"Are you really the only one who takes care of this?" You asked. She nodded hesitantly, looking confused.
"Did you ask your dormmates?" At this, she looked away, smile falling into a frown as she rubbed her arm.
.
-------------->
.
"Yeah, but no one really wanted to join. It's actually kind of a big deal. Professor Sprout said if I don't get at least one other person to join, even just on paper, she won't be able to let me keep the club open, and-" she looked towards the row of, surprisingly carnivorous, plants, "-that I'll have to either destroy or send away my plants."
A moment of silence, before her face lit up.
"Herman," She breathed, "Would you join the garden club?" She asked, facing slowly lightning.
You frowned.
"Well ,I-"
"It won't be too much trouble! Y-you don't even have to help water or anything, I can do that, I just need you to say you're part of the garden club to Professor Sprout! Then the club will stay open. Please, I'll owe you one!" She asked, looking desperate.
"Let me just-" You tried, only to be interrupted again, when the girl fell to her knees in front of you, hands clasped together.
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-------------->
.
"Please please please please please please? I'll do anything!"
You considered, slightly flustered, the adorable girl on her knees in front of you. Her flushed face, her small, pink lips, trembling in her desperation, her wide, slightly watery eyes.
Your heart beat a little bit faster, and you tried your best not to react as your cheeks warmed.
This girl was dangerous.
Still, keeping your composure, you decided to try and reflect it back on her, leaning forward with a teasing smile.
"Anything~" You drawled with a wide smile.
"Yes!" She declared without flinching. You blinked at the forcefulness of it, and your face warmed ever further. You weren't expecting her to just agree. Weren't shy girls like her supposed to get flustered at things like that?
Looking down, Nora's face was entirely serious, genuine, and it felt like she really meant what she said.
Shaking your head, you moved away. Evidently, Nora was either too dense or too focused to really register your attempted teasing, causing it to backfire.
Recovering, you rubbed your cheeks, trying to remove some of the redness, before answering.
"Alright then, if you're that desperate, sure. But I really don't need anything from you." You offered a smile, "Someone like you? Your company is more than enough." Reaching forward, you gave in to the urge and patted Nora's head, mussing up her straight black hair.
Something about the gesture was nice, and from the way she pushed into your hand lightly, you reckoned she enjoyed it as well.
The entire thing felt cheesy and somewhat embarrassing, but for Nora, it was more than enough.
Squeeing, the girl bounced up from her kneeling position and threw her arms around your shoulder, leaping into your arms as she cheered.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you! If you ever need anything, Herman, just let me know!" She said, even as your face got a nice feel of her sweater, and the cushions she kept under it.
Dropping down and allowing you to breathe once more, Nora cheered in place for a bit more, dancing and shimmying on the spot to music only she could hear.
.
------------>
.
Then, a moment later, she froze, gasping dramatically.
"We've gotta go tell Professor Sprout." She said.
"What now?"
The other student didn't respond; instead, the surprisingly strong girl grabbed you by the hand and began jogging around the greenhouse, towards where you knew Professor Sprout's office was.
"Whoa- Wait up!" You called, stumbling after the fast-moving girl. She didn't stop running but did slow down just enough for you to find your stride, jogging alongside her. She did not, much to your embarrassment, let go of your hand.
Instead, as you jogged past a good many students entering, exiting, or in general milling about the greenhouses, a great many turned and looked, and you and Nora jogged hand in hand across the way.
Rather quickly, given it wasn't that great a distance, the two of you made it to the large wooden door, built into the side of one of the greenhouses, that made up Professor Sprout's office. Nora stepped forward, raising her hand to knock once, then twice on the door.
There was no noise from within, then a large crash. A voice called out to come in, and the undertone sounded rather embarrassed, as Nora opened the door, pulling you through.
As you entered, you were struck by the scent of soil. It reminded you of when you wanted to buy soil with your mother during the summer. Not a bad scent, but certainly strong. Looking across the way, you saw a broken pot scattered across the floor, dark, nearly black soil scattered about. Standing above it all, at over six feet tall, was Professor Sprout.
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--------------->
.
Nora squeezed your hand, and you turned. The girl looked nervous, standing stiff. You squeezed back, and she relaxed, a quiet, whispered Thank You, your only response.
"Nora, and Mr. Granger. What a surprise. A rather strange place for a date, don't you think?" She smiled, sweeping up the shards with a broom as she did.
Nora froze, and you felt your own cheeks flame up when it happened, but before Nora could break down, or you could express some form of denial, the antlered woman let out a loud laugh, before shaking her head.
"Ignore me. I'm in a teasing mood because you came at a rather awkward time," She nodded at the pile of dirt and broken pot, "now what can I do for you two?"
Nora, who was, it appeared, slowly processing the Professor's joke, her face slowly turning red, didn't answer. Which meant it fell on you. Stepping forward, you took a deep breath before answering.
-x-X-x-
Seeing your companion, temporarily hopefully, so thoroughly disarmed, you figured it was up to you to continue the conversation.
"Well, actually, we're mainly here so I could let you know I wanted to join the Garden Club, Professor Sprout." You spoke politely, smiling up at the towering woman.
You'd had Herbology with her before, but you'd never gotten the chance to really talk with the antlered women, especially given the fact that, well, she had antlers. When you'd first seen her, you'd done a double take, the Herbology professor, who had to duck down slightly to fit through the door, had smiled at the class that first day.
The only thing that forestalled your questions was what she said after.
"I will be taking no questions about my race or otherwise; consider it your first test." She had a smile as she placed a textbook down on the table, before meeting the eyes of the students. Her smile turned just a little bit inhuman, then.
"The first student to figure it out will receive a prize."
Class had started after.
Ever since then, you had, with somewhat divided attention, been researching what she could possibly be, alongside trying to juggle the other parts of being at Hogwarts.
Still, getting an upclose look at her horns, you realized, for the first time, that they were different.
A new point here, a bit longer there. It was only a small change, but you were certain that there had been some change.
It was like they were growing…
Your observation, or rather, your line of sight, was interrupted when the professor, in the middle of your musings, leaned down so you were looking her in the eyes instead.
"Something caught your interest up there, Mr. Granger?" She asked, smiling in a way that made the hair on the back of your neck rise.
"Nothing, sorry Professor, as I said, I'm here to join the Garden Club with Nora." You nodded to the other girl, who had seemed to manage to calm down in the time it took for you to get lost in your own thoughts.
The broom in Professor Sprout's hands paused before the woman let go of it entirely. Rather than simply falling to the ground, the wooden tool seemed to unfold, in an odd way, growing and changing as if it were alive. Soon enough, it sprouted arms and legs, then joints. A modest pair of breasts appeared on a torso, a head popped out, and a large hat atop that.
The bristles on the broom remained the same, but rather than being held, they seemed to be a part of the now fully formed wooden woman, standing in front of you.
.
------------------>
.
The creation stood for only a moment, and it's, well, not eyes, but the red slits on its face that it seemed to have instead caught your own. One of them flashed black, for a moment, before it turned away and got to work picking up the rest of the shattered pot pieces.
Did it just… wink at you?
Your questioning look was ignored by the professor, as she wiped her hands off on a cloth, before turning to you again.
"And why did you want to join the garden club, exactly, Mr. Granger. Surely you didn't just come to this conclusion today?" She smiled wider. Something about her demeanor seemed protective.
You chewed your cheek for a moment before finding your answer.
"Nora convinced me to." Was your simple answer. It was the truth, as well, just framed in a somewhat more positive way.
'She said you would close down the garden club if someone didn't join,' didn't exactly feel like the best choice when talking to someone who controlled your grade.
Either way, it was quite clear that this wasn't going to be the easy conversation you'd hope.
"Convinced you, eh? And how exactly did she do that? The little darling is good at a lot of things, but persuasiveness isn't one of them."
"I'm right here."
Nora went ignored.
You decided, in this instance, to use a simple method in navigating this, more intense than expected, conversation, as the professor practically loomed over you, her horns sharpening into wicked points.
"Well, she explained that she was looking for new members, and showed me what she'd already accomplished." You offered a bright smile to the girl, who blushed, looking away. "After seeing that, I was utterly charmed. Plus, I've been looking for something to do after school hours anyway, and I wasn't too interested in the frog choir, forgive me. Just don't tell Professor Flitwick." Your half-goblin Head of House was prone to gushing about her "group of mozarts" if asked, but after coming to a single practice, you were less than impressed.
The Herbology professor studied you for a long moment, and for a moment, you thought her eyes sparked for a moment, before-
PERCEPTION ROLL: 103
Your head started aching something fierce. It felt as if… someone was pushing up against the inside of your skull, trying to make room.
You winced, rubbed your forehead. Instinctively, you tried to figure out why it was hurting. The headache had started when you looked at the Professor's eyes…
You looked back up at her. The antlered woman's eyes were still shining, and they seemed to flash brighter, in time with the headache increasing.
Something in your gut told you that she was doing something, and for a moment, you felt your wand heat up in your pocket.
Staring into her eyes, you wondered how easy it would be to-
!#W#$@)$
Running, snow covering the ground. Screams, red stains.
Hiding, cold, hunger.
Found!
Diving from a tree branch, tackling the pale-skin to the ground. The metal helmet falling off. He struggled. The rock came down. He stopped struggling.
Dragging his body back to the hiding spot.
She was already dead. Her frozen body watched me and the dead pale-skin.
Hunger.
Hunger.
Desperation.
Hunger.
Taking the knife from her belt. Moving her body.
Hunger.
The pale skin didn't rot, it was too cold.
Carving.
Feed.
Growth.
Running.
Blood.
More hunger.
Years pass.
Learn-!@E$#*
You grunted, falling back and landing on your ass.
"-rman, Herman!" Nora shouted, shaking your shoulder.
"Wuh?" You replied intelligently.
The Gryffindor student looks at you worriedly.
"Are you alright? You and Professor Sprout were just staring at each other for a while.
You blinked before turning to the professor.
.
--------------->
.
To find her gritting her teeth and rubbing her forehead. It looked as though she was suffering from a headache of her own.
What… just happened. You frown at her.
Nora, on the other hand, saw her expression and stepped forward, placing her hand on her shoulder.
"Professor Sprout, are you alright?" The girl asked, looking up worriedly.
The, evidently, very sharp-toothed woman let out a deep breath through her nose before closing her mouth.
Placing a hand upon Nora's head, the girl let out a squeak as the professor roughly ruffled her hair.
"Professor wahh!" Nora cried, trying, fruitlessly, to escape the other's grip.
Professor Sprout opened her eyes again, looking down at you. There was less hostility than before.
Tilting her head, she opened one eye and smiled widely.
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.
"Well, it's nice to know that Nora's making friends, Mr. Granger. Perhaps we should sit down and fill out the paperwork, then?"
She led you back to her desk, whereupon withdrawing some papers, she set to work on guiding you through. You wanted to ask about what it was you saw, back there, and about your headache, but she seemed quite determined to fill the air with constant chatter, questions, and conversation. You hadn't a minute to ask before she was shooing the two of you out the door.
When the door locked shut behind you, Nora seemed to unfreeze, throwing her arms around you and cheering.
"Thankyouthankyouthankyou." She repeated, twirling you around as she did.
Regaining your footing, you nodded, putting on a good, if slightly dizzy, smile.
"My pleasure, I look forward to working with you."
She froze before slowly looking back.
"You… want to actually work with me?" She seemed to be blushing. "Did my pick-up lines work this well. I'm not ready for things to go this fast." She whispered to herself.
-x-X-x-
"Sure." You smiled. "When can we start?"
This seemed to be a bit much for the other, who squealed, hands coming up to her cheeks as she wiggled in place.
Her celebration was short-lived, though, and she calmed down soon enough, although the look on her face was…
.
--------------->
.
Quite emotionally charged.
Although even as you looked at her blushing face, and the way she wiggled, unlike with Professor Snape or Griphook, you didn't sense any lewd, for lack of a better word, intent from the girl.
Instead, she seemed on the verge of tears from sheer, innocent happiness, as she turned her gaze back up to meet your eyes.
She had the look of someone both thrilled and confused as to how they made it this far.
"W-well, if you're sure. I'd love the help. T-thanks, Herman." She said, before taking a deep breath, then another.
When she opened her eyes again, she seemed much more calm.
"O-ok. So, I was originally just gonna go and move the peashooters this afternoon. But with you here, I think we'll be able to get something a bit more important done."
She glanced back towards Sprout's office door before biting her lip.
"Let's get back to the garden. I got everything there anyway."
She quickly began moving away from the door. You followed. The two of you were back outside and behind the greenhouses in no time, Nora having only stopped to grab a couple of pairs of gloves and a large bucket. She seemed in a hurry and constantly glanced behind her shoulder until finally, the two of you were back in her small garden.
A bit suspicious, but relatively confident that the nervous girl wouldn't do anything to harm you, you followed along until finally, she stopped, puffing a bit as she sorted things out, unfurling a worn-looking map from her pocket.
"So, what exactly is it that you have planned for us, Nora?" You asked, idly pulling on the gloves she had thrown you.
Nora straightened up, looking a bit nervous as she spoke.
"Well, ah, you see…" She stopped talking, and you waited patiently as she muttered to herself. "I, Professor Sprout, and I were planning on going out and, well, acquiring some Torchwood from the forest. The one in the greenhouse finally passed away of old age, and we've been meaning to get another, but…" She trailed off again, but this time she didn't elaborate.
"But?" You prompted.
She looked conflicted, but eventually, straightened her back, and replied.
"The ministry hasn't renewed the license yet. And, I was thinking…" Nora gestured to the two of you. "We could go and get some ourselves."
This was probably illegal, wasn't it?
"It's kinda illegal, yeah, b-but, you'll help anyway, right?"
Knew it.
Nora gave you the best puppy dog eyes.
You rubbed the bridge of your nose.
"Aren't we going to get in trouble if we even try to get into the Forbidden Forest in the first place?" You asked. You'd figured from the name that the result would be obvious.
Nora shook her head, eagerly.
"Nope, I've got a permission slip here." She dug around in her back pocket before withdrawing a crumpled piece of paper. It was smudged with dirt and creased so much you thought it was about ready to multiply into two papers instead of one.
"And that'll work?"
Another nod.
You sighed.
"Ok, sure. I'll give you a hand, Nora."
The girl brightened, turning to pick up the bucket and start moving, when she froze.
"H-hey, Herman, about what Professor Sprout said." She looked back slowly, face slightly red once more. "Is this… a d-date, that is?"
You thought for a moment. Standing. Nora was standing. By blushing, looking incredibly nervous. As the time waned on, she seemed to grow more nervous, shifting back and forth as you considered.
Just as she looked near a breakdown, face red and lower lip trembling, you found your answer.
"Sure, consider this our first date, Nora." You grinned, even as the girl blinked, frozen, then began vibrating as you walked by.
Just before you picked up the pail yourself, you heard a whispered 'Yes!' from behind you, before Nora trotted up alongside.
Making your way down the hill, the two of you made relatively pleasant conversation, Nora stuttering minimally, but otherwise speaking relatively clearly for how nervous she seemed to be. She also dropped a few more golden pick-up lines that honestly made you wonder whether or not her gran got them from some bad coursebook on how to flirt, but coming from the innocent girl, who blushed, stuttered, and shot finger guns with each cheesy sentence, they became charming.
You reached the forest edge quickly, and you glanced over to the small hut you knew Ruby to live in, half-expecting the half-giant woman to come charging out yelling the moment the two of you stepped into the darkened air of the forbidden forest. When no such thing came, you both continued on.
If you had to describe moving from the Hogwarts Grounds into the Forbidden Forest, you would say it was like night and day.
Not metaphorically, or anything, but quite literally. The entire world seemed to darken, and the air cooled significantly enough so that you were shivering as the two of you moved deeper. At some point, you even tripped over a branch hiding in areas too shadowed to see into at a glance.
As you moved, Nora would, ever so often, withdraw a map and compass from her pocket, check their position, before setting their heading.
"I've gotten this special from Professor Sprout." She explained happily, seeming unaffected by the gloomy atmosphere around you. "The compass always points back to Hogwarts, and the map helps me find my way!"
The map looked to you like a children's drawing done with red crayon, but you didn't say that aloud.
Every so often, though, Nora would seem to frown, looking down at her map, before setting the new course. These instances became more and more common as time went on. Until, eventually, the two of you stood still, next to a large tree, with Nora examining her map, before looking back to the compass.
"Something wrong?" You asked. For some reason, something in your gut told you that the two of you might be lost.
Nora laughed nervously.
"N-nope, just making sure we're on the right path, let's go."
Seemingly unaware of her actual heading, Nora walked directly back the way you two came.
Sighing to yourself, you followed a bit behind, being sure to keep the girl in your sight. It was handy that you had such a large target to watch, being behind her.
Longbottom indeed.
As you moved forward, something flashed in the corner of your eye.
Turning quickly, you didn't see anything. At the same time, something tickled the back of your ear. Still nothing when you checked.
You looked around, taking time to do a full 360-degree turn.
There was nothing except the forest and some odd mushrooms on the ground.
Catching back up to Nora, you kept an eye out as the girl checked her map.
She seemed nervous, her eyebrows furrowed, and glanced up at you before looking away.
"Know where we are?" You were feeling surprisingly calm, considering that you were relatively sure that the two of you were lost.
Nora opened her mouth, closed it, before thinking, and finally, opened it again.
"We-We're-I think-" She stuttered, before closing her eyes. "We're lost. I can't find where we are on the map." Her shoulders slumped. "I'm sorry, Herman, I dragged you all the way out here, and now we're gonna leave empty-handed, and-and, this is a horrible first date." She seemed very torn up about this, so you reached forward, laying a hand on her shoulder.
"It's fine, Nora. It was a nice walk. Let's just head back, and we can try again later." You offered. Given she had the compass, you weren't too worried.
"Or you could just ask for directions."
Nora turned.
"For who?" She asked.
You blinked. That hadn't been you who said that.
"From me, of course."
A brush on your ear again. You turned.
.
----->
.
The forest behind you had lit up, multicolored orbs floating in the scenery. One flew up to you at alarming speeds, before stopping.
.
-------->
.
"You two look lost. I can show you the way if you like?"
You blinked. A small, blonde woman with skin that looked like she spent more time in a tanning booth than anywhere else was hovering just over your left shoulder. As you turned to look at her, she met your eyes, smirking as she floated closer to your face.
Not bothering to land, she crossed her arms and rested them on your nose. This also had the effect of resting her large, proporationally, breasts as well. The tiny globes pressed into your skin, and your face warmed in response.
Some silence passed, as you and Nora studied the tiny creature, who was doing the same for you. Her smile was wide, and something about it felt mischievous.
After a bit, she seemed to lose patience, yawning as she rubbed an eye, before speaking again.
"What, cat got your tongue, big boy. What's your name, kid?" She asked.
Blinking once, you felt your brain reboot, and your eyes flicked the flitting masses of what must have been hundreds of similarly tiny figures, floating in the midst of the forest. Occasionally, one would get close enough that one could make out arms and legs, but never close enough so that one could see features..
Turning back to the one who asked the question, you found her frowning now, looking impatient. She poked at your nose with a high-heeled boot, an impact that felt more like a light tap than anything, and scowled.
"C'mon, don't ignore me. Don't tell me you don't speak English or something. Uh, I only took French in school. How did it go, où se trouve la bibliothèque or something? What did Jem say to do here…"
Before the small creature could ramble more, you finally decided to respond to her question.
Namely, with one of your own.
"I'm sorry, who are you?" Your eye flicked back to the swarm. "And who are they?"
She froze, as if she wasn't expecting the response.
"Uh, Opal, WAIT!" You froze as the fairy interrupted herself to wave her arms frantically. "My name is Sarah, it's Sarah, ok!" She pointed at you, a look of mild terror on her face. You blinked placidly.
"Ok?" You said. Opal seemed like a perfectly nice name to you, but if she didn't want you to call her that, what did it matter to you?
Taking a moment, you looked over at Nora, who seemed just as perplexed by the circumstances. You raised an eyebrow, to ask what you should do, and the other just shrugged, eye locked on the swarm.
"Alright, uh, Sarah, it's nice to meet you? You said you knew the way out?"
The other, still a bit stiff, nodded happily. She seemed to take the pivot away from the name debacle as a good thing.
"Yeah! If you two wanna just follow me. I can show you where to go?"
She began floating away, and you went to follow, but a hand caught your own. Looking back, Nora was wearing a suspicious frown that looked somewhat out of place on her normally innocent face.
"Wait up a moment." She whispered. Hanging back at her request, she waited until the fair was just far enough away, and leaned into to whisper into your ear.
"I think these are Wood Sprites." At your clueless look, she sighed, before leaning back in. "A type of Fae that will sometimes lure innocent wizards into the woods."
Oh.
That type of Fae.
You were suddenly feeling a lot happier, you hadn't given your name.
No names? You mouthed back. Nora nodded.
You were about to ask whether the other girl thought that the two of you should just make a break for it, when something impacted against your pants.
Then your arm.
Then your rear.
The sound of giggling filled the air, and immediately, you felt hands upon your body.
Looking down, you saw…
.
---------->
.
"Hey there, big fella. You here to play~?" The purple-haired Sprite giggled, tugging at your belt and shirt.
A glance at your arm.
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------------->
.
"Oh… You feel strong… I likey…" The other purred, rubbing herself against your arm.
You were about to turn around when you felt the object that had impacted your butt make a breathy sigh, before you felt a pinch, and yelped.
There was a swat, and a cry of dismay. You turned around to find an unimpressed looking Nora.
In her hands…
.
------------------>
.
"Hey, don't ruin the fun, you jerk. I was about to get in there!" Cried the red-haired fairy in Nora's grip. She kept her smile, even as she struggled to escape.
You met your date's eyes.
What do I do?
You tried to ask.
I have no idea
Was her answer.
Sighing, you turned to the other two.
You froze, unsure of what to do, even as the purple-haired one continued trying, with only moderate success, to undo your belt, and her black hair friend ground herself down onto your arm, enough so that you were beginning to feel a wetspot form.
Meanwhile, the one Nora had a hold of had crossed her arms, a pout on her face as she rested her chin on the fingers holding her captive. From her mouth, she unleashed a near continuous string of complaints towards the black haired girl, who bore them all with startling stoicism.
"-and it's bullshit that you're just letting those two have some fun and not me. What are you, some kind of fun Nazi? Put the fun in camps, why don't you?"
You were relatively sure that if the fairy kept complaining, Nora would spike her into the ground. Still, you didn't think anything you said would actually get her to stop, and besides, you had your own problems.
"Hey, uh, Sarah, aren't you going to introduce me to your friends?" You asked, swatting lightly as the belt fairy, who giggled, but didn't let go. She had managed to undo the belt and was in the process of pulling it free when you reached down to stop her.
'Sarah' paused before turning around.
She took a single glance at you before a smile overcame her face.
"What's the matter, big boy. They just want to get to know you." She giggled, and the black haired one on your arm nodded along.
"Like, yeah. I just wanna get to know you, really, really well. Special friends, you know." She giggled, lying down, practically hugging your bicep."
The one at your belt laughed as well, raising a hand to lay across her forehead dramatically.
"Yeah~ We just wanna get closer to you. Flying is like, so tiring, you know. I just want to sit down to rest somewhere." She sighed theatrically, leaning back as if her arms were weakening.
The one in Nora's hand just grumbled to herself.
Sarah gave you a smile.
"Maybe if you offered them something, they'd behave." She suggested. "It's how we fairies work after all. Something granted, something gained."
The others nodded along with their compatriot.
You sighed through your nose. As much as you'd like to just pluck them off and chuck 'em, you didn't know exactly what the reaction would be, especially since you could practically sense the thousands of eyes on you, in the form of the swarm of lights in the not-so-distant clearing. A few were drifting closer.
"Fine." You said. "What would I have to give you for you to." You thought for a moment, and the shoulder fairy went back to grinding. "To stop doing that." You growled.
"Hmmm~ You know, I dunno. What do you think, Jen?" The belt fairy asked.
Jen, who was evidently the one grinding on your arm, just smiled.
"I, like, don't want to move though… What are you willing to offer, hotstuff, for me to move from my oh so comfortable spot?" She said, all the while latched on tight. It honestly felt more like you had a wristband on, rather than a living creature.
"I also want something!" The one still trapped by Nora called. The rest of you ignored her.
Sighing, you considered, for a moment, what exactly you could offer the group of them.
These creatures, what they were, was obvious.
Fairies, the fae.
…
You didn't know how well your knowledge of folklore and mythology would apply, especially since, according to the same stories, Goblins also fell into the category.
And aside from a few things, there wasn't anything from them that you had any sort of problem with.
But, if you took it more seriously…
Then this was something to be wary of.
A fairy, asking for you to offer something in exchange for something else.
To make a deal.
It stunk of some sort of shady wordplay magic contract crap, the sort you'd only see in poor fanfictions of the world you were living in.
Plus, given the way "Sarah" had reacted when she accidentally answered Opal instead, you'd bet that those were the exact sort of tropes you could expect here.
Thankfully, in the same vein, it was evident that you weren't dealing with professionals.
Unless the name drop was a bait, in which case you were getting played successfully, and this likely wouldn't go well.
You chose not to think about that possibility.
Instead, meeting the eyes of the numerous, tiny, smiling faces, you considered exactly what you could offer them.
You didn't figure they'd want money, although you had none to give anyway, and you weren't exactly about to volunteer your time, as that felt like a fast way to get caught in some verbal loophole and enslaved, or worse.
The thought of backing out crossed your mind, but honestly, you worried about doing that. A glance towards 'Sarah's smiling face had a pit in your stomach growing.
What guarantee did you have that she was even leading you where you needed to go? You had a feeling that if you spurned them here, without at least playing the game, your guide would suddenly become a lot less helpful.
The memory of what Fae sometimes did to those who offended them swirled in your head. You shuddered a bit as the Fae in question licked her lips slowly.
So what exactly could you give them that you wouldn't regret later?
Huh.
That was an idea.
Why did you have to give them anything at all?
Biting the inside of your cheek, the only sign of nerves you allowed yourself outwardly, you considered whether or not it would even work. It was a simple deception, but you didn't think they were really expecting one from you, and they didn't seem the most on point.
Breathing through your nose for a moment, you considered before finally making up your mind.
"Alright." And you put on a wide grin. The same one you saw your father wear when he was trying to convince your mother that you needed a wall-to-wall television. "I've got a deal to offer you."
The collection of fairies giggled, and the lazily drifting swarm behind them sped up briefly. You had their attention.
"Oh?" The black haired one breathed. "I hope it's good, I'm nearly there." She said throatily, absentmindedly grinding back and forth.
You nodded.
"A kiss," you spoke carefully, "one for each girl here. In exchange, you won't touch me without my consent, and you'll act as our guide for as long as we are in the forest, doing so to the best of your ability."
Nora froze, the fae froze, and for a second, even the swarm froze. Sarah's smile froze for a second as well, before it grew wide and predatory.
Good. That was the plan.
"Hmmm, that's a pretty good deal." She hummed. "What do you ladies think?" She asked. The others quickly caught the drift and were nodding along as well.
'Sarah' took this as the go-ahead, before turning back to you.
"You've got a good head on your shoulders, kid. Call it a deal?" She held out a tiny hand.
You quickly reviewed the wording in your head before nodding.
"Deal."
Upon shaking hands, you felt something shift, and suddenly the swarm approached. A feeling of a bond, of some sort inside you, took shape. The ones on your body, even the purple-haired one, who groaned unhappily, shot off you, and 'Sarah' cackled happily.
"Now then, lovery boy. I believe that's a kiss for each of us, and…" She made a show of looking back and counting. "About one hundred and sixty-seven others. If we get started now, you may be back to Hogwarts by next semester."
They clearly expected blushing, stuttering, maybe some panic from you. When you answered with a smile of your own, though, it clearly put them off guard.
"I think you may be misremembering our deal." You said smoothly. "I didn't say exactly who I'd be kissing, or even a time frame I'd do the kissing in."
A pause.
Sarah blinked, looking down at her hands and mouthing the words of the deal back to herself, before frowning intensely.
"Wait…" Said the purple one.
"No way." Another grumbled.
"DAMMIT. I didn't even get a turn." Swore red.
'Sarah' looked back up, glaring.
"Th-that's not fair! Who are you going to kiss besides us anyway?!" She demanded, flitting in front of your face.
At this, you did, actually did blush.
"Well…." You looked towards Nora, who froze, her own glare melting into an intense blush as she caught your eyes.
-x-X-x-
PART 1 (Kisses 1-34)
You probably should have asked this part first, come to think of it. If Nora said no, well, you'd be fine, but it would make the whole ordeal really awkward.
"Nora, would you mind-"
"Yes."
You blinked at the sudden answer. Nora was staring you down with a blushing face, but her eyes were intense, and tellingly locked directly on to you.
She spared a glance at the gaping 'Sarah', before her posture firmed itself, back straightening, and chest puffing out as the nervousness seemed to, at least in part, melt away.
"T-this is a date, after all. R-right?" The newfound confidence fled, briefly, at that last comment. "People on dates k-k-k-" She seemed to be having trouble saying the word, and the fae, watching, had a look of growing impatience. "k-kiss right?"
You nodded.
"Well…" She said shyly. "We should get s-started, right?" Then, in a show of astounding confidence for the girl, Nora stepped forward, pressing a chaste kiss to your cheek, before backing away quickly.
"T-that's one right?" She muttered before an angry voice called out.
"That doesn't count!" Someone crowed. Looking over, you saw that the group of fairies, alongside their swarm, had taken seats all around them. The first, 'Sarah', was the one who spoke up. The dark skinned fae had taken a seat on a rather large mushroom, her arms crossed, and her glare locked onto the two of you.
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"It doesn't count!" She petulantly. "The deal is him giving the kiss, so you still have all one hundred and seventy-one to go."
It seemed that the minute fae was determined to get everything she could out of this, and was determined to get the full price. She was right, though, the wording of the deal was clear on who was giving the kisses.
Turning back to Nora, and doing your best to ignore the rather large audience that you had gathered, you leaned forward, before mirroring her by planting a relatively chaste kiss on her cheek.
Nora's cheeks burned bright red, and she shifted to rubbing her arms and looking away. Despite the tightness of her body, there was a happy smile on her face, and she wiggled happily, doing a little happy dance, before looking back up.
"W-we got a few more, then?"
You nodded, your own cheeks slightly warm.
Sure, you'd kissed plenty, but the seriousness with which she took it, and the obvious happiness she received from your touch, hit you right in the heart; you felt a bit self-conscious yourself.
She leaned forward, offering her cheek once more. You leaned down and planted another.
Then another.
Then another.
It was around kiss number six that Nora said that her cheek was feeling sore, and that you should swap. The girl turned her head, blushing, but you accepted the poor excuse and began kissing the other cheek instead.
This went on, Nora occasionally swapping sides, when, at one point, after the thirty-third kiss, she forgot to tell you. Turning just as you were leaning in.
Your lips made contact, and for a moment, you both froze. You half expected the other to pull away first, but instead, she pushed against you hard, your lips moving against one another's.
You were struck by just how soft the short girl's lips were. There was no initiative to deepen the kiss, and instead, the sheer intimacy of your touching lips seemed enough to send Nora spiraling, as she pulled away, panting, eyes clouded, and face entirely red.
If someone were to see her now, they'd call her a girl in love.
-x-X-x-
Part 2 Kisses 35-69
After that, the kisses were no longer limited to the cheeks, and you leaned in, mostly catching her lips with your own. Occasionally, she would shift, and your head would coincidentally land on her neck.
If you lingered there, briefly, enjoying the noises she made when you lightly nibbled, then that was between you and whatever higher power existed. (You were an atheist before, but magic happened, so it was evident something existed up there.)
The peanut gallery evidently enjoyed this change, if the gasps and giggles sounding out with each kiss were anything. Before, the group had seemed quite bored; now, they were leaning forward, and even 'Sarah' had gone silent, seeming engrossed in your and Nora's activities.
You kissed like this for a while. Long enough that you had begun finding a rhythm. You were reasonably sure you were about a fourth of the way through, and so far, it had been an altogether pleasant experience. A single kiss didn't take long, although recently you were slowing down, as Nora started to linger, her lips flexing against yours.
You had just finished the sixty-eighth kiss when, on the next one, she lingered again.
And this time, you felt something probe, gently, nervously, against your lips.
Was she…?!
You opened your eyes, staring down at Nora's face, as her tongue politely sought entry. Her own eyes were closed, and she seemed so relaxed that you doubted she even realized what she was doing.
Opening, you allowed her in, only for Nora to simply trace your lips, before retreating.
An obvious invitation, if a subconscious one.
Tentatively, you moved and entered her mouth, deepening the kiss. A loud, lewd-sounding moan escaped your date.
Nora's eye shot open, her face, which had returned to a more natural complexion, reddened once more, and she sprang back.
A chorus of groans, grumbling, and a single thrown pebble was the answer from the peanut gallery.
"Boo!"
"Why'd you stop?"
"I was SO CLOSE! SO. CLOSE."
"Wooo! Yeah! Get in there, girl!"
Nora squeaked, staring up at you.
"I'm so, s-so sorry." She blubbered before blurting out another serving of word salad.
"Iwasjust,kindalosingfocusanditfeltsogoodanditjusthappenedandI'msosorrypleasedon'tbeangry-"
You held up a hand, stopping the blurting.
"Don't worry about it. I think it was a two-person endeavor." You said, trying to maintain confidence even as your face heated up.
"Oh." Nore squeaked out, head tucked in, the girl hunching over, like a turtle without a shell.
You looked away, taking a moment to observe your spectators as a distraction, before you bit your lips and turned back.
"Want to, you know." You blushed. "Continue?"
She nodded, shyly.
You stepped up, and, feeling the need to take some sort of initiative, you reached down, taking a soft hold of Nora's chin. She gasped before smiling. Leaning in, your lips met.
Taking initiative this time, you slipped your tongue forward, probing her lips. After a moment, she let you in, and you took the time to explore her mouth thoroughly, the kiss growing slightly sloppy as it went on.
Before you knew it, you had to pull back, and both of you gasped for air. You didn't know exactly how long the two of you had been kissing, but a line of saliva hung between you, and before breaking, you met eyes. She was practically glowing, and you couldn't help your own smile.
"If all the kisses are like that, this'll take a while." You panted.
Nora didn't say anything at first. Before, with deceptive strength, she pushed you back until you were against a tree. Looking up, you saw her eyes were clouded.
"Good." She whispered. "More, please?"
Her begging, combined with the way she had you against the tree, was adorable.
You leaned down, and your lips met again.
This one was a bit more vigorous, and groans escaped both of you as your tongues warred for dominance. Unconsciously, your hands fell to her hips, and you squeezed. Bending down seemed like a pain, so you decided to help her a bit.
Hands dropping further, you gently, but firmly took a hold of the dark-haired girl's prodigious ass, the soft globes moulding in your grip, squeezing out between your fingers. Nora shuddered, moaning into your mouth as you did. Using the grip, you lifted her slightly, allowing your lips to press tighter together.
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You were kissing like that for a while, lips separately, only ever very briefly.
-x-X-x-
PART 3 KISSES 70-???
"Damn, they're really going at it, huh?" Muttered Autumn, the black haired fairy, having reclined onto one of the mushrooms, her hand in between her legs as she watched the two humies go at it.
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"I just wish they'd lose some layers. Like, geez, you've got skin for a reason, people." Muttered Able, brushing purple hair out of her eyes as she watched.
"I can't believe that you let yourself get tricked like that, after nearly getting some after all these damn years," Red said, flying, arms crossed, as she glared down at Opal.
"Hey fuck you, I didn't see you doing anything about it. You didn't even get a chance to do more than pinch that ass before the girl caught you."
Her only answer was a raised middle finger, as the entire group, alongside the rest of their swarm, turned back towards the action, as the girl outright wrapped her legs around the guy's waist, clinging to him as they did their best at the ancient game known as tonsil tennis.
"To be fair, we all may have been a bit too eager, forgetting about the wording like that. If any of us had remembered, we could have told you, and then we would have had the stud for at least a while." Commented a green-haired fairy, who looked a bit older than the others.
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Opal bit her lip, glaring at the passively smiling fae. She was by far the oldest of the swarm, a holdover from the group they attacked. She hadn't tried to challenge Opal's leadership yet, but the young fae knew, she just knew, that the other was looking down on her.
She opened her mouth to say something, to put the old hag in her place, when Autumn gasped, and not just because she squirted all over the mushroom again.
"Look."
Turning around, expecting the humies to be doing something basic, Autumn was surprised by anything. Opal felt her eye widen as she beheld quite possibly the sloppiest kiss she had ever seen.
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She stared, slack-jawed, as the two blushing indiots she'd been trying to con really got into it, and sloppy, wet noises began being made as they practically fucked each other's mouth with their tongues.
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Fuck, this was hot, at the very least. Didn't make up for losing the male, but it certainly helped.
Opal glanced to the left and the right before biting her lip and dipping her own hand below. It wasn't like she was the only one, either. It had been sixteen years since they last saw a male pixie, and that guy was old as shit. Having a young, fertile male right in front of them, that they couldn't touch because of their, because of her, stupidity, was pure torture.
And unfortunately, also hot as fuck.
Her thighs were already slick, and she groaned as she slipped a finger, and then two, into her quim. The pleasure from the feeling was burning, but somehow she still couldn't pay attention to anything but the scene in front of her.
Evidently needing air, the two humans broke away from one another, momentarily, gasping and looking intensely into each other's eyes.
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Goddamn, that was hot. She needed that guy to look at her like that. Her hand sped up, and she heard the fae around her doing the same.
Most of them were virgins, having never even seen a male pixie. The lucky ones who had seen one, who had been young enough to mate with, had been in the swarm for nearly a century. To see this. It was pure, unadulterated torture.
She raised a hand up to bite her thumb, as the two dove back in. Soon enough, the guy's hands were squeezing the brat's fat ass, tongue, a slip of pink, briefly visible as it plundered the other's mouth.
God, she wondered what that tongue would do between her legs…
---
By the end, you felt that you had thoroughly learned not only the taste of Nora's mouth, but that you had taught her your own as well, while mapping it out with your tongue in the process.
In all honesty, you were relatively sure that at this point, her mouth had more of your saliva than it did her own. You wiped your chin with a sleeve and flexed your jaw.
You were relatively sure that you had gotten through all the kisses required, and then some. You looked back towards Nora, who was still standing; she had yet to move.
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Her slack-jawed expression and the way her legs quivered made you feel somewhat accomplished, although the redness on your cheeks felt like it would be there nearly permanently.
This didn't feel like the other kisses you had had. Nora seemed desperate, not for sex, or for pleasure, but quite simply, she seemed desperate for you.
It was gratifying, if not embarrassing.
Turning away, you glanced towards where the fairies were, expecting your audience to either be still sitting there, glaring, or having left.
But instead, you found they were all still there.
But rather, instead of flying, the forest floor was now covered.
Specifically, in the tiny, moaning bodies of tiny women.
On nearly every surface you spotted, there seemed to be a fairy with her hand between her legs, either currently masturbating or obviously enjoying the afterglow of an orgasm. Tiny moans and squeaky squeals filled the air, and every eye was pointed in the same direction.
You.
Upon catching your gaze, several began clapping, a few wolf whistles rang out, and someone yelled Encore.
This was not a situation you were prepared for.
Seeing the mass almost universally either occupied or otherwise, you decided that this was a good time to get the hell out of dodge. Leaning down, you snagged, as gently as you could, the blonde haired one, Sarah or Opal or whatever she was, off a mushroom from where she was lying. A line of liquid ran from between her thighs, dribbling off the side of the bright red cap, and a hand was still buried between her legs.
Trying your best not to get any of her fluids on you, while also being wary that this was a tiny creature that you could likely hurt if you handled her wrong, you carefully tucked her into your breast pockets before turning back to Nora.
The girl hadn't recovered yet, still seeming somewhat dazed, but when you grabbed her by the hand and pulled, she followed easily enough, so away the three of you went.
You'd initially considered staying and talking, but something in your guy was still wary of the very concept of fae, and even though you were feeling quite good, having just had an extended make-out session with a pretty girl, you still weren't willing to test it.
So you rushed away, dragging your date and your new guide with you.
It took a few minutes of walking in no particular direction for the two girls to come back to themselves, brought to your own attention by a shifting in your breast pockets and a groan from Nora, as the girl shook her head.
You caught Nora's eyes, and she blushed a bit before finally talking.
"Where are we going?" She asked, looking around, slowly, she pulled out her map, studying it as she walked. "I don't think we're on the map anymore."
A grunt from your pocket, before just the head of the blonde-haired fairy popped out, arms sticking over the lip as she rested back.
"You never were in the forest. You both stepped through a fairy circle a couple of feet away from the border. We had you walking in circles the entire time." 'Sarah said, looking quite grumpy despite the fact that she was staining your nice new shirt with her juices.
That information was alarming, though.
Nora seemed to find it more so than you, and she leaned in, raising an eyebrow at the little creature angrily.
"Does the Headmaster know that you're kidnapping any student who goes into the forest?" She asked with a frown. The fairy snorted, waving a hand.
"You think we care what that old man thinks? He probably needs help tying his robe on, much less picking up a wand." The fairy sounded quite dismissive about the headmaster, an oddity considering the amount of respect the man received from the wizarding population. This didn't seem to put Nora off, though, who leaned in closer.
"Does Professor Sprout know about what you're doing?" She asked in a threatening tone.
Finally, the fairy seemed to pale, chuckling nervously.
"N-now, let's not get excited. Besides, you two are out scot free anyway, over there." She pointed, a ring of many sitting next to a tree, being her target. "That circle will bring you out, then we can go out separate ways-"
"Not quite." You interrupted. "I believe you owe us a guide towards some Torchwood?" You asked.
The fairy snorted.
"I'll point you in the right direction, but if you think I'm gonna make this easy on you after that trick you pulled, think again."
You smiled wider.
"Is that right, Opal?"
She froze, shivered, paled, then blushed intensely, as a moan escaped her.
You felt some wetness leak through your shirt.
Did she just…
The fae gave you a look, a mix between bedroom eyes and a glare, before sighing.
"Fine, I'll point you the way, just…" She paused, glancing at Nora. "Don't tell anyone else, please?"
"I understand." You weren't taking any chances by saying yes or no, in case she tried to do a sneaky deal or something.
Stepping up to the fairy circle, neither you nor Nora felt anything, but you turned around at Sarah's prompting, and suddenly, the forest seemed different.
"It's working again!" Nora cheered, opening her map.
"Thanks." You said down to your pocket pal. The blonde-haired creature in question just shrugged.
"Let's get your stupid Torchwood or whatever." She grumbled.
-x-X-x-
It was quite clear that you had left whatever weird place that fairy circle had brought you to before. For one, it no longer felt like you were going in a circle. The trees, the landscape, it all changes as you walk, but in a more natural way.
Additionally, you could see the castle in the distance. Not well, and not very clearly, but just over the trees, the tips of the towers could be spotted, and the light from the sun broke through the trees more consistently, bathing the forest in a decent amount of light, whereas before it practically felt like it was nighttime.
Most importantly, though, was that Nora proved that her difficulty in trailblazing was not, in fact, due to any mistake on her end, but rather the Fae. She was quite confident in leading you forward, towards where she swore the Torchwood would be. A glance down at your pocket fae confirmed the fact, with the minute creature giving a single nod in response.
You pat the blonde on the head, grinning at the way she blushed.
Despite the initial attempt at tricking and trapping you and Nora, you couldn't find much ill will in you. After all, she failed miserably, gave you the advantage, and helped your date progress much faster and much more pleasurably than you had expected so soon.
To be completely honest, you were looking forward to just spending time with Nora, but you weren't complaining about getting the chance to kiss her.
Still, you would be keeping an eye on her, anyhow.
After all, if your understanding of Fae lore was right, as long as you had her name, she was beholden, somewhat, to you.
You were broken from your musing as Nora stopped in front of you, nearly causing you to bump into the bowl-cut wearing Gryffindor.
She was reading her map, a look of focus on her face, before comparing whatever was written to some invisible landmark you couldn't make out.
"It should be around here somewhere." She muttered, turning in a full circle.
"What are you looking for?" You asked, curious.
"The Torchwood is supposed to be somewhere around here. According to the map, at least, but I can't find it." She pouted, and you held back from pinching her cheek when they puffed out in time with her displeasure.
"What does it look like?" Maybe you could help her look.
"Well…" Nora began.
"It's on fire." Interrupted, 'Sarah', looking somewhat bored with the situation.
Nora nodded.
"It kinda looks like a regular tree stump, but well, on fire." She agreed.
You glanced around at the perfectly not on fire forest surrounding you. The chirping of birds, the whistle of the wind, all of it seemed perfectly at peace. Moreso than you had expected from the forbidden forest, to be honest.
You looked down at the fae.
"Any ideas, oh guide?" You asked. She had, after all, agreed to lead you to the Torchwood.
She shrugged, still sitting quite comfortably in your pocket.
"I'unno."
You frown down at her.
"What! I don't! It was here last time I flew by." She grumbled.
Sighing, you asked;
"When was the last time you flew by?"
She shifted uncomfortably, and you asked the question again when she didn't answer.
"Maybe five odd years ago. But plants don't move that fast!" She seemed flustered, and Nora turned to her with an unimpressed look, but didn't say anything.
That, more than anything else, seemed to get to 'Sarah', and the fae scowled, before shooting out of your pocket.
"Oh, great plant wizard, why don't you find it then!" She growled. "Oh, wait, you could barely find your way three feet into the forest before you hit a fairy circle."
Nora blushes, looking somewhat hurt, before growling back.
"A-at least I d-didn't give away my n-name the first time someone asked." She said, before smiling at the fae and pointedly turning around.
Ignoring the squeaky voice, Nora instead looked towards you; her eyes told you it was about something other than the plant.
"Herman, I'm sorry that I got us lost. And nearly kidnapped by fairies." She shrank in on herself. "And I'm sorry you were forced to kiss me to avoid the deal." You blinked.
Forced?
"I-if you wanna report me to Professor Sprout, j-just let me know first, so I can mail my gran. B-better she hear it from me than a professor."
You couldn't help but blink in surprise, as well as a bit of confusion at her thought process.
Report her to Sprout? For what?
Going back over the situation, trying to find an instance that she could be referring to, you found that there simply wasn't anything that the other did that seemed like a reportable offence.
Was it really just… for the kissing?
You raised an eyebrow, studying Nora, who squirmed under your gaze.
Just… really?
Was Hogwarts secretly prudish or something, and you've just been hanging out with the perverts? Was that it? Was everyone around you just inherently obsessed with sex or something?
…
You shook your head, wiping that thought before you went too far down the rabbit hole.
You were somewhat scared of the conclusions you would come to if you continued.
Instead, you figured you could do your best to nip this in the bud, so to speak.
"Of course I won't report you." You began, trying your best to appear reassuring. "It was for a good cause, besides." At this, you did your best to be convincing. "Besides, it was my pleasure, really."
Nora blushed, and there was a squeak from the Gryffindor, before she looked away, fingers coming up to poke against each other in what you were now realizing was a common nervous tick the girl had.
"A-Are you sure? It was incredibly inappropriate, and I can't help but feel like I took advantage of you. Kissing you in a situation like this, where it was forced… I feel like scum."
The girl looked down, and a positively miserable look came across her face.
Sarah peered her head over your shoulder.
"Wow, she's pathetic, huh?" She said, looking to you, expecting some form of agreement.
In a fit of annoyance, you raised a hand and flicked her away, sending her yelping.
Stepping forward, you gently placed your hand on her shoulders before pulling her into a hug.
She stiffened, but didn't fight it.
"I don't blame you for any of this, Nora, besides." You smiled down at her, and the girl blushed in your arms, "I'm still having fun, after all. I get to see an amazing forest, with an amazing girl, and even got to have a kiss."
Nora's face was bright red, and she buried it into your shoulder for a bit before pulling away, a still blushing but more confident expression on her face.
"Ok, but l-let me know if you change your mind. I-I-I still feel bad about it, but if you say it's ok…." She trailed off. You nodded.
"It's ok."
Before the conversation could continue any further, an annoyed, familiar voice spoke up.
"Gross, if you two idiots are done, I've figured out where to go."
Looking over, Sarah was sitting on a branch and was looking at the two of you in irritation. It would have been more convincing if she hadn't been rubbing her thighs together periodically.
The two of you separated, and Nora quickly took the lead, face burning red.
Sarah had evidently figured something out, because even as she directed you down the exact same path as before, the surroundings slowly started to change, and you eventually came to a large clearing.
And in the center, surrounded by a ring of barren land and ash.
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"The Torchwood." Nora breathed.
Nora, seeming to shed her hesitance and embarrassment in an instant now that your goal was just ahead, immediately set to work. The bags you and she had been carrying had been set on the ground.
"So what's the plan?" You asked, crouching down next to her. Sarah had stayed near the edge of the clearing, perched on a tree branch, watching. She claimed that "messing with the flaming tree wasn't part of the deal."
Nora continued pulling out various items before pausing. She turned to look at you.
"Torchwoods are a relatively rare plant native to some parts of Europe and the Middle East. They're more well-known for their juvenile forms, Torch Bushes." She lectured. "Part of a classification of semi-intelligent plant life, their younger forms are known for yelling random orders and rules at people, before vanishing. Older specimens are exceedingly rare, but their seeds are valuable for a variety of uses, from gastronomic to various high-level potions."
You nodded along, taking mental notes.
"We need to gather a number of seeds from the tree, without getting it angry. The typical method is having someone engage it in conversation, while the other gathers the seeds." She looked at you.
"Which would you prefer?"
Well, this was slightly different than what you expected when you heard you'd have to do, but hey.
You could make it work.
"I can talk to it." You offered Nora, to which she nodded, before pulling out a very heavy set of dragon hide gloves, already scorched and scratched from previous use. The shorter girl pulled them on, alongside a heavy smock and mask that looked more fit for a blacksmith than a gardener.
She turned to you, and her voice was muffled as she spoke.
"You ready?"
You nodded.
"So… what do they like to talk about?" You asked, as the two of you moved forward.
Nora turned back to you, and you had some trouble making out her expression under the mark, but she was quiet for a moment before speaking.
"They… are usually kinda of into… intimate, moment." She said, haltingly, before turning away.
You paused.
Well….
You could do that.
It'd be awkward, but you could.
Stepping forward into the clearing, the tree immediately began crackling louder. It didn't seem to bother Nora, who led the way forward.
Just as you began to come under the three burning canopy, there was a pop, then…
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A woman appeared from behind the tree. Utterly naked, green-skinned, and glaring, she looked at the two of you with suspicion.
"What do you want?" She asked, voice heavily accented with something you didn't recognize. Nora stepped forward to answer.
"We wish to gather some of your discarded seeds, of Torchwood." Was her simple response.
The dryad (you assumed) growled.
"And what'll I get in exchange?" She asked, leaning forward. In time with her movement, the tree flared brighter, and embers showered down.
"Stories. Conversation."
The woman thought, before nodding.
"Get on with it." She waved her hand.
Nora quickly went about gathering the items, entirely invested in it. The woman turned to you.
You gulped at the look on her face.
"Well…."
You began, slowly, nervously retelling your first encounters with Professor Snape, conscious of the fact that Nora, hopefully, couldn't hear you over the loud crackling of the tree and the thick mask she was wearing.
Quickly, you began to get into it, doing your best to keep yourself relatively distant, emotionally, so that you could tell it factually and accurately. A bit in, the woman stopped you.
"Hold on." She said, raising a hand from where she had sat.
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She frowned at you.
"Give me some more emotion than that kid. I want a story not a book report." She said, hand idly rubbing at a nipple."
Well.
You could do that.
Maybe.
You began again, this time trying to be a bit more descriptive.
You quickly got into it, and before you knew it, you were more invested in telling the story than either what Nora or the Dryad was doing; your mind had brought you back to that moment, with Snape on the table, you thrusting into her. It had felt good to really let it out, and Snape had seemed to be happy.
You continued speaking. She had seemed the happiest, though, when you had finally thrust in and released deep inside her. You spoke of your wonder at whether the act had impregnated the professor. You idly wondered what it would be like to try again.
You blinked.
You'd really gotten into it, enough so that you had stared off into the distance.
A grunt caught your attention.
Turning, you caught the eye of the dryad.
Then you followed her body down to where two hands were between her legs. Two fingers buried in her dripping cunt, while her other hand tweaked her clit. She was panting, continuing to pleasure herself even as you watched.
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After a moment, her back arched, and she let out a loud moan, thrusting her hips forward, ass lifting off the ground as she squirted. The orgasm was violent enough that a bit of her fluids landed on your pant leg, and the scent of maple reached you.
Panting, she dropped down again before smiling at you.
"Good shit, kid. You got stories like that, and we'll get along fine."
You felt a hand tap on your shoulder. Turning, you were met with Nora's heavy mask, tinted lens hiding her face.
"I got everything!" She said abnormally loudly; her voice was cheerful. "Everything going well here?" She didn't seem to have heard your story. You suspected she'd be a bit more flustered if so.
The dryad gave her a thumbs up, eye drifting to you.
"Come back soon, kid, and I'll show you the wild side." Her words were punctuated by her hand, which was still two fingers deep between her legs, spreading her lower lips, revealing wet, green insides.
Nora looked down before pulling you away.
"Let's go, Herman." She said, voice surprisingly firm as she led you away. Once you were what the girl judged a safe distance, she pulled her mask off. She was sweaty, panting, but the frown on her face was firm.
"Be careful around Dryads, Herman, they're kinda like fairies, and will try to trick you." She frowned at the tree, where the woman was still visible. She also didn't exactly specify how.
You nodded, even as Sarah, who was sitting on the same tree branch, flitted over to begin arguing with Nora about the comparison.
How hard would it be to make your way back here.....
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