"Ugh..."
Pansy had been waiting for this moment, and she was pleased that Harry was finally waking up. He'd been out of it by the time they'd gotten back to their quarters the night before, so she knew that he was going to be feeling awful.
"Good morning," she whispered.
"Still too loud," he moaned. "My head feels like it's been trampled on by a herd of centaurs."
"Not hippogriffs?"
"They can fly, they wouldn't have to trample on me."
"I suppose I could give you this potion that Dobby fetched last night. That would make me a wonderful girlfriend, wouldn't it?"
"Don't tease me, woman," Harry groaned. "You're already a wonderful girlfriend; just put me out of my misery already."
"Here." She handed it to him and Harry struggled to sit up so he could gulp it down.
"Thanks." He closed his eyes again and rubbed his forehead. "For the record, be careful with firewhisky. I felt like I went from tipsy to falling down drunk in just a few minutes. Of course, I did take a really big drink for that toast, but..."
"Yes, I heard something about that. Sirius actually called me on the mirror when we got back home. He was worried about you."
"Really?"
"Yes, Harry, believe it or not, there are a few people who really care for you."
"Not that, I just... never mind."
"So, do you remember anything else about last night? Something embarrassing you might have said, for instance?"
"No." He frowned and thought for a moment. "Hold on a second, I'm remembering something."
"What?"
"I think... I think I might have had another of those dreams connected to Riddle."
"Really? What happened?"
"I'm not sure. I don't think the alcohol helped," Harry chuckled. "There was something about fire, yelling and screaming... but I'm not positive that wasn't just me remembering the bomb. But there was also something about a place... an old place? Huh, I'm not sure. There was definitely something about a door and a silvery glow coming from behind it. I don't know. The hangover might have confused my subconscious."
"I see. That's not much to go on, sadly," Pansy replied.
"No, it isn't."
"Would you like me to remind you what you said before we left Grimmauld Place last night?"
"Um..." Harry cracked one eye open and looked over at her. "Is this about the 'wanting to put a baby in you' thing?"
"You do remember," Pansy teased with a grin. "Andromeda seemed to find it very amusing."
"Why would I be embarrassed about that?"
"What?"
"I think it's obvious that we're getting married someday. That would naturally mean that I'm hoping you'll also get pregnant some time in the future. I mean, I am an orphan so obviously I'm going to want a family. You know, eventually."
"You're no fun, Harry," Pansy pouted. "You were supposed to be blushing and whatnot so I could tease you about this. Sirius was eager to try to talk you out of it, or at least get you to want to wait long enough so that he can become a father first. I think it's funny to see him feeling competitive with you."
"Sirius is a funny guy," Harry grinned. "Just don't tell him I said that."
"Don't worry, I won't. If anyone doesn't need any more encouragement, it's Sirius Black."
"Yeah." Harry rolled his neck and stretched out his arms. "We should probably get up."
"It's Sunday, so we don't have to, you know. If your head's still hurting, we can relax in bed for awhile."
"Thanks, but I think it would be better if we're seen down at breakfast, seeming like everything's normal. I don't want anyone to get suspicious after last night. I'll just say I woke up with a headache- it's even true."
"If you're sure."
"I don't really feel like it, but I think it would be the smart thing to do," Harry sighed.
"Let's go then."
She helped him when Harry struggled to get moving and by the time he had splashed some water on his face in the bathroom he at least no longer looked like he would fall over while walking to the Great Hall for breakfast.
For once, Luna wasn't there before them. Harry slumped into his seat and laid his head down on the table while Pansy started making plates of food for the both of them. Luna came skipping over to them just as she was about to try to get Harry's attention.
"Good morning."
"Not for Harry," Pansy said with an exaggerated pout. "The poor thing woke up with a headache. Which is why..."
She placed a cup of tea right next to his head and Harry opened one eye to look at it. He groaned but sat up to take a sip.
"Thanks."
"You're welcome."
"She really is the best," Luna agreed with a grin as she sat down to Harry's right. "We should go for a walk after we eat."
"It's a bit cold out," Harry muttered. "I think... wasn't it raining last night? Is it still raining today?"
"No, and it didn't rain that much yesterday. Besides, Harry, we've got magic on our side. You know what that means?"
"What?"
"That rain and cold don't stand a chance."
"Don't argue with Luna, Harry," Pansy said. "She knows best. Besides, we've been cooped up in the castle too much lately. We could do with some fresh air."
"If you say so." Harry looked down at his plate and ignored the meat to pick up a piece of toast. "Good."
"You'll need to eat a bit more than that," Luna lectured. "Pansy, while I think it's admirable of you to share the sausage for once, Harry probably needs something sweeter to give him more energy to help get him going. Maybe some peaches?"
"You're just saying that because you like watching him eat my peaches," Pansy teased.
"True, but it would probably help him too. In fact," Luna reached over and scooped out some peaches into a second bowl and slid them over to Harry.
"He might need to eat both our peaches."
"I don't know if he could handle that many peaches," Pansy snorted.
"When I feel better, I'm going to get you both back for this," Harry groaned.
"What? We're just trying to make sure you have a balanced, healthy breakfast," Pansy replied.
"You know, Harry, you do have two hands," Luna said.
"Huh?"
"Well, with two bowls of peaches to eat, two spoons, two hands... you see where I'm going with this, right?" Harry groggily shook his head at Luna, who continued her thought. "I'd like to see how good you are at multi-tasking. Supposedly, working different parts of the brain can help with headaches."
"Really?"
"Only one way to find out," Luna smiled.
"Okay." Harry took a spoon in each hand. He figured he'd start with the left hand, since it was his weaker side and he could focus on it more for the first bite. While he didn't have the enormous sweet tooth that Luna did, he had to agree that the peaches were pretty yummy. He then took a bite from his right hand with ease and took a moment to savor it while he made sure he didn't fumble the spoon on the left again.
A few moments later, Luna broke his concentration. "Not bad, Harry."
"Huh?"
"You've eaten almost all the peaches without spilling anything. How does the head feel?"
"A little better, I guess." Harry gave her a little grin. "Thanks Luna."
"You're welcome. I guess it turns out I do know best. This means we will be going for a walk, right?"
"Sure," Harry shrugged. "If you both want."
"I do. Pansy?"
"In a bit. If Harry isn't going to eat it, then I'll be having the sausage." She winked at Luna and shoved one entire link into her mouth. After she finished chewing, she made a show of licking her lips. "Yummy."
"That's not making me want to go for a walk, you know."
Luna giggled and rushed to finish her own food while Harry had a second cup of tea and silently praised the miracle of caffeine. By the time the girls were done, the hall was only half full. That wasn't too surprising, as it was still twenty minutes till nine and a lot of people rolled out of bed late on Sundays.
As they headed for the main door, Hermione passed them and looked away quickly as Luna took Harry's arm and waved at her.
"What was that about?" Harry asked as they stepped outside and the chilly air hit him in the face. "Okay, definitely warming charms."
"I'll do the honors," Pansy said. "We don't want you making us all melt accidentally."
"He's done that to you too?" Luna asked.
"My dear Harry's got a headache, and sometimes he overdoes it with his spells if he is distracted by something." Pansy cast warming the charm on all three of them, then pecked Harry on the lips. "And we can be so very distracting when we feel like it."
"You can say that again," he snorted. "It's a little windy today, but not nearly as bad as some days."
"I'm just glad it's not snowing," Luna added. "I love snow in general, but I'm not a big fan of trudging through it."
"Good thing we haven't had any lately then."
"Yes," Luna nodded. "There's going to be a big storm later this week though."
"Really?"
"Yes, Parvati told me."
"How would Parvati know?" Harry wondered.
"You don't know very much about Divination, do you?"
"No. I heard the class was pointless. Why?"
"Well, I do admit that I've heard less than glowing things said about professor Trelawney, but the subject does have its uses," Luna explained. "For example, when I stayed at your flat, there was that pretty lady on the telly who told what the weather was going to be for the next week. With Divination, we witches and wizards can determine similar things. Although it isn't fool proof, sadly."
"Hmm," Pansy muttered as they were walking towards the lake. "I never really thought about that before."
"There's a section in the back of the Daily Prophet that gives a weekly forecasting of the weather. They tend to be more accurate than most of the paper," Luna admitted with a sigh. "Just don't tell my father that I said anything positive about them. He hates the competition."
"Understandable," Pansy said with a smile. "I don't think very much of them either."
"Your dad's work is much more interesting," Harry agreed. "How is Xeno anyway?"
"He's doing well. He sent me a note the other day that said a source had sent him an old manuscript from America discussing how a muggle group of freemasons had secretly founded the country and had been ruling them from the shadows ever since."
"Really?" Harry asked.
"Yes, but it sounds like malarkey to me. Everyone knows that the Illuminati rules the entire world, especially America."
"Huh," Harry shrugged. He looked over at Pansy who grinned at him.
"Don't worry, Harry. I wasn't sure that the Illuminati was real either," she teased. "But if Luna says it's so, then who are we to argue?"
"Who indeed?" he chuckled. "You know what my favorite part of the lake is?"
"What?" Pansy asked.
"The sound of the water. You know, the way it moves and everything."
"My favorite part is the giant squid," Luna said. "I'll admit the sound is nice too. I just wish it weren't so dark and murky. Even in warm weather, it would be hard to go visit the merpeople, or to find them if they weren't in the mood for a visitor."
"Now, who wouldn't want you to visit them, sweetie?" Pansy replied.
"I know, right? I like to think I'm fun to be around."
"We'll both agree with that," Harry said as they came near to the shore. "Even if it isn't raining, it's still pretty muddy out."
"We can always change later," Luna suggested.
"I've got a better idea," Harry answered. "Dobby?"
"What can Dobby do for his great master Harry?"
"You're right, Harry," Pansy interrupted. "He has gotten a lot better at that. I didn't even hear a pop that time. Were you following us, Dobby?"
"No, miss Pansy," he shook his head vigorously. It made Pansy's neck hurt just watching him. "Dobby has been bored, so Dobby was hoping that master and miss would have something to do."
"Well, we do," Harry replied. "I need you to bring us a nice big blanket that we can spread out to lay down on. Or is it lie down? I can never remember."
"Dobby will be right back!"
Two pops later and Harry had a blanket that he was spreading out across the mud.
"This is going to be filthy now," Pansy said with a scowl.
"I know," Harry said with a grin. "It will give Dobby something to do when we're ready to go back inside later."
"Master Harry truly is the greatest wizard in the whole world!" Dobby pronounced with glee.
"He is pretty great," Luna giggled. "And he also knows house-elves better than most people. However he doesn't know all of his grammar rules. Harry- lie down on the blanket. Right in the center, if you please."
"Okay."
"Pansy, you want the left, correct?"
"I do."
"How did you know that?" Harry asked.
"She always sleeps on your left side," Luna answered as the two girls sat down and prepared to get comfy. Harry stretched his arms up over his head and out, as he knew the expected position. "I thought it was obvious. Also," she settled down beside him and put her head on his chest, directly across from his girlfriend. "Now Pansy and I can look at each other while we talk. Maybe I should tell another story...
"But whatever we do, it will hopefully help you lay down your burden and relax from your stress."
"Okay."
"Luna sweetie, you are brilliant, but maybe too brilliant," Pansy snorted. "I'm not sure Harry caught the lesson you just gave him."
"I'm not that dumb, thank you very much. I just needed to lie down. I think a Luna story would be fun."
"Okay, let me see..."
"Make it as silly as possible," Pansy suggested. "I think Harry needs some more laughter right about now."
"Oh, I know just the one then," Luna smiled. "This is the story of Rumpletitskins."
"Wasn't it Rumpelstiltskin?" Harry asked.
"Let's not interrupt Aunty Luna," Pansy grinned. "I'm sure the name is different for a very good reason."
"A very good and filthy reason." Luna confirmed. "It's about a sad old hag and her quest for a much nicer set of boobies."
Pansy and Harry laughed and Luna began her tale.
They were in the middle of dinner that evening, with Luna and Pansy sitting on either side of Harry, when a number of owls swooped down into the hall. Hedwig landed in front of Harry with a special evening edition of the Daily Prophet.
The reason why was clear from the headline.
Death Eater Massacre!
He reached up to pet Hedwig with his left hand while he took the paper with his right and looked at the image of the Dark Mark floating over the burnt wreckage of the building and a number of covered bodies laid out on the lawn in front of it as aurors moved around the scene of the crime.
The rest of his meal was forgotten. He didn't notice Pansy watching him closely for his response.
Harry found what he was looking for in the second paragraph.
"Harry?" Luna asked with an unusual touch of worry in her tone. "How bad is it?"
"Hmm?" He looked up at her and realized how quiet the room had become as a number of people were reading about what had happened. "Sorry Luna, what did you ask?"
"How bad was this massacre?"
"Oh, um, yeah... it looks like twenty three dead." Harry looked back down and read even as most of the story just slipped right through his mind. Twenty three- the number stuck in his head. Even with the ones that had fled the building, that still left fifteen deaths that he was directly responsible for. Fifteen. A small shudder passed through him.
His thoughts were briefly broken by the sound of a gasp from the other side of the table, down just a bit closer to the teachers. Hermione. She had an expression filled with worry and fear that he remembered from the years past. All the times she'd been near him when bad things happened. She looked up at him, mouth slightly open in shock, only to quickly turn away.
What was she thinking, he wondered to himself. Maybe now she thinks that I had a point about the necessity of violence in a war with monsters.
'If she only knew that this time I was the monster.'
And that was what had been stuck in the edge of his mind all day. When you do something monstrous, does that make you a monster? He'd listened to the others about how this was different- these were Death Eaters- and that did seem to matter to his brain. Objectively, or whatever...
But Harry's real angst wasn't coming from what he had done. It was the lack of guilt, or doubt, or shame, or... really much of anything. It worried him that he didn't feel worse. 'Maybe this is what a soldier feels in a war,' he thought. 'Just wish I hadn't been drafted so damn young.'
The muggle world had its problems, but at least they no longer had child soldiers. Harry had been fighting for his life from eleven on.
And that didn't count what it took to survive the Dursleys without breaking or poisoning them all. He had considered it once or twice when he was younger- but he had held back because the only other person he knew of that was supposedly related to him was Marge, the fat evil bitch. She had seemed even worse at the time. Harry had been pretty sure she would have fed him to her dogs.
After running into a hag in Knockturn Alley a few years past, he thought there probably was a resemblance.
"Harry?"
Pansy's voice brought him out of his reverie. He hadn't been reading for a few minutes. Probably just staring off blankly.
"Yeah," he shook his head. "It's pretty bad."
"Are you done?" she asked. "With the paper, I mean."
"I guess," he shrugged. "Probably done with the food, too, for that matter. I see the Dark Mark and I tend to lose my appetite."
"Don't show it to me yet," Luna said. "I'd like to try to eat a bit more first. I should have had a bigger lunch."
"Alright." Harry opened it up to the inside but did not find a list of names. Apparently, the ministry was still working on identifying everyone. Harry guessed they would want to contact the families first too- although that had never stopped the Prophet from printing salacious gossip before.
That briefly made him wonder whatever had happened to Rita Skeeter. Come to think of it, she hadn't been seen ever since that day when Pansy humiliated her in Hogsmeade. The memory brought a smile to his face as he turned to look at his girlfriend.
"I'll be done in a second," she said as she noticed his expression. "What do you want to do tonight?"
"I don't know. Even though my headache is gone, I'm still feeling kind of worn out. I guess I could do with an early night, to try to catch up on some sleep. We do have a week of classes coming up."
"You should be thankful that we've got history first thing. You can always start the week off with a nap," Pansy suggested.
"Ooh, that is lucky," Luna added. "Naps always make me feel better. Usually, I feel even more refreshed than I do after a full night of sleep."
"Yeah, I like naps too," Harry agreed. "I still think I'm going to call it an early night."
"Do you mind if I read that?" Luna asked, motioning to the newspaper. "I normally wouldn't want to read our rivals, but... this does seem like the type of thing that I should pay attention to. If you're done with it, that is."
"Sure, Luna."
"I'm done, Harry," Pansy said as she got up. "We can go now, if you like."
"Yeah, I think so."
"Alright," she nodded as she leaned down to kiss the top of Luna's head. "Don't let that crap give you nightmares, sweetie."
"I have a large essay to write for Transfiguration this evening. So, if anything, it will be a very different type of nightmare."
"Let me guess, McGonagall wants three feet?" Harry asked.
"Two and a half, actually, but it is due tomorrow. And unlike you, I actually care about my grades," Luna finished while turning her nose up in the air.
"Silly Ravenclaw," he shook his head and smiled. "I'll see you tomorrow, Luna."
"Are you alright, Harry?"
Pansy had waited until they were back in their quarters before she asked, but he knew it was coming. He sat down on the couch and tried to figure out how to answer her question.
"I think so. I'm not... I don't know. I just... I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be feeling now. I mostly just feel... normal. It's kinda weird, huh?"
"I don't think so," she shook her head. "You've had so much of this shit in your life for so long that you've gotten used to it. And I'm sorry about that for you, but I'm also glad that you're handling this so well."
"That isn't a bad thing?"
"No. Not to me, it isn't. It makes me proud of you, Harry."
"Really?"
"Yes."
"Okay."
"So, what now? Do you really want to go to bed early?"
"I don't know. I said that in part because I couldn't just sit there with all those people and not feel strange about everything. I mean, not Luna, you know, but everyone else. And I didn't want to see Hermione looking at me, not with knowing how we argued, and... I don't know. I sort of feel like she was right, in a way. But at the same time, I care even less. If this is me being cold hearted, then maybe that's a good thing. If killing those Death Eaters was... like making me all guilt-ridden or something... that doesn't seem like it would be any better. Maybe cold hearted is the way you have to be when you're in a war."
"You're probably right," Pansy said as she climbed onto his lap and kissed him. "You came back safe and sound. That's what matters the most to me. The fact that we have a major win against the Dark Lord is nice too, but as you like to say, I have my priorities straight."
Harry kissed her back and grinned. "Yes you do. You know something funny about all this?"
"What?"
"The Dark Mark is the Death Eaters calling card, right? And it started all this off again back at the Quidditch World Cup. But half the times it's been spotted is because of us using it to frame them. Well, and to try to stir up the public."
"The public is a herd of sleeping sheep," Pansy scoffed. "We should probably just be glad if they stay out of our way. That's more than we can say about Fudge. Let me guess, the ministry's official position is still that this is all some 'rogue Death Eaters.' Am I right?"
"Yeah, of course," Harry chuckled. "That's funny too. They all hid their masks away in their closets and did nothing for what- twelve or thirteen years? Why would they come back out now without some sort of guiding force? How come no one thinks about these simple questions?"
"Sheep aren't smart," Pansy snorted. "This is why Luna can rule the world if she wants it. I'd rather live in the middle of nowhere than to have to constantly deal with idiots."
"Yeah," Harry laughed. "Me too. And can you imagine all the paperwork?"
He shivered.
"I can barely get you to write something long enough to keep you out of detention sometimes," Pansy giggled. "You could never work in an office. Not that it's at the top of my list either."
"What do you want to do? I mean, you know, in the future."
"I'm not sure," Pansy replied before she grinned at him. "We do have that year long honeymoon to look forward to. That sounds a lot better than getting bogged down in any sort of job. I guess we'll have to really go over our finances one of these days to figure everything out. I'm all in favor of working as little as possible though. We'll have much more fun if you just keep spoiling me."
"Spoiling you is pretty fun. It usually makes you that much more fun in the bedroom."
"You've got me all figured out, don't you?" Pansy giggled. She then wiggled on his lap for a second. "And speaking of spoiling, I know what we should do for the rest of the night. I'm going to help ease your stress. Do we still have some massage oil?"
"Yeah, in my trunk."
"Good," Pansy purred as she stood up. "Shall we?"
"There's no way I would ever turn this down." Harry hopped to his feet and followed her into the bedroom.
"For some reason, I had a feeling you'd feel that way," Pansy smiled. "You know, I was talking to Vanessa about the massage parlors that they have in the muggle world. She said that some of them are specifically for men."
"Really? I would think women would like them just as much as guys. More probably."
"I certainly love it when you rub me all over," Pansy purred. "But no, those sorts of places tend to specialize in what she called a massage with a happy ending. Luckily for you, I'm in a pretty good mood, so maybe you'll get one tonight. Now strip."
"What did I ever do to get so lucky to have you in my life?" Harry asked as he kicked off his shoes and pulled his shirt over his head.
"Just remember this the next time it's your turn to spoil me."
The next couple of days held a lot of tension at Hogwarts. Harry tried not to let it go to him, but there were an awful lot of people staring at him. More than usual, even. It was pretty clear that a lot of them were looking at him with hope that he would pull off something heroic. After all, he'd been the miraculous savior baby and he'd escaped Riddle's clutches after being kidnapped and tortured. Surely, Harry Potter was once again going to save the day.
His cynical thoughts made him want to sigh constantly.
He'd also had to delay the next meeting of his group. He was having to consider what he would try to teach them next, and professor Watts had already warned him after his class on Monday about how much scrutiny they would all be under for the time being.
Other than that, things were mostly quiet until that Friday night. The headmaster was missing from dinner that evening, but Harry had other things on his mind. He'd finally come up with something for the group to work on. So the word had gone out and they made their way back to the former Defense room they'd been using, which was soon full of excited voices.
"Alright everyone, welcome," he said once Watts closed the door. The professor stood off to the side, only watching as usual, but Harry thought he might be surprised by what he'd planned. "I know there was some big news this week, and I'm sure some of you might want to talk about it. But we only have so much time tonight, so let's save the gossip for later."
"What are you going to teach us then?" Parvati asked with a grin and a flutter of her eyelashes. Harry had to stop himself from chuckling at her persistence.
"Unfortunately, the ministry is still claiming that this is all nothing more than a series of random attacks from individuals, so we have to be careful about certain things. Now, I admit that part of me wants to start really training you all on what I know of magical combat. But that runs into a couple of really big problems.
"On the one hand, if I taught you anything particularly dangerous or, heaven forbid, lethal then we could get into all sorts of trouble from people like the headmaster. Or even worse, Madam Pomfrey."
There were a couple of giggles at that before Harry pressed on.
"And it would be much worse if the ministry heard. Just imagine one of Fudge's toadies running to him with the terrifying news that Harry Potter was teaching you how to fight Death Eaters. He'd probably faint- but once he woke up, who wants to bet whether they'd try to expel us or arrest us? Or snap our wands- that's what they were going to do to Hermione last summer after she was attacked by the dementors."
"Where is Hermione?" one of the Weasley twins asked.
"She said she wasn't coming," Parvati replied. "Apparently, she needed some time to think things over after what happened last weekend. I don't know what there is to think about, personally. It seems like we need this group now more than ever."
"It's her loss," Luna shrugged. "If we can't do more dangerous training, we could always work on the basics- duels with stunning, disarming, shields, and the like."
"That is one idea," Harry nodded. "However, we could run into a very different problem if we do that. Namely, if you're ever thrown into danger against Death Eaters, then I don't want you to have any bad instincts. The instinct to stun your foe can work alright if you're only dealing with one attacker. But what if there are a half dozen of them?"
"Then the one you stun gets revived by Death Eater number two, while the other four try to kill you," Pansy replied. "That's why you don't try to capture blood-thirsty monsters like Bellatrix Lestrange."
"Yeah, you definitely don't want to hold back against someone like her," Harry agreed. "So, I've tried to come up with something else to work on. And I finally had an idea. Dean, come to the front please."
"I'm the guinea pig tonight, huh Harry?"
"You are actually sort of the inspiration. Now, you have some younger sisters, correct?"
"Yeah."
"Right. And they aren't magical, so they would be in even greater danger. I believe we discussed this awhile ago when I was trying to get across the point that running away is often the best idea- especially if you're getting attacked by Death Eaters. And thus...
"Lateo!"
Harry flicked his wand at Dean's head and everyone watched as he seemed to fade from sight. "This is the disillusionment charm. It can conceal the target of the spell, and most importantly, you can use it on yourself or other people."
"That felt really weird," came the sound of Dean's voice.
"Yeah, it does," Harry chuckled. "But better to have a weird feeling and stay alive, right? Death Eaters can't kill you very easily if they don't know where you are."
"They could still hear you," Luna pointed out.
"True," Harry nodded. "Spells to muffle sounds are also a good idea for us to work on, but they are easier than this. Hell, Pansy taught me one more than two years ago. On the other hand, the Disillusionment charm isn't normally taught before NEWT levels, so I want us to work on it first. I imagine a lot of you probably already know some sort of spells for quiet. But, keep in mind, that using the Silencing charm on yourself can be a problem if you can't dispel it when you want. Hence why I mentioned muffling the sound instead.
"But we'll worry about that later," Harry finished. "For tonight, we're going to work on making sure we all know how to disappear. The wand movement is a little more complicated for casting it on yourself, so we'll start with that.
"First though: Finite!" He canceled the spell on Dean and had him go back to his previous spot. "I'll demonstrate a couple of times so you can watch my example. Then we'll break up into groups of... let's say three. That way we'll have one person to cast it and two partners on either side to watch and see if you get the spell right. If you don't focus enough, you can leave part of your body showing, so let's work on getting it right.
"A bit of good news though- once you've learned to cast it on yourself, it's actually a lot easier to cast it on someone else. Much simpler wand movement, and from what I've seen, not as much focus required either."
There were several hopeful smiles at that.
"Alright, let's begin."
When Dumbledore had called for a meeting of the Order of the Phoenix that night, Sirius hadn't been surprised. The news of the Death Eater massacre was bound to get some sort of response. If anything, he was almost shocked that the headmaster had waited until Friday evening before summoning everyone to Grimmauld Place.
There were a lot of frightened people that showed up.
When he looked around that night at all the faces, Sirius had to restrain himself from shaking his head. Sure, they had Mad-Eye, little Nymmie, and Shacklebolt, but who else would be of any real use in a fight?
In one of his less cynical moods, he might have said Remus. But Sirius had finally admitted to himself that his old friend was more afraid of letting his inner wolf out than anything else. Sirius imagined that sort of thing could get him killed one of these days.
As for the others? Old men like Diggle who were well beyond their prime and hadn't been worth much twenty years before. Or well-meaning people like Arthur Weasley who had never really been tested- and the less said about his overbearing shrew of a wife, the better.
Apparently, Dumbledore had talked McGonagall into joining them, but Sirius was disappointed to learn that an old master duelist like Flitwick had turned down his offer to join them.
He was also really starting to miss Andi.
She'd packed her things earlier that week after making arrangements to sell her house. What she wanted to keep she'd either taken with her or packed away in one of the many rooms there at the old Black family home. He couldn't blame her though- even with how poorly he'd gotten along with Narcissa when they were younger, the idea of a beach somewhere on the Mediterranean coast sounded really good when it was a grey and drizzly February in London.
As usual, there was a lot of talk and talk and even more talk, and nothing got done. He wasn't surprised by that though.
Dumbledore did let out a couple of big pieces of news though, and Mad-Eye had given Sirius a knowing look.
He waited for things to start to break up and asked Tonks if she would make some tea while he escorted everyone to the floo. He came back a few minutes later with Mad-Eye in tow and sat down while the old auror locked and silenced the door.
"Fucking hell," Tonks sighed after taking a drink. "We might need something stronger than tea, Sirius."
"No, lass, we need to keep our heads first," Moody argued. "This is something important we've got to discuss."
"You mean the potioneer they kidnapped?" Tonks asked.
"No. That's simple enough to figure out," Moody snorted. "I'm surprised it wasn't done sooner. If anything, that might be a good sign over all."
"How exactly?" Sirius wondered.
"It tells us that we got even more of them than I'd hoped. Riddle needs potions more than ever. For one thing, he doesn't have Snape this time around, but also, this suggests that most of his forces that he's got left are the ones he busted out of Azkaban three months ago. Tell me, Black, how long did it take you to get healthy again after you got out?"
"More than a year, but in my case, I was still on the run for most of that."
"Even so, I've seen a lot of prisoners that finish shorter terms and still need weeks at St. Mungo's to get healthy again. I imagine the poor fellow would prefer not to have been kidnapped, but he'll need to be kept safe while he treats the Death Eaters, so he's likely much better off than just about any other prisoners they've ever taken before. We put a boot up the Dark bastard's arse, and that's a job damn well done."
"But all those-" Tonks began before Moody cut her off.
"I know. Riddle couldn't let it stand so he had to throw a temper tantrum. As usual with these types of scumbags, he went after muggles that didn't know how to fight back. And his old orphanage, at that. Good thing they'd shut that down, I never like to hear about dead kiddies, but what exactly was Albus saying they'd turned it into?"
"A bail hostel," Tonks answered. "It's basically a place for people who have gotten out of jail and are trying to get their lives back on track."
"Too late now," Sirius sighed as he shook his head. "Thirty five dead according to Albus. I hope some of them died in their sleep."
"That's the important thing we've got to talk about," Moody said. "Not a word of this can get back to Potter."
"I don't like the idea of lying to Harry," Sirius said. "But I have to agree. He's got way too much on his shoulders already. He doesn't need any guilt over this."
"Damn right," Moody nodded. "This was my plan, it was my call, and that means that it's my fault, as much as it's anyone's other than Riddle. I knew he might respond in some way. It was a calculated risk- and as harsh as it might sound, even with all the dead muggles, taking out a large portion of his fighting force will pay off in the long run."
"Do you think Dumbledore suspects anything?" Tonks piped up.
"Not yet," Moody replied. "Once the list of names comes out, then it will be a different story. He'll put two and two together- and maybe he'll see that these are so many of those poor souls who had been under the Imperius last time. Hah!"
"You know, it's a shame that old Bagnold is dead," Sirius grumbled. "Not only would I like to deck the bitch for letting Crouch lock me up without a trial, but I'd love to see her name get dragged through the mud for being so damn corrupt. They should posthumously find her guilty of treason if there was any justice in this world."
"Amen to that," Moody nodded. "If I could go back in time, I would do everything I could to make sure she never took office. The stupid old bitch undid a lot of my hard work tracking down all that scum."
"Alright, if we're done talking about the important stuff," Tonks interrupted. "I don't know about you two, but I need something a lot stronger to drink."
Pansy had noticed over the next week that Harry had taken to disappearing with Dobby, often for an hour or more at a time, every evening. Obviously, Valentine's Day was coming up, so she hoped they were just doing something to surprise her. If it was anything more dangerous, she thought by now that he wouldn't keep something like that a secret from her. Of course, she also knew that Harry hated making her worry.
But it was probably just about Valentine's Day.
Luna noticed her sighing as they were sitting in the Great Hall for dinner, pushing around the food on her plate more than eating. Since it was Saturday, Harry and Dobby had gone off earlier than usual, and they were now late in returning for dinner.
"He's fine," Luna said.
"Do you know what he's doing?"
"Not precisely," the blonde replied before smiling. "I know it's something to do with the upcoming holiday though."
"Really?" Pansy turned to her. "He told you?"
"No, not about this. But he did have something else that he wanted to plan for you, but-"
"But what?"
"I don't want to give anything away. Ruining fun surprises isn't very nice," Luna teased. "Let's just say that one of Harry's ideas proved more difficult than he had hoped, so he came up with a very different idea."
"Too difficult?" Pansy pressed, hoping to get more out of her best friend. She was a little surprised that Harry had confided in her.
"There were certain... supplies that Harry had trouble finding," Luna shook her head, still with a small grin. "I told him he could always keep that as something fun for later, but it was really cute when he pouted. Harry almost never pouts."
"Are you sure I can't get you to tell me?"
"Tell you what?" Harry asked as he came over to sit with them. "Sorry I'm late."
"Pansy was just trying to get me to ruin your surprise."
"You're supposed to be on my side," Pansy grumbled as she poked at Luna's arm.
"Don't worry, I am. You'll thank me later, even if you are grouchy right now."
"Thanks for not spilling anything, Luna," Harry said as he started serving himself some food.
"You're welcome. So, is everything set?"
"Yes."
"Good." Luna looked thoughtful for a moment and shook her head. "I guess I'm not going to see you guys tomorrow then. Oh well. I'll just have to hear all about it later."
"That's really not fair," Pansy sulked. "You're making me even more curious."
She continued to badger Harry and Luna throughout the rest of the meal, but they just kept changing the topic in response. Afterwards, once she and Harry had gone back to their quarters, Pansy tried a different tactic.
She pulled Harry into the bedroom and bent over the bed, waiting for him to take the hint. He did, and about twenty sweaty minutes later, Pansy hoped that his defenses would be lowered.
"So, do we have something fun planned for tomorrow?"
"Yes, we do," Harry admitted.
"And will you tell me what it is now? I've been a very good girl," she purred.
"Yes, you have, which is why I've got a treat planned- for tomorrow."
Pansy growled at him. "It better be good or I will be very fussy."
"You mean even fussier than you are now," Harry chuckled. "You know, after sex, I'm always in a nice, calm mood. I guess I'm going to have to try harder to get you to relax."
"Harryyyyy," she whined. He just grinned at her pout.
"I'll tell you the basics, okay? I've got a little trip planned for us tomorrow. Since the big day is in the middle of the week, I thought we should do something special while we could."
"Where are we going?"
"Uh uh," Harry shook his head. "That's the surprise."
"Fine. What will the weather be like then? Will I need to dress up? Bring a coat?"
"Umm... warmer than here, but not the beach, if that's what you're thinking. Dressing up wouldn't be a bad idea, and a coat if you want, but I was just planning on using charms if we need them."
"Somewhere magical then? Or are you just going to be cautious about waving your wand around in public?"
"You're the one with an exhibitionist streak," Harry scoffed. "If we're getting in trouble for waving my wand around in public, it will likely be your fault."
"That's awful," Pansy snorted. "You've been talking to Sirius, haven't you?"
"Maybe," he grinned. "Did you know he's actually doing this whole thing with Kathryn Nott?"
"I'm not too surprised. From what I've been told it's been a much more open, no... let's say more permissive than most arranged marriages I've heard of. At least Sirius and Kathryn are taking the time to get to know one another somewhat before committing to anything permanent. Why do you mention it?"
"He and I were talking about the upcoming holiday, and he was pretty excited about his date that he's got planned. I think they're getting on really well, and Sirius, shockingly, might have actually decided to pop the question."
"Really? On Valentine's Day, no less," Pansy said with a frown. "I really wouldn't have seen that coming from him."
"Yes, well..."
"Well what?"
"Promise you won't tell anyone this?" As she raised an eyebrow at him, Harry could only sigh. "Not even Luna. Sirius would kill me if Kathryn ever found out."
"Found out what?"
"Okay, so...like a year or so ago, when you and Ruby were talking one time back at the flat, Mortie gave me a piece of advice. He said that it's important to never forget a birthday or anniversary or that I could end up sleeping on the couch for a month. Or something like that, anyway. The thing is, Sirius apparently was thinking of something similar, and this way... Well, this way he doesn't have to remember another date. Pretty simple to remember that you proposed on Valentine's Day, right?"
Pansy burst out laughing. "Oh my... that's... that's so perfectly Sirius."
"Yeah, I know, right?" Harry snorted.
"You know that you won't be able to get away with that now," Pansy pointed out. "I'll know better."
"I think I've proven myself by now. After all, I am the one planning a romantic getaway for tomorrow."
"True," she sighed. "Alright, well let's go look at my clothes and you can help me pick something out to wear. Have you already got your own outfit planned?"
"I do."
"Then show it to me so I can make sure we look good together."
"We always look good together," Harry grinned.
"And how much of that is a result of my hard work?" Pansy challenged.
"Fair enough. It's not like I'm going to complain about you wanting to look your best, now am I?"
Harry kept her up late that night, celebrating their pre-date night as he called it. It's not like she was going to complain though. They had plenty of time to sleep in, and Dobby was always available with breakfast whenever they finally rolled out of bed.
And that was a very good thing, since it was nearly eleven before they awoke.
When Pansy asked if he had dinner plans later, Harry said yes and they might as well just have a big breakfast before they left. They would be eating dinner a little earlier anyway.
She gave him a questioning look at that, but he still wasn't breaking. Harry just grinned and said that she'd see soon enough.
Within an hour they were both dressed and ready to go... wherever they were going.
First, Dobby popped them back to their flat. Pansy was surprised by that, but then she saw their elf handing Harry a sock. He held it out in front of him and told her to grab on. The spinning sensation told her they were traveling somewhere fairly far away.
A moment later she felt herself landing and leaned into Harry to help herself stay standing. Pansy pulled back and looked around, seeing waterways threading between buildings where she would have expected streets.
"Are we-"
"Welcome to Venice!" Harry proudly announced with a huge smile on his face. A face that was quickly being kissed.
"Bongiorno!"
Pansy pulled away from snogging her boyfriend to see a middle-aged Italian man standing beside one of the city's famous gondolas, and then he said something in Italian that she could not understand.
"He asked your permission to cast a translation spell on you," Harry explained.
"You understood that?"
"I've already been here, so yes, now I speak Italian," he grinned. Pansy nodded and a moment later she realized that she could speak a new language.
"I welcome you, miss, to our wonderful city. I will be your guide for the day. You may call me Marcello."
"Our guide for the day?" she asked.
"Oh yes, mister Potter made it clear that he would be interested in renting my services for an extended period of time. Allow me to help you into our vessel and we may be off."
"Is this the magical part of the city?"
"Miss, all of Venice is magical," Marcello chuckled as they climbed into the gondola while he used his wand to hold it completely still. "But more specifically, those of us who are a bit more magical simply make use of charms to make sure the majority of our guests do not notice anything out of the ordinary."
"It does seem like the notice-me-not charm is one of the most handy for daily life," Harry added.
"Indeed, mister Potter."
"You can call me Harry. And may I introduce Pansy, my incredibly gorgeous date."
"He is a lucky young man," Marcello said with a smile as he grabbed his long oar and pushed off. "May I assume you have not been to Italy before?"
"No, it's our first time," she replied. "Although I guess maybe it's just my first time, if Harry's been organizing this."
"I told you it would be a good surprise. Dobby couldn't get all the way here in one shot, so we've been doing a bit of work. We had a portkey to France from the Delacours, and from there, it just took a bit of time and me creating a few more as we made our way to Nice and then further east."
"This is..." Pansy stopped and sighed before leaning back into Harry's arms as they began to float down the canal. "You've outdone yourself, Harry."
"I try," he grinned.
"Ah, young love," Marcello said fondly. "The weather is fairly pleasant for February, but let me know if either of you need a warming charm or anything."
"I've got it covered," Harry replied. He then conjured up a quilt and Pansy quickly spread it over her lap. It was a lot nicer than up in Scotland, but it was still cool enough that she didn't want her legs to get covered in goosebumps. After all, she had worn a dress in plans for them going somewhere fancy. There were scattered clouds in the sky, but thankfully it didn't look like rain.
"Is there anywhere in particular that you would like to go, miss Pansy?"
"Oh, no. I mean, I've heard of Venice before, but I don't know much about it."
"Then I shall endeavor to help you both discover all of its beauty. We shall have to see many things, and the light in the afternoon should be good for you to admire so many wondrous places."
"I've just heard of the Rialto bridge," Harry offered. "I'd like to see it, but other than that, I guess we're putting ourselves in your hands."
"Yes, the Rialto is quite popular with our visitors, and with good reason. I prefer the Salute, myself. Tell me, are either of you religious?"
"No."
"Ah, well I won't hold it against you, but we are close by and you simply must stop off at the Salute. Or by its full name, Santa Maria della Salute. It is a Catholic church more than three centuries old that sits right on the waterway. It has inspired many artists, such as Canaletto, Guardi, and your Englishman Turner, to paint its majesty."
And so their trip began through one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Pansy couldn't help but smile to herself as she thought how lucky Harry was going to get later that night.
"You have the biggest smile on your face," Luna said to Pansy as they joined her for breakfast the next day. "I take it you liked the surprise then?"
"Harry impressed me."
"I would like to see it sometime."
"See what?" Parvati asked as she and Lavender sat down across from them. "I noticed you two missing all of yesterday. Did you sneak out of the castle?"
"We may have," Harry smirked.
"Don't let Hermione hear you," Lavender giggled. "She'll tell you off for setting a bad example as a prefect."
"It looks like she has other things on her mind," Parvati replied as she pointed a fair way down the table. Hermione was reading a book and had a piece of parchment out that she was scribbling on. "So, what exactly did you see?"
"Can you keep a secret?" Pansy asked. The faces of the two gossips lit up.
"You know I can," Parvati proudly replied. "And if it's a good enough secret, Lavender will too."
"Only if Harry makes more of those special brownies," Lavender added. "We've got all this studying to do. The OWLs are coming up, you know, and I think we'll all need something to help us relax. Maybe multiple times."
Harry shook his head and chuckled but he had to admit that it did sound like a fun idea. "Deal."
"So... theoretically speaking, Harry may have decided to take me somewhere romantic, and since Valentine's Day is in the middle of the week, it would have been easier for us to go yesterday. And one portkey later, we may have found ourselves in Venice."
"Ven-" Lavender had begun to shriek before Parvati quickly covered her mouth. She then narrowed her eyes at her friend before turning to Pansy.
"I am sooo incredibly jealous of you right now."
Pansy only grinned back at her.
"Harry, are you sure you don't need a second girlfriend?" Parvati asked coquettishly as she batted her eyelashes at him. "I would make it very, very worth your while."
"Sorry, but I'm pretty happy with the one I have."
"I'll just have to convince her then." Parvati hummed to herself for a moment as she thought.
Hedwig flew down and interrupted their conversation though, as the Daily Prophet had yet another headline story bound to get everyone's attention. Harry sighed as he once again saw the Dark Mark floating in the sky, knowing that this time it had been the actual Death Eaters to blame.
He read on and found that apparently Bellatrix Lestrange had attacked an apothecary in a small village in Norfolk, robbing the place before killing three people. It was a stark reminder of what they were still up against, as well as bringing the fun talk about his weekend getaway crashing to a halt with the troubling news.
Thankfully, the rest of February proved to be quiet.
There were a few people that began to work even harder during the group that Harry was still running at least twice a week. Neville, for one, had become much more serious than Harry had ever seen him, and he started to worry that perhaps his friend was obsessed with the idea of getting better so that he could do something about the Lestranges. Harry knew that look when anyone mentioned Bellatrix around him- and he also knew that it could get Neville killed if he wasn't careful.
Parvati was the bigger surprise though. She was putting an enormous amount of effort into whatever he came up with to teach them, often learning new spells faster than anyone else in the group. When they occasionally ran duels or mock battles, she also excelled. It was kind of shocking, as he had always considered her rather carefree and laid back, but she was clearly dedicated.
When Harry mentioned it to Pansy later, she teased him that Parvati just needed the right teacher as incentive- and that impressing him was clearly the point.
He had to admit, though, that it was working. Halfway through March, he thought she could go toe to toe within anyone else in the group, and she might have even been a match for Flora if she were still around.
Otherwise, there was little of note before one late night in March rolled around.
"Can I open my presents now?" Luna asked with a huge smile on her face.
"Not for another few minutes," Pansy said. "It isn't your birthday until after midnight."
"Oh, it's close enough, isn't it?"
"No. But we can prepare to enjoy the cake," Harry replied. "I believe Dobby and Winky teamed up to make it. Isn't that right?"
"Dobby should have let Winky do all the baking," the little house-elf scolded, waving a finger at her counterpart. "Miss Luna is beings Winky's family, not Dobby's."
"Miss Luna is beings of master Harry and miss Pansy's too! So Dobby gets to help," he argued back. "Theys is always saying miss Luna is 'our girl' and that means miss Luna is our family too! Isn't that right, master Harry?"
"I'd say that Luna is wonderful enough that we should all be happy to share her company," he answered with a grin. "And we shouldn't fight over things when it's her birthday."
"Sorry miss Luna," Dobby said, lowering his head.
"Winky is sorry too." She looked like she wanted to cry, but Luna quickly stepped over and pulled both of them into a big hug.
"I feel very lucky to have so many people and house-elves who care about me. Thank you both for your hard work."
'You're welcome miss Luna!" They both replied in a chorus. A few minutes later, midnight arrived and all strife was completely forgotten as a large devil's food cake came floating over to the table in front of them. Luna was wished a happy birthday, blew out the candles, and they all began to eat.
"This is wonderful," she said in between bites. "You both did a really good job."
The house-elves were quite pleased by that, and they thanked her before finishing their pieces of cake and preparing to clean everything up. They may have even scowled at each other a bit, obviously wanting to not share in those duties. Harry left them alone though- even their competitive nature about things like that was something he'd gotten used to. He'd try to remember and leave a really big mess for Dobby to clean up the next day. It was a weird way of saying thanks, but as long as it made the little guy happy, Harry would do his best to keep coming up with ideas like that.
Luna stopped between her second and third servings to open the presents they had gotten her. For Christmas, they had bought her an enchanted phonograph similar to the one they used at Hogwarts and then started on a record collection of her own.
Luna was delighted and still smiling when she finally finished the last piece of cake. Harry found it hard to believe she could put so much food away and stay so thin.
"This is already shaping up to be one of my best birthdays," she sighed happily.
"That's good, sweetie," Pansy replied as she sat next to her and gave her a one-armed hug. "It's too bad it's in the middle of the week though. At least you do have a free morning, I guess."
"Yes, it's only too bad that you are busy in the morning. Was it Arithmancy first thing?"
"Unfortunately," Harry said with a yawn. "Wednesday is our busiest day for classes. Thursdays and Fridays are much better."
"I think, when I'm older, that I'll take the day off from whatever I might be doing otherwise and feel free to just goof off and do whatever might strike my fancy. I hope you two can join me sometimes."
"Of course, Luna. Sounds fun."
"You know I'll be in too," Pansy added. "If you could do anything for this birthday, what would you like to do? No worrying about school the next day or anything else."
"I... hmm," Luna paused, stood up, and looked at both of them for a minute. "I do have one thing I'd like to do. But I would need both of your permission, and I wouldn't want to do it if you didn't say so."
"What is it?" Pansy asked as she sat up straight. "You know we want you to be happy."
"Well... it's that-" Luna cut herself off and began to pace around the room. Pansy got up and Harry followed her.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"I'm fifteen now," Luna replied as she stopped and stared at Pansy first, then turned to Harry. "I haven't been kissed yet, and I think I'd like to change that. But the thing is, I've watched you two for the last couple of years, and I want you both to know how much I appreciate you both. You're my best friends, and I love you so much. I just... I..."
Luna reached over and took hold of one of Pansy's hands in her right, and Harry's in her left.
"I always wanted my first kiss to be with someone I really love. But the thing is, I really only love the two of you. Other than people in my family, of course, but I don't want to kiss any of them like that," she explained. "And I don't want to cause any problems between us, so that's why I would want to make sure you were both alright with this. Because you two mean the world to me, and so I-"
"I understand, sweetie" Pansy said, cutting her off before she could really start to ramble. "I'm giving my permission. I think it's very sweet, and in fact, you're one of the only people I love too.
"Harry?" his girlfriend turned to him, apparently wanting him to agree as well.
"Are you sure this won't make anything weird between us?"
"Not if we don't let it," Pansy shrugged. "This isn't just anyone, this is Luna. I'm saying yes. Your turn."
"I... I guess so."
"I was hoping for a little more enthusiasm," Luna said in a dry tone. "Also, I want to hear you say that you give permission. I want this all clear so we don't have any misunderstandings later."
"Sorry, Luna. You're right. I give my permission, and also, I guess... um."
"Look at you, Harry," Pansy giggled. "You've made him blush, Luna. I'm rarely able to do that anymore."
"Don't be so silly, Harry," Luna grinned.
"Yeah, don't be silly," Pansy agreed. "Now, are you going to kiss our girl, or what?"
"And make it a good one," Luna teased. "You've got a reputation to live up to, and I'll be disappointed if I think Pansy has been lying to me all this time about you being a good kisser."
"Well, we can't have that, now can we?" he chuckled before stepping closer to her.
Luna put her hands up around his neck and waited for him to lean down. She was about three inches taller than Pansy, and Harry had to adjust to what he was used to, but he took a deep breath and relaxed. He wasn't going to blow this for Luna and his nerves calmed as he pulled her lips to his. She was soft and sweet, and it didn't surprise him in the least, but her hands were rather insistent as they pulled him closer, so Harry responded by reaching around her waist and letting her take the lead for a moment as she began to fully snog him. Kissing Luna at that moment was like kissing Pansy when she was feeling more emotional, so he just went with it and answered the movement of her tongue with his own.
Some brief but uncounted moments later, the kiss ended. Luna had a big smile on her face.
"You are good at that," she said.
"Told you so," Pansy snorted. He turned to look at her, slightly worried, but Pansy was grinning too.
"Okay. Your turn!"
Luna stepped around him and wrapped her arms around Pansy, and a second later he was watching his girlfriend getting thoroughly snogged. Harry could see the shock on Pansy's face, as her eyes were still wide open but he could only grin and shrug at the two of them, so she closed her eyes and tried to kiss Luna back properly.
He really should have seen that coming- but he was almost positive that Pansy hadn't.
Luna stepped back and let out a pleased little grumble. "Harry was right, you are tasty.
"Now then, I'm going to sleep in the other bedroom. Thank you both for tonight." She reached down and squeezed both of their hands before turning and walking off. "Oh, and you might want to use a silencing spell if all of my moaning starts to bother you. Good night!"
She shut the door behind her, and Harry repressed a snort as Pansy was still stunned.
"What moaning?" she asked a moment later as she tried to bring herself out of her shock.
"Ohhh... yesss!"
"I'm going to say that moaning," Harry replied as he pointed to the bedroom they rarely used. Luna was clearly enjoying herself, but she was pretty loud, so he cast a silencing charm at the door. "So..."
"So?"
"Bedroom?"
"Huh?" Pansy shook her head and really looked at him as Harry smirked. "Yes, bedroom. And wipe that look off your face."
"I know just how to do that," he teased as he pulled her with him to their own room.
"I'll bet you do."
The door shut behind them, and soon enough the sound of moaning could be heard once again.