Chapter 67: Good Intentions

"So, this is what we have," Harry said as he looked around the table at the inner circle of Order members. Brogan and Ginny were there, as were Remus and Tonks. Bill had joined them as well since everyone else was otherwise occupied. Hermione was helping Kath and would join them later, and Ron was doing a shift at the twin's shop since they were both away on a mission.

He lay the bracelets Aberforth had sent them on the table. Bill leaned forward with interest as though he recognized them. He glanced at Harry.

"Are those the Ophidian Armilla? The actual bracelets?"

Harry nodded, surprised the other man had heard of them. But then again, Bill was a curse-breaker and had been based in Egypt so Harry reckoned it was only natural that he had.

"I take it the three of you have used them?" Remus asked, looking at Brogan and Ginny. Bill, who had picked up the bracelet with the brown-colored eyes, stopped in his study of it and gave the three of them an openly curious look.

Harry tried to ignore the sudden queasy feeling in his stomach when he realized Bill would probably be able to figure out who the blue-eyed bracelet represented. "We have, or at the least, we tried. I am not sure how successful an experiment it was, though. It worked; it connected us, but…we had…"

"Strangely awkward results," Brogan finished for him, flashing him a brief smile. Harry nodded.

"It gave Harry perfect eyesight," Ginny said, leaning forward. "And it made Brogan lose his, I mean, he had to wear Harry's glasses."

"And you, sis? What did you get?" Bill asked sharply, frowning at her.

Harry watched as Ginny's skin started to flush as she realized Bill might partly know how the bracelets had come by their eye colors. Harry reached under the table to squeeze her hand in reassurance. If they were in for it, she might as well be honest.

"I got the ability to cast without a wand, and also Brogan's Empathic ability. A powerful case of it."

"Yeah?" Bill asked as he picked up the blue-eyed bracelet. His eyes finally landed on Brogan. Bill suddenly looked vaguely hostile to Harry. "And you?"

Brogan gazed calmly back at Bill, his expression almost perfectly still. Harry was impressed, actually, but then realized only he and Ginny knew the other man well enough to notice the nervous twitch of his hand on the table or the way he nervously licked his lips before answering.

"I also got the ability to use wandless magic, but only for protection. And from Ginny…"

"He got my amazing nerve," Ginny said, shrugging. "I think you said it 'felt like you could do anything you set your mind to,' right, Brogan?"

Brogan nodded with a smirk. "We're calling it the Weasley bravado."

Tonks snickered but glanced at Bill as though noticing the other man seemed uptight. She then nudged her elbow into Remus's side, who cleared his throat.

"Okay, so…how can we use the bracelets to help Harry defeat Voldemort?"

"I wish I knew," Harry said, thankful to get the meeting back on track. He watched as Bill continued looking at the other bracelets, frowning to himself. "Having good eyesight was nice, but hardly what I would call important when it comes to facing Voldemort."

"We had such an off experience with the bracelets that we sort of stopped using them. I'm not sure how they would work in a duel or attack-type of situation," Brogan said thoughtfully, tapping his fingers on the table.

"Okay, let's set those aside for the time being," Remus said, indicating to Bill that he should put the bracelet he was holding back in the box. "Although, I do believe Aberforth sent those to you for a reason. Perhaps when we find him again, we can ask him if he knows what you should do."

Bill cleared his throat, unexpectedly bringing all of their attention back to him.

"They're used to link people together. So that the heart, body, and mind can act as one instrument, or so the legend goes. I think what the three of you experienced when you first put them on was just the start of it. Perhaps the three of you should train with them. I've heard…well, there's an old myth I learned of while in Egypt. It spoke of the Return of the Three. Apparently, there's always been these three beings throughout time – one witch, two wizards, although sometimes the formula changes. But that's not that important, I reckon. The legend implies that these original three, each powerful in their own right, came together and created the bracelets to connect them in life and in magic. As a way to harness the power the three of them shared to make them unstoppable. In fact, it was even said that…" Bill suddenly stopped. His gaze swung to his sister and then to Harry and Brogan, his face flushing.

Bill didn't say anything for a beat and then continued, his eyes focusing on the object in his hand as though that was the safest place he could look at the moment.

"After I learned about the legend, it fascinated me, so I started researching it a bit. The bracelets were originally used to defeat Apep, the snake god, hence their shape and form. Then the bracelets were rumored to be lost – their power when worn was too great, and the original three separated them to keep them from being abused by others. There are different tales from other parts of the magical world mentioning their use throughout history. In China, they were used by the Huibao San and referred to as the Treis Erastés in Greek, although in that story, they were used by the God of snakes, Asclepius, who was a good snake deity, not a bad one. And, ironically, rumor has it that the last time they showed up, it was in Ireland."

Brogan chuckled. "Did they fall into the hands of a wizard named Patrick?"

A small smile broke out across Bill's face, and the tension in the room seemed to leave as well, as the elder Weasley relaxed. "No, not that I know of. They were reported again around the time that your Aine was said to have been in her prime. I don't know if that is significant or not."

Brogan seemed wholly puzzled by Bill's mention of Aine and glanced at Harry and Ginny. "Did either of you read anything about the bracelets being in Ireland at all?"

Harry shook his head. "No. And the book about the bracelets didn't tell me any of this."

"I never read anything about them either," Ginny said, shrugging. "Although, I wasn't exactly looking for any reference to them at the time."

"You have a book about the bracelets?" Bill asked Harry. "I'd be really interested in reading that myself."

Harry nodded. "Yeah, but it just basically says what to do with them and what they're made out of and, uh, you know what? I may have actually not finished reading that blasted book. I was reading it when I had my…attack. It's still at the library."

"And Harry is the only one who can read it, anyway, Bill," Brogan said. "Parselmouths only."

Harry and Ginny exchanged a look as though the same thought had occurred to them simultaneously.

"I think that means I can't read it anymore," Harry said, feeling odd. It hadn't occurred to him that losing essence of Voldemort from himself meant he could no longer use particular talents it had given him. Damn.

"Okay. Then we'll look for more information on the bracelets. Non-parseltongue information," Remus said, flashing a small smile at Harry. "I'll put Bill in charge of that one since you know a fair bit already. But let's try to stay on topic. What are we going to do with the more pressing need of finding Aberforth?"

"Well," Tonks said, looking around the table. "Is there any place we can think of where the old codger might have hidden away? It would have to be someplace unplottable."

"And unknown to everyone," Brogan added. "I know he must have had a lot of bolt-holes; I mean, look at all the Portkeys we had to have at the school. There was at least a dozen or so."

"But the shack wasn't unknown to Arthur," Harry contributed. "It was just an old haunt of Aberforth's, and we went to a few others before we even made it to that island we found you on. Also, when I left the school with the others, we ended up in the Weasley's old tent, not a bolt-hole."

Remus sighed. "I think the portrait of Albus may have been right about one thing. If Aberforth doesn't want to be found, he just…won't be. He could be off the continent at this point, for all we know."

Just then, the door opened, and Hermione came in, looking as though she had run from upstairs. She gave everyone an apologetic smile.

"Sorry, one of my draughts needed to be watched and stirred before I could get away. What have I missed?"

"Bracelets of unknown purpose and where on earth Aberforth is," Tonks quipped. Everyone laughed as that had indeed summed up their meeting quite well. Despite laughing, Harry felt a small spark of frustration at their lack of progress.

"I've been thinking of that," Hermione said, looking around at everyone as she sat down. "Do you guys think…well, this is entirely just a guess on my part, but…do you think he has Professor McGonagall with him?"

Everyone in the room looked at her, and it went silent. Harry blinked at his friend in amazement.

"What makes you think that, Hermione?" Remus asked.

"Well, she disappeared right after the attack on the school. Almost as though someone just wanted her out of the way. If they were going to kill her, why not just do it, outright?"

"Yes, it doesn't make sense, I suppose," Remus said thoughtfully. "We all assumed it was Voldemort's people, but we've never heard anything about it from them, and if they had wanted Minerva dead, they could have just killed her and left her body behind."

"Didn't Percy say Voldemort couldn't get into the Headmaster's office at Hogwarts?" Ginny asked, looking at Bill and Remus. The two men both nodded.

"That means Professor McGonagall is still alive! She's still the true headmistress!" Hermione said excitedly.

"So that narrows down where Aberforth could have scarpered off to," Bill mumbled, looking deep in thought.

"It does indeed," Remus agreed.

"I'd even go so far as to say he's probably still in London, or at least, he was, while she was still recovering. It's only logical," Hermione said rather proudly.

Harry smirked at Ginny and leaned over to her. "There'll be no living with her now," he whispered, and Ginny grinned back at him.

"Alright, so we've narrowed the area," Tonks said. "But that still doesn't help us much. I don't know if you lot have noticed, but London's a pretty big place."

"Should we ask the portrait at the library?" Ginny asked, looking around the table. "I mean, the live Dumbledore might have supplied it with the location of any safe-houses he or his brother might have had."

"I can try," Remus said. "I'll pop back to the library tomorrow morning and ask him for some information. Good idea, Ginny."

Harry listened to his friends talk amongst themselves and leaned back in his chair, a sudden feeling of mental weariness coming over him. Since his little sleeping adventure had happened and he was no longer connected to Voldemort, Harry had found himself full of energy. Ginny, too, as she was no longer having to shield him and protect him. And physically, he felt fine. Better than ever, actually, if he thought of it. But there was something that felt weary in his soul, for lack of a better word. He was anxious, as well – not for the upcoming face-off that he knew he must eventually experience, but just because he finally wanted it over. Now that he was entirely just Harry, he wanted to live his life and get on with it.

Brogan turned his head to look back at him, frowning as though sensing his emotions. Harry gave him a half-smile, indicating he was okay. The other man scooted back and casually rested his hands on his legs for a moment. Harry sat forward slightly so the table would hide his own hands and hid a smile as he felt the warmth of Brogan's hand surround his. After a few moments, Harry felt his anxiety start to fade. Ginny glanced at them and smiled. She soon sat back as well, taking ahold of his other hand. The sense of well-being intensified, and he couldn't help the smile that filled his face.

Harry zeroed in on what Remus was saying about the ministry and their connections there and cleared his throat. Everyone turned to look at him, except Bill, who he was unsurprised to see had already been studying them.

"I think we have to start plotting out what's going to happen when Voldemort and I finally meet again. My instinct is telling me it will start at the Ministry because he wants it like he wanted the school. He thinks I'm out of the picture, or at the least, useless, thanks to his little life-draining spell. So it won't take much to draw him out. And if the three of us," Harry paused and looked at Brogan and Ginny. "If the three of us are going to be fighting him, then that gives you and the rest of the Order the hard part – fighting the Death Eaters and making sure we don't lose anyone. And maybe exacting a little revenge, too."

Remus looked cautious at Harry's words. "You mean Severus, of course."

Harry nodded. "Yes. I don't care what Dumbledore's portrait says. He almost killed Aberforth. He betrayed us. He should be punished."

"I love how you think our jobs are going to be the hard part, Harry. I mean, we'll have it rough, but you'll be going up against…him, don't forget. And as much as it pains me to say it, you'll no doubt be taking my little sister with you," Bill said, looking resigned.

Ginny opened her mouth to speak, but Harry squeezed her hand. "Too right you are, Bill. But you have my oath that I will do everything in my power to protect her. And she will do the same for me. We are stronger together. We always have been."

Ginny looked at him, her eyes blinking rapidly, and she gave him a small smile. Bill nodded at them.

"I can see that."

"What did you have in mind, Harry?" Remus asked after a moment.

"You just said we have members in key areas. I say we double our efforts. Bill, you told Remus that Fleur Delacour knows some french wizards and witches sympathetic to our side? I say it is time they are brought in. And placed in the Ministry, if we can swing it."

Remus nodded thoughtfully. "That idea had occurred to me, as well, Harry. I've sent Fred and George to gather more people willing to show up and fight when the battle begins. We've been using the idea of Hermione's coins you used for Dumbledore's Army. It's a great way to keep in touch with members and other interested parties. And hard to recognize it for what it is, even if one of Voldemort's followers did come across one. It really was a nice piece of charm work, Hermione."

Harry smirked as Hermione practically beamed like a human Lumos spell at Remus's words. Even after all these years, nothing made Hermione more pleased than when she received praise from a teacher. Hermione caught his knowing look then and folded her arms rather petulantly.

"Oh, shut it, Harry."

"Just be glad Ron's not here," Harry chuckled.

"Ahem," Ginny said, raising her eyebrow at them. "I don't think Remus was quite finished yet."

Harry smiled because she had used Remus instead of Lupin or Professor and squeezed her hand. Remus gave Ginny a warm smile as if he, too, had noticed her use of his first name.

"Actually, I say we break for tea and wait for other members before we go over anymore plotting, as Harry likes to call it. I'm sure Ron will want to be in on that."

"Ron will excel at that discussion," Ginny said. "He's one of the best tacticians we have, what with his never-ending urge to beat us all in chess. He'd probably challenge Voldemort himself if he could."

Everyone laughed as they started getting up to leave. Harry let go of Brogan and Ginny's hands and collected the bracelets from the table. He reckoned they should probably start working together with them as soon as possible. He realized the room had emptied pretty quickly, and all that remained were Ginny, Brogan, and Bill. As Harry looked up, Bill used his wand to shut the door, and he cast the locking spell Ginny had taught them. Bill sat forward and folded his hands on the table. Ginny frowned at her brother but sat back down. Brogan shifted uneasily next to Harry.

"Funny thing I didn't mention earlier about those bracelets," Bill said, looking at each of them, his eyes finally coming back to Harry. "Is that the Return of the Three in Egyptian folklore implies the original three were lovers, and that was how the magic was channeled into the metal they're constructed from. It's hardly ever spoken about in our world now, but sex magics are potent. Much like blood magics. And I know you know about the power of those, Harry."

Harry wasn't sure what to say to that, but Brogan apparently did as he sat forward, nodding at Bill.

"In Ireland, the old ways are still taught to older students if they decide to continue their studies. At least, they are in theory. The Abbey has," Brogan paused, looking sad for a moment. "Well, the Abbey had, at any rate, before Voldemort attempted to burn it, a great number of books about the subject, in the general sense, but nothing with actual spells in it. Those books have been lost for the general wizarding public, I think."

"They still exist, here and there," Bill said, not elaborating.

Ginny glanced at Harry, and he knew what she was thinking, that their very own Copulatus Amororis was an example of such magic. And it had been powerful just by itself.

"It's also interesting to note that whoever chooses the eye-color of the bracelets becomes the master of them. Have you three experienced that at all?"

Harry shook his head. He vaguely remembered reading about that aspect, but they honestly hadn't used the bracelets enough to say what sort of effect they had on him or Brogan and Ginny. He reckoned he would have to go over the notes he'd made about the book. Perhaps, even Bill would like to look them over.

"Could you two give me a chance to talk to Ginny alone?" Bill suddenly asked, turning his attention to his sister. Harry saw Ginny frown.

"You can say whatever you want in front of them, Bill."

"I'd much rather just talk to you alone, sis. No offense, you two." Bill gave them a look that Harry was sure Ginny wouldn't understand, but he did. Sort of.

"It's fine, Gin," Harry said, pulling her close to him and kissing the top of her head. "We'll get some food and save you some, okay?"

Ginny nodded, still frowning at Bill.

Bill flicked his wand at the door so they could open it. Harry and Brogan both nodded at them and closed the door behind them as they left. Brogan raised his eyebrow at Harry.

"Reckon she's in for it?"

"No, I don't…I don't think that's it. Bill didn't seem mad or even that upset, did you notice?"

"Aye, I very happily did," Brogan said as they headed towards the kitchen. "Bill Weasley strikes me as someone that I don't really want to make angry. But, we'll be able to tell if they do get into it. Ginny's temper will make itself known through our connection sooner or later."

Harry nodded. He hoped Ginny and Bill didn't have a row, or worse, a discussion like the one they'd had with Brogan's father. He wasn't sure he could stand for another round of talking about good intentions.

o-o-o-o-o

Ginny looked at Bill and prepared herself for the onslaught of what was sure to be a massive discussion about morals (hers, being loose) and self-righteous indignation (his, being strong). She was surprised down to her toes, though, when Bill chuckled and shook his head at her.

"You're 17 now, Ginny. I can't tell you to not do something. Especially since clearly, you've already done it. And are still, apparently, doing it." Bill's mouth twitched with amusement. Ginny felt herself blink at him in disbelief.

"I thought you'd be angry and yelling at me," Ginny admitted, releasing a deep breath. "Or calling me unpleasant names."

"Would it change anything, though?" Bill asked, watching her.

Ginny shook her head. "Probably not."

"Then let's just pretend we had that huge screaming row and forget about it. I don't want to experience what happened between us when you first got involved with Harry any more than you do." Bill paused and looked sad, as though he remembered that night at Grimmauld Place when he and Charlie had stopped her. Ginny swallowed roughly as the thought of her dead brother brought his face into her mind. It felt as though that night had been a million years ago, to Ginny, but it hadn't even been a year yet.

Bill fixed her with a level stare. "What I really want to know is how you are. And be honest with me, sis. You're good? With…everything? No one is, uh, forcing you to do anything? I mean, this isn't some whim of Harry's…or-"

"No, it's not. There's love. For both of them."

Bill nodded and was silent for a bit, his expression oddly distant. He finally refocused his eyes on hers and gave her a little smile. "I think I could tell, but I had to ask, you understand?"

Ginny nodded. "I'm fantastic, Bill. Really. They cherish me. And I cherish them right back."

"That's all a brother can truly ask for, I reckon. But just…the bracelets, Ginny. They're mad powerful, even if only half the stuff I've heard about them is true. The three of you need to master them, not the other way around."

"Do you know anything more about them that you think we should know?"

"I'll have a bit of a think and get back to you. It's been a while since I've thought of them, actually. But overall, I think they're probably a good tool to have on your side when approaching a big, bad, dark wizard. But then, you've also got Harry, and now Brogan's there too, and honestly, I don't think Voldemort knows what he's in for." Bill laughed suddenly, a sort of hollow choked sound, and looked at her. His gaze seemed troubled. "When did I stop being your big brother, Gin? Now I'm just like all the others. Merlin, you've surpassed us all. I knew your prophecy would change things and getting involved with Harry, but…bloody hell, sis. You've gone from 16 to 35, practically."

Ginny shook her head and got up, going over to him. She pulled his arms apart and then crawled into his lap like she used to when she was a little girl, even though now she barely fit, it seemed. Bill gave her a tender smile and held her tight.

"I'm just amazed at you, you know? You're so strong, Ginny. I know that. But I still worry. And I hate that I can't protect you from this. Or from anything that's about to happen. Even though I know you're quite capable by yourself. And basically I'm going to pretend that you and Harry and Brogan are all on this totally platonic adventure because that's the only way I'm not going crazy right now, okay? If you say there is love, then that is good enough for me." Bill let a long breath out and gave her a sheepish look. "Merlin, it's hard being this understandable. I hope you appreciate that."

Ginny gazed at her brother – her favorite brother, truth be told, and saw how he was trying to keep himself from yelling at her or losing his temper, or getting upset at the situation. And she felt lucky that he not only loved her enough to try and succeed but that he also loved her enough to allow her to live her life, regardless of how he felt about it.

"I love you, Bill," Ginny said quietly. "You know, it strikes me that we don't really say that a lot in our family. At least, not to each other."

"No, I reckon we don't," Bill said, looking as puzzled as she felt. "Mum and Dad taught us well, though."

Ginny nodded and rested her head on her brother's shoulder, a small part of her wishing she were a little girl again, and Bill had just saved her from Fred and George's teasing. Or from Ron trying to goad the ghoul in the attic to scare her. She eventually pulled back and looked at him.

"They did, didn't they? And now we're all grown up with lives and loves of our own. George fancies Kath and Ron's got Hermione. Brogan mentioned something about you fancying Fleur? What's all this about then?"

Bill actually blushed and gave her an embarrassed smile. "Yeah, I think I do. I mean, I know I do. She's moving here. She er, likes me, too. Maybe more than likes."

"Of course she does," Ginny said, standing up. "She's got good taste, apparently." She watched her brother for a moment and then squeezed his hand. "If she's what you want, go for it, Bill. Life is too short and unpredictable and crazy. And I want you to have someone in your life that makes you feel happy inside just to be near them. Like Harry and Brogan do to me."

"All right, I draw the line at taking romantic advice from my little sister," Bill said, standing up as well. "I absolutely draw the line." But Ginny could tell he was teasing.

"Just promise me you'll be clever and safe and everything else?" Bill said as they left the room.

"Of course. And you promise me the same thing."

"I'm always safe, and of course, I'm naturally clever. You might say it's..."

Ginny grinned at her brother as they both remembered Charlie always saying, "It's the Weasley tradition."

"Oh, what would Charlie say about us now?" Ginny wondered as they both sobered in remembrance.

"He'd be dead proud of you," Bill said seriously, and Ginny bowed her head gratefully.

"I hope so. He was much tougher than you to impress."

"Hah, bloody, hah," Bill said as they entered the kitchen. Ron had apparently just arrived and was sitting with Hermione and Tonks. Bill greeted their father as he came in through the other door, and her Mum was doling out food. Ginny didn't see Harry and Brogan anywhere and figured they were in the bedroom waiting for her. She concentrated a bit to let them know she would be with them shortly and that she was all right. Ginny took the plate Bill held out to her and smiled. She could spend some time with her family for a little while longer.

o-o-o-o-o

Protego, Brogan thought as Harry cast a few nasty jinxes his way. Wandless and seemingly defenseless, his shield spell held as the jinxes bounced off of them. Ginny smiled next to him but soon frowned as Harry turned to focus on her next. Brogan smirked as Ginny cast a Bat-Bogey hex towards Harry with a mere flick of her wrist, and Harry managed to get hit with the tail end of it.

After cleaning himself off, Harry shook his head at her. "Always with the bogies."

Ginny chuckled as they moved toward the center of the room to sit down in the soft chairs Harry had just conjured. "Why break with what works, my love? It is my signature spell, after all."

Brogan used his wand to get them some water, and they all took long drinks. He smirked at Ginny. "I really want to see you cast that at Voldemort at least once."

Ginny giggled as though picturing it. "Last time we saw him, he didn't have much of a nose. Where do you suppose they'd come from?"

Harry groaned. "I don't even want to continue this conversation. Ever. So, how does it feel with the bracelets now?"

They'd been practicing for the better part of an hour with the bracelets on, their third attempt in two days. They had all taken Bill's advice to master them. Although Brogan still felt odd when he had his on, he had to admit, it was getting more comfortable. And he liked the sense of confidence the bracelet gave him. He stretched out his legs in front of him and held up his wrist.

"It's still a bit odd, but I think I'm getting used to it."

"Should we wear them all the time now?" Ginny asked, also looking at hers.

"No," Harry and Brogan both said together, and she glanced at them.

Brogan smiled. "I just don't want to be stuck with these all the time." He motioned to Harry's glasses on his face. "No offense, Harry, but I do want my perfect vision back eventually."

"I sort of miss my glasses. I mean…my scar is faded away now. Without my glasses, I just don't feel like me when I look in the mirror anymore."

Ginny sat forward and rested her hands on his knees. "I'd miss your glasses, too."

Harry smiled. "My face is too boring like this? Is that what you're saying?"

"No, I just like how you look in them, that's all. Although I will say, without them on, your green eyes really do stand out."

Brogan nodded. "She's right. With the glasses on, you're still handsome, Harry. Without them, you're devastatingly so. Give us mere mortals a break."

Harry blushed and looked away. Ginny squeezed his knees and sat back, winking at Brogan.

"Hilarious as always," Harry muttered as he played with his bracelet.

"We try," Ginny and Brogan said together, and they laughed. Harry just shook his head at them.

"Have you noticed we do that a lot more when we have these things on?" Brogan asked.

"Do what?" Ginny asked.

"Finish each other's…thoughts or…preempt them or something. I usually sense your emotions first, but this is almost faster than that."

She nodded. "Actually, I was just thinking that."

"Okay, weird, so was I," Harry said, frowning. "Is this what Bill meant, do you suppose?"

"They definitely keep us more in tune with each other," Ginny said, looking at her bracelet. "I wonder if distance affects it any?"

"I could go down to the kitchen, get something to nosh on, and we could try it," Brogan offered.

"I'll go," Harry said, getting up. "I need to use the loo, anyway. How should we test them?"

"Not in the loo," Brogan and Ginny said together again, and they looked at each other, startled.

"Um," Ginny said. "Okay."

"More Weasley humor transference, no doubt," Harry said, shaking his head. "Okay, without the bracelets on, we can feel when one of us is sleepy or worried or hungry, but maybe with them on, we can…narrow that down? I'll go and think of three different items to eat, and you two try to let me know exactly what you want."

They shrugged as it sounded like as good a plan as any, and Harry left. Brogan sighed and closed his eyes, leaning back in his chair. He smirked a minute later when he heard Ginny get up and lower herself down onto his lap. His arms pulled her closer automatically as he opened his eyes again.

"Hi," she said, smirking, but her brown eyes were blazing. It was a look he was starting to appreciate for what it was. Desire. Want. Need. For him.

"Hello there."

"Do you think…what would happen if we uh, had these on while…you know." Ginny now had a wicked look on her face, and Brogan chuckled.

"Let's get through the food experiment first. Besides, our lovemaking is intense enough as it is. With these on, we might actually spontaneously combust. Or something."

"Can you imagine?" she asked.

"Aye, very much so. And I don't fancy going through life as a charred biscuit."

Ginny giggled but shifted so that she was straddling him as though she couldn't help herself. She started moving her mouth around his neck, and he sighed, letting his hand get lost in her hair. She seemed determined to not listen to his advice. Feeling his own desire start to kick in, he sighed against her.

"Not that it would be a bad way to go, after all," he admitted softly as he breathed in her flowery scent.

Brogan reached up and pulled her mouth to his as she pushed forward with her hips, and he suddenly didn't want any food. Or anything other than Ginny. It was like a warm wind blew through them both as they both shuddered in reaction.

"Oh, Merlin," Ginny said when they broke apart, her eyes wide. "That was…wow. Again. Please."

Brogan kissed her again, this time pushing up with his hips to let her know what she was doing to him, although he was sure the bracelet was letting her know all too well. There was a clatter as the door opened, and they broke apart to watch Harry come into the room, practically stalking his way over to them. His green eyes were wide and dark, and he was breathing heavily. He reached for Ginny and pulled her off of Brogan's lap in one fluid movement, claiming her mouth with his. Ginny wrapped her legs around his waist, moaning as she did so.

"I think we should probably take these off," Brogan managed to get out before the urge to touch himself and watch them became too strong. Ginny and Harry stopped what they were doing and looked at him, their eyes filled with lust. He felt the last of his control disappear. Brogan stood up and joined them, his arms wrapping around Ginny, holding her in place between them. She whimpered and started kissing Harry again. The door to the room slammed shut with authority.

There was a flare of magic that seemed to come from all three of them at once, and the room suddenly felt full of something that wasn't completely theirs. The very air around them seemed to crackle with magic. Harry pulled his mouth away from Ginny and reached for Brogan, his hand gripping him by the back of the neck. The edge of the bracelet touched Brogan's skin, and it burned, sending a flare of heat up his arm but it felt good to him. He leaned forward to kiss the other man. Brogan's head was filled with one thought, and one thought only. Bed. They needed a bed.

He was wholly unsurprised when one immediately appeared, unsure which one of them had conjured it and not caring. They fell onto it with surprising grace, and before he knew it, their clothing was coming off at an alarming rate. He just needed to feel their skin against his – Harry's, Ginny's, it didn't matter. He just needed to really touch them.

The three of them moaned in unison when it happened, with Ginny still between them. Brogan could smell her arousal and felt his heartbeat quicken in response. Harry was already ducking his head down between her breasts, kissing her, tasting her. Brogan realized he could almost feel it himself – it was like an echo of sensation in his head – the salty, sweet taste of her skin heavy on his tongue. Ginny parted her legs, and he pushed forward automatically, quickly sliding into her from behind. She growled in response and he felt how wet and warm she was as her body surrounded his. Harry gasped as they connected and reached his hand over her body to link Brogan's fingers with his.

In all the times the three of them had been together, it had never felt like this. The warm feeling inside him only intensified, like a fire building to burn through them. Brogan was unsure where he ended and began; everything felt fluid and full. In fact, he wasn't sure where they ended and began. Skin upon skin, mouth upon mouth… when Ginny touched Harry, he felt it around his own body. Even though his body was buried deep inside of her. Brogan could only moan in response as the gratification bloomed within him. For the first time, he briefly wondered if too much pleasure could kill a person. His body was racing towards that peak with every push forward of his hips as Ginny gripped Harry's body, stroking it faster and faster to match his movements.

"Oh, fuck," he whispered, and Ginny growled in agreement, pushing back against him. Harry merely watched them, his green eyes completely blown wide with desire.

Harry tightened his grip on Brogan's hand, and they began to move, the three of them together. Ginny came first, her muffled cry against Harry's neck causing something to break wide open inside of Brogan. She shifted up, and he knew what she wanted before she could even ask. He removed himself from her, and she turned towards Harry, shifting downwards, her mouth closing around him even as she pushed him towards Brogan. Harry smirked and kissed him once, the delicious heat of his mouth making Brogan want to swoon. They continued kissing and Brogan shuddered, feeling what Ginny was doing to Harry with her mouth. Harry broke away, his eyes almost glazed with need and the other man quickly moved down Brogan's body. He hissed as the sensations exploded over him. Harry took him into his mouth, and Brogan was just…gone.

Harry licked and sucked and stroked his body, and Brogan rested his hands on the other man's head, fingers curling in his hair. He watched Ginny doing the same to Harry, and again, the echo of the sensation was in his head - feeling what they each felt. Brogan reached down in between Ginny's legs and started rubbing her, and she moaned approval. It caused Harry to pause in his own movements, a swear tumbling out of his mouth in a harsh and hungry whisper.

Brogan knew he was close, and wanted to bring Ginny with him, so he added a few more fingers, and she shifted her legs further apart. Harry waved his hand, and Brogan felt the cleansing and lubrication spells hit him and shuddered as Harry's hand drifted to his arse, his fingers just barely teasing him. He could feel the tension building in all of them, and when Harry penetrated him with his finger, he jerked forward, unable to hold back. He pushed forward into Harry's mouth, and he felt Ginny's body contract around his fingers as her second release hit her. Harry fell forward and shuddered, his body also jerking with release as Ginny held him steady. The three of them slowly came back down but they were still touching each other, their arms, hands, and legs all intertwined as though none of them could get enough of the other under their fingers.

To Brogan, it felt as though he was feeling everything. Ginny's wonder and Harry's absolute joy was coursing through him. There was a deep feeling of satiation and delight buzzing through his body. He didn't care which one of them felt it; maybe it was even his own feeling. He pulled Ginny closer to him, nuzzling her neck. He felt Harry's hands rubbing his arm, traveling downward over his side. When Brogan finally looked up, he realized he was squinting and looked around for Harry's glasses, unaware of where they had ended up. Harry snorted and handed them to him.

"I always wondered what that looked like," Harry said, smirking at Brogan. His face was flush with pleasure, and Brogan didn't think he had ever seen Harry look so beautiful before. Brogan glanced down at Ginny, knowing she was probably influencing his thoughts. But Ginny was looking up at him, with much the same in her eyes. She reached out and touched Brogan's face.

"God, you're so beautiful, Brogan. Just like Harry is. Oh, so much…oh," Ginny closed her eyes, a low moan escaping her lips as her body trembled. He knew she was probably getting a double whammy of emotion because of the bracelets. He looked at Harry, who nodded, and they each took their bracelets off. Harry reached down and did the same for Ginny, and she opened her eyes, blinking at them.

"That was almost too much," she whispered, touching them both.

"I'll say," Brogan said, his voice sounded rough as though he'd been screaming. But then, maybe he had been. He had no memory of it but hoped to God one of them had had enough sense to cast a silencing spell beforehand. He slipped the glasses off and sighed as the room focused normally again. Harry rested his head on Ginny's, murmuring to her. She smiled tenderly and reached up, running her hands through his mop of messy black hair. Brogan lay back to catch his breath and stared at the ceiling, pleasantly devoid of any thoughts except one. Love.

o-o-o-o-o

"All right, so bracelet sex is a go," Harry said as they lounged in their bedroom later. Their proper bedroom, not the training room-slash-sex dungeon, as Brogan had nicknamed it when they'd cleaned it up and got dressed again. Ginny smirked at them.

"That was crazy intense," Brogan said now, his head in Harry's lap. Harry smiled down at him and continued playing with the other man's hair. Ginny was lying across Harry's legs, her head on Brogan's chest.

"That was, if you'll excuse the expression, but…it was magical," she murmured. And it had been. Of all the things they had done together and to each other, that afternoon had been illuminating in ways she hadn't yet processed. They had all realized they'd had similar experiences – when one was touched, the other two felt the echo of it, and the sensations were just…more. Completely, utterly…more. Ginny sighed, thinking about it, and Brogan started playing with her hair, running his hand down her arm. She shivered with pleasure.

"You know what this means, right?" Harry finally said, gazing down at them.

Brogan and Ginny both turned to look at him in curiosity.

Harry snickered, a huge smile breaking out across his face. "This means we will have to shag in front of Voldemort to defeat him."

Brogan chuckled, but Ginny shook her head. "I wouldn't give the bastard the pleasure of watching us."

"Well, yeah, there is that," Brogan said, patting her shoulder.

"What do you suppose happened to the three people who made the bracelets? The original three?" Harry asked.

"They lived to a ripe old age, with no problems because they had constant, mind-blowing sex and had no stress in their lives," Ginny said cheekily, and both men laughed.

Brogan groaned as his legs made a popping noise, and he nodded at her to move so he could sit up properly. Ginny sat up as well and stretched upwards, her back also making popping noises. She smirked as she saw Harry gazing heatedly at her and returned his look with one of her own. She felt something tighten deep inside her. The Copulatus may have left them, but that didn't mean she still didn't want him every chance she got.

"Do you think…do think the bracelets make us too powerful?" Brogan asked, oblivious to the staring match he'd interrupted.

Harry blinked slowly and then shook himself as though to clear his head. He frowned at Brogan.

"What do you mean? I think we'll need a lot if we're going to get through this."

"It's sort of odd to me to think of what they do to us. They could erase our individuality, or choices, or…" Brogan paused and gazed at Harry. "I just mean…the original makers separated them for a reason, you know? In fact, they probably put a charm on them to allow them to be lost intentionally."

"It does make you wonder how Aberforth got them to begin with," Ginny said. She noticed Harry frowned, as though deep in thought.

"Maybe they were found because they wanted to be," Brogan continued as he shrugged. "If they are as old as Bill seems to think they are, there could be a bunch of enchantments on them."

"Do you really think Aine had them?" Harry finally asked.

Brogan frowned. "I don't know. That part really threw me when he mentioned it. And I'm the Aine expert, and I don't think I have ever heard of them in connection with her. There is a lot about her life after the tragedy in her youth that no one knows about, of course. I'd like to read the book where he found that information out, though."

"Do you two think Aine found love again after her lover died?" Ginny asked, resting her chin on her hand. "Her power is so…feelings-based, I hate to think of her not experiencing things like we do."

Brogan nodded, and Harry shrugged. Harry then gave them a sheepish grin. "I admit I haven't really thought about her life all that much. Not like you two. I did spend the bulk of my research time hacked off at her, in the beginning."

"She was a big proponent of love in all forms, I know that. Quite scandalous in her time, no doubt. Or who knows, maybe it wasn't. But I like to think she did find love again. She lived a long time. I'd hate to think of her missing out on this," Brogan said, joining his hand with theirs.

The gentle flare of connection hummed through them, and Ginny sighed. "I think she did. She's so…loving when you talk to her. Well, most of the time."

"Yeah," Harry said, nodding. "When I dreamed of her, I got that sense."

They sat in silence for a moment, and Ginny had an urge to take a picture of them. Brogan looked so relaxed and happy; Harry had curled a finger into her hair, tugging on it playfully as he stared at it, as though fascinated. They didn't have the bracelets on currently, but she could still feel the echo of their shared experience…

Ginny wondered if they would make it out of this war completely intact or if they would all be changed people by the end of it. The war wasn't even over, and already Ginny knew she had been changed forever. For a moment, the uncertainty of it all made her feel anxious, but she felt a squeeze and looked down to see Brogan looping his hand tightly around hers. His blue eyes looked steady and sure, and Ginny felt better immediately. She looked at Harry, and he grinned back at her. He released his fingers from her hair and it bounced back between them, curling slightly.

"It's gonna be all right, Gin," Harry murmured. "We have each other. And neither of us is going to let anything happen if we can help it. I just…have this feeling, it's going to be okay, in the end."

"So confident. What a switch, Harry," Ginny said, smirking. But she kissed his cheek and then reached for Brogan, moving so she could lay her head on his shoulder. The three of them sat together, building a wall around them with their love and their words and all their good intentions.

o-o-o-o-o