Bound

New and Old

Snape surprised everybody, and probably himself as well. While he didn’t change his character – he was still the same extremely unpleasant person, he started teaching in earnest. The first potions lesson they had after the blowout, Snape disregarded the Potters completely, yet he started the lesson by reciting security measures and explaining them, then by going over the ingredients of the potion they were expected to brew that day, explaining how each was contributing to the desired effect, and then he explained briefly the methods used in preparing the potion. With such detailed explanation, even Neville managed to brew a passable potion, earning him five points “for the most unexpected positive surprise”.

Harvesting the Basilisk corpse proved to be a major project. As they found out, each and every part of it was highly sought out, so that nothing could really be discarded. This made the work of the Goblin team more tedious, yet it proved beneficial in more than one way. Even Snape got involved in this, doing the necessary tests to grade the venom, blood and meat for potency and freshness, finding them top grade, which meant even higher prices than initially estimated. For his help, Snape was allotted a small amount of each substance as more than just payment. Once it was over, more than two million galleons found their way into the Potter vault, and they also got some very elegant Basilisk-skin boots, gloves and jackets, courtesy of the goblins. They also advised him, “You should not donate the whole sum at once, but rather make a fund of it, giving out the annual gains for charity, thus making it last much longer and helping many more people and institutes.”

With all the other stuff going on, it was a wonder that Harry managed to squeeze in Quidditch training as well, but he did. The first match, originally set against Slytherin, was changed and it was against Hufflepuff. The team was ready, yet the weather was anything but cooperative. It was a cold, rainy and windy weekend, but that was no reason to reschedule the game.

A few minutes into the game, the weather got even worse. The rain was so dense that the players could hardly see each other and Harry’s glasses were so full of water that they were useless, making him unable to see the snitch even if it presented itself in front of him.

Woods asked for a time-out, and Harry could hardly even hear the whistle due to the wind. Once down, Hermione came running to him, took his glasses and cast “Impervius!” on them to repel water. When he soared back to his post he was finally able to see a bit better.

A few minutes later he spotted the snitch. As he was racing towards it, the air became much colder and he could suddenly hear a woman’s voice screaming. He already knew that effect and was ready for it, he hoped. He didn’t even need his wand. He pointed his hand at the evil creatures and cast a patronus charm while recalling his first night with Hermione. A beautiful silvery stag emerged from his hand and charged towards the dementors.

The snitch had disappeared by then. Harry tried to grab his broom back. His fingers wouldn’t respond. The damp broom, exposed to the cold brought by the dementors, was now frozen, and Harry’s fingers were too numb from the cold to really hold it. Harry felt himself slipping down the broom, unable to hold onto its frozen surface.

Hermione sensed his panic rise and understood. She couldn’t prevent the fall, but she could cushion it. Her wand flicked twice, making the air thicken into a kind of mattress where Harry was heading. She saw his fall slowed a bit and noticed the headmaster pointing his wand at Harry. She moved the cushion to intercept Harry at his new position.

Harry landed lightly, so it seemed. The slowing and the cushion helped, yet his lateral speed wasn’t slowed enough. He slid along on the invisible mattress and only stopped when his head banged the wall of the changing rooms.

Harry woke up in the hospital wing, surrounded by the team. “Oh, Harry, I’m so sorry! I tried to stop your fall and failed to prevent your skidding,” Hermione said, holding his hand tightly.

“Who won?” he asked, still unable to think of anything else.

Oliver Wood smiled at him. “We thought the game would be cancelled, but as the headmaster levitated you onto a stretcher, the snitch was discovered under your chest. We won!”

Harry was elated by this information, but he now recalled the reason for his fall. “What about the dementors?”

“Your patronus sent them all away. Where have you learned this spell? Nobody in my class can produce anything more than a silvery wisp,” Wood asked.

“Professor Lupin gave me a few lessons,” Harry said, glad that the rain masked the fact that he didn’t use a wand.

Madam Pomfrey came out of her office and wasn’t pleased to see the group around Harry. “Out! Leave him alone! The poor lad needs some rest and you are bothering him. Now out – all of you!”

The team left, but Hermione, along with Ron and Neville, didn’t budge. “I’ll stay with him until he can leave,” Hermione insisted.

“Now, Lady Potter, I know you care for your husband, but there’s really no reason for you to stay here. You should rest just as well. I’m sure this event has been traumatic for you almost as much as it was for Harry. You both need a good night’s rest to recuperate,” the healer told her.

“You don’t understand! I won’t be able to rest if I leave him here alone. If you want me to rest, then just let me stay here, near him.”

The healer frowned for a moment. “Well... Fine, you may stay, but you two,” she pointed at the boys, “should leave.”

“Bye, Harry. I hope you get well until morning,” Neville greeted before leaving.

“Yea, the same,” Ron added.

Harry just waved his hand at them.

Madam Pomfrey looked at the pair. “I assume you’ll want to share bed, just like you do in your own quarters.”

They both nodded.

She sighed and waved her wand, enlarging Harry’s bed to fit two people. “Just remember you are not in your private quarters and people may roam in at any time,” she warned them before leaving.

Hermione climbed to bed soon after, hugging her husband, and they both fell asleep promptly.

Ron was unsure about his relationship with his two best friends. While both told him that they were still his friends, he sometimes felt as if he didn’t belong with them anymore. He could see the silent conversations they would hold, the casual caresses, the hand holding. He was glad for his friends, yet... he also felt somewhat envious at times, especially at nights, when he was alone in bed while Harry...

Hermione was the first to notice his mood. “I believe we should help Ron find a girlfriend,” she told Harry.

“Why would we do that? He’s just thirteen; isn’t it a bit early to even think about girls that way?”

“Look who’s talking!” Hermione teased him. She then turned serious again. “He would have not felt that way normally, but with us, his best friends, being married, I believe he feels a bit left out. I’m sure he also imagines what we may be doing together,” her cheeks became a bit rosy as she spoke, “and that doesn’t help him either.”

“Do you have anybody in mind for him?”

“I thought Lavender may be a good choice, especially since she’s not too shy of showing her assets. There may be other girls as well, maybe some younger ones or in other houses.”

“Don’t suggest any Slytherin to him. You know what he thinks of them.”

“That’s pure prejudice. You’ve already met Daphne Greengrass in Runes, as I met her in Arithmancy. She seems to be a very nice girl and quite pretty as well,” Hermione insisted.

“I know, but Ron may react in a very embarrassing way if you even suggest her, trust me.”

“Always!” she said, engulfing him in a hug.

Harry wrote to Sirius about meeting Moony. Sirius didn’t send a reply, yet Professor Lupin asked Harry to stay after their next lesson.

“Thank you for informing Sirius. I’ve been unsure about how to contact him and what to say. Now we’re going to meet the coming weekend. Will you like to join us?”

‘Don’t! They need to be alone and mend their relationship,’ Harry sensed his wife.

“Thanks, Professor, but I promised a date to this lovely girl besides me and I should keep my promise. We may join you for lunch, though, assuming it won’t be too crowded. I already miss Sirius.”

Once Hermione had a plan she started working on it. Whenever Ron came to their apartment, he would either find Lavender there or she would join them shortly after.

“Don’t you think she looks nice?” Hermione asked him one day.

“Lavender? She’s alright, I suppose,” Ron answered in his regular indecisive tone.

“Come on! She’s more than all-right! Haven’t you noticed how nicely her body takes shape?”

“Well, yea. She does seem to have some nice curves...” Ron said hesitantly.

Lavender was also subject to Hermione’s not so subtle matchmaking. “I think Ron fancies you,” Hermione told her.

“So what? Why should I be interested?”

“Don’t you find him attractive? He’s tall and handsome and his blue eyes... One could almost swim in them. I could have fallen for him if it wasn’t for Harry.”

“Well, he is good looking, but so is Seamus and Neville is really turning into an impressive boy.”

Hermione did some quick thinking. “They are, but only Ron can also be funny and make you laugh when you’re feeling bad. Why don’t you give him a chance?”

Lavender shrugged. “Well, I could, I suppose.”

It was now Harry’s turn to act. “Who are you taking to Hogsmeade the coming weekend?”

“I thought I’ll be with you two,” Ron replied.

“I’m not sure it would work this time. You see – I promised Hermione we would make it a date, as I had no chance to date her before the bond, so...”

Ron frowned. He had taken it for granted that he would be at Hogsmeade with the two of them. Now this was a new situation, one he wasn’t ready for.

“I think Lavender may be willing to join you. She may have a little crush on you, I think. She also looks very nice, especially when she wears those low-cut blouses, you know,” Harry continued.

“Well, maybe I should ask her...”

Lavender accepted Ron’s reluctant invitation, although not enthusiastically, but once they were visiting the shops, Ron got himself enough courage to hold her hand. When they sat for a drink, Lavender bent towards him to say her thanks, revealing most of her ample bosom in the process, which made Ron gasp and then filled him with enjoyment. He was even bold enough to hug her shoulders, which Lavender didn’t mind.

They met for lunch with the Potters, who also seemed to have enjoyed themselves, although they didn’t buy much. Harry even joined Sirius and Moony at another table for a few minutes, just to make sure everything was going fine between these two old friends.

They walked back to the castle. Harry hugged Hermione, who put her head on his shoulder. Ron, looking at them, got a bit bolder and hugged Lavender closer, which she didn’t seem to mind. Eventually, she put her head on his shoulder and hugged him back, just like Hermione was doing with Harry. Both couples slowed almost to a crawl, not minding at all.

By the time they reached their dorm, Harry thought that the weekend went very well, and Hermione agreed.