A Desperate Deed

Be or not to be

In this light, his skin looked unhealthy white. Bright green eyes were looking back at him thoughtfully from the mirror. The raven black hair was as usually uncontrollable. For one moment, he asked himself what Hermione's parents thought of him, while he brushed his teeth, was he for them too, this strange guy who had stolen their child, who was to blame for all the bad things that happened in their life? Then Harry reminded himself the Grangers were not the Dursleys. He didn't feel right here, as if he belonged instead in this lonely dark wizard house in London rather than in this bright absolutely typical home in Darwin as if everything they had been through was just a faraway nightmare.

The bathroom was roomy and painted in a brilliant white. On the toilet lid were Harry's clothes for the night, which Jane had given him. Still, he didn't understand why Hermione's parents had invited them both to stay the night and even less himself, why he had agreed?
Perhaps, Harry thought, he desperately needed to separate himself from the magical world. Especially now, when they only saw the hero in him in Britain and not at all how he was still a human being too. Harry only wanted a bit of fresh air but certainly hadn't thought of Australia or the muggle world.

On autopilot, Harry changed and walked down the corridor to the room he was going to share with Hermione. For the Grangers, it was to be expected that newlyweds would want to share a room. They had no idea that the marriage wasn't one out of love but instead out of despair and comfort. If Harry had any say in it, Hermione's parents would never learn the truth either.

Hermione sat cross-legged with her back turned to the door on the bed and not at all surprising to him read a book, when Harry entered the room. She wore now a grey t-shirt and tugged a loose hair strand behind her ear. Her pants were only guessable; they were that short. Though they had shared for several months, one tent and even one night with each other, still Harry felt overly nervous.

"I just don't understand you sometimes, Harry?" He heard her say but only by the tone of her voice; he knew already he was in trouble.

"What?" He couldn't follow her.

Harry walked into the room and closed the door behind himself while Hermione angrily closed her book and stood up from the bed.

"You always have to act unreasonably and reckless." Hermione hissed, and her eyes gleamed.

"You're one to complain." He replied though he knew right away, he was unfair.

"Me?" She asked dangerously. "It wasn't me who just set a wand on fire in an area where it hasn't rained in months."

"Oh, well." Harry grinned. "At least we got a beautiful firework."

"Only because you were lucky enough." She said now mildly.

"Am I not always lucky?" He joked and put a smile on her face.

Harry sat down on the bed and found the book she had been reading on it.

"What are you reading anyway?" Noisily he reached for her book, which was lying with the cover on the bed.

He had barely touched it with his fingers when he saw in the corner of his eyesight how Hermione tried to take it away from him.

"Harry, give it back!" And she tried to get the book out of his hand.

Harry had to evade her, hold it out of her reach. Now he was much more interested what it was all about. But he hadn't counted on Hermione; she just didn't give up easily. At first, she sat right by his side and tried to grab around him yet again then he was holding the book in his right hand now and was just about to read the title. Hermione, however, had enough and chose to go for a frontal assault instead. Over Harry 's lap, she tried to grasp his arm, but it was out of her reach, and he was stronger than her too. Still, she pulled herself upon his arm to get her hands on the book but ended up sitting on Harry's lap instead.

"It's just a book." He said amused about her attitude.

"Then you can give it back to me " She breathed heavily but still tried to get her book back in vain.

He had in the meantime got her book behind his back and could barely get it from his right hand to his left when she again tried to get a grasp of it, but still, he was faster. With an arm length away from her, he was holding the corpus delicti.

"Harry!" Hermione cried out, frustrated.

Harry, however, put his arm as far as possible out of her reach. At some point, he lost his balance and fell backwards with Hermione still on his lap on the bed. Despite this, she still had no chance of getting to his left arm. That's when Hermione began crawling up his body; they were now at one hight, she even could touch the book with her fingertips.

"Oops!" Harry laughed and let go of the book, so it fell on the floor and absurdly out of her grasp.

For several minutes Hermione glared at him till it caught up on her, how very intimate they were right now. Each of them felt the hot breath on their faces, but most of all, how Harry had his hands on her uncovered thighs. The time stood still, and their eyes kept rooming over their faces too. It was Harry who broke the spell by putting one stray hair stand behind her ear.

"We really should." Harry gulped. "Go to sleep."

"Yeah, you're probably right." Hermione replied slightly rueful but stood from him up anyway.

Harry too left the bed and took with him a pillow and a blanket.

"Best I'll sleep on the floor, and you take the bed." He mumbled and was already preparing his night camp while Hermione only managed to nod stupidly.

She just let him do whatever he wanted and got herself ready for the night instead. Soon the lights went out, and each of them was miserably trying to find sleep. She lied awake in the bed, and Harry rolled around on the floor.

"This is so stupid." She finally shouted out aloud.

"Harry, come here!" Hermione called and leaned down to him, pulled at his blanket.

"What?" Harry asked, surprised but tiredly.

"You shall come up here!" She insisted and got hold of his arm now.

Slowly Harry got up, but just as his knee touched the mattress, he froze up again.

"Hermione." He said reproachfully.

"For heaven's sake, Harry. We're best friends, shared a tent with another. You're my husband and even had sex then you can share a bed with me too." Hermione finally had enough of his nobility and dragged him on to the bed.

Defeated he settled down and she cuddled up to him.

"Goodnight, Harry." Hermione whispered.

"Goodnight, Mrs Potter." He replied not without to get slightly hit by Hermione against the shoulder. Still, his happy grin didn't vanish if possible it became even brighter