Authors note:
Sorry guys, this chapter turned out to be so much longer than I expected it to be. Enjoy!
Chapter 5
It turns out that Harri did not need another ride to London, as she has gotten all of her business sorted out with Snape beforehand, something that she did not think possible with Hagrid.
The day of the ball came, and Snape came and picked her up the day of the Malfoy ball dressed in much nice black robes. Harri came out in her emerald greens robes that complimented her eyes and took Snapes arm and waited for that tugging to take her away into Malfoy Manor. They entered into the foyer where Narcissa greeted them and kissed Harri on her cheek. Harri kissed her back on her other cheek and curtsied to her afterwards. Narcissa seemed pleased that Harri was demonstrating to be a proper Lady that would helpfully be a good match for Draco. Harri greeted Lord Malfoy and he kissed her hand immediately noting her family ring and putting it to the back of his mind to later think on the implications of having the Potters back in the political world.
Many people were openly staring at Harri, and she remained by Severus's side, trying to show him that she was behaving herself just like she promised him. But as they walked to talk to other people, the staring didn't end. After years of getting used to the staring, Harri still felt a bit self-conscious, and especially now, as she was afraid that she had made a social faux pass. Her hair was adorned with white lilies honoring her mother making her vibrant red hair stand out even more in her updo hairstyle that showed her slender and delicate neck that illuminated her family jewelry on her neck and ears that honored her father. Until finally, Draco came up to her and complimented her.
"Lady Potter, you look very beautiful this evening" it cost Harri so much not to smirk at him and make an inappropriate comment, but one look from Snape and she tersely accepted the compliment.
"Thank you, Draco, you look very lovely in your robes. It really brings out your eyes from the Black genes from your mother side" there, she complimented Draco meanwhile also complimenting Sirius. She practically heard Snape roll his eyes at her and she quickly send him a glare and took it off before Draco noticed anything. Draco flushed a lovely pink and then remembered that he had to maintain his posture and tried to push the blush back.
"So, nice party you have here" Harri tried picking up the conversation. Draco smiled, noticing her effort to continue the conversation and he nodded at her.
"Thank you, I can show you around the house if you'd like and give you a tour of the manor?" Harri smiled at this golden opportunity and put her hand on his offered arm immediately and walked with him meanwhile they got many glances and approving glances from his parents. Great, thought Harri, people were already trying to get things out of her. She smiled at Draco and responded at the right pauses, but she couldn't concentrate on him because they still hadn't even passed by any study or library.
Until finally Draco spoke music to Harri ears,
"This is the library and right across is my father's study" immediately Harri perked up at that and asked him
"Are we allowed to visit the library?" Draco smirked at her, the same smirked that used to irk her in her first lifetime and he spoke in a haughty voice,
"Of course, we are, I am the Heir of the Malfoy family and can do what I please" Harri smiled at this, glad that he was still in his years that he tried to impress others with his family's name. Harri nodded eagerly and they stepped into the library and Harri felt out the horcrux using her own in her head. Trying with all her hope that she could feel something that feel like her scar. That was when she felt something sing out to her scar. A soul piece that wanted to be reunited with its other part, a soul piece that felt so lonely that it physically hurt Harri emotionally by the loneliness that it felt, and it reminded her of the loneliness that she felt being alone with no one to love and no one to take care of. She looked over to a bookshelf and she could not believe her luck. It was a plain, thin black book that didn't stand out compared to the others and hid in plain sight.
"Would it be all right if I took a look around the alchemy section?" noticing that the book was by the alchemy section that no one ever bothered to visit according to all of the dust piled up. Draco nodded eagerly, wanting to appease her and then she asked him,
"Could I see any defense against the dark arts book you have here?" Draco thought about it for a brief moment and then he added and said,
"Wait right here" and when he was out of sight, she checked around for anybody that might be in the vicinity and then she took the book, put it in her pouch and replaced the book with a fake book that she had duplicated. She sat down on a comfortable couch after putting the book in her pouch and then she pretended to be bored while she waited for Draco. Draco appeared and he handed her a couple of tombs. Harri gave Draco an appraising gaze and then she smiled at him making Draco blush a lovely light pink.
"Do you have a quill and parchment I can borrow from you to take down the names of these books?" Draco nodded and went to a nearby study station and handed Harri the parchment and inked quill so that she could write down the names swiftly of books that she already owned in her Potter library. Once Harri was done, she folded the parchment and put it up her sleeve. Draco put her hand on his arm, and he continued escorting her throughout the Manor. And once he was done nearly an hour later, they went back to the ball where she saw everyone dancing waltzes and drinking a bit too much to be considered appropriate.
Harri stared out at the men trying to recognize any men that she might have been involved with in her later years. But so far, she could not pin any of the men down here. Harri had a string of lovers in her late twenties and throughout her late thirties, her lovers always leaving her when they found out that their child could not inherit the Potter lordship because she couldn't have children. Her beauty wasn't enough to hold a man with her for so long. Harri is beautiful, and she wanted to tie the knot with a special man, but those men always wanted children and Harri couldn't give them that. And it's not like she can advertise that on the first date and find someone that didn't want children, because the painful truth is that all wizards want a witch that can continue their family name.
So, that being said, they always ended up leaving her, but that didn't stop Harri from having a weakness for handsome men, it doesn't matter the type, strong, rugged, soft, princely, bad boy, scary, dangerous, bookworm, older, they all undid her resolve and turned her into a hot mess. But with reverting back to her younger body, Harri gladly noticed that she was attracted to the older men at the party and not her peers, but that also concerned her. What would everybody say when they noticed that Harri only went out with men that were considerably older than her? The press will have a field day and wonder what a wealthy heiress was doing with a man that was beneath her station, or with a man that could be her father's age. No doubt that they would try to psychoanalyze her and blame her taste in men on unresolved daddy issues for never having her father around. Harri internally cringed and was glad that was years away still. Harri secretly ogled the men and turned her attention to Draco and nodded and responded at the right moment and continued with her eye candy, noticing who had wedding bands and who didn't.
"As they were walking to the punch bowl, and Harri continued with her eye candy, someone stepped in front of Harri and Draco. Harri looked up and had to stop the scowl from appearing on her face. She waited for a much younger looking Mathew Pucey to introduce himself to them. Draco looked annoyed by the interruption and having to introduce Harri to other potential suitors, not that Draco thought about himself as a suitor, but he understood that others would consider himself and themselves suitors for an eligible and politically powerful partner.
"Harri this is Pucey." Draco drawled in a bored voice, not even bothering to introduce him by his last name. She also noticed that he intentionally dropped the honorifics with her and called her by an intimate name instead of calling her Harriet or Potter. Harri understood what he was doing, and she was amused enough to want to see how it all played out. Harri nodded at him and respectfully offered her hand to him so that he could kiss it and then took it back as soon as it was socially acceptable and made a small dig towards his age, even though Harri was much older than him now.
"Mr. Pucey" Draco smirked at her indifference of the older male and offered her his arm to that they could continue on their way to make rounds around the ball room. What Harri once admired about him is that social faux passes aren't something that he was afraid of, and he walked back in front of her to the scandalized stare from Draco.
"Lady Potter" he smiled at her dazingly. The same practiced smile that made her fall for him so long ago. A smile that promised love and passion. Harri had to stop herself from cursing his too perfect face and nodded at him.
"Mr. Pucey" she repeated. If he was deterred by her cold behavior, he didn't let it show. He extended his hand and asked her,
"May I have this dance?" Harri raised an eyebrow at that. She had the body of an 11-year-old, and he was almost 18 years old, what could he possibly want from her at this stage in her life? It would be very rude to deny his request to dance, even if he did pursue her after she had excused herself in the first place. She looked to Draco to gauge his reaction, and he was not happy. But Draco knew that she could not refuse so he excused himself and went to stand by the sidelines just for this song. Harri took Matthew's arm and let him escort her to the dance floor. He took her hand in his and put his hand on her waist guiding her through the song meanwhile she put her hand on his shoulder and held his hand.
"Harri was not supposed to know how to dance at this point of her life, so she let him lead and stumbled a little before improving her dancing after a couple of repetitions. But Harri knew that Matthew liked to change the steps a bit to mess her up like he did when they had their first dance. She watched for his feet and accordingly followed his steps as they danced around the danceroom with a captive audience watching the Girl-Who-Lived and heartthrob Matthew Pucey. Harri kept her face neutral and bored looking as she stared at his face, and once the waltz was over, she excused herself and went over to Draco.
"Draco was fuming that someone to lowly like Pucey had taken Harri's first dance at the ball his family was hosting. But he felt better when he saw that Harri seemed relieved it was over and happy to be at his side at once.
"Let's go get some refreshments" Draco nodded, and they both went to an elegant table adorned with ice statues and neatly folded napkins and food assorted in a variety of colors and shapes.
"That was when she noticed that Marcus Flint had a pet snake with him that he had sneaked in. Harri stared at the snake long enough for the snake to stare back at her. Harri knew she had to keep her Parseltongue a secret, but she also knew that the public would find out sooner or later, and it was better for them to find out under her terms.
Harri looked out for Snape and notice him staring at her, almost feeling that she was about to get herself in trouble. She waved at Snape and gave him a bashful smile, like a kid getting caught with their hand in a cookie jar. Snape stalked towards her with his cloak flaring out behind him dramatically and she the urge to snort and stopped herself because of close by guests that might hear her.
"Is a political stunt considered misbehaving myself?" Harri asked when Snape was close enough that only he would hear her. Snape considered her for a minute before sighing and reluctantly trying to reign her in.
"Not necessarily, but with you, you can never be too sure" Harri laughed out loud at hearing this, and she whispered,
"It's better to take of the band aid in one go" he rose his eyebrows at her muggle expression and shook his head at her.
"Do it quick because we are leaving as it is almost time for you to leave." Harri nodded eagerly and then joined Draco where he was admiring the snake hidden away from the adults. Harri walked purposefully towards the group of Hogwarts age students and walked in front of Flint extending her arm invitingly.
"Hey beautiful, come out so that I can admire your lovely scales." Harri spoke in a clear voice where all of the Hogwarts aged students turned to hear with a gasp. Harri walked by closer and offered her hand and wrist to it. The snake was way too happy to be leaving her master and slithered up Harri arms.
"How are you beautiful? Does your master treat you well?" and then cue more horror gasps and more people starting to notice Harri Potter speaking to a snake in the middle of a Ball. More people started to notice the commotion and turned over to the children and stayed silent to see what they were hoping to be some scandalous entertainment.
"He's all right, but I want to go outside more often" Harri nodded and cooed at the snake, turning her Parseltongue into an almost mockery of a baby voice."
"I'll let him know, but it's time for you to go back to your master" the snake hissed in disappointment and reluctantly went back to Flint's still extended shocked hand.
"He said that he wants to spend more time outside" Harri spoke casually, and at this point the entire ball was staring at Harri in shock, horror, amusement, and calculating delightful gleams at her talent. Harri said her goodbyes to a still shocked Draco and went to stand next to Professor Snape so that he could apparate her to Surrey. Snape looked on with a neutral expression and then walked out to the foyer where they took the floo network and then took her to surrey.
When they popped inside of the house, he gave her a hard and soul penetrating stare and Harri stared back at him looking bored.
"Sir?" Harri asked, voicing her confusion.
"You made a very big move today girl." Harri sighed at hearing that wretched word, hearing it once again in this new life.
"I know what I did, I wouldn't have been able to hide it forever. It would have worse if people found out I was trying to hide it from them." Harri stared at him with her big, beautiful emerald, green eyes, knowing that Snape had a weakness for them. Snape looked away and walked towards the door away from her. Giving his back to her he opened the door and snapped at her,
"Expect to do some damage control on your first day of term."
Harri smiled at that and humorously joked with him "as long as I don't get detention on my first day of the term." His glare intensified at that and that did nothing to dissuade her of her smile. Snape rolled his eyes exasperated, he felt that he was losing his touch, as he has yet to scare her with his sneer, but he could also blame it on her having Lily's genes."
"Sir, before you leave, I want you to know that I have my mother's diary and I've read all of it." Harri dropped the last bomb for the night. Petunia had given it to her on her 17th birthday in her original timeline, and she made it her mission to find it again in the attic and read it during her free time. She hadn't found it yet, but she had read it, so it was only a half a lie, and with those parting words, she went upstairs to her room to sleep pleasant dreams of men frolicking in a river with her.
