Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter
Something Different
Green eyes flicked over the Great Hall of the highly decorated castle. Music played, but he sat at one of the many tables, his dance partner sitting beside him. His best friend and his dance partner sat at the opposite end of the table and the green eyed lad couldn't help but look to the dance floor a little enviously, the lithe form of his crush moving elegantly with her boyfriend.
This had been a disastrous idea from the get go. He didn't know how to dance, he hated being the center of attention, and the girl he was with deserved better than him sitting on his arse and watching another girl dancing.
Worse, his best friend was making an arse out of both of them as well. He had asked for his date to bring her twin sister along for his best friend, and what did the redhead do? He went looking after the third to their trio in jealousy. It would not be simple to dig his way out of the hole that they had dug themselves into.
Young Harry Potter pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to figure out where it went wrong. Likely when he got stuck in the tournament, but no doubt mistakes on his part were made along the way.
The sound of clacking from heels brought Harry's attention towards a young woman walking towards their group with a Drumstrang student. She wore a pretty blue dress, even if he thought it might have been a touch tight on her statuesque form. She was taller than him by a fair margin, and her matching three inch heels put her at about six foot even. She had to be about a half foot taller than him without the heels.
Harry frowned minutely as he couldn't place the girl. She had hair as dark as his own that was brushed to a light sheen and pulled back into a braid down her back. She had bright blue eyes that seemed to radiate happiness. She was broader than him, but not fat. In fact, Harry could see quite a bit of muscle on her in her calves and biceps. The dress was modest in that it came to her knees, but still it held tight to her.
"Hello Parvati." The woman said in a soft tone. The Gryffindor of the Indian twins jerked a bit as she was spoken to. "Might I borrow your date for a time? I'm certain Ivan here would be better suited to dance with you."
Parvati looked to Harry a moment before standing up. She went to the blonde Drumstrang boy and held her hand out. "It would be a pleasure." She said, almost desperate to salvage the debacle that this night had been turning out to be.
Harry didn't blame her on that. He owed both Parvati and Padma an apology for being a right arse to them. He glanced up to the statuesque girl that he felt he should know. But he couldn't place her. She offered a smile, her pink lips showing a bit of her teeth as she smiled at him. "May I have a moment of your time?" she asked him, holding a hand out.
Harry briefly weighed his options. He could stay there like a lump on a log, longing after Cho, or he could get off his arse and talk to a pretty girl. He pushed himself to his feet, once again feeling all of his five foot four inches next to the woman. Sirius had told him that his father had only gotten to be five nine and that wasn't until he was sixteen or seventeen.
She slipped her arm around his and leaned against him a little bit while she led him out of the Great Hall. Harry felt her bust pressed against his arm and wasn't sure what to do. She was quite generously endowed, more so than girls his own age. He was certain she had to be an older girl.
Instead of going out to the gardens, they moved towards the courtyard inside the castle, where no one was at. The quietness and lack of music was a little startling. The slight chill in the air from the Scottish winter didn't help and he glanced to his companion. But Harry saw she still had that smile on her lips. "I wanted to dance, but…" She moved around to the front of Harry and walked backwards. "I'm not a fan of the Weird Sisters." She said.
Harry frowned a moment. "Do I know you?" he asked, digging his heels in a little bit, providing some resistance. Thankfully she felt it and didn't try to tug him, though she held both his hands in hers softly. He could feel the callouses on her hands, but they also told him that she didn't play Quidditch. The callouses were formed entirely wrong.
She smiled a little shyly, glancing down to their joined hands a moment. "Yes… and no." she said. She bit her lower lip. "I've… had my eyes on you for a while Harry. I've wanted to help so much; I've wanted to talk to you so badly. Every year I hear you in such danger and I'm scared for you. I see the real Harry Potter, not the Boy-Who-Lived." She said. She shook her head softly. "But I can't tell you who I am, not yet." She said.
"Why not?" Harry asked with a slight frown. He could tell she was serious; it was in her tone and in how she said things. She saw who he was, not what everyone else wanted him to be. It was… interesting.
"I just don't want preconceptions clouding your judgment." She said softly. "My own less than desirable reputation doesn't help in that regard, but it's a mask to help protect me to be honest. Please, Harry." She said
Harry prided himself on being able to judge people's characters and their words. He wasn't sure on her reputation, she was rather pretty and most of the pretty ones had a good reputation. He took a moment to think, trying to come up with the best idea. "I'm not the best dancer." He warned.
She smiled brilliantly, and it told Harry that it was the right decision. She stepped a little further into the courtyard with him. "That's okay. I can lead." She said. "And don't worry about stepping on my toes, I'm a tough girl. I can handle it." She gave him a wink.
And they danced. Harry was surprised at how graceful she made the dancing seem and it was a slow dance. She looked into his eyes the entire time, a smile on her face the entire time. Harry found himself slowly enjoying the dancing and even smiling to her as well. He enjoyed himself so much, three dances passed with him barely realizing the changes in how they danced.
He noted she didn't shy away from pressing close to him.
When their dances were over, she smiled and tugged at the lapels of his dress robes, gently folding them back and making sure he looked sharp once more. "Now, my owl Ares will come to you soon, I promise." She said smiling more. "But tonight, you owe another lady an apology."
Harry frowned and nodded. "I don't know what to do about the Patil twins." He admitted. "I made a right Arse of myself with both of them."
The mystery girl nodded. "That you did. You, I think they may forgive. But Weasley, I'm not so sure. You played Wing-man and Weasley spat on that with his actions tonight."
"Any advice?" he asked, looking up to her blue eyes.
"When you go back in there, you will apologize to Parvati. You will do the last slow dance with her, from start to finish, and you will do your best to try and make it special for her. But you tell her the truth, that you aren't romantically inclined to her, just as I told Ivan." She brushed off his shoulders and smiled at him. "She might be upset, but I think she might be more upset without the apology."
Harry nodded and inhaled deeply, getting a whiff of the sweet scent of the mystery girl before him once more. He gathered his Gryffindor Courage to do just that, to give the best apology he could to Parvati.
Before he could pull away though, he was pulled close against the larger girl and kissed on his lips. His eyes went wide as he made a soft sound. The kiss wasn't particularly deep, but it was soft and tender, passionate. And she held it, savored it. Slowly, Harry's eyes fluttered closed. He couldn't help it, he found himself enjoying it.
When she pulled back, Harry gently licked his lips, tasting strawberries. She licked her own lips before giving him a brilliant grin. "I'll see you around Harry, and I promise, you'll understand later." She then headed off with long strides, her hips swaying. Harry's eyes transfixed to the swaying hips.
When she looked over her shoulder at him, she gave a saucy wink before she exaggerated the sway of her hips even more for a few steps before turning a corner and leaving Harry alone.
Harry was at a loss of words. He ran a hand through his messy black hair a moment before he looked to the direction he had come from. It was time to make that apology.
-Scene Break-
Over the next few months, Harry learned about the mystery woman quite a bit. He found out she was a half-blood, her father was a lawyer, and she didn't buy into the tripe sold by the Daily Prophet. Her favorite color was blue, she preferred fruity smells to flowery smells, and spent a lot of her summer in Muggle London.
But he still didn't know her name.
In truth, her letters became a bright spot in a hell that Harry hadn't been prepared for. Cedric's death wore heavily on him, he was going back to the Dursley's, Ron and Hermione were pestering about not talking to this girl any more until he found out who she was.
Worse thing of all, he had a megalomaniac after his head once more. Voldemort had returned, and while Dumbledore seemed to believe him, he could tell that the Minister didn't. He knew something bad was coming, but he couldn't put his finger on what it was or where it was coming from.
He sat in the compartment on the Hogwarts Express. He stared out the window as the train had students board it. He was surprised when an owl came flapping up to him. He blinked a moment as he opened the window to help the massive Eagle Owl into the compartment. He recognized it; it had dark rust colored streaking along its breast. It was Ares, his mystery girl's owl.
He set Ares on his leg, and untied the scroll from its leg. He then helped Ares back out the window so that the bird could fly back to its master. He then unraveled the small scroll and looked to the neat scrawl on the parchment.
It was words of comfort, telling him to be safe and that she'd continue to write him over the Holidays. He got to the end and paused, staring at the words that surprised him the most. He quickly tucked the parchment away as Ron and Hermione got to the compartment. He had taken to speaking to them less since Cedric's death a week ago.
He stared at the window, thinking. His Mystery girl was a Slytherin? That was a slap to everything he's come to believe. She was so nice, a lot nicer than Malfoy and his flunkies. An icy feeling washed over him and he ran through the names of the Death Eaters he had seen at Voldemort's resurrection. What if she was the daughter of one of them? Could she have known what was coming?
He had to keep the information to himself. Ron would go ballistic, though Hermione would start trying to figure it out based on everyone she might have interacted with. He just wondered if he'd see her again. He had to find out and he figured she was an older student, making the possibility of not seeing her again that much higher.
Towards the end of the ride, he got up. "I'm going to take a brief walk to stretch my legs." He said. Sitting for upwards of six hours was always a toll on his legs and knees. He left the compartment, making sure that Hermione and Ron wouldn't follow him.
He was just going for a walk after all.
He heard the whistle blow, indicating they only had about twenty minutes left before they were in London. That was fine. He would be back in the compartment before then after all. It gave him a bit of time to think in solitude. He tried to figure out what Dumbledore was playing at, sending him to be with the Dursley's, especially when Cedric's death was so fresh.
He was passing by one of the Loo when it was opened. He didn't see who it was, but he felt a strong hand on his shirt and he was yanked into the cramped space. The scent of honey and strawberries filled his nose before his lips were kissed again. His hands were held firmly before he felt them moved to cup a toned arse, the meat of it filling both hands.
The taste of strawberries was tantalizing, even as he felt a tongue swipe over his lower lip. His still open eyes could see his mystery girl, even if her eyes were closed. He kissed her in return, tentatively moving his tongue out to brush over hers. He lightly squeezed where his hands were placed. Her… boldness reminded him more of a Gryffindor than of a Slytherin.
She pulled back and hugged him tight, even if she was still taller than him. "Harry, I'm sorry for what's happened.' She said. "Cedric didn't deserve that, he was a good man." She said. "And you didn't deserve to see that happen." She said. She pulled back and kissed his lips again, gentler this time. "I've been so scared, so worried for you." She said.
Harry looked into her worried blue eyes and he knew she wasn't one of Voldemort's supporters. There was something there. He gently reached up to cup her cheek, brushing his hand over it. Her hair was done back in a simple pony tail, drawing much of her hair away from her face. She wore a dark blue tank top and a pair of low slung black jeans.
She still looked so beautiful.
"No, Cedric didn't deserve that." He whispered softly. He stepped back, as far as the small Loo allowed for. "Are you really a Slytherin?" he asked her, palming his wand.
She noted the movement and stepped back, holding both hands up. "I am, but Daddy and I don't support Him. I swear." She said. She moved her hands to her chest, resting them against her cleavage. She bit her lower lip, worrying it a moment.
"What's your name?" Harry asked. He could still remember every name of every follower that Voldemort had mentioned. He needed to know that she could be trusted.
She shook her head. "Please Harry, not yet. Please, trust me a little while longer. I'm afraid of what my reputation will do. I don't want you looking at me like that." She said.
"Then how do I know your father wasn't there with the other Death Eaters?" He asked. He was now holding his wand, ready to defend himself as best as he could.
"Daddy could never be one of them. He loved my mother." She said sincerely. "Daddy loves me, has spoiled me with his love." She dipped her head down, worrying her lip even more. "My mother was a half Orc, Harry. V-V-" She bit the tip of her tongue, her face screwing up in a bit of anger. "Voldemort," she spat surprising Harry at the venom in her tone. "Would never accept someone like Daddy, or me. But that's fine with us. We don't want any of the shite he's trying to sell."
Harry put his wand away in his pocket. It had been a while since he heard a witch or wizard, aside from Dumbledore, so openly use Voldemort's name. It had taken her a while, but he supposed she knew more about the horrors of the first war. He gently reached up to cup her cheek. "I believe you." He said softly.
She gave him a brilliant smile that warmed him. "Thank you Harry." She said and leaned into his touch. "It's because of my mother that I'm so… well… big." She said, motioning to her size. "By the end of puberty, I'll likely be taller than Daddy. But I can't complain." She gave him a saucy grin. "My mother had some curves that I'm sure to inherit." She said, running both hands down along her sides and her hips, emphasizing her bust and wide hips.
Harry flushed a moment and looked away. He cleared his throat a moment. "So… what happened to her?" he asked.
His mystery girl shrugged her shoulders. 'Don't know." She said. "Daddy says my mother had an adventurous soul, and once she birthed me, she needed to hit the road again. Daddy doesn't blame her though; it was something that drew him to her in the first place, that adventurous, warrior spirit. People will always need someone like my mother, someone that can get things done when no one else can, so she's often gone. I went to her when I was seven until I was ready to start Hogwarts, learning to control my Orc side."
Harry nodded and frowned a bit. "I thought Orcs were… well…"
"Green and mostly bald?" She asked with a grin. "They are, even my mother, but I have enough human that I'm not. Though, in anger, my eyes will turn red and I do have a bloodlust. I thankfully also didn't inherit the tusks, but my mother had them and she filed them down, so even if I did get them, I don't think they would have bothered me too much."
Another whistle blew, cutting Harry's next question off. "It looks like we're arriving soon; I need to get back to my compartment." Harry said with a frown.
Still, his mystery girl smiled. She pulled him in and kissed him again, putting one of his hands back on her rear. "I'll write you, I promise." She said after the kiss. She then moved to leave the cramped loo.
"Wait." Harry said, getting her to pause and look at him inquisitively. He blushed slightly. "Why me? Why kiss me, or make me touch you like that?" he asked.
She grinned broadly. "Cause I like you silly. And I'm a very physical girl; I like the touching and kissing." She then headed off, strides long and confident.
Harry shook his head. His world was getting thrown all into shambles. He adjusted his shirt and slowly left the loo, heading in the opposite direction to get back to the compartment he was sharing with Ron, Hermione, and Ginny. He had to admit, he had enjoyed the touching as well.
-Scene Break-
Harry lay on his bed in his room. His arms were tucked up under his head and he stared over at the table where several letters were. Hedwig's cage was empty. He had sent her out to get some answers from Ron and Hermione the night before, telling her to bite until they had given him a lengthy answer.
He heard the television that Vernon was watching down in the living room. It was low enough he couldn't hear the news. Not that it mattered; all of his hiding spots were worthless. The Daily Prophet had turned on him, big surprised considering they were never on his side. The ministry was clearly trying to turn everyone against him, they were burying their heads in the sand and to Harry it seemed it was mostly working.
The only bright spot was the frequent letters he received from his mysterious Slytherin girl. He bounced his foot a bit, one leg resting on his knee as he thought. Dementors had attacked him and his cousin the day before, and he was on the verge of being expelled.
A shrill bark sounded before tapping on his window. He got up and went to let Ares in, untying the parchment from his leg. A small package landed on his desk as Ares released it from his talons. He gently stroked the bird's breast a moment, debating his best course of action.
He grabbed the letters from the Ministry, as well from Arthur Weasley and hesitantly he grabbed the letter from Sirius. There was nothing incriminating that could link it to his godfather after all. He grabbed a blank piece of parchment and wrote in big bold letters. 'Help. Dementor attack, fended them off.' Harry rolled the parchment around the four letters and then tied the roll to Ares' leg.
"Sorry boy, but I need you to take this to her straight away." He got a bark and a bob of the head in return before Ares took a quick drink of the water left for Hedwig and took off. Harry could only wait. He grabbed her letter and the package she sent.
The letter was the usual. Hoping he was safe, talking about a few of her friends, talking about her father. Turns out, the package was a book on Occlumency to try and help him with the dreams about Cedric. He could learn how to… block out his dreams or something. The book would explain better than her letter.
Best yet, he could practice it outside of Hogwarts without the Ministry finding out.
So he read, waiting, hoping for some sort of piece of information to take him out of this information black out he was experiencing. It wasn't right that he was being kept in the dark.
The next day, at around mid-morning, a firm knock sounded on the front door. He was about to set the spatula down when his Uncle Vernon got up and went to answer it. Judging from the words from Vernon, it was not someone that Vernon wanted anywhere near his home. "Boy!" he barked out from the entry way.
Harry set the spatula down and then headed towards the entry way. He was surprised to see his mystery girl standing there. She wore a white tank top and a pair of black jeans and leather boots. Thankfully the pants weren't as low slung as the one she wore on the Hogwarts Express. Beside her was a sophisticated man with blonde hair and steel blue eyes. He wore an expensive looking suit in a nice charcoal color.
"Daddy, I'll help Harry pack. You explain things to his relatives." The mystery girl said, looking to her father in the eyes. She stepped past Vernon and grabbed Harry's wrist, leading him towards the stairs. Harry followed her bouncing, swinging braid up the steps.
"Now wait a damn moment here!" Vernon shouted.
"Mr. Dursley, why don't we talk over some coffee or tea?" Her father said stepping towards Vernon. "I assure you, you want to sit down while I speak with you."
Harry slipped past her to open the door. He noticed her frowning as she looked at all the locks on the door. She pulled him tightly against her when she stepped into his room. He felt her lips against his and he kissed her in return. He couldn't help it; he had come to enjoy these kisses. She pulled back and inhaled softly. "We don't have a lot of time, and I have things to explain to you." She said and moved away.
Harry nodded and began to gather his Hogwarts things, gathering things up to pack away, even if just sloppily for the moment. "What's going on?" he asked.
"Regarding Dumbledore and Mr. Weasley? I have no idea." She said as she started to collect things, placing them on his bed. "But regarding Daddy and I being here? We're here to take you with us, so if the Ministry tries anything with this trial, Daddy can help you." She inhaled a moment. "And you need to know my name also. I should have said something earlier but…"
Nimble fingers undid her braid and she ran her fingers through it, untangling it as best as she could. She shook her hair out and made it cover her face quite a bit. She slouched her shoulders a bit to make herself seem less proud, less confident. Her knees bent slightly as well. Harry blinked as he instantly recognized her. He had so many classes with the Slytherin house, it was impossible to not recognize her. "Bulstrode? Millicent Bulstrode?" he asked surprised.
She nodded softly and brushed her hair back away from her face. Quickly, she had it woven into a braid; clearly having done it so many times she knew how to do it by heart. "Not part troll, part Orc." She said proudly. Her shoulders squared up and she walked tall and proudly again.
"But… what?" Harry asked, packing up his trunk. He couldn't fathom such a pretty girl being… well…
"A guise and a ruse and nothing more." Millicent said as she plucked Hedwig's cage from the top of the wardrobe. "Keeps the older boys from touching, though so does a wand and a sharp kick to the groin. I learned early on that if you wanted to survive in Slytherin House, you were one of three things. The brains like Malfoy, the brawn like Goyle or Crabbe, or the harlot like Parkinson. Greengrass is the brains, and Davis and I are the brawn to her. And trust me, from my Orc side, I can throw a punch and hit like a war hammer to the head. But even they don't really know what I look like; I keep my hair in my face too much."
"But you're beautiful." Harry said as he finished packing his trunk. "You could…"
"I'd be raped in a week." She said bluntly. "Either by one of the older boys, or by our slime of a Head of House. Being part Orc means my skin is resistant to magic, but it doesn't make me invulnerable to it. A good enough curse will leave me helpless to resist them with my brute force. So I act as the brawn to Greengrass, even if I don't trust her."
The older Bulstrode came up in a few moments. "Hello Mr. Potter, Millie has told me a lot about you. I would like to hear your side of a few of the events that have taken place the last few years." The man said, holding his hand out. Harry took the hand and shook it firmly.
"Of course Sir, it might be interesting to hear things from a legal stand point." Harry said.
The elder Bulstrode stepped towards Harry's sealed trunk and tapped it with his wand, shrinking it down to the size of a matchbox. He picked it up and handed it to Harry. "I will be Apparating all three of us to my home Mr. Potter. I need you to grab my arm and hold it tightly; I doubt you have ever done this before after all."
Harry nodded and took hold of the man's forearm while Millicent took her father's hand. "Deep breath Mr. Potter, you'll feel a squeezing sensation, and turn with me." He turned, with both adolescents stepping with him. Harry took a deep breath before he felt like he was being squeezed by a massive constrictor snake.
Harry stumbled onto the hardwood floors of the Bulstrode home. Already, the elder Bulstrode was stepping away. "Amelia should be here in a few moments Millie, why don't we wait here where we can all greet her? I'm sure you'd like to lead Mr. Potter around, but Amelia and I will wish to talk to him."
Millicent nodded her head. "Of course Daddy." She said before she moved over to Harry and smiled. "You'll get used to it, I promise." She said as she led him over to a sofa and sat with him on it. She frowned a moment. "What do you mean Dementors attacked?" she asked softly.
"I mean just that, two Dementors attacked my Cousin and me." Harry said, shaking his head. "I don't like Dudley, but even that's messed up for him. I had to defend us."
"Stick with that story Mr. Potter, true or fabricated, and you'll find that this court case will be a bit easier." Millicent's father said. He moved to a recliner and sat in it, sinking into the cushions. "And Mr. Potter, please refer to me as Boris. I'll be representing you after all. I haven't done Defense in quite some time, but I'm one of the best legal representatives in the country, and if you were attacked by two Dementors, then not even Finch-Fletchley or Goldstein will touch this case."
The flames roared green and Harry's hand went towards his wand at his side pocket. A woman with dark auburn hair stepped out, her robes slightly open. A monocle was in one eye and she had her wand out and pointed to the ground. Harry noted her stance; it was all business and all ready to defend. No doubt she was an Auror, something Harry aspired to be. She wore a charcoal set of robes with black slacks and a white blouse under it. Her stance loosened when she realized there was no danger. It was an instinctual stance, something that Harry had no doubt come from years and years of Auror work.
"Amelia, always a pleasure to see you." Boris said. "You know my Millie of course, but Amelia, Harry Potter. My current client. Mr. Potter, meet Amelia Bones, the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, she'll likely already know some of the details of the case. Her Niece, Susan Bones, is a Hufflepuff in yours and Millie's year."
"Mr. Potter." Amelia said, stepping forward and holding her hand out. Harry shook the offered hand. "I hate to ask, but might I see your wand?"
Harry nodded and offered up the Holly and Phoenix feather wand. "If it helps my case, of course." He said.
Amelia took the offered wand and conjured a small plastic bag. She then tucked the wand into it. "You should receive it back once your trial is over, but we need to make sure that your last spell was indeed a Patronus charm. Forgive me for assuming, but even I find it unlikely a young man your age can pull it off."
"That's fair, I suppose." Harry said. "But with the events of my third year, I went to Professor Lupin and got some additional learning done." He said.
Amelia nodded. "That would explain where you learned it, if you know it. It will help, I promise." She said before she looked over to Boris. "You look positively peached."
Boris did look a little smug. "I get to represent a Potter, Amelia. Just as my father and grandfather have. Best yet, I get to represent a Potter in a sure-win case. Finch-Fletchley and Goldstein won't touch this. A Dementor attack on a young wizard and his cousin? It's almost a sure fire case of self-defense."
Amelia shook her head. "Fudge is on a warpath when it comes to Potter and Dumbledore. To you, it may seem sure fire, but I'm not so sure. Even if it's the truth…" She shook her head again.
Millicent stood up. "Daddy, I'm going to take Harry upstairs, show Harry where he'll be staying for the time being."
Boris nodded softly, glancing over to his daughter. "Of course. And Mr. Potter, I look forward to hearing more about your time in school, as does Amelia no doubt."
Harry nodded. "Any time Sir." He said.
"After dinner then, I doubt it will be a bunch of tales to be told over dinner."
Harry nodded and followed Millicent up the stairs, his eyes couldn't help but slowly be drawn to the rather toned rear of the woman in front of him. A rear he had already gotten to squeeze. He blushed momentarily
Millicent led the way into a large bedroom with a queen sized bed. All the wood was done in a rich redwood that came together with the colors of the room, the wardrobe hung open and bare. "This is where you'll be staying Harry." She said brightly, giving a smile.
Harry nodded and took the shrunken trunk and Hedwig's cage from his pocket. He set them on the desk, looking over the room. It would have everything he would need.
"This is nice." He said softly before he sat down on the bed. He noticed Millicent standing a bit and he motioned her over to sit down on the bed with him. In moments, she was sitting beside him so that their legs were touching and she leaned against him slightly.
It was a nice thing.
"We'll get you some better fitting clothes while you're here, I promise." Millicent said as she tugged on the baggy pants. She could likely infer, from his stories of being with the Dursley family, that he would need a new wardrobe.
Harry blushed again, glancing over to the girl in the tight fitting clothes. Perhaps not that better fitting.
He frowned a bit as he looked to her. "Does Snape really attempt to force himself on the students?" he asked. He couldn't believe the Headmaster would allow that.
Millicent's jaw tensed. "I've heard rumors, but there's been no proof. Truthfully, I want to punch the man in his beak nose. His clear biased actions are an affront to teaching, and the way he singled you out our first day."
Harry took her hand as he noticed her blue eyes tinged with a red ring. He squeezed. "Millie, your eyes." He said softly.
She took a deep breath to compose herself, holding it in as her chest puffed up in a rather enticing way. Slowly, she let it out and her eyes were the same crystal clear blue once more without the tinge of red. "Sorry, I didn't mean to worry you."
Harry raised the hand and used some of that Gryffindor boldness to lay a chaste kiss on the back of her knuckles. "No, it's okay. It's… kinda nice being appreciated like that."
-Scene Break-
The next few days proved to be interesting. After dinner that night, he thought that Amelia and Boris were going to go off hexing everything that irked them. Turned out his misadventures at Hogwarts should have come with some legal work. He had also, to the adult's amusement and Millicent's embarrassment, asked Boris to date Millicent.
That had gone quite well as it turned out Millicent kicked her father under the table. But the young couple was able to explore their budding relationship a bit more.
Harry hadn't seen a sign of Hedwig with word back from Ron or Hermione. It was rather… irking.
But every other day, Harry was left on his own for several hours. Millicent went to Muggle London, and as Harry found out, was taking Muay Thai, a Muggle Martial Arts. It explained the tone and muscle of her body, as she demonstrated one day. The second day she came home, she had a black eye and Harry had almost lost it.
Until she assured him that she was fine and would heal, that she was tougher than she looked. He honestly wasn't sure how to react to the fact his new girlfriend was tougher than he was and could likely kick his arse before he could draw his wand.
Turned out she was also taking boxing, hence being gone for several hours. And she was dedicated, practicing quite often. Harry often saw her in a pair of sweat pants with a tank top, just going to work in the backyard of her home. She had a few training dummies set up to strike and hit, and the Muay Thai was completely brutal, utilizing harder parts of the body like knees and elbows and shins.
But it was finally time for the hearing. Harry wore the nicest set of robes he had. Though, Boris had gotten him said robes, so they were done in charcoal grey. He wore a pair of black slacks and a nice dark green shirt underneath the robes. They arrived at the Ministry an hour early, with Boris striding powerfully towards the courtroom they were supposed to be in.
A tall dark black man spotted them and strode towards them. "Mr. Bulstrode, are you here for Mr. Potter's hearing?" The wizard asked. He moved quickly and spotted Harry who met his dark eyes unflinchingly.
"I am, Auror Shacklebolt, what's going on?"
"Shite, I thought Dumbledore might have come and gotten Mr. Potter himself." The Auror said. "They've changed the hearing. Courtroom Ten, now."
Boris' shoulders squared a moment and he stiffened a bit. "Come along Mr. Potter. We need to hustle a little bit." Boris then took off for the stairs with Harry going after him, keeping up with Boris' longer strides with some effort.
"What is that bumbling idiot thinking? Down in Courtroom Ten?" Boris mumbled under his breath. In ten minutes they came to a deep part of the Ministry, it was dimly lit and done in dark stones. "Breathe easy Mr. Potter. Take a moment to compose yourself. We're already late so as it is."
When Harry wasn't breathing so hard, they walked in with Boris in the lead. "You're late." Fudge's voice rang out from the courtroom.
"We were just informed of the location change." Boris said, leading Harry forward. He frowned at the sight of a wooden chair with metal shackles on it.
"That is not our problem. An owl was sent to Mr. Potter's residency." Fudge said, trying to strong arm Boris and Harry.
"But not my legal office apparently, Minister." Boris said. "The law states that any change in the time, or location must be given notice of seventy two hours in advance. And no one in my office would be so incompetent to not notice such an important letter."
Harry saw a tic work in the Minister's jaw. Harry wondered if the man had hoped to expel Harry without him being there to defend himself. "Very well, since the Defendant is here, finally, we can begin. Disciplinary Hearing on August the Twelfth, Eight Fourteen A.M into offenses committed under the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery and the International Statute of Secrecy by Harry James Potter, Resident at Number 4, Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surry.
"Interrogators: Cornelius Oswald Fudge, Minister of Magic; Amelia Susan Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement; Delores Jane Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister. Court Scribe, Percy Ignatius Weasley. Defense for the Accused, Boris Adrian Bulstrode." Fudge said the last a bit grudgingly.
"Do you have a personal Vendetta against my client, Minister?" Boris asked. "Because for a disciplinary hearing, I fail to see the relevance of having the Minister of Magic and his Senior Undersecretary as interrogators. Nor do I see the relevance of why such a minor thing must be done before the full Wizengamot."
"Well I am the Minister of Magic-"
"And I fail to see how that makes you a qualified Interrogator Minister. Before your position as Minister, you were Junior Minister of the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes. That hardly qualifies you to be an Interrogator. Much can be said the same for your Senior Undersecretary. The only one of your Interrogators qualified in the legal obligations to be an Interrogator is Madam Bones."
Harry noted that Boris' words made the Minister turn a rather interesting shade of purple; much like his uncle quite often did whenever the word Magic was brought up.
"And I see a full gathering of the Wizengamot before me, or at least a vast majority. It seems almost like you are putting Mr. Potter on trial instead of this being a disciplinary hearing Minister. And trying him as a full adult no less. Are you certain you want to go through with this, Minister? There may be unforeseen repercussions after all."
Harry stayed silent. Boris had told him to stay silent, don't mention Voldemort in the slightest. That was a completely different battle to be fought after all. Harry didn't need to come across as a raving lunatic.
"Yes I'm sure I want to try him like this!" Fudge said, losing his demeanor a moment. However, he soon recovered. "This is a serious crime, Magic in front of a Muggle, in an all Muggle neighborhood. Mr. Potter must be tried to the full weight of the law. This is almost as bad as when Black blew up Pettigrew and those Muggles."
Harry tightened his hand at his side a bit. He couldn't help it. Being reminded of Sirius' innocence was a telling moment.
"So you recognize Mr. Potter as an Adult in the court of law?" Boris asked carefully. "That would be, of course, the only way to try Mr. Potter in front of the full Wizengamot."
"Yes. This isn't a hearing of my methods Bulstrode." Fudge snapped.
Boris' lips curled into a confident smirk. "Very well Minister. By your own admission, this body of Government recognizes Mr. Potter as an adult. And, since Albus Dumbledore was the Chief Mugwump at the time when he declared Mr. Potter as needing to participate in the Tri-Wizard Tournament, that is, in essence, two bodies of Government declaring Mr. Potter as an adult."
A flash of silver appeared on Harry's right middle finger and he raised his hand up to see the silver ring with a large ruby and a simple silver P on top of the ruby. He looked with wide eyes towards Boris, not exactly sure what had happened.
"Now, let us go over this hearing for the Head of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter." Boris said. His voice held a predatory tone to it.
Blood was in the water, and Boris was the mighty shark just waiting.
-Scene Break-
Boris had quite masterfully played Fudge. At a point, Amelia excused herself to leave the room, unable to keep the chortles from coming from her mouth. Her words to the Pink toad-like woman had summed up the reason perfectly.
'I've seen Boris Bullstrode work. And I've never seen him fail when he's prepared to strike like that. You're just making a fool of yourselves.'
So, Harry managed to get off on the charges based on a simply thing that Harry and Dudley were related and the Dursley family had, at the time, been his guardians. Between Fudge's actions and the actions of Dumbledore during the Tri-Wizard Tournament, Harry was emancipated and able to access his family's funds and properties.
While not exceedingly wealthy to the point he'd never want for anything, Harry was wealthy enough that he'd be able to live comfortably with a few smart investments and he wouldn't have to work once out of school. His view on the Ministry of Magic had taken a sharp nose dive with the debacle with Fudge.
He'd likely retire to a private island off the coast of Greece where it would be rather mild temperatures all year round. After the extreme heat of the past few summers followed by the extreme cold of being in Scotland during the winter time, Harry wanted somewhere that was private and moderate in temperatures.
And it would be thankfully impossible to find. The only way to get there was via a portkey and the exact coordinates were held strictly by the Head of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter. Apparently some great ancestor squandered most of the fortune on the island, but it turned out to be an investment well worth it.
All in all, Harry just had to finish up at Hogwarts and handle Voldemort before he could go retire.
He didn't think it would be that difficult, after all Voldemort kept trying for Harry year after year. He just had to get himself prepared in time for Voldemort and to take him down hard and fast. He just wished that Dumbledore would help him, but he was starting to doubt it.
Harry was brought out his revelry when he felt the bench of the Hogwarts Express shift. He glanced over to Millicent and smiled at her.
"Thinking hard sweetie?" She asked playfully as she tucked her braid down one shoulder and leaned into him a little bit. Cuddling was always an interesting endeavor with a larger girl like Millicent.
"Yeah." Harry said honestly. She could read him like a book surprisingly, he took her hand in his and they interlaced their fingers. He still couldn't get over the physical aspect of the relationship. It was like being thrown into the deep end of a pool and being told to sink or swim.
Granted, most his time in the Magical World had been like that.
Millicent's smile turned even more devious. She had a mischievous side to her that she let out to play quite often that left Harry blushing. "Thinking about me in my bikini?" she asked.
And that caused Harry to flush. The summer's hottest day, Millicent was at home and swimming. Her bikini was a modest two piece, but it still clung tightly to her shapely and toned body. It was also more flesh than Harry had expected to see of the girl.
And that was before she asked for him to rub lotion in on her back.
"Am now." Harry said. He tried not to just let Millicent's teasing steam roll over him, but it was still a little surprising to him how much he had opened up to her. He liked it actually.
She snuggled into him a little bit, his arm pressing between her soft breasts. "Good." She said and kissed his cheek.
They had yet to see Ron or Hermione so far. Hermione was undoubtedly a new Prefect and would have those duties to attend to, Harry was certain of it. He wondered who the new Gryffindor Prefect would be. He wasn't surprised that it wasn't him after all. He doubted himself or Ron would make the cut, they've been in too much trouble the past four years.
"My friends are going to be completely surprised." Harry said softly, with a touch of worry.
Millicent nodded and she reached up to cup Harry's cheek. "I'll stand by you, just don't let them bully you into their way of thinking." She said softly. She leaned in and kissed Harry's lips this time. "You do what makes you happy."
Harry nodded and lightly squeezed Millicent's hand. "I will, I promise." He said as he leaned into the seat a little bit. He had to be his own man now, more so than ever.
He wouldn't let anyone push him around anymore.
-End Chapter-
A/N: Hmm, I was originally just going to make this into a one-shot, but as it kept getting bigger and bigger I thought I'd make it a little micro-series. I don't know how long it will be, but no more than six chapters at most, I promise.
And before anyone asks, no, it won't be a Harem story. It will be strictly Harry/Millicent.