The sounds of his dormmates scurrying about woke Harry up from his slumber. Blinking, he let out a yawn and looked to the side. Ron and Seamus were still out, and with another yawn, he blinked back the water that pooled his eyes and got up.
Muttering a distracted 'Morning' to Neville and Dean, he walked inside the bathroom.
As Harry brushed his teeth, he recalled what Dumbledore had asked of him. A feeling of disgust rose within him at the thought of manipulating Susan like that, but it was equally opposed by the feeling of longing that arose when he thought about his godfather's freedom.
Both sides were at war inside him, and he couldn't reach a decision.
'There's no use in thinking about it. I'll see what happens in the future,' he thought to himself. He was not going to discard the plan that Dumbledore had come up with, but he would not actively pursue it either. There was this tournament to go through, and it required his focus.
And there were a few other things that required his attention too. For example, his previously discussed commitment with a pair of Slytherin witches.
Harry had not bothered going to classes. It wasn't as if he was going to miss out on anything, having already learned almost everything they could teach him. Instead, he had opted to tinker with his golden egg.
The first time he had opened the latch, he felt as if he had cast his Supersonic charm. The shrill scream could only belong to a banshee. He had immediately put the latch back on and since then he had been wondering how to decipher the clue.
It was during one of his pondering sessions that the girls found him, sitting under the massive tree by the shore of the Black Lake.
"What are you doing here?"
Harry looked up and met Daphne's blue eyes.
"Nothing, just thinking," he replied as the two girls sat beside him.
"What about?" Tracey enquired interestedly. Harry chuckled.
"This damn thing," he gestured toward the golden egg on the ground. "They said it has some clue regarding the next task, but when I open, all I hear is a banshee's scream."
"Maybe they'll have you fight a banshee next?" Tracey mused before she gained a mischievous smirk on her face. "Better start reading Lockhart's book on how he defeated one."
Harry snorted.
"I believe I'll manage just fine without it," he replied. "But I don't think we'll have to fight a banshee. The first task set a pattern. Face a creature, bypass it, and steal something. Funny – the Champions are nothing but glorified thieves."
The girls let out laughs at that before Daphne called for his attention.
"Yeah?" Harry asked.
"You okay if we hear this banshee?" She asked. Harry looked at her in surprise before he chuckled. He tossed the egg over to the blonde.
"Be my guest. Just do it inside a privacy bubble. I've got no interest in getting my eardrums burst."
Daphne rolled her eyes and cast a privacy bubble around herself and Tracey. One look at her friend clued her in to her apprehensiveness and Daphne patted her thigh in comfort.
"It's fine," she replied. "Ready?"
"Would it stop you if I said I'm not?" Tracey asked rhetorically. Daphne smirked and unlatched it in no time.
Tracey cried out in shock as the shrill screaming sent her heartbeat skyrocketing. Meanwhile, Daphne quickly put her hands over her ears, pressing them hard to block the sound out. Slowly, she released the pressure so that she could hear a bit of it. Once she was done with whatever she was doing, she latched it again. Tracey breathed in relief.
"You're mental!" the brunette cried out as Daphne took down the privacy bubble. Harry was staring at them in amusement and he chuckled as Daphne threw the egg back at him.
"I hope you liked the melody?" He asked mirthfully, earning a stink eye from the brunette. Meanwhile, Daphne smirked.
"That's not a banshee," she stated confidently, earning looks of surprise from the pair. "I've heard one and they don't scream like that."
"You know banshees as well?"
"How come you could tell that!?"
Daphne raised her hand to stall any questions.
"There are a few potion ingredients we extract from banshees. I went with father once to the factory and there were a few. I heard the screams there. It's true that banshee scream is very bad, but just like other creatures like Mandrakes, their screams sound different. The biggest giveaway that it's not a banshee's scream is that we didn't faint. Normally, hearing a banshee's scream for ten seconds is enough to make someone pass out."
"Like Mandrakes," Harry mused. "Which creatures scream then?"
"No clue. We've not covered that in Creatures. You've studied ahead though. Surely you've got some idea?"
Harry shook his head.
"That means we'll have to research then," Daphne replied with a shrug, taking Harry by surprise.
"We?" He asked.
Daphne looked at him as if he were an idiot.
"Yeah. We're helping you out with this tournament."
"Huh? When did this happen?"
Daphne snorted. "Oh come on, Harry. We're cooperating outside the classroom. It only makes sense to help you out with this tournament as well, not that you'd need much of it."
Harry stared at her.
"You mean you've got…"
Instead of replying, Daphne took the parchments Tracey pulled out of her bag and held the scrolls out. Harry unfurled one and saw the magically binding contract, showing their mutual agreement to cast the Imperius on each other. He read the terms associated therewith and found them more than fair. Daphne had already signed it. Putting it aside, he read the other one. It was a perfect copy, with only the name altered and bearing Tracey's sign at the bottom.
"Merlin you were serious," he whispered in slight awe.
"Dead serious," Daphne replied. "The terms are there for both our protection. You can't make us do anything illegal or something to harm another, and the same applies to us. That way, we won't abuse the trust we have granted each other."
Harry nodded. He read up the contracts again, looking for anything he might have missed. Finding nothing out of order, Harry looked at the two girls.
"Got a quill?"
Tracey pulled out one from her bag and Harry took it from her. He looked each girl in the eye for the final time before he nodded and signed away. The parchments glowed momentarily before rolling up, creating a copy of each. Harry gave them theirs and pocketed his pair.
"Alright then," he nodded. "We'll be doing spell practice before the Imperius training. However, before we start, I need to both evaluate you magically and mentally."
Daphne and Tracey nodded, both knowing what he meant and fully aware that it was necessary. Occlumency was an important factor that determined how proficient one was in repelling the Imperius curse, and Harry would test them with Legilimency. They were aware that he might see something private but the contract ensured he could never divulge anything he saw, and the same applied to them. However, even if such an assurance had been absent from the contract, they believed Harry would not have breached the trust.
"When do we start?"
"How about now?" Harry asked with a smirk.
-Break-
"Where are you taking us?" Daphne asked curiously as she and Tracey walked behind Harry who took a turn toward another staircase. They were already on the fifth floor and had rarely ventured beyond.
"You'll know soon. Come on," he replied, much to the discontent of the blonde who let out a sigh and followed. Beside her, Tracey chuckled at the look on her best friend's face.
Several students had seen them walking together, and it did not take long for them to start muttering about him being in the company of two Slytherin students, and the Ice Queen at that.
Harry failed to understand why they called Daphne an Ice Queen. He had never seen anything from her that would indicate such, but then, he had never interacted with her before this year. They might as well be strangers who were getting to know each other better.
They paid the bystanders no mind and continued on their way. Rumors were fickle, and it was not as if he was lacking in rumors about himself. A few more on top of the already massive pile were immaterial.
They were there in no time, and Harry smirked at the confused expressions on the witches' faces.
"And why are we standing in front of a blank wall?" Daphne asked, an eyebrow raised as she folded her arms in front of her. Harry could proudly admit that he took only one glance at a certain part of her anatomy that looked more pronounced now.
"You'll know soon enough," he repeated the previous answer, ignoring the glare she gave him. Smirking, he started walking back and forth in front of the wall, to their visible confusion. Their looks of confusion transformed into surprise barely a second later and Harry pushed the door open.
"Well, you two coming?" He asked as he stepped to the side and held the door open for the ladies. It seemed to shock them out of their stupor and they hesitantly walked in through the darkened entryway that immediately transformed into a battle arena. Harry shut the door and joined them.
"What is this place?" Daphne asked in wonder as she looked around herself. The walls looked metallic, and the floor resembled it. She squatted and knocked on the floor with her knuckles and her eyebrows raised in surprise when she heard the metallic sound.
"Yeah, this is all metal around us. Tungsten, to be precise. Less need for replacement and all," Harry said.
"I seriously doubt we'll be doing anything that could need a replacement," Daphne said with a skeptical smile. Harry simply stared at her before he flicked his wand. Massive circles of compressed sound waves shot out of it, making them jump and let out loud cries as they clamped their hands over their ears. As they looked to the side, their eyes widened.
Harry canceled the spell, leaving the torn-apart metal floor for them to stare at.
"That enough to clear your doubts?" He asked easily, smiling. He was subjected to stupefied stares from the pair of witches who watched as the floor repaired itself, conjuring more of the same metal.
"What the fuck was that?" Daphne whispered in disbelief.
"A bit of what you could learn, if you're dedicated enough, that is," Harry replied.
The witches nodded, still reeling. Harry wanted to smirk but relented. It felt good to see those expressions on people's faces.
"Should we start then?" He asked, summoning two training dummies. "Take your positions please."
As instructed, Daphne and Tracey stood a fair bit away in front of a dummy each and Harry willed the simulation to commence. The girls watched a large glass that was suspended in the air flash with a countdown and got ready.
"Give it your best shot," Harry called out from the sideline. It became apparent quickly that Daphne was the better one between the pair. Yet, each witch was at the level of a higher-than-average fourth year. However, each had a few surprises in stock. He found Tracey had an affinity for fire-based spells. Her Incendio and Confringo were stronger than even an average sixth-year. Meanwhile, Daphne was her polar opposite, having an affinity for water and ice. She was a lot more creative with her spells too, as evident when she froze the surface on which the dummy slid, or when she shot sharp icicles that tore through the dummy's shield. It seemed there was some truth to the Ice Queen moniker she had been given, just not in the personality department.
The two witches were capable, and Harry could easily admit that he was excited to both nurture that potential and see how much he could improve in the process.
The dummies adjusted their level based on their opponent, and if they were not destroyed, the duel would continue. To their highly earned credit, both girls had managed to destroy theirs before the dummies could increase the level, and Harry clapped politely.
"That was impressive," he commented, staring at a slightly breathless pair of witches. They turned to look at him and smiled.
"That was hard," Tracey replied, fanning herself after that strenuous duel. Harry had to force himself to take his eyes off their sweaty skin. The way the strands of their hair clung to their necks was distracting, not to mention the way a certain part of their body moved as they breathed heavily.
"Well yeah, it's supposed to be," he said with a chuckle as he willed the room to cool down slightly.
"I love this room already."
"I get what you mean," Harry replied with a smile toward the blonde. "This is what you'll be doing most of the time. The books are here," he gestured toward the shelves that popped up out of nowhere. "Restricted section ones and others both are present, so feel free. Nothing's forbidden, just take care when you try for certain… frowned-upon ones."
"We'll be learning dark magic?" Tracey asked with a frown.
"That's a misconstrued term in my opinion," Harry replied. "And the commonly accepted definition is one I don't agree with."
Inquisitive, the witches looked at him. Harry willed the room to conjure a fluffy couch and he made himself comfortable. He gestured for them to take a seat as he leaned back.
"What do you mean?" Daphne asked curiously.
"The way I see it, magic is magic. I don't know where it comes from or how we can use it, but I see it as a form of energy that we can manipulate. Inherently, there is no light or dark. It all depends on what form we give this energy and how we manipulate it."
"But that's what it's all about, isn't it?" Daphne interjected. "What form we give this energy is what we classify as light or dark."
"I prefer to focus on intent more than the form it takes," Harry replied. "If we judge light and dark based on intent, then all the spells can be light or dark, just as how it should be. After all, any spell can be used for good or bad. All it takes is how you use it."
The witches sat there for a moment, pondering upon his words.
"All I care about is why I am casting a spell. If it's for good, then it's good. If it's for evil, then it's evil. I can't be bothered with society's beliefs."
The trio sat in silence for a few moments which Daphne and Tracey used to ponder upon his words. They had to admit that he had a point. Even the most harmless of spells could be used for evil purposes. That did not mean the spell was evil, rather the person using it for that purpose had evil intentions. And that basically was what mattered – intent. Nothing else.
"I see you understand what I'm talking about," Harry remarked after a few minutes of silence, earning nods from the pair.
They continued their spell practice. However, the difference was that Harry joined them this time. They were flabbergasted when they saw the sheer level he was at. His spells were some they had never seen before, and the ease with which he took on over half a dozen dummies fighting at a level much higher than theirs was astounding. For a moment, they had to wonder whether he even needed to remain at Hogwarts.
Witnessing first-hand what he was capable of at the first task, they should really not be surprised, particularly considering the ease with which he had done it all. That led credence to their belief that he had been trained by Dumbledore, at least to some extent.
When they asked him once again, they were met with the same answer.
"I can neither confirm nor deny."
Daphne groaned at the mysterious remark, wondering if he thought he looked cool if he remained enigmatic. Considering that smirk on his face, the idiot surely thought so. Tracey, however, was another matter entirely, and Daphne glanced at her every so often to find her sneaking peeks at the dark-haired wizard with a blush on her face. Her eyes widened slightly as she connected the dots.
"Alright then," Harry said once they were done with spell practice. "It's almost time for dinner. How about we do it here and get started on the mental bit after that?"
"I'm fine with it," Daphne replied before she looked at him curiously. "Wouldn't you rather have dinner with your friends though?"
Harry grimaced slightly.
"Let's just say we are on a break right now," he replied as a proper dinner table appeared in front of them. Daphne and Tracey exchanged a curious look with each other as the food appeared.
"Trouble in paradise?"
Harry chuckled mirthlessly. "You can say that. Not everyone was happy I was selected."
"Understatement of the century," Daphne snorted. "Didn't think that'd include those two though. You three have been attached at the hip for as long as you've been here."
"Things change," Harry replied with a shrug. "You either adapt or let the change take you down. I chose the former."
The rest of their dinner passed in companionable silence and in no time they were back to sitting on couches. Harry had one to himself while the witches were sitting together on the long one.
"So you're going to look into our minds now?" Daphne asked, earning a nod. "You better not be a pervert and look for something you shouldn't."
"I should tell you my intentions are entirely pure," Harry replied with a deadpan voice.
"Yeah, as if I'd believe you. A hormonal teenager in the presence of two beautiful ladies like us who gets to look in our minds… I don't need to elaborate much."
"We can always cancel the plan," Harry replied, shrugging.
"I didn't say that," Daphne replied quickly, sighing. "Fine. Have at it. I know Occlumency though, so I hope it's not as easy for you."
Harry rolled his eyes before he brandished his wand and pointed it at Daphne.
"Legilimens," he whispered, focusing on an embarrassing memory. He was immediately assaulted by one, and he saw flickers of images rush through his psyche before Daphne pushed him out of her mind with a furious blush on her face.
The blonde leaned forward and grabbed him by the collar. Pulling his face close, she hissed, "Tell anyone about it and you're a dead man."
Harry sweatdropped slightly and nodded. Daphne kept staring at him with narrowed eyes for a few more seconds before she loosened her fist on his collar.
"What?" Tracey asked with a grin. "Did he see the time when you took off—"
The brunette was immediately silenced when Daphne put her hand over her mouth firmly. Wide-eyed in mirth, Tracey stared at Harry who smirked before she trained her eyes on her best friend. Daphne suddenly yelped and pulled her hand back, rubbing it furiously over the brunette's skirt.
"You licked my palm. You disgusting bitch!"
Tracey laughed as she looked over at Harry. "Good one."
The wizard merely smirked, ignoring the glare on the blonde's face.
"Your Occlumency is already very advanced, Daphne. It's evident you've worked very hard at it. You should be proud," Harry complimented with a genuine smile on his face. Daphne stared at him before she averted her eyes, a cute blush on her face. Tracey took one look at her best friend and smirked.
"Alright, you're next, Tracey," Harry called out. The brunette nodded and braced herself. Daphne often said her mind was too chaotic for any skill in Occlumency to stick with her, but Tracey liked to believe that she was fairly competent. She had only begun working on it after Daphne informed her about it a year ago, and she felt she had done a very good job.
With a firm resolve, Tracey stared at Harry. She would ensure he would have a very hard time getting past her defenses.
He did not.
Harry breached her barriers like a hot knife through butter. Tracey stood no chance, and Harry mirthfully enjoyed the most embarrassing moment of her life. The brunette could do nothing but watch the memory play out in her mindscape, all the while aware that he was watching it all.
"Interesting," Harry said once he pulled out of her mind, and Tracey stared at him slack-jawed.
"I'm hopeless," she muttered, and Harry could swear he saw a dark cloud hovering over her head.
"You did good. Not as good as Daphne though, but with work you'll get there in no time," Harry replied.
"You saw the full memory?" Daphne asked this time, a hint of eagerness that seemed to magnify after his nod. A smug smirk crossed her face as she stared at her best friend who was looking at her lap, blushing furiously.
"Unrequited love is truly a bummer, isn't it?" Daphne said with a mocking sigh, smirking as Tracey's fist tightened on her skirt. Her face resembled a tomato, and Harry could not help but chuckle which he disguised as a cough.
"It's nothing to be so embarrassed about," he tried to console the brunette. "These things happen in childhood. It's good that you moved on before you were married to… it."
That did it. Daphne laughed hysterically as she recalled how excited Tracey had been at the prospect of marrying her dear Charlie, only for her dear Charlie to turn out to be a dog instead of the man who had been out on a walk with his pet and who she had confused Charlie with.
"At least I did not try to practice a striptease and have my mother and yours walk in on me!" Tracey retorted, and this time it was Daphne who shut up abruptly and flushed.
Harry could not deny he was having a lot of fun. The girls were bickering, and he was having the time of his life. He had a large smile plastered on his face as he stared at them. The girls soon noticed his mirth and matching menacing expressions crossed their faces.
"Looks like someone's having a lot of fun here," Daphne announced.
"Think we should teach this someone a lesson, a lesson he sorely needs," Tracey continued.
"You're going to learn Imperius resistance as well. Get ready," Daphne declared, brandishing her wand and pointing it at him. Beside her, Tracey did the same.
"Two way attack at once? How's that fair?"
"Don't you talk about what's fair," Daphne retorted.
Harry was an accomplished Occlumens, having the ability to repel an assault from Dumbledore himself. As such, even though he was attacked on two fronts, he could easily repel them. However, for some weird reason, he felt like teasing them a bit more.
Daphne and Tracey were surprised by how easy it was to get through his barriers. They had expected much more resistance, and as such, they did not have any concrete idea of what they were looking for. However, what they were shown was something they could've never imagined.
They emerged from his mind a few moments later, and Harry stared at them, hiding his mirth expertly behind a veil of stoicism.
Daphne was staring at him with wide eyes and Harry could see her rubbing her thighs. Meanwhile, Tracey had her mouth open as she stared at him. Hormonal teenagers that they all were, it was easy to deduce what was going on in their minds after seeing that sight.
"You two have some gall, looking for something like that," Harry said in a voice that gave nothing away, and that pulled them back to reality. What they had seen replayed in their minds and they flushed, averting their eyes.
"Yeah, now you're acting all bashful. Should've thought of that before you dug up one of my more intimate moments," Harry continued.
"We didn't go looking for… that!" Daphne retorted hotly. "I don't know how it happened."
"You expect me to believe that!?" Harry replied incredulously.
"We don't know how to prove it, alright. Just know that we won't tell anyone you're doing… that with the Frenchie."
Harry looked at Tracey who nodded firmly and he relented with a sigh.
They sat in silence for a few moments during which they all had a few thoughts running through their heads.
Harry wondered just why he decided to show them what he and Fleur got up to, and he also thought about Fleur's reaction when she would come to know that he'd shown that to these two girls. Knowing her, she'd probably find it hot.
Meanwhile, Daphne and Tracey repeated the vision in their minds, both feeling an odd sort of thrill at it. They had seen it in magazines previously, but the vision of someone doing it, particularly someone who they knew personally was entirely different. They could not help but wonder about a lot of things, but one thought prevailed above all others.
'I wonder how it'd feel to be with him like that.'
"Should we start, then?" Harry asked, both to get a move on and to change the topic, no matter how fun it was to see their faces. The two witches exchanged a look with each other.
"Yeah," Daphne nodded and looked away from Tracey. "Who's first?"
"I'm not that eager to cast the Imperius, so why not you two take turns casting on me?" Harry proposed, putting his wand back in his holster. Daphne and Tracey exchanged a glance before they nodded.
"I'll go first," Tracey pointed her wand right at his heart. The brunette bit her lip and Harry could see her hand shaking gently. He reached up and held it, placing the tip on his chest. She looked at him in surprise.
"Take your time. Remember we're here to learn and practice," he encouraged. Tracey took a deep breath and nodded.
"Imperio," she whispered, putting every bit of force into the spell to subvert his will.
"His eyes are glazed over," Daphne muttered. "Go on Trace, ask him to do something."
Tracey nodded as she stared into his eyes, and the sight unsettled her. His vibrant green eyes were much more preferable, she thought to herself.
"Stand up and sit down," she instructed, her eyes widening when he remained idle. She repeated the command a few more times but nothing happened.
"What if I do it as well?" Daphne asked before she too pointed her wand forward and with slight hesitation, cast the curse. Suddenly, Harry's eyes reverted to their usual before they glazed over, more than they had been before. The blonde repeated the command, and together, both witches exerted the force of their wills on him.
They saw him visibly struggling, and they doubled down, putting all the willpower they had at their disposal to make him do as they bid him to. Yet, Harry showed no sign of budging, and they could only stare in shock as the color returned to his eyes.
"Looks like I need some practice in this," he said softly, an uncertain look on his face. Daphne and Tracey frowned at the expression.
"Harry?" The blonde asked gently. Harry looked at her and shook his head, giving her a small smile.
"Nothing, it's just… I didn't think it'd be so tough to resist," he muttered. He had taken great strides in every branch of magic but it seemed there were certain areas he was still lacking in. He had a long way to go.
Turning toward the two Slytherins, he smiled, "I didn't expect you two to join forces. You are strong witches, alright. I could've easily thrown off your curse," he said, looking at Tracey before he turned toward Daphne, "but when you too joined in, it became ropey."
"Still wasn't enough to make you do it," Daphne muttered.
"I still need to practice a lot though," Harry commented. "Alright then, who's next?"
Daphne decided she would go next, and she asked Harry to be the caster. Although slightly surprised, Harry acquiesced.
"Imperio," he said softly, feeling the rush of magic travel through his arm. He had seen the spell being cast, but he tried to look closely to observe if anything happened that indicated that the spell had been cast. All he could spot was the displacement of some air indicating something had passed through, and not even a second later did he feel the magic take hold of her.
Daphne's eyes glazed over and her face lost all its expression as she stared at him with pupilless eyes. He could feel her trying to free herself, almost like a chained person struggling for freedom. However, the struggle lasted for only a couple of seconds before it ceased. Harry tried to understand how it felt to be in control of someone like this, and the feeling both exhilarated and terrified him. Exhilarating because of the sense of power he felt from being in absolute control, and terrifying because of the sense of responsibility he felt from being in absolute control. The rush of power he felt was addictive, and as he looked at Tracey, he knew she understood exactly how he felt.
"What should I make her do?" Harry wondered out loud.
"Why not make her dance?" Tracey asked with a small smirk on her face. "I bet she'd find it embarrassing. Let's see if she can resist an act like that."
"We shouldn't be having fun with a curse like that, Tracey," Harry reprimanded softly. Tracey pursed her lips.
"Won't she fight back harder if you make her do something embarrassing?" Tracey asked, to his slight surprise. "It's not as if you're humiliating her in public. Everything that happens will be kept secret, so it should be alright."
It oddly made sense, now that he thought about it. Making someone do something they otherwise would not was a much better way to ensure they fought back.
"Dance, Daphne. Whichever one you prefer," he instructed. The rush of magic was now imbued in his speech.
Daphne began to twirl around the room like a ballerina, and Harry was surprised to see that she was a very graceful dancer. He could not help but stare a bit, watching how her skirt fluttered about, showing her stockings-clad long legs up to mid-thigh. Her face was expressionless but her movements were skillful.
Meanwhile, Tracey turned to look at Harry who was staring unblinkingly at her best friend with his mouth slightly open and she smirked. It seemed the wonderboy was charmed. Both she and Daphne had seen him looking at them from time to time and it was easy for them to gauge that he found them attractive. The same held for them as well, who found him more than a pleasing company. She turned back to look at Daphne who was still dancing without showing any bit of resistance.
Harry ended the curse and Daphne spun around one final time before she suddenly stumbled. She would've almost fallen if not for Harry who caught her safely.
"You okay?" He asked, helping a blushing blonde back into her seat and looking at her with a small frown.
"I couldn't even do anything," she muttered.
"We're only getting started," Harry replied consolingly. "You'll get better with practice."
Daphne nodded before she looked at Tracey with a glint in her eye.
"I could hear what you two were talking about. Your idea is good. We should be doing things that would be embarrassing for us if we want to keep building up resistance. Your turn," she said before she pointed her wand at her friend.
"Don't want me to cast it on you?" Harry asked a surprised Tracey. However, before the brunette could reply, Daphne spoke for her.
"It'd be better if we took turns casting the spell. That way, we can build up resistance and get better at casting it as well," she replied. Harry frowned but nodded in understanding. Leaning back in his seat, he watched as Daphne cast the spell. Just like her, Tracey showed the symptoms of being under the Imperius curse and he could find no difference in how the curse took hold.
"Ready, Harry?" Daphne asked, and Harry turned to look at her. He was surprised to see her smirking.
"What are you cooking in that mind of yours now?" Harry asked, resigned. Daphne's smirk widened.
"Nothing for you to complain about. I think you might even enjoy it if she doesn't resist," she replied before looking at Tracey. "Give Harry a striptease."
Harry's eyes bugged out at the command and he looked at Daphne in shock.
"Oh don't look as if you're not interested. I've seen how you've been looking at us since the day we started talking," the blonde replied as she stood up. Harry had no answer to that. He knew he had been checking them out ever since they became familiar.
He watched as she came closer until she was sitting on the armrest of his armchair and he looked into her eyes.
"I bet you're praying she doesn't throw the curse off right now," she whispered, smirking.
"I'd have preferred if it happened while she was free of any influence," he replied honestly. "Same with you."
Daphne's eyes softened a little before she leaned down. Harry could smell her flowery scent as she whispered in his ear, "You're a good man, Harry Potter. But sometimes, you should be a bad boy too."
He was surprised when she bit his earlobe gently before she pulled back and rested her arm on his shoulder.
"Enjoy the show, Harry," she said softly, and Harry looked in front of him to see Tracey with her back to them. She was looking behind at them with an expressionless face as she swayed her hips around. Harry was still slightly torn but his reluctance faded in no time, and Daphne smirked when an erotic melody started playing in the room.
"Do it like you'd do normally, Trace, with proper expressions and emotions. Put some effort into it, girl," Daphne pushed the boundaries of the Imperius curse, and Harry wondered if the curse would hold. Fortunately or unfortunately, he didn't even know what was applicable anymore, the curse held strong and a sultry expression came over Tracey's face.
She turned around, swaying seductively, as her hands reached up and grabbed hold of her tie. With one pull, she loosened the tie and pulled it over her head. Kissing it, she threw it at Harry who caught it. He was acutely aware of Daphne running her fingers through his scalp as they enjoyed the show the brunette was putting in front of them.
Tracey was still facing them, and her seductive smile was pronounced even though her eyes were glazed over. She reached up and undid the top button of her Hogwarts shirt. Harry and Daphne watched, arousal spiking, as her pale neck became visible. Slowly, the shirt parted in the middle as the buttons came undone, revealing her round globes encased in a maroon lace bra.
"Do you women always dress this sexily under your clothes?" Harry could not help but ask as Tracey twirled around, pulling her right arm out of her shirt before pulling the fabric off her left arm and throwing it on the floor, leaving her upper body clad in nothing but her maroon bra.
"It's a matter of preference," Daphne replied, still caressing his scalp. Harry had to admit it felt very nice.
Tracey was still going on strong, swaying her hips, wriggling her ass rhythmically as she started working on her belt. She pulled it off with an audible whip and threw it away. Smirking, she undid the hooks of her skirt and let it drop on the floor before stepping out, clad in nothing but her maroon bra and matching knickers, with black translucent see-through stockings encasing her legs. Her hips were cocked to the side as she struck a pose for him, and Harry took in the sexy sight in front of him.
"She's beautiful, isn't she?" Daphne whispered in his ear and Harry shivered slightly at the hot breath she blew after giving it a slow lick.
"Very beautiful," he agreed with a nod. Tracey's smile seemed to widen as she walked forward until she was barely a foot away from him. Harry could reach out and grab her if he wanted to, but he stayed where he was, watching as she leaned forward. His eyes dropped to the valley of her cleavage that formed within that bra as her breasts hung forward and he feasted on the sight for a moment before Tracey's voice brought him out of his lustful staring.
"Would you like to strip me, Harry?" she asked, a seductive smirk on her face as Harry stared at her.
Harry was surprised to see how genuine her expression and voice were, even though she was under the Imperius. His eyes took in her lovely body, covered only by her maroon lingerie and stockings. His cock was painfully hard, and the lecherous part of his mind was screaming at him to take the witch up on her offer.
Sighing, he turned to look at Daphne, as if asking how he should proceed from here. Whatever happened until now was still fine somehow, but any further would be crossing a line. There would be no turning back.
"You'd be a fucking idiot to say no to that," the blonde replied, smirking.
Harry pursed his lips and asked her to end the curse. Daphne frowned but obliged, and they watched as Tracey's eyes reverted to normal. One look at herself and she was suddenly overcome by embarrassment. Harry flicked his wand to save her more of it, and she was clothed in a blink of an eye.
"You need to work on both your Occlumency and Imperius resistance, Tracey. You did not seem to be fighting the curse at all. We're done for today. Tell me when you want to meet next and I'll get back to you," Harry said as he stood up, to the witches' surprise. They exchanged a look with each other before turning back toward him.
Harry walked away from the couch before turning around and fixed Daphne with a stare.
"If I ever want to be with someone, I'd prefer if we both were in full control of our actions. Please remember that."
Surprised, Daphne stared at him as he gave them a parting nod and walked out of the room.
"Daph… care to explain what was that?" Tracey asked with a glare at her best friend who did not take her eyes off the closed door. The brunette kept staring at her, arms folded in front of herself and a frown on her face. She was surprised when she saw a smile blossom on her face.
"A test," Daphne replied. "Trace, I think we've found him."
Tracey's eyes widened.
TBC.
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