41-Birthday Present

Dinner that evening was full of stories. The Dursleys were interested in how their guests met and became a couple; Marge seemed eager to learn about Harry's acceptance into the family, although not when Ben could hear, and Ben seemed eager to get to know everybody, and especially Harry. Still, everybody seemed to ignore the elephant in the room, until Marge decided to speak frankly. "Vernon, you know how I've always felt about what's natural and what isn't. I loathed everything that seemed unnatural to me, and I considered unnatural practically everything that I couldn't understand."

She sighed before plunging on. "Well, I no longer feel that way. You see, Ben, aside from being a very good accountant, is also expert about exotic animals and creatures. The firm where he's one of the senior staff is one that breeds various animals and also handles medicines and other stuff about animals. I approached that firm when I found some dogs suffering from a problem that the various veterinarians couldn't find a cure from. The employee I spoke with wasn't sure about the right way to handle this problem, so he asked Ben to look into it. Turns out that one of my dogs was a magical breed, looking almost exactly like the regular one, but suffering from different parasites. One of those, usually found only on magical animals, found my other dogs just as attractive. No wonder nobody knew what it was. Ben gave me an ointment to treat the dogs and they were all cured in a day or two. He then suggested that I merge my breeding business with his firm, so the dogs get better care and I can get some free time."

Vernon took a deep breath. "So… you mean to tell me that Ben is..."

"...a wizard? Yes, and a very good one, as far as I can tell. He really cares about the animals and has vast knowledge about them. He also cares for the people in the firm. This is how we've got to know each other, at first. He helped me change my ways in quite a few aspects. I'm now much healthier and much happier than before. No wonder I fell in love with him."

Vernon finally opened his tie and took a few more deep breathes. "Are you going to marry him?" he asked quietly.

"We've been discussing this lately. He wanted to meet my family before making any commitment."

"Is that why you wanted Harry present during your visit?" Petunia asked.

Marge nodded. "I think I owe him some apologies, first. I also thought Ben might be interested. He's already told me the real story about the boy's parents."

"Well, they seem to like each other," Vernon noted, looking at the sofa where the two wizards were talking animatedly, although keeping their voices low.

\/\/\/

After talking for about an hour with Ben, Harry thought it wasn't too risky to ask, "I have a friend, a girl my age, who usually comes to visit me each night. Do you think Marge will accept this, if she finds out?"

Ben smiled. "Aren't you a bit young to share a bed with a girl?" He didn't wait for a reply. "I don't think she would object, if she even finds out. We fall asleep quite late, expending much energy before that, so I doubt she would even notice. May I understand that this girl pops directly into your room?"

Harry nodded, not trusting his voice. The image he got from Ben's words was quite disturbing. He couldn't think of Marge as an object of desire. Well, currently only Hermione was an object of desire to him, and even that confused him.

Ben didn't seem to mind. "Assuming your family agrees, I see no problem. As far as Marge and I are concerned, you may do whatever you like within your room. You should still behave as expected out of it."

Harry nodded gladly. "I'll tell her."

"You'll send her an owl?"

Harry smiled widely. "She's muggle-born. They use the telephone." He then ran up to his room.

He didn't really need the phone. He concentrated for a moment directing his mind to Hermione. 'Can you hear me?'

'Loud and clear. Where are you?' he got Hermione's response. They rarely used this ability and he was surprised time and again by the clarity of the thought conversation.

'I'm at home. It looks like you can come tonight, if you want. Turns out that Aunt Marge is dating a wizard, a distant Weasley cousin, actually.'

He could sense her chuckling. 'Alright, I'll come. I'll even take some clothes with me, so we can go out of the room, if you like.'

Harry wasn't so sure about it. The whole situation was confusing enough even before Marge and her beau were added in. 'Do whatever you think is right. I'll let you know when I go to bed.'

'And don't forget to remove everything. It's bad enough that I need to stay in my knickers due to my period.'

Despite his worries, Harry was glad that he would not spend the night alone. Sleeping alone was no longer an option, regardless the problems looming in the near future.

\/\/\/

Marge and Ben stayed only a few days. Ben was positively impressed by the family, although he was also told of the first few years with Harry. Petunia wasn't glad of how she'd been behaving at the time, but thought she'd rather tell about that than have the story leak later, causing more unpleasantness. Since Marge had also told of her part in mistreating Harry and truly apologized for it, Ben seemed to accept this as just another family problem that had been resolved, like many families encounter from time to time.

Before parting, Ben asked Harry, "Please keep the fact that I'm a wizard secret. If Marge and I will have children, there's no way to know if they'll be magical or not, and the rest of the Weasleys need not know any more about me. If and when things change, I'll handle that myself."

Harry smiled reassuringly. "That's really none of my business. Your secret is safe."

Ben smiled his thanks, clapped Harry's shoulder lightly and took his leave.

\/\/\/

Hermione was quite glad that her period was over, allowing her to resume sleeping nude. Harry, although he liked seeing her that way, was very apprehensive again. "I really don't want anything unplanned to happen between us," he told her.

Hermione tried to calm him down. "Harry, I'm on the potion now, so whatever happens will not make me pregnant, and I really don't mind if our relations advance in that direction. I also feel like our bond is pushing us in that direction, as if urging us to complete it. Don't you feel the same?"

Harry sighed. "I feel so confused! On one hand I want nothing more than to unite with you, complete the bond and make us a couple in all possible ways. On the other hand, I don't feel ready for such a relationship; I don't feel ready for sex and I'm sure I'll disappoint you the first time we try it, and I really don't want you to be disappointed. Ever! Then there's also the fact that I feel like I have no control of my body, especially when I sleep. It actually frightens me!"

Hermione tried her best to calm him down. "Harry, my body is also out of control. It's not as evident as with you, but just like your body exercises during your dreams, so is mine. I also have erotic dreams. I also am not sure if you'll find me satisfactory when we first try for sex and just like you, I don't want to ever disappoint you. Still, I'm sure that our deep feelings, our bond and the way we always care for each other will help us through this, whenever it will come. And trust me – you won't disappoint me, I'm sure."

Her words seemed to help, and the tight hug seemed to help even better, although it caused some physical reaction that Harry couldn't control. Hermione just smiled at the sight, not letting him get embarrassed.

The next few nights passed alright. Nothing out of the ordinary happened, and what did happen was similar to what they already knew from school. "You see, there's no reason for you to worry," Hermione told him.

He just nodded, not quite sure he could really relax.

The next night seemed to prove his worries. He woke up with his erection between her thighs, spurting vigorously. Hermione took that in stride. "It's nothing, really. A simple cleaning charm is all that we need. Now, let's go back to sleep."

Harry found it difficult to fall asleep again, that night. Had their position been only slightly different, he would have spurted into her body, and that was not something he wanted to do. Well, not yet, and certainly not unknowingly.

Despite his worries and despite a few more such events, Hermione stayed a virgin. Harry felt thankful each morning for not taking her virginity by accident, yet he also felt his desire for her rise. He wasn't sure if it was the bond pushing them closer or just his hormones. He was no longer sure that he could wait another year to get physically closer. He wasn't even sure that he wanted to. Well, he wasn't sure of anything anymore and it confused him to no end.

\/\/\/

Sirius invited Harry and Hermione to spend some time in London with him, just like the previous summer.

"The backyard is no competition for the Forbidden Forest, but you can let your tigers play there whenever you like," he told the two. "I also set you in adjacent rooms with a connecting door. If we happen to have any other visitors, they don't need to know your exact sleeping arrangements."

"How do you know?" Harry asked. Evidently, Sirius already knew of them sharing a bed.

Sirius pointed at his nose. "A dog, remember? You both smell about the same. You couldn't smell so similar had you only spent the days together. But don't worry, I won't tell a soul. Just remember that Remus has about the same sense of smell."

Both frowned at first, but them shrugged. "It doesn't really matter, as long as nobody interferes," Harry said.

Indeed, despite having quite a few visitors, nobody asked about their sleeping arrangements. Well, nobody had reasons to suspect, either.

Sirius joined them each morning on their exercise, usually staying in his dog form. "You even exhaust Snuffles. I can't keep up with you as a dog. How can you expect me to keep up with you as a man?"

"You just need some more exercise, you know. That's not something that we achieved by magic. It's just a lot of daily exercise," Hermione insisted.

Of course, they also showered together after their exercise. Sirius didn't even bother to comment on that, knowing they would just shrug it off.

Staying in the magical world had some benefits for them. They talked with Neville, Susan and Daphne almost each day and even met them for a day of shopping in Muggle London. The boys excused themselves, spending that time in a game arcade. They all had a wonderful time.

\/\/\/

Hermione's next period came about a week before his thirteenth birthday. Harry felt thankful that her knickers would prevent him from accidentally reaching where he felt he shouldn't. It was bad enough that he was having wet dreams almost each night, ending between her thighs, although she just laughed at that.

Her period was over a day before his birthday. Harry noticed that she was very pensive that night. She was probably thinking of the birthday party, he thought, deciding not to bother her.

Harry felt lucky that he had no wet dream that night, waking up for his birthday with no humiliating wet spot. Hermione woke up a moment later, stretched in bed like a cat, as usual, and let her hand bump into his 'morning wood.' She then turned to him. "Happy birthday, love. I thought about it lately, and I think that I no longer want to wait. I want to give you my virginity as a birthday present. Do you accept this present?"

Harry found it difficult to reply, especially since her hand was tightening around his organ. He still managed to croak, "Are you really sure?"

Her smile widened. "I've already told you that my body was ready for quite some time. Now my mind and my heart also agree. Please take me now!"

Harry was not sure what happened next. His mind and his senses were simply overloaded. He suspected that Hermione pulled him over her body, spreading her legs and directing him to the right position. The rest was a highly satisfying blur, although he could probably guess what happened. By the time he came to his senses, about an hour later, he found out that they not only gave their virginity to each other, they also did it a few times in a row. Hermione was smiling blissfully and he thought it was the most beautiful vision he could ever see. He also felt much happier than he ever thought possible. He understood nothing anymore.

"Did you like my birthday present to you?" Hermione asked leisurely, caressing his face with one hand.

"It's the best! I never thought this could be so good," he answered truthfully. "I love you," he added, not even thinking.

"And I love you, my Harry." She then turned silent for a moment. Harry was sure that she was trying to recall some facts, judging by her expression. "Have you noticed the glow or the flash?"

He shrugged. "I'm not sure. At some point I felt like the whole world was glowing brightly. Could it be the 'post coitus glow' we've read about?"

She considered his answer. "I don't think so. That one is just a feeling, not a real glow. I wonder what it might mean."

They didn't dwell on that. Hermione's parents were expecting her home for breakfast and Harry was sure that his Aunt had made some plans for his birthday. They needed to get up.

He first used the cleaning charm to remove all signs of their recent activity from his body and then put on his clothes. He failed to see that Hermione first cast some numbing charms on her thighs and her crotch, before getting out of bed. Once they were both ready, Hermione cast a cleaning charm on the bed-sheet. This time, some of the spots were reddish, but she didn't mind. She only tried to prevent Harry from noticing them, so he won't feel guilty for hurting her. She was quite glad to say that it hadn't hurt at all, maybe because she was so enticed that she couldn't even notice anything. It didn't matter. Her present to Harry proved to be just as much of a present to her as well.