Seventeen Years Later: A Fair Read (1/2)
Title: Seventeen Years Later: A Fair Read (1/2)
Author: kanedax
Spoilers: Deathly Hallows; Beedle the Bard; Previous Chapters
Characters: Teddy Lupin/Hermione Caroline Granger (OC)
Rating: Hard R for partial nudity, sexual content and language
Summary: Teddy tries to read a story to HC
Notes: The Fountain of Fair Fortune is interpreted from the amazon.com review of The Tales of Beedle the Bard, a book written by JK Rowling. Since I didn’t have 2 million pounds on hand (my paycheck didn’t come in til the next week) I had to make due with what we were given.
If you find any of the content listed above offensive, please do not read this story. I own these characters. All others, along with the original Fountain of Fair Fortune, belong to JK Rowling.
Afterthought / Previous Chapters / A Fair Read (2/2)
“So this is it, then?”
“Yeah, it is,” said Teddy Lupin as he sat on his bed.
“This is it,” Hermione Caroline Granger repeated, holding the ancient text carefully as she stood by Teddy’s dresser. “The book.”
“Yeah…”
“I mean, the book, the big one, the oh-by-the-way-it-helped-save-the-world type book.”
“One and the same,” Teddy said with a smirk.
“Wow,” said Hermione, staring down at the worn cover. “I mean… Ted, this is huge. It’s so old and important and are you sure my sister wanted you to have it?”
“If she didn’t, I’m sure she wouldn’t have gotten it confused with Hogwarts: A History,” said Teddy.
“Bloody hell,” said Hermione, sitting down beside her boyfriend. “She talked about it all the time, but she never showed it to any of us. Kept it in storage in Gringott’s ever since the war finished.”
“And that’s probably where it’s going tomorrow,” said Teddy. “But she said I should have a look at it before I put it in my own vault.”
“I forgot you have your own vault now,” said Hermione with a shocked smirk. “This whole ‘of age’ thing’s… odd…”
“Yeah, I know,” said Teddy with a shrug. “It’s really not much, though. The presents are a little bigger than normal, just like yours will be next year. Otherwise, it just means that I can use magic without getting in trouble.”
“Yeah,” Hermione said quietly. “Not a big deal.”
Teddy flinched slightly at the tone of her voice, the look on her face; that combination of pride for her boyfriend, mixed with that touch of jealousy that had been in her as long as he had known her. He mentally chided himself; in one little phrase, he had twice reminded her that he was a wizard and she was a Muggle. She always talked about how much she wished that she could be considered an adult at seventeen instead of eighteen, and to be able to use magic freely at that time.
Or, well, use magic at all beyond the tiny bit provided by the pendant around her neck.
“It’s not a big deal, really,” he said firmly, putting his hand on her leg. “I honestly wish that they wouldn’t make as as big of a thing of it as they do. I’m still the same Ted I was before I turned seventeen.”
Teddy knew that he was lying slightly. He was the same kid now as he was before he turned. Of course, when he had turned seventeen back in April it felt like a bigger deal. Knowing that he could use magic outside of Hogwarts was a wonderful feeling, like a Muggle getting their driver’s license for the first time (which Hermione herself had done soon after she turned seventeen in May).
But now, when the Potters, Grangers, and Hermione’s sister’s family got together earlier in the day to celebrate a belated birthday party for both of them, now fresh out of school for the summer, it was different. The presents were indeed bigger: he had received a pocket watch from Gran, along with the book from Jean and Ron and a Mark II Thunderbolt from Harry and Ginny for his seventh year as one of the Gryffindor Chasers. But now the loss of the Trace seemed like old hat.
So when he apologized to Hermione (and it was his best attempt at an apology; when they had first started dating he felt awful whenever he talked about magic. She eventually told him to stop apologizing, so now when he felt bad about talking about it too much he simply did his best to play it down), he meant what he said: it wasn’t a big deal anymore.
Hermione nodded, but didn’t say anything else on the subject, which made Teddy feel like he did the best that he could, considering the circumstances that had been staring the couple in the face since they started dating three and a half years ago.
“So can we open it?” Hermione asked instead, looking back down at the book.
“I think so,” said Teddy, taking the book from her lap and putting it on his own. “It may look old, but it has enough enchantments to hold it together for a long time. I mean, it was old when Professor Dumbledore gave it to Jean. It held up with her, and you know how she reads.”
Hermione chuckled. “Good point,” she said. “So where is it? The big important symbol?”
“Hmm,” Teddy said, opening the book to the front. “Jean said that it was in The Three Brothers, so…” he scanned his finger down a page of indecipherable text. “Page fifty-nine.”
“You can read that?” Hermione asked.
“Yeah, a bit,” Teddy said, slightly embarrassed.
“Wow,” Hermione breathed, now leaning over his shoulder.
“I’m… I’m okay at it,” said Teddy with a reluctant shrug as he flipped through the aged pages. “That’s why your sister gave it to me in the first place. What can I say? Uri’s a good professor. Oh, here we go…”
He stopped flipping pages and pointed to the top of one particular section, where a triangular eye stared back at them.
“That’s the Deathly Hallows?” Hermione asked. “The symbol that started the whole thing?”
“The one that beat Voldemort, yeah,” Teddy replied. “Aberforth’s brother gave the book to Jean so that she could learn the story. Luna’s dad pointed them in the direction, and it was the three Hallows that helped beat Voldemort in the end.”
“The Resurrection Stone, the Elder Wand, and Harry’s Invisibility Cloak, right?”
“Why am I even explaining this to you?” Teddy asked with a smirk.
“Well, it’s not like Jean hasn’t told me anything,” said Hermione. “She just never showed me the book. It’s like I’m looking at the Magna Carta or something. This is huge.”
“It’s just a book of fairy tales, really,” Teddy said. “Nothing earth-shattering. The symbol itself was scribbled in by Professor Dumbledore or Grindelwald; it wasn’t a part of the book originally.”
“Alright, fine, I’m sorry,” said Hermione sarcastically. “It’s not like looking at the Magna Carta. It’s just like you own something handwritten by Churchill or Hitler, completely different.”
“Yes, completely different,” said Teddy with a smile.
“So it’s a book of fairy tales?” Hermione asked, nudging herself closer.
“Yeah, it is,” he replied, flipping back to the front. “Five stories.”
“Wizard stories, though,” she continued.
“Wizard stories,” Teddy agreed. “Gran read them to me when I was growing up, but not in this language.”
“But you can read it?”
“Mostly, yeah.”
“Okay,” said Hermione, flopping back onto Teddy’s bed. “Read me something.”
“What?”
“Read me a bedtime story,” she replied with mock innocence, curling up beside him.
“I don’t know,” Teddy said patronizingly. “If I read you a bedtime story, you’ll probably fall asleep.”
“Would that be a bad thing?” Hermione asked with a naughty smile.
“It might be,” said Teddy. “I might be seventeen, but as long as I’m living under Andromeda Tonks’s roof, she has a problem with you sleeping over.”
“I don’t see why not,” said Hermione. “I used to sleep over all the time.”
“Yeah, when you were eight,” Teddy replied. “You know, back before I was allowed to touch your naughty bits. I don’t tell her much, but I think Gran’s figured out that we do have the occasional bit of orgasm fun. We are teenagers in love, after all. Comes with the territory.”
“Fine,” said Hermione, her lip pouted out. “If you don’t want to snuggle, then we don’t have to snuggle. I can just go home and sleep alone.”
Teddy sighed indulgently, his hair turning orange as he fell down beside her. “Devil woman,” he muttered under his breath.
“I aim to please,” she replied, laying her arm across his chest and setting her head on his shoulder, making sure to keep the stray bits of long blonde hair out of his face. “So what are you going to read me?”
“I don’t know,” he said, opening the book on his chest. “What do you want me to read?”
“Yeah, like I can read any of that,” said Hermione. “You have to walk me through it, love.”
“Okay, then,” said Teddy, opening to the first page. “Five stories to choose from. I’m assuming you don’t want me to read Three Brothers…”
“Nah, Jean’s already explained that one to death to me,” said Hermione.
“Okay, there’s The Wizard and the Hopping Pot,” Teddy read. “Gran told me that one once, I was never really a fan. Too weird.”
“I don’t want you to read me anything you don’t like,” said Hermione, snuggling closer.
“There’s The Warlock’s Hairy Heart,” Teddy continued. “Pretty much the H.P. Lovecraft of fairy tales.”
”How romantic,” Hermione replied with a crinkled nose.
“The Fountain of Fair Fortune,” said Teddy. “Not bad. When we watched Wizard of Oz it really reminded me of Fair Fortune.”
“Keep that one in mind…”
“And Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump.”
Hermione broke into a fit of giggles. “Babbitty Rabbitty? You sure you didn’t make that name up?”
“Babbitty Rabbitty’s great!” Teddy insisted, causing Hermione to break into another fit of giggles.
“Cute name,” she said, stifling her mouth in his chest.
“Says the girl who loved Yertle the Turtle and Foghorn Leghorn.”
“Don’t you ever make fun of Foghorn!”
“And who has the whole collection of Lemony Snicket?”
“Who doesn’t?” said Hermione with a shrug. “Heaven forbid I own the most popular book series of all time. But, fine, fine, touché. Babbitty Rabbitty: Not funny.”
“Thank you.”
“Babbitty,” Hermione mumbled, and broke into another fit of snorting laughter.
“Bloody hell,” Teddy said with a laugh. “Did James slip you a mickey, or something?”
“No no, sorry sorry,” Hermione said, wiping the tears from her eyes. “No more laughing, I promise.”
“I’ll read Fountain of Fair Fortune,” said Teddy, flipping to the page. “It’s a good one.”
“Awww, no Babbitty Rabbitty?” asked Hermione, once again snorting into fits of giggles.
“If I read Babbitty Rabbitty, you’d start breaking out into giggles every time I said her name, and it would take me five times as long to read it, and we wouldn’t have any time to snog before Gran comes home.”
“You’re right,” said Hermione, trying desperately to push the grin from her face. “Snogging is of vital importance to our national security. Carry on, soldier.”
“Thank you,” Teddy replied, craning his neck to give Hermione a small kiss. Which, of course, turned into a big kiss. Which, of course, nearly knocked Beedle the Bard to the ground as Hermione pushed herself on top of him, their tongues twisting within each other’s mouths as Teddy’s hair turned blazing red and his hand found the bare skin of the small of Hermione’s back as her jumper rucked itself up her abdomen thanks to her gyrations.
“Are we… calling… the reading off, then?” Teddy asked between kisses.
“I… I don’t…” Hermione muttered, nibbling his neck. “I don’t know… Don’t kiss you… Smell really good…”
“I think that means we can save it for later,” Teddy breathed. Hermione Caroline moaned what he assumed was consent, and didn’t seem to complain one bit as he pulled her jumper over her head and kissed the skin between her breasts, right below her crystal pendant, as she reached behind her back and unfastened her bra. Teddy quickly moved over, kissing large nipples on medium breasts as Hermione unbuttoned his shirt and rubbed his bare chest, muscled from years of tossing the Quaffle, and sucked in her slight belly as he unzipped her jeans and slipped his hand into her knickers and…
“Ohhhhh,” Hermione cried, muffling herself in the crook of his neck as she tensed up against him.
“That was quick,” he whispered as they now faced each other on their sides.
“Needed,” Hermione nodded, panting. “Sorry.”
“It’s fine,” Teddy said with a smirk. “Just so long as I get some fun eventually.”
“Eventually,” Hermione replied, smiling wickedly as she pushed him to his back and moving down his body, reaching for his fly and throwing the covers over her.
Twenty minutes later, their breathing nearing normal again, their clothing nearly back to normal (Hermione’s bra was hidden beneath Teddy’s pillow, but they assumed they was close enough if Andromeda decided to make an unexpected appearance), and Teddy’s hair slowly fading back to a less violent hue, the two found themselves back in their original positions.
“Better?” asked Hermione, licking her lips to make sure the traces were gone.
“Better,” said Teddy, running his hands through her hair. “You?”
“Oh, God yes,” she chuckled. “Want to read me a story?”
“And we’re sure that’s not going to lead to another round?”
“Would you be complaining?” Hermione asked naughtily.
“Probably not,” said Teddy.
“I think I can control my hormones long enough to wait for the story to be over,” said Hermione, slapping the book onto his chest. “Besides, you need recovery time.”
“Recovery time?” Teddy said. “Planning on giving me another blowjob, are you?”
“Depends on how good the story is,” Hermione said with a wink. “Besides, I need more practice. My other boyfriend says I should use my tongue more often.”
“That’s so hilarious,” Teddy said dryly. “Really, kudos.”
“I’m booked in Vegas for the next few weeks,” said Hermione. “You should come see my act, I’ve been working on it.”
“If you could get me some comps, I would really appreciate it.”
“Just read me the story, love.”
“Well, I don’t know,” Teddy said slowly. “I seem to be receiving a lot flack from my audience.”
Hermione snuggled up closer. “I want you to read to me,” she said quietly.
Teddy looked down at her, and saw her looking back at him with such love and softness that he couldn’t help but kiss her forehead.
“Alright,” he said, opening the book. “The Fountain of Fair Fortune.”
“A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…”
“It doesn’t say that!”
“Well, it might...”
“Are you going to make it all up?”
“Sorry,” Teddy said with a smile, and Hermione pulled herself closer to him, putting her head down so that she could try to read the ancient runic text along with him, the book once owned by Albus Dumbledore and Hermione Jean Weasley resting comfortably on his chest.
“Once upon a time,” he translated, “there was a great kingdom. This kingdom was not perfect. Many people were happy, and many people suffered, just as in most kingdoms. But this kingdom was special, for within its borders was a wonderful secret.
“Within this kingdom lay a great walled garden, protected by strong magic. And within this garden lay a beautiful fountain, the Fountain of Fair Fortune. This Fountain was enchanted. Once a year, it would grant a single unfortunate the opportunity to bathe in its waters and find fair fortune forever more.
“Witches and wizards would flock from all over the kingdom with the single hope of entering the walled garden. And such it was that three witches found themselves before the wall one morning just before the sun rose.
“The first witch, who came from the north of the kingdom, was named Asha. She was cursed with a malady no Healer could cure.
“The second witch, who came from the south of the kingdom, was named Atheda. She was cursed with poverty after she was robbed and humiliated by a trusted friend.
“The third witch, who came from the center of the kingdom, was named Amata. She was cursed with grief and longing after she was left by her one true love.”
“I love the names,” Hermione interjected.
“Each stood before the wall of the enchanted garden,” Teddy continued, “and told the other witches their own tale of woe. The three witches, hearing each tale, felt that they each had an equal claim to the Fountain’s magic. They decided to work together to find their way into the garden and into the Fountain.
“’After all,’ said Asha, ‘While I think I am the rightful one to wash in the Fountain, I would like to see you two go on if I cannot.’”
When Teddy spoke the words of Asha the witch, Hermione heard a subtle change come over his voice. It didn’t sound like an impersonation, or the kind of screeching falsetto that often showed up when a man tried to sound like a woman.
Teddy sounded like a different person completely.
“As Asha spoke,” Teddy continued, and Hermione wondered if he even knew that he could speak like that, “ the sun rose behind the three witches, and a huge crack appeared in the wall of the garden. Huge Crawlers crawled from the crack in the wall and wrapped around Asha.”
“What are Crawlers?” Hermione asked. “Are they like some magical plant that I’ve never heard of? Are they real?”
“Yeah, they’re real,” said Teddy. “Professor Longbottom had them in a lesson fourth year. Wicked shite, not anything you’d want in a real garden, I’ll tell you that.”
“Nasty?”
“Carla had to be taken up to Madam Pomfrey after one of them got her around the neck,” Teddy said. “Neville wasn’t happy about it, obviously, but she was kinda screwing around when it happened. He had warned everyone before the lesson began, so it wasn’t his fault. You really have to pay attention in those lessons sometimes.”
“Yeah, no kidding,” said Hermione with a shudder. She wished she was a witch all the time, but every now and then she was reminded that it wasn’t all hugs and puppies.
“Want me to keep going?”
“Yeah, go ahead…”
“In her fear,” Teddy read, flipping the page, “she grabbed Altheda’s robes, who grabbed Amata’s. Amata reached out to grab a hold of something, and came upon a rusty suit of armor that had appeared while the three witches had been struggling with the Crawlers.
“However, even the four bodies combined were not enough, and the Crawlers dragged the three witches and the suit of armor through the hole and into the garden, where they were immediately released.
“As the three witches regained their senses, they discovered that the suit of armor was more than a suit of armor.
“’It’s a knight!’ said Asha angrily.
“’Not a very good knight,’ said Altheda. ‘And now he’s in the garden with us!’
“’Indeed I am,’ said the knight. ‘And I now see that all three of you are witches. I am a Squib, and have no hope to find my bravery in the Fountain of Fair Fortune without magic.”
“Do you even know you’re doing that?” Hermione asked, pushing herself up onto her elbows.
“Doing what?”
“Your voice,” she said. “It’s so… it goes beyond an impersonation. You’re like Frank Caliendo times a thousand, it’s spooky.”
“Oh, that,” Teddy said, rubbing his throat lightly. “Yeah, it’s one of the lessons Cairill’s had for me. I can adjust my vocal chords to sound like anyone or anything.”
“Holy shit…”
“Is it too much?” he asked nervously. “I mean, if it’s too much, I can stop.”
“Maybe back it off a bit,” she admitted. “But keep going.”
“Okay,” he said, picking the book back up as Hermione lay back down beside him. “blah blah blah no hope to find my bravery without magic. So I will leave you three to your quest and return home, defeated once again.’
“What is your name, sir?” asked Amata as the knight searched the wall for an exit.
“My name is Sir Luckless.” At this, Teddy himself stopped and raised an eyebrow. “So that’s what it translates to? Weird.”
“What do you mean?” asked Hermione.
“Oh, it’s nothing,” said Teddy. “Just that I always knew this character as Sir Rilgon.”
“Rilgon?”
“It’s his name phonetically spoken in Runic,” said Teddy. “It’s kind of a joke in the wizarding world, when someone’s unlucky they’d be called a Sir Rilgon. You know, like how a traitor in the Muggle world would be called a Benedict Arnold, or someone charismatic would be a Prince Charming. I just never made the connection that Rilgon literally translates into luckless.”
“I suppose it makes sense,” Hermione said. “Just remind me to give my sister grief next time I see her. She’s not supposed to be educating us during the summer.”
Afterthought / Previous Chapters / A Fair Read (2/2)