Harry Phenex 4
Rias looked up in surprise as she saw flames appear, very slowly drawing runes to form a magical circle. When she saw Harry, she relaxed, "Harry! I wasn't expecting you this evening. I thought we were meeting tomorrow. Is everything all right?"
"I'm fine." Harry said after a moment, before admitting, "Though I am a little confused and worried. I had a surprise today, and thought I'd talk to you about it."
Slipping an arm through Harry's, Rias led him to the couch, "Sit down. Tell me about it. Would you like some tea?" she asked, sitting down when he shook his head at her.
"I was practising with Ravel, trying to call forth Hellfire. I still don't like the way we practice, though it makes sense," he said as an aside. "Anyway, I managed to call forth fire...but it wasn't Hellfire, it was something else."
"Something else?" prompted Rias as she leaned back, draping an arm over the edge of the couch.
"Really powerful purple flames. They blew through the stone wall of the practice area, and the wall was apparently heavily reinforced. Ravel said the flames were also holy," Harry explained.
"Wait," Rias interjected, staring at him, "You can summon holy fire?"
"Apparently," came Harry's reply before he continued. "We went to ask grandfather, and he said it sounded vaguely familiar and looked it up in a book. He said that I have something called a Longinus. It's called Incinerate Anthem."
"You have a Longinus," Rias said in shock. She asked chirpily, only half-serious," I don't suppose you'd like being in my peerage?"
Harry smirked at her; he could tell she was teasing him, "I don't think I could join. Ravel said I'd probably receive my own Evil Pieces from grandfather."
Rias waved her hand, smiling, "That's not an issue. You can be a member of my peerage while having your own. How do you think Reincarnated Devils handle gaining their own peerage after they become High-Class Devils? Many devils join a peerage before starting one if only for the benefit an Evil Piece provides. After all, Ravel is a bishop in her brother's peerage even though she will be gaining her own pieces."
Harry laughed, "Well, what piece do you think is good for me then? Personally, I say, Knight," he said, pretending to preen. "I am all noble and stuff."
Rias rolled her eyes, "While I could see that, I don't think it'd work in this case. If you have a Longinus, I don't think even two Knight pieces would be suitable and I only have one left. You'd need a Queen, two Rooks, maybe eight Pawns, or a mutation piece." She paused, "Of those, I have the Pawns and a Bishop mutation piece."
Harry shook his head, laughing, "Oh, I see how you look at me now," he joked. "You just want me as your Pawn. Do you want me to serve you that badly?"
Rias' brow rose, suddenly amused, and she murmured, "Well. I wouldn't mind you serving me," she cooed, leaning close. One of her fingers traced its way through Harry's hair, "Of course, I'd have to put you through your paces..."
Harry turned bright red, and stammered, "I--I--"
Rias burst into laughter, giving him a brief hug before pulling away, "You're so easy to tease, Harry."
"And you're mean," Harry mumbled, "What if I liked the idea?" It's not meant to be loud enough for her to hear but she got the gist, brow rising. "So, you came to me to talk to me about that?" she asked, changing the subject even as she made a note of his words.
"Partially. I was going to, but went back to ask grandfather something and heard him talking to Ravel. Have you seen the contract between your parents and my grandfather?" Harry asked.
Rias blinked, "No, I haven't. I was just told I had to marry Riser. Usually, devil contracts are held in vaults and I don't have access to ours yet as I'm not of age." She added, "Why?"
"I heard grandfather say that Riser should hope that your parents don't give you the contract to examine. He didn't say why," Harry explained. "I figured there might be a loophole that could help you."
Rias considered and rose to her feet, "I'm going to go speak to my brother," she said. "If anyone can gain access to the contract, he can." She sounded excited. "Will you wait here for me to get back? Even if I do get access, I doubt he'd let you into the vault. Feel free to order something from the cafeteria here if you get hungry."
"Sure," Harry agreed, a little amused at her enthusiasm as she immediately used a magic circle to teleport away.
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Rias appeared in the middle of the room. Harry was sitting at the desk, reading a book, a tray to the side. He'd followed her suggestion and ordered lunch. Glancing up, he smiled, "Hey, Rias. How'd it go?"
"Confusing," Rias said after a moment. "Thanks to my brother, I saw the contract. I found what your grandfather was referring to." She seemed hesitant.
"Is there something wrong?" asked Harry, rising to his feet and approaching the girl.
Rias sighed and moved towards the couch, sitting down. When Harry sat beside her, she asked, "Harry, I have a question. Do you like me?"
"You're my friend," Harry said to her, confused, "Of course I like you."
"That's not what I mean." Rias looked at him with a slight frown. "I heard what you said earlier, you know. Do you like me?"
Harry blushed, and looked down, "Why are you asking?" After a moment, he sighed, "Yes. You're really smart and funny and pretty. I'm sorry," he apologized.
"Why are you apologizing?" Rias asked in confusion.
"I don't know," Harry admitted.
Rias shook her head, "You really have no clue about girls, do you?" She sounded fond. "I found what your grandfather was talking about. The contract specifies that I have to marry a 'Son of Clan Phenex'. Not Riser specifically. Now, I can't marry his older brother as he's Heir to the Clan. As Gremory Heir, if I married him the Clans would merge and that's a no-no."
Harry looked disappointed, "So there's nothing that can be done? I'd hoped..."
"Harry," Rias interrupted him. "You're forgetting one thing."
"What?"
"Are you not a 'Son of Clan Phenex' as well?" Rias asked.
Harry stared at her, "Bloody hell," he said, before shaking his head, "You can't be suggesting..."
"Why not? To be utterly pragmatic it gets me away from Riser, whom I loathe. I also like you, Harry. You're cute and pretty smart yourself, and I like teasing you." She grinned suddenly, "It's a start, isn't it?"
"It just seems too, well, business-like. You not liking Riser so you pick me." He adds, "And you should marry someone you love."
Rias shook her head, "Harry. You aren't listening. I like you. How about we go on a date, see where it leads us?"
Harry blushed and nodded, "All right. When?"
"How about tomorrow?" came Rias' answer.
"Deal."
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"I don't care what you say, Father. He can't stay here. He's a half-breed," sneered a voice as Harry approached the doorway to his grandfather's study.
"He's also the son of Rillian, Riser. I just told you that. Do you really expect me to abandon him simply because his father wasn't a devil?"
"Yes! If you must, give him a stipend to live on, but he doesn't belong here or deserve to be a member of this family. The Phenex Clan is a proud family. We don't need a half-breed here. People will talk, Father."
"Riser!" Randol's voice rose, "How dare you? He is Rillian's son. He is family. I will not disown him simply because you want me to. And do not try to command me. I am Marquis. Ruval is the Heir, not you."
"I--Fine." There was a snarl and a loud crack and then Harry heard footsteps. He moved to the side, standing in the shadows near a tapestry as Riser opened the door and stalked out.
Once the man was gone, Harry went to the door and knocked. He heard a tired voice say, "Come in."
"Hello, grandfather," Harry began as he shut the door firmly behind him. After a moment, he waved his hand and murmured quietly, casting a spell to silence the door. As his gaze looked over the room, he saw a large hole in the wall, presumably from where Riser had struck it while leaving. Harry cast a quick Mending Charm to fix the damage, approaching his grandfather's desk.
Randol looked at him with shrewd eyes, "I take it you heard that?"
"The last bit, anyway," Harry admitted. "Reminds me of Britain. Pure-blood wizards often said similar things."
"Riser unfortunately has become a trifle arrogant," Randol said with a sigh. "I admit that my wife and I wanted him to marry Rias but that was more due to the possibility of merging our bloodline magics. We wanted to strengthen our families after the war. I think we made a mistake, however."
"Obviously," Harry snarked. He had grown more comfortable with his new family. "He's a bloody prat, to be frank. Sorry, but it's true. I understand why Rias hates him so much."
"You and Rias have become quite good friends over the past month, haven't you?" asked Randol as he watched his grandson.
"Yeah." Harry admitted after a moment, "She asked me to take her on a date tomorrow."
"You do realize she's engaged to Riser?" asked Randol, brow rising.
Harry smirked, "Actually, she's engaged to a 'Son of Clan Phenex'."
"You also heard what I said to Ravel, I see. And told her." Randol's voice was oddly approving.
"She's my friend," was Harry's answer. To him, it really was that simple.
"Perhaps I should move you out of the house for a while. Give you a vacation. Riser is going to be really upset. He might try something," Randol said with a frown.
Harry laughed shrugged, "I can take care of myself, but if you want to. I could stay in Britain?"
"To be honest, I'm more worried about Riser. Your Sacred Gear could easily kill him if you managed to activate it. Holy power is dangerous even to a Phenex." Randol said musingly, adding, "I don't think I'd like you staying in Britain. I don't trust your old Headmaster. Not with what he allowed to happen at Hogwarts." He chuckled, "Oh, Riser will kill me. How would you like to stay in Kuoh?"
Harry blinked and stared at Randol, then started to laugh, "That's bloody brilliant. I'm in."
"I'll have to hurry the search for your tutor then," Randol said with a nod.
"I have a suggestion?" Harry offered.
"Oh?"
"You could try Tonks," Harry suggested. "I got to know her pretty well last year, and she's really smart. I think she's been getting disillusioned with being an auror. To many prats at the Ministry. And it'd be fun to have her teach me."
"Tonks?" Randol pulled a folder out of his desk and opened it. "Nymphadora Tonks?" He considered, "I don't know. She works for Dumbledore. As I said, I don't really trust him."
"I'd more say she works with Dumbledore. She wants to help people," Harry said with a shrug. "She's also been getting upset with how he runs the war. She doesn't think he does enough. I do know she was the only adult to actually try talking to me Sirius died." The thought still brought pain, though less than Harry had expected.
Randol frowned, "All right. I'll talk to her."
"Brilliant! I'll go pack."
His grandfather nodded, "Don't bother packing your books. I'll have a servant teleport your bookcases to your new apartment. I'm sure Rias can point you to a good place to stay."
"If Riser gets upset, tell him that you followed his suggestion. You did have me move out," Harry said lightly, turning to leave.
Yes, Harry could be a snarky git.
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Harry finished packing his trunk. It was surprising that he could fit all of his clothes and things inside, but apparently, devils knew how to create a version of expansion charms as well. Shrinking the trunk with a murmured word, he picked it up and looked around. Grandfather would handle his books. With a shrug, he headed downstairs, moving towards the foyer.
"Ready to go?" came a voice, and he turned to see his grandfather standing there.
"Yes," Harry said with a shrug, "I have all of my clothes and other things, I left the books as you asked."
"Good, good. Remember, regardless of Riser's demands, this is not me sending you away," Randol stated. "I just want Riser to have a few weeks to calm down. I'd like to keep all of my family intact."
"Oh, no, I understand," Harry said with a smile, "Besides, it'll be fun staying in Japan for a while."
"I figured you might feel that way," Randol said dryly. "Do you want me to teleport you?"
"I've been practising. I can do it. I just build the magic circle really slowly so I don't make a mistake," Harry told him. "It's good practice."
"All right then," Randol said, stepping forward to hug Harry, "Good luck. I'll tell your grandmother too, she'll probably visit you." Returning the hug awkwardly, Harry stepped back. Once outside the Clan residence, he began to build his magical circle, slowly filling in the proper symbols. When he placed the last symbol, a stylized phoenix, it activated and Randol watched his grandson disappear.
"Good luck, Harry."
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When Harry arrived in the club room at Kuoh Academy, Rias was not there. There was, however, a white-haired girl a year or two younger than him in the room. "Hello!" Harry said, lifting a hand. "You'd be Koneko, right? Rias mentioned you."
"And who might you be?" the girl asked in a deadpan tone as she stood up; she was watching him carefully, hands held at her side as if ready to defend herself.
"Harry," Harry introduced himself. "I'm a friend of Rias's."
"Oh." A pause and the girl noticeably relaxed. "She mentioned you. She met you in London, didn't she?"
"Well, just outside London, in Surrey," Harry acknowledged. "It's nice to meet you."
"Likewise." That was all Koneko said as she sat down, picking up a tray of cookies and setting them on her lap.
"Do you know where Rias is? I needed to speak to her," Harry asked the girl.
"She's talking to Sona," came the girl's response.
"Sona? Oh right, Rias mentioned her," Harry muttered as he watched Koneko devour her cookies. There was no other way to describe it. She kind of reminded him of Ron.
"Should be here soon." Again, Koneko offered a terse response as she continued to eat her treats.
No more than a few moments later, Rias entered the room. She was rubbing her brow and looked tired. "Koneko, has anything happened while I was gone?"
"Do I count as anything?" Harry asked, turning to look at her from the couch where he was sitting.
"Harry! You're a little early for our date," Rias teased him as she walked towards him, leaning down to sit beside him. "What brings you here?"
"Date?" asked Koneko.
"Long story short, Riser threw a fit about me when he got home today. He tried to insist that grandfather basically disown me as I am a mere half-breed." Harry's voice was full of disgust, "Grandfather refused and Riser left in a huff to pout. But when grandfather heard about our date tomorrow and you finding out about the loophole, he suggested I take a vacation for a few weeks. He's worried Riser will attack me and I might kill him." He paused, "So here I am. Care to help me get a place to stay for a while?"
"Wait. Your grandfather wants you to stay here? He's not trying to keep you away from me?" Rias' voice was incredulous.
"I think he's actually happy about us becoming friends," Harry admitted. "Riser's 'a touch arrogant'," he quoted with a smirk. "I think in Phenex-speak, that's 'a disgusting prat'. My family does seem to like understatements."
"Date?" repeated the white-haired girl.
Glancing at Koneko, Rias smiled, "Yes. I asked Harry on a date. We're going tomorrow."
The look Koneko gave Harry was almost dismissive, "He doesn't look like much. Why?"
"Koneko!" Rias exclaimed with a frown.
Harry rolled his eyes, used to such comments, "Wow, I feel like I'm back in Britain." He shrugged at Koneko, "Looks can be deceiving. Though I honestly don't think I'm worthy of Rias; she insisted and who am I to argue?"
"Good," came Koneko's answer. She really was simply protective of Rias.
Shaking her head, Rias said to Harry, "I can help you find an apartment, sure. Do you have your things?"
Harry patted his pocket, "Right here. Everything but my books. Grandfather's going to have them teleported in after I find a place."
"All right. I think there's actually a place open not far from where I live..." Rias began, hopping to her feet and offering Harry a hand. When he accepted her hand, she said with a smile as she pulled him from the room, "Come on."
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Tonks sighed as she entered her apartment, shutting the door behind her. She was getting so tired of her job. The parts she liked were far outweighed by the many she didn't. Politics. Backbiting. Stupidity. She liked excitement. She liked helping people. She liked--
Someone knocked on her door. It was bad timing.
Turning, the woman opened the door, saying tersely, "What?" She paused, taking in the older man standing at her door and sighed. Her mother did teach her manners; she even used them sometimes. "Sorry, that was rude. I've had a long day. What can I do for you?"
"Miss Tonks? I wanted to speak to you." The man's voice was a soft baritone. "I am Randol Phenex."
Tonks took a step back, "You're the fellow Harry's staying with?" she asked, her hand moving slowly towards her sleeve. Just in case.
"That would be me. May I come in? I'd like to speak to you a moment," the man asked, gesturing with a long-fingered hand.
Part of Tonks was freaking out as she thought back to what Dumbledore said about devils. But she focused on his comment that 'most are good people' and nodded, "Sure, come in," she said, stepping back. Once the man entered her apartment, she shut the door, asking, "What can I do for you?"
"I was talking to Harry and he mentioned you as a candidate for a tutor. He said that were quite smart and would be a fun teacher. He also mentioned that you two had discussed your current occupation and that you were not happy with your workplace." Randol said forthrightly.
"Harry wants me as a tutor? Are you serious?"
"Quite," Randol said to her calmly, shrugging his shoulders. "My grandson, it would seem, does not trust easily. He seems to trust you."
She was bloody-well tempted. She'd be helping to teach Harry, and she was pretty sure he'd deal with Voldemort at some point if all the rumours were true. "I can't," Tonks said after a moment, sighing, "Even if I left, my parents would be in danger thanks to Voldemort."
"Not a problem," Randol said dismissively. "I can have the protections on their home increased and give them something like your portkeys in case they're attacked outside their home."
"These protections would be unable to be breached by Voldemort?" asked Tonks cautiously.
"Unless he received some help that he's unlikely to get, yes," answered Randol. "Fallen Angels and Angels would ignore him, and no devil would want to make an enemy of Clan Phenex. If he found a stray devil powerful in magic it's possible, but that's what the teleportation matrices are for."
Tonks made her decision. "I'm in."