The Rescue: Chapter 4

Chapter 4

A couple of weeks after her Hogsmeade date with Harry, Fleur noticed a few small but meaningful changes. Now that she shared some meals with him and his friends at the Gryffindor table, the other Beauxbatons students began to freely migrate between the house tables. They still generally avoided the Slytherin table, not feeling welcome there, but they expanded their horizon beyond just the Ravenclaw table to include Gryffindor and even Hufflepuff.

Because of that, and the fact that the Champions were all seen being friendly with one another, the vitriol directed toward Harry had died down significantly. Students from the other houses stopped harassing him in the halls, and the vicious rumors quickly died down. Except for the Slytherins, of course, but that was to be expected.

All of this led to Fleur feeling welcome in the castle for the first time since she arrived. She no longer felt like a barely tolerated guest in an unfamiliar place. Even the requests to take her to the Ball had stopped entirely, although the young men of the castle still grumbled discontentedly amongst their friends.

But more importantly than all of that, Fleur felt happy. Every morning, she looked forward to going to the castle to meet Harry, to hold his hand, and to sneak in a few lingering kisses when their paths crossed in the halls.

During the week, Fleur got permission from her headmistress to use the Prefects’ Bath to practice for the tournament. Unfortunately, because of the increase in assignments in the lead-up to the holidays, it wasn’t until the weekend after their date that Fleur and Harry could return to what she had privately dubbed her favorite room in the castle.

Saturday evening, after dinner, they made their way to the third floor. Unbeknownst to Harry, Fleur had pulled Cedric aside that morning and quietly asked him to keep the other prefects away for the night. Even though she didn’t plan to get up to anything too inappropriate, she still didn’t want someone to wander in and interrupt them.

Entering the Prefects’ Bath, Fleur glanced back at Harry as he closed the door, smirked, and dropped her robe to the floor. She’d chosen to wear a black bikini that covered her slightly less than the blue one she’d worn last time. Harry’s eyes immediately dropped to her derriere, and his neck bobbed as he visibly swallowed. Giggling, she tested the water with her foot, and finding it the perfect temperature, she waded into the waist-deep pool.

When she looked back at Harry again, he’d already lost his robe. This time, he wore a pair of board shorts covering his thighs down to the knee. They looked brand new, and that caused her to raise an eyebrow curiously.

“When did you buy zose?” she asked.

“I didn’t,” he said. “Hermione transfigured them for me.”

Fleur hummed and smirked to herself, wondering if she could convince Hermione to make him a more revealing pair next time. It wasn’t likely, but it was fun to imagine his reaction.

“You ‘ave your wand, oui?” she asked.

“Yeah,” Harry said, drawing his wand from his waistband.

“Good. Come,” Fleur told him, waving him closer. “I’m going to teach you ze Bubblehead Charm. Wave your wand in a circle around your ‘ead, zen tap ze top, and say ze incantation spiro.”

She demonstrated the charm, and a thin, clear bubble of air appeared around her head. Nodding, Harry attempted the charm, but it popped immediately after forming. It took several attempts before he made one that lasted more than a few seconds, but even that one failed when he tried to go underwater. A few more failed attempts later, and he finally performed it well enough that he didn’t have to immediately resurface.

Smiling at his success, Fleur ducked down and joined him under the water. He smiled brightly at her, his facial features distorted slightly by the bubble, and his mouth moved. A nonsensical burble was all that reached her ears. Frowning, she pointed to her ear and shook her head. The smile never left his face as Harry shrugged and looked around in wonder.

They swam around for a couple of minutes, but the cramped space meant they couldn’t move much. It took one good stroke to make it from one side of the pool to the other. Drawing her wand, Fleur decided to test some spells. The book she’d read had warned that many of them weren’t as effective underwater. Her first spell was a simple Stunning Hex, but instead of a bright red bolt of magic, all she produced was a bubble of steaming, boiling water that made it halfway across the pool before it died out.

Watching her curiously, Harry swam up beside her and watched as she tried the Petrification Hex and a Cutting Curse, both of which performed the same as the Stunning Hex. While Fleur frowned in thought, Harry drew his wand and gave it a wave. A thick, rough rope burst from the tip at high speed but quickly lost momentum and sank to the bottom a few feet away. From his expression, it was clear the Incarcerous Hex wasn’t as effective as he’d hoped it would be. However, it did give her an idea.

Fleur cast the Arrow Conjuring Charm, which proved much more successful than their previous attempts. The arrow lanced from her wand and lightly struck the wall on the other side of the pool. Harry’s next spell, the Cannonball Hex, was even better. The heavy iron ball launched from his wand and hit the wall with enough force to crack the tiles. As she looked over at him in surprise, he mouthed what she assumed was a curse and looked at her sheepishly.

Laughing, she flicked her wand and repaired the tile, much to his relief. They tried a few other spells, but most of them were fairly useless. Fleur discovered that the Shocking Hex worked a little too well underwater, giving herself and Harry an unpleasant shock. Shortly after that, Harry tried a fire spell that produced a burning lance of boiling water that protruded a few feet from his wand.

Before they could try anything else, Harry’s Bubblehead Charm burst. He surfaced in a panic, and Fleur followed him up to find him hanging on to the edge of the poll, coughing up a lungful of water.

“Are you alright?” she asked, patting his back.

“Fine,” he said between coughs before catching his breath. “I guess I need more practice before it’ll last an hour.”

“Oh, really?” Fleur asked teasingly. “Are you sure zat isn’t an excuse to see me dressed like zis?”

Harry turned around, smiled, and ran his eyes over her body.

“Well, it certainly doesn’t hurt.”

With a laugh, Fleur pushed him onto the bench and straddled his lap. Cupping his cheeks, she pressed her lips to his softly. Harry wrapped his arms around her, pulling her flush against him as his hands caressed her bare back. She moaned and deepened their kiss, slipping her tongue between his lips. They kiss slowly and passionately while Fleur ran her hands over his muscular chest. As she ground her body against his, she felt his excitement rise up and press against her thigh.

Harry continued caressing up and down her back, his hand creeping closer and closer to her derriere with each pass until, eventually, he worked up the courage to rest it at the edge of her bottoms. Smirking against his lips, Fleur grabbed his wrists and placed them lower. Without hesitation, he gripped her bum, lightly kneading her cheeks. She moaned into his mouth and kissed him hungrily until they were both breathless.

Pulling back slightly, she buried her face in the crook of his neck and kissed his pulse point. After taking a minute to catch her breath, Fleur looked up, thinking about kissing him again, when she noticed Harry staring down. Curious, she followed his gaze and smirked. Her bikini top had slipped slightly, revealing the edge of her wide, light pink areola. As she looked back up at his face, Harry looked up at the same time and blushed when their gazes met.

He opened his mouth to speak, most likely to apologize, but Fleur stopped him by pressing a finger to his lips. Hooking that same finger under the strap of her bikini, she slowly trailed it down underneath the fabric until she reached her breast. She paused briefly before pulling the cup aside, revealing nearly the entirety of her breast, including her hard pink nipple. Harry gasped softly, and his excitement throbbed before she pinched the fabric between her fingers and tugged it back into place.

Seeing the stunned look on his face, Fleur giggled. She pressed a brief kiss to his lips, then lifted herself up and twisted to sit sideways in his lap. As she settled, she leaned against his chest and rested her head on his shoulder. Closing her eyes, she exhaled contentedly, luxuriating in their closeness. Harry wrapped his arms around her tightly and kissed her forehead softly.

Grabbing the hand on her hips, Fleur smirked as she moved it back down to her derriere and then giggled when Harry gave it a squeeze.

They stayed in the pool until their hands were severely wrinkled, alternating between heated, passionate kisses and moments filled with soft caresses and gentle cuddling. As they parted ways in the Entry Hall with one last kiss, she knew they’d both be going back to their dorms to relieve the tension.

Over the next couple of weeks, they couldn’t find the time to practice again in the pool. The professors continued to pile on homework, and now Fleur found herself with a new goal. She had to teach Harry to dance before the ball. Professor McGonagall gave them access to an unused room on the second floor to practice dance on the weekends and weekday evenings when they could spare an hour.

Harry picked up the moves surprisingly quickly. He probably only needed a week of lessons to become proficient, but Fleur insisted they continue practicing. She thoroughly enjoyed teasing him with her body, leaving him hard and wanting by the time they were done. Some would certainly call her a tease, but she was affecting herself as much as she was him, so she thought it was fair. If it wasn’t for the Silencing Charms around her private room, her classmates would have heard her crying out his name ecstatically after their meetings.

On Christmas Morning, Fleur woke early to a loud tapping on her window. Lazily climbing out of bed, she stretched and donned her robe before shuffling over to the window and throwing it open. She shivered from the bitterly cold air as a stream of owls rushed inside and landed on the bed. Closing the window behind the last one, Fleur slammed the window closed and grabbed her wand from the nightstand. With a flick, she started a roaring fire that quickly chased away the chill.

Setting her wand back down, she turned to the bed and smirked. Hedwig had made her way to the head of the line and was busy glaring the other owls into submission. She drew the owl’s attention as she chuckled and sat on the bed.

“Good morning, ma petite,” Fleur said, stroking her feathers softly. “Did ‘Arry send me a present?”

Hedwig hooted softly and held out her leg, attached to which was a small, lumpy package wrapped in colorful, animated paper. Smiling softly, she untied it and set it to the side before relieving the others of their burdens. She had planned to let the owls out after taking the packages, but she was reluctant to experience the bitterly cold air outside again so soon, and Hedwig was staring at her expectantly, so she reached for Harry’s present first.

Tearing the paper open, a silver bracelet tumbled onto the bed. Fleur picked it up, turned it over in her hand, and smiled brightly. It was a silver charm bracelet, clearly store-bought and well-made. The sole charm hanging from it, a tiny, silver, animated dragon, however, was obviously handmade. The wings were ever so slightly uneven, and the feet were a tad too large, but none of that mattered. The thought that went into it and what it represented brought a dazzling smile to Fleur’s face.

Using her wand, she clasped the bracelet around her wrist and admired it for a moment before turning to the other presents. From her parents, she received a sparkling diamond necklace and earrings that would go great with her dress robes. Her grandmother had sent her an expensive and risqué set of dark blue lingerie made of the finest Acromantula silk.

Fleur smiled as her fingers glided over the incredibly soft and smooth material. Josephine Delacour was an old-fashioned Veela who wasn’t above encouraging her granddaughter to use her heritage and looks to ensnare the man she wanted. Chuckling to herself, she set the lingerie on the bed, careful not to let it wrinkle, and turned to her other presents.

Gabrielle sent her a box of sweets and a copy of her favorite Harry Potter book, which came with a note asking if she could get him to sign it. Laughing to herself, Fleur shook her head and set it aside. Before she could start on the presents from her cousins, the owls began to grow impatient, hopping and hooting.

Quickly relieving them of their remaining packages, she climbed off of the bed, wrapped her robe tightly around herself, and opened the window. The owls streamed outside, and she slammed the window closed with a shiver. As she turned to climb back onto the bed, she noticed Hedwig was still there, watching her curiously. Smiling, Fleur reached out and stroked her feathers softly.

After she finished unwrapping the rest of her presents, which consisted of sweets, clothes, and books to help with the tournament, she left her room with Hedwig riding on her shoulder. Fleur spent half an hour talking with her friends and exchanging presents before getting dressed and heading up to the castle. As she neared the entrance, Hedwig let out a friendly hoot and took off into the air. Fleur smiled and watched her circle upwards toward the Owlery for a moment before she turned and entered the castle.

She found Harry sitting at the Gryffindor table with his friends. Taking a seat next to him, she ignored the jealous looks of his housemates and kissed him softly on the lips.

“Good morning, mon cher. Did you get your present?”

“Yeah, it’s great,” Harry beamed.

Leaning to the side, he pulled up his jumper, revealing the Dragon Hide wand holster she’d gotten him attached to his belt.

“What about yours?” he asked.

Fleur smiled and held up her wrist. The Dragon charm on her bracelet flapped its wings and opened its mouth in a silent roar.

“I love eet,” she smiled.

Cupping his cheeks, she gave him a deep, lingering kiss. When she pulled back, she hooked her arm through his and leaned against his side with a wide smile.

They spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon wandering around the castle and spending time with their friends. As the sun began to near the horizon, the girls headed back to their dorms to get ready for the Ball.

“Why do they need four hours to get ready?” Ron asked incredulously.

“You want us to look our best, non?” Fleur asked teasingly.

She laughed as his mouth snapped shut, and he blushed bright red.

“I suppose I should start getting ready as well,” Hermione sighed. “It’s going to take forever to do my hair.”

“You can come wiz us,” Fleur offered. “Marie and I can help you.”

“I don’t want to be a bother…”

“You won’t be,” Fleur insisted.

“Well, if you’re sure,” Hermione said, glancing quickly at Marie, who smiled and nodded. “Alright. Thank you. I appreciate the help, and I’m sure my date will, too.”

Ron snorted and rolled his eyes. The two had been arguing for hours. Ron didn’t believe she had a date because she wouldn’t say who it was. Frankly, Fleur thought both of them were being immature about the whole thing, but she kept her opinion to herself.

Giving Harry a kiss goodbye, they made their way to the Gryffindor dorm so Hermione could grab everything she needed for the ball before making their way back downstairs and out to the Beauxbatons carriage.

Ron might have thought four hours was excessive, but given how difficult Hermione’s bushy hair was to work with, Fleur thought it might not be long enough. Hermione, Marie, and Elise all took turns using a combination of magic and potions to make it manageable while getting ready themselves. Eventually, they coerced it from a bushy mane into a cascade of soft brown ringlets. After adding a bit of light makeup and her dress, the result was nothing short of stunning.

“And ze duckling ‘as become ze swan,” Marie declared as she led Hermione over to the mirror.

“Oh, wow,” Hermione said, staring at herself in amazement. “I can’t believe it. This is incredible.”

“You look beautiful, ‘Ermione,” Fleur smiled.

“Thank you so much,” she said, looking away from the mirror and glancing at Fleur. “I still don’t look as good as you, though.”

“Merci,” Fleur grinned, glancing at herself in the mirror.

Her flowing silver dress robes, tailored to fit her perfectly, hugged and accentuated her generous curves.

“Do you think ‘Arry will like it?”

“He’ll love it,” Hermione assured her.

“He weel love what’s under eet even more,” Elise teased.

Fleur smirked as she smoothed her hands over her robes.

“I ‘ope so,” she said. “I ‘ave been looking forward to this for weeks.”

“I know. You forgot ze Silencing Charm last night,” Marie smirked. “We could ‘ear you screaming ‘is name.”

Fleur flushed with embarrassment as she stared at her in surprise. The look on her face was enough to send her and Elise into a fit of giggles. Folding her arms over her chest, she huffed.

“You’re just jealous,” she said.

“Maybe a leetle bit,” Elise smiled.

“You really care about him, don’t you?” Hermione asked softly, staring at her intently.

“Oui,” Fleur said with a soft smile. “’E makes me ‘appy.”

Hermione stared at her for a long moment before she nodded.

“Wear your flowery perfume. He likes that more than the vanilla.”

Fleur met her gaze and smiled brightly.

“Merci.”

A few minutes before seven, they left the carriage and made their way up to the castle. As they walked inside, Fleur quickly spotted Harry in the Entrance Hall. He was talking to Cedric with his back turned to the door. When Cedric spotted them, he smiled and nodded in their direction. Harry turned around, and his jaw dropped.

“Wow,” he breathed, looking Fleur up and down as she stopped in front of him. “You look… amazing.”

“And you look very ‘andsome,” she smiled.

Kissing his cheeks, she looped her arm through his and smiled in greeting at Cedric and his date. Harry tore his eyes away from her long enough to look over at the other girls with a smile, then did a double-take.

“Bloody hell! Hermione!?” he exclaimed.

“What?” Hermione asked nervously. “Is it too much?”

“No. It’s just… wow… I almost didn’t recognize you,” he said.

“I didn’t recognize you at all,” Cedric’s date said, staring at the brunette in awe. “You look great. I love your hair.”

“Oh, thank you,” Hermione said shyly. “Fleur and her friends helped me with it.”

They talked for a couple of minutes about hair and makeup when Viktor Krum suddenly appeared. Marching straight over to Hermione, he stopped next to her, clicked his heels together, and bowed deeply while presenting her with a rose.

“Oh!” Hermione gasped in surprise. “Hello, Viktor.”

“Herm-ow-ninny,” he said, straightening up once she took the rose and offering her his arm. “You look beautiful.”

“Thank you,” she smiled, looping her arm through his. “You look very handsome.”

Fleur turned to Harry and noted his complete lack of surprise.

“You knew?” she asked curiously.

“She told me a couple of days ago,” he nodded.

Humming, Fleur nodded and leaned against his side. They made small talk with the other Champions and their dates for several minutes until Professor McGonagall arrived. She lined them up as Bagman announced their entrance. Cedric and Cho went first, followed by Viktor and Hermione, and lastly, Harry and Fleur.

Entering the Great Hall, they walked over to their table and took their seats with the headmasters and tournament organizers. Crouch was ill and had sent his assistant, Percy, in his stead. The excitable young man had tried to monopolize Harry’s time, but a quick burst of Fleur’s Allure addled him enough to leave them alone. Harry smiled gratefully as their food arrived.

The hall buzzed with excitement for the ball to begin. Fortunately, dinner was reasonably short, and soon, the Champions stood to start the ceremonial first dance. Making their way to the center of the room, they took up their positions. The music began, and they started to dance. Harry was nervous in the beginning and fumbled a couple of steps, but once he calmed down, they flowed across the dance floor.

Fleur felt the rest of the world fade away, the students joining them fading into the background as she and Harry spun around the room gracefully. Neither of them noticed when the first dance ended and the second began. Or the third. In fact, they were so last in their own little world that they only came to a stop when the band took a break.

With beaming smiles, they made their way over to the snack table for a drink, where they met Hermione, looking happy and flushed.

“This is great, isn’t it?” she asked excitedly.

“Yeah,” Harry smiled, pouring a glass of punch for Fleur before getting one for himself.

“Where’s Viktor?” Fleur asked.

“Using the Bathroom,” Hermione replied. “You two looked great out there. I guess all those dance lessons paid off.”

“I messed up in the beginning, but I think I’m getting the hang of it,” Harry smiled.

“If I could have everyone’s attention for just a moment,” Dumbledore said.

Turning, they spotted him on the stage, his voice amplified by a microphone.

“We have a little surprise for everyone tonight,” he continued. “I am pleased to introduce the Weird Sisters!”

A loud cheer went up as the Weird Sisters took to the stage and began to play.

“I love zis band,” Fleur smiled. “Are you ready to dance again?”

“Er, we didn’t practice that kind of dancing,” Harry said, watching his classmates gyrate.

“Oh, you’ll be fine,” Hermione said. “Go on. You don’t want to keep your date waiting.”

Downing his punch and setting the empty glass on the table, he nervously took Fleur’s hand and led her back out to the dance floor. With a bright smile, she pulled his body close and shimmied teasingly. Harry wrapped an arm around her waist and gradually relaxed, moving his body in time with hers.

They danced for hours, grinding and caressing each other in ways that were just shy of indecent. As the night began to wind down, so did the tempo of the music that was played. As the Weird Sisters switched to their ballads, they held each other close and swayed to the beat. Resting her head on his shoulder, Fleur kissed his neck and smiled as she felt Harry’s hands creep closer to her derriere.

Straightening up, she took his hand and pulled him out of the Great Hall. They wound their way between groups that were milling about in the halls, and she led him out into the courtyard before tugging him behind a rose bush. Pushing his back against the wall of a small alcove that left them mostly out of sight, Fleur pressed her body against his and kissed him hungrily. Harry responded by grasping her derriere possessively.

Their movements grew more passionate, and Fleur moaned when she felt his excitement against her thigh. Hot, palpable need coursed through her body and settled in her core. Reaching behind her back, she pulled down the zipper and unfastened the clasp. The front of her dress robes fell forward, revealing her dark blue bra just as she pulled back to catch her breath. Harry looked down, gazing hungrily at her vast cleavage.

Leaning her forehead against his, she grabbed his hands and placed them over her breasts. He cupped them and squeezed softly, sending a shiver through her body.

Fleur knew she was losing control. Her Allure was flaring wildly, clouding their judgment, but she just couldn’t stop. The thought that anyone could walk by and catch them only enflamed her excitement.

A moan rattled in the back of her throat as Harry squeezed and massaged her breasts firmly, his confidence growing with each passing second. Reaching for the middle of her bra, she undid the clasp, desperate to feel his bare, unhindered touch. Her breasts bounced free, and Harry was quick to push the cups out of the way. She gasped as his hot, slightly sweaty hands cupped her uncovered mounds. His warm skin was in sharp contrast to the dry, cold air that caressed her exposed skin.

Suddenly, Harry bent down and wrapped his lips around her pink, hardened nipple. Whimpering, Fleur raked her fingers through his hair and pulled him firmly against her bust. The light stubble on his cheeks tackled and scratched her sensitive skin. Her right hand snaked between their bodies, searching blindly until she found his straining bulge and stroked him through his trousers.

“’Ow dare you!”

Harry and Fleur jumped and looked toward the voice.

“Madame Maxime,” Fleur whispered harshly, scrambling to fix her robes.

“I ‘ave nevair been more insulted in my life!” Maxime yelled. “’Alf-giant? Moi? I ‘ave – I ‘ave big bones!”

“Olympe!” Hagrid yelled.

Fleur had just finished fixing her clothes as Madame Maxime stormed past them, and she was shocked to see her wiping away a tear.

“Big boned?” Hagrid asked incredulously. “Ruddy load of bullocks.”

Looking at Harry, Fleur felt torn. She had planned to take him back to the carriage for the night, but Madame Maxime had been a family friend for decades and was clearly very upset. After a long moment, she sighed.

“I’m sorry, ‘Arry,” she said. “I need to go check on my ‘eadmistress.”

“Oh, er, right,” Harry said, looking disappointed but trying to hide it. “So, I’ll see you tomorrow, then?”

“Oui,” Fleur smiled.

Kissing him passionately, she wrapped her fingers around his length and gave it a squeeze.

“We will finish zis later,” she whispered promisingly.

Releasing him before she lost control of herself again, she pecked him on the lips, turned around, and chased after Madame Maxime.