Chapter 10: Accepting The Situation

Disclaimer: All things Harry Potter belong to JKR.

A/N: Many thanks to my awesome beta, Southern_Witch_69!

Harry stormed into the Head Auror's office and slammed the door so hard that it shook, not even trying to conceal his anger.

"Mr. Potter?" Auror Rossi asked.

"I cannot believe you went behind my back this way!" Harry spat at Cho, ignoring Signor Rossi. "I told you no, Cho, and that's final."

She snorted, putting her hands on her hips and glaring at Harry. "The last time I checked, you weren't in charge of this investigation, and you certainly have no authority over Auror Rossi! I don't need your permission, Harry, and I no longer seek your advice. This is something that I can do to help, and if allowed, I'm going to do it. You can't stop me."

"Wanna bet?" Harry turned to the Head Auror. "Sir, I highly advise against using her as bait."

"So I've gathered. Please, call me Alfonso. What is your particular concern, Mr. Potter?"

"If I'm going to call you Alfonso, you can call me Harry. She's not ready for something such as this. We are dealing with a very sick person and if something were to go wrong..."

"How do you know that I'm not ready, Harry? You don't know anything about me really!" Cho demanded. "We've worked together almost two years, but can you tell me the last case I was involved with?"

Harry shrugged off her question, once again turning to the Head Auror. "I would be more than willing to take Polyjuice."

"I have considered that option, Harry, and decided against it. Too many things could go wrong. Polyjuice only works for a limited amount of time. If our killer is watching...stalking...then it would be inevitable that he would realize something is amiss."

"But, sir, I really think..."

Rossi held up a hand to stop Harry's protests. "I am well aware of your thoughts. I have weighed the situation heavily and come to the conclusion that Miss Chang's idea has merit. I am going to allow her to do this."

Cho beamed at Auror Rossi while Harry scowled. "Have the details been worked out?" he asked, barely containing his fury.

"No. I am going to arrange a meeting with the head team in the morning, and we can plan our strategy then, if it pleases you," he told Harry, amused.

"Fine." Harry turned to Cho. "A word, if you please?"

Cho absently nodded at Harry as she looked at Auror Rossi. "Thank you, sir! You won't regret this!"

"Let's just hope you won't," Harry grumbled under his breath.

After they'd stepped out of the office, Harry turned to Cho and said, "Your room or mine? You're going to want this conversation to be private, trust me."

Cho shrugged. "It makes no difference to me. We are in the same hotel anyway."

"Great," he said sarcastically. "Apparate to room 2022," he instructed and left with an audible pop.

Cho soon followed him, and as soon as she entered his room, he grabbed her roughly and slammed her against the wall. "Fight me, Cho. Protect yourself from me."

"Harry! Stop this now!"

"No! You want me off of you?" he asked as he pressed his body into hers, using his weight and strength to keep her against the wall. "Then get me off!"

They struggled for a few moments, and in her aggravation of not being able to budge Harry, Cho shouted, "GEROFF ME!" and hooked her foot around his ankle while throwing her head forward. She connected with Harry's nose, breaking his glasses, causing him to fall backwards.

He pulled her with him, and she landed on top of him with her wand at his throat, smiling smugly. Harry growled deep in his throat and deftly flipped her, only to find her knee in his crotch.

They both lay there, breathing heavily, and then suddenly they were battling for dominance of a different kind. Harry grabbed Cho's wrists and held them above her head as he descended upon her mouth, biting, nibbling, licking, and kissing her, anger warring with lust.

She moaned deep and low, and he allowed her to flip him. Straddling him, she rose up and quickly removed her shirt and bra, wanting him to see and want her with the same desperation she felt. Harry reached up and roughly palmed her breasts, instinctively knowing that slow and gentle was not what either of them wanted or needed at the moment.

Cho bent down and began to lightly bite his throat, moving her way down to his shoulder where she purposely left a mark. Harry suddenly sat up and removed his shirt, throwing it across the room.

When she pressed herself against him, skin-to-skin, Harry roared and laid her back, making quick work of the buttons on her trousers. "Get," pant, "these," pant, "off!"

Cho chuckled, a deep feminine sound of power that only a woman at such a time had over a man, and deftly raised her hips, sliding down both her trousers and knickers at the same time. "You too," she demanded. "Get your trousers off!"

Harry quickly stood then and removed the rest of his clothing, watching her watching him with want and need in her eyes. He felt elated, powerful. His cock throbbed and twitched at the same time with impatient anticipation.

She held her arms out, an unspoken invitation, and he lowered himself to her rapidly. As soon as their bodies touched, Cho wrapped her legs around him, deftly causing him to slide into her, and Harry's question of whether or not she was ready for him was answered.

They both moved at an accelerated speed, each searching their release. "Cho," Harry ground out between thrusts, "it's been a while for me... I... I won't last long."

She flipped them again, wondering why it had been awhile for him, but was too close to lose her orgasm now, and once more rose above him. Cho grabbed his wrists and placed his hands on her breasts while she moved her own hand lower to circle her swollen and aching nub.

The sight of her touching herself was a catalyst to Harry, and he exploded into her with sweet abandon, which caused her to quickly follow. They both stayed where they were, breathing heavily.

Suddenly, Cho jerked as if she'd been slapped. Her eyes widened, and she looked accusingly at Harry. "What the fuck was this?"

Harry shook his head slightly and gazed at her smugly. "I think that it would be obvious, Cho."

"You bastard!"

"Come again? You won't put the blame all on me, Cho; you wanted this as much as I did."

"True. I won't try to deny it, but I'm not engaged. Damn you! I hate being put in 'the other woman' category! How could you do this? Of all the things I've thought about you over the years, cheating bastard was not one of them until now. God, what have we done?"

Harry folded his arms behind his head and studied her. "You've thought of me? How flattering. Tell me, have you read the Prophet lately?"

Cho breathed heavily through her nose. "NO! What does that have to do with anything? I've not read that paper since coming here because all of my focus has been on this case."

"Ah, that explains why you have been wound so tight," Harry said mockingly.

Cho looked at him with a hurt expression. "I'm ashamed of myself, Harry!" She quickly looked away. "I despise women who take what they want, regardless of whom they may hurt. Don't you even care that you've just cheated on your fiancée? Doesn't that bother you at all? Where are your standards, your honor, now?"

Deciding that this had gone on long enough because he didn't want to hurt her, Harry reached for her. "Cho, you don't understand. Ginny and I..."

"Stop!" she yelled as she jumped up. "Don't touch me! As a matter of fact, you just stay away from me unless it's work related!" Cho hastily grabbed her clothes and Apparated to where Harry assumed was her room.

He sighed and picked up his glasses, repairing them as Hermione had taught him years ago. As he dressed, Harry decided to just leave her be a while. She was too hurt and angry to listen to reason right now. But he had discovered something today. He still found her very attractive and wouldn't mind exploring that. He was, however, not looking forward to working the next few weeks with Cho Chang.

Oliver and Ginny walked the streets of Italy, taking everything in at once. Ginny had wanted to do some shopping...Christmas was just next month...so they were looking into all the shop windows.

She had her brow furrowed, and Oliver looked at her with amusement. "I'm sure your friends will love whatever you get for them, Gin."

"I know that, but I like to take the time when choosing a gift. I like for it to reflect the person that I buy it for."

Something occurred to Oliver just then. "Um, Ginny? Do you have enough money? I could lend you some if you need it."

She smiled. "Thank you, but no. I do have enough. I got my bonus this week for signing with the team."

"Ah, yes. That's right. I hadn't thought of that."

She smiled. "You don't have to stand by me the whole time, you know. You can look at other things while I look here."

"Right. Okay, well, I want to go over here and look at these robes. I've never had a set of Italian robes before."

Ginny hummed a non-committal reply. She could just imagine how good he would look in Italian robes.

As she shopped, she moved to the lingerie section, thinking of Luna. Ginny knew that Luna actually loved Ron, and she thought her friend might appreciate a lovely gown and robe set. Suddenly, she wondered if it would be betraying Hermione to buy Luna lingerie to wear for Ron. She sighed, fingering a beautiful silver gown.

Hermione had not only agreed to do the charm but had also actually researched it. Had she known, even then, that Ron was not for her?

"Ah, not that shade, Bella, this one," a man's voice said from behind Ginny, interrupting her thoughts. She turned around to see a man holding up a sheer, very dark green, silk nightie.

"Oh," she said as she blushed. "Well, it's not... um, for me, you see..."

"Why ever not? You would look beautiful in silks, no? I would be happy to sit while you model these and help you decide on the best styles and coloring," the man teased her.

Ginny's blush deepened. Here was this man...a very beautiful man...flirting with her! She silently thanked the team's owner, who had given each player, plus spouses, a chain very much like the one the Aurors wore to help with translations. It wouldn't do for someone to yell instructions during the game and have the players not be able to understand the command.

Just as she was about to graciously decline his offer, her husband's clipped and angry voice sounded behind her. "She already has help on that score, mate. She won't be needing yours for that or anything else for that matter."

"Ah, you're taken it appears. Too bad."

"Do you often come on to other men's wives then? Habit of yours, is it?"

"Wife? Pardon me, Signor." The man pointedly looked at Ginny's left ring finger. "I see no adornments to show to me that she belongs to another. Please forgive the misunderstanding. Arrvederci."

Once the man had left, Oliver grabbed Ginny's hand and led her out of the lingerie store. "I cannot believe the nerve of some people! Just who did that man think he was?" In an exaggerated Italian voice, Oliver mimicked, "'I see no adornments to show to me that she belongs to another.' Well, we'll just fix that right now," he informed her as he led her into a jewelry store.

Laughing, Ginny said, "Oliver, wait! What are you about?"

"Getting you a wedding band, what did you think?"

She stopped abruptly. "Why?"

He threw his hands in the air as if she were dim-witted. "Are you daft? Because! That man was making passes at you, Ginny! He wanted you! I can't believe I didn't consider it before now, considering how lovely you are."

Sobering considerably, and feeling foolishly complimented, Ginny said, "Women ogle and make passes at you all of the time, Oliver. Were you planning on getting a band for yourself as well? Because if not, then forget it."

"Ginny," he said, exasperated, "I'm a famous Quidditch player! Of course women look at me and make passes. Good Lord, look at Viktor Krum! Even with his looks, that bloke could have any woman he wanted."

"Hmm, true. And just think, in a few short weeks, I will also be a professional Quidditch player. Just like you... and the other women on the team." Ginny stood silently, letting that implication sink in. She knew he would be thinking on all the offers the women players seemed to get.

"Fine!" he surrendered. "We'll get a bloody matching set. Will that make you happy?"

Ginny raised an eyebrow and folded her arms across her chest. "Me? Will that make me happy? Oliver, you're the one who's insisting on a wedding ring after seeing one man casually flirt with me. I have had to deal with hordes of woman blatantly throwing themselves at you from day one!"

"Touché." Suddenly feeling embarrassed, he told her, "Look, I think that since we have to be married for this year, and I for one do not share, it would just be prudent to wear rings."

"Agreed," Ginny said, unsure why she suddenly felt relieved. "Just something plain and simple, eh? Like you've said, it's only for this one year."

"Right then. Here," he said, pointing to a pair of plain gold bands with a simple infinity symbol engraved on the top. "I like these."

Ginny looked down at the rings, then whipped her head up to look into his eyes. The infinity symbol? "Why those?"

He shrugged. "I dunno. They're simple without being too plain. Look," he told her, irritated, "if you don't like those, just pick out another set. It really doesn't matter to me."

"No, those are fine." She reached for her purse, but he stopped her.

"I'll take care of these." She started to protest, but he stopped her. "I insist on purchasing them both, not just my own, since the idea was mine." He walked away from her and told the salesperson of his choice of rings.

After they were paid for, Oliver handed Ginny her ring, and they both slipped them on. They magically sized themselves to fit their fingers.

Feeling confused about the smugness he felt, Oliver led his wife outside. "Ready for a spot of lunch? I'm famished."

"Sure," Ginny agreed, unable to keep her eyes off of the gold band while pondering the symbol and all that it meant.

Ron walked to the door of his wife's bedroom and shivered slightly from the coldness. His wife had been going into her room every night right after supper for the past week to study on that blasted flower that Stanly and his lot were trying to find.

She was bundled in a very thick, white terry cloth robe, studying one of the many texts she had spread out before her.

"Busy?" he asked nonchalantly.

"Umm, yes. Did you need something?" she asked distractedly.

"What are you reading on?" he hedged.

"Oh, this? Ireland. It seems that Stanly was mistaken. We discovered earlier this week that the flower actually grows in Ireland, and I am studying the flora and fauna. The flower will bloom in the next couple of weeks, and I want to familiarize myself with the area."

"Are you planning on being there? Going to Ireland?"

"Of course! What a silly question."

"With Stanly?" he asked her angrily.

"Well, naturally, he'll be there, but no, not just Stanly. The entire team of researchers is going actually."

"I don't like it. That man, he has designs on you, he does."

"No worries. I know how to handle unwanted advances. Although, maybe a ring would go further in dissuading him... Nonetheless, he knows that I'm not interested and has stopped his pursuits."

This time, Ron didn't make any comments on her ring remark. "I dunno; I don't trust the wanker. Once a man wants a woman, he usually doesn't just back off his perusal of her. Is he aware of our circumstances? Mayhap I should go with you."

Luna coughed into her hand to hide a chuckle. "No, our business is our own, so I wouldn't confide our... situation to him. And I would love for you to come to Ireland with me. All of the other spouses are coming along, you know."

"You mean to say that everyone else's spouse knows of this trip, is in fact coming along, and you didn't see the need to tell, much less invite, me?" he asked, irritated.

His wife shrugged. "I didn't see the need because I didn't think that you'd care. We'd have to share a room there, lest everyone know our circumstances."

Clearing his throat, Ron told her, "Oh, right. That's something else I wanted to talk to you about. With the weather becoming colder, I think...if you wanted, that is...that maybe you should just sleep in my room with me. This room gets too cold at night, and you don't even have a fireplace in here."

"Yes, I can see the logic in that. I do get very cold during the night, and when I have to get out of the bed most mornings, the floor in here is barely tolerable. I would appreciate it. Thank you."

Suddenly feeling uncomfortable, Ron nodded. "Er, when is the trip for Ireland planned? I need to let George know to make sure the shop is sufficiently covered with it getting closer to Christmas and all."

"Two weeks. You're sure it wouldn't inconvenience you overly much?"

"It wouldn't inconvenience me at all, Luna. I don't trust Stanly around you. Married or no, I don't think it matters to that tosser."

"Okay. I will let the rest of the team know that you'll be coming along."

"Yes, you do that. In the meantime, I've moved another wardrobe in my room for you, for convenience's sake. It wouldn't do for you to have to continuously go back and forth."

"Thanks, Ron. I'll start moving my things directly."

"All right." With that settled, Ron went to Floo George to inform him of his upcoming trip. Halfway there, he couldn't help but think that somewhere along the way, he'd lost control of the entire conversation.

Hermione gratefully walked into her quarters. Today had been grueling for her, and she was glad to be home. She set her briefcase down and looked around the sitting room.

It struck her then how lucky she was that she didn't have to come home and clean or cook. The fact that house-elves took care of those things for her was something that she'd learned to live with. They seemed happy with their station in life.

Sighing, she walked to the study to see if her husband was home. She came to the door and paused, watching him mark papers. She glanced at the romance novel on his desk, but said nothing for the moment because she was distracted when he suddenly grabbed his left arm and winced in pain.

"Severus? All right?"

He jumped slightly and looked at her. "Yes, fine, thank you. It... burns at odd moments."

"There's nothing you can do? A salve wouldn't help you?"

"Unfortunately, no. It's a burning from the inside out, such as the way it would burn if Voldemort were still alive and calling the Death Eaters to him."

"You mean, like a phantom burning? Like when someone has lost an arm or leg, but still feels the pain from the lost appendage?"

"Precisely so. He is no longer alive and calling us, but at odd times I can feel an immense burning sensation."

"Oh, God, you don't think he could still be..."

"No, don't worry yourself on that. When we thought he'd died the first time, I actually did wonder because there was a constant tingling there. This feeling is entirely different."

Hermione relaxed some and then said, "Well, why don't you come up with some sort of potion to ease the burning yourself? You'd likely make a fortune from the remaining Death Eaters, especially those that escaped serving time in Azkaban."

"You mean the way that I did?"

"No, I don't. I never felt that you deserved to go, and I don't want to get into all of that now. I have something I want to talk to you about. A favor, if you will."

"Oh? You've peaked my curiosity. What is it that you need?"

"Do you remember the case that I'm working on? Seth, the thirteen-year-old boy that was bitten by the werewolf?" He nodded that he did. "Well, I've been thinking, the main problem the child has is not having Wolfsbane accessible to him. I think you could help me there, yeah?"

"You want me to brew the Wolfsbane Potion every month and give it to this family?"

"No, I know that it's not a simple potion, Severus. But I remember hearing you say once that it was damn shame to have to brew an entire cauldron of the potion for only Remus and have the rest go to waste. Well, why don't you brew it and sell it at a reasonable price so that everyone can afford it, but yet, you'd still make a profit from it?

"It's so expensive because it's so hard to brew, and we both know that you're one of the only people who can properly brew it. Would you at least consider it?"

"Hmm. Intriguing. I have never thought of it before. Perhaps I will teach you to brew it as well. The idea does have merit, but I think I would rather sell it to St. Mungo's and let them deal with the populace of werewolves."

"But would St. Mungo's make it affordable? That's the whole point of you making it to begin with."

"I would put a stipulation in the legal papers." Severus scratched his chin. "All in all, not a bad idea. Yes, I will think on it. Both potions actually."

Hermione smiled at him brilliantly. "Thank you, Severus! That you would even consider it means so much to me." She nodded at the romance novel on his desk. "Light reading?"

He scowled. "No. Some nitwit second year dared to read that in my classroom once she'd finished her potion."

Hermione giggled. "Oh, my. Detention?"

"Yes, with Hagrid."

"Well, it's for the best you nip those notions in the bud anyway. I find those books highly exaggerate the actual sexual experience."

Severus raised an eyebrow at that. "Oh, indeed? How so?"

"Well, for one thing, the women in those books always have at least two orgasms."

"Yes, continue."

She snorted. "I didn't even have one."

Severus folded his arms across his chest and leaned back into his chair. "Are you implying, wife, that I cannot cause you to have an orgasm?" he asked in a dangerously low voice.

She put her hands on her hips and thrust her chin out. "Not implying...saying. Considering I've only had sex once and that one time was with you, and I did not have one, I think the statement is obvious."

Severus slowly rose from his chair and walked towards her. "Are you challenging me?"

Hermione backed up a bit, frightened in an aroused way. "Not challenging, per se, just merely stating a fact."

"Do you wish me to prove something to you, Hermione? Would you care for another go?

"Would you?"

"Well, I wouldn't turn one down," he told her saucily. "Why does that surprise you?"

"I never thought... You never tried... Well, you've not touched me since our wedding night."

"Nor have you touched me. However, had I known my advances would be welcome, perhaps I would have. I'm assuming from our little tête-à-tête that they would be?"

"Well," she said cheekily, "I wouldn't turn you down."

"I see. Shall we finish this discussion in our bedchambers?"

Suddenly nervous that the playful banter was ending and they were about to get serious, she only nodded and followed him to their bedchambers.

Once they'd entered, Severus began undressing while Hermione stood watching. He raised an eyebrow. "You did say you wanted this?"

"Oh, yes. Sorry," she said and began unbuttoning her shirt.

Hermione quickly undressed and climbed into bed, pulling the covers up to her chin.

Severus chuckled. "Excited or nervous?"

"A little of both actually."

"No need for nerves," he informed her as he slowly made his way to the bed, wearing nothing but an arrogant smile. "Excitement is expected, considering I can guarantee at least one orgasm."

"Cocky," she accused and then instantly regretted her choice of words as they brought her gaze to the one part of his body she was trying to avoid staring at.

"Indeed, I am," he agreed as he climbed into the bed with her, pulling the covers off of her. She bristled and tried to pull them back up. He simply threw them to the floor. "Those will only get in my way."

He lay on top of her, keeping most of his weight on his elbows and began thoroughly kissing her. Soon all thoughts of nervousness fled her mind, and Hermione became lost in the moment.

He started kissing his way down, lightly nipping her jaw line, licking his way to her throat. Once he found the very sensitive spot where her neck ended and her shoulder began, he exploited it meticulously, causing her to buck her hips without ever realizing it.

Giving that spot one last long lick, he worked his way to her breasts, pulling one taut nipple into his mouth and laving it with his tongue, then languorously moving to the next. He pushed them together and then nuzzled them both with his nose, licking in between them.

He then slowly, torturously, moved down her belly, sucking and nibbling as he went. When he reached her center, Severus gently blew on her, and she moaned deeply.

When he stopped, she raised her head to look at him. He grinned confidently and told her, "Prepare for your first, my dear."

She closed her eyes and lay back. The man already had her nerves strung so tight she thought that she might blow at any moment. When he plunged into her with his tongue with wild abandon, she grabbed his hair and pulled him closer. "OH. MY. GOD!" she cried out, arching her hips, searching for more. She'd never felt anything like this in her life.

When he took her tight, aching nub into his mouth, first sucking hard and then biting gently, Hermione immediately orgasmed long and hard, throwing her head back and arching her back up.

After she'd started coming down, Severus lifted his head and told her, "That's one," as he slowly made his way back up her body in the same excruciating manner as he'd made his way down. Once he was over her again, he positioned himself and thrust into her completely.

"Ahhh," she simply said.

He started to say something teasing, but stopped and simply looked at her. Getting impatient, she started moving her hips while he stayed still, watching her use him to please herself.

"What is it?" she finally asked.

"You can be very erotic."

Hermione stopped moving, embarrassed that she'd let herself go so completely like that.

"No, don't stop," he demanded. "Take your pleasure"

She tentatively started moving again, and this time, he moved with her, sliding in so deeply that he hit a spot that gave her small explosions of feeling with each thrust. Their pace became purposeful and quickened. It wasn't long before she felt her walls tightening around him, and the feeling caused her to cry out. This time, he went over with her. "And that, wife, would be two."

Hermione sighed, happily sated. Fighting her awkwardness, she teased, "Perhaps I'll bring you another book tomorrow."

He chuckled. "I think I can fumble my way around without one."

This time, he held her as she drifted off.

A/N: My, my! The heat is on!