AN: Hey all, I decided to post this part separately due to the fact that it would probably be annoying for people who read the last half. I'll wait a few days and then attach everything together. And before anyone hates me, I am missing the last 1K for 4.10 at the end. I need sleep.
Enjoy 4.8 and 4.9.
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Disclaimer: I don't own any source material.
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AN: I know Krum's not Russian, blame my beta reader.
Chapter 4.8: The Yule Ball.
The castle was abuzz with activity on Christmas day as wizards and witches fluttered around. The sun had just set, and the rearranged Great Hall was packed full of young, excited teens aged fourteen and up.
The younger years had been asked to remain in their dorms as the Yule Ball was set for a more formal event and would carry on into the night.
School students, the three headmasters of each school, the heads of the tournament, reporters, and even the odd adult guest invite graced the tables as they all mingled in fine wear.
Females went all out to have a fun night dressed up with their hair done and an assortment of other cosmetic choices while the males tried to sit straight in the monkey suits they didn't take as much joy in wearing.
Thankfully for both sides of the spectrum, magical people were naturally more on the finer-looking side as their magic pushed them toward a more ideal self. As much as their genetics allowed, anyway.
The Yule Ball was a significant event, and everyone wanted to look their best.
Not only for the fact that it was the first Tri-Wizard tournament in centuries but also because the Christmas holiday was a holy day for the magical culture. Not for any relation to religion but due to the significance of the day of the year and the alignment of the stars.
For long generations, far before the time of Rome, Wizards and Witches had used the date for precious rituals to bring good fortune and thank magic and its relations. It was a day to be joyful, merry and give gratitude for the coming year.
And in small corners of the world, there would always be rituals performed on the day from minor to major that would have law enforcement not receiving any rest.
But none of that mattered for that night, for the night was focused on two individuals. The first of which stood outside the Great Halls's doors and tried to ignore the stares coming his way.
Wearing a three piece form fitting soot that, as the designer had stated, made his ass pop out in just the right way, Jin stood tall with a well-groomed haircut. Dragon leather shoes adorned his feet and his warehouse watch adorned his wrist looking like a Rolex.
From the expression on his face, many would think he was thinking deep thoughts, but as most men would tell you, such things were far from the truth.
'I am one with the world. My feet are roots. The ground is me. I see nothing and everything. I am all. I am holy. I am justice.'
"Meow."
Jin blinked at the sound by his ear and scratched Shadow under her chin. 'Right, too far. Only the fluff can claim holy justice.'
He stood silently next to an equally silent and stoic Victor Krum and Cedric Diggory. The two men were giving him curious glances for the better part of ten minutes but had kept their peace.
Victor's hand noticeably twitched at Shadow's call on Jin's shoulder, and he gave the teen a smirk while holding out a fist. "Team feline?"
His mouth curled up at the corner as he met Jin's fist. "Da, always."
Cedric scoffed from the side as the two young men turned his way. "Canines are obviously better."
Shadow hissed at him, and Jin stood tall to defend his mighty beast. "Impossible, do you not see the fluff? The majesty?"
Viktor nodded. "The free spirit."
Cedric raised his finger. "But where's the loyalty? Canines are loyal to the death. A feline will abandon you if you don't feed it."
Viktor hummed at that. "Nyet, he has a point."
Jin growled but went on. "A feline takes more effort to win the love of, but once the bond is there they will only trust you. A canine is friendly to most until a threat is proven."
Viktor rubbed his chin and nodded. "Another point."
Cedric narrowed his eyes. "A feline will eat it's owners corpse if it's hungry. A canine will die hungry by your side."
The two others hissed, and Jinn puffed up, but Viktor held up a hand to pause him. "He's out of line, but he's not wrong."
Jinn's own finger was raised, and the verbal joust was officially underway.
That was the sight Harry came across when he arrived a few minutes later as Cedric and Jin debated using all the logic they could come up with while Viktor played the mediator with intense focus.
"Er…am I in the right place?" His hesitant voice called out and got the three older boy's attention. He recognized his fellow champions but didn't know why the guy he saw helping with Hagrid's classes was there.
Jin and Cedric met eyes before turning to Harry with an intensity as they waved him over. "Harry, come here." "Harry, we have a question for you."
Young Harry suddenly felt a weird sensation he hadn't felt since his second year as he was trapped in an underground chamber with an ancient predator, but the sensation passed as they spoke. ""Are you on team feline/canine?""
Harry blinked and looked unsurely at Viktor, who just shrugged at his look without offering help before he came back to the intense eyes the two older boys were giving him. "Um….Canines, I guess? I'm not a big fan of Filch's cat."
Cedric threw his hands up. "Yes! Victory! In your face Jin!"
Jin cradled a downtrodden Shadow. "It's ok girl, he was just the unfortunate toy of a fellow feline. He doesn't know the majesty of your fluff."
The stoic Viktor had to fight his instinct to follow Jin's example and pamper the sad kitten. But his heart broke as he resisted, and if anyone saw his eyes water, he would assure them it was just the light reflecting off his eyes.
McGonagall came up a few minutes later to the strange sight of Jin preaching a bible with a feline on the cover to a befuddled Harry while Viktor nodded his head repeatedly and Cedric furiously wrote in a notebook with a rough title of Canine Bible on the cover.
She was about to speak up but found herself listening along to Jin's words, and her inner respect for the young man rose with each line. Her inner cat spirit decided he was a worthy hooman. If she waited a minute longer than necessary to stop him, no one would call her out on it. "Mr. Fluff, I see you are educating the unknowing."
Jin paused in his holy work while Harry found a wall to lean against to stop the steam from escaping his ears and shut his book at the sight of her. "All in days work, ma'am."
She nodded proudly. "Be that as it may, what would you be doing here tonight? I don't believe you are student."
Ruthless, she may be; she had a point and cut through the verbal bullshit.
Jin put away the book into his inner suit pocket with only a wide-eyed Harry questioning the logic behind it as he bowed his head to the future headmistress. "You are correct, ma'am; however, for the night, I have been asked to attend as the partner for my lady."
McGonagall blinked, quickly putting two and two together with him standing there. "Truly?"
He nodded with a wry smile. "She wouldn't take no for an answer I'm afraid."
The older woman scoffed good-naturedly and gave him a dress down with her gaze before she nodded. "Hm, good for her. At least you dress up well for a wild soul."
Jin took the playful ribbing on the chin and chuckled. "Thank you, ma'am." The woman didn't look down on him; she just knew he was of the same cloth as Hagrid for a manner of speaking.
She turned her attention to the other boys and gave them their own verbal ribbing with a straight face before addressing them all. "Very well, are you four ready for the opening dance?"
Harry was the only one to look startled at that. "Dance, professor?"
She spoke quickly as if it was obvious. "Yes, it's tradition that the three champions, or in this case, four, are the first to dance. Surely I told you that?"
Harry paled and spoke honestly. "No, no you did not."
She adjusted her hair while looking away for a moment to hide her embarrassment. "Ah, well now you know. Where are your dates? I told them to remain aside only until the gates closed."
She got three good-natured rolls of eyes from the older boys. "Ma'am, you don't rush a lady."
"Da."
"What he said."
McGonagall stopped short and gave her own version of an amused smile. "At least you three have been trained properly. Take notes Mr. Potter. They will save you many headaches in your future."
Just then, the sound of footsteps reached Jin's and McGonagall's sensitive ears, and they both turned. ""Ah, that must be them.""
McGonagall gave him a startled look and narrowed her eyes as her nose picked up a particular feline scent. "Mr. Fluff, are you wearing a particular cologne right now?"
He coughed into his fist and kept a straight face. "Of course, ma'am." He pointed at Shadow on his shoulders, and the adorable fluff nugget meowed at her.
She was successfully distracted long enough for the footsteps to approach, and she turned away. "Mn, that must be it."
Meanwhile, Jin internally sweated. 'Thank god I brought Shadow; I knew she would sniff me out otherwise.' He turned quickly and eyed the staircase before his eyes widened, and his wayward thoughts fled.
Four young women came down the stairs in pairs.
Cho Chang, the Asian beauty in a silver dress that hugged her figure, was side by side with one of the Patil twins dressed in a beautiful traditional Indian high society dress.
Meanwhile, to their side, Fleur walked down surprisingly arm in arm with Hermione, both females giggling to each other as they whispered something out of hearing range.
Such thoughts only appeared briefly as his gaze locked onto the eyes of a vision of beauty. The flush of her cheeks as she noticed his entranced gaze that had nothing to do with her Allure only added to the sight as she fluttered her soulful blue eyes at him.
Her silvery blond hair hung over her shoulders like a curtain of silk as her sky-blue ball gown trailed behind her just enough to be fashionable without impeding her steps. From the waist up, her dress hugged her hourglass figure like a corset as it came to rest on her breasts, leaving her pale shoulders bare and enticing.
She whispered a final comment into a giggling Hermione's ear, who was likewise staring at her own date before the two girls separated. Fleur walked up to him and closed his open jaw with a dainty finger. "See something you like, Mon Tigre?"
Jin snapped out of his haze with a rough shake of his head. "Fwa…. Fleur, you look amazing."
She reached up and adjusted his tie with a smirk. "Is that all you want to say to me?" She gave him a meaningful look that he thankfully understood.
He smirked right back and took her palm to give her the same mocking kiss he did on their first meeting. "You stole my breath away, Mon Soleil."
Her smirk widened into a fully stretched smile that dazzled him all over again as she stole his lips. The two ignored the world in their moment until a cough from McGonagall brought them back. "Yes, yes, I'm sure you're all excited, some more than others." She sent an amused look toward Jin and Fleur as she fit naturally into his arms and the two blushed while Cedric and Viktor sent Jin hidden thumbs-up.
Shadow jumped on Fleur's shoulders and got a kiss and head scratch from the cooing Veela before she returned to the comfort of Jin's broader shoulders so she could curl up.
McGonagall went on after a teasing second. "Now, you will entering in the order of your current scores. Mr. Krum will lead, Ms. Delacour second, Mr. Diggory third, and Mr. Potter last. At the sound of the cannon pleas-.."
A cannon fire shot went off and cut the professor off as she looked away with a huff and ushered them forward. Jin whispered in Fleur's ear as they got in line. "They couldn't have used a bell?"
She sent him an amused look and shushed him. "Behave."
He winked back, and the doors opened as the two walked in. Camera flashes went off as the four pairs of teens walked down the aisle to applause and falling enchanted snow from the ceiling until they reached the open stage area.
Jin's sensitive ears caught the tail end of conversations and pointed fingers, but he ignored them all as the celestial beauty in his arms came around to face him. Their eyes rested on the other as their hands met in harmony, his offhand resting on her hip as hers wrapped around his shoulder.
The orchestra began to play, and Jin silently thanked Fleur for making sure he could dance days in advance as the two began twirling.
He had no boost to his all-around learning skills, but as a feline Animagus, balance, dexterity, and reflex were his second nature, and he picked it up quickly.
External sound drowned out as the two danced, and her flushed expression became the center of Jin's world until an echoed glass clinking brought them back to the world to see the dance floor was filled with other people around them.
"If everyone could please be seated, the first dance has passed, and it is time for the evening meal." Jin and Fleur were only bare inches away from each other as the two blinked and shared a laugh. Fleur buried her face in his chest to hide her giggles as Jin looked up to where the sound came from to see Dumbledore getting everyone's attention.
The floor quickly followed through with the request as a smiling Fleur pulled Jin along with her to the raised table and their designated seats. He pulled her chair out and got a near-silent snort from the girl, who knew he was just playing up the gentlemanly role. He bent down to whisper in her ear low enough for only her to hear. "If you're that amused, we could always share a seat like usual."
She held up a hand to hide her laugh and pinched his leg under the table with a whisper. "Sit you."
He chuckled and got seated. "As my lady commands."
She rolled her eyes playfully and nudged him with her shoulder.
The meal was soon underway, and the great hall was alight with conversation as more pointed stares came Jin's way, but Fleur never let him dwell on them and pulled him into a discussion on Charms that soon got the diminutive Professor Flitwick's attention.
00000
Over by the student tables, a group of fourth-year Slytherin girls were among the many staring at Jin at the head table.
"Is that really Jin?" Tracey couldn't take her eyes off his form for more than a few seconds at a time as she kept coming back to him.
Daphne, to her side, likewise shared her befuddlement but wasn't as blatant in her staring as her best friend. "He cleans up well, for a wild man."
"Well? Daph, that image isn't leaving my fantasies for a while."
Daphne's cheeks flushed. "Don't be so crass Tracey." She rebutted her friend but didn't deny the claim she herself would be sharing.
At other tables, students who had received help from Jin over the past few months in Care of Magical Creatures began telling others who didn't have the class who Jin was. In contrast, at a particular table, a seventh-year by the name of Roger Davies gnashed his teeth in envy at having the date he was confident would be his snatched away by some no-name magical experiment gone wrong.
Only a single pair of almost glowing blue eyes sensed the malice and chose to act to protect her property as she sunk into the shadows.
Aside from the last case, the general vibe was positive. Jin had a positive reputation among the students, and the staff were mainly irrelevant to him. The attention on him was only brief, as the young teens were pulled into conversations with their own dates, and everyone enjoyed the fancy dinner for the night.
00000
Meanwhile, back at the head table, a fascinating conversation had taken over a quarter of the table as Jin, Fleur, Professor Flitwick, Hermione, Viktor, and a surprising Professor Septima of Arithmancy.
Hermione adamantly defended her case, albeit not as intensely as she might have done in her first year, but still to a logical degree. "The Red Sparks Charm is vastly different in application from the Wand-Lighting Charm, you can't just do the movements for one and get the other."
Jin grinned and raised a finger. "Ah, but have you done the math behind each charm?"
Hermione paused. "Well, no, but it shouldn't matter, its listed plainly in the book."
Septima leaned forward with a knowing smile. "Mr. Granger, let him go on, you might learn something."
Jin shot the mature beauty a nod as he went on. "How are Charms made Hermione?"
The younger girl looked thoughtful at the question. "By masters who study their craft for years."
Jin shook his finger. "While you're not wrong, that's not an actual answer. The correct answer is through necessity."
Flitwick rubbed his mustache with a smile and listened to the promising youth.
"When a wizard needed water, the water summoning charm was invented. When they needed fire, the fire summoning charm was invented. Charms are born through imagination and will through the motivation of necessity."
The two Professors nodded their heads while Viktor spoke up. "Then, vot is the need for wand movements and words?"
Fleur stole Jin's thunder and answered in his stead. "They are calculated focuses done through Arithmancy to move internal mana in the right way while focusing the mind on a specific intent."
Jin covered her mouth with a hand and continued with a smile. "And the more magicals perform and believe something to be fact, the stronger and more robust the spell comes out. Generations of the water summoning charm being used in specific ways generates a standard use for the charm."
Fleur's eyes shot proverbial fire at him as she licked his palm, and the two got momentarily distracted as Septima picked up the conversation in amusement. "Can you elaborate on why Charms are taught the way they are, Mr. Fluff, Ms. Delacour?"
The two focused on her, and Fleur leaned into his chest with a smile as she answered. "We must first learn, then relearn. Correct?"
Jin nodded along. "You need to learn to crawl before you can walk and walk before you can run."
Septima applauded them. "Correct~! My word, not many below the age of twenty with a focus on a mastery understand that concept. We are rigid to teach, but breaking the mold is a personal challenge very few understand after its said and done."
Flitwick added in his own piece. "Indeed! If there were more who could, the number of charms would be three times as large as it was today."
Hermione still looked confused. "Wait, how does this relate to the light and sparks charms?"
Jin focused back on her and patiently explained. "While Charms are made out of necessity, the wizards or witches who are skilled enough to do the Arithmancy from scratch are as rare as a phoenix. Therefore, if they can't start from scratch, what do you think a wizard or witch who wanted a sparks spell would do to create it?"
Hermione was a brilliant young woman and quickly began putting the pieces together. "Use an existing mold….Wait, so are you saying most charms are just built on top of each other?"
She got a round of nods from the two teachers and the couple as Fleur explained to the younger girl. "Oui, if you take the sparks charm apart, it's sixty percent similar to the light charm. If you look into most of your course books and do the math, almost every charm leads back to a previous charm that was used as a foundation."
Hermione looked like she wanted to start taking notes at that moment as she said her next question. "Why don't we learn that from the start then? Why teach us the rigid way?"
An elderly voice cut in from the side. "The answer Ms. Granger, is time."
Everyone turned to see an amused Dumbledore looking their way, having taken a break from entertaining Karkaroff and Hagrid stole Maxine's attention.
"Time, headmaster?"
The old professor's eyes twinkled in pleasure. He felt years younger answering a theoretical question. "Indeed. In older times, when Magicals took on apprentices to teach their wisdom to, education could take upwards of twenty years before an apprentice would become a master. When schools like Hogwarts and our guests modernized things for the masses, the system changed in order to accommodate everyone to a standard." He took a sip of a drink and wet his throat before continuing. "In the society since, youths were only required for a seven year education period, before they were granted the right to use a wand and become independent, finding work and living their lives. Very few I'm afraid, would prefer taking the necessary path to mastering a branch of magic, an opening up the endless opportunities within."
The old man's words had a weight to them that the rest didn't, and even though Jin could have said something similar, it wouldn't have come across the same. In fact, he was actually happy his educated guesses were confirmed by the experienced man.
Dumbledore's eyes turned to Jin's seat as he mused. "You have quite the advanced thought process for someone who received no schooling, young Jin."
Jin internally grimaced but went on gamely with a sheepish smile while staring at the man's nose. "You know how it is, professor. Want for things you can't have can inspire one to seek out knowledge, for scholarly pursuits, of course."
The staff returned to their own table partners at that reminder that made them feel awkward while Hermione explained to Viktor the common knowledge of Jin's past.
Dumbledore noticed the younger man's line of sight with a smirk and inclined his head. "Perfectly understandable. If you ever wish for it, the Hogwarts library is entirely available to your eyes." He ended with a meaningful look that Jin caught before turning back to his own discussion.
Jin looked on with a complicated gaze. 'What's the old mans game? Am I dealing with the supportive, delusional, or chess master Dumbledore?'
A hand on his cheek brought him back to the moment as Fleur sent him a concerned look. "Jin?"
He blinked and put a smile back on his face as he kissed her palm. "Sorry, got lost in thought. You were saying your family is coming for the second task?"
Fleur looked between him and where Dumbledore had turned away with a calculative gaze before she followed along. "Oui, I told you about…
The night stretched on from there.
Dinner was had, the young couple flirted over dessert as Fleur kept telling him to try the French desserts, the tables were cleared, and the dancing began once more to a less formal note.
Jin stood and bowed to his date. "May I have this dance, milady?"
She giggled and took his hand before coming in close and whispering. "Keep that up and you can have more than just a dance, Mon Tigre."
He growled lowly in her ear, and only a startled McGonagall looked around in confusion as her sensitive ears picked up on it, but not where it was.
By the time she turned their way, the couple had already got to the dance floor and were twirling away.
The night was long, and their bodies moved to the music as it swapped between various ballroom dancing from the Waltz, Tango, Rumba, Fox-Trot, and Fleur's personal favorite, the Pasodoble, a French style.
Fleur pushed her weight back into Jin's chest as her lungs heaved for air, and she smiled up at him. "Mn, you learned well."
He smiled back at her. "You're a good teacher."
She giggled and pushed off of him. "Maybe too good. I need to rest my feet, whoever invented heels deserves to be slapped."
Jin raised a brow at her. "Is that French for kiss and then slap?"
She winked at him and patted his cheek mockingly. "I'm going to rest, why don't you play with those two over there. They might be trying to burn a hole through my head at this point." Jin discreetly followed her line of sight to where Tracey and Daphne were sitting, and he sighed.
"The rug rats huh? I can't help but see them as kittens."
Fleur laughed and walked away back to a table off to the side. "That's why they keep coming back."
Jin snorted in humor and went over to appease the younger girls. "Ladies."
"Jin!"
"Oaf."
Two different responses met him as Tracey jumped at him with a hug like usual and Daphne pulled her off. Jin chuckled and flicked Tracey's nose rather than ruffle her hair; he was smart enough to avoid that landmine for the night. "Would either of you care for a dance?"
Daphne huffed. "I'm surprised you know how to dance."
Tracey knocked her out of the line. "Yeah! Let's go!" She grabbed Jin's arm and pulled him away, much to Daphne's shock.
The following hour was amusing as Jin traded dance partners. Tracey, a fuming Daphne who may have stepped on his feet on purpose, a playful Luna explaining her chocolate cake string theory concept, and even Hermione for a turn. Although, when the young women from sixth and seventh years started coming his way, he tactically retreated back to his date, only to find an amusing sight.
Fleur sat at a table enjoying a glass of wine while the tablecloth barely covered an assortment of pairs of feet. He came up behind his lady and felt a blast of Allure come his way before he shook his head with a chuckle and bent down to kiss her neck. "Did you have fun Mon Soleil?"
She bent her neck backward and stole a kiss with a smile. "Oui. The little boys were far too forward than polite dictates."
Jin shook his head with a laugh and ran his hands along her bare shoulders to give her a light massage as she quietly moaned in pleasure. He, of course, saw males moving her way while she was alone, but after the first one went down and got shoved under the table, he looked away without worry.
She was a strong independent woman who didn't need him to come to her aid for every little thing. Although he wasn't against defending her honor, it sounded fun. His eyes fell on a particular pair of feet, missing a shoe, and saw scratch marks covering the leg. "What happened to that one?"
Fleur looked at where he pointed before giggling and motioning off the side, where he found his mighty guardian beast curled up around a picked-clean turkey. "That one was Shadow's work, it seems. I never even said a word to the boy; she just dragged his passed-out form under the table and went to town on the turkey."
Jin blinked and pulled up the tablecloth to see a scratched-up face of Roger Davies in the pile of bodies before recognition hit him, and he put it back down with a laugh. "She did, did she? Well, I'll make sure to reward my little guardian later."
Fleur laughed and raised a hand so he could help her to her feet. "I think the little one had enough reward for tonight. But I believe another lady wants her prize." She grabbed his tie and pulled him into a passionate kiss.
Only when she ran out of breath did she pull back and hover an inch from his lips. "And she wants it now. Take me back Jin."
He blinked and looked up at where everyone was congregating on the dance floor as the loud music began and the lights turned out before he grinned down at his paramour. "Your wish is my command."
She snorted and slapped his chest. "Come on, I think I've had enough of the charming stereotype Jin for one night."
He mocked an offended look. "Hey, I'll have you know I pulled this off like a pro."
"Keep telling yourself that."
The two bickered with smiles the whole way out, and if Jin found a little beetle sticking to Fleur's dress, well, bugs got squashed all the time, right? He shook the goo off his hand with a silent cleaning charm.
After that day, there were no major reporter articles of Fleur or Jin, and Gol was called to take Shadow home.
00000
The moon was full, and the mood was set as Jin pinned his lover to a tree. Their mouths glued to the other as their hands quested through clothes.
The two had kissed, flirted, and joked down the path from the castle as they made their way back to his cabin under the bright moonlight.
They took a shortcut through the woods, cutting through a part of the usually safe outer territory to reach his home faster while the air heated up and the two got more into things.
Shoes were left behind, clothes were slowly discarded, and the perfect moment Fleur was searching for was in motion. She breathed deeply of Jin's wild scent and clawed at his back as her voice came out in a low, pleading tone. "Take me, Mon Tigre; become one with me."
Jin didn't verbally respond but only growled like an engine as Fleur squeaked at the vibrations from his chest on her hardened nipples. "Oh~."
The two ignored the remaining distance to his cabin as they tasted the other. Jin's pants had just fallen when his animal instinct flared like never before. His eyes opened wide as he pinned Fleur to his chest and flung the two off the side with his body put between her and whatever the threat was, just as the tree they had been pressing against exploded in a shower of woodchips.
His back to the brunt of the shrapnel and protected Fleur as she blinked in shock from the sudden change. "Jin?!" Her hands came up to his face as blood leaked from his lips, but all the pain managed to do was push him farther into his animal instinct. He growled low and dangerously as his head turned around to see his assailant.
From out of the shadows of the forest, a massive form with eight emotionless eyes stared back at him from a bulbous body with eight legs. An Acromantula, the silent reapers, and plague of forests. Native mainly to the amazon rainforest, but thanks to a certain curious half-giant, the species inhabited a corner of the Forbidden Forest.
Although, for them to come so close to the school was rare, even for them.
The killing intent was palpable, and it set all of Jin's mental alarms ringing as his body took on more of his tiger traits.
Just then, a scent reached his enhanced nose as Jin's eyes dilated, and he moved faster than even he realized he could to kick off the ground and tackle the second Acromantula that was diving down toward the frozen Fleur.
He growled and roared like an animal as he wildly swung his claws, but he had no idea what he was doing. An errant sharp claw tore open a gash in his shoulder, and he turned entirely into a tiger in the haze as his razor-sharp claws tore out half the eyes of his foe in exchange for more gashes.
So lost he was in his haze as he tumbled with his foe that he forgot about his lady, and that was when the heat rose to worrying levels.
Jin and his foe stopped and stared as a Veela covered in flames utterly roasted an XXXXX-rated magical creature alive until it turned over and curled up as it withered away.
Her furious gaze turned their way, and Jin noticed the avian features more clearly on her as feathers appeared on her arms and her facial features sharpened. She lifted a hand holding a fireball and the half-blind and crippled spider abandoned everything to turn and run. Jin's animal side raised its hackles at that, and he roared as he charged it down and pinned it to the ground as his claws tore into it savagely. Its fangs, dripping venom, tried to reach for him, but he dodged them by the skin of his teeth and pure luck.
When it finally stopped, he hopped off and just missed the fireball that encased the dying spider in an inferno as it died in agony.
Jin blinked and sniffed the air to be sure they were clear as he jumped back to Fleur's side in a flash and turned back. "Fleur!"
Her infuriated gaze focused on him as he wrapped his arms around her. "We're safe Sparkles, it's ok."
The fire and avian features receded as her eyes grew heavy. "J-Jin. W-what?" She looked around in confusion and realized what she did only to pause on his bleeding wounds and pull herself back together with a focus that would surprise her later. "We need to get out of here." Her flames might have been seen by someone in the distance, and neither of them desired to answer questions right now.
Jin nodded shakenly at his first real brush with death and pulled back. "Get on; it will be faster." He turned back into tiger form and nudged her to mount him.
Even shaken, she still got on his back and managed a stiff chuckle. "This wasn't what I had in mind when I thought of mounting you tonight."
Tiger Jin almost tripped on a branch as he internally laughed and rushed home.
The night didn't go the way either of them wanted it to, but at the very least, the spiders accomplished one thing.
They gave Jin a target.
The goblins required him to spill blood? Well, there was plenty to spill in the woods.
4.8 end.
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AN: Before anyone says anything, I am trying to be realistic here. On one hand, my brain is like, oh, you fought two spiders, big woop. On the other hand, two unblooded teens went from the heat of passion to being jumped by XXXXX rated predators. So yeah, trying to be more on the realistic side here. Hope this came out right. I'll change things if it's too much.
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00000 4.9: Safety
A wounded tiger rushed through the woods as a beautiful young woman in a torn, burned dress hugged its back while holding back tears.
The two made it to a secluded cabin tucked away at the edge of the castle's wards, where the dark creatures of the forest couldn't invade.
Jin touched down gently in front of his door and laid down on his stomach, turning his head to gently lick Fleur's cheek. She wetly giggled at the sensation and hugged his furry head for a moment before kissing his forehead and standing up.
Jin quickly changed back and picked her back up in a bridal carry. "Jin, I can walk on my own. You're the one injured."
He shushed her and pressed a hand to his door as mana flowed through his hand and unlocked the complex locking charm he placed on it. "Just, let me hold you for a moment." He needed the reassurance. The feeling of knowing she was safe and that he was protecting her.
Fleur silently understood and supported him while she took comfort in his presence as she buried her head in the crook of his neck and held on tight with a shiver. "I'm cold Jin."
"Let's get a fire going."
The two entered his home, and Fleur idly waved a hand, tossing a ball of flames into the hearth, where the dry wood crackled as it lit up.
Jin put her down on the fur carpet next to the fire and went to get a blanket to cover her when she grabbed his hand. "Come here."
Her words were nearly silent, but he knew her well enough by now to know when she was being serious. He kneeled before her, and she raised an unsteady hand holding her wand to his bloody shoulder. She didn't say anything, just stared at his wounds and gently ran her wand along his ruined suit shirt, cutting a line through it so she could peel it back.
Jin winced but made no complaint. At least not for the pain. "I liked that suit. Jamie won't be happy."
Fleur cracked a smile and flicked his ear. "Don't talk about other women right now, Mon Tigre."
He gave her a half smile as her wand trailed his wounds and began sealing them. "What, you think you have competition, Sparkles?"
The familiar name got through some of her haze as she huffed more naturally. "What happened to Mon Soleil?"
He chuckled and ran a bloodied hand along her cheek. "Did I tell you why I chose that nickname?"
She shook her head gently as the flames illuminated their forms in dim lighting. "Non."
He smiled from the heart and leaned forward to rest his forehead against hers. "I call you 'my sun' because that's what you are. In such a short time, you began to light up my day's like the sun. My days became brighter with you in them, and they felt darker when you went away. It's silly, I know, but it's true, and it felt right. To me, you will always be my Sparkles, the spark that lit up the sun."
He wanted to say more, but the words died as her lips claimed his own, and she climbed into his lap. Her kiss was desperate, passionate, and, darn he say it, loving. Although, neither would say what they had was love just yet. Emotions could burn like an inferno, and only when they both knew the flames would last would they be sure it was love.
For the moment, though, what they felt was enough as the two embraced and squeezed any air that dared to be between their bodies away.
Fleur's arms were like a vice around his neck as her plump rear ground into his hardening length, but any thoughts of taking it further were stalled by the wetness he felt on his cheeks. He opened his eyes to see tears falling from her eyes as she kissed him.
Her frame shook with a sob, and he soothed her, caressing her back and being her rock. She pulled back with a hic and buried her face in his neck. "J-Jin, w-we, that…."
He nodded against her and felt his own fear crop back up with the adrenaline missing, but along with the fear, another emotion tagged along.
Elation.
Deep inside, his animal soul was brimming with excitement. And his animal soul was him, just another part of him.
But for his first brush with death, not counting Zelretch instantly killing him without him being able to comprehend it, he was still shaken by it.
He whispered calming words to his lady, but her response was not what he expected. "It's ok Sparkles, it was us or them, we did the best we could."
She gripped his shoulders, and he suddenly felt the heat rise as she looked up. "Non. They ruined the magical moment I had dreamed of for years. They should have burned longer!" And then, like a candle going out, she shivered again and clung to him while he sat there befuddled.
"Excuse me, are you shocked, traumatized, or pissed off? I'm a simple man sparkles, which one do I deal with?"
She shook with a laugh and leaned back to wipe her eyes. "I don't know!" She breathed and went on. "I don't know Jin. I'm shocked of that moment I almost died, but you saved me. I'm terrified of that moment I lost sight of you and was left with a giant spider charging me, but it ignited something in me. And I'm pissed off at what they interrupted and want to find their nest and burn it all to the ground with my bare hands, but I can't stop shaking."
She wasn't frantic, but she babbled along, and Jin patiently listened. He didn't really know what to say; he was no expert here, so he followed his heart and reached for another kiss to silence her. "We're ok, Fleur. We're together; we're safe." He looked deep into her eyes to make sure it stuck and went on. "And trust me, I haven't gotten angry yet."
His steady eyes slowly calmed her, and her shaking began vanishing before a smirk appeared on her face. "You're not going to become an angry monster or something when you're angry, will you?"
He blinked and suddenly had an image of the hulk saying, 'you won't like me when I'm angry' in his head as he shared her mirth and burst out laughing. "What? Where did you get that from?"
She giggled with him and ran the tips of her fingers along his cheeks. "An old fairy tale, I don't remember the name."
He took one of her hands in his and kissed her fingers. "I don't think I have a hidden form Sparkles. But I do have a cold anger. Those spiders aren't going to have an easy future, you can trust me on that."
She stared into his resolute expression for a long moment, and her shaking finally stopped altogether. "I trust you, Mon Tigre." And then she slapped his shoulder where he was still wounded and made him hiss. "But you are certainly not doing it alone. I want my pound of flesh as well."
Jin wanted to raise a point about it not being safe, but a look from the woman silenced him. Then he realized she technically burned them to a crisp herself and was probably above him in their ability to deal with Acromantula. The spiders hated fire.
He grunted in acceptance. "Fine, but you're not skipping classes and you need to focus on the tournament, you can help me after I scout the land and during your free time."
She tried to argue her case, but he was hearing none of it. She pouted adorably. "Fine, be that way. You're like my mama."
He chuckled and leaned his forehead against her as the light of the fire reflected off their eyes. "Mama Jin doesn't have the same ring to it."
She smirked and pressed her chest back into his own. "Would you prefer Daddy~?"
Jin's eyes dilated as his little Jin stood at full attention. Fleur laughed into her at the feeling beneath her. "Did you like that? Daddy~?"
He had to pull back and shake his head. "Woman, no Allure."
Her smile lit up the room far more than the fire could. "I didn't use any~."
He growled at the smug smirk and dove back in to seize her lips as the two fell over, with Fleur's laughter echoing out. He pinned her beneath him as she tapped the two of them with her wand and cast a cleaning charm.
Both stopped short and made a grossed-out face at the taste of soap on their tongues. "Bah, babe, you could have just asked, and I would have done it."
She whined while sticking out her tongue to somehow make it better. "I wanted to do it."
The two matched eyes with tongues hanging out of their mouths and snorted in laughter at the silliness. Fleur's form was pinned beneath him as she hugged his large muscular frame. "Jin."
He put his weight on his elbows and looked down at her. "Hm?"
She arched her back up. "Help me undo the straps."
He looked into her clear smiling eyes and grunted. A hand traveled beneath the arch to the cords holding the back of her ruined dress in place. Their eyes trained on the other as he finished, and she slowly shimmied out of it, leaving her in light blue panties and a bra. "The bra too."
His rough hand traveled up her bare back as her breath hitched at the feeling before he reached the latch and unclipped it. She pulled it off her chest and tossed it aside, revealing a tantalizing sight to his gaze in the firelight.
C-cup round breasts made by the hands of a god were the best way he could describe them. Perfect in every way and topped by bright red cherry nipples. She giggled at his enraptured gaze and tugged on his slacks. "This, off."
No more words needed to be said for a pair of torn slacks to never be able to be worn again as they were tossed aside. The two trailed hands along each other's bodies. Fleur's hands explored his muscles' curves and hard lines while his hands trailed along her pristinely smooth skin and cupped a breast.
He almost moaned himself at the sheer perfection of the breast that fit in his hand until she slapped his hand away. "Down you, not now."
His eyes trailed back up to her amused eyes, and he nodded. Tonight wasn't the night for playing, not anymore.
It was a night for reassuring, bonding, and deepening their emotions. His free hand raised and summoned the blanket from the couch as he covered the two of them. Soon, his briefs and her panties were discarded as the two cuddled in the light and heat from the fire. The plush rug beneath them acted as a bed while Fleur curled up into his chest as their legs intertwined.
One arm acted as her pillow while the other wrapped around her to shield her from the world. The proud firebird who could burn her enemies to ash, and yet she was a mewling kitten in his arms. He couldn't get enough of it, of her, of the burning in his chest as she looked at him.
She craved his touch, the way his hands ignited a fire under her skin as they passed over her, the safety she felt in his embrace, the assurance that she could put down her barbs and not have to worry for the rest of the world.
Her dainty hand reached his cheek as she stretched out her neck and gave him a gentle kiss with a bare whisper. "Mon Tigre."
His eyes were closed as he trailed a circle on her lower back and hummed. "Yeah Mon Soleil?"
Her words tickled his skin, but it did nothing to drop the weight from her words. "I want answers in the morning. All of them."
An Amber eye cracked open and saw the soulful stare of his paramour looking back as he nodded. "You'll get them."
She held his stare for a moment before melting into the smile that earned her nickname as she tugged her head beneath his neck. "Bonne Nuit, Jin."
Her eyes closed as her breathing evened out, and Jin's sole amber eye just continued staring ahead into the flames. "Goodnight, Fleur…" He whispered and tightened his hold on her. His chest hurt as he felt lost, but for better or worse, he would tell her the truth. She deserved that much.
He just had to live with the result.
The fire crackled and burned long into the night.
00000 4.10: The Truth.
AN: Thoughts?
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4.10 will close up chap 4 at a total of around 24K. This got a bit out of hand lol. The last part will be short and I'll get it out tomorrow.
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Response to reviews:
Winter Metor – I'll PM you, its good spoilers.
T-B-R – Thank you!
– Thank you, I appreciate the support.
TopHatWeirdo – This one is different enough for the old one not to matter lol.
arjunnagarajan2 – Tell me what you thought of how I went about it. I was trying to be semi-realistic.
Kyo 3 – On one hand, I agree with you. on the other, I know people who started dating within a week, and for them I only made them kiss after 6 weeks and start going out, but its not like they fucked. Although, they are 17 and fucking in the same day they met wouldn't be crazy lol. As for why he is creating friendships, why not? He's living in the moment and enjoying the ride, who knows, he might be able to come back one day. If not, he enjoyed the moment. Hiding away because he will one day disappear is a sad way to live. As for Fleur coming with, that's a spoiler. I only promise I won't make things depressing.
Also, Stop posting as a guest will you! Lol.
Kyo 4 – For the Animagus, I left a little hint at the end of it. I really loved Salazar's part, and I think it gave Jin some weight he was missing as a character. I see the founders as best friends who achieved great things and people just twisted their legacies to fit their images. Again, no worries on Fleur, wait and see, it won't be depressing.
Jumpchainfan – Thanks for the ideas! I'm afraid I wont be using those worlds for this fic, and never in the case of MLP, *shiver*, but PJ isnt the world I would see Jin going to. Feel free to share more idea's though.
Haseosamaa – No worries, no hearts will be broken.
Guest – Thank you.