It Happened One Night

CHAPTER 7: Party Time





Hermione took her time getting ready for Molly’s birthday party. She had spent an entire afternoon in London looking for just the right dress. It was sleeveless with wide straps. The cream colored background was littered with tiny mauve rosebuds with a matching sash that tied around her waist. The full skirt hit just below her knees and for once in her life Hermione splurged on a pair of decadent high heeled shoes that made her feel sexy and pretty.







She wore makeup, something she rarely did and put the effort into taming her rather unruly curls. When she arrived at the Potter’s house, she felt like a different woman, confident and sure of herself. She also hoped that Remus would be there. She hadn’t seen him since the wedding brunch and truth be told it was driving her mad that she couldn’t get him, or his lovemaking out of her head.







She didn’t bother to knock; the instructions from Ginny had been to come on in. Molly wasn’t expected for another half hour so she would have time to say hello to the other guests and have a drink before the party kicked into high gear. She stopped in the doorway of the large sitting room and looked around at all of the friends and family gathered to celebrate the woman who fussed and took care of everyone she came in contact with.







“Hey Hermione!” George Weasley wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tight. “Long time no see! You look lovely.” He said, stepping back and taking a long assessing look at her. “Ron is going to wig out when he sees you.”







“George, I really don’t care if Ron has an opinion one way or another.” Hermione smiled because she suddenly realized just how much she actually meant it.







“Hey George, introduce me to…..Hermione?” Ron stared at her as though he had never seen her before. “Since when do you dress like that…..and wear heels…..and do your hair?”







“Fuck Ron, are you really that much of a git?” George asked, slapping Ron upside the back of his head.





“What? She never used to look like this……do you have a new boyfriend?” He asked her, looking slightly jealous.







“No, Ron, I don’t have a new boyfriend, not that it’s any of your business. I just wanted to feel pretty, is there something wrong with that?” Ron was staring at her breasts in the low cut dress and she felt violated to some degree. Her strong reaction amazed her given that he had at one time been her best friend and her first love.







“Well why couldn’t you have gotten that idea into your head months ago?” Hermione didn’t get the chance to get angry; George had Ron by the hair and was dragging him through the doorway and down the hall. Hermione took a deep breath to regroup and made her way across the room to where Ginny and Harry stood talking with Remus.





“Hermione, you look beautiful!” Ginny exclaimed, pulling her into a tight embrace.





“Thank you. How was the honeymoon?” She asked as she hugged Harry.







“We had a great time thanks.” Harry said. He couldn’t believe how incredible she looked. “Italy is incredibly beautiful.”





Hermione smiled and turned to greet Remus. Her breath caught when their eyes met and she felt the slight tug of desire low in her belly.





“Hello, Remus.” She accepted his light embrace and shivered when he kissed her cheek close to her ear. “Is that a new suit?”





“Yes, my editor convinced me that I should invest in some new clothes.” He said smiling. “I just make certain not to wear them around the full moon.”





“You look very handsome.” She said, brushing her hand casually over his lapel. Remus couldn’t help but react to her touch, he had done nothing but think of her for the last few weeks and it had him poised on the edge of madness.







“Thank you. You look incredibly lovely yourself this evening.” He smiled at her, a smile she recalled seeing once before in a flash of lightning coming through her bedroom window.





Harry and Ginny were watching the unusual flirtation between Remus and Hermione with avid interest. Neither of them seemed very adept at it. There were no coy looks or witty conversation. Instead it was just a normal conversation but with the most heated glances either of them had seen outside of a bedroom.





“Well, it’s almost time for mom, so Harry and I should probably go. We’ll just leave you two to entertain one another.” Ginny said, dragging her husband along behind her. Not that Hermione and Remus noticed them leaving, they seemed focused entirely on one another.





Hermione moved closer to him, wanting their conversation to remain between the two of them now that they were alone.





“I’m glad you are here, I was hoping to see you tonight.” She glanced around the room to make certain no one was watching them before leaning up and kissing him lightly on the lips.







“I was looking forward to seeing you again as well.” He said, blushing slightly. “I almost came to see you several times in the last few weeks.”





“Why didn’t you? You are always welcome.” She said, moving even closer so that there was barely any space between them.







“Because I don’t have the right and you don’t need a man like me in your life that’s for certain.” He wanted to kiss her. He wanted to pull her into the fireplace and floo them back to her little house, or his, he really didn’t care which. Luckily for them Harry and Ginny entered the room with Molly before he had the chance to actually go through with it and abduct her from the party.







Molly was of coursed completely flustered by the fuss being made over her and at one point even tried to haul herself off to the kitchen to refill the food, fussing when Harry and Ginny told her the caterers would take care of it. Hermione and Remus remained off to the edges of the crowd. They spoke with Molly and a few others briefly before returning to their own private little world.







Things were friendly enough between them, though the sexual tension could be cut with a knife. When the cake was wheeled in everyone crowded together around the cloth covered cart and sang Happy Birthday to Molly. Hermione found herself standing in front of Remus at the back of the crowd. She was jostled backwards into Remus and his hands clasped her waist to steady her.





Hermione inhaled sharply when she felt him pressed into her backside and his fingers dug into her waist. She reached behind her and squeezed him through the layers of his clothes and he growled softly.





“Meet me in the hall.” He whispered in her ear, stepping away from her just as Molly blew out the candles.