Metamorphose Chapter 10
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor do I make any profits from posting this fanfiction.
Summary: Non-Epilogue compliant. After the war groups of disgruntled Wizards and Witches terrorise England's magical nation, sending them to the brink of civil war and a war against the Creatures. Harry is in Gringotts when one terrorist faction attack causing Harry and other survivors to go into hiding. There is an interested repercussion of te potion they use to hide themselves and now Harry finds himself stuck in a foreign country, with people he doesn't know and living in a style he has never even dreamed to imagine.
Warnings: Gender change. Fem!Harry…after a potions accident. Name changes for characters. Hurricane Sandy (use of artistic licence over the damage it wrought)
Pairings: LM/HP. DM/AG. RW/HG.
Authors Note: And so we get to the revenge. No doubt you are expecting something flashy and extravagant…I'm truly sorry to disappoint. It will be public, and as Tori states later it is the best way to say 'up yours' to the 'De Vils'.
March 11th.
"Henrietta have you decided whether you would like to come to the Masque Ball tonight?" Lucas asked over dinner. Henri took her time to chew her piece of bread before answering.
"I suppose I could go." She relented. "Tori will be going. She got invited by her current boyfriend. She thinks he just wants some eye candy on his arm but she said she wasn't about to turn down the invitation. I won't be alone if I go and you have people to talk to."
"I assure you I shall not leave your side if that is your wish. At some point I shall need to carry out my plan however that shall only be a brief period of time then I can re-join you once more."
Oh yes, the plan. Lucas had planned to give the Van Der Burghs a bit of a telling off though Henri didn't know how he was going to do it. This had been on the cards since their fencing duel and Lucas had remained ever secretive about what was within his plans. The only thing he shared was that it would be witnessed by many in high society, it would not be illegal or immoral and that he was going to carry it out during the masque ball.
"Then I'll come." Henri sighed and glanced at the watch around her wrist. The slender rectangular clock face telling her it was approaching one o'clock. "I don't have long to buy a dress though. What time does the ball start?"
"We have to arrive there for seven o'clock." Lucas informed her and Henri nodded. She'd check the high street shops and see what she could pick up. As for a mask, well, if push came to shove and she couldn't find anything then she could at least transfigure one.
"I better get going then." Henri picked up her spoon and started eating her soup.
"Before you go I have something to show you." Lucas said enigmatically. Henri frowned but nodded. She just hoped that whatever it was he had to show her wouldn't take too much time. Dress shopping was a horribly long and tedious process, clothes shopping was far easier.
After lunch Henri went upstairs and collected her bag with her debit cards inside then found a jacket. She had just finished slipping on her boots over her skinny jeans when Lucas knocked on her door and entered her room.
"Do you have a minute to spare?" He asked though puzzlingly he had a smirk on his face.
"Yes." Henri sighed and wiggled her foot inside her boot to make sure they were comfortable.
"Come." Was all that Lucas said and turned to walk out of the room. Feeling rather impatient but resigned Henri followed him along the hallway and into his room. She hadn't been inside his room before and the door was always shut when she passed it. The room was tastefully decorated with rather antique looking bits of furniture all matching with their dark woods and carefully hand crafted designs. There were intricate details carved into handles or the faces of the cupboards and drawers. There were two chaises and a decorative bench stood proudly at the foot of the bed with three similarly sized boxes sat on it. In a complete contrast to the dark words, the colour scheme in the room consisted of very pale greens and whites. The duck-egg green colours gave the room a bit of colour and warmth while the clinical white gave the impression of a strict, no-nonsense person. There were pillows adding more colour to the room, a darker green or a warmer brown. There was a huge rug in the centre of the room and the small table and chairs by the wonderfully large windows were encased in a bubble of light making their soft green furnishings look incredibly inviting. The antique theme to the furniture was modernised by the crisp, clean white as well without losing the traditional antiquated theme, while the duck-green gave it that softer transitional feel to the colour scheme, a bridge between antique and modern.
The bed itself was a gigantic piece of furniture that dominated the room with its character rather than its size. It was larger than a king sized bed, far larger, and it had three normal sized head pillows at the top of it with decorative pillows resting on top of the light coloured covers. The bed had tall posts at each corner reaching up to just higher than Henri was tall. The posts had small acorn-shaped bulges near the base of each then another small acorn ending in intricate carving designs in a frieze just above that. Then there was a long smooth piece of wood reaching up several feet till it came to another small water droplet shape above that which petered off in a dull point at the top. The most brilliant bit of the bed however was the beautiful headboard. Wooden and metal scroll work intertwined in an elaborate, intricate design with small leaves and flowers that glittered in varying metallic colours. There were parts in the scrollwork that glistened when the light caught them and reflected back a rainbow of colours leaving Henri in little doubt that there were some cleverly embedded jewels in the design too.
Lucas crossed the room to a door at the far end which had a pale duck-egg coloured curtain held back over the door by a silver-white hold back. He opened the door and reached inside to light the light switch. He beckoned Henri over so she tore her eyes from appreciating the wonderful decoration to his room.
Once she entered the room Lucas had beckoned her into Henri stopped completely still and watched in shock as Lucas undid the bags around three stunning dresses. Once he'd taken the protective covers off the dresses he stood back and gave her a small smile.
"I hope you don't mind however I took the liberty of arranging for some dresses to be purchased on your behalf. I considered that you hadn't yet found a dress for the ball and, despite not knowing whether you would be attending, I instructed a personal shopper to purchase these for you. The personal shopper came back with a dress I did not like therefore I instructed a few different personal shoppers to purchase dresses in the hopes of finding one suitable. I took the liberty of narrowing the number of dresses down to three for you to choose from. I hope you find them suitable however if you do not like them you may of course shop for your own dress and I shall return these to their shops."
"Oh my gosh!" Henri whispered completely amazed. She looked between the three dresses with adoration. As a boy she had never cared much for what others wore, or indeed what she had worn. Harry was used to jeans, t-shirt and jumpers with robes as a must in school. Henri however had grown used to more feminine things and her career and friends had inspired a true appreciation for dresses and clothes and, indeed, enhancing how one looked with make-up and the smaller details. She knew more about cuts that suited her, colours that looked great against her skin and designs that showed her off. Henri also knew how it felt to wear something truly splendorous and made with exquisite care and attention to making a masterpiece. Modelling had taught her so much and she knew that the dresses before her were pieces of art.
The dresses were all different colours though they were similar in design. The first dress was a brilliant red, the second was black and a sort of grey-tan colour, the last dress was seafoam.
"Wow Lucas!" Henri said.
"Have a look, see if there is one in particular you wish to try on."
Henri looked over the dresses again, where should she start? If one of those dresses fit her then she wouldn't need to go shopping. They were full haute couture dresses, hand crafted to look perfect, hand crafted to fit perfectly. Would they fit her?
Henri walked over to the black and grey-tan dress. It was her least favourite to look at but as she approached it she got to appreciate the finer details of it. It was an Elie Saab dress and it was mostly black but changed to a grey-tan colour at the bottom. The dress had black net and bead flowers seemingly growing from the shoulders and waist all over the rest of the dress thinning out only into long sparse trails of vines and flowers down into the skirt of the dress. There was a thin belt around the waist, just below the rib cage that helped give the dress more definition. The dress came up to the neck in a narrow circle, the thick black of the flowers providing cover for the chest and hips. The flowers grew down into the wide floor length skirt and instead some lighter beaded grey-tan coloured leaves decorated the material. The material looked like it should hang stiffly to the floor, the material folded and compressed when it couldn't just hang, but to touch the material was soft.
Henri liked it but it was rather too full for her taste. She moved onto the sea foam dress. That one looked delicate and even on the hanger Henri could see it looked like water. The dress was made by designer Monique Lhuillier. The sea foam lace asymmetric gown had a draped tulle overlay and shoulders. The main dress started at the bust, covering the essentials and staying boned and form fitting to the waist where the tulle loosened out giving the dress a flow as if it were in fact water. The effect was beautiful and Henri knew the dress would look beautiful on.
Still, Henri moved to look at the red dress and as she stood before it Henri knew that this was the one she wanted the most. Abed Mahfouz had created a truly stunning red dress. It was form fitting to her chest and waist only fanning out loosely from hips with a see through fine net material still in red but the material seemed to have glistens of gold too. It was a wide slit neck at the top with a wonderful beaded section around the collar bones then down the sides of the ribs. The bust was a gentle v-shape and no skin was left uncovered by the dress except the arms which were completely exposed from the shoulder. It was stunning.
"Ah, Gryffindor red." There was humour in Lucas' voice and Henri turned and gave him a reproachful look.
"That's not why I like it." She corrected and Lucas bowed his head in concession though there was still a smirk on his lips.
"Is that your choice then?"
"Um…if it fits?" Henri questioned and answered all at the same time. Lucas nodded.
"Then I shall leave the room now and give you a moment to try it on." He did as he said he would and Henri waited a moment, almost disbelieving what was happening. A few long seconds after the door had closed Henri turned back to the dress and started to peel off her clothes so she could try it on.
It took a little negotiating to figure out how to undo the dress and how to do it up again once it was on. Henri eventually got into it and turned to look at the mirrors over the back of the door. Her reflection stared back at her with a querying look that quickly morphed into amazement and adoration. Henri looked wonderful! The dress fitted perfectly, except for being too long because she was barefooted. It hugged in all the right places showing off the shape she had inherited with the change in gender. Her slenderness, which usually caused her problems getting clothes, was perfectly complimented in the dress. It was seemingly made for a size zero to size two. Henri could imagine herself walking into the Yule Ball in fourth year dressed in that dress and she would have fitted in perfectly. The fit was lovely, the colour amazing and the detail breath-taking. Would she fit in at the ball that evening though?
She walked carefully over to the door of the room so she could show Lucas and see what he thought of the dress. To see if the older man thought it was suitable for the masque ball. The door swung open and Henri turned her eyes to Lucas who stood and then stared at her.
"Well, you are a truly marvellous sight Henrietta." His voice had a tone of reverence and the look in his eyes brought an involuntary blush to Henri's face. She looked down at the dress, the stare making her feel self-conscious for some reason. Still, she couldn't stop the smile blossoming over her face.
"Is it okay then? I can wear this tonight?"
"Absolutely. No other dress could possibly compare to this dress." Lucas said slowly and with a deep resonating tone to his voice. "However, I do not think the look is complete yet."
Henri looked down at herself, what could he possible mean? Because nothing else was going to get in her dress, the bodice was skin tight as it was. She looked up to Lucas who was walking over to the decorative bench at the end of his bed. He looked down at the three boxed sat there then picked up the one on the left. He opened it and looked inside before shaking his head and putting it down. Instead he picked up the box on the right, opened that to check what was inside it and smiled. He pulled the lid completely off and turned back to Henri. He walked over slowly then held the box out so she could see what was inside.
It was a pair of Christian Louboutin sling back sandals. They were gold with gold strass embedded suede swirls over a clear almost plastic like material that held the foot in the shoe. There was a strap around the heel of the shoe and the stiletto heel was at least four inches if Henri had to guess. The sole of the sandal was a bright red leather, something Henri had noticed that particular designer used almost like a signature. The designers name was written on the heel...the very high heel. At least wearing that shoe Henri would gain the extra height needed to make the dress completely work for her.
"These were bought specifically for the dress." Lucas said and held the box out for Henri to take. She took it from him and ran a finger over one of the gold swirls going down the side of the sandal. "I also personally purchased this in the event that you chose that dress."
Lucas brought out another box this time it had no designer's name on it. He lifted the lid and Henri found herself face to face with a mask. It was a venetian mask with a silk ribbon. It was all done out in gold with small red jewels around the eye and decorating the piece in small clusters to make flowers similar to the beading on the red dress. The mask would cover Henri's cheekbones up to her mid forehead. It was a stunning piece of craftsmanship and if Henri wasn't mistaken there was a small cluster of jewels making a runic shape. Henri touched it carefully, reverently and curiously.
"That is to ensure protection to the person wearing the mask. Call it added help to conceal an identity should you wish to hide."
"It's stunning!" Henri said in awe. "It's beautiful. All the clothes, they are all beautiful. Thank you, I'll pay you back for them."
"Nonsense. Do not say such things. These are gifts."
"Gifts?! But it all must have cost a fortune!" Henri spluttered completely astonished. She stared at Lucas hard, he couldn't possibly mean for her to accept everything for nothing could he?! Lucas gave her a steady look, the seriousness in his eyes boring into her and searing the man's words into her soul.
"They are my gift to you. I will accept nothing for them except you by my side this night." He said and Henri couldn't utter a word beneath the heavy gaze. She found herself nodding and voiceless. It took several long minutes for her to regain her voice.
"Thank you." She croaked. "I'm looking forward to wearing them tonight."
"Excellent. Then I shall leave you to change back into your day clothes. Perhaps you would join me for a game of chess?"
"Of course." Henri nodded.
A few hours later found Henri and Lucas in their car with Wells driving them to the Masquerade Ball. Henri fidgeted in her dress and touched her mask once again to assure herself it was in place. It was, of course it was. She hadn't felt it slip and she had used spells to ensure it would stay there. She let her hands drop into her lap again and started rubbing at her forearms in agitation, nervousness and boredom.
There was a deep chuckle next to her then a large, warm hand landed over hers and strong fingers wrapped around her hand encasing it. "Calm down."
"Easy for you to say." Henri whispered back and looked at Lucas. He was in a black suit with a three quarter length jacket, a normal length jacket, a waist coat and a shirt and tie. Most of the suit was black except the waist coat which was a bright ruby red colour matching Henri's dress. The man also wore a black mask complete with some red jewels like Henri's had only his jewels outlined the outside edge of the mask. It was also tied in place, the ribbon a golden colour which hid amongst the curling blonde strands of the man's hair.
"It should be easy for you to do." Those blue eyes looked calmly at Henri. "You are masked, that allows a certain amount of freedom."
At those words both Henri and Lucas flinched memories of a previous type of mask crossing both of their minds. Lucas sighed then gave a self-depreciating laugh, the tone in the car darkening a little.
"That was a terrible choice in words." He said and looked out of the window with an angry set to his jaw. Henri swallowed and touched her mask again. Lucas was trying to cheer her up but unfortunately for the man it had gone wrong. Henri closed her eyes briefly and steeled her determination. When she opened them again she reached across and took Lucas' hands getting the man to look at her.
"The mask hides that I am me, the person all those people bullied and put down. They won't know I am there and it should allow them to interact with me without the biasness the Van Der Burghs instilled in everyone. I should have some freedom from them while wearing this." Henri said, trying to give meaning to Lucas' statement from earlier and dismiss the memory of death eaters.
"Exactly." Lucas remarked, a grateful smile on his lips. Henri smiled back and squeezed Lucas' hand briefly before pulling her hands away.
"I guess I'm just worried about how tonight is going to turn out. You haven't told me your plan and I don't know if…" Henri paused. What had she been about to say? She didn't know what? What Lucas was planning to do? That was true. Didn't know if Lucas was honest about his reasoning for tonight. True again. Didn't know if Lucas was honest about getting revenge for her…and not against her? Ah. Maybe it was all an elaborate plot. Get her to the ball and then he could join in on her humiliation. No. No! He wouldn't, he couldn't. Lucas was rarely completely honest with anybody and he was the most accomplished liar Henri had ever known except Snape. However, Henri believed him. Henri saw honesty in all of Lucas' actions and words recently and knew he wouldn't turn against her.
"On my honour and my magic I do so swear to stand by Henrietta Black, I give her my allegiance and my strength, my wand and my mind." Lucas said and Henri once again found her hand encased by a larger, stronger one. She looked up at the glittering clear sky blue eyes that shimmered with the honesty and conviction of those words. She nodded and curled her fingers gripping Lucas' hand slightly.
"I guess I'm easy to read huh?"
"You, my dear, wear your emotions clear for me to see. However, had I not been watching so closely I assure you I would not have noticed." Lucas' words were meant as an assurance and said with humour. Henri felt herself smile, enjoying the joke, but there was something in his words that made her pay closer attention to him. She wasn't sure what it was that he said that made her so alert but Henri found herself watching him for the next few minutes trying to puzzle out the secret within his words. She was sure she was missing something but she wasn't sure what it was. His eyes only gave away his honesty, admiration, respect and cordiality to her, it gave no hint to the secret he was hiding only that there was a secret.
They arrived at the masque and there were a few tasteful banners and posters up announcing that the Masque Ball in honour of Unnamed Heroes. Lucas climbed out of the car first then held a hand in to offer Henri some help out of the vehicle. She checked her mask was in place and that her makeup was still perfect, which of course it was thanks to a couple of handy charms. Then she took his hand and climbed out of the car balancing slightly precariously in her high heels before getting accustomed to their feel. There was a red carpet laid out leading into the building and as Lucas and Henri walked along it flashes of cameras went off.
They walked up the steps and into the doors of the magnificent building which were opened by a bouncer who took Lucas' name before letting them in, since Lucas claimed that Henri was his plus one. The wide corridor had columns decorated with lights and floral arrangements that lead them down the corridor then around a corner into a gigantic side room well suited for the ball. There were scores of people already milling around, if Henri had to guess a number she'd say there were already about a hundred people present. Since there were about thirty tables, each able to seat an even ten people Henri could easily see that there were a great many people yet to arrive. Lucas checked a chart to find their table and they made their way to the far right of the hall, carefully meandering their way around the people waiting around and chatting.
They were waylaid several times by people wanting to talk to Lucas and enquire after who Henri was and where she got her dress. Henri politely spoke to them, using a polite easy smile she reserved for designers she didn't like and politicians and idiots at the Ministry.
Twenty minutes after arriving Henri saw a young tall woman with white-blonde hair that was twisted in elegant ringlets all around her masked face. She wore a dramatic black dress that had semi-sheer mesh panel inserts which made the seemingly conservative dress look nearly indecent as the sheer panels on the legs slit straight up to the top of the thigh. When the woman walked around one of the circular tables Henri could see that the dress had a very low scoop back and a floor sweeping train. The woman waved to her then scurried in a fashion that would have been running had the woman not been in ridiculously high heels. Henri sighed and stood up as the woman reached her wondering who it was.
"Hetty! Oh you look gorgeous!" The woman squealed, actually squealed, then pounced on Henri in a hug complete with a kiss to her cheek.
"Tori!" Henri grinned, relief flooding through her at her best friend being at the party. "You made it."
"Of course I did. I wouldn't miss this for the world. Do you like my dress? It's a Jovani! I wanted a black dress because I already had this mask." Tori pointed to her white mask with black decorative swirls and fake jewels. Tori struck a pose then moved and struck another one then a third looking ever the model she was designed to be. Henri laughed and Tori stopped. "You look amazing! Where's that dress from? When did you get it and why wasn't I invited shopping?"
"It's an Abed Mahfouz dress. Lucas bought it for me." Henri confessed and gestured to the man who was stood behind her silently watching the exchange between friends. Tori glanced over to him and gave a slightly cold smile.
"You two made up then?" She asked with no tact at all but the brutal honesty in her expression made Henri smile.
"Yes we have. You should thank him actually. He helped ensure I did nothing but rest last week." Henri grossed and Tori grinned at her.
"Anybody else would love the chance to laze around in bed. Still." Tori took a step to the side and thrust her hand out to Lucas. "Tori Woodin, Hetty's best friend, model extraordinaire and ex-cheer captain."
If Henri hadn't seen first-hand what being an ex-cheerleading captain could mean then she would have wondered at the introduction. As it was on a night out somebody had tried to pick a fight with one of the girls in their group. With very little encouragement Tori had hoicked up her skirt, done some dance move followed by a very high kick which had caught the other girl in the cheek. The girl had fallen to the floor and Tori had made a huge fuss over being a bit drunk and hadn't been watching where she was going when she was practising her cheerleading moves. The girl had gone home with the aid of her friends because her cheek had already started to bruise and swell.
Lucas gave Tori a small smile, took her hand and raised it to his lips to give her a kiss to the knuckles. Then he released her hand and stood tall once again.
"Lucas Mercury. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance Miss Woodin. I have heard a great deal about you, all excellent things naturally."
"Well of course. I am awesome after all." Tori boasted and flicked her platinum blonde hair out of her face though it wasn't out of place to begin with. Henri smirked a little as Lucas went momentarily stiff at the use of the word 'awesome'. He hated that word.
"Where is your date Tori?" Henri asked, changing the subject. Tori glanced behind her and gestured airily back in the direction of the door.
"Oh, he's over there somewhere. I left him when I saw this beautiful person in your plus one seat." Tori said nodding to Lucas. She then reached out and fingered the long waves Henri had pinned back so they only draped down her back. "You're hair grows so fast!"
"Yeah." Henri agreed. She'd used a hair lengthening potion that you applied directly to the scalp. The longer you left it there before washing it out then the longer the hair grew. Henri had been able to add a few inches on then made her hair so wavy that it didn't notice so much.
"You know, you look so pretty in a dress. I keep telling you that! But now Summer is coming there's no way you are going to escape wearing dresses every day. I'm telling you, I'll get you in dresses every day even if I have to come to your house and get you dressed myself. Doesn't she look good in a dress Lucas?" Tori babbled then didn't give Lucas enough time to do anything other than open his mouth to begin a reply. "See? He thinks you look gorgeous too. If Kanye was here he'd think you looked amazing too. Ooooh! There's a new designed come to the offices. He was looking through the portfolios to choose models for his new line. You and I have been chosen to take part in a test photo shoot. More camera testing." Tori rolled her eyes. "Still, chances are we will be chosen to represent his company. He's looking for permanent models for his brand."
"Right. So I've got a lot to look forward to on Monday then hm?"
"Oh yes. There's also another model. She's a completely stuck up bitch who thinks she owns the place. She's got some sort of Swedish heritage or something so she's white haired, blue eyed, cream skinned and tall. She has an innocent look going for her at the moment which her agent is really pushing for because it's getting her plenty of contracts and photo shoots. You know she's anything but innocent though. She's a camera flirt and an anything-on-two-legs flirt. You don't want to know what I caught her doing in the toilets with one of the exec assistants."
Tori went on for a while, chatting about what had happened at work and what Henri had missed. She alternated between gossiping stories and reprimanding Henri and Lucas for their fall out. Eventually though most of the guests had arrived and Tori had to go back to find her date so she could take her place at her table. Henri sat down next to Lucas and watched as an elderly couple slowly lowered themselves into their chairs, the jewels on the woman's huge necklace catching the light and sparkling.
"My, my, what a gorgeous dress." The woman commented.
"Thank you. Your necklace looks beautiful." Henri remarked back to the woman. Snobbishly and with mock humility the woman glanced down at her necklace and laughed.
"This old thing? Well thank you dear. It's one of my own designs, one of my first designs actually. It's been gathering dust for years now so I thought it was about time I wore it out again. Tell me, why did you opt not to wear any jewellery?" The woman queried.
"Well I don't have my ears pierced and I thought the dress was enough of a statement by itself." Henri answered honestly and the woman gave her a scrutinising look before nodding.
"Yes, yes, you are right. I would recommend getting your ears pierced though. A pair of diamond earrings, or even drop ruby earrings would have complimented that dress beautifully!"
The evening wore on and after their sit down meal there was music played by a hired band and singer. Sporadically the music was interrupted by the reminder to donate money to the charity and by recognised heroes, victims or witnesses of dramatic events who spoke about what they had went through and thanking their rescuers or the heroes whose actions helped save lives. It was touching really, Henri felt her emotions were high though out the whole evening. When some of the victims spoke about the actions their hero had taken Henri was reminded of the war and what everybody had gone through. One victim in particular had spoken about how they had known they were going to die, they had known it right in their soul and they had transcended terror and into a state of peace and acceptance. That was when their hero came in and rescued them. Henri had needed to close her eyes and she clutched her hands in her lap trying to block out the memories of transcending her own fears in the lead up to facing Voldemort.
'I am going to die.' The black resurrection stone. His parents. Kings Cross. Dumbledore. The horribly disfigured soul fragment. Voldemort.
A hand landed on hers and then another hand. They picked up Henri's hands and moved them over. Henri blinked her eyes open and looked over at Lucas who had taken her hands. He smoothed them gently and when Henri looked at him he moved one hand to cup her face gently.
"Calm, my dear." He said gently, his voice somehow carrying underneath the words of the victim on the stage. His blue-blue eyes bore straight into her and consumed her vision, combating the visions of the war. Henri nodded.
"Sorry. Memories, you know? Are you okay?" She asked. Lucas smiled depreciatively; the wry smile on his lips disparaging while at the same time humorous.
"I am. This is a good lesson in empathy for me."
"I think you are knowledgeable enough in empathy." Henri whispered and stared up at the man. He still carried a lot of guilt, beneath his cool exterior. He pretended it wasn't there or ignored its existence but there were plenty of times when Lucas made reference to the past in a self-depreciative, self-hating way. Henri knew he still regretted his actions and knew he still felt guilty for everything. Plenty of time had passed however and Lucas had made amends. He had done a lot to help rebuild the wizarding world, he had spent a short time in Azkaban in punishment and eventually acquitted for his crimes on the grounds of his efforts to stop Voldemort and his refusal to aid the Death Eaters at the end. Henri had nearly forgotten his role in the war, she knew that for the last year of Voldemort's life Lucas had been little more than a prisoner in his own home. The year before Lucas had been in Azkaban and on egg shells trying to keep himself and his family alive. Henri had forgiven the man.
"I still have a lot to learn."
"Not much." Henri reassured then she tried to joke and change the tone a little. "Besides, isn't that why you keep me around? Something like a moral compass?"
It worked because Lucas laughed a little, quietly so he didn't disturb any of the other people. His blue eyes sparked a little and he rubbed a thumb just under the rim of Henri's mask. The touch sent small electric shocks through Henri's skin and gave her Goosebumps but the touch was pleasurable and Henri smiled at the genuine affection in the touch. "Yes, a personalised moral compass. You of course understand that your task is never ending? You shall have to remain by my side and guide me when I falter for the rest of my life."
The hairs on Henri's arms stood on end and a strange, bewildering shudder ran up her spine. She had a sudden feeling that there was a hidden message, a hidden question in those words. There was something she was missing. The undercurrent of the conversation had changed; it was serious and deep as opposed to the light joking words that were masking it.
"Is that a challenge?" Was all she could say, a smile creeping across her face. Lucas' eyes sparked and a wide smile crossed his face and he leaned back in his chair giving her hands a gentle squeeze.
"If it was would you accept?"
"Yes. I'm a Gryffindor." She answered immediately, no thought needed. Lucas laughed again, a low chuckle but it light up his face again and glowed in his eyes.
"Excellent."
A while later Lucas disappeared with the assurance that he would return shortly. Henri sat on her own until Tori came over and stole Lucas' seat so she could gossip with Henri again. The blonde model bemoaned her date's lack of attention but two seconds later praised God that the man wasn't interested in her because she was only using him to get to the masquerade.
"Ahem. May I have your attention please Ladies and Gentlemen? Thank you. Our next speaker is Mister Lucas Mercury."
Henri's attention snapped to the stage with amazement and shock. Lucas was rising to the podium, shook hands with the man who announced him and then took his place in front of the microphone.
"Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen. Heroes are few and far between, the qualities which make and define them as heroes are qualities few share but all have the capability to acquire. I have never considered myself a hero and I had never considered myself the type of person who would ever find they needed a hero. I was careful, I was cautious and with my fortune, influence and lifestyle I considered myself safe from harm.
"Danger has no regard for any of those things. Danger will find you no matter what. Danger will find you usually when you think you are safest. The events of the last year have taught me that.
"When danger strikes, when you find yourself inexplicably facing mortal peril that is when your true character is revealed both to yourself and to those around you. The basic fight or flight instinct, that each and every one of us has, kicks in and we react. I do not feel ashamed to admit that in those situations I obey the instinct to flee. It is something I am sure many of you in this room can understand; the overwhelming need to save oneself, to survive. That instinct transcends most others. It takes somebody truly remarkable to dismiss those basic instincts; to willingly and knowingly put themselves into danger in the hope of saving others.
"That is what makes a hero." Lucas said and a round of applause went around the room. Lucas paused patiently waiting out the smattering of applause and the cheers of agreement. When the room quietened down once more Lucas continued.
"I have had the honour," Here Lucas paused again, the word honour said with a strong voice followed by an audible breath of air as if there was so much emotion behind the word that nothing could accompany it for a brief second, "to have met such a person.
"This person had not only the strength of character to push away their fight or flight instinct, but had the bravery and the motivation to repeatedly dive into a perilous situation to save others. This person endured bullies and constant put downs from the people around her with a straight back, a brave face and more steely determination to do good than anybody I have ever met before. This person stood up against people far more powerful and influential than they were to get their voice heard, to get the voice of their people heard. This person stood unarmed against an insane murdering terrorist and had the strength to truthfully say 'I am not afraid of you; I will not let you win'. This person had the audacity to stand toe to toe with death and say 'you will not stop me'!" Lucas shouted, the passion behind his words ringing out around the room and echoing back at him. His voice had crescendo so much that the sudden silence after the last sentence had the room gasping.
Lucas let the silence ring on; he let those impassioned words carve themselves into everybody's souls and minds. When he continued speaking he did it much more gently, with slow and calm words.
"This person braved a raging inferno to save my son. This person dived forwards to distract a senseless abominable creature trying to kill my granddaughter. This person swam down to pull me out from where I was trapped beneath a fallen tree during Hurricane Sandy. I owe that person my life, my son's life and my grand daughter's life. I owe that person more than I will ever be able to repay. The most important thing to remember however is that this person did all those heroic acts, all those amazingly selfless acts, without asking for a single thing in return. That is the kind of person we are honouring tonight. The heroes, those who are unnamed and unknown, those who are selfless and do not seek approbation or celebration. The heroes.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in a toast. To the heroes here tonight! To the heroes of the past! To the heroes of the future! To the heroes of today! You have our gratitude and our admiration for all that you have done. We cannot repay what you have given us but if you are similar to my hero, Henrietta Black, then you ask for no payment. Your actions which are beyond monetary worth and you have our deepest gratitude." Lucas then raised his wine glass up and toasted the room, eyes pinned on Henri throughout. Henri felt her face flame as she stood with the rest of the people in the room and toasted with him. The room was buzzing with cheers and others calling their toasts.
"Well, the man can certainly make a speech." Tori breathed and Henri turned to look at her. She was fanning her face and gulping down her wine. She looked flushed, her eyes were wide and her lips were parted. Henri laughed a little at the expression, she looked like she was gawking. Tori snapped her head around at Henri's laugh and fixed her with an accusing look. "Oh yeah? Well who didn't tell me that you saved the man's life?! You're what? Superwoman now? Model by day, superhero by night?"
"On the contrary Miss Woodin. She is a role model." Lucas joked as he reached them. He stared at Henri for a moment, the stare only lasting a few seconds but it was enough to communicate what was needed. Lucas looked anxious, awaiting her response to his speech. Henri smiled, she liked his speech and while she didn't like the completely public praise of her efforts at least it was a slap in the Van Der Burgh's faces. Lucas smiled back then, took her hand and raised it to his lips. He brushed a kiss on her knuckles but he kept her hand lingered there for a moment. His eyes were serious but alight with something. He looked alive. Alive as in bright, happy, full of energy. His stare had Henri blush but couldn't stop the smile from spreading a little on her lips. A new set of cheers started to erupt around them and Henri's attention wavered from Lucas to the people around their table who were staring at them and clapping.
Lucas gently released Henri's hand and took a step back. Henri looked down at the ground for a moment before braving a look up to her friend who was staring at her with wide grey eyes beneath her mask.
"So you can save lives and be a model but you get all shy when people clap for you? You are crazy. Enjoy it!" Tori encouraged. "It's your reward and the biggest 'up yours' I have ever heard given publically to everyone who ever doubted you. Enjoy their amazement Hetty, the De Vils look like they have swallowed lemons."
Henri just felt uncomfortable and sank into her seat again. Lucas handed her the glass of water from the table and she took a sip giving him a grateful look.
"Thanks."
"You are most welcome." His eyes were smiling, his lips were smiling and his entire being was happy. It seemed to seep through his very skin and surrounded Henri with its warm glow. She settled herself and Lucas settled next to her ready to enjoy the rest of the ball. The sour looks on the Van Der Burgh's faces helped her mood considerably and as many of the people who had shunned and ridiculed her came up to try and speak with her she managed to hold her head high and magnanimously ignore them.