"You know Harry," Remus said, with an exasperated voice, "when you say you're bringing over a 'female friend' this isn't what we expected. Normally a teenage bloke would say that when they bring a girl over."
Harry grinned at him. "I did what I said, just not in the way you were expecting." He was totally unrepentant, if the two old guys couldn't enjoy a good prank it wasn't his fault. He laughed at them again.
"I call her Cuddles, she's sweet and cuddly." He gave the two a lopsided smirk.
The little dragon must have understood the intent of the words as it shot another fireball at Sirius, who was getting in good dodging practice, and flew to Harry's chest, slowing itself to hover just off his body. Harry had lots of experience with that maneuver and used his forearm to brace the weight while his unoccupied hand began caressing the dragon, always with the scales, never against.
Cuddles preened at the attention, like a cat that had just jumped into its loving owner's arms and was being spoiled rotten with attention.
"You see, she's just a little fire breathing armor spiked cuddle monster, that's all." He laughed at their disbelieving faces, the perpetual state they'd been in since he showed up at Grimmauld Place with his little dragon.
Sirius, being ten full feet away, moved closer now, now that he deemed himself safe from being lit on fire, "My family is crazy, certified, diagnosed and in the institution nuts, and none of them have ever considered having a pet dragon. A miniature pet dragon." He pinched himself then blinked three times in rapid succession. "Nope, the dream hasn't ended."
He threw his hands up. "I've got nothing Moony. You deal with the pup." He stared at his friend and kept his head purposefully turned away from Harry, though his eyes kept watch for flames escaping from Harry's chest area.
"I mean, give me a good ol' panty raid, a standard prank or even a pregnant girlfriend and I'd know how to respond! But this! This! No. No! Nononononono! I didn't sign up for this madness. I'm a godfather! I'm supposed to teach him whatever his parents wouldn't . This!" He gestured at the dragon once more, both hands palm up and arms outstretched. "Nope. I'm the wayward uncle from the crazy Black family. You're the bookworm, the prefect, the responsible one that is going to deal with this, not me. I won't. You can't make me."
Harry couldn't help it, he burst out with loud raucous laughter, almost to the point of tears. His dragon screeched in delight and let out little tufts of fire out her nostrils. Remus couldn't help but join the younger man and pet dragon, he laughed right along with them.
Once they had themselves under control Harry had to comment on it. "Did my godfather just throw a hissy fit? If you want Remus, there's an opening for godfather because mine decided he'd be a better fit as god mother. " He chuckled at Sirius' pouting.
"Laugh it up! Prongs brought home a mut, a part-time wolf and a rat ." He sneered the last word, spitting a little at how horrid it tasted coming out of his mouth. "You just wait, you've topped your old man bringing this abomination home."
Cuddle's didn't like being called an abomination, turned her head, and let a torrent line of fire at him. She screeched and roared at him, sending a second one after he dodged the first.
"Padfoot, you'd better apologize, she's not letting up," Harry remarked, as a third throw of fire was spewed at him.
"Fine!" He threw his hands up. "Sorry, you're not an abomination."
Cuddles stopped just before sending a fifth straight line of fire at him. Her head was still forward, neck elongated, but she pulled her head back up, a little, watching Sirius closely, not moving herself from being a half second from spitting the fire that was now coming out her nostrils at every breath.
"I'm sorry, you're awesome and everything every male dreams of having. A beautiful and viciously deadly fire breathing cuddle monster." Sirius did he best to add words that would placate the dragon.
Cuddles huffed, snorted fire out her nose, and then rested back into Harry's chest motioning with her head to pet her again. Harry promptly did, making the two men wonder who was actually the pet and who was the owner.
"Now that that is settled, let's get back to the point at hand. When a young man says he's bringing over a girl you expect a human female, you know, like one of those pretty one's you've been in the papers with! Are you too ashamed of your poor uncles to bring along the Russian ballerina or French veela?"
Harry rolled his eyes at the remark. "Natalia's family lives in Bulgaria and Germany and Fleur is more than just a French veela."
Sirius grinned toothily and bumped Lupin with his shoulder. "See, he's already protecting them! He takes after me, obviously." He lifted his chin, shook his head and threw his shoulder length hair off his right shoulder, back around behind his head. "He takes after me, two timing two smoking hot older women. I'm so proud." He wiped fake tears away from his eyes, one at a time.
"Shove off, I'm not dating either of them." The blush on his face wasn't helping. Harry saw Sirius' jaw dropping and a snap decision had him bite out a remark before either man could get a response in, "And drop it or I'll sick Cuddles on you." Harry glared at the two of them, teasing time was over.
Sirius put both his hands up, palms forward and fingers spread, "I surrender, I surrender. No more teasing little Harry about all the pretty older girls in his life." He backed up a couple steps, for good measure, as he got his final tease in.
Rather used to Sirius, having grown up with him, and especially now that he was living with him, Moony paid no heed to the words.
"I'm astonished at this. I've never heard of anyone with a miniature dragon. She looks like a Horntail but the coloring is wrong. I'd need to look at a text to be sure but I don't think her features are perfectly matched to one." He peered closely at Cuddles.
"How ever did you get her? They didn't give them out when I was a student there." Remus tried to make light of his poorly masked curiosity and worry.
"Family magic." Harry stated, a lopsided smile on his face.
"Family Magic?" Sirius remarked, obviously skeptical. "Who, pray tell, would have taught you this 'Family Magic'? He air-quoted the words giving action to his sarcastic question.
Harry shrugged. "Doesn't matter. As long as I tell everyone that it was Family Magic nobody can question me on it. This is family magic and she is my bonded familiar so nobody can take her from me." He reached his free hand into his robe pocket and withdrew a parchment. Brandishing it in that same free hand, the one Cuddles was glaring at for daring to stop adorning her affection.
"This here is fresh from Madame Bones! My familiar license, it's all legal, says so here." He allowed Remus and Sirius to read it.
"Heh, he's actually done the ministry paperwork. You haven't even done that for your animagus form." Remus sniggered. "Must take after Lils given James never registered either."
Harry took the parchment back and put it back into his magically expanded pocket.
"Imagine if I had. They'd have kept me in that hell hole I was stuck in for over a decade. Good thing I never did." Sirius grumped back at his friend, not enjoying any reminder of his time in Azkaban.
"Or not. They would have had Pettigrews and may have recognized he escaped through the sewer." The comment brought a staleness to atmosphere, an uncomfortable silence hung between them for a moment. "Then again, you can't trust the ministry for much." Harry added defusing the air between them all.
"Right, on that note, let's move on from that." Sirius perked back up, showing he was going to do as he'd said. "Was there a reason you wanted to come chat beyond showing us Cuddles? Or did you just want to spend time with the two greatest guys you've ever met?" Sirius asked wiggling both his eyebrows a closed lip smile below his mirthful eyes.
"There are some things that might be nice to chat about but I also like spending time with you guys. You are my crazy marauder uncles." He gave them a warm look.
"That we are," Remus said, chuckling slightly, "that we are."
"So, what would you want to talk about with us? Do you need the talk? Info about a wizard's wand, the hows, wheres and whats of holstering a wand in a pretty witch, or perhaps a certain veela?"
Harry needn't react to Sirius. Remus immediately punched him in the forefront of his shoulder. "Ignore him," he added, speaking directly to Harry, "it always takes a minute for him to figure out when to be serious."
Sirius jumped forward, after recoiling from the punch, "I'm always Siri-" another hit to the same spot on his shoulder came from Remus.
"None of that! We've been over this since you were a pre-teen! Serious-Sirius jokes are not funny. They never were and they never will be." He growled at the dog animagus.
Harry snickered as Sirius was rubbing his shoulder's tender spot. "Fine, fine, grumpy ol' wolf." Sirius grumbled.
Remus ignored his friend, used to his antics. "Well was there anything in particular?" He prompted Harry again, a concerned disposition to his body language.
"I'm trying to figure out some next steps and there is quite a lot going on in my life, and around me." Harry started out, his voice low, unsure of what all he felt comfortable divulging.
"Like the Second Task of the tournament or your schooling or….?" Lupin asked and prompted after Harry hadn't continued his previous sentence.
Harry, head bowed, tilted his head to the left and peaked out of the top corner of his eyes at the man, his facial muscles constricted. "No, that I've got well in hand."
"Really, you know what it is?" Sirius asked, intrigued.
Harry looked up at him. "Yes. It's typically a retrieval and, more often than not, it's a hostage retrieval. The golden egg had a riddle in Mermish and so I expect we need to dive into the Black Lake to go and retrieve someone. Between the Bubble Head Charm and Gillyweed I should be just fine. I've even debated purchasing an enchanted rebreather but those are custom order and not cheap. It wouldn't be much different than the other two options anyway."
"Wow, I had no idea you already has solved it. You're sure though, that that's what it is?" Remus asked, somewhat skeptical, but not wholly so.
"I'm sure." He said firmly, not in a rebuking or angry manner though.
"That's great then! You've got a real shot to win this thing then!" Sirius exclaimed, not getting too close with Cuddles who was still entrenched and lavishing in the affection from her owner.
"I'm not really concerned with that." He replied, bluntly. "I've been forced into this nonsense and given the pattern of at least one attempt on my life per school year, normally at the end of the year, I'm expecting the third task to try and kill me, possibly the second task too." He knew he could trust these two for this, even if they told Dumbledore it didn't matter, the man would have already be aware of this.
"You think the second task as well?" Remus asked gravely.
Harry just nodded, he'd already told them as much, verbally.
"And you think gillyweed or a bubble head charm would be sufficient? The charm can be pierced and pop; gillyweed wears off, eventually…" He expressed his concerns for both methods.
"Yes, those are the downsides, hence my thoughts on getting an enchanted rebreather. I can cast the charm, if it's needed, and I can keep gillyweed stored with me, in case it is needed." Harry calmly told them, he'd spent hours dwelling on this within his own thoughts.
Remus tapped his chin with his forefinger, "it's a good plan, or start of one at any rate." He told Harry. "Doesn't seem very marauder like though." He caught the eye of Sirius and the two shared a moment.
"Oh?" Harry raised an eyebrow in response. "Anything to suggest then?" he challenged the duo.
Another long look between them occurred; where they were communicating just by staring at each other, Harry assumed. "We'll get back to you on that." Sirius said gleefully with a grin plastered to his face, while rubbing the palms of his hands together.
"I look forward to it." He told them.
Harry shifted and decided to sit now. For the first time since arriving to show off Cuddles and chatting with his uncles, Harry noticed that there was something different in the drawing room. The furniture was new, a comfortable tan leather couch, loveseat and chair set replaced the old worn out furniture that once graced the drawing room. He sat on the loveseat and reclined his feet up onto the vacant cushion beside him, keeping his feet dangling off the end, as he sat back and enjoyed the soft comfortable seat. Taking his time to get comfortable, Harry stated, "There was something I wanted to show you."
Both men sat on the couch that was facing him and waited for him to say more.
"Cuddles is more than just a familiar." He saw the confusion rest upon their faces during his slight pause. "She's connected to me." He put Cuddles down beside him on the love seat and kept his hand on her underbelly. He shut his eyes and concentrated. He willed his magic into his arm, the one holding his dragon, and to push into her.
Both men watched. They were astounded at what they were seeing. Magic was visibly flowing out of Harry and into his familiar, Cuddles, the small dragon you could hold in your hand was growing . It wasn't quick and hadn't even been immediately noticeable but now it was.
Sweat poured off Harry as he continued to force his magic into his little dragon. He pushed and pushed forcing magic to bend to his will. To strengthen the dragon, to enrich it and add to its connection to him.
Harry cut off the connection, a drop of sweat falling off his nose. He looked down, and just like his experiments had discovered this past week, the dragon had grown to stand with it's upper body reaching to a full grown man's waist. Cuddles was like an oversized dog perched on the couch.
Harry loved the marauders unabashedly shocked faces. He'd do his best to commit it to memory. "Still want to annoy my cuddle monster?" He asked, a gigantic grin trying to split his face in half.
The lack of response was telling. Sirius was always quick witted but his mind wasn't functioning fully. Remus was no better off.
"The thing is, the more magic I pump into her the greater degree of control over her I have. She's still a dragon but it feels like there's a splinter of me within her. I can sense her presence, her instincts, her will. And she adheres to my magic's intent and will, magic I am still connected to. It's really hard to describe." He explained to them.
"She's deadlier now? Like she can spit fire still?" Sirius asked, his face pale, all the blood drained out of it.
"Yep." Harry said, popping the p. "At this size she's still almost impervious to magic and her body is just as strong as any dragon's. She can fly and spit fire as if this was still her real size."
"Unbelievable." Remus breathed out heavily, still scarcely believing what he was seeing before them. "There are tales of dragons being unleashed in war, but they are old and unverifiable. Dragons are strong, fierce, proud creatures and are independent of a wizards will. To have one… wow. Amazing." He sat still, his hand covering his mouth staring between them.
"For reasons I'm sure you can imagine I'm keeping this quiet. She's my ace in the hole. Nobody can plan for her if they don't know about her. Sure she's registered as a familiar of mine but that's a tiny hand-held dragon. Not, well, this." He gestured at his dragon and acceded to its wishes for more cuddles. The dragon draped her head down onto Harry's lap. Harry ran his hands along it's scales lovingly.
"Merlin, saggy ball sack! This is incredible ! A real live dragon under your control!" Sirius was stupefied by the realization. "I still thought it was a prank, not actually a dragon." He added sheepishly.
Harry withdrew his wand from the holster with a snap of his wrist. He snapped a stunning spell at Cuddles, it careened into her before deflecting and dissapaiting once it hit the roof.
"Extraordinary really doesn't cut it in this case, Harry. This is indescribable! A dragon, even a miniature one, is a force to be reckoned with. I wouldn't want to cross wands with it, let alone a wizard that holds some control over it." Remus remarked.
"I'm not complaining, that's for sure." Harry responded, stroking down the dragon's neck.
"You said you figured out how to increase its size from experimentation?" Remus asked, prompting Harry to say more.
"I did, yes. But, I'm not going to show off anything else quite yet. I'm working on more with Cuddles, when I have time, and I can't go spilling all my secrets, now can I?" He smirked as Sirius pouted and Remus chuckled.
"No, keeping some things to yourself, about your familiar, is probably wise." Remus agreed, leaning back and shifting his weight into the armrest of the couch. "You'd said you wanted to talk about a couple things?" He prompted Harry again.
"Yep," Harry responded and then ran his free hand through his hair, sitting back heavily. "I had dinner and a potions lesson with Horace Slughorn last night, I trust you two know him." He looked at them expectantly.
"That snake? Of course we know him, never liked the pompous git." Sirius replied with anger touching his tone he sat forward and his face displayed concern for his godson. "Why would you do that?" He questioned, his tone of voice demanding an answer.
"I wanted to hear some stories about my mother. He taught her and was, apparently, a favorite of his. We met at the Yule Ball and he had offered to tell me about her over dinner. I didn't see the harm. Why, is there something I should know about him?" Harry remained calm, carefully paying attention to the two men, he was interested in what they would say.
"Sirius might be a tad harsh in his declaration but he isn't fully off in his concern. Slughorn collected people. The connected, wealthy, talented; anyone he felt could be of future value he would seek to bring into his circles. Your mother was one of them, even after she graduated she kept up a correspondence with him. James always hated it. Didn't like Lily taking advice from him, they quarrelled more than once over it." Remus was hunched forward, shoulders inward, a melancholic delivery of his words.
"He told me something interesting, I was hoping you guys could verify it." Both men narrowed their eyes, Sirius joined Remus leaning inward, getting physically closer.
"He told me mom had signed a contract with the Potter family, she'd date him to start 7th year then he wou-"
"Hippogriff shit!" Sirius stood as he swore. "Utter bollocks! Your parents loved each other, they didn't marry for some contract! He's trying to poison you!" He exclaimed throwing his hands up in the air and turning in place. He rounded back towards Harry, standing large above the seated Harry, though still six feet apart, "He's trying to collect you! Just like he did with Lily! Poison you with his honeyed words!" Sirius was angry, furious even.
Harry kept calm, he expected this reaction. "Will you let sit and let me finish?" Harry asked, his voice a little heated in annoyance.
"Yes, sit Padfoot. Let Harry finish, he did come to us, to ask us about this. Let's hear him out." Remus tapped the seat Sirius had just vacated with the hand of his outreached arm. Sirius huffed and sat down, arms crossed with a foul look to him as he waited for Harry to continue.
"According to Slughorm, the contract was supposed to be they would date for the first six months and if neither had broken it off during that time they would become betrothed. Within two years of the betrothal they would be married and within a couple years of marriage they'd have a child. My question is do you believe my mom or dad would have been a party to one?"
"No. Jamie would have told me. He knew about mine and he would have told me."
A sudden fit of coughing from the old wolf beside him on the couch brought a smile to his lips. "He would have told us." He amended.
Harry nodded, he wasn't going to try and refute that, in fact he believed that would be the case. They had a tight bond, even the two in front of him were like brothers after being estranged for a decade. "What about mom? Why did she suddenly shift her opinion and start to date dad in 7th year? She supposedly hated him, you both told me that.
Remus scratch the top of his head, thinking about how to answer that. "Honestly, I'm not completely sure. Lily and James always maintained that she saw a different side to him, that the war had woken her up and as she was no longer protecting Snape and saw James' actions in a new light." He shrugged, looking uncertain. "Lily was really only close with Marlene; don't get me wrong, we all became good friends with her but her closest confidant was Marlene and after her death, James."
"Look Harry, I'm not sure what lies Slughorn told you but he can't be trusted. He was a snake and he still is. He had his hooks into your mother but James put an end to that, your father never trusted the man and neither should you." Sirius told him solemnly, the constant joker was all business now, sitting on the couch with Remus.
Harry reached into his pocket and withdrew a folder. He opened it, slowly and turned the contents towards them. Both men shuffled towards the middle of the three person couch and scooted forward to best read the parchment that had been presented to them. They both began scanning the document.
Remus gasped, his hand flying to his mouth. It curled into a fist and he was biting it, not enough to draw blood. Sirius sat back, almost throwing himself against the back of the couch. His face ashen, devoid of emotion and color. "I don't believe it." He whispered hoarsely. "I don't believe it." He repeated, talking to himself, hoping his words would change what was written on the paperwork.
Harry sighed and stopped petting Cuddles, moving the dragon's head off his lap onto the the other portion of the love seat in which the rest of her body was already occupying. Harry stood pacing the floor in front of his uncles as he spoke.
"I found it in the Potter vault on my way here. I wasn't sure when he originally told me about the contract, but he was correct, he told me the truth. Lily signed as a legal adult but it was my grandparents who signed for the Potter family. I'm not even sure dad would have known… If it means anything to you, Horace thought it didn't start out with love but he was sure they were in love before they had me." He spoke softly, measuring his words to help brace the impact of this news.
"Interestingly enough Slughorn claimed he educated my mother in the ways of the wizarding world and that he was the driving force behind mom signing it." He let that last bit sink in and rested back into the tanned leather, enjoying its comfort.
"That, that's, that's a lot to take in." Remus responded after a time, speaking slowly the words forming in his mouth with difficulty, his voice croaking as he tried to speak. "James… he never wanted one of these. He wanted to choose his wife, not have it dictated to him. In a way, he got both, saddled with a contract unknowingly, but, to the woman he adored and loved more than anything…" He swallowed heavily and fell silent.
Sirius finally sat up from his almost prone position, where he'd been lying back against the couch. "I can't believe Uncle Charlie would do that, but I can believe Dorea would. She was always sneaky like that; always for your own benefit though. She loved her son and would manipulate and scheme to make him happy. I can see her in this." His eyes were reddened.
"I can see you might need some time here, there was one more thing I was hoping for, if you could point me in the right direction." Harry said addressing his godfather directly.
Sirius looked back at him but didn't respond, Harry had his attention, or what little he had to give at the moment.
"I'd like to speak with a portrait, Arcturus Black, my grandmother's brother if he's available." The request surprising both men once more, though their reaction was muted.
"Check the study, second floor across from the library, he's above the desk." Sirius told him monotonously.
"Thanks" Harry replied, standing and concentrating on his familiar. He left the excess magic bleed off and she returned to her small size. He scooped up his sleeping dragon and exited the drawing room.
"You know I had to do a fair bit of research to find out about the base veritaserum potion and how it works." Harry kept silent for a moment, stalling for time on what he wanted to say. It was odd, he was trying to figure out how much he could trust Natalia, how much of their interactions were true, were scripted and it had been driving him nuts. It kept staying in his mind, his thoughts. He couldn't keep thoughts of this upcoming conversation out of his mind. So he'd contacted her, set another evening stroll through the park together, well a walk to their bench at the park they frequent. Now here he was, leading out this conversation, one he'd given a lot of thought to, especially after Slughorn had given him advice on veritaserum and its uses.
"It wasn't easy to find; I was lucky I knew someone that could help me get some." Slughorn, he'd sent a letter of invite to an upcoming quidditch match and Harry accepted the invitation with request for the vial he had in his pocket and instruction on how to use it.
Harry was sitting on the bench with Natalia once more. They'd come to this familiar spot and setup the normal privacy and muggle repelling spellwork. Now was the time. It felt wrong, it felt like he was interrogating a criminal.
She'd been so meek and the typical warmth Harry had come to expect when around Natalia was missing. Even their hug when they greeted each other was forced, robitc, and awkward. Harry himself had been somewhat shaky. His limbs were restless, nervous. Their walk to this point had been mostly silent; It felt more like they were walking to a death sentence for their relationship than anything else.
"You didn't have to do that." She informed him. "I had some at home and brought it." She withdrew a small vial from her pocket. It was a short fat little thing. Squared edges with the top coming to a fine point where a small dropper was plunged into the liquid, the same as the one he had in his pocket. Neither were labelled but the oddity of the container wouldn't let one forget easily.
"You told me about the basic veritaserum, if you supply it, and only you take it, how am I to know if it was real?" He asked rhetorically. "I verified what you told me and then got my own."
Natalia shrunk under his gaze as he spoke. He saw her shiver, whether it was from the cold outside, the lack of trust between them, or the freezing tenseness between them he didn't know. She was huddled in on herself, legs together and her arms hugging herself.
"How did you want to do this?" He asked. She had offered this option in good faith and he would oblige her wishes for it as long as it didn't jeopardize his faith in the process.
"I'll take a single dose, three drops, and you can ask me questions." She didn't shrink from his stare, "I'll answer them." There was a fire in her eyes still, even when she'd been withdrawn and meek. She may have withered on the surface but there was hidden strength to her, she wasn't giving up, even now.
"Okay." He said softly handing the bottle to her. He carefully watched as she unsealed it and did as was proper. One drop was let out and fell onto her tongue, she squeezed the dropper ever so softly. A second droplet escaped and fell into her mouth, landing in the same spot. A third was taken and she closed off the bottle and handed it back to him, given how full it still was he had quite a few more opportunities to use this in the future. He counted to ten in his head, the length of time it was supposed to take to kick in.
She brought her chin back up and her eyes sought his, "It should be active now." She told him in a voice void of emotion. He'd read up on the effects of the potion and a monotone delivery was a side effect of the potion.
"Who told you I was learning to dance from Lacroix?" He was starting from the beginning, much of the conversation he'd battied about in his mind, going over wording and what he wanted to find out.
"Lacroix."
"And whose idea was it to introduce us?"
"Lacroix."
"Do you believe that was politically motivated?" Harry asked, the first real question being asked.
She opens her mouth then closes it. Opening it a second time she answers, "Yes".
"Please explain." This is what Slughorn had advised him not to do, a broad question where even truthful words could be misleading. It wasn't that he was neglecting the advice. It was more that he wanted to gauge what she said.
"Lacroix's academy would gain a lot of publicity and it would look even better if one of her prized pupils was on your arm, me." She told him, her voice sounded wrong compared to what Harry was used to. It doesn't match her mannerisms.
"You don't think the politics extended to the Pavlov family? Yes or no response please." He asked doubtfully, adding the command after it, boxing in her ability to answer.
Her lips parted and she mouthed a word but no sound came. Her mouth closed and she tried again. Harry raised his eyebrows in surprise, the potion had kept her from answering.
"You're trying to say 'no' but you can't. Why?" Not a well thought out response to situation but it would have to due, he couldn't script everything. He'd thought of bringing parchment and having her answer pre-written questions but it felt too much like a criminal case, too distant. The idea had soured in his stomach right away, too cold and callous.
She looked relieved when he allowed her to explain. "I think it's doubtful it was motivated for my family. She's always kept out of my family's business and has always been strictly professional. I don't see her changing that stance now, though some part of me must believe it is a possibility as I was unable to answer 'no'." The emotionless delivery sent chills down his spine.
A reasonable response.
"Initially did you want to go to the Yule Ball with me or were you tasked with it by someone else?"
She might not be able to voice emotion but her body language was all her own. She did not want to answer that question bluntly, she did anyway. "I was told to."
Harry winced, though his mind had guessed this was the case it still hurt to hear. "By who?"
She squirmed in her seat, Harry wondered if she thought he would only ask her questions like 'do you like me?' or 'do you really want to date me?' not the line of questioning he'd started off with.
"My parents learned you were attending lessons with Lacroix and demanded she set it up." She told him.
"To what purpose? Why would Lacroix go along with it? If you're not sure speculate." He was being cold and ruthless to her in his questions. She'd volunteered and Harry was treating this like an actual interrogation, an opportunity to learn as much as possible from someone who might not be working towards goals he'd align with.
She bowed her head before she answered and kept it there, not daring to make eye contact. "They learned of your connection to the Blacks and as you are the boy-who-lived, famous in your own right, they wanted me to get close to you. Lacroix wanted to keep me as her ballet student and I want to be allowed to continue in ballet. My parents threatened to withdraw me and keep me from ballet, what I love the most in life."
Harry scowled in response, even Lacroix had been forced to toy with his life for political means. Had she been steering him towards it from the start or had she been genuinely interested in helping him?
Harry could feel his heart beating in his chest, he could hear his pulse in his ears. He'd thought he was prepared for this. He thought it was as if he'd worn long johns, an extra sweater and put on a heavy winter jacket with a hood, to protect one from the elements on a cold day. While that would have been sufficient for a blustery winter day, the one he'd expected, it wouldn't be even close to sufficient for being dropped into the middle of Antarctica, the depth of coldness this situation had delved too, comparably.
"Did you actually want to go on a date with me or were you forced to?" The sternness of his voice matched his unyielding resolve to find out as much as possible about this situation he now found himself in.
Natalia opened her mouth to respond but no words escaped her lips. The potion was keeping her from saying whatever it was she was trying to tell him. She looked at him desperately, trying to will the answer out, but again, no speech came from her.
He watched as she resigned herself, defeated by the potion, and she answered him. "I was forced to."
An emotional blow so heavy he could feel its impact physically. He swallowed the hurt he was feeling, the potion wouldn't last forever and he was going to soldier on.
"When did Lacroix get told to partnered us for the Yule Ball? You told me your parents didn't know, was that the truth?"
"I don't know when exactly, my parents became aware after you started lessons but I don't think it was right away. My parents gave an ultimatum: we go together or I don't dance at the ballet academy anymore. I didn't tell them we were going together before the ball, they had given me an ultimatum and only knew for sure I followed through from the morning papers."
Harry hummed, she hadn't lied then; she'd just stretched the truth to deliberately mislead him instead.
His head wasn't right, he was failing to think clearly and not sure where to go with his questions next. Well, that's not completely true. He knew of some questions he needed to ask but he was afraid of their answers. The inquisition had already been painful and if the whole thing was a setup it would crush him. But if it was a complete setup why would she have volunteered to be put in a position to give up the ruse? Was this a desperate ploy to not give up the gig or was this a way to show that even though things hadn't started genuinely between they were now?
The rational part of his mind didn't think this was a total setup. But the part of him that had grown up emotionally abused, emotionally neglected didn't want to risk the chance of hearing that. It was better to wonder than to know he was always just a pawn to her.
No, he resolved himself, he was growing beyond his upbringing, he was learning to be his own person, and he wouldn't be held captive by his emotions.
"Did you like me before the Yule Ball, romantically or otherwise? If so, elaborate." This time it was him that did not look at her. He'd gotten the question out but he wasn't able to steel himself to look at her directly. If she looked at him and sneered that she had never liked him he wasn't sure he could have handled it well.
If he had looked up he'd have seen Natalia brighten. This was the kind of question she'd hoped she'd be able to answer. Her spirits were being crushed, before this question. They were framed that she couldn't qualify her answers and say 'yes I was forced to go with you but I'm so glad they did! It was the best thing they've ever done for me!' like she would have wanted to say. Now though, she had a nice easy pitch in the center of the batting zone and she was going to crush this pitch and turn things around.
"Yes!" She emphatically answered, her voice was still monotonous, but she perked up and moved closer to him. "It was right here, in this park, where we talked. I hated that I was encouraged to go on another date. I hated being forced to do something so I could keep doing what I love to do. But I wasn't lying to you on our walks. I like that you like me . And I like you, Harry, not the boy-who-lived, not the political connection to the Black family. I like you and I wanted to go to the ball with you once I started getting to know you." She had moved right in front of him and hugged him now. She expected this would be the moment, where she proved she was truthful and he trusted her again. Her arms were wrapped around him but he didn't hug her back.
Natalia withdrew from the hug and looked at him. He wasn't elated like she thought he'd be. He was looking at her impassively, frozen in his seat.
"Didn't you hear me? I like you. I did this because I wanted to be with you. I know you must not trust me so I thought up this idea to prove I do like you."
Harry was still unresponsive, a vacant expression on his face.
There was that persistent voice in the back of his head. A constant doubt that even now she was playing him falsely. He'd thought the veritaserum would solve it but it had not. Slughorn had the right of it, while the portion works, it's application is limited and the testimony with it is still not foolproof.
He sighed, breaking out of his thoughts, "Would you like me if I wasn't the boy-who-lived, Regent Black and Head of House Potter?"
Natalia tried to say 'yes' and though her lips moved she wasn't able to verbalise it. She hung her head and didn't meet his eyes. Tears fell from her eyes and she swallowed. Harry was frozen, he'd hoped that she would have been able to answer in the affirmative. He wanted her to and when she was trying to he was elated. Elation gave way to gut wrenching pain when she could not speak. As much as he may have wanted to look away from the train chugging along heading off a cliff he couldn't. His body was unresponsive.
Natalia, teary eyed, pursed her lips and then opened them into an 'o' shape. No noise came again.
Harry's attention whirled, he focused on her, his stomach jumping back up from the depths it had plunged to. "Elaborate, explain both reasonings." Maybe this wasn't all a trick?
Natalia took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, she'd just been sure she was about to end any chance of being with Harry, and possibly her dance career with it, when the words had failed to come out again. She collected herself, slowed her rapid breathing and wiped the tears away from her eyes. What a sight she must be, she thought.
"I think 'yes' because I like you, for you, as you like me, for me. I'm your brat, you're my dolt." Her broad smile contrasted the level delivery. "And it must be 'no' because if you weren't Regent Black, a Potter, or possibly just famous, a Pavlova like me would never be allowed to date you, a half blooded englishman." She gave him a crooked smile.
This was exhausting Harry thought to himself. The rollercoaster ride. Should he continue asking questions? How long did the potion have left? It felt like this had gone on for hours but that couldn't be right. Her voice was still alien to him, devoid of inflections and warmth. It was coming from her body but it was not her natural voice, still unnatural.
He'd press on, he'd get a few more answers then reflect on it all. There was so much moving so quickly and he wished he had living parents once more. People who would advise and help shoulder this burden. The Black's holdings and records were in total disarray. The Potter's had a nest egg for him but no obvious path for him to use it. He'd never learned anything about finance or how to run a business.
Those thoughts weren't helping, he could figure that out later, focus on the here and now. If he allowed himself to think of everything going on in his life he'd get overwhelmed. A Dark Lord, a deadly tournament, politics, scheming, finances, friends, old and new, and Slytherin. Hell, even all these rituals were making him uneasy. He was following the path, and progressing well, but was it the right thing to do? Who could he trust to help him? Slughorn was too new and he knew too little of the man; Sirius had good intentions but the man's life choices were severely lacking. Remus the uncle who was never there for him might be the most level headed but he was also so distant.
No! Back to this conversation, back to Natalia.
"Do you see us together long term?" He asked softly, his psyche worn out.
"Yes. My parents will approve of the match and I doubt anyone else they'd approve of I would like as much as you. I cannot say I love you yet but I'm falling for you." The warm words raised his spirits but he was emotionally spent now.
"Does your family seek to align with me or use me?" He asked, leaving these open ended, he had not the ability to find clever ways to box in her responses anymore.
She laughed lightly at the question. "They will try and use you while being happy settling with just aligning. Hope for the best prepare for the worst, set yourself up with a win-win scenario, that way you never lose. That is part of the Pavlov way." She informed him.
"Will you keep my secrets from your family?"
"Yes, though I may need to divulge something lest they think I am hiding things from them. I could stop completely when I'm married and take your name."
Harry knew he should ask more about this, try and pin her down and see but it just didn't feel worth it. This was supposed to be a relationship, not a math equation with all the variables solved and accounted for. He shook his head.
"Do you plan to be honest and upfront with me?" The question had no heat to it, he was tired.
"Yes, of course," She closed any space that was on the bench that was left between them.
"What do you want most in life?" He asked, his own answer was always close to his heart. He'd love to leave this all behind, to be a nobody, to fall in love and live in some simple home, work a normal job and be happy with his wife and family. That's what he wanted most; something fate was eager to ensure he never had the opportunity for. It was a dream, no more, and wholly unattainable.
"To dance." She whispered. "I'd give it all up to just be able to dance, I love ballet and it's what I want more than anything in life."
"Ballet?" He asked, recalling the ultimatum her parents had given her. Would they hold that over her head, was she making the best of her situation to get what she loved most in life. He'd noticed the change in her voice, the potion had run its course.
"Yes."
There wasn't anything obtuse done to signify the end of the questioning. They both were aware the potion had run its course and both were quiet, reflecting on their conversation so far.
"I have another topic I'd like to ask about." His eyes didn't meet hers. "It was something I read about from a very… traditional… author." His cheeks were rapidly gaining a red hue.
"Ohhhkayyyy…" She responded drawing out the one word response perplexed at his sudden shyness and change of topic.
"I'm not asking for it." He said crimson faced.
Natalia wasn't sure she'd seen him this embarassed before. He'd been so composed recently, even when there was a misunderstanding earlier. What could get him so flustered she wondered.
"Not asking for what?" She quirked her head as she asked, trying to see where this was going. They'd just been having a heavy conversation and it seemed to have gone well. Where was this conversation headed?
"I just don't have parents to ask…" He mumbled dejectedly, ignoring her response.
She embraced him quickly. "It's okay, even if it's awkward or offensive I won't react poorly. You can trust me." She smiled at him reassuringly as his eyes searched her for sincerity.
He nodded and then gulped. "I read… I read that when a girlloseshervirginityitcreatesabond." The words flew out of his mouth, unintelligible to anyone who could have heard it.
"I couldn't understand that," She grasped his hand, "can you repeat it, slowly Harry?" She did her best to sound as reassuring as possible.
Harry nodded, not making eye contact and tried again. "I read that when a girl loses her virginity it creates a bond of some sort." She blinked rapidly and didn't even twitch her lips, "And that it's important for a good relationship in magical marriages…" His ears were burning and his face couldn't be more flushed even if he was hospitalized for a high fever.
She began giggling, a blush adorning her cheeks.
Harry was caught between two starkly contrasted responses to Natalia's giggling. First, he was starting to laugh with her, glad she broke the tension and this was her response to his awkwardness. The second effect of her giggling. He'd forgotten part of the reason he had liked her so, she was gorgeous. Far more attractive when she was happy.
When she got herself under control, she responded.
"That is a, uhm, very traditional view. Almost nobody believes that now." She couldn't stop another short round of giggles.
"Oh, I wasn't raised magical and I'd never heard of it until I read about it." He stated, still a tiny bit embarrassed.
"It must have been a really old book. The only time you find it now is when it is in one of those kinds of fiction books nowadays." Seeing his blank face, she filled him in. "You know, trashy romance novel types, hero saves damsel and things are added that are magical to make their relationship special, romantic, and really deep and affectionate." She laughed lightly at the look of horror on his face. "Virginity bonds, soul bonds, slavery bonds, veela bonds, potion accidents, magical mind connections, sharing of each others magic, empathy bonds, and all types of crazy ways for the paired couple to share something deeper than just a normal relationship. That's just the tip of the iceberg for the kind of nonsense. Quite a lot of people read that kind of stuff." She educated him.
"People read that and enjoy it?" Harry's eyes were wide and his eyebrows tried to meet his hairline. "I'll take your word for it." He told her skeptically, not believing it.
She giggled against him and shifted so she was sitting facing him a little more, the previous position getting a bit uncomfortable for her.
Harry wondered about what she'd said. Salazar's writing had it as a statement of fact. There was no debate as to whether a bond was made or not, it was, end of story. Harry internally debated if it was another thing that was no longer prevalent.
Today, there was a focus on blood purity, on tracing your magical line back a number of generations. The older your magical roots the better it made you, apparently. The talk of bloodline traits was non existent now and family traits seemed to have disappeared. Harry had not found out what his ancestral magical bloodline trait was supposed to have been for the Potters but he'd seen the Blacks were prone to have a chance for being a metamorphmagus.
It wasn't something he had to make his mind up on now but it was interesting to hear a modern take on it.
Harry was broken out of his musings by Natalia's voice.
"How have you been recently? We haven't talked much" She asked, changing the subject.
"What do you mean?" He asked her, trying to keep himself from being suspicious of her motivations for asking.
She poked his chest. "I mean how are you, like how are you doing? How was your day yesterday and even earlier today?"
"You want to know?" He questioned, doubtful she actually wanted to know for no reason.
"Sure, I want to know lots of things about you. It's the kind of question my parents ask me everyday." She told him.
" If you want to hear it… sure, I can tell you, I guess."
Natalia indicated she did.
"Well, I'm not really sure what to tell you really. There wasn't anything too crazy really and it seems weird, people don't normally ask me about my days." Harry told her.
"Why ever not?" She asked, stunned.
She grabbed his hand and squeezed it affectionately. Then, she began rubbing her thumb back and forth in a comforting manner. She let her presence do all the talking for her; she was there for him.
Harry maneuvered his arm out from between them. He lifted it up overhead and brought it around her far shoulder and pulled her into a one arm hug, into an affectionate cuddle out on the public park, on their bench.
"Does it have to do with why you weren't hugged until you were at Hogwarts?" Natalia asked tenatatively, so softly spoken it was sparse more than a whisper.
Harry shifted, slightly, with her question. Natalia could feel his pulse quicken.
"Yes." He whispered.
She decided to move. A one armed hug was no long sufficient contact. She anchored her hands on the bench and lifted herself so she was sitting in his lap, her feet going past him to the far end of the bench. Her hips perpendicular to his with her torso rotated to be as close to parallel to him as possible. She wrapped her arms around him.
"You don't need to tell me. Whenever you're ready, I'll be here, I'll listen." She told him, gently speaking into his ear.
His arms wrapped around her, he rested his head on her shoulder and exhaled deeply.
"Thanks." He mumbled into her shoulder.
Holly and phoenix feather, his ol' faithful, the wand that had gotten him through so much. Sadly his troubles were not solvable with his wand. Nevertheless, he kept it in hand; it was comforting to hold it, to use it.
He directed his wand at a rock, no bigger than the space between his two largest knucks on his middle finger, and banished it. The flat surface of it skipped along the surface of the Black Lake. He watched it bounce, un, deux, trois, un, four times it bounced before plunging in.
He spied another rock, this one more shapely for his purposes. He levitated it and sent it shooting across the water. Un, deux, trois, un, deux, trois, six times it skipped this time, a good effort.
He'd taken his plan to use magic to do everything he could with it, all silently and without a specific wand movement. This was another task he was now using magic for. He'd skipped rocks out here on the lake before and he was already better at it with his wand than he was with his arm. He'd gotten as high as nine so far.
This was a place for him to come and think. He needed time away. If he'd been forced to choose between dealing with Slughorn, then his uncles and followed by interrogating Natalia or going through the Yule and Delacour Balls again he'd choose the publicity everytime. He'd have never thought that but all this drama and intrigue was just ridiculous.
Harry had always been the kind of person to trust his gut but now he wasn't sure. Dumbledore had always seemed so trustworthy, the grandfather he wished he had more time for him. Harry knew the headmaster had been more available to him than most any other student but it could have been better.
Sirius he'd thought so highly of in his third year. They'd captured the rat and he was going to leave the Dursleys and go live with him, just like his parents wanted. Then reality hit, well politics and a terrible justice system, and that crashed and burned.
It was this fourth year, the fourth year with a blatant plot to kill him that he'd snapped. He felt he should be more fair, that he should give Ron and Hermione a chance to get back into his good graces. He just didn't want to. It would be so easy to go back to the Gryffindor dorm, to forget everything he'd learned. His thoughts broke and he continued sitting on the small boulder, he stared out at the lake willing his mind clear so answers could find space to populate. His heavy cloak pulled tight as it was still January in Scotland.
He wasn't sure how long he sat there, staring across the water. At some point he heard footsteps behind him. He turned his head, without moving off his rock, and saw Fleur. Dressed in her standard Beauxbatons uniform, looking far too underdressed for the weather.
"Fleur?" He called out to her.
"'Arry!" She said excitedly. "I've been looking for you."
"How did you know I was out here?" He didn't think anyone would have known. He came back to Hogwarts after meeting with Natalia and had just meandered toward the path around the Black Lake without even meaning to. He was deep in thought and his body had taken him here on autopilot.
"Monsieur Hagrid, he told Madame Maxime when I was with her. Well, he said you entered through the gates but didn't enter the castle as he'd gone to look for you." She said as she made her way towards him, gracefully moving to him. She got to where he was and withdrew a blanket from her pocket. It had to have been enchanted as there was no room for a blanket in her uniform.
She placed it on the ground and daintily kneeled on it. Tapping the empty space beside her, she motioned for him to join her.
Harry sat down on it, his legs together and off to the left, leaning on his right arm for support as to keep his shoes off it. The blanket was warm to the touch.
"It is spelled to resist dirt and to be warm. You can sit normally."
Harry heard that and decided to sit cross legged. Fleur shifted now, she moved her torso toward him and had her lower leg touching his. She didn't say anything she just joined him and looked out over the lake.
It was Harry that finally said something to fill the silence. The lack of conversation hadn't been weird at all. Her presence had been the opposite, she somehow understood he needed to decompress still and he appreciated it.
"Aren't you cold in that?" Harry's words in reference to her wardrobe had startled Fleur. She's just been staring off into the distance, lost in her own private thoughts.
"Non, I've enchanted clothing on. It is expensive but it is worth looking good, non?"
Harry rolled his eyes at her. "If you say so." She smiled at him in response.
"Do you mind if I ask you something, it may seem like a weird question." He was a little tentative, the question had come to him and it was a little strange but it had a purpose.
"What iz the question?" She turned her head to watch him more easily.
Harry took a breath before answering, "You say you like me and I wonder, if you had to choose between me and Gabrielle who would you choose?"
"Why would you ask this?" It was clearly not a question she'd expected, she'd leaned back and looked at him oddly when he asked, she was frowning now.
Harry shrugged, "you don't have to answer." He frowned, mirroring her stance.
She narrowed her eyes and craned her neck forward, "non, it is okay. I do like you 'arry but I love ma jolie petite soeur. I'd die for her. I'd choose her." She didn't really like answering, the answer should be obvious, so why was he asking it?
"Of course and I take no offense in it." He gave her a reassuring look.
"If we were married would you choose me over her?" Harry was watching the water again, not looking at her as he asked.
"If we were married?" She repeated part of the question, starting out her answer, "My maman told me when you marry a man you join together and create a new family, you will raise and have children together and your priority should shift to your new family first. I believe what my maman has told me, I see how well she and papa do together. I 'ope I'd not have to choose though, I 'ope I'd marry a man who loves her too." The entire time she spoke she watched him closely. He'd had a far away look to him but he was clearly listening. There was a faint happiness to him when she explained the concept of starting a new family together.
"At what point does the change occur? When does it go from dating and caring about each other to love and being devoted to that person above all others?"
The questions made a little more sense to her but Fleur felt she was missing the piece that puts it all into perspective. He was asking her about something indirectly related to these questions, but she didn't know what, nor what had prompted them.
"Maybe when you get engaged? That is when you pledge yourselves to one another." She rationalized for him.
"And you think it would gradually build as you date until you get to a point where it becomes like that, to where you'd pledge for each other?" There was a despondent quality to all his questions, a melancholic undertone that she couldn't place a reason for.
"It makes sense. I've not dated seriously nor been engaged so I cannot speak from experience."
Harry brightened at her words, at the first part of what she'd just said. "Thanks Fleur." He told her and placed a hand on her knee.
"I'm glad I can help, 'arry, but I don't know what I helped with." Her pouting make him laugh softly.
"Don't give me that look. It's not much really." He said quickly. "I was just thinking about everything that's gone on recently. Your words gave me hope, that's all." He smiled at her, a full smile that lit up his face.
"You know, while I have you here, there was something I was thinking about showing you." He saw the flash of intrigue in her eyes, "Interested?" He teased.
"Oui!" She sat right up, going back to a kneeling position,her back straight and hands clasped together on her lap.
Harry reached into his pouch, the one he had tucked a sleeping Cuddles into, she wasn't a fan of the cold, and withdrew one of his most prized possessions. He handed his invisibility cloak to Fleur.
"Manifique!" She breathed out, her eyes bulging and her hands running up and down the material. "It is in such good condition. I've never seen one in such a state. It must have cost a lot!" She enthused.
"Quite the opposite actually. It's a family heirloom."
Her head snapped back up from the cloak. "Non, c'est impossible." She said in total disbelief. She analyzed him watching for hints of sarcasm or a joking manner.
"That's not even the most unbelievable part either. I'm showing you this because I need help. I don't really know how this is possible and I was hoping you could help me figure it out."
Fleur nodded and continued to run her hands over the cloak.
"Let me put it on and see if you can detect me." Fleur handed the cloak back to him. Harry stood up and put it on starting with the hood. Like always, he disappeared from sight.
Fleur withdrew her rosewood wand. She incanted the human detection spell Homenum Revelio . She looked at her wand in utter disbelief. She repeated her actions and had the same result.
Harry took off the cloak. "Try again." He told her.
" Homenum Revelio " She incanted a third time, this time it showed Harry's presence, now that he'd slipped his cloak off.
Her lips barely parted and a word slipped out that simultaneously encapsulated her reaction and description "Incroyable!"