The Library, of course!

Hermione tightened her grip on Harry’s waist as they crept forwards. She could still remember all three of them sneaking around under this same invisibility cloak in their first year at Hogwarts. Now, as adults, they barely fit under the cloak, and she had to press herself right against Harry’s back, as they shuffled down the corridors. Never before had they had tension between them like this, either. Hermione kept trying to ignore the fact that she had kissed her best friend for the first time just minutes ago – and that it had been good, too. Really good. But every time she stumbled and pushed her breasts into Harry’s back, she couldn’t help but think of it.

After what seemed like miles, they arrived at the library.

“Hominem revelio,” muttered Harry, pausing for a second. “We’re good.”

They threw off the invisibility cloak, and split apart. Hermione took a few deep breaths, as she savoured the smell of her favourite place in the school, letting some of the tension seep out of her.

“The restricted section,” she nodded, and they walked over to the door.

“Alohamo-” began Harry, but Hermione stopped his wand.

“They upped the security,” she chided. “And besides.” She drew out a large iron key, which she inserted into the doors. They opened smoothly before her. “Saving the world comes with its perks.”

“How come they gave you a key, and not me or Ron?”

Hermione shrugged, a smirk touching her lips as she turned away from him, before casting muffiliato.

“This library is almost as ancient as Hogwarts itself,” the brunette announced. “I’ve been in the restricted section a fair few times since first year, and there are secrets that even McGonagall doesn’t know about.”

“Such as?” asked Harry.

Wordlessly, Hermione turned and tapped four books with her wand, in much the same way as one did to enter Diagon Alley. For a second, nothing happened. Then a low rumbling became audible, as the bookshelf split down the middle, shuddering apart to reveal a stone doorway outlined in the door.

“Alohamora!” pointed Harry. The hidden door remained very much closed. “It was worth a try,” he sheepishly told Hermione.

“I’ve been trying to open it for the past few months,” she smiled. “I wasn’t sure what’s behind it - until I looked more closely at the decorations.”

Harry stepped closer to the doorway, examining the ornate carvings along its upper edge.

“Ew – bloody hell, Hermione,” he jumped back, trying to rub the image from his eyes. The decorations were, in fact, illustrations of very lude and very graphic copulations. The top edge depicted the love of a man and a woman; the right edge two men; the left edge two women; and Hermione’s least favourite, the bottom edge, showed men and women associating with various centaurs, werewolves, and all manner of creatures. If one watched for long enough, the images would slowly move. Hermione had spent a shameful night – well, two shameful nights – entranced, watching the miniatures along the upper edge.

“So, this door has something to do with sexual magic,” guessed Harry.

Hermione nodded. “Lavender surely found the recipe for Essence of Eros on the other side of this door.”

“But if you’ve not been able to open it after months of trying, I doubt Lavender could ever do it,” frowned Harry.

“Well – tonight I realised something new. Something Lavender may have done that I haven’t.” As Harry looked at her inquisitively, she glanced at her feet awkwardly. “I don’t think the decorations are just decorations. I think they’re instructions.”