Harry and the Six Virgins

Chapter VIII

"Good afternoon, Susan."

"What are you going to do to me? With us?"

"Just what I said I would. I will transport you to a point in the past, where you will spend approximately two months with him. You both can benefit from the experience, although I suppose you could talk yourself into having a miserable time if you want to. That, however, is up to the pair of you."

"What do you mean?" Susan demanded.

"You are a very pretty girl, and fairly intelligent. But somehow, you have decided that while people like you, you are not very strong and therefore people will take advantage of you. When they do, or when you think they do, you feel miserable. When they don't, you believe they soon will. Try and enjoy this experience. I doubt Harry will take advantage of you. You will be the one in charge."

Susan bit her upper lip, hesitating. "Can you tell me where you're sending us?"

"Not yet. We may have some work to do before you can go. And you will want to see your self, I suppose." 'That catches most of them every time,' Casey thought. This was a favorite trick of his.

An older version of Susan appeared. A shade over 5 foot 4, 37C - 22 - 36, with waist-long strawberry blonde hair, this Susan exuded a happy sensuality.

"Wow!"

"I'm sure Harry will like it almost as much as you," Casey said with a grin.

"I can really do this? Nothing . . . no one will think badly of me?"

"None except you, Harry, and myself will even know for certain that you've gone. I remind you, this is not totally real. You will have the memories, but your bodies will be just as they are now. You are a virgin. You will remain one, except in your memories, assuming you and Harry decide to make love. Do you want the adventure, or not?"

"I do."

"You don't sound sure."

"Alright, I don't want an adventure! I want a nice, peaceful time. I want a nice, quiet, home. Harry can use something like that as well! Some place where no one will bother either of us!"

"You're not afraid of being bored? Or Harry being bored?"

"Not as long as he can fly," Susan said emphatically. Susan didn't know Harry very well, but even she knew that.

"Of course, you have few Muggle housekeeping skills, do you? And you'd need two months worth of food, because it would be difficult to put you into a purely magical setting. And it would be difficult to put you into a Muggle setting. . . ." Casey pondered for several minutes. "Do you like cool, even cold, weather?"

"I love it!"

"Alright. What else would you like to do for two months?"

"It would give me a great chance to practice my guitar -- Harry doesn't hate music, does he?"

"No, I don't think he knows much about it, but he certainly doesn't seem to dislike it." Casey smiled. "I believe there is no need for further preparation after all. You were going to go to an American city in the 1950s, but you've changed my mind. Good luck, Susan."

Harry found himself standing next to a more mature Susan. It was difficult to see how she had developed, other than being a little taller, because they were wearing heavy robes and cloaks (since there was a distinct chill in the air). They were standing in what looked a bit like a double garage, except it was full of wood, with a pile of coal near the single door -- there was no car door.

"It doesn't really matter where we are, or what year we are in, although it is 1947 and in a very secluded valley in the Northeastern United States," Casey told them. "It is the afternoon of the Thirtieth of October; you'll stay here until the afternoon of New Year's Eve. There is a modern house. The pipes are enchanted to keep from freezing, as are the kitchen sink and the bathroom fixtures. There are, of course, also the usual magical pump and water heater. There is a wood and coal stove in the cellar and a fireplace for heat. Light is provided by special lamps that will hold your bluebell flames."

The pair nodded.

"Now, there even is some electricity. There is an electric icebox, a washing machine, and the stove and oven. There are also three radios, which will pick up all the Muggle and wizarding radio bands. Harry, you have two months to fly and to practice your hexes where no one will bother you. I remind you to practice your Occlumency as well. The valley is well-warded and under many Muggle-repelling spells."

"I thought wards disrupt electricity," Harry pointed out.

"They can, but the wards are around the valley while the electricity is generated by two small windmills. The radio signals come through because of a special charm for the antennas I've developed."

"Could you teach Hermione?" Harry asked, gaining him a dirty look from Susan, which he missed. "She'd be really interested."

"I'll consider it," Casey said simply before going on. "For food, there is a contact stone. It will put you in touch with an elf, who can transport food to a space near the stone. There are two new brooms -- well, new for 1947 -- there in the corner." Casey smiled. "Have fun." He disappeared.

Susan removed all trace of jealousy from her face, reminding herself that she had to share Harry to some extent. If she had any chance of winning Harry in the long term, jealousy would not help. She held out her gloved hand. "Shall we look at the house?"

Harry was getting used to these situations, so he smiled and took her hand. "Alright. Let's see what we have to work with."

They stepped outside and surveyed the valley. The mountains were low ridges, a few hundred feet high. The valley appeared to be perhaps two miles wide and five miles long. The sun was already setting behind the low mountain.

The house was a simple large bungalow. The back door entered into a small areaway between the kitchen to the right and small dining room to the left. Straight ahead was the entrance to the basement, so they explored that first. Susan explained that a bluebell flame spell cast at the lamps would keep going for between one and three hours, depending on the caster's power. They would need to keep their wands handy. Harry hung their cloaks and outer robes on pegs in the cellarway, but Susan refused to add her inner robe to his with a laugh.

"Harry, I'm pretty Pure-raised, you know." He looked at her, puzzled. "This is all I have on, except my knickers, shoes, and socks."

Harry flushed. Her heavy robe was so different from Daphne's dress robes, he hadn't realized what she wasn't wearing.

"Come on, let's see what we have down here. A pantry, I hope!"

They found the cellar divided into four uneven areas. The main room contained the stove at the far end (more-or-less under the WC, as it turned out), a long set of book shelves running from near the stairs to the far wall and the around the corner as far as the stove, and opposite the bookshelves an area set up as a comfortable sitting room.

Susan gave a squeak of joy, and moved to look at something Harry couldn't see, since she was in the way. When he walked into the sitting area, he saw two stringed instruments. "What's that?" he asked, pointing to the instrument next to a guitar.

"That's a lute! I play the guitar, but I always wanted to learn the lute!"

The pair started a small fire in the stove, since there was supply of kindling, wood, and coal and it was nearly as cold inside as it had been outside.

Off the sitting area, there was a narrow but long closet, which turned out to be a stocked wine closet. The area under the kitchen was indeed a pantry, and also had the old-style wringer-washer. Harry looked at it, and a polished stone area of the floor next to the foundation wall and a full-length polished stone mirror set into the wall, with puzzlement.

"I know how to command the washer," Susan said. "My great grandmother still has one. This is the contact stone. It puts you in direct contact with its sister. Anything that can be fit onto this stone in the floor can be transported in from a matching stone. The mirror allows you to record and send messages, requesting supplies or whatever. These are very rare; I've only heard of them."

Harry nodded. The last area of the cellar (under the parlor) had a few work-out machines, and a set of aluminum or tin pipes about six inches across which seemed to snake from the ceilings and met in a small standing tin box about six feet high and two foot square. "That's an air circulator. Some of these pipes draw cold air from the colder parts of the house, and warm air from places like around the stove and fireplace. I saw the conduit for this going around the pipe going to the chimney and another behind and under the stove. I bet, when we see the fireplace, there are slits in the stone or brick work, where it draws warm air in. Every room will have a small exposed section of the pipe; tap it once and it draws air for about half an hour. Tap twice and it stops. And, even when it's not working magically, you get some passive circulation. Somewhere, there will be a master plate, where it can be ordered to circulate the air for longer periods of time."

"Cool."

The kitchen was much more Muggle, and Harry would have to help Susan get the hang of working the stove and oven. The parlor was long and formal, and look out onto an inclosed veranda which was probably very cozy in the warmer weather. The bed room was large and comfortable looking, although they merely glanced in at it and the dining room.

At first, they thought there was a small bathroom at the end of the short hall, with the master bedroom on the right and a smaller bedroom to the left. Instead, they saw the small room at the end of the corridor was just a WC. The 'smaller bedroom' was instead a luxurious bath. Only magic or heavy steel girders could have supported its weight in such a small house. It took three steps up to access the floor. Where a closet should be, there was a shower to get clean under. The actual 10x12 foot room held a pool just over a meter deep at the 'deep' end and perhaps two-thirds that deep on the near end, some 8x9 feet in total size. "That looks relaxing," Susan said with interest.

"It certainly does," Harry agreed.

"Shall we. . . ." Susan asked shyly.

Harry considered. "Why don't we build a fire in the fireplace, too. Once we get that and the circulation going, we'll need to wash anyway."

"Alright. Why don't you do that, bring in more coal and wood, and build up the fire downstairs a little, and I'll check to see what we have for dinner. Shall we?"

They left the bath together and set to work.

The sun was fully set as Harry finished laying the fires. The young couple decided to eat next, and they sat near the toasty stove and ate the stew Susan had found in the fridge, along with a bottle of claret Harry had selected from the wine closet.

Susan sent Harry off to shower while she cleared away the few dishes. Susan came in as Harry settled into the water. She merely smiled and took his robe, replacing it with a dressing gown on the hook. She came in a few seconds later, only wearing a short silk kimono.

Harry watched her every movement, as Susan slowly stripped off the robe, her back to Harry, and then moved to shower. Harry could see Susan's hands lather her trim body, but could only guess at what she looked like from the front.

Susan had carefully thought things through. She really liked Harry, even if she wasn't in love with him. If they didn't fall in love, she wanted to have as must fun as possible during these two months. If she did fall in love with him, this was her one chance to draw Harry to her.

Ginny Weasley was an active and attractive girl who had had a notorious crush on Harry. She had no doubt studied Harry very well over the years, and Susan believed Ginny would do anything to snare Harry. Ginny would no doubt offer her body to Harry in any way he desired. Daphne would no doubt be similar, in a more seductive and sophisticated way.

Eloise, Hermione, and Luna, she decided, she could discount, unless Harry actually fell fully in love with one of them. That she would risk.

Susan decided she would do more than yield herself to Harry; she would seduce Harry. And she would do that best by being herself, which was a bit playful and sensuous.

Susan rinsed off and turned around. Harry's eyes widened, and Susan slowly walked into the pool and settled herself astride Harry's thighs and sank into a deep languorous kiss.

'Damn,' Harry thought, 'I wish these months would NEVER end.'

Harry had to admit that he had needed those first two months with Ginny. Except for packing, he'd used fairly little magic during his time with her. He'd forgotten that he would have to face Voldemort, that he would have to kill Voldemort, for days at a time.

His dueling practices with Casey in Paris had reminded him. The next morning, after breakfast, he flew the Tinderblast to a clearing, and spent an hour throwing hexes at the trees and another hour swinging his swords and practicing.

Returning to the cabin, hoping to exercise, Harry had heard wonderful music. Investigating, he saw Susan playing the guitar. Harry hadn't known much about music before this experience, but had decided he rather liked it, both the music of the Festival and of the formal and informal concerts in Paris.

He added learning the guitar to his language and Occlumency studies. Harry suspected Casey might have given him some musical talent as well as his linguistic knowledge.

By the second day, Harry and Susan had created a routine they both enjoyed and felt comfortable with. They would wake up at 7:00 and 'make snuggle' as Susan called it. Susan would make them breakfast and start cooking for the day. Harry would have a short workout in the basement, and then fly and practice hexes until 11:30. He would come back, shower, and finish putting lunch together. Susan would be practicing until Harry brought lunch.

After lunch, Susan would coach Harry in his guitar playing for an hour, then she would practice the guitar and lute until 3:30. Harry would be studying his languages and Occlumency, as well as Charm and Defense theory.

Every other day, from 3:30 - 4:30, Susan would coach Harry on Household Charms, the cleaning, cooking, and maintenance spells that Harry wouldn't be learning in N.E.W.T. Charms. The other days, they would go outside and Harry would coach Susan in flying and Defense.

They would cook a late dinner together, after they had showered and made love. Some evenings, they make love in the bath, the other nights they would do so in other rooms. They would end most evenings cuddled in front of either the fireplace or stove. At first, Harry tended to read while Susan again played. By the end of the first month, they would play a duet together, and would then slip into bed around 10:30. It was a very satisfying routine for both of them.

To Harry's surprise, Casey didn't show up for almost a month. He left a note explaining the American custom of Thanksgiving, and he showed up on November 27 with a full American Thanksgiving dinner. He didn't quiz either of them during dinner, merely asking if there was anything that they needed to make their last month more fulfilling.

They didn't, although Harry was relieved to learn most of his acquired musical knowledge would come with him, although the callouses he'd built up from playing wouldn't.

After dinner, however, Casey took Harry down to the basement. "I'm having a small problem with one of the remaining girls."

"Hermione?"

"Why her?"

Harry shrugged. "I don't know why she came along. She loves Ron."

"You like her, don't you?"

"I like her, but I think I like Luna more."

Casey thought a short time. "Hermione is in love with both you and this Ron. She believes Ron would never share her with you, although she seems to think you would share her with Ron."

Harry shrugged again. "I don't know. I know I would have been . . . interested, if she and Ron weren't involved and if I hadn't met Luna. Now, of course. . . ." Harry shrugged yet again. He wasn't certain what to think about his dating future.

"Hermione is afraid if she sleeps with you, she will fall in love with you, yet she wants to, desperately. She was wondering, perhaps as a defensive measure, if I might send you both to ancient Rome, and if you would still be interested if she looked like this."

"But . . . that's a boy!"

"True."

Harry shook his head. "Interested in being with Hermione, yes. I love her and usually love being with her. I'll go to Rome with her as a him, but no, no sex."

"I'll let her know. You'll likely be with Eloise next, then Hermione and finally Luna."

Male Hermione disappeared with Casey. "Weird," Harry said.

"What did Casey want?" Susan asked.

"I'm not really sure," Harry said, since he didn't know why he'd been shown that version of Hermione. He just hoped he hadn't said anything wrong, especially anything that would hurt Hermione's feelings.

Susan smiled, and they went to finish cleaning up the feast together.

As snow slowly accumulated, Harry could spend less and less time practicing outside, although he still flew every day. Although they wouldn't exchange presents, Harry and Susan decided to bring a tree into the veranda as a Christmas tree. They carefully did the spells that uprooted a small blue spruce and bound its roots. With careful replanting, it might be a bit stunted in its growth for a year or so, but it shouldn't be damaged.

Susan taught Harry special spells that created glass ball ornaments and which laid tinsel. These had been designed to last just three weeks, so they would fade away right after Christmas. She taught him to preserve real icicles, and how to enchant the glass ornaments to hold a bluebell flame for several hours.

The afternoon after the summer solstice, Casey showed up again. He took them outside, and led them through three ancient rituals (Druidic, Roman, and German), to praise the restart of the lengthening days. Harry had requested a camera a few days before, but the elves had not sent it through with the food. Casey had brought one, however, and took wizarding photos of Susan and Harry in front of the tree.

Susan had managed to pry many stories out of Harry about how he had been raised by his relatives. To her, the saddest of all was his lack of happy Yule memories. Yule, to her traditional family, was the happiest time of year. She told Harry of all the traditions she knew, and managed to get him to tell her some of the Muggle ones. The day before Christmas, from after lunch until after dinner, Harry sat in a large chair in the parlor, in front of the fireplace, reading A Christmas Carol aloud to Susan, who sat on the floor, her head in Harry's lap, for much of the time.

Harry was finding his time with Susan relaxing. She was a willing, pleasing, if somewhat passive lover, willing to try anything Harry wanted to try, whenever he wanted to try it, and enjoying it all, but except for that first night, rather unwilling to initiate the actions very often. They were lucky she hadn't been first, or both would have been to shy to enjoy their time together as much as they did.

Susan woke up first on Christmas morning, feeling warm and very fulfilled. She hoped Harry and she would date. She knew they would never have as relaxing a time as they had had so far. She was considering waking Harry, hoping he would make love to her again, when she smelled something cooking.

"Harry!" she whispered. "Someone is cooking!"

Harry opened one eye. "Did you think Casey wouldn't visit?"

"Oh . . . but. . . ." she stroked Harry's arm, about as suggestive as she got.

Harry smiled and sat up. "I'll see if someone is here, or if there's just a goose or roast cooking for us."

He came back quickly. "Dinner is cooking; Casey left a note saying he'd be here a little after noon."

"Is it a goose?"

"A venison roast, actually. Now, there's nothing we need do until around noon, except eat breakfast. Are you hungry?"

"Not for food."

Nearly an hour later, Harry went into the parlor to clean out the fireplace and start a new fire. He wasn't surprised to see it already cleaned out, but there were two other things he was surprised to see. "Susan!"

Susan came in from the kitchen, where she had been trying to figure out what might need to be done and when it would be needed to be done. On either side of the fireplace were two filled Christmas stockings. As soon as Susan came close to Harry, they heard music coming from the enclosed porch where the Christmas tree was. Opening the door, they saw Casey had added some six dozen fairies, playing tag around and in the tree.

Going back to the fireplace, they opened the presents in their stockings. None were exceptional: chocolate frogs; American wizarding candy; a pair of small pink pearl earrings for Susan, but the act of opening even little presents made it seem more like Christmas.

Susan woke Harry up early the morning of New Year's Eve. "Harry?"

"H'mmm?"

"We have to leave today."

"H'mmm h'mmm," Harry managed to make a slightly more affirmative noise.

"Would you please make love with me one last time?"

"Of course."

Susan smiled at her memories as she relaxed on a sofa, back in her sixteen year old body. She hoped she could find a wizard who would like to settle down with her and at least partially recreate the simple life and fulfilling pleasures of the previous subjective months. Susan wasn't certain if that person could be Harry or not. Part of him yearned for just such a life, but part of him would always be in demand to save the world.

She would have to see which direction he would go in.