Chapter 14
Wizards usually think of us as dark creatures, driven only by lust and thirst for blood. Most of them believe we can be no better than circus freaks or potion addicts. Monsters to be used to scare their children in bedtime stories. And yet, They are right to fear us.
For us, there is no light nor dark, nor good or evil magic, only the colors, and scents of both life and death. But the truth can be even worse than most wizards fear. There is indeed a way a wolf can become the monster of their fears and stories, indeed, even worse than they can ever imagine.
Our kind tries to live life to its fullest; hunt, fight, and love as much as you want, as often as you desire. Magic is life. Rejoiced in it. But we do have a secret. One sin. One rule is so sacred to us that when it's broken is our duty to destroy the sinner.
One shall not eat human flesh.
But why would one would do it in the first place? For the same reasons, people do harmful things everywhere. Power. Human flesh can make us even more powerful than any wizard could ever imagine. When a degenerate wolf devours human flesh, he also devours that person's magic. And It's very soul.
That way, a wolf can learn new spells, increase the amount of magic that runs through him, and acquire memories. Through tainted blood, a wolf can live forever. But doing so, by consuming other beings' souls, the sinner also consumes itself. The same blood that feeds this new magic also feeds the rage to no end. The wolf will always need more. Will always seek more. Making a newly bitten wolf eat the flesh of the hunt will also enslave that person for eternity. A form of corruption of the pack bond so horrendous that the only possible answer is death itself.
One tainted wolf may have the power of an entire pack by himself, but it will have no soul. The only color he can see is red. And to lose all the colors, all life magic has given us, is a fate worse than death.
.oOo.
Albus Dumbledore pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling the weight of all his years on his shoulders, and placed his half-moon-shaped glasses on the big table, the sound of a maniacal, sarcastic laugh echoing through his conscience. The pile of old books and weird magic instruments around him, unbelievably balanced over one another at odd angles, trembled with the light pulse of magic that came with his frustrated sigh, the old man had warned him.
The wizard put back on his glasses again and looked at the slick man in front of him. Severus Snape appeared to be even paler and jumpy than usual.
"How was that even possible, Severus? You had expended years shielding your mind. I pretty much believed that no one other than myself or the dark lord could reach it." Dumbledore sounded tired.
"This was something different, Albus. The boy didn't try to invade my mind. He lurked me, stalked me until I gave the information out of… fear…" Snape finished in a low voice, and Dumbledore realized the man was ashamed of himself. "But where did he learn that?"
"That, my dear Severus, is precisely the question. It seemed that there are more secrets around the boy's mind and his condition than we had initially believed. That makes the question in order even more urgent. Did he learn about the prophecy?"
"No, just the existence of the order." Snape looked around as if afraid something would jump on him at any moment. "The boy is dangerous, headmaster! Prophecy or not! The monster I saw in his eyes, and in his mind was all too real! You must remove him from the school grounds, he puts the other students in danger!"
"And place him even further away from our vigilant sight? No, we need him here, we need him closer, where we can watch and control the boy and the monster within. To send him away would be leading him even closer to the darkness. Your fears are clouding your judgment." The headmaster looked at the ceiling, lost in thought. "I believe you have somewhere else to be right now, Severus. We will talk about it again. I need to think."
The pale professor got up and walked to the door. Snape looked at Albus once more, with concern on his face. The headmaster gave him a reassuring smile before the man finally left.
Dumbledore looked at the door closing, already lost in thought. Severus Snape knew too much for his own good and after everything was said and done, something would have to be done about him. Maybe a powerful obliviate would be enough, a blessing for the man's tired mind. But Harry was a more urgent problem. The boy had an all too important part to play. And he was slipping out of his control. There was also the impostor's matter. The fake Alastor had a meeting with Lucius Malfoy, and it was clear now that the death eaters were on the move. At least they were playing their part as planned.
"It will never work, you know?" The laughing voice sounded grave in his head. Nah, of course, it would.
People already saw Albus Dumbledore as the prophet of light, now all he needed was a martyr.
.oOo.
Severus Snape heavily walked from the entrance hall to the castle's gate, feeling like he was dragging an iron ball chained to his feet. It felt almost the same way as the walk he made fourteen years ago, to the station. The chilling wind felt all too appropriate, the ice accumulated on the walls, the big trees hanging around the gate, totally naked of foliage by now, extending their claw-like branches to him, fueling his mind with images of wolves and mazes. The man felt trapped in a circle of betrayal and fear, Snape had lost control of his own life.
Reaching the outside of the gates, the broken man sighed and apparated away with a popping sound.
Snape appeared again at the edge of Knockturn Alley. The man quickly surveyed his surroundings, making sure no one saw him, and With fast steps, the wizard walked into the village, heading toward the three broomsticks. Entering the in, he moved forward without much of a look at any of the people present there and rushed up the stairs to the rooms above. The professor stopped in front of the door to the second room to the left and knocked. The door opened by itself and Severus found Narcisa Malfoy walking from one side to another inside the room.
"Finally!" The woman hissed as he entered. "I was afraid you had walked away from me."
"You know I would never do that…"
"Do I?" The witch looked at him with stone-cold eyes. Something more was happening. The woman took a medium-sized box from the bed and gave it to him. "There you have it, all the final ingredients…"
"Are you sure you want to move forward with this?" Severus interrupted her. "He is your son!" Snape barely registered the cracking sound as Narcisa's hand slapped his face so hard that the man almost lost his balance, Her face was a mask of anger and fear.
"How dare you. How dare you! I am doing this for him! To protect him from himself and his monster of a father!" Narcisa Malfoy was openly crying now. "Lucius is plotting something, the death eaters are gathering. He is expending our money to bring that monster back! And Draco wants nothing more than to be in, to be like his father! My son will be free from him, even if I have to make the most heinous thing a mother can do!"
Severus Snape looked at her with a mixture of sadness and pity. For the second time, he was about to betray a child for what others thought was the best for them. The first time he was terribly wrong, he just prayed this time would be different. "This amount would let me produce enough to last this entire year…"
"Good. When can you have it done?"
"Is already almost ready, those ingredients are the last ones missing. In three days." Snape sighed.
"See it delivered to Pansy then." Narcisa looked him in the eyes, with gratitude. "Thank you, Severus. I will never forget what you are doing for us…"
"Neither will I…" Severus thought with sadness.
.oOo.
Three days later, a big wolf, with fur black as the night itself, scanned the Forbidden Forest with both his sensitive nose and piercing green eyes. The creature moved swiftly, almost without any noise. A more attentive observer would notice that not only was his size way above average, being closer to a dire wolf specimen, but some other somewhat subtle differences. The frontal creature members were stronger than usual, with a more significant range of movement, and his fingers were longer, almost like hands. And there was a unique flash of intelligence in his glowing emerald eyes, making him an even scarier hunter.
But right now, the big wolf was on a different kind of hunt. The wolf had smelled something weird in the forest. A new, yet very familiar smell had struck him. It felt like grass and… vanilla. He got up on his posterior members, another thing only his kind could do, and sniffed the air, searching for the source, and moved again. The forest was dangerous, he should not venture too deep into it by himself. Bad things happened when he tried. Things that smelled like the old liar, things that prevented him from moving forward. But he captured her scent again, and it was closer now. She was also looking for him.
A crack to his side, a soft furry smell… wood and leather. The young centaur saw the light reflected in the wolf's eyes when he turned in his direction and knew that it was better to keep his distance. The wolf growled to make sure the other forest dueler understood, it was safer for him with the herd. But the wolf was glad when the youngster ran away, centaurs meant no spiders around.
Quickly, the wolf reached a clearing; the full moonlight was cutting through the trees, almost as bright as a winter's day. The air was chilling, little vapor clouds came out of his nose and mouth, reflecting the moonlight as he breathed. There she was on the other side of the clearing. Almost as big as him, with dark grey fur, and the same intelligent eyes, but in a light brown color. They looked at each other, studying, as they moved slowly around the clearing, in a circle, keeping their distance. The wolf's head was low to the ground, his teeth showing, and he had never been so close to another werewolf other than the one who bit him… he didn't know what to do. But he knew her…
In a bold move, the she-wolf lowered her head and moved across the clearing, getting close. Her body was showing a mixture of respect and pleading. The wolf tensed, watching her approaching. The female stopped close to him, and lowered herself in the front paws, looking up at the suspicious big black wolf in front of her. Then she pounced on him.
It took him just a second to realize that it was not a real attack, she was playing. The female jumped over him using her body to slam him to the ground and jump around him, all her body, her scent, everything saying to him. "Play, let's play! I'm so happy I found you!" The wolf rolled on his back and counterattacked, but she was faster and dodged. He pursued her all over the clearing, illuminated by the moonlight, finally pinning her down, and rolling with her, like two puppies. The wolf felt right, it was right having her here. Suddenly both of them stopped and sniffed the air. They were not alone anymore.
Both wolves raised their heads and let out a deep, scary howl, which resonated through the woods. Gone was the playfulness. It was time to hunt.
.oOo.
The express trip home had never taken so long. Or so it seemed to Daphne Greengrass. The train was nearly empty; only a few students chose to return home for the holidays this year. Most students elected to stay at the castle for the ball. Even her little sister decided to stay, much to her demise. It took Harry and the rest of the defense club promising to look after her for Daphne to feel at least a little comfortable about letting Astoria stay.
Even Tracey's lively chat about her family holidays or her innuendo messages about Ginny and Blaise couldn't take her mind off the green-eyed wizard she had left behind. Daphne couldn't help it. No matter how much she tried, her mind always ended up coming back to their dance practices. Images of herself dancing with him at the ball, dressed in a beautiful dress as she smiled at the thought of the jealous looks on the other girl's faces and blushed at her imagination presenting her with the things she would like to do to him after the ball.
"You are thinking of him again, don't you?" Tracey's voice brought her back to the real world. Tracey was smirking at her, and Daphne noticed she was red as a Weasley. "And thinking good thoughts as I can see."
"Shut up Tracey! It's not like that!"
"Imagining yourself dancing with him, his wand pressed against you? Or do you prefer it pressed against your back…" The blond girl teased, herself looking a little flushed. "I know you like it like that…"
"I swear I will never get drunk with you again!" Daphne was feeling embarrassed, and the moisture forming between her legs only made it worse.
"Come on; we had a lot of fun that night!"
"Yes, we did… but I shared those things not expecting for you to use it against me!"
"But now you want to have fun with him, right? A different kind of fun." Tracey licked her lips playfully.
"I want to have more than fun Tracey…" the blond girl's eyes widened as Daphne spoke. "I think I'm love… I mean, for real…"
"Well, after you get to know him, he is not that bad… other than the tendency of getting himself into trouble…" Tracey shrugged.
"You have no idea…"
"Well, there is only one little French problem…"
Daphne sighed, her friend was right. The witch respected Fleur but was not sure the veela was right for Harry. Fleur was not even English, or from a noble house. But again, maybe Daphne just felt jealous. The veela dared to do in three months what Hermione hasn't in two or three years, and She deserved some props for that. Daphne was lost. If it were another man, the veela allure would mean she had no chance at all. But Harry was not affected, and the young witch knew he liked her. "I don't know what to do Tracey… if you say I told you, so I swear I am going to hex you!" Tracey held her hands up in a surrender posture, but her smile said it all.
The London platform was almost empty, and Daphne quickly spotted her father in a chat with Lenora Daves, one of Tracey's mothers. After greetings, it was set for Tracy to visit the day after Christmas so that they could spend some time together. After the blond witch left with her mother, Arthus and Daphne moved through the floo to Greengrass's estate. It was a three-storey house, built over the centuries, in the suburbs of muggle London. The Greengrass was an old and wealthy family, although not of noble blood. They excelled in trades and commerce for generations, buying their seat in the wizengamot through connections and dirty money.
At the arrival, Arthus looked at his daughter, his beloved firstborn, with a sad face. "Your mother is at the hospital. She will be home in a couple of hours, after her shift. How are you darling?"
"I… I don't know father, things are happening too fast."
"I am sorry, it was never our intent to you or your sister to get dragged into this mess…" The man sighed
"Daddy… I'm into this of my own accord. You and mom taught me very well how to choose my battles, and I feel this is one worth fighting." Daphne could see the pride in her father's eyes as he smiled at her.
Sarah Greengrass arrived from the hospital a little before dinner, happy to see her daughter home, the three of them had a lovely family meal, Daphne enjoyed hearing her parents talk about their days, missing the feeling of normality. The young witch found herself wishing to bring Harry to her house, for a nice dinner with Sarah and Arthus, talking about their future. No veelas, no manipulative old men, or psychotic wraiths. How he would be happy to have a regular date. How would she be happy.
After dinner, Daphne headed to her room. Very little of it had changed since she was eleven, being empty most of the year. There were more books and dresses. But some of the stuffed animals are still there. A dragon and unicorn moved to make room as she lay in bed. The witch thought of wolves and balls until she heard a knock on the door. "Come in…" she said.
Sarah Greengrass entered her room with a smile. The woman had the same porcelain skin as Daphne, but her hair was of a brownish tone, just like Astoria's, and was cut short. The older witch was dressed in a beige nightgown, ready for the night. Daphne sat on the bed, making room for his mother to sit at her side. "I know something is bothering you, dear… want to talk about it?"
"Mon… I don't know…" Daphne sighed.
"It has to do with Harry Potter?" Daphne looked wide-eyed at her mother. "I noticed the way you looked at him during the first task… you seemed almost hungry dear…" Daphne blushed.
"My goodness, am I that plain?"
"We all are when in love Daphne…" He mother whispered
"Why did I take so long to even talk to him? Why did I believe all the shit Draco and the others said about him, he is nothing like that! I always looked at Harry from the side, and I knew you were friends with his parents. Damn, I have had a crush on him since the second year. Now he has a girlfriend, Fleur Delacour nonetheless, the other daughter of the alliance. How ironic is that!"
"Language Daphne. Your father and I always asked ourselves the same thing. You seemed to be getting along so well on that day at the platform when we asked you to talk to him. We wanted to check how well he was, because of our relationship with his parents. But you never talked about him again, and we thought you two had a fight or something… what's the matter, Daphne?" Sarah looked at the scared expression on her daughter's face, she was pale, with eyes wide open.
"Are you telling me that I talked to him before this year?"
"Daphne, you helped him enter the Hogwarts Express. You two talked about how beautiful his owl was and how thrilled Tracey and Susan would be to meet him… in your first year…" Tears of fear were running on Daphne's face. Sarah looked worried at her. "What's wrong?"
"Mon… I don't remember ANY OF THIS!" Daphne screamed. Sarah's med witch training kicked in, and in an instant, she had her wand running diagnostic spells.
"Lizzy!" With a pop, the house elf appeared in the room.
"Yes, mistress."
"Lizzy, call for Arthus immediately, tell him to come to Daphne's room." Feeling the urgency in her mistress's voice, the elf disappeared immediately. It didn't take long for the head of the Greengrass family to storm into the room, just as his wife finished running the first basic diagnostic spells.
"What's happening?"
"Something is wrong with Daphne's memories. I ran some basic spells, and nothing was appointed. I will try more specific ones now." Sarah waved her wand in a more intricate pattern, a small circle of runes surrounded Daphne's head like a halo and started shining in a particular order. Sarah's eyes widened as she understood what happened. "My goodness…"
"What?" Both Daphne and Arthus asked at the same time.
"Daphne had been hit with memory-altering spells at least three times!" The three of them looked at each other. "I will try to identify and reverse it, but whoever did it is really versed in mind magic."
"The headmaster?" Daphne asked, afraid.
"Or someone else he controls, Albus Dumbledore hates to get his own hands dirty. Whoever it was, I will make them pay!" Arthus promised in a resolute voice.
.oOo.
Harry woke up engulfed by a very familiar and pleasant smell, and it was not Hagrid's breakfast. The boy opened his eyes to see a nice amount of black hair laid on his chest, and the lovely scent of grass and vanilla. Harry had never felt so well after a full moon cycle. Katie was laid on his side, her head, arm, and leg over him, still sleeping. As he felt the warmth of her very naked body against his, memories of the last two days came back. They played, they hunted. The werewolf felt so close to Katie now, that the simple thought of being apart hurt him. Instinctively he pushed her a little closer to him. Granted it was a different feeling than the one he had for Fleur or even Daphne, but the feeling was there, and it was strong nonetheless.
His movements finally woke the girl in his arms, and she looked up with dazed eyes and a big smile. As much as he tried, the smile brought back memories that made Harry's cock stiff. "That is an amazing way to come back…" Katie whispered. "I can definitely spend my nights like that." Harry smiled at her in agreement. "Where are we?"
"Hagrid's hut… he helps me, and now helps you too, I guess." Katie squeezed him a little more, and Harry could feel her breast against him. It felt delicious. She lightly rocked her hips against him, and the boy felt her wetness, and Harry had to control himself, the memory of the two together was too close. "Usually he makes breakfast, but I guess he is not used to receiving beautiful naked girls." Katie giggled and held him a little tighter.
"Beautiful?" Katie asked, pleading with her eyes.
"Hell yes, never doubt that Katie!" The young wizard answered. She finally sat up, and Harry could see her beautiful breasts and fit body. Harry felt his cock twitch and hated himself for it. "Last night was amazing, I felt so… complete…" Harry finally said.
"Wolves hunt together…" Katie said. "And we will always be together Harry, you are my alpha, and we are a pack, I chose you, because of your heart. Even if your girlfriend never lets us be together again. Maybe if she joins us…" Katie joked.
They both blushed at the tough.
.oOo.
Fleur walked in the cold snow, wearing a heavy coat and the scarf in the Gryffindor's colors that Harry landed her a couple of days before. The girl really liked to feel his smell so close to her every time she wore it. The witch headed to Hagrid's hut, she couldn't understand why Hermione or Daphne had never done that. Maybe they are still too uncomfortable with this side of Harry's life. Fleur was determined not to be, just like he wasn't worried about her being a veela. Maybe they could eat breakfast together, and Harry always complimented Hagrid's honey bread.
Fleur saw the half-giant seated on the outside of his door, covered by an enormous fur blanket, lightly smoking a pipe and with a mug the size of her head in hand. The wizard raised an eyebrow at him, as he looked surprised at her approach. "G'morning misses Delacour." The big man said with a bright smile.
"Good morning professor… what are you doing outside? Is freezing!" Fleur asked curiously and saw Hagrid blushing under his beard. Something was off.
"Hum… I wanted to give 'Arry some privacy…" the man blushed even harder, Fleur knew something was up. Harry has told her that Hagrid usually collected him at the edge of the forest, and brought him back to his hut. Why the subtle shyness on the part of the half-giant?
"Nonsense!" Fleur said, with some annoyance in her voice, storming up the steps. The big man tried to stop her, but it was too late, the witch opened the door and entered the messy hut, only to see Harry Potter, her boyfriend, putting on his shirt, his trousers unbuttoned, and a pantie-clad Katie Bell lifting her skirt. Suddenly Fleur was not cold anymore. She felt a fire burning in her insides. She looked murderous to the girl, then to Harry.
"Hi, Fleur…" Harry said, blushing at her. "Katie joined me over the last few days. I am glad Hagrid collected her clothes too." He smiled reassuringly at her. The boy had explained he usually woke up naked, but the veela didn't expect Katie to join him, at least not like that. Her magical veela nature started whispering in her mind "my wolf…"
"Huuum…" Was the only sound she could make. Harry rolling his eyes didn't help, and the hungry looks Katie was giving him either. Hagrid made sure Katie was dressed, before entering and serving the table in uncomfortable silence. Fleur watched with hard eyes as Harry sat down, with a pleading expression on her. The French sat on his side, in front of Katie. "So… are you alright 'Arry?"
"Yes." He answered eating a slice of bread, both of the werewolves looked famished. "It was great not being alone. I mean, sorry Hagrid, I like hunting with you but having another wolf with me was great." Fleur could not believe how clueless he was.
"Hum…" Fleur let out again. "And what have you done all the time?" The girl looked at Katie with narrow eyes.
"We run, we howl, we hunt, explore until where the wards let us go… I think that was it." Harry shrugged
"Nothing more?" Fleur sounded annoyed. Harry looked into her eyes with a hard expression. Maybe he wasn't so clueless after all.
"Yes Fleur, nothing more. We woke up here this morning just a few minutes ago, right before you entered."
Katie stood up. "Well, I better get going. I promised Gran to write to him about tonight." the she-wolf sounded nervous. "I guess I'll catch you guys later… bye." With that, she put on her jacket and moved to the door. Hagrid also stood.
"I will accompany u to the castle." Leaving quickly, letting Harry and Fleur by themselves. As soon as the door closed, Harry put the bread down and looked at Fleur. A mixture of anger and apprehension ran through her. Harry seemed angry, but so was her.
"What was that Fleur?"
"Why there was a naked girl with you? Not only that, a naked girl I know you had something with before." Fleur felt she was close to giving in to her veela nature.
"Because our clothes don't change with us…"
"Don't you dare joke right now mister…"
"But is true, nothing fucking happened!"
"I don't know about that… I saw the hungry looks she gave you. She was not shy about telling everyone you shagged her before!"
"Yes, I did, but not anymore, now I am with you!"
"So why was she here? Why didn't you chase her away, she clearly wants you, maybe you like the attention…"
Harry stood up, looking very angry, and hurt. "I will not chase anyone away; I will not do to others what people did to me. You have no reason to act like that!"
"WHY NOT?" The veela screamed.
"Because I may hunt with her, I may be her alpha, but she is not the one I am in love with, you are." He signed, walked to the bed, and took his coat. "I choose you, Fleur." The witch watched as he walked through the door, angry at him for doing so, and happy for listening he was in love with her.
.oOo.
Harry walked through the snow at a fast pace. His heart screamed for him to turn back, and say he was sorry. But he was also angry with what Fleur had said and afraid of losing his temper and doing even more damage. "Why do I have to be so stubborn? Why can't I control my anger? I feel like an idiot." Entering the castle, he thought the entrance hall never looked so dark. Harry leaned on one of the columns, banging his head on the stone. "Idiot…"
"There you are…" Harry heard a familiar voice behind him. "What the hell are you doing?" The wizard turned around to look at Hermione. His first friend, his best friend, his first crush. She had a knowing look that only years of friendship could give. "Ok… what happened?"
For a moment, Harry debated if he should talk about this with Hermione, he was not oblivious to his friend's feelings, or his own. At the same time, there was no one in the world he trusted more than her. Harry took a long breath. "I fucked up…"
"Language Harry!" The girl said, with some real concern in her voice. Harry then told her what happened at Hagrid's hut and the night before.
"Fleur and Katie's scents were making me lose control, just as she was, so I left, and I bet she didn't like it…" Harry sighed.
"I bet she didn't… Harry, did you and Katie…?" Hermione asked.
"NO! Why do people assume that!"
"Well, you are male, and a teenager…"
"That is a lame reason, and you know it!"
"Ok, you're right." Hermione raised her hands. "But I was asking more because…" Hermione looked embarrassed. "Is the first cycle you go without having… you know… since you came back to the school… I think it's affecting you."
"What, I am a slave to my instincts now?" Harry noticed he was getting too angry again. And was to himself, maybe Hermione's theory had more merit than he wanted to admit. He took a deep breath. "Sorry… I'm just… disappointed in myself. I try to convince her that I'm not a boy just to walk away like one."
"First of all Harry, you didn't screw anything up. You two just had your first argument, and it was bound to happen sometime. I am sure you will get over it. Second, she was just jealous."
"I mean, I understand that, but why react like that?"
Hermione looked at him in disbelief. "Because Katie shares something with you that Fleur can never do?" Understanding dawned on him, making him feel even stupider. "Also, she must have felt really insecure at the time…"
"Fleur? Insecure? How is that even possible?"
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Really? She is still human Harry. Just try to imagine, for the first time Fleur is with someone she wants, without the help of her allure. You are not affected by it like other people, and she can't have that reassurance anymore. Then she finds you with another girl, one with which whom you have a history and shares a part of your life she can't… Fleur tries to appear super prideful and sure of herself, but she must be frightened. You two together are something new to her as well…"
"Bloody hell, I am really an idiot…" Harry banged his head on the column again.
"Language Harry, and no, you are just a bloke, a good one, is true, but you still have a lot to learn…"
.oOo.
Fleur felt completely at a loss. This fight had been different than any other she ever had with a lover. At first, she was so angry. Angry at Harry, at Katie, and herself. At Harry for leaving her there, alone after saying he was in love with her. At Katie for being able to stay with him when she couldn't. But she was specifically angry at herself. How could she say Harry was looking for attention, how could she have asked him to cast Katie aside? She was better than this. Was her veela nature that selfish? Was she?
The veela ended up having a lengthy conversation with Regine. Her friend pointed out that for the first time she couldn't rely on her allure. "That is good and bad at the same time Fleur. You know he likes you for who you are, but you may not know exactly how to act without it…" Regine was right. Fleur felt helpless. And she felt even worse when she realized that Harry didn't come running to apologize to her. They usually did that, but not Harry.
Fleur wanted to apologize, to make amendments, and sadly she realized she didn't know how. The veela had never apologized to a lover before, she didn't have to. "Am I being too prideful or a coward?" Those were the questions running through her head again and again. Fleur slept with Harry's scarf that night, just to feel closer to him.
The next day she met Hermione at the carriage. The English girl had come asking for her. "How are you, Fleur?" Hermione asked, sitting on the bed beside the French. "Harry told me what happened."
"How is he?" Fleur asked.
"Ashamed…"
"Why? Is not like it was the only one at fault. I pushed him into a corner." The veela sighed, and Hermione raised her eyebrows.
"He said your scent was making it hard for him to think straight, it was the first cycle he had gone without… calming his urges. I believe his instinctive wolf part made him run, and he is a guy after all. But that doesn't excuse him of course. Neither excuses you, Fleur." The veela was taken by surprise by the assertiveness in Hermione's voice, but swallowing her own pride, she sighed.
"You are right; I shouldn't have said those things… I felt…"
"Insecure, I know… it's ironic. I imagine that is how people feel half the time around you. I don't mean to be rude. I really understand your insecurity took the best of you… I just wanted to say that Harry understands too, and that is why he is so ashamed. But you are both so stubborn, and you have that in common." Hermione giggled.
"Why are you helping me, Hermione? I know how you feel about Harry." Fleur asked confused.
Hermione took a deep sigh. "Yeah, but you and Harry are also my friends, and I love you both for that. I can't say I am not envious of both of you, but I am trying to be the bigger person here, don't spoil it. I feel genuinely happy for you both. I can see how connected you are, how relaxed he makes you and you make him. And hell knows how much both of you need it." Fleur looked at her with compassion. This girl, no, the young woman was way more mature than herself. Fleur felt ashamed but also loved.
Fleur took Hermione in a warm hug, trying to convey all her gratitude to her on it. "Thank you 'Ermione. You have no idea how much that means to me." She kissed Hermione on the cheek, and the girl blushed. After Hermione left, Fleur contemplated how she could talk to Harry. "Come on Fleur, you faced a dragon, of course, you can face your boyfriend…" but she couldn't. When she gathered herself was way past curfew, and she slept with Harry's scarf for another night.
That was how the Christmas morning found Fleur. Someone jumped on her bed, suddenly awakening her. She opened her eyes just to see Gabbriele jumping on over the blankets. "Come on Fleur, it is Christmas, come on, come on! Let's go open the presents!". Fleur barely had time to put on a robe before her sister pulled her by the hand. Gabbriele had always been like that. No matter how old she got, Christmas was still magical for her. They arrived at the improvised common room in the center of the carriage, a Christmas tree had been mounted on the side, with many gifts under it. Gabbriele and the two other first years that came to England dive into it. Fleur sat on the chair beside them and asked an elf for a coffee.
Fleur watched her sister happily separating the gifts into piles. There was one pile for Gabbriele and one for Fleur. The older witch, distracted, started opening some of the packages. Their parents sent her a beautiful dress that she quickly decided to use at the ball that night. The thought brought Harry back into her mind, and she wondered if he would be there waiting for her. She moved the tough aside and opened the next package Gabbriele gave her. It was from Regine, and Fleur blushed at the minuscule semi-transparent panties and bra. " Have fun!" Was the only thing written on the card. She quickly hid it with a smile. Hermione gave her a book about magical music, and she felt happy with her new friend's consideration.
"This one is a little weird…" Gabbriele said, handing her a small package. Fleur took it with curiosity, and there was a card with it, she read.
What do you give a witch who has almost everything, and is so talented that can get anything she doesn't have with a flick of her wand?
I struggled with that question for a long time. It is our (hopefully) first Christmas together and wanted it to be special, so you can have an idea of how good you make me feel.
So I decided to give you a thing only I could get. Myself. But calm down is not in a corny way. Inside the package, there is a necklace, and it was made from the spikes of the Bulgarian horntail that ended up on my shoulder. Charlie Weasley said they were very precious and rare. But that was not the reason I am giving it to you. That was the day you first kissed me, and I will never forget it.
Time had stopped and all the pain was gone, there was only you and me in the world. At the moment I was already yours.
It also helped that it was embedded in my blood. You will notice runes carved on it. I did the design myself. So here is what I meant by giving myself. Because of the runes, the enchanting, and my blood, if you hold it and say my name, you will feel me, where I am, and if I'm ok, you will always be able to find me. I made one for myself, that way I will know when you need me.
That is my way to be always close to you, to be sure you are never alone.
I know is not much… but I hope you like it
Your Harry.
Fleur took the necklace from the package. It was elegant and beautiful, with a simple thin golden chain. The runes were skillfully carved in Ivory, and Fleur felt her eyes watering. She took it closer to her and whispered Harry's name. The necklace emitted a faint glow, and Fleur could feel like Harry was there. His warmth, his smell, she knew he was in Gryffindor's common room, and she could feel he missed her. Harry really missed her. He missed her, and she missed him. Everything was going to be okay.
.oOo.
"Come meet me at the unused classroom on the second floor, above the dungeons, at 11:00, I have a gift for you."
The note was in an envelope, amidst Ronald's gifts that morning. The boy looked at it, and it was easy to identify the handwriting; she had sent him a couple of notes before. Mostly like this one. "Who the little snake thinks she is, bossing me around like that. I had enough of it from Hermione already." Ronald considered merely ignoring it, but curiosity took the best of him. That, and he thought she was hot in a dangerous way. Ronald walked the almost empty hallways, his footsteps echoing through the castle. Most students were in their common rooms, opening gifts and celebrating. Ronald found out he had very little to celebrate. He didn't even have a date to the ball that night, and even his sister had one.
The boy found the door to the classroom closed, looked around to make sure he was alone, and knocked. "It's Weasley…" he said to the wood. The door opened carefully, and he could see the Pansy eyes looking at him. The girl grabbed his sweater and pulled him inside. The room was dark, there were no windows, some dust chairs, and desks, with some candles. Ron could see some other person on a chair in the middle of the room. Draco Malfoy was unconscious.
"What the fuck!" Ronald shouted, looking at the blond boy in the chair.
"I promised you, didn't I, retribution. Did you bring the wand?" Almost hypnotized by the sight, Ronald took the untraceable wand from his back pocket and handed it to her. "Don't worry. See this potion?" Pansy pointed at a flask on one of the tables. The redhead nodded. "It can alter his memories and is also a minor form of mental control, kinda like an imperious curse. We will make him drink it at the end…"
"Why… why would I do it…" Ignoring him, Pansy pointed the wand at Draco and said: "enervate." Draco gasped as he woke, spitting and looking around with a confused gaze. His dazed eyes fixed on Pansy, and his cheeks turned red with anger.
"Merry Christmas Draco." The girl said with venom in her voice.
"What the fuck Pansy!" Drako screamed, and Ronald noticed he couldn't move from the chair. " Let me out now, bitch!" SMACK! Pansy's hand slapped the blonde's face. "What the…" another loud slap almost flipped the chair from the floor.
"You will never touch me again without my consent…" Pansy hissed through her teeth. Ronald felt the rage in her voice, the hurtfulness. "You will never hurt me again Draco!"
"Let me go now! I'M ordering you! AARRGH!" Pansy touched the point of the wand on his hand, and a small line of smoke emerged from the point of contact. "You bitch…" the blonde boy panted. "I'm going to kill you, my father will hear about it, and we are going to take everything from your family!" Pansy hit him with another slap, so intense he almost fell off the chair one more time. The girl came closer to Ron, who was watching everything mesmerized, massaging her hurt knuckles.
"You don't own me Draco, from now on, I will have whatever I want and whoever I want." Pansy pulled Ronald down by his sweater and kissed him with brutal passion and excitement. Ronald didn't know what to do, but after a couple of seconds, he returned the kiss. It was almost painful, Pansy invaded his mouth, and her tongue brought him into submission. Malloy screamed at his chair.
"I will kill you both. I will give your families as gifts to the Dark Lord!" Ronald was not listening anymore, and he was feeling equal amounts of excitement and disgust at the same time. When they finally broke the kiss, Pansy had a predatory gaze at Ronald. The wizard was sweating; his heart was racing. He fought the desire to grab her and forcefully kiss her as she did to him.
"What's the matter Draco? Didn't you say you would like to watch others having a go at your woman when we got married? I remember it all too well!" Pansy turned to Ronald, handing him the wand. "Here Weasley, time for some retribution, let me teach you a new trick…" Ronald looked at the boy bound to the chair. Saliva was dripping from his chin, and he could see the fear in his eyes. It was pathetic. But Ronald hesitated, the wand trembling in his hand. Pansy placed her hand on his, holding the wand together. "I will help you…" The witch said in his ears.
Ronald Weasley hesitantly looked at Draco Malfoy while Pansy moved his hand with the wand. But then he remembered everything his family has been through because of Drako and his father, Ronald remembered the nightmares his sister still had, and his rage boiled, making the wand glow with intent.
.oOo.
Harry waited at the entrance hall, just like most of the other boys. At first, he was afraid, not nervous, terrified, that Fleur wouldn't want to go with him anymore, but if the necklace was working correctly, and the wizard trusted his rune work, he knew she missed him. That was going to be an interesting relationship, he thought, the two of them could be really stubborn at times, well, it was something they would have to work on together.
Harry tried to look the best he could for this. Taking a page from Jacques's book, he decided on an almost entirely muggle formal attire. Harry got himself a full dark grey suit, and with some help from Hermione, transfigured it to fit him perfectly. His tie was of dark green, almost the same tone as his own eyes. His hair was nearly tamed, but he noticed it had gotten even messier since he had been bitten. He shaved and put on some polished shoes. He looked like an actor or a politician, Harry thought, but the tuxedo-like robes some of his friends had chosen simply didn't suit him. Harry felt like he was not being himself in the traditional pureblood attire.
Like himself, Blaise had chosen a muggle suit, in a dark blue color, Viktor and most of the durmstrang students had robes that reminded Harry of military-style uniforms. Some even had medals in them. Harry made a mental note to ask about it to the seeker on another occasion. Neville wore the traditional formal wizard attire, which looked like a tuxedo, with a small cloak. The boys chatted nervously about the upcoming dancing. Neville seemed especially worried, to Blaise's immense amusement. Harry was trying to reassure his friend for the hundredth time that night and was already starting to feel a little impatient with him when he saw Hermione and Katie descending the stairs. Harry went silent at the sight of the two girls. Hermione was wearing a strapless long white dress, with a delicate pearl pattern over the chest, and the bottom half done with several layers, adding movement and flow every time she walked. Her hair was beautifully done in a bun, crowned by a pearl tiara and a few selected waves falling over her shoulders. Katie wore a red dress, shorter than Hermione's, just a little above her knees, the skirts flowing under her narrow waist. Black pantyhose and heels, with matching bracelets and necklace. Her much shorter hair was made to the side, with matching red garments.
"You two look beautiful…" It was all that came out when Harry could finally speak again. The two girls smiled at his dazed expression, both kissing him.
"You look good yourself Harry," Hermione said, moving to capture the arm Viktor Krum offered her. The Bulgarian seeker genuinely complimented his date.
"The reporters are going to have a field day as I dance with my beautiful date." Krum smiled at her.
" Fleur is a lucky girl," Katie said in Harry's ear, with a touch of jealousy in her voice, before moving to the side of Roger Davis. Harry tried not to blush. Ginny got down right after, accompanied by Parvati and Lavender. The red-haired girl wore a dark green dress that contrasted beautifully with her hair, and dark green gloves. Harry noticed it matched perfectly with Blaise's tie. The Slytherin smirked at her, and for a second Harry thought he looked like a dark mob boss from one of the old movies he watched on the telly over the summer. They looked good together, and Harry couldn't help but notice the way the beautiful Indian girl was looking And smiling at him. Hannah Abbott came next, and Neville almost had a heart attack. Harry was nervous, but he had to wait just a little more. The contingent of beauxbatons girls arrived together from the carriage, heavily cloaked against the winds. The wizard looked anxious as the students gathered at the hall, led by the enormous but elegantly dressed madam Maxine.
Harry's heart skipped a beat, or so he felt as his breath stopped. Fleur looked like a mirage, floating in the hallway in his direction. Her turquoise dress moved like waves around her legs, the one strap over her shoulder richly adorned by a mosaic of fleurs de Liz, who turned into an asymmetric pattern running all the way to the bottom of the skirts. The fabric should have to be magical, Harry thought, by the way, it reflected the lights around her, creating the illusion that Fleur herself was glowing. The veela's hair was delicately made into a series of braids held together by an emerald green hairpiece, matching the color of her necklace as much as Harry's own eyes. On her left wrist, she had the dragon jewel Harry gave her. Harry wanted to say how beautiful she looked, but the sound that came from his mouth sounded more like "oh… ash… gwa… damn…" Fleur giggled at him.
"I'm sorry…" Harry finally managed to say. "You look… gorgeous… I broke for a second…."
"Thank you 'arry… you look good too." Fleur said, looking at him with a hungry gaze.
"Fleur, I am sorry, about…" Harry's words were interrupted by her lips on his. Fleur kissed him with passion and need. Their tongues meet, and Harry felt like everything was right in the world again. She touched her forehead with his and said.
"I am sorry too… this is new for me as well, but right now I want to make it work." They were interrupted by Minerva McGonagall angrily cleaning her throat. The old witch looked at them with a reproving gaze before ordering.
"Champions, here if you please. You are going to enter and direct yourselves to the center table, then you and your pairs will open the ball with the first dance." Minerva lined them for entrance. Harry and Fleur would be first, followed by Cho and Cedric, then Viktor and Hermione. Harry took a deep breath and his gaze met with Fleur's. The girl seemed happy, and all anxiety left Harry's body, at least for the night.
.oOo.
Fleur felt a wave of happiness run through her, as she flew with Harry through the dance floor. Just like in their duels, she felt so close to him, her body responding to his leading hands and feet. It felt so liberating, following the rhythm of the first music, she could feel his almost inhuman warm. The werewolf led her with security and tenderness, they laughed and kissed, and were so comfortable that it bled into the other couples around them. Happiness can genuinely be contagious. They danced to two songs before switching partners, and Harry danced with Hermione and Fleur with Krum. The Bulgarian was also a great dancer; maybe it was a seeker thing.
They moved back to the table after the third music, Harry and Blaise proceeded to get some drinks, and Fleur once more was astonished by the beauty of the great hall. Giant ice statues ornate its corners and a big decorated tree stranded where the professor's table usually stood. Fleur talked animatedly with Hermione and Katie, and even Ginny was more friendly to her. Harry even asked Zabini to dance with him, to give Krum cover to dance with Roger Davies, under the astonished eyes of the other wizards and witches, Even the weird sisters applauded with approval, while some purebloods looked with disgust. Harry just didn't seem to care, the smile on Viktor's face made it worth it.
Fleur looked at Harry happily talking with Viktor and Zabini. Their eyes met, both smiled at each other, and a feral, predatory gaze appeared on his face for a second. "My wolf…" Fleur tough, with a touch of pride. One of the Indian twins, Fleur could not say which one, approached Harry for a dance. He looked at the veela, almost like asking for permission, and she nodded.
"Seems like Harry will be making the rounds tonight…" Katie commented.
"Yes… but in the end, he will come back to me." Fleur answered with certainty. The girl turned to Katie then. "I am sorry Katie, for before. My insecurities took the best of me. I know you and 'arry share something special and unique."
"As you and he also do. Don't worry, and he really likes you. And I kinda trust you, but if you break his heart..." The chaser started laughing.
"Thank you…" The veela simply answered.
Harry was now dancing with the other twin. Roger Davies invited Fleur for a dance, and she gladly accepted, after him, many others seemed to work the courage to ask her, and she politely accepted while Harry danced with professor Minerva, making Fleur laugh.
"I need a drink…" Harry said when the Weird Sisters started playing a faster tune. Fleur passed him her glass and looked appraising at her boyfriend. "What?" He asked.
"Nothing… it seems like I have one of the most coveted pairs of the ball, non?"
"So do I…" The boy smiled.
The night continued almost like a dream. For a moment Harry looked worried at his red-haired friend, who was alone, with a strange dazed expression on his face, but decided to let it go for now. Fleur almost didn't see the time passing. The band played a soft, slow tune. Harry brought her body close to his, and Fleur harped her arms around him, resting her head on his shoulder, kissing his neck where she could feel his strong pulse. Quick soft kisses turned into light bites, and he pressed their bodies even closer. "Thank you for this night, Fleur, for letting me be myself around you."
"The night is not over, my loup-garou." She whispered back to him, making him shiver. "Take me back to the carriage 'arry…"
They discreetly walked out of the hall.
.oOo.
Ginny was happy, so happy that Ronald's brooding couldn't bring her down, so happy that not even noticing Harry and Fleur sneaking out made her flinch. Not in a million years the red-haired girl would have imagined that, and even more improbable was the reason for all the happiness.
The tall, dark-skinned handsome Slytherin boy dancing the slow tune with her. The girl was so close to him, her head resting on his chest while he held one of her hands in his and the other on her waist. No one other than Harry had ever felt that way, a little light-headed, with butterflies on her belly.
Ginny looked up, and saw the honest smile on her pair's face, and giggled. "Thank you for coming with me…" Blaise said in a low voice.
"Thank you, Blaise… for showing me…"
The Slytherin seemed confused. "Show you?"
Blaise wasn't able to finish, as Ginny threw her hands on the back of his neck, and pulled him into a kiss. When they parted, the boy had a smile on his face, he leaned on her ear and whispered. "Wanna go for a walk?"
"Yes…" Was all the red-haired girl answered.
.oOo.
Harry and Fleur barely made it into the champion's private room. As soon as they entered the seemingly empty carriage, after a quick run through the cold castle grounds, Fleur attacked Harry's mouth with her's. Their tongues fought each other for dominance as she pressed him against the wall. The veela let her allure run free and in full force, all directed to the young wizard in front of her. Harry could feel a warm feeling washing over him, like a warm embrace of lust and magic, and a soft wiper left his locked mouth. Her scent was so overwhelming that he barely could restrain himself from tearing down her dress right there. Harry's hands rubbed her back up and down, until he grabbed her bun with hungry hands, pressing Fleur against him. The girl moaned into his lips. His tie was gone before they reached the room and his jacket was next.
Fleur opened the door and shoved Harry inside, quickly casting silencing and looking spells on the entrance. Harry looked around the room; it was relatively big, especially because there was only one big bed. "You got your own room?"
"Perks of being the champion…" Fleur said a little flushed, before attacking the werewolf's neck again. The girl kissed and sucked it, and it was Harry's turn to moan under her attention. With quick movements, Fleur undid the buttons on his shirt with ease so that she could claw her hands on his bare chest. The wizard moved a hand to the back of her neck and captured her lips passionately once again. Fleur bit his lower lip and undid his belt, before throwing Harry on his back on the bed. With a quick movement, the werewolf was down only on his boxers, he noticed Fleur's gaze hungrily hovering over him, especially the large tent in his underwear, and strangely didn't feel ashamed of his markings and scars. The veela kissed him once more, before standing up, removing the garment from her hair, and her delicate braids came undone almost magically, freeing her long silver hair that cascaded over her shoulders. Looking directly into Harry's eyes, she took the strap of her dress and slid it, slowly, through her arm. Harry swallowed in anticipation, and she made her best "evil Fleur" face, delighted with the effect she was having on him and his jumping member.
When the dress was finally free from her arm, the fabric slowly slid down, and her allure was so strong Harry could almost taste it, making his already acute senses go into hipper drive. The smell of Fleur's arousal was making his member twitch painfully inside the boxers, maybe it was her allure, but he had never been so hard in his life. Harry bit his lips when the descending dress revealed her perfect breasts, round and firm, with little pink hardened nipples. Harry thought the veela looked like a goddess, with her hair shining like a halo around her perfect heart-shaped head. One hell of a hot goddess to be honest. Harry stood up just to be pushed back to the bed. "Non, non… I'm not done…" Fleur said with a sultry voice that made Harry shiver down to his trapped cock.
Fleur turned her perfect back to him and proceeded to remove her dress, letting it slowly roll over her arse. The black thong she was wearing deliciously disappeared into the crack of her bun, and the movement of her hips was so erotic that it was almost hypnotic. The wolf wanted nothing more than pounce on her, but at the same time, Harry was enjoying every second of it. Fleur kicked the dress away and turned to look at Harry, desire burning in her eyes. Harry feasted on the sight in front of him. Her semi-transparent thong was revealing an entirely shaved, perfectly shaped mound. Harry sat up, and his head was perfectly aligned with her hips, the smell of Fleur's wet cunt driving him crazy with desire. Without thinking he buried his face on her hips, kissing her over the soft thin fabric, Fleur moaned, delighted with the effect he had on her. His hands instinctively searched for the waistband of her panties, as he drowned in her scent.
Harry needed to taste it, to savor her.
The wizard pulled her thong down, removing the thin barrier between his mouth and her pussy, and tasted the dripping juices, running his tongue through Fleur's inner lips, becoming instantly in love with her bittersweet taste. Harry licked and kissed, as Fleur grabbed his hair and pretty much grinded on his face. The wolf moved his mouth over her clit, licking and applying just a little pressure with his lips, his hands moved up her legs, to the inner thighs until he reached her center. Without stopping his ministrations at her clitoris, Harry slowly covered his finger with her own flowing fluids, and inserted it inside her. Fleur moaned even louder, pulling his hair forcefully. Harry moved the finger out and then inside again, massaging her entrance and her inner walls, Fleur started babbling in French, grinding his face in a faster rhythm. The wizard brought a second finger inside her, and the girl screamed " OUI, OUI!" After a couple of minutes, Harry felt her muscles embracing his fingers, and the juices dripping on his chin as Fleur came into his mouth with a delightful scream.
Harry gently and slowly removed his fingers from inside her, still kissing around her oversensitive clit. The werewolf looked at Fleur, the girl smiling in bliss, panting heavily. The veela captured his lips once more and laid him on the bed, and Harry loved the smell of her sweat mixed with her juices and the delightful sounds she was making. The werewolf could sense the magic surrounding them with bright colors he didn't even know existed. The veela kissed his chin, then his neck, her arousal dripping over his belly button. Fleur moved to kiss his chest and even his scars. His dick twitched with every contact her soft lips made with his warm skin. The witch then proceeded to remove his boxers, freeing his aching member. "uh la la, 'ello…" Fleur whispered softly, grabbing Harry's cock and stroking it gently, spreading his pre cum with her soft hands.
Harry groaned, her hands were so soft, but he fought his drive to rock himself into them. Fleur got up on top of him and aligned his hard member with her entrance, waiting for him to open his eyes. As soon as the werewolf looked at her, she buried herself in him, engulfing the wizard like a warm, perfect glove. Both teens moaned loudly as she kept lowering herself until their hips touched. Harry thought of how beautiful she looked, how right it felt to be there. Their scents mixed with her allure were like swimming in pure bliss. She lifted herself again, until only the head of his cock remained inside her, just to lower herself back, moaning. One of Harry's hands moved to her right perfect breast, palming it, and playing with her nipple, as the other had gone to her hips, helping her move. Every time she pulled herself up, it felt like her pussy muscles tried to grab around his dock, and every time Fleur moved back down, they welcomed him in a soft embrace. Harry was amazed how she always moved up to the right spot where he felt like entering her for the first time and back, keeping the movement. It was unbelievably good. He felt their emotions, their passion and desire running through the magic between them. Harry didn't know if it was her allure or his magic, and he didn't care, it was just incredible. The wolf tried to hold himself back, make it last, but Fleur laid on him and whispered. " Don't hold back 'Arry… cum for me…"
That was enough to break him. Harry let it all out, roaring while he bucked his hips up and unloaded load after load of his cum inside Fleur, her own walls tensing like she wanted to hold everything inside her. His orgasm persisted as she moaned and slowed down, rocking her hips in a nice, slow rhythm feeling the warmth of Harry's sperm inside her.
"Yes… mom cherri… just like that… that was… Mon Dieu…"
Harry kissed her, her scent still driving his instincts, but in a much calm way. He held Fleur tight, trying to savor every piece of her skin, of her scent and taste. Fleur's eyes widened when she felt him getting hard inside her again. Still holding her close, Harry rolled then, laying the witch on her back, and giving her a deep, caring kiss, one she welcomed with all her being.
The second time, they made love in a slower and more carrying rhythm, showing all their affection for each other, trying to savor each second, and memorize each reaction, until they came together, and finally, fell asleep in each other's arms.
