Redemption
Chapter 3
By Kinsfire
Harry awoke in his bed; he could tell by the aura of the room. He could also see sunlight through his closed eyelids, and mused over the odd dream he'd had - one with his old Hogwarts friends in it, getting him to break out of his self-imposed emotional exile. "Pity it wasn't real," he murmured.
"Pity what wasn't real?" he heard from in front of him, and his eyes snapped open to see beautiful brown eyes staring back at him.
"Hermione?" he asked. "That really happened last night?"
"Oh, the bit with the moose in a tutu?" said a deep voice from behind him. "Yeah, that happened, chum. We'll clean up the mess later on. We just wanted to be here for you. Could only fit three of us properly in this bed, so Hermione and I won the toss."
"Used your coin, huh?" he asked. He couldn't help it; good spirits were simply bubbling up out of him, and he moved his face slightly forward, and kissed Hermione's lips. He was going to make it a simple one, but she threw her arm around him, and drew him deeply into it. Finally, he broke free and hoarsely said, "Unless you're planning on inviting everyone else in on our first time, you'd best stop kissing me like that." She answered him by opening her lips slightly before kissing him again, and he moaned. "Gods, Hermione, it's not fair to them."
She reluctantly stopped kissing him, and giggled as she moved her hips against him for a moment. "Well, you feel as ready as I am, Harry."
"Hermione, don't ever let me go again." He smiled at her.
"I'll have to - I need to use the W.C.," she giggled. She climbed out of bed, and Harry was surprised to see that she was unselfconsciously nude, as she walked with a grace that made him sit up just to watch her for as long as he could. When she'd closed the door to the W.C., he noticed that Ron had been watching, too, as had Luna and Ginny, who were sitting on a conjured loveseat against one of the bedroom walls.
"God damn!" Ron breathed. "I think she could get a rise out of Blaise Zabini!"
Luna snorted. "You mean the Slytherin who not only came out of the closet, but staged the party and sold tickets?" At Ron's laughing nod, she changed the subject slightly. "She never fails to get me worked up when I see her like that."
"Does she know you feel that way?" Harry asked.
Ron looked at him. There was no sense of judgement in his face; it was purely a question. What else would I expect from him? he thought. As the door opened, he spoke. "Harry, it's time for something that I didn't tell you last night. It may not be a good time now, but I'll be uncomfortable if I don't tell you."
"Are you sure, Ron?" Hermione asked with some trepidation from the doorway to Harry's bedroom.
"It's now or never, 'Mione."
Harry looked between the two of them, and felt himself break slightly inside. Damn it, I'm too late. He kept it from his face, though, and said, "Don't worry, I've figured it out, and I have no problems with it."
"Really?" Ron asked. He relaxed visibly, and Harry found that he couldn't really hurt too much. His friend was so happy.
"I was so worried you'd have a problem with it," Hermione said, smiling widely. They both are. How can I not be happy for them?
"I have to admit that I wasn't sure how you'd react either, Harry," Ginny said from the loveseat, while Luna merely snorted. "What?"
"Wait for it," Luna said simply. "I think you'll find it as amusing as I do." She turned to Hermione and said, "Could you put on a robe or something? You're doing interesting things to me right now, and it's not the right time for an orgy, I think," she said with a smile.
"What do you think, Harry?" Hermione asked. "Should I get dressed or stay nude?"
"If you stay nude, I can't think," he laughed.
"That settles it," she laughed. "Nudity it is!"
Harry laughed and got out of bed, embarrassed at his rampant condition, but with the others nude, it really would have been rude not to be ‘dressed’ the same way. "I believe that I should get some breakfast going. Sound like an idea?" he asked as he walked toward the kitchen. Grabbing the full apron, he hung it around his neck and rummaged for the eggs and bacon, and a few potatoes. "How's eggs, bacon, and hash browns sound to you guys? I figured I'd make an omelot."
"Omelot?" Ron asked with amusement.
"Well, an omelette tends to be for one or two people, and this egg concoction will be for more than that, hence omelot." His bladder chose then to remind him of its existence, and he left with a quick apology. When he returned, he found Hermione cracking eggs into one of his bowls. She'd pulled out a number of his spices, and had a cheese grater grating some cheese off to the side.
He and Ron stood there for a moment simply watching her, and Harry murmured to his friend, "You are a very lucky man. You know that, don't you?"
"Yes, yes I do," Ron said, looking Harry in the eye before pulling him into a hug. "I've missed you, chum."
As they hugged, Luna gently elbowed Ginny. "Here it comes," she giggled.
After enjoying the hug more than he'd ever feel comfortable admitting to Ron, he finally said, "You know, she can start wearing her ring again if she wants to."
Ron broke from the hug and looked at Harry as if Harry had grown a new head. "What are you talking about?"
"That bit in the bedroom. You and Hermione. I don't have any problems with that."
"What?" Ron was looking more confused by the second.
"It was fairly obvious from the way you were reacting. You and Hermione are engaged, right? I can understand not wanting to tell me until you felt a little more secure in how I'd react."
Ron's face went white. "Oh shit."
"What is it, Ron?" Hermione asked in alarm. "What's wrong?"
"He thinks we're engaged." The bowl she was holding fell from her grasp as her hands flew to her mouth, and it was only Harry's Quidditch reflexes and skill with wandless magic that kept him from a shattered bowl and egg all over his floor.
"But, the way everyone was reacting in there … I was just assuming that you two had decided on an open relationship, what with knowing that Hermione and those two were lovers, and that we'd …" Harry's face took on a look of confusion, and he almost wanted to cry from the looks of it. "I thought … oh, Jesus, Hermione, I'm sorry — I just realized how insulting what I was thinking was. But I …"
She ran over to Harry and started to try to hug him, but suddenly didn't know what to do. Luna, on the other hand, was laughing raucously elsewhere in the room, with Ginny holding her in the chair, with a wide grin on her face.
"Why is she laughing so hard, Ginny?" Harry asked.
"The misunderstanding. Ron still has to tell you that ... well, it's his to tell. Part of you wants to know what the secret is, but a bigger part of you wants to celebrate not poaching on another man's wife so much that you'd like to bend Hermione over the kitchen counter right now and plant that baby she wants so badly."
Harry stood as if Stupefied for several seconds before breaking out in a wide grin. "Oh no," he said, taking Hermione into his arms as he realized that she was still available, and that she wasn't angry at him for what he'd thought. "I want face to face. I want to look in those eyes when we finally make love for the first time." He kissed her with all the passion he had for her. He wished that things had been different, because he would have proposed to her, and probably been married to her by now.
When the kiss broke, she smiled up at him and simply said, "Yes."
"Gods, if only that was the answer to the question I was thinking," he breathed in her ear.
"Well, I don't know what you were thinking, but I took the kiss as a proposal. Somehow, it felt like it."
"Are you telepathic, Hermione?" he asked in wonder.
"No."
"Then it's simply your blinding intelligence, my beautiful, sweet, sexy fiancée," Harry said, picking her up and swinging her around once.
The others came around and congratulated them, but Ron quickly stepped away, worried. "I still have to tell you something, but I don't want to ruin the moment."
Harry looked at Hermione, and his face fell slightly. "Actually, I have something to admit, too, that might make Hermione decide to rethink saying yes. I'm going to say it one way or another, but if you want to go first, you can."
"Let's flip a coin," Ron said. "Heads, you go first; tails, I do."
"Let's use an American coin, Ron, not one of the twins' joke products." Ron laughed and snapped his fingers as if caught.
His face fell slightly. "Harry, this is important, and if I don't say it now, I never will. I just hope I can keep your friendship." He took a deep breath. Harry noticed that all three of the girls were looking at the two of them in varying degrees of apprehension. Oddly enough, given the foretelling she'd been doing thus far, Luna was the most worried. "I came to a realization when I came out of the state I was in. Part of the reason was what I told you. You're my best friend, and I love you as my best friend. Problem is, Harry - there more to the feeling than that. I love you, Harry. As more than just a friend." He hung his head.
Harry smiled and walked over to his friend. and pulled up his chin. "Nice to know I wasn't the only one sneaking a peek in the showers, chum." Ron jaw dropped slightly right at the moment that Harry's mouth came forward, so they ended up rather quickly with their tongues in mortal combat. When the kiss finally broke, he said, "I think you can guess what I was worried about as well, Ron." He turned to speak to Hermione, but found her with Luna's arms wrapped around her, and Ginny standing behind her. It was fairly obvious that Luna and Hermione were kissing as deeply as Ron and Harry had been, while Ginny was rather obviously doing things to Hermione with her hands. Laughing, he said, "Is it safe to assume that no one currently in this room is completely straight or gay?"
Hermione disengaged reluctantly from the other two women. "Harry," she growled in a voice that caused most of his blood to rush south, "breakfast first. You're going to need your strength."
"I just hope I survive losing my virginity," he laughed.
Her eyes went wide, and when he nodded, she growled again, "To hell with breakfast," and pounced him.
He stood on the balcony and looked out over the city he now called home. He'd moved across an ocean to get away from his fame, and it had worked, thankfully. No one knew that he lived in New York City now, and he was perfectly happy to keep it that way. Especially now that he'd started his way back toward being a real person again. Damn, what a roller-coaster twenty-four hours these have been. From the depths of despair to the very pinnacle of joy.
He heard his next-door neighbour open the door to her balcony, and she stepped out. She was a fairly pretty girl, and her hair was the most brilliant natural copper-red hair that Harry had ever seen. Even redder than any of the Weasleys. "Nice - holy..." She blushed deeply. "Sorry, but I never expected to see you on your balcony without a stitch on."
"Whoops! Sorry, let me go get a towel." He turned to walk back inside.
"Please, no. I’ve seen you out here so many time, and you always looked so sad. I guess I’m afraid that you’ll walk inside and when you come back out, you’ll be the sad person I’ve seen before." She blushed. "Besides, it’s not like the scenery is unpleasant. You’re a very attractive man."
Harry laughed and bowed as one would to royalty. "Thank you milady. What I see from here is quite enjoyable to look at as well."
"I’m not stripping out here on my balcony," she laughed.
Harry turned beet red. "I’m sorry, miss — I never intended to …" He stopped as he watched her fold over laughing.
Finally, when she was able to speak, she said, "Don’t worry about it, Harry. I took it the way you meant it. You're saying I’m pretty, right?" He nodded, still blushing. "I said, don’t worry about it. Imagine what I’ll be able to say at work tomorrow. ‘I spent part of the evening talking across balconies to a naked Adonis.’ Problem with that is that all my female co-workers will want to come visit suddenly." She laughed, and then her eyes widened. Harry turned to see Luna walking out onto the balcony, and found himself wondering if there was kneazel somewhere in her background, given the way she walked. "Oh my! You had her in the apartment, and you still think I look pretty?"
"I’m not the only one in there, miss," Luna said across the balcony. "His fiancée is in there, along with his best friend and his sister."
"Whose sister?" the girl asked, puzzled. "Wait, your fiancée is in there, and there’s a naked woman walking out who isn’t her?"
"Yes," Luna replied serenely. "The sister in question is his best friend’s sister. They both have hair almost as red as yours."
"That’s hard to believe. Oh my goodness! Was anyone dressed in there?" Harry turned to face the door again and saw Ron, Ginny, and Hermione stepping out onto the balcony. No, it’s women in general that are related to kneazels. My gods, are they beautiful!
Hermione looked across the way and giggled before saying, "Depends on when during the day you’re talking about. This time yesterday, yes. Since this morning, no."
"You are certainly secure in your relationship, if you don't mind him being around other naked women."
"Nude, please," Luna said. "Nude means merely unclothed. Naked means uncovered. Being at work and screamed at by your boss makes you feel naked to the world, right?"
The woman nodded. "Even so, I'm impressed. So, how long have you been engaged?"
"Since this morning," he said with a laugh. "Y'know, I've never gotten your name before, miss."
"Call me Dora," she laughed in return. "Is there an undress code for your apartment?"
"Why? Want to come over and talk with the four of us for a while?" Ginny asked.
"I wouldn't mind it, if you don't."
"Come on over. I'll wrap a towel around myself to answer the door, then. See you in a minute." He walked back inside, and as he motioned for the towel that shot to him, he stopped in mid-stride, causing the towel to shoot past him and gently slap Ginny in the chest. He barked out a quick laugh, and said, "This is going to be fun." He looked at Luna, who actually looked puzzled. "Oh, this is going to be really fun!"
He took the towel from Ginny, pausing long enough to give her a kiss that made her knees weak, and then opened the door, holding it in front of himself. Dora stepped in, and Hermione snapped her fingers. "Ron? I need help getting those chairs from the bedroom?" Ron looked blank for a moment, and then nodded. They came back a few moments later dragging matched seats.
With everyone sitting, Harry smiled. "So, since this is our first real meeting, Dora, what do you want to know? Why we're all sitting in here nude? Whether we were doing what I'm sure your mind is contemplating two guys doing with three goddesses in the room?"
She grinned. "With how comfortable you five are, I'm fairly sure that you have, you lucky stiff, which answers both questions. I know it's prying, but I guess I've always wondered what happened to you in Britain that made you come here? Your accent does make it a bit obvious that you're not a New Yorker."
He frowned. "Hell of a topic. I can understand it, though. Let me think for a while, because I really don't know how to say it believably, even though it all happened."
"Just tell me flat out, I'll try to believe you."
"Bellevue's number is by the phone. I've thought once or twice about using it on myself. Well Tonks, the short form is that something truly horrible happened to my friends, and I've been blaming myself for it for about three years. They decided that it was time I break out of the self-imposed incarceration, and came for me. That was last night. I haven't cried like that since ... well, actually, ever. I think I even cried for Sirius last night."
"So I'm now back in touch with my best friends. And sometime soon I have to go back to England to tender an apology that by all rights should not be accepted. Not after what I did to him. That's just inexcusable."
"You know him," Hermione said. "He'll forgive you."
"Yeah, you're right." He looked up at his visitor. "Is the Order still active, and if so, do they know where Dumbledore is?"
She stared at him for a long moment, while the others looked at him as if he'd gone crazy. Finally, Dora threw her head back and laughed. "What gave me away?"
"Before a short time ago, we hadn't shared more than twenty or thirty words in our entire time talking in three years, and yet you knew my name was Harry. No one had said it where a Muggle could hear before you used the name. And then there's the fact that you didn't react at all when I used the name Tonks. My guess is that you're still in regular or semi-regular contact with either the Ministry or the Order, or both, so you're used to hearing the name Tonks, which is why you didn't react when I said it. If you'd really been the Muggle you were playing at, you'd have asked me who or what a 'Tonks' was."
He paused. "Let me guess — someone was worried about "The Boy Who Lived" and sent a watcher?" He grinned suddenly. "Or maybe 'wotcher' is a better way of saying it?"
Her worried look evaporated, and the relived sigh she let loose made her look as if she were deflating. "I was so worried you'd take it wrong, Harry." She looked sadly at him. "I was afraid to let you know I was here. I was afraid that you'd take it wrong, and go somewhere we'd never find you. These four aren't the only ones who care about you, Harry."
He stood back up and walked over to her. "Will you accept a 'thank you' hug from a naked man?" he asked with a grin.
"If he's as hot looking as you are, then hell yes!" she laughed. "Do I look stupid or something? Don't answer that, by the way." She stood and hugged him tightly, and he could feel her shuddering.
Quietly he whispered, "Should I let you go into the bedroom? You feel like you want to cry, the way you're shaking."
"No, I'm fine," she replied, voice quavering slightly. "Just a lot of relief at seeing you happy, after three years of darkness." When she felt him start, she quickly amended, "Not that kind of dark; not with a capital 'D', but more the type from when you've locked your soul away from everyone. You hurt so much, Harry, and so many of us wanted to help you." She lifted her head from his shoulder to kiss his cheek, but discovered that he was facing her, and found her lips meeting his. Oh shit! she though for only a moment and she pressed her lips against his and kissed him harder than even she expected.
He looked stunned when the kiss was over, and was more than slightly embarrassed to realize that he was poking her in the stomach. Trying to make her feel better, since she looked like a trapped wild animal at the moment, he said, "Damn! If I could bottle this, I'd make a killing in the cologne market!" She shivered, and suddenly pushed away from him and disappeared with a loud crack. "Shit."
Hermione was already picking up her clothes. "Screw the underwear; there's no time," she muttered as she jumped into her skirt and blouse, and shot out the door. Harry could hear her knocking on the door and saying, "Please, Dora, we need to talk. If you're not careful, I'm going to splinch out here, and I don't think either of us want that." He was pleased to hear the door open, and Hermione said, "Thank you, Dora. We'll solve this problem one way or another," before the door closed.
Harry chuckled nervously. "As I believe I once heard Professor Snape say once — Oy."
"Come here, Tonks," Hermione said, pulling the shaking woman into an embrace.
"Doesn’t it bother you to know that I kissed him hard enough to make him … well, hard?" And that I wouldn't have minded helping him with that problem?
"So maybe one of those three will help him with it." She felt Tonks stiffen in her embrace. "You need to know something before we go anywhere else, Tonks. The five of us over in that apartment are all bisexual, and we all became lovers today." She paused. "Read into that what you will. You'd probably be right, too."
She pushed the woman who was currently a redhead to arm's length. "Does it help to know that his own private nickname for you in school was Nymph? Came up with that one when he was talking with me about mythology, and we were arguing about which ones had origins in the Wizard world, and which ones were made up or wishful thinking. We'd gotten to nymphs, and I scoffed. He said quietly that he personally knew four girls beautiful enough to blind a man. Considering that at the time it was just us two, he blushed and tried to apologize. I kept a stern look on my face and made him tell me who they were. I remember him leaning forward and brushing his lips across mine as he said that I was first on the list. I finally got him to admit that two of the others were Luna and Ginny, and surprised him when I agreed with him a little more vociferously than he expected. He didn't know I was bi, and that I was in a threesome with those two. I almost had to threaten him with no kissing for a week to get him to admit that you were the fourth one he was thinking of."
"He doesn't even know what I look like in my original form. Hell, even I don't know anymore what my base form looks like!" Tonks wailed.
"Yes he does," Hermione said softly, pulling Tonks a little closer and putting her hand on Tonks' chest. "He's seen what you look like here. He'll never say it to you or me, unless I tell him that I don't mind, but he's always fancied you, Tonks." She blushed furiously as she said, "He's not the only one, either." She shook her head such that her hair tried to cover her face. "I'd better head over to Harry's place. We're not trying to force you into anything, Tonks, and you won't lose us as friends, no matter what. We're just letting you know that anything more than just friendship is not necessarily out. I'll let myself out and let them know you're okay." She headed to the door.
She was stopped by a hand on her arms, and turned into a shaking embrace. "Thank you, Hermione." Tonks began to cry on her shoulder, and she gently patted the crying woman's back.