Harry sat in shock as he and Hermione broke the kiss. It was not something he had ever thought about doing with her. She had always been a sister to him. But that kiss changed everything. Something inside him sparked for her. Maybe it had always been there and he was just to blind to recognize it. Maybe with everything else going on, he was not paying attention to his true feelings.
"Are you ok Harry," asked Hermione as she noticed he was staring off into the distance.
"Huh? Oh. Yeah. I just… I mean…"
"Real eloquent Harry," said Katie with a giggle.
"Leave him alone. We did just drop this on him and then Hermione dropped herself on him," said Susan, trying not to laugh.
"I'm sorry Harry," said Hermione, looking sad.
"For what," he asked. "I'm sorry I did not try that sooner."
"You mean that," she asked, fighting back tears.
"Yeah. I'm just trying to wrap my mind around everything. My entire life got flipped upside down in a single week. That was amazing. I just wish I could have made it more special."
"It was special. I have wanted to do that for a couple of years now," she replied with a smile creeping onto her face.
"What is going on in here," came a voice from behind them that Harry did not recognize. He whipped his head around to see Mrs. Bell standing in the doorway. "I know this is your house, but…"
"Mom," yelled Katie. "Get in here and close the door."
Mrs. Bell looked at her daughter in disbelief that she would be talking to her in such a manner. She did as she had been told and then began walking towards the group.
"Mrs. Bell, please sit. There is a lot going on that none of the adults know about and this was a test that had to happen," explained Daphne. "Now, we will tell you, but you cannot run off and tell the other parents yet. This is not an easy thing to explain."
"What kind of test involves a young woman mounting a young man in such a manner?"
"Mrs. Bell, what do you know of soul bonds," asked Susan.
"A myth created for romance novels."
"Not even close," said Katie. "Mom, they are very real. Rarely occurring, but real none the less. It has been confirmed multiple times over the centuries."
"And you think Harry and Hermione are soul bound?"
"We actually just confirmed it," said Daphne. "And it gets a lot more complicated."
"Yes. You now get to explain to her muggle parents that supposedly their daughter is, in the eyes of magic, engaged to Harry."
"I'm not sure that is how it works," said Katie. "At least not in everything we read. It is most likely a sure path to marriage, but not a done deal. And that is not the more complicated part."
"What makes it more complicated?"
"We believe that all four of us are soul bound to Harry," said Hermione.
"How could you come to a conclusion like that?"
"Because of how I knew everyone was in trouble," explained Harry. He then explained to Mrs. Bell the events of that evening and how he ended up at their houses with never having been to them. He explained being able to hear the voices and magic sending him where he was needed. He explained how he was not called to one of his best friends houses, which was also being attacked, but was called to houses of two people he was friends with, and two people he had no interaction with at school besides sharing classes. She looked at him and everyone could tell that she was trying to piece everything together so that it made sense.
"Mum, we have looked through over two hundred and fifty books, scrolls, and ancient tomes. They all pointed to this conclusion," explained Katie. "And with what we just saw, there was no denying it."
"Two teenagers snogging does not mean they are soul bound."
"No, but the green flames that surrounded the two of them when it happened is a good indication," said Daphne. "The same green flames that he some how learned to travel with."
"Wait? What," asked Harry. "Are you sure?"
"Harry, as soon as you and Hermione's lips touched, you two were both engulfed in those green flames," said Katie. "It was the same flames we saw you arrive and leave in that night."
She then looked at Hermione and gave her a look that Harry did not understand. Hermione nodded and Katie rushed over to Harry, leapt into his arms, and locked her lips to his. Mrs. Bell wanted to yell out, but she was amazed when both her daughter and Harry were surrounded by the flames. She watched her daughter passionately snog the young man that she had just seen snogging another young woman. She was speechless. As the two broke the kiss, the flames died down. Katie then looked directly at her mother. Harry refused to turn around.
"Believe us now," asked Katie.
"Maybe he is just doing that anytime something like that happens," said Mrs. Bell.
"I wish I had control like that," said Harry. "I have no idea what is causing that to happen. I am terrified of losing control."
"It looked perfectly safe to me," said Hermione. "And when it was happening with me, I did not even realize it."
"Neither did I," said Katie. "Mum, sorry to do that like that, but you have to understand that there is something happening here and the four of us have sort of accepted that it is probably fate."
"And how do you feel about it Harry," asked Mrs. Bell, glaring at the back of his head.
"I do not know how to feel about it. As I told them, this past week has flipped my entire world upside down. I am trying to wrap my head around everything, and I have yet to even wrap my head about owning this manor. There is so much happening, and the one thing I can say for certain is that these four have been there all that they could for me. I came home to find them studying only days after getting away from studying at school. I am pretty sure that was not on their list of things to do this week. Well, except maybe Hermione." Hermione just smiled. He knew her too well. "I have no idea about this idea of being soul bound to all four of them. Does the thought of having four women bound to me scare the crap out of me? Fuck yes! Am I worried I am going to fuck this up? Damn right! Do I trust their judgment and am I willing to work with them to figure all of this out? Yes. Do I regret the kisses with Hermione and Katie? Not at all. I felt something both times. Something that is not simply physical. It felt like my magic was becoming happier. I am not sure how magic could be happy, but it felt that way."
"I felt it too," said Hermione. Katie agreed as well.
"This is a lot to process," said Mrs. Bell.
"Seriously? You think I don't know that? I feel like I am mentally falling into chaos at this point," said Harry. It was obvious that he was getting frustrated. His eyes began to glow. Hermione noticed this and pulled him close to her.
"Harry, please calm down. I know it is a lot, but please, we need you to calm down. Please. Close your eyes. Deep breath in. Now let it out."
Harry could feel his body shaking. He did as Hermione asked. He closed his eyes and focused on her voice, doing as she said. He felt a hand grab his. He opened his eyes and found Katie grasping it. She looked into his eyes and smiled.
"I'm sorry Lord Potter," said Mrs. Bell, seeing the love the two girls were showing him. She witnessed him starting to get angry and how the two girls had gotten him to calm down. The look in her daughter's eyes as she looked at Harry was a look she had seen before. It was the look she hoped people saw when she looked at her husband.
"It's Harry. And I am sorry that my temper started to take control again. That is something I know I will be working on over the summer. I can't say that I understand how you feel since I don't have any kids. I can't imagine what it must be like being a parent having to hear, and see what you had to see."
"Mum, I can't explain the feeling. I can't speak for any of the others, but I feel my magic, and it is pulling me towards Harry."
"We feel it too," said Daphne. "That night changed something in all of us. It is not a physical attraction."
Harry looked at her with shock. "Really?"
"Ok. Bad choice of wording. The pull is not due to physical attraction. Harry, you are more than physically attractive. That is not the driving force behind this. This isn't a mental pull. This is magic, the essence of who we are as witches and wizards, the thing that we are taught to listen to, almost yelling at us that we are bound to him and he to us."
Mrs. Bell looked at all the girls and sat on the couch closest to her. "What you just described could only truly be put into words by someone who is truly in love. That is how a wife should describe the feeling to her husband, and the same for the husband about his wife. That is not some romance story crap."
"We feel it," said Susan.
"Everyone will learn that I am the worst person when it comes to expressing my feelings," said Harry. "But since that night, Every fiber in my body, when it is not sore from these damn nutrient and healing potions, is telling me to protect my girls. I fought the feeling because I figured I am just in my protect people phase. That was until Frederick told me that my girls were in the library. Why would he say it like that?"
"Because they can sense bonds," said Daphne. "They can tell when a witch is pregnant before the witch even thinks it. Their magic is very different from ours."
"You all need to tell all of the others immediately. If you don't, there are going to be spells thrown and since Mr. Granger is a muggle, probably fists instead from him."
"We have been trying to figure out a way to explain it. We wanted to verify things first before we went making these claims," said Susan. "And we need to come to terms with it as well. As much as it excites us, we also know that this is very unusual."
"And Harry needs to adjust to everything else that has happened. The last thing he needs is not only the Dark moron wanting to kill him, but our father's too," said Daphne.
"Mum, please just give us a few days to figure this all out. I promise you that we are not going to jumping into Harry's bed tonight and shagging him stupid."
"Definitely not," said Harry. The girls all looked at Harry and stared at him.
"Is there something wrong with them," asked Mrs. Bell, causing all the girls looks to shift to her in shock.
"No. I just meant…I mean…"
Harry did not even finish his sentence. He turned around and left the room. Everyone just continued to stare at the mother who scared off Harry.
"What? I thought it was funny," said Mrs. Bell.
"Yeah, but I think you broke Harry, Mum."
"I'll go talk to him," she said, realizing that she may have complicated things with him. Mrs. Bell walked out of the office and looked around until she saw Harry sitting on the back patio.
"Sorry about that," she said as she sat down next to him. "I couldn't help myself. I figured that comment would lighten the mood."
"I'm not sure if you noticed, but contrary to popular gossip, I am not cocky or arrogant. I am a bumbling idiot when it comes to anything in regards to women. And with what you said, I had no idea how to respond safely. What if I said that I didn't see them in that way? That would have hurt them, and been a lie. They are all beautiful and I am a teenage male. Hormones. Not something we can control. What if I said fine, lets go for it? I am pretty sure my head would be on a pike outside the manor before morning."
"It would have been quicker than morning. My husband is very fast when he is motivated."
"That's what I am worried about. I have four beautiful, smart, and motivated girls who seem to be bound to me, and me to them. I have not had a single girlfriend and now I am in this situation. Other guys would probably be jealous of me. Some, if they were in my shoes, would be celebrating."
"You are the humble soul. The troubled soul. The protective soul. I might even say you are the vengeful soul if what I saw that night is anything to go off of. Four different soul types. Four girls. Plenty of soul to go around."
"How do I do this?"
"That will be a conversation that you will need to have, unfortunately, with one of if not all of the fathers."
"Is it too late to vanish to Siberia?"
Mrs. Bell laughed. Harry smiled too. It was not an easy conversation to have, especially with what she had witnessed minutes before.
"If what I saw is real, then these girls will burn the world to find you."
"Two of them barely know me. Katie knows me better than them, but only Hermione really knows me. I know almost nothing about them."
"Then start with getting to know each other. If you are all tied together by fate, then you had better get to know each other. And that is not just you getting to know each of them and them you. They need to get to know each other too. I am not sure if they are aware of this, but I would guess that in a situation like this, it will be likely that they will be in this relationship not only with you, but with each other."
"Isn't that looked down upon in our society?"
"By some, but it is the same in the muggle world. In this case, anyone who runs their mouth will have to not only face them and their families, but they will have to face you. You can be scary. I witnessed it that night. If Katie hadn't told me it was you, I would have been terrified that you were there to complete the job."
"I don't like people having that feeling about me."
"Friends and family, not good. Enemies, great affect to have on them."
"Thanks for not killing me and not running off and telling the others parents."
"I may not fully understand what is happening, but it is apparent that something is at work here and it is not just teenagers filled with raging hormones. It is going to take some time to adjust to everything, and other parents may not be so understanding, but if the other girls are like Katie, then they will see reason, or they will feel the wrath of a teenage girl."
The two were soon joined by the four girls.
"Is everything ok," asked Hermione.
"Yeah. Just clearing some things up and getting some fresh air," said Mrs. Bell. "I will leave you to discuss things more. Remember what we talked about Harry."
"Mum, did you threaten him," asked Katie, looking angry at her mother.
"No. We talked," said Harry as he grabbed Katie's hand. "She helped me with some issues."
"And not any of the issues you ladies will have to help him with," Mrs. Bell said with an evil grin before she ran back into the house.
"I guess they will have to help me with that now then," yelled back Harry with a huge smile. The girls looked at him in disbelief. "What?"
"Do not think that we will automatically be helping you with any of those issues," said Daphne. "I mean you haven't even taken us out on a date yet."
They all laughed. It had been a long week, but things were starting to look up.
