ꜱᴇʀᴘᴇɴᴛɪɴᴇ ꜱᴇʀɪᴇꜱ | ᴛᴏᴍɪᴏɴᴇ

Whispers from the Past, ch. 43

She had faced three-headed dogs, Dementors, and a devilish horde of Cornish pixies. She had fought Death Eaters and Aurors alike. She had survived her OWLs. Fought a troll. Tamed a giant. Been brought to the very brink of death...

And she would have gladly done all of that all over again if it meant she didn't have to walk into the Main Tent where their followers were waiting. More specifically, where Mag and the other Peeping Tom were waiting.

As she and Voldemort strode out of the forest and up the hill towards the tent, she feared the worst: that those two had shared the explicit scene they'd saw with the other Death Eaters. Perhaps they were all laughing about it now like a bunch of raunchy school children.

Just seeing her naked alone would have been embarrassing enough. But with their Dark Lord, entangled in each other's arms, sweaty and panting...

"Oh, gargoyles," Harmony groaned, covering her face with her hands.

Voldemort looked over his shoulder at her. He stopped to wrap an arm around her waist.

"Don't fret, my dear," he said. "If anything, those two will be jealous they weren't me."

"Oh, stop." She playfully slapped his stomach. "Horrible."

"It's not so bad," he coaxed into her ear. "It's only natural, is it not?"

She shrugged one shoulder and kicked the wet grass with each step. "That may be so, but what if they mock us behind our backs?"

"Then they'd be fools!"

Harmony didn't reply.

He stared at her beside him for a quiet moment.

"Then let them," he reiterated more calmly.

She looked up at him.

"It doesn't matter what they say," he said. "If it's behind your back, then it isn't important. Don't let them have that power over you. If you show them that it's no big fuss then they will eventually follow your lead."

Harmony nodded, finding strength in his words. Then she smiled.

"Now you're starting to sound more like me," she said.

He let out a laugh. "You certainly have your moments," he agreed.

Pointing up on her tip-toes, she placed a kiss on his freshly-shaven cheek.

When they reached the Main tent, Harmony slowed to a stop just short of walking in. The tent flaps were closed-billowing softly in the morning breeze-but they were still alone.

Voldemort sensed her reluctance and sighed before saying, "If it really upsets you that much, then it's alright if you want to go back-"

"No," she said firmly. "I'll go. I'd have to at some point, wouldn't I? I won't hide."

He pursed his lips to obscure a pride-filled smile and stepped up to the entrance.

"Very well."

He disappeared between the tent flaps, and after a deep breath, she followed.

A hush suddenly fell when their presence became known. Eyes cast to them. Bodies turned to give their fullest attention. It was a group of maybe fifteen people, most of which Harmony didn't recognize. A young group. Some looked like they had hardly graduated from Hogwarts. She looked each of them in the eye and saw fear. That was when she spotted Mag.

He stood half-hidden behind a tall, muscular Death Eater as though hoping it would protect him if Harmony or Voldemort felt the urge to attack. His normally pallid complexion was blotchy with violent shades of magenta, his lower lip swollen from nervously chewing on it with sharp teeth, black eyes darted around to everywhere but her. His obvious discomfort gave her confidence, and when his gaze frightfully fell onto her, she held it.