Disclaimer: Not mine. I wish it were so we would have had HHr, but alas it's JK Rowling's.
A/N: My reply to the challenge issued by PJ, you can find it here: http://talk.portkey.org/index.php?showtopic=26635 . This story will start right after fifth year, and it will involve sex, some blood, and such, so this is why it is rated NC17. I hope you'll enjoy it, I think this is the most complex challenge I've ever dared to reply to, so I sincerely hope I'll be able to pull it off well.
Thanks to my beta Gingercat!
Harry Potter and His True Sixth Year
Chapter Eighteen: First Breakthrough
"Hermione, Professor Snape, I think I found the solution"
Both of them snapped their heads up from the parchments they were working on, and looked at him.
"If his dormant recessive Metamorphmagus genes were only partially activated by being infected with lycanthropy, it could explain the instability of his cell structure and his inability to heal or regenerate properly. Normally a Metamorphmagus has the ability to control the shape shifting of their bodies but lycanthropy is something that is normally uncontrollable and the two conditions are not usually compatible if we go by what the books say that I have read in the medical references section of the library. But since Remus didn't have active Metamorphmagus genes to start with, he didn't die when he got bitten. I believe that if he was one, his cell structure would have become too unstable and his body would have broken down within hours from the time he was bitten" Harry started, and Hermione interrupted him.
"Oh, yes, I saw records of that in the books. It was recorded by Healers for research purposes but they didn't seem to really care about the patients that were bitten." She gave out a huff of disgust at the idea that Healers in history were as biased against Lycans than Death Eater were of Muggle-born wizards and witches. "They were only worried about more wizards and witches getting infected by Lycans and were looking for better and more efficient ways of killing off Lycans and were thinking of using blood of Metamorphmagus donors but luckily enough, they are very rare so the project was halted and finally stopped by the Ministry of Magic because they wanted to protect the Metamorphmagus wizards and witches instead of the Lycans if you can believe that!" She grunted in disgust.
Harry grinned at her, nodding. He had read that information too. "Usually the condition shows up in pureblood wizard families and that was their main concern" he added to conclude her explanation on the matter, earning himself a smile from her.
"But, I should get back to my idea of how to cure Remus" he started again then. "See, I was thinking, if we need to hinder his Metamorphmagus genes, considering that it is in the bone marrow that the blood cells are produced, and many other kinds of cells too, as it's there that the staminal cells are located, particularly the ematopoietic ones which produce the three kind of cells contained in blood, I was thinking that maybe we could have Samantha donate some of her bone marrow and then we could transplant it to Remus, so that he would have a source of production of the "healthy" Lycan genes in the new cells, which would slowly override the ones where the Metamorphmagus genes get in the way" Harry explained.
Snape and Hermione pondered for some time over his suggestion. Finally, his girlfriend launched herself at him, kissing him soundly on the lips, forgetting where she was and with whom.
Only when the Potion Master cleared his throat rather loudly she pulled back, blushing scarlet red and mumbling her apologies.
Snape nodded, then turned to Harry, the corners of his lips turned up in a shadow of a smile. "Ingenious, Potter" was all the man said, but to Harry it felt like the highest praise. Maybe Hermione was right, Snape knew how to push his buttons to make him try his best and that was why he was stern with him in class.
As they discussed more of the details of Harry's plan, Hermione adding her knowledge about what kind of staminal cells were in the bone marrow besides the ematopoietic ones, which are the mesenchymal ones which can produce many kinds of different cells that are in the human body, and finally the epithelial ones, Harry nodding and joining her in the explanation to the Potion Master, the brunette also came up with another suggestion.
"Maybe we could also brew a modified Blood Replenishing potion, keyed to Samantha's blood, the blood of an healthy Lycan so to speak, and replace Professor Lupin's blood with that. It would make the process of overriding the Metamorphmagus genes quicker" she explained, and Harry nodded. He was thinking along those lines too.
"Interesting idea, Miss Granger" Snape mused. "I shall see if keying the Blood Replenishing potion to a particular blood is possible, of course, but in case it is, that would surely make the whole process quicker, indeed. Now, I think we should call it a night. I need to do some research on how to concoct the needed potions anyway"
Harry and Hermione recognized the dismissal and with a curt nod left the office, walking up the stairs from the dungeons to the Entrance Hall, and then up to Gryffindor Tower.
"You know, that was really a brilliant idea about the bone marrow, Harry" Hermione beamed at him. He blushed at her praise.
"It was nothing much, I just recalled the biology we studied in that primary school I attended" he tried to minimize his intuition, but Hermione wouldn't have any of it.
"Well, I didn't think of that, and I studied the same subjects you did before attending Hogwarts" Hermione reasoned. "As for Snape…well, I don't think he ever studied human biology much, not like we Muggle-raised wizards and witches do anyway. Did you see the look on his face? I swear, I've never seen the man smile, and yet he was on the brink of doing just that when you explained your idea" she said, excited.
Harry smiled warmly at her, pulling her closer for a kiss, as they were now sitting on the couch in the common room. "You must be rubbing off on me" he said, kissing the tip of her nose, and she good-naturedly rolled her eyes at him.
"You don't need that, Harry. You're smart on your own, when you want to be" she said, praising him but also admonishing him for not using his brains to the best of his ability, most of the time..
He grinned sheepishly at her, and pulled her on his lap. "Don't I get a reward for being a smart guy this evening?" he huskily whispered as he kissed her neck. She moaned softly, and it was enough of a reply to him, so he kept kissing her, his hands caressing her sides, up to the swell of her breasts, making her breath hitch in her throat.
"Harry!" she gasped after a particularly long and wet kiss, her eyes clouded with desire, her arms loosely wrapped around his neck. He guessed that was as good a time as any to experience the thrill of shagging it in the common room, where someone could catch them, and she seemed thrilled at the risk they were going to take, from what he could gather by her damp knickers.
Pushing them aside, he slid a finger inside her, stopping her from moaning loudly as he kissed her again, his finger sliding in and out of her wet hole, and his own arousal evident from the bulge in his trousers.
His sexy girlfriend made quick work of relieving him of that particular constriction, though, as well as of his boxers, then she straddled his lap again, guiding him inside her. Harry gritted his teeth at the sensation, she was always so tight, squeezing him from the moment he entered her to the moment he finally let it go, and then he started picking up a fast rhythm, their hips crashing together as they travelled toward the heights of their orgasms, until Hermione finally cried out his name as she climaxed, and he followed moments later, as she collapsed, spent, into his embrace. Conjuring a blanket, he covered both of them with it, then placed his invisibility cloak over them, to avoid anyone knowing they were there.
The pair planned to rest just long enough to catch their breath and then get dressed to reach their separate dorms, but the tiredness both felt changed their plans, making them fall asleep on the couch, Hermione's head nestled into the crook of his neck, his arms wrapped protectively around her, their chests pressed together, and the last thing Harry knew before sleep took him was how nice Hermione's breasts felt against his skin.
--
The next morning, Ron woke up strangely early, and noticed Harry's bed was empty, once more. He had overheard rumours that he and Hermione had started sleeping together, meaning they had started shagging, and the frequent absences from the dorm since the start of the new term seemed to prove it.
However, nothing could have prepared the redhead for what he saw when he entered the common room.
The invisibility cloak must have slipped off of them during the night, at least partially, because he could clearly see Harry's black hair poking out, and a feminine bare foot too.
He half thought to leave them there and embarrass them in front of the whole Gryffindor Tower, maybe get them in trouble with McGonagall, but then an even more "evil" idea formed in his mind. He pretty much knew he could never have Hermione, he wasn't stupid and had realized it wasn't a passing fancy what she and Harry shared.
At least, he could peek at her naked body, and fill his night fantasies with that. He felt a bit of a pervert as he raised his wand to lift the invisibility cloak and expose them, but he was determined to do it, even if that meant he would get an eyeful of Harry's naked body too. Not something he cared for, thank you, but the temptation of drooling over Hermione's curves was too much to resist.
However, it seemed the redhead had to get continuously frustrated, because that was the moment Harry woke up, and spotted him.
"Ron!" he called out, while with his wand he summoned his and Hermione's clothes. His harsh whisper woke her up too, and soon she was aware of the situation just as Harry was. When the raven haired boy was dressed, he stood up, careful to not uncover Hermione's body to Ron's hawk-like eyes.
Their ex best friend, seeing his only chance at peeking at Hermione vanish, decided he could at least pick a fight, and sneered at them
"Shagging in the common room? Aren't you two bold?" he smirked. Then he turned toward Hermione, who had by now got hastily dressed, and had stood up too.
"I tell you, he's being a bad influence for you, Mione" the redhead said, and she scoffed.
"Oh, come on, Ron, don't play the saint with me. And don't call me Mione" she retorted.
"He does" Ron pointed out, looking at Harry.
"He's my boyfriend, if you hadn't noticed" Hermione said, glaring at the redhead boy, who glared back and stormed out of the portrait hole.
Both teens sighed. "I start to think he'll never get over it, you know" Harry said, running his hand through his hair.
"Me too" Hermione said, sadly.
--
It was a couple days after the Ron incident, and Hermione was mildly freaked out. All day Malfoy had been giving her smug looks and smirks, like he knew something she didn't. Ginny seemed overly cheerful too, at lunch and dinner, and now the redhead had left quickly from the table, claiming she had a meeting to attend.
Shrugging, she walked up the stairs to the library, where Harry was supposed to meet her for another night of studying, this time for their classes though and not for Remus as they still had to hear from Snape about it.
She heard someone giggling, and recognized it as Ginny. a moment later, she turned the corner and stepped into the hall to the library, and froze. There Ginny was, indeed, standing on her toes, her arms wrapped around the neck of a boy, they were snogging quite heatedly in fact. As Hermione's eyes travelled to the face of the boy, she felt her knees go weak.
It was Harry who was snogging Ginny quite thoroughly!
She, however, didn't have the time to run away, nor to shed tears, as a hand rested on her shoulders.
"She's putting up a nice show, isn't she?"
Hermione's head snapped to her right, and her mouth remained open, shocked. There Harry was, his hand on her shoulder, an amused expression on his face as he watched the scene unfold.
"But…you…her…" was all that Hermione managed to choke out.
He chuckled, and she glared at him, forgetting for a moment that her eyes had seen him sucking face with Ginny, and from the sounds she was hearing he should still be there.
"I assure you, Hermione, that is not me. I don't know who he is, but we're going to find out soon" he said, raising his wand toward the other Harry.
"Identitas Revealo!" he cried, and a turquoise beam shot from his wand, hitting the back of the boy, whose form quickly started changing, and reverting to normal.
The silvery hair and grey eyes left no doubts about who the boy was.
"Malfoy" Harry said, rolling his eyes. Hermione was suddenly angry at Ginny for trying to trick her into believing Harry was cheating with her, and as the pair passed to enter the library, the brunette slapped her ex friend quite hard. Malfoy was a bit miffed that their plan had been discovered, but he planned to comfort Ginny about that failure in a very convincing way, so he took her hand and led her away, to the Slytherin dorms. His dorm-mates wouldn't protest bringing a Gryffindor there, after all, not to him. His father might be in Azkaban but he was as respected as ever in the Slytherin house.
--
While the almost drama took place in front of the library, Neville and Luna were enjoying a bit of quality time with each other in the Room of Requirement. Lately, their efforts in helping Hermione and Harry with saving Remus had cut short their meetings for a good snog, or more. Tonight, they would make up for lost time.
Neville had never felt more happy in his life, he had never thought he would end up being in love with Luna Lovegood of all people, but he reckoned they completed each other well. He hoped his Gran would approve, but even if she didn't, he would never leave the blonde's side.
As these thoughts filled his mind, her stepped forward, and claimed her soft, full lips in a kiss, his hands finding her bum and squeezing.
Oh yes, this would be a night to remember, he was sure of it.
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