Redemption [h.s]

sixty-eight

Grace

When I woke up that day, it didn't take me long to realise that it was way later than it should've been, the sunlight peeking through the curtains of the window was invading the whole room. I silently slid out of the bed, trying my best not to move it too much, and I tiptoed out of the room.

I went to the bathroom and did my business, brushing my teeth to get rid of the morning breath as I realised there was no way I could've fallen back asleep. I got out of the bathroom and walked into the kitchen and poured myself a glass of water, turning around and leaning against the counter to drink it. From where I was, I could see part of the living room, the television and the shelf above it, on which was a new small bottle, and right next to it, the report, still right where I had put it a couple of weeks before.

I put the glass back on the counter and went back to bed. As soon as I slid under the covers, I felt Harry shift next to me.

"Where did you go?" He asked groggily, letting out a little sigh at having been woken up.

I turned to look at him, he was turned in my direction, but his eyes were still closed. "I just went to drink some water. I'm sorry for waking you up."

"It's alright" he replied intertwining one of his legs with mine and pulling me closer to him.

I put my head in the crook of his neck and sighed contentedly. "It's kind of late, you know" I whispered to him.

"Can't we stay here for a while longer?" He mumbled, groaning.

"Sure we can" I replied smiling slightly against his skin and left a kiss on his collarbone.

He hummed at the soft touch, and I found myself wondering if I could've got a more interesting kind of reply.

I turned my head up a little to kiss his neck and he turned his head to me slightly.

"What are you doing?" He murmured, but he got no reply.

I left another kiss where his neck met his jawline, and he sighed.

"Please don't" he whispered, and I stopped instantly, lifting my head up to look at him.

"Why?"

He finally opened his eyes, glancing at the ceiling before turning his head to look at me. "I'd rather you didn't."

"Why?" I asked him again, but he didn't reply, so I continued, hoping that he wouldn't have taken it in the wrong way. "Have you ever...? You know."

"Are you asking me if I've ever had sex?" He let out a little laugh when he realised that that was it. "Yes, I have."

"Why, then?" I asked frowning.

"What's the point in starting something I won't finish?" He replied gently.

"Maybe you should start it anyway, and see where it leads" I whispered back, and he raised his eyebrows, surprised by my suggestion.

"I don't think that would be wise" he shot back, regaining his composure and sitting up.

I sat up with him. "Why?"

"It's not the thing itself, it's more something connected to it" he replied, shifting awkwardly to change position.

"You don't want to get undressed" I said as all the times he had asked me to get out of the room so that he could change clothes came to my mind, and the way his breathing faltered for a second proved me that I was right. "Why?"

"It's just... hard to explain" he replied, and I could feel he was starting to get nervous.

I stayed still, not really saying anything, as I thought about it. He never wanted me into the room when he got changed, but what was it, that he didn't want me to see? I remember that time, over a month before, in which I had helped him to get undressed to have a shower, and I had unbuttoned his shirt, and yet he had still asked me to leave so that he could finish on his own. Were his trousers the problem? I shook the thought away as soon as it came to my mind. He had slept in his boxers plenty of times, that couldn't be it.