I do not own Harry Potter or gain anything from writing this other than the opportunity of expanding on an already brilliant universe for my own entertainment, and hopefully yours.

CHAPTER 10 - TEMPEST

The next morning Harry awoke to the familiar sight of the hospital wing. Much to his frustration, Pomfrey said that vampire claws were serious, and given the severity of the injury he would need to spend a few nights. At least there would be no effects of vampirism from the wound.

Ron and Ginny came by before the Hogwarts Express left and Harry had to tell them he'd be late arriving back to The Burrow. Pomfrey said separate transportation would be made available for the trip.

Hermione and Luna visited a little later to wish him well and to have a happy Christmas. Hermione closed the curtains for privacy while Luna was already mid-snog. Eventually his best friend was impatient enough to push the younger girl off so she could kiss him thoroughly herself. The competition continued until they were forced to leave, else they'd miss the train. So Harry sat there, bored in the hospital wing, reading a book on basic healing spells that Pomfrey leant him to keep him entertained.

'Well don't you look miserable,' said a perky voice.

Harry looked up and beamed at the approaching Hufflepuff.

'I forgot you were staying for the holidays,' he said happily.

'How's your arm?' Susan asked, sitting at the edge of his bed.

'It feels fine,' he said, raising his bandaged appendage. 'Apparently it'll take a few days to heal properly though. Going to be a bit of scarring too.'

'Well that's OK,' Susan said teasingly. 'I've always found scars sexy.'

Just as Susan was leaning closer, Madam Pomfrey's door burst open and the matron came bustling over.

'Visiting is fine but there will be no over stimulating my patients,' Madam Pomfrey said evenly.

Susan sat back from Harry, blushing fiercely.

'But Madam Pomfrey,' Harry complained playfully, 'how will I survive the boredom if such a pretty girl is not allowed to stimulate me?'

The matron sniffed haughtily. 'Seeing as it's my job to decide how you go about surviving, you'll do as I say or you'll have no visitors at all.'

'I've done a fair job of surviving so far,' Harry pointed out.

'Yes, a fair job,' Pomfrey said dryly. 'Never before has a student been in this ward so much before you, Mr Potter.'

'Never before has anyone wanted to murder a student as much before me either,' Harry said equally dryly.

'Be that as it may,' she said, the heat leaving her voice, 'you don't need to do such a good job of looking for trouble,' some of the heat returned. 'Fighting vampires in the halls of Hogwarts, I never …'

'I've also fought trolls and Basilisks in the halls of Hogwarts, if you recall,' Harry said, getting angry. 'Each time saving a student's life. If anything, this school owes me a bounty of three corpses worth. All three of them being very good friends of mine.'

Pomfrey remained silent as she started the process of changing his bandages.

'Harry …' she finally said in a hoarse voice, but seemed lost for words after that.

'I appreciate your concerns Madam Pomfrey,' he said gently, 'but let me be arrogant for a moment. I am not like any other student in this school. I've been marked for death before I was born. I was put in life or death situations since I was eleven. And yes, I went into them willingly, but I would do it again and again without question. There's only one thing I've done that I regret fully.'

Harry felt Susan squeezing his hand fiercely, and he gave her a squeeze of his own for reassurance.

'Well you're certainly just as dramatic as ever,' a woman called out from nowhere.

Harry looked up to the empty space to see Nymphadora Tonks appear out of thin air. Her hair was shoulder length today and her usual shocking pink.

'Wotcher, Harry.'

'Tonks!' Harry said excitedly. 'What are you doing here?'

'I've been assigned as your personal guard,' Tonks said importantly. 'Also your taxi cab to The Burrow when you're better.'

'Nymphadora, can you please not get my patient over excited,' Pomfrey chided.

'Don't call me Nymphadora, Poppy,' Tonks said grumpily, her hair turning dark red.

'I will always call you Nymphadora, Nymphadora,' Pomfrey said evenly as she finished wrapping Harry's bandages. When she stood to return to her office she gave one last warning to Harry. 'Keep calm, or I will kick them out.'

Tonks waited until her office door was closed before she shut the curtains and plopped down on the end of Harry's bed, accidentally crushing Harry's feet.

'Evil woman,' she muttered then turned her attention to Susan, smirking mischievously. 'So who's your girlfriend?'

'Susan Bones,' Susan said, reaching out her hand. 'Harry's told me a bit about you.'

Tonks' hair immediately turned a mousy brown as she shook Susan's hand.

'Tonks,' she said somberly, 'pleasures all mine. Really sorry about your aunt … she was a great woman … great boss.'

Susan nodded appreciatively and turned back to Harry.

'Harry told me you're a metamorphmagus,' she said, changing the subject awkwardly. 'I've never really seen one before.'

'It's got its perks,' she said, changing her hair to match Harry's then Susan's. 'So you two are a couple?'

'Well, kind of,' Harry said, giving Susan's hand that he was still holding a squeeze. 'A bit complicated though.'

'He calls it friends with benefits,' Susan said, rolling her eyes.

Tonks laughed out loud and slapped Harry's injured arm, making him hiss in pain.

'Sorry!' Tonks said quickly. 'You dog you. I thought that was just a one-time thing in the summer.'

'What do you mean?' Susan asked curiously.

'Oh, er, nothing,' Tonks evaded.

Then something clicked in Susan's mind and she jumped to her feet, pointing at Tonks.

'You're the Auror!' Susan said suddenly. 'That was actually true!'

'What are you on about?' Tonks asked, brow furrowed then looked at Harry. 'What's she on about?'

Harry's eyebrows went beyond the fringe of his hair as he looked for any escape possible.

'Madam Pomfrey!' he called nervously. 'I feel over stimu -'

He was cut off when his tongue was glued to the roof of his mouth. Tonks waved her wand a few more times then dispelled the curse on Harry, her wand still pointed at him.

'Talk,' she ordered.

Harry sighed but did as he was told. 'There was this rumour going around the school. Rumour was that I had an Auror girlfriend and we broke up, and that I was looking to shag as many girls as possible to get over it.'

Tonks' wand moved closer to Harry, making him go cross-eyed as he stared at the tip.

'And you spread these rumours?' she asked, eyes narrowed.

'No!' Harry said quickly. 'Er, Hermione did. Said it'd be more effective if there was a bit of truth to it.'

'Why in the bloody hell did she spread it?' Tonks asked, grinding her teeth, her hair turning pitch black.

'Er,' Harry gulped and went for the truth, 'to get me laid?'

Tonks blinked. Then looked to Susan who seemed to be stifling her laughter, then back to Harry.

'You're serious,' Tonks said, it wasn't a question.

'Yep,' Harry confirmed, embarrassed and trying to ignore Susan's silent laughter.

Tonks pulled her wand back and returned it to the holster on her wrist.

'Did it work?' she asked curiously, her hair returning to her usual pink.

'Surprisingly it did,' Harry said, running his good hand through his hair. 'You're not mad?'

'Not for that!' Tonks exclaimed. 'That's awesome! I will be getting you back for kissing and telling at some point though.'

'Right,' Harry chuckled nervously, and then smirked. 'Speaking of kissing; how's Moony?'

'Oi,' she muttered darkly. 'Don't push your luck.'

'Have you seen him at all?' he asked.

'No,' Tonks sighed. 'You know what he's busy with. And I've been stationed here, haven't I?'

Harry nodded. 'I hope he's alright,' he sighed. 'He looked rougher than usual whenever he showed up in the summer. Any news on the war front?'

'Nothing you need to know,' Tonks waved away. 'Let the grown-ups handle it.'

'Yeah, sure,' Harry scoffed, ' 'cause that's worked out so well for me thus far.'

Tonks, ignoring Harry, turned to Susan who seemed to just be content listening to a conversation from Harry's life outside of school.

'So how has this prat been treating you?' she asked sweetly. 'I don't mind knocking him around a little if he's done anything … untoward.'

'Oh, he's been untoward alright,' Susan said with a dreamy smile on her face.

Tonks looked back and forth between the two teens, eyebrows raised.

'You two have been shagging,' Tonks said in accusation.

'I've always said you're an excellent Auror, Tonks,' Harry said, chuckling. 'She did say friends with benefits you know.'

Susan turned a deep red, but the dreamy smile remained.

'Well at least someone's getting some,' Tonks grumbled.

'Need to relieve some stress?' Harry offered with a wink.

Tonks eyed him curiously and then turned to Susan. 'He's always like this nowadays, isn't he?' she asked the teen.

'He really is,' Susan sighed. 'It's lucky I'm not the jealous type.'

'So you wouldn't mind if I … took him up on the offer?' Tonks questioned.

'Not at all,' Susan said, then gave Tonks a coy smile. 'It kind of excites me to be honest. Besides, it's not like I'm the only witch he's sleeping with.'

'How many is he sleeping with?' she asked in surprise.

Susan turned a questioning eye to Harry.

'Five, I suppose,' Harry said lightly to Tonks. 'Not including you, of course.'

'As in on the regular?' Tonks asked incredulously.

'Well,' he said thoughtfully, shifting in his bed to get more comfortable, 'four of them on the regular, the other one's in St Mungos so I haven't been able to see her in a long while. Say, do you think we can stop by there for a visit before The Burrow?'

Tonks tapped her chin thoughtfully, whether considering his question or mulling over the fact that Harry is shagging five witches, he wasn't sure. Though her hair did turn a bleach blonde, and Harry wasn't sure but he thought he saw her shirt get a little tighter around the chest. He was sure her lips got fuller though.

'I suppose it shouldn't be a problem,' Tonks shrugged eventually. 'As long as you stay under your cloak for the most part.'

'Thanks, Tonks!' Harry beamed. 'You're the best!'

After that was settled the three chatted amicably for a few more hours. Tonks wanted to hear about his encounter with the vampire. Then she regaled Susan with the story of when she found Harry on the Hogwarts express at the start of term, much to his embarrassment.

Tonks left first and once she had, Susan sneakily snaked her hand under Harry's blankets to give him a hand. Harry wanted to return the favour once she was done but she refused, saying he needed to get better and she was afraid of getting caught.

Susan left him to go down for dinner after a bit of a snogging session. As Harry lay in bed, somewhat content, he mused that maybe it wasn't such a bad thing that he'd been stuck at Hogwarts for a little longer than planned.

A few days later Harry was walking close behind Tonks as she weaved her way slowly through the busy corridors of the Artefact Accidents ward in St Mungos on Christmas Eve. He was under his Invisibility Cloak and had to stay pressed right against the Auror to make sure he didn't bump into any passers-by. Not that he minded this fact in the slightest; Tonks had a rather delectable backside.

St Mungos was decorated with sparkling snowflakes that fell from the ceiling but never seemed to reach you. Every hospital room door had a green wreath with a red bow on the bottom. It was simple, but added a festive feel to the place.

Eventually they found the room number that Tonks had gotten from the receptionist and entered quietly. It was different from the room Mr Weasley had been staying in last year. It was smaller with a single curtain surrounding what Harry assumed was a single bed. A moment later a woman popped out of the curtain dressed in perfectly normal Muggle wear and regarded Tonks curiously.

'Can I help you? Miss …' the woman said.

'Auror Tonks,' she answered, eyes scanning the room. 'Don't mind me, I'm just escorting someone.'

As Tonks was speaking Harry took off his Invisibility Cloak and gave the woman a lopsided smile.

'Er, hi there, Miss,' he said. 'I'm Harry Potter, I was hoping I could visit Katie?'

'Harry!' called a voice from behind the curtain that Harry recognized as Katie's.

'Harry Potter!' the woman said in surprise, her eyes darting to the scar on his forehead then back to his face. 'My word, Katie has told me all about you. Well come on in then.'

Harry followed her behind the curtain where a beaming Katie Bell was sitting against the back of her bed, bouncing in excitement.

'Harry!' she squealed again and Harry set down the flowers he'd brought on a table and pulled her into a gentle hug.

'I missed you, Katie,' Harry murmured into her hair.

'I missed you too,' Katie said. 'I've been so bored!'

As Harry pulled away Katie grabbed his shirt and pulled him into a fierce kiss. Harry wrapped his arms around her at once and leaned into the kiss as she ran her hands through his hair.

'AHEM,'

Harry pulled away quickly and turned to see the woman staring daggers at them, an eyebrow cocked high and a scowl on her face.

'Mum!' Katie whined. 'I'm old enough to kiss a boy!'

'That may be, but you're not well enough to be kissing a boy like that!' Katie's mom warned.

Harry saw Tonks peeking into the curtain with a very amused look on her face.

'I feel fine right now, Mum,' Katie complained. 'Better than I have in a while actually.'

Harry covertly touched his chest where the light blue mark that said Selva was. The mark burned uncomfortably hot from the spell he had cast before he came into the room. It was a spell to strengthen another's soul. He was only able to use it due to the link and being close enough, his hope was that it would help her recover. So far it seemed effective.

He pushed a little more of his magic through the link, keeping one eye on Katie with his Soul-Sight. Her soul ebbed visibly, the swirling light blue moving slightly quicker.

It wasn't that the substance of her soul had gotten smaller after she was cursed. As he had learned, the soul was one piece. To tear it apart like Voldemort had was unnatural, wrong, but even when apart they were still one piece. Katie's soul just seemed to slow down significantly when she'd touched the necklace. Effectively weakening her body and sapping her energy. The spell Harry was using was essentially giving it a jump start.

He had been researching and practicing the spell work once Katie had gotten injured but he'd only made any real progress after he gained the link with Hermione and she started helping with his research. Harry wondered if the Healers here at St Mungos knew about this kind of magic, and wondered if he should tell someone what he'd done.

He tossed the idea to the side for now, he couldn't reveal too much about what he was up to until Voldemort was destroyed. Then, even if Harry was gone, Hermione could spread the knowledge to help people. He would trust no one with that task as much as her.

Katie and her mum were still arguing but Harry thought he caught a look of surprise in her mother's face. Maybe due to the fact that Katie hadn't seemed this strong in a while.

'Please, Mum,' Katie begged. 'Just give us a few minutes, I promise I won't do anything … physical. I just haven't talked to him in so long!'

Her mum let out a long sigh then turned a harsh look on Harry.

'I promise I won't do anything Mrs Bell,' he said, hands up in a placating gesture. 'I want Katie to get better too.'

That seemed to mollify the woman somewhat. Her features softened and she gave him a short nod.

'Please, call me Julie, Harry,' she said letting out another sigh, 'and you better not, or I'll sick her father after you.'

As she got up she regarded Tonks once more.

'Can I ask you to keep an eye on my daughter, Auror Tonks?' she asked her with a sharp grin. 'Just to make sure they don't get up to no good.'

'Mum!' Katie said, exasperated. 'You can trust me you know.'

'Sure thing, Mrs Bell,' Tonks said with an evil grin. 'I'll keep 'em in line.'

With an appreciative bow of her head, Julie Bell left the room.

'Little does she know she picked the absolute worst person to look out for her daughter's virtue,' Harry said dryly.

Tonks put a hand over her mouth in mock affront. Then broke the effect by cackling menacingly.

'I'm not the worst person,' she said with a glint in her eye.

'So you're Nymphadora Tonks then?' Katie asked with a knowing grin.

'Just Tonks, thanks,' she said dryly.

'Still shagging Harry?' Katie queried casually.

Tonks threw her head back and laughed a full belly laugh.

'Oh, I like her, Harry,' she said, wiping a tear from her eye. 'Hold on to that one.'

'I'm quite fond of her too, actually,' Harry said, grinning.

Katie tossed him a winning smile then looked back to Tonks with a raised eyebrow.

'To answer your question, no we have not shagged since the first time,' Tonks said, then cocked her head to the side and smirked, her eyes drifting into space. 'Well the second time actually. I might have some plans for him before I take him home though.'

Katie sighed longingly then let her head fall back against her raised bed.

'I've been so horny, Harry,' she groaned in frustration. 'Every single one of your bloody letters is at once the best thing ever and pure torture.'

'Well I have a Christmas present that might help a bit,' Harry said.

'Ahem,' Tonks said in Katie's mother's voice, causing the girl to look over sharply and glare at Tonks' mimicked appearance of Julie Bell. 'I may not be the most responsible person in the world but I'm not about to let you holster your wand right here on the hospital bed.'

'That's obviously not what I meant,' Harry said dryly.

'Wasn't that obvious,' Katie mumbled, making Harry laugh nervously.

'Well, while that would be nice,' Harry said, pulling off his shirt. 'This should have a more lasting effect.'

Katie's eyes went wide, a blush blooming on her face.

'Oi!' Tonks said, a little amused. 'What are you playing at?'

'You'll see,' was all he said.

He pulled out his wand and held Katie's hand. The tip of his wand touched the already glowing word Selva and he began muttering under his breath, the word getting searing hot on his skin.

Katie's mouth opened and her eyes gained a distant look.

Harry's muttering continued, the inhuman-sounding words echoing throughout the room. He watched Katie's soul swirl aggressively around her as he performed the spell. The wind grew so powerful that the breeze reached the physical world, gently rustling their hair. As he finished his incantation he slumped back in his chair and wiped his sweaty brow.

'How do you feel?' he asked a little breathlessly.

Katie was staring at her hands in awe, opening and closing them slowly, testing her strength. Suddenly she pulled the covers off the bed and jumped down onto steady feet. A smile crept its way onto her face and she jumped up and down laughing in celebration.

'What did you do?' Tonks said in half surprise, half accusation.

'I strengthened her soul,' Harry said, shrugging. 'She wasn't physically injured; the necklace just dampened her soul. I brought it back to where it was and then a bit beyond. I did it with Hermione already, she said her magic is more powerful now and she has more energy in general.'

Katie was around the bed in a second and jumped into his arms, making him fall back onto her bed that he was sitting on.

'Thank you, Harry!' she cried into his chest. 'I feel so amazing!'

It was at that moment that Katie's mum decided to walk back in to see Harry lying back on the hospital bed, Katie on top, nuzzled into his naked chest.

'What the bloody hell!' she yelled angrily, but Katie jumped to her feet and rushed at her mum, wrapping her into a crushing hug.

'He healed me!' Katie laughed, delighted. 'I don't know that I've ever felt so strong!'

Her mum looked down at her daughter wide eyed, evidently shocked that she was up and running and hugging.

'W - what's going on?' she asked weakly.

Harry pulled his shirt back on and held up his wand.

'Let me explain,' he said, and cast the Soul-Seeing spell on all three girls. 'I've been studying a bit of soul magic.'

The three looked at each other in awe, their eyes roaming just off of each person, seeing the aura that represented their souls. Harry noted that Julie Bell had a Fire soul, unlike her daughter.

'What you're seeing now is our surrounding souls,' Harry explained. 'Or rather, your soul's element, or your type of soul. When Katie was cursed by the necklace her soul slowed down. I sped it back up.'

Mrs Bell was waving her hand around her daughter, apparently trying to feel the light blue wind.

'How did you do that though?' she asked in an awed voice. 'The healers mentioned something similar but they said there was nothing that could help but rest.'

Harry made a mental note to tell Hermione that healers did in fact know some soul magic. She'd be curious to learn what they knew.

'I have something they don't,' Harry said. 'A link to Katie's soul.'

Mrs Bell looked suddenly alarmed, giving her daughter an unsure look before turning back to Harry.

'Is that dangerous?' she asked seriously.

'No,' Harry said immediately. 'It would be far easier to hurt her by pointing my wand at her than using the link in some way. I would never hurt Katie.'

She nodded slowly and turned back to her daughter, who was beaming at Harry.

'You really feel better, don't you?' she asked hopefully.

'I really do.' Katie walked back to Harry and hugged him. 'Thank you so much, Harry. You're absolutely the best.'

Harry hugged her back and chuckled.

'Just come back to school as soon as you can, Bell,' he said in his captain voice. 'There's going to be a scout for the Holyhead Harpies at the next couple games and I want to show you off.'

'What?!' she asked with a half laugh. 'You're joking, right?'

'I'm not actually,' Harry said, grinning. 'I had a bit of a chat with Gwenog Jones. She's quite interested in you and Ginny.'

'The Gwenog Jones?' she said, slapping his chest. 'No shit!'

'Katie!' her mother chided.

Katie just let out an excited squeal and wrapped Harry in another hug. Whispering a few promises of exactly what she was going to do with him when she got back that made him blush.

They spent another few hours at the hospital with the Bells. When the healer came in to give Katie a diagnostic, the man was shocked at how thoroughly she'd recovered. He wanted to keep her for another night just as a precautionary measure but relented due to it being Christmas Eve, making sure she came back in a few days for a check-up. Harry and Tonks walked the Bells to the hospital Floo where the girl gave him a very improper kiss goodbye, her mother turning the other cheek.