Fighters

Later it was Sev's turn to meditate. (Universe, this time I want to start by thanking you for everything you are giving me, especially the love of everyone around me and especially that of Hippolyta, who is making me rediscover and recover my authentic way of being, my authentic I.

(That is why this time I am going to ask you for her. That you preserve her from all evil, make her regain her health and have energy to be able to do all the things she aspires to do in life. She is an exceptional person with many goals and all them are wonderful. May she enjoy a long, full and happy life, with me or surrounded by the people who love her.

(If I were missing, may she find another love worthy of her and never feel alone, may she not lack the support of those who love her to move forward.

(I only ask one thing for myself, a little more time to enjoy it. Thank you, Universe, once again, for all your gifts.)

He also stayed for a few minutes feeling the magic.

"Come on, girl, it's our turn together. Don't occlude your feelings, huh? We have to know what we feel for each other."

"Like in the afternoon with the Bond."

"That is."

"You'll see, we're going to get really moved again," she said.

"Better, getting moved is fine."

They both hugged the old oak tree, intertwining their fingers, while looking into each other's eyes.

Sev thought, (Wow... how she loves me, infinite love and admiration, willing to give her life for me, but no fear that I will lose it, because she knows I am capable of defending myself and believes that the escort will be able to do it. Desire to go through her life with me in any way, and physical attraction, a lot of attraction, and desire to discover that facet of herself with me, only with me.

(But unconditional acceptance that I have experiences with other women, without jealousy at all, because she has finally understood that there is still a big difference between us, not because of our age, but because of our different development, and she is willing to be patient and wait for herself, because she knows that my love for her will not fade over time, she doesn't feel insecure at all in that regard. What a relief, I'm doing well.)

Hippolyta thought, (Wooow... how he loves me, he loves me more than his own life, he would be willing to give it not only in exchange for mine, but for the simple fact that I live healthy and happy. He will protect me at all cost of anything that threatens me, whether it comes from myself or from outside.

(However, he is not afraid of me having an accident at Quidditch or dying in the war, because he believes I am perfectly capable of handling both situations perfectly.

(He feels that he will love me forever, like I love him, and that even if he is with other girls that feeling will not change. And although he still does not want to do boyfriend things with me, he really wants me to grow and develop and to be able to do them together, because it is something very important about love between a couple who loves each other like we do, although he does not consider it essential, he would still love me even if I never wanted to do them.

(What Cecile said, he is extraordinary, even more so than my Dad, because my Dad would have looked for another girlfriend if my Mum had not fallen in love with him, he meets many women in the bookstore.)

They stayed for a while feeling the magic and mutual feelings. Finally Hippolyta spoke bonded, "Prince, let's go now, so they don't have to wait for us. It's rude to make everyone wait for dinner, they must be hungry. And I am too, we haven't had a snack today."

"It's true, honey. Let's go."

"We will return in September with more time, okay?"

"Sure."

"Give me a hug, come on," she asked.

They hugged each other very tightly and headed towards the house, at a good pace.

"Let's take advantage of the time on the way, I want to ask you things," the girl told him.

"Ask."

"How did you discover the sacred trees?"

"Precisely because of a book I bought to your Dad," Sev responded.

"Oh…"

"The horoscope of the ancient Celts. Each person is assigned a tree according to their date of birth."

"Incredible… Why don't they teach us that at school?" asked Hippolyta.

"Because it is a very powerful magic, and therefore dangerous, you have already been able to feel it."

"Of course."

"And it grants you amazing powers like all the ones I have already told you about," he explained. "After dinner I will tell you one more that you just acquired."

"Brilliant. And what is your sacred tree?"

"The fir tree."

"In the Forest there are also many fir trees," she commented.

"True, the oldest tree in the Forest is a fir, my fir, I will take you next year too."

"And every day of the year has a tree? There aren't that many trees."

"No, honey, every season, for periods of nine or ten days," answered Sev. "In total seventeen trees for the periods and four for the solstices and equinoxes."

"Wow… It also has to do with Astronomy and the total is twenty-one, good luck."

"Your tree is unique, from a single day in three hundred and sixty-six. The oak only belongs to the spring equinox, and I already told you that it was the most sacred tree for the Celts, maybe no one else at school has it. You are very special."

"That's why you wanted to take me on my birthday," the girl deduced.

"Of course, that's why."

"What a pity. But I prefer that way, this way I already have the powers."

"We will return on your birthday, we will look for a good oak tree in the Forbidden Forest," he proposed.

"Great, maybe by then you'll want to kiss me."

"Yes, maybe so."

"My best birthday gift," she said.

"Thank you for considering it that way, my love."

"I have a lot of questions, I don't know where to start. Do you have the book?"

"Of course I have it," Sev confirmed.

"Have you brought it?"

"No, I left it at home."

"Oh… what a shame," Hippolyta lamented. "I would have loved to read it and know the trees of all the birthdays I know."

I'll magically erase the notes and leave it to her, he thought. "I'll leave it to you tomorrow, honey, for a while that I can't spend with you, I have a lot of work tomorrow."

"Okay. Another question. Is it like the astrology zodiac? Does each tree have personal characteristics?"

"Of course they have them, and those are right, not like the ones in Astrology," he responded.

"The Astrology ones are also right, huh? We'll look at them together and you'll see. They are right for you and for me too, they are very detailed in the Divination book."

"Brilliant. Then, as soon as we can, in the summer, we'll look at the two books together and discuss them."

"Or if you have some time tomorrow, at least ours," she proposed.

"Okay, honey, I'll look for some time for you."

"I know when, we'll took the books to the pond."

"Sure, very good idea, and when we get tired of fighting and bathing, we'll read," Sev suggested. "I can tell you something before we get home. Each tree has a main characteristic, yours is… let's see if you can guess it."

"No idea, Prince."

"What is your main personality trait?"

"Independence," answered the girl.

"No lady, it's not that one."

"What is it then?"

"Bravery," he responded.

"Wow…" amazed.

"You are the bravest three hundred and sixty-six days a year. The bravest in the school. That's why you're not afraid of falling off the broom, nor of the Death Eaters, nor of fighting for what you want and saying things to our faces."

"Wow… So why didn't the Hat assign me to Gryff?" she asked.

"Because the Gryffs are not the only brave ones. Your parents are snakes and you have most of your snake traits. You are totally reliable, combative, very malefic, cunning, ambitious, practical, you are more Sly than Gryff."

"Of course… you are also very brave and you are not in Gryff."

"But I was not brave by birth, I became brave by force," Sev confessed.

"That doesn't matter, even more merit."

"Thank you for thinking like that, honey. You are also teaching me a lot to be brave."

"And your main characteristic, what is it?" asked Hippolyta.

"Guess."

"No idea, Prince."

"The mystery," he responded.

"Wow… Before you were, mysterious, but now you don't seem that way to me anymore."

"Because I am learning to show myself as I am with the people I can trust. A good Gryff trait that all of us snakes should acquire. You are also helping me a lot with that."

They had arrived at the house and entered the kitchen. Everyone was already waiting at the table except for Paul.

"Good!" they all exclaimed, out loud.

Oh… Lily has come too, she is sitting with Jack, Sev realized. Ugh… I'm going to have a terrible time…

"Prince, sweetheart," Valerie told him. "We have saved a place for you at the head."

Sirius is as far away from Lily as possible, next to Valerie, to my left at the head, and Cecile and Remus in front, she would have been next to Hippolyta. "I don't want to be the president of anything, so move and make room for me next to Sirius, sit anyone else at the head," Sev responded. So from there I don't see Lily.

"If you don't sit at the head, none of us will sit down," said Deborah.

"Let Hippolyta sit, that way she is by my side and Cecile's. Do you want?"

"Of course, my love," the girl responded.

Ugh… Lily heard it.

They went to the back of the table through the part that was not next to the fireplace, while Paul took the enormous kettle off the heat. He announced, "Tonight, unique, tasty and nutritious dish. Go hand me plates so I can serve them to you, I can't put this on the table, it would make it look disgusting."

Hippolyta sat at the head, the row to the right of her moved closer to her, leaving Cecile just to the right of her and the row to the left of her moved to make room for Sev next to Sirius. The first dish served was for her, but she didn't start eating, she waited.

Sev poured her water from the well from a jug. "Honey, start eating now," he told her.

"It's rude to start eating before everyone is served," she said.

"But we are many. If you don't start, it's going to get cold."

"Well, well, Prince, don't worry. Paul just took it out of the fire, it's very hot, it would burn my tongue."

"You're right, but as soon as you see that it has cooled down enough, you start eating, right? Otherwise in the end we will all have to wait for you."

"Okay, okay, Prince."

The next dish went to Cecile, who exclaimed, "How good it looks, Hippolyta! Beef stew, with little fat and lots of vegetables. The best quality meat, and a lot of vitamins."

Sirius, meanwhile, served the wine in ceramic containers that were used as glasses. "Valerie, white or red?" he asked her.

"For meat, red, without a doubt. Besides, we have already attacked the white while we were cooking."

"Don't get drunk, Valerie..." Sev recommended.

"I don't care tonight, Prince. I didn't get drunk at the Rave house party, nor at the previous one at home."

"Very well, yes lady, then it's your turn."

The next dish was for Sev.

"Cecile, red?" Black asked.

"Yes, Sirius, red."

"Red for everyone, I think," Remus told Sirius. "White is for appetizers, fish and desserts."

"Ugh... we should have taken more bottles of red," Sev lamented. "It was cheaper, too."

"Well, Prince," said Valerie. "Don't worry, until we got to the kitchens we didn't know what menu we could prepare. If there had been boneless fish we would have made fish stew, even healthier and more nutritious, and there are four bottles of red wine, enough for dinner for everyone. In addition, at Saturday's party there were plenty of strong liquors, we also brought some bottles for after dinner, whoever feels like it will get drunk."

"There was no leftover black or butter beer?"

"No, there was nothing left over beer. Otherwise, we would have brought a pair for the kids."

"We should have thought about saving," Sev lamented.

"It's okay, sweetheart, it didn't occur to any of us, and it's better this way, so they don't pick up bad habits too early."

"You're right."

Sirius had already finished serving, plates continued to arrive.

Cecile commented, "Wow... this wine is to die for." She took the bottle and looked at it. "Spanish Rioja, I had never tried it and it is the best I have ever tried, by far."

"Genevre recommended it to us," said Sev.

"Let's talk to them about Spain, Prince," Valerie suggested. "About the anarchist Revolution, the end of the dictatorship and the Way of the Stars."

"Okay, let's do it."

They talked about these topics while they had dinner between the seven closest ones, those already mentioned and Alice, who sat next to Remus. She, who had not commented anything when Sev spoke to them the previous Saturday about anarchist ideas, was amazed by the history of the Revolution and the International Brigades, the spontaneous army that emerged from the people.

"Wooow... what I would have given to be there..." she said.

"That's what I thought when Valerie told me," said Sev. "I'm finishing a book that she recommended to me on the subject, a novel by an American author, George Orwell, who fought on the front, 'Homage to Catalonia'. It's from the Library, I won't return it and when I finish it I'll give it to you so you can read it in the summer."

"Great, I'll read it with Frank, we love reading together and discussing everything. It's going to be fantastic."

"Andrew and I also do it very often, in bed, before going to sleep," commented Valerie.

"Of course, like us," said Alice.

"Do you see, Prince?" Hippolyta told him. "If you had brought your book we would have been able to do it tonight."

"Honey, tonight you are going to be very tired, you are going to fall asleep instantly," said Sev. "Are you liking the stew?"

"Yes, Prince, much more than school food. Paul cooks very well."

"The recipe was Deborah's, huh?" Valerie told her. "In her house they eat very healthy."

"Well, then I'll congratulate them both. I'm going to finish everything and maybe I'll even repeat, I'm very hungry today."

"Don't fill yourself up too much, then we have to walk a long distance," Sev recommended. "If you get hungry again when you get home, we'll warm it up and you'll eat a little more before going to sleep."

"That is not necessary, Prince," Valerie told him. "We have also brought food already prepared from the kitchens for that eventuality."

"Great, Valerie, you think of everything."

They continued chatting about the end of the Spanish dictatorship.

Alice commented, "It is incredible that they have resisted for forty years. They shouldn't have put the king back."

"Well no, that's what I think, because it was an imposition from the dictator, Franco," Valerie explained.

"They should have tried again the revolution that did not work in '36."

"The rest of the 'democratic' countries would not have let them."

"Or at least have established a republic like the one they lost, like the French have," Alice said.

"Well yes, at least that, but keep in mind that the majority of Republicans were massacred or forced into exile, the spirit of freedom has not remained firm enough, and after four decades of oppression, what they are achieving now already seems like a spectacular achievement."

"Of course."

Later, after dinner, resting the food, while those who did not eat dessert cleared the table, they began to talk about the Way of the Stars.

"Prince..." Hippolyta said. "We are going to help pick up and wash the dishes, we have not done anything before."

"No, honey, rest your food and rest, that's what we adults are for. I'm not going to do anything either, I already do enough every day. Listen to what we are telling you, you are going to love it."

Indeed, it was so, Hippolyta and Sirius became very excited about the project of traveling a long way along the Milky Way to go see the sun die in the sea, due to their love of Astronomy.

"Prince, Prince... we will learn the language with ancient magic, that thing about the cave, it will be very easy," said the girl.

"Of course, honey, I had already thought about it," said Sev.

"If we also cross France, I'll take care of communication," said Remus. "I'm learning French in the summer."

"Lily already told me."

"You start teaching me this summer, Remus," Cecile proposed.

"Of course, with French novels in their original language, we will also read in bed."

"Great."

"And what will we read, Sirius?" Valerie asked him.

Take that! That woman who chooses, Sev thought.

"Muggle books on Astronomy and Cosmology, do you think?" Sirius answered. "To prepare for when the four of us go to Cambridge, to study with Hawking."

That Sirius that takes advantage.

"Wooow… what are you saying?" Valerie exclaimed, very amazed and excited.

"What you are hearing, little one. When the war ends, Sev with his jewels, Hippolyta with the fortune she will win at Quidditch, and I with mine from the Black family, which I deny, we will pay you all the expenses of the career."

That Sirius, offering everything he has, Sev thought.

"Can I give you a kiss?" she asked.

"Of course."

Valerie and Sirius had a good snog, holding each other's heads, with great enthusiasm. Take that! They already connected. These will also last a lifetime. And only one day after the new moon, very auspicious.

When they separated, more than a minute later, Valerie said, "Wow, Sirius... how you kiss... you kiss almost as good as Prince. You've made me really horny."

The other five laughed.

"And you me..." said Sirius.

"How fun are we going to have tonight…"

"Indeed."

"Let's see, let's see," Sev told them. "Don't get so excited, you're still in public."

"Don't listen to him, Sirius, three weeks ago he did the same thing or much worse," said Valerie.

"You already told me, yeah."

"It happens to him that now he is dying of envy."

"Not at all, I have my pecks with Hippolyta," said Sev. "Can you give me one, honey?"

"Sure. The number thirteen," the girl agreed.

They gave it to each other.

"Let's see, let's see, tell us who Hawking is," said Sev.

"He is the greatest physicist of our time," said Valerie. "Theoretical physicist."

"What does that mean?"

"That he conceives everything with his mind, through thought and mathematical tools, without experimenting."

"Oh…"

"This is how he has developed numerous theories about the origin, evolution and end of the Universe, the branch of Physics called Cosmology," she explained.

"Wooow… that's what I want to learn."

"Me too."

"And me," said Sirius.

"I prefer Astronomy, observing the stars and planets," said Hippolyta.

"Then you will study that branch, honey," said Sev. "And you will teach us what you learn and we will teach you what we learn."

"Brilliant."

"Of course," said Valerie. "Furthermore, theoretical physicists could not carry out their work without the data provided by astronomers, observers of the Universe, they all collaborate. Muggle science is a great feat of human collaboration."

"I see that you understand much more about the subject than I do, Valerie," said Black. "Do you understand books on Cosmology? I barely do single sentences."

"I do, quite a bit, because I have dedicated myself to reading since I left Muggle school and I have done so progressively."

"Wooow…" admired. "Great."

"So I will be able to explain it to you," she proposed. "I will correspond to your contribution to my studies with my knowledge."

"Wonderful," said Sev, very satisfied. "A balanced exchange."

"Do you know the rest of the interesting things about Hawking, Sirius?"

"Of course," he replied.

"Well, you tell them, his own human feat."

Valerie is wonderful, she is already giving the spotlight to Sirius as well, because during dinner she and I have talked almost all the time, Sev thought.

Black began, "Stephen Hawking fell ill while he was still a graduate student, from a very serious degenerative disease, with no cure, which left him confined to a wheelchair, and not only that, he lost the mobility of his entire body and even the ability to speak."

"What are you saying?" Sev asked, very surprised.

"What you are hearing. He was already a star in his field when it happened to him, between the ages of twenty and thirty, and the man never stopped continuing to study, work in his field, and even got married and had children."

"Wow... and how can he teach classes?"

"Others dictate them for him," the Gryff responded.

"How awesome... And how can he write and work?"

"With the help of Muggle technology. Of computers, with just the movement of one of his fingers."

"Wow… but it must take him hours to write a page," Sev deduced.

"Well yes, that's right, because that Muggle technology is not yet very developed."

"What a fighter..." very admired. "Mine next to him is nothing."

"Yes, Sev, he doesn't risk his life. Each one in your own way, you are heroes, examples to follow, he has also gone through the crucible without getting burned. If you get to know each other, you will be one of his favorite students."

"We have to talk to him about magic."

"We will do it. He is an atheist."

"What is that atheist?" asked Hippolyta.

"That like witches, he does not believe in God, he only believes in science."

"Wow..." said Sev.

"I'll give you his biography so you can be amazed."

"What is a biography?" asked the girl.

"A book that is about the life of a person."

"Give it to me as soon as possible, it's the next thing I want to read," said Sev.

"As soon as I stop by James' house, Sev, I'll have it there. The same Thursday if you want."

"Great, Sirius."

"I want to read it too, Prince," Hippolyta told him. "Someone who has known how to overcome an illness, like I am doing."

"Then we will read it together, pretty, but at times, huh?" Sev told her. "You have a lot to study."

"I have it too," said Valerie. "Anyone else who wants to read it?"

"Me," Alice replied.

"And me," Remus said.

"And me," answered Cecile.

"Then we'll take turns with both of them. And since you and I have nothing to read tonight, Sirius, we'll talk about it, since we both know it."

"Great."