Exchanges

Sev and his escort finished dinner. (All the Slys have already left, it's just us and Lauren left, they've eaten quickly because they're in a hurry to start the party. And besides, it's late, the Great Hall is practically empty, even Albus has already left, probably to take a look at the Map to make sure Lily and I make it home safely before his appointment with the Rave.)

They went home. (Ugh, we should have arrived earlier. The Common Room will be full and surely the malefic girls will not have dared to come down. Missed opportunity.) Indeed, when they arrived, the Common Room was full of people, who had already started drinking. (Booah… you'll see how they all get on again, it's only eight o'clock in the evening. At least they haven't even noticed that we have entered, otherwise they would be able to climb me ontheir shoulders again, like last party.)

He turned to Deborah, who was on his right. "Deborah, don't stray too far from me. I may have a diplomatic mission, but then I need you to plan something before we start getting drunk."

"It's alright Prince. Can you tell me what the mission is about?"

(She asks me, 'Can you tell me?' and not 'Tell me.' She wants to know, but is extremely discreet, how nice that she dares to ask me. Of course I can tell her. She's going to like it.) "Yes of course. To win over the little malefics who have stayed at school."

"Wow, good idea. I had not thought of it."

(Very good, I have her approval. How well we complement each other,) Sev thought. "I tried to appoint them this afternoon. Let's see if they dared to come."

"Sure."

"I'm going to my office."

She smiled at him. (It is already a special place for her too. The corner where everything is plotted.)

"Don't start on the whiskey yet. Wait for me," Sev asked.

"Of course Prince."

He made his way to his corner. Okay… there are the two girls. And none have sat in any of my seats. They have been placed opposite each other in those next to mine. How cute.

He sat facing the window next to the third-year girl. "Hi girls, what's up? Why don't you have a butterbeer?"

"Can we?" asked Fence, the third-year.

"Of course. I have already told you before that you were invited, pass one to me."

They both helped themselves and also passed one to him. They drank while they talked.

Delighted with life. How we Slys like to party, another way of transgressing the rules. "What? Has someone bothered you?"

"No, Prince, not at all. Nobody has told us anything."

"Do you see? You should not be afraid of others, they are all good people. You can walk quietly around the house whenever you want and chat here with me whenever you feel like it."

They don't say anything, they reconsider. I'm going to ask them about the boys, to the second year. She is very pretty, that's why Lauren's brother loves her. Almost all purebloods are, Mum is a rare exception to the norm. "Have you not convinced your friends to come too?" Sev asked.

"No, Arthur didn't want to," the second-year girl answered.

Lauren's brother, who negatively influences the other. "Who is Arthur? Parkinson?"

"Yeah."

"Ugh, what a fool, he'll miss it. What is your name?" Sev asked.

"Dawn."

"It is a very nice name. And yours?" he asked the third-year.

"Maida."

"Yours too. Mine is very ugly, Severus. That's why I prefer to be called Sev or Prince."

"I don't think it's ugly," Maida told him. "It was the name of a Roman emperor."

"Wow… I didn't know." A name associated with power, how interesting. My father's idea surely, something good bequeathed to me, and to think that I have always hated my name. That's why Mum, Lauren, and Lily's dad call me by my full name, because all three of them know where it's from.

I have no idea about History, I don't know what she means by 'Roman'. How ignorant I am. I'd like to ask her, but it would be admitting a weakness. Can I allow myself it before them? Yes, why not? That will make me closer. "And do you know the story of that emperor?"

"No, just the name."

I have to inform myself. "And when did he live?" Sev asked.

"Two thousand years ago or so."

Wow… two thousand years. Amazing. "And where?"

"I already told you, in Rome," Maida replied.

And where the hell is Rome? I'm too embarrassed to ask. I'm going to drop the subject, I put myself too much in evidence. The next Muggle Studies book I check out is going to be History. I'm going to talk to Dawn, who doesn't say anything. She is smaller, shyer. I already have the older one in my pocket, I have to make friends with the other one. Lauren has told me that she is a good student, I'll ask her about her studies. "What subject do you like best, Dawn?"

The girl knelt on the chair and leaned on the table to get closer to them and listen to them better, because there was a lot of noise in the room. I already have her won too, she is not afraid of me at all.

"Charms."

Wow, Lily's specialty. "And second best?"

"Potions," Dawn replied.

The one of the two. Things in common, wonderful. "I also like them a lot. You have to enroll in Arithmancy next year, it will help you improve potions and invent spells."

"Oh really?"

Very interested. "Of course, Arithmancy is a very important subject. It is the basis of magical sciences, it should be mandatory," Sev explained.

"Oh, what a pity…" Maida said. "If I had known, I would have taken it."

Poor girl, she also wants to be a good witch, of course. I'm going to encourage her, I'll ask the old man to let her enroll next year. "Ask Slughorn to admit you to the fourth year. I would give you a hand to bring you up to date."

"Would you really do it?"

Very excited. She also admires me, how much I owe to my fame, Sev thought. "Of course. What other electives do you have?"

"Divination."

"No more?"

"No," the third-year girl replied..

Ugh… poor girl. How ill-advised. "Oh… Well, you haven't been able to choose very well, Divination is nonsense. Runes is also very important, many ancient magical books are written in runic."

"Jo… what a pity."

"And Care of Creatures is very pretty. You girls can pet the unicorns," Sev said.

"Wow... I wanted to, but my parents told me not to enroll because we had to go with the Gryffindors," very sad.

Ugh… how many prejudices. How much harm her own parents are doing her. "What nonsense. Don't you think?"

"They are our enemy House. They attacked you," Maida said.

"But there were only four. There are a lot of good Gryffindors." Dawn listens to us carefully, she is taking note of everything for next year. I will bring up the hot topic. "Also Muggle Studies is very important. I didn't take it and I really regret it."

"Well, that is a nonsense."

What I tell you, prejudices, they have brainwashed her, Sev thought. Then I will more. She spends nine months of the year here and only three at home. Let's see who gets away with it. "No, you're wrong. Not so at all." I'll admit I didn't know about Rome, the timing is right. "We warlocks have a very limited education, we barely learn anything about the Muggle world, which is the vast majority of humanity. You knew about the Roman emperor, I don't even know where Rome is. How about?"

"Oh…"

"Will you tell me where it is, please?"

"In Italy," the girl replied.

And I know where Italy is by a miracle, I found out at Easter. The allies of the Nazis in the World War. "Thank you so much. If I had taken Muggle Studies I would know. I am ignorant."

"And do you think they would let me enroll in more electives next year?"

"I think so. Talk to Slughorn after the exams," Sev suggested. "In Care of Creatures and Muggle Studies you won't have much of a problem, in Runes maybe you will, because being a language, you have to start learning from the beginning, just like Arithmancy. But if Dawn enrolls she can help you too, and your other classmates in your year, you have to make friends with them."

"But if I enrolled in all of them I'm going to need a Time Turner."

Booah... She already wants to enroll in all of them, that's good. "For starters, leave Divination, it's useless, and if you ask Slughorn at the beginning of the term there's no problem."

"Let's see if my parents will let me…" Maida was worried.

Well… we don't need parental permission to choose electives. "And if they don't let you, you can still enroll, but don't tell them that I told you, that it was your idea. Where is your Slytherin rebelliousness?"

I'm going to talk to Dawn a bit, let her think about it. "What other subject do you like best, Dawn?" Sev asked.

"DCAO."

Very good. I already tell you that this girl is not malefic. "Wow, my favourite. And how are you doing in practice?"

"Very good, I like it much more than the theory, the theory is boring," Dawn replied.

This one is going to be a warrior too, you'll see, on our side. "Yes, it seems to me too. I just like practice." I'm not going to talk to them about the Duel Chair. Sensitive subject. If it reaches the ears of wealthy families with influence in the Ministry, they can abort it.

"Will they give me a Time Turner too?" asked the second-year girl.

She's going to enroll in everything too, and her parents shouldn't be so stubborn, or it's just that she's more rebellious, mature, and self-confident, because she doesn't care what they think. "Of course. If you ask for it at the beginning of the term there is no problem."

He continued chatting with them about their studies and also about more personal topics, without going into anything too committed. Since I know that they are both firstborn, I am going to bring up the subject by telling them that I do not have siblings. Thus, if the slut reads them, she'll find out that for that part, she has no one to attack. That way I also find out if they have them.

Maida, the third-year, is an only child. It is already noticeable, she is less mature and self-confident than the little one, who does have a younger brother, eight years old. She is thirteen, and he is still going to take another two or three years to come to school.

He spent almost an hour with them, no one bothered them. When the talk died down he commented to them, "Don't stay alone here. Look for your classmates and spend some time with them. Make good friends, real friends."

The girls got up and went looking for the kids of their age. As Sev was about to get up to go find Deborah, he noticed that Lauren was sitting at the other end of the table with her chair against the wall, in his side, watching him with an excited smile, sipping a glass of wine.

Wow, who knows how long she's been in there? I will ask.

He sat down again facing the Lake and projected to her, "Gorgeous. How glad I am to see you in the Common Room."

"You are fantastic, Severus."

"You are. How long have you been there?"

"Just over half an hour," she replied. "When I came back from the Great Hall, my brother told me that his friends had come to the party and I didn't want to miss your exchange with them."

"Has someone bothered you?"

"No. Even Deborah has seen me and she hasn't looked down on me."

"Great. Are you enjoying yourself?" he asked.

"Very much."

"I would love to toast with you."

"And me."

We both are already about to cry, Sev thought. "I will save a bottle of wine for the next time we meet."

"Brilliant. You don't know how I'm looking forward to it."

It's Saturday, and we still have to wait until Thursday or Friday. What torture. Of course, what my Celtic horoscope hits the most for me is the 'unsatisfied lover'.

They chatted for ten minutes about everything they would do when they saw each other again, without mentioning anything committed. She's opening up to me at last. Talking about me with Lily has done her good. We need all three of us.

"I'll leave you, gorgeous. I have to plan a revenge before people get too drunk. Don't go yet, I'll be back in a bit."

He got up from the other side so he wouldn't look at Lauren again and went to find Deborah. (She's close, with Anthony, Heather, Fiona, Valerie, and Andrew. All the escort except Jack, on her part. Wonderful.)

He walked over to them. "How are you doing?"

"Recovering from the scare this morning, Prince," Valerie told him worried, suffering. "Deborah has told us about the malefics in the Library."

(Deborah is a better commander than Valerie, she suffers too much too. Deborah keeps her cool much better, I have chosen well. If I train her thoroughly, she will be able to be head of the out-of-school escort for successive holidays and when I finish Hogwarts, even walking alone around there, with two arrives to form the shield.

(And my, they have spent the whole afternoon with Jack and he hasn't said anything to them, because he knows it was his fault and he's afraid of being blamed. Anything but noble and honest, that's why now he's not with them either. At this rate he's going to be left alone.)

"Don't worry," Sev spoke to them calmly and patiently. "We'll find out soon about their intentions, Dumbledore has made an appointment with one of them after dinner, he must have already read him. Tomorrow we will know."

(Since everyone is here except Jack, I'm going to tell them about the unjustified commands.) "Never again obey an order that is not consistent with your own criteria, and don't be afraid to confront authority, including mine," he continued. "I can be wrong, anyone can be, don't be wrong too."

"You're absolutely right, Prince," Valerie replied.

"Try to forget it and enjoy the party. I'm going to chat with Deborah for a few minutes, we'll be right back."

They turned and both sat down at the table, he facing the Lake and she facing him. (Lauren is still there. You'll see how Deborah tells me something about her. I'm going to propose that we bond so that she doesn't pay attention to her, and while we're at it, we'll practice a little more.) "Shall we Bond?"

"Will we be able with this din?" Deborah asked.

"Let's try."

They did, and they make it after thirty seconds. They spoke in their minds.

"We are going to plan a punishment for the malefics," he said.

"Of course. We have to scare them before they leave school."

"It will be here, in the dungeons, when they have Potions class. On Monday I'll ask the old man when the seventh-year Raves have it, Jack can read it in the sixth-year, and the Gryffs will surely have it with the ones at home."

"Yeah. In Potions we are with them," she said.

"Wonderful. That way we caught them in pairs, and the sixth-year alone. May he stay warm for next year and don't dare anything strange."

"Very well thought out, Prince."

"I want you to choose five good warriors, the best or whoever you want," Sev proposed. "With you and with me, seven, as in the squad of your desire. That they are willing to miss a class, leave before it or arrive late."

"I already have two chosen, Valerie and Andrew."

"Very well, then you need another three."

"Maybe three of the other four I've seen in the mirror," Deborah suggested. "I will consult with them, who know them better."

"A wonderful idea. I'd like to talk to them right away."

"No, Prince, let's leave it for tomorrow. So we both have time to plan well and we don't bother people with that topic now, we'll talk about it tomorrow after dinner."

"Deborah, you're absolutely right," he agreed. "That's how I like it, that you don't just obey me. You are then in charge of telling whoever you choose and finding out when the Gryffs have Potions class. Don't tell anyone else. I'll ask Jack to read the sixth-year and Dumbledore to tell me when the seventh-years have it. We share the work."

"I will do that. When do I tell you the result?"

"We'll meet here tomorrow after lunch."

"Perfect."

"Equally we will talk during the training about the news that Dumbledore gives me, as I told you before," Sev added.

"Of course. Anything else on the subject?"

(Efficiency, another good quality. And she barely had to think about what she was proposing, quick-witted too. She's magnificent.) "Not for the moment."

"So I'll tell you a couple of things," Deborah said.

"Whatever you want."

"I have noticed that you have spent almost an hour with the little malefics."

"They are not malefic at all, they are charming," he said.

"Have you read them?"

"No, I've only chatted with them, I don't read allies."

"Will they side with us?" she asked.

"I'm sure they will, and will make the boys do it too."

"You are fantastic, Prince."

"You are too, Deborah."

"Parkinson has come down to the party."

(By surprise, to see if he catches me.) "I knew it wouldn't have escaped you, I've already seen her."

"I no longer mistrust her," she said. "I have seen her smile excitedly while you chatted with the girls."

"Oh… I already told you that she is harmless."

"She must feel very lonely. She spent a whole week without coming to the Great Hall."

(Wow… she is taking pity on her, indeed she is noble and generous,) Sev thought. "Yes, she feels very lonely, but we can't relate to her, they could read her and we would compromise her."

"I feel bad for her, she still has two years of school left."

"She is a strong person and she is convinced of what she is doing, finishing her studies, otherwise she would have left."

Deborah was mentally silent. (She is occluding what she is thinking, reflecting on Lauren. Incredible. This afternoon I had to speak badly about her to cover it up and now she herself has have enough to see an expression on her face to pity her and worry about her. She is extremely intelligent, observant, generous and noble.

(I hope the day will come when they are good friends, they would do each other a lot of good, they would complement each other perfectly. It was the competition for Jack that made them loathe each other. How bad is jealousy. But Deborah has already figured out that he's not worth it at all, I wish Lauren did too.

(I hope Lauren isn't getting jealous of me now. Deborah and I are in our usual place, staring into each other's eyes, as we have for countless hours. By the way, she has beautiful ones, blue with a slight purple tinge. She's also a beauty, and I deeply admire her, I'm starting to fall in love, but I'm not going to allow myself to have anything with her, she doesn't give me the chance at all. Our relationship must be based on camaraderie and seriousness. Do not mix, if feelings get in the way, perhaps she will also lose her cold blood.)

"Is there anything else that worries you?" Sev asked.

"Not at the moment, Prince."

"Let me know about anything. Now we are four eyes to observe and two minds to think. I count on you."

"Always Prince."

"Shall we start with the whiskey?"

"Go for it."

"We unbond. I'm going to Summon some glasses," he said.

"Sure."

They broke the bond. Sev Summoned two glasses and stood up for a bottle, approaching Lauren head on. They looked at each other for a few seconds, smiling. (She's not jealous at all, and Deborah must have noticed that we have smiled at each other and that she's not so alone anymore. It's a small thing, but it's something. Let's see if she tells me something. I'm sure not, because she's very discreet when it comes to me.) He returned to Deborah and filled her whiskey glass almost to the brim.

"What are you doing Prince?" she asked laughing loud. "This is drunk little by little."

He laughed too. (What a good time we had together. I love the relationship we have, serious and happy at the same time. It is because we understand each other, we are alike.) "Ugh, it's my first time. I don't understand these things, sorry."

"Don't help yourself, I'll give you half of mine."

"Brilliant."

She did it. (She's very handy, too. She hasn't spilled a drop.)

They toasted. "For the excellent dumbbell that we are going to form."

"I don't doubt it, Prince."

They drank.

"Ugh… it's very strong," Sev complained.

Deborah laughed. "Indeed, they call it Firewhiskey for a reason. It is much stronger than the Muggle one."

(She's already tried the Muggle one. She likes it, but she's tempered.)

"Booah… how we are going to get."

They bonded again over their drinks, now taking just ten seconds, and Deborah began to tell him jokes. They lost the bond every time she finished one, because Sev would crack up and stop looking at her. She is very funny, indeed she has a sense of humor. It hits all her right traits. "Deborah, you are very funny. I'm having a great time with you."

"I have a very good memory for jokes. My father and my uncles always tell them at family gatherings, at Christmas and holidays."

"Do you want to come to the fir tree Monday morning with the Gryffs, with Dumbledore and me? If you tell us jokes on the way, the six of us will have a great time."

"Of course I'll go, Prince. Delighted of life."

"This way you show yourself as you really are with someone other than me, they will know how to appreciate it."

"I keep telling you without bonding, okay? You start laughing before I finish, you don't let me finish and I lose the thread."

"Okay, let's continue like this," he agreed.

She continued to tell him out loud, they spent almost an hour like this. From then on, Sev didn't remember what happened, it was Lauren who found out about everything.

She was looking at them all that time, continuing with her wine, also getting in tune but without getting drunk, because she wanted to keep the whole situation in detail in her memory. Neither of them looked at her the entire time, they were totally absorbed in their exchange.

She greatly enjoyed seeing them enjoying themselves like this, after the tense day they had all had, and she appreciated Deborah very much, for being able to make him happy in that way. She thought that she would also be a very suitable partner for him, perhaps much more than Lily or herself, and with whom he could be without having to hide and constantly suffer absence.

She wanted them to be together at least for that night, and for both of them to fully release the tension. She checked to see if anyone else at the party was paying attention to them, and no, there was no one paying attention to them. The trickiest was Anthony, Deborah's boyfriend and Sev's close friend, with whom she knew he had a very special relationship.

By the time they poured themselves the fourth whiskey, she knew from her own experience that they were both already completely out of control of what they were doing, and that tomorrow they would remember nothing. She thought it might make them sick and throw up, and she hoped they wouldn't, so the fun wouldn't suddenly end.

Shortly after she saw Sev hold out his hands to Deborah, who took them tightly, and she thought of the scene so similar that had taken place between them the night of the song. She saw him speak to her, she thought that he was confessing to her what he felt for her and she was just a trifle away from reading them, to find out what he was saying to her, but she didn't, she respected their privacy.

She just continued to make sure no one else saw them, and no, no one did. She wished they would launch, one or the other. Deborah was talking to him too, they were talking seriously, and she knew she was also telling him how she felt about him and maybe talking about Anthony.

A while later she saw Deborah looking around the room and knew that she was checking to see if anyone was watching them. She thought that the best they could do was get Disillusioned even if it was in full view of everyone, but she preferred that they not, otherwise she would miss out too. She looked away from them when she guessed that Deborah was going to look in her direction and took the opportunity to watch her too, no one was looking. The vast majority had started drinking more than two hours ago and were already drunk.

She looked at them again, they were both leaning over the table, they stared into each other's eyes for long seconds, and she knew they were trying to bond again. She thought they were going to have a hard time being so drunk, and she didn't know if they succeeded or if the bond was immediately broken again, for soon after they got closer and began kissing avidly.

She wished they didn't cut themselves off every half minute to keep watch again, like she and Sev had to do that morning. She, however, did continue to watch. They didn't interrupt, and although from time to time someone would come to the table to continue serving drinks, no one seemed to notice them, and she knew that everyone at home would be discreet, just as they were being with her.

She thought that they had managed to bond and were talking in their thoughts while they kissed, because they continued like this for a quarter of an hour or more. She was delighted, her eternal love and her eternal enemy had managed to connect despite all the difficulties. She wished they'd run off to the bedroom, but she knew neither of them wanted to go that far, and she was sorry.

They stopped to pour themselves another whiskey, already their fifth, and continued chatting and laughing. They drank it quickly while Deborah kept watch again, and went on the attack again, this time not waiting to look at each other. Lauren thought that perhaps they hadn't been able to bond before and weren't trying anymore, or more likely, that they had succeeded with their eyes closed, so close, and no longer needed to look at each other to do so.

She was very sorry that they couldn't be hugging and feeling each other. Deborah, without letting go of him, knelt on her chair and took him by the head to pull him to her and kiss him more deeply. He also clung to her. They devoured each other, they were out of control. She was very sorry that none of them would remember the next day what they were experiencing.

She was still watching, and this time she saw Jack watching them from afar. She was glad, for he had had Deborah available to him all those years without knowing how to approach or appreciate her. She saw jealousy in his eyes and began to realize that she had idealized him, and he certainly wasn't up to the task. She wished he would be discreet like everyone else and not interfere or tell Anthony anything. Although she thought, knowing his classmate well through Sev, that if he found out, he would retire with dignity and not put Deborah in any trouble at all, let alone Severus.

She didn't think the same of Jack, she was afraid that he would reproach him the next day, because he knew him well in that aspect and he knew that he didn't conceive, at least for the moment, that of sharing a partner, and Lily had a lot of influence over him. But he soon stopped looking at them, turned back to his whiskey and his conversation with the others, including Brad.

She knew that by now half the House must have realized everything and no one made any move that they were finding out anything, they had already gone more than twenty minutes without letting go of each other. During all this time, people avoided coming close to the table and looking at them, so that they would not realize that they had been discovered and not disturb them.

She was so glad they were enjoying themselves like this. She wished with all her soul that the next day, sober, they would recover that feeling and give themselves unreservedly to each other, because they both needed it very much.

They stopped after half an hour to pour themselves another whiskey, and this time they didn't talk at all, despite being further apart and stopping to look at each other at times, and she knew that yes, they had managed to bond all this time and weren't losing the connection, because they had been mentally exchanging feelings for a long time, while they kissed. She was infinitely glad.

This time they drank it calmer, they kept laughing, and she knew that they continued to communicate and that it must be fantastic to do so, even better than the Projection, two thoughts merged into one, and she wanted to do it as soon as possible with Severus and Lily.

Before finishing her whiskey, Deborah rose from her seat, came around the table and straddled Sev, between their laughter. He took out his wand and conjured a Muffliato, then leaving it on the table, and they went back to job, this time no longer watching.

She knew that by now, no matter how drunk they were, they must have already realized that many would have noticed and that they didn't care, precisely because they were so drunk.

She clung to him by his head and he to her by her back, intimately united, until he reached her bottom and began to move her against him to give her pleasure. They have gone completely crazy.

Lauren observed movement in the Common Room, the older ones were discreetly sending the younger ones to bed, so they wouldn't witness the scene, and she knew that no one at home, except perhaps Jack, would speak, and that Anthony would surely to find out when the crowd diminished. In fact, she saw him go up the stairs to his bedroom shortly after.

Poor boy, with how good he is, but he has nothing to do against Severus. He's irresistible, and how he moves her, he's going to make her come. I'm getting horny. I already know what I'm going to do as soon as I got into bed, imagining that he does it to me.

They spent a quarter of an hour like this. He is boozy and doesn't get tired, what a physique he has, and what a devotion, because it costs her a lot and I doubt that he will arrive like that. How right Lily was when she told me that he would never leave me halfway. How much better would I be with him than with Jack, but I wouldn't settle for that, I would want everything, his complete surrender.

At one point, almost twenty minutes later, Deborah broke away from him, screaming silently, first throwing her head back, then looking back into his eyes. She's already come, she got it, but he didn't. He broke away from the chair's back so that she hugged him. She dropped onto him, buried in his neck, her eyes closed. He also hugged her, caressed her back and kissed her head. How tender he is, and despite not having come. He is certainly exceptional.

From time to time, he would reach out to continue with his whiskey while she recovered. It costs her a lot, it has been very strong.

Ten minutes passed like this, she still didn't move, he poured himself another drink. Deborah has fallen asleep. Girl, petite, less stamina. They are going to have to rescue her to take her to her bedroom, he would carry her in his arms if he could but he can't. I should project to Jack to warn the girls, but I don't care, they'll find out. Severus looks comfortable, it's better that he keep drinking and he sleeps too.

He drank his last whiskey slowly. Then he shifted Deborah's arms, still holding onto him, up so he wouldn't catch them as he dropped into the chair, and leaned back, burying himself in her neck as well. It's done, he's going to sleep too. I'll wait until people find out and rescue them.

Ten more minutes passed, which Lauren spent watching the people in the Room. Valerie has already noticed, she's watching them to see if they're moving. She will still wait. Another quarter of an hour passed. By now, Sev must have fallen asleep too, he hasn't moved in all this time. How cute they are, in the chair in his office, where I usually sit. Valerie has continued to watch, she will be coming over soon.

Indeed, she approached shortly after. She's not going to hear their breathing with the Muffliato. Valerie lightly put her hand on each of their shoulders. They haven't moved, they're both asleep. She hurried back to where Andrew, Heather, and Fiona were, and she spoke briefly with them. Jack has completely disengaged, he's going about his business.

The four of them approached the table. Valerie woke Deborah up gently, Sev woke up too. She climbed off him and was escorted by Valerie and Heather to her bedroom. Andrew picked up Sev's wand from the table, pulled him to his feet, and he and Fiona escorted him as well. I'll wait until they come down.

Heather went down first and soon after Fiona. Valerie and Andrew have stayed undressing them and putting them to bed. Good, how they take care of them. They are all exceptional. What a great team, the advance guard. Valerie and Andrew returned shortly after and continued the party with their female escortmates.

All in order. What a pity that tomorrow they will not remember anything. They are going to get a big surprise when they discover that they already manage to bond without looking at each other, they are not going to understand it. Well, when we make the Union, he'll find out everything. For now, I'll take that promised bottle of wine for when we meet.