Harry began to grow worried when he didn't see Hermione in Care of Magical Creatures the next day. She had skipped breakfast, which wasn't overly alarming, but she never skipped a class unless it was an emergency.
In between classes he ducked into an alcove and opened the Marauder's Map. She was still in her dorm, unmoving. Was she sick? Still asleep?
The previous night had been momentous as far as he was concerned. He was still a little in shock. Seeing his best friend in a state of such wanton lust, covered in cum after fucking half the room, was the hottest thing he had ever seen. She too seemed to have enjoyed it as much as he had.
It was only afterwards, as Angie cleaned her up, that she had looked at him and blushed, shame creeping across her face. He had smiled reassuringly and told her she was amazing before returning to the boys' dorms, leaving her in the hands of Angie, Parvati, and Lavender. It was the last he had seen of her.
It was a bit early for lunch, but he checked the map anyway and spied Parvati and Padma sitting together at the Ravenclaw table. He closed the map and strode quickly to the Great Hall.
Parvati gave him a sly grin when she saw him approach. "Hello, Harry."
Padma nodded at him politely.
"Ladies, hello—Parvati, have you seen Hermione today? I'm worried that she's ill."
"She was still in bed when we came down for breakfast. Was she not in Hagrid's class?"
"No, and that's why I'm worried. Would you mind checking the girls' dorms for me? When you're done with lunch, I mean."
Parvati took in his earnest expression and nodded, growing a little worried herself. She hadn't forgotten the lost look on Hermione's face at the end of the evening. It had been funny at the time, but now…
"Sure thing. I'll check on her."
"Thank you."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Hermione lay in her four-poster, staring at the ceiling. She hadn't moved in hours, even though her stomach was growling and she had classes to attend. She couldn't bring herself to care about that right now.
Last night had been a revelation in more ways than one. She had been awake all night, turning the events over and over in her mind, finally falling asleep as the sun rose. When her alarm clock went off, she couldn't summon the will to prepare herself for the day.
Her roommates had left for breakfast, and she hadn't seen them again. But her brief encounter with Lavender that morning still resounded in her mind. The beautiful blonde girl had poked her head inside her curtains, a huge grin on her face. Hermione had opened one bleary eye to see her leaning in.
"You little slut!" she had whispered gleefully. "I can't believe it. You were gagging for it last night. I'm going to make fun of you for the rest of your life!"
She had closed the curtains and left, laughing all the while. Those laughs haunted her for the rest of the morning.
She dozed on and off, but couldn't turn off her mind, which ruminated in growing horror on what she had done the night before. She had lost herself in a haze of lust, given in to desires that lay dormant in her mind. And she had done it in public. Little snippets of memory slowly revealed themselves to her. She could hear the laughter now as she was repeatedly fucked from behind, as she rode Fred Weasley like a demon, as Dean Thomas nearly split her apart with ecstasy, as several boys came right in her face. She could hear the voices surrounding her, commenting on her in disbelief.
The memories attacked her like dementors. How could this have happened?
She had gone in with her eyes open, of course, both aroused and afraid of what she would encounter in the Pride. She had expected to have one or two sexual encounters at most. Instead she had thrown herself headfirst into the deep-end, so much so that she had shocked even the longtime members of the club. A bloody gangbang on her first night, and she hadn't even intended for it to happen. She fought the urge to curl up in a little ball.
What scared her most was how much she enjoyed it. Even now, as the memories assaulted her, she grew aroused.
She remembered the splashes of cum deep inside her, the warmth of it: a feeling of such bliss that she wanted it to continue forever. More, more, more! her mind had shouted at her. To her shame, the very thought of it made her reach between her legs. What was wrong with her?
The bravery that she had exulted in the night before, the overwhelming sense of liberation from herself, had all but disappeared. How could she look at herself in the mirror, knowing what she had partaken in? How could she face her friends? What must Harry think of her? She had already worked through many of these fears before joining, but now they came roaring back.
Her wretched reflections were interrupted by an opening door and padded footsteps. She could feel someone standing near her bed, but couldn't even bear to look up when the curtains parted.
"Hermione?" she heard Parvati whisper. "Are you okay? What's the matter?"
"Nothing. Go away."
"Harry's worried about you. Are you sick?"
"I said go away, Parvati. I'm not in the mood to talk."
"Is this about last night? Because—"
"Go. Away."
"Fine," she huffed. "You have to eat sometime. If you're not out of that bed after Herbology, I'm dragging you to Madam Pomfrey."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Parvati informed him of the state she was in. After Herbology, Harry forced her to fetch Angelina from the dorms. He somehow knew that Hermione was beating herself up over last night, even though she had no cause to. He was also terrified that she was angry with him.
He sat in the common room and waited nervously on Angelina.
She smirked at him as she approached. "You summoned me, Boy-Who-Lived?"
"Hermione's still in her bed," he said, not in the mood to banter with her. "She won't talk to anyone and she's skipped meals and classes. Will you please go talk to her?"
"She skipped classes?"
"Yeah. You know she never does that."
"Well, fuck. I'll go talk to her. I'm pretty sure I know what's going on."
"Thank you, Angie."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
When Angelina didn't return right away, he went to the room they had been using for tournament practice. He had a free period before quidditch, and knew he would go crazy if he just sat in the common room. He was getting concerned looks from Ginny and other younger Gryffindors. Even Neville had asked him if he was alright.
He spent the next hour practicing the spells Hermione had insisted they learn. The first task was just over two weeks away, and he had no idea what he would be facing. But he would rather take on a chimera without a wand than face the prospect of being without her.
The room felt empty. The sounds of his casts echoed off the walls, emphasizing her absence. His spells splashed against stone, his stunners hit desks, his banishing spells even destroyed a few. At least he got to practice the reparo charm until he perfected it.
What if she had felt humiliated when he came in her face? It had been so obscenely erotic at the time. Now he wasn't even certain she had given her permission, or wanted it to happen. What if she never returned to the Pride, and that distance he feared sprang up between them?
He had been confident in their relationship yesterday. He had been confident in her and what would happen on her first visit. He had told her it would be fine, and she had seemed to embrace the experience with both hands. But what if he was wrong?
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Angelina entered the fourth-year girls' dorms and looked around. They were empty save a bed that had its curtains pulled tight.
She gently pried them open. "Hermione?"
Hermione glanced up at her, her hair wild and her face miserable.
"Jesus, girl, what's the matter? Do you need the hospital wing?"
"No."
"Well, you've got a lot of people worried. Harry is beside himself. What's going on?"
"I want to be left alone."
Angelina narrowed her eyes and sat on the edge of the bed. "That's too bad, because I'm going to make you talk. Let me guess: you got carried away last night, and in the bright light of day, you're feeling ashamed of yourself."
Hermione's face contorted. "How can I look them in the eye when they've seen me like that?"
"Oh, for fuck's sake. Are we doing this again? You're a bloody Gryffindor, not a soggy little Puff. This is beneath you, so listen to me and pay attention."
Hermione blinked at her tone, but it did slice through her mood.
"You have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. Everyone in the club has felt that way at one time or another, especially if they get really drunk. It's fine. You'll forget about it in a couple days and be right as rain."
"No, I won't. They all think I'm a huge slag now. Lavender called me a slut. I can't get their laughter out of my head."
Angelina sighed deeply. "Lavender was just teasing you. She helped take care of you last night. Don't you remember? And everybody else—look, yeah, people were laughing. I was laughing. But not because we were making fun of you."
"Then why?"
"Because it was your first night, and nobody expected that. You were a bloody spectacle, and it was funny. You've got to get over yourself and get used to some teasing."
"I don't want to be teased for being a…a whore."
"Stop that. Everybody there is a whore. Everybody. It's a sex club. It's a place where we're free. Of course things are going to get wild. When you calm down, you'll see how lucky we are that it even exists. Don't pretend you didn't have fun."
Hermione grew calmer at Angie's words, but they didn't erase her mood. "That's the problem. I liked it too much. How can I respect myself now? How will other people respect me?"
"Well, for one thing they can't tell anyone outside the club. But listen—they can't disrespect you without disrespecting themselves. If anything, you earned a lot of respect last night."
She stared at her disbelievingly. "What?"
Angelina stared right back, an amused smile on her face. "Do you respect me?"
"Of course."
"Then let me confess something to you. Everyone in the Pride knows I'm the biggest slut there. I've fucked everybody except a couple of the girls—many, many times. After the Ravenclaw match last year, I had Ollie and the twins fucking me all at the same time, with 30 people watching—Olly was in my ass, Fred in my cunt, and George in my mouth. Everybody laughed, and then they applauded. It was fun. Nobody gives a shit."
"Merlin."
"I prefer to think I'm more like Morgana," she said proudly. "The point is: just relax. Go with it. That shame will eventually disappear. If you want to get fucked by the whole room, just announce it and they'll do their best to satisfy you. Boys are simple creatures."
Hermione snorted, her mood starting to improve, but still stunned by Angelina's revelation. "So they're not going to think I'm gross? Or some sort of freak?"
Angelina laughed loudly. "'Freak.' Girl, you have no idea. Everybody there has kinks. You remember—er, shit, the contract won't let me say his name. But there was a guy who graduated last year. He liked to suck people's toes and be led around by a collar. He liked to get buggered with a dildo too. He was totally normal outside the Pride."
"Seriously?"
"Seriously. Jo Hampson will fuck anything that moves, and some things that don't. If you pay attention, you'll see Fred sneak off with a couple of the other boys sometimes. He and Ollie had a thing going last year. Nobody cares, and if they do, they won't be able to tell anyone."
"So, what I did last night…" Hermione said, hope beginning to blossom.
"Is not a big deal," Angelina said firmly. "Trains aren't that common unless the girl sets it up, but they're not exactly rare either. On my birthday last year, I had ten guys in one night, and some of them came back for seconds. You want my advice? Own it. Own who you are and what you want. If you've got the stamina to fuck every boy there, go for it. It was actually impressive to watch, and you loved every second of it, didn't you?"
"Yes," she admitted weakly.
"Then fucking own it. You're a Gryffindor. You'll get over it, and one day soon you'll look back at this talk and laugh your ass off. I promise."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Harry sat in a dark corner of the Gryffindor common room, trying to remain inconspicuous. Though his housemates hadn't been as antagonistic as the other Houses, quite a few of them were giving him the cold shoulder.
He didn't want to deal with that right now, but he needed to be here. He knew Hermione was still in her dorm room, and he wanted to see her the moment she emerged. He had been heartened by the news of Angelina's conversation with her, but still he couldn't concentrate during quidditch practice.
He looked up when a shadow loomed over him. Dean Thomas sat down in the armchair opposite his.
"Hey, mate."
"Hey, Dean."
Harry hadn't talked with him much since joining the club, which felt a little odd in retrospect. But they were never really alone in the dorms or in classes, and the Pride didn't often lend itself to two guys conversing. Dean had mostly kept out of the brewing cold war between him and Ron, as had Neville.
"You alright?" Dean asked. "You look put-out. Ron and Seamus talking shit again?"
He sighed and glanced around the room. There were no other people in earshot, but he cast a muffling charm anyway.
"I'm fine. Just not something we can talk about in mixed company, you know?"
"Ah. Is it to do with Hermione? I noticed she wasn't around today. I asked Parvati but she wouldn't say much."
"Yeah. I'm waiting on her to come down. I'm a little worried after last night."
Dean leaned forward a little nervously. "You don't think I hurt her, do you?"
"Hurt her?"
He gave him a flat look. "My cock is huge, Harry. That's not always a good thing."
"Er, no, I doubt that's the problem."
"I hope not. She seemed fine with it last night, but some of the girls—thank Merlin for Lavender, Molly, and Angie, or I might not be getting laid in a sex club."
Harry couldn't prevent a laugh. "You can't be serious."
"It ain't easy lugging this thing around, bro. I have to go real slow with most of the girls, if I can put it in at all."
"That sucks."
"It is what it is. I'd rather have eight inches than ten, but what are you gonna do?"
Harry snorted. He didn't really want to talk to Dean about his cock. It felt odd, no matter the circumstances. He glanced at the stairs again, but they were still empty.
"I'm sure she's fine," Dean said. "Hermione's tough as nails. But if I need to apologize to her for anything, you'll let me know?"
"Of course."
"I'll leave you to it then. Just wanted to make sure you were alright."
"I am, and thank you, Dean. I'll let her know you were worried. And I appreciate you not participating in the mess with Ron and Seamus and the others. Truly."
"No worries, man. I know you're not the type to lie about something like that, and even if you were, I don't much give a shit," he said with a smile.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
They met in their practice room after dinner. Harry hadn't wanted to delay their conversation, but she was starving. Her demeanor while she ate gave him hope that everything would be fine.
"So, spill," he said. "I've been terrified all day. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. Angelina talked some sense into me. I'm sorry for putting you through that, Harry. I'm making a habit of it lately, aren't I?"
"Yes, you are. I don't care as long as you're okay. You're not mad at me?"
"Why would I be mad at you?"
"For, er, what happened at the end."
She frowned. "What happened at the end?"
"You know, when I finished in your face. Katie said you wanted it. And then the other guys did it too. I didn't mean for that to happen. I didn't want you to feel…I don't know."
Hermione blushed. "Oh. No, I'm not mad at you. I barely remember that, and it didn't bother me, okay?"
She did remember moments of it though, and didn't want to reveal to him that she was already fantasizing about it.
He smiled with relief. "Thank Merlin. So then what's got you so worked up?"
"I don't want to rehash everything again. Just answer one question for me. Do you think I'm a disgusting slag now?"
"Of course not!"
"Okay, that's all I needed to hear."
"So, all day long, you were worried that—"
She winced and wrung her hands. "Yes, but please let's not talk about it anymore. My mind just twists itself in knots sometimes. I'm okay now."
He stepped forward and pulled her into a hug. "Anytime you want some help untwisting them, just bloody say so. You scared me."
"I'm sorry."
He looked into her eyes and smiled. "Just for the record, what I saw last night was my best friend losing her mind with pleasure, and it was fucking hot. Every guy there thought the same."
She finally returned his smile. He leaned in and kissed her chastely.
"Did you not enjoy yourself?" he asked.
"I loved it. That's what scares me. We promised each other we wouldn't lose ourselves to that place, and I lost my mind on the first night."
"I thought you were fine. Should I have done something?"
"No."
"Good, because the only regret I have is that I wasn't a bigger part of it."
She played with his Gryffindor tie and didn't quite meet his eyes. "Maybe next time you can be first then."
He blinked and started laughing.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Psst…are you awake?"
Hermione, exhausted from her day and looking forward to classes again tomorrow, was just beginning to doze when her curtains rustled and Lavender's face appeared.
"Lavender?"
"Shhh," she said, and pulled aside the curtains. She lay down on the bed beside her without invitation. "You avoided me all day. Can you cast a silencing spell?"
Hermione cast the spell on the bedcurtains. Lavender scooted closer to her. Only now did she realize that her roommate was stark naked. It was how she slept sometimes, but still it took her by surprise. So did the little jar of something she held in one hand.
"You don't have to say anything. Just listen, okay?" Lavender said hurriedly. "I want to apologize. I didn't call you a whore to make fun of you—well, I did, I guess, but I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. You've never had any real girlfriends before, have you?"
"No."
"Well, you do now, and this is what we do. We tease each other and call each other slags. It's not mean."
Hermione sighed. Apparently she was going to receive lectures from everyone she knew today. "I understand. It's okay. I was just freaked out about last night."
"Why? I thought you enjoyed it."
"I just couldn't believe I did that, and with everybody watching and laughing—I thought I had ruined everything."
"Hermione, you didn't ruin anything, but it was hilarious. I couldn't believe my eyes. They ran a train on you, and you loved it, didn't you?"
She swallowed thickly and admitted the truth. "Yes."
"You fucking whore!" she almost squealed. "Oh, my God, I love it."
Hermione winced but Lavender carried on obliviously.
"I was worried too, after my first night. But I've slept with most of the people in there now, and no one even blinks. It's just fun."
"It hasn't affected your reputation?"
"Out here? No. In there, who fucking cares? The whole point is to go a little crazy."
She giggled and leaned closer to Hermione's face. "Are you sore? Dean really gave it to you."
"Yes."
"Thought you might be. He's got a sledgehammer. I brought some murtlap if you want it. I go through my fair share."
She unscrewed the lid on the little jar without waiting for an answer. She dipped her fingers in and removed a huge dollop.
"You want me to do it? I helped Parvati after her first time there too."
Hermione stared at her in confusion. Was this her idea of a friendly gesture? Rubbing a healing balm onto her bits? The murtlap sounded good, she had to admit, but still…
"You can do it if you want, I guess."
Lavender smiled. "Spread your legs. This will feel good."
She was wearing only a t-shirt and some knickers. She wrestled them lower and pulled them off, exposing herself to the open air. Lavender lay right next to her, their bodies almost touching.
Lavender reached between her legs with her murtlap-covered fingers and casually spread the goop all over her lips and clit, then gently rubbed it in. Her lips weren't particularly sore, but her walls definitely were, especially the first few inches of them. They had rubbed together uncomfortably as she walked around all day.
"Feels good, doesn't it?"
"Yes."
She closed her eyes. It felt wonderful. A little cold, but soothing. She could feel the magic going to work already.
Lavender reached inside the jar and removed more murtlap, then rubbed her fingers teasingly along the contours of her inner lips, lubricating them thickly. She slipped a finger inside her, then another, massaging the magical agent into her tender inner flesh.
Hermione opened her legs wider. Lavender's probing fingers were arousing her, though she wasn't certain if that was the intent.
"You want to know a secret?" she whispered as she worked. "Parv and I were ecstatic to hear you were joining."
"Why?"
"Because we want to be your friend, you idiot. Fay doesn't hang out with us, and Sally-Anne barely talks. We totally wanted to corrupt you, and now we get our chance."
Hermione just nodded. Lavender's fingers were making increasingly erotic little movements inside her. Her thumb brushed back and forth across her clit a bit more than was necessary.
"Last night was awesome," she continued casually. "It's the most fun I've had there. So don't get weird about it."
"I'll try not to."
She leaned in close, so close that she could feel her breath on her neck. "How did you like Dean's big cock?"
Her thumb pressed firmly into Hermione's clit and started rubbing circles. Hermione's heart beat faster as her arousal grew. There was no longer any doubt. Lavender was trying to get her off. The murtlap felt pleasant, but the caressing fingers were aiming for more than that. No longer caring about her motives, she shifted to give her better access.
"I liked it," she said. "I think it was too big for me though."
"It was. You couldn't take all of it. I can if I'm super turned-on, but it still hurts a little if he pounds me. Wouldn't trade it for anything though."
Hermione panted lightly as she focused on Lavender's fingers. She had slipped a third finger in and was gently twisting them, ensuring the murtlap covered every millimeter of her. She could barely feel her soreness with the thick ooze soaking into her walls.
"God, that feels good," she whispered, resisting the urge to reach between her legs and guide Lavender's hand.
She suddenly withdrew her fingers. Hermione's eyes shot open in protest, but a moment later two long fingers slid back inside her, coated with more of the balm.
"Slut," Lavender giggled. Her thumb returned to her clit and Hermione sighed and closed her eyes again.
"Harry's cock is perfect, though, isn't it?" Lavender mused, as though they were talking about the weather.
"Yeah," she breathed, subtly pushing her hips into Lavender's thumb. "Perfect."
"Nice and thick, and Merlin, he cums buckets."
"Yeah," she agreed, now truly panting. She spread her legs wider and Lavender slipped a third finger inside her. She hoped her silencing charm would hold. Otherwise Fay and Sally-Anne were going to ask some awkward questions tomorrow.
Lavender planted a kiss on her cheek and whispered in her ear. "You're going to cum, aren't you?"
"Yes, please don't stop."
"I won't. Want to know another secret?"
"What?"
"Parv and I play together sometimes, here in the dorms. We started in second year. You can join us whenever you want."
"Okay," she gasped, on the very edge of release.
Lavender pulled back on the hood of her clit and pressed down firmly with her thumb.
"Oh fuck."
"Found your spot."
Hermione stiffened and then writhed around her fingers. Her moan would have woken the room without the silencing charm.
She came down from her peak slowly, still panting, and stared at the ceiling. "Jesus."
Lavender smiled and wiped the rest of the murtlap from her fingers along Hermione's inner thigh. "Are we good?"
"Yeah, we're good. That was one hell of an apology."
She laughed. "Good. Because I want to see you lose your shit in the Pride again. Don't take it personally when I call you a slag, because I definitely will."
"I won't."
She planted a soft kiss on her lips. "Now go to sleep. I just wanted to make sure your big brain didn't make an even bigger mess of things."
"Thank you, Lavender."
"You're welcome. Slut."
Hermione heard her laughing even after she left the bed and its silencing charm.