When Fleur emerged from the cottage, her trunk floating behind her, she found all three men still gathered near the garden gate. Their conversation stopped abruptly when they saw her approaching.
Bill took one look at the trunk and his jaw tightened. "So that's it then."
"Yes." Fleur's voice was calm. "I am leaving. But before I go, I 'ave something to say to all of you."
She set her trunk down with a soft thud and faced them squarely. Ron shifted uncomfortably, clearly wishing he could be anywhere else while Remus looked like he wanted to mediate a situation that had already gone too far.
"I came 'ere thinking I 'ad a 'ome," Fleur began. "I thought I 'ad a 'usband who would stand wiz me when it mattered. I was wrong on both counts."
Bill's face remained impassive. "If that's how you see it."
"That is 'ow it is." Fleur's accent thickened slightly. She was trying to keep her emotions in check. "You made it very clear."
Ron looked like he wanted to disappear into the ground. Remus kept glancing between Bill and Fleur as if searching for some way to fix this. Tonks crossed her arms and waited.
"If that's what you think," Bill said finally, "then maybe it's better this way."
Something flickered across Fleur's face—pain, maybe, or relief. It was gone too quickly to tell.
"Oui," she agreed quietly. "Oui it is."
She pulled out her wand, holding it loosely at her side. "I want to make zis official. Right now. Ze marriage annulment vow. We can do it 'ere, wiz witnesses." She glanced at Remus and Tonks. "It will dissolve ze marriage magically, as if it never existed."
Ron's mouth fell open. "You can do that?"
"In cases where both parties agree zat ze marriage was a mistake from ze beginning, yes." Fleur said calmly, almost as if she was discussing the weather. "Both people need to speak ze vow willingly, wiz witnesses to ensure ze magic takes properly."
Bill stared at her for a long moment. When he spoke, his voice was as cold as hers. "And you think our marriage was a mistake from the beginning."
"Don't you?"
Another silence. This one felt different – less angry, more resigned. Bill ran a hand through his hair, looking as tired as she felt about all this.
"Yeah," he said finally. "Yeah, I think it was."
The admission should have hurt more than it did. Instead, Fleur felt something like relief washing over her. At least now they were being honest.
"Bill, Fleur," Remus said quietly, "maybe you should think about this more carefully. You've both been under tremendous stress—"
"No." Bill's voice was firm. "She's right, Remus. This has been coming for a while. The bite just made it impossible to ignore anymore."
"But surely—" Remus started again.
"Ze annulment vow is not something you do lightly," Fleur interrupted. "It requires complete agreement from both parties. If either of us 'ad any doubt, ze magic would not work. Ze fact zat we are both willing to take it should tell you everything you need to know."
Tonks stepped forward. "What do you need us to do?"
"Just witness," Fleur said. "Ze magic will do ze rest."
She and Bill faced each other. They looked like strangers now, Fleur thought. Two people who had shared a house and meals and conversations, but perhaps had never really known each other at all.
"Are you ready?" she asked.
Bill nodded curtly. "Let's get this over with."
They raised their wands simultaneously, the tips nearly touching in the space between them.
"I, Fleur Isabelle Delacour," Fleur began, her voice clear and steady, "do solemnly swear zat ze marriage between myself and William Arthur Weasley was entered into in error, based on false assumptions and misunderstandings. I renounce all claims to zis union and ask ze magic to dissolve what should never 'ave been bound."
The tip of her wand began to glow with a soft silver light.
Bill's voice was equally steady when he spoke. "I, William Arthur Weasley, do solemnly swear that the marriage between myself and Fleur Isabelle Delacour was entered into in error, based on false assumptions and misunderstandings. I renounce all claims to this union and ask the magic to dissolve what should never have been bound."
The light from his wand was golden, and when it met the silver from Fleur's, both colors swirled together before flashing white.
For a moment, the air around them shimmered before something seemed to snap, like a cord being cut, and both Bill and Fleur staggered slightly.
Fleur felt it immediately—a lightness she hadn't even realized she'd been missing. The constant low-level tension that had been sitting in her chest for weeks was suddenly gone, replaced by something that felt like freedom. From the way Bill's shoulders sagged, she could tell he felt it too.
"Bloody hell," Ron breathed. "I felt that from here."
Remus was looking between them with concern. "How do you both feel?"
"Better," Bill admitted, and he sounded surprised by it. "I feel... better."
Fleur nodded, tucking her wand back into her robes. "Like a weight 'as been lifted."
"That's often how it works with annulments," Tonks said quietly. "The magic recognizes when a bond was formed without proper foundation. When it's dissolved, it takes the strain with it."
"So that's it then," Bill said. He wasn't looking at Fleur anymore, but somewhere past her shoulder. "We're no longer married."
"We are not," Fleur confirmed. "In ze eyes of magic and law, we never were."
Ron was still staring at them both. "This is mental. You were married this morning and now you're not?"
"We were never truly married," Fleur said. "We simply went through ze motions."
"Right," Remus said, clearly trying to move past the awkwardness. "Well. Fleur, now that this is settled and the tension is resolved, surely there's no need to leave this place anymore. It's not the right time to—"
"Non." Fleur's voice was firm. "I told you. I won't stay 'ere. I am going to 'Ogwarts to 'elp wiz ze resistance."
"Fleur, please be reasonable," Remus said patiently, as if he was speaking to one of his students. "Snape is the headmaster now. The school is crawling with Death Eaters. It's not safe for you there."
"Ze students fighting zem need 'elp," Fleur replied. "Zey are getting injured, and zere are not enough people to treat zem properly. I 'ave 'ealing training."
"Fleur, you're not a child," Tonks said slowly, "but Remus has a point. You don't know the castle well enough to stay hidden safely. And if they catch you..."
Fleur turned to Tonks and she could see the genuine concern in her expression. For a moment, her resolve wavered. Then she thought of Harry, alone somewhere with only Hermione for company, trying to save the world while his best friend sat safely at Shell Cottage because things had gotten too difficult.
"Then I will find 'Arry," she said simply.
Ron's head snapped up. "What?"
"You 'eard me." Fleur's voice took on an edge as she looked directly at him. "'Arry and 'Ermione need all ze 'elp zey can get right now. Especially from people who are actually zere true friends. People who will stand wiz zem no matter 'ow difficult things become."
Ron's face flushed red. "You don't understand what it was like—"
"I understand perfectly." Fleur's voice was cutting now. "I understand zat when your friends needed you most, you decided zat your comfort was more important than zeir lives. I understand zat you are sitting 'ere safe and warm while zey are out zere facing You-Know-Who's forces alone. I understand zat you are a coward who abandoned ze people who trusted you."
"That's enough," Bill said sharply, but Fleur ignored him.
"Non, it is not enough. Your brother made a choice, William. 'E chose 'is own comfort over 'is friends' lives. And you are choosing to protect 'is feelings over making him atone for what 'e did. Well, I will not make zat choice. 'Arry and 'Ermione deserve better."
Ron looked like he'd been slapped. "I didn't want to leave them—"
"But you did leave zem." Fleur said curtly. "Whatever your reasons, zat is what you did. And while you 'ave been 'ere feeling sorry for yourself, zey 'ave been risking everything to save ze wizarding world. Including your ungrateful ass."
"Fleur," Bill said warningly, but she was past caring about diplomacy.
"Someone needs to say it," she snapped. "Someone needs to tell 'im zat 'is actions 'ave consequences. Zat 'Arry and 'Ermione deserved better from zeir friend. Zat if 'e was going to abandon zem, ze least 'e could do is feel properly ashamed about it."
Ron's hands were clenched into fists at his sides. "You don't know anything about friendship—"
"I know enough to recognize when someone 'as failed at it completely."
Ron looked like he might cry or throw a punch, and Fleur found she didn't much care which.
"Right," Bill said finally, his voice tight with anger. "I think that's enough. You've made your point."
"'Ave I?" Fleur looked at him coolly. "Because your brother still seems to think 'e was justified in abandoning 'is friends."
"What I think," Bill said, stepping closer to her, "is that you've said your piece and now it's time for you to go. You're not part of this family anymore, remember? So stop trying to lecture us about how we should handle our problems."
Not anymore? She knew she never was.
"You are absolutely right," she said quietly. "I am not part of zis family. And to be 'onest, I am grateful for zat."
She turned to her trunk and grabbed the handle, no longer bothering with magic. The weight of it felt good as she lifted it.
"Fleur, wait," Remus said, stepping forward. "Please reconsider. If not Hogwarts, then at least stay somewhere safe. The Order—"
"Ze Order is not doing enough," Fleur cut him off. "While you 'old meetings and discuss strategy, 'Arry is out zere actually making a difference. I would rather 'elp 'im than sit around talking about 'elping."
"You could die," Ron said bluntly.
Fleur met his eyes steadily. "People are already dying, Ronald. Every day zat zis war continues, more people die. At least if I am wiz 'Arry, my death might mean something."
She started walking toward the path that led away from Shell Cottage, her trunk bumping along behind her. After a few steps, she stopped and looked back.
"William," she said, and her voice was purely practical now, like she was discussing the weather. "Ze cottage is yours, obviously. I 'ave taken only my personal belongings. Ze Gringotts account and ze rest..." She shrugged. "Do whatever you like wiz it."
"I'll take care of the settlement when this is all over."
"Good." She looked at him for another moment, and to her relief, she felt nothing for him anymore. The annulment of their marriage had taken care of any lingering hurt that might've been there, and she felt freer than she had in months. "I 'ope you find whatever it is you are looking for, William. I 'ope it makes you 'appy."
There was no warmth in the words, no lingering affection. Just a polite acknowledgment that they'd shared a brief period of their lives and now that period was over.
"Same to you," Bill said, and his tone matched hers perfectly.
Fleur nodded once and turned away.
"Fleur," Tonks called after her. "At least tell me where you're going. So I know where to find you when..."
"I will send word when I can. But I am not making any promises."
Tonks stared at Fleur, her mind churning with conflicting thoughts. She looked over at the others, but especially at Remus who looked resigned with the whole situation. The moment their eyes met, she knew what she had to do.
Fleur was almost at the edge of the ward line when Tonks caught up with her.
"I'm coming with you."
Fleur stopped abruptly and turned around in surprise. "What?"
"I said I'm coming with you." Tonks's voice was steady and determined. "You're right about everything. About Ron, about the Order not doing enough, and especially about Harry needing help with those vile things. I'm tired of sitting around while he is just with Hermione out there."
Behind them, Remus took a step forward. "You too? It's too dangerous—"
"So is doing nothing," Tonks shot back. "So is letting Harry carry the weight of the entire war on his shoulders because we're all too afraid to actually help him."
"Tonks," Remus said, and his voice was pleading now, "please think about this. You're talking about abandoning the Order, abandoning everything we've been working toward—"
"What work are we doing exactly, Remus?" Tonks's voice rose. "What have we actually accomplished while Harry's been out there doing the real work? We've had meetings. We've shared information. We've made plans. But what have we actually done to help him?"
Remus opened his mouth to respond but closed it again. The answer was clearly nothing, and they all knew it.
"Exactly." Tonks turned back to Fleur. "If you're serious about helping Harry and Hermione, you'll need someone who knows the territory. You don't know Britain well enough, but I do."
Fleur looked conflicted, her eyes darting from Tonks to Remus and back again. These two were in the same boat as she and William had been, and it showed.
"Very well.
They looked at each other with the understanding. Behind them, the men watched in various states of shock.
"Tonks, please," Remus said one more time.
Tonks' expression softened slightly when she looked at him. "I don't have anything here either, Remus."
Remus' eyes widened as the meaning of her words dawned on him. He slowly composed himself and gave her a curt nod.
"I know that. But even then, the Order needs—"
"Ze Order needs to actually do something," Fleur interrupted. "To 'elp 'im out while 'Arry fights alone."
Remus flinched as if she'd struck him. "That's not fair."
"Non, it is not fair," Fleur agreed. "'Arry 'aving to carry zis burden alone is not fair. 'Ermione 'aving to risk 'er life every day because zere is no one else to 'elp zem is not fair. But 'ere we are. I am done wiz fair. I am done wiz safe. I am done wiz waiting for someone else to save ze world while ze people I care about risk zere lives alone."
She turned and started walking again, her trunk floating behind her once more. Tonks and Remus exchanged one final look, knowing this could very well be the last time they'd ever see each other.
"I'll submit the annulment papers when I can," he said in resignation. Tonks nodded as she released a deep breath, feeling a burden lift off her shoulders, and fell into step beside Fleur without looking back.
The three men stood in awkward silence for a long time after the women disapparated. Finally, Ron cleared his throat.
"I should probably go pack my things," he said quietly. "Find somewhere else to stay."
"No." Bill's voice was firm. "You're staying. They're gone, and that's that."
"But Bill, what they said—"
"What they said doesn't matter anymore." Bill held Ron by his shoulders, staring deep into his eyes. "They made their choice. We'll make ours. You are my brother, and you will stay here, with us. And if you want to make it up to Harry, you'll do it by helping the Order."
He walked inside without another word, leaving Ron and Remus alone in the garden.
xXx
They found Hermione in the library, surrounded by stacks of books and finally, not covered in dust. The place had really needed to be cleaned up, and as Harry glanced at Celeste, she seemed to understand as she gave him a sheepish nod.
Hermione looked up as they entered, and Harry felt that now-familiar flutter of satisfaction at the way her face lit up when she saw him.
"Mas-Harry," she breathed as she got to her feet, hastily correcting herself.
He had told her to call him by his name when they were outside the bedroom or were not having sex, wanting to keep their friendship the same, or as similar as it could remain given their new dynamics.
She rushed over, something that was quite uncharacteristic of her, and pressed herself close to his body. Harry saw Celeste nod approvingly and resisted the urge to roll his eyes. That succubus had done a lot if this was how Hermione was behaving now.
"Hey, Hermione," Harry greeted her with a soft kiss, making her purr in satisfaction. He glanced over her shoulder at the stacks of books on the table. "Quite a collection you've got here."
And it was indeed quite a collection. The books were… questionable at best. Harry saw a few familiar books in there—the ones he had perused a few days ago, and several unfamiliar ones that he was confident were along the same lines.
"Oh Harry, we really underestimated this library," she said as she slowly leaned back. However, she remained leaning against him, unwilling to truly stop touching him. Celeste gave her a smirk that was promptly returned.
'Good girl,' the succubus thought, licking her lips sultrily.
"What do you mean?" Harry asked with a raised eyebrow.
"We thought just because this library was small, there won't be much of use in here. But the books that we have here put the library at Grimmauld Place to shame. I feel that knowing everything we've got in here is the least I can do, seeing what we'd be facing," she replied.
Harry nodded absently. Books and Hermione belonged in the same room, and he was more than happy to leave that department to her.
"Any progress with the locket?" Hermione asked Celeste.
"Some," she replied as the threesome made their way over to the chairs. Harry and Hermione settled into adjacent armchairs, and Celeste made herself comfortable on the arm of Harry's chair, her legs crossed. The movement pushed her small dress upward, baring her thighs in their entirety. Harry gave her soft skin a good caress before turning to Hermione who simply smirked.
It was quite a change in her behavior indeed. Earlier, he would've gotten a disapproving look from her, followed by a permanent frown on her face.
If he didn't know the truth, he would've definitely believed that someone had swapped his best friend for whoever this woman was. She had underdone such a drastic transformation. But hell, Harry was in no way complaining. He liked the previous Hermione, but there was just something about this version of her that excited him in ways she'd never made him feel before.
Their discussion continued, and Harry explained their discoveries about the Parseltongue protections and the soul fragment's revelations, watching how Hermione's eyes grew bright with curiosity. She asked questions whenever she felt like it, took careful notes, and even consulted the few books she had laying around, her expression thoughtful.
Harry couldn't help but smile at the sight. This was his Hermione, one who he knew was already formulating research strategies before they'd finished speaking. However, there was something different about her attention now. There was a focus on how she could best serve his goals rather than simply pursuing knowledge for its own sake.
"This is brilliant," she said, flipping through one of her notebooks. "I've actually found some information in a few of these older texts."
"What kind of information?" Celeste asked with slight amusement at Hermione's enthusiasm.
"There are entire sections I haven't explored yet. The Blacks collected magical texts for centuries, and from what we obviously know, they weren't particularly discriminating about the moral implications of what they acquired."
"You don't say," Harry remarked dryly.
"Yeah, well, in this book, there are many sections that cover curse breaking in quite a lot of detail. I mean, I've read a bit on the subject at Hogwarts," she continued, and Harry rolled his eyes fondly, "but this is something else."
"What's so special about what's in there?" Harry asked as he and Celeste leaned forward so they could better see.
"Well, as you might've guessed already, a lot of magic in these books is based on rituals and sacrifices," Hermione said slowly, making him nod. "Yeah, well, it's possible to breakdown the protective enchantments around the locket by making the necessary sacrifice."
"And what kid of sacrifice are we talking about here?"
"Most are vile, as expected. Like human sacrifices, and even worse. Way worse than we could even think," Hermione's voice was grave as she stared at the book. "But relatively small sacrifices like a body part, an organ, even blood can be used."
"Blood magic," Harry murmured, ignoring the rest of the sacrifices for now.
"It's a delicate branch of magic, Master," Celeste said softly. "And comes with its risks. There's a reason why blood is held in so much regard in the Wizarding World."
"And what's the risk?"
"Well, with Blood Magic, things are very rarely straightforward," Celeste started pacing in front of them, making them turn to look at her. She paused, staring at the fireplace. "It is undoubtedly powerful. After all, that was how Arcturus Black bound me to this place."
"It involved Blood Magic?"
"Among other things, yes," Celeste nodded. "And that's precisely where things might get complicated. Invoking Blood Magic always has unintended consequences that you cannot fully predict. You believe you are performing Blood Magic for a particular purpose, but blood always finds a way to assert itself. It will certainly help you achieve what you set out for, but it won't be a silent passenger. No, blood will always have its say."
"I see," Harry muttered. His mind immediately wandered to the graveyard when Voldemort had used his blood to gain his body back. That was undoubtedly Blood Magic. Did that mean the ritual Voldemort had conducted had unintended consequences as well? If yes, then what could they be? Did they help him, or did they make Voldemort stronger than he'd previously expected?
"Master?"
"Hmm?" Harry blinked, turning to Celeste and Hermione who wore concerned expressions on their faces. He shook his head, smiling reassuringly. "Nothing. Just thinking about it all."
"It is indeed something to think about properly and only then we can decide if we want to use such a volatile branch of magic," Celeste nodded approvingly. "I am all for rituals and sacrificial magic, Master. You know that. But when Blood Magic is concerned, I recommend caution."
Harry and Hermione exchanged a concerned glance. If Celeste was skeptical about employing Blood Magic, then perhaps it was a good idea to tread with caution. After all, no matter how open they were now being regarding what kind of magic they wanted to practice to put an end to this war for good, they were still new when it came to these obscure arts which they frankly would've never touched if things had been different.
'And it's certainly not because these magics are beyond fascinating and even the prospect of using them feels exciting,' they both thought simultaneously.
"Alright, Celeste. We'll follow your lead in this," Harry nodded.
Celeste smiled, and in an instant, her usual sultry self came back into picture. A sly grin grew on her face as she stared at them.
"Now then, if you're so eager to try a ritual to deal with an abomination like that locket, I have a perfect proposal," she grinned, turning to Hermione whose eyes widened slightly for just a moment before an excited grin split up her face. She turned to Harry who couldn't help but chuckle at how excited she looked. The sight was so foreign that he almost did a double take.
"Tonight," Harry promised. "For now, let's see if we can find anything else. And then, there's our training too."
Hermione pouted but nodded in understanding, and together with Celeste, they immersed themselves in research, brainstorming, and a lot of training that left them a bit sore but all the more excited for what was to come.
xXx
It felt like déjà vu. Being back in this ritual chamber reminded Hermione of when she'd last been in here, and nothing had been the same since that day.
Now she was back here with the same people, but the roles were completely different. Celeste stood by the head of the altar this time, and the succubus had discarded her clothes, only her crimson necklace adorning her slender neck. Hermione's eyes roamed over her busty figure, and she could not suppress the pang of jealousy at the sight.
The woman was bloody perfect.
"You're beautiful, Hermione."
She smiled, melting into his arms as he hugged her from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder as they watched Celeste prepare for the ritual. Unlike before, there was no hesitation in his demeanor. He looked perfectly at ease, and she had to marvel at how far he'd come in such a short amount of time.
So had she, she thought with a smile.
"And we're ready," Celeste smiled as she straightened, her sultry smile turning teasing as she looked at Hermione. "Are you?"
Hermione took a deep breath and nodded seriously. As much as this was exciting, she knew how important a task this was.
"Good. Master," Celeste smiled, gesturing to the alter. Harry nodded and made his way over, discarding one item of clothing after as he walked. Both Hermione and Celeste watched with mounting hunger as he took his place atop the altar, his eyes on Hermione and his face expectant.
She never wanted to disappoint him, and she smiled before following suit, taking off her jumper and top first, followed by her skirt, leaving her in just her undergarments.
"Nice charms," Celeste teased, making her blush slightly. She had charmed her regular undergarments to look more enticing, transforming the fabric and colors that would look good on her. The look Harry was giving her proved that her efforts had succeeded, and Hermione gave him a teasing smirk.
Celeste watched on with mounting excitement as Hermione came to a stop in front of the altar, and her grin widened when her Master took absolute pleasure in stripping her the rest of the way. Her bald mound emerged first, and as she stepped out of her knickers, her Master reached over and grabbed her ass, pulling her in his lap.
He stroked her skin tenderly, and Celeste immediately began chanting. The effect was immediate. The mere touch of his fingers on her skin sent a thrum of pleasure through Hermione and she let out a loud moan, her eyes widening.
"W-What was that?"
"That, my dear, is the power of the ritual," Harry smirked. "You felt so much of it when you were the one chanting. Is it truly so surprising that the real thing feels—"
"Incredible!" Hermione cried out as Harry pulled down the cups of her bra and clamped his mouth on her nipple, sucking hard.
'Yeah, that,' Celeste thought with a grin as she continued chanting. 'Now do what I've been telling you, Hermione. Take initiative. Pleasure your Master.'
And Hermione did exactly that, almost as if hearing Celeste's command. She boldly took Harry's hand and brought it between her legs so that he could feel how aroused she truly was. The ritual was amplifying every sensation, and her pussy was already damp.
Hermione let out a sigh of pleasure as she felt Harry touch her. He kept on sucking her tits, alternating between them as he inserted two fingers inside her. His thumb rubbed across her clit as he pumped his fingers in and out of her, making her writhe against him.
"I'm… Oh I'm—"
Hermione wailed out loud as a massive orgasm, easily the biggest one of her life, crashed through her with the force of a raging inferno, leaving her breathless. Her mouth opened in a gasp, her eyes wide as she shook in his lap. All the while, Harry kept thrusting his fingers in and out of her gushing quim, covering them in her orgasmic juices.
Celeste never stopped chanting, her voice taking on a melodious tune that seemed to echo deep within them. Hermione's breath hitched when Harry grabbed two handfuls of her perky rear and planted her straight on his crotch. She felt his hard length trapped between her lower lips and began to roll her hips against him just as he pulled off her breast and slammed his lips against hers in a wanton kiss.
Nothing but Celeste's chants echoed in the ritual chamber as Hermione kissed him back as hard as she could, any other thought forgotten in face of the erotic high she was experiencing.
War? Horcruxes? Perceived betrayals and hardships?
She could recall nothing, think about nothing other than the feeling of his tongue wrestling with hers, his hands squeezing her cheeks as he guided her movements, and the feeling of his magnificent cock as it rubbed between her folds, pressing so deliciously against her gushing entrance.
The magic of sex and ritual had claimed her, and all she could think about was the pleasure she was feeling in this moment.
At the head of the altar, Celeste felt the primal sexual magic oozing off Hermione and she smirked.
Her plan was smoothly in motion.
Head over to patreon.com/KyleVirex to read more of my work. Meanwhile, you can use the same username to find me on any other website that you know of.