Love and Monster ch 6 (Patreon)

So, I actually did manage to post something else, though this for sure will be it until next saturday. Hope you guys enjoy this chapter.

....

Familiarity breeds contempt.

But it also tends to temper boiling hot rage.

Three weeks into their classes, the girls found that while most of the student body still abhorred them, they'd long since expended the effort it took to sneer and curse at them under their breaths. Things ended up at an equilibrium where they were mostly ignored.

There were many students that wanted to hex them, but cursing the creatures right after they'd arrived at the school would have caused trouble. Also, they soon noticed that whenever they were out amongst the student population, there always seemed to be a professor nearby.

It was never professir Prewett. The man was one who's simmering hatred for them had never lessened. Thankfully, the man's choice to just completely ignore their existence was fine with the Slytherins, who would take time to practice their charms work outside of class.

Unsurprisingly, Herbology was laughably easy for Lavender, who was more like a second professor than a student. Thankfully, Professor Sprout seemed to appreciate her input, and the girl and professor would find themselves in deep discussions about the nature of magical plants.

If there was one class everyone could agree on enjoying, it was Curses. Professor LeStrange had continually proven to be fair. He was a very harsh, demanding teacher, but he was equally harsh on all his students, and he did not show any signs of holding a grudge towards the girls.

“Begin!”

They were practicing their stinging hexes, and Delphi had been put up against Ernie McMillan.

During many of the previous duels, one or two of the students had still struggled with even casting the hex. Neither Ernie nor Delphi had that issue.

“Aculeo! Offendiculum! Impedimenta!”

Ernie was casting like a madman, throwing wild volleys at Delphi, who expertly contorted and slithered her way around his spells.

“Offendiculum!”

Delphi picked her spots, though her spells lacked a bit of zip as her grasp on the magic was a bit shaky. While she'd proven to be a prodigy at transfiguration, her skill with offensive magic was a bit lacking.

Still, she managed to weave herself easily enough between Ernie's spells. The boy's constant casting quickly caught up with him, leaving him tired enough for Delphi to take a good moment to aim, flick and cast a slow (but not too slow) moving stinging hex that managed to pinch Ernie in the arm.

The boy let out a little yip as the professor stepped in between them.

“McMillan, you've got the spell down, but you aim and angle of attack are pure garbage. Gaunt, put a bit more intent into that, your stinging hexes should have a lot more power to them.”

Delphi nodded respectfully. She wasn't sure why her intent wavered with these spells, when she'd been able to harness it so well for transfiguration.

Ernie, on the other hand, was fuming.

“Not exactly easy to hit her when she's slithering all about.”

Some of the Hufflepuffs gasped, glancing at Delphi fearfully, as if the girl would squeeze the life out of their fellow Hufflepuff for his words.

Delphi just remained quiet, waiting for the professor to dismiss them.

LeStrange gave Ernie a quiet snarl, “Gaunt has about six feet worth of real estate just from her tail, yet you couldn't manage to hit her once. That better be the last excuse I hear in my class, McMillan, now give me five laps.”

Ernie looked down at the floor in shame before mumbling a ‘yes sir.’

LeStrange never deducted house points, saying he found them useless. Instead, he made students run laps around the classroom for any and all infractions.

While Ernie was running his laps, Delphi dropped off the stage and Harry stepped up for his turn.

He was up against Theo.

To say that finding out Nott had been sorted into Hufflepuff surprised him was an understatement. Out of all his old classmates, Theo had seemed like the one to least be bothered about things such as loyalty and friendship.

Even now, he was still the same boy, quiet and morose, with a bored look permanently etched on his face.

“Begin!” Professor LeStrange barked.

Harry jumped to the side as he cast his stinging hex as precisely as he could manage it, always keeping his eyes on Theo's wand arm.

He wasn't going to push magic through his limbs, he hadn't done it during these classroom duels, not wanting to use any advantages against his peers.

Theo easily dodged his spell. Harry had never been paired up with him, but he'd seen him in the previous few duels, and he'd always been struck by how well he could dodge while making minimal movement. Theo never jumped or ducked or rolled like everyone else, he always chose to make only the slightest of movements.

Of course, he got caught more than enough times, and he'd drive the Professor up a wall. It had earned him by far the most laps out of all the students .

But he was good at it, and he managed to conserve energy better than anyone else, allowing him to last longer than most.

Harry had been observing Theo closely, and it became almost like a game, a puzzle to be solved.

Neither boy needed to think much about their casting, they could focus entirely on their aim as they danced around each other.

It was clumsy, but bubbling with potential. LeStrange was staring hard at them as Harry circled Theo and Theo stood in place, yet somehow continued avoid being hit.

Harry never looked away from Theo's wand hand. They were limited to three spells, all of which shot off visible jets of light, which meant that as long as Harry kept an eye on Theo's wand, he should be home free.

And that held true. Theo's minimal movement finally caught up with him as Harry timed him. Just as he saw the boy's wand stab out to cast a tripping jynx, Harry cast two stinging hexes, cutting corners in the wand movement and pumping as much intent as he could into the spell.

The spells shimmered a bit, underpowered due to Harry's rush in casting them, but his strategy worked, when Theo had finished casting his spell, he was faced with twin spells bearing down on him, one aimed directly at him and the other aimed slightly to his left.

Theo was forced to shift right, and Harry knew that, and he'd bought himself enough time to aim directly at where he knew Theo would have to be.

His tripping jynx barely managed to make Theo stumble, but it hit home all the same.

“Passable work.” That was just about the highest praise anyone not named Susan could achieve in the class.

Susan had wiped the floor with her Hufflepuff opponent, and she had rapidly become the star pupil of the class.

Just like with charms, they had all taken to practicing their casting in the common room, where none of them could really match her. But it helped bring them all closer to her level.

The bell rang, and the girls almost stampeded down to lunch.

“Finally, we're out! I'm famished.” Vulpie complained irritably.

“i could barely concentrate during that class, I was so hungry.” Fleur agreed as Harry had to work keep up with their pace.

It was close to the full moon, and the girls were feeling it.

He'd been with them plenty around this time of the month. They'd always had heightened senses and aggression when the full moon drew near, but he'd never seen it to this level. All this past week, he'd been subject to several rough bumps, nicks and scratches. The girls all seemed to be constantly sniffing him, and they were always seeking out physical contact. The girls were also perpetually hungry, and Vulpie, Susan and Delphi's tempers seemed to be on a string at times.

Apparently, them being eleven now had something to do with it, as well as being in such close quarters all the time.

Fawkes and Professor McGonagall had come to him a few days prior to show him to the room he would be using during the full moon. It was still in the section of the school that had been closed off for them, but it was on a different floor from the Slytherin Common Room.

No one had really sat down and explained to him exactly why he wasn't allowed to be near the girls during the full moon. He knew their inhibitions were lowered, but it wasn't like they turned completely feral. He was sure that the girls wouldn't hurt him.

He'd actually brought it up to Fawkes after McGonagall had left.

“Fawkes, don't you think all of this is a bit much?”

“A bit much, Harry?”

“Yeah, making me stay in a completely separate room from them, they're all acting like the girls would tear me apart.”

Fawkes bit her lip as she looked down at Harry. “Harry, you've always known about how the full moon affects many of us. Their inhibitions will be lowered, and I'm afraid that has consequences that I can't quite explain right now, at least for another year or so. I don't believe you're in any danger, but… well…”

Fawkes hadn't wanted to elaborate any further, and so, on the day of the first full moon, Harry gathered some clothes and things to spend the night over in the new room.

The day of the full moon fell on a Saturday. The girls seemed on edge all day. This was their first full moon outside of home.

On weekends, they sometimes liked to head out into the grounds. They couldn't approach the edge of the forest or the Black Lake, but the clear skies and fresh grass helped them feel more at home.

Today, they all seemed determined to be cooped up in the Common Room.

There was a tenseness in the air that hadn't existed before. No one was talking. Harry was sitting on one of the armchairs, feeling like his every movement was being watched.

In these few weeks, he'd gotten used to being in close contact with the girls, especially recently with all the bumps and brushes. Today, it was like he had cast a repelling charm on himself, they were all sitting stiffly a good distance away from him.

Harry sighed. He had his bag on the floor next to him, so he got up from his seat and slung it over his shoulder.

“You're leaving already?” Lavender squealed from across the room.

Harry wasn't surprised by how quickly all of the girl's heads snapped towards him.

“Girls, I know how hard this day is for you, and If I’m making you uncomfortable-”

“Uncomfortable? Is your head always this full of rocks, Potter? What gave you that idea?” Vulpie said in a slightly shrill voice.

“What Vulpie means to say is, your presence does not bother us.” Daphne said a bit more evenly, though Harry noted that there were breaks even in her usual monotone.

Harry laughed. “Girls, listen, I get it. This full moon is different for you guys, and having me here makes you a bit tense. I'll be back tomorrow, and everything will be fine.”

He made his way over to the portrait hole, “Now try and take it easy, I'll be fine, so just relax. See ya!”

Harry took his leave, and as the entrance swung shut behind him, the girls all visibly sagged into their seats.

Susan released a breath. “I was three seconds from pinning him down to the floor.”

Vulpie narrowed her eyes. “I would have kicked you off immediately.”

“Please.” Susan scoffed. “You think you could move me, foxy?”

“Girls, I think you should calm down.” Delphi tried to mediate.

“You know, I should have asked mum to teach me how to use the spores. Then I could have knocked you all out and had him to myself.” Lavender mused, and no one could sure if she was joking or not.

Vulpie growled at her. “He's mine!”

Daphne's eyes narrowed. “And how exactly was that decided?”

“We're all his friends.” Delphi chirped in, her voice growing a bit firmer as well.

“I’m his best friend. I'm the only reason you even know him. He's clearly marked to be mine!”

“I don't see any real marks, Vulpecula.” Susan said dangerously.

Vulpie's fur was standing on end as her violet eyes glared balefully at the others. Susan was huffing smoke from her nose, Lavender's hands deformed into vines, Daphne's cloak was beginning to ruffle and Delphi's bright yellow irises were turning a golden color behind her glasses.

“Alright, that's enough!”

Fleur's voice might not have been enough to snap the girls out of their staredown, but the intensity of her halo's light, as well as the overwhelming, almost crushing, feeling that the girl was giving off sure did the job.

It was hard to describe, it was a twist on her usual aura, and it was enough to cow the other girls, who instantly backed off from their standoff.

“I'd like to say that this is all the full moon's doing, but this has been brewing for some time. We all want Harry, we have for years now, haven't we?”

The other girls mumbled in response.

“Well, the way I see it, there are two ways we can go about it. We can fight over him, and let it tear us apart while we're stuck in a hostile environment, or we can learn to share.”

“Share?” Vulpie hissed, “He's mine! And I don't share what's mine.”

“A dragon is more than enough to satisfy her mate! She doesn't need any assistance.”

“How would you know?” Fleur retorted firmly, “None of us have witnessed it. Even in our parents day, mating was rare.”

“Mother says that it was dreadful… and not in a good way.” Daphne said, “She did it out of duty, but well…”

“We all know that story.” Delphi said, “Harry is different. It's not just my instincts that drive me to be with him, I…” She couldn't finish her words.

“Tell me, Vulpie. Are we not your friends? More than that, are we not your sisters, Susan? Would you so selfishly try to keep Harry to yourselves, knowing what the alternative would be for the rest of us?”

They all knew what the end goal was here, for them to interbreed with the wizards to help both their flagging populations. It was a thought that repulsed them, as they wanted no other wizard than Harry.

“Susan can always go for Professor LeStrange.” Lavender joked.

Susan huffed and tossed a pillow towards her, “He's a geezer. He thinks like a dragon, but he's still an old geezer. I deserve only the best.” She looked at Fleur, “But, I guess I don't want to see my comrades in distress.”

Daphne and Delphi also seemed to have become amenable to Fleur's idea. They all stared at Vulpie, who was frowning under their gaze.

“Fine.” She finally acquiesced, “But he's mine first.”

Fleur let out a sigh of relief. “Good, that went a lot smoother than I thought.”

“How will we go about this?” Daphne asked. “I posit that we slowly ease Harry into the idea, perhaps Vulpie can attempt to kiss him tomorrow.”

Vulpie flushed deeply at the thought of kissing Harry. “I-I like the sound of that.”

“Don't mess it up, Vulpie. Do you need some pointers on kissing?” Lavender asked.

“You've got as much experience as me, you pile of dirt.”

The girls devolved into arguments, though this time much more light hearted than before. It helped ease the tension of the up-coming full moon, and it helped them ease into the reality that they had just created. The thought that they could all perhaps be happy together with the wizard they loved.

…

Harry dropped his things off in his quarters and headed further up the castle. He had yet to walk these halls alone, and it left him feeling a bit vulnerable now. No one was going to hex the girls, but the wizarding boy who'd alienated himself from his people? He was fair game.

As he walked around in the upper castle, he received plenty of weird looks, but no one seemed to be too interested in starting trouble with him. They were all very aware of what tonight was, and so they all knew why Harry was alone.

He saw Draco, along with the two muggleborns he'd sponsored, making their way out into the entrance hall. Draco and the boy didn't see him, but the bushy haired girl (Hermione?) did meet his eye, and she quickly looked away.

Harry wasn't sure where he was going, he was just walking around aimlessly, exploring, though also making sure he didn't end up anywhere where he could be ambushed and cornered.

He was walking up some stairs when a stocky boy who was coming down actually called out to him.

“Ah, young Heir Potter, I've been meaning to talk to you.”

Harry made a face at ‘Heir Potter’. Last he knew, he wasn't heir to anything besides maybe Rosie's bar.

He recognized the boy from grammar school, he hadn't really been talkative back then, but had clearly changed in the past few months.

“Crabbe.” Harry nodded curtly.

Crabbe smiled magnanimously, bringing a meaty arm wide and clamping it on Harry's shoulder. Harry had to brace himself not to stumble down a few steps, though he was very well experienced with this from living around Susan.

“You can call me Vincent, Harry.” He pulled his arm back, and the two boys were standing awkwardly in the middle of the staircase, with a few other students passing by around them.

“Harry, I just want to commend you for what you're doing, the risk you're taking for the future of wizardkind, know that House Crabbe will not forget it.”

“Risk?” Harry blinked in confusion.

“Of course, I know it can't be easy, but you're pulling through. I'm sure your parents will be proud.” Crabbe nodded sagely, “I must be off, but know that in the future, I will be there if you need assistance.”

And with that, Crabbe continued to march down the stairs, leaving a completely bewildered Harry to try and make sense out of that bizarre interaction.

Harry turned to continue heading up the stairs only to bump into yet another person.

“Blaise.”

“Harry.”

Harry stepped to the side so Blaise could continue down, but it seemed that everyone was feeling talkative today.

“So, its true, you've been meeting with those creatures in secret all this time.”

“What's it to you, Blaise?”

Zabini cocked his head to the side, “You dropped us so easily, Harry. I thought we were friends, we grew up together.”

Harry hadn't been expecting that at all. He opened his mouth, ready to defend his decisions, when Blaise beat him to it.

“But you were never one of us, were you? Even when we'd play and joke around, you were always different. Always thinking about something or the other.”

“Is there a point to this? Why are you bringing this up now?”

Blaise shrugged. “I guess there isn't, really. I just had the realization. You've made your bed, Potter, I hope you're ready to lay in it.”

And with that, Blaise stomped off down the stairs.

Harry sighed, glancing up at the last few steps he had left before he reached the third floor.

Where was he even going? Why was he going up there?

Deciding he'd be better served by just spending the day reading in his room, Harry reversed course, slowly heading downstairs.

…

Primrose Parkinson awaited by the edge of her domain, watching as the dark, hooded figure floated closer, flanked by two more dementors.

Primrose hated doing this. The Acromantula had always been isolated from the rest. They had not participated in the war, despite agreeing to it being a righteous cause.

Maybe it was due to being the most ‘monstrous’ of all the sentient creatures of the forest. Of course, Lady Greengrass had long tried to change her point of view, telling her she would be readily accepted by her brethren.

But by now, her people's views had been far too entrenched.

Lady Greengrass and her followers stopped right in front of her. It would soon be nightfall, the full moon, the time when the forest was at its liveliest. She would have saved this for the next day, but she needed to inform the woman now, before they all lost their senses.

“My Queen.” Primrose adknowledge the woman.

Lady Greengrass was floating a few feet off the ground, allowing them to be face to face, or face to abyss, as it was.

Primrose cut an imposing figure. She was the largest of the acromantula, with her hairy, pointy legs spanning about ten feet each. Her matte black torso was thick and menacing, with a dark purple symbol on the back that displayed her status among her people.

She wore only a black vest, which rested lightly over her large breasts, and a thin pencil skirt over her hips, right where they fused into her spider body.

“I know this is quite irregular, but I feel that you should know. One of my girls was attacked. She returned, barely conscious. She says the only reason she was able to escape with her life was that her assailant spared her, apparently wanting her to spread fear throughout the forest.”

Primrose listened to Lady Greengrass’ response.

“The girl has a description, but it is rather chaotic. It has a sentient face, the body of a feral felid, wings of a dragon and a spiked tail.”

.  .  .

“That is upsetting. Perhaps the Phoenix knows of this creature? But it gets worse, my Queen. The creature is male… and it spoke.”

.  .  .

“She swears by it, she heard it speak. It sounds fantastical to my ears, but she is not lying.”

.  .  .

“Very well, we will wall off our domain as well.”

The Queen and her retinue floated away, and Primrose doubled back to her own people. They would not take the news well, but it was a necessity. A creature that not even the Dementor Queen was aware of, a male that could speak, that bore very bad tidings indeed, and Primrose would do all she could to ensure none of that touched her people. She needed to safeguard them, safeguard her daughter Pansy.

…

The bell rang as an aristocratic man with long, platinum-blonde hair strolled into The Three Broomsticks.

“Lord Malfoy.” Rosmerta bowed her head respectfully.

“Rosmerta.” The man nodded back. “Which one is mine?”

The barmaid pointed towards the largest booth in the pub, with several covered trays of food and flagons of juice and wine already placed on the table.

“Wonderful, thank you again, Madam.”

Rosmerta answered his smile with one of her own, though as Lucius turned his back, her smile quickly slipped off her face.

Lucius Malfoy had always been polite with her. She had no reason to hate him, beyond her general dislike for the rich and powerful or the wizarding world. But more so than the other nobles, who tended to strut around and flaunt their superiority more blatantly than Lord Malfoy did, there was something about the man that had never sat right with her.

Malfoy poured himself a glass of wine and began to take small sips. Behind the bar, Rosmerta wiped down the counter, thinking about her young ward.

Harry was writing to her once a week, and she gathered from his letters that he was enjoying both his education and being around the girls.

Rosmerta felt happy for him, but a part of her felt a small pang of jealousy. She knew it wasn't proper, but she missed her boy. Even in the last few years, where he'd been away most days, she would still have nights with him to look forward to. Now, Rosmerta felt alone. It was crazy how distant Harry felt, despite him being in the castle only a few hundred yards away.

Perhaps, she would ask him to come see her during one of the weekends in October. That would be nice. She would close down the bar, lost profits be damned, and the two could spend the afternoon laughing and eating together, just like old times.

The bell rang once more and Rosmerta put on another smile to greet the newcomers.

They were Lord Malfoy's guests. His son Draco and two other children who must have been muggleborns.

“Lord Malfoy is right over there.” Rosmerta offered helpfully as she pointed them towards the back.

The blonde boy didn't acknowledge her, he just turned and led the other boy and girl towards the back booth.

“Ah, Hermione, Dean. Please, Have a seat," Lucius gestured broadly towards the booth.

“Afternoon, Mr. Malfoy.” Hermione and Dean said in unison.

Lucius gave the two a kindly smile as Dean slid in to his left and Hermione to his right.

“Draco.”

“Father.”

Draco sat down next to Hermione, and Lucius invited them all to dig in to the food.

They ate in silence for a few moments before Lucius dabbed a napkin on his lips and spoke.

“So, tell me, how are you liking Hogwarts so far?”

“Oh, it's brilliant, Mr. Malfoy! The classes are so fascinating, and the library is a dream! Sometimes I wish I had a few days just to explore it all!”

Hermione blushed when she realized she'd been rambling on. Lucius chuckled, “That is very good to hear, Hermione. Perhaps, if your grades are up to snuff, I could look into gaining you early access to the Restricted Section.”

The bushy-haired girl's eyes lit up completely, “That would be wonderful, sir!”

“Someone with such academic drive, that is a very desirable trait. Wouldn't you agree, Draco?”

Draco jumped at his father's pointed look, his eyes falling to the table. “Yes, of course, father.”

“How about you, Dean?”

“Oh, it's been good sir. Still taking some adjusting, it still blows my mind when I see a ghost flying through a wall or something like that. It's a bit scary sometimes, to be honest.”

“Especially with those beasts walking around.” Draco grumbled under his breath. Though not at a low enough volume for Lucius to miss.

“Draco.” His father snapped, eyes narrowing as the boy paled.

“A-Apologies, father.”

The rest of the meal continued on like that, with Lucius asking the two muggle borns questions, and Draco remaining mostly silent.

Finally, when their meal was at an end, Lucius produced a galleon from his robe.

“Here, how about you two go off to Honeydukes and see if anything catches your fancy? I need to have a little father son talk with Draco.”

Dean seemed very amenable to the idea. He held his hand out and Lucius dropped the coin in his hand. The boy and a slightly hesitant Hermione said their goodbyes and left the two of them alone at the table.

Lucius waved his wand and a privacy bubble formed around their booth. Lucius then turned to glare at his son.

“I must say, I am quite disappointed, Draco.”

The blonde boy tried his best not to look fearful at his father's words. “What do you mean, father?”

“I have told you time and again not to show your heart on your sleeve, and yet the way you're comporting yourself, I'm sure you've professed your hatred for that inhuman scum for all the castle to hear.”

Draco's cheeks tinted red. “What does it matter, father? Everyone else hates those creatures too.”

“You are not part of that rabble, Draco, you're a Malfoy.”

“We're Gryffindors, aren't we? We're supposed to be bold and brave!” The boy exclaimed with more than a bit of frustration.

His energy quickly fizzled when he saw l

His father's deathly gaze.

“A word of advice, dear son. Bravery can only get you so far, while a little bit of cunning goes a long way. Don't get so wrapped up in the trappings of your house that you forget what our ultimate goal is. Understood?”

Draco glared down at the table, “Yes, father.”

Lucius nodded. “Now, have you made the preparations?”

Draco looked up, this time with something akin to excitement, “Yes. Flint will set off the dung bomb.”

Lucius smirked. “Perfect, and you've extracted an oath from him?”

Draco nodded in response. It had been difficult to do, forcing the older boy to swear an oath, but the idea of finally getting revenge on Potter had proved to be too enticing for Marcus.

“Good, good. Then hopefully, by tomorrow morning, all of this will be a moot point.”

“Father, if I may ask something?”

“Go ahead.”

“What guarantees us that Potter will return to his Common room? What if he just finds a professor and they find him another room?”

“Fret not about that, Draco, I have that well and taken care of.”

…

Fabian Prewett moved silently through the abandoned halls of Hogwarts, through the section that they had commandeered.

He was a charms master for a reason, but he also respected Dumbledore's power. He didn't rely on a mere disillusionment charm, using instead the invisibility cloak that Lucius had so graciously lent him.

His steps were silenced and his scent was masked as he approached the entrance to the Slytherin Common Room.

Every fiber in his being wanted for him to enter that room and massacre the monsters that lay inside. Massacre them like they had massacred his once fruitful and large family.

They had mercilessly killed their way on down, all the way to his newborn niece. What was a gaggle of eleven year olds compared to that? Especially when they were heartless little monsters.

But the bloody oath he'd been forced to swear prevented him from taking out his revenge as he saw fit. Fabian would gladly die if it meant he took them out with him, but the oath prevented him from even beginning to attept to hurt the brats.

No, there was nothing he could do to hurt them, but there was a loophole that he could exploit.

After all, not even Albus could have anticipated a wizard being sorted into the den of monsters.

Fabian felt no sympathy for the Potter boy. He disrespected his parent's memory every moment he jaunted around with those things, acting as if they were truly his friends.

He had betrayed his own people, and now he would have to be sacrificed.

Fabian slowly dismantled the wards that had been placed over the door, ensuring that when the boy returned to his Common Room, he would be able to enter. And neither Dumbledore nor the Phoenix would be any the wiser.

His work done here, he quickly made his way up the stairs.

He was at the boy's door now, and this was much quicker work. He didn't need to dismantle anything. Lucius had said he'd take care of getting the boy out of the room. Fabian had provided him with the password and left it in his hands.

All he needed to do was weave a strong compulsion charm. One that ensured the boy would return to his common room, was keyed specifically to him (so that whoever Lucius sent down to lure the boy out wouldn't be affected), and would fade without a trace once triggered.

All child's play for a charms master.

He set up the charm, and once he'd double checked his work, he sent one last hateful look towards the doorway before making his way up the stairs.

…

Earlier that day…

“It's getting close to that time.” Lavender said while she fiddled with her flower skirt.

After they'd made their decision on Harry, things had settled into their usual friendly banter for a few hours, but as nightfall drew nearer, the tenseness seeped in once more.

“I think we should retire before dark, allow us to get settled in.” Daphne offered.

“Agreed.” Fleur said, hopping off her seat.

Susan snapped her fingers. “We should have told Harry to bring us breakfast when he came in tomorrow. It's going to be a pain to go up to the Great Hall.”

“Lesson learned for next time,” Delphi said with a smile.

Five of the six girls made their way up the stairs. They all decided itd be best to keep as much distance as possible between each other for tonight. Luckily for them, the Common Room had several floors, one for each year group, which meant each girl could have a floor to herself.

Vulpie looked on as her friends disappeared from view. She had won their impromptu game of chance, and so she got to stay on the first floor.

She turned around, making straight for her door. Her hand was held out, mere inches away from the doorknob, when a sudden thought struck her, a very enticing, very exhilarating thought.

Harry's room was right there, unoccupied, and it smelled so damn good.

It was an impulse that she gladly let take over her. She giggled as she thanked magic that the others hadn't considered the fact that Vulpie would have access to Harry's room.

The kitsune turned the knob and opened the door, letting herself in as she took in a deep, shuddering breath.

…

Harry was trying his best to do some of his Charms homework. Professor Prewett hadn't proven to be a fair grader when it came to them, so he wasn't putting too much effort into it. He was basically just scratching away until he reached the required length. If he was going to receive a P no matter what, there was no point in trying.

He was so engrossed in his half-assed work, he didn't hear the door to his quarters creak open. It was only when he heard something clatter against the floor that he jumped from his seat. He swiped his wand from his desk, turning around with a stinging-hex already on his lips.

Then, there was a loud puff as a cloud of greenish smoke filled the room.

Harry coughed, closing his eyes as the putrid stench filled his nostrils and made tears begin to fall involuntarily.

Fucking dungbomb.

He was very familiar with the wizarding child's favorite prank object, and he knew that the longer he stayed in the room, the worse he'd stink.

And so, he sprinted out of there, managing to snap the door shut before much of the putrid smoke wafted its way out of the room.

“Well, that's bloody brilliant.” Harry cursed, wondering how someone had gotten the password to this room.

Either way, he would need to find someplace else to sleep, and clean this stench off himself.

The latter was a quick matter to resolve. With a wave of his wand and a muttered ‘Scourgify’, Harry was able to erase the strong odor that had latched onto him.

Harry thanked the thousands of times he'd seen Rosie perform that charm around the pub, allowing him to get it right on his first try.

That done, Harry took a step, wondering where exactly he should go now. He knew Fawkes was likely in the forest, which meant he should go see McGonagall-

Or just go back to his room. That seemed like a good idea too.

Harry didn't question the thought at all. Mostly because of the compulsion charm, but also because deep down, a part of him did want to return to the Slytherin dorms.

A part of him yearned to see what fate would befall him there.

He slinked his way down the dungeons, down to the dorms.

He whispered the password, slipping into the common room.

It was empty and dark, with all the torches unlit.

Now that he was here, Harry tried to be as quiet as he could manage while he tiptoed over to his room. He didn't want to disturb any of the girls, who he was sure were not having the best of nights in their rooms.

He reached his door and glanced at Vulpie's for a moment, strange thoughts forming in his head.

He found himself quite tempted to go into her room. His conscious mind was telling him that he just wanted to check up on his best friend. His unconscious mind was a jumble that he couldn't hope to decipher.

In the end, he shook off those thoughts and turned the knob to his room.

There was an overwhelming smell. Just like the dungbomb earlier, this smell assaulted his nose, almost making him snap his head back due to just how powerful it was.

But where the dungbomb had been a wholly unpleasant, terrible stench, this one was different. It was… funky, musky, thick and very sweet yet bitter. It was like molasses mixed with something spicy, something that left his sinuses burning.

His eyes rolled to the back of his head as he found himself intoxicated, feeling as if his body could float all the way to the source of that sweet nectar.

When the rest of his senses caught up, he got the full picture. He heard the light pants and gasps. He was familiar with that voice, so familiar, and yet, hearing it in this context sent thrills down his spine.

And then his eyes focused on what was right in front of him. The most amazing sight he had ever witnessed.

Vulpie was naked, her perfection on full display right in front of him. Her tight, pale body, her perky little breasts, her soft, round bum, her fluffy tail, raised high up in the air and fully puffed up, her ears sharp and pinned back.

And she was up against his headboard, grinding her sopping wet pussy up against his pillow. The pillow was beyond damp, and the different wet spots around the bed let Harry know she hadn't gotten started just now.

He was rooted to the spot. He was hyper aware of just how painfully hard his cock was as he watched his friend turn around, now facing him as she rubbed her bum and pussy up against his pillow some more.

Then, Vulpie opened her eyes.

They had never looked like this. They looked almost burning in their brightness, not glowing yet somehow appearing on the verge of doing so. Her sharp nails were sunken into the mattress, and as she took him in, her mouth slowly opened, showing off her sharp canines.

Harry didn't feel scared. He felt absolutely exhilarated. The tension was thick enough Harry thought he might have trouble breathing, and yet he found that he didn't care.

Vulpie's eye twitched.

She reared back against the headboard, and in one quick movement, she leapt at Harry.