I don't own Harry Potter, and I'm doing this for fun, not profit. Please let that be a sufficient disclaimer!
...
The man felt paranoid. Or like he was going mad. Or potentially both. His initial assumption was that someone was playing a prank on him and his team, and under that assumption he found it pretty funny the first time.
The second time, it brought a smile to his face – whoever was doing this was clever, to have avoided leaving any evidence! But the third, fourth and fifth times the man started to get concerned; what if there was a problem with the enclosure? What if something was getting in?
When the aardvark remains had appeared, Simon was positively panicked! He wanted to hide it from his manager, but reluctantly he raised it, only to discover all the aardvarks were fully accounted for... so what was going on?!
After investigating a little, the zoo concluded that someone must be playing very elaborate pranks, and Simon ceased to worry for a while. And the Burmese Pythons seemed increasingly excited every time they saw him, which put his mind at ease and only increased the affection he felt for the snakes; after all it was hardly their fault if someone was putting animal bones into their cages!
But then came that terrible day when human remains were found in the enclosure. Simon, and poor young Marjorie from his team, nearly had a heart attack; and that reaction was mild compared to that of their manager!
At least it was obvious that the pythons hadn't actually eaten a person; a meal that large would have been very obvious to any observer - the pythons would have looked incredibly bloated for days, if not weeks!
But the remains were a mystery – forensics confirmed they were definitely human, but there were no missing person whose DNA matched the DNA from the remains; in fact the DNA matched no-one on record, in any country willing to share records!
But that was a problem for the police; Simon and his colleagues had been interviewed, but none had been charged and the police had assured the zoo that they would continue the investigation, and that the staff could leave it in their hands.
Still, it left Simon with a creeping feeling that something was wrong; that he was missing something obvious. Well, he was probably just being silly about it.
...
Sebastian was in the middle of a very serious activity. It required his utmost focus and concentration; anything less would lead to severe repercussions: he was attempting to withstand his daughter's tickles.
Gabrielle knew – with certainty –that her Papa was ticklish. But he sat there stoically, with barely a smile on his face, as she tickled his left foot, then his right foot. This called for drastic measures.
"Fleur! I need your help to tickle Papa!" cried Gabrielle with urgency.
Fleur laughed, then acquiesced. Sebastian knew at this point that his victory was now very uncertain. As Fleur started tickling her Papa's left foot and Gabrielle started tickling his right, Sebastian fought to remain calm. He was just beginning to crack when a voice mercifully called from the floo.
"Sebastian, are you there?"
Quickly extracting himself, Sebastian smiled whilst replying. "I'm sorry, my angels, but I should see if there's a problem"
"But Papa! We were winning!" complained Gabrielle.
Sebastian kissed his youngest on the crown of her head, then kissed his eldest in the same way too, for good measure.
"Oui, Albus. Would you like to step through?" Sebastian offered.
"Could I impose upon you to join me here? I'd like to have a sensitive conversation", Dumbledore replied.
Sebastian nodded, then after telling his daughters he wouldn't be long he stepped into Dumbledore's office.
After offering lemon drops – with Sebastian taking a couple each for his children – Dumbledore got down to business. "I know I'm interrupting, so let us get down to it."
At Sebastian's nod, Dumbledore continued. "I plan to destroy two very dark artefacts. Each comes with its own problem, and I was hoping you could dispense some more invaluable advice."
Sebastian nodded again. Internally, he idly wondered how much his advice would be worth, if such things could be assigned a cost; not that he would charge his friend!
"The first artefact is well protected, and the second is... a difficult matter", Dumbledore briefed.
"Tell me about the protections on the first artefact", Sebastian asked.
"There's a hidden cave. Between the cave's entrance and the artefact is a lake containing inferi, with anti-apparition wards in place. Once that is passed, there is a... basin filled with a green potion that cannot be vanished; I expect its contents to be beyond unpleasant. Once the potion is drank, I believe the artefact will be inside", Dumbledore explained.
Sebastian considered this for a few moments. This was, at least, a bit of a challenge. Then the answer came to him.
"The lake seems simple – you 'ave a phoenix, no? As for the potion... are there any conditions on what must drink it?" Sebastian asked.
Dumbledore frowned. "What do you mean?" he asked.
"What if you conjured, say, a bear, then compulsed it to drink? Would that work?" Sebastian asked. Then added, "if conjured animals did not, you could always ask your phoenix to bring you a real one."
Dumbledore nodded; he would prefer a conjured creature, given the likely suffering, but he must destroy the artefact.
Seeing that the first challenge was likely solved, Sebastian moved to the next topic. "What about the second artefact?"
Dumbledore paused. "I do not wish to destroy it. Or, perhaps I should say, two magical artefacts reside in the same object, and I wish to destroy one and keep the other."
Sebastian frowned. Before he had been able to consider the problem, Dumbledore continued with a surprising revelation. "Sebastian, my old friend..." Dumbledore took a deep breath then continued. "...the artefact I wish to keep holds great personal worth to me. I don't know if I would be able to destroy it."
Sebastian was surprised to note a single tear fall down Dumbledore's cheek. He didn't think he had ever seen such a reaction, even in the darkest times of the war. Even when Lily and James...
Pulling his thoughts together, Sebastian gave his advice. "Albus, should I assume you do not wish to tell me the specifics?" At Dumbledore's nod, he continued. "I can only imagine the 'orrors of what such a dark artefact could bring, if you wish to remove even the knowledge of it from the world. Is the other artefact truly that important?"
Dumbledore hesitated, then nodded. "It is, Sebastian", he replied sadly.
"Albus? I cannot advise on 'ow to destroy one half of an artefact if I can't know what it is. Is there anyone who knows about it, and is skilled in its destruction? Per'aps the person you previously used to destroy an evil artefact?" Sebastian asked.
Dumbledore was about to answer in the negative, but as Sebastian referenced (albeit unknowingly) the previous Horcruxes, Dumbledore realised that wasn't true – the goblins had already destroyed several, and they were the best cursebreakers around. If anyone could destroy Marvolo Gaunt's ring, whilst preserving the resurrection stone, it would be them.
"You have given me much to consider, and I believe a way forward. Thank you once again, my old friend."
...
"'e didn't?!" exclaimed the girl, a look of shock on her face.
"He did. Leapt clean off it for a good few seconds, grabbed the snitch, then landed back on and carried on flying as if nothing had happened." Katie excitedly described.
"Merde!" was Fleur's only reply.
"He's amazing to watch, you really should come see him play sometime. He could go professional after Hogwarts, though I'm not sure he wants to", Katie mused.
Fleur nodded knowingly. "'e doesn't. Oh, 'arry enjoys playing, but 'e doesn't want the lifestyle – long training days, away at weekends for games, potential injuries... It doesn't leave enough time for friends and family", Fleur explained.
Katie looked surprised initially, but as Fleur explained it, it made sense. After all, didn't Harry's conversation with Oliver, when he joined the Gryffindor Quidditch Team, show the same thing?
"I sometimes forget not everyone is as Quidditch mad as some of us", Katie admitted.
"Anyway, enough 'orror stories about 'arry in the air. I have a question for you", Fleur stated.
Katie laughed. "If it's about what Gabrielle thought I said earlier, I really thought that was the word for mushroom!" she explained, a little red in the face.
"Non, not about that", Fleur reassured, laughing. "I wanted to ask: Will you come visit over the summer? The mirrors are nice, but it would be good to 'ave girl talk face to face", Fleur explained, smiling.
Katie's eyes lit up. Another free holiday to France, to see her new friends (and hopefully Harry)? Well, if Fleur was going to twist her arm like that... "When?" she asked, eagerly.
...
It was a couple of weeks into Harry's summer holiday. His homework was done, he had spent time playing a new video game with his cousin (this one involved racing against each other, but with power-ups? And there was a giant space pig?), and he had spent a lot of time speaking to his friends and family on his mirror. Harry was just getting ready for another race, when the doorbell rang.
"'arry! We're here for sister time!" cried a voice from downstairs.
Dudley gave a grin and a nod, and after being hugged by Harry he watched his cousin almost fly out of the room and downstairs.
"Cheveu! Gabrielle!" Harry cried joyfully, pulling both into a tight hug one after the other. "What are you doing here?"
Gabrielle giggled. "It's another surprise sister day, obviously!", she declared.
Harry's joy radiated off his face, and he picked up Gabrielle in another hug, carefully spinning her around in the hallway. "I love you both so much! I have the best sisters!"
Gabrielle giggled and hugged Harry tighter. "We love you too, big brother!"
"Exactly what your little sister said", agreed Cheveu.
After Harry had finished dispensing hugs, the important question was asked. "Where are we going today?"
Gabrielle looked like she might explode might excitement. "Somewhere amazing!" she gushed.
...
Harry had to agree that a theme park definitely met the definition of amazing. The only downside to the day, if he could call it that, was that Gabrielle was not yet tall enough to go on the most terrifying rollercoasters – something she considered a gross injustice.
"But I'm almost tall enough! And that one has a four giant loop the loops!" Gabrielle whined.
"Well, that just means we'll have to go back next year, doesn't it?" Cheveu replied, smiling.
Gabrielle nodded eagerly.
"For now, though, which rollercoaster is next?" asked Cheveu.
"The one that throws you up into the air and back down again!" cried Gabrielle. "And then some more snacks!"
Harry grinned. He wasn't sure how Gabrielle hadn't been sick yet, with the constant food and rides, but if she was happy then so was he.
His grin only got wider as Gabrielle's little hand grabbed his and Cheveu's, and practically dragged them towards the 100ft tall ride. At least they bought the passes that meant they didn't have to wait in the queues!
...
After a few more rides, a late lunch, and several more rides after that, Gabrielle was starting to get tired – not that she would admit it.
"But we still have an hour before the park closes!" she complained from her position on Harry's back.
"Yes, but you're getting tired" Cheveu explained with a smile.
Gabrielle shook her head rapidly; it made her feel a little dizzy. "No I'm not! I'm..." Gabrielle was rudely interrupted by her yawn. "... I'm fine!"
Harry shook his head in amusement. "One more ride?" he suggested as a compromise.
"Two!" Gabrielle negotiated confidently.
"Only if Harry and I choose the second ride" offered Cheveu.
A few seconds of consideration, then "Deal!"
...
A few days later, and it was Katie's turn to spend the day with Harry... Though he didn't know that when he woke up.
Harry was just rubbing the sleep out of his eyes when a quiet, "Harry? You awake?" sounded from his mirror.
Yawning loudly, Harry managed to pick up his mirror. "Hey Katie. Just about."
Katie decided not to mention Harry's topless chest, partially visible in the mirror. Instead, she focussed on the matter at hand. "You've not had breakfast yet, right?"
Harry shook his head. "No" he replied, then yawned.
"Good! You've got five minutes until I'm at your door, then we'll go eat", Katie informed Harry, as if this had been pre-agreed. It hadn't.
"Huh? Wha...?" Harry asked, the fog of sleep still heavy on him.
"Four and a half minutes now", Katie answered with a smile. "Hurry up!" she said cheekily, before ending the mirror call.
Harry got ready in record time, even managing a quick clean of his teeth (thanks, magic!) before he heard a quiet knock on his door.
Opening it, he was met by the smiling face of Katie. A Katie who had wore just a little make-up, and was wearing a short red summer dress; Harry thought she looked beautiful. Unfortunately Harry was still half asleep, so his mental filter wasn't fully functional yet.
"You look really pretty, Katie", Harry stated, before politely asking the ground to swallow him up right there.
Katie blushed. She knew nothing would happen between the two of them, but her heart skipped a beat at the compliment, regardless. The perils of being a close friend to someone you found unfairly attractive; something she had found peace with.
"Thanks" she replied, before pulling Harry into a hug. Harry inwardly groaned; she really needed to find a different perfume or something, as he was not nearly awake enough to deal with her strawberry scent.
Thankfully Katie didn't notice, instead releasing Harry from the hug, linking her arm with his, and leading him towards their destination.
...
The breakfast was delicious. Harry didn't have much experience with Italian food, but the pastries and coffee reminded him of Celeste's, which was high praise indeed!
Harry had no idea how Katie had found the place – it was only a ten minute bus ride from his house, but Harry had never heard of it! Perhaps it was new?
Either way, after the teens were full, the day could continue. Katie had missed her close friend, and she was content to spend the day just enjoying each other's company, without the need to plan anything overly exciting. They wandered through Greater Whinging, stopped to feed ducks (but not pigeons, just in case Sirius found out), chatted over coffee, layed on the grass in a park and cloud-watched ("that one looks like a piano!" "a piano?! I thought it looked like Flitwick!"), had a leisurely lunch, found an empty play park and swung on the swings next to each other, and even had a tickle fight (which Katie had to stop when her hormones started heading into dangerous territory).
Harry had enjoyed the day, even if his hormones were still responding less than ideally to Katie's affectionate nature. He was getting used to it, though, and was doing well at focussing on Katie's friendship, and not how she kept... growing... in certain areas.
To finish the day, Katie had wanted to treat Harry to dinner, but Harry had other ideas. Oh, he let Katie believe that was the plan, all through the starters (prawns for Katie, meatballs for Harry), the mains (steak with a peppercorn sauce and fries for Katie, a messy burger with bacon, far too much cheese and BBQ sauce for Harry) and desserts (churros with chocolate dipping sauce for them both). But when Katie popped away from the table to use the ladies, Harry flagged the waiter down quickly, who brought the bill over with a knowing smile.
When Katie returned, it was to find the bill paid for. "But I wanted to treat you!" she complained.
"A day out with one of my best friends is a treat", Harry replied.
Katie grumbled, but internally she was... flattered? Now all she needed was someone as sweet and cute as Harry who she could actually date!
After seeing Harry back home, and extracting a long, warm hug from him, Katie summoned the Knight Bus and returned home. And tried not at notice the look her mother gave her when she asked how her day had been.
...
It had been a long week for Dumbledore, and one that could have been a lot more productive, if only he had known that Regulus had turned against Voldemort at the end! At least Sirius appreciated the news, as did his house elf once the locket was dealt with.
Regardless, two more Horcruxes were destroyed, making a total of six – the diadem, the cup, the diary, the snake, and now the ring and the locket. Given what he knew of Voldemort, Dumbledore suspected he would have made seven; was there a final Horcrux? Or did Voldemort consider the piece of his soul inside of him the seventh? Dumbledore mulled this question over in his mind for the remainder of the holidays
...
Harry was in grave danger. He was walking into a trap, and he was utterly oblivious. The evil mastermind behind the scheme was determined to achieve their goals, and was prepared to delve deep into the dark arts to achieve their aims.
The mastermind had everything prepared. They had a plan to stun Harry, then force him to bend to their will. He would never be the same again, if they had their way.
Fully prepared, they waited for their agent to deliver Harry into their clutches.
...
Harry knew something was off. Sebastian had picked him up and apparated him to France, but there was no Fleur waiting to throw her arms around him. Sebastian gave Harry an odd look, but said nothing and merely led him inside the Delacour home. Even then there were no shouts of welcome, and Harry started to feel an odd sense of nervousness.
"Uncle Sebastian, where is everyone?" Harry asked.
Sebastian smiled reassuringly. "Appoline and Gabrielle are out shopping, but Fleur should be around. Maybe she's upstairs and hasn't heard us?"
Harry nodded; it was a reasonable explanation, but something at the back of his mind had him on edge. After taking his shoes off, Harry went upstairs, calling as he went. "Fleur? Are you there?"
He reached for her bedroom door and opened it. "Fleur? Are you ok? I didn't... I... I..."
Harry found himself stunned by the evil mastermind. He couldn't move a muscle, rooted to the spot and unable to say or do anything.
Because there was Fleur standing in the middle of the room, her silvery-blonde hair loose over one shoulder... and she was dressed only in her underwear. A lacy, light blue matching set, exactly the shade of her eyes. And as Fleur did a slow twirl, Harry saw exactly how much it covered, and how much it didn't. In a very different frame of mind, Harry might have noted that it covered no less than Fleur's bikini from the Easter holidays... but all Harry could do in that moment was to stare, completely unable to form any logical thought.
"See something you like?" Fleur asked, a large grin on her face – it was difficult to miss how well her plan was working!
Harry nodded dumbly, then his brain cleared just enough to parse Fleur's words and form an articulated response. "Fleur? What...?"
Fleur slowly walked the three steps towards Harry, her hips swaying. Putting her arms around his neck she leaned forward so that her forehead touched his. "I want you to kiss me, 'arry. Consider my state of dress as an encouragement, and a promise of what might be your reward if you do."
Harry gulped, audibly. His eyes travelled down, where he was greeted with a sight that would be burned in his mind for several days. He was a hair's breadth from surrendering control, and giving Fleur anything she desired, when a thought struck him: what if Fleur was under the effects of a potion? It would explain her strange behaviour!
Harry fled the room, and hurried to find Sebastian.
...
Fleur was disappointed – she had been so close! After planning for her Mama to be out with Gabrielle, asking her Papa to send Harry up for 'a surprise', and putting up silencing charms on their room, she was sure she was about to have several new experiences with her best friend. But Harry had been worried about her, believing her mind to be compromised, so he had gone to Sebastian for help.
Fleur had thrown on short dress just in time for Sebastian to check on her, leading to a very uncomfortable conversation where nothing was said directly but much was implied.
Sebastian considered himself an idiot for not having expected such, knowing that Fleur planned to spend the year at Hogwarts, and so had no reason to wait any longer. So after a slightly awkward conversation with his Godson, where he reassured him that Fleur was not under any mental influence, he left the two teens to talk; after all, Harry was fifteen, Fleur was seventeen, and this was France – views on intimacy were quite different compared to Britain.
...
Harry and Fleur were sat on the sofa, at opposite ends facing each other, Harry's right hand loosely holding Fleur's left.
"I am myself, 'arry. But I realised something last term: our game, it made me feel so good, and left me wanting more", Fleur explained, bending the truth a little to keep her promise to Maxime. "I want you. I don't want to wait anymore", Fleur explained.
Harry was in turmoil. He badly wanted to give in to his desires, but Fleur's prior arguments had convinced him that they should wait, and he strongly suspected their game from Easter had affected Fleur a little too well. Which made this his fault. "I don't want to wait either. It's been almost a year since we last kissed, and I've craved you every single day since. But, my cherished, it's not long to wait – less than a year, and I will be yours."
Fleur should have felt disappointment, but instead she just grinned. "If you're going to be like that, then I guess I'll just have to see if I can convince you over the next two weeks."
Harry knew, in that moment, a little of what it was like for a deer to be looking into the eyes of a hungry lion.
...
Fleur did not play fair. Harry had caught her wearing just lingerie on a number of occasions, with Harry seeing Fleur model several of the nicer sets that she owned; Fleur told him a few of the activities she was eager to try first, just as soon as they were dating; Harry would sometimes be woken up by Fleur kissing his cheek, then his neck; and Fleur was horrendously tactile with him in general, running her hands up and down his arm, or across his back, or giving him short massages, or cuddling him.
The only reprieves Harry got were when Gabrielle, Appoline or Sebastian were around, but even then Fleur was more brazen than she was last year – for example, having no problem gently nibbling his ear when massaging his shoulders, despite Gabrielle watching on with amused interest.
Speaking of Gabrielle, she seemed oddly willing to let Fleur monopolise Harry's time. When Harry asked her about it, Gabrielle just giggled and told him she was hoping they stopped being silly and started dating already.
...
It was over halfway through the two weeks, and Harry had nearly lost control of his hormones several times. But today he had hope: Katie was arriving for a couple of days, and he was sure Fleur wouldn't be quite so brazen with Katie around.
Harry's hopes remained high for the first day, as the Delacours, Harry and Katie visited some old friends.
"Yes!" cried Barry.
"What is it? Did Idiot Simon stub his toe again?" asked Geoff.
"A hundred times better!" Barry answered excitedly.
"Don't exaggerate. Nothing's that exciting except..." Geoff began.
Barry nodded excitedly.
"Yes!" cried Geoff.
Harry giggled, then greeted his friends. "Hi Geoff, hi Barry."
"YOU'RE A PARSELMOUTH?!" exclaimed the girl next to Harry.
Harry smiled cheekily. "Didn't I mention that before?"
"No! That's so cool, why didn't you tell me before?!" Katie demanded.
"Surprise?" Harry tried.
Katie's response was to whack Harry out of instinct, then hug him tightly in apology/excitement.
"Harry, you scoundrel, is that another attractive girl you're dating?" asked Geoff.
"Fleur is right behind you, you know" informed Barry.
Harry felt very self-conscious as Katie hugged him for a few seconds longer. Once she finally released him, Harry replied, "No, she's just a friend!"
"Of course she is!" said Geoff.
"No she isn't! She obviously likes him, you can smell it!" argued Barry
Geoff... sighed? "Yes I know that, Barry."
"But you said..." began Barry.
"That was sarcasm, Barry", interrupted Geoff.
"Sarcasm? That's the new girl's name?" asked Barry.
"Oh for Pete's sake..."
"Wait, is that her full name? Sarcasm Pete? Bit of a weird name for a girl", Barry noted.
Harry, at this point, collapsed with laughter.
...
Katie found new friends in Geoff and Barry, and found it hilarious how Harry and Sebastian had been feeding them treats for years. Watching the snakes eat a vole and a duck had been a bit... yucky... but she could see why everyone was so fond of them both – especially as Harry translated the conversation he was having, and the others chipped in here and there via him.
Katie noted Fleur was a little more affectionate with Harry over the day, and was surprised by the reason when she asked her – she had thought Fleur was determined to wait one last year, though she couldn't blame her. In her shoes, Katie would probably have jumped Harry already! The fact that Harry was holding out was both cute and entertaining to watch!
Soon the day was over, and Katie was giving Harry a tight hug goodnight. Harry returned the hug, trying to ignore her cursed strawberry scent, then went to bed.
...
Harry woke up feeling positive. Katie was here for the rest of the day, which meant Fleur would be less seductive, and then he only had to survive a few more days before he returned to Hogwarts. A nice day, free from Fleur's evil plans.
Unfortunately for Harry, that's not how the day went. Oh, it started that way, especially when Harry mentioned Gabrielle's magical hair. Katie had wanted to see what Harry meant, and so with permission she ran her fingers though it ("Wow! That's awesome!"); that had led to a good half hour where Katie, then Harry, then both were playing with Gabrielle's hair, much to Gabrielle's utter delight.
But then the afternoon came, where Appoline was off to visit a friend and Sebastian was taking Gabrielle to see one of her friends from school. Harry felt nervous when Fleur took Katie away for a "private conversation, my cherished", even more so when they came back, grinning like... Oh Merlin, they were grinning like the Weasley Twins, this couldn't be good!
"Let's play a game!" Katie suggested, with feigned innocence that would fool no-one.
"Good idea, Katie!" Fleur agreed, only deepening Harry's suspicion.
"What game were you thinking about?" asked Harry, firmly planting one foot into the trap.
"Oh, I don't know..." lied Katie. "Let me think..." she continued, completely unnecessarily. "Oh, I've just thought of a great idea!" she announced, in a manner that proved she would never get a career in acting.
"Oh, What's your idea?" asked Fleur, grinning.
"Truth or Dare!" Katie declared.
Harry's brain couldn't decide if he should be more excited or terrified.
...
The girls were nothing if not devious. The game had started out fairly harmlessly – "What's your favourite place to eat, Fleur?" "Which Weasley twin do you think is the funniest, Katie?" "Which of your sisters do you love most, 'arry?" "I dare you to give me a shoulder massage, Harry!"
But then, as Harry started to relax his guard, the girls struck.
"Truth or dare, 'arry?" asked Fleur.
"Truth"
"Have you ever fantasised about Katie?" Fleur asked, a grin on her face.
"Fleur!" came the response from both the other teens. Fleur merely gave an expectant look.
Harry blushed deeply. That was not a fair question! He considered just quitting the game then, but he realised not only would he be answering the question non-verbally, but he would also lose! "Yes" Harry quietly admitted.
Harry quickly carried on the game, pushing through his embarrassment. "Katie, truth or dare?"
"Truth"
"Who's your best friend?" Harry asked
Katie thought for a moment. "You" she replied, smiling. That earned her a big warm hug; thankfully his answer to Fleur's question hadn't stopped Katie wanting to hug him tightly, Harry mused.
"Fleur? Truth or dare?" Katie asked
"Truth"
"If Harry was willing to date you right now, what's the furthest you'd be willing to go with him, physically?" she asked, smiling mischievously.
'Oh no!' Harry thought.
"As far as 'arry would allow. If 'e were willing... all the way." Fleur replied, her gaze holding Harry's. Harry gulped.
"Truth or dare, 'arry?"
"Truth?" Harry asked, a little unsure.
"Which of my lingerie did you like best?" asked Fleur with a grin.
Dare. He should have chosen dare. It couldn't possibly be worse than this. Of course, his traitorous memory was already playing through the greatest hits, and his tongue – clearly in league with his memory – spoke before he could stop it. "The first set you showed me."
Fleur grinned. That was useful information.
"Katie, truth or dare?" Harry asked quickly
"Truth"
"What do you plan to do after Hogwarts?" Harry asked, off the top of his head.
"Non, not allowed!" Fleur declared.
"What? Why not?" Harry asked.
"Because you already know the answer, Harry!" Katie explained. "Which means Fleur can ask instead", she continued.
Fleur grinned and nodded. Before Harry could complain too much, Fleur asked her question. "Are there any boys you have your eye on?"
Katie blushed. "No, no-one", she replied.
"No-one?" Fleur asked, an eyebrow raised.
"No-one available", Katie clarified, not meeting anyone's eye.
"Truth or dare, Fleur?" Now it was Katie's turn to change the subject quickly.
"Truth"
"Describe your perfect day", Katie asked.
Fleur did so, adding detail to the parts that involved Harry; there were several, and had Katie and Harry both blushing.
"Truth or dare, 'arry?" Fleur asked.
Harry took a few seconds to compose himself; Fleur's description of her perfect day had given him far too many thoughts he shouldn't be having for at least a year!
"Dare" Harry answered. From the last couple of turns, Harry was confident this couldn't be worse. How naïve he was.
"Well Katie, are you ready for your reward?" Fleur asked, merrily. Katie nodded eagerly.
"'arry, Katie and I made a deal. She helps me get you all worked up, and then she gets a reward. After all, it's probably been hard in some ways for her to hear some of your answers", Fleur began.
Harry gulped. What had he gotten himself into?!
"I'm not trying to share you, 'arry, but I really want you to crack so I can have you myself. So..." Fleur paused, then switched back to English. "I dare you to cuddle with Katie on the bed for five minutes."
...
After the dare, Harry fled the room. Five minutes hadn't sounded like long, but after everything else, with Katie nestled into his side and her scent surrounding him, Harry didn't trust himself to remain. He also didn't trust the girls not to push further, and he feared risking two friendships if they got carried away.
Back in the room, Katie hugged Fleur. "Thank you. I know he's yours, and I'm never going to try and steal him away, but that cuddle was... oh, it was amazing!"
Fleur hugged Katie back. "It wasn't anything too intimate, more like an 'ug lying down", she downplayed. "Besides, if we went to the beach, and you 'ad 'ugged 'im there, the experience would 'ave been far more memorable!" Fleur laughed.
Katie, who was aware of the topless beaches Fleur was thinking of, just laughed – she doubted Harry could survive that!
...
Later on, after Katie had left, Harry bravely ran away. Or, more accurately, he asked Gabrielle if she wanted to go to Celeste's with just her big brother; the answer came via an excited squeal.
Fleur was honestly impressed with Harry. She knew she would have caved had she been facing the onslaught she had bombarded him with. She also missed the friendship side of their relationship; yes, she was incredibly frustrated and just wanted to jump him, but she missed just cuddling and talking to her best friend, spending time together...
Later that night, after Gabrielle had gone to bed and after Fleur had coaxed Harry upstairs early (under promise that he was safe), Fleur explained how much she had missed her best friend; how she still desperately wanted him, but she didn't want to spend so much time tempting him that they missed out on their usual time together, just cuddling and talking like the best friends they were. Fleur apologised for pushing as hard as she had, and promised she would try and be his best friend again for the next couple of days.
This, more than anything, led to Harry placing one hand on the back of Fleur's neck and slowly, sweetly pressing his lips to hers. Fleur could have cried with happiness, she had missed that so much! Harry's lips didn't linger; he knew the danger he would be in if they did.
"Just one more year, my cherished", Harry whispered, his lips bare millimetres from Fleur's. "One more year, and I'll be all yours. Forever."
...
Tom Marvolo Riddle, in wraith form, was essentially comatose. Whenever he managed to become conscious it was only due to an especially large torrent of pain ripping through him, and afterwards his form would collapse, exhausted.
His magic grew permanently weaker and weaker, struggling to sustain a form that was being tortured relentlessly. Had he any conscious thought, the Dark Lord would know his end was very, very near.
...
Author Notes:
Once again, I'm so grateful for the reaction to Delacour Godparents. Thank you to all who favourite and follow the story (I'm so honoured that over 1000 people now follow this), and thanks especially to maximomarrufo12 and True games for the first-time reviews, and to the honour guard who are Arnie1701, iamshinydragonmist, NAEASsSH, bahnannah, rishi547, TheFederalistPapers, SKFF, amortentiate, magitech, Unknown, Spider of Dreams, Mando-Vet, MauserTeleri, Earth Guardian 28, Urgazhi, Magnus Whitlock, sh777, alix33, seaweedbrainwisegirl07 (X2) and The Prime Cronos for re-reviewing since last chapter.
Also, there are two reviews I can't yet see... Sorry to whoever wrote them, I'm eager to read them when FF lets me!
TheFederalistPapers – thanks for the ideas. Though I'll just say that the tournament is going to look a little different...
Amortentiate – as a Veela she expected much worse, and has been pleasantly surprised by the lack of bullying. She doesn't consider Pauline all that worth worrying about. Whether controlled or not, there will be legitimate buyers; Jones found one.
Magitech – I considered it a balance against the home advantage, as otherwise the hosting school has a massive lead – knowing the area, access to all their usual professors, more friends to help, etc.
Earth Guardian 28 – the start of the chapter was included purely to answer your question... and because it seemed fun to write when you asked!
alix33 – thank you, as always. The deal was for one of the first mirror sets for the advertising. Dumbledore got the better deal, as he also extracted the promise that the mirrors wouldn't be pranked... though that also helped the Twins, long-term.
Seaweedbrainwisegirl07 – Spoilers! PM me (here or on the Discord) if you really want to know. And I agree – so thrilled with 1k+ follows!