The next day saw Harry and Hermione spending some time together just relaxing. After learning all four branches of Season magic to a high enough standard that they will be able to combine them, they felt they needed a break. They spend the whole day lounging around the common room just enjoying each other’s company. They would lie on the settee Hermione in Harry’s arms and would just do nothing. They were contented just being together. No word was spoken aloud. They were beginning to like the intimacy of talking to each other through their link. They would often take it in terns at looking at memories the other wanted to share.
Hermione was determined to show Harry what her childhood was like. Even though her parents had reacted badly to Harry and herself she knew that they loved her, it would just take some time for them to get used to the idea, and once they had, they would be fine. She had just thought of a way to get them to come around; she could give them one of the books she had first read about Season magic and it would help them understand that they were truly in love and that the way they felt about each other.
Hermione began to open one of her favourite memories from her childhood - it was when her mother and she went to the local shopping centre when she was eight. Hermione had tripped up and fell over, and her mother had helped her up kissing her knew better for her. Harry could feel the love Hermione felt towards her mother at that moment, and the way her mother would look at her. This made him feel guilty; guilty because it was his fault that Hermione and her parents were not talking.
“It is not your fault Harry - they will come around in the end. I am sure of it. When we get time restarted I think I will give them the first book we read about Season magic, which explains how only two people who are ‘soul mates’ can have this bond. It may help them to see that we are actually in love.” Hermione said this with such sincerity in her voice that Harry could not help but believe what Hermione was saying.
Their whole day was spent sharing memories, which they were particularly fond of, and other they were not. Hermione had asked Harry if she could see some of Harry’s memories from the Dursley’s. He had shown her and Hermione was nearly in tears after seeing some of the things Harry had to put up with when he was growing it. It made her determined to show Harry how much she loved him.
Harry and Hermione awoke the next day lying on the settee in front of the fire, which because time had stopped was empty of any fire. They both knew what they had to do today; they would have to get everything ready for the potion and the spell they would have to cast to get the ingredients they needed. Hermione already knew what the ingredients were and had wrote them down on a piece of parchment, and they went down to the dungeons to raid Snape’s private store.
Upon arriving at the door, which leads in to Snape’s office Harry and Hermione see that he must be inside as the door, is slightly ajar. When they open the door, they were greeted with the sight of Snape sitting at his desk with his cauldron on and about to add an ingredient to his potion. Hermione went over to where he was and looked at the instructions he was following - she was shocked at the potion he was making.
Harry could tell that she was surprised and went over to have a look. He could not help but laugh when he read the title of the potion, it was the so called ‘love potion’ as it would make anyone you give it to fall deeply in love with you, and it would not stop until they are given the antidote. After Harry had stopped laughing he looked towards Hermione, who did not look too pleased.
“What’s the matter Mione?” Harry could tell she was extremely angry, it was written all over her face.
“What’s the matter with me? Do you not know anything Harry?” Hermione was practically screaming at Harry now. How could he not know about this potion?
“This potion is illegal, and has been for quit a few years - love is not something someone should meddle with and that is what this potion does. Besides people were using to…well you know.” Harry had just realised why this potion would be so bad, and was about to apologise when Hermione cut him off.
“It’s ok, I should not have shouted; not everyone would have known, I only know because it was in a book I have read. I also know because of the same book that if you substitute the ingredient he is about to add with something else the result is something quit different.” Hermione could tell that Harry was intrigued about what would happen if she switched the ingredients.
“So what would happen?”
“Let’s just say he won’t have much of an office left after he adds the ingredient.” Hermione smiled at Harry.
“Will it hurt him; I mean I don’t like him, but I don’t think I would want him dead.”
“He wouldn’t be hurt - the only destruction will be towards his possessions and not himself.” It was Harry’s turn to smile, he may not have wanted him dead but destroying his office was fine. Anyway he deserved everything which is coming to him.
“The only thing which will happen to him is that he will feel ill for a few days; when it is added a gas is given off; not lethal but it does cause head aches and an upset stomach for a few days. But it serves him right - he should not be brewing this potion and he should know better.”
“Won’t he notice the difference Mione; I mean do the ingredients look the same?” Hermione smiled again.
“That’s the best part, you can’t tell the difference; they are the same colour and are odourless. Besides he is about to add them to his cauldron and presuming he does not know that time has been stopped he will think no time has passed and add them. Then he will receive a big surprise.” Harry began to laugh; he was picturing Snape adding the ingredient and the office blowing up in his face.
“What do we substitute it for?”
“Well it’s actually the same ingredient; the only difference is in age. The Mandrake Snape is using is that of a young one, all we have to do is give him a fully developed one and everything will work.”
Harry and Hermione left Snape’s office fully satisfied that he would not be able to tell that they had switched his ingredients over. They also had all of the ingredients they would need to make their potion. All that remained was to start brewing it so they could get the other ingredients they needed. Upon reaching the common room they went up to the head boy’s dormitory where they had set up their potions kit.
Most of the ingredients, which they were going to use, were very expensive and there was no way they could make a mistake, as Snape did not have any spares. After sorting all of their belongings out Hermione began to read the instructions for making the potion.
“Right, it will take about 6 weeks to brew the potion but we also need to practice using the four branches as one. Do you think we will be able to brew the potion and learn how to use them together or should we wait?”
“Just do it Mione” Hermione smiled again.
“Fine, we will have to start tonight. The first week of brewing should be easy as after we have added the ingredients in the right order we have to leave it for week to stand.” Harry nodded his head showing Hermione that he understood.
“If you set up the cauldron and get the ingredients on this list sorted I will go and find a spell so we know how long it has been standing.” Hermione handed Harry the list she had made of the ingredients, which needed to be added to the potion first, already there, were ingredients, which he knew they would never be allowed to use inside Hogwarts even when they were doing NEWT level.
Hermione went over to Harry and was intending to give him a quick peck on the lips before going to the library to find the spell they would need before they could start the potion. But it turned into about ten minutes of heavy kissing until Hermione came to her senses and withdrew her tongue from Harry’s eager mouth and pretended to be angry with him
“Can I not just give you a quick kiss?” Even though her voice sounded full of anger, jut one look at her face told him otherwise. She was finding it very difficult to suppress the smile from growing on the face. Harry simply replied with a no and then Hermione vanished into a circle of flames as she transported her self to the library before she burst into laughter.
By the time, Hermione had found the correct spell Harry had managed to get all of the ingredients they would need for this part of the potion ready and was warming up the cauldron with fire, which was comingout of his hands.
“I have it, took a while but I have it. How is everything going?”
“Excellent, all of the ingredients are ready; just warming up the cauldron.” Hermione walked over to the ingredients and inspected them; after all she did not want to die, and if the ingredients were not prepared properly they would almost certainly die as the potion would be lethal to anyone who drank it. When it is prepared properly, it is lethal to anyone who does not have the power to use Season magic.
“Everything met your standards Miss. Granger?” Hermione smiled at him for using her second name.
“Fine Mr. Potter. Shall we begin? It takes about one and a half hours to complete the first stage.” Harry nodded and Hermione brought the ingredients, which Harry had expertly prepared, over to the cauldron.
“We need to add the water first and make sure that it is at precisely ninety-six degrees Celsius and then add the Mandrake and stir for four minutes anti-clockwise. Both Harry and Hermione watched the thermometer carefully until it reached ninety-six, and then Hermione carefully added the Mandrake to the water. Harry began to stir the potion anti-clockwise at the same speed or the potion would not work and all their effort would be for nothing.
All Harry and Hermione thought about for the next hour and a half was the potion, they hardly talked verbally or through the link. They needed to concentrate very hard on the potion, neither wanted to risk it going wrong, as they did not like the idea of dying.
Finally, they had added all of the ingredients they needed, and left it to stand. They made their way to their bedroom. Both were shattered and needed to rest. They were mentally and physically tired. When they
reached the bed, they just flopped down on it, got under the covers and went towards the middle of the bed where they wrapped their arms around each other and fell asleep, both needing rest but also needed contact with the other.
Sometime while they were sleeping, their position had changed. Hermione’s head was now resting on Harry’s chest, her brown curly hair spread about her face. Her hands were entwined with Harry’s and pulled close to her chest.
Both Harry and Hermione began to wake, Hermione was the first to fully wake and moved her head from Harry’s chest towards his mouth. When she reached her goal she lightly placed her lips on hers and saw, his bright green eyes appear from behind his eyelids. Harry began to respond to Hermione’s kiss, and ran his tongue along her lips, begging her to open her mouth to him. His hands began to make their way towards her hair, and his fingers were entangled in the chestnut curls.
Hermione began to moan into his mouth and moved here hands around his chest, drawing small patterns and leaving behind a trail of goosebumps in her wake. The effect she had on him still amazed her sometimes; the fact that she would just do something as simple as that but it was enough. Harry’s hands soon left her hair and began to trail down her body stopping at the hem of her top. Even after everything they had done, he still felt the need to ask her before he would do anything. Hermione knew he would never do anything, which she did not want him to, she doubted he ever would. She broke contact with his lips.
“Harry - please, you don’t need to ask.” She gasped out - her words were hard to make out because of what Harry was doing to her, but he soon got the message when Hermione took hold of his hand and placed it under her top. As she did this his mouth left hers and began to gently bite her earlobe, then her neck and then to the other side of her face. Hermione knew he was doing this on purpose, as his hand was just drawing small circles on her stomach, not going to the place she most desperately wanted it to be, just as his mouth was doing.
“Harry!” Harry knew what she wanted and slowly began to lift her top over her head.
When Harry and Hermione eventually left their bed, washed and showered they were left feeling very hungry. They decided to have their newly found favourite meal, the English breakfast. After eating they knew that they would have to start practicing using all four branches of magic together. For the potion to work, they had to use a special spell. Hermione had decided that they would just focus on that one spell; as trying to learn every single one would take months, and they could do that later.
The spell, which they were going to have to cast once the potion was finished, was called the ‘creo’ spell, which has a simple name but required a lot of power and skill to cast. It was the most complex spell they would have learned to date. Not only did they have to mentally think about the spell they wanted to create, they had to do it together. Their minds have to act as one - they have to allow the other full, unlimited access to their mind. Once they have done this they join hands and hold each other close and before saying the incantation they have to summon the power within them and control it - they have to get it to a high
enough level so that a new spell can be created. This was the hardest part of all - being able to control that much power. It was going to take all their combined strength and determination to do so.
Hermione knew that the first thing they would have to do is learn to control the link fully; even though they could do it well it would not be enough when all the power resides within them comes to the surface at once.
“Harry, we first have to be able to control our link properly, if we can’t no-one knows what will happen. It has never been documented, but with all the power we possess it won’t be pretty.” Again, Hermione had reminded Harry how serious it was for them to get the right. They would have to practice until they were ready.
“Do you enjoy telling me things like this? You seem to do it quit a lot.”
“Of course I don’t enjoy it. This is very serious Harry, no one knows what will happen if it goes wrong which is why we have to be careful. I know I keep telling you, but I really don’t want to find out what happens when it goes wrong; I hope we never find out.” Hermione was looking like she was about to burst into tears. The last thing she wanted was for it to sound like she was enjoying it when she told him he would have to work hard on it.
Harry could tell that she was nearly crying because of what he had said, he was just joking with her.
“Don’t cry Mione, I was just joking.” He went over to her and enveloped her in his arms and she wrapped her arms around him. After a few minutes of being hugged by Harry, she regained her composure.
“Sorry for taking it literally, I really have to stop that.” Hermione smiled and Harry’s heart leaped. He loved it when she smiled; she looked so innocent and beautiful. He knew he was the luckiest man in the world to have Hermione by his side.
“You don’t need to apologise Mione, how about we get on with learning to control our link better. I may enjoy this.” He smiled sheepishly towards Hermione.
Harry and Hermione wrapped their arms around each other and moved their lips closer together; they had found that it was easier to control the link whilst having as much contact with each other as possible. Their bodies were moulded together, their hands holding the other close to themselves.
When their minds fully met, they were greeted by the usual feeling of completion. It was strange, even though they were always connected and could always find information from the other; but when they did this the feelings it caused were so much different. They were no longer Harry and Hermione two separate people; they were one. Even though they had separate bodies their minds were fully combined, and this is what they needed to do to control the power, which was inside the two of them. While they were linked like this Harry could feel what Hermione, felt and he could see what she saw, but he could not control her, he could not be like this with her if she did not want it. Both people had to be willing to give everything to the other; they had to trust them more than anyone else as they would be able to look into any memory they wished. It was impossible to keep anything secret if the other really wanted to know.
“Harry, do you feel all right?” Hermione was talking to Harry in their mind.
“You should know. Yes I am fine, just takes some getting used to being like this with you. It feels strange; even though I love you more than anything it feels strange to be sharing everything with you fully.”
“I know what you mean; it will take some getting used to this. We have never been connected like this before. I don’t think we could combine anymore than what we are now.”
“What do we need to do? I mean how do we know when we are ready?” It was strange talking, he could see Hermione through his eyes, but since their minds were joined, he could also see himself from Hermione’s
perspective.
“Don’t worry Harry, we will get used to it. Eventually we should be able to do this and other things at the same time. It is possible to make it look like you are reading a book and be like this when you have practiced enough. People around us would not be able to tell that we were not really in our body.”
“That would be good in classes.”
“Harry! We are not supposed to use Season magic to do things like that.” Hermione was getting annoyed and Harry could tell.
“Sorry - just a thought.”
“Yes well, less of those thoughts and more of ones which might help us get used to this. We have to be able to walk around before we can even consider trying the spell.”
“Walk around! How are we supposed to walk around when we are not fully in our body?”
“You just think about what you want to do and do it. Try to move your body away from mine.”
Harry and Hermione began to try to move their bodies out of the embrace they were currently engaged in. The first few attempts were met with limited success, they had managed to part their lips and when they tried to pull away, properly they lost balance and Hermione fell atop of Harry.
Neither of them could stop the smile crossing their face when they landed, their lips met again; this time on purpose. They both thought that if they were going to learn how to gain control of their bodies they might as well do something enjoyable. Their lips met and it was as if they were having their first kiss all over again. It was not that they were unsure of what to do, but more like they were unsure of how to do it. It took some getting used to controlling their respective bodies when their minds were so fully connected.
After about half an hour they had mastered it and were lying on the floor Harry’s arms wrapped around Hermione’s waist and their lips firmly pressed together. Neither wanted to stop, but they knew they would have to. They could not maintain their current link for much longer. It drained their energy and until they became used to it, they would not be able to do it for very long.
When they returned to their own minds they felt strange; they had become so used to being with each other in their mind that it did not feel normal to be back. Harry was brought back down to earth with a bump when
Hermione suddenly became all-limp atop of him. First, he thought she was just joking around with him, but she did not answer to any of his calls to her. He could not feel her presence in his mind, he usually could and he knew something was seriously wrong, but what could he do? Time was stopped, what was the matter with her?
Author’s note:
A big thanks to Jeeb, padfoots gurl and Jenry for reviewing the last chapter. Please continue to review, I will reply as soon as it will let me. Also thanks to Steph for moderating the chapter and Melissa for BETA reading it for me. She says that she would be happy to BETA read any of the stories for you. Her email addre is bluehpfanaaf@aol.com