I quite like how this chapter turned out :) I finished it a few days ago, but decided to do one last edit today, and managed to add 500 words to it. Although, I do think that the ending scene could have been drawn out a little longer. 3.6k is really good for me, though! I hope you enjoy it, and please comment any scenes you wish to see.
[Chapter 7 is nearly complete as well, but I'll hold that update off for the time being.]
24th July 1997- Thursday- [Afternoon]
Over the next few days, Harry met up with Cedric twice more for tea and the Attendants for the other days, one of which was today. So far, the chatter had been light, the tea and snacks served, overlooking any snide remarks from Greengrass or overly deferential actions from Clearwater.
Therefore, when a Eunuch approached the table, they weren't expecting anything of much note.
" His Imperial Majesty, The Emperor, wishes to spend this evening with Primary First-Class Attendant Malfoy. The Lady is expected to greet His Majesty at 5 pm sharp within the Emperor's dining. His Majesty asks his concubine to dress appropriately to attend dinner alongside his royal advisor. A Eunuch will be waiting for Lady Malfoy to escort her there."
The group fell into stony silence, turning to face the Eunuch properly. Harry felt the polite smile on his face drop at the sight of burgundy robes, which was the colour his Majesty's personal servants wore. And they had barely taken any notice of his approach.
" Congratulations, Sister." He felt slightly ill yet still managed to throw a convincing half-smile on his face before she could spot his grimace.
Dahlia, who had yet to stop staring at the Eunuch in open disbelief and astonishment, snapped her head towards him and smiled tearfully. " Thank you, Brother." She turned back to the man waiting patiently, still bowed. "I am grateful for the opportunity to spend time with his Majesty. Please convey my sincerest gratitude."
" Yes, my Lady." With one final bow to their group, the man hurried off.
Dahlia stood up quickly after he was out of sight, still smiling happily. " I'm sorry, Sisters and Brothers, but I must be off. There are only a few hours until his Majesty expects me, and I need to go and prepare. Thank you for the lovely time, Brother Harry." With a brief peck on his cheek, she linked arms with her maid.
" Ah, I will come with you, Sister." Greengrass stood, Nott following with his own excuses, and Clearwater mumbled something unintelligible before she was scampering off to follow as well. Harry and Luna were left alone at the table unexpectedly, each with a maid still by their sides. He brought his cup of tea up to his lips, frowning softly at the sight of his hand slightly shaking.
He couldn't believe he was still so weak-hearted. Of course, the Emperor would want to meet with Dahlia, his close advisors' daughter, society's newest flower, and to top it off, a Pureblood whose family had always been allied with the dark.
" Harry." He turned his head to his friend, startled by the soft smile on her lips. " Don't dread that you weren't chosen. The Emperor's interest in you is growing by the day, and soon, that will be you." She downed her tea, standing up. " I must be leaving now. I'm sure the Nargles have been busy whilst I've been gone; my jewellery has been going missing more often these days."
" The- Yes, it's best if you hurry. I hope you stop the... Nargles." Harry stammered out, Luna giggling in response. She spun once, the maid grabbing hold of her arm with an admonishing look.
" Mistress! "
" Bye, Harry! I'll see you tomorrow!"
" Bye. And thanks, Luna!"
[Evening]
That evening was a chilly one, especially for July. The knowledge that Dahlia was currently having dinner with the Emperor still sat heavily on his mind, thoughts swirling in his head of all the things that could happen. Harry knawed anxiously at his lip. He felt stupid for this. The Emperor had many concubines, as well as many children, him paying attention to his friend wasn't going to cause Harry or his status any harm. Still, he couldn't help but believe that his chances of gaining the Emperor's favour were slipping away the longer he wasn't called upon.
It was telling; an Attendant being called upon before a Noble. No doubt, the others would make assumptions due to this.
" How are you feeling, Master?" Harry hummed questioningly, so she elaborated. " About Lady Dahlia's meeting with his majesty."
" I have no right to be feeling anything but happiness for my sister. We are all his Majesty's concubines, here to serve him as he desires, and today he wishes to have dinner with Dahlia."
" Of course, Master. How dare I presume that you would feel any sort of ill will towards Lady Dahlia."
He allowed her to bow for a moment longer than he usually would, feeling wrung out and tired suddenly. " Anya... I am no longer an ordinary person. There are expectations I must meet; and feelings I must suppress due to these circumstances. I can't allow myself to show others what I truly feel, not until I have a stable standing here."
" Of course, Master."
" I adore Dahlia with all my heart; she is my closest friend, has been since we were young. But... I can't help but feel relieved that his Majesty refuses to take his younger concubines to bed, even when I know that she dearly wants his child. I know it's wrong, but I hope she doesn't become pregnant before I do." He allowed himself to bask in the silence for a moment, swallowing heavily. " Anyway, enough of that! I am hungry. Please dress me quickly."
" Yes, Master."
25th July 1997- Friday [Early Morning]
"- We simply talked with my father, Harry, nothing much else happened. It was quite boring if you ask me, although the Emperor's appearance was enough to quell some of that." She sipped her tea daintily, grinning at him over the lip of her cup.
Harry laughed. " Make sure nobody else hears you say that, Sister. I don't think many would take you calling being in the Emperor's presence 'boring' well."
" Not being in the Emperor's presence, it was my father's addition that made it dull! He wouldn't let me talk to the Emperor apart from greeting him, and I was sent away minutes after he left. It seems that His Majesty only wanted me there to ensure that the talk between them went well."
" Your Father does have the habit of challenging his Majesty's patience." The pair chuckled with one another, Dahlia sliding closer to him. They were sat in Harry's front room on one of the window seats, watching the maids tend to the garden. It was coming along well, no longer looking as bare as before, the extra flowerbeds brightening up the previously monotone space.
Dahlia sighed, sitting up straighter to gain his attention. " You know, Harry... you're a really great friend." He looked at her questioningly, put off by the sudden change in tone. " I hope that us competing to bear the Emperor's children and gain the most status doesn't affect that. I don't know if I could bear you being my enemy."
He smiled softly. " Me neither, Lia."
" But-" Here, her voice sharpened, and Harry glimpsed a peek of what being Dahlia's enemy would entail. Her eyes slightly glowed with excess magical power, hair slightly rippling. " If you try, in any way, to sabotage me, I will have no remorse for what I will do."
" I wouldn't expect any less." Harry placed a hand on her shoulder, watching as Dahlia beamed and placed her cup on the table, assured that her point had gotten across. " However..." Harry allowed his own magic to seep out, coating the room in a dangerous blanket of pure malice. She froze, eyes widening and goosebumps visibly developing on her body. " Don't expect me to take anything lying down, either. No matter our relationship, my family comes first."
" Of course, Brother Harrison. I will heed your warning if you heed mine."
" Good, now, you said that His Majesty has plans for Draco's employment once he graduates?"
[8 am-9 am]
Later that morning, the day's meeting began, with Bellatrix and the group that stuck around her already seated when Harry arrived. He stopped at the doors for a moment, surveying the room with a cautious gaze. It was out of the norm. Usually, they were the last to arrive. It was a statement that they liked to make, that they could enter whenever they wished.
He sat down in his usual seat, dressed in a dainty blue robe patterned with dandelions, and waited for the meeting to commence.
The Consort began the meeting as usual, prattling on and on about how- "My baby seems to be getting more active lately, their kicks are getting stronger!" -and- " His Majesty is very pleased that I'm progressing so well. I've barely experienced any discomfort, and the Royal Doctor says that the baby is looking healthy." Until, of course, the ball dropped.
"Ah, and since we are on the topic of pregnancy..." Here, she turned her head to slyly smile down at Noble sitting to Harry's left, who he had come to know was named Pippa Macmillan. She was a mostly quiet woman from what Harry had seen of her so far, rarely speaking up during the daily meetings, but she also had an almost unconsciously snobbish air to her that kept him from approaching. Even during the tea, he had attended with her a few days before, she hadn't said a word to him. "Congratulations on your pregnancy, Sister Macmillan! His Majesty has been eagerly anticipating a child between you both. May the union between your families deepen due to this joyous news!"
"...Thank you, Sister, your words are eagerly welcomed. I, myself, only found out last night." The woman looked incredibly uncomfortable to be speaking about it, and Harry felt pity for her. She had obviously been aiming to keep news of her pregnancy a secret for long as possible, but that choice was taken out of her hands as soon as she gained it.
" Oh, Isn't this just so exciting! It's been so long since there were this many concubines pregnant at once! I'm quite sad that my child is expected to arrive this year, whilst yours, Sister Penny's and Sister Jasmine's are expected next year. I expect that the children will all be in the same year at Hogwarts, though." Bellatrix looked giddy, and by the fearful glances shared between the others, it wasn't a welcome reaction. Her magic, once calm, was swelling with emotion, the effects of her pregnancy showing clearly.
" Cousin Bella, calm yourself. Getting yourself so worked up isn't good for the baby."
It was the first time Harry had heard his voice, and he could tell instantly that Regulus Slytherin-Black was nothing like his older brother. His voice was smoother, more refined, although it lacked the life that was found so bountifully within Sirius' own. He felt homesick just thinking about his Godfather, missing the carefree manner he held himself with compared to his shell of a brother.
Bellatrix relaxed instantaneously at her cousin's words, cradling her stomach in alarm. " It's alright, sweetheart, Mummy didn't mean to cause you any harm. Mummy just got a little excited for a moment there." Her smile appeared less flighty than before when she finally looked up. The Consort waved her hand half-heartedly, all previous pomp diminished. " You may talk amongst yourselves."
Conversations commenced immediately, whether they were talking about Bellatrix's outburst or the news that she had dropped so unexpectedly on them. As Pippa, the woman involved in the latter sat to his left, Harry eavesdropped on the discussion she was partaking in.
"-how many days are you along now? Did you get pregnant when his Majesty invited you-"
" Yes, so I'm currently eleven days along today. The Healer barely managed to catch that I was carrying, and it came as such a shock." The Noble still looked rather frazzled, pale white and clutching the front of her robes, as if to protect the life growing inside her.
" My, you're so fortunate to have caught your pregnancy so early on, Sister. I would have loved to of had an extra few weeks of planning; there was so much that I wasn't prepared for. My Serina was such a handful when she was younger; it's such a relief that she's heading out of her toddler stage now. Sister Jasmine, you're also experiencing your first pregnancy at the moment, right? Have you got any advice for Sister Pippa?" Jasmine, who sat next to Pippa, smiled sheepishly, her dimples accenting her simple beauty.
" I'm afraid I don't. I haven't experienced much so far. I'm only just over a month along, myself."
" Ah, a shame. From my experience, I believe it's best if you ask the household department to begin sourcing the items you will need as soon as possible. The months fly by, and soon, you'll be wishing for more. Also, ask them to deliver your kitchen a variety of foods, your taste buds will change their preference frequently."
" Thank you for the advice, Sister Erin."
" Anything to help my Sister." The Noble grinned, her freckled face and gingery-brown hair sending a sharp pain to Harry's heart in remembrance of a past friend who had turned against him long ago. The boy had never agreed with his fascination with anything to do with the Emperor.
" I wouldn't take any advice about pregnancy from Sister Witt, Sister Pippa. After all, hasn't she failed to bring his Majesty's children into this world three times now? And even with her success in birthing the Tenth Princess, her track record leaves much to be desired."
" Sister Cordelia, that's uncalled for!" The sharp voice of Secondary Noble Vanity sent their gazes towards her, who, although looking as sickly as usual, had a hard and disapproving look in her eyes. " You should not comment on a fellow concubine's hardships when you have never experienced the pain they have gone through yourself!"
" Is it not the truth?" All she received was glares from the others, so she tutted, returning to the book in her lap. " Don't come crying to me when you eat something wrong because of Sister Erin's suggestions. You have to be careful with what you digest, it's best to stick with what your body knows."
" Her maids wouldn't be as stupid as to give her something that would cause any harm." Erin retorted hotly, a flush spread across her cheekbones. Cordelia lifted sharp blue eyes to stare at her blankly.
" Yours were, though." The discussion ended with that, Noble Erin curling into herself and refusing to converse anymore, the Primary Noble continuing to read her book. The mood was dampened, so none of the others attempted to start it up again.
Bellatrix took that moment to clap her hands, and begin the true objective of their gathering." Alright, now, let's discuss recent changes to the Emperor's schedule. His Majesty's duties have lessened considerably, so be prepared to be called upon more frequently from now on. Of course, he's most likely to call upon those he's familiar with, so don't expect anything you don't deserve-"
[]
[]
31st July 1997- Thursday
A week later, Harry finally turned seventeen. It was a significant milestone in his life, one that would usually be largely celebrated by his family and friends with great fanfare. However, in the Harem, things were different.
He was moderately low-ranked, and therefore, there was no grand celebration. His friends and family weren't invited, and barely any concubines sent presents to congratulate him. Only Dahlia, Cedric, Luna, and a few of the Attendants sent him gifts, most simply items such as bolts of silk too feminine for his liking, or books containing information he had little use for.
It was, in all, his most boring birthday so far.
However, the Eunuch knocking on his door, as usual, changed that.
" His Majesty, the Emperor, invites Noble Potter-Black to dine with him this evening in celebration of his seventeenth birthday. He asks his Lordship to arrive at the Emperor's Palace by 6 pm, dressed appropriately for the occasion. The Emperor also advises his Lordship's maids to bring nightwear as Noble Potter-Black is intended to be staying the night."
Harry almost sat back down in disbelief, only Anya's tight grip on his arm keeping him steady. What? The Emperor was going to personally celebrate his birthday with him? And he was going to be staying the night? Surely the Emperor wasn't thinking of sleeping with him on his first night as a legal adult. The man had never shown any inclination of doing so with any other concubines before him.
" I-I thank his Majesty for his thoughtfulness. Please express to him the gratefulness I am feeling and to expect me at the requested time." The Eunuch bowed, leaving the pair to their thoughts. " Anya!"
" Master, have no fear. We have been preparing outfits for such an occasion ever since you were chosen. They are all ready, you just need to choose one, and we will sort everything else."
" Thank you, Anya."
" It is simply my job, Master."
[6 pm]
" Noble Potter-Black, I see that you are a rather punctual man." The voice hadn't changed at all since the last time Harry had laid eyes on the Emperor just over two weeks before, but his reaction was the same. His knees felt like jelly, barely able to stand under the attention of such a powerful being.
" Your Majesty. Thank you for inviting me." Harry bowed, conscious of how much skin his new robes were showing. They weren't immodest by any means, but they were much more revealing than any other he owned, with a revealing neckline that left much, but not all, to the imagination.
" Sit." The imposing man pointed to the plush seat on the opposite side of the table, and Harry gingerly sat down in it, despite feeling uncomfortable sitting in the Emperor's direct line of sight. " Elson, serve the tea."
A Eunuch appeared almost from the shadows, filling up the cups he hadn't noticed were placed on the table. The Emperor didn't spare the man a glance, instead, continuing to stare at him intently. The man was as incredibly handsome as ever, with perfectly styled black hair, a sharp jawline, and piercing red eyes that did nothing but add to his attractiveness. Having all of his attention fixated on him made Harry squirm in his seat.
" I hope that you enjoy chamomile."
" Yes, I do." He did not. It tasted like socks on the better days.
The Emperor's stare didn't lessen, in fact, it seemed to grow sharper. He raised his hand with purpose, and Harry instinctively reared back but leaned forward eagerly when the Emperor simply vanished the contents of his cup with a simple wave of his hand. "Elson, serve another tea for Noble Potter-Black. Mint?"
" Ah, yes, that's my favourite."
The Eunuch obediently nodded, producing a satchel of tea and another teapot out of seemingly nowhere. He poured the tea and vanished once his job was completed.
The pair of them sat in silence for a little while, taking the occasional sip of tea.
" Dinner will be served soon if you were wondering. I had it held off for the time being, as I have a question to ask you."
" Whatever do you want to know, your Majesty?"
" Why did you, who has such prospects, and the heir to two Noble Houses, decide to leave Hogwarts and become my concubine?"
Harry breathed in deeply, steeling himself. " To help my family regain our former glory and status, your Majesty. The surest way to do so is to become your concubine, and bear your children."
The Emperor laughed. It was a pleasant sound, amusement mixed with enough mockery to know that he was edging the boundaries of polite talk with that comment.
" My new concubine is a rather ambitious one. Only twelve of the thirty-one concubines I've ever had have given me a child, and only three of those have given me multiple. To fully recover your family's status, you'd have to bear me a son, a possible heir to the throne. I only have four living sons, despite having been on the throne for twenty-one years now." The Emperor left it at that, allowing how unlikely his intent was to sink in.
" I hope that I won't disappoint you, your Majesty."
With a hungry gleam, the Emperor sat up straighter, leaning forward. "Then, can I hope to expect a son for each of our titles? How many is that, four? Slytherin, Gaunt." He placed a hand on his chest, then outstretched it to place it on Harry's hand. " Potter and Black."
Harry, with the warmth of the Emperor's hand on his own, became emboldened. " Perhaps, if there is a fifth son, as we are both descendants of Peverell, they may obtain that title as well. That's five, you're Majesty." He looked up and flinched at the burning look in those red eyes.
" My, how bold of you, Noble Potter-Black. I wonder, what makes you so confident that you'll ever bear a child of mine?" Harry pulled in a deep breath, closing his eyes in preparation. He couldn't believe that he had been so daring, challenging the Emperor as if they were friends. " We'll just have to wait and see, hm? You've already gained my attention, you only need to hold onto it ferociously from now on." A sting on the tip of his nose made Harry rear back with a yelp, opening his watering eyes slightly.
The Emperor was smiling.
" Ah, look, dinner has been served. I heard that you enjoy turkey, yes?"
