Chapter 4
As a reminder, you can find MORE of this on my SubStar (dot adult slash KajaWilder), it's posted up past FWB2 Ch. 30 there.
And if you're just interested in discussing things with other readers, of course, you can go to my DISCORDhere:https://discord.gg/N9yDA8t6Cw
Finally, you can also read my ORIGINAL FICTION on Kindle. If you've got Kindle Unlimited, they're all free. Here's my author page, with links to everything published.
ALSO, if you want to readahead:From that Discord, go to the Links in General section and follow those to get 30+ chapters more than what's posted here, with art too!
Ch. 4 (Friends with Benefits 115): Family Support
Harry James Potter was, unusually, feeling completely satiated sexually after breakfast the next day. He had anticipated a quiet Sunday, and taken a bit of a lie-in.
Which had prompted Hermione, Romilda, Fleur, Pansy, and Lilith to all wake him up together, circling him on their knees while they took turns gobbling down his morning wood.
By the time he'd made it to breakfast, each of the girls had coaxed out a load of their own, and it was well after ten. Which meant it shouldn't have surprised him that there was another beautiful lady waiting impatiently for him at the table. Not Winky, or Mrs. Granger, who he knew was reading in the burgeoning library, but Hedwig, who still had a letter tied to her leg as she pecked at the plate of breakfast Winky must have set out for him.
"Sorry, girl," he chuckled as he untied the thing, "but at least you're well-fed, right? Looks like you've eaten about three rashers."
The owl barked and gave him a look that clearly said, "So? I earned it by my patience."
"You're right, you're right," Harry laughed, reaching up to stroke her feathers a few times. Hedwig leaned into him, displaying that she wasn't actually upset, especially when she accepted the last of his bacon, too, before flying off to her perch in his bedroom.
"Never gonna get used to that," Mr. Granger muttered as he came into the dining room, flattening down hair the owl must have brushed, "seeing a big owl just swooping through a house. Morning, Harry."
"Uh, Good Morning, Mr. Granger."
"Dan."
"Er... Right." Somehow, it felt strange saying that after what the man's wife had done for him last night. Harry felt his face start to heat, but the dentist didn't act any differently at all as he poured a cup of tea from the pot Winky kept on the stove, then slid into the chair opposite Harry at the round table.
"I've been to the market in town, picked up a few personal things for Em and I, the paper, and so on. Interesting things going on in Parliament, but probably nothing to interest a younger man like you. Though I suspect some of the strange goings-on these days are related to the magical world, only our reporters and politicians aren't aware that it's the cause. Things like disappearances with no explanation, a death with no cause."
Harry frowned as he took a bite of eggs. "That... does sound like magical people doing things, yeah. The Death Eaters would prefer all non-magicals be under their yoke, and don't much care if they leave evidence. To them, muggles are a joke... animals. Beneath them."
"Shows what they know, then," Dan sighed, "the Prime Minister's thinking about calling up a special task force sort to sort out these supposed mystery-terrorist attacks. I don't much fancy the Death Eater's chances if they start carpet bombing areas. I don't think they would, mind, but that big fireball in Wiltshire has a lot of people really spooked. Manor house appears out of nowhere, no one could remember it being there, and it's all-but vaporized in a blast that registered as a small-yield nuclear device, on the old home soil?"
Harry shuddered. He had left the muggle school system before he truly knew what a nuclear weapon was, or could do, but he better understood now. He also was entirely certain that given the last ten years of world history he did know thanks to the Dursley's news-watching habits, that if it happened again his world was doomed. A second explosion like that would make the world's governments really scared, and they would start to wonder if it wasn't wizards doing it.
They would be right, in this case, but that would only make things worse.
"That... that was actually our side," he said quietly, "Dumbledore, the Headmaster of our school, Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, and Chief Warlock of the U.K.'s Wizengamot- that's our sub-parliament, I think is the best equivalent, so he'd be like the PM of Magicals- did it. That manor house was a Death Eater stronghold, and we think Voldemort himself was there. He didn't blow it up on purpose, of course, he tries to give people second chances. But there was an attack on the school, and..."
"Hermione mentioned a giant monster, yes. Your friend, Lilith, was badly hurt."
"Ron, too, but he recovered faster," Harry nodded. "Nothing we did could hurt him, and his vampiress companion was just too fast. She got Lilith, the big monster, who had once been a student until Voldemort's magic changed him into... something horrible, well, he got Ron while he was protecting me. There was a... well, Dumbledore was already weakened, but he used the last of his strength to send him, Nott, into the Sun. Somehow... the amount of power that would take is incredible, and he was already so much weaker than I was used to, but he did it. It killed him, but he did it."
"Wow," Dan replied softly, reaching across the table to grab Harry's hand, "That must've been tough. Hermione's often said how he was like a grandfather and mentor to you."
Harry swallowed and nodded, "He was. He is, still. I know he lives on in us, in what he taught so many people. Anyway, there... we think there was some sort of magic that bound the vampire and the other monster together. It healed itself, and she regenerated, and they were... linked, I guess. Couldn't hurt one badly enough to kill them before they were just healed right back up. So Dumbledore sent Nott into the Sun, and he died right quick. The Vampire, you know... sunlight. That link worked both ways, and when she took an object from the castle that they were there to steal back to Voldemort, then she was surrounded by the Sun for a moment, well... boom. I think that's the 'nuclear device'. Pretty sure she's very, very dead now. I hope what they took is destroyed too, because if it's around Voldemort can't be stopped. We have to destroy it, too, and a bunch of things like it."
Dan whistled. "That's... that's a big task. But what do you mean by 'can't be stopped'? He's just a wizard, isn't he? Powerful, dangerous, but still with a heartbeat and all that?"
Harry shook his head, "No... well, yes, but no. I can't say too much, it's very confidential for everyone's protection. But he split his soul into several pieces. That object, which is a crown of some kind, contained one of those pieces. If one of them survives, he literally cannot be fully killed."
"Damn, son. That's... shite. And Hermione said something about a Prophecy, which is why you're at the heart of it all?"
Harry nodded, tapping the hated scar on his forehead, "He 'marked me as his equal', when I was a baby. Killed my parents first, but... his Killing Curse rebounded from some magic we don't fully understand. Dumbledore said it was my mother's sacrifice, but that can't be it, or the only thing. Many witches have died for their children, and the same curse hasn't stopped then. Something did, though. Gave me the scar, and now he's dead-set on killing me so he'll really be immortal. One of us can kill the other. Him or me. But no one else, apparently, at least according to the prophecy. I don't know if I'm functionally immortal, and I don't want to find out. But that's one interpretation we've discussed."
Hermione's father let out another low whistle, "As long as he lives?"
Harry nodded, "There's a specific line I used to think meant something else. "One must die at the hands of the other, for neither can live while the other survives."
The older man's frown deepened thoughtfully. "So... Either of you has to kill the other, that part's clear enough. But you can't live, truly live, while the other is... around."
Harry nodded, gesturing at the house around them, "That's what I think the girls are trying to fight subconsciously. Give me a chance to live despite the prophecy, to enjoy my life. But in the end, I know that won't work. He has to be stopped. I'd want him stopped anyway, for my parents, for everyone else he's ever hurt directly or indirectly... but it's more than personal for us. I won't truly rest until he's dead and gone."
"That's... a heavy burden, son," Daniel murmured, giving Harry's hand a squeeze before he let go. "I don't envy you. But I want you to know that Em and I are behind you. I know Hermione would never turn her back and let you deal with this alone, and we won't either. I don't know what we can do, precisely, but I'm sure we'll think of something."
Harry could only bow his head in thanks.
"Of course, I should personally thank you," Dan said with a grin that made Harry's hopes for a quiet morning fade a little, "because after last night, if Em wasn't pregnant before, I'm sure she would be now. She's never been so energetic before! Three rounds, Harry, and I'm not a young man anymore! You really got her riled up with that blowjob... got me riled up too, I'll admit."
Harry stood up, red-faced, "Er, th- thanks," and hurried from the kitchen after depositing his plate in the sink, followed by Daniel Granger's laughter.
Harry was quickly coming to love the Conservatory. He wouldn't ever have thought a massive indoor garden would be something he liked or wanted in a home of his own, but despite the humid, even muggy air and slightly stifling heat, the scent of several hundred different plants thriving along with the soil brought back memories of some of the best parts of his youth. He didn't truly enjoy gardening, but at least when he was doing it the Dursleys left him alone more often than not, and he did enjoy time to himself.
Now, the young wizard was finding that there was more too it. Eucalyptus, jasmine, and pine mingled together in his sinuses as he stepped out onto the catwalk that covered most of two walls against the home itself, which was lined with small tables and chairs that overlooked the expansive grounds and countryside beyond, or the ground floor of the greenhouse itself, where Pansy and Hermione were discussing their summer's Herbology homework surrounded by, he hoped, plants useful for it. As he watched, Romilda joined them from below him, and kissed both girls quickly before she asked a question about Bubotubers, which he knew had been on her last year's curriculum from personal experience... and Hermione's very personal.
Still, his girls didn't seem to be arguing or fighting despite what could have been a test subject for Hermione, and he smiled as Romilda opened a book of her own and started reading the section the bookish girl had pointed out from memory alone.
With nothing more pressing, Harry settled himself on one of the many wrought-iron chairs, sighing as he hit the soft padding, and opened the letter.
Susan Bones, huh, he thought, turning it over twice to make sure that was all before he began. It wasn't that long, though Harry supposed it had only been a couple of days, and she hadn't attended the party.
Harry J. Potter,
I hope this letter finds you well. Hannah tells me that I should have attended your little house-warming party, and I regret not doing so now. I could have used a happy moment. I've been spending most of the last few days going through Auntie's things, sorting them out into piles to go into our Gringott's vault, or things I might need to use myself.
I... I'm not happy. I hate to say it, but I'm very sad, and even though Hannah's been by to help along with her mother, it's not...
I miss her, Harry. She's the only family I ever really knew, and now she's gone. I know it's different for you, but I feel like you understand better than most. I don't know what to do. I'm trying to sort all her notes and possessions, and... everything I see reminds me of her. Her clothes, her books, her jewelry, even though she never wore it. I can barely stand to be in her study, much less her bedroom. Or the kitchen, or the sitting room, or anywhere.
What do I do? How do I do this? How do people live when their family's been torn away?
I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't burden you with this. It's not your problem to deal with, and you've quite enough on your plate. I'm sorry... I probably won't even send this.
Harry noticed then the first spot of slightly wrinkled parchment. As the letter went on, their were more, a dozen or so, and he frowned.
I'm just being stupid, I'm sure. I'm supposed to be tough, like Auntie. I'm supposed to be strong. I have my friends, I have my House at school, they've all been so supportive this year. And this task needs to be done. There's no one else that can do it. I'll have to tough it through. Do what Auntie always taught me and Keep Going, just like that old Clocktower did in the muggle war.
It's just hard, and I'm not sure I'm strong enough. I'm sorry, I'll leave you to it. Enjoy the rest of your weekend, Harry, and I'm sorry for being a burden.
I miss you too.
Susan Amelia Bones
P.S. Even writing my own middle name is hard now. It used to make me smile, and now I just
Whatever the letter would've said wasn't there, Susan must have stopped before writing the last few words. The tear-marks had gotten thicker as he went.
He sighed. This... it was not his forte. Crying girls never had been, even if he'd gotten a bit better about it. But he could do something. Anything. Like he had taught the D.A. over and over again, it was better to act than not most of the time. Anything he could do to help Susan, he would.
"Dobby," Harry called, decision made, "Can you bring me a piece of parchment, ink, and quill? And then maybe deliver a letter so Hedwig can sleep, if she wants to? Ask her first, you know she'll bite me if we don't give her a chance to deliver a letter."
The elf shuddered, wincing, no doubt remembering the last time Hedwig had been offended that Dobby had delivered some letters a few days ago. "Dobby will ask Missus Hedwig," he nodded rapidly, "and Dobby will be back with parchment right away."
Once Harry had started, it only took him a moment to jot down a quick synopsis of the situation and send it back to Hedwig via Dobby to eventually reach Hannah. He knew that she likely already had an idea, but there wasn't much else he could do for Susan's best friend than to let her know what he was doing, in turn.
Finished with that task, Harry leaned over the railing, "Hey, ladies, excuse me, and sorry for interrupting! Do any of you happen to know where Susan lives? Or her Floo address?"
Pansy thought about it for a moment, then called up, "I think it's 'The Ossuary', but I'm not entirely sure. If you try using that and get nowhere, you can always just come back to The Crockery, though. Just take a sachet of Floo with you."
"Good idea, thanks, Pansy, and see you ladies later. Not sure when I'll be back, need to talk to Susan."
"Alright, Harry," Hermione answered, "We'll be fine. Love you!"
"Love you three, too, and everyone else," he waved, then pulled back.
With a plan, now, he could move faster. There were only two fireplaces in the manor house large enough to Floo from, and the kitchen one might be a bit closer, but it was also quite a lot roomier, so that was where he headed. With a handful of the grainy, soot-like powder in one hand and a more modern plastic bag in the other (and an idle wonder of how Winky was adjusting to the modern conveniences Fleur and Hermione were no doubt introducing along with Lilith), Harry stepped into the more decorative than functional fireplace, threw down the handful of powder, and called out, "The Ossuary!"
Then the world began to spin in that not-quite-sickening way.
Alarms began blaring the moment Harry appeared, stumbling but not quite falling, out of Susan Bones' fireplace. A moment later, he ducked under a beam of red light that shot out of his reflection in the mirror he faced. Only his quick reflexes and too much experience dodging attacks both mundane and magical allowed him to escape the knives that launched themselves from a display on the wall to his left, and the full-on halberd that spun through the air toward his knees from the right. Two more jets of energy, one vibrant blue and the other a scintillating red-green-white-black rainbow, came in from high on the right and low on the left, aiming out of the corners of the room. The first, Harry deflected with a flick of his wand, something he'd never successfully done before. The second, amid his internal cheer, was stopped by a Shield Charm he just got up in time.
The Stunning Spell that came from behind, however, Harry had little defense again. Even hearing Susan Bones' voice cry out, "Emergency Stop, Passcode Ossuous Keepers," as his consciousness faded didn't completely knock out the adrenaline that had gushed into his veins. He couldn't move, couldn't speak, not even open his eyes, but at least Harry was dimly aware that he was still breathing as his body hit the floor.
Of course, that just meant he felt the pain of it, too, but Harry was used to that.
Feeling soft, kind hands pull him up and a murmured susurrus of a single voice as he was placed on something pillowy was, Harry's dim conscious mind supplied, kind of nice.
He didn't even recognize the last word said, Enervate, before he returned to consciousness... and hurt still worse.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, Harry," Susan said between hiccups, "I didn't know you were coming, and I never disactivated the defenses, because, well, it's just not safe, and- and now you're hurt?"
"M'fine," Harry told her gently, "but why're you upside-down? Nice tits. Really appreciate the view."
Her fussing hands stopped checking him over immediately, and he watched Susan's freckled face turn as deeply red as her hair.
"Oh, shite, sorry," he muttered, sitting up and rubbing his head, "I must've hit something on the way down, and- oh, yeah, blood. M'fine though, Susan. Just a bit woozy. Sorry, though. Not- well, I might be a bit concussed."
"A bit," she muttered, wiping tears from her eyes despite the blush, "You got hit in the head with a mace after you fell. I couldn't stop it in time. I'm sorry."
"A mace. And a halberd, and knives... your Aunt wasn't paranoid though, was she?"
Susan shook her head, looking away, "Not like Mad-Eye, no. She... she did have people after her. I mean, he does too, but she... they got her despite the protections, because it was as she was leaving the Ministry that day."
"Oh."
"A- Anyway," the girl said, standing up and offering a hand to help him, up, too. It was only then that Harry realized the soft thing he'd been resting his head on was Susan's thighs, on display beneath a mid-length simple green skirt. She wore socks and a muggle t-shirt that stretched prodigiously over her chest, and looked a little dusty, as if she really had been cleaning. "Wh- Why're you here? Not that I mind, but if I'd known you were coming I could've turned the protective spells and wards off."
"I got your letter," he said simply as he accepted the hand. Probably, he thought, it was a good idea because he was still woozy. And yes, that was an actual battle-worthy mace on the floor with a bit of blood. "Ow."
"Oh," she replied, then raised her hand holding a wand. "Episkey."
With a strange tingle, Harry felt the gash on his scalp close, and shuddered.
"Sorry, you'll probably have a bit of hair loss there, a scar maybe," Susan said quietly, "but, in my defense, it is rude to show up in someone's home uninvited. But I don't mind if it's you. I just... I didn't mean you needed to drop whatever you were doing and stop by. I'm just-"
Harry didn't wait any longer. Woozy or not, he still felt like he knew what Susan needed: comfort. As much as he could provide. So he stepped in and put his arms around her shoulder and waist, and pulled her toward him. "You can cry, if you need to," he murmured against her ear, "I promise not to run."
"But Harry Potter hates crying girls," she hiccuped, her own arms circling him a little more slowly.
"Harry Potter likes Susan Bones at the very least, and doesn't want her to be sad if he can help it," Harry replied. "I'm here. I'll go if you want me to, but I have literally nothing more important or more urgent than trying to help you. Help you cope, to- to be there for you."
She sobbed. Squeezed tighter. He could feel her lips trembling against the skin of his neck, and for once, despite being at least a little aware that he was being hugged by the girl with quite possibly the largest pair of breasts in Hogwarts, sex was the furthest thing from his mind. That wasn't what Susan needed. She didn't even need conversation, or to talk about it. At least, not yet.
All she needed or wanted was for him to be there, so that's what Harry did.