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Bold = Parseltongue
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December 25, 1943
"Welcome to Carrow Castle, Harry," Corene said with a very fluent curtsy upon his floo entrance.
He looked around the room he'd entered into for a few seconds — the private one he was permitted to use by her parents to avoid the rest of their family — and nodded to himself. It was old-looking, the ancient artwork of the Muggle variety along with the looks the stones had told him as much.
"Thanks for having me," He said after those few seconds of examining the room were over. "It's good to see you again too."
Harry meant it too. He'd had a crush on Corene for a few months now; her stoic attitude, the failed attempts at jokes, the occasional cute blushes and her love for animals as well as chocolates endeared her to him very quickly. It didn't help that her straight jet black hair and dark features were enticing, nor did the fact that the darker clothing she wore was often of a tighter fit.
All it did was make him realise she was a very… attractive witch.
"Would you like a tour before you meet my family?" Corene asked, her eyes locked on his as she took a few steps closer to him.
He blinked a few times before he answered, the make-up she'd put on for the Yule festivities had made her all the more fanciable. "Y-Yeah," He said, stuttering slightly.
Harry tried again after clearing his throat. "I mean, yes, that'd be wicked, thanks."
Corene's lips went up ever so slightly and she nodded once. "Follow me, please," She said to him, holding her arm out for him to loop his through.
He did so immediately, not needing any further reason to be close to her. Based on the second centimetre her lips went up, he imagined she knew that too; Corene was far too good at reading people, himself especially, than he liked. She was very similar to Elaine in that regard, only she seemed more stable than her cousin.
"Have you ever been in a castle?" Corene questioned as they stepped out of the room and into a long, vacant hallway. "Beyond Hogwarts, if I need to clarify. I ask because, while most are similar, this one is not."
"I haven't," Harry said, answering her question before he asked one of his own. "How's it different, if you don't mind my asking?"
Corene shook her head, signalling she didn't mind as her lips went back down into place. That perfectly straight line her pink lips formed was the usual Corene-trademarked look he was used to, though, unless he was barmy, she seemed to have a bit more of an excited attitude about her than usual — he could tell as much by the slightly more exaggerated motion of her arm that wasn't currently being held by his. Not only that but the quicker way she walked and the occasional glance at him with one eyebrow raised conveyed it too.
"Much of this castle was built in portions," Corene explained. "Towards the centre, it was built by the Romans. You'll see the difference of that alone once I show you. Following the initial construction, we've expanded the castle thrice to better suit our needs. Most recently, one-hundred and fifty years ago or near enough, we added on the portion we're currently in."
Harry wasn't all that interested in the lore of Carrow Castle, but he found himself enthralled nonetheless. Corene's voice, as boring and without emotion as some would call it, was music to his ears; the softness, the slight French accent thanks to her heritage that only made itself noticeable when she spoke as quickly as she currently was… all of it was very soothing to Harry.
"Where are we headed first for the tour?" Harry asked when he noticed a lull in the conversation.
Corene regarded him for a few seconds in silence before her lips went up just enough to signify she was happy with something, or, about to tell a joke. "The gardens, I should think. This is the time I find them most favourable."
Harry couldn't help the stupid grin that broke out on his face at her words, for the gardens of her family would undoubtedly be nought but dead plants covered in snow thanks to the time of year it was. Still, he wouldn't mind where he went so long as it was with her.
Twenty minutes had passed by the time the two of them found themselves at their destination, that being the aforementioned centre-courtyard garden. Harry had to specify too, as the Carrows had three courtyards within their mammoth of a castle, all of which contained gardens of varying sizes within them.
"Cold," Corene said simply from her spot beside him.
Harry nodded his head. "Cold," He agreed.
Together, the pair of them stood arm in arm looking at the frozen plants that were tall enough to still stick out above the snow that'd fallen. There were a few trees, leafless and frozen above them too. Really, the only unchanged portion of the garden was the statue, for even the two benches were buried beneath huge buildups of snow.
"Hot cider?" Corene asked as she tugged on his arm in the direction of the two large doors across from where they'd come in.
"That sounds wicked," Harry said as the pair of them set off again.
Corene set their pace slightly faster than it'd been previously until the pair of them were inside. It didn't take long for them to speed their way through the maze-like halls of her ancestral home until they found themselves in the kitchen; it was bustling with house-elves too, so much so that it was a strong reminder of Hogwarts' own kitchen. Briefly, Harry wondered if most Pureblood homes had similar systems to that of Hogwarts and the Carrows.
"Here you go, Master Peverell sir," Corene's familiar house-elf said to him, the creature staring up at him with wide, expressive eyes and as straight-lipped an expression as Corene herself usually wore.
"Thanks," He said as he took the cup and joined Corene at a small wooden table that looked entirely out of place in the otherwise modelesque kitchen.
Corene noticed his look and gave an answer accordingly. "I had it brought here," She said. "Oftentimes when I have sweets the likes of which you bought for me months ago on our first Hogsmeade trip, I come here to enjoy them with a warm glass of milk. I find it comforting," Her final words were emphasized with her staring at him in anticipation for laughter or the like, from what he gathered.
That wasn't him though. It wouldn't ever be, in regards to her.
"We'll have to try that sometime," Harry said, smiling behind his steaming glass of wonderful apple cider.
Corene smiled. She really smiled, teeth visible and all at his words.
"I would enjoy that," She said to him, her gaze intense and her ever-pale cheeks faintly colouring.
Harry smiled and the pair enjoyed their hot drink in silence for as long as they lasted. When they finished, they would go on to meet with her family and speak with them until the evening came to an end. It wouldn't be until the summer break that the two would have such a degree of alone time again, but when it came, it was wonderful for the both of them.
July 1, 1943
"Hello, Harry," Corene greeted from her seat. "You picked quite the restaurant for our date."
Harry's cheeks instantly coloured with her phrasing, and try as he might to deny it, what the pair were doing was essentially just that; a date. He hadn't really thought it out all that well when he asked her to meet with him for lunch, and when she responded that July the first would work for their 'date', he hadn't the heart to correct her.
Maybe, just maybe, that could've also been because she accepted it too. In a way, it gave him hope that he could date Corene if the girl would say yes to going out for lunch with him. Then again, she'd been a steadfast friend and had walked a fine line between he and Elaine both. There was something else too, a reason that she had latched onto him as quickly as Aster and Reinhard had, but she'd yet to tell him just what it was… yet.
"Hey," He said back, his voice coming out semi squeak-like thanks to the embarrassment he felt. Thanks to that, he cleared his throat and tried again. "Hey, Corene. Thanks for agreeing to have lunch, figured we should get together considering how enjoyable Yule was."
Corene's lips went up a smidgen. "Yule was enjoyable," She agreed. "Would you be interested in coming over for our second date so you could get a much better vision of how it should look?" Corene paused and cocked her head, her brows furrowed a teensy bit too. "Apologies if I presume too much, we've yet to determine if we're fully romantically compatible, I suppose."
Harry couldn't help but snort. She was Queen of over-analyzing situations just as much as she was Queen of poor comedy. He wasn't sure which he liked more, but both were very cute.
"That'd be fine with me, and it wasn't assuming too much," He said as the pair of them had their menus dropped off along with a bottle of wine. "What've you been doing for the few days you've been home?"
Corene's look of focus was dropped so that she was back to her usual blank, stoic expression — her head still remained cocked. "I was practising my comedy in addition to furthering my practical knowledge in relation to defensive magic."
Harry blinked.
That hadn't been the answer he was expecting. Not in the slightest.
"That… sounds interesting," He eventually said.
"It was," Corene agreed, her head finally straightening out as that mischievous look — or as mischievous a look as Corene ever managed — came to her face. "Would you like me to try one of my jokes on you?"
Harry smiled in anticipation, her jokes were often so horrible that they were funny. He liked those sorts of jokes more than he did most real jokes that were told. Aster and Reinhard's especially, considering how crude they usually were.
"Definitely," He said, leaning forward with eagerness.
"Why didn't the Muggle's bike cross the road?" Corene asked him, straight-faced and with a serious tone of voice.
Harry shrugged and shook his head, having never heard this one before. "Why didn't the Muggle's bike cross the road?" He repeated back to her.
"Because it was two-tired," Corene said, a victorious, cute grin coming out immediately after she spoke the punchline.
Harry laughed. He laughed and he laughed with the occasional snort coming free thanks to the intensity of his laughter. So used to her poor jokes, her lack of understanding with them or other, similar scenarios, that he hadn't expected such a stupid punchline would tickle him as much as it did.
That happy look she'd had; her smile, the slight flushing of her cheeks and the very tip of her tongue sticking out from between her lips told him how happy she was with it too.
All that did to Harry was endear her more to him, as it was one of the cutest expressions she'd give.
"I take it you enjoyed it," Corene said in a self-satisfied tone of voice as she straightened up in her seat until she was once more the picture-perfect girl he'd come to know.
Harry nodded emphatically, ignoring the dirty looks he was shot by the older couples or families in the restaurant along with them.
"Perfect," Corene said, more so to herself than to him as the pair had their mains arrive.
They would go on to eat in silence, or as near to silence as one could possibly eat with, all things considered. Small conversations, or rather, comments that would often get one answer before the pair returned to eating would happen.
Some examples of those were;
"Harry, would you mind if I tried an edge piece of your steak?" Corene had asked towards the start of their eating.
"Sure," He had told her, moving his plate and not questioning why she wanted an 'edge' piece of his steak.
Sure enough, the Carrow girl cut a tiny piece towards the most done end of his steak and carefully bit into it when she brought it to her mouth. She'd looked happy then, and following that, she requested he feed her one more bite, citing romance novels her mother had given her to make him do so.
Another example would come when Harry asked Corene what she was drinking, as the red liquid with a thickish texture generated much curiosity from him.
"It's a wine with cream and sugar in it, would you care to try some?" Her answer had thrown him for a loop, and when she offered him a drink of it, he very quickly declined.
She looked relieved.
"You're daydreaming again, aren't you?" Corene's voice said, breaking through his thoughts until he blinked a few times to find himself staring blankly at the girl, his date, for the day.
"No… yes," He said, grinning when she cocked her head at him with both eyebrows raised.
"I hope it was at me rather than over my shoulder, it'd do wonders for me if I could so easily captivate you," Corene said in an even tone of voice as her brows settled back to a resting position on her still-cocked head. "Won't you confirm which it was for me like a good potential boyfriend?"
Harry very nearly coughed at her 'potential boyfriend' comment, nearly.
Instead, he blinked a few times at her to clear the fog from his bind before his face once more broke out into that of a smile.
"I was staring at you and thinking about how wonderful today's been already," Harry said to her, his words making her cheeks colour slightly as she straightened her head out.
"Honest?" She asked him, her eyes bearing into his with intensity despite the blush that'd come to her.
"Honest," He confirmed, nodding once resolutely.
Corene's posture straightened out at that, she seemed very pleased with his answer and remained that way when the waiter returned to ask if they'd like dessert.
Sitting across from the Queen of Sweets as he was, Harry was unsurprised to learn her answer was positive to the man; what did surprise him was when she ordered a dessert for the pair of them, and beyond that, before it came over, that she moved her seat beside his so they could better share it.
He could see the future at that moment, and it was one in which he lived through Elaine only to become horribly heavy thanks to Corene's addiction to all things sweet-tasting.
It wasn't horrible so long as she still gave him sugar.
July 16, 1943
"Welcome back to Carrow Castle, potential boyfriend," Corene said in a way of greeting when he stepped through the Floo and into the very familiar parlour room.
"Thanks for having me back, potential girlfriend," He replied, grinning when her cheeks coloured in the way that he loved so dearly when he turned the tables on her. "What's the plan for today?"
"Hand," Corene said as she held out hers expectantly, refusing to speak further until he placed one of his own into hers.
When he did so after a small, barely audible chuckle that went ignored by Corene, she spoke again.
"We will have lunch together in the centre courtyard, then, we'll go for a walk of the grounds before finally retiring to the observatory atop the central tower," Corene turned her head from looking straight and where they were headed to over to him once she'd finished speaking. "Is that fine with you, Harry?"
He nodded with a smile on his face. "It is. Anything you plan is fine by me, I trust you."
Those words were meant too, for Corene could very well be the only person who he completely trusted in this timeline, stuck as he was in it.
Corene gave him one of her very rare full-blown genuine smiles by the time he was finished speaking.
"I'm glad that I've earned your trust, it means a lot to me, especially since I'm told relationships are built on trust," Corene nodded to herself at those words, then, she spoke some more… after moving slightly closer to him so that their arms brushed whenever they took a step. "Will you ask me to be your girlfriend after our third date, or is it the fifth that you'll finally do so?"
"What?" Harry asked, blushing just as brightly as she was earlier on until he caught that small, self-satisfied smirk of hers. "Oh."
It was another one of her 'jokes', the ones that weren't corny or dad-like similar to the ones Arthur would tell. He much preferred the latter ones if he were honest, though either were better than her attempts at the more Aster-like inappropriate jokes.
Truly, her snogging joke that she'd said that one time months and months ago had left him thoroughly confused.
Silence lingered over the pair of them after her attempt at a joke, partially due to the slight truthfulness both suspected were in her words. Harry wanted to ask her out, but he was afraid of what would happen; change would come with it, and he knew Elaine was interested in him too. The last thing he wanted was Corene becoming a target, though he knew she could more than handle herself considering some of the Carrow family histories he'd learned about thanks to Sarah.
If it were true, then Corene could very well be one of the best duellists in Elaine's group.
"It looks much better in the winter, doesn't it?" Corene asked when the pair of them came to a stop in the middle of the centre courtyard after a few minutes more of walking.
Harry took a cursory glance around, noticing in no particular order; the openness on the second and third floors that could look down where they stood, the flourishing hedges, the small garden towards the middle of the courtyard and two large wooden benches. He supposed in comparison to Hogwarts, the much larger castle of the two, it wasn't what most could call amazing. That wasn't exclusively what he thought though, as he doubted many others had a whole castle to themselves like the Carrows did.
It was more than likely that a vast majority of their peers lived in large homes, with the minority of richer Purebloods or people who'd done well for themselves living in mansions. Castles were wicked in comparison to either of those.
"I'd say it looks just as good in the summer as it does in the winter, just… different," Harry finally said, his looking around finished and his attention focused once more on Corene.
"That's a good point of view to have," Corene said, her arm looped through his as it was forcing him to sit when she moved to do just that on the closer of the two benches. "I'll say I much prefer winter to summer, and fall to spring. Perhaps it's a bias that makes me think winter's more beautiful."
Harry shrugged. "I like them both, but winter's definitely very nice. When else do you get to have a comfy fire going with hot chocolate or cider?"
"Cuddling," Corene said, stopping with one word and forcing him to look over at her.
"Cuddling?" He repeated back to her, hoping she'd explain herself.
"Winter is when you can cuddle with family more," She explained before her eyes sought out his with a very deliberate intensity behind them. "Boyfriends too, but only the ones of the non-potential variety."
He grinned. "Non-potential variety, yeah?"
Corene nodded, sat up straighter and gave him a look that was very clearly expectant. It wasn't needed, not since he knew what she was getting at, but he supposed it gave him a bit more confidence in finally dropping the question. Former Gryffindor as he was, and more comfortable in this new, old-time as he'd become, asking a girl out was still far more terrifying than facing off against a Dark Lord would ever be.
At least in the latter's case, Harry could predict what Voldemort would do to some degree; murder was on his mind and Harry was the target.
Girls… he couldn't begin to understand how they thought, much less what they'd say to a bloke like him asking them out. With Corene, that insecurity was heightened thanks to her unique way of wording things and the cautious attitude she had. It was maddening, really.
"I don't suppose, well…" Harry shook his head and huffed, refocusing himself as Corene's eyes bore into his the whole while. "Would you want to be my girlfriend rather than a potential girlfriend?"
Corene nodded once. "Yes."
"Is… is that it, then?" He asked, his brows furrowing at how simple that'd been.
"I believe so," Corene said, nodding again before a look of pondering came across her face. "Say, Harry. Do you think it would be too soon to kiss? Once, I should clarify. They say in educational books of the highest credibility that I read that one can tell if their partner's meant for them once they kiss."
Harry doubted very much the books she was referencing when he recalled her trashy romance novel reading quirk in addition to the advice she'd get from her mother. The latter was where Corene's old-timey personality came from, and the former was where her raunchier, hidden side had developed.
But on the other hand, who was he to refuse a kiss? He'd be the stupidest bloke in the world if he turned down the chance to kiss his now-girlfriend, Corene.
"If that's what the books say, I think we oughta give it a try," He said, his eagerness breaking into his tone as he scooched none too subtly closer to her.
"Parfait," Corene said, using French for what may just be the first time in his presence; it sounded wonderful coming from her, just like any other language she spoke.
Harry then, finally, had his first real kiss.
C'était brillant.
July 31, 1943
"You're away from Aster and Reinhard… I take it that means you've lost them for a few minutes?" Corene asked as he made his way over to her in the back corner of Peverell Mansions ballroom.
"More than a few minutes," Harry said as he took the seat beside hers. "What about the others you were sitting with? Are Elaine, Emilene and Sarah gone?"
"Evidently," Corene said, cocking her head at him and looking towards the empty seats at their table. "They wished to visit your garden along with Professor Slughorn once they heard that you grew rare ingredients. I imagine they'll ask for your permission to harvest some of it. One of your elves, or two, I hadn't paid attention to when it happened, went along with them."
Harry shrugged, so long as a couple of the elves were with them, they'd not sneak anything from his home. He doubted those he'd invited would do so anyhow, really.
"I suppose that leaves us with a good bit of time then, doesn't it?" He asked after a few seconds of silence.
"It does," Corene said, her seat seemingly closer to his since first they started talking. "Do you have something you'd like to do whilst it's only the two of us?"
He shook his head. "I didn't really plan anything beyond having some alone time with you."
"I see… would you like a birthday kiss?" Corene cocked her head with her question in that very familiar mannerism of hers, one that he loved.
Harry smiled, his shyness in dealing with Corene finally — nearly — gone. "That sounds like a wonderful idea."
"If you hadn't answered as much, I would've pinched your ear," Corene said seriously as she closed in on him, her soft lips that he'd felt but a handful of times getting closer and closer to his, until…
They met.
Corene and Harry stretched awkwardly across their seats with their lips barely touching, it was such an awkward position that, at first, neither of them moved their lips much. Once Corene adjusted herself and more force was put behind their kiss, it grew in intensity. Her soft lips, his rougher ones, and the occasional soothing touch from one to the other as they lightly snogged.
When time dictated that they finally pulled back from one another, it was with panting breaths and glistening lips. In the case of Harry, there was a southern issue while Corene's blush was as strong as he'd ever seen it before.
"You seem pleased by our kiss, notably the duration," Corene commented, her eyes tracing his figure once from her seat. "I think we should do so again when we don't run the risk of having other guests interrupt our time together, would you be agreeable?"
Absent-mindedly, he nodded.
Really, what did she think he'd say to such an offer? No? Corene would be absolutely bloody mental if she thought he'd pass up the chance to snog her again.
"Definitely a yes," Harry said eventually, his eyes locked on Corene's cute, blushing cheeks.
"Hmmm," She said from her spot right beside him, her knee brushing his as she clearly pondered something.
"What're you thinking?" Harry questioned, his eyes finally having left her to gaze at the entrances to the ballroom.
They were still alone, he noted. None of his other guests had come back yet, and in the case of the two boys in attendance, he doubted they'd make their way back for quite a bit more time.
"Marriage," Corene said, her soft, very warm hand coming up to turn his face towards her. "If we continue dating and progressing our relationship, I should think we'll be engaged towards the end of our sixth year or the start of our seventh. Once that happens, it would only be a matter of time before marriage came — I quite like the thought of a Yule wedding."
Harry swallowed hard. Marriage was a lofty goal, especially when he considered they only recently started dating despite their dancing around one another for most of fifth year. He wasn't sure if they'd be together for as long as she planned, not with how the war seemed to be going or when politics reared their ugly heads; he did know the pair of them were compatible personality-wise, though.
Romantically too, if their snogging was anything to go by.
Corene smiled, he noticed whilst he was deep in thought.
Why is she randomly smiling all of a sud—
"It would appear that my attempt to make you nervous or flaky failed," She said with a pleased look about her, or rather, as pleased a look as she ever managed. "Mother told me to test you and see if the thought of marriage sent you running despite how early our relationship is. I'm glad that it didn't, I would've had to reevaluate how to date you."
Harry chuckled and slung an arm around Corene, the closeness of their chairs making it only the tiniest bit awkward.
"No need for any of that," He said as he placed a kiss on her cheek. "I have a feeling I'm in this for the long haul."
Corene turned the tables on him when she climbed free of her chair and directly into his lap, the chair only barely wide enough to allow her to sit across his legs as she did. "You've earned a second kiss later on in the evening. Until that time comes, I'll content myself with sitting in your lap."
Harry wrapped his arms around her stomach and held her close from that point on; neither of them paid much attention when the other guests came in and giggled or made small remarks about their closeness.
When the evening progressed and a few people trickled away whilst the remainder stayed in the parlour room with wine, tea and snacks, the happy young couple kept up their closeness by way of sitting together in a loveseat. Again, they disregarded the occasional glance or whispered remark when they showed affection with one another.
They would do that all the more often when they returned to Hogwarts, for as stoic and bored as Corene always seemed, beneath that outward portrayal was a romantic heart the likes of which were unparalleled.
"It's only the two of us now," Corene commented when Professor Slughorn made his departure through the floo in his buzzed state.
"It is," Harry agreed.
"We could kiss again, finally," Corene said, her hand tightening around his.
"We could," Harry said, the thought forcing him to lick his lips to remove the vestiges of the wine he'd recently drank.
"Harry?" Corene asked him, their connected hands forcing him to turn towards her.
"Yes?" He said when he did just that.
"Kisses?" Corene asked, her head cocked as she looked slightly up at him.
"Kisses," He confirmed, an eager smile breaking out on his face as he eyed his girlfriend.
And thus, without delay, the pair found their lips connected once more and time was made immaterial to them; they swayed with wandering hands until the call of a couch took them. From then, they separated to regain their breath in awkward, quiet breaths all the while their eyes bore into one another with affection mirrored for the other to see.
When the time came for their kissing to continue and Corene crawled atop his prone form, Harry couldn't think of a better way to end his birthday.
He doubted anything could ever come close to Corene's sweet kisses and if anything ever managed such a feat, it would undoubtedly be those perfect smiles that she so often kept hidden away.