Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

The Yankees Nephew and the Philosophers Stone	By : Wilde_Guess Category: Harry Potter > General > General Views: 5806 -:- Recommendations : 5 -:- Currently Reading : 5
Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter Universe I am making no money from this fanfiction

Chapter List
- 13
- 14
- 15
Chapter 14, An Interesting Prelude.
Judah found himself sincerely regretting the last-second consensus of his roommates at a quarter after six in the morning, when the curtains of his bed all opened at once with the lights coming on. Sighing, he got out of bed and went to the attached bathroom to get ready for the day. None of his fellow students were particularly talkative yet. This suited Judah just fine, since he wasn’t one for talking while using a urinal or conversing with his mouth full of toothpaste and a brush.
After using the bathroom and getting back into the main dorm room to dress for the day, the conversation picked up just a bit. Joe volunteered, “David; Andy, Max, and I are going to skive off of Mass this morning. Andy’s going to work with Bill on guitars, and Max and I are going to work on buffing that sketch you’d wrote for Diner. We all know that our rehearsal is basically screwed this afternoon, and that we’ll actually be performing more than practicing and trying to learn how to play better.”
“I’d rather all of you go to Mass, but at least I’ll know where you are.” David replied in resignation.
Ben added shyly, “I’m Church of England, and I brought my clarinet along. May I ‘play in’ with you guys this morning?”
After thinking for just a moment, David replied, “Sure, and we’ll be glad to have you for as long as you’re willing to ‘play in.’ I’ll want to hear you myself before pushing singing on to you, but clarinet is good for the jazz stuff. And, while the embouchure is quite different, soprano saxophones play similar enough that you might have a leg up on that. Since good soprano saxophone players aren’t nearly as common as you’d think looking at our lineup, I’ll be able to find a place for you if you can pick that up.”
Charlie volunteered, “I’ll try to get a ‘pick-up’ study group going among the other first years at least on Potions. It’ll be a tough sell, but if we can let the Slytherins have a go at blowing up cauldrons Monday morning instead of us, it’ll be worth it.”
After exhaling a deep drag of smoke out of the window, A.D. offered, “I’ll be at Mass for sure. Sally’d ‘drop a dime’ on me if I skipped, probably before lunch.”
Rowan shyly informed the group, “I’ll probably try to find a Gobstones game to join in for the morning, and save Potions studying for later on after your rehearsal ends.”
Before anyone else could offer an opinion, David replied, “No piss-taking here, at least not from me; though I’m more of a billiards player myself. But, with my schedule, I really haven’t had the time.”
Aaron interrupted, “David, what’s up with the sandals that just showed up on my feet?”
He was answered, “Topsy asked Chief Pitts, and Chief Pitts told Topsy that Aaron and the loud girl could wear sandals so they wouldn’t be in the way of us lowly house elves. And Master David really didn’t have anything to do with it, Master Aaron.”
David expressed, “Thanks Topsy, and please pass my thanks on to Chief Pitts.”
Topsy replied, “Young masters also have five minutes to get down to the Great Hall to eat their breakfasts, so young masters can thank Chief Pitts themselves.” Topsy left the dorm room with a snap of his fingers.
David told the rest of his roommates, “I guess that’s that. Aaron and I’ll see the rest of you in the Great Hall.”
He and Aaron left the room, with those listing closely hearing them talk. “…how can I keep up with you if I don’t try?... …there’s trying, and there’s looking bad if you stumble in front of that bint Tyler, especially in front of Chiara…”
Rowan asked shyly, “Does anyone want to study while we wait for the Great Hall to open? Maybe Potions?”
While some of his room mates grumbled groggily, A.D. enthusiastically replied, “Yes we do, whether we realize it or not, since the Forward to Jigger has a lot of stuff in it! We can have you ‘lead and read,’ since you’re interested in teaching here eventually. I’ll back you up, since my Potions grade average is the highest in Gryffindor.”
While they all got out their textbooks, Rowan asked, “Really, A.D.?”
“Of course. I’m studying to become a Potions Master, so I have no choice but to do my best in it. And carrying an O+ average with Professor Snape and studying under Professor Emeritus Slughorn too, my work will pay off for sure just as long as I keep working.”
With varying degrees of enthusiasm, the boys started revising the Forward to their Potions Text. They actually managed to gain new insights on the text before leaving for the Great Hall at just before half past seven in the morning.
§§§
When the rest of the boys, who were the first of the Gryffindors but not quite the first students showed up, they showed up to the potential beginnings of total chaos. David and Aaron, who had only been allowed fifteen minutes to eat before they had to start quickly scrubbing as much of the floor of the Great Hall as they were able to before the students had shown up, looked more than presentable, mostly due to David and Aaron both being able to magically keep their “house elf” uniforms clean. They were also more than ready to help the kitchen house elves send platters and plates between the Great Hall and the kitchens and scullery located directly below it.
Emily Tyler, however, was a completely different story. She had been ‘popped’ out of her bed and pyjamas, into a house elf uniform, and into the Great Hall at five after seven by Professor Athelstan and Cosa from the kitchen staff. So, Emily was already starting her detention five minutes late, on top of needing to be ‘collected’ when she was told to arrive under her own power. Miss Tyler barely managed to go through the motions of working for five minutes total spread over twenty-five, while throwing a grand-mal temper tantrum for the whole time.
With her audience building, she derisively whined, “Why should I have to play at being a house elf? The Dvoraks and Floyds are foreign criminals and minstrels who live off of other people’s money and hang out with foreigners and other riff-raff like the Kowalski boy and the Weasleys. The little punk Aaron isn’t even eleven yet, either. They deserve it, and it’s actually a promotion for them!”
David and Aaron’s dorm mates were not even a little bit pleased at Emily’s protests, nor was Sally Dvorak who had just joined the boys. However, Andy and A. D. who were the first to try advancing towards the third year Gryffindor girl found that they were all on the other side of a shield and blocking charm. They looked at David, who silently shook his head to discourage their joining the conversation.
Their joining the conversation turned out to not be needed, since Headmaster Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Snape dropped their Disillusionment Charms, and took charge of the situation. None of the three appeared to be even remotely happy to do so.
Headmaster Dumbledore announced, “Messrs David and Aaron Dvorak; your rehearsal will still be public and in the Great Hall, but the rest of your punishments for last night have ended. Go up to your dormitory and change into whatever clothing would be more appropriate for what your plans for the day happen to be.
“Miss Tyler, your immature misbehaviour and scandalous misconduct towards two cadet houses of House O’Connell are even more troubling than your misbehaviour last night. You will join Professors McGonagall, Snape, and myself in my office, now.”
The three professors and one miscreant left the Great Hall. David and Aaron dropped their shields, allowing their friends to sit down at the Gryffindor table. David addressed their friends.
“We didn’t know for sure that the other professors were here but Professor Athelstan is here, and the other house elves really weren’t impressed with Miss Tyler’s behavior, either. Since she didn’t need any help or company on her future detentions, we just stayed out of the way and did what we were supposed to, no matter what she was up to.”
The house elf from their dormitory earlier suggested, “If Masters David and Aaron would allow, Topsy would be happy to ‘move’ them to and from their dorm room to change their clothings?”
Aaron replied for David and himself, “That would be great, Topsy; and thank you.” Both boys then blinked out of everyone’s view. Concluding that they would learn what they needed to know, the rest of the group sat down and started eating.
Ben asked, “Did any of the rest of you see that coming? And what’s Miss Tyler’s problem, anyway? Lots of people were talking up and down the table like the Slytherins were the ones who behaved like that.”
Andy, who was the oldest student at their end of the table, replied, “Some Slytherins do behave like that, especially since people are already starting to forget the War. But, it was never all of them, and there really is a rivalry between Slytherin and Gryffindor House, even when the idiots on both sides aren’t causing trouble.”
Bill added, “Sometimes, it’s ‘bad blood;’ the Malfoys and us don’t get along, and we haven’t done since forever. But, I wouldn’t touch that Tyler bitch with Lucius Malfoy’s.”
Angelica Cole, the new fifth year girl prefect joined the group. While serving herself, she asked them, “Where’s our three ‘human house elves?’ I thought I’d try teasing at least David and Aaron, since they actually have a sense of humor.”
A.D. told her, “Miss Tyler apparently threw a half-hour fit instead of doing any work, unlike my cousins. She topped that off with making some very slanderous comments about Andy’s and my houses being ‘criminals’ who ‘lived off of other people’s money.’
“She didn’t really care that Professor Athelstan had already put up with her garbage for over half an hour while David and Aaron had been scrubbing the floors to get the Great Hall ready for breakfast like they were supposed to, and she didn’t know that Headmaster Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Snape had been watching under Disillusionment Charms for at least part of the time.
“Headmaster Dumbledore told her off, and had her follow her up to his office along with Professors McGonagall and Snape. David and Aaron were released from their punishment, and a house elf offered them a ‘lift’ up to our dorm room and back to change into whatever they’re going to change into. We’re still having to do our rehearsal today in the Great Hall, but their detention is otherwise over and done with.”
Hearing a noise from the point counter in the Great Hall, the group, along with everyone else in the Great Hall looked at it.”
“Oh, f… joy!” Angelica exclaimed. More quietly, she opined, “She lost us another sixty points, and neither she nor her clique will give a care, let alone trying to earn any of those points back.”
Andy assured her, “Don’t worry too much, Angelica. We’ll make the points up before you know it, or at a dead minimum avoid the ‘Potions hit’ Monday morning.”
Angelica asked, “Is A.D. going to get a study group going this morning?”
A.D. replied, “Not me, but Rowan Khanna might, if you would, Rowan? He might only be a first year, but he’s no slouch on Potions, especially the Forward of Jigger or the Boil Cure Potion, which we also spent a minute or two on before we came down here.”
“Really, Rowan?” Angelica asked hopefully.
“Of course I will, Angelica” he shyly replied. “My Mum was studying to become a Potions Mistress before she and Dad had their marriage arranged, and she taught Ashok and me to brew. I’m not sure how well I’ll do tomorrow with a Potions Master as demanding as Professor Snape teaching us, but I can help the other first years revise both the Forward and the Boil Cure Potion.”
A ‘pop’ announced the return of both David and Aaron Dvorak, along with Tom Daley, who had eaten quickly and dissapeared. The three boys were now in full Latin Rite choir dress, including cassocks and fascia in black silk, and Roman style surplices. The three boys were not wearing collars, and they weren’t supposed to be. They sat down at the table. Since it was only a quarter ‘til eight, they each got a cup of coffee.
David explained, “We normally don’t ‘vest’ before we get to the church. But Dad has donated vestments to both St. Hedwig’s in Hogsmeade and St. Theresa’s in Ashford. He’s also bought me the ‘good stuff’ and had me ‘hand it down’ to Aaron, since the two of us always get asked to be altar boys.”
Tom offered, "And thanks for letting me borrow this stuff and help you this morning."
"Glad to help, and grateful for the help, Tom" David answered.
As he nibbled some toast with his coffee, Aaron added, “Friar Tuck also told us that Father MacDonald is doing a Solemn High Mass from the old 1962 Missal this morning, so that’s why our ‘rig’ is a little bit fancier this morning. We’re also pretty much the only ones from Hogwarts who’ll be able to serve, since while this type of Mass is valid, few priests in the UK celebrate it this way these days. There’s actually a couple of kids who are growing up in Hogsmeade who’ll be helping us, since they’re regular parishioners of his, and he does the Sunday Mass like this every other week in the summertime.”
Angelica quipped, “Your sad devotion to that ancient religion has not helped you conjure up the stolen data tapes, or given you clairvoyance enough to find the Rebels' hidden fort.”
David joked back, “I find your lack of faith disturbing.”
The two Gryffindors both laughed, along with a number of tablemates at both the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables; while some of their other tablemates looked on in confusion.
Oddly enough, it was Professor Snape who explained the joke, “Mister David Dvorak, you aren’t planning any more detailed re-enacting of lines from the first Star Wars Muggle movie, are you?”
David respectfully replied, “I wouldn’t dream of it, Professor. My Dad would be even more ‘disturbed’ than you if I even tried.”
“See that you don’t” the acerbic Potions Master opined sharply while walking to the Head Table.
David further explained, “The line I said was said by Darth Vader, the more obvious lead villain, while Force-Choking a lesser villain for doubting the power of the Force.”
First year Corey Hayden started to ask, “But what crawled…”
David interrupted, “Miss Hayden, you may call me ‘David’ if I may call you ‘Corey?’ And Professor Snape is particularly interested in and invested in the good behavior of all Hogwarts Students. He mentors and admonishes his own in the Slytherin Common Room at need, but the rest of us students are dealt with on the spot if he sees fit. If you’re doing what you’re supposed to be doing, doing your best, and respectful; you have nothing to worry about with him. And Aaron, Tom, it’s eight o’clock.”
Aaron, like his older brother, had already switched over to plain water. Tom had only drank water since coming back down. Aaron asked, “Does Friar Tuck want us to sing Terce by where the carriages will pick us up?”
While the three boys stood up, David replied, “He’s been having me sing it solo, so I’m guessing so. Tom's Latin and Chant are good enough that he wanted to join us, too. We start singing and walking ‘in procession’ once we get out of the Great Hall.” The three boys left the Great Hall, towards the Bell Tower entrance. Once they were out of the Great Hall itself, they slowed to a reverent walk. David sung in Gregorian Chant, “Domina, in adjutorium meum indende.”
Tom and Aaron both sung, “Me de manu hostium protenter defende” in reply as the they left the hearing distance of the Great Hall.
Ben asked, “What was that, and why would Friar Tuck want David and Aaron to sing it?”
Bill answered, “’Terce’ is a Catholic Prayer, which is part of what they call the ‘Divine Office.’ I think your church has something like it, Ben.”
The Muggle-born clarinet player replied, “Yeah, we do; we kinda mashed a lot of the Catholic prayers together and threw out the rest for ours, though, and ours are in English.”
Bill added, “The Catholic ones have been translated out into ‘regular’ languages, but David and Aaron sing that stuff in Latin, like you just heard.”
Corey Hayden told the rest of the group, “I guess that’s my call too. I’m not only Catholic, but my parents and I live in Hogsmeade, too. If I tried missing Mass, I’d never get away with it. And while I never managed to actually meet David since he was a ‘Hogwarts boy,’ he’s been going to St. Hedwig’s during the school year for the last two years.”
Corey, and a small but noticeable number of other Hogwarts students, started leaving the Great Hall walking in the general direction that David and Aaron had walked. Those who weren’t going to Mass were more leisurely in their movements, with some just joining their fellow students in the Great Hall even while others were leaving.
§§§
Eleven o’clock in the morning saw David starting his rehearsal in the Great Hall. The band was set up where the Head Table would normally be, with the four student tables slightly shortened. All of David’s at-Hogwarts band mates were up on the platform with him. He took a moment to let the fairly packed Great Hall know what was going to happen after casting an Amplifying Charm on himself.
“Good morning, everyone. While this rehearsal will be somewhat closer to a concert, it will be a rehearsal, so some ‘mistakes’ might be made, and I may also have other band members play or sing a given piece of music differently than how they thought it should be done. Because of this, while applause when appropriate will gratefully be accepted, offering any other opinions or heckling won’t be appreciated, and will see the offending person expelled from the Great Hall for the duration of this rehearsal.
“Lunch will run for its normal length of time, from 11:45 to 12:45, and you in the audience will be served starting at that time. We in the band will probably break for lunch at around noon, and resume rehearsing after we’ve finished eating. I will decide myself what time this rehearsal will end, depending on how far I think the band has gotten and how much we’ve accomplished.
“The ‘Dvorak Magic Band’ is a project I started almost two years ago, with fellow members of ‘The Treasures’ who are also attending Hogwarts. We’ve released one full album, plus two singles from that album, to the Wizarding Community. We also perform on some Saturday afternoons and evenings during Hogsmeade Weekends. I’ll now introduce the members of the band this year, if you would stand, wave, or something when I call your name.
“Our drummer is Joe Stock. On piano and keyboards, we have Max Stock. On bass guitar, we have Bill Weasley. Andy Floyd plays either the bass or six string guitar, with or without slide, wherever I need him. This year, Aaron Dvorak will also be playing either bass or six string guitar, with the possibility that I’ll have him play lead with the twelve string guitar on some songs. I alternate between ‘lead six string’ and ‘lead bass,’ depending on the song. A.D. and Sally Dvorak will play soprano saxophone. Joining us, at least for the next few sessions, Ben Copper will be playing clarinet, and possibly the soprano saxophone later this year.
“For vocals, I have typically been the lead vocalist, with the occasional help from Miss Myrtle Warren, who is one of the Hogwarts ghosts. The rest of the band except A.D., Sally, and Ben provide backup vocals, along with Duncan Ashe. Simon Talmadge helps out with lyrics and some of our on-stage banter, but he doesn’t play an instrument and he prefers not to sing. Likewise Willa Weholt also appreciates music though she prefers not to perform it. Tom Daley also helps us out backstage. But they’re friends, and we sometimes joke with each other between songs when we perform, for those of you who haven’t seen us perform yet. Now, the practice and rehearsal will begin.”
Canceling the Amplifying Charm and turning towards the band, David asked, “How did your practice earlier this morning go, Ben?”
The first year replied, “Not bad. Andy and Max worked with me on that Englishman Song playing the sax part, and they thought it was pretty good.”
David replied, “That sounds wonderful, especially since that’s the first song I wanted us to work on this morning. Myrtle, if you can look off of Sally’s music for this run-through and sing the ‘chorus’ parts? This will be a cold run-through. I’ll only stop us if we really sound like it isn’t happening for this one. Englishman in New York in three, two, one.
Ben led off with a mournful call on his clarinet, followed by David and Aaron joining in on six string guitars, playing almost like harps. Andy and Bill played their bass guitars almost as if they were plucking bass violins. Max joined in lyrically yet up-beat on piano with Joe supplying crisp yet quiet percussion, at least at the start.   After just less than half a minute’s lead-in, David began to sing.
“I don’t drink coffee, I take tea my dear
I like my toast done on one side
And you can hear it in my accent when I talk
I’m an Englishman in New York
“See me walking down Fifth Avenue
A walking can here at my side
I take it everywhere I walk
I’m an Englishman in New York…
“Takes more than combat gear to make a man
Takes more than a license for a gun
Confront your enemies, avoid them when you can
A Gentleman will walk but never run
“If ‘manners maketh man’ as someone said
He’s the hero of the day
It takes a man to suffer ignorance and smile
Be yourself, no matter what they say… ¹
The song took the band about four and a half minutes to perform, leaving the entire Great Hall transfixed and totally silent. After Ben Copper played the last note on his clarinet, the Hall sat in total silence before breaking out into vigorous applause and cheering.
David allowed the Great Hall to applaud and cheer for almost a minute before raising his hand, causing the cheering to quickly die down. To the hall, he said, “Thank you, everyone, for your approval.”
Turning back to the band, he told them, “That sounded great, especially for a cold read. I particularly want to compliment Ben, since this is probably the first time he’s played modern popular music, and certainly for an audience.”
Ben answered, “I’ve played ‘school band arrangement’ stuff, and for parents’ concerts at my old school, but that’s about it.”
David asked, “Myrtle, how did that feel to you?”
“Not bad, David. I’ve worked a lot more ‘modern’ stuff in to my set lists this past summer, so the style for this song was actually pretty easy.”
Duncan added, “This was good. Myrtle has had me singing with her some weekends, and that’s helped me out, too.”
David told the group, “There’s some places where I think we could do even better with it, but we’ll put ‘Englishman’ away, at least for now. Now, I want you to take out ‘Diner.’ They all changed their music scores, while David changed from six-string guitar to bass.
He told the band, “Pay particular attention to your parts. In most cases, you’re providing harmony, and you’re continuing your themes even when I’m not playing or singing. Joe, this will also be heavy on your back as the drummer. The beat has to be hard, like a German or French dance club. The song’s got legs, but if you can’t club-dance to it, it just falls flat. Now, let’s go with Tom’s Diner in three, two, one.”
David started off with a hard bass riff that Susanne Vega herself typically scat-sang on both her demo and her later hit performances of the song she wrote. But David would be the first to take it to the top of the charts, with the bass riff. The rest of the band joined in with their harmonies and counter-melodies before David himself started to sing.
“I am sitting in the morning
At the diner on the corner
I am waiting at the counter
For the man to pour the coffee
"And he fills it only halfway
And before I even argue
He is looking out the window
At somebody coming in…” ²
Once again, the entire Great Hall was completely transfixed, and enthusiastically approving of the song. After allowing the applause, and bidding it quiet, David asked the band, “How did that feel?”
Surprisingly Ben opined, “I’m not quite sure we can hold hard to the dance beat at the very end about the midnight picnic; have you tried breaking rhythm yourself with the band playing on and allowing you to catch back up with the riff?”
Aaron added, “You were right about breaking from the melody like Vega did in the third verse, so I think that stays. I didn’t hear it the other time we played with it over the summer, but I hear it now.”
Someone in the Great Hall asked, “Who was the actor?”
Turning toward the Hall, David replied, “I’ll answer the question. The ‘actor’ was a Muggle actor named William Holden. Vega wrote; ‘It was no one I had heard of’ where I sang; ‘He was someone I’d admired.’ The writer of this song had not heard of the actor, who was actually rather famous and accomplished; where I had heard of him and enjoyed watching several of his movies. What she says about the paper also tells the listener exactly what Muggle newspaper she was reading, as well as the exact date she was describing in her song.”
Turning back to the band, David told them, “We’ll try the last part of the song like Ben suggested. What you play won’t change; only what I sing and play. Starting with the bass riff before the last verse, in three, two, one.”
David started with his bass riff, and they played the song through to the end, with David’s pauses being slightly more off-tempo before bringing the bass riff back on rhythm. The Great Hall was paying attention, but they were more like an actual audience for a rehearsal now.
David expressed, “That did feel better than sticking hard with the rhythm there. What did you think, though?”
Willa quipped, “You could just stop singing at ‘cathedral’ and bass riff out to a fade-out.”
The rest of the band laughed. David quipped back, “I’m not mailing it in like that, otherwise I’d have already had this one ready to go. Anyone else?”
Max offered, “I think we have it pretty good now, where we need to just practice and polish it. The second pass through the ‘cathedral’ verse is about as good as it gets, and I don’t know of anyone ‘reminiscing fondly and longingly’ straight to a beat. And we’ve got plenty of spaces for extended improv solos on this one, too.”
David concluded, “I think we’ll go with that, for now. Leave it on your stands, since I want to run through it again. It’s close enough to 12:15 that we’ll just break for lunch now, and take it up again at 1:15. This will allow the Professors to eat at their regular locations, too.”
Since minus ghosts the band was all in Gryffindor, they put their instruments on their instrument stands and left the dais for the Gryffindor table. The house elves who were helping them with the instruments almost instantly put the music stuff somewhere and brought back the Professors’ Head Table just in time for the first of the Professors to enter the Great Hall for lunch, that professor being Headmaster Dumbledore.
He asked, “What happened to the rehearsal?”
Professor Sprout, who happened to be watching the performance from eleven in the morning on, informed her boss, “David just had it packed away for the lunch hour now, Professor Dumbledore. The rehearsal was professional, and the student audience well-behaved.”
Turning to David, she asked, “If I may, Mr. David Dvorak, how could you be an ‘Englishman in New York,’ when you are well-known for being born in Chicago, in America?”
David respectfully replied, “Easily Professor, with empathy and imagination. My actual protagonist was a British ex-pat activist and performer who had taken up residence in New York three years ago. I’d met him almost purely by chance, and we spent the greater part of the afternoon of that day speaking; oddly enough at Tom’s Restaurant in Morningside Heights where the other song takes place. Part of his advice to me is actually part of the song.”
Professor Sprout took her seat at the head table. The band finished seating themselves where they normally sat and started serving themselves lunch. Judah and Rowan ran into the Great Hall as discretely as possible and breathlessly joined the band at their end of the Gryffindor table.
Judah asked, “We didn’t miss all of it, did we?”
David chuckled and answered, “No, we only rehearsed for about forty minutes and packed it up for lunch. We’ll be starting up at a quarter after one and go for at least an hour, if not two. We did two songs; with one being a straight play-through and the second only having us revise one of the verses. How’d your gobstones games go?”
Rowan answered, “If I play for keeps, it won’t be against Judah. I thought I was good…”
David opined, “I didn’t think anyone played for keeps for the first week or so, to allow for the first years to get used to ordering more via Owl Post if they lose all of theirs.”
“They usually don’t” supplied Angelica. “I don’t play myself, but as a prefect you need to know those kinds of things.”
Everything came to an immediate and attentive halt in the Great Hall as Professor Snape led Emily Tyler up to the lectern on the dais normally used by Headmaster Dumbledore or Professor McGonagall. She was wearing her proper Gryffindor student robes rather than house-elf garb or ordinary clothes. She looked physically tired and emotionally fatigued, but otherwise was not in distress.
She stood at the lectern, and after Professor Snape cast an Amplification Charm on her, she stated; “Yesterday evening and this morning, I made several false aspersions against messrs David and Aaron Dvorak, and against houses Weasley, Dvorak, Floyd, and O’Connell. I was mistaken at some times and lying to harm in all others. I was wrong in saying what I said, and doing what I did. I give my apology sincerely here, and humbly beg your forgiveness.”
The whole of the Great Hall was silent. David stood up and calmly answered, “What you said against me and mine was no small or trifling matter. However, on behalf of houses O’Connell, Weasley, Floyd, and Dvořák, and on behalf of my family and friends here with me, I accept your apology in the spirit in which it was given, and we grant our forgiveness in the same manner. Pacem relinquo vobis, pacem meam do vobis.”
Emily bowed at the waist towards David without saying another word. Snape dispelled the Amplification Charm, and both she and he left the Great Hall.
As the Great Hall returned to its normal volume, Andy asked, “David, I won’t go against you here, but weren’t you overstepping your bounds at least a little bit?”
David replied calmly, “Not really, Andy; parse out what I told her.”
“Okay David… you accepted her apology in the spirit in which it was given. So, if she was straight-up, you forgave her on behalf of all of us?”
“I did that, Andy. We would only lose if we didn’t accept a genuine apology from her under the circumstances. Miss Tyler really is only a third year, but by the end of the month, even Aaron will be a sixth year or just as good, and we’ll all be held to those standards.”
Andy continued, “And if she was just bullshitting ‘cause Snape was forcing her to apologize?”
David replied, “Then I shoveled her bullshit right back to her. And it’s genuinely down to her what answer I gave her. Professor Snape wasn’t fooled for a moment, but he also accepted that what I gave was the most we would give. If her apology was real, then so was our forgiveness. If her apology was fake, same-o. Almost all of the student body heard her apologize, and heard us forgive her. The ball is back in her court, now.”
Angelica Cole opined, “I think you might have gone too easy on her David, even if you didn’t really have a choice. I barely avoided taking points from her last night in the common room. Her and her clique of lackeys are back-stabbing gossips, the whole lot of them. How hard was ‘playing house elf,’ anyway?”
Aaron answered, “Unless you’re thinking of quitting being a prefect with a bang, I wouldn’t think about it. But, if you aren’t a ‘Spoiled English Princess,’ it’s not the worst detention out there, and David and I were only given that bad of a detention because using Killing Intent on a fellow student in the Great Hall really is that bad, even with as light as we were with her.”
Angelica laughed, “Spoiled English Princess, moi? I’m a half-Hindi Protestant from Cobh! Yeah, I hear you about keeping to the high road and stuff, and I’d really hate to have to explain to my parents why I got fired as a prefect. But boy does Tyler have me thinking about it just the same!”
After the group finished laughing, David pointed out, “It’s about five after now. Has everyone already eaten their fill?”
To everyone’s assenting nods, David answered, “Okay then, we’ll want to get back on stage as soon as the house elves reset things. We’ll be taking up… Better yet, I’ll want to take up Home by the Sea when we start back up.”
“You mean that Genesis song that we were playing with last spring?” Willa Weholt asked.
“Yeah, that one” David answered. “If the four of you are willing, you could sing the ghost parts? Cliché, I know; but it works, and you don’t even have to sing good to fit in with this one.”
Feeling somewhat daring, Simon Talmadge added, “We can even do it ‘cold’ with no explanation beforehand, since we all already know what music to pull up, and so on.”
“Done and done” David answered, just as the last Professor, a rather sober yet still chipper Sylvia Trelawney, stepped down from the platform. With the snap of a set of unseen fingers, the instruments were back, and the band climbed back up on stage without saying a word.
After all the band members gestured to David that they had their music ready, he and Max started the song with the discordant leading chords. All four student ghosts started the singing, and all four student ghosts sang surprising well, even Willa.
“Home by the sea
Home by the sea
Home by the sea
Home by the sea”
David started his part.
“Creeping up the blind side, shinning up the wall
Stealing through the dark of night
Climbing through a window, stepping to the floor
Checking to the left and the right
Picking up the pieces, putting them away
Something doesn’t feel quite right
“Help me someone, let me out of here
Then out of the dark was suddenly heard”
“Welcome to the home by the sea”
David continued singing.
“Comin’ out the woodwork through the open door
Pushing from above and below
Shadows but no substance in the shape of men
Round and down and sideways they go
Adrift without direction, eyes that hold despair
Then as one they sigh and they moan”
Instead of all four ghosts singing again in chorus, Simon sang the next stanza solo. He actually sang better than David, who was just as surprised as everyone else in the Great Hall.
“Help us, someone, let us out of here
Living here so long undisturbed
Dreaming of the time we were free
So many years ago
Before the time when we first heard
Welcome to the home by the sea” ³
For the rest of the song, Simon was the lead singer, with the other three student ghosts providing backup vocals. With the last chord of the song, the entire Great Hall broke out in cheering, and gave a standing ovation.
After giving the Great Hall a couple of minutes, David told the band, “I guess we’re recording that version in Hogsmeade, if you four are willing?”
Simon told him, “I didn’t think that I was really that good.”
David assured him, “You’re better than ‘that good.’ And if you weren’t better than me, I guarantee you that you were very close.”
The rehearsal continued until almost time for the evening meal. Emily Tyler wasn’t seen until the next day.
§§§
During the next days, Aaron attended classes, studied, and practiced his musical instruments. He also spent as much time as possible with Chiara Lobosca as he could, studying with and playing for her. The two first year students got to know each other very well in a short period of time. But, ready or not, they were facing their first challenge as a ‘dating’ couple; their first moonrise together. For most couples, the rising of the full moon can be a romantic occurrence. But, when one of the couple is a werewolf, romance was the last thing on their minds.
Aaron and Chiara left the infirmary. She had just taken her last dose of the Wolfsbane Potion for the month, with sunset being just over an hour hence. The two of them were walking quickly towards the castle exit and to the Forbidden Forest where Chiara was supposed to transform. By taking a staircase normally used only by staff and professors, and by taking a further shortcut through Professor Kettleburn’s classroom, the two students were quickly outside of the castle without being seen by other students. A short sprint saw them on the edge of the Forbidden Forest, where Chiara would spend the rest of the night.
She told Aaron, “I’m still scared, even with the Wolfsbane and not being confined. It’s always hurt when I’ve transformed. But it’s always hurt even worse being confined. My cell was as big as Mum and Dad could come up with, and the walls, floor, and ceiling were all well padded. Yet the claustrophobia would set in when I transformed, and the wolf would bite and scratch itself in rage. I would finally wake up in the morning hurting, scratched, bloodied, and sometimes bit.
“I don’t think I’ll do that here and now, but how far out will I end up? And how will I get back to the castle? Will I even be able to find my clothes?”
“Chiara, I understand, or at least as much as I can. In fact, I’ll stay out here with you if I may? Remember that I can hold my form all night, and that you probably will ignore it or make friends with it. Uncle Sirius and Uncle James would transform with Uncle Remus and they would run the Forbidden Forest all night even without the wards Headmaster Dumbledore has up now. Yet, even if ‘Moony’ didn’t do it himself, ‘Padfoot’ and ‘Prongs’ would always guide him back to where he left his clothes, and even give his clothing and him a Warming Charm while Uncle Remus got dressed. So, while I won’t have to undress, I won’t let you down. I can cast behind my back without looking.”
“If I believed you Aaron, I would punch you, and I’m tempted to slap you anyway. You never turn your back on a werewolf who’s about to transform—not even me. But this time, I want you to undress with me, since I have to no matter what. And the sun is almost touching the horizon, so if you’re gonna ‘wimp out,’ you’d better start running. Well?”
Aaron was already blushing almost purple, even while he was folding his robes and removing his shirt and tie. Chiara kicked off her shoes. She hadn’t bothered with socks. She quickly removed her robe and skirt, folding them neatly. While Aaron removed his undershirt, she removed her jumper vest, necktie and shirt. Aaron was now barefooted as he undid and removed his trousers. Chiara unhooked her bra and let it fall to the ground. The two young hopeful lovers removed their underpants and panties at the same time, revealing the sight of their bodies to the gaze of the other. They were both blushing purple to their navels, yet each of them liked what they saw.
Chiara quipped, “If I wasn’t about to feel like a group of cricket players were using my body for batting practice, this would be nice. And I like what I… how the hell am I supposed to get that inside me?”
Aaron answered, “I like what I see too. And while it will probably hurt the first time you do it with a guy, I’ve been told that many girls prefer ‘larger’ boyfriends if they’re going by looks alone.”
“Aaron, I had to look at that thing twice just to see it all! And you’re eleventh birthday is towards the end of next month!” Chiara quietly exclaimed. “How big is it, anyway?”
“It’s only six and a quarter inches long and five inches around. David’s got at least an inch on me both ways, or it looked like he did when he showed me how to put a condom on without breaking or tearing it last month.”
“Your brother showed you that?” Chiara asked in astonishment.
Aaron shyly answered, “Well, yeah. I was too ‘scared’ to ask Dad, and if I’d asked Danny or Michael they’d have told me to ask David anyway. I’ve already told you that David’s like a second Dad to me, since my birth parents ‘gave’ me to him, and had him do all the changing, feeding, bathing, and stuff for me. I was ‘scared’ asking him, too. But he’s always been able to figure out close to whatever was bothering me, and talk me out the rest of the way there.”
“Speaking of, what did David say when you asked him about this? You did ask him, right?”
More nervously now, Aaron told her, “I mentioned to him several times that I was helping you with your transformation, and he didn’t say anything. And I left him a note on his bed reminding him that I would be out here with you.”
Frustrated, Chiara snarked, “Well, I love you still anyway, but that was not the way to go about it at all. When do you think he got that note, anyway?”
Even more nervously, Aaron told her, “About an hour from now or so…”
Chiara was now not quite angry, but well into miffed. She growled, “Aaron Russell Rush-Cook Dvorak, I ought to punch youuuOOOHA!”
The sun had just finished vanishing under the horizon, and Chiara’s transformation from girl to beast was well and quickly underway! It was actually the quickest transformation she’d ever experienced, but somehow it didn’t hurt nearly as much as it usually did.
Artemis finished howling. And for once, she was free in the outdoors as she was meant to live. Keeping her eyes closed in contentment, she scented her two-leg’s two-leg friend. When she opened her eyes, she would terrorize and bite… No, she would do no such thing. Her mind was also clearer than it had ever been in her life, and she could actually feel her two-leg. She also remembered the pain and terror her two-leg felt when Artemis was made, and how even now her two-leg would never accept making more of her kind, even while the two-leg wanted to make more two-legs when she was older. Artemis loved her two-leg, even when her two-leg ignored her anger and pain, and locked her in the closed stuffy room where her rage turned upon itself and hurt. So, tonight was the last night she would think of hurting her two-leg or making more of her own kind. Her two-leg’s two-leg friend and possible mate’s scent was already fading from the air. She would have to see if that two-leg was still around next month, if she herself was still free and clear-headed. If he stuck around, he would be pack, and she would protect him with all she had.
She lazily opened her eyes and saw a fox in front of her. The fox’s eyes were a strange colour, yet the eye colour suited the fox perfectly. He was almost as large as she was, whatever his age was. If he was a curse-wolf like her and not a fox, she would even think of having a litter with him. She barked a cautious greeting, hoping the fox understood her.
The fox greeted her with what she understood to be ‘Friend? Run? Play? She answered, ‘Yes. Our speech is close but not the same.’ The fox yipped and ran off into the woods. In the spirit of fun and play, she ran chasing him, running free for the first time that she could remember.
§§§
Rowan Khanna and Judah Kowalski didn’t see Aaron and Chiara transform, nor did they get close enough to hear their conversation. But they were more than close enough to see the two undressing in front of each other. The two boys both had a pretty accurate guess as to at what point they would stop removing clothing in front of each other. Even having no clue at all why they were undressing, or what they were really going to do with each other naked, they decided that Aaron’s and Chiara’s behavior couldn’t be ignored, handled by them, or turned in to the school.
So, the two boys ran as fast as they could to the Gryffindor Common Room, hoping to catch David. Since David was actually helping the second years figure out their History assignment, they were in luck.
Since he was the first of the two to recover his breath, Judah was the one receiving the honor to tell David, “We need to talk right now David. It’s about Aaron…”
David’s answer was, “Guys and girls, you should have it from here. I’ll check on you later, but I need to take care of an errand.”
David went briskly up the stairs to his dorm room, confident that Judah and Rowan would follow. His confidence was not misplaced. Once they closed the door behind themselves, only A.D. was still in the room with them. He was at the window, smoking while reading his Arithmancy textbook; taking notes, and double-checking the assignment he would turn in the following day.
Judah told David, “Rowan and I were coming back in from a walk outside on the grounds. We saw Aaron and that Chiara Lobosca girl he’s been hanging out with on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. They were stripping for each other!”
Rowan added, “We aren’t normally the type to tattle, especially when a friend might be getting lucky, but he’s only ten. And they’re on the edge of the Forbidden Forest at sunset on a full moon night! Even if the rumours ‘bout werewolves living in the Forbidden Forest are bullshit, there’s nothing saying that they don’t visit."
Judah finished, “And even without that there’s a whole lot of other dangerous beasts living in the Forbidden Forest. And I heard a seventh year sayin’ that getting caught having sex in the Forbidden Forest by the Centaurs was worse than getting caught by Filch doin’ it in a broom cupboard!”
David sighed and shook his head in frustration. On a whim, he checked his bed and cast a Finite Incatum on it. This revealed a note. The note read: “I’m keeping Chiara company tonight, since it’ll be her first time in the Woods. Don’t be worried or wait up. I’ll be back up to the dorm room around seven in the morning or so. Aaron.”
David set the note on his bed and growled, “Mo-ther-Fu-cker!”
Judah and Rowan were both quite scared of their larger than average sized almost fourteen-year-old friend. David told A.D. “A.D., you will sit on these two if you need to. You will tell them, and only them, about Chiara’s ‘furry little problem.’ I will check on my ‘third birthday present,’ and after he is able to, I might let him explain why I should let him live to see his eleventh birthday.”
A.D. replied calmly, “Chill out, David! They’re almost like Saria and you when the two of you were five. I don’t think that even you would’ve heard you tell him to get back here before sunset, and I don’t think nobody told him that Sirius and Remus would be helping her tonight. Besides, he can ‘hold it’ just as long as you can.”
“Hold what?” Rowan asked in astonishment. Rowan and Judah suddenly found themselves facing a larger than average unhappy and growling red fox with silver eyes, while an average size Billy goat with silver eyes bleated at them derisively. In another blink of an eye, they found themselves back with their two human roommates.
A.D. explained, “I can only hold my form for four hours tops before I either have to turn back into a human or start to get loopy. David, Aaron, and I are registered through the MaCUSA Embassy as required by MaCUSA law. The Embassy will file paperwork with the Ministry when the Ministry has a need to know, and we’re covered for ‘registering with the Ministry.’ David, calm down, and then go check on Aaron.“
David practically stormed out of the dorm room without saying another word, with his anger only hinting at lessening. A.D. told Rowan and Judah, “What you ended up walking into is a combination of Government Secrets and Family Secrets. Headmaster Dumbledore knows about everything except for what you two just saw. And while Aaron and Chiara might get to the point of making out and actually doin’ it, that’s not what you just saw…”
§§§
David quickly yet discretely got out of the castle. He immediately transformed into his Animagus Red Fox, and tracked his way around to where Judah and Rowan said that they had seen Chiara and Aaron. After a moment or two of scenting the ground, he found both Aaron’s and Chiara’s clothing. Chiara’s wand was there, but Aaron’s was not.
“At least the idiot has his wand with him” David thought to himself. He scented the air and listened. The wind was in his favor for sound and scent. His hearing, which was proportionally greater than that of a normal fox just as his human hearing was, allowed him to listen to almost the entirety of the Forbidden Forest, from the Centaur village to the Acromantula colony, to all the spaces between and beyond. He couldn’t quite distinguish Aaron’s and Chiara’s noises, but at least he heard no sounds of distress at the moment; which didn’t mean much. He could scent both Aaron and (likely) Chiara out there somewhere, but they weren’t particularly close.
He scented the ground and easily picked up the trail werewolf Chiara and Animagus fox Aaron had left as they bounded into the forest. Looking up, he saw a huge Irish Wolfhound approach. Knowing who it was, and not smelling or hearing any werewolves close by, he transformed back to human form with his wand drawn.
He asked, “Uncle Sirius, are they okay?”
Sirius Black transformed into human form and answered, “Okay, and far enough away that I won’t yell at you for being out here in human form. Wasn’t it your idea to let him transform with her?”
David sighed and answered, “No, it wasn’t. I didn’t even mention that Uncle Remus and you would be out here tonight, for fear of it encouraging him to do exactly what he did anyway.”
Sighing again, he continued, “And Chiara was so scared about everything that she probably completely forgot that Uncle Remus and you would be out here waiting for her. So I guess we all fucked up, and now Aaron’s out babysitting his werewolf girlfriend, along with dealing with Acromantulas and whatever the hell else is keeping the Centaurs awake at night.”
Sirius told him, “David, we were late getting through the gate and onto the grounds. We were maybe fifty yards away from the ‘naked lovebirds’ before she started transforming, and Aaron can transform almost as quickly as we can. I had to hit Remus with the Homorphous Charm to keep him human long enough to not shred the fuck out of his clothes, which are about seventy-five yards to your left. So, Aaron actually did help Chiara, when the grownups let her down. I’d say that counts for something good.”
David heard a noise in the brush to his right. Facing that direction, he instructed while hitting the area with Killing Intent, “Show your human form, stranger. I’m told this forest is particularly dangerous at this time of night.”
A black panther with midnight black eyes walked into the moonlight, growling and sniffing the air while swishing its tail. The panther revealed his form as the resident Potions Master, and Professor Snape was not pleased.
In greeting, Professor Snape snarked, “Children will behave as children. What’s your excuse, Mutt? And Mr. Dvorak, how long can your younger brother hold his transformation, other than ‘for the rest of his life?’”
David told the Potions Master, “Aaron can easily hold his form for eighteen hours straight, and he can hold his transformation while sleeping. He can also cast the Homorphus Charm better than most adult Aurors and ‘Werewolf Agents’ from DRCMC. Myself, I have almost trained to hold my form indefinitely and my Homorphus Charm is even stronger.”
“At least the two of you boys did that correctly. Do you realize that werewolves are not the only danger in these woods?”
“I do, Professor. That’s part of why I’m out here almost as disturbed as you are. If we need to speak to the Headmaster, I have no objections. However, I would like Senior Auror Black to return to his patrol. While Aaron can take care of himself quite easily, he is a medic and not a warrior, and he’s only one person.”
Sirius added, “Headmaster Dumbledore hired Assistant Professor Lupin as an adjunct professor for Care of Magical Creatures for a special project he’s working on, and I was hired to provide additional security for that project. Since the costs were paid by a dedicated grant from an anonymous benefactor, he was under no obligation to tell the Board of Governors about it, or anyone else.”
Headmaster Dumbledore dropped his invisibility charm and added, “And had you not been such a heartless matchmaker as a fifteen year old, then perhaps my Potions Master wouldn’t be nearly so distrustful of you. We’ve both forgiven each other of a lot, Sirius. But forgiveness is a dear, costly, and rare commodity on the poor terraces of Cokeworth, and in Cokeworth, they never forget.
“As things are, Sirius, your ‘patrol’ is in the forest, and you’d best get to it. Professor Snape, Mr. Dvorak, the two of you will attend me in my office. Beyond fascinating conversation, I also have on offer some of my old teaching master’s House of Flamel Armagnac. Since I’m told reliably, David, that your current father has an appreciation for it, he would be disappointed if you didn’t sample a snifter while knowing your limits. And even your Potions Master enjoys a snifter or two from time to time. And, werewolves in werewolf form only mate with other werewolves, so you need not worry about either of their virtues, at least until dawn.”
Sirius transformed, and as Padfoot ran off into the forest to join his childhood friend Moony, his semi-official ward Artemis, and his honorary nephew Bottlebrush. The Headmaster, Potions Master, and nominal third year student retired to the Headmaster’s office to share inconvenient truths and convenient liquor for the next hour or so.
§§§
Chiara woke up at the break of dawn in the arms of a friend and possible lover. She luxuriated in the warm feeling with the cold morning air barely tickling her body. She woke up further, and realized that she really was basically wearing her ten-year-old boyfriend, with her being almost twelve, and she startled in his arms. This woke Aaron up.
For his part, Aaron woke up instantly. And while he didn’t startle, he did start “explaining” to his girlfriend quietly.
“You turned back to you earlier than we expected, at about fifteen minutes before sunrise. You were also really sluggish, and I wasn’t going to try helping you dress when you were dead on your feet, so I wrapped myself around you just in case ‘Moony’ came around, since he doesn’t change back until full sunrise.
“And it’s just as well that you didn’t tell me Uncle Sirius and Uncle Remus were going to be out here, since they were late. They were just showing up when I got ‘Artemis’ to follow me into the Forest, and it looked like Uncle Sirius had already used at least one Homorphus Charm on Uncle Remus, since they were both still human.”
“That’s all well and good, Aaron, and I really did forget ‘bout them” Chiara quietly answered. She added, “But why are you in human form? And why are you hard and leaking on the small of my back? And don’t move yet either.”
“I must have dropped my form when I dozed off. I can remember hearing both Uncle Sirius and Uncle Remus as humans walking past while I was sleeping. Uncle Sirius thought that it was ‘cute and funny’ seeing you with your ‘fox plushie,’ but Uncle Remus wasn’t really impressed, especially seeing my clothes piled next to yours. It sounded like the two of them just left us be and left.”
Chiara asked, “Are we alone out here right now?”
Aaron answered, “I’ll have to check. Watch out for the cold front!”
Aaron smoothly got unwrapped from Chiara, without her even realizing that she was on the grass instead of Aaron until the cold and damp of a Scottish autumn lawn hit her backside, causing her to shiver. He stood, looked around, and turned his head around again with his eyes closed. He changed quickly into his fox Animagus form, scented the air, and changed back.
He assured her, “Near as I can tell, we’re alone out here. And we should be alone for at least another twenty minutes or so or more. All of Professor Kettleburn’s classes this week are at Hagrid’s hut, since they’re teaching all the flying equines and the like, like Abraxans, Thestrals, Hippogryffs, and so on. But we won’t want to linger too long getting dressed.”
“Good, Aaron; ‘cause I wanted to give you this, and I’ve just worked up the nerve to. Tell anyone, and you’re a dead man.”
Aaron was standing facing Chiara, mostly hoping that she wasn’t bothered that ‘little Aaron’ was also standing stiffly at attention. Chiara got off of her back, on to her knees, and took as much of Aaron’s length in her mouth in one go as she could.
“Chiara!” he squeaked nervously. After a moment, he decided that rather than trying to stop her from doing something really nice for him, that he would ‘coach’ her through it.
“Okay, Chiara, I’ve never done this ever, but I’ve ‘eavesdropped’ on my two older brothers with their girlfriends, and I even got my oldest brother to tell me how to talk a girl through what you’re doing for me.
“First, you’re doing great with the ‘no teeth’ thing, especially since this is also your first time. Second, relax your throat, hold your breath, and ignore your gag reflex; this will allow you to get all of my length inside of your mouth and throat without choking.
“Most important, gently play with my balls while you’re doing what you’re doing. When they draw up, get the end of ‘me’ wherever you want it squirting, ‘cause I’ll be just about to come, and I won’t be able to say it before I’m doing it. And I won’t last long…”
Chiara felt his balls draw up, and she also felt his legs tense against her torso. She got the end of it into her mouth to be rewarded by spurt after spurt after spurt after spurt from her boyfriend. She swallowed it as quickly as she could, realizing that she actually liked how he tasted, once she got past what it was. She also decided that doing that for Aaron wasn’t degrading, because Aaron didn’t degrade her while she did it.
After making sure that all of ‘Aaron’ was fully swallowed, she kissed her way up the length of his body while standing. And while she was too ‘quick’ to really be sensuous, Aaron appreciated it just the same.
After sharing only their third romantic kiss ever, Aaron told her, “Chiara, I’ve only masturbated twice, and this was only my third time feeling ‘that.’ It was beyond beautiful, and I only hope I can do as well for you. Spread your legs, please.”
He started kissing his way down Chiara’s body, quickly yet affectionately licking each of her nipples on his way down. While Chiara knew what he was going to try, she still couldn’t quite believe that Aaron was actually doing it for her.
Finally, face to face with Chiara’s ‘other’ lips, he gently kissed them before starting to quickly flick his tongue along their length; getting closer and closer to her ‘bud’ without quite touching it with his tongue yet. She gasped in erotic bliss. After a minute, when she was wet enough, he took the chance that she was ready. She was.
She quietly gasped and panted, “Yeah, Aaron! You’re doing great! Keep going, keep going, ohghod!!”
She didn’t expect to climax so quickly. She had gotten herself aroused being with Aaron far more than she’d realized. And while what they shared was sex, it wasn’t vaginal sex with all the scary complications that always brings to a relationship, especially at their tender ages.
Yet climax she did, and Aaron kept going. She felt her climax building a second time, which she’d only done for herself once before despite having a lot more practice at onanism than him. When the waves hit her a second time, she barely kept her screamed “Yes!” at a whisper level of loudness. Aaron wound down, Chiara ‘floated’ down, and he kissed his way back up to her.
After sharing only their fourth romantic kiss ever, she told him, “Next time, wipe your face or something. Girls aren’t quite as squicky about their own ‘love juices’ as guys are, but it’s still not nice, unlike the double-orgasm you just gave me. Thank you, Aaron.”
After sharing their fifth romantic kiss ever, Aaron quietly announced, “We need to get dressed and cleaned up quickly. It’s five after seven, and our ‘romantic hideaway’ won’t be romantic or hidden much longer.”
They quickly got dressed. Chiara had a handkerchief in her purse, which she’d brought out with her. Aaron dampened it with an Aquamenti Charm, and they used that to clean first their faces and hands, and then Chiara’s crotch. Chiara asked Aaron to banish the handkerchief when they were done with it, which he did. They finally snuck back into the school, with Chiara going up to the Hospital Wing to check in with Madam Pomfrey, while Aaron went directly to the Great Hall.
§§§
Aaron joined David, who was sitting alone at their end of the Gryffindor Table. David was unusually quiet while he ate his breakfast, and looked rather tense.
Aaron timidly greeted, “Good morning, David.”
David levelly and quietly replied, “Perhaps for you it was. Before you try to argue with me, remember which older brother of yours is good at both Occlumency and hiding their scent, along with getting the occasional ‘lift’ from the house-elves when I need to.
“On top of your staying with Chiara last night, which you knew I didn’t want you to do yet, the two of you together decided to take your relationship much further and much quicker than I think was right or that either of you were ready for. And by the way, Judah Kowalski and Rowan Khanna both know about your ‘furry little problem,’ since they caught the two of you stripping by the edge of the forest. Thank God they didn’t stick around, and they will keep your secrets.
“Before you mention Saria, we were both a full year older than you and that we’ve known and dated each other since we were four and a half. We were also terrified that if we didn’t start being physically intimate, that we would lose each other. If we’d actually trusted each other more completely then, we might both still be virgins. You haven’t known Chiara two weeks yet, nor she you.
“I’m too angry still to discuss this rationally or fairly. You’re too tired, and Chiara, who is walking up behind me right now, is still too tired and likely too sore if I were to guess. Later today, the three of us will talk rationally about what happened last night and this morning.”
“What do you think happened this morning?” Chiara asked quietly and sharply.
“I didn’t stay to watch everything, but I saw more than enough of what you both shared with each other. And while I think the two of you weren’t watched by anyone else, I would have less of a chance ‘finding’ Professor Snape reliably than Aaron would have finding me.
“You’re actually a very nice girl, and I care for you as a sibling, though nowhere near as much as I do Aaron. I don’t want either of you to accidently trap the other in a cold and painful relationship, or to have a messy or acrimonious breakup, either.
“If you truly are good for each other beyond only friendship, then I want the two of you to happily stay together. Your health concerns truly don’t bother either Aaron, me, or anyone else in the family. If you grow together, we won’t be the ones to see you parted. My only concern is my belief that a boy and a girl should share more emotions before they share more than emotions.
“I want the three of us to continue talking this out when we aren’t dealing with anger, fatigue, or pain; though you appear to have had a good night, all things considered. We won’t figure out or agree on anything reasonable otherwise. I’ll talk to the both of you later.”
David stood up and left the table, leaving Aaron and Chiara to discuss more mundane matters before Aaron went to class, and Chiara went to bed. But before parting ways for the day, the two young lovers discretely shared their sixth and seventh romantic kisses, ever.
Outside the Great Hall, David encountered Professor Snape. “Good morning, Professor” he greeted.
Professor Snape gestured for David to follow him into the nearby anteroom. Once they were reasonably sure of being free from eavesdroppers, the Potions Master asked, “Have you said anything to your two ‘love-birds’ about this morning, yet?"
After reining in his temper, the teen answered, “I have, Professor; but only because I’m not sure their relationship was ready to go in that direction as quickly as they’ve taken it there. I hope I’m wrong, because if they don’t trap themselves into something that will harm them, that they actually make a nice couple. And with Aaron understanding Chiara’s circumstances as well as anyone who doesn’t have that burden can, they will even be able to make a family together, once they’ve grown up.”
The Potions Master asked, “Why did you discover me so quickly last night, but not at all this morning?”
David relaxed slightly and answered, “This morning, you were either Disillusioned or using an Invisibility Charm, and doing quite well with whichever one you were using this morning. I just took it on faith that you were there, and that if you wished to make your presence known, that you would. I couldn’t feel your emotions, and I wasn’t about to try sweeping the entire area using only passive Legillimancy. If I had cast the Human Detection Charm or anything of the like, I would have forced a discussion with Aaron and Chiara that none of us were ready for, especially with Aaron’s dick balls-deep in Chiara’s throat.
“Last night, you were using your Animagus form, which appears to still be quite recently learned for you. The way you accidentally broke that twig, which was very quiet by the way, was still not the way an actual animal, magical or otherwise, would have done. When I looked in your direction, I scanned for surface thoughts. You might have even felt me hit your shields and ignored it, since your expression is telling me that you didn’t know how far I’ve already studied and learned the Mind Arts until just now. Animals don’t Occlude, Professor; though only a true and sincere student of the Mind Arts would even have a chance at realizing this.
“If you are able to put your mind defenses behind your spirit animal’s pseudo-thoughts and instincts, you might fool the one-in-a-thousand individual who knows to check for this. Likewise, the quickest way to check if you’ve caught an Animagus instead of an actual animal is passive Legillimancy. The mind of a human and the mind of an animal are two completely different things. And, the mind of one completely Occluding is a void that otherwise only exists for the dead or machines.”
After a moment’s silence and thought, Professor Snape told David, “Since you’ve been honest and forthright on the behalf of your brother and his ‘friend,’ I will take no action here. You should remind the both of them that even consensual sexual contact between students is forbidden and prohibited anywhere on Hogwarts grounds, including the Forbidden Forest, and that getting caught is much more likely than many students realize. I will also do my part to suggest decorum while attending this school. Good day, Mr. Dvorak.”
The Potions Master and David went their separate ways. When David, Aaron, and Chiara finally had their discussion, they agreed that both Aaron and David would accompany Chiara on any given full-moon night when she needed either of them to guide and protect her. They also agreed that sharing emotions, opinions, and the like was more needful for than sharing bodies, though their revisiting the boundaries the two young lovers had already set would be ignored if they did a better job at not getting caught. Likewise, when Professor Snape taught every section of Potions Students in all seven years the Contraceptive Potion, which was normally taught to NEWT students at the end of sixth year, two particular ‘love-birds’ got the message loud and clear.

1.    An Englishman in New York, actual composer Gordon M.T. Sumner, “Sting.” A&M Records, 1988
2.    Tom’s Diner, Susanne Vega. Waifersongs LTD, 1984
3.    Home by the Sea, Genesis. Vertigo Records, 1983.
- 13
- 14
- 15
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

The Yankees Nephew and the Philosophers Stone