky than you, which is good because I like having the upper hand.”
“Oi! Stop talking and let me persuade you to try to relax,” he says, tweaking her breast lightly.
“Keep doing that and I’ll shove your wand somewhere highly uncomfortable,” she warns, swatting at his hand as he reaches for her breast again.
“Ow. Noted.” He drops his hand and rests it on her hip, where he edges it higher until he’s snuck it beneath her shirt. “Um, relaxing?”
“I suppose I can hear your idea, at least.” She shifts slightly and bites her lip as his hand moves higher along her ribs. When she feels his fingers trace her scar, she sighs.
“A bath.”
“What?” She blinks at him, uncertain she heard correctly. “A bath?”
“With bubbles. It’ll calm you and make you relaxed enough to sleep well tonight without thinking about that awful case. I hope.”
“A bubble bath?” she repeats dumbly.
“You don’t have to say it like that. It’s a good idea. Trust me.”
“I do trust you, but I don’t see where a bath is going to miraculously make me serene and less stressed.”
“That’s because you’ve never had a bath with me,” he says smugly, reaching up to caresse her breast as he kisses her firmly. The kiss is unexpected, but she’s soon kissing him back, twisting her body around to try to face him. He pulls back and smiles. “I’ll finish up here. Go on upstairs and get your bathing things together. I’ll be right up.”
He’s certainly being bossy tonight, she thinks with a frown. However, she’s enjoying the distraction, so she doesn’t protest. That much. “Say please.”
“Please.”
“Good. You’re learning.” Before he can say anything, she hurries out of the room, smug in getting the last word. She goes upstairs and gets clean knickers and her nightclothes before she looks at the fabric. Teddy’s staying over and they’re taking a bath. It’s rather silly to get clothes she likely won’t need, so she puts them away before she undresses. Once she’s naked, she walks into the bathroom and sits on the seat of the toilet, primly crossing her legs and folding her arms across her breasts.
When Teddy enters the room, he stops short at the sight of her. There’s definitely a moment of gaping as he shifts and stares. She casually drops her arms and sighs in a way that makes her breasts bounce more than normal as she uncrosses her legs.
“I was starting to get impatient,” she informs him in a prissy tone.
“You’re going to kill me,” he mutters in a tone that makes her smirk. It’s fun to surprise him, since there are times when she feels like an awkward teenager and not at all sensual and experienced, so she likes giving him these little reminders.
“Are you planning to start the bath or stand there and stare at me all night?”
He sticks his tongue out at her before he pulls his shirt off. He flexes in a way draws her attention to his arms and hipbones, and she licks her lips as she admires the way his muscles move. “Staring isn’t polite,” he points out in a haughty tone as he leans forward to start the tap. “You’re lucky that I don’t mind when you’re rude.”
“I’m honest enough to admit that I enjoy your body. You’re fit and tight and I love your hipbones,” she says simply.
“You’re so weird,” he says with a grin.
She rolls her eyes and stands up. “Says the man who has a fetish for my lower back.”
“Fetish makes it sound dirty. I prefer fixation on the area above the swell of your arse that has three freckles and baby fine hair that tickles my lips whenever I kiss it,” he tells her. “I also like the way you moan and writhe beneath me from said kiss.”
“Hmph.” She reaches out and pinches his hipbone, groping just a little, though she’ll deny it if he accuses her of it. He doesn’t do anything except laugh and swat her bare bum before he adds something to the bath. “Where did you get that?”
“I, uh, brought it from home,” he admits, blushing faintly as he adds more bath crystals. The water begins to develop suds, and she admires the iridescent bubbles that smell like cinnamon, of all things. “Don’t say a word.”
“I wasn’t going to. I’m glad you prepared for your scheme well enough to remember those, because I don’t think I could steal Hugo’s colored bubble crystals for the purpose of whatever nefarious plans you have in mind.”
“My plans are honorable and chivalrous,” he declares, offering her his hand. “They’re designed to help you relax and have a peaceful evening. If I happen to get off, too, well, that’s merely an added bonus.”
“Cheeky brat.”
“And you love it,” he says, kissing her soundly before he indicates that she should sit down.
She submerges herself in the water, feeling the bubbles tickle her skin as she gets comfortable. “Don’t you need to finish getting undressed?”
“I’m not getting in the bath yet.” At her arched brow, he smiles. “This is for you, Hermione. I might be an oversexed twenty year old with an almost constant erection around you, but I can control myself.”
“Noted. However, I’m now tempted to do my best at some point in the future to make you lose that control.”
“Gladly. Tonight is yours, though.” He picks up the bottle of body wash from the shelf above her and unwraps the cord of her wash sponge from where she hangs it around the shower head. Once he finally gets it untangled, he kneels beside the bath and starts to wash her.
It feels amazing, and she’s not even embarrassed by the whimpers and sighs she makes as he drags the sponge over her skin. He alternates between washing her and massaging her, easing out the tension until all that’s left is a pile of pliable flesh that she’s surprised doesn’t cause her to slip underwater. The Warrington case is still on her mind, but it’s easy to lose herself in Teddy and this bath for now.
When he stands up and unfastens his trousers, she watches his suds covered hands turn the fabric wet. He’s hard and throbbing, yet he doesn’t get into the tub with her. Instead, he drops the sponge on the rim of the tub and moves his hand beneath the water. “Just relax for me,” he murmurs as he rubs her leg. He eases his hand higher and higher until his fingers brush against her cunt. She’s aroused from the sponge, which he made sure to use to his advantage as well as washing her. Her nipples are hard and tingling, bubbles nipping at them as she shifts in the warm water.
He moves his fingers through her hair, brushing it gently as he slides two fingers into her. She gasps and arches her back, pushing down against his hand as he kisses her face and neck. He moves his fingers slowly at first, teasing her and making her whine before he picks up speed and depth. She feels his mouth on her nipple, sucking hard as he rubs her clit with his thumb. She looks down to see him leaning over the rim, bubbles against his face and in his dark green hair as he licks and sucks and touches her until she cries out.
He raises his head and watches her as she comes, moving his fingers deeper as he whispers nonsensical words at her. Or, at least, they’re nonsense to her as she shudders and splashes water onto the floor. When she finally stops trembling and reaches beneath the water to push his hand away, he withdraws his fingers. She blinks at him and smiles a lazy, sated smile. “God.”
“Yeah,” he says huskily. His low tone makes her realize she’s been selfish, since he’s not even had a chance to touch himself yet.
“Your turn,” she demands softly, rolling onto her side and resting her arm on the side of the tub. She puts her chin on her arm and peers over the edge, staring at his erection as it bobs around when he shifts. “Stand up?”
“Fuck,” he mutters, reaching his wet hand down to stroke himself. “You don’t have---”
“I want to,” she says firmly as she gets to her knees. He stares at her, mostly at her breasts, she realizes, and she has to smile before she gets forceful. “Now stand up, Teddy.”
He obeys without any more protest, and she leans up to take the head of his cock into her mouth. He makes a gurgled moan that tells her he’s enjoying himself, so she begins to lick and suck as she moves her head. While some women dislike giving oral sex, she surprisingly enjoys it. Well, once she adjusts to having something this big in her mouth and as long as she rests so her jaw doesn’t get sore. But if her partner is considerate, and both of the two she’s had have been, it’s quite thrilling to have so much control.
After sucking solidly for a little while, with a couple of breaks to kiss and stroke and lick, it just takes a long slow lick along the underside of Teddy’s cock as she caresses his bollocks for him to reach his peak. He grunts and warns her before he tenses and spills into her mouth. She swallows as she pulls back, moving her hand along him as he keeps coming and drips his spunk into the bathwater and onto her breasts.
“God. That was---”
“Yeah,” she agrees. She reaches for the sponge and wipes off her chest before she stands up and uses the shower to rinse off. Water gets onto the floor, but it’s already a mess, so she’s past the point of wanting to be meticulous. Teddy is sitting on the seat of the toilet watching her, his limp cock resting against his hard thigh as he looks at her.
“I love watching you move,” he explains with a sheepish smile. “You’re so precise and focused but there’s a sensuality to even the most tedious chore.”
“Now who’s weird?” she asks, picking up her wand and using it to clean the floor and dry it. Once she’s finished, she smiles at Teddy. “I hate to admit it, but it worked.”
“Hmm?” He stands up and walks over to her, pulling her close so he can kiss her. When he pulls back from the kiss, he grins. “What worked?”
“Your scheme. You might not be sneaky, but you’re certainly clever.”
“Ah, right. Well, I’d rather be clever any day.” He steps out of the bedroom so she can use the toilet then goes in after her. While he’s cleaning up, she puts on Teddy's T-shirt, which she nicked when he stayed the night recently and has since claimed as her new nightshirt, and then turns down the bed. It’s been a rough day, and she could use snuggling and rest.
“Bed?” she asks when he steps out of the bathroom.
“Sounds good to me. It was a long day,” he says as he hugs her from behind.
“Yes, it was,” she agrees softly. They crawl into bed, and she curls up against him before she extinguishes the candles. The room is dark, and he’s warm and strong, so she finds it easy to just relax for a few hours before reality intrudes once again.
End Chapter 23
WTR #22: Intuition. Teen. | WTR #24: Confrontation. Teen.
Pairing: Hermione/Teddy
Summary: Teddy helps alleviate Hermione's stress
Word Count: 4700
Rating: Adult
Betas: florahart & heather11483
Note: This contains spoilers for Deathly Hallows. Previous chapters of Worth the Risk can be found here .
The afternoon passes by quickly. There is a lot to get accomplished by five, so Hermione wastes little time. By the time the meeting starts at three, she has an outline compiled along with other important information that she copies for everyone. It’s a productive meeting once everyone deals with the subject matter of their new case, and she knows she has a solid team supporting her for this one. After the meeting breaks, she returns to her office to focus on a few other files that need her attention.
Since Ron has Hugo tonight, she intends to work late and finish things to get them off her desk. Teddy offers to stay, and she considers accepting his help, but, in the end, she sends him on home. Most of what she has to do requires her attention, so there isn’t much she could have given him to work on. If she let him stay just to keep her company, she doubts she would get anything finished in a timely manner.
The Ministry is quiet by the time she finishes up her case notes on the last file. A glance at the clock shows that it’s after seven, so she’s pleased with her progress. Now that she has the three cases at a point where she can finish them easily or hand them off to someone else, she’s able to relax somewhat. The Warrington case will be demanding, without a doubt, but she’s more prepared for it now. If at all possible, she wants to limit her overtime to only the occasions when it’s absolutely necessary during the summer. Once the children are off to Hogwarts in September, though, she has little doubt that she’ll compensate for the silence at home by working long hours.
After she closes the file, she rubs the back of her neck and kneads the stress knot that has been there since lunch. Tonight is definitely going to be takeaway for dinner because she has no interest in cooking anything. Now that she’s finished, she finds herself wishing she’d asked Teddy to stay after all. It’s not a night when she particularly wants to be alone, but she can’t impose on Ron or Harry because they have their own lives. Would it be forward of her to drop by unannounced to see if Teddy’s had dinner yet? She’s so hungry that she can practically smell curry, so food needs to be a priority regardless.
It takes her a minute to realize that she does smell curry. She frowns and glances around the office despite knowing that no one is there. The outer office, however, could be the maintenance wizard’s choice of dinner location, she assumes. If so, she’ll send a complaint because they have dining facilities and aren’t supposed to be using the offices. She stands up and walks to the doorway, wondering who would be bloody foolish enough to have dinner in a private office with light coming from next door.
“I wondered when you’d smell the food.”
The voice is a whisper from the shadows, and she tightens her grip on her wand even as she recognizes it. “So this is an experiment? Lurk in the dark holding curry to see how long my response time is?”
Teddy steps forward and grins. “Actually, I was hiding because I thought I heard someone in the hallway outside and didn’t want to get caught after I already left for the day. Reputations and all that.”
“It’s not particularly fair to use my own rules, such as they are, against me when I’m attempting to be firm and scolding.”
“Noted and most likely disregarded in the future. If you insist on having rules, they work both ways.”
“Brat. Did you really intend to hide until I smelled food?”
“No, silly woman. I was sitting at my flat and realized you’d probably work all night if someone didn’t give you a swat on the arse, so I figured I’m just the bloke to do it. The food is because I know how cranky you get when you’re hungry and how well food works as an enticement away from work.”
“You seem to have quite the fixation on my bum. I’m undetermined at this point in time whether or not this is a good thing.”
“I can make it a good thing.”
“Stop leering, Lupin. You look ridiculous.”
“Which means sexy in Hermione-speak.”
“Which means ridiculous in Hermione-speak.”
“You say ridiculous, I say sexy. And I’m the one with food and enough stubbornness to force you out of the office, so I win.”
“I daresay that I’m more stubborn than you, though this isn’t an appropriate time to test such a theory. Fortunate for you, I just finished the last of the cases I wanted to review tonight. I was actually contemplating where I wanted to get food and, uh, whether you’d possibly share it with me.”
“You were going to ask me out? On a date? Now, really, Hermione, I have to give fair warning that I’m not easy. I’d make you work for a word-I-can-actually-say-but-won’t-right-now.”
“As it is, we’ll never know if I’d have actually asked or not because you gave in first,” she points out smugly. She doesn’t mention that his annoying ability to remember that ‘kiss’ is an unspoken word in public is rather endearing.
“So I did,” he agrees. “Next time, I’ll hold out longer. So, finished with work?”
“I never finish, but I’m at the point where I intended to stop.”
“I figured you’d be done around seven. That seems to be the standard when it comes to overtime. And, uh, I don’t mean that in the crazy stalker way it must sound. I usually stay late, too, is all.”
“I’m not too concerned about you stalking me, Teddy. If you did, it wouldn’t take any time to figure it out because you’d be attempting to swat my bum.”
“Attempting? I’d be swatting,” he says confidently. “And it’s Ted, speaking of swats. That‘s, what, a hundred I owe you now?”
She rolls her eyes but smiles as she turns to walk back into her office. After the tense day she’s had, she welcomes time with Teddy and his inherent ability to make the world seem a little better. He can make her laugh and relax at the same time he makes her tense and hot, yet she hasn’t been able to figure out exactly how he manages it.
“We can take this to my place or yours,” he tells her. “Your choice, since I don’t really care. You’ll be there, and that’s the most important thing. And, God, whenever I start sounding like a pathetic girly tosser, you have permission to hex me, so long as it’s temporary and not painful.”
“Permission to hex?” She arches a brow and glances at him. “And what if I happen to like when you’re pathetic?”
“Hmm. Good question.” He walks up behind her and sets the bag of food on her desk in front of her. “Do you like when I act like a lovestruck fool?”
“Admitting that I did would be incriminating, wouldn’t it?” she asks, cringing when she hears how breathless she sounds. He runs his hands along her arms and brushes his lips against the curve where her neck meets her shoulders. “I like confidence and intelligence. The rest depends on my mood at any given time.”
“You’re so tense,” he whispers, ignoring her reply despite it taking great effort to achieve that prim tone she managed. “This case, it’s not one you can just leave at work, is it?”
“It’s too soon to leave it at work,” she corrects softly. “We should go now. My place, if you don’t mind. Just in case Hugo needs something, I want to be home.”
He sighs and kisses her neck as he wraps his arms around her, hugging her from behind. It feels good to be hugged, and she turns in his arms so she can move hers around him. The hug tightens, and it’s not sexual or foreplay or playing some silly game. It’s just them, and she grips him harder as she borrows some of his strength to get through the rest of the day.
Finally, she pulls back and looks up at him. “The food’s getting cold.”
“Right.” He sighs and reaches up to tuck her hair behind her ear. With a teasing smile, he says, “And they say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. They, whoever ‘they’ are, obviously haven’t met you.”
“I happen to like food,” she says simply. “If a handsome young man who is utterly besotted with me is the one with the food, it just improves on an already good situation.”
“Besotted? Rather confident, aren’t you? I‘ll forgive you because you said I was handsome.”
“You? Were we talking about you? I meant Carlo from Sports & Games.” A swat on her bum causes her to smack his arm.
“I’m the only handsome young man you should be concerned with,” he mutters sulkily. “Now gather your things so we can sneak out without being seen. I’m ready for dinner, and then, relaxing.”
“Yes, sir,” she quips, not bothering to tell him that it’s unlikely she’ll feel too relaxed tonight. The Warrington case will see to that, most likely. It’s nice having work caught up and spending the evening with Teddy, though, even if she’s still stressed.
“I rather like the sound of that,” he says, grinning as his brown hair changes to turquoise.
“In your dreams, Lupin.”
“Only some of them. In others, I’m happy being bossed.”
She blushes and scowls at him, but he just flashes a cheeky smile. She gathers her things and secures the Warrington file, taking an extra precaution due to Harry’s wish for secrecy right now. When she’s ready, they leave the office and manage to make it outside without running into anyone. Their exit will be documented, of course, but there’s no crime in working late. She does it enough that it doesn’t raise suspicion.
After they arrive at her house, she gets them juice while Teddy fixes their plates. The curry is spicy and the rice is stickier than it should be, but she’s starving, since she didn’t eat much during lunch, and the conversation and flirtation that accompanies dinner makes it highly enjoyable. As tempting as it is to just let go of Warrington, she still finds it impossible to do. A part of her mind runs through the case information and worries about the two victims who are barely alive and it nags at her even as she focuses on Teddy.
“You’re drifting again.”
“Sorry.” She looks at him and smiles wryly. “I did warn you that it wasn’t the best of nights for my company.”
“If I wanted some giggly vapid bird, I’d be dating someone my age,” he points out softly. “I don’t mind that you think a lot, Hermione. I find it attractive, actually. It’s just, tonight, I know what you’re thinking about, and it’s not good for you. You’re tense, even as you laugh and ogle me in that discreet way you think I don’t notice.”
“I don’t ogle you,” she denies, shifting in her chair as she frowns at the remains of her curry. Did she ogle him? If she did, she certainly would do so subtly enough that he wouldn’t notice, she’s sure.
“Yeah, you do. But that’s not the point, so quit getting sidetracked.”
“What is the point? You’re attracted to me because I’m serious and think too much? That’s good since I always assumed it was for my sense of humor and beauty.”
“Why do you do that?” he asks quietly. “You manage to take a compliment and twist it until you’re insulting yourself. Did Ron---” He trails off as he runs his fingers through his dark purple hair.
“No, Ron didn’t,” she answers honestly, having a good idea what he intended to ask. “I can accept a compliment, Teddy. I’m not an insecure mess by any means. I am, however, realistic, and I’m honest about my faults as well as my strengths. I’m really quite brilliant when I apply myself, but I’m not comical or beautiful in a traditional sense. This doesn’t mean that I hate myself or any ridiculous such idea.”
“I think you’re beautiful,” he says with such sincerity that her tummy flutters as she stares at him. “I love your hair, how wild and unruly it is even when you manage to trap it into a braid, and your skin, how soft and warm it is whenever I touch you. Your eyes amaze me, so full of emotion that you don’t even have to speak for me to know how you’re feeling. And your lips. God, those lips have tempted me since before I even knew what temptation was.”
His words are lovely, but she feels uncomfortable because people just don’t say such things to her. She almost teases him about reading too many romance novels, yet she can’t bring herself to do so because she knows he’d be insulted. Sarcasm is a defense mechanism that she’s managed to not rely on so much over the years, but it’s still her failsafe when she feels like she’s in over her head.
He blushes and ducks his head, shifting in his chair as he fiddles with his fork. “I, uh, didn’t mean to actually say that, but I’m not apologizing because it’s how I feel, even if you don’t like hearing stuff like that.”
“It’s, um, it’s okay.” She grimaces at how idiotic she sounds and nudges his leg with her foot. “Maybe you should balance it with some of my flaws, just so I don’t become conceited.”
“Ah, I don’t know if we have enough time for me to list those,” he teases softly, grinning up at her as his hair falls across his eyes. “I could start with stubborn and lead into opinionated to the extreme and move into bossy beyond all measure and that segues into your hatred of being wrong and not getting the last word.”
“Good. At least you know the real me, warts and all,” she murmurs, relieved that he acknowledges some of her worst traits. She doesn’t want him building her up as some childhood fantasy, even if she doesn’t think he’s doing that.
“I haven’t seen any warts, and I’ve inspected your body fairly well over the past weeks,” he points out. “I suppose such an allegation of unsightly blemishes means that I need a more thorough look, however.”
“That’s a very pitiable excuse to get me naked, Lupin. I expected better.”
“If I just wanted to get you naked, Granger-Weasley, I’d use a charm and be done with it.”
She snorts and shakes her head. “Incorrigible.” She refuses to accept that her tone is complimentary instead of scolding. She stands up and reaches for his plate. “I’m going to tidy up the kitchen since we’re done. Would you like to stay over tonight?”
“To be used for hot, mind-blowing sex by a sexy older woman who makes me drool?” he asks hopefully.
“You shouldn’t sound so eager to be used,” she says dryly. “And drooling isn’t very attractive, you know?”
“Point. However, it’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make whenever I ogle you.” He follows her into the kitchen and moves behind her. When he grips her neck and kneads the tense spot with his strong hands, she whimpers and considers offering him almost anything if he continues.
“God, that feels good,” she mutters, gripping the counter as he begins to massage her neck and shoulders. “Do I want to know where you learned that?”
“Dil taught me about muscles and massage. And not in that way, so don’t even start. He plays Quidditch, and took an interest.”
“I bet he did,” she says, having little doubt that Dil did consider him in that way at one point or another because, really, how could anyone not?
“I actually have to confess to something.”
“Oh?”
“I had another idea this evening when I decided to buy dinner and force you to stop working. For relaxing.”
“Really?” She glances over her shoulder and sees his sheepish smile, curious what he had in mind. “You do realize that you’re not supposed to admit to scheming whenever you’re trying to control a situation, right?”
“Well, yeah, but I’m not very good at the whole sneaky thing. It’s why I didn’t wear green and silver for seven years. One reason, at least.”
“Okay. Just checking. I’m far better at being sneaky than you, which is good because I like having the upper hand.”
“Oi! Stop talking and let me persuade you to try to relax,” he says, tweaking her breast lightly.
“Keep doing that and I’ll shove your wand somewhere highly uncomfortable,” she warns, swatting at his hand as he reaches for her breast again.
“Ow. Noted.” He drops his hand and rests it on her hip, where he edges it higher until he’s snuck it beneath her shirt. “Um, relaxing?”
“I suppose I can hear your idea, at least.” She shifts slightly and bites her lip as his hand moves higher along her ribs. When she feels his fingers trace her scar, she sighs.
“A bath.”
“What?” She blinks at him, uncertain she heard correctly. “A bath?”
“With bubbles. It’ll calm you and make you relaxed enough to sleep well tonight without thinking about that awful case. I hope.”
“A bubble bath?” she repeats dumbly.
“You don’t have to say it like that. It’s a good idea. Trust me.”
“I do trust you, but I don’t see where a bath is going to miraculously make me serene and less stressed.”
“That’s because you’ve never had a bath with me,” he says smugly, reaching up to caresse her breast as he kisses her firmly. The kiss is unexpected, but she’s soon kissing him back, twisting her body around to try to face him. He pulls back and smiles. “I’ll finish up here. Go on upstairs and get your bathing things together. I’ll be right up.”
He’s certainly being bossy tonight, she thinks with a frown. However, she’s enjoying the distraction, so she doesn’t protest. That much. “Say please.”
“Please.”
“Good. You’re learning.” Before he can say anything, she hurries out of the room, smug in getting the last word. She goes upstairs and gets clean knickers and her nightclothes before she looks at the fabric. Teddy’s staying over and they’re taking a bath. It’s rather silly to get clothes she likely won’t need, so she puts them away before she undresses. Once she’s naked, she walks into the bathroom and sits on the seat of the toilet, primly crossing her legs and folding her arms across her breasts.
When Teddy enters the room, he stops short at the sight of her. There’s definitely a moment of gaping as he shifts and stares. She casually drops her arms and sighs in a way that makes her breasts bounce more than normal as she uncrosses her legs.
“I was starting to get impatient,” she informs him in a prissy tone.
“You’re going to kill me,” he mutters in a tone that makes her smirk. It’s fun to surprise him, since there are times when she feels like an awkward teenager and not at all sensual and experienced, so she likes giving him these little reminders.
“Are you planning to start the bath or stand there and stare at me all night?”
He sticks his tongue out at her before he pulls his shirt off. He flexes in a way draws her attention to his arms and hipbones, and she licks her lips as she admires the way his muscles move. “Staring isn’t polite,” he points out in a haughty tone as he leans forward to start the tap. “You’re lucky that I don’t mind when you’re rude.”
“I’m honest enough to admit that I enjoy your body. You’re fit and tight and I love your hipbones,” she says simply.
“You’re so weird,” he says with a grin.
She rolls her eyes and stands up. “Says the man who has a fetish for my lower back.”
“Fetish makes it sound dirty. I prefer fixation on the area above the swell of your arse that has three freckles and baby fine hair that tickles my lips whenever I kiss it,” he tells her. “I also like the way you moan and writhe beneath me from said kiss.”
“Hmph.” She reaches out and pinches his hipbone, groping just a little, though she’ll deny it if he accuses her of it. He doesn’t do anything except laugh and swat her bare bum before he adds something to the bath. “Where did you get that?”
“I, uh, brought it from home,” he admits, blushing faintly as he adds more bath crystals. The water begins to develop suds, and she admires the iridescent bubbles that smell like cinnamon, of all things. “Don’t say a word.”
“I wasn’t going to. I’m glad you prepared for your scheme well enough to remember those, because I don’t think I could steal Hugo’s colored bubble crystals for the purpose of whatever nefarious plans you have in mind.”
“My plans are honorable and chivalrous,” he declares, offering her his hand. “They’re designed to help you relax and have a peaceful evening. If I happen to get off, too, well, that’s merely an added bonus.”
“Cheeky brat.”
“And you love it,” he says, kissing her soundly before he indicates that she should sit down.
She submerges herself in the water, feeling the bubbles tickle her skin as she gets comfortable. “Don’t you need to finish getting undressed?”
“I’m not getting in the bath yet.” At her arched brow, he smiles. “This is for you, Hermione. I might be an oversexed twenty year old with an almost constant erection around you, but I can control myself.”
“Noted. However, I’m now tempted to do my best at some point in the future to make you lose that control.”
“Gladly. Tonight is yours, though.” He picks up the bottle of body wash from the shelf above her and unwraps the cord of her wash sponge from where she hangs it around the shower head. Once he finally gets it untangled, he kneels beside the bath and starts to wash her.
It feels amazing, and she’s not even embarrassed by the whimpers and sighs she makes as he drags the sponge over her skin. He alternates between washing her and massaging her, easing out the tension until all that’s left is a pile of pliable flesh that she’s surprised doesn’t cause her to slip underwater. The Warrington case is still on her mind, but it’s easy to lose herself in Teddy and this bath for now.
When he stands up and unfastens his trousers, she watches his suds covered hands turn the fabric wet. He’s hard and throbbing, yet he doesn’t get into the tub with her. Instead, he drops the sponge on the rim of the tub and moves his hand beneath the water. “Just relax for me,” he murmurs as he rubs her leg. He eases his hand higher and higher until his fingers brush against her cunt. She’s aroused from the sponge, which he made sure to use to his advantage as well as washing her. Her nipples are hard and tingling, bubbles nipping at them as she shifts in the warm water.
He moves his fingers through her hair, brushing it gently as he slides two fingers into her. She gasps and arches her back, pushing down against his hand as he kisses her face and neck. He moves his fingers slowly at first, teasing her and making her whine before he picks up speed and depth. She feels his mouth on her nipple, sucking hard as he rubs her clit with his thumb. She looks down to see him leaning over the rim, bubbles against his face and in his dark green hair as he licks and sucks and touches her until she cries out.
He raises his head and watches her as she comes, moving his fingers deeper as he whispers nonsensical words at her. Or, at least, they’re nonsense to her as she shudders and splashes water onto the floor. When she finally stops trembling and reaches beneath the water to push his hand away, he withdraws his fingers. She blinks at him and smiles a lazy, sated smile. “God.”
“Yeah,” he says huskily. His low tone makes her realize she’s been selfish, since he’s not even had a chance to touch himself yet.
“Your turn,” she demands softly, rolling onto her side and resting her arm on the side of the tub. She puts her chin on her arm and peers over the edge, staring at his erection as it bobs around when he shifts. “Stand up?”
“Fuck,” he mutters, reaching his wet hand down to stroke himself. “You don’t have---”
“I want to,” she says firmly as she gets to her knees. He stares at her, mostly at her breasts, she realizes, and she has to smile before she gets forceful. “Now stand up, Teddy.”
He obeys without any more protest, and she leans up to take the head of his cock into her mouth. He makes a gurgled moan that tells her he’s enjoying himself, so she begins to lick and suck as she moves her head. While some women dislike giving oral sex, she surprisingly enjoys it. Well, once she adjusts to having something this big in her mouth and as long as she rests so her jaw doesn’t get sore. But if her partner is considerate, and both of the two she’s had have been, it’s quite thrilling to have so much control.
After sucking solidly for a little while, with a couple of breaks to kiss and stroke and lick, it just takes a long slow lick along the underside of Teddy’s cock as she caresses his bollocks for him to reach his peak. He grunts and warns her before he tenses and spills into her mouth. She swallows as she pulls back, moving her hand along him as he keeps coming and drips his spunk into the bathwater and onto her breasts.
“God. That was---”
“Yeah,” she agrees. She reaches for the sponge and wipes off her chest before she stands up and uses the shower to rinse off. Water gets onto the floor, but it’s already a mess, so she’s past the point of wanting to be meticulous. Teddy is sitting on the seat of the toilet watching her, his limp cock resting against his hard thigh as he looks at her.
“I love watching you move,” he explains with a sheepish smile. “You’re so precise and focused but there’s a sensuality to even the most tedious chore.”
“Now who’s weird?” she asks, picking up her wand and using it to clean the floor and dry it. Once she’s finished, she smiles at Teddy. “I hate to admit it, but it worked.”
“Hmm?” He stands up and walks over to her, pulling her close so he can kiss her. When he pulls back from the kiss, he grins. “What worked?”
“Your scheme. You might not be sneaky, but you’re certainly clever.”
“Ah, right. Well, I’d rather be clever any day.” He steps out of the bedroom so she can use the toilet then goes in after her. While he’s cleaning up, she puts on Teddy's T-shirt, which she nicked when he stayed the night recently and has since claimed as her new nightshirt, and then turns down the bed. It’s been a rough day, and she could use snuggling and rest.
“Bed?” she asks when he steps out of the bathroom.
“Sounds good to me. It was a long day,” he says as he hugs her from behind.
“Yes, it was,” she agrees softly. They crawl into bed, and she curls up against him before she extinguishes the candles. The room is dark, and he’s warm and strong, so she finds it easy to just relax for a few hours before reality intrudes once again.
End Chapter 23
WTR #22: Intuition. Teen. | WTR #24: Confrontation. Teen.