Contrary to all of his big talk, he couldn't stand to look at Hermione. Sex with her was like an alcoholic having a drink. It helped that she was avoiding him at all costs as well. Flashes of their encounter sparked long bouts of delving into obscured memories. They weren't whole, moments and feelings more than anything.
The best thing he could do was focus on this life. Dealing with Dumbledore was on the horizon, though he didn't know when, and there was still the tournament to finish. He would make sure that Cedric survived. Keeping Fleur away from Bill was important as well.
Harry paused. Currently, it was lunch on Saturday. He looked up and down the table. Ron had changed considerably once Molly's influence had been purged. Harry was a bit curious what, if any, changes Ginny had gone through.
Oddly enough, he couldn't find her. He hadn't heard anything out of the ordinary. She wasn't disappearing like she had during her first year. None of her classmates mentioned her missing. She had to be going to classes. Still, he couldn't find her.
"Hey, Ron." He said quietly. "Where's Ginny?"
Ron flinched. He looked at Harry with sorrow filled eyes.
"She's next to the twins." Ron mumbled.
Harry turned his attention to them.
"Where?" Harry asked.
"Next to George." Ron didn't look at him when he spoke.
Harry examined them again. Angelina and Alicia sat to one side of the twins. There was a girl he didn't recognize on the other. Harry's eyes widened, he turned to Ron. She had curly, dark brown hair. The girl was tall and thin, like she had gone through a sudden growth spurt. It was her nose that he recognized.
"That's Ginny?" He asked, trying to keep his voice down.
Ron nodded.
"All of us went for a potion cleanse." The boy spoke softly. "Mum… Molly, was a genius with potions. It took a week to clear all that she'd done."
"I'm sorry." Harry gave him a one-armed hug.
"Ginny and Bill aren't dads." Ron continued. "The twins says that Percy too, but that's just them."
"Woah." Harry took a deep breath and let it out. "Topic change?"
"Yes, please." Ron nodded.
"We could head in to talk to Sirius." Harry offered. "He could probably get a tailor over fast to get your robes in order."
It wasn't a Hogsmeade weekend, but there were benefits to being a champion. Technically, he could skip all of his classes this year if he had wanted. He could also leave Hogwarts to pursue knowledge and resources for the tasks. That was a fact he had learned this time around from talking with the other champions. It had been an option when he had competed previously, but he hadn't been told.
"That sounds wonderful." Ron gave him a weak smile.
Harry pulled out his mirror. "Sirius."
"What's up, pup?" His godfather asked.
"Mind if Ron and I visit?" Harry angled the mirror to get his friend in view. "I promised to get him some new robes for the Yule Ball."
"Of course." Sirius smiled back at them. "Shoes as well?"
Ron nodded. "Please."
"Stop that." Sirius waggled a finger at him. "This isn't just about you getting new threads from the goodness of our hearts. You're Harry's friend. It will look back on him if you show up in rags."
Ron scrunched up his brow in thought. The redhead didn't like to accept help. Even with the potions gone, he saw it as weakness. Framing things so that it wasn't kindness helped him accept it. He looked to Harry who gave him a firm nod.
"Understood." Ron grumbled.
The duo finished up lunch. Harry noticed that Hermione quickly dashed out of the hall after a small meal. That was fine by him. He wasn't sure he trusted himself to be alone around her. His train of thought was interrupted by a slight tingle on the edge of his consciousness.
He turned to see Fleur approaching.
"Miss Delacour." He gave her a small bow.
"Mister Potter." She inclined her head. "Where are you headed?"
"My friend and I are heading to town." Harry motioned to Ron.
"May I join you?" She asked.
Harry looked to Ron. His friend shrugged.
"Gladly." Harry smiled at her.
The trio strolled out of the castle. Carriages were only available during Hogsmeade weekend, meaning they had to walk. The day was nice enough and the roads were well maintained. Fleur subtly sniffed in Harry's direction. He noticed but didn't say anything.
"You said you were a Keeper, Mister Weasley?" Fleur asked.
"You can call me Ron." He said as a bright smile crossed his face. "Mister Weasley makes me think I'm in trouble." He perked up at her question. "Yes, I play a Keeper. I'm trying to make the team this season. Do you play?"
"Non." Fleur shook her head. "Flying on a broom does not feel right."
"But… quidditch." Ron had too many thoughts trying to get from his mind to his mouth.
"After a certain age, Veela are able to shift into an avian form." Fleur explained. "We can fly under our own power. Switching from that to a broom is too jarring. For me at least."
"I guess that makes sense." Ron didn't look all that convinced.
"Can you fully transform?" Harry asked. He quickly added. "If that's not too personal of a question."
"It is fine." Fleur let out a small laugh at his uncertainty. "Oui, I can. Gaining control is a sign that a Veela has reached maturity." She held up a hand, her fingers shifted into talons. "The transformation is not an easy one for younger Veela. It is draining and they are driven more by instinct."
"That sounds like a mix of an animagus and a lycanthrope." Harry said thoughtfully.
Fleur shrugged, somehow making the little motion appear graceful.
"As I said, Veela are not fully human." Her talon shifted back to a hand.
"I feel like I'm learning something new every time we speak." Harry chuckled.
"Merci." Fleur laughed with him. "I prefer this to people assuming that Veela are creatures driven only to seduce wizards away from their wives."
"Yeah. If my Quidditch career doesn't take off I'm tempted to study Veela." Ron spoke up. "Before we spoke, I didn't realize how wrong people were."
"There have been scholars who have attempted such things." Fleur turned her attention to Ron. "We do not have a good history with them."
"Oh?" Ron asked.
"The approached Veela as creatures, rather than people." Fleur's voice turned cold. "They would assume that since we are similar to Sirens or Harpies that we were lesser."
"All while they ignored the fact that humans are similar to gorillas or chimps." Harry scoffed.
Their conversation paused as they made it to Hogsmeade. Harry led them to the residential area where Sirius lived. The interior was tastefully decorated with furniture that was high quality without being flashy. Each room had been expanded enough prevent it from feeling restricting but remained cozy.
The tailor was already waiting. Harry recognized them as a worker he had seen at Madam Malkin's. They didn't speak, simply directing Ron to a raised platform. The tailor studied the boy for a long moment, turning him this way and that.
"This will take a while." Sirius turned to Fleur and Harry. "Tea?"
Harry looked to Fleur, who nodded. Sirius led them into a tidy kitchen. Much to his surprise, Sirius didn't seem all that influenced by Fleurs allure. The Veela appeared to notice as well.
"Padron me for asking, Lord Black." Fleur said.
"Sirius." He cut in.
"Sirius." Fleur smiled. "Are you an animagus?"
"Yes." Sirius replied, matching her smile. "How did you know?"
"Your scent." She replied.
Sirius raised an arm and sniffed. Fleur giggled.
"An underlying scent." Fleur corrected. "You also appear to be able to resist my allure."
"The lord ring helps." Sirius held up his hand.
Fleur nodded.
"Why would the animagus matter?" Harry asked.
"It's along the same lines to how werewolves are more resistant to mental magics." Sirius explained. "Becoming an animagus means you're not exactly human anymore. It gets more pronounced the longer you spend in your animal form."
"Huh." Harry nodded. "I wonder what my form would be."
"Knowing you?" Sirius chuckled. "A dragon or something else as wild. As long as it was supposed to be impossible."
Harry couldn't argue.
"I would say a raven." Fleur suggested.
"I could see that." Sirius nodded.
"I'm not sure I'd like that." Harry said after a moment of thought.
"Oh?" Sirius asked. "You love flying."
"Exactly." Harry replied. "Fleur mentioned that using a broom didn't feel natural to her. I love flying too much to give that up."
"You would have your own wings." Fleur countered.
"I like having hands while I fly." Harry chuckled.
"Hm." Sirius considered. "A cat."
"Really?" Harry tilted his head to the side.
"A black cat, naturally." Sirius chuckled. "You're clever, hard to kill, and sneaky. We could always start the process to find out."
"I don't think I have time for that." Harry sighed.
"True." Sirius nodded. "We should rescue Ron."
"It's only been a few minutes." Harry said.
"Exactly." Sirius laughed. "He'll be drowning in fabric and held in place by pins."
It wasn't quite that bad. Ron had three different color strips draped over his shoulders. Measuring tape slithered along his body as the information was marked on a piece of parchment by a floating chalk pencil. A tome hung in the air in front of his face. Harry could see the pages displayed pictures of various styles of suits and robes.
"Help." Ron squeaked.