A Gentle Invitation

An actor RPF story by Amatia



Kiss the sweet that drips from open cells--
apple, almond, peach-perfumed, whatever

blossoming orchard gorged the dozing hive--
half a moment, and I'll be satisfied.
  - from Zeno's Paradox, or My Mother's Forsythia by Joyce Peseroff

 

RPF: Rupert Grint/Keira Knightley/Emma Watson

 

She's been Hermione so long that she's almost forgotten what it feels like to be no one other than Emma. To leave her hair its natural color, to ignore her schoolwork in favor of a football match on the telly. They're never without a chaperone on the set despite all being of age, and she really just wants a few moments to slump down on the oversized chair in something other than her Hermione outfit and breathe for awhile without anyone knocking on her dressing room door. The Leavesden sets are never warm enough, and production is too worried about the actual movie to get anyone a space heater, so she hauls a blanket from home one weekend while they're doing Chamber and it stays with her all through Prisoner and into Goblet.

She's just snuggled in with an assignment when there's a knock on the door. "Come in!"

It's Rupert, still in his Ron clothes and clutching a stack of books. "Hey."

"Hi. What's going on?"

"Not much. I just stopped by to ask if you wanted to come out with Keira and me this Saturday," Rupert says, leaning against the doorframe. "It'll be fun. Kee's always complaining that she never gets to see you."

Rupert's girlfriend was older than them by a couple years. How she and Rupert had gotten together was a subject of a lot of gossip around the set. Rupert usually just grinned and refused to tell. "We're just going to a pub down the road a bit," he continues, "but you should come. I daresay it'll be warmer there than this dressing room."

Emma chucks a pillow in his direction. "Very funny."

"You'll come with, then?"

"You know I'm a horrible pushover," she replies, nodding.

"Fantastic! Saturday at six, Keira will pick us up."

"Here?"

"Yeah; we're here 'til five anyway."

Emma groans. "Damn, I'd forgotten about that."

Rupert makes a sympathetic face and hits the doorframe lightly with his hand. "I'll see you."

"Yeah." He leaves and she turns back to her French assignment.

***

Keira's waiting outside the studio in her sleek black sportscar. "Hey Em," she says, leaning sideways around the seat to kiss Emma on the cheek before kissing Rupert on the lips. "I'm glad he talked you into coming with us."

"Better than lazing about the hotel," Emma replies.

Keira puts the car into gear and leans on the gas. "Near anything is better than being bored in a hotel, darling," she shouts over the road of the engine as they zoom down the road. "Even if our pictures might be in the papers tomorrow!" Emma groans and slides down in the seat. Keira laughs. "I' m kidding, Em," she says, "every time we've been there they generally ignore us."

"I hope so," Emma moans.

Rupert reaches around the seat to pat her leg. "Trust us, no one will blink an eye."

He's right about the pub being just down the road; Keira squeals the tires as she pulls into the lot. "God, I love this car," she says to Emma. "Sequel money is the best kind."

Emma laughs. "My parents are adamant about not spending any of my pay unless it's absolutely necessary."

"Oh, this baby was necessary." Keira kisses her fingers and touches the dash before getting out of the car. She hooks one arm through Rupert's and the other through Emma's. Emma thinks Keira is gorgeous. And fun. Rupert wouldn' t date her if she wasn't fun to be with.

The pub is mostly deserted and Rupert heads straight for the bar. Keira leads Emma to a horseshoe-shaped booth in the back, their arms still linked together. "Have a seat," Keira says, gesturing for Emma to slide in. Rupert appears with three pints and sits down. Emma ends up in the middle.

"So what's new, Em?" Keira asks, swinging her legs up onto the seat next to Rupert and crossing them at the ankle.

"Not a bloody thing," Emma sighs. "You?"

"Enjoying some free time. Wandering around London, really. Rupert, you should bring Emma with the next time you come down. We'll have a girls' night."

"And just would I do at your girls' night?" Rupert asks, grinning.

Keira looks at Emma and raises an eyebrow. "I rather think you'll be making the popcorn," she says, and Emma throws her head back and laughs.

"I think that's a good job for him," she replies, and sips her beer.

Rupert rolls his eyes. "Women!"

Keira giggles and squeezes Emma's arm. "It's a plan then, darling?"

Emm's finding it incredibly endearing that Keira calls everyone and their great-aunt 'darling'. "Yes."

***

They're nearly to Keira's when Rupert thinks to ask if she's brought an overnight bag. "Of course," Emma replies, raising an eyebrow at him. "As if I'd wear the same thing all weekend?"

"I'm sure Kee would lend you something," he says.

"But you forget she's thinner and taller."

"Well, then I'd lend you something," Rupert says firmly. "Just not my toothbrush."

"Gross!"

Rupert laughs and turns the corner. "This is it," he announces, slowing and then parking.

Keira opens the door with a brilliant smile, wearing men's pajamas with piping that are slightly too large for her. She greets Emma with a kiss and Rupert with a longer kiss, and Emma figures out that those are Rupert's pajamas.

It doesn't quite click with the Rupert she knows, but he's never said too much about Keira other than that she was his girlfriend. "Hi," she says to Keira, setting down her bag. "Thanks for inviting me."

"Of course! Now, I've rented movies and there's wine, and Rupert's in charge of the popcorn." Keira puts a hand on her hip and the pajama top slides down over her shoulder. "I don't think I've forgotten anything."

"I don't see how you could have," Rupert replies, kissing her neck and going into the kitchen.

"Where's your television?" Emma asks, not seeing it in the sitting room.

"It's in the bedroom; I have this thing about laying in bed while I watch telly." Keira gives her an apologetic smile. "I hope you don't mind."

"No."

"Come on then, we'll leave Rupert to wait on us."

"I heard that!" Rupert shouts from the kitchen. Emma can smell popcorn.

Keira shoves open the bedroom door with her foot. "The bed's quite large, you won't have to snuggle if you don't want to."

Emma takes off her shoes. "Well, Rupert's one of my best friends and you're exceedingly lovely, so I don't think it's worth the worry."

Keira laughs and hugs her quickly. "You're sweet. Come and snuggle, then." She kicks off her slippers and crawls up to the pillows, then pats the spot next to her. "I promise not to bite unless you ask."

Emma realizes with a shiver that Keira is openly flirting with her. "But what would Rupert say?"

Keira's smile is wicked. "He'd likely want to watch."

Emma shivers again and climbs up beside Keira. Rupert comes in clutching a bowl of popcorn. "I'll get the wine," he says, and hands the bowl to Keira.

"I hope you don't mind subtitles," Keira says to Emma. "I rented Un long dimanche de fiancailles because I've been just dying to see it and haven't been home enough to watch."

Emma shakes her head. "I'm not one of those people who think reading and movies don't mix," she says, and Keira laughs.

Rupert comes back with a tray bearing three glasses and a bottle of wine. "I opened the white because it won't stain," he says to Keira, pouring it.

"I have trained you well," Keira sighs, and accepts a glass. "Hurry up so I can start the movie!"

"You're so demanding," he says with a grin, and reaches past her to hand Emma a glass of wine. "Again you're in the middle," he says to her.

"I'll move if -"

"I didn't mean it like that." Rupert sets his glass on the bedside table and swings his bare feet up on the bed. "You're fine," he says to Emma.

"Shh," Keira hisses, and aims the remote.

***

Emma would never admit it to her French tutor, but most foreign films made her drowsy. Daniel had lent her some movie about a stolen bicycle once and she had read up on it online just in case he'd tried to make conversation about it since she'd fallen asleep halfway through.

Tonight she isn't sure if it's the movie, or the fact that Rupert had just opened a third bottle of wine, or that Keira's popcorn-butter slicked fingers are curled around hers. The bedroom is a little cold and she's cuddled up close to Keira, who halfway through the movie had absently murmured to Emma to go change into her nightclothes and then tucked a blanket around them when she came back. Rupert's sitting with his back against a stack of pillows, one hand wrapped around a glass of wine and the other hand resting on Emma's hip, holding Keira's free hand. He's somehow gained possession of the remote as well as Keira's wineglass.

"Rupert, rewind," Keira murmurs, not moving, and Emma squints at the telly. The credits are rolling.

Rupert sets his glass aside and fumbles with the remote. "I'll take this stuff back out to the kitchen," he yawns, sounding slightly drunk. He gathers the wine things and the popcorn bowl and shuffles out of the room.

"Where am I sleeping?" Emma asks, feeling rather unwilling to abandon her warm, comfortable spot.

"In here, of course," Keira replies as if there was never a doubt as to where Emma would be spending the night. "You're only allowed to move if nature calls," she says with a firm, yet obviously tipsy, nod.

Emma giggles. She's lightheaded herself. "Okay."

Keira moves forward a bit, rolling Emma onto her back and throwing a leisurely leg over Emma's hip. "I'm going to kiss you now," she says, her mouth hovering above Emma's.

"Okay," Emma breathes, and Keira's mouth comes down..

The popcorn salt on Keira's lips is the first thing Emma tastes. She licks it off. Keira's hands curl around her wrists.

Emma tilts her head up a little more, slides her hands over Keira's back. Whether it's a lack of oxygen or an excess of wine, she's feeling dizzy. Maybe it's just Keira, with her tongue flicking between Emma's lips until Emma opens her mouth with a whimper.

The taste of the chardonnay next, and a morsel of popcorn that had been trapped against Keira's cheek. Emma swallows it. Tangles her fingers in Keira's hair. Keira moans and her hips knock down against Emma's.

Vaguely, she hears someone drawl, "You girls weren't kidding about leaving me out."

Keira laughs against Emma's lips and Emma can't help but laugh too. Keira rolls sideways, taking Emma with her part of the way, and they grin up at Rupert, who shakes his head at them and chuckles. Emma kisses Keira's chin because it's right there in front of her. "You were warned," Keira says lazily to him, and claims Emma's mouth again.

The slight feeling of comfort through repetition is cancelled out by the anticipation of knowing Rupert is openly watching them this time, but kissing Keira is as delightful as Keira herself and Emma relaxes into the kiss. Keira's tongue licks hers and she moans. The bed dips as Rupert sits down next to Keira and Emma can tell he's doing something but she's too lost in the kiss to care. He gets up again a moment later and Keira's legs come back bare to wrap around Emma's. "Scoot over," Keira whispers, kissing her neck.

They manage to move still tangled together. Emma hears Rupert come back. The lights go out, and he gets in next to Keira, who's breathing against the hollow of Emma's throat.

***

The room is bright with sunlight when Emma wakes up in the morning to the sight of Keira still asleep next to her, the pajama top half unbuttoned and exposing a smooth expanse of white skin and just a hint of one rosy-pink nipple.

Emma's fairly sure nothing happened last night beyond the kisses she and Keira had shared, but she checks under the covers to make sure she's still wearing everything she went to bed with. Her nightgown has ridden up where Keira's bare leg is hooked over hers, but even her socks are still on.

The door opens and Rupert comes in, managing three mugs in only two hands, and wearing the pajama bottoms that Keira is missing. "Wake her up for me, would you?" he asks Emma.

Emma starts to ask why he doesn't do it himself, but then nods in understanding. And somewhere between painfully and pleasantly aware of Rupert's eyes on them, she curls around Keira. "Wake up, Kee," she whispers, her lips brushing Keira's ear. "Rupert's brought us tea."

"And it's bloody hot," Rupert adds helpfully.

Keira rolls over in one long, slow motion and looks up at Emma. They're scant millimeters apart. "Morning, darling," she says huskily.

Emma leans in to kiss her sweetly, leaving no space between them at all.


 

 

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