A/N: This is a short story for the FlowerPot anniversary collection.
Shoutouts: Thanks to x102reddragon and the rest of the FlowerPot Discord Mod team for putting this collection together. For anyone who is a fan of Harry and Fleur. Here is the link to their Discord Server; discord . gg / gS9EMw3N4P (without the spaces).
Honourable Mentions: A big thank you to ArtyWords, Tim and Samu3ls for their help with the beta work.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. I also do not own the song 'All We Know' by The Chainsmokers. I just borrowed some of its lyrics.
A/N: I have launched my patreo/n account. I appreciate every support I get. For more details check my profile or my Discord server.
The Devil You Know.
Prologue: Hang Onto Burning Wires.
Fighting flames of fire
Hang onto burning wires
We don't care anymore
Are we fading lovers?
We keep wasting colors
Maybe we should let this go
We're fallin' apart, still we hold together
We've passed the end, so we chase forever
'Cause this is all we know
This feeling's all we know
The Chainsmokers, 2016.
August 01, 2001
Packages wrapped in colourful, bleached pulp sprawled across the large kitchen table. Two pairs of hands untangled, sorting through the score of gifts for their one year old son.
"Your godfather seems determined to make a Herbologist out of you, James." Harry said with a laugh, as he brought a purple flower to the eye level of the hovering boy.
"What ees zhat?" Fleur asked, tilting her face forward to get a better look of the plant.
"Lobalug Lavender." Harry replied. "Or so the note says. I'm rubbish at Herbology."
"What ees eet used for?"
"It produces bubbles that are meant to ward against nightmares according to Neville." Harry's eyes traced the words on the parchment. "Kind of like a Dreamless sleep potion."
"Eet is safe, non?" Fleur bit at her lips. A soft glimmer of disquiet wriggled its way into his heart.
"Perfectly," he replied, despite. "Neville wouldn't have sent it otherwise."
A pair of owls flew through the window and dropped yet another parcel onto the floor with a soft thump. Harry picked up the rectangular box and placed it at the centre of the table.
"It is time to cut the cake, son." The one-year old boy squealed in delight atop a toy broomstick.
"Cake! Cake ! Cake!"
"Whoa slow down there, Sport." Harry said as he snatched the kid from astride the zooming broom.
"We can't have cake until we sing you a birthday song," said Harry. "It is not every day that our young man clocks one now, is it?"
"Cake! Cake! Cake!"
Harry sighed.
"We should give mummy the honour of singing a birthday song before we eat the cake." Harry told James. He turned to Fleur and smiled at her.
"Best to just get the song over with, love before he decides that it is not worth the wait for the cake."
Fleur shook her head at her son. A soft smile graced her lips.
"Joyeux anniversaire. Joyeux anniversaire." James tried to imitate her and Harry fought the urge to collapse with laughter.
"Joyeux anniversaire James Jacques. Joyeux anniversaire."
Harry clapped and blew out the candles.
"Mummy has completed the song, James." He said to the kid in an affected relieved voice. "We can eat cake now."
"Cake ! Cake ! Cake!"
Harry laughed. A buzz filled the room. His eyes fell on his wristwatch. The very same one that was once Fabian Prewitt's. He was already fifteen minutes late.
"You are not staying today?" It wasn't a question.
"I have to get to a meeting with a client," he replied. "Besides, George made a breakthrough in the Rockwood case."
"Reschedule ze meeting."
"You know I can't just change the date at the last minute." He sighed, already feeling the argument approaching. "That would be inconsiderate of me."
"Missing your son's first birthday ees considerate, non?" Fleur queried.
"You have no idea how much I want to stay with you and James today."
"Zen stay !" Fleur said.
"It's not as simple as that, Fleur." He sighed, knowing it was futile. "I have to be there handling things."
"You never 'ave to do anyzing, 'Arry!" Fleur interjected. "Let ze aurors handle it today."
"The aurors?" Harry snorted. "They are grossly incompetent."
"You 'ave 'ardly given zem a chance to prove ozerwise." Fleur exploded. "Ze war is over 'Arry! When will you realize zhat?"
Harry stiffened.
"I know exactly what I'm doing, thank you very much."
"I zo not think you zo." Fleur eyes narrowed. "I 'ave been patient enough. Zis madness ave to stop. Revenge will not get zem back. You 'ave to let go 'Arry"
"What? So I should just do nothing?" Harry bellowed, his face flushed. "After all the things they did? They killed Ron and Hermione and Ginny and Fred and Colin and you say I should let go !"
"What about zose of us still living?" Fleur matched his temper in kind. "What about me and James? You leave us everyday to chase ze fight!"
Harry closed his eyes, begging whichever god in charge today for patience. Didn't she understand why he was doing what he did? Didn't she understand that those bastards that killed Ron and Hermione and did monstrous things to Ginny needed to be brought down?
He opened his eyes a fraction, gathering his thoughts on how best to articulate his words.
His ears perked.
A faint noise at the backdoor. The elder wand jumped to his hand. A hum of power flooded his veins. He saw Fleur's raised brow, but it seemed distant — as if in another plane. The thrill of the elder wand consumed him, like the blazing inferno upon a cluster of dry autumn leaves. His desire fueled his magic. The need for a spell melted at his will. He flicked the elder wand. The solid wall at the far end of the kitchen dissolved in his vision. Three hooded figures, revealed by the pale morning light. Fleur gasped beside him. He immersed his mind in the mental picture of a circle drawn on parchment, trying to think apart from the thrill of his wand. He turned his face towards Fleur.
"Pull out your wand and stay here with James." He ordered. "Whatever you do, do not leave this room."
He did not wait to find out whether she followed his orders. He turned his wand in a circle over his head, the surreal haze of disillusion cloaked. His bare feet silent against the cold hard stone.
"Homenum Revelio."
Nine blots of red floated around the perimeter. 'Seven intruders then'. He moved towards the nearest red, closing up until he could almost hear the faint heartbeat.
"Fulminis." His wand jabbed against the head of his victim, dead before he could make a sound.
The nearest enemy was just metres away. Yet it was enough space not to notice the muffled fall of his friend. Harry jabbed his wand to the cloaked body, pressing its tip to the side of the backbone. His magic flowed through his fingertips and extended to his wand like a conduit. It was over within seconds and Harry was moving again.
The next enemy was just around the corner. Harry inched forward, his body smooth against the cool morning breeze. Coils of blue twisting light illuminated the breaking dawn. A heavy thud.
A flash of green light missed his face by inches and exploded against the ground behind him in a shower of bricks and clay.
He crouched behind a metal bin, just in time to dodge another sickly green curse.
"Confringo." A voice snarled into the silence. Harry jumped away as the bin exploded. He turned his wand to the two approaching figures, releasing his hold on the disillusionment charm. He had already been spotted. The tingle of the charm would only serve to distract him.
He curved the elder wand in an arc. Jutted stakes grew from the ground, hurtling towards his opponents at breakneck speed.
"Protego." His opponents' shield charm shattered at the hammering strike. The Death Eaters threw themselves to the side to avoid being impaled.
Harry granted them no respite.
He moved like the wind, curses flying from the tip of his wand. His enemies tried to duck and weave around his spells. It was futile.
The elder wand moved in an arc. Twin, tangling bolts of lightning sizzled from its tip. A sweet, pungent smell, like a burning wire, wafted upon his nostrils. The lightning curved. The smell of burning flesh. Screams. Then silence.
Harry inhaled. It was over too fast for his taste. He hungered for more. He almost wished the bodies would twitch.
A loud explosion met his ears. The sound of panicked screaming. Fear gripped Harry's insides for the first time since the morning. He ran with wild abandon.
His green eyes fell upon what remained of the sturdy, wooden door. Fleur stood exactly where he had left her, clutching James tightly to her chest. She grasped a wand in a shaking palm.
A figure stood before her. Harry recognized the face of Rabastan Lestrange. Fleur was pointing her wand to Lestrange, oblivious to the hooded Death Eater slithering towards her exposed back with a jagged knife.
Rage tunnelled his vision.
His will exploded with his magic like a cannon blast. Lestrange turned in time to put up a shield but was blasted off his feet. The other Death Eater was not so lucky. Pieces of bones and brain matter splattered across the destroyed kitchen. Only Fleur and James remained unarmed from the destruction his wrath ensued.
"Expelliarmus."
Lestrange's wand flew from his stooped frame and landed in Harry's palm. Harry waved his wand, binding the Death Eater in tight, thorny ropes.
"I know you are a master occlumens." Harry began. "So you know what will happen if a powerful wizard uses overwhelming force to break into the mind of another." He paused to let the information sink in.
"It destroys their mind, warping their existence around their brain. A fate worse than death." Harry gripped the elder wand tight. "Right now, I'm dangerously close to making you feel that agony. I might be persuaded to reconsider if you cooperate and answer all my questions. I will find out what you know anyway. Your mind barriers cannot stand forever. It's better to tell me on your terms than mine."
"You are bluffing." Lestrange laughed. "The Dark Lord taught every member of the inner circle to tweak their minds in case they were ever captured. You know that or else you would have used Legilimency on me. You need me to cooperate because you know that you can only break into my mind but not interpret what you find."
Harry kept his expression passive but he was cursing inside. He didn't think Lestrange would figure that out so fast.
"Why do you fight, Rabastan?" Harry asked. "The battle is over. Voldemort is dead. Your side lost."
"The Dark Lord would never be gone." Rabastan allowed himself a small, ironical smile. "Until there is no one alive who is loyal to him."
Harry laughed.
"It has been only three years since your precious Dark Lord died and you're already quoting Dumbledore."
Rabastan's smile melted off his face.
"Convenient to pick on me eh Potter?" The Death Eater said. "What about you? What do you think that old fool, Dumbledore would think if he could see you now? Killing and torturing people… with his own wand."
Harry's fingers tightened against the elder wand. "He would think I did what I had to do for the greater good." Harry said, thinking about the Horcrux that was once lodged in his scar.
Rabastan laughed, this time with great relish. "You are not so different from us Potter. You and Dumbledore act like you have righteousness on your side, but in the end you are both monsters. Like the rest of us."
"Save your breath, Rabastan." Harry said. "It would serve you better by telling me what I want to know."
"I will do no such thing!"
"Then you leave me no choice." Harry muttered.
He released the veil over the power of the elder wand. It surged through him, blazing through the haze; swift as summer rain, strong as winter cold. It coiled deep within his core, like the tail of a serpent around a tree's smooth branch. His resolute will clamped upon his gut like a pair of pliers, his heart thundered beneath his ribs and sweat stung at his eyes.
"Crucio."
The force of Lestrange's screams staggered the ground. It sounded like music to his ears. Minutes blurred into seconds as time swirled into an ephemeral eternity. It was a fight not to extend the curse beyond the necessary. He pointed the tip of his wand between Lestrange's eyes.
"Legilimens."
His probe tore through Lestrabge's mind barrier like paper. Images gushed his mind. Memories he had no recollection of flitted through his senses, faster than he could make sense of them. Places he had never been to but he knew, yet he couldn't name. It left him disconcerted and displaced. He withdrew his probe. Oxygen rushed to fill his lungs. Lestrange was twitching on the floor, blood dripping from his nose and ears. His magic hungered for more. The wand sought one more final release. Harry granted it.
"Avada Kedavra."
Lestrange bounced up with the impact, landed with a thud and moved no more. Harry turned towards his wife and son, and with a mental effort, he placed the veil over the power of the elder wand once more. His muscles protested when he moved.
"Are you alright?" He asked, as he stood before the duo. Fleur gave a shaky nod.
"Zis changes things 'Arry."
"What do you mean?"
Her face was resigned as she spoke. "I cannot be seen around you anymore." Harry's heart skipped a beat.
"You told me Grimmauld Place was safe." She said accusingly.
"It should have been!" Harry argued. "They shouldn't have been able to get in."
"But zey did." Fleur said, shaking her head. "My son's life was in danger. 'Arry, I cannot risk zis anymore. I need to keep James safe."
"I can keep you both safe!" Harry shouted. "Didn't I just demonstrate that?"
Fleur shook her head. "'Arry, you kept us safe from ze physical today. What about tomorrow when James starts to have nightmares? You tortured and killed zat man in front of our son, because our life was threatened. What about when his life is threatened and you aren't at home to do anything about it?"
"We will figure something out." Harry said. Desperation was creeping into his tone.
"I am sorry 'Arry, but I cannot trust my son's safety to probability. I must go, eet ees no longer safe for James. You must promise to keep your distance from us 'Arry. Your presence will only put James in danger."
"Don't do this Fleur, please." Harry begged, something melted in his chest. Tears stung at his eyes.
Fleur smiled at him sadly. A bittersweet expression on her face. She placed her hands to the side of his face.
"I suspected eet might come to zis," she whispered. Every word felt like the biting stabs of a dagger to his heart. "We have pretended enough 'Arry. We are not what we used to be. Eet was like hanging onto burning wires. I tried, for James' sake, to reconnect and I might ave stayed and kept trying. But zis is bigger zan either of us, 'Arry. Zis is for our son. I loved and still love you 'Arry and I zo not zink zat I can ever stop loving you, but I ave to zo zis for James."
She inched closer, her breath warm against his skin. Harry's lips parted but no words came out. He would have never been given the chance either way, as Fleur pressed her lips against his. It was smooth and sensual against his own. The salty tang of tears mingled with honey. She withdrew after a moment, yet it felt like eternity. Her back turned away from him. Trunks and bags zoomed down the stairs and shrinked. She brought James towards him and Harry touched his son one last, final time before they both left.
"Where would you go?"
"France first." Fleur replied. "There are some beautiful places I want to show James."
"Let him attend Hogwarts," Harry begged. "Please. I want my son to know the first home I ever had."
Fleur paused, her blue eyes met him and softened. "It depends on how safe Hogwarts is by ze time, 'Arry." Fleur said, with a pointed look around Grimmauld. "I cannot knowingly put our son in danger."
Harry exhaled, he didn't get a definite answer but he knew it was the best he would get with Fleur.
"Goodbye Harry."
He nodded, a heavy weight descended in his insides. Fleur turned and sidestepped the broken door. Harry watched till her body disappeared from his view.
"Goodbye Fleur."
Tears flooded his face. He let out an anguished lament as he sat at the centre of the destruction that was his kitchen. The cooling corpse of Lestrange, his only company. In a way he had lost the battle just as he won. Victory felt ephemeral against the gnawing pang of loss. Defeating Voldemort did nothing to erase his suffering in the world. It defended his happiness and love enough just for another to threaten. Victory was like that. It had to be preserved, for no matter how long. It had to be fought for in order to be maintained. The fight for victory was like chasing forever, yet it was all he knew. So he would continue to fight. An endless, meaningless fight that seemed just like hanging onto burning wires.
A/N: If you like any of my works and want to discuss. You can join my Discord server by using this link; discord . gg / wnyWEsSBwB (without the spaces). Also, I occasionally host weekly Fanfiction Trivia Tournaments, based on many popular fanfictions and fan pairings, every sunday 2 pm (UTC) prompt. It will be a pleasure to have you on board, thank you.