A Moment of Bliss
Harrie was awoken by someone gently caressing her cheeks. The touch felt unexpectedly nice, comforting in a way she hadn’t felt in a long time. A warm, manly voice was speaking softly, “Wake up, princess. It’s time for you to wake up.” For a brief moment, Harrie allowed herself to enjoy the soothing sensation.
But then, as sudden as a lightning strike, the reality of her situation came crashing back. She didn’t recognize the voice, and she wasn’t in her comfortable bed. Memories of the past 24 hours flooded her mind: her father’s horrifying words, the excruciating pain, and her desperate cries. Her eyes snapped open with fear, and she instinctively tried to sit up and move away from the person touching her.
She quickly realized that she was still bound to the coffee table, her limbs held in place by the spell. The realization hit her like a ton of bricks – she must have fallen asleep after her emotional outburst, completely exhausted by the physical and mental agony she had endured.
Harrie looked to her right and saw Edward Radcliffe sitting there, crouched down next to the coffee table. He was wearing a light blue robe, the color complementing his complexion perfectly. His eyes were a mesmerizing shade of hazel, and they were filled with a mix of adoration and hesitation.
Harrie closed her eyes for a moment, her voice hoarse from the screaming she had done the night before. She cleared her throat, trying to steady herself before looking back at him. “Please, please. Help me… please, please help me,” she pleaded, her voice barely above a whisper.
“It’s okay, princess. I’m going to help you. He’s not here; he’s not going to hurt you,” Edward Radcliffe said softly, his touch gentle as he caressed her cheeks. Harrie felt a wave of relief wash over her. He wasn’t there. Her father wasn’t there. She was safe. For now. Edward took out his wand and released her from the binding spell.
He helped Harrie to sit upright, his movements careful and supportive. She realized she was still wearing the outfit from the previous day – an oversized t-shirt and short jeans. But now, they were drenched in sweat, and there was blood on her shirt. Her ankles and wrists were bruised, and her left wrist was bleeding. Pustule-like bubbles covered her body, remnants of the torture she had endured. She reckoned these were the things that had caused her so much pain.
Harrie tried to stand, but she was so weak that she couldn’t support her own weight and stumbled. If it wasn’t for Edward Radcliffe holding her, she would have fallen to the ground. He gently sat her down on the couch, placing himself beside her, very close beside her. “It’s okay, princess,” he said softly. Princess? Why is he calling me princess? I just met the man a few hours ago. But Harrie was too tired to say anything.
Edward Radcliffe put his hand on Harrie’s hair, gently pushing it away from her face and tucking it behind her ears. He held her face with his hand and touched one of the pustule-like bubbles on her cheek with his thumb. “Now, we should do something about these,” he said. “It’s a shame to ruin that beautiful skin of yours.”
Harrie just looked at the man, too exhausted to react. “Alfia,” he called, and with a crack, Alfia appeared. “I am taking Harrie upstairs to her room. Bring her some breakfast, water, and my box of potions.”
“Yes, Mr. Radcliffe, sir, right away sir” Alfia responded, disappearing with another crack.
Edward Radcliffe proceeded to carry Harrie in his arms, one arm under her knees and the other supporting her back. The gesture made Harrie feel a little bit weird. She couldn’t exactly say what she was feeling, but it was not a very pleasant feeling. She wanted to protest, to say that she could walk herself, but the thought of climbing the stairs made her give up. She knew she was too exhausted to even attempt to apparate up the stairs. She resigned herself to being carried, her body too weak to resist.
When they reached her room, they were met with the coos of the owl. Edward Radcliffe gently put Harrie down on her bed and approached the owl, offering it some food to calm it. But the owl refused to take the food and continued to coo. Frustrated, Edward opened the door of the owl’s cage and then the window, hoping it would fly away. Instead, the owl flew to Harrie and perched on her shoulder. Harrie smiled weakly at the owl, feeling a small sense of comfort.
Edward watched them for a moment before sitting on the bed beside Harrie. “Have you given him a name?” he asked, petting the owl gently. Harrie looked at him, surprised. “I get to name him?”.
He smiled, a very handsome smile that seemed to light up his face. “Why, of course. It’s your owl.” Harrie thought for a moment. “Bowie,” said Harrie softly. “I think I want to name him Bowie.”. Edward Radcliffe seemed confused for a moment. “After the knife?” he asked. Harrie chuckled weakly. “No, after David Bowie. My brother and I used to listen to his songs all the time. He was Tommy’s favorite.” For a split second, Harrie thought she saw a flicker of disgust in Edward Radcliffe’s eyes, but it disappeared almost instantly.
Edward touched the beak of the owl. “Bowie,” he said, “it suits him. But your father doesn’t need to know that you named your owl after a Muggle singer.”
At that moment, Alfia appeared with a crack. She placed a tray full of eggs and sausages, along with a cup of orange juice and water, on the bedside table and handed a big silver box to Edward Radcliffe. He took the silver box and put it on the floor, opening it to reveal what seemed to be thirty bottles of potions. He looked at Alfia and said, “You’re dismissed.” Alfia disappeared with another crack before Harrie could say thank you.
Edward sorted through the bottles of potions, finally selecting one with a flashy pink liquid inside. He handed it to Harrie and instructed her to drink the whole thing. “This will get rid of the pustules on your skin,” he explained. As he spoke, he gently touched Harrie’s leg from her knee to her ankle with the back of his hand. “It will clear your beautiful skin back to normal.” He continued, “When your father controlled your mind, he made you drink a potion that brought this pain upon you and caused the pustules on your skin. I’m very sorry, but I had to give him what he asked for.” He paused, moving his hand up on Harrie’s thighs, brushing her skin gently. “I provided the potion for your father. I hated seeing you in pain, but I thought he knew best. If he thought you should be taught a lesson, then I believed it was necessary.”
Harrie felt a wave of despair wash over her. Edward handed her another bottle of potion, this one looking like a galaxy trapped in glass, with a dark blue liquid and silver glimmers inside. She took the new potion and handed back the empty bottle of the last one. As Edward placed it back into his box, the bottle seemed to refill on its own. Before Harrie could drink the new potion, she asked, “What is this one? What will it do?”
Before Edward could answer, Harrie noticed her skin starting to clear up. The pustules and bubbles were disappearing one by one. Edward seemed mesmerized, staring at her bare unblemished skin, but this time, he didn’t touch her. Feeling a bit uncomfortable, Harrie cleared her throat, bringing Edward out of his head space. He looked at her and said, “This potion will make you sleep and give your body the rest it needs.”
As Harrie drank the second potion, she could feel the pain leaving her body. A new wave of energy surged through her, making her feel almost ecstatic. She handed the empty bottle back to Edward, who put it in his silver box, watching as it refilled itself before closing the box.
Edward stood up, taking the box in his hand. “Eat your breakfast, Harrie, and take a nap before your father comes back,” he instructed. With that, he left her room, closing the door softly behind him.
As this new wave of energy filled her, Harrie sat up, making Bowie let out a small coo. She looked at the tray, not feeling hungry at all, but she took a piece of toast, broke it into small chunks, and fed them to Bowie. The owl accepted them with gratitude and then flew back to its cage.
Harrie drank the cool water Alfia had brought her, feeling a sudden dryness in her mouth and throat. She took off her clothes, suddenly feeling the weight of them on her body.
Harrie laid on the bed on her back in just her underwear. She had so much to think about. But the fresh air from the open window just felt so, so good on her skin. It was like air here was different from the one at home. So much better, Harrie thought. So Harrie, simply put one hand under her head staring at the ceiling. As she was seeing the texture on the ceiling turning into a never ending spiral, she thought to herself that she was happy. An almost trance like smile creeping on her face.
With every passing second a strange yet pleasant sensation was spreading through Harrie’s body. It was unlike anything she had ever felt before. Her heart was racing, not with fear but with an exhilarating rush. It felt like pure ecstasy, as if her entire being was infused with a powerful, magical energy. It was overwhelming and intoxicating, like a potion of pure euphoria.
Harrie turned to her right to see the scenery outside her window. It seemed different that last night, even different from when Edward Radcliffe brought her to her room earlier. The green of the leaves seemed almost greener, somehow vibrating as if it was alive. The sky looked bluer than Harrie had ever seen before. Harrie could hear the birds chirping outside her room so clearly as if they were inside with her. She could smell the trees and the damp soil.
Harrie closed her eyes, enjoying the smell and the sound. But it started to become too much. The smell of the dirt and the noise of the birds was suddenly overwhelming and loud, it was so, so loud. Harrie felt like she was being consumed by the overwhelming sensations.
She opened her eyes in a panic state. But the bright colors of the landscape before her was overbearing, she snapped her eyes closed and with a movement of her hand closed the window and then shut the curtains. Slowly going back to the euphoric feeling she had merely minutes ago.
Caught up in this heady sensation, Harrie acted on instinct. Without thinking, she put a silencing charm on her room, ensuring no one could hear her. Then, she apparated back to the home she had shared with Tommy. She grabbed their record player and some of their favorite records, making sure to include several of David Bowie’s records. In a flash, she apparated back to her new room. Setting up the record player, she put on one of Bowie’s records.
The familiar, comforting music filled the room, and Harrie felt a surge of joy. She climbed onto the bed and started dancing, her movements uninhibited and free. The music, combined with the effects of the potion, created a moment of pure, magical bliss.