Harry Potter and the Womb of Requirement NOW CODED

32

Hermione started to dress hurriedly, she glanced at Ginny sitting on the edge of the chaise in a dejected heap, {Come on, baby, you’ve got to tell them sooner or later}, she sat beside her beloved, pulling her into her arms, feeling the tremble running through the slender body she held. Hermione divined real fear coming off Ginny, {Baby, what is it?. What are you afraid of?. Tell me, sweetheart}. Ginny lifted a dejected face to her lover, {My mum had loads of kids, so she told me, for one reason and one reason only. She loves all of her boys, but she didn’t stop having children, ‘til she got her heart’s desire, a daughter. Me. I know she wants loads of grandkids as well. I can’t help feeling she’s going to go spare at the thought of me and you together, particularly the permanent bond stuff. Ron as well. She’s going to go nuts}.

She looked beseechingly into Hermione’s eyes. Hermione sat beside her, taking her into her arms, {Are you ashamed of us?; our love?}. Ginny drew away sharply, {No, of course not}. Then Hermione smiled and kissed her lover’s brow, {Then we’ll work this out, Girlie, we have to, for our sakes as well as the boys}. With a feeling of cold comfort, Ginny dressed. She sent around the castle, finding her brother in an equally petrified state. She gathered her courage to her and rounded up the others, {We meet them as a united team, yes?}, she felt nine ‘Ayes’. Hermione sent to her Headmaster, enquiring how many of the Order were already present, and where they all were.

{We are currently in my study. Five of the Order are present along with myself and Severus making seven}. She returned, {Perhaps then, we should convene in the Hall as there are another ten of us. It may get rather cramped in your study, sir}. {Then we shall all meet in the Hall in, shall we say, ten minutes?}. Hermione took a deep breath, and sent a whispered {Yes}.

She sent an immediate round robin, {Meet in the Entrance Hall in ten minutes. We all go in together as a group}. She felt Harry’s instant reply, {Draco’s terrified}. Hermione shot back, {I know. So are Ron and Ginny. Don’t forget Arthur and Molly don’t know yet}, to a faint, {Oh, bugger, of course not}. Hermione felt Ginny’s mood change, and a light cross her face as she nodded, the send obviously from Harry, cheering her up.

Scant minutes later found them huddling in the Entrance Hall, deciding on the order of entrance. {Blaise and Ron up front, Harry and Draco follow, then you four, Ginny and I bring up the rear}. Harry turned and kissed his Elemental for her organised mind. And they entered the Hall in a phalanx, marching purposefully towards the group of people at the far end of the Gryffindor table, ranged along one side as Hermione had requested. The Ten sat facing them, slightly cold, defiant looks on their faces, mainly to disguise the terror they felt.

Sitting opposite were Arthur and Molly Weasley, Mad-eye Moody, Nymphadora Tonks, and last, but by no means least, Remus Lupin. Harry grinned then, relaxing a bit as he saw his favourite members of the Order in attendance. He stood, “I’m sorry I haven’t been in touch with you all year, and I thank you all for coming along at such short notice. The situation here at Hogwarts is strange, to say the least, and has been all through the year. We have taken measures to contain it to as few people as possible, but things are really different now” he introduced the unknown members of the Ten to the Order, various folk bristling as Draco’s name was mentioned, then he cast an imploring look Hermione’s way, and a sent, {Help}. She rose, contemplating the group sat opposite, and sent straight into their minds, causing them all to reel backwards, to an ordered {Send me something in your minds}. Harry giggled, {Play nice now, ‘Mione}, she snapped back, {No time, Harry. I’d love to be gentle, but the situation is pressing}.

Harry backed down and within minutes she had the Order able to listen to her with their minds. The first send was Remus’, {Why is Draco Malfoy present with us?}, he was deeply suspicious. Hermione called the entire group to order, fire blazing in her eyes, {Ladies and Gentlemen, what you have before you are two almost bonded Magi, their Elemental and bond-mate plus their private troops, all bonded together, temporarily for now, but in the next few weeks, the bonds will be made permanent with the Warrior Bond Ritual}

There was total silence from the opposite side of the table as several minutes stretched out. An uncharacteristically quiet send from Tonks, {Who, then, are the Magi?}, her eyes were round. Harry stood, pulling Draco up beside him. Draco pressed his fists into his aching back. {Forgive me if I don’t stand for too long, I’m nearly due}, he sank back down again, glancing across the table. All eyes had seen his advanced state of pregnancy. Amazed mouths opened even wider. Remus haltingly sent, {And your Elemental?}, Hermione bowed her head with a grin, {Me}, she transmitted to all. She sat, with Ginny to one side of her, Ron to the other.

Arthur came back from his stunned state. He saw his youngest son sitting beside Hermione and beamed, {So, Ron. You’re bonded with an Elemental. What an honour for the family, son}.

The moment had come. They could avoid it no longer.

Ginny threw her arms around her Missy, {It’s not Ron, Dad, it’s me. I’m bonded to Hermione}. She noted, not without a certain feeling of satisfaction, that her Mother had been completely silenced, her mouth opening and closing, bearing a strong resemblance to a goldfish.

Arthur coughed, hiding his confusion, {Then, son?}, he queried. An open gaze into Ron’s eyes. Ron gazed back and gulped hard. Slowly he snaked his arms around Blaise, laying his head on his lover’s shoulder, saying nothing, just smiling gently at his bemused parents.

There was a deeply uneasy mood around the table, until Ron sent to the Ten at large, {Well, we’re out, li’l sis}, and the Order gradually recovered from the shocks they had been dealt. Then the questions started, with a vengeance, {The Founder’s spell. The one that went wrong?}. {How has this all happened?}. {Why have you not been in touch with us, on a matter of this importance?}.

From a recognisable Tonks, Harry received, {Why him?, although he is gorgeous, once you see him smile}, she grinned into his eyes and he knew he had at least one of the Order onside, especially when she saw the look shot back to her. She bit her bottom lip. She’d never been in the presence of love this strong before. She concentrated all of her Auror skills on them, sitting back and just ‘reading’ the group. Eventually she sagged against Remus, exhausted. Remus wrapped am arm round her, {I’ve just dowsed them all, Remus. I’ve never read anythin’ this strong in me entire life. These are the real deal}. Severus ‘read’ her send, laying his left arm on the table before them all, then slowly unbuttoning his cuff, rolling the sleeve back, {If you didn’t believe them before, here is proof}.

Various gasps of astonishment. The twisty scars on entirely white skin. Severus started on a low chuckle, building, near-hysteria taking him as he dabbed at his eyes, weeping with laughter. Finally the Order would trust him. He was no longer a Death-Eater, nor even an ‘Ex-Death-Eater’, he was truly free. He raised his head, tears in his eyes. Remus and Tonks were the first. They reached out to him, {Oh, Severus. How?}. He smiled, barely able to restrain the laughter, {The Elemental. She has found her Healing Powers, but it’s quite, erm, strange, and it really works. I feel like twenty years have been lifted from me}, he glanced up at, and winked at Hermione, who went a fetching shade of pink as Lupin’s eyes bored into hers. {Good gods, girl, just what are you folk capable of?. I’ve never seen anything like it in my life}.

She bore his scrutiny with pride, her chin lifted, {We’re going to do this properly this time. Right the wrongs. Oh, and kill Voldemort somewhere along the way. We’re doing the Founder’s Spell. Correctly this time. Without a power-mad idiot as the Facilitator}. She sent a little blast of her sexual energies into the room, watched the threads weave about through and around the people sitting around her. She felt Ginny, {Missy!!. Behave!. That’s my Mum and Dad you’re doing that to}, to a sent {Hush, my love. This thing is bigger than all of us. Like it or not, we’ll all have to blood-bond. That’s the way it is}, she sent this to the rest of the Ten, who, in stages from reluctant to enthusiastic all agreed finally that this was the only way they could all trust the adults sitting before them.

Okay, Harry had had dealings with these people before, as had several of the others, but when it came to it, the Order were okay about opening up a cut on their thumbs and pressing them variously with the two Magi, their Elemental and her bond-mate. The four were quite glad that the Order had remained seated, for when the power of the blood-bond coursed through them, it was enough to make the strongest Wizard or Witch faint. Ginny, in truth, felt extremely odd pressing a blood-bond with her own parents, and she hugged them both hard by way of apology, {Don’t hate me for this mum and dad, and I love her to bits, I really do}, she sent with tears in her eyes. Her father held her gently, {Ginny, don’t worry, lambkin, I’ll talk your Mother round. I’m proud to welcome one such as Hermione into our Family}. The Bond complete, all took their places once more.

Remus cleared his throat, “All right, you lot, let’s have the whole thing, from the top”. Harry tuned them all down to the Ten’s public channel, so they could all send and receive from each other. Then, with him beginning, with various of the Ten chipping in and the odd ‘sidebar’ from Hermione, they related their year, leaving out private matters, but revealing everything else, including as much about their increased powers as they knew, the Bond Potions that Hermione was preparing, the fact that they were all in the Protected Section living as couples, and that the Six were hard at work perfecting their joined spell-making abilities and Shielding spells

Remus glanced at the two Magi, Draco leaning heavily on Harry. Harry’s arm around his blond bond-mate, {I suppose you haven’t really had the chance to perfect your own skills yet. Won’t this all be a bit fast?, and a bit too soon after you’ve given birth, Draco?}. Draco smiled at his former DADA master, {Yes. Of course it is, but we need to get this done. Killing Him, I mean. Harry and I want to run away and raise our girls, and....}, he winced and looked down, {Sorry, Harry, it just slipped out}. Harry glanced up at the assembled company, once more gobsmacked, {We’d better tell them now, Dragon}, he leaned down and kissed Draco’s hair, then related what their Elemental had done for them, the Potion, the Muggle book, the two scans, everything.

Tonks was sniffling, wiping tears away with her knuckles. Draco fished the six-month scan picture from his pocket and pushed it over to her, {Try not to cry on it, the ink runs. I’ve already smudged it a bit in the corner}, he raised his face, caught her eye, they smiled, both wet-eyed. Tonks pulled the paper towards her, Molly leaning over her shoulder. One by one the others all strained in for a look. Even Mad-Eye’s roving eye teared and he coughed as he sat back down. Harry kissed his Dragon’s tipped back forehead, {Breaks the ice every time, love. Clever sod}. The others sent their own approval, over their private Ten line.

Draco tucked the scan print back into his pocket, then sagged against Harry, {I need to get back, love, my back’s hurting and I need to eat}. They excused themselves and left, sending, {Sweet Dreams, and see you all in the morning}.

Tonks watched them go, her eyes narrowing, felt a send in her mind. Hermione. {Hot, aren’t they?}. She turned, blushing. Looking flustered. {Erm... I suppose so, yes}. Ginny laid a hand on the Witch’s arm, {Don’t worry. We think so too}, they all giggled. The young Auror clamped her hand over her mouth surveying the other eight, {Merlin, you’re all hot, aren’t you?. The levels of sexual energy I’m reading are quite astounding. I know it’s a bit of a shock to the older folk. Particularly your folks, Ginny}, she quirked a brow at the young red-head, remembering them all fighting side-by-side at the Ministry, {But I think you’re all cool, and, despite what you’re all facing, I’ve never seen you lot look so damn happy. Hermione, what do Draco’s parents know?}. She looked down, {His Father doesn’t know anything, as far as we know, but his Mother knows and is keeping quiet for now}.

The wild-haired Witch couldn’t keep the smile off her face, {Wait ‘til the rest of the Order get here. This is going to do them in}. Hermione huffed out a long breath, {Yes. I’m rather afraid we will}. As one, the rest of the Ten rose, needing to be back in the vicinity of their Magi. No particular call, just the pull of Duty. Ginny and Ron kissed their parents, and the eight left.

Albus and Minerva swept in to take care of their guests, anxious questions being fired at them from all directions. Albus held his hands up, {One at a time, please. I notice that you already possess this new skill. That was fast, even by Hermione’s standards}. Remus allowed himself to laugh, {Gods, Albus, what have you got here?. We had no idea, none whatsoever, that anything of this magnitude was occurring}. {I’m sorry, ladies and gents, but this was their intention. To get as far along as possible by themselves, without attracting attention. They have had us all acting, shall we say, out of character, teaching us these new skills, breaking rules for them}, his glance flicked to Minerva. She pretended not to notice.

{Not to mention, their Magical abilities reaching heights we never realised were possible especially those not born to one of the Higher Magical orders. Miss Granger in particular is showing extraordinary promise. Her skills as an Elemental already surpass anything that was known about Salazar. She has, quite simply taken analogies from her own world, that of the twenty-first century and calmly inserted them as appropriate into our own World. She truly is a force of Nature, and we have all agreed to let them get on with it, while we lend as much assistance as we are capable of. No-one could train them as ably as they are training themselves, even though we do not know what our resident Magi are capable of yet, they have a truly awesome corps at their backs}.

The Order digested this thoughtfully as their evening meal was served. Arthur and Molly glanced at each other as they ate, {And two of our children are involved}, Molly tentatively sent to her husband. He shrugged, {Perhaps not quite in the permutations we would have liked, but I’m jolly proud of them, Molly, all the same. Think. We’ll have an Elemental in the family. What an honour}.

His wife’s send was dreamy, {Not to mention that delectable Italian boy. If my youngest son’s predilections are towards his own gender, then I’ll give him this, he has excellent taste. And our only daughter choosing the smartest Witch of her own or many other generations and an Elemental to boot. Something tells me I should be extremely angry at this turn of events, but somehow, I’m not. They have a tough time ahead of them, and it’s up to us to stand back, let them grow up before our eyes and just step in where we’re needed}.

Arthur looped an arm around his wife’s shoulders, {We’ll have an empty nest my love. Still, I retire in two years, and, all being well, we can do some interesting things. I’ll have my Pension...}, they retreated into a private space with their thoughts for the future.

After dinner, the Order were sequestered in the Guest Section. The best-appointed rooms. The most sumptuous.

By mutual agreement, they all split up, Ginny sent to her brother, {I think we’ll be okay. Mum seems to like Blaise, anyway}. She felt Ron’s grin, {Behave!. They are loving the idea of an Elemental in the family. Even if we’re not quite the mix they’d have liked}. At this both rolled their eyes before their silencing charms masked them from the other’s ‘view’.

That evening, Dobby served five separate meals in the Protected Section, each couple taking their meal in their own rooms. Harry would have liked some company, his Dragon falling asleep after a light supper, but he sent cautiously amongst his friends, receiving no replies. Instead he rolled a blunt from the last of the weed that Hermione had left them, then sat on the window ledge, gazing out, thinking on the day, smoking slowly, watching the sun set.

Ron felt a secret fear. Already thoughts possessed him as to what they were expected to do. He flicked a thought at his sister. He felt the doubt batter at his brain and held Blaise tight. Blaise read his beloved’s concern. He knew Ron felt queasy at sharing a sexual Ritual with his younger sister. He reached out, holding Ron tight, felt him melt on his shoulder. Slow nips through his clothes, { I’m so in love with you. But this whole ritual still freaks me a bit. And the fact that the girls aren’t saying anything}.

Blaise tightened his arms around Ron’s neck, kissing him, feeling their collective fear melt in each other’s arms. Ron threw his arms about his lover, their tongues meeting feverishly, Ron grinning into their kiss. Blaise feeling his passion rise surrounded by this man’s desire, those bear-like arms around him, coming undone under him, and when that cock entered him, stretching him to the limit, gently nudging his sweet spot over and over, he threaded his legs around his Ron and came over his own belly while his orso rosso emptied himself deep within him.

xxxxxxx

The day had given them all pause, and the arrival of various members of the Order underlined the seriousness of what they were about, and all experienced doubt, not least the Order themselves.

In all of the Ten’s rooms that night, various permutations of fear and comfort reigned. They weren’t playing anymore and all were afraid.

Deep into the night, Hermione felt the need to do something, restlessness driving her from her bed. In a moment of decision, she dressed, leaving a note for her beloved and left for the Lab.

She avoided everyone and let herself in, closing the door, breathing in the atmosphere. She checked her Potions. Nothing much to do now until the baby was born, but her fingers were itchy, her mind racing. Would Severus have the ingredients to hand?. She wrenched open the doors to the store cupboard, assembling ingredients feverishly. So far, so good. Damn. No wild casein. Then she remembered the storage drawers under the desk. Unlocking and rummaging, she found a little of what she sought. She fished out the scales and weighed what she had. Enough for three Potions that would each last a month.

She felt a grin spread as she started her preparations. Potion-making as relaxation. This was one she knew well, as half the girls in the upper years knew this one. She’d never made it herself, but it was simple enough. She rolled her shoulders and set to work, flexing and cracking her fingers. She made a mental note to pay Severus for the ingredients, and took careful stock as she used stuff.

As the Potions took shape, she felt herself relax. This was where her power lived. Something she could do. With a sigh, she realised that the others were going to be the Fighters. She had done no Spells training as the other six had. She felt a twinge of guilt, until she thought of the things she was brewing, then grinned wickedly and lifted the lid on her Truth Serum, and recoiled, thoroughly satisfied. A chest-clenching aroma, not unlike ammonia and cow dung rose to greet her, and although she grimaced and coughed as she slammed the lid back on, she knew it was doing just fine, but needed at least another fortnight. He main worry was, would it be completed before the battle?.

She sat at her customary spot on the long bench under the window, resting her chin in her hands, when there was a soft tap at the door. She read who it was, {Severus, you don’t need to knock to come into your own lab}, she giggled as Snape entered, {I didn’t know. You might have been engaged in secret business, especially at this hour, and I respect that}. She found herself blushing, {Thank you for that respect, Severus}. He pulled up a stool to the same bench and inclined his head behind him, {So, what are these little brews behind us?}. Hermione shrugged, {Come on, you’ve seen us girls make loads of these before. They’re contraceptive Potions, except the yellow one is for Draco. I know he doesn’t want to ‘catch’ again. I made a note of everything I’ve used, and will sort out the cash tomorrow}.

Severus chuckled into the freshening dawn, {Don’t be silly, these are on me}. She thanked him, {In truth, I couldn’t sleep. The arrival of the Order has rather driven it into everyone’s heads that this is serious business here and everyone’s a bit subdued. I just had to do something. It’s rather in the nature of us Gryffindors}, her voice softened, {Although I suspect, that when it comes to the crunch, I step back and let the rest of the guys get on with it. Then I get to mop up the Death-Eaters afterwards, maybe killing a few, who knows....}, her send faded. Snape looked over at her trying to stare out of the windows, blinking hard as tears wet her cheeks. She rubbed at her eyes with the heels of her hands, feeling like an idiot, crying like this.

{Hermione}, his send was soft, {You are performing miracles here}. She sent, {I know I’m supposed to be. But what if all this doesn’t work?. Most of these..}, she waved her arm around the lab, {are produced from myth. I just don’t know enough}, her anguished face sank into her hands. Snape gazed a moment, then moved his stool a little closer, extending his hand to her. She took it, digging her nails in as she wept, {I’m too damn young for all of this. I don’t have the experience or the wisdom. I’m fucking terrified that I’m gonna mess up everythin’ royally on the night}. His send was firm, {No you won’t. You haven’t Salazar’s greed. You care. You want all of this to work properly. And it will. Mainly because you wish it so. No Potion can be complete without it’s Maker’s will, and if I have learned anything, then it’s this. I have never seen such passion as yours poured onto Potion-making before, and I probably never will}.

She smiled wanly then, relinquishing Severus’ hand, {It’s weird. Everyone seems to have such confidence in me, though I don’t have that much in myself, sometimes. Though, now and again.... It feels like it’s going to burst my chest open, and I feel I could take on the fucking world}, she huffed out a long breath, staring out of the window, gathered back inside herself, her energy crackling off her.

Severus extended his hand a little further and gripped her shoulder, {You’ll do just fine. I know it}. She gripped his hand as it held her, her send soft, {I bloody well hope so}, without thinking, she grazed her lips over Snape’s knuckles and resumed staring out of the window, lost in thought.

Eventually, she shook herself back to reality and rose. {I need to get back. I need some sleep}. She turned off the flames, gathering her wits, wishing Severus good morning, she staggered from the room.

Severus was still stunned. He thought back over the last hour. He’d comforted a friend. Something he’d never done before. Then, he curled around his hand and the bit she’d absent-mindedly kissed, her mind elsewhere, he laid his lips over the same spot, then pressed it to his fevered cheek.