Chapter 15
It was the next morning and she wasn’t fully awake yet. Regulus and Hermione woke up some time ago their bodies intertwined looking into each other’s eyes, they kissed and caressed lazily, she hadn’t feel this content in somebody's arms in, ever, all of her relationships before were short lived and never passed the stage of waking up next to the other feeling insecure, wondering of how to act early in the morning. Regulus’ neverending need to touch her didn’t give her the time to doubt herself or for insecurity to blossom.
She felt vulnerable however when he said
“You have concealing charms on your arm and body”
“Yes, well, war left some marks on me”
“I used to have scars too, and his mark, now my skin is clear, but the memories of the pain, and the betrayal I felt every time my parents hurt me and left me to scar can’t be erased”
“I’m sorry that happened to you ” She exhaled, “the one on my arm, maybe I can tell you another day, the one in my body…” she canceled the charm on her big purple scar “Dolohov happened, It would have killed me if It it weren’t for Sirius’ actually, he silenced him”. She told him about the DoM. Thankfully Sirius had explained a lot when he visited.
Regulus looked at her with awe and compassion and dropped wet open kisses all over her scar, then kissed her deeply, showing off the new skill he had picked up last night.
They decided to shower and get dressed, making their way to the kitchen where Fred was standing making breakfast and Ariana was sitting on the table glaring at them.
“You know, it was George who lost an ear…” It was weird seeing Fred looking at himself in the mirror while he talked to them and stirred the eggs in the pan “I, however, can hear perfectly”
“I don’t follow” said Regulus sitting next to Hermione
“He is teasing us, they heard us last night” said Hermione looking sheepish, they had forgotten locking and silencing spells, like teenagers. Regulus on the other side was trying to hide his prideful face.
“HE heard you last night, I , on the other hand wasn’t born yesterday and made myself a nice pair of earplugs that I’ll carry with me forever”
“LOVELY for you little Ariana” said Fred wiggling his eyebrows
“Good Morning” Chirped cheerfully Merope who walked in the kitchen. “ Moning Nana, Aunty Hermione, Uncle Reggie, Good morning nice sir”
Nana? Hermione turned to Arianna who wasn’t acknowledging her.
“Good Morning Little one, my name is Fred , what’s your name?”
“ Fred! F-r-e-d. I’m Merope and this is my baby Tommy, but don’t touch him. If you do, aunty Hermione would hate me and I don’t want her to hate me” Said the little girl desperately.
“I won't touch your doll then, why don't you sit with us to eat breakfast?”
“Okay”
Once she sat, Regulus transfigured her chair to be taller and more comfortable for Little Merope.
“Thank you uncle Reggie” she said with a voice that sounded happy, you could see she was smiling for the way the corner of her eyes crinkled.
They ate together, Hermione trying not to look at Merope for fear of discovering how she could do it without a visible mouth and wondering why the girl was so upset with the possibility of Hermione hating her.
Thank Godric Regulus was polite and Fred spontaneous enough to carry conversation, getting to know each other.
After breakfast they left Fred and Hermione alone trying to work out how to get him free of the mirrors, she tried stepping on his visual field, breaking the mirrors, blinding him, nothing worked. It was a little discouraging and both were trying to hide their disappointment of it not being as simple as it looked.
Regulus came and went, hugging her, encouraging them and giving advice, he was now flying on the firebolt with Merope while Ariana watched from the ground babysitting Tommy a couple of feet away from her.
“What happened with Ron?” asked Fred after a moment.
“What do you mean?”
“Don’t you miss him ? I thought you two…”
Hermione started Laughing “not you too, Circe! The Weasley clan really held their hopes up with us. Nothing ever happened, he’s now with Luna, very happy may I add.”
“Really?” He looked … sad? Downtrodden? “I though for sure during Hogwarts, and when you went away”
“Nothing happened, I think he didn’t know how to feel about me during fourth year when hormones hit, and I was confused in our sixth year, but we never even kissed, not even on a dare”
“I was so sure you were going to be together, I didn’t want to …” he exhaled “ Well, I’m dead now and the regret is there so here we go, I always admired you, Hermione, and in your fourth year during the World Cup, I started having this attraction for you, I know I was a pain for you when you became prefect but sometimes I only did it to have your attention” he exhaled a self deprecating chuckle “to think in death I would have an opportunity , and having these feelings growing seeing you after so long, only for you to come with arm candy..”
“Fred, Are you saying you had feelings for me during Hogwarts?”
“Something like that, during, after. Don’t get me wrong, When I was with Angelina I was in, completely, but when that didn’t work out, I would always wonder”.
“You don’t have to wonder anymore” Regulus said from the door “at least not because of me, Hermione doesn’t belong to me, I belong to her. I don’t know if Hermione told you about the ritual?”
Regulus looked at her, but she was speechless, still trying to understand what just happened. Fred wondered about what they could have been, even in the afterlife and didn’t she tell Regulus just yesterday, that she would visit his resting place also wondering? Mind you, Fred had his feelings for her very figured out, and in her case it was a seed of doubt but, since yesterday…and with the bond…
Seeing that Hermione didn’t know how to answer, Regulus took charge of the situation. He knew very well what bonds like the ritual caused, and now lived it himself, he was also raised in an ancient family that had, in several branches of the family tree, triads, quartets, polyamorous relationships, that worked to bring stronger magic to the family so he wasn’t against sharing Hermione and the magic, he wasn’t possessive.
On a more negative note he was sure of two things, one; separating bonded people, Him and Hermione or Hermione and Fred would have horrible consequences for Hermione. She would grow weak and may not be able to go back if she had the chance, two; If this little time was the only opportunity to be with Hermione, love and be loved, he wasn’t wasting time with jealousy.
“Fred, The Ritual Hermione started before coming here involved the Grimoires of four magical families…”
“The Blacks, The Malfoys, The Potters and…”
“.... The Weasleys, correct, that is why her journey brought us here, to you. She also had to wear, or in the case of our little over achiever, tattoo on her skin , tokens of the families creating a bond”
“Like a marriage bond?” Fred sounded hopeful? This might not be a difficult sell for Regulus after all
“Yes and no, the bond formed can be either familial like adoption, marriage or soulbond. In the case of Hermione and me it feels very deep and unbreakable”
Hermione interrupted, “How can you identify the bonds?”
“I told you yesterday about what my family would make me study at home. They would also make me recognize my familial bond, my bond with Kreacher and the bond the Dark Lord imposed on me, this is much stronger with Hermione.” Turning to Fred he said “In your case, because of the feelings you harbored and the feelings she tentatively explored, it’s possible that you are in a marriage or a soul bond. In any of the cases it is an open bond, only living people can complete a bond”
“Hermione” Fred whispered after a minute “Can you come closer and hold my hand?”
She did. Relief could be seen in her face and Regulus felt it too, if they could keep Hermione and make her happy without pesky doubts and jealousy…
“If you can release me from this sweetheart, I will follow you all the way. If you’d have me I’m yours, if you give me a chance to show you how I feel I wont waste it. And I’ll teach your pretty wizard how to make you cry out like you did yesterday, multiple times”
“Don’t make promises that you can’t keep Fred Weasley”
“If for the next time we get alone time you’re still stuck to this mirror, I’ll show you I’m a proficient autodidact”
Fred laughed loudly “I can’t wait to hear it”
Hermione couldn’t believe how smooth things were happening, she sent a grateful look to Regulus, he managed everything perfectly and took a weight from her back with that explanation.
Merope came into the room and announced that it was time for her nap, Hermione excused herself and followed her upstairs. The way she said she didn’t want Hermione to hate her worried her, she didn’t hate the little girl, she was sweet and made her laugh with her singing and dancing. Let’s not lie, knowing who she was in her life and who she thought the girl was carrying in her arms gave her the creeps. Looking at her matted hair from behind made her think of the horror movies Ginny insisted on watching, but she was just a little girl.
“Do you want me to read to you before sleeping?”
Mery’s eyes shined, the corners crinked “Would you do that?”
“Yes, of course.” She saw a copy of a children’s book and sat next to the child. The doll, well away from her. “Once upon a time
“O-n-c- e” she whispered under her breath
Hermione grinned, “Do you want to follow the words while I read?”
—--------
Merope’s naps were the only way she could keep track of time, and apparently, nightfall would come in between three to ten business days. She left the room with the sleeping girl and went to find her wizards.
Regulus has said our little over achiever and Fred didn't even flinch so she took that and ran with it.
“Did she try to blind you?” Regulus asked when she entered the room
“Yes, but it didn’t work, even when it is dark I can still see my reflection”
“I tried breaking them too, it didn’t work”
When she passed next to Fred sitting on a chair, he stopped her holding her left forearm, brought it to his mouth and kissed it.
“It's here isn’t it?” he said against the skin of her arm “the token of our bond”.
“It is” smiling at him passing her fingers through his hair.
“Are they funny tattoos, Regulus? Please tell me they are funny tattoos”
“You sound like your sister”
“I haven’t seen them either”
Fred’s brows inched together
“I was hurt, Fred” she confessed “during the hunt of Horcruxes. We didn’t have enough time to exchange stories before the battle” she said with hurt in her voice “I was tortured and some scars haven’t healed, I don’t want to show it to you or talk about it yet, but we thought tattooing the tokens and their magic around it would help. They are hidden under a very powerful charm”
“Is it from my family’s Grimoire? The Blacks are very strong with concealing charms”
“Yes, actually…”
Just me and the mirror and my brain.
But that was when I got an idea.