HP: Harry From The Ancient House Of Black [ Chapter 60 ]

If not for the house elves of Hogwarts, Aries would not have been surprised if the room had been one massive web of spiders.

….

Fleur did not look nervous, something that intrigued Aries considering her behavior up until now. She still looked at him as if she was studying him, or rather sizing him up.

Did she mean to fight? No. It was something else, something that Aries could not put his finger on. The French girl seldom seemed serious, rather spending her time laughing with her friends or flirting with him.

In fact, other than her date with Roger Davies at the Yule Ball, Fleur had avoided nearly every other male from all three schools.

Still, there was a difference in her character now, a change in her posture that seemed a red flag in his mind.

The silence had stretched out for a few minutes and when he had failed to come to a reasonable conclusion, Aries decided to tackle the situation head first.

"If you have something to say Fleur, I would get on with it." Her eyes flashed with annoyance. "I do not like being forced to wait."

"Zen perhaps you should wait." A smile returned to her lips. She walked forward slowly until she was inches away from him.

Aries felt a slight pull, similar to what he had felt on the platform after the Third Task.

The situation amused him and rather than stop what he suspected would happen, he decided to roll the dice and see how it played out.

Fleur cupped his face with both hands and kissed him. Unlike Daphne's kiss, Fleur's was similar to Arianna's in the fact that it was absolutely intoxicating.

The veela's allure had yet to affect him, but somehow, he thought it was now in play. She pulled her lips away and he answered her questioning glance with a raised eyebrow.

"I thought I had made my intentions rather clear Fleur." There was no edge in his tone, rather a challenge. Fleur had yet to end her little game with Daphne, but she also had not been this forward.

"Would you really 'ave zat girl over moi?" Fleur answered him, though she did not pull away from him, rather pressing herself further against him.

"You are not looking for a playzing I zink, rather an equal. Who bezzer zan moi?" Now this was a surprise, a miscalculation that could perhaps change things.

Daphne was by far the better political choice, especially considering the area of his intended conquest, yet Fleur would give him something connected to the continent, the missing link to the French Ministry he had been looking for.

Something, however, did not sit right with him, and he pulled away from her. The idea of an equal meant she was thinking in the long term yet she had time to play that game rather than be so forward. So why now?

Why after he had saved the life of her sister and her own? The magical pull came back to him, and a glance back confirmed that it was not the allure.

He could tell when she was using it, no this was something different. It was the only change since the task and Aries needed the answer.

"I would not consider Daphne a plaything, though she is rather enjoyable. She suits my needs both for now and in the long game." Aries watched her every reaction, waiting for any clue as to her reason behind her actions.

"Perhaps I do not want an equal. An equal implies that there is something worthy of that which I intend to ascend to." There it was, a slight flicker of fear.

Was it fear of a rejection? Or a missed opportunity? Both if Aries had to guess, but there was still something more.

"You seem confident that you can give me something far better than Greengrass. Tell me, what is it exactly you can offer me? Because for now all I can see is a more mature figure, something I have a feeling I can wait for with Greengrass." The jab worked as intended, there was a flash of anger in her eyes, but also desperation.

"Loyalty." Fleur continued to surprise and intrigue him. Loyalty was something that was inspired or given through oaths.

If Fleur expected him to be impressed with that then clearly she had underestimated him, but perhaps there was more to it.

The magical pull came back only for an instant. "When you saved me from ze lake, somezing happened. A life debt."

"A life debt is not uncommon." Aries answered annoyed. Was that it? "No doubt Potter has one to me as well. How does that inspire loyalty? The only thing that gives me is assurance that Potter will not try to kill me until the debt is repaid."

"You are correct of course." She hesitated for a moment. "I am 'alf veela. As such many would consider me a 'alf-breed. A creature razzer than human. Magic in some ways does as well." Fireworks went off in his mind, lightning fast connections working at last to the conclusion that had alluded him for weeks.

"Ze magic of ze life debt tezzers me to you. It is not somezing zat can be repaid. I am yours for life, whezzer you want me or not."

The situation might have depressed most people, but her wording and body language caught his attention.

She had said 'tethers' rather than enslaved. Her body language gave away her calmness, resignation yes, but also the feeling of content.

If Aries had to guess this was something she wanted, an opportunity to latch herself to something that could sling shot her to greatness. And there it was. Fleur did not seek some dream like Arianna.

There under her flirtations and laughter, lay a hunger for greatness. She sought a life of luxury and power far greater than the one she already knew. It explained her desire to be a Tri-Wizard Champion.

"And how do you feel about this?" Aries knew the answer, but he wanted to hear her say it.

"Relieved."