wl_mods (wl_mods) wrote in wizard_love, @ 2010-02-08 01:12:00 |
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Entry tags: | *fic, 2010, harry, millicent |
Special delivery for psyfic, part 2
Title: Blue Jay Way
Author:
Recipient's LJ name: psyfic
Pairing(s): Harry/Millicent
Rating: NC-17
Summary Millicent is in her second year of Auror training and finds herself paired up with the Boy-Who-Lived. She finds Harry needs to be taught about the Beatles, and maybe a little about love as well.
Word Count: 13,057
Warnings/Content: Masturbation and sex
Disclaimer: All Harry Potter characters herein are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No copyright infringement is intended.
Author's notes: Happy Valentine's Day psyfic. Thanks for the wonderful prompt, I had a lot of fun writing this. I hope you don't mind the second couple who fell in love during Auror training – they refused to be denied. It turned into a bit of a monster, so much love goes to my beta, who went through it all in one day so I could get it in on time. The title of this story comes from the Beatles song "Blue Jay Way".
The next morning Snape walked in with Palmer and Harry worried that he had a Potions test he'd forgotten about.
"This is the last new information you will be taught this year. It will not be tested for specifically, but it may be useful in your final practical assessment. Instructor Snape has kindly offered to help with the instruction."
Snape had ended up teaching much more than just potions, perhaps because years as a spy had taught him most of the skills needed by a good Auror.
"The wand movement is like this," Snape said, demonstrating a flick of the wand that looked awfully familiar. "And the words you need are Expecto Patronum. You should think of something happy as you attempt to conjure your Patronus. Like so. Expecto Patronum!" A silvery doe shot out from the end of his wand and did a lap of the room before disappearing. "You try."
Almost in unison a cry of "Expecto Patronum!" rang out from various corners of the hall. Harry smiled as his stag joined the menagerie cavorting around the room. Quite a few members of Dumbledore's Army had joined the Aurors, and all of them had produced a perfect corporeal Patronus. Snape looked like he'd sucked a lemon.
"Well done, all of you," Palmer cried. "Mr. McMillan, where did you learn that?"
"Harry taught us back in fifth."
"Well done Mr. Potter, then. You can all help the others who have yet to master the spell."
"Where were Millicent and I when Potter was teaching you advanced magic?" Draco asked.
"Running around with an inquisitors badge trying to catch us," said Harry dryly.
"Oh yeah. Good times, good times."
Ron sent his silvery terrier straight at Draco's head.
"What does he mean by something happy?" Millicent asked. "Like kittens, or bunny rabbits?"
"A happy memory. But it has to be completely happy. So, for me, Voldemort's downfall won't do it because it's tinged with too much sadness over the people we lost. But getting in to Auror training was completely happy, and so…Expecto Patronum!" The stag didn't go far, instead coming back to stand near Millicent. "Most people find that there's a childhood memory that's completely happy."
Harry watched Millicent practice her wand movement, murmuring the spell under her breath.
"What are Patronuses used for?" Palmer asked as he walked around.
"Defending against Dementors," Ernie said.
"Very good. Anything else?"
"Guiding people," said Harry. He saw Snape smirk in the background.
"I guess you could."
"Sending messages," said Ron, looking up from where he was guiding Draco's hand through the movement.
"Yes Ron. And that's what you, as Aurors, will use it for the most. It is also why you need to be able to produce one consistently."
"Expecto Patronum!" Millicent said. A silvery wisp fell from the end of her wand. She frowned.
"It's more than I did my first attempt. You need a stronger memory, I think."
"The ones from my childhood make me sad because it makes me remember they're gone."
Harry nodded. He understood that completely.
"Maybe putting Hermione in a headlock. What was that? Second year?"
"That's not strong enough."
She thought for a moment and tried again, this time producing even less of a wisp.
"Once you've done it once, you'll find the right tone for the memories and be able to do it all the time."
"Straight determination won't work?" Draco was also struggling.
"It needs a happy memory," said Ron.
"Take a rest," Harry told both Millicent and Draco. "Sit and daydream for a bit to figure out a happy memory then try again in a few minutes."
Harry wondered if he should suggest to Millicent that she use a memory of them. It was a memory of her that he'd thought of when creating his Patronus. He looked across to where she was staring out the window. She didn't want any part of his feelings – she'd said so often enough. Better not to make the suggestion, as she'd probably get worried that he was becoming too attached. As he watched she turned from the window and spoke the words. A tiger shot from the end of her wand. She pointed her wand and the tiger trotted across to him, so Harry followed it back from where he'd wandered.
"I did it!" He couldn't help but smile at the grin that lit up her face. He gave her a hug.
"He's beautiful, too."
"She. I'm sure she's a she."
"Then she's beautiful."
"Hey!" Harry heard Ron exclaim and turned to see a small animal appear from the end of Draco's wand.
"What is it?" Draco asked. "It looks like a …"
"It's a ferret," Millicent said.
Harry and Ron sniggered as Draco groaned.
"They're a part of the weasel family you know," Millicent was continuing. Ron blushed red at that, but Harry was too busy looking at Draco's dismayed face to notice.
"I'm never going to live this down, am I?"
"Am I missing something?"
"You usually don't start this training until next year," Palmer said a couple of weeks later. "But you've all gotten through your work relatively quickly, so we thought we'd give you a chance to practice this skill with someone you trust, namely your partners. As Instructor Snape is skilled in this area, he will be taking you through it. Severus?"
"Thank you." Snape turned to them. "The skills of Occlumency and Legilimency are closely related and require a strong discipline of the mind to perfect."
Harry groaned.
"Thank you, Mr. Potter for that assessment of the subject matter. Maybe Miss Bulstrode will be able to inspire some semblance of competence in you."
Millicent looked across at Harry who looked embarrassed and angry all at the same time.
"The trick," Snape was saying, "is to clear your mind of everything. Once your mind is blank you will find that it is easy to keep someone out of it. However, it is a difficult skill to master, so don't be discouraged if you don't succeed at first. Unless you're Mr. Potter, who has tried and failed previously."
She put a hand on Harry's arm when she heard him growl. Snape explained the wand movement and the incantation and told them to practice on each other.
"Why is he picking on you?" she asked.
"He tried to teach me Occlumency in fifth, but I never really got it."
"I thought you could resist an Imperius curse."
"What of it?"
"It's just about the same skill. If you can resist Imperius, this should be easy."
"She's correct, Mr. Potter. But maybe he is just saying he can resist one, Miss Bulstrode. Cast one."
She looked at Harry who nodded. She noticed that they were the centre of attention.
"Imperio," she said. Nothing happened.
"You have to tell him to do something."
"Dance like a monkey," she said.
Harry started hopping towards her, hanging his arms in front of him and making monkey noises. She looked at Snape then back at Harry who had reached her and proceeded to smack her across the back of the head.
"You've gotta want it, Bulstrode, or else the Unforgivables don't work."
"Do you know that from experience Mr. Potter?"
"No. That's what Moody told us in fourth year." He shook his head. "I mean, Crouch."
"Well, Miss Bulstrode you try to read Mr. Potter's mind. Really, with how little there is in there, you'd think clearing it would be easy."
"Are you ever going to stop picking on me?"
"Why would I, when it's so much fun?"
"Ready, Harry?" Millicent interrupted the staring match between the two of them. "Legilimens!"
"Occlumens!" Harry said, but it didn't help and Millicent found herself looking at his memories. Perhaps because it was uppermost in his mind she found herself watching him cast the Imperius curse on a man, it looked like a banker, while he watched Bellatrix Lestrange talk to a goblin. Because she was in his memories she knew it was really Hermione. The image changed and it showed Harry hanging in the air above a mound of gold while Ron and Hermione were screaming in pain on the floor. Suddenly she wasn't in his head anymore, but she found herself with a new found respect for Hermione Granger.
"A blank mind," she said. He nodded and they tried again. She saw Harry standing in front of Snape, getting angrier as Snape flicked through his mind like it was a book. This time he shoved her out sooner. "I want to know what it feels like," she said.
Harry pointed his wand and she felt an invasion in her mind. She didn't have control of her memories, it was as if Harry was the one controlling her mind.
Her thoughts of him were uppermost and she tried to pull them back as he saw himself from her perspective. He saw the moment she decided to become an Auror, when she heard that's what he was doing. He saw her notebook from sixth year covered in his initials, and then he saw her waking early and watching him sleep. He saw her murmur 'I love you' while he snored. She pushed him out and looked at him panicked. Then she turned and ran, not able to deal with the shocked look on his face.
She didn't stop running until she reached their cave. She wasn't sure why she went there, she knew he'd find her. To his credit he gave her some time alone before following.
"I don't want to talk about it," she said when she heard his footsteps. "You were never meant to know, never meant to see."
"Why is it so bad that I did?"
"No feelings. Friends helping each other out." Harry started to say something but she cut him off. "Harry, let's just get through these exams and worry about the rest later."
She wanted to tell him that she knew he'd wind up with Ginny eventually, that she wouldn't make trouble she just wanted to get over her heartbreak in private. She couldn't handle his pity. That's why she didn't want him to know. That's why she'd been kicking herself for falling for him.
"But – "
She didn't let him speak. "I'd like to be alone," she told him. He nodded and walked away.
That night, for the first time in months, she went to her own room to sleep. Yoko must have found a warm spot on Harry's bed. It was hard to sleep when she was so alone.
Over the next two weeks Harry tried to talk to Millicent about what he saw, but she left the room whenever he brought it up. They studied and sat for exams and spent a lot of time in awkward silence. Thankfully Draco and Ron still studied with them and both of them were too oblivious to feelings to notice that their friends were barely talking.
It was the Friday of their final assessment and Harry only had until Sunday to fix things with Millicent. Of course, he could start drinking at her Nan's pub, but he rather thought that would seem creepy, so it was better to convince her to talk to him before they left. They still went to the gym together, but their workouts were silent and she never joined him in the shower. He walked into her room silently and shook her awake.
"Harry?" She smiled just the way she used to as she woke up.
"I feel the same way," he said, then he went to the gym.
She never joined him that morning, in fact he didn't see her until she arrived for the last assessment. She was running so late that he was afraid she wasn't going to show up.
"Millicent –" He was cut off by Palmer walking to the front of the hall.
"Welcome to your last assessment of the year. A good result in this assessment will forgive errors made in others. A bad result will be considered very serious.
"Your instructors are all criminals. Anyone else you spot around the place, and this may include friends and family, are witnesses and innocents. Each partnership will be assigned a criminal that they must arrest using the clues provided. The entire compound is being used for this assessment. You can use anything you know to bring your criminal down, but please note that there is a magic-dampening field set up. All your spells will work as normal, but the effects will be greatly decreased to save both instructors and yourselves. Harming an innocent will be looked on poorly. For the purposes of this assessment you are living in a Wizarding village. When I call your name, come up and get your envelope."
Being a Bulstrode meant Harry and Millicent got their envelope quickly.
Harry pulled the envelope out and groaned. "I'll bet he asked to be assigned to us," he said when he saw a picture of Snape's big nose.
"What's it say on the back of the photo?"
Harry turned the picture over and saw a few notes. "'Suspected arsonist Severus Snape has been spotted near the school. Extreme caution is advised. He has been known to use deadly force.' School?"
Millicent turned the envelope over and a map fell out. "They've named the mess hall the school."
"Let's go."
It was like they'd been talking the whole time. Millicent took out her note pad so they could take notes when speaking to witnesses. Around the school they found George and Hermione taking a stroll and asked them if they'd seen the suspect. That conversation led to the 'ghetto' as it was marked on the map. Savage was obviously someone's criminal, but since he wasn't theirs they just asked questions.
It was Millicent who finally got the answers. "Perhaps we should check for any outstanding warrants for you Mr. Savage."
"Okay, okay. I've heard he lives at Blue Jay Way."
Harry and Millicent exchanged a look then turned and almost ran towards their home.
"I should have known he'd go hang out at our place," Harry said.
"We couldn't have known." Harry wanted to burst through the door, but Millicent stopped him so they could follow procedures. She knocked on the door.
"DMLE, Mr. Snape. We'd like to talk to you!" They heard a sound from the side of the house. "Do we have a back door?"
"No," Harry replied. "But we have windows."
They ran down the side of the flat to see a flash of black fleeing around the back. Snape was running along the back of the row of student housing and Harry and Millicent were steadily gaining on him. Harry felt kind of smug that their fitness regime was paying off. Snape ducked between two flats and Harry and Millicent turned the corner soon afterwards only to find that Snape had disappeared.
"Did he Apparate away? I didn't hear the crack."
"He doesn't make one," Harry said. "But this is an assignment. He'd have to leave a clue."
They walked around the immediate area searching for anything that might point to where Snape went.
"Try to Apparate," Harry said to Millicent, a thought forming in his head.
She pointed her wand at herself, but nothing happened.
"The anti-apparition wards are still up which means he's around here somewhere."
Millicent turned where she was, but Harry looked up and sure enough Snape was on the roof. He fired a spell at Millicent as he jumped off the roof.
"No!" Harry cried. He pushed her out of the way, feeling the magic pierce him and blackness taking hold.
Millicent had turned as she heard Harry yell and then his body hit hers and she took two steps backwards. Harry fell as if in slow motion and she did exactly the wrong thing, something that got people killed on the cop shows. She fell to her knees, hands running over Harry's face, making sure he was okay. In doing so she took her eyes off Snape.
She felt the magic brush the top of her head and she realised how lucky she was. Doing the wrong thing had saved her. She could see Snape's feet from where she crouched and she jumped at his knees, taking him down. His wand was knocked out of his hand and she struggled to grab his hand as he reached for it.
"Petrificus Totalus," she heard whispered, and Snape was still.
"Harry, are you okay?"
"A little winded, but yeah. Let's get him back to the hall."
The spell wore off quickly and Harry tied Snape's hands behind his back.
As they led him off Millicent did the formal arrest. "Severus Snape, you're under arrest on suspicion of arson. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney."
"Miss Bulstrode, not only are those rights Muggle, but they are also American."
"I don't care, I've always wanted to say them. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed to you." By that time they'd reached the hall and Ron and Draco were leading Savage in.
"Well done Mr. Weasley, Mr. Malfoy. You have both passed this year's training. We'll see you next year." Ron put his arms around Draco and lifted him up, a 'woohoo' echoing through the room.
"Put me down Weasley. This isn't dignified." Millicent saw he was smiling.
"And Mr. Potter and Miss Bulstrode. We'll see you next year as well. Maybe you could untie Instructor Snape before you begin hugging though."
Harry untied the ropes then swept her into a hug, swinging her round and round.
"You guys want to celebrate together tonight?" Ron asked.
Millicent waited for Harry to speak, and when he was silent she turned and saw he was looking at her. Something in his eyes told her he'd rather be alone, but he was giving her the choice.
"I'm too tired tonight, Ron. But thanks. We'll celebrate at the end of year feast tomorrow."
As soon as they were given permission to leave she and Harry went back to Blue Jay Way.
"Did you hear what I said this morning?"
She nodded.
"And?"
Millicent had spent the morning trying to figure out what to say to him, but all she wanted to do now was kiss him. So she did. His hands stroked across her face and he broke away and looked into her eyes.
"You believed me then?"
She couldn't meet his eyes. "I'm not sure. But I guess I'm sick of hiding my love away. I'm willing to see where this goes."
He kissed her again and she found herself following him to his bedroom.
As it turned out she was right, they were too tired to celebrate, but they fell asleep in each other's arms, Yoko at their feet. The next morning Harry woke her for their morning run and once again she found herself naked in their cave.
"I'm going to miss this cave," Harry said as he entered her.
"I'm going to miss Blue Jay Way." She wrapped her legs around his hips and urged him faster.
"Are you going to miss this?" he asked before taking a nipple between his lips.
"Mmmm… I'm not going to let you spend that much time away from me."
He grinned and took her lips in his, the kiss growing more passionate as her hips began lifting to meet his. He didn't stop kissing her, even as her body pulsed around him. He drank her cries down and kept kissing as he shuddered inside her.
Finally he lifted his head. "Do we have to move from here?"
"Not until dinner. Though we do still have to pack."
"We can stay here a bit longer then."
They made love again, slowly this time, exploring all the muscles and marks they'd missed in the last two weeks and lay holding each other until hunger sent them back.
That night was the leaving feast, as everyone was calling it. Harry walked into the hall with his arm firmly around her waist. When she tried to pull away he wouldn't let her.
"You didn't want to hide anymore," he whispered. "And I want everyone to know how lucky I am."
She settled her arm around his waist and walked through the doors.
"Miss Bulstrode, Mr. Potter, a word if you please," Palmer said as they walked in. "You also, Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Weasley."
"Maybe we should have hid for a moment longer," Millicent whispered as they followed Palmer out the side door.
"We don't have a problem with Aurors having relationships with each other," Palmer said when they were all out the door. "We know that often it's only another Auror who understands everything you're experiencing. I just wanted to remind all of you that you won't be working together in the field once you qualify, and you won't be placed together during work placements next year. I'd also ask you to try to be discreet." He looked pointedly at Millicent and Harry when he said that.
"Of course, Sir," Millicent said.
"Very good. Enjoy the feast."
"Come on," Millicent said, pulling on Harry's hand. He didn't move.
"If you and I are together," he said looking at her. "That means…" He turned to stare at Ron and Draco.
"I wanted to tell you, mate," Ron said. His arm was locked firmly around Draco's waist.
"What about Hermione?"
"She's the one who pointed out that I liked Draco. She figured it out at Christmas."
"The imbecile wouldn't listen to me," Draco added, and Ron dropped a kiss to the top of his head.
"As long as you're happy, I suppose," Harry said, though he still looked perplexed.
"Um… I've been meaning to tell you that I'm going to be moving out of Grimmauld Place as well." Ron stepped forward. "I'll be living with Draco in Hertfordshire."
"Isn't that rushing it a bit?"
"We've been living together all year, and we haven't killed each other yet."
"I'll help you move then."
"Tomorrow?" Harry nodded. "Thanks, mate," Ron said then he and Draco went back inside.
"He's right, you know," Harry said.
"About what?"
"We've been living together all year and haven't killed each other yet. I'd be happy to change the name of Grimmauld Place to Blue Jay Way. You can help redecorate and everything."
"Are you asking me to move in with you?"
"Very ineptly, I think."
"I remember you have a nice, big bed."
"And someone to do all the housework."
"I'll need to let Nan know what's going on."
"And then?"
"And then you'd better make sure you can cat proof the house."
"And we'll listen to the Beatles every night?"
"Sounds good to me."