A flight of fancy
At lunch, Sev talked to Deborah about their relationship and her relationship with Paul, projecting to each other, they already managed to do it without looking into each other's eyes, as Deborah had been practicing with Remus.
"I don't want you to wait for me like I told you, it was the heat of the moment," he told her.
"Prince, you left me served for a month and I'm not crazy about sex. I'm very moderate for those things, I don't like spending too much energy on it."
"Okay, but later on, when you feel like it, you can be with him however you want and do whatever you want, don't make him go hungry either."
"We already have it widely discussed. He doesn't go hungry at all, he doesn't like to overindulge either, he just does it with Brooke once or twice a month. He doesn't want to get involved with her or anyone else, the rest of the time he manages by himself."
Not like me, I overdo it a lot, I don't moderate at all, Sev thought. Moderate as I was before, I've gone crazy with this thing about being successful with women. "But for that very reason, maybe he wants to be with you, don't deny him."
"We have also talked about that, as soon as he leaves school he will not lack lovers."
"Yes, I think so too, he is very attractive."
"Isn't him? But no more than you, I have a very good eye," Deborah said. "In addition, he prefers that we take it easy, get to know each other well as persons, be good friends. We are inspired by your relationship with Lily, we don't mind that it takes a long time until we take the plunge."
"Wow..." admired. "I think you're doing well, not like I'm doing, I didn't do that with you."
"But I do, I waited to get to know you well and I made myself known to you as soon as I had the opportunity. Those two nights were worth for months, they were enough for me."
"Great, Deborah, I am very calm. How good it feels to be with you."
"Know, Prince, I'm going to be alone with you until you premiere me, no matter how long it takes. I want to try everything first with you, also to teach Paul later, since he doesn't know how to do things like you, I have to educate him in that aspect."
"Oh... Then I'm glad to help you with that too."
"How about Lily? She has put you in a bind this morning."
"Yes, but understand her, she feels insecure about me," he said. "I've spent too much time with Lauren and nothing with her, besides me telling her everything, I've screwed it up in that regard."
"Well yes, a little. If you have more free time next week, spend a night with her."
"Of course, I'll do that even if we don't use the Time Turner, with the Stimulant and Restorative potions."
"Of course, once a week nothing happens," she said. "Take a half-hour nap after having lunch with the Restorative, you look exhausted from the emotions of this morning."
"Yes, Deborah, I will do that, I am going to let you advise me regarding my health. You have iron health, a spectacular physique."
"Yes, I take great care of myself, in that I also received a good education. Are there any other issues that concern you, regarding the relationships that you have established and cannot adequately maintain?"
"Yeah. There's a fourth-year girl, Audrey, who I hooked up with at the first party," Sev replied.
"Yeah, I know who, I saw you look at her."
"I was with her a couple of times, but I don't like her enough to maintain a relationship with her. She doesn't want it anymore either, she likes a Rave boy from her year, and since she saw me with you at the second party she doesn't flirt with me anymore, but I have a commitment to her. I put her in danger by doing it with her and I'm teaching her Occlumency so she'll be protected in the summer."
"How exaggerated, Prince. What makes you suspect that she is going to be read?" she asked.
"Just in case, Deborah."
"You cross the line of demanding with yourself."
"That's not the only reason I want her to learn Occlumency. I also want to do a ritual in a tree with her. She wants to study Defense and her studies are going badly, so I want to pass on her my talent so that she can get it out."
"Ah… that's something else, it explains everything, always wanting to give more than you receive, and also that you haven't fallen in love with her, because she has no talent and you want everything, you are also very demanding of women," Deborah said. "Don't worry about her anymore, I'll take care of everything about her, I will teach her to occlude and take her to that tree in the Room of Requirement once you show me where it is, I have all your talents too."
"Ugh... not the Room, she will use it for whatever she wants."
"No, if we don't tell her it's the Room of Requirement."
"But that space is very tempting, Deborah, take her to the fir tree," he suggested.
"The fir tree is far away, Prince. There are many ancient trees in the Forest."
"Okay, I know where then, to the beech tree by the Lake."
"Is it also magical?" she asked.
"It is."
"Then let's all go to it."
"No, because I also want to take you to perform the ritual of the cave in the Room of Requirement, on Wednesday," Sev proposed.
"Okay, then with us we will go to the Room. How far has the girl progressed in Occlumency?"
"More than two thirds of the time in two sessions."
"Wow… she's very good. She has talent," said Deborah.
"Yes, and she didn't seem so, because she's not very discreet."
"But you are a very good teacher, and surely you have known how to motivate her."
"Yes, I scared her for being with me," he confessed, laughing embarrassed.
"Poor girl…"
"I don't know if she will be very pleased that I no longer pay attention to her and that you take care of her."
"Does she know Lily?" she asked.
"Yes, they met in training."
"And how did she take it?"
"At first she didn't want to, but later she was delighted with her, it excited her."
"Then it will be the same with me, delighted that I pay attention to her as your second and your lover," said Deborah. "She's going to feel important that we go to all that trouble for her. Did you explain that it is also to help her in her studies?"
"I didn't."
"Badly done, Prince. I will do it without revealing the secrets to her yet, so that she is even more motivated."
"Sure."
"Tonight we'll take her to the clearing with Paul and me," she continued. "I already have located where she sits at the table, at this side, to see you. Before leaving the Great Hall, I'll warn her."
Sev thought as he continued to speak, If Deborah is at the clearing with Paul tonight, I'll sleep with Valerie, so I'll pay her back the one in the morning. If the subject comes up, I will ask Deborah, and I will also tell her what I can think while I speak or listen, so that she can consult it in the Occlumency book. "Wow... how efficient you are, Deborah."
"Of course, since I saw you look at her at the party, I knew that sooner or later I should get involved with her too."
"You surpass me, Deborah, just because you saw us look at each other."
"You know that I paid attention to you a lot. You were very interested and self-absorbed, horny for an hour while you chatted absently with the other."
"How intuitive and observant you are, Deborah. You would also make a magnificent spy." When she finally gets in touch with Lauren, they will understand each other perfectly.
"Of course, but only with those who interest me, I don't waste time with those who are not worth it."
"Thank you for doing it, Deborah."
"That way Paul also practices Legilimency with another person and doesn't get bored with me."
"Have a laugh with her, she is very witty and foul-mouthed. Also tell her about this morning, she's going to love it."
She laughed. "Of course."
"How did Remus take it?"
"He has been a bit scandalized, really, especially with McGonagall."
Of course, because McGonagall has to teach us to become Animagi, Sev thought. The truth is that we have screwed it a bit, after how well she treated me last Wednesday in Transfiguration class, when she let me out for the lynching. Let's see how she treats me this Wednesday, I hope she's over her chagrin, that the old man has excused us. "How is Paul doing with Legilimency?"
"Pretty good, he has some talent, he is also intuitive."
"Start teaching him to project and Bond with him before the end of the term."
"Of course, as soon as we do the ritual in the cave and I remember the spell by heart," Deborah agreed.
"I'll give you the book if you want, I have it in my trunk."
"Yeah, I've already seen it this morning, but there's no rush, we're going to do it on Wednesday. By the way, how tidy your trunk is, I loved it, it's even more tidy than mine."
"Yes, I am quite a freak of order," Sev admitted. "You know, I suffered from a lot of disorder in my childhood."
"Sure."
"Since we were talking about Mental Arts, do you know what I discovered this morning during the meeting?"
"Tell me."
"That I can maintain two currents of thought at the same time, listening or speaking, and another in my mind," he explained.
"What are you saying?" very surprised.
"What you are hearing, and also while projecting, and a moment ago, while I continued talking to you, assessing what you were telling me. I have to try to do it also bonded."
"Wow, Prince... that's quite a discovery, what a capacity," very admired. "Now I explain how quickly you solved what happened this morning."
"Of course, I assessed while I spoke and listened."
"I doubt that many are capable of doing it."
"Yes, I think so too, I think the old man is not capable," said Sev.
"Of course not, otherwise he would be quicker-minded. Perhaps he was capable of it in his youth, but now he is no longer."
"Don't ever tell him. It's one more ability that I have that would make me ideal as a double agent, you know, being able to think and talk at the same time, even read and talk at the same time."
"Of course I wouldn't. I'm not going to tell anyone, not even Paul, only when you give me permission," Deborah said.
"I have also discovered that it requires a great mental effort and that I was not able to continue doing it moved."
"Sure, normal. But keep practicing it, surely it takes so much effort because you're not used to it, and not being able to do it moved because you haven't learned to control it well yet, with every reason, too. You've had a lousy education in that regard, but we're all going to help you to be able to do it."
"Thank you, Deborah. Can you look it up in the Occlumency book tonight while Paul reads Audrey?"
"Of course I will, Prince, and I'll tell you tomorrow. Don't tell Lauren."
Well, she no longer counts on sleeping with me tonight, I'll dedicate it to Valerie. "She would never try to convince me to mark myself. On the contrary, she lives to protect me."
"Yeah, of course, she loves you since she was little, you are her ideal. But she is not occlumant, she can be read."
What a surprise you are going to get when I tell you, she is the one who has taught us all Mental Arts, Sev thought. She should check with her parents in the summer as well, because I might do the Soul Union with Deborah before Christmas. I'll talk to her about it when we meet alone. "Sure, you are right."
"And she doesn't know how to love you like you need, she doesn't suit you too much."
"Well, I suspect that you will understand each other very well, she loved your Erised squads and dumbbells."
"Wow… how glad I am," she said. "Well, for that alone it was worth it that you were with her."
"Of course, the discussion lasted half an hour, the rest of the time we were very well. The joint ritual in the cave was fantastic, being aware of everything she had felt for me since she was little. And we also bathed in a stream, you know, to wash away impurities, and she helped me a lot to do that. I opened up to her telling her bitter experiences with my family in detail and she confessed that you all know them because she knows it through Lily, until now no one had told me."
"Of course… because we fear it will be painful for you. It is not a very good time for you to remember those things, you have to do it little by little. Vent with each one when you need it, that it comes out spontaneously. Valerie and Andrew are ideal in that regard, she because of how sensitive she is and he because he is so used to comforting her."
If I sleep with Valerie tonight I'll also tell her something, maybe when I slept in the mill, that's something that hurts a lot, Sev thought. "I think that Lauren will learn over time to treat me as she should."
"Trust, she will do it, her life depends on it. Are you going to put her in touch with Sirius?"
"I will talk to him about her, warning him. Let him decide."
"Do not tell him for the moment that you are with her," Deborah advised. "He will be surprised that you are doing it with her not being occlumant and being that she can be read. You should teach her."
"She also watches her back."
"Of course, her parents are only sympathizers. Anyway, probe out Sirius first, tell him you had a little flirt back there, he found out about the Potions scene too."
"Sure, it's a good excuse to warn him about her," he said.
"I think that he will not want to risk being with her because he will think that she can be read and he watches his back in that regard."
"Sure. Let him decide."
"Even if he doesn't want to, you're going to earn him even more by offering him women, and more snakes, now that he admires us, and what a women…" she said.
"Yeah, I'm sure Lauren turns him on, she even turns Remus on."
"Did you talk to Remus about her?"
"He asked me about what we saw in the Mirror, I told him that it was part of my desire," Sev replied.
"Sure. And what about Malfoy's family?
"That was a desire, that we have a spy and it isn't me," he lied.
"Sure. Well, Lauren would be a good link with any spy on the other side, you also have to teach her Mental Arts."
What a surprise you're going to get, Lauren is already a link and Lucius spies, and I, in turn, Lauren's link while she can't uncover herself.
"And Valerie, are you going to put her in contact with Sirius?" Deborah asked him.
"Whatever she wants. This morning she told me that she no longer wanted to."
"Of course, she has Andrew, and if she has you too from time to time, it's already enough for her. How did you turn her on this morning, she's crazy about you, she hasn't talked to me about anything else all morning."
"Wow... Do you mind if I spend the night with her?" Sev asked.
"Of course not. But save your energy, go to bed early now that you don't need to study anymore."
"Yes, surely I won't do anything, I'll make sure to please her and we'll sleep together."
"Sure, Prince, do like that. It will suit you great, she will thank you very much. Andrew isn't very skilled either, so she'll also learn tricks to teach him. You are going to fix the lives of all of us, a great social work, the sexual education that we have not received," laughing.
"Oh... I'm glad," he too. "Do you think it's appropriate that I also take the opportunity to tell her something more about my childhood?"
"Of course, Prince. She'll be grateful that you open up to her, but don't if it's going to make you feel bad and steal your sleep."
"I don't think so, if I cry I empty myself out and I'm defeated, I sleep better, like last night."
"Then do it. Go to bed early, after dinner, so you have time for everything, and if you wake up very early in the morning, take advantage of it to also Bond with her and do it again bonded if you feel like it. Tomorrow you don't have Time Turner, and so you don't have to give shows in the Great Hall," laughing again.
"Sure. I can't wait for the night to come," he too.
"Great."
The remainder of lunch was devoted to Ariel, followed by a half-hour nap with the Restorative potion as Deborah had recommended. On the afternoon classes he was fresh, as good as new, and also when he came home. The family gathered at the table, all of whom had been with him that morning except for Angie and George, just the occlumants.
Who I want to take to the tree and cave, Deborah thing, wonderful. They had made room for him in the center in front of the window, with Deborah to his right and Valerie to his left.
"Do you have something new to tell us?" Valerie asked.
Deborah hasn't told her, she lets me do it, all the limelight, Sev thought. "Yeah. On Wednesday evening, between dinner and curfew, I'm going to take you to do the Druid ritual at the tree, and if we give the Time-Turner a couple of hours, I'll also take you to the cave, we kill two birds with one stone."
"Great."
"Do you know what the cave thing is about, Anthony?"
"Yes, Deborah told me," his friend replied.
Saving me work on uninteresting things to talk about, she's great.
"And to which cave are you going to take us?" Valerie asked. "Are there caves in the Forest?"
Deborah hasn't explained anything to them, she lets me do it, so that I surprise them. How cute. "There aren't. I am going to take you to a natural space that exists in the Room of Requirement destined to practice Ancestral Beneficial Sorcery."
"Did you create it?" amazed.
"Yes, and the Beneficial Sorcery books appeared in duplicate, so I can return them to the old man and they are still in our possession," Sev answered.
"Wow… wonderful," Andrew said, admired. "The old man doesn't know about the demand, does he?"
"Of course not."
"Great," Andrew replied, satisfied.
"Have you done the same with those of Mental and Dark Arts?" Paul asked.
"With the Mental ones I have, with the Dark ones no," Sev replied.
"Well, you should do it, and that Deborah knows all the demands before the summer in case something happens to you."
"Of course I'm going to. Luckily I hadn't until now, I would have told Jack until a week ago."
"You did well to wait," Paul told him. "Now you will be sure that they will be in good hands."
He values her very much, how nice, they are one for each. "Of course."
"How far from the door of the Room of Requirement is the cave?" Deborah asked.
"About two hours, it's uphill," Sev answered.
"Is there a mountain inside the Room?" Valerie asked, very surprised.
"Of course, there is a whole place, including the coast and the sea."
"What are you saying?" much admired.
"What you are hearing. It's very tempting," said Sev.
"That's why I ask you all not to go there without warning," Deborah told them. "You already know that the Room of Requirement is not multiple. How does it work with the Time Turner, Prince?"
And she also saves me from having to warn them myself and get serious with them. My right hand forever, it's a pity that she's in sixth grade and we only have one year of school together. "If you have been inside during the period of time that you want to re-enter, you cannot unless you demand the same, a paradox would be created."
"Of course…" Andrew said, understanding. "We'll let know and take turns. Valerie, don't get excited, it has to be at Prince's disposal, he is the one who needs it."
"Of course," Valerie said.
Great, Andrew keeping Valerie in check. We all complement each other perfectly, Sev thought. "I'll take you there alone, Valerie, you're going to love it, and so will you, Deborah."
"Take the two of us together if you want," Valerie said mischievously. "That way you kill two birds with one stone."
They all laughed.
"I don't know if it's convenient for me to expend so much energy all at once, honey. I'll think about it."
"Sure, sure..." she answered, understanding.
"And speaking of birds, get up with me," Sev asked her.
Valerie's countenance changed to illusion. She's already guessed it.
They rose. "Let's conjure," he told her.
They conjured their Patronuses at once, not verbally. The larks emerged and fluttered around the Common Room in a winged dance.
"Oh… how pretty!" Valerie exclaimed, very excited. "You are wonderful, Prince. Kiss me, I love you."
They hugged and kissed very tenderly.
"Have you seen?" she told him low and very sweet. "They are songbirds, like us."
They sat down again.
"We will sing together, Valerie. We have to go look at the four of us together in the Mirror of the Room where we took you, you, Andrew, Paul and me. Paul and I saw a desire in which the four of us appeared in that band we dreamed of, playing in a Muggle dump in London. That wish will come true. You will sing in a group, will be the leader of the group."
"Wooow… what are you telling me?" amazed and excited. "There is not a day that you do not give me several joys, Prince. I want to go see it right now."
"No. We are going to leave it for Wednesday and we'll do everything," Sev disagreed.
"Everything will be too much, Prince," Deborah told him.
"Yeah, you're right."
"We finish talking and we'll go if we have time before dinner."
"Great. Don't you have to study?" Sev asked them.
"If you're going to take us to do the ritual in the cave before the exams, no," Anthony told him.
Sure, and also he hasn't been in the Mirror yet. How well the ritual is going to go for him too, he is going to get Outstanding in everything. How glad I am, because he is the one who deserves it the most. "Sure…"
"You also free us from a lot of work," Deborah replied. "I have another idea to save time on Wednesday."
"Tell me."
"Ask the old man to undo the ward that prevents Apparating inside the school so that we can go to the cave Apparating."
"But none of those who can Apparate know the place," Sev objected.
"But you do, project and show it to them in their mind."
"Of course… Deborah, you are a wonder. But maybe Dumbledore doesn't want to."
"Explain to him what it is for, surely he wants to."
"Yes, I think he will. But he may want to inquire about the Sorcery Space."
"With not telling him the demand or telling him incorrectly, matter settled," she suggested.
"You're right."
"I'll also help you think about the Dark Arts one."
"Deborah, I don't know what I would do without you."
"None of us know what we would do without her, Prince," Paul replied. "Nor without you."
That's good, he admires her deeply, in a week he is deeply in love with her. "You will be at the clearing tonight, won't you?" Sev asked them.
"Yeah."
"Will you sleep with me tonight, Valerie? And I'll give you the one back in the morning."
"Wooow… of course," Valerie replied, and to her boyfriend. "Andrew, I'm so sorry, the memory of my Patronus is going to change."
"It doesn't worry me in the slightest," Andrew told her, satisfied. "I'll make it change again soon, it changes every week."
"Indeed it do."
They are perfect for each other, he is very happy that she is happy with me too. How I love them both, Sev thought. "Never leave Andrew, Valerie. You won't be with anyone better than him."
"I know, Prince. But I am capable of loving you too and I want to enjoy it for the time we have left."
"We will, of course, and we have a long, long time left, we will also check it now in the Mirror. Let's go there?"
"Let's go," Deborah said.
They left the house and went to the Room of Requirement.