Chapter 18

Love is also a Bond

"But how can that be! How I feel about her!" Harry stood there in front of Dumbledore as if he was lying to him.

"I'm afraid it's true, Harry. A Conk can only be magically bonded to one wizard, the one she is meant for. What you feel is that of love, but not just any love, a love for a Conk female…and her love for you can create the belief that you two can be bonded also. But a Conk's love can also create it's on connection…"

"So, there is no way to truly make her mine?" Harry seemed to crumple in the chair across from Dumbledore's desk as if defeated.

Dumbledore looked at Harry with a small smile, "she is already yours, Harry…love is also a bond. And though it isn't the kind you were hoping for, perhaps it is best not to seek such a thing as to possess someone and make them into something else, other then themselves?"

"I don't WANT to change her, I want her to be happy, I want to take care of her…and I don't care if she makes me into any GREAT wizard. I was just hoping that if I had her, he couldn't just take her away and force her, he couldn't if we were already…I just want her to be safe…"

He had heard what he needed to hear and Dumbledore would not have divulged this information if he felt that Harry was seeking to OWN Hessa. Though he didn't think that Harry would fail the test, it was easy to get lost in one's own wants. "Then…there can be a way…"

Harry sat up in amazement, "but how…, you just said…?"

"I had to make sure, Harry. Absolutely sure that you were ready, because it involved Hessa too." Harry sat still, waiting for whatever information he could get. "There is a potion, it will take some time to make, about two full weeks. Ms. Granger can assist you and I know she would be most happy to do it and would be successful." The old wizard took out a piece of parchment and a very old book from the shelf, Harry watched as he turned the pages and saw the words 'The love bond potion for a Conk female'. It always amazed him how Dumbledore seemed to have magic to just about everything.

Harry bit his lip in eagerness to get a hold of the precious piece of parchment and the questions he had; would it hurt her? Would it hurt him? Did she have to drink it or did he? Was there a time frame? Before he knew it, the parchment was in front of him. He gently took it as if it would fall apart and then placed it deep in his shirt pocket so it wouldn't fall out.

"After the potion is created, there is no necessary time frame unlike the original bond. You must take it just before you consummate the bond and the rest will take care of itself. But DO NOT be intimate with her before then, Harry. The same rules apply as always until you take that potion, you could go insane with want of her if you do."

"Yes," he said with excitement but tried to suppress it. "I'm just surprised you aren't more…cordial, I guess."

Dumbledore smiled with knowing and love, "you are a young man now, Harry and you are in love, it is bound to happen some time.

"Thank you, professor," Harry left immediately and out of the gates of Hogwart's , knowing full well he owed Dumbledore one more thing and apparated.

……………………………………………………………………………

Harry was impatient to say the least and was driving Hermione crazy, "are you SURE you can't hurry the ingredients?"

"Yes, Harry," Hermione glared as she once again stirred the potion for the third time, counter clockwise as said in the potion's instructions. "And if you keep distracting me, you'll have to wait ANOTHER two weeks!"

"All right!" Harry shut the door behind him.

Hessa walked down the hallway and saw Harry leaving in frustration once again, "Harry, you haven't been bothering Hermione again, have you?" She smiled and shook her head, almost giggling to herself.

"I'm sorry, I know I should just let her concentrate, but it's just so FRUSTRATING," he grabbed and hugged Hessa hard. "You just don't know how much I want you, to not be able touch you like I want," his grip became firm on her neck. Harry had gotten nearly impossible to control, every time they were alone he nearly attacked her and even gotten slightly rough when she tried to distance herself, but it was only because she knew what would happen if they did this too early. He'd eventually come to his senses and control himself but he'd leave angry and frustrated and not at all concerned that he had hurt her sometimes. Yet, he had always been like this around her, even when they were younger…

They kissed passionately in the hallway, he was bulging through his pants again and backed her into a dark corner of the hallway, "Harry…"

"I don't know if I can resist this anymore…," he said clenching his jaw.

"Just a few more days, if you try to now you could end up like Lucius Malfoy…you would kill me knowing that Draco would have to give me to you…and the potion may not take affect if we've already…"

"I know…but…," he backed her up tighter against the corner and started to push open her legs, thankfully she was wearing jeans…otherwise it would be even more tempting. Hessa loved how big he felt and she was swooning under his touch but she had to stop this now or if she tried to stop it later…he would rape her, she knew this because he told her he would, it was a very disturbing moment, yet she understood it and almost even wanted him to but the consequences were too great.

"Harry…stop…"

"I know…I don't want to…," he held her even tighter, turning his head and eyeing one of the bedrooms.

"Harry…no…," she started to panic. If he did this, he would become insane with jealousy over any man who even looked at her and even Draco wasn't that bad. At this point she could use her abilities against him, but Hessa didn't want to harm him. She was trying to slide out from underneath him but he wouldn't let her. "Please, let me go…"

She was trapped inbetween his outstretched arms as he tried to rationalize, and once again Hessa tried to slide out but he grabbed her from behind, clamping his large hand over her mouth, "not this time…" Harry was dragging her into one of the spare bedrooms and shut the door. He held her struggling as he cast silencing charms on the room and locked the door, then continued to drag her to the bed. She noticed how strong he was and it wasn't like Hessa wasn't fighting back, but Conks were physically weaker then regular females because their true strength lie in their defense…no wand could disarm them and that was the trade-off.

Harry landed on top of her, pulling her up and forcing her on her back and unbuttoning her jeans. Hessa had no choice…she cast her auric shield and threw him against the wall, knocking him almost completely out. Immediately she went to him and helped to the bed, laying him down, "I'm sorry, Harry…I had to…"

It was odd really. Draco acted nothing like this, he was often calm, even when the bond was forming completely, he wasn't this bad. She could only assume that a regular wizard could not stand to truly love a Conk female without the consequence of desiring her physically, it was just as bad as a wizard having sex with her just because she was pretty to look at.

Harry shook himself out of it, his head slightly mussed, she had fixed his glasses on his face, "I'm…I'm sorry…." He lay back in frustration then, sighing and pressing the palms of his hands against his forehead. "This is the second time, do you remember when we were fourteen?"

"Yes," she fidgeted.

"I'll be honest, I'm…I'm a bit rough when it comes to that, I don't mean to be…with Ginny…she didn't like it."

"Can we not talk about that…the other girls?"

"I didn't mean to upset you," he grabbed her hand immediately.

"I know…I just wish I knew why you preferred them…"

"I DIDN'T!" he snapped. "I loved you the first time I saw you, that's why I was so sure I was your wizard. But when I lost you to Draco, I knew he wouldn't give you up…I couldn't bare it and I felt I had to move on because I was supposed to. Ginny sensed it, that I wasn't over you and so she broke up with me, which to be honest, I didn't mind. And this sheer run of luck…I feel like I'm meant to be your wizard anyway." Harry had rolled on his side to face Hessa, she was kneeling on the floor beside him. "I want to be your husband, Hessa." She shot her head up. "I want a family with you, I want a life with you."

Hessa nodded curtly and they looked into each other's eyes. Harry always understood her, could speak to her heart…yet, could she have this with him, truly? Every time they seemed to try, fate stepped in and took him away or her away. Was it for real this time, or was it the last act before the finale?