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Numen Pumilum	By : AuctorRubra Category: Harry Potter > Threesomes/Moresomes Views: 15661 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 8
- 9
- 10
Disclaimer: *Sniffle* Harry Potter and his wonderful
world do not belong to (Blows nose) Some of this popped out of my crazy
little brain, but if you recognize it, chances are that it belongs to J.K.
Rowling. *sob* I�m not getting paid for this, so
please don�t sue me or anything like that.

A/N:
Hey guys! This chapter is being
brought to you by Acetaminophen, Dextromethorphan, Guaifenesin, Pseudoephendrine,
about five gallons of water, five rolls of TP being utilized as Kleenex, Halls
Fruit Breezers, blurry vision that prevented me from
doing my reading for Survey of American Literature, and the need for a break
from the last six hours of mind-numbing Latin translations. Valete!

______________________________________________________________________

Chapter 8: The Darker Side of Birthdays

Eris gently scratched the head of
the sleek, black ferret perched on her shoulder. She had just escorted �Scott� back home and
was about to return to Prince Manor to show off her new pet. They had flooed
into the American Academy
of Transfiguration, Charms, and Defense, claiming that �Scott� needed to speak
to one of the teachers about his summer homework.

�Eris, is that you?� Eris whipped around from the fireplace to see
he Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher gazing at her
curiously. �Did you need something? Is Jackie okay?�

�Miss Roslyn!
You surprised me. I was just
sending Scott home.� Eris spoke quickly,
grabbed the black ferret off her shoulder, and clutched him to her chest.

�Ah! Your mystery boyfriend.�
Miss Roslyn gave her a piercing look.
�Are you ever going to tell me who he really is?�

Eris fidgeted and offered an
apologetic smile. �You know how I love a
good secret.�

Miss Roslyn smiled kindly at
her. Eris always admired the softness of
the older witch�s expressions. Miss
Roslyn was Jackie�s older sister by about ten years and one of the youngest
teachers at the Academy. She shared many
of Jackie�s features including the dirty blonde hair (though she wore it short
and spiky as opposed to Jackie�s shoulder length waves) and eyes that sparkled
like chips of blue crystal. The witch
tended to dress in casual clothing, shunning robes in favor of comfortable
flare jeans and earth-toned shirts that dipped, clung, belled, and wrapped a
different way each day.

�Are you preparing for you birthday then,�
Miss Roslyn asked cheerfully. �Only
three days away, isn�t it?�

�Yes, maybe we�ll have to firecall
you to chaperone.� Eris giggled and
absentmindedly stroked the ferret�s fur.

Miss Roslyn glanced at the black
ball of fuzz. �Who�s this handsome guy?�

Eris� eyes widened. What the devil was she going to call Severus
when he was like this? �This is�Nox, my new familiar.
Scott gave him to me for my birthday.�

Miss Roslyn nodded, her eyes
lingering on the ferret for a moment longer.
�Well, I suppose I should let you get along. I wouldn�t want Madam Prince to worry about
you. Tell Jackie that I�ll probably see
her in a few days.�

Eris beamed and headed for the
fireplace. It was going to be an
interesting birthday.

_______________________________________________________________________

Harry gave a weary sigh as
Hermione and Ginny continued to jabber on about Fleur�s
wedding. The red-haired witch was no
longer as displeased with Fleur as she had been and the effect was the
excitement he was witnessing now that Fleur and Bill had invited all of them
into the wedding party. Jackie and Zack
were sitting side-by-side with twin amused grins on their faces (though Zack
had offered him several sympathetic smiles).
They were all waiting for Eris to return so that they could let her know
that she was also invited to be a bridesmaid.

�She will say yes, won�t she, Harry,� Ginny
asked eagerly.

Harry shrugged. �I hope so, but she�s not always very�er��

�Sociable,� Jackie offered helpfully.

�Well, I�d say if the rest of us have to
suffer we should bring her with us,� Ron muttered. His friend was apparently not looking forward
to another encounter with a formal occasion.

Ginny rolled her eyes. �I hope she says yes. Fleur has been going on, and on, and on for
two weeks about how she wants all three set of twins in the wedding.�

�Three sets?�
Harry frowned in confusion.

Hermione smiled. �It seems that Fleur has twin cousins��

�Angelique an� Dominique,� Ginny broke in with
a mocking French accent.

�Yes,� Hermione sighed. �Anyway, she thought they would pair up
nicely with Fred and George.�

�Well, then Bill mentioned that he wanted all
his brothers in the wedding party�� Ron began.

�Except Percy, the git,�
Ginny spat.

Ron nodded in agreement. �Bill and mum both explained to Fleur that we
consider you one of the brothers, Harry, and she didn�t really disagree. You know how much she likes you after the Triwizard Tournament.�

Harry felt his ears burn red. �Thanks, I think of you guys as family too,�
he whispered.

Ron slapped him on the back and
Ginny looked a bit sad. Hermione cleared
her throat. �Yes, well then Fleur was
upset because she didn�t know who else to choose as a bridesmaid to even things
out again. That was when Mrs. Weasley
mentioned that you also have a twin.�

Ginny snickered and was blushing a bit. �She
seemed to think that your sister would be �Juzt az good lookeeng� and have �zee zame beautiful eyez�!�

The fire flared green then and Eris
stepped elegantly out. Harry felt a
twinge of envy and wondered if he would ever get the hang of that particular
mode of transportation. His eye was
quickly drawn to the long bundle of black fur in Eris� arms.

�What have you got there,� he called.

His sister smiled in return. �This is Nox, my
birthday present from Scott.�

Draco swept into the room
then. �I see he finally gave you your
present.�

Eris rolled her eyes. �I see you two were getting along better then
I thought.�

�Yes, I suppose so.� Harry watched with renewed envy as Draco
confidently pulled Eris into a one-armed hug and placed a kiss on her
temple. The blond tickled the ferret
gently. �What a handsome devil.�

Harry decided to stop feeling
sorry for himself and attempt to join in. He hopped up from the couch and walked
purposefully towards his sister and Draco.
Standing beside Eris, Harry reached out his hand tentatively and gently
ran a single finger down the ferret�s back. It raised its head and gave him what could
only be described as a reproachful look.

Harry chuckled. �I don�t think he likes me.�

Trying again to make nice with his
sister�s familiar, he gently stroked the top of Nox�s
head, dipping down a bit between his glittering black eyes. The critter seemed to resist the pleasant
feeling for a moment before relaxing and actually butting his head against
Harry�s finger. Draco was still stroking
the ferret�s back and his fingers brushed briefly against Harry�s as he removed
his hand. Harry looked up, expecting an
outburst, but instead Draco was staring intently at Nox,
blushing. The blond wizard was acting
stranger by the day, or at least Harry thought so.

Looking towards his sister, he
caught her giving Draco a thoughtful look.
She turned to face him with a smile and he felt a brief rush of
happiness through their bond. It seemed
his sister felt this was a sign that he and his nemesis might be getting
along.

Ginny chose that moment to step
into the situation, a strange look on her face.
�Eris, I have something I need to ask you.�

Eris looked apprehensive. �Yes?�

�Fleur would like you to be a bridesmaid. She wants to complete her sets.�

Harry rolled his eyes and smiled
warmly at Ginny who grinned cheekily in return.
�Why don�t you sit down, sister mine?
This could take a while to explain.

______________________________________________________________________

Eris hesitated for a moment before
opening her bedroom door and leading Harry and Draco inside. She had insisted that Draco be present to
help her explain how easily accepted bondings were in
the wizarding world, being considered a gift and even
semi-sacred. Harry already seemed to be
taking the news of choosing a mate rather well, probably because Eris had told
him that he would still have something of a choice. No, what Harry doubted was that someone would
readily accept him based solely on his claim to a possible bond.

So, here they were about to try
and convince the young man. That, and
Eris still needed to explain the process of finding and dealing with a Mentor. She quickly conjured up three chairs and
motioned for the two wizards to sit.
�Harry, I hope you don�t mind that I have invited Draco to join us. I think there are some things that you will
believe with a bit more ease if he is here to back my statements up.�

�Oh,� Harry said softly. �That�s fine I guess.�

Draco looked distinctly
uncomfortable. Eris planned to find the
underlying cause of that later. Nox scurried from her shoulder and curled up in her
lap. She dragged her fingers through his
soft fur and wondered if her suspicions as to who would be her mentor and
Harry�s would be correct.

�Now, I know that you�re probably tired of me
discussing mates with you, but it really is very important,� Eris said
gently. Their first discussion really
hadn�t gone that well and she had lost her patience with Harry�s incredulous
attitude. A stern talking to from
Felicity reminded her both of the fact that she had reacted just as badly (and
that was at age nine) and that she had been coping with the knowledge for
several years. �Draco can tell you just
how respected preordained bonds are��

�Hold on,� Harry cut in. �You said that it was highly unlikely that we
would have predestined mates. You said
that we would have options.�

Eris sighed. �Yes, Harry, but people still view it with
similar respect.�

She cast a helpless glance towards
Draco who picked up the thread for her.
�Bondings such as these, Pot�Harry, are well
respected because it is essentially your magic choosing your mate.� Draco looked thoughtful for a moment. �Even though you will likely have several
witches and wizards to choose from, your choices will still have been pared
down by your magic.�

�You mean the aura that Eris said I would see
around potential mates,� Harry asked carefully.
Eris noticed that he had yet to react to Draco�s implication that Harry
would be able to take another wizard for a mate if he chose. She wondered why Draco risked mentioning it.

�Exactly, that�s your magic letting you know
who you would be best suited to.� Draco
had a pleased smirk on his face as he continued and Eris wondered what her
friend was up to. �Where people choosing
their own husbands and wives often make mistakes that end up costing them their
happiness, your magic will never steer you wrong. People often have a hard time seeing what is
actually best for them. If you can�t see
past a person�s masks then you will never know who they really are. Magic isn�t fooled by acting,
misunderstandings, or even Occlumency.�

�And people are okay with this,� Harry asked
doubtfully.

�Everyone will be fine with it. Your prospects may be a bit disbelieving at
first, but when the proper evidence is presented such a bond can not be
ignored.� Eris felt significantly
unsettled by her own words. How long had
she been fighting against the idea of being bonded with anyone? Giving into Voldemort�s
request for the purpose of allegiances was one thing, but left to her own
devices, she would much rather remain alone.

Harry finally looked resigned and
Eris felt a stab of pity for him. �I
suppose there�s no reason fighting it then.
We�ll both just have to cross that bridge when we come to it. What else did you need to tell me about?�

�Well, there is one other type of bond that
you may go through that you need to be aware of,� Eris said calmly. She hurried into further explanation when she
saw that Harry was about to explode violently.
�It isn�t anything as life changing as finding a mate. In cases such as ours a mentor is often drawn
to the elves or part-elves in question. As we will both be significantly
powerful and facing dangerous times, it is possible that we will both have or
share a mentor.�

�That doesn�t seem so bad.� Harry�s expression was guarded as though he
was waiting for Eris to throw something else at him. �How do we find this mentor, if we have one?�

�Where our potential mates will have golden
auras of varying intensity, a mentor will have a strong, deep blue aura. There will be only one, as no choice is
give.� Eris looked directly into Harry�s
eyes and chose her next words carefully.
�It will be someone close to us, someone who can understand our
situation. This person will be someone
capable of doing whatever is
necessary to keep us safe and on the right path. Chances are that they will have recognized us
in some way before we even come into our inheritance.�

�There�s something else�something
you�re holding back.� Harry�s voice is
quiet, but accusing.

There was no point in holding back
the rest of her information, well except for who she thought their mentor would
be. �Mentors often become intimate with
their charges, as it can take a great deal of time to find or choose a mate.�

Harry paled and she felt very
badly for him and didn�t like it. Since
her discussion with Severus regarding her loyalties it had become far too easy
to feel for Harry. She needed to remain
distant for her own safety and probably his as well.

�But�but�what about our
mates? Why would they�� Harry trailed off, looking lost.

Eris took pity on him. �Mentors are completely devoted to their
charges. The intimacy occurs partly
because of this and partly because they would never have room for anyone else. They usually remain intimately close to their
charges for the rest of their lives when it does occur.�

�Don�t the�er�mates
get jealous?�

It was Draco�s turn to speak and
he looked quite amused. �You had better
get used to the idea of a triad, Harry. You
don�t see them very often anymore, with purebloods
being in short supply, but it was common practice once.�

Eris nodded in agreement. �In times where witches significantly
outnumbered the wizards, or vice versa, triads would be formed to ensure
offspring and alliances.�

�Doesn�t seem like something that would be
well accepted these days,� Harry muttered.

Luckily he didn�t notice Eris�
wince, though she was pretty sure that Draco did. �You would be surprised.�

Draco nodded in agreement. �Old customs are deeply respected. Besides, any triad that you or Eris would
form would be due to bonds that you share with several people. That would be easily accepted.�

�But what if Eris and I have the
same mentor?� Harry was definitely
looking for a way to avoid dealing with multiple partners. Poor boy.

Eris shrugged. �Then we see what happens. I never said that either one of us would
definitely become involved with our mentor or mentors. We can�t even know for certain that we will
have mentors, but I do feel it is likely.�

�Fine. I can deal with this. Fine.� Harry didn�t look so good. His brow furrowed and then his eyes went
wide. Eris was afraid that she knew what
he was going to ask next. �Did you say
that I�ll have wizards as potential
mates?�

Draco looked far too happy and
Eris had the sinking sensation that he was going to leave her to explain this
away to her brother. Six years in the wizarding world and Harry hadn�t noticed that most witches
and wizards were bisexual? Maybe it was
time to get the boy some new glasses.

______________________________________________________________________

Later that night, Severus smoothly
returned to his natural form and settled into the conjured chair that had
earlier been occupied by Potter. Draco
gave him a strangely cheery smirk and Eris was blushing prettily.

�Now, my dear, was it really
that bad having to explain the basics of nature to your brother?� Try as he might (in other words, not very
hard) he could not hold back a snicker.

�Don�t they have basic education at
Hogwarts? He should know some of this at
least. Doesn�t the boy date?� Eris was grumbling and Severus had the
disgusting thought that she looked rather adorable pouting. She was toying nervously with the end of her
long, black braid.

�So, who do you think your mentor is going to
be,� Draco asked eagerly. Severus gazed
intently at Eris. He too was quite
interested in who would be taking up the position.

Eris hesitated for a moment. �I might not have one. Harry�s more likely to have one of his own.�

�That�s not how it sounded earlier,� Draco
retorted with a raised brow.

Severus glared hard at the
girl. �You are going to be just as
powerful as Potter, Eris, maybe more so until he is able to acquire your
advanced knowledge. Your fates are tied
quite closely together, unless I have gravely misjudged things, and you will
need just as much guidance as him.�

�No one�s trying to kill me.�

Draco snorted. �Yet.�

Severus sighed and waved his wand
to conjure some tea. �Just spit it out,
girl. It was obvious to both of us that
you have ideas. I daresay you are hardly
ever without some theory drifting through your overcrowded head.�

�She reminds me a bit of Granger sometimes,�
Draco said with a sneer. �Mind you,
Granger will never be as devious and scary as you.�

�Oh, I get the feeling she can be scary when
she wants,� Eris murmured.

Severus stared at her for a moment
and wondered if she formed that opinion based on her own observations of Miss
Granger or something in her bond with Potter.
�Devious then.
Now start talking.�

�Fine,� Eris snapped. �I am positive that Harry will have a
mentor. I am equally as sure that I will
share this mentor.�

�It�s Lupin, isn�t it? That�s why you�re not happy about it.� Severus had to give Draco credit for looking
genuinely concerned though he knew that the boy would probably be laughing
about it at some point.

Severus did not find the idea of
Lupin being Eris� mentor particularly pleasing, especially not after all her
talk of �intimacy�. The fact that Lupin
was involved with that Tonks chit did not improve his mood. If everything that Eris said was true then
the werewolf would be getting rid of little miss bubble gum klutz soon
enough. He wanted to deny Draco�s observation,
but he really couldn�t. It made perfect
sense really. Lupin was a good friend of
Lily and Potter�s, he�s Eris� godfather, he was very protective of Harry and
this would apply to Eris as well no doubt, and the man, no matter his status as
a �dark creature�, had a thorough sense of right and wrong (damn him). Despite Lupin�s
apathy during their school days, Severus had no doubt that the wizard would
guide the twins down the straight and narrow, by force if needs be. Ah, but there was the clincher. Did Lupin have the backbone to do whatever
was necessary to keep the Potter pair in line?
Could he yell? Could he
threaten? Could he kill? The werewolf in him could once it recognized
the twins as its �cubs�, but Lupin was (and Severus was sneering at this point)
a rather gentle and sensitive man. He
looked to Eris for his answers.

�That would be a good guess, Draco.�

Damn. And the girl didn�t look like she
minded. Double damn. Severus didn�t want that to be the girl�s
final word. �Do you suspect anyone
else?�

Eris� face was completely closed
off, her emerald eyes guarded. �Perhaps, but no one who I can think of who cares for Harry and I
equally. At
least not in such a loving manner. �

He wanted to vomit. He quite thoroughly enjoyed Eris the way she
was, less her ill chosen involvement with Voldemort, and if her elven inheritance didn�t make her go soft�well�damn, having
Lupin as a tour guide through life sure as hell would.

�What about Severus here? I would say that he meets a few of your
criteria,� Draco said with a sly smile. Impudent match maker.

He noticed that Eris� mask didn�t
change, which was almost more telling than if she had slipped up. �Indeed he does, except for the fact that he
absolutely loathes Harry. If it wasn�t
for the fact that Harry and I are definitely going to share a mentor if we have
one��

�But you said you couldn�t be sure,� Draco cut
in hurriedly. Severus gave him an
appraising look.

Eris� lips pressed into a thin
line. �Call it a gut feeling.�

Draco glanced his way and Severus
rolled his eyes. Didn�t the boy know by
now that he couldn�t get into Eris� occluded mind without permission? �Well, how about mates, any ideas in that
area?�

Eris� mask did falter this
time. Severus was almost certain that
the girl hadn�t considered Draco�s question until that moment. No doubt she was still too used to thinking
in terms of Voldemort choosing her mate.
His thoughts were drawn to the potion he had recently finished and
delivered. He had been quite reluctant
to hand it over, but even Eris agreed that they needed him to do so to buy
time.

�No�not for me anyway.� The girl�s expression pulled into a smirk to
rival Draco�s own. �I�ve had a few other
gut feelings the past week or so. Have
you been having hot flashes, Draco?�

Severus settled back in his seat
and sipped his tea. This would be
interesting. The blond flushed before
answering. �I don�t know what you�re
talking about.�

�Well, you look like you�re having one right
now,� Eris said with a grin. �Either
that or you�ve been blushing an awful lot lately. During specific situations I might add.�

Severus thought back to the few
times he�d seen Draco blush and tried to piece together what might have set it
off. He knew that it wasn�t Eris, so
perhaps the Granger girl or youngest Weasley?
He thought harder and came up with the same variable popping up in each
situation. Potter was in the room and
interacting with Draco in some way.
Egad.

�It�s nothing,� Draco said softly. �It won�t matter in the end any way.�

�You don�t know that,� Eris said kindly. �Besides, we�ll know for certain in a few
days.�

�Draco, please tell me that you are not pining
after Potter,� Severus snapped. Really,
first he had to deal with the prospect of putting Eris into Lupin�s
care and now Draco�no, he wouldn�t think it.

The boy�s blush told him
enough. Damn it, the whole world was
going down the crapper.

______________________________________________________________________

Two nights later, Eris found
herself ensconced in the sitting room with Harry, Lupin, Felicity, Ron, and
Hermione. Ginny had been drug home by
Mrs. Weasley for a dress fitting and Draco was taking turns playing exploding
snap with Jackie and Zack. Severus was
sitting quietly wrapped around her neck as Nox the
ferret. They were quietly awaiting the
approach of midnight and July
thirty-first.

Eris felt a bit exasperated by the
looks of dread on all her companions�, but Felicity�s, faces. She told them that everything would be
okay. Didn�t they believe her? She was tempted to go join Draco and her friends,
but knew that she would have to be here to reassure Harry that everything had
gone well.

11:51p.m.

Just a few more
minutes. She began to wonder just
what sort of changes Harry would experience.
She knew that there would be physical alterations. Would Harry�s new appearance be any
indication as to how she would look?
Harry was wringing his hands and she wondered if he was concerned about
how his appearance would change. Why
would he? Numina
Pumilum were said to be beautiful creatures.

11:57p.m.

Harry was engulfed by a swirl of
black and red light and lifted from his seat on the couch. Hermione gave a startled cry and Ron made a
move to pull his friend back to the floor.
Lupin grabbed the boy to stop him and Felicity put an arm around
Hermione. With them taken care of, Eris
was free to observe what was happening to her brother. She wondered for a moment if the others could
actually see the colors surrounding him.
That was when she saw the fire beginning to surround him and
smiled. She had been quite certain that
Harry would gain the power of fire, with his being in Gryffindor. The fire was quickly consuming his entire
body and he was blazing like a scarlet bonfire.

12:00a.m.

Then, as quickly as it began, the
fire flickered away and the swirling colors dissipated. Harry was curled up on the floor and Eris
rushed to his side. The first thing she
noticed was that his hair had lengthened so that it hung in messy tufts just
past his shoulders. Brushing the hair to
the side, she smiled at her brother�s now delicately pointed ears.

Harry�s eyes fluttered open
then. �What happened?�

�You changed.
How do you feel,� Eris asked with a bright smile.

�Fine�perfect�just a bit�hang on, why can�t I
see straight?� Harry took off his
glasses and Eris� smile grew. She had
suspected that this might happen, but hadn�t wanted to get her brother�s hopes
up. �Wait a minute�I can see without my
glasses!�

�That�s great, mate,� Ron called from the side
of the room where Lupin was still restraining him.

Hermione was nodding her
agreement. �Yes, that�s wonderful,
Harry.�

Eris helped her twin to his feet
and he gave her a serious look then.
�So, what�s the damage? Do I look
alright?�

�Wonderful, Harry. Quite handsome.� Now that the wizard was on his feet, Eris
could tell that he had grown several inches.
�You must be near 5�9� or 5�10� now.�

Harry snorted. �Yes, well I suppose that means that you�ll
be pushing six feet.�

Eris scowled. �I am female you know. It�s more likely that I�ll be about the same
height as you. Did you notice you hair?�

Harry glanced over at a decorative
mirror hanging on the sitting room wall and laughed. �At least it isn�t quite so messy now with
the length weighting it down a bit. This
isn�t so bad�subtle really.�

�Harry, your ears are pointed!� Hermione ran over then with Ron close behind
her. Eris took a step back to let them
congratulate Harry.

Lupin came to stand beside
her. �Could you tell which elements
he�ll be predisposed to?�

�What could you see,� Eris asked with a small
frown.

�Just Harry floating in the
air at first and then her glowed bright white before falling back down.� Lupin gave her a curious look. �Why?
What did you see?�

�Not that,� Eris said with a laugh. �He has fire for sure and possibly earth, but
we�ll have to test it out.�

Felicity broke into the
conversation then. �That�s a fine
combination.�

�Quite,� Eris said in agreement. �So far this is all in keeping with the
theories I�ve had on how Harry�s and my inheritance would work. If things keep going along the same lines��

�Then you�ll have water and air,� Lupin said
with a nod. �Also a
fine combination. Deadly even.�

�No more so than fire and earth,� Eris said
quickly. �Besides, if I�m right, and so
far I have been, Harry and I will be able to tap into each other�s
abilities. It may be a while before
either of us can simply do it at will, but we should be able to.�

�Are you three talking about me,� Harry asked
from the other side of the room.

Eris smirked. �Seeing any auras yet, Harry?�

�I�m sorry to tell all of you this,� Harry
began dramatically, �but none of you are my mate.�

�What about a mentor, Harry,� Felicity asked.

�Nope, no blue,� Harry said with a sad shake
of his head.

Eris sighed. �Don�t worry, Harry. Just because it�s not someone in this room��

�If it�s not Remus, than I doubt it could be
anyone else,� Harry cut in. His voice
was sure and strong and Eris noticed that Remus looked quite touched.

�Yes, but it might not come into effect until
after I have my inheritance as well,� Eris said evenly. �That is, if we share a mentor.�

�So we�ll find out tomorrow.�

�Yes,� Lupin said with a warm smile. �Now, I think everyone needs to get to
bed. You wouldn�t want to be all
tuckered out for your party tomorrow, would you?�

Harry held up his hands in defeat
and Eris� eyes went wide. �Harry, look
at your hands!�

Rushing over for a closer
inspection, Eris saw that brother had a tattoo design covering both his
palms. On each palm, in what looked like
shimmering scarlet ink, was an intricate flame, curving in a spiral to the
center of the palm. A thin black vine
was wrapped around each flame. The
flames were alive, dancing and sending tiny sparks flowing across Harry�s skin.

�Wicked,� whispered Ron and Harry nodded in
agreement. Eris smiled and shook her
head. The excitement wore down and everyone
began to shuffle out of the room. Felicity�s
voice stopped them. �Eris, did Miss
Roslyn agree to help chaperone you at Grimmauld Place?�

�Yes, and Harry said that Charlie Weasley is
going to be with his brothers, so I�m sure he�ll help keep everyone in line as
well.�

�Fred and George are going to be there too,�
Lupin asked, looking a bit alarmed.

�Yes,� Harry said with a smirk that Eris
thought was worthy of Severus. �It
should be an interesting party.

Interesting
indeed.

_____________________________________________________________________

Harry stood
patiently with his knapsack waiting for Eris to finish speaking with Madam
Prince so they could head over to Grimmauld
Place.
Everyone else had been there for since breakfast, insisting that they
get until after lunch to prepare the house for the party. Harry had agreed with a roll of his eyes and
he and Eris had played chess and discussed how they would begin training their elven powers the next week.
He had been surprised that Draco willingly went to Grimmauld Place to help the
others. Harry hadn�t had a chance to see
the blond that morning. By the time
Harry woke up, only Ron was around, having stayed to tell him what they were up
to.

His reflection in
the mirror that morning had been a bit of a shock. With closer inspection he realized that all
the softness of youth had disappeared to be replaced with strong angles. His ears weren�t too pointy, for which he was
grateful, and he could easily cover them with his hair. The pictures that Eris had shown him of elves
with long, delicate ears that went nearly half a foot passed the tops of their
heads had alarmed him. He had admired
the piercings and wondered if Eris would know how he could manage something
similar.

He was beginning
to get quite agitated, already being nervous about seeing Ginny and finding out
if she would be a possible mate, and it was getting worse sitting there by the
fireplace so he went to the sitting room door intending to hunt down Eris. As soon as he opened it a bit, he heard both
Remus and Madam Prince speaking with his sister.

�Eris, are you certain you don�t want me to
come with you,� the elderly witch�s voice asked, full of concern. �You will be alright with everyone there?�

�Of course. Don�t forget that I�ll have Draco, Jackie,
and Zack too.� Eris� voice was confident
and Harry thought it held a bit of amusement.
�I won�t be outnumbered. Besides,
Nox will protect me.
Won�t you, Nox?�

Harry held in a
snicker at the thought of Eris� pet ferret hissing viciously at everyone.

�You�re brining him with you?� Madam Prince�s face was a bit disapproving,
and Harry wondered for the first time if the woman even liked animals. There weren�t any others about at any rate.

�Hey, I need my new best friend with me for my
birthday,� Eris said with a laugh.

Harry smiled as
Madam Prince pulled his sister into a tight hug. He heard her murmur, �Happy birthday, sweetheart. Be
safe.� He felt envy well up within him
for a moment before he stamped it back down, determined not to be upset that
his sister had been lucky enough to be loved her whole life.

She was heading
towards the door then, and Harry smiled as Remus stopped her one more
time. �I can stop by a little before midnight if you want, Eris.�

Harry was happy
when he saw Eris smile, albeit a bit warily.
�Thank you�Remus, but I�m sure I�ll be okay. Harry will be with me.�

�Very well,� Remus said cheerfully and held
out a small package wrapped in silver paper charmed with tiny black ferrets
running across it. Harry thought of the
little present of his own from Remus, its paper red with gold snitches.

�Thank you,� Eris said with a timid, but less
wary smile.

Harry held his
breath as Remus leaned in and gave Eris a slight peck on the cheek. Eris blushed a
brilliant crimson, but didn�t make any indication that the affection was
unwelcome. �Have a wonderful time. If you do need me, I�ll be at Hogwarts
visiting with Tonks and Minerva.�

Eris nodded and
scurried in Harry�s direction. Harry
hurried back over to his spot and the fireplace and smiled brightly at Eris as
she came through the door. �All set?�

Eris nodded mutely
and Harry held the floo powder out to her. He let her go through first, following close
behind and only to be brought up short by a blinding golden light as he came
through on the other side. What was
going on? Were the shining a spotlight
on the fireplace.

�Harry, are you okay,� asked Ginny�s concerned
voice.

�I�I��
Harry didn�t know what to say.
Didn�t they see the damned light?

That was when he
heard Eris come to his rescue. �Harry,
did you get floo powder in your eyes? Come along and we�ll wash it out. Which way�s the kitchen, Hermione? Thanks.�

A
few moments later Harry was safely in the kitchen, alone with Eris and able to
see once more. �What
happened? Did you see the light too?�

�No.
What exactly did you see?�

�Golden light. It was so bright I couldn�t see anything
else.� Harry stiffened, just realizing
what he was describing. �Who was in the
room? Who was in front of me?�

�Calm down,� Eris said sharply. �Ginny and��

Eris was cut off
as someone burst in through the kitchen door.
Harry saw a flash of platinum blond hair before he was assaulted once
more by the golden light, not blinding this time, but still painful since he
hadn�t recovered from the first bout.
�Ouch!�

�Sorry,� Draco�s voice said softly. �Eris, do you need help with Harry�s eyes?�

�No,� Eris snapped. Harry heard her take a deep breath and
sigh. �Please, Draco, Harry and I will
just be a couple of minutes.�

Harry heard the
kitchen door open and close once more and breathed a sigh of relief as his
vision cleared�only to start panicking once more. �Draco?
DRACO?!�

Eris coughed. �Well, probably both Draco and Ginny if it
was as bright as you say.�

�Draco Malfoy is one of my possible
mates?� Harry was trying to make sense
of what he was hearing himself say. He
took a deep breath and reminded himself that Ginny had been just as
bright. They were equal if he had to
guess. �Okay, so I�ve found my first two
possibilities. That�s great.�

Eris was nodding
and biting her lip. �Right. Now focus like I taught you for Occlumency only focus on seeing the physical, but not the
magical. That should block their auras.�

�And if it doesn�t,� Harry asked with a
frown.

�If you can�t block one of them then I�d say
you have a predestined mate. That�s the
only situation before actually bonding with your mate where you wouldn�t be
able to block them.� Eris was biting her
lip again and Harry frowned.

�Did you�did you feel something?�

Eris nodded. �Just a twinge of
recognition. We�re twins. There has to be a certain level of acceptance
between us for our mates.�

�What do you mean?� Harry was beginning to get a bit angry. She hadn�t said anything about this before.

�My magic has to agree that they�re worthy of
you,� Eris said with an earnest expression.
�Harry, we basically share the same batch of magic. There is hardly even the slimmest of chances
that either one of us will reject the other�s choice of mate.�

�You still should have said something,� Harry
said sullenly and was surprised when Eris smiled.

�It will be alright, I promise.�

�What if it�s Draco,� Harry asked while
staring at his feet. It was very
disconcerting that he wasn�t more upset about the possibility. Did the magic affect his feelings to a
certain extent as well?

Eris smirked. �Oh, I don�t think he�ll mind if you
don�t. Draco�s gay, but don�t tell
anyone else that unless he says its okay.�

Harry looked up in
surprise. �And what if it�s Draco and
Ginny? Then how will he feel?�

�I don�t think it will bother him. He�s smitten with you, Harry. Merlin only knows how long he has been.� Harry decided that Eris was taking far too
much pleasure from his discomfort, but he didn�t know how to turn the tables on
her before she began to discover her own possibilities. �Either way, I would keep it quiet for a
while. Let yourself get used to the idea
a bit and get a ways into your training before saying anything.�

�I suppose that is a good idea,� Harry
grumbled.

�Oh course it is,� Eris said, grabbing his
hand and pulling him back towards the party.
�Mainly because I will get to torment Draco this way.�

Harry took a deep
breath and let his twin lead him, taking strength from her willingness to
maintain contact. She didn�t even seem
to realize what she was doing and everything she made some tiny action like
this Harry felt as though he had won a great battle.

As they entered
the room and he caught sight of Draco and Ginny standing near one another his
heart nearly stopped. BOTH Draco and
Ginny were still glowing faintly. Eris
gave his hand a reassuring squeeze and he remembered to breathe again. His sister leaned in close to his ear. �It will be okay, Harry. We�re going to go through this
together.� The warmth and affection he
felt shiver down their bond at that moment was the best birthday present he
could have hoped for.

_____________________________________________________________________

Some how, and she really just
couldn�t figure out how it had happened, Eris found herself sitting in a large
circle of people, a glass of brandy in
her hand, about to play some strange version of twenty questions. According to Draco (who she was considering
strangling) the game would help them all get to know each other better. Miss Roslyn and Charlie had declined playing
and were sitting off to the side playing chess.
That left herself, Draco, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Jackie, Zack,
Fred, and George playing the game. �Nox� was once again draped around her shoulders, nibbling
on her ear from time to time, making her giggle.

Eris sighed. �All right, what exactly do you want us to
do, Draco?�

�It�s simple.
We each take turns asking someone else a question. That person can either answer the question or
decline and drink.� Draco was smiling
broadly and Eris resisted the urge to roll her eyes. This game seemed a bit too easy.

�What�s to stop us from declining every time
we don�t want to answer a question? What if one of us just decides to say no every time and get sloppy
drunk?� Eris kept her expression
as innocent as possible.

�Well, Eris, if you would prefer things to be
more interesting.� Damn. The smirk was back. She really liked the smile better. �We�ll say that everyone gets one pass a
round where all they have to do is drink.
After that, if they don�t want to answer a question they have to do
something that the rest of the group decides on.�

Eris sighed. She really should have kept her mouth
shut. �Fine. Let�s play.�

�Bravo, I�ll start and we�ll go clockwise
around the circle.� Draco plopped down
on the Eris� right side, placing him directly across from Harry. Eris wondered for a moment how her twin was
holding up and if he had discovered that both Draco and Ginny were his
mates. Under normal circumstances she
would have found it funny, but it didn�t speak well for what she had to look
forward to. So much
for having options.

Draco cleared his throat. �Why don�t we try something really nice and
easy this round and all ask the same thing?�
Everyone nodded in agreement and Draco looked thoughtful for a
second. �Okay, Granger, what�s your best
subject?�

�Arithmancy,�
Hermione said proudly. Eris nodded in
appreciation. Definitely a difficult
subject and one of the minor focuses at the Academy that she had chosen not to take, thought she had studied it for a year with her tutors.

Eris realized that everyone was
looking at her. �Why don�t we change the
rules around a bit? Draco just asked a
question and we can go around the circle in order answering it. When it gets back to Draco it will be my turn
to ask a question. The same rules will
apply for answering or declining the questions.
Agreed?�

Everyone nodded and Draco leaned
over and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
�Fine, birthday girl, we�ll do things your way.�

�Its still Harry�s birthday,� she muttered.

�Just answer the question,� Zack said with a
chuckle.

Eris rolled her eyes. �I guess it would be a tie between Potions
and Transfiguration, but if I had to choose just one it would be Potions.�

She noticed several wrinkled noses
and shrugged. Potions were a thing that
few people really understood or enjoyed.
Nox nipped her ear affectionately and she
allowed herself a secret smile. Fred and
then George were next and both of them had done well in Care of Magical
Creatures. Ginny and then Jackie both
claimed Charms. Zack chose
Transfiguration. Harry was next and said
with a confident smile that Defense was his best subject and most of the circle
smile and nodded in agreement. Ron also
picked Defense and said it was because of Harry�s tutoring.

It was back to Draco then, but he
just smiled. �We don�t have to answer
our own questions.�

No one objected so Eris quickly
decided on her question. �What�s
everyone�s favorite potion?�

This earned her a few strange looks. Fred and George chose an aging potion. Ginny and Ron both selected the Mandrake
Restorative Draft. Harry chose Felix Felicis, which surprised her and she filed the tidbit away
for if she needed ideas for Christmas presents.
Hermione chose Polyjuice, which cause Harry
and Ron to burst out laughing and the witch to turn scarlet. (Eris got the feeling that there were stories
behind all of these choices and hoped she would hear them eventually.) Jackie, who had been rather worked up the
year before for their fifth year test, chose the Draught of Peace. Zack, who suffered from chronic colds in the
winter, chose Pepper-Up potions.
Draco�well Draco chose Veritaserum and Eris
honestly didn�t know why, but she knew she could probably get it out of him later.

The questions were relatively
mundane and Eris wasn�t surprised that no one had bothered to pass yet. Still, when Harry asked everyone what form
their Patronus took Eris had every intention of
passing. Everyone was happily answering;
Harry with his stag and Hermione with her otter, but Eris didn�t have an answer
and was a bit embarrassed to admit it. She
choked a bit when Draco said that his Patronus took
the form of a large black horse and then tried to compose herself and pass�but
she couldn�t. When she opened her mouth
to say that she passed she found herself saying the words she wanted to
hide. �I don�t know.�

�What do you mean you don�t know,� Harry asked
with a frown. �Haven�t you ever tried
it?�

Eris cleared her throat, trying to
figure out why she was compelled to answer.
�I�ve never been able to.�

�But��
Harry was cut off by a somewhat alarmed looking Draco.

�Leave it, Harry. Besides, you�re asking more questions and you
already got yours,� the blond said with a smirk.

Harry looked a bit concerned, but
left it alone. Jackie and Zack threw her
sympathetic glances and Draco�looked guilty.
Eris frowned and then thoughtfully glanced down at the glass in her
hand. Though she hadn�t passed she had
been sipping the drink. A glance around
the circle told her that everyone else had as well. That was when it hit her. Veritaserum. Draco�s favorite
potions and now she knew why. She was
murderously angry for a moment, but calmed herself quickly when she saw Harry
start and glance at her. The dose
couldn�t be that strong or they would all be in trances and drooling. It must be just enough to nudge them past
miniscule insecurities. Still, she would
have to hex Draco later for nearly giving her a heart attack. Some of her secrets needed to stay secret,
thank you very much.

When Hermione asked her question,
Eris was almost eager to answer. The
fluffy haired witch wanted to know what each of them thought their greatest
magical accomplishment was. It wasn�t
something she normally just went around bragging about, but she wouldn�t pass
up the opportunity to share. �I guess it
would be my animagus form.�

Jackie burst into fits of
giggles. �All the hard word you do
trying to improve potions and inventing new ones and you pick your animagus form?�

Eris smiled sheepishly and
shrugged her shoulders. �I�m good at
Potions and I guess I just expect myself to be able to do all that stuff. My animagus form
was something of a pleasant surprise.�

Harry was giving her a blinding
smile and she could sense his delight through there bond. �That�s brilliant! Did you know that dad was an animagus too?�

�No, I didn�t.� Eris felt a bit uncomfortable, but didn�t
want Harry to know. James Potter was a
difficult subject for her. �What was
he?�

�A stag. How about you?�

Eris felt herself blush, but
offered Draco a warm smile. �I turn into
a black Arabian mare.�

Draco looked surprised for a
moment and then burst out laughing.
�Well, I suppose that makes perfect sense.�

Hermione looked quite
impressed. �That�s rather good,
Eris. I suppose you�re only registered
in America so
far and that�s why I never saw your name?�

Eris nodded. �Felicity thought it would be good for me
to��

�Have a few tricks up your sleeve,� the
Weasley twins cut in together.

�Yes, but I�m sure she�ll have me get
registered before the school year begins.�
Eris shrugged. �It�s not as
though a bloody great horse is something that can sneak around anyway. Especially one with bright
green eyes. Pretty
obvious really.�

�I still think its brilliant, and I don�t
think you should be embarrassed that Draco�s Patronus
takes your form. Just look at how you
took him in this time despite everything,� Harry said forcefully.

Eris nodded. They played for another hour or so with the
questions remaining light and playful.
Soon midnight was drawing near
and most of the group was getting sleepy.
Harry made the suggestion that everyone turn in since they would be
doing this again the next day for Eris birthday. He had also refrained from opening any of his
presents, saying that he wanted to do so with her. Eris had simply smiled and thought of the
present she planned on giving him shortly.
All she had to do was get through her transformation.

Moving off by herself for a
moment, she gently placed Nox in a cushion lined
carrier she had transfigured from dead potted plant. �Stay here, okay? You need to keep out of sight for a while
just in case.�

The ferret gave her a piercing
look and she had a feeling that little Nox would be
giving her a lecture as soon as possible.
She also knew he would not be happy about being left out of seeing her
give Harry his birthday present.
Scratching Nox�s head one last time, she
closed the carrier door to his small squeak of protest.

Everyone was settling down to
sleep in the open space with Miss Roslyn having conjured them all warm sleeping
bags. Harry came over to her and jerked
his head towards the French doors leading to the patio. �Why don�t we go out here.�

Eris followed him and she smiled
as he closed the doors and put up a strong locking charm. �Enjoying that freedom now are you?�

�Of course.� Harry�s face became serious then. �Don�t worry, it doesn�t hurt or anything.�

Eris smiled at his concern. �I know.�

Harry glanced at his watch. �Any second now��

But she already felt herself being
pulled up into the air. It felt as
though the wind was rushing all around her and an icy sensation was creepy
through her skin. Time stood still as
she felt it pour into her, the raw magic of nature. No wonder Harry had been in such a good
mood. She had no idea how much time
passed before her feet touched the ground again and she didn�t care. She felt amazing, powerful, and�pure?

�Eris, you look�wow.� Harry�s mouth was hanging open slightly and
his green eyes were wide.

She felt a bit concerned for a
moment. �Did I change that much?�

�You look so much older...like you�re in your
twenties or something.�

Eris rolled her eyes. �That�s not THAT much older, and for the
record so do you.�

�I know, but you look mature.� Harry�s tone was dead serious and Eris
couldn�t help but laugh. �And your
ears�you might want to look in a mirror.�

Dreading what she was going to
see, Eris conjured a mirror and gasped.
Her face, like Harry�s, was now void of all the roundness of youth. Her ears had changed a good deal more than
Harry�s. They had grown a good four
inches and ended in thin, delicate points.
Walking to stand next to her brother, she saw that she was now level
with his height.

�I thought for sure you would be taller than
me,� Harry said softly. �You should see
your hair.�

Twisting a bit, and with a bit of
help from Harry, Eris was able to see that her hair now fell past her knees. Knowing to check her own hands after the
changes that occurred on Harry�s, Eris studied her palms. The tattoos were identical in shape to
Harry�s, but instead of a flame she had what looked like a twisting stream of
water and instead of a vine she had a snaking cloud of mist. Like Harry�s, her tattoos moved so that the
water looked like it was going down a drain and the mist rising out.

More than anything she was aware
of the sense of closeness she now felt to Harry. He was in her soul now.

________________________________________________________________________

Harry could hardly believe how
beautiful his sister was. Did he look as
radiant as that after his transformation?
He had watched with amazement as a swirling cloud of green and blue
whipped about his sister, lifting her into the air. Then it was as though she transformed into
ice, only to shatter and reemerge like a beautiful butterfly from its cocoon.

�Harry, I have something we need to do
now.� Her tone was deadly serious and
Harry regarded her apprehensively.

�What?�
He didn�t like the steely glint in her eye. She was determined.

�I have a present I need to give you.�

There was something�some emotion
in their bond. He could sense that this
was very important to her, something she felt she needed to do. �Alright.�

They went back in to find everyone
but Draco sleeping peacefully. �Are you
ready then,� the blond asked.

Harry gave Eris a questioning
look. �I need Draco�s help.�

Harry nodded and led them to the
library. He followed Eris� example as
she knelt in the middle of the room, settling himself facing her. Draco was off to the side setting up a tea
tray and conjuring what looked like clothing.
�What are we doing?�

�I have a special gift I want to give you,
something I think will help you,� Eris said softly. �I want you to know that I will give it to
you know matter what, but I do have a request if you are willing to grant it.�

Harry felt that this wasn�t the
time to make decisions blindly. �Tell me
what you want and I�ll tell you if I can give it.�

�In the near future I may bring someone to you
who needs your protection. This person will be more than willing to aid
you in your efforts against Voldemort, if that concerns you.� Eris paused and took a deep breath. �As a gift to me, I would ask that you swear
an oath of protection to this person.�

Harry frowned. �What does that entail exactly?�

�You cannot intentionally cause harm to your protectee or you will lose your magic. For example: if I were to tell a Death Eater
that Draco was at Prince Manor and he was alone and the house unwarded, I would be breaking my vow. However, if I did the same situation knowing
that there was no way for the Death Eater to get to Draco, I would be fine.�

�It seems like a fine line,� Harry mused. It didn�t seem like the oath would restrain
him in a bad way. Of course, that
depended on who she wanted him to protect.

�It�s all in your intent, Harry.� Eris was staring at him hard, her face
impassive as ever, but he could feel her hope through their bond though he
could tell she was trying to hide it.

�Do you swear that this person will fight
against Voldemort?�

�Yes.�

Harry took a deep breath. �You have my word that I will swear that oath
of protection on anyone but Voldemort himself.�

�Thank you, Harry.� Eris took his hands in hers, their palms
pressed together and fingers entwined.
He felt a sudden pulse go through him and a tingling in his arms. �I am pulling on both our magical reserves to
perform this spell. Do you remember the
book you asked about?�

�You�You�re going to perform Necromancy,�
Harry stammered. �Who? What?�

�Trust me, Harry. Remember what I told you about the
magic.� Eris took a deep breath and
Harry felt the tingling sensation increase.
He vaguely registered that Draco was standing close by with a
blanket. �Now, take down your mental
barriers and let me into your mind. I
need to find someone.�

Harry did as he was told and soon
found himself living through memories in rapid succession as Eris searched for
something. Then it stopped on a dark
memory, a horrible memory, and he knew what Eris was going to do. His stomach leapt. Eris seemed to be focusing on that memory
with great intensity, letting it play over and over again. It ripped into Harry, but he tried not to
fight it, uncertain of how it would affect Eris� efforts. He heard his sister begin to mutter in a soft
and melodic language. The magic was now
pulsing throughout his whole body and he could feel Eris straining.

The memory began to blink in and
out, a buzzing began in his ears, Eris� voice rose to a fever pitch, there was a loud �pop� like the sound of apparition, and
then Eris fell from his mind.

Harry slowly opened his eyes to
see Eris toppled over on her side in front of him. �Eris, are you all right?�

He shook her shoulder lightly, but
she didn�t stir. Her pulse was strong
and he decided that it was simply magical strain.

�Harry,� called a familiar and raspy voice
from beside him.

He turned and saw Draco step aside
after wrapping a crouching figure in the blanket. �Sirius?�

_____________________________________________________________________

Felicity shooed Remus towards the
fireplace. �Go, GO! I will be more than happy to have the manor
to myself for a couple days. Go and see
that sweetheart of yours.�

Remus looked uncertain. �Do you think I should go check on her?�

Felicity shook her head. �Let them be for now. They�ll all be back in a couple days and then
you can help Eris and Harry train. I
think you�ll find that she�s opened up a bit more to the boy by the time they
get back.�

Remus smiled. �Felicity, I�I want to thank you for
everything that you�ve done for her.
Harry was not so lucky to end up with someone as loving as you.�

Felicity snorted. �Remus, I do love that girl, but I kept her
locked in this manor, I sent away her best friend, and I�ve forced her to lie
about who she really is her whole life.�

�Yes, but��

Felicity put a hand on the
wizard�s shoulder. �I�ve only ever done
what Dumbledore asked me to. I�ll admit
that I fell in love with the girl, but something�s changed in her, Remus. She�s gone cold and seems determined to go it
alone in the world. She�ll need you to
help her. I�m a reminder of why she is
the way she is.�

�I think you underestimate how much she cares for
you, what she would do for you,� Remus said.

�Perhaps,� Felicity said with a tilt of her
head. �Now off with you, scamp, and tell
Minerva I say hello.�

�I will.�

Then the man was gone and Felicity
took a moment to relish the silence that filled the home. When was the last time the manor had seen so
many guests? So many
happy children?

She was gazing out the sitting
room window when she heard the floo activate
again. She turned around with a half
smile. �Remus, I�m��

The words died in her throat. It was not Remus, but rather five figures
dressed in black cloaks and white masks.
She gripped her wand tightly, determined to let Eris know that she had
not been easily taken.
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