I woke up the next morning with the strangest, yet most replenished feeling I had felt in a long time.

It was a morning like any other, just barely past 7am and the sunlight was peaking in. The whole house was still quiet, besides the fact that I knew the kitchen staff was probably already up and working on today's breakfast. But there was just something else in the air. 

Getting out of bed and stretching, I felt a smile slip onto my lips as I walked to the bathroom with the feeling still following me. I was still going over everything that had happened yesterday, but somehow I already knew things had changed today. For the better.

And maybe that's why the feeling in my stomach told me today was going to be a different kind of day. 

Forty-five minutes later, I was showered, dressed and ready for a new day as I headed downstairs for breakfast. I passed the hall and automatically glanced towards the office door where I knew he would be. The door was closed, but he was probably already up, working on one of his problems. 

Turning and walking into the dining room, I surprised the staff by taking my breakfast in the kitchen where all the warm food was still filling up the room with its mouth-watering scents. The chef had made crepes today it would seem, with a soft boiled egg on the side and a few toasted slices of bread. I think today's breakfast was French-themed. 

I had only just settled by one of kitchen counters with a plate of crepes and was talking to the chef when the kitchen doors opened. Giselle, the French maid, walked in with an empty breakfast tray balanced in her hands and smiled to the kitchen staff. When she spotted me, she smiled at me as well, a smile which I returned. "Good morning!"

"Mornin'," I replied and chewed off a bite as I watched Giselle walk up to the sink with the dirty dishes. There was a pot of tea and a used tea bag laying on the saucer. "Is that... is he awake?"

"Oh, he's awake alright," She shook her head with a little, almost disproving sigh. "He actually asked me to find you and deliver a message."

"Oh?" I raised a brow when it peaked my interest. 

"He told me to tell you to come to his office when you're awake and ready."

Well, this was going to be interesting. He had never asked me to come to his office before, other than the time I had come to borrow his book. Then of course he did ask me to come to him whenever I solved whatever he gave me, but this was different. He specifically asked me to come to his office this morning. I wondered why?

"Well, I better mosey then," I declared with a last bite of my crepe. It was like eating porn. "Thank you for the breakfast, Jean. Keep this up and I'm gonna be thanking you for my round ass."

Jean laughed from the stove, but then I was off. I left the kitchen with an excited feeling in my chest, but also a curious, mystified sensation tingling in my stomach. Just what exactly was I walking into?

I reached his office and knocked the door three times and then waited only a second before I heard his call to enter. I twisted the doorknob and then held my breath as I walked in. 

I wasn't wrong to have assumed something was different today. Everywhere in Harry's office was a mess to begin with, but today was an even bigger mess as files, papers and folders were opened and scattered around in random patterns. I would've suspected a robbery or at least an attempt of one, if it wasn't for the fact that the culprit of this mess was sitting behind his desk, wearing the same clothes as he did last night. 

I glanced around his office, a bit stunted, but slowly came closer nonetheless when Harry seemed to ignore me, staring up at his blackboard. He was sitting in his chair, simply just looking up at his board with a concentrated look, as if he was deep within the problem written up there. On his desk in front of him laid seven manila folders, all with a number on it ranging from 1 to 7. 

"Soo... I'm guessing you didn't go to sleep last night," I stated, watching the folders. I presumed each folder contained something that pertained to the number, but what that was was yet to be discovered.

After another moment, Harry finally tore his gaze away from his blackboard and spun his chair towards me. His shirt was wrinkled, the same one from yesterday, and his hair wasn't the usual combed perfection I loved messing up. Instead, it looked like he hadn't even showered or shaved yet. If the stubbles on his chin were any clue. 

"Last night gave me an idea," He then spoke. I met his eyes when he looked up at me, folding his hands on the table. "You said you wanted real help, but I've told you time and time again I won't tutor you."

"Right," I confirmed. 

"So in leu of that, I made you folders that'll allow you to teach yourself."

"... what?" I slowly said, watching him slide the seven folders on his desk towards me. The folders were for me? "How do you figure?"

"You seemed to respond well to my calculative methods when I gave you my notes to study," He told, suddenly opening his drawer. He pulled the little black book out he had let me read a couple of days ago, the one that in my opinion was a revolutionary new way of doing math. "So I compiled a number of my old notes and transformed them into seven lessons that each come with an assignment. Each folder has some reading material I want you to study thoroughly before you complete the assignment that comes provided with the lesson. Once you've completed the assignment, I will then read it and see if I deem you ready for the next folder."

I stood still for a moment, simply just taking this in. This was everything that I had wanted, short of having him actually sit down beside me and help me. But somehow this was... better? "You're telling me... you spent all night... making up these assignments for me, just so I can study right without you?" I couldn't believe I had actually managed to break through to him last night. He really listened when I said enough games. "And you still won't call it tutoring?" I added with a little grin.

"I could tutor you, but I don't think you'd be able to concentrate."

My eyes had briefly drifted down to the opening in his shirt where the first few buttons were undone and his tie had been loosened. The shameless, pussy-teasing sight of his Adam's apple moving as he talked and had me hypnotized for a few seconds. At his words, my eyes flew up to see the knowing look in his eyes. Caught redhanded.

"Or maybe it'd be you that wouldn't be able to concentrate," I countered, lowering my voice a little and smirking mischievously. At that, I saw his eyes flip up. 

His lips twitched shortly, but then his tired eyes lowered to the first folder again. He pushed it towards me with designation. "Get to work. Come back to me when you're done."

I chuckled and grabbed the first folder from the table. "Aye-aye," I cheered, before looking at him with a little smirk. "...Professor."

He chuckled silently, but then shook his head before he spun away on his chair to face his blackboard once again. I grinned a last time, but then followed his lead and turned to get back to work. 

I was right. Today was going to be a good day. 

~~~

The first assignment took me eight hours to complete, with breaks. I spent all day doing math, despite the fact that I normally hated math. I wouldn't say I had started to love it, but with the papers Harry had given me, he had changed my perspective on how to perceive it. The only reason I had hated math was because it didn't make sense to me. But Harry's notes... they gave sense to everything. 

It took me some time to understand, especially since I was learning all of this on my own, but paired with his examples and explanations of the problems, I somehow managed to understand. After a couple of hours of rehearsing and understanding it fully, I finally flipped to the assignment that followed within and started writing up what the assignment demanded. 

Eight hours later, I was finally done, after checking over everything five times, just to make sure I was satisfied with my work. I couldn't believe I was actually proud of myself, but I was. Three months ago, I never would've been able to solve this kind of math, but Harry's notes (or just Harry) made everything so much easier to comprehend. 

Walking down to his office, I checked the clock and saw it was late in the afternoon. Dinner would be served in a couple of hours, but I supposed that meant I got to spend those hours relaxing before I started my next assignment tomorrow. 

Knocking on his door, I walked in before I heard his 'come in' and strode in with a smile on my face, ready to announce my first victory. I was then stopped in my track when I found his study... empty. 

Huh. Kind of anticlimactic. 

It was then my ear caught the faint sound of a shower running, and I immediately deduced he had to have finally surrendered to the water. Better late than never, but then I presumed he had to have spent some hours during the day catching up on some sleep.

I walked behind the protruding bookshelf and into his room, passing his messy, mathematically-graffitied walls and headed straight for his bathroom instead. I didn't knock, but instead strode right in. 

"I finished it," I announced, the second I was inside the foggy bathroom. My eyes turned towards the glass shower stall where, behind the condensation, I could faintly make out the shape of my mathematician. 

When I walked towards the shower stall and tapped a knuckle against the glass, he wiped his face down and turned towards me with a pursed lip. Then, looking down at the folder in my hand, he opened the shower stall. 

I should've been focused on the naked, ridiculously handsome man in front of me, and some part of my brain was enjoying the sight of his wet chest and the fine chest hairs, but the majority of my mind was focused on his hand as he reached out with a wet palm and grabbed the file from me. He opened it and then briefly leafed through it, his brows pinching into that concentrated crease. When he made it to the assignment, he looked at it for a moment, before closing the folder again. 

"Good job," He announced, handing the folder back to me, which I took with a bright smile. "Put it on my desk, I'll read it when I'm done here."

"Do tell if you need help," I teased when he closed the shower stall again and stepped under the water. When he didn't reply, but merely combed his hands through his hair, I sighed and walked out, only a little disappointed. 

Okay, maybe a little more than just a little. There really should be a reward system with these assignments. Like, one assignment equaled one orgasm. I didn't think that sounded too bad. 

Walking out past his bedroom, I laid the file on his desk as told and then waited in his chair when I really had nothing else to do. I could've gone upstairs to my room and rested for a few moments, maybe even done a quick face mask or watched an episode of something on Netflix, but a part of me wanted to stay here. Today had been such a good day, and I didn't want it to end. I finally felt like I was getting somewhere.

– I was moving towards my goal. 

The shower stopped running about three after I walked out, and I then waited an extra ten minutes while I listened to him finish up. The second the bathroom door opened, I closed my eyes and fought the urge to walk back into his bedroom as I listened to him put on his clothes. It really seemed pointless this late in the day, putting on clothes, and I felt the need to go and point that out and maybe suggest things to do where one needed no clothes at all. 

Goddamn, me and my pussy really had been spoiled too much lately. It was so easy to get addicted to good dick, wasn't it.

Finally and thankfully, Harry walked out of his bedroom right then, just as I was contemplating going in there and jumping him. He walked out, looking as clean and as edible as ever, with his neatly combed hair and ironed clothes. He was fixing his sleeves as he walked out and laid eyes on me sitting in his chair. 

"I hope you don't mind me waiting here," I said, not really caring if he minded. I was excited to get my result, but even more excited to hear if I had qualified to the next assignment.

"I did say make yourself at home when you arrived here," He said and then fixed his tie before walking up to me. I smirked up at him when he glanced at his chair, waiting for me to give it up. "But if you want me to look over your assignment, I'm going to need my chair back."

"It would seem like it, wouldn't it," I smirked teasingly, but still didn't move. I stayed another few moments, simply staring up at him and testing his patience. He kept looking down at me as well with a faint tug on his lip. Oh, what I would've give to know what he was thinking sometimes...

Finally, after a last moment, I sighed and got up, allowing him to move forward and take the seat for himself. He scooted up to his desk and then grabbed my assignment from the folder. His glasses laid on the table, and after sliding them on, I watched almost excitedly and curiously as he started reading my answers. 

I doubted I would impress him, but maybe I just might surprise him? A girl could only hope. 

If me staring at him while he read my assignment was bothering him, he didn't show it. He simply turned the page and read the last of my answers with a concentrated look. Finally, after what felt like forever, he laid it down and took his glasses off. 

"Well?" I said, almost jumping at the bit. "Did I pass or not?"

He pursed his lips for a second, but then slowly looked up at me. He cracked a smile. "Congratulations, Ms Berry. You passed the first round."

I threw my hands into the air and made a hard fist bump as pride fucking slammed into me. I couldn't stop smiling and looked happily at Harry who chuckled. "I got it right? All of it?"

"This time, yes. I think I forgot to mention each assignment gets harder every time."

I had almost naturally expected that, but if I hadn't been able to solve even the first one, that would've been sincerely bad. I took this one as a win and a great start to a long week. "I expected nothing less. So do I qualify for the next one?"

I automatically looked towards the next folder on his desk, and as hoped, Harry reached out and grabbed folder number 2. With a simple push, he slid it over to me. "Take your time with it. This is not a race, it's to help you build memory of methods."

"Thank you," I snatched the folder and already felt oddly excited to see what the next challenge was going to be. I never thought I would be excited to do math. Me – math. 

Harry merely smiled and then slid on his glasses again before he stood up. "Get back to work then. There's still some time before dinner."

Man, this guy really never took any breaks. I watched him as he turned towards his blackboard and picked up his chalk, already starting up work himself. It seemed every hour of the day and night was work hours for him. 

As for myself, I fully intended to give myself a few hours to cool my brain down so it didn't crash and burn. Or more specifically, so my motivation wouldn't crash and burn. 

"Actually, I was thinking I would go down and have a little dip in the pool to relax for a moment before dinner," I said and walked around the desk, towards him. I watched as his forehead crunched into a concentrated frown as he started to bury himself in his work. There he went. "I don't suppose offering you to join me would work, would it?" 

His lips twitched a little, but he then started writing numbers and symbols on his blackboard that instantly made me crosseyed. "No."

I sighed, but I couldn't say I was surprised. "Alright then." I started walking towards the door, but then halted when a thought popped into my mind. "It worked once, though."

I shot a smirk at him when I saw his hand pause up mid-writing.

I then walked out and left the door slightly ajar as I walked upstairs to change into my bathing suit. 

Hoping the hint was too obvious to miss.

• • •

Even I wouldn't have missed that one.