39-Fun and Worries

Due to their intensive summer after the first year, neither Harry nor Hermione had time to enjoy their Animagus forms. As they were spending most of the summer in Muggle environment, it was even unsafe to try, especially since they were both large predators in their animal forms. Back at school, they had been too busy, at first, to have time for that, but with three new teachers, the Chamber and its Secrets revealed and no looming danger, as far as they knew, they resumed training their tiger forms at least once a week. The cooling weather didn't deter them either. As tigers, they had thick enough furs to feel comfortable at most weathers. Actually, they even preferred the colder weather.

That night, a few days after it started snowing in earnest, was a clear, cloudless night, with only half a moon trying to penetrate between the trees of the Forbidden Forest. The two tigers enjoyed playing in the snow for a while, before heading back to the castle. They then spotted some canine footprints in the snow. Harry tried to sniff them, but the scent wasn't strong enough for him to identify it. He looked at Hermione and motioned her to follow the dog track along with him.

None of them was surprised to find a big black dog strolling in the forest, just looking around and occasionally marking some trees with its scent. The two tigers moved stealthily downwind and waited a short distance farther, just outside a small clearing.

It didn't take the dog very long to reach the clearing. As soon as it lifted its hind leg to mark a tree, the two tigers stepped out from the shadows, snarling menacingly at the dog, who seemed to freeze with fright.

It seemed to last an eternity, but it only took a few seconds for the tigress to change back into a laughing Hermione. The dog took a better look at the male tiger and then changed to Sirius, still looking apprehensively at the tiger, that came even closer and rubbed its head against the man's body.

"Pronglet?" Sirius asked, barely able to speak.

The tiger changed into a laughing Harry. "The one and only!" he declared pompously and doubled in more laughter.

"How?… When?..." Sirius seemed unable to form a full sentence.

Hermione answered, with some tremor in her voice due to the cold. "Later, when we're all warm inside the castle. It looks like a storm is brewing."

Sirius nodded his acknowledgement. He was still fascinated when seeing them transform effortlessly into tigers and vanish between the trees. A moment later, he transformed back into his dog form and hurried to the castle. He arrived a short while later, going directly to his lodging, still as a dog. He was surprised to see the two children waiting for him.

"How did you manage to come here so quickly?" he asked after regaining his human form.

"Tigers can run quite fast," Hermione noted.

"But you didn't run." Sirius could easily see that they'd been waiting for him for a few minutes, at least, and none seemed to have exerted themselves. He would have suspected apparition, but Hogwarts didn't allow it, as everybody knew.

"Let's say it's our little secret and leave it at that," Harry said. Sirius could feel the resolve in the voice. He knew he couldn't get any information they didn't want to give. He actually admired it, remembering how childish he and his friends had been at the same age.

An hour later, well into curfew, Sirius escorted the two back to Gryffindor tower. He was hoping that he had done well at hiding how astounding their achievements were. He was sure that these two were capable of doing whatever they wanted. He only hoped they would stay the same well-behaved people as they grew up. He dreaded the thought of any of them turning dark.

The children didn't fall asleep immediately. They first talked about their evening. "It was fun surprising Sirius in the forest," Harry noted.

She chuckled. "Actually, as Snuffles, he could probably smell us and identify us, but he was too frightened to notice."

"Well, our scent as tigers is not the same as humans. I've already noticed that and I believe you did as well," Harry said.

"That's true, but I could still identify him by smell, even as a dog. And then, we just vanished. He was so surprised to see us waiting at his door."

"Don't you think we should already tell him about fading?" Harry sounded a bit worried.

Hermione gave it some thought. "I think we should better keep it a secret. His Occlumency is not strong enough to resist Dumbledore and we don't want HIM to know about it. Besides, if others learn of this, they may want to learn how to do it and we may lose our advantage. It looks like there are enough people who wish us harm, so we should keep such an advantage secret." Although all the Death-Eaters died that day, quite a few who supported their ideas but didn't take the mark were still active.

Harry sighed. "Fine, but I still feel bad about keeping it a secret from Sirius. We need to stay alert to any changes. Maybe by the summer vacation it would be safer to tell him, or maybe next year..."

There was no more talking. They just tightened their hug and fell asleep, content in the love they shared.

\/\/\/

The school year passed quickly for the two children. With competent teachers, they really enjoyed learning, despite Ron telling them they were "mental" at every occasion. Both tried to keep their distance from him, but sharing a dorm (although the other boys were oblivious to Hermione spending most of the nights there) and sharing classes, as well as using the same common room and eating at the same house-table, they couldn't completely avoid his company.

Harry was glad that Dumbledore was leaving him alone. Since the conversation about the Horcruxes, they hadn't spent any time near each other and the few times they met by chance in a corridor, they only exchanged polite greetings. As far as Harry could tell, Dumbledore was no longer concerned about his (now healed) scar.

Harry was becoming agitated when the summer vacation approached. He felt very apprehensive about continuing sharing a bed during the summer. He really didn't want to give it up, and yet… While the thick nightwear they needed during the Scottish winter hid Hermione's body completely, hugging each night before and during sleep made Harry extremely aware of her turning into a young woman, one he found very attractive. It didn't help that he was starting to have some dreams that made him wake up with stiff erections. He even got a few wet dreams once in a while. Hermione said nothing about his erections, although there was no chance that she didn't notice them.

When the wet dreams started and she saw how uncomfortable Harry felt about them, she did comment. "I've read about this. Boys your age have occasional dreams during which their body exercises sex. It's nothing to be ashamed of. Just use some cleaning and drying charms. I'm not bothered by that and you shouldn't be either."

Harry felt thankful for her understanding. She even helped him master the appropriate charms, both with a wand and without one. It still was embarrassing to wake up with some wet spots on his pyjama bottoms. Since they were usually sleeping cuddled tightly together, some of the wetness occasionally reached her pyjama, making him even more embarrassed, despite Hermione's reassuring words.

With the spring finally replacing winter, both were using lighter sleepwear, and Harry's concerns got stronger. He knew that Hermione would soon like to sleep nude. As much as he liked the idea, it was also frightening him. What if…

"What's bothering you, Harry?" Hermione asked him one night, a few weeks before the summer reached Hogwarts.

Harry was a bit hesitant, not quite sure how she would react to his concerns, but he still answered truthfully. "I know you like us to sleep naked during the summer, but now, with my body getting out of control, I'm not sure..."

"Why? What do you fear could happen? You know I don't mind your wet dreams, and certainly not the dry ones."

"Well, if we're going to sleep naked, and if I get an erection while you're so close, it might just slip in unplanned, even while we sleep."

She smiled at him. "I don't really mind. I expect it to slip in quite often when we're a bit older. After all, that's the way to act when we'll want to have children, you know. Besides, we both know several contraceptive spells and I think I should start taking the potion too, just in case."

Harry wasn't sure if this information was really helping him calm down. Thinking of the way to make babies wasn't really helping. Besides, he was way too young for that. Wasn't he? Hermione noticed his predicament. "Well, I don't think we're ready for that. I think I may be ready before the summer ends or shortly later. It may take you a bit longer, since you're a bit younger, and boys usually mature a bit later. I don't plan on doing anything intentional in that direction, but if something does happen while we're asleep, at least I'll be well protected from unplanned results. I don't really mind if we get more intimate earlier than planned. After all, we're going to spend the rest of our lives together."

This gave Harry a different kind of anxiety. While he was well aware of the strengthening bond between them, talking of 'the rest of our lives' seemed a bit overwhelming. He then tried to switch his point of view. While he couldn't imagine what having a wife meant, he could easily imagine having Hermione as his closest friend for many years to come. Once he thought of that, he felt his heartbeat and his breathing slow down.

"Yes. Whatever will happen, we shall tackle it together," he smiled reassuringly at his best friend.

At least the weather cooperated. Spring came late to Hogwarts and its vicinity, allowing the couple a few more strolls in the snow as tigers, along with keeping Harry's worries at bay. Even when the weather got somewhat warmer, the nights were still cold enough for Hermione to keep sleeping in her pyjama. Harry knew it would change as soon as the summer vacation started, and certainly when he joined the Grangers for their regular summer vacation on a Mediterranean beach.

Sirius was also planning for the summer. "I expect you two to come for a longer visit this summer," he told the children.

"You still need to accompany us for our morning exercising. Are you up to it?" Harry asked teasingly.

Sirius sighed. "I've started exercising on my own. I run around the lake three times a week, although I'm nowhere near your level of fitness."

"Why don't you join us?" Harry suggested. "We still run each morning, as usual. If it rains, we just run along the corridors. There are enough corridors to give us various routes to take, and the stairs add to the exercise."

Sirius grimaced. "I'll see. I don't fancy getting too tired before I need to face a class. That's why I prefer to exercise late at evening, so I can just shower and go to bed."

Harry shrugged. "We feel better exercising in the morning. It seems to help sharpen our minds and open our senses."

Sirius sighed. "Well, good for you, but I think this won't work for me. Well, maybe during the summer vacation."

"Oh, and try to run each evening, at least," Harry added. "I'm sure it will do you good."

"If it doesn't kill me," Sirius mumbled, not quietly enough for the children to miss it.

"It won't kill you, I'm sure," Hermione noted primly.

\/\/\/

The summer arrived almost overnight. Hermione got rid of her pyjamas and reverted to nightgowns, making Harry more apprehensive of their physical proximity. He still wouldn't give it up for anything. He only wished he could control his body much better. Well, in a way, he wasn't very different from his dorm mates. He noticed them waking up with some wet spots on their pyjama bottoms more often than not, and the "morning wood" was evident on them all. None of them was sleeping with a half-naked girl cuddled into them, though. He really didn't know what to do.

Hermione, although aware of his dilemma, didn't consider it a problem. She'd already acquired the contraceptive potion, although it gained her a very stern lecture from Madam Pomfrei, and she really didn't mind advancing the physical aspect of their relation, although she was in no hurry either. She was only slightly worried about the first time. From what she'd heard at the common showers when older girls were talking, it could be quite painful. Most of the girls who admitted to having lost their virginity said it wasn't too painful and the pain vanished quickly, but a few considered it much worse. Well, a few said they hardly even felt it. She hoped she would turn out to be one of that group, once she did it.

School schedule didn't let any of them dwell on these thoughts. As end of term exams approached, Hermione got into her regular frenzy about rehearsing everything. Harry followed her lead despite being sure that they both could excel even without these intensive study sessions. He just humoured her, not wanting to get on her nerves. Besides, she looked adorable when studying so intensely. He could just look at her for hours and not tire of it.

Neville, their only classmate who occasionally joined them, tried to tease Harry about this. "You look at her as if she's a fascinating work of art and magic. She's just a girl, you know."

Harry shrugged it off. "She's really a fascinating work of art and magic – all natural. I don't think there's anything more fascinating."

Neville shook his head in wonderment. "You've got it bad, you know?"

Harry smiled. "I know. I think it's only going to get even worse." He then gave it a short consideration. "I think we're going to stay together for the rest of our lives. We shall probably get married when we're old enough and raise a family together. I really like that idea." His smile, as he said that, almost made the words redundant.

Neville nodded, not fully understanding. "You're probably quite lucky to already feel so sure about the future."

Harry glanced once more at Hermione's expression while reading and his smile widened. "I sure am."