𝐂𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐬 [Harry James Potter]

Chapter 11: The Lovers

The Lovers

Trigger warning: Sexual content

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Beauty is terror. Whatever we call beautiful, we quiver before it.

Harry knew this to certainly be true. He could recall almost every time he believed to crumble under the sharp yet intriguing gaze of the woman he had called his 'friend' for years.

He recalled how he had described her in their fourth year, 'the shudder we feel when winter carries ice in it's wind', this surge of something that would violently ripple through ones body. How odd it was, to be haunted by someone still alive.

He certainly felt terror as he stood outside her bedroom door, tiptoeing between certainty and insanity.

"Mr. Potter, spying on a lady is a sign of very poor manners..." Vera spoke from beyond the door he hesitated behind.

"My apologies, Miss Valerian..." Harry smirked, pushing open the door to find her standing in a gorgeous black dress with a half undone corset in front of a large mirror that stood on one of the many walls to the vast room adorned with marble and gold.

"Well since you are here, my corset strings seem to be all knotted," she smirked to herself, her eyes staring up at him through her reflection. "I wonder if you can undo them for me?"

"Of course." He approached her from behind.

The three of them had been preparing to leave Valerian manor for the masquerade ball before Harry had came to check up on her.

"Stunning." He whispered, moving her hair aside with one hand that gently grazed the back of her neck, sending shivers up her spine.

"Isn't it?" She asked rhetorically, her eyes darting across the rooms features. "It was my mother's room."

He wasn't talking about the bedroom.

"These pure blood parties are just an underlying competition to see which Pureblood family is the richest and which dresses the best." Vera adjusted her ruby ring. "And as you can see we win in both categories."

Harry smiled to himself at her competitive nature in such a risky situation. He slowly unknotted her corsets strings.

"I've charmed your mask to make you look completely different so don't take it off, got it?"

"Got it." He swiftly grabbed the corset strings, resulting in her back pressing against his front abruptly. "I'll behave myself tonight."

"Good." She started at him through the mirror as she felt a hot blush creep up.

"Now I just need to-" Harry who had loosened her corset froze. "Vera-"

"What is it?" She turned her head to the side as her smile faded.