Intimacy

26th October 1998- Monday

Anya stepped into the Emeror's office, hands shaking by her sides as she nodded thankfully towards the Eunuch who held the door open. The man didn't glance in her direction, simply closing it behind her once she was in the room.

Ahead of her sat the Emperor. He looked as powerful as ever, all sharp edges and dangerous handsome looks, but there was a pinch to his eyes she hadn't seen before. As their eyes met, Anya ducked her head, lowering herself into a deep bow.

It was a few minutes before the man addressed her, shuffling paper indicating his preoccupation. "What is it? Is my Concubine well?" The Emperor asked, folding his hands together as he leaned forward.

Anya swallowed, feeling the words stick in her throat. The man's imposing presence filled the room, dark and heavy, and clearly not in the mood to tolerate interruptions. "My-My Master wishes to meet with you, Your Majesty. Would you be so gracious as to permit it?"

Ahead, she heard the man breathe out a huff, the sound of paper hitting the desk a telltale sign of his displeasure. "I suppose so, I am not too busy momentarily." 

She bowed lower. "I thank His Majesty on behalf-"

"Leave. Bring me my Concubine, I have no time for pleasantries."

"Yes-Yes, your Majesty! I thank you-" His magic roared impatiently, and without finishing, Anya ducked out of the office and practically ran back to where Harry was waiting.

He appeared to have calmed down somewhat whilst she had been away, eyes dry, the only sign of his breakdown being the slight pink tinge to his eyes and their rosy puffiness. Fussing, she dabbed at them with a wetted handkerchief, her Master allowing her to do so.

"Did he agree?" Harry husked, looking down at her with those big, green eyes.

"He did, Master. However, I must warn you that he didn't seem in the best of moods today."

He shifted from foot to foot slightly, a telltale sign of his indecision. "Perhaps it wouldn't be so wise to go and see his after all? Ah, but It's already been arranged now..." Harry bit slightly at the skin on his thumbs, and with a tut, Anya pulled them away.

"I am sure His Majesty will do nothing to harm you, you are precious to him. Now, don't go ruining your hands, you need to look presentable for the Emperor."

"As presentable as I'm going to be five minutes after a good cry, but I suppose he's used to looking at worse." He chuckled, and she was glad to see his mood lightening.

"...What?"

The Emperor sighed, finally placing his quill down. "Harry, this is not the sort of incident you should come to me about. I have important duties to oversee, I am not in the right place to deal with the petty squabbles of my Harem." Harry looked up at him, eyebrows furrowed.

He...felt a bit embarrassed. He'd come to the Emperor, practically whining about the man's other concubines, and expected him to do something about it, forgetting that it was expected they resolve such things themselves.

Harry had just thought that, maybe, the Emperor was fond enough of him.

The Emperor's stare remained disapproving until his features shifted, leaning back into his chair with a slight smirk. "I may have something that will cheer you up and make the others jealous, perhaps. What better thing but to flaunt a gift given by me to those who have yet to receive such a thing?"

"Your Majesty?" He smiled at him, looking expectantly at the side door as it opened. It was the same Eunuch as before, with his mouth sewn shut grotesquely. Harry made to turn away from the sight, nose scrunching, but forced himself to remain in position.

The Eunuch entered holding a cage covered by a green cloth, and from inside, he could hear curious noises.

"What is it?"

Thomas waved his hand, and with a flourish, the Eunuch removed the covering.

Within the cage was a curled-up ball of fluff, white in colour. With a glance at the Emperor's face, filled with anticipation, Harry crept a bit closer to get a better look at it. As he further observed the mass, it began to unfurl, unveiling two pointed ears and an adorable tail. As he was leaning over the cage, breathing shallowly, those little ears wiggled, and a nose became visible, twitching as it scented the air. Harry held his breath as bright, yellow eyes opened, staring into their slitted depths.

"A cat!" He breathed excitedly, watching as the little thing stretched its legs, mouth opening wide in a yawn that revealed rows of razor-sharp teeth just barely beginning to peek through gums.

"A Wampus kitten." Thomas corrected, reaching forward to take the cage out of the Eunuch's arms and shooing him out of the room. "I had thought long for what to give you. My first instinct was a snake or an owl, however, when I was told that this little beauty had been discovered, an orphan without siblings to bond with, I knew that you'd love her."

"Her?"

"She is unnamed as of yet."

Harry stared down at the little kitten, although she was almost bigger than a fully grown housecat despite her youth, and felt his heart swell. He glanced at the Emperor, who was watching him eagerly, and looked back to the kitten.

"Sasha"

"Sasha?"

"It means defender, I remember it from when I was helping my Mother choose names for my sister. For I hope that she will grow up to protect us and any children we may have."

The Emperor smiled. "There is no better legged guard than a loyal Wampus."

"Legged?"

"None have ever successfully made it out alive when faced with my Nagini."

Harry smiled as his gaze softened at the mention of the snake. Harry had only met her once, and it had been an eventful meeting as the snake had thought he was trying to attack the Emperor when he had suddenly kissed the man. Thomas had sharply rebuked her, and sent her off, but not before Harry caught a glimpse of her spotted coils. He hadn't seen her since, and he wondered if the Emperor trusted him enough to send away his most fearsome protector just for his ease of mind.

Thomas opened the door of the cage and fished out Sasha, who growled and spat at him, lips drawing back to reveal stubby fangs. Harry took her into his arms quickly as she began to lash out, cooing softly as she quietened for a second, snuffling at his robes. He waited with a bated breath for her to bite or scratch, leaning his head out of range. A long purr began to omit from her little frame after a few, tense moments, and Harry fell even more in love as he held her tighter to his chest.

"Thank you, Thomas."

31st October 1998- Saturday

A knock on the front door drew Harry out of the monotonous rhythm he had fallen into. He glanced up, startled, and dropped the sewing ring to the floor, standing to follow his maid.

It opened to reveal a maid dressed in medium blue, her eyes meeting his in a flash of grey before lowering to the ground. "Your Highness, I am here to inform you that Attendant Malfoy and Attendant Greengrass have begun kneeling, as you wished."

He blinked, confused for a moment, before he remembered what he had earlier demanded of the pair. "Thank you for informing me."

She waited there whilst he stared at her, growing visibly uncomfortable.

Harry felt uneasy at the idea of such a public punishment, but he knew he couldn't be lenient. This was the Emperor's punishment for them disparaging his authority as much as it was for Harry's benefit.

"I will not be excusing them until they have fulfilled the time they wasted whilst in the daily meetings. Which, you'll find, adds up to quite a bit longer than however long they have been kneeling." He leant on the doorframe. "Please remind my sisters that they brought this punishment upon themselves."

He walked sedately down the steps, a small entourage of maids following behind him, each eager to witness the two kneeling Attendants in front of his Palace. Harry himself was feeling conflicted, steps dragging slightly as he neared the gate. It was opened swiftly by the Knights guarding it, and Harry did his best to ignore their hulking forms, their black leather armour glinting in the mild sunlight. He could feel their sharp eyes following his every move, assessing him and the maids that followed.

Dahlia and Daphne were knelt on the stone floor by the gate, dressed in fine robes that had become rumpled and stained in the duration of their punishment. The pair looked ragged, shifting on their knees impatiently, heads bowed together as they whispered.

Hearing his footsteps, the pair glanced up with matching glares, eyes smouldering. Harry stopped in front of their kneeled forms, and he could hear as Daphne gritted her teeth, lowering her gaze to stare past him. Dahlia continued to sneer up at him, her usually perfectly golden curls flattened over her shoulders and forehead.

"Brother." She practically spat, and Harry squeezed his folded hands tightly behind his back. "How nice of you to finally come and see us."

"It has only been a couple of hours, Sister Dahlia. I could have left you for much longer and the Emperor wouldn't have rebuked me, I'm being lenient."

"Lenient? I can't feel my knees!" Daphne sneered to the side, blue eyes frosty.

He raised his eyebrow as he took in their stubborn expressions, internally sighing. They had learnt nothing, and all this punishment would serve to do is incite them to take things further. "Then perhaps you shouldn't have disobeyed the Emperor's command."

Dahlia huffed. "This isn't about the Emperor, Harry-"

"Brother."

"Huh?"

"You are to call me Brother, or you are to refer to me by my title. I don't recall giving you permission to call me so casually, Sister Dahlia." He echoed the words that she had uttered so spitefully and watched as her shoulder sagged, gaze falling from his.

Her cheeks hollowed with her ire. "This isn't about the Emperor, Brother. This is about you and your ego. You never liked being ignored, and you're doing this to prove something."

"No, I did not, and I still don't." He agreed, shocking her into silence. "But now, I'm in a position where you can't ignore me unless you wish to face the consequences. You deliberately ignored His Majesty's orders to listen to me as the highest member of the Harem whilst he was on the trip, disregarding me further every meeting after that, and then you had the gall to further disrespect me and intrude upon my time when I had rejected your invite. That is why you are facing this punishment now, Sisters, not just because of my ego. I am not so shallow to do so." Harry stared down at them as they avoided his gaze, and tutted. "You may be dismissed. Please reflect on this, and try not to get into any more trouble. I am surprised you haven't been demoted yet with all you've done."

Dahlia faltered as she got to her feet, stumbling slightly, and Harry jerked forward to catch her. Her maid wrapped a firm grasp around her arm, glaring at him spitefully. Harry drew back at the venom in her gaze and watched as the pair were led out of the courtyard, limping slightly, being fussed over by the entourage of maids that had faithfully stood behind them for the duration of their punishment.

Harry felt cold as he watched them retreat, far from the satisfaction he'd thought he'd feel at seeing their egos bruised.

2nd November 1998- Monday

"Attendants Malfoy and Greengrass, I heard that you both finally fulfilled the punishment that was set. You waited for quite a while, I am unsure whether to take offence on His Majesty's and Brother Harry's behalf."

Harry smiled at Penny. "Don't fret, Sister. For me, I am glad that they fulfilled it in the timeframe I asked."

"But you shouldn't have to ask!" Bellatrix's fist hit her armrest. "They should have been eager to fulfil it the moment it was set!" She took a deep breath through her nose. "However, I do hope that the punishment, no matter how delayed, was enough for you to have learnt not to go against His Majesty or those who rank higher than you. Let this also be a warning to the rest of the Harem."

"Yes, Your Highness."

"I expect none of you to repeat this the next time we and His Majesty travel, although thankfully, Brother Harry will be joining us this time, as a Concubine."

"There is another trip, Sister? So soon?" Penny frowned from her side.

"His Majesty briefly informed me this morning. He hasn't yet notified me when it will be, but he mentioned it would be this year."

"December, perhaps? It would be rather short notice for it to be this month."

"No matter the notice, we must be ready for His Majesty," Bellatrix stated resolutely, turning then to Isla. "Sister Isla, you also forgot to inform me that you were spending the night with the Emperor. This is unusual for you, to spend the night with him outside of occasions, I mean."

The prim lady stared up at Bellatrix with dark eyes. "My apologies, Consort Bellatrix, I forgot. I did not spend the night with him on my birthday earlier in the month, so I decided to do so later on. He was otherwise preoccupied." She stated blandly, blinking sedately.

Bellatrix practically hissed, her hackles rising as they were so prone to do at any perceived slight. "Many of you seem to be forgetting these days, you as well, Noble Diggory."

The man shrank into himself. "I-I was planning to inform you, It was only a few days ago, on the night of my birthday..."

"A few days is still far too long!"

"Sister, have lenience. Sister Isla and Brother Cedric were serving His Majesty as we are expected to do. This should be something to congratulate them on. I do hope that I will hear you are with child soon, Brother, Sister." Penny smiled in that soft, reassuring way she was known for. Cedric thanked her with his own bright smile, whilst Consort Isla simply huffed, nodding at the other woman.

"I suppose congratulations are in order, if you have conceived. I am sure you will both report it swiftly if that is the case, yes? His Majesty being informed of any pregnancies is of utmost importance, there are precautions that must be dealt with, after all."

9th November 1998- Monday

After that night he had intruded on the Emperor's company, they had not spoken, sharing only a few glances as they passed each other in the Court, before Thomas was hurried away with yet another appointment.

The Emperor sat opposite him, fixing the cuffs of his sleeves in a leisurely manner whilst Harry stared at him, shifting at the silence.

Thomas broke it with his smooth voice, drawing Harry in. "It's been a little while since we could talk like this. How have you been faring, My Concubine? Is your Palace acceptable? I forgot to ask the last time I saw you."

Harry smiled. 'Acceptable'? It was far more of an upgrade than he'd expected. "I have been well, Thomas, and the Palace is better than my wildest dreams. It's so pretty and the garden is massive!"

He smiled indulgingly. "If you think such, then you have yet to properly see the gardens of the Consorts Palaces, or even more than that, the Noble Consorts and higher."

"I have been invited to spend time with Sisters Penny and Isla within their gardens a few times, although I admit that I haven't seen them in their entirety yet." Harry paused then, thinking about what he'd just said, or rather, not the contents, but how he had said it. Before he'd entered the Harem, he would have laughed at himself for speaking in such an 'extra' way, but now he spoke without thinking. Thomas noticed his pause.

"Is everything alright?"

"I'm fine. Just thinking."

The man raised his eyebrow, tilting his head. "Perhaps I can bring your focus to myself, hm? I have a trip planned for late December, to the Magical Ministry in Australia. The Minister is having some concerns currently, and I believe it's best for us to meet there."

Harry's lips pursed in surprise. "I heard from Consort Bellatrix that you were planning a trip somewhere, but she didn't mention it was to Australia!"

"I haven't told her yet. So, keep this a secret between us, just for a little while, yes?" The man winked, and Harry blushed.

"Of course, Thomas."

"Now, how is Sasha?"

Sasha was a little nightmare trapped in a fluffy body. She'd already broken a multitude of objects in his Palace, including vases and picture frames, and she'd recently begun digging great holes in the garden that served to trip up any unfortunate maid walking by. In short, she was a terror. But, she was a terror that liked to snuggle up with Harry at night time when he was feeling over-emotional and lonely, her purrs sending him off into a peaceful slumber. She was protective to boot, hissing at the slightest misstep of his maids, and curling protectively at his feet when he sat on the sofa.

For a species said to be 'untamable', she tolerated a lot from Harry, and seemed to hold no ill will towards him at all, showing this within her weirdly intelligent gaze.

"She's perfect." Harry simply said, not wanting to bore the man with the details. "I feel much safer with her around."

15th November 1998- Sunday

Tom swirled the wine in his goblet as he observed the rabble down below, the usually uptight lords and ladies tipsy with booze, giggling and weaving about the hall. His lip twitched as he watched Lucius Malfoy being swarmed by ladies, his Consort Rabastan Lestrange gripping tightly onto his shoulder as he glared.

Today was his Concubine's, Patricia's, forty-third birthday, and it was alike every other she'd had before, although a little grander ever since she had become a Concubine a few years back.

The crowd at her celebrations were always more inebriated, possibly because the woman wouldn't allow the staff to serve 'sub-par' alcohol, and insisted it be as strong as petrol. Tom himself always made sure to switch his out with a fine wine from his personal selection, and made sure his other concubines were relatively sober in comparison.

He eyed as his newest Concubine, Harry, made his way over to a server for another glass, this being his fourth, and waved a Eunuch in the direction to dissuade him. Tom could see the many eyes following his Concubine, dressed in a fine green robe and Crown that made him shine against the crowds, and gritted his teeth at the way some observed his body with lust.

"My Emperor." A sultry voice came from his side, and, reluctantly, Tom peeled his eyes away from his Concubine to land on another. Patricia. He plastered a smirk on his face.

"Darling, how are you enjoying your celebrations? Is it up to your standards?"

"It always is, Your Majesty, although the crowd leave much to be desired, They are practically salivating over us!" She chuckled, bringing her goblet up to take a generous gulp. "I can see the way they're practically eye-fucking Sister Penny, look at the way Lord Hemming is staring at her!"

"Language, Patricia." He chided, tutting at the woman's smirk. "Why have you come to me for? Are you growing bored?"

The woman licked her lips, eyeing him, and Tom stared at her boredly. With one, clawed hand, she brushed his shoulder. "I was wondering, perhaps we could leave?" She raised an eyebrow. "I'm not getting any younger, and I do wish for a child at some point. It makes me feel old, watching as your children enter adulthood now."

He blinked at her, expression flat. With a sigh, he drained his goblet. "I suppose that's true. Elson, prepare a sedan for me and my Concubine."

29th November 1998- Sunday

Harry woke up in the morning feeling like his head was going to burst, his stomach protesting every movement he made as he called urgently for his maids to help him up.

As soon as he was upright, his stomach seemed to lurch violently, cramping so suddenly it was a miracle he made it to the bathroom in time to throw up what felt like everything he'd eaten in the past week.

He groaned as his throat burned and eyes watered, heaving heavily, ignoring the soothing motions Anya was making on his back. It felt like he couldn't breathe, every attempt simply leaving him in a heavy wheeze that caused his stomach to roil once more. It was a long while until Harry could peel himself away from the bowl, staring at his pale, shaking visage in the mirror.

Had he been poisoned?

Sasha, at his feet, as she had been from the moment he woke up, meowed in concern, the chirps softening something in his shoulders.

"What's wrong, Master? Shall I call for a Healer?" Anya asked concernedly.

All he could do was groan out a response weakly. "Please."

All he remembered next was a whirlwind of colours as his maids dashed about, settling him comfortably on the bed with a bowl to his right and a glass of water to his left, blankets covering every inch of the bed. 

This was the scene that the Healer entered to, the same one that had assessed him over a month ago now. The disappointment he felt the last time he'd seen her flashed through him then, and Harry's stomach protested once more as he groaned.

"Oh dear, Your Highness!" The Healer rushed to him, settling him comfortably against his pillows once more as he was finished heaving. He stared up at her weakly, watching as she pulled her wand from her holster. "I won't be a minute, let's find what's the matter." With a few deft swishes of her wand, she cast a spell. Then another. Then another. "Oh."

"What, what is it?!" Anya panicked from his side, glaring as the woman smiled. "What's wrong with him?" Sasha hissed, mirroring his head maid's concern. This, more than anything, seemed to spur the Healer into action.

"Nothings the matter, actually, everything is more than well." She turned to him, smiling softly. "Congratulations, Concubine Slytherin-Potter-Black, you are with child. Allow me to be the first to wish you a healthy pregnancy and safe birth for you both."