Rare Pair Shorts

(continued from above)

So that was how Percy Weasley ended up kissing Hermione Granger in the middle of his parents' yard.

She'd been walking over to greet his Mum or put her wrapped gift down with the others or something, and Percy pounced. Before he lost his nerve, that is. He marched over to her, and before she had a chance to open her mouth, he braced her, taking her upper arms firmly in hand before pressing a kiss to her lips. The encounter was awkward for every reason imaginable: the wrapped box in her arms bumped up against his ribcage, a dozen or more people were staring, and he'd somehow landed a little off-center when he first pulled her close, and couldn't figure out how to move smoothly into a better position. And yet she didn't push him away, despite the fact that it was a terrible kiss.

Surely five seconds had passed, hadn't they?

Percy couldn't be sure.

He couldn't very well do anything else with his mum watching, so he just sort of stood there for awhile longer. Looking down the end of his nose, Hermione appeared quite confused. Percy took a step back, ruffling the hair on the back of his neck while he sputtered out his apologies.

With one free hand, she grabbed his arm to stop him before he bolted. 'Percy...' she whispered. 'What was that?'

Percy leaned down to whisper his explanation in her ear. Before he'd had a chance to finish telling Hermione about what he'd hoped their first kiss would be like--how he'd been working up the courage to ask for a physical sign of affection on the first few dates they'd shared--she pulled away, shoved her gift into Percy's arms, and rounded on Ron.

Seeting, sparks of angry energy electrifying her every move, Hermione poked and prodded her old friend with one finger to the chest. 'Ronald Bilius Weasley, I am not a thing to be won! I am a person, you wanker!'

Percy grinned while Hermione took Ron apart in front of his mum, his dad, and all his other brothers. He was beginning to feel a little smug about this turn of events, but--

'And you!' Hermione shrieked, turning on him. 'You went along with this idiocy?'

Percy blanched, clutching the gift tightly. She wouldn't destroy the present she brought, would she?

'I had a higher opinion of your good sense, Percy!' she said, throwing up her arms in exasperation. She was making a big show of all her movements. More than usual. Percy suspected that Hermione was angling for something, but he couldn't quite tell what. 'Just for that, you're helping me with this.'

And with that, Hermione pulled him back into the Burrow to help her with some chore or other.

As soon as they'd made it into the kitchen, Hermione slammed the door. Percy loved a woman who knew what she wanted, even if that meant that he'd be chopping vegetables or rewrapping the gift or whatever it was that she had in mind.

He waited for her orders.

Instead, she plucked the box from his hands, set it on the counter, and wordlessly locked the door.

Percy swallowed as the woman he admired slowly advanced on him, backing him up against the cold wood.

When she was practically on top of him, she leaned up and wrapped a hand around the back of his neck. Her breath was hot on his neck, and he didn't breathe as she stood on her tiptoes to reach him. She wasn't timid or shy as she kissed him confidently, and the force of a small woman attacking him up against the door rattled him.

A nip at his lower lip, and he opened his mouth to her.

Ah, yes. This was more like it, all heat and passion. Wanting more, he lifted her in his arms and guided her legs around his waist. Then he flipped their positions, pressing her up against the door as she handed control over to him. She was soft and smelled of lavender, gasping for breath as his lips traced the column of her neck.

A few moments passed, and he set her down, feet on the ground once more.