B.A.D.
"Harry Potter" belongs to J.K. Rowling
AN: Well, I'm back with another chapter. Took a little longer, but the chapter is longer as well. Not to mention that I spent a week away from home for that metal festival and came back absolutely exhausted and drowning in schoolwork, but I finally managed to get it to you guys.
I would like to extend my thanks to Hassassain696 for being the beta for this story and SlythrInHermione for helping with early chapters. Also, to thank Smutley Do-Wrong and red demon161 for bouncing ideas with me for the story.
Finally, I would like to thank all of you for the success of the story. We are now officially over 100k words and are now over 2k follows. That's absolutely insane and I can only thank you for taking such an interest in this fic.
Enjoy!
"Dialogue"
'Thoughts'
"Foreign Language"
Spells
A Godfather's Promise
Chapter IX: B.A.D.
Harry watched as Fleur walked back to her carriage to celebrate her own victory with her friends, not to mention Madame Maxime would also want to have a word. His now-girlfriend had promised that she would be back to the castle by night, in order to spend the night with him.
He was about to return to his room until his girlfriend came back during the night to spend it with him but upon arriving at the entrance to the castle, he was approached by familiar faces. Faces that sported robes in red and gold.
"Hey Harry, how are you?" said Dean Thomas with a small uncomfortable smile.
"Thomas," responded Harry in a monotone voice. "Pretty good… considering I just went against a giant fire-spewing lizard. What about you?"
"We've been… look what we are trying to – "
"We're sorry mate," finished Seamus Finnigan.
Harry simply looked at them without a single trace of emotion, soulless eyes pierced into theirs, making them more uncomfortable by the second.
"You're… sorry," he finally responded.
"Yeah mate… no other way to say it. We're sorry – we really are! All of Gryffindor is too!" insisted Dean.
The Potter heir did not say a word, content with just staring at the duo as they stood nervously before him. They were sorry now? After he had insisted upon them that he had not put his name on the Goblet for almost a month?
'You're going to have to come up with something better than that!' he thought angrily
He was about to respond until two other figures joined Dean and Seamus, two who were a lot closer to him than either of the male Gryffindor.
"Harry!" exclaimed Hermione as she gave him one of her trademark hugs. "You get anything useful from Bagman?"
"Hermione! Err – I did," Harry responded as soon as he regained his breath.
Both separated just in time for Neville to offer his hand nervously to the raven-haired Gryffindor.
"Hey Harry… you were great you know. I can't imagine anyone doing better than you. Even the seventh years were in awe at the power with which you were casting those spells," he said, before taking an even more nervous composure. "Although many of the guys were glaring once you came out with the Beauxbatons champion… I think they're jealous you two might be… you know…"
'Let them be jealous,' thought Harry before smiling at his friend.
"Thank you, Nev," he then turned to the rest of his gold and red classmates. "So… let's cut to the chase. You're sorry, but why should I accept your apology exactly? I'm not fighting for Gryffindor, I'm fighting for my family name. I'm not even sleeping in the Gryffindor Tower anymore."
Harry observed as his four housemates before continuing. "So why should I accept your apology and go back to the way things were? I seem to be doing fine all by myself."
Dean was the one to answer.
"Look… Harry… we're sorry. We really want patch things up with you, like Hermione just did. Can you just come back to the tower with us? We're not asking you to stay, just to hear us," said the dark-skinned boy with a pleading tone.
Harry thought about it for a moment. Gryffindor House had betrayed him, left him alone. If it was not Neville, he would have been completely cut out from Godric's House completely. Why should he forgive them?
Ye the more reasonable side of Harry thought differently. Maybe they did deserve just another chance, but it should be made completely clear that he would never forget the treason they had perpetrated for an entire month.
"Very well… I'll hear you out. Just be clear that I'm not making any promises to forgive you," warned Harry.
It was enough to relieve Dean and Seamus, who started to make their way up to the Gryffindor tower with Harry in tow.
It had been quite some time since the Potter heir had traversed beyond the portrait of the Fat Lady into the furnished common room. He almost expected to see everything completely change from the last time he had been there. He never really had the chance to see, since the place was completely crowded with what seemed to be the entire House in it's totally, from the first years all the way to the seventh years.
Cheers exploded the moment he emerged from the doorway. This sight made his heart warm in need but restrained himself to having a neutral look plastered on his mug until the commotion died out and the room regained its composure.
That's when the silence started. All of them stared at Harry in anticipation of what he might say.
"So… this is your answer," said Harry to the entire room. "This is you answer to essentially blacklisting me for almost an entire month. A party…."
"Harry, please," Hermione whispered desperately as she grabbed his hand discreetly. The rest of the room looked really uneasy as well, the previous jubilation having disappeared completely.
Harry took a small moment before continuing.
"I will say this one last time. Forgiveness is sometimes easily given but rarely earned. Forgetting is even more difficult. We are supposed to be a house of Lions who will protect their own when in times of turmoil. Instead, you acted like a bunch of sheep that were willing to believe any facetious rumor that was said about me – from Slytherin of all places!"
The rogue Gryffindor took a small breath before continuing.
"So I will say this. I am willing to forgive you if you promise to never do something like this again. But I will not forget this anytime soon, that is a wound that will take more than words to heal, and it will still leave an ugly scar in the end. Never leave your own to die again or you will regret it," said Harry with a tone of finality.
Mumbles of understanding reigned the room before the entire place seemed to relax after a few seconds once Harry picked one of the offered cups of Pumpkin juice. If there was any evidence of the tension that had been present before, it was gone once the celebration party really started to go into full swing.
It was definitely nice to see his old friends so approachable once again. He took a moment to talk with the Quidditch team who wanted to congratulate him on the maneuvers he pulled against the Horntail. Then took a detour to answer some of the questions the older years were asking him about the Patronus Charm. Finally, he sat down to talk with Neville and Hermione until Seamus decided to ask the one question that he knew was coming yet was dreading.
"So, Harry… is it true?" asked Seamus as the whole common room started to become more silent with each passing second.
Harry knew exactly what they were talking about, but still feigned ignorance.
"True? About what?"
Seamus then gave him a mischievous look.
"Y'know – about you and that Veela lass."
The entire room was silent now, looking directly at Harry in order to get the answer to the much-pondered rumor that had been circulating around the castle for the last month. Taking a quick survey of his surroundings, his fellow housemates. The older students looked on expectantly. On one corner Ron was beginning to twist his face into a glare, besides him was Ginny, who was also starting to frown. At his side, Hermione looked on with a gaze that seemed to portray regret and melancholy.
This was it, Harry realized. This was the moment that he could stake his claim on the young woman that had become so important to his very existence. They would be angry, jealous, they might not understand, but Harry would not care. He and Fleur understood, and that was enough.
"Her name is Fleur Delacour… and we are together," Harry confirmed.
Murmurs exploded throughout the room. The sixth and seventh years could no longer keep the glares off their faces. Same with Ron, whose entire face was now red. Ginny's was of a similar color, Harry doubted the he had ever seen the youngest Weasley look that angry before.
"Merlin Harry… how'd you score with her?" asked Dean, who this year had started to get a 'playboy' image by trying to get with Lavender Brown.
"That's for me to know and for you to try and guess unsuccessfully, Dean," answered Harry.
"How long have you been together?" questioned Lavender, Hogwarts' very own gossip queen.
"Officially," Harry took a quick look at his watch, "around two hours give or take."
"You are one lucky bastard, you know that?" piped in one of the fifth years
"Only fitting that House Potter gets all the luck," commented Ron with barely concealed contempt.
Harry took a small moment to contemplate the redheaded boy. He had hoped that Ron would've changed his tune along with the rest of Gryffindor, but it seemed that the jealousy was too much for the both of them to truly reconcile.
It mattered little, despite Harry knowing Ron for over four years, if he had to choose between the redhead and Fleur, he would choose his new girlfriend without question.
Other than the new glares of jealousy he received from some of the students, the rest of the parry went without consequences. He spent most of his time getting reacquainted with Hermione. Out of all the people who had stopped talking to the raven-haired wizard, Hermione was the one he definitely missed the most.
"I promise to never doubt you again, Harry," said Hermione as the party dragged into it's last minutes. Most Gryffindors had already passed out from smuggled firewhisky or had gone to sleep by this point.
"Why did we ever grow apart?" asked Harry once Neville had stepped away to call it a night. "We were together forever and then we drifted apart."
Hermione stared away for a few moment, deep in thought. Harry imagined that she was trying to find the correct words to respond to such a difficult question.
"I couldn't take it, Harry," she confessed. "After our first year, you started to rise in grades… slowly but surely you started to surpass me. I felt I wasn't needed anymore," Hermione then started to moisten as she looked at Harry in the eyes. "I'm not very social, not many people like me, I'm not pretty, I'm no good at sports or parties… but I have my brain… it's the only thing I have…"
Tears were now tracking down the bushy-haired girl's cheeks as she continued to let open up three years of frustrations.
"But you were better than me at magic… the one thing I thought I was the best at… you were better. I felt that you didn't need me anymore, that you would throw me away like a used towel. I couldn't bear the thought of that… so, I left you and started to hang out with Ron. He would always need me, he'd fail if I wasn't there…"
Hermione then truly started to cry in his shoulder. The only thing that Harry could do was wrap his arms around his best friend in a tight hug until the girl could let out all of her grief.
"Hermione," Harry finally responded once they were looking at each other's eyes once again. "You are a brilliant witch. One of the prettiest girls in Hogwarts," she blushed a little at the compliment, "people don't like you because they are jealous of you… because you are better than them. It's true that you don't like sports or parties but that doesn't matter because the things you are good at, you excel beyond almost anyone. More than anything… you are the best friend I could ever hope for. I will always need you at my side."
The tears in Hermione's eyes turned from sorrowful to ones filled with happiness as they both embraced one last time.
"Don't let anything come between us like this again," said Harry.
Hermione nodded with a small laugh. "If you need anything… don't hesitate to ask Harry… anything."
The dark-haired wizard took his time saying his goodbyes before leaving the tower and going down the stairs to the fourth floor. It had been a long day and definitely needed the rest.
Upon entering his room however, he spied a very exhausted Fleur sleeping on the bed, the same angelic appearance that she had when they had slept together. Harry couldn't help the small smile of happiness that formed on his lips.
Taking a quick shower before putting on his nightclothes, the green-eyed wizard crawled besides the French beauty and drifted off into a peaceful sleep.
Sirius laughed as he saw Remus fall back after being stunned by Harry's surprise counter. The Black Lord's godson been getting better and better in their little dueling sessions. Soon enough he and Remus would have to start teaching him more powerful spells.
The dog Animagus looked at Harry's triumphant grin and a mischievous smile formed on his own face. Sirius raised his own wand and pointed it at Harry's.
"Expelliarmus!" he yelled and watched as his godson's wand was flung to the other side of the room.
"What the hell was that, Sirius!" yelled Harry as Sirius continued to smile.
"What do you mean Harry? I was disarming you. You lost," the Black Lord said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Last time I checked, I was dueling Remus, not you," countered Harry. "You acted unfairly."
Sirius then lost his amused demeanor and looked at Harry seriously.
"You're right. You were dueling Remus. Dueling…" he paused for a little to gain his godson's attention, "… is not fighting."
Sirius waited for a little as Harry made his way to the back of the room to retrieve the phoenix feather core wand. Once he returned, the Black Lord continued.
"I acted unfairly because the is no such thing as fairness when it comes to fighting, Harry," continued Sirius. "In a fight, your opponent won't wait until you're prepared, he will strike! Your opponent won't announce himself if he's hidden, he will strike! Your opponent won't limit himself to some arbitrary rules, He. Will. Strike!"
Sirius quickly sent a quick spell at Harry and watched as it made his godson fly a meter before landing on his back. It was harsh, he knew that, but it was better for James' son to learn these lessons now rather than later.
He was never told these things when he was at Hogwarts and received only a quick education as an Auror before he was sent to the frontlines. It was so different from dueling, there was absolutely not mercy, no clear distinction between friend and foe, no clarity. Real fights are chaos and if Harry was to survive, he needed to be taught those harsh lessons.
"Do you understand, Harry?"
Harry nodded slowly from his place at the ground.
"I do have some experience with fighting, Sirius."
The Animagus let a small chuckle escape him as he remembered the anecdote that occurred a few weeks ago between Harry and the Slytherins.
"Right… and what did saving your girlfriend teach you?" asked Sirius, amused at the flush that colored Harry's complexion.
"They all attacked at once, I had no chance to fight each of them fairly," answered Harry.
Sirius nodded. "That's right, it wasn't fair. That… is a true fight."
The Black lord watched as his emerald-eyed godson stood up with a small grimace. Harry took a moment to regain his bearing before staring back at him with determination.
"Very well then, Padfoot. Teach me how to fight!" demanded Harry.
Godfather and godson started to trade spells against one another. All restraint was gone as they both started to trade spells against one another. Sirius saw as with each consecutive spell, Harry shortened the distance between the two of them. The younger wizard was quick, very good at blocking when he needed to and attacking whenever he had the opportunity.
Sirius felt his defenses weakening at the brutal assault from Harry's immensely strong magic, but his experience still made up for Harry's raw power, sidestepping several spells and blocking only when it was unavoidable. His godson's advance disappeared as Sirius retreated back to a safe distance.
Then – out of nowhere – Harry released raised his wand and aimed it directly at his eyes for a second and shouted a spell he had never even heard about.
"Caeculux!"
From the tip of Harry's wand, a blinding flash of light appeared in front of Sirius. The effect was immediate, he felt as if his eyes were burning. So unexpected was the attack that he instinctively shut his eyes and covered them with his arms.
The next thing Sirius felt was his godson quickly grabbing him by the wand arm and slamming him chest first to the ground, his arm twisted behind him.
"Argh!" cried Sirius in more surprise than pain.
"Yield!" demanded Harry with authority.
"I yield! I yield!" he yelled until he felt the pressure being relieved once Harry let go of his arm.
Sirius slowly turned himself until he was lying on his back, staring at Harry.
"What was that?!" he asked while panting.
Harry looked at him in the eye for a few intense seconds.
"Fighting," he responded, before offering a hand to help his godfather get back on his feet.
'James… Lily… your boy is so strong… you would be proud of him.'
"We'll need to step up your training," said Remus, who had also recovered from his previous fight with Harry.
Sirius felt his sense of humor return suddenly. He really needed to tease Harry in order to feel better about his loss now.
"Right… after we take him shopping of course."
Harry gazed at both of them with confusion.
"Shopping? For what?"
"Potter! Greengrass! Will you pay attention?!"
Harry finally took a moment from teasing Daphne in order to listen to McGonagall announcement. He had finished the activity in his first try. Teased the violet-eyed girl besides him for the rest of the class for all she was worth and was now waiting until the class ended so he might go eat some lunch and hopefully spend the rest of the day with Fleur.
His girlfriend – it seemed to be the most appropriate term for Fleur – had unofficially moved in with him a week ago and now spent their nights sleeping together. There was still nothing overtly sexual between the two, but Fleur choice of clothing had been getting increasingly scandalous each night, culminating last night when she wore a very thin pure white negligee to bed.
"All my ozzer clozes are dirty, I 'aven't 'ad ze chance to clean zem." That had been her excuse.
"Why would you even bring something like this over to Hogwarts? It hardly seems like appropriate clothing for Scottish winter nights," he had told Fleur. "Don't you always complain about how cold it is here?"
Fleur's eyes danced with mischief while she snuggled with him under the covers.
"Not when my Maître, ees 'ere to keep me warm and safe. You will be zere to keep your Fleur safe, oui?"
McGonagall's voice pulled him from his memories as she started to make the announcement.
"Very well, now that we are all paying attention, I have something to tell all of you. Be assured that all the houses will be informed as well," she said in her usual no-nonsense tone.
"The Yule Ball is approaching – a tradition of the Triwizard Tournament and opportunity to mingle with our foreign guests – only fourth to seventh years are allowed, but younger students can if an older student chooses them as their partners."
An eruption of giggles from the female population – with the exception of Hermione and Daphne, of course – was heard across the classroom, each of them already looking around for a potential target. Harry did notice some looks being thrown their way.
'Partners? Well, I already know who to ask then.'
"Dress robes will be worn," McGonagall continued, "and the ball will start at eight o'clock on Christmas Day, finishing at midnight in the Great Hall."
Professor McGonagall started at the Gryffindors and Slytherins that were for once paying rapt attention to her.
"The Yule Ball is of course a chance for us all to – er – let our hair down," she said disapprovingly.
That did not seem to disturb Parvati and Lavender, who were no giggling. Harry saw Hermione besides him looking with the same air discontent as McGonagall. Daphne – who was at his left side – shared the similar opinion.
Harry's smile got more pronounced as he stared at the violet-eyed girl, which she apparently caught.
"Don't even think about it, Potter!" she whispered, but all menace was gone thanks to the blush spread across her cheeks
Harry chuckled. "Don't worry Daph, I saw you spying Gregory over there for a chance with him. I wouldn't put you in a situation where I would jeopardize your chances of becoming the next Lady Goyle."
Daphne glared at him before huffing and turning her gaze the other way.
"But that does not mean," Professor McGonagall went on, "that we will be relaxing the standards of behavior we expect from Hogwarts students. I will be most displeased if a student embarrasses the school in any way – no matter the house they come from!"
The bell rang at that moment and the students started to puck their bags so they might go for some much-needed food.
Professor McGonagall called from above the noise. "Potter – a word, if you please."
"Alright professor. What do you need?"
"Mr. Potter, who are you thinking of going with to the ball?" she asked bluntly.
"I thought this was voluntary?" responded Harry
"Not for champions. They are expected to initiate the ceremony along with their partners," she responded.
"Are we allowed to invite students from other schools?" asked Harry.
Professor McGonagall looked at him for a moment before saying, "There's nothing against it that I'm aware of."
Harry smiled. "Then I know exactly who to ask."
McGonagall looked at him disapprovingly. She was probably expecting him to invite Hermione or maybe another Gryffindor, but she would be in for a surprise when he went with Fleur.
It was when he arrived at the Great Hall that Harry was made aware of just how little time it had taken for the information of the Yule Ball to spread across the entire castle. More importantly, he had been made aware of just how many people had approached Fleur in such a miniscule passage of time.
No less than a dozen students had already asked Fleur to be their date for the night. It was a frustrating bit of information, to be sure. Especially considering that some of those students were from Gryffindor. Harry would have understood if any other House did it, they didn't know about his and Fleur's relationship yet, but he had announced it publicly to Gryffindor just a few days ago. There was no excuse.
Particularly when one of those had been a certain Ronald Bilius Weasley.
It was becoming increasingly apparent that there would be nor reconciliation between Harry and the youngest male Weasley. At first, the Potter Heir had tried to convince himself that Ron only needed a little time to regain his senses, then it would be business as usual, but it had not been that way. Every time Harry saw Ron, it seemed as though his former friend was looking at him with more and more animosity.
Now, that same old friend was trying to snag his girlfriend away, all while fully knowing that he and Fleur where in a relationship.
'Ronald… I swear that one of these days…' thought Harry angrily upon seeing the red-faced ginger sitting down, stuffing his face after being rejected by Fleur.
Well… rejected was a strong word. From what he'd heard, Ron had simply vanished after blurting out a love confession. Fleur didn't even have the chance to turn the Weasley down before he turned tail and ran.
Harry's anger increased even more when he saw the crowd forming around the Ravenclaw table. He knew that behind the mass of people was a very distressed Fleur, more than likely turning the requests down in droves.
"Hey, Harry," came a voice behind him. Harry turned around to see Cedric coming his way, alongside him was Cho Chang. They'd probably already agreed to go accompany each other to the ball.
"Hey, Cedric," grumbled Harry, his attention still fixed to the conglomeration of people around the blue and bronze table.
"You best go on, Harry," said Cedric. "I think she's turning down the twentieth invitation at the moment," he joked while Cho laughed lightly.
"Right…" Harry said in a low tone as he marched intently to the group.
He got close enough to see Roger Davies getting on his knees, a rose on his hand, and loudly proclaiming his undying love in front of the pale-haired beauty.
"This dreary castle has never seen such beauty as yourself," proclaimed Roger.
Fleur huffed. "You don't zink very of ze girls in of your school zen. 'Ow will you get a date after I refuse?"
Roger seemed to get even more nervous at the possibility of rejection. Behind him, Harry could see a large group of males looking dejected, probably the previous unsuccessful admirers. Over at the side, he saw some of the French witches giggling.
"You are a vision among mere mortals, and I am your servant," continued Roger.
Harry snorted. 'You're all clueless, Fleur would rather be the one doing the serving than the other way around.'
"Eef I am a vision, zen I assume I am not real?" questioned Fleur. "Zen I must say zat your chances of me accepting are also a vision." The entire congregation laughed at Roger's pitiful look before letting Fleur finish. "Step away leetle boy, I am done demeaning you. Mon Dieu, you are boring!"
Before another failed prospect had the chance to step forward, Harry made his way to the bench besides Fleur and sat confidently before grabbing Fleur by the waist and pulling her down on his lap.
"Hey, beautiful." The entire population of Hogwarts seemed to go quiet, including a glaring Roger. "You got your dress ready? I can't wait to see it when we go together."
Roger finally managed to get a few words out. "Potter! What are you doing?! Step awa –"
"Oui!" said Fleur, interrupting the Ravenclaw's protests. "Mama said she 'as bought eet. You'll get to see eet when we go to ze ball togezzer," she emphasized the last word to the crowd.
The congregation seemed once again mute, interrupted only by looks of jealousy from the wizards who were looking at him. Oddly enough, he noted that some glares were also sent at Fleur by several witches. From the corner of his eye he noted that Daphne was one of those. Luna – who Harry noted was sitting beside them – seemed to be the only one that was smiling… at both of them... with a look that seemed to imply attraction.
All at once, the crowd exploded into a flurry of questions. One after another. So fast were they that Harry did not even have the chance to listen to one, let alone answer it even if he wanted to.
"Silence!" shouted a rough voice. The crowd separated to reveal Krum as the one who shouted the command.
The Bulgarian champion looked directly at Harry and Fleur before stating, "Come with me, Tournament meeting."
The duo did not need further encouragement to get away from the gossiping mob and quickly stood up and followed the rough looking Durmstrang champion away from the Hall. They did not even leave the castle before he stopped.
"Uhh… where is this meeting taking place?" asked Harry in confusion.
Krum gave one of his barely noticeable smiles. "No meeting. Thought you needed hand," he responded gruffly.
"Zank you," said Fleur with a smile.
"You are welcome, but I do have other reason," said Krum before looking at Harry. "I wish to invite your friend to ball… er… Herm – er -Hermy –"
"Hermione?" asked Harry with a small edge on his voice. "You mean Hermione?"
"Da, that is her name," stated Krum. "I thought you vould be going with her, but you already have date. I wish to know best way to approach her."
Harry felt a deeply uncomfortable with the idea of Krum taking Hermione out to the ball. Quite frankly, he would have felt the same way if anyone asked her out. Yet at the same time, he already had Fleur, his girlfriend. It would be unfair to deprive Hermione the opportunity of a good date.
"Why her, if you don't mind me asking?" questioned Harry. "You have half the school witches begging for the chance to go with you."
Krum looked at him seriously before saying, "I vould ask you same question, and the answer vould be same. I vant to go to ball vith girl that does not care about Quidditch."
'Well… he's right about her in that case. Hermione does not care for Quidditch.'
"Very well, if you want to approach her, you bring up Durmstrang lessons and classes. Giving her a book on spells would give you an advantage… and don't talk about Quidditch or sports," Harry said reluctantly.
Krum nodded before he started to walk away but before he could do so he was grabbed by Harry and turned around.
"And Krum… I don't need to tell you this… but if you hurt her in any way…" The Gryffindor let the threat hang for a little before Krum nodded seriously and they both left to opposite directions.
Harry and Fleur did not go back to the Hall to eat, not wanting to return to the crowd. They simply asked Dobby to bring them a meal to their room so they could celebrate the announcement of their relationship in peace.
It had been some time since Fleur had spent any large amount of time in her Beauxbatons room.
Ever since she and Harry had finished the first task, the French champion had preferred sleeping beside her Maître in Hogwarts his room rather than to return to the far more furnished yet infinitely lonelier chamber in the Beauxbatons carriage.
Something that was increasingly not going unnoticed by Madame Maxime and her friends.
It was easy to excuse not being on her room at first. "I got up early to exercise," or "I was practicing late," but it started to get harder and harder each time one of her friends knocked on her door, only to find it empty inside.
'They're going to find out sooner or later, and I rather not tell lies. Clemence, Amelie, and Monique will be the first ones… maybe if I tell them first, they'll cover for me?' thought Fleur as she started to pack even more of her clothes that would later be taken to Harry's room.
She did make sure to leave some of them in her wardrobe in case someone got curious, including the exquisite dress her parents made sure to send her in preparation for the upcoming Yule Ball, specially designed in Paris.
It was silver in color, a color that seemed to glitter in the light. She had not yet shown it to Harry, Fleur wanted it to be a surprise when she finally went all out on her beauty. Her boyfriend was the only one that managed to resist her… now she really wanted to put it to the test.
The other students may be a problem, but she had no doubt her Harry would be enough to ward them off.
Suddenly, a gentle knock resounded around the room.
"Just a second!" exclaimed Fleur as she quickly tired to hide the suitcase filled with her clothes.
The source of the knocking did not follow her instructions and opened the door regardless, discovering Fleur as she was holding her luggage like a child who had been caught stealing cookies.
"Fleur?" questioned the voice of Clemence. "What are you doing?"
"Um… I – err…" stuttered Fleur, knowing that there was no way to explain her actions. "Hello Clemence. How are you today."
Clemence simply looked at her, then at the suitcase, then back at Fleur again in playful accusation. "So… I guess this answers why you have been disappearing for days at a time from the carriage."
Fleur had the decency to look slightly ashamed.
"What are you doing Fleur, and why have you kept it hidden from us? I thought that we were friends?" asked the chestnut-haired girl, sounding more than a little hurt.
"I am sorry," said Fleur as connivingly as she could. "I'm really sorry… I just… I just wanted to keep it a secret from others."
"Even from your best friends?" responded Clemence, still sounding hurt.
"I know – believe me… I feel like the worst friend in the world right now, but I really don't want to start the rumor mill."
Clemence scoffed lightly. "What rumor? You are going out with 'Arry Potter or the fact that you are sleeping with him?"
"Clemence!" shouted Fleur indignantly. "It's not like that! Well… very well… it is like that – but not like that at the same time – it's…. argh!"
Clemence smiled knowingly, causing Fleur's blush to begin spreading even faster and redder.
"I'm just teasing, Fleur. Who knew you had it in you? Going out with Hogwarts most desired wizard," said the brunette. "But… how do you know he isn't like the others? You've avoided relationships with boys for so long because of your heritage, and now you move in with this one so quickly?"
Fleur looked at Clemence with a smile. " 'Arry is no boy, he's already a man. He has been able to withstand my allure – and we have so much in common!"
Clemence looked at her Veela friend mischievously. "Oh… like what?"
The French champion thought for a second about what to say. She couldn't just tell them about their shared… interests. But it did not take long to reveal the other things she liked about Harry.
"He's just like me in many ways. Have you seen the way the other witches look at him?" she asked. "He also does not become a simpleton around me… I can talk to him, enjoy my time with him and let my guard down."
"Are you sure he's not taking advantage of you? How do you know he won't take advantage of you once you let your guard down?" asked her friend.
'Oh Clemence… if only you knew…' thought Fleur. 'If he wanted to take advantage of me, he has had plenty of opportunities.'
"I know Clemence… he might the only chance I have of finding someone?"
"Even if it's someone younger than you?" asked Clemence.
Fleur gave her playful look. "Have you seen him? Two and a half years won't matter in four years' time."
Clemence smiled. "Even so, me and the girls want to meet him first – so we know exactly who our Fleur is going out with."
Fleur was a little uncomfortable. She knew this would happen eventually. First with her friends, then her sister, and even her parents if she and Harry were going to have a long-term relationship like they wanted. They didn't need to know about their activities, but they had to know about both of them going out together.
"Very well – but don't go too hard on him! Gather the girls… I'm taking more of my clothes back to his place – and don't tell Madame! Please cover for me if she starts asking questions!" said Fleur.
She felt a little guilty about hiding the truth from her headmistress, considering all that she had done for Fleur – not to mention young Gabby – but she didn't want to jeopardize her relationship with Harry in any way possible. Madame Maxime would probably accept either way, but privacy was a luxury that the French Veela wanted to take advantage of as much as possible.
It was a few minutes after Clemence had gathered Amelie and Monique that they promptly made their way to the castle. Hogwarts classes were already over, so Harry was either training with Sirius or, hopefully, was in their room.
Fleur started to get nervous as they started to make their way to the fourth floor. Besides her Amelie Dubois was smiling, probably already formulating a series of questions she was going to ask Harry. The blonde Parisian was the most enthusiastic of their bunch, usually the first to strike conversation or come up with plans – always paying attention to Fleur's situation, of course.
Clemence Vigouroux was the oldest – about to turn eighteen – and definitely the most refined. Coming from one of the oldest families in French magical society crafted her into being as such. Monique Moreau, on the other hand, was definitely the quietest of them all, she was Muggleborn.
Even so, she was the first to give a little giggle when she said Harry's password, allowing the portrait to give them access to his room.
"Why are you laughing?" asked Clemence.
"You know… oh, wait! Of course, you don't know!" said the black-haired girl.
"Know what?" asked Fleur.
Monique just continued to giggle. "Nothing, nothing!" Fleur, however, heard the usually quiet girl whisper, "who knew Harry Potter was such a geek?"
"Whatever, let's just meet the Boy-Who-Lived… let's see what kind of man our little Fleur managed to snag for herself – shall we?" asked Amelie.
"Wait for just a minute. This is Harry's room – "
"And your room now as well if I assume correctly" commented Amelie.
Fleur blushed a little. "Y-yes – and as such, I need to ask him for permission if I can invite people."
"Isn't this your room as well, Fleur? Why should he call the shots on who gets to enter and who doesn't?" asked Clemence.
"Please!" exclaimed Fleur. "We want to keep this private and retain our trust with one another. If I bring unknown people to his room, he needs to agree to it," she continued. "Besides, he will accept anyway… he just needs to prepare, that's all."
After hearing the three girls grumble in acceptance, Fleur made her way into the room quickly.
Harry was sitting on the mahogany desk besides their bed, his head buried into a large text in complete concentration, the sound of her footsteps did make him turn his head over to Fleur, a small smile forming on his lips, just like an almost programmed one formed in hers as well.
"Hey beautiful," said Harry as he from the comfortable looking chair and made his way over to Fleur.
"Mon chéri," responded Fleur, letting herself be held by her boyfriend along with a small kiss.
"I expected you to come earlier. Did something happen?" asked Harry.
"Oui… sorry 'Arry. Remebair when I said zat I would 'ave to tell my friends sooner or lateir… and my parents?" asked Fleur.
Harry nodded. "Sure. when are we meeting them?"
"Now," deadpanned Fleur.
Harry's eyes widened a little comically. She immediately felt the usually composed and calculating young man tense.
"Wha – now?!" he asked. "Your parents are here?!"
Fleur couldn't help but giggle. "Non, non! Not my parents, but my friends are outside. Zey questioned me when zey saw me packing and zey asked to meet you… you don't mind, do you?"
"It's fine Fleur, I'd appreciate a little warning the next time though," responded Harry, sounding just a little annoyed. "Let's just tidy up quickly."
By tidying up, Harry of course meant that they needed to hide their admittedly minimal bondage gear. Fleur quickly placed the white ropes and her collar in Harry's trunk while Harry prepared himself for a visit. The French champion did not hear her boyfriend approach until she felt the light spank on her derriere.
"Ah!" exclaimed Fleur as she turned around to face the smiling form of Harry. "What was zat for?"
Harry's gravely tone answered, "Demeaning me, your haughty attitude, asking for me to collar you mere hours before facing a dragon, teasing me every night with your choice for sleepwear, and now you put me in this situation," he said.
"I am sorry, Maître," she responded Fleur saucily. "I did not foresee zis was going to happen right now."
"Sorry is not enough," said Harry commandingly, yet still soft enough to know he wasn't truly mad. "The way I see it, you've earned yourself quite the punishment, young lady."
Fleur put on her most seductive smile. "Oh – are you sure you are willing to punish your helpless Veela slave?"
Harry's hand's encircled Fleur's hips and pulled her to him roughly for another kiss. "Later," he said with another slap to her bottom. "Right now, we have guests to receive."
Fleur nodded before going back to the entrance and signaling her friends to come over. Harry was standing straight as they entered. He had lit the fireplace and the room was now comfortably warm enough for them to take off their winter coats.
" 'Arry, zis ees Clemence," said Fleur, signaling to the chestnut haired girl before turning her attention to the blonde one. "Amelie." She then looked over to black-haired one before finalizing, "And Monique. Girls, zis ees my… boyfriend, 'Arry Potter."
"Charmed," said Harry with a smile, taking each of their hands and kissing them lordly. "Nice to meet Fleur's best friends – she talks often and very fondly about you."
"We 'ave been waiting to finally meet ze reason for Fleur's happiness ever since we started to notice ze change," responded Clemence. "I must say, I was not expecting Fleur to form a relationship wiz an Eengleeshman, less so one as famous as yourself."
The familiar worry was starting to set in Fleur as Harry's tone changed lightly at the perceived accusation.
"Oh… is there anything wrong in that?" he drawled with a hint of annoyance.
Clemence seemed to understand that her words were taken out of context. "Non – zere ees nozing wrong wiz zat, Fleur's happiness comes above all else. One of my great-great aunts married a British wizard eef I remembair correctly. Eet was a long time ago zough. Mama never told me which family ze wizard came from."
That seemed to ease the atmosphere a little bit. They all took their place at the small guest area they had. Clemence took one of the chairs and sat down elegantly, Amelie and Monique did the same on one couch, while Harry and Fleur sat on another one at the opposite side of the desk.
From then on it the mood relaxed greatly, especially when Amelie revealed she had brought a fair amount of pastries as a gift. Fleur excused herself quickly in order to brew some coffee to accompany the treats. She still managed to hear the questions thrown at Harry though.
"So, how did the two of you meet?" asked Amelie, demonstrating her lack of an accent. "I never so Fleur talking to you, from what I remember."
Harry hummed. "Well… first time we met was directly after we were selected to participate in the tournament. We were taken to a small room behind the Hall and that's when we first met, we didn't talk until later though."
"Speaking of the tournament. 'Ow exactly did you manage to get chosen? I was under the impression that nobody under seventeen was allowed to enter. Why Fleur was lucky enough to have her birthday a couple of weeks before we came here."
Fleur saw Harry's face darken a little. "I do now know how I got selected – only that I did. It's suspected that someone entered it without my consent. Dumbledore intends to find out who it was exactly, though."
Clemence then voiced her own thoughts, "Why would anyone want to get you to compete though? What would they gain from eet?"
Harry sighed tiredly before answering. "There exists a certain segment of the population that wishes that I… perished… along with my family that Halloween. Some of them just wish to see the job done."
"Ahh – we have heard the rumors," continued Amelie. "Is it true that you killed a basilisk with a pocket knife while blinded?"
Harry laughed. "Well, it was the basilisk that was blinded, and I was using a sword. I wouldn't be here if Fawkes hadn't torn off its eyes."
"Fawkes?" asked Monique.
The emerald-eyed wizard nodded. "Dumbledore's familiar. He's a phoenix. Fawkes was the one to bring the sword, he was also the one that cured me after I was bitten by the snake."
"You know, at first I didn't believe it, but after seeing you go against the Horntail, I'm willing to give more credence to the rumors," said Amelie.
Fleur came back with the coffee soon after. She took her place once again next to Harry, who embraced her with one arm as she rested her head on his shoulder.
"Harry… there is one question I mean to ask you, so don't take it the wrong way," said Amelie. "What are your intentions towards Fleur?"
Fleur felt Harry tense slightly at the question. "Well… she's my girlfriend now," he responded before looking over at her with a smile. "I don't know where this will take us… but I hope our relationship continues to grow."
"Harry… you must understand," continued Amelie. "Fleur is our friend… and she has gone through a lot. More than most people will understand… she's – what I'm trying to say is that we want the best for her. She deserves it, and nothing less."
Harry was about to respond until Amelie continued. "She's kind, beautiful, and smart… and some people have wanted to take advantage of this in the past. We want her to be happy… to know that she'll be safe. We want to hear from you that you will never harm her."
Fleur felt tears creeping out from her eyes at Amelie's words. As conflicted as she was over the confrontation her friends and her boyfriend were having, the young Veela still appreciated the fact that she had such true friends to count on.
The French beauty hear Harry take a deep breath before looking at her own blue eyes directly, then he stared at all three of her friends.
"I know what you are talking about. I have seen the way everyone looks at her… and I saw what others wanted with her," he said, holding her tightly as he alluded to the attack of the Slytherin gang. "It's true, I saw her beauty at first and little else… but then I saw her, the real her, the kind and intelligent Fleur Delacour, hidden behind the allure."
Harry looked directly at Fleur's eyes, which were now openly letting out tears. They were not tears of loneliness and pain that she often shed in memories she wanted to lock away forever. Memories where she never believed her desires would come with him.
"I could never hurt her like that, and I want to see more with her. I want to experience what we can both share… together. I lead a self-centered life before I met her, only thinking of living up to my family and myself. I lost most of my friends, locked myself into a cycle of ambition and loneliness… and then she came. Now I live not only for those goals, but for what we can have together."
Fleur could barely see his face now thanks to the blur caused by the tears.
"So, you get to decide but frankly… I don't care what you think," Harry said to Amelie. "The only person whose thoughts I care about on the matter, is this magnificent woman besides me."
Fleur cleared her tears away to see her friends smile truly for the first time since they met Harry, seemingly accepting his answer.
They said their goodbyes soon after. Fleur and Harry offered to walk them back to the carriage, but they declined the offer, only asking that they have another meeting like this again soon. Harry claimed that they could go to the nearby village after Christmas.
That night, Fleur and Harry held each other tighter than ever, neither of them letting each other go until they drifted off to sleep.
'I am not alone anymore, we have each other now. I am so happy… so happy that I met you.'
Preparations for the Yule ball were well on their way the day after Fleur's friends had come to visit. The usual fanfare around this time of year was even greater this year than it had been other years, yet Harry gave very little thought to it.
The only thing he was thinking of was his relationship with Fleur, and the ideas he'd been having ever since yesterday during the conversation with the Beauxbatons girls.
Harry had been thinking about their dynamic. He was meant to be the dominant, Fleur wanted to be the submissive, yet out of those activities, the Potter heir always thought that Fleur had the advantage. She was attractive, intelligent, and could have any man that she wanted. In many ways he was lucky to have her, and she could always call of their relationship whenever she wanted. It was a troubling thought.
That was until last night. What he perceived about Fleur was that she was also afraid that he might go, that he would be the one to end the relationship whenever he wished to. It was certainly a powerful feeling, the fact that he had such control of their strange affair.
Harry thus needed to show Fleur that he was in control, and thus that she could relax and submit around him like she truly wanted to. He needed to get into his role, one that he had yet not taken to the depths that was necessary. They had only had one session, and when he'd tied up Fleur, she had been the one that was telling him what to do.
It was time that he made the orders, it was time to take charge.
After thinking hard on it the previous night, and most of the day, Harry thought that he had the perfect way to continue with the more… private part of their relationship.
Harry quickly checked his trunk to see if he had the required materials he would need. At the beginning of the year, he had not expected to have a partner for his desires, therefore, there was very little equipment they could truly use between them.
The collar was one thing that was already bought by him previously, along with the soft white rope. Fleur herself owned a pair of light blue handcuffs that they still hadn't used. That was it, sure there were various charms and even Transfiguration spells available, but that equipment would vanish after the effects of the spell wore off.
Their lack of equipment was something that he intended to correct soon enough, another reason for programming another session with Fleur tonight.
Still, rummaging through his belongings, Harry managed to find enough to satisfy him.
The body lotion had a more manly, minted smell to it, but with the correct knowledge in potions, managed to change it to a fruity smell that Fleur might like a little more. Then there was the medicinal cream that would be needed, pulled from his first aid kit.
He did not have much now, but it was enough for tonight.
"Mon chéri!" Fleur sighed as soon as she entered the room, they embraced and gave each other the now customary kiss.
"How are you, beautiful?" asked Harry in a calm voice.
Fleur smiled. "I am well, I just 'ad a small talk wiz Madame, but I was able to keep 'er from suspecting anyzing."
"That's good," responded Harry. "Anything you need to do tonight?"
"Non, I 'ave already done all ze schoolwork I need for ze week, and soon I will be on break zanks to Noël."
"Very well… because I am going to get changed," announced Harry. "And I expect you to take off your uniform and stand in front of the couch until I said otherwise."
Fleur shuddered in what seemed to be excitement before uttering a quick, "Oui, Maître."
The raven-haired Gryffindor went to get some of his Muggle clothes, settling for some casual wear. He supposed the fact that Fleur would be mostly exposed and he was still clothed would be enough for the dynamic.
Stepping out, he was struck the sight of the beautiful woman once again. She was pure white underwear, her uniform completely discarded. She was smiling, hands behind her back, allowing him to see the only two pieces of fabric that protected her body. Earlier in their relationship, this would be enough to make him flustered, but a couple of weeks of sleeping with the French Veela as she was clad in lingerie and skimpy nightwear was enough to make him more confident.
He made his way over to the sofa and placed a pillow on the floor. Pointing towards it he said one command.
"On your knees."
Fleur immediately complied gracefully. She did not stumble as knelt down with her hands still behind her as if they were already bound.
Harry started to circle around her, summoning the collar to his side. The leather was not the best, and it was rough, the fastenings were similar to a buckle, mass produced.
It would need to be changed as well.
Still, he fastened it around Fleur's neck, securing it with a small padlock. Harry then turned his attention towards her arms. At first, Fleur was the one that instructed him on how to properly tie her up. This time it would be different, he did no longer need guidance on how to dominate her properly.
Taking the white rope, he fastened her arms behind her back and quickly bound them together, making sure to follow the instructions Fleur had given the previous time. This time however, he also went further in tying her thumbs together as well.
"You are – ah – getting better at zis, Maître," commented Fleur. Harry could almost feel her enthusiasm.
"Don't move just yet, beautiful," he whispered in her ear, hearing a slight shudder coming along her soft breaths.
Once he finished with her hands, he concentrated on her feet. This time, he picked out Fleur's handcuffs to do the job. The clicking sounds sealed the Veela's complete helplessness. Harry made sure that they were not tight enough, he didn't want to harm her smooth skin.
Finally, he connected the leash to the o-ring embedded in the front of the collar and left it hanging between her breasts
"Stay still and keep your eyes on the floor until I tell you otherwise," he said before going to his trunk and picked up the materials he had arranged previously.
There was the now strawberry scented body lotion and the medicinal cream. Before sitting down once again, Harry observed the sight in front of him.
There knelt Fleur, her hands behind her back, kneeling and staying perfectly still, her sight remained fixed to the ground in front of her. Harry could still see that she was trying to see from the corner of her eyes to see what was happening.
While her body was still, it could not be said for her mouth. The French beauty was biting her lips out what he assumed was anticipation and excitement.
Finally, he sat down in front of her and grabbed her leash, tugging it lightly to get her attention.
"Look at me," Harry said clearly and looked at her in her blue eyes as she did so. "How do you feel?"
"I am fine, Maître." The loss of the light mocking in the word did not go unnoticed.
"Very well. Come here…" he said, guiding the young woman to sit in his lap.
As soon as he felt her the weight settle on his right leg, he noticed that Fleur went instantly crimson. Harry had seen her blush before, but not with this degree of intensity.
He slowly started to caress her hair, trying to capture Fleur's eyes with his own. The pale-haired witch was avoiding it though, too embarrassed to look at him in the eyes, as if she was ashamed of enjoying their activity so much.
"Fleur… look at me," Harry commanded, grabbing her chin softly and coercing her gaze towards him. "There's no shame here… you like this… don't you?" he asked with a small kiss.
"Oui… Maître… I w-want zis… I want more of you… sorry," she stuttered.
"No need to be sorry. I want you too, I want you like this, and I will want no matter how much you want to… experiment," he consoled, his hand rubbing the small of her back reassuringly.
"Eet's just… I still don't believe zis ees real… it's like out of dream," she said with a trembling voice. "And every moment I theenk I will wake up alone again, and I have to hide what I want from everyone. Not just a Veela, but also a freak."
"Fleur… do you still think this isn't real? That I'm not real?"
Fleur finally looked at him, tears trickling down from her sapphire eyes.
"I – I'm afraid of telling you all I want. All my desires, because I do not want you to deny zem, to deny me and leave me." Tears were now spilling down. "Because I am so… 'ow do you say… fucked up."
"Fleur, listen to me," he commanded, his eyes still meeting hers. "I am not leaving you because of what you want. I am pretty fucked up as well… but that's the thing. We managed to find each other after all – and I'm not letting anything get in the way of that."
Harry kissed her softly before continuing. "I am going to show you how real this is – bend over my lap."
Fleur looked a little stunned at his command, but her eyes were covered as soon as he covered them with his discarded Gryffindor tie, leaving her blind.
Gently, Harry laid his trembling submissive across his lap, all the while making sure to caress her hair in order to calm her down.
One way or another, he was going to get to Fleur. Even if it meant a little bit of pain.
"You have been a bad girl, beautiful," he said softly. "You've been a bad girl to me, to other, to the entire world."
The black-haired wizard could feel Fleur quivering even harder below him, soft sobs emanating from the figure bound and secured across his lap.
"But most of all, Fleur," he continued, "you have been a bad girl to yourself."
"Wha – "
"Quiet!" he commanded. "You hurt others with your words, including me, but the one you hurt the most is Fleur Delacour." His hands started to wander down her back, until they reached her generous behind. "You kept your desires hidden… castigating yourself for yearning what you needed… denying yourself the happiness you wanted."
He gave a slap tap on derriere. "And now I am going to punish you for it."
Harry reached for the strawberry scented lotion and took off the cap. He watched as the drizzle of clear liquid settled on his palm. He took a few seconds for the smell to settle in, noticing that Fleur seemed to calm herself in her shudders but was still tense, to say nothing of the whimpering.
Slowly but surely, Harry started to spread the cool lotion across her pert bottom. The cries seemed to stop momentarily, giving way to shocked and embarrassed gasps. He took his time, making sure that the protective liquid covered the entire area.
"I am going to spank you, beautiful." Fleur gasped at the revelation. "Ten times – and I expect you to count each and every one of them." Harry squeezed one cheek slightly, getting excited at holding such an intimate part of her in his hands. "Every time you do, you will think on how much this hurts you… because it is nothing compared to the pain you feel inside."
"Don't hold back your tears. Just let them go. Let all of yourself go. All of the pain, all of the loneliness… I am going to punish the pain away."
Harry raised his hand, palm open, and held it there for a few seconds. He could feel Fleur trembling lightly across his lap, waiting for the moment of impact. He did not do it immediately, he himself was also starting to breathe hard from the sheer exhilaration of the moment.
Finally, he brought the shuddering hand down on Fleur's slippery bum, on the left cheek. The cracking sound resonated around the room, accompanied by the pained gasp of the French submissive. Harry felt her tense as she did so.
"Ah!" Fleur gasped before settling down and apparently remembering the instructions. "U-un!"
Harry chuckled. "You're going to count in French?"
"Ah – is zere a problem wiz z-zat?" she asked.
"No… so long as you count them," he said, before bringing his hand down once again with another resounding crack.
"D-de-deux!" she cried. "Eet 'urts!"
"Shh… that's okay. I'm here, let it all out. I'm going to take care of you now… remember?"
Harry made sure to keep his hand to the meatiest part of Fleur's bottom to avoid any damage as he brought down his hand for the third time.
"T-t-tro-trois!"
And a fourth time. Crack.
"Quatre!" she screamed this time, the sobs now turning to full on wailing, yet Harry knew that this pain did not come from the spanking themselves, but the feelings that he was forcing into her.
"Is this real enough Fleur?" he asked as he brought down his palm for the fifth time.
"Cinq!" she bawled. "I am sorry, 'Arry – I am sorry!"
"What are you sorry for? Try saying it, Fleur. Say 'I am a bad girl'."
"I – I am a b-bad girl," she whimpered. Harry felt the resistance go away, Fleur was now limp in his lap, totally accepting of what was happening to her.
'I finally got through to her.'
"You've never said those words, have you? You've never heard those words being told to you, is that right?"
Crack.
"Six… I am a – ah – bad girl," she said, with more conviction.
"I am always here for you, Fleur." Harry rubbed the small of her back. "I'll be here for the bad Fleur. You don't have to be the perfect Fleur around me… let it all out," he said, bringing his palm to strike once again.
"S-Sept – I am a bad girl!" she wailed. "Eet 'urts so much, 'Arry!"
"Why does it hurt, Fleur?" he asked. "It hurts because you caused yourself more pain than these hands ever could."
Crack!
"Huit!" Fleur screamed. "I'm a b-bad g-girl!"
She was weeping now, yet her words rang with more truth than ever.
Harry's palm was also feeling sore now, but he ignored the pain in order to bring it down on this wonderful woman again.
"Neuf – I a-am a bad gi-girl!"
"Yes… yes you are… but you are my bad girl… and I'm not letting go." He brought his hand down one last time, stronger than the rest. "Ever."
CRACK!
"Dix!" Fleur shrieked. "I am a bad girl!"
There was no struggling now, only Fleur breaking down on his lap, without even the barest hint of struggling. Harry held on to her as she wept years of hidden pain away. Agony that she never told anyone about, suffering that she couldn't see.
"Is this real enough, beautiful?" he whispered as he caressed her silver hair, fingers slowly touching the long tresses softly. "Am I real enough?"
" 'Arry!" Fleur whimpered. "Please… please hold on to me…"
"Always," responded Harry.
They spent several minutes like that, Fleur still bound hand and foot with his tie covering her eyes. She kept weeping while he comforted her.
Harry hands searched for the other material he brought with him – the medicinal cream – with one hand and opened it without letting go of Fleur. He gathered some of it in his hand and started to slowly spread it across the French beauty's red derriere.
"Ah – so cold!" gasped Fleur, but Harry simply comforted her.
"Don't worry – it's cream. To prevent swelling."
"Aah," she sighed, with some relief.
Harry laughed. "It feels good, doesn't it? You like it?"
Fleur giggled a little, breaking the monotony from the weeping. "Oui, eet feels – ahh – nice."
"You will not lie to me anymore, Fleur," he said. "And I won't do the same. You are a pervert… just like me. We found each other, and I won't let you go."
Fleur's melodious giggle was the only answer he needed to hear.
That night, as they once again settled with each other for the night, Harry felt that Fleur was lighter, completely eased of a burden that she didn't even know she carried. The French beauty slept more profoundly than ever.
AN: Song recommendation is "B.A.D." once again by W.A.S.P. from their self-titled 1984 debut album. Killer band, killer album.
If you don't know, I also have already posted the first chapter of "Heir of the Sage", my Naruto/Marvel crossover. Check it out if you want, it is kinda different from what you are used to here, but if you like action, adventure then it's right up your alley.
Sorry of the delay. Like I mentioned previously, I was in a metal festival which really exhausted me. Then I focused my attention on getting the first chapter of Heir to the Sage out. Don't worry, this story is still my main priority for now.
Thank you for all your support you have given me, this is now one of the top 5% most followed stories on the HP section of the entire site. It really means a lot. If we keep it up, it can be one of the 1,000 most followed stories.
Next chapter shouldn't take that long to get out. It was originally meant as a single chapter but it got way too long. It's already half-written so it should take way less time than this one.
If you have any questions, leave a review or a PM.
Until next time.
The Metal Sage.