Chapter 23 - The Curse of Lycanthropy

Despite the cowardly attack on the campgrounds following the closing of the Quidditch World Cup tournament, the English found more than enough time to celebrate their country's dominance on the international stage.

Magical towns and alleys alike were alive with constant partying and celebrations in general. Pubs were constantly swamped with patrons drinking and celebrating with friends, nightclubs were open and full of life until the extreme hours of the morning and the streets were filled with merry and ecstatic fans, still basking in the afterglow of victory.

There was one place in London, however, that you would definitely not find any celebrating or merry well wishing; ironically enough, that place housed the main reason for the country's joy.

That place was Harry Potter's bedroom.

The reason?

It was lying on Harry's bed, right now, looking deathly pale and drenched in sweat. Its name was Archades Montague and he'd been in that condition ever since passing out and going into shock after the werewolf attack.

"Is 'e going to be okay?" Harry's didn't answer the voice speaking to him at first, continuing to cast a few diagnostic charms on the boy after force-feeding him some potions before speaking.

"What did you say your name was again?" Harry asked curiously, the girl sniffed in his direction disdainfully.

"I did not say."

"I know that," Harry said irritably "that was my polite way of asking what your name was."

The girl frowned, seemingly thinking whether she should answer or not, before finally doing so "I am Fleur Delacour, I am a friend of Stephanie's, and recently, Archie's."

"Delacour, Delacour, Delacour," Harry repeated thoughtfully, trying to remember where he had heard that name before "any relation to Francine Delacour?"

The girl smirked at him "She is my grandmamma," she stated proudly "you 'ave 'eard of 'er?"

"I've met her, actually," Harry grinned "she's quite beautiful, despite her age – terrible at poker though."

Fleur frowned at the veiled insult; her grandmother had indeed told her of how he had not only bested her in a game of Poker at the age of fourteen, but had proceeded to win the game as well; an impressive feat, to say the least.

"She also told me zat you were not present at zee game in Switzerland," Fleur smirked "did you not make zee cut, perhaps?"

Harry only rose a wary eyebrow at her "She told you that, did she?" Harry shook his head as he performed more diagnostic charms on his friend "I'm surprised she was given an invitation to attend, perhaps she was someone's date rather than a player this time," he ignored Fleur's glare "imagine my surprise when my application to that game was denied by the head of the Switzerland branch of Gringotts himself, they regretfully informed me that I was too young to play – funny how, once they knew I could clean them out, my age was suddenly an issue that needed to be addressed."

Fleur didn't know what to say to that, the Goblins were a species of people that would gladly exploit a fourteen year old, especially a rich one, if they thought it possible. It wasn't too surprising that he didn't merit an invitation to the richer game given his success in the smaller one.

"I did not peg you for zee type to be proficient in medical diagnostics," Fleur pointed out, the hostility in her voice gone and replaced with curiosity.

"You would be correct to assume that then, because I'm not," he motioned towards the door as he continued to cast charms and small wards around the bed "we sometimes get victims of werewolf attacks on our doorstep, Remus saw fit to teach me how to deal with it if he's indisposed for whatever reason," he then motioned outside "that ruckus going on outside is one of those reasons."

The sound was barely audible at best, but that was saying something considering Harry had silencing wards placed strategically around his bedroom.

"What is it that you are doing exactly?" Harry was amused by the snobbish girl's curiosity, her little sister though; he was not so amused by.

"Making sure he doesn't die before the full moon," Harry answered with brutal honesty.

"Can you explain?" she had this cute frown on her face "I mean, zee reason why, I do not understand, we do not have werewolves in France, well, not many."

Harry snorted, of course they didn't, they were too scared that Lestat would off them – no matter how ridiculous that assumption was.

"Interested in becoming a medi-witch then?" that was an interesting bit of information, he hadn't pegged the girl to be the type interested in healing others.

"Perhaps," she surveyed the potions beside Harry's bed and the liquid inside the drip attached to the comatose boy's arm.

"Interesting," Harry was silent for a few moments, checking Archie's pulse one last time before leaving him to rest "you do realize that if we were able to use muggle medical procedures, this would be infinitely easier," Harry informed the perplexed girl "but such equipment is rather expensive and hard to come by, especially on such short notice."

"I do not understand," she was frowning again, like he had just spoken some foreign language.

"There's not much to understand," Harry shrugged "he's suffering from a dangerous fever, it's his body's natural reaction to the infection currently attacking him, the more powerful the infection, the more powerful the fever."

"Zee body produces this 'fever' so zat it can fight off an infection it cannot destroy?" she asked anxiously with a worried look over at Archie's prone form "what happens if 'is body temperature keeps rising despite not being able to destroy it?"

"He'll die," Harry said in such a blasé manner that Fleur looked to him in shock.

"'Ow can you say such a thing and be so calm about it?" she asked scathingly "does 'is friendship mean nothing to you?"

Unlike his unconscious friend, Harry wasn't so quick to anger "I can say such a thing because it's the truth," Harry shook his head as he used a cool cloth to wipe the sweat off Archie's face "you want me to lie to you so you'll feel better? I was hoping you weren't one of those attractive idiotic bimbos that are so popular these days."

"Zat is not what I meant!" her face was flushed as she spoke, Harry wasn't sure whether it was because of the compliment about her looks or because she was angry "Just because I care about the wellbeing of others, does not mean I'm an 'idiotic bimbo'" she said hotly.

"What does truthfully telling someone a patient's symptoms have anything to do with caring for their well-being?"

"Nothing!" she replied hotly "but I thought 'e was your friend, 'e spoke so 'ighly of you – zee great 'Arry Potter," she mimicked sarcastically "you do not seem perturbed by his condition in the slightest!"

"Well," he began "that may have something to do with the fact that I'm not."

Fleur was shocked speechless by the admission.

Harry almost groaned in annoyance when he saw the girl ready to launch into a full-blown rant, didn't she notice there was an unconscious boy and a sleeping girl in the room.

"What need is there to be concerned when I know there's no need to be?" he asked calmly.

"Zat boy saved my best friend's life, I am making sure 'e is receiving zee best treatment possible."

"You know what?" he asked her "you're absolutely right, go on, you better take him to a hospital," Harry motioned to Archie's prone form "take him, a victim of a werewolf attack who is most likely going to turn, to a magical hospital," Harry said dispassionately "let's see how long he lasts past the front door before someone kills him in his sleep. Prejudice is kind of high right now, if you hadn't noticed; did you forget about what happened at the World Cup?"

"'Ow could I forget," she said scathingly "you butchered those werewolves as if zey were cattle, you did not even give zem a chance to surrender when you were clearly the advantageous one."

"I know, the guilt is eating me up on the inside," Harry replied to her sarcastically, "you have no idea how hard it was to clean that blood of the blade."

"Is zat all you can do? Make jokes at a time like this?" Fleur glared "You feel nothing for killing those people? Not even any remorse?"

"I'm a regular mass-murderer," he agreed "I need to be locked away before I kill more rabid werewolves on a child mutilating spree. I think it has something to do with my dysfunctional childhood."

"They deserved justice," Fleur said angrily, getting fed up with his smart-ass remarks, "you are no better than zem if you lower yourself to their level!"

"Do you think I feel good about killing those werewolves? It's eating me up inside! I can't even sleep without seeing their horrified faces in my dreams!" Fleur was surprised at his sudden forwardness and admission of weakness.

"Really?"

"No," he deadpanned "not really," he rolled his eyes before ushering her out of his room, leaving Stephanie and Archie to rest in peace.

"You insufferable, insensitive, heartless prick!" Fleur cursed at him in French "I can't believe Stephanie spoke so highly of you!"

"Yeah, neither can I to be honest," Harry grinned at her stupefied expression "You know, keep cursing in French, it's kind of sexy."

Fleur tried to reign in her temper, it wouldn't do for her to get angry at this prick, bad things happened to people when she got angry.

"What did you mean earlier when you said zat Archie could not die before zee full moon?" she remembered he mentioned something like that earlier in their conversation.

Harry entered his study, and when Fleur tried to follow, she slammed head first into what she felt was a solid wall, but there was nothing there but air after she opened the door!

Before she could question the strange occurrence, Harry came back out of his study dragging a portable blackboard covered in complicated arithmetic equations. Fleur watched with a dumfounded expression as he carted it into his bedroom.

"Werewolves aren't technically 'turned' until their first transformation," Harry lectured "and that doesn't happen unless there's a full moon."

"So you need to keep 'im alive until 'e transforms?" she clarified "it doesn't sound too difficult."

"Why would monitoring an escalating fever, tending to wounds that don't want to close and making sure someone doesn't suffer brain damage from seizures be hard to manage?"

Fleur didn't quite know what to say to that, mainly because most of the terms he was using were muggle ones and didn't quite make sense to her – it sounded bad though.

"When is zee next full moon?"

"Three days time," Harry answered while dragging the blackboard into his bedroom and propping it beside the bed.

"What on earth are you doing?" she asked with a frown. Harry ignored her for the most part, choosing to work on the equations instead.

"I may not be a distinction student," Fleur frowned "but I am quite proficient in Arithmancy, and I 'ave no idea what zose equations means."

"Is there a question in there somewhere?" Harry asked her without turning to her, opting to continue scribbling notes and equations on the board.

Fleur frowned, but any further questioning was interrupted when the sound of the door to Harry's room opening. Not a moment later, Sirius, Cedric and Tonks entered his room with grim faces.

"Sirius, Cedric, Nymphadora, let yourselves in," Harry deadpanned as the three people in questions looked at the boy who had addressed them without turning to them in shock.

"Don't call me that name!" Tonks shrieked angrily, before clamping her hands on her mouth when she realized the resting people in the room.

"How does he do that?" Sirius whispered to Fleur and Cedric, who just shrugged.

Unfortunately, all the commotion stirred Stephanie from her sleep. The girl rubbed her red-rimmed eyes groggily before looking to everyone in the room and asking, "What's everyone doing in here?" she then saw what Harry was doing "and what's with the blackboard?"

"Checking on Archades, no doubt," Harry answered without turning to face them "nothing's changed, I'm afraid."

"We figured that much," Tonks spoke up after wiping Archie's forehead with the cool cloth "we just wanted to visit, see how you're all holding up."

"We're all having a grand time," Harry sarcastically answered "Fleur and I are great buddies."

Fleur only sent him a dirty glare in response to his shenanigans. Sirius was looking at his godson with pride.

"Settle down children," Stephanie chided mockingly, however her joking demeanour disappeared almost immediately when she noticed Archie's condition "how is he?"

Harry sighed irritably, but he was thankful when Fleur answered for him.

"Zat buffoon says zat as long as Archie stays alive until zee full moon in three days time, he should be okay," she answered as Cedric looked on, bewildered.

"Buffoon?" he asked, surprised by the girl's animosity towards Harry "something going on between you two?"

"She's referring to my animal magnetism," Harry conspiratorially whispered to Cedric "she can't resist me."

"I'm sorry, Potter, but 'prick' eez not my type," she scathingly replied, much to Harry's amusement, and that of the others in the room.

"You can cut the sexual tension with a knife," Tonks joked to Sirius, who joined her in snickering at the unfortunate girl.

"Where eez Gabrielle?" Fleur questioned, her face flushed with anger.

"She's sleeping, back in your room," Cedric answered her "well, she was when Tonks last checked on her, poor girl's had a rough night."

"I remember hearing someone crying last night in the chaos," Stephanie said as she remembered the last night's events "that was her?"

Sirius nodded seriously, the look seeming uncharacteristic on his face "She saw a Death Eater kill one of the muggle caretakers," Sirius winced "it probably wasn't the best thing a girl her age to see."

The room lapsed into an awkward silence, the only sounds audible being the fast scratching of Harry's chalk writing on the blackboard.

"What are you doing?" Sirius asked his godson with confusion, not able to make any sense of what he was writing at all.

Harry once again answered without turning to the speaker "I'm writing on a blackboard," Cedric sniggered at Sirius, who was rather annoyed at the stupid answer "the better question is, why is everyone crowded in my room when you know nothing will change with Archades until his transformation?"

Fleur didn't need to be told twice "I am going back to my room," she announced to Stephanie "It will be good for me to be there when Gabrielle wakes."

Stephanie sent one last pained look at Archie before deciding to join her friend, trusting Harry's judgement and skill in dealing with her saviour, and knowing she needed to sleep anyway.

"Do you need anything?" Cedric asked Harry "I figure you're not going to leave here until we move Archie down into the cages."

"I'd appreciate it if you brought me up my meals," Harry turned to Cedric this time when he spoke and nodded to him in thanks "also, keep any disturbances out, if possible," he motioned to the two who had just left "that girl annoys me."

Sirius sniggered at his Godson "From the looks of things, you were the one who was annoying her."

"You looked to be enjoying it too," Tonks pointed out rather pointlessly "I wasn't lying when I said you could cut the sexual tension with a knife."

"Just because there is tension, does not mean that it has to be sexual," Harry reminded "why are you up here anyway? Remus' penis is that-a-way."

Sirius and Cedric collapsed in a fit of laughter as Tonks tried to curse Harry. Unfortunately, he conveniently bent over to pick up his chalk pen that had dropped at the perfect time.

"Could you perhaps not send curses around near a patient," Harry deadpanned "not very responsible of you, Nymphadora."

Tonks gritted her teeth angrily "You do that on purpose, I know it."

Harry shook his head in annoyance before rubbing off a section of the blackboard he had just been writing on.

"What are his chances Harry?" Cedric asked sadly "be honest, please."

Harry snorted "I'll tell you the same thing I told Fleur, it doesn't look good," that seemed to drain the energy right out of the room "but I've dealt with werewolf attack victims before who have pulled through with worse injuries – much worse."

"I suppose that's reassuring," Sirius sighed warily "let us know if anything changes?"

"I'll notify one of the elves," Harry finally relented "don't let the door hit you on the way out.

"That boy is such a prick," Fleur ranted to her friend as they made their way to their room "completely insufferable, I just want to conjure up a fireball and shove it up his ass!"

Stephanie held in her laughter at her friend's plight, "What did he do this time?"

"This time?" Fleur asked incredulously "He's always been a prick then?"

"You could say that," she recalled a particular memory where Harry read her mind "but he usually has a good reason for being one."

"What reason could there possibly be for him to be a prick tonight?" she fumed "he was speaking down to me like I'm some kind of fool."

Stephanie frowned in thought; she seemed to think over her answer before actually speaking "I heard what you said about Harry," Stephanie admitted, "While you thought I was asleep. What you said, about him being a murderer, it wasn't really called for."

"I saw what he did," Fleur defended herself "he slaughtered those werewolves like animals . . ."

"I know Fleur," Stephanie admitted with a pained smile "I was there too remember?"

Fleur winced at her friend's hurt tone, she hadn't forgotten, but she was being a bit insensitive.

"I was there even before you all arrived," her voice broke "they were monsters, they slaughtered those people Fleur – all of them."

Fleur let her friend speak, not really sure what to say to that.

"There was this one girl," tears were streaking down her face as she recalled the nightmarish event, "she was lost, looking for her parents. I was about to help her, I was not ten feet from her, then," she paused, trying to find the correct words to use "two werewolves leapt out of a nearby bush, on opposite sides of her . . . they tore her apart Fleur," Stephanie met the blonde Veela's eyes, they were full of remorse "literally Fleur, I watched as two werewolves tore a girl into two pieces while she was lost, looking for her parents – I was completely powerless . . ."

They had stopped walking, Fleur, despite her best efforts to stay strong for her friend, also let a few tears escape her eyes.

"They were hunting me down like I was a dog, if it weren't for Archie, I'd actually be very much dead," the way she said it, so factually and resolutely sent shivers down Fleur's spine "then if it weren't for Harry, we'd both be dead. Harry . . ." she tried to find the right words to describe him "he's a dick, there's no doubt about that, but I think that's what he wants people to think about him."

"Why would someone want people to think ill of them?" the concept sounded completely idiotic to her.

Stephanie just smiled at her, as if she were a child "So they won't get close to him," she emphasised her point by tapping Fleur's chest "if they don't get close to him, he won't have to worry about losing them."

"Does this tie in to what you told me about his mother?" Fleur frowned "you never elaborated on that, in fact, you just said she was sick. Where is she?"

"It's not my place to say," Stephanie sighed "In fact, I don't know much about it myself, Archie does though – don't expect him to tell you anything though," Stephanie grinned at her friend "if you want to find out more about him, and I know you do," Fleur's flush almost made her laugh "you'll have to ask him about it yourself."

Stephanie walked on ahead to their room, leaving a thoughtful Fleur Delacour in her wake.

"He's still a dick," she mumbled under her breath before following her friend to check on her sister.

Harry stood in front of the prison like cell, unmoving despite the fact that not two feet from him lay a wolf-like beast that could easily, using its strength, rip him in two.

He had been standing there, watching over his friend, for the entire night of the full moon. He had put him down in the cell before the moon was high in the sky, and before anyone could notice the boy missing from his usual bed. He had watched as the first rays of moonlight shone through the barred window onto his friend's body. He had watched when the changes first started to take affect. He had watched when his body disfigured gruesomely to allow for the change. He had watched as, during the change, the large scars on his back had closed up permanently, leaving nothing behind but an ugly scar as a reminder that was even visible through the fur on the boy's back. He had watched when the transformation form man to beast was complete, sealing his fate forever as a werewolf, though saving his life in the process. He continued to watch to this second, making sure nothing bad were to happen to his health until the boy finally transformed back and woke.

Harry had lost count of the time many hours ago, opting to just stand like a statue and watch Archie like a hawk. Werewolves were known to be a little more feral than usual during their first transformation, the pain and shock to the body usually being too much to bear. Luckily, Archie had remained unconscious for the entire night, a blessing if he'd ever heard of one. He's had instances where werewolves had transformed for the first time and nearly broken down the supposed 'unbreakable' iron bars separating the beast from the rest of the inn. A werewolf's strength during the full moon was truly something to fear and respect.

Now though, as the first rays of the morning sun shone through the small window of the cell, Harry allowed a small smile to grace his features. The boy had done it again – evade death that is – and had done so in a remarkable fashion. He'd never tell Archie – because it just wasn't his style – but the way in which he heard the boy held off three werewolves (strengthened by the full moon or not) with only the use of elixirs he had on his person truly impressed him. The kid would literally do anything for Stephanie – stupid, if you asked him, but no one was unfortunately.

Archie was now regressing back into his human form now, at first losing the extra body mass the transformation brought on while the extra hair simply melted back into his skin. Finally, his elongated jaw and limbs all retracted to their rightful lengths leaving only the Archie he knew behind – well, aside from the fact that he was naked as the day he was born. Harry was proud to say that he knew nothing about that side of Archie. Harry looked away from him as he conjured a cloth to cover his unclothed body, he definitely never would know that side either. That little French terror was enough to mentally scar him for life; he didn't need the added stress of seeing Archie naked to add to that. Fleur's little sister, after having a talk with Stephanie and Fleur together, had seemingly forgotten about that night's events and had returned to her regular cheery self.

Her regular, cheery, fan-girlish self.

On several occasions, he had nearly pulled out Flambert and rammed it down her throat when she snuck up behind him during a meal and tried to style his shoulder-length hair.

On several other occasions, he almost had to be physically restrained when she'd literally follow him around and ask him question after question without so much as a breath in between.

The next person, Gabrielle or not, to ask him the question 'why' again was going to get punched in the fucking face, he didn't care who it was, he'd do it. Dumbledore himself could ask it, he didn't care; the old man would just find himself in need for a good dental plan.

He was snapped out of his thoughts as a groan escaped Archie's lips – he was waking.

"Good morning Archades," Harry greeted dryly. Deciding that his friend was too slow in waking up, and figuring that he'd had enough sleep during the past few days anyway, Harry conjured a bucket of ice-cold water on top of Archie's head.

"Ah, whatthefuck," he screeched, his voice sounded rather rusty "I'm up, I'm up!"

Archie leaned backwards on his hands and observed his surroundings. He was naked, in a prison cell, and his body was aching all over.

"Okay, whatever I'm in here for, I just want you to know that it's Harry's fault," he spoke to the room, not having seen Harry yet because the boy was standing in the shadows "I didn't want to do it, honest, but he said he'd touch me in inappropriate places if I didn't, I was forced to!"

"Shut up you idiot," Harry snapped at the boy "how do you feel?"

"Harry?" he squinted in the direction the unusually loud voice came from before rubbing his left shoulder "I don't know, I'm really sore, my back is hurting like a bitch and what the fuck is that smell?"

Harry expected as much. Harry spoke in a voice much quieter than he usually would, "That smell is your own sweat, you haven't showered in a few days so it's to be expected," Harry smirked "and despite how many times she requested it, I thought it rather improper if little Gabrielle gave you a sponge bath."

"What are you talking about?" his friend groggily asked him "I had a shower yesterday right before the game, and why the fuck does my back hurt so damn much?" he all but hollered before remembering something and launching himself at the bars at a speed much faster than usual "Harry's how's Stephanie? Is she okay?"

"In order," Harry began "You have successfully been turned and are now a werewolf, you had a shower four days ago, not yesterday, your back hurts so much because you have three ridiculously large scars running across it and Stephanie is fine, if not back to her annoying self."

Harry wasn't surprised when Archie just stared at him with a blank face for several moments before finally speaking up again "I guess that's why that smell is pissing my off so much," he mumbled tiredly "it's to be expected I guess, did you look after me until the full moon then?"

Harry didn't answer, he just continued to stare at his friend with his arms folded over his chest; Archie already knew the damn answer to that

"Heh, thanks mate," he looked to his fiend's hair weirdly, or rather, lack thereof "you cut your hair?"

Harry scowled as he ran a hand through his inch long hair "Certain situations arose, ensued and thus, were overcome."

Archie stared at him in confusion for a few moments before he erupted into a fit of raspy laughter "Gabby's still here, isn't she?"

The lack of response was all Archie needed to hear before lapsing into another fit of giggles. After finally settling down, the ramifications of his new condition finally hit him.

"What am I going to do with school?" he asked with a frown, "the second it gets out that I'm a werewolf, they'll kick me out straight away."

Harry shrugged "There's less than ten people in the world that know you've been turned," he pointed out "none of which would care to turn you in anyway. As for full moons? I know a place you can ride them out in near Hogsmeade."

Archie nodded, scratching irritably at his left shoulder in the process "You know, it's kind of funny really," he chuckled "I've been looking for a cure for lycanthropy for so long and now, I'm one as well," he shook his head "the thing is though, I don't really care all that much. This mind sound stupid to you, but I'm kind of happy I'm a werewolf, it means I have something in common with my mother other than blood."

Harry's eyes softened very briefly, but Archie had no way ofspotting it with Harry still standing in the shadows.

"Are you going to get me some clothes and let me out of here?" Archie asked sarcastically "or are you just going to stare at my sexy body for the rest of the day?"

Harry unlocked the door to the cell and walked away "You already stole my favourite coat, get your own damn clothes."

Archie grinned and stood up, shakily at first, but he gained some more control as he flexed his muscles – wait!

'Muscles?!' Archie mentally screamed as he looked over his body. Indeed, though he wasn't anything compared to Harry, his muscles seemed much more defined and ripped than he last remembered – obviously, another side effect of the Lycanthropy.

Looking around warily, making sure no one was here to see him, Archie looked at 'himself' behind the large cloth covering his waist.

"Oh well," he shrugged "I guess an extra few inches was wishful thinking."

"Will you stop looking at your little dick and hurry the fuck up Archades?" Harry called from the entrance to the dungeons.

"Hey, my dick is not little you cocksucker!"

A still sickly looking Archades walked down the stairs and met a scene he honestly wasn't expecting.

"Archie!" a voice called ecstatically as he was hit in the midsection with the force of a cannonball.

"Stephanie?" he asked in surprise, the girl had literally tackled him into the wall and was now sobbing into his shoulder; Merlin she smelt so good. If he didn't want to reveal how much her body pressed so tightly against his own was affecting him though, he had to act quickly.

With a lazy grin, he gave her rear one strong grope, idly deciding that this was definitely the best ass in the world.

Stephanie backed away from him slowly, a deadly look in her tear stained eyes as Archie fought the urge to gulp nervously.

"You saved my life," she said, as if reminding herself before his impending doom "so that one was free, next time though, it won't be my fault if my knee suddenly," she planted her knee mere millimetres below his crotch into the wall he was leaning on "slips."

"Yes ma'am," he saluted playfully at her "consider us even."

"Monty, I knew you'd pull through!" Sirius cheered as he engulfed the boy in a manly hug. Archie looked over Sirius' shoulder to the rest of the inn were Remus, Tonks, Cedric, Fleur and Gabrielle were all smiling at him happily.

"Hey you guys," he grinned "sorry for worrying you, but did you really think you'd get rid of me so easily?"

Cedric grinned and poked him fairly hard in the forehead "You were in good hands, I wasn't worried."

Sirius barked out a laugh "He lies!" he pointed an accusing finger at the Hufflepuff "he turned down three girls because he was so worried! My protégé never turns down girls unless it's important!"

"So I'm your protégé now?"

"We'll discuss this later Diggle-dumpkins," Sirius grinned at the irritated boy.

"Hey, where's Jack?" Archie asked scathingly, getting a look of confusion from most of the people in the room.

"You mean Jacques?" Sirius asked thoughtfully "hey, where did he go? He just kind of . . . disappeared."

"I made sure of that," Stephanie grinned, it looked rather scary on her face actually "did you honestly think he was going to be sticking around after he left me to die like that?"

"So you broke up with him?" Archie sounded perhaps a little too excited, though Stephanie didn't pick up on it. Archie started to wonder if she had selective hearing when it came to him.

"Yeah, he left pretty quickly after the attack anyway, saying nothing was worth all of that," she shook her head "boys can be such bastards . . ."

Remus quickly decided to change the topic "How do you feel Archie?" Remus asked kindly as Tonks, Fleur and Gabrielle hugged him one after the other "I remember the first time is painful."

"Is that what Nymphadora told you?" Harry asked dryly as he too came down the stairs.

Sirius, Archie and Cedric all erupted into fits of laughter while Stephanie, and reluctantly, Fleur tried to hide their grins. Remus was glaring at Harry while Tonks flushed in both rage and embarrassment.

"Karma's a bitch Harry, one of these days, she's going to fuck you in the ass and you're not going to be able to do anything to stop it," Tonks warned rather crudely yet sagely.

"Sorry Nymphadora, that's not my thing . . . you on the other hand, well, let's just say that Remus is quite the fan of 'kissing and telling'," Harry trailed off, grinning at Remus, whose eyes widened almost comically when he realized what Harry had done.

"You told him?!" Tonks shrieked at Remus, who had his head in his palm, trying to hide the blush covering his features.

"No Dora," Remus sighed warily "but you just did . . ."

Tonks' face adopted a look of confusion before her eyes widened in shock as she pointed an accusing finger at the smug looking Harry "You tricked me!"

"Wow," Sirius exclaimed, after the rest of the group stopped laughing at the unfortunate couple, "Ickle Dora is a freak."

"What we do in the privacy of our own time is none of your business!" Tonks snapped at Sirius angrily "so stop laughing!"

"I believe you just made it our business," Cedric grinned playfully; he was forced to dive behind Remus to avoid being hexed painfully though.

"This is all your fault!" Tonks pointed to Harry who was calmly ignoring her and reading a letter.

"Well, that's interesting," Harry frowned as he re-read the letter.

"Who's it from?" Sirius asked curiously, allowing Gabrielle to play around with Archie while Stephanie watched on happily.

"Lucile," he frowned "looks like I'm going out tonight."

"Oh, where?" Sirius asked excitedly "can I come?"

"Three sixty," Harry deadpanned as he mentioned the club he co-owned with Lestat "and I don't think it's very safe for you to show your face around there any time soon. You're lucky Lestat didn't kill you on the spot for what you pulled."

Sirius sighed dreamily "It was worth it," he remembered briefly the good grope he got of Lucile's ample breast "they're one hundred percent real, I told you to never question me Cedric, you still have much to learn."

Cedric grumbled irritably, remembering the twenty galleons he stupidly bet, and lost, over that little stunt.

"Three sixty?" Fleur questioned, speaking to Harry directly for the first time in a few days "As in zee club in France?"

"The very same," he answered distractedly as he re-read the letter again.

"'Ow are you going to get in?" she asked with confusion "Three sixty 'as just opened as is zee most popular nightclub already in France," she frowned "Quidditch star or not, zey will not let you in so easily, especially if you do not 'ave any female with you."

Harry eyed her and spoke dryly "You're concern is heart-warming, I'm fairly certain it won't be a problem though."

"He co-owns the club with Lestat," Sirius informed the shocked girl happily "they often undertake business ventures together, that's one of them."

"Thank-you Sirius," he snapped irritably at his godfather "you'll be the first I come to with confidential information in the future, I assure you."

"You own it?!" Fleur asked incredulously before coming to a decision "Zat is it, I am coming with you," she declared to the shocked group and amused Harry "you cannot show yourself in such a place without a beautiful date, luckily for you, I am free tonight."

"A beautiful date, you say?" Harry scratched his chin in thought "and you would be this date?"

Fleur nodded resolutely while Sirius and Cedric were gaping at Harry in shock – he was thinking about it? Is he mentally retarded?!

"I 'ave wanted to go ever since I 'ave heard of it's opening, zey are supposed to 'ave zee most popular DJs performing and I just got this new dress I wanted to wear . . ." she gathered herself and looked at him superiorly "you can make it my seventeenth birthday present."

"Your birthday isn't until next week Fleur," Stephanie reminded playfully, only to receive a death glare from the Veela in question.

"So this would be my birthday present to you then?" Harry asked curiously "I wasn't aware we were on gift-giving terms, let alone 'dating' terms" he regarded her curiously "Sorry, I don't see what's in it for me."

"This isn't really a date," she declared "I am only attending zee club with you so you do not look sad going by yourself."

"As thankful as I am for your generosity," he sarcastically replied "that's just not enough you see, if I'm seen anywhere with a female, 'real date' or not, the tabloids will eat it up," he sighed dramatically "no, I just don't think it's worth it, I think I'll go it alone."

Harry pre-emptively cast a silencing charm on Cedric and Sirius, who both, as expected, blew up at his proclamation. Archie, Stephanie, Remus and Tonks almost laughed at how they were using hand signs to try and describe killing Harry in some way if he refuses.

Fleur frowned before eyeing her sister briefly and then turning a brilliant grin to him. Harry caught the eye movement and raised an eyebrow. Fleur nodded confidently as Harry looked thoughtful. Those watching the byplay were completely clueless as to what was going on.

"If you can make it happen," Harry informed her "consider it a date."

Fleur grinned triumphantly and approached her little sister before whispering something into her ear. The girl's eyes first widened dramatically, then they took on a look of denial before finally settling on determined.

"'Arry?" Gabrielle asked shyly "is it true zat you 'ate bunny rabbits?"

Harry looked at Fleur with a raised eyebrow; she nodded encouragingly to him before he turned his attention back to the little French girl giving him those annoying puppy-dog eyes.

"Yes," he coldly answered "sometimes, when I'm really bored, I go and hunt bunny rabbits and then feed them to Remus during his transformations for fun."

Gabrielle gasped loudly and covered her mouth with her little hands in shock. She looked to her older sister, who was trying not to grin victoriously, with disbelief written on her features. Quicker than lightning, the girl ran up the stairs with tears in her eyes, not believing her ex-idol and future husband would say such terrible things!

"Well," Harry broke the awkward silence after Gabrielle was finally out of sight "I'm feeling oddly happy right now, be ready at ten Fleur, we won't be staying too long, so don't expect to."

The French girl beamed at him before grabbing Stephanie's hand and dragging her up to their room. Tonks decided to follow them mainly because she was bored and wanted to make the most of her day-off.

Harry frowned in confusion, wondering why the girl had suddenly become so receptive to him after she had just recently been happy to declare him a mass-murderer. He didn't like being confused, it made him feel uninformed, and feeling uninformed made him feel like an idiot—he didn't like feeling like an idiot. Perhaps he was just putting too much thought into it, she just wanted to see the club, after all.

He did find it rather amusing though that every single male in the inn sans Archie was looking at him with envy. Annoying or not, even he could appreciate a hot girl when he saw one as he leaned back in his chair smugly, basking in their envy.

"What am I going to wear?" Fleur asked no one in particular as she paced up and down her room with an amused Tonks and Stephanie watching on with large smiles.

"You seem to be worrying a fair bit considering this isn't a real date," Stephanie couldn't help but goad her friend, it was so rare that she was seen like this.

"Yeah, it's not like the guy you're going with could out-dress you or anything . . . wait," Tonks smirked "he probably can."

Fleur threw up her hands in exasperation "'Ave you seen 'is wardrobe?" she asked desperately "I didn't know zat zere was a man alive with such an interest in zee way he looks! Zere was so many designer labels in zere, and the shoes, zere were at least fifty pairs!"

Stephanie nodded grimly "I did happen to peek in there briefly," Tonks looked at her with an amused grin "okay, a little more than briefly. You'd just never peg Harry as the glamorous type."

"No," Tonks rolled her eyes "he wears a diamond stud in each earthe size of my fist because he enjoys how much it weighs him down," she sarcastically said while exaggerating the size of Harry's earrings "you girls are hopeless, Fleur, you're beautiful, I don't think it really matters what you wear, as long as you show up."

Fleur blushed at the praise and nodded appreciatively "Be zat as it may, I cannot arrive at such a prestigious event not looking my absolute best."

"What's so special about this club anyway?" Tonks asked curiously "I was never into the clubbing scene, in fact, I skipped it all together; all I know is that Harry owns it and helped Lucile with the designing of it."

"'E 'elped with zee designing?!" Fleur shrieked at her in disbelief before cursing in French, "Oh, fucking hell!"

"What?" Tonks asked frantically "what's the problem?"

Stephanie calmed down enough so that she wouldn't break into another fit of giggles as she explained, "Glamour night clubs like this one usually have a few thins going for them that make them popular – good music, good company, lots of sexy females, celebrities . . ."

"And an excellent venue," Fleur but in, "Zos club is like nothing I 'ave ever heard of, do you know why it is called 'Three-sixty'?"

Tonks didn't, but she had a feeling she was about to find out anyway.

"The entire building is a perfect circle," Fleur explained, "I 'ave not seen it for myself, but I hear zat the inside is truly a work of art, which you must understand, is quite the compliment coming from zee critics in Paris – where the club is located."

"They say that the DJs themselves are underlings and Lucile herself their goddess," Stephanie supplied "obviously, a horribly exaggerated rumour, but it does make one curious as to what they're talking about."

"Zis is why I cannot look anything less than my best when I go tonight!" Fleur pointed out "I 'ave an image to uphold, in such a prestigious night club where so many rich and handsome men will be attending, I cannot be anything but zee best."

"One of whom is, apparently, your date," Tonks pointed out "He's rich, he's handsome, and as we've just pointed out, fashionably savvy – I don't know why you're complaining."

"I know why," Stephanie said triumphantly, "Fleur has pointed it out to us many times already, yes, she's going as Harry's escort tonight, but not as his actual date, unfortunately."

"Ah, now I see," Tonks thought out loud, despite the mortified Fleur looking on with disbelief "she didn't want to appear coming on too strong, so she swindled her way into a date which isn't really a date, so she could impress Harry and have him come to her," she clicked her fingers with a smile "genius Fleur, just genius!"

"I am not interested in zat prick!" Fleur protested hotly, getting irritated at the two giggling girls in the room.

"I don't know," Stephanie teased "ever since our little 'conversation' regarding him, you've seemed awfully quiet and contemplative."

"Hey now," Tonks said with fake seriousness "don't you try and corrupt poor, innocent Harry now, he's like my little brother, you know."

Fleur scoffed, ignoring the 'corruption' jab, "Please," she crossed her arms over her chest "Zat boy is some things, but innocent is definitely not one of zem."

"It depends what you mean by innocence," Tonks was grinning like a Cheshire cat "he's still a virgin, if that's what you mean."

Fleur flushed brilliantly while Stephanie seemed to be coughing on her own spit.

"Impossible!" Fleur scoffed again "Zat boy, no, zat pig, I very much doubt he doesn't . . ."

"What?" all three girls whirled in the direction of the door, surprised that they hadn't heard it open or heard Archie stick his head in "you doubt he hasn't shagged every girl at Hogwarts that has offered yet?"

"Archie!" Stephanie screeched angrily at the pale boy, the only thing stopping her from kneeing him in the gut was how sickly he still looked after his transformation "what are you doing in here?! You don't just sneak into a lady's room unannounced, and you especially don't do it during 'girl talk!'"

Archie held up his hands defensively as he slowly pulled out his wand and cast a few charms at the door "It's not my fault I happened to be walking passed when I overhear you talking about my best friend in such a dishonourable way," he grinned at the shocked French girl "you really should place some silencing charms on the door – don't worry, I just did – in the future, if you want a private conversation around here."

"Well, say what you 'ave to say and get out," Fleur looked down on him with her usual 'I'm better than you' look. Archie wanted to joke that Harry had a look just like that, but it was less pronounced, with saying just as much, if not more.

"Well, as I was saying, I just happened to be walking passed here to get to my room, which is two doors down by the way," he dodged a pillow that Stephanie threw at him "when I hear good old Tonksie mentioning Harry's virginity, now, normally I wouldn't concern myself with such matters, well, because I just don't care, but, you, Miss Delacour, I couldn't help but notice were implying that our dear Mister Potter was some kind of man whore."

Fleur scoffed again and even Stephanie looked doubtful "I very much doubt 'e is anything but," she shrugged "not zat it is my business, but zere is no need to lie to me, I see how all zee girls treat him around here aside from us."

Archie chuckled "Oh, no doubt, he could probably whip his dick out in the middle of the Ravenclaw common room, and in a matter of seconds, a not so orderly line would form ready to service him," he couldn't help but laugh at his own joke, no matter how true it may be.

"Archie!" Tonks and Stephanie scolded angrily; Stephanie frowned at him, "that's disgusting!"

"I know, I'm sorry, but its true," he defended himself "It's actually quite sad how low girls will go these days, but whatever, I'm not interested either."

Stephanie smirked "You're saying you get the same kind of treatment then?" she chuckled at the thought.

If Stephanie was expecting Archie to make a scene in response to her comment though, she was sorely disappointed. Come to think of it, didn't Harry mention Archie turning down countless dates in the past?

"The truth of the matter is, Harry's disgusted by those kinds of girls," he pointed out thoughtfully "he doesn't say it, but he gets this look on his face when he sees them tripping over their own feet when trying to so much as speak to him."

Stephanie and Tonks cracked up when Archie did a completely accurate impersonation of the look they had seen so much on Harry's face, even Fleur couldn't help the grin it caused to appear.

"Usually boys are rather embarrassed to admit such a thing as being virgins," Stephanie pointed out "I know the ones at the Beauxbatons boy's campus are."

"Yeah well, maybe you just haven't met the right kind of guy then," Archie said disinterestedly, causing Fleur and Tonks to share secret smiles while Stephanie looked at her childhood friend with a frown "virginity just means that the guy isn't interesting in a one-night shag and wants sex to mean something, I'm no female and I'm not the best when it comes to interpreting feelings, but that's just my thoughts on it."

"You'll excuse me for calling bullshit then Archie," Fleur said dryly "because with friends like Cedric Diggory and a godfather like Sirius Black, it is hard to believe such a thing."

"Have you ever seen us encouraging their behaviour?" he asked the two Beauxbatons students "actually, you haven't been around all of us for long enough to know," he turned to Tonks, missing the hurt look on Stephanie's face "have you ever seen us encourage them?"

Tonks frowned in thought before shaking her head "No," she trailed off "in fact, I recall you and Harry both spreading rumours around the inn that Cedric had the clap, from memory."

"Heh," Archie grinned "good times, it was so worth the bitching out I got for it too. There was this one girl that totally ripped into Cedric in the middle of the club, threatening to sue him for reckless endangerment."

Fleur snorted in amusement while Stephanie tried to hide her grin, "Oh yeah, I remember that," Tonks giggled "we need to get a Pensieve, as annoying as they can be, those four really crack you up when they're up to their shenanigans around here."

"Shenanigans?" Archie mimicked her use of the strange word "what are you? Fifty?"

"Remus wouldn't be interested if that were the case," Stephanie quipped humorously, Archie cracked up laughing at that one as Tonks' hair shifted between different shades of red.

"Care to repeat that again Miss 'I-love-him-but-it's-not-that-simple' Zabini?" Tonks smirked victoriously when Stephanie shrieked and launched herself at the Metamorphagus angrily. Archie just shook his head at the two before turning to Fleur.

"Anyway, before I leave you three to your 'girl-talk', I just wanted you to know that I don't think its fair for you to judge Harry when you don't even know him that well," he poked her in the shoulder with a grin "to be honest? I think he needs a girlfriend to loosen him up, but whatever, just think about it. How would you feel if he just saw you as – and I really don't mean any offense when I say this – some kind of slutty blonde just because you're a Veela?"

Fleur wanted to get angry with Archie for saying such a thing, but she understood what he was trying to do. She knew that she'd hate it if people saw her like that even though it was the farthest thing from the truth – despite what many people think, and frequently say to her. Maybe she was being a little harsh with Harry.

Archie stepped over the wrestling duo and cancelled his silencing charms "I'm real tired, so I'm gonna go sleep for the rest of the day, have a good time tonight," he waved over his shoulder before leaving the room.

Fleur watched the playfully shrieking, laughing and wrestling girls for a few more moments before grinning. She had the perfect dress in mind, but she had to Floo back home so her mother could get it for her.

"Look at him," Sirius sneered spitefully "who wears pants that tight these days? He looks like a complete idiot."

"Sirius," Cedric sighed warily "Harry's always worn tight clothes and you've never had a problem with them before," the two were seated at a booth eating dinner, well, Cedric was eating, Sirius however . . .

"Just whose side are you on Cedric?" Sirius snapped angrily "what is it with him and those pointy shoes?" Sirius asked, referring to Harry's fashionable shoes "is he trying to compensate for something?"

Cedric sighed again "Yes Sirius, he must be."

"Glad you agree," Sirius thanked his protégé, "what's with that shirt?" he spat "doesn't he know how to do up the buttons? He stopped like half-way!" he huffed angrily "why even wear a shirt if you're not going to even button it up or roll the sleeves up, he's such a loser!"

It was almost embarrassing how obviously jealous Sirius was of his godson, Cedric mused. He'd been down here insulting the boy every since Harry had come down to eat before leaving. It was a commonly known fact that one of Sirius' goals with life was to sleep with a Veela, and now, with Harry being closer than he ever was without even trying, he was spiteful to say the least.

"Why can't you just be proud of him?" Cedric asked warily "you're acting completely unreasonable."

"Unreasonable?!" Sirius turned a betrayed look to Cedric "he's got a date with a Veela, and he's not even remotely interested in shagging her!"

"Would it help if you knew she wasn't interested either?" Cedric tried futilely "you know, not every Veela is interested in sex, as much as it may surprise you."

"That's his fault!" Sirius glared at Harry "if it were me, she'd definitely be interested!"

"She's not even seventeen Sirius," Cedric deadpanned "you're starting to creep me out."

"Okay, not her specifically, but Veela in general!" Sirius rationalized "it just isn't fair! What is up with him wearing the World Cup Championship ring?! It's freaking blinding me with all those little diamonds!"

Cedric sighed and chose to just ignore Sirius' ramblings, he felt his IQ dropping just trying to add reason to them.

Harry - dressed in tight grey pants and an open black shirt with the sleeves rolled up - sat lazily in his chair and pretended like he couldn't hear Sirius' ramblings. It was, to him anyway, rather amusing how he was getting so bent out of shape over something soinsignificant.

He had arrived downstairs at ten o'clock, however, knowing how long girls could take getting ready, he had made himself comfortable with a muggle newspaper as he read the sports section. He hadn't checked on his favourite football team in what seemed like forever, but it looked like Arsenal was going as strong as ever.

Now, twenty minutes since he had arrived downstairs, he was getting slightly impatient and just wanted to leave. If this was what it was like when one went on dates all the time, he really didn't see what he was supposedly missing out on, as Sirius often reminded him.

Just before he was about to simply leave without her, he heard the sound of what he assumed was high-heels clackingon the wooden floor approaching the top of the stairs. Looking up over his newspaper, he was suddenly very thankful that it was there to cover his features; else everyone would see the look of shock on his face.

Fleur Delacour stood at the top of the stairs wearing a thigh-length, strapless and virtually skin-tight dress with a pair of matching Italian stilettos. The dress was rather low cut as it allowed for a good portion of her cleavage to become visible to the world. Her long legs were also clearly visible to the world; they looked powerful, like a dancer's, rather than a bodybuilder's.

Unsurprisingly, he was starting to regret not making this date slightly more official, and by the smirk on the girl's face, Harry figured that she knew that as well.

"Do I 'ave something on my face?" she asked in an innocently devious tone. Harry continued to stare at her for a few more moments, drinking in her features before composing himself convincingly and getting up from his chair.

"No, I was just wondering where exactly you're hiding your wand in that outfit," he scrutinized her carefully "perhaps you'll show me later."

"Doubtful," she replied stiffly, "are we going? 'Ow do you intend to circumvent the need for a passport?"

Harry waved off her concern and led her out the front door; the girl seemed to be enjoying the envious stares Harry was attracting due to her presence.

"Sirius?" Cedric called to his 'teacher' "I'm sorry for being irritated with you earlier," he apologized sincerely, a dreamy look still on his face.

"It's okay my protégé," Sirius wasn't as affected by her charm knowing she was much too young for him, but that didn't stop him from realizing just how sexy she looked "you are young and foolish, you will learn, don't worry."

"I . . ." Cedric frowned "need to find me a Veela."

"Don't we all Cedric," Sirius sighed "don't we all."

"'Ow are we getting there?" Fleur asked again as the two walked down Knockturn Alley and out of sight "Any means of transportation will force us to go through zee International checking stations, and you don't 'ave a passport."

"We'll only be gone for a few hours," Harry rolled his eyes "we'll be going by Portkey directly to Paris, outside the club, we won't be passing through the ICS at all."

"'Ow did you get a Portkey zat can circumvent the ICS's wards around zee country?" she asked curiously; as he studied her features, he was pleasantly surprised with the fact that she wasn't wearing make-up.

"It helps when you don't purchase the Portkey," he steered her out of Knockturn Alley and into a small alley "hold on," he warned giddily as he quickly activated the Portkey without warning.

In a whirlwind of motion, the two were whisked away from London and right into the heart of Paris.

"My hair, you bastard!" she hollered as they arrived on solid ground "are you crazy, do you know how long it took me to do my hair?"

"I'm actually quite aware," he responded in her natural tongue as the sounds of a beat assaulted their senses "you had me waiting, remember?"

Harry strode off towards the club where a huge line was formed for the regular patrons awaiting entry. The building was rather tall, it looked like three stories at most, and as the rumours had said, completely circular. The name of the club was in red neon lights above the entrance and a small red carpet was set up for VIPs to get entrance quickly and easily. Harry was striding in that direction casually.

Fleur hurried along behind him, trying to hide the awe on her features as she witnessed Johnny Depp himself enter the club with his wife before them. She may not be completely muggle savvy, but even she knew of the sexy celebrity, or more appropriately, many of the students at her school knew him.

Harry stopped walking when he reached the entrance as a large bouncer held up his hand to stop his entrance. Harry merely looked at him with a raised eyebrow as the large man studied him carefully.

"Is that you Mister Potter?" he asked incredulously "what happened to your hair?"

Harry rolled his eyes as Fleur tried to hold in her smirk "I thought it was time for a change, Lucile is expecting me."

"That's fine Mister Potter, you don't need to give me a reason for entering, I just didn't recognize you, is all," he replied dutifully "a friend of yours?"

Harry looked over his shoulder to Fleur who looked star-struck and awed by her surroundings "She's my date, yes," he snapped her out of her daze by placing his hand at the small of her back and ushering her through "have a good night."

"Did you see that line?" Fleur whispered to Harry in awe "we just got into the hottest club in France without so much as an ID check!"

"I do own the place," Harry reminded her "Lucile must have warned the bouncers to let me and anyone with me in without question," he said as they entered the main part of the club and looked around in awe "looks likes business is doing well . . ."

Indeed, the place was filled to the brim with people and playing extremely loud house and trance music. As the name suggested, the entire room was indeed circular with a ring of carpet around a circular dance floor. In the middle of the circular dance floor was a raised platform that had the DJ on it who was fiddling with his equipment and providing music. Directly above the DJ's podium was a large, circular, glass dome that was completely black, Harry suspected it was one-way glass but couldn't be sure.

Fleur spotted the DJ podium and then looked directly up and saw the black box of one-way glass. Suddenly that rumour she heard made sense, the DJs were directly below Lucile, who must have made her office directly above the dance floor, so she could see every part of the nightclub she wished to.

The bar itself was split into three separate bars at three strategically placed spots around the dance floor against the outer wall, no matter where you stood on the first floor, you could always see one of them.

"Is it what you expected?" Harry asked Fleur loudly, straining to have his voice heard over the music.

"Better," she mouthed in awe, but Harry picked it up "I find it hard to believe you helped design it."

"I didn't, I just helped come up with the concept over dinner one night, I didn't think anything would come of it," he told her truthfully "I'm not here to dance though, I came to see Lucile, are you coming or am I going to pick you up later before I leave?"

Fleur frowned as she looked around. There were plenty of good-looking men around her age partying around her, all of who looked like they could teach Harry a thing or two about having a good time. However, she wanted to hang around Harry, something about what Archie had said earlier having struck a chord within her – besides, it would hardly be polite to ditch her escort after he got her into this fine establishment.

"I'll come with you, but can I get a drink first?" Harry nodded and led her to the bar. Fleur ordered vodka with raspberry, and was promptly surprised when the man at the bar didn't accept her money.

"Any guest of Harry Potter's does not need to pay for drinks here," the female bartender, most likely a magical citizen, informed them kindly.

Harry nodded in thanks and lead her up the stairs towards the back (is there even a back in a circular room?) where they went up to the second level where the music was still audible, but much less pronounced due to the glass. The second level was much like the outside ring of the dance floor on the lower level, with the bars in the exact same locations as their lower floor counterparts, but up here, there were several seating areas where people were just lounging around and enjoying a drink.

Looking around, Harry spotted a door that looked like it led to the glass room above the DJ's plateau. Looking out the glass window that allowed the occupants of the second floor to see the dance floor, he noticed a corridor made of the same glass as the box leading right to it from the door not far from them.

A man and a woman guarded the door itself in formal, yet practical clothes; by the way they held themselves and the pigmentation of their skin, Harry assumed they were vampires.

"Come," Harry called to Fleur, who was done looking around and followed Harry to the two guards after taking another sip of her drink.

"Lucile called for me," Harry told the female guard in a no-nonsense tone, her eyes widened when she realized who it was.

"Yes Mister Potter, I'm sorry to say though that Miss Lucile . . . stepped out for a few moments," she grinned at him and eyed Fleur quickly "she said you'd understand the urge she suddenly felt to conduct this particular order of business."

Fucking horny vampires! Harry mentally snarled.

"Do you know when she'll be back?" he asked irritably "she made this meeting sound rather important."

"No longer than two hours sir," the male spoke up "Miss Lucile strongly suggests that you enjoy yourself while she is out and she gives you her insincere apologies."

Harry snorted at that as Fleur looked on curiously "Whatever, can you fetch me as soon as she returns? I'll be on this level, most likely."

"That's not a problem Mister Potter," the female winked at him "do enjoy yourself, will you?"

Feeling oddly cheated and wondering if Lucile had somehow planned for this, despite the fact that she could not have possibly known Fleur would have been here with him. Harry motioned to one of the somewhat vacant seating areas near one of the bars and sat down, Fleur following soon after.

"It looks like we'll be spending more time together then planned," Harry dryly informed her "unfortunately for you, I already said I'm not in a dancing mood, so you can go and do what you want for the next few hours I guess."

Fleur shrugged and made herself comfortable. Harry had to try really hard not to stare at her long legs when she crossed them one over the other "I am fine sitting here and having a drink," she scrutinized him curiously "I have wanted to know exactly who 'Harry Potter' is for the past few days, I still find it rather curious as to exactly why Stephanie speaks so highly of you."

"Your guess is as good as mine," he shrugged carelessly "so this is an interrogation then?"

Fleur chose to simply stare into his eyes as she took another sip of her drink before answering "I would prefer we just try and enjoy ourselves for the next few hours, I doubt I'll have much of a chance to come here often," she got that imperious look about her again "I suppose you are infinitely better company than your lecher of a Godfather or whore of a friend could possibly be anyway."

Harry snorted as he too made himself comfortable "I'll take that as a compliment then," Fleur watched curiously as he pulled a flask out of his back pocket and took a quick sip before pocketing it again.

"You do not like the drinks here?" she motioned towards the flask he just put away.

"I couldn't be bothered getting up and getting a drink," he lied smoothly "so what happened to you thinking of me as a mass-murderer all of a sudden?" he inquired curiously, he figured if Lucile had bailed on him and he was going to be stranded for the next few hours, he may as well do something with his time.

Fleur looked uncomfortable with the question, but answered anyway "I may have been slightly quick to judge you in that situation," she admitted hesitantly, Harry got the impression that she didn't like being wrong – he could sympathise, "Stephanie painted a very . . . vivid . . . picture for me of what was happening that night, about how exactly they were attacking, I was not entirely aware and I apologise."

"Was apologising as hard for you as it sounded?" he inquired cheekily and Fleur allowed herself a small grin.

"Somewhat," she placed her half full glass on the table near them "Do you like this music?" she asked conversationally.

"It's okay," Harry shrugged "it gets repetitive after a while though, I'd probably prefer it if they mixed it up a bit with hip-hop, but Lucile knows what the public wants best," he motioned to the filled night club around them "obviously."

"I suppose," she shrugged "this is very different to the music I normally listen to," Harry understood the real meaning behind her words. Fleur wasn't used to non-magical music.

"I noticed you sneaking several glances at my work on the blackboard back at home these past few days," Harry pointed out to the surprised girl "I'm very observant," he dryly informed her "could you even understand what it was I was writing down?"

Harry was baiting her, and Fleur knew it. Not willing to fall for it and appear the hot headed or idiotic blonde he probably thought of her as, she answered truthfully "At first? Not a clue," she admitted "however, the more I looked at it, the more it started to make some kind of sense."

"Oh?" Harry looked curious now "do explain."

Fleur frowned, choosing her words carefully so that anyone eavesdropping wouldn't think them crazy "At first, the equations looked completely foreign and I thought they were simply gibberish. However, I recognized a few of the standard conjuration formulae equating to several different outcomes," she murmured the 'conjuration' not sure what else she could use to explain it "then I realized that the formulae equated to fire, however, there were several other complicated formulae linked into them that I couldn't make sense of that had to deal with heat, control and power that confused me."

"I'm impressed," he admitted slowly "I never pegged you for someone who was interested in Arithmancy, I thought you said you were interested in being a Medi-witch."

"That's a possibility," she admitted "but I wanted to keep my options open, a Curse-breaker sounds interesting too, I suppose."

"You're not uncomfortable with the way every male in the room is staring at you right now then?" Harry surprised her with the sudden change of topic. Indeed, Fleur quickly scanned the room and whenever she'd lock eyes with someone who she thought was looking in her direction, he's suddenly find something more important to look at and turn away.

"Are you implying something, Mister Potter?" she raised an eyebrow at him as if challenging him "do you perhaps have something to say?"

Harry regarded her curiously for a few moments as if she were an interesting puzzle. The way in which his eyes seemed to look through her unnerved her slightly "I could tell you that you look beautiful tonight, and you may be surprised by it, but you won't be pleased."

Fleur was completely caught off guard by the compliment, however veiled in observation that it was, and was intrigued by where he was going with this.

"Sure, you make yourself look as desirable as possible – you succeeded magnificently by the way – but from what I can gather from you, you'd rather men not admire that quality about you first," he leaned on his knees and peered at her more closely, Fleur reflexively leaned back a bit, as she tried to hide the flush that adorned her cheeks; if Harry noticed it, he didn't bother mentioning it "with the way you instinctively leaned back from me, I guess you feel uncomfortable, no, uncomfortable is the wrong word, you are mistrustful of people who want to get in your personal space, so you try to keep them at an arm's length – your whole attitude with acting snobbish and condescending towards everyone you meet only serves to perpetuate this issue and helps in keeping people away from you."

If there was one thing Fleur was most certainly not expecting tonight, it was to be psychologically analysed by Harry Potter. However, she listened curiously to see what exactly it was that he thought of her.

"However, dear Stephanie informed us that you had three boyfriends last year, not something you'd expect from a person who doesn't trust men instinctively I suppose," he frowned thoughtfully "unless, of course, it was something that happened in one of those relationships that caused you to become like this, something that also makes you prefer it if people not notice you for your beauty first."

Fleur struggled to keep her voice level "What makes you think I don't want people to notice me for my beauty? I take great pride in my body and with the way I look."

"You do," Harry looked over her body once again "obviously, but that's not what I said, I said you'd prefer it if it wasn't the first thing someone complimented you on. You see, with the way you talked to me about my equations earlier, it obviously denotes hidden intelligence, an unnatural amount, I might add, not even the Arithmancy professor at Hogwarts could so quickly pick up the meaning of my work."

"And that means what, exactly?" the inside of her mouth was dry, she could honestly say that she didn't like being metaphorically dissected like this, it made her feel naked and exposed.

"It means that, even though you're proud of your beauty, you would much prefer it, as cliché as it sounds, for men to admire you for your intelligence – it's also probably why you were in three relationships last year. Not easy to find a guy who wants you for you mind and not your body being a Veela, is it?"

"Not particularly," she admitted "no."

"Yet you still quite proudly wear dresses that would make any normal man drool like some hungry dog, it's quite contradictory to the fact that you'd rather someone appreciate your mind over your body."

"Do you psychologically analyse everyone you meat then?" she tried to change the topic, but Harry wasn't so easily deterred.

"Only the interesting ones," he answered her "the problem you're faced with is not showing your intelligence to people, it is your fear of not being taken seriously when you do, or being mocked and having the only thing you hold truly dear to you as a person stripped from you."

"And why would that be a problem then?" she asked with a pained smile.

"That's simple, if that happens, then everyone will be right about you. Their assumptions that you are just a pretty Veela with no other talents would be true and you would truly be useless. You fear that, it frightens you beyond measure, you want to desperately prove the world wrong about you, bur you fear failing in that venture just as much."

The two lapsed into an awkward silence for a few moments before Harry spoke again "However, that's just an observation, I could be completely wrong," he picked up her drink form the table and took a sip "oh god, that's terrible, how can you drink that?"

"You really are a bastard, you know that?" her voice lacked its usual strength and Harry was worried she'd start to cry on him "and you enjoy people thinking you're a bastard, it means they won't want to associate with you and then you won't have to deal with them."

"I can't argue with that," he encouraged her and made himself comfortable again "continue."

"If you don't have to deal with them, then you won't ever get attached to them; it's why you have so few people you truly consider friends. You secretly fear the possibility of losing everyone again, like you did as a child, so instead of running that risk, you limit the amount of people you care for. It's like a really twisted game of probabilities for you, the less people you care about, the less likely you are to be hurt again."

"Huh," Harry mused "you know about my mother then, that's interesting, do go on."

"You have a very cynical view of the world in general, which is abnormal for any child brought up in a happy household, despite the tragic circumstances that lead you to be living with Mister Lupin. You view the world so cynically because you try to apply logic to human emotions and behaviour . . ."

"Which could be said for any child that grew up with books being a major part of their life, logic becomes the law for them," Harry interrupted briefly and pointed out to her.

"Yes, but you take a perverse pleasure in proving that logic can be applied to human emotions and behaviour, despite how impossible many would tell you such a venture. You enjoy transforming something that could potentially be beautiful into something dull like an equation, something that always has a definitive result, and it pleases you because then the world makes sense."

"And what does that have to do with anything?" he too was enjoying this, nobody really had the balls to try to analyse him like this, that someone not only had the balls to try, but to be scarily accurate was exciting for him.

"Because," she grinned triumphantly "for you, if the world does not make sense, it means there is something that you do not understand. If you don't understand something, it means, to you, that you're ignorant about something. You can't accept the fact that there are just some questions that have no definitive answers and it drives you crazy, especially when people around you continuously defy the rules of logic. You fear being ignorant, because you despise the ignorant in general. You take pride in your mind and knowledge also, and anything that makes it seem inadequate is a threat to you, which is where the cynicism comes from."

More silence fell between the two before Harry grinned at her "Bet that felt good, didn't it?"

Fleur let out a breathless chuckle; her cheeks flushed this time from talking for so long so quickly "It was somewhat liberating, I suppose."

"Aren't you Harry Potter?" a woman's voice spoke form beside them as Harry tried to hide his wince "oh my gosh, you are Harry Potter!"

A group of three girls had probably recognized the ring on his finger and had approached him with a napkin and a eyeliner pencil. They were somewhat attractive, but with Fleur sitting not a few feet from them, they seemed so plain. They knew this too, which is why they were glaring daggers at her.

"I'll go get us some drinks, you entertain these ladies while I'm gone love," Fleur grinned at Harry's amused expression when she addressed him as if he were her boyfriend. The reaction it got out of the three girls was amusing enough though.

"Whom exactly am I making this out to then?" he asked with resignation. He didn't need to be a dick and get these girls angry with him; he wasn't supposed to be there after all.

Fleur came back shortly and sat beside Harry, she was so close that she was almost leaning on him.

"I didn't know which drink you would like, so I just got you a glass of coke," the girl frowned as she herself had another raspberry vodka. She would never realize how many points she just earned with him by getting him a glass of coke and he would never know that it was purely intentional.

"You're sitting rather close," Harry commented dryly, not making any effort to move away though "is there any particular reason for it?"

"You want me to move away?" she asked innocently, Harry, albeit reluctantly, shook his head in the negative "if I'm going to pretend to be your girlfriend, I may as well act the part."

"If you want to play a more convincing role," he began "I think you should suck on my penis."

"Is that really what you want?" she leaned in so close to him that their noses were almost touching while her hand was on his thigh "right here, in front of all these people?"

Well damn, Harry thought. He tried to bluff her and add in a witty comment into the mix, just to annoy her, and she called him on it brilliantly "You're having entirely too much fun with this."

Fleur grinned and leaned away from him again, though they were still practically attached by the hip "Despite what I had originally expected this evening to be like, I am rather enjoying myself."

"Obviously," he shook his head "at least you're warding off the rest of the fan-girls who've spotted me."

Fleur curiously observed their surroundings, and sure enough, numerous girls, and some guys, were watching them enviously.

"Some of them still look like they're about to come over here," she observed casually "it would be a shame, you seem so annoyed by them."

"Yes," Harry observed her warily "a shame indeed."

Just as two more girls were approaching them, Fleur wrapped her arm around his neck and starting to nibble his ear.

Harry's eyes widened in shock, but he quickly composed himself before anyone could notice. Looking to the table in between their legs though, he spotted Fleur's second drink glass, as empty as the first.

"What exactly are you doing?" Harry mumbled to her "you do realize I was joking about the penis sucking, right?"

"Don't get any ideas," she breathed into his ear, Harry couldn't control the pleasant shiver that ran down his spine at the sensation "I merely enjoy the angry look on their faces when they realize you are not interested and are quite occupied."

"They've already left now, you know," he tried to reasonably get her to stop. This situation was quickly spiralling out of control, and he didn't like not having control of any situation he was in.

"Yes, but there are four more at your four," Fleur informed him with a chaste kiss right behind his ear. Harry grunted in disapproval before looking over in said direction to see that she was indeed right.

"For a girl who wants to be appreciated for her mind, first and foremost," Harry mumbled to her "you are seemingly doing everything to dissuade such perceptions that I may have held."

"You are reading far too much into it, Potter," the talking in his ear was really making him uncomfortable, but in a good way, if that were possible "I am enjoying crushing the dreams and aspirations of the skanks trying to pounce on you right now, nothing more, and all I have to do is brush my lips against your ear."

"Is that all?" he asked rhetorically "oh, and if I were to do this?" Harry quickly turned his head, forcing Fleur to plant a quick kiss on the corner of his mouth "oops?"

"If we weren't surrounded by so many people," Fleur said with a pleasant smile "I would stomp on your testes with my stilettos."

"You'd be surprised how often I've actually had that threat made to me," Harry mirrored pleasantly, to those watching the conversation from afar though with the dull throbbing of the music to obscure their hearing, it looked like they were having a lover's conversation.

"You really are a pig, aren't you?" the smile on Fleur's face really was beautiful "you just don't find the time to actually sleep around, or is it perhaps, that you are otherwise incapable of wooing said females?"

"That sounds like a challenge," Harry raised an amused brow "do you want me to 'woo' you, or are you still trying to make conversation?"

"I really am tempted to see if little Harry will finally get laid if I let you two go on for the rest of the night," Lucile's voice broke into their conversation "but I did call Harry here for a somewhat important meeting, so, if you would follow me into my office, we can get this over and done with quickly," she grinned seductively "then Miss Delacour could get on with sucking your penis later on, hmm?"

Harry lazily turned an eye to Lucile, who was still grinning at them, before turning back to Fleur "Did you know she was there?"

"I did," she admitted happily "she seems quite pleased with the situation, if you ask me."

"Of course she is," Harry admonished as if he were talking to a child "she just got back from another unfulfilling evening with her husband, this is the most action she's had all night."

"You talk big, lover boy, when Lestat isn't around to hear it," her grin was still in place "I've offered you countless front row seats to see how proficient my lover is, it isn't my fault you denied them."

Fleur finally leaned away from Harry and grinned "Is that so?"

"Yes," Harry answered dryly, "she has quite a few exhibitionist tendencies – actually, she has a lot of tendencies, that's what happens when you live for a millennium, apparently."

"Careful, Harry dear, you're treading on dangerous grounds," Lucile warned sweetly "especially when I have the perfect blackmail material right here!" she grinned victoriously as she produced a magical Polaroid of him and Fleur getting a little frisky, well, of Fleur getting frisky with him at least.

"Lead the way then, Lucile," he stated dryly "we don't have all night."

"Aww, spoil my fun why don't you," she joked as the lead the pair towards her office. Fleur sent a victorious grin towards the group of girls glaring at her, which only served to increase their ire.

Harry's assumptions earlier about the black box-like room atop the DJs podium had been quite accurate. It was indeed her office and it was indeed covered with one-way glass so that you could practically see out to any part of the large club at any time.

"Unfortunately, I'll need to keep this brief, night clubs don't run themselves you know," Lucile began before dropping a heavy and old looking tome on her desk with a loud thump. The book had no title other than someone's name; someone called 'Wolfgang Vervloekt'.

"And what is so important about this tome that I needed to break several international travelling laws to come and see you?" Harry asked her "the name does sound familiar though."

"It should," Lucile chided "Wolfgang Vervloekt was a Dutch werewolf who got really close to finding the one true 'cure' for Lycanthropy – do you know what that is?"

"He found a way to build up the immune system so it could destroy the infection?" Fleur asked with a frown, remembering what Harry told her not a few days prior about how the disease worked.

"Not quite," Lucile grinned humorously "why do people always assume Lycanthropy needs to be cured? If only they were able to control the wolf within, being a werewolf would be considered a blessing, instead of a curse."

Harry frowned "Even with wolfsbane potion though, its impossible to completely eliminate the wolf within entirely, even those who are constantly on that potion are forced to go Feral at least twice a year, less they destroy themselves from within."

"That's what that book is for Harry, baby," she grinned superiorly "the problem isn't eliminating the wolf within, it's subjugating it. Bend it to your will, and a werewolf will become truly strong."

"Isn't bending someone's will dangerously close to soul magic?" Fleur frowned in disapproval "such magic is chaotic at best, especially when delving into it for the first time – you cannot expect Archie to blindly attempt something like this."

Lucile smirked at Fleur before turning to Harry with a proud grin "She's a keeper Harry, you heard it from me first."

"Be that as it may," Harry interrupted her teasing irritably "she makes a valid point, Archades may be splendid at brewing his potions, and more than adequate with his elixirs, but soul magic on an entirely different level."

"Ritualistic soul magic isn't too different to Alchemy," Lucile chided disapprovingly "both work with the foreign forces to affect an object in different ways, Archades should be able to grasp the concept fine. Now, I'm afraid I'm going to have to cut this meeting short because I have another one in ten minutes, give Archie my best regards."

Harry nodded and led fleur out of Lucile's office, but not before the vampire got in a quick 'Don't do anything I wouldn't do' at their backs.

"There isn't much she wouldn't do," Harry mumbled irritably as he and Fleur made their way out of the club, ready to go home now that it was almost two in the morning. They had stayed much longer than intended.

Just before they were about to enter Moony Nights after a tiring evening, Fleur grabbed a hold of his arm, stopping the amused boy from the bed he was so looking forward to at the moment.

"You aren't seriously going to kiss me, are you?" Harry asked her "not that I'd mind, I was just hoping, you know," he motioned down south with a grin, earning a frown from Fleur.

"Despite all my preconceptions, I actually had fun tonight," Fleur informed him "when you decide not to be such a prick most of the time, perhaps you can take me again, but on an official capacity."

"Are you asking me out on a date?" Harry asked her faux incredulously "I don't know, I don't even like you that much . . . "

Fleur just glared at the highly amused ex-Quidditch star before shrugging "Your loss."

Now it was her turn to be held back by someone.

"You proved to be," Harry struggled with the words "somewhat decent company, who knows, I may actually take you up on that offer sometime."

Fleur gave him a superior grin, which promptly vanished with the next few words left his mouth "Though your chances of such a thing happening would be infinitely higher if you put your mouth to better use."

"Prick," Fleur accused, though there was no real hostility in her tone, it was as if she was simply stating a fact. She soon entered Moony Nights, leaving a thoughtful Harry behind.

"Well," he mused quietly "that's interesting," he watched her through the gap in the slowly closing door as she ascended the stairs, an extra sway in her hips, "that's very interesting . . ."