Concerns
Hippolyta and Sev were chatting in bed.
"Let's go to the other serious issue that remains," he told her. "Now I really want us to look each other in the eyes."
"Okay."
They separated again.
"Can you give me the second peck?" she asked him.
"I prefer to give you both when we finish talking."
"Okay."
"Focus on what we are doing, Hippolyta, this is very serious and it is going to take us a while."
"I know what it is."
"Of course you know."
"What I told Sirius on Monday," the girl deduced.
"That's right. But a while ago you told me something else, that you love me more than your life since before you met me. So start telling me everything from the beginning."
"Ariel always talked to us about you, since first year."
"Yes, I already know that," said Sev.
"I was always looking out for you when I saw you at home. I spied on you when you talked to the malefics."
"Oh…"
"And also in the Library, I saw you with Lily," Hippolyta continued.
"Yeah."
"And I always found out when the Gryffs attacked you."
"Sure…"
"I was connecting the dots, just like him," she said.
"Sure."
"And I also knew that they had been training in the Forest since last year, because they missed lunch on the weekends."
"Obviously," he said.
"I also noticed that neither of you took the Express at Christmas."
"Of course, because he is your classmate and because you were looking out for me."
"That is. In fact, to make sure, I looked for you all over the Express," the girl explained.
"Oh…"
"Then I deduced that you had been left almost alone at home."
"Sure."
"And that you had finally met," she concluded.
"Of course. You haven't missed one, Hippolyta."
"From then on I also noticed if you were missing from the Great Hall at the same time as them."
"Sure. "
"They stopped missing after Christmas," the girl continued.
"That is."
"Because they were testing you."
"Very good," Sev approved.
"And you started doing it on February 29th."
"Bravo, Hippolyta!"
"An easy date to remember. Also, Ariel and Shelley were not missing, only the older ones. They kept testing."
"That's it, Hippolyta."
"And that afternoon, it was Sunday, Ariel was not with us, he spent his time waiting on the stairs outside the castle."
"That is."
"I already told you that I know everything," she said. "So I already knew, since Christmas, that you were on the side of the good ones, trying to separate yourself from the malefics. Also, since then, you also never returned to Hogsmeade and stopped talking to them at home."
"Very good, Hippolyta."
"And I designed a plan to help you when you needed it."
"That's what I want you to talk to me about," he asked.
"I knew that when they discovered you you would have problems, because it was just you and Anthony against four in your bedroom. I wanted to propose that there be three of us to watch while you slept, that's why I wanted to train on May 15th, to tell you in private."
"That's what Sirius told me."
"Then it was no longer necessary at home, but I saw you with an escort and I deduced that there were still malefics at school," explained the girl.
"Very well deduced, Hippolyta, you didn't tell Sirius that but I thought about it."
"That's why I asked you that same night to teach me how to cast curses."
"That's why I thought about it," said Sev. "You've skipped something."
"What?"
"What would you have done if the malefics at home had stayed and I had not been willing to let you sneak into my bedroom?"
"Sneak in anyway, without you knowing," she replied.
"That's how I like it. Tell me everything or I'll read you, huh? I can yet."
"No, Prince, I'll tell you everything."
"Well, about what I just asked you, you can already imagine what I have to tell you, can't you?" he asked.
"Yes, very poorly done."
"That's it, Hippolyta. Because you only knew the Unforgivable curses. If you had used them, you would have gone to Azkaban at the age of fourteen, and there you would have died shortly afterwards with complete certainty."
"I already told you that I am willing to give my life for you."
"But dying because of what the Dementors do to you is worse than death itself, Hippolyta."
"Anything as long as nothing happens to you."
"And your parents, Hippolyta?"
"They could have another child."
"Never think that. You would destroy them, losing a child is the worst thing that can happen to you in life, worse than dying. You have to stay alive not only for me, but also for them. I would survive your death, maybe your parents wouldn't. I love you very much, but they love you more than me. Is it clear to you?"
"Yes, Prince."
"Well, I don't want you to be willing to risk your life for me. Keep telling me, what other plans did you have?"
"Find out who the remaining malefics were and kill them myself."
"The same, Hippolyta, you would have gone to Azkaban. Did you find out how we did it? We didn't use curses, but rather the Muggle equivalent of a beating. I only threw the Sectumsempra at one of them, but not to kill him, but so that he would be scarred for life. And we Obliviated them, that's why there was no investigation, they couldn't denounce us because they don't know who we were. Do you know what Obliviate is?"
"Of course I know it."
"Do you realize how things are done? We are the elders who know how to do them, and we have to work as a team, trust each other, no going around killing alone without counting on others."
"I realize it, Prince."
"Keep telling me. What other plans did you have?"
"Sneaking away from home to protect you as a summer escort."
Sev laughed. "Sorry for laughing, honey, it's not that I find it funny, but that's a crazy idea. For starters, you're not going to find out where I'm going to be, because I'm not going to tell you."
"Yes, I imagine it."
"To continue, once you learn Occlumency maybe yes, but when you told that to Sirius I had already told you that I couldn't give you the address of my house, that it was dangerous."
"Sure."
"How would you have looked for me?" he asked.
"I don't know."
"Are you realizing the nonsense that occurred to you?"
"Yes, Prince, I'm a bit stupid."
"To continue, you are not the only one who is willing to give your life for me, the eight people who make up the escort are willing to do so. Let it be clear to you."
"Yes, Prince."
"To go on, everyone is of legal age, except Deborah, who will be on July 25th. They can use magic outside of school, defensive spells, without being penalized, not you and I, we are not on our own yet, you still have three years left. You are too young."
"Yes, Prince."
"To continue, I had already shown you that I can become invisible, I have a lot of protection, much more than you can give me."
"It's true, Prince."
"And to finish, as I have already told you before, we have learned a very powerful magic that the Death Eaters do not know and neither do you. They are much more capable of protecting me than you. I'm sorry to say it like this, but that's how it is, Hippolyta. When you are of age we will go together to have a Death Eater snack if there are any left by then, which I doubt. Has it become clear to you that you can't make plans alone?"
"Yes, Prince. Now I'm very embarrassed, I'm very stupid."
"It's not that you're stupid, honey. It's just that you love me a lot and you want to do everything you can so that nothing happens to me, like it happens to me with you, but we can all make mistakes. That is why it is important to share what we think with others, because several minds think better than one, just as the two of us together have realized that we have to teach you Occlumency, there is no other option. It is a mistake that I have made, because I have put your health problem first, but now the other thing is more pressing."
"Sure."
"Do you have any other plans that you have come up with on your own and you haven't told me yet?" Sev asked.
"No, Prince."
"Okay, if you come up with another plan, tell me, okay?"
"Of course."
"Any other important thing I should know?" he asked.
"No, Prince."
"Sure?"
"Sure."
"Okay, I trust you. Look, starting this afternoon I won't be able to watch you like I did, huh? Don't fail me again, Hippolyta."
"Never, Prince, I have sworn to you."
"Okay, I like it that way."
"Have you seen how you didn't need to read me?"
"Yes, Hippolyta, I've already seen it, and you don't know how relieved I feel."
"Can you give me the peck now?"
"Of course."
They gave it to each other.
"What time is it?" she asked.
"It's past eleven thirty."
"Tell me exactly."
"Eleven thirty-three," Sev answered.
"Another odd multiple of three."
He laughed. "Hippolyta, you are obsessed, I will never tell you the exact time again."
"When we met it was also nine thirty-three."
Sev laughed again. "Wow... what a coincidence."
"It's not a coincidence, it's luck."
"Well... whatever you want... Do you want us to hug now and tell me more things?"
"Okay, Prince, but I'm leaving at twelve, huh?"
"Sure, honey, so they don't catch you."
They embraced.
"Let's see, tell me about how you wanted to kiss me more when you saw the drunks doing boyfriend things on the floor," he asked.
"Those are the things I precisely didn't want you to read, Prince."
"I understand, but you have to trust me for those things too, or else, tell an older girl so they can advise you. Will you tell Valerie or Deborah?"
"No, Prince, it makes me even more embarrassed."
"Okay, then tell it to me, because I know more about those things than you."
"I wanted to do with you the things they did."
"Okay, I understand," said Sev. "When you love someone you want to do those things with that person, or even without loving someone, just because you like them a lot and you feel like it. It's normal that you feel like it, you don't have to be embarrassed. Okay? Are you less embarrassed now?"
"Yeah…"
"Very well, I'll keep telling you. All those people you saw were older people, who had done boyfriend things many times before. For them it was not their first time and most of them did it just because they felt like it, without really loving the other person."
"Sure…"
"But when you really love a person, as happens to us, and even more so if it is the first time for one of them or for both of them, you have to do things well," he explained. "And do you know how things are done well?"
"How?"
"Taking time, not doing all the boyfriend things at once, but little by little, step by step, like learning to fly, to fight, or some difficult subject. Did you learn those things in a single day?"
"I didn't."
"Well, what I'm telling you," Sev continued. "Loving each other also takes time and learning, and not only that, what you said yesterday, that you have to take time to be very sure if you really love someone, and even more so if it's the first time you really love someone and you have nothing to compare with. Wait a while to see if the feeling stays the same and doesn't change. If you do the boyfriend things too quickly and then your feelings change, you will regret doing them with that person."
"I already know that my feelings are not going to change."
"You didn't tell me that yesterday, Hippolyta. You're in a mess too."
"Well yes, I'm a little."
"Well, you better put it to me. While you're in a mess, you shouldn't do anything you're not sure about. For the moment, forget everything apart from pecks and sleeping together."
"Okay, Prince. Can I ask you for something?"
"Ask."
"Can we sleep together again tonight?"
"Of course, honey," he agreed. "That's why I told Ariel last night that I'm not going to sleep with him again while we're at school."
"And can I ask you one thing?"
"Let's see, ask."
"Do you always sleep in pajamas?" the girl asked.
"Booff, Hippolyta… I know where the issue is going. I'm not going to answer that."
"Prince... I tell you everything…"
"No, honey, you don't tell me everything, I haven't asked you to give me details of things. I only tested you to see if you needed good advice. I already guess what comes next from the question and I already tell you that no, also in a long season."
"With Ariel you sleep without pajamas."
"Ugh... Ariel tells you everything, huh?" Sev complained.
"I persuade him."
"I see it, I do."
"It's better without pajamas for the warmth of our skin," she said.
"You're right, Hippolyta, but I do it with him because he's a boy and he doesn't want to do boyfriend things with me. If I sleep with you without pajamas, you would feel more like doing boyfriend things, I don't want to, and you would have a bad time."
"Ugh... in the pond you do take off your clothes to bathe…"
"But in the pond we are playing, it is a very different situation, there you don't think about boyfriend things," he objected. "And if you think about them, I won't bathe with you anymore."
"Ugh, Prince... but that's not natural, we have to be as we are, whatever we want."
"Well, Hippolyta, I don't feel like sleeping with you without pajamas."
"I do not belive anything. You also like the warmth of skin against skin, everyone likes it."
"How well you know me, Hippolyta."
"I promise you that I won't think about boyfriend things, just sleep."
"Okay, honey, I'll think about it."
"We can also talk about sleeping together in the summer, do we have time?" the girl asked.
"Of course we have time Hippolyta, only five minutes have passed. For being so obsessed with time, you miscalculate the time, huh?"
"I haven't brought my watch because the pajamas don't have pockets."
"And your wand, have you brought it?"
"Of course, I never go anywhere without my wand, it's under the pillow," she replied.
"Oh... I also slept with my wand in my hand, under the pillow, when I slept with the malefics, and I don't go anywhere without my wand either."
"More in common. What wood is your wand made of?"
"Made of black pine with a dragon heartstring core," Sev answered.
"Of course... black like you. Mine is also made of pine, but red, and also made of dragon heartstring."
"Wow, Hippolyta... incredible... more in common. Let's talk about sleeping together in the summer."
"You already said that the tent is out of the question, right?"
"No, not to mention. In a house and in a bed. And if you're already an occlumant, we can sleep at Lily's house or even mine. At Lily's house it is very easy to hide the fact that I don't sleep with her and sleep with you, because the two rooms are very close. And also, her parents are very discreet, they will never enter her room or yours. And even if they saw me leaving yours, they wouldn't think I'd just come from sleeping, they'd think I'd gone to check on you. They would never tell on your parents."
"Oh…"
"I'll talk to Lily about it after I apologize, of course, let's see if she's not very angry with me," he added.
"Sure."
"And to sleep in my house, even easier, because although there are only two rooms, my Mum's and mine, we are going to buy another bed to put in mine so that my friends can sleep there whenever they want. And you can also sleep, as if you were sleeping in the other bed, you get into mine with me. My Mum also never enters my room without permission, she never bothers me when I'm inside, and even if she did and caught us in the same bed she won't think that I do anything strange with you, my Mum knows me very well."
"Sure. But maybe my parents won't give me permission to sleep at your house," the girl objected.
"Then you tell them that you are going to another house. Do they monitor you when you use the Floo Network?"
"Not always, otherwise I wouldn't be able to escape."
"Well, that's it, and if they control you, you go first to Lily or Deborah's house and from there to my house," Sev proposed. "Solved."
"And wouldn't Lily or Deborah's parents be surprised if I did that?"
"They don't have to, if you stay there for a little while and then tell them that you are going to visit me for a while and that you will return to your house from mine."
"Sure…"
"Do you realize that it was with me that you had to talk about those things and not with Lily?" he asked. "I am the strategy designer."
"Of course... But the solution has come out because you are going to teach me Occlumency."
"We would have also found it colluding with Deborah, talking to her, but not to sleep in a tent, but in her house, her house is very big and surely between the three of us we would find a way to hide it too, pretending that I was sleeping with her instead of you. She already told her parents that she was with me."
"She rushed," said Hippolyta.
"Well yes, she rushed. That's why I tell you that you have to take a lot of time and a lot of calm for these things. Because it's not just about the two people who love each other, but also about all the other people who love those people, who are affected by the things that happen to them."
"Sure."
"That's why it's better that for the moment you don't tell your parents that you sleep with me or things like that, they're going to be quite alarmed by your problem with food and Lestrange, we're not going to give them one more worry for the moment," Sev suggested.
"Sure. Will you look at me for another little while, now without worries?"
"Of course."
They separated. Hippolyta placed the locks on him.
"Do you want me to look at you the way you like?" he asked.
"Yes, please, now yes."
He looked at her like that. She stared at him very attentively, like the day before, for several minutes. Finally, unexpectedly, she gave him the third peck.