16 Christmas

Back at the table, we continued our leisurely conversation with the Delacourt family, occasionally joined by Gaby, who talked excitedly about her first half year at school. To my shame, I realised I didn't even know how old she was. I'd probably heard Fleur talk about it last year, but I'd been very limited in my thinking at the time, spending all my energy on improving my magical abilities, and that kind of information didn't stick in my head. It looked like she wasn't eleven yet, so either Beauxbaton was early or it was a prep school. I wonder if cats are allowed. It would make my present look ridiculous.

Fleur stayed out of our conversation, occasionally casting a thoughtful glance at me. I shuddered to think what thoughts were going through her head. Given her recent rage, she might be thinking of ways to kill me with her usual practicality. And her imagination is boundless.

Although I'd been quiet with Fleur's parents, they'd been extremely careful to avoid any mention of the last six months. I don't know what the purpose of this was: maybe they didn't want to awaken bad memories in their eldest daughter, or maybe they just wanted to preserve the festive atmosphere. In any case, I was concerned about one question, which I asked as soon as there was a pause in the conversation:

- Tell me, why are you so calm about the fact that your daughter is dating a man who not so long ago was without a soul? - There was immediate silence at the table. Yes, the question had sounded too harsh, and I was already mentally cursing myself for not choosing a softer phrase, but it was too late to back up. - Fleur told me that there had been cases of souls returning to their bodies before, but all of them had had unfortunate consequences. I'm sure you know that, too. Don't take this the wrong way, but I think there's something I don't know. - I looked at the head of the family expectantly, trying to ignore Fleur's hard stare, trying to burn a hole in me.

- It's okay, Harry, it's a good question. - Strangely enough, Apolline answered me.

- We have indeed heard of such cases. In fact, a few decades ago, a similar thing happened in my family. My great-grandmother's favourite was a hot-tempered man and one day during a walk, when several people tried to hit on her, Louis couldn't stand it and used magic. They were just ordinary people who couldn't defend themselves in any way. I don't know all the details, but the trial was short and the punishment severe. Great-grandmother grieved for a long time, and what was the family's surprise when, two years later, Louis turned up on the doorstep. - It seems no one had heard this story before, as everyone listened with bated breath. - Unfortunately, it soon became clear that this was not the same man he used to be. Not even a week later, he found the families of those very Muggles....

Apolline didn't tell what happened next, noticing how interested her youngest daughter was in the story. It wasn't hard to guess the ending, though.

- It's different with you, Harry. I suspected something was wrong when Fleur told me how she felt. It was clear that the connection between you two wasn't lost like it was the other day. Besides, in cases like this, it's not just the mage's mind that's affected, but his magic as well. You couldn't pass the goblin test and claim the title if your condition was unstable. I don't know how you managed to come back to life so quickly with no apparent effects. Perhaps it was influenced by your close encounter with the Dementors that Fleur told us about. Either way, we're pretty sure that nothing like that will happen to you. But if you have any doubts, you can always enlist the help of our witch doctors. I guarantee they'll keep your secret.

Fascinating story. The interesting thing is that I seem to be the only one who's worried about my mental state. Or rather, I pretend to be, because I know that if I'm going to freak out, it won't be because of the dementor's kiss. And most importantly, everyone has some logical explanation for what happened that they believe in. Well, that's good for me.

- Perhaps I should see a doctor, though your story has reassured me. - Apolline smiled in response.

There was silence at the table for a few minutes, and everyone began to think. Even Fleur, judging by the look in her eyes, had stopped mentally dissecting me. Although, one person was not interested in all these questions about souls moving out of the body.

- Time for presents! - Gabrielle exclaimed, realising that the festive mood was in jeopardy.

- Gaby! - Sebastian frowned, "How many times have we told you that Christmas presents are given in the morning?

- Not once! - She said confidently, showing that she had never heard of such a thing. The parents could only sigh at this statement.

It had long since gone dark outside the window, and the living room where we were sitting was glowing with many bright lights. As it turned out, the housekeeper had been decorating the room under the careful supervision of Gabby, who was listening to all of our rave reviews with her head held high.

Apolline and Sebastian began handing out the gifts, and then we joined them. To my surprise, I received three presents at once. Fleur's parents gave me a luxurious robe, which, judging by its appearance, would not be a shame to wear to ministers' offices. Gabrielle solemnly handed me a small stone, which, as it turned out, was a serious artefact worth a lot of money.

It turned out that it was enough to place this stone in a room and cast the appropriate spell, and then it would be possible to regulate the area of the room, up to the fact that from an ordinary bedroom you can make a full-fledged gymnasium. I was blushing, imagining how embarrassed I'd be when I got my own presents.

Fleur surprised me once again. When I opened the box, I was surprised to find a rather large book, which on closer inspection turned out to be a scrapbook. The decorated pages were filled with a large number of collodographs, showing highlights of our time together. There were fresh pictures, such as the image of a satisfied Fleur throwing a snowball at me, as well as moments from the Tournament.

The collodographs clearly showed how much I had changed during my time in Azkaban. Without knowing the whole situation, I would have assumed it was two brothers. Fleur had matured considerably, even if it was for the most unpleasant of reasons. As I stared and wondered where she'd gotten all those pictures, I missed the rest of the gift-giving and only noticed when the youngest of the Delacourt family stared at me expectantly.

Rising to my feet, I called out to Dobby and was about to start the handing over when Gaby noticed the kitten on my shoulder. I breathed a sigh of relief, realising it was love at first sight. The cat might have thought otherwise, but no one was asking his opinion. And he was hugged so tightly that he couldn't even raise his voice. I'm sorry, Fluffy, but you'll have to get used to it.

Gabrielle's parents looked on in surprise, and I realised that I'd caused them problems with my gift. Fortunately, they refrained from commenting. Only Sebastian threw in that if he found anything extra in his shoes, the cat would go to live on the street. After that, they politely thanked me for their gifts and waited for me to continue. I involuntarily became even more nervous from such attention. Fleur was frowning more and more, seeing that I had nothing else in my hands and that Dobby had already left. I walked over to her and took her hand.

- Fleur, our first encounter with you was not under the best of circumstances. But as we became friends, I began to admire and admire you, for you were constantly revealing new sides to me, each one making you more and more surprising. - Strange, I was sure I was ready for this. So why was my hand shaking and my voice trembling? Slowly exhaling, I continued:

- You remember very well the situation I was in. And if at first I was worried that I had no friends left at school, then I realised that I didn't need them, because I had you. You alone replaced all the others, because you supported me in difficult situations, could give me good advice and point out my mistakes. Every day I waited more and more for the evening to come so that I could go to the room and meet you. I began to experience a new feeling that I wasn't familiar with before. I didn't know what it was and at first I couldn't articulate it, and then I was afraid to do so, for at that moment the worst nightmare for me wasn't dragons, or lake dwellers, or a mysterious labyrinth. The worst nightmare for me was that when you heard my words, you would laugh back and walk away. But I realised," he glanced at Sebastian, "that I was lost. I'm grateful that I have a chance to be with you again, to tell you all the things I couldn't tell you before. I don't know what the future holds, but I'm sure of one thing: I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Tell me, Fleur Delacour," I knelt down on one knee and pulled a small box out of my pocket, opening it, "will you agree to be my wife?

Time seemed to stand still. I had time to see Sebastian and Apolline holding their breath as they stood hugging each other, Gabrielle looking unusually serious, and the beauty in front of me with her eyes wide open. The thought flashed through my mind that in accepting Death's proposal, I couldn't imagine that a week into my new life I would be proposing, and even if it was of my own free will.

- Eeee! - Fleur's joyous cry brought things back to normal speed. She jumped up on the spot and then threw herself around my neck, dropping me to the floor and falling on top of me. - I do! I do! I do! She exclaimed, kissing me in between. Fortunately, Sebastian's tactful coughing saved me from strangulation, and we rose to our feet, whereupon I was able to slip the ring onto my bride's dainty finger. Fleur's face was adorned with a smile of such joy that the room seemed even brighter than it had been before. When I caught a glimpse of our reflection in the mirror nearby, I was surprised to see that the smile on my face was no less.

I didn't remember the next events well, for I was truly happy, and my happiness was beside me, holding my hand. Fleur's parents congratulated us on our engagement, after which we had a long hug with Gaby. I don't remember what it was like in my past life, but in my new one it was definitely the best day ever. I was surrounded by people who had become close to me in such a short period of time. That evening we had time to receive many congratulations from Fleur's relatives, who had been notified of the engagement by an excited Apolline, play with Gabrielle's new pet, who had been given the royal name Ludovic, have fun outside, and do many other things. Even the magical fireworks did not cause me any unpleasant emotions.

I only came to my senses once I was in my assigned room. After taking a shower and snuggling under a blanket, I finally realised how mentally exhausted I was. But I was at peace - she'd said yes, which meant everything was going to be okay. Even the thought of what was ahead of me didn't have any negative effect. Even if it was presumptuous, but today I decided not to burden myself with unnecessary worries, because they were not few.

Gradually my thoughts returned to the girl whose room was next door to mine. It felt strange to fall asleep without her... Before I could think about it, the lock clicked softly and the door opened, and Fleur slipped into the room. When she noticed I was awake, she closed the door, using some kind of spell, and crawled under the covers with me. I could tell by the look on her face that she was thinking seriously about something, and she couldn't stop thinking about it.

- Harry, I've realised something important, and I need clarification. - I tensed inwardly, wondering exactly what she wanted to ask. - You proposed to me, but I never got a Christmas present from you! - She said it in one breath, and then looked at me expectantly. I could only open and close my mouth. This girl could make me speechless with a single phrase! When she saw that I was going to justify myself, she put her finger to my lips. Her tone changed abruptly to a whisper:

- You are lucky that I know what kind of gift I would like to receive. - With those words, she brought her face close to mine. - I've recently learned about a new kind of silencing charm," she whispered against my lips, "and I've already used it in your room.

That was the last straw. I couldn't hold back any longer and started kissing Fleur, who responded to my caresses eagerly. With each passing moment, the kisses became more and more greedy. My hands roamed her body, and her loud breathing turned me on more and more.

Once on top of her, I began kissing her neck and collarbones, my hands slowly pulling down her nightie. Fleur wrapped her legs around me and we both surrendered to the incredible sensations. The moans, quiet at first, grew louder and louder. Yes, the muffling spell was a very good idea.

***

- Christmas, what a good and bright holiday. Everybody's happy, merry, presents, it's idyllic. I wish there were as few holidays like this as possible.

- Since my first appearance, nothing has changed in this room. There were two chairs, and Death was sitting in one of them, looking at me. - Sit down, Harry.

- You sound like a real villain," I remarked, taking a seat. The emotions of ending this long day were still bubbling up inside me. Fleur and I had only fallen asleep after we'd squeezed each other's juices out. So I was not at all happy to be here again. I don't think anything good is in store for me.

- I'm a villain to most people," he said philosophically, not commenting on my thoughts. - Why don't I share my thoughts with someone else? It can get pretty boring around here, you know.

- And how often does someone like me show up here? - I wondered how unique my story was.

- Quite often," he chuckled. - Not as often as I used to, though. Nobility isn't exactly in vogue these days, Harry. - He intoned my name again, as if expecting a reaction. - Besides, it's not enough to give a man a new life. I can't control the process, and most of these stories end quickly. For example, not long ago I made a similar offer to a young man from your past reality. He agreed and travelled to the thirteenth century, where he immediately began to tell everyone that he was an atheist, and even a meeting with me could not change his mind. Anyway, he stayed there for a day and a half. So you've still got a long time to live. It's quite interesting to watch you flounder.

A thought was just beginning to form in my head, but he beat me to the punch:

- No, I wasn't watching your amusement under the blanket. - He smiled crookedly again, as if amazed at such an assumption. - I'm not interested in watching children do it for the first time," he continued without letting me get a word in edgewise, "children, children, you're all like children to me. You're all in sandboxes with your little problems. Although, I have to admit, you're doing pretty well for yourself. Rarely does anyone here have such luck. You've got a beautiful bride, you've got relatives, a place to live, money, magic, after all. He shook his head as if he couldn't believe what was happening. He shook his head, as if he couldn't believe what was going on, and in doing so he reawakened my doubts that everything couldn't be so smooth in Harry Potter's life.

- I'm lucky," I voiced the obvious fact. - I know how things are going to unfold. And even if some things were unexpected, like waking up in Azkaban, the canon is more or less followed.

- Canon... - Death was unusually thoughtful, pausing after each phrase. - Yes, I saw in your head the original interpretation of this story. However, it is only one reality. Most of the time Tom Riddle gets to me with the help of Harry Potter, but sometimes, like in your current reality, there are problems with that. I'm lucky that's where you ended up. And doubly lucky that you know the basics of the world. But you're overconfident, which is why I called you back here. The ease of your introduction into this world has turned your head, and you have been on the verge of failure several times already. Yes, you seem to have progressed in the task at hand, but I have told you before that this version of events has differences. If you keep swimming downstream, you'll quickly find yourself there. - He waved his hand behind his back.

- I-" I started, but Death interrupted me, clearly losing interest in this conversation.

- Yeah, yeah. Don't forget who's in front of you, boy. All your words that you have everything under control and everything is going well, save them for someone who can't see through you. Don't lie to yourself. Your childish behaviour jeopardises my plans. And I always fulfil my plans, no matter what the means. I'll take that as a warning. - He smiled, which made it look even creepier. - Go, rest, enjoy life while you have the chance.

Without letting me say anything in response, Death got up from his chair, whereupon I woke up in my bed. Taking advantage of the enchantments, I recognised that it was deep night. I carefully got out of Fleur's embrace and walked to the bedside table to drink some water and calm my shivering. I couldn't get the words I'd heard out of my head: "You only think you've made progress," "different from the story you know," "rest while you can," "I warned you."

Have I really made no progress and am just going with the flow? Death has given me a decent scare with how drastically I've changed. But it was my own fault, I should have realised from the start who it was who had condescended to talk to me, and it had nothing to do with his deceptive appearance. So what did he mean when he said it wasn't like that? Perhaps I should be more proactive before the discrepancies become too apparent. I may not have been here long, but the mere thought of being removed from this place is frightening.

I looked at Fleur, sniffling quietly on the bed, hugging the pillow:

- What have I gotten you into? - The quiet whisper was barely audible even to me.

Dobby appeared in front of me with a pop. I jerked back in surprise, and was about to tell the houseboy that he needed to work on the volume and accuracy of his movements when I noticed that his appearance was drastically different from what I was used to. The housekeeper's already large eyes seemed to have doubled in size, tears welling up in them. He himself was covered in something black, and on his side, even through the sheet, a fresh wound was visible.

- Master, Harry Potter, sir," he looked up at me, and I noticed he was shaking. - Sorry Dobby, Dobby couldn't handle it..." I wanted to grab him by the chest and give him a good shake. I could feel my ability to think straight fading with all the pressure I was under. But before I could take a step, he continued: - your house... It's on fire.