Penthuisiast
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SD: CH18 - Love
🕑 Added 2022-11-19 17:56:14 +0000 UTCIt was late into the night when I passed through the wards of my building, clenching Hestia’s hands tightly in mine. She was a witch, and that meant the wards outside would scorch her to death if she tried to enter without my permission. I knocked on the door, and Hermione opened it.
“Look who’s back!” I said.
“Who’s she?” asked Hermione, completely ignoring me. Her eyes were calm and focussed past me on Hestia. She gave her the female once-over — a process by which one woman creates a detailed profile of another woman based upon a million subtle details of clothing, jewellery, makeup and body type, and then decides how much of a social threat she might be. Men have a parallel process, but it’s binary: Does he have beer? If yes, will he share it with me?
“You didn’t have any problems, did you?” Hermione asked, grabbing my neck and running her tongue into my mouth. I felt like a pine tree in cougar country. I’d just have to hope the territorial scoring of my bark wasn’t next.
“Uh, this is—” I began, meeting her eyes and…
I froze.
Hermione had gone still. She stood ramrod straight, and stopped moving entirely, her eyes focussed on him and nothing else. From my experience, when a person went still, it could show they were about to flee, or that they were about to fight, or a dozen different reactions. Hermione wasn’t known for her tendency for immediate action, unlike, say, Ginny Weasley. And yet she was studying me in absolute stillness, and I had no idea what was going on in her mind. The only thing I knew was that she had smelled Hestia on me, and was reacting to it.
It unnerved me. Set me on edge. Made me cautious.
And then something absolutely horrifying happened. Something that would haunt me for days on to come.
World Anchor through Hermione Granger has degenerated to 33%
Current World Anchor Analysis
World Anchor Generation — 17.7 / day
World Anchor Purge — 1 / day
Meta-Luck — 18.8
I went absolutely still. World Anchors! I had absolutely forgotten about that bit. Increasing my emotional bonds with my anchors raised their net value, but the reverse was also true. And now I was facing the issue with my greatest World Anchor in this universe.
World Anchor through Hermione Granger is less than 50%
Perk LIBRARIAN OF KNOWLEDGE rendered inactive.
You have 24 hours to revert it to an active state or lose it forever.
Fuck! Fuck! Fuckety fucking fuck! A spike of raw panic jolted through me. I hadn’t expected this, and was utterly unprepared for it. Based on Hermione’s newfound tendencies in the bedroom and her reaction to Tonks, I had expected her to behave a little differently. But maybe, just maybe, she had been teasing the metamorph because I had called her to sit on my lap while Tonks was present? I had presented her, almost like a winner showing off his trophy to others, and Hermione revelled in that. But with me bringing Hestia, a complete stranger, into the house and being intimate with her, probably broke the faith she had in me. No, it was more like she lost the faith she had in herself, and my being her bedrock in this cruel world.
I had twenty hours to deal with the fallout. And if I didn’t, I’d lose the perk.
Damnit! Dammit!
“Hermione–”
“Why?”
It was not a question. It was a demand.
“Why what?” I cocked my head.
“Why?” she simply repeated.
I had to admit; it was an effective strategy. Had she demanded a specific answer, I’d have tried to find a way around the questions. But no, she was demanding an explanation without providing what explanation she wanted. It was up to me to decide what to say, and she’d judge me based on my response.
Okay. Be calm. I told myself. Hermione isn’t Ginny Weasley. She won’t explode. You dealt with Ginny, you can deal with her. All you need to do is fight her using her own weapons.
“Why do you think?” I shot back, and her eyes narrowed. She had defined the contest, but I had changed the stakes. Instead of giving her a direct reply, I was challenging her to figure things out for herself. If she knew me, she’d know why I did what she was accusing me of doing. Instead of trying to defend myself, I was making her reason I would act the way I did.
“I thought–I thought you loved me.”
“I do.”
It wasn’t a lie. Well, not completely anyway. Hermione was warm, funny, very smart and had a great body. Between that and her heightened libido, she was everything a man needed to be happy in life. That the true Harry Potter also held deep feelings for her helped. Maybe in another world, where I didn’t have to gain world anchors, I’d have been satisfied with just her.
But this wasn't any of those worlds. I wanted power. I wanted to become the greatest wizard on the planet. I wanted to be God. And in a very twisted way, I also wanted Hermione to be on my side.
“Then why?”
I braced myself for one of the most important negotiations I had had since coming to this world. Internally, my mind raced. What could I say without telling her the truth? What could I convince her with that would make her trust me like before? What would be necessary to keep my world anchor from falling down even further?
“Because sometimes, love is not enough.”
Despite herself, Hermione drew back in mild offence at my statement. Which was good, because any reaction meant I had surprised her.
The best thing right now was simply the truth. Or whatever version of truth I could give her.
“Do you remember the paths that witches and wizards take? The ones you told me about?”
Her eyes twitched slightly.
I turned towards Hestia. “Everything that happens in this House falls under the Vow.”
Hestia nodded.
I felt giddy on the inside. With Hestia being an Order member and a witness to my oath, I could use her to convince Hermione about the incubi business. I wasn’t sure whether to call it my luck or my quick thinking, but that tiny thing was going to save my skin tonight.
I just knew it.
I turned back to Hermione. “Ever since the dementor experience, something has changed about me. Having sex is invigorating, but it’s not all that it does. The more women I’m intimate with, the more sex I have with them, the stronger my magic becomes.” I never once broke my gaze as I went on. “Not just stronger, but certain things that were difficult for me before are now easier.”
“The path of Incubi,” she said darkly.
“Yes.”
“You are an incubus.”
“Well, not sure if I am, but that’s what it feels like.”
“And you expect me to believe that?”
“Yes.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Why?”
“Because he’s speaking the truth,” Hestia interrupted. “He swore an oath to me.”
“Nobody asked you!” Hermione snapped at her. “You’re out of a job and he’s your employer, and you’ve already spread your legs for him. So forgive me if I don’t take that at face value.”
“Fine!” I said, and flicked my wand out. “I swear on my magic that what I’ve told you about me improving at magic through sex is true to the best of my knowledge.”
“HARRY—” Hermione began, scandalised. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“You didn’t believe me,” I retorted. “I had no choice. And for the record,” I flicked my wand again. “Lumos.”
The wand tip let out a small, ethereal glow.
Hermione stared at the glowing tip with an inscrutable expression for a long moment, before she exhaled, and looked down. “I see.”
“Sex is a powerful metaphysical force, Hermione,” I said. “It’s an act that creates life, a new soul. During it, the partners leave a mark on each other. The effect is magnified if the partners truly love each other.”
“Right, which is why you’d bed every pussy that walks by your street.” She said, her voice filled with hurt. “Like you fucked her, swooping down like a vulture and taking advantage of her lack of a job.”
“Hardly,” I snorted, throwing a cursory glance at Hestia, who smirked. “I didn’t take advantage of her. Everything we had was consensual.”
“Yeah,” she sneered, “because you’re the nicest sexual predator out there. Having sex for power.”
I took it as encouraging that she was throwing barbs at me. It meant she was coming out of her cool readiness and slipping into natural anger. It meant she was relaxing.
“Emotions matter, Hermione. If I cannot develop feelings for someone, and have the same person look at me the same way, then the sex is just that… sex.” I saw Hestia suddenly stiffen and took careful note of that. “Nothing comes out of it.”
“Right.” She rolled her eyes.
I pressed further. “Dumbledore said that it was my mother’s love that allowed me to kill Quirrell back in our first year. That it was also love that allowed me to survive when Voldemort tried to kill me as a baby. It is the same magic that repels dementors, and gives a patronus form.”
As I spoke those words, I realised that somewhere between the philosophical bullshit I was spewing, my words had made a surprising amount of sense. Especially where I thought I was headed in my explanation.
I raised my wand and whispered.
“Expecto Patronum!”
A gale of burning silver exploded out of my wand. The energy twisted and churned before coalescing into the familiar quadruped I had manifested before. With its two majestic wings flapping on either side, my hippogriff patronus looked up and down at Hermione and let out a brief snort.
“Buckbeak…” she whispered, almost reverentially, raising her hands to touch the creature. The patronus let out a soft screech and bowed its head, allowing her to pet it.
“In a different world,” I continued, “had things gone differently, Buckbeak wouldn’t have died. Maybe we’d have saved him. Maybe… Sirius would have been alive. If only I had saved you from being attacked by Lupin.”
Had this been canon, then the hippogriff would have symbolised the connection between Harry and Hermione–the display of utter trust in each other, and the sacrifice either had been willing to make for the other. But fate had altered it, and in this universe, Buckbeak the hippogriff had been butchered by Walden Mcnair, because neither of them had time-travelled back to save it.
And yet somehow, the same bonds that would have existed between Harry Potter and Hermione Granger were manifesting through this patronus, even though Harry Potter had died and was replaced by an imposter. So… why?
What was this magic?
And then something equally surprising happened.
Like a cat swooping down on a mouse, Hermione rushed at him, smashing the wooden chair that stood next to her with a casual flick of her hand. She grabbed my shirt with one hand, while the other gripped my neck from behind, and mounted me, the impact knocking me back until my back touched the wall.
Her mouth found mine. I was as eager as she was.
I didn’t know if this was the wolf's instincts in her or something else, but I had the sensation that Hermione wanted me. To own me, to feed on me, and mark me as her own, and most importantly, to possess me in a way that no one else would ever be able to. My hands found her sweet arse, her skirt having pushed up past the point of decency. She was aroused, painfully aroused, and I was pretty sure her nipples could be a murder weapon right now. I met her eyes, and found the usual brown replaced by a bright, shining silver. For a moment, I feared she was about to change.
World Anchor through Hermione Granger is raised to 65%
Perk — LIBRARIAN OF KNOWLEDGE reactivated.
World Anchor Generation — 20.9 / day
World Anchor Purge - 1 / day
Meta-Luck — 22.1
Or not.
This was good news. I had survived the mess, and that too, without a pinch of meta-luck. I looked at Hermione, and found her silvery eyes slowly reforming into the usual brown ones, as she slowly disengaged from me. And then a sudden whistle from Hestia broke my attention.
“That…” Hestia gushed, “was so hot!”
Hermione blushed. “I–Sorry about those words earlier. I was just–”
“Water under the bridge, mate,” Hestia grinned. “My roommate is a werewolf, so I know all about extreme reactions.”
That perked Hermione up.
“Anyway, Hi!” Hestia chirped. “Hestia Jones. And this is my new boss, Harry Potter. Clearly you’ve met him.”
Hermione rolled her eyes. “You’re the woman that Auror mentioned.”
She looked back at me. “Can she be trusted?”
Good question. I wasn’t sure how much I trusted her, but Hestia was a member of the Order of the Phoenix, and damned intelligent to boot.
“Secretary Vow,” I said. As long as I didn’t specify it otherwise, almost every bit of information she learnt from me, or for me, could be classified under it. It was practically an unbreakable vow in every sense of the term.
“So, you’re the newest werewolf,” Hestia commented just as bluntly. “What’s it like?”
Hermione shrugged, averting her eyes, frowning slightly, drifting out of my personal space. “A lot of reading, heightened sexual needs, and occasional flashes of pure terror.”
“Biting?”
“Not unless he wants me to,” Hermione shot back.
“Ooh, kinky!”
She looked from Hestia to me and seemed to come to some sort of conclusion. “Is she going to live here from now on?”
“Yes,” I said, “And it won’t matter. Discretion is part of her job.”
If Hestia wasn’t willing to disclose her position as an Order member, I’d respect it. Besides, it would make things easier in the long run.
“She isn’t referring to discretion in our working relationship, boss. She’s talking about you and me getting into each other’s pants.”
“Merlin’s balls!” I muttered. “Above the belt, please.”
“But there’s so much fun to be had below!” She teased. “Besides, I have no desire to separate you from her. I could be between you and her. Or you could be. Or she could be. I’m quite flexible.”
Hermione twitched. “My… err… inclinations lie in another direction.”
“And I know how to work around such inclinations,” Hestia replied easily. “I assure you, you’d find none of your sensibilities offended, only your passion enhanced. Trust me, I speak from experience.”
I sighed, totally aware of the blush on Hermione’s cheeks that had now descended to cover most of her neck. It was a saving grace. She had brown hair or else she’d be imitating a tomato at any moment. I met Hestia’s eyes, and she grinned slyly before winking at me.
“Honestly, Hermione,” I admitted, “I thought I was going to lose you. I swear when you went all cold on me, I panicked.”
“Silly Harry, did you really think I’d just walk away?”
“Uh… yea?”
“Me too,” Hestia chimed. “You looked ready to hex him six ways to Sunday, and then leave through the front door. I know how territorial werewolves can be.”
Hermione frowned. “You don’t know me, and you certainly don’t know my relationship with Harry.” She pushed herself into me, as if trying to become one with me. Her hands went over my shoulders and pulled me into a snog.
Then she turned around and faced Hestia, pulling my hands around her. I sucked at her delicious neck, and Hermione let me, instead choosing to devote her entire attention to Hestia. “You’ve no idea what it was like for me in my first year. I had spent twelve years in the muggle world, trying to fit in, and fail. I had no friends, and no one, not even my parents, could relate to me. All I had were my books. I thought things would change when I found out I was a witch. But it didn’t. That night, on Halloween, back in our first year, I was… I was this close to committing suicide. Two worlds had rejected me, left me alone in that girl’s toilet, friendless, loveless and forgotten. When that mountain troll stood over me, there was when I thought… what would it be to just die?”
“Hermione—” I reacted, her words shocking the hell out of me. JKR had mentioned nothing like this. The more I came to understand this world, the more I was wondering if the books were a watered-down version of the original.
“No Harry,” she said, “let me say. It’s been in my heart for so long. Let me get it out.”
“Hermione, I — I had never—”
She snorted. “Why would you? You were a thirteen-year-old boy. But you did something no adult, muggle or magical, did for me. You stood and faced that troll. You jumped on its head and nearly died in your stupid attempt to save my life.”
I snorted. “If not for Ron—”
“I was there because of Ronald Weasley,” Hermione sniffed. “I don’t recognize it as a debt.”
“I wasn’t—” I began, but Hermione beat me to it.
“That night, that night when I lay on my bed, I was… I was stunned. I had gained a friend, someone who had been on my side. So I swore to myself. Swore that I’d be on your side, no matter what it took. There’d be nothing I wouldn’t do for you. Whether you loved me, were angry with me, or hated me for it, I’d do it.”
My mind was reeling as images bombarded my head. Hermione, searching for information in the library about the basilisk, writing ‘pipes’ on the page, and looking around corners with a mirror. The fourteen-year-old girl hadn’t been caught off-guard. No, she knew what could happen, and had still done it, at the risk of her own life. Just in a blind hope that I’d find her, see the paper and put everything together. This was the same girl that had gone behind Harry’s — behind my back — and told McGonagall about the Firebolt, knowing it would damage our friendship. This was the same girl that had gotten slashed by a werewolf and was perfectly happy about it knowing that I was safe.
I — I wasn’t sure what I was feeling for her. But whatever it was, it was the closest I had come to respecting someone in this world. If nothing else, her devotion demanded my respect.
“This is blowing my mind,” said Hestia. “You—you swore a magical vow to devote yourself to him? At thirteen?”
Hermione looked at her, confused. “Was that what it was? I just promised myself, and I fully intended to keep it. Harry was the most important person in the world to me, and he’d always remain. There were no ifs, no buts about it.”
“Yep,” Hestia exhaled. “Magical vow alright.” She looked at me. “It’s like she’s cast an Imperius on herself. And her own magic’s reinforcing it. For a fourteen-year-old to do that subconsciously….”
She trailed off.
“You—” I croaked, “you never told me anything. I thought — I thought you liked Ron.”
Hermione nodded. “I tried to get your attention, but you didn’t look at me like… like I was a girl. You needed a friend, so I tried to be just that. Help you with your classes, and with your dangerous adventures. I made my peace long ago, and I was willing, and will be anything you want me to be, Harry. I knew you weren’t physically interested in me and infatuated with Cho. Ron — he was interested in me, but that had nothing to do with this. I’d have willingly left him the moment you asked me to.”
“I’d never—”
“I know, Harry,” she said, “but it’s my decision. Not yours. You’re not forcing me to choose. I have already chosen. After I became a werewolf, and you… were changed by the dementor exposure, you started getting physically interested in me. I was... exhilarated. I cannot think of anything that pleases me more than jumping on your cock and having your cum course through me. I was… delirious. I was ready for you, Harry, always, mind, body and soul. All you had to do was ask for it.”
I couldn’t stop myself. I undid my pants, spun Hermione over, pulled off her shorts, and pushed myself into her.
“Yesss!” she hissed.
“Hermione Granger,” I said, my eyes locked into hers. “I don’t care if you’re a werewolf. I don’t care if I’ve to sleep with others to satiate my incubus nature. Understand this, there will be no one, like you, in my life.”
A single tear trickled down Hermione’s eyes, and she sank down fully upon my shaft.
“Yes,” she said, her voice fractured into sobs. “I’m yours, Harry. Finally, I feel complete.”
World Anchor – Hermione Granger has gone up to 100%
World Anchor Sealed!
+10 Meta-Luck Points Added as Bonus!
Current World Anchor Analysis
World Anchor Generation — 24.4 / day
World Anchor Purge — 1 / day
Meta-Luck — 35.6
Gained Affinities from World Anchor — Hermione Granger
Charms +11%
Transfiguration +9%
Alchemy +6%
Magical Analytics +15%
At 100% World Anchorage, you’ve gained a Perk!
My mind was reeling. World Anchor at a hundred percent? Anchors denoted the emotional bond between him and the girls he was sleeping with. Hermione had always been acting under her self-cast magical oath, but perhaps articulating it out loud, and accepting it truly had made it more… real? It was difficult to say. But whatever it was, it had certainly given me a massive boost.
Show me the perk.
PERK — NATURAL DEMON
Hermione’s furry little problem grants her improved physical characteristics with the small caveat of turning into an uncontrollable monster once a month.
EFFECTS
Passive increase in strength, speed, and reflexes. Upon activation, the User becomes on par with a fully grown werewolf under the full moon, without being affected by lycanthropy.
That was… something. Witches and wizards weren't that up and up with physical enhancement. They were completely content with being squishy, so long as they got to unleash magic and twist physics and reality by a flick of their favourite twig. The only thing remotely close to physical enhancement were Reem blood potions and even those were outdated. After all, what was the use of physical strength when a levitation charm could do all the heavy lifting for you? What was the point of having speed when you could cast an impediment jinx to slow down your opponent?
But for someone like me? It could be an outstanding ace. Especially when combined with my other facilities. It would go a long way in improving my duelling reflexes and reaction time.
Yes. Yes, I could see it. I was going to become a God. And soon, no one could stop me. And I’d do it, with Hermione at my side.
