My heartbeat quickened slightly at the thought of finding out more about this mysterious girl. There was just something about her that-
I shook my head!
Gathering my composure again, I entered Narcissa's now mostly empty classroom. Narcissa and Tonks stood near the center of the room, their wands flicking back and forth (even though they didn't need them) as they magically vanished the messy remains of several thoroughly destroyed training dummies.
Narcissa looked as elegant as ever, her long platinum hair perfectly styled and pulled back from her face. She looked very pleased with herself, I knew she liked being the official professor now.
Tonks, by contrast, wore a slightly sheepish, hesitant look on her lovely face. She was frowning lightly, seemingly deep in thought as she swept away the debris with less practiced motions than her aunt.
"Harry," Narcissa greeted me warmly, a pleasant smile curving her lips. "I'm glad you could stop by. We were just finishing up."
I smiled back at her affectionately. "It certainly looks like it was a productive class. Though it does make me wonder-were the students practicing defensive spells, or were you two taking out some stress on the poor training dummies yourselves?"
Narcissa gave a soft, elegant laugh, clearly amused at my observation. "A bit of both, I suppose. Today's lesson focused on explosive hexes and defensive shielding. The students took to it quite enthusiastically."
Turning my attention fully to Tonks, I raised an eyebrow, finally asking the question that had been nagging at me all morning. "Speaking of enthusiastic destruction-where have you been today, Tonks? I didn't see you at all when I woke up this morning back at the manor. Isn't my lovely guard supposed to stick around me at all times?"
Tonks shifted awkwardly on her feet, cheeks turning a faint shade of pink as she glanced down at the wand in her hand, clearly embarrassed and uncertain how to phrase whatever she wanted to say.
"I, um, had a bit of business to take care of, Harry," she admitted softly, meeting my gaze reluctantly. "I left pretty early. Sorry I wasn't around when you woke up."
"Business?" I repeated curiously, folding my arms across my chest. "What kind of business?"
Tonks took a deep breath and finally met my gaze squarely. "I went to the Ministry this morning and officially resigned from my position as an Auror."
My eyes widened in surprise, and my mouth fell open slightly as I processed that unexpected revelation. This was always inevitable, but I hadn't expected her to quit her job so soon after joining my peerage. "You-quit your job? Already? Tonks, you didn't have to rush into it. We could have figured things out gradually."
She gave me a small, embarrassed smile, clearly sensing my concern. "I know, Harry. I thought about doing exactly that-slowly distancing myself, gradually moving away from Ministry work. But after talking it over with Aunt Narcissa last night, I realized that dragging it out would only make it more complicated. It's better this way-clean break, no questions of split loyalty. My place is here now, with you and the rest of our peerage."
Narcissa smoothly stepped closer, nodding her head in clear approval at Tonks's words. "Precisely. We had a lengthy discussion while you were away with your mother last night, Harry. Given Nymphadora's skills and experience, we both agreed that her talents would be put to better use assisting me here at Hogwarts."
I blinked, glancing between the two lovely witches in mild confusion. "Assisting you? You mean-here, at Hogwarts? So she's taking your old job?"
Narcissa's smile widened slightly, becoming openly proud. "Exactly right. I'm very pleased to announce that, starting immediately, Nymphadora Tonks will be serving as my official teaching assistant. I already cleared it with Headmaster Dumbledore first thing this morning, and he gave his enthusiastic approval."
Tonks gave me an uncertain smile, clearly hoping for my approval. "What do you think, Harry? It's not exactly the flashy life of an Auror, but I figured at least this way I can always be close to you and the others, helping protect you all and contributing meaningfully at the same time."
My initial surprise faded rapidly, replaced by genuine warmth and happiness. I reached out and gently grasped Tonks's hand, squeezing it reassuringly. "Tonks, I couldn't be happier. Honestly, I was wondering how we'd manage to keep you at Hogwarts without drawing attention. This solution is absolutely perfect. Not to mention-" I smiled warmly, glancing between Narcissa and Tonks "-you two clearly make a fantastic team."
Tonks's eyes lit up brightly, her expression shifting instantly from uncertain anxiety to joy. "You really think so, Harry? I was worried you'd think I'd rushed this or made a bad choice."
I chuckled softly, stepping even closer and affectionately cupping her cheek. "Never. I trust you completely. I'm just glad you're staying here with us permanently now."
Narcissa stepped smoothly up beside Tonks, gently placing a hand on her niece's shoulder, smiling at both of us affectionately. "I think we've finally managed to make the perfect arrangement. Having Nymphadora here will make everything far simpler and far more enjoyable. In more ways than one," Narcissa said with a teasing grin as her hand went lower down Tonk's back.
Tonks suddenly let out a yelp! "Don't go pinching my arse out of nowhere like that, Aunty!" she pulled away with a pout as her hair shifted multiple colors. Narcissa and I both laughed at her reaction.
I still found it funny and ironic that the beautiful punk looking member of my peerage was actually the most innocent one.
...I left them alone so they could plan out the rest of their lessons for today while I headed down the castle for lunch, and to talk to my fiance.
I made my way over to the Hufflepuff table, noting how crowded the Great Hall was today. The warm noise of students chatting, cutlery clinking, and food being passed around filled my ears as I stepped carefully around the table. Rias was already seated with her peerage-Akeno, Koneko, Kiba, and even little Gasper were all gathered around her. When Akeno noticed me approaching, a sly smirk instantly crossed her face, and she shifted sideways deliberately, opening a small gap between herself and Rias, just wide enough for me.
"Sit right here, Harry-sama," she purred softly, gently patting the empty seat with one hand, her violet eyes sparkling mischievously. "We saved you a special spot between us."
"Right," I said dryly, though a small smile touched my lips anyway. I took the offered seat and settled down, but the moment I was seated, Akeno promptly leaned toward me, practically pushing her body flush against mine. I was suddenly very aware of how her voluptuous curves were pressing warmly into my side, her generous chest brushing snugly against my arm. I cleared my throat awkwardly, trying not to dwell too much on how nice it felt. "You're sitting a bit close, Akeno."
"Ara ara, is that so?" Akeno murmured teasingly, tilting her head slightly and fluttering her eyelashes at me. She shifted just a little more, deliberately increasing the already intimate contact between us. "Because from my perspective, this feels just perfect, Harry-sama."
I gave her a flat, unamused stare, though my face warmed slightly. Akeno simply giggled softly at my reaction, clearly delighted at having successfully embarrassed me again.
Deciding to ignore her playful antics for now, I turned my attention toward Rias. She was seated on my other side, quietly enjoying her meal and ignoring Akeno's mischief. She took another delicate bite of food..
"Hey, Rias," I began casually. "Do you happen to have a little sister or another close relative at Hogwarts that I don't know about yet?"
The reaction was immediate and dramatic. Rias's blue eyes widened abruptly in surprise and panic, and the bite of food she had been calmly chewing lodged suddenly in her throat. She coughed and choked loudly, her face turning briefly red as she hastily grabbed for a nearby glass of pumpkin juice. After a few quick sips, she finally regained control and immediately turned toward me, alarm clearly written all over her pretty face.
"Did you see HER!? Here? At Hogwarts?" she demanded urgently, her voice rising anxiously with each question. "Is she shorter than me, Harry? Does she have a ridiculously large chest for her size, bright pink eyes, and a tiny little crown on her head?"
Rias rapidly glanced around the Great Hall as though expecting this mysterious girl to jump out from behind a nearby pillar or bench at any second. Her entire peerage-including the usually stoic Koneko, the shy Gasper, and even Kiba-looked thoroughly amused at their master's startled outburst, struggling not to laugh openly at her sudden panic.
I cleared my throat awkwardly, feeling somewhat guilty for accidentally causing such distress. "Um, no, Rias," I quickly reassured her, giving her an apologetic look. "I didn't see anyone matching that particular description. Definitely not with pink eyes or a crown. You can relax."
"Oh, thank Maou," Rias breathed, slumping visibly in relief and placing a hand lightly over her heart as her tense posture relaxed considerably. She shot her chuckling peerage members a brief, annoyed glare before turning her worried eyes back toward me again. "Then who exactly did you see, Harry? And why did you think she was related to me?"
"Earlier today, after Narcissa's class ended, I spotted a girl I haven't seen before. She was a Slytherin, wearing the usual Hogwarts robes, but I noticed immediately how strongly she resembled you, Rias. Long red hair, incredibly beautiful face, flawless skin. The biggest difference between you two was her eyes-they were bright emerald green, rather than blue."
Akeno, clearly intrigued, leaned forward again, temporarily forgetting to tease me further. "Ara ara, another mysterious redhead? How very interesting," she purred thoughtfully, resting her chin gently in one hand.
"Her features were so perfectly sculpted that she seemed more like a supernatural being."
Kiba, who had been listening quietly with clear interest, finally spoke up with an amused smile. "Harry, I think you might be forgetting that Hogwarts is a school full of witches and wizards. By definition, everyone here is supernatural."
I chuckled lightly, acknowledging his point. "You're absolutely right, Kiba. Still, even knowing that fact, there was just something different about this particular girl. I can't exactly put my finger on it, but for some reason I still can't get her out of my head and all I got was a brief glance at her..."
Rias and Akeno both shrugged at each other. Neither of them knew who I was talking about.
"It's possible we got a new transfer student and just didn't notice them til now," Kiba pointed out again.
I guess I would have to ask a Slytherin then. I turned back to my fiance Rias and grinned at her. Her reaction earlier was just too cute! "Who exactly did you think I meant earlier? Who's the girl with the crown?"
Before Rias could reply, Akeno leaned slightly forward again, cutting in smoothly with an easy smile. "Buchou was worried you'd seen Runeas Gremory. But don't worry, Harry-sama. She's definitely not Rias's sister. You shouldn't worry yourself over her...Yet."
"Runeas?" I repeated slowly, carefully memorizing the name for later. "Why would she make Rias panic like that?"
Rias sighed deeply again, shaking her head gently. "It's... complicated, Harry. Trust me, it's better if you never meet her. Runeas is trouble-an absolute headache."
"I'll take your word for it then..." I chuckled.
Rias cleared her throat softly, and decided to change the topic. "It seems that you had a rather dangerous encounter yesterday evening-something involving goblins attacking the Phenex territory in the underworld? I got a message from Sona about that," she explained to me.
I nodded at her and explained what I'd already told Sona earlier.
Rias's expression darkened slightly after I explained how Riser and I were forced to team up together.
"Riser was as arrogant and insufferable as you can imagine. Throughout the whole situation, he never missed a single chance to make crude comments-particularly about you, Rias. It was honestly difficult not to lose my temper completely with him. But despite all of that, I can't deny that when the goblins ambushed us, he kept fighting right alongside me. We ended up back-to-back, surrounded by dozens of the bastards, and Riser never faltered. So, as much as I hate admitting it, he earned at least a bit of grudging respect from me."
Rias's delicate features twisted into a displeased grimace as she listened, and she shook her head lightly, sighing with evident displeasure. "Honestly, Harry, as much as I dislike hearing anything even remotely positive about Riser Phenex, I'm forced to acknowledge the facts of the situation. He may be an insufferable, arrogant idiot-but he's also the son of a prominent Devil family, and now he's fought alongside my fiance in combat against a common enemy. Unfortunately, this means protocol demands an official response from me and my family." I watched as she turned reluctantly toward Akeno, who had been sitting quietly and listening to our conversation with obvious amusement. Rias exhaled another long sigh, her expression clearly pained as she issued instructions to her Queen. "Akeno, would you please draft a letter of gratitude and formal acknowledgment on behalf of the Gremory clan to Riser Phenex for his assistance in battle yesterday? It must be polite and respectful-despite how distasteful writing it might be."
Akeno's usually cheerful expression dropped immediately into one of mild horror. Her purple eyes widened dramatically, and she glanced from Rias to me, as if silently begging for mercy. "Ara ara, Buchou!" she whined loudly, sounding genuinely distressed. "You're really making me write a respectful thank-you letter to that arrogant fool? Of all the things I've had to do, this might just be the most difficult. Couldn't we pretend to forget this ever happened?"
Rias shook her head firmly, though her lips twitched slightly with a small smile. "I'm afraid not, Akeno. Believe me, I wish we could just ignore the whole situation, but the devil noble houses take these sorts of interactions seriously. It's unavoidable, no matter how distasteful."
I felt a pang of genuine sympathy for Rias, knowing exactly how much she despised any positive interaction with her ex-fiance. Without really thinking about it, I leaned closer to her, gently cupping her chin with one hand, and placed a tender kiss upon her soft cheek. "Thank you, Rias. I understand exactly how uncomfortable this makes you, and how much you dislike it. I'll find a way to make it up to you later-I promise."
