I stepped forward slightly after letting go of Sona's hand. I dropped to one knee beside Hermione, reaching out instinctively to steady her.
"Hermione," I said softly, "you look beautiful."
She blushed at my words. "Thank you, Harry," she whispered, sounding genuinely touched. She hesitated, then reached toward my outstretched hand. "I'm feeling a bit dizzy..."
I gripped her hand firmly and guided her carefully to her feet. "You've just had a huge power increase. It'll take a moment to adjust."
She nodded gratefully, steadying herself against me for balance as she rose. I could feel the soft press of her body against my side.
"Congratulations on becoming a devil, Hermione," I said warmly, unable to stop myself from grinning broadly at her.
Serafall bounded over, nearly vibrating with excitement, grinning ear-to-ear. "Congrats, Hermione-chan!" She chirped, clapping her hands together cheerfully. "You've officially rejected your humanity! Best decision ever!"
Beside us, Sona sighed audibly, shaking her head slightly in mild exasperation.
I glanced back at my mother with an eyebrow raised suspiciously. I had a weird feeling she'd just made another obscure anime reference.
Hermione held out her hand. With almost effortless ease, a vibrant fireball blossomed into existence above her palm, bathing Hermione's awed face in flickering shades of amber and gold.
"Wow," she breathed, turning her hand slightly to watch the flames shift and swirl in response. Her face lit up in amazement, and she giggled softly. "Imagination-based magic is such a cheat!"
I chuckled softly, stepping closer and admiring the mesmerizing flames hovering effortlessly above her fingers. "Yeah, it definitely is," I said, placing an affectionate kiss gently on her flushed cheek. "You're going to have a lot of fun from now on."
She turned toward me with a playful grin, eyes sparkling with curiosity and excitement. "Does this mean I'll finally be amazing at Potions now, too?" she teased.
"Not quite as good as Harry and myself," Sona said calmly, approaching us with a faint smile. "But you will certainly improve considerably. You're part of the Sitri clan now, after all. Our natural affinity with water makes most potions effortless."
Hermione smiled broadly at Sona's words, clearly pleased at the prospect. Before I could add anything else-
"YAY! I'M SO PROUD MY SON GOT HIS FIRST PEERAGE MEMBER!" Serafall declared gleefully, practically sprinting toward us. Hermione and I barely had time to exchange startled glances before my mother wrapped both arms around us, pulling us tightly into her embrace.
My face was instantly engulfed, pressed firmly against Serafall's ridiculously ample chest. Hermione squeaked in surprise, her voice muffled as she too became trapped in the embrace, struggling helplessly for air. The softness enveloping us was admittedly pleasant, but I genuinely couldn't breathe.
"M-Mom," I tried to protest weakly, voice smothered completely by the plush warmth, "you're-you're suffocating us!"
But Serafall paid no heed to my muffled pleas, merely tightening her embrace further. "This is such a happy moment!" she exclaimed joyfully, practically bouncing on her feet and inadvertently crushing Hermione and me further against her. "I can't contain my excitement! My Harry finally has a peerage member of his own!"
"Sis!" Sona complained sharply, grabbing hold of my arm and attempting to tug me free. "Let them go already! You're smothering them!"
I heard soft laughter from Tsubaki and Behemoth nearby, clearly amused by our predicament.
"Sorry, sorry!" Serafall laughed as she patted us on our backs reassuringly. "I just got a little excited, that's all."
Hermione shook her head, looking exasperated yet also amused. "It's alright," she said breathlessly, glancing at me with a half-smile. "I suppose I'll need to get used to moments like these now."
"You'll have to get used to a lot more than just hugs," Serafall said with a teasing grin aimed directly at Hermione.
My mother's gaze was shameless as she openly admired Hermione's newly enhanced figure. Hermione's cheeks flushed deeply as Serafall's eyes lingered, her smile slowly shifting from playful to blatantly lustful. I could feel Hermione shift nervously beside me, but her eyes showed curiosity rather than embarrassment.
Serafall stepped closer to me, pressing gently against my side. She leaned in and planted a lingering kiss on my cheek, her soft lips brushing warmly against my skin.
"We," Serafall whispered to me, loud enough that Hermione could easily hear, "are all going to have a lot of fun together very soon."
Hermione's eyes widened sharply, but she didn't protest. Instead, she gave me an inquisitive look, her lips parting slightly, her breathing becoming shallower. Clearly, the idea intrigued her far more than it upset her. That was her new nature as a devil already kicking in.
Sona made a sudden, sharp squeak of annoyance. "Sis!" she hissed, pointing a stern finger at Serafall. "Control yourself!"
Serafall merely giggled mischievously and gave a playful shrug. Before she could say anything else, Sona flicked her wrist sharply and sent a sizable jet of icy water toward her sister, clearly intending to cool her down.
"Ah!" Serafall yelped in surprise as the cold water splashed over her robes. Her clothing instantly clung to her body, becoming transparent enough to outline every generous curve. Rather than being upset, Serafall broke into delighted laughter.
"Oh, So-tan!" Serafall called cheerfully, looking down appreciatively at her own soaked form. "Are you starting a wet t-shirt fight with me? Yay!"
Instead of retaliation, Serafall threw her arms into the air and conjured an enormous orb of water, easily three times larger than Sona's original spell. Hermione and I both stumbled backward instinctively, eyes widening as the shimmering mass hovered threateningly above us.
"Mum!" I protested quickly, holding up a defensive hand. "Wait a sec-!"
Sona paled slightly, quickly preparing another spell for protection. "Sis, don't you dare-!"
Too late.
With a mischievous, joyous laugh, Serafall released her spell, sending a tidal wave of crystal-clear water crashing down over all of us.
Drying off was effortless for a devil. A simple snap of the fingers and our clothes returned to pristine condition instantly. The spontaneous water fight had no real repercussions, but it was certainly entertaining.
If anything, it provided Hermione with a fantastic opportunity to experiment with her new imagination-based devil magic. Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she eagerly summoned swirling spheres of water, launching them playfully at us all.
She laughed freely, exhilarated by the newfound ease of spellcasting.
We paused briefly so my mother could perform one more important ritual. Serafall took Hermione's hand gently, giving her a reassuring smile. "Now, Hermione-chan, this might tickle a bit," she teased.
Hermione watched intently as Serafall lightly traced a finger over the back of her hand. A faint magical glow followed the movement until it shaped into the intricate, elegant form of the Sitri family crest. Hermione gasped softly as the magic settled into her skin, leaving behind a delicate tattoo shimmering with latent power.
"There!" Serafall exclaimed cheerfully. "This crest links you fully to our magic circle, Hermione. You'll find using your powers much easier now."
Hermione examined her hand with quiet awe. "It feels incredible," she said, smiling brightly. "Thank you, Lady Serafall."
"Please, just call me Levi-tan!" my mother laughed lightly. "Or mommy in the bedroom!" she added with a playful wink.
Hermione's cheeks turned bright pink. She opened her mouth, closed it again, and shot me a shy glance instead. I chuckled softly, enjoying her cute embarrassment.
Our brief break didn't last long. Serafall suddenly turned, conjuring another giant globe of water in mid-air. Her eyes danced mischievously as she aimed at her usually composed Queen. "Oh, Behe-chan! You're far too dry over there!"
Serafall unleashed the watery projectile directly at the unsuspecting blonde devil. Behemoth had barely enough time to widen her eyes before the icy water crashed against her face and chest. Her wet shirt immediately turned transparent, clinging tightly to her voluptuous figure and revealing a lacy black bra beneath.
For a brief instant, shock flashed across Behemoth's normally unflappable features. A faint blush appeared on her pale cheeks as she glanced downward at her exposed state. She immediately crossed her arms over her ample chest, glaring sharply at Serafall.
"My Lady," Behemoth said, her tone dangerously calm, "I would suggest running."
Serafall's laughter stopped abruptly. She raised her hands in surrender, backing away slowly. "N-now, Behe-chan, it was just a little joke-"
Behemoth narrowed her eyes and thrust her arm forward, summoning dozens of shimmering blades made entirely of crystal-clear water. Each blade hovered menacingly, aimed straight at my mother. I stepped quickly away, instinctively pulling Hermione with me. Sona and Tsubaki did the same, all of us giving the suddenly very intimidating Queen plenty of room.
"Wait-Behe, let's talk about this!" Serafall yelped nervously, waving her arms frantically.
"Too late," Behemoth replied flatly.
With a flick of her wrist, the water blades shot forward in a deadly, precise barrage. Serafall squealed in surprise, dodging left and right, narrowly avoiding each attack. She was fast, but Behemoth was faster. Each blade exploded upon impact, soaking my mother completely until she was gasping and sputtering.
Hermione watched wide-eyed, whispering softly, "Harry... remind me never to upset Behemoth."
I nodded quickly, eyes glued to the fearsome Queen as she continued her ruthless assault. "Trust me," I replied, "I'm thinking the exact same thing." Sometimes, I forgot that she was an ancient primordial entity-one that was roaming the underworld before devils even came to exist. How the hell did my mum even manage to become friends with her?
...A few hours later, after all the fun.
Everyone else had already gone back ahead of us. Sona took Hermione and Tsubaki to the castle for a quick shower before dinner. Behemoth returned to the Underworld to handle some urgent paperwork. Now it was just my mother and me left alone in the quiet of the Forbidden Forest.
Serafall stood silently beside me. Her soft hand gently held mine as she stared thoughtfully at the full moon. Her thumb brushed over my knuckles in a slow comforting rhythm.
I felt the warmth of her fingers against mine. The cool night breeze stirred her dark hair around her face. She looked beautiful standing under the moonlight with her eyes filled with curiosity.
"This place gets a lot spookier at night," she said softly. Her gaze shifted to the shadows dancing between the trees. "It's far more exciting now."
I chuckled lightly and squeezed her hand. "Exciting is one way to put it. You know this forest has giant man-eating spiders?"
Serafall glanced at me with playful disbelief. "Really? That sounds incredible!"
I raised an eyebrow at her enthusiasm. "There's also a tribe of very territorial centaurs. They don't really like us devils. Sona fed one of them to the giant spiders..."
"Hehe, So-tan is the best!" She stepped closer. Her body pressed gently against my side. "And anything else I should be worried about?" she teased lightly.
I nodded with a slight shudder. "Tonight's a full moon. So there might even be a werewolf or two running around somewhere."
Serafall looked up curiously at me. Her bright eyes sparkled in excitement. "Werewolves too? Hogwarts just keeps getting better! Schools in the underworld could really learn from this place! They're all so stuffy and boring!"
Wasn't Professor Lupin a werewolf? Technically, that was supposed to be a secret, and I wasn't supposed to know. But as a devil, my senses had pretty much instantly picked up on the inhuman nature of one of my favorite teachers. Not that I minded, of course. If Lupin had been younger and closer to my age, I might have even considered offering him a spot in my peerage. Who wouldn't want a badass werewolf? Although it didn't seem like Lupin embraced his gift very much. I shook my head and refocused on Serafall, smiling at me.
Serafall leaned into me even more. She reached up and placed a gentle hand on my cheek turning my face toward hers. Serafall's brilliant blue eyes stared directly into mine as her cheeks slowly turned a warm shade of pink. Her fingers softly traced my cheek as she studied my expression closely.
"Harry," she whispered softly. "I'm so happy you came into my life. Finding out you existed changed everything for me."
My heartbeat sped up at the sincerity in her voice. I couldn't tear my gaze away from her eyes shining brightly in the moonlight.
"You really feel that way?" I asked softly.
"Of course," she murmured. "My whole family has become happier since we found you. You've even helped me reconnect with So-tan in a way I never imagined possible."
Her voice trembled slightly at the mention of Sona. Something in the way she spoke made me wonder. Why exactly had Sona drifted away from Serafall in the first place? Was it really just embarrassment from Serafall's overenthusiastic behavior? Or was something deeper?
Part of me wanted to ask but now didn't seem like the right time.
Not when Serafall was gazing at me so intently beneath the glow of the full moon. Instead I stayed quiet and enjoyed the closeness we shared in that moment.
Serafall slowly leaned closer her eyes fluttering closed as her lips brushed softly against mine. The kiss was gentle at first, full of tenderness.
And then she wrapped her arms tightly around my back, pulling herself flush against me. I felt the softness of her breasts pressing firmly against my chest. I slid my own arms around her slim waist holding her firmly in place.
Was it because I was a devil? Or perhaps it was the Sitri blood coursing through my veins that I never found this to be wrong? Either way I couldn't resist Serafall especially not when she held me like this.
Our kiss deepened further, becoming heated and sensual beneath the watchful glow of the moon. Her lips moved sensually against mine teasing, exploring, savoring every moment.
Eventually she broke the kiss, pulling back slowly with a delighted giggle. Her eyes sparkled mischievously as she ran her tongue lightly across her lips.
"Mmm," she purred happily, smiling up at me. "That was very nice Harry. Very nice indeed."
