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 Twenty-one: A Surprising Letter
"You know, Harry, that regenerating skill of theirs, and the fact they can resist the Avada Kedavra…" she started. "It could be very handy in the war" she said, turning to face him, and by the way her eyes were sparkling he knew she had just had a brilliant idea, as her usual.
"Well, of course, I mean, if we managed to sway them to our side, they would be a force to be reckoned with" Harry mused, but Hermione shook her head.
"That would be great, of course, but it was not what I had in mind" she smiled. Then she launched into the explanation of her idea.
"You see, we know in the end it's going to be you and Voldemort, right? And sure enough at some point he will try using the Killing Curse on you. Now, if you were to be protected from it, you could use it to your advantage, because you wouldn't need to care about the spell, and you would use the time while he casts it to attack him instead. He wouldn't have the time to shield himself"
Harry was confused. "Are you suggesting I let Remus or Samantha bite me so I become a Lycan too?"
Hermione scoffed, rolling her eyes at him. "Of course not. But if we could develop a way to give you that kind of protection…" she mused, and Harry smiled, shaking his head.
She was again in her own world.
"I got it!" she cried almost half an hour later. "If you were to bathe in their blood, and we could have you drink a potion to stick its properties on you, then you'd be shielded!"
Harry's eyes widened. Of course, given their regenerative skills, the two Lycans would have no problem providing them the necessary quantity of blood. The trick was to develop a potion to stick it to him.
"We should talk with Snape about it" he said, suddenly standing up and taking her hand.
"Professor Snape, Harry" she scolded him as he dragged her at mad speed through the grounds.
When they finally reached the older man's office and told him about Hermione's idea, he gave her an appraising look.
"I will look into it, Miss Granger. It certainly has possibilities, but then we should test to see if it really keeps Mr. Potter, or anyone going through the treatment, from being injured. I daresay if it can shield him from extensive physical damage, it would be good enough to protect him from the Killing Curse" he mused, holding his chin.
A few minutes later the two teens left, having agreed with the Potion Master that they would take a couple days to rest before starting to look into a definitive cure for the Lycans. It seemed that Severus Snape was convinced that Lycanthropy was nothing more than a permanent illness too, and as all illnesses, it had to have a way to be cured.
--
Since they were free form their research with Snape and they had already done their assignments for the holidays, the two of them went to ask the Headmaster permission to go to the village for an afternoon of relaxation.
Dumbledore regarded them with the usual twinkle in those blue eyes of his, and smiled. "I am sure if anyone deserves some time for entertainment in the village, it is the two of you" he said. "Just, be careful to be back before dark" he advised them, before dismissing the two of them with a recommendation to have fun.
As they strolled through the main street, shops on both sides of the street were mostly empty, due to most of the Hogwarts students being home for the holidays.  They entertained themselves with pleasant conversation and just enjoying each others company.
Harry wondered what had he done to deserve her. He just couldn't believe how happy she made him. He just hoped he could make her anywhere close to how she made him feel.
Pulling her to him, he softly kissed her, pouring all his love in the gesture.
"Thanks" he murmured against her lips, and she smiled, cupping his face with her hands. She had understood, there was no need of other words.
"You're welcome" she softly replied before kissing him again. She couldn't get enough of him, and it was only because they were in the middle of a village that the two of them managed to keep their hands at bay, because right now she wouldn't have minded a good, long shag, had they been alone in the castle.
Pushing those naughty thoughts out of her mind, Hermione sighed, and after a look at the sky, suggested they head back to the school. It was already almost sunset and they were going to miss dinner if they didn't hurry.
--
The next morning, while they were having breakfast in the Great Hall, some owls swooped in, as usual. What was strange, though, was that Errol, the Weasley family owl, landed unceremoniously in front of Harry, a letter tied to his leg. Exchanging a puzzled look with Hermione he shrugged and untied the envelope, then opened it.
As he read the short note, he frowned.
Dear Harry,
How are you? I hope you and
Hermione both are enjoying this
holiday. I'm writing you because
for days I've been trying to contact
Ron and Ginny, after the Easter eggs
we sent them came back unopened, and
we still have to receive a reply.
I know they are there at the castle, they said
they didn't feel like coming home, so please,
ask them to write home. I realize you and Ron
aren't on the best of terms right now, but if you
could do this, we would be truly grateful.
Molly
"What? They left on the Hogwarts Express, I saw them amongst the crowd heading to Hogsmeade that day!" Hermione exclaimed.
"I know. I spotted them too" Harry growled darkly. "And Malfoy was with them. God, let it not be what I think" he whispered, and Hermione must have guessed what he was referring to, because she paled.
"Surely they wouldn't…" she whispered, aghast.
"We don't know them all that well anymore, do we?" he muttered, and she nodded.
"Still, it seems really strange that they would do this, Harry. Please, don't jump to conclusions. After all Draco is her boyfriend, and maybe they got invited to his Manor and didn't want their parents knowing" she suggested, but even to her ears it seemed a stupid explanation.
Narcissa would have never accepted her son inviting two Weasleys to their house, after all. The two families were constantly at each other's throats, and it was surprising enough that Ginny and Draco were together, it would be easier if hell froze over than that the two redheads being invited and welcomed to Malfoy Manor.
Harry sighed. "Let's hope it's just that, but we better keep an eye on them from now on. One best friend turned traitor is enough, I don't want that story to repeat itself" he muttered, his reference to Pettigrew and his betrayal of Harry's parents obvious.
--
While Harry and Hermione were at the castle for the break, Neville and Luna had gone to her house. Luna's father had wanted to meet the "young man who so strongly captured my baby's heart", to tell it in the words he had written her to invite them. The house had been placed under the Fidelius Charm and the Secret Keeper was Dumbledore, so it was perfectly safe for them to be there.
Right now, the two were in the yard, enjoying the sunny day, cuddling together against a tree, his arms around her waist as she leaned against his chest.
The blonde sighed contentedly.
"I'm so glad Daddy likes you, Nev" she said in her usual tone. He smiled.
"He's a nice man, I was sure he would have liked me" Neville said, trying to sound confident. Luna giggled.
"You were shaking when we left the Express and walked toward him" she reminded him, turning in his embrace so that she could face him.
The boy blushed, and grinned sheepishly. "Ok, then, I was a bit afraid of meeting him, but honestly, what teenage boy isn't, at the prospect of meeting his girlfriend's father?" he retorted.
She gave him a brilliant smile. "I'd say you were terrified, not just a bit scared, but I found it cute. It spoke volumes about how much you care about me that you were so scared my dad wouldn't like you" she murmured against his lips, before she kissed him.
This continued for a few minutes before parting for lack of air. "You make me feel incredible, Luna, you know that, right?" he whispered to her as they rested their foreheads one on the other.
She just nodded. "I could say the same about you" she admitted with a faint blush, before kissing him again, this time hungrily, as her hands moved up his sides, to start caressing his chest through his shirt. He responded in the same fashion, and started running his hands up her sides, gently cupping her fairly large breasts through the fabric of her clothes.
Both were completely unaware of Mr. Lovegood approaching them to tell them dinner was ready.
"Oh! Here you are!" he suddenly shouted, and they sprang apart, blushing furiously. Even Luna seemed a bit embarrassed that her father had caught them in such a compromising situation, but the older wizard didn't seem to care.
"Oh, don't worry, it's perfectly normal" he said, reading their expressions. "You should have seen what I did with my Stella when we were your age" he said, a far away look in his eyes, blue just like Luna's.
"Dad!" Luna called, and the man immediately turned again his attention on them.
"Right. Dinner's ready" he said with a smile and both teens got up from where they were sitting.
"Thanks, Mr. Lovegood" Neville said, still quite red in the face.
"No need for those formalities, Neville, how many times I've to tell you? You're family now" Mr. Lovegood said with a mild glare.
"Right, sorry Mr…I mean, Astrus" the boy said, then while they were walking behind her father, he asked Luna, "family?"
She giggled softly. "Dad is convinced you and I will be married as soon as I'm out of Hogwarts" she revealed, and Neville blushed again.
"Blimey" he muttered under his breath, so softly that not even Luna heard him.
-->