Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters and works; all other characters and worlds belong to their respective owners. I'm just playing with them.
Betad by Priapus, Mike God of Lore, Malcolm Tent, Marethyu, Beans
The Illusive Mage
Chapter 11: Tom
– Lucius Malfoy –
It was inevitable that Harry would learn of his Death Eater past. There was simply too much proof that money hadn't been able to wipe away. Old Daily Prophet articles, rumours, fingers pointed at trials. He'd escaped any legal punishments for his crimes, but the court of public opinion was not so easily swayed, and with the cult of Dumbledore only growing stronger in the years after Voldemort's defeat, his name was tarnished in a way that money couldn't wipe off.
But he was nothing if not adaptable, his rise while the rest of his former comrades had fallen had proven that. Where many of the other members of the inner circle were now in Azkaban or living on the run, he'd risen to a position of greater power and wealth than where he'd begun. As such, the best way to deal with the… issue was to get ahead of whoever else would want to whisper in Harry's ear.
As Narcissa led him in, now properly dressed as the heir of two Noble Houses, his wife gave him a minute nod. They'd gotten good at communicating without words, as it was a useful skill in the circles they frequented. Narcissa was an incredibly charming woman and they'd often spread out at events to deal with different objectives. Her look told him all was going well, that Harry hadn't been poisoned against them and had listened to Narcissa's explanation, so Lucius greeted Harry properly and called for the food as Harry was seated between his two children. Both had done good work in befriending and getting close to Harry, leaving him proud.
As they began, Draco basically vibrated with excitement as the dinner started, clearly having something on the tip of his tongue. Lucretia rolled her eyes, even as she tried to hide her curiosity over what had Draco looking so smug, but Harry just huffed in amusement as he shared a look with Draco for a moment. Lucretia's letters about Harry being the brains behind the operation, despite Draco's claim to being the one in charge, looked increasingly true as Draco got permission to spill whatever secret he was clinging to.
"What is it, Draco?" Narcissa asked, giving him a mildly disapproving look for his visible excitement. Clearly, he hadn't continued his Occlumency training while at Hogwarts, but that was no surprise. With so many new spells to learn, meditating and focusing on something so 'dull' as Occlumency simply didn't appeal to Draco at the moment, and he didn't know anything damning enough to warrant it being a necessity.
"I have an announcement to make," Draco declared grandly. He'd have to talk to Draco about how to deal with such things because his attempt at sounding important merely made him sound pompous and obnoxious. Again, Draco was young enough for it not to really matter, but it would be a skill he'd need when he grew up and started to be given duties as the heir of House Malfoy. "Harry and I have discovered that he has a most… rare skill."
Narcissa sighed quietly at Draco's showboating as he pulled out his wand and cast a spell he'd insisted on being taught. Serpensortia. Lucius went still as Draco conjured a large boa constrictor, the realisation hitting before Draco could turn to Harry.
Harry opened his mouth, but Lucius already knew what was going to come out of it before the hissing sound started. The snake instantly stood to attention, slithering along the table and wrapping around Harry who fearlessly stroked its head despite having the heavy, dangerous-looking snake draped around his neck.
"Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, is a Parselmouth!" Draco finished with a flourish. He definitely needed to talk to Draco about the difference between controlling the room and obnoxious showboating.
"Morgana's tits," Lucretia breathed almost silently. Not silently enough to escape a long-suffering look from Narcissa. Clearly, her attempts at teaching the pair etiquette were still a work in progress. Draco was too flashy and enjoyed being the centre of attention, while Lucretia didn't care enough. Just this once, he'd let her crudeness pass because it was more polite than what he thought as he saw the same.
"Indeed?" Narcissa asked, her tone impressed as she stared at the snake and then at Harry with a small smile. "A rare talent, indeed. And an infamous one."
"The constant snake imagery in the Slytherin common room felt… weirdly familiar to me. Something was tugging at the back of my mind," Harry explained, turning to the snake and hissing to it. Draco flinched as the snake moved over to him, its forked tongue licking his cheek as it rested on his shoulders. Despite it being a snake he'd summoned, Draco couldn't hide his nerves at having it wrapped around him. "Eventually, we worked out what it meant."
Ah, covering for Draco's white lie? He had no doubt that Draco had nothing to do with Harry learning he was a Parselmouth. He knew when his son was lying. Harry was… rather good at it, because if he hadn't already suspected Draco of misdirection, he wouldn't have seen anything wrong with Harry's supporting statement.
"Draco didn't work out a damn thing, did he?" Lucretia asked, amused. Draco sputtered, but his attention was on the large snake currently wrapped around him and said nothing.
"Haven't you heard? Draco and I are a team. He helped, in spirit. Technically, I went into Slytherin to follow him, and that's where I found the snake imagery. So, if you squint and tilt your head enough…" Harry admitted with a playful grin. "I only found out recently."
"We're going to get him a snake. The looks on the faces of Nott and Greengrass when they realise he's a Parselmouth are going to be perfect," Draco said excitedly. Narcissa gave him another look, a tiny headshake. Ah, so Draco had alienated Greengrass? Irritating, but not the end of the world. She was only one of many potential betrothals. He would have liked to remove her from the potential marriage candidates for Harry to make room for Lucretia to become Lady Black, but there were likely so many that Daphne was barely a problem.
With him accepting Narcissa as a political tutor and advisor, he'd have a better idea of just how many people were lining up to take the position of Lady Black. And perhaps he'd have a chance to influence the next Lady Potter as well.
"You aren't going to keep it secret?" Lucretia asked. It was a fair question. "Most people think Parseltongue is basically a Dark Art."
"That's dumb," Harry replied plainly. "Not that it will stop people. I'd rather reveal it myself than have it come out later. Because, honestly? I really want a snake. I have the name picked out and everything."
"Nagini is still a stupid name," Draco mumbled, sending a shard of fear into both him and Narcissa. With how much Narcissa tried to keep her emotions hidden, the quiet gasp from her might as well have been a scream. How did he know that name?
"I told you, I'm not calling it Salazar," Harry replied plainly, a wry grin on his lips. Lucius had a million questions, but forced himself to ask exactly none as the main course arrived (at his gesture to the House Elves). Food always made for a good distraction.
Draco bickered that Salazar was a perfectly acceptable name, and the dinner moved on smoothly enough. As he ate, Lucius kept a very close eye on Harry and what he saw only made him panic more. The way he sat, his mannerisms, he'd seen them all before, on another charming young man whose silvered words had plunged the wizarding world into flames.
Meeting Harry's emerald gaze, killing curse green now that he thought about it, he felt a spike in the back of his mind.
'Ask me to speak with you in private after dessert.'
Harry's gaze moved away quickly, joking with Draco about Nott's failed attempts to do anything since the little competition had begun, but Lucius had to do his best to hide his cold sweat at how… familiar that voice sounded.
Narcissa gave him a worried look, but he knew better than to risk enraging… whoever was sitting at his table, and as dinner ended, he politely requested Harry join him in his office. The answering 'Sure, Uncle Lucius' was entirely laidback and relaxed, giving Draco a nudge and promising that he could show him around once their meeting was over.
As they entered the office, he paused. Did he sit at the desk, or let Harry take that seat?
"Sit, Uncle," Harry said, conjuring a large throne-like chair for himself. Doing so, Lucius stared at Harry as he lounged in the exact same dismissive way that the Dark Lord once had, his throat dry as he activated the privacy wards.
"Are you- are you Harry or him?" Lucius finally asked.
"Yes," Harry admitted with a simple smile. "Most days I'm Harry, but today I feel a little more… Tom."
A name so very few people would know. The Dark Lord's identity was not a true secret, nor was it overly hard to discover if you were stupid enough to go digging, but at the same time, he doubted anyone outside of Dumbledore and the Inner Circle knew it.
"M-my Lord, how is this-" Lucius stuttered, falling back into the age-old asskissing that helped avoid a Cruciatus.
"You have something of mine. A diary. Bring it to me," Harry ordered, watching as Lucius jumped to attention. Luckily, he had never moved it to Gringotts, not wanting to trigger their wards so it was here, in his safe. Handing it over as soon as possible, Harry sighed. "Tell me, Uncle. Aunt Narcissa claimed you were happy I was defeated. Is that true?"
Suddenly his plan to have Narcissa assure Harry that while he had been a Death Eater, he'd never truly been loyal to the Dark Lord and was happy Harry had killed him didn't seem so clever.
"M-my Lord-" Lucius stuttered, already wondering if he should try fleeing or fighting.
"The truth. Answer me," Harry commanded, rolling his wand between his fingers as Lucius realised the truth. He'd be dead before he could do either of those.
"Y-yes, my Lord," Lucius admitted, knowing when to give in. Lying would only make matters worse for him and his family.
"I don't blame you," Harry said, shocking him. "Nobody sane wants the Dark Lord Voldemort back. Frankly, I don't want him back either."
"M-my lord?" Lucius asked.
"Take a seat, Uncle. And just call me Harry," Harry requested, watching him move back into his seat. "I'm sure you noticed my- the Dark Lord's increasingly unstable mind during the war?"
"I did, Harry," Lucius admitted.
"The Dark Lord made himself immortal, but at the cost of his mind. Each tether he made to the world fractured his mind more and more," Harry said, stroking the diary before he opened it. Lucius watched in shock as something was drained from the diary, and it let out a foul screech, before Harry let out a sigh of relief. "In the end, Voldemort was nothing more than a deranged fool who couldn't even kill a baby without blowing himself up… and leaving a piece of him inside the child."
Lucius remained silent, having no idea what to say to that.
"Voldemort was a fool," Harry continued, tossing the smoking diary away with a look of disgust. "But fate has a sense of humour, it seems. I don't want to be Voldemort, because being Harry Potter is far more… convenient."
"Are you- how does this work?" Lucius finally asked. "Wait, the murder!"
"You mean 'how has Dumbledore not noticed?' And yes, Quirrel was me," Harry admitted. "As I said, I am Harry most days. I haven't possessed Harry, it would be more accurate to say our souls have merged into one. Quirrel was possessed by another shard of Voldemort. Pieces of his soul he left lying around. It's funny, if you had tried to use this diary, you might have brought Voldemort back without trying."
Suddenly he was pleased he'd shut down the occasional idea he'd had to weaponise the piece of dark magic left in his care.
"Would these… souls not have regained their sanity?" Lucius asked.
"No. To put it simply, Harry is the… stabiliser for Tom. Experiencing another childhood, another life, having Harry's full soul, worked to bring back 'Tom'. The shards in the various objects Voldemort left behind are just as insane as he was," Harry clarified. "I don't need to tell you the dangers of the Dark Lord returning."
War. If he were as mad as he had been in the months leading up to his death, he'd plunge the world back into war without hesitation.
"Tell me, Lucius. Who is the most powerful person in the magical world?" Harry asked.
"You," Lucius replied instantly, still in full ass-kissing mode. Harry just laughed. It wasn't the Dark Lord's cackle, but instead a more boyish chuckle.
"Cute, but not what I meant," Harry replied. "Dumbledore is."
The Dark Lord despised people mentioning Dumbledore or his power. Dumbledore's reputation as the only one the Dark Lord feared saw to that.
"Because he defeated Grindlewald," Lucius realised, seeing where this was going. 'Harry is more convenient'. Harry was the Boy Who Lived. The Vanquisher of the Dark Lord.
Harry was in a position to be the next Albus Dumbledore.
"Exactly. I have no desire for war, but my ambition remains," Harry admitted with a soft smile. "Nor do I wish to announce my return, as that would lead to inevitable war. Many of my old followers would flock back to my side, but most of them were thugs and fools. They were more of a hindrance in the end, not that I was any better."
"What do you need from me, Harry?" Lucius asked, getting a smile.
"There are two goals, both long-term. Firstly, to track down the remaining pieces that Voldemort left behind before they can be roused. One is in the Lestrange Vault, a golden cup. It is safe there, with no one to influence, but I want you to see what you can do about getting us access to it," Harry ordered. He'd do that happily, because while 'Tom' might be back, Lucius truly did not want to see Voldemort return. "Secondly, the empowerment of the House Potter-Black for when I graduate and move into politics. I shall focus on building a reputation as the hero the Wizarding World sees me as, a prodigy with magic that lives up to the storybooks they write about me, but I will require your aid in ensuring that things are prepared on the political scene for my arrival."
"I have Fudge on a tight leash, and many of the old guard, the former Knights of Walpurgis or their children, have taken their family seats," Lucius assured him.
"Fudge has been pushing to meet with me, hasn't he? During the winter break, Harry Potter shall dip his toes into the world of politics. Maybe a tour of the ministry, learning how the world he was taken away from works…" Harry suggested, and Lucius could see how that could work wonderfully. "After all, taking on a political tutor shows that I'm interested in living up to my family name and embracing my magical heritage."
The genius and power of Tom Riddle, but without the madness and cruelty of the Dark Lord? Oh yes, he could see this working very well indeed. With the right preparations, he could be Minister in a decade. A decade he had to spare, given his 'young' age.
"I'm sure the Minister would be thrilled to take some time out of his busy schedule to assist a young heir in learning all about the Ministry," Lucius agreed smoothly. "What about Narcissa? Do you even need a political tutor?"
"Of course I do, because 'Harry' has no experience in politics or the running of a noble house," Harry pointed out. "After this conversation, do not expect to speak to Tom unless it is of the utmost importance. You convinced me not to name my future snake Nagini, a name that came to me in a fractured dream, and we discussed my future in politics."
"Understood," Lucius agreed instantly. It made sense. If Harry showed too much skill, Dumbledore might just catch onto what was really happening. Would the old man kill Harry to get rid of Tom? He didn't know, and he suspected neither did Tom. Harry closed his eyes, his posture changing considerably before he opened them again with a far more innocent look.
"Was there anything else, Uncle? Draco promised to show me the broom he wasn't allowed to bring into school," Harry asked, his tone, his posture, his very presence shifting.
"By all means, go and play. I'm sure Draco wants to show off his skills," Lucius agreed instantly, getting a grateful smile from his 'nephew'.
As Harry left, he let out a deep sigh of relief at the realisation of how close he had come to dying. Both if he had used the diary, which he quickly incinerated, and if 'Harry' hadn't been far more reasonable than his predecessor.
And yet, even as his heart settled, the ambition began to burn at the sheer potential of this gambit.
– Harry Potter –
The word for today is 'lying'.
Tom cackles at having brought Lucius back to heel, and Lily smirks at the sight of someone she hates cowering before us. Harry is just fucking tired after pulling off that little display of finely prepared bullshit.
I don't want the Death Eaters to become a problem for me later, and Lucius is going to help me wrangle them under control. He's also going to help me track down the other Horcruxes before any get into the wrong hands. Not even Tom wants more Toms, and Narcissa wasn't lying when she said that they were relieved the Dark Lord was gone.
The idea that he could pop back up will keep the innately cowardly and self-serving Lucius motivated to help me get rid of them.
Draco, being Draco, was eager to show off his broom collection. He has six, because each time a new model comes out, he wants that one. Flying is honestly a lot of fun, even if Draco flies circles around me at first. Lily and Tom have something in common, as it turns out, neither cared for brooms so I don't have any knowledge to call on to help me get the hang of this.
So, when he decides we should practice with a snitch, I cheat like a motherfucker. Draco spends the entire game seeing glints of gold in the corner of his eye, chasing illusions while I, the lucky novice on a broom for the first time, manage to catch the snitch. Even when we both chased it, he saw it a meter to the left of where it actually was. It was good training.
"You cheated!" Draco accuses.
"I know, impressive, right?" I admit. Both Draco and Lucretia know about my little tricks, and as much as Draco wants to be angry, he just can't. Well, he can, but he's too busy scheming about how to weaponise this against the foul, demonic foe… Daphne Greengrass… to care that I beat him in a practice game.
After boasting that I had to cheat to beat him. I kindly don't remind him that I touched a broom for the first time, like half an hour ago. Besides, as we 'argue', I can see Lucius watching from a window and no doubt listening in. Voldemort would have tortured Draco by now, but I just mock his hair as we squabble playfully.
I want him second guessing how much is me acting and how much is the 'teenage Harry's soul' having an effect on the fearsome Dark Lord that is definitely in control here. I'm sleeping over tonight, because Draco was right that Snape has done exactly nothing to stop us from leaving school.
At the mention of Professor Snape, I feel a burst of rage that I quickly push to the back of my mind. Lily's anger is easier to get rid of, because she usually helps me rein it back in. Snape told Tom the Prophecy, he pointed the Dark Lord at my family. A flash of a much younger, and yet somehow just as greasy, Snape flashes in my mind, sitting beside me.
I have no idea what to do about that particular issue, so I'm going to ignore it for now.
As we finally come in, the sun having already set, Narcissa calls me over. Draco, acting very much like a teenage boy having a friend sleep over for the first time, pouts at my attention being taken away from him, but I wave him off with an easy grin.
Spending more time with Narcissa is no hard task.
– Narcissa Malfoy –
As his advisor, it was important that she first got a better idea of his current situation. In truth, she'd thought he was being idle when he admitted that he hadn't finished going through his mail yet but…
Looking at the multiple overflowing trunks that Dobby had brought from his school, she had to admit that he was right. This was far too much for someone who was working fulltime, let alone a teenage boy who was new to this who had classes to balance on top of everything else.
She had to wonder what exactly Dumbledore was thinking. She suspected that he wanted Harry overwhelmed, hoping that he would come back to the Headmaster for help, to show Harry what he had been handling while Harry was away with the Muggles. Honestly, it seemed too blatant for a Dumbledore scheme, so she was likely missing something but she couldn't think of any other reason he'd leave the Boy Who Lived dealing with a mountain of letters and offers.
"I do believe you may need a business advisor as well. I can assist with such matters, but it is not my forte," Narcissa finally admitted as she filed away another offer from some company that wanted Harry's face on their product. Honestly, she had underestimated how much the common sheep cared about the Boy Who Lived, because it seemed like every company was hoping to get some connection to him. There were opportunities abound, but she didn't want to dilute the name by accepting too many and some of these businesses she'd never even heard of.
"So far, I've just been filing them all away in the 'business' chest but I know I need to start getting back to them," Harry admitted with a sigh, running a hand through his hair. Despite his words, he struggled to pay attention to the letters in front of him as his eyes flickered back to her.
Or, more specifically, to the nightie she was wearing. It was by no means improper, covering everything, but it certainly hinted at a lot. When it became clear that she was his political advisor and tutor, there was bound to be a mountain of people trying to dislodge her, either to take the position or because she was from such a dark and terrible family as the Malfoys. Harry was a healthy young man, and ensuring he enjoyed spending time with her was the simplest method of thwarting such plans.
"Indeed. If you wish to turn them all down or just ignore them, the number of offers will rapidly dwindle, but if your goal is the restoration of the Houses Potter and Black, it could be worth taking some of the better offers up. Perhaps even getting shares in these businesses rather than a direct payout," Narcissa mused. "Replying, even if it is just a refusal, will show your willingness to play ball on the business side of things and encourage more people to come to you with offers, as long as the refusal is properly worded. Business and politics share a lot, but I must confess that I am not entirely confident that I could word it properly for the best outcome."
As she spoke, she reached forward to place this letter into the business chest, now somewhat better sorted than just stuffed in. She'd been separating things by the company type. Harry didn't reply, but that was because his attention was once again diverted downwards. Her nightie reached her knees, but the way she had moved had caused it to slide up and expose more of her pale thighs. With the careful positioning of the chairs, she knew he was just a little off-centre from being able to see up her nightie entirely. If he leaned to the left, he'd have a nice, clear view, and she had no doubt he was tempted, but he stayed in place.
That was good. She'd have had to scold him if he were so crude.
"Do you have any idea for who could make a good business advisor?" Harry finally asked, almost shaking himself to pay more attention. Narcissa frowned for a moment, seemingly deep in thought as she pulled out the next letter. As she did, she crossed her legs, well aware that Harry just got a glimpse of forest green under the black nightie.
"Perhaps, but I don't know if they'd be interested… or what it would cost to gain their services," Narcissa admitted. The reason she wanted to marry Draco to Daphne was because of the wealth and connections that the Greengrass had gained through their trading business. If she could tempt Lady Greengrass in, all might not be lost. They still had another daughter, and there were other ways to get what she wanted from them. "I will put out some feelers, to see who I can get to aid with this mess. For now, we'll simply put all business letters into the appropriate chest. Sorting them now will make it easier when you do have a business advisor."
"Got it. This one is for… a potions shop in Ireland?" Harry said, frowning slightly. She hadn't heard of them either, but that was why they needed someone with their finger to the pulse of the business world. Someone who had the time and connections to research these smaller businesses.
"Place it in the potions and ingredients section. Honestly, your return has triggered a feeding frenzy. I wasn't aware your reputation had spread beyond England, but half of these are from the continent, and some are from even further beyond. Had it just been English companies, I could have managed, but I am not well-versed on business beyond our waters," Narcissa sighed, crossing her arms for a moment, pushing up her cleavage further before she passed another letter over to Harry to check as she did the same.
As he opened it, he froze for a moment as a picture fell out. She'd picked that one on purpose, knowing that the ambitious family had sent… an enticement to convince Harry of why their daughter would make a good mistress. Far too crude, but effective on a teenage boy as the image of a foreign witch smiled at him, wearing nothing but what she was born with.
"Another betrothal," Harry said, his tone not entirely stable. "But I don't recognise the family name. Sounds vaguely nordic?"
Taking the letter from him, she made sure to grab the photo at the same time. As she turned it, she lifted an eyebrow in surprise before turning back to him with a knowing look.
"I see. You're not entirely right, I believe they are a German family but they could have Scandinavian roots," Narcissa explained, lifting the image. The large breasted blonde stared back, smiling at the camera with her curves fully on display. "Do you get many… offers like this?"
"They come up," Harry admitted, hesitating before he reached into his robe and pulled out a small black book. Where had he been hiding that? She'd watched him change into those robes and he didn't take anything out of his uniform.
Taking the offered book, she looked through it with raised eyebrows. It had far more pages than she expected, with some clever libromancy charms put into play to add photos and sections.
"This is my little black book. I've been using it to keep track of… well, everything," Harry explained, clearly proud of his handiwork and he was right to do so. It was quite the source of information, where he'd made sections for each family and any offers they'd made, and what he knew about them. It wasn't quite the same as what she did, using Occlumency to keep everything sorted, but it was a viable alternative. It even had some security charms on it, but Draco had mentioned that someone, almost certainly Snape, had left Harry a book on such things.
Her eyebrows raised, genuinely this time, at the sight of some of the nude photographs he'd been sent. She knew some of these women personally. Well, quite a few women her age had lost husbands during the war and hadn't replaced them. Becoming a mistress of House Black would certainly be an enticing ambition, especially after Harry became a Slytherin and befriended Draco.
She paused, amused at the note for Natalina Zabini, which just said 'probably a serial killer, Blaise says to hit and quit'.
"I hope you are taking steps to ensure this never falls into the wrong hands?" Narcissa asked, handing the book and the photo over to him.
"I am. I've redone the security charms three times, as I learn better ones, and I never let it leave my side," Harry confirmed. "Should I get rid of the photos?"
"Harry, do you know why I am dressed like this?" Narcissa finally asked, turning to face him more directly, which incidentally meant he merely had to look down to be able to see directly up her nightie.
"To test me," Harry admitted, rubbing the back of his neck.
"You are a healthy young man, with a healthy libido. Never forget that people will try to use that against you," Narcissa reminded him, spreading her legs just a little. His eyes flickered down immediately, before he caught himself. "You've been unable to focus because of a hint of cleavage and thighs. Any time I shift, you forget what you're doing to stare."
"In my defence, you're probably the sexiest woman I've seen," Harry said with some embarrassment. She raised an eyebrow at that, but her scolding look shifted to a sly smirk.
"Thank you, I work hard on it. In a world of magic, never forget that most beauty is manufactured, especially in highborn ladies. Entire branches of potions and charms are dedicated to the pursuit of beauty," Narcissa admitted. "In my case, I merely… enhance what is already there, but many women will actively try to work out your preferences and alter themselves to better tempt you. I am not saying you shouldn't have a libido, especially given the poor states of both of your houses. If you have fewer than five children for each house, you'll be failing them, so a healthy libido will certainly help you. I'm not even saying you shouldn't… indulge, but my point is that you are too easily distracted, and a distracted wizard is a controllable wizard."
"I know," Harry sighed, running his hand through his hair. He did that whenever he was frustrated by something. Another tell that she'd have to teach him to suppress.
"But knowing and countering your… natural urges are two different things, aren't they?" Narcissa asked softly. "I want you to focus for me. To keep your reactions under control as we continue. Prove to me that you can keep your wandering eyes under control, and I'll reward you."
"Reward?" Harry asked, perking up. Given the conversation matter, she knew exactly where his mind was going. "Like what?"
"That will depend on how well you do, Harry," Narcissa purred, by no means above using her body to get him trained up. It would also help him deal with any lingering Muggle issues he might have over the distant relation he had to Lucretia, so it was a win-win. "Now, let's continue."
Passing him another letter, she continued her own pursuit of the mail, but kept her eyes on him. Soft movements didn't make his eyes snap to her, but rather, he was focusing entirely on the letter in front of him to an amusingly intense degree.
Pausing, she lifted her hands above her head and let out a sigh as she stretched, her chest pushed out somewhat. Still, he didn't look away from his work.
"This is an interview request from a French newspaper. I think. It sounds French, and no Englishman is named Pierre," Harry mumbled, placing it into the appropriate section.
Asking for the paper's name, she confirmed that it was one of the biggest papers in France. They didn't have a single dominant newspaper like the Daily Prophet, but instead three major papers that competed with each other in ways that Witch Weekly and, Merlin forbid, the Quibbler simply couldn't. She'd have to find out if he had matching offers from their competitors before they made a decision there, which meant finishing the unsorted pile.
Upping the ante, she rose from her chair and moved over to one of the chests, bending over at the waist to search for something. Harry was no fool, well aware of what she was doing, because the way she was sticking her backside out to him was anything but subtle. That didn't mean it wasn't effective, as she moved her shoulders to force the nightie to rise further. She'd picked this chest because of the mirror on her wall, letting her see Harry's struggle not to look toward her barely covered buttocks. It was… cute, in truth, but she enjoyed the clear signs of his attraction to her. Deciding to go a step further, she gently gripped the side of her nightie and tugged until it raised, inch by inch, until her entire buttocks were on display, the string of her green thong doing nothing to hide her cheeks from him. His grip on the letter tightened enough to almost tear, and she was sure he could barely see what she was doing out of the corner of his eyes. Still, his eyes did not move from the letter so she stopped and moved back to her chair, new bundle of letters to sort by her side.
"Good boy," Narcissa praised, seeing him almost shudder at her soft, dangerous words. In truth, her marriage was a fairly passionless affair after Lucius had gotten the heir he wanted. It had been over a year at this point since they'd last had sex, and that was damaging to a woman's ego, to feel unwanted, so seeing Harry fighting not to stare pleased her.
Or, if she was being more honest, it excited her. Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, nearly sweating from the sheer effort of not ogling her.
She kept going, finding reasons to bend over or stick her chest out toward him with a soft smirk on her lips. Each time, he almost broke, but would manage to regain control before he failed this little 'test'. At this point, she almost wanted him to fail, and with that in mind, she moved her hands lower.
Seeing that she was once more up to something, Harry paused in his reading, going still as a statue as she slid her hands under her nightie and lifted herself enough to slide her thong down her leg, extending the leg clear into his field of view with her panties hanging off the ankle.
Pulling it back, she pulled them away from her leg and, with an impish smile, tossed the panties directly onto the arm of the chair he was sitting in. With how she was sitting, and the clear evidence of her exposure next to him, he merely needed to glance to the side to get a clear view of her womanhood. His hand, on the other arm of the chair, was squeezing tight enough to leave a visible mark, and she continued chatting with him about entirely innocuous things as if she hadn't just thrown her underwear at him.
Asking him about what his overall goals for his houses were, she slowly peeled her nightie up and over her body, tossing it to the side as she sat, prim and proper, entirely in the nude. Despite this, Harry managed to answer her with a frank 'I have no idea'. Again, she wondered why Dumbledore wanted the heir of two powerful houses so utterly unprepared for the realities of what he'd be inheriting.
"It's rude to talk to people without meeting their eyes, Harry," Narcissa finally said, watching him turn from the letter, an invitation to another school, amusingly, to meet her gaze. Despite the fact that her breasts were fully on display, his gaze met hers without wavering. A marked improvement from earlier. "Very good. It's good to learn that you are so… reward-motivated before I begin teaching you the more difficult parts of noble life."
"What can I say? I'm a quick learner," Harry boasted. She turned to place down the letter she was holding, putting ample force into her movements to cause a certain amount of… jiggling, but Harry's gaze remained firm. "Especially when I have the right motivation."
"Indeed," Narcissa agreed with a wry smile, looking down at his robes where there was a sizeable tent. "And you have certainly performed well enough to warrant a… reward. I think we have made enough progress on this for now. If you overwork, you'll start to make mistakes. Even my eyes are beginning to glaze over. You have done very well, Harry, far better than I expected in truth."
"I'm a competitive person. Making it a challenge made me too stubborn to lose, no matter how… enticing the bait," Harry admitted with a soft laugh.
"The 'challenge' is over, and you won," Narcissa replied, rising from her seat and standing before him. "So it's time for your prize. Come along, Mr Potter. I would be a poor host if I didn't ensure all my guest's… needs were seen to."
Grabbing the front of his robe gently, she guided him from the chair before she took his hand and led him to her bed.
– Harry Potter –
Thank fuck for illusions. I failed this damn challenge ten seconds in, but as long as the illusion of Harry was looking at the letter, I could stare all I damn well pleased. A part of me says this is a bad idea, all things considered, but Tom wants to know if she's as wild in bed as her sister and Lily is deeply and twistedly amused at the idea of her old school rival/bully putting out for us.
As Narcissa lays down on her back, she faces me with a sultry smile.
"So, Mr Potter. How would you like your prize?"
Yeah, bad idea or not, I'm all in.
— Bonus Scene — Lucius Malfoy
Sitting in his office, Lucius paused as a thought struck him. Their scheme relied on 'Harry' getting as famous as possible, and while the defeat of the Dark Lord was a useful stepping stone, it was questionable how far Harry could take this when his feat was something he'd done while wearing diapers.
Of course, Tom knew this, which was why he was planning on getting a reputation as a prodigy, but something struck him. Ludo Bagman had been making a lot of noise trying to get the Triwizard Tournament reinstated. Anyone who knew him knew that he was more interested in trying to make money from gambling on it, but that didn't mean that Ludo wasn't onto something for once.
With the Minister's support and him greasing the wheels, it would be trivial to get it restarted. Durmstrang would go along with it, as Karkaroff had too many skeletons buried that Lucius could dig up to keep him in line. Beauxbatons would follow suit, because they had too much pride to let a different third school be chosen. They'd make a fuss, right up until the Ministry hinted at reaching out to a different third school like Ilvermorny, which frequently challenged that they were the premier magical school, not Hogwarts, and wouldn't miss a chance to try and prove it. With all three in, ensuring Harry Potter, Teen Prodigy and Local Hero was the chosen champion of Hogwarts would be child's play, because the PR potential would get the Minister on board instantly. Harry's legend had already begun by the time he could walk, but for it to truly shine, it needed to be… cultivated, and a Triwizard win at such a young age was bound to set things rolling in the right direction.
He'd have to test the waters, but he suspected Tom wouldn't mind this plan. Between flirting with Lucretia and messing around with Draco, two things that the proud Dark Lord would never have lowered himself to, it was clear that the teenage body was having an effect on the Dark Lord's mind, and all teenage boys wanted to show off.
He was going to make sure 'Harry Potter' was a living legend. After all, why fight for power when you can just sit back and let the fools hand it to you. Tom was wise to come to him rather than the other brutes in the Inner Circle, and the Dark Lord had been generous before his descent into madness. Lucius was sure he would be generous again.