A/N: Hello people and thank you so much for your support! This time, we have something for my buddy Zevoros; there's a prequel I'll be adding too!
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Flora walked with her sister, Hestia, at her side through the vast, empty halls of Hogwarts. There was typically little to do throughout the long days spent within the walls of the Castle on account of the pair finishing all of their work within their classes or during their lunch period. For the Carrows, work was as much of a priority as their family typically was, or slightly behind, and free time could only truly be enjoyed if it were earned. The Twins earned it too, Flora and Hestia were widely considered amongst the top of their year from Potions to Charms and anything between the subjects. If they lagged behind in any course, they would seek out the Professor to resolve whatever was making them do poorly, and in two specific courses, Flora would seek out her boyfriend, Harry.
Harry Potter was charming and very polite, yes, he was a kinder person than most. Few of the Hogwarts inhabitants would ever put with Flora and Hestia when together. Their parents had often said it was due to a perceived strangeness that many of the others would assume they had due to them being lackwits and immature rascals, but Harry would see past it all; their closeness as twins, the way they carried themselves and that 'weirdness' they possessed was nothing to him.
"Flora, Hestia," Harry greeted as soon as the pair turned the corner and entered the empty, long-abandoned classroom that had become a refuge of sorts for the trio since Harry had started dating Flora. "Thank Merlin you're here, everything's been barmy since this morning after breakfast and I can't for the life of me figure out why… could you help? I know we were meant to study, but this is a problem. Really."
Hestia looked at Flora the same as Flora did to Hestia — the two were commonly in sync as if they shared but one brain, but their combined intelligence oftentimes rivalled that of the entirety of their house. In Hestia's eyes, Flora could make out curiosity and a willingness to aid Flora's boyfriend, and so the latter girl turned back to look at Harry.
"Yes," she simply said.
"We don't mind foregoing the studying,"
"If it's to help you."
Hestia had picked up after Flora's simple answer and the confused look it had earned her from Harry, and after she had paused at the word 'studying', Flora had resumed where her sister had left off until their point was made. Based on the relieved look that Harry sent them, he was very pleased. His shoulders sagged with visible relief and he moved forward to hug the pair of them, an act that Flora would admit felt very nice.
When the hug for each of the girls was finished, Harry pulled back to look between them whilst he moved closer to Flora, and then he spoke. "I don't know what happened and I can't for the life of me figure out why it started, but Hermione, Ron, Seamus… the whole lot of the people I spend my time with have gone mad. None of them are acting like themselves, they've been rude to the rest of Gryffindor and the other members of the DA, myself included. It's almost like something's gotten ahold of their minds — Ron's been a lazy, selfish bloke, Hermione's narcissistic beyond belief, Seamus and Dean are bullying the younger students and Ginny's joining the pair of them in doing so."
"Curious," Hestia commented, her eyes and the message therein conveyed immediately to Flora.
"Bewitched," Flora said with a nod to her sister, agreeing with that message before she turned her attention back to Harry so that he wasn't left out of their mutual train of thought. "Did you notice if they're wearing anything new today?"
"It would be a ring or bracelet."
"Perhaps earrings or a necklace too," Flora added to her sister's comment, the pair of them nodding, cocking their heads and turning back to look at Harry.
He seemed confused, but slowly, he began to nod along with them. "You think somebody's done something to them, don't you?" Harry sat back down, motioning for the girls to do the same as he seemed to scan through his mind and when he snapped his fingers, he seemed to find what he had been looking for as Hestia sought out the chair to the left of him and Flora claimed her rightful spot in his lap. "All of them had a package this morning and none of them had opened it until they were back at Gryffindor Tower or after they could do so somewhere else in privacy. I don't know why, Ron never shows that level of restraint, but he did in that particular instance. Do you both think they each got something that was bewitched? Do you know how we could tell if that's right or if we could fix it?"
Flora nodded, her head cocked to the side as she looked into Harry's worry-filled eyes. "Easily verified."
"Hard to fix," Hestia finished. "We would need to tell which type of curse or jinx was placed on the item, and if there's an adherent charm attached that would damage the wearer or make them hesitant to remove it from their person."
"If there is, we would have to catch them unaware. This could prove quite difficult with the aid that you have provided for them, but with you and the two of us, this shouldn't be overly difficult, if time-consuming," Flora finished.
Harry seemed deep in thought. He likely didn't enjoy the idea of hurting his friends or the very thought that their minds were no longer their own, but the only way to fix that was by doing what Flora and Hestia needed to do. Whatever they wore would need to be removed, if it was stuck to them, that magic, too, would need to be dealt with and afterwards, care in the Hospital Wing would need to be given to prevent any negative or unsightly issues as a direct result of the magic that had so ensnared them. In other words, the Carrow sisters knew that to do this would take time and an incredibly large amount of effort, which wasn't getting to the root of the issue either. No, to do that, they would need to verify the magic and listen to the ramblings of their housemates. All too often those that should be careful in what they say and where they said it, weren't.
"I suppose if this is the only way to fix whatever's gotten ahold of them, then we have to do it, don't we?" Harry smiled up at Flora with a look that had her stomach feeling peculiar, but outwardly, she did her best not to show that anything was amiss less he thought of her as stranger than he likely already did. "You're wicked, Flora, and you too, Hestia. I'm sorry for messing up our studying plans today too, but Merlin, I didn't know what to do and I still wouldn't if it wasn't for the two of you. If there's anything you want or anything that I could do for you, please, tell me. I promise any which way that as soon as they're all back to being themselves, I'll get both of you whatever you'd like."
"You're already mine. There's nothing else that I might enjoy half as much as you and your never-ending affection as well as your devotion to activity-filled dates," Flora said monotonously, her eyes blinking as fast as her heart seemed to be beating as she manoeuvred herself in his lap; that was far faster than it had any right to be too, but there was only so much of an outlet that she could have and wizards were notoriously non-observant.
"Hot chocolate and perhaps those circles of peanut butter dipped into milk chocolate," Hestia said, humming in thought as she paused in consideration. "Yes. I believe that would suffice, of course, we would make up our missed study time too. That would only be fair, I do believe."
Harry nodded. "Flora's already got her wish, so I reckon yours is only fair and all too easy to meet, Hestia… now, uh, where do we start? Do we just go and watch them, or is there something that we need to do before we get into everything? This is my first time at getting rid of a bewitchment, Voldemort's usually far more straightforward than this."
"Brave," Hestia commented.
"Very brave," Flora agreed, nodding as she looked at her sister. "Very mine."
"Very yours," This time, it was Hestia that agreed.
"Allow us to begin, and afterwards, we'll begin freeing your friends one at a time, in a manner and order that you determine," Hestia and Flora said together after they agreed on Harry's status.
Harry blinked between them, a small grin on his face before he nodded up at Flora again. "Right then, just tell me when you need me and I'll be ready. Please try and keep yourselves safe too, yeah? I know your house isn't fond of you after all the time you've been spending with me and the last thing I want is to get the both of you in trouble."
Cute. Honourable. He's a keeper… I remain lucky that I didn't have to have Hestia obliviate him from our first date and the mishap of it so that I could try my hand once more. First meetings are ever so important and indicative in a relationship, as our mother would say.
"We'll be fine," Hestia said as she stood up from her seat.
"It won't take us long, and before you know it, Harry,"
"Your friends will be back to themselves," Hestia finished for Flora, the two linking arms and after the latter gave one last look to Harry, they left the empty classroom with the start of their liberation of his friends on their mind.
The Slytherin Common Room would be their destination and the way they would likely determine who, if any of them, had given the bewitched the items that currently controlled Harry's friends. It was a vital step in countering the magic and knowing who would be their enemy.
Flora and Hestia stayed together and under the cover that a disillusionment spell provided. It was a spell in which they had mastered from a young age and one that their parents had stressed the importance of. When people typically commented on their stealth and the way that they would seemingly appear from out of thin air, it was thanks to the usage of that spell or the many hidden passages of Hogwarts. So often the Hogwarts students that chose to disregard history or their base thirst for knowledge would overlook the many ways the founders could help them even if they no longer lived.
House Carrow didn't forget. They knew of the many passages and hidden rooms that Hogwarts had to offer, and they knew the importance of learning from the masterclass professors that Hogwarts had to offer. Even if some were below the typical standard in recent times, a better school outside of the United Kingdom, you would not find.
"Malfoy. Left. Third couch," Hestia commented quietly, her voice but a whisper as she used her free hand, the one that wasn't holding on to one of Flora's, to direct her sister's face towards the aforementioned directions.
"Sight," Flora returned when she saw the blonde boy with his typical gaggle of goons and failures. None of them deserved their passing grades, Flora and Hestia had observed their work before and it was truly horrendous. Professor Snape should have failed them time and time again, but he cheated them through for the sake of the house. If he purposefully removed further points from Harry, Flora would see to it that his office imploded the next time he left, destroying everything that he held dear to him for putting Harry down.
It would be entirely deserved. Harry was owed the world, and she would see to it that he got it… but she didn't want him to know what she would do for him. There was a chance he wouldn't like it and she would hate to have to reset their relationship progress.
"Closer?" Hestia asked.
"Agreed," Flora responded, the two using their connected hands to slowly move closer to Malfoy and the others that surrounded him so that they could better overhear whatever it was that they were discussing.
As was usual of the boy and those close to him, they were complacent and careless. Had Malfoy any sense to him or were his friends truly his friends, they would have thought to put up privacy spells so that they couldn't be overheard as they currently were, but that wasn't the case. None of them chose to use caution or anything else that would see them and their words safely from the ears that would listen in, and as such, Flora and Hestia finally began to hear the topic at hand. Draco was in a rant, as was usual of him, and the others simply listened in with the occasional input that only served to egg the boy on. They were ever so simple.
"Granger! Can you believe she thinks herself superior to me? To any of us?" Draco scoffed and shook his head vehemently from side to side as if the thought truly disgusted him. "Only earlier I heard her speaking with two witches that chose to comment on her horrendously large teeth and the imperfect lips of hers that undoubtedly came from her whorish Muggle mum. She should have taken it and left as she always does, knowing that her betters are right and none of the words that exit her mouth matter, but she had the gall to fire back at them — Pureblood witches of Noble and Ancient stalk. She told them that regardless of her features, magic can change them, but nothing would fix the result of inbreeding their families have done," Draco paused for a breath, or to allow for his friends to mutter and call out insults; two did too.
"Stupid Mudblood," was Crabbe's rather lame interjection, but still, it earned a round of grunts of affirmation and the like from the others.
"Go on, Draco. Tell them about Weasley, the lazy shite excuse for a Pureblood," Rowle said, urging Draco with a light elbow to the ribs from his spot beside the smaller boy.
Draco nodded rapidly and leaned forward, huffing now.
"Weasley. Weasleys. All of them or one of them, you can say something and it'll ring true for the lot of them, don't you know? Ronald Weasley, he's nothing but an excuse for a wizard, really. Only earlier today he got into an argument with his mudblood pet about the work they were doing," Draco grinned as the others laughed at his insult. "He told her to do the work since she claimed to be the expert of all things magic, and when she fired back at him, he didn't do anything. Do you know why that was? Goyle?"
Goyle grunted in the negative.
"Blaise?" Draco tried.
"I do," Blaise said, elaborating when Draco motioned to him. "He had already fallen asleep at his desk, leaving the mudblood Granger to do the entirety of the potion unless she wished to fail. We all know that she refuses anything less than perfection for her work and if it's 'claimed' to be so, she goes to Dumbledore, as Potter does."
"Next," Hestia urged, pulling at Flora before she did something foolish.
Flora frowned, not that her sister could see it. Blaise, Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle. All of them would enjoy a nice treat once Harry's friends were treated from their afflictions. Nobody spoke poorly of Harry and suffered nought because of it.
"Later. Agreed?" Flora asked, her tone filled with intent and her eyes settling on the new group that entered the common room, a group that typically practised common sense; the Greengrass clique.
"Agreed. Greengrass, Davis, Bulstrode — they''ll know," Hestia said, agreeing with her sister's desire for revenge and pointing out the same group as well as the same thought that Flora had.
Daphne's jealous that Harry's no longer on the market. Her persona and her company are to blame for her being unable to claim him.
"Carefully. They're competent," Flora warned as they moved towards the group of witches, this time with caution and an added spell on their persons that would further mask their clothing in addition to the sounds that their movement made.
Hestia and Flora moved silently after the girls as they descended the staircase of the girls' dorms. They were led deeper and deeper into the dungeons of Hogwarts, the girls remaining quiet by and large, and what conversations they did share were nought but discussing schoolwork the likes of which the two Carrows had already finished.
Finally, when the group entered their dorm room with the Carrow girls hot on their heels, they paused. This was only after they sat in one of the window outcroppings that were surrounded by glass, but once they did, it was clear that they didn't mean to take their leave from the room for quite some time. Daphne, the leader of the group, got comfortable and her sister Astoria did the same at her side. Millicent Bulstrode, Tracey Davis and two other witches the likes of which didn't matter did the same, and once they were all comfortable, the former most girl withdrew her wand so that she could summon protections around them.
Flora recognised a silencing spell that would cover an area, preventing whatever words they spoke to echo around the chamber and afterwards, a second spell that would serve to conceal them by way of the shadows that dance on the walls where the torches couldn't completely drive them away. If the sisters hadn't seen the girls enter and take their seats, they would barely be able to tell where they were, much less which girl was which thanks to the spell that Greengrass Senior had used.
Unfortunately, she wasn't half as talented as she thought she was and as a result, the Carrow girls entered the area of her magic, not so much as alerting her as they listened in on the conversation of Daphne and her cohorts. Initially, the first few sentences were so useless and non-informational that they ignored them, or at least Flora did. She used that time to daydream about Harry, and more specifically, the first time that they had met one another. It was a wonderful memory, perhaps her favourite thus far, but that didn't last for too long before the information she and her sister sought after, came up.
"Did it go as mum and dad planned, Daph?" Astoria asked with an impatient, borderline bratty tone of voice; she was the more bothersome sister of the two.
Daphne sighed and probably rolled her eyes too, but the darkness concealed if that occurred as the older Greengrass girl responded to her younger sister's words. "Yes," Daphne answered. "As they predicted, the gifts were welcomed by Potter's friends with open arms and all we had to do was sign using another name the likes of which they trusted. For ones as 'renowned' as they are, they're truly quite reckless. Granger must not have forgotten the ire of Harry when his broom was confiscated on her suggestion — you remember Potter's annoyance, don't you? I have thought that would be our chance to act, but the trio made up far too quickly for us to have the chance to capitalise on the situation."
"Harry's an idiot. You're better than any of the other witches and we're way cooler than his current friends. It shouldn't even take magic for him to realise that," Tracey commented in her typically energetic fashion.
"I still don't understand the fascination with him. His family is extinct, his Galleon count isn't likely as high as you assume it is and his education, as well as his intelligence, are far from high," Millicent huffed and folded her large, muscular arms the likes of which could rival Crabbe or Goyle. "I do believe he's gotten to the point that most witches in Gryffindor aren't interested in him on account of his single-mindedness. There's the few that aim to potion him, but that's hardly as polite as your family."
Note. Hunt those who intend to potion Harry and fix their minds. Request Hestia's help in doing so.
Flora felt Hestia pull on her hand at that point, and a second later, she looked over her shoulder to see another trio of Slytherin girls enter the dorms. That was as good a time as any to leave before they made a mistake or were detected using other means. There was already a general lack of respect and trust on account of their publicly dating Harry, further suspicion would be problematic if interesting — perhaps their 'weirdness' served them well, it certainly meant many of their house didn't interact with them. More importantly, they had gathered what they had hoped to. Daphne and her clique were behind the bewitched items as they suspected.
That was bad on account of the Greengrass family being skilled, at least more so than the majority of the other families that were typically found in Slytherin, but good since the Greengrass girls didn't intend to kill or seriously harm those that they had targeted. Their goal seemed simple from the little that Hestia and Flora had overheard. With his friends against him and acting strange, the Greengrass clique would swoop in and act the part of friends to Harry, and knowing how chivalrous and kind he was, he would allow them that friendship.
Nearly three minutes later and when the two sisters finally made themselves visible in the girls' bath, they shared a look with one another.
"Tomorrow?" Hestia asked.
"The Morning," Flora specified, nodding as Hestia turned contemplative.
"Who do you believe he will choose first?"
Flora answered in an instant. "Granger. Her intelligence was always alluring to him, and if she recovers quickly, he'll insist that she aids us."
"Dislike. We're able to do this on our own, Harry doesn't need to trouble himself," Hestia said, expressing her opinion of the plan.
"Agree," Flora said, but she shrugged with her head cocked as her eyes sought out her reflection in the mirror they stood before. She would have to wash her hair and have it trimmed again soon, it needed to look pleasant and kept. "Harry will insist. We'd have to trick him or convince him otherwise, but that would be unpleasant. Boyfriend — I don't want to risk it."
That was that, Hestia nodded and the two started off towards the showers, intent on cleaning themselves before tomorrow's work began. There was much that they would have to do and a great deal of it would likely be quite challenging, but that wouldn't be all that bothersome. Not with their skill, persistence and Flora's drive to impress and retain her Harry Potter.
Harry entered the classroom exactly three minutes and thirty-two seconds later than he should have. Flora had calculated the route he typically took and as such, she knew before he opened his mouth that a slight snag had occurred. Still, to be polite and not show her infatuation with him — since it was unbecoming — she cocked her head to the side and addressed him.
"Is everything fine, Harry?" She asked, her tone and expression perfectly curious as his eyes met hers.
"The lot of them are even worse today than they were yesterday. I had to stop Ginny, Seamus and Dean from picking on some third-year that accidentally tripped over Dean's leg while he was stretched out on the couch," Harry sighed and ran a hand through his messy hair; she would have to fix that too. "Did the two of you manage to find anything out about our issue?"
Flora nodded. "Yes."
"It was the Greengrass girl, Daphne, on the direction of her parents," Hestia elaborated, coming to a pause so that Flora could finish it.
"Astoria and the rest of her group aim to befriend you on account of the others turning against you. The bewitchment will be strong."
"Very strong."
Together, the two sisters finished. "It isn't impossibly difficult to overcome."
Harry furrowed his brows. "Daphne Greengrass? We've barely talked, I didn't even know she cared a lick about me. Does she have a reason or do her friends or family have reasons for doing all of them?"
"Alliance," Hestia said.
"Agreed. They aim to use you," Flora said, patting him on the cheek when a look of understanding dawned on him. "We won't allow it. Granger first?"
"Yeah," Harry answered. "Hermione would be a good choice… you two don't know if this is safe or how long it will take for them to go back to normal, do you? I've done a bit of studying on my own when you both said that you would take care of it, but what I found wasn't very promising. It said that it could hurt them, that people under a bewitchment of any sort could be kept in the Hospital Wing for months."
The sisters shared a look, and when they spoke, again, it was as if they were one. "Every person and spell combination results in a different reaction."
Harry brought a hand up to his face in frustration. That certainly wasn't the answer that he wanted to hear, but the pair wouldn't lie to him. This wasn't irreparable, not even remotely, it would just take time and perhaps the ambushing of each of his friends, starting with Granger. Flora would be especially excited to test out her and Hestia's many scenarios for Harry's friends.
Notes? Flora mouthed to Hestia when Harry pulled the former girl in for a hug.
Hestia shook her head and mouthed her response. No. Scary for Harry.
Hmm, Hestia could be right. She supposed it could be a touch unsettling if it was revealed that all of Harry's friends — and Harry too — had been studied in-depth before Flora had made her move. Yes, the more she thought about it the more it made sense to reveal such information years later, when they were happily married and with children that she could teach the way her mother had taught her.
"Cute," Flora commented when Harry pulled back with his hair messier than usual and his glasses askew from his face pressing into the crown of her head.
He snorted and leaned forward, kissing the tip of her nose before he withdrew again. "Hermione, then. I suppose we just have to get her alone and get that bewitched object off her… wherever it is. Will it be easy, or is this something that's going to take a bit of time and care?"
"Latter," Hestia said, her head cocked to the left.
Flora nodded, her head settling to the right. "It can be dangerous. Our best bet is to work on all of them when they're unconscious. Plan?"
Harry shrugged. "I usually just wing everything as it happens. Hermione's been by herself a lot lately though, something about nobody really being worthy of her company or something like that. I think we could catch her on the way back to the Gryffindor Common Room tonight, maybe in thirty minutes or less. She's been arriving later and later so that she doesn't have to spend time with anybody else."
"Agreeable — the library?" Hestia asked, side-eyeing Flora in the process; the meaning was clear, should they ever have needed Hermione or a plan similar to this, that was the place they would have chosen. Everybody knew that Granger preferred that location even before the magic had been used on her mind.
"Yeah, I think that's as good a spot as any, really," Harry said, finally lounging back and letting his eyes close with a sigh coming shortly thereafter. "Finally. It'll be good to get them all back, and I know it'll be a while, but this is a start."
Hestia nodded at Harry in such a way that he wouldn't see it, and Flora in response smiled at her sister. She bettered her position astride Harry, and a few seconds later, there was a sound — Hestia had knocked over her satchel.
"Oops. I'll go get more ink. I imagine it'll take me ten minutes and thirty or so seconds since the journey to the common room and back is quite lengthy. Please be prepared for my series of knocks upon my return," Hestia said, her acting so good that Flora believed the accident her sister had purposefully committed.
Not even ten seconds later, and with her sister — her twin and her other half — gone, she was left with Harry. This would be her snogging and affectionate time that Flora had come to desire. There was nothing truly like Harry's arms, words or emotions. She was an Alligator to a sunning stone for all things Potter.
"Kisses?" Flora asked with her head still cocked to the right, only this time, a blush began to creep up from her neck until it took over the majority of her face and her eyes, typically confident and unwaveringly on Harry's, looked anywhere but the boy.
Harry grinned and leaned forward, his arms around her waist and with a gentle pull, she had her wish fulfilled.
It was very enjoyable.
"Hermione?" Harry asked from the centre of the hall, his hand itching towards where his wand typically was and his eyes firmly on the girl as she slowly turned around to face him.
"Make it quick, Harry," Granger all but sneered at him after she flipped her long, no-longer wavy hair over her shoulder. "I have an incredibly important trip to Hogsmeade to make tomorrow, and I'll not have you tiring me out with some boring, pointless conversation. Be quick!"
Harry nodded towards a classroom that was near him. "In there. I have a gift for you after everything you've done for me… it's very fragile and one of a kind. It took me all year to track it do—"
"Good, you know my worth," Hermione said arrogantly as she stalked past him and burst threw the door, her head looking every which way before, ultimately, she turned back to look at Harry with an incredibly sour look on her face.
"It's in the back and on the desk with a satchel covering it," Harry offered before she could explode at him. The last thing he or the Carrow Twins needed was Hermione yelling loud enough to draw attention from elsewhere. Oh yes, that would be very problematic without a doubt.
Hermione rolled her eyes and turned back around, her eyes finding the aforementioned desk and just as quickly as she previously had done, she moved towards the 'gift' with a speed that was seldom used by the non-possessed form of the girl. Eagerly as she reached the item, she ripped away the satchel and after doing so, she froze. There was nothing that she could have done to stop the stunning ward that went off once she moved the item, for the Hermione that he knew wouldn't have done so in the first place.
She started to topple backward, but Harry was with her, his arms holding her up before he could gently lay her on the ground as the two Carrow girls materialised around him, each with their wand out.
"Neck?" One, Hestia he thought, asked in the direction of Flora.
"Neck," Flora seemed to agree, and to prove her point, she used the tip of her wand to lower the turtleneck undershirt that Hermione had been wearing. There, surely enough, was a necklace the likes of which Harry had never seen on her before and from it, he could all but feel the dark magic on it.
"It doesn't seem like it's moving when you poke at it with your wand… is that supposed to happen?" He asked tentatively, the urge to poke at it strong but his willpower stronger, for he knew better than to touch anything that was remotely strange-looking.
Flora nodded. "Sticking charm. Normal."
"Very normal," Hestia said, doubling down as she poked at Hermione's cursed item with her wand. "Diagnostic — your or me?"
"Both. Safer is better," Flora answered, and like that, the two began to speak in a language that was distinctly not Latin. It sounded similar but less Italian or Latin-like… he remembered that the Carrow family was French, or at least he thought they were, so he reckoned the magic could be from a dialect of that language that was nearly as old as Latin.
Flora, meanwhile, tried not to pay attention to the wonder that was plain to see on Harry's face. As happy as it made her, she had a job to do and she would do it perfectly so that he could be impressed and more reliant on her abilities. It would make her seem as if she were a better mate than other witches were too — her mother said the prospect of mating was a complex one in the mind of a wizard, for they often missed many a queue that witches picked up.
Finally, the spell was finished and the results were in.
"Sticking charm. Three mind-affecting spells. One dangerous. Agreed?" Flora asked, her eyes on Hestia even as she spoke to Harry. "Silencing charms on the room are ready. Tie Hermione to a degree you're comfortable with. We begin when you're ready and would like to allow us to free her mind."
Harry nodded and aimed his wand at his unconscious friend with a look on his face that was distinctly wounded. Flora resolved to snuggle and chase away that feeling from him later when the time could be taken to do so. Her Harry was very wonderful, and she decided quite long ago that she would keep him indefinitely.
"Sticking charm, three mind-affecting spells and one dangerous. Agreed — inform Harry and allow him to make the decision. Yes?" Hestia asked, her eyes flickering between her sister and Harry with a mask of blankness on her face.
"Yes. He would like to know all that he can before we begin and how dangerous the process can be," Flora responded before she turned her attention back over to Harry. "Dangerous implies a series of issues when it comes to bewitchment curses. We are unaware of which is on the item, but if we remove it incorrectly or have one wrong spell used in a complex chain now that it's bonded to her with the sticking charm, it could lead to memory loss or health ramifications. Thinking… perhaps light-headedness and frequent headaches. Do we continue or would you like the Professors to do this?"
"Shouldn't we have gotten them involved in the first place?" Harry asked with a curious look between the two sisters.
Hestia stayed silent, and as such, Flora answered. "If they are allowed in, then proof will be required for them to punish those involved and it will not be found. Revenge on your behalf will result in punishment for you instead of the others. House Greengrass is powerful, House Carrow can handle them and the topic of revenge for you. Trust."
"Trust," Hestia echoed.
"Then do it," Harry said with a nod at Hermione's unconscious form, and so they did.
In one hour and twenty minutes, the two sisters worked feverishly over Granger, and once that was up, she was free. They had done better than even they had thought possible, and when Granger next opened her eyes, it was as a free witch once more.
Harry leaned back against the comfortable transfigured couch under the watchful eyes of Flora and cast a long look at her. Hestia wasn't here at the moment, the typical room was empty save for the two of them and that gave the couple all the time they might need to recap all of the work that their trio had done in less than three days' time — they had to act quickly and decisively too, lest Daphne and the others counter their efforts. If that happened, the problems would evolve rapidly and very likely spiral out of control. That couldn't be allowed to happen, no, and it would not; Seamus, Dean, Ginny, Neville and Hermione were already free, the Twins were dealt with only this morning and finally, that left Ron.
Ron hadn't been affected as severely as the others, but that same good fortune also led to the largest problem they faced in saving him. The boy refused to exit the dorms when it wasn't strictly necessary, going so far as to have Dobby and other house elves after the former was banned, bring him food whilst he stayed in Gryffindor Tower. If there wasn't a class or Professor urging him out with nearly spells hitting his 'arse' as a driving force, he would adamantly refuse to leave his bed. Flora had been told as much by Harry only yesterday morning.
As such, they had to wait until this evening, when Dobby — Harry's free house-elf friend — would help them… it was a queer thing, that being the need to rely on an elf for any portion of a Carrow-sponsored plan. The little elf had agreed to aid them in return for nothing, and he would do so by bringing Ron, to them. Dobby would grab onto the boy and quickly apparate him to their prepared room, where Harry, Hestia, Flora herself and the rest of the Gryffindor group would be waiting to handle him. That was due to happen in the next half an hour or so, but in the meantime and whilst the others did the various preparations that needed to happen for that to be successful, Harry and Flora were left to one another.
"You and Hestia have worked quick. Really quick," He commented as Flora rested her head on his shoulder, a soft coo-like noise coming from her as she lounged atop him.
"The situation required it," Flora said, tiredness filling her tone.
"Still, thank you. I don't think any studying or amount of chocolates will make up for everything you've done for me and the others," Harry pressed a few kisses against her cheek, making her lean more firmly into him as the soft, pleasant sensations sent shivers down her spine.
"There's no need to make it up to Hestia or I," Flora said, one hand coming up to poke his chest even while she burrowed her face into his neck and the scarf that surrounded it, much to her annoyance. "Boyfriend."
Harry chuckled, the sound reverberating across her body and feeling strangely soothing.
"Take a little nap, if you'd like," his hands began to rub her back as his voice turned quieter and softer. "I'll wake you up in twenty minutes or so, Merlin knows you deserve the rest. How's that sound?"
Flora smiled lightly into his neck and peeled the scarf away so that she could get the skin-to-skin contact that she so strived for. "Deal."
Harry pressed one last kiss to the top of her head — that she could feel — and slowly, with the relaxing back rub, random, idle and quiet chatter in his deep voice, she succumbed to the beckoning call of sleep. It wouldn't last long, but when she woke up those twenty minutes later with Hestia entering the room before all of the others, she felt far better.
Perhaps that was simply because of the closeness she had enjoyed with Harry.
"How much longer?" Longbottom asked, the tall boy far more nervous than he had been under the bewitchment.
He would have made a good match for her sister Hestia if he wasn't so easily scared. Nobody would fit Hestia if he weren't half as brave and able to understand a Carrow girl as Harry was.
"Soon," Harry said.
"One minute and twelve seconds," Hestia agreed, nodding from her spot on Harry's left while Flora simply chose to stay quiet on his right, her off-hand interwoven with one of Harry's.
Ten seconds… twenty seconds… thirty seconds… forty seconds… pop.
The 'Dobby' was early, but it didn't matter. As soon as the house-elf had appeared with the large Weasley boy towering above him, he had popped away and as soon as that sound graced the group's ears once more, Ronald was falling towards the ground from half a dozen spells that had struck him; his centre was exceedingly hard to miss, Flora thought.
Two spells ensured that he was unconscious, a further two, that he was tied up, and the remainder sought out his wand and satchel so that the contents couldn't be destroyed. Neither of the Weasley Twins, however, was present for the liberation of their brother in the event that they might try and intervene. It was known that the pair were reckless.
"Flora, Hestia, Hermione? I think the rest of us are done, yeah?" Harry asked, his question directed at the three witches but his eyes remained solely on Flora. He was perfect in that way, she loved the complexity of his mind and the way in which he subconsciously said her name first whilst ensuring he stayed looking at her.
And no, she never read into such things too heavily.
"Correct," Hestia said with a nod as she started towards Ronald.
"He'll be free in the next fifty minutes. We're more fluent now."
"Very fluent."
Flora had picked up after Hestia, the estimate of time better than any before thanks to their experience, and finally, Hestia had finished with her comment. In recent times and while Flora was alone with Harry, that was becoming more scarce… Flora didn't like that, she didn't like the thought of growing apart from her twin.
"You and Hestia said that you'll handle it?" Harry asked once more, and quietly so that only Flora could hear him.
"Yes," Flora responded unblinkingly, her eyes staring into Harry's eyes while Hermione and Hestia began to work on the unconscious Weasley boy. "Trust, remember?"
"Of course," Harry said with a small smile on his face and a look at the other two girls before he moved forward to press a kiss lightly against Flora's lips, the feeling as strange, pleasant and unique as it always was to her.
"More later. Many more," Flora said to Harry in a tone that sounded as if it were an order.
Her eyes tracked him as he nodded, a larger smile now on his face. "I'm always willing — what bloke wouldn't like kissing you?"
"Romance later. Weasley," Hestia called suddenly, drawing Flora back into the moment and so, with a shake of her head, she motioned for Harry to take his leave from her, at least temporarily; she would find him later… the tracking charm she'd placed on his shoes ensured as much.
Harry winked at her, that smile still in place and with that look seen, he turned to leave. Flora watched until he was out of the room, her heart racing as she thought of their later kissing and cuddling, and their revenge. Greengrass and her entire group would have issues of their own very soon, all because they had chosen to mess with Harry.
They were rather unintelligent for daughters from such prominent, and typically impressive houses. Perhaps the underestimation of those they thought of as their competitors were the issue, mayhaps not. Flora didn't care so long as they continued on in their path of ignorance.
"That's everything, is it?" Harry asked with a nod towards the eight or so items on the desk between Flora and her sister.
Flora nodded. "All of it. The Twins received replicas as they requested, though they believe the copies they received to be the originals."
"Don't touch," Hestia added when he drew closer and with a curious look about him. "All of them are working once more, only this time, with effects of our own choosing."
"We thought you would like the chance to decide if we'll use them on their owners, or if you would prefer a way that would be more in-keeping with your alignment," Flora finished, her head cocking to the left and her sister's, to the right; they each reached for their coin pouches too, for a bet had been made before Harry had arrived.
He shook his head vehemently only a second after Flora had finished. "No. No no, we don't need to and we shouldn't think about bewitching them as they did to the others. That could devolve into some wickedness that we don't need," Harry moved closer to Flora, and slightly further from Hestia, his larger, longer arms drawing her in as he made to speak again. "I think we should handle her in a very simple way… provided you're both agreeable with it."
Flora raised her head up so that she could look into his eyes and Hestia moved around so that she was next to her. In sync, the two shot him a gaze that was filled with non-verbal questions, and familiar as he was with them by now, it didn't need vocalisation.
"We should plant the items, maybe one each on each of them, and I'll tell the Professors that I've overheard them talking about using them on people… you can do whatever else you'd like to do with your families too. I know you probably have spells and political cliques that can do them in worse outside of Hogwarts than inside of it, but I figured we could handle that," Harry grinned suddenly. "Professor Dumbledore would punish them, confiscate the items and likely give them detention every day for the rest of the year — Merlin, he may even boot them from the school. It depends on if you two can imitate their writing to implicate them."
"Easy."
"Very easy."
"We'll do it all tonight and in the morning, you'll summon the Professor," the two said jointly, Flora smiling at her sister as she moved closer to Harry in an obviously intimate manner so that she could finish alone.
"You'll be our Prefect in shining armour, or so the saying goes. I'll be very happy to have you and glad to play the part of an innocent, young maiden," Flora stood on the tip of her toes and kissed his jawline, that being the highest place her lips could reach. "Good boyfriend."
Hestia agreed. "Smart wizard. Rare."
She took her leave of them shortly thereafter, and finally, Flora was able to kiss Harry to her hearts delight. Her arms wrapped around the back of his neck, her legs around his waist and she clung to him as if he were a light and she were a moth. That familiar, strange feeling in the pit of her stomach returned and the lust for his attention with it.
Both were hers in spades for the night.
"It worked. Congratulations, Harry," Hestia said from Harry's left while Flora was pressed tightly against him on the right.
Flora agreed with her sister and echoed the sentiment too, but there was more that she wished to remind him of. "Agreed. Congratulations," she looked up at him and poked his ribs once, accusatorily. "Hot chocolate for my sister. I would like some too, but with you adding extra 'sugar' during the trip. I meant kissing too."
Harry snorted as they watched the Greengrass clique move by them, the lot of them speaking rapidly and gesturing wildly, Daphne included, as they tried to stop the Professors from marching them off to Dumbledore's office; the plan had worked perfectly.
"I figured you meant kissing, and yes, we can all go and get some hot chocolate," Harry answered from above Flora. "You're both amazing."
"Agreed," they said in unison, twin smiles the first of which he had ever seen now gracing their features.
Finally. Kisses without distractions.
