"Arry!"
Harry looked up from his vicious Care of Magical Creatures book to see his old friend jogging to him. He admired the view for a moment, then quickly shook his head to dispel any thoughts and opened his arms as she reached him.
"Zere you are! I 'ave been looking all over!" Fleur exclaimed as she wrapped her right arm around his stomach and began to walk with him.
"Well for one it looks as though you've been swimming, not looking for poor old me," Harry said as he reached over and flicked a strand of silvery hair onto her nose. Fleur pouted and shook her head quickly causing water fly onto Harry.
"Hey!"
Fleur smiled then triggered her charm. Harry inhaled quickly as it hit him and watched as the moisture in her hair disappeared to leave it back in its silky state. Fleur flipped her hair over her shoulder as the charm faded and readjusted her grip on Harry. They quickly found themselves out of the castle and in the courtyard where only a few Beauxbaton and Drumstrang students lingered, done with their classes.
"You didn't have to do that you know. You still looked pretty."
"Zank you, Harry," Fleur said as she sat on a stone bench. Harry sat next to her, leaning against the stone column behind them and putting his book on the floor, thoughts of going to class abandoned.
"I was looking for you, zough," she continued. "I unfortunately walked under a floating balloon full of water when asking one of the students in yellow if zey 'ad seen you. It, of course, dropped. I suppose I should have noticed it but we do not usually 'ave people playing pranks at our school."
"I forgot how proper all you Beauxbaton students are. Are we English men corrupting you?"
Fleur gave an exaggerated pout and sniffed, "I am afraid you will. Next zing you know all of our proper Frenchmen will be walking around wiz brilliant smiles, gorgeous green eyes, and will be going around saving damsels in distress. Ze nerve."
"That would be horrible, huh?"
Fleur sighed and rested her head against his chest. "I suppose I could live wiz zat."
Harry laughed lightly and ran one of his hands through her hair. He saw a flash of color through the window where he believed Vanessa's office to be out of the corner of his eye and, sighing, he picked up the Monster Book of Monsters edition 4 from the floor.
"I better go," he said as he stood. "Don't want Vanessa catching me skipping classes after I bugged her to let me come here."
Fleur smiled and waved goodbye as he began to walk down the trail and Harry lost sight of her as a group of Beauxbaton students once again surrounded her.
"All righ' gather round!"
Harry arrived to his class just as Hagrid disappeared to the pen at the back of his shack. Harry sighed on relief as he jogged up behind a cluster of Ravenclaw girls.
"Hi, Harry."
Harry smiled back at the pretty Ravenclaw that addressed him. She in turn giggled and started whispering furiously to her friends.
"Who knew you were such a tease, Harry."
"Hello to you too, Tracey."
Tracey came to his side as they reached the large pen then instantly moved behind him. Harry looked at the creature in the pen and realized why.
"Now this here is a nogtail, class," Hagrid exclaimed indicating the demon in the pen. Harry looked at the pig-like creature in distaste. If it had been laying down and you simply glanced at it you would have seen nothing wrong with it. But the creature was awake and roaming the pen revealing itself. The nogtails body was small and its abnormally long legs made it reach to at least Harry's stomach. Its black, slit-like eyes and stubby tail ruined its piggish image further.
"Now can anyone 'ell me wha' a nogtail does?"
After a moment Daphne Greengrass answered, "Nogtails bring curses to farms that they sneak into by suckling on a mother pig for long periods of time."
"Righ'! Now does anyone know how to remove one?"
"You remove them by having a pure white dog chase them off the property."
"Very good, Ms.Patil. Five points to Ravenclaw."
Hagrid stepped over the pen wall carrying a young white pup and another larger one jumped in afterwards.
"Now these here are albino bloodhounds bred jus' for this occasion," Hagrid bellowed as he set the pup on the ground. The nogtail immediately went to the opposite side of the pen followed by the dogs who herded it other way.
"This here is one of the less dangerous dark creatures we'll be studying 'is term. We'll get to more of tha creatures with more bite later."
"Are you saying your actually going to be bringing dark creatures here?" Draco Malfoy asked from the back.
"Well o' course! What else would we do?"
Malfoy paled a bit and started to mutter to his cronies.
"Now I want a foot long essay on the lesser of dark creatures by our next class. Now off wit' ya."
Harry found Blaise as the class dispersed and they both headed back to the castle.
"This is going to be a train wreck, Potter."
"How much so?"
"I'd wager about twenty kids in the hospital wing, at least five with damage in unmentionable places, nine law suits against the big oaf, five forest fires, two burnings of his shack, and ten classes dismissed early because of uncontrollable creatures. Of course, only dismissed after at least one students is hurt."
"I'd put about a hundred galleons on that," Draco drawled as he appeared on Harry's other side.
"Did you see that thing? It was bloody disgusting! My uncle would probably have a heart attack if he ever got near one."
"You mean Leaena's dad?" Harry asked as they entered the dungeon corridor.
"Yes, Uncle Marcell. He's a little short of a full cauldron if you know what I mean. He's absolutely obsessed with beauty. He actually passed up his inheritance of the Malfoy mansion because it wasn't up to his standards. Built a bloody palace on top of a mountain."
Harry said the password to the common room entrance as they reached the wall. The boys filed in and approached the table in the corner of the room. Harry reached over and lit the candle and the three dumped their work onto the table.
"How did Leaena turn out that well living with that," Blaise asked.
"That well?" Draco snorted as he pulled out his Transfiguration homework. "She's no angel, but I guess that she didn't turn out as vain as her father because of her mom and siblings."
"More Malfoys?" Blaise sighed in a disappointedly.
Draco glared at Blaise before continuing, "I'm going to forget that comment for your sake."
"Gee, thanks."
"Yes, there are more Malfoys you wanker. I've only met three of them though. One, named Manelin, goes to Drumstrang. I think he's in his fifth year."
"What about the others?"
Draco frowned, as if irked by the question. "Well I haven't actually met one of them, but I've seen him briefly."
"Where?"
"On a quick business visit with my father to my uncle's house. I was told to stay in the foyer while they talked. A boy a little younger than me came in from outside just as they left. As soon as he saw me he went right back out which was pretty stupid considering how cold it is up there. Leaena came in later and told me it was one of her older brothers after I described him."
"What school does he go to?" asked Harry as he finished checking over his Potions essay.
"I'm not sure he even goes. He looks the same age as Manelin, but we went during the holidays and Leaena said they all stay in school until the summer. Maybe he's just home schooled. He and Manelin could be twins though. They kind of look alike."
"How don't they look alike?"
"Frankly, Manelin looks much better. Both look like they're part Persian I think, but the boy I saw was a lot skinnier and wasn't that good looking. Manelin on the other hand could probably make his way into Witch Weekly if he were to get more popular."
"Is that jealousy in your voice, Draco?"
"Shut up, Blaise."
"What about the other, Malfoy?" Harry intervened.
"Ilona Platt. She was married off a few years ago."
"Ilona Platt!" Blaise exclaimed. "She's bloody gorgeous! I saw her at that ministry ball. Your uncle must have adored her."
"I'm sure he did. She graduated first in her class at Beauxbaton and was spoiled rotten. I'm sure if Leaena grows up to look like we think she will she'll get it even better. Like I said, Uncle Marcell loves beauty and if that means favoring his better looking kids then he has no qualms about it."
"That's a little sick isn't it," Harry muttered.
"I don't think he neglects them or anything. Just that he doesn't favor some of the others."
"Still seems pretty bad to me," Harry repeated as he stood up. "Come on we have Defense in a bit."
"Wands out, class. Time for some practice duels," Vanessa said cheerfully as the class started. The tables vanished as everyone stood with their partners and spread out.
Harry positioned himself across from Parvati and out of the corner of his eye he saw Blaise do the same to Tracey.
"Bow to your partner!"
Parvati bowed, groaning as her hair got into her face. Harry bowed back as she quickly put it into a ponytail.
"Begin!"
Parvati threw a stunner at Harry followed by a blinding hex which he easily sidestepped. Practicing with Parvati the past couple weeks had let him figure out how she dueled. The first thing he learned was that she had a strange sixth sense about where her opponents were. Even Harry was a little jealous about it. It was almost as if she had eyes in the back of her head. It was useless to try and sneak up behind her.
Another thing about her was that although skinny, Parvati wasn't that athletic. She'd rather block everything that goes her way rather than roll or run out of the way.
Harry blocked another stunner then sent two tripping hex right back. The second broke her shield and hit her making her stumble back. Harry rushed forward at that point, weaving around a curse she sent getting up.
The most obvious thing he learned though, was that Parvati couldn't help but go back to her old thirteen year old ways sometimes.
"Accio."
Parvati's ribbon flew to Harry, making her hair whip around her face.
"Hey!" the Gryffindor exclaimed, her hand immediately moving up to sweep her hair back in place. Harry's silent stunner hit the distracted girl followed by his 'wingardium leviosa' so she wouldn't hit the floor.
Harry walked over and stood next to her. He was beginning to miss actual fights. Here he had to hold back everyday and it was seriously getting on his nerves. 'Maybe I'll go and see the Saedicio clan during break.'
"Let me down, Harry!"
Parvati swatted the Slytherin's arm and Harry laughed as he realized that although his weak stunner had faded off his other curse held strong.
"It is not funny, Harry. Let me down!"
Harry canceled the spell letting her land on her feet. She huffed angrily once she was down at her lost, then crossed her arms and watched the rest of the duels. Harry held back a smile at her attitude. She did the same thing every time she lost a duel and would forget about it about ten minuets later. It never failed to amuse Blaise and him.
"Finding your opponents weakness is one of the most important points of dueling," Vanessa told the class after everyone was done.
"Now you had weeks to find your partners weaknesses and some of you still don't realize exactly what they are and how to work them best your advantage. During the tournament you will not have the chance to take your time finding them. Next time we have a practice class I want you to look at your fellow classmates when your done. What spell do they use the most? How do they fall? Knowing the answers will be a huge help if you ever have to go up against them."
The grandfather clock in the corner chimed, signaling the end of class. Harry stayed behind as every filed out and sat at her desk once the last student was gone.
Vanessa moved the last of the desk back in place and canceled the spell that had enlarged the room, which made the walls actually move in. She then pushed Harry out of her chair and pulled out a wine bottle from under her desk.
"Won't you get in trouble if a student finds that?"
The vampire shook her head as she poured a glass of the thick red liquid. "There are protection spells around my desk. No one can get into what I don't want them to. Dumbledore knows what's really in here anyway so it wouldn't be a problem. Do you want some?"
Harry nodded, before he quickly grabbed the bottle and gulped some of it down.
"For the love of Merlin, Harry, use a glass! Electra must have had a bad influence on you."
"Sorry," Harry mumbled absently, his fangs barely visible as he spoke. "I didn't have time to get any blood from the kitchen this morning and I didn't have any yesterday."
"Harry! You know you're supposed to have a cup everyday!"
"I know. I haven't been using that much energy though so there really wasn't a need. I guess my body is conditioned to only really need blood when I'm exhausted."
Vanessa took the bottle of blood from his hands and replaced it with her goblet. "I suppose that makes since. But I still want you try to drink everyday."
"Alright Vanessa." Harry drained the goblet and got up. "I've sure missed this kind of blood. All the kitchen has is cattle and pig."
"You shouldn't be craving for human blood, Harry."
"I wasn't, just something different. Maybe I should try the Forbidden Forest sometime."
As he reached the door Vanessa called out to him.
"I saw you outside today, Harry."
Harry bit his lip and turned "I did go to class, I was just a little late."
"It isn't that, Harry. It's the Delacour girl."
"What about her?" Harry asked defensively.
"You need to be careful. I don't think you see how angry Veela families still are. Some of them make her mother look like a saint in comparison. If they find out a vampire is friends with someone of her heritage..," Vanessa trailed off.
"They won't find out."
"You don't know that, Harry! Some Veela are simply not to be trusted-"
"Are you trying to say Fleur would sell me out!"
"I'm trying to say you should watch your back around her family! We put up with each other at their banquets because its good for business and shakes off suspicions of other families. Except for that girl's grandmother they all hate us."
"Fleur doesn't."
"She doesn't know what you are! What do you think will happen when she does? That she'll just laugh it off? No! She'll freak out then owl her mother asking what the hell is going on. And when her mother finds out...you won't be able to get any where near that girl and you will get attacked. Veelas are not creatures you want to get angry."
Harry sighed and fingered the Eagle ring on his his hand. "Vanessa, don't make this a one-sided thing. I know you are much older than you look. You've been the leader of our clan for a long, long time. You're a Slytherin. I know if you wanted to mend some fences, you're ambitious enough to do it. They aren't the only ones holding grudges."
Harry turned and opened the door and spoke without looking at her. "No matter how he died, we both know what Damien would have wanted." With that said, he left.
Well...sorry for the long wait and sorry for the crappy chapter you ended up with. The next will definintly be better and hopefully will come out much faster now that I'm out of school. Thanks for the reviews.