Disclaimer: You may be able to tell, I AM NOT THE JK ROWLATRON-9000

FLEUR

"This is the best I can do for you, boy. You will thank me, in time. If I am still alive to receive your thanks. Now, take my sword. You will need it break the other horcruxes. Go. I seek silence once more."

With that, Harry found himself thrust back to the room he'd slept in. Well, that was weird. And bloody painful! How am I going to hide this bloody massive sword?

A day later, he was taken to the Delacour Manor by the same vampire who'd introduced him to Prometheus. He stood in front of the gates, waiting for Jacques to let him in. The man walked down from the house, walking as fast as he could. Jacques swung open the gates, welcoming Harry in.

"Harry! My God, I'm glad you're ok! I received your letter, but…"

"It's ok, I'm fine. Stronger than ever, in fact! I'll tell you on the way back to the Manor."

Harry explained his trip to the bank, his purchases, and then his meeting with Pandora. Monsieur Delacour was understandably shocked that Harry had been bitten, too. He didn't look like a vampire! That was, until Harry fully opened his mouth in a grin, showing off his slightly longer canines.

"So, Lucius Malfoy is dead. When you are ready to reveal yourself to the world as the Heir, you can claim his House as yours through conquest. It would deny Lord Voldemort a great deal of monetary influence, Harry."

"I will reveal myself in due course. But first, I wonder, is the room that I used a few days ago still bare? Not being used?"

"No, of course not! It's yours! Technically, I'm a tenant, Harry. Why? What would you do with it?"

"Well, I need to re-forge some of the weapons I was given- I don't suit them. But before I do, I would like to practice with some metal I picked up in the Potter Vaults."

"Oh, of course. Do you think you'll need any help? Fleur could charm the roof to vanish any smoke or other things like that?" He knew he was pushing his daughter at him, but if she didn't bond soon, she would never be happy. At least Harry- although a danger-magnet- could look after her like no one else could.

"That would be brilliant Jacques, does she know the way, maybe Dinky could apparate her down? If it's OK, I'll be setting up in the Cave."

"I'll send her down after lunch. What… what do you do for lunch, Harry?" The Frenchman was slightly nervous about the answer.

"I don't eat."

Harry wished he'd had this ability back at the Dursleys. The he wouldn't have been an emaciated scarecrow of a boy.

Down in the newly-dubbed Cave, Harry stood planning out the layout of his forge(s). He wasn't sure if he should have more than one, or several. Going with the idea of using several meant he'd have to use some mannequins to work them. That seemed like a good idea, it let him test things out. If he installed the ideas of what he wanted into the forger's 'minds' then it would be a simple matter of- No. He had to do this himself. If was going to forge a new weapon for himself, made out of the ones that didn't suit him, then he had to be familiar with the intricacies of metal, and the hammer. He'd do it himself, one by one.

He quickly wrote off a list of things he'd need. Of course, he knew that if he used conjured materials, they may not behave the same way. So, he had to order the whole lot. He wanted nearly five hundred tonnes of different clays, various types of bricks in the hundreds of tonnes, charcoal, coal, carbon powder, the various tools he could make himself. The last item on the list was Hungarian Horntail leather. One roll. He finished the list, and called out,

"Dinky!"

"Yes, Master Potter, sir?"

"I need you to take this to the appropriate companies, and get the items on this list. Before you do, however, I need you to go to Funky Trunks in Diagon Alley, and buy a trunk with multiple compartments, and a Massive Expansion Charm on them. You'll need it to store the things you'll buy. You can charge the Potter Vault, I think. Is that acceptable?"

The little elf's eyes glowed in admiration. Harry kept on forgetting house elves didn't get too much respect. Or their opinion.

"Yes, Master Potter, sir! Dinky will do so immediately!" And the elf promptly cracked straight out of France to Diagon Alley. How did the elf speak English, anyway? Suddenly, Harry remembered a rather vital thing- Jupiter. He'd left the poor dragon in Diagon Alley, probably for the best part of a day. Mentally focusing on the faint connection to the dragon, Harry pushed a thought his way.

Jupiter! Where are you? I can't believe I left you behind! I'm so sorry- I was practically abducted by this vampire, and then I had this ritual thing, and then I gained some weird powers, and got apparated to France! I-

'My Lord, I do not mind. I had great fun hunting these pigeons. There are many of them, even in Diagon Alley. I then hunted through the sewers and found cisterns full of treasure and of artefacts. A few sunken sloops and a sarcophagus. I made my way towards your power when I grew truly bored. About five minutes ago. I'll be with you soonish, but I may stop to hunt the pitiful things called 'dragons' in these mountains first.'

Well. Harry felt much better knowing that Jupiter wasn't hungry or mad. Bring on the dragon!

Before Dinky got back, Fleur came walking down the dark tunnel the Cave. She had never seen this part of the Manor before, but that was nothing new- she was not a fan of dark caves. Knowing that Harry Potter was at the end of it, however, forced her to put her priorities first. She exited the long tunnel, not sure what to be expecting.

She did not- in any capacity- expect a large stone dome the size of the Quidditch Wold Cup Stadium. Harry was on the far side of the cave, marking the ground with a piece of chalk.

How strange, she thought. I wonder what he needs me for…

Harry looked up from his work of marking out the forge dimensions, and saw Fleur. In the true month or so since seeing her last, she had not changed all that much- except her aloof airs and graces had taken a backseat, and she seemed merely… noble. It was nice- it took the major barrier between them away.

Harry smiled and stood up, waiting for Fleur to reach him. His Massive Expansion Charm had done wonders for this place, he knew he'd need most, if not all of the room. According to Prometheus, the Valyrian Adamantium would release the energy it had absorbed all at once upon quenching it. Hence the distance between the quenching trough and the forges.

"Fleur! I hope your summer is not too boring for you? Stuck all the way out here?" He smiled a crooked smile at that- he knew Veela were in touch with nature more than humankind.

"Non, Harry it is very relaxing, to be this far from the cities and people. I like the silence. My fazzer said that you needed my help wiz- Harry? What 'appened to you?" So, she'd only just noticed his changes. Good. They weren't too obvious then. That, or she was not an intelligence to cry out about.

"For now, let's just say I went through a… very fast training regimen to whip me into shape. Your father helped. What I need your help with, though, is making a ward to Vanish all of the smoke that comes off of the forges I'm gonna build down here." The girl's perfectly sculpted eyebrows arched at that little revelation. What did he need a forge for? Magic was easier by far…

"Eet is possible, yes, but why? Why not use magic, or buy somezing? You 'ave the money, I am told."

"The metal I will eventually use should not be touched by magic until it is nearly finished, so, I need to practice. A lot. I think that you'll find a time dilation field here, so I can train all I want. I- Sorry. I'm a bit excited about doing this. Thank you for your help."

Harry thought back to Jacques' introductory letter, and how Fleur was meant to hand him the letter.

"Actually, Fleur, in your father's letter, it said that you were to hand me the letter. I was wondering how you did it."

"Do you know of the Order of the Phoenix? Non? I am not surprised. Dumbley-dore seeks to control you by stringing you along on meaningless shreds of information that were your birthright! Myself and a few others have formed a sub-Order that seeks to actually help you. And- there's something neither my fazzer nor I have told you…"

Interested, Harry looked up from his continued chalk drawing.

"My seester, Gabrielle, she… she owes you a Life-Debt. Veela are beings of fire. Being submersed in that lake would 'ave been disastrous- you saw how badly I was eenjured! But, she is under-age. Magical law states that the Debt would transfer to the closest blood relative. Me. I-"

Fleur had a slight watery shininess to her eyes, which threw Harry. Why's she upset? It can't be that bad, surely?

"Harry, I know of your childhood, how you know nothing of our world. So here eet ees- all Life Debts from a Veela to a man need to be… consummated. Hence the Debt being transferred to myself. Seventeen is the youngest the indebted can be, and I am eighteen this past month. I'm sorry you had no choice!"

Harry was starstruck. Fleur had to… consummate? Her debt to him? Wasn't that really old-fashioned? Then again, the wizarding world wasn't exactly advanced, in any definition of the word. He was hard-pressed not to crack an almighty grin- he'd held a very secret crush on Fleur since the Tri-Wizard, which only came to the fore in his dreams. The poor girl though- she had no choice in the matter, and sounded highly upset. Harry dropped his chalk stick, and bounded over to the borderline-to-tears blonde French girl, and hugged her gently.

Her head rested comfortably in the nape of his neck, and his arms fully encircled her in their protective embrace. He squeezed her only slightly, aware of his strength. Her small frame fit oh-so-perfectly with his, it was surreal. He gently stroked her golden curtains of hair as she let the tightly-held dam of emotions overflow.

As Fleur sobbed slightly into his chest, he made small soothing sounds until she stopped. Her breathing slowed until it was at its regular beat, and her head lifted. Her eyes- he'd never noticed before- were a shade of violet that caught his eye- and didn't let go. The two stared into the depths of the other's soul for a time, until Fleur tucked her head back to his chest. He could not help but be slightly distracted by the attractive woman's breasts pressing into his chest, causing him no shortage of discomfort.

"I'm so sorry, Fleur. I have no idea what this must be doing to you, but I assure you- I will not abuse this, I swear! If this can be broken, I swear, I will help you do it, if that's what you wish. Here, let's sit down until Dinky gets back from her mission." He quickly conjured a wicker loveseat for the two to sit on. The design was not lost on Fleur's sharp eyes.

"W- what mission? She eesn't doing anything d- dangerous, ees she?"

"No, no, only fetching a few items for the forges. She should be back in ten minutes or so."

"Oh… Well, I can set up the Vanishing ward by zen."

She stood up, cleared her throat, and flicked her wand in a curved tetrahedral shape.

"Et Commovebuntur, et Auferemini Vitiosae!" A shimmering blue dome covered the ceiling of the Cave, and the slightly stale, musty air slowly changed to cool, pine-fresh air. Amazing! Harry thought, as he inhaled a massive breath.

Letting it out, he saw a slight blue mist of air puff out. He congratulated Fleur on her work when he noticed her sitting on the bench, blushing like crazy. He sat back down, hooking his arm behind her head as did so.

"What's got you blushing, Fleur? I only said thank you!"

"I- The Debt. Eet- eef I do something good for you, and you thank me, I- eet gives me pleasure…" She whispered so quietly, even Harry was hard-pressed to hear everything she said. As she continued to duck her head, Harry noticed a small scent wafting through the pine-scented air. A kind of metallic, sweet smell, almost like strong honey, but with the slight tang of copper, too. Oh! That kind of pleasure… Well, that's awkward.

"Right. Um… Anything else I need to know about the Life-Debt? NO deaths, or anything?"

Fleur started slightly, but quickly melted back into his arm.

"Only that if eet eesn't… 'Recognised' then the magic will only push us more to do so. Fazzer already knows about the Debt, and is OK with you being the 'older of eet.

"What? Really? I mean, Fleur, I barely know you! OK, so now, I'm technically only eleven months younger than you or something, but the whole idea is slightly barbaric! I'll basically own you as a sex-slave, and you don't seem to mind! I mean- sure, it's kinda sick to think that I'll have a beautiful girl like you who's also clever and powerful by my side, but what about free will? That's why we fight against Voldemort, if only partly!"

"Because, 'Arry, I 'ave wanted something like this since I met you!"

Well, that was nice. A bit out of the blue, but nice.

"I had to be 'orrible to you while Madame Maxime could still 'ear about eet. And zen, I accepted the Debt from Gabrielle because she was too young, but also because- because I know you to be the best man to form my Veela Bond to! Caring, but able to take care of me. Fierce enough to take control- which I desperately need! Strong enough to shield against my powers! This is not some simple childhood crush, 'Arry, I 'ave only realised myself these past few days! Please… If you- h- hate me, I understand, but-"

Silence reigned as Harry processed her little speech. She, what? Loved him? He understood that Veela were beings who thrived on love, whether it was the weaker versions of lust and greed, sexual or physical. Emotional, true love was made them achieve the height of their powers- and they sought that at nearly all costs.

"Fleur. I'm surprised that, after a lifetime of being hated, I have someone to… love. Let me get used to it, slowly edge myself into the feelings. I'm- I'll need to learn what it means to be in love and be loved, but until then, I think Dinky is on her way."

Fleur gave a tremulous smile. It was better than what she hoped for, although the setting was lacking the romanticism of her declaration. She knew of his previous life, and hoped to alleviate his pain. The small house elf popped into the room, followed by a massive roll of thunder- the trunk.

Sitting in the middle of the floor was a giant, super-heavy trunk. So, the old man at Funky Trunk's hadn't thrown in a Weightless Charm. Never mind. Poor Dinky, though, was sweating like a hog, having apparated the thing to the different shops she'd needed to go to. The trunk must weigh somewhere around a mega-tonne or something.

"I'm so sorry Dinky! I didn't think to ask for a Weightless Charm! Look, if something could make your job easier, please, use my Vault to pay for it!" Harry was embarrassed that Dinky had put herself through the strain of hauling a mega-tonne's worth of supplies around magical England looking for his things.

"That's quite all right sir. I… did not expect you to order quite so much, but I think I've learned my lesson. Good night." The elf popped away before Harry had time to say anything more, leaving him a trifle confused.

"Uh… Ok, then. Off to work."

With that, Harry booted the trunk, which promptly swung open. He waved his wand, making piles of each resource for his first forge. Fleur still sat on the bench he'd conjured. She watched him start making various bricks and ovens and troughs, until it was getting late.

"Harry, I'm going to go now, I'm tired. Will you still be here tomorrow?" Admittedly, Fleur wasn't quite sure how to address him- she'd basically told him she was his sex slave, how would that affect the two who barely knew each other?

"Oh! I won't be here tomorrow morning, I'll be done by then. Just… don't freak out when you see me- I'll be older again, but hopefully not by much."

Of course. He'd mentioned the time dilation field that surrounded the Cave.

"Then breakfast will be served at eight, in your room. Maman does not know of your presence here yet, I assume. It would be greatly confusing." She paused. "Good night, Harry."

"Good night, Fleur. Sweet dreams."

The girl turned towards the Cave entrance, but stopped soon after. Rushing back, she pulled him up from his crouch and lightly pressed her lips to his, for but a second. The two had never experienced this before, the touch of someone else's lips to theirs in a way that hinted at a half-hidden lust. Harry closed his eyes after the initial shock, as Fleur moved her lips against his. The two stood there for an age as Harry slowly wrapped one arm around her waist, and the other went up to her chin. Fleur stepped back blushing, and ran up the tunnel to the Manor, leaving Harry very confused.

I am SO sorry about the wait, I actually realised that doing a half-arsed job on my final year of A-Levels was a retarded thing to do. So, BONUS CHAPTERS MFUFFERS!

Song of the Week: Hippy Shit by Akasha (Far Cry 4 OST)

Film of the Week: Game of Thrones Season III (I count that as a film, sod off)

Book of the Week: The Lost World by Michael Crichton