Hermione followed after him as he left the great hall, the smells, laughter, and nightly choir practice fading away as they headed for the Gryffindor Tower. As they walked up a few of the flying staircases that Harry followed because of his key, he came to a stop in the middle of one as it shifted to slide along the wall across until it was just under the floor for the Fat lady, a man with sharp amber eyes watched from behind his painting of a crossed wooden fencing with vines running a long it.
His voice was low, like a beast learning to speak as it appraised the approaching two wizards.
''Show your Key.'' The portrait instructed before Harry reached into his robe, pulling the key out just enough from the coat until he heard the portrait click open. Inside, after a small step over, they found a long hall with many rooms along the sides, and Harry felt something shift around him, thanks to his heightened senses. First, he heard the soft grinding of stone, then it seemed to muffle, the doors around them moving backward into the wall behind them, where the portrait closed.
Hermione gripped Harry a bit tighter as the wind began to pick up, surprised to find Harry standing rigid like a wall meant to withstand storms. Even as the door numbers flashed from the teens, into the triple digits, it stopped at room 101, where Harry's name was carved into the beautiful wood. As he went to open the door, it swung open for him. Inside, he found a similarly cosy room for himself, but much larger; they were greeted by an open conversation pit with a roaring flame at its centre. Providing ample warmth to the lovely room around, he could already see a few of his personal items, books, and things for school already set by the door for Monday.
As they both entered, the door was closed behind them magically, Hermione letting out a low whistle as she looked around. ''Private accommodations look pretty nice. How much is it a month to rent out a room?''
''If you're looking for a private room, just let me know, and I'll get it set up for you." Harry said as he went further into his room to the right, where a door was, he found an alchemy/Study room with a potion already brewing on a low simmer. The homework potion he had in the potion classroom was even brought for him, making it much easier for him to check the process of a batch of Wiggenweld. Smaller batches were much easier to make quickly; a dose for one person could take anywhere from 5-15 minutes, and some even were able to crunch it further using magical control to help the ingredients.
But when it came to a large batch like this, which would not only provide him plenty for himself, but should also get him a better grade than normal in potions. Within the alchemy room, he found three other cauldrons ready to be used. Hermione walked up to his alchemy shelf, not seeming to mind making herself feel at home.
''You have quite a good supply of stock to yourself as well, your potion homework here?'' She asked as she approached, peering into the pot to see it simmering, the spoon stirring it occasionally, causing soft plumes of a brighter green smoke to rise from the ground ingredients.
''Good job, just remember to pull this off by lunch tomorrow, that way it cools properly before Monday morning when you have to bottle it." She praised him, unaware that it was Harry who was not pleased with its progress, an immortal cultivator reduced to only having one elixir going, in a time that he could have had four!?
He'd make sure to have another batch of Wiggenweld at least going by tomorrow.
''Thank you, let's continue the house tour.'' Soon Harry showed her the fact that he had a training room, not only for potions, but also for combat, defense, and even a charm dismantling practice area for curse breaking. While it was nothing impressive for greater curses, it would help him practice against the usual pranks. Soon they found he had a little study room next to his room, to the left rather than the right, off the main door. His bedroom was far too large for one person, as if it were meant for a harem of beautiful concubines; the smell in the air made him turn immediately to show Hermione out of his room.
'Why leave an incense burning like that...?' He thought as he came to sit in the conversation pit with her, choosing to ignore the fact that an aphrodisiac/sleeping aid was being burned in his bedroom, a problem for later. The moment Hermione got him to sit, she immediately straddled his lap, her wand drawn fast enough even to impress Harry, who kept calm even as the tip was pointed towards him.
''I didn't think we were this close already, but I wouldn't mind tasting your lip glo-.'' Harry began only to get a blush out of Hermione, the wand tip becoming warm as he felt magic leave it, diagnostic magic.
She was checking him for potion remnants of anything, the more potent the potion, the more 'traces' it would leave, seeing as she found nothing even after very carefully testing every corner of him... Harry felt her boldness wane soon, her legs starting to shake around his waist as her blush returned. Harry shifted to put his hands on either side of her slender waist. He didn't feel her flinch at all beneath his touch; they were both adults, so he assumed she had some experience. It wasn't until his sharp emerald gaze caught her softer browns that she froze some, trying her best to keep eye contact with him, while occasionally her eyes would flutter away, looking for something else to focus on, then his...
When did he get so handsome? Was he always this good-looking, and she never noticed because she was in a book?
''Hermione, while I don't mind being straddled like this, especially not by a beautiful woman like you who smells of vanilla, turned pages and mint... I might get the wrong ideas if you don't warn me as to why first, invite me to my private room, lead me on, then mount me the moment we sit... So naughty.'' His last two words were whispered as he lifted her from his lap, getting a small chirp from her when she felt how easy he seemed to lift her. She wasn't heavy, but it didn't feel right for a slender boy like Harry, especially how he moved to lean over her on the couch, while the aphrodisiac didn't affect him at all...
He couldn't help wanting to tease his junior.
''I... I just wanted to check to see if anyone tried to poison you somehow. The girls' dormitory has been affected by a few sleep potions, love, and even a few forced attraction ones. After tonight, how you singled out Greengrass earlier, I was worried that she might be trying to win you over somehow. Your family's buis-.'' Her words were stopped by a finger over her lips, making her doe brown eyes widen as she stared up at him, who had such an easy smile that fluttered her heart.
''I appreciate your concern, Hermione, but if Daphne wanted anything from me, she'd ask it of me. It's for people like you that I have to worry about, non-magical family, but magically gifted to a point she's already earning the ire of other houses because of her scores always reaching 1st place.'' He shifted forward to keep his index finger the only barrier between their lips, along with a few hairs of air, so he could lower his voice into a growled whisper, feeling Hermione shiver beneath him.
''Next time you want to get me alone to check if I'm on drugs, let me know you are first, or next time?" He leaned forward past her lips to let his slow, warm breath wash over her ear; the flames near them helped the chill present in the air of the castle. But his breath sent a far different shiver down her spine; his voice was lowered so low that, even when he whispered, Hermione wasn't sure she heard him right.
''I'll be sure to steal a kiss for every close call, hm? This already makes two.'' With that, he pulled off her, putting ample space between them, noting how Hermione seemed a little disappointed but quickly gathered herself. Standing from the couch set into the indented floor around the fire pit, she headed for the stairs that led out of it, her cheeks darkened. Once Hermione left without another word, he turned to look towards his room, stroking the back of the conversation pit for a moment, and he gave another look around. The room was quite comfortable; the incense burning in his bedroom served as both a stimulant and a way to 'restore mana', so to speak.
If this were included normally in his private quarters, he wouldn't bat an eye at it; if not, however, it meant someone had already gotten into his room. While he sensed nothing, he didn't quite trust it, so he took a few empty vials to place them around his bed, not putting out the incense as he pushed the doors open. Allowing his room to flow out into the main area, as well as opening the doors to the alchemy room, he began to adjust his potions slightly. While he was gifted naturally before as a Cultivator with Alchemy experience, he slowed the stirring of the cauldrons by adjusting the magic.
It took him two tries to get it to slow down the way he wanted. With his new control, it was easy to 'sense' the magic within it; all he had to do was find the circuit. Whichever one was for the automatic stirring would show use; he saw its active state and pulled it, making it faster, before he pushed. Finding the stirring had slowed after that, he adjusted the flames only a little. As he was gathering ingredients to begin brewing, he found a note. It held the list of ingredients he had, the cost to replace them, and a list of 'available' ingredients he could use.
Only with instructions that he speak to Albus first so that he can confirm if Harry can handle them, while not minding that it gave him an excuse to build a relationship. Since Wiggenweld potion could be resold, he didn't mind splurging to start two, not knowing exactly how much he could use of the potion since he didn't think it's 'Toxicity' content. From remnants of previous effects wearing on his cells, ambient magic, poison that's slow killing, after a few consumptions, he would find out. Once he figured it out, he could choose how much to consume relative to how quickly he could purify the toxins, whatever they might turn out to be.
With that, he made only one more potion that would take much longer; there was an elixir to purify the body, strengthening it through trial. While there were many terms for it, the topic was broadly called Body Tempering. The first thing he could do to help him was create a weak poison. The only reason it would take long to brew was that while he could leave it to stir, he would need to manually interject his Qi into it, so that when he consumed it. The stored Qi will begin to heal him as well. While it sounded a bit dangerous, it is how wine strong enough to affect Cultivators was made.
While he wouldn't be making wine just yet, he'd enjoy poison resistance, knowing it would be a problem to care about if Hermione showed concern for it. Once he had that poison brewing, he returned to his bedroom, where he used a letter opener to prick his fingers to drop four drops in the vials from before. With that done, he used the severing charm to shave a few gold flakes from the earlier ingots, creating a small formation to ward his bedroom. Shield his bed, and make it so he would be aware of activity in his room, while he assumed it would be mostly house elf activity…
He hoped the activity would endure.
From there, he found the key, pulling him to link it to a portion of his room. When he did, he saw the private room from the ROR open into his room now. Allowing Hedwig to swoop in with the scents of the forest lingering off her, she already looked much better, given her own space and being allowed in for the night. As she settled over one of the many wooden raised in his broad headboard, he hummed, tilting his wand towards her to get a soft hoot of approval. His bond with her was slight, like an emotional link he could now barely sense in the foreground, only detectable due to his keen mind.
As the cleaning charm washed over her, he left the scent of the night on her, but cleaned, fluffed, and got rid of any foreign object in her feathers before he got settled for the night… after a quick workout.
(Additional note, last chapter for the month because of Christmas prep.]