Witches Are. Witches Do.

Chapter 7

Riddle drew Harry closer and pressed his lips to hers in a hungry kiss. One of his hands wound into her wild hair and the other cupped her lower back. Harry gasped in surprise, not having expected that kind of reaction, and Riddle took that as an invitation to slip his tongue inside Harry's mouth.

After a few moments full of hesitation and confusion, Harry gave in and met Riddle's tongue with her own. That made Riddle pull her even closer and Harry quickly wound her arms around his neck because she had no idea what else to do with them. She stood up on her tiptoes so she could deepen the kiss even more, because kissing Riddle felt good.

Harry's stomach swooped around in her body as though she was diving down on her broomstick from a great height. Her eyes fell shut without her even realizing and an unexpected moan escaped her before she could stop it. Riddle tasted faintly of toothpaste and tea and not much else and he kissed her as though he meant to devour her. Something hard pressed against Harry's pelvis and it took her a second to realize that it wasn't Riddle's wand that was gently poking her.

As quickly as Riddle had kissed her, he released Harry just as suddenly, stepping away from her entirely. Harry swayed on her feet while she blinked her eyes open against the bright midday sun.

What the hell had just happened?

"I do apologize," Riddle murmured, wiping his hand across his slightly swollen lips once. "You are a witch who is very hard to resist."

"Okay," Harry said, still feeling as though she might fall over at any moment. Her mind swam and her body tingled and Harry was now more than certain that sex would never be a problem between them if a simple kiss could make her feel that way. The kiss she'd shared with Cedric in the kitchens had certainly not been that intense and tantalizing, nor had it left Harry desperate for more.

"Come." Riddle squared his shoulders as though to compose himself and gestured towards the cottage. "Let me give you a tour."

Harry followed him inside, legs still somewhat unsteady but she managed to keep upright so that was good. The cottage was bigger on the inside than on the outside, but not by that much. It was a small, cosy space with slate floors covered in wool rugs and wooden panelling on the walls. There was indeed a big fireplace with a large, soft sofa in front of it. The kitchen wasn't that big but had everything it needed, including a round, oak table, and upstairs there were two bedrooms with large beds.

"I was hoping you'd agree to meet me here at least once a week now that Hogwarts is closed for the summer," Riddle said as they walked down the narrow stairs again. "We can continue our duelling lessons and there is plenty of room for you to practice flying here since there isn't a muggle around for miles and miles."

"Yes, that's fine." Harry was more than happy to agree to that. Since her family had broken apart she could probably do with a safe haven to get away from all the drama and heartbreak at home. "I'd love to go flying here."

"Well then, what's keeping you?" Riddle gave Harry a smile that made his eyes light up with a clear challenge and he pushed open the front door. Before Harry even knew what was happening, Riddle launched himself up into the air, disappearing from view instantly. Harry ran after him and grabbed her wand. Before she could second guess anything, she focused and propelled her body upwards until she was hovering right in front of Riddle.

Something occurred to Harry and she gave Riddle a panicked look. "What about the Trace? I'm not seventeen."

Riddle slowly floated backwards, grin growing wider as he beckoned Harry to follow him. "Here's a little secret for you, my dearest Harriet. As long as there is an adult around, you can use magic without it being detected by the Ministry."