Unofficial Portkey Archive

Chapter Thirty: Quintons

"Settle down, everyone! Settle down!"

Harry, Hermione, and Ron were among the first to arrive down by Hagrid's cabin on the last Wednesday of January, though the rest of the class was fairly quick to follow, given that today was supposed to be a rather special day for the class.

Which could only mean one of a few things - either Hagrid was going to do something incredibly dangerous or stupid - and more than likely, both, really - or it could mean that it meant introducing them to the wood fairy that he had invited over with Talisien. It was also leading to a good deal of confusion amongst the class, given that Hagrid was no where to be seen and Rozan appeared to be sleeping in the pumpkin patch, which had become a sort of favourite place for the time wolf.

"Why isn't anyone listening to me?" the shrill voice repeated. The issue wasn't really that no one was listening to it - it was actually nearly impossible not to, after all. The issue was that no one knew who was talking, and where they happened to be.

"Um... excuse me, but we aren't meaning to be rude," Hermione said, stepping forward to where she thought the voice had come from. "We just aren't sure who you are... or where, really..."

"Oh, well why didn't you all just say so, then?" A bright flash of white followed that statement, and all eyes focused on the ground about a foot in front of Hermione where the light had originated.

In the bare patch of ground stood a creature that looked almost human, though she was only about seven inches tall if even that high. She had white hair that reached down to her waist, and was wearing a very simple white dress, and the way the dress hung told them that that was literally all she was wearing. Aside from that, though, the thing that really stood out were her wings. They were white as well, and almost twice her size when she had them open. As she was standing there, the wings were slowly moving from closed to open, as though preparing to take flight at any time.

"Is that better? You all know where I am now, so there's no excuse to ignoring me now," she said firmly, standing to her full seven inches as though trying to look more intimidating.

"You are a wood fairy," Lavender said in amazement as she knelt down to get a better look at the creature in front of them. "You're quite pretty, you know..."

"So I've been told," the fairy replied with a grin. "But we aren't here to talk about my dress. Your Professor is in the woods trying to round up a couple of creatures for you to look at in the second half of the class today. Until he's done, he suggested that I have a bit of a talk with you."

"What's your name?" Pavarti asked before she could go any further.

The fairy looked a little surprised at being called out like that - which made sense, considering that the class had been told the first day back about fairies, and how they always preferred hearing other people's names before disclosing their own. "I am called Ariasal of Feyrith, child. What is your own?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," Pavarti said quickly. "I should have told you that first, right? I'm Pavarti Patil, and this is Lavender Brown.

"Pleased to meet you both. Who else do we have here today?" she asked, looking beyond the two who were closest to her to the others. There were only eight, but Hagrid had told them to listen to a fairy's requests without fail.

"Neville Longbottom."

"Ron Weasley."

"Hermione Granger."

"Harry Potter."

Before anyone else had a chance to say anything, the fairy suddenly took flight and hovered directly before Harry's face. "You are the Harry Potter Rozan spoke of?"

Harry groaned and looked over to the sleeping time wolf. He would have prefered to remain anonymous, but that wasn't apparently possible. "Yeah, that's me."

"Excuse me, Ariasal, but you said you were of Feyrith, right?" Hermione asked, trying to draw her attention away from her obviously uncomfortable boyfriend. "Does that mean you linked to her, so you are no longer of Orado, or are you from a different colony of fairies?"

The fairy flitted around Harry's head to stop before Hermione this time. "You know of linking? Of how the fairies communicate?"

"Not much," Hermione admitted, though she obviously didn't want to say that to the whole class. "Not much has been recorded on the matter, but what is known is that a fairy can link with a particular soul... it's very rare, but if a fairy comes in contact with that soul in their lifetime, then their link to the colony is broken off, and a new link with the soul is forged."

"Not entirely accurate, "Ariasal said. "But it is rather close. I'm surprised any information was given at all... there hasn't been a linking in several generations, and I know my Feyrith didn't say anything to anyone - she likes living mostly alone, and wouldn't have bothered with something like this."

"Would you be willing to give us more information on it, then?"

"I did agree with the Wanderer to tell you all a bit about fairies, so that isn't a problem," she said smoothly, landing on the ground again. "I would like it if everyone could sit down, though. I don't want a kink in my neck from looking so high up at you all the time."

Once everyone had gathered around, she started talking again without prompting this time. "When a new fairy is born, they are inducted into the colony immediately - it's actually a part of the birthing process. I won't get into that right now, but what that means is that they are literally a part of all other fairies. We can communicate with one another through our minds, and can always tell when others are in trouble or pain, so we can go to their aide."

"How does that work?" Hermione asked when she paused. Harry looked around at the rest of the class at that, and found that most of them really couldn't care less how it worked - trust Hermione to ask something so specific.

"It's not really easy to explain, but essentially, a part of our minds are separated from us and put into the collective mind of the colony. I say that, but that isn't quite true either - it's not like the colony is alive, it is more like we are a part of it. I'm not doing well here, am I?"

"That doesn't matter," Ron replied before Hermione could. "It's enough to know that that is what happens. The details don't really matter."

"Ron!"

"Alright, they don't matter to anyone but Hermione here. I'm sure she will want to talk to you after class about them if you are still around," he said with a grin, winking to Harry when Hermione looked away from him.

"Even after a fairy dies, the remains stay in touch with the colony. What that means is that if someone picks up the remains, then they can speak with others who hold them, or to fairies themselves from great distances. We haven't let many out of Orado," she added quickly. "But those that are out allow witches and wizards to communicate across the world - I believe they are in use by the Ministry here in England, as well as the head offices of many other Ministries, but that's not my area of knowledge by any means."

"Luna said something about them once, didn't she?" Ron asked, looking to the others in the class as though they would remember.

"Yeah," Neville said, closing his eyes in thought. "I think she said something near the beginning of the year in our Defense Against the Dark Arts class about quintons."

"That's what the remains are often called," Ariasal spoke up, interrupting the conversation so she could keep talking. "And a death of a fairy isn't the only way to obtain one, actually. A fairy can remove their quinton at any time, and a new one will grow over a period of several months. They are long and hard months, however, as the fairy is cut off from the colony for that entire time."

"That sounds hard, alright," Harry muttered, thinking back to his brief stay in the Chamber of Secrets earlier that year when he had tried to cut himself off from everything and everyone. It was the thoughts of Hermione that had made that impossible.

"I am one of the first fairies in this century to link with another soul," Ariasal said after a moment of silence. "Feyrith happened upon the colony, and I met her, was drawn to her, almost the moment she stepped foot in the glen. She had several companions with her, but she was the only one who could link with one of us. I had thought that I would be sad to leave the colony, but in fact, I couldn't be happier. She is a wonderful woman."

"So the two of you can talk through your minds, then?"

"Yes, though often we just speak out loud, because it is easier. One benefit that we have found extremely helpful is that my magics are unlimited when used to help her... that was never the case before," she added with a grin, flitting her wings back, which blew the strands of her white hair out of her eyes.

"E'erythin al'ight there, Ariasal?" Hagrid's booming voice called through the trees at the edge of the forest suddenly. "Ya bout done, er should I give ya a few more minutes ta wrap it up?"

"I can send them to you now, Hagrid," she called back, flying up and landing on Harry's shoulder - much to his surprise. He couldn't really say he was comfortable with her sitting there, but he wasn't sure how he should go about asking her to move.

His discomfort must have been obvious to Hermione again, because she reached out and held a hand before the small fairy. "Any chance you could ride with me, Ariasal?" she asked. "I'd like to ask you a bit more about the way you talk through your minds..."

Ariasal nodded and leapt into Hermione's outstretched hand easily as the class started moving towards the Forbidden Forest to see just what Hagrid had managed to round up for them this time.

The group emerged into a relatively large clearing near the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest. It was deep enough in that they couldn't see the school grounds, but not so far as to have blocked the sunlight streaming in through the canopy above. Hagrid was waiting for them in the centre of the field, and had a large thick rope in hand. The rope extended from one side of the clearing to the other, and basically was keeping them from getting any closer to the odd floating creatures behind the half giant.

There appeared to be two different types floating in an almost aimless pattern around each other. Indeed, if they weren't in the Care of Magical Creatures class, they probably would have assumed that they weren't actually looking at creatures in the first place.

One of the types could more accurately be described as a pillar of flames that stood about two feet tall, though it was hovering about six inches above the ground itself. The fire was the orange-red that was normally considered flames from wood, but there were several specks of blue and white flame near the centre, telling of the heat emanating from the creatures.

The other type could only be described at the exact opposite of the first, and were all keeping their distance from the flames. These ones had the appearance of very small tornadoes, measuring about the same height as the flames, though they were made out of water. The centre of the water was almost black, but the outer extremities were a nice pale blue.

"Heliopaths, Hagrid?" Hermione asked in amazement. "They're actually real?" Despite what they had seen thus far, and despite the book she had given Luna for Christmas, she had still haboured her doubts about the odd flame creatures.

"That they are, `Ermione," Hagrid said with a chuckle. "And I wouldn't go sayin different if I was you," he added. "Right, e'eryone gather round so ya'll can see, and I'll tell ya a bit bout these creatures we got `ere, a'right?"

"Are you sure that rope is enough to keep them back?" Lavender asked, not taking a step forward with the others. "I mean, half of those things are made out of flames, Hagrid! What's to keep the rope from burning?"

"Trust me, Lav'nder," he said in a booming voice. "This ain't ta keep `em back... they're well behaved critters, really. This `ere rope is ta keep those a ya who are too curious back from `em, keeping ya safe from yerselves." No one missed the fact that he was looking at Harry, Hermione, and Ron when he said this. "Not that I don't trust ya'll er nuthin, just we can't be takin risks we don't need."

Once everyone had come right up to the ropes, one of the pillars of fire floated almost lazily over to them, to hover just out of reach, but certainly close enough to examine it closely. "Heliopaths," Hagrid said clearly - one thing that everyone had to admit was that he always pronounced animal names properly - "Are dead smart creatures. They know how ta stay outta sight, and blend inta the environment if spotted. E'en though they're made a fire, they don't burn t'ings most a the time. Their flames are only `ot nuff fer that when they're in danger."

As if to prove that point, the heliopath that was closest to them actually floated a little closer and brushed against Hagrid's outstretched hand. After lingering there for a moment, it pulled back again, almost as though it was afraid of the large group of students watching it.

"As ya may've guessed, they're a bit shy a people. Like ta stay outta tha way whene'er possible. That's why I didn't want'cha all gettin too close - they might get scared and then ya'd be in trouble."

"How long do they live for?" Pavarti called out from closer to the back. Unlike Lavender, she had kept her distance when everyone else had tried to get closer. It wasn't that she didn't trust the rope - if Harry had gone forward, then she doubted it would be dangerous - but she wasn't a big fan of uncontrolled fires.

"Er... don't rightly know, Pavarti," Hagrid admitted, rubbing the back of his massive head with his free hand. "Ain't ne'er been round `em long enough ta find out."

"Eleven years is most common," Harry whispered softly. "Though sometimes, they can live up to about twenty."

All eyes were on him suddenly, and he looked up in surprise. "Blimey, `Arry... how'd you know t'at?"

"I... er... it's just a guess," he lied quickly. In fact, in the gentle crackling of the closest heliopath, he had heard it answer in it's own language. He hadn't even thought about it before he had repeated what it had said.

"What made ya think a t'at long, though?"

"It just... came to me," Harry admitted, knowing full well that that wasn't really a complete answer. "I mean... I was wondering, too, and those numbers popped into my head."

Apparently, that was a good enough answer for Hagrid for the time being, because he simply nodded. "Right. I'll ask Talisien bout it later, Pavarti, and we'll see if `Arry `ere was right." He then nodded, and the pillar of flames backed up to join the others as one of the small water tornadoes took it's place. "Anyone know what t'is is called?"

Everyone looked to each other as though expecting someone to know, and then all eyes fell on Hermione again. She seemed to answer most questions in all classes, so she was the best bet for this, too. She didn't seem too confident in her response this time, though. "They wouldn't be... sorenaitans, would they Hagrid?"

Hagrid's booming laughter answered her immediately, and her face flushed in embarrassment. "T'ats twenty five points fer Gryffindor, `Ermione! Ya got'em both right! Heliopaths and sorenaitans! Fire and water creatures."

"And they get along?" Neville asked in amazement. "How's that work?"

"Over time, all enemies can learn to work together if their lives are at stake. Oftentimes, such bonds outlast the danger, making allies out of once mortal enemies." All eyes turned to the fairy on Hermione's shoulder. "Such things are not unheard of in the animal world. My Feyrith, for example, helped forge a bond between the elves and the dark elves - a rift had formed between the two that lasted for more than one hundred generations. When faced with mortal peril, it was Feyrith who convinced them to work together to survive... and that bond lasted beyond the danger."

"Er... right," Hagrid said slowly. "I was jus' gonna say t'at they used ta be enemies, but threats ta'em both made `em work together fer survival... but yer words sounded better. Thanks, Ariasal."

"So, they're friends, then?"

"Right ya're, Neville. Now, sorenaitans are a little stronger than heliopaths, given that it takes a lot more ta get rid a water than it does fire. They still got a lot a magic in `em, though, meaning they got a lotta enemies. Workin together, the heliopaths and sorenaitans beat back the vicious Liatai - t'eir a creature that no longer exists, by ta way. Now, the only danger facin `em is nature itself... it's taxin on `em sometimes, depending on tha season. In winter, sorenaitans need the heliopaths ta keep from freezin, but in the spring time, sorenaitans keep the melting snow away from the heliopaths," Hagrid explained. He was about to say something else when an odd buzzing sound starting coming from his large moleskin jacket. He looked out to the class, and then shrugged. "Er... sorry bout that. Guess it's time fer ya'll ta head back ta the castle."

-------------------------

While Potions class itself was a strange enough affair these days for Harry, it wasn't anything he couldn't handle. In fact, he found himself enjoying them a bit more than usual, given Snape's total and complete silent treatment of him. The only mention of the duel that had taken place was brief eye contact that next class, followed by a simple nod, and that was it. Anyone who actually said anything about it was served a week's worth of detentions, so there wasn't even much muttering about it.

It was running into Snape in the halls that Harry had been dreading. He was just leaving Transfiguration for the day to head to the Great Hall with Hermione to meet up with Ron and Ginny - both of whom said they wanted to talk about something important - when he met the Potion's Master in the narrow corridor joining the entrance to the Great Hall with the shortcut from the classroom.

He felt Hermione's grip tighten on his hand suddenly, and looked up to find Snape had stopped walking, and so he stopped as well and met his gaze. "Potter," Snape said calmly.

"Professor," he replied, feeling a little uneasy still. Hermione was holding his right hand, which meant if he needed his wand, he'd have to draw it left...

"Something not mentioned in your textbooks... Protego is more effective if the wand is spun upwards, rather than drawn." With his black robes billowing behind him, he didn't wait for a reply before turning and walking away.

Harry looked down to Hermione and met her deep, earth eyes easily. Neither spoke for a moment, and then both tried at the same time.

"That was rather..."

"What do you think..."

Harry smiled, which was apparently all Hermione needed to see to understand that he was letting her speak first. "What do you think he meant by spinning upwards? Like a circular motion rather than straight?"

"I was just going to say that that was rather odd," Harry admitted with a shrug. "As for the tip... I think it's something we'll have to test in the DA at some stage."

"Why would he say that to you, though?" Hermione asked as though the idea that their Potion's instructor would be giving Harry help of any kind as an odd one hadn't struck her earlier.

Harry shrugged. "Given how his own protego seemed to fail? Hard to say..." he admitted. "But I doubt he'd admit to it later in any case." He then gave a gentle pull on the hand he was still holding. "C'mon. Don't want to keep Ron and Ginny waiting for long, right? Ron said it's about the Burrow..."

Hermione's lips drew into a tight line and she looked ahead to the open double doors of the Great Hall. It was obvious she was worried about that conversation - it was one that they should have had a while ago, to be fair, but Harry had convinced her to let the Weasleys come to them, and not the other way around.

They found the two sitting roughly in the middle of the table, and took seats across from them easily. "You sure you're okay talking about this here?" Harry asked quietly, leaning a bit across the supper table as though reaching for the pitcher of juice. "With everyone else around?"

Ron and Ginny both nodded simply. "I reckon if we try somewhere else, it'd be too hard," Ron explained. "Food's always helped me, you know that."

Hermione nodded instantly, which was probably the only reason she missed Harry's discrete wave above her head. Colin and Dean further down the table did not miss it, however, and moved quickly as though they knew exactly what Harry was asking.

The fact that those sitting on either side of the four were engrossed in conversations with those away from them suddenly said that they did understand.

"I'm sorry," Hermione offered softly.

"Not yer fault," Ron muttered, biting into a bread roll and tearing off a piece to lather it with butter. "Our whole family's practically on the hit list anyway, what with the open support of Dumbledore last year..."

"It's still..." Ginny started, but faltered quickly. Harry said nothing at all when Hermione looked to him. Instead, he ducked under the table to take Ginny's place while shoving Ginny towards Hermione. As soon as she was sitting next to the older girl, the red head leaned into her support gratefully. "It was our home, Hermione," she whispered. "All out lives were spent there..."

"It took him no time at all to blast it apart!" Ron hissed fiercely, throwing the piece of bread down on his plate with a clatter. "None! Just... kablamo! And nuthin left of the Burrow." He then sighed and picked up his goblet, swirling around the little that remained in the bottom before downing it. "We couldn't even get our things out first. Dumbledore just told us that we were going, and that was it."

"Mum and Dad grabbed our essentials, Ron," Ginny reminded him. "So we didn't lose everything!"

"I know that," Ron muttered. "And I can't even mention what I lost, because then I sound like a bleeding git! We lost our house, and I up and complain about..."

"Ron," Harry said softly, stopping him before he could actually finish his thought. "Mate, look, it's natural to miss it," he explained. "Your everything was at home... and now it's gone."

"No," Ron countered his voice surprisingly steady as he stared at the side of his goblet suddenly. Harry moved slightly to find out what had captured his friend's attention, and saw the reflection of a blonde haired witch sitting at the Ravenclaw table. "No... not my everything. Not even anything important anymore."

"I lost all my diaries," Ginny admitted softly. "Ever since mum taught me how to read and write, I started keeping a dairy. None of my brothers ever knew... well, none of them but Bill. He caught me when I was just starting out."

"That's why you're always so happy to see Bill, isn't it?" Ron asked.

"He didn't stop me, or even say a word about it to anyone else," Ginny whispered. "My life was in those books... I had one, sometimes two for every year after that." She paused for a minute, and then looked over at Harry. "Well, every year but one, but that wasn't for lack of trying."

Harry had to admit that the question as to why she had tried to use the diary hadn't really entered his mind back then, but it was a valid point now. Maybe she had found it amongst her things, and hadn't even questioned that it was an old book, since she was used to getting things second hand or older than normal.

"You've got a diary for this year?" Harry asked levelly. When she nodded, so did he. "Right, don't buy one for next year. Or any other year. I'll set it up with the Flourish and Blotts... or better yet, I can have `Mione do it with my account, since they know her better than they know me."

"What?" Ginny asked in surprise. "You don't have to do that, Harry!"

"He might not have to, but I don't think you can talk him out of it," Hermione said softly, trying to remind her to keep her voice down. She was starting to get a little curious about why they hadn't been interrupted at all - not even to pass some of the food that was in front of them - but didn't want to try and find out. "He can be a bit stubborn, in case you haven't noticed."

"This coming from you?" Ron asked incredulously. "Did you happen to forget a certain broom incident because you couldn't leave well enough alone? You were as stubborn as... well... as a mountain troll in that one!"

Hermione's face darkened at the reference to the Firebolt fiasco, and Harry suddenly remembered one of her letters to him from the summer, right after he had told her about Rozan staying in his room. That was one of the hardest times in the world for her...

"So, Ginny lost her diaries," Harry said quickly to stave of whatever reaction might have been forthcoming from Ron's comment. "What did you lose, Ron?"

Ron's face suddenly turned red as he picked up a large piece of meat and shoved it into his mouth in one bite. "Mm cuquat phro kats," he mumbled, looking at the table rather than at any of them.

Hermione looked expectantly at Harry, and to her surprise, so did Ginny. She had assumed that Ron's younger sister would be able to understand him at least - she had grown up around such behaviour surely. As she thought about it, though, she thought that that was probably wrong - Mrs. Weasley would never have allowed him to talk at the table like that.

"Hogsmeade trip in a few weeks' time, two crates," Harry said solemnly, making Ron almost choke on his meat before spitting it out on his plate and coughing loudly. Harry ignored the sounds of protest from both girls across the table and leaned down to get a bit closer to Ron's ears. "I mean that, and I'm not taking no for an answer. But don't think you're going to eat them all - I expect at least half of that chocolate to go around the common room, got it? I'm not about to let Gryffindor's Keeper get sick because of me!"

"I'm not gonna..." Ron started, his ears turning red at this stage, though Harry wasn't sure if it was because of the coughing, his anger at Harry's suggestion, or his embarrassment at it.

"Well I am!" Harry countered. "I can't think of a better use for what's sitting in my vault that helping two of my closest friends in their times of need. You couldn't exactly ask your parents for these, could you?" he asked, looking from Ron to Ginny and back again. "What are friends for?"

"But Harry..." Ron said feebly, apparently not able to actually come up with an argument for once.

"I'm buying them, Ron. If they end up sitting under your bed unopened for the next year and a half, that's not my problem, got it?"

"Thanks mate. I'll make it up to you," Ron mumbled as he picked up his fork and knife to actually attempt cutting the meat before trying to eat it again.

The four sat in relative silence for the next few minutes as Ron and Ginny simply worked at eating their meals. For their parts, Harry and Hermione ate only a little - enough for them, but compared to Weasley appetites, it was barely enough to get by.

Once Ginny set her goblet down again, Hermione actually voiced the question that had been on her mind for quite some time. "So... where are you all going to be living now?"

"We... er... don't really know," Ron admitted softly.

"Mum said that Headquarters is only temporary until they can either get enough money to rebuild or find a new place for us all to live," Ginny added, pouring another glass of pumpkin juice.

"So, you'd just go out to a new house when you find one so Voldemort can blow it up again?" Harry asked pointedly, eliciting a gasp and a kick in the shins from Hermione, which he ignored and went on before anyone could say anything. "That's nonsense mate. Until he's dead, you lot are staying at my house. I'm not taking a no on that one either. Owl your mum and dad if you have to, but that's that."

"Harry, are you... I mean that's... you don't mind?" Ginny finally settled on. Although she was bumbling over words, Ron seemed to have been struck with a stunner for all the response he was giving.

"Hey, so long as you guys can give me a bit of space when I need it, it's fine by me. Hermione's parents are staying there for a while anyway. That'll give your dad something to do when he's got the time."

Hermione seemed a little too choked up from what Harry had said to say anything at all, but Ron set his goblet down firmly and looked to Ginny, though he was speaking to Harry. "Mind if I borrow Hedwig? I've got a bit of a letter to send, by the sounds of things. I'd use Pig, but I think this calls for her instead..." He stood up before he could get an answer, and then leaned over to get closer to Ginny. "If anyone asks, me and Harry had to get into a violent argument about it first, got it?"

The three of them watched Ron leave the Great Hall quickly, looking a bit more cheerful than he had been for quite some time. Luna seemed to notice his rapid departure and got up to follow him. Harry then looked back to Hermione and Ginny to find Hermione smiling broadly at him, and Ginny shaking her head.

"He's well suited for her," she muttered. "He's just as loony as she is."

-------------------------

It was a minor miracle when Hermione finally laid down on top of Harry that night, resting her head on her arms so she could look into his eyes. She wasn't wearing her bra that night... instead, she was wearing her nightgown.

The reason it was a minor miracle was because of Harry's reaction when she had first transformed out of her kneazle form and back to herself again. Apparently, when she had told him that she'd be wearing her nightgown that night, he hadn't quite thought about just how thin it could possibly be.

She had to admit - even if it was only to herself - that she didn't seem the type to own a sheer piece of clothing in the first place, especially a nightgown. At least she was still wearing a pair of knickers... but Harry had frozen up completely when he realised that the nightgown was essentially see through.

"This any better?" she whispered to him once she was lying down. "You did a wonderful thing at dinner tonight, you know..." Harry simply nodded to her, as though he didn't quite trust his voice just yet. He had let out a startled eep of surprise instead, and had started talking about apparently whatever came to his mind first as he looked away from her.

When he mentioned the pudding that had been served for dessert that night, she took matters into her own hands and pushed him down to lie on top of him. "Look, I just wanted to wear a bit more than I did the last couple of nights," she explained. "You might have thick blankets, but I still get cold in just a bra and knickers. Besides, it's quite uncomfortable wearing a bra all day and night."

"I wouldn't know," Harry said almost instantly, grinning just a little to her. "Uh... `Mione... you realise that that nightgown is a little..." She had no doubt that he hadn't even heard her words of praise, but for some reason, that didn't really bother her right then and there.

"Thin?" she suggested. "Sheer? See through? Practically nonexistent?"

"Yeah."

"It's got some magics in it to keep it warm, though, so that's why I'm wearing it."

"You don't mind that..." he started, only to be silenced by a gentle kiss from Hermione.

*Remember what we did over Christmas holidays in your bed?* she purred to him. *The night that everyone else got to your home?*

*I would never forget that,* he purred back, falling into kneazle without a second thought. Whenever she was trying to get closer to him, he noticed she often spoke in kneazle rather than in English, but he couldn't find a reason to care. *It was wonderful...*

*How would you like a repeat?* she asked, moving up a little to kiss him again. This time, however, she propped herself up on her hands on either side of his head, pressing her waist into his, but keeping her chest in plain view of him. When he glanced down briefly before meeting her gaze again, she saw an almost hungry desire present. *You set the charms, right?*

*Always,* he replied before slowly reached up to take her breasts in both hands. She couldn't help but gasp slightly at the sensation and arch her back, pressing into his hands a little more fully as well as pressing her hips a little closer to his own. When he moaned in response, she couldn't help but purr softly.

*My `Mione...* he purred, pulling her down for a passionate kiss while continuing to caress her breasts through the fabric. They both knew that they wouldn't take things too far, but getting a bit closer physically never hurt things...

*There's... too much... fabric...* Hermione moaned in between short, fast breaths as his fingers played over her very erect nipples. *Take... it off... please...*

He looked into her deep brown eyes carefully, and she lifted up off him, propping herself up on her knees. Slowly, painstakingly slowly, he ran his hands along her sides, along the ridge of her knickers, and over her behind before moving down her legs. Once he reached her knees, he took hold of the bottom of the nightgown and started to reverse the process.

*I thought you said you were cold...* he mewed softly to her, a large grin on her face.

*Don't make me hiss at you, Harry,* she mewed back, leaning down to kiss him brief, pulling away quickly. *I'm not kissing you again if you don't get this off me now!*

*An empty threat,* he purred back, still moving slowly. This time, however, his fingers were along her bare skin as he worked the nightgown up her body. He stopped right next to her armpits and slowly moved both his hands over to her breasts again, capturing them fully and caressing them. With the force that she pressed into him instantly, he knew that it had been as much torture on her as it had been on him, but it was certainly worth it.

Harry let go of her breasts suddenly to take hold of the nightgown again, pulling it up over her head. She sat back onto him to let him pull it off all the way, causing him to draw in his breath sharply as she planted herself right on top of his hardened member. Once he had tossed the nightgown aside, he noticed she was biting on her lower lip again, and he raised an eyebrow at her in a silent question.

Immediately, she launched herself down on him again, kissing him with a ferocity that he had never even imagined in her before. He felt her nipples playing against his chest as she moved around with the kiss, and felt himself harden even more at the mere thought of it.

She was purring loudly in the back of her throat now, and he matched the sound with a purr of his own, coupling it with his moans as she pressed her hips into him again. Quickly this time, he moved his hands down and caught her at the sides, giving a gentle pull upwards.

Hermione didn't question him at all this time. Instead, she released his lips and moved up as he guided her. She wasn't sure what he was aiming for until she suddenly felt his tongue touch the top of one of her breasts, and she took a quick breath, holding it in pleasure until releasing it again slowly.

Carefully and leisurely, Harry licked her right breast from top to bottom and side to side, pausing for a moment each time he passed over her nipple before continuing. Once he had completely covered her breast in his siliva, he gently prodded her with his hands to move so he could get at the other one, which was practically pulsing with her rapid heartbeat. The cool air on her wet breast just caused her to push harder into him with her hips, thoroughly enjoying the feeling of his own heartbeat pulsing through his lower organ against her apex.

Finished with licking both breasts to his satisfaction, he pulled her back down so he could kiss her again, and she collapsed on top of him, molding her body completely to his this time as they explored each other's mouths. Slowly, their frantic kissing turned into a more gentle, caring kiss, until they finally separated and Hermione pulled back a little to lean on his chest again, looking into his ocean eyes carefully.

She made sure to pull her hips away from his as well - the feeling of being so close to him was practically torture for her, and she knew without a doubt that her knickers were completely soaked through, and wondered briefly if his boxers had any of her liquid on them, but didn't dare look down.

*We aren't rushing things, are we?* she asked quietly, searching his eyes to make sure they hadn't done anything he didn't want. Although she wasn't exactly comfortable with the idea of sex yet either, it had been Harry who had asked for them to take it quite slow. *You're okay with all this, right?*

*Yeah,* he purred in response. *No more than this... but this is good.*

*Good.* They laid in Harry's bed in comfortable silence for quite some time, just looking into each other's eyes, before Harry finally looked away from her, a haunted look overtaking him. "What's wrong?" she whispered.

"Just thinking. And worrying," he said slowly. "Nothing new there."

"What about?" He looked back to her, and she shrugged, ignoring the feelings that were sent up and down her body by such a movement given their closeness. "Alright, stupid question. Anything you want to talk about?"

Harry sighed and closed his eyes. "I was just wishing that Voldemort wasn't around... I can barely picture a future right now because of him, and I really want to be able to."

"I know what you mean," she whispered. "It took me a long time to be able to imagine what I want my life to be like."

"Oh?" he said, raising an eyebrow at her. "You've thought about it, then? Do tell..."

She blushed at the expression on his face, and then let her eyes lose their focus as she retreated into her dreams while still being awake to talk about them. "I always pictured... getting married," she whispered softly. "A year or two out of Hogwarts, I think. I've always wanted to get married early, so I can spend as much time of my life as possible with you next to me."

"How long have you pictured me as the one you'd be marrying out of Hogwarts?" Harry asked, a touch of amusement in his voice at the dreamy sound of her voice.

"About two years now," she whispered. "And I see us looking at our first house... and enjoying life together. I mean really just enjoying life. We don't get the chance to do that very often right now with the war going on... so that was what I always saw us doing... just existing. Never anything stressful or anything like that."

"Any children I should know about running around?"

She suddenly lost her spaced out look and looked into his eyes quickly. "You don't mind all that? I mean, I really shouldn't have told you all that, honestly. I know most guys would go spare if a girl started talking about marriage and kids this early in a relationship..."

"Mione..." Harry said, cutting her off effectively. "Look, we've known each other for almost six years now, right?" When she nodded slightly, he smiled. "I've always known that you tend to plan out everything, so why should any of this come as a surprise to me?"

"You really don't mind?"

"If you can picture a life after Voldemort, then I don't mind at all what it is," he replied with a grin. "Seriously - any life after Voldemort is a good one by me. One with you... that's only better."

"How many kids were you thinking, then?"

"Kids?" Harry asked in surprise. "I don't know... at least two. I always wanted a sibling when I was younger - though I'm glad I don't have one, now. They would've had to live with the Dursley's, too, and probably be stuck fighting in the war, too."

"I want a lot of kids," Hermione admitted. "Being an only child is lonely... so I want a lot."

"Do you mean Weasley lot, or Patil lot?" Harry asked. He knew that the Patil twins had one younger brother who would be starting Hogwarts the year they finished.

"How many are you okay with?"

"This, my `Mione, my angel... this is on you, not me. I'm not the one who has to give birth to each of them, remember?"

"Ten," she said almost as soon as he stopped talking. When he looked surprised, she smiled. "One for each year of my life when I didn't know you."

"So... that's your dream, is it?" Harry whispered to her. "That's what you see after Voldemort is dead?"

"Yeah," she sighed in return. "I understand if you don't agree with it, but we can work that out later. We've got lots of time, still."

"'Mione... if I live through this war, then I promise to bring you that dream," he replied firmly. "If we win... if Voldemort dies in the end, then I'll be by your side forever. I've already sworn a wizard's oath to that effect, so I guess that shouldn't come as too much of a shock, now should it?"

She leaned up and kissed him gently before sitting up. She noticed him tense beneath her for a moment before she had pulled on her sheer nightgown again and laid back down on top of him. "I love you, Harry." If she thought he had tensed before when she had sat up, then she wasn't sure how to describe what happened when she whispered that. If was like his whole body had turned to a rock. She kissed him again, and held the kiss until she felt him start to relax before pulling away again. "I know you can't say it now," she said. "I can wait... but I do want to hear it sometime, you know..."

"I know, `Mione. I'm sorry," he whispered, looking away from her and taking a deep breath. "It's just that..."

She cut him off with a finger on his lips again. "I love you, Harry."

He sighed and smiled weakly to her. "I know."

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Author's Note: Just a quick word here… I've received a few questions/emails/reviews asking about the action in this story, or the lack thereof recently. Please rest assured that it will come - right now, we are in what could be called the calm before the storm. Remember, the storm is often longer than the calm, so be aware.
Also, I know this chapter might not make much sense right now - it's more a filler in some ways than not. However, it is breaching a very important topic, as well as covering something that needed being discussed. I hope everyone enjoyed it.

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Until the sun sets upon a broken world…
The Shadows

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