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Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all related concepts are owned by someone who isn't me. I will never seek or accept money for the circulation of this work. Especially this work.

Spiral Tangent: '9503 - Holly-lujah' - Holly recovers from almost dying again. Neville expresses his feelings about it.

Placement: March 1995; after Chapter 47 'Subsurface Tension'

What you need to know: Holly Evans attends Hogwarts in place of Harry Potter. Holly is known to be much like her namesake- prickly and poisonous, but what only a few know is that Holly really is Harry, or at least she was born Harry, and now she can become Harry much as an Animagus becomes their totem animal. Most days, Holly prefers the intimate company of women, but Neville Longbottom has proven himself to Holly over four years to be a noble example of his gender. Kinda.

Author's note:
There is sex described, but less than I originally intended (or certainly could have included). Still, there's fondling; oral; beginning hetero; another hetero sample and plenty of kisses all around.
Also, this is an attempt to write in past tense instead of present like I normally do. Let me know what you think.

~o~

Neville had been waiting for a miracle to save the life of Holly Evans, and when it came, he was busy betraying her.

Not betraying, perhaps. He was consoling her best friend, Hermione. These two girls, so different in his eyes, were yet so much a part of his landscape. HJE & HJG; the most important women in his life, even moreso than his Gran. Their lives were tied together as well. When one was injured, the other suffered. He cared for them both, and kept his favorite memories of them close to his heart.

Hermione helping him find Trevor on the first train ride.

Holly giving him a Valentine.

Hermione consoling him when that Greasy Bastard humiliated him once again, which ruined his concentration enough for Neville to humiliate himself more.

Holly recruiting him to help smuggle a baby dragon from under Filch's watchful eye.

Hermione crying in his arms when Holly was found in that Slytherin abattoir.

Kissing Holly at the platform. Dancing with Holly at Lammas. Holly kissing him for pranking the twins. Holly choosing him over Viktor Krum. Dancing with Holly at Yule.

So many of these memories occupied the 'best moments of my life' section of his head, that he wondered how it was that he knew so little about them.

For instance, he was sure up until yesterday that Hermione was only attracted to women.

After all, she did everything with Holly. At least, she did up until their sudden disagreement last year that culminated with Holly's arrest for killing Flint. Sure, once Holly was sent to Azkaban (shudder), Hermione was seen looking fondly at Ron and at Seamus, but everyone knew that nothing happened with them. Seamus was very clear about that (much to Neville's relief). And once Holly had returned, so did their companionship, along with Hermione's smile. Holly's smile was there too, but tinged with pain. It took them only a short while together to heal their friendship. Surely, that meant Hermione was really... like that, as anyone in Arithmancy would attest. (Why maths magic had anything to do with lesbianism was beyond him, but he knew not to argue with that sort- most of them were Ravenclaws, and they could debate circles around his head.)

So, when Hermione had approached Neville to interrupt his vigil in the Healer's wing an hour past curfew, he had no problem offering the intensely-smart and subtly-pretty witch a shoulder to cry on once more.

"I was RIGHT THERE, Nev! (Snif) I was right there and... and then there was the dagger... and she acted so quiet and distracted. How could I have MISSED IT?!"

At that point, Madame Pomfrey emerged from her office at a speed of bustling that communicated an entire novella worth of warning. Neville gathered up his fellow Gryffindor and led her away from the quiet hospital space.

Once they realised that wandering the halls so late would guarantee a detention with someone disagreeable, Hermione led them through secret tunnels and back passages, attempting to return them safely to the Gryffindor dorm. They were doing well until Filch nearly caught them on fourth floor, and they ducked into the WWRX space to avoid detection.

By this time of night, Lee had queued up the overnight selections of quiet pieces and left everything on automatic. The room was barely lit by the little lamps that showed which turntable was active and the small meter that showed the current output volume. They moved carefully so as not to jostle anything.

Neville offered, "I know you're upset, and I can't sleep. Do you want to just sit with me here for a while? I'm a pretty good listener, even if you don't want to say anything."

Her sigh of relief sent a thrill along his spine. "That would be wonderful. Thank you, Neville."

Hermione led them around the equipment tables to the growing collection of albums filed on shelves. Aside this library of vinyl was a small lounging area often used by the Marauders to discuss spell and prank ideas. Hermione directed him to their comfortably lumpy couch.

Neville sat back at one corner of the sofa. Hermione lit a few candles on the side tables, and then sat next to him. She arranged his arm around her shoulder and then leaned into his hold. After a few minutes of adjusting, Neville found himself cuddling the girl in his arms. She was stretched out along the couch with her head leaning back against his chest and his arms around her waist, as she had guided them.

He sat quietly, listening to Hermione's breathing as it began to ease. A troubling thought left his mouth before he could stop it. "You wouldn't rather be doing this with Harry, would you?"

Hermione's breath hitched and she twisted around to look up into Neville's eyes with tears flowing freely.

He attempted some amateurish repair work. "I- I- I didn't mean to say... I mean, are you... did you break up?"

Hermione's tears continued. "No. No, it's nothing like that at all."

"Oh. Well that makes sense."

Hermione sniffed away her tears and then gave Neville a confused look. "It does?"

"Well sure. I mean... you aren't really dating him, are you? That whole thing seemed awfully contrived. For sure, your heart clearly belongs to Holly."

Hermione rose from their cuddle and turned to face him with what seemed like irritation. The look was countered by the huskiness in her voice, confusing Neville further. "Let me make this clear. My heart is my own, and while I love Holly, she is the exception to my usual desires."

"I... uhh... thought that you were... "

Hermione leaned up close to Neville, causing a dryness in his throat that cut off further babbling. Hermione must have been able to sense his discomfort, because the next thing Neville knew, she was kissing him so deeply that he was sure she was trying to provide relief for his parched voicebox with her tongue.

Neville just ran with the experience, his heart beating madly. He visualised this mad thumping as sending shockwaves into the breasts pressed so firmly into his chest, and his heart raced even faster.

When Hermione pulled out of their kiss, trailing little pecks onto his lips and jaw and chin, he was sure he had gone deaf from the sound of his own heartbeat.

Wrong again. He clearly heard Hermione whisper, "I'm fond of you, and I feel very alone right now. Would it be alright if we slept here together, tonight?"

"Whah... whu... buu... huh?"

Hermione placed a calming touch to his shoulder. "Neville, I know that you've been watching over Holly. I know that you fancy her, but at this moment we don't know if she will live through the week. My problem is, I don't know if I will survive without her. I... lost my parents last month, and--"

"You did? Oh, I'm so sorry!"

"Yes, thank you. I'm recovering as well as can be expected, but Holly is the closest thing to family that I have left, and she's dying. Do you... could you find it in your heart to share some affection with me? I just feel very, very alone, and you are someone I know I can trust."

"I... have dreamed of this moment. Are you sure I'm not just dreaming again?"

"You've dreamt of me?"

"Yes! I knew that it was an impossible thing, but you and Holly are the... you are love, to me. When you started dating each other, I really lost hope there for a while, but then Dean and Holly had that... date."

"Oh! Don't remind me. It was my idea."

"Your idea?"

"Yes. Well, I wasn't inclined to seek love with girls at all, but Holly convinced me to share affection with her and it was... (gulp)... revelatory. But to dissuade any intentions she had towards becoming a couple with me, I suggested that she explore the other option as well."

"I don't get it. If you loved her, why send her to another, much less a boy?"

"Because, I'm not a lesbian!"

"Oh. Yet you just said--"

"YES, alright, I am... a little. But like I said, Holly is the rare exception to my normal intentions. Anyway, to clear up any further confusion you may be under, I had never looked at girls that way until Holly suggested it. She had been secretly in love with me since... well since I was petrified, I guess. No wait- since first year, when I told her that I would be very put out if she should die in her confrontation with Professor Quirrel."

Neville's brain began to spin faster, while trying to fit the pieces together. "Holly... is the lesbian?"

"Yes! Well... not entirely. Most of her sexual encounters have been with witches, mostly because Dean left... (giggle)... a bad taste in her mouth!"

That was the final straw that dislodged Neville's sanity, and the two Gryffindors fell into a hysterical laughing fit for a few minutes. Once they calmed down, Neville's mental balance returned and he groaned a little. "Oh, we are simply awful. Hermione, I have been in love with both of you longer than I can remember. I just seem to want the things I cannot have, I guess."

Hermione looked at Neville, wide-eyed in shock. She squeaked slightly before whispering, "You're... in love with me, as well?"

"Well, I... “Nev stopped himself before he tried to make excuses for his feelings. He abruptly realised that he was experiencing a well-timed moment of courage. He stared into Hermione's chocolate-brown eyes and calmly stated, "Yes. I love you, both."

Hermione's look in return was tinged with fear. "N-neville, I have a question to ask you. A very unfair question; in fact, several unfair questions. I'll understand if you don't want to answer them, but I would hope that our friendship can stand a few... uncomfortable truths."

Neville stared at Hermione for a long moment. His response was a tentative nod.

Hermione settled back on the couch, facing him. She looked down at her hands in her lap. Neville caught himself admiring how the lights from the radio equipment danced in her eyes, making them seem like... something magical.

Finally, Hermione looked up at Neville and asked, "Which of us do you love more?"

Neville's heart stuck in his throat. It seemed to him that this was a question slightly more dangerous to answer than 'what is the worst thing that you have ever thought of doing?'

He drummed up his courage and answered, "H-holly. She's... done so much for me, and... excited me... challenged me. Holly doesn't think I'm ready for some difficult situations, and I know that's why she keeps me at arm’s length, but I think she loves me, too. Also, I don't know how to explain this but, she's... older than us. I love her, but I can't quite figure out whether it's as a sister I admire or as a witch that I want to... want. She doesn't make it simple, either."

A pair of tears raced down Hermione's face as she listened, but she nodded genuinely with a smile when Neville got stuck at that thought. "She's different. I'll grant you that. And I understand what you mean about her age. Neville, if you could have a wish fulfilled about you and I and Holly, what would it be?"

"Ahh... hmm... well, not to be a feckless boor, but just that sentence creates all sorts of wild fancies."

"Neville! You dirty, dirty wizard!"

They shared another laugh before settling into another potent silence.

It was Neville's turn to break the quiet. "Hermione, I didn't stay with you here to hurt you. You're having a hard time of it; I can see that. I care about you, deeply. Can I offer you any sort of comfort, tonight?"

"Yes. I think... I'd like for us to cuddle together for a little while. Just hold me and make me feel safe. That would be wonderful."

Neville sat up suddenly and drew his wand. "Oh! I can do this- you have to let me do this!"

"Do what Neville?"

"Just stand up from the couch a moment."

Hermione followed the instruction. With a moment's concentration and a very careful wave of his cherry wand, Neville transfigured the couch to double its normal depth.

"I did it- it worked!"

"Yes, you did. That will be perfect."

Hermione stepped forward to look up into Neville's gleeful expression. A moment later, he was engaged in a tender kiss. His arms very naturally wrapped around her, drawing her close.

They kissed for a while, and then separated to lie down on the widened couch. Neville hopped in first, looking up at Hermione with affection. Hermione smiled back and removed her light work robe, revealing a set of red silk pyjamas. Doffing the matching set of slippers, she sat down and curled herself into Neville's quite stunned but welcoming embrace.

She sat up again and turned to Neville with an impatient look. "Nev, could you at least take off your shoes?"

"Oh, right!"

Neville sat up, took off his shoes and robe, pulled out his tie and loosened the buttons at his cuffs. He settled back down and Hermione joined him, spooning up to his front and drawing his arms around her. Once Neville remembered the relaxing joy that comes from regular breathing, he pulled a blanket over them and settled in; to sleep with a pretty girl who was wearing very little, in comparison. It took another hour for him to relax enough to actually sleep.

~o~

Hermione woke to the very enjoyable feeling of having a man's arms wrapped around her. One hand was cupping her right breast, having slipped between the buttons on her pyjama top. The other was resting on her belly. Without thinking, she stretched into the man's grasp and felt the wonderful auto-response of having her nipple stroked. Between the stretching sensation and being gently fondled, her ardour rose hot in her belly. She ground back into the crotch of her bedmate, earning a renewed tingle from his subconscious caresses in response. A deep rumbling moan vibrated into her neck and Hermione gasped in pleasure. The hand caressing her chest shifted enjoyably, incidentally unclasping two of the four overlarge buttons barely holding the silk top together.

She continued to shift and grind in the embrace of her companion, using her own hands to guide the motion of his larger hands over her breasts and down between her legs. Her breath came short after a minute of these motions, and she leaned back into his nuzzling to whisper her enjoyment. "Harder. Make me come."

It was then that Ginny Weasley leaned over onto the back of the couch, looking down at the two with a knowing smile. "Ehmm... hello, sports fans."

Neville's eyes popped open in tandem with Hermione's. Both Gryffindors then leapt off of the couch as if they had discovered it filled with snakes. A brief fumbling and stuttering ensued and the two babbled incoherently in an attempt to explain the circumstances of their pre-conscious fondling.

Ginny giggled in enjoyment of their hijinks before raising her hands to calm their worries.

"Hey, makes no never-mind to me. I just didn't know you were there until Hermione started moaning. Besides, I thought you both might enjoy hearing some timely gossip- Madame Pomfrey thinks she's cured Holly."

Both dropped their jaws in response. "What?!"

"Yeh. She's been watching her carefully all night and whatever she did is working. Hols even said a few words to her, apparently. I got this from Moaning Myrtle while I was in the loo a few minutes ago, so you know it's at least got a chance of being true. You should... clean up... and go see her. Don'tcha think?"

Neville bowed his head. "Uhmmm... yes. We should."

Ginny smirked and turned toward her fellow witch. "Hey, Hermione?"

"Yes?"

"Nice jammies. Especially without the buttons."

Hermione blushed at first, wrapping her top closed and then turning away to carefully rebutton it. Her modesty reclaimed, she then snapped a defiant gaze towards the redhead. "Like them do you? And here I thought you had no interest in Luna's sort of horseplay."

Ginny blanched. "What did you hear?!"

Hermione's eager grin communicated her superior position. "Details. All. Sorts. Of details."

"Truce?" Ginny held forth her hand as if holding a teacup.

The witches hooked pinkies and shared a stern gaze. Hermione intoned, "Shared silence, sister."

"Done."

Neville let out a sigh. "Thanks, Ginny."

The redhead moved her hands to her hips and gave him a scowl. "You look a little flat for a sister, Mr. Longbottom. I may not be planning to mention Hermione's choice of bedclothes or sleeping arrangements, but your antics on this couch can easily be discussed while never confessing the identity of your cuddle-mate."

"You wouldn't!"

Ginny giggled. "Clearly, you are suffering from some sort of memory loss."

"I'll owe you?"

"You certainly will, Mr. Longbottom. Don't you forget it, neither. Now, if you don't mind, I get to be famous for another two hours. Behave, or my gossip will be broadcast school-wide."

(Gulp).

Hermione watched as Neville raced out of the station room. She turned to Ginny with a desperate look. "I need you to swear to me that you're not going to tell Holly about this!"

"What's your worry? She doesn't go for blokes."

"She's... been seriously considering him as an option. I think they'd be good for each other, but none of that will happen if you stir things up about my... moment of weakness. Please?"

"I don't get your relationship, arrangement, whatever, with Holly, but I won't say anything. But Hermione, what do you feel for him?"

"Umm... mostly that it can wait. This school seems like a poor place to seek a lifelong companion."

"Have you told Holly that?"

Hermione stared at Ginny for a moment before replying, "Holly's time at school may be the full length of her life. I wouldn't deny her an opportunity for love and joy for anything."

Ginny frowned and nodded. "Fair point."

~o~

Neville and Hermione entered through the hospital doors an hour later (scrubbed up and in fresh clothes). Madame Pomfrey looked at them and muttered to her patient, "Do these two qualify?"

Holly slowly leaned up to see past the privacy curtain. "Eh. Close enough."

Madame Pomfrey finished her last diagnostic and then retreated to her office, giving all three a glare of warning as she left that spoke volumes.

The two Gryffindors walked up to Holly's bed as she flopped back into it. At closer inspection they could see that Holly was still deathly pale, but her mood seemed up. Neville kissed Holly on the forehead and then looked towards Hermione. "You get first crack at her. Uhh... I mean--"

Hermione giggled nervously. "Thank you, Neville. I'll just take a minute."

Neville smiled and stepped back beyond Holly's privacy circle. Hermione made a quick wave with her wand to activate the inscription on the floor. The curtain walked itself around the barrier to enclose them.

Hermione leaned down and gave Holly a strong hug. Holly kissed her neck as she released her to return to standing. After smiling at each other for a moment, Holly rasped, "What's with him?"

Hermione blushed. "We've been waiting for your recovery... together."

"Oh. Good for you."

"No! It was nothing like that! We were just keeping each other company... without wanting anything to get so... out of hand."

Holly looked at Hermione with a pleasantly surprised smile.

"(Huff!) I mean, there's a significant unresolved issue hanging between us three."

"Hanging? How low?"

"Holly! Just... give him a listen."

Holly's expression soured. "You really think now is when I should ruin his life? Sex with me tends to have a jinx-like effect, as you've recently discovered."

"I didn't say 'drag him into a closet and take his innocence’; I just think he's finally prepared to express his feelings for you."

"Hermione, please explain to me how this won't lead to his destruction? I'm in love with Natalia. I sleep with other women as they become available, mostly to keep a demon at bay."

"You only keep that demon at bay by feeling love from others. This man loves you, powerfully. From a purely empirical standpoint, he is a resource that should not be ignored."

"That sounds more like the 'drag him into a closet' plan. What's going on?"

Hermione glared at Holly. "Don't you think having mutilated him and nearly gotten him killed affords him the right to know more about why his life was threatened? He thought I was just using him for comfort because Harry wasn't around. I couldn't tell him that if you died, Harry would be dead, too! Neither of us can have anything real with him until he knows the truth, and if anyone should tell him, it should be you."

Holly slumped, nodding in agreement. "Alright. It's time. I don't know how we'll get onto the topic but I'll think of something. Anything else you'd like to say? You're sorta on a roll."

"I'm very happy to see you awake and healing."

"Are you? You sure about that?"

Hermione glared again. "Yes. While you were at Death's door for your semi-annual stare-down, it occurred to me that you are my entire family, now. If you go rushing to shuffle off this mortal coil, I will be completely screwed. Don't. Do that. Again."

"I wasn't planning on being stabbed in the back!" Holly looked down at her blanket with a doubtful grump. "I just forgot my own advice, is all."

"Which advice?"

She smirked up to her friend. "Don't dismiss the short ones. They'll surprise you."

Hermione cackled at the sudden change in tone. "Ha ha hah! Alright, there are all sorts of other things to discuss, but I'll catch up with you later."

Holly interrupted her departure. "Hermione- any word from Tonks?"

"No, sorry. Winky won't look for her just on my instructions, and Dobby can't come here to be asked. Professor McGonagall may know a bit more."

"Y'know, you can call her 'Mum', too."

"No, I can't. I have a Mum. She's just... I've just lost track of her, for now. They may think I've died, but I didn't. Maybe that will shake their hang-ups loose."

"Maybe. Strength, lover."

Hermione reached down to kiss Holly's cheek but instead got a pair of warm, tender lips for her efforts. They kissed for a minute, until Holly broke the snog.

She took Hermione's hand in her own. "Hey. I love you. All ways, always."

"Yet another sin to reconcile."

"You've a decent brain. Consider it mental calisthenics. Now, send in the sacrificial lamb."

Hermione smiled as she moved to exit. Holly could hear her whisper to Neville as they traded locations at the edge of her privacy barrier.

Once Hermione had left, Neville ducked into view. His first surprise was seeing that Holly already seemed to have more life to her.

Holly looked up at Neville with a faint smile. "Mr. Longbottom. It is my understanding that you have sat vigil over my chilling corpse these last days."

"That's not funny, Holly."

"Sure it is, 'cause I lived. Anyway, I'm really glad it was you watching over me. I'm so sorry about getting you involved in this Task."

"Then... I really am... the 'thing you'd miss most'?"

"What?"

"Well, that's what the hostages were described as--"

"Pfft! Talk about swallowing the propaganda!"

"Well then, why was I chosen as 'the thing you would sorely miss'? Why not Ron, or... or..."

Holly began listing out options to explain. "Hermione was already pegged for Harry... or Viktor, depending on how you look at it. Professor McGonagall had greater responsibilities. My friend Natalia is nowhere to be found. Sirius is in exile. The only other obvious choice would be Luna, and thank Heaven they didn't choose her or I'd never shake her loose. Besides, you were my date for the Ball, which explains why the judges misjudged Viktor's priorities."

Neville face fell. "So that's all, then?"

"Nev, sit down."

"I don't think I should."

"Nev, sit down so I don't need to crane my neck to look at you. You're a bleeding pine tree."

"Oh!"

Neville sat in the chair beside the bed and Holly turned on her side to face him. She rearranged her pillows to best angle her view.

"Neville, you don't want to get too close to me."

"Says you."

"Yah. Says me. Says the fact that most everyone near me gets their life torn up. Did Hermione mention that her parents have thrown her out of their family?"

"She said she had lost them. I thought she meant that they had died."

"I went back and told them that she threw herself into the Thames from the pain of their rejection, so the results are about the same."

Neville stared at Holly in stunned confusion.

Holly flushed in shame, a sharp contrast to her thinned-blood paleness. She stared down at her hands. "See, that's what I'd like to avoid. You were nearly killed in this Task because you're getting too close to me. You had the sense to reject me at the Yule Ball as not being in your league, but now you're back and trying to get yourself killed in order to be near me. You are the moth, drawn to 'flaming me'. Please... go and find another moth to flutter about with. Seeing you safe and happy would... please me, greatly. I'm getting tired of hurting the ones I love." Holly then gasped slightly, realising the meaning of her own unintended confession.

Neville's heart raced. "Holly, I ran from you at Yule because I thought I couldn't measure up. Originally I thought you saw me as a little brother, a safe date for the Ball in place of going with Hermione, but then you were flirting and being... VERY sexual with me and I couldn't believe that my dreams were about to come true. I then realised that they weren't. Because I wasn't worthy."

"Nev, you are worthy. You're worthy of better than me!"

Neville leaned forward from his chair to lift up Holly's face and stare into her eyes. She was surprised by the fierceness of his gaze.

"No one. No one I have ever met is better than you."

Holly scoffed and teared up a little in response. "Then you need to get out more."

Neville dove forward, kissing Holly forcefully. She responded in kind, gripping his head and running her fingers into his hair. They both moaned into their kiss. Neville broke them apart when his muscles started complaining about the bad positioning.

As he shifted to sit at the edge of her bed, he said, "I love you so much."

Holly grumbled and a few more tears escaped her eyes. "You have a death wish."

Neville shook his head. "Maybe I just want to save you, for once. You've been saving everyone else for a while. Why not let me take care of you for a bit?"

Holly blinked several times, and then reached to firmly grasp his hand in hers.

"We are not continuing this conversation here. Grab that Cloak out of my rucksack and come with me, please. I need to do a jailbreak and you've been drafted to be my accomplice."

Neville scowled at first, but then reached over to the side table to collect up Holly's belongings and pull out the Invisibility Cloak. At the same time, Holly rose up from her bed, donned several pieces of jewelry from the side table and then tapped her foot, causing her hospital tunic to be switched out for jeans and a green pullover, with a hint of maroon lace peeking from her décolletage. After a moment's fumbling with the Cloak, they had themselves covered and Silenced, escaping Madame Pomfrey's care with a shared giggle that only they could hear.

Once outside the Hospital doors, Holly grabbed Neville's hand and led him down the corridor. They traveled under cover of the Cloak, weaving past the students talking together or lounging away in the sunlit corridors.

After being led up several staircases and along a few odd hallways, Neville finally spoke. "Where are we going?"

"Took you that long to ask?"

"We're somewhere I haven't been before. Up until that last turn, I thought we might be headed for the Astronomy tower or that warm outdoor patio."

"We're almost there."

Holly led Neville for another minute before stopping in front of a large tapestry. She stepped out from beneath the Cloak and then walked a few times back and forth, after which a door appeared in the opposite wall. Holly once again grabbed Neville's hand and drew him in through the door, closing it behind them.

Neville was stunned to find a familiar set of furniture within. "It's the Gryffindor common room."

Holly turned to face her friend, correcting him. "It looks like the Gryffindor common room, but it's actually something else. I want to sort this out away from any interruptions, but someplace that you'll find comfortable."

(Gulp) "Alright."

Holly stepped forward, taking his hands into hers. She looked up into his eyes. "Neville..."

"Yes?"

"If I tell you I love you, will you make love with me?"

"W-what?"

Holly just stared up at Neville with a blank expression.

Neville replied, "I... I think maybe we'd be moving a little fast..."

"If I tell you I'm sorry for cutting off your foot, will you make love with me?"

"But that was just what you had to do. I don't blame you for that. Besides, Madame Pomfrey reconnected it just fine."

"Still, not a friendly gesture on my part."

"I know, but I forgive you completely."

"Thank you. Will you make love with me?"

"Holly! What is your problem?"

"My problem is that you want me to give you solid answers but you're unwilling to offer me the same."

"I just... I want..."

Holly snapped, "What, Neville? What do you want?"

"I-- I-- I... "

Realising her mistake, Holly softened her voice. "Neville, as angry as I seem, I really do want to know what you are feeling and thinking about this."

"I... "

She offered, "You want me to guess?"

"Ehmm, that might help."

Holly scowled briefly, and then turned to lead them to the couch. "Have a seat."

The two sat facing each other on the couch in front of the fireplace. Neville's worried state was fairly obvious. Holly just seemed irritated.

They sat for a while just looking at each other, though Neville only took furtive glances before turning away to look into the fire, or at his shoelaces, or at the weave of the upholstery.

Holly whispered, "Neville, I'm sorry for making this hard for you. I'm going to say a few things that may seem rude, but should cut to the heart of the matter, alright?"

"S-sure."

"My guess is that you are attracted to me sexually, and that makes everything else you feel for me seem unworthy of mentioning. You also feel that you owe me, for all the things I've done for you over the years."

"Um, yeah. Right so far."

"Must make it hard to express yourself when my breasts are in the way."

Neville looked up, startled, to see Holly smiling at him. He began to snicker.

"I mean, they just float up in the middle of a conversation. 'Oh, Holly. Did you see that sky last-- omigod it's TEATS!'" Holly emphasized the point by lifting her breasts up within her sweater like they were floating in water.

Neville burst into all-out laughter.

"See, I know it was easier for you to talk to me before, but ever since my sudden maturation, you've been tongue tied." Holly sticks out her elongated tongue, wrapping it into a knot. "Gashhh, Howwy. I weawwy wike youw dwess! Wiw you dance wimme? I twook wessowns..."

Neville's hysterics started him to crying and he fell off the couch in a laughing fit.

While Neville was distracted with rolling on the floor, Holly stood up from the couch and pulled her top off, tossing the garment onto the floor. She then reached behind her back to release the clasp of her maroon lace bra, removing it as well. Neville looked up at this point and his laughter turned into a difficulty with catching a breath. His eyes bulged out.

Holly smiled down to him. "Weawy somefing awen't theyw?"

Neville couldn't help but giggle, but he started to hyperventilate when Holly stepped forward and sat down on the floor astride him, pinning his legs beneath her.

She untied her tongue and whispered, "Neville. It would make me very happy if you and my breasts could get along. First, an introduction." Holly grabbed Nev's right hand and drew it to her left breast, cupping his fingers around the swell.

"I... uhh... what are we doing?"

"You're caressing my breast. I'm helping." Her expression darkened. "Are they... ugly, with the scars?"

"No! Not at all! They're great. Uhh, better than they looked at Yule, even."

"They can't hear. You have to tell them things by touch, Nev."

Neville gently squeezed the warm flesh, rubbing his thumb across the areola. Holly let out a gasp and clutched Neville's hand more tightly to her when he attempted to pull back.

"That was a good gasp, Nev. Don't stop."

"I-I-I don't know what to do."

"What's your instincts say?"

"Kiss you."

"'Bout time!" Holly smiled as she leaned down to share a kiss with Neville. The tender touch of lips distracted Neville from his breast-work. Holly pressed her body down into his grip, and touched her tongue to his lips. Neville opened his mouth slightly and Holly's tongue began to explore inside.

Neville finally remembered about his right hand and squeezed her breast, kneading it. Holly's acceleration in kissing convinced Neville to continue the massage. Holly made short gasps into Neville's mouth and drew his other hand to match efforts on her other breast. Once both were being teased and squeezed, Holly wrapped her arms around Neville's head to re-engage in the snogging. Their activities became more heated with the passing minutes, both teens breathing heavily in between snogs. Holly also twisted her body in Neville's grasp, adding complexity to his breast massaging.

Holly pulled back a moment, urging, "Pinch them, Nev. Tweak my nips with your fingers."

Neville followed the instruction, leading Holly to gasp desperately, grinding her pelvis on Neville's thighs. Within a minute, Holly was forced to break their snog, throwing her head back and moaning in ecstasy.

"Hnnnn, yeah... YEAH! YAAAHHHHHHHH!"

Holly continued pressing herself down on his legs, shuddering through several cycles of attenuating stimulation. When she was once again calm, she opened her eyes to stare down into Neville's shock-frozen face.

"That was great. Next time try biting them. I tend to scream more."

"I don't want to hurt you."

"Neville, I have been tortured, crushed, poisoned, whipped, shot, stabbed, and... well, raped. You'd really have to try hard to hurt me."

"I... um... I think we should stop."

"You do?"

"Yes."

"I suppose that was a bit of a mood-killer. Sorry." Holly sat up, clambering up from the rug to straighten her trousers. Neville stood as well, changing his view from supplicating to authoritorial. A very concerned look clouded his face as he looked down towards Holly.

Holly smiled tentatively and reached up to cup Neville's cheek. "What are you thinking?"

"Aside from 'wow; breasts!' I'm wondering if you brought me here to seduce me."

"I did."

"Why? And not just a little quip- really tell me why, Holly."

"I feel bad for cutting off your foot. More than that, I'd heard about you laying siege to Pomfrey's office, trying to care for me. It reminded me of when Hermione was petrified. Also, it is the collective opinion of some very learned women in my confidence that you are hopelessly in love with me, and there will be nothing to change that unless I address it directly."

"You're seducing me to get me to stop loving you?"

"That's one way to look at it."

Neville smiled. "I think you're taking the wrong approach, then."

Holly returned a genuine smile. "Yeah. Sometimes, Neville, I don't want to be right. I want to be wrong. I want to lose. And right now, I want you to prove me wrong about one of my biggest assumptions."

"Which is?"

She rolled her eyes in a tease. "I like girls better in the sack."

"Holly..."

"Alright! What I really think is that I can't be happy with you. That you and I together is a recipe for disaster. That I will ruin you if we get too close. That... if I get involved with you, I'll lose my way. You are a wonderful man who places much higher value on me than I deserve. This also reminds me of my feelings for Hermione, which puts my beliefs about you being deranged in question. So, between my doubts and your acts of devotion, you've earned a shot to prove me wrong."

"So, to prove you wrong, I have to make you happy?"

"Basically. Like most women, I also get happiness from giving happiness, so really, we both have to end up happy."

"What's the first step?"

Holly smirked. "Less clothing, of course. Are you ready for this?"

The panic on Neville's face was almost painful. "I don't know!"

"Good. Now you have a learning opportunity, as well. I always feel better about doing something risky if I can find more than one reason to do it."

"Holly, this isn't what I was intending. W-why do we have to jump to sex?"

Holly scowled at him. "We don't, but I've wanted you for a while now and if we're going to try to have something together, I'd like to get to the good stuff before Fate kicks me in the head again!"

Neville stared at her for a moment, trying to read her true intent. "Holly, it would make me so happy to... do everything you're hinting at doing. I don't get why it's happening. You almost seem desperate to... have sex with me. That can't be right."

Holly scowled and slumped down onto the couch. "Busted."

Neville sat down next to her, focusing on her troubled expression. "Why are you doing this?"

Holly turned her face to his, and reached her arms up to grasp his shoulders. Her eyes seemed to open wide, as if her defenses were being relaxed. She whispered, "I nearly died again. I tried my best to do my best and all I got for it was a knife in the back. There are times, when all I want to do is run away. I don't need this grief, but I'm saddled with it. When I get hopeless like this, I... I want to feel loved. You've been trying so hard to be there for me, and all I've done is tease you and push you away and belittle you. Then, I had to mutilate you. I can't think you'll keep worshipping me, when all you get for your trouble is grief like mine. So here we are. Two people attracted to each other, who owe each other, like each other and want to help each other."

Holly drew Neville closer using the hands on his shoulders and by straightening her back, which incidentally brought her breasts to his attention again.

Neville licked his dry lips and tried to redirect the discussion. "Are you sure you're up to this? You've barely recovered."

"You promised to take care of me, Neville. I need your love. I need you to show me love. I can explain later, but right now, this is the most powerful thing you can do to protect me. My body will rise to the occasion, I promise."

"I don't understand."

Holly gripped his shoulders tighter. "Make me feel loved!"

"I DO!"

Holly began to cry in frustration. "I need to feel it! I need you to--”

Neville leaned down and engaged her in a kiss. She immediately wrapped her arms around his head and snogged him fiercely. His arms encircled her waist, but she pulled back slightly to liberate her hand. She pulled his left hand from her waist and up to cup her breast. Once that was set, her hand slinked between their chests and unbuttoned his dress shirt, all while they continuing their fervent kissing.

He broke their kiss and leaned backwards. Holly used the opportunity to slip his shirt off and disengage his belt faster than he imagined possible. Again, Neville was amazed as she used tandem one-handed motions to unbutton both their trousers. With the zippers pulled down, she let go of his pants to stand up and strip hers off.

Neville stood as well. He was caught in a moment of rapt fascination as Holly knelt down, naked, in front of him. A swift double-handed motion from her and his pants and jockeys were down at his ankles, freeing up his quite rampant todger.

Holly's eyes goggled behind her frameless lenses. "Wow, Nev. I guess your talk about deep root systems comes from a personal perspective. And as for your worries about 'measuring up'..."

Neville swayed in both excitement and confusion. Holly recaptured his attention when her small hands pulled back the foreskin of his unit and she leaned forward to give it a wet lick.

"Stop!"

"What?" Holly looked up at him, green eyes alight with lust. Her hands were wrapped around his cock, the tip only an inch from her moistened lips. Neville was struck silent for a moment at the image.

Holly rolled her eyes. "I said, 'what?' What's wrong?"

Neville gulped. "You... you shouldn't do that. You don't need to do that."

Holly smiled slightly. "I know that. Don't you want me to, though?"

Neville's face darkened. "I'm not Dean."

Holly sat back for a moment, looking up at Neville with tears in her eyes. "That's..." She released his member and stood up to hold his face with both hands. "You are such a sweetie. I don't see you that way. I'll wrap my lips 'round your substantial branch because I want to. I'm fairly sure you'll like it, and I'll enjoy the feeling of you enjoying the feeling. Okay?"

"But Holly--"

"This is for my benefit as well, Neville."

"How so?"

"You'll come. It'll be great. Then I'll get that stallion-sized rod ready again and we can take our time with the second wave. I want to feel you in me for a while. Trust me."

"You've done this before."

Holly paused, sensing the almost accusatory tone of his statement. "This may be difficult to... well, no. I'll make it simple. I've been involved with a girl who likes acting like a bloke. We use toys to help replicate the experience. I know of what I speak, but the truth is, you'll be the first wizard's pole I've let into my nethers."

"But didn't Flint--?"

Holly winced. "No, Nev. They just poked with their fingers. I stopped them before they got that far."

Both were calming down from their ardour from this interruption, so Holly took Neville's hand and led him to sit on the couch again. He fairly tripped into his seat due to the clothing around his ankles. They shared a laugh, and then he reached to pull them back up. Holly stayed his hand.

"Take them all the way off, Nev. Or I can do it for you, if you like."

"N-no! I can handle this." He bent forward, furiously removing shoes, socks, trousers and briefs before leaning back to look at Holly.

She smiled from her position kneeling on the couch.

"Now, I can handle this." She reached forward to take his rod in hand. Just seeing her do this excited Neville enough to come back to full engorgement. She pulled back on his foreskin once more and leaned down, enveloping his tip in warm, wet glory. In seconds he was panting, feeling her tongue teasing and licking around the first few inches of his cock. She added to his pleasure by dipping down to take a greater length into her mouth, and began to moan as if enjoying a very tasty sweet.

Neville used his last few independent neurons to stutter a question. "Does... does it really taste that good?"

Holly let his tip pop out of her mouth and answered, "Not really, but you have to admit, the vibrations from my moans make it worth the hamming it up, yah?"

Neville looked at her curiously for a moment, but was unable to focus his eyes once Holly had dipped her mouth over his rod once more, sliding her moistened lips down half way. She shifted her kneeling position slightly, and Neville was surprised by a tightening sensation around his cocktip. When he opened his eyes to look, he saw that Holly had taken his full length down her throat. The erotic image was intense, only to be exceeded when she gulped. He gasped, feeling the three second countdown to full orgasm. It came, causing his balls to contract and his brain to nearly explode in sensation. He barely noticed her pulling back off his cock and using her hands to pump the semen from his rod to land in trails on his abdomen. So enwrapped was he in his moment of ecstasy that he never noticed Holly collecting some of the ejaculate into a bottle that she stoppered and rolled beneath the couch. He simply lost consciousness.

~o~

Neville woke to an amazing feeling, even better than the feeling of Hermione's breast in his hand that morning. His todger was once again being subjected to Holly's oral encouragement. He blinked his eyes open and shook his head towards Holly, who stopped licking the underside of his cock to give him a smile.

"And he's back!"

"H-how long was I out?"

"A few minutes. I cleaned you up and let you drift for a bit before working on sharpening your tool, here."

"Holly, that was wonderful."

"Thank you. I have a few notions on how you can reciprocate."

"Oh? I'll do what I can."

"That's all I ask." Holly stood up from the couch and straddled his legs, using one hand to guide his re-hardened cock into position. She carefully rubbed the tip against her soft folds, allowing her lubrication to saturate his tip. With a shimmying motion accompanied by frequent gasps and her own eyes rolling back in her head, she ensheathed his cock within her channel. Once settled, she opened her eyes to stare deeply into Neville's gaze.

"God, you just fill me up. (Gasp!) Nev, a few rules. If I say 'stop', you stop. If you say 'stop', I stop. Other than that, we can do this as gently or forcefully as you like."

"Forcefully?"

"We'll just see how it goes. Just remember one thing."

"Yes?"

"I'm tougher than you."

"I'll say! Weren't you mostly dead yesterday?"

"True, but I'm feeling--" Holly hopped slightly, her inner muscles clenching around his deeply-penetrated cock. "(GASP!)... mmmmmmmmuch better now."

~o~

Holly woke to the annoying sensation of being poked in the eye. Her head swam as she tried to focus her vision, and she shook her head to try to clear the fog. The motion flipped Newt from off her face, but the inky lizard hopped right back onto her nose to hyperactively poke her cheeks with a claw.

Holly rose sluggishly, looking down at her naked body lying on the couch. She smiled at first, and then shivered at an unusual cold that seemed to crawl through her body. She finally sat up enough to take in her surroundings.

What started her panic was the sight of blood dripping from between her legs.

Holly sat up but swooned immediately, clutching at the couch cushions to stabilise herself. Once relatively balanced, she took a second look at the blood running down her leg to pool on the floor. This wasn't coming from her vagina- there was a gash cut into her thigh. She examined the wound and sealed it with a wandless Episkey.

"Wuh... Wun... Winky!"

The elf appeared with a 'pop'.

"I... need..."

"Oh! My Mistress! Winky will get the blood-doubling drink!"

"Perfect."

Seconds later, Holly was gratefully drinking down the thick elixir. Once her head cleared, she ransacked her things to retrieve her Marauder's Map.

Holly spotted Neville's label climbing the tower to the Owlery. She turned to the elf.

"You'll get there fastest. Find Neville- trip him, knock him out, do whatever you have to, but don't let him leave or send an owl. If you can take him down, bring him to the Chamber entrance. Got it?"

The elf frowned. "Winky isn't permitted to attack students or staff."

"Winky, he stole my blood."

The elf's face curled into a mask of rage and she popped away with enough force to echo within the Room for several seconds.

~o~

Padma had been enjoying the relative quiet of Holly being bed-ridden. It figured that the moment she was awake, chaos would follow. The witch looked up from her research to see Holly enter the room, levitating the frozen body of Neville Longbottom behind her. With barely a warning of 'Clear the table!', she proceeded to drop the boy's body on top of her scrolls and collected books.

Padma stood up and immediately struggled to rescue the scrolls that were being crushed, giving Holly a glare worthy of her favorite Aunt Kamala, whom no man could vanquish.

"I have my own entertainments, Holly. Why did you bring him here?"

Holly slumped against the table, looking quite pale. "Well, I wasn't planning to share, but then Nev decided to bleed a pint from me and I took it personally. Hermione should be along in a minute. We need to figure out whether he's hexed... or if he's simply a dead man whom I haven't buried yet."

Hermione did join them then, and Holly nearly passed out several times while explaining the circumstance of Neville stealing her blood. After a few minutes of consoling Holly on her typical fortunes, they decided to bind Neville in a chair and see what he had to say for himself. A few minutes’ preparation and Neville was revived to a dark room, facing three shadowed women in cloaks.

"Wh-where am I?"

Holly started off the interrogation. "You're in a hidden room. I need to know why you took blood from Holly Evans, and what you were going to do with it."

"I... Holly?"

"Yah. Talk, Neville. I'm not feeling charitable."

"Well, I couldn't take it before because it was tainted. Now that you're cured, I could get the blood and go back to my normal life."

"Nev, what were you supposed to do with the blood?"

"I need to send it by owl to this post-box in Birmingham, for Mister E. Could you send it along for me? It really needs to get there sooner rather than later."

"Nev, I don't want my blood given to anyone, ever. Why would you think I would?"

"It's going to help you. It's very important, and meant to be kept secret, but since you know already, that's fine."

Holly scoffed and raised her wand. "Stupefy. So, what do you think?"

Hermione re-lit the torches and pulled back the hood of her cloak. "There's obviously something interfering with his mind. It's quite subtle, since he seems to accept it readily, despite what we know of his feelings for you."

Padma was considering possibilities related to vampire servants when Hermione brought up a relevant recollection.

"I wonder if this has anything to do with those private lessons Professor Moody was giving him at the start of the year?"

"What lessons?"

"Professor Moody took Neville aside several times in the first two months of the year, I assumed to help him deal with his confidence issues. It certainly seemed to help, as Neville's casting has been improving quite a... oh, I'm really stupid."

Padma shook her head. "You did not suspect anything of it at the time. Only now does it seem obvious that the false Moody was interfering with his mind."

Holly groaned, "Yah, his brain's been pureed, and we know by whom and probably why, but what are we to do about it?!"

Padma replied, "The obvious solution would be to have him given over to the Healers at St. Mungo's Hospital. They have specialists who handle this sort of enchantment, I would think."

Hermione turned to face her, "You would think?"

Padma shrugged.

Holly sat back and mused, "I don't think the St. Mungo's healers have much luck with mind fucks."

Hermione glowered at her. "What makes you say that, in as crude a way as possible?"

Holly glared back. "I'm tired, woozy and really brassed off, and they haven't made much progress with Neville's parents who were Cruciatus'd into catatonia over a dozen years ago. Besides, I don't know if having some unknown wizard rooting through his memories is a good idea for us."

"You'd risk his sanity to keep the Marauder's names secret?"

"He's not insane, just ensorcelled. It's recent enough work that I should think we can make a go of it."

Hermione sat down next to Holly and locked gazes with her. "Holly, I know you rarely change your mind once you think you have a solution, but in this case I think we really must get Neville's consent. His 'programming' may interfere, but if we can ask him without giving away what we're going to try to fix, he might be able to make the choice freely. I think that's the right way."

"Padma?"

"I would tend to agree. We have no right to invade his mind, but if you are confident that our talents may be able to help him, we should offer him the option."

~o~

They waited an hour for Holly's strength to return before bringing Neville back to consciousness. This time it was just them, sitting around a table with some tea service brought by Winky to calm all their nerves. Holly had also brought forth a bowl of black cherry sours (made by Florean to be just like the Headmaster's lemon drops, only with a decent flavour) to keep their tempers even.

As the boy shook himself awake, Holly leaned in to whisper, "Neville, how are you feeling?"

"Confused. We were just... well..."

"Yeah. Something went odd and you were acting weird, so I brought you to Hermione and Padma so that they could take a look."

"What did you find?"

Hermione placed a hand on his forearm. "Neville, you've been affected by mind magics somehow. It was making you do things that were threatening your own life."

"Really? No one was hurt, were they?"

Holly also placed a calming touch, to his other arm. "Nothing important, but it looks like you could do worse if we don't try to fix it. The thing is... I don't necessarily want someone we don't trust poking around in your head. Would you be alright with it if we were to try and fix the problem?"

"I... I don't know. How much would you be able to see?"

"This could get very personal, Nev."

"Could... do you all have to see it?"

Padma, Hermione and Holly traded looks for a moment, with Padma being the first to respond. "I do not believe it will take all of us entering your mind to aid you, but we do operate more safely as a team."

"Then, can it be just Holly that enters my mind?"

Holly looked down and mumbled, "Are you sure you wouldn't prefer Hermione for this?"

Nev turned first to Hermione, then Holly before replying, "I trust you both, but I think Holly is more likely to... to..."

Hermione smirked. "You think Holly wouldn't be scandalised by your darker thoughts, is that right?"

Neville blushed and nodded.

~o~

After an hour of poking around, Holly leaned back in her chair with a sour expression.

"It's like bad clockworks in there- there's many holes and plenty of jerry-rigged work-arounds."

Holly stared at Hermione a minute. Once their brief rapport was finished, Hermione offered, "We might be able to use the Pensieve to pull out some memories, so that you can see what's connected to that which is blocked and such. Neville, have you had someone try to work with your head before?"

"My great Uncle Algie used to sit with me on Saturdays. He said he was trying to wake up the magic in me, but that I was holding back because of the trauma. I'm not sure to what he was referring, unless it was about my... my parents..."

Holly gave him a reassuring one-armed hug. "Nev, I know what happened to them, but it looks like he was trying to fix the same problem for you."

"I don't remember anything from that night."

"It's a blessing, I'm sure. Just the same, this is going to take some time. Are you still alright with me doing this?"

"I couldn't trust anyone more."

"Girls, I'll take it from here."

Padma and Hermione looked at Holly with matching expressions of confusion.

"I'm going to get into this, using all my techniques at hand. It could get... intimate."

Hermione smiled and pulled Padma by the arm. "This will take a while. Let's give them some privacy."

"During which time, you will explain in more detail what is being planned?"

"During which time I will invite you to join us for Easter break at Holly's retreat, and explain why you will find that much more stimulating."

~o~

Holly moved them over to the ritual room, where a comfortable overstuffed futon was available.

Neville looked at the dais surrounded by protective markings with some trepidation. "What... are you planning to do to me?"

Holly turned around to face him, giving him a warm smile. "Courage, young Gryffindor. I want to enter your mind fully. It's called a Rapport, but it's best executed after I put some enchantments in place to open us up to each other. This won't be permanent, but it will be... intimate."

"You keep saying that. How intimate?"

Holly rearranged the tiles on Perenelle's notebook to form the portable Pensieve, setting it on the futon for ease of access. As she was fiddling about, she explained, "I will feel like I am you, in your memories. At the same time, we need to be touching as much skin together as possible to aid the connection."

"As much..." His eyes goggled, much to Holly's entertainment.

"C'mon, Nev. It's me. Of course there's sex involved."

He smiled. "You're right. I should have guessed."

Holly applied several Warming charms to runes embedded in the floor's stonework, and then stripped off her clothing. Seeing Holly preparing herself, Neville also disrobed.

Holly led him to lie down upon the cushion with his head next to the tiled bowl. He watched as she walked around the room naked, retrieving a few items from a bookcase or a shelf. When she returned to the futon, she was holding an inkwell that looked to be full of sap, with a very small painting brush stuck into it.

"First, this is a ritual of bonding that you must agree to in order for it to work. Okay?"

"Alright."

She sat down on top of him, straddling his waist, and started drawing on his chest with the thick ink. Neville stared up at the naked witch as she concentrated on her work, noting that Holly appeared to be getting a bit emotional, as her eyes were getting watery.

Holly drew a set of symbols on the center of Neville's chest, and then cut her thumb with a flick of her quilltip finger. She added her blood to several points on the symbol, and then made a cut on Neville's chest which caused him to tense up and hiss. Drawing a drop of his blood, she reached up and mixed it with a single tear she had been working to generate. With a final inscription across his breastbone, she incanted a mumbled phrase and asked, "Will you accept my bond of sacrifice, that we may understand each other?"

Neville replied, "I will."

A sunshine yellow glow took hold of them both, causing the ink on his chest to seep into his skin. Holly was also affected, as she reflexively tossed the inkwell aside from the feeling of the magic rushing through her small frame. Holly then leaned down to lie onto of him, sliding her pelvis back so that Neville's swelling manhood was lined up with her moistening sex. She wrapped herself around his body with legs and arms, snuggling into his warm embrace. A deft shimmy and she impaled herself on his cock once more, accompanied by mutual moans of delight.

Holly leaned up to look him in the eye. "I would love to just stay like this, but we are here to accomplish something, so don't start pumping into me or anything, alright?"

"Wha-whatever... you say (groan!)"

"Neville."

He looked her in the eyes again.

"Legilimens."

~o~

It took several hours, during which Holly would occasionally slip out of their memory-sharing to pull out a memory or put one back in. Over the process, Neville felt his mind opening up to things that had been hidden from him over his life.

First, of course, were the times that the faux-Moody had used a mix of Compulsions and the Imperius curse to 'program' his help in acquiring a sample of Holly or Harry's blood. The Death-Eater found that Neville's loyalty to both, especially Holly, required multiple layers of misdirection in order for Neville to accept his commands without question.

Going further backwards, Neville discovered the interference of his gran in Confunding him away from his attraction to Holly on several occasions to limited success. His Great Uncle Algie had taken a turn at this as well, though he seemed less convinced of the necessity of their interference.

Neville came to understand his Uncle's reluctance as they unraveled a series of mind spells applied in the years just prior to Neville attending Hogwarts, where Algie had been erasing memories of failed magic attempts and incidents of teasing by visiting children from other families. Neville's childhood only seemed lonely because his times of camaraderie were being erased to spare him the pain of embarrassing situations. While the actual incidents of humiliation were bound away, Neville continued to lose confidence and found it more difficult to reach out to others. Instead he spent time with his plants, who could never walk away and were always available to listen.

Holly stopped when she reached the earliest evidence of tampering. These memories were clearly the recollections of his parents' torture, as well as his own suffering and the weeks of traumatic stress that had followed.

"Neville, I can already tell you've got a lot to handle, to re-address in your mind. Do you really want me to unlock this? I can speak with some authority when I say that horrible experiences always do damage, and the way you heal from them affects your ability to handle things rationally, later."

"What would you do?"

"I'd... I'm not a good model for this, as I have a special circumstance that allows me perspective when things become frightening. If I didn't have that, I might not be able to handle just being in a room with other people, for all I've been through. The mind blocks out these sorts of things all on its own, to protect you. Leave this pain behind."

"Is that the brave thing, though?"

"Sometimes brave is letting go of the injustices you know you can never balance out. You know in general what happened. Let the details go, for your own sake."

Holly cuddled with Neville over the next few hours as he allowed his own liberated memories to re-teach him about his childhood, aided with the perspective of a little maturity and Holly's ready sympathy. He cried, he got angry, and he forgave some, while swearing revenge on others, sometimes humourously.

They fell asleep together that way.

When they woke up a few hours later, Holly gave him a strong, loving kiss. "You look like you're beginning to relax. You also look a little... stronger, I'd say."

"It's all because you were there to help me."

"No, you did the work. I just supplied some insight."

Neville sighed deeply and turned to face Holly, locking his gaze with hers.

Holly smirked and teased, "Something on your mind?"

He leaned forward and kissed her, communicating the strength of his emotions. When he finished, he turned their embrace to lift her on top of him once more. Holly straightened her arms and leaned up to get a better look at him. Neville leaned up as well, but he wrapped his lips around her right breast and began licking and tugging on the flesh. Holly let out a gasp.

"You... don't need to... pay me back... or--"

She was interrupted by Neville suddenly sitting up with his arms wrapped around her waist, moving to lift them both from the futon. Holly wrapped her legs around his hips and allowed herself to be carried across the room.

Rather than being placed on the nearby desk, she found herself pressed against the chamber wall. Neville adjusted their position, slipping his straining todger up into her channel with a forceful thrust. Holly gasped again, also feeling him engaging her other teat in erotic gnawing. Her pelvis was pounded into the wall with accelerating force, and her gasps became yelps and cries.

Neville continued his sexual onslaught with her encouragement. They bounced against the wall for a few minutes, and then Neville hooked his hands beneath her arse and lifted her to be placed on the desk. He re-entered her, increasing his previous pistoning into her seizing channel, while pressing against her Mons with the heel of one hand. Within moments, both lovers cried out in joy and release.

Neville stepped back and tripped on the edge of the futon, collapsing onto it. Holly slipped down from the desk and slinked over to where her lover lay panting.

"That... was fantastic! Where'd you get the notion to do that to me?"

Neville panted a bit, blushing slightly. "I saw a few of your memories while you were working on mine. You didn't say that your friend Natalia could also appear as a wizard. I saw... a bunch of memories of you with her being a him and taking you... aggressively. You seemed to enjoy that."

"I did. I do. I will."

"You will?"

"I'll give you a few minutes to catch your breath, Nev. Then..."

"Then?"

Holly grinned. Neville's heart skipped a beat. He figured that he didn't need that one, with as many beats as he expected to be having soon.

~o~

Holly languorously crawled across Neville's naked and prone body, moving her head down to his crotch once more. She nuzzled over to give his raw equipment a gentle kiss. Neville whinged for a moment. "I can't. Curse my human weaknesses, but I can't, Holly."

"No harm- I just wanted to express my gratitude for a job well-done. (Kiss!) So. I'll bet you'd say that was better than the first time."

"Absolutely! It's the difference between a dried-up biscuit and... having the run of Honeyduke's!"

Holly turned around to give him an indignant look, her hair flopping over to her other shoulder, somewhat stringy with accumulated sweat. "Hey now! I didn't think my efforts yesterday were anything to sneeze at!"

Neville craned his neck to regard Holly's pale form. "Oh, of course not. I thought you meant compared to my first time, ever."

"You weren't a virgin?"

"Uhh, no. Though I guess I can see where you would assume that."

Holly grinned, walking her fingers along his chest to tease up goosebumps. "Well, I think you should dish a little then. Who was the lucky girl that opened your eyes to the joys of being a mammal?"

He relaxed back onto the futon to gaze at the ceiling. "You... you don't know her."

"Even better; you have no reason to hold back, since I won't be in a position to treat her any differently."

"I don't think I want to tell you this."

Holly sat up to kneeling next to him on the futon and looked down into his eyes. "You don't look embarrassed- you're afraid of telling me. What happened?"

Neville shuffled to sitting up as well. "Please promise me you'll keep in mind that none of it was my idea."

She squinted at him. "Alright, but now you have to be specific about what happened."

He sighed. "My Great Uncle Algie took me to Brussels right before the Quidditch World Cup. He had... selected an attractive local muggle girl who was Confunded into having sex with me in a hotel room, and then he Obliviated her afterwards. Before we left, Uncle Algie made sure she wasn't impregnated. It's a tradition. It's how many pureblood males are introduced to sex- we call it 'fielding', as in 'have you fielded yet?'. I've felt horrible about it ever since because I knew you wouldn't approve. I'm also probably at risk of some punishment from the Families for telling this to you, a muggle-raised girl."

Holly stared at him for a full minute before she began to cackle.

Neville's eyebrows lifted slightly. "I hope this means you'll forgive me."

"I'm considering it. What's got me tickled is, well, no wonder there are so many 'muggleborns'! (Ha ha ha hah!) Sperm live in the body for three days- checking an hour later would be inconclusive. If that's been happening all along, Lily and Petunia are probably only half-sisters. (Hah! Ha hahahahahah haaah!)"

"Why is this so funny to you?"

"Heh! Because it means all this tripe about pure blood is UTTER BULLSHIT! Hermione's not a muggleborn, she's an unrecognised genius from some curly-haired noble wizard's son. Probably Goldstein's half-sister, if you consider the resemblance. Also, you should probably see about checking whether the House of Longbottom already has an heir in the baking, due in... (hah!)... May!"

Neville's face screwed up in a panic. "Professor Trelawney said something to that effect in October!"

"What'd she say, exactly?"

"My first heir will be born without my knowledge near the time of Beltane!"

She shrugged. "So? Let it happen, then. What would you do if you could track the girl down?"

"I'd... um... offer to help. Right?"

"That's a meeting worth twenty Galleons to watch; 'Hello, you don't know me because magic exists and my great-uncle used it to seduce you for me and make you forget afterwards, but now you're going to have my baby. Just so you know- that unexplainable stuff the little tyke will cause? That's actually normal, and not the blessings of God following your otherwise immaculate conception.'" Holly cackled some more. "She'd kill you, if she has an ounce of self-respect left after being date-raped by someone absolutely no-one in her town remembers her being with. I guess you're not Galahad after all."

"You don't seem mad."

"I'm FURIOUS, Nev!" She fairly exploded, her arms flinging wide with the release of emotion. Holly calmed her frightening visage when she saw the abject fear in Neville's eyes. "But at the society more than at you, since you have time to fix your mistake. Your job now is simple- get your Great-Uncle to track down the girl and figure out how to fix things. Don't let him slide- this is both of your faults, and you can make him comply by threatening to recognise the child when it suddenly shows up in eleven years. You'd best contact him soon." Holly then turned to retrieve her clothing, starting with her lace bra.

Neville growled, "That's only one of many reasons I'd like to speak to him." He shook his head and offered, "If it's any comfort, she wasn't a virgin. Uncle Algie selected her for her... skill as well as her looks."

Holly scoffed. "Well, you may find the situation already resolved then."

"Why?"

Holly squinted at her naked companion. "If she's experienced enough to not have been traumatised, she may have already aborted the child, depending on her convictions."

Neville retrieved his briefs and began to dress as well. "Aborted? What do you mean?"

Holly grabbed her jeans and leaned back to shimmy into them. "She would have had a doctor remove the unwanted baby before it developed too far."

"Well, what would the doctor do with it, then?"

Holly huffed in disbelief. "Nev!"

"What?!"

"The doctor would have had to crush it first- the foetus is killed and removed like the unwanted invader that it is."

Neville's face fell in shock. "Merlin! That's horrific! How could people allow that?"

Holly and Neville both continued to dress as their argument gained momentum. "Nev, there's five billion muggles occupying the planet. Depending on the situation, this is seen as a responsible choice."

"Muggles are insane."

"Just as much as magicals, but for different reasons and in different ways."

"I don't see how!"

"Nev, how many muggleborns show up at Hogwarts each year?"

"I dunno. Five or so. More lately, of course."

"And purebloods have been 'fielding' for generations, yah?"

"Of course."

"But no one put the two together for you until now?"

"How does that make us insane?"

Holly rose to standing, now fully clothed. "It doesn't. It makes you stupid! Acting like magicals are superior to muggles is the insane part."

Neville stood as well, though he was still tucking in his shirt. "At least we respect the life of a child!"

"The muggles who do this sort of thing don't consider it a child yet. Not until it can live outside the womb without help."

"They're wrong."

"Possibly. Which is why I don't put muggles as smarter than magicals, either."

"When do you consider it a child?"

Holly stopped short and looked away. "I haven't had to make that call yet."

Neville stepped forward. "Why not?"

Holly turned up a defiant look that gave Neville pause. "Because it isn't a complete question- what you're actually asking is 'when would I stop thinking of a baby as a thing that can be killed without calling it murder?' As I said, I haven't had to decide that yet."

Neville stammered, but pressed on. "W-well, decide now. When do you consider a child to be a person who deserves to live?"

Holly took an extra moment to stare into Neville's eyes.

"When I can reason with it. Half the school hasn't made it yet, nor has our Minister for Magic."

"I'm serious."

"So am I."

A dead silence fell between them.

"Nev, you'd best get it through your head early; I'm a killer. It's my purpose, and what I train for. There's a bunch of killers coming, and the best chance the rest of you have is if I put down the worst of them before the war is even declared. This discussion is better had with Hermione, or Professor McGonagall. Anyway, find the girl and take care of your responsibilities."

"Or what?"

"Or I will. My problem-solving habits tend to be a bit frightening to most."

Neville turned away. He shook his head a few times, and then mumbled, "Yeah. Y'know, that's one reason why I think you're going to win."

Holly stepped forward to hear him better. "Win? You mean, the Tournament?"

"Against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. I mean, I should have known it couldn't be Harry. Harry's just a bloke. He isn't anything more than me. He can't possibly defeat the Dark Lord, so it makes sense that he didn't do it the first time. But you can do it. You can win. I believe in you, Holly."

Holly's eyes bulged out. "You mean you didn't see... and I didn't mention... but, you were in my memories."

Neville looked at her with confusion. "Well, yeah, but I didn't poke around that much. It would have been rude. I already felt bad about watching those sex memories, not that it was hard to find one."

Holly took his hand and led him back to sit on a bench by the desk. She sat down next to him, staring at him with a look of great concern.

"Holly, what's wrong?"

"Nev. This is... very difficult."

"What is?"

"I need to tell you a secret, one that I should have revealed before. It's the most important thing you'll hear today, and should explain a few things as well."

"I... I'm ready."

Holly took several calming breaths and stared into Neville's eyes once more.

"I am Harry Potter."

"No, you're not." Neville grimaced in confusion, but his voice gave away the beginnings of a nervous realisation.

Holly nodded to him slowly. "I was born Harry Potter, but then when Riddle came to kill me, things went weird and I was changed into Holly. Now I can be both."

Neville stood. He walked away for a moment, and then turned to face Holly again. Neville's face grew red and he stumbled to the floor, moaning, "Noooo. You... but it makes... I just... we just... BLEEEARGGH!" and then expelled his stomach contents across the stone floor.

Holly began to cry. "Neville, you have to understand- I didn't even know this until a year ago--"

Her explanation was cut off by another bout of sick. Neville's overtaxed psyche brought him to weeping between heaves.

"That doesn't mean I don't love you--!"

(Blooorrrghh!) (Gasp!) (Gasp!)

Holly stood up over him in frustration. "Oh for-- MAN UP, WOULD YOU?!"

(Bleeeaagghh!) (Gasp!) (Gasp!)

"Fuck this. FUCK this! FUCK THIS FUCKING..." Holly drew her Lignum-Vitae wand and pointed it at Neville's head. "(Sob!) Obliviate!"

Neville reeled back as the spell took hold, his emotional collapse put on hold.

Holly sobbed a few more times before collecting her thoughts enough to finish the spell. "You will forget anything that happened with Holly since right before you awoke to drain her blood. Somehow while sleeping you've broken through the crap that has been holding back your memories. You sorted through them, all on your own, while floating in and out of sleep. Stupefy. Petrificus Totalus. Dissimulo. Mobilicorpus."

~o~

Neville woke up laid out naked on his own robe in what appeared to be the Gryffindor common room. He found Holly standing, bright and cheerful, putting on the clothing she was wearing when they had escaped the hospital wing. She moved in a very practised, comfortable manner.

"Holly? Is... is something wrong?"

"Wrong? No. It's perfectly fine. Why?"

"You're getting dressed."

"How observant! This is what happens after sex and after sleep- people get dressed!"

"But..."

"Oh, Lord help me. Don't act like this was anything important, please. I already told you I was seducing you. Everyone knows my reputation by now."

Neville paled. "I didn't come here with you because of that."

"Well, why not? Nev, this was fun. I still fancy you and if you have time when no one is looking, I wouldn't mind another ride. You're a decent lay, and I'm sure after a few more times you can last longer. But don't think of this as a bonding moment or some such. I just don't feel that strongly for... men."

Neville's face scrunched up in pain and confusion. Holly knelt down in front of the distressed boy and forced on him a quick but lusty kiss.

"There! All better. I'll see you around. Go have brekkers- it'll do you a world of good."

She stood once more and left the Room at a happy stride, humming to herself.

The moment she closed the door to the Room of Requirement, she slumped against the handle to hold herself up, face clenched in a grimace. Through the door, she just barely heard a choked sob, and her own resolve broke, sending tears streaming from her eyes. After a moment, she growled at her lack of self-control and stormed off down the corridor, scrubbing the tears from her cheeks.

~o~

Neville returned to the real Gryffindor dorm, appearing slightly broken. Hermione watched him stumble, zombie-like, through the assembled students and up the stairs. She got up from her reading and followed him. Knowing that the other boys were all at breakfast, she entered the fourth year boys' dorm room without knocking, to find him sitting on his bed. He looked up, startled.

"You shouldn't be in here, Hermione."

"Why not?"

"Well, it'll get back to Harry--"

"Neville, don't you remember, Harry isn't-- (GASP!)"

"What? What about Harry?"

"Uhhh... Harry... loves another. A muggle, so you can see where he's not ready to trot her out to the public. I'm just standing in for her. It's a private agreement. A partnership. Harry's just a friend."

"Oh. Well, you play your role to the hilt, Miss Granger."

Hermione smirked and did a quick bow. Neville smiled a little, gesturing for Hermione to sit with him on his bed. Hermione sat facing him, taking a hand in hers in sympathy.

"How have you left things with Holly, then?"

Neville goggled at the witch. "You knew?"

"Despite appearances, Holly and I have always been the closest of friends. She's hard to predict, but it's easy to see what she's already done. Particularly when she's left devastation in her wake once more."

Neville looked down to his hands again. "That's the word, alright. I am devastated. She loved me. I know she loved me. But afterwards, she treated it like... we went on a boat ride together." Neville squirmed in discomfort.

"Neville, you must know that Holly cares for you. She just can't express it well, and chose to spurn you to protect you. She's on a dangerous course, and doesn't want to put you at risk without cause."

Neville gave Hermione a stern look. "She needs me. She needs us. You know it."

"I do. But, we can only help her on her terms, it seems."

They say quietly for a minute. Neville sighed, and then whispered, "Do you think, once all her trouble is done, that she might come back to me? Let me into her heart?"

"I don't know, Neville. Perhaps that will depend on you." Hermione rubbed his shoulder. "We should make our own pact, to watch her back for when she gets into trouble."

He looked up at her with hope. "Partners?"

"Yes!"

Neville shook her hand and smiled, declaring, "I like this plan."

"Me too. Ehmm... Neville..."

"Yes?" He turned towards her to question the long pause. Hermione's emotional gaze drilled into Neville's eyes, and he hiccupped.

Hermione reached forward and grabbed Neville's face, drawing him to her and kissing him deeply. He responded as fervently, and they continued to kiss for several minutes. They then broke apart and both their smiles dropped in favour of shock and dismay.

Simultaneously, they turned away and mumbled, "Sorry."

They sat that way for a few minutes. Finally, Hermione whispered, "It was a really good kiss, though."

Neville sighed. "Yeah. But I don't think I can take being dumped by both of the girls I... uhhh..."

Hermione turned and gave him a sly look, though his back was still to her. "'Both of the girls you...' what?"

"Favour. Admire. Fancy"

"Oh."

"Sorry."

She leaned forward, gently rubbing Neville's back with both hands. "Thank you very much, Neville. I am terribly flattered."

"But..."

"'But', nothing. I'd think you've had enough talk of relationships for one day. Let us end on a positive note, and take up our partnership together tomorrow."

"How do we even do that?"

Hermione turned Neville to face her. "Simple." Gathering his full attention, she smiled. "I really liked that kiss, Neville. I'd like to savour it for a while. Let's plan to have another toe-curling kiss in a few weeks. I think I have an opening on the last Saturday of this month."

Neville squinted at her. "You'd like to schedule a kiss?"

"I'm sorry. Were you busy that day?"

Neville chuckled. "I'll clear my calendar for a kiss from you."

Hermione leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "Well spoken."

The witch then gave his shoulder another rub and left the room, leaving the young man to his thoughts.

~o~

Hermione descended the steps back into the common room. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the note that Winky had given her a short while before Neville had arrived.

It said:

K.

Tried my best, but I broke him. Please reassemble. Forgiving me is optional, but would be appreciated.

R.

Hermione mumbled to herself, "I'll think about it."

~o~

Natalia entered Holly's dorm room to find it mostly dark. Only a candle by the bed and some coals in the stove provided light, but it was enough to see the outline of Holly sitting in the middle of the bed, and to catch the reflection from her tear-strewn face. Natalia closed the door and then moved to sit in front of Holly on the bed. At first, they didn't say anything- Holly communicated the completeness of her anguish with a look. Nat reached out to cup Holly's cheek, only to see her recoil slightly.

"Sweetie, what happened? This isn't about me being gone is it?"

"No. I fucked up. I fucked it all up. We opened our hearts to each other and his brain got minced by the truth... my truth. My only consolation now is..."

"This about Neville?"

Holly nodded and sobbed out, "...I was right."

Nat took her in her arms and whispered, "My love. I don't think this is really your way. Hermione's got the right of it- sex means too much to you. If you want, I'll... I'll stop..."

Holly calmed her crying to reply. "Don't. This was just a transition. The last hurdle. Just be yourself completely. I couldn't ask for more. All I want is you, but I want you to have everything you deserve, and that means lovers. Just... visit a little more often, wouldya? I'm feeling very alone right now."

"You want me to tell you why I was gone?"

"No, that's about your job. Right now, I need my lover. Just kiss me. Tell me you love me without words. You're really good at that."

Natalia reached forward and kissed her, a bit too briefly.

Holly looked into Natalia's eyes with worry. "Love, maybe you should tell me where you've been."

Natalia closed her eyes. "Well, Amelia had me infiltrating the Department of Mysteries, specifically the Office--"

Holly snapped to interrupt, 'STOP! What did I say about this?"

Natalia rolled her eyes. "Quote, 'I don't want to fight with Amelia over your loyalties, so don't tell me what she's having you do unless it threatens me.' unquote."

"So?"

"I... uhh. You're right. It was just... work." Natalia looked away from Holly, like she didn't deserve to be there.

"Natalia Tonks, you and I are just having the worst time right now, aren't we?"

"Yuh. I s'pose so."

Holly turned Nat's face to hers. "Yet here we sit, alone together, sexy beyond belief and deeply in love with each other. Why are we sad?"

Natalia's lower lip trembled slightly as she answered, "'Cause we each did something we're not proud of, and feel like we... betrayed the other?"

Holly slumped. "Sounds right."

"Holly, is there anything I could do that you would never forgive me for?"

They locked gazes for a moment. Holly replied, "Killing someone I loved."

Natalia quickly shook her head. "I didn't do that."

"Good." Holly looked longingly towards Nat. "Now, will you kiss me for the next several hours?"

"I... uhhh... don't feel like I'm... worthy."

Holly drew Natalia's face to her own. "Let me be the judge of that." They began to kiss. After a few moments, they threw themselves into their snog, holding each other tightly while lying entwined on Holly's bed. Natalia's hair shifted from pale lavender into a bright peach colour. Holly looked up and giggled, and then resumed their very important kissing.

Later, Holly started crying again. Natalia held her until she could start kissing her once more.

*

(Newt recommends audio accompaniment- 'Hallelujah'' as performed by the late Jeff Buckley on the album 'Grace', released in 1994. I'd post the lyrics here, but that would annoy some people and the others are probably willing to look it up.)

Author's Clarifications:

{} Ginny didn't care about Hermione and Nev getting physical because she's involved with Viktor. She had started spinning disks that morning around 8 and discovered the 'lovebirds' near 10 AM. They recently added a permanent magical sound barrier between the lounge area and the radio equipment, but Ginny heard Hermione moaning as she was returning from a loo break. At least it wasn't one of the twins...

{} The note in Hermione's pocket was to K (Kittyhawk) from R (Rook).

{} No, Holly didn't Mark Neville, but she did use one of the bonds to temporarily enable the deep rapport she needed to untangle his mind

{} Yes, Holly Obliviated Neville of everything that happened after his 'programming' took over. He doesn't remember finding out about faux-Moody messing with his head or their conversation about 'fielding' and the possibility that his victim will be birthing the Longbottom heir in mid-Spring. Holly was fed up and simply blocked the actual memories of them together after their first lovemaking. His brain has still been 'repaired', but he has no idea how- his assumption would be a subconscious breakthrough, as Hols suggested. He's dealing with other issues right now

{} Yes, Nev and Hermione might start dating, eventually. Hermione also has higher priorities at the moment, but felt really sorry for Neville at the end

{} No, there won't be a Tangent about Natalia's mission, but I may write a Spiral-compatible oneshot about it

Omake (from the department of weights and measures):

The next day, Hermione found Holly in the lounge area of WWRX. Ginny was once again hosting, and they shared a look of understanding before Hermione moved to sit with Holly on the lumpy couch beyond the sound wall.

Holly looked up as Hermione sat next to her, leaning into Hermione's firm embrace.

"How are you holding up, Holly?"

Holly answered in a quiet monotone, "I'm all a-tizzy. I'm just giddy like Christmas."

"Yes, you certainly seem to light up the room. Neville isn't faring much better, though I've done what I can to console him for how brutally you threw him from your bed."

"I did that to cauterise the wounds. My technique needs some work, I guess. Is he going to be alright, do you think?"

"I hope so. Listen, I have... can I... would you be willing to answer a probably ill-timed question for me? About Neville, I mean."

Holly swung her head around and replied. "Twenty-four."

Hermione smirked while blushing slightly. "That wasn't what I meant. I was hoping--," Then, the thought fully consumed, she goggled. "Wait. Are you SERIOUS?!"

"Believe me; my measuring skills aren't rusty at all. What was your question, then?"

Hermione lurched back with a look of glazed distraction.

"Hermione, what was your question?"

"Can I have him next?"

"Happy hunting. Was that the original question?"

"Actually... yes. I was going to be more circumspect, but..."

"No worries. I'd rather you be candid, though if you were it might be uncomfortably un-Hermione-like. I hope you find love together."

"Really? Why?"

"Because I love you both, and keeping you together might mean he stays close to me. Also, you might both recover from Harry's horrible truth ruining your lives. Sorta poetic, that way."

"Thank you, Holly." Hermione leaned back on the couch but continued to rub Holly along her spine. After a minute, she smiled and whispered, "Really? Twenty-four?"

"Give or take a mil. I wasn't feeling particularly concerned about precision by that point. There's like a button up there that he nudges that'll keep turning off your ability to put thoughts in order. It's like, 'Oh, I like SCRAMBLE... wasn't just I SCRAMBLE... nifty is this SCRAMBLE... me fuck now Nev SCRAMBLE..."

Hermione's eyes swirled with a hint of madness. "Clearly, you're lying and I'll have to prove it by recreating the experiment."

Holly turned and smiled at her friend. "Yup. Have to. No avoiding it. And may I say, your dedication to rigorous scientific investigation is most admirable."

~o~