AN: Yanno, if I owned Harry Potter, I wouldn't be writing my own crap ass novel, so obv I don't.

AN2: Okay, don't get mad, I said I would try not to do more classroom chapters, but this one kind of needs to happen, and I'll dot them throughout the story as the information I want to impart is vital to the plot. Just… if you don't like them, skim at least okay?

AN3: The start of this chapter covers things that some people (especially men) may find uncomfortable or even distressing. I understand completely if you need to avoid those sections and I'll do my best not to make them important to the main plot, but they need to be said. Additionally further into the chapter and indeed the story itself we'll be diving into theoretical necromancy, which some people may find repugnant. Be warned. On a brighter note there's a decent sized lime at the end of the chapter.

-:-

Chapter Five: Arcane Knowledge

Hermione woke up with the now familiar sensation of Harry's morning wood pressing between the cheeks of her arse. It was hard to believe that not fourteen months ago they had only been close friends. Now here she was with the love of her life holding her close and pressing himself into her back and bum. Sighing happily she snuggled back into him, revelling in the feeling of his rather study body providing a wealth of support for her much more slender frame. He was her rock, emotionally and physically.

It bothered her that, though his body was obviously quite ready to participate in some morning exercise she knew his mind was not. Several times they had gotten close to breaking the long dry spell neither of them had wanted but at the last moment Harry had baulked, visions of his trauma flashing through their mind and thoroughly ruining any kind of amorous mood. Sighing softly she turned in his arms as he slept to observe his sleeping face. She never grew tired of running her hands over his stubbly cheeks in the morning, revelling in their masculine roughness.

Before the end of term Lavender had queried Harry's stubble that he always seemed to have, more why Hermione hadn't had Harry shave it all off. The answer had been quite simply that she liked seeing Harry as a man, not a boy, and his stubble was one part of that. He was far too mature to be called a boy, he was absolutely a man and neither of them wanted him to appear otherwise. She knew Harry took a strange sense of pride in his stubble; she had never bothered to delve into the emotion preferring to puzzle out the motivations behind it herself.

She felt his stirrings of consciousness in the bond and smiled wanly as his smooth unlined face gained a small collection of frown wrinkles and he dropped his jaw in a sleepy yawn. She moved forwards and placed a chaste kiss on his lips, just letting him know she was there if he wasn't cognizant to realize that he had both his hands on her arse. His sleepy query of "Wazzat?" made her smile grow and she moved forwards for a much deeper and more loving kiss. His hands moved further up her back and she sighed softly against his lips.

He held her close, so close she almost wondered if he had finally broken out of his funk. It turned out to simply be a loving kiss however as his mind engaged and he shuffled closer for another sweet kiss. His arms loosened and he moved backwards off the bed, his mind still foggy with sleep as he headed towards the en-suite in a haze. Hermione propped herself up on one elbow, the sheets falling from her shoulder and baring her nude torso to the slightly chill morning air. She couldn't help but admire that arse.

She sighed softly again as she pondered how to help her love, his body was against him these days as the weather got wetter and colder. His old scars stiffened as the weather worsened and she knew from experience that winter mornings were particularly troublesome for him. As it was only autumn it wasn't too bad but she wished there was something more she could do to help him beyond simply being there for him. The aches and stiffness aside his body was still betraying him by abandoning all ideas of stiffness at the most inopportune times. She knew that he was deeply ashamed of his weakness no matter what she said.

It was strange she thought, when rape was discussed normally it was always with the assumption that it was a woman being attacked. And the issues surrounding such events were naturally femininely oriented. But she had noted that the results of Harry's attack were much different. She had read several reports of women becoming skittish around all men, being unable to go near them or have physical contact, often developing phobias surrounding masculinity. For Harry it was slightly different; he was quite comfortable around Hermione, although she suspected that was because she made him feel safe, and he was comfortable enough hugging her mother, probably for the same reasons.

But when it came to any kind of intimacy at all, whether it be sexual or even in their minds he often shied away, certainly he avoided sexual contact of all kinds. It was like the stereotype of masculine isolation and emotional stunting was being enforced by his inability to open up to her. During the holidays he began to withdraw from her mentally but she had refused to give up on him and they had, through great effort, managed to hold onto their bond. That had been one of the most terrifying times of her life, now that she had Harry, had him all for her own in the most fulfilling relationship she could ever imagine, she never wanted to lose him, ever.

When he had finally broken through that hurdle she had hoped that the issues surrounding physical and sexual intimacy would fade soon after. While he had managed to retain his ability to show her affection through hugs and kisses he had become almost completely impotent when it came to the bedroom. Prickly tears sprang to her eyes as she considered how much it hurt him every time he failed to 'rise to the occasion' as it were. The first few times this had happened Hermione had been honestly hurt, thinking that it was Harry's lack of attraction to her that was causing the issue. Harry readily informed her otherwise and had, haltingly, explained his issue.

Since then Harry had become more and more skittish to do with sexual intimacy, unwilling to put him in a position where he might fail her again, where his body might betray him once more. Hermione had done her best to reassure him that she understood but it was hard to reach out to him when the problem was out of their control. It was honestly the biggest stress in their relationship. Hermione turned a bitter thought to the girl who had caused this, intentionally or otherwise.

Fleur Delacour was once their friend, she was the closest either of them had ever had to a true friend that was outside themselves and Ron, bless his soul, but now? Now Fleur was a spike of malcontent between them that was driving a wedge into their relationship, she was a horrific memory of betrayal and hurt for Harry and for Hermione she was a symbol of every issue the pair had between them, the few that they did.

Hermione opened her arms and welcomed Harry back into the bed as he returned from the bathroom, the call of nature satisfied. He wrapped his arms around her and, instantly, she felt her worries evaporate. Here was the most wonderful man in her life, holding her, silently promising her that they would work through this. It was all she could ever ask for and she reminded him of this with a heartfelt kiss.

It would be many minutes until the pair of young lovers was cognizant enough to begin readying for their day. Deep in Harry's mind Hermione noted a spark, a spark of determination and lust, and she had hope that there would be an end to their plight soon; an end to her frustration and their unwanted celibacy, an end to Harry's pain and his unceasing torment.

She hoped, and in the quiet recesses of her mind, and she prayed.

-:-

Breakfast was unnaturally subdued. The school at large was still reeling in shock that Draco and his bodyguards had attempted to kill Harry and Hermione. It wasn't so much that the pair of teenagers was well known by everyone, so it wasn't a personal shock to the residents of the school. Rather it was a worry for their personal safety. Harry was well understood to be the most powerful teenager in the school. His victory in the open duelling competition last year and the spectacular nature of the win had cemented that idea firmly in their minds.

But he had been laid low, by a single spell no less. Cast from the shadows and in surprise. If that could happen to Harry Potter, none of them were safe. To Hermione's surprise most of the teachers also looked worried, Professor McGonagall included. Dumbledore suspiciously seemed oblivious to the school's disquiet.

Never mind the fact that two students had died yesterday, not the ones originally targeted but Hermione knew full well that she had taken two lives. She had been almost insensate the night before; Harry had spent many hours with her in their bed, cradling her sobbing body through the shock of what she had done. She shuddered at the memory; her mind had played tricks on her, made her think her hands were dripping with blood. Eventually Harry had overridden her senses, showing her with his own eyes that no such thing was occurring. It was just one more reminder of why she loved him, why this bond was so important to their lives. She didn't think she would be able to go back to functioning on her own in society if anything ever happened to him.

She could barely even remember what it was like to be alone in her head, barring the brief period last night it had been a long time since they had been separate. She had the memories of course, but they felt muted as if they were being viewed through a screen of falling water, or frosted glass. Just thinking about the time before their bond had formed brought back feelings long buried, her rage at the Dursleys, her desire to make Harry see her as a girl, not just a friend. Events further back like Ron's humour and Ginny's blushing nervousness around harry brought a bitter taste to her mouth. Harry's mind once again swept through hers, banishing the distressing thoughts and bringing her back to the present. She came back to her senses to a wave of tittering from those around them as she realized she had been staring into Harry's eyes for God knows how long.

She grinned and leaned forwards for a chaste kiss before moving back, loving the delighted groans from girls all around them. She felt blessed to have Harry for her very own. He really was an amazing catch. She laughed as he caught hold of that stray thought and made a rather appalling fish impression totally baffling the people around them. The other students must think them totally mad, one laughing her head off hysterically, the other impersonating a fish.

After finishing breakfast they got up together and headed to Arithmancy, leaving a Gryffindor table filled with bewildered faces.

-:-

They were a little shocked by Arithmancy this year, apparently OWL year Arithmancy studies revolved around the study of the interactions between magic itself and the real world, not spells per se, but raw magic that was emitted by magical creatures and phenomenon. A brief glance down the year's syllabus listed a variety of mythological and legendary instances that were apparently the result of raw magic interacting with the physical world.

The list was a long one and included such illustrious names as; The Fountain of Youth, the Bermuda Triangle and to Hermione's great amusement. UFO's. Apparently the source of many science fiction films was actually a result of magical birds of prey obfuscating their location improperly. When she looked for the practical applications and how they would be tested on it she felt her eyes bulge slightly in shock at the five words listed on the parchment.

'Muggle Repelling and Disinteresting Wards'

Her hand shot up immediately and she felt Harry's amusement at her eagerness. Professor Vector seemed rather indifferent however.

"Yes Miss Granger?"

"Sir, are we really going to be studying warding this year?"

"Yes Miss Granger."

Sometimes the professor's complete lack of ability to rise to a student's enthusiasm was disheartening but she couldn't really blame the older man. He taught one of the most rigid disciplines of Magic and as a natural result she supposed he would be rather staid. Suitably subdued she sat calmly as the man continued with his lecture. This would be an interesting term. Already they were tackling advanced magical theory in two different classes on top of their normal work. Not to mention conjuration in Transfiguration and their studies with Professor Umbridge.

She noted Harry's amusement at her enthusiasm and aimed a subtle kick at his shins under the table. His grin erupted into a supressed laugh and Professor Vector turned a baleful glare in his direction.

"Something you wish to share Mr Potter?"

Hermione's smile curled slyly as her boyfriend appeased the stern professor. Yes, this term was going to be excellent.

-:-

Just as the day before the door slammed shut abruptly, this time just after the last of the fifth years had sat down, namely Seamus. Umbridge didn't even give them time to pull out parchment and quills as she launched straight into her lecture. Not one to waste time apparently.

"I'll not be following up on the reading. You were given homework to do, this is your OWL year, and I'm not the one who'll suffer if you don't do it."

Her hand flicked carelessly and if Harry hadn't been watching it intently he would have missed the quick flash of motion as her wand appeared there. The flick turned into a swish and the board was immediately returned to its state from the previous day with all four lists sitting there in her cramped handwriting.

"We discussed Poltergeists and Ghosts yesterday, nothing more than an introduction really but we don't have time for more. Those of you curious to some of the more in depth detail can find many relevant texts in the library, but know that you won't be tested on them in your exams, as I said previously they are merely an introduction into the world of the undead. Today we move on to the least of the dangerous undead, Wraiths and Phantoms.

So far we have dealt with incorporeal undead, and shall continue to do so, that is those undead who have not assumed a physical form. This makes them both easier to banish but more dangerous on the face of things, primarily because they are not constrained by the laws of nature and are able to pass through solid matter to reach their goals or avoid attack, though few are intelligent enough to do so. Firstly then we must identify a separate but not unrelated topic, that being spirits. A spirit is easily defined as the soul of a mortal being no longer attached to its original physical vessel. This is an important definition as it is not undead, merely something that has moved on, all true undead originally were spirits, as they were called back from the Great Beyond.

We shall begin with Wraiths as they are the most common of the incorporeal undead, more common even than ghosts and poltergeists though there are few enough of the latter regardless. Wraiths are the result of a particularly nasty piece of necromancy that ties a spirit to a talisman or trinket. Usually it is something of great personal value to the necromancer in question and it forces the soul to protect the item lest it be banished back to the realms of the damned.

At first the spirits are quite eager to return as the pain of being locked on this plane of existence is quite severe for a spirit that has passed on. However with time the pain breaks down the spirit until it becomes a wraith, that Is the merest shadow of its former self, a hollow copy of the original spirit broken down to its basest form, that is a creature that desires only a body of its own. Muggles often call these creatures demons as they are responsible for what many muggles claim as 'possession', this is because when a wraith contacts a living being it forces its way into the body and inhabits it.

The result is a creature that is quite insane locked in a physical shell and quite unconcerned about its own safety. For so long as the trinket to which it is bound remains intact the creature can jump into a variety of hosts forcing itself upon them until they perish. It is a horrific fate for any spirit to succumb to, not least of which because it is one of the rare instances of the corruption of the immortal soul of a once living being. This is particularly distressing when one considers that the soul is, as far as we can tell, totally immortal and wraiths will remain insane for the rest of time."

Harry shared an uneasy glance with Hermione. Their souls were linked indefinitely now, what would be to happen if one day in the far future one of them was turned into a wraith? Would they both suffer for all time? It made him shiver at the thought.

"Fortunately it is somewhat easy to protect oneself from inhabitation with a sorcerous shield. Wraiths being almost entirely pure magic cannot pass through the barrier, much in the same way that a patronus protects it's caster from a Dementor by creating a wall between him or her and the Lethifold. The sorcery shield creates an impassable wall in the path of an attacking Wraith. Banishing them is, as was discussed yesterday, a seventh year topic, suffice it to say that destroying a Wraith's anchor is the only way to banish it, with certain procedure of course. However if you should ever encounter one of these tortured souls a simple full body sorcery shield will suffice to defend you from it. Can everyone here produce such a barrier?"

The six Gryffindors all nodded and the intimidating woman gave a jerky nod before continuing. She was standing behind her chair, leaning on the back of it in a relaxed fashion, her cloak was draped over her desk and her hat was as usual pressed firmly on her head.

"Identifying a Wraith is challenging unlike Dementors they do not produce any kind of aural effect that heralds their presence and they are usually completely silent, and as such are excellent ambush hunters if they retain the intelligence to act in such a fashion. Be very wary if you ever explore any kind of ruin or abandoned structure as those are key locations for Wraith anchors to be hidden. Necromancers are almost always immune to the touch of Wraiths they summon; only particularly weak willed practitioners are ever at risk of falling prey to their own defences.

Identifying a wraith then relies entirely upon sight. They move somewhat slowly as, with no physical means of propelling themselves, they use the lambent magical energies still left within them to attack their prey. Wraiths lose energy as they age but inhabiting a magical being, a wizard or a witch most commonly, will revitalize them however and they are at their most dangerous directly after leaving a host as they are typically exceptionally fast and will recover a measure of their former intelligence, a wraith in such a state will attempt to regain a form that can manipulate the physical world, though few are successful. They are common only because many Wraiths still exist who's anchors have never been found; questions?"

For the first time in memory no one raised their hand. All six of the Gryffindors looked about in a bemused fashion before focusing on the Professor once more.

"Excellent, let's move on then to Phantoms. Like Wraiths, Phantoms are bound to this plane by a necromantic spell, most commonly a ritual. Unlike Wraiths, Phantoms are bound to locations, not objects. Much like Ghosts and Poltergeists, Phantoms will inhabit a structure, a copse of trees, or a cave; sometimes even a river or lake. Unlike Ghosts and Poltergeists they are very dangerous. A Phantom is only partially incorporeal; they gain physical abilities depending on their current energy levels and can even take a solid form if enough energy is stolen, in this way Wraiths and Phantoms share a common goal. They are also masterful tricksters, able to ensnare their targets with guile before trapping them, usually in a house or other such structure, where they will proceed to drain the life of their hapless victim.

In this respect they are comparable to the Venus flytrap. They will lure their victims in, sometimes with images of a lost loved one or perhaps piles of riches, and then they will trap their target and drain them, much the same a flytrap lures a fly and then traps it for digestion. They are also comparable to Vampires although they are potentially a much more dangerous being as they are hard to escape from and can strike almost without warning; though someone who is not easily fooled will have little trouble escaping a Phantom's trap. Some Phantoms, particularly extremely old ones, are able to manipulate physical objects in a magical manner, levitating candles is a common trick, though some are far more elaborate. Never underestimate the cunning and intelligence of a phantom, unlike a Wraith they are not bound so painfully and retain all of their guile, though it is twisted into darkness.

They can skim the thoughts of those around them, learning their secrets and there have been reports of Phantoms reading books in libraries around them improving upon their already formidable stores of knowledge. Identifying such a creature requires you to keep your eyes peeled for anything that seems just a bit too good to be true; often it will only be subtle but do not trust your eyes when you are in unexplored territory. Defending yourself against them is fortunately just as simple as it was to defend from a Wraith, so simple in fact that the same method is used. A simple sorcerous shield will drastically slow the life draining effects which will manifest as tiredness and fatigue. If you begin to experience these traits suddenly and without warning leave your current location immediately.

As you have probably realized these two undead are uncannily similar. It is mostly due to the purpose they serve, both are used as a defence against those who would intrude upon an area not meant for them. Wraiths often guard treasure vaults and Phantoms ancient crypts. Their original use was by the Egyptians to guard a Pharaoh's relics. Later they switched to Mummies, which we shall learn about at a later date!"

Harry was busy scribbling down the shorthand of her lecture which Harry had already memorized most of. She spoke in a clear manner that was easy for him to follow despite her slight rambling moments. He was thankful that she returned promptly to the point when she did so however. Hermione who had already finished her writing saw the Professor look at her hourglass, apparently calculating the time left in the class, apparently it was sufficient as she smacked the palm of her hand on the chair in front of her, achieving silence instantly in the wake of the talking that had sprung up.

"We have just enough time to cover Inferi and Skeletons, the weakest of the physical undead."

The class fell silent and Harry perked his ears up, by Umbridge's own admission these were the kinds of undead most commonly used by the Dark Witches and Wizards of the world. If Harry was a betting man he'd say Voldemort would summon these at some point to do his bidding.

"Firstly I want to reiterate that neither Inferi or Skeletons have a spirit within them, they are False Undead and should be treated when encountered as no more than the charmed anatomy that they are. Inferi are known by many names across the world, Zombies, Jiangshi, Hollows, or simply 'The Dead', but they are all one in the same animated corpses with little to no intelligence, and what intelligence they do have is artificial, crafted into them with runes or spells. Accordingly they can be wildly unpredictable depending on who enchanted them. A few years back a group of dormant Inferi were stumbled upon that proceeded to slaughter all the sheep in a village no one really knows why. That said they still killed everyone they came across, never forget that these creatures are the servants of those who hold no value for human life, or the life of any sentient being for that matter. They would as soon see you dead so that you can become fuel for their arts.

Identifying Inferi is remarkably simple, they will be a corpse, devoid of colour, clammy, slightly rotted shambling, although swift when enchanted correctly. Fire is your best defence against them, if not a powerful blasting sorcel or curse. De limb them and they become useless, go for the arms first if you can, else the shoulders or upper chest, beheading them does little, remember they are simply animated corpses, their brains have no value and they are guided by magic so their senses are moot. Fire of any kind will quickly catch on to an Inferi and incinerate them in seconds; I believe Professor McGonagall is teaching you Conjuration? The fire spell Ignis Exorior is an excellent defence against them, questions?"

No one raised their hands again and Harry chuckled under his breath, as did Neville. It was slightly surreal. Harry turned back to the front of the class to see Professor Umbridge taking a sip from a glass filled with the same strange tonic, he wondered not for the first time what brew she was drinking in that glass. Her voice returned to the room in full strength a half second later.

"If Inferi are the reanimated corpses of the dead, Skeletons then are a slightly simpler version of the art. Instead of muscles and other organs that surround the bones having to move along with them, it is merely the bones themselves that need locomotion. Strangely this lack of padding doesn't seem to hinder the creatures much as they are frequently too thin to hit easily with spells. It was also a common practise to soak the skeletons in Skelegrow or perform other rituals to increase their durability. The use of Skeletons has fallen out of favour of late in the necromantic circles as wizarding families have begun placing so called 'Rest in peace' wards on the graces of their ancestors and Muggle graveyards in Britain are mostly looted of their remains now regardless.

Most Necromancers don't want to wait for the dead to decompose to a state where skeletisation is applicable and simply create Inferi instead. Skeletons however have some traits that Inferi do not that make them a slightly superior choice: They are nimble for starters, and far more dexterous than their fleshy cousins. It is also possible to imbue them with a cunning intelligence, we have seen this many times in Skeleton hordes but we still are yet to understand how exactly it is achieved when no soul is involved.

Most Skeletons can wield weapons if needed but even without them they are unnaturally strong and are capable of tearing a fully grown man limb from limb. Do not engage them in close quarters under any circumstances, and use the 'Protego' shield spell rather than a sorcery shield as it won't help you at all against a skeleton's attack. Your best defence is rapidly fired high strength cutting curses or blasting curses, sorcels are equally effective. Aim your blasting attacks at their feet, if you can break their legs you can remove most of their mobility, and then aim your cutters at joints or the spine. A skeleton's enchantment will involve automatic repair charms that will seek to reunite the skeleton's pieces together to create a whole, if you can overwhelm the energy imbued into the spells that do this they will crumble to a loose collection of inert bones."

Harry noted with curiosity that she took very measured sips from that glass. It might just be a quirk of her nature but it could be something more.

"Identifying skeletons is, as you can probably imagine, somewhat simple, they are plainly obvious and really should need no instruction from me, if you are unsure you can look up the relevant diagrams in your text book in chapter four. Right, that's all we have time for today, I want you all to revise the chapters we've covered this week, that's chapters one to four, and if you get spare time read ahead to the next classes' chapter on Mummies and Draugr."

As Harry was packing up he caught a stab of disgruntlement from Hermione, looking curiously at her he cocked an eyebrow, waiting for an explanation.

"She hasn't set any essays yet, I've already done the reading, what am I supposed to do for homework?"

Harry rolled his eyes, only Hermione could be worried about not getting enough homework, let alone on the second day of school.

"How about you research that arithmantic equation for Incorporeal Magical Expenditure?"

The kiss she gave him was far too exuberant than what he thought the situation demanded but he wasn't complaining. They had just gotten into the corridor and she had pressed him up against the wall in an unusually aggressive move. After she pulled back he got an explanation for her attack.

"You're just so thoughtful, I imagine most other boys would just scoff and drop the issue but you actually had a solution for me, thank you love."

Harry scratched the back of his head nervously, he was still terrible at taking compliments and praise and they both knew it.

"It's the least I can do for you love."

He was ready this time when she launched herself back into his arms and he kissed her back firmly, only to break apart with a yelp when a stinging hex smacked him in the arm.

"Five points each from Gryffindor you two, no public displays of affection in the hallways."

Harry shot an apologetic look at Professor Umbridge who had just left her class

"Sorry Ma'am."

"Just don't let me catch you again, I know you two are bonded and all but you aren't above the rules, now of to lunch with both of you."

-:-

The two teens didn't look back as they headed to lunch, Victoria Umbridge kept a close eye on them as they went down the hallway before returning to her office. Sitting heavily in her chair she let her glamours fall. Where previously sat an enticingly beauteous woman sat instead a horrifically scarred wretch. The skin of her face was almost non-existent and her tongue could be seen through the hollow in her cheek between the strands of muscle. Her chin had a deep crack in it and her nose was half sheared away, cartilage and all. The right side of her face was significantly better off with skin over her cheek and nose, but the lower half of her jaw and neck were horribly disfigured. Groaning she took another sip of her tonic and felt it cover her tongue, keeping it from drying out and adding a layer of moisture on her palate.

The glass was set down carefully before she pulled a decanter from a cupboard in her desk with a watery crimson liquid filling it past three quarters. She took a champagne coupe from the same place and filled it modestly with the watery liquid. Sniffing it delicately she took a greedy draw from the glass, tilting her head slightly so that the liquid did not spill from her exposed cheek on the left side of her face in a well-practised motion. When the glass was drained she set it back on the desk and cleansed it before putting it and the decanter away.

Instantaneously the scarring on her face lifted and fresh skin flowed over her face knitting seamlessly into her existing dermis. Almost immediately though it began to peel at the edges, flaking slightly, grimacing the Unspeakable recast her glamours. It was a hassle to be taking multiple potions daily to keep her condition at bay but it was a necessary evil to fulfil the terms of her contract here. As soon as she got back to the ministry she was going to take a long bath in the revitalization tanks though. She was too old for this crap.

-:-

Lunch was significantly more boisterous than breakfast had been, apparently the school had forgotten it's earlier melancholy and Hermione had no idea how to feel about that. She was happy that people were getting on with their lives, but at the same time she felt a pang of hurt that people didn't care more that Harry had been attacked. If it had been her she would have understood; she was only a muggleborn after all. But here they were turning their backs on the scion of one of the oldest Wizarding families. Surely that should have mattered to them longer than a single breakfast?

Again, she was happy that people weren't dwelling on it too much, brooding did no one any good, but at the same time she was annoyed on Harry's behalf. The curling of said man's fingers around her own brought a soft smile to her lips and she sent it to him with a grateful look. Silently he let go of her hand and turned to his lunch, sending a stream of love at her over the bond almost subconsciously.

She glanced down at her day planner and nearly groaned, double potions with the Slytherins after lunch, wonderful. Harry beside her caught her thought and actually did groan, she couldn't help but laugh at him from behind her hand as he sank forwards and carefully rested his forehead against the table mumbling about being too tired to deal with the 'slimy snakes'. Resisting the urge to giggle, Hermione Granger does not giggle, she tugged on his arm and mind, urging him up so that he could eat before they had to face the Slytherins again for the first time since last night.

Glancing at the green and silver table she locked eyes with Tracy and Daphne, the two girls were looking at her with amused smiles, not cruelly amused, but a sort of carefree amusement she had no idea Slytherins could possess. She realized they had probably laughed about Harry's pantomime as well. Hermione had a hard time gauging those two, she had been certain last year that they had a crush on Harry, but they had always been totally supportive of their relationship and, more to the point had been their only allies in Slytherin, ever.

Harry was complaining good naturedly under his breath about the whole situation but Hermione, still grinning, was able to get him down to the dungeons with time to spare.

-:-

"In fourteen sixty eight, a witch by the name of Luciphille laid out the groundwork for what would eventually become Mergot's law. That is that any potion, no matter its density, can only have dissolved into it one eighth of the volume of its constituent solid ingredients at the moment of induction of Dovernian Plimpie eye powder. Why is this significant? Because Dovernian plimpie eye powder is the strongest stabilizing agent known to wizard kind. Any potion, no matter how volatile, can be stabilized with this powder. This allows us to make some of the more esoteric potions known including the Draught of Clarity and Golpalot's stitching brew. Usually these potions detonate when their final ingredient is added as the combination of substances mixes creating an explosion."

Harry was a little gobsmacked, not by what Snape was saying, Hermione had already read this passage in her text book and, through her, Harry had read it as well. No it was the fact that he was speaking at all. Traditionally Snape set instructions on the board and then left the students to it, what had happened to shift the normally taciturn professor into a lecturer? Harry had no idea.

"Today you simpletons will be learning the appropriate way to determine the correct volume of powder you can add to your potion when it is required. You will be creating the relatively harmless strengthening solution, but every five minutes you will remove exactly five hundred millilitres of fluid from your cauldron and sluice it with the sluicing charm. Weigh the solid matter you receive from the charm and discern what the weight of one eight of the total will be.

After calculating this number you will note down your results and determine the rate at which the volume of solid matter inside the cauldron is increasing over time. Using your results you should be able to calculate the correct amount of powder that you would add to your cauldron at the instant before you add your final ingredient to the mix, exactly as you would if you were brewing a potion that actually required the power"

Harry breathed a sigh of relief as the usual modus operandi returned and the sallow skinned potions master flicked his wand at the board putting the instructions for the Strengthening solution on the board. A thought occurred to him and he asked Hermione in the bond as they began moving.

"Why can't we just total up the amount of solid matter that we need to add to the potion and then divide that by eight? Wouldn't we get the same result?"

Hermione huffed slightly, a mental sound that she had perfected, before answering him in her best instructional manner.

"Because over time the solid matter in the cauldron will dissolve at a constant rate into the unfinished potion, that's why you never drink a potion with any solid lumps in it, what we're trying to do in this exercise is discover exactly what the rate is that the solids are dissolving."

Harry nodded to himself that made sense, but…

"Why can't we just add more of the powder anyway? Why is it so important to add this exact amount?"

Hermione shot him an approving smile, he knew she loved it when he actually asked questions, tried to learn more. Despite their bond she still knew more than he did, she had libraries of information in her mind that would take him years to fully codex and identify. As it was however she was still encyclopaedic in her knowledge and he would be a fool not to ask questions of her.

"Too much and it nullifies the magic in the potion rendering it into so much foul muck. Too little and the potion doesn't stabilize properly, some potions actually call for this as the minor reaction caused by the unstable potion can actually catalyse the ingredients into something much greater than the sum of their parts. Chances are that will be the next topic."

Harry nodded, satisfied with her response and the answers he had got. He knew she had a much deeper understanding of the topic than she was letting on, he also knew that she was dumbing it down ever so slightly for him. He freely admitted that she was brighter than him, they had their strengths and weaknesses, and Hermione's razor sharp intelligence was one of her greatest strengths, Harry would never begrudge her that.

The first hour of the class passed with amicability that Harry had never experienced before in potions, then almost as if planned (And he wouldn't put it past the over grown bat) The moment they shifted into the second half of the lesson Snape was there at Harry's cauldron and the campaign of insults continued. Harry did his best to grit his teeth and bear it but if it hadn't been for Hermione's support in the bond he would have snapped at his teacher and landed himself in detention.

When the class finally ended Harry was fuming and ready to snap at anyone who rubbed him the wrong way, a poor Ravenclaw third year nearly copped his wrath when he accidentally barrelled straight into the angry fifth year. Once again Hermione was the only thing stopping him from lashing out. When they got back to their rooms she turned to him and sat him down with a furious expression on her face, internally he cringed.

"That bastard!"

Harry blinked, he had been so sure she was about to reprimand him for nearly attacking that third year but instead she was clearly talking about Snape. Harry was a touch ashamed that he hadn't picked up on the mien of her thoughts sooner; he had a direct link to her mind for Merlin's sake, but he had been so wrapped up in his anger that he had missed her thoughts completely. Silently he vowed to be better in the future.

"I want the balls of that ugly, foul, slimy, loathsome, twat of a child on the head's table in front of saint Dumbledore tomorrow for breakfast, I'm going to tear out his eyes and desiccate them for potions powder and see if they can be used as a stabilizing agent then I'm going to rip off his..."

Harry's jaw dropped slightly lower with every passing second as his girlfriend and bond mate mouthed of in such a spectacular fashion that it left him stunned. Never before had he heard her use such foul language. She was using insults and invective that he had never even heard before, probably virtue of growing up in a muggle neighbourhood and not being locked inside every day. He sent a thought heavenwards hoping that somehow Ron was witnessing this phenomenon of verbal dexterity as clearly as he was.

"… and if he ever so much as sniffs in your direction again I'm going to use his greasy, filthy head as a kindling in the Gryffindor common room for the first years to warm up to this winter."

Harry decided she'd run her course and stood quickly enveloping her in a hug, only to note the strangely smug thoughts running through her mind, holding her at arm's length he said with amusement.

"You were distracting me."

She grinned slyly at him

"You're damn right I was, short of ripping off your clothes and shagging you this was the quickest way I could think of."

Harry blushed crimson, no matter how many times they were intimate (Admittedly none as of late), the idea of having actual sex with Hermione always sent him straight into blush mode. It was something he was looking forward to with great eagerness but he wanted to wait, as did she, for a variety of reasons.

"Surely you could have just kissed me?"

She cocked an eyebrow at him

"Give me some credit Harry, I already thought of that, but let's face it you have the mental ability to kiss me and be angry at Snape at the same time. I needed to shock you, and I really hate slapping you it hurts me almost as much as it hurts you, literally."

His hand came up, almost of its own accord, and cupped her cheek, his thumb gently caressing her skin.

"Thank you."

It was all that needed saying, slowly he took her into his arms and kissed her with as much passion as he could summon at that point. It was quite a bit and they were nearly late to dinner.

-:-

When they finally did reach the great hall with much more relaxed expressions it was to a bit of a shock, Hedwig was waiting for them at their usual places with a letter on her leg. This was particularly strange as normally Hedwig would search them out and attempt to deliver the letter as soon as possible. Frowning Hermione took the letter when Harry's familiar held its leg out to her.

Curiously she broke the seal on the letter (A capital 'M' embossed into a circle of candle wax) and read through it frowning at its contents. It was a letter from the ministry that she guessed was somewhat generic as it covered the details of the trial that she apparently still had to go to. Harry turned to her and she met his eyes exchanging a brief flurry of thoughts with him. Their minds were one on this matter, talk to Umbridge tomorrow, and if that didn't settle the matter, go to Dumbledore.

Setting the letter aside she loaded her plate and shared a silent conversation with Harry as they enjoyed their evening meal, the taint of the ministry letter sitting between them like an omen.

-:- Lime in this section.-:-

They obliterated their homework that night in record time and penned a letter to the elder Grangers, eager to update them on their first two days back, also eager to reassure them that they were both fine, they weren't sure if Dumbledore had sent a letter to them informing them of what had happened yesterday evening but they filled out the details themselves in the letter so as to avoid confusion.

When at last they set the letter aside Harry took Hermione's hand and tugged her lightly to the bed. Heart fluttering at the romantic gesture she tugged off her shirt where it joined his on the floor and sat next to him where he was positioned against the headboard and snuggled into his chest, humming happily as he held her.

"I love you."

It had always been rare for him to vocalise his love for her, especially with the bond and how they could talk between themselves in total silence. She personally preferred speaking aloud when they were alone, she did so love his voice. He clearly had something on his mind though so she quietly said 'I love you too' and waited for him to get whatever he was thinking about off his chest. She could of course have simply dipped into his mind to get the information, but he clearly thought this bore speaking about and she would let him do that.

"Earlier today, you knew exactly what I needed to break me out of my funk at Snape; you've been there for me through everything, Snape, The tournament, The Graveyard, Fleur. I don't know if I've ever told you just how much I appreciate how much you do for me, without me ever asking, or hinting that I need help, you know, and you're there for me. So thankyou love, thank you for everything you do for me on a daily basis. I don't know where I'd be without you but, chances are, I wouldn't be here at all."

She felt a rush of pride at his words, she knew of course how much she mattered to him, and she could feel it from him every day. And while they weren't mentally in each other's pockets, sharing every thought and feeling like they could be, she knew full well exactly how grateful he was. But to have him make a point of saying it, when he could just as easily have let it pass them by, meant more to her than she thought it would. Humming again she nuzzled his chest and kissed him once on his bare skin.

"You're welcome love, I'd be a somewhat poor girlfriend if I had all this access to what's going on in your life and I just left you to fend for yourself."

What came next she wasn't ready for, she felt dampness on her head and looked up to see him gazing at the far wall, his eyes brimming with tears, one of which had escaped and, having run down his cheek and chin, dripped onto her hair. She went to move up his body to comfort him but he held her, gently but firmly in place. She understood, he needed this time, to say whatever it was that was bothering him, and if she interrupted him it might break the gumption he had summoned.

"That's just it, you're an amazing girlfriend, an amazing bond mate, you anticipate my needs, you look after me better than I could ever ask for, and you care for me as if it's second nature. And how do I repay you? With ignorance and thoughtlessness; when was the last time I was even remotely close to equalling the care you show for me?"

Her hand came up and cupped his cheek, pulling his gaze to hers. She spoke then, with a tone that brooked no argument.

"This Harry, this is why I love you. Any other man would have simply carried on, going about their day with nary a care for me, but here you are tearing up over your perceived lack of attention to me. You ask when you last equalled my care for you. You do it every day, the gentle touches when we're walking to let me know you're still there, every time you hold a door for me without thinking, or rub my feet in the evenings as if it were the simplest thing in the world. All of that Harry and so much more is how you equal my devotion to you. More than once I've caught you wondering how to keep that locket you got me for my birthday a secret, don't worry I already know and I love you for it all the more."

She reached up and kissed him soundly before settling back against his chest, peppering it with small kisses between words

"You… do… more… than… enough… love."

He started laughing then, that open honest sound that she found herself craving more often than not. It was a pure sound, free of artifice or deceit as he truly let loose. His voice, that strong rich masculine voice that she loved to hear rang forth, confident now, the sadness and self-loathing purged from it like so much mud washed from a golden plaque.

"Enough gorgeous, that tickles. C'mere you, time for payback."

She shrieked playfully, all thoughts of their serious discussion vanished as his arms hooked around her waist as she tried to flee, tugging her back onto the bed where he proceeded to tickle her mercilessly. Growling playfully she wriggled out of his grasp, only to turn and tackle him to the bed kissing him soundly and pushing his hands down on either side of his head. He tried to buck her off with his hips but she had her legs around his waist, knees pinning him down, and was refusing to be moved.

She moved lower, nipping at his neck before suckling hard at his pulse. Abruptly his laughs turned to a throaty moan and she felt her panties soak at the rich masculine sound. Just like that the mood shifted, where playful it was not sexual and for the first time in months Hermione felt his arousal rising between her legs with him fully awake and aware. She threw her mind at his, meshing them together intimately, hoping to purge his mind of the thoughts that had until now ended their trysts before they could begin.

Strangely though she couldn't find any hint of the dreaded memories, only a deep lust that had her shuddering in desire. She moved lower, taking care to grind her centre against his cock as she moved lower and she was heartened at the sound of another throaty moan ripping from his throat and the answering buck that his hips made against hers.

His voice rose again and she pulled back to lock her eyes on his at the words

"I want you."

It was such a simple statement but one that carried massive weight for her. This was it, the moment she had been waiting for since the graveyard. He had finally broken through that last barrier of pain and was hers again. She didn't waste any time.

Her hand snaked into his briefs and wrapped securely around his length, which was rock hard and twitched in her hand. She groaned at the feeling, it had been too long. She felt a sense of feminine pride that his attraction to her had finally broken through his mental strife. That pride spiked when his hands moved up her chest to her bra covered breasts. Some kind of magic passed through his hands into her chest and she moaned in sheer pleasure at the feeling and abruptly she felt her naked skin on his hands. Glancing down she noted that whatever he had done had removed her bra as well as apparently stimulating her, she wondered which part of that was the main purpose of the spell.

He reprimanded her for thinking such thoughts in their passion and obliterated the differences between them, seeking a deeper joining.

They didn't know who's hand pumped their length, who's lips sucked at their breasts. They were one now, a single entity with the sole objective of bringing as much mutual pleasure to both bodies that it possibly could without succumbing to the temptation of intercourse. Their cock was engulfed in a feminine mouth which proceeded to suck hard, tongue flattened on the underside as their cock was drawn deeply into the warm wet throat that so eagerly welcomed it.

Maybe an hour passed, maybe it was two perhaps three? Orgasms weren't the goal, although they were delicious side effects, rather it was a reconnecting of sorts, a reaffirmation of their affection for one another, the physical aspect of their relationship that had been on hold for months. As the light in the Scottish sky faded in the window to blackness the two teens remained wrapped around one another, touching, kissing, caressing, licking, stroking, and fingering.

They separated several times during the night, and each was for a new experience, boldness and inquisitiveness driving an experimental urge in both of them. Hermione was the first to use a finger on her partner's arse after a quick cleansing charm. It was reciprocated soon after as Harry drove her to orgasm with his tongue in her folds. She took him between her breasts at one point, him fucking her cleavage with a lustful stroke. Later he sucked on her toes, delighting in her moans of pleasure.

It was erotic and sensual, beautiful and passionate, and at the end when they were curled up together under the covers of their bed, totally spent and panting with exhaustion they could only smile and Hermione's smile was the broadest of all. He was hers again, mind, heart, and finally body. And she had given herself to him gloriously, fully seven times her cum had flowed over his fingers or tongue, two of those with his fingers buried in her ass pumping in time with the thrusting of his tongue between her folds, and once over his cock as she rode him, grinding him lengthways across her clit and giving them both pleasure without penetration.

She had urged him on and had exulted in his expression of love as he spilled himself across his stomach. She hadn't let his cum go to waste though; it was just too delicious to leave sitting there to go cold and sticky. Twice he had cum in her mouth, once down her throat as he roughly fucked her mouth, her mental urgings pushing him on, and once over her tongue as she revelled in the taste. That second time he had cum with her finger massaging his prostate from the inside, and he had moaned exquisitely as he pulsed inside her mouth, flooding her oral cavity with his spunk.

She felt utterly divine as she lay there in his arms, her body aching pleasantly from the workout it had received and her nether regions fluttering in post orgasmic bliss. They were both sweaty, and stinking of cum and her own fluids. But they were happy, satiated and deeply in love, and they fell asleep still wrapped in each other's arms, both too tired to care about anything else but the bond mate in their arms. In the days to come they would yearn for this feeling of completeness and satisfaction, for it would elude them for some time.

-:- Lime, and the chapter, ends -:-

AN4: Another late one huh? I'm not feeling hugely inspired at the moment for whatever reason but here you are. A little under quota for words, but hey, I can't produce 10K words all the time, I'm not perfect.

AN5: A bit of a gripe here, someone (In a review of deceit) mentioned that they were bothered with the constant relationship references and sections of the chapters and how the characters often extoll each other's virtues. I'm sorry I wasn't aware I was writing a pair of middle aged house parents, have you ever been a teenager in love? The merits of your partner are practically the only thing you can think of half the time, and I can't speak for women but I sure as hell know that as a guy I'm more likely to see the good side of my partner rather than the bad, especially in the first few months. The fact that they're still like this is because they're bonded in their freaking minds. They can't help but be reminded of the reasons they love each other every freaking day. And aside from that this is still a damn love story despite the dark overtones. Get, over, it.

-:-Rant over. -:-

AN6: Review responses:

Jslll54 and Texan Muggle: Thanks you two, I wouldn't have even noticed if someone hadn't pointed it out. I've had this problem with fanfic a few times actually where the site accidentally selects the wrong document to attach to a chapter despite telling me it's the right one when I select it.

Lupinesence: Thanks, I'm happy you enjoyed the lesson there's going to be more ;.; it would be a shame if it bored you.

Beyond the sea: Who got cared up indeed? The news won't reach them for some time, Dumbles being Dumbles after all. And yeah, Umbridge has a few creepy surprises, not a demon, but I won't say more.

Pairingmatters: She is isn't she? I was hoping that would be apparent

Shadow Dragon: Hey, why limit them to one element? With sorcery as powerful and varied as it is and magic being magic why would a persona be able to only learn one type of 'elemental' magic. More to the point why is it significant? Why use a spear of ice when a jab or piercing hex does the same thing? Why use a wall of fire when with a bit of manipulation sorcery can achieve the same? Conjuration is more about control and learning than actual practical applications, remember, this isn't a video game where things have resistances requiring different elements to circumvent, these are people, in a real battle situation, they aren't going to fuck around with fire and ice and lighting and boulders when a sorcel or curse can do the same thing quicker. As a side note I personally don't like 'shadow' as an element, I'm more classical with the whole 4 elements shtick and if you see any 'showy' Elementalism within the fics it will be along those lines, as for why teach them at all if it's so useless? Why teach students how to turn a matchstick into a pin? Training, teaching them a process, same thing here. I'm honestly not sure how I'm going to tackle Harry's critter (That is such a fitting name for them) in the race, I almost feel like it would be cheating to have him pitted against them, maybe have him help judge? Idk. With the animagus transformation I feel the same way about that that I do about the elemental magic, it's mostly just showy, although in Harry's case it has emotional connections… We'll see. I certainly don't have plans for them to learn it yet, and as for sorcery? What is there not to learn, it's a branch of magic dedicated to bringing the user's will into a physical plane of existence, where are the limits again? When will they ever stop learning? My god that was a long reply to a review, sheesh, anyways, thanks for your review it was a good read and asked good questions.

Imortalgee: *zips lips* I didn't say anything of the sort good sir I don't know where you got that atrocious idea ;.;. Also, Emma and Dan aren't dying, I'll give you guys that one as a freebie. As for other members of the order? Eh… maybe. I'm not hugely attached to them and they don't serve much of a purpose as of yet, maybe in the next book.

Anotherboarduser: I can't ask for a better response, fun, exciting, and engaging, excellent thanks for your review!

Issis: *Blushes* Well I mean I could be up for some legilimency if it meant I got to meet such an avid fan. Also yes, you may bow to the almighty Lucian.

Jaymekaerns: Gah, must, prevent more, blushing. Thank you!

Alright folks, that's it for another chapter, thanks for reading and other shenanigans it's always greatly appreciated. Stop in next time for: Chapter Six: Q&A, whereupon a taciturn member of the Deception series cast comes back into the spotlight and Hermione avoids jail.

LGreymark