Evoking the Spirit

It was settled, the schools most infamous arch rivals, the princes of their respective houses, keepers of a long tradition of feuding and fighting, were going to spend their weekend nights together in a hidden room on the third floor. It made Harry feel strangely dirty and a little excited. He anxiously anticipated meeting Malfoy the whole next morning and it was seriously injuring his quidditch game. They had decided to meet on the third floor outside of the room after supper. It did not seem to be affecting Ron as much as Harry and it irritated him to no end during practice.



“Herm, did I tell you?” Ron bounced in and plunked down next to Hermione on the common room couch after quidditch practice.



“Huh?” Her inquisitive eyes lifted from the book in her lap.



“Harry has a crush on someone!”



“Shut it Ron!” Harry elbowed him to the side and sat next to Hermione.



“He’s lying.” Harry did his best but knew that his blushing was going to give him away.



“Harry it’s alright to have a crush, we all knew when you liked Cho and Ginny.” She patted his arm gently, like he thought Mrs. Weasley would have done.



“Yeah, but-” He stammered.



“No ‘buts’ Harry, it’s okay; you’re a boy first, the chosen one second.”



“Told you mate.”



“It’s Malfoy.” He managed to squeak out.



“…” He looked to Ron and then back at Hermione.



“Hermione?”



“…” The silence was becoming awkward so Ron thought he’d give it a go.



“Love? ‘Mione, I just found out too, didn’t you know?” At this her eye’s focused and she smiled a brilliant 1000 watt smile.



“Yes, of course I knew, deep down but, but- Oh there’s so much to think about,” Her eyes shifted out of focus again, Harry found it a bit unnerving, “I thought it would pass…No, it won’t will it? I knew he liked you, very much, but. No absolutely not, but the possibilities for complications are endless!” Now she was talking very fast and Harry assumed she was talking to herself since she was answering her own questions. “What to do about attraction in shared magic, physical as well as mental? There’s simply no sure way to hamper the effects. Or innate attractive magical bonding? Forced bonding by innate magical attraction is very possible…Hmmm, or-or exclusive magical bonding. Forcing out Ron and me? Perhaps a block, unless it forces us into a similar bond by manipulating our magic?” Her voice got lower as she continued speaking, “no, no, no, that’s not going to work. This complicates everything.”



“Hermione?” Ron asked, looking as confused as Harry felt.



“Hm, what?”



“Are you alright?” Harry interjected.



“Well I’m fine, just, worried.”



“Worried?”



“You really like Malfoy; I thought it was a physical attraction, purely. Only its not is it? You really like him and if he really likes you, which I think he does, that could complicate things a bit.”



“How much is ‘a bit’?” She looked sheepish.



“A lot.”



“Why?”



“Well, the ancient magic will semi-bind you and Malfoy together forever as it is, it will also pull your individual magic pools together with it, and so you will both draw from the

same pool of magic entirely.”



“So?”



“So if you are attracted to each other, mentally and physically the way you are, it could be in part as a result of magical attraction. If you are in fact magically attracted it could cause some unwanted results.”



“Get to the point Hermione.” Ron’s impatience flared.



“Instead of your magic simply pooling together like, say, oil and water, it would mix like a cake batter or…Jell-O!” Harry involuntarily giggled because Ron had never heard of Jell-O before and was looking from Harry to Hermione as if they had lost their minds.



“See Harry, once it’s been mixed together like that it can’t separate again, just like you can’t separate Jell-O back into powder and water. That means, essentially, that your magic has bonded. Your magic is the deepest part of yourself Harry, it knows you best and if it is drawn to Malfoy it’s for good reason. Only it could complicate this because if you magically bond with him it could exclude Ron and me from the circle and it could even nullify the chant and simply ignore the ancient magic and bond on itself instead. You know you and Malfoy would be inseparable for months while your bodies mature with the bond.”



“Oh.”



“‘Oh’ is right mate, its very tricky business.”



“And Harry, it may just force mine and Ron’s magic away but combine with the ancient magic, and the shock…it could put you both into a coma, or worse; though that seems less likely. Can I ask you a question Harry?” She searched his face curiously.



“Yeah, what is it?”



“Have you and Malfoy…been together? In any sort of way, even just kissing or touching or anything?” Harry hid his blushing.



“No.”



“Are you sure?”



“Yes I’m sure Hermione, jeez. I think I would have noticed.” Hermione frowned.



“Right.”



“No, I just want to be there tonight and honestly, there’s too much to take in right now. Can we forget about this until tomorrow?” She frowned again but only for a second.



“Sure. You coming then Ron?”



“Am I ever, I’m starved!”



They ate dinner in the great hall but Harry couldn’t eat a thing and when he finally managed to rush his friends enough to finish they went back to the tower to get things ready for Harry’s night. He decided to wear his pajamas so he wouldn’t have to change in front of Draco.







“What am I supposed to wear?” He looked critically into his trunk. Ron shrugged his shoulders and Hermione smiled.



“Allow me,” she reached in and pulled out an old white t-shirt of Harry’s and a pair of boxer shorts. With a swish of her wand the shirt mended and washed itself in mid air and became smaller (much smaller since the previous owner, Dudley, was the size of a small Rhino) and the shorts stretched into long black comfy pants. She smiled and held up the items. “Now these are perfect, but since their pants you might get hot and you’ll just have to take them off.”



“Hermione love, you’re brilliant, you know that?” Ron laughed while Harry cringed



“Herm, please.” He said and she batted her eyelashes.



“What?”



“Nothing,” Harry replied. “Now should I bring anything else?”



“Your wand, the marauders map and your cloak” they both agreed.



Harry couldn’t think of anything else he might need and neither could his two best friends so he set off to the third floor.



It was late so he watched the map closely, he saw Draco leaving the dungeons and Peeves floating around in the Astronomy tower along with the few couples that appeared to also be having late night rendezvous’. Harry chuckled at the trouble he knew peeves was causing. Harry was waiting on Malfoy before he asked the door to appear, that way the blond could have a say in what the room looked like too. He chanced another glance at the map and saw Peeves leave the tower, to Harry’s horror Peeves was now headed straight for Draco. Harry closed his eyes and waited for the Havoc that only Peeves could wreak. When it never came he checked the map again, Draco was still heading to the third floor and it seemed Peeves had made a detour to the second floor girl’s bathroom, probably to bother poor Moaning Myrtle. He let out a sigh of relief. Draco was still coming.