Chapter 18: Stirrings
July 7 - 9:25pm - Grimmauld Place
Harry stood in the doorway of the library at Grimmauld Place watching the young woman before him as she sat curled in a chair reading a rather large book. Candles lit throughout the room gave it a warm glow, and he found himself enjoying just watching her read. He had spent the evening working on defensive spells with Neville and then talking to Luna, George, and Fred about their day in Diagon Alley and run in with Marcus Flint and William Montague, both former Slytherins. The twins had delighted in telling of how they had sent the two Slytherins away covered in boils after the two had unsuccessfully tried to curse them. Even Molly Weasley had been pleased at the twins' quick thinking, and of their responsibility in gaining Jeremiah's permission for Luna to join them for the day. Harry smiled as he remembered the looks on the twins' faces when their mother not only didn't yell at them for taking Luna to Diagon Alley, but actually apologized to them for not having gone to their shop yet to see what they had accomplished.
Remus had returned to Grimmauld with Narcissa Malfoy and Daniel Abbott, only to disappear again almost immediately. The last Maruader flatly refused to answer Harry's questions, other than to say that Grimmauld was still secure, and Harry had not seen him since. Hermione, sensing Harry's desire to lash out at once again being kept in the dark, had suggested that she begin the research on applying for adult status, while he and Neville practiced defense spells.
The distractions had helped, but Harry knew that something important was happening, and worried that the attack on the Abbott's had not been the only one this afternoon. Frustrated at not being able to do something more, he suppressed a sigh.
As he entered the room, he pushed away his other thoughts of the evening and chose to focus instead on his best friend who had yet to notice his presence.
"Good evening," he greeted speaking softly so as not to startle her too much. Hermione looked up at his voice and smiled.
"Hello, Harry." She placed a book mark in the book and set it aside.
"I missed you," he said surprising himself with his confession. Her smile broadened as she got to her feet.
"I missed you, too," she replied enveloping him in a hug. Harry placed a kiss on the top of her head as he held her close enjoying the warmth and the feel of her against him.
"I found what Neville described and he's right, we should be able to apply for emancipation with the Ministry since we have all completed our OWLS. It's a relatively simple form that you request from the Ministry. There's a hearing where we will each have to state our reasons for applying for emancipation and why we feel a guardian should not be appointed for us. After that a three member panel from the Wizengamot makes the final decision based on our reasons and our believed maturity," Hermione explained the process to him.
"What about your uncle?" Harry questioned pulling back slightly so that he could see her face as she responded to his inquiry.
"The panel will ask me why they should not honor his guardianship rights, and it rests with them as to whether or not they agree with my reasoning," Hermione answered, then added, "I should meet with him to discuss all of this. He may not have a problem with my staying at Hogwarts and here for the rest of the summer."
"I'd like to go with you when you speak to him," Harry stated. He did not want to lose her, not to Voldemort, and not to her uncle.
"Thanks, I would appreciate your support. You should meet him anyway," Hermione replied using her hand to brush back a stray lock of his hair that had fallen across one of his eyes. Her hand stayed in his hair as he pulled her even tighter against him and their lips met in a kiss. Hermione moaned against his mouth as Harry deepened the kiss. One arm held him tightly against him as his other trailed up and down her back making her shiver. With her hands she explored his face and his hair before moving down to his shoulders and back. When they finally broke apart, both were breathing heavily.
Harry led her back towards the chair Hermione had just vacated and sat down pulling her down onto his lap. Hermione curled against him once again and Harry lazily traced circles on her back with his hand. Hermione entwined his other hand with one of hers and the two sat in silence enjoying being alone together. With Grimmauld serving as Order Headquaters, privacy was rare.
"Harry," Hermione said softly almost hoping he wouldn't hear her and respond.
"Yes, Hermione," Harry answered realizing that something was bothering her and she wouldn't be truly content until they had dealt with it.
"How do you think Ron will respond to the two of us being together?" She had been thinking about this off and on all day because of Ron's comments early that morning. Since he had been asleep, Ron still had no idea that the two of them had confessed their feelings for one another.
"I don't know," Harry began, "I know he's liked you for awhile." Hermione nodded at his words as they confirmed what she had thought herself.
"He'll be okay with it won't he? I mean if we tell him how we feel about each other surely he will understand that we didn't plan this," Hermione mused concerned at their friend's response.
"It may just take him some time to adjust. He's our friend. I hope that won't change," Harry replied voicing some of his fear at losing his other best friend. The two trailed into silence once again each worried at how Ron might react to their news. After several minutes, Hermione broke the silence again.
"Harry, what spell did you use on Professor Moody this morning?" Hermione broached curious, but also wanting to change the subject.
"I didn't use any particular spell. I wanted to stun him. I wanted the fight to be over so it had to work. I could feel the power welling up inside me. And then, I just did it. I don't know how really," Harry explained.
"It must be part of the power described in the prophecy," Hermione stated. "You weren't using a wand. You channeled the power directly through your hand, and it wasn't like any usual spell."
"Is wandless magic tied to a person's emotions?" Harry questioned not sure if Hermione would know the answer or not, but even if she didn't she would know where to look.
"A witch or wizard's emotions can cause them to do magic accidentally, but usually its common things like turning your vegetables into your favorite candy or making the lights flicker," explained Hermione thinking of the examples she had read about at one point or another.
"What about blowing up your aunt so that she literally floats away?" Harry pondered with a smile remembering that very incident from just before his third year. Hermione smiled as well as she looked at him.
"I've not read of anyone else doing that to a loved one, so perhaps it was another early sign of how powerful you would become. A wizard or witches power increases as they age as well," Hermione commented. Harry had shown plenty of signs of accidental magic, along with several examples of mastering more advanced spells than he should be able to do. She thought of his 13 year old self driving away all those dementors back in third year to save his and Sirius's lives.
"I guess it's a good thing that Aunt Marge made those comments when I was thirteen instead of waiting until now," mused Harry a hint of a smile in his voice.
"I suppose," Hermione stated, "though I cannot imagine you would truly mean to hurt her."
"I didn't mean to knock Moody out to the point where it took three people to enervate him," Harry replied now worried about his expanding powers.
"All that really means is that you are a more powerful wizard then the individuals who cast the counter," Hermione countered. "Besides, you also said that you wanted to knock him out for awhile to end the fight, and that's exactly what you did."
"Thanks, Hermione."
"Your welcome, Harry," she replied before kissing him. She lost herself in the kiss marveling at how wonderful it felt to be in his arms. Her hand found its way to his unruly black hair and she enjoyed its softness. She tugged on his bottom lip playfully, then, deepened the kiss using her tongue to explore and taste him. She felt his hand slid under her shirt and her breath caught. His hand gently stroked the skin at her side before sliding to her back and higher and he used his arm to pull her tighter against him. They broke apart slowly.
"Wow!" Hermione could only smile at his comment because she felt the same. Then she noticed something strange. Harry appeared to be glowing slightly, his eyes pulsing brightly in time to his heart she could feel beneath her hand where it rested on his chest.
"Hermione, you're glowing," Harry whispered in awe. Her brown eyes seemed almost luminescent. Hermione looked down at her hand, and saw the faint golden glow that encompassed Harry also surrounded her. Her mind clicked and she remembered where she had heard of something like this.
"Harry, I think we're bonding." The excitement in her voice was obvious.
"What?" Harry questioned confused.
"Honestly, Harry, bonding, don't you remember Professor Binns talking about bonding?" Hermione chided, shaking her head in exasperation as Harry still looked at her blankly. The glow faded slowly then, and she rested her head against his chest.
"Bonding occurs when two people who love each other completely open themselves to each other. Old wizarding marriage ceremonies used to include a ritual for bonding because it bound the two together, their lives and their powers, forever. At the time it helped with alliances between wizarding families. It's faded from practice for the most part, but legend has it that couples who are like what we would call soul mates in the muggle world, still bond on their own as the witch and wizard grow closer to each other," Hermione explained. Harry smiled at her as he realized what this could mean for them, and then reality intruded, and his smile froze.
"You said this bound the witch and wizard's lives and powers, how so?" Hermione knew in that instant, he was thinking of the prophecy that said that either he or Voldemort would die at the hand of the other.
"Exactly as it says, the two are linked. The bond grows and strengthens the longer the couple is together," Hermione stated simply.
"If Voldemort kills me, will this link mean that he kills you as well?" Harry asked going to the heart of his concern. He felt cold inside at the thought.
"I don't know, Harry, but I do know that you will survive this, you have to," Hermione argued not wanting him to pull away from her.
"Hermione, I cannot take the chance that he could kill you," Harry stated vehemently as he stared straight into her deep brown eyes. The fire flared in the grate and so did the light in her eyes as she pulled back slightly.
"Harry, this is not just up to you. I cannot stand the thought of losing you either, not to Voldemort, and not to your own conviction that you need to protect me," Hermione countered. The two stared each other down caught in a battle of wills, neither willing to give even an inch.
"Ahem," a voice interrupted from the doorway. Albus Dumbledore could feel the air crackling around the young witch and wizard sitting in the battered green chair in the Black family library. A ripple of power flowed out from the two as they broke eye contact to look towards him in the doorway. It took nearly all his concentration to keep from being knocked over as the surge of power passed over him. 'Very interesting, indeed,' the wizened old wizard thought to himself, his blue eyes twinkling. He felt a deep disappointment that he missed whatever had sparked that display of accidental magical power.
"I am sorry to interrupt, but I need to speak to Mr. Potter," Dumbledore began.
"Hermione stays," Harry interrupted. He might be willing to argue with her about bonding with each other, but he wanted her with him to hear what Dumbledore had to say about his powers and for the letter.
"Very well," Dumbledore answered moving into the room and taking a seat across from the two teenagers. He was proud of their quick thinking of earlier this afternoon. The Order had managed to reach the other members of the D.A. and gotten most of them to safety. He was still waiting on a final report of survivors. "Lemon drop?" Both Harry and Hermione declined the offer, so he tucked them back into his cloak.
"Alastor told me of your use of wandless magic this morning. You have impressed him. We would like to train you in this aspect of magic, going even further than we had originally intended," Dumbledore explained. "Most wizards can only do simple wandless magic spells, but it would seem your abilities are much more advanced even without any formal training."
"Is this the power that the prophecy mentioned?" Harry questioned thinking back to Hermione's earlier comment.
"It may be, but I would suspect it is only part of it," Dumbledore replied. "For now, Alastor and I will be working with you on wandless magic, whenever we can work in the time to do so. Most likely, these lessons will occur before or after your occulmency, legilimency, and dueling sessions."
"Will Neville and I be joining him in these?" Hermione asked curious.
"Yes, at least in part. I am curious if anyone else has the same ability when it comes to wandless magic. The others will also be trained in the basics of wandless magic to see if they have the capacity as well. I am afraid it is well past time to arm all of you with as much knowledge as we can," Dumbledore stated. Harry nodded in agreement.
"What happened this afternoon?" Harry pressed the older man. He wanted to know what had happened this afternoon that had kept Remus from Grimmauld. Dumbledore sighed.
"There were more attacks on students and their families. I do not have a full report yet, but it would seem that the members of your D.A. group handled themselves quite well and most were able to hold off the death eaters until Order members could arrive to help." Harry ran a hand through his messy black hair in frustration.
"He deliberately went after D.A. members didn't he?"
"Yes, it would appear that the list that Umbridge took from the Room of Requirements has fallen into Voldemort's hands," Dumbledore answered. "We are currently working on a system of safe housing for the members and their families. Right now, many of them have been taken, covertly of course, to Hogwarts."
"Is the Ministry helping in any of this?" questioned Hermione. Harry had lapsed into silence, and she knew he was blaming himself for the list falling into Umbridge's, and now Voldemort's, hands.
"I met with Minister Fudge today. A small contingent of aurors was dispatched to help protect the families and take them to safe houses. He is treading very carefully. The wizarding community questions his ability to lead us now with all of the attacks. Madam Bones and I have convinced him to not go after any of the underage witches and wizards who performed magic in self defense, which includes the two of you and Mr. Longbottom." Dumbledore informed them. "I have also requested that the Wizengamot consider a repeal of the restriction against underage magic to allow for students to train to protect themselves against Voldemort and his death eaters. In fact, I would like you and Mr. Potter to continue with your Defense group. The scores of the D.A. members on their OWLS and NEWTS were all Outstanding, and their skills today at repealing attacks looked more like fully trained wizards, not students."
"Voldemort attacked them because they were in the D.A. and connected to me," Harry pointed out, "besides, shouldn't we have a real defense teacher like Moody or Remus?"
"You shouldn't doubt yourself so much, Mr. Potter. I've just informed you that all of your students in the D.A. passed their OWL and NEWTS with top scores. They, like yourself your friends at the Ministry, have fought death eaters and survived. What more proof of being a good teacher do you need?" Harry looked down as a blush spread across his features.
"I am confident that you can both do this, and that you will excel at this task, your first, as members of the Order of the Phoenix." Harry and Hermione looked at each other in surprise. They had expected a battle to convince the adults to let them join the Order.
"I thought we had to wait until the other members approved?" Harry pointed out curious as to what had happened. Dumbledore smiled at the pair warmly before answering.
"Membership in the Order goes to those willing to fight against Voldemort. I am afraid that myself and others let your age cloud our judgment. You have both been fighting against Voldemort since your first year at Hogwarts. And, ultimately, I am afraid that it will fall on your generation to end this war and rid us of Voldemort forever."
"Not just our generation, sir. I know the full contents of the prophecy, and I also know that I will be there with Harry to put an end to Voldemort," Hermione stated emphatically as her eyes flashed eerily as if daring Dumbledore or Harry to object.
"When do you plan for us to begin teaching?" Harry asked, not daring to challenge Hermione's comment.
"As long as I can push through the repeal, we will begin in a couple of weeks. Tom has forced us into a situation of hiding, while staying closely connected, and I wish to use that to our advantage," Dumbledore explained, "for now, begin planning lessons for the D.A. I will inform you later of when their training shall begin."
"We'll start tomorrow," Hermione assured him, part of her already thinking ahead to spells the D.A. should learn.
"Thank you, and now, I shall leave you with this," Dumbledore stated pulling a large ivory scroll from the folds of his robe. He held it out to Harry, adding, "The parchment is protected so that only the person it is intended for may read it. If you wish for Hermione or anyone else to be able to read it, you will have to grant them permission."
"Thank you, sir," Harry managed around a lump that had formed in his throat at the site of the scroll. He didn't want to open it. It would just make the loss more real. Dumbledore stood studying the couple for a moment longer as they sat, Hermione turned sideways in Harry's lap, her feet drawn up into the tattered chair.
"Goodnight, and please, let me know if you need anything," Dumbledore finally spoke.
"Goodnight, headmaster," Hermione answered. Harry was staring at the scroll oblivious to everyone and everything else. Dumbledore left as quietly as he had arrived, and Hermione turned back to Harry.
"Hermione," her name came as a cross between a plea and a cry. She wrapped her arms around him holding him closely.
"I'm right here, Harry. I'll always be right here." Tears sprang to her eyes again as she thought of her parents. Harry's arms closed around her holding her so tightly it hurt. The scroll fell to the floor unopened as they cried in each other's arms for everything they had lost.
Neither knew how long they sat there, clinging to each other and crying. Eventually, the tears slowed, then stopped, and after a quick nod of permission from Harry, Hermione leaned down to retrieve the scroll. She handed it to Harry, and remembering Dumbledore's words, he said.
"Hermione Granger, I want you to read this scroll with me." The scroll glowed for a moment as if acknowledging his command. He unrolled it gently to find Sirius's familiar scrawl lining the page.
Dear Harry,
First let me say this, DO NOT blame yourself in any way for my death. Hopefully, I went out fighting. Second, know
this, that if I have any regrets, it will be that whatever time with you I had could never be enough. I love you as a
son, and know that Lily and James would be proud of the man you have become, just as I am.
I chose to write this private letter to you because I want to encourage you to be your own man. You have many of your
mother's qualities, including her sense of responsibility and the way she always saw the best in others. Your
courage and tendency to break the rules, I believe are two of the strongest traits you inherited from your father. When
I thought of who should be appointed your guardian, should you still need one when I died, I could think of no one
better than my best friend and fellow Marauder, Remus Lupin. Wizarding law being what it is, I cannot do this, so
instead, I ask that you listen to Remus and that the two of you look after each other. I also ask that you trust in
your friend, Hermione, she truly is the brightest witch I have ever met, next to your mother, of course. If you will
grant my requests to heed their advice, then I grant to you, my godson, your emancipation.
With this, you are now endowed with the ability to lay claim to your heritage as a Potter in the Potter family vault in
Gringotts. With this comes a great responsibility as one of the last remaining heirs to an extremely old wizarding
family. As my godson, and thus my only heir, I also grant you half of the Black family fortune, the house at
Grimmauld Place, and all other items not specifically gifted to others. This two comes with a
great amount of responsibility, as you are now an heir of the Black family as well.
With the business taken care of, I just want to end this letter by saying one last time that, I love you, Harry.
Your godfather,
Sirius Black
Harry and Hermione read the letter through completely twice before either spoke.
"It's a beautiful letter," Hermione said simply. She rubbed Harry's back soothingly as she waited for his response.
"There's so much I never knew, and never got to ask him," Harry spoke so softly Hermione barely managed to hear it.
"Harry?"
"Yes, Hermione," Harry answered.
"Do you remember what Sirius said to you that night we rescued him from the dementors?" For a moment, Harry was quiet as his mind went back to that night. He remembered Sirius's hand against his heart and the words he said.
"Our loved ones never truly leave us because we keep them in our heart," Harry stated clearly. Hermione used her hand to nudge his chin up so that she could look into his damp green eyes.
"It doesn't make the pain go away, but I've been thinking about that a lot in the last couple of days," Hermione whispered, her own eyes still wet. Harry smoothed his hand over her hair stroking it softly.
"Thanks, Hermione," Harry replied. As he thought about it, he realized that although his time with his godfather had been short, Sirius had managed to tell him the really important stuff, like how much his parents had loved him and that he himself loved him. Then, thinking about the young woman in his arms, who meant so much to him, he added, "I love you, Hermione Granger." Hermione smiled softly as his words. She knew she'd never tire of hearing them.
"I love you, too, Harry," she said just before his lips captured hers and she forgot about everything but him.
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Thanks for all the wonderful reviews! I hope this fills a fix for the Harry/Hermione shippers...and for those of you
who have continually requested that I lengthen my chapters a little more. Let me know what you think…thanks!