Requital
Sev took advantage of the last minutes of breakfast, while Lauren and Lily were still chatting, to talk to Jack. "Jack, I'm sorry to tell you now and with such little time, but I'm removing you right now as second. I'm going to put the alternative commanders I had for fifth year in charge of sixth, and I'm going to help Deborah. Does it seem bad to you?"
"No, Prince. You rule."
(He is upset but he will never contradict me. It is not worth second.) "I'm going to have a meeting with all the commanders as soon as we enter the Training Hall. Can you take care of letting people know that today we will be taking a little longer to start please?"
"Of course Prince."
"Thank you very much, Jack. You will continue to be the liaison with them."
(That way I release Deborah from work.)
Sev said goodbye to his little one and told everyone, "Let's go now, I want us to arrive first."
They got up, left the table, formed up, went to the Training Hall and waited at the door. The rest of the commanders arrived a minute later. Alice and Frank came with Lily, Cecile, Remus and Richard, and the Raves with a few more from their House, including Julia.
(Wonderful. They left the Great Hall as soon as they saw us do it, they knew we had to talk, none of them suck their thumbs.) He spoke to them, "Commanders, everyone to the meeting room, we should talk for a few minutes before starting the training. Come also Julia and Richard, please."
The eight went there. (Now we Slysare minority, but we're first in the hierarchy, and we deserve it. The Longbottoms didn't have good judgment yesterday either, following Lily's both on arrival at practice and on departure.)
He opened the door for them and let them pass before him to take their seats. As Deborah did, he held her back and said, "Deborah, sit to the right of the head, you are the second."
She looked at him in amazement.
"Seriously, Deborah, do it."
When they had all passed, he did so, closing the door behind him, securing it with a Fermio, and sitting at the head.
"And Jack?" Frank asked.
"Destitute. Yesterday he did not rise to the occasion, he endangered everyone's lives." (Enough about that, the Longbottoms will understand, they witnessed the final argument with Deborah.) He continued, "From today on, Deborah is second in command. If I am not present, you must obey her. And something else about orders and due obedience. I do not believe in the hierarchy if it is not justified by good decisions. If an order is inconsistent with your own judgment, simply don't obey it, and don't be afraid to confront the authority issuing it, even if it's myself. Is it clear to you?"
They all agreed. Sev continued, "And I would really appreciate it if at any time you think I'm wrong, let me know immediately. Eight minds are better than one. will you?"
A wave of sures and of courses. "Any objection to make to the decisions I have taken so far?"
"Yes," answered Julia. "The way of training."
(Wonderful, she herself is going to propose the idea that Lily told me, surely it was hers. Brilliant Rave, how well we complement each other.) "Tell us, Julia."
"Until now we were only doing it in pairs. That's not like real combat, where it's more like groups against groups."
"You're right. Explain to all of us how you would do it," Sev asked.
She turned to the others, "Yesterday, in fifth year, we were organizing two-on-two combats, seeking balance but also combining warriors who fought better with others who did worse, so that the latter continue to learn and the best fighters don't sacrifice their time simply teaching."
"Great idea, Julia. Was it yours?"
"The real group fighting was Richard's idea, I developed it," she replied.
(They've hit it off perfectly. They will be dating before the end of the term, they've already sat down together, instead of him with Alice and Frank. What a good matchmaker I am. And what a good combination, brilliant Rave and brave Gryff, Minerva's qualities. Of course, together they are magnificent commanders, worthy of leading sixth year, better than Deborah and me.) "Have you had other similar ideas?"
Now Richard spoke, "Yes, organize larger groups. Face to face or even several cornered by others around."
(Very well, like we would fight with the shield, and without knowing anything about it. They are magnificent.) "Are the others taking note?"
"Of course," Alice said.
"Yes, Prince," Genevre said.
"Very good," Sev said. "Since we are not going to have enough space to do it all the groups at the same time, because we already fit just in the hall, we will divide the time. Fourth and sixth year will do so until eleven, and fifth and seventh year at second hour. That on Sundays, on Saturdays the opposite. The rest of the time, one against one or in pairs, trios, foursomes or as you see fit."
"It's a very good idea," Genevre said. "That way the kids don't get bored."
"And they get to know each other better an create similar groups from different Houses, which complement each other."
"That's great," Julia said.
(She likes the Gryff. And he likes her, he doesn't take his eyes off her.)
"I take advantage before changing the subject to entrust to you two, Julia and Richard, the sixth year instruction. You will not have too much problem, since they are your classmates and you already know what level they have. Does it seem good to you?"
"Wow, Prince, what a responsibility," Julia said. "It's our second day."
(Rave demanding of herself, who fear not be up to the task.) "Yesterday was the first and you did great. I have no doubt that you will be capable, and if you have any problem, ask me for help. If I'm not in the Hall, I'll be here."
"We'll try, of course," Richard said, touching Julia's arm.
(Gryff who instills courage and gives self-confidence. They complement each other perfectly. And he already caresses her, they'll get involved right now.) "Do you fourth and seventh graders commanders feel capable of doing it like this?" Sev asked.
"Yes, Prince," Alice replied. "We already know the level of each one well."
"We too," Genevre answered. "No problem."
(Of the couples already formed, girls always talk more. Women, more communicative, and men who leave them room to develop. What well-chosen commanders. If I change second, it will be Alice and not Frank. She is a better warrior and with more initiative.)
"Next topic," Sev went on. "Yesterday the Slys had a party at home and many of us got drunk. Maybe they're late for training because they went to the Infirmary for headache potion. Give them a truce today, please, if they feel bad, put them to fight at a low level."
"How envy you Slys make us, Prince," Frank said. "You are always partying."
"Set one up in the Gryff house too, the Gryffs are happy."
"Yes," said Alice. "But we don't break the rules to go to town for alcohol."
"Yesterday there was no rule to break, there was a trip to Hogsmeade, that's why the people at home took advantage."
"It's true," Genevre said. "But surely they finished all the taverns' stocks, it wouldn't have been enough for everyone."
"You're right about that," Deborah intervened for the first time. "It already happened like that a fortnight ago."
(Deborah finds out about everything that goes on at home, even if she's not interested in the party. She's magnificent, I'm falling in love with her. I don't mind stealing her from Anthony anymore and I plan on telling her later.)
"That's all for now," Sev concluded. "We'll meet again here at twelve to talk about how the new organization has gone. If you need me during the rest of training, find me in the fifth year group or here. If the door is closed, just knock. Fourth and sixth year commanders can leave, open with an Alohomora. Alice, Frank and Deborah, stay a moment longer."
He waited for the others to come out. "I was to give you news of Dumbledore. Lily and I are safe at school."
"What a relief, Prince," Alice said. "Will you be outside too?"
"He hasn't told me anything about that yet, but I doubt it."
"You're both going to need an escort in the summer."
"Yeah. Jack has already begun Occlumency training for two other Slys, Valerie and Andrew, of my escort," Sev informed them.
"Yes, we know them," Alice said.
"They have the talent, I hope they learn from here to then. How is it going for you?"
"Very good," she replied. "Much better than I expected, the magic of the Forest really works. In two classes I already occlude three quarters of the time."
"Wonderful. And you, Frank?"
"Half for me, in one class, Albus canceled last night's class," Frank answered. "Today I have the second one."
"Of course, because last night he appointed one of the malefic Raves to read him," Sev said. "Half the time in the first class is also a good quota. I estimate that in a week or two more you will get it. Thank you very much for making the effort so soon before the exams."
"Don't give them to us, Prince," Alice answered. "We are delighted for the opportunity to be learning things like this, we will be much better prepared for war."
"Of course, I knew you would appreciate it. Any queries or questions?"
"No, Prince," Frank answered. "Albus already gives us instructions through Lily."
"Brilliant. What a great team we make."
"We will win," Alice said. "The Universe is on our side."
"I trust it. You can go, I must speak with Deborah for a moment," Sev said goodbye.
"See you at twelve," Alice said.
They both got out.
"Deborah, we are going to organize our group, and then we have to talk seriously for a long time," Sev said.
"Of course we should, Prince, but first I'd like to do it with Anthony. Can I come here with him?"
(Something did happen and she remembers it, or maybe she was told about it by Valerie, who was the one who put her to bed and woke her up this morning. She puts Anthony ahead of me, that's fine with me.) "Of course, Deborah."
"A question before leaving. Are you really safe at school or did you tell them to reassure them about Lily?"
(She doesn't ask me nervously, she just wants information. She's cool-headed despite having an affair with me. I love her. Lauren's right, she's perfect for me. I plan to tell her everything.) "No, it's true. The malefics fear our escort, it was a wise move to put Valerie and Andrew in front, they are more impressive than Anthony and Jack, they won't dare with us. And the fact that they have linked Lily to me makes her be safer inside the school, because they know that all the Slys would turn against them if they did something to her."
"Wonderful. Let's go then."
They went out and organized their group as quickly as they could, leaving Anthony free. Since they were even in this way and Sev was going to be alone for a while, he began to fight against Cecile and Lily, all three of them at a low level. That way we are together for a little while and we can afford to project ourselves in the meantime. He didn't tell Lily about Deborah, he just told her more about his plans with Lauren. She was very happy.
Ten minutes later Deborah returned. They put Anthony to fight against Lily and Cecile. (How quickly they finished, it's going to take much longer for us to talk. Well, we have more than an hour ahead of us. If it takes less time, we'll go out and fight together, I really want to continue instructing her.
(Between now and the end of the term, I'm going to train her well enough so that she can be part of the summer escort when she turns seventeen, on July twenty-fifth. Although she can't Apparate, she can Floo around and Apparate with others. I'm also going to tell her now, I'll give her joy.)
They went together without speaking to the meeting room. Sev opened the door for her and let her walk in front of him. She returned to sit in the same place that she had occupied before, to the right of the headboard, and he closed with the spell of his invention and did so in the same place, next to her.
He studied her body posture. (Relaxed, leaning back in the chair, but without losing her poise. At ease and self-confident, she is not at all worried about what happened between us and is glad that it happened, she consciously decided.)
"Do you want us to bond to talk?" Sev asked.
"Of course Prince. It's great."
They locked eyes, about two feet apart. They got it instantly. Sev spoke in his mind and so did she, still looking at each other.
"Wow, what a surprise. Yesterday we did not get it so easily," he said.
"Many things happened yesterday that you don't remember, Prince."
"And you do?"
"I remember snippets," Deborah replied. "It was so intense that at times the drunkenness passed me by."
"Oh... And Valerie hasn't told you anything?"
"Of course she doesn't, she doesn't want to make me feel guilty."
"We hook up in front of the whole House, right?" he asked.
"Of course we did."
"Buf... And aren't you afraid of being associated with me and also being in danger?"
"Not at all Prince. You already asked me yesterday and I made it very clear that I was willing to take the risk," she answered.
"Do you remember the conversation we had? The last thing I remember is the jokes and the laughter, until the third whiskey."
"Of course I remember the conversation we had, it was transcendental for me. I want to have it again, sober and bonded. You started by telling me how you felt about me. Do you still feel it?"
"Yes, Deborah, I feel it," Sev replied.
She held out both her hands and he took them. She squeezed them tight and so did he.
"We started like this, it was you who held out your hands to me. You opened your heart to me," Deborah began. "Know you can stop looking at me, we will continue to be bonded anyway, we did it yesterday, and also through the table, without looking at each other."
"Wow…"
"I already told you that it was very intense. The best experience of my life, a pity that I only remember it in fragments. Let's see if my Patronus doesn't come out fragmented."
(Her happiest memory, with me, wow…) Sev thought. "Oh, what a shame. I do not remember anything."
"Because it was the first time you drank. I never get drunk, but I'm more used to it. I'll tell you everything I remember and we can repeat it now, if you want. Start at the beginning."
"Deborah, I love you, you are an exceptional person. I want to be with you."
"Yesterday you didn't tell me that, but that you were beginning to fall in love with me."
"Oh... And how did I continue?"
"You explained to me that Lily would be willing to share you with me," she said. "The Magic of the Moon."
"Sure."
"Later that we should take it in secret so that it wouldn't put me in danger."
"And you didn't tell me anything?" he asked.
"No, I let you talk. I wanted to know everything before making a decision. I spoke later."
"And I didn't tell you anything about Anthony?"
"Of course you did, you were afraid of hurting him," Deborah answered.
"Of course."
"You also told me about Jack. That I had been wrong about him all my life, and that you had been wrong up to that moment, too. That he was worth much less than me and he didn't even deserve me as a friend."
"Yeah."
"Do you still think all that?"
"Yes of course," Sev replied.
"Now I'll tell you what I told you."
"Yes please."
"The day I met you, you changed my life," she began.
"Oh..."
"I love you deeply since that day. I have never met someone like you, capable of overcoming difficulties to that extent. First you made me happy fighting, and then when you told us your story over lunch, you made me shudder every time you looked at me. You have a very intense look."
(Wow… what a heartfelt confession, no wonder I got into it right there and then, no matter what,) he thought. "I looked at you like that to overcome your distrust."
"I already know. And boy did you get it. I fell at your feet, when just two hours before I completely distrusted you and I had a good fight with Anthony and Jack for that. I felt very ashamed. I explained everything to you yesterday. I continue."
"Go on, of course."
"Later, when you guided us through the Forest, I felt in the clouds every time you took my hand to help me, that's why I let you do it even if I didn't need it," Deborah went on.
"Oh, I thought you did it so you wouldn't reject me."
"It's my biggest flaw, not showing what I feel, but it wasn't the right time either."
"Then it's not a defect. You do it when it's time, now you're doing it," Sev said.
"Later, the fir tree. The communion among all was extraordinary, an exceptional gift. It has been the memory of my Patronus from then until now."
(Wow… I'm going to be completely honest too. How much good this woman does me.) "I thought that you hadn't contributed much to it, that I had."
"And you thought well," she agreed. "Until that morning it did not exist, you created it, we united around you. Then, when I came back, I cried for almost twenty minutes. I don't laugh much, but never cry, I haven't done it for years. Storm of emotions."
(Wow…) "Yeah, I already noticed. You have to let them out, Deborah. If you keep them, they hurt you."
"I already know. You told me the same thing yesterday, I'm learning it from you."
(How much good we do for each other. What Lauren was saying, we are perfect for each other, much better than with Lily or with her. No big deal.) "I am also learning a lot from you, Deborah. You are exceptional, no one has ever spoken to me as sincerely as you are doing."
"I hadn't done it with anyone either. That's why I tell you that the conversation was transcendental for me."
"And now it is for me. I'm amazed by you."
"And yesterday it was too," she said.
(Of course it must have been, no matter how drunk I was.) "Go ahead please."
"Then I told you how I had lived all these months. It completely changed the view I had on the few relationships I've cultivated so far, mainly with Jack and Anthony. Comparing them with you, I realized that they are both far below me, each for their own reasons."
(Wow, it took falling in love with me to change her whole perspective on her own life. What Lauren says, I'm destined to change lives for the better.)
She continued, "Jack is soft, spoiled, he has never been faced with real difficulties. And Anthony is very shy, that's why I chose him as a partner, because he allows himself to be dominated by me, and I did it at a time in my life when I was not impartial, I was jealous of Jack. I have never been in love with Anthony, I did it out of spite."
(When Jack had an affair with Lauren. Poor Anthony.)
"But I wasn't aware of all this until I met you and learned what true love and deep admiration for someone were," she went on. "For you."
(Wow… I already told you that she is in love with me, very deeply, and I love the way she tells me, I am also in love with her. Now I do. I want her for myself.)
"Wow, Deborah. Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because for me you were unattainable. You are deeply in love with Lily, and I did not conceive of sharing my partner, and I still do not."
(Of course, one of her characteristics is her fidelity, and she also claims it in her partner, it seems normal to me. Ugh… what a pity. I have to convince her.) "Then why did you get involved with me last night?" Sev asked.
"Wait, let's go in parts, in order."
"Okay."
"Since then, I have looked for a way for Anthony to leave me without hurting him," she continued. "He is very attached to me, he admires me a lot."
(How honest she is, she's been trying to break up with Anthony ever since she fell in love with me, even though she knew she wouldn't have me.) "But then, what we did yesterday would humiliate him a lot, in front of everyone."
"No, he needed to get me off his pedestal and now he has done it. Meanwhile, he has been strengthening his relationship with Heather, which suits him much more than me. I think that before the holidays he will decide to leave me for her."
(How noble she is, waiting all this time for Anthony to suffer as little as possible and not be left alone.) "Deborah, I admire you more and more. I love you, I want to be with you."
"We will be, Prince, but not forever. Let me continue."
(No… I do want her forever. Back to the 'unsatisfied lover' thing now that it seemed like I had Lauren.) "Sure."
"I had another compelling reason to get involved with you like that in front of everyone, in a way I used you, you wanted to escape to your bedroom."
"And what was it?" Sev asked.
"Let the whole house know that I had gotten involved with the Head. That gives me prestige, and also Anthony, to have been with the chosen one."
"Wow... how smart you are, Deborah," with admiration. "What a maneuver."
"You told me the same thing yesterday, that's why you agreed that we would do it that way. I want to find a partner at my height, just for me. You would not be just for me, I should share you, and I am very possessive."
(I understand her, but what a pity, I can forget about her.) "Of course..." sad.
"And I had a third reason for not getting into bed together," Deborah went on. "You told me that you are a virgin and that the first one had to be Lily, and I am too. If we had gotten into bed, drunk as we were, we would have done it, and I don't want that for you or me. I want to save myself for my ultimate partner just like you do."
"Thank you very much then for having kept yourself conscious long enough to avoid it."
"Sure, Prince. They were very transcendental issues that I had been thinking about for a long time."
"I'm sorry I ignored you like this all these months. You don't know how much I regret it."
"Don't worry about that, everything has its process. The important thing is that we have finally connected."
"I hope to help you now in your goals having made you my second," he said.
"Of course you have, Prince. Now I have options not only at home, but throughout the school. Know that I do not aspire to someone like you, there is no one like you. I can't reach you either."
(Wow… I can't take it anymore, all my walls fall down at such a demonstration of absolute love. It's amazing.) "That's not so, Deborah. Of course you reach me and surpass me in many ways."
"No, not at all, you're wrong," she disagreed. "I am the way I am because I have had a very adequate education, but you are the way you are by yourself. You have made yourself, before you were seventeen. Very few can say that."
(What Lily's father said, my soul has gone through the crucible. How well she knows me, and hardly having paid attention to her. If we didn't manage to bond on the first day, it wasn't because of her, it was because of me.) "Go on, what else happened?"
"You convinced me that at least the malefic girls shouldn't notice, in case they read them in summer, you were very afraid of putting me in danger, and I made sure by watching the Common Room that they were far away and they weren't going to notice anything."
"Of course. I'll read them to make sure they didn't," said Sev.
"If you like. It doesn't matter to me, I'm willing to take a risk in war, you already saw what my wish was in the mirror, but if you stay calmer, do it. It is also known that I am a commander and part of your escort and now your second, you have not put me in more danger for having hook us up, perhaps less, because in a way I have your special protection, like Lily."
(That's true, Lauren already told me yesterday that anyone close to me is in danger, and Deborah figured it out on her own without me telling her.) "Sure. You are amazing me, Deborah. You have a privileged intelligence, you could have been a Rave."
"Yes, the Hat was slow to decide. But I'm also very cunning and ambitious and my whole family is Sly, so I ended up at home, also because I wanted to be with Jack, of course, and hoped that he would be assigned to Sly as well."
"Go ahead please."
"We decided to just kiss across the table and try to bond again," she said.
"We got it?"
"What a stupid question, Prince. Of course we did, after all we had confessed to. Instantly. We were delighted, and we stared in rapt into each other's eyes, communicating with our thoughts. There you already told me that you loved me without reservation."
"Of course, it doesn't surprise me at all," he said. "I'm deeply in love with you, after everything you're telling me."
"It was so amazing for both of us that we launched ourselves into kissing without thinking about it anymore and we forgot about the world, we spent at least a quarter of an hour like this, without worrying anymore if someone saw us."
(No wonder Lauren told me that I had enjoyed myself like never before.) "And we were still bonded without looking at each other?"
"Of course, all the time," Deborah replied.
"Yeah. What a stupid question. Oh... I don't remember anything," sad. "My first love kiss bonded and I don't remember it."
"Yeah, Prince," she too. "It's a shame, because from then on I also lose my memory and I will never be able to tell you in detail. Don't worry, we'll do it again, if you want, as soon as we're done with the talk."
(Of course I want. I love her, I am completely crazy about her,) Sev thought. "Sure, keep going."
"I have already told you that from then on I only remember bits and pieces. How you kiss, Prince, is a real wonder. Thirty seconds later I was already horny, and I have a hard time getting on."
"Oh…"
"And the things you said to me," she continued. "How you express yourself. How it shows that you know very well what you want and you fight to get it."
"Of course, Deborah, and be prepared for me to keep doing it, I won't give you up so easily. What else?"
"We stopped and I watched again, we poured ourselves another whiskey, but we were both eager to continue, we drank it very quickly, whereupon we got even more boozy."
"Ugh, a mistake."
"No, we went crazy," she said. "I only remember flashes. We devoured each other We didn't stop for a long time."
"Wow… What a shame not to remember."
"Yeah, for me too. Then we drank another one more calmly and there we already managed to bond across the table, even without looking at each other, and I convinced you that I was not satisfied with that. Again you suggested we escape to your bedroom, but at that point it didn't matter, everyone must have noticed, so I didn't even watch anymore, I climbed on top of you, on the chair, and we did it like that. We laughed a lot when we decided, at everyone's expense. We had a great time."
They laughed. (I love it. I bet Lauren saw it all, which is why she got all horny. I'll find out when we do the Union.) "Excellent. And do you remember something?" he asked.
"I'm telling you I do flashes, you know, one more whiskey, we should have stopped drinking, maybe that way your drunkenness too would have passed by and you would remember it, I remember it because it was very strong and intense for me. I wish you a lot and you made me go crazy, how you moved me. It was hard for me, it's hard for me to come, but I did it with clothes and everything, and what a end, the best of my life."
(Wow… how many have I already? I'm a sex artist.) "Me too?"
"You didn't come, on top of that. You know, with the drunkenness it costs more," Deborah said.
"Well, nothing happens."
"It was beautiful afterwards. We stayed in each other's arms and you gave me cuddles, a brutal contrast. I fell asleep, hugging you, sitting in the chair."
"How beautiful," said Sev.
"I owe you one."
"You don't owe me anything, Deborah. Either way, I wouldn't remember."
"For that very reason. I want you to remember it, just like me. You fell asleep too, then Valerie, Andrew, Heather and Fiona woke us up and walked us to our bedrooms."
"Oh. All the escort except Jack."
"Of course Jack didn't interfere," she said. "I bet he got more jealous than Anthony, Anthony isn't jealous at all. He really loves us and admires us both and he is happy for us, he knows that we deserve each other. He withdrew with dignity when he found out and he has not reproached me at all, and you, even less. He knows how hungry you are going through."
"I'm going to be very embarrassed being with him."
"Well, don't be. You've fixed Anthony's life and I'm going to finish doing it, subtly convincing him to leave me for Heather."
"He did fix it for me, when I wanted to enter the Guard," he said.
"Well, then it's mutual, you don't owe each other anything. And he does believe in those things about the Magic of the Moon and that it is women who must choose, and he perfectly understands that I have chosen you."
(I have to start subtly convincing her to stay with me.) "But now, when he leaves you, you're going to be alone."
"Well, you see what a problem. I don't care at all," Deborah said.
"You don't have to be, you can be with me."
"I already told you that I want someone just for me, Prince. I already have one of the seventh-years on file, I saw him yesterday in the squad, he doesn't have a girlfriend, and otherwise, anyone from another House. The seventh-years will still come next year, right?"
(She is very convinced of what she wants, I am going to respect her and help her.) "Yes, we have those plans."
"No problem then. It won't hurt me to spend the summer alone and reflect on everything I'm going through these months. I already tell you that you have changed my life."
"You won't spend the summer alone," said Sev. "I am going to train you thoroughly for the month that remains so that you can be part of the escort from the day you turn seventeen. You'll travel through Floo and Apparate with Valerie."
"Wow… great."
"Do you want to start right now?"
"No, leave it for the second hour," she rejected. "Now we have to get even for last night. I want you to kiss me like that again."
(Of course I want to.) "So come here."
She straddled him again and they spent the remaining time until quarter past eleven, when the break ended, devouring each other, and again she came and he too, bonded.
When they finished, she told him, "Surely my Patronus is no longer fragmented."