Into the Unknown

Demelza woke that morning feeling… nothing. Numb, like every emotion had been drained from her. It was a strange, unsettling thing, knowing you should be grieving or something and just not. It was even stranger looking at the people around her, the people she loved, and not feel the warm rush of affection and love.

She snuck off- not completely familiar with Susan's manor and sort of stumbling upon a balcony where she could curl up on and watch the sun rise. She didn't know how long she'd been sitting there in the cool summer morning when Luna joined her, wearing nothing but an overlarge T-shirt that went down to her knees. She sat beside her without saying a word.

Demelza knew Luna's story, how her mother had died when she was young. It'd been one of those things that had been passed endlessly around the school as an explanation for how 'weird' she was. Demelza wondered if there was a nugget of truth to that, that her mother's death had affected her and was part of why she'd struggled for so long to make friends. Then she wondered what that meant for her.

"It's a beautiful morning." Luna noted, finally.

"It is." Demelza agreed blandly.

"My mum always loved getting up early in the morning." She continued "Sometimes I'd sit out with her, watching the world wake up. It was our special thing."

Demelza didn't know how to respond to that, but Luna seemed unperturbed "I stopped for a while, after she died. I stopped doing a lot of things. It just wasn't the same without her. Nothing was."

Luna's words, so casually said, could have been calculated to strike for maximum effect. They punched through her- spilling forth everything. She let out a soft sob, and then Luna was hugging her.

"Did it get better?" It was a foolish question, Luna was here, wasn't she? Of course things got better for her.

"Eventually, I realized it was foolish to stop doing the things I loved. Life is precious, love is precious. Its why it hurts so much, but that's also why it's worth it." The clasped each other close, Luna waiting out her tears. "Its okay to feel whatever you need to feel. There were days when I was just numb, and others where I couldn't stop crying. Be kind to yourself."

"I'm kinda swinging between both of those right now." Demelza said wryly, pulling back a bit. Luna patted her shoulder, sparking a sharp pain that she couldn't hide.

Luna noticed, and narrowed her eyes- almost calculating- as she said "Dem, you're hurt?"

-----

"You didn't tell me you were hurt."

"A lot was going on."

Harry awoke blearily to Katie's fussing over Demelza. His mind was fuzzy, and he could tell that he'd been sleeping like the dead up to this point.

"Oh, sweetie, I know. Just hold still and I can…prope vulnere."

"Whasgoingon?" Harry mumbled, rubbing at his eyes to try to clear away the grogginess.

"Harry!" Katie exclaimed "Shit! Sorry for waking you up."

"Nah, its fine." Harry sat up and put on his glasses, getting a proper look at the room. Luna was sitting on the bed observing Katie as she leaned over a shirtless Demelza. He was struck by the sight of her. Alive. She was alive.

He stumbled out of bed and towards her. Demelza met him halfway and fell into his arms. "You're okay." He croaked. Just feeling her against him loosened something in his chest.

Demelza buried her face into him and sniffled "You saved me."

"'Course I did. I just…" He trailed off "I'm so, so sorry, about your parents." Demelza tightened her grip and sniffled harder. I know you feel guilty, Harry, but she doesn't need that. Hermione chimed in. I'm not trying to say your feelings are invalid, but she needs support right now. "If there's anything I can do to help you, any time, any place, I'll be there. I'll do it. I promise."

Demelza looked up at him, her tearful eyes locking onto his and whispered "Love me."

"Of course." Harry replied "I love you. I-"

"No." She shook her head and said more meaningfully "Love me." The penny dropped.

"Dem… are you sure?"

She nodded "Please." And then pressed her lips to his. After a moment of hesitation, Harry returned the kiss, cupping her cheek and probing with his tongue, provoking whimpers from her. He pulled back and wiped away her tears with his fingers. She smiled wetly, her heart in her eyes as she gazed back at him.

His hands went to her waist and back and he dipped her into bed. He wanted to cherish every inch of her skin. She was here, alive, safe and warm in his arms, he'd never let anything bad happen to her again, he vowed. Never.

"You guys want me to go?" Katie's voice interrupted Harry's reverie.

"Err…"

"No, stay." Demelza said impulsively.

"Oh, okay sweetie." Katie smiled, sitting in bed near them and stroking her hair. "I'll be here to make sure this ferocious man doesn't ravage you." She teased.

"What if I want him to ravage me?" Demelza rejoined.

"Well, then I'll be holding the whip making sure he does just that. You heard her, stud!"

Despite Demelza's talk, he had no intention of rushing this. His lips grazed hers once more before peppering kisses on her cheeks and forehead, and then more deeply kissing her jawline and neck.

While Harry was intent on going slow, Demelza was insistent, thrusting her chest and wriggling her hips against him. "Please, I want more. Take me, master." She knew exactly what she was doing, he had a hard time resisting her when she called him that.

While Harry struggled with how to respond, Luna had no such reservations. She plopped herself into bed beside Demelza- wearing nothing but one of Harry's old hand-me down shirt, and wearing it far better than he ever had. She cupped Demelza's cheek and drew her into a deep kiss before slipping her hand under her bra and shamelessly fondling the soft flesh beneath.

"Mmmh. Do you like this?" Luna asked her "Does it feel nice?" Demelza nodded. It was all too clear from the little noises she was making that she was enjoy it very much. "Good. I wanna help you feel good." Luna smiled, easily lifting the shirt off her body before diving in for another kiss.

Harry was a little surprised at just how affected he was at the display. It wasn't just the visual of it- though seeing Luna and Demelza's bodies pressed against each other as they kissed was quite a sight. He could feel Demelza yield to Luna's tongue and how her nipples pebbled in arousal, and he felt just how phenomenally turned on Luna was in that moment. After a long minute of snogging, Luna turned back to Harry with a cheeky smile that said beat that.

"You gonna let her show you up, Harry?" Katie challenged.

He was outnumbered, he realized. "Alright, you win." He relented "I thought I was the one giving the orders around here." He teased.

Demelza giggled, which turned to a gasp when Luna unlatched her bra and began to kiss and suck at her nipple. Harry pulled down Demelza's shorts and wasn't entirely surprised to see the damp patch on her panties. He began his own attack, trailing kisses up along her inner though closer and closer to her sex. Demelza was panting and moaning at the two pronged assault, spreading her legs apart for Harry, twitching her hips upward insistently. Harry chuckled and cupped her sex through her knickers, eliciting a whimper from Demelza. "So needy."

While Luna patiently explored Demelza's upper body, kissing and nibbling at her chest, shoulders, and neck, Harry slipped her panties down her legs. She was dripping. He pressed a long kiss to her sex, seeking her clit and then circling the sensitive nub with his tongue. "Oh, OH!" Demelza wailed "So good, but please. I wanna be yours. Take me."

Harry was suddenly aware that while both Luna and Demelza were naked, he was still wearing the clothes he'd worn to battle. Katie and Demelza's eyes went to him as he undressed. Katie, who'd been content to be a passive observer at this point, made a noise of frustration when he revealed his cock. Her hand had involuntarily gone to grab it, and he noted that she was shifting from side to side impatiently. They shared a look which clearly communicated her desire to him. She was next.

With a bit of playful competitiveness, Harry focused on the bond between him and Luna, pulling her 'closer' so that when he gave his cock a few teasing tugs… "Ooh!" Luna paused, shuddering "Demelza, I don't think I'm going to be of any use when Harry- Uhn!" He placed his cockhead at Demelza's entrance and ground against her, smearing her arousal along his length. Both girls were visibly affected but Harry was more composed- he was the only one of them who'd been getting any recently.

Demelza whined and couldn't help but twitch her hips into him vigorously, grinding her clit into his erection. "Uhn uhn uhn uhn."

Harry realized that she was about to cum, and intervened swiftly, pinning her hips to the bed. "Not yet, Dem. You cum when I say you cum."

Demelza was no stranger to sexual frustration, not by a long shot. There were days where that gnawing, clawing desperation was her default state. It was a sweet suffering that had an addictive quality all its own.

The instant that Harry's eyes had met hers, she knew she wanted him. His eyes held such a warmth and reverence, and she felt immediately cocooned by that warmth even before his arms made it around her. He was so hesitant with her, treating her like a porcelain doll, and while that was touching Demelza wanted more. She wanted to be consumed by the sensations that she knew he could evoke in her. She wanted him to make her his until it was all she could think about, banishing everything else, if only for a brief moment.

So, when she was at that edge and Harry pulled back, she greeted that frustration as an old friend. She let herself be consumed by it. She drank in his body- the strong arms that pinned her to the bed, his broad shoulder and firm chest and abdomen that loomed over her, his cock, jutting from his body and pressing against her pussy… her clit.

And then there was Luna, who had transitioned to pressing her entire body against hers, planting sloppy kissed at her neck. She would moan into her ear about how good she looked or felt, as often speaking from Harry's perspective as from her own. Despite her distraction, Luna was clearly helping Harry keep her at the edge, never going too far while Demelza was near the tipping point.

She honestly would have taken this for as long as Harry wished, but when he pulled back, a blazing look in his eye that told her exactly what he had planned for her, she realized she couldn't wait any more after all. "Are you ready, Dem? Do you want to cum?"

"Ooooh, yes. Please master. I've been good." She begged, or something to that effect, she wasn't quite sure.

"Oh, love. You've been more than good. You've been incredible." He brushed her cheek lovingly, the burning warmth in his eyes lighting her on fire "You've been kind, brave, and strong- stronger than anyone could be expected to be. So yes, you can cum, all you want. But first, I want to ask you something."

Demelza was honestly confused, but Harry didn't leave her hanging for long. "Bond with me. Next. I want it to be you."

She blinked away tears, but happy tears this time. "Me?"

"The moment I saw when I woke up, I knew."

Demelza nodded "Yes. Of course. Its not even, I can't even..." She babbled.

He silenced her with a soft kiss, and then told her "Relax, and enjoy this."

And then he pushed himself in. She tried to watch him- to watch his cock penetrate her- but as hot as that visual was, she was almost immediately overwhelmed. She would never get over that feeling of first penetration, of having that desperate hunger sated, that emptiness finally filled by Harry's unyielding flesh. The physical pleasure melded together with the feeling of emotional elation to form something even more potent.

"Ohmygod" Luna burst out as he slid inside "You feel so good around him." Demelza couldn't manage a response. She had nearly cum from that first thrust alone, and Harry wasn't holding back, not anymore. That first thrust was followed by a second more forceful one that had Luna cursing and arching her hips into her int time with his. No sooner had Harry built up a rhythm was Demelza coming, but he didn't let up. Not for a moment.

She knew what he was going to do now. He was going to fuck her again and again. He was going to wring every orgasm he could from her until she didn't even know her own name.

And right now… that was exactly what she wanted.

-----

As Fleur entered the dining room, she was brought back to her first year at Beauxbatons. She'd been so eager to make friends, to make a good impression, and she channeled that nervous energy into perfectionism- both in her classes and her appearance.

It hadn't gone well.

It hadn't started out so badly, her dormmates were just a little standoffish, but as the years passed and puberty struck their year, it became worse. At first Fleur thought it was simple jealousy, but it was more than that. Her fifth year had been an exercise in frustration- her hormones out in full force, her allure constantly acting out, causing the boys around her to act in embarrassing ways.

Henri had been a decent bloke, and while he'd gotten tripped up by her allure he was clearly trying his best. Fleur respected that. She might have had a crush on him, in fact. She may have been even trying to coax him into asking her out when she had learned that one of her dormmates, Julie, had taken the initiative and asked him on a date.

It was a disappointment, and that was all it would have been if she'd been normal. But of course, the next time she saw the two of them together she'd felt that flare of jealousy and her allure slipped. Henri stumbled, blushing profusely, unable to keep his eyes off her. "Fleur…" He breathed, dropping Julie's arm like it was trash.

For a brief moment, Fleur had allowed herself to bask in this, before the reality came crashing down on her. "Henri!" Julie shouted, slapping his arm.

Henri shook himself and stumbled back. "Oh my god Julie, I'm so sorry!" He apologized profusely, the distress clear in his voice. Guilt. She hadn't wanted this, she didn't want to torpedo their relationship, to cause Henri pain or embarrass him, so why was her magic doing this? Why was she doing this?

She tried to apologize, to find the words, but Julie clutched Henri's arm to her possessively and with an animal desperation she dragged him back- away from Fleur. "You stay away from him!" She shouted "Don't… don't you fucking dare!"

Fleur recognized the emotion in her eyes then. It wasn't jealousy. No, it was fear. She was afraid of Fleur, afraid that she could just snap her fingers and steal her boyfriend away from her. The reason why she was a black sheep wasn't just that the other girls were jealous of her, they felt threatened.

And as hard as Fleur tried from then on to control her allure, to the point where it had barely slipped in her last two years of school, she had never shaken that reputation.

Secretly, she was terrified of the past repeating itself. That she'd monopolize Harry's attention and alienate the others. It was unspoken, but Fleur implicitly understood the dynamic. This would never work if Harry's other partners didn't like her.

It was more than that, though. Because last night, seeing the group rally around Demelza, not just as friends, but as an adopted family, it had awoken a desire in Fleur that she had long buried.

She wanted friends.

Fleur had spent the entire morning second guessing herself. What should she wear, something casual, a little more formal? How could she avoid being too friendly, or too standoffish?

She nearly jumped at the knock at her door "Fleur?" Ginny called.

Fleur dashed to make herself partway decent, grabbing a robe and tying it closed. "Yes?"

Ginny opened they door, a gaped for a moment- a heavy blush staining her cheeks. Fleur glanced down and realized she had rather exposed more cleavage than was generally acceptable. Ginny coughed and shook herself "Ah, um, yes. Susan's cooking breakfast for us. It'll just be us, Hermione and Gabrielle for now. The others are… occupied."

"Thank you. I'll be down soon. As soon as I figure out what to wear."

"Right, well when you do… wait, are you self-conscious… about meeting them?"

"No!" Fleur protested, her pride rising up, before really broke it down. "Yes."

Ginny let out a breath, it looked for a moment like she would laugh, but she reigned the impulse in. "Right. Er, honestly, don't sweat it. We're all pretty easy to get along with."

Fleur realized this might be her one chance for some advice. Ginny was her in, out of all the girls, the one she knew the best and might be able to help her. She needed to open up. "I have a history, Ginny."

"I can guess. Lots of jealousy?"

Fleur nodded "I don't want to ruin things. I don't want anyone to feel threatened, or to hurt anyone. But my allure... makes things difficult."

Ginny smiled "The fact that you care about all this is why it'll be okay." It hadn't seemed to matter in the past, Fleur dourly noted. Ginny, seeing that she wasn't convinced, continued. "Look, I'm not saying that no one will be jealous, or that there won't be any friction. But if you really care about making it work with us, about being a good person, if you're willing to communicate and work with us, it'll work out."

"What do…" Fleur hesitated "What do they think of me?"

"Well I'm pretty sure Luna's in love." Ginny joked "Hermione knows you through the bond at least. The others… they don't know you, but everyone wants this to work."

Ginny turned to leave but stopped to say "I do recommend you change, though. I think Susan will have a conniption of another person starts walking around wearing almost nothing."

-----

"Hi Fleur, I'm Susan, its nice to properly meet you." Susan greeted her formally, holding a hand out to shake.

"Thank you for having me." Fleur returned politely "And for breakfast."

Gabrielle echoed her thanks timidly. Her poor sister looked even more stressed than Fleur felt.

"Yeah. Its delicious." Ginny agreed between bites. "I didn't know you could cook."

"Breakfast is easy." Susan demurred "I'm still learning to make a proper dinner. Any idea on when the rest will be up?"

Ginny and Hermione simultaneously blushed. "They're really into it. Probably a while." Ginny managed "Jeez, I need a cold shower now."

At this, Fleur couldn't resist her curiosity "Is that the bond, it affecting you?"

"Yes." Hermione answered, regaining her composure "We can change how close the bond is, so when Ginny and I checked in on Harry, we got a dose of what he was feeling."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry."

"Nonsense." Hermione rejected "If you're going to be in a bond, you'd better know what you're getting into beforehand. In fact, we really should give you an official primer on everything. I know Harry's told you the basics, but…" She mumbled to herself, pulling out some parchment.

"Are you really constructing a lesson plan?" Ginny teased provoking a cross look from Hermione and chuckles from Fleur and Susan.

"You didn't make a class for me." Susan mock pouted.

"Well, we didn't really know anything when you joined." Hermione replied "But I've been making progress this summer."

"Any progress on the fidelius charm?" Ginny asked seriously, giving Fleur a hint of whiplash as the mood changed from joking to serious. Fleur knew exactly how important getting that protection up was, and just how difficult and finnicky the magic was as well. What had happened to Demelza drove that point home for all of them.

Hermione frowned "No."

"Ministry's been stonewalling me." Susan grumbled. "Scrimgeour wants a bloody press appearance with Harry before he helps. Hard to manage with him locked up at Privet Drive or on the run in another country. Though now maybe…" She said speculatively, hopefully, as she realized all her roadblocks were being lifted. "We'd just need to convince Harry."

There was a beat of silence as that sunk in, before Ginny piped in "Not it!"