Rhea led Fleur out into the streets of Birmingham from one of the Black Family's townhouses. When she found out Fleur knew about the dragon, she relaxed somewhat. She chose to share some of the ideas she and Hermione had come up with, even though Fleur had already formed her own plan. Fleur's plan was straight forward and likely to work, but both agreed having contingency plans was important. Fleur had set a rigorous training schedule for herself that left little time for them to get to know each other, but she had agreed to take a break 2 days before the First Task. Rhea apologized to Susan and Daphne for missing their duels, as they were starting in on the 7th year students, with the last two duels taking place on each day before the First Task. Both girls understood why she'd miss the duels and wished her a good time.
Fleur's intake of breath made Rhea smile. She'd have to buy a thank you gift for Hermione. She had suggested taking Fleur to the Birmingham Frankfurt Christmas Market and it seemed to be a great idea. While originating as a German practice, it became a central part of Birmingham's winter scene and while neither Rhea nor Fleur really celebrated Christmas, they could appreciate the decorations, food and atmosphere. The two walked along the stalls and would occasionally buy a few treats, Rhea laughing at Fleur's indignation at the amount of fried goods. Sure, maybe Fish n Chips was a less than palatable meal for an Heiress used to well prepared cuisine, but the fried pastries were just too good. Fleur hadn't liked Hogwarts food either and Rhea couldn't exactly disagree, as the choices did try to cater to too many pallets while avoiding offending anyone. So everything just came out bland.
Rhea did manage to win Fleur over with a fried cherry flavoured pastry from the stalls, though she lost Fleur as she went straight for the Crêpes, which made Rhea laugh. The two enjoyed listening to the carolers and drinking some hot chocolate, as Rhea didn't want to get Fleur in trouble for confounding a vendor for the signature wine. Her Dad had removed a lot of the Bigotry laws but confunding a non-magical for an alcoholic drink was just enough of a grey area to make her concerned. They did buy a few handmade Christmas decorations that wouldn't be out of place for Yule, though she did buy one proper Christmas decoration for Hermione since her own family still celebrated Christmas at home. Fleur did blush when Rhea bought her a pendant of a single open wing, made of metal that Rhea enchanted with a warming charm. The two were dressed warmly but Rhea knew Fleur hated the cold. Both bought a few marshmallow sweets coated in chocolate to take back and share with their friends.
Rhea helped Fleur pay for a stuffed toy for her sister, though Rhea smiled when Fleur said that Gabrielle hated being treated like a little girl. Rhea quietly bought a similar pendant to Fleur's for Gabrielle, hoping she liked the idea of sharing a piece of jewellery with her sister. The two looked at the Ferris Wheel and both voted not to go on it. While Fleur was fine with heights, Rhea didn't like them and she'd go claustrophobic spending so much time in a locked cabin. Though Fleur's comment that it wouldn't be as bad if they were a full couple already did make her blush thoroughly. The thought had crossed her mind and it made her lean into Fleur's shoulder during their date.
They had just returned to the Three Broomsticks Floo chimney and were making their way back to the Castle's entrance when Fleur latched onto Rhea's hand. They hadn't shared much physical contact at the Festival because the non-magical world is still working out its acceptance of relationships between people of the same gender. In the magical world, some resistance to the idea exists, but it's more from the younger additions to society. The older families still remember the witch covens, as well as the existence of potions for blood adoptions and even magically aided pregnancies, making the existence of same sex couples a none issue for securing a legacy. Rhea's hand grew warm as Fleur's hand finally touched her, with Rhea squeezing her back gently. Fleur hugged Rhea's arm, causing Rhea's body to grow warmer still.
"Thank you for such a wonderful date." Rhea smiled, "Thank you, for being such wonderful company." Fleur stopped and looked her in the eyes. "I believe it's customary for a date to end with a kiss, non?" Rhea's heart started beating faster. "I would never presume." Fleur smiled, "Rhea… there is such a thing as being too mature." She moved closer to Rhea, looking at her lips and eyes. Rhea closed her eyes and leaned in - "Rhea! There you are!" The Black Heiress could say that a touch of the Black Madness wanted to leak out that day. Just a touch. Both Rhea and Fleur were blushing and glaring at Daphne as she reached them.
Daphne huffed from the effort of trying to find Rhea. "Susan got hurt badly and… why are you two glaring at me?" Fleur leaned in and kissed Rhea on the cheek. "See you tomorrow, ma chérie." Rhea's blush turned full red as she watched Fleur walk away towards the Beauxbatons' carriage. She turned at a slightly embarrassed Daphne. "I … interrupted something, didn't I?" Rhea sighed, "No bloody comment. What happened to Sue?" Daphne explained how Susan managed to win her fight against the 7th year she was up against but got hit by a really nasty curse. The Beauxbatons student has been suspended by their Headmistress and will be sent back home.
Susan, on the other hand, would need to spend the next two days in the infirmary. She looked quite put out by it too. "I was so close to whipping the smirk of everyone's faces!" Rhea chuckled. "I can imagine. So why am I here again?" Susan just smiled at her. "Well, technically there are still at least two more duels tomorrow and then the Championship Duels the day after, so we were wondering if you'd like to take my place." Rhea felt her eye twitch. "I am going to guess that I am your only pick and that you are going to blackmail me to do it for the sake of a Hogwarts victory?" Susan looked abashed, "I wouldn't say blackmail." Daphne chimed in, "I would." The Slytherin did take a step back at the glare she got from the Ravenclaw and the Hufflepuff.
Rhea wanted to say no. She really did. But she knew how much this meant to her friends and this really wasn't their fault. Besides, she had just spent a nice day out with Fleur. She could be nice. This time. "Fine! But the two of you are helping me plan my next date with Fleur." The rest of the afternoon was spent with her friends grilling her on the date and managing to make her blush multiple times. Why did her friends like to see her blush?! Wait, never mind. Rhea distinctly remembers doing the same to Mom and Dad. The thought of getting grilled by her parents made her groan. These were going to be some very long days.
The time of the First Task arrived and Rhea was helping Madam Pomfrey set up the Medical Triage at the side of the Arena. As the senior Healer from the participating schools, Pomfrey had the distinguished role of looking after the Champion's injuries. Not that she cherished the thought. Pomfrey had nearly blown a gasket when she was told they would likely be dealing with Dragon inflicted injuries, with Dumbledore receiving a good dose of the Healer's outrage. He deserved it too. Rhea couldn't help but smile. At least no one had needed her teacher's prolonged attention from Rhea's participation in the Dueling Tournament. All two days of it.
The Hogwarts students had been a little put out when she was announced as Susan's replacement though they were more concerned with her Dad's reprisals should they have harmed Rhea. She made sure that wasn't necessary. The first Duel ended up being the shortest one of the Tournament, with Rhea using a highly advanced mix of spells fired tightly and almost simultaneously. The Hogwarts 7th Years' shield spell collapsed instantly and the Gryffindor boy followed a second afterwards. Moody looked both pleased with her and pissed at the student. The second match ended almost as quickly, with Rhea using a Summoning Charm to pull the students' robes away from the shield they raised, followed by a swift stunner to the chest. Moody was not happy, to say the least.
The fights against the Durmstrang Champions went a bit differently. It was clear that the Durmstrang Student she went up against first was a Dueling Prodigy and would likely be making the rounds in the Professional Dueling Circuits. He was fast with his spellwork, agile with his upper body and unlike the others, actually moved more than just a few feet. Rhea had gone for simply matching his skillset as he tried his best to overpower her, which did make her smile. Even Moody had given up trying to overpower her and this young man, while gifted, was not Moody. She decided to use Transfiguration against the duelist, who heavily favoured Charms, and her choice was effective. Her stone and dirt Golems were too spell resistant to fall to the charmwork and the barrage of transfigured birds and cats left the duelist battered, clawed and tired. He missed the charmed pebble she launched at his legs that smacked him with a stunner burst, ending the duel. The judges had been suitably impressed, McGonagall and Dumbledore most of all, as she hardly ever displayed that high a skill in Transfiguration.
The final Duel became personal right out of the start. Daphne had lost her march to the 7th year Durmstrang Champion and had ended up in the Hospital Wing. While the spells were all regulation, the damage had been severe. Rhea had gone cold. The bastard she was facing was a sadist. She could see traces of violent magic in his essence and it made her blood feel like ice. She wasn't going to let her friend's pain be ignored. The moment the match started, Rhea's prediction proved true as her opponent used overpowered piercing, cutting and exploding charms, all regulation but devastating if overpowered. Rhea decided that humiliation would be the best course of action. The astonishment of the audience as well as of her opponent at her strategy was satisfying as Rhea combined conjuration of stone slabs kept levitated as she jumped from one slab to another in the air, the stone slabs falling to the ground as she dodged and jumped her way across the air of the duelling platform.
The smile on her opponent's face when he thought he had cornered her was great to see, especially when her trap triggered. Just because she had stopped levitating the blocks didn't mean they had served their purpose. The inscribed runes triggered as soon as Rhea carved the last set at her own feet, with her opponent's face and body having a sudden meeting with the floor. Her opponent, properly pinned to the ground by magic, was then disarmed and stunned, with both the ward and her spells being overpowered. The guy ended up with a broken nose and bruised ribs. He deserved worse. The icing on the cake? When the reporters asked what inspired her to use such a method, she mentioned she had beaten Henry Potter with a less complicated setup. Was it petty of her? Absolutely. She did have a reason for it.
That reason is the First Task taking place right now. Hermione had eventually admitted to her that Henry decided on using his broomstick with a summoning charm to beat his dragon, after Rhea spent over half an hour trying to get her friend to calm down. Rhea had to give it to the prat. She and Hermione had gone through the trouble of developing plans with minimal to no risks and he decides to adopt one to be just as dangerous as walking up to the damn thing unprepared. Hermione hadn't taken any offence when she called him an arrogant showboat. She had said worse herself. So Rhea didn't care if she was being petty with him, he bloody well deserved it, for driving her friend up the wall with worry. Unfortunately, watching Henry Potter's trainwreck of a plan would have to wait. Fleur was going first against a Swedish Short-Snout.
Rhea had to say it for Fleur's dragoness, it was a thing of beauty. The silvery blue scales made it appear like it belonged high among the glaciers rather than a rocky arena. Its speed wasn't much of an issue due to the rather barbaric set of chains tied to its neck, but this dragon breed's flames had a reputation. Fleur's Fire Affinity wasn't going to help her here. Rhea prayed to Persephone that her girlfriend's plan worked as intended. The cannon going off drew her attention to the entrance of the arena and she cursed in Greek. The blasted tournament organizers didn't see fit to give Fleur fire resistant gear, probably the same for the other Champions. "Madam, please get the burn salves and bandages ready, the morons in charge have all but guaranteed their use."
Pomfrey looked at the young lady moving softly across the arena and cursed as well, heading straight for the crate holding the needed supplies. Rhea's eyes remained fixed on Fleur as she began casting the long Ritual Enchantment. While dragon scales were resistant to spells, their ears weren't, so Fleur had devised a strategy to use sleep inducing spells strengthened and sustained via ritual song. Rhea could see the enchantment work on the dragoness as the Short-Snout yawned and curled up on her eggs. That would present a slight problem. The Swedish dragon breed was from a cold environment, which meant they slept on their eggs. Fleur wouldn't be able to reach it if it did that. Fleur clearly took notice and dropped her song, causing the dragoness to shake its head and look around. Fleur wisely cast a disillusionment spell on herself. Rhea hoped she remembered the scent masking spell as well.
The arena remained quiet as the dragoness looked around, its attention finally focused on a recently transfigured set of cows. The creature went straight for the stone turned animals as Rhea noticed the Golden Egg being lifted up by a pair of invisible hands before it too became disillusioned. The arena broke into cheers as Fleur reappeared again at the Arena's entrance, the golden egg in her hands. Rhea breathed a sigh of relief. Madam Pomfrey went to scan Fleur when she arrived at the tent and once given a clean bill of health, Rhea pulled her into a hug. Fleur kissed Rhea on the cheek, "You were right. Having a second or third plan in place was a good idea. Thank you ma chérie." Rhea hugged her tighter. "I was so worried. I hope the next task isn't as nerve racking, or I won't be able to stand it."
The next two parts of the First Task followed soon after. Krum's dragoness was a Chinese Fireball, far more nimble and difficult to pin down or avoid. Krum apparently didn't spend too much time preparing for the Task, as his choice of jinxing the magical creature blind was terrible to watch. Rhea made a prayer to Persephone to aid the Chinese Fireball after it accidentally crushed several of its eggs before Krum exited the arena with quite a few burns. Rhea and Pomfrey promptly treated his injuries, which also included a twisted ankle and a claw mark. Rhea's use of more advanced healing magic surprised Pomfrey as she purged some of the dragon's latent magic from the wounds. Krum would have scars, but they would all heal properly.
Krum looked at her surprised by the prognosis, "I thought dragon fire would scar?" Rhea smiled at the heavy accent and nodded, "If the trace magic is allowed to linger, then it would. Since it was recent, a spell variant of a cleansing ritual would clear it out, as mine did."
Victor nodded, "Thank you. My fiance back home will appreciate it." Rhea chuckled, "I imagine you must drive her insane then, with both Quidditch and now the Tournament." Victor smirked, "Da, she never watches my games but she loves me enough to not ask me to quit." Rhea nodded, "You're lucky then." Rhea hears the crowd noise increase as she applies the last bandage. "You can move and watch the next contestant, but don't go doing any major exercise until you are off the ointments. Your skin will thank you later." Rhea settled down next to Fleur, who wrapped her arms around Rhea's waist. Rhea watched as they finished placing a massive Hungarian Horntail with her eggs into the arena. Rhea looked at the chain and had a sick feeling, "The chain won't hold it." Rhea wrote down a paper note, copied it and after animating them, sent them off to Professors Moody and Flitwick.
Henry entered as expected, all swagger and confidence until he saw the Horntail. He called out his summoning charm and cast a smoke screen. The Horntail was not amused and used its wings to blast the smoke away. After barely dodging two blasts of fire, Henry managed to jump onto his Firebolt. He tried a few times to dive down and grab the egg, only for the dragoness to push him away with a blast of fire or a swing of its tail. Rhea could see the Horntail grow more aggravated as its prey kept flying out of reach. Flitwick entered the tent and approached the group watching the event. "We talked about it with the organizers, if the dragon gets loose, we can't impede it until Mr. Potter grabs the egg." He looked at his student in amusement as she cursed in Goblin Speech.
Rhea's fears were realized as the Horntail smashed through its chain, breaking free and taking flight after a startled Henry. Rhea felt wards activate, most of them aimed at concealing the audience's presence. "Please tell me the handlers have a way to keep the dragon on the ground." Flitwick shook his head, "Brooms to chase after it and all the stunners they can manage." Rhea looked at him, "Do you think my gravity ward would help?" He looked at her and smiled. "It just might. Can you get it to cover the arena?" She looked around. "Just barely. You might want to let the handlers know, without tying it to the school wardstone or the leylines, I can probably keep her down a minute or two, not much more." He nodded, "Remember, Henry must grab the egg first. That ends the task." Flitwick rushed to reach the handlers as Rhea started conjuring her anchor points, doubling the usual amount, while also creating a loophole for both the eggs and humans. Rhea wasn't going to add to the dragoness's anger by hurting its young.
Henry appeared over the Arena soon after, his clothes badly burned and his broom looking like it was going to fall apart, the Horntail swooping right behind him. He drops into the Arena and goes for the egg, only for the broom to fail as he reaches it. Rhea watches Henry pick up the egg as the dragoness descends behind him. She waits for Henry to take cover behind a rock as the dragoness launches a stream of fire before triggering the ward. The Hungarian Horntail crashes into the arena floor, its body struggling to get up. Rhea watches as Henry struggles out of the Arena as her magic strains to keep up the ward, the dragon's strength fighting her will and magic. Goddess was the dragoness in a mood. She feels her body grow heavy, a trickle of blood descending from her nose. Eventually, the Handlers enter and after a barrage of stunners, the Hungarian Horntail is safely stunned. Rhea drops the ward and collapses to her knees, her breathing deep and tagged.
Pomfrey comes to her side and scans her, "Miss Delacour, I need you to stay with Miss Black here, she has severe magical exhaustion impairing her physical state. I have a potion for her to drink. Please give it to her in small doses, once every 15 minutes. I need to attend to Mr. Potter when he arrives." Fleur nodded and took the two vials in her hand. Rhea blushed as Fleur propped open her mouth with her own fingers, before forcing her to drink the first dose. Rhea eventually rested her head on Fleur's shoulder, her scent causing her body to warm. Of course, the Triage Tent then filled with activity as Henry Potter entered the tent, his family just behind him. Pomfrey was forced to peel scraps of cloth from his burns, gently applying the ointment covered bandages. "Mr. Potter will need to remain at the Hospital Wing or at St. Mungos for over a week, perhaps two. Depending on how much trace magic from the dragon is in the burns he will need to go through a cleansing ritual soon, before the scar damage becomes permanent."
James looked at his injured son, "Isn't there a way to do it without a ritual?" Pomfrey sighed and looked towards her slumped student, "There is a spell variant, but I am unsure if it can cleanse this much residue and I myself haven't enough practice with it to try it. The only one I know currently capable of it is dealing with severe magical exhaustion and isn't in a condition to try." James wanted to refuse, as he hated rituals on principle, but he didn't want his son to suffer. "Aren't there others capable of the spell?" Pomfrey was going to respond when Fleur helped an exhausted Rhea next to Henry's gurney. "Ms. Black, I said no magic." Rhea groaned as she used a diagnostic spell, "Need … to … see." The diagnostic spell did its job even as Rhea felt her body grow a bit more heavy. She took deep breaths, "The spell won't fix this, even with the… best possible caster. The ritual is your best bet, … but the residue is starting to seep in. … He needs the ritual today or … you are going to see far worse … scar tissue. So make your choice."
Pomfrey was proud of her student, even if she wished the girl hadn't used a spell. "Ms. Delacour, place her in the back gurney, I need to contact her parents about her current state. Mr. Potter, you heard my assistant's prognosis and mine. Your son needs the ritual and he needs it today. Regardless, I will be transferring him to St. Mungos and making my recommendations. You will have the final say there." The tent would soon go quiet as the Potters left. Fleur stayed by Rhea's side until her parents arrived. Their presence and Nyx's arrival helped her recover her magic sooner and she managed to exit the triage on her own feet. She would spend the next few days in Grimmauld Place, letting the ambient magic fill hers back up until she felt as good as new.
Rhea hugged her mom from behind. "Morning Mom." Sabrina smiled and turned around, hugging her daughter fiercely. "Morning Rhea. Feeling better?" She nodded into her mother's shoulder. Sabrina smiled, "Good. Your breakfast is ready. We have blueberry pancakes and orange juice. Don't eat it too fast." Sabrina watched her daughter sit down and dig into her meal. She had really missed moments like these since Rhea went to Hogwarts. She could tell her daughter was thriving there, but it didn't make her not miss her as much as she'd like. Sirius came in, kissed his daughter on the head and sat down beside her, as Sabrina brought their own plates to the table. Sirius looked over at his daughter and smiled, "So, how are things with Fleur?" Rhea blushed, "Good, I think. We haven't … uhm… done anything yet." Sirius was partly glad, but he knew it meant she was still far from healed.
"Have you asked her to the Yule Ball yet?" Rhea looked at him with confusion. "I don't think the Malfoy's is a good place to take her on a second or third date. I am trying not to spook her and Narcissa is scary when eying the girls after her son. I can only imagine how she'd be with me." Sirius chuckled, "Oh I agree, I meant the Yule Ball at school." Rhea blinked, "Wait, there is going to be a Yule Ball at school? When did they announce it?" Sirius showed her the paper from today, "While the event had been planned as part of the Tournaments, it was officially announced yesterday to the students." Rhea smacked her head on the table. Sirius looked to his amused wife, "Did I say something wrong?" Sabrina chuckled, "No, I am just certain our daughter has just remembered what she is expected to wear." The half growl half groan that came out of her was confirmation enough.
"It also means I need to check with Fleur. If we go together, we need to match, even though I refuse to wear a dress!" Sirius laughed at the vehemence in her tone. Rhea spent the next few hours in her bedroom with her mother looking over the formal clothes she wore, so that she'd at least have an idea as to what could match Fleur's when they discussed it. Her mom also made her look over some rather revealing choices of underwear. She never wore the type but she felt it might be worth it this once. She did get a vow of silence from her mom, as her dad was not allowed to know that she now owned these. She really hoped he wasn't aware mom bought them for her. It's embarrassing enough hearing him tease her about having a Veela for a girlfriend.
Rhea found Fleur at the Great Hall, quite literally attending a line of suitors asking her to the Ball. "Your girlfriend sure is popular." Rhea hugged Susan before play-punching her shoulder, "How are you feeling?" Susan smiled, "Much better. Been out for a day, watching the boys making fools of themselves." Rhea hummed as she followed Susan to the Hufflepuff table and sat down. "Anyone caught your eye?" Susan blushed and looked at Sally. Rhea raised her eyebrow, "When did this happen?" Sally blushed, "Before Sue got out of the Hospital Wing. I… didn't want to do it in a crowd." Rhea ate a bite of her toast. "I expect an invite to the wedding." The sputtering of her friends made her laugh, easing the nerves in her stomach. Ronald Weasley's own attempt at inviting Fleur was worth a laugh. He really messed up his words.
Rhea allowed her magic to feel the room and noticed Fleur's Allure. It wasn't as strong as when they practiced but it was still present. Rhea checked her own occlumency and found them unaffected. She looked at Fleur and wondered when she began to forget noticing the Allure. Fleur tended to keep it wrapped tightly for her, but she was more relaxed now. Feeling bold, Rhea waited for the last of the suitors to leave before walking up to Fleur. The Allure became more noticeable as she approached but Rhea refused to let it overwhelm her. Fleur's surprise on her face when her classmate told her to turn around was great to see. "My dear Fleur, would you do me the honour and privilege of being your date to the Yule Ball?" Rhea almost had to bite her tongue as Fleur's Allure flared, but she kept her eyes on Fleur as she held for her the silver flower Rhea had gone to the Florist in Hogsmeade to get. She wanted to do this right. She watched Fleur take the silver flower and smell it, sighing happily. "Oui, you may escort me to the Yule Ball, Ma Chérie."
Rhea kissed Fleur's hand and walked away, trying her best to not grind her teeth into dust. Eventually, she reached the Beauxbatons carriage and Healer Smyth's Office before she collapsed. She hoped she hadn't been out for long when the Healer woke her up. "Hello again Miss Black, care to tell me what got you to collapse so soon after your return? Your diagnostics read fine." Rhea smiled at the memory. "I asked Fleur to the Yule Ball. Pretty sure I took a heavier dose than normal of the Allure." Smyth ran her diagnostics again and nodded. "That you did. I am actually surprised you didn't collapse on the spot." Rhea sighs as she sits up on the medical bed. "I … wanted your opinion on something. My mom and I talked about it and suggested it might be better if Fleur and I… become intimate before the Yule Ball. She is concerned about the heightened emotional state and the intimacy of the moment will overpower any control we have. I don't want to end in the Hospital Wing because her control slips as my occlumency defences weaken."
Healer Smyth thinks about it and nods, "As much as I would say it be best to let the night of the Yule Ball be your night for it, your mother's concerns are valid." She turns to the slightly opened door. "Would you agree as well, Ms. Delacour?" Fleur's "eep" was quickly followed by Rhea's embarrassed groan.
Rhea's breathing was more even now as she stared at the roof of the Beauxbatons carriage. Fleur had taken her suggestion to heart and the two had gone on to be intimate a few times now. The first two attempts had been partial disasters, as the heightened emotions and Rhea's memories quickly set in, effectively ruining the moment in very little time. She was glad they had the precaution of doing it under Smyth's supervision, though she only observed through a constant diagnostic attached to Rhea. Rhea had also gone ahead and silenced herself those two times. She was ashamed of adding any further pain to her girlfriend. Fleur … Fleur had been absolutely wonderful. She refused to let herself be discouraged and always made sure Rhea felt safe and loved. The third time was in the infirmary again, but this time the panic attacks didn't trigger a memory. That night they kept going until Rhea blacked out. That had never happened before According to Smyth, her blackout was a good thing. The feelings prior would seem to confirm that. She would get close to another blackout just earlier but didn't. The experience had been much better, and not just because they did it in Fleur's bed, as comfy as it was.
She felt Fleur turn on her side and rest her head on Rhea's chest. Rhea traced her hand softly down Veela's back. The day after the third time, Fleur had hit her with the Allure again and Rhea had actually been delirious. The memory triggers weren't all gone, some still lingered, but she didn't collapse or scream. She did, however, need to restrain herself from jumping Fleur right then and there. According to Fleur, that was actually what was supposed to happen when smacked with a concentrated dose of Allure. Rhea was so happy that her friends had thought that she had been hit by a cheer charm. She might as well have been. Rhea and Fleur keep checking with Healer Smyth every day, testing Rhea's mental stability and every day her memories feel softer and lighter. She hoped that once the episodes stopped completely, they would stay gone. Waking up with her body covered in cold sweat wasn't pleasant at all, though the sweat she worked up with Fleur was a lot more pleasant than expected. The shared shower right after was a pleasant experience.
Her Mom was so happy for her that she took her out shopping. Not only did they get an outfit to match Fleur's dress, but she took her out for other more "intimate" purchases. Her mom confessed to her that while she loved her Father deeply, she herself had found the ladies attractive as well, so in her youth she too had explored that type of relationship. So Rhea now had a bunch of things that made her blush just thinking about them and stories about her mother she had never wanted to know about. She ended up spending a few hours as an owl with Nyx flying in the cold night air to cool down. The downside of switching forms had been the near constant fight with her instincts to find a place for a nest. Nyx had been squeaking constantly in laughter at her the moment Rhea switched back after their flight. Bloody Death Omen.
Rhea found the Yule Ball to be one oddly pleasant night. She had gone to escort Fleur from the carriage in her formal outfit of choice, a black dress jacket and matching pants, a silver corset and a tie to match Fleur's gorgeous silver dress and white coat. Her body had grown warm just looking at her girlfriend. Fleur's eyes travelled up and down her body, her face breaking into a smile. "You look beautiful ma chérie." Rhea's blush felt heavier in the cold night air. "As are you Fleur." Rhea lifted Fleur's hand up and kissed it. "The ball awaits." The two made small talk as they travelled into the castle and through the halls until reaching the Great Hall entrance. Because Fleur was a Triwizard Champion, Rhea waited with her outside the main doors as everyone else entered. Victor Krum had managed to invite his fiancée from Bulgaria to accompany him, who approached Rhea and thanked her for healing her man.
Hermione, however, was a great surprise as she accompanied Henry Potter. Her green dress matched her skin well and her usually untamed hair was styled perfectly. Rhea was surprised to feel her body warm up at the sight of her. She now knew she had been getting flashes of attraction to her friends as far back as she could remember, and she had found Hermione cute before but never to the extent of her actually thinking about it. She used her occlumency to bury the thoughts for now. Tonight was her night and Fleur's and she would get her undivided attention. The champions and their dates eventually entered the Great Hall, extensively altered and decorated for the night. Rhea bit her cheek when they were seated at the main table, close to both Henry and Dumbledore. The reminder that the Lord and Lady Potter would be in attendance but not her family had cooled her otherwise great mood.
The rest of the night she can say was spent well with Fleur dancing at her side. When she had been introduced to the Malfoy's habit of hosting Balls, Narcissa had seen fit to have her learn how to dance with Draco. While Narcissa had been put out by Rhea's refusal to wear a dress, the lessons had gone well enough. Rhea would never be the best dancer in the room, but she wasn't an embarrassment waiting to happen either, so she just took that as a win. She had been happy to see both Susan and Sally together at the ball, both having a blast, while Daphne arrived at the Ball with Draco. She had been surprised to see Luna being there with Theo, though he had admitted to them just being friends and Luna had been fine with that. The night eventually descended into a mess of sound and teens screaming as the band changed from more classical music to the favorites of the Weird Sisters. Dora was going to be quite jealous when she hears about tonight, especially when she learns Rhea and Fleur both left soon after the band started. Neither of them liked the music.
Rhea brought Fleur back to the carriage and the two entered Fleur's room. Fleur's blue eyes looked at Rhea's cyan and she proceeded to trace Rhea's lips with her hands. They had both promised to share their first kiss tonight, when they could both feel ready. Rhea surprised Fleur by hugging her body against her own. The two closed their eyes as they brought their lips together. The night stretched long into the early morning hours for the young couple, driven by passion and a desire for more. Rhea felt odd with how warm her body felt, but it was a pleasant warmth, even covered in sweat. Both would wake up early and hold each other close, sharing in the afterglow of a Yule morning where they indulged their urges one last time. Rhea would be happy to say it had been a wonderful night. She also didn't forget to silence the room properly, either at night or in the morning.
Rita sat down at her desk back in her house. The Triwizard Tournament had turned into quite the source of information. The debacle at the end of the first Task had been used effectively by the Neutral and Dark Factions to open greater oversight of all the Ministry Departments and their safety measures. This was compounded by the conclusion to the investigation on Bellatrix Black's imprisonment. Ten Azkaban guards, both former and active, were charged with injuring, sexually abusing and raping Bellatrix while she was a prisoner. Several more have been charged with failing to report the crimes, accepting bribes and concealing and destroying evidence. The Light Faction's stance on maintaining faith in the Ministry as an institution backfired severely. Fudge made quick work of aligning himself with the changing times and backing the changes, even as members of his own staff decried them.
The hits kept on coming as the laws concerning the banning of practicing certain magics were placed under review. The measure had caught the Light by surprise as they couldn't technically object, as no official stance or change to the established laws had been proposed or made. The Wizengamot had officially asked the Department of Mysteries to contact its counterparts in the ICW and begin a review of censured, banned or black magics both within Britain and beyond its borders and determine the impacts the bans have had in preventing the abuse of said magics, impeding beneficial implementations of said magics and determining if bans were formed out of prejudice, propaganda or simply fear without proper justification. Among the list of magics that were being reviewed could be found the once highly regarded Elemental Magics, the heavily controversial Blood Magics and the previously undiscussed Death Magic, known colloquially as Necromancy.
The Light had gone ballistic, but even Dumbledore could do nothing to impede the review, especially when similar reviews were taking place elsewhere in the ICW. Rita knew something was going on but there was no way of guessing what was leading a change of policy on such a massive scale. The Neutrals, while remaining as such, had made massive inroads with the Dark, so much so that the Light were accusing the Neutrals of having been hijacked. The official response was that the Neutral Faction was taking steps to restore a proper balance of power between the Light and Dark Factions, with the Dark seemingly benefiting now because of how many Light oriented legislations had been passed since the Fall of Grindelwald. Rita couldn't exactly refute that, as the files were there for all to read.
Deciding to avoid the mess that was the Wizengamot recently, she turned to more interesting news and gossip. Being a Bug Animagus had its perks. She had managed to sneak into the Yule Ball and hear so much gossip. Sure, most of it was harmless and without consequence, but some was still valuable. The Black Heiress being a Witches Witch would certainly break a few hearts, but damn did the girl dress well. Not to mention her date to the Yule Ball. Witch Weekly was going to have a field day with that juicy story and the pictures alone would garner attention. The Bones Heiress' own tastes would also be subject to much talk. But following the lovely young ladies had led to the most interesting bit of gossip she never expected to find. She had followed the Bones Heiress as she sat down with Miss Granger, Heir Potter's date, and listened to them chat about the night. She had been about to leave them when Miss Granger asked the most peculiar question.
"Has your Aunt found out anything about Halley Potter?" The Bones Heiress looked around, as if looking for eavesdroppers. "She has and it's a mess. As best as she could tell, the obituary was a lie. At least, it had been for 7 years. Between Halloween of 81 to 88, Halley went from declared dead, to being magically disowned, to actually being recorded as dead. Except in all cases of death, there is no body, no autopsy and no corresponding files in St Mungos. None. The weirdest thing was when Aunti went to Gringotts. The Goblins track the deaths of wixen too. Except when she asked to see the files on Halley Potter, or Evans since the disownment, they refused. She looked at the treaties that mentioned what reasons they could refuse under and the only one that applied was if the person wasn't dead and isn't charged with a crime."
The Granger girl had looked at the Bones Heiress with the same astounded look that Rita would have worn had she not been a bug at the time. "Wait, are you saying that Henry's twin sister, declared dead twice over, is still alive?" Rita listened in to catch more information but nothing else was said that night. She was going to keep an eye on the girls while at Hogwarts, in case they ever let out something just as valuable. Rita, of course, didn't take the information at face value. At least not in a case like this. So she looked and found what the Bones Heiress mentioned. A birth certificate in St. Mungos, an obituary 4 days after the supposed event that caused the death, no other mention. She hadn't checked the Ministry Archives yet but she assumed she'd see what the Bones Heiress said.
While she loved snooping and eavesdropping, Rita Skeeter was still a reporter. She had done the legwork before she became an Animagus and she felt she could still manage it. If the twin of the Boy Who Lived had vanished from Magical Britain, it would usually mean either Blood Adoption or disappearing into the non-magical world. While blood adoption was still an option, the disownment would suggest she was given up by the family, usually for being a squib. While giving birth to a squib is nothing new to the Families of Magical Britain, a few still decide to disown their children, just in case they could eventually have magical children of their own and contest the line of succession. A twin would be a perfect point to contest the succession later down the road.
So for now Rita would focus her attention on the non-magical world, at least until she had an in at the Ministry Archives to verify everything she heard. Shining a light on the dirty little secret of the Potters should throw even more fuel to the fire in the Wizengamot and it might get her some good will amongst the Neutral and Dark Factions. Now she just had to find the trail of one Miss Halley Potter, or more likely Halley Evans and see where it leads.