Hunter and Prey

Hermione did not think of it as ‘doing what she was told’ or as ‘medical leave’. She rationalised her downtime as a month’s sabbatical. She had not had a real holiday since her honeymoon. So, as difficult as it was for her to sit back, she let other people do the work. Her house was already heavily warded because there were people out to get her but Harry added several Auror wards and Basingly contributed some of the protections their department had developed.

She then did all the things she had been meaning to do but had never had the time. Hermione repotted plants to fill her house with ferns, pottering around in the garden until she had it just the way she wanted and sat out there with all the paperbacks she had accrued but not read. She scourgified from attic to cellar. It was a little late for spring cleaning so she thought of it as a cleansing.

Magically disguised for a variety of reasons, including just because she felt like being a six foot raven haired bombshell, Hermione went shopping. It was not something she did often, she had a low tolerance for extravagance, but she treated herself and relaxed.

When Harry gave her the all clear on the Weasley front, she visited Ginny in St Mungo’s and brought a teddy bear for little Albus because she couldn’t face buying baby clothes or blankets. Both the Potters had avoided remarking on her own continued pregnancy.

The morning sickness was still pretty bad but Neville’s green stuff made a lot of difference. Yoga helped too, once she got over the shock discovery that somewhere during her holiday she had lost her feet. Before, if she stood straight her breasts got in the way but only just. Now she had to peer right over to look at her socks. After consulting the internet, Hermione decided she looked about seven months gone and that she would not look at pictures of women expecting multiples because it scared her.

If she was this big at twelve weeks... She stepped on that thought, heading upstairs to have a nap instead. Oh, the joy of naps. Hermione flopped onto her bed in her yoga gear. The days were beginning to drag and she had the unrivalled delight of another appointment with Dr Kapur looming, but it wasn’t too bad. Snape was sending her regular updates, the Daily Prophet had printed a retraction and Florentyna Meach was organising Rita Skeeter’s head on a pike. Ron was still hiding.

She heard Crookshank’s cat door flap closed as he took himself off for his constitutional. He liked having her home to adore him, when he wished to be adored. But once she had sorted out the garden, he spent his afternoons sleeping in his special corner amongst the ornamental grass under the summer sun.

Hermione dozed off herself, drifting into another of those dreams. Hands caressed her body and she sighed. The warmth of another person beside her made her snuggle deeper into his embrace. She knew her dream lover was male because she could feel his desire. He rubbed her belly in slow circles and she sighed again. He slid the straps of her top off her shoulders so he could free her breasts. With her lying on her side, he couldn’t undress her.

She could help but Hermione decided she would be lazy in her dream too and simply lay there as her subconscious amused itself. Her breasts were very sensitive but her lover was gentle. She felt his lips curl into a smile as he licked her shoulder. That she didn’t like so she twitched away from him and grumbled. His hands soothed her, touching her as though he wanted to explore every part of her.

Hermione thought idly she wouldn’t mind a backrub, actually. He touched her hips and she smiled. One of the joys of a dream lover was they did what they were told. Her yoga pants were in the way, tight across her lower back so she let him remove them and waited for her massage. Except his hand slid down her thigh, lifting her leg so he could push slowly into her. She moaned as he filled her and he chuckled, a deep sound like a growl.

Her eyes flashed open. She was in her room, on her bed and she was not alone. Hermione tried to turn to see who it was but arms tightened around her holding her where she was. Fenrir Greyback laughed and licked her shoulder again as he stroked slowly inside her. He had missed his bitch.