Bound

Starting Vacation

As Harry and Hermione entered the Great Hall the next morning, all eyes turned towards them. Parvati Patil was the first to speak, even before they sat at the table. “How wonderful! How romantic! You should have told me, though. I just knew you two will wind up together, but I never thought it would be so soon!”

At the surprised look on their faces, she shoved the newspaper in Harry’s hand. The Sunday Prophet brought the news. A picture of their hug, engulfed in golden haze, was on the front page, while another – holding hands at the Leaky Cauldron – decorated the short and surprisingly neutral article:

“While tending to my business at Gringotts, I noticed Harry Potter and his girlfriend, accompanied by the headmaster, rushing to a side door. As the guard asked for their purpose, I heard the kids presented as Lord and Lady Potter.

Intrigued, I started investigating. A short visit to the ministry came out with the confirmation: Harry Potter and his friend Hermione Granger are truly married by a spontaneous soul bond which occurred in front of the whole school.

While some may frown upon Lady Potter being a muggleborn, there’s really nothing to suggest any foul play. Miss Granger has been unpetrified merely minutes before this bond occurred and she was clearly chosen by magic itself to be our hero’s soul mate.

Congratulation to the young couple. May you live long and happy lives.”

Most reactions, although not as enthusiastic, were positive. The Slytherins were the exception, not unexpectedly, yet Ron and Ginny seemed a bit hurt.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Ron asked between bites.

“We didn’t understand it ourselves,” Harry told him. “One doesn’t expect to get married at twelve, you know.”

“’course not, yet it’s cool! You’ll get your private dormitory and be able to sleep together...” It then struck him. “You already do, don’t you?”

Harry noticed Hermione’s discomfort at hearing Ron. “We sleep in the same room, but we’re not rushing things. We’re still children as far as her parents are concerned, you know.”

“Sure, right,” Ron said, turning back to his main interest in life – food.

Ginny only looked at them with some sadness in her eyes. Harry knew she had harbored a childhood crush on him. He only hoped she would grow up and leave that behind.

The train ride was uneventful. They spent most of the ride with Ron, Neville and Ginny, who seemed to recover nicely of her ordeal and also accept the new relationship between Harry and Hermione. The twins came to visit them during the ride and, to everybody’s relief, Draco didn’t pay them a visit.

Hermione and Harry said goodbye to Neville, Ron, Ginny, Fred and George before going through the barrier. They didn’t escape a great hug from Molly Weasley, though.

Harry was quite apprehensive at meeting the Grangers, despite Hermione’s encouraging words. He had never been welcomed by family before and had no reason to expect any better.

Some reporters were trying to interview Harry as he was walking towards the barrier, but Harry just ignored them, mainly because he was more concerned with the imminent meeting and also as he was unsure about what he should say. They seemed to ignore Hermione, which was just fine as far as she was concerned.

The Grangers were waiting, as expected. They hugged Hermione tightly, making it evident that they loved her and missed her. It was clear where Hermione learned her hugs. They then turned their attention to him. “So, you must be Harry, the boy who’s starring in all her letters,” her father said as he took Harry’s hand to shake it. Harry noticed Hermione blushing.

“Pleased to meet you, sir,” he answered formally.

“You may just call me Dave. We’re not formal at home or anywhere else for that matter.”

“May I greet our guest now?” her mother said, pushing Dave playfully aside.

“Hello, I’m Jean,” she said, shaking his hand. “Welcome to our family. I hope you’ll feel at home with us.”

Harry wasn’t sure he would like feeling at home, remembering the place where he grew up, but he said nothing.

Dave took care of their luggage. “You have a beautiful owl,” he commented.

Hedwig seemed to puff out at the compliment.

They reached Dave’s car – an expensive BMW which would have made Uncle Vernon green with envy – and Dave put their trunks into the luggage compartment, letting the children take care of their pets. As they all settled into their seats to get ready for the road, Jean bent her head towards Dave, whispering in his ear “Have you noticed their hands?”

Dave frowned, not being sure what he had missed. “They hold hands constantly,” his wife explained before straightening up and buckling her seat belt.

She continued glancing at her daughter and her beau, as she came to think of the boy, throughout the long drive home. She noticed them speaking softly with each other and looking silently in each other’s eyes, as if still communicating. They didn’t let go of their partner’s hand even once, although she remembered Hermione hugging her with both hands when they met.

Dave took the children’s luggage in, putting Hermione’s trunk in her room and Harry’s in the guest room. “Hermione dear, why won’t you show your friend to the guest room?” Jean suggested.

Hermione looked up, surprised and somewhat worried. “Didn’t professor McGonagall tell you?”

“What do you mean? She told us you were bringing Harry to stay with us for the vacation. Was there anything else?”

Hermione blushed. “Well, you see... Harry has to sleep with me.” She said the last word hurriedly, as if not daring to think of their meaning.

Jean didn’t expect such an answer, not for a few more years, at least. “Aren’t you a bit young for that, young lady?”

Hermione turned even redder. “It’s not... well... not what you think. We have to touch each other most of the time or we get ill. It should become better after a while, but we don’t know how long it would take.” She saw her mother’s brows rise. “Professor Dumbledore promised to explain this to you in a better way.”

Jean was thinking fast, considering all the times her daughter might need privacy. “How long can you stay separated?”

“At first it was merely seconds. We can now separate for a few minutes at most.”

“Then, how do you take a bath?”

Hermione didn’t look at her mother. “We take bath together, we shower together and we even use the loo together most of the time.”

“Do you...” Jean was not sure how to phrase her question.

“We didn’t have s*x, if that’s what you wanted to ask,” Hermione said.

Jean noticed both kids turning red. This subject seemed to make them uncomfortable.

“When does your professor intend to visit?” she asked.

“He said he would come this evening or the next, but Professor McGonagall told us he sometimes gets too busy and he may not be able to come as early as he intended.”

Jean didn’t like the implications. “Let’s hope he comes on time, though. Now, make Harry acquainted with our house. It’s going to be his home for most of this vacation.”

Hermione led Harry up the stairs, just as Dave was coming down, smiling at them.

She first went to her room. Harry seemed relieved that it wasn’t too “girly”. Its walls were painted light pink and the light fixtures were also pink, but the rest was quite neutral: three book cabinets, a wardrobe, a large desk and two chairs – all made of oak; a large bed with two nightstands – all in white; the window had sky-blue curtains and the bed cover was of similar color. What caught his eyes most was the number of books. He was sure that none of the Dursleys had ever seen so many books. He felt quite sure that Hermione had already read them all. Probably more than once.

“Do you like it?”

“Yes. It reminds me of you. You’re a girl, yet you pay more attention to your mind and your manners than to your looks, and this room shows it.”

“Don’t you like how it looks?” Hermione sounded offended.

“I like it, just as I like your looks, only it’s not the most important aspect of this room... or of you.”

“We can redecorate it, if you like.” Hermione seemed eager to make him comfortable.

“Not now, anyway. We shall have to see what’s best for us as our bond finalizes.”

He could feel that Hermione liked his response. Actually, he was starting to know what she was feeling most of the time. He didn’t even have to look at her. He wondered if this was part of the bond or just being so close to Hermione most of the time.

“Let’s bring your trunk here and then put everything in place!” Hermione practically dragged him to the guest room. Harry wanted to carry his trunk, but Hermione stopped him. “We are allowed to use magic now,” she reminded him, pulling her wand. “Wingardium Leviosa”, she said with a flick and a swish, making the trunk rise. She directed it to her room and let it settle besides her own. She opened her trunk and used her wand to direct each object to its right place. Her clothes went into her wardrobe, her books onto the book shelves and her other school items were neatly arranged on her desk.

“Your turn now,” she told Harry.

“I don’t know where to put my clothes,” he admitted, “especially since most of them are unfit for use.”

“Let’s put the ones we just bough into the wardrobe, along with mine. We can discard your old hand-me-down clothes. Nobody will want them. I’m sure we can buy you more clothes before we leave for France.”

“We leave for France?”

“Harry! Didn’t you listen when I told you about my parents’ plans for this summer?”

Harry looked ashamed. “I was too busy admiring your lips and your chest. I’m sorry.”

Hermione felt her cheeks heat. She liked having that effect on her bond mate, although it sometimes unnerved her. “Well, we’re going to France for two weeks, starting three weeks from now.”

“But... that must cost a lot. I can’t expect your parents to pay for me.”

“Harry, they don’t mind, and then – you have enough to pay for it if they ever accept.”

“We have enough. Whatever I own is rightfully yours as well, you know.”

Hermione blushed. “I’m still unused to thinking that way. I’ve never intended to get married before twenty; probably not before twenty-five either.”

“Do you regret it?” Harry sounded somewhat hurt.

“No, I could never regret bonding with you.” This brought a smile on Harry’s face. “I just need some time to get used to it. You know that even going to the loo has now become a complex maneuver.”

They were interrupted when Jean called them down for dinner. Harry noticed that Dave was glancing at him with a thoughtful look but didn’t know why. Otherwise, dinner was quite pleasant. The Grangers didn’t talk much while eating, but all talking between courses was jovial and friendly. Jean even urged Harry to eat some more, as she thought he was too thin.

They moved to the living room after dinner. The large TV set was muted and none but Harry paid it any attention, as Hermione was trying to explain once more about the bond’s effects, without actually saying it was equivalent to marriage. Both her parents had many questions and she found them quite difficult to answer.