Captivate and Mesmerize

Mesmerize; Part 2.2

Hermione's head was absolutely throbbing. She lifted her head from the pillow and brought her hand up to her forehead to stop the pounding. She blinked furiously to adjust her eyes to the light and realized that the pounding was coming from her front door and not in her head.

She groaned, untangled her body from the sheets, and left the confines of her bed. She almost tripped over a box on the floor and carefully tiptoed around the remaining boxes in her bedroom. Hermione had moved flats the day before her birthday and hadn't yet fully unpacked. The most she had done was her living room and kitchen and left the bedrooms for last. That also reminded her that she hadn't yet set the wards in her new home, or had alerted her friends they could apparate inside, so she guessed that as the reason for the knock.

Whoever was behind the door was knocking again and she hurried just a little bit to answer it. The noise was making her head hurt and all she wanted to do right this moment was brew some hangover potion to sort herself out again. Thank God she had unpacked her kitchen. She grasped the doorknob and swung her front door open.

Harry was behind her door. He was sporting an easy grin wearing dark blue jeans and a forest green button up shirt which she had given him on his birthday. The top button was undone and he wore a light sports coat over it in dark grey.

"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed in surprise. "What are you doing here?" Her hand fell from the doorknob and she let the door swing open.

His gaze was alight as he fully looked at her. Her hair was in a very messy chignon tied at the base of her neck as a clear evidence she had slept on it. Wild tendrils had escaped from the knot and was framing her face. And that face of hers. She was wearing what looked to be remnants of makeup with some mascara smudged underneath her almond eyes. Her eyes were still glassy with sleep. Harry's own eyes quickly darted to her attire and he gulped. She was wearing the smallest black dress he had ever seen her in. The neckline was high which elongated her neck but there were no sleeves so her shoulders and arms were exposed. It fit her tightly around the bust and flared at the waist. The hem stopped midway up her thighs revealing long legs and bright red painted toenails.

"I must look like a fright, huh?" She continued after noticing his reaction. She worriedly brushed away a curl from her face. "Frankly I don't even remember how I got home last night. I can't remember if I apparated home - thank God I didn't get splinched if I did! The girls took me out for my birthday, we went to dinner, and then there were some drinks, and I don't really remember much what happened after that. But yet I can't stop thinking about apple trees for some reason and God, my head is killing me. I'm going to hex Ginny, she instigated all of this..." He cut off her rambling by stepping through the threshold of her home and enveloping her in a hug.

"Happy birthday, Hermione," he said. His arms snaked around her and he almost withdrew them in surprise when his hands touched bare skin. He looked down from his place above her head and saw that the dress she was wearing had a fully exposed back. He closed his eyes to calm his racing heart as she returned his embrace.

"Thank you, Harry," She whispered softly. She withdrew from his arms and stood on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. "But I thought you weren't supposed to be back for another three days? How are you home so early?"

"I can't very well miss your birthday, now can I?" He said with a grin. "I actually came back last night but Ginny threatened to hex me if I stole you from them. She found out I was back from Ron and wanting to surprise you. But like I said, she wouldn't let me steal you away."

Hermione thought that she would have absolutely loved it if he did steal her away. Her feelings for Harry only grew these past couple of months after she came to the realization that she loved him. Every second spent with him was a second she treasured. And every minute apart never did feel right after that, too. It wasn't like she was depressed or moody when they were apart. She understood of course that it's impossible for them to be physically together all the time. She had her very demanding job and he did as well. She was okay with that. What she wasn't okay with was the feeling that something remained unresolved when they're away from each other. The uncertainty of the situation grew when there's distance between them. Because, after all, how was Harry supposed to know that she loved him if she wasn't there to show it? Doesn't the saying go "out of sight, out of mind"? Hermione very much wanted to be in Harry's mind since he was in hers all the time.

Funny enough, Hermione soon realized that she really couldn't be subtle in showing Harry he was loved. If she wanted him to know she loved him (aside from saying it out loud - she was too scared for that) and that he felt the same way, then she would need to do something drastic. It's not like he was thick (he was much better at Ron in the emotions department), but Hermione's normal actions and behaviour already oozed with love for Harry. He was used to being loved without even knowing it! For example, Hermione knew every single one of his favourites. She knew his favourite colour (cerulean blue), his favourite food (mac and cheese), how he liked his coffee (black with a dash of milk and no sugar, disgusting) and tea (preparation depends on the type of tea, but he preferred earl grey with hot milk), his favourite band (The Beatles), and his favourite song (Come Together by The Beatles). When they're having breakfast together, they worked in tandem to prepare each other's plates and when they're out and about they walked side by side with Hermione's arm looped around his. She was more touchy towards him than anyone else in her life and she knew he was the same with her! They hugged each other all the time, sat next to each other all the time, kissed each other all the time (innocently on the cheek, forehead, or temple, unfortunately) and even sleep on the same bed with each other with not a second thought if it was so required. For goodness sake, they acted like a married couple with each other and that was what was normal for them!

So, no, Hermione could not be subtle if that was her normal with Harry.

She couldn't yet decide what to do though. It needed to be something different. But since she currently didn't know what that would be, she continued to just trudge along. She would continue to love Harry with every fibre of her being and show him with every single one of her actions.

Even if he was unaware of it.

"Are you up for having a lunch out? It's almost noon anyway. Why don't you take a hot bath and I'll make you some hangover potion?" He continued. He closed the door behind him.

Add that as another reason why she loved him.

He knew just what she needed.

"I could kiss you, Harry," Hermione said. Harry smiled at her words not knowing she really meant them.

She gave him another hug and turned around to head back into her bedroom. His breath caught in his throat when he looked at her retreating form. He gulped. He had a clear view of the back of her dress, or lack thereof. The soft, pale skin of her back was fully visible from nape to the small of her waist.

He almost gave a start when he thought he saw a drawing of a Golden Snitch zoom across her skin.