(All characters and locations within belong to J.K. Rowling unless otherwise stated.)

Chapter 39

Growing Pains

“I find the hardest thing about growing up isn’t the act of growing. It’s the way our minds twists the actions and words of others into something different. It’s only when we are able to separate the reality from our mind’s fantasies that we truly mature.”

General (ret.) Jigme Dorji Wengshuk

That night, Harriet couldn’t sleep. She and her friends all lay on bedrolls covered by sleeping bags on the floor of the Shrieking Shack’s sitting room. She was plenty comfortable, but her mind was racing.

Everyone else was sound asleep, of course. She sighed, really wanting someone to talk to. She supposed she could wake one of them. She did feel as though she should talk to Hermione about what had happened.

A floorboard creaked upstairs. Harriet sat up. She listened hard. There was another creak. Someone was awake.

She tilted her head. She could hear Daniel and Aurora talking. Harriet bit her lip. Should she risk trying to sneak up? She didn’t know what they could be talking about, but she wanted to. Mostly, she didn’t want to be alone.

As silently as she could, Harriet slipped out of her sleeping bag and tip-toed up the stairs. She moved as quickly as she dared. She didn’t want to make noise, but she didn’t want to miss anything important either.

Finally, she made it to the door. It was cracked just enough, a sliver of light coming out. Harriet knelt down, leaned back against the wall, and listened.

“They signed it… they fucking signed that contract,” Daniel said angrily.

“Daniel,” Aurora said in a soft, soothing voice.

“I can’t take this anymore… I can’t live with myself knowing she’s going back to that!”

“I know sweetie, I know…”

Daniel sighed. “I just don’t know how we’re going to get her out of there…”

“Well we have the proof we need from that contract they’re unfit guardians,” Aurora reasoned. “That has to count for something.”

“The problem isn’t them…” Daniel grumbled, his voice prickling with anger.

“Then what?”

“It’s Dumbledore,” Daniel replied, and he almost snarled.

“Dumbledore?” Aurora asked. “What does he have to do with it?”

“I have no idea,” Daniel said. “All I know is, after I dug deeper I found out that every single time I tried to adopt Harriet and failed, it was him who blocked it…”

“He what?” Aurora gasped. “Doesn’t he know how they’ve treated her?”

“He has to,” Daniel grunted. Harriet heard him stand up and start pacing the floor.

There was a pause in the conversation. Harriet’s heart was racing. Daniel had tried to adopt her before?

“He stopped me back in Eighty-Two, after all the dust had settled from Lily and James, and Voldemort being gone, and Sirius, and…” Daniel sighed. “He stopped me again in Eighty-Seven, then in Ninety-One just before Harriet started attending Hogwarts. With all the protection on their house, I could never find out where they lived. Even then… I was afraid of trying to reach out…”

“Oh Daniel…” Aurora said and Harriet heard her cross to Daniel.

“I was afraid… afraid of how her Aunt and Uncle would react… I didn’t want them scaring her off me…”

“Well…” Aurora mused thoughtfully. “We could always move up the wedding.”

Harriet’s eyes snapped wide open.

“Move up the wedding…? We haven’t even told Harriet I’ve proposed yet. I haven’t even been able to afford a ring with everything going on…”

“Well you can afford one now,” Aurora said, sounding more cheerful.

Daniel gave a soft laugh. “Yeah… I guess I can, huh?”

“You made more than enough to rebuild the shop from the committee,” Aurora reasoned. “Then there was all the money you made off the sales today, those private donations, then the order for all your designs for that Adele Irene woman.”

“Heh, yeah… made more in one day than the shop usually makes in two years… I mean, Merlin, someone donated two-hundred galleons as compensation if I’d hire a few Rathlin students over the summer. Weird to have conditions but I’m not looking a gift-horse in the mouth…”

“It’s time, sweetie,” Aurora said. “The shop will be rebuilt, we can get rings, we can plan a quick little ceremony, then we’ll be two parents together trying to adopt a sweet girl from a terrible situation. The Ministry will see things our way then.”

“I hope you’re right…” Daniel muttered. “I really hope you’re right…”

“I know I’m right,” Aurora boasted. Harriet could almost see the sly grin on Aurora’s face in her imagination.

Daniel laughed. “Oh is that right?” he taunted and suddenly Aurora gave a squeal of laughter.

“Daniel!” she cried, laughing loudly. Harriet could hear the sound of their bed squeaking as they landed on it. “The kids will hear!”

“Well don’t laugh so loud,” Daniel sniggered as Aurora continued to laugh.

Harriet was already hurrying away from the door. Her mind was buzzing and she knew she was going to have an even harder time sleeping now. Daniel and Aurora were secretly engaged. They were planning to get married soon. And they wanted to adopt her. They wanted to take her away from the Dursleys forever.

Harriet’s hands were shaking, but not in fear. They were shaking in excitement. It was pure, unbridled joy. They were coming for her. They were going to take her away from the Dursleys. They were going to be married. She was going to have a mom and dad and even sisters.

When she reached the living room, Daniel and Aurora’s play had indeed woken the others.

“…That’s Daniel and Aurora, isn’t it…?” Marcus asked as more laughter floated down from upstairs.

“Yeah…” Harriet admitted as she slipped back into her sleeping back.

The room fell silent again.

“Okay… so now I know what Professor Sinistra sounds like when she’s in a tickle-fight,” Dora said. “That’s… more than I ever wanted to know.”

“Liar,” Ronnie teased.

In spite of it all, a wave of sniggers passed through the group.

“Ronnie!” Dora gasped and rolled over, grabbing her pillow and trying to swat Ronnie with it.

“Hey!” Hermione protested. “That was me!”

“Oh, sorr-oof!” Dora started to apologize but was cut off by a sneak pillow attack by Ronnie.

“Oh that’s it!” Dora said and did her best to pounce over on Ronnie despite behind hampered by her sleeping bag.

Ronnie cackled, catching Dora’s hands and rolling, managing to pin Dora down on her back, pinning her hands down either side of her head.

“I win,” Ronnie laughed.

“Oh yeah?” Dora grunted, struggling.

“Yeah,” Ronnie replied confidently.

Harriet rolled her eyes. Even in the dark, she could imagine the smug grin on Ronnie’s face. It was the same grin she always had whenever she came out on top in something.

“Uh… should we like… give you two some privacy?” Marcus asked. He was trying to sound uncomfortable, but Harriet could hear him just barely keeping in his laughter.

Ronnie very quickly let Dora up. Dora sat up so quickly she just barely avoided hitting her head against Ronnie’s. Harriet watched their silhouettes shuffle hurriedly back to their places. Kieran, Scott, Marcus and Hermione were all doing their best to suppress their laughter.

It felt like a long time before everyone fell back to sleep. The room would get quiet, then all the sudden one of them would giggle. This giggle invariably triggered another’s giggling, and then another.

Finally, Harriet felt her own eyes starting to get heavy. She was just about to nod off when she heard the sound of shuffling again.

“Ronnie…?” she just barely heard Dora whisper.

“Yeah?” Ronnie whispered back.

“You awake?”

“Duh.”

“Shut up,” Dora hissed.

“What’s up?”

Dora didn’t respond right away.

“We… we never talked about that night… the Yule Ball…”

Ronnie was the one to take a moment to reply now.

“No… we didn’t…”

“Did you really mean it…?”

“…Yeah…”

Harriet heard Dora shuffle a little closer.

“You know… you’re kinda cute when you get all tough… when you act all sure of yourself like that…”

“Yeah…?”

“Yeah…”

“You’re kinda beautiful all the time,” Ronnie replied.

“Flatterer,” Dora giggled softly.

“I mean it…” Ronnie said, sounding hurt.

“I know…” Dora replied, her whisper soft and breathy.

“Pretty… like… like a nightingale…”

Dora giggled again. “A nightingale…? You think I’m a bird?”

“I like birds,” Ronnie admitted. “And I like you… a lot… and you’re pretty, and you sing pretty, and you always take care of—mf.”

Ronnie fell silent. So did Dora. Harriet heard them both breathe deeply, then there was a soft, wet sound that Harriet knew all too well. It was the sound her lips and Fred’s had made after their kiss at the top of the Astronomy tower.

“Wow…” Ronnie gasped softly under her breath.

“Well, if I’m a nightingale, what bird are you?” Dora asked.

“A stork…” Ronnie muttered.

“Ugh, not even,” Dora grunted. “You’re my eagle.”

Ronnie went very quiet.

“…I can be your eagle.”

Dora giggled a final time. “Yes you can.”

They stopped speaking. All Harriet could hear now was the sound of their lips working together. She shifted uncomfortably in her sleeping bag. It wasn’t Dora and Ronnie kissing that was making her uncomfortable. It was actually their little conversation about birds.

She remembered that last date in the Astronomy tower. She had asked Fred what kind of bird she was, and Fred more or less blew the question off. But someone else thought she was a bird. Someone else had been calling her a bird all along.

Dove.

Harriet grimaced. Finn hadn’t called her that once all day. He always said it with such tenderness. At least in her dreams. Harriet sighed rolling on her side. If Finn wanted nothing more than to see her smile again, Harriet found herself wanting nothing more than to hear him call her Dove just one more time.

In her exhaustion, Harriet finally fell asleep. However, had she not been so distracted, she would have noticed that it was not just Dora and Ronnie who were awake. Unseen by anyone else, a hand slowly slid out of Hermione’s sleeping bag, stretching across the floor and meeting Marcus’ which was already waiting, their fingers entwining in secret.

* * * *

They returned to Hogwarts late the following day. They had spent that afternoon helping Daniel, Aurora, Remus, and Sirius with putting away all the unsold clothing and carting it all back to the Shrieking Shack. Harriet couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sadness as she watched all the tents coming down.

Sure, she had been far from thrilled about being forced into the fashion show, but it had been uplifting to see Hogsmeade in some semblance of its former glory. Now, with all the tents gone and the rubble cleared away, Hogsmeade was nothing more than a wide open plain, dotted here and there by boarded over cellars that marked where shops and houses once stood.

Harriet was relieved to return to a Hogwarts as it seemed everything was back to normal. All she had left to worry about was the final task. Harriet wondered if it was her imagination, but everything and everyone seemed much more relaxed now that the gala was over. Everything seemed funnier. She and her friends laughed easily at the slightest joke.

Harriet hadn’t said anything to the others about what she had overheard that night. Not about what Aurora and Daniel had discussed, or about Dora and Ronnie’s kissing. Dora and Ronnie were playing things remarkably cool. Had Harriet not heard what she had heard, she never would have guessed that anything had happened.

That night in the common room, Harriet was just settling in on the couch, when for the first time since the fateful day in the Owlery, Fred came to speak to Harriet.

“Hey…” Fred said, his voice sounding hollow and brittle.

“Hey…” Harriet replied, unable to keep the awkwardness out of her voice.

“I-uh… Ronnie… told me about everything that happened…” Fred went on. “I’m sorry… I’m so sorry… you have every right to hate me right now…”

“Oh, Fred,” Harriet said, sitting up more on the sofa. “I don’t hate you.”

“You should,” Fred sighed. “I was an idiot, a complete idiot… I went back on my word to you over something so stupid, and…”

Harriet sighed. “Fred, he stole from you, of course you’re angry, that’s not stupid.”

“I just… I hurt you… that will always be stupid…”

Fred put his hand in his pocket, and pulled out a letter.

“Here,” he said, walking around the couch and to the fireplace.

“Fred?” Harriet asked, perplexed.

“It’s the letter… the one to Bagman we were going to send…” Fred explained.

He drew his wand and tapped the envelope. The letter burst into flames and Fred tossed it into the empty fireplace.

“There… was waiting till I worked up the courage to talk to you again… wanted you to see me do it first-hand.” Fred gave Harriet a sad little smile. “Anyway, just… yeah, wanted you to know. I’ll leave you alone… until you’re ready to talk…”

Fred turned and walked away, back across the common room. Harriet bit her lip. She wanted to stop him, and yet there was a nagging voice in the back of her mind. She wasn’t ready for this. She wasn’t ready for any of this.

She kept watching as Fred sat with George and Erica. At once, Angelina, Katie Bell and Alicia Spinnet joined them. Angelina sat closest to Fred, giving him her most sympathetic look. Harriet twisted her lips. There was a part of her that knew she should be jealous. And yet it just did not feel like she should be.

Harriet flopped back on the sofa, staring at the ceiling. Why was everything about growing up so hard?

* * * *

Growing up proved even harder the next day. That Monday morning, a special “Gala” edition of Witch Weekly was released. The articles were split, half of them had to do with Harriet, while the other half had to do with Fern.

Harriet’s stomach churned a little as she read. Of the articles about her, most were sympathetic, but two of them were less than flattering. One referred to her as Harriet Pumpkin.

“Harriet Pumpkin?” Kieran choked on his kipper. “Seriously?”

Harriet rolled her eyes. “What? Just because I’m not a six-foot tall twig?”

“That’s insane,” Ronnie said, staring at the magazine with disdain. “You were blackmailed into all of that, and all that bitch wants to talk about is your weight?”

Dora sniffed bitterly. “Welcome to being truly in the public eye. Mum and Dad held an event for their charity last year and that same dim-bulb only wrote about how ‘scandalous’ Mum’s dress was.”

Dora sighed. “That’s just it… as terrible as Rita Skeeter was, she was far from the only one. She was just the best at it because she was the worst…”

Harriet crossed her arms on the table and rested her forehead on them. Hermione put a kindly hand on Harriet’s shoulder.

“I’m betting they weren’t even at the Gala,” Hermione reasoned. “They didn’t see what everyone else did. They’re paid to sensationalize. You know the truth of what happened, and so does everyone who was there. You have nothing to feel bad about.”

“I’d feel better if everyone just left me the hell alone,” Harriet grumbled into her arms.

The group fell silent at this. Harriet rolled her eyes.

“Not you guys,” she said looking up at them.

“Well, that’s a relief,” Kieran said, his lips twitching.

* * * *

Wednesday. Three days left until the final task. Harriet had one thought to sustain her as the finale drew nearer and nearer: Daniel and Aurora were engaged, they were going to get married, and they were going to take her away from the Dursleys. She was going to have a proper mother and father. She was going to have little sisters. She was going to have a family.

A nagging part of her mind told Harriet it was too good to be true. Something terribly wrong was sure to happen. Professor Dumbledore would try and get in the way again. At every meal until that point, Harriet found herself stealing bitter glances at Professor Dumbledore. Who was he to keep Harriet at the Dursleys?

Harriet couldn’t find a single reason. How could she possibly be safer at the Dursleys than with another wizard and former Auror like Daniel? Daniel had said something about the Dursleys’ home being difficult to find. That didn’t make any sense to her. It was Number Four, Privet Drive. The Ministry had that on record, didn’t they?

Harriet’s mind was completely full as she crawled into bed that night. Tossing and turning, she tried to put her mind at ease. DIDS growled in agitation, but Harriet paid him no mind. The final task was almost here. Professor Dumbledore was behind her staying at the Dursleys. Daniel and Aurora were going to get married.

There was one small consolation, though it was far from the outcome that Harriet wanted. That morning’s Daily Prophet reported that Rita Skeeter had been admitted to St Mungo’s. She had finally been apprehended by magical lawmen, but apparently in the process she had suffered a complete psychotic breakdown. The article said that Skeeter had been placed in the Janus Thickey Ward, where long-term care patients were kept.

Harriet felt a shiver of resentment at this. It was the same ward where Daniel said that Neville’s parents were being kept. Rita Skeeter didn’t deserve to walk the same planet as Neville’s parents in Harriet’s mind, let alone stay in the same ward.

Harriet scowled, lying on her back staring up at the ceiling of her four-poster bed as the resentment washed over her. Then again, what did it matter? Harriet won. Harriet was free. Skeeter was the one who’d lost her marbles.

Harriet had won. Sure, Finn had done the real work, but Harriet was still on top over Rita Skeeter. That’s what mattered in the end, didn’t it? Harriet won. She was tied for second in the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Daniel and Aurora were going to save her from the Dursleys. Screw being miserable, Harriet owned the world right now.

Harriet strode slowly into the bedroom. She smiled taking the room in. It was dimly lit with candles. The walls were a soft green, as was the bedspread of the massive bed. The candles were all held in silver candlesticks and candelabras.

“You are ready for bed, m’lady?”

Harriet smirked slightly, brushing back her hair. She didn’t look over at the boy who spoke. He had to earn getting that much of her attention.

“Not yet,” Harriet said, strutting to her vanity.

She felt good as she strutted. What did the great Alessa Selene have on her strut? Harriet was on top of the world. Not even the heels she was wearing could slow her down now.

She stepped in front of her full-length mirror. She was wearing a long, silk scarf tied around her neck, maroon and blue, with pink trim and dark magenta diamonds on the maroon. She wore a simple black top. She turned side to side, taking herself in. The top was nice and form fitting, showing off her growing chest well.

She wore a green tartan skirt with yellow and white pattern. The outfit was finished off with a pair of black knee-socks that came right to the bottom of her kneecaps, and black pumps with a strap around her ankles.

Harriet grinned at herself in the outfit. She felt powerful wearing it. Dark, but young. Black, like Adele Irene, the woman in black at the Gala. The kind of woman who could even order Professor Howe around. A truly strong, in control woman.

“Did m’lady have a good night out?” the boy asked.

“Yes, I did,” Harriet said, brushing back her hair from her eyes.

“I’m sure you broke every boy’s heart,” the boy replied.

Harriet could hear the longing in his voice. Her smirk grew. She would indulge him… eventually…

Harriet sat at her vanity. She made a show of combing her hair. She wanted to drag things out as long as possible, drive him wild with waiting. Over her reflection’s shoulder, she could see him standing and waiting obediently. He was wearing his red jacket, with bright golden buttons, white button up shirt and trousers. He looked almost like an old toy soldier, standing at attention, waiting for orders. His face was hidden in the shadows of the candle-lit room.

She pushed her chair back slightly, looking at her reflection. She glanced at the boy again and her smirk returned.

“Boy?” she said, lazily. “Remove my earrings, please.”

“Yes, m’lady,” the boy said, walking over.

A shiver of anticipation rose up Harriet’s back as she saw him move into position behind her. She tilted her head to the left, watching as his strong hands brushed back her hair. With unexpected gentility, the strong fingers nimbly unclasped the right earring and delicately removed it from her ear. Harriet couldn’t help but moan as the hands tilted her head to the right for her, repeating the process of gently removing the other earring.

“Will that be all, m’lady?” the boy asked.

Harriet looked at herself in the mirror. She held out her hand and he placed the earrings in her palm for her. She put them in her jewellery box, but all the while she kept her eyes on his hands.

“Stroke my cheek…” Harriet ordered, her voice soft and breathy.

“As you wish, m’lady,” the boy said.

Harriet took in a soft breath as she watched the hand rise to her cheek. The backs of his fingers slowly caressed her cheek. She closed her eyes, just enjoying the sensation of his touch.

Harriet rose. She couldn’t give in yet. She strode past him, heading towards the bed. She turned, sitting on the edge then lying back on the soft, silky comforter. She couldn’t help but purr softly as she slid her bare arms up and down, enjoying the smooth, coolness. She raised one of her feet into the air.

“Boy… my shoe.”

“As you wish, m’lady,” the boy said.

Harriet groaned again as she felt his strong hands take hold of her ankle. His hands slowly undid the clasp on the strap around her ankle, before gently slipping the show off her foot.

“Mmmmmm,” Harriet moaned, nodding, raising the other foot. “And this one, boy…”

“Yes, m’lady,” the boy replied, repeating the process.

“Mmmmmm, you’ve earned being my servant,” Harriet said, stretching out more on the bed. “You know that, right?”

“Yes, m’lady,” was all the boy said.

Harriet rolled over on her stomach. She slowly slid her arms down, crossing her wrists behind her back.

“My wrists, boy,” she ordered.

“As you wish, m’lady,” the boy replied.

Harriet smiled to herself as she heard the boy rummaging around. She barely suppressed a groan of excitement as she felt his weight on the bed too. She bit her lip, closing her eyes as she felt him ever so gently stroke some of the rope up and down her arms, before he began tying her wrists together, tighter and tighter.

“Good boy,” Harriet moaned, tossing her hair a little.

“Thank you, m’lady,” the boy replied.

“My ankles now,” Harriet ordered.

“Yes, m’lady,” the boy repeated. Each time he said ‘m’lady’ it was with a practiced tempo, the same beat and pitch every time.

Harriet rested her head on the silky comforter, just enjoying the sensation of the bonds pulling down tight on her ankles.

“Massage me, boy,” Harriet said.

“As you wish, m’lady.”

Slowly, Harriet felt the boy’s hands move over her calves through the socks. She couldn’t help but curl her toes as the hands moved up and down, squeezing and kneading out all the tension of walking in heels. Then the hands moved to the backs of her thighs, caressing and stroking just right.

Harriet kept biting her lip, trying to keep her focus. His hands now went to work on her lower back, nimbly moving up and down around her bound hands. She felt all the tension of life leaving her as his hands move to her shoulders. It was sheer bliss.

Harriet slowly rolled over and sat up. She tossed her hair back, forcing herself to smile confidently again.

“My chest, boy,” Harriet ordered now.

She could just see well enough in her vanity’s mirror across the room to watch as the ropes wound tighter and tighter around her chest, above her bust and below. She softy wetted her lips. Again, she was visited with visions of what she had witnessed in the greenhouse. She wanted those hands to move over all her intimate parts as well. She wanted that same passionate kiss she had received from Fred on the top of the Astronomy tower.

“Hold me…” Harriet said, her voice getting breathy. She was starting to give in.

“As you wish, m’lady,” the boy whispered in her ear.

Harriet exhaled slowly as she felt his strong arms wrap around her from behind. He pulled her in close against his chest, the heat of his body warming her arms. Then, she felt his hot breath on her neck, followed shortly by his lips.

“Ohhhhh,” Harriet moaned. “Your lady didn’t tell you to do that,” she reprimanded, trying to hide the enjoyment in her voice.

“Yes, but you wanted me to, m’lady,” the boy said.

“Do you always overstep your orders?”

“Only when it pleases m’lady.”

“Little rogue,” Harriet taunted.

“Not so little, m’lady,” the boy purred into Harriet’s neck.

Harriet gasped. The boy shifted under her, and she felt her hands brush the front of his groin. Tingles of excitement ran through her as her fingertips brushed his boy-parts through the tight pants.

“Gag me,” Harriet ordered, her chest rising and falling. “Now.”

“As you wish, m’lady.”

The boy’s hands rose, slowly undoing the scarf around her neck. Harriet looked in the mirror once more. The boy’s face was still in shadow. Harriet felt her heart beating faster and faster.

“Why… why can’t I see your face…?” Harriet asked. “I want to see your face.”

“Because you don’t know who I am, m’lady,” the boy replied.

“But—but I do…” Harriet said, confused. “You’re…”

Suddenly, Harriet found she couldn’t. Was he Finn, or Fred? What was his accent? She hadn’t been paying attention.

The boy held up the scarf, tying a thick knot in the middle of it before her eyes. Harriet gave a whimper of anticipation. She started to open her mouth when she paused. She had to know.

“What kind of bird am—mphh?” she asked, cut off by the knot filling her mouth, the ends of the scarf being pulled back, tying it in tightly. Despite her slight frustration, Harriet’s eyes rolled back in her head a little and her eyelids fluttered in pleasure.

The boy didn’t respond. Harriet leaned back against him.

“Well?” Harriet pressed, her voice muffled, nuzzling her forehead into his neck.

Again, the boy did not respond. Harriet looked up into his shadowed face. Was it Fred? Fred didn’t know what kind of bird she was.

The boy gently touched a fingertip to her chin, lifting her face to look up at his. His face was becoming brighter.

“You know who you want me to be…” the boy whispered. His voice was gravely as he whispered, as if he was trying to hide his true voice.

Harriet closed her eyes, nodding. Her whole body was suddenly tingling. The boys hand dropped to her thigh, stroking up and down, the other hand rubbing up and down her side.

“You’ll always be here for me?” Harriet mumbled into the gag.

“Always,” the boy growled, kissing her neck again.

“Whenever I need you?”

“Of course, Dove.”

Harriet sat bolt upright. Her heart was hammering, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath. Harriet whimpered and collapsed back on her bed. She groaned burying her face in her hands.

Finn, again. Did she mind anymore, though? Not really. That dream had been perfect. Simply perfect.

“Harriet?” Ronnie’s voice came. “You okay?”

Harriet felt her cheeks get warm.

“Y-yes,” she replied. “Bad dream… my—uh—my nerves,” she lied.

Ronnie said nothing more. Harriet assumed she had fallen right back to sleep. Harriet was about to roll over and try to go back to sleep herself when something made her pause. Her sheets underneath her hips were damp. As were the insides of her upper thighs.

Harriet felt panic set in. Had she just done what she thought she had? Her panic was quickly replaced with shame. She was fourteen, almost fifteen. Had she really enjoyed that dream that much she didn’t wake to use the bathroom?

As quietly as she could, Harriet slid out of bed. She listened hard. Everyone seemed to still be sleeping. Slowly and carefully, Harriet pulled up her bottom sheet. She wadded it up, then crept over to the laundry hamper, stuffing it in.

Satisfied no one had heard, Harriet snuck back to her bed. She climbed under the covers once more and curled up into a ball. She shivered and fought back tears. What was wrong with her? When? When was life ever going to be easy?

* * * *

Harriet didn’t really speak to anyone that morning. She got up with the rest, and went to breakfast, but rather than eat she just kept staring at her food, occasionally poking it with her fork. Her friends seemed to understand her desire for quiet, even if they didn’t know why. Harriet figured they were assuming it was her nerves over the final task. It was now only two days away.

Harriet started as a hand rested gently on her shoulder from behind.

“Harriet?”

Harriet looked around. It was Aurora, concern all over her face as she looked down on Harriet.

“Yes?” Harriet asked, her stomach tying itself in knots. Did Aurora know somehow? No, how could she, stop being so damn paranoid.

“Are you alright?” Aurora asked.

Harriet thought. Her first impulse was to lie; to say she was fine. But based on the look on Aurora’s face, she knew Aurora wouldn’t believe her. That, and Harriet was just tired of keeping things in.

Harriet shook her head. Aurora nodded and gave Harriet’s shoulder a squeeze.

“Let’s go to my office,” Aurora said. “We can talk there.”

Harriet rose.

“Everything okay?” Nanette asked as Harriet and Aurora passed.

“Yes, dear,” Aurora replied kindly, cupping Nanette’s cheek. “Harriet just needs to talk.”

“Okay,” Nanette said, looking up at Harriet, worry on her little face.

Harriet gave Nanette her best attempt at a smile. It worked better than she’d thought. She found herself rather touched at the concern Nanette was showing. She glanced over at the Ravenclaw table. Even Rosie was half out of her seat, looking over at Harriet with worry.

Harriet hadn’t quite attached herself to the idea of Aurora and the twins being family quite like she had Daniel. And yet, now that she saw how worried all three of them were, Harriet knew she couldn’t keep them distant much longer. Harriet gave Rosie a little smile and wave, too. Rosie returned it, and sat down once more.

Aurora guided Harriet from the Great Hall. She ignored Pansy and Pixie pulling stupid faces at her as they left. They were puffing out their cheeks and sticking out their stomachs tauntingly. Apparently they had read the Witch Weekly articles as well. Harriet glowered. She wasn’t a pumpkin.

Harriet walked along with Aurora, neither speaking. Finally, they arrived at Aurora’s office at the base of the Astronomy tower. Aurora unlocked the door and they entered. It occurred to Harriet that she had never been in Professor Sinistra’s private office before, and she looked around with interest.

There were stacks of homework assignments on Professor Sinistra’s desk, some marked “GRADED” and some “TO GRADE.” The walls were lined with tall book-shelves, full of books on almost every subject, not just Astronomy. Every free space of wall was covered in pinned up star charts, while every flat surface was covered in picture frames of Nanette and Rosie at varying ages.

Harriet picked up one of the twins and Aurora. It looked to be from the twins’ first day at Rathlin. They were wearing smart little uniforms, and grinning happily at the camera, turning this way and that to show them off as Aurora knelt behind them, hugging both girls close, and laughing at the camera, pride written all over her face.

“First day the girls went to Rathlin,” Aurora confirmed.

“They were so cute,” Harriet said, smiling for the first time all day.

“They still are, when they’re not being little monsters,” Aurora said, her lips twitching.

Harriet giggled a little. “One day last Christmas holiday they hijacked Hedwig and dyed her feathers all pink and gold.”

Aurora laughed. “That sounds about right, yes.”

Aurora walked over to a pair of comfortable looking armchairs in the corner of her office. She sat in one, beckoning for Harriet to sit in the other. Harriet set the frame down, crossing over and sitting.

“So… what’s the matter, dear?” Aurora asked.

Harriet grimaced.

“I… I had a dream… last night…”

As Harriet watched, Aurora seemed to go through a series of reactions. The first was surprise. This was quickly replaced with amusement, which was then followed by a kind, empathetic smile.

“Oh sweetie, that’s perfectly normal,” Aurora said, leaning over and gently resting a comforting hand on Harriet’s.

Harriet chewed her lip a little.

“You’re a growing girl, dear,” Aurora went on, giving Harriet’s hand a kindly squeeze. “Your body’s going through a lot of changes. Everyone goes through them at your age, boys and girls.”

“Really…?” Harriet asked, sceptically. “No one else seems to be…”

Aurora’s lips twitched. “Well, dear, have you told any of your friends what you’re going through?”

“No…”

“Well, I imagine they’re probably too afraid to say anything to anyone else, either,” Aurora said reasonably.

Harriet shifted a little.

“I thought the stupid periods were supposed to be the worst of it,” Harriet muttered.

“Oh, sweetie,” Aurora said gently, squeezing Harriet’s hand again. “These things will pass. Right now your body’s being wracked with hormones. You’re having periods because well… your body says it’s ready to start making babies.”

Harriet raised an eyebrow.

“That doesn’t mean you’re mentally ready for that of course,” Aurora said quickly. “But your body is already getting prepared. You’re probably going to notice other changes as well, if you haven’t had them already. Your chest has gotten bigger this year, you’ve started getting curves…”

Harriet blushed. She had noticed that some of her clothes weren’t fitting her the same anymore, nor had the clothes Daniel designed for her for the gala.

“You’re going to need to start wearing deodorant soon, your skin will start producing more oil so you’ll need to wash your hair and face more…”

“This talk is supposed to make me feel better, right…?” Harriet said sarcastically.

Aurora rolled her eyes. “No, dear, it’s supposed to prepare you.”

Harriet looked away. Concern came back to Aurora’s face.

“Harriet, sweetie, what is it?”

Harriet closed her eyes. “Last night I had a dream with naughty stuff happening and I think it made me wet the bed.”

Aurora gave Harriet a look that bordered on sympathy and pity. “Oh, honey… no, you didn’t. That’s normal, too. It’s called a wet dream…”

Heh, that’s the name for it, alright, Harriet thought.

Aurora paused, thinking hard. “Sometimes, when people get stimulated enough in a… sexual way… they—well—orgasm.”

“Orgasm?”

“Yes, dear. Think of it as like… a reward of sorts,” Aurora explained. “You see… well…” Aurora sighed, leaning back in the chair, thinking hard again. “Harriet… have you ever seen what boys look like without their clothes?”

Harriet felt herself blush furiously. “I… well… y-yes… I saw Hyland… when…”

“Ahhhh,” Harriet’s bewilderment, Aurora smiled. “Well, that will make it easier to explain. So… I’m sure you noticed that he looked pretty different from you?”

Harriet nodded, wide eyed.

“Well… you’re shaped the way you are… and boys are shaped the way they are… so the boy can well… he puts his part inside yours.”

“Inside me?!” Harriet gasped. “Ew!”

Aurora laughed. “It’s not that bad, dear,” Aurora reassured her. “Trust me, the more you think about it happening, the more I’m sure you’ll think it will be the greatest thing in the world.”

Harriet doubted this very much, but she wanted to hear where Aurora was going with this.

“Anyway, sweetie, to make it easier for the boy to put his part inside yours, when we girls get aroused, we get… well… wet. Our body produces… um… well to be honest, I’m not an expert in anatomy, so I’m not sure exactly what it is, but our bodies produce a sort of fluid that lets the boy part enter with less resistance, which feels a lot nicer for both involved.”

“Huh…” Harriet muttered. “So… I didn’t… it was just…”

“Yes, dear,” Aurora confirmed. “Sometimes we produce a lot of it and it can get a bit messy… some girls even, well, ejaculate it when they orgasm. But again, it’s perfectly normal.”

Harriet nodded. “I guess that would help… cuz boy parts look all kinda floppy…”

Aurora’s lips twitched again. “Well, when a boy gets aroused, his ‘part’ gets hard and stands erect.”

“Weird,” Harriet said, though she now giggled in spite of herself.

Aurora suddenly gave Harriet a very serious look. “That being said, sweetie, I have to stress to you there are a lot of risks and things to worry about with sex. The two biggest are pregnancy… remember, I was only sixteen when I got pregnant with the girls.”

Harriet’s throat tightened, and she slowly nodded.

“The second major risk is disease. There are some very nasty ones out there, some that can even kill you.”

Harriet swallowed.

“There are scores of them: AIDS and HIV, chlamydia, hepatitis, herpes, syphilis…”

Aurora paused, noticing the look on Harriet’s face. “It’s… yes, it’s scary, but I’m not really trying to scare you, honey. I just want you to know what’s out there. And so… I really want to stress to you that the safest way to have sex and avoid those worries is to wait until you’ve found someone you truly love, who you plan on spending the rest of your life with. Because then… things like pregnancy—for instance—won’t be an accident, it’ll be a goal.”

Harriet nodded slowly.

“But,” Aurora continued, with a conciliatory look, “I know sometimes that temptation can be too much… and if it should… always make sure you have some form of protection with you…”

“Protection?”

“Yes, dear,” Aurora said. “Things like condoms, they help to prevent both disease and pregnancy. Not fool proof, but better than nothing.”

Harriet digested this. She snorted. “Heh, now if I could just get rid of the crazy dreams…”

“Well,” Aurora chuckled. “I doubt those will go away completely. But… I can offer you some tips on how to deal with the urges…”

* * * *

Harriet flopped back on her bed. Her head was spinning, and she was thoroughly enjoying it. She’d followed Professor Sinistra’s advice, waiting once more for all the other girls to fall asleep, before acting. It was much better happening while she was awake as opposed to in a dream.

She sat up. On the one hand, she felt content and relaxed, almost as though she could pass right out. On the other hand, she felt so good she didn’t want to waste the moment. She slid out of bed and quietly opened her book bag, taking out some parchment, her quill and ink. She climbed back in bed, spreading out the parchment.

Dear Finn,

You said at the Gala I stopped writing, and seemed upset about it. So I guess it’s time for me to fix that. I can’t thank you enough for what you did for me. You were amazing. Beyond amazing. You were brilliant. I owe you so much, I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to pay you back for that.

I’m still so sorry for what happened to you too. I don’t know your parents, but I know you now. You’re a smart, brave boy, and if you were magic and came here to Hogwarts, you’d totally be a Gryffindor, too. You help people who need it, and that’s awesome.

I hope you write back soon. And I’m sorry I got so caught up in things and stopped writing.

Harriet paused, thinking.

Also, though you looked good in purple and green, I think you need to wear more colour. Like red. Red is a good colour on you.

Harriet giggled.

Hope to hear back soon. The final task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament is Saturday. Maybe Professor Howe can bring you to watch. I’m in second place.

Lots of love,

Harriet

Harriet smiled, letting the ink dry before folding up the letter. She would send it first thing tomorrow morning. That would hopefully give Finn enough time to reply before the task.

She set the letter on her bedside table, put away her ink and quill, and slid back under her covers. She was still feeling a bit floaty from earlier. She sighed happily, gave DIDS’ belly a little tickle, before closing her eyes, and falling right to sleep.