The Year of the Revolution VIII. The Return to Innocence

15. Lauren's plan

The next night, Sev met Lauren in front of the Room of Requirement, both of them having taken Stimulant potion. When she arrived, they turned the Time-Turner back five hours together, to make it coincide with dinner time, and Sev entered the Spy Room alone to take the fireproof suits. Next they demanded together an inhospitable natural area, the top of a mountain, not rugged but stony, without a trace of vegetation.

Sev explained to Lauren how to control the Fiendfire and demonstrated to her. Then he moved a good distance away from her at her request to let her try on her own. It was much more difficult for her to control it than for him, he suffered unspeakably, seeing that she could die at any moment. (Luckily we are not Bonded as a Couple and I have indeed distanced myself, otherwise I probably would not have told it.)

Two hours later she had achieved it, enough control to not take risks and properly destroy the Horcrux. She continued practicing it for another half hour.

When she was satisfied she told him, "Booff... that's it... how hot."

He approached her slowly. "Is that all you can think of to say? You could have died, Lauren."

"I am as willing to give my life to defeat Voldemort as you are. What did you think?"

"I am no longer. If it weren't for all the people I'd leave in the lurch, I'd run away right now."

"Well, then it's the same thing, you wouldn't give your life to defeat Voldemort, but you are risking it to save others," she said.

"Yes indeed."

"I plan to return before the end of the term to continue practicing, after the exams. I'll ask Deborah to reserve a whole morning for me, from breakfast to lunch, so the old man doesn't catch me."

"Alone?" he asked.

"Of course. Today I just needed you to explain it to me, then I should have to force you to leave. I'm sure you've spent all your time suffering."

"Spot on, Lauren." (Let her find out what she is going to make me suffer if she becomes a spy.)

"Well, get used to not suffering so much for me, we have a whole war ahead of us and I know how to take care of myself. What time is it?"

(Indeed she is going to become a spy.) "Almost a quarter past ten."

"Boof... I'm useless, it took me two and a half hours to do what you achieved in minutes," she lamented.

"You are not useless at all, remember that the old man told me that it took him weeks."

"True. But it amazes me how you were able to do it yourself almost instantly. Of course, you are exceptional in every way, a privileged mind, the best wizard in history."

"Well, well, it will be less..." he played it down. "Give me a hug, come on."

They hugged each other, dressed in fireproof suits.

"What do we do now?" she asked. "We have almost an hour of Stimulant left."

"It is a bit dangerous to leave the Room now, and this place is not very pleasant to stay. I don't know, what comes to mind?"

"Do you know what I would love? Go to the forest, to the Room pond and bathe, to take off the heat. You fancy?"

("Ugh... committed... not naked, please,) Sev thought. "Not much, really. Go alone if you want."