Hermione's Plan
Tales of Two Horcruxes
By Chem Prof
Chapter 16, Tales of Two Horcruxes
Still Monday, July 28
Harry and Hermione returned to Grimmauld Place to find the situation on the edge of chaos. Kreacher had returned with the locket and as instructed, had placed it back into the case in the drawing room. However, he had then stayed firmly planted in the room next to the display case, still muttering about ‘thiefs’ and ‘presents’ and something about the locket being ‘precious’. When Bill had cast the Horcrux detection spell the old house elf had gone mad, throwing them out of the room and sealing it off.
Bill had sent Ginny off with Fleur, making good on his determination to keep her away from the Horcrux, and now he, Remus, and Ron were relieved at Harry’s return, since he could command Kreacher to let them back into the room.
Hermione had realized the last time that Kreacher had been in their presence that he was exhibiting an unusually strong attraction to the locket, and it had reminded her of the similar situation with the character Gollum in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Harry hadn’t had time to read the story since then, so she hurriedly explained her thoughts to the others. Bill agreed that it was likely that Kreacher was being influenced by the Horcrux, and had developed a dangerous attachment to the dark object.
Upon Harry’s stern command, Kreacher unsealed the door to the drawing room and they entered, finding him glowering hatefully at them. Hermione quickly whispered a suggestion to Harry and he nodded.
“Kreacher,” he began in a calm voice. “You have done very good work by finding and returning this valuable treasure. Master Regulus would have been very proud of you.” While he was talking, the five of them split up, with Remus moving to the left and Bill and Ron to the right, while Hermione stayed next to Harry. Kreacher’s eyes darted suspiciously back and forth between them, but Harry’s words had gotten his attention, and he nodded slowly.
“Master Regulus brought this object into the house after he took it from a very evil man. The evil man killed Master Regulus for doing this.” Kreacher turned all of his focus back to Harry now. So far his new master’s words seemed to be true. His former master had indeed been killed by the dark lord that he had once followed, but later renounced.
“Master Regulus brought this object back here in order to destroy it, but he was killed before he was able to. We intend to follow Master Regulus’s wishes and destroy it now.”
Kreacher wavered, then stiffened. “No! Master is lying to Kreacher. Master Regulus would not have destroyed such a precious treasure.” Harry’s hand went to his pocket, and he withdrew the worn scrap of parchment he had kept with him ever since the night of Dumbledore’s death, and showed it to the trembling house elf.
To the dark Lord
I know I will be dead long before you read this
but I want you to know that it was I who discovered your secret.
I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can.
I face death in the hope that when you meet your match,
you will be mortal once more.
R.A.B
“No!” Kreacher writhed in agony with his internal struggle. It was clear now what his duty was. Both his former master and his current master wanted his treasure destroyed, but the locket was compelling him to resist. Finally he slumped to the floor and Harry cautiously opened the cabinet and removed the locket. It was just as he had remembered it from the pensieve memory. As he turned to hand the locket to Bill, something in Kreacher snapped.
Leaping to his feet, he snatched the locket. With a gesture he hurled Bill and Ron across the room, and both of them crashed into a wall. While Ron was knocked unconscious, Bill managed to cast a protective spell on himself before he hit the wall, and struggled back to his feet, shaken. Remus darted forward and grabbed the wiry little elf, and they struggled briefly. Hermione tried to Accio the locket, but Kreacher had too strong a hold on it. Harry cast an Expeliarmus hex, causing the locket to fly out of the house elf’s gnarled old hands. With unbelievable strength born of desperation, Kreacher managed to throw Remus off and hurled himself on the locket once more.
“Mine!” he shouted. “It belongs to me!” Harry tackled him to the ground, but before he could wrest the locket away from the crazed old elf, Kreacher slipped the chain around his neck. With a blinding flash Harry and Remus were thrown back again, but Hermione was alert enough to wandlessly redirect Harry’s flight and slow him down enough to allow him to make a controlled landing. Before he had even hit the floor, Harry’s wand was back in his hand and he and Hermione turned as one to confront the now dramatically enhanced threat.
An eerie glow emitted from the locket and surrounded Kreacher, seeming to seep right into his skin. Twin jets of red light streaked from Harry and Hermione’s wands, only to impact on a golden shield that appeared from nowhere in front of the dazed house elf, who seemed to be waging an inner battle. His eyes clouded over briefly, then cleared, only to glow bright red as the horrified onlookers witnessed the possession of his body being fully realized. Suddenly a confused look appeared on his face, which quickly morphed into blazing rage.
“What is this?!” an unearthly voice hissed. “What manner of foul creature have I become?! Someone must pay for this insult!” Focusing his anger on the pair of students still before him, the house elf turned dark lord raised his hands and a blinding silver light burst forth, only to crash against two similar beams of light streaking from the young couple’s wands. The room was lit up with a dazzling display of fireworks, as the brilliant beams blasted at each other, showering the room with sparks. Without a conscious thought the pair linked hands, and the light pouring from their wands doubled in intensity, creating a blazing wall of fire where they intersected with the light still flowing from their enemy. For a while it was a standoff, as the wall shifted only slightly, first one way, then the other, neither side gaining an advantage. While this was happening Remus and Bill were immobilized with but a thought from the now completely possessed house elf.
Overlooked on the other side of the room, where he had tumbled into an awkward tangle of limbs after his violent collision with the wall, Ron slowly pulled himself together. Fighting back the awe created by the incredible sight before him, he focused his mind on one thought. ‘Help Harry!’
“Reducto!”
Caught by surprise, Kreacher/Voldemort turned toward the new threat, just in time for the explosion hex to blast against his chest.
Kreacher’s chest was crushed. And the locket shattered.
In an instant the light show vanished, Harry and Hermione staggered to regain their balance, Remus and Bill regained control of their limbs, the broken body of the ancient house elf slumped to the floor, and a frightening specter emerged from his still form.
“Annihilato Spiritus!” shouted Bill, and a golden jet burst from his wand and intercepted the misty form as it paused before Harry and Hermione, who had raised the strongest shields they knew. With another flash and a piercing scream, the soul fragment vanished and the room was suddenly deathly silent.
Eyes blinking, the four wizards and one witch in the room looked at each other, trying to convince themselves that it was over. Finally, Bill managed a wry grin.
“Okay, that was the hard way. Next time I’ll show you the easy way.”
Suddenly everyone was laughing and embracing and pounding each other on the back. Bill and Remus were shouting their amazement at how Harry and Hermione had fought him to a standstill, and everyone congratulated Ron for delivering the knockout blow. Finally Harry, locked in Hermione’s crushing hug, but not minding it one bit, shouted out, “That’s three! Only three more to go!”
-ooOoo-
Monday afternoon
“Bill? Can I talk to you for a bit?”
Hermione had found Bill in the library, where he was reviewing some of the material she and Harry had given him. Harry was catching up with Ron, playing chess in the now repaired drawing room. Fleur and Ginny were off somewhere together again – shopping Hermione thought. Fleur was determined to improve her relationship with her new sister-in-law, and the support she had given Ginny during the emotional revelations of the previous afternoon had been a good first step that she was building on. Tonks was working, and Remus was out on Order business.
Hermione’s stomach was churning as she sat down in one of the chairs, her hands twisting together in her lap. It had taken her a good twenty minutes to gather herself up to come in to confront Bill, to divulge the suspicion that had been haunting her recently. With the nonstop activity that had commanded their attention for the past week, it had been pushed to the back of her consciousness, but the experience with the Horcrux that morning had brought it front and center, demanding to be recognized. Bill looked up from his reading and he frowned as he took in her nervous state, nodding for her to continue.
“Do you think it’s possible that Harry is a Horcrux?”
“What!” Bill was completely taken aback. “No, I don’t. What makes you think that?”
Hermione explained the connection that Harry had to Voldemort through his scar – how Voldemort had sent him visions, and how Harry had seen things through Voldemort’s eyes. Initially Bill was shocked into silence, as most of this information had been kept from him. He was aware that Harry had had some sort of vision about his father being attacked a year and a half previously, but had not heard the details. Finally he pulled his thoughts together to make a response.
“I don’t think Voldemort would have deliberately made a Horcrux out of Harry. Even if he had wanted to I don’t see how he would have had the opportunity. And it would be foolish to make one out of a living creature, especially one he had no control over. The soul fragment would be released and dissipate when the creature died.”
“I was thinking that it might have happened accidentally,” Hermione countered anxiously. “Dumbledore suspected that the night he attacked Godric’s Hollow he was planning to use Harry’s death to make his final one. He did manage to kill James and Lily first, then he cast the killing curse on Harry. What if his soul had fragmented from the first two deaths, then went into Harry when the killing curse rebounded on him? Maybe it entered through his scar. That could explain how Voldemort was able to possess him at the Ministry.”
Hermione had been growing increasingly more frantic and her voice gradually rose as she poured out these fears, and Bill got up, crossed over to her and took her in his arms in an attempt to calm her down. “Stop,” he urged her gently. “It doesn’t work that way. It takes two separate spells to create one. Your soul doesn’t automatically split every time you kill someone. If that were true Voldemort would have split his dozens of times. Killing someone just provides the necessary impetus. You have to first kill someone, then cast the soul splitting part of the spell, then cast the binding part of the spell to attach the soul fragment to the object.”
Hermione burst into tears as an immense feeling of relief swept over her. She sobbed onto Bill’s shoulder as the stress that had built up within her flowed out like water through a broken dam. Then she felt another pair of arms encircle her and immediately turned into them, knowing instantly that they were Harry’s.
“I heard the last bit of that,” Harry revealed. “Hermione, I’m so sorry that you’ve been worrying about this so much. You should have told me.”
Hermione nodded her head while she fought to regain control of her emotions, acknowledging to him that he was right, but knowing that he understood why she had not. Bill had stepped back, releasing her as soon as Harry had arrived, knowing that he was the one she really needed to be held by. While he was softly stroking her back Harry looked up at Bill.
“Do you think you can do the detection charm on me anyway? I think it would make Hermione feel better.” Still in his arms, Hermione nodded sheepishly against his chest.
Bill readily agreed and cast the charm, with the expected negative results. Finally Hermione was able to smile and turned to move away from Harry. However, he kept his arms around her and she relaxed quite willingly against him, her back to his chest. Then she frowned slightly and bit her lower lip as she recalled part of Bill’s explanation.
“You said no one would use a living creature for a Horcrux. Then what about Nagini, Voldemort’s snake? Dumbledore thought it was one. And we know Voldemort could possess it and see through its eyes, because Harry did exactly that when he was in Voldemort’s mind that one time.” Now it was Bill’s turn to frown.
“He planned to make one from my death, and we know for sure now that he failed,” Harry added. “So he must have been one short at that point. We think he made his final one after he came back. We’re certain that he killed Bertha Jorkins and Frank Bryce, and probably more that we don’t know about. But that was before he got his current body. He probably had plenty of opportunities after that too.”
“My guess is that if he intended to use your death to make the last one, that he probably was planning on trying it again right after he was restored to his body, when he tried to kill you after summoning the Death Eaters.” Bill had been going through some of Harry’s memories with the pensieve, and had just experienced that one earlier in the day. “I’m still not convinced that he would use Nagini for one, although what you just told me does indicate some kind of connection between the two of them. Perhaps he placed the Horcrux into Nagini after he made it.”
“Is that even possible?” Hermione inquired immediately.
Bill shrugged. “It depends on what the object is. Maybe if we knew more about what happened the night he first attacked Harry.”
We could go take a look at the house,” Harry suggested. “And we have a memory from Sirius we haven’t seen yet, of him pulling me out of the wreckage of the house.” He and Hermione had been putting off viewing that particular memory of Sirius’s, preferring to look at the happy ones first.
-ooOoo-
The four of them decided to visit the house first, in order to familiarize themselves with the layout, before viewing the pensieve memory. But this led to the problem Minnie had reminded them of earlier. The cottage at Godric’s Hollow was still under the Fidelius. Anyone other than Harry who wanted to see it had to be told the secret by Pettigrew. Fortunately Remus arrived at that point with the solution.
As soon as they explained their problem to him, a wistful smile appeared on Remus’s face. Reaching into his wallet, he withdrew a battered old piece of parchment. “This is one of the only things I kept from those days,” he said softly, as he gazed at the blank parchment in his hands. It’s what I have to remember them by.” Noticing the puzzled looks on the faces of his listeners, he grinned and tapped the parchment with his wand. “I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.”
As Harry, Ron, and Hermione shared a quick glance of realization, writing appeared on the note before them. The Potter family lives in a cottage in Godric’s Hollow.
“Each of us received one of these when James and Lily took you into hiding. I charmed mine so it would only appear when I said the code phrase. It’s also charmed to only respond to my voice,” he added, cutting off Hermione’s next question before she could raise it. “And if you notice, it’s in Sirius’s handwriting. But Peter was very good at faking other people’s handwriting. He even forged notes from McGonagall to get us into the restricted section of the library.
Once that hurdle was overcome, there still remained the question of how to get there. Harry provided the solution this time. He concentrated for a moment. “Minnie?” he called out.
With a pop the cheerful little Potter family house elf appeared before them. “Mister Harry, it’s good to see you again,” came the high squeaky voice. “You too Miss Miney. What can Minnie be doing for you today?”
Out of the corner of her eye, Hermione saw Ron mouthing the words, ‘Miss Miney?’ and fixed him with a stern glare, tapping her wand against her other hand in an obvious manner. A big grin appeared on his face as he turned toward her, only to vanish instantly as he took in her expression and implied threat. Swallowing hard, he returned his attention to Harry.
Meanwhile, Harry had dropped to one knee to greet his house elf. “Hello Minnie. It’s good to see you too. I’d like to introduce you to some of my friends. This is Ron, Remus, and Bill.” He gestured to the three in turn, and they nodded awkwardly to the little elf while she curtsied politely to each of them. Hermione beamed at Harry, as his obvious treatment of Minnie as an equal warmed her heart. “We want to go visit my cottage today. Can you take us there?”
With a pop Harry and Minnie disappeared. A few seconds later Harry reappeared, took Hermione’s hand, and vanished again. Another few seconds passed and they were back. This time Harry took Ron’s arm, and Hermione took Bill’s. Since Remus already knew where it was, he had no need of a guide. In a short time all six of them were standing in a lane, looking at what appeared to be the ruins of an old stone cottage that hadn’t been occupied for years.
“Minnie, I thought you said …” Harry began. Before he could finish Minnie snapped her fingers and the ruins seemed to shimmer before their eyes, transforming itself into a warm, inviting cottage in perfect repair. Harry turned to Minnie, who was clearly proud of herself. “Well done, Minnie! This looks fantastic. And that disguising charm was a great idea.” Minnie bounced up and down happily, basking in her master’s praise. Hermione gave Harry’s arm a squeeze and leaned over to kiss him on the cheek.
The cottage was on an old unused lane in the middle of the woods. Hermione guessed that it might have been a gamekeeper’s cottage out on the grounds of a larger estate. Off in one direction they could see the village of Godric’s Hollow nestled in some hills. There were flower beds along the front walls, and Hermione’s heart jumped when she noticed that they were filled with lilies of every variety. The inside of the cottage was also immaculately kept up, and included a sitting room and a dining room near the front, with a kitchen and a small library and a study in the rear. The bedrooms were upstairs. Remus told stories of different humorous events involving Sirius, James, and baby Harry as they went through each of the rooms, but grew quiet when they ascended the stairs.
Harry’s bedroom still had a crib in it, decorated with tiny snitches. Hermione squeezed Harry’s hand tightly and noticed that his eyes were as moist as hers. This was the room where Lily had given her life to protect him. After looking around briefly, Ron, Remus, and Bill quietly slipped out, leaving Harry and Hermione alone together to contemplate the event that was the turning point of his life.
-ooOoo-
Back at Grimmauld Place they wasted no time setting up the pensieve memory from Sirius. It began with him arriving at the cottage in a panic, only to find his worst fears realized when he saw the door blown out of its frame. They followed him into the small house where they saw James lying in the sitting room surrounded by blast marks on the walls and shattered windows. Sirius had paused a moment there, weeping over the body of his best friend, then rose and hurried up the stairs following the trail of destruction. On Bill’s instruction they all looked around carefully, trying to find anything that Voldemort might have left behind. Up in Harry’s bedroom they found a sobbing Sirius kneeling over the body of Lily, prying an unconscious Harry from her cold dead arms, while Voldemort’s body lay nearby.
While Hermione could not tear her eyes away from the heart wrenching sight, and Remus was an absolute wreck, it was fortunate that the Weasleys were not quite so sentimental. It was Ron who made the key discovery.
“Look, it’s Scabbers … I mean, Wormtail!” Everyone whirled to see that he was right as they spotted the rat hiding in the shadows under an overturned chair. Remus let loose with a string of curses that shocked everyone. But most important were the two objects that the rat was clutching in his paws. A wand that everyone, especially Harry, instantly recognized, and a small shiny circular object. Bill got down on his hands and knees and pushed his face right up under the image of the crouching rat to get a better look at it. It was a golden brooch, used as a clasp to hold a wizard’s cloak together at the neck. And it was adorned with a large, elegant, script G.
Bill gave a command to pause the memory while he and Ron carefully inspected the rest of the room. Hermione released her death grip on Harry’s arm and joined them, but Harry and Remus were in no condition to help out, still staring at the now frozen forms of Sirius, Lily, and little Harry. Once they were satisfied that there was no more evidence to uncover, Bill restarted the memory and they watched as Sirius gradually regained control of himself, kissed Lily goodbye, gathered up little Harry in his arms, and left the room with a terrible look of grim determination on his face. As the rest of them followed the image of Sirius back downstairs, Bill waited in the room for as long as the memory allowed, trying to see what Pettigrew did next. But the rat was still crouching under the chair with his two treasures when the pensieve memory pulled Bill away.
Back outside the house they watched as the memory Sirius was confronted by Hagrid and a shouting match ensued. Eventually Sirius, realizing that he could not dissuade the half giant from the task Dumbledore had given him, gave up. After hugging little Harry one final time, he let Hagrid take him and stormed off, shouting over his shoulder that Hagrid might as well take his flying motorcycle, since he would have no further need of it. Given the knowledge of what had transpired next, it was clear to everyone that he was nearly insane with grief and guilt. With that the memory ended and they found themselves in Grimmauld Place once more.
-ooOoo-
After a break for refreshments and for everyone to compose themselves and sort out their thoughts, they gathered again in the sitting room. Hermione curled up against Harry on the sofa, and Ron sat on Harry’s other side, while Remus and Bill drew up comfortable chairs. Everyone looked to Harry to begin, but he motioned to Bill to go first. The eldest Weasley son gave his analysis of what they had seen, and then each of the others added their own perspectives. A consensus quickly emerged that Pettigrew must have accompanied Voldemort to the cottage that tragic Halloween night but probably hid outside while the dark lord carried out his ill-fated plan. Voldemort entered the house, killed James, then confronted Lily and Harry, intending to kill Harry and make his final Horcrux. Once the fighting was over and Voldemort failed to emerge, Pettigrew had gone in to investigate and had recovered his master’s wand and the Gryffindor relic meant to be used in the soul-splitting ritual. Finally, Sirius had arrived while the traitor was still in the house, so he changed into his rat form and hid until Sirius and Hagrid left.
To Ron’s question of whether the Horcrux had actually been created that night, possibly with James or Lily’s death, or later after Voldemort was reborn Bill replied that it didn’t really matter. It was certainly a Horcrux now and would need to be destroyed. Before Hermione could ask, he offered his opinion that the hiding place for this Horcrux could indeed be inside the giant snake. They concluded that they had gained some useful and some interesting information. They now knew what the Gryffindor Horcrux was, and where it might be hidden, and they knew how Voldemort had regained his wand. Bill and Ron shuddered when they realized that the wand and the brooch may in fact have been hidden somewhere on the grounds of the Burrow for many years.
Talk then turned to what they should do next, and two plans emerged. Bill and Fleur would take on the task of hunting down the remaining Horcruxes, along with one or two goblin specialists that Bill would contract with. Harry and Hermione intended to keep their commitment to teach Ron what they had learned in Mexico, using the time turner to repeat a week multiple times. It was agreed that a trip to Hogwarts was in order. Bill wanted to discuss his Horcrux theories and search strategy with Dumbledore’s portrait. Harry and Hermione wanted to use the castle’s facilities for the extended training session for Ron, and they knew that McGonagall wanted to meet with them. Finally, it was felt by all that the Chamber of Secrets was a prime candidate for further investigation, either as a potential Horcrux location, or as a site where the young Tom Riddle might have hidden away some of his research.
That evening at dinner the plans were finalized. Bill and Fleur would spend their time on the Horcrux project in the Headmaster’s office and in the Chamber. Harry and Ron would use the time turner and the different rooms in the castle to maximize Ron’s training, and Hermione would supervise that process and help out Bill and Fleur when needed. Remus, Tonks, and Ginny would remain at Grimmauld Place. (Ginny wanted no part of the expedition to the Chamber, and there wouldn’t be much for her to do in the castle while Harry and Ron were training all day.) Ginny would spend her days at the twins’ shop, and work on contacting the former DA members. After sending Hedwig off to Hogwarts with a note letting McGonagall know that they would be coming the next day, and staying for a week, Harry and Hermione returned to the Granger house to pack their things.
-ooOoo-
“Hermione?” Harry and Hermione were lying next to each other in bed that night, but neither had managed to fall asleep yet, the events of the day still swirling through their minds.
“Hmm?”
“I’ve been thinking about what would have happened if Sirius hadn’t let Hagrid take me away that night.” Hermione turned towards Harry and put her arms around him, pulling herself up against him in an understanding hug while Harry continued. “Think how much different my life would have been if I’d grown up with him instead of with the Dursleys.”
There was a long silence while each of the teens pondered how their lives might have been changed. “Well, I guess it would depend on whether Dumbledore agreed and let him raise you openly, or if he would have had to take you into hiding,” Hermione finally surmised. Harry nodded and they both fell silent again.
“Either way, I would have known who I was and been aware of the wizarding world before I turned eleven,” Harry pointed out.
“Yes. Just think, you wouldn’t have needed a bossy know-it-all little girl to explain everything to you during your first year,” Hermione replied, only partly joking.
Harry shifted in her arms and turned to face her, and wrapped his arms around her as well. They both lay there for several seconds, their eyes locked in a troubled gaze.
“I can’t imagine not needing you,” Harry said softly. “I would never want that part to change.” Then he captured her lips with his own in a tender kiss as their bodies melted into each other. With that comforting thought, they drifted off to sleep.
-ooOoo-
(Tuesday)
After talking it over the next morning, Harry and Hermione decided that they would again use the time turner to repeat the remainder of the week, staying at their Cambridge flat during their other time through. This time, however, they would spend the time in Cambridge first, brushing up their skills, planning out a training schedule for Harry to use with Ron, and discussing what they wanted to do during for the DA meetings that would begin in August. When this was completed they would come back in time to join the others at Hogwarts. They had a nice breakfast with Dan and Emma, and informed them that they would be spending the rest of the week in Cambridge.
This decision would turn out to have significant consequences.
-ooOoo-
On Thursday morning, in the flat in Cambridge, Hermione awoke before Harry. She had used a special alarm charm to make certain that this happened, since she had a special surprise for him that day. As was often the case, she found herself in her favorite position, snuggled up in his arms. They were both lying on their right sides, with him spooned up behind her, his left arm draped across her. His left hand was cupping her right breast, and she smiled to herself as she reflected on how frequently it happened to end up in that position.
Before she got up she indulged herself by just lying there and enjoying it. Whenever Harry woke first, he would run the fingers of his other hand through her hair and scratch her head, which she just loved having him do. He would wake her in a sweet, affectionate manner by planting little kisses on her shoulder. She wondered, if they didn’t have so many demands on their time, just how much of the day they could spend cuddled up together. She supposed that was what a honeymoon was for. She wished December would come soon so that she could research that question properly.
But this morning, she had something she wanted to do before he woke up. Or more specifically, as he woke up. She carefully moved his hand and arm away, then got up out of the bed. Harry rolled onto his stomach as she vacated her warm comfy spot, with his arm reaching out for the place where she should have been. She had to hurry because he would wake soon, as he sensed that she wasn’t there with him. Instead of putting on a robe she cast a mild warming charm on herself and quickly moved over to her dresser. There she pulled out a lacy red pair of thong knickers that she had been saving just for this occasion, removed the knickers she had slept in, and put the new ones on. Then she returned to the bed, clad only in the sexy thong bottom.
As quietly as she could, she pulled the covers off of Harry, exposing his naked body before her, and cast the warming charm on him also. Then she knelt down behind him and started to run her hands over him. Starting with his legs, she gradually worked her way up to his shoulders, then back down. Since the gluteus maximus were among the largest muscles on the human body, it was only proper that they be the main focus of a full body massage. She smiled to herself at this rationalization for spending most of her time massaging his bum. She was pretty sure he was awake by now, but he kept still, being smart enough to recognize a good thing when it was happening to him.
Eventually, she turned him over and repeated the process, starting at his feet and working up to his chest, then back down to her final focus for this wake-up massage. Still he kept his eyes closed, at least when she checked (she suspected that he peeked a few times), but his rapidly increased breathing gave him away. For the last part the massage got more intimate, and she lay down next to him, snuggling up against his side, and his arm automatically went around her, his hand coming to rest on her bum. There his fingers traced the line of her thong before his hand settled down into a firm grip as her own hand continued to work its magic. Now her efforts began to elicit a few gasps and moans. When she finished a few minutes later his eyes were still closed, but he had a gigantic smile on his face.
Hermione crawled on top of him, pressing her body as close to his as she could, and gave him a long sensuous kiss. Finally, as she pulled back he opened his eyes.
“I love you,” he whispered, the emotion flowing out of those dazzling emerald eyes she so adored.
“Happy birthday,” she returned.
“Wow,” he finally managed. “I think I know what one of your birthday presents is going to be this year.”
“Well,” she smiled back. “If that’s true, then I think one of your other presents is going to come in handy.” He raised an eyebrow at her but instead of explaining she pushed herself up off of him, then pulled him to his feet. “First, you need to take a shower.” She walked slowly towards the bathroom, wiggling her bottom enticingly, the way Fleur had taught her. Having given him a good look at her new knickers, she turned to glance back over her shoulder. “If you like, I’ll join you and we can wash each other,” she teased. He caught her even before she made it through the door.
The shower lasted longer than it needed to, partly because Harry returned her ‘gift’. It was fortunate that he had a good hold on her, because her legs were too weak to support her by the time he finished. At last they returned to the bedroom, where she handed him two more presents.
The first was a videotape titled ‘The Art of Sensual Massage’. “That’s for you to use when you lose our bet about the DA,” she teased. “But from what you said earlier you might need it toward the end of September, too.” Harry wondered aloud how a massage could possibly get any better than the one he had just received, but readily agreed to watch the videotape with her.
When he opened the second present, he found a loincloth like the Mayan magic users wore under their tunics. His protest that he wasn’t sure if he could wear such a brief garment was silenced when Hermione revealed that she got one for herself too, and the ones for women were even briefer than those for men. She went on to suggest that they could wear them that morning while they practiced their spells. His eyes went wide when she clarified that she was suggesting that they wear only the loincloths.
-ooOoo-
Several hours later Harry had to admit that the brief loincloth was more comfortable than he had expected. Of course, she pointed out, his friend Ekahau wore one all day every day, so he should have realized it would be. In any case, he informed her, being able to watch her wearing hers all morning was worth it. Their spell practice hadn’t been quite as productive as usual, given that there seemed to be a lot of grabbing and holding going on, but hey, it was his birthday so they deserved a semi day off. Harry’s hands somehow seemed to keep finding their way to the bare part of her bum that was exposed by the thong-like garment. Of course, she had to admit, she had managed to grope his bum one or two times herself. Or possibly that was one or two dozen times.
They had been practicing casting spells against targets set up in the middle compartment of Hermione’s trunk, and had just climbed out of the trunk to fix themselves some lunch. After a few more hours of practice in the afternoon, they planned to go out to dinner with the Grangers to celebrate Harry’s birthday. As usual, they had the telly on during lunch so that Hermione could watch the noontime news on the BBC.
Harry was in the bedroom when Hermione’s scream shattered the calm of the small flat, accompanied by a crash as a plate dropped to the floor. He dashed into the kitchen to find Hermione gripping the back of a chair, barely able to stand, while staring at the screen which showed a burning building that looked all too familiar. He quickly moved behind her, wrapping her in his arms, as they listened in horror.
... in other news a terrorist bombing just minutes ago in West Sussex destroyed a dental clinic. Authorities are unable at this time to provide any details on which terrorist group was responsible, or why this particular target was selected. There is also no information on the numbers of deaths and injuries, although no survivors have been found as yet ...
The newscaster’s voice was interrupted by the warbling tone of Hermione’s cell phone.
-xox-XOX-XOX-xox-
Author Notes:
So, now it’s revealed what Voldemort’s cryptic order meant last chapter. You just knew he would have something special planned for Harry’s birthday, right?