Harry Potter and the Womb of Requirement NOW CODED

38

The next morning was quiet around the Warrior’s quarters. The Staff and the Order weren’t surprised as they gathered for breakfast, and sorted out guard duty between them. Let the young folk sleep. They had achieved so much between them. As various people drifted in to the Hall, they could feel the vestigial Magic hanging around that hadn’t been tidied away. Albus chuckled as he felt it around him, calling it back to a single point absorbing it into the tip of his wand, shuddering at the power, going slightly pale, before bursting out laughing at the forces flitting around him. He felt Severus’ send, {It’s her Magic, isn’t it. One should not admit to this, but it thrills to the soul, does it not?. I dare you to deny it, Albus}. Dumbledore’s send was measured and slightly dry, {I would be careful if I were you, Severus. I am aware of how you feel in the face of this ancient Magic, but I would warn you, when it all comes to pass, then all of us will be left behind}.

Snape smiled, sending back, {Right now, I don’t care about being left behind, so long as there is someone with that level of ability who can carry things on, then I cannot any more feel the gloom that I have nursed in my heart for so long that everything was going to turn out wrong. With these folk, I feel, finally and irrevocably, that the hurts will be healed and the Magical world set back on it’s feet, and that I salute}. Albus couldn’t deny the power of this hope, and saluted his, unbeknownst to anyone else, favourite member of staff, after the redoubtable Minerva.

The six turned up at lunchtime as did the two Magi, but no Elemental, no Ginny. When she’d finally surfaced, Hermione declared a day off and Ginny agreed. Dobby brought them a fine lunch which they devoured. Then Hermione pulled her Girlie to her devouring her too and they slept the afternoon away. More food, more lovemaking, more spliffs. The girls spent a quiet evening together recharging their batteries. Ginny saw the grey beneath Hermione’s eyes as she slept and decided her Missy needed tomorrow as well to recover in and sent out a gentle, ‘Do not disturb’ for the next day. Everyone understood staying away as the girls spent another blissful day eating, sleeping and making love. Hermione could feel her eyes close, {Go join the others if you want to, Girlie, I don’t mind}. Ginny wrapped herself around her bond-mate holding her tight, {No chance, Missy, I’m staying right here with you. I’m going nowhere, baby}.

Sure enough, as Hermione opened her sleep-crusted eyes, she looked up into awake jade-grey, a soft hand stroking her hair. {Have we missed dinner?}, was her first send. Ginny chuckled and kissed her mate fondly. {No. If we shift our arses, dinner’s in about half an hour}. Hermione stumbled to the bathroom, dragging her Girlie with her. They shared a deep bath and each other before emerging, damp of hair and bright of smile and headed arm in arm down to dinner.

Cheers greeted them as they entered the Hall from Staff, Order and the rest of the Ten. Ginny grinned but Hermione was still a bit bleary. She yawned as she greeted people. Harry stood, taking his weary Elemental in his arms, {Come on, ‘Mione, we’re the only two bonded Magi in over a thousand years and we did it properly, thanks to you}. In reply, she sagged against his shoulder and burst into tears. Harry held her tight, tangling a hand into his still exhausted Elemental’s hair, {Ssshhh, my ‘Mione. Don’t burn yourself out girl. We need you. Eat. Rest. Do what you have to. We’re all with you. You aren’t alone, even though it may seem like it now. You’re not alone. And we all love you}. This last made her howl louder. She inwardly berated herself for her weakness, yet no-one had done as much as she had, so far.

Draco passed his baby on and went to join his bond-mate and their Elemental, throwing his long pale arms around her, absorbing the distress, sensing her tiredness, the two Magi glanced at each other, then sent a wee jolt to their tired friend. In an instant, her mood lifted and she smiled at the two boys flanking her, {Thanks. Whooo. That’s stronger than what I can send into a group}. Harry nodded, {Yes, I know, but it’s not nearly as sexy as you can do}. The Ten all felt her purr, {That’s because I’m an Elemental, baby}. General laughter all around as Hermione and Ginny sat and consumed a huge amount between them.

They spent a jolly evening all together. Ron and Blaise produced dice and the Staff and Order were inducted into the mysteries of Zilch, Dumbledore winning the first game. Tonks, squealing in delight won the second. Hermione excused herself and left on her own, {Just going to check on the Potions, love, back soon}, she sped off to the lab, she checked all the essences, then carefully lifted the magically sealed chalice from the fridge. The essence was still a swirling smoke beneath the seal, Cariad’s other essences still nicely liquefied. She went in to the store cupboard, digging out ginger root, belladonna flowers, valerian leaves, several small packets of powder from the Knockturn Alley bags. Stilling the excitement building in her, she laid her ingredients out, once more dowsing them for contaminants and declared herself satisfied, she donned her goggles, snapped on a pair of latex gloves, changed her scalpel blade and set to work.

Chopping and weighing, grinding and mixing, heating and stirring. She was in her element, the consummate Potions Master at work. She lit a small stove, setting a bowl atop it to heat, pouring clean water into it, as it came to the boil, she turned the flame down and placed a smaller bowl within, floating in the heated water. Into this she started to add her ingredients, noting the time, carefully measuring each substance then mixing it into the brew with her athame, murmuring incantations. Holding her breath, she added the baby’s smoke essence first, watching with satisfaction as the smoke liquefied on contact with the Potion base. So far, so good. She sighed and allowed herself to relax a moment as the Potion heated.

Now the tricky bit, she swirled the child’s few drops of liquid essences around, calmed her trembling fingers and poured, bracing herself. As the first drop hit, a blinding white light erupted from the bowl and she held on to the edge of the bench to stop herself being blown over backwards. The light continued to glow and she cautiously approached the Potion, the goblet still firmly in her hand. She peered in, not enough. She poured more, counting even while the light threatened to burn her retinas, five more drops. Then the light went out and she was left blinking, green blobs behind her eyelids each time she closed her eyes.

As her vision returned, she once again ventured a look into the pot. Perfect, all liquid and midnight black. She let glee run up and down her spine and punched the air, “Yes, it’s worked!!”. She carefully decanted it into a bottle and stoppered it tight, hugging it to her chest before stowing it with the other essences in the fridge.

Cleaning the equipment, she began the whole process again, this time with Ginny’s essences. Though her bond-mate shared her of-age status, she was still, strictly speaking, under age and her essences had to be stabilised in the same way as the baby’s. Hermione kissed Ginny’s little essence bottle as she lovingly applied the liquids to the stabilising solution bubbling gently before her. Ginny’s was a deep red, the same shade as her hair. Hermione added words of love as she re-decanted her lover’s essences, ready for mixing into the main Potion when the time came.

Realising how dog-tired she was, whilst still feeling satisfaction for a good night’s work, she stashed the essences back in the fridge, then cleaned and tidied away after herself, slipping out of the lab somewhere in the dead of night.

Ginny partially awoke as Hermione slipped into bed with her, {Missy, it’s three o’clock in the morning. I thought you’d only be gone half an hour or so}. Hermione leaned over her kissing her, {Sorry, love, but I had to stabilise Cariad’s essences. It took a while, but I had to do it before they were 72 hours old}. Ginny was sleepy but she could still add up, {I thought that only took a couple of hours, Missy. What else did you do?}. Hermione cupped her sleepy bond-mate’s face in her hand and kissed her again, {I had to do yours, too, lover. You’re still under age, even though we share the same status for rituals, but Potions have to be bang on, you know that. That’s why I’ve been away so long}.

{You’ve knackered yourself again, you naughty girl. Come on, lie down, you need sleep}, Ginny pulled her tired bond-mate down beside her, wrapping her in her arms. Hermione sank gratefully, nuzzling Ginny’s neck. Ginny pulled away, {Oh, no, you don’t Missy. Sleep. Now}. Hermione made little soft mewls, {But, babe}. Ginny leaned over Hermione, looked into her eyes, reading her then descended, devouring her Missy with her mouth until she came, bucking against her Girlie’s talented tongue before turning the tables and making her Girlie cry out under her onslaught of mouth and fingers. They slept in a pile of limbs, lips pressed together.

During the same night, Harry was up feeding his daughter, then felt a spike go through her, a shudder. She cried out once, then sank back to her dinner as her daddy kissed her on the top of the head. {What’s your Auntie ‘Mione up to, then, my sweet daughter?}. She opened her jade eyes and smiled for the first time. Draco missed it, asleep. Harry thought his heart would melt.