A/N: Happy Birthday, Harry!

Better Than Cake

Hermione fidgeted with her phone again. She had lost count of how many times she had checked the time since she had sat down. Her leg bounced with nervous energy as she took a sip of water and looked around. She had been telling herself to play it cool; that it was just another Friday night drink after work. Even if it was their birthday, this was always the plan. Tomorrow, James would be lighting up the grill with Sirius and Remus, Lily would be lighting the candles on the cake she made, and they would all be knocking beers back to celebrate.

Tonight though… Tonight was Hermione's.

She lunged at her phone the second it lit up only to sigh when she saw the message that came through was from Luna and not Harry himself.

Relax. He'll be there and he'll love your gift.

Hermione scoffed as she read the text and took another deep breath as she sent a quick reply back and exited out of her messages again.

Realistically, she knew she had nothing to worry about. They had been friends since they had first met on the playground. They had grown up together and no matter how many other people had come and gone out of their lives, he always stayed. Even when their lives took different turns after they graduated high school. Instead of drifting apart, he had helped her move into her dorm. And during her last four years earning her degree, he visited as often as he could. Anytime they had a break, he was there. And if he couldn't make it, she made sure she went to him. Even after she graduated, he was the one that helped her move again and settle into her own flat.

There were a lot of almosts in their past. A lot of looks and accidental touches that set her skin on fire. A lot of late night conversations and inside jokes that no one else would ever understand. A few lingering looks and thoughts that raced through her mind. There had been a few clear instances where one of them would start to lean in, but she recalled pulling away just as often as he did.

Did she want it? Yes. Was she terrified of losing her best friend if it went wrong? Absolutely.

But after years of living in fear and keeping one another at arm's length, Hermione was ready. There was still a sliver of doubt in the back of her mind. A part of her that kept saying she was misreading his signals; that he wouldn't want her. That she had missed her chance.

She had brought all of these doubts up and more to Luna a few days prior. Luna had merely waved her off and told her she was mad if she thought for one second Harry would ever reject her. That it could be a hundred years later and he would still say yes before she even finished asking. And that Hermione would do the same in a heartbeat. That there was a reason neither one of them had ever dated anyone in a serious manner. They never made time for anyone but each other.

Hermione shifted in her seat, feeling strange in her new get-up Luna had talked her into. Not that anyone could see it under her dress, but it was a racy number she would have never looked at twice otherwise. It was the one- and probably the only- time she would wear a thong. Both it and the matching demi bra were nude with a lacy red overlay; Harry's favorite color.

Just imagining the look on his face when he saw it made Hermione's face heat up.

It only made sense that Harry chose that exactly moment to plop into the seat across from her. She jumped and blushed harder at the look he gave her. "What'd I miss?" he asked, looking around with a lifted brow.

"Nothing."

"Always were a shit liar," he said with a smirk as he tilted his head. "Out with it, Hermione."

She shook her head and tucked her hair behind her ears as she swallowed hard. "Drop it, Harry," she said, giving him that tone of warning he knew better than to argue with.

He chuckled under his breath, but let it drop. "Sorry I'm late. Guys at the office planned a little something."

"You could have gone out with them if you wanted."

He grinned as he shook his head and reached across the table to take her hands in his. "As if I would ever cancel on you."

Her breath caught in her throat as she glanced down. Her entire body tingled as she imagined if the rest of her body would tingle from the simplest of touches.

Hermione tried not to let her disappointment show when he let go of her as a server came by to take their order. It was a courtesy, of course. Most everyone that worked at this place knew who they were and that their order rarely changed. Either way, chatting with a friendly face did wonders for Hermione's nerves and once she had her drink, the alcohol helped too. All she had to do was pace herself.

"So," Harry said after the first sip of his beer. "How was your day?"

Hermione felt horrible asking Harry to cut their night short, but if she wanted to give him his gift before his birthday was officially over, they needed to get back to her flat. Especially since he insisted on always taking the long way. At first, she had thought he just liked to drive, but Luna had pointed out that he never did that with her or any of their other friends. That she was certain he did it because he wanted to spend as much time with her as humanly possible.

Hermione's heart had skipped a beat the first time she realized it for herself. That he ended the long drive with an unnecessary walk to her door where he would linger next to her on her stoop. They would talk about absolutely nothing while he played with his keys until one of them caved and called it a night. It would always end in an awkward moment where neither wanted to say goodbye, but they would part at the same time. Lately, Hermione turned away first; three words pressing hard against lips she kept sealed tight.

She smiled to herself as he pulled up to her building and parked in his usual spot. She didn't bother opening her door or getting out; he had made it clear he liked being a gentleman in that regard. When he was there to escort her, she held his hand and got to her feet. Her heart skipped another beat when he tucked her arm into his and walked her to her door. This time, instead of letting them linger, she invited him right almost right away.

The flash of surprise in his eyes made her stomach flutter.

Promising she would be right back, she left him to his own devices in her living room. She had to keep herself from running down the hall to her room so she could freshen up in the bathroom. After a small pep talk in the mirror, she shed her dress and touched up her make-up. With a final nod to her reflection, she took a deep breath and made her way back to Harry.

He had his back to her when she stepped around the corner. She watched him for a moment as he ran his fingers over the spines of the books she had added to her bookcase. It amused her that he could tell when something was new and seeing the small smile that tugged at his lips made her own face light up. But watching him wasn't what she wanted to do for the rest of the night. So with another deep breath, she cleared her throat, alerting him to her return.

He turned back to her and did a double take at her. His lips parted and his eyes widened as he took in the sight of her.

"H-Hermione?" His eyes jumped to hers as his voice broke in surprise.

She could feel heat on her cheeks as she gave him a small smile of her own. "Happy birthday, Harry."

There was a long silence between them before she forced herself to take a step forward. As she crossed the room, it felt as though she was gliding. When she stopped before him, she heard his breath hitch. She smiled up at him through her lashes as the apple of his throat bobbed. "This…" he shook his head and tore his gaze away from her chest. His cheeks turned the faintest shade of red as he brought one hand up to rub at the back of his neck. "Is this for real?" he asked.

She gave a slight nod and reached out. Her fingers landed on the waistband of his jeans and began to tremble as she thread the button through the loop. "Unless you don't-"

His fingers circled her wrists to keep her from pulling away. "I do," he whispered, smirking down at her. Slowly, his hands came up until he was cupping her face. "I want you more than anything."

With that, his lips descended over hers. Hermione felt it everywhere; from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. A tingle coursed through her like a shiver as their lips moved against one another's over and over again. The moment her lips parted to deepen the kiss, her fingers tugged at his zipper. Harry groaned into her mouth; his tongue brushing hers as her fingers curled around the waistband of his clothes. With a moan of her own, Hermione pushed forward, making the backs of Harry's knees hit the couch. He went down with a thud, but Hermione pulled away instead of going with him.

He stared up at her; his eyes darkening as they held contact as she dropped to a kneel between his legs. He said nothing as she reached for his clothes again and began to tug them down. He lifted his hips so she could work them off so he was bare from the waist down. His head tipped back slightly as she wrapped her fingers around his length. She could feel him growing beneath her palm and she smirked at him as she leaned in. A hiss sounded above her as she wrapped her lips around the head of his cock. A sound that quickly turned into a groan as she slowly took him into her mouth as deep as she could.

Hermione hummed around him when his hand sought out to sweep her hair away. The series of noises she heard him make spurred her on. She had thought it would have been awkward to bridge the gap between friends to lovers. She thought nerves would get the best of them and they would be shy. If she were honest with herself, she wasn't even sure either one of them would get to this point before they became too embarrassed and tried to run away.

But now that the moment was here and they were in the thick of it, Hermione was the most comfortable she had ever been. It was as if they had been intimate this entire time. It didn't feel as though this were the first time she had ever been on her knees for him. Or the first time he had ever seen her in her knickers. In fact, the more pleasure she gave him, the more she experienced herself.

His groans became more frequent, just as his hold on her hair tightened. His hips lifted slightly as she bobbed her head up and down, allowing him to slide along her tongue with every pass. She could feel him pulse and twitch along her tongue too, indicating he was close to his release. She had every intention of carrying on until he was spilling himself down her throat, but he had other ideas. With a soft tug to her hair as he whispered her name, he finally lifted her off of him and pulled her over his lap.

With one hand diving into her curls, pulling her lips down to his, his other hand crept between them to pull her knickers to the side. They groaned in unison as his fingers slipped through her sodden folds. Having found her more than ready, they adjusted their positions so he could line himself up with her entrance and sheathe himself inside of her.

Hermione brought her hands up to his shoulders where she gripped the fabric tight. She nipped at his lower lip, dragging it out as she pulled back. When she let go of him, her head tipped back, giving him access to the column of her throat. As he nipped at her skin, his hands slid around her back to unclasp her bra. He worked it down her arms and tossed it away where it landed with a soft thud somewhere else in the room. She rocked her hips in time with his thrusts, moaning softly as he dropped a hand between them to toy with her clit.

As he dragged his teeth over the curve of her shoulder, she reached up to cup the back of his head and keep him there. She called his name like a mantra as their rhythm fell out of sync. Her eyes squeezed shut and the next thing she knew, they were both reaching for the stars.

When she started to come back into her senses, she settled her hips carefully back down, enjoying the way he continued to twitch inside of her. He planted soft kisses along her neck as he worked his way up to her jaw and eventually her lips. He kissed her deeply as they continued to catch their breath and when he softened and slipped out of her with a groan, he rested his forehead against hers.

"So...was this just for my birthday or is this a gift that will keep on giving?" he asked, his breath still on the ragged side.

Hermione laughed as she buried her face into the crook of his shoulder. "As long as you want, Harry. I'm not going anywhere."

"Good," he murmured as his hands idly stoked her back. "I wonder," he whispered after a moment, one hand sliding down to land on her thigh.

"What?" she asked, her breath hitching.

He said nothing; choosing to smirk instead. She shuddered as his hand continued to glide along her skin. She sucked a breath between her teeth as his fingers slid between her folds, coating themselves in their combined slick. He brought it up between them and spread it across her lips, pausing for half a second before he leaned in to kiss her; the taste of their releases flavoring their kiss. He moaned into her mouth and kissed her harder, leaving no part of her mouth unexplored.

"Just as I thought," he murmured against her lips. "Better than cake."

Her laugh turned into a gasp of surprise as he tightened his hold on her and pushed up to his feet. With her securely in his arms, he brought them to her room and laid her out on the bed where he spent the rest of the night enjoying his gift.

A/N: This was written for the HappyBirthdayMisterPotter collection over on AO3! Make sure you go check those out as well! Feel free to join the group: Harmony & Co They are the ones hosting the collection :)

This fic was also heavily inspired by the song "Friends Don't" by Maddie and Tae

Maybe just a little bit of "Cake" by Rhianna and Chris Brown lol

If you would like to, come on over and join my FB group: madrose_writing for sneak-peeks!