Eros
God of Sexual Desire, Attraction, Love, and Procreation
Thorfinn stood quickly, reaching down to pull Potter up from the floor. Rabastan quickly nicked his wand ignoring Potter's exclamation of "Oi! You can't just take a bloke's wand!" Glancing at one another over Potter's messy hair they rolled their eyes simultaneously. Rabastan handed the wand to Thorfinn quickly as Potter reached for it. Marcus and Adrian snickered as Potter reached for his wand, only for Thorfinn to hold it high above his head.
"Don't suppose you know which parlor Hermione means, do you Potter?" Marcus asked sneering. He was still a bit sore over losing the Quidittch cup to Gryfinndor his last three years at Hogwart's thanks to Dumbledore's blatant favoritism to the Boy-with-the-stupid-scar.
Harry stopped trying to reach his wand glaring at the four wizards around him. "The Blue one most likely. You can give me my wand back now, Rowle! Hermione has wards preventing guests from harming one another." Harry frowned.
As if he wanted to incite Hermione's rage by picking a fight with these brutes. She obviously had use for them, and until he talked to her, he would withhold judgement. Plus, he really needed her help with his hopefully soon-to-be-ex-wife.
Thorfinn raised his brow, before handing him back his wand cautiously. Nodding derisively, Harry turned leading the group of four Death Eaters down stairs to Hermione's Blue Parlor. And it truly was blue, decorated with navy colored walls, and throw rugs in various shades of blue. The furniture was ebony, with teal blue cushions that had intricate silver inlay. It was a Ravenclaw's dream, Harry sighed hoping this was indeed the correct Parlor. He really didn't like the Green Parlor, it was as if she had taken notes on the Slytherin common room and simply recreated it.
Thorfinn, Rabastan, Marcus and Adrian made themselves at home, relaxing on the plus couches. Harry shook his head at the surreal sight, and took a seat in his favorite arm chair by the fire. Awkward silence fell over them, and Adrian cleared his throat.
"Elpis?" He called, surprised when the little house elf popped up at his elbow.
"Yes, Mister Adrian?" Elpis questioned, blinking her overly large brown eyes at him.
"Perhaps some tea and biscuits would be nice for us. If you don't mind?" He queried carefully, knowing that while he was Hermione's guest, it would still be unwise to anger her House Elf by making demands of it. If the bloody creature was anything like it's Mistress, it was likely to poison him for laughs and giggles.
He may have already graduated by Hermione's fifth year, but everyone knew that she was the one that caused Marietta Edgecomb to have SNEAK permanently scarred across her face. The little witch had a vindictive streak three miles wide, and he had no intentions of garnering her ire.
"Of course, Mister Adrian." Elpis replied and with a pop disappeared from view, only to reappear minutes later with a tea tray laden down with: saucers, cups, biscuits, pastries, milk, honey, and sugar.
"Thank you, Elpis." Adrian murmured, reaching for a pastry.
Elpis merely nodded and disappeared again. Marcus set about making a cup of tea for himself, while Thorfinn and Rabastan snagged a biscuit each. As Harry was reaching for a biscuit himself, he was stopped by Hermione's sudden appearance.
Dressed in a dark emerald, tight fitted robe, with her hair pulled back in a loose chignon, she looked the picture of elegance. Antonin stood slightly behind her and to her left, looking the bodyguard very much.
Hermione graced them all with a smile, "Good, you're all getting along. Now, Harry why don't you tell me what brought you here when you haven't written or visited in six months?" Her voice had taken on a sickly-sweet tone and he felt himself grimace.
He knew he was in trouble, after all he had been a terrible friend to her over the past year. Sighing he ran his hands through his hair, "Well after leaving work to inform my wife that one of her elder brothers was found dead, I walked in on her with another man's cock lodged up her arse, while a rather large toy was jammed inside her cunt."
Hermione felt her brows start to recede into her hairline, well that was quite adventurous for the youngest Weasley. Before she could comment on Harry's predicament, he looked up glaring at her Sentries. Feeling her hackles start to rise she eyed him coolly, waiting for an explosion.
"And then… then I come to my best friends ridiculously large manor, hoping to seek advice and find her shacking up with five, five I say, escaped convicts. Three of which have tried to kill her on numerous occasions! Please explain this to me Hermione? Have I fallen into some parallel universe?" He asked, standing and pacing the floor.
Hermione waited a beat then she spoke," Are you quite finished?" Harry stopped pacing, turning to face her in open mouthed shock. Satisfied he was at least still she continued, "Good. Now sit down and listen very, very carefully to me Harry James Potter. The five men you see before you are mine. As of right now that is all you need to know," she blatantly ignored the way her Sentries puffed their chests at her claiming them, "I have very big plans for the future, Harry. Plans that I would like to include you in, however, in order for you to be included in those plans you'll have to get the stick out of your arse about Dark Magic. Understood?"
Harry nodded dumbly, apparently still too in shock to be of much use. Rolling her eyes at the not so hidden snorts of Thorfinn and Rabastan, she focused intently on Harry. "Since you're here I'm assuming you require my assistance. So, tell me about the man you found screwing Ginny."
Harry frowned, "It's weird. We could pass for brothers. His name is Jonathan Grant, and I get this weird feeling like I should know him. I just don't know from where." Rubbing his hands against his thighs he leaned back against the chair.
Hermione felt her anger rise. Jonathan Grant was an associate of Percy's, known for his habit of interfering with the muggle stock market in order to make more Galleons. Ginny used to titter over him when they were younger, and things were different. Obviously, she had never gotten over her girlhood crush and decided she wanted to have her cake and to eat it too. Telling Harry as much caused his eyes to harden.
"I need to know how long it's been going on. They'll both just lie if I ask them, and I don't doubt that they'd obliviate me given half the chance. I need your help. And right now, I could give fuck all if it's legal or not." Harry told her his eyes showing her just how serious he was.
Hermione nodded sagely and stood. "Follow me. I have some veritaserum I brewed that you can have to interrogate them with." Harry followed her eagerly, thanking her profusely before leaving back to Grimmauld place to get the answers he was seeking.
The next week saw Hermione preparing for the ritual in a flurry. Between gathering the necessary ingredients, brewing the base potion, and trying to get to know her Sentries better, she barely had time to think. Let alone consider why Harry hadn't returned yet. Until the evening before the ritual, when Harry came through with a bound and gagged Ginevra Potter and Jonathan Grant.
Placing her hands on her hips she scowled, "Honestly Harry! Don't you know you're supposed to take the trash out not drag it in?"
Harry sneered down at Ginny, nudging her with his boot when she began trying to scream through her gag. "Shut it! And yes, Hermione I am aware of that fact, however this is a special circumstance."
Hermione sighed, pointed her wand at the two bound on her floor, and levitated them behind her. Harry strode to keep up, and along the way they were joined by her Sentries. Walking down the hall to her experimental laboratory she frowned. Stopping just before the first door, she turned to face them," Be warned, once they go down here, they most likely won't come back. Are you okay with that Harry?"
Harry's jaw tensed before he nodded. Turning back around, she unwound the wards and led them all into her personal space. The blinding white lights turned on as soon as her foot touched the floor. Ignoring the hisses at the sudden harshness of light, she led them to the large operating room. Stopping once inside she asked Harry, "Which one first?"
Harry pointed at Jonathan, and she nodded, waving her wand to place him on the steel table. Another wave saw leather straps wind themselves around his already bound hands and feet, while two more straps came around his neck, and across his forehead. A final wave saw the rope Harry had used to secure him vanished. Looking up, she noticed the lustful look in Rabastan's eyes. Sending him a wink she returned her focus to the man on the table.
"Were you able to get any veritaserum into either of them?" At Harry's shake of the head she frowned. Fine. She'd just inject the bastard with a more potent dose. Amazing how the human metabolism could work. Pulling out a syringe she filled it up with her personal brand of the truth serum, and after tapping out any air, injected it into his thigh. She could sense the tension and anxiety rolling off Harry in thick waves. Her heart broke for him. She was determined to get answers for her friend.
Glancing at the clock she waited a full minute before asking him, "What is your full name."
His voice took on a dreamlike quality as he responded," Jonathan Alexander Grant."
"How long have you been having an affair with Ginevra Potter nee Weasley?"
"Six years."
The hurt and anguish that crossed Harrys face was not to be mistaken. He was positively devastated. It was all a lie. Almost his entire marriage was a complete lie. He thought they would love each other the way his parents loved each other. The way Arthur and Molly were devoted to one another and their family. That's what he pictured when he asked Ginny to marry him. To be his wife and take the sacred vows of marriage together. This betrayal, this violation was certainly not something he would have ever expected. Not from Ginny.
"Who initiated the affair between you and Ginerva?"
"One day while having lunch in Diagon Alley I noticed Ginny and Molly with baby James. Molly had just taken James with her back to the Burrow. That's when I approached Ginny. She had just had a baby. All it took was a charming smile and a little flattery. I was in her bed before the afternoon was over and out the door before Harry came home. He was none the wiser."
Harry snarled and lunged for him, but was held back by Thorfinn. Harry and Ginny had been married for eight years. They had a seven-year-old little boy named James, and a five-year-old named Albus. Taking a deep breath to steady herself for the next question she glared across the room at Ginny, whose eyes were wide with fear.
"Has your affair ever produced any children with Ginevra?"
At this question, Harry immediately stopped struggling and his eyes went wide with horror. No, please, Merlin NO! Not his boy. It couldn't be. He loved his boys, they were his whole world. He never had a father and when he held his sons in his arms for the first time, it was like a piece of heaven to him. Harry was praying to any god that would hear him that Albus was his. Certainly, no father would willing give up the right to his son. Not want to know that feeling of their son in their arms hugging them, hearing them say daddy for the first time, taking his first step or helping him with his first broom ride. Harrys eyes shot to Ginny pleading that it wasn't true then back to Johnathan to hear his response. Surely Ginny would never allow such an atrocity just to save her own arse?
Johnathan groaned, as if he was trying to fight the effects of the serum, then "Yes. Albus."
Harrys heart lurched in his chest and the pain was unbearable at that moment. He could feel a new surge of rage bubbling to the surface. "Scum!" He screamed out loud. "Both of you vile, loathsome, selfish scum! Not only did you both lie to me and violate our marriage bed. You willingly lied to an innocent little boy for nothing more than to save your own fucking reputations!" He looked at Ginny with a detached, repulsive disgust. She was crying through her gag and pleading with him not to hurt Johnathan. He couldn't believe it. Harry screamed in fury, pointing his wand at the man he cast "Sectumsempra!" The room as a whole watched with detached curiosity as cuts slowly began to appear across Jonathan's chest. Blood oozed out of the wounds at first, before flowing more freely. Jonathan thrashed against his bonds, before stopping, his body going limp as his life left him. Within minutes Jonathan was dead, and Harry was looking at the body with a grim smile on his face.
Looking at the clock Hermione started. She and her Sentries needed to get to the ritual site, to begin the final preparations. Laying a gentle hand on Harry's arm she led him out of the room, levitating a shell-shocked Ginny behind them. Opening one of the empty rooms, she none too gently dropped the vile woman inside. Leading Harry up the stairs she spoke gently, "We'll finish this another time. For now, go retrieve the boys and bring them here. Elpis will see to them while you rest."
He looked at her tearfully," I just killed a man, 'Mione. Does that make me evil?"
Hermione shook her head, "Of course not, Harry. There are shades of gray in this world, and what you just did was Justice. Not murder." Harry nodded shakily, and she watched him go through the floo.
Thorfinn came to her shoulder, placing a hand on her waist, "Will he be alright, your highness?"
Placing her hand atop his she smiled, "He will be. I will be there for Harry and the boys. He's the only father Albus has ever known and the only father he will know. Those boys are everything to Harry. But for now, we need to go to the ritual site. It will begin as the sun rises, and end as it sets." Her Sentries bowed their heads, and followed her to the clearing in which the ritual was to be held.
The clearing was a large circle surrounded by trees. Wildflowers grew in intermittent patches throughout, and at the center was a large flat circular stone. Hermione had spent months preparing it properly, carving runes into the stone without the aid of magic. At the center of the stone circle was a marble alter, six tall pillar candles sat atop it, and six ornate chalices filled with the base potion waited as well. Herbs and spices overflowed from the alter, along with the seasons best crops. Freshly baked bread and wine was laid out next to a platter of meats and cheeses. Offerings to the Goddesses in hopes that they would answer her call once again.
Just before the sun rose Hermione began disrobing, motioning for her Sentries to do the same. Standing in the predawn light completely nude, surrounded by five handsome men, who were as equally nude sent a thrill through her body. Especially given the looks they were all sending her way. Letting her power come forth through her fingers, she stepped inside the circle. Raising her hand, she summoned a large bejeweled dagger into her hands. Slicing open her palm with barely a wince, she began walking clockwise around the circle, allowing her blood to fall onto the runes.
Once she had completed the circuit, the circle began to glow brightly. Facing her Sentries, she held the dagger out and called, "Rabastan LeStrange, I invite you to this circle. Do you accept my offer, and all that it entails?"
His reply was swift, "I do, my Queen." He crossed into the circle and cut his palm in the same fashion as Hermione, before making the same trip as she, allowing the circle to become brighter once he completed it.
Again, and again Hermione called each of her Sentries to the circle, and as each one completed the pass around it, the circle grew brighter until it was competing with the sun's light. Once all of her sentries were inside the circle Hermione smiled brightly, allowing a wave of happiness to wash over her. Letting her eyes wander over her Sentries, she was pleased to notice they were all semi-hard. That would come later, for now they had Goddesses to call forth.
A/N: Whew! There was a lot going on in this chapter. Thanks ever so much for the amazingly wonderful Vino Amore for getting into Harry's head for me. You are truly one of a kind Doll, this story wouldn't be the same without you. I also wanna say just how amazed and thankful I am for the support y'all have shown for this story. Hang on to your seatbelts it's gonna be a bumpy ride. Reviews are always welcome. Til next time, Lilbit903.