Author's Note: Rest in peace, Dame Maggie Smith. The legendary actress and woman who perfectly brought the wonderfully fierce character of Deputy and later, Headmistress Minerva McGonagall to life for all of us. Thank you for your excellent work in the films, and may your soul rest in peace.
Thank you so very much for all the reviews and love you showed to my fic. I am glad that you liked my work. Even a simple "Good work, Dev." Works wonders for my motivation.
Next three chapters, and my super secret Discord server (Beware: Loads of Smut. Yeah, porn, lol đ ), check the Ending note.
Hearty thanks and congratulations to our first seven members of Guildmaster tier: Camo, I am Lord Dems, Stormf0x, RyanMK666, Lyrical, Tyler and HadesReynes.
"I am Talking."
'I am Thinking'
Spells
Our willingness to wait reveals the value we place on what we're waiting for.
~ Charles Stanley
INNOVATOR
-Dev Sagittarius Black
~~Chapter 35: A Night to Remember~~
.
"Wizard." An authoritative voice with a slight vibration at the end came from behind the merman, who had started to feel the fear that was slowly clouding his mind and made his heart tremble. He immediately shifted to the side and floated a bit back so that he could make way for the one who had called Harry out.
"Merman," Harry reiterated, looking at the larger merman who had approached them. He was larger than the one who had stopped him before, his physique was also covered in some glittering jewels and he wore fancy clothing made of different seaweeds as well as animal skin that inhabited the lake, even his trident was a lot bigger and sharper as well as more polished and smoother than the ones Harry had seen around them.
"You are in uncharted waters, spawn of two-legs, and you are not welcomed here at all." The larger merman replied in relatively perfect english. "I am the commander of this force, and this will be my first and last warning to you." The gills at the sides of his neck flared as he glared at Harry, "Leave, without the veela."
"Your warning has been taken, understood, and rejected, commander of the force." Harry smiled nonchalantly, he had faced a lot more stronger and numerous group of monsters, and here a fucking merman with his twenty small fries was trying to intimidate him. "And I am not going anywhere without the veela; if you really want to stop me, then you should know who you are messing with. I am not the average wizard who'd be afraid by this stupid show of strength and numbers that you are putting up for me."
"You are clearly drunk on power; you don't know that the stick you two-legs wield isn't as effective as you think it is." He smirked, his black eyes glinting with malice as he looked at his shiny trident. "It would be a shame for you to die saving a veela of all creatures, one that won't even know a wizard died for her." He sneered in disgust.
Harry closed his eyes and, for the first time since he had returned, tapped the power of Death that resided inside him. He immediately connected with the being's power that was inside his heart and increased his magical sensor sheet that encompassed the two mermen in front of him, slowly infusing his power of Death in the sheet itself.
Just like Death had said, every living creature who breathed life also dwelled in the murky waters of death; all Harry had to do was find the waters and touch them.
And that's what he did.
The aquatic warriors and citizens of Poseidon, or the Merpeople as they were called today, had been hunters since the time the Greek god of oceans and seas took them under his rule. And multi-millennia of hunting as well as fighting wars had honed their animalistic sense to discern danger to the highest degree.
It was this sensory ability that had helped them survive throughout their course of continuous wars and battles against various species that dwelled inside the aquatic kingdom, as well as other creatures that would harm them, their kith and kin.
And it was this sense that blared in their brains, screaming at them to run away as soon as they could from the monster that stood just a meter away from them. To rush back, leave everything behind, and just save their lives if they could. Even the ferocious beasts, and their arch-nemesis, the veelas, hadn't been able to make their hearts tremble in fear like that.
"Wh-what's this?" The commander stuttered, this was the first time in his entire life that he was feeling something like this and it was certainly coming from the wizard who he had supposedly cornered in his territory. "What are you doing, wizard?! Are you trying to threaten me? Threaten us?!"
"It's not a threat, commander; it's just a simple message which, I hope, you have received well." Harry smirked. "I am the threat. To not only your life but also the lives of all the mermen and mermaids who are here and more who would stand in my way." He released some of his magic and let it wash over the two, taking cruel pleasure in the way they shivered.
"Trust me when I say this. I will kill your entire brethren if even one of you dares to stop me, this village that you are responsible for guarding would be ravaged before a single one of you could even reach the surface." He pushed more of his magic in the waters around them. "Therefore, it's better to release the veela before I decide to fulfill my words."
Profound silence met his declaration; there was no one who wanted to go against a man who stood up to the commander even when he was in the enemy turf. They knew that he was dangerous and they knew that he wouldn't yield like others before him. They looked towards their commander, and even though the larger merman wasn't showing it, they could sense the fear in his heart.
"Alright-Alright!" The commander huffed, trying his best to save his image. "That veela isn't worth a single of my merman anyways. Just a quarter in power and from a minor clan no less." He turned away from Harry. "Take her away."
Harry pulled away from the power inside him and vanished his sensor sheet that had slowly started to cover the rest of the mermen around him. He smirked when he saw the two in front of him relax as if a tonne of load had been lifted from their chests.
He took a last look at the colony before he put an arm around Gabriele's waist and propelled himself in the direction of the docks. It was time to finally end the competition of the second task.
When Harry pulled out of the water the second time, his reception was slightly different than the first one.
For one, he didn't have to call for help because his brother was already waiting for him at the docks and immediately jumped in the water the moment he saw them. Secondly, there was a panicking Fleur who was being consoled by a troubled Blaise and Cho, both of whom had taken their seats around the hysteric veela as she cried for the safety of her dear sister, cursing herself for not being strong enough to save her sibling.
And then there was Dumbledore, who was busy conversing with a merman, probably one of the watchers who had been assigned to see that no one was actually harmed during the task. Harry knew that since the watcher was also a merman, he would have immediately forgone his promise and instead played his part in kidnapping Gabriele. The mermen were a vicious species who had been in war with the Veela clans for about a millennia, a single Headmaster had no power to control them, not when they could easily forgo the lake and move to other unknown locations.
Fleur was bawling as she hugged her sister; her baby blue eyes searched for Harry, and she immediately left the little veela as she rushed to meet him. The young man was tightly engulfed in a warm hug and received wet kisses on his cheeks from the emotional champion who continuously mumbled her thanks in his ear for saving both of their lives; he just waved it away only for her sister to join them in the hug.
Lastly there was his brother, who was being admonished by Madam Pomphrey for running into the water without being completely healed. The boy just shrugged when their eyes met, and sat on the makeshift bed that had been made for the champions in the healer's tent.
Of course there were also the reporters who were rapidly clicking his photosâthe people he hated most. In fact, looking at some of their eager faces, he knew that they would want to know a lot of thingsâmostly regarding why or how he was inside the lake, but there would be a few questions that would either be related to his inventions, politics, or even his love life.
"Mr. Potter!"
Harry waved the veela sisters away towards Madam Pomphrey and turned to look at one of the few people he didn't want to meet at all. "Mr. Bagman, was it? How may I help you?"
"Yes-yes, Mr. Potter, and please call me Ludo, I'd be most flattered if you did." The portly man smiled. "I am a big fan of yours, Mr. Potter; you know I even have newspaper cuttings ofâbut you probably don't want to hear about it, right? Right! Of Course. You know Mr. PotterâŚ."
Harry just ignored the man and looked at the scene that was unfolding behind him. It was quite interesting to watch the judges conversing furiously as they tried their best to pull themselves out of the quandary about something which was apparently related to Alan as they kept on glancing his way before muttering some more.
Dumbledore gave him a smile while Karkaroff threw his hands up in the air before moving away from the small group. It seemed that they had finally come to a conclusion regarding the results of the second task.
"...I mean, how else would I know, right?" Bagman laughed loudly, completely ignoring the fact that Harry hadn't even smiled. "Now, can you please stand with me and look at the camera? I-I would really like a picture of us together; I would even frame it for my living room wall and keep it beside my achievements as a beater for The Wasps."
Harry didn't want to be remotely associated with the former beater and current Minister for Sports, the man would probably use the photo to further his nefarious deals with the goblins or other shady organizations anyway. Thankfully, before he could say anything, Dumbledore took control of the situation by gaining everyone's attention with the prospect of announcing the results.
This gave the innovator an excuse to move towards the healer's tent and get himself dressed more appropriately. After all, there was no need to flash his drenched abs, not when he could feel the eyes of almost half the female population on him quite literally.
He took a quick glance in the direction where he saw Daphne and her friend. The girl was glaring at another group of girls dressed in light blue who were making bedroom eyes in his direction. 'Don't worry, they don't hold a candle to you.' He thought and immediately gave her a small smile when she accidentally turned to look at him. She smiled back, probably understanding what he wanted to say.
"So, with this, we can safely conclude our second task of the tournament." The Headmaster smiled. "I am glad that this time we didn't have any dragons, right? In fact, I have a good joke that I heard back when I was a student; it includes a dragon, a merman, and a flobberworm thatâ"
McGonagall cleared her throat and gave him a 'look'.
"Ah! Yes, maybe next time. I need to announce the results, after all." He smiled apologetically as the people laughed at his expense.
"With twenty-five points, Miss Delacour comes in fourth since she had failed to complete the task; therefore, she has been awarded points for her fantastic battle with the Grindylows and her never-ending desire to rescue a loved one." Dumbledore announced and smiled when people cheered for her.
"Miss Ashley Petrovia comes in third with an astounding score of forty points; her instinct with regards to the unforeseen hurdles in uncharted waters has not only impressed us but also others who watched her make her way through the seaweed forest. It was quite brave of her to swim close to the floor where there were chances of danger lurking beneath her."
People cheered loudly for her, yet Petrovia didn't even bother to smile. Her attention was solely focused on one person who was completely ignoring her. Even her friends, who used to cheer her up whenever she had one of her usual mood swings, had given up this time.
"With forty-five points, Mr. Cedric Diggory has attained the second position." Dumbledore smiled when he heard the loud cheers from his students. "His excellent use of tracking charms, as well as the quick thinking when he faced the giant squid, was remarkable."
"And finally, with a nearly perfect score of forty-nine points, Mr. Alandale Potter has scored first place in the task." The cheering was a lot more subdued, but it was there, and Alan smiled at those who smiled at him. "He not only fought the Grindylows for Ms. Delacour, even when he could've moved away, he also waited for his brother to come back and rescue young Gabriele. The show of affection and strong willpower has rightfully earned him his spot."
"So, now if we tally it up, then I can say that our first three contenders for the third task that will be held on the fifteenth of June are Mr. Diggory with eighty-three points, Ms. Petrovia with eighty points, followed by Ms. Delacour with sixty-five points, and lastly, we have Mr. Potter with forty-nine points who will be the final participant of the third task."
"Master, you called?"
The throne turned, and Bellatrix smiled when she saw that her master was sitting on it once more instead of ordering them around from his bed. It had been heartbreaking to see the all-powerful and all-consuming immortal Dark Lord stay still on the bed, being treated by the potions that Severus made for him.
When her lord didn't wake up from his recovery even after three days of the battle, she had been ready to march down to that accursed castle and kill Potter herself. Unfortunately there was no one to manage things in the manor, and she couldn't even think of her master healing completely if she left him to anyone other than herself.
After the fifth day, her master woke up, and the first thing he said was to never go against Potter and to announce to everyone that no one shall harm either of the Potters. They were his prey, and if anyone found either of them, then all they were to do was report it back.
Especially if they found the elder one. The instructions regarding him were 'Flight on the spot; do not confront.'.
In the beginning she was a bit dubious because she knew that Potter only lived because her master had been fighting Albus Dumbledore of all people for that long, and even after that it was two against one. But then her master clarified that if Potter hadn't arrived, the outcome of that battle would have been way different than what it is now.
"Bella, my most faithful servant." Voldemort smiled. "How are things going with the new recruits?"
She bowed down in shame, "Not well, my lord. The news regarding the attack on Hogsmeade had made headlines everywhere, which has made everyone dubious about joining our cause. They are starting to believe in Potter and Dumbledore's cause more and more, and then there's also the fact that Lucius is still missing."
"Our people in the ministry, what did they say?"
"Lucius has been witnessed talking with the minister, and Amelia Bones, but he never takes the common route; he doesn't take the Lord's chamber, and all attempts to talk to him have been fruitless." She sighed, "It's like he vanishes right after his work is done."
"Anything else regarding our missing friend?" He asked, his mind working rapidly to assess the damage Lucius' sudden departure would cause.
"We don't know for sure, my lord," she admitted. "But there are chances that he has emptied his vaults as well. The goblins are keeping this under wraps, and Parkinson has only been able to learn that Lucius has transferred all his funds and everything except this manor to some separate account."
"That might be a bit problematic." Voldemort frowned. "Tonight I will send him a letter on my own; he hasn't been responding to the calls either. For now, I have a new task for you."
Bella bowed deeply, "Anything for you, my Lord."
"Take about ten of the new recruits and start attacking the places that we have marked." He smiled with malice in his blood-red eyes. "It's time to regain the terror that Lord Voldemort's name brought with itself."
Bellatrix couldn't help anymore; she shuddered at the feeling of utter carnage that clouded her mind as she cackled gleefully. Her raspy laughter echoing in the throne room of her master.
"You're looking good, Master Harry Potter, sir." The little elf squeaked, his large bright green eyes shone appreciatively, "Master Potter doesn't need to worry; Master's miss likes him."
"I know she does, Dobby, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't dress myself for her, right?" Harry replied, fixing his tie for the umpteenth time as he looked at his reflection in his bedroom mirror. "Only a fool would take a woman he loves for granted, and I am many things but I do not plan to be a fool anymore than I already have been."
His eyes fell on the latest issue of The Prophet, and he sighed at the front page that showed Minister Fudge trying his level best to calm down everyone. He really needed to know why Fudge was doing all this instead of amplifying his auror and hitwizard forces; maybe ask a few UFOs to help the government with handling Voldemort and his raids that had started at the beginning of the month.
According to the newspaper, Voldemort's recent raid had been yesterday night, where the wizards burned and looted a muggle village in the countryside. It was his third raid this month, and there was no one stopping the evil wanker. ''If not for the Guild and the 'other' plan, I don't think we would have been able to stop this mad man's leaps against wizardkind and humanity as whole.' he though but didn't say anything about it.
"Don't think about the letters, Master Harry Potter, sir; Dobby will take care of them all." The elf nodded, misassuming his master's vision to be on the stack of letters that were beside the newspaper. "Today great master didn't receive that many either; it's just ten."
"Don't remind me, Dobby." Harry groaned, thinking about the heaps of letter that he had received almost everyday since the second task. "I just hope that with time they will forget about it completely; I really don't want whatever they are offering." He sighed before he remembered something, "What happened to the one who said she wouldn't eat till she...ugh...slept with me?"
"Dobby told her that Master Poter sir is only fifteen, and that she will have to stay hungry for three years if she wishes to sleep sleep with great Master."
"DOBBY! What are youâ"
But then the little creature started laughing loudly, holding his stomach as if he were in pain that was defied by the loud cackle and merry eyes on his elfish face, "Dobby is just pulling master's leg, Master Potter, sir." He told the young mage, "Dobby convinced the woman to quit her fast because Master Harry Potter isn't interested; she still wanted something from the great Master, so Dobby gave her master's shirt that master wore a few months ago and never touched again."
Harry blinked at that, so there was one of his many shirts missing? No problem at all, there were a lot more which still had their lapels on them, "Just tell me if she's eating again? I don't want some stupid drama over something so trivial."
"Yes, master Harry Potter, sir." The elf smiled. "Now, Master Potter sir shouldn't be worrying about other women tonight; focus on Miss Greeny and leave everything to good elf Dobby."
"Yeah, thanks for that, Dobby." Harry affectionately patted the elf's bald head. "I don't know what I'd have done without you."
"Dobby lives to serve master." The elf said as he raised Harry's beautiful black jacket with a silver trim, which would complete the three-piece ensemble that had especially been ordered by Sirius for really special occasions.
Harry pushed his arms in the sleeves before closing the silver buttons. He took one final look at himself in the mirror, making sure that his usually wavy hair was clean and immaculate. He had showered twice and even used Sleekeazy's hair potion, which was a special product made for a Potter by a Potter to tame their trademark messy black locks.
The moment he stepped on the seventh floor, he checked his watch; he was fifteen minutes early, but that was only because no matter how much he tried to control it, his heart was beating loudly in his chest. For the first time ever, he was actually getting jitters in facing something so trivial that it would have usually made him laugh in embarrassment.
Who would have thought that going on a simple date would make him this nervous? Not him, that's for sure. Stillâas he thought about itâhe found himself wishing for another Hungarian horntail to face, or even the immortal weapons of mass destruction that he had received from the Realm of Death. Atleast, at that time, he was sure that all he had to do was slay them. But a date? He had no idea what to do, or what not to do.
After all, this was his first actual date, and no matter how many love letters he had received or women he had indulged in a conversation with at all the previous galas and dances, this was the first time where he felt like he actually wanted to impress someone. The feeling was both thrilling, and yet it was frightening. Could he really like someone?
Actually, the question wasn't that, no. What he really wanted to know was did a person like himâwith countless murders on his handsâdeserve the love of a girl like Daphne? Did he deserve her at all? What if this was all a dream and he was still a small boy, frail and weak and shivering in the cold dungeons of the Morte Tower? What if this was an illusion? A dream of hope that would end the moment he thought about happiness?
'No!' He frantically shook his head. 'She is real. I am real, and what...what we have, is real. As real as everything else around us.' He closed his eyes, thinking about the girl he was about to go on a date with, the very same girl who had been with him in almost all of his worst moments ever since she found him crying that night all alone in the astronomy tower five years ago. The one person who had collected his broken piecesâthe ruptured, torn and burned onesâand had diligently joined them together to make the person he was now.
Somewhere deep inside his heart, he knew that he owed everything he had to the girl. And that nothing he would ever do would equal the good deeds that she had done for him.
He knew that Daphne already liked him, but for some reason he wanted to prove it to her, or maybe himself, that he was worth the amount of affection that she poured in him, and of course, the amount of tears that she had to spend for his sake. He told himself that it was just due from the time that she had started to pull him in unused classrooms, and now he was in the debt of her affections, but he already knew that it was debt that he would never be able to repay completely...
"You're early, Potter."
Harry turned to meet the person who had just called him out; apparently there were others too who knew about his special night with Daphne. He gave a small smile when he saw who it actually was.
"Davis." He nodded and then his eyes fell on her companion, "And the youngest Greengrass as well; pleasure to meet you in better circumstances than the Hospital wing."
Tori blushed a bit, her cheeks gaining the slightest tint of rosy red as she remembered the last time they had met when she had boasted about Vector praising her and comparing her to be almost as fast with equations as the eldest Potter. It was an embarrassing moment, one that she would probably never forget, not if Daphne and Tracey had anything to do with it.
"I hope you know how much this means to my sister," Astoria began, trying her best to rid herself off the blush as she glared at the taller boy. "I am not interested in hearing her stories about this one special evening, but I also don't want her to regret coming here. Am I understood?" She asked, putting her hands on her waist as she had seen her mother do a million times before when she wanted something done immediately.
"You are." He nodded, smiling a bit at the way Astoria glared at him. "And trust me when I say that this evening matters to me as much as it matters to her. I will make sure that she leaves happy and smiling, and her tears, if any, are only from happiness instead of sorrow."
Astoria nodded in satisfaction, but Tracey had a few more questions to ask of the eldest Potter; she wanted to know the reason behind the sudden change in his behaviour. For years she had witnessed the exchange between him and Daphne, and even though she was happy for her friend, the sudden change in the cold Potter heart seemed quite fishy to her.
"You want to know why I suddenly changed my mind, right?"
She nodded, not that surprised by his correct deductions. "Don't get me wrong, I am happy for DaphâI really am. But no offence, Potter, the change in your behaviour is quite abrupt to be true. And I don't want to be her crying shoulder, not again."
"It's understandable. If I were in your shoes, I'd worry about my friend too." Harry nodded, thinking about Blaise and his goofy antics, he didn't show much but if something happened to his former roommate then he would do everything in his power to destroy the cause that would push the joyful boy to sadness.
"'Then you wouldn't be too upset if you were to answer my doubts, right?"
"It took me some time to realise that I was being an idiot." He grinned at her incredulous expression, "You remember about those assassination attempts on my life when I still lived in Ravenclaw dorms?" He continued when she nodded, Tori looked a bit confused since she wasn't there when they happened. "I thought that the ones who were after me would harm my close ones as well, therefore I assumed that I could protect them by keeping them away from myself. In truth, that just made them more susceptible to danger."
"And Daphne was one of these people you were trying to protect?"
"One of the closest ones, yes." Harry nodded.
"So all this timeâŚ" Tracey muttered, quite surprised that Potter was actually working for the benefit of her friend rather than to simply push her away for being a bit too forward with her affections. It was refreshing, and as much as she wanted to, she couldn't fault the boy for trying to think of such a way to protect Daphne. Of course, it didn't help that they didn't know about it, and thought wrongly of the young man.
"There are certain organizations that are after me, Davis, dangerous organizations that want something from me. In the past they had not been afraid to use someone really close to me, and they would do it again if they had the chance." Harry sighed, stopping his explanation so as not to divulge too much about The Council. "So I thought that the only way to protect her and everyone else was to keep them away. At least till the time I could protect them on my own."
"And that time has come?" She asked, sceptical of a boy who was her age. "I mean, not to be pessimistic or anything, but what if someone did use Daphne to get to you? What would you do then?"
He surprised her again with the smile that graced his handsome features as he spoke, "I am a very possessive man, Davis. And anyone who would even dare to come near one of mine will have their world torn asunder." Tracey had to control herself so that she wouldn't run away when his bright green eyes glowed with thinly restrained power, and his smile became feral.
Suddenly she was reminded that the boy, no matter their age, was actually the first one who had been titled as the Dragon Slayer; was the only person who had quite literally scared the shit out of the Dementors who had come to feast on their souls, and had not only fought the infamous Dark Lord Voldemort but also defeated him in a head-on battle just a few months ago.
'May magic feel pity on the ones who cross Harry Potter, because he certainly won't.' She thought, somewhat satisfied that her friend was going to be with such a fiercely protective and powerful mage, and that nothing disastrous would befall her at all.
Baby blue eyes glittered merrily as light was reflected from them, the gorgeous girl took a deep breath and steeled her nerves, trying to control the excitement and anxiety that had been eating her up whole night. She looked at herself in the mirror once more and smiled at what she saw. 'Finally! It's just us, Harry.' She flicked her wand and shrank the mirror before she picked it up and placed it in her small blue leather purse with the expansion charm that held a multitude of items.
Daphne left the small alcove that sheâand her friendsâhad turned to a vantage point where they would wait for Harry since she had poked them incessantly to reach the venue atleast twenty minutes early. She checked herself once more, smiling at the anticipatory feeling that bubbled up inside her heart before she turned the corner and found Harry near the doorway of the Room of Requirement, quite busy conversing with Tacey and Tori.
'And they had gone to interrogate him..' Daphne shook her head in amusement; she already knew that there was nothing to investigate in the first place. Still, she had agreed to it because it gave her time to prepare herselfânot that she needed itâand also satisfied their curiosities regarding the one guy whom she had loved all her life. She just hoped that her three most precious people at Hogwarts would be able to get along after this, it might be a bit difficult for Tori as the littlest of the Greengrasses was quite a private person, and ferociously protective of her small circle that she associated with, still she hoped that one day she took would come to see Harry as a part of their family.
"If the introductions are over," she announced herself, smiling at the way Harry's eyes immediately turned to look at her in astonishment. "Can we proceed?"
The innovator couldn't help himself, his eyes widened when he saw the beautiful girl who had just joined their conversation. Dressed in a soft blue gown that matched perfectly with her baby blue eyes and flowed through her waist in waves. The pearls that had been sewed around on her sleeves, and the floral nets at the base with the deep neck that showcased her growing breasts. All of it combined with her face that was as radiant as ever, she looked absolutely gorgeous.
"How do I look?" Daphne asked him, doing a small twirl for him to see her from all sides.
"BeautifulâŚ." He whispered. "Wow, I feel underdressed now." He admitted, blushing a bit when he looked at his own suit.
The girls giggled at his predicament, and shared a hug as well as a few words from Tracey, that made Daphne push the giggling girl away. Finally, the youngest Greengrass pulled her sister's friend away from her, and with a last waved goodbye, they left the two birds alone.
"SoâŚ" Harry began, not knowing what to say or do.
"So." Daphne smiled and paused just like he had.
"There are quite a few things that I want to say, but first would you like to join me tonight, Miss Greengrass?" Harry said and offered the crook of his arm, which she gladly took.
"Ready to be blown, Mr. Potter?" She couldn't keep the smile off her face before her eyes widened. "I meanânot that, obviously! What I meant wasâŚ" she began but then grinned when she found him frowning cutely. "I take it, you didn't understand anything, right?"
"I only understood that you said something dubiousâwhich I would like to know, by the way," he added and found her grinning. "But no, I don't know what you meant." He shrugged. "Was that something I should have known?"
"Technically yes, but I am somewhat glad that you don't." She tightened her hold on his arm, and the two started walking towards the large doors of the Room of Requirement.
"And why would that be?"
"Because that way I could spoil you first." She grinned, "After all, don't you know that the best husbands are the ones who have been trained by their wives."
Daphne grinned when she noticed through the corner of her eyes the slight rose that tinted his cheeks, he was the guy in this and usually it's the guy who makes the girl blush but she enjoyed how easily she could reverse the tables with him. She looked once more at his handsome face before she opened the doors herself and walked into the ballroom that was requested by her for one of the most important nights of her life.
The large doors led to an opulent ballroom with an extravagant crystal chandelier that hung from the invisible ceiling, which showed the clear night sky above them. Its many small crystals reflected the light that came from the hundreds of floating candles around them, which dusted the entire room in a faint golden glow with the white marble floor was shining under it. The dusky golden and white walls of the ballroom matched with the golden flowers and crystal statues that hung from ceiling at periodic intervals, and then there were the benches that had been placed around the central floor that was directly beneath the large chandelier.
There was a large magical gramophone that he had seen a few times in the rarely used music room, and a few records around it that were placed on the large white marble table. A small mocktail bar had been made on the far side of the room, along with a punch bowl and a few snacks around a table with two seats for them.
The beauty of the grand ballroom was magnified when it was combined with the tall gilded glass windows that showcased the large expanse of land around Hogwarts, which bloomed with the beauty of springtime. Even the atmosphere inside wasn't too cold, or too warm, it was ambient for them including the sweet aroma of cherry blossoms and roses and jasmines that wafted languidly around them.
"What's all this, Daphne?" Harry asked her, astonished that the girl had gone to such lengths for the night.
"I had planned all this, though I did have some help." She admitted, a small blush tinged her fair cheeks. "Mostly from Dobby and Blaise, but Cho helped as well."
"AndâŚneither of them asked anything about why you wanted all this?" He asked her, a bit suspicious because he knew for a fact that his best mate would have grilled him mercilessly if that were the case.
"Why would they?" She threw back at him, but her eyes smiled with a hint of mischief.
"Daphâ"
"Like you said, Harry, everyone knows about the hug. And then they know that you visited me in the hospital wing; you brought me toâ"
"Alright, I get it. Sheesh!" Harry chuckled. "You know I am actually surprised that you are quitting that persona you worked so hard to make. I don't think boys are scared about asking you out anymore." He grinned as the two languidly moved towards the unblemished marble floor that was beneath the chandelier.
"Oh yes, they are; after all, the one guy that I 'agreed' to date is the one person who no one, not even Hogwarts graduates, would like to cross." Daphne grinned happily "You underestimate your name, Harry. I don't think there is anyone in the world who would like to cross wands with the infamous Dragon Slayer." She giggled at his groan.
"So you agreed to date me, eh?" Harry smirked lightly as they slowly disengaged. "Well, I, for one, am quite glad that you did." He held her right hand in his, and his left went towards her slim waist.
Daphne blushed at the closeness of their faces; the possessiveness of his hand around her waist made her shiver with anticipation. She had been wrong about pep talking her through her anticipation before, because no amount of preparation and dreams about this moment could have prepared her for the actual thing. Her heart felt like it was beating a thousand times a minute, and any moment it would burst out of her chest.
"Shall we?" Harry tightened his grip on her waist, interlacing his fingers with hers as he looked down at her shining sapphire eyes that were positively glittering with unbound happiness. Finally, she gave an excited nod, and he waved his fingers to start the music.
Slowlyâat firstâas if taking tentative steps together, and then with tune to the softly playing song in the background, the two started dancing together, lost in the melodies and their company. Neither seemed to realise the passage of time as they moved in circles.
Sometimes Harry would take the lead, and Daphne would follow without question, and then there would be songs where they would seamlessly switch roles and he would just smile, moving in tune with her as she guided him through it. For the next half-an-hour, neither of them said anything as they let their eyes talk, expressing their pent-up emotions as much as they could. A hundred words, a thousand feelings, and a million emotions that not even words could've expressed were fluently passed between the two lovers by the mere connection of their eyes.
"I never knew that you could dance so well, Harry." She told him as he twirled her thrice and then held her close as she did a small jump around him before they were back to their first stance. "I always thought you were too busy for such frivolous things."
"I was, yes." He nodded, "But then Sirius assured me that there would be certain dances that I won't be able to avoid, and then there would be certain people who would want toâin his wordsâ 'put me in place'." He lightly shrugged, his legs moving in tandem with hers as she did a half dip. "So, it's better to learn a few dances than to miss the things completely. Bloody idiot hired a tutor who trained me for two hours everyday through two summer holidays."
Daphne giggled at how frustrated he sounded, as if to him dancing was the most displeasing thing to do in the entire world, and he would rather think about his inventions than waste his time twirling a woman in his arms. She ducked a bit as he twisted their hands so that she could walk around him before she leaned towards him, and his arms encircled her waist as they slowly swayed to the music. This was probably the best night in her Hogwarts years to date, and she wanted to make the most out of it.
"That's quite perceptive of your godfather." She agreed. "You know, if possible, I would like to meet him some day. I mean, not now obviously, but some day when the two of you are ready to meet me and my family."
"And what about you?" He asked, surprising her with his question. "What if you, or your family aren't ready by the time we are?"
"Trust me, Harry, I am always ready to meet your family." She smiled. "I have waited for quite some time, and now that you've finally agreed to it, I don't want to waste even a single moment without you. And my family..." She grinned, "Mom thinks of you as her son, and dad couldn't stop singing your praises whenever your name comes out during our lunches or dinners."
Harry nodded; he knew that she was telling the truth, and if not for certain things, he would have already asked Sirius and Dobby to clean the Black Manor so that he could fulfil her wish. But there were certain variables in his life, things that he didn't have any control over no matter how much he tried.
And one of them was his own life.
Harry knew that he had prepared extensively for the battles that were about to come; wars that he was bound to fight in. He also knew that it was important for him to always be on alert till all of his enemies had been slain, but unless he actually achieved that point, he couldn't lay back and live the life he wanted. He couldn't promise her things that he himself didn't have any control over.
"I am not asking for you to do that today." She leaned towards his chest and placed her palm where his heart was beating. "I know that you are busy, you have many things to do, and there are people who you told me about, but I want you to keep this as an option once everything is clear."
"You don't have to worry about that, Daphne." He smiled down at her as his hands tightened around her waist. "Once everything is done, the first thing I'll do is go to Greengrass Manor and ask Cygnus for your hand. But right now things aren't favourable; even now, deep down, I am afraid that I am endangering your life byâ"
"ShhhâŚ" She placed her finger on his lips. "I know, you have told about that before. And I want you to know that you aren't doing any of that. I am quite a capable witch, Harry. I trained for months so that I could hold my ground against anyone who wishes you harm through me, and even then I will take ultimate precaution regarding my life and the safety of my family."
He sighed, "Sorry for making you go through with all this, but the people I am against would use anything they could to hurt me. And their favourite tactic is to torture the ones closest to me." He admitted, inhaling her soft aroma of lavender that caressed his nose buds.
"Awww, did you just admit I am one of your closest?" She turned her head up to look into his eyes, trying to lighten the atmosphere around them. "How close do you think I am?"
His emerald pools looked down at her beautiful face that was mere inches away from him, looking at him through her wide blue eyes that were alight with several emotions, including joy, anticipation, and relief, but most of all, he could see the unfathomable love that she held for him. The same that she had been holding on to for years, never backing down no matter how much he tried to push her away.
It was in this moment that he knew she was the one who he wanted with him throughout the rest of his life, and he would make it happen no matter what Voldemort, the council, or even the world did to them.
But right now there was something else that he needed to do, which if he didn't then he would regret for the rest of his existenceâno matter the other things which would have made it as grand as it was.
He released her waist and tucked in the stray lock of golden blonde that had come undone behind her ear before he held her small chin and tilted it up so that their faces were just a few centimetres away.
"H-HarryâŚ"
"ShhhâŚ" He silenced her, feeling the soft touch of the warm breath that caressed his lips as she whispered his name. "I want you to know, Daphne Greengrass, that no one, not even my own blood, is as close to me as you. AndâŚ"
He closed his eyes and dipped his head, smoothly traversing through the small gap between them as his lips finally touched hers in a gentle yet firm kiss that seemed to echo inside his very soul, just as it did in hers.
The two didn't care about anything and released all of their feelings in that one kiss, which had sealed their fates and entwined their destinies forever. Neither of the two had any experience, and yet it didn't matter at all as an unfathomable amount of energy coursed through their hearts, jolting their very being into pouring more of themselves in the first kiss of their shared lives.
Tears began to form in her eyes as she finally let herself relax in his strong arms that held her close. It had taken so much from her; she remembered the nights when she had cried to bed because Harry had been crying and she couldn't be with him. The times when he would reject her, no matter how much she tried. She remembered all the times when she had wished to be with him, and yet he had pushed her away because he wanted to suffer all alone.
She smiled in the kiss, holding him close, her hand moving through his combed hair, messing his soft locks as she held him as close to her as possible and poured all of her love and insecurities, her feelings and emotions, and her fear of losing him into the bond that had just formed between them.
Finally they released each other's lips, and Daphne hugged him tightly. She placed her head on his chest and listened to his heartbeat that was thumping as loudly and as fast as her own.
"...I love you." Harry whispered and leaned forward to give her another kiss, this time on her head, and held her close. He smiled when she snuggled closer, even if it wasn't possible anymore.
The tears that had formed in her eyes decided that it was finally time to drop down and free her from the weight that she had been burdening herself with since her first year. And even though she was crying, her smile couldn't have been any wider, and her eyes couldn't have shone anymore with love.
Only one thought simultaneously crossed their minds.
'The wait had definitely been worth itâŚ.'
Ending Note: There it was, the thirty-fifth chapter of INNOVATOR. Hope you loved reading the Haphne as much as I loved writing it.
Once more, all I ask of you is a simple word of encouragement for me. You don't know how much it pleased me in the last chapter, and the amount of motivation it gave to write more, and finish the story faster for you. Even a simple 'Good Work, Dev.' is appreciated, still..those who don't want to review, it's alright. I am glad that you liked my story enough to read this far. đ
The next three chapters and all the character sketches... are available on my p -treon.
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