I was so absorbed in these thoughts that I didn't initially notice the three figures quickly approaching us from the direction of Hogwarts. When I finally did glance upward, I immediately recognized Fleur, Gabrielle, and Nymphadora moving toward us.
"Harry!" Tonks called out first, a mixture of worry and cautious curiosity coloring her voice as she closed the distance between us, practically jogging in her haste. She slowed slightly as she reached me, glancing warily at Lilja in her distinctive silver Valkyrie armor for a split second before her eyes shifted immediately back to my face. Her dark eyes carefully scanned me, looking me up and down thoroughly, clearly searching for injuries. "Are you alright? I felt your demonic magic flare up earlier when I was leaving Hogsmeade to head back to Hogwarts. It felt intense enough that I got worried something bad was happening to you." She paused, taking a calming breath before adding, "Then I stumbled across Fleur and Gabrielle on their way back too, and we all decided to find you immediately."
Her protective instincts were clearly evident, and I smiled reassuringly, touched by her evident worry. "I'm completely fine, Tonks," I quickly reassured her, gently placing my hand on her shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze. "Just had another run-in with the centaurs. They're becoming increasingly a problem."
Fleur and Gabrielle immediately moved forward as well, assessing me swiftly, ensuring I was indeed unharmed.
"Are you certain you're unharmed, mon amour?" Fleur asked softly.
"Yeah, I'm okay now. Really," I assured her gently, before deciding to shift the topic slightly. I smiled warmly down at both Fleur and Gabrielle, affectionately rubbing Gabrielle's back with one hand and offering Fleur another reassuring glance. "So, how did things go with your mothers after I left? Everything alright?"
Fleur visibly relaxed at the change in topic, smiling softly and nodding. "Our maman decided she'll be staying a bit longer in Hogsmeade before returning home to France. She enjoyed meeting you very much, Harry, and would love to spend more time together again soon-perhaps all of us together, oui?"
"...If you think that's a good idea," I told her honestly. Because I was pretty sure their mother had been flirting with me pretty heavy at the end there.
Tonks' expression became noticeably tense at the mention of mothers, and I quickly turned to her with a questioning glance, wondering how things had gone after I'd left the cafe earlier.
"My mum finally calmed down-eventually," Tonks began carefully, her voice a bit clipped and frustrated. Her eyes darkened slightly, and she shook her head in mild exasperation. "But it's definitely going to take a long time before she fully accepts my new life, let alone the whole devil-servant and harem situation. And don't get her started on her younger sister, Narcissa..."
I winced slightly in sympathy, reaching out and gently pulling Tonks into a comforting hug. She stiffened briefly before relaxing into my embrace, letting out a deep sigh against my shoulder as she clung to me tightly for a moment, obviously needing the reassurance.
"I'm sorry, Tonks," I murmured quietly into her ear, stroking her back soothingly. "Hopefully, with enough time, she'll come around."
Tonks pulled back slightly and nodded, a small, rueful smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Yeah, let's hope so."
Her eyes finally shifted back to Lilja, who stood quietly watching our interaction with curiosity and obvious interest. Tonks studied Lilja's ornate Valkyrie armor before finally asking bluntly, "So, who exactly is the redhead in the armor standing next to you?"
Gabrielle and Fleur both immediately turned their full attention toward Lilja as well, studying her carefully with obvious curiosity and mild wariness, clearly awaiting my response.
I smiled easily, stepping slightly back and gesturing between the three girls and Lilja. "This is Lilja Nornas. I've mentioned her before to you all. She's a new transfer student at Hogwarts, sorted into Slytherin. And apparently-" I turned my head toward Lilja and grinned playfully, "-she's also secretly a Valkyrie warrior, something I only just discovered myself."
Lilja blushed lightly at my casual teasing, offering a shy yet warm smile toward the other girls. She raised her hand hesitantly in a small wave of greeting. "Hi. It's nice to meet you all officially," she said politely. "Harry and I had a bit of a situation together just now, so... I apologize if I startled anyone."
Lilja relaxed now that the immediate threat had passed, and with a gentle sigh, she allowed her gleaming silver Valkyrie armor to vanish into thin air. My eyes widened slightly, caught off guard by the unexpected sight as her armor faded away. It seemed Lilja had momentarily forgotten exactly what she'd been wearing-or rather, not wearing-before our battle had begun.
Tonks coughed abruptly beside me, the sudden, harsh sound of her clearing her throat clearly meant to draw attention to the obvious situation unfolding before us. Fleur and Gabrielle reacted even more bluntly-both Veela sisters released soft, displeased hisses from between clenched teeth, their blue eyes narrowing jealously at Lilja's completely exposed chest.
Lilja glanced around in confusion at first, clearly puzzled by the odd reactions she was suddenly receiving from the other girls. When her emerald gaze finally drifted downward toward her bare chest, she let out a startled gasp, her cheeks flooding instantly with a vivid crimson blush as realization dawned on her.
"Oh-whoops!" Lilja exclaimed softly, a shy yet oddly amused giggle slipping past her lips as she quickly raised her hands to cover herself. Her palms weren't quite large enough to completely hide the ample curves of her breasts, though they did partially obscure the soft, enticing shapes that I'd been openly admiring moments before.
Tonks spun toward me sharply, her dark eyes wide and accusing. Her normally playful features twisted into a pronounced, exaggerated pout, and she reached out swiftly, punching me lightly but firmly on my upper arm with a small, irritated huff.
"Bloody hell, Harry!" Tonks immediately growled beside me, drawing my attention back sharply toward her. Her eyes flickered heatedly between Lilja's bare chest and my face, clear jealousy and exasperation evident in her frustrated glare. She pursed her lips in an exaggerated pout before firmly punching my arm-hard enough to definitely make her irritation known, though thankfully not enough to genuinely hurt.
"Oi-what the hell was that for, Tonks?" I asked with an exaggerated wince, rubbing my arm theatrically as I gave her a mock wounded look.
"What was that for?" Tonks repeated sarcastically, placing her hands firmly on her hips as she stepped directly in front of me, blocking my view of Lilja. She leaned forward slightly, her eyes narrowing into annoyed slits. "You haven't even gone that far with me yet, Harry!" she said jealously.
"Ah," I murmured awkwardly...
...
I sat quietly at the Hufflepuff table beside my beautiful fiancee, Rias. Not that I was actively hiding from the rest of my peerage members or anything-no, of course not. It certainly wasn't because I suspected they'd still be upset with me after my very forward and impulsive actions with Lilja earlier.
No, definitely not avoiding them.
Okay, yes-I was absolutely avoiding them. Even Hermione, who usually seemed unfazed by my rather liberal romantic endeavors with other women, had appeared genuinely stunned at just how fast things had escalated with Lilja. Honestly, I was surprised too. But there was just something irresistibly magnetic about Lilja Nornas that seemed to draw me toward her without restraint. Everything about her fascinated me-the smooth silkiness of her crimson hair, the startling green shade of her eyes, the mesmerizing way her full lips parted slightly when she gazed up at me shyly...
Yeah, I clearly had it bad.
Rias, meanwhile, listened to my recounting of the day's rather crazy events.
"So let me get this straight, Harry," she said with a teasing smirk, her voice openly amused. "First, you save Fleur and Gabrielle's mother from drunk idiots. Then you get hexed by Tonks' furious mother, thoroughly embarrassed in front of her parents. And immediately afterward, you nearly sleep with the new girl-the secret Valkyrie-in the Forbidden Forest, before fighting off angry centaurs once again?"
Just then, I felt someone slide gently onto the bench on my other side. Glancing over, I immediately recognized Sona, her pink eyes calm yet clearly intrigued behind her glasses. She was trying, rather unconvincingly, to maintain the pretense of simply checking on her 'nephew,' but the subtle way she leaned into my shoulder and rested one delicate hand lightly on my thigh beneath the table made it obvious to me that she genuinely cared much more than that.
"I heard about your little escapades today, Harry," Sona murmured quietly, her voice softly teasing and full of amused exasperation. "Honestly, you're absolutely incorrigible sometimes."
I smiled sheepishly, glancing down at her delicate hand gently squeezing my thigh beneath the table. "In my defense, it wasn't exactly my plan to end the day fighting centaurs or getting hexed repeatedly."
She hummed skeptically, giving me a pointed look over the rim of her glasses. "Perhaps not. But you do seem remarkably skilled at finding trouble-or having trouble find you."
Rias giggled softly on my other side, pressing her chest even more snugly against my arm. "She's got you there, Harry. You're practically a magnet for bizarre situations and angry supernatural beings."
I sighed heavily. "Thanks for the support, Rias."
She grinned playfully up at me. "Always."
Sona shook her head gently, a serious note creeping into her voice. "Harry, I must strongly advise you against letting my sister learn about the incident with Nymphadora's mother. Serafall can be-" she hesitated briefly, searching for the right word, "-overprotective of you, to put it mildly. And if she finds out someone actually attacked you? Well, let's just say it won't end pleasantly."
I visibly gulped, suddenly feeling distinctly uneasy at that particular reminder. "Yeah, I was already worried about that myself." I didn't need my mom, killing off family members of my peerage. This was something I'd have to work out with Tonk's family myself.
Sona rolled her eyes affectionately, though a slight smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. Then she frowned slightly, her eyes growing annoyed. "And those damned centaurs again? Honestly, Harry, I was with you last time they attacked, and we had no choice but to put them down then as well. They never seem to learn. They have to go. Those spiders do as well... Especially since their only natural predator, the basilisk is dead and no longer residing at Hogwarts."
Oh shit, I never thought of that! Was that giant snake the only reason those spiders didn't decide to swarm the castle and num num a whole school full of tasty students?
Rias sighed dramatically, leaning heavily into my shoulder again. "Honestly, it's disappointing how awful mythological creatures always turn out to be in reality. They seem so fascinating and romantic in stories and legends. But when you actually meet them? They're always rude, violent, or both. Why are supernatural creatures all assholes in real life?" she huffed in genuine irritation.
Sona and I immediately turned toward her at the same time, giving Rias matching deadpan stares.
Rias blinked innocently, clearly confused for a brief second before her blue-green eyes widened in sudden understanding. "Oh!" she whispered quickly, glancing around to make sure no one else heard her loudly broadcasted irritation. She leaned closer, speaking softly but insistently. "Well, I don't mean us devils, obviously! We're entirely different!"
On Rias's other side, Akeno burst into soft, barely restrained laughter. Rias pouted at her friend indignantly, her cheeks coloring faintly pink.
"Oh, hush, Akeno. You know exactly what I meant," Rias grumbled softly.
"Yes, yes, of course, President," Akeno teased gently, her tone exaggeratedly soothing. "None of us would ever dream of calling devils rude or violent."
Rias narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Akeno's carefully innocent expression but wisely decided not to push the point any further.
Sona shook her head lightly, her expression subtly amused, before turning back toward me, raising an eyebrow in a silent question.
"You sure you're alright though, Harry?" she asked quietly, her voice softer now, genuine concern clear in her calm eyes.
I smiled warmly down at her, appreciating her worry, and placed my hand gently atop hers, squeezing lightly. "I'm honestly fine, Sona. Hermione patched me up earlier, and Lilja handled herself remarkably well in that fight. Honestly, I think she'd make an amazing Queen for my peerage."
Those words slipped out before I fully realized what I said. Both Rias and Sona looked at me in surprise.
Sona, Rias, and even Akeno stared at me, wide-eyed and genuinely startled by what I'd just admitted. Honestly, their shocked reactions were understandable.
The tense silence stretched out for several seconds.
"Harry, are you actually being serious right now?" Sona asked. Her eyes were piercingly intense, scanning my expression as though attempting to read every subtle shift of emotion hidden there. "You barely know Lilja Nornas. Declaring someone your Queen isn't something to do on a whim."
Rias leaned forward slightly, placing one of her soft hands reassuringly on my forearm. "Sona does have a point, Harry," Rias said softly. "This is pretty sudden-even for you."
I chuckled, rubbing the back of my head awkwardly. "Yeah, look, I know it sounds insane. But honestly...it just feels right. It's hard to explain, but from the first moment we spent time together, it was like some instinct in me decided that Lilja belongs at my side. My devil instincts rarely steer me wrong, and they're practically screaming at me that she's the perfect choice."
Rias paused thoughtfully at my words, her eyes softening with understanding as she glanced toward Akeno beside her. "I suppose that's exactly how I felt when I first met Akeno," she admitted warmly, an affectionate smile tugging at her lips as she gently squeezed Akeno's hand beneath the table. "The moment we spoke, I just...knew. I could feel it deep in my soul, as if destiny had put us together."
"Ah, President," Akeno purred lovingly, her violet eyes glittering as she leaned comfortably into Rias, her full chest pressing intimately against Rias's shoulder. "Hearing you say that makes me so happy."
