"Let me get this straight," Hermione said slowly the following morning her head held in her hand a groan of disbelief flowing from her lips. "You went into the forest alone in the dead of night and didn't bring me with?"

"Well you were recovering if you recalls," Harry tried to remind her, "or does the fact that you had orgasmed from being caressed by a crop until your muscles were sore and you were unable to do more than shudder not familiar? I seem to recall you begging for more and seemed to really be into the session for you to forget that unlike normal playing that healing would be more intensive than just flushing built up acids!'

"You could have easily given me a taste of blood to get better," Hermione grumbled in irritation. "Instead you go gallivanting in the forest alone trailing something you were unsure of what it was or how dangerous it was. Damn it Harry! Do you have any idea how worried I was?"

Wrapping his arms around her irate form Harry slowly leaned his head to rest near her and said, "Hermione I know that you worry and I know that you care for me but sometimes we have to do what we have to do. I was just going to investigate something and the next thing I know..."

"Things went downhill," Hermione said with a pout. "At least tell me that something useful came from the situation!"

"Relax I ended up with a bit of backup from an unexpected source," Harry said as he stroked her hair and back trying to calm her down some more. "Who would think that Dumbledore's phoenix is not a complete puppet? I don't think that they will be sharing too much time if his disgust at his companion's mistakes is anything to go by."

"Well that is something," Hermione said with a sigh as she leaned into the massage that Harry was expertly using to relieve her tension. "Was there anything else of interest?"

"Yeah whatever it was out there ran like crazy from necromantic fire," Harry said thoughtfully. "Whatever it was seemed to be even odder than Peeves..."

"How so?" Hermione asked in interest even as she rubbed against his skilled fingers. "Oh that's the spot. Hmm... it seems that a massage should be added to our schedule besides the ones in the shower."

"Oh and have you become so relaxed that you fall asleep leaving me to handle the situation that caressing your body would cause," Harry said trying to sound offended. "Alright it would be almost as soothing giving a massage as receiving. Still a good reason to see that Dora finishes her protesting, she does seem to be more eager every few encounters. I think that it is fortunate that we are unable at this time to reach her."

"Yeah it would help having a second set of hands or do you think that Alice was not going to try to get one soon," Hermione said with a purr. "I give fair odds that even if she didn't tell us what she has been up to exactly that she has grabbed at least one playmate. A shame that whoever it is will be left alone in Surrey next year... still they can keep an eye on things from what she told me. Now was there a reason that you neglected to mention that you were the default leader there?"

"It didn't seem important at the time and while I was one of the leaders there was at least one other that was a decent enough rival," Harry said as Hermione slowly moved to lie on her stomach. "John did a good job keeping the other boys in line which only left Dudley and the few special needs buddies of his. Seriously Alice was for the most part keeping the girls in line while I spent more time studying when I was not trying to get both of them closer to a level to assist me in the more complex magics. Well there was that entire potion brewing and ingredient harvesting to bring in some money since the Dursleys even with the threat of grievous would give me any more than they had to do. Even after I found out about Gringott's there was no way that I would risk Dumbledore not knowing I was informed about magic instead of being less informed than most muggleborns."

"So it was something that didn't seem to be a big deal to you so you... oh that's the spot!" Hermione groaned as his hands distracted her thoughts. "Where was I? Oh! Just like that! HMM... that feels so good! Ah! Didn't tell me?"

"Well I guess we know better than to try to have a conversation where you respond when you're being massaged," Harry said with a sigh as he felt her muscles relaxing even more as Hermione started to become very vocal with her appreciation of the job he was doing. "Just relax and listen ok?"

"Hmm hmmm," Hermione murmured in agreement as the heavenly sensations continued. "All... right!"

"Good girl," Harry murmured into her ear appreciatively. "Now it wasn't something that I kept secret I just didn't bring it up still there are more important things to think about..."

An inquisitive groan came from Hermione as she decided that it was far too difficult to think let alone speak clearly under Harry's skilled hands. That he was now sitting nudged against her ass with her laying on her back legs and arms limp and spread to the side was part of why he was focusing on talking. Mostly it was due to the fact that he was barely apart from her and he kept chiding himself for going completely sex mad and it was almost as bad as the time when he found Alice and Anne had spent most of a weekend locked up with just food and water while they explored each other. At the time he had been grateful that he hadn't walked in on that as some things can completely destroy ones control and that sight would have put him behind more so than the current period of sex madness.

"Oh right," Harry said in response to her noise of inquiry his hands now working along her spine towards her lower back. "I think that I have been neglecting the combat aspects of necromantic fire in a use besides evidence disposal. Whatever it was, it seemed to run off like mad with just a glancing blow. Odd sound it made as well. It wasn't the sound of someone being burned would make but still hurt something fierce."

If Hermione had been able to convince her body to do more than moan in response it would be that a new area that they hadn't thought to investigate had been realized. It was a shame that they would need to get a place to test it and some sort of test subjects. Maybe there was somewhere in the school that was even more secure from monitoring that they could use? She made a note to ask the house elves the next chance that she could or likely Harry would as she was in no way able to move. A part of her wondered if this sort of situation would be ideal for their first consummation of their odd relationship.

'No I cannot think about Harry just entering me when I am so pliant especially right now,' Hermione chided while his hands were lifted to a new spot giving her precious moments of clarity. 'Still the idea has merit in the future and even if I don't get to try that first either Anne or Dora would love the complete submission that such a state would give. To think that I am likely so relaxed that some of the more shocking things that I read about would likely have a very minimal chance of causing strain.'

Before Hermione could get distracted by those notions, Harry's hands were once more working her limber and lithe body to an unresisting and pliable form. It was a very good thing as if Hermione had been able to verbalize it she would have likely pissed Alice off by getting the jump on her with Harry's own restriction no longer mattering do to her level of relaxation. It was a very good thing that Harry had previous experience to control himself from two most likely nymphomaniac leaning girls.

Still it was a good thing that their day had a good few hours for her to recover from before making an appearance or things might have been harder to maintain. At least Hermione when she recovered and recalled what had been told to her in that soothing state would be able to itemize their close term objectives in more detail. Harry wished to scour the school for all pertinent knowledge and that would require sifting through masses of unrelated knowledge. That they now needed to search for a place to practice properly was of pressing concern only offset by the unwinding that their recent sexual and sensual interactions had with or without their future participant being involved.

'Still there is the matter of those two to deal with in a most public and humiliating manner,' Hermione thought as he slowed his approach to her often eager ass. 'Now if I could just move a hair closer and I could get a bit of friction from more than his hands...'

As soon as Harry's hands had reached her still slightly red cheeks, Hermione made just enough of a movement to dissuade any proper discussion. With barely ignored supplication, Harry put the matter to rest. There was time enough before they needed to be seen for a bit of playing and it was not like they had clothes in their way at the moment and Hermione was just so willing.

Suffice it to say that the two were very grateful for the speed boost that Harry had learned the night before as they would have been very late to breakfast otherwise. A sensual massage of a willing girl will do that to a guy especially when they focus too much on giving their all to their recipient than they do the clock. As it was they were barely dried off from the quick rinse they had and Hermione had a very warm smile from the way her morning had started. Sadly the rest of the day would be marred by the actions of a few idiots. Still they were able to look fondly at the day as a whole.

They had time enough to accomplish their goals and regardless of how driven Harry could be at times there was the simple matter that with any of his girls to watch out for him there was little risk of Harry burning himself out. Drive was an important thing but Harry crippling himself wither it was magically, physically, mentally or emotionally was not something that Hermione could allow. She accepted that each had responsibilities to the other in their relationship and while she felt a pang of concern for her cousin being out of sight or more to her mind Harry's ability to safeguard there was no reason for letting this more pressing duty be shirked. The old saying may be all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, but Hermione had seen several of the other students in the accelerated program burn out, choke or otherwise crack under the pressure they put themselves or their parents put them through.

'What greater pressure would there be than the burning need to know that an orphan has for a missing parent?' Hermione wondered as they used a few simple tricks to hide how much and how quickly they were working their way through breakfast. 'No greater fear of failure is the feeling of disappointment compared to having never dared. To you my first true friend I have dedicated my all. Whatever is required I shall do even if it is to crawl across the depth of the pains of the flesh, causing the ground to be soaked in blood I have shed or even the disgust my family may have for what I will do! I! Shall! Do! It!'

Unbidden Hermione had dug her nails into the palms of her hand. Unnoticed to most she brought the bloody appendage to her mouth and confirmed to herself yet another oath to him. She would bleed for him, do unimaginably cruel acts if it brought his goal closer and she knew that without a shred of doubt that she would gladly kill for him when he asked. She was as dedicated to her lord and master as Bellatrix Lestrange was to hers only Harry would reward her and the anguish she would feel in disappointing him was to her worse than any torture or punishment could be.

Alice and Anne had willingly shed blood for him offering it as well as their pleasure and pain to his needs. They had with great joy killed whenever he had asked and would as gladly do so again. Perhaps it was Anne who was the worst in terms of her loyalty and willingness to serve. Neither Alice nor Hermione would so easily do any act if he but asks it. No matter how degrading, painful or offending would Anne refuse and would in fact do so gladly. It was something that would likely have unnerved Harry if he was anyone else but he knew and they knew that there were certain things that he had no interest in. It was perhaps fortunate that they would have Sarah for home and Tonks for at Hogwarts until she graduated.

Little did the two know but someday they would be needed to protect those around them similar to the way they had before coming there. Despite the many attempts to sugarcoat the world to the children these were ones not fooled by such things. They had many enemies surrounding them sometimes knowingly and unknowingly cooperating to control them. Harry knew of three sides he would have to deal with someday: the Ministry, the Death Eaters and Dumbledore's own minions. Sadly for someone dedicated to such a cold goal, Harry would find that many would flock to whatever protection that they could find and at least he was more honest in what he required for those in his service.