A Godfather's Promise

“Harry Potter” belongs to J.K. Rowling

AN: I want to extend my thanks to the great members of my Discord server, who have helped me with the writing of the chapter itself, but also re-igniting my passion for this.

Special thanks go to Meneldur, who has not only aided me with the crafting and editing of this chapter, but also the story as a whole.

With that out of the way, please enjoy the chapter!

“Dialogue”

‘Thoughts’

“Foreign Language”

A Godfather’s Promise

Chapter XXIV: Worthless

Harry broke away from Fleur’s lips to look for Luna’s, but her attention was captured by the door at the end of the hall that would certainly lead to the grounds.

“Can I see the woods, Master?” asked Luna, hopping on her toes with excitement, and with bright eyes he couldn’t say no to.

“Of course.” He opened his trunk. “Just so long as you’re equipped.”

Luna’s eyes lit up when he pulled out her gear, and quickly took off all her clothes. She leaned in, raising her neck for the collar and offering her wrists and ankles for the cuffs. A leather harness was carefully fitted on her body, the black straps gripping her petite form tightly against her pale skin. Dark straps framed above and below her breasts, over her waist, and a lone strap between her legs. That was all: no shirts, no pants, and no shoes. No sooner had he finished securing the last strap with a padlock and giving her an approving swat on her ass did she sprint forward to disappear among the trees.

Arms circled around him and Fleur’s head rested on his shoulder. “Where should we start?”

He looked around the entrance, seeing the stairs that led to the upper floors, and the many doors on either side. “It’s going to take the whole day to explore this place,” admitted Harry. Sirius had said the manor was big, just not how big. “Let’s go from the top to the bottom. Basement first.”

Both in agreement, they descended the stone stairs, candles flickering with life as they approached. Despite having been unoccupied for years, neither dust nor cobwebs bothered their path as they reached down the stairs, where only the fire’s light illuminated the doors in front of them. Harry took hold of one, and entered.

Rows upon rows of stands filled with wine greeted him. Fleur gasped beside him and rushed to check all of the bottles, exclaiming in French while she smiled.

“Eef you ever want to make Papa ‘appy, bring ‘im to zis room,” she stated, putting a bottle back in its place. 

Harry nodded. “Thanks for the tip… and for living up to the French stereotype. Should I prepare bread and cheese, too?” he teased.

Fleur swatted his shoulder with a scoff. “I’m sure ‘e won’t be offended by whatever slop you decide to eat,” she said. “But oui , bring ze cheese and bread.”

While Fleur decided to stay in the wine cellar, he continued onward towards the last room. The door was carved in rich wood and framed by white marble pillars and two flaming braziers on each side, while the top was engraved with the black dragon of his house. He took ahold of the golden handles and pulled the door open.

Harry stepped into a circular room where a large brazier burned with an everlasting fire. The family fire, which every leader should keep from fading out, a duty that was now his.

Fire ignited on sconces and chandeliers, revealing seemingly endless halls floored with white marble. The walls were decorated with white arches and painted murals, Each depicting different events. Between each arch a bust, with a carved name and accomplishments. 

First there was the legendary Camillus the Tyrantsbane, slayer of Sextus Tarquinius. Janus, who triumphed over Hannibal’s greatest wizard, came next. Sharing an arch were the twins Horatius and Flavius, who sided with Sulla and Marius respectively, and met their end at each other’s spell. Maximus, leader of the First Arcane Legion under Caesar. Further ahead was Magnus, whose pedestal could barely contain his deeds, and the painting behind his arch depicted him during his triumph over the Britons. A few more notable ones of the era: Justus, general of Trajan; Aediullus, friend of Marcus Aurelius, and the last noteworthy one showing a painting that illustrated the slow end of the Roman era: Leo, ally of Constantine. 

The era changed along with the paintings, replaced with living tapestries. There was Æthelwulf, who was just as famed in myth as Camillus. The tapestry showed him along with King Arthur and Merlin. Grimbald, a giant of a man and vassal of Alfred the Great, who hated the Norsemen and yet ended up marrying a Norse witch who also happened to be the fourth daughter of Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye. Edwyn, who died at Hastings, and his son, Egbert, who accepted Norman rule and was knighted by William the Conqueror.

Harry sped along the tapestries, looking at the other side of the arches to see countless heirlooms, each belonging to the named busts, central among each their wand. But there were also weapons, armors, manuscripts, and books among them. So many that he would have to set a year to read all of them.

The tapestries ended with a Henry during the Wars of the Roses, and were replaced by paintings, this time with definite Renaissance, Elizabethan, Enlightenment, Romantic, and Victorian styles. He quickly skimmed through the ones that caught his attention: the Wars of the Roses, the Civil War, a George who became a privateer, and the famed William depicted at Waterloo. 

As he was reaching the end, the paintings turned into large photographs. He recognized the faces. Richard, his great-grandfather, pictured with his men in the trenches. His grandfather Charlus, standing in front of his Spitfire and looking up at the Messerschmitt laden skies in defiance.

His breath hitched. Only one person remained.

James Potter’s picture was unlike the rest. It boasted no great military victories, no depictions with great men of history, not even a mighty and intimidating pose. In one arm he held a beautiful redheaded woman and in the other, a raven-haired babe. 

A heavy weight settled on his shoulders at the sight. For thousands of years his family had lived and died, fighting, conquering, ruling, and defending, no page of history was left without their mark. Now, there was only him. How could he ever hope to stand beside the men who carried his blood and name? What right did he have to stride among them as their equal? He did not feel a dragon then, merely the last pale ember of a dying bonfire.

“Ah, young Hadrianus, is it?”

Harry’s head snapped to his side, hand reaching for his wand as a small shadow that had been hidden in the darkness stepped into the light. It was short, barely able to reach his waist. Wrinkled hands were raised to the hidden head to reveal the oldest elf Harry had ever seen. 

“Pardon if I have disturbed you, my lord,” said the elf with a tired and wizened tone, and a wrinkled smile made Harry’s fingers relax from his wand holster.

If Kreacher was old, this elf was ancient. But this one carried a weary smile instead of an ever-present glare. There was also a different air about him. He stood upright instead of the usual hunch common in other elves, and instead of rags, he wore a worn but richly made white robe. 

“Hadrianus?”

The elf nodded. “Must be, unless the old Lord Julius had another son… you have his look, you see. Except for the eyes, must be from –”

“My mother.”

“Ah, Lady Lily,” sighed the elf, despondent recognition in his eyes, “a magnificent witch for her age. Lord Carolus was elated that young Julius chose her as his lady. Such a shame about her loss.”

“Are you talking about my father and grandfather? James and Charlus Potter?”

The elf nodded. “My apologies for the confusion, my Lord. I spend so much time reading their true names I forget that common names are chosen for convenience.” 

The elf must have seen his confusion as he pointed at a family tree etched on the ceiling that led to the empty place beside his father’s, where the wall was bare and the pedestal empty except for a name carved on the marble.

“Septimus Poterius Hadrianus.” The name echoed through the hall as Harry voiced the alien name, a name that was his own, he knew. “I prefer to go by Harry if it’s all the same.”

The elf gave a chuckle. “Like every member of your family, my Lord. But even so, it is necessary for the branch to acknowledge its roots, and you have old roots, my Lord.”

Of that Harry had no doubts, and yet now he realized that what Sirius had told him of his family had barely started to scratch the surface. There was more than the stories here – traditions, duty, and names that he best start to learn of, and this wizened elf seemed to be a key to it.

“I’m sorry for the lack of introductions, my name is Harry James Potter, son of James,” he said, extending a hand. “I wish to know of you.”

The elf surprisingly took and shook it with a pride and grace so uncharacteristic of his kind. “I was given the name of Livy when I was freed, but never left House Potter. I have served your family as its chronicler and keeper of heirlooms since Lord William took me into service around the Lionheart’s reign. It has been my pride to keep the family annals written and remembered.”

The Lionheart? This Livy was indeed old and full of knowledge. How had he never heard of him before? “My godfather never told me about you.”

“It is no surprise, my Lord. Rarely does a visitor know of my existence. I mostly keep to these halls and the library on some occasions. The only time I’m seen is when I go take a quick trip to the kitchen for sustenance. Forgive me if you expected a servant elf, my Lord.”

“A chronicler is preferable to a servant,” replied Harry.

Livy gave an old grin. “As expected of a Potter. It gladdens my heart that the line continues. With hope, I will continue my service for many years more.”

“That is my hope as well,” replied Harry and with a final nod, he left the halls and met back with Fleur to go upstairs.

The rooms on the ground floor housed a large library with texts ranging from basic spellbooks to ancient parchments written in Latin and old Brythonic, a grand hall with a large table that could be separated and stored away for events, and a smaller room at the side with a smaller dining room for normal meals. Next to it was a large kitchen with rune enchanted appliances and a freezing storeroom and larder. A room in the next wing had an art gallery along with a piano and furniture, clearly meant for guests. There was a smaller room in the right wing as well, with a mahogany table and a comfortable chair, a large tapestry detailing the Potter sigil behind, seemingly an office for lordly duties.

The second floor mostly had bedrooms, and even had an enchanted knob at the top of the stairs that when turned, stretched the hall to create even more rooms. Harry and Fleur strode toward the door at the end of the hall to the right, to what he assumed was the master bedroom.

The first thing Harry noticed was the size. His childhood home hadn’t been small, but it leaned towards a cozy middle-upper class place. The room in Hogwarts had been bigger, but even that seemed miniscule compared to the large space he found himself in. 

A large fireplace gave way to a tea table, flanked by several rich cushions and couches. A large desk and a lordly chair was placed by a wall, though smaller than the one at the office, designed, it seemed, for more personal matters. Several empty cupboards were placed at strategic positions, made of dark mahogany, along with a couple of also empty bookcases. He briefly wondered if some caretaker or even Livy had removed all the belongings of his predecessors, just for him to claim it.

At the far side lay a bed too large for even two people. There were no portraits on the walls, for which he was thankful for. He was never comfortable with the idea of foreign eyes watching him sleep. The ceiling, however, was decorated with an intricate  mural of the Potter sigil. There were several doors aside from the entrance, one which led to a bathroom, another to a large closet, and the last one to a balcony overseeing the rest of the estate.

“Zere is a large amount of room, but eet is too spartan. Eet will look better wiz a personal touch. Ze cushions are nice… but that table, and zose cupboards…” Fleur shook her head and silently ranted in French. 

“I’m sure you have some great ideas.” Smiling, he led her back to the hall. “It would be best for each of us to have our own rooms,” suggested Harry. “So that we all have some space considering the… arrangement we have.”

“Oui ,” agreed Fleur with a smile and immediately opened one of the doors closest to his master bedroom. “Zis will be mine.” She pointed at the door next to her. “Zis for Luna,” she pointed at two others, on the other side of the hallway, “for Daphne and Susan.”

Harry agreed with a nod and walked back to his room, which was already somewhat furnished but lacked the elements that would make it more personal. They must have been taken away when his parents died. But it still had richly made furniture and more importantly, a richly made bed.

“Well,” he whispered, leading Fleur towards the sheets. “Time to make it home.”

Few words could describe Fleur’s life since she had arrived at Potter Manor. Kinky? Most definitely. Perverted? Absolutely. And why shouldn’t they be? Their room in Hogwarts had been private enough, but Potter Manor brought them a freedom to explore their desires to their fullest. At least for a couple of days.

The first evening, she went into Harry’s room while he was busy. Luna had already been placed in her sleepsack for the night. Eyes covered, ears plugged, mouth gagged, and her entire body encased in high quality leather, the only sense she still had left was smell, which Fleur took ample advantage of by peeling back her rubber panties and dragging her wet sex all over her nose. Once she was satisfied and the leather was slick and shiny with her juices, Fleur grabbed a nearby seat and placed her feet over the Ravenclaw’s face to show her gratitude.

When Harry finally returned from signing papers, he tied her to the bed and mercilessly teased her for what felt like an eternity until she was reduced to a sweaty, pleading mess. Finally, when her begging was no more than lust filled garbling, her Maître claimed her and she wailed louder than ever when she climaxed. 

In Potter Manor, she could scream as loudly as she wanted, and she had found out she was quite the screamer.

And that was not all that she could do. In their newfound privacy, Fleur could flaunt all of her kinks fully. Unworried about prying eyes, Fleur had taken to wearing her rubber clothes in the open: a shiny blue blouse to walk in the gardens, a tight black catsuit to relax with a good book, a red rubber dress for dinner, and a grey, slightly transparent nightgown to bed. She took advantage of all her freedoms while she had them, before she had to hide them all back into the closet in her room, once Susan came. 

Now, Fleur stood alongside her Maître and Luna, donning a blue summer dress, unfortunately not rubber. She knew that appearances had to be kept. At least, when she casually shook her hips, the latex panties swayed deliciously. That much she could keep under wraps, so long as she didn’t moan. Luna was dressed lightly as well, though the Ravenclaw had been on her knees wearing nothing but her cuffs and sucking Harry’s cock just an hour before. Harry made little attempt to dress as his lordship befitted, choosing a very Muggle polo shirt and light blue jeans at the last minute. Even so, his stance projected a confident aura, as Harry the Lord next to his two future Ladies, ready to welcome the addition to their home.

Today was the day when Susan would be arriving.

As the sun reached its zenith, a black car appeared from the distance, slowing down as it entered the white road and wheeled around the driveway before the engine was silenced. Out from the driver's seat emerged a man wearing the robes of an Auror, and from the passenger’s seat, a woman dressed similarly, both trying their best not to be impressed by the sights. The woman reached for the handle of the back seat and opened the door without a word.

Susan Bones emerged timidly from the darkness, her crimson hair poking out of a summer hat. She was dressed for the weather in a yellow summer dress that reached halfway across her shins and white lace-up sandals. Gray eyes widened at the sight as she took in the details of the manor until she finally settled on them and darted her eyes to the ground. 

Harry did not look slighted by the absence of Amelia Bones. The woman was incredibly busy and her work was invaluable to their fight. Everything that needed to be said had been done so in the cell. 

“Madam Bones sends her regards and asks that you keep your promise,” said the female Auror while the male Auror unloaded several trunks.

“I will,” responded Harry, “she will be safe here.” Susan made a quick grimace, still keeping her eyes at the ground, and shrinking when Harry turned his eyes to her. “Susan, I… it’s good to see you.”

She only raised her eyes to look at him quickly, and lowered them just as swiftly. “I… thank you. It’s good to see you too. Hopefully I won’t be much of a bother.”

“You could never be a bother.” He turned his head towards Fleur. “Could you please help her to her room?”

“Oui,” she nodded, and looked at the redhead. “Please come wiz me.” The suitcases rose in the air with a flick of her wand and followed as she walked inside, Luna and Susan behind her, leaving Harry to deal with the Aurors.

Susan’s room had been sparsely decorated to start with, and little had been changed. They wanted to have a lived-in look to begin with, but with enough space for Susan to put her own character into what would become her new home. It had been the same for her own room and Luna’s. Her decorations would be coming from France in the next few days and Luna, not owning much, would be buying new things. With Fleur’s guidance, of course. 

“We ‘ave decided zat everyone will ‘ave their own room. Just to give everyone ze space zey need,” Fleur explained, though Susan refused to meet her eyes. The redhead’s shoulders were trembling. “You can decorate eet as you see fit, and you can ask me for ‘elp eef you need eet. Don’t be afraid to ask, oui? ”

“I’m sorry!” Susan blurted out, her face struggling between embarrassment and sorrow.

Fleur looked at her quizzically. “What are you sorry for?”

“I swear I didn’t ask for this to happen,” the redhead continued, tears welling up in her eyes. “The last thing I wanted was to be trouble for Harry… trouble for you.”

“Oh…” Fleur never wanted to have this conversation, especially not now. In spite of accepting the situation, she was still bitter at how this particular arrangement had come through. Part of her wanted to let out at Susan, but the more sensible side hated to see the kind-hearted witch upset. Should she say everything was alright, even if it clearly wasn’t? Or perhaps she should just turn the cold shoulder? 

“Eet’s… not your fault,” she finally said, with a tone that was as strained as her smile. 

“It is!” cried the redhead, fat tears starting to roll down her eyes. “If it hadn’t been for me, my Aunt would never have asked this of Harry. It’s all my fault. I should’ve been stronger, I should’ve been –”

Fleur’s hand settled atop Susan’s shoulder. “Zere is nozzing zat you could’ve done, and zere is no changing what can’t be changed.” The girl went silent, but still continued to cry silently. “I won’t tell lies, zis is not what me and ‘Arry expected… we ‘ad made plans.” A sharp sob erupted. “But ‘Arry and I ‘ave accepted ze arrangement, and we want to welcome you as best we can. I do not put ze blame on you. We became friends last year, oui? We’ll worry about eet later.” 

She didn’t let go of her hand until Susan shed all the tears she needed, and still kept a close eye on her even as she closed the door. She felt awful for not going directly to Harry at first, and even more so when she put off the situation the entire day. 

‘There’s a lot to do,’ Fleur told herself, even as she rearranged her clothes for the third time that day. ‘She needs her space.’ Did she though? People were different, and the way Fleur reacted to something wouldn’t be the same as Susan. ‘How can I help?’ She finally asked herself just as she settled for a long, restless night.

Fleur knew she had slept in even more than usual. Harry had already come in from his morning run. The thoughts had pursued her incessantly all throughout the night. Joining Harry at the large bath woke her up somewhat, and finally she decided to act.

“We should talk wiz ‘er today,” Fleur stated, both to herself and to Harry. Hearing no response, she took a trick from Luna's book and slowly prodded Harry’s cock with her toes under the warm, soapy water. “Did you listen?”

“Hmm,” Harry grunted, a warm towel covering his eyes, all of his energy reserved for his rising member. “We should give her some space first, don’t you think?”

Rubbing the tip with the ball of her foot, Fleur continued. “Maybe, or maybe she needs to ‘ave somebody to listen to ‘er. Somebody to talk to. Athena help us, we are going to ‘ave to come to an agreement at some point. Zere’s expectations in zis marriage, non?”

“Not for a few years,” Harry hissed, he was fully hard now. “Besides, there’s more than just one talk we’re going to have, and I’m not so sure I want to scare Susan with the more interesting part of our relationship.”

Fleur withdrew her foot. “We don’t ‘ave to go zat far. Just let ‘er know she’s welcome ‘ere. Zis is ‘er ‘ome now.”

Harry raised his head, towel falling to the water. “You’re right,” he sighed. “I’ll talk to her soon. Just have to think of the right words to say.”

“I’ll let you write your speech, zen.” Fleur stood from the bath, and was about to get out until she felt Harry’s arms wrap around her, and little Harry poking between her legs.

“Oh no. You’re responsible for this, and you’re not leaving until you fix it.”

Fleur smiled as she tried to playfully struggle away. They would most definitely be spoiling scheduled meal time, and it would most definitely be worth it.

One quick love session later, she and Harry were dressed for a summer day as they walked downstairs to make breakfast. They knocked on Luna’s door first to collect the Ravenclaw, but when they did the same with Susan’s room, only silence greeted them.

A pleasant smell wafted through her nostrils before they entered the dining room. Harry opened the large doors to reveal the large table set with freshly made food. Fleur never thought her stomach would growl, silent as it was, in England. They silently took their seats and looked at the offerings.

Covered trays and baskets revealed perfectly cooked eggs and sausages, which Harry gleefully served onto his plate along with a bowl of oatmeal. Luna immediately indulged her sweet tooth with a pair of pastries. Susan had gone as far as to decorate the frosting with cute bunnies, kittens, puppies, and little hearts. As for herself, she was instantly drawn to a bread basket filled with freshly baked, golden-brown croissants, along with a serving of café au lait.

The first careful sip made her break into a smile. It was the first time she’d tasted good coffee in England that wasn’t outsourced from France. There was no skimming on the quality and the pattern of indulging in excess sugar to cover the inferior product was thankfully broken. 

The croissant was even better. The moment she bit into the crispy golden crust she savored the buttery taste of the delicate flakes. Putting national pride aside, Fleur had to admit these would go toe to toe with the most premier bakeries in Marseille. She indulged in a second and even a third, and exercised great control not to go for a fourth and instead choose some fresh fruit. She did take out a chocolatin before finishing, and it was as exceptional as the rest.

It wasn’t until they were finished that they realized the cook was not present to thank for the meal.

They waited for five minutes, and five more after, until Harry finally decided to go to Susan’s room again to see if she was there, but after several knocks there were no answers. She accompanied Harry to his room before going on a search for Susan and when they opened the door, gawked at the made bed and the absence of their dirty clothes. 

By the time they had returned to the dining room, the table had been cleaned up.

So it was for the next few days. Fleur would wake up, and go down for a delicious breakfast. Their rooms would get cleaned up after that along with anything else in the manor. Two days in she tried to break the cycle by sleeping in her own room and staying behind while Harry and Luna went for breakfast, but Susan didn’t come in. All that changed was that when she eventually did go down, there was only a plate for one and what Susan must have known were her preferred foods. 

Susan’s presence was all encompassing and completely absent at the same time; a shadow that gave everything and asked for nothing. 

It’s not like Susan was invisible. Fleur caught that crimson hair more than once, but Susan would vanish the moment she saw one of them. If she really wanted to, Fleur could talk to her, but her words would mean little. The redhead seemed to feel like she was the world’s greatest sin. It was true that Fleur had not been exactly thrilled at the betrothal, but Susan was blameless. There was no ill will between her and the Hufflepuff. 

It was never her intention to make her feel so worthless, so unwelcome, so unwanted.

How could she remedy this?

There were certainly things she could bond with the redhead over. They both enjoyed food for one thing, and Fleur had little reservations in saying that Susan’s cooking was better than her own, despite being English. Both of them had a respect for cleanliness and decor, though with different sensibilities.They both loved the true Harry that most witches did not truly see. Even if Susan only knew half of Harry, that was one half the majority didn’t know.

But Fleur was a shameless pervert.

Even if they were to begin opening their feelings with Susan, their most debauched desires would always be an issue. It would be unfair to the redhead to show one side and keep the other one in the shadows forever.

Already they had to hide the kinks they had once talked of freely showing when she and Harry were a new couple. Luna quietly complained that she couldn’t walk naked around the garden like she wished to, and the collars they had proudly flashed on their first morning had to be placed back in the trunk, only bringing them out at night, and in soundproofed rooms.

Fleur herself had debated whether or not to lock the door to her room when she realized Susan had taken to cleaning them. She didn’t take Susan to be the type to invade privacy, but even an innocent peek inside her trunk of pleasures could be quite a shock to one that did not share in their interests. As it was, she settled for locking her closet. The clothes she would wash herself.

Around half of the clothes she’d brought to England were latex, a collection that she’d been interested in growing, if not for the risk of Susan getting freaked out by her preferred choice in garments. At least, she thought Susan would freak out. What if the Hufflepuff was more curious than Fleur thought, though? What if the irresistible rubber allure tempted the redhead into shedding her stuffy clothes and embracing the intoxicating tightness that hugged and caressed her skin…

Fleur shook her head at her wild imagination and returned to reality. Susan needed assurances, and not from her.

“You need to talk to ‘er,” she whispered to Harry before they drifted off to sleep, not as a suggestion this time.

There was a sigh. “I know,” he responded, sounding way too tired for someone that had been railing the living daylights out of her just a few minutes ago. “It’s just that I don’t know how. You and Luna were easy to speak to. Susan… she’s just a friend.”

It would be so easy to tell him about Susan’s confession at Hogwarts. But those were words that were meant from her to him, not for Fleur to say. But she could help, just as she had promised.

“I zink she ‘as many zings to say, mon chéri , but you need to approach ‘er wiz tact. Difficult, I know, for an Eenglish brute, but eet is ze only way eet will work. Susan is a gentle soul.”

There was a long pause. “I’ll try my best tomorrow,” he finally said.

“Bien! Ze faster we do eet, ze better. I can’t keep Luna from walking around ze manor in ze nude forever. I swear zat girl ‘as no restraint unless we tie her up.”

“Says the one that likes to drink her morning coffee wearing latex panties and nothing else.”

She giggled, moving her hand across his groin. “I’ve never ‘eard you complain about it, mon cherí.” 

A few more teases and her hands were forced behind her, followed by the exquisite sounds of metal cuffs being closed around her wrists. She licked her lips and grinned. They could worry about Susan tomorrow. Tonight, in the privacy of Harry’s room, she was going to enjoy herself.

Dawn greeted Susan with the gentle chirping of robins. The warmth of summer soothed her body, which spent the majority of the year on the Scottish highlands. As she drew open the windows, the fragrance of young roses and ancient oaks filled her lungs and with a smile, she decided that today was the perfect day for a picnic.

Opting for a red sundress, Susan made her way downstairs and went straight to the pantry to begin what had become her daily routine. 

She didn’t take long to get used to the Manor’s kitchen. It had everything that she could hope for, even more so than at Bones Manor. Her happiest memories since childhood had been made by helping Meepy with dishes, and despite the lack of company, her heart was full as she lit the fires to start cooking.

Harry liked his traditional breakfast of eggs, sausage, beans, and toast, with a side of oatmeal and fruit. For lunch he loved his meat, and had taken a liking to her shepherd’s pie. Lots of calories, but he always burned through them with his active lifestyle. He wasn’t big on sweets, but every other day he would spoil himself with a bit of treacle tart.

In contrast, Fleur always had a light breakfast of croissants, sometimes spread lightly with jam or butter. Coffee was a must! Susan made sure to only use the beans from France and brew it with a recipe she found from a Victoire Potter. For lunch and dinner Fleur liked more filling dishes, though just from seeing her at Hogwarts she clearly disliked greasy or fried foods. Seafood was her favorite, not something that Susan was big on herself – her palate agreed more with Harry than Fleur – but she was willing to experiment for Fleur’s sake.

Luna didn’t seem to be overly picky about foods, so long as there was pudding for dessert. She never failed to pick her plate clean.

She placed the plates and utensils first, and brought out the trays of food to set them at the table. As soon her ears caught the sound of the door opening – Harry coming back from his morning run – and excited bare feet rushing down the stairs – Luna preferred to go shoeless – Susan hid from sight until they both entered to eat.

While Harry and Luna ate their breakfast, Susan climbed back the stairs and entered their rooms to do some cleaning. Harry and Luna were thankfully tidy, Fleur less so, though nothing too bad. Besides, her closet was always closed for some reason. Susan didn’t think much of it, just left the clean clothes near the door when it was washing day.

Susan didn’t mind doing all the housework. She had even come to enjoy cleaning and cooking. It helped to keep her mind off things, and hopefully made her less of a bother.

Normally she would eat her meals in the kitchen or in the scullery to not discomfort the others. But the sun was so beautiful today, and the flowers were in full bloom. She decided to not waste it. So as soon as she was done setting the table for lunch, Susan grabbed a picnic basket with a couple of sandwiches, sliced fruit, and pumpkin juice, and set out towards the manor grounds.

She took her time around the gardens, where the flowers were fully bloomed, their petals dancing with the breeze, and walked past the greenhouse and the stables, until she reached the edge of the woods. 

Susan had dipped her feet inside the trees for the last few days, curious to see more of Harry’s land, but scared that she might get lost. Survival training was not something she was versed in and just looking at the Forbidden Forest during the nights at Hogwarts had given her a healthy fear of nature.

‘But I need to start being brave now.’ All it took was the first step for Susan to begin her trek, though it soon became apparent that she was following a small trail. It both relieved her that it was safe enough for others to travel through and dismayed her that her small act of bravery became even less significant.

Opting to focus on the life around her, Susan let her lungs be filled with the fresh air of the woods as the sounds of birds, squirrels, and even a few foxes reached her ears. On and on she continued, the worries being left behind for the moment. There was peace in this place, a little world where nothing seemed to matter. Eventually she made it into a lovely clearing where a bed of lily flowers grew beside a fallen log, the perfect place to rest and fill her stomach.

As she took a first bite out of her sandwich, Susan allowed herself to escape from everything, even if for just a fleeting moment, one in which neither her betrothal nor the Dark Lord mattered, only the lilies gently blowing in the wind, and the small family of hares that left as quickly as they came.

But even in this place the peace scattered into the wind, and once again Susan felt the entire weight of the world crashing into her. How? How could she deal with this? What exactly was she meant to do?

“The Wrackspurts are fuzzing all over your brain.”

“Eeek!” Susan jumped from her place, turning around before falling on her behind. Her heart calmed down when she saw that it was only Luna Lovegood.

“Luna! I mean, Miss Lovegood…”

The blonde gave a dreamy smile. “You said my name right the first time. I prefer that one. It’s the one mum gave me.”

“I… very well, L-Luna,” replied Susan with a slight stutter. “You may call me Susan as well.”

The blonde gave a hum of approval and looked towards the sky. Her pale blonde hair was tidier than the previous years at Hogwarts. She was wearing a thin sleeveless white dress that ended just below her knees, and no shoes to speak of. The Ravenclaw often went barefoot even at Hogwarts. An odd girl, Susan thought.

“Is there anything that brought you this deep in the woods?” Susan asked, trying not to sound inquisitive.

Luna didn’t seem to be threatened by the question. “To meet friends,” she answered. “But I will admit I didn’t quite expect to meet one of the human variety.”

Susan tried not to make a face. An odd girl indeed.

“Do you want to come?”

“Umm…” Cleaning her dress after pushing herself off the ground, Susan fidgeted around with the dress and picked up her picnic basket. “I… guess I could accompany you.”

The blonde grinned and continued on the path, with Susan trailing right behind her, finishing her food on the road. On and on they went until her legs began to get sore. Her sandals were not meant for trekking either, and she could tell that blisters would be forming soon at the rate they were going. Not once did she think about stopping, though. It wouldn’t be fair to complain and be a bother.

“Don’t you get hurt?” Susan asked to break the overwhelming calm of the woods. Luna turned back and gave her an odd look. “Your feet, I mean. Aren’t you worried you’ll step on a sharp rock and hurt yourself?”

Luna shook her head and raised one of her feet. The sole was not only fine, but completely spotless as well, like she had just recently washed them.

She tapped the wand tucked behind her ear. “It’s just a charm I made. It doesn’t protect against the cold, though.”

Susan widened her eyes. Making your own spells, even one so simple, was no easy feat. The impressions she’d gotten from the rumor mill at Hogwarts was that Luna Lovegood was a dimwit, constantly one step away from raving lunacy. Susan should’ve known better to trust gossip after the Chamber incident. Odd as the blonde was, the Hat had placed her on Ravenclaw for a reason.

“I see. Why go through the trouble, though? Isn’t it more comfortable to wear shoes?”

“You can learn twice as much if you leave your feet bare.” Her toes scrunched on the soil. “I can tell that this place is ancient, and fertile. Magic is strong here. Has been for thousands of years.” She gave her a serious look. “It’s also going to rain soon. There should be mushrooms to forage next week. I like mushrooms… not as much as pudding, though.”

Susan hid her smile. Luna Lovegood was a truly odd girl, but a charming one nonetheless.

“Do you want to try?”

“Huh?” Susan snapped back to the present.

Luna had taken hold of her wand. “Want to try the spell? It’ll be more comfortable than those sandals.”

Susan bit her lip and looked at the wand with a healthy amount of skepticism. Experiences with spell experimentation among her classmates tended to have catastrophic consequences, and here in the woods there were no professors to intervene if the worst were to happen. At the same time, it’d be hypocritical for her to say she didn’t do some experimentation herself, mainly with healing spells. Much like Luna, she tried them on herself before she used them on animals or friends.

Saying no might come off as unpleasant, and she had caused too much trouble already.

“I guess I could try it,” she said, voice more timid than she wanted it to be.

The blonde did not seem to care. With a smile and twirl of her wand, a blue light flew from the tip. Susan let out a giggle as she felt a light tickle over her feet. As Luna looked on expectantly, she took off one of her sandals and stepped on a broken twig. To her surprise, while she did feel the pressure of the pointy parts of the stick, there was no pain, nor were there any marks.

“This is pretty impressive,” she said after they had walked further. “I’m sorry… I didn’t know you were capable of something like this. Should’ve known better than to trust what others might say about you. I probably should’ve talked to you before making judgements, shouldn’t I?

“Sometimes I want to talk, but you always run away from us.”

Susan recoiled with wide eyes. Well… that was blunt . Not in a rude manner either, but in complete sincerity despite the dreamy voice.

“I–”

A sharp cry shattered the wooded silence.

Susan felt as though her heart would leap out of her mouth as she frantically turned her gaze throughout the woods, trying to find the source. It must’ve belonged to a large creature. A second cry blared against her ears even louder, but this time there was a shadow blocking the sun. Her eyes turned to the sky to see a massive winged creature diving to their position. With a yelp, she ran towards a large tree and hid behind it just as it landed in front of an unperturbed Luna.

Daring to peek despite her heart threatening to burst, Susan saw the creature carrying itself on all fours. Its wings and front legs were like those of a giant eagle, the same as its head with a dangerously sharp beak. At first she thought it was one of the legendary griffins, but the rear was that of a horse rather than a lion. 

Even if she hadn’t taken Professor Hagrid’s class, Susan could tell that the creature was a hippogriff. More than that, she had heard about the incident a couple of years past.

“Buckbeak?”

Luna nodded. “Harry helped to hide him after he was sentenced to be executed by the Ministry. He spent a year at Grimmauld Place. But I think he’s happier here.” Buckbeak chirped lightly, as if agreeing.

Susan remembered hearing about the incident with Draco Malfoy and how he had provoked the creature into attacking him, just so he could go to his father and call for an execution, later on bragging how the hippogriff’s head would decorate the Slytherin common room. The entire episode had been unbelievably cruel. She was glad Harry managed to save Buckbeak.

“You are free to hunt now, so I can’t spoil you too much anymore,” whispered Luna. The hippogriff squawked harshly. Susan flinched, but Luna just made a pout as she fished into her bag for a hunk of raw pork shoulder. “You are more skilled than you give yourself credit for. Food tastes better when you work for it.” She launched the meat into the air for the hippogriff to snatch and devour with its razor-sharp beak. 

The blonde’s silver eyes turned on Susan. “You should introduce yourself. Buckbeak would find it disrespectful if you just hide and stare.”

“Oh…” Susan bit her lip, shifting her feet as she slowly emerged from the tree. For the first time, she regretted not picking Care of Magical Creatures in her third year. Fear spread through her spine as Buckbeak’s orange eyes settled on her. ‘Be brave.’ Carefully she placed one foot in front of the other, breath trapped in her throat as she closed the distance between herself and this beautiful, dangerous creature.

“Keep eye contact… come closer… stop,” Luna said, and Susan froze on the spot. “Bow.”

Grabbing the skirts of her dress with shaking hands, Susan summoned every ounce of her willpower to not turn and run and tried her best to perform her practiced curtsy. After a long silence of Buckbeak staring at her with a blank haughtiness, he placed one scaly knee in front of him and made a bow.

Luna sent her a wide, dreamy grin. “Now you can touch him.”

From touch alone, Susan could tell that Buckbeak’s feather’s were tough, even as they felt like silk, almost as if it was a natural armor protecting its body. Oftentimes she had used her healing spells on animals whose fur and feathers was more a protection against the elements or flying than soft skin or fur. But the hippogriff was different, a powerful beast and apex predator, one that could easily end her life with the steel hard beak, and yet she was easily petting him like she would any other animal she’d helped.

“He acts mean at first, but he’s nice once you get to know him,” said Luna as she rested her head on the feathers. “He was raised in captivity, but now he needs to learn to live on his own. It’s hard not to spoil him.”

Susan took advantage of the calm to study the odd Ravenclaw. The girl lacked the idealized beauty that Fleur possessed in spades, not that it would ever be possible to compete with a Veela. She was also much shorter, smaller than even Susan, and with a less pronounced chest. To top it off, it didn’t seem like the younger witch even cared to enhance her appearance with intricate hairdos and makeup as was common in Hogwarts. Compared to Fleur, Luna Lovegood was almost plain.

But when she looked at her closely, with the sun’s light gracing her blonde hair, the way it shone made the straggliness matter little. Her small features also fit with her body, and her lips were always curled into a dreamy smile. But it was mostly the eyes, those silver orbs filled with curious mirth that made Susan realize why someone might fall in love with the Ravenclaw oddball. Standing there, with a majestic creature at her side and wearing nothing but a thin white dress in the middle of the woods – a vision straight out of Susan’s childhood fairytales – she transcended even the prettiest of witches.

Even ignoring that, she was cute, with an ever-present warm aura that made her at ease for the first time in weeks… since the last time she was with Daphne.

Memories of midnight hair drew a smile from Susan, but they were getting rarer with each passing day.

“Why don’t you ever show yourself?”

The question should’ve made her choke on her words, but the forgiving tone in which Luna asked it put her at ease.

“I just don’t want to be a bother,” Susan said simply.

Luna’s brows furrowed. “How are you a bother?”

Susan looked at her feet. “Well… Harry didn’t ask for me. He has you and Fleur, who can give him more than I ever could. I’m… in the way of you having a normal relationship.”

“You’re not a bother. The food you make is the best, and you help us a lot by tidying up… but we don’t really know you, even though we really want to. We haven’t had the chance to be friends yet. I’m quite sure there’s a lot that we can find in common.” Buckbeak squawked and retreated, leaving only her and Luna in the clearing.

The Ravenclaw looked at the sky. “I’m not much of a cook, and my chest is not as big as yours.” Susan felt her face flame up in an instant as Luna continued. “But I like to go on walks in the forest, and looking after the animals, and we’re both on the short side compared to Harry and Fleur. I’ve seen that you like yellow tulips the most. I prefer the daffodils. Do you think I could help you plant and take care of them?”

“I… would like that,” responded Susan. “But Harry and Fleur… I just don’t know how to approach them. Do they want me here? Do they even need me? How do I even approach them with… this whole betrothal matter.”

“Is there a need to talk about it? There’s still a long time for that to happen. I think Harry and Fleur would just like to get to know you.”

Susan gave a half-hearted nod. “There’s also another thing… I’m… kind of in a relationship right now.”

“Oh?” muttered Luna. “I’m sure Harry can understand if you want to be with someone else. All you have to do is marry him, right? Marriage isn’t for love, at least not for the pureblood families. Surely he will let you be with the one you want.”

‘She’s also going to be marrying Harry.’ Susan shook her thoughts. It wasn’t her place to reveal these things, but she could take the advice she’d been given. “Thank you… I’ll try to talk to Harry.”

She found him sitting by himself on the terrace, fully submerged in a book. Susan gathered her will and a small basket and silently walked up to him. If he noticed her then he didn’t show it, fully engrossed in an ancient text, seemingly about runecrafting. 

“Umm…” she finally muttered, palms digging to the wicker handle.

Harry’s head snapped to look at her, his shining green eyes widening. “Susan,” he breathed as he stood up. “I… it’s good to finally speak to you.” He grabbed a chair and offered it to her. “Please, sit down.”

Susan gave a small curtsy and a nod as she took her seat, placing the basket on the table. “Umm… I brought some treacle tart.”

Harry’s face brightened up, almost with childlike glee for a moment. Knowing him only as the strong Gryffindor that was mature beyond his years, it was charming to know something could bring out such warmth in him. 

Susan sliced a generous portion and served it to him with some clotted cream. They ate in silence, as Susan snuck  some glances at him. He had been good looking as a first year, and he’d only been growing increasingly handsome ever since, with the traces of his boyishness slowly being replaced with refined features. If she allowed herself some self-flattery, Susan had also grown from her chubby face into a heart-shaped one, and the extra weight was all going into the right places. Harry wouldn’t be so shallow, but it had to count for something, right?

With trembling lips, she dared to speak. “Sorry for not talking to you earlier.” She wanted to stop talking, but if she did she would never gather the bravery to speak again. “I… didn’t want to be a bother for you, Fleur, and Luna. I thought… I was just going to cause so many problems for you, and I would never want to do that.”

“Susan,” Harry finally said. “I want to say that I’m sorry if it feels like we’ve been distant from you. I… we thought it would be best to give you some time and space for yourself. It wasn’t our intention to make you feel like we’ve been excluding you.”

She nodded. “Thank you. All of this has been a lot to take in. I mean, I knew that I was always going to be a consort, no matter how much Auntie tried to shelter me from it. It’s one thing to know it’s going to happen, and another thing when it actually happens, though. Especially when it’s someone I consider a friend. You have something beautiful with Fleur and Luna. I don’t want to ruin that.”

Harry gave a nod. “I understand. It’s one thing to be prepared for it and it suddenly happens. I won’t sit here and tell you nothing has changed between us. You’re smart and know it’s a lie.” He took a deep breath. “But I do want us to have a good relationship. It saddens me to see you sad, and with no one to talk to. We were friends before, there’s no reason to change that now.”

Her shoulders lightened considerably at his words. It gave her enough bravery to look into his eyes and nod in agreement. “I would like to be friends again. With all of you… as for our betrothal…”

“There’s no need to talk about it right now if you don’t wish to. There’s still a long time for that part of our agreement needs to come true.”

“Thank you.”

Harry nodded again, with a smile this time as he finished his tart and went for another slice. “I have to say, best treacle tart I’ve ever had. When did you learn to cook like that?”

Susan felt a comforting warmth all over her body. “I’ve always loved to cook, even if the Bones elves made a fuss about it. It’s something that always calmed me since I was a child…” 

After nearly two hours of casual conversation, Susan picked up the empty plates and went back to the kitchen. Harry accompanied her to help her wash. Hopefully the sunset hid her heated face as she handed the clean dishes for him to dry. After dinner, she slept better than she had in months.

The following days were easier and livelier. Fleur would get up earlier to help her with breakfast, each giving the other pointers on particular dishes. She sat with the others during meal times. She preferred to listen than to talk, yet enjoyed the company all the same. With Luna, she would tend to the garden and the creatures that lived around the manor… the ones that actually existed, at least. Not that she had the heart to tell Luna when she was so sure Crumple-Horned Snorkacks could be hiding deep in the forests. Harry was the most busy of them all, but both of them made some time in the evening to have some tea and biscuits. It was during one of these moments that she finally conjured the bravery to touch the subject.

“Harry? I think… we should talk about it.”

Harry looked up from his book and into her. “Alright… let’s talk about it.”

Susan was thankful that Harry didn’t try to change the subject for her sake. She didn’t care to receive the overly protective treatment. She was a woman half grown now, and set to be married. It was time that she started to be seen as such.

“Have you decided what you want our relationship to be?”

She gave a slow nod. “I know this isn’t the normal way it should be done, but I do want to get closer to you. Even if our marriage is going to be a political one, I would very much like it if we could try to make it more than that. If… you would want me that way, at least.”

He flashed a gentle smile that made her heart skip. “I’m more than willing to try with someone like you.”

“Really?”

“Of course. Why wouldn’t I? You’re smart, kind, and get along great with everyone here. There’s still a lot of things we don’t know about each other, but what I’ve seen tells me you’re a wonderful person.”

Susan felt her heart flutter. Though similar compliments had been told before, to hear them coming from someone she deeply admired made them mean so much more. It made her believe, even for just a moment, that she wasn’t too worthless for Harry.

“Thank you,” she said, trying to prevent her voice from cracking.

His hand gently took hold of hers. It was larger than her own, and rough with callouses, but it also gave her a comfort she had been deprived of for months, as well as a sudden confidence to look deep into his green eyes and move her lips closer to his own. ‘The Gryffindor courage must be rubbing on me.’

The world around her stopped; her eyes focused only on Harry. It reminded her of a different time, and with a different person. One of the few times she had found the strength to fully open her heart. Her chest thumped as heavily as it did then, and time froze. As before, she closed her eyes and waited for the same passion she’d felt back then.

Daphne’s violet eyes flashed inside her mind and Susan pulled away just as quickly. Confusion danced in Harry’s eyes and it made her feel doubly awful. She couldn’t kiss him. Daphne was her lover. How could she even think about cheating on her?

‘He is your betrothed and you want him,’ said a part of her heart. ‘You are betraying Daphne,’ said the other part.

“I’m sorry,” she managed to gasp, a knot threatening to drown her words. “I… I…”

“Don’t worry,” said Harry, his tone so calm and reassuring that it made Susan feel even worse. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.”

Not wanting to look weak in front of Harry, and already feeling her eyes starting to get blurry, Susan excused herself and walked back to her room. She collapsed head first into her bed and hid her face on the goose feather pillows.

She felt awful, absolutely awful. How could she forget that she was already in a relationship? That she was already loyal to another? So much for Hufflepuff loyalty, when she couldn’t even stay true to the one who held and loved her when she needed it the most.

‘I’m not worthy of anyone’s love. Not Harry’s, and not Daphne’s.’

Harry sighed as he took a last look at his reflection. On his legs, he wore a pair of comfortable pants; above that, nothing at all. His face was freshly shaven as well, and had even tried to comb his hair out of the usual messiness. Before stepping out of the bathroom, he made sure to confirm that faint smell of deodorant. At the back of his mind, he thought that maybe he was preparing too much, but he put it aside just as quickly.

This had to be the best night for his little moon.

He stepped out of the door and quickly saw that Fleur was waiting for him. She was wearing gleaming latex panties along with a tight rubber corset that turned her already shapely body into an even more perfect hourglass figure. Her pale breasts were bare, seemingly bigger thanks to the corset. The only other thing she wore was her collar.

Beside her, on the bed, laid Luna.

Fleur had outfitted her with the leather harness, as well as her ankle and wrist cuffs, and the collar that was almost always around her slim neck. Added to that was a leather blindfold that covered her eyes, and the black rubber ballgag that she was lightly biting on while testing her restraints.

Fleur had bound the Ravenclaw to the end of the bed, with her wrists joined together above her head and pulled by a chain to a hook at the headboard. The chain had little give, and a short tug of her cuffed wrists would pull it taut immediately. Her small feet had been raised to the air, held by chains fastened from the bed’s canopy to her ankle cuffs and forced apart, leaving her sex completely revealed, if not for a single leather strap that connected to the rest of the black harness. Any attempt to close her legs was futile. Luna could only curl her toes and little else.

At his nod, Fleur crawled onto the bed, kneeling with both legs on either side of Luna’s head. She ran her hands on the blonde Ravenclaw’s body, lightly cupping her small breasts and pinching the hard nubs while Luna moaned through the ball. 

Harry stepped in front of her spread body and used his fingers to feel the suspended legs at his sides, dragging them slowly across the soft, pale skin. Luna began to breathe deeply. She had been bound countless times before, and touched in her most intimate places. Tonight, their passions would be pushed further.

Fleur’s fingers crawled from the excited nipples to the back of her head, where she fiddled with the straps securing the gag and blindfold. Silver eyes blinked at Fleur and at him with more seriousness than he’d ever seen.

“Little moon.”

“Master?”

“You know what we’re going to do tonight,” Harry said, his hands stopping all stimulation as Fleur adjusted the blonde’s head to look at him clearly. “Remember that there is no pressure in this. If you’re still unsure, just tell me.”

Luna bit her lip. Her silver painted toes were twitching, but not in the playful manner that she always did during their games. The movements were erratic, and soon her legs began to tremble as well, kept aloft only by the chains.

She turned her eyes to Fleur. “Mistress?” she asked, her voice oddly grounded. “Will it hurt?” Her voice was a whisper, carrying something Harry had never seen in Luna.

Fear.

Fleur cupped her face tenderly, catching her silver eyes with her blue. “Eet will at first,” she said, her thumb stroking Luna’s cheek, “and zen eet will feel good.” She offered the gag back to her lips. “Do you still want eet?”

Luna gave a shaky nod. “Yes… but I would like to see this time.”

Smiling, Fleur inserted the black rubber ball back into Luna’s waiting mouth but left the blindfold aside. Her hands cradled Luna’s head and helped her watch.

Harry fingers worked with the strap’s buckle until it sprang free and revealed Luna’s sex. It was so unbelievably pink and clean. She probably didn’t even touch herself without his permission. It was for him and him alone. The very thought made his member strain against his pants. Every instinct told him to pull down any barrier between his cock and her pussy.

Except for those concerned eyes.

Putting aside his instincts, Harry dropped to one knee in front of the bed, right between her legs. Gingerly, he dragged his finger over her slit, with Luna gasping the moment he touched her sensitive, rosy flesh. He went further, his digit pushing more instantly, teasing with increasing pressure while his thumb hovered lightly over her core, he flicked it lightly, and the blonde squealed. 

With a smile, Harry continued his ministrations, rubbing and flicking slowly, but never stopping. Luna’s gasped turned into moans; the pink flesh turned red, and his fingers became slick with her juices. After probing the entrance a few times, Harry raised his middle finger and carefully slid it inside Luna.

The blonde Ravenclaw may not have been as much a screamer as Fleur, but her voice filled the room all the same. He looked up to see an open-mouthed Luna, head still nestled between Fleur’s legs, and her toes curling and wiggling. Her silver eyes had long since abandoned any fear. Instead they were filled with pleasure.

His finger carefully began to explore inside. With every bit he slid in came a moan, and with every twitch or twist came a gasp. The sounds turned to squeals when he added a second finger, and then to screams when he added a third. Each time, he made sure to take it as slow as possible, always making sure that the entrance was slick for anything to slip through without any pain. All the while, his thumb gently pressed and toyed against the small bundle of nerves, the stimulation causing her whole body to twitch, only held in place by the tight restraints and Fleur holding her down.

Only once he saw Luna closing her eyes and moaning loudly, her body covered by a sheen of sweat, did Harry finally step back and withdraw his fingers. Luna twitched some more, legs pulling against the chains as she opened her eyes and looked at him in desperation. She wanted to climax, he knew, but he was not going to give it with his fingers.

Undoing his pants, Harry allowed his fully excited manhood to escape its confines, the red tip pointing directly at Luna. Lust began to turn his thoughts into a haze, and yet he still managed to keep control of his own impulses enough to watch Luna’s reaction.

Her eyes widened at the sight, her breath getting deeper and louder as he got closer. Harry placed the tip at the entrance, dragging it to collect more of her juices for easier access. He looked one final time to see if Luna would back out at the last second. Pearly white teeth clenched the rubber ball around her mouth, her toes were curled inwards, and her eyes were as wide as saucers. But it was not with fear this time, or even concern. There was only one thing burning in those twin silver pools.

Desire.

Harry leaned in and allowed the tip to enter slowly, stopping only when the moans turned to a sharp yelp. As his little moon clenched her eyes shut and bit deeply into the ballgag, he marveled at how absolutely tight her passage was. Even as wet as she was, his manhood was being squeezed harder than Fleur ever had, even during their first time. Luna was much smaller than Fleur, he remembered.

“You are doing so well, petite lune,” Fleur said, still supporting Luna’s head on her folded thighs, her fingers tenderly running through the pale blonde locks. She knew what was going on better than he ever could.

After several whimpers and some tears, along with a trickling of blood, Luna looked at him again. He lightly cupped her cheek, his thumb drying up the tears. He returned her smile with a soft, shaky nod.

As he carefully pushed himself deeper, the cries slowly began to turn once again into gasps and short, high-pitched moans. Fleur’s fingers returned to stimulating the blonde’s hardened pale nipples, adding even more squeals, especially when Fleur began to pinch them lightly. Harry couldn’t help but grin. His little moon was a bit of a masochist, after all.

It didn’t take long for Luna to reach her climax. The new experience had sent her tired body over the edge before he could even hilt himself fully inside her. He clenched his teeth as he slid himself off, still erect. He had focused himself completely on Luna and ignored his own libido all throughout. 

Upon seeing Luna’s dreamy, pleased eyes, though, all of his frustrations washed away. As Fleur undid the straps behind her head and pulled out the gag, the blonde gave one of her most sincere smiles and closed her eyes, nestling her tired head between Fleur’s legs.

“Thank you, Master.” With that, her body relaxed, completely spent.

Fleur giggled as she gently carried the Ravenclaw to the sleepsack that had been secured to the recamier earlier. Luna had told them earlier that she wanted to retreat back into her heavy leather sleepsack after everything was done. The slurred but happy moan as she was sealed inside only made Luna’s wishes clearer. Fleur wanted to be held after sex; Luna preferred her sensory deprivation. It made little sense to him, but he was here to please either way.

“That was different,” said Harry after Fleur finished tucking Luna in for the night.

Fleur smirked. “It’s not fun eef everyone is ze same, non? Our petite lune ‘ad fun ‘er first time. Zat’s what is more important for me, Maître.”

“Sure… just getting used to it, is all. Her being comfortable was the priority… but,” he looked at his still hard tool, “I probably should’ve stimulated myself before going in. I’m still used to our pace.”

“Which took us some time to figure out,” reminded Fleur as she crawled back onto the bed, the gag still in her hands. “Oh… are you zinking of going out frustrated tonight, Maître?” she shook her head with a playful grin. “ La petite lune ‘as gone to sleep, but your Fleur is still needy… and she wants eet rough .” She strapped the gag in place and charmed the cuffs to bind her just as Luna had been.

Harry chuckled as he gave a pat to Luna’s covered body before walking towards Fleur, his manhood pointed directly at her.

There was no need for restraint with Fleur. They had made love many nights now. No longer was it the awkward experimenting of a couple of nervous virgins, but the full passions of two increasingly experienced, perverted lovers. Fleur’s screams, loud as they were, were like a song to his ears as he fully relaxed himself inside her.

Both of them had enough energy to take a quick shower together and go to bed, making sure to check on a silently sleeping Luna before embracing each other beneath the sheets. Sleep did not come easy for him though, and by the feel of it, neither for Fleur.

“Susan and I tried to kiss today,” he finally said. “She… couldn’t do it. She didn’t tell me why, just ran off.” He sighed. “I don’t know what’s going on with her. Did I do something wrong? What am I supposed to do?”

“Maybe eet is time to tell ‘er the truth, non? ” 

He groaned. “Not this again…”

She mocked his groan. “Eef not now, when?” she demanded. “For ‘ow long do you zink you can continue lying to ‘er?”

“I’m not lying to her. I’m just not telling her the truth.”

“And how exactly is zat not lying?”

“One is malicious, the other is not.”

“And both ‘urt just ze same.”

“What should I tell her then?” asked Harry. “That I like to tie up and spank you and Luna until I see your white arse turn red?”

Fleur sighed. “Ze art of words ees truly lost on you savages, isn’t it? Tell ‘er zat all three of us are in love, and zat our relationship is beautiful. One in which you ‘ave a leading role, but we ‘ave our own say too. Tell ‘er about how you care for us and a way of showing zat is by being a dominating force, and our way of letting go is to submit. Show ‘er ze beauty of consensual domination and submission, and zat eet brings peace and ‘armony to our union. She will understand zat. After all, she fits ze profile, non ? Eef we use ze right words, she may even want to join us.”

“What do you mean?”

“She makes Luna seem dominant.”

“You know as well as I do that having a submissive disposal in public does not mean you’re fit for this kind of lifestyle. Would anyone guess that you’re sexually submissive with the way you act in public?”

“I know, but eet could be a sign, non?”

He looked at her seriously. “Beautiful, we are barely getting to know her, and already you want to bring our thing into the equation?”

Fleur let out a frustrated breath. “All I know is zat eet’s not fair.”

“You knew that staying with me wouldn’t be fair, or easy.”

“ Oui , but not because we lacked bravery to bring our own home into order. Zis is our place, mon amour. We should be able to do as we please.”

“And what do you want to do, beautiful?”

“I want to don my collar from dawn to dusk. I want to wear latex around the house. I want Luna to go naked in the garden. I want you to fuck me in ze middle of ze entrance hall. I want you to take me and Luna to ze forest and do eet like beasts, howling at the moon. I want you to take me to zat Ancestor’s room, tie me to ze altar, and say ‘You belong to me!’, and zen claim me, son of Ares! Claim me like one of your Sabine women!”

“I know, beautiful. Trust me, I want the same thing… well, besides  giving the ancestors a show.” ‘Knowing them, they’ll probably cheer me on, but still.’

“Zen tell ‘er.”

He took a deep breath. “It’s just not that easy.”

“You’re right. It’s not zat easy. Easy would be to keep it hidden. To lie to ‘er when we take our true pleasures wizout ‘er. To just keep her apart forever, blissfully ignorant about who you really are. Zat is what’s easy… but not what is fair. She’ll fall in love with a Harry Potter that isn’t Harry Potter. A mask, a mirage. Not ze real you. You can keep ze falsities for months, years even. But one day she will find out. She’ll know you lied to ‘er. What do you zink she will feel zen? To know zat you never fully trusted ‘er. Zat she was always unwanted. Zat you did not need her. Eet’s not fair, ‘Arry. Not fair for you, me or Susan. Tell ‘er ze truth. Make ‘er see ze real you.” 

She was right. Damn him for being attracted to brilliant witches, but she was right. He thought of Susan and the lies he would tell her. She didn’t deserve that.

“Alright,” he finally grunted. “We’ll tell her tomorrow. But… I’ll need your help, beautiful.”

“You’ve always ‘ad it, mon amour.”

They found themselves sitting in the living room the next day, Fleur and him sitting at one side of the tea table with Susan on the other. He could feel that Fleur was just as restless as him, and poor Susan looked like a terrified bunny surrounded by ravenous wolves. She was slightly comforted only when Luna skipped into the room and decided to sit next to the redhead. The blonde was the only one who had been completely confident when Harry told them of his plans for today.

“Susan,” Harry said, breaking the silence. “I think this is the first time all four of us have been together since our betrothal.”

The redhead swallowed. “It is.”

“I… we wanted to get together in this place so we could talk freely, without any fears or intimidations, with no prejudices or conditions. Is that something you are comfortable with?”

She gave a trembling nod. “I think so.”

“Relax,” said Fleur, with a comforting look. “We’re not children anymore. All of us are taking ze responsibilities of adults, so we best act like zem, non? But zat doesn’t mean we are to be ‘eartless. We know zat eet ‘as been ‘ard. For you and us. Zat’s why we are ‘ere to share what needs to be shared – to say what needs to be said.”

Susan’s posture relaxed. Gray eyes settled on twirling her tea, Susan spoke with a soft voice. “Well… I think you’re a great wizard, and you already have two witches that are worthy of you. Luna is kind and lovely, and Fleur…” she looked at the French witch, “you are so beautiful and brave and confident. With the two of them… I just don’t see how you could have a place in your heart… or your bed , for someone like me.”

Luna sharply shook her head, the ring on her collar tinkling. “That’s not true. Your breasts would make the most spectacular pillows.”

Harry held in his laugh as Susan coughed on her tea. 

“ ‘Arry ‘as a big bed, and a bigger ‘eart,” assured Fleur with a kind look. 

He nodded, “There is always room for more, especially someone like you.”

“Someone like me?” she asked, eyes fixed to the table. “A witch that can’t fight? That can’t even defend herself? A spineless coward who wouldn’t stand by your side even when you stood by mine? Someone as worthless as me?”

“No,” responded Harry. “A witch that will show kindness even to those that deserve little. Someone that would rather heal than destroy. A hard worker that always strives to better herself and learns from her mistakes. A witch that always thinks of others before herself… a beautiful, compassionate soul. When I accepted the betrothal, I was happy it was you, because you are already my friend… and I want you to be more.” He sighed. “But we just can’t be more… not until we tell you everything about us.”

Taking a sip of her tea, Susan concentrated on Harry with pursed lips. “You… you can tell me. I won’t betray you.”

“I know you won’t. Hufflepuff loyalty runs strong in you, Susan. That’s why we are having this talk. What we’re asking for is a little understanding… and an open mind.”

Susan gave a small smile. “I won’t judge you, Harry.”

“Just as we won’t judge you, and since I want you to be included in this. I want to know if you want us to start… or would you prefer to talk about yourself first? About why this has been hard for you?”

“I…” Susan closed her eyes and bit her lip. “I would like to start first… i-if you don’t mind, that is.”

“Our ears are open,” assured Fleur.

“Alright…” Susan’s face turned a deeper red, with her lips quivering, opening and closing her mouth again with the sound dying in her throat. They waited patiently until the words could come out.

“I… like girls,” she whispered before quickly adding, “I mean… I like them like I also like boys. Ever since I was growing up, there has been no difference for me.” She looked at Harry timidly. “For a long time I had fantasies with you,” she turned to Fleur guiltily, “but for the last year I feel the same way about you. Maybe it’s weird? Witches and wizards; wizards and witches. That’s the way it’s always supposed to be, right? But I feel like I can connect with both in emotional terms… and physical ones,” she finished and quickly took a large gulp of her tea, wincing at the burn.

“Eet’s not weird,” Fleur answered quickly with a smile. “I zink eet’s beautiful. You are not ze first woman zat ‘as looked at me wiz desire, but only a ‘andful want to really connect wiz me.”

Harry nodded. “I think it’s the only way it can work. If it was just me, there might be fights between the three of you. But if the love is mutual for all parties involved, there’s no need for conflicts. If you can connect with Fleur and Luna, it’ll make it more meaningful for all involved. No jealousy or judgements.”

Susan nodded. “And… there’s something else. I’m already in a relationship with someone. That’s why I couldn’t kiss you, Harry… I’m sorry.”

“No need to be sorry,” he replied. “Daphne, right?”

“Yes,” declared Susan with a blush. “Daphne and I… we’re together. Whenever I feel like getting closer to you, I’m also being unfaithful to her. That’s why I pushed you away. I want to be happy with you. All of you… but I can’t just leave her behind. She’s… very special to me.”

“I see.” Harry felt somewhat proud of Susan for not leaving her loved one behind. “That’s very admirable of you. The Hat was right to put you in Hufflepuff. Loyalty is not an easy trait, but you have it in spades.”

Susan smiled. “Thank you for understanding.”

“Of course, that’s why we’re here. Just because you want to share something with us doesn’t mean that you’ll leave her behind. It doesn’t have to be mutually exclusive. Daphne is… difficult ,” Fleur snorted and Susan giggled. “But I will try my best to have her fit with us, and she’ll have you to help her, and us. That means a lot.” He looked at her intently, capturing her eyes and not letting go. “So I want to ask, what do you want, Susan? Do you want to continue what we were doing yesterday?”

There was a long silence as Susan looked at her tea. “I…” Her gaze turned upwards to them. “I want to continue.”

Fleur and Harry parted, freeing space for Susan to come between them. “Then let’s continue. No regrets, no fears.” 

The redhead stood from her seat and silently walked to the offered space. Her back was stiff as a board as she sat between them and looked at Harry, stiffening even more when Fleur put a comforting hand on her shoulder. Eventually though, she began to relax when he took her hand and gave it a squeeze. She looked over to him with her gray eyes and began to close the gap between them.

The shyness was evident as soon as their lips met, but through the initial shock came an overwhelming need to feel more. After a few tries she opened her mouth and Harry let her explore him. Her lips were just as soft as he’d imagined, and she tasted like cinnamon and treacle tart. 

When Harry felt that Susan was comfortable, he took control. Gently but firmly, he locked his arms around her and slid in his tongue to claim her mouth. Surprise quickly gave way to surrender and Harry continued his conquest. She seemed happy to let him do the work, only contributing when it was necessary, yet never questioning his movements. One of his hands snaked upward until it rested against her crimson tresses, keeping her head in place.

The need for air was the only thing that made him stop, and he did so slowly. Harry opened his eyes first. Susan opened her own soon after. Her face turned red, not as furiously this time. More like a gentle rosiness in her cheek as she used her hand to hide a smile. Her eyes were filled with happiness.

“Eet’s my turn, mon chéri.” 

Fleur suddenly cupped Susan’s chin and turned it toward herself.  After a brief look between the two, the French witch captured the redhead’s lips. Susan widened her eyes at first, but closed them just as quickly, willingly submitting to Fleur’s advances. Harry was content to sit back and relax as he watched the spectacle of his first love passionately kissing his latest betrothed. He was surprised at how much he liked it. Not just in the way it was making his pants tighter, but also the warmth he felt at seeing the shy, beautiful witch he was starting to fall in love with being accepted to their bizarre lifestyle.

Fleur ended the kiss after some time had passed in silence. Despite the crimson hue on Susan’s face, she looked content. The smile, though small, was not fake anymore. He briefly debated about whether or not to continue with the truth. Should he, when she was comfortable and happy as she was? Would it not be better to hide it for a few more days?

No. Fleur had been right; it needed to be said. Any more and it would just be a deception. She had been honest with them, and it was time to be honest with her.

Harry nodded, to himself more than anyone, and cleared his throat. “Well… let’s start by saying that me and Fleur have been together for almost a year now. We didn’t really get along at first.”

“Eet was awkward,” Fleur interjected bashfully and Susan let out a gentle giggle. 

“But after several… unfortunate events,” his tone turned serious, “we found ourselves getting closer, and finding out that despite our differences, we had many similar interests. We were especially attracted to something that others might consider… weird. You can say it’s sexual, but that’s not the whole picture. It’s more of a lifestyle, a certain way to express ourselves both inside and outside the bedroom. Luna had similar interests – in her own way, of course – and she began to join us as well.”

Harry met Fleur’s eyes and nodded. “Come here, little moon,” he called out to Luna, who dropped the biscuit she was dipping into her tea and skipped towards them… and knelt at his feet. Harry gently guided her head to his lap, where he let it rest as he caressed the blonde tresses. Susan only looked at them with confused eyes. But she seemed intrigued, and looked at the way he was gently running his fingers through Luna’s hair with need.

The confusion ended when Fleur undid the scarf around her throat.

The collar was fastened tightly and proudly around her neck. She also stood up from her place on the couch and knelt beside Luna, placing her head on his other leg.

“These two,” Harry explained. “They are my loves… but they are also my submissives, and I am their dominant. Both have agreed to give up control to me, and I have accepted to shoulder that responsibility and respect the trust they have put in me. I don’t want to tell you everything we do, but this is the life we lead, in and out of the bedroom.”

Susan’s mouth parted slightly, and her eyes widened. She seemed torn between fear and confusion. Gray eyes look at Fleur and Susan, her face frozen. As he continued to pet their heads and comfort them, the redhead seemed to calm down, and even started to look at the three with curiosity… and even desire.

“This is a lot to take in,” Susan finally breathed out. “To be honest I thought you were the ones that were going to be, ah… weirded out by me being into girls. I didn’t think I was going to be the surprised one.”

“It’s a surprise to most people, I am sure,” said Harry. “And like I said before, there is no forcing anyone into this. Fleur and Luna have consented to this, and I do what I do with them in mind first and foremost. We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do, Susan. We’re just coming clean here. If you want me to stop and never talk about this again, then that’s fine. We can have something else if you want. And if you want nothing to do with this and only want to be with Daphne, you are free to do so.”

“No!” Susan blurted out. “I-I mean… I… it looks a bit scary for me. All of it looks so intimidating.” She started to twiddle with her thumbs. “But… I want to make all of you happy. I want to be a part of your relationship. Me and Daphne, when she comes here.  Everything has always been scary for me, but I don’t want to be afraid anymore.”

Her eyes finally left the ground and looked at him with a sincere bravery he’d never seen in Susan.

“I’ll do it.”

Harry nodded with a smile. This was such a big step for her, one that he would need to be careful about. Fleur and Luna had been naturally drawn to the lifestyle, but he needed to show the best of it for Susan. 

“I promise I’ll take care of you.”

Here with another chapter. Over a year after the last one. The good news is that I managed to finish my Masters. All that’s missing is to defend my thesis, but for all intents and purposes, it’s done. Hopefully that means I get new time to write, but I’m also essentially juggling two jobs these days.

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Until next time!

The Metal Sage