Intimacy

20th June 2001- Wednesday

"Noble Consort, may I speak with you a moment? Privately."

Harry pondered the request for a moment, before nodding, gesturing for the woman to follow him. Penny did, speeding up to match his stride, waving away her maids so that they were truly alone. He guided her to a garden he knew barely any others knew of, stopping before a bench. However, the Consort didn't move to sit.

"What is it you wished to discuss with me, Sister?" He questioned guardedly.

"You. You and your role in the promotion process."

Harry frowned, tilting his head. "Excuse me, Sister?"

"And to generally voice my grievances. If I keep them all inside like I have been, I fear I may do something. I wish to try one last time to resolve the friction between us. " Penny shrugged, a motion that was so unlike her usual put-on airs and graces that Harry stopped frowning for a moment. "You are the one I dislike the most here, Brother, I have never hidden that ever since you started getting on my nerves. And your children, out of all the Royal Children, I will never allow them to interact with my ones. I don't want them poisoning my children with the thoughts you'll surely put in their heads."

Harry truly glared at the woman then. "Poisoning them?"

"Against me. You've already tried it before, I know you have, with Cecelia and other concubines' children, such as Delphina. You wish to turn them against their parents, or to have them feed back what we tell them to you, at least. I see you have already ensnared their Highnesses the First Prince and Eighth Princess, as a sort of trial run, since they are orphans and have no parental protection."

"That is a very serious accusation, Consort." Harry practically snarled, wishing for a moment that they were not both concubines. His recent training in all sorts of magics left him with a constant sense of adrenaline to fight, which was not something he could do with another member of the Harem.

Penny waved her hand, as if she hadn't just insinuated he was using the Royal Children for his own gain. He wasn't about to let that go.

"And I am supposed to believe that you don't use the Royal Children? You had your fourth child for the express reason of a promotion, I saw how disappointed you were when you weren't promoted recently."

She hummed, as if non-plussed. "Yes, I do find myself admitting internally that my son has disappointed me. I expected something more for the effort of carrying a fourth child, and I am sure that you had something to do with the lack of reward. His Majesty has never had a concubine that has given him four children, and the first to give him three was granted with a promotion to Noble Consort. I have served him faithfully for over a decade, given him four healthy children, more than my duty requires, yet I was rewarded with only a title? I find that suspicious."

"I can assure you, Consort Penny, that I had nothing to do with it. His Majesty is the one who makes the decisions, and it is without my input. I am merely informed of the fact beforehand, and privy to his reasonings so that I may better coach the other concubines in not troubling the Emperor."

The woman scoffed disbelievingly, rolling her eyes as she chuckled. "Oh, of course, Brother. You know nothing of it at all." She tittered sarcastically. "It's not as if ever since you joined the Harem, everyone else's growth has stagnated whilst you have soared through the ranks. Did you forget that I was once the Head? I know how this works, Brother, I was in that room with His Majesty, discussing promotions with him every month. I tried my hardest to keep things fair, encouraging him to promote our Sister's and Brothers, and commend them on their achievements. But you..." She snarled, tapering off.

"Did the same not occur with you?" Harry questioned Penny rhetorically with a raised eyebrow. "I have heard the stories of the Attendant who rose through the ranks at an unprecedented speed. The woman who gave birth to her first child within a few years of joining the Harem, and then had her next, a son, only a couple of years following. Who now had four children, whilst many have none. Do not use such circumstances against myself, I cannot control His Majesty's favour, because you once benefitted from his favour and attention as well."

Penny huffed. "I did, yes, but to this extent? To be able to block others from gaining promotions that they have more than earned? You have hoarded him for years now, as the other Harem members have informed you many times before. Do you not think to listen to your Brothers and Sisters' concerns? They too crave the opportunity to give His Majesty children, and to have a purpose of their own in this monotone existence that we live. What a Head you are." She snidely spat. "I can't wait for the day that you finally lose His Majesty's favour, and I do not care who gains it. As long as I one day become the Empress or Dowager Empress, I shall be content. We do not have to quarrel, Brother." Penny's tone of voice changed suddenly, turning soft and persuasive. It sent a shiver of disgust up Harry's spine, and he grimaced. "If only you stop involving yourself in matters that shouldn't concern you, step aside as the Head and drop the fight for the top position, stop commandeering His Majesty's time, suggest to him that he should once more spend the night with another concubine, perhaps our relationship could be resolved."

Harry took in her words, staring at her for a moment, giving a slow blink as they finally registered. Then, he chuckled slightly. "Oh, you are so, so delusional, Consort Penny, that I do not know how to ever set your thoughts right, so I shall not even try. Believe what you like about me, that I am a hoarder, that I have been persuading His Majesty to not promote you, I do not care, I cannot change your mind. Your delusion has made any reconciliation between us utterly unsalvagable."

Penny's expression was blank as she nodded her head. "You will not find the time to regret your words if you truly decide to rebuff me now, Potter."

He froze. "Excuse me?"

The woman smiled nastily at him, her eyes pools of blue venom. "You have many enemies in this Harem Brother, and I hold the leashes of many of them. Perhaps I may loosen their reigns a little to get my point across."

His magic reacted instinctively.

Penny gasped, and Harry took a shaky step back as red began to drip down her arm. It was a shallow cut, barely a nick, but his magic had cut her. Harmed her, physically.

It was not something Harry could excuse.

Penny's face shuttered closed, blanking as she drew her arm to her chest, observing the damage done. Then, she met his fear-filled green eyes with her ice-cold ones, gaze as hard as steel.

"Do not follow me." The woman demanded sternly, turning on her heel and stalking away.

Harry's mind was blank. He took her advice, remaining frozen in place, staring at the tiny droplets of blood that had splattered onto the path at the woman's feet. Those tiny stains held his attention until the sound of footsteps broke him from his spiralling thoughts.

Looking up, Harry met Thomas' gaze. His husband's expression was as blank as Penny's own, who was trailing him. The pair of them were alone, not a maid or Eunuch in sight. Perhaps it was this that caused Harry to break.

The first tear to trail its way down his cheek felt scalding against his icy skin, which had frozen with the realisation that he had truly harmed Penny. The next was less shocking to his system, but it still hurt. Not as much, however, as the dissatisfaction he could see within his husband's eyes. That stung like nothing before.

His tears, however, would not dry, no matter how much Harry pleaded for them to cease. He felt embarrassed that he was crying in front of them.

"I don't know why you are crying, I was the one who was harmed." Penny practically spat, finally breaking the silence. "You sliced my arm open with your magic! How dare you cry? Are you trying to manipulate His Majesty into giving you a more lenient punishment?" The woman was practically incandescent with rage, taking a threatening step forward, forgetting the Emperor's looming presence entirely. She was halted in her steps by the man's arm, her voice stolen by the sharp glare he gave her.

"I believe that is quite enough, Consort. I shall deal with this."

Penny looked as if she was not going to back down, until she glanced at Harry again. Something about what she saw seemed to startle her for a moment, before she drew back with a huff. "I trust that you will ensure this discretion goes appropriately punished, my husband."

The Emperor didn't nod, but Penny seemed satisfied simply to watch.

Harry shivered slightly as he awaited the man's verdict. Penny's arm seemed to have been healed in the time it took them to get here, so he was glad the wound hadn't been bad. Harry didn't know if he would have forgiven himself for truly hurting the woman, no matter how much they disliked one another.

"Harry," The Emperor began in a serious tone, which had Harry shrinking in on himself. "What has happened here in your own words? I have heard from Penny of your argument, and the subsequent lashing out of your magic, but I wish to hear of it from your angle."

"Your Majesty, he harmed me! Surely his side is not valid in this situation! We had an argument, yes, but he-" The woman trailed off as the man's jaw clenched, bowing her head.

"I-" Harry began softly, unsurely. His husband gestured for him to continue, and, ignoring Penny's glare, he revealed the entirety of their argument. Penny's harsh words against himself and his children, her admittance that she was disappointed in her son, her words against the Emperor's decision and her aims to become the Empress. All of it spilled from him in a therapeutic rush, leaving him feeling drained. He hesitated when it came to the end of their confrontation. "She- the Primary Consort alluded to a threat against me. She did not explain what or when, but I felt threatened. And, well, my magic just... reacted. I'm sorry that she got harmed, truly, I didn't mean for it, but she..." Harry's voice trailed off, feeling self-conscious under his husband's piercing stare.

The man nodded, his expression still revealing nothing. It made Harry feel unsure. He knew that he would have to face some punishment for this altercation, he had physically harmed his supposed second-in-command, but with the recent revelation of Penny's words, she wouldn't get out of this unscathed either. And the woman knew it from the sharp sneer she was sending his way.

"If I am understanding correctly," Thomas began, gaining both of their attention. "Consort Penny has spoken crudely about Noble Consort Harry's self and children, against her own son, myself, and has presented her aims for the highest position within my Harem? The position in which only my most loyal, favoured concubine shall sit?" The Emperor's laugh was cruel and unexpected, startling Harry. He appeared genuinely entertained, although his voice was tinged with threat. "How amusing, what ambitious aspirations." He practically hissed, rounding on the woman. "And your words had the consequence of forcing my favoured concubine into lashing out. You threatened him so, that his magic instinctively protected him. Consort Penny, this was not what you had told me."

"I-, but-" The woman stuttered, having turned an impressive shade of white under the sole attention of the man's ire. Harry could feel himself grow cold as he observed the scene, unused to seeing Thomas in all his cruel glory. He seemed delighted at that moment, as if he had been waiting for it. "Your Majesty, I was harmed! I was shaken and I- I just simply wished to see you! My apologies for not informing you of the whole story! My mind was, it was addled." Penny stuttered out in a rush, backing up. The Emperor did not follow her, but his presence seemed to stretch, encompassing the garden.

"Your Majesty," Harry called out quietly, gaining that terrifying figure's attention. He gulped, and tried to smile thinly. "I'm sure Sister Penny simply forgot in the moment, I did harm her after all."

"She deserved it." Thomas hissed, speaking in the language only the two of them would know. "She spoke against you and my children. For that, a small cut is insufficient. Consort Penny has revealed to me today the lack of compassion she holds within her wretched self. I have half a mind to keep only you by my side, Harry, for you are seemingly the only one who does not betray me so." The last portion he spoke in English, purposefully for Penny to overhear, and the woman gasped as if she was choking.

"Your Majesty, please," Harry spoke in a whisper, unsure. The man even voicing those words was dangerous. The target it could place on his back... But, inside, he could not help but preen.

"What do you mean, Your Majesty?" Penny's voice quivered as she questioned him, her blue eyes wide and filled with fear. "You... Could that mean that you are thinking of dissolving the Harem? Is that- Is that possible? Would you truly do such a thing? We are the parents of your children, where would that leave us if you did?"

Thomas hummed, responding with a non-answer. "The members of my Harem will always be the parents of my children, that will never change despite your title."

Penny made a distressed noise, but the Emperor had focused all his attention upon Harry.

"Are you sure you wish to defend her? Allow her to get away with her words?"

He blinked up at his husband, unsure. "Her words were damning, and she went too far, but... I hurt her." He whispered, voice cracking. "I never wanted to do that, and for it, she shouldn't face as harsh a one."

"Then, for your generosity, you shan't face any repercussions for this."

"Your Majesty!"

Thomas raised a hand to quiet the woman. "Your words today have been disgusting, quite frankly, Consort. You will be thankful for any punishment you receive, because it will not be as harsh as it should have been, and you have that insignificant scratch on your arm and the Noble Consort to thank for that."

Harry breathed in deeply, ignoring the woman, moving closer to his husband to soak in his protective presence.

He would need to be incredibly vigilant going forward. Penny's threatening words of loosening the reigns she held were damning that there was something planned. His food was already under watch, but precautions regarding everything would need to be increased. Harry wouldn't even be able to trust his most senior of maids for the foreseeable future. He wouldn't risk his life, nor that of his children.

25th June 2001- Monday

Harry shivered with a mixture of adrenaline and nerves as he awaited the beginning of his first match of the tournament. The day had finally arrived for him to begin his process in gaining a duelling Mastery. Winning this Tournament would not be enough, but if he could, and consistently place within the top five competitors in future Tournaments, he would achieve his goal in no time. Winning was his goal for all of them, however. Who didn't wish to win? The glory of it all would be exhilarating, yes, but mainly, Harry wanted to make those who supported him proud.

And those who saw him as an enemy afraid of the consequences should they target him or his.

He could hear the crowd cheering loudly from where he waited in the wings. There wouldn't be too many people watching, perhaps a thousand or so at most, as this was only the Tournament's first day and set of matches, but listening to the roar outside still had Harry's heart thundering.

His name was called loudly over the speakers, introduced as "His Highness, Noble Consort Slytherin-Potter-Black,", and Harry marched forward into the light with his head held high, coming to a stop on the left court, his stage for the morning. His entrance was met with cheers and waves, the crowd almost climbing over one another to catch a clearer glance of him. Harry smiled genially up at them, waving shortly in thanks.

His opponent's name was called after the noise had dimmed down, and Harry tensed as he watched the other entrance intently.

However, as it turned out, there was not going to be a match, because his first opponent had dropped out, citing that he did not wish for any harm to befall a member of the Royal Harem.

Harry was gutted.

He felt slighted as he walked off the stage to the groans of the eagerly waiting crowd, numb, his ears ringing.

Because it was a last-minute drop, one of the events staff informed him as he returned to his waiting room, there was no other competitor to replace his, so Harry automatically won the match.

It felt as if he had cheated somehow.

How would he prove to those watching, judging his capabilities to become a Master, that he could if his opponents would not fight him?

His second match was late in the afternoon. This time, as he was announced second, he didn't have to wait in nervous anticipation out in the open for his opponent to show or not. Harry sighed in relief when the woman walked onto the stage, her arm held up high as she roused the crowd, who chanted her name. Obviously, she was well known within these events.

She was tall, blonde, and incredibly confident. When Harry was introduced, met with cheers louder than she had garnered she scowled, offering Harry the barest hint of a bow before their duel commenced.

Her confidence filled Harry with excitement that, finally, he would be able to prove himself, and fight with his full potential on display. There was no guarantee, of course, that he would make it into the later rounds, so he had to show his worth now.

He hit out immediately with a cutting curse, aiming for her hands. Nothing lethal, but hopefully, it would hurt enough for the woman to have trouble with dexterity for the rest of the match, or perhaps even make her drop her wand. The woman, Amina, twisted out of the way in a show of flexibility, sending off a curse of her own that Harry realised immediately was a blood-boiling curse.

He sent up a shield, dodging for good measure, conjuring up a twister of water to hide his next spell. Whilst his opponent was concerned with turning the twister to steam, Harry hit her with a Flipendo, raising his eyebrows in surprise as it actually hit, sending her several feet away and onto her back.

She still had a hold of her wand, however, and was, more importantly, conscious, so the duel continued. Amina was quick to leapt back to her feet, taking an offensive position. Spell after spell was shot Harry's way. Levicorpus, deflected. Bombarda, dodged and sent into the far wall, absorbed by the overpowered protective spells covering the audience. Confringo, met head-on but made useless by Harry mirroring the destructive spell.

Her fast offensive left her off-kilter and slightly out of breath, having used such heavy spells in short succession. Harry took the moment to begin his own offensive.

He started with what was supposed to be a joke spell. As he watched her catch her breath, Harry struck. The Babbling curse hit her head on, sending her into an uncontrollable fit of spewed words as she stared at him with wide eyes. Next, he used another spell to knock her back off of her feet. By this point, Amina had nearly cured herself of the curse, so Harry quickly ripped her wand out of her hand with an Expelliarmus.

The woman watched as her wand landed in Harry's free hand, stock still. He twirled it around, waiting with a discreet shield surrounding him for her to begin a wandless offensive that never came. Instead, Amina dropped her head, holding her hand up to signal the end of the duel.

Unlike real life, where a duel ended and was won by the one who incapacitated the other, duels in Tournaments were won by those who put on the greatest show. As barely five minutes had passed since the start of the duel, not enough time had passed for Harry to warm up enough to send out his more impressive arsenal. Therefore, Amina was hinging all her hopes on the assessment of the judges, hoping that she had stopped the duel in time before he could prove himself further.

Quickly, Harry tallied up what he had shown and compared it to Amina's. He had used ten spells to her six, but none were particularly showy or powerful. But, it wasn't always the strength of the spell that mattered, it was the use. His cutting curse towards her hands had been smart, as had his Augumenti into a destructive twister that followed his opponent and forced her to focus her whole attention on turning it into steam instead of countering it. And his mirroring Confringo had proved his superior strength and experience, as only a more forceful spell could counter another.

What had Harry nervous was his use of the Babbling Cuse. Would it be seen as childish by the judges, or would they see it for what it was; turning a prank spell into an offensive one that had aided him in disarming his opponent?

The table of judges were each scribbling away at the desk far above the stages, where they could view the duels from above whilst watching it closely from the multitude of screens in front of them. There were ten of them, each with the ability to give a maximum of ten points, and a minimum of zero. The first appeared to reach a judgment as he set down his pen, and the others followed soon after.

Amina was scored first.

The first judge scored her a four. It drew a hiss from the woman, and groans and jeers from the crowd. The next gave her a slightly higher score of a five, which seemed to disappoint his competitor further. Each following judge scored her similarly, apart from the one who gave her a low score of two, shaking her head as she did so.

Obviously, their match hadn't lasted quite long enough, and their showing had been disappointing. Amina's decision to tap out had backfired on her.

His competitor scored forty-three out of a hundred.

Harry did better, but it wasn't the score nor the showing he had envisioned. He had thought his opponent would draw out the fight so that they too could showcase themselves, but he had overestimated, or perhaps underestimated who he was up against. These were people who knew the system, and who tried to cheat it at every moment. Amina had known from the beginning that he was more powerful than she was, and he had nearly fallen into her trap in his attempt not to seem too harsh on a downed opponent.

Harry scored a fifty-two.

He should have struck when he had knocked her back, sent something impressive that would have upped his score, even if it wouldn't have had much physical effect, such as a Patronus.

However, this gave Harry an idea for how his next round would go, and kept it under wraps that he could cast one.

26th June 2001- Tuesday

"I have some disturbing news to share with youtoday's, Sisters, Brothers, now that the Noble Consort is not here to deny what occurred." Penny began, keeping her tone sombre. It drew the attention of the other Concubines immediately  

"What is it, Sister? Did the Noble Consort upset you in any way?" Alecto spoke, folding her arms.  

"He did cause me distress, yes, but it was His Majesty's words that followed this situation that have affected me the most, and which I am sure will cause you distress as well. His Majesty, after having heard both mine and the Noble Consort's views on the altercation that had occurred, commented to the Noble Consort that he was deliberating the abolishment of the Harem."  

There were gasps of horror from her allies, not as put on as usual. The concubines were genuinely terrified at her words, and Penny agreed.  

The Emperor had all but confirmed her worst fears. He was truly ensnared by Potter, to the point that he held little but indifference towards his Harem now, to the point that the thought of dissolving it had crossed his mind.  

"How can this be?" Felix spat, his scowl dark. "Can we truly take your word on this? It sounds outlandish! Abolish the Harem? Did His Majesty say as such, in those words?"  

Penny was stumped for a moment at his waspish tone. "Well, not in those exact words, but I interpreted them as such."  

The man gave her a raised eyebrow, and Bellatrix huffed audibly from where she sat.  

They were seated as if Potter never existed. Penny was in the main seat, and the rest followed by example, except Lovegood, who had refused to move, stating that her seat was more comfortable. Malfoy had taken the chance and sat herself in the seat ahead of her, looking so proud of herself that Penny didn't besmirch her. It served Lovegood right, after all, for she allied herself so stubbornly with Potter to the point that she supported him even when he was not present.  

"So you said all that on mere conjecture? Sister, please, I am one for not agreeing with the Noble Consort, but even I know that what you have said is far-fetched. His Majesty would never dissolve the Harem, it is in place for the future of his bloodline. He may favour the Noble Consort heavily at the moment, but soon enough, another will find themselves in His Majesty's good graces. This has occurred many times before, even to yourself, and to me as well." Felix gently spoke.

"What words made you believe His Majesty would dissolve the Harem? The exact ones, please, Sister." Bellatrix was less soft with her words, her hands tightening around the armrests of her chair.

"His Majesty stated that he had half a mind to keep the Noble Consort as the only one by his side, as he was the only one who did not 'betray him so'. I do not know what this means, as the Emperor was speaking in Parseltongue beforehand, so only he knows what he meant. He followed this, after my questioning on the meaning of his words, with a reassurance that no matter our titles, we would always be the parents of his children. Surely you can see how I interpreted such words to mean he would dissolve the Harem?"  

Some of the concubines nodded in agreement, sharing fearful looks, whilst others appeared even more sceptical.  

Isla spoke, her tone disbelieving. "Those words mean little but reassurances, Consort Penny. His Majesty was obviously upset with something that you had done, which you have not explained, and as the Noble Consort was there for comparison, he was the one that His Majesty complimented. His assurance that our titles mean little obviously alludes to our titles within the Harem, as where else would we gain titles?"  

Penny scowled. She knew what the man had meant, it was clear. It was easy for them to disbelieve her words, but Penny was sure that His Majesty was planning something, and it all centred around Potter.  

He needed to be disposed of, and quickly, before His Majesty could be further persuaded to do something damnable and irreparable.  

"I know that my interpretation could be seen as a stretch, but I assure you, this is truly what I believe."  

Felix shook his head. "His Majesty said that he may keep only the Noble Consort by his side, not that he would rid us all of our positions. But, as I am your loyal Brother, I shall take caution from now on. When the Noble Consort returns, we shall question himon his interpretation. Now, Sister, could you explain to us what led up to these words?"  

Penny bit her lip, calling tears to well in her eyes. "Oh, I do not know if I can, it upsets me so. I had requested to meet with the Noble Consort privately, as you know, to air our grievances without publicly shaming him. However, the Noble Consort grew aggressive, and his magic lashed out and slashed my arm."  

Her allies gasped, whilst Potter's shook their heads in disbelief.  

"He did, Sister?" Bellatrix questioned sharply, her dark eyes glinting.  

"Yes, not deeply, but I was shaken. I sought out His Majesty, who followed me back to the Noble Consort. Then, the situation unfolded as I explained. His Majesty, to my shock, however, believed only the Noble Consort and his tears, so now, I am awaiting punishment whilst the Noble Consort faces no repercussions. As you can see, His Majesty has shown clear favouritism, far more than should be allowed. That is what made me take those words so seriously." Penny spoke vehemently, urging them to believe her with her desperate eyes.  

However, her words didn't evoke the anger and frustration she had expected. Instead, several concubines shifted uncomfortably, and even her allies looked away.  

"It does seem to show favouritism, but... please be careful with your words, Sister. To question His Majesty..." Alecto began. "Let us proceed with caution on this matter. But, if your words turn out to be true..."

None wished to continue along that line of thought, for it seemed so preposterous.

Penny, however, knew in her heart that she had gleaned the truth from His Majesty that day.