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"It's huge, he's lucky it didn't cause more damage." Hermione licked her lips and then turned to Ron for confirmation. He was staring in her general direction, but it was clear he wasn't paying her words any attention. Considering that his father had been attacked and was currently in the hospital, that was understandable. Except that it had been /his/idea to be surrounded by his friends. The least he could do was keep up with the conversation.

Hermione waved her hand in front of Ron's eyes and then snapped her fingers, nodding when he blinked and focused on her.

"Yeah?"

"Do you want to talk about something else?" Hermione asked. She crossed her legs and Ron's eyes dropped there before returning to her face. His neck began to flush. "Look, Ron, if you're not up for company..."

"He'll be fine, Hermione." Harry hit their mutual friend in the head with a pillow before shoving the object onto Ron's lap. Ron squeezed the pillow with both hands.

"I'm fine, I'm just tired." Ron frowned. "I'm still surprised at finding out about Neville's parents."

"I know," Hermione said. "I feel so bad for him. I really wish you'd said something, Harry."

"Dumbledore made me promise I wouldn't. Icouldn't even tell Neville I knew when Moody-Barty Crouch, Jr.-was demonstrating the Unforgivable Curses in class last year."

"I can't imagine how he felt at the end of the year when that horrifying man was unmasked. I wish I'd thought to ask him. Did either of you?" Hermione looked at Ron and pursed her lips."Ron's looking a bit lost again. I think we need a lighter subject."

Hermione leaned back on the bed. "I don't want to spoil anything, but I'm kind of rethinking my Christmas gift to you, Ron. I got you and Harry the same thing, but considering that this Christmas is going to be a bit rougher for you than either us expected, I was thinking of changing your gift. Of course, it's too late to shop for something else now, but maybe I can get you something after we go back to school. Or when the shops open after Christmas." She smiled. "Can you think of anything you'd like me to give you?"

Ron clutched the pillow over his lap and jolted forward as if he'd been punched in the gut; his lips pursed into a wide 'O.'

"Are you all right?" Hermione sat up and started to move closer, but Harry waved her away.

"He's fine, he's just...not feeling well. Maybe you'd better go," Harry said.

"Me? What have I done?"

Harry frowned at her hurt expression. "I'm sorry, Hermione. I think it's something only two blokes can talk about. Please," he added.

"Fine," she said after a moment."I'll see you later." Hermione stood and walked across the room in ahuff, sparing both boys one last glance before leaving and slamming the door behind herself.

"Thank Merlin she's gone!" Ron fell back onto the bed and let his hands relax at his sides.

"Don't tell me it's still there," Harry said. "Really, Ron. Hermione? That's just weird."

"Weird? After she-the way she was looking at me and the things she was saying-"

"She was talking about /a giant snake/," Harry stated. "The one that almost killed your dad. And you were thinking about-"

"It's not my fault!" Ron lifted the pillow on his lap and frowned at the distended front of his trousers. He dropped the pillow back down. "After what she said last week...wet things and all her experience..."

"She never said she was experienced," Harry corrected him. "She said she could answer questions."

"You know Hermione. She'd never say she knows about something unless she'd explored it from every angle." Ron groaned and picked up the pillow to put over his face. He mumbled something unintelligible.

"What?"

Ron lifted the pillow. "I said, I wonder if she's let someone explore her from every angle."

Harry sighed. "I was better off not asking. I know that now." He shook his head. "I don't even want to picture that."

"Me either. But I have. Lately, I've been having dreams about her that would make that foul-mouthed git Seamus blush."

"You're not helping my nightmares."

Ron continued as if Harry hadn't spoken."And you know what the worst part is?" Ron asked. "She offered to answer questions. Like I would want to know what she's an expert on. Like Ineed her telling me what to do and how to do it. Like I want to imagine her hands or mouth or-or bare skin..." Ron licked his lips.

"It sounds like you have no problem imagining any of that," Harry said. "You ever thought of just asking?"

"Asking what? I don't want to ask her aquestion. Really," Ron assured him. "It's bad enough I know she knows stuff."

"I mean, ask for a...demonstration," Harry said slowly. He shrugged. "She did offer to give you something different for Christmas. And I'm quite sure she didn't get us both that as her original gift."

"I couldn't ask her to-"
"You can. Well, maybe you can't without having a fit. But you should try. Maybe you won't wander in the middle of the night anymore."

"Look, I told you all, that was an accident."

"Right," Harry said. "Neville is still afraid he'll wake up next to you stroking his leg. Or something else. Ithink it would be best if you got it out of your system before the new term starts. At least we'll all feel better sleeping in the same room with you. Assuming you don't relive the experience in your sleep."

"I suppose you're right," Ron said."I could just get it out of my system. And then I can go back to acting normal around her."






Hermione smirked and crossed her arms. She glanced at the locked door before raising her wand and performing an Imperturbable Charm on it. "What exactly do you mean, you'd like a /demonstration/of my skills?"

"I just meant, you know, that we could try...bugger." Ron's voice had descended into a whisper as Hermione studied him.

"I'm not quite ready to go that far with you," Hermione said. She laughed softly as Ron coughed.

"That's not what I meant!" Ron raised a sweaty hand to his now flushed face.

"I was kidding, Ron. Relax." She smiled again.

Ron began to notice how tight Hermione's sweater pulled across her breasts when she stood with her arms crossed beneath them. The fabric stretched and relaxed invitingly with each breath she took. Ron shoved his hands into his pockets and shuffled in place, hoping to ease the sudden tightness of his pants.

"You're serious about this, aren't you?"

Not trusting himself to speak, Ron nodded. His mouth went dry when Hermione took a few steps closer, stopping when she was afew inches away from him. His eyes shot up from her sweater to her lips, now one bold move away from his.

"What would you like me to do?" she whispered.

Ron put a hand over his mouth and cleared his throat twice. He couldn't choke. Not now. Not when Hermione was looking at him like she'd seriously consider just about anything he'd ask of her without athreat of slapping just for suggesting it.

"We could try something pretty basic. If that goes well, I might consider other things," Hermione said. "For your education, of course."

/This is madness/, Ron thought. "What do you consider basic?" Ron heard the thin voice ask the question as if it were far away. He supposed it was, in a way. This moment seemed like the furthest thing from reality.

One corner of Hermione's mouth pulled up slightly. "I was thinking we could start with a kiss. You seemed awfully interested in Harry's first kiss story and I don't remember ever hearing one from you." Hermione's lips pursed on the last word and Ron had to stop himself from bridging the gap between them. "Unless I missed something."

"I haven't kissed anyone."

"That's too bad, Ron. If you want, we can fix that now." Hermione placed a hand on each of his shoulders and leaned up to balance on her toes. "Would you like that?"

In answer, he bent over and placed his lips over hers. Seconds later, Ron let his hands drop below her waist to cup her butt. As he began squeezing enthusiastically and moving his mouth over her face in wide sweeps, Hermione slapped at his shoulders. Reluctantly, Ron released her. He smiled hopefully.

Hermione returned his grin before reaching for his hands and dislodging them. She took a step back. "While I appreciate your...enthusiasm, and your awfully big hands, I think we should go a bit slower."

"But I thought too slow would be boring."

Hermione laughed softly. "There are benefits to taking your time." She glanced at the bed behind him."Let me show you."








Twenty minutes later, Hermione came up for air. Ron wasn't sure if he should be grateful or if he shouldn't pull her back towards him. He didn't really have a choice there. She'd already taken several steps away from the bed and was directing cool air towards her face from the end of her wand. He could use a bit of that himself. Ron's entire body felt so hot, he was surprised he hadn't melted through his clothes and the bedcovers beneath him.

He'd had no idea any person could do that with their tongue, much less maneuver their hands in such a complicated fashion at the same time. And then she'd stopped cold, just when it was getting interesting. Right after her own breathing had gone shallow and she'd forgotten to push his hands away again when he grabbed for her. Which was probably why she'd stopped. Trust Hermione to stop things from going further just when she was enjoying herself. Bloody control freak.

"When can we do that again?" Ron asked.

Hermione laughed and put her wand into her pocket. "My agreement was to give you one demonstration. I don't think it would be safe to do anything else. Happy Christmas, Ron." With asmirk in his direction, she walked towards the doorway of the bedroom, leaving her frustrated friend nearly shaking on the bed. She opened the door and then stopped, smiling over her shoulder. "By the way, Ron, you really should tell your trousers it's not polite to point." Grinning, she escaped from the room before Ron could make a retort.

Not that he had anything to say. Anything that wasn't wide-eyed begging accompanied by helpless pointing at the front of his trousers. At what she'd done to him. Get her out of my system? Ron thought. I think she just made things ten times worse. And regardless of what she said, she's going to finish what she started.