Intimacy

15th September 1997- Monday

Harry was awoken abruptly in the early hours of Monday morning to the sound of pounding on his front doors. He sat up in his bed, bleary-eyed as he scrabbled for his wand, which was kept under his pillow. Clambering out of his bed, he reached for the robe neatly hung up nearby.

 A clamour of noise followed as one of his maids opened the doors, the intruder stomping inside purposefully. They slammed shut, and a man's voice could be heard, ordering his maids to call for him immediately.

Harry made his way down the stairs, having hurriedly thrown on the robe, wand in hand and stiff at the shoulders, wary of danger. The sight that greeted him at the bottom was a delighted-looking Eunuch who was proudly holding out a scroll that was embossed with gold. The sign of an Emperor's decree. Harry sighed, head spinning from having woken up so abruptly, gesturing with clear annoyance for the man to read it quickly. He cleared his throat. "Her highness, the Primary Consort Slytherin-Black, as of only a few minutes ago, entered labour. Noble Potter-Black, along with his Majesty's other concubines, is ordered to enter the Hall of Worship to pray for the healthy birth of his Majesty's child and the wellbeing of their royal mother. You are to stay there until ordered otherwise. Respect the decree!" 

Without showing the varying emotions he was feeling, Harry respectfully bowed. "This is joyous news. This one will heed his Majesties orders and pray that the birth of his majesty's child is a successful one and that both my sister and her child are healthy."

This was huge. The first child of the currently highest ranked concubine, who had never carried a child past the first trimester before even within twelve previous pregnancies, was about to be born. Whether the child was a boy or a girl, Harry did not know because Bellatrix had requested for it to be a surprise for even herself, they would automatically outrank most of their sisters, and possibly the large majority of the rest of their siblings as well.

Harry straightened, still feeling dizzy as he linked his arms with Anya's. She gave him a worried glance at his tight smile. "Anya, please help me dress appropriately."

"Yes, Master."

A little while later, Harry joined the crowd of concubines, in their pastel tones, as they knelt on the marble flooring of the Hall of Worship in neat rows. Every concubine was present, even Noble Jasmine who looked haggard and unhappy whilst staring down at the floor, the small teddy he had seen on the chaise before clutched tightly in her hands.

Before the group was an altar, covered with flowers signifying health and luck, as well as new life and royalty. In the middle, a candle glowed brightly, flickering gently every so often, a symbol of Bellatrix's well-being. If it extinguished...

The Hall was silent, as it usually was in such a place, but the air was heavy with a mixture of eagerness, anxiousness and jealousy. Not everyone was happy with the knowledge that another royal child was going to be born, especially due to who their mother was.

He settled into the group, blending in and bowing his head. By his sides sat Noble Erin and Noble Pippa, their eyes fixed to the floor and mouths moving in silent prayer. Along his row, most were respectfully doing as his majesty had ordered. However, a few of the concubines ahead, such as Concubine Rakepick and Consort Isla, merely sat on their knees and read books to pass the time. The Eunuchs to the side ignored this but lunged forward to berate Second-Class Attendant Brennan when she wobbled and fell.

"His Majesty expects the utmost sincerity. Pray for her highness with elegance. Anything but perfection is dishonourable to both the Emperor and his Primary Consort."

The woman shifted awkwardly, muttering back an embarrassed: "My apologies." The Eunuch harrumphed at this and returned to his position, resuming his eagle-eyed watch.

An awkward cough rang through the silence, but no one dared to look at the source. Harry shifted, already feeling his knees beginning to ache. It was going to be a long next few hours.

Many hours later, they were called to come to the Consorts residence in preparation to welcome the newest royal child and witness his Majesty naming them. His Majesty, at the beginning of his reign, had decided upon naming styles for his children. Any male children's names ended with an -s, whilst female children's names ended with an -a. Most families had naming traditions that were unique to their family, such as the Black family's inclination for naming their children after the stars.

The group of concubines entered the Palace of Universal Desire with trepidation, and Harry felt too energised to even take in the grandeur surrounding him. All his focus, instead, was on the door of the Consort's personal infirmary, and the sound of the first cries of a new life.

The Emperor stood by the door of the room whilst they were ordered to kneel behind him, Consort Isla as the highest ranking, standing by his side in lieu of Bellatrix. He didn't look anxious in the slightest, although Harry supposed he had seen enough of his children being born to be less worried of complications now, but there was an enthusiastic gleam to his eyes that brightened with every wail.

They waited anxiously for the door to slide open and permit them in, the crying newborn baby behind them grating and taunting to their ears.

Finally, it opened, and there stood a maid with a bundle cradled to her chest, bowing slightly whilst faced with the Emperor. He looked as collected as ever, even in such a moment of joy. The maid took in a deep breath. "Congratulations, Emperor, on the birth of the Twelfth Princess." Beside him, Harry felt more than heard a concubine let out a relieved breath. "May your reign last forevermore, and your newest child inherit your Majesty's immeasurable power."

The Emperor stepped forward to take his newborn daughter into his arms, staring down at the tiny child with an unreadable expression. He hummed, tilting his head. "What a strange hair colour." And it was, a silvery white colour, which neither parent possessed, only a tuft of it poking out from underneath the blanket. It caused some stir to go through the crowd. "A Black, through and through, hm? I remember that your sister also has the same shade as this."

The Consort cleared her throat from when she was sat, reclined on her bed. "Are you... pleased with her, your Majesty?" Bellatrix bit her lip anxiously, tensing as she awaited the Emperor's answer. The crowd surrounding them held their breath.

He hummed again, lip quirking up into a smile as he stared down at the tiny being in his arms. "Very much so. Our daughter has been born, how can I not be? I have waited to hold a child of ours in my arms for twenty-one years now, and she is a perfect daughter."

Bellatrix seemed to deflate at that, shaking slightly whilst hiding her face from view. She was crying. "Yes, she's perfect."

The Emperor continued. "And, for such a daughter, only the name Delphina is suitable. In honour of the maiden family's tradition, it is a name derived from the northern constellation 'Delphinus', which depicts the image of a Dolphin. Dolphins are vastly intelligent creatures, and it is my hope that she will attain that intelligence as she grows."

"Thank you for honouring my family's traditions, your Majesty. Delphina is a beautiful name. And as for her middle name?"

"As for her middle name..." He hummed consideringly. "What is your choice?"

The Consort looked shocked, looking up at the Emperor with glossy, red-rimmed eyes filled with confusion, before composing herself. "I...had hoped to give her the name 'Amalthea', the same as my own. It means 'Tender goddess' in Greek, and is also related to my family's ancient naming tradition."

"A worthy name for a daughter of mine- Delphina Amalthea Slytherin. It suits her well."

"All hail her young highness, the Twelfth Princess." They echoed. 

After that, the more formal part was over, and they could begin talking amongst themselves, most turning eagerly to their neighbours to express happiness over the baby being a Princess. Sure, they coated what they said with pretty words, but it was obvious that they had been praying for a girl from the beginning.

Harry stayed put on the floor whilst the Concubines stood to give Bellatrix their personal congratulations, Regulus looking more animated and happy than he had ever seen him before. Bellatrix herself, whilst looking understandably tired, seemed gleeful as she watched the Emperor cradle their child, observing them with soft eyes. It was probably as relaxed as he had ever seen her, and as he ever would.

When he looked over once more to stare at the small bundle, his eyes met crimson red as they stared back at him, the Emperor's eyes burning with suppressed emotion.

21st September 1997- Sunday

Nearly a week after the birth of the twelfth Princess, a celebration was held in the Court, and invited was the entirety of the Black family, the maternal family of the newly named Princess Delphina Slytherin. As the family's heir, Harry too was invited when he usually wouldn't be.

This also meant that as the Lord of 'The Most Ancient and Noble House of Black', his Godfather, Sirius, and Uncle Remus were also in attendance. He had heard through gossip around the Court that Bellatrix had attempted to have the pair of them uninvited, but the Emperor had reminded her that they were the Lords of her house, and her daughter would not be recognised as a Black without their approval. Needless to say, she hadn't mentioned a word about them since.

"Pup, how are you? You've grown so much! I thought you were going to be around Lily's height, but by the looks of it, I'd say that you're taller than her now. Merlin, It's only been about two months since I last saw you!"

"I am?" It was bittersweet, having to fish information about his parents from others when he should be the one person knowing nearly all about them. 

The man cackled, ruffling his hair. "Yeah, though you're still a while off from matching your father's height. Merlin, that man is a tree!" Sirius slung his arm around his shoulders, and as much as he hated to do so, Harry shrugged it off. "Hm?"

"Sorry, Siri. Um, there are expectations about how others are expected to behave around me now, and, well..."

"Bah, bunch of stuck-ups! Can't believe it, I can't give my own Godson, my own heir a hug! Remus, the atrocity!" Sirius threw himself into his husband's arms, who sighed, resigned to attracting the eyes of the crowd for the rest of the night.

He looked up at Harry with a tired smile, eyes warm. "Hello, Harry, It's good to see you again. You look well, although I suppose that's from all the fine food you've been eating these past couple of months."

Harry worriedly scanned his Uncle, who looked frailer than he had previously. "Remus, how are you?" The man opened his mouth but was beaten by the muffled voice of Sirius.

"He's an idiot, Harry. Moans to me about taking care of myself, but doesn't do it for himself. Tell him off, maybe he'll listen to an authority figure such as yourself."

He scoffed. "As a Noble, I don't have that much authority, Sirius, especially not more than a Lord of a house such as yours."

Sirius looked at him with wide widened eyes. "'Not much authority?'" He whispered incredulously as if sharing a secret. "Harry, you have a shit ton! As a concubine of the Emperor of the world, there are only a few spots higher than that and they are all achievable only by those who are actually in his harem. You have the potential to become one of the world's most powerful people, and even with your current rank, you'll garner the respect of most people."

Harry scrunched his eyebrows. What? Him, a person with equal if not more authority than the Lords of Ancient and Noble Houses such as the Blacks? Surely, there was no way that was true. He chose to wave off the conversation and steer onto another topic of interest.

"So, Consort Bellatrix is your what? Cousin?"

The man snorted. "Yeah, although she acts more like she's my aunt, bossing me around all my childhood just cause she was a few years older. Don't know how Reggie and her get along so well."

Concubine Regulus was currently fawning over the new addition to the royal family alongside a group of other Blacks, cooing over the tightly wrapped bundle. As if hearing his name despite how far away they were from the group, his head lifted up and he stared blankly into his older brother's eyes.

Sirius quickly looked away. "Merlin, does he always have to be so creepy!? At least show a little emotion towards the big brother you haven't seen in years, brat!"

"Sirius, please don't call Unc- Concubine Regulus such things. What if it reflects badly on me and he decides to take revenge?"

"Ah, I doubt he's that petty, he's always been used to me calling him that. And, let's rewind a moment. What did you call him?"

"Concubine Regulus?"

"No, no, before that. If I remember, it was something like Unc-."

Harry cleared his throat and looked away awkwardly. "I don't know what you mean, Sirius."

Sirius raised an eyebrow, pointing a thumb toward the Concubine. "Pup, do you really call Reggie, that soulless little prick over there, Uncle?"

"Absolutely not. I have no idea why you'd think that."

"Yes, you do. I just heard you say it."

" No, I don't."

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Ye-"

"Alright, be quiet! Yes, he gave me permission to call him Uncle."

Sirius howled. "Haha, that's the best thing I've heard since that time James was insistent that Lily had a crush on him back in our third year. The best part is that he said that right before she socked him one in the face!" Even Remus snorted, his eyes twinkling with mirth.

"The more I hear about mum and dad before they started dating, the more I question how they ever ended up together."

It was relaxing to soak in Remus and Sirius' presence, just talking to them without all the formalities he was expected to use at every moment in the Court. He would have stayed with them the whole night, reminiscing and joking around, however, he had business to attend to that could not be avoided. Excusing himself, Harry began heading towards the crowd gathered at the front.

As he approached the group, they began to lift their heads, most grudgingly bowing them back down as he met their eyes. Bellatrix and Regulus, however, kept their heads raised and postures poised, watching him with assessing eyes. Harry clasped his hands together and bowed his head. "Congratulations on the birth of your daughter, Consort Bellatrix. I hope that she will grow up healthy and powerful, and be a benefit to both the Royal House of Slytherin and Noble House of Black."

The Consort shifted proudly, the princess in her arms making sweet cooing noises as she was held tighter. "Thank you for your well-wishes, Noble Potter-Black, I am sure that my daughter will do just that." Harry bowed to her, then to Regulus, who waved him upwards. Awkwardly, he stood there for a moment, not sure if he should continue with the conversation or not. Walking away now would be seen as him being dismissive of them, but carrying on the conversation for too much longer could also be detrimental to his image.

A throat cleared behind him, the decision made for him. "Ah, Noble Potter-Black?" Harry turned to stare down into beady black eyes, the owner staring back at him in mixed attraction and disgust.

He was hesitant to respond but squared his shoulders in the face of such a group. "Yes?"

"Might I dare say that you look rather ravishing tonight?" What? "The Emperor sure is a lucky man to have such beauties warming his bed." He chucked, oblivious to the incredulous stares sent his way by the remainder of the group. Talking about a concubine of the Emperor in such a way...

Harry bristled, reaching for his wand, but Regulus' arm pushing him behind him stilled his movements. "Sir Gray, refrain from saying such things in the future. We are concubines of his Majesty, not the sort of people men like you are allowed to ogle. Begone."

"But, Concubine Black, I was merely complimenting-"

"Guards! Remove this man!" Bellatrix hollered, glaring. Delphina warbled in her arms. "He is upsetting my daughter."

"I-I did no such thing- please-" He yelped as he was manhandled away through the side doors, the guests watching his form as it disappeared behind closed doors. Regulus huffed.

"I was taking care of that, Cousin."

"You were both being too loud. And you," She turned her stare to Harry. "Learn to be less rash. Whilst his Majesty wouldn't punish you too harshly if you had cursed that filth of a man, it would have reflected badly on this harem and therefore my management of it."

"My apologies, your highness."

"As punishment, please head back to your Palace and reflect on your behaviour tonight. Go."

"Thank you for your leniency, your highness." Harry hurried from the hall, ducking his head so he wouldn't have to meet the worried stares of Sirius and Remus, as well as the judgemental ones of the others.

Great.

Evening

Once settled in his Palace for the evening, Harry began to compose Hermione's long overdue letter, but he'd waited for an occasion to contact her.

Dear Hermione

Happy eighteenth birthday! I know that this birthday means a lot in the muggle world, so I hope it's a more enjoyable one than usual. Do you have any plans for the day? I would love to know what you're going to do, even if it's not that interesting.

I wish for you to have a wonderful day and enjoy the gift that I have sent along, it's something I know you've been wanting for a while now. Knowing you, I'm going to get the summary of it in my next letter, as well as your thoughts and opinions.

I hope that you are well, and know that I am also doing well despite the situation. Your advice was helpful, and it has helped me adapt to life here quicker than I'd expected. Thank you for that.

Shall I expect to hear from you soon?

From, Harry

Placing his quill back into its inkpot, Harry cast a quick drying spell on the parchment, folding it up once he was satisfied that it wasn't going to smudge. He drizzled wax onto the fold and stamped the envelope with his seal, knowing full well that the letter could be opened by someone to check it despite that.

Sighing, he held out the letter to Kia to deliver to the Royal Owlery, which would ensure that his letter arrived at the destination. Unfortunately, he'd had to leave Hedwig at his parent's house. It was forbidden for anyone under the rank of Concubine to own their own pet, and it was frowned upon for even those of higher status to do so. There was one clear reason.

The only animal his Majesty could tolerate was snakes, and most people were sane enough not to risk the dangers of owning such a creature.

"Please inform the Eunuchs in charge that this letter and the parcel are birthday gifts for my friend, and I would appreciate it if they didn't open them and instead use a spell to examine their contents."

"Yes, Master, this one will make sure that they both leave intact."

"Thank you." With this done, he was ready to turn in for the night, feeling more exhausted than he had thought by the socialisation he had done all afternoon.

Same time- Tom's POV

He stared down at his youngest child in fascination, dragging a gentle finger along the side of her face, flinching away when she snuffled in her sleep. She was just so small. How had he created such a tiny creature as this one?

Delphina Amalthea Slytherin.

A name that would serve her well, and ensure that she would stand out amongst the common rabble, unlike his own which had been far too common to leave its mark. That is, until, he became known as Slytherin's heir, and later on as the family's Lord. In some circles, he had even gone by another name, Voldemort, which he had scrapped quickly as the power his family name held came to light.

Family names were everything in the Wizarding World, and even in the Muggle one, which had carried over into their now joint existence. And on top of all of them were the Royal and Noble Houses, of which his daughter was descended on both sides.

Black, a family name that's power persisted for generations despite its people's flaws and the Slytherin line whose prominence had endured despite many believing it had been wiped out.

Two of his daughters shared this connection, his darling Carina who was so much like Regulus, as intelligent and deceiving as a Slytherin comes. And now he and his Consort's long-awaited child, little Delphina, whose talents were already shining through if the unintelligible hissing noises she made were anything to go by. 

And there was Potter, too. Or, Potter-Black, since he was partially adopted by Sirius Black to become his heir. He would hopefully give Tom yet another connection to the illustrious House of Black that had once looked down on him.

Now, all they could ever do was look up and hope that he paid them any mind.