Amazement

They had breakfast. Sev had apologized to Lily and Lauren for not chatting with them over breakfast so he could make it calmly for once. They had spent several days of very tense and intense exchanges, and after the passionate night with Deborah he needed some rest before going to the fir tree with her, the Gryffs and Albus.

(I'm starting to need to be alone again, I haven't been alone since Thursday and I don't know when I'll have the chance, I have a very busy week ahead of me.) He would chat with Ariel at times. At a quarter to nine the owls came in. Two of them went to their area of the table, the one that Jack received with the Daily Prophet and another for Deborah.

"Surprise!" Valerie exclaimed.

(A broom, it's for me. I'm dying of shame,) Sev thought.

Deborah was handing it to him, and she spoke bonded, "Come on, open the package, we all bought it for you."

He spoke out loud, "You didn't have to."

"Yes, Prince, we did have to do it," Valerie said understandingly. "You must learn from now on with the best broom that exists, the Death Eaters have them."

"Thank you very much." He cried.

Jack hugged him close and said, "Come on, don't get like that for so little, open the package and look at it."

Sev struggled to recover and opened the package. "Wow… that looks good."

"It's a Nimbus 1500, the latest model, the one I have," Valerie told him. "But the idea was Deborah's."

"We were talking on Friday night and I wrote to my parents to go to Diagon to buy it on Saturday," Deborah told him. "I asked them to wait until last night to send it because on the weekend we are going to training directly from the Great Hall."

"Thank you very much for taking care of it, Deborah, but now we have a problem," Sev said. "We also have to go there today."

"We're taking it home," Heather told him.

"Sure... thanks. You are overwhelming me, I do not deserve so much attention."

"This is nothing, Prince, it can be bought with money," Andrew told him patiently. "What you are doing for everyone is priceless."

(He is right, despite knowing nothing of Horcruxes.)

"We will fly together in the summer, Sev," Ariel told him.

"Of course, honey," Sev passed the broom to her fifth-year classmates. "Let's finish breakfast."

"When do you have class again?" Valerie asked.

"Wednesday after school, and you all have to come with me and stay there, because the Quidditch field is not safe, it does not appear on the Map."

"We will, don't worry about it," Andrew told him, very sure.

"Of course," Jack said.

"Don't hesitate," Deborah told him, and to the others, "Let's finish breakfast, Dumbledore is already leaving."

They continued eating breakfast. (Deborah knows very well how overwhelmed I feel and that I need to be calm to eat, after the night we have spent and the walk that awaits us. She and I have been awake for six hours already. Ugh… too many emotions together, and in the end I haven't thought about my meditation. I'll do it on the way to the fir tree.)

They quickly finished their breakfast and headed to the Training Hall. On the way they passed Alice and Frank, who greeted them cheerfully. (The Gryffs are already there, I can't wait to see them. My discomfort has gone again, I'm getting more and more used to being with people, it's fantastic.)

They were escorted to the door of the meeting room, Sev knocked with the knock agreed with Albus and the door opened, he and Deborah passed and the others left. Dumbledore and the Gryffs were sitting at the table. Lily immediately got up and fell into his arms, just like the last time they had met in the Headmaster's office.

(I'm not kissing her this time, I don't want to do it in front of Deborah, the incredible experience of tonight is very recent, and although I know she would understand, I don't want to put her through that embarrassment,) Sev thought. So he just hugged Lily while projecting to her, "I'm sorry I didn't kiss you, honey. We'll do it in the Forest or tomorrow."

Lily thought, (He's spent the night with Deborah, that's why he didn't even feel like talking at breakfast today, he's been on his feet for many hours. I'm going to ask him, I don't want him to feel uncomfortable about the situation.) "You have been with Deborah, right?"

Sev thought, (Oh, she's already guessed, I don't think Lauren told her.) "Has Lauren told you?"

"No, my love, it was because of how you told me about Deborah on Saturday. I noticed that you were falling in love with her, and she has been in love with you for a long time."

(Lily doesn't miss a beat when it comes to feelings, either. She makes it so easy for me.)

Lily continued, "I am very happy for both of you, Deborah is a very solid and self-confident person, much more than Lauren or me. She's going to do you a lot of good."

"Thank you for understanding, honey. I love you."

Meanwhile, Deborah had dedicated herself to greeting Cecile and Remus with hugs and great joy, and Albus shaking his hand. As Lily and Sev parted away, he greeted the others, while Lily and Deborah hugged as well.

Lily said just for her, "Take good care of him, please."

"Never doubt it, Lily. I will give my life for him."

(She loves him deeply, much more than I do. They didn't manage to bond until the day before yesterday and she is already willing to die for him. She deserves him more than I, who only give him worries. I have to get stronger and more cunning right now, I already know what I'm going to ask the fir. I'm going to encourage Deborah to be with him.) "Make him happy too, since I can't."

"Of course, I will do everything in my power to make him so," Deborah replied.

(She has no doubt in continuing with him, I'm so glad. She doesn't eat her head like Lauren, she is much clearer about what she wants. How well he will be with her. I'm going to ask her if they have been tonight, I'm sure that she tells me the truth.) "You have spent the night together, right?"

"Yes, with the Time Turner. We've slept almost eleven hours and we've had a great time. We've been up since three."

(Wow… how sincere she is, and she answers everything instantly, she doesn't seem like Sly. How well we understand each other,) Lily thought. "What joy you give me, Deborah."

"How generous you are, Lily. How much I am learning from you."

(Of course, because she was jealous and domineering. Another person whose life Sev has changed.) "And I from you, Deborah, you are exceptional."

"Don't worry about the relationship we have, we will never put it before the one you have."

"At this point, I wouldn't mind if you did. All of that seems silly to me."

"Well, don't think so," said the Sly girl. "You and Prince have belonged to each other since you were children. Yours is predestination, and that is how he understands it. Never fail him."

"Of course I won't. I know how lucky I am to have him."

"Of course, he is exceptional. Don't deprive yourself of kissing for me, I don't care at all that you do. You have very few opportunities to do so, take advantage of them. Tell him that I told you."

"Thank you, Deborah."

Meanwhile, Sev greeted the others. He hugged Cecile and projected to her, "I already get 'Wish you were here' on the piano, also singing."

"Wow… Sev… amazing. In less than a month."

"And you already project without looking into the eyes, wow…"

"Sure, Sev. I practice with Remus and with Lily, with both of them."

"Wonderful. In a few months we will also be able to talk in the Great Hall."

"Of course. Do you want me to prepare another Pink Floyd song for you?"

"Sure, Cecile. When you have it, let Lily let me know and we'll meet so you can teach it to me."

"Great. This very week I will have it, and so you play me the other one too."

"Of course, Cecile, I really want it."

Sev hugged Remus and projected to him, "Have you already tried your Fidelius?"

He responded by speaking into his ear, "Yes, we were last night, with the Time Turner. Lily lent it to us, we did a good cleaning."

"How glad I am, friend. I owe you my life."

"Yes, Lily has already told us," the Gryff boy said.

"If it weren't for you they would have killed me. You've paid off your Shrieking Shack debt. You are my best friend forever. I can never repay you."

"You have nothing to pay me, Sev, you also do me a lot of good."

(We are both crying already.)

Sev greeted Albus at last, while the Gryffs continued to chat with Deborah. (They lived through the tense situation on Saturday morning and hadn't seen each other since before Easter.)

He held out her hand to the Headmaster, who took it between both of his. "How are you, Albus? Have you recovered from the scare yet?"

"Sure, Prince, of course."

(He's a very strong person too, brave Gryff. Neither last night nor this morning has he told me about our escapade to the Room of Requirement yesterday, he's not going to control me anymore.)

Dumbledore continued, "I have seen that your escort has given you a good broom, how glad I am."

"Yes, it has been very unexpected, they have overwhelmed me."

"I understand, boy. You must learn to let yourself be loved."

(And he says it, who has spent his whole life alone. How much he is learning from us too.) "You're right, Albus, it's hard for me."

They finished with the greetings and used the Time Turners at the same time. Sev did it with Lily and Deborah, and the Headmaster with Remus and Cecile. They went back four hours. It was five o'clock in the morning.

"Is there danger from Filch?" Sev asked Dumbledore.

"None. Yesterday I told him to go to bed early." And laughing, "Early for him is four in the morning."

They all laughed. Sev continued, "Some night that I have observed him I have realized that he patrols without order or concert."

They laughed again. Albus went on, "Of course, poor man, he doesn't have much wits, the real guardian is his cat," laughing.

"I already knew!" Cecile exclaimed.

"Yeah, I knew that too," Sev said.

They all were laughing. Sev thought, (Deborah is having a great time, now she can laugh with anyone, I have changed her life.)

The Headmaster continued, "Anyway, let's make sure the malefics are sleeping. Take out the Map, Remus."

"I'll take mine out," Sev said. "In his, the bedrooms don't appear."

"They do appear, Prince. They already have the new one I was making. He has left his for me to color and I will continue to watch with it while I prepare a third for myself. Today I will have the original colored. I'll give it back to you later, when I finish mine."

(Well… for Lauren.) "Thank you very much, Albus. How much work are you taking."

"So did you guys. Now it's my turn."

Remus had already spread the new Map out on the table. He said, "The malefic Raves and Gryffs are in their beds. And not a soul in the rest of the castle."

Albus replied, "Fold it up, Remus. Let's go there."

Remus folded the Map and they all left the meeting room and after the Training Hall, heading towards the dungeons to exit through the passageway that led behind the greenhouses. They circled the castle and then the edge of the Lake as they talked, Sev ahead with the Gryffs and Dumbledore behind with Deborah.

(Albus wants to get to know Deborah better, now that she's head escort, and she'll take the opportunity to coax him out, after what I told her tonight. Then she'll tell me everything. Although it's a shame she's not with us, I wanted her to have a good time with the Gryffs.)

They reached the entrance to the path and divided into pairs to advance along it. Sev and Lily were in the lead. She linked him and projected to him, "I spoke for a moment with Deborah and she told me to tell you not to mind giving me love in front of her."

"Wow… it was to be expected. Then we're going to let Remus lead and stay last."

He turned to speak to Remus, who was trailing behind with Cecile. "Will you know how to get to the fir tree?"

"Yes of course. Since we were there I have been back several times, even at night. And I was also with Cecile at Easter."

(Ugh… if he ever catches me and Lauren…)

They let the Headmaster and Deborah pass as well, who were concentrating on their conversation. (Ugh… I had brought her to be with the Gryffs. Well, when we come back she'll tell us her jokes.)

Sev and Lily stayed behind. He lifted her up and gave her a kiss, while he projected to her, "I love you my Princess. How I wanted to be with you like that."

"And I, my love. It is good that we are going to spend almost four hours together."

"Of course, I was dying to. How are you? Have you fully recovered yet?"

"Yes honey," she replied. "Last night I had a long talk with Alice and Cecile, in our bedroom. She gave me a lot of courage, she does me a lot of good."

"Wow… she is an exceptional woman. How lucky we are to be surrounded by such extraordinary people."

"I see that it has also been great for you to be with Deborah. Weren't you going to tell me?"

"Of course I was, but I wanted to go in parts. The whole mess was very recent," Sev answered.

"I want you to tell me now, if you want. I'll be much calmer for you."

"Of course I tell you, I have nothing to hide from you."

"Let's get going. If we stray too far they might worry," Lily said.

"Sure, let's go and I'll tell you on the way."

They walked at a brisk pace to catch up with the others as they continued to project to each other. Sev told her, without going into details about the sexual relationship but with absolute sincerity, about the hours he had spent with Deborah, and that she was willing to spend her entire life with him, even if he apparently had to change sides. (So she goes preparing for the Horcruxes in summer.)

"Booah… Sev. Would you become a double agent?"

"If there is no other choice, I would."

"And would you kill innocents?"

"If there is no other choice, I would," he replied. "I'll explain why more carefully in summer, you'll understand. You can't tell this to anyone else."

"Not even Lauren?"

"Lauren less than anyone, she would be able to put herself in my place."

"Of course, she is well positioned. I will also stay by your side, Sev. Whatever happens, whatever you are. You will have both of us."

"Wow, Lily... How you've changed in two days."

"Of course, Sev. You were about to die, and now I am also at risk of death, I have to accept it. Many people are going to risk their lives for us, I have to live up to it."

"Of course you are, brave Gryff, how much good you do me."

They got to where they needed to get out of the way. Remus preceded, with the old man trailing behind, to help him. Then came Cecile and Deborah, chatting animatedly and laughing. Lily preceded Sev, they were still projecting to each other, holding hands.

"How are you going to handle it?" she asked.

He told her about his plans for the future with Deborah, that he was going to be with her when they could be together, including the summer, that she planned to wait for him to lose her virginity with him, that she was determined to maintain the relationship for life and have his child, although he did not support them or live together.

"Wow, Sev... How she loves you."

"I tell you. She is perfect for me."

"I think much better than Lauren or me. You don't have to take care of her."

"Each of you brings me something different," he said. "I can't ignore any of you. I see the three of you in the Mirror, and also Ariel."

"Oh! Have you looked at yourself again?"

"Yes, on Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday I didn't see Jack anymore and saw Ariel. And on Sunday, after I hooked up with Deborah, I saw her too."

"And what did the five of us do?" Lily asked.

"I did not let the scene develop. We were with Valerie and Andrew, I didn't want to keep them waiting."

"I have to go look at myself as soon as possible and take Remus and Cecile."

"Now you have a good Map, you can go whenever you want," said Sev. "Also take Alice and Frank, they will know how to keep the secret of the Room of Requirement."

"Of course they will know. What a pity, I would have liked to go before doing the meditation, to know what to ask the Universe for."

"Yeah. Then trust your own feeling, Lily, you're not usually wrong about that."

Later he told her about Valerie and Andrew, about how at ease he had been with them, about he liked Valerie, too, and she liked him, and he planned to be with her too if she gave him the chance.

"Sev, you've become a womanizer," laughing.

"Indeed. One who can."

"I also noticed Valerie on Saturday at breakfast. She was very sad while I was scolding Jack."

"Of course, because they knew he wasn't right, they had confronted him when he left the house and ended up obeying his orders," he explained. "They stayed home with me all afternoon yesterday, which Jack has never done."

"Because Jack is paying more attention to Lauren than anything else, and since she's always in the Library, so is he, waiting for her to project to him."

"Oh... Has she told you anything about him that you can tell me?"

"Yeah. That she hasn't been with him since Monday of last week," Lily answered.

"I already knew."

"I think it's great. That she does not depend on him, he will end up risking her too."

"Yes, I think so too," he agreed. "I'm going to pass ahead of you and guide you, to distance us a little from the others. I need to spend some time in silence to think about my meditation."

"Of course, me too, Sev. After all the new news you have given me."

They let the others go until their voices were out of earshot, and they made the rest of the way to the fir tree in utter silence, thinking. When they arrived, the others were waiting for them.

"How do we organize ourselves, Prince?" Dumbledore asked.

"It's six o'clock, it took us an hour to come here, we have to leave here at half past seven."

"That is."

"Cecile, Remus, are you two going to do a joint one together?" Sev asked.

"If there is time yes, Sev."

"There is plenty of time, we have an hour and a half. So first do you two and Albus your individual and your joint one. I estimate half an hour, so you can enjoy it in peace. Lily, Deborah and I are going to get away for a bit in the meantime, we have to do something together."

"Okay, Prince," the Headmaster said. "See you in half an hour."

"Follow me, girls. Deborah, you behind me."

Sev headed in the direction of the chestnut clearing. When he figured they were out of earshot, he said loud enough for both of them to hear. "Do you remember this road, Deborah?"

"No, Prince, I've never come through here."

"Yes, you came, in the opposite direction, the day you fell in love with me."

"Oh…"

"I want you to tell us what you talked about with Dumbledore, Lily already knows that he will try to turn me into a double agent," Sev said. "Did you get something out of him? Summarize, we have a lot to do."

"Not much, but he does want to keep you alive at all costs. He has proposed that I teach Occlumency to more people for the summer."

"Oh, what we were already doing on our own. He hasn't told us yet what he read in the malefic Rave except that we're not in danger at school, but he knows we're going to need more escort. That confirms my suspicions that they're going to tell and Lestrange is going to go after Lily, and maybe anyone close to me."

"Yes, I have come to the same conclusion," Deborah said.

"You've spent a lot of time chatting. Hasn't he told you anything else interesting?"

"He was trying to know me. He has asked me to tell him in detail everything that happened on Saturday and he has also asked me about Valerie and Andrew, to know if they are more reliable than Jack in terms of protecting you."

"That said, looking for more escort," he said.

"Yeah. In fact, he has proposed that I instruct them."

"Let Jack take care of it, you propose it to Paul. I don't want to burden you with work."

"Of course we will do it like this," Deborah agreed.

"Let me count. Alice, Frank, Genevre, Jack, Valerie, Andrew, Paul and you starting July 25th. Seven or eight, enough for both of us at the same time. We don't have to go to Diagon until August."

"You maybe yes, to collect the scholarship."

"They are going to pay me in checks, I can go to collect it whenever I want," Sev said. "Lily, have you heard from your Mum?"

"Yes, Sev, we write to each other every week," Lily replied.

"Has she sold my gifts?"

"Yes, Sev, she wants you to do more. The jeweler she took them to have them appraised wants to sell them at his store."

"Great! I have my life solved out, Deborah," he said.

"And so?" Deborah asked.

"I am able to Summon precious metals and minerals. Only I can do it. I make gold appear out of thin air. How about?"

"That you are a box of surprises, Prince. It is the panacea of alchemy."

(The Alchemist's Crucible.) "I will support that son of mine that you'll have, you will enjoy raising him," Sev said.

"I hope it can be soon."

"We will win, Deborah, the Universe is on our side. Lily, another question. It's been three Sundays since the mess and I haven't heard from my Mum yet. I'm surprised she hasn't found out yet."

"My parents are taking her on a field trip every Sunday, I asked them to, and they will do so until the end of the school year, she is delighted," Lily replied. "So you can tell her in person."

"Thank you very much, Lily. I don't know what I would do without you."

They came to a spot clearer of trees.

"Very well, here we are," Sev began. "We are going to do something very ugly and then something very beautiful. Lily, cast a Sectumsempra, on any plant."

Lily did, nonverbally. Numerous cuts appeared on the leaves.

"Have you seen, Deborah? It is a spell invented by me, Dark Magic. It has a counterspell, it can be healed, also invented by me. Only three people know it, the three of us."

"What a box of surprises, Prince," she replied. "It would have made you legendary among Death Eaters."

"Of course. Throw it now. Sectumsempra."

Deborah did it, also non-verbally, to another plant. There were fewer cuts than Lily's.

"Wonderful, Deborah, for a first time," Sev appraised. "Keep practicing it when you get the chance. It's better with a cushion, because you appreciate the depth of the cuts, the goal is to bleed."

"Sure."

"But once you scare, you can remedy it and not kill."

"Wonderful. You are exceptional," Deborah said.

"I'll teach you the counterspell. Now I have to practice it, controlled, to mark the face of Cecile's rapist."

"Rapist?" Lily asked in alarm.

"Yes, Lily, Albus only told me, he planned to rape her. Never tell Cecile."

(Lauren told him,) Lily thought. "Are you going to lynch them?"

"Yes, Lily, this afternoon the seventh-grade Raves. Tomorrow the Gryffs, and by noon, Jack will know when the sixth-grader has Potions class. We have to intimidate him well, so that he doesn't dare to do anything strange next year."

"I think it's great. How I would like to participate."

"You will see it in detail in my mind as soon as we Bond and have the opportunity to do so, don't worry," he said. "The Sly girls and I are going to take revenge for Cecile. The account will be settled, there will be no one to heal the handsome guy's scars, he will be marked for life."

"Magnificent revenge."

"I have to practice it, so that it is controlled. You can keep throwing it if you want."

The girls did it, on more plants. Sev took a shrunken cushion from his pocket, enlarged it to his normal size, and placed it on a bush about five paces from where he stood. He'd cast the spell on it and then repair it with the counterspell also nonverbally, until, when he'd done it a dozen times, he'd gotten numerous clustered medium-depth cuts. He did it three more times, to make sure that it would come out like that that same afternoon.

"That's it girls, the ugly is over. Let's go with the beautiful. Lily, how long has it been since you checked your Patronus?"

"Since before Easter, Sev."

"Well, very badly done, we have it this week in Defense class. Many good things happened to you at Easter, perhaps your happy memory has changed."

"I don't think so, Sev. I think it's still the first night we ended up together."

"Ugh, bad sign. That's just I haven't been able to make you happier since," he said.

"It's not your fault. It's just that it was very shocking to me. You know, I had never arrived."

"Well, I do have to check mine. The last time I did it was the week after Easter, it was the last night we spent in Cokeworth."

"Yeah, I know why."

(Of course she knows,) Sev thought. "Do we do them together?"

"Sure, Sev."

They made the passes mentally conjuring, Lily that second night in the Prince's Haven and Sev the first in the Princess'. The lionesses emerged from their wands and cuddled up.

"Oh! How odd!" he exclaimed. "I was sure my happiest memory had changed."

(Last night with Deborah,) Lily thought.

"What was that, guys?" Deborah asked them, very surprised.

"Of course, you had never seen twin Patronuses."

"No, never, but not only that, they do things."

"Yes, ours are special. Cecile and Remus's are also twins but they don't do anything," Sev explained.

"Are you never going to stop surprising me?"

"I hope not, Deborah. You know, the mystery. Anyway, I'm going to check some more memories, they're incorporeal for sure."

(The one of the pampering with Lauren.) He evoked that quarter of an hour and did the passes and the non-verbal incantation. A panther emerged. "Wow… it's different."

"It's true, Sev. It is very similar, but it is not the same."

Sev projected to her, "It is the twin of Lauren's. I have evoked the pampering with her."

"Oh…"

Deborah was speechless.

"What do you say, Deborah? Will I stop surprising you one day?" he asked.

"Surely never."

(There are no two without three.)

"It's our turn, Deborah, both of us at the same time."

They did the nonverbal passes and spells again. Sev remembered when Deborah do it to him with her mouth and she when he did it to her. Two wolves emerged from their wands and began to play.

"Have you seen, Deborah?" he exclaimed triumphantly. "Not only the memory of my Patronus has changed, the entire Patronus has changed. It is with you. Kiss me."

They kissed passionately, in front of Lily, who was delighted. She thought, (And to think that less than a year ago he wanted to be a Death Eater and now he is able to conjure three different Patronuses because he loves three different women, and all three of them are twins of ours. Unbelievable. He will never cease to amaze me, either.)