Okay next chapter up.
Broken Angel
Chapter 10: Awakening
With those furious red eyes, glaring at you like you were nothing, managing to speak, must have been one of the, if not 'the' most difficult thing McGonagall had ever done.
Riley looked murderous. The violence reflected within her eyes was more terrifying than anything else. Such anger, in a child of all things, it caused the transfiguration professor to take pause and made it difficult to utter a word.
But eventually she did. She was able to calm Riley down and turn her attention to a shaken Hermione. That ended up working as Riley did turn her attention away from the frightened teachers and onto her cowering friend, who was still having some difficulties.
"Hey Hermione? Are you okay?" Riley asked.
Hermione wiped more tears from her eyes and glanced up at her friend. She was mesmerized by her glowing red eyes and their intricate pattern.
"Hermione... I asked if you were okay?" Riley repeated.
"Um... ye-yeah." Hermione replied sounding very small. Riley could only offer a sympathetic smile as she reached out to help her up.
"Ms. Granger, are you alright?" McGonagall asked, sounding very concerned for the girl.
"Yes professor. I'm not hurt." Hermione replied as she wiped the last of the tears from her eyes.
Meanwhile Snape and Quirell were inspecting the troll's corpse.
"It looks as though it's neck is snapped." Snape commented as he performed a diagnostic spell.
"What spell could have possibly do-done that?" Quirell asked, with a worried look on his face.
"Who knows. With her abilities as a shinobi, there's no telling what kind of magic was used to pull this off." Snape replied as he glanced over at Riley, who was helping Hermione to her feet.
"It seems you have once again protected your fellow students from harm." Came the familiar voice of Dumbledore.
"Headmaster." Riley turned to greet him, her Sharingan still active.
"Though I wish that death had not been needed here today, I am glad that you kept the mess to a minimum." Dumbledore commented as he examined the body of the troll.
"I'm sorry headmaster my one and only thought was of protecting Hermione. If I had encountered it alone, I would have used something less lethal." Riley apologized though Dumbledore could tell that the girl didn't really regret killing the troll.
"Yes well. Since both of you are fine, I think it best that the two of you return to your common rooms, while we check the castle for whatever breach allowed this creature in." Dumbledore told them earning a nod from McGonagall as she gestured for the two girls to follow her.
"I must thank you for saving dear Ms. Granger, if you had not chosen to run off when you did, I fear the end result of tonight's encounter would have been much more tragic." Dumbledore told Riley as she walked past him.
"Of course, headmaster, and I apologize for disobeying. I will gladly accept any punishment you feel needs to be meted out." Riley replied stoically.
"Punishment? No, I don't think there will be any punishments tonight. I do believe fifty points to Slytherin for outstanding bravery and protecting the life of a fellow student will do though." Dumbledore stated with a grandfatherly smile.
Earning a nod from Riley he turned to Hermione.
"Ms. Granger before you go, could you answer an old man's question?" Dumbledore asked.
"Yes headmaster?" Hermione replied respectfully.
"Your fellow Revenclaw's claimed that you had been missing for quite some time. And your teachers stated that you missed some of your classes. If you don't mind me asking, why were you here?" Dumbledore inquired.
"Um..." Hermione stuttered sounding very nervous all of a sudden.
"Hermione? What happened?" Riley asked giving her a pointed look, though Hermione could just barely sense the threat beneath those words.
"It's- It's stupid." Hermione replied with a bit of a blush.
"What happened?" Riley asked again.
"One of the Gryffindor first years called me a name, and said I had no friends. It brought up bad memories of being back in my old school, so I came here to... be alone." Hermione replied sounding embarrassed by the cause of her predicament.
"Which student was it?" McGonagall asked, looking furious that one of her lions had caused a fellow student so much pain.
"Some red haired boy. His face got really red when I answered a question that he couldn't." Hermione replied.
"That Weasely brat? The newest addition." Snape commented off to the side.
"Yes indeed... well I'm sure that had he known what tonight would have brought, he would have never said the things that he did. With that being said," He turned to McGonagall, "I expect the boy to receive a stern talking to, along with having him apologize and a deduction of points from Gryffindor. I will leave the number up to you Minerva, when you finish reprimanding the boy."
"Of course, Headmaster. I will see to it in the morning. Now... come along children. I will escort you back to your common rooms." McGonagall replied before addressing the children.
Both nodded and followed after her. They headed to the Ravenclaw common room first to drop off Hermione.
"I want to thank you for rescuing me. It was the bravest thing I've ever seen anyone do." Hermione told Riley, before giving the girl a hug.
"What are friends for Hermione? Now go get some sleep. I'll see you tomorrow at breakfast, I'm sure Draco will be happy to see that his rival is doing well." Riley commented with a smirk.
"Ha. That ponce wishes he could rival me." Hermione replied with a sassy smirk.
The two parted with smiles as McGonagall escorted Riley down to the dungeons. She led her to the entrance and turned to her.
"I have only three things to say before we depart. That was very foolish what you did, it was incredibly brave, and I am very proud of you." McGonagall told her with a smile as she turned to leave.
"I'll see you in class tomorrow professor." Riley called in reply, getting a nod of agreement from McGonagall, Riley turned and entered into the Slytherin common room.
She was instantly jumped by the members of her house who were eager to hear what had happened, though all of them immediately stopped their questioning when they noticed that her Sharingan was still active.
"Blimey... what is up with your eyes?" A third year asked.
"Oh... this? It's just my bloodline." Riley replied as her eyes returned to their deep blue.
"Bloodline? What's that?" One of the first years asked.
"Where I come from, a lot of the noble families are born with powerful unique abilities that we call bloodlines. This is mine." Riley replied with a shrug. As she moved past the group to locate her friends.
"What does it do?" a Fifth year asked.
"Look. I don't have time for a full explanation, so I'll just tell you its name. It's called the Sharingan." Riley told them in a bored manner as she found her gang.
"Did you find Hermione?" Was the first question out of Draco's mouth, causing Riley to smile.
"She's fine. Your rival will live to pester you another day." Riley replied with a smile. Ever since her talk with Draco on the train their first day he had treated Hermione fairly, and even defended her when some of the other Slytherins tried to talk badly about her. The two struck up a rivalry and now they competed in each of their classes.
"Good I wouldn't want her to die not knowing who's really the smartest guy at Hogwarts." Draco replied proudly.
"I'm pretty sure Hermione is both a girl, and already knows she's the smartest kid here." Riley joked in reply.
"Hey... she's still got a long way before she knows as much about wizarding culture and the leading houses in Britain, as I do." Draco replied indignantly.
"So... what happened? Did you see the troll?" Pansy asked, drawing everyone's attention.
"It's dead now, it won't be causing any more problems... still want to know how it got in though." Riley replied.
"What happened? How did it die?" Daphne inquired, curiously.
"It was trying to attack Hermione, so I fought it." Riley responded, expecting that to be enough of an answer.
"Wait... did you kill it?" Theo asked, surprise reflecting in the eyes of many of his fellow Slytherins.
"Yeah." Riley replied like it was no big thing.
"You killed a troll? But they're huge!" Pansy shouted in surprise, as all of the Slytherins started to chat amongst themselves about this latest peace of info.
"Well, if you don't believe me, you can ask Professor Snape tomorrow. Oh... I also nabbed our house fifty points." Riley stated cheerfully.
"How did you manage to kill a troll?" Tracy asked.
"Broke its neck." Riley replied as she picked at her ear, while most of the Slytherins fell into silence at hearing that. Just another violent act to add to Riley's growing list.
"Broke its neck! How?" Tracy asked.
"Now that my dear friend would be telling. Anyway, I've had enough excitement for the day, I'm off to bed." Riley told the collected Slytherins as she wandered off to her room, leaving them all to discuss what they had learned.
The next day the school was abuzz with news of Riley's adventure. Most of the older Slytherin were now assured of their official stance of not messing with the Lady Slytherin.
The younger students in each house now viewed Riley as a hero. The Slytherins were all happy for the extra 50 points. While the Ravenclaws were happy for Hermione's safety.
The Gryffindors weren't especially happy as they had lost twenty points for the actions of one of their own. While one particular Gryffindor wasn't having a very good time of it. Ron Weasely had approached Hermione and grumbled out an apology, which she then made him repeat louder, causing his face to redden, as he angrily repeated his apology before storming off. He also received a week of detention with Filch.
Riley remained the talk of the school for many weeks, and during that time she continued with her lessons. Every few days she would receive a letter from Fleur, her friend from across the strait was always quick to reply back to Riley's own letters. Riley was quickly developing an excitement for when she would receive these letters. Having yet another friend to converse with and communicate with really elevated Riley's daily life.
The two often wrote about various subjects, Fleur was a bit more open than Riley was, getting more in-depth with her life, while Riley was often a lot vaguer. Riley really liked chatting with Fleur, but she didn't feel comfortable, writing about more personal things. Topics usually surrounded school with Riley mentioning how much she enjoyed all of her lessons, though she kept it vague on mentioned how far ahead she was, as to not sound like she was gloating or boasting. Fleur did write a lot about her family, which Riley could appreciate, even if she offered little in response to that discussion. About the most personal topic Riley was willing to discuss through letters was her friends, though even that topic quickly became one she was hesitant with when Fleur replied about her own friends and the ever-growing difficulty of making them, due to her powers as a Veela.
Eventually, the winter holidays rolled around, and it was time to take a reprieve from Hogwarts.
"So, what are you doing for the break?" Draco asked as he, and Riley were hanging out in the main hall waiting to be dismissed to leave for break.
"I'm actually off to France to meet an old friend." Riley replied with a thoughtful smile.
"Oh? Who're you going to meet?" Draco asked.
"A girl I met a couple weeks before school started. I uh... helped her and her family out in a difficult situation and we've kept in contact for the last couple of months and she's been wanting to meet with me?" Riley asked earning a nod from Draco, Riley was happy that the two had kept in close contact and was excited to re-meet her pen-pal face to face.
"Ah... well my family and I are having a get together at our estate, if you end up back anytime during the holidays, feel free to stop by." Draco offered.
"Thanks... I'll be sure to keep that in mind if we make it back. Let's get going." Riley replied, as McGonagall entered the main hall, and informed them that the train had arrived.
The train ride home wasn't too interesting, Riley read most of the time while the others discussed what they were doing over the holidays.
Riley was busy thinking over all of her correspondence with the Delacour's. She had received a letter from Fleur's mother and father, both thanking her and inviting her and Remus to their villa for the holidays. She had received about five letters from Gabrielle that ranged from thank you's to just talking about random stuff. Though most of her letters came from Fleur.
Despite not discussing things that were overly personal Riley did consider Fleur to be a friend and was very excited to see her again. In a few of the letter Fleur had sent, she'd sent along a picture or two of herself, so that Riley could have a few memories of her that didn't revolve around their horrible first meeting. These pictures helped Riley come to an understanding about herself. She found herself staring at these pictures for long minutes at a time and eventually, after a few comments from Madara, Riley was forced to admit to herself that she found the French Veela to be very attractive. As she grew older Riley found that she leaned more towards women as suitable mates, as there was something about men, that just didn't measure up in her eyes. It was something deeply personal that whenever she tried to picture what kind of man she'd want to be with, only one ever came to mind, and he was no longer available for such things.
Not that she would have ever pursued something with Shisui, he was like a big brother to her, but she found herself wanting his qualities whenever she thought of a male partner and in the end, she just found herself thinking about him again, and it made her sad. She didn't have that problem with girls. Thinking about girls felt about what she expected it felt like for most young individuals who thought of their preferred sexual partners.
Her interest in women definitely began with Fleur, Riley had stared at her pictures long enough to memorize every line and detail, and it allowed her to easily recall Fleur's face, without being reminded of how she looked when they first met.
She knew that Remus would tease her about it, but she definitely had a crush on the older girl. Not that anything would ever come of it. Riley was twelve, and Fleur was fourteen, she'd never be interested in Riley, who was lanky, tomboyish, and hadn't grown into many of her feminine features yet. About the only really womanly thing about Riley was her chest, she was doing well in that department, though otherwise she was just as awkward as any other growing youngster.
In her last letter, Fleur expressed that she was nervous to meet again, as the last time they had met, she was just coming into her Veela powers, and by now they were beginning to mature.
She mentioned being worried about her powers affecting Riley, though Riley thought she read somewhere that girls weren't affected by a Veela's allure, then again Fleur would know better than her. Riley hoped she wouldn't be affected, as Fleur had written about being quite lonely at school, since the girls didn't like her, and the boys couldn't stop gawking long enough to hold a conversation. Fleur even spoke of her own personal bully, Diana, a girl who would always pick on her and call her horrible names. Fleur had grown accustomed to the verbal abuse.
Hearing of Fleur's loneliness made Riley feel a connection to her. The more Riley learned of Fleur's life, the more she realized that they had similar pasts, and for some reason Riley felt that there was a connection between the two. She wanted to get to know Fleur, she wanted to be her friend, and she wanted to take away her loneliness however possible. She also may have had a daydream or two of kissing the pretty veela but that was beside the point.
Before long, they were pulling into the station. Riley said her goodbyes to most of her friends and headed off with Draco to find their respective families. They actually managed to find them relatively close to one another. As Remus was standing patiently not far from where Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy were waiting.
"Remus!" Riley shouted happily as she ran to give him a hug.
Draco said a quick goodbye and darted off to his parents, who greeted him happily.
"Ready to go?" Remus asked as the two started heading for the exit.
"Yep... we're leaving for France tomorrow, right?" Riley asked with a wide smile.
"Eager to see your girlfriend?" Remus teased.
"Shut up. She's just a friend. I've just been waiting for a while for us to meet again. I didn't have time, the last time we met to actually get to know her." Riley replied indignantly.
"Come on kid, let's get going." Remus said with a chuckle as the two left.
The following day they were off to France. Traveling by Port key, they made it to the French Ministry, where they headed to meet Mr. Delacour, who had offered to take them to his family's villa.
After a few moments they found him. Riley had forgotten just what an imposing man he looked like. He wasn't very tall, but he was built. He was a broad man, with a wide chest and shoulders. He had dark hair and a dark goatee. His eyes were piercing and critical, no wonder he was the head of the DMLE here in France.
"Hello." He greeted in French, which the two instantly switched too.
"Jean Delacour?" Remus asked.
"Yes... you must be Remus and Riley. Very nice to meet both of you." Jean greeted them.
"It's nice to meet you as well Mr. Delacour. We didn't have the time to get introduced during out last meeting." Riley greeted him with a warm smile.
"Hm... when my daughter said you were pretty, she wasn't kidding." Jean complimented her.
Riley blushed at the compliment, earning a chuckle from Remus. Riley looked how she normally did, though she was currently wearing her hair in a ponytail which now hung down to her upper back.
"Well... shall we depart?" Jean asked after a moment.
"I think so." Remus stated as Riley followed after the two.
Jean then had them port-key with him to his villa. The Delacour household was a modest place, though on the larger side, it wasn't immensely extravagant. Though you could bring high company there, and cater to them quite well, it was also homely.
The three entered the house and came upon a beautiful woman sitting in the living room, reading the paper, she glanced up at them and smiled broadly.
She got up and approached the two offering her greeting.
"Hello Mr. Lupin, Riley. I hope your trip here was decent?' Apolline Delacour stated with a warm smile.
"Yes quite." Remus replied, while Riley nodded.
"Wow... my daughter wasn't kidding when she said you were pretty." Apolline complimented Riley, whom blushed again while Jean and Remus laughed at her exact copying of Jean's words.
"Before the girls come down, I would like to thank you for what you did for my daughters. It was very brave, and I cannot ever thank you enough for it." Jean offered to Riley, earning an astute nod from Apolline who agreed whole heartedly.
"It was nothing. I could never just ignore an innocent person in need of help. It's just not in me." Riley responded, shying away from the praise, which earned a smile from Remus.
"Regardless, if you ever need anything, you have only to ask." Jean again thanked her, earning a nod from Riley.
"Mama. Are our guests here?" They all heard a voice call from upstairs.
"Yes Fleur. Riley and Mr. Lupin are here. Please grab your sister and come down." Apolline replied.
"Please you two, sit down, make yourselves comfortable." Apolline offered them seats on their luxurious couch, to which the two both graciously accepted.
A few moments passed before two girls came down the stairs. One moved quicker than the other and was in the room in a flash.
Gabrielle darted into the room, and quickly set her eyes on Riley. She instantly recognized Riley's eyes and darted towards her.
Riley caught the speedy little missile, with a big smile on her face.
"Riley... it's good to see you again! How have you been? How was Hogwarts? Did you go on any adventures? Did you save more people? How..." The little Veela started rattling off her questions at top speed.
Riley could only chuckle at the sight, though Gabrielle was quickly reprimanded by her mother who peeled the small Veela off of Riley, telling her to calm herself.
"I'm doing fine. Hogwarts is alright. I fought a troll and may have helped a friend out of a jam in the process." Riley answered Gabrielle's questions, earning starry eyes from the small child.
Apolline smiled at that, as did Jean, though both did wonder why she had fought a troll while in school.
While they were musing Riley turned and glanced at Fleur, who had stood off to the side watching her sister and savior with amusement. Riley had to admit to herself, that Fleur was even more beautiful than the last time they had met. Her pictures did not do her justice.
"Hello Fleur. How are you?" Riley asked as she stood and approached her. Fleur scanned Riley with her eyes. She examined every line and every curve of her appearance. 'He' was just as pretty as when they last met. Seeing Riley in the clear brightness of day in their well-lit living room allowed Fleur to correct some of her misconceptions about Riley's appearance. Having been overly entranced by Riley's smile, and her eyes, she found it difficult to recall exact features about her body. The only constant in her mind was the Riley was very pretty, almost feminine. The strength that Riley exuded though, the way he held himself helped inform Fleur that he was a boy. Even draped in a sweater and long pants, that showed off very little of Riley's actual body shape, Fleur could tell that his torso hadn't quite caught up with his arms and legs, but that didn't overly matter to her. She had no real room to judge, being a Veela and all, from the moment her powers activated, her body would always maintain a sort of mathematical perfection to it, so each part of her would grow accordingly. Veela never had to worry about those awkward teenage years when your body grew in whatever order it wanted.
Still though, despite puberty doing as it does, Fleur couldn't not notice how pretty Riley was. Maybe it was situation she had found herself in, or how brief their meeting had been, but she didn't quite recall Riley being as pretty as he appeared. Definitely a bit more feminine than Fleur had originally thought, but that didn't matter. Veela were all naturally bisexual, finding both men and women equally attractive. So more masculine traits, or more feminine traits, it didn't change how Fleur felt.
Fleur couldn't help the feeling of butterflies in her stomach at seeing Riley smile at her, that smile still filled her with such confidence and warmth. Fleur had been waiting for this moment for the last couple of months. To look upon the young man whom had saved her and her family, to see that smile again.
Fleur could admit it to herself, she had a crush on Riley, it was silly but hey, she was only fourteen, still young enough to believe in a knight in shining armor. It was these feelings that made Fleur really hope that she could control her allure around Riley, or even that Riley may be one of the few who are immune. After a moment she noticed Riley's inquisitive stare and decided to reply.
"I'm good, it's so wonderful to see you again. You grew your hair out?" Fleur pointed out.
"Oh... yeah. I didn't really like it short." Riley replied with a shrug.
"I like it." Fleur stated with a smile.
The two stared at each other for several long moments, long enough for knowing smirks to spread across the faces of every adult present as they quickly picked up on the two's obvious attraction to one another. Even Gabrielle began smirking when she noticed the look her older sister was giving to Riley.
"So... you wanna get it outta the way? Save us the heartbreak?" Riley asked after a moment, trying to push past the awkwardness.
"Get what out of the way?" Fleur asked with confusion.
"Your allure. You were worried about it right? Worried that it may stop us from being friends? Well let's see. I think it's best to just tear the bandage right off." Riley told the girl.
Fleur nodded in understanding before a look of apprehension appeared on her face.
"Are you sure you want me to do this? I think I can control it, so we may not have to worry." Fleur informed her, sounding nervous and not so sure of herself.
The rest of the Delacour's watched with interest, Apolline most of all, hoping beyond hope that this pretty boy would be immune to Fleur's allure. Sadly, Fleur had been blessed or cursed by an unnaturally strong allure for a quarter Veela, so she therefore had more difficulty controlling it then others.
"Don't worry... trust me... I think I can handle it." Riley stated with a confident smile.
Fleur gave her a fearful look before nodding and taking a breath. She then locked eyes with Riley and released her allure at full power.
Luckily Jean was immune, and Remus was a werewolf, otherwise the two men would be on their knees right now.
Riley's eyes widened at the sight before her, somehow the beautiful young woman in front of her had become ten times more beautiful. She was absolutely gorgeous; unlike anything Riley had ever seen. Riley felt her heartbeat quicken, she felt the urge to cross the room and plant her lips onto the Veela's. Riley felt butterflies in her stomach, felt a warmth between her legs, feelings she had never felt before slammed into her all at once.
"Okay shit... does this mean I'm being affected by her allure? Oh DAMMIT!" Riley thought angrily, wondering how she would break the news to Fleur, when she heard chuckling in her mind.
"What is it grandfather?" Riley asked.
"You're not being affected by her allure. What you're feeling right now is attraction and lust, though it's not because of her allure that you're feeling these things, it's because you're attracted to her. Her allure is simply amplifying these feelings in correlation with her looks. For example, you already find her attractive, and you already have feelings for her. If she walked out in front of you naked, you'd be feeling the same things you are now." Madara explained to her.
"So... I'm not being affected by her allure?" Riley inquired with a bit of hope.
"No... if you were, you'd be a mindless husk on the floor right now or trying to rape her. No, your mind is strong enough to resist the allure, you're only feeling these feelings because you find her attractive. This is called lust." Madara explained, chuckling the whole time at his granddaughter's situation.
"Oh well that's good." Riley let out a sigh of relief.
"I'm okay... I'm really... feeling something but... no drooling, and uh, my mind seems to be working mostly the way it should." Riley stated triumphantly her cheeks reddened a bit from embarrassment but otherwise she kept her cool.
"Are you sure?" Fleur asked as her eyes lit up as she reached out and touched Riley's shoulder, just to make sure physical contact didn't set anything off.
"Yeah... I uh... feel something, but- I'm still in control of myself." Riley replied.
Fleur was on the verge of exploding with joy. She had barely a hope that Riley would also be immune to her allure. Seeing that Riley was immune, everything began falling into place. She only needed one thing, one confirmation. If she knew for certain that Riley was attracted to her, not just for looks, but as a person, then Fleur was ready to sink her claws in, and never let go. Almost in real-time, she felt her crush for Riley begin to evolve into something more. This wasn't just a fantasy, it wasn't just a hopeful possibility, it could actually be real. She could have a boyfriend, one who she could be herself around, and who would love her, not just for her looks, or her body, but for her.
"This is an odd reaction to have. To still be aroused, but not be affected by the 'draw' of the allure?" Apolline stated, knowing exactly what Riley meant when she said 'something'.
"Well, I've read that a veela's allure doesn't affect girls, so I'm surprised it's affecting her at all. Then again, I think she might have a crush on your daughter, so it could be chalked up to natural lust." Remus whispered to Apolline who's eyes widened in surprise.
Jean having heard what he said also adopted a look of surprise.
"You're a girl?!" Gabby shouted in surprise.
Fleur's jaw hit the ground as Riley broke out of her stupor and adopted an annoyed look.
"Of course, I'm a girl! Wait! You thought I was a boy!?" Riley shouted upon realization.
"Yes... I thought you were a young man." Fleur stated in shock.
"Why?" Riley asked.
"Well, your hair. Voice. Lack of chest. The way you hold yourself. Things like that." Fleur stuttered out a response, her cheeks turning red from embarrassment. This was about the worst screw up she could have ever made. This entire time she'd been talking to a girl.
"Fucking hair again! God dammit! I am never cutting my hair again! This shit keeps happening! Never! Never! I will grow my hair to the floor before I ever let anyone cut it again!" Riley raved for a moment before turning back to Fleur and sighing.
"Alright... I keep my chest bound, cuz I'm a fighter, and I don't want them getting in the way." Riley stated as she lifted her sweater and shirt to reveal bandages around her chest and breasts, "And although I am tall for my age, I'm only twelve, I haven't had time to grow into myself either, which is why I'm not exactly super girly looking. Or I might just be ugly, there's always that possibility. As for the voice, I got nothing for ya, I've always had a deeper voice." Riley explained, ending with a bit of self-deprecating humor to try and lighten the surprise.
"You're twelve?" Fleur stated in disbelief, taking note of how the two were almost at eye level with one another, Riley being only an inch or so, shorter than Fleur.
"You two never brought any of this up, in any of your letters?" Remus asked.
"No." They both replied at the same time.
Fleur stared at Riley for a moment, sad and utterly dejected. She had, had so many hopes, and now they were ruined. The chances were good that she could have started a relationship with a boy around her age, but a girl that was two years younger. Fleur doubted Riley held any deeper feelings for her, or would, even after getting to know her better.
She'd spent weeks preparing for this day, everything she'd say and do, if Riley showed even an inkling of romantic interest, then Fleur was going to sink her claws in and never let go. Riley was her knight in shining armor, her hero. Someone who was compassionate, and friendly, and cared about how Fleur felt. She would have staked her claim on Riley at the first opportunity if there was even a glimmer of a hope.
All of that vanished in an instant. All of that planning, all of her hopes, everything she intended to do and say, it all exploded, right before her eyes with this reveal. She had no idea how to process this, how to move forward. What should she say, what should she do, what if Riley was upset about this mix-up, what if Fleur had just ruined any chance of them being friends? All of these thoughts rushed into Fleur's teenage mind at once, and almost literally left her short-circuiting.
"Um... So... Now this is weird... I uh... I guess maybe..." Riley tried to formulate the right words to get this going, but this mix-up really felt like a kick in the stomach. Truthfully, Riley hadn't put much stock into Remus' barbs whenever he teased her about looking like a boy. She had written that off as just the hair, and that was it, but if even Fleur thought that she could have been a boy, then maybe she really was just ugly. Definitely not something one wants to think about, especially coming from the person they were attracted to.
"Well, I'm not exactly certain what to make of it, but don't forget that the Delacours called you pretty. Albeit they thought you were a pretty 'boy', but they still thought you were pretty." Madara tried to comfort the blow to her self-esteem.
Her wounded self-confidence must have reflected on her face, since everyone else looked awkward. "So, um... crap..." Riley began to mutter again as she visibly began to deflate. Everyone was staring at her now, and it was making her feel even more awkward.
"See, look at her. She's upset, look what you did! Can't even tell a girl from a boy, maybe I'm as stupid as Diana says." Fleur internally cursed at herself, it was pretty much confirmed, this day was officially ruined.
"Maybe we should-" Riley began but Fleur cut her off.
"I'm sorry. I'm an idiot! I need to be alone right now." Fleur stated, trying not to cry as she turned and ran upstairs.
Hurt flashed across Riley's eyes as Fleur ran away. Despite the other people around, Riley felt alone. She couldn't help but think that she'd just lost a friend over this stupid mix-up.
That stung, especially to someone who coveted friends and bonds, to possibly lose one over something as stupid as this. It shouldn't work like that; life shouldn't happen like that. A day shouldn't start as happy as it can be, and immediately turn to crap.
"Life isn't fair. Who knows why she took it so badly. Maybe she thinks you were lying to her. Maybe she expected something that isn't possible. Maybe she's just a dumb teenager who hasn't endured the true sufferings that life throws at us. Regardless... friends sometimes come and go. It's a lesson that never truly settles in until you're as jaded and resentful as I was at the end of my life." Madara stated, offering her words of wisdom, even if they did little to comfort her at the moment.
She glanced over and saw Remus, a look of sympathy plastered on his face.
"Life sucks sometimes you know?" Riley muttered, a pain resonating in her chest.
All Remus did to reply was nod.
"Tell Fleur I'm sorry for the mix up, it was never my intention to mislead her... or any of you. I want to go home, Remus." Riley stated her voice hollow and distant.
All Remus could do was nod again, as he turned to the stunned Delacour's and thanked them for their hospitality.
"You don't need to go. I'm sure Fleur will calm down in a little while... it's just a bit surprising." Apolline offered sympathetically.
"No! This was all stupid! Why in hell can't life just leave me alone for a little while? Why am I always to one who has to get kicked in the gut? Who the fuck decided I needed a reminding of how much life sucks!? Fuck it." Riley ground out, growling angrily. Like a moron she'd gotten her hopes up, allowed herself to get lost in fantasies, allowed herself to forget just how hard life can be. She'd forgotten and now life was going to remind her. At the very least, it didn't kill Fleur, but that could change at any moment, and Riley didn't want to be around for it anymore.
"Riley..." Apolline began but then stopped as every single one of her Veela instincts screamed at her to cease speaking. She then noticed the tears that were falling from Riley's eyes. Riley lifted her gaze and everyone present had to recoil slightly, at the amount of hatred and self-loathing that was present in them. The fact that her Mangekyou was active and spinning menacingly did not help either.
"I'm gonna go blow off some steam Remus... I'll find you later." Riley stated as she disappeared in a poof of smoke.
"I'm sorry about Riley... she has been really looking forward to meeting Fleur for a while now, and I suspect she may even have a crush on her. I think she feels like she's being rejected, and well... Riley doesn't take rejection well." Remus stated with a shake of his head.
"I see. Please see about staying around. I'll have a talk with Fleur. We would still love to have the two of you here for the holidays." Apolline asked him.
"I'll probably go find a hotel nearby, it isn't safe to go looking for her right now." Remus said as he turned to leave.
"Safe? What do you mean it isn't safe?" Jean asked with a look of concern.
"You know somewhat of what she is capable of, but Riley is powerful. Very powerful. She's a kunuoichi, a Ronin of the Land of Fire. Do you know how the shinobi in the Elemental Nations rank their warriors?" Remus asked, earning a nod from Jean he continued. Apolline though was surprised to hear that about Riley, she didn't know much about Shinobi, only what she'd heard from others, but she knew enough to know that they were some of the most powerful magical warriors on the planet and grew up never having to hide their magic from muggles. They also almost never left their homeland, so it was rare to ever come across one.
"Well, Riley is A-Rank... maybe higher. She's insanely powerful, unlike anyone I've ever seen before. Hell, I think she might even one day be on a similar level as Merlin or Hashirama Senju. Right now, she's blowing off steam, which translates out to, 'laying waste to everything around her'." Remus explained to them. All three had to pick their jaws up off the floor, at hearing just how powerful the young lady was.
Jean knew she was strong, after all she had killed six wizards in only a few moments, but not that strong.
"She truly cared for Fleur enough to have that sort of reaction?" Apolline asked in shock, though not really believing that what Remus was trying to convey was truth.
"Riley... she's had it rough. When she was young, she was bullied by her sister, and neglected by her parents. She was beaten by the people of her village and often mistreated by them as well. She doesn't form bonds that easily, and she doesn't trust quickly. Hell, I'm probably the one who knows her best and I still have no clue what goes on inside that head of hers. She viewed Fleur as someone she could have a relationship with. All the letters they sent, and all the things they shared, I'm sure Riley has feelings for Fleur, though she saw Fleur's reaction just now, to be a rejection of those feelings. Which is why she was so heartbroken. So yes, she does or did care enough about Fleur to have this sort of reaction, and I fear any attempt to approach her right now, will get someone killed." Remus told the Delacour's.
All three had varying looks of anger and sympathy on their faces. Jean looked furious that anyone, let alone someone's own family, would treat them in such a way. Apolline looked appalled that such people would do that to such a decent girl as Riley. While Gabrielle was fuming at hearing of her hero's treatment.
"I will go have a talk with Fleur. I'm sure she didn't intend for that to be the meaning of her actions." Apolline stated as she followed after Fleur.
"I should go. Riley will come find me when she has calmed down, though I doubt she would like to return to a place of heartbreak. No offense." Remus informed Jean.
"None taken. Please, remain close. I'm sure we can get this all settled out. Just let us know when Riley has returned?" Jean asked.
"I'll try." Remus replied as he left the house.
-Far Away-
Riley paced back and forth through tall grass. Tears streamed down her eyes as she internally cursed herself, wondering why she never once brought up her being a girl. This could have been so much less painful had she just brought it up once.
Why didn't she do it? Maybe it was because she kept people at arm's length? Maybe it was because she never let anyone in, to know how she was really feeling? She was a shinobi, and shinobi didn't show their emotions around strangers, or unknowns. Maybe it was because Riley didn't feel like a girl? Hell at times she didn't even feel human with how much power she possessed. But feeling like a girl? That was never something that really settled in for her, maybe in the end she was still just a kid, despite the confidence she showed around the Slytherins, she was still just as shy, and reclusive as she'd always been.
Her sadness grew.
How in the hell was she gonna come back from this? How did she talk to Fleur again? Did she talk to Fleur again? Did they try writing and start over from the beginning? Did they just never talk again?
Riley had never had friends before Shisui and Itachi, and she had no idea how one dealt with something like this. She didn't really know how to have a fight with a friend. There was that misunderstanding with Itachi, and she had started to come around in regard to being his friend again.
Maybe it just took time?
For a few moments, Riley lifted her gaze up to the sky.
But what if everything was ruined with Fleur, a devious little voice whispered in the back of Riley's mind. Life was cruel, what if this stupid mistake was the end of their friendship? Another person no longer in Riley's life.
A few tears fell from Riley's eyes as her head dropped. There was so much confusion, pushing her back and forth between anger and confusion. Finally, she just settled on anger, and with a scream of rage, she unleashed her power.
She didn't care what form it took, right now she was all wound up, she needed to let everything out, and this was the only way she knew how.
She blasted the land with Amaturasu, letting out more and more power as her eyes began to burn. She felt a hellish power stir in her gut, and her eyes began to bleed. Suddenly her roar of rage grew in intensity and a power exploded out from her eyes.
Within a moment, the ground beneath her feet and all around her, was blown away.
-Meanwhile-
"Fleur?" Apolline knocked on her daughter's door. She only heard sniffling and soft crying coming from inside.
Apolline let out a sigh as she pushed her daughter's door open. She found Fleur sitting on the end of her bed, crying softly.
"Fleur darling... are you alright?" Apolline asked as she sat next to her daughter.
"No mama. I am not." Fleur replied sounding cheated and bitter.
"I am surprised you seem to care so much about Riley's sex. I mean I know you had a crush on the girl, when you though she was a he, but we Veela are bisexual, I have seen your eyes linger on women, as much as men. So why is her being a girl so much of an issue?" Apolline asked her daughter, getting right to the point of the matter.
"I... It's not an issue. I don't care that she is a girl." Fleur replied, her beautiful face slightly puffy from crying so much.
"Then why are you crying?" Apolline asked.
"It's … it's just stupid. I... when she was a boy, I thought I had a good chance of maybe finding someone like papa, a boy who could like me for me. Riley seemed like that kind of person, in our letters he... she would always inquire to my wellbeing, she cared about how I was doing. I've always been afraid of being alone, like so many veela are cursed to be. But then I met her, and I didn't feel alone anyone. It felt right whenever I read her letters, and when I saw the kindness in her smile, it made me feel so good." Fleur explained to her mother.
"So, what's the problem? So what if Riley is a girl, she is still the same person whom you seem to want to be with?" Apolline asked.
"It... she... I knew what I was getting into when dealing with a boy. That's what you trained me to do. I was so sure that if Riley was immune, then I could make her mine, that we could be together. But now that I know that he is really a she, I don't know how to react. I don't know if she'll accept me. I don't know how to make her like me. … … … I guess I realized that my chances of this being the one, weren't nearly as good as I had built them up to be, and it hurt. And I know I hurt her feelings by not seeing the truth. I basically called her ugly by thinking she was a boy. I hurt her, and now she probably hates me." Fleur stated sounding ashamed of herself as tears fell from her eyes.
"Oh, dear girl... I think you'd be surprised how she feels. I think she likes you just as much as you like her." Apolline stated as she pulled her daughter into a hug.
"What? Why do you think that?" Fleur asked as she glanced up at her mother.
"Mr. Lupin, he told us that she has had a crush on you for a while, and that she has desperately wanted to meet you. I'd say she already does like you." Apolline told her daughter.
Fleur pulled back upon hearing that and glanced at the floor, she thought for a few moments before clearing her throat, wiping the tears from her eyes and standing. "I need to go talk to her. I need to apologize for running off like that."
Apolline winced at hearing that. "I am sorry dear... but... she is not here anymore."
"What! Where did she go?" Fleur asked suddenly worried.
"She... did not take your departure after hearing that she was a girl, too well. She must have seen it as a rejection for being a girl, so she left to go blow off steam. We asked Mr. Lupin to let us know when she returned, and if he would stay close by, so that we could still enjoy the holidays, he didn't look too sure though." Apolline explained.
Fleur's look of sadness instantly turned to regret and anger.
"No... I didn't mean for it to appear like that... I... she probably hates me now. I guess I deserve this, being a coward. I didn't mean it like that though! I must apologize! Please mother, do you know where Mr. Lupin has gone? I need him to take me to Riley." Fleur stated with sudden determination.
"I do not think that is such a good idea. The girl was not in the best of moods when she left, and Mr. Lupin stated that she could be dangerous in such a worked-up state." Apolline told her daughter with concern etched into her voice.
"No mother... you do not understand... I must apologize, I cannot have her hating me. When she smiles at me, it fills me with such warmth, and happiness. I don't even know how to explain it, but I want to be with her so bad, that it hurts. I want to see her smile again." Fleur informed her mother with a look sadness on her face.
Apolline studied her daughter for a moment... the fire in her eyes, the fear at losing someone she really didn't know that well, the feeling of being near her, and seeing her smile. Apolline knew what this meant, she knew what these feelings were.
"My dear... I think you may have found your mate." Apolline stated with a small smile.
"What? No... I... but I thought mates were only those that a Veela could actually... 'mate' with." Fleur stuttered in reply as she blushed brightly.
"The fact that you, a creature imbued with the powers of lust and sex magic, are blushing at the thought of having sex with her, means that I am probably right. Plus, you know as well as I that there are plenty of spells and rituals that can be done to impregnate you with her child." Apolline stated with a smirk.
"Mama! She is twelve! It is too early to speak of such things. Besides I have to get her to forgive me first, for there to be any chance of 'that' happening." Fleur replied with obvious embarrassment. Internally, Fleur's mind was abuzz with the idea. Riley could possibly be her mate. A veela's soul mate was a person that particular veela was born to be with. At least, that's what the veela believed. If Apolline was correct, and Riley truly was Fleur's mate, then she absolutely had to find her and fix this. There was no one better in all the world for a veela than her soul mate. Even if her mother was wrong, and Riley wasn't her soul mate, she was still the person that Fleur wanted to be with. Her father wasn't her mother's soul mate, yet the love they shared was something Fleur had wanted for herself her entire life. She saw such a future in Riley, soul mate or not.
"I cannot believe it. Fourteen and you've already found your mate. Most veela never do." Apolline commented, her smile still persisting.
"Mama! Stop! Please we must catch up to Mr. Lupin." Fleur stated as she turned and walked out, followed quickly by Apolline.
"Jean we are going after Mr. Lupin. Watch over Gabrielle while we are gone." Apolline ordered.
"My love, I don't think it is a good idea to get involved right now." Jean stated with a worried look.
"No, it may not be. But if I am right, then Riley is Fleur's mate, and Fleur will do whatever it takes to earn her forgiveness for her rash actions." Apolline replied.
"At the very least, let me go with you. Just in case something happens?" Jean offered.
"No... Riley needs comfort right now, not someone who is watching her every move waiting for her to lash out. Besides, if things turn violent... I am the stronger of the two of us, when it comes to magic." Apolline replied with a warm smile at her husband's protectiveness.
"Please be safe my love and keep Fleur safe as well." Jean stated as he kissed his wife and daughter and the two departed.
They quickly caught up with Remus who had just been walking away from the villa, since he probably had a lot of time to kill before Riley finished with her venting process.
"Mr. Lupin!" Fleur greeted him.
"Ladies." Remus replied giving the two of them curious looks.
"We need you to take us to Riley. I did not mean to cause her so much pain, and I must apologize for it." Fleur told him.
"I'm sorry ladies, but that isn't a good idea. Riley can get pretty violent when she is angry. And she is far too powerful, to use the simple duck and cover approach. It's best to just wait it out." Remus replied.
"No Mr. Lupin you don't understand, I have to apologize to Riley. She thinks I rejected her, and that is just not true. I have to apologize to her. I have to let her know that I like her, and that her gender has nothing to do with it." Fleur told him with conviction in her eyes.
"Please Mr. Lupin, we won't push her. We just wish to talk, if things escalate then we will leave." Apolline offered.
"You two don't understand, do you? When she is like this, Riley is a danger to everyone around her. Going anywhere near her can lead to your deaths." Remus told them.
"Mr. Lupin, we are fully capable of defending ourselves. She is a strong girl, but we will stay safe, and not do anything to antagonize her." Apolline stated.
"Mrs. Delacour, I know you must know what a shinobi is, but do you really know what it means to be given a shinobi rank classification?" Remus asked.
"I do not." Apolline admitted.
"Look, short explanation; shinobi are given a rank of D through S. Each rank is separated into three categories, low, medium, and high. Dumbledore is a low S-Rank threat. Voldemort was a Borderline Mid S-Rank threat. Riley is a high A-Rank threat, though she has access to more power than most other people. It wouldn't surprise me, if at full power she might even be a low S-Rank threat. Just a couple of weeks ago the girl killed a troll by breaking its neck, and she did it with ease. Riley is a monster, when it comes to power. An S-Rank threat, will reshape the landscape of a battlefield." Remus told them, causing both woman to gape in surprise.
"How can such a young girl be that powerful?" Fleur asked in surprise.
"She's a prodigy, and Shinobi magic is different than our magic. They spent thousands of years cut off from the outside world, it was only a few centuries ago when we found the access points into their world. It was this isolation and detachment from the need to hide from muggles, coupled with their warlike attitudes, that allowed their magic to evolve for a singular purpose... combat. We have combat spells, but not on their level... all of their magic has evolved to kill, and to help kill other people. Riley is a master of that kind of magic, that's what makes her so dangerous." Remus explained to them.
"Please Mr. Lupin... "Remus." Remus... I must apologize to her. I can't let her continue to feel so much pain because of this misunderstanding. Please... I will do whatever you say... but I must speak with her." Fleur stated with an immense amount of conviction, enough to make Remus consider her request.
After a few moments of thought he let out a loud sigh. "Alright... I think I know where she has gone, but you two will do everything I say. If I tell you to jump, then jump. If I tell you to run, then run. Do you understand?" Remus asked giving the two, pointed looks.
Earning a nod, he fished out a small wooden carving from his pocket. "This is a port-key, if I'm right, Riley used hers to go to a special place that she likes to go to when she's upset. You two need to stay close and whatever you do, do not speak until I tell you too." Remus warned as he offered the port-key.
The two Veela shared a look before reaching out and touching the small totem. Remus muttered a word under his breath and all three of them vanished.
They appeared in a heavily wooded area, covered by trees that stood nearly a hundred feet high. Fleur instantly felt a warmth and happiness spread through her body. She could almost feel Riley's presence emanating from everywhere around her.
"This place is beautiful... where are we?" Apolline asked as she gazed at the towering trees.
"An island off the coast of Germany. Riley made this place, so she could vent her frustrations with the world without hurting anyone. Everything around you was made by her, infused with her magic." Remus told them, and the two women, gazed around them in awe.
"Riley made this place... how?" Fleur asked as Remus led them through the forest.
"Earth style techniques to create the island, Wood style to fill it with plant life, Water style to make the lakes, and a barrier around it to hide it from the world. It took her two full months to make us this refuge. She's probably in the meadow... it's where she likes to meditate." Remus replied. The two women could only follow and gape at everything in amazement. They both were finally starting to grasp just how strong Riley was.
"How big is this place?" Fleur asked.
"Two miles in diameter. The barrier around this place has a subtle illusion mixed into it that forces muggles and magicals alike to navigate around the island without actually knowing that they're doing it. The illusion bends their perception of space and time, causing them to circumnavigate the island without ever coming close to it." Remus told them with a hint of pride in his voice.
"The island is infused with her wood style chakra causing everything here to grow quite large, and very quickly. She has runes placed around the outskirts of the island that draw in ambient energy from the world around to fuel the barrier and illusion." Remus added with even more pride.
What Remus didn't know was that this act of creation wasn't solely of Riley's doing. She had been the conduit for it, but much of what was accomplished came from Madara's tutelage and instruction. He helped Riley to build this place, helped her to make it real by showing and telling her how.
"This is amazing." Fleur muttered in complete awe, as they finally exited the forest, and came into a large open field. What Fleur saw and felt would forever be etched into her soul. It was something she never wanted to see again.
The field which was once a beautiful meadow was now mostly consumed by black flames, and there in the center of the field standing in a crater the size of a soccer field was a torrent of swirling red, blue and black energy.
Fleur felt rage emanating from the field. She was so taken aback by the sudden change of emotion in the air, while the forest was calm and tranquil this field was nothing but chaotic rage and hatred. The rage didn't seem to have a focus it was just being released everywhere.
"Alright... follow me. And whatever you do, do not touch the black fire, it doesn't produce any heat, so it won't burn us if we get close, but if any of it touches you, you'll be burned to ash in seconds." Remus told them giving both a serious look.
Remus then proceeded to lead them through the field, picking his way through the patches of black flames. It took a while but eventually they made it to the edge of the huge crater.
At the edge of the crater, Fleur was finally able to see within it, and there in the center was Riley, she was on her hands and knees and looked to be in pain. The multicolored energy seemed to be radiating off her body.
"Riley!" Remus called out to her.
He saw the energy stop its movements and almost all sound in the field died out, leaving only a deathly silence.
"Go away Remus." They heard Riley's voice whisper in their ears, though Riley hadn't moved, from her position.
"Riley... I came to apologize." Fleur suddenly stated, causing Remus to shoot her a worried glance.
"Fleur?" They heard Riley say in a whisper. They saw her look up, and even from this distance Remus could tell something was very wrong with Riley's eyes. She rose to her feet, and in a burst of speed none of them could follow, she was at the edge of the crater standing before them.
"What do you want?" Riley asked in a voice that wasn't really her own. It came out as an animalistic snarl, that caused all three of them to tremble in fear.
Remus immediately took notice of Riley's eyes. They weren't red as they had been whenever she activated her Sharingan no, these eyes were purple, and they possessed multiple rings, that emanated from the center. Remus could detect the power in Riley's eyes, and it was staggering. He felt microscopic in comparison to the power Riley was releasing from those eyes. He also saw that the center pupil wasn't a circle, but a fox like slit. He also took notice of her left eye, there looked to be some sort of green hue to it, it was still purple in color, it just had a light green coloration.
Fleur felt about a thousand emotions when looking into the eyes of her friend. The three most prominent were fear, lust, and anger. The fear was understandable... so was the lust... kind of. But the anger was something she didn't expect. The anger wasn't directed at herself as she thought it would be, no the anger she felt was being directed at the entire world. She began to realize as she looked into Riley's eyes that, that was exactly how Riley felt towards the world right now.
"I asked you a question." Riley stated menacingly as she took a step towards Fleur, again her voice didn't sound like her own.
"I'm sorry... I... Riley... I needed to come and apologize for hurting your feelings like I did. Running away like that had nothing to do with you, it was all me. I was afraid that you wouldn't be interested in other girls... even if you were... I had no clue how to react around you. I know I hurt your feelings by thinking you were a boy. And I didn't know how to make it better without hurting you again, so I ran away. I have been trained to deal with men... all Veela are... but women... are different. I was so afraid that I would mess something up again, that I just had to get away... had I known that- that you would see it this way, I would have never done it. I'm so sorry. I know it must have hurt immensely to think that I didn't like you... but I do... I do like you, a lot... I know I probably screwed up my chances by reacting like I did, rather than simply being brave..." Fleur stated with obvious remorse, and guilt in her voice.
Riley's eyes widened slightly, and her gaze fell to the ground. "You... like me?" Riley asked.
"Yes! I do like you, a lot. I was just so scared that I would say something to make you not like me, or that you didn't like girls, and I would be alone again... I'm sorry I ran away... If- if you wouldn't mind... maybe we can start over?" Fleur asked, with a bit of hope in her eyes.
"No... no..." Riley stated with a shake of her head.
"Oh... I see..." Fleur stated, sounding downcast.
"No! I- I didn't mean 'no' I don't want to be friends... I meant, no we don't need to start over." Riley explained in a hurry.
"You... mean..." Fleur stuttered sounding a little confused.
"We're friends... right? Friends fight. No need to start over. Apology accepted." Riley stated with a smile, trying her best to push away the hurt. As she smiled the fires in the field died out and the wind calmed.
At hearing that, Fleur's eyes lit up and she jumped forward and pulled Riley into a deep hug which Riley slowly returned to Fleur's delight. After a moment Fleur pulled back from the embrace but remained in Riley arms, she used the space between them to maneuver herself into position to press her lips to Riley's in a warm and passionate kiss. Their lips held together for about fifteen seconds before she pulled back and wrapped Riley back in the tightest hug the young Veela had ever given.
"Thank you so much! I promise I will make this up to you." Fleur said with a smile, not noticing the star struck look on Riley's face from the kiss.
"And for the record, I still think you are very pretty, I thought you were a boy because of your hair, chest, voice and the muscles on your arms. Your face has always been pretty, which is why it always stood out to me. Now that I know the truth, it all makes perfect sense." Fleur explained, now having time to organize her thoughts and offer Riley some encouragement to repair the wound to her self-esteem.
"Oh? Well thanks..." Riley muttered shyly, though a smile did spread across her face.
Remus couldn't help but smile at the scene. Happy that Riley had been willing to forgive her pen pal, and the two could reconcile. He figured that Riley's quick recovery had a lot to do with her yearning for friendship, coupled with the fact the Fleur was quick to apologize and ease her pain, rather than letting it fester. Remus guessed if he had left Riley here to wallow in her anger for much longer, this situation would have ended up much worse. So, he was glad that for once he did what Sirius would have done, and listened to his heart, instead of his head.
He did take notice that Riley's eyes had changed slightly, the slit in her eyes was now gone and in its place was a tiny pupil.
"Before you two start Snogging again... I need to ask two questions..." Remus began causing both girls to blush, "One... what did you do to make this crater? And two... what the bloody hell happened to your eyes?"
Riley looked at the reflection of her eyes in Fleur's, she saw how they had changed, and wondered what had happened to them. It was then that she heard a chuckling coming from her head.
'Grandfather? Do you know what happened to my eyes?' Riley inquired.
'Two things... one, the fox is awake, and none too happy about me being here, and two... we need to talk.' Madara replied sounding jovial at first, but then turning deathly serious at the end. Whatever had happened to her eyes, it was definitely a game changer.
-To Be Continued-
Alright long ass chapter done! Review, review, review, and let me know what you think. The more reviews the longer I'll make the chapters! Ja Ne.
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