Bond
Valerie and Sev kissed Poppy good-bye and hurried home, for it was almost one-twenty. They bonded and chatted in the meantime, and Valerie told him, "Poppy has healed me on the outside, and inside she has given me an ointment that she herself has put on me and it has soothed me instantly. I have to put it back on every eight hours until it wears off completely."
"Brilliant. Then you must rest."
"Of course I'm going to. She has also suggested that I use a lubricant that she herself could provide me, but I have told her that no way, that I already lubricate enough by myself and that I am not going to do it again without being prepared."
"Very good, Valerie. I wanted to apologize for treating you like this yesterday. Knowing that you are not a virgin, I was not careful with you, I behaved very badly."
"Don't think that, Prince, not at all. If it hadn't stung me already, I would have loved it. In fact, I liked it for a while, I didn't lie to you, that internal point that you touched me was fantastic, I loved it. You don't know how much I want to get well to try it again."
"Tomorrow, if you can."
"Great, I'm sure I'll be fine tomorrow," she said.
"I'd like to chat about some things I've thought about Andrew."
"Tell me."
He told her about the topics of conversation that had occurred to him to make friends with him.
"Of course, very good ideas," Valerie agreed.
"Can you suggest me any more?"
"Yes, he loves to read, let him talk to you about books. When we go for a walk in London we always visit the street stalls selling old books. That was how we discovered anarchism."
"Wow, I am also very fond of old books," Sev commented.
"He already noticed when you showed us the one about the Celtic horoscope, and then he also noticed the second-hand ones you use to study, and knowing your history he appreciates you even more for that, because you sacrifice having new books to be able to buy more, what is within your reach. In fact, he suggested that we pass on our books to you next year, so you don't have to buy them, neither first nor second hand, and his are very well cared for, they are like new."
"Wow… thank you very much. I can't say the same for mine. I write down on them, I leave them shattered once they pass through my hands."
"Normal, sweeteheart, because the scholarship isn't enough for notebooks, if you have to take notes you do it in the books, and with the hardworking you are sure you'll take notes on everything," she said.
"Well, yes, that's what I do, everything worth doing."
"Do you keep the books that have passed through your hands all these years?"
"Of course, I have them at home, hidden," he replied.
"Never get rid of them, written down by you they multiply their value. You can bequeath them to your children or whoever you think is worthy of taking advantage of them."
"I know who. To Ariel."
"Of course," Valerie agreed.
"He also takes notes on his books."
"Of course, poor kid, so Jack's family doesn't have to buy him notebooks."
"You don't know how calm I am having reconciled with Jack," Sev said. "It would have been upsetting for the boy to have to change his place of residence this holidays to be able to be with me."
"Yes, the truth. I think Jack has also done it because of that."
"Yes, I think so too."
They arrived home. The other five occlumants were waiting for them, seated at the table. As soon as those in front saw them enter, they all got up. No one else sits at the table in front of the window anymore, they leave it for us, Sev thought.They all reached the bottom of the stairs at once, greeted each other briefly, and went up to Jack, Anthony, and Sev's bedroom.
He bonded with Deborah while they did it. "Anything new, Deborah?"
"None, Prince, all in order. I have not finished with the schedule but I will do it in class this afternoon, since we have less demanding subjects. I preferred to explain to everyone what we are going to do and think about how to distribute ourselves in a circle."
(She is a machine, she would deserve more than me to have the ability to think about two things at once. I was able to think about the circle while I was in the Infirmary. How much to learn from her.) "Tell me."
"The time we did it, the five of us all touched each other, either with our heads or with our hands," she explained.
"Sure."
"Now we are seven, we will not be able to."
"Obviously," he said.
"With Valerie and me you are already sufficiently Bonded and also with Anthony. You have to strengthen ties with Jack and establish them with Paul and Andrew."
(She has taken my priorities as criteria.) "Thank you, Deborah."
"Would you rather touch Anthony or Valerie?"
"Valerie, my relationship with her will be more intimate."
"Sure, I've thought about it too," she said. "So we're going to position ourselves like this: you, Valerie against your head, Andrew taking your hand, Anthony, me, Paul taking your hand, and Jack against your head. Do you think it's okay?"
"Let me think for a second." (Valerie loses contact with Paul and Deborah, it doesn't matter, they will Bond later as a squad. Andrew loses contact with Paul and Jack, I don't like that so much anymore, I wanted us to make friends between the three of us, Paul, Andrew and me. I know how, trading Paul for Jack and Valerie for Andrew.)
They had already reached the bedroom.
"Do you mind exchanging Paul for Jack and Valerie for Andrew?" Sev asked Deborah. "This way you will also be in contact with her and Andrew will have contact with Paul so that we can make friends among the three of us."
"Great, Prince, whatever you say. I wanted to do it with Andrew but you're right, Andrew is going to need a lot of male support."
They both avoided laughing. (Immediately, whatever I want.) "Thank you, Deborah, for the sacrifice."
Sev unbounded himself and spoke out loud, to everyone, "Let's go to the back, there is more space there."
As they advanced to the back of the bedroom, he asked them, "Do you all know the spell?"
"What a stupid question, Prince," Paul replied. "Of course, Deborah has already made us learn it."
They laughed. He asked Valerie, who was just ahead of him, "Do you remember it, Valerie?"
"Yes sweetheart. We did it yesterday."
He watched Andrew's reaction, who was following him. Calm down, not even he has flinched. He smiles at me, I return it. He's going to love putting us together, him between me and Valerie. A success on my part.
They reached the back of the bedroom.
"Organize us, Deborah, still without touching us."
Deborah arranged them in a circle as they had agreed. No one objects, Paul and Andrew seem delighted to be with me and Jack too, he already knows that we are going to touch hands, because we already did it with him, and Valerie does not mind not being by my side because we already Bonded yesterday.
"Let's repeat the spell until we all get the hang of it," Deborah said.
They did it. The fifth time they still hadn't made it, Anthony was lost.
"Ugh… I prefer not to intervene," he said, overwhelmed. "I'm fucking you."
"Anthony," Sev told him patiently. "It's okay, it's not in such a hurry. If we don't get it now we'll try again after dinner, don't get impatient."
"Okay."
"I have an idea," Valerie said.
"Tell us," Sev told her.
"Put a melody on it, like a song. I thought about it this morning while I waited for you to wake up."
"What a great idea, Valerie," Sev said, admired.
"Of course…" Andrew said, understanding, with deep admiration.
He doesn't care at all that she is with me, he puts ahead of it that she is happy and something as beautiful as that she has invented a melody for a precious spell right after sleeping with me. With him she never wakes up like this, because she always has to go to the Infirmary. You will see how that is going to change very soon, how well we are doing.
"Why didn't you say it before?" Sev asked.
"Because I didn't know if that influences," Valerie answered.
"I do not think it does. The important thing is to pronounce it at the same time. Come on, sing."
Valerie sang it three times, in runic. What an artist, it is beautiful, and she has invented it while she hugged me, gave me kisses and observed in my mind what I was dreaming, that we were flying together on a broom. And the melody reflects it, it is ethereal, winged, but easy.
"I got it, Valerie, thank you very much," Anthony said.
"Do the rest of you have it?" she asked.
A wave of 'yes'.
"Let's try it together then," Valerie proposed. "I'll set the beat for you to start. One, two, three, four…"
They sang the spell, it came out the first time.
"Bravo!" Valerie exclaimed. "You have a very nice singing voice, Anthony."
And also making him feel good because he has been overwhelmed before. Valerie is wonderful.
"We are going to do it a couple more times without touching, then we have to repeat it seven times," Deborah told them.
"We'll take the opportunity to do it twice in a row," Valerie said. "Without stopping, to do it seven times in a row, like a refrain that repeats itself. One, two, three, four…"
They sang, it came out perfect. That's good, we all contribute something good. My family.
"That's it," Deborah commanded. "Now we have to form a circle as I have explained, joining the heads of those next to us and holding hands with those who are a gap away behind each other's backs."
They did, they formed the circle.
"Give us the beat, Valerie," Deborah asked.
"When we finish once, let's go for the next one, non-stop, like when we've sung it twice in a row," she said. "Go counting the ones we've got. I'm going there. One, two, three, four…"
They sang it seven times. Wooow… what a feeling of communion, of fulfillment, of unconditional love, it's wonderful, as Lily told me that she felt when she did it with Remus and Cecile and I didn't feel that way when the five Sly occlumants did it. I feel the magic of the others invading me, with much more force than in the fir tree. I think it's because the group is more powerful, there are seven of us and we all love each other, we have created strong ties in a very short time.
How right to have been with Valerie yesterday, cleared things up with Jack and reconciled with the others and also opened up to Anthony. And Valerie, in turn, with Deborah, and started to do it with Andrew, all just in time. Today has been a momentous day in the lives of all of us.
They finished with the seventh, neither moved nor spoke. They were all transfixed by what they had just felt, and it didn't let down. We are going to be late for class, but what does it matter, this is magic and not what they teach us at school. We're all feeling it, no one opens their mouths.
After a few minutes, Deborah spoke, still moved, "Let's try to bond all at once."
It is a magic that feeds itself back, the very creation of the Bond reinforces its power.
"How?" Jack asked. "Without looking at each other?"
"Of course, Jack," Sev replied. "After this, we're sure we'll make it, that's what it's all about."
"Try to penetrate the thoughts of everyone else," Deborah said. "Occlude what you don't want the rest of us to know."
They did it. Deborah spoke bonded about fifteen seconds later, "Answer me in order, from Prince to his left. Are you listening to me?"
"Yes, Deborah," Sev replied.
"Of course," said Paul.
"Yes, I am," Jack said.
"I have listened to all three of you," Deborah said. "Go on, Anthony."
"I've heard all of you too," he said.
"And me," said Valerie.
"Me too," Andrew said.
"Someone who has not listened to someone else?" Deborah asked.
Nobody answered.
. . . . . . . . .
After afternoon classes, to which everyone was late to the first, losing points again, they went to the Quidditch pitch. All the occlumants accompanied Sev except Anthony, who preferred to stay with Fiona and Heather in the Library, as he was planning to ask Heather out. Angie and George didn't sign up either, they really needed to study.
Since they left the house, everyone except Andrew preceded them. They went in silence, laughing at times, since they could already chat bonded. Sev, in turn, did it with Andrew.
"What did you think about noon?" Sev asked him.
"Incredible, quite a revelation. For that reason alone, the effort we have made learning Occlumency has been worth it."
"Well, you'll see when we make the shield between the seven of us. Tomorrow we'll try it when we go to the cave. It's going to be awesome."
"You are changing my life, Prince. I already wanted to catch you alone and thank you for everything you are doing for me, you are opening my eyes in many ways."
(I'm going to start valuing him, and I can talk to him freely from now on. He's looking forward to it, to be honest with me.) "I am also learning from you, Andrew, and I love having you around. I don't know you well yet, but from what little I know about you, from what I've observed, gathered, and what Valerie has told me, I consider you to be a very capable and intelligent person."
"Do you seriously believe it or do you say it to look good with me?"
"Not at all, Andrew, I really think it, I would never lie about something like that. Since the first time you accompanied me to the Quidditch pitch, with Jack, do you remember? You made me appreciate Quidditch, you are very observant."
"Know that I became fond of Quidditch because of Valerie. I didn't appreciate it either until she joined the team in third year."
(Okay, Valerie's topic is up.) "Wow… Andrew, you already had your eye on her since third grade."
"No, Prince, since first one. She has always been gorgeous, the best of our year from home."
(He will never leave her.) "And when did you start dating?"
"In fourth year."
"Wow… you waited three years, what a patience," Sev valued.
"There was a reason I told you the other day not to steal her from me."
"Don't worry, Andrew, that's not my intention. I remember you told me that you had a hard time finding her."
"It wasn't true, I found her instantly, what it cost me was to make her fall in love with me, more than three years. I have not had any other girlfriend, I have never cheated on her nor do I intend to."
"Do you think that now she is cheating on you?"
"No, Prince, not at all, because she has consulted with me before, we have reached an agreement and I can already smell why she is doing it, I don't make her as happy as it seems."
"Oh… Do you want to talk about it with me?"
"I'm pretty embarrassed, really. I never discuss anything on those topics with anyone but her."
"I understand, Andrew, they are very intimate things. We'll leave it then for when we have more confidence. Tell me more about yourself or Valerie, if you're up to it. She told me that you have many things in common."
"Of course. We share many hobbies, because we already had them in common or because we have passed them on to each other. We both love fighting, we've been training together since we started dating, that's how I hooked her."
"Wow… a good way."
"Of course, we were the pioneers of our year, a pity that we have not dedicated as much time to it as others, precisely because we fell in love and dedicated ourselves to other activities," Andrew continued.
They laughed. (Deep down, he's dying to talk about it. He's never confided in anyone and Valerie has been his only girlfriend, he must be anxious to get it off his chest.)
"Did you know that Jack and Deborah were planning to invite you to join the Guard after Christmas and didn't because of me?" Sev asked.
"Yes, Jack told us when he told us your story and we were on your side immediately. We told him that they had been wrong to wait so long to entrust themselves to us, that we were going to have to hurry to get more people."
"Yes, Valerie also told me that since that moment you were thinking about how to do it."
"Of course. And the first weekend only two of them came to the Forest because he told us to do it that way, but we could have drawn all the sixth and seventh-years from home and the sixth-years from Rave right away, everyone we knew," the older one explained.
(Jack didn't tell them anything about the Obliviate, I won't tell them either at the moment,) Sev thought. "Well, but you already saw where we trained, we wouldn't have all fit in the clearing. By then we had not yet discovered the Room of Requirement."
"Who did you read to find it?"
"All the teachers know it."
"Sure, in case they need it. And who knew where the books were?" Andrew asked.
"Minerva."
"Oh…" understanding. "Our heroine. What a nerve have the old man not to have taught her Occlumency."
"Well, yes, I already told him, but it was very good for us," Sev said. "He is going to do it this summer."
"It was about time. If he dies, she stays in charge of everything."
"Of course. You don't know how I want to get in touch with her."
Sev told him about the Transfiguration class the week before.
Andrew replied, "Of course, we earned her with the lynchings, and even more so with what happened this morning."
"How did she receive you in class when you arrived late this morning?"
"Didn't Valerie tell you when you went to the Infirmary?"
(He himself has brought up the subject that we went to the Infirmary together and he is not hurt at all, just grateful that I did that for Valerie, which he never did,) Sev thought. "We haven't had enough time, we've been talking about other things."
"She has not started the class until we have arrived."
"Wow… I already expected it."
"And she has come to chat with Valerie on a couple of occasions, relaxed, at ease," Andrew added.
"And has she told you what she told her?"
"Yes, in the afternoon, but I prefer that she tell you, she will be excited."
(Unbeatable, he leaves us our space, he doesn't interfere.) "Tell me more things, what was the next hobby that you had in common?" Sev asked.
"Fly together on a broom. I learned a bit in first year, like everyone else, but I didn't buy one until she made the Quidditch team in third year. From then on I dedicated myself to continue learning on my own with the help of my older cousins, with the hope of flying with her one day."
"Wow, Andrew… how dedicated."
"Well, it was also a joy, I discovered that I liked it a lot and I enjoyed it to the fullest, that summer was the best of my life until then. And to think that I did it for her, she already brought me many good things before we were dating."
(He will never leave her.) "Has she already told you that this afternoon the three of us are going to fly together?"
"Yes, at lunch, you had proposed it," the older one replied. "Thank you so much."
"We will do it in formation, so we are already practicing for the squads. Do you feel like commanding a while?"
"Ugh, Prince… I don't know. She's going to do much better than me."
(Fear of not being up to the task.) "Cheer up, Andrew, you are perfectly capable. You're way above me, you're going to have to keep down with me."
"Okay, I'll try. If it doesn't work out for me, let her do it."
"In addition, you can give us the orders bonded."
"Of course... I hadn't realized," said Andrew. "What an invention, this magic is quite a discovery. That's why we see such a perfect formation in the wishes in the mirror."
"Yes, exactly, that's why."
"We will be invincible."
They were arriving at the Quidditch field.
"Let's try to bond with the others," Sev proposed.
They did, it came out despite being a few steps from them and behind. They heard Valerie, very cheerful, "The first weekend of July we all go partying through London, so George, Angie, Anthony, the fifth-years, Genevre, Lorenz, Julia, Richard and the Gryffs come too, including Black."
Everyone laughed, also Andrew and Sev. Valerie turned to look, smiled and stopped to wait for them. Deborah answered her, stopping as well and turning to look at them, they all did. "We won't fit in the pubs."
Valerie spoke, as she stepped between the two of them and linked their shoulders. They did it with her too, around her waist, Sev let Andrew do it first. "Great, my boys have joined us. Have you already had a talk about boys' secrets?"
They all laughed again. (This Valerie… is putting Andrew in trouble, I have to warn her as soon as possible,) Sev thought.
She gave them kisses on their cheeks, while they began to walk again, the entire group, she did Andrew first. (Very well done, Valerie.)
Sev spoke, "Today I am going to propose to Professor Wing that Valerie teach me the class, we will fly in formation with Andrew."
"I've been thinking about it, Prince," she told him. "We'll teach half of the class with her in formation of four, that she commands us, you stand behind her. So Andrew and I get the level you have, she knows better."
"Very good idea, Valerie. Remember everyone that she cannot suspect that we are bonded and we can speak in silence, we must hide."
"Well, Prince, what a problem," Paul said. "We are Slys."
"Of course, dissembling, our specialty. When you command, Valerie, give us the orders bonded."
"Of course… I hadn't realized," Valerie said. "But then she's going to realize, we're going to do it too well."
"I don't think she would even think about it. Who imagines that we can talk without talking?"
They laughed.
"No one," Paul said, with absolute conviction.
They entered the Quidditch field, the teacher was already waiting for them. They greeted her, they did not unbonded from each other while talking to her.
"This afternoon we would like to try flying in formation, because that is how we plan to fight in skirmishes, what do you think?" Sev asked.
"Very well thought, you already have enough level to try it. Who do you plan to fly, everyone?"
"No, only Valerie, Andrew and me, part of the class you commanding us, so that they learn the level I have, and then the three of us alone, commanding one of the two of them, is that okay with you?"
"Of course, better to start with fewer people," Professor Wing agreed. "Valerie is level enough, Andrew I don't know, try. So I also have the opportunity to observe how you fly from outside. How do you plan to make the formation of four?"
"I don't know, suggest it to us."
"In a diamond, and for you the easiest thing would be to go behind me, although that way I won't be able to observe you. But if you no longer have to be so aware of the flight, you can take the opportunity to try to get used to handling the broom with one hand."
(In a diamond, like the ones we have seen four in the mirror. Even if she cannot observe me, those below will be able to,) Sev thought. "Perfect, we'll do it like this. They will be able to observe me from below and then assess me, you comment as we fly in formation of three."
"Very good, that in a arrowhead."
(Also like in the mirror. Agatha knows a lot, she has already thought of everything.)
Agatha already had her and Sev's broom ready. Valerie proposed, "I'm going to the locker room to get my broom and one for Andrew."
"Sure, Valerie, go," said the teacher.
Valerie went to the locker room, the bond with Sev did not break. He asked her, "Valerie, do you hear me?"
"Yes my love."
"Anyone who hasn't heard Valerie?"
Nobody answered.
Sev continued, "Wow… our Bond is very powerful, do you realize?"
"Of course, Prince," Deborah replied.
"We are also going to try to hold it for a while while the three of us fly, to see what range it has."
"We'll do that."
Valerie came out with the brooms and they started the flying lesson. The Professor commanded the diamond-shaped formation, with Valerie and Andrew on the flanks and Sev behind. On the third lap, as they reached the far side of the Quidditch pitch, he commented to Valerie and Andrew, bonded, "It's much easier for me like this than at her side."
"Of course," Valerie replied. "But she took you by her side so she could see how you were doing."
"Sure. What do you think, Andrew?"
"Great, we are going to have a blast, this is more fun than playing chase," he replied.
"Yes, it seems so to me too. Deborah, Paul and Jack. Have you heard us from so far away? Answer in order."
"Yes, I have, Prince, all three of you," Deborah replied.
"Of course I have, Prince, all three of you," answered Paul.
"Me too… Prince…" Jack responded, visibly moved.
"Our Bond is very powerful!" Sev exclaimed raising his closed left fist, while they passed again close to his friends, who also did it.
"Prince," said Valerie, who had turned to look at him, laughing. "Don't go crazy, you're going to fall off your broom."