He Is Not One Of Us

by DZ2

Prodigal Son Response: "Deception, disgrace, Evil as plain as the scar on his face." When something impossible happens, this becomes the new way of life for Harry, but, to be honest, he's done caring. At least he can stop pretending to be something he's not. Dark Powerful Harry/Gabrielle

7. On the Outside Looking In

He Is Not One of Us

Disclaimer/Plot/Challenge Information/Author's Note: SEE FIRST CHAPTER

Recommended Reads: Who Dares Wins by OlegGunnarsson, Xenogenous Souls by Quatermass, Apex by JustBored21, When Daylight Dies by BloodyRose90, Harry Potter and the Hidden Truth by KingFatMan25, Midnight Sun and Darkest Before Dawn by Herald-MageAnduli, Dark Prince Rises and Argent Knight of Pendragon by Ronin2106, Beautiful, Broken, Deadly by ifYouDieInCanada, Small Changes by KnightCarter007, Harry Potter and the Prince of Slytherin by The Sinister Man, Harry Potter and the Shadowed Light by itshanniee and Antithesis by Oceanbreeze7

Key Pairing: Harry/Gabrielle;

Other Pairings: Neville/Ginny; Lily/James; Others TBD

Normal Speech

'Thoughts'

'Mental Speech'

/Parseltongue/

{Foreign Language}

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None of them knew what was going on in his head, but given the fact he was one of the few in the house who felt like he was surrounded by enemies and dangers on all sides, not to mention nuisances, annoyances, unworthies and unwelcome elements, they could guess.

Yes, they could guess, but none of them knew for sure.

And that made them more-worried than anything else.

Chapter 7: On the Outside Looking In

How could everything have gone so wrong?

This was the thought that ran through the mind of Albus Dumbledore as he studied the latest report from his insider in the Ministry, detailing what he'd been told about Voldemort's movements and the whispers that had started to spread through the Ministry's more-inclined members.

It had been over a month since Lily and James had followed the plan to the letter and returned from their self-imposed exile – or, as everyone else seemed willing to believe, returning from the dead – creating ripples on the surface of an already-rough lake that moved with tidal motions, depending on the situation at hand.

The lake itself was the life and role of the boy formerly known as Harry James Potter, who would become a mere footnote in the Greater Good for everyone who knew what their roles were. Using Harry as a scapegoat between the Light and the Dark had been interesting, even moreso when he saw how little James seemed to care about his wayward son's actions or how he was treated. It had also been Lily's idea to send Harry to the Dursleys and have no contact whatsoever with the magical world, including Remus and how the Potters had agreed that, for the benefit of their real hero of a child, Sirius had to appear guilty, which meant a spell in Azkaban was a necessary evil.

James had even put a mild compulsion charm on Peter to send him into hiding, though even he admitted he never would have expected the stupid boy to make such a pathetic, but Slytherin-worthy move as hiding in plain sight as the pet of a Light-oriented family.

Peter, like Harry, was nothing more than a distraction and, when the time was right, everything was meant to come together nicely.

They'd had a plan, for Merlin's sake…

Not One of Us

Lily and James would make their return with a more-empowered, better-trained Jason.

They would save Harry from certain death and move on to inform the boy of his role as the lieutenant to the saviour and, as someone who was as desperate for family as Harry was, the false hero would accept that their subterfuge was for the Greater Good and move on.

Hell, he probably would have even gone as far as leading his friends as a secondary unit of warriors, all of whom Harry would insist swear their loyalty to Jason and House Potter.

And Dumbledore's Army did sound good.

Not One of Us

But that hadn't happened!

The only part of the plan that had happened was that Lily and James saved Harry from Tom and told him everything he needed to know to be a good soldier and follow orders…but had he toed the line? Had he accepted his role?

Had he even realised his greatest wish, his heart's desire, was now within his grasp and all he had to do was follow the plan?

NO!

First, he'd all but renounced any and all sense of family loyalty to Lily or James, ignored Jason and even worked against him when James came up with the idea for Jason to convince Harry to come back into the fold. He'd then led a coup against Dumbledore, using the truth of Sirius' innocence and the fact that Azkaban had left the mutt sterile – a necessary evil, as it also ensured the Black Family's Dark Bloodline couldn't continue through the main branch anymore – to exact his revenge and act like the spoiled brat Severus had always said he was.

He'd even renounced his name as a Potter and taken the name of Black and, through unknown means that would have worked in Jason's favour had the ignorant spawn followed the plan, gained the allegiance of several prominent heirs and heiresses including Malfoy's snivelling wretch, not to mention those two unknown elements from France.

What were they doing with Harry, anyway?

He'd also caused a rift in the Weasleys, which left them without any support at all since Percival seemed to have abandoned the family for the role of supporter and professional success story in the Ministry of Magic.

As for Bill and Charlie, they'd denied any and all alliances with the Order, which was stupid because it was obvious that connections through the goblins, as well as training with the dragons, would benefit everyone.

Especially the Chosen One.

And then, on top of all that, as if aiming to stick his knife in deeper, Harry had cut all ties with Miss Granger, leaving her apparently-scarred as a result of using Dark Magic to punish a gifted girl's idle curiosity, while he chose not to care; and now, as a result of her scarring, and because of how someone – and Albus had a good idea who – had said how she was stealing from them, her own parents had disowned her when they'd received a letter detailing her crimes.

But, honestly, what was so wrong about being curious and making sure the headquarters was safe for the Order and Jason and his allies?

And stealing?

Really.

If anyone had the right to such knowledge, it was Miss Granger, who would use it, and decide what was right and not-right, for the Boy-Who-Lived, like a good soldier should. She had basically done all the hard work for Harry, after all, and look at his successes over the past few years; why, without Miss Granger at his side, Harry would likely be as dense as those two Death Eater children in Slytherin, and as useless as Peter, Filch and even Binns combined.

But was Harry grateful?

Did he understand?

Did he even think to offer forgiveness?

No; like a spoiled brat, he spat his dummy out and left someone else to suffer when, with but a few kind words and remembering their friendship, and what he owed Miss Granger for making sure he passed his classes and became the perfect second-in-command to Jason, he could have made it all right.

Then, of course, there was the icing on the cake: Harry using this same spoilt-child attitude to gain authority how the Order held their meetings, moved about in his home and, worst of all, how he'd even managed to rekindle the old flame of his former legacy as the former heir of the Peverells with the key word there meant to be former, but no.

Once again, Fate had decided to encourage his dissention from the ranks and made him the Master of the Elder Wand, thus reigniting the flame of power that burned in Harry's rebellious spirit, making him strong enough to stand on his own two feet, surround himself with allies and oppose Dumbledore and the Plan.

All he'd have to do now was kill without mercy and he might as well be Tom.

However, it looked like his ire was more-intent on making the Potters see the Light, but they were already as Light as one could get, so how could they be made to be any more on the side of Light?

Where had the Plan gone wrong?

Well, if there was one saving grace that Albus could clutch onto – even as he tried to figure out the answer and an ideal plan to ensure Harry learned his lesson soon enough, preferably before it was too late for the olive branch to be extended and the Plan to resume its success – it was one thing Albus knew above all else.

Whatever the mistake, at least he hadn't made it.

Not this time.

Not One of Us

"Fleur, can I speak with you?"

When Fleur Delacour heard the sound of her kid-sister's voice – though, with how Gabrielle had matured thanks to her Veela transformation, and sooner than everyone had expected, though Fleur hadn't said anything, they could have passed for twin sisters – coming from the other side of her bedroom door, she was surprised, if not curious by the tone of worry that filled Gabrielle's voice.

It was two days before the fifteenth birthday of their leader, liege-lord and dear friend, Harry Black, and while the rest of them were talking about their party plans – including an idea from the Twins to double-up since it was also Neville's birthday – Fleur had taken to reading through one of the books Harry had allowed her to retrieve from the Black Archive, putting a bit of me-time in for the French beauty.

However, Gabrielle's interruption broke her train of thought, though it also left Fleur worried by the emotional tone in her sister's voice.

Wrapping a Beauxbatons-blue dressing gown around her, Fleur made her way to the door, opening it slowly so that she could look out into the hallway. Like her, much to her curiosity, Gabrielle also wore a dressing gown over a short pair of pyjama bottoms and a sleeveless shirt, though she was far from unpresentable for the morning.

She also seemed to be shuffling awkwardly, showing a highlight that reminded Fleur that, even though the two almost seemed identical, she was still the younger Delacour to Fleur and, like any younger sibling, she'd felt a need to ask her big sister for advice.

Smiling at the sight, as well as her little sister's nervousness, Fleur opened her door a bit further as she addressed Gabrielle in their native tongue, just in case anyone else was listening in who shouldn't be.

{Come in, Gabrielle: is everything all right? I would think you'd be contributing party ideas to Harry and the Knights?}

{I was on my way,} admitted the younger Delacour, following her sister's choice to speak in their native French tongue, whilst making her way into Fleur's room where she sat down on the end of her sister's bed as she explained, {But I…I felt like I needed to talk with someone who would, I hope, understand my dilemmas first. I have tried to keep them down, hiding them behind what we do, but I cannot hold it off any longer.}

"Why?" asked Fleur, slipping into English once again now that they were safe to speak freely – thanks to Harry encouraging Sirius to put silencing, anti-eavesdropping and privacy charms around the Knights' rooms – as she looked to Gabrielle, who curled her knees to her chest, which had always been a sign that suggested intense emotions even before her maturity, as she asked, "What is it, little sister? Has someone said something to you?"

"No," answered Gabrielle, tucking a strand of her hair behind one ear before she looked up to Fleur as she explained, "It…it is Harry."

At the mention of their semi-official leader, Fleur's eyes narrowed before she asked, "What about him?"

Here, Gabrielle blushed before shuffling her legs, which only caused her blush to deepen as she looked up at Fleur before she answered, "Ever since my transformation, I have…I have been dreaming of him…you know? Really memorable, nice dreams…"

Suddenly, Fleur gasped with surprise before she smiled thinly, moving to sit next to her sister while she chuckled softly as she explained, "It is no problem, Gabrielle: you are a woman now. It makes sense you have passionate dreams about certain men whom you have met or encountered; it is part of the growing-up process."

"I know that!" exclaimed Gabrielle, looking to Fleur with a fiery, intense stare of her own as she told her big sister, "Mama gave me the speech before we went to Hogwarts, remember? So, I know about the wet dreams of teenage girls and what I have become now I am of age, but…but my dreams, they are not just random moments of erotica or desire…"

Here, Gabrielle put a hand on her heart as she explained, "Every time I dream…in every possibility for dreams of such intensity, I…I am always dreaming of Harry!"

This time, Fleur just smiled while her eyes shone with a mixture of surprise and hidden delight: as someone who'd already gone through the talks of Veela maturity with her grandmother several years before, she knew what was going on with Gabrielle, but she did not want to ruin the moment for her sister.

At the same time, she didn't know whether to be proud or a little jealous of what the dreams would mean for Harry and Gabrielle in the future.

For now, she let the moment wash over her as she listened while Gabrielle sniffed, clearing her throat as she went on, "I…I do not mean to dream so vividly of him; believe me, I have tried thinking of others, even the…the less-appealing members of his court like the other Black boy or even the Weasley Twins…"

"I wouldn't exactly call them unappealing, my little sister," argued Fleur, earning a scoff from Gabrielle before she added, "But it is no problem, as I said before: in truth, I know what is going on with you, but it is not my place to tell you such things. For you see, this is a part of the maturity you must explore for yourself and, if you are successful and the Goddess is kind, your future will become what it clearly wishes to be…but you cannot force it; for if you do, you risk losing more than just your heart to darkness."

"So…you're saying…what? I should just let myself dream of him?" asked Gabrielle, earning a nod from Fleur before the younger Delacour asked her, "But how do I do that and still be as close to him as we are when we meet, train and be together? Every time he is close…"

"I know," agreed Fleur, placing her hand in Gabrielle's before she looked into her sister's eyes as she explained, "But you must do this, Gabrielle: you must endure and fight your newfound, but still-natural urges. Remember, we are his now and so, even if the Goddess be kind and he might like what you do, you still risk worse than his ire if you force the issue. If you must be close to him, be there for him as a shield against the stresses and fears he is clearly hiding from the others."

Here, Gabrielle's eyes darkened before, closing her eyes, she sighed deeply as she asked, "So you noticed it too?"

"Only because I saw that same look in him when he went off to face his dragon and before we went down into the lake," explained Fleur, nodding once before she cleared her throat as she went on. "He hides it well, suggesting that, behind the anger and the dry, dark-natured humour towards the fools and false superiors, he has been taught by his experiences, but he is hurting and, perhaps now he is adjusting to his new role and life, he wishes to try and hold it in for a bit longer."

"Isn't that dangerous, especially for one of his…very impressive power levels?" asked Gabrielle, blushing slightly as she described what she thought of Harry's strength, earning a knowing smile from Fleur while Gabrielle rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly, "How can I help him, then? If the wrong thing is said, if the wrong moment is chosen or if the action I take makes things worse, then what?"

"Pray that day never comes," said Fleur, cupping her little sister's cheek in one hand before she cleared her throat as she finished her point;

"And if it should and you find yourself responsible or in the path of his demons, then the only thing you can do…the smart thing for you to do is run!"

Not One of Us

"Happy birthday, Harry."

Even despite the dark mood he'd been in for a while now, Harry still allowed himself a thin smile when he awoke on the morning of his fifteenth birthday, still slumped in his chair, to find each and every member of the Black Knights, as well as Sirius, Severus and Narcissa, all gathered in the meeting room of the Knights, all of them carrying cards, gifts and warm, celebratory attitudes.

And yet, even as Harry rotated his neck and arms to relieve some of the tension of sleeping in such an awkward position, he also lost his smile as he looked up at Sirius before he asked, "So, do you want to give me the bad news first or after presents?"

"I told you he wouldn't buy it," said Narcissa, who'd become something of a surrogate Mother figure to Harry in her time at the house.

Unlike Molly, she didn't smother or stalk Harry's actions while, unlike Lily, she was there when he wanted her to be instead of trying to mother him a little too much, or make him into something he didn't want to be – like, say, a spare for Draco, just like Lily and James had tried to make him Jason's spare and someone who wasn't important.

As for Sirius, he just cleared his throat before he said, "Harry…"

"Let me guess: the traitors are coming to celebrate the brat's birthday."

It wasn't a question and, admittedly, even Severus looked surprised by Harry's strange ability to anticipate what his Father was going to say, while Sirius frowned as he muttered, "Yes."

"And Dumbledore insisted on bringing it here to try and bring the band back together and make me his little sidekick again."

"Yes," repeated Sirius, earning a sigh from Harry.

"So I'm the Master of the House, but he thinks he can still pull the strings and we'll dance for him, does he?" asked Harry, rubbing at his forehead before he rose from his seat as he explained, "Fine: tell the assholes they can have their little party, but they go into the kitchen where you will lock the door…in fact, put this whole house into lockdown: every room stays locked, firmly, while they're here…and, as we've seen already, we should double…no, triple…no, make that quadruple…heck: whatever-comes-next-uple lock the library, especially if the little thief is coming back."

With that, Harry turned and made his way towards the door as he added, "While you do that, Dad, I'm going for a shower and a change of clothes: then, I'll be in the Archive, so maybe you should leave the door open after all."

"Harry, wait…what about…" Ginny began, but before she could finish, the door slammed shut behind Harry, leaving the others in the room.

"Your presents?" finished Ron, looking from one member of the group to the other as he asked, "Okay, we've all ignored it so far, but now I'm going to say it if none of you will: what the bloody hell is going on with him?"

"Who knows?" asked Neville, who'd already had his birthday wishes delivered by Ginny and the others in anticipation of Harry's birthday event being held at the house. An event that, apparently, was going to be ignored, if not, threatened to be ruined now thanks to the unwelcome addition of some very unwelcome household guests.

As the others questioned what was going on with their leader, however, none of them noticed a flash of blonde leaving the room in pursuit of Harry.

Not One of Us

After what had to be the longest shower he'd ever taken, Harry dressed in a simple grey shirt and black trousers before he took off towards the Black Archive, which lit up with warmth and light to aid those who might be reading and researching inside as soon as he walked through the door.

Closing it behind him with an audible bang, Harry made his way through the stacks, ignoring many of the books and the possibility of their contents as he walked off towards a rotunda at the far end of the Archive. Once there, Harry stood right in the middle of the rotunda before he lifted his cane and stabbed the butt of said item right into the middle spot of the circle. When the butt of his cane hit the floor, an audible click sounded through the Archive before Harry twisted his wolf's head once to the left.

As if on command, the spot where the base of the cane had hit the ground suddenly depressed itself into the ground before the pillars around the rotunda – twelve of them; one for each hour of darkness, similar to the autumn equinox, as Harry had learned back when he'd first been shown the Archive by Sirius – started spinning around him, like a fairground ride that grew faster and faster in speed. At the same time, blue and green light lit up the pillars as they spun around Harry before, one by one, the pillars vanished into the ground, revealing a very different chamber to the one that Harry had been standing in moments ago.

Instead of row upon row of books and scrolls, this new room was a simple, domed chamber with two rows of vials, bottles and small boxes running alongside each wall. Up ahead, at the far end of the room, a small group of still, silent, faceless mannequins were positioned, each one of them holding a fake wand in their hands while some of them had targets painted on their bodies, like crash-test dummies or targets on a firing range.

Behind Harry, a large blackboard had been erected, with names written along the top and each name positioned over its own scoreboard, which had a five-score-tally system counting up the number of points awarded by each member of the group.

As well as the rows of bottles and vials, there was also a row of blue and green-flame torches, which provided a warmly-lit environment to the room as a whole.

As Harry stepped off the spot where he'd gained access to the room, a brief smile flicked across his face as he drawled, "I love magic."

"I know you do."

Before he could react to the voice, Harry's eyes widened when his cane suddenly flew from his hand; spinning around to face the one who'd stolen his cane from him, the Black King's eyes widened with alarm and disbelief when he saw none other than Gabrielle Delacour standing not four feet from him, leaning against the blackboard with his cane in one hand and her own wand in the other.

"Gabrielle?" asked Harry, looking around in confusion while he frowned as he asked, "What are you doing down here? How did you get in without me or Dad allowing you to come in here?"

"You did allow us to come down here, Harry," argued Gabrielle, earning another confused look from Harry before Gabrielle scoffed, shaking her head in disbelief as she asked, "Are you so lost to your own darkness that you've forgotten how to treat your friends? Your allies? So…what? Is everyone except you, yourself and yours now an enemy in your eyes? Is that why you're being like this?"

"Like what?" asked Harry, extending a hand before he added, "And give me back my cane, Gabrielle: for someone who says they're my friend, you're acting like my enemy, right now."

"And for someone who claims he's smarter than that thieving, not to mention insufferable know-it-all and better than those Judases you used to call your family, you're acting an awful lot like a big, stupid prat, Harry Black!" snapped Gabrielle, earning a furious glare from Harry as he advanced on Gabrielle, but she didn't back down.

Instead, she lifted his cane and her wand before she threw both of them at Harry's feet, though her eyes never left his as she asked, "What? Do you want to hurt me for being defiant? For being disrespectful and insubordinate towards you, the boy…the man I swore I would serve as my King? Am I to be punished for my insolence, Harry?"

As Harry went to retrieve his cane, a part of him surprised by Gabrielle's defiance and her unwavering courage, he looked up suddenly when the blonde spoke again.

"Go on, then."

With surprise and something that could have been described as fear in his eyes, Harry saw Gabrielle step away from the blackboard before she spread her arms invitingly as she told him, "You want to hurt me, Harry? You want to hear your enemy scream, beg for mercy and know they're going to die when you allow them to? Go on, then; I promise I'm not hiding anything. If you want to hurt your enemy, and you think I am your enemy, then hurt me…I promise I'll make the begging as pleasurable for you as I can."

"Stop it…" growled Harry, clasping his cane in both hands while his eyes flashed their impure colours as he looked up at Gabrielle.

However, the girl didn't stop.

Instead, she took a deep breath before she asked, "What? Do you need a reason to hurt me, Harry? I doubt it; after all, you've done just fine lately, hurting everyone who is your friend and ally, everyone who swore they would follow you, no matter what, and you don't seem to care, let alone notice how you're keeping them at arms' length. But, fine: if you need a reason, then here; let me help you."

To Harry's alarm, as soon as she said the word help, something ethereal seemed to shift in the air, which made Harry's heart race while his body temperature seemed to rise.

At the same time, Harry felt his blood boil while his muscles and bones tensed up as this strange shift pushed its way inside of him, crawling through every blood cell, every nerve and every cell of his being while, to Harry, he thought he heard a voice speak to him.

'Do it, Harry; she wants you to hurt her, so why not indulge it? You'll feel so much better.'

"What…what are…what is this magic?" asked Harry, though his voice was weak and strained as he tried to hold onto his own control, but, as he did so, he felt horror rise in him when he felt his hand edge towards the release clasp on his cane.

At the same time, he managed to tear his eyes away from his cane just long enough to see Gabrielle stop several inches from him, though now, her silvery-blue eyes seemed to have become all-blue in colour, like the colour of purest sapphires, while there was a glazed sort of sparkle held within their glare. But the change didn't stop there: to Harry's alarm and awe, Gabrielle's body suddenly appeared to shift, but only on her back where two large wings, like the wings of an angel, suddenly erupted from her spine: one of them was as black as a raven's wing while the other was as white as white could be, which was a strange appearance, but one that Harry couldn't help but find intimidating.

Intimidating, but also a little cute, if not sexy, especially when you threw in her slim build, those bright eyes of hers and her enchanting, angelically-beautiful features, though there was still the question of why she was doing this.

"Gab…Gabrie…please…don't…don't make me…"

"No-one makes us do anything, my Black Sovereign," argued Gabrielle, her voice now eerily-musical and edged by something that seemed to fuel the desire inside of Harry, almost like her voice alone was mesmerising him, drawing out the feelings inside. "We all have our choices and our ways of doing things…you taught me that when you broke free. Well now, I'm helping you break free, so go on, Harry…hurt me. Let the monster out; what is it your British wizards say? Tickle the sleeping dragon; you know you want to…"

'You see, Harry?' the dark voice whispering in his ear asked him, earning a visible shudder from Harry as it mocked him, 'She wants you to hurt her; she would bleed just to please you. Isn't she a good pet? Go ahead, do what you want most; hurt her, break her, bleed her…'

"I…I…" gasped Harry, slowly drawing his wand from the head of his cane, as though he was unsheathing a sword, while he gasped out, "I can't…I don't…Gabrielle…please…whatever…whatever you're doing…stop…"

"Stop me," said Gabrielle, extending a hand before she took Harry's wrist in her hand.

Once she did so, she directed the tip of Harry's wand towards her chest, pressing the tip right up against her breasts as she told him, "You'll either indulge your passion and harm me, Harry, or you'll do what you do best and stop me; either way, you'll feel better…you'll feel something!"

"No…"

As if on cue, Gabrielle's eyes seemed to increase their blue light while the air grew thick with bloodlust – or maybe that was just lust – as well as an all-consuming sensation of some unknown feeling that sent Harry's pulse racing, even as Gabrielle told him, "You know the spells…just do it…"

"I…I can't…"

"Hurt me."

"No…"

'Say the spell!'

"I…"

'DO IT!'

"NO!" Thundered Harry, spinning around with a level of mental and emotional resistance that was unlike any he had ever shown before as he threw his wand and his cane down the far end of the practice room. Once both were out of his hands, Harry turned and grabbed Gabrielle, who gasped in response before she smiled when she felt tears dampening her clothes and her body.

At the same time, she lifted her arms and held onto Harry, as though she was the only thing keeping him from drowning, shushing him while she also spoke in a much-softer tone of voice. "It's all right, my friend…let it go…you can stop now…"

"I…I wanted to do it…" whispered Harry.

"I know," agreed Gabrielle, though as she did so, a gasp escaped her when she felt Harry drop to his knees.

Falling with him, Gabrielle let him rest his head against her breasts while she stroked his soft, dark hair between her fingers as she told him, "I made you feel those things, Harry, because you needed to feel them…you needed to be able to feel something because, ever since this whole thing with the betrayers began, you…you've been lost, isolated and…and you've almost been like a zombie, an Inferi, walking around here…"

Here, she couldn't help but laugh as she continued toying with his hair while she added, "Honestly, if you were around a Dementor, they'd probably starve because you were that dead inside. And I wasn't the only one who noticed this change in you either; we all did, but…but thanks to a little talk with my sister, I thought…well, I more-hoped I'd have a way to help you come back to us…to be our Harry again…"

As Harry nuzzled Gabrielle's breasts, earning a soft laugh from the teenage girl, she looked down at him even as he looked up at her before he asked, "Was…was that…your Allure? I thought I…I thought I was immune to it."

"You are," admitted Gabrielle, moving a hand to Harry's heart as she explained, "But when you let your emotions fade away and become obsolete, you also created a sort of…rift, I believe you English would say…a gap that my power could creep through, but…but to be sure, I had to unleash my full Veela nature on you, which sent me through the final stage of my change…hence these."

Here, she indicated her wings, which Harry couldn't help but reach up and gently stroke, as though in awe of them.

When he did so, however, he gasped when a moan of longing and pleasure escaped Gabrielle before she clamped her jaws shut, her eyes as wide as wide could be as she looked at him.

"S…S…Sorry," gasped Gabrielle, but when she did so, Harry just smiled, shaking his head as he looked back at her.

"I shared a dorm with teenage boys for two years, Gabrielle," argued the Black King, a look of amusement joining the awe he felt as he explained in an amused voice, "Trust me, a little moan of liking is the least I've heard when they forget to put up the Silencing Charms. Besides, I think your wings are beautiful…and so are you."

"Harry…" moaned Gabrielle, blushing softly as she looked away.

Rather than let her be embarrassed, Harry just shook his head again before he took her head in one hand as he turned her gaze back to him while he told her, "When I saw you, after your transformation, I couldn't believe my own thoughts: I guess you could say I locked them away with the rest of me, but…but that's why I wanted to touch you, Gabrielle. To…to be around you and…and let you call me your Sovereign. It's because you are beautiful and…and I'm sorry my troubles forced your true self out like this."

"No…no need for apologies," replied Gabrielle, blushing softly at Harry's words while she also looked up at him before she smiled weakly as she added, "In…in all honesty, I…I was worried about doing this, alone, down here or wherever we'd do this with you and I alone…"

"Good thing the Twins aren't here, because they'd have something to say about that," laughed Harry, earning a playful smack from Gabrielle.

"You know what I mean," argued the young girl, helping Harry back to his feet as she told him, "Like…like I told you, I talked things over with Fleur before putting my plan into action and…and when I did, I told her things…things I've only ever thought of on my own."

"Like what?"

"Like…" said Gabrielle, blushing again while she looked up into Harry's eyes as she told him, "How you…how I…I dream about you, Harry; you know? Like…like really vivid, magical…good dreams?"

"Good…" Harry began, but as he did so, he took note of Gabrielle's blush and the way she was awkward, but also sincere about what she was saying to him, even though it had to be embarrassing. "Oh…I see; you're…you dream of me…not to sound selfish or nothing, but…only me?"

"Oui."

"And is…is that…normal for Veela like you?"

"Fleur says it is."

"So what?" asked Harry, turning away from Gabrielle, which meant she didn't see him smile as he asked, "Did you hope that, by making me come back to you and the guys, I would somehow repay you by letting you have these dreams? Or maybe you were hoping I'd succumb to your Allure and then I'd make you mine in ways that none of the others could say they were?"

"No and hell no!" snapped Gabrielle, though as she did so, Harry picked up a smell of burning, which suggested another part of her Veela nature was about to show itself, even as she went on. "Harry, I hated the idea of using my Allure on you; the realisation that you had a chink in your armour that my allure could sneak through was terrifying and I wanted to think of some way…any way to help…so please…I know you might not accept this and…and you probably won't forgive me, but…but please, just keep…just stay!"

"Okay."

Suffice to say, Gabrielle was stunned speechless, especially since Harry seemed to be as defiant and dark-natured as they had seen.

At the same time, said young lord managed to retrieve his wand and cane, as well as Gabrielle's, before he returned to her, handing the young woman her wand back even as he continued, "I didn't do much of it at Hogwarts, Gabrielle, but here, at home, I did some research on Veela in preparation for what you and Fleur promised me back at Hogwarts, remember?"

Gabrielle nodded, even as the memory came back to her…

Flashback Start

"When someone saves the life of a Veela, it forges a…how you say…connection," explained Fleur, earning a raised eyebrow from Harry as she told him, "Normally, saving us once is enough to form a debt that can be called in at any time, but if two Veela who share relations through family are saved, it creates a greater connection…one that puts the saved under the thrall of the one who saved them for life."

"Like…what? Fealty?" asked Harry curiously, earning a nod from Fleur while Harry let out a sigh as he asked, "So what? Are you saying you and your sister…you now belong to me?"

"Oui," chorused the Delacours, earning a small smile from Harry before, to his surprise, Fleur placed a soft kiss on his forehead while Gabrielle, much to Harry's surprise and slight discomfort, brushed her lips against the scar on his cheek.

Once they were done, the girls stepped back before Fleur told him, "I am returning to France to inform ma mere about this connection; once she and mon pere are aware of it, my sister and I shall return to England and we shall come and find you. What happens next is up to you, Harry Black."

"I…I wouldn't want to take you away from your families," argued Harry, but Fleur cut him off with a raised hand.

"It is your right," said the elder girl, her eyes filled with a hint of pure acceptance while she explained, "It is a law of our race that cannot be overruled and, whether they will like it or not, our parents shall understand…I hope."

"But…Gabrielle's just a child," remarked Harry, earning a knowing smile from the younger Delacour.

"I will be ascending in my Veela maturity on my next birthday," said Gabrielle, earning a curious look from Harry before the young blonde told him, "I will be aging to my rightful age to be a true Veela; once I become this woman, I will be younger than ma soeur, but I will still be of age to have the connection with the one who saved me."

"And…" asked Harry, a part of him making a note to research the ways of the Veela later so that he understood a little more about this connection he would have with the Delacours, "Once you…once you return, what will you be?"

"Pardon?" chorused the sisters.

Clearing his throat, Harry took a breath as he explained, "Like you said, I'm a Black now, Miss Delacour, and I don't know if you know this, but my family's not exactly the heroic sort…and neither am I going to be after what's happened. I guess what I'm saying is if my path takes me places that anyone else would find…scary or…or the kind you'd never want to go, what would you do?"

"We would honour our connection and follow you, Harry," said Fleur, earning a look from Harry as she told him, "Our path is yours now and yours is ours; whether our hopes and dreams may like it or non, it is what is asked of us."

For a moment, Harry cleared his throat as he tried and failed to find a way to say what he wanted to say without sounding too strange.

In the end, he just brushed a lock of hair away from his eyes before he addressed the Delacours again, "I…I can't promise I'll be the same Harry who saved you and formed these connections, but…but if this is what you say it is, then the least I can promise you is this: whatever this connection may involve, I will not have you as anything less than my equals…both of you."

Looking at Fleur, who seemed grateful, if not relieved by Harry's words, the Black Heir told her, "If there's one thing this year's shown me about you, Fleur, you're more than just a pretty face. You have a real fire in you that I'd be happy to have at my side, as my friend and not my rival."

While Fleur blushed, as did Harry as he didn't know where the words came from, but he said them anyway, the Black Scion looked to Gabrielle as he told her, "And you, Gabrielle, I don't know much about you, but I do think you have the same fighting spirit in you. And whatever the truth of our connection may be, I don't want to exploit that spirit, but rather, I want to help you nurture and fuel the fire…if you'll let me."

"I would be happy to let you do whatever you want to do with me and my spirit, Harry Black," said Gabrielle, although she surprised Harry as she hugged him warmly, earning a small smile from Harry as he petted the top of her head, almost like a big brother comforting his little sister, before she parted from him, wiping a stray tear from her eye as she looked into his eyes while she added, "I think my sister will agree with me when I say we couldn't hope for a better…how you say…liege-lord to belong to."

"Merci beaucoup," replied Harry, smiling in response as he asked, "So…I guess I'll be seeing you, then?"

"À bientôt, Harry," said Fleur before she made her way back to the group of Beauxbatons girls.

Flashback End

"You and Fleur said you would follow me, no matter what," said Harry, earning a nod from Gabrielle while Harry smiled as he petted Gabrielle's cheek as he continued, "And, trust me, I'd either have to be gay or permanently-celibate to ignore the bleeding obvious, Gabrielle: as the little girl you were, I thought you were cute…as the woman you've become, you're as sexy as sexy can be…and I know I had something to do with that."

"Then you know what she meant?" asked Gabrielle, earning a nod from Harry.

"Veela only ever choose one mate, sometimes willingly, but, at other times, it's instinct," explained Harry, earning a surprised look from Gabrielle while he went on. "They are drawn to those in power, but, sometimes, the desire for wholeness in a Veela takes a whole new turn. One I suspect was taken when I became master of the house and agreed to let you and Fleur stand with me…no…" he then added, seeing Gabrielle open her mouth before he placed a hand over her mouth as he went on.

"Not serve me, Gabrielle: even with you and the guys calling yourselves the Black Knights and recognising me as your King, I would never force you or anyone to serve me. Anything I say referencing that is just banter…you know, sarcasm."

Gabrielle blushed again as she heard the honesty in Harry's voice while the Black Scion continued, "My point is, I knew something had changed in you, mostly because of how you always seem reluctant to leave my side, even moreso now your family has recognised your instincts telling you to stand with me, just like you said it would. Then, in my isolation, which does have a reason, but I can't talk about it here…not yet anyway; anyway, my point is, in my isolation, I did some research and that led me to discovering the truth of Veela mating and the idea of what you see, cheesy as it sounds, as true love."

Here, Harry indicated Gabrielle's wings as he went on, "Now your change is complete, drawn out in full because you want to help me…to bring back the one you said you would follow…and then you tell me about your dreams; trust me, it's not rocket science."

"What…what are you saying?"

Smiling softly, Harry moved so close to Gabrielle that, by sheer instinct alone, the young girl's wings folded themselves around her and Harry, even as he cupped her chin in one hand as he explained, "I'll make a deal with you, Gabrielle: if you help me, without going as far as you nearly did down here, and you help the others understand that this is something I have to handle on my own, I will give you the help you need…"

Here, he took her hand and pressed it against his heart before he did the same to her, earning a gasp and another light moan from Gabrielle as he told her, "Your Veela side chooses me, but you need me to accept it, otherwise it's you who pays the price, not me…and I refuse to let any magic harm my friends if I can help it, so the deal is this: you stay the brilliant, beautiful and brazenly-courageous young woman you've become as you help me achieve true justice and, in return, I will give you what you want…me."

Gabrielle's eyes widened as Harry said that, though before she could answer, Harry touched a finger to her lips before he winked in a way that reminded the young lady of her intended's new Father as he smiled wolfishly at her;

"So what do you say, my angel Gabrielle? Do we need to seal it with a kiss?"

An intense Chapter 7 and it looks like Harry is, at least, somewhat-willing to follow his heart, as well as his head, but can his apparently-new-girlfriend help him come back out of the darkness and walk in his Light once more?

Also, how might their relationship affect the way things work with the Black Knights?

Keep Reading to Find Out

Next Chapter: There's a party here in Grimmauld Place, but there's tension in the air; bad news pouring in from near and far, not that Harry can bring himself to care;

Please Read and Review

AN: Accent

So, before anyone asks, let me say it now: I hate having to write the accents in a story, even though I try and get certain ones right – like, say, Hagrid or even Fleur – so that is why my speech patterns with the Delacours look like plain, ordinary English.

If they converse in French – or any other foreign languages used by characters – I'll put them in a different format, but that's how I choose to write it, so…I hope you can accept that.