Harry could see his own hesitance reflected in Lily. She shyly stood there, hand on her neck not sure what to do. With his nerves exposed all he could hear was the trickle of the fountain, and her breath. He took both items from his pockets and put them on a nearby table. "I thought… maybe it would help, if you'd like..."
A subdued smile lifted the corners of her mouth and her nose wrinkled up. "That's sweet Harry," she said taking his wrist, "but I can't wait any longer."
She tugged at him and he moved forward, so close to her now. She hadn't looked up, seemed to be focused on the light touch they shared, he took her fingers between his and she let out a ragged breath. She was wearing that sweater she got for Christmas, along with a simple black skirt, split an inch at the seam. Her hair was in a ponytail, and Harry thanked his stars that it was. Every perfect feature of her face was there for him to marvel at, down to the almost indiscernible freckles on her nose.
"You look like a dream." he said, feeling the warmth of her cheeks.
He could feel an emotion in her breath he couldn't identify, somewhere between urgency and joy. He put his arms around her waist and her arms followed to his neck, resting there with the gentlest touch. As her eyes lifted he could see them wet with pleading. He could hear it to his core: 'kiss me'.
The distance between them felt like light-years as he brought his lips to meet her, the look in her eyes slowly killing him. Their lips met and as he closed his eyes he felt her escalating, her breath getting more shallow, she tasted like pink and red and orange all at once. Her need flowed into him, he traced his hand upwards, the clinging sweater leaving less to the imagination, his thumbs ran across the outline of ribs and… softer.
She pulled away leaving him unmoored. "Upstairs." she whispered, and took his hand, almost running towards the staircase.
He had to smile as going up he saw a preview of what was ahead as she climbed ahead of him. Around the bend she caught his smile and giggled. Her steps slowed as she reached the dorm, unsure of which side to take. She turned around, questioning.
Harry looked left to the dividing wall, then right, and as he did the bed in his sight started to shift, from a single wooden frame to a larger curtained double. "Lily..." he said, unreasonably grinning.
She turned around and let out a shocked laugh, approaching the indigo curtains surrounding it. She entered, and right behind her he did as well.
"-nk the founders were a little less prude about this kind of thing."
He laughed as he saw the delicate bedding, purple silk embroidered with silver and gold, two cushions dark blue. "It's charmed for privacy." he said embracing her from behind.
Her neck turned to the side and her gleaming eyes caught his. In a softer tone she continued. "I was just thinking the founders must've been a lot more free-thinking to have an enchantment like that in the student's dorms."
"Different times." he said, observing her gaze turn lustful.
She twirled him before her and put both hands on his chest, gently pushing, making his knees buckle over and landing him on the soft matress. One leg after the other, she straddled him and obsessively traced with her hand from his neck down to the button of his trousers. She deviously smiled before sliding her body against his demanding another kiss.
The weight of her felt right, like a constant reminder she was actually here. She lead the kiss, probing, caring. He traced her cheek and placed his thumb below her jaw. "Is this your first...?"
She rested her face down to his chest. "It's my first time. Is that a problem?" she asked.
"I hope not."
The tremor of her laugh tickled his chest. She started to circle his navel with a finger and his thoughts were all fire again. He lifted his hands under her elbows provoking a tortured laugh as he did. She's ticklish. He smiled and moved her under him, placing a leg between hers. Furrowing his brow he tried to puzzle how to best get rid of all the blasphemous layers of clothing between them. Taking the cue she lifted up her arms and he delicately slid up the sweater and satin shirt in one go.
Her hands came at his waist to do the same, and with her help got the clothing off, tossing them in a pile wherever. His eyes trained on the final obstacle, a thought popped into his head. Grabbing his wand and placing an arm beneath her, he gently lifted her back and whispered, "Alohomora," undoing the clasp with a click.
A breathless giggle erupted into his neck as he did.
"Are you making fun of me?" he said laughing himself.
Catching her breath she plopped down with a sigh, her hands around his neck. "Full marks, enjoy your prize, Mr. Peltier." she said with a grin, pushing his head down. Harry peeled the white fabric off her and curiously looked at pink nipples framed by her delicate neck and shoulders. His thumbs explored the outside, then closer, then on them softly at its peaks. He was pleasantly surprised by her moaning, her voice running thick like honey.
His mind became more hazy as he directed his mouth towards his newest discovery, vaguely aware of his left hand continuing to work at her sensitive spot. She arched against him, her breath labored. He heard his name called, then a hand through his hair and once again louder demanding his attention. Stopping, he moved up to see a panting Lily, arm on her forehead.
"Sorry… did I do something wrong?"
A satisfied laugh was his answer. "Blimey, Harry. I just need a second to breathe."
He waited for he breath to slow down, tracing her arm laying beside her.
"I think I… you know." she said.
"What?"
She giggled and put a hand on his shoulder, nodding lower to her.
"Oh. Really?" Harry blushed.
Lying next to him the fire in her loins found new life and a serene hunger overtook her. She pressed down his shoulder and left a trail of kisses lower, her eyes falling on his groin. Taming her impatience she slid down the bed and unzipped the side of her skirt, letting it down, tugging off her socks, revealing her naked body. She did the same for him reverently popping the button and sliding down his jeans. He could see the hint of a smile as she stopped for the member bouncing out of its confines, almost hitting her in the face.
As a finale to her enticing display, she tilted her head to remove the elastic band from her hair, releasing the wild strands to rest on her body like licking flames. Her cool hands carved trails of passion as she ran them across his sides and lower to his hips, and he couldn't take his eyes off the porcelain sheen of her skin in the charmed moonlight of the curtains.
As if to infuse him with a final bout of courage, she lowered herself to him for a kiss, taking his glasses and carefully placing them on the night stand. Her hair playfully slithered against him as she moved. It took seconds for her softness to drive him to inebriation, his hands, lips and body moving on instinct as a calming world of fire enveloped him.
A tangle of hands beneath them found his begging hardness against her, and an eager melding of movements made her stop. He was instantly brought back to the present by a short whimper, waiting for answer.
"It's okay. Let's try slower."
He planted a kiss to her cheekbone. "Does it hurt?"
"A bit. Mostly surprised. Keep going, slowly."
With utmost care and attention he resumed their movements. They found their pace at a partial leeway of a few inches, but it was more than enough. In its own way this was heavenly.
Not fully in control she felt his muscles tense beneath her. Her hands lingered on his sinew and muscle trying to find the peak of his pleasure.
"Let me take you there, Harry," she quietly moaned.
In that moment she realized she loved him. From the moment they first met to the hazy tangle of limbs, she loved him. As he grabbed her into a tight embrace, riding a moment of pure pleasure, she felt a different warmth spread through her, following it into his own exhausted collapse. Running her cheek against his neck she took in every smell, sound and whisper, completely content.
Silence set in as they listened to each other's breathing.
"Was it okay?" he finally asked.
"For our first time? I say we aced it."
He laughed, and she was glad he could relax at least.
"Do you want to… again?" he asked.
"Maybe later."
"It's still…?"
"A bit."
"It's not too bad, is it?"
"No. We'll have to practice."
"Yeah."
"A lot."
"Sure."
She slapped him across the arm, giggling. "'Sure', he says."
He kissed her.
-sSsSsSsSs-
The days after their passionate encounter, Lily's playfulness had only increased. It was like their relationship was riding a crescendo without end. She had on more than one occasion hinted that they needed to repeat their experience. He wanted to more than anything, just being near her was enough to work him into a daze. But he vaguely remembered a matter of some self-proclaimed Dark Lord wanting to enslave all of wizardkind. Yes, that sounded familiar.
He knew Severus was talking, because his lips were moving. Yet his mind was requiring a large amount of attention to remember how good Lily's slick naked body looked in the secret dorm's adjoining showers that morning. A stinging pain erupted from the back of his head as he was brought back to reality.
"Will you pay attention for one sodding second, you Godforsaken idiot?!" Lily shouted, still, she was smiling.
"Ow. Sorry, lost in thought. What were you saying, Severus?"
Hiding a hint of satisfaction behind his annoyance, Severus continued in a hushed tone. "As I was saying, I went to the restricted section yesterday and while there is information on Horcruxes, I couldn't find much more on how to destroy them."
Harry nodded. "Besides fiendfyre and basilisk venom."
"Correct. And practicing a spell like that isn't exactly what you'd call 'safe', even in that room. And basilisks?" He scoffed. "Well aside from a few highly guarded enclaves around the Mediterranean there are none."
Harry knew of one, but without luck, the sword and the phoenix, he wasn't sure wandering into its den risking setting it loose was a good idea. In fact it sounded downright stupid, he wasn't even sure he was still a Parselmouth.
"Frustrating." he said.
"Yes well moping around won't do us any good, will it?"
He wasn't moping around, fantasizing was more like it. And it's not as if he hadn't been thinking about possible solutions when his hormones would let him.
"I might have an idea, a hunch more like. And even if it doesn't work out..." He shrugged.
"Well we're all waiting." Remus said.
Harry groaned. "I'd have to make a visit to the headmaster's tower."
Lily raised an eyebrow and the other two looked at each other.
"You think you can get help from Dumbledore?" Remus asked.
"Maybe. Meet me at the three and a half staircase in an hour."
He stood up to leave and Lily walked with him.
"What are you thinking?"
"Well… I'm not sure. But look at what's helped us so far. The Room of Requirements, the fifth dorms. What if we can get Hogwarts on our side? And I don't mean the professors. The Founders left something here, for people who need it to find. The sword, the chamber, how much else have we missed?"
"And? You're going to ask Dumbledore where the castle's secrets are kept?"
Harry chuckled. "I doubt he knows. If he did I'm sure our nightly escapade would've gotten his attention. I'm going to ask for something else."
She blushed and pushed herself close to him. "Is that what you were so busy with earlier? Thinking about me?"
"Well it's not like I can help it!"
She laughed and turned to leave. "See you later."
Entering the headmaster's tower Harry could feel his hair stand up on his arms, it's like he was being watched. As if to confirm his suspicion the stone guardian relinquished at his approach. It would have surprised him if Albus hadn't taken extra precautions since his arrival, temporal visitors weren't exactly the kind of news that would reign in his paranoia.
Calmly he went up, finding the headmaster sitting behind his desk. For seconds he stood as the wizard deliberated something. Perhaps he was thinking of breaking into his mind, if that was the case he hoped his defenses would prove enough of a barrier. But a smile appeared as if the moment was imagined, and he leaned forward clasping his fingers together.
"Is there anything I can do for you, Mr. Peltier?"
"No questions." he said as if to make a point.
Albus let out a muffled laugh. "I deliberated spying on you when you first arrived, to tell you the truth. But to be aware would mean to be involved, and clearly my involvement was not the path. I can sense you have come to claim another debt, have you not?"
"More like ask for a loan." he answered, looking at the Sorting Hat resting on a shelf on the other side of the office.
The headmaster visibly winced at his meaning, and went towards it. With a wandless hand he levitated it to his grasp. He turned back to harry with a serious look on his face.
"Did you know, it's impossible to place any charm on this artifact? I tried to enchant it with a location spell when I was first appointed, but alas it seems to resist all kinds of magic. Curious, isn't it? It seems to be slumbering at this time."
Harry was intrigued, it was the will of the Founders manifest, even though it did only sort the students in their houses.
"I would be worried about you losing it, Harry, but something tells me it wouldn't like to be lost."
He presented it to Harry, who made to take it, as he did Albus spoke. "I consider myself a good judge of character despite everything and you don't seem like you have the capacity for evil. But I've made mistakes before. I don't want to have to be wrong again."
Harry smiled at the veiled threat, some things did just never change. "Thank you. It won't leave the grounds, if I can help it."
Albus nodded and passively dismissed him, going back to his desk. Hiding the hat under his robes he exited the tower.