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The Feathered Serpent: Chapter 21
🕑 Added 2024-06-14 16:30:01 +0000 UTCA perverse silence fell over the office when Rose and Stuart finally left, but not before extracting a promise from them for Daphne to come over for a visit when the school year ended. Only the low crackle of dying fire and the clink of glasses being placed on the table provided any sound as Harry sat with Daphne to his left. Ted and Andromeda sat right across them, all gazing into the fireplace.
“You know,” Harry began, his gaze morose as he released a soft breath. “I can’t help but feel a bit… disgraceful, I guess.”
“We’ll take care of this matter, Harry,” Ted replied. “I know arranging for those goblin artifacts isn’t easy, but—”
“That’s not what I’m talking about right now, to be honest,” Harry gently cut the man off. He averted his gaze from the fire and stared straight ahead at the older couple who gazed back at him inquisitively. “It’s also about having to take up the lordship of the Blacks.”
Understanding dawned on them immediately and Andromeda averted her eyes, a grimace on her face. Ted stared at Harry over the rim of his glass with a heaviness in his gaze.
“Is this about Sirius? And what he did?”
“He betrayed my parents,” Harry grunted, a muscle twitching in his jaw. Daphne gently reached out and placed a reassuring hand on his arm, squeezing comfortingly. Harry released a deep breath, closing his eyes. “Having to take up the responsibility to ensure the continued well-being and enhancing the prestige of that man’s family… the man who sold out my family to Voldemort… It’s such an injustice.”
Andromeda kept her gaze averted, sadness apparent on her face. She looked close to tearing up, and feeling his wife’s distress, Ted placed a comforting hand on her thigh. The woman glanced at her husband who gave her a reassuring nod, earning a small smile from her.
"We all want to grow up as we ideally should," Ted said carefully. "The warmth and safety of a family. Now, I am not saying you were not loved or your family is any less, but you were still deprived of your parents’ love while growing up."
Harry glanced at the man he was slowly coming to respect greatly. "Aunt Rosie and Uncle Stuart are the best people I could’ve grown up with after my parents died. They never left me feel lacking. I was equal to Calum in every sense in their eyes. Sometimes, it even felt like we were twins with how they raised us.”
“From our interaction today alone, I can confidently say they are good people,” Ted agreed.
“They are, but the crux of the matter remains. I could not grow up with my parents. They were taken away from me before I even knew them. Which is why it feels so…” Harry’s jaw clenched once again as he searched for words. “So perverse and disgusting to now have to take up the responsibility of the family whose son is responsible for robbing me of everything good. Responsible for the killing of my parents.”
A log that had been burning slowly fell, spraying ash around as embers drifted upward in the fireplace before slowly dying out. The silence stretched, uncomfortable and painful, as Harry allowed Daphne to comfort him with her mere touch. The swirls on the back of his hand that she held gently felt soothing.
Finally, Andromeda spoke, her voice thick with emotion. "The Black name has been forever tarnished by darkness and depravity. More so than any of us could have fathomed. The family has always been rotten to the core, as pureblood supremacists of the highest order." She raised haunted eyes to meet Harry's. "I would know it best. I grew up with them."
Ted placed a comforting hand on his wife's arm, allowing her to lean against him. "There is not one day I don’t feel grateful that I left that family. I found something worth much more than the life of bigotry and unhappiness I would’ve found with them. But over the years, there is one thing I have come to realize.”
Curious, Harry and Daphne stared at the woman who gave them a small smile. “This responsibility was in a way thrust upon you. You didn’t truly choose this, just as we don’t choose the families we’re born into. But it is fully up to us to choose what sort of legacy we want to leave behind. You can either let the past control you, or you can move ahead and create your own path however you like.”
A contemplative Harry stared at the table with a heavy gaze, absorbing the weight of the older woman's words. "You're right, of course." He glanced up and mustered a grim smile. "Once I take up the lordship, I would control this family’s legacy, and it totally depends on me to decide its future. Pretty sure I can think of many ways to use this power that would make those bastards roll in their graves."
A small round of chuckles sounded out as Harry turned to Daphne, nudging her shoulder playfully. “Can you imagine if I used the power of the Black seat to push for causes they hated? Rights for creatures and muggleborns, maybe?”
“Now that would be something,” Ted replied. “And they deserve nothing less.”
Andromeda smiled at her husband, being no stranger to how much he disliked her former family, and she glanced at the clock.
“What time do you need to get back to Hogwarts?” She asked, making the younger couple turn toward the clock.
“Oh, it’s almost time. The train must’ve already arrived at Hogsmeade,” Daphne mused, earning a nod from Harry. “We should be leaving now.”
They all slowly stood up and Harry exchanged pleasantries with both Ted and Andromeda with Daphne following suit. Before they could depart though, Andromeda stopped them.
“There is something of importance I want to discuss with you, Harry,” the woman began, earning curious looks from both him and Daphne. “Though I suspect now is not the right time. It’s been quite a day for you both and the last thing you need is another burden on top of it.”
Harry blinked, his brows furrowing slightly. “Is everything alright, Andromeda?”
She offered him a wan smile, nodding. “Don’t worry about it. It’s just… well, a family matter that I feel would be best discussed at a later date.”
“It concerns the Blacks, doesn’t it?” Daphne asked pointedly, earning a sigh from her.
“It does, though we can’t do anything about it right now,” Andromeda replied. “Harry will need to take up the lordship first, so we can talk about it sometime else.”
Harry exchanged a look with his girlfriend, and although both were curious, they seemed to understand her reluctance to divulge more at the present. He turned back to the woman and gave her a nod.
“Works with me,” he replied. “Just know I’m happy to discuss whatever Black family matter you want to talk about.”
Throughout the exchange, Ted had a solemn look on his face which did not go unnoticed by either Harry or Daphne, and their curiosity only grew. They did not dwell too much on it though as Andromeda thanked them before they all walked out of the office.
“We’ll see you soon,” Daphne said as they stepped inside the fireplace. Andromeda smiled and nodded as Harry let the floo powder drop, and with a clear voice, called out, “The Three Broomsticks”.
As they vanished, Andromeda sighed and turned toward her husband who gave her a strained smile.
“So…”
“You know that’s the only way, Ted,” Andromeda said softly. Sighing, Ted nodded in understanding and wrapped an arm around his wife, leading her into the fireplace.
“Take care of things here, Bianca,” he said, earning a dutiful nod from the woman. He smiled, and with another swirl of emerald flames, they disappeared as well.
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The carriage rocked gently as it wheeled along the cobblestone pathway leading back to Hogwarts, the shadows lengthening in the descending dusk. Harry stared vacantly out the window, replaying the afternoon's heavy conversations in his mind. It had been quite a day for them.
Without a word, Daphne shifted closer on the plush bench, clutching his arm with her body pressing warmly against his side as she laid her head on his shoulder. Harry's arm instinctively went around her, drawing her closer. He exhaled a weary sigh, feeling some of the tension bleed out as he basked in her soothing presence.
They rode in silence, her fingers idly tracing patterns on the back of his hand as it rested on her lap. When the carriage swayed, she would nestle impossibly closer, as if trying to fuse their bodies into one. Harry knew she was reassuring herself of his presence and he gently placed a lingering kiss atop her soft blonde hair, inhaling the fruity scent that was so like her.
They did not say anything, but they did not need to. Both were silently grateful for the comforting embrace after such a draining day.
It took them fifteen minutes until they joined the rest of the students who were returning from the holidays and their carriage easily became one of the many. The looming silhouette of Hogwarts Castle shortly materialized through the trees. Fully lit up with candles and lamps glowing, the castle looked as imperious as it always did at these hours of the day.
A few minutes later, the carriage pulled through the front gates, clattering across the ancient stone bridge. They disembarked, and immediately, Harry felt Daphne's smaller hand slip into his, holding tight as they made their way up the sloping lawn toward the entrance. A few curious glances were directed at them since they were the only pair still in casual clothing.
Once they reached the castle, they made their way to the Grand Staircase instead of taking the usual route to the Great Hall. Their walk up to their rooms was quiet and they barely passed anyone on their way, both in and out of their common room as they emerged from the door, clad in their Hogwarts uniforms. Leisurely, they made their way back down the stairs and joined the trailing group of students on the way to the Great Hall for the first dinner after the holidays.
They passed through the massive double doors and into the raucous din of the Great Hall. Laughter and chatter echoed off the vaulted ceiling and walls lined with floating candles. The four long tables were expectedly crowded with students waiting for the dinner to start.
Harry squeezed Daphne's hand, sharing a tired but supportive smile as they headed for the Ravenclaw table. Instinct pulled them close, their shoulders brushing as hand in hand, they navigated through the throng of students.
They spotted Tracey sitting with two vacant spots in front of her and made their way over. The brunette smiled cordially at them, earning small smiles from the couple as they settled onto the benches. Daphne nestled against Harry’s side almost reflexively, and Tracey raised a curious eyebrow.
“You two look like you’ve been busy,” she said with a smirk, and Daphne rolled her eyes.
“Give that dirty mind a bit of rest, will you?” She remarked, earning a chuckle from the brunette.
“A bit tough to do that, given how you two look right now,” she replied.
Indeed, Harry and Daphne were sitting as close as possible, with their hands clasped. Their intertwined fingers under the desk flexed as their heads leaned closer, almost touching. With a small sigh, they pulled away slightly but did not relinquish the firm hold they had on each other. Both felt they needed that comforting contact and silent intimacy after the events of the day.
“Don’t think too much about it. How were your holidays?” Harry asked.
“A bit meh. We don’t do anything exciting for the holidays. Just the usual.”
Harry nodded with a small smile.
The chatter of the students slowly subsided as Dumbledore stood at his seat and ascended the podium. A hush fell over the assembled students as all eyes turned towards the wizened headmaster.
“As I’m sure you are all keenly aware,” the ancient wizard began in his customary soft yet commanding tone. “Due to the unfortunate… resignation of Professor Quirrell days before the holidays, we found ourselves in need of a new instructor for the Defense Against the Dark Arts post.”
A quiver of anticipation rippled through the students as mutters and sidelong glances were exchanged up and down the tables. Everyone was curious as to who the latest person would be to fill the position that had been getting notorious for being jinxed.
Dumbledore raised one wrinkled hand for silence, his lips quirking upwards in an enigmatic smile. "Which is why I am most pleased to welcome a true academic... and battlefield... titan to our ranks." He swept an arm towards the side doorway as it opened. "Professor Alastor Moody!"
A perverse silence stretched across the Great Hall, right from the podium and to the students sitting at the furthest ends of the four house tables as a grizzled figure clunked through the entry, his wooden leg thumping against the stone floor as the foreboding stomping of his staff accompanied each step. Harry felt Daphne's sharp intake of breath beside him, no doubt mirroring his own stunned expression and those of every student in the hall as they gazed at the grizzled figure of the legend himself.
It was unmistakably the real Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody—the most renowned Auror of the modern age, a hero from the Wizarding War against Voldemort and his Death Eaters, and quite possibly the most famous and feared Dark Wizard catcher in living memory.
"Blimey..."
The hushed mutters erupted across the tables as students from all houses craned their necks for a better look. Almost everyone was wide-eyed, taking in the sight of their new Defense professor.
The candles lit up the man’s face, and it was a face unlike any most of them had ever seen. It looked as if clay had been sculpted by someone who had only the vaguest idea of what a human face was supposed to look like, and was severely lacking in skill as well.
Moody's face was a mass of scars that marred every inch of his skin. His mouth looked like a diagonal gash, and a large chunk of his nose was missing.
However, the single most fascinating yet eerie aspect was that single electric-blue magical eye that whirred ceaselessly in its socket, without blinking, moving in all sorts of directions, quite independently compared to a normal eye. It suddenly rolled right over, pointing to the back of the man’s head, displaying the whiteness. It all led credence to the stories of his many battles against the most dangerous of criminals to have ever stepped foot in Wizarding Britain.
As the gnarled ex-Auror stumped his way toward the staff table, the profound hush that had fallen over the Great Hall stretched further. Forget the students, even the ghosts seemed to be holding their breaths in reverence. Near the Gryffindor table, Nearly-Headless Nick had his decapitated neck swung to the side, the hanging head staring at the gnarled wizard unblinkingly.
Dumbledore waited until Moody had assumed his place before speaking again. "Professor Moody is currently working as an Auror Trainer at the Ministry of Magic and has decided to conduct the Defense classes until the end of the year alongside his auror training lessons. I trust you will all show Professor Moody the utmost respect and hospitality during his tenure here." His gaze swept across the Great Hall, seemingly staring at each of the students, grave and unflinching. "He has faced more forces of darkness than any of us dare fathom."
Moody, for his part, merely harrumphed and gave a curt nod with no further ceremony. He took his seat directly to Snape’s left, the electric-blue eye glancing at the man for the barest of moments before it turned back, boring into the piece of sausage that appeared on his plate. He shook his mane of dark grey hair slightly and pulled the plate toward him, raised it to his left nostril, and sniffed it. He then took out a small knife from his pocket, stabbed the sausage at the end, cut it into small pieces, and began to eat. His normal eye remained fixated on his food but that round, electric-blue eye kept darting around furiously in its socket, gazing at the Great Hall and all its occupants.
The students watched it all in absolute silence, their eyes wide and their mouths slightly agape. Not even the professors clapped until Dumbledore took the lead and was quickly followed by Hagrid. Even then, their claps echoed in the otherwise silent Great Hall and dissipated in no time. Everyone else was too astounded and fascinated by the wizened auror’s bizarre appearance to do anything more than stare at him.
On his spot at the Ravenclaw table, Harry was no better. Even though their dinner had appeared on the table long ago, he, like the other students, kept staring at Moody and his restlessly darting eye.
Suddenly, the magical eye came to a pause on Harry who looked surprised for a moment but he held himself firmly. He stared back at the man who seemed to be taking stock of him. With a blink, the eye moved on, resuming its scanning.
Harry kept his gaze on the man for a few more seconds before he turned away and started on his dinner. Things had gotten very interesting.
XXXXX
The ruckus of hundreds of students gradually diminished as they filed out of the Great Hall. Harry and Daphne lingered behind with Tracey, allowing the crowd to disperse before they stood up, walking back to the Ravenclaw Tower in companionable silence.
The door to the Ravenclaw Common Room was already open by the time they arrived and they filed in alongside their housemates. They crossed the stretch of the common room and walked up the staircase that led to their rooms where Tracey parted ways with them with a sleepy ‘Goodnight’. Harry and Daphne stood in front of the door to her room before they turned toward each other. With a final squeeze of her hand, he leaned down and gently pressed his lips to her forehead, feeling her relax slightly.
Daphne gave him a loving smile when he pulled back before they walked into their respective rooms, shutting the door behind them.
The lamps in his room were already lit when Harry walked in and he slowly made his way over to the open balcony, leaning against the railing as he gazed into the cloudy sky. No stars could be seen and even the moon was hidden. A chilly breeze blew past him, making him shiver a bit. He took a deep breath and tried to relax himself, his eyes closed.
Sighing, Harry turned around and walked back into his room, closing the door to the balcony behind him. He divested himself of his Hogwarts uniform in no time and got ready for bed, trying hard not to dwell on the revelations of the day. He pulled the duvet over himself once he got into the bed and stared unblinkingly at the ceiling.
Try as he might though, there was no preventing the onrushing images of the events that had transpired throughout the day, starting from their visit to Gringotts, discovering the unsavory obligations that came with the Black lordship, their jarring emotions followed by the talk with Ted and Andromeda, the meeting with his relatives and Daphne’s parents, and curiously, Andromeda’s request for a meeting to discuss some family matter that also pertained to the Blacks.
Harry rubbed his face with a weary sigh, blinking and staring at the nondescript ceiling as doubts and concern swirled through his murky thoughts. It seemed as if walls were closing around him, the fear of being separated from Daphne unsurprisingly emerging as the most crucial detail. It somehow eclipsed the fear of Voldemort and that Horcrux that he had carried since that revelation with the Flamels, and Harry could not help but chuckle mirthlessly as he realized he truly feared losing Daphne more than anything else.
The soft knocking on the door barely registered through his distracted reverie. He jerked slightly when he heard the telltale sound of his door being opened and slowly climbed out of the bed, making his way over just as he heard the door being closed once again. Only the professors and Daphne could enter the room, the former because of their authority and the latter because of his explicit permission.
As he reached the doorway, he let out an involuntary smile. There stood Daphne, clad in her blue nightgown with her hair tousled a bit. Harry believed she too must have tried to go to sleep and had come here when she could not. Even in the dimness of his room, he could make out the anxious pinch of her delicate brow and the way she worried her soft lower lip between her teeth.
No words needed to be exchanged as Daphne padded across the room and over to him. Harry simply took her hand gently and led her over to the bed. Daphne did not hesitate one bit as she climbed into the bed and got under the duvet, turning around and watching him as he followed suit and pulled the duvet over them. As he turned toward her, she scooted closer and immediately molded her lithe form against his chest. A contented sigh escaped their lips at the proximity, exactly as it had been throughout their carriage ride back from Hogsmeade.
Harry murmured a spell and all the lamps were immediately extinguished, plunging the room into absolute darkness. He felt her shift slightly, feeling the silky fabric of her nightdress sliding against his bare chest as her arms came around his neck. Their legs tangled as their bodies pressed flush together, and Harry wrapped his arms around her, both seeking the solace and reassurance only the other could provide.
Daphne’s forehead came to rest against Harry’s, their breaths intermingling in the intimate space between them. Her eyelashes fluttered softly, closing as her lips found his in the gentlest of kisses.
Harry kissed her back equally softly as they clung to each other for endless moments, both immersing themselves in the moment and exchanging reassurances without the need for verbal communication. Their legs remained intertwined, their arms clutching onto each other as their kisses gradually grew more fervent, both taking and providing comfort to the one they loved beyond all else in the way only they could.
They slowly pulled away from the kiss, lips swollen, and Harry nuzzled his face into the crook of Daphne’s neck, his lips brushing her warm, soft skin as he inhaled the soft, familiar scent of his girlfriend. He felt her shiver slightly as her dainty fingers traced idle patterns across the taut muscles of his back, raising trails of delicious goosebumps in their wake.
A low rumble vibrated Harry's chest as he trailed open-mouthed kisses along the elegant column of her throat. Daphne tilted her head back, a soft sigh escaping her lips as she surrendered to the intoxicating sensation of his lips against some of her most sensitive spots.
He slowly pulled back and found her lips again, capturing them in a searing, drugging kiss that banished all lingering doubts and fears. The world beyond this sanctuary they had created had suddenly narrowed to just the two of them at this moment — the velvet caress of Daphne's mouth moving hotly against his own, the slick glide of tongues, the urgent mingling of breath and soft, keening whimpers as they sought comfort in each other.
Harry's hands roamed freely, caressing the lush curves and dips of her body through the sheer fabric of her night dress. He committed every slope and swell to memory through the pads of his fingers and the blazing trail of his lips.
Daphne arched into his searing touch, chasing that bone-deep ache only he could stoke and satisfy. Her fingers traced delightful patterns down the ridges of his back as she yielded completely to his ministrations, feeling his hands and his lips all over her body. He gently undressed her, worshipping her as if she was a goddess, and her pleasure kept mounting.
For a long, blissful stretch of time, there was no sound but the heated intermingling of breath and the whisper-soft friction of satin and silk sliding against feverish skin. They seemed to consume one another in an endless, sensual intimacy without even being as close as it was possible, as they had already been multiple times.
Tangled amidst the rumpled bedsheets, they clung to each other with fervent desperation. It was much more the spiritual anchor the other provided than the physical that they sought. Their doubts and turmoil gradually fell away, banished by a depth of intimacy that transcended mere flesh.
Gradually, the kisses slowed down to something softer, somehow becoming even more intimate. Harry peppered Daphne's face with lingering, worshipful brushes of his lips – her eyelids, cheeks, the delicate winging of her brows. Even in the sheer darkness, she felt she could gaze at him through heavy-lidded eyes, her mind awash with pure love and trust.
In the darkness, they simply drank one another in. Fingers traced idle patterns along sweat-slicked skin as they basked in the profound comfort of shared breaths and slow caresses. As if by some unspoken agreement, a tranquil calmness shrouded them in its soft embrace, soothing their minds from the harsh discoveries of the day.
All the while, they spoke not a single word. They simply held each other close, Daphne keeping her arms wrapped around his neck as she pulled him firmly against her, savoring the warmth of her form pressed against his. He was her tether, just as she was his — had been for as long as they seemed to remember, the time they had first met already a thing of distant past.
“Harry…” She whispered, the first words spoken between them. “Please…”
Harry felt her whimper and gently reached down, taking in the desire pooled hot and heavy between her thighs. She needed him right now, and it was evident in her arousal.
He felt her fingers trail lower, leaving a blazing path in their wake. They dipped beneath the waistband of his boxers to stroke the thick, hard evidence of his arousal. Harry sucked in a harsh breath, both wanting something much more now. It was a ritual as ancient as any.
“Daph…” He rasped, and she silenced him instantly with a scorching kiss. Her tongue plundered the recesses of his mouth, and Harry responded to the onslaught with a ravenous growl, his own fingers shredding the final bit of fabric remaining on her sinful body – her damp knickers.
One murmured spell lit up the room once again and Harry hovered over her, taking in the vision that his lovely girlfriend was. Her golden curves, heaving and panting, were begging for his reverence, and Harry eagerly gave in to those desires. His hands and mouth descended on her, worshipping her body fervently until she was left writhing and keening beneath his ministrations.
“Please…” Her voice was a broken whisper and she gasped, arching her back and straining against him. “Merlin, Harry… I need you…”
He hovered over her, covering her body with his own. He drank in her broken whimpers as their slick flesh met, his manhood sliding past her welcoming wet lips as they joined as one. Daphne let out a sharp breath as he bottomed out inside her and keeping her gaze locked with his, she nodded with a teary smile.
Harry smiled and leaned closer, pressing his lips tenderly against hers as he began to move. His hips jerked back and forth as he fed himself inside her, thrusting firmly.
They moved in perfect sync, tendrils of ecstasy spiraling tighter with every furious thrust and roll of hips until the world seemed to go still around them. Nothing else mattered as they pleasured each other, their lips moving sensually as they rose their passion, pouring the love they held for each other into it. Their cries of passion echoed around the room as they pulled away from the kiss, gazing deep into each other’s orbs.
Their passion exploded in a hot-white crescendo as they crashed together in a tangle of limbs, their cries echoing in ecstasy. They shuddered together, clutching each other in a tight embrace as their mutual climaxes tore through them at the same time. Grunts and moans rang around before their lips met once again in a passionate kiss.
They clung to each other in the hazy afterglow of their union – limbs entangled, chests heaving against each other, and their foreheads pressed as they exchanged the same labored breaths. Their eyes remained closed as they basked in the solace and reassurance they provided each other through their joined bodies.
Daphne’s fingers trailed up to caress through the coarse strands at the nape of his neck, sending delicious shivers cascading along his scalp. Harry squeezed his eyes shut, focusing solely on the slow rise and fall of her chest against his and the rhythmic thump of her heart beating in tandem with his own.
XXXXX
Harry wasn't certain how long they lay that way, wrapped in one another's embrace as the night deepened further beyond. Gradually, he felt the tension, the doubts, the fear... slowly uncoil and dissipate. Daphne's soothing presence was like a shield that always muffled the raging cacophony of worries that pervaded the outside world.
Only when her breathing had evened out into the soft rhythms of slumber did Harry dare open his eyes once more so that he could gaze at her. Tender affection swelled in his chest as he studied her delicate features, so serene and untroubled as she clutched hard onto him even in her sleep.
With utmost care, Harry brushed the pad of his thumb along the elegant sweep of her cheekbone before leaning in to ghost the faintest of kisses against her forehead. He committed every nuance of her peaceful expression to memory, from the way her soft, pink lips were parted to how her nostrils flared ever so slightly when she breathed.
Breathing gently, he cradled her lithe form protectively in his arms and finally surrendered to the insistent lull of fatigue. The day had taken its toll on both of them, mentally much more than physically, and it was their mind that needed rest right now.
To be continued…
Comments
Erinnyes
Awwwww.... they're just adorable together.
