Bound

The Talk

The children woke up fully refreshed. So much so, in fact, that they spent half an hour in tickle-fight, before getting dressed and joining Dave and Jean at the morning table. The adults were quite confused seeing the reddened faces and the giggles when the kids looked at each other, but feared asking anything, not sure they could handle the answers.

There was one question they needed an answer to, regardless. “How long can you stay apart without being affected?” Dave asked.

“About ten minutes, I think. Maybe a bit longer – it seems to become longer each day,” Hermione responded. “Why do you ask?”

“Your mother would like to talk privately with you, I believe,” he answered, somewhat evasively.

“I have no secrets from Harry,” his daughter said.

“There are some things I feel uncomfortable talking near him, darling,” Jean said, “Nothing really secret...”

“Let’s leave the ladies alone,” Dave suggested as soon as they finished breakfast.

Harry hugged his wife once more before he followed Dave out, quite reluctantly.

They sat on a bench in the backyard.

“Well, son, what do you know about girls?” Dave started.

Harry’s face changed colors rapidly. “Not much, really. My uncle and my aunt didn’t teach me anything and my previous school didn’t offer any lessons on the subject. Hogwarts doesn’t seem to have any such lessons either.”

“So, all you know is just what you overheard in the showers. Am I right?”

Harry only nodded.

“There’s nothing to be ashamed of, Harry. I don’t think I knew anything at your age either. I’m sure you already know more than your age-mates just by being so close with Hermione for a fortnight.”

Harry turned even redder.

“Yet, you are really in a unique position. As a boy, nobody expects you to know much on the subject, but as a married man – well, that’s a different story.”

“You must know that I love and respect Hermione and would do nothing to offend her,” Harry said protectively.

Dave smiled at him reassuringly. “I already know that. I know from Hermione’s letters how good a friend you are, and then your bond, as we were told, also assures that you consider her well-being most important. I only want to make sure none of you is harmed due to lack of knowledge.”

The expectant look in Harry’s eyes was enough.

Dave started explaining about the birds and the bees, just as his father had done many years beforehand. He then went into some details about human anatomy, which made them both blush, and then continued with the contraceptive measures.

“There are magical means which work much better,” Harry told him. “Madam Pomfrey – our healer – gave Hermione a bottle of contraceptive potion, to be taken each morning, and then we were also taught the contraceptive charms, which prevent fertilization for twelve hours since casting. Any of these should suffice.”

“Well, I hope so. No matter when you’ll start... being intimate, I’m still not ready to be a grandfather.”

“I assure you that I’m even less ready to be a father, although I’d like to have a family in the future.”

Dave noticed that Harry was paling quickly and was also becoming fidgety, yet there was one thing he needed to tell the boy before they returned. “I’m sure Hermione will give you a book to read before you start... having s*x; probably more than one...”

Harry chuckled. Dave knew his daughter well...

“Please read the books thoroughly, even if you find some chapters embarrassing or boring. I’m sure she’ll be more than ready to help you understand and you can always ask me or even Jean. Will you promise me to do it?”

“I promise to read everything Hermione deems necessary and to ask for your help if I need it.”

They were walking back to the kitchen when Harry asked: “Would you like to help me understand my bank statement?”

Dave thought for a moment. “We may discuss it along with the ladies,” he said, as they were going into the kitchen.

Hermione went to Harry immediately, hugging him tightly and then holding his hand. Although he had not been aware of it before, her hug felt reviving and invigorating, as if he lacked some energy and she brought it back to him. He smiled at her thankfully, noticing she was smiling at him similarly.

“We need to go to our clinic for a few hours,” Jean told them. “The weather seems to be warm so you may use the pool meanwhile. We shall be back for lunch. Do behave until then.”

“I don’t have a swimsuit,” Harry said, feeling inadequate.

“You don’t need one. Hermione will explain,” Jean told him. Both parents hugged Hermione and then hugged Harry, surprising him very much, before going to work.

“What has your mother talked with you about?” Harry asked once they were alone.

Hermione blushed. “She wanted to make sure that I knew how to deal with boys; specifically a certain green-eyed boy. She... told me about contraceptives...”

“Your Dad spoke to me about the same things, only he elaborated about how things work. In our bodies, I mean...”

Hermione snorted. “I’m sure you would have understood better from a book. He probably blushed profusely as well, didn’t he?”

“He was utterly red when he finished,” Harry smiled at her.

The weather was nice, but still cool so early in the morning. “I think we should do something else until the air gets warmer and then use the pool,” Hermione suggested.

“What do you have in mind?”

“I thought you may like to learn some more about the female body, with no stuttered explanations and no blushing, for a change.”

Once they reached their room, Hermione found a booklet and gave Harry to read. “I got it before I finished the muggle school. They use to give every girl such booklet as preparation for her first period.”

“Period?” Harry wondered.

“Just read it. You’ll get all your answers there.”

Harry sat on the couch. Hermione took another book and snuggled into his side.

The booklet was very clear and fully illustrated. The drawings made him blush, yet some of the text really frightened him.

“Do you really bleed every few weeks?” he asked her.

“It’s every fourth week only and yes, I do bleed some,” she said, rolling her eyes.

“But... It could kill you if you bleed so much.”

“It’s not that bad. Most girls bleed no more than half a cup total during their period. One normally drinks much more during a week, so it’s not a big deal.”

“Does it hurt?” Harry sounded still very concerned.

“Sometimes. It doesn’t normally hurt much, but it makes me more nervous and agitated. You could tell just by watching my moods, really.”

Now that he thought of that, he could really see some kind of pattern in her moods.

“And you have to suffer until you are old?”

“It’s not really suffering, you know, and it ceases while one’s pregnant or lactating...”

Harry was blushing again at the sound of these words.

“...but this keeps on repeatedly as long as a woman is fertile.”

Harry looked at her with some unshed tears in his eyes. “I don’t want you to suffer. Can’t we do something to prevent it?”

She caressed his face. “I could just fall in love with you seeing how much you care...”

She then replied seriously. “There are medicines and potions that prevent most of the suffering, and the famous anti-pregnancy pill can prevent the bleeding for longer times, although it isn’t recommended. And then – I’m probably quite lucky, as I don’t feel any pains normally. I just have to be ready, or I’ll stain my clothes or my sheets with blood. Actually, I’m due in a few days, if my petrification didn’t change that. I should start taking precautions.”

She noted Harry’s expression getting sombre at thinking of what he had read.

“I believe it’s already warm enough outside. Let’s go to the pool!” she said, grabbing his hand.

“Now, what about the pool?”

“Oh... It’s just a small pool, not much larger than the bath in our nuptial apartment,” she blushed again saying it. “It’s nice for cooling off once in a while when sun-bathing, but not big enough for really swimming.”

“And the swimsuits?”

Hermione’s blush deepened. “We usually bath nude in here. None of the neighbors can see us and we don’t get tan-lines.”

‘Uncle Vernon wouldn’t have approved of this,’ Harry thought.

“Why wouldn’t he?” Hermione asked.

Harry felt uneasy. Had he said it out loud?

“I didn’t say anything,” he protested.

“You only thought it, I know, but our bond makes us able to sense each-other in ways nobody else can. Haven’t you noticed that you know how I feel even if you don’t see me? We were also able to understand each other without talking even before we bonded.”

It only took a moment for Harry to realize it was true. Could they actually communicate that way?

‘Yes, we can. It may not be very efficient right now, but it will improve as we complete our bond.’

Harry was amazed hearing Hermione in his mind.

As they walked to the backyard, Harry tried to sense Hermione’s thoughts. He wasn’t really sure about it, but he managed to sense some embarrassment concerning the conversation she had just had with her Mum and then some excitement about practicing all that they had been talking about.

“Do you really want to practice it?” he asked.

“Yes, as soon as we feel ready. As a married couple, we are actually expected to... shag.”

Harry noticed that using the “dirty” word excited her, but she wasn’t ready yet. He didn’t feel ready either.

They didn’t even notice when they took their clothes off, but as they settled near the pool they were totally naked already. Hermione gave Harry a bottle of sun lotion. “Can you spread some over my back and my shoulders?”

She stretched on the sun-bed, turning her back to him, and Harry enjoyed caressing her smooth skin while spreading the lotion on her body. It was somewhat like washing her back during bath, but the slippery lotion and the sunlight gave it a very different feeling. He liked it.

Hermione returned the favor soon. Harry enjoyed feeling her hands moving along his back and his shoulders. He was then surprised feeling another part of her touching his back – her soft breasts with their erect n*****s were casually touching him as Hermione bent over him to reach the other side. It gave him an exhilarating feeling. He was too preoccupied to notice that she did it on purpose.

They spent the rest of the morning there. By the time Jean arrived home, she could see them lying side by side, holding hands and talking softly. She couldn’t understand what they were saying even standing close to them and she wondered why.

“Hello, mind if I join you?” she said.

“Oh, hi, Mum; I didn’t hear you coming.”

“Hi, Mrs. G... Jean,” Harry said, changing his wording when seeing her frown.

“Hi, Harry. Do you like it here?” Jean asked him while starting to undress.

“Well, yes. It’s nice and quiet and...” He got stuck seeing her removing her bra, freeing her breasts. She looked at him with a kind smile.

“Is there a problem?” she asked.

“No... It’s just... Well... I’ve never seen any naked woman, except for Hermione, only she’s not really a woman yet,” Harry replied, blushing once again. Not only was he suddenly aware of the soon to be naked woman at his side, he was painfully aware of his own nakedness as well.

“Then it’s just as well that you see one. There will be many naked people at the beach when we go to France, you know.”

“Don’t they wear swimsuits?”

“In some places they do, but we normally choose the ones where we don’t need to bother with such nonsense.”

Harry was getting redder by the moment. While Jean was certainly a good looking woman and was quite shapely, he didn’t really see her in a s****l way, like he did with Hermione; He was more embarrassed at being seen naked and quite afraid he would not be up to her standards on whatever she may see. Jean seemed to be unaware of his discomfort. She finished undressing and took a short plunge in the pool.

“Now I feel refreshed,” she said when coming back to the youngsters. “Would you mind rubbing some sun-lotion into my back, Harry?” she asked as she stretched herself, face down, on the sun-bed.

Harry was so occupied, making sure to do a good job on his mother-in-law, that he failed to notice the amused glances exchanged between her and her daughter. They both seemed to like him a lot, though quite differently.

His embarrassment didn’t last long. Dave returned home soon after, joining the rest of the family just as naked. Although Harry was smaller, being not yet thirteen years old, he could see that he didn’t lack in comparison. Quidditch had built him a nice body and the multitude of stairs had helped shape his legs, as well as Hermione’s. Even his masculinity didn’t seem to lack in comparison, considering his age.

“Shall we go shopping after lunch?” Dave suggested. “It looks like you could benefit from a few more clothes, especially ones fit for a seaside vacation.”

“Well... I don’t mind, as long as you let me pay,” Harry replied.

“Nonsense! It is my pleasure to make my girl happy, and I believe that buying you clothes would make her very happy.”

“Maybe we should also visit Gringotts?” Hermione suggested.

“We can do that as well,” Dave agreed.

They left home soon after lunch. Dave drove to central London, where they parked the car and continued by foot. At Hermione’s insistence they started with a visit to the bank. Both teens were wearing hats that shaded their faces and hid Harry’s scar, thus escaping the public attention. They were greeted by the goblins as soon as they entered the bank.

“Welcome, Lord and Lady Potter. How can Gringotts be of help for you today?”

Dave raised a brow. This kind of attention when visiting a bank was usually reserved for only the richest clients.

“I’d like my parents-in-law to learn a bit about my assets, so they could help me manage them,” Harry responded. “Can you help us?”

“Just follow me.”

They were escorted into a very elegant side room, where a conference table of polished marble was standing, surrounded by upholstered chairs. “Your account manager will join you here in a moment,” the goblin said before leaving them alone.

Dave only exchanged glances with his wife. It looked like the old wizard was right about Harry’s fortunes, as unbelievable as it sounded.

Another goblin, more richly dressed, joined them very soon. Harry recognized him as the one who had read the will. “Good afternoon, mister...” he didn’t know the name to complete his greeting.

“It’s just Crushbone, Lord Potter, with no ‘Mister’ or other honorific. And good afternoon to you and your entourage as well.”

Crushbone sat on a chair and put the heavy dossier he was carrying on the table. “I understand that you want a walk-through of your assets. Am I correct?”

“Well, yes... But only the highlights.” Harry looked worriedly at the dossier. “I don’t think we have the time to go through all the documents in there.”

The goblin chuckled. “You’ve already read a report of your assets, haven’t you?”

“It was immediately after having heard my parents’ will. I’m not sure I remember much of it,” Harry confessed.

“Fine. Here we go...”

It took them almost an hour just to read the list of the most important belongings, each with the annual income or expenses that it generated. Dave felt dizzy. Most numbers were just too big. He could not earn in a lifetime such sums as were transferred through Harry’s account each month. Jean just gaped at them. They didn’t even register that the sums were stated in Galleons, making the amount in pounds much larger.

“Can you prepare a condensed document, such as is normally called ‘executive summary’ for us? We can’t help Harry before we come to terms with what he owns,” Dave asked Crushbone after they finished.

“It will be done, but we may need a day or two to complete it. Would you like it to be sent to you when ready? We have our special delivery owls for that.”

Dave only nodded.

“Harry, I want to take a quick glance at Flourish and Blotts. Can you wait for me here with my parents?” Hermione asked as soon as they finished.

She returned in less than ten minutes, carrying a rectangular package, covered in brown paper. “I’ll show you at home,” she replied Harry’s unasked question.

They left the bank through the secret exit directly into muggle London. Jean chose a large store where they started fitting Harry with various clothing. Harry felt like a shop-window mannequin, but he couldn’t really complain, seeing Hermione’s happy smiles. He even liked most of what she had chosen for him. He noticed that Jean left them for awhile and then returned, carrying another pack of books, he assumed.

Hermione enjoyed finding a swimsuit for Harry. She discovered she could see through his eyes when she wanted and she just looked at him in the mirror when he was changing, making them both blush.

“I believe you also need a new Bikini and some underwear,” Dave said to his daughter. “You seem to have outgrown those we bought you last summer.”

It was now Harry’s turn to check Hermione in the mirror through her own eyes. He may have not mastered the technique very well, but he enjoyed this part of their shopping spree much more.

They finished their visit in London with a nice dinner at a restaurant near Piccadilly Circus before returning tired and happy back home.