Riddle drew Harry closer and pressed his lips to hers in a hungry kiss. One of his hands wound into her wild hair and the other cupped her lower back. Harry gasped in surprise, not having expected that kind of reaction, and Riddle took that as an invitation to slip his tongue inside Harry's mouth.
After a few moments full of hesitation and confusion, Harry gave in and met Riddle's tongue with her own. That made Riddle pull her even closer and Harry quickly wound her arms around his neck because she had no idea what else to do with them. She stood up on her tiptoes so she could deepen the kiss even more, because kissing Riddle felt good.
Harry's stomach swooped around in her body as though she was diving down on her broomstick from a great height. Her eyes fell shut without her even realizing and an unexpected moan escaped her before she could stop it. Riddle tasted faintly of toothpaste and tea and not much else and he kissed her as though he meant to devour her. Something hard pressed against Harry's pelvis and it took her a second to realize that it wasn't Riddle's wand that was gently poking her.
As quickly as Riddle had kissed her, he released Harry just as suddenly, stepping away from her entirely. Harry swayed on her feet while she blinked her eyes open against the bright midday sun.
What the hell had just happened?
"I do apologize," Riddle murmured, wiping his hand across his slightly swollen lips once. "You are a witch who is very hard to resist."
"Okay," Harry said, still feeling as though she might fall over at any moment. Her mind swam and her body tingled and Harry was now more than certain that sex would never be a problem between them if a simple kiss could make her feel that way. The kiss she'd shared with Cedric in the kitchens had certainly not been that intense and tantalizing, nor had it left Harry desperate for more.
"Come." Riddle squared his shoulders as though to compose himself and gestured towards the cottage. "Let me give you a tour."
Harry followed him inside, legs still somewhat unsteady but she managed to keep upright so that was good. The cottage was bigger on the inside than on the outside, but not by that much. It was a small, cosy space with slate floors covered in wool rugs and wooden panelling on the walls. There was indeed a big fireplace with a large, soft sofa in front of it. The kitchen wasn't that big but had everything it needed, including a round, oak table, and upstairs there were two bedrooms with large beds.
"I was hoping you'd agree to meet me here at least once a week now that Hogwarts is closed for the summer," Riddle said as they walked down the narrow stairs again. "We can continue our duelling lessons and there is plenty of room for you to practice flying here since there isn't a muggle around for miles and miles."
"Yes, that's fine." Harry was more than happy to agree to that. Since her family had broken apart she could probably do with a safe haven to get away from all the drama and heartbreak at home. "I'd love to go flying here."
"Well then, what's keeping you?" Riddle gave Harry a smile that made his eyes light up with a clear challenge and he pushed open the front door. Before Harry even knew what was happening, Riddle launched himself up into the air, disappearing from view instantly. Harry ran after him and grabbed her wand. Before she could second guess anything, she focused and propelled her body upwards until she was hovering right in front of Riddle.
Something occurred to Harry and she gave Riddle a panicked look. "What about the Trace? I'm not seventeen."
Riddle slowly floated backwards, grin growing wider as he beckoned Harry to follow him. "Here's a little secret for you, my dearest Harriet. As long as there is an adult around, you can use magic without it being detected by the Ministry."
Harry's mouth fell open. Why had no one told her that before? Remus was always around at Potter Mansion, which meant that Harry could have been using magic at home from the moment she'd gotten her wand.
"Come on, show me what you can do now that we're out in the open," Riddle said as he spread his arms in an invitation while flying backwards a little faster, right over the slate roof of the cottage.
Harry looked around and inhaled a deep breath. This was the first time she was flying by herself in the great outdoors. Until then she'd only practiced in the Chamber of Secrets, and while that was a large, cavernous room, it had nothing on the open skies of Northern Scotland. Harry couldn't hold back a shout of joy as she gathered her magic and shot up high into the sky. She loved flying on a broom, but flying unassisted like this was something else entirely.
Riddle was right beside her, arms held against his body as he squinted against the wind that whipped around them as they raced above the rugged landscape. Harry's summer robes flapped in the wind and she didn't even want to consider what her long, curly hair looked like at this point. Eventually, Harry slowed down and hovered at least a hundred feet above the ground, Riddle coming to a stop in front of her.
"You never gave me an answer," Harry said while giving Riddle a narrow-eyed look. That stupid kiss had firmly distracted her, and so had the flying.
Riddle chuckled and leaned back as though he was standing against a wall. Harry marvelled at how much control he had over his magic. Harry still had trouble keeping herself straight while hovering in the air. "I thought my reaction was answer enough," Riddle said while he quirked an eyebrow at her.
Harry's cheeks flushed a bit as she remembered their kiss. "Perhaps," she said, trying to sound unconcerned, but probably failing miserably. It had been a very good kiss after all. "Or you kissed me simply to distract me so you wouldn't have to give me an answer."
"Clever Harriet." Riddle moved closer again and gave her a warm look that was full of fondness. "I would be delighted for you to join me in my work for the good of the wizarding world."
"Okay, that's a good answer," Harry said in an attempt to hide the flush of attraction she felt coursing through her. Yeah, whatever physical relationship they'd end up developing wasn't going to be a problem at all. "I still want to play Quidditch and eventually become an Auror," Harry explained quickly, lest Riddle think she had given up her own dreams. "But I definitely want to help you with your work as well."
"You truly make me a very happy man, Harriet Potter," Riddle said, voice low and utterly serious.
Harry ducked her head, not knowing what to do with such a bold proclamation. Riddle briefly cupped her cheek and ran his thumb across her cheekbone before flying off again. Harry accepted that challenge, because flying proved a great distraction from suddenly wanting to mount Riddle like her favourite broomstick.
Was this just simple attraction? Or was it lust? Or even love? Harry had no clue, but she did know that it was bound to drive her to distraction if she didn't manage to get a grip on it anytime soon.
They spent an hour flying in the summer sun and it was the most free Harry had probably ever felt, which was rather ironic considering who she was flying with. But as they dashed through the air together, Harry had to admit that perhaps marrying Riddle really wasn't the end of the world and that their marriage truly had to potential to be full of moments of happiness just as the one they were sharing now.
Afterwards, Riddle made them tea in the kitchen with a few flicks of his wand and had his house-elf bring them some lemon cakes. They enjoyed their afternoon treat side by side on the sofa.
"I do hope you'll agree to spend some time with me here during the upcoming winter holidays," Riddle said at one point, giving Harry a look filled with hope and anticipation. Knowing how long Riddle had been waiting for his parselmouth bride made Harry wonder if this was one of Riddle's personal fantasies. Spending time together with his wife in his holiday cottage. It must be, since Riddle had yet to show Harry his actual home.
Petal, Riddle's house-elf, served them a simple but delicious dinner of beef Wellington with a summer salad and baked potatoes, which they ate in the kitchen while Riddle told Harry about some of the projects that were going on in the ministry at that point. Harry listened attentively, even though politics had never really interested her. But she was to become the Minister's wife and her goal was to keep Riddle from making any more mistakes like the Coven System, so she had to do her best to learn all she could about the Ministry of Magic.
That meeting set the tone for the rest of the summer. Once a week, Harry spent an afternoon with Riddle at his holiday cottage. They duelled, they went flying, they had tea together, and they always ended the visit with a lovely dinner served by Petal. And Harry cherished those hours she got to spend with Riddle. Not just because it allowed her to get to know the man better and better, but also because it took her away from Potter Mansion.
Lily's departure left the rest of their family devastated, to put it simply. But Lily's mind was made up and no matter that James, Sirius and Remus begged her to reconsider, Lily filed for an official divorce from all her husbands. Peter was the only one who didn't protest any of these new developments.
"I only ever married Lily because it was expected of me," Peter confided to Harry one evening when they were alone in the library together. "I love her, but as a friend. I'm grateful for the children she's given me, but I understand that she wants her freedom after never having had a choice in anything before."
Harry nodded solemnly. "Yeah, I understand. I hate it that everyone's sad all of a sudden, but I get why Mum needs to get away from everything."
"She loves you," Peter said, giving Harry a reassuring smile. "She loves all of you kids, never doubt that."
"I know." And Harry did know. But even that knowledge wasn't enough to keep Harry from filling up with grief a few times a day, when she saw James staring forlornly into space, or when the smaller kids asked her when their mum would be back. Spending time with Riddle gave Harry a much needed reprieve from all that negativity.
And who would have thought that one day Harry would prefer to spend time with Riddle over spending time with her own family?
Harry's sixteenth birthday was a subdued affair. Remus made sure that the elves served Harry a birthday cake and she got presents from the usual people. The day was still a far cry from the exuberant parties Harry was used to, when the whole mansion would fill up with families, dozens of kids all trampling across the grounds together in search of adventure. Harry met Lily in Diagon Alley for ice cream during Lily's lunchbreak. Lily gave her a tight hug and handed her a small present, which Harry eagerly unwrapped.
It was a book titled 'A Woman's Guide to Magic'. Harry turned it over in her hands, intrigued. She wasn't as much of a bibliophile as Hermione, but she did appreciate a good book to read from time to time, as long as its subject matter interested her.
"You're going to be a woman soon," Lily said, absentmindedly taking a bite of her raspberry sorbet. "This book has every spell a woman will ever need in her life." Glancing down, a shadow passed over Lily's green eyes. "I'm so sorry you're stuck with a husband you didn't get to choose, Harriet. You deserve better."
Harry swallowed, drawing circles in her ice cream with her spoon. "Yeah," she whispered before giving her mother her most reassuring smile. "It's not my choice but I get along quite well with Riddle these days. I genuinely enjoy spending time with him."
"Really?" Lily looked as though she couldn't imagine why Harriet would ever say such a thing. "Don't you find him a bit…stuck up?"
Harry shrugged and took a bite of ice cream to give her time to think of a proper answer. "Sure, he's arrogant, but he's got reason to be. I've never seen anyone as talented at magic as he is. Have you ever seen him duel?"
Lily shook her head. "He quit the duelling circuit when he became Minister for Magic I believe, so I missed that opportunity."
"Well, it's something else, what Riddle can do." Harry sat up a bit, suddenly filled with excitement as she remembered some of the more memorable things Riddle had shown her. "He uses Runes while duelling."
Lily blinked. "Runes?"
"Yeah. He just writes them in the air and combines them with charms and transfiguration. It took me weeks to even figure out what he was doing." Harry well remembered Riddle's smug look whenever Harry vented her frustration in a long rant about Riddle's cheating, Slytherin ways because he was using magic she wasn't familiar with. Turns out, no one was familiar with it since no one else could do it.
"That's impossible," Lily said with an almost angry frown.
"You'd think so, but Regulus has confirmed that Riddle does use runes during duelling," Harry said, unable to not feel a bit smug on Riddle's behalf. "Regulus and Severus have spent the last two decades trying to replicate what Riddle can do, but they've not had success yet."
"Well, that certainly explains how Riddle won the World Duelling Championship more times than anyone else," Lily mused, turning back to her sorbet. "And why he's a bit stuck up."
Harry chuckled, secretly very pleased that she could at least have a proper conversation about Riddle with her mother. If she dared mention Riddle around James or Sirius they kept offering to murder him in his sleep, much to Harry's chagrin.
Riddle had cake waiting for her in his holiday cottage during their meeting after Harry's birthday. He brushed a kiss across Harry's cheek, coming dangerously close to her mouth. "Happy birthday, my dearest Harriet." Riddle hadn't snogged Harriet again, though she often caught him staring at her in a way that made it clear he very much wanted to do so. But Harriet was still too young for it to be proper for a man in his sixties to regularly make out with her, no matter that they both rather liked it.
"Thanks," Harry said, cheeks flushing as she accepted the gift Riddle gave her. She carefully tore the silver paper away to reveal a black velvet box. Inside it she found a platinum bracelet decorated with intricate patterns that held countless small emeralds and diamonds. It was a stunning bracelet and when Harry picked it up she felt it thrumming with magic.
"I have charmed it myself," Riddle said, gesturing at her to put the bracelet on. "I've added every possible protection and shield charm to it, and a slew of protective runes. It will keep you safe from all but the strongest of curses."
"You expect someone to attack me?" Harry asked, giving Riddle a dubious look as she slipped the bracelet on. It warmed against Harry's skin in a comfortable, soothing way.
"Our relationship and upcoming wedding are still a secret but that won't remain so forever. Sooner or later the public will learn of our existence and a man in my profession will always have enemies." Riddle took Harry's hand on his own and gave it a gentle, reassuring squeeze.
"So that's why you're so determined that I learn to duel," Harry mumbled more to herself, but Riddle nodded anyway.
"Yes, and I am very pleased with your progress so far. Right now you'd be able to win in a duel against almost any witch or wizard, save for those who are experienced duellers themselves." Riddle's mouth transformed into a wicked grin. "A few more years of my tutelage, and you'll win against those duellers as well without much effort."
Harry remained quiet for a moment, since she hadn't really considered what it meant to be the Minister for Magic's wife until now, especially not when it came to her safety. But it made sense that a man of Riddle's political power and influence would have enemies that might try to hurt him by hurting his wife. "I'm looking forwards to it," Harry finally said, meaning every word. She genuinely enjoyed duelling with Riddle and learning more magic than she ever thought she would.
The summer flew by and Harry was happy when it was time to return to Hogwarts, though part of her also dreaded it. Even though she had now resigned herself to her upcoming marriage with Riddle, she still couldn't help her growing nerves the closer they got to her seventeenth birthday.
"So where is the wedding going to be?" Hermione asked her after Harry mentioned how nervous the upcoming wedding made her when they were alone in their dormitory on their first night back.
Harry blinked. "I've got no clue."
"You've not started on the preparations yet?" Hermione's eyes grew wide as she stared at Harry in utter shock. "It's only eleven months now, you need to start preparing."
This left Harry even more nervous, since she had no clue where to even start. Her mother no longer lived at home and didn't seem in a hurry to return there to help with preparations. And her father only got a murderous look in his eyes whenever Harry so much as hinted at her upcoming wedding. In other words, her family was useless when it came to wedding planning.
"Don't worry," Riddle said when Harry brought it up the first time they met in the Chamber of Secrets again. "I've got it all covered."
That brought Harry up short and she gave Riddle a disbelieving look. "I don't get a say in our wedding, darling?" she said in a sweet tone that didn't quite cover a real layer of underlying venom.
Riddle looked as though he wasn't sure as if Harry had just asked him a trick question or not. "Of course you do, dearest. Perhaps we should sit down soon and go over both of our wedding wishes."
"That would probably be a good idea," Harry said, even though she didn't have a clue what she wanted out of her wedding. She'd never been one to dream about it, as some girls did.
During their next meeting in the Chamber, Riddle conjured them a comfortable sofa so they could sit while they went over their upcoming wedding. Harry was happy to let Riddle come up with suggestions which she then could agree or disagree with.
"How many guests do you want to invite?" Harry asked when Riddle mentioned the wedding would be large.
"At least 500," Riddle said without a hint of concern.
Harry's throat closed with acute anxiety at the thought of having so many people there to see her marry Riddle.
"I'm the leader of this country, Harriet," Riddle said softly, placing a hand on her arm in a brief gesture of comfort. "I can't have a small wedding."
Of course he couldn't, Harry understood that perfectly well. The thought of so many guests still sent her mind in a tailspin until Riddle squeezed her arm and said, "How about we have the wedding at Hogwarts? I'm sure I can convince Minerva to let us use the castle for a wedding venue by rare exception."
Harry had to swallow a few times before she was able to speak again. The idea of having 500 people at Hogwarts, where the Great Hall was packed with hundreds of students every day anyway, was somehow easier to deal with. "Yeah, I'd like that," Harry finally said, giving Riddle a small but heartfelt smile. "Hogwarts would be perfect."
Over the next few weeks they spent an hour or two every Thursday evening, after they were done with their duelling practice, coming up with more plans for their wedding. Everything from music to flower arrangements and what dishes to serve at dinner were discussed and agreed upon. Going over every detail of the wedding with Riddle did help calm Harry's nerves because she now knew exactly what to expect.
During the second week of October, Riddle handed her a book when they got ready to leave the Chamber behind. "I'd like you to read this and decide which ritual appeals to you the most."
Harry accepted the book without thinking and stared down at the fading golden letters embossed in the leather cover: 'Sex Magic'. At once her entire face heated up to the point her cheeks must be burning red.
"I assume you're a virgin," Riddle mumbled, head bent a little though his eyes were shining with amusement at Harry's clear embarrassment. "There are some very strong rituals we can use for deflowering on a wedding night. Do pay close attention to those in particular, dearest."
"Sure," Harry squeaked and quickly cleared her throat. She was determined to be mature about this. After all, they would get married and have sex right after. And it wasn't that Harry didn't want to have sex with Riddle, because she did. She just didn't know a great deal about it besides the bare basics, so she had no clue what to expect.
Reading the Sex Magic book certainly enlightened her to the point of persistent arousal while she read it. The book explained all the rituals in explicit details, most with realistic drawings of the required positions for having sex. Harry hadn't even realized there were that many positions for a man and a woman to get busy together. Some of them seemed downright dangerous, as though people might break their necks if something went wrong, so Harry quickly skipped those as possible rituals to use on their wedding night.
The rituals for deflowering were all rather tame, thankfully. The various runic circles all offered different things for the bride and groom. Patience between partners, or a lustful relationship, or a fertile marriage. Harry couldn't help but be intrigued by all these rituals, especially when she realized that these used to be common in arranged marriages. That way the spouses could get a bit of magical help in developing a healthy and happy relationship.
It also explained why so many light wizards thought of sex magic as dark magic, even though the rituals weren't dark at all as far as Harry could tell. Light wizards had always opposed the idea of arranged marriages, and thus any kind of magic especially geared towards such traditions would be seen as undesirable.
Harry particularly liked the ritual that promised mainly understanding and devotion between partners. She mentioned it to Riddle in the Chamber late October while studiously not looking at him.
"And interesting and fitting choice," Riddle said, sounding satisfied with Harry's decision. "I will have the correct ritual circle ready at my home for our wedding night."
"Thanks," Harry whispered, not sure what else to say. Her hands were trembling a bit in her lap, no matter how much she tried to keep herself calm. But the idea of having sex with Riddle was still a bit intimidating, no matter how often he starred in some of Harry's more explicit dreams.
"There is no need to be nervous," Riddle said, voice uncharacteristically kind as he leaned a little closer. "I will be gentle, I promise. Please don't worry too much."
Harry finally looked up and stared into Riddle's brown eyes. She believed him when he assured her he'd be gentle. "All right," Harry said, trying her very best to quell all those flutters of anxiety that plagued her at the idea of having sex for the first time.
The next morning, Harry got an unexpected surprise. "Harry," Hermione called from their dormitory as Harry was brushing her teeth in the bathroom. "Why can't I open this transfigurations book?"
Harry quickly rinsed her mouth and joined Hermione in the dormitory. Much to Harry's embarrassment, Hermione was holding the Sex Magic book, which Harry must have left out on her night stand. She had been reading it rather thoroughly the night before after her meeting with Riddle. And while Harry had discussed most details of her upcoming wedding with Hermione, she'd left out the fact that she and Riddle would be performing sex magic on their wedding night.
"What's it about?" Hermione asked, desperately trying to yank the book open but failing miserably. "The cover only says Modern Transfiguration."
Bending down, Harry started cackling. The book must be protected from others outside of the intended recipient seeing its true content.
Hermione stared at Harry in disbelief when Harry took a few minutes to calm down again.
"I'll tell you, but you have to promise not to tell anyone," Harry said after catching her breath.
"Okay, I promise." Hermione sat down on the edge of Harry's bed and offered her the book. Harry joined her and opened the book so Hermione could see what was written on the pages.
"Oh my god," Hermione exclaimed at the sight of the first explicit picture. "Where did you get this?"
"Riddle gave it to me, to choose a ritual to use on our wedding night," Harry said softly, strangely excited to share this whole new branch of magic with her best friend. "It's amazing what this magic can do and I'm not just talking about heightened physical pleasure."
"Let me look." Hermione ripped the book from Harry's hands and before she could read a single word the book slammed shut in Hermione's hands and refused to open again. "Why does it keep doing that?" Hermione screeched in frustration, slapping the book in her lap.
Harry quickly grabbed the book before Hermione managed to actually cause damage. It had been a gift from Riddle and for that reason Harry cherished it. "Sorry," Harry said with a shrug. "I suppose it's enchanted to keep strangers from reading it."
Hermione harrumphed and crossed her arms. Nothing bothered Hermione as much as being denied knowledge did, Harry knew only too well.
"You can always look for your own copies of this books, or books like it, during our next Hogsmeade trip," Harry suggested quickly and that seemed to perk Hermione right up because that was only a week away.
Of course, after said Hogsmeade trip Harry had to suddenly deal with an angry Ron. "Why did you encourage Hermione to look up such dark magic?" Ron said through gritted teeth after he cornered Harry right outside the entrance to Gryffindor Tower. "She wouldn't listen to me when I told her it was dark magic and now she wants us to use it on our wedding night, whenever that may be."
"It's not dark, Ron," Harry said, feeling personally offended at the very idea that she might have encouraged her best friend to use dark magic. "And if you actually read about it, you'd know that." And with that, Harry pushed past Ron, slamming her shoulder into his arm as she did so. Ron didn't talk to her for a week after that, but Harry couldn't care less. She liked the idea of sex magic and she was sure she and Riddle would be having plenty of it in the future.
November brought two surprises with it. The first was a letter from her mother, letting her know that the divorces were now finalized and that Lily was now officially a free woman. Lily also mentioned that she'd started seeing another Healer named Sarah Wilkes, who was a few years older than Lily. Sarah was also a muggleborn who'd been recently divorced from her three husbands and apparently that created close bond between her and Lily that they were eager to explore. Harry wrote back to her mother, wishing her all the best in her new relationship because she sincerely wished for her mother to finally be happy.
The other surprise came one morning in the Great Hall, when Harry sat down for breakfast and saw the headline on the front page of the Daily Prophet Neville was holding up to read.
Minister Riddle Romances a Hogwarts Student!
Harry slowly closed her eyes and inhaled a deep breath. It seemed that the niffler was finally out of the bag.