Though tired and with his own hamstrings sore, Harry spent the afternoon taking care of the three women he loved. He carried Gabrielle to the bedroom and had Dobby freeze ice for him to put on her ankle. Fleur made the potion a few hours later to include more for the coming days. None of them were up to dancing that evening, so after Dobby made a dinner consisting of some kind of fish soup along with fresh loaves of bread, they sat around the living room reading. Harry had first picked out a book about Quidditch, but as he looked and saw all of his bondmates with various educational books, he felt guilty. He went back to his trunk and started digging through his other books but nothing looked interesting. When he pulled out his Divination book he felt a wave of disgust pass over him. He sat on his bed and stared at the book as he thought of the class and its instructor. He didn't think he could return to Trelawney's class knowing that she had inadvertently caused all the pain in his life. Even now he could see the vision of her rising above Dumbledore's pensieve and reciting the prophecy. To have her continually referring to his death in class when he knew she'd truly predicted the possibility of it would be emotionally painful. "I don't think I can make up ways that I might die anymore."
"Zen don't," Fleur voice floated over the bond. "Take another class," The last part Harry heard out loud and looked up to see Fleur and Hermione in the doorway to his bedroom. Each of them moved over to the bed and sat down on either side of him. Hermione took the copy of 'Unfogging the Future' from Harry's hand and sat it aside.
"Take something else," Hermione agreed.
"Can I?"
"I would think so," Hermione said. "You can't be in our year, but you should be able to sit in a third or fourth year class or maybe private tutoring. Dumbledore would surely realize why you would want to give up Divination."
Harry nodded. "I don't want to see her; at least not for a class."
"So what would you want to take?" Hermione asked. "Muggle studies would be easy for you even if it's a hundred years behind the times."
Harry looked over at his long time friend and now bondmate. She had the book she had been reading in her lap. 'Advanced Runic Concepts of the Ancients,' He sighed. "No I should be doing more. What do you think would help me more with what I need to do, Runes or Arithmancy?"
Hermione smiled sadly. "As much as I love hearing you want to better yourself, I'm sorry for why you need to. Last year I'd have given anything to hear you say that but now..." Her voice trailed off as she leaned over and kissed him.
Fleur reached her arms around Harry. "Arithmancy takes years to do anything productive," She said. "Runes is something zat can 'ave a more immediate effect."
"I agree," Hermione said. "I am reading about runes that allow for one thing to imitate another. If you use it with a Protean Charm..." She stopped when she saw the amused look on Harry's face. "What?"
"As I said shortly after we bonded, I have never appreciated you as much as I should have," Harry explained. "You really are brilliant you know. Both of you in fact," Harry said as he took both Fleur and Hermione's hands. He then remembered Fleur's handling of his uncle. "As Ron would say, brilliant but scary, but a good kind of scary."
Hermione blushed but replied. "And you have done as much for me. Shall I mention trolls and werewolves?" She got up and went to her trunk. She returned with one of her books. "Here is my Runes book from last year," She said as she handed it to Harry. "I'll be glad to help you with it and maybe we can get you to a level where you can be in Gabrielle's class next year."
"Thanks," Harry replied.
By the time Harry was ready for bed, he'd finished reading the first two chapters in the book. It wasn't the most exciting book he'd ever read but he hadn't realized how many things depending on runes including his own Firebolt. When he'd read that broom manufacturers used certain industry specific runes along with their own proprietary spells to make brooms fly, he'd rushed into his room and pulled out the Firebolt only to find those runes carved delicately where the ash handle met the birch twigs. He'd only thought they'd been artistic designs before. He never noticed the smile his bondmates had as they watched him grow more and more interested in the subject.
Finally fatigue set in and he looked over at Hermione. "Are you sleepy love?" He asked.
Hermione's eyes left the book she was reading and found his. It was only a few seconds more before the book was left behind and she made her way to the bedroom to change and prepare for bed.
"I still have trouble believing it sometimes," Hermione said a short time later as she climbed into Harry's bed. There was no hesitation like she had experienced the first time. "I still wake up sometimes expecting this was all a wonderful dream, but then the bond is there..."
"Ever regret it?" Harry asked as he looked into her beautiful eyes as he took her hand in his and brought it up to his lips.
"No," She replied as she intertwined her fingers with his. "But ask me again in fifty or sixty years and I'll let you know if that changes."
"Yes ma'am," He replied as his lips sought hers.
"How are your feet?" Harry asked after a few moments.
"Mmm?" Hermione answered, her mind quite fogged by the intimate nature of them being together in bed and sharing the previous kisses. "Oh...fine," She pulled then from under the covers and reached down to look at the heel where the major blister was located. She ran her finger over the skin that was now smooth with no indications of any injury.
"Did Fleur heal it for you?" Harry asked.
"No..." Hermione responded as she turned her foot one way and then the other to get a better look. The skin was flawless. In fact she noticed that not just the skin, but her toenails were now a perfect length. A thought came to her mind and she instantly raised her hands to look at them. "It...well I think it's the Veela magic," Hermione finally told Harry. "I've always bit my fingernails but look..." She held out her hand for Harry to see. "And my toenails."
"So your hair and now it's healing you too?" Harry asked.
"It appears so," Hermione replied. "I just told Fleur and she says we should send Professor Berceau an owl tomorrow about it."
"Think it's anything to worry about?" Harry asked.
....
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