Rise from the Ashes

by Paperpuscher 101

Fear and Idiocy saw him cast through the Veil by the people he saved not long before. After escaping his frozen prison with peculiar allies in tow he gets shown a bright new World of Magic inhabited by Fairies. A world whose surface blazes bright, masking the truth below with its blinding light.

17. Victim of Desire

Sorry for the long delay. This chapter would've been out much sooner, but stuff kept popping up and I wasn't really satisfied with it. Now I said f*ck it and simply published it.

I hope you all enjoy it.

---

Solaria, Ballroom of the Royal Palace.

Richly dyed tapestries dressed the walls of the massive room, which clearly was expanded magically. Its high ceiling alight with a single massive chandelier suspended by some arcane force. Though, it wasn't truly alight, but simply reflected sunlight streaming in from outside. Wisps of cerulean energy twirled around the massive crystal that cast a prismatic glow on the guests mingling below.

In one corner, chamber musicians played a serenade to which no one danced. People instead milled about in their selective circles, quiet voices exchanging gossip and favours relevant only to the wealthiest and most scandalous of Solaria.

At the wall to their left two symmetrical staircases went up to meet at an opening concealed by huge purple curtains. A wide central walkway started there and bisected the room into dance floor and feast hall, leading to the raised table at the far end, sitting on a dais and clearly reserved for the royal family of Solaria. Several high-backed chairs stood behind it, and a vast mural covered the wall they stood before, depicting ancient battles. Long tables and chairs lined one side of the walkway of this high-ceilinged chamber. Further away, behind the benches were smaller tables meant for less important guests.

On each table every goblet and piece of silverware had been polished to a mirror sheen, every servant ready to attend at a second's notice. The kitchen and wait staff were prepared to dole out endless hors d'oeuvre and drinks to those attending the gala hosted within the cavernous but ornate royal ballroom.

Both Harry and Bloom strolled inside easily, catching some looks from the other guests, and the murmurs following in their wake.

"Ignore them." Harry whispered his advice upon seeing Bloom frowning at those tittering their way, guiding her to one of the smaller tables for privacy.

The redhead nodded with a weak smile. "I'll try, but it's easier said than done." it wasn't that long ago when she didn't even know all this existed. Then she had been just another ordinary teenage girl on Earth. Until that fateful day when she met Stella by chance, that is. Not to mention that she still had the unpleasant taste from her meeting with Erendor sitting in her stomach.

"Well, I guess it is understandable that they're drawn to your radiant beauty, much like moths to a flame." he told her with that lopsided, roguish grin of his, emerald eyes twinkling mischievously. "After all, I'm much the same. When I look at you, it's like I've been put under some spell. And while I am experienced in the arcane arts I've never encountered such a rare enchantment as you before." Without warning he stopped in the middle of the ballroom, both hands grabbing her hips and pulling her body flush against his before he leaned in. Bloom's eyes briefly widened in surprise before closing in bliss as he kissed her full on the lips in front of everybody.

The Fairy of the Dragon's Flame lost herself in that kiss, the surrounding noise easily drowned out as her mind shut down briefly. She even slung her arms around his neck to deepen their embrace. Something that lasted an eternity and at the same time didn't last long enough, Bloom found.

"Sorry. I simply couldn't help myself from exploring that phenomenon some more." Harry smiled cheekily, not sounding sorry at all as he stroked her cheek softly with his fingers while looking at her with a smile. His hungry emerald eyes greedily drinking in her beauty before meeting her own cyan orbs.

Bloom swallowed heavily, returning with her own fiery gaze, feeling that magnetic pull intensifying. "No problem, you're pretty dashing yourself." she replied, once more taking his offered arm and resuming their walk towards a vacant table further away. "I hope we can study it even closer tonight." Bloom offered with a smirk, the sweet susurration of her words promised all kinds of things.

"I'm sure that can be arranged." he chuckled. Shortly after they arrived at the table he pulled a chair out for her before sitting down directly beside her. Harry banished his cloak back to his room, finding it much too hot otherwise.

Only after she sat down did Bloom notice that the attention they now held had increased by a lot. Many of the guests staring at her with polite disdain or condescendingly tittering away at what they saw as a faux-pas. Once more she grew anxious at being the centre of attention, but at least she had Harry as a shield.

"I don't know how you do it." she told him with an envious look at his unbothered and relaxed posture, watching him recline on his seat like a cat. "How can you be so indifferent to all these people staring at us?" sweeping her right hand vaguely in the other nobles' direction told Harry who she meant. Hiding from them was usually Bloom's preferred way of doing things.

It sounded stupid, even to her own ears. 'I can cut down a prince with words and nearly kill a king, but put me in front of a crowd I can't fight and I'm done.' Bloom thought. Though, this was different because it wasn't private and she represented Domino as a whole with her behaviour and everything. This wasn't something she could solve with her magical strength.

Harry simply shrugged. "Because their opinion means nothing to me. None of them know me or you even a little bit." he told her, but saw and knew from experience that wasn't sufficient to convince her. "Besides, who contributed greatly to the Trix' defeat despite them nearly taking over Magix?" he asked rhetorically.

"I did." she answered a little confused at the quick change in topic.

"Indeed," He nodded. "and who did the same in her second year at Alfea and more?"

The answer was the same. "I did, but what has that to do with anything?" she complained with a pout.

"So, did you do these things to impress them?" he asked pointedly. "Or because it was the right thing to do at the time?"

Bloom answered promptly, a little affronted he could think so little of her. "Because it was the right thing to do, obviously." she hadn't done them to impress anybody.

"Why does the approval of people that fear you matter to you then?" he asked her honestly, shocking the fairy with his words as he remembered his own experience in the matter.

Caught flat-footed and more than a little perplexed, shocked even, Bloom asked. "Why would they fear me? I've given them no reason to. I helped save them selflessly multiple times, as you pointed out just now."

"You don't need to give them a reason." Harry shrugged his shoulders, waving his hand dismissively. "They find those all on their own. Sometimes it's even how you saved them that makes them fear you, due to them deeming the manner in which you did it impossible. Just because they are unable to replicate it." he briefly remembered his own past at that. That was why the people of Magical Britain were so quick to condemn him, because they also feared what he could do. "It is ingrained in the paradoxical relationship the powerless have with the powerful. And you are very powerful, as shown by your various accomplishments." he told her, sounding almost mirthful. "On one hand they admire that power, craving it for themselves."

Suddenly Bloom could smell something that perhaps was the scent of honey and brilliant winds around Harry, winds such as blew from the darkness between constellations. Instantly a black star seemed to blaze in his hand and Bloom felt the hunger emitted by it immediately. Gloom spread unevenly from this ball of darkness and chased away the blues of daytime. The temperature dropped with the advancement of shadows, but as soon as it came it was gone, imploding into dark smoke. Nobody else really noticed the action and no evidence was left aside from a ripple of unease flowing through the room, giving everyone else a shiver running down their spine.

An utterly unnatural phenomenon on Solaria.

Harry leaned forward, his emerald eyes lighting up in a way that reminded Bloom of cats' eyes; a reminder of his lethality and power. "On the other hand they fear you because of it, because they don't know what you're capable of and they fear what they don't know." those jade eyes of his bored into her, having caught the fairy entirely. "Which ties into what I'm trying to say. Namely that their petty judgement should mean nothing to you by any stretch of the imagination." the raven-haired wizard told her with honesty and eerie intensity. "Precisely because they don't know you, and because you've accomplished more in your brief time in Magix than most of them have or will in their entire lifetimes." he took a two glasses of wine from a nearby servant's tray via levitation, sending her one with a simple gesture.

"But my friends don't fear me!" Bloom protested, accepting the floating drink. While his words rang true, especially due to having seen the fear she had put recently into Erendor, she wasn't willing to accept them herself just yet.

"Yes, but your friends are not these people." he agreed. "Let me tell you what I've learned about the great majority of people during my life. Sure, they love heroes, but they love it even more when they fall." Harry continued undeterred, going on a bit of a rant. "Because these timid souls draw some measure of comfort from your failure, no matter how minor or insignificant it was in truth. Sometimes it even was only in their heads." he took a quick sip of the fruity red wine, musing. "I think it gives them some kind of twisted pride that lets them think they aren't failures after all, if you too can fail. So, they confine themselves to criticism of the way others do what they themselves dare not even attempt."

Bloom didn't interrupt, too enraptured by his words and the truth she saw in them. Unconsciously her back went straighter as her chest puffed up a little with pride at her own and the Winx' accomplishments.

"It's not the critic who counts; not the one who points out how the strong stumble, or where the doer of deeds could've done them better." Harry shook his head, as if dismissing memories the words conjured in his own head. "Credit solely belongs to the person actually fighting. Whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, and who comes short again and again." he pinned her with a fierce gaze. "Isn't that what the journey of a fairy towards Enchantix is all about? To defy the odds and overcome their own failures?"

Bloom was struck mute by his heartfelt words. They sounded like he knew what he was talking about, and Bloom didn't doubt for a second his experience in the matter. Already knowing more than a bit of his own past and the things he went through.

He inclined his head towards the nobles. "Selling your soul for the validation of such people, who contribute nothing to your life and don't care much about you seems pointless, doesn't it?"

The redhead digested his words, having never thought about it that way, but feeling uplifted by them all the same. She nodded in agreement, even though a small part also felt guilty for feeling as she did.

"He's right, you know." came another voice from behind them, startling Bloom and causing her to quickly turn around to look for the interloper.

There stood a beautiful and regal woman, with a petite and slender figure. Her smile charmed without effort, her being reflecting in a phantom silver every light source nearby, creating an air of mystery about her. The woman's long hair was platinum, draped over a midnight-blue firmament of a dress, so dark that it appeared black at a distance, with miniscule silvery-white dots covering the surface of the clothing. Six larger stars, glowing like moons, had been embroidered in an equidistant pattern around the neckline of the crescent hood. A silver tiara shaped like a crescent moon adorned her head in concert with silver earrings. Something about her silvery eyes and the way she moved told Harry not only her personality was mercurial.

"Forgive me for prying, but I couldn't help but overhear." she apologized with an enigmatic smile.

Harry looked at her with a raised eyebrow, replying dryly. "That usually happens when one eavesdrops." he inspected her thoroughly, having initially thought her to be his Luna in adult form.

"Harry!" Bloom hissed at him nervously before turning towards the woman in front of them. Evidently knowing her, or at least of her. "Please, ignore him Queen Luna."

Luna waved Bloom's apologies off, giggling. "That's quite alright." her smile directed at them not wavering in the least. "Honesty is a refreshing change of pace after being surrounded by a multitude of sycophants for any prolonged period of time." without waiting for an invitation Luna sat down at their table. "Besides, I haven't been queen for a few standard years now. I'm simply Luna Celestus now." while divorced she hadn't dropped her husband's name. A favour to Stella.

"Well, I don't know if Stella mentioned me, but I'm Bloom Pendragon." she used the last name of her biological parents, her Earthen name of Smith wouldn't be recognized by most people here. 'Come to think of it, people rarely ever mention their last names in Magix.' the redhead mused.

"I'm Harry Potter." the wizard told the blonde with an inclination of his head, which caused the rest of his lightning-bolt scar to peek through his messy black hair. Though, the brief widening of her silver eyes, which flickered to where the curse scar sat, gave him pause. 'Strange. Nobody else I met here had that reaction to my scar.' he thought suspiciously.

Luna giggled behind her hand, it had a weak nervous lilt to it that vanished as soon as it came. "I reckon everyone knows who you are and that you're present, Bloom." the redhead flinched a little at the reminder of her previous encounter with Erendor. "However, Stella did tell me much about you and your shared adventures. So much so that I feel like I truly know you." the older woman gave her a true smile. "I'm thankful my daughter has loyal friends such as you."

"She saved me more than once, so I consider myself fortunate to have her as well." Bloom replied with a smile, crossing her smooth legs. "There isn't much I wouldn't do for her sake."

"I can imagine, considering what I heard must've happened between you and Eraklyon's royalty." Luna giggled a little at that, aware that gossip travelled faster than anything else in the known universe. "After all, a Princess Ball should be a joyous occasion for everyone involved." a certain melancholy enveloped her, clearly inside her own memories. "Not break hearts."

A clenched fist of ice gripped Bloom's stomach as the implications of Selene's words set in. "Sky is Stella's fiancé?" she blurted out bewildered. The information was completely unexpected.

Completely surprised as well, Luna's smile was gone. "You didn't know?" silver eyes grew slightly protuberant, round like the moon. "I thought because of your relationship with Prince Sky..." she trailed off, a little lost.

"No, I was there for other reasons." The ashes of her fury were reignited anew, it all made too much sense now. "But I would've liked to know!" she ground out between gritted teeth, giving Stella's mother an incredibly strained smile. Unseen by Bloom the drink in her hand began to steam. "Does Stella know?" the redhead all but demanded. To Bloom it did not seem like her best friend knew, still being madly in love with Brandon.

Luna shook her head. "No, Stella does not know as of yet. It was purely arranged by my ex-husband. He loves Stella dearly, but he's also very traditional." she answered with a sigh. "It should be a surprise: he said."

"It's a surprise alright." Bloom fumed, glaring at nothing in particular. Harry noticed the wine beginning to bubble and took it from her hands and sat it back on the table.

"Oh my, it seems I accidentally awoke the dragon." the platinum-haired woman joked with a mock-nervous giggle, trying to diffuse the situation.

Harry took the chance to add his own two knuts. "Never tickle a sleeping dragon, am I right?" his emerald eyes focussed on the former queen and her reaction to the Hogwarts school motto. He thought to see recognition flash in her clear eyes as they flickered to him in apprehension. 'Interesting.' Harry thought as he observed the former queen.

"Indeed." the former queen answered with an awkward smile. "I think I've disturbed you two lovebirds for long enough. I hope you enjoy the festivities despite the bad news I brought." with that she stood up and left them in a rather hurried manner.

As soon as Luna was gone Bloom exploded. "That abominable, contemptible, wretched, vile and foul asshole!" she hissed with all the fury left in her, making to slam a fist onto the table. Only for the blow to be caught and prevented by Harry's stronger hand. "Does he ruin everything he touches?!"

"Who?" Harry questioned, but having a good hunch who she meant. He leaned forward and took the other hand too, to try and keep Bloom calm. It seems her concern for others' opinion of her was quickly overshadowed by more important things.

"Sky!" came the whispered shout. "He ignored my calls for weeks, knowing about his betrothal to Stella and didn't tell anyone!" indignation was clear to hear for all who listened to her. Hurt laid bare in her cyan eyes. "Not to mention the other secrets he kept!"

"I doubt he had anymore say in it than Stella." Harry pointed out, earning himself a growl and glare from Bloom for the reasonable input, which elicited a chuckle from him. "You're cute when you're angry, but it is not productive or healthy to suppress these things." he had much experience in trying it and failing. "And evidently you're not really over whatever happened previously." that much was obvious. "Do you want to talk about it now?" he covertly cast a bubble of silence around their table to ensure privacy, lest anyone else overheard what was said.

Bloom really didn't want to, least of all here. Though, she knew without getting it off her chest she'd only be agitated for the rest of the day or more. So she told him a slightly abridged of what had transpired between her and Eraklyon's royals.

---

The line up along the ballroom was made up of military officials, starched in their best regimental uniform, foreign ambassadors clad in their land's idiosyncratic fashions, rich nobles and landowners in their own finery, and the ladies of the court dressed in their most resplendent and expensive gowns. Each stood in ready anticipation, hoping to be singled out for favour from their respective monarchs.

Chimera was one of those, standing beside her mother with her arms crossed petulantly. Utterly bored out of her mind. She wore the dress she had tried to gift Stella. A rather short one, reaching to her upper thighs and wine red in colour that left her shoulders bare, ending in a long but narrow ruffle nearly touching the floor behind her. Her cute feet were adorned with high heels of the same colour as her dress. The fairy's long dark blue hair was braided into an intricate French braid.

"Don't slouch, it is unbecoming of a noble."Cassandra chastised her daughter, frowning at her out of the corner of her eyes before looking away again.

'How about you stop complaining, old hag?!' Chimera raged internally, briefly debating if she should just ignore her mother. Though, in the end she replied. "Why do we have to uselessly stand around here anyway?" instead of looking at where King Radius and Princess Stella would emerge from, the young fairy cast a longing gaze at the table Harry sat at, away from the sycophants with Bloom. She wanted to join him but had to stand around here instead.

A suffering sigh escaped Cassandra, still not looking at her daughter. "It is always beneficial to curry favour with the king, and a Princess Ball is the perfect opportunity to do such." her neutral expression soon morphed to a searching one as she looked about. "Speaking of which, we'll have to find someone that'll be inclined to accept you as his betrothed." now Cassandra looked at her daughter with a condescending expression. It made clear what she thought of that particular prospect. "Not that many would entertain such a notion, if they knew your proclivity for gigolos, or lacklustre academic success."

"Harry isn't a gigolo!" came the angry and hissed retort, a mix of embarrassment and rage consumed Chimera at the insult levelled at her love. Not to mention the scathing insinuation that to get a man to sleep with her she had to pay him. The complaint about her scholastic prowess was par of the course by now and not worth a reply.

"As you say. If all else fails I will have to accept the open offer from Mazakis for his son Darko." The countess shrugged dismissively. Then the heralds announced the arrival of the king and princess, trumpets sounding across the ballroom. At seeing her daughter's scowling reaction, the blonde woman said. "Now don't scowl, smile!"

Chimera once again was reminded that it wasn't worth it to try and talk to her mother. To tell her that she wasn't a doll that could be discarded or forgotten about at will.

With a defeated sigh she straightened up and thought about Harry to elicit a smile from herself. The young woman thought about his teasing grin, the concern in his beautiful emerald eyes, the silkiness of his hair, his masculine scent that could range from cologne to sweat mixed with musk. Memories of how safe and loved and warm she felt in his arms came to the fore. She yearned to be enveloped by that firm pressure, letting her feel that soothing rumble in his chest when he talked. All while she was able to explore his body's nooks and crannies, tracing his scars, kissing all over.

It worked like a charm, causing a beautiful smile to bloom.

"A little too insipid, but it'll do." was Cassandra dismissive comment before she turned to await their monarch, not noticing the glare at her back.

Soon heavy purple curtains receded to reveal King Radius stepping forward between them. He was a tall, imposing man decked out in his royal regalia of crown, cloak and more. His ginger hair was slicked back and kind golden eyes seemed to be the only resemblance he shared with his daughter.

"Welcome my friends, and thank you all for coming!" he greeted all with a smile and jovial air about him, his hands went from behind his back to spread out wide towards the audience. The king's voice easily carried to every corner of the massive room, evidently through magic. "Today my heart is full of joy and happiness," he turned to look from where he came, holding out one hand towards the empty space, presenting. "because my precious Stella is back here among us."

Not a moment later Princess Stella emerged to join her father.

The gathered nobles could practically feel Stella's warmth upon their skin like dappled sunlight through a canopy, a presence falling upon the audience like an unexpected dawn amidst a long and arduous journey. She stood tall and regal, a monarch of uncommon beauty and grace with skin like ivory, hair the colour of gold so radiant it glittered when hit by light; as if sunlight was snared in her tresses, and eyes aglow with noon. A radiant smile adorning her aristocratic features.

Stella's dress reached the floor, possessed just one sleeve that stopped at her right elbow and had ruffles at the hem. Though, all predominantly noticed the dazzling beams of colour that were seemingly sewn into the fabric. The brilliant hues blended and shifted to form infinite variations of the rainbow, and the play of light was just as mesmerizing as Stella's jaw-dropping beauty. Ornaments of solid sunlight, like rings, a loose belt and a tiara glowed softly in concert with the rest.

Radius' took his daughter's hand and led her down the stairs.

"Stella, this is your celebration, but I got one more surprise!" he smiled at the blonde princess as they descended to the floor. "Well, more or less. It's a surprise for the whole family. The whole of Solaria, in fact!"

"Oh, what is it?" Stella all but squealed in delight, golden eyes shining like the sun.

Radius just chuckled, giving her a loving smile. "That'll have to wait for later, my dear. I don't want to spoil it just yet. Neither do we want to keep our esteemed guests too long from the festivities." that got many laughs from the guests, forced or otherwise. "Now my dearest friends, enjoy the celebration."

With that the opening feast of the Princess Ball began.

---

"That's heavy stuff." Harry summarized, making to drive his right hand through his hair to return it to its usual messy state before remembering the oil in them. Instead he returned it to grip Bloom's in a reassuring gesture.

In a small voice Bloom answered. "I know." she slumped her shoulders a little, feeling anything but festive. More than a little exhausted, and the celebration just started from the looks of it. The redhead scooted her chair closer and snuggled into him as Harry put his arm around her, just so preventing herself from sitting in his lap.

Instead of talking he simply provided Bloom with his presence, and a willing ear to listen. Harry knew from experience that such was much more needed than anything else; to let her know she was not alone in this. Not to mention that her options were severely limited right now. Still, after a few minutes he decided to lighten the mood and break the tension. "I didn't know you and Diaspro had so much in common."

"What has that bitch to do with anything? When did you meet her?" Bloom inquired with slightly narrowed eyes, a little confused he'd bring Diaspro up right now, or even know the blonde.

With an amused grin he told her. "Well, I don't know how she got into my apartment's wardrobe. Though, this morning I saw her come out of it with barely a stitch of clothing on her body. Do you know anything about that?"

Bloom didn't know whether to laugh at that mental image or be embarrassed as she remembered just what she did with Diaspro yesterday. "I may have had something to do with it." the fairy admitted reluctantly, a twitch tugging at her lips.

"I hope you had fun with her while peeping on Chimera and me." he teased slyly.

"We didn't peep!" she protested futilely. Immediately, images of what she had done with the noblewoman flashed through her mind.

"Oh, so you did more than explore your voyeuristic tendencies together?" his grin widened as he teased Bloom. "Anything you might want to tell me?"

"Just that she, for some reason, decided to seduce you yesterday!" Bloom told him with a fierce pout, evading the question and turning away so he wouldn't see her twitching lips threatening to smile. "And that I showed her her place!"

This time Harry laughed. "Oh, you mean her place beneath you?" insinuations practically dripped from his words. "I mean I can't judge you on that, it sounds pretty hot."

"You ass!" she slapped his arm with a laugh, her mood beginning to lift. "What excuse did she give to you for being in your apartment?" Bloom inquired curiously, taking a sip from a new glass. She hoped Diaspro did not tell him about what they did in the heat of the moment, though his knowing grin told her another story.

Harry shrugged nonchalantly. "None actually." he leaned back in his cushy chair. "Instead she told me everything of importance." the wizard began to count on his fingers. "How you met her in my apartment before my arrival." a second finger straightened as he counted, his Cheshire grin still present. "How you two ripped each other's clothes off heatedly and followed to wrestle naked on the floor." a third finger. "Before finally remembering where you were and proceeding to hide in the closet together."

"Did you have to phrase it like that?!" Bloom sputtered, unable to contain her giggle any longer that evolved into a deep laugh coming from the belly, making her wheeze. "Why did she tell you that?" the redhead wondered aloud after calming down a tad. She thought Diaspro would be much too embarrassed and proud to tell him the real reason.

"Because she's under a Love Potion." came the no-nonsense reply. He sighed as Bloom giggled again, thinking it another joke. So he gave her the abridged explanation of Diaspro's predicament and the offer he had extended towards her. "I probably should've talked to you first, but all I in essence agreed to was being her friend." he added.

Quite put out, Bloom replied. "You should have." she acknowledged, forehead creasing in displeasure. "How do you even know she speaks the truth and isn't simply lying to you?" that was more in line with what Diaspro would do in Bloom's mind.

"I have no reason to lie to him." came Diaspro's voice from behind Bloom, startling the redhead. There the blonde stood, a glittering finger extended that evidently had dispelled the bubble of silence around them. She wore a floor-length and layered dress of a maroon colour, with each layer frilled. Only her arms and neck were laid bare, decorated with some jewellery here and there.

"What're you doing here?!" the Queen of Domino demanded, irritated to be interrupted once more.

Diaspro gave Bloom a dry response. "Much like you, I was invited to this illustrious event." promptly she sat down at Harry's unoccupied side, leaning closer than etiquette strictly allowed. "As for what I am doing here at your table, well, I thought of taking advantage of Harry's offer." she smiled radiantly up at him, amber eyes full of adoration as she asked. "Why, what important conversation, which warranted such rudeness as to use a silencing spell, did I intrude upon?"

Bloom smiled wickedly, thinking she could embarrass or rile the blonde fairy up. "Oh, nothing much." she shrugged innocently. "I just told Harry what happened between us yesterday in his apartment after he arrived, and that I wouldn't mind a repeat." she counted Diaspro's blush as a victory. Though, what came next confounded her.

"I wouldn't mind either, as long as Harry is involved." she admitted, sounding absolutely thrilled. Immediately Diaspro ran her hand sensually up and down Harry's thigh, smirking up at him and then at Bloom in challenge.

"What?" came the flat response of Bloom, cyan eyes drilling into Diaspro as she accused. "You hate me!"

Diaspro snorted quite unladylike, breaking decorum. "Apologies," she said, regaining herself. "but you give yourself too much credit in that." the blonde explained condescendingly. "I have no reason to hate you personally."

"Could've fooled me!" the redhead sarcastically shot back as she leaned back into her seat, arms crossed.

The lady Vala rolled her eyes in response. "Yes, because you poor royal highness were the one harmed in that regretful business with Prince Sky." she snapped back equally sarcastic as Bloom. "It's not like I was the one betrayed by my intended, whose affair attacked me out of nowhere and unprovoked!" she removed her hand from Harry and instead put both her hands on the table, leaning forward. "Face it, I was the injured party in that whole debacle!"

With no proper comeback Bloom simply glowered, turning her head away sharply.

"I was angry at the situation I was put in. At the time you were merely a convenient target for my frustration." Diaspro explained with a dismissive shrug, calming down and backing off as Harry briefly put his hand on her thigh this time.

Another disturbance occurred shortly after. "Harry!" Chimera called out joyfully, ignoring the other two fairies at the table entirely. With just a gesture she magically pushed Diaspro's chair down and away from Harry. Followed by summoning another from their table and sat down directly where Diaspro used to be.

"Excuse me!" Diaspro exclaimed, furiously glaring at the audacious fairy.

"Why, what did you do?" Chimera asked oblivious, glancing at the blonde before resuming her previous task of making sheep's eyes at Harry. That got a vindictive chuckle out of Bloom, who watched amused as Diaspro began to steam indignantly, gnashing her teeth.

Lady Vala retorted viciously. "You know very well what I meant, cumdump!"

The Lady Celsius gave the enraged fairy an amused smile. "You're just jealous that I'm Harry's cumdump, and you're not." she replied childishly as she snuggled into Harry's side. Her chest puffed up, voice full of pride in her own whorish prowess.

Diaspro nearly chocked on her own spit at that frank admission, out in public no less. Out of habit she looked around, gratefully seeing no one of importance in the vicinity that could've overheard. "By the Great Dragon, you are such an enormous harlot!"

"Thank you!" Chimera inclined her head in gratitude and smiled with no shame, knowing already how to get under Diaspro's skin.

Before anything more could happen Harry told Diaspro. "You can forget trying to shame Chimera." he patted said fairy's head softly, making the young woman purr. "She has no shame when it comes to that." more like that she got off on it, as Harry was intimately aware of. Bloom had found out herself in the weeks prior, having tried the same thing. "Isn't that so, my little kitten?"

Love swelled in Chimera's breast at the endearment. It even fit because she liked nothing more than a good helping of his personal milk. "Yes!"

Suddenly Diaspro stopped glaring at Chimera, becoming pensive briefly and then indecisive as she fidgeted. "You.. uh..." her face grew bright red as she leaned in and looked Harry straight in the eyes, blurting out. "I could be your cumdump, too!" Diaspro looked about nervously, hoping nobody heard her shouted whisper. Obviously thinking the offer would entice Harry in some way.

This time Bloom was the one flabbergasted, which gave way to giggles and finally evolved into a laugh. "Seems like you really are under a love potion." the redhead commented thoroughly amused. Otherwise the proud fairy wouldn't have possibly humiliated herself publicly in such a manner. The embarrassment was practically stamped onto the blonde's face.

Diaspro simply glowered at Bloom, refraining from lashing out in any way for the time being.

Harry chuckled good-naturedly. "You don't need to behave like Chimera. Trust me, one is quite enough." not in the least bothered and quite understanding. "And I already told you my answer pertaining your request." Diaspro nodded mutely, looking forlorn. Though she perked up at his next words. "But I'll save you a dance."

That was the moment Bloom spotted Stella making her way over to their table. "I'll have to go for now." she told Harry, nodding to where Stella was approaching. "I trust you'll save me a dance as well?" the raised eyebrow of expectation told exactly what kind of answer she wanted to hear.

"As many as you want to." he promised with a handsome smile, leaning towards her for a quick kiss. Bloom met him midway, only regretfully separating after a few moments. The redhead made to meet Stella without further delay, or she'd not do it on her own at all. Strangely not jealous of leaving him with two women wanting to get into his pants, knowing she could trust him. Even if one of them was more successful in that than herself for now.

"There you are, Bloom!" Stella greeted her enthusiastically, unmindful of the people around. "You can't imagine how many people I had to endure wishing me well before I found you."

Bloom could imagine quite well from the amount of guests. "I have an inkling." she said with a teasing smile. "But what lead you to complain about basking in everyone's adoration?"

Stella huffed in mock-outrage. "I'm not that bad!" she protested with a smile of her own.

"That's right," Bloom nodded seriously. "you're worse." the fairy deadpanned, laughing as her best friend punched her lightly on the shoulder in indignation. "So, what can I do for you?"

The Fairy of the Sun and Stars hooked arms with Bloom, escorting her. "You're the only one missing from our group, obviously." Stella exclaimed. "Come on, the banquet is about to begin soon and we all have to be at the our respective tables."

With that the excitable fairy dragged her best friend to a bigger table, occupied by the rest of the Winx. Each of them clothed in dresses dyed to their preferred colour scheme, and cut in the idiosyncratic styles of their respective homeworld. "What's up guys?" Bloom greeted them all with a wave, sitting down after freeing herself from Stella.

"Shouldn't we be the ones asking that?" Aisha pointed out with dry amusement.

Flora nodded in agreement, but in her usual manner of concern. "Indeed. Your altercation with Eraklyon's royalty is the talk of the palace." it was difficult to hide anything with so many eyes and ears of servants about.

Bloom's heart briefly lurched in her chest at the thought of them finding out what she tried to do. The redhead had assumed Erendor wouldn't tattle to preserve his shattered pride. As well as her having the leverage to make his life difficult with his admission of betrayal. Forced though it was. "Why, what did you hear?" she did her best to get herself under control, though the words came out sharper and more demanding that she intended, causing Flora to wince.

"Whoa, calm down girl." Musa held up her hands in mock-surrender. "No need to rip the messengers' heads off."

Tecna told her with no reservation, teal eyes still glued to the screen of her tablet. "Every one of us heard varying gossip, but all agreed that the Queen of Domino went to talk with Erendor, followed by a rather large magical discharge." her fingers tapped away at the device as she continued absent-mindedly. "As well as Prince Sky being injured. Most accounts differ on the degree of injury, but nearly all agree on him being burned."

A delicate hand took the tablet away from Tecna without warning, causing the magenta-haired fairy to try and snatch it back unsuccessfully. "I love your socially retarded self, Tecna." Stella said, banishing the phone into Tecna's room. "But at least try to read the mood." the Princess of Solaria then returned back to the matter at hand. "So, what happened?"

The Queen of Domino huffed and decided to get it over with. "My primary reason for the visit was because I recently learned about an alliance between Eraklyon and Domino." before anyone could say anything she went on. "My hope was that some refugees from Domino made it there so I could achieve Enchantix, but apparently there aren't any."

The mood dropped like a stone off a cliff at that. Everyone becoming aware of the depth of Bloom's problem. "Oh!" all five echoed in embarrassment.

Bloom waved it off, not wanting to be a downer right now at such a party. "I didn't expect much to come from it, to be honest." she waved her hand in a 'what-can-you-do' manner. "Though, Erendor's behaviour didn't help matters. Neither did Sky's for that matter." she scowled at the memory, her arms crossed. "Let's just say Domino's alliance with Eraklyon is no more, as well as my relationship with Sky."

"I'm sorry." Flora told her empathically, green eyes full of concern and compassion. They all knew the problems that were there and her intentions of breaking up, but Flora thought it must've been hard nonetheless.

The redhead shrugged her shoulders. "Eh, it was over much earlier." remembering something, she inquired. "By the way, did you know Sky and I are cousins?" There were more questions burning in her mind, but not ones her friends would be able to answer. Though now it was probably too late to ask Erendor again, having exploded too quickly at the king and having forgotten to ask all the relevant questions. Like how the Ancestresses got to Domino, and if Erendor helped them in that endeavour.

"Of course, everyone of importance knows that!" Tecna replied matter-of-factly, looking at Bloom a little weird for not knowing such common knowledge. It wasn't like marriages between cousins were out of the norm for nobles.

The Queen of Domino growled before replying. "Well, I didn't, and I was one of the two people directly affected!" she snapped back before taking a deep breath to calm down a little, followed by apologizing. "Sorry, but multiple huge revelations came in short bursts lately."

Aisha put a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, if I were you I'd be more than a little pissed right now." unable to achieve Enchantix alone would be a hefty blow to her, from the multiple implications alone. Like her world and people being completely dead and gone.

"Yeah, but Bloom already is being expertly consoled by Harry, aren't you?" Stella nettled impishly, exposing herself as the queen of gossip she was. "What with him kissing you in front of everyone!"

Each of the Winx had a different opinion on that, but all shared one thing in common; the desire to hear more about it. "Spill already!" Musa demanded impatiently, expectantly raising her eyebrows. The convenient change in topic was also not to be ignored.

---

A lavish banquet soon was brought in, consisting of a full six-course meal featuring food and drink both familiar and exotic for the choosing. It began with a simple but truly thick soup full of leeks, carrots, barley, and turnips white and yellow, along with clams and chunks of cod and crabmeat, swimming in a stock of heavy cream and butter.

Secondly came a salad of sweetgrass, spinach, diced shrivelfigs and crushed nuts sprinkled with a splendid vinaigrette.

The third course was an intoxicating blend of spices, judging by the smell alone. Steam rose from the braised meat of a dragon, so tender one didn't even need a knife to cut it. Served alongside it were roasted vegetables and piles of sliced bread shining with splatters of oil.

However, that was only Chimera's chosen food. Everyone had their own choice, be it oxtail soup served with summer greens tossed with pecans, grapes, red fennel, and crumbled cheese. Even hot crab pie, spiced squash, or quails drowned in butter and so much more. Each dish arranged and designed impeccably by colour and shape, as well as having come with its own recommended wine, cider or other beverage.

Evidently no expense was spared for this opulent affair, offering anything a stomach could desire and they were only halfway done with the food. Though, the rest wouldn't be served immediately, but after the dance.

While people waited for the dance to begin and the food to settle, Cassandra told her daughter. "Who is that man you visited before the banquet? I thought to have told you to stop engaging in that debauchery of yours!" luckily the other guests at their table were otherwise occupied right now. The musicians playing nearby and the noise of the other guests also masked their words effectively.

Chimera snapped back, annoyed that her mother still couldn't remember Harry's name. "Again, he's not a gigolo, but a powerful wizard of unmatched prowess!" her blue eyes looked directly into the ones of her mother. "So much so that he can't contain all..."

Before she could explain further, Cassandra interrupted her imperiously. "That's what all wizards say." the countess shook her head, lamenting. "Besides, I thought I taught you better than that; relationships with powerful wizards entertaining multiple women never last for long." she shot the handsome raven-haired man a look, seeing him entertain the Queen of Domino of all people.

"This is different, I trust him!" Chimera refuted stubbornly, remembering his promise to her and believing him completely. Though, the young fairy was incensed that her mother didn't believe her words, despite speaking the truth. Here she was, having caught one of the most, if not the most, powerful wizard in the whole magical galaxy, and all her mother could do was complain and be dismissive.

Cassandra sighed and decided to meet her daughter halfway. "While I disagree with your decision to sully yourself in such a manner, it is too late to change now." the blonde woman looked her daughter in the eyes. "Though, I don't see why he couldn't be employed as your paramour in the future. Discreetly, of course."

Only her mother could make her blush in embarrassment at such a topic. Still, Chimera didn't want to hide what she had with Harry behind closed doors.

Seeing that her daughter was still unreceptive, the blonde woman tried another approach. "I just want what's best for you, Chimera. You can't continue with that behaviour when you're Princess of Solaria."

The young fairy simply scoffed, countering. "Even if you somehow are able to marry King Radius, Stella will still be the Crown Princess of Solaria." not to mention that Chimera was not Radius' daughter and therefore not a legitimate heir either way. Her mother would have to get pregnant again to achieve that, as well as getting rid of Stella entirely.

Cassandra sighed in dismay at her daughter's lack of vision. "Why do you think we are here at a Princess Ball?" The steel-blue eyes of Chimera only showed confusion. "I see whoever he is was successful in fucking what little brains you had left out of you." Cassandra ignored the indignant squawk of outrage. "So let me be blunt; it is when a betrothal is usually announced. The one of Princess Stella to Prince Sky of Eraklyon, to be specific."

"And you arranged that?" the doubt was clear to hear in the young woman's tone.

Cassandra sipped the rest of her white wine, nodding. "Indeed, by always having an open ear for any concerns Radius might have, as well as prudent advice for problems." the regal woman reclined back in her seat. "Originally I had planned for Stella to become Sky's queen of Eraklyon, but couldn't convince Radius for a variety of reasons." the two biggest ones being that Solaria would lack an heir, and that he'd not see Stella as often. "Alas, Sky will be King of Solaria, while his cousin Thoren will become his replacement on Eraklyon."

Chimera couldn't hide the snark in her reply. "So, what can resolve that minor setback?"

"You can." the blonde woman admitted, leaning forward to put a hand over Chimera's on the table, shocking her briefly. "I need your help in this, Chimera. So you can become Princess of Solaria like you always dreamed about."

'And you Queen of it.' Chimera added in her mind. More than a few weeks ago the young fairy would've had no qualms of doing so for prestige, status and power. However now it meant letting go of Harry entirely, becoming nothing more than a political pawn like she already was to a degree. In her eyes she would lose much by becoming Princess of Solaria, especially the love she had wanted most of all when she stated the desire for a crown in her childhood. Instead Chimera found she now shared Harry's dearest wish, wanting to give him as many children as he desired as soon as she was capable. "I assume I still couldn't become engaged to Harry?"

"Of course not." came the expected reply in form of a scoff. "He's a nobody, after all."

Chimera's eyes hardened. "Then I refuse!" Not even trying to convince her mother of the foolishness of declining such a proposal, nor asking what Cassandra wanted her to do.

What neither of the two had expected was her trust in Harry and the open defiance towards her mother counted as overcoming a personal difficulty worthy of earning her Charmix. Thus, a bright pink choker made out of corals crawled around her throat, shaped like delicate veins threading into each other, with small white thorns made of ivory jutting outwards.

Smugly smiling at her stunned mother and not in the mood to talk further, Chimera stood up just as the beginning of the dance was announced. As was tradition, Radius opened it with his daughter.

---

As the day progressed Harry had his hands full dancing with many breathtaking women. Even if Bloom and Chimera were his main partners with Diaspro close behind. He heartily congratulated Chimera on earning her Charmix and for standing up to her mother. Harry also gave a dance each to the other Winx girls as courtesy demanded, though only Musa showed much enthusiasm. While the rest were simply cordial with the sole exception of Aisha, who stared suspiciously at him the whole time.

The last dance before the banquet continued was had with Bloom, sweeping her across the floor.

After those hours of rather draining exercise they returned to their table, joined by Flora and Musa with their respective partners Helia and Riven. One more Specialists in form of Timmy joined them as well. The rest of the Winx and Sky with Brandon had to sit with their respective families or monarchs as the banquet continued.

To stimulate his appetite, but not overwhelm it, Harry chose mushrooms and snails that were kissed with garlic and bathed in butter for his next dish. While Bloom took a small platter of crumpled white cheese with green olives.

It was followed by Honey Duck, a speciality from Musa's homeworld that she recommended to him. Each bite of it was indeed a succulent delight to eat, with the juiciness of tender meat married to the crispy skin. Though, the star of the dish was an incredible sauce he could tell was made with honey, orange juice, and a dash of warm pepper, bringing out the richness of the duck. The side of roasted dragon peppers and cashews nearly went forgotten.

Then came a small snack before the true dessert, consisting of a variety of Marzipan Cakes in miniature and shaped like roses. Some were glazed with chocolate and others decorated with crushed nuts, pieces of dried fruit, nougat or a combination of them. They were garnished with rose petals to please the eye as much as the stomach. A task the treat fulfilled to the utmost, letting one taste almonds that were accompanied by sugar and not overpowered by it, while also containing a hint of rosewater.

Lastly came a still steaming Treacle Tart, served with a generous dollop of custard melting atop of it.

Conversation was rather light and sparse in the beginning, but as the drinks flowed it grew much more amiable, with the exception of Riven. Finally as the first day of festivities grew to a close, Radius drew attention towards himself to reveal the surprise gift for Stella.

"Thank you, my friends!" he called out, his arms wide as if to receive he was about to hug all of the room's occupants at once. "Now, my last announcement for the day." he turned and smiled at Stella, full of fatherly pride and happiness. "It is with great joy that I am announcing that the future king of Solaria has been chosen." he beckoned towards King Erendor, whose family was seated just beside the royals of Solaria.

The Solarian Crown Princess seemed to be ecstatic, staring expectantly at the royal contingent from Eraklyon. However, judging by the slowly evolving frown Stella was apparently not quite finding what or who she was looking for.

"In three months time my little princess will marry Prince Sky of Eraklyon!" Radius proclaimed, extremely pleased with himself. Everyone politely gave applause appropriate for the occasion. Though, Stella looked as if the world was falling down around her. Radius' words evidently did the opposite of what he had intended.

There was not anymore to it before the first day of celebrations was finished. As soon as it was acceptable to leave Stella basically sprinted from the room. Her parents hot on her heels, faces full of suppressed worry.

Bloom sighed, watching her best friend flee, having hoped the announcement wouldn't happen today. "I'll better make sure she's alright." with that the redhead stood up with Musa and Flora, intent to console their friend. Closely followed by the Specialists.

"Take your time. You know where you can find me." Harry told her, knowing it could take a while for this to be resolved.

The Queen of Domino nodded, smiling slightly at him before leaving with her friends.

---

Diaspro rolled her eyes as the discussion between the Solarian royals continued, impatiently tapping her right foot on the floor. 'Hopefully this foolishness ends soon, I have places to be.' Her parents had dragged her with them, though the blonde didn't know just what they thought would happen. 'Probably hoping that the engagement between Sky and Stella will be annulled and I become Sky's intended once more. Or at least hoping to argue in favour of that.' she thought derisively. Not at all enthused about a repeat of that. Utterly convinced she neither would be thrilled without a Love Potion in her system.

"How could you, daddy?!" Stella sobbed, face held in her hands as tears leaked from her golden eyes. Her best friend Bloom sat to her right while her mother was on the left, trying to console the distraught fairy. The rest of her friends arranged themselves behind the couch they sat on in solidarity. Only Sky and Brandon were missing from the picture right now.

The king was totally helpless in the face of his devastated daughter. "But Sunbeam, I thought you loved Prince Sky?" Radius said, looking lost. "Before you repeated your first year at Alfea and during it you constantly talked about him favourably."

The Fairy of the Sun and Stars looked up then, remembering the time when she thought Brandon was Prince Sky. Though, she hadn't told her father about that particular debacle of mistaken identity. She had simply stopped talking to him about boys and relationships altogether, in fact.

"Oh, Radius." Queen Luna said with a bittersweet smile, knowing her ex-husband had his heart in the right place. He had probably thought he'd deliver the love of Stella's life directly to her in a big surprise. Though, with how busy he was with his duties and how little time he and Stella had spent together in the last few years, he didn't know enough to properly do such a thing.

"Couldn't you just annul it?" the Solarian Princess asked hopefully. They weren't married yet after all.

He shook his head. "A betrothal isn't such an easy thing to do away with." the redhead told his daughter regretfully. "I gave my word to King Erendor and your engagement is the cornerstone upon which the alliance between Solaria and Eraklyon is to be built upon."

That was the truth of it. Diaspro was also aware that Erendor wouldn't let go of the arrangement easily. Mostly due to his need for allies, preparing for the eventual escalation between Serenia and his own realm, The former having splintered off from Eraklyon after the destruction of Havram and adopted an anti-magic policy while taking a good chunk of dissatisfied military veterans with it. Something everyone on Eraklyon was painfully aware of.

Diaspro's father chose to speak up, proving himself an idiot to everyone in the room. "King Radius, you can't be so heartless as to deny your daughter her heart's desire!"

It was a close thing, but Diaspro nearly facepalmed herself in response to it. Painfully aware that neither her mother or father were very adept at political manoeuvring. Just massively opportunistic. 'Thankfully the tutors they handsomely paid for were most excellent.' the blonde thought with a bit of mirth mixed with second-hand embarrassment. Completely aware that her father just pretty much insulted the King of Solaria to his face by giving unwanted advice. 'Guilt-tripping someone that's not your daughter doesn't work so well, does it?' she thought with some glee as Radius' expression went from confused to stormy. Probably just now noticing them.

"This is a private matter! Whoever you are, leave at once!" the redhead king demanded with a stony look levelled at them. A gesture saw the guards approach threateningly, ready to evict them swiftly.

Diaspro gave an appropriate bow in apology, the only one to do so. "Of course, King Radius." she told him earnestly, eager to leave already. "Before we take our leave allow me to express my most sincere felicitations to Princess Stella's engagement." with that thinly veiled barb aimed at Stella she turned and walked out back to the ballroom, aware of her parents trailing behind her.

Once the doors closed behind them, Diaspro turned, levelling an icy stare at her parents. "I have a guess why you just tried to enact such folly," her parents' bewildered faces were a joy to see. "however Sky and I shall never be betrothed again." she stated. It would be a bad look all around; for her and the royal family. Then she left her stunned parents, telling them over her shoulder. "Do not wait up for me. I have other business to attend to."

Diaspro spotted the handsome raven-haired man leaving the cavernous ballroom, going for an exit leading to the expansive gardens. She also located her target Chimera, who was in hot pursuit of the man, causing the blonde fairy to hike her dress up and hasten her stride down the stairs. A simple enhancement saw smooth legs strengthened, propelling the blonde rapidly forward and easily intercepting Chimera.

"Lady Celsius!" the blonde called out, letting the enhancement fade away once she was close enough.

Chimera hesitantly stopped and turned, asking irritably. "What?" suspicion laced her tone, only deepened by the defensive posture and crossed arms. "I'm rather busy."

"I'm aware, but it won't take long." Diaspro placated the now frowning fairy, a friendly smile adorning her own beautiful face. Amber eyes briefly flickered to the Charmix still sitting at Chimera's throat. "Though, let's not discuss it out here in the open." she invaded the smaller woman's personal space and hooked her arm tightly around Chimera's, leading her away.

Diaspro subtly looked out for any other people as she led Chimera to an isolated part of the ballroom, spotting Cassandra and thanking her lucky stars that the woman was otherwise occupied. Once they were alone and hidden behind curtains the Lady Celsius asked impatiently. "So, what do you want?" a flat look levelled at Diaspro.

"Nothing much." the amber-eyed fairy said, counting down in her head. Thankfully, Chimera collapsed shortly after. "Just your body." Diaspro told the now unconscious young woman with a smirk, just so having caught the smaller fairy and leaning her against a wall. "For a moment there I thought the dosage too weak." she gazed at the new Charmix on Chimera's throat, musing. "Maybe the Charmix caused the delay?"

In the end it wasn't important as long as it worked, Diaspro having bribed a servant to spike Chimera's drink with a Sleeping Draught during the festivities. Luckily she had calculated the correct dosage, lest her target would collapse either too soon or late.

"Now for what I went through all that trouble for." with deft fingers Diaspro plucked a strand of Chimera's ridiculously long hair. "A hair needed for Shape-change Potion." Next she rummaged around in her purse, grabbed a vial from inside and uncorked it, inserting the strand of hair. Immediately the fluid inside changed from mud brown to vivid orange. Following that Diaspro conjured an exact replica of Chimera's dress and clothes, stowing it all in her extended purse together with the stoppered vial.

Lastly Diaspro sealed the memory of this encounter deep inside Chimera's mind. "Amnesia!" No sense in letting her remember this.

Without further preamble the blonde fairy made to leave, telling the unconscious Chimera. "It's nothing personal, but you're a much easier target than Bloom." originally the potion had been intended to impersonate Bloom, though she hadn't had much opportunity to use it until now. Not that it would've been as easy with the Queen of Domino for a variety of reasons.

There wasn't any doubt in Diaspro's mind that this was the correct choice to make. Convinced that Harry would love her, but just didn't realise it yet. The things he did for her and the considerate side of him only made it harder for the fairy to resist this siren's call of temptation. Not to mention what she had witnessed yesterday. Never having experienced that in any capacity made her desire more of it, which was only spurred on and amplified by the love potion in her system.

After she dragged Chimera to her mother, the Countess Cassandra, so that the woman may take Chimera back to their rooms. Then Diaspro made her way to the gardens to find Harry.

Here cobbled paths lined with fountains and statuary wound their way through lush garden beds brimming with blooming flowers and verdant shrubbery. Painstakingly maintained, the gardens presented an idyllic image with not a blade of grass out of place. Birds gathered in the trees, whistling pleasantly and diving into stone water basins strewn throughout the area. All of it, be it flora or fauna, throwing three shadows; one for each sun.

High hedges rose on both flanks of the path, nearly blocking ones view of the garden to either side. The tangled riot of growth stood as a barrier like the wall of a castle, but soon she spied a sally port in it. A trail beaten through the grass from the pathway led to a kind of tunnel through the hedgerow. Perhaps it was first the foray of Mooncalf, but the path had since been widened by something bigger so that a person might hunch and crawl through. Which is exactly what Diaspro did.

Once concealed and surrounded by greenery the young fairy stripped quickly, putting all of her belongings into her purse and then swallowing the newly prepared brew. Immediately her body twisted and bent, sprouting different features as writhing snakes seemed to have replaced her insides. Skin melted like wax and reformed just as quickly. As a result she shrunk a little, her hips grew slightly narrower, her voluptuous breasts became smaller and her hair lengthened considerably. Soon it was completed, leaving Diaspro in Chimera's body.

"A womb tattoo, really?" the noble from Eraklyon exclaimed after inspecting her temporary body, making sure everything was where it should be. "Though, it is made rather tastefully." Neither was she really surprised Chimera had something like that done after today's interactions. "I better not tarry." the effect would only last for twelve standard hours, after all.

The finishing touches were the copied clothes, as well as transfiguring a replica of Chimera's Charmix out of a nearby rock. None of which had to be permanent, especially not the dress.

From then on it didn't take much time to find Harry, who was leisurely leaning back on a bench of intricately carved stone situated along her path. Evidently enjoying the pleasant day, as well as the shade offered by a nearby tree. "Took you longer than I expected." Harry told her with a teasing grin upon spotting the fairy.

Diaspro's heart skipped a beat upon hearing that for a variety of reasons, but his honest smile banished any thoughts of having been discovered. "Sorry, but my mother held me up." what she told him with Chimera's voice was technically true. She promptly sat down sideways in his lap without a care in the world, snuggling deep into him. 'Finally!' she thought elated as his arms enveloped her body in his embrace. "I love you!" the fairy blurted out.

"I love you, too!" he told her without hesitation, cupping her face with one hand. "And I know I already said it, but I'm proud of you earning your Charmix and standing up to your mother."

An intoxicating sensation spread throughout her chest, liquid fire coursing inside her veins. Already her mind partly forgot that he wasn't really talking to her true self. "That's nothing." the disguised fairy kissed along his neck hungrily, leaving marks on it as her small hands began roaming everywhere. "I'd do anything for you!" she professed, spurred on by her whole being.

"I don't need you to do anything but be yourself." he chuckled, pressing her a little tighter against himself. "Speaking of being yourself, I have a feeling as to why you came here."

Diaspro's mouth got very dry all of a sudden, making her lick her lips. "I think you know exactly why I'm here." she said evasively, channelling Chimera and hoping it was what she thought he implied.

"I do!" he said. Dark flames enveloped them swiftly, quickly transporting them back to his apartment in the palace. Instead of sitting on a bench, they now stood, a fact that caused Diaspro to stumble and land on the bed. "Sorry, I'm a little tipsy." Harry admitted with a sheepish grin.

The fairy was now sitting on the edge of the bed. One of the straps of her red dress had slipped off of her shoulder, revealing a small patch of her rosy skin, which had a bit more colour than normal thanks to her full-body blush. She was looking at him eagerly through wide, doe-like eyes. Her hands were close together behind her back, and her modest chest jutted towards him as a result.

"Harry," she whispered, lips unsteady with nervousness and excitement. "Come to bed."

Their eyes connected and Diaspro could feel herself falling into those soulful viridian eyes. Harry was looking at her with such care, such tenderness. 'I can't remember the last time someone looked at me like that. I don't know if anyone's ever looked at me like that. Bloom, Chimera you lucky bitches!' what was left of her conscience twinged at that thought, remembering the redhead while doing what she had accused Bloom of in the past. 'I'm not doing anything wrong. I just want someone to care for once.'

He grabbed and pulled at his collar, shedding his jacket and shoes as he neared. When Harry reached her, he paused. She was looking up at him through her lashes again, breathing fast, and biting her lip in anticipation. There was just one problem he began rectifying immediately.

"These clothes," he said, his voice a low growl, "have to go."

She was resting back on her elbows, watching and listening, when he took her by the heel and began removing her dancing shoes. His hands against her erogenous soles and toes made her squirm, and she whimpered as he went about stripping her panties off. Hands grabbed high on her soft thighs, deep within her dress, to reach their hems before slowly peeling them back like a sticker off a new toy.

"Look who's talking." she teased back, undressing him with her eyes before she assisted with her hands, removing the rest of his clothing as he did the same for her. Within seconds the suit was removed and he was nearly entirely nude. A pair of black cotton briefs the only article of decency left on his body. The thick pipe-like outline that snaked left across his thigh caused Diaspro's mouth to water, making her gulp. The intoxicating womanly sensation of her sex moistening with the nectar of arousal had her nearly cricketing her legs.

A moment later, they were left bare and defenceless. His boxers dropped from his hands and landed atop the little pile of clothes domestically.

Her breasts were a little larger than peaches with an almost artistic, firm roundness about them, which he found unbearably erotic. Areola of a cute pink colour decorated each, her erect nipples begging upwards for his mouth. The rest of her nude form had been made with similar brilliance. Her petite, girlish body had long since begun giving way to more womanly curves, and without any clothes to hide her away, Harry was free to labour over the task of memorizing every inch of her. Delicate feet gave way to smooth legs and soft, creamy thighs. Those connected to wide hips, a slim waist and a belly with the thinnest layer of baby fat softening its edges. Her pert breasts swelled from her chest and advertised youth and fertility, her neck was thin and bared up in offer. Her gorgeous, lovely face stared up at him with softly pinked cheeks and heavy, come-hither eyes of a steely blue. Long dark blue locks of hair haloed behind her head and completed the otherworldly look.

The tip of Harry's glans leaked an healthy amount of precum. Diaspro, amazed by the colour, texture and form of the organ, couldn't tear her now wide blue eyes away. "Woah." she exclaimed with soft awe.

Harry grinned, stroking her cheek. "I hope it is still to your liking." having returned it to normal.

"Other men must hate you." she blurted out in her addled state, intoxicated by pleasure and potion.

"Me? I bet all the other fairies at your school just hate you, Chimera." Harry purred as he joined her on the bed, gently beginning to map out the girl's fascinating chest with his hands. Drawing his fingertips smoothly around her areola, Harry admired the way his partner's breath hitched at the sensation, as well as the minute jiggle it sent through her tits. "After all," Harry continued, changing his right hand's teasing into a more serious palming as well as snaking his left hand around to the girl's back, to better hold her in place. "While they all prance around, little girls trying to look grown up, you've now got the confidence to back it up."

She let out a low moan at his words, loving the subtle waves of pleasure his hands were sending through her full tit, and then down her spine. Her moan turned into a startled gasp, when Harry lunged forward and began attacking her under-attended breast, setting his lips wide to suck all of her tingling areola at once. Followed by flicking her needy, pebbled nipple with his dexterous tongue all the while.

The sensation was amazing for Diaspro, who'd never had somebody else touch her in such a way, creating little waves of muscle-tensing pleasure that washed through her body. Even better was the feeling of Harry's short nails scratching light lines across her back. With closed eyes Diaspro moaned out her appreciation and arched her back, throwing her head back with a soft sigh and threading her fingers through Harry's thick, unruly mane.

As soon as it started it stopped, startling the fairy. Opening her closed eyes once more made her realise that she was now laying on the bed. Her cunt was brazenly on display, which brought a new wave of embarrassment, and an even larger one of lust crashing into the young woman, leaving her puffy cunt to drool a thin strand of clear liquid onto the sheets.

He lowered himself atop her, their skin unbearably hot and pleasant against one another. She felt like silken fire beneath his muscled and scarred body. His rigid manhood rested searingly atop her pubic mound. The tip of his swollen cock met her wet pussy lips with a kiss. The noblewoman was biting her upper lip beneath him, whimpering hopelessly at the new stimulation. His fat glans slid up and down her lubricated pussy, parting her chubby lower lips to reach the pink treasure within.

Diaspro cried out as his rough, textured head slid up against her cunt's sensitive opening. The feeling of him rubbing against her private parts agreed with the fairy, and she spread her creamy thighs wider in sheer wanton desire. Harry lowered himself even more, resting his weight on his forearms, which hugged either side of his partner's ribs. His muscles strained in the planking position while his hair fell like a curtain, hiding his eyes. He leaned forward and slowly inhaled the scent of her skin.

He did not waste either of their time further teasing at her entrance. Instead, it was with a very light flexing of his hips that he began applying pressure to his partner's slick pussy. His glans was very swollen, full of blood and primal instinct, and Diaspro's cunt, unfamiliar with a man's sex, did not grant him easy access.

"Your pussy is much shier than usual." he commented with a perplexed grunt at the heat's stubbornness, wondering if she still was a little affected by what happened today. "Relax, I'm not going anywhere." Harry whispered as he began placing a few kisses along Diaspro's jawline, hopefully splitting her attention as he gyrated his hips to expand her pussy.

Suddenly his body's weight managed to supply the force needed to pierce the noblewoman. Slowly, he began to sink into her, inch by glorious inch of his bestial length diving deeper and deeper into her ribbed pussy that gripped him tightly. With a sigh and moan he brought out. "There we go, now your pussy is flirting with me again!"

She'd had to content herself with scraps of Sky's affection for years to get the approval and attention from anyone that she craved. Now, caught between Harry's care, his affection, sexual prowess, and his casual mastery of her; the woman's body lit like a fuse towards the inevitable explosion of passion. A dangerous mix of feelings and pleasure was coursing through her veins, igniting her body more than it should be able to.

'Betrothed, betrayed... beloved. At last I'm the third.' she thought elatedly, hugging the wizard to her tightly with all of her limbs.

Once he made contact with her innermost part, Diaspro could do nothing but throw all caution to the wind. "I love you!" she blubbered over and over while cumming uncontrollably with tears in her new blue eyes.

Harry's heart swelled with affection and protective, masculine feelings in reaction to her tears and pledges. However, while he was used to Chimera's eccentricities this felt different. Still, he remained entirely sheathed within his partner for some time, letting his enthusiastic bollocks rest against her puckered anus while he waited. Eventually, her praises and worshipful babbling trailed off, and she looked up at him with a wet nose and watery eyes.

Once she slightly calmed down, he began to move.

For her part, Diaspro was in heaven. Half of her brain focused on the physical: the way Harry's great cock felt different types of wonderful as it scraped against her insides depending on which parts of him were touching which parts of her. The head of his prick was the best, as it was the thickest and most textured part of him. And when its wide, purple crown would plunge down or pull out, bouncing and scraping along her horny cunt's ringed and ribbed tunnel, little white stars would zoom across her vision. She could feel herself jerk and spasm between his ravaging cock and body, and the soft comfort of the bed beneath her. His shaft was less stimulating, but still added to the addicting feeling of pleasure and fullness that she experienced when he was deep inside of her. Her favourite part was when he would reach the very centre of her body, making his glans and her cervix kiss lovingly.

The potion-addled half of her brain was stuck in a loop of emotions and thoughts that all filled her with so many good feelings of warmth, love and womanly pride, Diaspro thought she might burst. Utterly convinced that they weren't just fucking, but making love. He was giving her his love in the hopes of a reward, which simply was her love reciprocated back. Something she was happy to give Harry, and even happier to get the same in return.

Together, her physical and emotional bliss took Diaspro to a place where nothing could hurt her. It was a new place, but one she hoped to grow more and more accustomed to and reverent of in the future.

Again and again and again he sheathed his complete length inside of her, tuning out her manic eyes and words as he slipped into a Occlumency trance. His intent to utterly ruin her pussy and make her incapable of feeling anything but pleasure.

Half an hour later the fairy was riding another orgasm that she wasn't allowed the time to properly come down from, stretching with lewdly wet squelches and slurps as Harry stared blankly at her thrashing breasts. His expression pinching interestingly now and then as his cock gave throbbing twitches within her near-constantly cumming cunt. It was already building up a nice, milky lather of girl-cum that caked her taint and asshole an even paler white than her skin, leaving only her rigid hooded clit to peek up through the mess.

She still held him tightly to herself and groaned in appreciation of his actions, her crushing pussy flooding with more of her eager slickness. Her body was now doing all it could to extract Harry's seed from his sperm-rich balls, massaging and lubricating the way to her womb's tiny opening in the primal desire for offspring. From the moment he'd taken her and reached her womb, she'd been cumming. The intensity had gone up and down as he'd made love to her, but she'd never stopped. Her orgasms were like rolling hills, when she got on top of one a brief plateau came and was followed by another climb. And as Harry's pace increased, so did her pleasure.

More stars all across her vision.

The thick, erotic stench of their hot sexes warring against each other filled the room with a musty mix of sweat, girl-cum and musk. More stars. His bollocks clapped their love's crescendo tempo against her arse, and he lightly rolled her raw nipple between his teeth. She arched into his touch and professed her love once again. More stars. He grunted and put more of strength behind his thrusts, and bumped against her tender cervix harder and harder. Diaspro mewled and keened under his ministrations, absolutely loving it.

'More!' she thought in a haze of ecstasy, unable to think properly or even utter anything but moans anymore.

He pulled her into a kiss that made the fairy's heart ache it was so full, while her body was cumming and shaking. Next Harry angled his hips, and the rough, blood-filled glans of his cock scraped and stretched harshly against the roof of her pussy, running roughshod up against a pattern of bundled nerves. It sent Diaspro back into a blubbering state, cumming and cumming and cumming wildly against her love. Incapable of doing anything else by now.

'MORE!'

Sweat dripped off Harry's brow as he humped and fucked and loved. Finally, he buried himself to the hilt inside of Diaspro's quivering cunt, giving his all to her zealously milking womanhood. It shot out madly, with him pumping three-second long spurts of his thick, sperm-rich cum inside of the woman's womb.

The Chimera lookalike had gone unnaturally still for just a second beneath his ejaculating form, feeling the first long rope of scalding liquid splash against the back of her tiny womb. Not wanting a single drop to escape Diaspro bit her cheek as a final orgasm rippled outwards from her cunt to wrack her whole petite body with shivers and shakes like a dreammist junkie.

At the end of it Diaspro's jelly-like limbs finally could no longer cling to Harry, letting her fall backwards onto the bed. Messy tear tracks stained her cheeks, having escaped cloudy eyes that stared into nothingness, all while a thin strand of drool ran down the corner of her mouth. Only the heaving breaths she took were an indication of life left inside her.

Harry frowned a little as he looked at her twitching form, completely aware that Chimera normally had more stamina than that, accumulated from their daily escapades. This nearly looked like the first time they had spent together, with her needing Invigoration Draughts to keep up. Though, she still didn't last too long when he got truly serious, like now, or him employing Occlumency to slip into a trance and delay his own orgasm.

His musing were interrupted when the door to the bedroom was thrown open and Bloom strolled in. She was already in the process of discarding her vermilion corset onto the ground. Jewellery, her crown and ring floated away from her body to arrange itself neatly on the nearest table. Her gown followed shortly after, pooling at her feet.

"I see you started without me." she commented with a coquettish smirk, licking her lips at the sight of him buried to the hilt in Chimera's milking pussy. "I hope you have left some for me."

"Of course." Harry replied with a dirty grin, pulling his cock out of the nearly unconscious fairy. With a wet pop he exited the crushing wetness, leaving a river of cum flowing out of it. Rising up on his knees, Harry turned to Bloom, offering her his cum-soaked prick. "For you always!"

Spying his length, which Bloom found to be very handsome, a bead of his white cum on the very tip and a slimy coat of another woman's juices up and down his shaft. It was a little more concentrated and milky-white just beneath his purpled crown, like the mess that was Chimera's whole crotch area at the moment.

The naked redhead jumped on the bed with a giggle, crawling towards him seductively. "Come here," she purred, motioning with her finger towards her head. "I want to have my share." the royal gave in instinctively. Without any preliminary licking, any kissing or handling, she opened her mouth into a gaping O and surrounded his glans with it.

Leaning back on his haunches, he relaxed, letting this damp sheath claim his prick, one hand caressing Bloom's cheek. He watched his cock disappear into the fairy's mouth, bludgeoning her with its sheer girth, jerking and jumping as her eager lips sucked and sucked. Cupping her chin, Harry could feel the swirling lashes of her tongue under his fingertips.

Coming back to herself, the other fairy wound her slender arms around Harry, pulling him back into her embrace and throwing a leg over one of his to spoon him. The wizard moved his pelvis back, as if dropping back from Chimera's weight, and Bloom's cyan eyes followed the escaping length of him that emerged from her clinging lips.

As a result she sucked and licked more desperately, tasting the precum welling up from his glans to tease her, but the wizard gathered her fiery hair in one large hand and held her still as he himself eased back into her mouth. Much as he might like to thrust his hips forward, fuck those exquisite lips or let himself be fucked by them, he didn't. Just glided into the sweet, caressing tenderness of her mouth at the pace he set. He was in control of the situation. They all knew and enjoyed it.

As he pumped in and out of Bloom's mouth, his first of today's conquests peeled herself away from Harry. His free hand grabbed her collared neck, pulling her in for one last demanding kiss, then he released her. A look between them told her he knew what she wanted to do and approved with a grin. Chimera slipped down the conjoined couple, pressing herself to her rival's back as the woman laid on her front, prostrate before the blowjob she was giving.

Chimera's fingers teased Bloom's lower lips, like she would taunt a dog with a bone, and like an angry dog Bloom gave the Solarian fairy a warning look. Next the smaller fairy's right hand went to Harry's balls, feeling them thrumming with fresh cum for the second cumdump, and she squeezed it lovingly before reaching downward. Over the soft slope of Bloom's back she went to the peach of her behind. She found the puckered anal opening, teased over it as Bloom relaxed into her sucking before she drilled into it, burying her finger in Bloom's arse.

Harry saw it before he felt Bloom grunt and jerk forward so his cock was crammed roughly down her throat. The redhead groaned, but continued to suck, eyes closed to savour both the taste of him and the feel of the whore's finger wiggling and tickling in her anus. She groaned and shuddered with every movement in her holes, the void in her cunt somehow enhancing the feeling, not overwhelming her with pleasure but simply allowing her to feel each individual sensation to its fullest.

The wizard could be heard breathing hard as the Queen of Domino swirled and sucked over his stiff length, his hands on her cheeks, gently letting her move through his grip as she bobbed up and down on him. The pressure in his groin was returning to the breaking point. Chimera's finger rasped in her ass and Harry's cock burrowed into the warmth of her throat. She realized she was coming just as her male lover erupted in her mouth with a grunt.

Sucking hard, she swirled her tongue around his spongy head from within her mouth, enjoying the essence spilling from it into her mouth and down her gullet. Once he finished she curled her lips in to buffer her teeth, followed by Bloom bobbing as far down as she could, gagging, then biting down lightly with her lip-covered teeth, treating his fat cock like a tube of toothpaste as she extracted the leftover cum from his pipe. Arriving back at his crown, she cleaned up her own saliva with a few good licks, leaving a sparkling cock in pristine condition.

The royal fairy opened wide to display her milky prize before swallowing. She smiled gleefully at the sight of his erect cock, some whorish pride welling up in her chest at the evidence of her power over him. A moment later she squealed in delight as he pounced on her.

---

The real Chimera awoke with a groan of discomfort, the inside of her mouth feeling fuzzy. "What happened?" she mumbled, feeling like a herd of hippogryphs had trampled over her body. "Harry?" she called out, feeling around for him but not finding any of his warmth.

Her steel-blue eyes snapped open, and with a look around she noticed that Harry was not with her in bed. Neither was there any evidence that he had been.

"I must've drunk more than I thought." Chimera mused, but didn't recall doing so. Nor did she remember how she got here, or drinking excessively. A feeling of dread washed over her, and a frown marred her delicate face. She then remembered the mirror Harry gifted her and promptly summoned it. "Harry Potter." she spoke his name, calling his end while biting her nails.

"Come on! Come on!" It took longer than expected for someone to pick up, but she chalked that up to it being so early in the morning. When it finally displayed a picture her stomach fell down to her knees, a hole opening in her heart as she fell apart. It showed a head of blonde hair and bleary amber eyes looking at her. Behind her the sleeping form of Harry, showing his muscled torso, his arms wrapped around the blonde's waist.

"Hello?" Diaspro's voice came through, but the mirror was already sailing through the air towards the wall, shattering against it.

Chimera snarled out. "Liar!" big fat tears pooled in her eyes as she curled up in a miserable ball on her bed, sobbing.

---

Things are heating up. As some people correctly deduced Sky was Stella's betrothed, though I did not make it very difficult to find out. Though, I hope the confusion with the Polyjuice Potion isn't too bad, with Diaspro being called different names during it.

Next chapter will be the finale of the Princess Ball, after which there'll be the quick trial and then a new part of the fic.