Chapter 31 – Homefront
He glanced at the entrance to the Room of Requirement as he paced back and forth in front of the entrance for what seemed like the hundredth time. Even though around 2 dozen students had signed up to be a part of this defense club thing, he was still skeptical that they would all show up. Prior experience had shown him that people usually have a habit of letting you down.
Despite his reservations, people began to show up around 10 minutes before the agreed meeting time, earning him a warm smile from Fleur, Ron, and Hermione who had all opted to let him handle things for the first lesson. When it appeared that everyone had shown up, Harry made his way to the center of the room.
"Thank you for being here everyone. So… as we discussed last week, these meetings will be used as a review for many on how to properly cast various spells and charms to review for exams," he paused here his eyes slowly scanning the crowd to gauge everyone's reactions. For the most part, everyone seemed on board with this. "The other part of it, will be to teach things for practical purposes, spells and skills that can be used out in the real world."
"Today we're going to be focusing on the disarming spell. This spell should be your bread and butter. Being good at it will get you out of many situations as well- "
"Why are we learning this? This is a 2nd Year spell; I thought you were going to teach us stuff that will actually help us."
Harry nearly didn't bite back the growl that emanated from the back of his throat. He whirled around and met the gaze of a very cocky-looking Michael Corner.
"It's the spell that I used when I fought Voldemort last year." He let the silence hang over the crowd after this statement, almost everyone looked as though any objections that they may have had were let go by this piece of information.
Unfortunately, Corner was not one of them.
"Then it all must've been luck then. There's no way that that is all it took for you to beat You-Know-Who."
If looks could kill, Corner would be dead three times over if the glares coming from Harry's girlfriend and his 2 best friends were anything to go by. Harry however, had a plan for how to get past this.
"Okay Michael. If it's that easy then, I want you to disarm me. If you can do that, then I'm apparently not fit to teach any of you." Feeling the tension rise in the room, the crowd split down the middle, allowing for ample space for the two wizards to move. Not taking notice to the expectant looks on everyone's faces, Corner looked like he had hit the jackpot.
"If this is all it takes to beat dark wizards, maybe I should be the one to lead this group." The smirk as he lazily drew his wand out, looking about the other students to make sure that they would see him best the Boy-Who-Lived.
"Expelliarmus!"
Corner's spell shot out in the direction of Harry, but instead of divesting Harry of his wand, simply scattered a pile of books as Harry stood there unflinchingly.
"How about one more go?"
Corner's eyes tightened at the challenge. Letting his emotions get the better of him, he decided that he show this mediocre Gryffindor who the better wizard was.
"Stupefy!"
Many of the other student's eyes widened at the underhanded tactic and many watched in horror as this time, the spell's aim was true, heading directly towards Harry. Despite this, Harry stepped out of the way at the last second before leveling his own wand Corner.
"Expelliarmus!"
His opponent's wand rocketed into the air towards Harry where he caught it due to his enhanced reflexes. Michael Corner was now visibly shaking from his own frustration.
"You cheated!"
Harry instead ignored him and addressed the other students.
"As you can see, dueling is more than just throwing spells at another person until they can't fight anymore. You can't just know a spell and how to cast it. You have to know how to use it properly and how to use your own body along with it."
Harry paused to throw Corner back his wand, before making his way back to his position at the front of the group.
"Today, I want everyone to pair up and practice disarming one another. Once both of you are comfortable. I want you to move around with each other and practice that way." The group then dispersed into smaller pairs, with Fleur waiting for him over in the corner to work with her. Before he could make his way over to her, he was caught off by an irate Michael.
"What you did was cheating. In an honorable duel one must-"
"I don't know if you noticed Corner," Harry hissed out through his teeth, "but Death Eater don't give a damn about honor." He'd had enough of the git for one day and his frustrations were causing his eyes to glow slightly. "What honor is there when a group of Death Eaters kill a muggle family who can't use magic. What honor is there in killing a mother and father who are both unarmed before attempting to kill their infant son."
Michael had the decency to look ashamed by the last statement, before heading back over to his awaiting partner, having been thoroughly put in his place. Harry assumed that deep down, Corner knew that Harry was right, it was just hard for some people to accept the reality of the Wizarding world's current situation.
Nevertheless, Harry was still worked up, having to close his eyes and attempt to steady his breathing. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned toward the questioning gaze of his girlfriend. He simply gave her a reassuring smile, before joining her to help her with practice before helping the other members.
-HP-
Werewolves Continue Their Reign of Terror
A wizarding family was found dead in their Sussex home Monday morning from an apparent werewolf attack.
This the third of such attacks since September of this year. When asked about the increase in werewolf attacks, Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge responded by saying, "Actions need to be taken. If the magical community continues to be threatened by dark creatures, myself and the other members of the Wizengamot will be forced to take legal action against those responsible."
When questioned on whether such plans would include a werewolf registration, Fudge elected to not comment because no plans have been drawn yet.
Harry put his copy of the Daily Prophet down, unwilling to read any further. Glancing around the Great Hall, he noticed that outside of his friends who were looking at him sympathetically, most of the hall was either glancing cautiously at him or ignoring him all together. He noticed that Fleur looked to ready to shout indignantly at the unfair treatment of Britain's magical government, while Hermione kept on reading the rest of the article.
"According to the article, Fudge claims that your status of being a werewolf has nothing to do with the drastic actions they plan on taking." She slammed the paper shut onto the table and looked to Harry, a fire burning behind her eyes. "That's rubbish, him and the Prophet's been going out of their way to discredit you and Dumbledore, and he has the gall to claim that you won't be treated differently. Even these articles are designed to sway public opinion against you."
"What do you mean Hermione?" Harry hadn't bothered to read most of these articles since the Prophet had begun slandering him and wasn't quite sure what they were up to.
"On top of the stories about you being a dangerous dark creature before your trial and calling you delusional, they've manage to mention you by name in every story that's about werewolf attacks, like they're trying to remind people that that's what you are."
"But I'm nothing like those animals," said a visibly shaking Harry. Soft growls started to mix with his deeper breaths as he dug his growing claws into his palms in an attempt to control himself.
"No one here is claiming you are Harry," began Hermione soothingly. Around them, all his friends tried to express their sincerity to him, which helped tremendously to calm him down. "By associating your name with stories of werewolf attacks, they're trying to convince people that you're dangerous."
Fleur placed a hand on her boyfriend's shoulder and began rubbing it soothingly. "It will all work out "Arry. You shouldn't be ashamed of what you are because of zese monsters."
Harry didn't seem completely convinced of her words, but tried to stay upbeat for the sake of his friends. He leaned in and claimed a quick kiss from his girlfriend before excusing himself for another lesson with the Headmaster.
-HP-
Fleur waited patiently for Harry to return from his weekly lesson with Dumbledore. Staying up in the common room until it was nearly midnight had become a regular part of her schedule. Every time, her and Harry would cuddle in front of the fireplace, while Harry told her of what he'd learned that night.
At the start of term, Dumbledore's lessons mostly consisted of magical theory and teaching Harry various spells and strategies that would help ensure his survival. He would also have Harry practice several exercises designed by both himself and Remus to help keep Harry's inner wolf in check.
The discovery of Voldemort's second Horcrux however incited changes to Dumbledore's usual curriculum. While the exercises and spell work were still present, much of their time together was spent trying to decipher the mystery behind the pieces of the Dark Lord's soul. Her mind flashed back to the lesson from the previous week.
Flashback
Harry arrived back to the common room around 11:30, a disturbed and wild look in his eyes. He silently made to sit next to Fleur, never once taking notice of her as he stared unseeingly into the flames in the fireplace, causing Fleur to become concerned.
"'Arry?"
This seemed enough to snap him out of whatever trance he was in, causing him to jump as if he was being attacked by something before realizing that it was his girlfriend.
"Oh, Fleur! I didn't see you there," he said sullenly as his mind drifted back to wherever it had previously been.
"What happened? I zought you were 'aving a lesson wiz Dumbledore."
Harry looked at her and for the briefest of moments, it appeared as though he was going to try and deflect her inquiry, before remembering his promise just weeks earlier. As he readied himself to speak, the haunted look returned to his eyes.
"Well," he began hesitantly, rubbing his neck absent-mindedly as he searched for the right words, "You know that Dumbledore's been showing me memories to learn about Voldemort and his Horcruxes?" At her nod he continued, "Today we were trying to learn all we could about how he's protecting them so… Dumbledore showed me Kreacher's memory about how he came across the locket."
Fleur tried to cover the gasp that escaped her throat but was unable to prevent the involuntary sound. Realizing that she needed to be strong for Harry, she guided his head down to her lap so she could soothingly massage his head as he recounted Kreacher's experience with the inferi and the death of Sirius' brother Regulus.
"After witnessing what Kreacher had to go through to get the locket, I don't think I'm strong enough to do it." He cast his eyes downward in shame at his cowardice. It pained him to admit such anybody, even his own girlfriend. The only other person he had ever trusted his insecurities with was Hermione, yet she wasn't here right now, Fleur was.
"'Arry, look at me," she placed her hands on either side of his head and forced him to look her in the eyes, "You are one of ze bravest men I know, and if anyone is going to be able to stop him, it will be you."
Harry found himself unable to break the connection that they were currently sharing, but his self-doubt still plagued his mind. Sensing it, she did the only thing she thought would ease his troubled mind, and lowered her lips to his.
The kiss itself was a slow, and tentative unlike most of the other kisses that the couple had shared. Just as quickly as it had started Fleur pulled back, a small smile on her face to reassure Harry. His eyes remained closed for a few moments longer, his brows furrowed for a second as if he was puzzled, before opening them to look at her.
He sat up and turned his body towards his girlfriend, a new look of determination on his face as one of his hands made its way to the back of her head to pull her in for another kiss.
Though this one had begun slow like the previous kiss, it quickly was overshadowed by a newfound ferocity and intensity. Pulling Fleur up onto his lap, the space between them soon vanished, as their lips parted and tongues met each other in a duel of passion. As her fingers burrowed into the black tresses of his hair, Fleur's senses were overwhelmed by a forest-like smell and the taste of treacle tart. She could feel the beginnings of claws digging into the back of her shirt, not enough to damage it but enough to cause her spine to tingle, causing her skin to vibrate as their lips glided against one another's.
She moaned when Harry briefly lifted her up to lay her down on the couch before trailing his lips down her chin and onto her neck. His hands left her hips, traveling briefly up her sides to the top of her uniform, grasping it at the collar and yanking it open causing the top most buttons to go flying off.
Fleur gasped pleasantly when his lips found her recently liberated collar bone, feeling her body heat up as Harry lavished her neckline with a growl and grinded their pelvises together. Losing herself in the moment, she attempted to roll them over so that she could take control, momentarily forgetting that they were on a couch in the common room, and accidently rolled them off the couch and onto the floor with a sizable thunk.
This was enough to dispel the passion of the moment, as the two teens quickly stood back up and righted their clothing, while blushing madly. While she was repairing her shirt, she noticed Harry's eyes dimming, having apparently been glowing due to their activity.
"It's a good zing we didn't get carried away," said Fleur, trying to cut the awkwardness out of the atmosphere. If anything, it had only made it worse. Harry simply nodded his head, before giving Fleur a chaste kiss goodnight before the pair wet up to their dormitories.
Flashback End
The more Fleur thought about that night, the more trouble she had deciphering the jumbled mess of emotions attached to it. Was Harry simply using her in that moment? Was she Using him? And why was everything so awkward afterwards?
The answer to these Fleur didn't know. She would be lying to herself if she said that she didn't enjoy their brief moment of passion, but everything surrounding it left her confused. She wasn't sure if Harry had lost control during the kiss, but was also slightly worrying was that she wasn't sure if she lost control either. The incident had caused some awkwardness in their relationship that they had yet to really get past.
The sound of the portrait hole opening broke her from her thoughts as Harry entered the room, gave her a quick peck on the lips, and sat down next to her.
"What was it tonight?"
"We actually didn't view many memories. In fact, Dumbledore only showed me one from an old potions professor who taught Tom Riddle when he was in school."
"Why wouldc'e show you zis?"
"It looked like Voldemort got the idea for his Horcruxes from this man, yet the memory has been tampered with. Dumbledore is convinced that the original memory is essential to figuring out if Voldemort made any more Horcruxes."
"How are you supposed to get ze original memory?"
"He didn't say, only that it would mostly likely be over the holidays and that he wanted my help in retrieving it."
The pair continued to converse for several more minutes, Fleur scooting closer to Harry and snuggling into his side. She tried to push the issue and get Harry to recreate the last time they had met like this, but Harry seemed reluctant to do it.
"What's ze matter "Arry? You seem distant."
"It's nothing Fleur." The smile he tried to give didn't quite reach his eyes so Fleur decided to go for another tactic. She began laying kisses underneath his chin, causing Harry's breath to hitch for a moment as he lost himself as the sensation. When she made it up to his each and brought her teeth down on it lightly, Harry's eyes snapped opened and he jumped away.
"I'm not really up to that right now Fleur." Fleur's frustration began to boil as she jumped to her feet after him.
"Why do you keep rejecting your nature "Arry? It is a part of you."
"I'm still learning control Fleur. I don't want to hurt you if I lose control over myself. I would never be able to live with myself if anything happened to you."
"I'm not afraid "Arry. I know what it's like - "
"Can we please just drop it?" Harry's own frustration was evident by the slight growl in his voice causing Fleur to back away, in what Harry perceived to be fear. Feeling slightly ashamed of himself, he avoided her eyes and looked at the ground around her feet. "Look, can we just talk about this another time." He briefly looked at her pleadingly, before turning and heading up the stairs to go to bed, an exasperated Fleur deciding to do the same a few moments later.
AN: I know it's been a little while since my last update. With finals happening, it was hard to find the time to continue writing. I haven't been complete idle though, I have the outline for the rest of fifth year mapped out, so writing should be a bit easier and possibly faster coming up.
I'm expecting some people will have issues with how I'm portraying Harry and Fleur's relationship. I want them to be realistic and not be a perfect couple. Couples do ague and have disagreements over stupid things. Fleur is the key to Harry's acceptance of his other side, while Hermione is his reminder that he more than just a werewolf.
Next chapter will be a bit in the future, taking place right before and during the beginning of the Christmas holiday.
As always, thanks for reading!