Harry Potter and the Womb of Requirement NOW CODED

33

The next morning took a while to get going. The Ten all shared the fear that day, gathering in Harry and Draco’s living room. There were dark shadows beneath their eyes, testament to a lack of sleep common to all. Harry cast his eye around the tired dejected group and saw, not the most powerful Magicians on the planet, more a bunch of knackered friends, young kids, scared out of their wits, himself included. Just then, he’d never felt so completely un-Mage-like in his life.

It was Pansy who sent first, {I’m really scared}. To various nods and sends of agreement. Hermione cast her eyes about the Ten, then asked them all to stand. She and Ron moved the sofa to one side, and she gathered them all into a group hug. They all wanted to do this thing. No-one was jumping ship. But it still made the palms sweaty to think of what lay ahead.

Draco had to dip out first, bunching his fists in his lower back, {Sorry, folk, but I need to sit down}. He felt his Elemental’s soft send, {She’s nearly here, isn’t she?}. Draco smiled at her, {I think it’s going to be sooner rather than later. She’s so heavy}. Harry led his Dragon over to the sofa, seating them both. The circle broke up, the others sitting on the floor.

For the next hour or so, they addressed all their fears, sending fearlessly as each explained the things that caused last night to be sleepless for them. Oddly enough, several folk were more afraid of the upcoming Ritual than the possibility of the confrontation with Voldemort. Harry had already reconciled himself to it and was surprised at the reactions that the proceedings still evoked in people. Issues of jealousy and uncertainty.

He stood, stepping into the middle of the room, {Come on guys, it’s a ritual for pity’s sake}. He cast a glance at Hermione, {I know we’ll do the least we have to, to make this happen, and I have faith in our Elemental to conduct things with the most dignity possible. So for fuck’s sake, stop panicking. Save the fear for the Battle. That’ll be the worst, We could die out there}.

Hermione stepped into the fray, {Thank you, Harry for those words of comfort}, she grimaced at him. He subsided. She quirked him a grin, then stuck her tongue out at him as he sat back down, giving her the floor.

She glared round at them all, {Don’t forget who you are. We’re all feeling a low spot right now. The deep breath before the battle. If we didn’t care, we wouldn’t be feeling this crap. But, think. Your Magical abilities are huge. And, best of all, He doesn’t know this. When we’ve done the Bond. We’re going to call him out to play}, she grinned ferally. Her send turned dark, {Then we’re going to fucking annihilate him. Between us. Together. A team. Joined for life. Warriors all. Feel it, guys, feel it}, she sent a jolt of her energy into the group.

Draco gasped and clutched his belly, {‘Mione, please}. She apologised profusely, her eyes widening in horror, {Shit!. I haven’t, erm, done anything have I?}, his fake contraction settled and he dared to breathe again, {No, not this time}. She sent, {Sorry, but they need a bit of this}. He nodded and curled into Harry’s side as her Magic took hold. Smiles appearing. The mood lifting.

The various couples moving together, kissing, cautious at first, then heating, not caring who saw them with tongues in each other’s mouths, hands wandering over bodies, plucking at clothes, to get beneath. Hermione pulled slightly away from her Girlie to survey the passion rising around her, watching it start to take them all. She giggled, {Save it for the Ritual, chaps. Whoo, all this, and before breakfast, too}. The various pairs pulled apart, slightly bemused, red of face.

Then laughter broke out around her and she realised the Ritual was probably going to work just fine, thank you.

On that note, they went down to breakfast.

During the night, Sturgis Podmore and Kingsley Shacklebolt had arrived, and having been filled in on the news, sat expectantly at the table, mouths slightly agape as the Ten approached, once again in formation, this time the couples holding hands and grinning. They took their places and ate a large breakfast, before the Four made their swift blood-bond with the new arrivals. Hermione then brought them into the sending circle. A bit gentler than she had brought the others on board. Then sent them everything she had sent the other members of the Order.

The six agreed to take the Order into a room of requirement and demonstrate their new skills. Hermione and Ginny tagged along to watch and were awed by the way Ron was teaching everybody as his own confidence levels rose. They showed their levels of Shielding charms by trying to take each other by surprise with some quite nasty hexes, to measure reflex speed, and they wandlessly disarmed all of the Order without them realising it, until their wands were handed back to them by a giggling Pansy. The Order were impressed.

That afternoon, Hermione completed her contraceptive Potions and discreetly handed them out. One each for Lavender and Pansy, and a special one for Draco who hugged her as tight as his huge belly would let him and thanked her. {I’m enjoying this experience by and large, but I don’t want to go through it again. The next one’s Harry’s. I know he’s really looking forward to it}. Hermione grinned at him, {I know, that’s the reason I made it}. Draco glanced furtively round, but Harry was talking to Ginny, then he pressed a sealed parchment into Hermione’s hands and asked her to take it to the Owlery for him. He didn’t want Harry to know. The parchment was addressed to his Mother at the Manor.

The two girls made the long climb up into the Tower, with several parchments to send, they borrowed various owls, Hermione sending Hedwig on Draco’s mission. Satisfied when six birds soared away from the School. They wended their way to dinner. Harry and Draco excused themselves and took their meal in their quarters, but the others all joined Staff and Order in the Main Hall, swapping stories and chatting. Kingsley leant in towards Hermione, {Has Harry heard anything from Him?}.

Hermione fidgeted, looking embarrassed, {In a manner of speaking, yes, it was some while back but you’ll have to ask him about it. It’s not my place to tell. Let’s just say, it was an unguarded moment}, she finished cryptically. Kingsley regarded her through narrowed eyes and dropped the subject.

The girls excused themselves shortly after dinner. Hermione had sent to her lover, {I’m buggered, love. I just want to crawl off and get completely fucked}. Ginny knew when she swore like that, she meant it, but her return send was cheeky, {Do you mean in the actual, or metaphorical sense, my love?}. Hermione shot her such a glance, that would have heated lava, Ginny’s eyes rolled, {Of course, both. Silly old me}. They were laughing as they left the Hall, hand in hand.

An hour or so later and Hermione got her wish, metaphorically and actually, dissolving under her beloved’s mouth, stoned to the gills.

End of Part Three