Tuesday Afternoon

Hermione stood in her herb garden surveying her surroundings. She’d managed to weed out the rosemary and parsley, found the small garden gnome burrow under the lavender, and was working on cutting back the catnip.

Things would be going faster, but there was a small orange kitten with a squashed face frolicking in it, his fuzzy tail sticking up like a bottle brush.

He reached out and swiped at her clippers with a small paw.

“Now you stop that!” Hermione chided gently. “This is not your personal jungle!”

The kitten growled at Hermione and his bottom wiggled as he crouched down and eyed the clippers.

“I think that’s quite enough of that!” Hermione scolded as she put the clippers in the pocket of her worn green gardening apron. The kitten sat up and mewed.

“I can only imagine the person that will choose you!” Hermione smiled at him. “I want to keep you all for myself!”

A small black kitten, also with a squashed face and bottle brush tail, leapt out of the catnip and tackled his brother. The orange kitten let out a squeak of surprise as they tumbled from the garden and onto the small cobblestone path that wound its way through the yard.

She sighed. “But then I’d have to keep you all and Harry would never have it.”

Hermione picked up a small wicker basket full of clippings and turned back towards the little cottage she shared with Harry. The cat/kneazle cross-breeds padded after her.

A large orange cat sat near the back door. As the kittens neared her she reached out with a paw and seized the black one, washing his face furiously with her rough tongue.

“Your children have been playing havoc in the catnip again, Isabella,” Hermione said as she opened the screen door and let them into the cheery yellow kitchen in the cottage. “I don’t know where they get it from. You are calm. Henrietta was calm. Crookshanks was calm. They must get it from their father.” She paused to scratch the head of the mama cat. “Little escape artist. You’ll never tell who he was, will you?”

The cat looked smug and purred loudly. Hermione took her apron off and set it down with a thud that hinted to gardening tools in the pockets. She checked her lightweight light blue robes for any smudges of dirt and was pleased to find none.

“Lucky for you he was an excellent match.” Hermione set the basket of herbs on a large, well oiled, heavy wooden block in the center of the kitchen. There were cauldron shaped scorch marks decorating the top of it. Isabella leapt onto the wood block and stuck her head into the basket with a quizzical meow. “The catnip is for Kylie’s litter.” Hermione shooed the cat from the basket. “It’s getting near the 2 year mark and they’re ready to find their people and go out into the world. I thought we could put it off until summer but they’re acting like they want to start wandering to find partners.”

The small orange kitten jumped on one of her trainers and gnawed at the laces.

“We have a year and nine months more with these two hellions.” Hermione sighed as the black kitten attacked his brother from behind, startling the little orange one and making him tumble to the floor. The mama cat sat up straight and preened. Hermione reached out a hand and ruffled her fur.

Hermione chuckled at how her life had changed since the fall of the Dark Lord.

Harry had seen to it that Muggle families of wizards and squibs were a wider recognized part of Wizarding society. The more they were involved in Wizarding Society, the less chance of another race war.

Mrs. Figg had finally been able to recognize her dream and had opened a pet shop in Diagon Alley where she could adopt out her cat/kneazle hybrids to young aspiring witches and wizards, and she had thanked Harry and his progressive changes after the war for it all.

Harry had started going around to tea at Mrs. Figg’s on Sundays sometime shortly after she had opened her pet shop. Mrs. Figg had told Hermione once it was because she knew him when he was just ‘that Potter boy.’ Before he had even known he was special, he was different; he was the ‘Boy Who Lived.’ That he put his wand away on Sundays and he was just Harry: the boy who grew up down the street from Mrs. Figg and now visited her to make sure she was all right now that she was getting on in years. He put his wand away on Sundays and helped her make tea without magic and they sat talking about the weather and how the world was changing.

Harry had told Hermione that since Mrs. Figg was allowed to be pleasant to Harry her refreshments had improved remarkably and that her peach and cream crumb cakes were to die for.

Hermione had started popping in on Mrs. Figg whenever she was in Diagon Alley, and because of Crookshanks becoming unexpectedly quite fond of one of Mrs. Figg’s best breeders, Hermione found herself responsible for her first litter of cat/kneazle hybrids.

“He knew what he was doing,” Mrs. Figg had protested as she had presented Hermione with both mother cat and kittens in a large cozy basket. “He knows his responsibilities.”

Hermione had found she didn’t mind all the cats around the house. They kept the mice down in the garden and compost area, they were intelligent enough to scratch on their posts and not on Hermione’s furniture, and they were easily housebroken.

Harry had been delighted by the small furry additions to her household and had encouraged her when Mrs. Figg had suggested Hermione take over breeding supervision when she was considering partial retirement.

Now it was 15 years later. Mrs. Figg had passed on and had left Hermione the shop, Harry had moved into Hermione’s little cottage, and now they had been married over a decade and provided dozens of pets to the children of Hogwarts.

It was a good life, if not unexpected.

The cottage was big enough for the two of them. Harry was an official advisor with the Ministry, which made it sound like people came to him from time to time and asked his opinion but in reality meant he spent hours checking facts and pouring over paperwork. Hermione was brought in occasionally, at the insistence of Advisor to the Minister Arthur Weasley, for classified research projects as an assistant.

With the running of the shop, the breeding program, and Ministry projects, Hermione found her days challenging and full. With luck, she managed to get an occasional peaceful afternoon like today for herself.

On very rare days, Arthur had insisted the Ministry could survive without Harry for a few hours and that he should go home to spend some time with his lovely young wife.

There was a rustling sound behind Hermione and she turned to see the small tawny owl Harry had given to her right before they had gotten engaged.

‘Because I’d rather send you a message you can read at your leisure rather than interrupt your research over unimportant things,’ he had said as he had handed her the small brass cage.

Hermione padded to the small owl and took the small envelope from the leather pouch around his neck. She scratched him behind the ears as she read the short note written in Harry’s familiar sloppy hand.

Meet me at the pond.

Hermione sighed as she emptied her herb basket and started wrapping up the lunch spread she had planned for their lunch. As she wrapped up a whole cooked, refrigerated chicken and pushed it into her small basket she was thankful for area displacement spells. She would hate to balance a Muggle basket on a broom.

She folded a green blanket and tucked it over the top of the basket before grabbing her brown wool cloak and fastening it around her shoulders.

She scratched the kittens and checked on the food and water levels in their bowls before kicking off her back porch on the broom Harry had insisted she learn how to fly.

The pond wasn’t far from her house. The grass on the shore was long and soft. Harry was sitting on the shoreline, his legs stretched before him, his feet crossed, head thrown back to feel the warmth of the sunlight. His broom lay beside him, as did his worn brown leather briefcase.

“You’re going to stain those!” Hermione chided as she landed with a soft ‘whump’ in the grass beside Harry. Getting dark green grass stains out of light green linen robes were a pain.

He opened his eyes to watch her dismount from her broom and spread the blanket out. She plopped the basket in the center of it and sat down cross legged and expectantly.

“You always manage to do most satisfactory laundry.” Harry grinned at her.

“I have better things to do with my time.” Hermione sniffed. “Hagrid wants me to help him with a project for his advanced Care of Magical Creatures class.”

As Harry moved to the blanket, Hermione was relieved to see he had no stains at all on his work robes.

“Aren’t you supposed to be working on an anti-nit potion for Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes’ domesticated Doxies?” Harry asked.

“I’ve gotten the potion down; it’s the after effect that’s giving me trouble.” Hermione started unpacking the basket and Harry watched her, smiling. “They glow in the dark for 2 weeks after the potion is ingested.”

“Well, that’s kind of neat.” Harry said, raising his eyebrows. “Have you told them?”

“Yes.” Hermione looked annoyed. She wrestled the chicken out of the basket with a little more force than necessary. “George wants me to isolate the cause and sell it as a novelty item.”

Harry laughed at this and began unwrapping things as she pulled them out of the basket.

“You would think it was funny.” Hermione shot him a look.

“I didn’t say a word.” Harry said, raising both his hands. One of them was holding a chicken leg.

“Ginny says we should start selling it as is with a warning label and work on improvement.” Hermione said as she pulled a long thermos out of the basket, a cup attached to each end.

“I’d say that’s a more practical idea.” Harry shrugged as he bit into the chicken and murmured in appreciation.

“Either way, I have the time to Floo to Hogsmede twice a week and go to Hogwarts.” Hermione said simply as she spun a cup off of the thermos and poured some lemonade into it.

“I shall miss you every second you are gone.” Harry said solemnly as he tossed the chicken bone to the side and reached out for some warm, buttered bread. “When did you learn to bake bread?”

“And I shall come home to find you asleep in front of the telly under a pile of cats each night.” Hermione grinned at him as she waved her wand at a chicken breast and sliced it. She placed the pieces between two pieces of bread and started eating. “And I didn’t. I bought the kind you can warm in the oven.”

“It’s a comfortable place to be.” Harry leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. He started making his own sandwich.

“What was that for?” Hermione asked suspiciously as she grinned slyly at him.

“Making my life so content, yet interesting.” Harry smiled at her. “And today’s the anniversary of our first date.”

“Oh dear Lord, is it?” Hermione laughed. “I had completely forgotten!”

They had been in Diagon Alley and had decided to venture out to Muggle London to catch a Muggle movie. As entertaining as the Wizarding World was, Harry and Hermione had both been raised as Muggles and enjoyed movies and television. Also, going out into a world where no one knew them was a bonus.

It had been a romantic comedy, something light and funny, then they had gotten rip roaring drunk at the Three Broomsticks because they were both single and annoyed that they could manage to save the world, yet were lacking the ability to get laid. It just wasn’t fair.

Then they had been on the floor of the drawing room of Grimmauld place, clothes flying and electricity flying from their fingertips and lips.

The next morning they had to do it again, of course, to make sure it wasn’t a fluke.

And the next afternoon, the next evening…

Ron had been furious when he had heard, of course, but had eventually got over himself after Harry and Hermione were almost killed by Goyle a few years after the war had ended.

Ginny had just shrugged and said sometimes love was unexpected. She and Luna were celebrating their 15 year anniversary this coming summer.

“Now, how could you forget?” Harry teased her as he brushed a curl out of her eyes. “You had a hangover that lasted for days.”

Hermione laughed. “So did you, but it didn’t stop you, did it?”

“Nothing could keep me from you once I had you,” Harry said, his hand on his heart. “Not even a hangover.”

“How romantic,” Hermione fluttered. “To know that a hangover won’t get between you and a bit of slap and tickle.”

“There was a lot of that, if I remember right.” Harry said with a twinkle in his eye. “Sometimes I get the pensive out and replay it when you’re working late.”

“You do not!” Hermione said, both shocked and laughing. She looked at the look on Harry’s face. “Oh my God, you do!”

“You gave quite the performance, in spite of being three sheets to the wind.” Harry leaned over to nibble at Hermione’s neck.

Hermione put her food down. “I did, did I?” She nuzzled him back. “You should see what I can do when I’m sober.”

“I think I have.” Harry pretended to ponder. “You may have to remind me.”

“Harry Potter, you brought me down to the lake to seduce me!” Hermione breathed as Harry reached up to sink his fingers into her thick curls.

“Yes.” He said simply as he pulled wand out and moved everything off the blanket.

She smiled at him and kissed him deeply. “And Arthur helped you. I should be disturbed.”

“He’s a busy man with a wife to keep happy.” Harry said as he undid her cloak clasp and it fell to the blanket. “He knows how it is.”

Hermione threw her head back and laughed as her hands went to the buttons on Harry’s robes. “I shall have to thank him later.”

“For giving me the afternoon off or for reminding me why I needed the afternoon off?” Harry murmured as he slipped Hermione’s robes off of one shoulder. He kissed the bare skin and tried to push her to the blanket.

She sat rigid and unyielding.

“You didn’t even remember yourself?” Hermione scolded him.

“It was on my calendar but it had been there so long I overlooked it when I read it over for the week.” Harry grinned sheepishly. “I remembered to get you something. Just not what day I was supposed to give it to you.”

Hermione shook her head at him. “What would you do without Arthur to look after you?”

“Probably forget my head. And you should talk. You forgot as well.” Harry pushed her over and pounced. “Now shut up and get molested.”

“So romantic.” Hermione sighed. “My life has been one big fairytale since I met you.”

“Magic, trolls, centaurs, an evil wizard, saving the world…” Harry ticked off events on his fingers. “Yea, I’d say so.”

“Come here, you.” Hermione said as she reached up and pulled him to her. His lips met hers and he felt her opening the front of his robes. He sighed as her fingers found the crinkled brown hair on his chest. She ran her hands over his chest before wrapping her arms around him. She breathed in his scent and rested her head on him.

He stroked the soft skin of her shoulder as he slipped the soft fabric lower.

Hermione waved her wand and the air around them warmed up.

“You don’t regret any of it, do you?” Harry asked as he gently separated himself from her embrace and pulled the fabric from his wife’s breasts. He traced the space between them with his fingers and watched as small bumps rose on her pale skin.

“Only the bits with the Dark Lord.” Hermione snorted as she shivered.

“You don’t regret that. You just wish it hadn’t happened.” Harry said as he teased one of her nipples with a finger. “You couldn’t have chosen that or not.”

“I suppose so.” Hermione sighed as she touched the bridge of his nose lightly with a fingertip. She hooked her finger under his glasses and pulled them off.

“Hey! How will I be able to see without those?” Harry protested.

“I’m sure you’ll manage.” Hermione sighed happily as she kissed him.

Harry cupped one of her breasts softly and felt her hands run to the sash that held his robes closed around the waist.

“And if you can’t figure it out I’ll have to do it for you!” Hermione pushed him away from her and she waved her wand at him.

Harry found himself flat on his back under the full body bind curse.

“What’s all this?” Harry asked, surprised.

Hermione let her robes drop and smiled at him.

“Oh.”

Hermione parted her husbands’ robes, leaving his sleeves on and spreading out the light fabric beneath him. Then she dropped the warming spell.

“It’s a bit chilly for this, isn’t it?” Harry squeaked out as his nipples hardened to little pebbles and his skin crawled as a breeze swept over him.

“I’ll keep you warm.” Hermione smiled coyly at him as she pressed her lips to his stomach. Harry felt her breasts push against his erection and he held back the urge to thrust against her.

“You always look after me.” Harry said quietly as he looked down at her, her light curly brown hair brushing over his skin as she kissed further down. It had lightened in the last few years. Harry thought it was quite fetching, like it had honey in it.

When he felt her tongue slide over his member he closed his eyes and breathed deeply. She reached up both hands towards his shoulders and curled her fingers into claws. As she pulled her arms back to his hips, scratching his skin, she drew him further into her mouth. His back arched and he longed to have free hands so he could touch her.

He wished it was to touch her skin, to cherish her being, but he really wanted to pull her hair, to push her to the blanket and shag her senseless.

He felt a hand go around the base of his scrotum. He quickly opened his eyes.

“Stay still.” She quirked an eyebrow at him.

“I am staying still,” Harry said quickly. He didn’t want to, but he didn’t see any choice.

He felt Hermione slide a hand between his legs as she went back to working her mouth up and down. He opened his legs a little further, feeling her explore and gently prod at him.

“If you’re going to do that I’m going to be finished and I really want to fuck you.” Harry said with a slight growl to his voice.

Hermione looked up at him. “And what if I just leave you here?”

“I’ll freeze to death or be eaten by a bear tonight,” Harry said as he twitched his hips under Hermione.

“There are no bears around here!” Hermione laughed as she unbound his hands.

Harry growled as he pushed her to the blanket. “Come here.”

He pushed his mouth to hers roughly and felt her lips part under his, her tongue flicking at his mouth. He pinched one of her nipples and heard her gasp, her hand slithering down his torso to squeeze his cock.

He wrestled his way between her legs, her laughing and fighting him off. “Oh no?” Harry teased, the head of his cock pressing against her opening, his robes falling around them like a sheet.

He reached for his wand and reactivated the heat spell before wrestling her to the blanket and holding her down. She thrust at him, but he pulled back, not allowing her to join with him.

He placed his head between her breasts and nuzzled.

Then he rose above her and felt her arms go around him. He pushed gently as she rotated her hips.

When he was all the way in her he nuzzled her neck, near her ear. “Do you remember that night?”

“I remember you were in me before my skirt was all the way up.” Hermione breathed in his ear as she ground against him.

“I remember seeing a hint of that ass in the moonlight,” Harry growled and bit her neck. She breathed in sharply. “And my cock was so hard.”

Hermione groaned as she slid her hands down to his hips, pulling him into her. “Yes.”

“Just like it is now.” Harry said as he kissed her roughly and began pounding in her. He drew one of his hands up and grabbed her breast roughly.

“Yes, Harry,” Hermione panted encouragingly as she opened her legs wider and dug her fingers into him.

“Yes?” Harry ground out between his teeth as he sped up his pace. “You like it? Are you going to come for me?”

“In a bit,” Hermione said as she swiveled her hips. “It just feels so fucking good.”

Harry laughed. “Well, I’m glad for that. Now let’s get you on all fours like the little slut you are. I know that makes you come.”

Hermione whimpered as he kissed her hard and removed himself from her. She smiled as she flipped over to her stomach and wiggled her bum at him.

Harry ran his hands over her bare, round bottom. He pushed up and separated and felt his cock throb at the sight of the little pink patch nestled between her creamy thighs it wanted to dive into.

He grabbed her hips and pulled her to her knees, her bum in the air and the little mound right in front of him. He prodded with the tip of his cock until he found the wet softness he was looking for and pushed forward.

Hermione cried out at the sudden invasion and scrabbled for a moment on the blanket. Harry reached out and took a handful of her curly hair and bunched it in his fist firmly.

“You’re going to come for me.” Harry growled as he sunk deeply into her.

“Gods, yes,” Hermione gasped out. She pushed back against him roughly and swirled herself on him.

Harry yanked on her hair so she was kneeling upright, her back against his chest. He reached around and felt for her little nub of pleasure. She squirmed against him but he held her fast. He sat back on his heels and pulled her with him so he stayed inside of her.

He kept giving her small shallow thrusts as he played with her, his other hand pulling her head back and exposing her neck. He slid his tongue up and sucked on the lobe.

He felt her start to moan and he held her tighter to him, she had a habit of squirming off of him from her throes of pleasure.

He sunk his teeth into her shoulder and felt her clench around him. She screamed.

He gently took his mouth from her shoulder and kissed the place where he could see imprints of his teeth. He was still thrusting gently.

“Oh God,” Hermione whimpered. He could feel her throbbing on him. “That was so hard. It’s so sore. Give me a minute.”

“I don’t think so.” Harry said as he let go of her hair and brought both of his hands to her breasts. He pulled her closer to him and felt her sink a little more onto him. “I think you’re going to turn onto you back and I’m going to fuck you. Then you’re going to come all over my cock again. Then I’m going to make you suck it like the little whore you are.”

Hermione throbbed on him again. This time it was so hard Harry felt like she was going to squeeze it off. She really did like this game.

She nodded and Harry pushed her off of him. She landed on the blanket and turned over, grinning from ear to ear.

“It’s hard to be a villain when you look as if you’ve won the lottery.” Harry smiled as he lowered himself onto her.

“But you’re so good at it.” Hermione kissed him gently as she reached down and slid him into her.

Harry murmured something softly that was lost as she moved her hips up to meet his. He moved gently, making his body move in waves against her.

He held himself back as she climaxed a second time around him.

He laid still, his cock begging for release as she lay beneath him catching her breath.

He finally felt the intense urge to come start to ebb away as he desperately tried to think of anything that would turn him off.

Cricket. Wizarding tax laws. Seamus and Dean’s joint bachelor party.

Not that he was against that type of thing, it just wasn’t his cup of tea.

Speculation of what happened between Umbridge and the centaurs did the trick.

He opened his eyes and saw Hermione’s flushed, sweating face. She smelled of earth and herbs, like she had been working in the garden all morning, and lust and sex.

She opened her eyes and smiled dazedly at him. She rolled her hips under him. Harry gasped.

“I think you’re going to come right here,” she said wickedly.

“I think you’re right.” Harry blurted out half a second before he came into her, all other things in the world forgotten. His back arched as he jerked inside of her.

Hermione chuckled as Harry collapsed on her, his head nestled between her breasts. She felt him slide out of her, sticky warmth slippery on her thighs.

She was thankful his robes were still on him so they had some covering. It was unlikely anyone would be out here, but now she wasn’t distracted enough to think about her surroundings.

Hermione ran her hands through his sweaty hair and looked down at him. There were quite a few silver hairs among the brown, but at least it was still there. She reached over and retrieved his glasses for him.

He took them from her and rose to kiss her cheek as he slid them on.

“No regrets?” He smiled, knowing her answer.

“None.” Hermione kissed his forehead as he settled his head on her shoulder and sighed.

Hermione lay there contentedly for a few moments before she realized Harry was starting to snore softly.

“Wake up, Boy-Who-Snores,” Hermione teased him as she shook him awake.

“I’m not snoring,” Harry said sleepily.

“I see.” Hermione smiled softly at him as he rose up to put himself together.

Harry picked up his wand and with a wave he cleaned both of them off before he tucked it up his sleeve and buttoned his robes up, retying the sash with a bit of flair.

Hermione laughed as she watched him swagger to the food and start rummaging for interesting things. She wanted to cover up, but she knew he enjoyed looking at her after they coupled.

Harry looked down at her nude form: lying on the blanket, her cheeks flushed and her hair fanned out around her head.

“You are beautiful.” He smiled at her as she lay for him. “But you should get your robes on and get some more food. You hardly got any before we started.”

Hermione wrapped her robes back around herself and moved closer to him and the food.

“So is there anything you would particularly like for our anniversary?” Harry asked as he settled back down. “I have to say I am stumped. You usually leave hints all over the house.”

“I want to remodel the basement so I have a potions lab of my own.” Hermione smiled sweetly at him as she drew a scroll out of a pocket from the inside of her robes.

Harry groaned. “I should have seen something like this.”

“It should only take us a couple weekends to complete and the only thing I’ll really need you for is helping me refortify the foundation and rerouting and filtering the drains,” Hermione insisted. “I can do the rest by myself.”

“I’m not going to let you do the rest by yourself.” Harry sighed as he opened a small stiff paper box to find, to his delight, chocolate biscuits. “That would be silly.”

Hermione quickly unrolled the scroll and showed Harry the design she had come up with. It utilized the area they had without having to change anything much and looked fairly economical.

“Hate using the potions lab at Hogwarts that much?” Harry asked as he munched happily on a biscuit.

“I hate that stupid portrait of Snape.” Hermione hissed as she let go of one end of the scroll and it rewound itself. “He’s always so nosy and critical.”

“You could just throw a cloak over him.” Harry chuckled. The small portrait had been Professor McGonagall’s idea. Snape liked his station in the Headmaster’s office, but McGonagall didn’t think it was the same without him skulking around the dungeons.

“He’s not a parrot, Harry!” Hermione laughed. “I’m sure one day I will need to call upon his insight, but for now I just find him a pain.”

“For now?” Harry sprayed chocolate crumbs as he tried not to laugh. “Are you kidding?”

“You get the idea!” Hermione raised her voice and Harry silently snickered to himself.

She reached out and retrieved her cup of lemonade. She was thankful she had remembered to enchant the cups with a bug repelling charm. It was a bit gnatty out today.

“I think it’s a decent idea.” Harry said. “With or without an anniversary.”

“You mean that?” Hermione looked quizzically at Harry.

“Well, you’re working a couple days a week at Hogwarts, you need to pop into the shop a few days a week to make sure things are running smoothly, and you’re testing things out for Wee Wee’s.” Harry turned to her. His robes weren’t fastened on properly and Hermione could see a patch of his chest. “I’d like to see you a bit in all that and if you have a workshop at home I’ll be able to see you more.”

Hermione leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

“I’m sorry I take on so much sometimes.” Hermione said, quirking a corner of her mouth at Harry. “But sometimes opportunities happen all at once.”

“I knew I was marrying an overachiever.” Harry said, astonished that she’d think she would ever have to explain herself to him. “I’m just surprised you don’t have black market Time-Turners stashed around the house.”

Hermione laughed. “I don’t think they’d let me have one now that they know me.”

“Probably not.” Harry said, shaking his head at her.

“No regrets?” Hermione asked Harry, a twinkle in her eye.

He leaned over and pressed his lips to hers. He tasted like sex and chocolate.

“None.”