Septima Vector hadn't meant to fall in love with Harry Potter. Like everything else involving the Boy Who Lived, it was unplanned, unexpected, and filled with chaos.
She was an Arithmancy prodigy who had earned her Mastery before she was thirty. Despite being an orphan, courtesy of The Death Eaters, she had become a professor at Hogwarts after only a year working as an assistant teacher to the previous professor. She was well aware of her beauty, of course-She'd worked as a glamor model to pay for schooling when her parents' insurance ran out, all to achieve her dream. It was a wonderful dream, one she'd had since she was a child, and she was very proud of her accomplishments.
It just left her with very little time for romance.
Frankly she found the concept a bit dull, given the poor pickings of wizards available from her generation. Though really, that was Voldemort's fault too: His stupid war had cost her both her parents and the chance to have a family. So she'd focused on new dreams, to unlock new dimensions of magic via mathematics.
Like the other professors, she'd been told not to get too close to Harry Potter. It didn't seem like too much of a challenge: The boy had followed the advice of his somewhat unambitious male best friend, rather than his far more studious female best friend, and the two never really met.
She had observed him discreetly though. It was clear the boy's home life was rough-He was antisocial, compromising, and stiffened far too much when physical contact was involved. He rarely socialized outside of his immediate peers, let alone his House. His clothes were a little better than rags. She had picked up things from other professors, at Hogsmeade while sharing a pint or in unguarded moments in the staff lounge.
Living with Muggle relatives who resented him. No knowledge of his history or past. It was ominous if true. Yet... She had been told to stay away from the boy by Albus Dumbledore. It was an order she had obeyed, despite the doubts whispering in the back of her mind. She'd been able to put those to rest, for a time...
Of course that changed when she walked into an empty classroom where he was studying frantically.
She had come here to find a secret stash of chocolate liqueurs from Honeydukes. Why was he here? Well, that became obvious immediately.
He had become the second Hogwarts Triwizard champion in his fourth year, and it was clear he hadn't meant to enter. Anyone with a basic understanding of human psychology could see the boy was desperate. Anyone with an understanding of history saw that the contest was little more than a deathsport-The perfect means of getting rid of the Boy-Who-Lived.
All of that was obvious to the boy as well, as he looked up with a haunted expression. An expression she just couldn't ignore.
"I-P-Professor, uh-"
"Vector," she said gently. She looked back, and shut the door with a wave of her wand. She walked up to Harry, and sat down across from him.
"Harry... I know you didn't enter into this contest," she said. "I believe you."
Harry's eyes widened in relief.
"You-You do?!" He asked, with such obvious disbelief in his voice Vector had to grit her teeth in rage.
What was Dumbledore thinking?! Treating the boy this way?!
"I do," she said with a nod. "Given all that you've been through... It should be obvious that this is another trap."
She didn't know all the details of Harry's past adventures, but she wasn't called a genius for nothing.
"You think so too?" Harry asked. Vector nodded.
"Now, officially, it is against the rules for professors to aid students in their tasks," she said. Harry's face fell. Vector then smiled.
"However," she stated, "I have a fair amount of free time this year as my subject is a bit light on students right now. And I can happily help you with spellwork that will aid you in classes..." She winked.
Harry smiled gratefully at her.
"I... Thank you Professor," he whispered. Her usual cool facade cracked at the naked sincerity in his voice, and she hugged him. He held her back tightly, awkwardly.
"You are very welcome, Harry," Vector whispered back. She raised an eyebrow as Harry pushed his face between her large, round breasts. "Try not to get too comfortable there though," she said. Harry blushed bright red when he realized where he was, and he began mumbling.
"I'm sorry? Harry, what was that?" She asked.
"I just," Harry managed, "I... Haven't gotten many hugs. The first one I got was... Was from Hermione. In First Year."
Vector's jaw dropped.
"I see," she said quietly. She tightened her hug, and nuzzled the top of his head. "Well, we'll just have to correct that, won't we?"
"I..." Harry couldn't meet her eyes, but nodded, "yes Professor."
- - -
Harry, as it turned out, was a very able student under the right instruction. While Septima wasn't an Auror or anything, she had gotten OWLS and NEWTS in Charms, Transfiguration, and Defense against the Dark Arts. She wasn't much of a combatant, but she knew how to use the spells and shape the magic with her keen mind. And she knew how to explain such complex concepts to Harry easily.
As it was, he soon mastered several spells in quick succession in their secret study sessions: The Stunning Charm, the Blasting, Expulso and Reducing Curses, Summoning and Banishing Charms, a few Elemental Charms, the Confundus, the Disillusionment Charm, the Shield Charm, and even the Advanced Shield Charm. She also practiced in the casting and proper application of the spells in combat. Granted, she'd never been in a real firefight before outside of a Dueling Club, but a single witch had to know how to defend herself.
"I'm not a duelist, Harry," Septima apologized, "but I know how to stay alive. That, and in Arithmancy, all spells are broken down into mathematics!"
"No problem at all," Harry said gratefully. "Heck, I kind of wish I'd taken it sooner."
In all honesty, Septima was amazed at his progress. In just a month he had mastered or was on his way to mastering many of these spells. Using them properly in battle was another issue, but they'd brainstormed various solutions to that issue. She'd even suggested using his mastery of the Patronus Charm to aid him-The Patronus could be physical or incorporeal, after all.
The fact he could do it was in of itself an amazing feat. When he'd shown it off, she had gaped in astonishment for a while before she immediately questioned how he felt, how he focused, and other things. All to make the casting easier.
He smiled a lot more, looking very confident. Rather handsome, if she said so herself.
Then Harry came into her office late one night, looking pale. Septima looked up from papers she was grading in concern.
"Harry? What is it?" She asked.
"It's... It's dragons," Harry managed.
Septima waved her wand, shut the door, and sat Harry down.
"Tell me everything," she ordered.
The task was just... Ridiculous on the face of it. She shook her head in disgust. Of all the things...!
She took a deep breath.
"It's all right, Harry," she said, "you just have to get something from the dragons."
"How are you so-?"
"Because I've researched the previous Triwizard Tournaments," she said, "and dragons are expensive. You're not going to have to kill them, just grab something. If they're nesting mothers, then they're probably guarding eggs. So you have to get an egg. All right?" She smiled at him encouragingly.
Harry smiled back.
"Right... Get an egg," he said with a nod.
"So, let's work out a strategy for that," Septima said gently.
- - -
It had taken days, but they'd worked it out. Hermione had helped tutor Harry a great deal as well. On the day of the tournament, Septima sat in the stands. She glared disapprovingly at the Potter Stinks! badges many of the Slytherins and Hufflepuffs wore. Draco Malfoy himself was chortling loudly.
"Hope Potter gets roasted," he laughed.
"A hundred points from Slytherin for such disrespect, Malfoy, and detention for tomorrow night," Septima stated angrily. Draco gaped at her in disbelief.
"You-You can't do that-!"
"Two hundred and a week's detention then," she stated savagely, "helping Filch clean the castle. With no magic. Understood?"
Draco sneered at her.
"When my father-!"
"Five hundred points from Slytherin," Septima snarled, "and detention for a month. You want it to go higher?"
Draco glared, but turned away to watch the match. Aurora Sinistra, her fellow professor and friend, raised an eyebrow.
"The headmaster's pet Death Eater isn't going to be happy about that," Aurora said.
"He can rot, for all I care," Septima growled. "This is just barbaric! Making Harry go through this charade! What is the Headmaster thinking?!"
"He'll be thinking worse things if you refer to Potter so familiarly," Aurora teased gently. Septima cleared her throat.
"He's quite a nice young man," she said, "and an excellent student, when he's properly motivated."
Aurora allowed herself a smile at her old friend and classmate, and looked back at the arena.
"Naturally."
"What?"
"I didn't say anything!" Aurora said defensively. "I won't squeal on you about Potter-I mean, Harry," she said with a grin.
Septima couldn't help a slight blush at that.
The other Champions had their bouts with the dragons, trying to get their eggs and all succeeding. Septima felt her fingernails bite into her knees as Harry entered the arena against the worst of the lot-A Hungarian Horntail. The massive, spiky dragon was furious, roaring as she hovered protectively over her eggs. Harry was taking deep breaths, calming himself. She stood up.
"You can do it, Potter!" She shouted. She felt the looks from several students and teachers, but she ignored them. "YOU CAN DO IT!"
Harry looked up at her, finding her in the stands. He smiled, his green eyes glowing.
Septima felt a little flip in her stomach at his look. She smiled back. She had confidence in her... Student.
Harry then got to work. He cast his Patronus, which immediately began darting around the Horntail. It drew her wrath and fire, but the silvery stag danced out of the way of the flames. Harry then unleashed Blasting Curses around the arena, and a Wind spell to blow up the dust. His Patronus kept dancing around, drawing the Horntail away from the nest. Harry snuck up, conjuring a rope and tossing it at the golden egg he was supposed to retrieve.
Everything was going well... When the dragon broke loose from its chain. It flew past the dust and the Patronus, right for Harry.
"HARRY!" Septima screamed.
Harry vanished underneath a blast of flame. Septima could hear Hermione and several other students screaming for the young man. The flames parted... And a glowing blue shield Charm was revealed. Harry was under it: A bit singed, but alive.
"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" Harry yelled.
His Patronus re-emerged, and Harry grabbed onto it. It leaped up over the furious dragon, and Harry directed it right to the nest. With his Seeker's dexterity, he nabbed the golden egg and circled back around. The dragon roared and charged again, but Harry's Patronus leaped around the flames. Harry put up another Shield Charm, holding onto his Patronus for dear life with his legs. His Patronus landed hard on the rocky floor of the arena right in front of the entrance, and dissipated. Harry tumbled out the exit, golden egg still held tight against his chest like a wrapped infant.
"Well well well, look at that!" Ludo Bagman, the announcer, cried, "our youngest champion is the quickest to get his egg!"
Septima sat down, shaking. She took deep breaths, as the dragon handlers fired Stunners to get the Horntail under control. She had a big smile on her face as she watched Harry get taken up to the medical tent. He was smiling, and waving.
He was alive and well. Just as she knew he would be.
"He never does anything small, does he?" Aurora laughed, clapping with the rest of the crowd.
"No, no he doesn't," Septima allowed with a smile. Aurora gazed knowingly at her, and she scowled. "What?"
"I'm just saying, you train him up right, he'll be a good boyfriend when he graduates," Aurora teased. Septima huffed.
"I'm not dating a student, Aurora! He's just... He needs a lot of help." She watched Harry vanish into the tents. "It's the right thing to do. Especially when no one else seems to care about the boy."
Aurora nodded slowly.
"Of course," she said. She grinned. "I'm just saying... Something to consider for when he's legal, huh?"
"Hmph," Septima grunted. She tried to say no, to further deny it and just tell her friend she was being disgusting...
But nothing would come. Nothing but that little feeling of butterflies in her stomach she got when Harry had smiled.
Oh bugger...
- - -
Septima Vector was many things, but she was above all else, a professional. She was not some giggly schoolgirl, and she was not a petty bully like Snape. Harry Potter was her student, and he needed assistance in dealing with this tournament. It also improved her own skills in Dueling, and honestly she'd missed the excitement of throwing spells back and forth.
The fact she may... Maybe... Having more than friendly feelings for Harry was irrelevant. She wouldn't act on them. It was born of her lack of real romance and the stresses of her job. It was all right to fantasize, but act on it? Never.
So after the First Task was completed, she and Harry were right back to training. She was teaching him how to deflect unfriendly spells-Something that ponce Lockhart had tried to teach, but failed miserably at.
"You see, you need to channel your magic consciously around your wand, like this," she said, making a nearly transparent shield of magic appear around her wand, "just for a moment. Then, you need to get the timing right and you can slap a spell away. It isn't easy, and it won't stop an Unforgivable, but it is faster than casting a Shield Charm."
"Got it," Harry nodded. He focused his magic, and little sparks of white energy flared from his wand. Septima, sitting next to him, reached out and rested her hand over his.
"Focus," Septima said gently, "imagine what it looks like in your mind. Will the magic take that form... Focus..."
Harry grunted, and his magic flared into being around his holly wand. It sparked and flashed into being, an ovoid shield-Just for a moment, then it was gone. Harry's eyes widened, as Septima laughed.
"You got it!" She cheered. Harry grinned up at her, unconsciously bumping his hip against hers.
"W-Wow! I did! You're the best teacher I've ever had!" He said cheerfully.
"You make all the effort worth it," Septima said warmly. She leaned against him, and squeezed his shoulder. "I'm very proud of you, Harry."
Harry's eyes glanced down at her boobs... Which were pressing against his chest. He coughed, and got up off the desk they were sitting on. Septima for her part decided to pretend he hadn't moved away because of that proximity.
"So, uh, Professor," Harry began, "er... You know that the Yule Ball is coming up, right?"
Septima felt her heart beat faster. She kept her composure.
"Yes, I am aware," she said calmly.
"Er, uh... And as a Champion, um, I have to... Have a date," Harry went on.
Septima fought the blush coming to her cheeks.
"Ah," she said with a nod. She took a deep breath. "Yes. I know."
"So uh... I mean... If you weren't... Busy, and all, uh..."
Septima rose, and rested a hand on Harry's shoulder. He looked up at her. He didn't have far to go though-He was getting tall. Soon he'd be taller than her.
"I'm afraid that teachers can't go on dates with students," Septima said softly. Harry coughed.
"Ah, I knew that!" Harry said quickly. Too quickly. "I just... Do you know how... Can you help me ask a girl out?"
Septima smiled, and nodded. All right. So he had a bit of a crush on her. That was fine. Plenty of students had had crushes on her before. Harry had bravely skipped ahead, trying not to look foolish or to offend her.
He was rather hopeless, but so good hearted.
"Certainly Harry," she said. "But first, do you know how to dance?"
"Not even a little," Harry admitted.
"Well, that is a shame," Septima said with a wink, "women love men who know how to dance."
"Really?" Harry asked, now intrigued. Septima waved her wand, and summoned up her record player. She waved it again, and one of her favorite records began to play. Harry frowned deeply.
"Wait... I know this one... Frank something?"
"Sinatra," she said. She waved her wand again, and the furniture moved to the walls of the classroom, giving them space. She took one of his hands and rested it on the small of her back, while she took his hand in her other.
"Muggle music, right?" Harry asked. Septima nodded.
"Yes. My parents were Muggleborn and pureblood. They loved to dance before..." She took a deep breath, and looked Harry in the eyes, "before Death Eaters killed them."
Harry's eyes hardened as he looked back into hers.
"I'm sorry," he whispered.
"Thank you," Septima replied. "Now, let's start with a box step. It's very simple. Move forward, then put your right foot alongside your left, then move to the right, same way..."
- - -
Septima went to the Yule Ball with Aurora. She sat at a table as her friend went for a dance with Professor Moody. While the man was a crazed, grizzled, paranoid ex-Auror, he was quite the gentleman when he wanted to be.
Though given Aurora's thing for dangerous men, that may not have been what the Astronomy teacher wanted.
Septima shook her head free of her friend's debaucherous tastes. She glanced over at Harry, who had asked one of the Patil Twins to dance. The pretty Gryffindor girl looked quite pleased with him, as he handled her around the floor with ease and confidence. He was still an amateur, but he was doing quite well.
The Patil girl beamed happily and gave Harry a kiss on the cheek, and Septima found herself gripping the tablecloth a bit hard.
"Are you all right, Septima?" McGonnagal asked. Septima looked up at the elder witch, and gave her a smile.
"Perfectly fine, Minerva," she said. Her eyes drifted back to Harry, as he went another lap around the dance floor with the giggling girl.
"Albus wanted to thank you," Minerva said quietly, "as did I."
"For what?" Septima asked, confused. Minerva smiled warmly.
"For taking Potter under your wing," Minerva said. "I know he told us all to be hands off, but... I honestly think he has no idea how to handle this entire fiasco with the Goblet and Potter. You making sure Potter can handle himself is what I've been arguing for years. So thank you. James and Lily would be proud."
Septima smiled warmly.
"Ah, thank you Minerva," Septima said, "I just..." She looked back at Harry, as he laughed, "I know what it's like to be an orphan. To be alone. I couldn't stand by any longer."
"Good," Minerva said. "I'm glad you're still doing it, even after what Snape did."
Septima made a face at the unpleasant memory.
"Yes, well... Thank you for backing me up," she said.
"Oh, uh, Professor Vector! Professor McGonnagal!"
Both witches looked up to see Harry standing there, the Patil girl hanging off his arm. He looked flushed, but he was smiling. Septima smiled back politely, even as her nails dug into a napkin she was holding underneath the table.
When did that happen?
"Hello Potter, hello Patil," Septima said, "you're doing quite well out there."
"I believe I have you to thank for that," Patil said with a smile. She beamed, and sat down at the table. "Hoo! But I need a rest! Harry can wear a girl out!"
Minerva raised her eyebrow at that, and Harry coughed a bit too loudly. Septima nodded.
"Yes, well, he's a good student," Septima said.
Patil's eyebrows rose.
"Oh? He is?" She asked, the gossip queen rearing her ugly head. She gasped. "Did you teach him, Professor Vector?"
"Well, he certainly didn't learn from me," McGonnagal chuckled. She smiled at Septima, then at Harry. "Why not give a demonstration, Septima? I'm sure Potter wouldn't mind some more lessons."
"Oh no, I couldn't-"
"Please, Professor?" Harry asked, holding out his hand. He smiled warmly at her. Septima again fought the blush. She glanced over at Patil.
"You don't mind, Patil?" Septima asked. The fourth year girl chuckled, and waved her hand.
"Oh, no! By all means!" She grinned and winked. "Thank you for training him into a good date!"
"She didn't have to teach me that much," Harry muttered. Septima reached out, and took his hand. She let him pull her up, and she moved close.
"There's always room for improvement, Mister Potter," Septima said with a wink. Harry blushed a bit, but he did grin quite happily.
"Then I hope to have many more lessons with you, Professor," he said with a wiggle of his eyebrows.
They danced to the music, eyes only for each other. He really had grown quite graceful. At the start of this year, he'd been an angry, anti-social hermit. Now he was able to impress a social queen of the school, and defeat a dragon with his magic. He really was something else, and she was so proud of him.
"I couldn't help but overhear you saying some things about Snape?" He asked. Septima allowed herself to go into a twirl, and let him pull her back into his embrace before she answered.
"Yes," she said, "nothing serious. He's just a petty thug."
"What happened?" Harry asked. Septima shook her head.
"Oh, he insinuated that you and I were... Romantically involved," she said, "and that I was a slut and a whore."
Harry's green eyes flashed, and she felt his magic boil through him. She felt her heart race, and her body warm at the strength of his magical power.
"It's all right," she said with a calming smile, "he's now on probation. Filius and Minerva actually volunteered to duel him to the death on my behalf."
"They wouldn't be the only ones to offer it," Harry growled, and his grip on her hip tightened slightly. Septima pouted.
"You find us being together that offensive?" She asked.
"Wh-What? No!" Harry said quickly, face burning bright red. "But he shouldn't call you that-!"
Septima giggled as they swayed with the music, Harry having enough presence to guide them around the crowded dance floor.
"I'm just teasing, Harry, it's all right," she soothed. "You're very sweet... My knight in shining armor. But I can handle Snape."
She smirked, and lowered her voice.
"Truth is, none of the rest of the teachers can stand him either. Dumbledore just lets him get away with anything. It's ridiculous! But hey... As long as he's on probation, he can't be as big a bastard as he usually is to you. I call that a win."
"I guess I can't argue with that," Harry sighed. "Still..."
"I know it's hard, Harry," Septima said, "but you need to be able to laugh off things like that. You're a better person than Snape or his little lackeys any day. You shouldn't take them seriously unless you have to. You're... Too good a person to do otherwise."
Harry looked deeply into her eyes.
"Professor..."
She bit her lower lip at the intensity of feeling in those eyes. His magic was so strong, so warm and pure...
The song ended. Patil came onto the floor, smiling brightly.
"Mind if I get my date back, Professor?" She asked. Septima laughed, and gave Harry a gentle push to the young man.
"All yours!" Septima said. She smiled genuinely at them.
"Enjoy the night," she said.
"We will, Professor," Harry said with a smile back. He and Patil went back to the dance, and Septima, after a few moments watching them, went to the bar.
She felt the sudden need for alcohol. And lots of it.
- - -
It was a few days after the New Year, and Septima was looking forward to relaxing in her bathtub for a while after a long day of classes. She had stripped down to her favorite bathrobe-Nice, warm, fuzzy, and one of the few pieces of clothing she could wear completely naked underneath without any discomfort. She sat on the edge of her bathtub, all ready to pour in some magic bubble bath solution, when she heard a knock at her door.
"Damnit," she muttered. She turned off the tap and headed up to her front door, her slippers padding against the rugs she'd placed on the cold stone floors. "Hang on, hang on!"
She opened the door... And blinked. There was no one there. She grimaced.
"I swear, if this is a prank-"
"Professor, it's me!"
"Harry?"
The young man's head appeared, and he gave a sheepish smile as it seemed to float in the dark corridor beyond. Septima sighed and shook her head.
"Come in before someone sees," she said, moving aside. Harry hustled in, and Septima shut the door behind him.
"I'm sorry about this, but uh, I need your help," Harry said, divesting himself of his invisibility cloak and laying it on a nearby chair. He held up the Golden Egg he'd managed to retrieve in the First Task. Septima frowned, and crossed her arms under her breasts.
"With the Egg?" She asked. "You figured out the clue then?"
"Not yet, but I think I need to listen to it underwater," he said. "And uh, well... You have a bathtub and all and..."
Septima sighed... And then snorted out some laughter. She shook her head.
"You could have just used the prefect's bath," she pointed out. "I even know the password-"
"I tried, but uh," Harry blushed deeply, "Myrtle was in there."
Septima nodded with a wince of understanding.
"Say no more,' she sighed. She'd been getting plenty of complaints from male and female students about that perverted ghost. Being stuck as a teenager for the rest of your undead life wasn't how she would want to spend it.
"Well," Septima said, self consciously tightening the belt on her robe, "come on. You came at just the right time."
She led Harry into her bathroom, an act that made the young man turn bright red. That, or when she bent over to turn the tap back on, he may have caught sight of her bosom. Septima didn't dwell on any of that though, focusing on remaining as professional and detached as possible.
"So," she began, as Harry sat on her toilet and she leaned against the wall, "how did things with Parvati go?"
Which lasted about ten seconds.
"It went really well," Harry smiled, his eyes firmly on Septima's slippers, "She uh... It was great."
"Oh?" Septima asked, smiling back. There was a pang in her chest at that, but she ignored it. This kind of interaction would let her be more of a big sister to the young man, and not... Anything else.
Harry nodded.
"Oh yeah. We're going together on the next Hogsmeade weekend," he said. He managed to glance up at her face. "Do-Do you have any suggestions for uh... You know, a date?"
"Given it's Parvati, I'd suggest Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop," Septima said, "it's very girly and romantic and... Pink."
Harry frowned at her obvious distaste. She cleared her throat.
"I went there once with a date when I went to Hogwarts," she said, "I didn't care for it. It was just too... Mushy."
"Oh," Harry said, also making a face. Septima held up her hands.
"There's nothing wrong with mushy, of course," she said quickly, "but it can get annoying. And well, I felt a bit uncomfortable with all the other couples snogging around us." She smiled and winked at Harry. "Of course, if you're too busy snogging Parvati, you might not care-"
"I uh, I mean, maybe?" Harry managed. "I-I mean... She is really nice, and fun, and pretty but..." He shrugged, looking down at his egg, "I mean... I'm not sure, you know? About snogging her."
"Why?" Septima asked, her heart beating faster.
"I guess I... Might fancy someone else," Harry mumbled. Septima was about to say something, but the tap let out a whistle. The tub was properly full. Septima reached over to turn it off, and nodded to Harry.
"Go ahead Harry, put it in," she said. Harry carried the golden egg over to the bathtub, and lowered it into the water. He knelt down on the rug, and she knelt down next to him. Harry fumbled with the egg while it was underwater, reaching for the release, and winced in anticipation of a horrible shrieking sound...
But all that resulted was a muffled, sweet sounding melody. Harry and Septima exchanged looks, before they both leaned in. Harry took a deep breath, and stuck his head into the water. Septima, a bit amused, copied him to listen as well.
"Come seek us where our voices sound,
We cannot sing above the ground,
And while you're searching ponder this;
We've taken what you'll sorely miss,
An hour long you'll have to look,
And to recover what we took,
But past an hour, the prospect's black,
Too late, it's gone, it won't come back."
Septima pulled her head back up, sucking in a deep lungful of air. She scowled-She would forget to put her hair up in a bun, how annoying. She brushed her long, wet hair out of her face.
"Well, that's an interesting riddle," she muttered. She looked over at Harry, who had also pulled his head up. "Do you have any ideas for what it could mean, Harry? ... Harry?"
His eyes were wide, and his face was bright red-And not just from the heat of the bath water. She looked down, and blushed heavily. Her robe had come a bit loose, and she was showing off a lot more than she had intended. She quickly pulled her robe shut, as Harry impulsively leaned over and reached out to help her.
"Ah, Harry, I'm perfectly fine-!"
"I'm really sorry Professor I didn't mean to-!"
His lips brushed against hers, and one of his hands slid underneath her robe onto her right breast. He impulsively squeezed, and Septima bit back a moan.
A moment of silence ensued as they stared at one another... Before Harry jumped back. In his panic, he slammed up against a rack of beauty supplies, which all fell onto him and the floor.
"Ah! Harry, Harry, it's all right!" Septima cried, waving her hands.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Harry cried back, breathing hard as he shut his eyes tightly. A small bottle of rose scented oil bounced off his head, and he winced. "Ow...!"
Septima couldn't help the giggle that came out of her, nor the laughter that followed. Harry opened his eyes, stared for a bit, and began to chuckle as well. The tension evaporated, and Septima stood up and walked over. She offered Harry her hand, and he gladly took it. She helped him to his feet.
"Now, get your egg and we'll talk about it out there," she said, reaching out her hand. Her wand zipped off the nightstand, and into her waiting grasp. She quickly waved it, putting her hair up into a bun and quickly drying it. "I'll get us some tea."
"Uh, s-sure," Harry managed with a smile. He soon retrieved the egg, shutting it tightly before pulling it out of the water, and padded out to the living room area. Septima was sitting in one chair at a table with a tea set already conjured onto it, and Harry took the other chair across from her. She sipped from a tea cup, and Harry happily took another cup to drink.
"Now," Septima said, "you couldn't understand the language until you put it under water, right? So the Second Task is most likely underwater."
"Oh, great," Harry groaned, "And I can't swim."
"It's all right," Septima said with a smile, "there are charms and some other things that will let you handle such a task. But retrieving something taken..." She shook her head. "That is a puzzle."
"I guess I'll have an hour to get something I've lost," he said. He sighed. "So... Going underwater and getting something they've taken... I need something to survive underwater and get where I need to, and something to get back with what they took. Who is they?"
"Maybe the merpeople in the Black Lake?" Septima suggested, "they could participate in the Task."
"There are merpeople down there?" Harry asked in astonishment. Septima nodded. "Ah, all right. I mean, do you know anything that could specifically help me?"
"Off the top of my head? No," Septima admitted, "but at least we know where to start."
She smiled warmly at Harry.
"And I know you'll do just fine," she said confidently. Harry beamed back at her.
"I... I just can't thank you enough, Professor," he said. "In all honesty, I..."
He trailed off, but his eyes narrowed in determination. He looked her right in the eyes.
"I really care for you," he said. "Deeply."
Septima's heart was thumping hard. Outwardly, she sipped her tea cup and nodded slowly.
"And I care for you too, Harry," she said, "very much so."
"And I want to be more than... I want to be with you and, well, uh," Harry tried. Septima got up, walked around, and knelt in front of him. He looked up in surprise, as she took his hands. She smiled warmly, as she squeezed his hands in her own.
"But I'm your teacher," she said, soft and kind, "and you're my student. That's all we can be."
"I'm almost a legal wizard," Harry insisted. "And... And I know you feel the same-!"
"Even if that were the case," Septima said gently, reaching up to touch his cheek, "if we did anything... I'd be fired, possibly arrested, and you might get expelled."
Harry stared back at her intensely, and she again felt the electric thrill of his magic running through her.
"Only if we got caught," he murmured back.
Septima sucked in a deep breath through her nostrils, and ran through the Fibonacci sequence in her head. His fingers laced with hers.
"I can't let you risk that," she whispered back, "I can't let you sacrifice your whole future. You're a teenager, you have a crush, and I care about you too, but that's all it is. You'll find someone who's a better fit for you."
"I've been through more than most adult wizards," Harry murmured back defiantly. He reached up with one hand to cup her cheek back, "I'm not just some stupid teenager."
"And if you got tired of me?" Septima challenged. "Is it really worth it just because you're physically attracted to me? That will fade, Harry. Even for us, eventually-"
"I don't care," Harry insisted, his nose now touching Septima's. "You're the first person to... To really give a damn. Without you, I'd be dead. I just... I can't ignore my feelings! They're real!"
He pushed his lips to hers. It wasn't quite as sloppy or amateurish as she thought it would be-Clearly, Harry had been getting some practice in with Parvati. It was warm, and wet, and sent thrills and heat right down to her core.
But Septima Vector wasn't weak willed. She pulled back, slowly, reluctantly, but she pushed him away.
Harry's eyes were filled with hurt, as Septima took deep breaths.
How did she salvage this? How did she fix this without hurting him?
"Harry," she rested her hands on his shoulders and looked intently into his eyes, "we cannot. Do. Anything. Not now."
His face fell, and he looked down at his knees. Septima sucked in a deep breath, and tilted his chin back up.
"I said, we cannot do anything right now," she emphasized. Harry's eyes lit back up, and the butterflies were back in her stomach.
"You mean-?"
"I'm not promising anything," Septima said sternly, "don't take this as an oath, or anything like that. But..." She sighed deeply, "you aren't wrong. I feel... Very much the same way as you do. But we cannot. Do. Anything. Right now. All right?"
Harry's face broke into a smile, as bright and happy as the sunrise. Septima found herself smiling back in the exact same way.
"Finish this tournament," she said, "go on dates. If you still feel this way about me... Well... Then we can go from there. All right?"
Harry took her hands in his, and looked deeply into her eyes.
"Then I'll win, and survive, just for you," he promised. Septima couldn't help a giggle over that.
"You do have a way of making me feel like a schoolgirl again, I'll grant you that, Harry," she said. "Now, get going. You need your sleep, and so do I."
Harry grinned, and nodded... Before he leaned in and stole another kiss. Septima groaned, but couldn't resist returning it, She then shoved him away, making him fall out of the chair.
"OOF! Ow-!"
Septima giggled again, and shook her head.
"You're a horny little bugger, aren't you?" She asked. Harry looked up at her, and shrugged with a grin.
"Sorry," he said, clearly not meaning it at all. Septima sighed, helped him up, and pushed him away when he tried to pull her into another embrace.
"Get going, silly arse," she said. Harry smiled goofily, pulled on his invisibility cloak, and headed out into the night. Septima shook her head.
Septima shut the door tight, locked it, and put up several silencing charms. She then let her bathrobe slide off her body as she hurried to her bathtub, wand in hand.
"Damn you Harry Potter," she husked, as she set her wand to vibrate, "I'm going to have a lot more sleepless nights because of you."
She was still grinning as she said it though.
- - -
Neville was actually pretty knowledgeable about magical plants, and he'd happily told Harry about one that could help him out in the Second Task. So the two were doing some research in the Gryffindor Common Room, a few books and notepads spread out between them. It was to this gathering that Fred and George approached, proud smiles on their faces.
"Harry!"
"Mate!"
"Brother!"
"From another mother!"
"We don't know how you did it, but our hats off to you," Fred said with a gallant bow, one his twin copied almost immediately. Harry blinked in surprise.
"Uh, what-?"
"Truly, there's only one word for your situation," George said, giving Harry a thumbs up, "nice."
"Absolutely nice," Fred added.
They headed off, Harry and Neville watching them go in confusion. Harry looked over at his shy friend.
"Any idea what that was all about?" Harry asked.
"Not a clue," Neville said, shaking his head.
The strangeness of the day continued, as several upperclassmen he'd never met stopped by to congratulate him. Usually Harry would just clam up about this and hide from the weirdness, but he had confidence now. He was also dating the girl he knew could provide some answers.
"Parvati," Harry said, "I need you for a moment?"
Parvati smiled at her Yule Ball date, and gestured to an empty chair at her table. Lavender was also there, grinning broadly at Harry. He sat down, frowning deeply.
"Alone?"
"No problem," Lavender said, sliding out of her chair and heading off elsewhere in the Common Room. Harry looked at Parvati intently.
"Please tell me what's going on?" Harry asked wearily. Parvati smiled, and rested a hand over his.
"Oh, it's stupid really," she scoffed, "not started by us."
"So it's a rumor?" Harry sighed, "what is it?"
"It's no big deal, really-!"
"Parvati," Harry growled, as he channeled a bit of magic to his eyes. He had a lot more control over it thanks to his training, and he was able to make them almost glow. Parvati stared, mesmerized by his power.
"The boys think that you're shagging Professor Vector," she said at last. Harry choked.
"What?!"
"Oh come on Harry," Parvati laughed, squeezing his hand, "you know how rumors work! It's ridiculous! I mean, she's the prettiest witch on staff and she's giving you private training for the Tournament! Of course boys think you're doing something naughty with her!"
"I-Y-Yeah, yeah," Harry said with a nod, his heart beating hard. Parvati smiled knowingly, her eyes intense.
"But," she said, "I also saw how she looked at you during the Ball. And how you two danced."
Harry froze, feeling as cold as stone. Parvati again chuckled.
"It's all right, Harry! Not that I don't like the intense look in your eyes-it's kind of a turn on-but calm down. I know you're not really doing anything. And neither is she!"
"Ah, yeah, no, we're not," Harry said, maybe a little too quickly but Parvati was incredibly talented at flustering him.
Parvati sighed, and held her hands to her cheeks in a swoon.
"Oh, how can I compete against such a beautiful older woman?" She cried, holding the back of her hand to her forehead, "I'm totally outclassed!"
"N-No! No, you aren't!" Harry insisted. "I-I just... Ya know..." He shrugged. "She does mean a lot to me, since she's taught me so much. But so do you."
Parvati stared at him, a genuine blush on her dark cheeks. She leaned over and gave Harry a kiss on the lips, which he reciprocated.
In all honesty, Parvati was a great person once he'd gotten over his funk and paid her some attention. She was funny, pretty, insightful, kind... He was very glad she was his date for the Yule Ball, really. And perhaps more in the future.
Still...
"Thank you Harry," Parvati said, after she took a few breaths, "I-I know. And I know you're... Really bad at socializing."
"Completely," Harry agreed with a laugh. Parvati giggled, and slid to a chair nearer to him. She bumped her hips against his.
"But I like teaching such eager students," Parvati whispered. Harry blushed brightly.
Well... Septima had told him to date other girls. Now that he had some distance and time, he did appreciate her logic.
Parvati certainly wasn't a downgrade, either. And in this year where he was imperiled at least three times? He was happy to have her as a friend.
"HARRY!"
Speaking of... Harry looked up at Ronald Weasley, who had stormed into the common room. He'd been running from the sound of his breathing, and Harry frowned in concern over his ginger friend.
"Ron? You okay mate?" He asked.
Ron shook his head in disbelief.
"Seriously mate? You made it with Professor Vector and didn't tell me?!" He cried.
There was much staring and giggling from other students. Harry managed a rather savage smile, as he reached up, grabbed Ron's shoulder, and yanked him into the seat next to his.
"I am not shagging her," Harry growled softly, his eyes now glowing dangerously, "she trained me and stood by me when almost no one else would."
He saw how hard Ron winced at that part, but Harry didn't care. He pressed on.
"If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be alive right now. So you're not going to say anything else like that about her, ever again. Got it?"
Ron nodded quickly.
"I-I'm really sorry Harry," Ron muttered, his face filled with remorse, "I really am. I..." He groaned and looked at the table, "I'm just stupid, all right? I shot off my mouth again and-Look, I'm really sorry. I should have known better."
Harry nodded back.
"Thank you Ron," he said. "I appreciate that. Look... You're my best mate. I just need you to act like it, all right? I've got enough on my plate right now. So please? Try to think more before you act?"
"I-I will," Ron said earnestly. "Really, I will! Hell, I'll start beating up anyone who says you are shagging the professor!"
Harry gave his best male friend a bemused smile.
"That's... Probably not as helpful, Ron, but thank you?" Harry managed. Ron nodded, looked over at Parvati, and his eyes widened in realization.
"Ah, right, well, you've got things to do, later, I guess," Ron muttered, getting up and heading off. Harry and Parvati watched him go.
"... Gotta say, that eye glowing trick is pretty hot," Parvati said with a saucy smile.
"It comes naturally," Harry admitted.
"Show me then," Parvati said, leaning in for another kiss. One Harry happily returned.
Unnoticed by either of them, Hermione Granger slipped out of an alcove and headed out the portrait door...
- - -
Septima was looking over papers submitted by her sixth year students, shaking her head. She made another red 'x' mark on a set of equations.
"Honestly, the transposition happens before, not after," she muttered.
"Septima! I hope I'm not interrupting?"
Septima looked up in shock. Albus Dumbledore stood in her office doorway, a smile on his lips, while purple stars danced over his baby blue robes.
"Oh, uh, not at all Headmaster! Please, come in!" Septima said, immediately rising to her feet. Dumbledore held up his hand, and she sat back down. He took a chair in front of her desk, and with a wave of his hand he closed the door behind him.
"Doing well I hope? Work is not too much for you?" Dumbledore asked. Septima shook her head, subconsciously avoiding looking directly into the man's eyes.
Just because he said he didn't abuse his power to read minds didn't mean he couldn't. Besides, her trust in the man had taken a bit of a hit this year.
"No, no, not at all," she said. "It's a shame-My classes just seem to keep getting smaller."
"It is, yes," Dumbledore said with a nod, "but I'm glad you've kept up your academic work. I read your last paper on Lagrangian calculations in the use of Portkey Tracing. Very intriguing."
"Why thank you Headmaster," Septima said, honestly pleased. She knew the headmaster was buttering her up, but she could tell he was sincere about it.
"Which brings me to the point of my visit, yes?" Dumbledore said, potentially sensing her unease. He looked at her directly. "Would you prefer I be blunt, or try to spare your feelings?"
"Blunt, please," Septima stated. Dumbledore nodded.
"That is your usual choice. Has been since you were a student here," he said. He sucked in a deep breath. "There are some unfortunate rumors going about regarding your relationship with Harry Potter."
Septima slowly nodded.
"I am aware, sir," she said calmly. Dumbledore glanced up at her, and nodded.
"Are you all right, Septima?" He asked.
The Artihmancy professor gave him a wan smile.
"It's nothing new," she admitted, "you do recall Bill Weasley proposing to me at his Final Feast?"
Dumbledore chuckled fondly.
"Oh yes. Who could forget? As hard as I work to prevent contraband from getting into the dorms, we would have far fewer interesting stories without smuggled in firewhiskey."
"I suppose so, sir," Septima allowed. "I take it you're concerned about the rumors given how much attention is on Harry right now?"
"I'm more concerned with the welfare of my staff and students, really," Dumbledore said. "And I know you, Septima. You would not cross that line with a student."
"No! No, of course not," Septima said quickly. Too quickly. Dumbledore was silent, staring at her. She shook her head. "Headmaster... Sir, you know I would never take advantage of a student."
"... But?" Dumbledore asked. Septima's eyes narrowed, even as a cold weight dropped into her stomach.
"But nothing," she stated, "I will admit I do care about Harry. Perhaps more than a teacher should for their student, but-but it isn't like that, Professor. I assure you. He's more like... A little brother, who dearly needed a big sister to help him."
She locked her eyes on the professor's cheeks.
"If you think I have overstepped my bounds with him in any way-!"
"No, no," Dumbledore soothed, "I don't think that. Lord knows, the boy has had a hard life. In all honesty, I wish other teachers would show the same initiative to help struggling students more often."
Dumbledore slowly nodded, and sighed.
"You have a very good heart, Septima," Dumbledore said, "that is why I hired you. An incredible mind and a strong heart. Both qualities we need, now more than ever."
"Yes sir," she said. Dumbledore gave her a twinkly eyed smile.
"Please, continue to instruct Harry privately," he said, "I have no objection to it as long as it does not interfere in your other duties."
"Of course sir," Septima said, smiling far more genuinely. Dumbledore rose and headed to the door. He opened it, and then paused.
"Of course," he said, "when he graduates, I'm sure no one would object to you two being together."
"Headmaster!" Septima gasped in astonishment. "Th-That's sexual harassment! And highly presumptuous!"
Dumbledore chuckled, and waved his hand.
"You are free to file the complaint. Just so you know."
"Hmph," Septima grumbled, fighting the blush to her cheeks. Dumbledore waved goodbye, and headed out.
Septima stared at her papers, getting her feelings back in order.
"Nothing gets past that man," she huffed.
Outside, a bushy haired Gryffindor, blushing furiously in disbelief and outrage, slunk away quickly.
- - -
The Second Task was only slightly less harrowing than the First. On one hand, Harry wasn't directly fighting some kind of dangerous creature.
On the other, he was going deep underwater to rescue a hostage.
"I am beginning to see why we don't allow parents to visit the school," Septima muttered to Aurora, as they sat in the stands in the freezing February weather.
"Yes, I imagine they would throw fits," Aurora agreed, shivering a bit before she cast a warming charm on her robes. "Ah, that's better. So! How'd you get Potter's gillyweed?"
"Mail order via Longbottom's uncle," Septima explained, as she watched Harry's progress on one of the large magical screens projected overhead. "He got two doses, for two hours, just in case."
Harry had gotten caught in an ambush of Grindylows, but Harry began casting hexes every which way to chase them off. He then kept swimming, hard, all the way to the merpeople's underwater village. It was mostly white huts of stone, with tamed grindylows serving as pets. The hostages were tied to a large statue or altar of some kind in the center, all under an enchanted sleep.
"What's he doing?" Aurora muttered, "shouldn't he be freeing just his hostage?"
Harry was quickly swinging his wand, the Diffindo curse lashing out at the ropes tying all the hostages: Cho Chang, Hermione Granger, Parvati Patil, and a little blonde girl who looked related to Fleur Delacour. The merpeople tried to interfere, but Harry fired off a few warning shots and they fled from him. Septima shook her head in some disbelief, a smile on her face.
"He's trying to rescue them all," she chuckled. "He can be far too heroic sometimes."
Harry then twirled his wand in a complicated pattern, and large bubbles began to pop out of his wand. Many in the audience gasped as the bubbles completely encapsulated each hostage, and they began floating upwards to the surface.
Aurora raised an eyebrow at Septima, a knowing smile on her lips. Septima scowled.
"What?" She demanded.
"Bullesco? The Transport Bubble charm?" Aurora asked, "I believe that's one of your personally developed spells?"
"And?" Septima huffed. "I've invented a few spells of my own. It's what you do for an Arithmancy Mastery. It's public knowledge. What are you trying to say?"
"Oh, nothing~," Aurora chuckled, "just enjoying how fetching you look with red cheeks."
"It's the cold," Septima muttered.
Harry cast the same spell on himself, and rose up quickly. The rest of the hostages breached the water, all of them waking up and trying to swim. Harry got there just after, and he and the Granger girl helped the small blonde girl to shore.
Ludo Bagman was beside himself, as the crowds cheered.
"Once again, Harry Potter defies expectations and is the quickest to complete the task! He also saved ALL the hostages! What an incredible feat of magic-Uh oh," Ludo paused as Harry fell flat on his face on the shore, "there's a problem-The med witches are going in..."
"Oh God damnit," Septima cursed. She got up and rushed down the stands. She ran towards Harry, picking up her skirts. Aurora followed, keeping pace. They reached Harry, who was having trouble breathing as Madam Pomfrey ran her wand over him.
"Professor," said one of the Tournament volunteers, "you're not allowed to-"
"He's suffering from the bends!" Septima shouted. Pomfrey looked up at Septima, and then to the volunteer.
"Let her through!" She ordered. Septima was on Harry's side in an instant, running her own wand over him. Pompfry shook her head and glared at Septima.
"Let me guess, you taught him that trick?" She asked.
"I didn't think he'd use it to get himself back up!" Septima insisted. She waved her wand, and cast a Pressure Equalizing Spell. He was encased in a thin, translucent body shell. "That should help."
"I'll handle his blood work in the Hospital Wing," Pomfrey said. She shook her head and glared at Septima, "and maybe someday the professors of this bloody school will stop endangering their students!"
Septima watched Harry go, feeling empty and cold. As if the weather wasn't bad enough.
"He'll be okay, Professor," Parvati said, "Harry's tough."
"Y-Yeah," added Hermione, her teeth chattering, as she watched her best friend go up, "he-he'll be fine! I'm sure of it!"
"Yes, you're right," Septima said with a sigh.
- - -
She visited him later in the Hospital Wing. More than a few well wishers had already been there, and left cards, candy, and notes. Harry looked up, still a bit bleary eyed.
"Professor...?" He managed.
"Hey Harry," she said with a smile. She reached out and squeezed his hand, "I'm afraid I forgot what happens to nitrogen in a human body when you undergo rapid changes in water pressure. For that, I am very sorry."
"N-No, no, it's okay," Harry managed. "I'm... I'm fine now..."
"I know," Septima allowed, "but I expect you to be much more careful in the future. Understand?" She gave him a stern look, and Harry managed an obedient nod. She sighed. "Good."
"Haven't forgotten," Harry said softly, "about... winning... And after."
Septima pinched his cheek, hard. He winced.
"Ow!"
"Don't say things like that," she huffed. She shook her head, and ruffled his hair as an apology. He sulked a bit, but looked intently up into her eyes.
"I meant what I said," he declared.
"I know," she said, "and so did I."
Harry smiled, and nodded back.
"I know," he murmured. Septima sighed, and leaned over. She planted a kiss on his forehead.
"Stupid git," she muttered. Harry pushed himself up, and planted another kiss on her lips. "Ah! Harry!"
He flopped back down, the exertion very taxing to him. He still grinned.
"Nngh... Worth it," Harry managed with a wince. She slapped his arm for that.
"Ow! That too..."
Septima shook her head again, groaning softly.
"You're going to give me gray hairs," she stated, exasperated.
"You'd still be beautiful," Harry teased back.
"Hmph, yes I would," Septima chuckled. She did peck his cheek. "Now rest."
"Okay..."
Septima turned and headed for the door... Only to hear someone shift their weight behind her in squeaky shoes. She spun around, wand out...
Hermione Granger was staring back, red faced, but determined.
"Professor Vector," she stated calmly, "I think we need to have a talk."
Oh bugger...
