Yuletide Blessing in Disguise

The Second Task

AN: Warning: Suggestive Themes

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Now it was really crunch time! There was barely a week to go and Harry had finally mastered his metamorphmagus gillyweed mimicking transformation on Saturday. Not to mention that Hermione was really pleased that after much practice, Harry's inking of the Rune Sequences she had worked out for him was flawless. All that remained was to practice inking himself.

And that was the problem!

After skimming through the Charms textbooks for every year, Hermione had searched endlessly in the library for a spell which would make it easier for Harry to practice tattooing the runes on himself. Then she remembered the row of ancient looking tomes on the bookshelf in Harry's private quarters. Hermione gnawed her lower lip as she blew the dust off the cracked leather binding of one which looked promising while Harry was diligently revising his Arithmancy homework in his sitting room.

"Hmm... Charmes for the Boudoir of the Moste Beauteous," Hermione muttered to herself. "I wonder..."

Hermione began leafing through the pages. Her eyes widened and she gasped at a number of scandalous spells complete with illustrations. Clearly the book was intended for every possible activity in which one might engage in a Boudoir. Flushing, Hermione lingered on some of the pages, imagining how they might be put to use with a certain someone she had fallen head over heels for.

It took every effort for Hermione to tear herself away from that chapter. Her heart still racing, a tingly sensation still rushing through her veins, Hermione flicked through the pages of the next chapter, one regarding bedroom furnishings which looked much more likely to contain something useful for her most immediate needs... well, for Harry's most immediate needs anyway. The others might come in handy at a later date.

On the fifth page of the chapter, Hermione's eyes lit up when she finally spotted a spell which was exactly what she needed. It was surprising really that she hadn't found the spell in more recent advanced charms books. Hermione peered up at the mirror on Harry's dresser. She wasn't sure that it was large enough or low enough for Harry to see more than his head and shoulders.

Hermione popped into Harry's bathroom and beamed. Perfect! The mirror was wide and tall, and the sink counter in front of it was low enough that Harry would be able to see his entire torso.

Hermione uttered the incantation, "Speculo Imago Novis," as she precisely executed the wand movements. When the desired result was achieved she gleefully bounced on her toes.

"Harry! I've done it! I've done it," she squeaked loudly. "Come and see."

Harry cautiously peeked through the door. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"If I wasn't decent, I wouldn't have called, silly." Though Hermione wasn't entirely sure if that was true - especially after perusing the chapter preceding the one in which she had found the spell.

"Erm... What am I supposed to be looking at?" asked Harry, looking puzzled.

"The mirror - look."

"Erm..." Harry said again, still looking bewildered.

"Come here and look," said Hermione, grabbing his arm and pulling him closer.

"Er..." it still took Harry a few moments to register what he was seeing in the mirror. He gasped. "It's reversed - I mean it's the right way round... er... I'm not sure what I mean. How...?"

"The spell - I found it in a really old book - these quarters must have originally belonged to a professor who was a witch. The book is especially geared for Boudoirs."