FicWad

Chapter 4 - Did I Fail to Mention?

The next morning passed in a flurry of frenetic activities, Luna dressed in a soft, red jumper and jeans, and carried her winter robe over her arm on the way down to breakfast.

When she got there she sat next to Hermione at the Gryffindor table.

"Have we seen Lavender yet?"

Hermione shook her head while spearing agrapefruit section.

As if on cue, Lavender Brown flounced into the great hall and floated down on the bench opposite them.

"Hullo Hermione, hi Luna, isn't it a glorious morning to be alive?" she sing-songed.

"Had a good night then?" Hermione asked.

"Very good, unbelievably good, one for the muses good."

"Was Ron in any way part of your extremely good night?"

"Oh he was a large, very large part of the extraordinarily good night!"

"And did you remember to take your potion."

Lavender's smile fell slightly, then seemed to hover uncertainly, then crashed and burned.

"Po-potion?"

"Yes," Hermione said, enjoying herself just a little bit too much, "You remember the potion we're supposed to take just in case we might have a really, really good night?"

By now Lavender's eyes were wide as saucers, and her lower lip trembled.

"Have you recently had your monthlies,"Luna asked, "Or are you about to?"

Lavender slowly shook her head, and in barely a whisper, said, "It's been two weeks."

"So, in short, you are at your most fertile and you've just had a night that would make a bishop kick a hole in astained glass window?"

Before Lavender could run screaming from the hall, Hermione pushed a goblet in front of her.

"Wha-what's this?"

"Just a little 'Peace of Mind' for you."

Hermione slid the small packet of Peace of Mind Morning-after Draught Mix across the table.

Lavender picked up the packet in trembling hands.

"Here, let me." Luna said, tearing the packet open, emptying the pink powder into the water-filled goblet.

The contents bubbled and then settled into a bright red, effervescing brew, which Lavender downed in a single gulp.

Wincing at the after-taste, Lavender looked across at Hermione and Luna and said, "I don't know what to say, I don't know how to thank you."

Hermione smiled, "Just be more responsible in the future, unless you think you and Won-won are ready for even more responsibility."

Lavender smiled weakly and made the 'cross my heart' sign across her ample chest.

She pushed the goblet back to the center of the table, her sigh one of immense relief, "I feel like I've dodged a Killing Curse."

Luna smiled and patted her hand, "That's what friends are for, Lavender."

Harry entered the Great Hall and Luna and Hermione slid apart to let him sit between them.

He gave each of his witches a proper "good morning" kiss and said, "Hi", to Lavender.

Harry sniffed at the goblet in the middle of the table and asked, "What is this? It smells really good; is there any more?"

The girls looked, for a moment, like deer caught in headlamps, then all three nearly fell out of their seats laughing.

Neville joined them and handed Luna asealed letter. "Uncle Algie wrote and said to give you this. He also said that he still misses Selene. Who's Selene?"

Luna smiled, "My grandmother, she and Algernon were quite the item when they were students here."

Ron came in, yawning, and sat next to Lavender, who smacked him on the shoulder. Hard!

"Ow! Wazzat for?"

"We'll talk about it later, now kiss me."

After a compulsory peck on the lips Ron said, "Mental, completely mental."

Dean and Ginny entered, holding hands and joined the group at the table.

"Oh good, everyone's here." Luna said as she fished a galleon coin from her jeans pocket.

"Does everyone have theirs?" she asked.

Harry, Hermione, Neville, Ron and Ginny each produced a coin.

"Excellent, give them to Neville."

Dean looked confused, "Taking up acollection, Neville?"

"Sort of, my Uncle Algie needs these for a, ah, charms experiment."

Dean looked at his girlfriend, "It's something to do with the Ministry Six, innit?"

Ginny looked at Harry, who nodded his approval.

"Yes," Harry said, "and it could be dangerous."

"I'm in, then." Dean said, without blinking. He pulled the protean charmed galleon from his own trousers and handed it to Neville.

Ginny looked both pleased and surprised.

"Me too." Lavender insisted, fishing in her purse for her own charmed coin.

Neville grinned, "Dumbledore's Army rides again."

Luna's soft, dreamy voice countered, "It may be Dumbledore's Army, but I'm in Potter's Command."

Dean smiled and said, "I guess that makes us Potter's Commandos!"

Nods all around the table and choruses of "Yes!" and "Works for me!"

A loud, distinctively feline screech, followed by another drew their attention to the entryway, where two enormous ginger cats, in Slytherin robes, streaked up the stairs leading to the hospital wing.

Hermione looked at Luna and smiled, "I love you, Luna Lovegood."

The object of Hermione's affections blushed and said, "Thank you, that's always nice to hear. I love you too."

"Sooooo," Padma said, coming over from the Ravenclaw table, "a 'thruple', is it?"

Harry smiled, "I do like the sound of that."

Ron and Dean looked at Harry, then at their perspective girlfriends.

"I don't share!" Ginny and Lavender said in unison.

Padma put one arm around Hermione to Harry's left and the other around Luna, sitting on Harry's right. This put her cheek to cheek with Harry, and she stage-whispered, "Be sure to call me if you need anything," she said, then lowered her voice an octave and whispered, "anything at all."

"Um, sure, Padma." Harry said, confused.

"Do you have your protean coin?" Luna asked.

The Indian beauty fished her coin from afront pocket of her tight jeans.

"Give it to Neville, and welcome to Potter's Commandos."

Harry was mesmerized by the jeans that he wasn't sure weren't painted on.

He couldn't help himself, "How do you get into those jeans, Padma?"

She smiled and said, "You start by bringing me flowers." Then walked back to her table with an enticing sway of the hips.

The four boys were transfixed by Padma's patent sensuality.

Hermione smiled at them and said, "Yep, they all have pulses."

Harry, Dean and Ron looked guilty.

"Its okay, boys," Luna assured them, "I think we'd be more worried if you hadn't reacted to her."

Filch entered the great hall and announced, "The Hogsmeade carriages are ready, headmaster."

Dumbledore rose and bade all the students going home for the Yuletide a safe sojourn and return.

"Let's all share a compartment on the way back to King's Cross!" Ron suggested as they walked down the front steps to where the carriages waited.

Lavender and Ginny both smacked him on the back of the head.

Ginny looked up at Dean and said, "Or we could try to have some privacy for the couples, and," she looked at Harry, Hermione and Luna, "the thruple."

Harry snuggled into the carriage seat with his two contented witches. Ron and Lavender attempted to eat each other's faces all the way to the King's Cross Express.

When they arrived at Hogsmeade Station, Ron nearly shouted in frustration. "Oh bloody hell! It's a short train, again!"

Harry had only taken the Yule Express once before, so he didn't know that the Department of Magical Transportation sometimes ran the train with fewer passenger cars, assuming there would be fewer students. What no one in the Department seemed to realize was that nearly all students went home for the holiday. It would be a packed train. There would be no chance for privacy.

"I guess we'll have to share acompartment, then." Ron said, disappointment dripping off each syllable.

Hermione said, "We'll need to spend at least an hour each patrolling the train."

"It shouldn't take that long."Ron groused.

They were walking toward the platform when the last thestral-drawn carriage rolled up and disgorged six Slytherins. Pansy, the last to debark, looked pale and drawn. She looked about, spotted Harry and his companions and sneered.

"Something is wrong." Luna said, "Pansy is afraid. Desperately, deathly afraid and feels she has no hope."

Ron sneered, "And we should feel bad about that, why exactly?"

Luna turned, abruptly, to face him, "If I'm right, Pansy is going to die, and that would diminish us. She's sixteen years old and mortally frightened, and worse, she feels alone, completely alone."

Then Luna turned to Neville, who quailed under her scrutiny.

After a few long moments she said, "A pureblood from an ancient and noble family could tip the scales here, save alife, maybe save the world."

Neville nodded, took a deep breath, let half of it out and walked away calling, "Hey, Pansy! Got a minute?"

Luna closed her eyes and smiled.

Harry, Hermione, Luna, Ron, Lavender, Ginny, and Dean managed to find a compartment. It was comfortable, if not spacious. Neville joined them just as the train prepared to depart Hogsmeade Station.

"Pansy's grandmum and mine are in the Grande Dames club together, and I invited them both, on my grandmum's behalf, to tea the day after tomorrow."

Luna smiled, "You've done more than you realize, Neville. You will want to thank me later."

"Um, sure Luna."

Neville felt like the odd man out, but there really wasn't anywhere else for him to go, the rest of the cars were as packed as theirs. And he couldn't exactly spend five hours in a crowded compartment packed full of Slytherins.

As soon as the train left the station Hermione stood and said, "Let's go, Ron. Prefect's meeting."

He grumbled, but grudgingly stood to follow Hermione to the prefect's compartment. Luna wrapped her arms around Harry's neck and snuggled into his side, content to be close to her wizard.

She didn't realize she'd slept until a familiar voice woke her with a whispered, "Luna, Harry, come with me!"

She opened her eyes and saw Padma beckoning them.

"Let's see what she wants, Harry."

"Okay, it'll be good to stretch my legs a bit." Harry agreed. "I could do with a loo."

"Me too, Harry, want to share?"

"Uh, I, uh."

Luna smiled, she loved discombobulating her wizard.

Padma led them back to the last passenger car, where a smiling Hermione greeted them, "Welcome to our private car!"

They passed out of the passenger car into the nearly empty luggage car.

"We've sectioned it off so that four couples, or rather, three couples and one thruple can have a quarter of the space." Hermione said leading them back to the curtained off left-rear quarter.

Pulling back the curtain revealed a nice rug, in the middle of which was an enormous chaise lounge of the type they'd come to appreciate in the Room of Requirement.

Luna "Squeeeed!" and jumped into the middle of the lounger as Hermione set charms around the curtains. Silencing charm, privacy charm, and a particularly useful charm that would make anyone, other than themselves, suddenly have to find a loo if they got within four feet of their privacy area.

"Not to bring up a mood killer or anything, but did anyone see Malfoy at the station?" Harry asked.

"Malfoy and Nott are still at the castle," Luna said, "as are Crabbe and Goyle, but they have to stay over the hols until their polyjuice 'accident' can be cleared up."

"But, don't you think Draco will try go back and fix the portal over the break?"

Hermione smiled, "Luna and I both cast separate confundus charms on that corridor, it was beautiful watching those spells weave together. Dumbledore himself won't be able to find that corridor, let alone the Room of Hidden Things."

Luna added, "And even if he does, somehow, manage to find his way into the room, he'll be looking for a vanishing cabinet, not a chamber pot. Nice bit of transfiguration there, by the way, sister dear."

Hermione buffed her fingernails against her blouse, and with exaggerated grace said, "Thenk yew."

"Not at all, dearie."

"We have four hours to kill before we even get to London, and another half-hour to Kings Cross." Hermione said, unbuttoning her blouse as she slid onto the chaise, "What would you like to do, Mister Potter?"

"Oh let's just lie here and see what develops."

Luna smirked and said, "Just one problem."

Harry raised his eyebrows, "And that is?"

"Someone has on far too many clothes."

Harry drew Luna into a hug, running his hands over her back and arms.

"I love the feel of this jumper, Luna."He breathed, moving his hands around to the front to cup her breast through the soft material.

"It's from Cashmere." She breathed.

"I've never been, but I love it already."

"Give me just a minute, Harry." She said and did an amazing trick with her bra that let her remove it through one sleeve, leaving her braless under the incredibly soft wool.

"Feel it now, Harry." She sighed.

He did and groaned, "Oh yeah, this feels marvelous."

Luna moaned, "Yes, you do."

They lay back on the chaise and Hermione admired their tender attentions.

Luna saw Hermione through lust-fogged eyes and whispered, "We have hours, love, don't neglect my sister-in-love."

Harry nodded and, half stupefied, raised up just enough to pull Hermione down into a tight embrace.

Each took turns snogging Harry; so that they were tenderly, passionately, teasingly and lovingly eating up the miles between Hogsmeade and London, until Hermione sat up and pulled Harry with her.

"I want to feel you, Harry." She said and hooked the hem of his shirt and undervest so that she could tug both off, leaving him bare-chested.

"Now me." She said, leaning slightly back so he could push her open blouse off her shoulders.

He recognized the front-hook design on her white-lace bra and had that off in a trice.

Hermione stood, unbuttoned and unzipped her jeans, then stepped out of them so that she stood in just her white-lace French-cut knickers.

She slid back onto the chaise lounge and tugged Harry's belt buckle.

"C'mon, Mister Potter, lose the trousers."

"Pants too?" he asked.

"Take off whatever you're comfortable taking off." She growled, "I plan to keep my knickers on, but who knows what may happen? It is a long train ride..."

Luna thought, what a wonderful idea, and then stood on the other side of the chaise and kicked off her trainers and removed her own jeans. Her knickers were light blue, thin cotton bikini style. She started to remove her cashmere jumper when Harry said, "No. Please leave it on; I love how you feel in that!"

At Hermione's insistent tugging Harry removed his shoes, socks and trousers, leaving him in only his plain white boxers. Then he laid back on the marvelous lounge and reveled in the feel of his mostly naked witches as they covered his body with theirs.

They enjoyed the three-way, practically denuded snog most of the way into London. About an hour out Hermione asked,"Harry, do you mind if we try something? I think you'll like it, I'm pretty sure we will too."

"Anything you want, Hermione, I hope you know that by now."

She nodded. "All you have to do is lie there. Good, now spread your legs a bit - that's right. Now, Luna, straddle his right thigh, yes, just like that, I've got his left."

Luna swung her leg over and sat on Harry's well-muscled leg.

"Luna, lean forward a bit." Hermione instructed.

When she did, Luna felt something like an electric shock as her sex was now pressed against Harry's bare skin.

"Oh!" she whimpered as the feeling spread from her center, outward, to reverberate back to her damp sex.

Hermione smiled and said, "You've just had a 'little one', you want a 'big one'?

Luna could only nod; she didn't trust herself to speak.

"Then do as I do."

Saying this Hermione rubbed her barely covered sex up and down the length of Harry's naked thigh, groaning as she did. Luna watched in fascination as her adopted sister masturbated against their wizard's leg, faster and faster until she groaned and pressed and wiggled herself against him, shuddering in her completion.

Through half-lidded eyes she said, "Your turn, Luna love."

Luna smiled and began to lightly stroke Harry's thigh with her thinly-clad vulva. The slight movement of light cotton leeched moisture from her dampening cleft until the gusset of her knickers was completely soaked through and very slick against Harry's thigh. She ground herself hard against his solid muscle, then harder and harder still until she had leaned nearly fully forward, pushing her stiff button against him and gasping for breath.

Wave after wave of pleasure started from her wet sex and pulsed in great hot waves through her entire body, only to bounce back to her damp heat to reverberate harder and stronger until she had to shriek, "AhhhAAAAAAHHHHHHaaaaaaahhhhhhh!"

When Luna opened her eyes is was to look into the smiling eyes of both Harry and Hermione.

Her sister smirked, "You're quite the screamer, Luna. It's a good thing we put up silencing charms or someone would have thought we were killing you in here.

Luna purred, "You did kill me. Please feel free to kill me again, anytime."

Hermione stroked her cheek and said, "Now lie back and watch me, you can do this for yourself and Harry the whole week while he's at your house."

Hermione straddled Harry's hips and lined up his erection so that she could move her cleft up and down the underside of his shaft through his boxers.

"C'mon, Harry." She said as she ground down against him, "c'mon, c'mon, come for me, come, come, come, aaaaahhhhhhnnnnn!"

Harry didn't last long before he groaned and added his sticky, slick fluids to those already soaking Hermione's knickers.

Hermione, still straddling his softening member, draped bonelessly across his chest and said, "That's a good boy, that's a very good boy!"

They lay in a contented heap for the next three-quarters of an hour when a silver fox patronus announced, in Padma's charming accented English, "King's Cross in fifteen minutes."

A few cleaning and freshening spells and the preternaturally relaxed trio walked back to the cramped compartment.

When they arrived they saw Lavender cuddled against Ron in the corner nearest the window, both asleep. Neville on the opposite side of their bench, also asleep, and Dean stretched out as much as his tall frame would allow, on the other seat.

"Where's Ginny?" Harry asked.

Dean rose groggily to sit up and pointed at the ceiling.

The trio looked up and saw Ginny, lying on three sets of robes on the luggage rack, sound asleep.

Harry laughed, "I guess there are some advantages to being vertically challenged."

A sleepy voice from above murmured,"That better not be a 'short' joke, Potter."

"She lives!" Dean cried in mock-surprise, then helped his diminutive girlfriend climb down from the overhead.

"Where'd y' go?" Ron asked, sleepily.

"Oh we were just checking out a few things on the train." Luna said, dreamily, "You'd be amazed what there is to uncover."

"For four and a half hours?" Dean asked, incredulously.

"We were very meticulous."Hermione said, smirking.

"Thorough." Harry added with a grin of his own.

There was a scrum as all the students on the train tried to leave at the same time. The older students, who could, apparated off the train, which helped alleviate the crowding.

"Let's just wait a bit for the crowd to thin out." Hermione suggested.

Pansy Parkinson stopped briefly by the compartment door to hand Neville a sealed envelope. She gave the group aperfunctory nod and hurried off.

Ron and Lavender, in full snog, didn't appear to notice her. They appeared desperate to spend what precious time they could together.

Luna observed the two Gryffindors snogging and noted the distinctively wrapped box in Lavender's lap. She applied what she knew of Lavender, from the few conversations they'd had in the DA, and then compared that information to the vast amount of data she had on Ronald, her distant neighbor in Ottery St. Catchpole, and saw an impending disaster.

Luna, in her best dreamy voice, asked,"Boys, could we have a few minutes of 'girl time', please?"

Harry stood, recognizing the 'Luna's on a mission' tone.

Neville and Dean stood as well, ready to follow Harry out.

"Do we have to?" Ron asked, not keen to end the snogging session so soon.

"Well," Luna said, "you can stay if you really want to; I was going to compare notes with the other girls here about our monthly flows and the best feminine products, there's all that blood and mess. . ."

Ron was out the door like a scalded cat, followed by Neville and Dean, both of whom were a little green about the gills, finally a chuckling Harry left, saying, "Try not to be too long, love."

Luna turned to the blonde sixth-year first.

"Lavender, do you want to keep dating Ronald?"

The girl looked shocked, "Of course, you should see what I got him for Christmas, here."

She undid the ribbon and opened the box to show off a gaudy gold pendant that spelled out, "My Sweetheart" in flowing script.

"Oh, very pretty, what do you think, Ginny?"

Ginny, startled at her sudden inclusion stammered, "It's, um, very shiny."

Luna turned to her sister-in-love,"Hermione?"

"You put a lot of thought into that gift, didn't you, Lavender."

Luna nodded and said, "It truly is the thought that counts, but I'm afraid Ron won't care for it, he will never wear it."

Lavender stared wide-eyed at Luna and began to tremble, "but it was the best I could afford and I really just want him to know that I really, really love him and . . . and . . ."

And she began to cry in great hiccoughing sobs.

Ginny wrapped her arm around the older girl's trembling shoulders, "We know you mean well, Lav, but we've known Ron alot longer is all."

Lavender looked to Luna and Hermione with pleading eyes, "What can I do?"

Luna answered, "Remember, Lavender, if Ron is important to you, then his hobbies and interests will have to be yours. If you can't do that, then it would be kinder to break it off now."

"I-I really think he's the one for me." She said, sniffing.

Hermione smiled, "Well, are we or are we not witches?"

They put their four heads together and crafted two matching bracelets one with a distinctively masculine, Germanic script, the other in feminine cursive saying "Weasley is Our King."

Ginny took one to give to Ron as apresent for Lavender. The other, more masculine, bracelet went back into the gift box.

By the time the four witches left the compartment most of the crowd had thinned and Lavender was recomposed and refreshed.

"Oh, and one more thing," Luna said,"Call him Ron or Ronald, he's starting to not like Won-won."

Lavender nodded, "I'll remember that, thanks."

The boys returned, rapping cautiously on the door as if to be sure the 'girl stuff' was over and done with.

Harry smiled the smile he always had for Luna - she was such a joy to be around, "How did the discussion go?"

"Very well, good information all around and, oh!"

She took Lavender by the arm and hustled her off to the side, "I just remembered, as Editor in Chief of the Quibbler, Daddy has permanent press-box passes to all the Chudley Cannons' home games. We never use them, because the Cannons always lose, and where's the news in that?"

Lavender tried hard to follow what Luna was trying to say. "So?"

"So when I get home I can owl you the tickets and you can give them to Ronald, along with the bracelet."

Lavender's eyes grew wide and she squealed with glee, picked Luna up in a tight hug and spun her around, singing"Oh thank you, thank you, thank yoooouuuuuu!" in a high squeaky voice.

The two laughing girls skipped back to the group, hand in hand.

"What was that all about?" Ron asked.

Lavender smiled, "You'll see. Promise you won't open this till Christmas?"

Ron accepted the jewelry box and said, embarrassed, "I, um, sure, Lavender."

They kissed goodbye and as soon as she'd left to find her parents Ron looked to Harry in a panic, "Harry, can you loan me a few galleons? I've got to find a present for Lavender."

A tap on the shoulder and Ron turned to see Ginny holding up a small gold bracelet, "Not to worry, big brother, I've got you covered."

He looked at the fine script "Weasley is Our King" and smiled, "Oh, I like that, but will Lavender like it?"

Luna said, "I know she will."

"Hermione! Sweetie, over here!"

"Mum! Dad!" she cried and ran over to fall into a tight three-way hug with her parents. She took them both by the hand and practically dragged them over to meet her friends.

"Mum, Dad, this is Harry."

Mrs. Granger furrowed her eyebrows and looked back and forth between her daughter and Harry.

Hermione smiled and nodded, which made her mum smile as well.

Mr. Granger, typical dad, sized up the young wizard and seemed to find him wanting.

"Doctor Granger, I'm pleased to meet you sir, Hermione has told me quite a lot about you, sir."

As they shook hands, the dad in Mr. Granger seemed to be warring with the bloke who was very impressed by the poise and good manners of the young man who wanted nothing more than to steal his daughter.

"Franklin Granger. Pleased to meet you, Harry."

"Doctor Granger, I'm very pleased to meet you, ma'am. Hermione tells me she gets her love of books from you."

"Helen Granger. And I'm so glad Ifinally have a face to go along with the name that's been in every letter home since Hermione's first year."

"Everything Hermione has said about me is absolutely true, ma'am. I'm terribly sorry..."

"Oh, I like this one, Hermione, let's keep him."

Franklin Granger smiled, but even the most unobservant spectator would have recognized the underlying message, "Hurt my little girl in any way and they'll never find your body."

Hermione pulled Luna into their group,"Mum, Dad, this is Luna Lovegood; she'll be joining us in Nantes on Boxing Day. Is that okay? I didn't get a return message from the owl."

"We're glad to have you both, ready dear?"

Harry gave Hermione a chaste kiss on the cheek, and said, "Be safe, Hermione, I miss you already."

"Oh you can give her a proper kiss, Harry, don't worry, I'll keep Franklin at bay."

The two teens smiled and enjoyed aproper goodbye kiss, much to the delight of Hermione's mum.

As they walked away Harry watched them and sighed heavily.

"I miss her too," Luna said, "but it's only four days."

"I love her so much, y'know? It's like watching a part of me walk away."

Luna became unfocused and, in her dreamy, mathemagical voice, said, "We are standing on this very platform, and our youngest daughter, whom we will name Diana, by the way, is getting on the train. We're smiling even as our hearts are breaking, because it feels like alarge part of us is walking away.

"Now we're in a muggle church, and the Reverend is asking 'Who gives this woman to be wedded to this man?' and you step up and say, 'I and her mother.' And your heart is breaking even as you are filled with joy at the happiness she has found this day."

Harry gathered Luna in a tight embrace and said, "You're one of a kind, Luna, I love you so much."

Luna sighed, reveling in the warmth and comfort of Harry's arms.

"So, is your dad going to meet us?" he asked.

Luna smiled and said, "Did I fail to mention that Daddy is on a fact-finding mission to Rio de Janeiro and won't be back until February?"

"So we'll have your home all to ourselves for four days?"

Luna smiled and nodded, adding, "And four nights!"

The happy two-thirds of the thruple practically skipped off to Diagon Alley, where they would find a floo to Xeno's Tower.



Author's note:

I feel sorry for Jo KR's Lavender Brown. She may be legally blonde, but Lavender is completely in love with Ron who basically uses her and then dumps her. I know, I know, it happens all the time, but in this story I'm giving the girl a break.