It certainly wasn't planned.

Surely, should she get caught, no one would accuse her of trying to listen in on what was going on in the room next door. They'd all just assume she went into the closet for the linens and leave it at that. It's certainly not her fault that the walls in the Burrow are apparently paper-thin. Besides, Bill and Fleur most definitely wouldn't want it brought up, so she knows that no one will say anything because it's just not done and it's embarrassing, isn't it?

Of course, that was all before Ron opened the door and started to say something, stopping when Fleur's very distinctive, very loud, very aroused voice begged Bill to touch her someplace Hermione could only imagine, given the resulting moan of pleasure. She turned as red as Ron's hair, he turned even redder, stepping closer to her and shutting the door behind him.

Which only exacerbated the problem, since the door wouldn't budge from the inside. And because the closet was rather full of towels and bed sheets and quilts and balls of yarn and it wasn't very big to begin with so Hermione was not only squirming a little as Bill's voice sort of whispered in around them but also because Ron, who'd filled out quite nicely over the summer was closer to her than she ever really remembered him being.

"What're you doing in here, Hermione?" He whispered softly, his eyes bright in the darkness.

"Helping your mother, but I got rather…" Fleur moaned softly, whimpering Bill's name in a soft, singsong lilt, interrupting Hermione. "Er…"

Ron grinned and leaned in closer, his breath brushing warmly over her ear. "Distracted?"

"Locked in."

"Oh." His grin widened and he pulled back, silent for a moment as Bill's harsh breathing echoed around them. "Er, that'd be my fault, actually. Ginny used to always tag along everywhere, so I put a locking spell on the closet. Of course, I didn't know what I was doing, so it all went wrong."

"Ron."

He shrugged, his eyes hot on hers. "We let her out eventually."

"Bill…Bill…Bill…" Fleur's voice faded then rose, the sound muffled occasionally. Bill's voice played counterpoint, her name sliding easily off his lips.

"Er, what d'you figure they're doing in there?"

Hermione looked at Ron with wide eyes then looked away, shifting farther from him. "Well, I…"

"Imagine they're naked, don't you?"

"I…I certainly don't know."

"Were you listening to them in here, Hermione? All by yourself?" Ron's voice changed and she looked up at him, surprised by the deeper timbre, the seductive drawl. "Is that why you came in? Because you heard something?"

"No. I…"

"Bill's voice, maybe? Or Fleur saying his name?" Ron was closer though she didn't remember him moving. He towered over her, warmth and strength closing in on her as he reached out, stroking her cheek. "What if I hadn't come in, eh? What would you be doing?"

"Nothing. I…"

"You could have called for help."

"I thought everyone was gone out."

"Everyone but Bill and Fleur." His thumb grazed over her lower lip, her mouth falling open slightly with the gesture. "They would have heard you, rescued you. Of course," he leaned down and licked his lips, the tip of his tongue darting close to Hermione's mouth, "then they would have stopped."

"Taste so sweet," Bill assured Fleur, his voice throaty with need. "I want more."

"You didn't want them to stop, did you?" Ron's mouth was directly over hers, hovering like a bee above a flower swollen with pollen. "Did you like listening to them?"

"Please Bill, please. Please. Please."

Hermione swallowed as Fleur's voice conjured up arched bodies and sweaty skin, her eyes locked on Ron's. She barely managed to tilt her head to nod before he was kissing her, lips parted and warm, hard and firm and wet as his tongue slid into her mouth, tasting her. He lapped and licked at her warmth, discovering every surface as his arms slipped around her, pulling her body hard to his.

Hermione moaned and gasped all at once, her arms wrapped around Ron's neck as he lifted her, pressing her against the wall to hold her against him. Fleur's soft gasp was masked by another as Ron shifted a leg between both of Hermione's, the rough denim of his jeans rasping against the faded fabric of hers.

"He's inside her, Hermione," Ron pressed the words into her skin as he layered heavy kisses along the column of her neck, licking her skin as her body ground down against his thigh. "Thrusting into her deep and hard…"

"Ron," Hermione begged softly, her head tilted back, eyes closed as he fingered the button of her shirt, undoing it and planting a feather-light kiss on the exposed skin, tracing the shape of his lips with his tongue before letting it slide into the slight hollow between her breasts. Her legs wrapped around him and she thrust upward, their bodies colliding as he laced his arms tight around her waist, drawing her even closer. "Please Ron."

"Please, Bill."

"Hermione," Ron murmured against her skin, brushing her shirt aside, allowing even more pale skin to show.

"Fleur."

"Ron." Desperation wove through the short word, gasped in hot pleasure as his teeth closed gently over her nipple, hidden beneath her bra. Her body shuddered and ached, heat coursing through her as she tightened her legs, every muscle quivering. "Oh, God. Ron."

He mumbled something incoherent against her breast, his tongue sweeping over the hard tip again and again as she stilled, her body frozen as heat spilled out of her in a heady rush. The rough sounds of Bill and Fleur faded around them, their cries of pleasure unheard in the pulsing of her own blood.

She stared at Ron; his eyes level with hers as he watched her, pride and satisfaction glowing in the deep blue, knowledge glistening in his sly smile. He brushed a hand against her cheek and watched her shiver before rubbing the tip of his nose over hers and dropping a slow, soft kiss on her lips. "All right?"

She shook her head and offered him a quiet yes as he eased her back onto her feet, still supporting her, still pressed against her. "Ron…"

"We'll talk later," he promised her, digging his wand from his jeans and waving it at the door, whispering a spell just quiet enough to keep her from hearing. He grinned as the door swung open. "I promise."

"But…" She felt dazed and warm and cold and frightened. "But…"

Ron kissed her again, turning his head as he heard Harry call out his name. "Everyone's waiting for me. We've a Quidditch game on."

"But…"

His fingers were rough and gentle against her cheek. "Tonight, okay? We'll talk."

"And you'll kiss me again?"

Ron nodded and tapped her nose with his finger. "That can be arranged."

Hermione watched him as he headed down the stairs, his eyes not the only thing promising to deal with unrequited desire. She smiled and turned to go back to the room she shared with Ginny, blushing as she realized Fleur was standing in the doorway, her hair mussed slightly, her skin flushed. "Er, hello."

Fleur smiled knowingly and nodded, turning back and shutting the bedroom door behind her. Hermione shivered and hurried to her room, closing the door and falling on the bed, shutting her eyes to keep the real world at bay a little while longer.