Alternate Sleeping Arrangements

Title: Alternate
Sleeping Arrangements

Author name: Ruskbyte

Disclaimer: This story is based
on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various
publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and
Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright
or trademark infringement is intended.

Author’s Note: Originally posted
at fanfiction.net until some nitwit got all uptight and offended. Well, I glad
to announce that the story is back up and running. I don’t know how often I’ll
be adding chapters, beyond the original five, but I do have a few ideas
percolating for the future. Otherwise, enjoy!

***

~ Alternate Sleeping Arrangements ~

Harry slowly drifted to consciousness, reluctantly letting the veil of sleep
fall away from him as he returned to the waking world. His lof eof enthusiasm
was primarily rooted in the fact that he had been having a very pleasant dream
involving himself, a naked Ginny and a large carton of peanut-butter and
strawberry flavoured ice-cream.

He had just been getting to the interesting bits, both of the dream and the
ice-cream covered Ginny, when he became aware of a weight resting on his left
arm.

Though his eyes remained shut he smiled at the realization that he was lying
with Ginny curled up in his arms. His thoughts and memories were still fuzzy,
but the warmth of her body pressed against him negated any need to think
clearly, he felt. Instead of worrying about the all too real likelihood of
being discovered sharing a bed with Ginny at Hogwarts, Harry simply lay in the
bed and luxuriated in the sensations that were beginning to seep into his mind.

His right arm was draped over Ginny’s waist and had somehow during the night
slipped inside her negligee, which had ridden up and over her hips to bunch
around her waist, allowing his hand to rest on her bare stomach. He could feel
her back and thighs spooned along the length of his body. His left arm was
curled underneath her, supporting the weight of her head which had brought
about his slow awakening, with that hand cupping one of her fabric-covered
breasts. But the most pleasant feeling of all was that of his groin pushed up
against the bare curves of her rear and his straining erection, which had
somehow escaped his pyjama bottoms, nestled in the crevice of her buttocks.

Memories of his highly entertaining, not to mention erotic, dream began to
come back to him. Though no ice-cream was present, peanut-butter and strawberry
flavoured or not, a lustful and mischievous smile came to him. Why not make his
dream a pleasurable reality? Lying there with Ginny cuddled up against him,
Harry decided to gently rouse her in a manner he knew, from prior experience
over the summer, she would appreciate.

Keeping his eyes closed, Harry slowly began to move his right hand across
the silky plains of Ginny’s stomach. With his left hand, trapped under her, he
started gently massaging the breast he was holding. He let his fingers play
lightly against the soft mound while his thumb circled and brushed over her
nipple, which he could feel grow taut under his ministrations. Breathing in
deeply as he cautiously shifted closer to her, Harry could smell the faint
scent of apples from her hair. In that abstract manner of drowsy half-wakefulness,
he briefly noticed that she must have changed her shampoo.

As he gently tickled the fingers of his hand around her navel, earning soft
giggles of enjoyment from Ginny that bolstered his amorous desires, Harry
leaned his head in and adoringly nuzzled at her neck. He lightly took the
nipple he was teasing with his left hand and lovingly rolled it between his
fingers. Ginny wiggled about, groaning quietly, while the hand caressing her
belly paused as he decided in which direction to proceed.

He blew softly on Ginny’s neck, both to stimulate her and remove the stray
wisp of curly hair that was tickling his nose. She shivered slightly at his
breath and Harry began to ever so slowly les has hand wind its way down. The
tips of his fingers were only just brushing against her sleek skin, leisurely
dipping fractionally lower with each sway of his wrist. Ginny, aroused by the
stimulation he was providing, started rocking her hips back and forth, just as
slowly as his hand was descending towards the junction of her legs.

Hmm... curly, Harry’s somnolent
mind managed to think as his fis sts strayed into the soft and downy thatch of
hair covering her mound. Just as the tips of his fingers began to brush the tip
of her damp slit, his hand’s movements began to slow when his thoughts followed
this observation, No. Not curly. Bushy.

Harry froze so still --every single muscle he possessed becoming fixed as
stone-- that he could almost have passed for having been petrified by a
Basilisk.

Oh dear.

His sudden and total shock, which doused his ardour as effectively as an
arctic shower, was further compounded when the bed shifted behind him,
indicating the presence of a third person. A slender, clearly feminine arm
snaked its way around his waist and a pair of long and silken legs became
entwined with his from behind.

The arm curled around his waist was bent at the elbow, so her hand was
resting on his naked chest. Her breasts were pressing against his back as she
snuggled up to him. Harry could feel her head resting behind his on the pillow
and he could detect the familiar fragrance of cherry. There was a warm,
tickling sensation on the back of his neck every time she breathed.

l\'>I’m going to die of a heart attack,
he thought desperately. Either that or
Ginny’s going to kill me.

Far too apprehensive to even consider opening his eyes to see who is was he
was still embracing, Harry lay completely motionless between the two women.
Slowly he tried to disentangle himself from the woman in front of him, very
gently starting to slide his hips back and away from her. Unfortunately, at
this slight movement, she moaned and pushed her rump against him with a firm
and vigorous wiggle, moaning softly in the bac her her throat in protest. Harry
immediately became still and held his breath, deathly afraid that she’d wake up
or (worse) shift to where they might achieve some form of penetration. Licking
his lips nervously Harry decided, since it was apparent that he was well and
truly trapped, to brave capturing Ginny’s sleepy attention.

Gin? he asked, holding his breath
as he awaited her reply. The hand at his chest began circling in slow, languid
strokes.

~Hhmmmn~ came a sleepy response.

Are you awake?

Ginny replied, ~Mm-hmm.~

The legs entwined with his own were rubbing against his, the silky-smoothness
of her bare thighs stroking against him as warmly as any lover’s caress.
Wanting to confirm his suspicions as to just who it was behind him that was
teasing him so, Harry enquired, Are you
behind me?

~Uh-huh~ Behind him, Harry could
feel Ginny nodding her head fractionally.

Swallowing nervously he asked the question that was preying very heavily on
his mind at the moment. He was slightly, more than slightly to be honest,
nervous as to how Ginny would react but he managed to ask, normal\'>Then who’s the half-naked girl in front of me?

“WHAT?!”

.oOo.

- The Previous Evening -

Harry was looking forward to a good night’s sleep. No offence to Madam
Pomfrey and her work, but the beds in the Hospital Wing left much to be
desired. Primarily, Harry felt, they needed the addition of certain nubile,
young redhead he had become rather fond of. Yes, the beds in the infirmary
would be much more hospitable with a Ginny resting in each of them.

It had been an exquisite torture the previous night, having to sleep with Ginny
so near to him but unable to cross the short gap separating their beds.

Suffice it to say the previous night had not provided much in the way of
good sleep. Of course, Harry and Ginny had both been worn out so they had
managed to get several hours of shuteye in, even though it had hardly been
restful for them. Sleeping in separate beds, even only a yard or two apart, was
not something either of them was used to anymore.

“Good ‘t have you back with us, Harry,” Seamus said as they readied
themselves for bed.

“Yeah,” agreed Dean, from behind his drawn curtains. “It was too empty in
here with only Seamus, Neville and me.”

Harry smiled as he pulled on his pyjama top. “Thanks, mates. After four
nights in the Hospital Wing, it’s great to be back.”

Tonight though, tonight, Harry knew he would be getting a restful night’s
sleep. After all, he could not have anything less with Ginny beside him. He had
spoken to Dumbledore after dinner, allegedly to discuss the repairs and
renovations for the ruined Practical Fighting Techniques auditorium. Towards
the end of the conversation Harry had tentatively broached, once again, the
subject of him and Ginny possibly sharing a bed.

Surprisingly the headmaster had readily agreed to it, although he had
cautioned both of them to be as discreet as possible. That had of course gone
without saying, although his grandfatherly entreaty to also be careful about
the possible consequences had managed to bring a bright blush to both their
faces.

“G’night, Harry,” called Neville, already sounding sleepy. Dean and Seamus
followed close on the heels of his words and after Harry returned their
goodnights, the Gryffindor boys settled down for the night.

Harry lay back on his bed and silently counting off the minutes as he
waited. Using his wand for some light he checked the wizard wristwatch Ginny
had given him the previous Christmas and saw that it had been nearly a quarter
of an hour. Silently stretching out with his senses Harry confirmed that his
three roommates were sleeping quietly in their beds.

Ginny? It’s clear.

~I’m climbing the stairs now~ came
a quick response. As the thought came to him, Harry felt the warm glow Ginny
radiated. He had surreptitiously placed a Silencing Charm on the dormitory door
earlier, as well as a Muffling Charm on the floor. Added to the multitude of
Silencing Charms already in place around his bed, not the the faintest of
sounds reached his ears as Ginny crept into the room.

Silent as the night the drapes to his bed parted and a shadowy figure
slipped inside. The light from his wand illuminated Ginny’s fiery red hair and
the dark blue satin nightdress she was wearing. Harry reached out a hand and
gently pulled her down to him, half on top of him on the bedside.

~This would be a lot easier if we had
your invisibility cloak~ she mentioned, lovingly planting a kiss on the tip
of his nose.

Sirius borrowed it, remember? he
replied, returning her kiss with one to the cheek. He smiled at her in the
dimness. At least we don’t have to worry
about anybody overhearing us.

Ginny nodded and proceeded to kiss him fervently on the lips, using her
hands to grasp his head close against her. Harry’s arms were wrapped around her
waist and he slid one hand up to press between her shoulders as his other
slipped down to cup her rear as he held her tight. She gasped into his mouth
and pulled back, breaking their kiss, looking at him with her eyes bright and
full of desire.

~It’s still early~ she noted
suggestively, releasing one hand from behind his head anailiailing it down his
neck and along his collarbone. She began pulling playfully at the buttons to
his pyjama top, deftly slipping them from their holes, baring his chest to her
further ministrations.

Why, Miss Weasley, Harry thought,
leaning in to trace a path of kisses along her neck. He gently nuzzled against
her, relishing in the contact, as she slipped the shirt from his shoulders. In
a smooth motion he shrugged the top off, releasing his hands for the act, but
returning them immediately to her sides. I
thought we told Dumbledore that we’d be discreet.

Ginny grinned impishly, repressing a soft moan of delight as his hands slid
up to brush her breasts through the thin fabric of her nightdress, and
playfully nipped at his ear. ~We have
plenty of Silencing Charms up and around your bed...~

Ordinarily it would have been extremely difficult for somebody to sneak up
on the couple, as their connection with the Order of the Phoenix would allow
them to perceive the approaching magic early on. At the moment, however, Harry
and Ginny were otherwise too preoccupied to be paying any attention to the
magic surrounding them. Thus they almost jumped out of their skins when the
curtains surrounding Harry’s bed were unexpectedly pulled aside.

“Harry?”

The voice came in a hushed, not to mention surprised, whisper. Harry and
Ginny, who had jumped apart as if struck by a bolt of lightning from a clear
blue sky, stared up at the embarrassment flushed face of Hermione.

~I don’t care if she’s my brother’s
girlfriend~ he heard Ginny thinking, ~I’m
still going to kill her for interrupting us.~

Wait, Gin, wait, he cautioned, style=\'mso-bidi-font-style:normal\'>look at her face.

Hermione was standing there, dressed in a simple --if somewhat short and
revealing-- pastel negligee, staring at the young lovers with a look of acute
astonishment and awkwardness firmly in place. However, upon looking more
closely, it became apparent that there was something more bothering her.
Hermione’s eyes rim rimmed with red, showing that sad bad been crying recently
and her bottom lip was trembling almost imperceptibly.

“Ginny?” she asked, her left hand clutching the curtains. “What are you
doing here? I didn’t know Dumbledore had agreed to let the two of you sleep
together yet.”

“It’s... provisional at the moment, Hermione,” explained Ginny, picking up
on the other girl’s distress and sitting up straighter. She patted on the bed
between her and Harry, motioning for Hermione to sit down.

A small sob escaped from Hermione’s quivering lips as she dropped heavily
onto the bed. Harry shifted until he was almost right up against her and
slipped his arm around her shoulders. He shared a worried look with Ginny
behind Hermione’s back and then turned to ask, “What’s the matter, Hermione? Is
something wrong?”

Wordlessly Hermione handed him a crumpled piece of paper she had been
holding in her right hand, her movements slow and deliberate, but still
unsteady. As Harry took the paper from her, noting that it was Muggle paper
instead of proper parchment, she began to weep softly. Tears streamed down her
face and Ginny squeezed close and slipped her one arm around Hermione’s waist,
taking hold of her left arm with the other. His apprehension building, Harry
uncrumpled the sheet of paper and began to read.

Dearest Hermione,

This has been
a very hard letter for us to write, but we feel, as your parents, that we must
do this. It would be in your best interests if you were to leave Hogwarts. --Harry
literally felt his heart skip a beat when he read this--normal\'>We know how much you have enjoyed your time there, but we’re talking
about your safety now, Hermione.

You have
always told us, and everything we’ve heard and read seemed to back it up, that
Hogwarts School is considered the safest place in the magical world. We know
that Professor Dumbledore is widely renowned as the greatest wizard of modern
times, as that Professor McGonagall told us, and we know that your friend Harry
is supposedly just as great, if not more so. But surely now, after this
disaster, you must see that this is all wrong and you are indeed at risk there.

Hermione,
you’ve been hurt, and even the wizarding world cannot help you, from what the
letter we received from the school nurse said. We simply do not feel that you
are safe there. We want you home. We know that you are a witch, and we’re very
proud of what you have accomplished over the years. We also understand that you
won’t want to leave your other friend, the one who was so badly injured with
you, and no doubt wish to remain at his side. But we want to have you here with
us, where we know that you will be safe and sound.

Do not
think, even for a moment, that we are doing this to punish you in any way,
Hermione. We love you more than anything in the whole world. This was not an
easy decision for us to make and we hope that someday you will see that we are
correct in our actions.

We have
sent a formal letter to the school’s headmaster, informing him of our intention
to withdraw you from the school upon the start of the Christmas holidays. We
hope that this will give you enough time to tidy up your affairs there and say
goodbye to all your friends and schoolmates before you leave.

Perhaps,
with some luck, if the situation in the wizarding world improves before long,
we will consider reapplying you in a couple of years, once everything has died
down.

All our
love,

Mum & Dad

Harry had been reading the letter out loud in his mind, so he did not bother
handing it to Ginny once he was done. Instead he reached out and gently set the
piece of paper down on his nightstand before turning to Hermione. The tears
were falling in a steady stream now and her breath was coming in sharp gasping
sobs that seemed to be almost torn from her very soul.

“It’s all right, Hermione,” he said, taking her in his arms for the most
comforting embrace he could muster. He held her to him and rubbed his hands in
soothing circles on her back, whispering soft nothings as they rocked back and
forth. “We’ll work something out, don’t doubt that. We’ll not be letting you go
without a fight.”

He was startled out of his soft comfortings when Hermione reached up with
her good left arm, while sliding her right around his waist as best she could,
and pulled his head down to hers. Her lips sought out his mouth and pushed
firmly against it in a desperate and almost frantic kiss. As she covered his
lips with her own Hermione arched against him, pressing her body to his so that
Harry could feel the details of every supple curve from her breasts down to her
thighs.

Harry sucked in a sharp breath of surprise, his eyes growing wide at
Hermione’s inexplicable action. She ran her tongue over his lips, softly at
first but then pressing harder and demanding entrance. By this point he was
having trouble thinking clearly and it was all Harry could do to remember to
breathe, or at least try. When he opening his mouth to grant her access,
Hermione moaned, slipping her tongue in and kissing him even harder, bruising
his lips in the process.

~Harry?~ the feel of Hermione’s
lips against his, the salty taste of her tears, almost distracted him from the
hard edge that accompanied Ginny’s thought.

Yes? he replied in a daze,
stroking his fingers back and forth around Hermione’s neck and shoulders,
moving the other hand down her side to her hip, then behind her to squeeze her
firm buttocks and pull her even closer to him.

Ginny’s inner voice was frighteningly calm as she asked, style=\'mso-bidi-font-style:normal\'>~What are you doing?~

Understandably Harry was not entirely coherent at this point. Hermione was
pressing her body zealously against him; he could feel the hard buds of her
nipples through the skimpy fabric of her negligee. She was kissing him deeply
and emitting desperate sounds deep in thek ofk of her throat. It was a struggle
to turn the tide, but he began returning the kiss, taking the initiative and
also pulling on Hermione’s derriere so that she shifted to straddle his hips,
grinding down into his lap. Somehow he managed to retain enough conscious
thought to reply to Ginny, Um... kissing
Hermione?

~So I see. Might I ask why?~
despite his inattentiveness to what was happening around him, Harry clearly
heard the rising cold fire that was beginning to surface under Ginny’s words.
He could even feel the surge of magic within her aura, a build-up of power in
preparation for what he knew would be a horrible mistake if handled
incorrectly.

I think it would do more harm than
good if I pushed her away right now, he tried to explain, lifting one hand
away from Hermione and towards Ginny, behind her, in supplication.

~...~

Please, Gin, he begged
desperately, I need your help for this.

He couldn’t think properly enough to explain it in words, so he decided to
try something different. Harry reached out with the bond that joined him so
intimately with Ginny and twisted it, caressing it in the hopes of conveying
his feelings. He tried to show it to her, the raw, uncensored need that he
could feel as Hermione frantically kissed him and rocked her hips back and
forth against his groin.

Out of everything he had been through over the years, this was one of the
most terrifying and heart wrenching experiences Harry had ever had. Hermione
was so unlike her usual, collected and steadfast self. So desperate... so...
scared...

~All right~ Ginny grudgingly
relented after several long and pregnant moments passed. He could not see her
around the wild bush of Hermione’s hair, but he could feel the sad smile as
Ginny added in jest, ~but keep your hands
where I can see them.~

He was beginning to worry about whether he was getting enough oxygen, he was
certainly starting to turn blue, when Hermione finally broke off the kiss. She
gently released her fingers from his hair and almost collapsed against him,
resting her head on his chest, her hips continuing to buck against him
slightly.

“I’m sorry, Harry,” she whispered, clenching her eyes closed against the
still falling tears, “Oh God, I’m sorry...”

“It’s all right, Hermione,” he told her as he softly stroked her hair,
instinctively aware that he had to assuage her fears and prevent her
insecurities from controlling her. He could now see Ginny sitting right behind
her, looking just as anguished as he felt. They did not speak, nor did they
share each other’s thoughts. Instead they considered what to do next, merely by
looking into the other’s eyes.

“Hermione,” he said softly, “look at me.”

Half-heartedly she lifted her head, her red and tear stained eyes unable to
meet his own. He released his supporting hold on her hips and reached up to
hold her face with both hands before leaning down, kissing her lips tenderly.
She moaned softly, a sound of miserable anguish that tugged painfully at his
heart. She closed her eyes and dropped her head against his chest again and
whispered in a desperate voice, “Don’t leave... Please don’t leave me...”

Harry said nothing. Instead he allowed Ginny to crawl up behind them both
and snake her arms between them, hugging Hermione and silently spilling tears
of her own into the crook of the older girl’s neck, as he kissed Hermione
again. When he finally broke it off, he started to kiss down the line of her
jaw and worked down over her soft throat. Ginny, who was now placing
feather-light kisses along Hermione’s neck, shifted so that their lips brushed
together. Harry’s eyes met hers and in a moment of silent agreement, Ginny
nodded for him to continue down.

As he started his descent Hermione’s good hand grabbed the back of his head
and guided his mouth to her chest. Beneath the material of her negligee her
skin was firm yet malleable to his touch, her nipples erect and straining
visibly against the fabric. Harry could feel the heat radiating from her flesh
and when he latched his mouth around one of her nipples, gently sucking and
running his tongue over its covered peak, Hermione gasped and pulled him
fiercely against her.

“We won’t leave, Hermione,” Ginny said, turning the other girl’s head to the
side and leaning forward to gently kiss her lips against her panting mouth.
“You can stay here with us tonight... any night, for as long as you need. We’ll
always be here for you. Always.”

Hermione whispered an almost inaudible plea, “I only want to feel safe...”

“We know,” Ginny nodded, slowly running a hand up and down Hermione’s back.
She sidled up against the teary-eyed girl and tenderly kissed away her tears as
Harry gently lay Hermione down on the bed. Ginny shifted so that she was
resting with her head next to Hermione’s, her legs curled underneath her.

At the same time, Harry con continuing to lovingly suckle Hermione’s breasts
through her negligee, switching from one to the other to give them equal
attention. His hands were moving down and over her, caressing her abdomen and
hips and thighs. When his fingertips trailed up the inside of her quivering
thighs, she gasped and arched up against him, whimpering when she felt his body
slide down against her until he had repositioned himself between her legs.

Harry let his hands slide up and past the inner crease of her thighs and
pushed her negligee up and over her hips, bunching it up around her waist, and
exposing Hermione fully to his gaze. He swallowed as he let his eyes rove
lustfully over her naked flesh, vaguely aware that he was automatically
cataloguing the differences between her and Ginny. Hermione reached down and
grasped the back of his head with her left hand, her fingers threading into his
hair as his lips descended to the top of her mound, brushing through her downy
triangle of brown hair.

Looking up from his ministrations Harry could see Ginny lightly kissing all
over Hermione’s face, one hand caressing her cheek, the other stroking a lazy
circle in valley between her breasts. Hermione’s eyes were closed, her lips
parted just a fraction and her cheeks flushed a fine rosy pink. As Ginny
pressed in to kiss her, delicately running the tip of her tongue across
Hermione’s lips, Harry asked a silent question, normal\'>Gin?

She turned her eyes to him, not breaking the kiss, and gave an almost
imperceptible nod.

With tortuous slowness Harry began to trail his lips down. He slipped his
hands around her hips and down to caress her buttocks, taking one firm cheek in
each hand. Despite his distraction as he descended to her dewy entrance, Harry
still found time to smile in amusement when he realized that despite her
slightly fuller figure, Hermione fit in his hands just as perfectly as Ginny
did.

Hermione gasped loudly into Ginny’s mouth when he blew softly across her
folds. She pulled on his head with her arm, trying to drag his mouth onto her.
Teasingly Harry resisted her attempts to urge him on, but not for long.
Positioning his shoulders against the insides of her thighs to prevent her from
clenching her legs around his head, something Ginny had a tendency of doing
during their lovemaking, Harry licked the tip of his tongue around and around
her swollen lips and slowly drew spirals in towards her centre.

It was fortunate that Harry had put up a plethora of Silencing Charms around
his bed, because when he finally dipped his tongue into her sex and began
lapping at the sweet juices there, Harry discovered that when aroused, Hermione
was definitely not the composed and reserved woman that she presented herself
as being.

nconncontrolled spasms of pleasure wracked Hermione’s body and her screams,
though still muffled as she and Ginny continued their passionate kisses,
intensified in strength and pitch as Harry continued to probe his tongue inside
her depths. He could see her belly muscles rippling and felt her rear clenching
in his hands. He held her up to his mouth which caused her thighs to slip up
and rest on his shoulders, allowing her legs to encircle his head.

Wanting to prolong the experience, for both of them, Harry began to tease
her. Hermione whimpered as he withdrew his tongue, missing the close contact,
but moaned as he started lapping around and over her labia, but using the
lightest touch that he could. She pushed up to try and increase the contact
again, but he moved back, denying her. When her moans of frustration were
becoming desperate, Harry just barely pushed back between her lips, savouring
the sensation and taste as he slid his tongue up to the junction of her folds
and the glistening nubbin nestled there.

He paused just short, waiting until she groaned with want, then licked
across the sensitive bud. Hermione all but howled at the contact, the
fingernails of her hand digging into his scalp as she bucked against his face.
Ignoring this minor discomfort, Harry continued to lick and suck; teasing her
close to orgasm and backing away as the minutes stretched on. Only when
Hermione was almost crying in desperation for release, did Harry refuse to back
down.

“OH, GOD!! HARRY!!”

Hermione, her left hand still clasped firmly in his unruly black hair,
pressing his head hard against her dripping channel as her body writhed and her
hips bucked in response to his ministrations. As she climaxed around him Harry
was struck by one of those anomalous thoughts that occasionally strayed through
his mind, Good thing I don’t wear glasses
anymore...o:p>

When the height of her orgasm slowly began to ebb, Harry lowered her hips
gently to the now-rumpled bedcovers. Hermione lay there, an occasional shudder
passing over her body every few seconds, her eyes closed and cheeks wet with
tears of contentment. There was a small smudge of blood on her lower lip where
she had bitten down at one point during the throes of her pleasure.

Ginny, who had been kneading Hermione’s breasts in her hands, moved away to
allow Harry to crawl up between the two girls. He carefully shifted Hermione’s
panting form until she was stretched out on her side, in the cradle of his
arms; her back nestled to his chest. He snaked his left arm underneath her
head, letting her rest against him as he leaned over her bare shoulder to look
down at her.

Slowly her breathing began to slow to normal and her eyes opened and focused
on him. Her lips moved, but no words came out at first. She swallowed and
finally whispered in what seemed like awe, “I never… my god. I feel as if I’m
still…” She sounded amazed as she shook her head in disbelief and asked, “How
did you learn to do that?”

“Extensive research and all the practice I could get,” Harry replied,
smiling lovingly. He reached out with his right hand, which was still free, and
brushed her eyes closed with his fingertips. As he did so he wandlessly cast a
passive Sleeping Spell that would soon cause her to drift into slumber. “Rest now,
Hermione.”

“‘Kay,” she agreed in a little-girl’s voice. She rubbed tiredly at her eyes
with the knuckles of her right fist. Already she was almost unconscious, but
gazing up at him through lidded eyes she whispered, “I love you, Harry.”

Harry smiled and traced his fingers across her cheek and along the gently
curve of jaw as Hermione fell into satisfied sleep. He watched her for a minute
or two, simply looking at the content and peaceful expression on her face. The
sliy gay gaunt and exhausted look she had worn the past few days had faded
somewhat and, for the first time since Harry and Ginny had awoken the previous
morning, she looked like the healthy girl they had met at Diagon Alley the day
before school had started.

Carefully, so as not to disturb her, Harry rolled onto his back. His left
arm, acting as Hermione’s pillow, remained were it was as he looked up at the
ceiling of the dormitory. Ginny, who had kept her distance, edged up against
him. She pulled the covers that she had tossed aside at the start over both
them and Hermione before settling down. She rested her chin on his chest and
looked at his face, obviously noting his pensive expression.

~Harry? Are you okay?~ she asked,
reaching out to hold his cheek and turn his head towards her.

What did we just do, Gin? he
asked, looking into her bright russet-coloured eyes. normal\'>What did I just do?

Ginny snuggled against him, moving her face closer to his, style=\'mso-bidi-font-style:normal\'>~We helped our friend. We gave her comfort
when she needed it most. Don’t let it eat at you, Harry. You did nothing that
you should feel guilty about.~

Harry smiled wanly at her, his free arm reaching up to stroke the fiery
locks of her hair. I made love to my best
friend, Gin. I took advantage of her - betrayed her trust in me. I betrayed
Ron’s trust in me.

~No~ Ginny shook her head, style=\'mso-bidi-font-style:normal\'>~As you said; it would have done more harm
than good if you had rejected her. She might feel differently in the morning,
or she might not. But you did what you had to do, don’t feel guilty about it.
As for Ron, what he doesn’t know can’t hurt us.~

Sometimes I wonder how I made it so
far through life without you, Gin, Harry told her, pulling her to him so
that he could kiss her lips. The fire he had felt building as he pleasured
Hermione had not fully died down, so Harry pressed his tongue into Ginny’s
mouth and she seemed to demand more as the kiss continued. Finally breaking
apart he could see a thoughtful expression on Ginny’s face as she licked her
lips, so he asked, Something wrong?

Ginny smiled and shook her head. ~Not really~
she told him, leaning in to kiss him again, this time licking her tongue
over and around his lips. Her hands were running over his chest in a sensual
caress. ~It’s just that I can taste
Hermione on you, is all.~

Harry blinked in consternation for a second before realizing her meaning.
Immediately feeling contrite he turned his head away from Ginny and apologised,
Sorry...

He was surprised, but glad, when Ginny reached up and turned him back to
her. ~Don’t be. It’s actually kind of
nice. I think I understand why you enjoyed doing that to me so often over the
summer.~ Harry blushed slightly at this, his mind automatically going back
to their many experiences at learning to pleasure each other.

He gasped when he suddenly felt a slim hand slip into his pyjamas and wrap
around his erection, which had recovered during their kiss. style=\'mso-bidi-font-style:normal\'>~I’m even thinking of maybe having a
firsthand taste of Hermione, but I think I’ll wait until she wakes up in the
morning. Until then, I think there’s something else I’d enjoy tasting...~

Githenthen descended under the covers, her smile being the last to disappear
from his view, like a Cheshire cat. Harry lifted his hips up a fraction to aid
her in pulling down his pyjamas. Soon after that any hope of coherent thought
vanished from Harry’s mind.

It was not the restful night Harry had been hoping for, but it was…
interesting.

 

TBC...

 

Another Author’s Note: For those
of you following the development of The
Well of Shadows, posted on ff.net,style=\'mso-bidi-font-style:normal\'> from which this piece is an outtake, I
would like to state that this story should best be considered as being a
completely separate work. I had originally intended for something similar to
transpire, although not in such detail, simply because I thought it would produce
an interesting change in the dynamics of Harry, Ginny and Hermione’s
relationship. I abandoned the idea as did not actually have any proper bearing
on the story as it progressed and The
Well of Shadows is intended as a strictly H/G story.