A bit of a warning: There are implied mature topics in this chapter. I was careful enough to make those sexual details be simply implied so I hope no one is disturbed by that as this is 'T'. If you don't understand them, alright. That will mean that either I was extremely subtle or you are simply very innocent. 'evil laugh'
Author's Notes: I reworded this chapter a bit so some sentences from the original version I posted changed. I wasn't comfortable with the wording in a few parts.
Song: 'Love Again' by Globe (Vincent de Moor trance vocal mix)
Ch. 9: Living Together
The group sat down to eat and their faces brightened a little as they saw the food was delicious. Dianeia ate, but every once in a while looked in the direction of a potted tree that was in the room. She could swear she had seen the tree move and perhaps they were not alone in that house as they had previously thought. She wondered if they had found another shape-shifter when Harry murmured: "Is it me or does that tree seems more alive than a normal tree?" By that point everyone in the table was staring at the tree.
Luna smiled before standing up and approaching the potted tree. "If you want to eat with us you can join us, you know? Especially if you were living here before us. Have you been living here all by yourself or are there any more?"
The tree suddenly transformed into a girl and even the pot disappeared as it transformed into white leather slippers. The girl was clad in a green short dress that looked as if it were made of leaves, but in seconds the leafy dress transfigured into a cream coloured long tunic that reminded Harry, Neville, and Luna of Arabian garments. The girl had wavy black hair that didn't reach her shoulders making her look somewhat boyish, but she was very pretty and had very tanned skin just like king Vicfer. Her eyes looked dark gray. "Hi!" She saluted.
They all said hello by raising their hands and waving them. The girl laughed. "Name's Nemaisse!"
The elf-fairy spoke with his mouth slightly full: "You'rewanymfff."
No one understood Soshlan, but the girl did. "Yup! I'm a nymph! I'm a dryad nymph!"
"So that's why you can turn into a tree," said Dianeia with a smile. "How old are you?"
"Fifteen. And no, I don't live here by myself. There are two others that are still playing outside. We always wondered when they were going to place more children here, but you don't smell like a child to me. You have the natural scent of recent adulthood."
"I am not a child," laughed Dianeia.
"Why didn't you say it when they caught you?" Nemaisse asked full of curiosity.
"Because I didn't want to get separated from them."
Nemaisse nodded. "Well, I'm the oldest of the children in this house, or was..." She stated this looking at the group because they all looked older than her. "The other two are siblings and are only eight and seven years old. They are common humans with no magic." The girl joined them on the table and started to tell them about the policies of the house. One of the policies was to bathe in pairs and threesomes if there was an additional person who didn't have another. In her case she had always bathed with the two smaller children ever since they were brought. The beds also had to be shared, two per bed. In that case she slept alone and the siblings in another bed which is allowed if there is an additional person.
Harry felt a knot in his stomach as he listened to the policies. He didn't want to consider having to bathe with another person and sleeping with another person. Nemaisse said that it was obligatory to bathe every single day at least once. It was to avoid the spreading of germs. Hands also had to be washed constantly.
The two missing children arrived to eat then and they introduced themselves as Koureen and Timnes. After eating they were all supposed to bathe as Harry dreaded. He quickly decided to try his luck by establishing how they would do it: "Okay, I guess that Koureen and Timnes can bathe together as they always have except that this time Nemaisse can bathe with Luna and Dianeia as a threesome. I can bathe with Neville, and Soshlan and Janryu can also bathe together. Is that alright with you?"
Nemaisse shook her head. "I will bathe with the siblings as I have always done before you came. Already used to it."
"I won't bathe with him!" Exclaimed Janryu and Soshlan at the same time pointing each other.
Luna then looked at Harry dreamily: "I want to bathe with Neville."
Neville turned scarlet at that and blurted: "I agree."
Harry felt as if it was a conspiracy against him. This wasn't how it was supposed to be! He looked at Dianeia with a pleading gaze and she smiled before asking: "Do you want to bathe with me, Harry?"
Harry thought he could easily faint by that point. He suddenly exclaimed in almost high-pitched voice: "I can't!"
Janryu smirked. "Then it's settled! Harry will bathe with fairy boy and I'll bathe with Dianeia."
"WHAT?" Harry looked horrorstricken. He noticed that Dianeia seemed almost hurt at his rejection.
To make matters worse Soshlan muttered very close to Harry: "You must be the biggest idiot I've ever met. You never reject a woman that wants you to bathe with her, ever."
Harry then stated quickly, but in a defeated tone: "I can bathe with you, Dianeia. Sorry I said that."
The young woman brightened, but Janryu looked annoyed. "Hey! You already rejected her! I don't want to bathe with fairy boy!"
"It's half-fairy, I mean Soshlan, you stupid vampire!"
"I will bathe with Harry," said Dianeia. At that Janryu knew he had lost and no matter what he was stuck with Soshlan. He was starting to despise the quest he had gotten himself into.
They all used the bath in an order. First went Nemaisse with the small children, then Neville with Luna, and by that point it was Soshlan and Janryu together. They seemed to be quarrelling and suddenly Soshlan was squealing like a girl. Harry approached the door and yelled from behind it: "JANRYU! IF YOU BITE SOSHLAN I'LL LEAVE YOU HERE WHEN WE ESCAPE, YOU HEAR ME?"
They could all hear Janryu's complaints and growls coming from inside the bathroom and laughed.
After those two it was Harry and Dianeia's turn at last. He was feeling very nervous and sweaty all over as they entered the bathroom and Dianeia locked the door. The bathtub looked more like a jacuzzi and that made Harry even more nervous, with a sensation of butterflies fluttering inside him. Dianeia started to undress and stopped as she noticed that he was still holding his vest like sleeveless shirt, completely paralyzed. "Do you need me to help you remove it?"
His voice came high-pitched again: "Of course not!"
She blinked and continued undressing and he quickly started to do the same, starting with the removal of his goggles. One thing had been seeing Luna naked, but seeing Dianeia was something he had never looked forward to, or had he?
She removed the scarf from her head and used it to wrap her long hair completely up so that it wouldn't get drenched. Then she entered the water and signalled for Harry to join her.
He was still enthralled looking at her beautiful not thin like Luna's, but curvaceous figure, but at the same time too embarrassed of her getting a glimpse of his body's reactions to watching her naked. He couldn't help it though and thus he finally removed the towel he had been using to cover his private parts after walking towards the bath. He entered as quickly as possible, but still heard a giggle coming from her. "You don't have to be shy. Here in Larakain it's very normal to have common baths. I guess that in your world it is not the norm..."
"No, it is not, at least not in the country where I come from... I think this could even be considered illegal in a certain sense."
"Why?" Dianeia asked curiously.
"Because of you being a female and me a male! Plus you are a bit older than me..."
"Oh! The age gap fears you told me about before?" Harry nodded. "Do you want me to scrub your back?" Dianeia took a scrubbing cloth that was there and filled it with soapy bubbles. Harry hadn't replied, but she started to scrub his back anyway. He swallowed as he felt his body reacting too badly to that, especially whenever he felt her fingers along with the cloth, caressing his back. By the time she finished he was panting. "Do you have breathing problems?" Dianeia asked concerned, but he shook his head and bit his lower lip. He thought he would go insane.
"I'll just have to pour some cold water on me after the bath or simply go to the loo and take care of a little problem I'm having," Harry said trembling, but not from coldness.
"Do you have to use the loo now? When you gotta, you gotta go, you know?"
"That's not what I meant," he clarified seriously.
Dianeia gasped and her pale features turned crimson. "Oh! I think I know what you mean." She laughed nervously. "Didn't think I had that effect on you... Do you like me?"
Harry felt terribly embarrassed, but he nodded and managed to blurt in a hoarse whisper: "A lot."
"I like you too, but..." She sighed. "It's complicated."
"I know. I'm too young for you."
"Don't be silly! It has nothing to do with age! Plus you are not that much younger than me! You're making me feel old!" She laughed to his surprise.
"Your people then?"
At that she nodded. "My people would never approve, plus there's the fact of you someday going back to your world. It would never work that way."
"You could come with me..." Harry suggested not even thinking about the possible consequences that might cause.
"I would love to see your world, but are you sure you could take me with you? I can't see that happening... You also forget that I'm not entirely human. What if I lose my human form in your world and permanently remain in my magical creature form?"
"I don't know. What's your magical creature form?"
"You will probably find out sooner or later. Just be patient."
Harry approached her without even realizing what he was doing. She simply gazed at him curiously and didn't stop him when he wrapped his arms around her waist and connected his body with hers in a very intimate embrace. Then he kissed her deeply, hungrily, the skin contact setting him ablaze.
After the bath they had to decide on who would sleep with whom. They decided that each would sleep with the same person he or she had bathed with, but Soshlan would sleep with Nemaisse and Janryu would sleep by himself. That was the only thing that changed as there was no way those two would sleep together and Nemaisse didn't mind sharing her bed with the elven fairy or anyone for that matter.
Harry had expected to see a common room full of beds, but he was wrong. The rooms were all separated, which meant that he would be completely alone with Dianeia, locked in a room with her and sleeping on the same bed. He didn't think he would be able to hold himself at that and knew the dangerous implications it could bring about, but at the same time he desired for those things to happen. There were pajamas ready for them in that room that magically shrunk or enlarged according to the body that touched them.
Dianeia smiled as she locked the bedroom's door and approached the bed. Harry gulped as he saw her join him in bed. He threw himself backwards, his head falling neatly upon his pillow. His hair had grown longer at a very quick pace in that world. It was strange as he had always kept his hair looking the same messy way. Now that it was longer it was almost tamed, but still went everywhere. He was self conscious about it, but at the same time liked how it looked now that it almost reached his shoulders.
Harry had already placed his goggles aside, but could still see the young woman perfectly. He decided to stare at the ceiling and she did the same, both in an awkward silence. "Can I kiss you again?" He asked gaining courage.
Dianeia laughed nervously before stating matter of factly: "It might not end good though."
"I know," he replied also nervous.
"Alright, you can, but I warned you... I might take advantage of you."
"I don't care. In fact, I would love that very much." Harry got on top of her in seconds and proceeded with the kiss he had started in the bath.
XxXxX
The morning light woke Harry and he moaned wanting to sleep some more, but knowing full well that the dream world wouldn't claim him again. He smiled as he felt his naked skin under the covers and gazed under them at the curvaceous naked body that was beside him. She was still asleep and he thought she looked beautiful and angelical as he made sure she was very well tucked in. He hovered above her and placed a chaste kiss on her lips before whispering: "I love you Dianeia."
She smiled with her eyes closed, moaned, and changed her body to sleep on its side. He laughed and got up to quickly get dressed. He noticed that during the night their clothing had been exchanged. He was disturbed at the thought of someone entering the room during the night, but relaxed. His new clothes weren't black, but they were the same style as the previous. The change was that now they were dark blue.
Dianeia's purple clothes had also changed. Now it was a diamond coloured long sleeved tunic short dress that would show some of her cleavage, with what seemed like long lycra pants of the same colour. She would look too diamond like with that, he thought.
Harry scanned the bedroom and noticed that there were white curtains over the windows that had obviously been opened by someone. Probably the same person that had brought the clothes. Made him wonder if there were servants like house elves in that world although he already knew that the concept of elves in that world was very different than in the wizarding world. He had seen it with Soshlan who was half elf, but nothing liked the elves in his world.
The bedroom was completely white, but had silvery arc designs on its walls that intertwined forming strange symbols. Some of the symbols he recognized as he had seen them in the guards' shields.
Full of curiosity he touched the symbols, feeling the texture and they glowed under his fingers. A strange sensation encompassed his body as he could feel pure magical energy in those silvery designs, but a voice woke him from his reverie. "How long are you going to be dressed in just your skin?" The voice laughed and he smiled, turning around. Dianeia was already dressed.
"I'll get dressed now."
"You should!" She replied with an evil smile as she eyed him up and down. He smirked at her and with only a movement of his hand his clothes dressed him. "Neat trick! You will have to teach me that one!"
"Only if you behave!" Harry winked at her.
"Very funny! I will tickle you for that! You know I always behave!"
Dianeia started to tickle Harry and both fell to the floor laughing, but at that moment the door flung open and Luna was there with Neville. Harry quickly straightened himself and cleared his throat: "How did you open the door?"
"Good morning. The lock was open," said Luna gazing at them with her protuberant eyes. "It's a beautiful day outside and breakfast is served, but we don't know when it was served. It's permanently hot, probably through some magical charms. I wonder if they have something similar to house elves."
At that Harry noticed that Luna's clothes were very different than the ones she had before, just like in Dianeia's case. Now Luna had slightly baggy pink long pants and a white tunic shirt that had slits that showed the skin from her arms. The long sleeves themselves were also transparent and they had middle arm bracelets that created an effect on those sleeves. Luna looked very pretty in those clothes. Neville had similar clothing to his previous just like Harry, but the tunic shirt was now almost burgundy and the pants were black.
Harry and Dianeia followed Luna and Neville to have some breakfast. They saw Janryu dressed in ninja like clothing still, but it had a dark purple upper part, very similar to his eye colour and black pants. Soshlan's clothes were forest green and Nemaisse was dressed in a short light blue sleeveless dress. The small siblings had red tunics while the day before they were in royal blue. Harry said 'good morning' to everyone and they silently had breakfast before going outside to enjoy the sunny day.
XxXxX
Hermione had been checking books and books for days without finding anything. She finally decided to go to the school records. School records were not books, but certainly there had to be something there if a student had disappeared. She kept checking, looking for a folder on students gone missing until she found what she was looking for. There had been students that had gone to the Forbidden Forest never to be seen again. Some were believed to have been turned into werewolves or vampires after their curiosity led them to commit such great risk. For centuries the forest had remained as a forbidden area for the students, but there had always been students that entered at their own risk. She felt embarrassed thinking that she was actually included in that bunch. In those records she also found Montague's disappearance and almost laughed. That one had been caused by the Weasley twins and Montague had come back confused, but well at least.
After days of constantly checking those records Hermione finally found something of interest even if the record was a very old one. It was a fourteen year old student that disappeared for almost the whole school year one hundred and forty years before, but had been found by June 2nd wounded and clad in strange clothing and heavy armor, plus armed with a golden whip and with some other strange items on him. He had been found by the Care for Magical Creatures teacher of that time in the borders of the Forbidden Forest. The name of the boy was also there and Hermione gasped. The name of the boy was Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore and he had been found with a strange stone that was then immediately confiscated as a dangerous magical artifact, as it had apparently been the cause of the boy's disappearance.
Hermione closed the record and saved it well. She was going to speak with the headmaster to see if there was a way to communicate with Harry, Neville and Luna. She thought there was a way and she was going to find it.
Yaiii! Three reviews! Thanks to: lovenotknown - You think it was subtle? Interesting! Ehehe, luthien-yavetil - Of course I appreciate your review! lol, and FK306 animelover
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