Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

HP and DR: A Matrimony Made For Peace	By : Rago_Dragovian Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female Views: 4459 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter series. It is not for profit.

Chapter List
- 6
- 7
Harry felt his heart clench and felt as if bile was rising within him as he looked down at the headline on the Daily Prophet. He scanned the article and he felt as if his chest constrict.
A birthday celebration for a Black family attacked by neo-Nazis suspected to be working for Grindelwald. Seven adult men and women lynched alive at an activity and arcade center meant for children. The parents had booked the venue for their daughter's birthday and invited close family. thought Harry, reading the article. A wave of anger coursing through him. His teeth barred and his hand on the newspaper crumpling it after forming into a fist. The three surviving children lashed by a whip and the 6-year old birthday girl repeatedly raped by what eyewitnesses report were several older men with Nazi tattoos in muggle and wizard clothes. Aurors investigating the scene concluded it was the work of neo-Nazi muggles and wizards working in tandem. The swastika and slur words were burned on the walls of the establishment. Aurors were forced to do a memory wipe to avoid a Muggle panic. To keep the information quiet; the Muggle authorities agreed to have them believe a car crash killed the family, the establishment was promptly closed, and the rape victim was memory wiped and put into foster care without any professional help over the trauma that she suffered . . . all just to keep the Magical world's existence quiet and prevent a mass panic. Two of the reported perpetrators matched the descriptions of Nazis under Grindelwald who had fled into hiding and hadn't been seen in decades before now.
Harry let out an aggravated sigh before getting ready for class. The disturbing details of the news article echoing across the Hogwarts rumor mill for the entire day. A sense of hopelessness overtaking his thoughts.
I hate being a useless bystander to these tragedies . . .
Evening Time
Delphini perked up from her seat in the library. She spotted Harry coming towards her with an unreadable expression on his visage.
"Hello, love!" said Delphini in a cheerful tone, she smiled at him. "How are you doing today? I was just reading my favorite muggle American novel. Is something troubling you?"
"Hello," replied Harry, his shoulders slouched. "In all honesty, a few things have been bothering me. Primarily the news article today. What happened was horrific . . ."
"Have a seat, This isn't easy for me to say . . . and please understand that I don't mean this lightly . . ." said Delphini, gesturing to the chair in front of her. Harry sighed but pulled up the chair and sat upon it. Delphini regarded him with a serious expression. "Horrific events occur, people suffer egregious injustices, innocent people die, and it can feel overwhelming and terrifying; it can deplete one's hope for a better world and our will to do anything because we feel like helpless bystanders to human tragedy. When possible, you should try to focus on what you can do, and sometimes you can't do contribute anything positive to make a situation better. Being rational about a situation instead of allowing emotional pain to overwhelm you can be the best antidote for such inner suffering, it doesn't mean that you don't care or that you wish anyone harm. Being rational about the situation just means you look to what you can do from the standpoint of where you are in a society. Seeking out an effective means to contribute positively can often be the best choice."
"That helped a bit, but not much," said Harry, shaking his head. He held a far off look as he thought over the article's contents. "There's nothing I can do, and the little girl was oblivated just to keep our society a secret. It makes me wonder how often horrific events like this went on."
"It depends on how readily the perpetrators are caught and how much of the evidence is kept preserved in storage," said Delphini, her expression hardening. "Once they have the perpetrator in custody, then they can put them on trial and then prison."
Harry snorted. "And I'm sure it also depends on how deep the pockets are for some of these families or their connections to key Ministry figures."
Delphini's lips curled downward, after some hesitation, she nodded. "Fortunately, that won't be the case with the perpetrators of that heinous crime. They've created a major issue with the Muggle government and two of the perpetrators have been wanted for decades. They won't be able to weasel their way out of life imprisonment for that disgusting atrocity."
The heaviness and stabbing sensation in Harry's chest eased slightly. Delphini felt the tension ease in her body.
"If you wish to help, you could sign the second proposition and work with us to create a taskforce to root out the neo-Nazis," said Delphini, giving Harry a devilish smirk. "That is an option that you can take. It would help prevent any further heinous atrocities all the quicker. What I'm suggesting isn't easy, but it is an option open to you."
Harry scowled and folded his arms. "You're just trying to manipulate me to do what you want. Sorry, but I'm not about to just keel over and be your obedient pawn."
"I never said that you were a pawn," replied Delphini in a clipped tone. How do I make him accept the second proposition? I will get your compliance, Harry. I'll make you see that accepting my proposal is for your own benefit. "And you can think of it as manipulation, but don't pretend that your interests aren't being met from this arrangement. Even now, you don't have to fear any attacks from Death Eaters. Does that not show my commitment to our union?"
"I'm not sure what you're really after, I see no reason to trust this agreement." said Harry, his eyes narrowed. "And complete submission? You really expect me to just accept all of this?"
"Oh, I have full confidence that you'll come to accept the terms," said Delphini, her eyes twinkling as she smirked at him. "You don't have to trust my word for it; Madame Bones, the Goblins, and the Unspeakables all agreed that the contract is ironclad. There are no loopholes for us to exploit. Once you sign it, everyone that we both love and cherish will be protected and we'll avert war. Nobody will have to die, think about what that means. Ron is currently worried about losing family, he won't have to live in fear about losing any family once the document is signed. Many children on both sides won't have to worry about never seeing their parents again, their tensions will be put to rest and they can live happy lives. Hermione let slip during the month I was working to make a new spell with her, that she has seriously considered oblivating her parents and putting them in a different country to keep them safe. She won't have to oblivate her parents memory of her for the sake of their safety. Everybody who matters to us wins."
"You're basically forcing me into a situation where you can justify raping me!" blurted out Harry, his tone venomous. They both paused and stared at each other. Harry frowned and Delphini's eyes flashed but neither spoke a word.
Should I apologize? thought Harry, scowling at her. That's arguably what this ridiculous situation is.
How fucking dare he! thought Delphini, glaring at him. She stilled and thought over what to say. One more remark like that and maybe I will quit putting up all this effort for his sake. Maybe I was wrong about him, after all . . . No, no, relax. This is just the initial pushback. I will get my way. He will submit to me!
"I don't mean to sound . . . harsh," said Harry, he let out a frustrated sigh. "but you're clearly trying to force this situation on me and I don't really know if I can trust the contract, even with all that you've said. I don't know how to feel about it either."
"If you ever imply or call me a rapist again," said Delphini, her tone terse and cold. Her eyes blazing as she gave him a loathsome look. "I'll quit the contract and you can go explain to your loved ones why they suddenly have to fear for their lives again. Understand me?"
Harry still held the scowl but nodded. "I . . . my words were poorly chosen." A pause. "I'm sorry for saying that but . . . my consent in this is basically moot."
"Well, maybe I just don't care about your consent!" snapped Delphini scowling at him. Another awkward pause ensued between them. Delphini sat in silence and leaned back on her chair. "Let's set this conversation aside for the first date, the news article has taken its toll on both of us and I'd rather we not fight out of frustration and helplessness. Is that alright with you?"
Harry shot her a glare, but his facial features soon loosened. He nodded at her and unfolded his arms. Delphini smiled and nodded back. That was such a stupid comment to say, I need to be more prepared and firm on what I want out of this matrimonial relationship. He must learn to accept. I don't want to sound scripted . . . but I have to be more firm and concise with my expectations of him so that he gets my meaning. How to break the awkward tension?
"About your eyes . . ." began Harry. He frowned at her.
Delphini raised a delicate eyebrow. "My eyes? What about them?"
"They turned a deep pink during the Christmas meeting," said Harry, his eyes narrowing. "The only time I've seen anything like that is your father's diary having his eyes turn red because he wanted to kill me."
"Ah, I see," said Delphini, she nodded in understanding. "The eye color change is actually a genetic trait passed down from Salazar Slytherin. It's different for each person. For Salazar, it's reported that his eyes turned red when he was intensely focused on a task. For my father, it use to be when he felt livid or intensely hateful towards something or someone before his physical changes. For me . . . my eyes change to hot pink instead of red because of the mix of my father and mother's eye colors."
"And what do you usually feel when your eye color changes?" questioned Harry, his eyes narrowing.
Delphini gave him an impish smile. "My eye color changes to hot pink when I feel intensely aroused. In that particular case, I was thinking of you and I on our future honeymoon with you giving all of yourself over to me."
Harry's cheeks flushed pink and Delphini's smile widened. Her eyes turning a shade pink and staring at him with precise focus as she smiled. Harry blushed further from the intensity of her eye contact but he didn't avert his gaze. Delphini and Harry both felt their respective heartbeats quicken.
"Want to hear a passage from my favorite American Muggle novel?" asked Delphini quickly. A sinister smile still on her lips.
Harry shrugged. "Sure, what's the name of the book and what's it about?"
"Invisible Man, it was written by a famous Black author named Ralph Ellison. The book is an old US classic and somewhat known as a cultural icon of US history." said Delphini, her eyes shining. "Interesting bit of history, he fell in love with another famous US writer and nearly divorced his wife to be with her, but in the end chose not to out of fear. He was afraid that he would be killed, perhaps even lynched, for pursuing the love of his life - who was a white woman. It's tragic, but he allowed the racial prejudices of his generation to define his life. We often hear about those who break the prejudices of society, perhaps even die for the freedom to act on their beliefs. We hardly ever focus on the stories of how people feel defined by their society, which is what his book is about, or about individuals who suffered for society's expectations and had to live with the consequences without the freedom to move forward for a better life. That was the tragedy of his life. He allowed fear and his self-pity for being a Black man to define his life so he stayed in his loveless, but safe, marriage to his black wife. His white lover, feeling deeply hurt and betrayed after a cacophony of letters arguing about the issue, moved on from the fallout with him. She eventually fell in love with and went on to marry another man - a white man. Regardless of whether she loved that other man or not though, he was clearly the safer choice for her too. It's amazing, and tragic, how people allow themselves to be defined by their societies and sometimes it's without being consciously aware of it."
Harry blinked. She seems to really fancy this novel.
"Er . . . so, the novel?" said Harry.
"Think of this reading as . . . a foretelling of our future," She said. Harry's eyes narrowed as he gazed at her with confusion on his visage. Delphini smiled and raised the book up slightly. Her eyes flicked to him and then back to the page. Harry felt a shiver up his spine and Delphini licked her lips before starting to read. "I almost wet my pants."
Harry's right eye twitched, his eyes widened, and he gaped at her. "What?!"
Delphini continued reading, a devilish smile on her lips. "A sea of faces, some hostile, some amused, ringed around us, and in the center, facing us, stood a magnificent blonde— stark naked."
Harry's jaw felt as if it would drop to the floor. His eyes widened like saucers. "Oh, what the bloody - !"
Delphini ignored his outburst and continued reading. A satisfied expression on her visage.
"There was dead silence. I felt a blast of cold air chill me. I tried to back away, but they were behind me and around me. Some of the boys stood with lowered heads, trembling. I felt a wave of irrational guilt and fear. My teeth chattered, my skin turned to goose flesh, my knees knocked. Yet I was strongly attracted and looked in spite of myself. Had the price of looking been blindness, I would have looked."
Harry's cheeks flushed crimson and he glared at her. Delphini's smile widened.
Her eyes flicked towards him with a hungry expression. Her grey eyes had noticeably changed to the mostly hot pinkish color with a grey hue. She maintained eye contact with his green eyes as she spoke the next passage from the book. Her visage filled with unvarnished lust shown by the hot pink of her eyes as she spoke each word with a satisfied smile.
"The hair was yellow like that of a circus kewpie doll, the face heavily powdered and rouged, as though to form an abstract mask, the eyes hollow and smeared a cool blue, the color of a baboon’s butt. I felt a desire to spit upon her as my eyes brushed slowly over her body. Her breasts were firm and round as the domes of East Indian temples, and I stood so close as to see the fine skin texture and beads of pearly perspiration glistening like dew around the pink and erected buds of her nipples. I wanted at one and the same time to run from the room, to sink through the floor, or go to her and cover her from my eyes and the eyes of the others with my body; to feel the soft thighs, to caress her and destroy her, to love her and murder her, to hide from her, and yet to stroke where below the small American flag tattooed upon her belly her thighs formed a capital V. I had a notion that of all in the room she saw only me with her impersonal eyes."
Harry abruptly stood from his seat and glared at her. The angry effect was lost due to his cheeks visibly flushed bright pink. Delphini's smile remained and she leaned back in her seat to position herself more comfortably on her chair.
"I think I've had heard enough for one day," said Harry, his tone attempted to sound terse but faltered. Instead, his tone seemed weak. "I'm leaving. Thanks for sharing, I suppose."
"Are you embarrassed from some light reading?" said Delphini, "Don't be. Why feel embarrassed by your own arousal to images evoked in your mind . . . or by flirtatious actions conducted by a consenting fiancée?"
She promptly put one leg after another onto the table in between them. She had worn a skirt today and Harry's eyes looked upon the table to see her place one bare leg atop the other. Her shoes and socks were left abandoned beneath the library desk. Her feet and legs were bare. Harry could make out the smooth pink skin of the bottom of her feet and he felt his nether regions harden as he gawked at her creamy, alabaster legs.
Harry's face turned beet red and he raised his both hands in the air. "I'm leaving now. Take care."
"Oh, darling~" said Delphini in a sing-song voice. Harry grit his teeth and scowled at her. Delphini's smile didn't waver. "I've scheduled our first date at quite the luxurious Magical restaurant. Please be sure to purchase a new set of dress robes that are appropriate for such formal outings. Be outside the Slytherin House portrait by noon this Saturday."
"Do you really believe this charade of a date will change my mind?" asked Harry, his eyes narrowing. He crossed his arms. "Don't expect me to just kneel and submit to you just because you say so."
Delphini's smile tightened and she paused for a few moments. Her eyes moved to gaze directly at Harry's green eyes. "Oh? We will discuss the matter during our first official date. But as to the matter of my expectations . . . you will come to accept my terms and willfully give your entire being to me. Your place in society is with me and you will give me what I want. There is no ulterior motive when I say that. And consider the following, my love. What Dumbledore wants is for you to drop dead in front of my father, what I want is to be the mother of your children. In what bizarre moral paradigm should I be labeled the evil decision and Dumbledore the good choice? Evidently, sending you off to die is heroic because of self-sacrifice but the moment you might gain the option of a peaceful existence, then you should only view me as harboring nefarious intent so that you can send yourself off to be murdered, is that it? Or, perhaps, you have to label me as evil to make the choice to pursue mass violence seem meaningful?"
Harry frowned. "Well . . . it's hard for me to believe that there isn't foul play at work here. Voldemort's wanted me dead since before I was born."
"It isn't my father choosing this path, he gave me full discretion. I may have had his help, but the decision-making was all my responsibility." said Delphini, her expression firm. "I have faith in you, my love. I have full confidence that you will submit and prove yourself worthy."
Harry bit back a growl, he turned around, and hastily made his way out of the library. Delphini shook her head and sighed before resuming her re-reading of Invisible Man. I'll finish this chapter up quickly and then it's onto the chapter with the philanthropist meeting the incestuous farmer.
Delphini kept reading for approximately forty minutes. She was snapped out of her reading from the sound of someone loudly clearing their throat. Delphini looked up from her book to see Hermione Granger standing a bit away from the table she was occupying.
"Hello Delphini," said Hermione, her cheeks flushed a shade of pink. Her eyebrows knotted. "Er . . . what are you doing?"
Delphini's eyes widened. Oh shit! I still have my feet up on the table!
Delphini quickly moved her feet off the table and firmly planted them on the floor. She looked down and felt a blush creep onto her cheeks. Delphini took a deep breath before turning to face Hermione.
"S-sorry . . . that was embarrassing," said Delphini, shaking her head to herself. She looked Hermione directly in the eyes. "This may sound . . . that is . . . I was . . . I was trying to seduce your best friend."
Hermione's eyes widened and her jaw clenched. "Ron?"
Delphini gaped at her and then scrunched her nose in disgust. "Fuck no! Why the fuck would I ever want him?!"
Hermione froze, she scowled, and opened her mouth to retort but then stopped. Her visage slackened and the expression on her face remained calm. "Right, of course. You obviously meant Harry."
Delphini smiled and nodded. "Yes, obviously. I have no attraction at all to Ron and I don't see the appeal."
Hermione flushed and then sighed. "May I sit down?"
Delphini nodded and Hermione plopped herself across from her. Delphini began putting her shoes and socks back on. She pointed her wand where her feet had been and cast a silent scourgify.
"There, all clean," said Delphini, as she turned her body to face Hermione and moved her seat closer. "So don't go off to Madam Pince about any behavior problems."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Will that even work? I've heard you've been allowed this section of the library for your exclusive use and that you're allowed to cast charms here to keep away any unwanted visitors thanks to the Ministry. They're afraid that you'll be attacked because who your parents are, from what I've heard?"
"Even so, I still need to maintain proper decorum and prove I'm trustworthy to even use the library like every other student," said Delphini, after nodding to Hermione's question. "I'm not terribly worried about attacks. Everyone in the school knows how powerful I am, thanks to the dueling club, so the vast majority should be wary of pissing me off."
Hermione nodded again. Delphini quickly picked up her book and tucked it into her schoolbag.
"Is that book a favorite of yours?" asked Hermione. "Invisible Man, right?"
"One of my favorites, yes," said Delphini, she turned back to Hermione after adjusting her bag to lean on her seat. "I take it that Harry informed you and Ron about what occurred before the Christmas holiday after I made my announcement?"
Hermione nodded. "Yes, there was no reason to hide it at that point, was there? Both of us became very vocal with Harry about what had been going on and we practically demanded answers."
Delphini smiled. "You're not afraid?"
"I try not to judge people based upon their family members," said Hermione, the Gryffindor shrugged her shoulders. "To be honest, I'm not sure how to feel about the whole situation. A lot of the information was too much to take in. I had no idea about the Muggle-born Nazi extremists and I feel ashamed of being so ignorant for so long. You clearly care for Harry and you're providing a doorway out of a terrifying three-way war and I have to take that into objective consideration."
"Did he tell you about Dumbledore's plans for him before I made the propositions?" questioned Delphini, raising an eyebrow. Hermione's eyebrows narrowed and she shook her head. Delphini smirked at the look of confusion on Hermione's visage. "He intended to have Harry present himself to my father to be killed as a sacrifice."
Hermione inhaled sharply. "That . . . that's a joke in poor taste."
Delphini shook her head slightly. "It's not a lie. Dumbledore wants Harry to offer himself as a sacrifice to end the war and he's counting on Harry's selfless nature to do it."
"Harry's saving people thing . . ." said Hermione, she frowned. Delphini chuckled at Hermione's description of Harry's selflessness. "Well . . . I'll ask Harry myself and see what he has to say. Sorry, but that's hard for me to believe."
Delphini nodded, her smirk widening. "Please do." Delphini tilted her head. Think of a less stressful topic.
"Hermione, do you have a favorite book?" asked Delphini.
"The Dhammapada," said Hermione, "Although, I'm not really a Buddhist and only a beginner at really understanding the religion. I did enjoy reading it because it helped ease the pain after I grew apart from Christianity. As ashamed as I am to say this, Christianity just isn't an inclusive religion and I didn't realize how negative the basis for the theology was until I considered the implications of a specific quote from the Dhammapada."
"What do you mean?"
"The idea that you should be born guilty and need to reform as a sinner for events that happened before you were born," said Hermione, her eyes moved to the ceiling and a far away expression overtook her visage. "And, the idea of a God centuries ago sacrificing himself to break his own ethical code didn't really make sense to me from any logical standpoint. I read some of the passages . . . and he did advocate violence. He wasn't peaceful by any means. He said that he came to bring a sword. He openly says that mass violence and death would happen by spreading his faith and it's always under the pernicious idea that anyone who doesn't agree that Jesus is God is deceiving themselves, or selfish, or a liar, or evil. So, no matter what ethics a non-Christian follows, they evidently don't deserve respect or should be demeaned as evil. The concept of people keeping beliefs to themselves is just a modern idea that probably grew as a backlash to the intolerant mindset of ancient Christians and even the golden rule is just a teaching that espouses people shouldn't bother each other."
"If you want my view, I don't see how this self-stylized God was anything but an arrogant narcissist," said Delphini, a smile adorning her features. "He claimed everyone needed to believe in him and anyone who disagreed gets sentenced to hell for the crime of independent thought. All other gods are falsehoods made by Satan according to this arrogant narcissist. The most arrogant preaching of all, in my view, was the teaching that the only way to heaven was through Jesus Christ."
Hermione gave her a quizzical look. "How so?"
"Because no matter what, you're viewed as deceived or morally repugnant for not accepting Jesus Christ as savior," said Delphini, shaking her head. A look of utter disgust on her visage. "I fail to see how a man who declares himself God and the Son of God was being meek and mild. Declaring oneself a God is the epitome of the hubris that Christians themselves lament so much."
"Yeah, I never realized how rubbish it was until I applied logic to it two years back. You need to worship a man who died before you were ever born so that he takes all of your accountability for your actions away, any time you do wrong then you can pray to him and have your sins taken away so you can keep on hurting others and forgiving yourself over and over with no need to ever change your behavior. It's not a good ethical system at all." said Hermione, she sighed and shook her head. "Reading the Dhammapada helped me realize that. Specifically this one quote; By oneself the evil is done, by oneself one suffers; by oneself evil is left undone, by oneself one is purified. Purity and impurity belong to oneself, no one can purify another. A lot of Europeans like to believe that Christianity and Buddhism are similar and peaceful, but Christianity's ethical foundation is antithetical to Buddhist teachings. Buddhism is about holding accountability for oneself, Christianity preaches that all of your accountability is forgivable so long as you worship an ancient wise man as God. The purpose and meaning of the teachings are in direct contrast. Maybe that's why Buddhism seems more peaceful to me."
"That's not the entire truth, there is apparently a more divine conceptualization of the Buddha filled with ideas similar to sin regarding the theistic slant of Buddhist teachings." said Delphini, Hermione's eyes widened and she made eye contact with Delphini's grey eyes. "Honestly, it's all just crap to me. A way for people to tell themselves how morally good they are while demonizing and criticizing everybody else as evil or stupid. That's all religion has ever brought the majority of the world in my opinion."
"I wouldn't go that far . . ." said Hermione, "but I will admit that the more modernized we become, the less appealing and important religion seems to be. People in the muggle world argue that science and religion are in direct contrast and at odds. That isn't the entire truth; religion seems to be at war with modernity, not just science."
A comfortable silence descended between them. Both young women lost in their own thoughts on the matter of religion.
Hermione spoke up. "What about your parents? What are their feelings about religion? My parents are devout Christians but they're perfectly comfortable with letting me explore my own religious faith, or lack thereof."
"Much like wizards and witches in general, my family celebrate magic and deify ancient wizards and witches like Merlin or the Hogwarts founders." said Delphini shrugging, "it's a lost concept for the Muggle world. But wizards and witches of Europe inherited the concept of deifying the dead from ancient Rome. Eastern wizarding cultures have similar beliefs like with ancient Chinese traditions. Essentially, the dead wizards and witches become recognized as Gods and Goddesses. It's a shame that the tradition contributed to blood supremacy ideals though."
Delphini noted the somber expression on Hermione's visage and used legilimency to slip into her thoughts for a brief moment. Ah, so that's what is bothering her . . .
"So I hear Ron got back together with Lavender," said Delphini, giving Hermione a thin smile. Hermione froze at the change of subject. "and you know the current circumstances between Harry and I. Have you found anyone you would like to date?"
"I don't think I've found anyone that I fancy . . ." said Hermione, her tone devoid of cheer. She sighed. "Actually . . . I was really happy when Ron broke-up with Lavender. More happy than I expected to be, I had hoped that he and I could get together but I feel like I ruined my chances by leaving the Weasleys so early in the Christmas holiday."
"There are plenty of fish in the sea."
"I'm not so sure . . ."
Delphini suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. "There are approximately five billion, close to six billion, people in the world as of now. I'm sure there is someone out there for you. In fact, if you recall, plenty of young men at Hogwarts - even in Slytherin - would be willing to date you."
"I'm not sure if anyone here at Hogwarts would actually want to do that. I've been called know-it-all for such a long time and maybe those guys in Slytherin were just being friendly." said Hermione, shrugging. "Also, I'm very doubtful that people raised with a blood purity mentality would agree to go out with me."
"Not everybody in Slytherin is like that," said Delphini, she took out a large book from her schoolbag and placed it upon the table between them. "In fact, I've been looking through possible suitors before choosing Harry, and I think I have just the match for you. Provided you're interested and willing to try out a pureblood courting."
"Courting? You mean for an arranged marriage?" snapped Hermione, her eyes narrowed and she shot Delphini a skeptical look. "I'm not about that. I don't agree with such antiquated ideas."
"It is not the same as in ancient times. Women have a choice now and one of the primary conditions can be finding mutual love like it was for me." said Delphini, she gave Hermione a stern gaze and then gave her a smile. "Think about the positives too. You could be bridging the gap of cultures, purebloods would have a more difficult time dismissing you under their stupid blood purist ideals, and to be frank, you would be the perfect candidate for this type of arrangement. You could help build alliances for your goal of working with the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and perhaps even reach your dream of becoming Minister of Magic all the faster."
"That's . . . a lot to consider," said Hermione, she frowned at Delphini. "but . . . if it's like what you mentioned, then I wouldn't be . . . adverse to trying it for fun. Not for any future goals, but rather to see if I can have an enjoyable time. I doubt any of the Slytherins would actually want to date me though."
"Well, we can try to set you up with someone and I think I have the perfect candidate for you," said Delphini, smiling at Hermione. "Regardless of who you choose from this arrangement, if you find yourself fully embracing it, then we can use this in the future to have my family give you full political support and even network into better job opportunities."
"That honestly sounds like corrupt politics to me," said Hermione, shaking her head. She raised her hand in a placating gesture. "I didn't mean to offend you by saying that . . ."
"No offense taken," said Delphini, rolling her eyes. "You can see it as corrupt or you can view it as cultural differences. Networking is a part of just about every job industry, even in the muggle world. The Magical British community has a heavily biased slant for purebloods, but I think we can break that. If it doesn't work out, then at least we can say that we made an honest effort."
Hermione nodded. She sat frozen in her seat. "That sounds . . . acceptable. I'll just see where it goes and if I like it."
Delphini took note of Hermione's stilled posture as the Slytherin took out a folder from her large book. "It's okay to feel nervous, but keep in mind that the prospective candidate will be feeling just as nervous. You don't have to feel like you have to impress them or act like a pureblood to get them to like you. No pressure, it'll just be for fun."
Hermione relaxed her shoulders and smiled at Delphini. "Alright, who is the candidate?"
Delphini handed the folder to Hermione and Hermione opened it. Delphini smirked as she noticed Hermione's eyes widen.
It'll be interesting to see how they act around each other without any House prejudices being a prominent factor.
Saturday
Noon
Delphini finished adjusting her dress and the magic mirror smiled back at her. Delphini nodded in satisfaction of her appearance before heading down the common room stairs. Remember, remain consistent, be direct in what my expectations for our relationship are, and be firm about my priorities. Show him your confidence and be tactful with your words. I can't just give him the silent treatment and expect this to work out on its own. Relationships take work and I will find a way to make him understand that he is mine. I believe that I can do this.
Delphini took a deep breath, straightened her posture, and exited the portrait hole to see Harry waiting outside. A smile adorned her features and her eyes came alight as she looked over the finely crafted dress robes that he wore.
"Hello, you're looking quite ravishing," said Delphini, her cheeks tinged at her own bold statement. Harry blushed but smiled back. Delphini's posture eased. "Ready to go?"
"Hi, and yes," said Harry, he sighed. "Let's get this over with."
Delphini frowned but nodded in response. She took out the portkey, a small pen, from one of her dress pockets. Harry grabbed on to one end and they found themselves jolted through to one of the finest Magical British restaurants, the eccentrically named Pasta Wiz. Harry's eyes widened as he looked around the luxurious establishment with its esoteric drapes, diamond and gold embroidered tables, floating chandeliers, and fine cutlery.
A waiter quickly came up to them and ushered them to their seats. He quickly handed them their menus before leaving.
I can't believe I'm doing this . . .thought Harry, as he took a seat opposite his "date" and tried not to frown. Delphini smiled as she looked directly at his eyes before looking back at the menu that she picked up. Harry grabbed the menu on his side and began skimming the contents.
"Oh, don't be that way, Harry," said Delphini, in a sickly yet melodic voice. Harry couldn't believe such a contradistinction could exist in someone's tone. He looked over to her to see that she had stopped looking at the menu and was staring at him. "Let's just sit and chat."
Harry prepared to respond and then scowled. "Did you just read my thoughts?"
Delphini grinned. "Of course, I did. I need to respond accordingly."
"Get out of my head . . ." hissed Harry, glaring at the blonde opposite of him.
Delphini put the menu down on the table and put her elbows on the table. She interlaced her fingers and rested her chin on them. Her smile never leaving her visage. To Harry, it looked predatory, as if she was playing with her food.
"Or what?" questioned Delphini.
"Pardon?" blurted Harry, scowling. What is she trying to say? Is she going to hurt me or one of my friends?
Delphini was gazing into his eyes, she had no doubt read his surface thoughts. Her smile widened. "What are you going to do to me, if I refuse to stop reading your mind?"
"I'm not going to attack you or try to hurt you," said Harry, frowning. "I'm not like that."
Delphini briefly sneered in amusement before slowly shaking her head as if dismissing the thought. "I know you would never do that, Harry. You would never purposefully hurt anyone; not even someone you consider evil like me unless I did something to warrant it like hurting a friend of yours."
Harry's frown deepened. He stared at Delphini and blinked. What is she playing at?
"I just meant . . ." Harry stopped midsentence. Delphini's eyes seemed to gleam. "that I would . . . leave . . . that's all."
"Leave?" said Delphini, she snorted and seemed to suppress a chuckle. "No, you won't."
"What?" Harry said. His eyes narrowing.
"You won't leave," said Delphini, her voice with a tone of confidence. "Not now, and not ever. You'll never leave me. You're mine. You feel these 'dates' are a charade and that I'm simply stroking my ego, but that's not what I'm doing. I'm giving you the option to be more comfortable around me, I'm giving you adequate breathing room and freedom to accept the fact that you are now my property. You need time to adjust to your new position and believe me, I will get my way, your consent is optional. I want you to accept your new reality at an adequate comfort level so that our time together will make us both happy."
Harry rose up with his fingers clenched and his eyes shooting daggers at her. The menu was forgotten on the table and Harry stood trembling as his face turned a shade puce.
"I could just leave . . ." said Harry, in a measured tone stopping himself from outright yelling at her. "There's nothing you can do to stop me . . . ! Nothing! I can leave . . . I should leave . . . I'm not going to just let you decide what my life will be!"
"Sit down, Harry," said Delphini in a cheerful tone. Harry now recognized the command for what it was. She was ordering him. She thinks of me as some sort of pet!
Begrudgingly, Harry sat down heavily on the chair but kept glaring at her. Delphini chuckled. "A pet? Don't be so crass. I didn't mean that I owned you, my darling. I meant that you're mine and I am yours. You will always be an equal in our matrimonial partnership, but that partnership is happening. You aren't allowed to leave or cheat on me with another woman, but that condition applies to the expectations of all marriages. Of course, I would never cheat on you. I'll be your loyal wife until my dying day. You will have me all to yourself."
"Hard to believe this is an equal partnership, if I can't have any say on the partnership being made," said Harry, What is all this? And what's all this "my love" business? "that's completely hypocritical of you."
"I don't really care about hypocrisy or if I'm insulted for it over and over. The word has no meaning to me. It's just a way of being judged by other people's values that I don't agree with and don't live by." said Delphini, shrugging her shoulders. She took a pitcher of water and poured it into her wine glass with one hand. The other hand still resting beneath her chin in a fist. "I'm just trying to be as fair to you as possible, while still pursuing my self-interests. I want you to be happy with me but I will never accept your departure."
"How are you so certain that I'll just do what you want me to do?" said Harry, he moved his chair closer. Harry took the pitcher and poured it into his own glass. "I could just walk out of here, if I feel enough is enough."
"Of course I am certain, I always get what I want. What I want is you. Ergo, you now belong to me and nothing will ever change that. Engagements, rings, parties, matrimony ceremonies . . . they're just transitory activities. Established protocols meant to convey a message of acceptance for the outside world to acknowledge our union . . ." She said, before sipping her water. Her eyes never wavering from him. Harry felt a light flush in his neck and quickly tried to cool himself with his glass of water. "I won't consider my gambit a success until you ram your hard cock into my pussy and cum deep inside me whilst I scream your name."
Harry spat out the water and coughed violently as he stared aghast at Delphini. Delphini leaned back in her chair and sipped her water in total nonchalance to her crass and flirtatious words. She looked smug at Harry's reaction and moved her free hand to absently tap the wood on the table. The image of him pounding into a naked Delphini in soaked bed sheets came to mind. Delphini's smile widened.
"You see that image in your mind?" said Delphini, Harry choked as he realized that she had seen his thoughts. "That's precisely what I want you to do to me. As I said, you'll have me all to yourself, always. And, I will always have you. All you have to do is submit to me. Doesn't that prospect sound lovely?"
Harry snorted. "And after you're finished getting an Heir from House Potter, you'll just off me and teach the child about what a poor, dumb bloke their father was before moving on to whatever the next step of Voldemort's plan is."
Delphini's posture straightened and she scowled at him. Harry's lips twitched upward and he continued scowling back. Delphini set her cup down and regarded him. "If you submit to my proposal, I will never intentionally harm you. If you accept, I will do my utmost to love, care for, and help you as best I can with my own ability. I would never manipulate or hurt my own child, I may introduce tough love, but I would never harm my child. I'd love my child, as all good parents should. I would never ever conduct abuse of the sort either of us went through. We're both better than that."
"And if your father is just manipulating you so that he can kill me?" asked Harry. His tone was even and measured.
"He's not. He can be cruel and manipulative to others, but he would never do that to me." said Delphini, her tone brooking no room for argument. They stared each other down. "but if he did, if he truly did that, I would fight alongside you. I would fight for you and . . . if nothing else, I would die beside you. I admit, that sounds like a bunch of crap because he's far more powerful than I and I depend on his resources, but if he killed you while I wasn't around and I found out about it later, then I would be willing to join Dumbledore, if my father ever did that. Of course, that's never going to happen, because my father will never do that. That may sound flimsy to you, but believe me when I say that I know him better than you do. Submit to me and he will never harm your loved ones, at the very least, the contract guarantees that."
"I don't think I can ever bring myself to believe that," said Harry, his scowl deepening. Her eyes narrowed further. "He killed my parents, every time I'm near a Dementor I can hear my mother's pleas before he killed her, and he deceived me into trying to get the prophecy and it got my godfather killed. He used my love for my godfather against me. He killed Cedric Diggory, a good friend of mine. He's nothing but a monster who manipulates, hurts, and murders people for a racist agenda."
Delphini's visage seemed to become angrier as Harry spoke. Her nose scrunched, her eyebrows narrowed, her eyes fixed on his face with a red tinge, and her hand on the table was balled in a fist. Harry relaxed in his seat. I am not sorry, every word of it was true.
Delphini made to stand but then sat back down midway. She took several calming breathes and gave him a withering look. "I . . . can give you Pettigrew. The Dark Mark prevents people from calling in life debts but as an heir of Slytherin, having the same blood as my father, I can override the blood magic protections and give him to you on a silver platter. I can send him to the Ministry to be held accountable for his crimes."
Harry set the glass of water on the table and crossed his arms. "I want Bellatrix Lestrange as well."
"No!" snapped Delphini glaring at him. Harry glared right back.
"She killed Sirius!" snarled Harry, moving closer to the table. "He was like a father and brother to me!"
Delphini moved closer to the table too. "She's my mother! I love her dearly and I've had few opportunities to be around her! I'm not about to send my mother to be kissed!"
Harry suppressed the urge to growl and sat straight on his chair. "So what was that about equality for this partnership?"
"I . . . that is . . ." Delphini blinked a few times and leaned back on her chair. She looked like a deer caught in headlights. Harry shook his head. Delphini seemed to be thinking a mile a minute. ". . . giving you Pettigrew could possibly give closure to the Diggory family, don't you think they deserve that?"
"And what about Neville's family?" said Harry, "or my godfather? Let me guess, it's Pettigrew or nothing, right?"
Delphini flinched. Harry shook his head again. He moved his arms onto the armrests. Why am I not surprised?
"I . . . I'm sorry, but . . ." Delphini shook her head. She gave him a pleading look. "I can't do that to my own mother. I can't. I love her too much to ever do such a horrible thing. I just . . . I know that sounds like crap but . . . I can't. I can easily get you Pettigrew, but I don't think I can manage anyone else and . . . I refuse to ever do that to my mother."
Harry scowled. Yeah, of course, I'm the villain for wanting justice for my dead godfather.
"I never said that," replied Delphini quickly, Harry folded his arms. "You have every right to hate my mother and father, but I believe we can still make it work. I want you to be with me. We'll have differences, maybe we'll fight, maybe we'll fight a lot, but I must have you. You're the only one I want."
"Why?" asked Harry.
Silence ensued for several moments. Delphini's features softened until she stared at him with a smirk. Their eyes met. Her heart fluttered and Harry felt his heart skip a beat at her lustful gaze. "I love you."
Harry's eyes widened and his brain tried to process what he was just told. His mouth hung agape. "You . . . what?! Why? What could I have possibly done? Don't you think it's just some random crush? We haven't known each other for long. I . . . I've had a crush that I thought was love until I had a bad break-up with Cho Chang. It's not uncommon."
"Oh no, it's definitely real," said Delphini smirking back at him. She seemed entirely serious. "I am deeply in love with you. I want you so bad . . . I know most people think love is mutual, but unrequited love is still love in my mind. I need you. Nobody else is good enough for me. . I had to prove myself right, though."
She briefly gazed at the window with a wistful expression. Harry remained silent. Delphini turned back to gaze upon him with a dreamy expression. She licked her lips.
"So, I created this situation to in order to prove myself right about my feelings. If you accept and submit to me, then my judgment was correct and we were meant for each other. If you refuse, then I was simply deluding myself." said Delphini, an air of pride on her tone. Harry blinked. "I have complete faith in you . . . in our love. If it hasn't blossomed yet, then it surely will in the future."
That's it! Enough with these games! This is more than I can bloody take! thought Harry, he furiously rose from his seat. His hands clenched and his eyes fixed on a scowl. I'm not going to have my life toyed with like I'm some bloody farm animal! This isn't right or fair to me!
Delphini momentarily froze and seemed hurt by his angry response but then she took another deep breath and smiled. She looked Harry straight in the eyes and gestured to his seat with her right hand. "Sit down, my love. There's no need for this bad temperament. It's getting us nowhere. You are mine, you will submit to me, you and I will grow to love each other, and we're going to have beautiful children together. The bad temper that you're displaying means nothing, you and I both know it. You'll eventually sign the marriage contract. You would never walk out on the proposal. Accept my boundless love for you and let us get to know more about each other."
Harry's body shook on the spot. He stood rooted and felt wave after wave of anger corrode his body as he stared at Delphini's confident smirk. Finally, his body relaxed and he collapsed onto the chair. He rubbed his temples and glared at Delphini's smirking visage. Harry sighed and then spoke. "Why me? Is it the fame? My close relationship with Dumbledore? The history between Voldemort and I? The prophecy? Our spats in school? Just . . . why?"
Delphini's posture seemed to substantially relax and she moved back to intertwining her fingers to prop her chin on the table. A big smile on her beautiful visage, her eyes gleaming. The tension between them was gone and Harry relaxed his body in response to her happy composure. The gleaming in her eyes reminded Harry of Dumbledore's unsettling twinkling eyes. Sitting down meant submitting to her. They both realized that.
"For the same reason why you just sat down," said Delphini, Harry frowned at the smug look on her face. "if you really don't want to marry me and make me the mother of your children, why did you just sit down?"
Harry scowled at her. "Because . . . I care about my friends and those that supported me are like family to me. I love them and accepting this deal will mean they can live happily without worrying about war and losing people like I have."
"Precisely, my love," said Delphini, grinning at him. Harry sighed. "You're the type of person who would march to his own death, if it meant protecting everyone that you loved. I believe Hermione called it a 'saving people thing' to describe the lengths you'll go to protect what you love. You'll fight my father, Lord Slytherin's Basilisk, Dementors, my father's subordinates, and you'll unthinkingly put yourself in danger innumerable times to save all that you love. The less they're involved, even should it put far more danger upon you, the better for the sake of your own goal of protecting them from harm. You don't think twice about it, it's just who you are as a person."
Harry blinked. "So what? Anyone would . . ."
Delphini shook her head. "Most would panic and freeze out of fear. And let's face it, you and I both did a cost-benefit analysis on the proposal. Yes, you would have to sacrifice yourself - in a manner of speaking - for your loved ones. The cost wouldn't be your life though, just your freedom to choose your spouse. As soon as you heard the contract, you may have been furious, but you knew you had to agree to it."
A sparkle gleamed in her eyes. Reminding Harry again of its similarities to Dumbledore's unnerving twinkling.
"I knew you would never back out of the proposal once you heard its contents. You would never put your personal happiness over your loved ones. My father never could understand how love could be a powerful source of strength, but I did and I assume Dumbledore was counting upon your heroism to be the useful instrument necessary for my father's downfall. Snape believed it was blind luck, but he was a fool who overcompensated on his hatred of your father which he pushed upon you to make himself ignore your selfless qualities because they reminded him of someone he loved and lost." said Delphini, "but I'm different from all of them. I understood why. If you rejected my proposal, you would betray who you are, you would betray your own sense of self. It's why I told them to emphasize the peace agreement was ironclad, there is no deceit. Once you submit to me, everyone you love will be safe. You would never refuse my proposal because you would subject everyone you love into danger for your own personal happiness. Hermione would have to brainwash her own parents to protect them, the Weasleys are highly likely to be targets and it is probable that a member or two of their family will be lost even if you won the war, you would be making children into orphans for no good reason because the entire war is now completely avoidable, you would feel a profound sense of guilt and view it as a self-centered act if you walked away from a credible peace negotiation that was mutually favorable, and fact is, even if you think the wizarding world are full of morons, you would never wish death upon any of them, especially if you could help stop it. You are selfless, compassionate, and loving. That's your power; that's the power my father doesn't understand to be anything but a dependency for others to exploit. You would be willing to die for everyone."
"Plenty of people are willing to do that," said Harry, he refrained from rolling his eyes. "you may think I'm unique, but I'm not. All of my friends are just as selfless. So is everyone in the Order. I don't feel like that's really something to celebrate."
"But very few would ever stop their godfather and their uncle in all but blood from killing Pettigrew when you had the chance," said Delphini, Harry froze and his eyes widened. "Not even Neville Longbottom would pass up that opportunity if it was my mother or one of the Lestrange brothers. That act took true compassion. You may have used an unforgivable on my mother, but her plan was to goad you in order to beat you and even then you didn't have enough hatred in you to torture her. Do you realize that very few, if anyone else, would have failed at the torture curse under those conditions, especially considering the personal hate that you must have felt? Perhaps there are more people like you, but they are indeed rare to find and I'm not sure how many of them could be so consistent, as you are."
She moved her face closer. "I love that about you. I love all of that about you. Truly, you are everything I could possibly want. You don't care about my blood status, you don't care about my wealth, you don't see me as a possible trophy to secure a place with my father, you have no fear of either me or my father, you wouldn't ever breach the contract for a personal vendetta against my mother or the other Death Eaters, you find me sexually attractive, and you would never seek to manipulate or use me for purposes that have nothing to do with my self-interests. We're also a lot alike, more than you realize. We would both do everything in our power to get exactly what we want. For you, it's protecting and caring for your loved ones because you are selfless. I feel the same for mine but I do it because I want them to be exactly where I want them, I do everything I can for them because I am selfish. You would put your life goals in jeopardy to protect your loved ones, I would do the same unless the other person was proving to be a complete detriment from ignoring my wishes or denigrating me - no longer showing they care for me. You, on the other hand, would protect them regardless of that. You would never willingly jeopardize their welfare and safety, so I know that you will protect and cherish any children we have together. I know you will never back out, because you would never risk dooming the lives of loved ones for your own personal welfare. That's exactly why I love you and must have you. You have no idea how much your compassion for others means to me, how much I cherish who you are as a person. But once it's set, I will prove under no uncertain terms how much I love you and that you are mine."
Harry gaped and blushed crimson at the inconspicuous lust and passion in Delphini's visage. She's not having me on . . . she means every word.
The waitress finally arrived and took their orders. A silence descended between the two of them that paradoxically felt both strained and comfortable for the pair. Once their food arrived, they ate quietly and finished without a word spoken between them. The cuisine's delicious food being savored by the both of them. They soon ordered dessert and after their desserts were placed upon their tables, Delphini broached a subject.
"These new circumstances aren't entirely a detriment to you," said Delphini, scooping a bit of her ice cream before popping it in her mouth with her metal spoon. Harry raised an eyebrow. Once Delphini finished savoring the ice cream and swallowed, she continued. Grey eyes meeting green. "Before this newfound situation, you never had a choice to the extent that Dumbledore purposefully withheld the information of using you as a human sacrifice, even after you found out there was a prophecy. But now, with our tenuous compromise, you hold all of the power."
"What?" said Harry, gawking at her. His eyes narrowing. "What d'you mean? All you've done guilt me into marrying you by threatening a three-way war."
Delphini's lips twitched before she licked the frosting off her spoon. She licked her lips and smiled at him. "Thanks to the manipulations of daddy and I, Dumbledore's hold on you is temporarily broken. You have a choice between marrying me and bringing peace or denying me and starting a war that will worsen an already terrifying situation to add more innocent bloodshed. Your choice determines who lives and who dies. You may consider that immoral, but Dumbledore made the same choices when he kept the existence of a prophecy from you."
Harry froze. Dumbledore did say that hiding the prophecy caused nameless, faceless people to die on account of keeping the secret from me until the end of fifth year.
"Do you recall what you said to me at the Hogs Head? You mentioned that people were always hurting you throughout your life. You never had a choice and nobody was able to or tried to stop the abuse from your relatives, nobody stopped the negligence and hate against you within Hogwarts, and Dumbledore is always keeping secrets from you." said Delphini, "The pain you suffered was because you were always left in a state of perpetual helplessness. So, I created a scenario in which your actions determine the welfare of others."
Delphini's facial features changed to a serious expression. "It's easy to complain, perhaps even justifiably so, when a person doesn't hold all the power. It's far different when you have to take on the responsibility of power yourself. There is no good and evil, only power and those too weak to seek it."
"Oh, that is rubb-!"
"Because . . ." said Delphini, Harry quieted and scowled at her. Delphini smiled and continued. "Good and evil is determined by those who hold the power. What is empowering to some can often be detrimental to others. Economics and politics are examples of this. Abortion versus the right to life, economic prosperity building a strong middle class for one nation-state while simultaneously depreciating the middle class of another nation-state due to loss of job opportunities, performing euthanasia for an old person requesting an end to the suffering from a terminal illness; regardless of where you stand on these social issues, the opposing side doesn't disagree with you because they view themselves as evil and the side you're part of isn't harboring evil intent. Everyone believes themselves to be acting on good faith or tell themselves that they're mostly good people. Good and evil are absolutist dichotomies that are insufficient and too simplistic as concepts to be of meaningful value on mundane examples that I just listed."
Harry remained silent. Delphini leaned back in her chair to gaze upon his face. "You have a choice, Harry. You now hold the power and your choice will determine the life and death of innumerable people that you'll never meet and won't remember. Regardless of which you choose; you'll be making a judgment call on what you believe to be the necessary choice, and either choice could be called the morally good choice, even if denying my proposal brings more bloodshed to the world. You can continue to side with Dumbledore's Greater Good and fight a guerilla war with three factions or you can submit to me so that the two strongest sides will root out the Nazis together while forging a peaceful, albeit uneasy, coexistence."
"Why do this at all?" questioned Harry, shaking his head. "Why not just stipulate that I had to marry you?"
"Having an illusion of choice, even when there is no meaningful choice beyond self-destruction, can engender feeling a sense of freedom and contentment. Dumbledore knew that and he planned to force that upon you." said Delphini, "So I turned that around, the choice you have is between the normalized state of affairs - the status quo of Us versus Them - or a new foundation motivated by maintaining peace among all of us to root out the true threat of the Nazis. You could argue that it's not really a choice, but that is a judgment based upon who you are as a person. All you have to do is prove to me that you're mine and submit your entire being to me."
Harry sighed and leaned back on his chair. "I will admit . . . I do like you and I enjoy your company. I can't deny that what you've said has merit. Dumbledore probably wants me to sacrifice myself, but why do I always have to be the one controlled? Dumbledore, the Ministry, even your father's motivation to kill me, and now you, everyone is just trying to control me for their own ends. I may like you, but I'm not sure about the domineering personality of yours."
"You're omitting a crucial aspect of that. Yes, people use and abuse each other, but if the relationship is symbiotic instead of parasitic, then why should the relationship be considered wrong?" said Delphini, she raised a delicate eyebrow. Harry frowned. "Do a cost-benefit analysis on each of those relationships; the Ministry wanted you to remain silent about my father's return, and then sought to use you as a propaganda tool while never acknowledging their slander and ridicule of you last year. Dumbledore believes you should accept a death wish, you lose everything by choosing him."
Delphini paused letting her words sink in. Harry's visage had crumpled to a forlorn expression. She took a swipe of her ice cream and popped it into her mouth. She licked her lips and used a napkin to clean her mouth.
"As for me? I've made my intentions clear," said Delphini, smiling suggestively at him. Her eyes held undisguised yearning. "I don't want you for your fame and I am staunchly opposed to your death. I want you to accept the fact that you're mine and submit to me. Those other two groups, the Order and the Ministry, prioritize the stability of Magical Britain above your welfare; if it were requested by my father, they would laud your death as good for everyone. For me, the welfare of our society is secondary to achieving my goals, my primary concern is keeping my loved ones alive and safe. You've already been through too much needless pain, but through my mercy, I've given you a doorway to true salvation. I want you, Harry. I want your future to be bright and happy as the husband I've chosen once I take the mantle of Lady Slytherin to reignite the dynasty."
Harry felt a twitch in his pants and a fluttering in his heart. Despite that, he gave Delphini a look of suspicion. His eyes narrowed and his mouth still frowning at her.
"I'm afraid that doesn't make much sense," said Harry, pointedly vocalizing his distrust. Delphini's eyebrows knotted and she frowned at him. "We've only known each other for a few months. You're just suddenly in love with me? Sorry, darling, but I'm skeptical and I would say rightly so. I want to know exactly what brought you to the conclusion that you're randomly in love with me and just why I should believe you."
Harry's lips twitched upward at being able to rebuff her with sarcasm. Delphini sighed and interlaced her fingers to place her chin on them. She looked him in the eyes. "I suppose your skepticism is warranted. Well, my daddy wanted me to continue the legacy of the Slytherin dynasty as a contingency. Pureblood politics are all about working to further the future of the family House; for noble families like Nott, Malfoy, and Slytherin, that can mean having an arranged marriage. However, it isn't like ye olde times where children didn't have any say on who they would wed, especially not like how it use to be for women. The people set to wed will have several months time to court each other to see whether they're a good fit or not. I knew of these expectations and grew accustomed to what that meant through my Aunt Narcissa's teachings when I was growing up. I feel it's only fair, given how much my Uncle and Aunt have done for me. My parents expect this of me too and I want both of my parents to be proud of me, but they're willing to modulate the family plans for my sake. My only demand was that I have to genuinely come to love the person, my parents expected that I would have to look at international suitors since nobody at Hogwarts could meet my standards . . . except you. After a few of our conversations, I decided that you are the only one worth my time as a potential life partner despite the odds, and I know I'm right. So, I've chosen you and now you're mine, all you have to do is accept my judgment and submit to me."
Harry felt an eye twitch and then he sighed. "I should have spent more time in the library when I was younger or maybe talked more with Neville about Magical society. So much lost opportunity . . ."
Delphini gave him a serene smile. "Everybody has those moments. The best we can do is learn from our mistakes and work to improve what we want to do in life."
Harry nodded. The two of them finished their deserts and after paying for the food, they left the restaurant. Using the portkey assigned to them, the pair were pulled to stand right outside the Slytherin dorms. Harry and Delphini stared at each other in silence for a few moments. Delphini's cheeks tinged pink and Harry looked around awkwardly.
"Harry . . ." said Delphini, her voice breathless. Her cheeks turning redder with each word. "Would you . . . do you think . . .?"
Harry moved forward and tilted his head. They averted bumping heads, both of them closed their eyes and leaned forward. Harry felt the soft taste of her lips upon his and felt her tongue demanding entrance while licking on his lips. Harry relented and opened his mouth. He tasted the ice cream flavor of vanilla and chocolate. Delphini tasted the strawberry desert that Harry had eaten. Their tongues battled each other for dominance and Delphini let out a squeak of enjoyment from giggling as they snogged for the first time. Harry allowed himself to lower his guard and enjoy the sensations.
Finally, they broke apart to catch their breaths. Delphini giggled and Harry couldn't help the stupid grin that was probably on his visage.
"That was awesome," said Delphini, smiling at him. "I think we made a lot of headway and I definitely enjoyed myself on our first official date."
"It was nice," admitted Harry, nodding to her. His cheeks tinged pink as well. "I'm still unsure about this plan of yours and to be frank, I don't know what to believe because this situation feels so surreal, but tonight was nice."
Delphini nodded. "All in due time, I suppose. I'm well aware that you need time to adjust. Goodnight, my darling."
Harry suppressed the urge to roll his eyes and smiled at her. "Goodnight, Delphini."
Delphini said the password within Harry's earshot and stepped through the portrait hole. Harry trekked back to Gryffindor House. The smile still on his lips.
Why did I let myself do that? thought Harry, he sighed and his expression became more somber as he walked in the darkness. He felt a twinge in his heart. Probably because . . . Dumbledore's right, love is a powerful emotion. It's nice to feel loved and it's certainly better than feeling lonely or empty. I never thought I would meet a woman who actively made an effort to spend time with me. I didn't think I could enjoy a date after how disastrous last year's date with Cho went and I guess I was too embarrassed to risk it again until forced into the situation.
Harry spoke the password to the Fat Lady and walked through the Gryffindor portrait hole. His mind solely focused on analyzing his date with Delphini Riddle.
The Next Morning
Harry felt a spike of anger for a moment and then felt it abate. Replacing his anger was a suffocating sense of helplessness as the negative news overwhelmed him. He thought over the contents of the Daily Prophet's headline article after he had finished reading.
A small gathering for a Bat Mitzvah at a local synagogue was attacked by Grindelwald's Neo-Nazi supporters. The Jewish victims were dismembered and their body parts hung on the wall in various odd ways to spell Hitler's surname. Their blood was used to paint various swastika designs and racial epithets on the walls of the synagogue. The Torah was defecated upon and the severed bodily remains that weren't nailed to the walls were also defecated upon. The lone survivor of the slaughter, the 12-year old girl that the religious celebration was meant for, was repeatedly raped by three perpetrators. One of the suspects, the aurors identified from the girl's memories and description, was the same Nazi who had raped the Muggle girl in the arcade center. It has been confirmed that he and many of Grindelwald's other supporters have come out of hiding and are committing hate crimes against Black and Jewish communities to stoke fear for both Muggle and Magical British communities. Aurors are still assessing the evidence and accounting for the total victims of this specific incident and other attacks. Regrettably, the Jewish girl was improperly memory wiped and immediately ran into open traffic to be killed by a car. Whether or not the death was a deliberate suicide or a side-effect from the failed memory charm will forever remain unknown, the auror responsible has been put on desk duty along with docked pay and will not partake in any further assignments on the field.
"Mr. Potter?"
Harry broke out of his thoughts once hearing someone calling his name. He turned to see his Head of House coming over to his seat at the Gryffindor table. A frown marred her worn visage. Harry shook his head, hoping to get the negative thoughts out of his mind before facing the professor.
"The Headmaster would like for you to come into his office. He said it was an urgent matter that required your attention." said McGonagall, she shook her head. "He wouldn't give me any details. Please finish up your breakfast quickly and head straight there."
Harry suppressed the urge to raise an eyebrow. He felt a knot in his chest. The Daily Prophet's headline having perturbed him and remaining fresh in his mind. He forced himself to respond. "Sure . . . thank you."
McGonagall nodded and left for the Head table. Harry quickly cleared his breakfast and left for the Headmaster's office.
Several minutes later, Harry spoke-up the password to the gargoyle statue and walked through the spiral staircase. He waited until hearing "Enter." before moving past the doors and through the threshold.
"Good morning Harry, please have a seat," said Dumbledore, gesturing to the free seat at the front of his desk. Harry frowned as he noticed Kingsley Shacklebolt seated to the left and Mad Eye Moody stood silently by the fireplace. "As I'm sure Professor McGonagall has informed you, we've a grave matter to discuss. We have uncovered the Dark Lord's schemes. Kingsley, if you would . . ."
Harry turned to face Kingsley as he took a seat. Kingsley's lips curled and he seemed to be holding back a sigh of frustration. His eyes met Harry's green orbs. "The investigation over Grindelwald's escape has been concluded. We found no evidence of trespassing on the ground level and found no usage of brooms from the detection wards. Considering the magnitude of the sealing wards to keep Grindelwald locked away and the lack of evidence for any ward tampering, the investigation team of Unspeakables and Cursebreakers could only come to one conclusion. Within the scope of that conclusion, only one possible candidate could have had the power and ability to bypass the wards undetected. There's only one wizard who holds both the capability of flight without a broom and ability to hide their presence within wards of that power. The culprit had to be someone of immense power to even manage that feat."
Harry blinked. He tried to remain calm but a feeling of dread swelled within him. Flashbacks of Professor Quirrell revealing himself to be the culprit after the Philosopher Stone and the news article that he had read a few minutes ago swarmed his thoughts. Numbness overcame him. Have I just been an idiot this entire time? Was it all an act from her? Am I just everyone's pawn?
"It was Lord Voldemort, wasn't it?" His voice dull. Kingsley nodded. Harry felt a spike of rage momentarily overtake him as his mind wandered to his date yesterday with Delphini. She said I was the one with the power to decide. Was I just falling into the trap that her father ordered? What the hell have I been doing?! How could I let myself be deceived so thoroughly?
"Judging from the evidence, it's the only conclusion that could be drawn . . . it's practically guaranteed that it was the Dark Lord himself." Kingsley hesitated. "But, well . . . the Ministry is choosing not to bring the news to the general public and the investigators are legally bound to silence or they'll face legal repercussions including the possibility of jail time."
"What?!" snapped Harry, involuntarily moving back from the shock. He gaped at Kingsley. Do they have a bloody death wish?! "Why?!"
"Because, lad, they still have a guaranteed peace up until the end of the Hogwarts school year," cut in Moody, "It may seem foolish, but they're being prudent for the time being. I'll do my best to rally in preparation for the coming war. All this peace nonsense is just lip service as far as I'm concerned."
"There's more to the government's motive for keeping silent than that. Releasing this information to the press would undoubtedly cause a public outcry against the Death Eaters and Dark families. Any sense of legitimacy in a peaceful resolution and the possibility of cooperation against the Neo-Nazis would be lost." said Kingsley, he let out a sigh and shook his head. His visage was pensive. "They're still hoping the second proposition will be signed by you. It doesn't hurt that the Scrimgeour administration looks favorable in the public's eye because they're believed to be working hard to hash out a peace agreement against someone as notorious as You-Know-Who for the sake of Magical Britain."
Harry scowled and his palms balled into fists. "So I have to decide the fate of the Wizarding World while they get to twiddle their thumbs and take all the credit for my decision."
Dumbledore shook his head. "To think they would fall so far for empty promises. It seems the follies of Cornelius's administration has taught them nothing. The Dark Lord's deception was clearly to ensnare Harry through this farce of a peace treaty and to swiftly transition himself into power. The Dark Lord's servant acted her role well as a proxy to transmit his intentions. Nevertheless, we've uncovered their plot and must act with haste."
"Albus, I must add my expert knowledge in this regard and speak against revealing this to the general public. Unfortunately, I and Moody could likely be implicated on charges should you leak this news. Perhaps I'd be able to avoid an investigation, and that's honestly a fifty-fifty chance, but Moody would definitely be placed under watch because people in the Ministry know of his loyalty to you." said Kingsley, his posture straightened as he gazed at the Leader of Light at eye level. "However, more importantly than that, leaking the information to the public would jeopardize the Order's mission. Despite the cause of the present circumstances, Moody and I are already trying to make efforts to prepare for war through careful prodding but that could deteriorate should this news be leaked. Light families and Dark families are likely to get into violent altercations and scuffles, if we're preparing for war then we can't have the Aurors stretched thin investigating incidents of violent crime that would inevitably arise to cause friction. That's on top of the work we're already doing to cover-up incidents of magic from Neo-Nazi attacks. The probability of war breaking out before we're adequately prepared would skyrocket, if the news was leaked. Right now, there's an uneasy peace and we must take advantage of that."
Dumbledore pressed his fingers together. "Very well, I shall trust your judgment on this matter. Use all resources available to prepare for the inevitable war to come. We mustn't allow the Dark Lord to go unchecked as he uses Grindelwald as bait to keep our focus off of him. He is the true threat and undoubtedly has secured a plan to deal with or made arrangements with Grindelwald in some capacity."
Harry's head spun as Kingsley and Moody said their goodbyes. A headache began building. Everything feels so out of control, like it's all moving without me having a say . . . like always. Bloody fuck . . . I refuse to feel helpless! I have to do something. I'm going to confront her about this and let her have it. I'm sick and tired of everyone around me using me for their own stupid agendas! When will it ever stop?! No more . . . NO MORE!
Harry abruptly rose from his seat and walked out the Headmaster's office. He gave a curt "Goodbye" and didn't hear Dumbledore's words. His anger caused him to lose focus as he pulled out the Marauder's Map and checked the contents.
Harry snorted. The library. Of course, she's in the library. I'm going to give that wretched snake a piece of my mind!
His teeth clenched. Harry bit out the "Mischief Managed" and put the map away. He practically ran to the library. His mind awash with thoughts of the recent revelation, the news article, and Lord Voldemort's cold laughter intermingling. He felt a suffocating air around him as he thought of how he'd been so thoroughly duped by her so-called love. His anger felt almost palpable, as if he would burst from his chest tightening and his head pounding. His mind continued to race and his body felt as if it would burst from the tension within him.
I won't let you get away with this!
Harry marched through the library, unheeded by whether or not Madame Pince had shushed him as he hadn't paid attention. His mind solely focused on confronting the daughter of Voldemort. He found the private area that had been given to the nefarious snake by the Ministry and walked towards there. Granted a privilege after aiding in making innocent children suffer, what a bloody farce.
She looked up from the book she was studying and smiled brightly at him. Her beautiful features accentuated by the sunlight. "Good morning!"
"Could you please put a privacy charm?" said Harry, his tone detached. He stared at her with a blank expression. His mind too frizzled on how to begin the impending torrent to say anything else. I need to keep this private at least. Dumbledore and Shacklebolt said it would be best and I'll need to trust their judgment on this. But I am letting this snake know I'm onto her. I refuse to play any more of these bloody games.
Delphini frowned at his blank stare. She raised her wand and silently cast a privacy charm before tucking it away. She straightened her posture and gazed back at Harry with a calm expression. "What's troubling you?"
At that moment, Harry felt something within him break, but he maintained the blank stare. This farce will be over soon enough, then I'll get to see the real Slytherin underneath all that charisma and charm.
"Did your father release Grindelwald from prison?" blurted Harry. Delphini's posture stiffened, her eyes widened, and her lips parted without a sound. She simply stared at Harry in silence. A tense silence hung between them both for several seconds. Harry scowled. She's trying to think of some bullshit excuse! "Did Lord Voldemort release Grindelwald from prison?!"
His tone was much harsher. He let the anger flow with every word. His teeth clenched and his eyes saw red as he witnessed her thunderstruck expression. I see you for what you truly are now!
"I . . ." Delphini sputtered. Her visage a blank, cold stare as Harry's eyes narrowed and his body visibly shook because of his rage. Delphini had paled at Harry's fuming gaze. "How did you come about this information?"
That absolutely does it! thought Harry, his anger peaked. His expression livid. He cut loose and refused to hold back. All of those deaths and rapes, and for what?! For some sick ploy to play a trick on me?!
"DID HE RELEASE GRINDELWALD FROM PRISON OR NOT?! ANSWER MY BLOODY QUESTION!" shouted Harry, his raw voice stinging his own ears. Despite his loud tone, Delphini didn't flinch. She gazed back with the same blank and cold stare. She doesn't know how to react. She's probably weighing her bloody options to try to appease me! I won't fall for it! Never again! Harry sneered. "Never mind. Why am I even asking? Why even shout?! It's all clear to me now."
"What is?" questioned Delphini, her voice hollow. Her face holding back a fierce torrent of emotion and trying to remain calm. Her visage guarded - a mask to hide her emotions.
"YOU'VE BEEN LYING TO ME THIS ENTIRE TIME! WHAT WAS HELL WAS THAT RUBBISH ABOUT TRYING TO CONTRIBUTE POSITIVELY THE LAST TIME WE WERE BOTH HERE?! YOU'RE FOLLOWING A PLAN FROM YOUR BLOODY DARK LORD FATHER THAT LET LOOSE A NAZI WHO ORGANIZES MURDERS AND RAPES ON INNOCENTS!" hollered Harry, his cheeks turning puce as he shouted every word to let out the helpless rage that he wallowed in. Delphini's blank visage remained but her complexion became paler as Harry continued to shout. "What?! Planned to tell me on the honeymoon, were you?! Oh wait, you were never going to tell me what part your father played. You just planned to deceive me the entire bloody time so you could get whatever the fuck you wanted out of this bullshit peace deal! I . . . why am I even shocked, that a racist piece of shit like Lord Voldemort would make such a trick?! Or maybe, I guess I'm just pissed off, because I was stupid enough to think you were somehow different!"
"Don't call him that! And . . . for your information, that's wrong," said Delphini, her voice hollow and weak. She took a deep breath and exhaled. Her face a cold mask that barely held back her emotions. "Daddy wasn't the one who organized the plan to release him or the peace agreement. It was all my plan. He gave me full discretion. Daddy only broke him out because it was the crucial first step of my plan to pressure the Ministry into acquiescing to our interests."
And there it is! I see you for what you truly are now!
Harry sneered. "So, you don't deny that you and your mass murdering father are complicit with releasing Grindelwald and letting innocent muggles fall victim to hate crimes of rape and murder?!"
Delphini's eyes narrowed into a scowl as she glared at him. Harry's lips twitched upon noticing. The first marring of her perfect, porcelain facade.
"You're being too hasty. Think about this rationally, Harry. Think about all that you'll personally gain from marrying me." said Delphini, her tone cold and terse. Harry could tell that she was struggling to hold back her anger and that she was forcing herself to keep a neutral tone of voice. Her visage seemed to harden. "Think about a life free from death and violence, not just for you but for everyone that you cherish and love. Didn't you tell me that you wanted peace? What would you, I, or anyone else gain from a three-way war of bloodshed? There's no benefit in that scenario for either of us. By submitting to me, you can guarantee the safety of the majority of people and both of our loved ones. How can that be wrong?"
"As if I would fall for your self-righteous bullshit! Why should I trust anything that you say to me anymore?! You deliberately deceived me and innocent people suffered because of your own fucking agenda!" screamed Harry, his visage turned a shade puce from his continuous shouting. "Now that I think about it . . . I must be quite stupid for not seeing it before! You were always trying to be in control of my actions, always trying to manipulate me through veiled threats. From the life debt, to Draco's injuries, and now this marriage proposal farce. You're just a fucking control freak; telling me what I want to hear and trying to make me into your fucking plaything. I was nothing more than that to you!"
Delphini's lips curled and she was shooting him a withering look in return. Harry felt his lips twitch.
That's it. Let that stupid mask of yours fall. Let me see precisely what you are deep down. A treacherous schemer, a snake waiting to bite and shoot venom on unsuspecting victims. thought Harry, feeling excitement and rage mingle as he continued his tirade against Delphini. You're no different from your parents, you have all their best qualities. Murderous, calculating, and gratified from hurting others! I know exactly what to expect now. I saw this side of you with Ginny. I should have just listened to Dumbledore.
Bile rose in Harry's throat as images of yesterday's date when he felt her lips on his own came unbidden in his mind. The supposed closeness they shared. The meetings together where they shared and debated their personal views in the Hog's Head and the Kitchens. All a damnable deception. Probably pre-planned from using Legilimency on me all the time! Why didn't I consider that possibility before?! I was such a fucking fool!
Delphini's eyes seemed to bulge and Harry snarled as he noticed the subtle shift in her eyes. Harry felt his headache worsen and his chest constrict. His body continued to shake with fury as he awaited what his words would bring forth. She just read my mind again to try to manipulate me again! She has no respect for my privacy and has given me no reason to trust her!
"You were just looking for a way to corner me, weren't you?! Your real goal was to send me off to your father so you could feel proud and probably get a prize! What was the boon he offered you for capturing the bloody Boy-Who-Lived?" snapped Harry, glaring at her. The swell of negativity in his chest felt almost palpable. Pain enraptured him from his own hate. I'll need to draw my wand, if it becomes a fight. Delphini began to shake and her lips formed a thin line. Her hands balled to fists and shook along with the rest of her body, but she remained seated. "Oh wait, perhaps it was to take House Potter and Black after a ravishing honeymoon! You're doing it all for your Slytherin dynasty, aren't you?! Maybe you'd get an exquisite boon for your heroic deed of capturing me using your own wits too, and not just fortune and fame. You'd probably have your kid be a pliant fanatic, like your mother!"
"That is not true at all! I . . . how can you accuse me like this?! You should know me better than that by now!" shouted back Delphini, her cheeks turning puce. A tense atmosphere hung between them as they looked each other in the eyes. "If my plan had been to capture you, I could have just taken the first deal that the Ministry proposed. A deal that I explicitly rejected and which would have been more favorable to neutralizing you as a threat. And you know what? Even if this marriage proposal falls through, they would still offer you to us! Your best bet is to agree to marry me!"
"So, you and the Ministry have all your bases secure, do you?! Already planned out my future, I either submit to your proposal or the Ministry sends me off on a silver platter." shouted back Harry, his chest felt aflame. His head was pounding as he stood there and prepared for her to attack. Delphini seemed to barely restrain her own anger with her body shaking. To Harry, she seemed just as keen on a violent altercation like with Ginny. "What was that crap about me holding all the cards?! It seems to me like you've just been brainwashing me this entire time with whatever I wanted to hear! You never actually cared about me at all, did you?!"
Delphini's eyes flashed and she abruptly rose from her seat. Her chair fell backward onto the ground as she immediately moved aside from her table and marched toward him. Her beautiful visage contorted with a livid expression. Each footfall thudded heavily on the ground as she stood in front of him. Her furious grey eyes meeting his blazing green ones as they stood close enough that their noses almost touched. A thick silence descended upon the two of them for a few brief moments.
Here it comes, thought Harry, slowly drawing his wand from his pocket. He felt a short calm before the storm. He noted that she hadn't bothered to draw her wand in her rage. She probably thinks that she can take me down wandlessly. I'll be sure to take advantage; perhaps show her how much of a Slytherin I can be too!
Delphini felt a tightness in her throat lift as she screamed at him to his face. Her raw emotions surging forth like a volcano that she had been trying to shove back down causing her feelings to simmer and then erupt.
"I'D BURN THE WIZARDING WORLD TO THE GROUND, IF IT MEANT KEEPING YOU ALIVE!" screamed Delphini, her voice becoming hoarse and echoing around them. Harry's eyes bulged, his eyebrows moved up his hairline, and his mouth went slack. "I LOVE YOU! IF IT COMES DOWN TO WAR, THEN ALL I CARE ABOUT IS KEEPING MY LOVED ONES SAFE! MY FAMILY AND YOU ARE WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT TO ME! I'LL LET EVERYTHING ELSE BURN TO THE GROUND!"
She promptly turned away as Harry witnessed tears cascading down her cheeks. Delphini moved back to stand by the table with her back to him. Harry felt a wetness streaming down his own face, he touched his left cheek with his right hand, and realized that he was crying too. This is too much . . . this is just too much . . . What do I do? I don't even know why I'm crying, everything just feels so overwhelming.
Harry let the hand fall to the wayside. He stared back blankly and felt a cold chill up his spine. His tears continued streaming down unimpeded and he couldn't muster the strength to care. Delphini turned around, her own tears continuing their silent stream, and she tried wiping them away. After her futile attempt, Delphini straightened her posture and returned a calm gaze back at him. Both stared at each other as silence descended between them like a chasm and their tears continued to flow without restraint.
"I don't care about those rape victims or the murders, it's not my problem what happens to Muggles. It's Muggle culture that caused that situation in the first place. Their culture and ours should remain separate. I'm fine with Muggle-borns who assimilate to our cultural heritage . . . and blood purity is obviously an idiotic belief system that I'll campaign against." said Delphini, her voice frail and her tone holding a layer of contempt. "But I just don't care what the neo-Nazis - a group of Muggle-born extremists - are doing in the Muggle world. Maybe I can see an argument for protecting the families of Muggle-borns from neo-Nazi wizards to a certain extent, but I'm not going to pretend that I feel anything when it was their culture that brought it upon themselves by allowing racist beliefs to be tolerated under freedom of speech. Those victims are the consequences of their own stupid culture."
"You and your father released Grindelwald, you both hold equal blame for what's happened to those Muggle victims. I know you benefit whenever an attack happens because of the sense of urgency in the Ministry, the panic it obviously caused Wizarding Britain, and you'll get the Ministry to become more amenable to your demands as a result." said Harry, holding back a soft sigh as he felt exhaustion overtake his body. He took a deep breath and exhaled to try to calm his nerves. "Knowing you, it was probably a cost-benefit analysis. There's no way that your repercussions can ever come back to you. Rape victims who've been memory wiped to keep the Magical world a secret certainly can't testify in the Wizengamot. Even if they did get the opportunity without any memory charm impeding them, it would only be against their attackers. If I go to the public with this information, everyone will lose in a bloody three-way war. If that war were to happen, your father's already a wanted man so it'll just be one more in a long list of crimes, and I bet it wouldn't be hard to convince a court that your father was the decision-maker in the worst case scenario of your family losing the war to us."
"It wasn't my father, or I, or even our Death Eaters who conducted those heinous rape and murder sprees. None of us ordered them and we had nothing at all to do with them." said Delphini, her voice toneless. "Why should any of us be held accountable for actions that we have nothing to do with? It was all Grindelwald, the Neo-Nazi movement of his, and his own vendetta against Dumbledore that's the cause of those horrific crimes. We don't support them, we don't speak for them, and we have nothing to do with their actions. You can't hold my father and I accountable for actions outside of our control.
"You're also giving my father and I too much credit; we only thought he'd be organizing troops, we didn't think he'd make some quasi-terrorist gang to go raping and murdering innocents. I'm not lying; we didn't give him any instructions, we're not making any backdoor deals, and we certainly never ordered him to do anything. We just set him free and we only thought he'd organize his own powerbase for a war. We didn't release him wishing he'd be a sick fuck."
"Voldemort and you are still complicit with the murders and rapes for releasing him. You deliberately chose to let him free and knew that he was capable of horrendous crimes upon the Muggle world. You're well aware of his beliefs. You knew that you would never suffer any consequences and didn't care about the jeopardy placed upon the Muggle world. You don't even care about the suffering that you brought upon others through your plan." said Harry, his tone strained. A thought jolted him. "No one else but your father and you are aware of this plan, are they? I bet not even your Uncle Lucius knows considering his honest reaction. If your father's followers found out about your plan . . . then again, if it came to war, you could just decry it as a preemptive propaganda campaign to invigorate the Death Eaters. The idea that a Dark Lord who vigorously supports Pureblood aims would release a Muggle-born extremist probably seems dubious. The majority of Light and Dark families, even your Uncle Lucius and your mother, would find the truth to be incredulous."
"This information doesn't change the present circumstances. You would still have more to gain by submitting to me than a three-way war. And consider this, as much as it pains me, if it came down to a matter of survival, then we could broker a peace deal with our worst enemies and have the neo-Nazis agree to a ceasefire and non-intervention agreement." said Delphini, her visage scrunching as if she'd swallowed a lemon. "They would have hegemony over Muggle and Muggle-born matters as an independent government separate from ours. Under my father, we'd keep ourselves secluded in an isolationist policy to keep our culture free from Muggle interference. It has glaring drawbacks, but if it came down to survival then we'd consider the option."
Harry shook his head. A heaviness seeped throughout his body. "Why am I not surprised? I suppose that's that, right? From what I can tell of your full meaning; If I agree, I'm playing into your manipulative hands. If I don't agree, the Ministry might kidnap me to ship me to your father. And, if worst comes to worst for the Death Eaters, then you can strike a deal with your ideological enemies . . . or just use that possibility as a veiled threat to get the Ministry to give concessions to avoid prolonging the war, even should the war occur. You've really thought this through."
"I told you . . . I would do my utmost to ensure my family's safety. I love them and I'll do just about anything to protect them. Even with this plan, I'm more than likely going to suffer losses in my family and it terrifies me that I can't do anything to stop it once war breaks out. I don't want to lose anyone; I don't want to wake-up one day and find that all I have left of them are my memories of the past." said Delphini, her tone just as weak and tired as Harry's voice. "I don't want that for you either. The thought of losing you scares me and we both know that it scares those you love just as deeply. To be frank, nothing short of you purposefully harming or murdering one of my loved ones is going to convince me that I'm wrong. This knowledge doesn't change the circumstances; you're going to submit to me. As I said before, your loved ones will be safe, my loved ones will be safe, and we'll have a future together. You're mine, Harry. You just need time to accept it. I believe that you'll prove me right about your intrinsic selflessness and love for others. Peace is worth all the effort."
"And if I were to reject the second proposition?" His free flowing tears continued to fall. Numbness overcame his body after the exhaustion began to set in.
Delphini swallowed as tears continued to spill forth like a waterfall. "My father would probably imprison you. As a Horcrux, you're more useful to him alive than dead. My objective would be a complete failure and he'd probably assign me more arduous tasks as punishment. He would never torture me though. But . . . regardless, I'd still . . . I'd try to convince him that your emotional stress caused poor decision-making. I'd do my best to make sure that you would be cared for, even if you became my father's prisoner. It would be similar to house arrest. I wouldn't be able to do anything for Hermione, Ron, Ginny, or anyone else that you cherish as family though. I honestly wouldn't hold as much influence at that point. So . . . it's in both of our best interests to marry me."
"Well, it's a shame for you and I both then," said Harry, his tone holding a hint of bitterness. He took a deep breath and exhaled. "Trust is a fundamental foundation for any longstanding friendship and happy marriage. You can't have trust when you're constantly scheming behind others backs and causing suffering just to gain your own selfish ends. I can't bring myself to view your peace treaty as legitimate because I can't find it in me to trust you. I think I'll just stay away from you to think over all my options."
Harry turned and left without saying a goodbye. Delphini had noted that his tears had kept spilling even as he turned away and watched him leave without saying a word. Delphini walked over to the fallen chair and waved her hand to move it back to an upright position. She fell heavily on the library chair, put her hands over her face, and continued to weep her own tears.
- 6
- 7
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HP and DR: A Matrimony Made For Peace