FicWad

Chapter 2:
Bath Time!

By: MayorHaggar (mayorhaggar@gmail.com)


Parvati Patil silently marveled at Harry Potter’s ability to traverse through the darkened corridors of Hogwarts. The pair had been so wrapped up in their impromptu lovemaking that they had completely lost track of the time. The Yule Ball had ended hours ago, and curfew had long since passed. It was now the early hours of the following day, and Parvati was clueless as to how to navigate her way through the castle and back to the Gryffindor common room. But Harry seemed to know exactly what to do. He led them through the halls under the protection of his Invisibility Cloak, and periodically stopped to glance down at a strange piece of parchment before starting them back on their trek.

“Something tells me this isn’t the first time you’ve snuck around after curfew, Harry,” Parvati whispered.

“You could say that,” Harry whispered back with a grin.

“Ever smuggle a girl with you under this thing?” Parvati teased.

“Just Hermione,” Harry said automatically. Parvati frowned at his response.

“So…you and Hermione have…snuck around before?” Parvati attempted to keep her voice light, but she didn’t entirely succeed. Harry’s eyes widened as he picked up on Parvati’s tone.

“It’s not like that! She, Ron and I have used the cloak to sneak around after hours so we could get things done,” Harry replied, struggling to keep his voice down in his eagerness to reassure his girlfriend. Parvati was pleased with the response, but she still had unanswered questions.

“What’s the deal between you and Hermione, anyway? Are you two just friends, or is there something…more?”

“She’s like a…” Harry had intended to complete his sentence with “sister”, but stopped abruptly as an image of Hermione in her beautiful blue dress robes at the Yule Ball popped unbidden into his mind. “She’s a friend.”

He paused to consider, remembering how Hermione had remained by his side and helped him prepare for the first task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament, while Ron sulked to himself in misguided envy.

“Maybe my best friend. Besides, I think she and Ron might fancy each other.”

Parvati had to hold her hand over her mouth to stifle a giggle, and Harry cocked his head at her in confusion.

“Maybe you’re right; you know them a lot better than I do,” Parvati said in response to Harry’s confusion. “It’s just…they seem so wrong for each other. I mean, it seems like every time I see them, they’re arguing about something. Can you imagine them as a couple? They’d be at each other’s throats all the time!”

Harry furrowed his brows in thought as he digested Parvati’s comments. The new couple continued on in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Harry nudged Parvati as they neared the portrait of the Fat Lady, and led her through carefully.

Parvati nearly gasped in surprise as she saw her best friend, Lavender Brown, on the couch in the common room. She sagged against Harry’s side in relief as she realized that Lavender had fallen asleep. Lavender was well aware that Harry and Parvati had left the common room together, but had she discovered just how late they’d come back, it would have led to questions that Harry and Parvati weren’t keen on answering. Harry and Parvati nodded to each other silently as they prepared to split up and head to their respective dormitories.

“Nice try, Harry.”

Harry and Parvati froze, turning towards the voice. The short sentence had apparently been loud enough to wake Lavender, who rubbed her eyes and readjusted herself into a sitting position on the couch. Harry’s heart started pounding as he watched one of his best friends, Hermione Granger, rise from her seat near the fireplace, and casually stroll towards the pair. How was he going to explain this to Hermione?

“The portrait door opened, and though I can’t see anyone, I can hear the subtle creaks of the floor. You might have been able to fool everyone else, but not me. You’re obviously under the Invisibility Cloak. Now, how about you take it off willingly, so I don’t have to use a spell and risk waking up everyone in Gryffindor?”

Parvati turned panicked eyes towards Harry, who shrugged his shoulders at her in resignation before he pulled the cloak off and allowed it fall to the floor, exposing he and Parvati in the process. Lavender’s eyes widened and she stifled a shriek as Harry and her best friend appeared before her eyes, seemingly out of nowhere. Hermione merely smirked at Harry triumphantly. Harry recognized the look. It was the same look that Hermione always got whenever she solved a problem or puzzle. He also noticed that Hermione had changed out of her fancy blue dress robes and into her more traditional attire, and felt strangely disappointed at the change.

“What are you doing up, Hermione? You should be fast asleep by now,” Harry pointed out, trying to change the subject.

“I had decided to find you and apologize, Harry. I may have been a bit short with you earlier, when it was really Ron, insensitive jerk that he is, that got me so angry. So I wanted to make sure you knew I wasn’t angry with you, but you were nowhere to be found. Lavender told me that you two had left to talk, so I decided to wait down here until you got back. That was hours ago.

“While I do applaud you for having the courtesy to apologize to Parvati after your rather…rude behavior at the Ball tonight, there was no reason for you two to stay out hours after the Ball had ended, and curfew had passed. Surely it shouldn’t have taken you that long to apologize?”

Harry opened his mouth to reply, but no words came out. He knew that lying would be useless. Hermione knew him far too well; she’d see right through him. As Harry continued to try and come up with an explanation, Hermione grew impatient. She placed her hands on her hips and tapped her foot on the floor as she huffed and muttered to herself.

Seeing as Harry knew Hermione far better than she did, Parvati held her tongue. She remained quiet and tried to act natural, but couldn’t hide her happiness entirely. A small smile crept onto her face as she watched a gobsmacked Harry try to explain their activities. She couldn’t help it; Harry just looked too adorable, his mouth opening and closing rapidly, rather resembling that of a fish as he tried to figure a way out of the uncomfortable situation.

Parvati’s smile did not go unnoticed by Lavender, who had been watching her best friend closely during Hermione’s questioning of Harry.

“What’s got you grinning, Parv? You sure weren’t this happy before you guys left,” Lavender questioned, arching an eyebrow at her now-blushing friend. Hermione turned her attention to Parvati as well, and her eyebrows furrowed in suspicion as a blushing Parvati bit her lip.

“She’s right. I saw you during the dance, and you looked quite upset, thanks to Harry. Now, you can’t stop grinning. Not to mention the fact that I’ve never seen you blush like this. What’s going on?”

Parvati took a deep breath and prepared to answer Hermione’s prodding, but Harry stepped in.

“Well, Hermione…um, you see…Parvati and I…we, well…”

While Parvati had initially been embarrassed upon being caught red-handed by their friends, she’d had just about enough. Why should she or Harry feel embarrassed about what they’d done, or try to hide it from their friends?

“We had sex. We had sex, and we decided to start dating,” Parvati said simply, no trace of embarrassment or guilt in her voice.

The room went silent after Parvati’s blunt statement. Harry looked nervous as he locked eyes with Parvati, but she simply smiled at him and slipped her hand into his. Lavender stared at the pair, open mouthed, her eyes darting back and forth between Harry and Parvati. She watched in silence as Harry and Parvati shared a tender look. The obvious mutual affection between the two broke through Lavender’s surprised state. She stood up from the couch and approached the pair, looking her best friend in the eyes.

“You were careful, weren’t you? You used the anti-pregnancy charm that they taught us?” Lavender asked worriedly.

“Of course,” Parvati assured her. Lavender smiled in relief. She patted her friend on the shoulder, and Parvati returned her grin.

“Well, I’d ask you if you’re sure this is what you want, but we both know the answer to that question already. I know how much you care for Harry, and I’m glad he finally came around. Congratulations, Parv.”

“Thanks, Lav,” Parvati said. She briefly dropped Harry’s hand and shared a hug with her friend. Lavender smiled at her friend’s obvious happiness before shifting her focus to Harry. Harry cleared his throat and licked his lips nervously as Lavender looked straight at him. His unease increased as Lavender took him by the hand and pulled him away from Parvati. She led him to the other side of the room and began speaking to him, keeping her voice down so Harry was the only one in the room who could hear.

“Harry, I won’t pretend to know you all that well. I don’t. From what I can tell, though, you’re a decent, thoughtful bloke that would never hurt anyone on purpose. But if they aren’t careful, even a decent bloke can hurt someone without even meaning to. I don’t know how much you two talked, but Parvati really likes you, Harry.”

Harry nodded emphatically. “I know she does, Lavender. And this isn’t some…um…one-time thing for me. I know it might seem strange since we haven’t been around each other all that much over the years, but I really care about her, too. Until tonight, I didn’t realize how amazing a person she was. She’s one of the only people who sees past the scar and all of the rumors, and sees me as just Harry. It really means a lot to me that she believed me when I said that I did not put my name in the Goblet of Fire. Almost everyone thought I was lying. Even Ron, who is supposed to be my best mate, didn’t believe me. But Parvati did, and that’s a big deal to me. I don’t know what I did to deserve her, but I can promise you that I’m going to do my best not to screw this up.”

Lavender nodded, satisfied. “That’s good, Harry. You’re right; she always has believed in you. When most of the school thought you were the Heir of Slytherin back in our 2nd year, she would always stick up for you. We actually stopped speaking for awhile because of it.”

Harry eyed Lavender thoughtfully. “Does that mean that you thought I was the Heir of Slytherin?”

Lavender nodded at him. “Sorry, but yes, I did. Talking to snakes isn’t exactly normal, Harry. But that’s the point. Parv and I have been best friends since our first day at Hogwarts, and from that very first day, Parvati has never doubted you. Even if you didn’t know it at the time, she has been supporting you for years. I’m glad that you’re beginning to see that, Harry. But you’re only just coming around; Parvati has had feelings for you for years. And they’ve only become stronger as she’s gotten older. So I just hope that you’re sure that this is what you want. Because if you decide a couple of weeks from now that you don’t want to be with Parvati after all, it would crush her.”

“I wouldn’t do that. I might not know Parvati nearly as well as you do, but I’m looking forward to getting to know her better. I’m not going to ditch her,” Harry said firmly.

“Good. Look, sorry if it feels like I’m pestering you here, Harry. I’m just worried about my best friend. You have the power to hurt her really bad. But you also can make her really happy. Treat her right, Harry. She deserves it.”

Lavender gave Harry a quick hug and walked away, heading towards the stairs. “Well, I think I’m gonna head up to bed. Night, guys,” Lavender said, letting out a big yawn as she marched up to bed. Parvati stared in confusion at Lavender’s retreating back before turning to look at Harry. Harry walked back towards his girlfriend, who looked up at him quizzically.

“What was that all about, Harry?” she asked.

“It was nothing. She just had a couple of things she wanted to ask me,” Harry answered noncommittally. He was about to wrap his arms around Parvati in a hug, when he noticed Hermione out of the corner of his eye. Hermione had remained silent ever since Parvati had dropped her bombshell. She was facing the wall, and had her arms crossed across her chest. Harry stepped forward slowly and tentatively placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder. Hermione jumped at the contact, and turned towards Harry. She looked startled, but once the initial shock wore off, Harry noticed a strange expression cross her face. She looked…was it anger? Sadness? Disapproval? He couldn’t interpret the look on his best friend’s face.

“Hermione? Is something wrong? Are you angry with me?”

Hermione visibly steeled herself, shaking her head and taking a deep breath before adopting a more normal expression. “No, Harry, I’m not angry. I do think that 14 is a bit young for you to be getting…intimate,” she mumbled, blushing. “But as far as I can tell, Parvati is a perfectly nice and caring girl who wouldn’t sleep with you just so she could brag that she shagged ‘the Boy-Who-Lived.’ So as long as you two really care about each other, you make sure to take all the necessary precautions, and are careful to avoid being caught by a professor, I can’t really object. I may not think it’s a very wise decision to get physically involved with someone at your age, but it’s not unheard of, either. Just…promise to be careful, alright, Harry?”

Harry nodded his acceptance, and Hermione gave him a brief hug before taking a step back. She smiled at Harry, though from her vantage point, Parvati got the feeling that it was forced. Parvati clasped Harry’s hand once again, and he glanced at her with a soft smile. Parvati looked towards Hermione, wanting to thank her for her acceptance, if not outright approval, of her budding relationship with Harry. She stopped short, though, when she noticed Hermione’s reaction. Hermione was staring at Harry and Parvati’s linked hands with a frown on her face, and was chewing on her bottom lip.

“Are you feeling OK, Hermione?” Parvati asked, cocking her head at the bushy haired witch curiously. Hermione’s eyes darted away from the new couple’s hands, and met Parvati’s inquisitive look briefly before dropping her eyes and staring at the floor.

“Y-yes, I’m fine. Just a bit tired. I suppose I should get up to bed,” Hermione said in a rush, not meeting the confused looks of either Harry or Parvati. She turned and briskly headed up the stairs to the girl’s dormitories.

“What was that all about?” Harry asked, frowning.

“I’m not sure, Harry,” Parvati replied, matching Harry’s frown with one of her own. Truthfully, she had her suspicions, but she didn’t want to share them with Harry. For one, she wasn’t entirely sure if her hunch was correct. And on top of that…she didn’t know if she wanted to find out what Harry’s reaction would be if it was.


--


Harry Potter could not remember a happier time in his life.

It had quickly become common knowledge throughout Hogwarts that Harry and Parvati Patil were dating (though only a select few knew about their rather explicit first night as a couple.) Reaction around the school varied.

Parvati’s circle of friends, led by Lavender and Padma, Parvati’s twin sister, were quick to warm up to Harry once they saw the genuine affection he had for Parvati. Draco Malfoy and his Slytherin cronies taunted both Harry and Parvati whenever they got the chance, but with little to no effect on the couple. Cedric Diggory and his girlfriend Cho Chang congratulated the new couple, and Parvati was pleased to note that Harry appeared relaxed around Cho, apparently having put his crush behind him. Fred and George Weasley were happy for Harry, though they made sure to tease the new couple whenever possible—good-naturedly, of course.

The other Weasleys attending Hogwarts were not quite as enthused about the relationship between Harry and Parvati. Ginny was clearly not over her schoolgirl crush on Harry, and looked positively crestfallen when Hermione informed her that Harry had gotten together with Parvati. Ron was decidedly jealous that Harry had gotten himself a girlfriend, though he did his best to put his feelings of envy aside and remain a friend to Harry. Hermione advised Harry not to tell Ron about exactly how he and Parvati had gotten together. Remembering how Ron had turned on him in misguided jealousy at the start of the Tri-Wizard Tournament, Harry couldn’t help but agree. Besides, Ron had a hot temper—there was no telling what he might reveal to others if he grew angry with Harry.

There was a lot of attention given to Harry and Parvati and their relationship initially, but the school at large soon moved on to other gossip. That was just fine by the new couple, who were able to get to know each other without the eyes of the entire school on them. After nearly a month together, Harry and Parvati had yet to sleep with each other again—though they made sure to work in plenty of snogging sessions. They spent most of their time simply talking.

Harry had already known that Parvati was incredibly beautiful and cared for him a great deal, but the more he talked to her, the more he grew to like her as a person. He found her to be a very kind-hearted, funny and smart witch—not as smart as Hermione, to be sure, but she possessed self-confidence that Hermione lacked at times. In no time at all, the normally closed-off Harry felt comfortable enough with Parvati to open up and share things with her—even some things that he hadn’t shared with Ron or Hermione. She never judged him or tried to push him a certain way. She simply listened to whatever Harry had to say, and offered up her own thoughts and opinions. On the flip side, Harry also learned a lot about Parvati’s life. He especially enjoyed hearing her stories about her family life with her parents and twin sister. After hearing some of Harry’s stories about life at Privet Drive, Parvati was all too happy to try and give her boyfriend a glimpse at what a real family was supposed to be like.

Yes, life was good for Harry Potter at the moment. He sat back against a comfy chair in the Gryffindor common room, utterly relaxed. The chair was intended for one, but that didn’t stop Parvati. She was curled up in the chair with Harry, her body snuggled into his side and her head resting on his chest. Harry’s arm was wrapped around her waist, and every few minutes, Parvati would lift her head off of Harry’s chest just long enough to give him a quick kiss on the lips. Ron, who was fiddling with his chess set nearby, made exaggerated gagging noises every time she did this, but neither Harry nor Parvati paid him any attention. No amount of teasing could disturb the affectionate couple.

It was in that state that Hermione Granger found them as she entered the common room, having just returned from a trip to the library. Her breath caught as she saw her best friend cuddled up with his girlfriend. She closed her eyes and shook her head back and forth, mentally steeling herself before she walked forward, taking determined steps towards the chair that held Harry and Parvati.

Harry looked up as he heard footsteps approaching, and smiled up at his best female friend.

“Hey, Hermione. How are you doing?” Harry greeted.

“I’m fine, Harry,” Hermione responded, before taking a deep breath and diving right in to what she wanted to discuss. “So, have you figured out the egg?”

Harry shrugged indifferently. “Not really. I’ve been kind of busy, Hermione.”

“I know. You’re dating Parvati, and that’s…” Hermione paused, momentarily tongue-tied. “…great. But that doesn’t mean you should just forget about the Tri-Wizard Tournament. This is dangerous, Harry. You’ve already had to deal with a dragon…and that was just the First Task. Who knows what could be next? You’ve had the egg for almost two months now, and have just kept putting it off. The Second Task is just a month away. You need to figure the clue out before it’s too late. Cedric already gave you that hint back at the Yule Ball.”

During the course of Hermione’s plea, Parvati had lifted herself away from Harry’s embrace, and was now sitting on the floor directly in front of him, absently rubbing his leg with her hand as she listened to what Hermione was saying. While she mulled over what Hermione said, Harry responded.

“I know you only want what’s best for me, Hermione, and I appreciate your concern. But it’s just…how can I focus on the stupid tournament? For the first time in my life, I feel normal. No trying to figure out who’s going to steal the Philosopher’s Stone. No Chamber of Secrets or Heir of Slytherin to worry about. No escaped murderer supposedly trying to kill me. For the first time, I’ve been able to just sit back and enjoy life. So I’m sorry if you don’t approve of how I’m living my life, but I hope you can understand that right now, the Tri-Wizard Tournament just isn’t that important to me.”

Hermione’s eyes flashed, and she shot Harry an intense stare.

“Don’t you get it, Harry?! You could die!” Parvati fidgeted and stared at the ground in discomfort, and Hermione noticed.

“And what about you?” she challenged, hovering over Parvati until she looked up into her raging eyes. “I’m glad that Harry has someone else to confide in; really, I am. But he is in danger! We still have no idea who put his name into the goblet, but whoever did it must have it in for Harry! And that’s not even mentioning the tournament itself! You saw the First Task; you were there! Surely you realize just how dangerous this tournament is. Aren’t you worried that he could die?! Don’t you care?!”

Parvati shot up off of the floor and met Hermione’s glare with one of her own.

“Do you think I don’t know how dangerous the tournament is?” Parvati said heatedly. “Of course I know! I was terrified during the First Task, when Harry had to get past that dragon! And maybe I should be doing more to help him prepare; I’ll admit that. But whenever I think of the danger that Harry’s in…the danger that he always seems to be in…I get so scared. We’ve been together for a little less than a month…but Harry is already such a big part of my life. Now that I know what it’s like to have him, I can’t imagine what my life would be like if I lost him. It’s so painful for me to even think about the possibility, so I push it aside. Maybe I’m not as strong as you are, I don’t know. But don’t you ever accuse me of not caring about what happens to Harry!”

As soon as Parvati completed her passionate tirade, she turned and bolted up the stairs to the girl’s dorms. Harry stood up from his chair and frowned at Hermione, while Ron looked on in concern.

“What’d you do that for, Hermione? I know you’re trying to help, but you pushed way too far!” Harry said, struggling to keep himself from shouting at his friend.

Hermione’s earlier anger had evaporated, and was replaced by weariness. “I’m sorry, Harry. Maybe I was a bit pushy, but I’m just worried about you. Watching you having to deal with that dragon during the first task was not very pleasant for me, and I want you to be as prepared as possible for whatever is next. I guess I should just accept that now that you’re seeing Parvati, what I think isn’t as important to you as it used to be. I won’t bug you about the egg anymore. Goodnight, Harry. Goodnight, Ron.”

Harry watched in confusion as Hermione slowly walked up the stairs. Harry turned to look at Ron, who was just as baffled as he was.

“What was that about?” Harry asked. Ron simply shrugged at him.

“Who knows, mate? Girls. They’re mental, every last one of ‘em.”


--


When Harry met up with Parvati in the common room the following morning before breakfast, he found that his girlfriend was rather subdued. He asked her if she was still upset about her confrontation with Hermione the night before, but Parvati assured him that her anger had passed. This seemed to be true, as she accepted Hermione’s apology later in the day, and apologized to Hermione in return for losing her temper. Thus, despite the outbursts from both girls the previous night, the school day passed by without incident.

Still, Harry couldn’t help but wonder about Parvati’s behavior. She didn’t say much during the day, which was quite unlike the girl Harry had spent the last month getting to know. Harry pressed her on it, but she sidestepped his questions the entire day. After dinner, she pulled him aside and asked him to meet up with her a few hours later in the prefect’s bathroom, and to bring the egg with him. Harry didn’t know what to make of her request, but agreed nevertheless. He spent the rest of the day wondering what Parvati was up to, until finally, the time had arrived. He hadn’t seen any sign of Parvati for several hours, as she had gone somewhere with Lavender right after making her request, and had not come back. He decided to check her location using the Marauder’s Map, and saw that she was already inside of the prefects’ bathroom. A quick look-over revealed that the common room was empty, so Harry gathered up the egg, the map and his invisibility cloak, and hurried to the prefect’s bathroom, not wanting to keep his girlfriend waiting for long.

Harry muttered the password provided by Cedric and stepped inside the bathroom, and immediately spotted Parvati lounging in a couch in the corner. His eyes widened as he realized that she had changed out of her school robes, and was clad in a silky bathrobe. Parvati smiled as her boyfriend entered the luxurious bathroom, and stood to meet him.

“Hello, Harry,” Parvati greeted, before pressing her lips to Harry’s in a much more exciting welcome.

“Hi, Parvati,” Harry replied, giving her another quick kiss on the lips and wrapping his arm around her shoulders. “You weren’t waiting long, were you?”

“Nope,” she assured him. “Lav and I had some things to do, so I just got here a few minutes ago. I brought this bath robe with me, and changed out of my school uniform once I got here.”

Parvati’s comment about changing caught Harry’s attention, and he noticed all of the clothes Parvati had been wearing during the day piled up in a corner. Including her bra and knickers. Which meant…

“Parvati, are you…naked underneath that thing?” Harry gulped. Sure, he’d seen her fully naked before, but it had been a while…

“Of course. I don’t know about you, Harry, but I don’t wear clothes when I bathe.”

“Bathe? You invited me here so…you could take a bath?” Harry said slowly, confused.

Parvati rolled her eyes and patted Harry’s cheek. “You know I adore you, Harry, but you can be so thick sometimes.” Harry just stared at her blankly in response, and Parvati burst into a fit of giggles.

“Glad I could amuse you,” Harry said defensively. Parvati reined in her humor, and got to the point.

“Come on, Harry. You do remember Cedric’s hint, don’t you?”

Harry nodded slowly. “Of course. He told me to take the egg for a bath, and recommended this bathroom.”

“Right. Which is precisely why I asked you to meet me here, and bring the egg with you. We’re going to take the egg for a bath, and figure this clue out.”

“Er…right. That makes sense,” Harry mumbled. He hadn’t given the egg, or the Tri-Wizard Tournament in general, much thought lately, and had simply not stopped to consider the rather obvious reason for this visit to the prefect’s bathroom. Being a 14-year old boy, his mind had focused in on the possibility of using this rarely-used facility as an exotic snogging venue, but so long as he was here…

Suddenly, something that Parvati said clicked in his brain. “Wait…did you say we?”

Parvati nodded. “I sure did, Harry. Now why don’t you slip out of those clothes, so we can get started?”

“But…but why are you coming in with me? I mean, I can do this myself, really…” Harry stammered.

Parvati shook her head. “You can, but that doesn’t mean you will. Like Hermione said, you’ve been pretty distracted lately. And I have to accept my role in that.”

Harry opened his mouth to protest, but Parvati shushed him by putting a finger on his lips. “There’s no need to deny it, Harry. I’ve really enjoyed our time together, but Hermione is right. As much as I’d like to pretend otherwise, you’re in danger with this Tri-Wizard Tournament. And if I really care about you, rather than ignoring the danger and pretending everything is fine, I should be doing whatever I can to help you prepare. So, here we are. We’re going to figure this egg out, Harry. If I’m with you, I can make sure you don’t overlook anything. And besides, I would think bathing with your girlfriend would be a lot more fun than bathing by yourself.”

With that, Parvati shimmied out of her bathrobe. She allowed it to hit the floor and stood fully nude in front of her boyfriend without any hint of modesty. Harry’s eyes roamed Parvati’s flawless form appreciatively, and she giggled at his ogling.

“You act as if you haven’t seen me naked before,” she said amusedly.

“Well, it’s been awhile…”

Parvati nodded. “I agree; a month without seeing your gorgeous body in the buff is entirely too long.” Harry blushed deeply and grinned sheepishly at Parvati, who chuckled at his embarrassment. She turned her back to Harry and bent down in a stretch, giving him a fantastic view of her shapely arse. She straightened up and lowered herself into the bath, and sighed deeply as the warm water soothed her skin. The tub was much wider than the average tub, and also surprisingly deep, so deep that Parvati’s feet barely touched the bottom. She swam from side to side, finding the water deeply relaxing.

Harry, meanwhile, was so absorbed with watching his very naked, very wet girlfriend that he had not removed a single article of clothing. Parvati glanced up at him, and smiled at his obvious staring.

“Hurry up and get undressed, Potter. You can leer at my body from much closer once you get in here.” That thought certainly appealed to Harry, who undressed in a hurry, and tossed his clothes aside haphazardly. He made to follow Parvati into the tub, but she cleared her throat to gain his attention.

“Aren’t you forgetting something Harry? Bring the egg with you, silly.” Harry grinned and ran his hand through his hair; he had been so eager to join his pretty girlfriend in the water that he had forgotten the entire purpose of this trip. He hurriedly scooped the egg up and carried it to the edge of the tub. He placed it just outside, within easy reach, before he stepped into the water.

“Wow…this feels really nice,” Harry said as he adjusted to the warm water. He saw Parvati wading towards him, and gave her his full attention.

“You think that feels nice…” Parvati teased with a smile as she neared her boyfriend. She wrapped her arms around Harry’s neck and pulled his head down to her level so she could bring her lips to his in a passionate kiss. Harry and Parvati had kissed countless times over the course of their relationship, but not since their first night had they done so without any clothes to get in the way. The skin-to-skin contact drove them both wild. Parvati pressed forward urgently, rubbing her breasts against Harry’s chest and teasing his lips with her tongue. Hary’s lips parted, and Parvati’s tongue accepted the silent invitation, slipping into his mouth and engaging Harry’s tongue in a pleasant battle for supremacy.

Harry moaned into Parvati’s mouth as the kiss continued, and while her hands fisted in his hair, his hands went exploring. His hands were eager to reacquaint themselves with Parvati’s smooth skin. He rubbed her flat stomach briefly before switching sides. Harry ran his hands down her back slowly, massaging her dripping skin bit by bit until, eventually, he worked his way down to her bottom. He took a cheek into each hand and gently rubbed her firm arse. Parvati groaned and broke the kiss, gasping for breath as Harry had stopped rubbing her arse, and was now lightly squeezing it. After she caught her breath, Parvati ducked her head down and started kissing Harry’s neck. She lightly licked and nipped at Harry’s flesh, while her right hand left Harry’s head and gripped his hardening shaft. Harry moaned as his girlfriend ran her hand up and down his member, maintaining a firm (but pleasantly so) grip in spite of the slipperiness caused by the water. Parvati’s skillful handiwork had Harry at full hardness in very little time.

“Oooh…looks like Little Harry wants to come out and play!” Parvati said, her voice full of mischief.

“Of course “he” does, after you did all of that with your hand,” Harry breathlessly responded.

Parvati smirked at him, and stilled her hand. Harry was about to protest, but she silenced him with a quick peck on the lips. “Well, you certainly aren’t going to be able to pay any attention to the egg with all of your blood rushing down to that thing. Guess I should take care of this little problem for you, hmm?” Harry nodded vigorously, and Parvati chuckled. “Right this way, Mr. Potter,” Parvati said in a businesslike tone, as she grabbed Harry by the arm and led him to the edge of the tub. “Hop up onto the step, Harry.” Harry complied, lifting himself into the air and plopping his butt down on the elevated step, his lower body still mostly submerged in the water. Parvati positioned herself below the step in front of Harry and gripped his prick in her hands, holding it above water and leading it towards her lips. She teased the head with her tongue, swirling it around several times, jerking his length with her hand all the while. Parvati gave Harry’s sensitive head a few more licks before she surprised him by slipping his dick past her parted lips, and into her waiting mouth.

Harry’s eyes momentarily closed in pleasure as his girlfriend went to work on him. Parvati quickly developed a rhythm, bobbing her head up and down on his hardness. Harry bit back a groan and fought his instinct to grab hold of Parvati’s hair. He remembered what had happened the first time she had done this for him, after the Yule Ball. He had accidentally yanked on her hair painfully, a mistake he did not want to repeat this time. But it just felt so…good. The way her mouth went up and down, engulfing his prick in such an unbelievably pleasurable manner… He did manage to keep himself from grabbing Parvati’s hair, but it was quite a struggle. Harry looked down in order to watch his girlfriend’s amazing oral expertise at work. When he did so, he realized that Parvati was watching him avidly. Their eyes met, and Harry shivered slightly at the sheer desire that he saw in Parvati’s eyes. As she held his gaze unwaveringly, it dawned on Harry that Parvati was enjoying giving him head as much as he was enjoying receiving it. Well, almost. Her obvious enthusiasm for the act only increased Harry’s pleasure.

Harry’s deep, gasping breaths served as audible approval for Parvati, who continued to suck and slurp on his cock. She knew that Harry was on the verge of losing it, which only drove her to increase her efforts. She relished the control she had over Harry, and she couldn’t wait to drive him over the edge. His grunts grew louder and louder, and in response, she went faster and faster. Parvati’s hand reached under and cupped Harry’s testicles, teasing them gently.

The sensation of Parvati’s wet hand playing with his sensitive testicles spelled the end for Harry. “I’m…gonna cum,” he said breathlessly. To his surprise, Parvati did not pull away. She kept right on sucking him off, her eyes locked on his intently. Harry blinked in confusion, but did not have time to issue a second warning. He let out a loud grunt as he came, shooting a considerable amount of semen into Parvati’s mouth. Harry’s eyes closed of their own accord as he orgasmed, but he was aware of the fact that his prick remained in Parvati’s mouth the entire time. Once Parvati was sure that Harry’s pleasure was completed, she allowed his penis to drop out of her mouth.

His pleasure-induced haze finally at an end, Harry blearily opened his eyes, and saw Parvati still staring at him, her eyes full of mischief. As soon as she was sure Harry’s attention was fully on her, Parvati made quite a production of taking a big, audible gulp. Harry was confused at first, but his eyes widened as a thought occurred to him.

“Did you just…” he stammered.

“I sure did,” she said brightly, smirking as Harry’s eyes grew even bigger and he gaped at her, open-mouthed. “Well, now that we’ve taken care of that little issue, why don’t you bring that egg in here, so we can do what we actually came here for?”

Harry nodded, shaking off his shock and lifting the egg into the tub with them as he rose off of the step and back into the bath. Once he got settled, he opened the egg, and as always, all that came out was a horrible screeching noise. Harry hastened to close the egg shut, and sighed in frustration.

“That…didn’t work so well,” Harry said, as much to himself as to his girlfriend. She tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention, and he turned to her, raising his eyebrows in a silent question.

“Of course it didn’t. You didn’t do anything different,” Parvati stated. Harry stared at her blankly, so she elaborated. “Why would Cedric tell you to take the egg for a bath? What would you find in a bath that you wouldn’t be able to find in, say, the Gryffindor common room?”

“Well…water, of course,” Harry said simply.

“Exactly. I would imagine that, if you open the egg while it is underwater, it’ll do whatever it’s supposed to do.”

“Oh…er, right.” Harry prepared himself and took the egg underwater. As he opened it, he noticed that Parvati joined him underwater. They shared a brief look before the clue revealed itself in the form of a song:


“Come seek us where our voices sound.
We cannot sing above the ground.
And while you’re searching, ponder this:
We’ve taken what you’ll sorely miss.
An hour long, you’ll have to look,
And to recover what we took.
But past an hour, the prospect’s black.
Too late, it’s gone, it won’t come back.”

Harry and Parvati resurfaced, and, after sucking in a few deep breaths, Harry looked to his girlfriend.

“Well? What do you think?” he asked.

“Let’s listen to it again, so we can be sure we’ve got it word-for-word,” Parvati suggested.

Harry did as Parvati suggested, and they listened to the melodic clue again before resurfacing above water. Parvati looked at Harry thoughtfully.

“I think I’ve got a pretty good idea, but I’d rather we repeat the clue to Hermione and see what she thinks about it. Three heads are better than two, after all,” Parvati said.

Harry nodded in agreement, not speaking as he continued to ponder the clue in his head. Parvati gained his attention by clasping his hand in hers.

“OK, Harry, now that we’ve heard the clue, why don’t we head back to Gryffindor Tower? We should probably get back before it gets too late; wouldn’t want our friends staying up and interrogating us again.”

“No; wouldn’t want that,” Harry said with a chuckle. He allowed Parvati to exit the tub first, and as she stepped out, he admired her smooth back, her slender legs, and her firm, shapely arse. Water continued to drip down her body, only increasing Harry’s viewing pleasure. He followed her out of the warm water, and watched with great interest as she walked towards the corner of the room where she had left her clothes and her wand, her butt swaying enticingly with every step. Parvati bent down to retrieve her wand, providing Harry with an even better look at her lovely, dripping bottom. Parvati straightened up and gripped her wand, preparing to cast a drying charm on herself. Without even consciously deciding to do so, Harry called out to her.

“Wait. Don’t.”

Parvati turned around, facing her boyfriend in confusion. “Yes, Harry? What is it?”

How could he explain his objection? “Well…um, you were about to dry yourself, weren’t you?”

Parvati nodded slowly. “Yes. And why did you stop me before I could?”

Harry bit his lip. “Well, it’s just…seeing you all, wet like that…it’s really nice.”

Parvati smirked at him. “I see. Hmm…I suppose I could hold off on the drying charm for a little while. What do you suggest we do while we’re all wet like this, Mr. Potter?”

Harry grinned from ear to ear. He recognized that mischievous tone in her voice. It usually meant that pleasant things were coming. “I can think of a few things I’d like to do,” he retorted playfully. He used to feel more than a bit silly flirting with Parvati, but he’d warmed up to it over time.

“Is that right, Potter? Why don’t you come over here and show them to me?”

Harry didn’t need a second invitation. He was in front of his girlfriend after a few quick strides, and quickly cupped her pretty face in his hands.

As Harry gently brushed some of Parvati’s long, wet hair away from her face, she flashed him a seductive smile. “Do your best, Pot—hmph!”

Harry cut Parvati off in mid-sentence as he brought his lips to hers in a tender kiss. He moved his lips against hers lightly, without using any real force, or using his tongue in any way.

Parvati moaned at Harry’s sweet, loving kiss and ran her hands through his wet hair. She broke away slightly and rested her forehead against Harry’s, continuing to stroke his hair all the while. “You’re right about the water, Harry. I’ve always loved your hair, but running my hands through it while it’s all wet…it’s quite sexy.”

Harry grinned and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. “Your hair is nice, too. But I think my hands are going to be elsewhere. Hope you don’t mind.”

“Not at all, Harry,” Parvati giggled. “Bring it on!” she challenged.

Harry gave Parvati another passionate kiss on the lips while, as promised, his hands started exploring her wet, naked body. He started at her flat stomach, and started working his way up. He took his time, savoring the feel of her smooth, damp skin under his hands. From her stomach, to her sides, around to her back, his hands rubbed Parvati’s body, until he neared her breasts. Harry took his girlfriend’s breasts into his hands, hesitantly at first, but as Parvati moaned into his mouth, he started massaging them more firmly. Parvati hissed as he gently teased her sensitive nipples with his thumbs, and pulled her lips away from his.

“Yes, Harry…touch me!”

Harry did just that for a few moments, before he suddenly stilled his hands. Parvati frowned and went to protest, but Harry pulled her body to his and prevented any speech with a steamy kiss. Parvati’s hands left Harry’s hair and her arms wrapped around his neck, as his hands traveled down her back and to her butt. He gripped her asscheeks in his hands, sighing in satisfaction as he finally got to touch the wet, glistening arse that had been driving him crazy with lust.

Parvati moaned as Harry brought his mouth down lower, lightly kissing her jaw several times while his hands continued to fondle her butt. She rubbed her body against his, feeling herself growing hotter and needing some additional stimulation. As she rubbed herself against him, something became rather clear to Parvati.

“Seems like Little Harry’s ready to play again,” Parvati sang, rubbing her belly against her boyfriend’s erect penis to emphasize her point.

“Yes, I think he is,” Harry agreed, as he continued to plant kisses around Parvati’s jawline and knead her firm ass with his hands.

“I hate to say it…but I don’t think my mouth can take care of him this time. You have any other alternatives?”

“Absolutely,” Harry said, nodding his head emphatically. Parvati giggled and clasped her boyfriend’s hand, leading him over to the corner where the couch sat. She examined the couch thoughtfully for a moment, before frowning and shaking her head.

“This won’t do. Let’s see…” Parvati raised her wand and muttered an incantation that Harry didn’t recognize. Suddenly, the couch had been Transfigured into a luxurious bed. Parvati nodded in approval, satisfied with her wand work.

“Much better,” Parvati murmured. She dropped Harry’s hand and cast a quick contraceptive charm on herself before setting her wand down. Parvati climbed onto the bed, wiggling her ass in the air playfully as she crawled further up on the bed. She flopped onto her back, and looked up at Harry, who was watching her every movement intently. She crooked her finger at him in suggestion, and he quickly joined her on the bed. Harry scrambled up so he was hovering above his girlfriend, and gasped as she reached down and took his dick in her hand.

“Mmm…yeah, I’d say you’re ready to go,” Parvati said huskily, as she slowly stroked his prick in her hand.

Harry grunted as Parvati jerked him. It felt undeniably good, but he did not want to wait any longer. He wanted to feel himself inside her once again. He placed his hand over hers, stopping her handjob. She looked up at him inquisitively, so he explained his actions.

“It felt really good, Parvati. But I really want to fuck you again. It’s been too bloody long, and I can’t wait any more.”

Parvati smiled up at him. “There will be no fucking today, Harry Potter.”

Harry gaped at her in shock. Surely, she was joking? To get him all worked up, only to deny him…

Parvati saw the devastated look on Harry’s face, and quickly reassured him. “What I mean, Harry, is that I want something different this time. When we first got together the night of the Yule Ball, that’s exactly what we did: we fucked. And that was great, don’t get me wrong. That’s what I wanted, and it was spectacular. But since then, we’ve become really close. Right?”

Harry nodded his agreement, and Parvati continued. “The first time we were together, we didn’t know each other that well. This time, it’s different. We’ve really gotten to know each other as people, and develop a bond. You mean a lot to me, Harry. I feel so much more than just a physical attraction for you. So this time, rather than “shagging” me, I want you to make love to me.”

“If that’s what you want, Parvati, that’s what we’ll do,” Harry said softly. He was moved by Parvati’s words, and the underlying emotions behind them. She smiled at his words, and pulled his head down to hers for a deep, passionate kiss. Parvati’s hands once again moved to her boyfriend’s hair, running it through her hands while they continued to kiss. Meanwhile, Harry gripped his dick in his hands and guided it between Parvati’s thighs. He rubbed his length against her entrance, and noted that she was wet in more ways than one. Parvati moaned impatiently into his mouth and nudged his legs, urging him on. Harry took the hint, and pushed his head past her lips and into her tight pussy.

“Ooh…yes, Harry. Keep going, love!” Parvati urged.

As if Harry needed to be asked. He worked the entire length of his cock into Parvati’s wet snatch, grunting as her tightness squeezed him in the most pleasant way imaginable. Once he had gotten all the way inside of her, Harry started moving his hips. With Parvati’s request in mind, Harry held back on his instinct to start thrusting rapidly. Instead, he established a much slower and more deliberate pace. He would slowly push forward until his entire length was buried inside of Parvati, and go back just as slowly, pulling almost all the way out before repeating the process. He glanced down at Parvati to see if she liked this pace. Her beaming smile was all the confirmation he needed.

“That’s perfect, Harry…just like that,” Parvati assured him. She wrapped her legs around his waist and moaned as Harry dipped his head down, kissing her on the cheek and cupping her face in his hands.

Harry continued his slow and steady rhythm, moving his “wand” inside Parvati’s snatch and reveling in the feel of her tight walls contracting on his length. While he continued to make love to his girlfriend exactly the way she wanted, he positioned his head so it was right above hers, their noses almost touching. He gazed deeply and affectionately into her dark brown eyes, and she stared into his own bright green eyes just as intently.

“Parvati, you feel so good,” Harry said, his voice barely more than a whisper. “You’re so beautiful, and warm, and caring, and funny…I don’t know how I got so lucky. Being with you is amazing. The people who gawk at me because I’m the Boy-Who-Lived, all this Tri-Wizard Tournament garbage…you make it all worth it. You’re one of the best things that’s ever happened to me, Parvati.”

Parvati’s eyes shone at Harry’s uncharacteristically affectionate words, and she had to blink rapidly to fight off the tears that threatened to spill out. She pulled his head down and mashed her lips to his, pouring all of her passion and emotion into the kiss. Harry’s eyes closed and his head rested against hers as they kissed, but he dutifully continued to pump his cock into Parvati’s pussy. He did not waver at all, and kept moving his member inside Parvati at the same deliberate pace they had set earlier.

Parvati was delighted as Harry made love to her exactly the way she had wanted. She had worried that he wouldn’t be terribly receptive to the pace that she wanted this time around. But, whether he was enjoying himself or not, he was certainly doing just as she asked, and giving her the passionate experience she craved. She loved the feeling of his hard rod sliding in and filling her insides so completely, before pulling back slowly so it could repeat its all-important task. She moaned in passion as Harry’s entire length filled her tight canal over and over again.

Harry and Parvati discovered one positive aspect of their less intense, more methodical pace: it allowed both of them to last far longer than before. They were able to keep at it for close to 30 minutes…quite a feat for a pair of teenagers having sex for just the second time in their lives. Their bodies, which had been covered in water from the tub when the encounter started, had long since dried. The water had been replaced by perspiration, as both Harry and Parvati had worked up a sweat during their nonstop lovemaking.

Parvati could feel her climax approaching rapidly, and her eyes fluttered as she sorted through her mixed emotions. She knew that she was about to experience a great deal of pleasure, but at the same time, she did not want the sweet, tender lovemaking to end. But, despite what she may have desired, the end was inevitable.

“Harry…I’m close…” she panted. Harry did not respond verbally, but acknowledged what she had said with his actions. He pulled his head away from her lips and moved down, kissing Parvati’s slender neck while his hands moved up and cupped her breasts, teasing her sensitive nipples gently in an effort to give her as much pleasure as possible as she neared her breaking point.

“Ooh, that feels nice, Harry…keep it up…” Parvati got out, just before she shuddered involuntarily. Harry buried his face in her neck, closing his eyes in concentration. He had been fighting for some time to delay his own release, and could feel that he couldn’t hold it off much longer. But, not wanting his girlfriend to leave the room dissatisfied, he was determined to hold on until Parvati could reach her climax.

“Just a little bit longer, Harry…almost there. Keep going,” Parvati pleaded. Her legs wrapped around Harry’s waist, pulling him in even deeper. Harry diligently kept at it, maintaining his composure despite Parvati’s desperate pants. He persevered, and continued his steady thrusting.

After a few more thrusts from Harry, Parvati was sent over the edge. “Yes, Harry, yes! Oh, Merlin…”

Parvati’s walls clamped down on Harry as her orgasm hit her full-force. She moaned in ecstasy, and her hands instinctively buried themselves in her boyfriend’s hair yet again as she released her juices on his dick. Her back arched up off of the bed as she hit her peak,

Parvati’s climaxing pussy clamping down on his thrusting penis pushed beyond his limits. Now that he had done his job and gotten Parvati off, Harry no longer tried to fight it. He buried himself inside of his girlfriend’s vice-like snatch one final time before he gave himself over to his own gratification. He grunted incoherently as he shot off inside of his girlfriend’s dripping pussy, joining her in bliss.

Parvati’s back collapsed back down onto the mattress, and she heaved an exhausted sigh. Harry was similarly weary, and pulled his drained penis out of his girlfriend before plopping down next to her on the bed. He was careful not to put his weight on her, draping an arm over her chest, which she stroked fondly.

“How was that, Parvati? Was that what you wanted?” Harry asked after his breathing had returned to normal. Parvati nodded, a contented smile on her face.

“Exactly what I wanted. Thank you, Harry. I’m sure taking it slow like that wasn’t as enjoyable for you…”

“Are you joking, Parvati? That was great,” Harry said sincerely.

Parvati grinned and rolled over, snuggling into her boyfriend’s warm body. “I’m glad you liked it, Harry,” she said sleepily. The loving couple remained snuggled together on the bed comfortably for several minutes, quite content. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. Parvati reluctantly pulled herself off of Harry and sat up, moving towards her clothes.

“We better get going, Potter. We stay down here any longer, and we’ll run the risk of another interrogation from Hermione. And I, for one, want no part of that.”

Harry, who had started gathering his own clothes, winced at Parvati’s mention of Hermione. “What’s up with her, anyway? She’s been acting really strange.”

Parvati’s expression was unreadable as she looked across the room at Harry. “I’m sure it’s been rather odd for her to have to share you with another girl. She’s used to having you all to herself.”

Harry blanched and shook his head rapidly. “But—Hermione and I have never been together like that!” he insisted. “She’s just my friend.”

Parvati smiled slightly at her boyfriend’s insistent statement. “That’s not quite what I meant, Harry. I know you two have never been…intimate. Not physically, at least. What I meant was, she’s always been the only girl you’ve really felt comfortable with. And, having gotten to know Ron better over the last month, I get the feeling that he isn’t someone you would want to open up to. Hermione is the closest thing you’ve had to a confidant, and I’d imagine it’s been quite a change for her with me around.”

“I guess,” Harry said uncertainly while putting his trousers back on. “But she still shouldn’t have yelled at you like that yesterday.”

Parvati shook her head as she slipped her panties on. “No, she had every right to do that. She’s just concerned about you, and rightfully so. This Tri-Wizard business is dangerous, and I should have been doing more to help you prepare. I was looking the other way so I wouldn’t have to think about the danger. But the things that she said forced me to face the truth, and stop hiding from my fears. Thanks to her, I’m not going to do that anymore. I’m going to do whatever I can to help you through this.”

Harry grinned, his girlfriend’s support making him feel light and carefree. “Glad to know you’ve got my back, Patil,” he teased.

“You bet I do, Potter,” she teased right back as she snapped her bra on. “Nobody lays a finger on my man.”

“You sound pretty possessive, Patil.”

“Get used to it, Potter. You’re not getting away from me any time soon.”

--


UPDATE 10/30/09:

I'm not abandoning this story by any stretch, but I've run into several complications with Chapter 3. For starters, I got, oh, about halfway through the planned chapter before deciding that I did not like the way things were progressing. So I scrapped everything that I had, and started the chapter from scratch. I felt things were going much better with this new Chapter 3, but yesterday, a new problem arose. Due to a hardware issue, I am currently unable to transfer any of my documents from my laptop (where I have been doing the bulk of my writing) to my PC (which is connected to the Internet.) This includes the 3rd chapter of this story, which is probably a little under halfway complete. There's no quick fix to this problem that I can see, so I have a bit of a dilemma on my hands. Do I pause and try and figure out a solution, or do I concede that what I have already written is lost, start writing on my PC, and begin the chapter from scratch a third time? I'm not sure exactly what I'll do yet, but no matter what I choose, it seems you shouldn't expect to see the 3rd chapter of this story posted any time soon. But I will reiterate that I am NOT giving up. This story WILL be completed; it's just a matter of when.