Good evening everyone,
I got a little carried away, so this chapter ended up longer than those that came before. I will try to post between two longer chapters like this depending on my workload. I hope that you are enjoying the story and as always, please review!
P.S.
I still don't own Harry Potter, as J.K. Rowling will never give it up. All I can do is play with the world that she created for us to enjoy. All OCs are mine unless otherwise stated. Thank you, and happy reading!
Chapter 12
The following week was quite possibly the most exciting yet simultaneously vexing week that Harry and Hermione had ever experienced since they had become friends. Their budding relationship had allowed them to become closer, both emotionally and physically, and had even strengthened their friendship with Regulus.
Sirius had informed them that Hermione's idea on how Harry and Regulus were able to obtain a magical creature as their animagus forms had merit, so he purchased some creature blood while he was in the Alley to experiment with. He, Remus, and Calliope had begun some research to see if there was a way to replicate the result of the two teens for those who wished to make the attempt at a magical form.
After looking through the different vials of blood, Hermione asked Sirius to set aside the one that she felt would be an excellent animagus form. She would need to wait for them to finish their research, but she was confident that this was the magical creature for her.
Calliope believed that Regulus had been able to achieve his form due to anzu blood running through the veins of every Veela. The Asteropaios bloodline had been around for thousands of years and could be traced back to the first Veela, who was created by combining the powers of a witch and the magical creature through an ancient, obscure ritual.
Hermione had become obsessed with the idea of ritual magic and told Harry that they would need to learn as much as they could on ancient runes this year. Harry agreed and decided to owl a letter to Prof. McGonagall about dropping Divination and taking the Ancient Runes with her wife. The bushy-haired girl was so happy that Harry agreed that she began to bounce happily in her seat beside her, causing the raven-haired witch to laugh at her excitement.
"Hermione," Harry chided. "McGonagall still has to say yes. I would be an entire year behind."
Needless to say, Hermione made it her goal for the remainder of summer to fill Harry's head with as much as she could on the subject of runes. With the unknown blocks that Harry had been under removed, she found that the subject of runes came easy to her, and she was able to retain much of the information that Hermione shoved into her head.
Harry had never enjoyed studying before and had spent much of her time goofing off with Ron in the past, which had always rubbed Hermione the wrong way. Now that the girl held such an important place in Harry's life, the young Potter vowed that she would try her best to appease the young witch in every possible way. Even if it meant less time slacking off.
One of Harry's favorite training sessions had been with Sirius's cousin, Tonks. The metamorph had been excited that there was another shapeshifter in the family and had made it her mission to help Harry master her new abilities. Tonks had been the only full metamorphmagus in England for many years. The young Auror was ecstatic to suddenly have young Harry around to share her knowledge and experiences with and ensure that the younger witch didn't make the same mistakes that she herself had made.
With the help of Tonks, Harry was able to quickly grasp the subtle magics involved in altering her appearance, and by the end of her training, there were two Nymphadora Tonks' running around the house. No one could tell the other apart until the Auror tripped over her own two feet while the two were skipping down the hallway. Tonks and Harry had become fast friends, and Harry had promised to keep in touch with her while she was away at school for the year.
Finally, during the last week of vacation, there had been an awkward meeting between the Grangers and the Blacks. Hermione's parents had been invited to Grimmauld Place for dinner, where they had been informed of the soul bond between Harry and their daughter. The discussion that night, which both Harry and Hermione were dreading, went better than either teen had expected.
Hermione's mother, Emma, had been happy that her daughter had found happiness in Harry. The young Potter had been mentioned in every single letter that had ever been sent home from school. However, both parents were confused about the sudden gender swap of the green-eyed teen. The knowledge that Regulus was somehow part of the relationship had also thrown them off kilter. It wasn't every day that your teenage daughter wound up married to another girl and simultaneously betrothed to an unknown male.
Dan, Hermione's father, wasn't as convinced as his wife about the situation. He felt that his little girl was being taken away from him, and it had taken the combined efforts of both Sirius and Calliope to ensure the distraught man that that was not the case. The Lord and Lady Black even scheduled for Gringotts to set up some wards for the family as well as an active floo so that they could visit Grimmauld Place whenever they wished, as they were now considered family.
Sirius and Calliope even the Granger family to the wards as family, granting them full access to the Black family home. Sirius was smiling gleefully at how his mother would have reacted to the muggles being granted such a prestigious honor.
"As I mentioned before, Dan," Sirius said. "This whole betrothal was put in place to keep the kids safe from the politics of Wizarding Britain. They can still change their minds when they're older, but from what I have seen in their interactions, they are growing closer every day. This betrothal will keep both of our girls safe and will also grant them several perks once they return to school. When they announce their betrothal to the Headmaster, they will be able to request the use of the school's betrothal quarters. This will give them some extra privacy in order to study some of the magic belonging exclusively to the Potter and Black families. It will also ensure that Regulus can keep a close eye on them and allow them to become closer throughout the year. As they have been bonded by magic, Harry and Hermione will need to remain together at all times until their bond ultimately settles. This usually takes around a month, depending on the strength of the bond. They still have about three weeks before the bond is fully complete."
"So, this soul bond," Emma asked. "Does this mean that soulmates are real?"
"Of course they are real," Calliope told her. "As a Veela, my magic is tied directly to love and lust. My people are able to see the connection between lovers and have the ability to discern the strength of a couple's bonds when we tap into our power. By using this ability, we are able to see if a potential mate truly loves us for who we are instead of for our bodies."
Having said that, Calliope allowed her Veela transformation to wash over her. Angelic silver-white wings erupted from between her shoulders due to the change, as her body displayed her true appearance. Her eyes shifted from blue to gold, and magic swirled behind them like smoldering coals as her face began to appear more avian in structure. The grangers were momentarily startled by the unexpected change, and Dan grabbed hold of his wife's hand in an attempt to soothe her. The allure washed over the males in the room, and surprisingly, no one was affected.
"How truly wonderful!" Calliope exclaimed with a smile. "The bond of love you have for each other is very strong. If either of you had a magic core of your own, I believe that you would have developed your own soul bond. You, like Harry and Hermione, are lucky to have found each other in this life."
Emma beamed at Dan and kissed him fully on the mouth, causing his eyes to momentarily glaze over from the sudden affection. Hermione huffed at her parents' actions but couldn't help the smile that formed at the corner of her lips. It was a pleasant feeling knowing that your parents were truly meant for each other.
Waking from his daze, Dan laughed at what had happened and thanked Calliope for telling him what he had always known. He had loved Emma since he first laid eyes upon her at university and had been enthralled with the woman ever since.
After coming to terms with the magical marriage of their daughter, and the betrothal between the two families, the Grangers wished the teens well and welcomed them all into the family. They finished the night over a bottle of elvish wine, of which Harry and Regulus were weary of drinking more than a single glass, before bidding them a good night and returning home for the evening.
"Well," Harry stated bluntly. "That went better than I had thought. I was worried that Dan was going to erupt for a moment there."
Hermione laughed at her fellow wife and poked her in the ribs.
"My father isn't that bad," the bushy-haired girl said with a laugh. "He has always seen me as his little girl and tried his best to protect me. I never had any friends before Hogwarts due to being such a bookworm. Dad was always there to keep me from hiding in my own little world and was my best friend for as long as I can remember. Until I met you, Harry."
"Thank you, Mione," Harry choked out. "You were my first friend too. Dudley scared off anyone that ever tried to talk to me in primary, and those brave enough to stick around were bullied until they gave up. If not for you and Ron, I would have retreated into myself as well. You were the light that got me through the dark summers."
The raven-haired teen pulled Hermione close and kissed her fully on the lips. After several catcalls from Sirius, Harry shot out a stinging hex that hit the old dog in the upper thigh and sent him sprawling from his chair.
"Oi!" the Marauder shouted as he fell gracelessly to the floor. "You almost blasted off my bits!"
"Well then," Harry mock threatened. "You better tone it down a notch. I may just slip in my casting next time."
Calliope laughed at their antics as she enveloped her pseudo-daughter in a warm hug.
"Darling," the beautiful witch chastised her husband. "I quite agree with young Harry here. Why don't you save all that excess energy for the bedroom?"
She winked saucily at the old dog before saying her hips and leaving the room. Sirius' eyes never left her form as she headed for the stairs.
"Well," Calliope called. "Are you coming, my darling?"
Sirius audibly gulped before clambering to his feet and rushing after his wife. Regulus mock-gagged in his parents' direction as the old dog ran up the stairs, which made Remus howl in laughter at how well his friend's wife had him wrapped around her finger. Once the werewolf regained control over his laughter, he told the teens to enjoy their night and that he was turning in for the evening.
Hermione took this opportunity to drag Harry and Regulus into the sitting room, where she had them lay comfortably next to the warmth of the fireplace. The trio spent the night talking about Regulus and his childhood and growing up as what could possibly be the only male Veela.
The two young witches found it interesting that they were unaffected by his allure, and he told them that it was one of the ways in which a Veela sought out their mates. If someone were able to withstand the pull of the allure, then they would be mentally powerful enough to survive mating without turning into a drooling pile of orgasmic mush. Sure, it was fun for both parties involved, but too much of a good thing is unhealthy at the best of times.
The three were blushing throughout the conversation, but it was good to get it out there so they would know what to expect if their relationship was ever to develop down that path. Regulus was ecstatic to have found two potential mates so early in his life. His mother had not found his father until after they had left their respective schools and entered adulthood. To find the possibility of love so soon for a Veela was a wonderful gift. One that he would give his life to protect. He only hoped they would give him the chance to prove himself worthy of their affections. They already had each other, and he had reservations about being the third wheel should a relationship develop between the three of them.
At one point during their conversation. Regulus even transformed into his avian aspect and let them touch his powerful wings and talons. His grey eyes turned golden while his facial structure became more angular, giving him the stern gaze of a bird of prey. This change somehow enhanced his already attractive features and made him even more desirable. They could feel his allure wash over them, but all it really did was send a warm sensation tingling across their bodies, causing them both to blush a deep crimson.
Hermione found it interesting that the male Veela's hair and feathers were black while other members of their race were traditionally silver or blonde in color. Regulus told her how his mother assumed it was due to the powerful dark magic of the Black family altering his appearance.
Every Black was dark of hair unless they were fortunate enough to be blessed with the metamorph powers that occasionally popped up within the family. Even Narcissa Druella Malfoy née Black, Sirius's cousin, was a partial metamorph and altered the color of her ebony hair to match that of her husband's family.
They continued to learn about each other before realizing how late they were up into the night. Regulus escorted the girls up the stairs before placing a kiss across the back of their offered hands and whispered goodnight before heading off to his own room.
As Harry's room was further down the hall, and she was dead on her feet, Hermione decided to be bold and offered to let her spend the night in her bed. With a blush, Harry shyly nodded her head and was led into Hermione's bedroom. The two witches took turns showering for the night before each had dressed for bed. Hermione let Harry borrow her extra pair of pajamas and knickers to sleep in, which caused Harry to blush brightly once again. This did not go unnoticed by the smiling brunette as she had been watching Harry closely the entire week, enjoying the many different expressions of her best friend.
As Hermione moved towards the bed, Harry admired her from behind. The way that her hips subtly swayed caught Harry's eye, and she was entranced by the hypnotic motion. Harry continued to watch in a daze before Hermione cleared her throat and sent a smirk in her direction. Smiling shyly at being caught, Harry hurried over to the bed.
Once the two crawled under the warm blanket, they found themselves face to face, gazing softly into each other's eyes. Slowly, they drifted closer and closer until, finally, their lips met in the passion of youth. Harry could taste the toothpaste that lingered on their tongues as they each allowed the other access and continued to snog for what felt like an eternity.
When they finally came up, gasping for air, they both began to giggle until Harry pulled Hermione to her chest and held her tightly as she whispered words of love and affection into her ear.
"I love you so much, Hermione Jean Potter," Harry declared, her heart pounding furiously in her chest. "More than I could have ever thought possible."
"I love you too, Harriet Jaime Potter," Hermione replied with a smile as she ran her fingers through the other witch's hair. "I promise that I always will."
Having professed their love for one another, they shared a final, sweet kiss before finally drifting off to a peaceful slumber. They each had found comfort in the arms of the other and felt a sense of contentment that neither had experienced before in their young lives.
Somehow, they knew deep down that they were always meant to be together. Woe is the one that tried to come between them or tarnish their happiness.
…
The following morning, as everyone was gathering at the table for breakfast, Hedwig flew in through the window carrying with her the latest edition of the Daily Prophet. Kreature wasn't too happy about the bird flying around the dining table but ignored the bird when seeing Harry's smile as she tossed her familiar some crispy bacon.
The old elf scowled at himself, feeling that he was growing soft in his old age. He had grown fond of the young Potter as the girl reminded him of Euphemia Potter née Black. The older witch had been very kind for a member of the Black household, but she was very bold and had a stubborn streak a mile wide. It was no surprise that the woman had become the first Gryffindor in the family for nearly 200 years. Sirius had admired the woman the few times that he had met his aunt, and she was one of the main reasons that he had become a Gryff himself.
"Well, pup," Sirius said to Harry. "What's going on in the Wizarding World today?"
Harry looked down at the morning edition, and her eyes furrowed in anger. She continued to read the latest article before throwing the paper down in disgust.
"How dare that Skeeter cow print this rubbish!" Harry protested hotly. "This is all half-truth followed by several blatant lies. She can't get away with this, can she Padfoot?"
Sirius picked up the paper from where Harry threw it down and began to read the article on the front page, a scowl quickly forming on his face.
Harry Potter: Entrapment of the Girl-Who-Lived?
By: Rita Skeeter
Today, we here at the Daily Potter have discovered a dark conspiracy centered around the famous Boy-Who-Lived! The fact of the matter is that the young Potter heir is, in truth, a witch named Harriet Jaime Potter. She has finally returned to us after her mysterious disappearance over the summer at the hands of the once notorious Lord Sirius Orion Black, who appears to have entrapped our heroine in a scheme most foul!
What I have learned while investigating this matter is that young Harriet has returned to our shores soul bound to her best friend, muggleborn witch Hermione Granger, and betrothed to the mysterious Black heir!
As the Blacks remain the wealthiest wizarding family in Britain, it leaves one to question the motives behind the current Lord's latest maneuver. Is young Harry being forced into this betrothal against her will? Will she and her soul-bound wife be able to escape this latest scheme of the most feared family in all of the United Kingdom?
I don't know about you, my dear readers, but I intend to find out! To discover that our young hero is suddenly a heroine and that a light family is now tied to one of the darkest in Britain, I fear for the poor girl's safety. Young Draco Malfoy, the heir to the Malfoy fortune and son of Lord Lucius Malfoy, had this to say:
"While offering congratulations to a fellow classmate (Harriet Potter) on her marriage, my friends and I were brutally attacked by the Black heir. He accused us of insulting his betrothed without even hearing us out. As the Malfoy heir, I am acquainted with every heir and heiress of our great community but never have I heard of this new Black heir. Where has he been all these years, and why have he and his mother never attended any function of high society? I fear that Harry may be in over her head."
As you can see, dear readers, I am not the only one suspicious of these mysterious circumstances! I promise you now that I will get to the bottom of this as quickly as possible. I only ask that our beloved Minister of Magic and his trusted counsel are able to help young Harriet out of what is quite possibly the greatest scheme of the century!
If you're reading this, Harriet, congratulations on your marriage to your best friend. I will try my best to help you find a way out of this horrible situation that has trapped you. Please feel free to reach out to me should you wish to share what has happened to you over the summer, and I will do my best to help you in any way that I can.
Stay safe, Harriet Potter, as we keep you in our thoughts during this difficult time.
"How dare that hag!" roared Sirius as he threw the paper into the flames in disgust. "Kreature!"
"Yes, Lord Black," Kreature bowed to his master.
"Leave at once for Gringotts," the Black Lord ordered. "Schedule a meeting with Sharpfang immediately and tell him that I want the names of everyone that owns a share of the Daily Prophet within the hour. Inform him that he will receive an increase of 10% if all goes well in this endeavor."
"At once, my lord," Kreature replied, bowing so low that his nose touched the floor, and with a pop, the old elf was gone.
"What are you planning to do, my love?" Calliope asked her husband.
"I am going to buy the Daily Prophet!" Sirius exclaimed with a malicious toothy smile. "This Rita Skeeter will rue the day that she targeted our family. No one will ever disparage the name of Black and escape retribution. Her days as a journalist are numbered!"
Within the hour, Sirius grabbed his cloak and Remus and headed out the door. He promised to be back by lunch unless the meeting with Sharpfang lasted longer than anticipated. Remus was curious as to why he was being dragged along but knew better than to ask when Sirius entered into one of his moods.
"Well, girls," Calliope asked Harry and Hermione. "What would you like to do today? We can take this chance to finally have that lady's day out that I promised the two of you."
Regulus was up in the library reading over some of the darker tomes related to the Black family's inherent magic and would not be finished for hours. Hermione was tempted to have them join their newest friend, but she could tell that Harry was about to make an alternate suggestion.
"Why don't we go into muggle London and see a movie?" Harry asked. "I've always wanted to watch one, and now that I have a family, I can finally do it."
Hermione had never desired to strangle anyone before in her life, but at this moment, she wanted to throttle both Vernon and Petunia Dursley. They truly were the worst muggles and should never have been allowed to raise Harry after the deaths of her parents.
"That sounds lovely, Harry," Calliope said with a small smile. She felt the same way as Hermione and was tempted to burn down the house on Privet Drive with the horrid family still inside. Sadly, she promised Sirius that when they went after the Dursleys that they would do it together.
The girls ran upstairs to get ready for the outing and, once at the theatre, decided to see The Mask starring Jim Carrey. The girls laughed throughout the film, and Harry discovered that she could change her skin color into the perfect shade of green to match the color of the mask.
The rest of the afternoon, Harry ran about Grimmauld Place with a green face shouting quotes from the movie, such as "Somebody stop me!" and even chased a giggling Hermione around the house after stating, "Our love is like a red, red rose...and I am a little thorny."
Calliope laughed at the antics of the girls before retiring for the evening. She had been feeling unwell lately, and walking around London had tired her out. Harry offered her some tea, which she accepted with a smile before heading off to bed for a quick nap.
When the young Potter returned, she found Hermione alone in the sitting room, wearing Harry's quidditch jersey and snuggled up with one of her latest acquisitions from Flourish and Blotts. Harry snuck up behind her and began to massage her shoulders, causing her to squeak in surprise.
"Thank you, Harry," Hermione moaned in pleasure after her initial shock. "How are you so good at this?"
"You're welcome, Mione," Harry whispered into her bushy curls. "I'm just pressing against where I feel the most tension. How do you have so many knots?"
"It's from carrying all of my books around," Hermione sheepishly admitted.
"Hermione," Harry chastised. "You're a witch. Why don't you use the featherlight charm?"
After a pause on Hermione's side, she groaned in embarrassment before replying.
"Would you believe that I forgot?" the bookworm said with a self-deprecating chuckle.
Harry inwardly laughed. This reminded her of the time in their first at Hogwarts when Hermione said that she couldn't make fire without any wood. Harry couldn't stifle the laughter and reminded Hermione of that particular moment.
"We were children, Harry!" Hermione whined.
"What does that make us now?" Harry asked. "An old married couple?"
"Don't turn me into an old crone just yet, Potter," the brown-eyed girl said with a smile before patting the seat next to her. "We still have many years before us. Lay beside me while I read?"
"Of course, Potter," Harry replied with a smirk. She quickly joined Hermione on the sofa and placed her head in the young witch's lap. "Wake me in an hour? We still need to pack for the train tomorrow."
"Promise," Hermione agreed before she began to stroke Harry's black hair.
It didn't take long for Harry to drift off to sleep. The scent of Hermione's vanilla shampoo, along with her gentle touch, caused the sleeping teen to have pleasant dreams. Not once had Harry suffered a nightmare while Hermione was present beside her. Hopefully, the presence of her wife would keep the nightmares of Voldemort and Wormtail away so that she could continue to enjoy the pleasant dreams that had replaced them.
After an hour had passed, Hermione woke Harry, and the two went upstairs to pack their trunks. Harry's new trunk was, in actuality, a miniature apartment. It had several compartments inside and was heavily enchanted with expansion and protection charms. Within the trunk were a small apartment, kitchen, library, and even a small potions lab.
Due to Calliope's tutoring, Harry had greatly improved in potions, and one Severus Tobias Snape was in for a surprise. Harry doubted that the man would have any words of praise for her, but maybe he would finally leave her alone. It would be nice to have a year without the old dungeon bat breathing down her neck.
Once packed, the couple went to make sure that Regulus had finished packing as well. Pleased that he had already packed for the trip, the girls returned downstairs and left him to his own devices. The young heir was practicing his animagus transformation and was attempting to shorten the time that it took to make the change. Harry could already make the change in a matter of seconds due to her innate ability with transfiguration. Regulus felt that he could match her time with practice and wanted to have it down before they left for school.
Sirius and Remus finally returned just before it was time for dinner with triumphant smiles on their faces. The two wizards appeared just a tad smug for Calliope's tastes, and she had to ask why they appeared to be so proud of themselves.
"My dear," Sirius said with a mischievous grin. "You are now in the presence of both the owner and editor of the Daily Prophet! It took longer than I thought, but I was able to buy out every shareholder, excluding the ministry itself. We now own 75% of the company, and they can't do anything without our say-so. I love being a billionaire! We fired the editor and gave Remus the job before going after Skeeter herself. Luckily for us, Remus was able to discover something about the reporter with his enhanced senses, and we now have the woman by the short and curlies."
"Oh really, darling," Calliope said with a tight smile. "I do hope that you don't mean that literally."
A look of fear flashed through Sirius's eyes before he managed to compose himself.
"Not at all, my love," Sirius quickly told her. "We merely discovered that Rita was an unregistered animagus and had her make a vow to work for us unless she wants to lose her job and go to Azkaban. While we were out, I registered the forms of myself and the pups with the ICW branch at the ministry. To say they were surprised would be an understatement. The ICW promised to keep the kids' forms a secret due to their unique creature forms. They have also offered to fund our research into magical Animagi and will even provide additional samples to work with. With their aid, we may be able to have this figured out before the end of the month!"
Everyone thought that the news Sirius brought home was truly fantastic. They congratulated Remus and celebrated his new position, but the man seemed uncertain. Mooney was reluctant to accept the new job until Sirius reminded him that they could use the Prophet to change the way that people saw Werewolves, Veela, and other magical beings that the Ministry of Magic was currently oppressing. Finally accepting the new job, Remus wholeheartedly joined the celebration, and the two Marauders began to talk about all the good they could do for the Wizarding World.
Exhausted by the festivities of the night, Harry and Hermione decided to call it a night. Hermione had somehow convinced Harry to take a bubble bath with her, which the girls had never experienced, and the two enjoyed an hour of soaking in the tub together. When Harry had closed her eyes in relaxation, Hermione smiled impishly and grabbed a handful of bubbles. Without warning, she threw the bubbles at Harry and laughed until Harry copied her sudden attack in retaliation. The bathroom was soon filled with giggles as the two began to tickle one another before they were too tired to continue.
Tired but happy, they dried off and dressed before jumping into the bed that they decided to share together. The two whispered quietly together for the next hour and shared several kisses while they explored each other's bodies. They weren't ready to tread too far just yet, so their touches remained over their clothing. Still, it didn't take long before they fell asleep in each other's arms, content with the pleasure they had experienced with the other that night.
Sirius and Calliope knew what the young couple was doing and had silenced the room for them. The Lord and Lady of the house were happy that Hermione was helping Harry to discover love. If anyone could heal all of the hurt that Harry held in her heart, it would be the bushy-haired girl that was snuggled up beside her.
…
In the small village of Little Hangleton, the dark wizard known as Voldemort writhed in pain. His serpentine familiar, Nagini, did not know what to do to alleviate her master's pain. Knowing that she was unable to help, the snake slithered down the hall and woke her master's slave, Wormtail.
Hearing the agonized cries of his master upon his awakening, the balding man rushed to his lord's room to offer assistance. Trapped in the throes of agony, Voldemort cast the cruciatus at Wormtail, which made the man scream in agony as well. That night, the two dark wizards shared in the other's pain until they passed out from exhaustion.
