Meant to be

She walked towards the door, but stopped as she reached it, taking another deep breath and trying to calm herself before facing everyone. She forced a smile on her lips and finally walked out of the house, cursing under her breath as she saw everyone was already sitting, and there were only two empty chairs left, one right next to the other.

“Hermione, here, I saved you a seat,” Harry said, grinning as she walked towards the empty chair next to him.

“Thanks,” she muttered as she sat down. She felt movement next to her, and then Bill sat too.

“Are you all right?” Harry whispered by her ear, a concerned look on his face.

“Of course I am,” she answered, smiling again. “How about you? How does it feel to be married?”

“Well, it actually feels pretty much the same, but don’t tell Ginny I said that, or I’ll be sleeping on the couch tonight,” he joked.

“Oh, she would never do that to you,” she laughed, and then added in a lower voice, “She spent a whole day shopping for sexy lingerie.” She watched Harry’s eyes widen, a mischievous look on his face as he turned to Ginny for a moment, and then back to Hermione.

“Really?” he asked, and she simply smiled and turned to her plate.

As twilight came, hundreds of small white lights appeared, floating in mid air, like small stars. They had been sitting for almost half an hour, everyone talking excitedly as they ate. She reached for her glass of wine, but just as she started to drink, she felt a hand on her thigh. She gasped, choked and coughed loudly, and felt everyone’s eyes on her.

“All right there, Hermione?” Charlie asked from his seat in front of her, and as she nodded, she noticed the knowing smile on his lips.

“Yes, fine,” she said, as soon as she stopped coughing, and waited for everyone to go back to their conversations before placing her hand on top of the other one, and forcibly removing it from her leg.

“What do you think you’re doing?” she hissed at Bill, refusing to look at him.

“I want to touch you,” he whispered, too close to her ear, his hand soon moving back to her leg.

“Stop that,” she said, lifting the glass to her lips again, hoping no one would notice her talking to Bill.

“No,” he replied, his hand moving higher up her thigh. She pushed her legs together, and more to the left, hoping he wouldn’t reach her there.

“Why are you doing this?” she asked, when he wouldn’t stop.

“I already told you.”

“And I already told you not to,” she said, frowning.

“You’re not the only stubborn one here, you know?”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“It means I want you, and I won’t give up. I don’t care what you say.”

“Well, if you don’t care what I think about this, then think about your family. They’re all here, sitting with us.”

“So?”

“So?” she asked, shocked, her voice high pitched as his fingers reached her knickers.

“Stop pretending you don’t want this, I can smell you from here,” he said, his voice hoarse with desire.

“That doesn’t matter,” she said, shaking her head slightly, as if trying to clear her thoughts.

“Then what does?” he asked.

“Please, Bill. We’ve been friends for a long time, please don’t ruin it,” she pleaded, but didn’t pull away from his touch again.

“Why would this ruin it? Maybe it will make it all better.”

“I can’t, Bill,” she whispered softly. “I can’t risk losing you.”

“That will never happen,” he said, and she shivered under his touch. She was glad everyone around them was too distracted to notice their behaviour, but still she felt like she was being watched; she didn’t dare look up to find out if it was true.

“Please, stop,” she asked again, but even as her brain screamed at her to get away while she still could, her body longed to feel him again, to have him inside her.

It had taken her a long time to realize exactly what her feelings towards him were; he had a wife, and she was living with his brother, so to see him as anything other than a friend was just too complicated. He was handsome, of that, there was no doubt, and the scars on his face, instead of disfiguring, gave him a dangerous look, and made him even more attractive; but anyone could see that, she had told herself. It didn’t mean a thing.

If it had been just that, she would have been all right, just a physical attraction at best, although surely one-sided. Why on earth would he even look at her twice with a beauty like Fleur by his side? She was just a friend to him, his little brother’s girl. He would never see her as anything else, so why bother wondering what could be?

Then she had gotten to know him, had spent days and nights working with him, spending almost all their free time together. She had found in him someone who loved knowledge as much as she did, a clever, intelligent wizard who could stay up late at night discussing things like runes or ancient spells. She had shared things with him no one else knew, had confided in him, trusted him completely. It was bound to happen, how could she not fall for a man like that?

Again, her conscience put a stop to her feelings. The logical approach was what she was best at, and she knew the only way she could have him in her life would be as a friend. With time, he had become an important part of her life, and she knew he felt the same. She had been the one that had stood by him when his wife left, the one that helped him move on; and he was the one she always gone to when she needed advice or just someone who would listen.

That was why what had happened in the kitchen had scared her so much. She had buried her feelings for him a long time ago, making herself forget about them; when he had approached her, he had stirred them again, pushed them back to the surface, making her vulnerable. She didn’t want to be vulnerable, didn’t want to be hurt again, and couldn’t bear the thought of not having him in her life.

She didn’t know how much time had passed, too focused on the hand between her legs, and trying not to moan aloud at the way he made her feel. The dinner had been Vanished from table, quickly replaced by coffee and a few bottles of Firewhisky. She was looking at Arthur, on the other side of the table, pretending to hear him talk about “pheletones” and nodding from time to time, when the music started playing.

A few cheers came from some of the tables, groans from others as Harry and Ginny walked to the place most of the floating lights had moved to, both looking blissful as they faced each other and started dancing, soon followed by other couples.

It was her chance and she knew it. Making sure everyone around her was focused on the dancing couples; she got up and almost ran into the house, Bill calling her name as she moved.

She ran inside, then down the hall and started up the stairs to the room she was staying in for the weekend, but had only managed to climb the first few steps when he reached her.

“And just where do you think you’re going?” his voice asked from behind her, and she stopped walking.

“Just go back outside, please,” she said with a sigh, not turning around, but she had barely taken a few more steps when she felt him touch her, his hands on her shoulders as he turned her around to face him and then pushed her against the wall.

“You’re not getting away,” he said, with a wolfish grin.

“Let me go,” she said, and pushed at him half-heartedly.

“Never,” he said, as he kissed her neck.

“Don’t play with me,” she begged, her eyes suddenly filled with tears as she looked at him. He had frozen in place at her words, a hurt look on his face, soon followed by a curious one as he leaned back to look at her.

“You think I’m playing?” he asked, his eyes fixed on hers.

“I don’t know,” she answered softly, shaking her head.

“Hermione, I want you, not for a few hours, not for a night. I want you by my side.”

“You…you do?” she asked, hesitantly, and instead of answering, he kissed her.

Now she knew. Now she finally knew what it felt like to be kissed with such passion and desire. He pushed his body against her as their tongues duelled, and she could feel the need in his kiss. That was just what every kiss should feel like, she told herself, her hands flying to his neck, her fingers on his hair as she pulled him closer.

“You still think this is a game?” he asked, panting slightly, when the need for air made them break the kiss, and she just shook her head and kissed him again.

“Merlin, I need you so badly,” he groaned, kissing her throat as his hands moved under her dress, ripping her knickers from her body and making her yelp. He hurriedly opened his robes and undid his slacks, before lifting her legs and burying himself completely inside of her.

They both moaned loudly at the feeling, having wanted it for so long. He gave her a few moments to adjust before moving again, his thrusts fast and deep, full of need. His lips were on her neck again, marking her as he took her closer to heaven with every stroke. She tried to take off his robes, needing to touch him, but he grunted and took both her hands, pinning them over her head.

She arched against him, loving this dominating side, even when his free hand tore her dress down the middle, baring her breasts to him.

“So beautiful,” he murmured, his lips nibbling their way to her sensitive nipples, biting them just hard enough to make her scream and push her over the edge.

“Oh, Bill,” she screamed as her muscles contracted around him, but even then he didn’t stop moving, his thrusts faster and deeper as he rode her orgasm.

The sensations threatened to overwhelm her, and she started moving against him, meeting thrust for thrust.

“Oh, fuck,” she heard, but it wasn’t Bill’s voice. Her eyes shot open as she looked to the side. Someone was there, standing at the bottom of the stairs, eyes wide and mouth open and it only took her dazed brain a second to realize just who it was.

“Charlie,” she said, but it came out more like a moan, as Bill’s hand moved between them and pinched her clit. He froze instantly.

“What?” he asked, looking at her and frowning.

“Charlie,” she said, softly, and he followed her gaze to his brother, standing just a few feet away.

“Oh,” he said, and laughed, his chest shaking against her. He started moving inside of her again, as if there had been no interruption. “For a moment there, I thought you had called me Charlie.” Then, turning to his brother, “Is there anything you need, little brother?”

She was still looking at Charlie, and could feel his hungry gaze on her body, but Bill’s ministrations were making it hard for her to think properly. All she knew was Bill was pinching her clit again, and she groaned loudly, another orgasm quickly building up.

She heard another voice then, and Charlie moved a finger to his lips, asking her to keep quiet.

“Did you find her?” Harry asked. Her mind kept telling her to stop Bill, to hide before Harry found her like that, but they were too far-gone, there was no stopping now.

“No, she’s not up here,” answered Charlie, turning away from them. “Now that I think about it, I believe she said something about my dad wanting to show her some Muggle stuff he got last week. Maybe you should ask him if he’s seen her.”

“You think? All right then. Are you coming?” Harry said, after a few moments. With a last glance their way, Charlie left with him, and she turned back to Bill.

“He could have found us,” she said, even as she arched against him.

“Don’t care,” he panted, thrusting even harder as his own climax drew closer.

“Bill,” she moaned again, as wave after wave of pleasure hit her, this time taking him with her.

“Merlin, I love you,” he said by her ear as he stiffened inside of her, groaning.

He rested his head on her shoulder as he tried to recover some strength, and she moved her now free hands to his back, slowly running her nails up and down his body.

“You better stop that, or we’ll never leave this place,” he said, and she felt him twitch inside of her.

She laughed softly and tried to get back on her feet, but he wouldn’t let go of her legs.

“I’d wanted this for so long,” he muttered by her ear, making her gasp.

“You did?”

“Oh, yes. Far longer than I should,” he replied. “But it was even better than I had imagined it.”

“You had imagined it?” she asked, smiling as he looked at her.

“Of course I had. Maybe not exactly standing on the stairs in my parents’ house with dozens of people out there,” he said, and she laughed.

“Want to know how I imagined it?” he asked, a playful smile on his lips.

“Tell me,” she whispered.

“Oh, no, not telling. I’m going to show you,” he answered, desire evident on his eyes again as he wound his arms around her and, with a loud pop, Apparated them both to his place.