Frantic
Valerie, Deborah, Sev, and Andrew were chatting in the Common Room of the dungeons.
"What? Do you have more surprises prepared for us?" Valerie asked excitedly.
"I'm afraid that for the moment, I don't" Sev replied.
"Oh, man, what a pity, with how good time I was having," disappointed.
(Valerie likes me a lot, she wants to spend more time with me, but I better discourage her, Andrew is jealous, I don't want dissension between us.) "Besides, I have to get on with my homework. On Friday I couldn't do almost anything because of the flying class and because after dinner I went to play, and yesterday I took it off, because after all the tension I was exhausted."
"Yeah, I haven't finished them either," Valerie replied.
"Neither do I," Andrew said.
"Of course, on Friday you were also at the Quidditch field and yesterday you spent the whole afternoon learning Occlumency," Sev said.
"That is."
"We are all making great sacrifices."
"It is what is due in the situation in which we find ourselves," said the older boy.
"Do you want us to stay with you doing homework? So you don't stay alone," Valerie proposed.
(Ugh… I think that Valerie has also got like a motorcycle, she also saw us yesterday and she is looking at Deborah's lips, she is in front of her, and she is beginning to become insistent. She does not cut herself, she is carried away by emotions, and I don't want that, I'm going to reject her.) "Ugh… I prefer not. So I can do them by dictation."
"Do them by dictation anyway," Andrew said. "You won't bother us."
(Wow, thumbs up from Andrew, he doesn't mind at all. Well, I do want them to stay, I'll ask the girls.) "Are you sure?"
"Yes, Prince, no problem," Valerie replied.
(Of course she doesn't have problem, she wants to be with me.)
"I don't get distracted by noise either," Deborah said.
(And even if she did, she wants to be with me, too. I'm meant to join people around me. Well, fine, I'm delighted.)
"I have to practice the mental dictation, to be able to do them like this also in the Library," Sev said.
"Then start today," Valerie said.
"Okay, I'll try."
"Do you want me to walk you to the Infirmary first, Deborah?" Valerie asked.
"Yeah, Valerie, great," Deborah replied.
(Very well, I'm sure they'll talk about the topic on the way.)
"When we get back we'll bring you something to snack on, do you want?" Deborah asked.
"Nothing, thank you, Deborah," Andrew replied.
(Another one who takes care of himself, but I do want to, today I have spent a lot of energy and what awaits me at night. I am going to ask Lauren if she is going to meet Jack today, and if she is not going to, I will take Deborah to the secret bedroom. I no longer care to imagine that Lauren is there with him, Deborah heals me of all that nonsense. It's going to be memorable, another memory to check for my Patronus.) "I do, but I will have enough with a sandwich, otherwise I won't have dinner," Sev said.
The girls left and Sev went up to his bedroom for his stuff. When he went downstairs, Andrew was already concentrating on his homework, since he had left his backpack in the common room. Sev settled in his place and spent a little less than half an hour mentally trying to dictate.
It is very difficult, it requires a lot of concentration, because thoughts that have nothing to do with homework interfere and appear written on paper. I'm going to give up, because at this rate I won't be able to finish my homework for the week.
"Andrew, I'm going to do them by verbal dictation. I've tried and it still doesn't work. If I bother you, walk away."
"No, Prince," Andrew answered as he continued writing, without looking up. "I already told you that it doesn't bother me at all."
Of course it doesn't bother him, he has continued writing while he was talking to me, he is very intelligent and alert. A good commander for next year, he deserves it. "Thank you very much Andrew."
Just then the girls came back. "We're back," Valerie greeted, singing.
Andrew looked up with an excited look and smile. (How he loves her, he adores her. I will never steal her from him.) Sev turned away. (How happy they come, they have been confiding in each other. I am sure that Valerie also needed to build trust with someone for that, at home there are not many opportunities to do that.)
"What's up, Deborah? Poppy healed you?" Sev asked.
"What a stupid question, Prince," Deborah answered. "You see she did."
"True."
"Come on, kiss me. Now it doesn't hurt anymore."
"Sure, beautiful, come here."
They kissed hard, Valerie and Andrew did too. (What harmony has been created between the four of us, we don't look like Sly anymore. When we do the ritual of the fir tree it will be fantastic, another group of two couples, like with Lily, Cecile and Remus.)
Sev and Deborah had their snacks while the four of them chatted for a while, Valerie teasing them about how much energy they had spent. Sev laughed embarrassedly, but Deborah didn't, she did it heartily.
Then Valerie got to work on her homework as well, and Deborah went up for her backpack, went downstairs, and began to study. (She has indeed finished them, because on Friday she had half an afternoon and the night off and on Saturday two more hours. And she is very efficient, I am sure that she does not leave everything for the weekend, she brings them up to date.)
Meanwhile, Sev was doing his by dictation. They continued like this until dinner time. As each one was finishing their own they went to study, this time in silence the four of them.
(Andrew finished them first, he writes very fast, even faster than me, almost as fast as a dictation pen, and hardly has to think about what he writes. He is very intelligent, I admire him a lot, no wonder Valerie is crazy about him. Both are extraordinary, each in their own way, they complement each other as if they were from different Houses, they will be magnificent commanders.
(How I love them. They stayed with me all afternoon so I wouldn't be alone, and I'm sure they'll continue to do so from now on, which Jack has never proposed to me. I have to Summon gifts for Deborah and Valerie and also find something for Andrew. Let's see what I can think of, buy him something when I know him better. Related to music maybe, a record, when I know what bands he likes. I can also check with Valerie.)
At ten past seven the malefic kids arrived from the Library. They heard, "Hello Prince! How are you?" gladly.
Sev turned, it was Maida. The two girls were coming towards him. (Wow... They already dare to greet me in front of the others and their friends, who have immediately left for the bedrooms. And today they have arrived later than yesterday, they are losing their fear. It's okay, so Lauren's brother sees that they relate to me.) "Come here girls, I'm going to introduce you to my friends."
They moved closer, staying in the gap between the table and the wall, next to him and Valerie. Sev made the introductions. Valerie got up to give them kisses and caresses. (How loving and sensitive she is, she has already earned them too.)
Valerie asked Maida, "Have you been with Ivy and your third-year friends?"
(Of course, last night they saw them with the other children their age and sent them to bed.)
"I haven't," Maida replied.
"Well, you have to study with them so they can help you in the exams," Valerie continued. And to Dawn, "And you with your second-year friends?"
"I have been with them," Dawn replied.
(Okay… The little one is much less malefic, more independent and willing to join our side, perfect for her to attract Lauren's brother, who is now going to be left alone in his year. Wonderful. I have to ask Lauren about the families of each, tonight at dinner. I'm going to ask Dawn about him and bias her in his favor.) "And Arthur? Has he been with you too?"
"No, he didn't want to."
(It was to be expected, she must attract him. Let's see how I do it subtly,) Sev thought. "Well, you have to encourage him to be with you, otherwise he's going to be left alone, poor boy."
"Sure…"
"Do you sit with him in class?"
"No, because I do it in the first row and he in the last, alone," the girl replied.
"Well, sit with him once in a while so he's not alone, make friends with him and soon he'll join everyone else."
"I don't like him very much."
(Of course, she doesn't like him, but if she starts to pay attention to him, he'll change for her,) Sev thought. (Lauren can intervene and so can I, when I get the chance. I have to talk to her about all this, at dinner.) "Yeah, I understand, but make the effort, the poor boy is going to be left alone in your year, you have to become his friends. All go to class together, tell the others."
"Okay, I'll tell him. You are very nice for worrying about him, after how badly he treated you yesterday."
(I have her in my pocket.) "I'm not nice, I just worry about him. The older ones should worry about the little ones, like you do with your brother. At home we are all one big family."
"Sure…"
"Why do you never go to the Library to study?" Maida asked.
(Tricky question, but I can answer it, it will make her wonder many things.) "Because there are bad guys from other Houses in the school who want to hurt me, and I'm only safe at home, Maida."
"It's because there's going to be a war, right?"
(This one has heard of the war at home and among the older malefics, of course.) "Yes, honey, that's why."
"I'm very sorry that you can't leave the house," the third-year girl commented.
(I also have this one in my pocket, they both adore me.) "It's okay, you see I'm not alone, my friends accompany me. That's why I told you yesterday that you should make more friends, to never be alone, being alone is very sad. Did you have a good time at the party?"
"Yes, very good," Maida replied.
"Me too," Dawn said.
"We'll do another one after the exams. Let's see if you can convince the boys to come too," said Sev.
"Sure, Prince, we'll try," Maida said.
"I count on it. In the meantime, come see me whenever you feel like it, I'd love to chat with you for a while."
"We too, pretty," Valerie told them. "Give me another kiss."
They gave it to her.
"Can you give me one too?" Sev asked them.
They also gave it to him.
(I want them to leave, so I can talk to them for a moment about what just happened and the party.) "Come on, go get ready for dinner."
The girls left. The four of them were left alone again. "Wow, Prince, amazing…" Valerie told him, admired. "You won them in an hour, they adore you."
"It was not my merit, they are charming," Sev replied. "You also just contributed a lot."
"Of course, we have to give them love, create ties with them, make them feel supported."
"Did you see them at ease yesterday with the kids of their years?"
"Yes a lot," Valerie answered. "They were very sorry to have to go to bed, they were anxious to mingle. I'm sure they continued talking with their roommates in the bedrooms."
(Great. Won, in one night.) "Ugh, and you must send them to bed earlier because of us, because of the show we put on."
"Well, it was time for the second-years to go to bed, we sent them around eleven."
(Ugh… by then we had already been at work for an hour. Buf…) "Yeah, it was good then. Did the kids notice something?" Sev asked.
"No, we already took care of watching them, they were on their own."
"What a relief, thank you very much. The truth is that we were quite unconscious."
"Not at all, Prince," this was Andrew. "Sly children are not so prim, they are not scared of things like that, in a couple of years they will be doing it too. So they are taking note. You just got drunk, you had every right to enjoy yourselves. In the previous one you already stayed sober for all the rest of us to do it."
"But in return I screwed up this one."
"Don't think that," Valerie said. "We were able to continue it when we put you in bed and we didn't feel like it either. We did not recover like you did from the situation in the morning, and yesterday we had to take care of others, as you did in the previous one. We must share the work."
"Thank you, Valerie, Andrew," Deborah said.
"You're welcome, pretty," Valerie said.
"Thank you both," Sev said.
"Don't give them to us," Andrew said. "Thanks to you. We are a great team thanks to you."
"We should go packing up and getting ready," Deborah said, turning around. "People are starting to come back."
"Sure, let's go."
They collected their belongings and each one went to put them away in their bedrooms. While Sev was packing everything in his trunk, Anthony arrived.
(Ugh… what an awkward situation. I'll wait for him to talk to me, I won't turn around.)
"How have you spent the afternoon, Prince?" Anthony asked him.
(I'll be honest, learn from Deborah.) "I have been with Valerie, Deborah and Andrew in the Room of Requirement, and later studying at home, also with them."
"Oh, I'm glad you left the house and then you weren't left alone."
(How good he is, I'm about to cry.)
"I wanted to let you know that I'm going to change my bed," Anthony continued. "I'll move my trunk when I come back from the Library. So we will all have more privacy."
(Grantly stepping back to let me be with Deborah, I can't take it anymore.) Sev stand up and turned, crying. "Give me a hug, Anthony, I love you very much."
They hugged.
"Come on, Prince, don't be sad for so little. Yesterday you could have died, that was serious, and it was our fault."
"No, Anthony, it was Jack's fault."
His friend hugged him tighter. "No, it was also ours, we must have disobeyed him. We betrayed our Sly temper."
"Know that I am safe at school."
"Yes, Deborah already told me at lunch. What a relief," said Anthony.
Jack arrived and said, "Guys, wake up, it's getting late."
"It's okay we're two minutes late for the Great Hall, Jack," Anthony said. "Prince needs a hug."
(Well, he doesn't abide him anymore.)
Anthony said just to him, "Cry all you need, there is no rush."
"I love you very much, Anthony, forever."
"And I you."
Sev struggled to get over himself and broke away from him. "Thanks very much my friend."
"Don't give them to me. Go on, go wash your face, so the malefics don't notice that you've cried."
Sev went to the bathroom to wash his face. When he came out, Jack was already downstairs and Anthony was waiting for him.
"Are you better?" his friend asked.
"Yes much better."
"Do not eat your head for me again. Things turn out as they turn out and that's it, you don't have to think about it so much."
"Thank you Anthony."
"Come on, they must all be waiting for us by now."
They went down to the Common Room, which was already empty.
"Row of two, wands out," Deborah said.
They lined up, left, and arrived at the Great Hall three minutes late. Sev greeted his little boy and then chatted with Lily, to see if she had recovered from the news he had given her at noon, and yes, she had, thanks to Alice. (That's great. Alice is very courageous and spirited, she's very confident. Another possible person to talk to about Horcruxes, she wouldn't back down either. A great support to Lily. We'll talk about it all in the summer.)
Lily also told him that Dumbledore had projected to her for the three of them to talk about their plans for the next few days. They did it. The Headmaster made an appointment for the next day after breakfast in the meeting room of the Training Hall. He told them that they should all be accompanied, that it would be closed and that they should call with a characteristic knock, since it was no longer certain that the malefics could not enter there.
He also told them that on Tuesday they would have their first class to learn how to become invisible, and as they went, another one that same week. (Ugh… so much work, let's see if I can meet Lauren,) Sev though. They'll meet Tuesday, also after breakfast, in Albus' office. This time, they should use the Time-Turner separately, each in their house, for three hours, and go to his office. (Ugh… four hours tomorrow and three on Tuesday. I'm going to get sick.)
He also asked Sev when he wanted to take his next broomstick flying lesson. (How much work… I'm going to have to sacrifice Wednesday.) Sev replied that Wednesday. Dumbledore told him to go to the Quidditch field after school with all the escort and them to wait for him there, because if he was left alone with the teacher they could suffer an attack, the Quidditch field did not appear on the Map. (In addition, everyone is going to have to sacrifice their time so that I can learn to fly. I must make an effort to achieve it as soon as possible, we are fifteen days away from the exams.)
When they were done, they were almost finishing the second course. Sev spoke privately with Lauren, telling her about his exchanges with the malefics girls the night before and that same afternoon, and she was very pleased. He also asked if she had read anything new, and no, she hadn't. They must left for another time for her to talk about each families. He finally asked her if she needed the hidden bedroom that night, she said no. (And even if she had needed it, she would have given it to me.)
They returned home. (Ugh… the peace is over. It seems to me that few more occasions will I have to enjoy the peace of yesterday afternoon and today, and much less, to be able to be with Deborah whenever we feel like it, as I had promised. Luckily, she will understand perfectly. Of course, I'm not going to give up tonight, we've earned it hard. A bed at last, where we can do things the way they should be done, and sleep together.
(And now we have a revenge meeting, to get frantic. I hope it's short so I can escape to the bedroom with Deborah as soon as possible. We are going to use the Time-Turner to have plenty of time for everything we want, and then sleep soundly. I still have a hangover.
(By the way, I'm going to take the Red Magic book to read it with her, let her find out about the Bond as a Couple and the Union of Souls and think about it. If she wants me to be the first for her I must give her the option to do it, even if she finds out about the Horcruxes and Lauren. By now, I know that she will understand everything perfectly.)
When they got home, he held Jack back and said, "Let's bond to talk."
They looked into each other's eyes, closely. It cost them more than the previous times. (We've lost a lot of trust. I hope we'll get it back little by little.) They finally got it.
"When do you have the next class with the sixth-grade malefic Rave?" Sev asked.
"Tomorrow morning."
"Very good. I need you to read if and when he has Potions class."
"I will do that," said his friend.
"Tell me, bonded, at lunch."
"Are you going to lynch him?"
"Yes, all of them, the five malefics," Sev replied. "We have the meeting now. Tomorrow, the seventh-grade Raves."
"Lauren has read them, right?"
"Of course. We are a great team."
"I think it's great. Don't you need me?" the older boy asked.
"No, we didn't count on you, Jack."
"I think you do need me. Are you going to just lynch them and let them go?"
"I don't know, we haven't planned anything yet," Sev answered.
"I've been thinking about it. We have to Obliviate them."
"Of course…"
"At least they forget Lily, the Army and the faces of those who have lynched them, but not the reason why you did it, to avoid as much as possible being denounced," his friend suggested.
"Of course. Very well thought out, Jack."
"I've been thinking about the subject since yesterday at noon."
"Thank you, Jack."
"Do you want me to participate in the meeting?"
"If you want, yes, of course."
"But we will avoid telling the others what I am going to do," Jack continued. "I'll stay last when we're done beating them up. They will have to be rendered unconscious so they don't remember me either."
"Of course, in any case, we can throw a Desmaius at them."
"For example."
"The two of us are left alone with Deborah when we finish with the others to specify what we have to make them forget," Sev proposed.
"Okay."
They unbonded. (This exchange has already made us trust a lot. It is also a payback for him, his contribution is going to be fundamental.)
They went to the table by the window, the six warriors were already waiting for him. In front, from left to right, George, Andrew, Valerie and Paul. To the left of the open space, Brooke facing Andrew, and to the right, Deborah facing Paul. Jack sat across from George. Sev circled the table conjuring the Muffliato.
(Valerie and Deborah have strategically sat down, to face the guys they like. And Deborah on my right, of course, the prestige that comes from being second, having hooked up with me and Paul seeing her next to me. She's clever, she must have planned it all when they went to the Infirmary together.
(I don't want anything with Valerie, but this confirms to me that Deborah isn't going to be jealous of me at all, she's changing the possessive thing too. Later we'll have a long, drawn-out conversation. From her I can expect absolute sincerity. I'm looking forward to it.)
He bonded with Deborah and said, "Jack has come because he is going to Obliviate them when we finish with them."
"Wow... great."
"The three of us will stay at the end to talk about it."
"Great."
"Do not mention it during the meeting."
"Of course not."
Sev sat across from Valerie and began, "I don't know if you know why we have met."
"No, they don't," Deborah said.
(I'm going to give her prominence.) "Then tell them about it, Deborah."
"We are going to lynch the five Rave and Gryff malefics that remain in the school. The eight of us."
"Great," said Paul. "When?"
"This week. In the next Potions class they have."
"Great. In Sly territory," continued Paul. "They are going to be intimidated. They will lose the desire to become Death Eaters."
(I love the way Paul expresses himself, crisp and self-assured. He looks so much like Andrew, they must be the same tree. And Deborah must be getting horny as hell, for a woman it must be very sensual.)
"We hope so. When do the Gryffs have Potions class with you?" Sev asked.
"Tuesday morning. We finish at eleven."
"Are you sixth-graders willing to leave class early to arrive on time and arrive later for the next one?"
(A wave of 'of course'.)
"As if we don't get to the next one," Valerie said, also with deep conviction. "We have to lynch them."
"Then let's plan for Tuesday," Deborah continued. "We'll have to meet again when we know when the Raves have it. Maybe tomorrow. Isn't that right, Prince?"
(She already has it all figured out.)
"Yeah. Tomorrow at noon we will know when the Raves have it, the two seventh-years and the sixth-year," Sev answered. "We will meet again as today at the break after lunch. Go ahead, Deborah."
"Very good. We must wait for them at the door of the Potions classroom from ten to eleven. Brooke and Paul must let them out before you, to cut off their retreat in case they try to protect themselves by getting into the classroom."
"Perfect," Paul said. "And the other students?"
(She already has him in her pocket, how he looks at her. But tonight she is for me and she has sworn to wait for me, if she doesn't comply, she's going to find out what's good, I'll shatter her.)
"You just let them go," Deborah replied. "Those of us who are outside will also do it."
"And Slughorn?"
"The same, if he goes out among the students, we'll let him pass. If he stays last, we'll lock him in the classroom with a spell known only by Prince."
"Wonderful."
(Deborah must be enjoying it. Exchange with the guy she likes, she's getting horny for sure. Better for me, that he hots her up so I can enjoy her. And what I'd give to lynch Slughorn too, by the way.)
"And what are we going to do to them?" Paul asked. "We don't know Dark Magic. Are you going to teach us something, Prince?"
(I'm not showing him anything at the moment, it's an attraction I keep for myself, I'm sure Deborah is turned on by it too.) "No, only I will use it. Specifically, with one of the seventh-years, who was about to rape a friend."
"How awful!" Valerie exclaimed.
"I'm going to leave a mark on his pretty face forever, so he won't do it to any woman again."
"Brilliant!" Brooke exclaimed.
"It occurs to me what we can do to the others," said Paul.
"Tell."
"It is not Dark Magic, but they will leave very warm. I know a spell that is equivalent to hitting a Muggle-style beating, we can even break their teeth and even some bones."
(Wow… this is going to turn on Deborah a lot, he's beaten me by the hand.)
"Wow… wonderful," Sev said. "Explain to us."
"It is about directing it towards the part of the body that you want to hit, with a wand movement like whipping. Depending on the intention you put on it, you do more or less damage."
"We are going to put a lot of intention into it," Andrew said vehemently. "They are going to end up very badly off."
"Of course," George said.
"Of course, we can't prove it," said Paul.
"Calm down," Sev said. "We will already practice it with them."
"Of course. I'll tell you the spell." He told. "Cast it non-verbally, so they don't learn it. It is the invention of a graduate Auror friend."
"Thank you so much for sharing, Paul."
"When I tell my friend, he will be very proud," said the seventh-year.
(One to invite next year.) "Does anyone have anything else to say?"
"Me," Brooke said, "Once you've marked his face, let us women beat up the handsome guy."
(Of course, but I want to do it too, it's something personal, the Cecile thing,) Sev thought. "Of course yes, I'll help you, and the rest of the boys, for the other. They must be rendered unconscious, if not with a beating, then with a Desmaius at the end. Anything else?"
Nobody spoke.
"How well we understand each other. We'll meet again tomorrow after lunch. Go accumulating anger, maybe that same afternoon we will already have an operation."
"Rage is always latent, Prince," Valerie said.
"Thanks for everything. See you tomorrow. Deborah, Jack, stay."
The others left in silence. Jack came around the table and sat across from them. They planned in detail what he should make them forget and what not. When they were done, Jack left.
Deborah and Sev bonded. "Go get ready, I'll wait for you in my bedroom."
"Like lightning, Prince."