Chapter 2489 - Ch: 27-28

Chapter 27

Quiet Storm

Padma Patil opened the door to the room she shared with her twin sister only to find said girl sitting in her bed, over the purple sheet, dressed in a red and green sundress with geometric patterns, with a gossip magazine long forgotten over her lap as Parvati looked at the open window. The light from the full moon washed over the Indian girl, and her nose piercing glowed with the silver light while she played with the long braid her luxurious black hair was made into.

Padma sighed. It had been like that the entire summer, her sister's best friend Lavender Brown was visiting relatives in the United States, but even before that, Parvati had already been acting a little strange. And Padma knew precisely why.

"Mother said dinner is almost ready," Padma said, bringing Parvati back to the present.

"Oh, right." Her sister said, closing the unread magazine. Padma saw Hermione's letter under the colorful paper pile and sighed; Parvati noticed her looking and pouted. "What?"

"Still waiting?" Padma said. "Didn't Hermione said that she also couldn't reach him?"

Parvati sighed just like her sister, and Padma found it funny. Parvati was not used to being on this side of the equation. Usually, she was the one ghosting boys or teasing them.

"What if I said something wrong or did something wrong?"

It was bizarre seeing the usually overconfident girl acting like that, but the truth was that she had been in love for a long time now. All Padma could do was try to reassure her sister. One more time.

"Parv, the letters had returned unopened, exactly like they had been sent. I am pretty sure there is some kind of ward around his house, wherever it is. That is why not you, nor Hermione, or anyone else can reach Harry. Also, he has a girlfriend."

Parvati glared at her. "He has more than one, which means there can be a place for one more!" Her family was not strange to this kind of situation; their own father had three wives. " I should have asked him when he had that fight with Hermione, before Katie Bell snatched him."

"Welt, you were too busy gossiping with Lavender." Padma shrugged.

"Shut up!" Parvati said, and a pillow flew in Padma's direction. The girl dodged with a laugh.

Suddenly, a spine-chilling howl echoed through the night, so deep and dark that both girls shivered in fear. Parvati looked out the window, only to see the gate exploding.

.oOo.

"I need to get to Susan! I need to get to Susan!" The words echoed in a loop through Amelia's mind like a mantra as the fierce red-haired woman fought against the masked figures storming the DMLE building. She knew something like that was bound to happen. Amelia fully believed Harry Potter when he said the dark lord was back, she tried to prepare her forces, and yet, when the attack came, the DMLE corps were still underfunded and unprepared.

Three places, three simultaneous attacks, and Amelia's blood froze when she learned one of those places was the Bones manor, her own house, where her niece was staying with friends. They quickly discovered that The floo connection had been severed, and the death eaters had placed anti-apparating wards. Amelia's only hope of reaching Susan was getting out of the building, and for that, she had to fight the attackers flooding the building through the destroyed doors.

"Shacklebolt! Take the wounded, and use the back exit. Save as many as you can. Tonks, Anderson, with me!" Amelia ordered. The woman was pretty sure what they wanted, Lucius Malfoy. They would learn the man was not there anymore; Amelia had transferred him to a secret medical facility the week after Harry told her about his encounter with Voldemort. Her priority was to save the innocent civilians being attacked. "Gather as many that can fight and try to reach the Patils!" She told the enormous dark man.

"Yes, Ma'am!" The man answered, and quickly got moving. Amelia looked at cadets Tonks and Anderson, who nodded at her. They moved forward, Amelia throwing offensive spells while Tonks and Anderson worked as defense, just like they learned in training. The glowing bolts flew around them as the leader of the death eaters screamed orders. Amelia thanked whoever forces existed in the world; they were not as organized as the Aurors, taking too long or simply not listening to their leader's orders, acting more like hooligans than a unity.

Amelia knew the leader's voice, and she would recognize it anywhere, from her times as a soldier during the war. The evil woman was back after years in hiding, and the implications were terrifying.

"Carrow!" Amelia screamed, getting the death eaters' attention. The masked woman turned to face her.

"Bones!" The woman called. "I see you got promoted." The woman had to shield herself almost immediately after talking, as the bone-crushing curse fired by Amelia almost hit her. "Há, someone is angry! Sectumsempra!" The sequence of red curses was fired with incredible speed and precision, but Tonks and Anderson were able to shield the spells, which exploded in a million sparks as they hit the protego magic around them. Alecto kept firing a barrage of curses trying to overcome the shields. "Is a shame you are here tho, McNair will be very disappointed! He's at your home now!" Alecto laughed.

"Nononono! Not McNair!" Amelia thought, pressing forward as the sparks flew around her. Anderson groaned beside her; his shield was breaking, and Amelia didn't have much time.

.oOo.

Alecto Carrow was laughing behind her skull-shaped mask. Her words clearly had affected Amelia Bones way more than she had anticipated. The fierce red-haired woman had gone pale at her words; maybe there was something even more important than the artifacts the dark lord was looking for in the Bones estate.

The death eater could see the weakness in one of the aurors shielding Amelia and started focusing her spells on him.

Amelia screamed. Alecto laughed.

Suddenly, the death eater couldn't feel her magic running through her wand anymore, only a numbing sensation coming from where it should have been. Alecto looked down, only to see her arm laying on the ground, cut above her elbow, blood gushing from the part still attached to her body. Her eyes went wide, and her mouth opened as she saw Amelia's wand glowing after casting the cutting curse. The death eater screamed with a mixture of rage and pain, grabbing her wand on the ground before disappearing into a dark cloud.

.oOo.

One week earlier and many miles away, Fleur was watching Harry with unhidden intent. It was a sunny afternoon, and they decided to go for a swim at the pool; earlier during Harry's stay at the Delacour house, the girls had discovered their swimwear had a delightful effect on Harry, especially after Daphne had asked for help choosing a non-magical style one, making the young wizard stare at them with wide eyes the first time he saw all four of the girls ready for a swim. It took a couple of seconds for his brain to start functioning again, and no matter how he tried, Harry couldn't hide his arousal, something all four of them took great pleasure in taking advantage of, touching and teasing the young man to no end. Fleur ended the first day pinning Harry against a wall and fucking him still wet in her bikini, and by the way Hermione was smiling the following day, she had sneaked into his room during the night.

What the girls would not admit was the effect Harry had on them. Sometimes, they could not take their eyes off him, following his movements around. Especially Fleur. Harry brought something out of her, something primal, a fire, a need she was barely able to contain. Her mother had said it was expected; it was how her veela nature spoke to her, to take her mate and make it hers. Like it was happening right now. Sitting on one of the reclining chairs around the pool, Fleur looked at Harry's focused gaze. He was at the edge of the pool, just outside the water, his lean muscles deliciously tensed, the thin strip of hair on his abs mischievously pointing down to his swim trunks-covered hips. Fleur could discern the contours of his half-awake member, and felt a little guilty to objectify him. Her eyes travel back to his chest, to the intricate array of runes he had created and asked Hermione to draw on him. Harry had no wand, and yet, Fleur could see the magic gathering in and around his aura. That was something interesting; both Harry and Katie needed their wands less and less these days, and both were not sure why.

Fleur watched as Harry closed his eyes, not sure what he wanted to accomplish. Katie, Gabrielle, and Daphne were observing him from the water, and Hermione was seated beside the veela, also intrigued. The girls looked at each other, but no one spoke; even her sister seemed infatuated with Harry, which could be troubling now that she was reaching her veela puberty. Harry raised his right arm, like he wanted to grab something, and then it happened.

Harry vanished, without a sound, only to appear less than a second later, ten feet away, hovering over the water. The young wizard splashed inside the pool with a loud and wet crash as the girls watched with wide eyes.

"Damn!" Harry said as he head cane out of the water, and he moved his hair from his eyes.

"Wow!" Daphne said. "What did you just do?"

"Tried to get to the other side of the pool," Harry said with a shrug like it was the simplest thing in the world. "Not enough magic, I guess."

"Harry, an apparation is a very advanced magic!" Hermione said. "We didn't even get the theory yet? How did you… and without a wand!"

"It was not apparation," Fleur said, also amazed. "It was something different."

"How do you know?" Hermione asked.

"I could see it in his aura," Fleur said proudly.

"Well, I just tried to focus my magic, like I do when I transform, hunt, or run; this time, I just tried to focus on… moving?" Harry tried to explain. Fleur instinctively licked her lips. So much raw power.

"Wow, can you teach me?" Katie asked.

"I can try. But it was not good enough," Harry said. "Just a couple feet. Maybe the runes need some work."

"Harry, shut up?" Daphne said, wrapping her arms around his neck. "You just did some incredible wandless magic!" Fleur watched as the girl hungrily kissed Harry, and her mind wandered. The veela had this fantasy for some time now, to watch her mate pleasuring one of the others before she could show the girl how to treat her man. Daphne would probably not want to be a part of that; the girls were closer now, but not this close yet. Her best bet would be Katie, but Hermione would be perfect. So naive and inexperienced. Maybe later.

"Fleur!" Apolline's voice brought her back from her fantasy, and the older veela walked down the stairs with a letter in hand. "Correspondence for you."

Fleur raised an eyebrow and took the parchment. She froze as the official Gringotts seal came into view. She had almost forgotten.

The veela worked her fingers and opened the letter, reading it with haste.

"So?" Apolline asked, a little hesitant.

"I did it…" Fleur whispered. "They want me!" She said louder, and hugged her mother, before turning to look at Harry, who smiled brilliantly at her. Fleur could not resist jumping into the water and taking Daphne's place around Harry's neck, kissing him hungrily. "I did it, Mon amour! I'm going to England with you!"

.oOo.

Josephine was told about the wolf, but the therapist had to admit she was unprepared for what was in front of her. The veela had met a werewolf before, but the strength of his wolf was nothing compared to Harry's. And he was not even an adult yet. The full moon was just a couple of days away; maybe that was it. The woman looked closely at the young wizard on the couch, dressed in simple jeans and a white shirt. His hair was even more untamed than usual, and a small fluf of fur had grown at the sides of his face, but more like his hair than a beard. His ears were already slightly pointed, but what was most striking was the eyes. The predatory emerald orbs gazed back at her curiously.

"You are not afraid," Harry said, and it was not a question.

"I don't think I have any reason to be," Josephine answered. "Am I right?" Harry chuckled but gave her a nod. "But how do you know?"

"Your scent…"

"Must be hard to know so much about people even before you talk to them, no?"

Harry thought for a little while. "I think so. It can be…" he seemed to be looking for the right word. "Overwhelming? And more than a little scary."

"Why is that?"

Harry looked away, not answering. Josephine filed that for later.

"How is your week going then?"

"Great!" The wizard answered, and Josephine noticed something else. "I mean…" the veela raised an eyebrow but waited for Harry to speak, but kept eye contact with him. The wizard stood in silence for a long time. "I feel guilty." Harry finally said.

"Guilty? And why is that?" Josephine asked. Maybe they were finally going somewhere.

"Well, despite everything, I have the most amazing life right now. I mean, I'm surrounded by people who truly care about me, I am learning about my family, I have some fantastic… intimate moments, and yet…." He paused. Josephine could see he was ashamed, which was something relevant. He was not afraid; he was embarrassed. Of himself. "And yet," Harry said. "There are days which are hard for me to simply… get up from the bed." Josephine nodded and took some notes. "I mean, how can that be? If it weren't for the girls, I would sometimes feel like doing… nothing."

Harry looked at her, and it was easy to lose oneself in those emerald portals. "And those are the days I fear the most. Because, when I feel nothing, when there is nothing, the wolf wants to take that space, to end the emptiness. And I'm afraid I would lose myself if I let it."

"But, haven't you told me you and what you call the wolf are one and the same?" Josephine asked.

"Yes, I mean, I think so. But, I don't want to lose that part of me that, care? I don't know how to explain it. The wolf, he wants to protect me, to protect those I love, but I want to do this with… violence. The things I want to do to those who hurt me, or have hurt anyone I care about are … disgusting." Josephine noticed he had started referring to the wolf as himself mid-sentence and took a couple more notes.

"Harry, first of all, after all you've been through, it is normal to feel sad, or empty, like I'm sure you must have had to have done it many times to survive. I am not saying this kind of feeling is nice or good; I'm saying I understand. You need time, and you need to heal. And the things you said, the violence, the anger. Harry, I can't say I understand what it is like to live like you, with your condition, but you must remember, it is not the anger that defines you, but what you choose to do with it that does. And you have been doing an incredible job." The veela smiled. It would take time and work from both of them, but Josephine was sure she could help him.

.oOo.

"Ha, I told you I would get an interesting letter from my cousin!" Sirius said as soon as Harry had returned home from his appointment with Josephine. Harry smiled; he discovered that his godfather was very fond of Tonks.

"Really, what did she say?" Harry asked.

"Well, Tonks said that you scared her to hell and that she almost pissed her pants." Sirius laughed. "She wants to meet you properly, and talk to you."

"Does she now?" Harry raised an eyebrow; that was interesting.

"Yes, you know, if it weren't for… everything, you two would probably grow up together, as cousins." There was a hint of sadness in the man's voice. Harry knew that, no matter what he said, Sirius still blamed himself for him having to live with the Dursleys.

"Well, we can talk; tell her to come after the full moon," Harry said.

"You know she's with the order, right?" Sirius asked with a serious tone.

"I do, but you trust her, and I trust you." Harry shrugged. "Also, if everything goes well, we may have some eyes and ears inside the order. I know Dumbledore apologized and said we are on the same side, but I think we can use the information anyway."

"You have been spending too much time with Greengrass," Sirius said with a smile. "I like the idea."

.oOo.

The youngest Weasley watched with a hint of disgust as her brother burped after downing another whole cup of pumpkin juice.

"You know Ronald," Ginny said. "You eating this much wouldn't be half as bad if you didn't act like a pig!"

"Bite me!" Ronald answered with a sneer.

"Ginevra, don't say that to your brother; he is growing up!" Molly Weasley said as she took another batch of pancakes from the smoking stove. "And Ronald, your sister is right! There is no need to act like an inmate on Azkaban." The woman said, placing the fueled plate on the wooden table, before turning back. Willian entered the good-smelling small but cozy kitchen. He started working on eating his own breakfast, although more politely than Ronald, smiling as his sister flashed her tongue to his brother.

Suddenly, a big grey owl flew through the window, landing in front of the red-haired girl, and extending her leg to her.

"Letter from your boyfriend?" Willian asked with a playful grim. Ronald only scoffed.

"I don't think so," Ginny said, glaring at Ronald. "This is not Blaise's owl." The young witch carefully untied the letter and gave the owl some bacon before opening it. A bright smile graced her face as she read it.

"What?" Molly asked.

"It's from Hermione! She is inviting me to Harry's birthday, in France!" Ginny waved a small paper card that was the portkey for her trip to the Delacour house on the beach. "So cool! I will write Blase so that we can go together!"

"France hum…" Willian said with a smile. "Will your blond french friend be there?"

Ginny sighed. "Probably; it is her boyfriend's birthday, after all." Ginny tried to emphasize the word as much as possible, but Willian only shrugged with a smile. Only now, the girl noticed Ronald glaring at her.

"Does Hermione say anything about other people?" Molly asked, looking from Ginny to Ronald, with a worried expression.

"No, and it is better that way. I don't think Hermione has forgiven what Ron tried to pull last summer."

Molly sighed. "You really had gone a little overboard, Ronald." The woman said with a tired voice.

"Wait, what he tried to do?" Willian asked.

"NOTHING?" Ronald said, getting up. "I don't want to be around that many snakes anyway!"

Ginny glared at her brother. "You are such a bloody hypocrite."

"What?" Ronald called.

"Ron, we all know about Pansy fucking Parkinson!" Ginny spat, and couldn't help but smile as her brother's face became as red as his hair, and then, white as a ghost.

.oOo.

The light from the full moon sneaked into the room through the cracks on the curtains as Hermione sat up on her comfortable bed. Looking around, the witch noticed a little surprised that her mother was not on the bed beside her. Hermione got up, and walked to the window, looking outside. The moonlighting was raining over the garden and the closer woods, giving the world a blue undertone with beautiful silver highlights. The girl looked around, paying close attention to the woods, trying to catch a glimpse of her beloved wolf.

Hermione walked out of her room and looked to both sides of the corridor; she knew Fleur would be in Harry's room, sleeping on his sheets, surrounded by his scent. Hermione noticed how much visceral and intense Fleur's need for Harry had been lately; it was at the same time exciting and scary. Her own feelings towards the veela were more than a little confusing. Hermione still found the french witch incredibly attractive, and she clearly was more affected by the allure than Daphne, Katie, or even Harry, and she could not help herself but fantasize about her, but now that Fleur had Harry, Hermione had no hopes on the girl looking back at her.

But right now, Hermione was thinking about other things.

Harry.

The young woman wanted to see him again, to touch his soft fur one more time. To feel the thrill of being close to the predator. She was also so curious about Katie and how she would look and feel, how her fur would be, if she would be as beautiful as Harry. Hermione giggled at her own curiosity, and it reminded her of how she felt when first discovering magic.

But whatever her intentions were, Hermione had to put them aside as she walked downstairs.

Her mother was there, looking at the night through the big glass doors that led to the pool. Hermione knew the look she had, with a frown and biting her bottom lip, just like the girl herself commonly did; she had seen that same expression many times during the worse stages of her parent's divorce. Her mother was afraid.

"Mom?" Hermione softly called, trying not to scare the woman.

"Oh!" Emma said, turning around to look at her. "Hey, sweetie. Did I wake you up?"

"No, not really," Hermione said, coming closer to her mother and looking through the glass doors directly at the full moon. "Everything ok?"

"Of course!" Emma tried to sound confident but failed, and Hermione noticed. "I mean, I don't know…"

Hermione held her hand. "Mon, it is safe. The wards around the house will not let them inside, or outside the grounds." Hermione tried to reassure the older woman. "And even if they wouldn't, it is Harry out there."

Emma bit her lower lip. "But, all the stories, are you sure?"

"Yes, Mon, I'm sure."

Emma still looked worried, her eyes glued on the night outside. "How does this work?"

"Well, I have read some books," Hermione said, and Emma nervously giggled. "But, as always, Harry's magic never behaves like the theory." The girl rolled her eyes. "But I have been observing them…"

"Of course you have."

"For learning, mom! Anyway, they don't like it when I call it a curse, but I will use the word to simplify things. The "curse" is somehow connected to the lunar cycle, not only the full moon, but the entire cycle. The one thing Harry and Katie have in common with other accursed werewolves is the fact that they cannot control their transformation. You see, changing something so big, and alive, like the human body, into something even bigger and incredibly powerful, requires a lot of magic, and I mean a whole lot. The curse feeds itself on the magic of the person." Emma nodded as Hermione entered full lettering mode. Usually, the transformation only lasts one night, completely draining the person's magic for a time. The werewolf is also overtaken by his instincts and can't remember what happens during that time."

"But is that not the case for Harry?" Emma asked, and Hermione smiled.

"No, Harry and Katie's transformation cycle lasts for two nights and an entire day!" Hermione couldn't hide the pride and admiration in her voice. "Is incredible, the amount of magic, of power, and control. I don't really know what happens during this time, and there is nothing about this in any book…"

"But?"

"I have some theories. I think they stay mostly inactive during the day, giving their magic time to replenish themselves, and also, the bond they share with each other keeps them strong. Also, both Harry and Katie come from a tradition of acceptance of the curse, or the wolf, as they call it. That means they can remember what happens, and they can control themselves to an extent. That is why I say, mom, neither Harry nor Katie would ever hurt us."

Emma bit her lip one more time. "It is still so scary."

"I know. And I think it should be. I will not lie, they are hunters, predators, but they love us."

Emma shook her head. "And there I was, wanting to be part of your adventures. Big mistake." Both women giggled.

.oOo.

The she-wolf was so happy, so incredibly happy, that it was hard for her to focus her senses or anything other than the beautiful black wolf running beside her. And she knew he felt the same, and she could even smell his happiness. Even if she couldn't rationalize it right now, the she-wolf was relieved that there was no prey, and no dangers around them in those weird woods, so she could focus only on her alpha.

As much as she loved her family, being away from him during her last transformation was hard, especially because she knew he was trapped; even far away, she could feel his loneliness, his sadness, and anger, but he was not able to run, to hunt, or even to extend. And she felt it. Their bond was strong. The she-wolf knew he was more than just her alpha.

Playfully, she jumped on him, taking away his balance during the run, and the enormous wolves rolled over each other, mocking fighting like pups. His fur was so soft, and his body so warm. Her instincts screamed at her.

Maybe it would not be so soon, but one day, she would carry his pups. And they would be strong and beat, just like him.

.oOo.

Harry woke as the first rays of sunlight hit his skin, traveling through the canopy of trees above him. The calming smell of grass and wood around him. And strawberries. Merlin, how he loved her scent.

Harry couldn't help but smile as he gazed at Katie's body, lying there on the soft grass, the sunlight beautifully reflecting on her tanning skin. Merlin, the summer was doing some incredible things for her. Harry marveled at her firm, toned legs, connected to her fit, round bum as she laid sideways. Her chaser arms were strong, like the fighter he knew she was, and yet, she had a Sharp, beautiful face, and her dark brown hair glowed in the sun.

There was no emptiness when he was there, beside her. The wolf was at ease. Happy.

Katie slowly opened her pretty brown eyes and looked at him, and the smile she gave him made Harry melt inside. The girl turned on her back and stretched her arms and legs, giving Harry a delicious view of her firm breast and her flat belly just above the small bushy of dark brown pubic hair over her mound. The werewolf felt himself getting hard; how could he not? She was beautiful.

"Hello…" Harry said with a smile as Katie sat up, and he couldn't help but notice her eyes roving through his body with a mixture of carrying and lust.

"Hello to you," the girl said. "You seem to be in a good mood; maybe the therapy thing is really working," Katie said, sounding genuinely happy.

"Or maybe, it is because I won all of our fights…" Harry said with a mischievous grin.

"Oh really?" Katie raised an eyebrow. Harry giggled; he loved the she-wolf's competitiveness; it was easy to tip her up.

"Guess I am getting too good at this wolf thing…" The wizard shrugged and saw the fire in Katie's eyes and the smile on her face. Incredibly beautiful. But he barely had time to register that before the very naked tanned girl jumped on him with a fake roar. Harry laughed as she threw him to the ground, and tried to get on top of him. It felt just right to be with her, to laugh and play, like pups, bathing in the summer morning sun. No war, no emptiness.

Katie attached the base of his neck with her mouth and tried to channel her magic simultaneously. Harry almost got too distracted by the pleasure of her lips sucking his neck, letting her pin him against the soft grass. Almost.

Katie's mistake was not holding his arms; Harry grabbed her shoulders, and with a swift movement, turned them around, getting a delicious "eeep" noise from the girl as they rolled over, and it was now her back against the ground. Harry smiled and brought his head down, kissing Katie passionately while he held her shoulders in place, and pressed his hips against hers. Their tongues battled against each other, and Harry finished sucking on her swollen bottom lip, making Katie whimper. Harry approached his mouth to her ear and said softly.

"Guess I won again…"

"Hum," Katie moaned. "but I haven't used my secret weapon yet…"

"Secret…" Harry was unable to finish his sentence; quickly as lightning, Katie's hands were on each side of his ribcage. The tickling was like electricity running through his body, vanishing any and all concentration from his mind as well as the strength of his arms as the tortuous sensation made him laugh and shake like a madman.

Katie seized the moment, and rolled them one more time, this time holding Harry's wrists and grounding her hips against his, locking his raging rigid member between them. Harry was still recovering from the tickle barrage when she captured his lips in a searing kiss. Katie lifted her hips and slid over him, placing the underside of his shaft between her wet nether lips, making both teens moan as they kissed.

"I won," the she-wolf said, with a smug. "Now, I want my prize," she said and started rocking her hips against him. The girl wiggled, moving up until the purplish head of his cock rubbed against her clit, and then down until it rested against her entrance, then up again, coating Harry with her wetness. "Fuck, babe!" She said, increasing the speed of her movements. Harry grunted and raised his hips just a little, trying to increase the delicious friction. The scent of their combined fluids washed over the two werewolves, ever-increasing their arousal as they sloppily kissed each other with a vibrant mix of tongues, saliva, and swollen lips. There was nothing subtle about their snogging now, only love and hunger.

Katie finally let go of one of Harry's hands, only to raise her hips and reach for his troubling cock. She grabbed it by the base and aligned the already wet tool against her wanting entrance. Both of them moaned loudly as Harry's cock was embraced by her warm and wet insides, and his free hand had gone straight to her firm ass. Katie savored as she got down, inch by inch, welcoming the tick cock one more time, until she finally had him entirely inside her. The girl got up, straddling Harry and giving him a full view of her toned torso, and perk breasts, with light brown areolas and hard nipples. Katie placed both hands on Harry's chest, letting go of his other hand, which also had gone to her bum, and she gave him a predatory smile. The wolf's smile. All Harry could do was smile back, before she started moving.

Katie raised herself and slammed down back again, building a furious ritymin, her pussy making obscene wet sounds every time their hips met, again and again. Harry squeezed her ass cheeks and tried to help her move, soon starting to need her movement with his own. Like their kiss, it was savage, wet, messy, and delightful. Hermione may have ridden on his back, but right now, Katie was riding him as only another werewolf (and maybe a veela) could. Their moans added to the slapping and wet sounds their bodies produced, and Katie's hand clawed on his chest.

"Yesyesyesyes!" Katie called like a mad woman. "Cum in me, breed me, give me your cum!" She all but screamed. "Fuck, too good. Put your puppies in meeeeee! The girl moaned, trembling, as the orgasm washed over her. Harry was unsure why, but hearing her asking for him, claiming for him to give her his babies, was enough to push himself over the edge, and bulking his hips, the wizard unloaded his thick, hot cum inside her, shooting jet after jet as he whimpered. Katie moaned with the sensation of receiving his seed and collapsed on top of Harry once her climax subsided.

They stood there, in silence, with Harry still inside her as Katie's pussy leaked his sperm mixed with her own juices. Harry moved his hands up and down, caressing her sweat back, while Katie nibbled on his earlobe and neck.

"Katie, is it true?" Harry asked. "You want a family with me?"

Katie looked at him, blushing. "Yes, yes, babe, I do. Not today, not so soon, of course, but yes… I love you, Harry."

"I love you too, Katie…"

.oOo.

"Weird…" Harry said as he pulled his jeans up, searching around.

"Hum?" Katie eloquently asked while getting on her Harpies jersey, still only on her blue panties.

"I could swear I left a shirt here… now I can't find it," Harry said, looking at Katie, who just shrugged. Both werewolves came closer to where Harry's pile of clothes was and took a deep breath, taking the soft scent of lilies and biscuits. Harry raised an eyebrow, and Katie started laughing. "Gabby?"

"You are in so much trouble, lover boy!" Katie said, pulling her shorts up. "Fleur will kill you!"

"Shit, I'm more worried about Jacques." Harry whimpered.

"Think on the bright side; at least you don't have to walk around shirtless in the cold." Katie shrugged. "And I quite like the view!" Harry groaned, still a little self-conscious of his own body. "Let's just hope baby veela doesn't try to sneak into your room and see something she shouldn't have, at least for now." Katie teased as they walked back to the room.

The sun was indeed bright and warm, with very few clouds in the blue sky, a perfect day for a trip to the city, as Harry knew the girls wanted to do in the afternoon, together with Emma and Apolline. Harry thought it could be fun, especially if he could convince Sirius to go with them as he entered the house. Both he and Katie stopped in their tracks; there was someone else in the building. Both teens speed up their passes.

Harry was tackled by a soft red-haired missile as soon as he entered the dining room, her arms firmly pressing around his body, and Harry could sense the mixture of fear and relief coming from the girl. Not sure about what he should do, Harry returned the hug as best as he could.

"Hey Susan, it is good to see you." He said softly, as the girl squeezed him even harder. Harry looked puzzled at the room around him and saw the four girls, Emma, Apolline Sirius, Amelia Bones, and auror Tonks looking back at him with equally confused expressions. "Chief Bones. Auror Tonks." Harry nodded.

"I told you already, Harry, just Amelia unless you want me to call you lord Potter."

"Howdy…" Tonks waved, more than a little confused.

Harry nodded. "Is everything ok, Susan?" He asked, the mass of curly red hair beneath his chin. He felt Susan nod, and only then did she seem to realize his shirtless state. The shy girl reluctantly let him go and took some steps back, her skin just as red as her hair, and yet, Harry noticed her eyes hovering over his torso.

"Y… yes, yes Harry…" Susan said. "I'm just… thankful."

"Sorry for my state of dress; I was… doing some exercising and forgot to take a shirt." Harry tried to deflect. Amelia nodded knowingly, and Susan blushed one more time. Harry found it quite cute.

"We need to talk," Amelia said seriously.

"Harry, go grab a shirt," Apolline said. "Is just early, and I am pretty sure no one has had breakfast yet. Let's eat, and we can talk."

A few minutes later, the entire group was sitting around the table: tea, coffee, and a variety of bread and pastries laid in front of them. As much self-conscious as he felt, both Harry and Katie needed to eat after the extenuating nights as wolves, and their activities in the morning. Susan kept looking at Harry, and he noticed Fleur and Daphne exchanging strange looks. Emma, on the other hand, seemed a little disappointed when Sirius took a place besides Amelia and not her.

"So Amelia," Sirius asked. "What happened?"

Amelia took a deep breath. The usually fierce woman looked tired, with bags under her eyes and bruises on her arms. "The dark lord made his first open move yesterday." Harry held his breath. "We had three attacks simultaneously, on different locations." Amelia looked at Sirius. "He called his lieutenants back Sirius. Alecto attacked the DMLE building, McNair attacked the Bones manor," Amelia then looked at Harry. "And Greyback attacked the Patils." Harry clenched his fists, and a mixture of fear and rage washed over him as he remembered the monster that almost broke him. "It seemed Greyback had another unknown werewolf with him as well, together with the other death eaters."

Harry was breathing heavily, he looked at Katie, and the shame he could see on her face made his blood boil. Fleur, Daphne, and Hermione turned to look at this, sensing his anger.

"I can understand the DMLE and your house," Sirius said. "But why the Patils?"

"Well, they attacked the QG after Malfoy; first, I thought they attacked Bones manor after me, but they seemed to know I was not there. They stole a lot of artifacts from the Patils' house before we could get there."

"Money." Daphne simply said.

"It appears so, miss Greengrass. Without Lucius, Draco, or the access to the black accounts, it seems the dark lord is trying to find other ways to finance his coup. The artifacts stolen from the Patils are worth a lot of money in the black market, as are some in our house as well." Amelia stated. "I had to fight Alecto before I got home; Susan was there with Neville Longbottom and Hannah Abbott. I was impressed that the three of them could hold the attack until the aurors arrived."

Hermione and Sirius smiled at the shy girl, making her blush again, but Harry looked down to his empty plate, his hands tightly clenched into fists.

"Is anyone hurt?" He asked.

Amelia looked at him, with hard eyes and nodded.

"One of the Patil twins was gravely injured; I don't know the específics yet, sorry. I got to Susan, and after delivering Neville and Hannah to their homes, I used the portkey Apolline gave me to come here." Amelia said. "Harry, I know what you are feeling right now; I had people hurt under my orders. But think about it. Susan told me you taught them last term that they only held their ground because of what you told them to do!"

"Yes, Harry," Susan said. "You showed us how to fight, and how to protect ourselves, and it worked! Thank you so much!"

Harry forced himself to look at the blushing girl and smile.

"I should go see the Patils." He tried to say.

"Not a good idea," Amelia said. "The ministry knows you are here, but as you are in another country and under the protection of a foreign dignitary, they can't do anything. If you go back to England, they will do anything, so you are not allowed to come back. And, I am sorry to say, with your… situation, it will not be hard. It's better for you to wait for the school term to begin; then, you'll be under the headmaster's protection."

Harry growled in frustration, but he knew she was right.

"That's the other thing I would like to ask…" Amelia turned to look at Apolline. "Is not safe for Susan there. Especially now that McNair, and for consequence, the dark lord himself, knows about her. I will be swamped, and things are getting chaotic; the current administration will not survive this crisis much longer. And I don't feel safe with Susan there, and she is everything I have." Harry was surprised by the love he could see on the warrior woman's semblance as she spoke.

"Of course, Amelia," Apolline said. "Susan is more than welcome here with my family. The house is not big, but we can have one or two more guests." Apolline smiled.

"Thank you…" Amelia held the older veela's hand. "Tonks will be designated as her bodyguard, and her expenses will be paid by the DMLE, including a room in the closest hotel." Harry looked at the strange pink-haired young woman, who just smiled brightly back at him, a smile all too similar to Sirius'. The werewolf hoped she wasn't still scared of him. "I will send notices once everything is sorted out, including about the Patils," Amelia said, standing up. "Lord Black, can I talk to you in particular?"

"Of course, lady Bones."

"You can use the studio," Apolline said before looking at a confused Emma.

Harry looked around the table, at the girls, and then at Susan and Tonks.

"Excuse me," The werewolf said, before getting up. "I just need some air."

.oOo.

Fleur was very angry at herself. Amelia had brought important notices, but, ever since Susan had latched herself into Harry's arms, all she could think about was her mate ravishing the busty girl right before she herself would take him.

Damn dark lord. The veela was ready to deal with his annoyance and all the pain he was causing in her beloved Harry's life.

Fleur took a deep breath. She was finding herself in the same place Harry was the last term; the young woman needed to come to terms with her veela nature, it was driving her crazy, and that was not what Harry now required. Fleur knew why that was happening, but she was determined to wait until his birthday.

The veela was also determined to have a talk with the other girls as soon as possible, about… things.

"Fleur, " Susan said, after the french girl had shown the girl her room. "Thank you for having me. I swear I will try not to get in anyone's way…"

"What are you talking about, Susan?" Fleur asked, raising an eyebrow. "You are more than welcome here, especially in these circumstances."

"Thank you." The girl blushed. "I meant… I don't know what is really happening between the four of you and Harry… but I will not…"

"Susan, please, don't worry about it." Fleur smiled; she could sense the red-haired girls' desire for her Harry. How he could not notice those things were beyond her, it was delightful. "Harry needs to know he has friends. Show him that, and you will be more than ok."

Susan beamed. "I can do that!"

"That said, don't be scared by the things you may see," Fleur said with a mischievous and sensual smile, making Susan blush again.

Fleur got out of the room and decided to look for Harry. The veela knew her mate, and she chose not to let him spiral down again now that he was making progress. Not anymore. Especially for things that were not his fault.

chapter 28

Ode to my family

Daphne nibbled at Harry's earlobe as her body came down from her orgasmic bliss, laying on top of him, her body moving softly up and down as the werewolf breathed heavily under her, his softening member still inside the girl. Daphne dove herself into his neck, feeling his pulse, together with his breathing, hir warmth, everything that showed he was alive, and that he loved her. Ever since the night at the ministry, the fear of losing Harry was something Daphne simply couldn't push away. No, he was too important to her now; he has always been.

It was her night with him, in Hermione's crazy schedule, trying to organize their time. Harry even had a couple of nights for himself to rest. But today was Daphne's turn. The entire night, only for them and no one else. And Daphne would make the most of it, and it was not only about the sex.

"What happened last night is bothering you," Daphne said, and she felt Harry holding his breath for a brief second, before placing his arms protectively around her narrow waist and lower back, trying to reassure her.

"Isn't that a little heavy for pillow talk?" Harry asked, and Daphne could almost sense his smile as she humphed. Daphne would have none of this deflecting with humor thing.

"We could see how the Patils and Susan situation had affected you." Daphne started. "I know it is hard to accept, but it is not your fault, or your doing."

"I know. After that night at the ministry, what Sirius told us really hit me. I know there was nothing I could have done." Harry sighed, and Daphne was a little confused; that was not the answer she was expecting. Daphne raised her body so she could look directly at Harry's face.

"Ok, now I am curious," The girl said, raising an eyebrow.

"Of course, I am angry about the attacks, especially against the Patils. But what gave me pause was not guilt." Harry looked back at her. "Was, realization."

"How so?" Daphne asked.

"I think, it is finally weighing on me that I will not be able to change things without destroying something in the process. I am realizing that I have no choice… I… I will have to kill him, and probably Greyback too." Harry finished, and Daphne stayed silent. The witch could see how heavy this was for him. "I… have killed before, but never intentionally. I almost killed Lucius Malfoy and would have done it if it wasn't for Sirius… I think, deep down, I always knew it would come to this, but…"

Daphne nodded. She would not lie to him.

"I can't say it will be alright, Harry, only that I will do anything in my power to help you and share the load."

"The scariest part was that… I am so furious at them, at Voldemort, at the death eaters, that I'm not sure I will even regret doing it, and that is scary to me. What if I become too much like Greyback, like the monster the headmaster says I am." Now, that was it; that was what he really feared, Daphne knew.

"You are nothing like that thing, Harry!" Daphne clawed her hand at his chest. "Nothing! There is a huge difference between doing what needs to be done and enjoying it."

Harry nodded. "I hope you're right."

"You can always run away…" Daphne said, already knowing the answer. And as expected, the way Harry looked at her was answer enough. "As I imagined, it is not an option." Daphne laughed softly. "I wasn't you who said to me the other day; there is no peaceful revolution. No one relinquishes his power easily. That is what you want, Harry, a revolution."

"Yes, I think so… but I need to survive first."

"And you will," Daphne said, kissing him. No one would take him from her. Not anymore.

.oOo.

Tonks carefully watched from the living room's door as the teens sat around the table for breakfast. Her head was in turmoil, as everything the young auror thought she knew about Harry and the curse was being challenged, without them even trying.

The adults, for a start, were awfully ok with the situation (well, maybe not Hermione's mother, but she was a non-magical.) Jacques had left early for the french ministry, Sirius was still sleeping (that big drag of a man-boy), and Apolline had left ten minutes ago with Emma Granger to take a stroll and get some things for the family trip in a couple of days. Emma did seem to love Paris, by how happy the woman looked.

Harry and Daphne were the last ones to come down, and Tonks was surprised by how lovely they were to each other. Harry was also not ragged, or looking like a drunk man, as Tonks had expected from other werewolves she had met at service, as well as Remus Lupin. No, the boy exuded life, and the same was valid for Daphne at his side, even with all her pureblood poise. The auror watched as he kissed each of his girlfriends passionately and the younger veela on the cheek, making the girl giggle with happiness as she deviously turned her head at the last minute, so he pecked her mouth. Susan just watched, blushing with a dreamy glean in her eyes.

"Good morning Susan," Harry said, sitting down. "I hope you are feeling a little better; I know how scary these things can be."

"Yes, thank you." The girl answered, still a little shaken and uncertain, something that Harry clearly noticed. In a sudden move, Harry got up, and walked around the table until he could kneel beside Susan. The boy then held her hand and looked directly into her eyes. Tonks could see his green eyes glowing and the shiver it sent through Susan's body.

"Susan, we have been through similar situations," Harry said calmly but firmly. "Trust me; I know how hard and how scary it can be. The fact you held a group of adult death eaters back is nothing short of amazing. Please don't sell yourself short."

Tonks saw the girl's smile growing, the confidence blossoming inside her. Harry was so different from Dumbledore, from Amelia even, but the auror could see why people would gather around him.

"Ok, Harry, I will," Susan answered. "But only if you do the same and accept how… incredible you are." The girl was almost as red as her hair, and Tonks had to hold down a laugh. Harry just smiled as he returned to his place, all the eyes proudly following his movements.

"I hope Nev and Hannah are ok tho," The young wizard said as he took down a sip of his coffee.

"Oh, they are, trust me!" Susan said. "They had finally become an item!"

"Really?" Katie asked. "Go, Nev, go!"

"That's nice," Hermione said. "They go really well together, although both are quite shy."

"Maybe Tracey can help them with that." Daphne waved, and Susan looked at her with wide eyes.

"Wow, you guys really think…" Susan asked, and all that Daphne did was to gesture at the other table occupants as an answer. "Oh, right…"

Tonks saw the older french girl giving Harry a mischievous look before turning to look at Susan. "And you, Ssussan," Tonks knew the french veela was dragging her accent on purpose. "Any lucky wizard or witch that grabbed your attention?"

Tonks didn't think someone could blush as much as Susan was doing right now without being a shapeshifter like herself, and yet, the girl did. The veela seemed delighted as the red-haired girl looked at Harry, then back at her, then at Harry again, and finally at her plate.

"I… no… I don't know… maybe?" Susan said, stealing a glance at the messy-haired boy. Feeling just a little pity for the girl, Tonks decided to go to her rescue.

"Wotcher!" The auror said, entering the dining room. " Good morning, ladies! And Wolfy." Tonks stood there, Gabrielle waving happily at her. "Hum, Harry, can I talk to you?" Harry nodded with a damn cute smile. "Well, could I talk to you alone?" Tonks was startled as four very hard pairs of eyes turned to her. "Wow, don't need to get your knickers in a twist, ladies! I just wanna talk to lover boy here."

"Sure, auror Tonks," Harry said, getting up.

"Please, just Tonks…" the woman asked as they moved to the living room. Tonks could sense the eyes on her back and giggled at the absurd situation. Four girls sharing a guy, teasing another one, and yet, jealous of her?

Tonks took a seat on the comfortable couch in the living room and noticed Harry was still standing, looking at her and taking a deep breath. The auror pushed it aside and would start talking, but Harry stopped her, raising his hand.

"Before anything, I would like to apologize," Tonks was surprised; that was not what she had expected him to say.

"Apologize? But why?"

"For throwing your wand and attacking you that night. I thought you were pointing your wand at Hermione, and had gone into overdrive." Harry said sincerely. "It was not my intention to attack anyone that day, but I couldn't bear the idea of Hermione getting hurt. My instincts took over me. So, sorry?" The boy finished. Tonks looked at him with wide eyes, not even noticing her hair changing colors almost as fast as her confused thoughts.

"Don't worry, you didn't hurt me, I mean, other than my ego," Tonks tried to laugh. "You know, that day, things started to change for me."

"Really, how so?" Harry seemed curious.

"I mean, I faced death that day; I saw it in your eyes, in your fangs. The moment you knocked down, I thought I was good as gone. And yet, contrary to everything I've been said, you just let me go, gently took Granger, and walked away." Tonks looked down at her hands. "I never felt so… helpless, and it was frightening. And then, a month later, I faced death again. That can change one's perspective on things."

"Yeah, I know how it feels…" Harry said, and Tonks knew it was true; the young man in front of her had had his share of close calls. "You didn't told Dumbledore…" He was not asking.

"I, I couldn't," Tonks answered. "Man, Moody and him were pissed when they found out!" Tinks smiled. "But, I couldn't deny some of the things Hermione said that night. The way you were being treated was… torture. And the way you acted, the way your magic felt." Tonks shivered. "I could sense you were dangerous; damn, I think I can sense it now! But, then, it is a different kind of danger. You were nothing like I learned a werewolf should be. Then, I looked deeper at the Bells." Tonks took a deep breath. "I have met Remus a couple of times; I have arrested another werewolf once. And I heard about Greyback." Tonks looked at Harry, and he nodded. "I talked to Amelia; she really has you in high regard, by the way."

"Glad to know." The boy smiled.

"What I am trying to say is that, although some members of the order like Moody and Bill Weasley don't believe you can control yourself or even win this war, I do. I really do. And I think Dumbledore does as well." Tonks finished.

Harry raised an eyebrow, clearly confused. "The headmaster?"

"Yes, something changed in him when you faced the dark lord and came back in the third task. I don't know what it is, but it did."

"Sorry if I find it hard to believe. I mean, he still sent me to that… hell."

"I understand. He told me to watch you, to watch your relatives. He sounded worried. I'm not saying you should trust him, only that something happened. The others in the order fear you are becoming too much like Greyback, tho."

Harry nodded, clearly deep in thinking. "Look," the werewolf finally said after a while. "I don't trust the order; I can't trust something that accepts Snape into its ranks. But, if I'm being honest, I don't trust the DMLE either." Tonks placed both hands on her chest with a mocking hurt look and an ouch sound. "But, I'm not their enemy. And I need them. Tonks, the only thing I want is to survive, to be with my pack, with the ones I love. If I could, I would like to be left alone, but I know it is impossible. I will fight, and I will win." Harry looked right into Tonks' eyes, and she shivered when they glowed. "You can choose to fight beside me or not. And after that, I will live my life, and I will push anyone who stands in my way."

Tonks smiled.

"As I said, I believe you." That was all that Tonks could answer.

.oOo.

Parvati wanted to growl. She had already answered all those same questions a million times, and her damaged hips hurt like hell. Both Padma and her mother were in the white sterile hospital room with her, but thankfully not as injured as her.

Damn, she wanted to get up and leave this hospital, but the healers in St. Mungus couldn't do much more to help her besides letting her own body and magic heal her wounds. A terrible side effect of her kind of injury, done by one of the darkest curses in the magical world.

"So," Whatever happened in her home must have been significant if Chief Amelia Bones herself was questioning her. "You two were able to hold off the initial attack because mister Potter has trained you?"

"Well," Padma said. " We could, At least until the werewolves arrived."

"Look," Parvati said, her patience diminishing as her pain grew. "I know it is hard to believe, but Harry is an incredible teacher, and we learned more this year than all the previous four combined!" To her surprise, Amelia smiled.

"To be honest, I do believe in you, Miss Patil; Susan told me the same thing." Both teens looked at the woman with surprised expressions. "So, let me ask you this, do you girls believe in him, that the dark lord is back?"

Both twins nodded with hard eyes. Parvati watched as Amelia took a piece of paper from one of the pockets in her trousers, extending it to the injured girl. Parvati looked at her, confused.

"Mister Potter sends his regards," Amelia said before leaving the room.

Parvati's heart was pounding, and the girl didn't even know why. She was not like that, not some little girl. And yet, Harry had finally written to her. Not just her, of course, but he had. Parvati was not sure when it had happened when her childish crush had grown into something more. Maybe it was during the first task? No, it was before that. Parvati even helped Lavender spread some less than flattering stories about Fleur Delacour once she had noticed how close the french girl was to Harry. Of course, she would never do that to Hermione, like lavender did, not that she cared much about the bushy-haired girl, but that would make her look bad to Harry if he ever found out, and also not to Katie, she remembered very well what the chaser did to Romilda Vane when she discovered (with Parvati's help of course) about the girl's plot to dose Harry's food with amortentia. Romilda's nose was never the same again, even after Madam Pomfrey had healed her.

"So?" Padma asked. "What does it says?"

"Harry says he is worried about us and thankful that we are ok, but he wants to hear it directly from us." Parvati waved the letter. "There is an address! Wow, he's in France."

"Probably with the Beauxbatons' champion." Padma wondered.

"Wait, the french girl that won the tournament?" Their mother finally asked after watching the twins exchange. "Are they friends?" Parvati nodded quickly, but Padma's expression gave it away. "They are more than friends?" The woman asked. Parvati sighed.

"That's not important," Parvati waved her hand. She was more worried about her own condition. Would Harry care about her wounds and their consequences? Parvati decided not to tell him yet.

.oOo.

"What about we go for a swim?" Fleur asked after Harry left the room with Tonks. "It is a beautiful sunny day, and we should enjoy it."

"Oui!" Gabrielle said, getting up.

"Hum," Susan looked down, embarrassed. "Sounds lovely, but My things are not here yet; I fear I don't have appropriate swimwear."

"We can always go bare!" Katie said with a wink, making Susan blush. Again! "I'm pretty sure Harry wouldn't mind."

"YEEEES!" Gabrielle answered, a little too excited. "Can he go bare too?" All the older girls turned their heads at the young veela, who didn't even flinch.

"On second thought," Fleur said. "I think you can borrow one of mine, Susan." Gabrielle pouted at her words, watching as the opportunity flew away.

"Hum, not be rude, Fleur, but I don't know if it would fit," Susan said, looking at the French's chest and then at her own.

"I'm of age, remember; I can transfigure it, so it fits, come," Fleur said, getting up, followed by the others. Gabrielle ran upstairs to get changed even before anyone could move.

"Is she always this… energetic?" Susan asked, a little surprised by the young girl's actions earlier.

"Is her veela puberty," Fleur said as they got up through the sunlight-lit stairs. "Her magic is awakening, and her allure manifesting, as she can't do anything about her urges, yet, her body converts it to energy. It's like she is always in a sugar rush. "

"Ha, can you imagine little Fleur running around like that?" Katie said with a laugh.

"So cute!" Hermione shipped in.

"Wait, she can't control her allure yet?" Susan asked, and Fleur nodded, getting to the door to their room. "But, what about Sirius, and Harry?"

Fleur gave her a reassuring smile. "Sirius has his surprising runes active most of the time, and he is also very strong-willed."

"And Harry?"

"Don't worry," Fleur said as she fetched a couple of two-piece bikinis from her wardrobe. "Harry is not affected."

"Really?" Susan wondered, then giggled. "So many girls will be disappointed."

"And why is that?" Fleur asked, curiously.

"There was a story going around the school that you had Harry entangled with your veela magic, not that I ever believed it," Susan said, raising her hands, but Fleur just grinned. "Many of them hoped he would be free once he got back to school, and you were not near."

"Tsc, how could they want to snare my Harry and yet, think so low of him," Fleur shook her head theatrically. "Well, I will use the red one; which one do you want?"

Susan looked at the bikinis on the bed; they were way less modest than the ones she was used to wearing, and yet, she found them beautiful.

"Muggle fashion?" Susan asked.

"Yes, but we call them non-magical here," Susan turned to look at her, a little ashamed, only to see that Fleur was undressing. "If you want a suggestion, Harry is very fond of the black one."

.oOo.

Harry walked out of the living room, a little confused by what Tonks said. He did trust the young auror; her scent was different from everything he had ever sensed, like a playful wind, constantly changing, but always with the same undertones, but trustworthy nonetheless. Harry was not so sure about the old man, though. He found it hard to believe in a change of heart, even after everything that had happened. Maybe Tonks still had some hero's devotion to Dumbledore. To his credit, he hasn't tried to contact Harry and asked him to come back to England so far this summer, even Amelia Bones being sure that not only the headmaster but also the ministry knew where he was.

Harry heard the girls outside, playing in the pool, and walked through the back glass doors that lead to the pool area, standing at the top of the stairs, watching as the sun reflected on the water. Looking down, he saw Hermione a little way from the water, reading a book while bathing in the sun in her white bikini bottom; Daphne was seated on a towel laid over the grass, writing in her notebook, while Katie, Gabrielle, Astoria, and Susan played in and around the water, shooting water guns at each other. Harry couldn't help but notice Susan, wearing a familiar black bikini as she ran around the pool. Her body was closer to Hermione's than the other girls, but even more curvy, with a big bust, narrow waist with a softer belly, and round hips. If Harry had to define it, he would say it was very feminine and erotic even.

Harry caught the scent at the same time he was hit by the allure embracing him in warmth, love, and lust, as Fleur's arms were doing the same around his chest. The veela softly bite his earlobe, sending shivers down his body.

"Appreciating the view, my loup-garou?" The girl asked with a sultry voice.

"Hum, can't say I'm not, but the company is even better." The werewolf answered, and Fleur happily dug her face into his neck. Her nimble hands moved down and grabbed the hem of his shirt, pulling it up until he was free from the piece of clothing. Harry felt her perfect breasts pressed against his back, while Fleur slowly ran her hands up and down his torso. It always impressed Harry how her touch could feel so good, so sensual; it was probably the combination of her allure their feelings had for each other. Or maybe it was the forming veela bond; he was not sure; all he knew was that it felt incredible to him, and he hoped it felt that same to her.

"Ssusan is very hot, non?" Fleur whispered in his ears.

Harry couldn't deny that, watching the busty girl running from Gabrielle, her breast juggling heavily and her tick ties trembling. Harry felt his body starting to respond in kind.

"Hum, I think this question is a trap…" Harry said, as her hands started getting lower on his torso with each movement.

"Maybe, or maybe I just want you to be honest." Fleur giggled.

"You gave her the strap bikini on purpose, didn't you?" Harry asked, already knowing the answer.

"You know me so well…" Fleur's hands were now playing with the waistband of his shorts, sliding side to side on his hips. "I can easily see you pulling the straps on her top, freeing those beautiful breasts. Wouldn't it be amazing to see them freely jumping around?."

"Fleur…" Harry half said, half whimpered at the mental image; he was so entranced that he couldn't notice Hermione lifting her eyes and looking at them."that's… not… fair…" the wizard said under his breath.

"Tsc…" Fleur continued, reaching down and palming his erection, following the contours of his hard dick over his shorts. "At least your body is honest." Fleur bit his neck just a bit stronger. Harry held his breath, letting Fleur know the effect she was having on him, just like he knew she liked.

Hermione had closed her book.

"Now, Harry," Fleur continued, working on the zipper. "I want you to look at Susan…" Harry obliged, looking at the red-haired beauty as she tickled Gabrielle, giving the young wizard an almost perfect view of her round ass, and the incredible way the black fabric of her bikini disappeared between her pale ass cheeks. Hermione was now getting up. "oh, you like her derire too? Of course, you do; you're a pervert, young Wolf, aren't you, Mon amour?" Fleur had finally reached under his underwear and grabbed his aching erection with her warm hand. Harry hissed at the direct contact. "Hum, it would be so good to see your big and thick cock rubbing against that nice ass…" The veela pushed Harry's stiff prick, springing it free from his clothing. "You know what I would like?" The girl said seductively. "I would love to see you placing your hot, fat cock between her amazing breasts…" Fleur spat on her own hand, and Harry moaned as she spread her saliva all over his pulsating shaft, paying special attention to the bulbous head. "Then, I would press her boobs one against the other, pressing your delicious, hard prick between them…" Fleur was now openly stroking his penis, moving her hand forward and backward with an increasing speed. "Wouldn't that be good, Mon amour, to fuck those big tits?"

"Fleuurrr… Harry whimpered; his girlfriend was really good at jerking him off.

"Can you imagine her body trembling every time you thrust in her?" Harry threw his arms backwards and tried to squeeze Fleur's but.

"What are you two doing?" An exasperated and very flushed Hermione asked as she got closer to the pair. "Everyone can see you here!" The girl bit her lower lip, her eyes glued to Fleur's working hands.

"Hermione!" Harry was surprised by his own voice; his tone was commanding, non-apologetic. The bushy-haired girl stiffed and looked right into his eyes, trembling, and yet, the wizard could see the arousal in her gaze. "On your knees, and open your mouth." He was not asking, he was ordering, and the girl promptly fell to her knees, getting her head close to his groin, breathing heavily in anticipation. Harry could feel Fleur trembling in pleasure behind him as he took hold of Hermione, and once again, the veela bit his neck. Was she having an orgasm of her own?

Fleur continued stroking him, applying just the right amount of pressure every time her fingers got over the sensitive head of his dick. Harry felt his orgasm building, and the veela must have felt it too. Hermione looked into his eyes with a pleading expression and stuck her tongue out. It was enough for Harry; with a grunt, he expelled his hot, thick cum over her awaiting tongue and mouth, then Fleur aimed his dick up, the second shot hitting all over Hermione's cheeks, nose, and forehead. Harry bucked his hips, unloading one more time in his best friend's face. Hermione moaned, and Harry couldn't believe she was doing that.

Harry wandless cleaned Hermione's face and was surprised by her disappointed moan before pulling the girl into a searing kiss. He then turned around, and did the same to Fleur, grabbing her by her hips and lifting her from the ground; Fleur giggled as he walked with her inside the house. It was his time to get his way with her.

.oOo.

"You mentioned Remus Lupin," Josephine said, shifting her weight on the chair. Harry was mesmerized by how elegant all the veela looked without even trying. Well, maybe not Gabrielle, yet. "He is the man who bit you, right?" Harry nodded. "How do you feel about it?"

It was Harry's turn to shift on the couch, but very uncomfortably. A painful sting pierced his heart, thinking about the ragged man.

"I can't even imagine being in his shoes," Harry answered after a long moment of silence. "As I understand, Remus had lost his life partner only a couple of months before my parents, some of his best friends, got killed, and his other best friend got thrown in jail. It must have been terrible." Josephine nodded, but her expression showed him she had noticed he was avoiding the question.

"It is very noble of you to try and put yourself in his place, Harry," the veela said with a sincere smile. "But, what about you?"

Harry looked back at her, knowing there was no point in trying to deflect.

"Sometimes I feel relieved that he is on a mission all the time," Harry said, clenching his fists. "And I think he does feel like that too…"

"And why is that?"

Harry trembled, a different kind of pain running through his body. "Because I think… I think he is a bloody coward!" There, he said, and felt incredibly guilty doing so, and yet, when he looked at Josephine, there was no judgment in her eyes or scent, only understanding. "He was always for thirteen years…" Harry decided to keep on. "I mean, I am not talking about taking me, raising me, or something like that, but, no letters, no visits? He was still on good terms with Dumbledore; he knew where my relatives lived. For him to say, he was afraid because of his condition only to… pass it to me? And after that, he was not there to teach me? To try and reassure me?" Harry chuckled. "Well, I guess I can be thankful for that; because he was away, I could learn with Katie and not become like him. Weakened, and fearful of himself." Harry sighed. "I feel guilty for all of that tho…"

"Harry, you don't have to feel guilty for being human, for wanting attention, or for feeling neglected."

"But, every time I duel in those emotions, I feel like an egotistical jerk."

"I understand, but it is not egotistical to put yourself in the first place, at least sometimes. You need to take care of yourself if you want to take care of others." Josephine pointed out. " Also, allowing yourself to feel those things can be the first step in mending this relationship."

"My rational mind understands that, I think, but I can see to do it; it is hard."

"Of course it is! You have been neglected and neglecting yourself for years. It takes time to change. And it can also be scary. But you can do it, for yourself. One day at a time."

.oOo.

There were so many people in the house that, for the first time in sixteen years, Apolline had to increase the size of the dinner table magically. And the veela loved it. It was no secret she was a very extroverted and social person, and almost nothing brought her more joy than having her friends and their offspring around her.

During dinner, she looked around at her friends, both old and new. The Greengrasses had arrived early in the evening, Astoria latching herself to her sister and friends, while Arthur berated Sirius about the wizengamot and how he should be more present. Sarah, Emma, and Jacques were softly talking about the house on the beach and their summer plans.

Apolline's eyes landed on their children, (though some were not children anymore, she giggled.) The reason for everything they did, their successes and their failures. So different from them, yet, so alike. And their drive for change was even more potent than the adults' own.

The veela smiled while looking at the kids. Their future. The woman's heart trembled, remembering those who weren't there. Michel, Remus. And most of all, James and Lily. They would be so proud of Harry, if the man he was becoming, she were sure of that.

And yet, even being aware that it would not last, Apolline was happy, and she wished they could just disappear from the world and stay together like this.

After they ate, Harry asked if he could speak with Sirius, Hermione, and Apolline, but they ended up with everyone around the big table listening to what he had to say. Apolline smiled, noticing that Fleur, Gabrielle, and Astoria were all on their second piece of dessert as they watched. Harry grabbed a pen and a piece of paper.

"Ok, I had this idea at the beginning of summer," Harry started scribbling on the paper. "And kept working on it as we trained." Apolline looked with interest at the paper, realizing that Harry was drawing a cluster of runes, but in a circular pattern. "I first thought of it when I remembered how Voldemort," Other than Astoria, Apolline was happy to see not one of the people present flinched at the name. "Summoned the death eaters to the graveyard. I was puzzled about this kind of magic, and then I noticed Sirius' tattoos." Apolline nodded, seeing where this was going. "Is basically the same kind of magic, but on different levels, of course."

Harry looked at Sirius. "I noticed that Sirius needs to point his wand at the tattoos to activate it; that is why he uses more preemptive measures than offensive ones. Voldemort's mark, on the other hand, is a kind of bind." Harry finished the rune array. "I also noticed they are somewhat weak, and after realizing the effect, it had on the marked death eaters, I can understand why. But my idea is, because of my… circumstances, I can circumvent both those limitations."

"What do you mean?" Sarah asked.

"I can endure stronger effects without being drained or succumbing to the pain, and because of how magic works on mine and Katie's body…" Harry simply pointed his finger at the cluster of runes on the paper in front of him, and suddenly the paper started folding itself. Apolline was mesmerized; the complexity of the movements and the speed the paper got folded, without a wand to continuously push magic into it, was amazing. Emma had her mouth open as a little humanoid figure made of paper started walking around the table, waving at them. The little construct walked in front of Gabrielle and Astoria and started dancing, making the girls laugh. Apolline, on the other hand, was watching Harry; his aura was moving, magic dancing around him as he pushed just a tiny part of it into the paper man. No wand, no focus, just… magic.

"Wow, the colors are… beautiful," Katie said, reminding Apolline once more of how different Katie and Harry interacted with magic.

"Yes, they are." Both Daphne and Hermione answered. How curious, could they see the colors like Harry and Katie?

"Well," Harry said, and the paper man finally stopped moving, only to be quickly snatched by Gabrielle. "I need help, both to finish the rune arrays and to apply it on myself."

"Harry," Sirius said. "Are you sure? Those things can be taxing to your body, and they hurt like hell to apply."

"I know, but I need every little vantage I can get if I want to live, Padfoot, and I do want to live!"

Apolline nodded. "I will help." She said. "But not today; we leave for the beach tomorrow. Let's have some fun and clear our heads first, right?"

Harry nodded with a smile.

Also, Apolline gave her younger daughter a deep look, as the girl watched Harry's every movement; she would need to talk seriously with the growing veela.

.oOo.

Fleur used to hate the sea. It was not due to some natural aversion to water that veela had; this was a myth. Fleur actually loved the swimming pool at her house, and was quite a good swimmer, as she had shown during the second task. No. It was because every time she was close to the sea, in this house, she would feel like something was missing, a part of herself, of her family. The young girl could never discover what it was, like a nostalgic feeling of something she should have but was not there.

But now, watching Harry land ass first with a grown as he came out of the floo, Fleur knew exactly what she was missing all those years. Maybe some part of her, deep down her unconscious mind, kept some memories of the time he had spent there as a baby with her; perhaps it was magic. But now, the smell of the sea and the sound of the wind didn't bring her any sadness.

"How? How can someone so good at flying and fighting be so bad at floo?" The veela asked with a cheerful voice.

"One day…" Harry mumbled like an old man, while the others stepped out of the fireplace.

"Ass or face?" Katie asked with a smirk.

"Ass," Fleur answered, and Katie extended her open hand to Daphne, who placed a golden coin on the she wolf's palm rolling her eyes.

"Hey!" Harry tried to sound outraged.

"Oh, c'mon, babe," Katie said in her usual playful voice. "Think about it that way; when our puppies get sad, all I have to do is take them to watch their dad get out of the floo."

Fleur's heart suddenly melted at the image of cute black-haired children with wolf-like eyes running around, and the young woman gasped as she imagined a little green-eyed veela joining them. "Fleur, are you ok?" Harry asked, getting closer to her and holding her hand.

"Oh, oui, oui, just thinking about you landing on your derire again," Fleur said with a grin, and Harry groaned, like an old man one more time. Pushing the pleasant images on her mind aside, Fleur once more cursed the dark lord for trying to step into their future. One day, she swore to herself, Fleur would watch him burn and spit into his grave.

"Wow, this place is beautiful!" Emma said, walking around the living room, and looking at the glass walls that watched the sea. For the girls' delightful pleasure, the non-magical woman was perfectly capable of walking out the fireplace without tripping.

The living room, just like the house near Paris, was well decorated, with an enormous space that was at the same time living and dining room, with one of its walls being wholly made of glass, allowing for the sunlight to bathe inside. The furniture style was minimalist but older than the one in Paris.

"Thank you," Jacques said. " This was my family's original home; the other one near Paris is a more recent addiction." Jacques placed a carrying hand over the fireplace. "I have grown up here, with my father and grandmother and many generations of the Delacour family before us." The man smiled.

"How did you two meet?" Harry asked Jacques and Apolline.

"Lily introduced us," Apolline said with a smile.

"Really?" Harry was surprised.

"Oui, I did my last year of school in Hogwarts," Apolline said. "There was an exchange program with the conclave,"

"Conclave?" Emma asked.

"The veela conclave," Apolline answered, but Emma was still confused. "My charms work was remarkable, which granted me an apprenticeship with Flitcwhick, and Lily was also his apprentice. We got along well with each other right the way." Apolline smiled. "The Delacours had business with both the Potters and the Blacks. Jacques was an adventurer at the time, and even being a couple of years older, he got along very well with James and Sirius. Too well if you ask me."

"Oh, it was epic." Jacques waved his hands.

"Yes, until Carlus had to rescue you lot from the DMLE." Apolline shook her head. "One day, I tagged along with Lilly when she was going to meet with James, and I finally met Jacques." Apolline finished, hugging her husband, and giving him a deep kiss. Fleur smiled wildly, though their relationship had never actually been stale; Fleur noticed that after Harry and the girls got to their home, it was like the flame of their love had been fed with renewed lust. The young veela even walked on her mother hidden under the table at the studio, hungrily sucking his father's dick in the middle of the day. Fleur pretended she had not noticed, but Apolline gave her a knowing wink later that day. For Fleur, that was all she wished to have in the future, only with the others along them.

The veela felt Harry's arms wrapping around her from the back, and leaned her head on his shoulder.

"You ok?" Her beloved asked. "You seem a little distracted."

"I'm ok, luve, is just… even not knowing, I wished you here, by my side, for so long, that, now that you are here, it seems like a dream, and I'm afraid just to wake up."

Harry took a deep breath, drinking in her scent. "Don't worry, Fleur, I'm here to stay.

.oOo.

The rooms were arranged pretty much the same way they had on the Parisian manor, only this time, there were more adults, at least for a short time. Each couple got their own room, and Harry got one for himself, everyone pretty sure he would not be sleeping alone much. Fleur her usual room, but this time had to share with Gabrielle, Emma and Hermione got one for them, and Daphne and Astoria got the one closer to the stairs. Sirius would share a room with Tonks, and Katie would share with Susan. Harry tried to protest having a room only for himself, but the murdering looks he got from his girlfriends stopped him. Those arrangements were prone to change, but they would do for the time being.

As the house had no house elves, Harry decided he would be the one making dinner that night.

"Please, Apolline," He said when the veela tried to say he didn't have to. "For the first time in years, I want to. I don't know if I will have the opportunity again in the future, so, please, let me do it for you." The wizard finished with a warm smile. Apolline could only nod, and let Harry rain on her kitchen.

For his part, Harry was happy there were no walls between the kitchen and the dining room, so he could talk and watch the others. At the same time, he cooked, savoring the sensation of having a family, and laughing at the curious looks he was getting while he was working, especially the suspicious ones from Gabrielle and Astoria.

The wizard decided to go with a light Mediterranean risotto, with shrimp as the protein and a fresh side salad. At one point, a bottle of wine got open, the first of three, and the smell of food got everyone salivating.

"Wow, Harry!" Emma said while the young wizard placed the pretty plates in front of them. "This looks delicious!"

"It really does! I can't cook risotto rice to save my life!" Sarah said, laughing. "I always overcook it."

"Yes, it is a very temperamental grain," Harry smiled. "I hope you enjoy it."

"It is fucking delicious!" Sirius said, with his mouth full.

"Sirius, language!" Apolline reprehended, making Gabrielle laugh. "But it is truly delicious, Harry."

"Guess we are gonna be eating very well in the future," Katie said with a wink, and Harry blushed. They talked through the night, and Harry was thankful he would have the night for himself; he was feeling really tired by the end of the day. He was practically passing out on the bed from a mixture of wine and tiredness.

Harry woke up the next day surrounded by warmth, and the mixture of all his favorite scents in the whole world around him, magic dancing around with an intense and vivid array of beautiful colors. The werewolf opened his eyes, and found himself surrounded by his four lovers, being illuminated by the sunlight, like angels rescuing him from the darkness. Harry couldn't help but smile back at them.

"Wow, what's the special occasion?" He asked, still a bit sleepy.

"It is your birthday, babe!" Katie said, before Harry found himself in a seq of hugging and kissing.